Pandora and The Pogues [The Outer Banks/John B]

seven

They arrived back at John B's, shaken by the shots that had been taken at them but mostly celebrating their victory. John B lay the duffle bag down on the walkway, not even waiting to get inside. They all discussed there ideas for want to be inside but the general consensus was that it had to be valuable; someone had tried to kill them for it.

"Can we please just open the bag?" Pope almost demanded, shocking the group. "You guys are literally killing me with anticipation. Open the bag. We almost died over this."

John B went through the bag hurriedly pulling out a metal air-tight container of some kind. Inside was an old compass. Wow. What an absolute waste of time and effort.

But John B held it, looking at it like he had found the four hundred million dollars worth of gold lost on the Royal Merchant.

"Dude, what? It's not worth anything." JJ questioned.

"This was my father's." John B answered, absolutely astonished, silencing JJ.

No-one wanted to move, the air was so fragile, even Pandy could not tell where John B's head was at in relation to this insane revelation. Did John B even know? The discovery gave him even greater hope for his fathers return but would that cause more damage than good?

After the exhausting day, everyone decided to head home. John B's silence indicated that he needed some more time to swallow the information, or the brewing ideas of his father's possible current position.

Kie and Pope had walked off home in the same direction leaving JJ and Pandy to wander aimlessly for a while as usual. This was how the two had found a trusting relationship rather than one based on pure banter. Pandy had gathered that JJ's home life wasn't brilliant, although she wasn't sure under what circumstances - he didn't like to talk about it, so made sure to help him procrastinate arriving home and offering her home to him often. JJ hadn't yet dared to visit Pandy's house whilst her parents were there, he had never had very good reactions from kook parents. The girl had assured him that they weren't the type of people to judge until they knew someone just as she did - Pandy had to have learnt it from somewhere.

"Come on J, you're going to have to meet them some day! Why not come today when its pizza night! It will be so chill, I promise, you won't feel a tad out of place!" She pleaded.

"Are you kidding, Dora? Look at me." He gestured to his dirty top and shorts. "I could have rolling in dirt all day."

"Who is to say you haven't been." She joked, "No, come on, I'm serious. If you completely hate them, you never have to come back." Pandy looked at JJ, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. He shoved her playfully, the two laughing. "Look, if it makes you feel better, I will roll in the dirt too." The girl voluntarily rolling in dirt and dust on the side of the road. Her wavy hair still pristine although her headscarf was now a little wonky.

"Fine, fine. Just get up and quit embarrassing me, you Pogue." JJ laughed, pulling the girl to her feet.

"Whatever you say Mr. Kook." JJ wrapped his arm around the girls slight shoulders, she still held his hand as it hung loosely, leaning her head into his side.

The two now walked slightly less aimlessly in the direction of Pandora's house in Figure 8, it wouldn't take them too long to get there; they had done it many times before.

"You scared me the other day, you know. With the gun." She admitted softly.

"I know, I know." He replied in the same hushed tone. JJ wouldn't and couldn't say he wish he wouldn't have done it but he know of Pandora's loathing of guns and therefore understood that using it has he did panicked her crazily.

"I know, the laws are way different here and guns aren't at all unusual but to me its nothing but a murder weapon and- and I don't like the idea of you having one at all."

"It will all be ok, Pandy, I promise. All that matters right now is that there is going to be a pepperoni pizza in my mouth ASAP." He joked, changing the conversation.

The girl chuckled, quickly texting her parents about their additional guest and requesting a pepperoni pizza.

That evening, JJ felt like he could relax. As soon as he met Pandy's mom and dad, he knew that they too were not like other Pogues. Their two dogs loved him and wouldn't stop bothering him the whole night - not that JJ minded, he sat for the whole of a movie on the floor just to be with the dogs. And Pandy's sister, Mia, was nice too, although she wasn't too talkative throughout the evening. On the other hand, Pandy's mind quickly drifted from the movie to John B and how he must be feeling. Conflicted, she'd imagine. But at least she'd been able to make one of her friends smile: JJ hadn't stopped since her parents let him in the house. Pandora's house was not as intimidating as the likes of Sarah Cameron but it was still big. The softer off-white walls made it warmer and the evidence of family life stopped it feeling so superficial. The Cox family had made a home out of this house and it suited them well. There were many photos hung around the house, pictures of their previous life in the UK. Some of them intrigued JJ as he had hardly left the Outer Banks, let alone the country. This inspired an interesting conversation between JJ and Pandora's family about the UK and what it was like.

Of course, that night JJ was offered a bed to stay in and he accepted. The clean, white sheets and the privacy of his own room were far superior to John B's pull out couch. Mrs Cox had offered to put his clothes through the wash, assuring him it was no trouble and they'd be dry for the next day. As he settled with the walls of Kook life, Pandora joined him.

"Hey. You surviving this evening alright then?" She asked jokingly having witness JJ's relaxed nature. "You should know you're welcome here anytime. My parents basically want you as the son they never had now."

"Of course, they do. How could they not?!" This remark caused Pandora to chuckle.

"Yes, of course, that would be impossible." She smiled, sitting next to JJ on the double bed. "Do you think John's ok with all that's happening?"

"Yeah, course he is. I mean its gotta be difficult but he's a big boy. We're survivors us Pogues. Its you Kooks that need to be worried about!"

Pandora gave JJ a joking look of offence at the remark, her hand over her heart.

"Serious note though." JJ spoke, "What you did on that boat today was very Pogue of you."

"Why thank you, kind sir." Admittedly, Pandy hadn't been thinking when she had acted but it worked out for the better. She hadn't even processed that earlier today they were actually being shot at? How had nobody said anything. "Fuck. I'm beginning to think that Grady-White cursed us. It's done nothing good for us since we hit it!"

"Hmm..." JJ thought. "Four hundred million still sounds pretty good though. John B might actually ask you on a date then."

Pandora groaned,  immediately blushing and burying her head in a pillow. "JJ!"

"It's so painfully obvious, Dora. Everyone one knows about your thing for him and his thing for you and neither one of you does anything."

"He doesn't like me like that."

"You keep telling yourself that Princess but I'm going to get some sleep. Now, I expect breakfast in bed in the morning. Goodnight." JJ switched the bedside lamp off, darkness enveloped the room leaving Pandora to try and find her way out in the dark. But JJ's chuckles at her hopeless navigation of the room as she bashed into every single object made her smile a little, maybe she would get some sleep after all.

***

Sorry, it's been a moment. A lack of John B-Pandora Cox content here but I think it's important to build her relationship with each of the Pogues.

Hope you enjoy!