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𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻: 𝗶 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗶'𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝘁. 𝗶𝗶

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A storm had been brewing overhead as the ship neared Morocco. The wind had picked up and the Pogues could feel the boat starting to rock more than it had been before due to the increased size of the waves.

Just as the storm brewed outside, one had been brewing in Cassie's heart. She hadn't seen JJ since he had unofficially broken up with her before and the others had been trying their damned hardest to cheer her up.

Since Pope had been the one to find her, he had brought her inside the control room as he manned the ship and tried to distract her by teaching her what everything meant. It didn't really help, but at least he was trying.

The others would check in every once in a while to make sure she had been okay since they had put the pieces together without her needing to explain it. They knew JJ had been acting off, but they would have never thought he would go the extreme length of breaking it off with Cassie. He was barely even talking to the others either.

Now, as the storm picked up outside, it had been Pope, Cassie, Kiara, and John B in the control room as they looked out beyond the horizon. Sarah, Emery, and Cleo had been downstairs and JJ had been off somewhere on his own. Cassie honestly didn't want to know where he was right now and she didn't want to think about it or else she would start crying again.

She knew he had only broken up with her to keep her safe, not because he didn't love her. But it still wounded her to her core that he thought he wasn't deserving of her company, that he didn't think she could help him. It made her think low of herself, that she hadn't been a good girlfriend to him the whole time.

Cassie sucked in a breath as she peered outside, seeing the rain beating down on the window and the large waves that were forming. It no longer reminded her of JJ's gentle eyes. More like his angry eyes when he claimed she didn't think of a future with him.

"The swells are only getting worse, and we're making a beeline for it," Pope explained as John B switched to take the helm. "So much for smooth sailing."

"Did we actually think we'd have smooth sailing when it comes to our luck?" Cassie muttered pessimistically.

Kiara gave her best friend a pitiful glance before she asked the boys, "Okay, why can't we just go south?"

"Because the current's gonna be up against us," John B answered.

"We could try to go north. We could try to get lucky," Pope suggested with a shrug.

"Pope, we can't go right into the face of it, all right? We've gotta turn towards the coast," John B replied.

"Doesn't sound like we have any options," Kiara commented.

"We're running on fumes as it is. We're just gonna have to blast through it. We're not far from Essaouira," Pope told them.

"All right, so give me some juice."

Pope pushed a lever down further, the engine on the boat revving louder as the boat tried to make its way through the waves that were getting more aggressive fast.

Kiara looked over at Cassie, who had barely been reacting to the way the boat was rocking. It was almost like she was stuck in a trance she couldn't get out of, like she was replaying the moment between her and JJ over and over again wondering what she could've did or said differently.

"Cece, you okay?" Kiara inquired gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Cassie didn't even look up as she monotonously responded, "Yeah." Kiara frowned as she took her hand away from the girl, not knowing what she could say to help.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of the engine sputtering as the boat tried to sail through the harsh waves. "Okay, something's going on with the engine. Can you handle it? I gotta go check downstairs," Pope said.

"Yeah, go. Go," John B urged as he kept his eyes out the window.

"We should go help Sarah," Cassie thought of, all of a sudden, since she had thought back to the moment she had walked in on between JJ and John B. A pregnant girl in this storm would have to be protected.

Kiara gave her a confused look before she turned to John B. The boy pursed his lips. "She knows, Kie. She overheard me...talking to JJ."

"Oh," was all Kiara said in response to that before she looked at Cassie. "I'll go with you then to the galley."

"Sounds good," Cassie replied monotonously as she began to walk out of the control room.

"Batten it down, John B."

"Yeah. I got it. I got it."

The girls made their way down to the galley, holding onto the sides of the ship so they didn't fall over as the waves somehow got even worse.

"I swear, we're not even in the goddamn Outer Banks anymore and there's still a fucking storm," Cassie seethed as the rain soaked her hair and clothing, but that had been the last thing she was worrying about.

Kiara sighed. "I know, we just gotta—"

They both screamed when lightning suddenly hit the ship as the boat rocked even more, causing the both of them to hit into the wall. Cassie's side burned as she groaned in pain, holding her hand up to her bandaged wound.

"Shit, are you okay?!" Kiara questioned as she held her hand out to Cassie, making sure the girl didn't fall over.

"I'm-I'm fine! We just gotta move!" Cassie told the girl and Kiara rapidly nodded before they continued to move down in the ship, trying to get to Sarah and the others to make sure they were okay.

"Sarah! Em! Cleo!" Kiara called out to the girls since the last time she had seen them, they had been together.

"Guys!" Cassie joined in as she grabbed onto Kiara's hand, trying not to fall over from the unbalanced boat.

"Cassie! Kie!" They heard Emery and Sarah shouting and they followed the sounds of their voices to pinpoint where they were.

"Oh, thank God," Emery breathed out in relief once they all finally found each other.

"Where's Cleo?" Kiara asked.

"She went to go check the pipes," Sarah told her before the boat suddenly rocked harshly again, making them sway and almost fall over. Sarah grabbed her stomach, making all of them look at her in concern. "I'm fine, it's just, we have to find somewhere more safe!"

"Guys!" They heard Pope yell out behind them and they turned, seeing both him and Cleo in orange jackets. "Get inside there!"

The girls instantly listened as they pulled open the door the room, trying to make their way inside without falling over as the storm intensified.

"Hurry!" Kiara shouted as she made her way inside first, followed by the other Pogues.

"This storm is crazy man!" Cleo commented.

"Did you see the size of those swells?!" Pope questioned.

"I was too busy falling over!" Cassie exclaimed as she plopped herself down into the seat with Kiara squeezing in next to her.

"Come on!" Cleo urged Sarah and Emery since they were busy trying to shut the door behind them.

"Come here, grab on to something!" Pope instructed to them, practically pulling the two girls down so that they were all sitting and holding on to something for support. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded as she held her stomach.

"HEY! HEY! ASSHOLES! CUT ME LOOSE, COME ON!" Rafe's raging voiced echoed throughout the ship and Cassie realized that she had totally forgot they had tied him up down in the bathroom. "HEY! GET ME OUT OF HERE! HEY!"

Kiara looked over at the others, panting heavily as she seemed to contemplate whether or not she should go cut Rafe loose. He obviously didn't deserve to be cut loose because of everything he had done to them, but if they had just left him down there to drown...then they would be just the same as him.

"No!" Cleo began to yell since she had been the first one to see the look on Kiara's face, making the others look at the girl.

"Do not let him out!" Pope barked.

"Kiki..." Cassie trailed off with her voice raised.

"He's gonna drown!" Kiara argued before she got up from her seat.

"HEY, ASSHOLES, I'M DOWN HERE! COME ON!"

"I have to!" Kiara said as she used the table for support to get across the room. She went over to one of the drawers and sifted through it before she pulled out a knife.

Cassie watched Kiara in worry before she saw Emery get out of her seat out of the corner of her eye, making her look over at her. "Wait, no, no, Em, what are you doing?"

"It's not safe if she goes alone! Rafe could try something or-or the storm could get worse!" Emery told her, making Kiara look over at her from over her shoulder. "I'm going with you, Kie. Just in case."

Kiara just stared at her for a second for she nodded and turned forward. "We're coming!" She yelled out to Rafe as the two girls made their way out of the room, leaving the four Pogues inside.

"Shit!" Pope cursed, knowing that they were probably making a terrible mistake cutting Rafe free.

"They're crazy, man!" Cleo shook her head.

Cassie clamped her eyes shut as she released a breath, praying that Kiara and Emery would be okay. She didn't know when the two suddenly became friends, but at least they could look out for each other out there instead of being with Rafe alone.

As the four of them waited for Kiara and Emery to come back, it felt like the ship had been rocking more than it had been before. Way more than it had been before. Almost like no one was even steering the ship anymore.

Sarah released a panicked breath. "What's going on? John B?" She whispered to herself before she suddenly got up from her seat. "Something's wrong. Something's happened up there!" She said as she tried leaving the room.

The three of them called out to her, telling her to stop but the girl wouldn't listen as she left the room. Cassie's heart pounded in her chest, thinking about Sarah and the baby. It was stupid of Sarah to be going outside like this, but her love for John B had blinded her rational thinking.

Unexpectedly, JJ had appeared in the room from wherever had been lazing about before. Cassie looked up at him, making eye contact with him that caused her heart to ache once again.

"What are you doing?" Pope interrogated, a hint of anger in his voice for what JJ had done to Cassie and how he had been acting lately in general.

JJ ripped his eyes away from the Blake girl. "I gotta get to the helm. This boat's gonna capsize," he responded before he left the room.

"JJ, wait, no!" Cassie screamed, but he had already left the room. Cassie might have just internally criticized Sarah for being stupid for going out there because she was blinded by love, but Cassie was going to do the same exact thing.

She slowly got up from her seat before Cleo grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Cassie girl?"

"He's been drinking this whole time! It's not safe for him to be out there on his own, let alone steer this thing!" Cassie detailed before she tried to leave, but Cleo had been gripping her wrist too tightly. "Cleo, let me go!"

"You're hurt, Cassie! It's not safe for you either!" Cleo told her.

"She's right, Cassie! Something could happen to you!" Pope added in agreement.

"Something could happen to JJ! If-If something happened to him and I just sat here, I would never forgive myself. I need to be with him!" Cassie explained before she forcefully ripped her hand out of Cleo's grasp, almost falling over due to the rocking of the ship.

"Cassie!" The couple bellowed after her as she turned around, trying to make her way to the helm.

Maybe JJ was right. Maybe it had been wrong for them to be together because now she was risking her own life to make sure JJ's life had been okay. Even after he unofficially broke up with her, she still wanted to make sure he was okay. Him trying to "free" her from himself didn't do shit. They had been too deep in love for them to just stop caring about each other.

What had meant nothing two years ago had meant a whole lot of something now.

Cassie climbed up to the top of the ship, just outside the helm, where she had found John B staring out into the water. "John B?" Cassie called out, but he didn't look at her as he just kept looking out into the water. "Did you see JJ? Or-or Sarah?" Without warning, John B had taken Cassie into his arms and pulled her into his chest. "John B, what-what happened? Where's JJ?"

"Guys?" Kiara came up behind them as Emery and Rafe stayed back by the door. "Guys, what happened?"

"Sarah!" Rafe screamed, making Emery look up at him empathetically as tears started to form in her eyes.

Cassie looked between John B and the raging water, putting the pieces together. JJ and Sarah had fallen overboard. They had been caught in the storm. They could be drowning right now. They could be dead.

"No, no, no, this can't be— No, no, no, JJ!" Cassie shrieked as she pushed away from John B, falling into Kiara behind her, who had caught her. "Jay!"

Kiara realized what had happened as well, her stomach dropping as she tried to keep Cassie up in her arms. "Cece—"

"No, they can't be—" Cassie choked on a sob as her chest heaved up and down, feeling herself start to hyperventilate. "They-they can't be out there! They can't be!" She cried as she turned into Kiara, crying into her arms.

"We have to-we have to get inside!" Emery urged as her own tears spilled down her cheeks at the prospect of JJ and Sarah possibly drowning out there.

Cassie continued to sob into Kiara's arms as they were somehow able to make it back inside the helm as Rafe tried steering the boat himself.

He proved to be a much better sailor than John B since he was able to take them over the waves as the storm raged on before they finally made it to Morocco once the storm subsided and the sun had come up.

They trudged their way through the ocean to get to land since they had brought the boat to shore, coughing up some of the water that entered their lungs as they collapsed onto the sand underneath them.

Cassie's wound had burned, but she didn't care about that right now. She cared about JJ. She cared about whether or not he was still out there, alive. And if he wasn't and the last conversation they ever had together was him technically breaking up with her...she didn't know how she would be able to live.

John B had took it upon himself to search the beach they had landed on. Cassie would have gone with him, but she honestly couldn't with the stinging gash in her side. The pain was bearable enough, but it probably wasn't smart for her to do so to make it worse.

"Hey! I looked everywhere," John B panted as he reached them after searching the beach. He placed his hands on his knees to try to catch his breath before shut his eyes. "I couldn't find them. I couldn't find them."

"They have to still be out there, though, right?" Emery piped up, trying to think optimistically. "I mean, they could have crash landed just like us."

"Shut up, Emery," Cassie spoke up quietly as she wiped at her wet face. It seemed like she had skipped the denial stage and had went straight to anger already.

Emery blinked, feeling hurt by the girl's words since she was only trying to remain positive. "What?"

"I said, shut the fuck up!" Cassie raged before she got up to storm away. However, she seemed to have gotten up too fast and she stumbled backward. Someone had caught her before she could fall back on the sand and she looked up, seeing that it had been Rafe. "Get off me!" She demanded as she ripped her body away from him.

Rafe sucked in a breath as he looked down at the girl. "I'm just trying to help."

"Well, don't!" Cassie held up a hand, wanting to separate herself from him.

"Cece—"

"No, don't Cece me!" Cassie immediately interrupted Kiara, making the girl clamp her mouth shut. "I-I mean, they're dead, right? Like— They're dead," she concluded as she shook her head rapidly, her lip trembling.

"Cassie, they can still be out there," Pope tried to reason.

"How?!" Cassie exclaimed hoarsely. "I mean, like, they— The storm— They were out in the storm and—"

Cassie placed a hand on her chest, right over where her shark tooth necklace fell since she wasn't able to catch her breath properly. Her mind had been racing and her heartbeat had been going at a pace way too fast for what it should feel like. She felt like she was dying.

John B slowly made his way over to her as his own lip trembled. "John B, they can't be—" She sucked in a shallow breath as John B pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around the girl as they both cried together. "The last thing I-I said to was that I h-hated him," she weeped into his shirt, dampening it even more than it already was. "He d-doesn't know how much I love h-him."

"He knows, Cassie," John B tried to sooth her through his own tears, running his hand down her damp hair. "They both know."

The two had stayed in each other's arms until they physically tired themselves out from crying. The others had shed some tears as well, but not as much as Cassie and John B had done.

The sun had set and they had found some drift food to make a small bonfire to keep warm. The Pogues all sat together while Rafe crouched down on the other side of the fire, staring into the flames.

"Maybe they just washed up further down the beach," John B thought, not wanting to give up just yet. "We just gotta keep looking."

"We'll look at first light," Kiara replied with tears in her eyes.

And just like Kiara said, when first light hit, they got to scouting the beach to try to find Sarah and JJ. However, they had come up empty handed which had only made Cassie and John B's hearts become crushed even more.

They ended up bringing some materials and supplies that were on the ship down to where they were so they could at least survive. They built themselves a wooden hut for shelter with food and water underneath it for when they really needed it since it wasn't much.

Cassie had been sitting and staring down at the sand as she mindlessly played with it. She had stopped crying since last night because she honestly had no more tears left to cry. Every time she felt like crying, they just wouldn't come out.

She had said yesterday that Sarah and JJ were dead, but she hoped that John B was right. That they could have made it out alive and washed up somewhere. That was possible, right? They could've washed up along the same beach and they could be okay. Their hearts could still be beating and they could be found.

The idea of that made Cassie think she saw something in the distance and she got up, squinting her eyes only to realize her mind had been playing tricks on her. She frowned as she slowly sat back down, looking back down at the sand.

"They're gonna turn up. They'll turn up," Pope assured them all as he dug into the sand.

John B took in the boy's words before he looked out into the distance, over the mounds of sand. He almost felt his heart stop when he caught sight of two figures walking over to them on the beach.

Emery had been the second one to see it, making her eyes widen. "Guys, is that...?" She trailed off, before she looked over at Cassie and John B, who were already going to stand up.

The figures had been too far away to make out their faces, so John B turned to Cassie and said, "Let's go."

The two began to make their way across the sand as fast as they could. Cassie winced a bit from her wound, prompting John B to grab her hand and to support her along the way as they made their way over.

Once they got closer, Cassie recognized the white dress that she had seen Sarah wearing last time she saw her and JJ's blonde hair she wished she could run her hands through one last time. But now, she wouldn't have to wish that anymore.

The two Pogues made their way down the hill of sand as they separated, going to each of their respective partners.

Cassie practically slammed her body into JJ's, not caring that it caused her side to hurt as the boy picked her up in a hug. She started crying immediately from the way his hands felt around her, from the way she could smell the salt in his hair, from the way he had been standing here safe and sound.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay, I'm here," JJ told her into her shoulder as she kept on crying, not being able to stop herself. JJ slowly pulled away from her, keeping his arms around her. "Look, I'm right here, all right? I'm okay."

"JJ, I-I thought you were— I thought that—"

"That doesn't matter now. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere else," JJ interrupted her and she let out a whimper. "Look, I was wrong for what I said to you back on the ship. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should've never said those things. When I was out in the water, saving Sarah, I realized that if I never saw you again, the last memory you would be left with was me basically breaking up with you. And if I made it out alive and ended up somewhere random with no way to get back to you, I would've never forgiven myself. Hell, if I ended up dying, I would've never forgiven myself in the afterlife," he told her and she let out a sob mixed with a laugh. "What I'm trying to say is...I still want to be with you, Cassie. I never stopped loving you, I just wanted you to be safe. But I realize now...We're always going to be in this together no matter what. You're my girl. You're always be my girl."

Cassie searched the stars in JJ's eyes that would always lead back to her before she wrapped her arms around JJ again. "I missed you s-so much. I never thought I-I was going to see you again." She pulled away from him, bringing her hands up to cup his face before she planted a soft kiss on his lips. She could hear JJ sigh into it, like it had been the only thing he desired. Once she pulled away, her forehead pressed against his, she uttered, "I love you and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said to you. I don't hate you, JJ. I could never hate you. Not ever again."

"I know you don't. I know. I love you too," JJ replied breathlessly before he pressed his lips against hers, once again sharing a gentle kiss with the girl.

The two then pulled apart after a few moments and Cassie looked over at Sarah and John B. "I was drowning. JJ saved my life. He saved our lives," Sarah told the Routledge boy as she held a hand on her stomach before she kissed John B.

Once the two pulled away, John B turned to JJ with a meaningful look in his eyes. "Look, man, I was just closest one, all right? That's it," JJ brushed off.

John B ignored what he had to say as he pulled JJ into a firm hug which JJ immediately melted into. It felt like the two hadn't hugged in years and it was something the both of them desperately needed.

"Brothers for life," John B voiced sincerely and JJ trembled a bit in his arms at the words as he pulled John B in tighter.

Cassie watched as some tears still fell down her face, knowing JJ needed this after everything. She knew he regretted what he had to said to John B, so seeing the two boys hug and say they were brothers...Cassie hoped it would show JJ how much they all cared about him and that he didn't need to go down the same road as Luke.

Cassie looked at Sarah, who was wiping at her eyes as she watched the two boys embrace. Cassie went over and wrapped the girl in a hug, making Sarah gasp a little since it was unexpected.

"You're so strong, Sarah," Cassie told her, which made Sarah let out a choked whimper. Cassie pulled away, bringing her hands up to the girl's shoulders. "And you're gonna be such a good mom."

Sarah cried a bit at Cassie's words, her heart swelling. "T-thank you. That means a lot to me coming from you. I'm...I'm so glad we became friends again. And I know it's been a while since we have been friends, but...I haven't expressed that enough."

Cassie smiled sadly. "I am too."

The two girls pulled each other into another hug before they each looked toward their respective lovers. They all knew it was time to reunite back with everyone else.

Cassie reached for JJ's hand and intertwined her fingers with his as they made their way back over to the Pogues.

After everything that had happened, JJ finally realized that they would be better off together than apart like Cassie already knew.

And he would do everything in his power to stand by the girl he had loved for two years and keep her safe.

authors note!
i told yall u didn't have to worry too much
or maybe you still should idk!