"Here, let's tie it up," I say, passing JJ the ropes. Pope is in the crane, lowering down the hook. "Take her up, Pope!" JJ calls. "Okay!" He yells back. The hook starts to rise, pulling the ropes and cross up with it. "Slow! Slowly!" I call as the giant cross starts to rise, swinging around. "Okay, alright, bring her into the middle!" JJ calls as we pull the ropes to keep the cross steady.
"Okay, okay, that's good!" I scream. "Woah, woah, woah, woah!" JJ screams as the cross swings and yanks him forward onto his stomach. "Okay, okay, too far Pope, too far!" I scream as the cross swings under the part of the deck that isn't open and knocks over a few metal barrels. "Sorry! My bad!" Pope screams. "Your other middle!" I scream as the cross continues swinging around. JJ and I pull at the ropes, trying to keep it steady.
"Hey!" Cleo calls as she runs up to the edge of the deck. "Hey!" Pope calls down. "Send it up, Pope! You got it!" She calls. "Did John B get the life boat!" He calls. "I don't see him or Kie!" Cleo yells back. "Where's Sarah?" Pope calls. "Hurry!" Cleo calls as the cross continues to rise. "Right there! Right there! Okay! Alright!" JJ nods. "There it is!" I call as it slips through the open deck. "Yeah! Let's go help John B load it up on the lifeboat!" JJ nods.
"Come on, come on," I say as I help him onto the deck. We tiptoe to the corner, peering around the edge in search of Ward. "Clear," JJ whispers. We run across the deck and I freeze as I come face to face with the captain. "I don't see him!" JJ calls, looking over the edge of the ship. "J!" I shout as he turns around to face the captain. "Of course. There's more of you," He sneers as he pulls out a large knife. "Get down on your knees," He orders.
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen!" JJ says as he ducks. The captain swings, just missing him as he runs to the side. "Go, go, go!" He shouts at me, shoving the swinging captain to the side. JJ slams him against the wall and I grunt, trapping the arm with the knife. "Hit him, y/n!" JJ shouts as he presses him against the wall. I swing the metal door open, slamming him in the face. He falls to the floor and I run to the edge of the ship, looking for the lifeboat. "Where's John B?" JJ calls.
"John B!" I scream. The captain stands up again and grabs JJ, who throws him backward. The captain catches him around the middle and slams him into the side of the deck. "Y/n!" He screams. I spin just in time, narrowly avoiding the captain's swinging knife. "Y/n!" JJ screams again, jumping up and grabbing his neck and pulling him back. The captain grunts, trying to get out of JJ's chokehold. He pulls his elbow back, hitting JJ off of him and twisting out of his reach. He swings straight at me but I duck just in time, causing his arm swings back, smacking JJ full force in the side of the head. JJ flips backwards, straight off the deck and splashing into the water.
I raise my leg, kicking the captain as hard as I can in the neck. He flies backwards and I spin to the water. "JJ!" I scream. JJ lays face down in the water, floating as bubbles fly up around him. I don't think twice before jumping into the water after him. The fall feels like forever until I finally plunge into the water. "JJ!" I cry as I swim towards him. "J!" I grunt, trying to tread the water as I flip him over, keeping his head above the water.
"JJ," I sob, trying to hold onto him and keep us both above the water. "J! J! Stay with me, please!" I cry, shaking his head. "J, please! Please!" I grunt, trying to keep us both floating. "JJ, please, stay with me!" I sob, trying to shake him awake. "Stay with me!" I grunt, trying not to dip under. JJ's weight is dragging me down, though, and I don't know how much longer I can last. "John B's coming! John B's coming, okay?" I whimper, sobbing into his wet hair. "John B! Help!" I scream. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I whimper as we both start to dip under the water.
"I love you, just please, wake up!" I sob, struggling to breathe. "I'll do whatever you want, I'll marry you, I promise, just stay with me, JJ!" I sob as water floods my mouth. John B, Sarah, Kie, Pope, and Cleo all appear in the life boat. They start screaming at JJ as they get closer but I can't hear them. Waves wash over both of us and I struggle to breathe, but I won't let go of JJ. "No, no, no, no, no!" John B screams. "JJ!" He yells as they finally reach us.
"Come on, come on," I whimper, using the last of my strength to hand JJ up to them. "Grab him," I whimper. "I got you," Pope says, pulling me up. "Go, go!" John B shouts once we're all in the lifeboat. I look at the Costal Venture, watching as the golden cross is being pulled out of the ocean by all of the crew members, still dangling on the rope. "We couldn't get it," Pope mutters. "JJ, please! Please!" I shout, still trying to wake him up.
Suddenly, the boat sputters to a stop, stalling in the ocean. "No, no, no, no, no," John B mutters, running for the motor. "What's going on?" Kie asks. "John B, what's happening?" Pope asks. "John B?" Sarah asks anxiously. "We're stalling out," He grunts, yanking on the chord. "Are you serious? We're sitting ducks!" Pope screams. "We gotta go!" I yell, looking up at the ship. "I'm trying!" He shouts. "We gotta go!" Kie screams again. "Everyone just try to relax!" He shouts.
"He's pointing at us! Hurry!" Pope screams as we all look up at Rafe, pointing his rifle straight at us from the ship. "We gotta go!" Sarah sobs. "Please wake up!" I cry, still shaking JJ. "I'm trying okay?" John B shouts. "We gotta get moving!" Pope shouts as the engine finally starts. "Yeah, go, go, go!" John B shouts. "Go!" Sarah screams. "JJ wake up!" I sob. "J! Please! Please! Please!" I scream, pounding his chest. "JJ, you gotta wake up," John B whispers, also shaking him as he drives. "Please! Get up! GET UP!" I scream at him.
JJ's eyes fly open as he chokes out water, spitting everywhere. "There you go! Yeah, cough it out! Cough it out, baby!" John B cheers. "Hey buddy, there you go!" Pope grins as I sob, pounding on his back. "Hey, hey, buddy," Pope grins as he continues coughing. "Welcome to the land of the living dude, no CPR needed, huh?" John B grins. JJ finally stops coughing as he looks up at me. "Hi," I whimper. "'Sup?" He grins. Everyone laughs as I smack his forehead, still breathing shakily. "Dude!" Pope laughs as I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him close to me.
"Just always looking for attention, huh?" John B grins. "Whatever it takes, right?" JJ grins as I cry into his hair. Everyone laughs and I join in shakily, still crying in relief. "Attaboy," John B grins as I use an old rag to wipe the blood off of the side of JJ's head from where he got hit. "What the hell happened?" He mutters, raising a hand to the blood. "The blunt end of a machete," I sigh. "Machete?" He grins happily as he sits up, grabbing my wrists. "The blunt end," I shake my head with a grin, trying not to boost his ego. "Next time, duck," Cleo grins.
"I'll try to remember that next time, thanks," JJ grins. We all look back at the ship, watching as they finally pull the cross on board. "This shit ain't over," Pope shakes his head. "No, it ain't," John B shakes his head. I shake my head, pulling JJ close to me and kissing his forehead as we ride the waves.
