𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋'𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 || 𝐣. 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER, LIFE WAS GOOD. It had been a year and a half since they got back from South America, and they had finally got their lives together. They led the expedition to uncover the rest of the gold from El Dorado, giving each of them an extremely comfortable amount of money. JJ paid off his debt and bought a charter boat as well as a surf shop with John B. Pope was about to head to college, hopefully.

Leo sold his old house and bought a restaurant at the marina that he and Kie worked at while she was saving turtles, and she and Bree started their own podcast about all of their adventures. And they all got a new house that everyone moved in and out of whenever they pleased, but most of them lived there full time.

And there was a ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments. Everyone in the Outer Banks came and watched as they got recognized, and it was kind of a big 'fuck you' to everyone that held them back. It felt kind of amazing.

"An expedition of one man, John Routledge, and a group of teenagers, who are with us today. Locals, who grew up here and who succeeded where centuries of conquistadors, explorers, and admirals failed. Today, we come together to celebrate these teens, friends from both sides of the island who came together to solve this 500-year-old mystery. Let's hear it for them!"

They all stood up as the crowd cheered for them. Bree had never felt that good in her life. She wasn't much for crowds, but it felt nice that everyone that had ever doubted them knew that they did it despite them. It felt ten times better when JJ reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. She turned to him with a grin on her face, and it took everything in her not to kiss him right there.

The party started, and they all mingled with the people of the town. JJ and Bree stayed close together, though, because they really had no one else to celebrate with other than the Pogues. She sighed as she leaned back against a table. "I never thought life could be this great."

"It's perfect," he agreed, wrapping his arm around her so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. Bree had always hated the Outer Banks and dreamed about leaving, but it felt like paradise then. This was where the worst and best memories of her life happened. "I bought the charter boat, and we have the surf shop. And you and Kie have your podcast."

"Full Kook," she said, remembering the first time they let themselves imagine what they would do with that much money. Granted, it was when they were trying to find the original Royal Merchant gold.

He nodded. "Full Kook, baby."

"I love you, JJ," she said randomly. They had said it before, but she just really felt it in that moment. She thought about everything that she couldn't have done without him, and she felt so extremely grateful to have him there.

"I love you too," he responded with a grin. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "Now, let's get some champagne, shall we?"

John B came and got them a little bit later, saying some old guy wanted to talk to all of them. The man stood in front of them at a tale, holding a briefcase. "I wanted to tell you all it's remarkable what you all did. Royal Merchant, El Dorado, Denmark Tanny. Impressive résumé, impressive. I was wondering if you would all be so kind as to look at an item of mine."

"Oh yeah? What type of item is that?" Cleo questioned as the man began to open the case. They were all curious, and they would need some details before they agreed to anything.

"It's a manuscript," he answered, and he pulled an envelope out and placed it on the table in front of them. He explained, "I would investigate it myself, but I'm too long in the tooth. I need partners, and you all were first on my list."

Pope gestured to the envelope, asking permission if he was allowed to examine its contents. "May I?"

"I was hoping you would," the guy answered, and they all leaned over the Heyward boy's shoulder to see what he was looking at. It was a book, and he began flipping through the pages and skimming, trying to figure out exactly what it was.

"Jeez, this is old," he breathed out. The pages were curling with age, and they were dark and torn. However, the thing was surprisingly in tact for how ancient it seemed to be. "Exhibition notes, dates. This is a captain's log."

The man nodded, and he was being very dramatic about the whole thing. After every sentence, he would pause to create suspense or some shit, and Bree wanted to tell him to get the hell on with it. "This shows the exact position of the ship. The exact location where the ship sailed and where it stopped."

"Who's the captain?" the Calloway girl questioned. That would hopefully give them an idea as to how old the log was and how difficult it was going to be to find the ship, which already seemed impossible because it was literally on the bottom of the ocean somewhere.

"Edward Teach," he answered, and Bree looked over at Pope, figuring that if anyone knew who that was, it would be him. His mouth had dropped, meaning that it must be good. It wasn't until the man clarified, using the more well-known name that the rest of them were shocked as well. "Blackbeard."

They all looked around at each other, and John B just grinned. "Hot damn."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

ahh!!! this is the end. i'm sorry, but i don't think i will be continuing this book for the fourth season, but i might do some bonus chapters here and there. thank you all for the support on this book. i love you all so so so much! <3

i am writing a kie fic that i hope you guys will check out when it comes out. it's called 'summertime sadness,' and i'll let y'all know when it's published. feel free to read any of my other books while we wait for that.

thank you guys again, and i'll see you later!