𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒 - jj maybank

- 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

𝗝𝗝 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 sat down cross-legged on the hard, stable, wooden floor of the tree house he built from scratch. Tears filled his red eyes as he stared around the room blankly. It was built for Kaci, but Kaci was gone. It was furnished for Kaz, but he was gone, too. And it hurt.

Some dayʼs, it hurt worse than others. Most days, it hurt the most.

He missed them more than life itself. Without them, there was nothing left other than the empty void in his soul where they once lived. A part of him was missing without Kaz and Kaci Flores, and JJ wasn't sure if he could ever get that part of him back.

For so many months, Kaci was his life. For so many months, the thought of holding Kaz in his arms was the only thing getting him out of bed in the morning. Without them, there was no point in waking up anymore.

If he was told back then that the hunt for gold would nearly kill him, JJ wouldn't have believed it. In all honesty, he probably will've still gone on to do everything he did.

But not Kaci. Kaci would've told him to stop. Kaci would've been to more logical one. And JJ would've listened to Kaci. JJ always listened to Kaci.

He would've done anything to listen to her voice again. To hear her cuss at him, to hear her shout at people. He wanted to smile the way he did when she told him she loved him; he wanted to grin the way he did when she glared at him for teasing her.

But that would never happen again. Because she was gone. And she was never coming back. He could never smile that way again.

JJ didn't get to watch his son grow up; he didn't get to grow old and become funny, wrinkly people with the girl of his dreams. He didn't get to watch Kaci threaten soccer moms when they cheered for their kids to beat Kaz. He didn't get to sit around a tree on Christmas Eve and listen to Kaciʼs rants about how you aren't supposed to leave beer for Santa; he didn't get to see Kaz grow old enough to start stealing the beer for himself. He didn't get to see Kaci scold him for Kazʼs first word being ʼweedʼ. He didn't get to see them fall asleep on their couch while they cuddled into his sides, only feeling safe around him.

JJ didn't even get to watch them be lowered into the ground by their shining caskets.

There was no bodies, no evidence — no justice served.

JJ could never see his babies again. He could never see the two people that lit up his whole world again. He could never love again.

"I love you, Princess," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the polaroid picture of the three of them. "You, too, Killer."

They were gone. Forever. And JJ Maybank could never get them back.

A cold tear fell down his face.

JJ Maybank was crushed. Lost in the confusing waves of grief. Never to escape. He was going to drown in them.

Authorʼs Note
welcome to act ii!! don't hate me.
love, tay </3