the crew stayed with John B until the ambulance arrived, Sarah went with him as the others climbed into the van, JJ drove dropping everyone off at home except Ace. JJ parked the van at the château so John B can get it when he was okay, JJ took Ace home on his bike parking it by her car. the two climbed off as Ace took her heels off from the party walking towards the house, JJ watched her but grabbed her hand making her turn around.
"you okay, baby?" he asked her, she nodded tossing the shoes down on the grass.
"just worried and exhausted" she replied leaning against her car.
"he's gonna be okay, i know he is" he fixed her hair.
"you gonna stay here tonight?" she asked the blonde intertwining their fingers.
he nodded not really having anywhere else to go, he definitely wasn't going back home after what happened with his dad the other day, Ace picked up her shoes starting to walk towards the house.
JJ watched her and turned her around quickly kissing her deeply holding her face, Ace dropped her shoes kissing him back laying her hands on his chest, the blonde moved a hand to her waist pulling her closer to him.
the two smiled holding each other close, Ace pulled back a little but JJ slammed his lips back into hers pushing her gently against her car, he gripped her hair gently while Ace gripped his shirt tightly.
they slowly pulled away smiling at each other, JJ smiled at her holding her waist tightly, Ace laid her hand on the side of his neck leaning her forehead against his.
"been waiting for that to happen for a while now" he smiled.
"me too" she smiled connecting their lips again.
—
the next day the five met up at the marine hospital instead of the wreck to talk about the gold and John B's new home which Kiara didn't like at all.
"i'm sorry. you're staying where?" Kiara asked walking through the aquarium.
"Tannyhill." John B responded holding a water testing tube.
Ace sat by the water testing it checking if it was perfect for the new dolphin her parents had rescued a few days ago.
"so you're living with Sarah Cameron." Kiara scoffed passing out some drinks she grabbed from the kitchen.
"okay, look, the only reason i'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right? and it's way better than foster care, which, by the way, is where i was about to go if Ward didn't-" John B started to say but got cut off by Pope.
"hey, so do you have a membership to the clubs now?" he asked.
"i don't know, Pope" Ace stood up shaking the tube setting it aside grabbing the clipboard from JJ who blew her a kiss, listening to John B.
"what about those golf carts they drive around? you get one of them?" JJ asked.
"does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to buy one of your own?" Pope joked.
"look, you promised. you said you weren't with her." Kiara told the boy, Ace set the clipboard down looking at her friends.
"bro, just own it. she got you." JJ said.
"look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine. but i'm letting you know now that i'm not doing anything with Sarah." Kiara said.
"do you guys see her here? no, right. okay. a little focus would be fantastic." John B turned to the brunette who had an annoyed look on her face.
"are you gonna say anything or just stay quiet cause it'd be nice if you said something" he told her.
"i think it's stupid you let her into our thing. i don't got a problem with her at all, but the fact that she knows everything about the gold who knows what'll happen, so yeah it's stupid" Ace told him grabbing the tester sticking it into the tube writing stuff down.
"thank you" Kiara motioned to her friend.
"what happened to always being there for me? hm? weren't your parents gonna take me in if anything happened?" he said slightly with an attitude.
"oh, fuck you!" Ace slammed the clipboard down, "my dad went to the hospital once i got home and waited to talk to someone until Ward told him he already talk to DCS, plus you seem happy with your princess anyways" she snapped walking over to him making JJ pull her back.
"hey, hey, calm down, baby." JJ whispered grabbing her waist.
"i'm sorry, shit, i'm sorry Ace, but would you just trust me? please" John B sighed. "we've got the map, right?" he added.
"it's out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it." JJ said looking at the map.
Ace walked back to the counter putting everything back walking over to her friends looking at the map, "it's cause the coast has changed." she told JJ.
"so we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed." Pope said.
"what about the old forts?" John B asked.
"Battery Jasper." Kiara pointed at the map.
—
the five stood around at where apparently Battery Jasper is looking around at the view.
"we're in Battery, right here. so if this is parcel nine, then it's somewhere northeast of here." Pope pointed at the map.
"somewhere over there." Kie pointed, "right."
"over there? guy's, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision" JJ said.
"Tannyhill Plantation was the entire island. it got sold into smaller pieces over time." John B said.
"so we're just looking for an old stone wall." Pope said pointing at a stone wall.
they all climbed back into the van looking outside while Pope gave directions of where the gold is.
"okay, so the road should spilt up here." Pope instructed.
"okay." John B replied.
"all right. you're gonna take a left." once John B turned the group immediately saw a stone wall.
"that looks like a stone wall to me." JJ said, Ace bent down looking out the window.
"you're kidding right? out of places the gold had to be here?" she asked looking at her friends.
"not the Crain house." John sighed as they all got out of the van.
"are you kidding me?" Kie asked.
"worst- case scenario." JJ said.
"why'd it have to be here.. of all places." Pope said.
"i heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property." JJ said looking at Pope.
"of course, you did" Ace pat his cheek gently.
—
"look, you guys know whose house this is, right?" Kiara asked while the crew walked through the bushes.
"oh, yeah. no, i do." JJ said holding Ace's hand.
"honestly, i don't really believe the stories of this place." John B said as Pope turned around shushing him.
"what?"
"which stories did you hear?" JJ asked Kiara walking next to her.
"the one where she killed her husband with an axe." she replied.
"and that she's been holed up ever since." Ace added.
"on certain nights, when the moon is full.. you can see her in the window!" Kie said wiggling her fingers trying to scare JJ.
"no, Kie, it's not funny, cause it's all true. i swear to God, guys, this is all real. i knew Hollis. Jeez!" JJ said looking at everyone and jumped seeing a statue.
"and you want one of these of yourself at the big house you're imagining." Ace laughed.
"would you just walk" he held her shoulders making her walk.
"wait, you knew Hollis Crain?" Pope asked making JJ turn to him.
"yeah, dude." Pope turned him around completely looking at him.
"how do you know Hollis Crain?" he asked.
"she was my babysitter, man. she told me all about it. told me the truth.. about her mother and what happened in this house. so as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and she was a murder and all. Hollis didn't believe it. until that night." JJ said looking at everyone.
"what night?" Ace asked wrapping her arm around Kiara's shoulder.
"it all came back to her. when Hollis was six years old she heard her parents arguing downstairs. so she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink full of blood. her mother just says that she cut her finger, the next morning, she says her and her father split up. but then, Hollis noticed something, her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out in and out with plastic bags. weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse and as shes using it, she looks down and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head looking straight back at her." JJ finishes his story, Ace looked at the boy then at Kiara who seemed pretty spooked.
"God, you are so full of shit." John B told the blonde.
"dude, i swear to God, man." JJ said.
"did she call the police?" Pope asked.
"she didn't have time" JJ replied while John B walked pass them while JJ ran after him grabbing his shirt.
"what!" John B looked at his friend.
"you sure you wanna do this? she's an axe murder. you got a cast on." JJ told him.
"i don't five a shit if she's an axe murder, okay?" John B said making Pope widen his eyes looking at his friend like he's crazy causing Ace to laugh. "i got nothin' to lose, right? you comin' or what?"
everyone passed by JJ leaving him and Ace behind, she looked at him holding out her hand which he grabbed and kissed her quickly so nobody would see.