Back To You ✦ Rudy Pankow

lxxx. obx forever

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔
EIGHTY — ( OBX FOREVER ! )

sydneywilson posted a photo

liked by hichasestokes, maudeapatow and 1,274,082 others

sydneywilson last barbados photo dump ❤️‍🩹 we did it. obx forever

view all 6,339 comments

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

THE FINAL TAKE OF the final scene ended in silence.

Not because it wasn't good—if anything, it was one of the best performances they'd given all season—but because none of them wanted it to end.

The cameras cut, and the boom mic lowered, but no one moved. Sydney stood next to Rudy, her hand still clutching the edge of her shorts, heart beating faster than it should have been. JD was on her other side, exhaling through his nose like he'd been holding his breath the whole time. Chase and Madelyn exchanged a glance—part pride, part disbelief.

Then came it, "That's a wrap on Outer Banks Season Two!" The first assistant director shouted.

The crew erupted. Applause, whoops, and whistles rang through the thick Caribbean air. Everyone hugged. Cameras dropped from shoulders, lights powered down, and crew members who had been working sixteen-hour days for the past couple of weeks finally let out the kind of cheers only exhaustion and pride could brew.

Sydney turned just in time for Rudy to scoop her into a tight hug, lifting her slightly off the ground. "We did it," he said into her hair.

She clung to him, laughing. "We actually did it."

Their director, Jonas, stepped forward then, and slowly the energy settled. The cast and crew instinctively formed a half-circle around him.

He glanced at the cast—his cast—and smiled. "I don't usually get sentimental," he began, "but I've watched you all grow in ways I couldn't have imagined. This season challenged you, pushed you, and you showed up. Every single day." He paused. "We've been rained out, burnt out, bitten, bruised, sunburnt—"

"Chased by chickens," Chase muttered.

"—but never once did you lose the heart of the show. And that's you. Your chemistry, your friendship, your commitment. You are what makes Outer Banks what it is."

Everyone clapped. Some wiped at their eyes discreetly.

Jonas raised his water bottle. "To Season Two. To the best damn team I could've asked for. Now go get drunk or cry or whatever you weirdos do. You've earned it."

Cheers erupted again, louder this time. The emotional weight was still there, but it had shifted—softer now, more celebratory. Sydney found Madison, pulling her into a hug. Then Drew. Then JD. Then Jonas. Everyone was holding onto each other like they didn't want to let go, like maybe if they hugged tightly enough, time would pause.

The wrap dinner that night was at a local restaurant that overlooked the ocean. Long wooden tables were strung with fairy lights, and candles flickered against linen tablecloths. Someone had brought a speaker and made a playlist full of every cast memory song from the past two seasons—plus some very niche inside jokes Sydney didn't want to explain.

They were sun-kissed, worn out, but glowing. JD brought out a bottle of rum with "Season 2 Legends" written on it in Sharpie. Chase made a toast that made everyone laugh and cry at the same time. Drew kept joking about how he was "never acting again," while still tearing up mid-dinner. Madison danced barefoot in the sand. Jonas even let someone put a flower crown on his head.

And Rudy had never let go of Sydney's hand.

"You okay?" he asked over the rim of his glass as he looked over at her.

She nodded, blinking a little faster than normal. "Yeah. I'm just... full. Like, my heart. It's full."

He smiled. "Me too."

At one point, the whole cast ended up in a huddle in the middle of the restaurant, arms thrown around each other, swaying to some acoustic version of a classic rock song that probably didn't deserve to make anyone cry—but there they were, crying anyway.

Someone shouted for a group photo and they all squeezed together in a laughing, salty-haired mess. Sydney kissed Rudy's cheek just as the camera flashed.

The photo came out slightly blurry. But perfect.