legacy // obx

0.4

WHEN POPE AND KIARA FOUND JJ, HE WAS PASSED OUT in his usual spot in the front room of the Chateau. Kiara smiled for a second at the familiar sight. It was refreshing to see him doing something so normal. Hell, it was refreshing to even be in The Chateau. The past week had felt like the longest week of Kiara's life. 

"JJ, wake up," Pope deadpanned, slapping the back of JJ's head. 

JJ sprung awake, clearly on edge. Kiara's eyes traveled down to the gun that was sticking out from underneath JJ's pillow and her stomach started to twist. "Pope? Kie? What the hell are you guys doing here?" He asked, groggily. 

Kiara didn't say anything. Her eyes were fixated on the gun. "It's been a week. We couldn't take being locked up any longer," Pope answered for Kiara. 

JJ looked up at her, noticing her uncomfortable body language, and followed her eyes back down to the gun resting beside him. He pushed it under the pillow and out of sight. 

He stood up, giving both of his best friends a hug. "Took you guys long enough." 

- 

The trio decided to take the HMS Pogue out on the marsh, just like they had done a thousand times before. All they wanted for themselves was a little bit of normality, but nothing felt quite the same. Everything they tried to do felt off, and it was becoming clearer that the Pogues were going to have to accept a life without John B. 

Pope steered the HMS Pogue with Kiara and JJ sitting next to each other at the bow. She could remember all the times that they had been in that exact position before, only John B was behind the wheel. She looked away and out past the water, staring at nothing in particular. It was hard to pretend things were normal and okay when all Kiara wanted to do was scream and cry. How was she supposed to process what her life was now? She felt guilty just moving on from John B and Sarah after their deaths. They deserved to be more than just a nagging thought in the back of her mind. They deserved a legacy. 

JJ flicked the cap of his beer off and onto the floor of the Pogue. He leaned back onto his left elbow, and brought the bottle to his lips, taking a swig. "So did you guys hear the news?" 

Kiara snapped out of her trance and looked towards JJ. Pope slowed the Pogue and the trio gently glided through the marsh. "What news?" Pope asked. 

"Sarah Cameron's funeral, of course," JJ took another swig of his beer. You could hear the bitterness in his voice. 

"Funeral?" Kiara whispered, looking down. Funeral?  "Is Ward planning it?" 

"Who else would be planning it, Kie?" JJ looked at her, angry. He was angry at the world, at Ward, at Shoupe, at Kie and Pope for disappearing for a week. Hell, he was angry at John B for dying, and for falling in love with Sarah. He was angry at Big John for leaving his son and starting this whole mess, and at himself for not doing more to stop it. JJ's eyes were dark, but they softened when Kie looked up at him.

Kiara met JJ's gaze, eyebrows dipped in a concerned expression. She was never very good at reading JJ, and he was always concealed in his emotions. The only time she ever got to see him vulnerable was when he broke down in front of her and Pope in the hot tub. But this time Kiara could sense that JJ was going through more than just the obvious, and definitely more than he was willing to give away. Kiara thought about the gun that she saw under his pillow. Was he sleeping with it next to him? 

"How can he do that? Ward is the reason Sarah's dead in the first place," Pope chimed in from behind the wheel, his voice troubled and confused. 

"Those are the type of things you can get away with when you run the entire Island," JJ spoke, tearing his gaze away from a worried-looking Kiara and taking another sip from the bottle in his hand. "They don't even have a body to bury," his face relaxed from the tense state it had been in and he hung his head as he looked down. 

"That turn around is borderline morbid. It's only been a week. It's like Ward was prepared for this," Kiara sighed, eyes still fixated on the horizon ahead as the wind blew through her hair. The reeds swayed gently in the wind, and if Kiara could stop thinking, she would almost feel peaceful. But she couldn't stop thinking; something about the timing of the funeral just didn't sit right with her. How could Ward move on that quickly? That was his daughter who had died. There had to be something else, something more they were missing. 

Pope, as if on cue, reached the conclusion the same time she did. "You guys realize what he's doing, right?" 

"What who's doing?" JJ looked up, setting down his now empty bottle and grabbing a fresh one from the cooler they had brought. 

"Ward, dumbass. He's-" Pope started before Kiara interrupted. 

"He's making a run for it," Kiara looked up, eyes locked with Pope as they both realized Ward's plan. 

JJ looked at his two friends, not understanding the almost telepathic conclusion they had both come to. "Hello? Earth to Kie? Can you guys explain?" 

"Think about it, JJ. Ward knows it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out. Rafe knows, we know, Miss Lana knows. He's using the funeral as a distraction," Pope began. "That's why it's happening so fast."

"Holy shit," JJ breathed as things started to make sense. "He's gonna follow-," JJ started as the rest of his friends finished his sentence for him. 

It was as if everything clicked at the same time in all of their heads and the Pogue's realized that this wasn't quite over yet. 

"The gold." 

-

THIS IS SHORT AND LATE IM SO SORRY 

i was supposed to update yesterday and then mother's day got busy and I had my AP Gov test this morning and it's just been a lil hectic my loves. BUT on the bright side, i should have another update out tomorrow by the latest so stay tuned 

ALSO, i just want to say thank you all soooo much for all the love you're giving this story so far. it really, truly means the world to me and your comments always make me so happy. please keep it up, because it's you guys that inspire me to keep writing! 

i love you all and i hope you're staying safe

xx mia