014.

"𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝?" Kie asked as she entered the Chateau. JJ and Pope followed right behind her, and rushed to the sobbing girl on the floor.

"Em, what happened?" Pope asked, as he wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back like her life depended on it.

"Ward killed our parents." her voice broke. Everyone looked at each other with wide eyes. "Holy shit, we need to go to Tannyhill before John B kills him." Kie said. The boys looked at her and nodded, but didn't know what to do with Emerson.

"You guys, go. I'll be here." Emerson said, letting go of Pope. "You sure?" JJ rubbed her back. She nodded, not wanting to talk anymore. The group ended up leaving to Tannyhill, making sure John B didn't do something he would end up regretting.

As Emerson saw the HMS Pogue drive off in the distance, she decided to walk into Big John's office. When she sat on the chair, she saw a picture frame on his desk. She looked closely at the picture and immediately started crying again.

It was her, Big John and John B, fishing. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. The two teenagers were only three at the time, and it was their first time going out fishing. She remembered her dad taking that picture of them, while her mom was home cooking for everyone.

Emerson stood up, and headed to John B's room and fell onto the bed. She continued to sob, until she got tired and fell asleep.

···

"Bubba? JJ? Pope? Kie?" John B shouted, walking into the Chateau. He walked around the house until he found a sleeping Emerson. He layed down next to her, and silently cried. Emerson heard his muffled sobs, and turned to face him.

"Hi." she whispered.

"Hi." he whispered back. "Come on, I wanna do something." he said, as he stood up from the bed. Emerson followed him, and saw him walk into his dad's office. She stood by the doorway, and John B took a picture off the wall. The picture was a picture of their parents when they were younger. They looked so bright and happy.

John B took some sticks and made a small wooden boat, so that the picture could sit on it with a candle. Then he took a lighter, lit up the candle, and gently placed it down on the water.

As the two 16-year olds silently sobbed, they both ended up sleeping on the dock together and hugging each other, afraid that if they let go they would lose each other.

···

"Good morning, sunshine!" JJ shouted, running to the docks with Kie. John B was admiring Emerson while she slept, but she started to groan from JJ's loud voice coming towards them.

"Good morning." she said to John B as she gave him a kiss. She was still sad about everything that had happened last night, but she thought it was best to just accept it and move on.

"Ward took all the gold." John B whispered after a long minute of silence. Emerson sat up and her eyes widen. "What?" she yelled.

"You sure they got everything?" Kie asked, sounding defeated. "Every bar. The whole enchilada." John B said, sounding even more defeated than Kie. Emerson started to tear up as she layed back down next to John B. He wrapped his arm around her waist for comfort.

"Look, it's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit." John B said, taking his cast off and throwing it away. "John B, put the cast back on." Emerson scolded him. "It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?" he snapped. "I care. Your arm's gonna be messed up for life." she said, flicking his forehead. "It's fine, see." he reassured, wiggling his fingers.

Suddenly, they heard loud footsteps approaching their way. They turn to see who it was, and they find Pope. He looked like he was running away from a murderer.

"Guys! Guys!" Pope shouted, running to the docks. "Oh, gosh. I ran all the way here." he panted.

"You alright?"

"You good?"

"How was the interview, Pope?" JJ asked. "Don't ask. JB, Em. Look, I'm so sorry, guys. About everything." Pope started. "It's fine." John B and Emerson said, depressed.

"Look, I don't have a lot of time, and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm there sitting there in my interview, thinking to myself, 'Hm. Why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off?' What could be so heavy to weight it down?" Pope rambled.

John B and Emerson sat up and looked at each other. "𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥."

"Exactly. Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go." Pope continued.

"Guys, we can't give up now." Kie said, hopping off the railing she was sitting on.

"What's the plan, you two?" JJ asked the couple. John B and Emerson gave each other knowing looks.

"We're gonna steal that shit back."

···

The Pogues made it to the private airstrip, and they were hiding behind a metal gate. They brought binoculars with them, so that they could see everything that was happening from a distance.

"What's the plan? Broad strokes." Kie asked. "I don't think we got that far." John B replied.

They were currently watching the people Ward hired, loading up the gold. John B had the binoculars, and saw Ward's car pull up next to the plane. All of a sudden, John B lowered the binoculars with shock written all over his face. "What?" Kie and Emerson asked.

"It's Sarah." John B said, and everyone felt betrayed. "Wait a minute." John B said, and everyone snapped their heads towards him. "He's hurting her. They're fighting." John B said, and Emerson grabbed John B's hand to lead him towards the van. She wasn't gonna let Ward get away with anything. John B understood her memo, and hopped into the driver's seat.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"John B, Em. Where are you going?"

"Hey! Hey!"

The Pogues all shouted at the two teenagers in the van, but they didn't listen to a thing they were saying. "Grab onto something." John B shouted to Emerson, pressing his foot on the gas, and running straight into the metal gate. Once they got through, they continued to ignore their friends' pleads, as they drove towards the plane, which was about to take off.

As John B tried to go as fast as he could, they eventually caught up to the plane. They saw Sarah in tears, as she smiled once she saw them.

"Hey! It's okay!"

"Don't worry, we're here." the two tried to reassure the Cameron girl. She laughed, which caught Ward's attention. He saw John B and Emerson on the runway, driving as fast as they could, and screamed at them to get off.

Of course they didn't listen, as somehow John B and Emerson managed to get ahead. They drove in front of the plane and turned it, so that Ward had no option but to stop. When the two looked to their left, it didn't look like the plane was going to stop anytime soon.

"I love you, Bird!" Emerson shouted, just in case they didn't make it.

"I love you too, Bubba." John B shouted back, as he gripped her hand tightly.

They both looked away from the plane, praying that it would stop just before it hit them. Thankfully, the plane came to a stop. John B and Emerson immediately hopped out of the van to confront Ward, and get Sarah away from her evil father.

"Sarah!" John B and Emerson shouted for her. Instead, Ward came out of the plane. "You trying to kill her? Trying to get us killed?" Ward yelled at them.

"We need the gold." John B told Ward, as they started getting closer and closer to each other.

"No, no, no." Emerson saw Sarah get out of the plane, heading towards them. Emerson ran up to her and immediately hugged her, asking if she was okay. Sarah nodded, and they got the two men away from each other.

"You guys are okay, thank goodness." Sarah said, leading Emerson and John B away from Ward.

"Get away from them." Ward tried to grab Sarah. "No! Don't touch me!" Sarah walked back, as both Emerson and John B held each of her arms. "And don't tell me what to do." Sarah spat.

"You think this changes anything? It doesn't." Ward told Emerson and John B. In the distance, they heard police sirens. "You guys gotta get out of here." Sarah tried to push Emerson and John B. Emerson's heart was beating so fast, but when she saw who came out of the cop car, her heart almost returned back to normal.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here." Ward said. "Momma Peterkin!" Emerson smiled. Only a couple people knew how close Emerson and Peterkin were, so Ward and Sarah were confused.

"Susan, I told you they lost their minds." Ward tried to tell Peterkin. "Put your hands on your head." Peterkin said, and Ward smiled. "I'd do what she said, kids." he smiled at John B and Emerson.

"Uh, Ward. Look behind you."

"She's talking to you, Ward." John B and Emerson said. Ward turned around, and his smile immediately dropped.

"You're under the arrest for the murder of "Big John" Routledge. Put your hands on you head." Peterkin said, and Sarah nearly collasped. She never thought her father would be capable of a murder. "We got you." Emerson reassured Sarah.

"Are you kidding me, Sue?" Ward shouted. "Put your hands on your head!" Peterkin shouted louder. Ward gave in, and put his hands on his head. "Turn around." she instructed him. Ward turned around to find his daughter, looking at him in disbelief.

"Drop to your knees!" Peterkin yelled, and Ward listened. "I don't like being used. I waited a long time for this." Peterkin said, hancuffing Ward. He got furious from her words, and tried to resist. Peterkin quickly reacted, and pulled out her gun. John B pushed Emerson and Sarah behind him.

All of a sudden, they heard a gunshot sound, and everyone gasped. Before they knew it, Peterkin dropped to her knees. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵.

After she dropped to her knees, a figure came out from behind the plane. 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘦.

"Rafe, no."

"Holy shit."

"Rafe. What did you do?"

Peterkin immediately collapsed, as everyone look at Rafe in shock and horror. He started to point the gun towards Emerson and John B. He smiled before he spoke up. "I saved you, Dad. I saved you."

···

author's note [word count: 1822]

episode 8 is down :)