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𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

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Cassie and JJ stepped inside Groff's home, escaping from the harsh downpour outside. Cassie's clothes had been sticking to her skin and she quickly took the white dress shirt off so she was only wearing her blue crop top. She tied the white shirt around her waist so the material wouldn't be clinging to her any longer.

Groff laughed shortly as he closed the door behind the couple. "Look at you both. What a night, huh?"

"I guess you could say that," Cassie replied as she pushed away some hair that clung to her forehead since some strands had fallen out of her ponytail.

Groff hummed. "Let's, uh, let's get you both a towel." The man walked ahead of them and the couple shared a look before JJ decided to follow him, panting quietly. Cassie sucked in a breath as she followed too, feeling odd being there with the information that Luke had given JJ.

Groff picked up a towel for each of them and handed it to them so they could dry off their faces and skin without being a dripping mess in the house.

"Is there news?" Groff inquired as they continued to follow him.

"Wh-what?" JJ stammered as he wiped behind his neck.

"They found the amulet, I assume? Too late for Wes, I'm afraid," Groff spoke as he guided them back into the room they were in last time, with the painting of Larissa Genrette.

"No, it's actually not about that. It's—" JJ stopped himself short once his eyes landed on the portrait of Larissa, looking into the woman's eyes as he thought about what Luke told him. He then forced his eyes back over to Groff, who had his back turned to them. "It's actually about you."

Groff turned, furrowing his brows. "Me?"

"Yeah." JJ inhaled and exhaled sharply, having trouble coming up with the right words for this. "Okay, uh, I just— Yeah, I fuckin'— I, uh— Okay, I don't know how to ask this, really, but..." JJ trailed off as he paced around the room, stopping to look down at the ground. "Am I, um..." He jutted his lip forward as he thought about what Luke said before he looked at Cassie. "Cass, can-can you, um...?"

Cassie understood what he was trying to say to her. He didn't want to ask Groff himself, he physically couldn't. It was all too much for him and now with what the couple had just done, his heart had been pounding and his mind had been racing to the point where he felt like he might pass out.

Cassie nodded at her boyfriend before she looked at Groff, who was glancing between the two curiously. "What he's trying to ask you is, um...Are you his...are you his father?"

Groff hesitated before he scoffed, seeming to be confused. "His father? Your father, JJ?" He replied and Cassie nodded again as JJ stared him down. "Uh...What a thing to ask."

Groff and JJ maintained eye contact for a few moments as Cassie looked between the two of them, unsure if Groff's puzzlement was real or not. JJ looked away from Groff first and said, "Yeah. I guess you're right. It is odd." JJ's breathing had been shaky as his nose scrunched. "But, uh, okay," he inhaled, throwing the towel down, "Um...I got this letter, and I ca—" He stopped himself again, sucking in a wobbly breath.

Cassie went over to him, reaching a hand out to him but he avoided her touch. She had been a bit taken aback at that, but she didn't say anything. She knew JJ was struggling right now and she couldn't be upset at him for something so small. He would probably feel claustrophobic if she had touched him with the way he was feeling.

JJ took another deep breath, trying to calm himself to continue. "And Wes Genrette wrote it, and I couldn't make any sense—"

"Wes wrote you a letter?" Groff interrupted before he looked out the window, shaking his head. "Wow, he really," he scoffed, "he really wasn't there in the end, was he?" JJ and Cassie both gave the man a weird look as Groff hesitated again before his eyes landed back on JJ. "Look, JJ, you seem like a fine young man. I'd-I'd be...I'd be lucky." He chuckled a bit and Cassie narrowed her eyes. "But...Don't you already have a father?"

JJ looked down. "Luke," he answered, detestation in his tone. He sucked in another breath, licking his lips. "Except he was the one that told me...After I got the letter from Wes, he told me that you gave me to him...after Larissa died."

"Luke told you that?" Groff questioned. "Extraordinary. Forgive me, but he's got kind of a checkered past, hasn't he? Fugitive, I believe. Drugs?"

Cassie gave the man a skeptical once over. Either he really was bewildered by Luke's claim or...he was trying to discredit him. Just like her mom and Ward tried to discredit her by bringing up her drinking problems.

JJ scoffed. "Yeah. No, I guess you're right." Groff looked down, nodding.

However, Cassie wasn't convinced. "Can you just tell us what happened to that baby, then?"

Groff stared past them. "My baby," he repeated before he smiled for a second, seeming to think back on the fond memories he shared with his child before he sucked in a breath. "He drowned." He rubbed his mustache, looking away uncomfortably as he shifted on his feet. "They never found the body." Groff turned to look up at Larissa's painting as Cassie and JJ shared a glance. "Imagine that. Not being able to bury your own child."

JJ rubbed the back of his neck before he paused, slowly bringing his hand down. "If you couldn't find him...do you think that baby might have survived?" He quizzed as thunders rumbled outside. He pointed to himself, "That that baby is me?"

"That that baby is you?" Groff repeated before he laughed in disbelief. "Impossible. Larissa and my baby...they both fell off the boat and if Larissa couldn't save herself, then the baby wouldn't...wouldn't be able to either."

Cassie crossed her arms. "The baby's name was...Jesse James Genrette, correct?" She asked.

Groff smiled tenderly. "Yes."

"Jesse James...JJ," she slowly said, watching to see if Groff's potential facade would crumble. "Two 'J's.' That's interesting, don't you think?"

Groff just stared at the girl without making any sign of recognition before he shrugged, shaking his head. "Coincidence. I mean, if you both are so dead set on wanting to believe that JJ could be my baby...You'd piece anything remotely similar together."

Cassie sucked on her teeth. "Right."

Groff watched as Cassie turned to JJ with a skeptical look on her eyes. JJ had been avoiding each of their gazes as he rubbed the back of his neck again.

Groff pursed his lips, taking a step closer to JJ. "JJ, I don't know what Luke told you," Groff began as looked at JJ, who kept avoiding his eyes as he looked down. "And if I...If I had someone like Luke for a father, I guess I'd want to swap him out too. But I...Look, JJ." Groff grabbed his shoulder, making JJ tense up under his touch. "We all draw certain cards in life. I mean, I wish it weren't so. I really do. But..."

JJ sucked in a choked breath, nodding. Cassie looked at JJ sadly. He had never been more confused in his life and she had seen him more confused on his life. Either Luke had decided to lie to him to try to be an even worse father to him or Groff had been lying right now.

Cassie wasn't sure which was which. She hadn't been there when Luke told JJ he wasn't his son. She wouldn't be able to tell if he had been lying or not, but she was here now with Groff. And something about him...something about him just seemed off to Cassie.

She wasn't sure if it was because of what they had been confronting him about now that made him extremely confused or if he had been truly lying about all of this. However, before either of them could continue the conversation, an air horn blared outside.

Groff took his hand off his JJ's shoulder as he backed up. "Oh no."

Cassie and JJ shared a perplexed look before the latter piped up, "What? What was that?"

Groff made his way over to the door with windows decorating it, peering outside to the small house outside that Demp resided in. "That's a warning...from Demp."

"A-a warning for what?" JJ stuttered.

Groff didn't answer as he looked down, shutting his eyes. "A warning for what, Groff?" Cassie reiterated.

Groff finally looked back at them. "Trouble. Come on, follow me." He walked away from them, going over to one of the cabinets that had cobwebs on it.

"What the fuck?" Cassie whispered, looking at JJ who had his eyes locked on Groff's retreating figure. Groff was right, what a night this was indeed.

"What do you mean, 'trouble'?" JJ questioned as he decided to follow him, making Cassie chew on her lip and do the same. "What's happening?" He asked before he stopped by the window, looking outside. "Can you tell us what's going on?"

"Stay away from the window!" Groff barked and JJ turned around, giving the man bewildered look as his hair fell into his eyes.

"Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on?" Cassie demanded as she took a step closer to Groff. Suddenly, a thought formed in her brain. Could it have been Lightner? He's after the amulet too, so it would make sense if he were here, she thought, but she didn't voice it out loud.

She wasn't sure if they could trust Groff or not, and who knew if Groff was possibly working with Lightner either.

Groff still didn't answer as he took out a shotgun, tossing it over to JJ. "I assume you know how to use one of these?"

JJ caught it, examining it in his hands. "What is this piece of shit? It's rusted shut. You can't even open it," he complained as he took it over to Groff, showing him.

"Oh. Here." Groff switched the shotgun out with a different one. "It's been a while since I handled one," he said as he went to look back in the cabinet.

"Uh, hello? Where's mine?" Cassie piped up, raising her brows at the man.

Groff looked over his shoulder at the girl, arching a brow. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure you'd be able to handle one."

Cassie scoffed at him as JJ stepped up and said, "She can figure it out. Just give her a damn gun."

Groff looked between the two and sighed, reaching in to grab a pistol before he handed it to her. Cassie took the gun, licking her lips. "That's it?"

"Don't have another shotgun," Groff answered and she rolled her eyes.

JJ cocked the gun, looking inside the compartment where the ammunition would be. "You got ammo?" He asked impatiently while Cassie checked her's.

Groff handed them both one round of ammunition. JJ's eye twitched, holding it up. "One round?" JJ said and Groff held his hand up, not knowing what to say.

"I guess we can't miss," Cassie commented as she began to put the ammo inside the gun. She had never actually shot anyone before, but this seemed to be serious. Would she even be able to pull the trigger if it came down to it? She wasn't sure.

JJ looked at her and sighed, not wanting to go through with this. "All right, then. Twenty-five yards. Whites of their eyes." JJ pressed the shotgun to Groff's chest. "Good luck." He looked down at Cassie. "Cass, we're leaving."

Groff grabbed JJ before he could walk off. "No, no, no, no. You keep it."

"No, I'm not keeping this. Whatever this is, this is not our fight, all right? I'm not putting us in danger. I'm not putting her in danger," JJ explained as he gestured over to Cassie, who still had the gun in her hands.

However, they didn't have much of a choice in leaving anymore since something had smashed through the window. "It is now. Come on," Groff said as he shoved the shotgun back in JJ's hands.

The three ran off into another room as they heard more glass breaking behind them, causing them to split off into both sides of the wall next to the archway. JJ grabbed Cassie, pressing him against her tightly as his bicep flexed where her collarbone was.

"Groff! Chandler Groff!" They heard someone demand before Groff flicked open a knife, which didn't go unnoticed by the couple. They looked down at it and then back up at Groff, who seemed to be getting ready to fight.

"Cass, if anything happens, you stay with me, okay?" JJ whispered in her ear. "And if I tell you to go, you go."

"Jay, I'm not leaving you," Cassie replied quietly.

"No, no, you listen to me." His grip around her chest tightened, pulling her even closer to him if that was possible that she could feel the way his heart had beat on her back. "If I tell you to run, you run. I'm not letting these people hurt you," he told her and she chewed on her bottom lip, knowing she couldn't argue with him.

They heard more crashing of glass and shouts from the others rooms and they waited until they seemed to be farther away before Groff gestured his head over to the door.

They quickly made their way over, sneaking out the door. They bounded down the steps, holding their guns up just in case but they didn't see anyone out there. "Okay, that's it, we're out."

"JJ, don't!" Groff whisper-shouted.

JJ turned around. "What? I got my boat."

"They'll have that covered. I've got a skiff, up by the north end," Groff told them. "Come on. Follow me."

"North end?" JJ repeated as Groff rushed past them. The couple shared a frustrated look with one another before JJ cursed and grabbed Cassie's hand, urging her along to follow the man.

They ran after Groff, who had been leading them out to a garage of some sorts. "In here! Shh! Hurry up!" Groff instructed as he waved Cassie and JJ over.

JJ slowed down, pushing a camouflage tarp out of the way with his shotgun. "ATV?"

"No time. They're coming. Come on, in here."

JJ placed his hand on the small of Cassie's back to push her ahead of him as they went further into the garage. "What are we doing?" JJ breathed out.

"Shh, shh. Against the wall. Against the wall."

The three moved toward the wall, placing their backs up against it. "We're sitting ducks, man," JJ grumbled and Groff shushed him again as they heard people nearing them.

"Check the other side."

Groff flicked his knife open again as Cassie and JJ tightly gripped their guns, swallowing hard.

"No sign."

They suddenly heard the door to the room they were in open and they saw a light from flashlight scoping the room. It landed on a mannequin wearing a white dress and Cassie furrowed her brows a bit, unsure of why that would be there if a woman was no longer living here. And why it would be in here of all places.

"This way! Come on!"

The man backed out of the room and Cassie released a quiet breath of relief once she heard the footsteps retreating from where they were. She looked over at the boys next to her, seeing them slump away from the wall while they pushed their hair out of their face at the same exact time.

Cassie tilted her head a bit at that since the boys didn't seem to notice they had done the same movement, but she didn't say anything about it. Not when they had more important things at hand.

"You got the keys to that thing?" She said instead, referring to the ATV outside.

"In the ignition," Groff answered and JJ immediately got off the wall, making his way back outside to get to the ATV. JJ handed Groff his shotgun as he went over, uncovering the camouflage tarp that was on the ATV.

JJ sat on it before he reached his hand toward his girlfriend. "Come on." Cassie walked over and grabbed his hand before she swung her legs over the seat and sat behind him.

"Where is he sitting?" Cassie asked, referring to Groff.

"Behind you. Can't afford to take another one and split up," JJ replied since they had no other option. He was still trying to figure all of this out with Groff and if he got caught, how was he supposed to do that?

"Great," Cassie muttered sarcastically as Groff sat behind her, causing her to inch closer into JJ since the man was too close to comfort. She glanced back over at Groff, who was giving her an awkward grin. "Don't fall off," she deadpanned and Groff chuckled shortly as Cassie turned forward before his smile fell, sucking his teeth.

JJ started up the ATV, alerting the men from behind her. He drove it forward as the man came running back, not stopping. One of the man tried hitting it with his machete, but it was no use as JJ kept driving straight through.

Cassie grabbed JJ's torso tightly, blowing out some air as JJ sped through the dark woods. "All right, where we going? Where we going?" JJ questioned the man.

"Straight ahead. Just through those trees there," Groff directed as he pointed the shotgun out to where JJ was supposed to go.

Suddenly, they heard the sounds of engines behind them with men yelling after them. "Ah shit," JJ cursed, "they're on us."

JJ kept on driving, trying to outdrive them but they seemed to be catching up. "Watch it! On your left!" Groff told JJ and the Maybank boy harshly cut to the left, knocking into the other ATV.

The ATV swerved to the left, sending the man into a large tree branch and ejecting him off the vehicle. "Whoa," Cassie breathed out as she looked over her shoulder before she shook her head, looking straight ahead.

However, there had still been another ATV driving up behind them quickly. Groff tried aiming his shotgun back at it, but he was having trouble with the speed at which JJ was driving at.

"Give it to me!" Cassie demanded as she put her smaller gun in the waistband of her shorts, grabbing the shotgun from Groff. She aimed it at the tire of the ATV and shot it, making the tire blow out and for the ATV to slow.

"Whoo, attagirl!" JJ cheered as Cassie watched the ATV hit into a large root on the ground, sending the guy flying off the benching.

"Yes!" Groff laughed, patting the Blake girl on the shoulder although she tried to shy away from his touch by rolling her shoulders. The man had noticed and he swallowed hard, deciding to look over her shoulder at JJ. "Good driving."

JJ didn't answer as he kept on riding the ATV along the grass, the sun beginning to rise. Cassie wasn't sure how time seemed to pass so quickly, but she guessed that's what happened when they were out all night destroying things only to have to run from armed men right after.

JJ continued to drive until they seemed to make it up to a boathouse in the middle of the nowhere. "Stop right here," Groff spoke up.

"This?" JJ pointed at it.

"Yeah." JJ slowed the ATV to a stop and turned the engine off before the three got off the vehicle. "We lost them. Come on," Groff said as Cassie handed the shotgun back to JJ.

"Who are those guys?" JJ queried.

"Don't worry about it. Let's keep moving."

"Don't worry about it? How can we not worry about it when they just tried to kill us?" Cassie gave the older man a look of disbelief.

"It's fine. We're fine. We just have to get out of here so they can't try killing us again," Groff assured her and she scoffed as him while she and JJ followed him into the boathouse. "There she is."

Cassie and JJ stopped in their tracks once they saw the skiff that Groff had been referring to before. It looked to be run down and not able to be used. "This is the skiff?" JJ voiced.

"Yeah."

"When was the last time you had this?"

"It's been some time."

JJ read the name the name of the skiff. "Albatross?" JJ said and Groff's brows furrowed a little. "That's the boat that Larissa drowned on."

Cassie hummed, peering at Groff suspiciously. "If thats the boat that sunk and they drowned...how is it here?" She slowly asked.

Groff licked his lips. "Yeah, that's Larissa's boat. It was recovered out there," he detailed, gesturing out into the water.

"'Recovered,'" JJ scoffed. "And when was the last time it was serviced?"

"I don't know, JJ!" Groff admitted.

"You don't know," JJ whispered in annoyance as he set the gun down, hopping over the wooden railing to get down on the boat. "Okay, what do ya know? Jesus."

JJ reached toward the engine to try start it up as Cassie turned to Groff, who was rubbing his mustache. "If they recovered the boat, how come the baby's body was never found?" She inquired.

Groff looked at her, taking his hand away from his face. "I-I don't know. They only found Larissa. I wish...I wish they were able to find my baby," he responded and Cassie hummed in response, looking back down at JJ.

"Okay, let's see. Hope it works. Piece of shit," he muttered as he pulled on the string to the engine, trying to get it going. "Come on. Come on piece of—" He grunted, trying to go faster but it hadn't been working. He dropped the string down angrily. "Yeah, okay, that's not happening."

"JJ, what do we do?" Cassie asked since those men were definitely still trying to find them.

JJ looked out into the open water for a second before he glared up at Groff, grabbing back onto the railing to climb back up. "Hey, where are you going? What-what are you doing?" Groff asked.

"Tide's comin' in. So that current is going to push us straight across. Come on, Cass," JJ said as he grabbed Cassie's hand, pulling her along with him around the bend in the dock.

"Fine," Cassie sighed, knowing this was probably their only way out. She'd rather swim a bunch of miles than get shot in the head.

"Tide? The current in that channel is danger. That's why we have the boat!" Geoff cried out as JJ took his plaid sweater off and Cassie untied the white shirt around her waist before the both of them dropped the articles of clothing on the floor.

"Look, I dunno what you did to those guys, but they're not after us. They're after you," JJ pointed back at him.

"JJ! Cassie! Wait, please!" Groff begged as the couple stepped over the railing, getting ready to get into the water. "That's where The Albatross sunk. I-I can't— I can't go in that water."

JJ turned back to him. "I'm sorry. But we can." He looked back at Cassie, grabbing her hand. "Ready?"

She nodded at him. "Ready."

"Guys, wait!" Groff called out just as the couple jumped into the water together, making a big splash. They unclasped their hands, starting to swim down the channel. "They're coming! I can't-I can't make it without you guys!" The couple didn't listen as they kept swimming, not wanting to turn back now. "Cassie! JJ! JJ, please!"

Cassie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the man's attempts to get them to stop. She knew he was scared to get in the water because that's where his wife drowned apparently, but it was also life or death. He could suck it up. Just like she sucked up going on a plane to leave the island they were on two years ago.

There was nothing this man could say to get the couple to stop swimming to safety.

"JJ, I'm your father!"

Okay, maybe there was something he could say to get them to stop.

The two stopped swimming and Cassie looked over at JJ, seeing the way his lip had jutted out as he started to pant heavily. He turned back around, swimming back. "JJ, no, wait," Cassie tried, unsure if this was just a tactic to get them to stop. "Shit," she cursed under her breath since JJ didn't listen to her, making her follow after him.

JJ climbed back up onto the dock, swinging his leg over the railing. "JJ..." Groff trailed off as Cassie went over the railing behind her boyfriend. "JJ, I...I'm sorry, JJ. I don't know why I couldn't tell you."

JJ suddenly grabbed the man by his suit jacket, pulling him towards him menacingly. Cassie didn't do anything to stop him since she didn't want to. Groff was making JJ feel extremely conflicted and she didn't like seeing him feel this way. So if JJ wanted to grab him harshly, she would let him.

"Either you're lying to me now, or you lied to me then," JJ began forcefully.

"Easy, son."

"Which is it?" JJ demanded in his face.

"Easy."

Cassie turned around when she heard someone behind her and her eyes widened once she saw a man holding a machete. "JJ!" She called out as she ran forward, grabbing him away from Groff.

"Run!" Groff told them as the couple sprinted out just as Groff was grabbed by the man that had been behind Cassie.

However, they didn't have anywhere else to go since Lightner and more men had been right outside. Lightner had been holding a gun up to them, which made Cassie realize she still had the gun tucked in the waistband of her jean shorts.

She pulled it out without thinking, holding it up to Lightner. "Cassie, no!" JJ blurted out, knowing that if she shot Lightner, she would probably be killed by his men right after.

However, Lightner only chuckled which made Cassie's brows furrow. "Good luck using it wet," Lightner said darkly and Cassie looked down at the gun, seeing that it had been seeping with water. There would be no point in trying to use it.

"Fuck," Cassie cursed just as Lighter ripped the gun out of her hands and shoved her into another man's grip.

"Hey!" JJ barked protectively only for Lightner to grab him and push him into another man as well.

"Why is it always you two?" Lightner asked, but they just sneered at him. Cassie would have made some snarky comment toward him, but she had a feeling that would only make things worse right now.

This wasn't like Savannah, Ward, or even Rafe. These guys had no personal connection to her, making them more open to killing her. And she didn't want that to happen, so she decided to bite her tongue. For now, at least.

A man forced Groff outside with a machete right underneath his neck and Lightner placed his gun on his chest. "How you doing, buddy? You miss me?"

Groff glanced over at Cassie and JJ, who were both panting heavily. They didn't even try to fight back because they knew if they did...

They would be dead.

authors note
bro jj looked so confused and overwhelmed in the scene where he confronts groff and i actually felt so bad for him. i hope groff burns in the fiery pits of hell for what he did and i hope jj comes back to spite his old ass. also wattpad is freaking glitching and i cant see if I am typing this right so apologies if there are spelling mistakes.