𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝 {𝚓𝚓 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚔}

𝚜.𝟸 𝚎𝚙.𝟽 -𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎-

"people agree that you're batshit crazy, so i'll dial back my tendencies- what do i know?"

~

"He deserved it, right?" said JJ, leaning over the railing of the dock, his fishing line hanging into the water although nothing had bit in the last hour.

Ever since the explosion, the Pogues' had been in a sort of off-mood. Nobody felt like talking much. Tate sat on the edge of the dock, watching John B laying on the HMS Pogue, his eyes cast towards the water.

"Are you joking?" Kiara said, standing next to JJ and crossing her arms over her chest. "Of course he deserved it."

Pope had been almost silent all day. "Never seen anyone blow themselves up like that," he said, leaning against the railing and staring pensively at the other side of the dock.

"Cross that one off the bucket list," said JJ.

Kiara headed down the dock and tossed a warning look at JJ, who tensed up and went back to fishing. Tate stood up and dusted her hands off, then leaned over the railing next to him. The day felt too slow. "Sucks for Sarah," JJ murmured as a half apology.

Kiara ignored him and sat down next to John B, putting a comforting hand on his back. They spoke in low enough voices that Tate couldn't hear what they were saying. "She'll be fine," she said to JJ. "She knows Ward was evil."

"Yeah, but losing a parent, no matter how shitty they were... I mean, I don't have to tell you."

Tate scowled into the water. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought of her mother in all of this. Or her dad. Her mom was easier to feel sad about. She was gone, and now that it had been long enough, she could think about the better parts of their relationship and allow herself to feel sad about it sometimes. When she thought about her dad, all she felt was anger. Granted, she hadn't tried to seek him out or anything, but she knew that if she did, the only thing she would get was more pain. She didn't want that. She didn't have time for that. For now, she was on her own.

JJ was watching her closely. She'd been quiet all day. "Hey," he said softly, nudging her with his arm. "Do you want to just have a good time tonight? And not think about any of this shit? It's all getting a little heavy for me-"

"Yeah," said Tate. "Yeah, let's have a good time."

---

Tate left the 7/11 with an armful of bags just as the sun began to dip below the horizon line. JJ was leaning against a fence post, flipping his lighter around in his hands, opening it and closing it without much thought. He grinned when he saw Tate. "Success?"

"Success," she said, holding up the bags.

"Jesus, what'd you have to do to get that?"

She stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "Don't worry about it. Here, carry some of these."