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𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘆: 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲

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Before they could start living full Kook, however, they had to get back to the Outer Banks first and figure out how much the gold they managed to save from El Dorado was worth.

After sailing their way back to Tres Rocas on the Orinoco River, they had to find some way to get home since Barracuda Mike never promised them a ride back.

They ended up catching a ride back on a cargo ship called the Blue Marlin, sleeping for basically three weeks until they finally made it back to the Outer Banks.

Pope and Cleo were happily greeted back by the Heywards while Kiara wasn't so lucky with her parents due to her slipping away from Kitty Hawk and randomly coming back. They had asked her to "give them some time," whatever the hell that meant.

Cassie had a nice time seeing Emery and Aunt Bea again. Of course Aunt Bea was worried sick after a day or two of Cassie not coming home so the fact that she had been gone that long and in South America, Aunt Bea wasn't sure what to do now that she was technically her guardian.

But she was just glad she was back and safe.

And apparently with a boyfriend who needed a place to stay, which she apprehensively allowed as long as he slept on the couch.

Cassie had spent time catching Emery up on everything that happened in South America and Emery couldn't help but feel like Cassie's life was just an endless movie plot at this point.

Emery and Aunt Bea weren't the only two people that Cassie had to see, however. She had to see her mother and tell her that Ward had died in South America.

So when Cassie had finally ate, showered, and changed — JJ as well — the two set off to the jail so Cassie would be able to speak with her mom.

JJ waited outside despite his protests of him wanting to come in with her, but Cassie told him she had to do this herself.

Cassie sat in the metallic chair and looked at the glass that would be separating her and her mother in just a few moments. That's when she saw her mother come out of the door, walking in an orange jump suit.

Cassie was a bit taken aback, sucking in a breath as her mother sat down across from her with an unimpressed look on her face. She picked up the phone, placing it up to her ear as she waited for her daughter to say something.

Cassie cleared her throat and quickly took the phone, holding it up to her ear. "Hey, Mom."

"Only took you long enough to visit," Savannah retorted and Cassie swallowed hard. "What, you thought since I'm gonna be in here for life you could take your time?"

Cassie rolled her shoulders back. "We were in South America. Couldn't really come visit even if I wanted to," she told her.

Savannah arched a brow. "South America? Why the hell were you in South America?"

Cassie released a sigh. "Finding gold, like usual," she answered and Savannah scrunched her face up. She didn't know her daughter was searching after more gold. After Rafe had melted down the cross, Ward had been done and so had been Savannah. That's why the both of them had come back to the Outer Banks. What other gold was there?

"Gold. What gold was there in South America?" Savannah questioned.

Cassie rubbed her face. She really didn't feel like explaining every little detail possible to her mother. She may have been in jail and wouldn't be able to do anything about the gold now, but it was just frustrating. She was here to break the news of Ward's death, not detail her whole traumatic trip to South America.

"Gold from El Dorado. The lost city of gold. We found it," Cassie briefly explained and Savannah blinked at her. "Well, I didn't get to see because it got blown up but we did get some gold."

Savannah hummed. "So you and your...Pogues are going to be filthy rich now?" Savannah asked slowly and Cassie shrugged. "Seems like Big John got what he always wanted," she voiced bitterly.

Cassie licked her lips. "Big John's dead," she told her mother. "He died in South America."

"Oh." Savannah looked down at the table, running her fingernail along it. "Well poor John B. Again."

Cassie clicked her tongue, also looking down. "Yeah." She glanced back up, reaching to twiddle with her necklace. "Something else happened."

Savannah looked back up at her, tilting her head just a bit. "What else happened?" she inquired, noticing the look Cassie had gotten in her eyes. "Cassandra, what else happened?"

Cassie leaned back in her chair, sucking in a breath. "Ward was also with us when we were down in South America," she began and Savannah already began to shake her head, not liking where this was going. "And-and a guy had a gun."

"No—"

Cassie kept going, "And Ward did it to protect Sarah."

Savannah's eyes started to water. "Did what? Ward did what, Cassandra?"

Cassie pursed her lips. "He took the bullet for her. He-he tackled the guy off this cliff and...They both didn't make it."

Savannah took in her daughter's words, blinking rapidly as if that would help her understand it better. "So...so you came here to tell me that Ward...That Ward's dead?"

Cassie looked down. "Yes."

Savannah's lip shook and she brought her hand up to her mouth, trying to stop it as she clamped her eyes shut. Cassie watched her trying to process this, feeling herself start to feel bad for the woman but she tried to remind herself all that she did to her.

She only told her mother so she wouldn't wait up hoping Ward would somehow come rescue her. She didn't do it because she wanted to.

She had already lost Kevin and even though Savannah had admitted herself that she felt relieved when Ward killed him, she still lost her husband. And now losing Ward...It was safe to say she wasn't relieved on this one.

Then, without a word, Savannah put the phone back on the hook and left. "Mom?" Cassie called out, but her mother disappeared behind the door without looking back. Cassie released a sigh before she got out of her chair and exited the room, making her way outside to meet back up with JJ.

JJ had been leaning against a bike rack before he heard the doors open, turning around to see his girlfriend coming down the steps. "Hey. Everything go okay?" he asked, reaching his hand out to her.

Cassie shrugged. "Well, she didn't yell. She just...left," she told him as she took his arm, placing it around her shoulders. "Guess that's better than a breakdown, right?"

JJ looked down at her, pursing his lips to the side. "Yeah. Better than a breakdown." They kept on walking until JJ glanced down at her again. "You sure you're good?"

She nodded, looking up at him as she forced a smile on her lips. "Yeah. Just...need to readjust to life back in the OBX without either parent now."

JJ gave her a lopsided frown. "Well, I can give you some tips if you'd like," he joked a bit and she gave him a glance. "Wasn't funny. Sorry. My bad."

She tilted her head at him before she brought her hand up, ruffling the back of his hair to make him chuckle as the two kept on walking into their new lives.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

After a few days of getting back into sorts, the Pogues took the gold they managed to save to the Pelicans Gold Trust to get it weighed and make sure it was real gold.

Once the people there confirmed that, they made their way over to a convenience store on the cut to get their receipt of how much money the gold was worth.

"Moment of truth," John B said as they all leaned over an ATM. He cleared his throat, pressing the buttons on the machine. "Pin is 0-0-0-0. Enter."

"You're kidding," Sarah piped up, giving her boyfriend a look.

"What?"

"Tell me that's a temporary pin," Kiara said, raising a brow.

"Well, I just thought nobody could guess that," John B told them wholeheartedly.

"Oh, so now I know what the 'B' in your name stands for. John Brilliant, because what a brilliant fucking idea, John B," Cassie remarked sarcastically and John B rolled his eyes at her. "Choose the same number four times in a row. Yeah, no one would ever guess that for sure."

"Yeah, you need to change that immediately," Pope scolded.

Sarah pursed her lips at him. "John B."

"I'm sorry," he apologized as the receipt came printing out of the ATM.

"Here it comes," JJ narrated before he reached his hand out, trying to take the receipt. "That's me. That's me!" he said before John B reached for it at the same time, the two fighting over it. "Let me-Let me read it!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" John B repeated before he managed to get it from JJ, rushing away from them to hide what the receipt had written on it.

"It's not even the money. It's just the receipt," Pope pointed out as they all followed John B, leaning over his broad shoulders to try to see what the receipt had written on it but he was shielding it from them.

"Okay, okay. Our joint account balance...after paying JJ's restitution at 10:04 a.m. on a Tuesday..." John B trailed off for the suspense.

"Come on, get on with it!" Cleo urged.

"Our joint account balance is...one point one million, seventy-two thousand, five hundred and forty-nine dollars," John B revealed to the group.

"You said mil?" JJ questioned.

"Million?" Pope reiterated.

"Um—"

"With an 'M'?" Pope said as John B turned to him. "That'll do it!" he exclaimed before the two pulled each other into the hug and the girls started to squeal joyfully.

Although it was nowhere near the four hundred million they thought they would be sharing at the beginning of the summer, it was still something. Especially to John B, Pope, JJ, and Cleo who had never seen a number like that in their lives.

Maybe to Cassie, Kiara, and Sarah it wasn't a whole lot. But they weren't going to be complaining since they had worked for months for this day to finally come. The day the universe was finally kind to them to give them the money they all deserved. Letting them embrace their new lives.

Cassie hugged Kiara happily, laughing breathlessly before she felt Pope squeeze her shoulders. She turned, meeting his excited gaze. "You still paying for college textbooks?" she asked him, recalling their conversation the Pogues had all those months ago.

Pope shrugged. "We'll see," he answered and she chuckled. He turned to John B. "That is the craziest thing I've ever seen on a piece of paper, man."

"I want a bounce house! Or a water slide?" Sarah thought up, turning to John B with twinkling eyes.

Pope looked at Cleo. "Ooh, we can go on a real date," he realized and the girl clapped her hands, laughing excitedly.

"We're so rich, we can buy the Canadian mussels."

However, Cassie had already been checked out of the conversation as soon as she heard the word "date" and realized JJ hadn't been beside her celebrating. She looked around the convenience store, spotting him near the fridges that held the beer with one already in his hand as he drank out of it.

She made her way over to him, leaning against the fridge so he wouldn't be able to reopen it. "Shouldn't you be bro-hugging it out with John B and Pope right now?" she pointed out and he placed his arm up on the glass behind her, shrugging his shoulder a bit. She arched a brow at him. "What's up?"

He looked at her, searching her face before his eyes fell down the matching shark tooth necklace that hung around her neck. His eyes darted back up, seeing the expectant look on her face. "Just, uh, never had this kind of money before. Don't know what to do with it," he answered.

She started to smile. "Well, I have. So I can be, like, your own, little teacher."

He tilted his head at her, starting to smirk. "Would that make me your student?"

Her face scrunched up. "Oh, gross, JJ!" Cassie exclaimed as she lightly shoved his face away and he laughed. "Your mind is always in the damn gutter."

He looked back at her. "Can't help myself. Especially when I'm around you," he admitted as he slowly leaned in, his hand still pressed on the glass behind her.

John B whistled, stopping JJ from getting any closer. "Yoo-hoo, lovebirds! Less making out, more talking about what we're doing with this bread!"

JJ groaned, dropping his hand from the glass and leaning his head back. "We weren't even making out yet," he replied as the two followed the Pogues out of the convenience store, all of their excited laughters filling the air.

They soon made their way over to Cassie's house since the Château had burned down and they really had no designated place to meet at anymore.

Aunt Bea seemed a little shocked at all the new house guests since she had only just arrived at this place too, but she tried to be as welcoming as possible by making them little pigs in a blanket for them to eat as they sat in the living room and planned what they would do with the money.

Emery joined along, eating her food as she listened intently in the corner. All of this seemed so fascinating to her and it was almost like she was writing a movie in her head about it where she could star as the lead.

"Hey, wait, wait, wait. Hear me out. Rally truck with yellow LEDs to replace the Twinkie for right now," JJ thought up before he ate a pig in a blanket, shutting his eyes at the exquisite taste. He had been living with the Blakes for a few days now but he still wasn't used to good food.

"Nope. We're not getting rid of the Twinkie," John B immediately denied.

"But with solar panels, maybe?" Kiara suggested. "If it's in the budget."

"Ooh, solar panels are cool," Emery agreed from the corner and Kiara raised her brows, a bit surprised the girl would agree with her since she hadn't been too nice to her.

"And a bigger boat," Cleo added.

"Look, guys, hold-hold on. Hold on," Pope piped up, getting up from where he sat on the couch. "It's-it's not like we can all go off and buy houses or anything. I mean, split between all of us, that's about $211,000. Minus what we owe Barracuda Mike."

"Let him try and take this. I'll mess him up," JJ challenged.

"Oh, you'll mess him up, huh, tough guy?" Cassie teased, blinking at her boyfriend because there was no way in hell he was thinking they would screw Barracuda Mike over. He had actually helped them. Twice! They couldn't just not give him some of their cash, especially when he proved he could play dirty.

"I'mmmm just gonna say it, I don't wanna piss off the drug dealer, you know?" John B admitted casually and Cassie gestured over to John B, making JJ sigh.

"Listen, if we divide this up, we're all gonna blow it," Pope began and everyone's eyes turned to JJ simultaneously.

"Wow, okay. Why you looking at me like that?" JJ questioned, holding his hands out in defense. Cassie patted him on the back and he sighed again, lowering his hands.

"But maybe if we pool our money together, we can create something with actual economies of scale," Pope continued.

"Like what?" Kiara asked.

"You remember the island."

"Duh," Kiara answered.

"Of course," Sarah replied.

"I mean," Pope scoffed, "it was our own island and we built everything from basically nothing, right?"

Kiara smiled as she recalled the memories from Poguelandia. "It was perfect."

"I wouldn't say perfect," Cassie started to say before they all turned to her, "but-but-but it was cool. Fun."

"The best life," Cleo added as she looked up at the ceiling.

"That whole island just to ourselves. All of us together," Sarah reminisced.

"I think we can have that again," Pope declared. "Look, Cassie, your house may be free from Satan now but I have a feeling your Aunt's not gonna want us here 24/7. She's great, of course, but we're kinda loud company. Right, Emery? She's your mom and all."

Emery shrugged. "Yeah. We also just kinda got here too so we're scrambling around a lot."

"Exactly. So...JJ's property is going up for auction, right? So let's buy it back. I-I mean, it has a lot of land. Deepwater access. Unless any of you are planning on going back to school, we're gonna need a place to work, a place to stay and live. I think we can have both of those things at JJ's. First things first, we get the land, right? And then we can build, like, a surf shop at one end. And-and then maybe we can make our own dock."

"That place needs a dock," Kiara agreed.

"Ooh, what about, like, a bait and tackle shop?" John B came up with.

"Exactly! And-and who knows these waters better than us? JJ, you can get a new boat and run a fishing charter. We can all live and sleep in the house. It could be great."

They all turned to JJ, seeing what he had to say about it because it was ultimately his house at the end of the day. They watched him in anticipation as a smirk made its way onto his face. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this shit going!"

And with that confirmation, they waited for the auction day to come in order to buy JJ's land back from the bank.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to remind you, of the winner of the auction..." the auctioneer began as the Pogues stood side by side outside the auction house, ready to get JJ's house back.

"Listen up. Here's the plan. We go up in one-dollar increments, all right? It's gonna take a while, but we're gonna need to save every cent we have for construction," Pope explained.

"Pope's on point, Jayj. Got it?" Kiara said to him, eyes wide in warning.

JJ hummed, scratching the back of his neck. "All right."

Kiara didn't seem to like his answer since she looked at Cassie next to him. "Cece, keep your boyfriend in check, please?"

JJ scoffed at her, getting offended. "What am I? A dog?"

"For today," Kiara sassed and JJ rolled his eyes.

Cassie squeezed his shoulder. "Just don't do anything crazy, all right?" she said to him gently.

JJ sighed, "I won't."

"Don't change the plan," Pope reiterated.

"I said I won't, all right?" JJ replied more forcefully and Pope looked back at the auctioneer. "Goddamn..."

"The first lot up for bid, it is the foreclosure sale of 14 Rogers Point Road. Now, this is the old Maybank place. Now, the bank has an opening bid of $80,000."

"Here we go," Pope whispered as John B patted him on the back encouragingly. After hearing the auctioneer asking for a new bid, Pope raised his hand and said, "$80,000 and one dollar."

"Okay. One dollar more at $80,000."

"$80,500," someone bid.

"$80,500. Right here at $80,500."

JJ looked anxious and Cassie could tell by the way he was leaning his head back, mouth open. She placed a hand on his shoulder once more. "It's okay. Pope's got it," she assured him.

"$80,500 is going once—"

Before Pope could even handle it like Cassie just assured JJ he would, JJ seemed to want to take matters into his own hands by raising his hand and calling out, "$100K flat out. Right here."

Cassie's eye twitched as she looked at her boyfriend, who was clearly avoiding her gaze from what he just did. She looked back at her friends, who looked shocked. He just said he wouldn't change the plan and here he was...changing the goddamn plan.

"$100,000 right here to the gentlemen in red..."

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Pope questioned the Maybank boy.

"It's just a knockout punch. Knockout punch and we're a wrap," JJ responded as he twirled his finger around, glancing at Cassie who looked furious at him before back at Pope.

"That's not the plan," Pope told him sternly.

"I get shit done."

Cleo shook her head. "No."

"That's not the plan," Pope repeated and JJ pursed his lips.

"Are you crazy, JJ? I just told you not to do crazy shit and you do that?" Cassie expressed, her eyes wide.

"Cass, relax! No one's gonna bid more for this piece of shit. Trust me. We're good," he guaranteed her as he looked back at the auctioneer, making her scoff and cross her arms over her chest.

"I've got 100,00 dollars right here, is going once...$100,000 is going twice..."

JJ went to go gesture his hands to prove them wrong before a man, who was clearly a snobby Kook, spoke up and bid, "$150K."

The crowd gasped as the auctioneer said, "$150,000 from Mr. Zeasy. Good to see you, Dale at 150."

"Good to see you, Rog. Just give me a minute here, would ya?" Zeasy said before he made his way over to the Pogues, specifically JJ. "You know, uh, the Cut's gonna be Figure Eight in a few years. You can walk away now, you won't have to scurry off with your tail between your legs, and I'll, uh, give you a little taste on the back end."

Cassie's lip curled at the man, not sure why he seemed so keen on getting JJ's house from him but it only made her more pissed because they were definitely about to end up in a bidding war knowing her boyfriend. He wouldn't just want to give up. Especially not to a Kook.

"Dale, was it?" JJ replied, looking over at the man.

"That's correct."

JJ gave him a flashy smile. "It's not happening, hoss." He cracked his knuckles. "That's play ball." Pope shut his eyes and looked down, holding his head in his hands.

"You said no one will do more than $100K, Jay?" Cassie recalled, giving her boyfriend a look.

He glanced it her. "We're fine. It's fine."

She pursed her lips. "Uh-huh..."

Soon after bidding for what felt like hours, they had made it all the way up to $775,000. "This is way over our price range," Pope told John B.

"Jay, come on, let's just end this right now," Cassie tried to reason with him.

"No can do, Cassieroo," he rhymed and she gave him a weird look.

"Cassieroo?" Kiara muttered and Cassie just shook her head, blinking.

"Will you make him stop, please?" Sarah pleaded to her boyfriend. "If he won't listen to Cassie, he'll listen to you."

"Get him outta here," Pope whispered to the Routledge boy.

John B went over to the blonde boy, grabbing his arms. "Hey, hey, hey."

"Just let— Let me handle it," JJ told him, trying to push him away.

"Please."

"Let me handle this, dude! I've got it!"

"It's too much—"

"$775,010, right here, sir!" JJ bid anyway, making them all gasp.

"$775,010 to the gentlemen in red."

"Oh, my God!" Pope enunciated.

"JJ!" Cassie seethed.

"That's too rich for my blood, Rog," Zeasy admitted.

"775,010, 775,010 bidder, looking for 8. That's 775,010 is going once..."

Kiara shook her head, placing her hand in her hands.

"...going twice..."

Pope and Cleo shared a look, both releasing sighs.

"...last and final call..."

John B shut his eyes as Sarah looked over at him, nostrils flared.

"...sold right here to the gentlemen in red! Congratulations!"

Cassie couldn't even be happy. They had just wasted all of their money for a house that should have never cost that much. Sure, they would make it into something worthwhile but $755,010? That was too much.

JJ patted John B's chest, turning to shake hands with Zeasy. Zeasy chuckled shortly, "The most expensive property in the Cut, and it's not worth it."

"Well, it is to us, sir," JJ responded with a smile. "Now if you can scurry to your side of the island and stay there, that'd be appreciated." He turned back around, patting John B again. "I get shit done. We got it. That's all that matters. Whoo! All right!"

Cassie fiddled with the shark tooth necklace around her neck, trying to think of the positive. JJ had just ran through a lot of their money, but they had gotten his house back. A house that they would all be able to share and it could be just for the Pogues.

Maybe it was worth it.

But first they had to start getting shit done.

authors note!
season 4 guys!!! honestly i did really like
this season. it brought back the pogue vibes
and i thought it was much better than s3.
obviously the only bad thing was the last fifteen
mins or so but i did enjoy the rest of the season.
with that being said, i have no idea how i want
to end this book off with season 4. i do want to
write season 5 if i can like i plan on doing with
brutal, but i have no clue how i want to end this
book off. with brutal i kept the ending the same bc i
have an idea on how i want to end it (albeit
unrealistic idc im doing it depending on how s5
goes lol) but i dont wanna do the same thing for
this book to just copy. so would u guys mind
commenting down possible ideas? this doesn't
mean i'll go in the route u guys come up with but
suggestions would help since im not creative
enough to come up with another plot that would
make sense on how s5 goes so...help please lol.
was thinking on not posting an ending for s4 until
s5 comes out for this book but that'll take a while
so idk if i wanna do that. please comment down
ideas!