The road back was even more flooded than the road in.

"Ah, crap!" John B shouted as they began to drive back. "The tide!"

"Ah, shit," Tyler sighed, seeing the same view as the rest of them. "This isn't good."

The road in front of them was no longer visible. It was now completely waterlogged, the murky water submerging it almost fully.

"How deep is that?" Kie asked.

"Well, we can't see shit, so I presume pretty deep," Elora shrugged.

John B came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the flood, sending them all lurching forwards in their seats.

"The tide rose faster than I thought it would," JJ commented vaguely. "John B, how high are the spark plugs?"

"They're good," John B replied shortly. "We're fine."

"Oh, I'm so convinced," Elora rolled her eyes.

"How high are they actually, JB?" Pope asked flatly.

"Oh, um..." he hesitated, looking out the window. "Uh, just above the taillight."

Tyler, JJ and Pope side eyed each other.

"So that's what, three feet?" Tyler asked.

"Well that water can't be three feet deep!" Kie protested.

"Then what's the problem?" JB asked.

"Well, if it's not three feet, we'll make it," Elora shrugged, sitting back in her seat. "Interpret that as you will, JB."

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts, hold onto something, we're going into hyperdrive," John B said in a mock announcing voice. "Three, two, one-"

"Come on!"

"Okay, okay-"

"You got this! You got this!"

In a flurry of spinning wheels and flying mud, the Twinkie drove straight into the flood, everyone yelling and shouting and thrashing about.

"Speed is your friend, John B-"

"Faster, faster!"

"Oh my god, oh my god-"

"Shit shit SHIT-"

She knew it had gone wrong as soon as they veered off course.

The engine stopping only confirmed this.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-"

"I think we miscalculated," Tyler said half jokingly.

"I knew I should've driven," JJ added.

"Well, forget about deep shit, we're in deep water," Elora rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's assess this."

The water was cold and muddy and she hated every second as she stood in it, the boot of the Twinkie open, all seven of them around it, trying to figure out what to do.

"Okay, maybe we can walk from here," Pope shrugged.

"And leave the Twinkie?" John B demanded. "The- the tide's coming in."

"So then what are we supposed to do?" Sarah demanded.

"Get the fuck out of here," Elora advised.

Tyler, meanwhile, was silent, sighing slightly.

"Listen, guys, uh... I have a way we can get outta this," he said eventually, all heads turning to him. "So, er- my dad sorta had this truck, and, uh... we could use it to tow the Twinkie out."

"And your mum wouldn't have any problem with that?" JJ knowingly raised his eyebrows.

"Well, she'd flip her shit, but, that truck's been in the garage, untouched since he left," shrugged Tyler. "All I'd have to do is get the keys and I could get it out."

"Ty, are you sure?" John B asked.

"Yeah," Elora nodded, looking hesitantly into those blue eyes. "We, er- we don't need you on house arrest."

"Well," Tyler said, eyes sparkling slightly. "She has to catch me right?"

And it was nice, to just bathe in the blue of his eyes, looking at him as a blush dusted her cheeks.

Then JJ coughed loudly, saying. "Alright, uh- hate to interrupt whatever's going on here-"

"Shut up, JJ-"

"Shut the fuck u-"

"-but, the winch is at the Chateau, and if you guys are going to Figure Eight then I'm gonna need another person with me for liberation," JJ said, eyes sliding to the brunette. "Kie, you in?"

"Yeah," said girl nodded. "Why not?"

"Oh, and I'm coming with you," Elora said plainly to Tyler, speaking again as he opened his mouth. "Save the hero speech, I've already decided."

He gave her a small smile. It conveyed all the exasperation yet admiration he was feeling for her right now, and she just smiled back, her cheeks flushing red.

"Okay, if you're gonna do it, let's go, okay?" John B said urgently, looking around at the four who were going to go and get the stuff they needed. "Tide's coming in and the Twinkie's going underwater."

"Alright, let's go," Tyler said, wading across to the small stretch of land and helping Elora out, JJ and Kie not far behind them.

"You sure your mum's gonna be fine?" Elora asked warily as they hurried off.

"No, of course not, she'll skin me alive if she finds me stealing that truck, but..." Tyler smirked slightly, looking cheekily at her. "Nothing to lose, everything to gain, right?"

Well if there was ever any doubts in her mind that Tyler was a Pogue, that moment squashed them flat.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

They split off soon enough, JJ and Kie to go and get the winch at the Chateau and all the other equipment to pull them free, and Elora and Tyler to go get the truck to do it.

The crept through Figure Eight, keeping their heads down because they knew the Kooks would be keeping an eye out.

"This is fucking insane," Elora said as they neared the Thornton's.

"Yeah, you can say that again," nodded Tyler.

"No, I'm serious," Elora said, looking at him. "If any of these Kooks see you, you're d-"

"You think that's what I'm worried about?" Tyler asked with a slight smile. "Elle, I don't care what they do to me, I just care about if they lay a finger on you."

Elora chuckled slightly, shaking her head. "You're crazy, you know that? You're in so much more danger here than I am."

"Yeah, if you say so," Tyler said non committally.

Elora shook her head, absolutely speechless. "You're mad, I swear."

"Yeah, or I just really care about you," Tyler said with a smile, turning to face her fully.

Elora looked up at him, chest fluttering insanely, her whole body on fire. She had no idea what to say to that, let alone what to think about it.

So instead she just leaned up on her tiptoes and brought his face down to meet his, kissing him softly.

The kiss didn't last long, and it wasn't particularly passionate, but Elora could still feel her body burning, her whole entity wanting to be closer to him, to feel him everywhere.

It was a weird feeling, and one she was wholly unfamiliar with.

When they pulled apart, Tyler smiled down at her, and she chuckled slightly. "I, uh... I really care about you too, Ty."

Tyler chuckled slightly, and murmured as his gaze flicked down to her lips. "Come on. We have to go."

Elora was amazed as he dragged her along the road, both of them chuckly. Utterly amazed at everything about him. At his kindness, his generosity but most of all his patience.

They hadn't talked at all since they'd made up, yet he hadn't pushed her. She hadn't told him she loved him or even defined their relationship, and he was somehow okay with that.

I love you.

She wanted to just come out and say it, but it wasn't that easy.

But one day, when she was just as brave as he was, she would.

And that was a promise.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The Thornton's house had never looked so menacing.

Elora had never been inside it, and knew this would probably be the only time she would be, but she also knew that this liberation mission would take everything she had.

"Right," Tyler was looking up at his family home with a mixture of disgust and fear from where they were stood, hidden behind the hedge next to the garden. "Slip in, slip out, that's my plan. You'll be staying down here and keeping watch."

"The fuck? No," Elora said instantly. "I'm coming with you."

"No you are not," Tyler rebutted. "It's dangerous enough for you to even be here, Elle. You're not coming anywhere near the actual hou-"

"Just because you and I are-" Elora bit her lip hard and fought her red cheeks, her eye contact slipping before she caught herself. "I mean, just because you see yourself as my protector now does not give you the right to tell me what I do."

Tyler shook his head, a smile growing on his face.

"Fine," he said. "We'll both sneak up into the house. It's like six right now so they'll probably be eating dinner, which means I just need to get the key to the garage and the truck from the dining room."

"Alright," Elle nodded. "In, out. Easy."

"Yeah," Tyler didn't look so convinced. "Easy."

Elora felt a weird spark ignite inside her as she and Tyler ducked down low, opening the stupid painted white gate and practically running across the perfectly manicured lawn. When they got to the bottom of the neatly painted white steps, Tyler gestured to Elora to be as quiet as possible, tiptoeing onto the first one.

Her whole body was locked up as she went up the stairs. She did not want to be caught here, but she also could not afford Tyler to be caught here.

So when they got up to the back door and heard voices coming from inside, she didn't turn and run. She stayed by his side, and stuck it out.

Tyler slowly reached out a hand and gently opened the pristinely polished glass door. Elora noticed his hand shaking slightly, and felt a surge of anger at whatever was causing it.

Once the door was open the voices became a lot more clearer. Elora was able to identify the voices of Cynthia and Topper, both full of happiness and levity.

The Thornton's house was nice. Everything was a colour of white or grey, and everything was meticulously organised. She had only ever been in two other Kook houses; Kie's and Kelce's, and she'd been in neither for long. The Thornton's was nothing like either of those.

Tyler snuck across the room and looked round the corner, Elora following him. She had no idea where they were going or what they were doing, but none of that mattered because as soon as he caught sight of what was going on in the next room, he froze.

And Elora wasn't sure what was going on until she saw it.

Because Cynthia and Topper were eating spaghetti bolognese, slurping up the pasta and laughing slightly as they did so. They were talking about everything and nothing, like a real mother and son. They were happy.

Without Tyler.

And upon seeing the look on Tyler's face, Elora wanted to murder them. She wanted to march in there and scream and throw stuff and yell about how they'd treated the amazing boy in front of her like shit just because of her-

And it scared her. It really, really scared her. It scared her how much she cared about him, how much she wanted to fight for him, how much she needed him to be okay.

But she couldn't do anything to Cynthia and Topper, anyway, so she just laid a hand on Tyler's shoulder, causing him to turn round and look at her.

And he looked so sad, so vulnerable, that Elle was actually going to carry out her plan despite everything.

But then he shook his head, mouthing. "I'm fine."

Elora shook her head, mouthing back. "Tyler..."

"I'm okay," Tyler mouthed determinedly. "Follow me."

Elora made no attempt to stop him as he quietly sneaked down the hall and into another room, the kitchen. From there, he slowly inched in, pointing at the key hooks on the other side of the room.

Elora stayed in the doorway as he sneaked across, grabbing two keys, the garage one and the truck one.

"Let's go! Let's go!" He mouthed furiously as he got them, turning round and rushing both of them out the house.

Elora felt adrenaline ignite inside her as they went down the steps and Tyler guided her to the garage.

"I hate to say it, but your house is, like, amazing," Elora hissed as soon as they got down and out of earshot.

"No it's not," Tyler immediately rebutted. "It's too clean, too perfect. I prefer the Chateau, or yours."

Elora almost choked on her own saliva. "Mine?" She exclaimed, eyes wide. "You're taking the piss now, Tyler."

"No I'm not," Tyler replied, leading her round to the garage.

She didn't say anything else, just watched him insert the first key into the door and turn it, rolling it up to reveal a neat and tidy space with various things on shelves around the sides, and only one thing in the middle.

A shining black truck.

"Bingo," Elora muttered, as she and Tyler walked towards it, Tyler giving it a look of mixed admiration and disgust. She noticed, because of course she did, and asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Tyler sighed. "I haven't been in this since my dad left. Haven't even driven it cause my mum hates it so much, but can't get rid of it."

"Hey," Elora said. "I can drive, if you want."

"Nah, it's fine," Tyler said. "I'm a better driver than you anyway."

Elora rolled her eyes even though a smile was building on her face. "Okay, come on. Let's take this piece of shit and free the Twinkie."

Tyler grinned slightly, nodding. "Let's do this."

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Elora couldn't help but feel the awkwardness pulsing between them as they drove back through Figure Eight towards the Cut. Tyler wasn't keeping his eyes on the road, and was glancing at her every few seconds. Elora was just wanting to tell him she loved him, but she couldn't find the words.

When they got to the Cut, however, and were only about a couple minutes from the Chateau, she knew she needed to say something.

"So, er..." she finally worked up the courage, looking over at him. "I've been meaning to tell you something, for, um... for a while now, and... I kinda want to, well I just-"

"Elle, it's okay," Tyler's voice was soft and gentle. "Whatever you wanna tell me, you can. I'm not going anywhere."

And he said that, but a part of Elora's brain was still reverting back to the possibility that Tyler was going to run as soon as he really saw who she was, because she was just like her mother, and she was going to slowly kill him like she had her d-

"Well," spit it out, spit it out, spit it ou- "I just wanted to say that, I mean this is really stupid but I just wanted to tell you that I l-"

"Is that Luke?"

Elora was in shock as she turned, all the adrenaline suddenly turned to anger as she saw Kie, JJ and Luke Maybank stood outside the Chateau, watching them.

"What the fuck?" Elora asked, jumping out the car as soon as Tyler was going slow enough. "JJ-"

"Elora, Ty, listen I need you to-"

"Tyler Thornton?" Luke chuckled as the blonde boy stopped the car and got out. "Well this just gets better and better," he turned to JJ. "How many Kooks are actually in your little punk group?"

"Shut the hell up!" Elora snarled, turning to her blonde friend, who looked angry yet sadder than ever. "JJ, listen to me. We are not doing this-"

"Elora, you listen to me!" JJ shouted, shoving his dad towards the black truck. "Get in the back, and don't touch anything."

Tyler watched him jump in then turned to the boy, saying firmly. "No, JJ, we need to go, the Twinkie is drowning-"

"Just listen to me, alright?!" JJ's loud voice shocked them all as he looked at Tyler. "I need to get into the marina at the Island Club. There's a boat there that he can take. You've got the sticker on your truck, just twenty minutes, that's all I need-"

"JJ, the Twinkie's gonna be a submarine in twenty minutes-!"

"I know, Kie!" JJ snapped back at the brunette who had protested.

"Just leave him and we can come back!" Elora also implored.

"He's my dad, Elora!" JJ screamed, eyes angry yet wide. "And I know he's a piece of shit, but you of all people should know what it's like."

"Don't you dare," Elora snapped, eyes pricking with tears. "Don't you fucking dare talk about my dad-"

"The cops are after him!" JJ said, banging on the hood of the truck. "I do this now, and maybe I will never have to do it again. Come on, let's to. We got him provisions already."

Elora didn't know what to think as she, Kie and Tyler squeezed into the front, JJ sat in the back with a considerable distance between him and his father.

Elora was still reeling from that comment about her own father, but she couldn't deny that JJ was right.

Because she would do anything for him.

Even in death.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Getting into the marina was easier than any of them expected. The little sticker on the front of the truck did wonders.

They let JJ go with his dad and the 'provisions' down towards the marina, whilst the other three stayed.

"Where the fuck'd you pick up Luke, anyway?" Elora asked Kie as soon as they were gone.

"He was hiding out near the Chateau," she answered, staring off into the distance. "Don't know how he convinced Jayj to help him, though."

"Manipulation," Elora shrugged, same vacant look on her face. "My dear mother did it all the time."

She could feel Tyler's eyes on her, and so remained vacant, biting her lip slightly as she elaborated. "He'll have made it seem like JJ owes him."

Kie sighed, pressing her lips together as she cast a look out at the marina. "I'm gonna go check on him."

Tyler and Elora said nothing as she undid her belt and got out the car, heading down to check on JJ. They didn't look at each other, and no words were spoken.

That was until Tyler said. "I'm sorry."

Elora's head jerked round so fast she thought she'd get whiplash. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Tyler repeated, and fuck, those blue eyes-

"What for?" She asked, frowning because what? He was the last person that should be saying sorry right now.

"For being so insensitive," he answered. "You're so fucking strong that sometimes I forget you've got such a hard past, and I guess that's why I told you I love you so soon."

"Tyler, that's not-"

"But hearing you talk about your mom as if she's still haunting you now... I think I've only just realised how much of an idiot I was," Tyler said.

"No, Tyler, I don't think that," Elora shook her head. "It was my fault I reacted the way I did, it wasn't you. Please don't think you had anything to do with it."

"I just..." Tyler bit his lip, looking down. "I just want you to know that you're nothing like her, and that if I could, I'd take all your pain away in a second."

Elora looked at him, absolutely speechless. She loved him. She loved him so much, yet she didn't know how to say it.

So she decided to do what she usually did.

Jump straight in the deep end.

"Tyler, I-"

"Alright, let's go save the Twinkie!"

Elora almost laughed at the terrible timing as JJ and Kie jumped into the back of the car, JJ's sadness peeking through his veil of positivity, Kie stealing glances at him to make sure he was alright.

"Yo Ty, what are you waiting for? We need to go!" JJ shouted, shattering Elora and Tyler's little moment.

"Er- yeah, yeah, totally," Tyler said, jumping back to life somewhat disappointedly and starting the truck. "Let's go."

But as they drove away, every single one of the four in the car couldn't help but feel defeated. Each one of them had lost today.

And they still had a long way to go if they wanted to gain.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"Look who it is, the four tortoises," Pope announced as the truck got back to the Twinkie, where all three others were sat. "Just a couple hours late. Where the hell were you guys?!"

"Paternal complications," Kie answered as she got out.

"Luke was at the Chateau," JJ announced evasively.

Elora, meanwhile, had just noticed John B's leg, which appeared to be bleeding heavily.

"Wait, JB, what happened?"

"Well, when you guys were having some family time, John B got bit by a gator!" Pope was still angry, shouting even louder.

"Like, for real?" JJ's eyes widened.

"Does it look like we're joking?" Sarah demanded.

"Okay, what the hell happened?" Kie yelled.

"What happ-? I got bit by a gator!"

"Oh my fucking god, we had shit to deal with too!" Tyler fired back.

"Yeah, I don't know why we're being yelled at, our asses were on the line-"

"You're being yelled at cause you said it'd be twenty minutes-"

"Okay well we got here as fast as we-"

"He got bit by a-"

"Oh well I'm sorry that happened bu-"

"SHUT UP!"

JJ never really took the lead much in the group with emotion or motivation. Like, never. But right now, as everyone fell silent and looked at him, he knew he had to.

"Seriously guys, I can't take it anymore, alright?" He said, hands flailing about. "Everybody just cut it out for a second!"

He fell against a nearby tree.

"Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good," his face was a mixture of pain and anger. "Like, he is never ever coming back. He's straight up like the Spanish, just 'bon voyage'."

Everyone frowned and Sarah muttered. "That's the wrong language."

"Look, all we got, I know for a fact all I got... is you guys, alright?" JJ looked round at all of them. "You're it. And I've come too close to losing you, all of you! I mean, shit, like Elle, you've almost drowned, Pope, you were kidnapped, Sarah, you've been shot, John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro, Tyler, you're always on thin ice with the Kooks and, Kie we all lost you properly, a year ago."

He went round all of them, and they all silenced on their shot. JJ was making it clear how much they all meant to him, and he wasn't hiding anything.

"So this blaming eachother is some Kook-ass bullshit, alright?" JJ lowered his voice again. "We don't do that. Okay? We're Pogues."

He seemed to become aware of himself, saying. "Sorry that was kinda a lot right now. I didn't mean to..."

But they were all smiling. All of them. And then they began clapping, all six of them, clapping for JJ because he was saying all after his dad had just left, and he was actually pulling them together.

"Well done!" Pope called.

"I gotta be honest, that was the best freaking speech you've ever given!" John B grinned.

"Except your shitty language," Elora chuckled.

"Yeah, we should bon voyage outta here," Sarah replied.

"Hell yeah, let's get the Twinkie out!" Tyler grinned, running back up to the truck.

She didn't know how they did it, not really.

One second the Twinkie was in the water, next second they were attaching it to the truck, and then they were pulling it out.

And they were working together to do it.

"WHOO! The Twinkie lives!" JJ cheered as they finally got her out.

"Whoooooooo!" Both Elora and Sarah joined in, waving their arms about like crazy.

And it was in that exact moment, sitting in the front seat of the van with Sarah and Pope and Kie, that Elora realised everything was gonna be okay.

Maybe not today, maybe not in the next week, next month.

But it was all going to work out.

She'd see to it.