Today is the last in a long list of 'how bad can it get?' and 'surely, this is rock bottom.' On their way to Freedman's Church, the group is faced by another enemy that they can't very well scream or throw punches at.
"Oh, shit, the tide."
The water has risen and flooded well over the path back to the main island. There's no way in hell that they're getting through this time.
"How deep is that?" Kie asks.
"I dunno," John B answers, driving again. "The road's gone."
He stops the van. "Tide rose faster than I thought it would," JJ lets out.
Kathryn purses her lips, nodding. "Understatement of the year."
"Uh... KD, how high are the spark plugs?"
She takes some lint off of her jeans. "I'm not participating in that. You're breaking this van all on your own."
John B hums. "They're good. We're fine."
"How high are they?"
"Oh, um..." He winces. "Just above the taillight."
"So, three feet," Kathryn adds.
JJ sighs. "That's three feet."
Kie frowns, staring at the water. "It can't be three feet deep."
"So then what's the problem?" John B asks.
"Not a problem," JJ nods, taking a dive deep in denial. "No, we're good. We're good. She'll make it."
Kathryn snorts. "I hope you're talking about the van this time because there's no way in hell I'm willingly driving us into the mud. We're gonna get stuck."
"Come on," John B drawls. "Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. Hold on to something. We're going into hyperdrive."
JJ makes the sign of the cross over his chest. "I'll say a quick prayer."
John B starts the van, groaning, yelling a little. The Twinkie doesn't move, at first. Then, it departs in a squelch, water flying inside from the opened windows.
"Faster! Faster!"
"Speed is your friend. Speed is your friend, John B."
Just as the Twinkie is meant to rejoin the main, not soaked road, the van goes fishtail and diverts to their left, effectively landing in a growing pond.
The van stops. John B begins to chant small 'no's. The taillight is definitely taking a bath right now. So are the plugs. All in all, Kathryn would say they're fucked.
"I think we miscalculated," Pope remarks.
Sarah holds her fingers up, closing the gap between them, as if to say, just a bit.
"I knew I should have driven."
Kathryn huffs at JJ, crossing her arms. "And what, bend the water away? You're missing the hairdo, Katara."
They walk out to evaluate the damage. Kathryn's shins are immediately hit by freezing water, and she scowls. Those shoes she's wearing are expensive, dear god fuck. They're her favourite pastel yellow! She raises a foot.
More like poop brown now.
"Okay, maybe we can walk from here," Pope proposes.
"What?" John B cries out. "And leave the Twinkie? The... the tide's coming in." Kathryn opens her mouth. "Do not say that we should have checked the tides."
Sarah sighs. "So then what are we supposed to do?"
"Not stay here," JJ says, not helping.
But Kathryn knows a car – a truck, actually – that she's fixed up quite a lot to know should make it through the water, with just enough power too... She also knows someone who'll disinherit her and throw her on the streets if he finds a speck of mud anywhere near his baby.
"I can take Henry's truck," she says, though her tone clearly indicates she doesn't want to.
"Bug, are you sure?"
She sighs. "Yeah, yeah. Only other trucks we have is either in Charleston, or belongs to the Carreras so any way, we're fucked."
Kie's lip inches up in a smile, relieved that she doesn't have to run into her parents this time around.
"We need something to pull her out with," JJ remarks. "There's the winch at the Château. That's like, two miles."
Sarah nods. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
"If you're gonna do it, let's go, okay?" John B hurries a little, too worried about his van to care about much else.
Kathryn rolls her eyes. "Yes, bee."
"Tide's coming in. Twinkie's going underwater."
"She needs a good soak."
"Don't talk about my van like that."
"Double time, KD. We gotta move."
Kathryn and JJ leave the rest of the group to fend for themselves, the former trying to distract herself from the feeling of impending doom her anxiety brings every time they split up. The sludgy mud feels like she's walking to an SBI tent, like she was back in August. She tries to distract herself by thinking about how she's going to twist it around in a way Henry won't kill her for, and JJ's palm against hers.
🐝
Henry is blissfully unaware that his favorite niece is currently on another gold hunt. Which is for the better, considering the last time he caught wind of it, he almost ruptured an artery.
So when Kathryn walks in, all smiles – albeit soaked in mud up to her knees – he doesn't think much of it, other than she's been awfully happy these past few days, and it's a good thing to see.
"Henry, my beloved uncle, you know how much I love you?"
Of course, nothing says shady more than Kathryn talking about her feelings. "What do you want?" he asks, narrowing his eyes at her. She takes a step forward and he holds up a hand. "Don't come anywhere near that pristine floor, you little piglet."
She scowls, but says nothing about it. "I was wondering if I could borrow your truck?"
He gapes like a fish, before gesturing at her shins. "In this state? I think not."
She whines like a spoiled rotten kid, which she was not. "Come on, I need it! John B took a bet that he could drive the Twinkie to Goat Island in the rising tide, and now he's stuck."
It's only half a lie, but that's all he needs to know. Last time one of her uncles was involved, he got shot. She doesn't want to see Henry get shot.
Though, he looks like he just has. "What? Why didn't you lead with that, I'm coming to help–"
"No!" she cries out. He stops dead in his tracks. She licks her lips, collecting herself to not make it too obvious that she's plainly lying to his face. "I just need to be the one to do it, you know? Rubbing it in his face. I live for being right, we know this, Henry."
Henry stares at her, dubious. Then, he nods, and she wonders how on God's green Earth was it so easy. "Fine. You better wash it before you bring it back here."
She smirks as he throws her the keys, nodding fervently. "Will do. Thanks, Henry."
She turns around, ready to leave, but hesitates on the doorstep. Should she tell him about JJ right now? Should she open this can of worms, when they don't have much time? She feels tempted to, the thought too amusing to pass up.
"Need anything else, kid?"
She shakes her head. There'll be other occasions. "Nope. Thanks again!"
Kathryn goes to leave again, then stops, turns around, rushes in – 'Piglet no!' – and plants a kiss on Henry's cheek before dipping. They'd been fighting so much lately, with her dad, and everything else, it just feels nice to behave like his actual kid.
Henry would be denying tears shining in his eyes to his grave. However, he does wonder what's got her in such a good mood.
Kathryn walks out, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she comes up to JJ. He hollers as quietly as he can, throwing an arm around her shoulder. She leads him out back, to the garage, where the truck is parked.
He kisses her temple. "Atta girl."
"You better not be talking about my uncle's truck this time."
"Depends. Look at this baby. If I kiss you can I drive?"
She blushes a little. "You can try."
JJ grabs at her waist and tugs her towards him, lips finding hers like second nature. He feels her smile against him, spurring him on. She takes a fistful of his jacket and pulls him in until her back hits the truck, one of his hands resting next to her face to hold himself up. Clearly, he didn't expect that from her, but he is not protesting.
The seams of her mouth open for him and he sighs into the kiss, his fingers surely leaving marks against her waist as her hands rake through his hair, keeping him close to her, the kind of way that makes him melt and straighten at the same time, electricity arcing through his entire body.
Kathryn shudders when his fingers trail against her ribcage, goosebumps raising where they leave a hot trail on her skin. She gasps a little, JJ swallowing the sound. When they part, they're more than a little out of breath.
"That's..." she heaves out.
"I agree," he can only say.
He goes in for another kiss, making her laugh. "John B would kill us if he knew we were snogging instead of hurrying up."
"I'm prepared to make that sacrifice."
"I know you are." She pats his chest, escaping his arms and grabby hands. "...But I'm still driving."
JJ is too out of it to think of arguing back, and so Kathryn drives the twenty minutes it takes to get to the Château. The heat of JJ's hand on her thigh is delightful, and the blush that creeps up on his cheeks when she calls him a passenger princess is even more.
The truck comes up to the driveway, and she parks on the side of the road.
"This'll only take a sec," JJ tells her. "I think it's over in the surf shack. Yeah, it's in the surf shack. I'll be right back."
"Okay, babe, less talk, more running out."
He surprisingly listens to her, opening the door, rushing out. Falling face flat.
"JJ?" She's nearly out the door to check on him, wondering if she should laugh or help.
"I'm okay!"
She settles on chortling alone in the car, resting her head back, waiting for him to get the winch and be done with it. Considering JJ isn't the most organised person ever, it can take a minute, or two.
Not five. She stares at the clock, and back at the surf shack, where she can see his blonde hair, but that's all. She honks, once. They don't have the time, which seems hypocritical, considering they just made out, and lost a whole lot of time, but she won't tell if you don't.
She gets out of the car, honking some more. "Babe we don't have all day!"
There's some rustling, and she figures he must have found the winch, so she smiles, ready to get this over with, get Pope his inheritance, forget about this gold hunt, finally settle and have a normal year and–
JJ pushes Luke Maybank forward. Kathryn's smile drops, and she stands, rigid as a board. Last time she saw him, he was so drugged up and drunk that he barely could stand. He'd told JJ he loved him, and passed out on the couch. And then, he was thrown in jail for possession and use of drugs.
Now, he was walking towards Kathryn, and her fist is tightening, and she pushes herself off the truck, raising it to hit before JJ holds her arm back in a hurry, dropping the winch.
"What the fuck?" she cries out, red with anger. "What the fuck is he doing here?"
Luke uses the distraction to climb inside the backseat of her uncle's truck, JJ throwing the winch in the boot. She's no stranger to liking and caring for rotten fruit – she still thinks about her mom behind bars, still feels like it's her fault that she's in there – but still:
"JJ, what the fuck?"
"Just get in the truck." Uh?
Kathryn barks out a laugh of disbelief, immediately reaching for the door handle, ready to drag Luke out herself if she has to. JJ grabs her hand and pushes it away, making her scowl.
"The van is sinking right now, I'm not taking that fucking cunt on a drive, you hear me?" she cries out, eyes blazing. He doesn't answer, walking away. "I'm serious, JJ, what the fuck is this? Is he threatening you? Tell me because I swear, I'm keying his eyes out–"
"Listen to me." He grabs her by the arms, forcing her to look at his face. "I need to get into the marina at the Island Club. There's a boat there he can take."
She scoffs, in complete disarray. "You're kidding me right now."
"You got the sticker on your truck. Twenty minutes, that's all I need."
He lets her go, walking to the other side of the truck. Which is a good thing, because she's sure she would have started shaking the common sense back into him.
Kathryn laughs again, though she doesn't find any of this funny, turning around to face him over the hood. His blue eyes are guilt-ridden, her brown eyes are begging to make a mistake. "You are kidding me. In twenty minutes, the Twinkie's dead, and so's your dad because I can't spend more than ten seconds with him."
"I know, KD."
"Do you?" she fires back. "Because I'm not helping your dad with anything, he can rot for all I care–"
His hands hit the hood of the truck. "The cops are after him!"
"Oh, what else is fucking new? Let them! I'm definitely not helping him get away from the cops."
"Kat–"
"Is it even registering that the cops are after him and he showed up at our fucking best friend's house looking for you? Is that not fucking revolting to you?" She scoffs, turning around to glare at Luke in the car. "If the cops don't get you, mother fucker, I'm going to, you hear me?"
"Kat, please," JJ begs, distracting her from Luke's acidic smile. "If I do this now, maybe I will never have to do it again."
With that, he gets in the truck, and closes the door behind him. She tries to put herself in his shoes – this is the last thing he has to do for him to finally leave him alone and stop poisoning his entire fucking life, and that, she can get behind.
Kathryn grounds her teeth, forcing herself to stay silent. She bites on the inside of her cheeks so hard she's going to taste blood. She's going to do something stupid. She's been doing a good job at keeping the anger at bay, but this is fucking rich, and she's going to gouge Luke Maybank's eyes out and keep them as a keychain.
She's sure to be shaking when she climbs back inside, taking slow, laboured breaths in. Anger had always been a wildfire to her, but she didn't think the force it would grow the moment JJ's well-being is at risk, and god if it fucking is.
"Thanks, Ka–"
"Don't talk to her."
"Shut the fuck up."
Kathryn has never driven so safely in her life. At least, it feels like it. She feels like they're going so slow, this moment is stretching out, and she can smell the fucking whiskey on Luke even from his place in the back of the car.
She does her best to be a supportive girlfriend, to support JJ through this, but it's hard, because this is the single most stupid decision he's ever made. She's never heard of anything worse, and he robbed a drug dealer's house. Kathryn learned from her mistake, she learned not to enable him, and she wants to bite her fucking hands off in frustration.
"Hey, pull up to Home Food here," Luke says. "I'm gonna need provisions."
The thing she bites on is her tongue, as JJ turns around to glare at his father. "What did I just say? Don't talk to her."
Kathryn can see Luke hold up his hands in reddition in the rearview mirror. JJ sends her a pleading look, and she does park at Home Food, but best believe it isn't out of the goodness of her heart.
JJ climbs out of the truck – Luke can't be seen outside, and his son is too set on doing some good to cancel out all the bad his father is bringing for his own good. Kathryn wants to scream until her throat is raw.
"Crackers and baked beans and tuna, all right? And some salt and pepper. Five days' worth."
Kathryn's lips are shut tight, fighting the urge to remind Luke that his son isn't his fucking toy. JJ leaves, not without a last pointed look at her, so she doesn't open her mouth.
And then Luke starts banging on her carseat, making up some tune she doesn't know where he heard, until the words are bursting out of her mouth, and she's ready to pull every tooth out of his mouth again.
"You're a fucking terrible human being, you know that?" she spits out, looking at him through the rearview mirror.
"Yeah, preach it to me," he ironises. "Set me straight."
She shakes her head. "There's nothing straight to set, you're a pile of fuming shit that keeps making JJ's life a living hell." The words are too hard to keep to herself now. "And he doesn't deserve that, and you don't even care, as long as it fucking suits you. Do you even know who he is?"
He nods to himself. "He's a thief is what he is."
It takes everything in Kathryn not to start the car and ram it into a tree. Rage ripples through her forcefully, flexing her fingers, clicking her jaw. "And what the fuck are you, a nun? Last time I saw you, you could barely stand up from how wasted you were, you piece of crap, you think you can talk big to me now? You think you have any ground to stand on? Because I'm telling you right now, it's fucking shaky."
Luke laughs, which might be worse. "You know, you sound just like your mama. She was just like that the first time she came to OBX. Big mouth, no bite. Kook queen. Of course, you learn to love 'em, right? You know, I bet you're a lot like your mama. Slumming with the bad boys. Always a Maybank to do her dirty work, is that what you're doing? Yeah, I bet you do the same, miss Figure Eight, hopping up there on your high horse, riding around in daddy's car. You talk big about my boy, KD, but I bet you're just using–"
Kathryn's fist collides painfully with Luke's nose, blood running down his lip instantly.
She's halfway on the backseat, face a mask of rage as her lip curls against her teeth, finger pointing at him. "If you ever call me KD again, I'll rip your fingernails out and make you eat them. He's the only one who calls me that. You know why? Because he's the most humane, dedicated, loyal, patient and caring person on this fucking island, and you're just trash piling up at his doorstep. And I won't add to that. So for that reason, I'm using my big mouth and I'm not disfiguring you right now. Don't push your luck, Luke, because you won't like it when I bite your fucking cunt head off."
She sits back on her seat, ignoring him wholly as he remains silent – good – and JJ comes back from the shop, carrying beers for his dad, and putting the rest of the groceries away.
He climbs back into the truck, taking a look at his dad, and then at Kathryn, stubbornly staring forward. He blinks at the blood his dad hurriedly wipes. "Anything happen?"
She doesn't answer. Luke shakes his head.
"Let's get this shit over with," she grounds out as she starts the truck.
She drives to the marine in the same, excruciatingly slow pace, wishing Luke's boat would end at the bottom of the ocean harder as each second passes.
She parks the car, JJ climbing out to get his dad's stuff. Kathryn bites her nails thoughtfully when Luke's frankly rancid breath invades her personal space.
"Hey, why don't you tell your mom hi?"
She visibly starts to vibrate in anger, but JJ pushes his dad's shoulder, away from Kathryn. "Shut up."
He sends Kathryn an apologetic look, to which she just says. "Make it quick."
JJ and him make their way thankfully away from Kathryn though she wishes they weren't together, uneasy to see them, alone. She starts the truck and drives around the club to keep watch over them, to make sure that Luke isn't hurting JJ, with his hands, at least.
She feels sick when she sees them hug. She should be there, she should be caving his face in, keeping JJ safe. Not... not doing whatever this is.
She parks the car and gets out before the boat leaves, not wanting him to be alone a second longer. So she has to watch, when the boat slowly disappears, when JJ throws meds away, wipes his tears, jaw set, fingers twitching.
But when he turns around, Kathryn is waiting, arms crossed, eyebrows cinched together. It takes her half a second to take his hand and tug him into a hug, arms winding around his shoulders tightly.
"I'm sorry," he mumbles into her hair, dropping his face in the crook of her neck. "I didn't want to make you mad."
He was so afraid that his father managed to take the one thing he wouldn't bear to lose, that he could even come close to it, hurt her in the same way he hurts him, but Kathryn shakes her head.
"I'm sorry I got angry. I'm not mad at you," she promises immediately. "You did nothing, darling, I swear."
She brushes his hair softly, waiting until he's the one to let go. It takes a few minutes that they don't have, but it's for the greater good. By that, Kathryn means, of course, JJ's. Especially when she feels his arms tighten around her, as if he was scared she'd leave – as if she was able to in the first place.
When they part, he keeps her hand in his. His thumb softly caresses her knuckles, and it's not until she winces that she realises she might have hit Luke a little too hard.
JJ frowns, and looks at her bruised hand, and then back at her. "Did you punch my dad?"
"Oh yes, big time."
"That's hot."
"It's in the top three best moments in my life."
"Above or below the Merchant?"
"You don't wanna know. But it's not top two or three. Now come on before John B's the one to kill us."
It gets a snort out of him, so she smiles, content.
When they get to the truck, she turns to him, and brushes his blonde hair out of his eyes. He seems surprised, but he leans into her touch out of reflex. She's not sure why she wants to get her point across, she's not sure JJ himself is thinking about it, but she can't help but remember how his dad called him a thief, so she cups his jaw.
"You're not your dad, you know?"
The only thing JJ can do in answer is kiss her.
Author's Note: This is entirely motivated by my new core memory where I screamed and cried AND I THOUGHT THAT IF I PILED UP SOMETHING GOOD ON ALL MY BAD THAT I COULD CANCEL OUT THE DARKNESS I INHERITED FROM DAD at Noah Kahan's show last week, oh i was sick