RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

SEVENTEEN

BIRD

"Oh my god." River whispered, she couldn't believe her eyes. She pulled the envelope from the crack that it previous sat in. She smiled once she read over it. 'FOR BIRD' was wrote in all capitals.

Bird.

River smiled fondly. It was for John B. River passed the envelope to John B, through the crack.

"That's not gold." Pope mumbled as John B looked at the envelope.

"Holy shit." John B mumbled.

JJ walked over to the crack and put his arms up ready to lift River out. She placed her hands on his shoulders, his grip tightened on her waist as he pulled her out. "Are you okay?" He questioned placing her down and cupping her face. He was looking for any new cuts or injuries.

"I'm okay J, promise." River smiled and JJ wrapped his arms around the girl tightly.

"This is from my dad." John B announced.

JJ span around with the girl in his arms and placed a few kisses all over her face, making her giggle. "Code red. Code red. Square groupers. Square groupers!" JJ said as he placed River down and grabbed her hand.

"Go. Go." Kie said as they hide behind the crypt.

"It's the guys who robbed your house." JJ said, putting River behind him and in front of Pope.

"Lights." River whispered turning off her flashlight.

"John B your light." Kie said as he tried to put it up his shirt. JJ leans forward slightly to see the men. "Do you think it's them?"

"Homies got a gun." JJ announced.

"Let's just make a run for it." River suggested, tightening her grip on JJ's hand and running, pulling him with her. JJ almost tripped but quickly regained his balance.

JJ jumped over the gate first. "Let's go shorty!" JJ whisper shouted as John B boosted the small girl over the fence.

River and the other three started to run towards the van when Pope shouted. "Guys I'm stuck."

"Pope come on man!" JJ shouted back.

"I got you." Kie said running back to him.

"Pope don't move okay?" JJ questioned as he held up his gun. River was quick to push it down and shook her head.

"You're gonna rip me. Wait, you're gonna rip me!" Pope panicked.

"You're fine. Come on." Kie said pulling the boy and ripping his shorts off.

River let out a laugh. "Nice. Come on dude." JJ commented with a smirk. "It's a little tootsie roll." JJ teased as they all ran into the van.

~

"That bread had mould on it three days ago." Pope told JJ as he made himself a sandwich. River said on the counter top, watching him with a smile.

"If you knew that, why didn't you throw it in the trash?" River questioned raising her brow.

"I'll just pull of the bad parts. Plus, mould is good for you. It's just a natural organism."  JJ shrugged, he turned around and allowed River to jump on his back.

"JJ, Riv!" Kie shouted for them both to come and see what was inside the envelope.

"Yup, yup. Hot damn. Let's do it." JJ said as River jumped off his back. She wrapped her arms around his waist, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer.

John B wasted no time in opening the envelope. JJ took a bite of his sandwich and instantly gagged. He spat it out into his hand and pulled away from River to put it in the trash. River stifled a laugh at the boy, but her focus remained on John B.

"Holy shit." John B mumbled looking at the map. JJ had returned and started to pick at his sandwich again. River shook her head, took it from the boy and threw it away.

"What? Ri-"

"You'll thank me for it later." River shrugged, standing in front of JJ. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Oh. X marks the spot." Pope pointed out as he tapped the X on the map.

"Longitude, latitude. Wait, there's something else in there." John B said pulling out a tape recorder.

"What's that?" JJ questioned leaning forward slightly.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass." Kie scoffed, River smiled at the girl.

John B clicked play and none of them were expecting what happened next.

"Dear bird."

"Who's bird?" JJ questioned.

"That's what John B's dad called him." River answered for him. She could see the shock on John B's face. No one ever expected to hear Big John's voice again, least of all him.

"I hate to say, 'I told you so,' but I told you so. And you doubted your old man.

I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guys and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, Kid.

I didn't expect to find the Merchant either."

JJ gave River's arms a light squeeze. He knew that Big John was like a father to her.

"You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly father of the decade. What can I say, kid?

I could smell the barn."

In the background of the recording you could hear River and John B laughing. River smiled at the boy. It wasn't unlikely that she slept over, and often John B or Big John would give up their beds so she could have one. She always refused and slept on the couch.

"And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits."

Big John sighed.

"If not, and you do be this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for.

There she is, the wreck of the Merchant."

JJ looked down at his two best friends. John B wasn't okay. That much was evident by the look on his face. But River was harder to read. She had a complete blank expression but JJ knew she wasn't okay.

"If something happens to me, finish what I started.

Go for the gold, kid.

I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side."

The recording ended and all that was left to be heard was static. John B slowly stood up and walked away,

SOBBING.