you're on your own, kid... obx

079. wishes

It's the next day and they're sitting by the hut they made to sleep in. Rafe is sitting on another sand dune by himself.

Kie stands up, looking off into the distance, her hand raised to shield her eyes from the sun. After a moment, her hopeful expression sours and she drops her hands, sitting back down.

"They're gonna turn up." Pope says. "They'll turn up."

John B notices something and stands up. Rafe stands up, the others following.

"I'll go." John B says before running off.

After a while, John B returns with JJ and Sarah, everybody happily greeting them out of relief and making sure they're okay.

Zack rushes over to JJ, crashing into him. JJ grunts with the impact, but hugs him back after a moment.

"You can't do that shit." Zack lightly shoves JJ. "I'm already depressed enough, Jesus, dude."

"Sorry." JJ mutters.

Erin immediately hugs JJ once he's free, her arms wrapping around him and he wraps his arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

"You're insane." Erin remarks, pulling away after a few moments.

"It's my best quality." JJ smiles and Erin rolls her eyes. "Look, uh, about ear--"

"No. No, don't worry. I'll still coddle both of you." Erin says, patting JJ's cheek.

"Coddle?" Zack frowns.

Brooklyn crashes into Sarah since she's the closest, Sarah tightly hugging her cousin back.

"Are you-- are you hurt? Are you okay? What happened?" Brooklyn asks.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. We're okay." Sarah promises, letting Brooklyn hug her as long as she needs. "JJ saved us." Brooklyn pulls away at the words and Sarah gives her a small smile.

Brooklyn goes over to JJ as the others go to Sarah.

"B..." JJ mumbles, fully expecting anger or disappointment because of how he acted. While his words weren't made to kill like he had done to John B, he knows he still hit a nerve by mentioning her parents knowing she still tends to hate the topic.

But he relaxes when Brooklyn tightly hugs him and places a kiss to his cheek.

"You're okay. You're both okay, that's all I care about." Brooklyn says, running her hand over his hair. "Did you get hurt? Is your side--" She pulls away to look for any blood.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." JJ assures, holding her hands. "Look, a-about the whole parent thing--"

"Oh, no, it's fine. Two peas in a pod. You're not wrong." Brooklyn remarks. "We don't have alcohol here, you think you're gonna live?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine." JJ nods, his hand coming up to cradle her cheek. "I'm sorry." He whispers.

"It's okay." Brooklyn promises, softly kissing him.

+++

It's dark and the group are sitting around a fire while Rafe sits off to the side, alone, all the couples cuddled up with each other.

"I think next time we take a trip, we should maybe plan ahead." John B says.

"We can stay in a hotel next time." Kie says.

"And a shower." Sarah adds. "Yeah, I smell awful."

"Ugh! I miss showers." Brooklyn whines making JJ laugh.

"I smelled myself today and I was--" John B says

"Yeah, you weren't the only one who smelled you." Sarah teases and everybody laughs.