Home is You

Chapter 1. We lost them

This is a collaboration Jiara fic. First chapter is written by myself. Credit to @jjxkiaraxpopexcleoxjohnbxsarah on tumblr for brainstorming with me this first chapter! 🎆

The rain is beginning to pound against the SBI tent. Kiara, JJ, and Pope have been sat to wait for someone to interrogate them for aiding and abetting a fugitive. They have no idea what's going on, and are just praying that John B and Sarah were able to make it out.

Kiara's throat aches from the way Rafe tried to choke her while they were trying to get the Phantom for John B. She looks over at JJ and wonders if he's feeling it, too. Barry got him pretty good before Pope showed up to beat their assailants back with a crow bar.

Pope.

Oh God.

She feels Pope's hand slide into hers while they wait. It really should be the last thing on her mind right now, but she can't help but wonder why his touch isn't comforting. Why doesn't it assure her that everything is going to be okay? Why does it feel like, nothing?

She felt something when they kissed. Her heart was pounding and she was anxious. Of course, a lot of adrenaline was going through her system at the same time, sure, but come on, there was more to it than that. He has feelings for her, and she thinks she has feelings for him. At least before he put his hand in hers she did.

She doesn't pull away though, hoping that she feels something and that the kiss she gave him wasn't pointless. The longer they go with interlocked fingers however the more apparent it is.

It was a mistake.

JJ looks around nervously, watching as officers leave and come back to the tent to check in on them. Something is going on, he can feel it. Why haven't they been pulled aside and talked to yet? That can't be a good sign. If the cops didn't already know where John B and Sarah were then they would be being talked to for information, right?

He doesn't realize he's shaking until Kiara puts a hand on his shoulder, deep brown eyes looking worriedly at him. His eyes glance to where she's holding Pope's hand. He hates how badly that messes him up but what's he to do? Can't get away from it.

He gives her a short, forced smile to assure her before running his hands through is hair, picking right back up where he left off on that nervous train.

Shoupe enters the tent right then, and they all stand instinctively, not caring if they were supposed to stay seated. He looks at the teens, an apologetic expression on his face.

He simply says, "We lost them."

JJ is the first to realize what that means, face going blank as he waits for Pope to challenge the deputy for clearer information. Shoupe presses back on the hysterics, trying to justify the decisions of law enforcement. rationalizing that it was John B and Sarah who decided to barrel through a storm.

He's holding it together until he hears Kiara, the bravest of them all he swears, voice what all the adults in the room are dancing around. "So they're dead?"

Shoupe only admits, "We don't know."

JJ snaps. "You pushed them right into the storm, man!" He's ready to fight the deputy, trying to get in his face and make him understand how badly he messed up. Not willing to admit in that moment how much he blames himself. "Go to hell!" he screams, continuing to hurl insults and blame.

"JJ!" he can hear Kiara trying to call him back. "JJ stop, please," she begs. She doesn't want him to fight, never did like it when he went off the handle like this. He wants to snap back at her, tell her to go find Pope and leave him to deal with his crap his own way. None of this emotional stuff. Only reason he doesn't is because he's too focused on snapping at Shoupe.