When they get the boat in the water, Ophelia immediately starts putting the food away, not wanting John B to have to deal with it. Out of her own nerves, she counts all the supplies twice, then once more just to be sure everything is there.
She emerges from the cabin once she's done, giving Kiara a nod to let her know everything is there. Pope looks up at her from the dock, "So, Ophelia, you and Jj?"
"Oh-uh, y-yeah," Ophelia stutters out, hopping down onto the doc.
"What are you guys?" Pope asks, looking between the two blondes, "Like, boyfriend and girlfriend, or...?"
Ophelia opens her mouth, trying to say something, but no words come out, her cheeks heating up. She has no doubt her face is bright red, luckily Jj comes to her aid, "We're together," He calls from the boat, "Have been since before I got arrested."
Pope scoffs, "Called it."
"Why are we talking about this right now?" Kiara asks, nervously pacing the dock, "Dude, where is he?"
"He's coming," Ophelia says, happy that the attention isn't on her anymore.
"Give him a second, he'll be here," Pope assures.
Jj starts folding up the boat's cover, "He's coming, he'll be fine."
Then, Ophelia's muscles tense when a siren croons in the distance, and suddenly, a cop car drives over the hill, into view, "Jj!" Ophelia automatically calls, a bundle of nerves coiling in her stomach at the sight
"Yeah, Get back on the boat!" Jj demands once he sees the vehicle, looking between Kiara, Ophelia and Pope, "Get back on the boat, untie it!"
But when the car door opens, it isn't a cop that steps out. It's John B.
"Wait, no way," Jj astonishingly mutters.
Ophelia's jaw drops at the sight, and soon after, a grin overtakes her face, "You're kidding," She laughs, watching as John B approaches. He doesn't seem to be hurt, or in pain. He's okay, and Ophelia is grateful for it.
"Shoupe let me take it for a spin," John B jokes, his shaggy hair falling into his eyes as he approaches.
"Okay, that's believable," Kiara laughs, embracing John B in a quick hug, "I'll buy that for now."
Ophelia can't help the stupid grin on her face as John B walks towards her, "You're unbelievable."
John B sweeps her up in a tight hug, "Better start believing it, da Vinci," When John B sets her down, he holds onto Ophelia's shoulders, "Come with me," He states.
Ophelia raises a brow immediately, not understanding, "W-what?"
"Come with me," John B repeats, "I was gonna ask you earlier, okay? I didn't get the chance. Please, come with me."
"John B," Ophelia breathes, a million thoughts flashing through her mind at once, overwhelming the blonde girl, "I-I, oh my god," Ophelia can't find the words. She looks around at her friends, all of them watching the scene and waiting for her decision. Then, she locks eyes with Jj. Jj, who's adam's apple bobs like he's swallowing a lump in his throat. He shys away from her gaze, and Ophelia knows her answer, "I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because, John B," Ophelia says, "My dads, and-and school," She pauses, her eyes getting glassy. She remembers when he showed up to her house the other day, when he revealed that he's no longer on the run from DCS. She remembers what he said to her, "Besides," Ophelia continues, nodding towards the Pogues, "Someone's gotta keep an eye on them."
"Yeah," John B chuckles, tears in his eyes, "Yeah, you're right."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be," John B pulls Ophelia into another tight embrace, and she fights to hold herself together, "I love you," John B quietly whispers.
"I love you too," Ophelia matches his volume, giving him one last squeeze before she pulls away.
"Alright, well, it wasn't easy, bro," Jj chimes after clearing his throat, walking up to the boat's bow, "But I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday," Jj tosses the brunette boy the keys, "You ready to go?"
John B pauses, his eyes scanning the group "Where's Sarah?" He asks.
"She's not with you?" Kiara questions
"No," John B says, shaking his head, "No, we got separated in the swamp, she said she was gonna meet me here."
Pope also shrugs, "No, we haven't seen her, man."
"Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her."
Ophelia frowns, struggling to see through her tears, none of which had fallen yet, "John B, I'm so sorry, but you have to."
"John B look at me," Jj pleads, getting the brunette boy's attention, "I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You've got plenty of gas, you've got plenty of food. Once you get around that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp, okay? Once you get there, lay low, alright? Hang out there for a couple weeks and then go overland. Cross the boarder at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville," John B's eyes are looking up at the path he had come from, so Jj slaps a hand on his face, "You-Hey! You got that?"
John B nods, but when he speaks, his voice sounds far away, "Yeah, yeah, Brownsville."
"Alright, saddle her up, saltwater cowboy, let's do this, yeah," Jj chirps, jumping off the boat. John B hops on, and Ophelia takes a deep breath. She takes off her glasses as a few silent tears start to fall down onto her cheeks.
"Hey, hey," John B says, with tears in his eyes, getting their attention, "I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."
"Hey, John B, yo," Jj says, glancing around at the other Pogues, "We were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" Ophelia lets out a sad chuckle, swallowing the lump in her throat as Jj holds his arms out. Ophelia tucks herself under one, holding hers out for Kiara, who immediately steps into her embrace, Pope on the other side of Jj, "At least we did it together, though. Pogue style."
John B slowly nods, "Pogue style," His gaze slowly drifts to Ophelia, and they share one last meaningful smiles.
"Now please leave before I start ugly-crying,"Ophelia manages.
"Yes! Get out of here, please!" Kiara calls.
Pope holds his arm out, "Now, we'll see you in two months down in Mexico."
"Love you," Jj chirps as John B turns the Phantom's engine on.
"Hey, hey wait a second," John B suddenly says, getting choked up, "Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?"
There's a brief silence of understanding in the group as they stare up at their friend, "Hey, don't forget," Jj chirps, "Cross the boarder at Brownsville, okay?"
"Got it," John B responds, and slowly, the Pogues untangle themselves from each other and set their hands on the boat, shoving it away from the dock.
Ophelia feels like part of her is leaving while the four of them, the best friends Ophelia has ever known, watch John B sail away.
A few moments later, Ophelia turns and walks down the dock, her hands over her mouth to stop the sounds of her sobs. Ophelia tries her best to keep herself together, but she can't stop the tears no matter how hard she tries. It isn't goodbye, she tells herself, she'd see John Booker Routledge again.
Ophelia feels a hand on her back, and when she turns, it's Jj. Wordlessly, he pulls her into his chest, letting her cry. Ophelia's arms wrap around him in return, and she can feel him crying as well. Ophelia takes a few deep breaths, composing herself just enough to reach up and wipe away some of Jj's tears, "Now what?" She asks, making Jj laugh through his tears, the sound makes her do the same.
As the blondes hold each other, they look out onto the dock to see Kiara and Pope hugging. Ophelia smiles at the sight, happy they'd made up. Then, what happens next takes her by surprise.
They're kissing.
Ophelia's eyes widen, and she looks up at Jj, who mimics her expression, "Wasn't expecting that," Jj mutters, "Were you?"
"Nope."
Then, the worst thing possible happens. They hear police sirens, "Hey guys," Jj calls, "I'm sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now, come on!"
Jj releases Ophelia, grabbing her hand as they turn to run, but, their steps falter when two police cars fly up the hill, sirens loud and lights flashing. Immediately, Ophelia freezes, raising her hands in the air, Jj and Kiara doing the same. Pope, however, looks like he's thinking of a way out.
"Pope!" Kiara calls, a warning tone lacing her voice.
The cops spill out of their cars, guns raised, and Ophelia's heat beats faster at the sight, a few of them yelling out for the teenagers to raise their hands.
Shoupe yells as he moves forward, "We're too late, he's gone! God Dammit!" Ophelia flinches with each word, "Bratcher! Have your guys stand down! Let me talk to these kids," Ophelia looks down at her feet as the deputy stands in front of her, "Alright, where the hell is he? Where the hell is he?!" When no one answers Shoupe turns to the blond boy, "Jj, I see you're living up to your name."
"Stop," Ophelia says, feeling defensive of Jj.
This brings Shoupe's eyes to her, "Ophelia, I know you don't want your dads finding out about this, where did he go?!" Ophelia clamps her mouth shut, refusing to say another word, Shoupe moves to Pope, "Pope, how 'bout you?! This isn't a fucking game! You can do the right thing, right now! Where'd he go?!"
When, again, none of the Pogues respond, Shoupe demands the officers to take them away. Ophelia, as scared as ever, is put in the same car as Jj, while Pope and Kiara are in the other one.
Looking out the window, Ophelia watches the sky darken as clouds roll in, rain starting to pelt down on the vehicle. Every now and then, thunder rumbles loudly, and a jolt of lightning will ignite the sky. Ophelia wishes there was a way to paint every part of a storm.
"You scared me," Jj suddenly mumbles, his voice quiet so the officers in the back don't catch it, "I thought you were gonna go with him."
Ophelia knows he's talking about John B, "How could I?" Ophelia questions, grabbing Jj's hand and lacing their fingers together, "I'm not leaving you anytime soon, Jj."
With Ophelia's words lingering in the air, Jj gives Ophelia's hand a squeeze. She scoots a bit closer to him on the seat, her eyes still focused on the storm. She thinks of John B, and she's suddenly plagued with worry. He'd be fine, she tells herself, he's been behind the wheel of a boat for as long as he's been alive.
They arrive at a tent, and Shoupe guides them inside, Ophelia feels relieved when she sees Kiara and Pope.
"Sit down," Shoupe demands, as they reach a small row of chairs, "Don't move, we have a lot to talk about."
The Pogues listen, and Ophelia looks around the tent, seeing officers rushing around, in and out of the tent. Out of habit, and a bit of nerves, Ophelia starts shaking her knee, getting lost in her thoughts a little too easily. After a few seconds, Jj puts his hand on her knee, stopping the action. Ophelia automatically puts her hand over his, not liking the look of the guy watching them.
After a while, a man in a suit appears, "Which one of you is Ophelia Nelson-Bowman?" The blonde girl raises her shaky hand, "Come with me, please."
Sending Jj a scared look, Ophelia slowly rises to her feet, following after the man as he guides her outside, and to another tent. He tells her to take a seat in front of a radio, "We got in touch with John B's boat," Shoupe says, leaning against the table, "We want you to tell him to turn around."
"I-I can talk to him?" Ophelia wonders, looking at the machine in front of her.
Shoupe nods, "We know yall are close, bring him and Sarah home."
Ophelia raises her brows, not knowing that the other blonde girl had made it onto the boat. Ophelia picks up the hand piece and slowly raises it to her lips, "John B?"
There's silence, then static, "Ophelia?" The green-eyed girl's breath hitches at John B's voice.
"John B," Ophelia says, "They want me to tell you to come back."
"I can't!"
"I know," Ophelia looks around the room, seeing the officers watching her intently, "So don't. Keep going, John B, we'll be okay," Shoupe moves towards her and Ophelia knows he'll rip the radio from her hands, "Don't turn around, alright?! I'm on your side!"
Before the handpiece is torn from her clutches, Ophelia hears John B say one more word, "Always."
An officer grabs her arm, roughly hauling her up from the seat, and starting to escort her out of the tent. As he does, someone else enters, and Ophelia's blood runs cold.
Ward Cameron.
If the officer hadn't been dragging her out of the tent, Ophelia would have lashed out at him. But, by the time she could even process what she had seen, she's back in the other tent with the Pogues, the officer shoving her back down to her seat.
As soon as he's gone, Jj checks her over, making sure she's okay. "I'm fine," Ophelia assures, "There was a radio. They let me talk to him."
"What did you say?" Pope whispers.
"I told him to keep going."
Kiara lets out a breath, "Thank god."
The Pogues sit in silence, the weight of the situation sitting heavily on them. No one talks to them for a while. Ophelia eventually leans her head against Jj's shoulder, listening to the rain hitting the outside of the tent as she tries her best to relax. In the perfect world, John B and Sarah would make it out, no problem. The cops would never find them, and Ward and Rafe would pay the price for their crimes. Then, when the Pogues are reunited, five hundred million dollars would fall from the sky, and they'd be friends forever.
But, it isn't a perfect world.
Rafe and Ward aren't even suspects and John B is out on a boat in the middle of a terrible storm. The world is harsh, and unfair. The Pogues found the gold, the same gold that Big John spent his life searching for before he was murdered. Jj stole his father's boat, and undoubtedly, there will be consequences for that, Pope lost his scholarship, and Ophelia had done pretty much everything her parents told her not to do.
Shoupe, and two other deputy's enter the tent and Ophelia's thoughts come to a halt. Ophelia is quick to stand up and approach them, Jj, Pope, and Kiara following after her. Seeing the grim look on the officer's faces, Ophelia feels a rock of anxiety sit in the pit of her stomach.
"Did you find them?" Pope asks.
Shoupe shakes his head, "No."
"So they got away," Kiara states.
"We, uh," Shoupe starts, "We lost them. I'm sorry."
Ophelia furrows her brows, not wanting to believe the officer's words, "Wha-what? You-you lost them?"
"You lost them?" Pope repeats, "What do you mean, you lost them? Like, they're gone? What are you talking about?"
"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope."
"So, they're dead," Kiara concludes. Ophelia suddenly feels like there's a weight on her chest, and she's having trouble breathing. They can't be dead. He can't be dead.
"No," Ophelia whimpers out, shaking her head, "No. He can't-" Ophelia can't even finish the sentence.
"We don't know," Shoupe's words are blunt and sharp, as he directs his stare at Ophelia, "Someone told him to keep going."
Ophelia can't even think. All she feels is guilt. But, she's also angry, the cops had chased them, made them desperate to get away, but Shoupe was right, she told John B to keep going, to not turn around. She feels like she can't move as Jj lunges at the officers, yelling, "You drove them straight through the storm, man! Are you kidding me?! Come here!"
When Ophelia starts to cry, she doesn't think she'll ever stop.
Her heart feels like it had emptied out.
Her arms wrap around herself as she sobs. John B, her best friend, her brother, is dead. She let it happen. She feels like she can't breathe, and she almost doesn't hear two voices calling her name.
Looking up, she sees both of her dads approaching her, concerned looks etched onto their faces. Ophelia only sobs harder, "John B," She manages to get out, "He's-He's dead," She gasps as Reid's arms wrap around her, "It's my-my fault." She hears Michael trying to calm her down, his arms around her as well, "I'm so sorry."
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Reid comforts, his hand moving up and down Ophelia's back.
When the blonde girl tries to gasp out another apology, Michael cooes, "We know, Ophelia, we know. Let it out."
Through her tears, Ophelia sees Jj all alone, and she takes a step, trying to move towards him, but she's held in place. She looks up at Reid, who just holds her closer. Instead of fighting him, Ophelia just cries harder as Jj is pulled in by the Heywards.
The Nelson-Bowman family stands there for a while, Ophelia sobbing, apologizing to her dads until she's calmed down slightly, then, she slowly steps away from them and towards Jj, who had seemingly been waiting for her.
When she reaches him, he crushes her body against his in a tight embrace. Ophelia pulls back enough to plant a quick kiss on his lips before she buries her face in his shirt, both of them crying.
Unbeknownst to Ophelia, Jj looks up over her shoulder. He meets Reid's eyes, and almost shrinks under his stone-cold glare. The hard expression from her father only makes Jj hold Ophelia tighter, hoping it isn't the last time.
---
A/N:
Thank you for reading!!
WOw, it's crazy that this is the last chapter:( my heart hurts. The epilogue will be up soon!
What did you think?