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𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻

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JJ climbed out of the storage container first and the rest of them followed suit. John B and Kiara split off from Cassie and JJ, making the latter two finally alone with each other like they had been waiting for ages for now.

"Cass, you have no idea how much I was tweakin' out when I saw Savannah kidnapped you," he spoke up quietly as they snuck their way to the hull as noiseless as possible.

She looked over at him, feeling her heart swell. "You were?"

"Yeah. I almost blew our cover from how much I was worrying," he admitted sheepishly.

She looked at him fondly. "It's okay. I kept thinking about you the whole time too. I wasn't sure if...I wasn't if I'd ever see you again," she told him.

"Me either," he breathed out. "Rafe didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. I mean, he knocked me out back at his house," JJ's jaw clenched at that, "but he didn't do anything to me here. He was just being an asshole like always."

"I swear, I'm gonna kill him if I see him here."

"Yeah, and I'll help."

"Oh, I count on that," JJ grinned mischievously and she shared the same look. "And your mom?"

"Nah. She didn't do shit."

"Good. I'm just glad you're okay and that we're both here now. That's all that matters."

She nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"Just so you know, I really want to hug you right now, but we kinda don't have time."

"Hold my hand instead?" Cassie suggested, knowing that they wouldn't be caught by their friends since they were doing completely different missions.

He smiled at her. "Yes, ma'am."

He reached out and grabbed her hand as the two of them rushed over to the hull.

Once Cassie and JJ made it to the hull, they found a wall to press their backs against with an archway separating the two of them. They waited for the men to arrive, preparing to trap them inside.

"Hey, what the hell is this all about?" They heard a crew member say and Cassie peered around the corner, seeing three men walking toward the hull.

"This doesn't have anything to do with that stowaway, does it, boss?"

"Guess we'll find out."

"Psst. How many?" JJ whispered over to her.

Cassie looked back at JJ and held up three fingers.

"It's got something to do with that cross. I'm telling you, it's cursed. We're making God angry."

JJ and Cassie leaned closer to the archway and the former held up six fingers as he watched more men walking toward the hull.

"Where's cap? Didn't he call us down here?"

"Yeah."

"What's going on, man?"

"We're still waiting for the captain."

"He's supposed to be down here."

"Yeah."

Cassie looked back at the other side, seeing a crew member along with Savannah, Rose, Wheezie, and Rafe walking toward the hull.

"Where are we going, and where's Dad?" Cassie heard Wheezie ask as she held five fingers up for JJ to see.

"I don't know, Wheezie," Rose answered in annoyance.

Cassie and JJ looked through the archway before they pressed their backs up against the wall once Rafe had stopped right in the middle, looking around suspiciously.

Cassie glanced at JJ worriedly and he sucked in a breath, slowly taking a look to see that Rafe was no longer there. "He's inside," he mouthed and she released a silent breath of relief.

Cassie looked back to the other side, seeing that there were no more crew members arriving. "That's all of the crew," she told the Maybank boy.

"Except Ward. We need Ward," the blonde replied through clenched teeth.

"We can't wait. It's either now or never," she said and JJ thought about it for a moment before he pursed his lips, gesturing to move toward the door with his head.

They moved their backs away from the wall and went through the archway, quickly shutting the door on the crew. The crew instantly saw it and ran to the door, trying to push it open against Cassie and JJ.

JJ reached his arms around the girl, pushing the door with all of his might as the two groaned from the toughness of it.

"Close it! Close it!" JJ shouted as he leaned on the girl, his arm right next to her waist as he slammed the door shut.

"Lock it!" Cassie grunted and JJ got the lock and locked the door, trapping the men inside.

"Check the other door!" They heard one of the men bellow.

"There's another door! There's another door!" JJ realized, pulling Cassie away from the door by her waist before the two of them sprinted over to the other door.

They slammed it shut, locking it just in time before the men could fight against the door like before. The blondes looked at one another, panting heavily as small smiles made it up to their faces in relief.

Suddenly, JJ moved his arms away from the door and wrapped them around Cassie since they had a few seconds to kill. She instantly melted into touch, severely needing it after the day she had so far.

His hands pressed firmly on her back, somehow pulling her closer to him than she already was. He needed to feel her touch. He needed to just to process the fact that she was here with him and safe.

Cassie pressed her head onto his chest, feeling the way his heart had been beating. It was rapid, but soothing at the same time. It told her he was really here with her after she thought she would never see him again and wasn't just seeing visions of the boy in front of her.

After a few moments, JJ pulled away and dropped his hands to her waist so he could search her eyes for a few seconds before he said, "Okay, time to jack this loot."

She smiled and nodded determinedly before the two of them went over to the ladder that led down to where the cross was being kept.

They walked over to a large, wooden box that was covered with a sheet. "Here she is," JJ gushed before ripping the sheet off, revealing the Cross of Santo Domingo.

They admired it once again for a few seconds before JJ glanced up at the girl. "You know, I've always wanted to go on a surf trip. Was kinda hoping you'd wanna join?" He offered, raising his brows.

She beamed at him. "Only if you can teach me how to surf better."

He grinned. "Deal."

The ceiling abruptly opened up above them, lighting up the dim room they were standing in. Cassie looked up to see Pope standing above them, a staunch look on his face with his fists clenched.

JJ laughed excitedly before he screamed, "WHOO!"

"WHOO!" Cassie joined, laughing with him.

"That's what I'm talking about! Let's go!"

Pope raised his fist, "The time where people do shit to us and we just sit back and take it is over!"

"WHOO! THAT'S MY BOY!" JJ yelled as Cassie continued to laugh joyfully. "Let's get this done, baby!"

"Fuck yeah!" Cassie added.

They watched as Pope disappeared from view, so they focused their attention back on the cross. "Okay, let's tie it up."

"On it, princess," JJ replied as he grabbed the rope to tie it around the cross. "Hey...I know something else I can tie up," he inappropriately joked with a cheeky smirk as he tied the rope.

Cassie gaped at him. "JJ, you're crazy."

"What, I'm crazy for just expressing how I feel?" He defended himself.

"When we're trying to jack this cross, yes. How does a cross turn you on?" She questioned.

"Think about what's next to the cross," he countered as he gestured up and down her body with his hand, and her face reddened as she glanced away. "Exactly."

"Shut up, Jay," she rolled her eyes, trying to pretend like bus comments didn't make her melt or her stomach flutter.

"Oh, you calling me that is not gonna make me wanna stop."

"Oh, my God."

"That's what you're gonna keep saying when—"

"JJ!" She scolded, her face burning hot.

He held his hands up in defeat. "Sorry, sorry. Won't happen again."

"Okay, now I didn't say for you to never do it again. Just not right now. You can say this stuff some other time."

"Oh?"

"You heard me."

JJ's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as his eyes scanned her body before they heard the sound of the crane. They looked up, seeing that Pope was now lowering the hook to obtain the cross.

They really needed to focus.

"Okay, here we go," JJ rubbed his hands together in anticipation before the hook reached them. They successfully were able to tie the cross to it so JJ called out, "Take her up, Pope!"

"Okay!"

The cross began to rise pretty fast, causing it to sway back and forth and almost hit into JJ. "Slow! Slowly!" Cassie instructed the Heyward boy as the cross continue to rise.

"Okay, all right, bring her in to the middle!" JJ directed as he held onto the piece of rope that dangled from the cross, which made Pope move it over a hair.

"Okay, that's good, that's good."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" JJ yelled as the cross kept on moving forward, causing him to be pulled forward and slam onto the ground.

"Stop! Too far! It's too far! Pope!" Cassie shouted, her eyes wide before she looked at JJ getting up from the ground. "Jay, you good?" She asked him.

"Peachy," he answered with a groan, making Cassie wince.

"Sorry! My bad!" Pope apologized from the crane.

"Your other middle!" Cassie corrected, making Pope fix the direction the cross was going in. JJ got back up and kept hold of the rope as it continued to rise, letting go once it made it to the top.

"Right there, right there, right there! There it is! Okay!" JJ quickly said as the cross made it through the opening. "There it is! Yeah! Let's go help John B and Kie load it up on the lifeboat."

Cassie and JJ swiftly ran out of the room, trying to reach John B and Kiara as fast as they could so they wouldn't have trouble getting the heavy cross on the boat.

They found a different way outside, unsure if the crew members had escaped yet or not. They made it back outside on the side of the ship, the breeze flowing through their hair.

They ran down until they reached a corner, stopping to make sure they didn't accidentally run into anyone. They peered over the side before JJ whispered, "Clear."

They kept going and Cassie turned the corner while JJ looked out the side of the boat, trying to spot John B and Kiara.

However, Cassie halted once she saw man in front of her, holding a machete.

"I don't see them," JJ said.

"Jay," Cassie said quickly to get his attention, causing him to go next to her and stop as well once he spotted the man.

"Of course. There's more of you," the man disdainfully spoke up. "Get down on your knees." Cassie glowered at him. She didn't get down on her knees for no man.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," JJ replied before the man swung his machete at him, causing JJ to immediately duck. The man brought it up again and hit it against the wall, making Cassie step forward and grab his arm that held the machete to stop him from using it.

JJ punched the man in the face before he held the man up. "Hit him, Cass!" JJ yelled and she swung open the metal Emergency Power Supply unit, hitting the man in the face and sending him down.

"Where's John B and Kiara?" JJ demanded, his fists clenched and held up as he got ready to attack again.

Cassie quickly rushed over to the side of the Coastal Venture. "Kiara! John B!" She shouted, trying to get a response back from them.

Behind her, the man got back up and swung at JJ again, but he managed to dodge. However, the man quickly shoved him down, sending him flying to the ground with his head slamming against the metal of the side of the ledge.

The man looked at Cassie, who still had her back turned. JJ's eyes widened frantically. "Cass!" He warned and she turned around just in time, stepping away from the man's swing of his machete. "Cass!" JJ yelled again as he bounced up and grabbed the man's hand that was about to swing on Cassie.

JJ kept his hold on him for a few seconds before the man elbowed him in the side, causing JJ to let go. He then swung at Cassie and she ducked, but the blunt end of the machete was able to hit JJ in the head.

He fell over the edge and landed in the water below with a splash.

"NO!" Cassie barked, rage and panic coursing through her veins. The man ran at her and she kicked him in the balls, sending him on the ground with a loud groan with his machete clattering next to him.

Cassie instantly rushed over to the ledge. "JJ!" She screamed, looking over the ledge to see that his body was floating face down in the water.

She didn't even need to think. She stepped onto the ledge and jumped down into the water.

The cold water swallowed her body while and nipped at her skin, flooding her ears. That's when she realized, the ocean wasn't calming like JJ's ocean eyes.

The ocean was a terrifying, dark abyss that may have just taken JJ away from her. And nothing could stop the force of the ocean.

Just like she couldn't stop the force of JJ's ocean eyes crashing her into him.

The water continued to encase her body before she swam back up to the surface, going over toward the Maybank boy. "No, no, no, JJ!" She called out, reaching his body and flipping him over so he would be able to breathe.

Is he even breathing? She thought, her stomach dropping as she held his body in her hands as she tried to keep the both of them afloat.

"Jay? Jay, wake up. Please. You gotta wake up," she pleaded before she went under for a second, getting water into her mouth. She rose back up, coughing. "JJ, please. Stay with me! Please!"

She felt her limbs start to get weaker with every second, her breathing becoming labored. She didn't know how long she was able to stay up with him in her arms. She was strong, but the force of the ocean was stronger.

When she dreamed of being free of her cage of a Kook world and throwing her life to the ocean rocks, this hadn't been what she meant.

She kept holding him until she knew it was impossible, begging him to somehow wake up. "Stay with me. John B's coming, okay? He's coming to get us. Please, just stay with me." She looked up, screaming at the sky, "John B! Help! Kiara!"

She went under again before rising back up, panting heavily and no longer being able to feel her arms and legs at this point. She wouldn't be able to save him, not like the time before when she saved him from that bullet.

And if she couldn't save him, then she might as well go with him.

This was the end.

For both of them.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. "I'm so sorry."

She closed her eyes and let the water overtake the two of them before she heard screaming near her. "No! No! No! No!" John B shrieked and Cassie opened her eyes, seeing the Pogues on the lifeboat coming toward her and JJ.

"Cassie! JJ!" Kiara cried out.

They all started yelling to them, reaching for them as they brought the lifeboat next to them. "Take him!" Cassie instructed to John B, who grabbed JJ's limp body and pulled him aboard.

Pope reached over and helped Cassie up, landing on top of him in a heap. She immediately scrambled up and went over to JJ, where John B had propped his head up on the side of the lifeboat.

"JJ? Jay? You gotta wake up. Please! You have to wake up," she pleaded as she shook his arm.

"JJ, come on!" Kiara begged from his other side.

John B sped the boat away from the Coastal Venture. Even though the crew was able to heave the cross back aboard, there was no way they could stay and try to get it back. They were outnumbered and out-armed.

Suddenly, the lifeboat spluttered to a stop. "No, no, no, no," John B repeated frantically, checking the engine.

Cassie looked up from JJ. "What's going on?" She questioned.

"What's happening?" Pope tapped the Routledge boy's shoulder.

"John B...?" Sarah gaped.

"We're stalling-we're stalling out," John B told them, trying to start the boat back up.

"You serious? We're sitting ducks!" Pope exclaimed.

"We gotta go!" Kiara shouted.

"We gotta go!" Pope repeated.

"I'm-I'm trying!"

Sarah looked up at the boat, seeing Rafe pointing a large gun at them from the top of the ship. Pope followed her gaze and shouted, "He's pointing at us! Hurry!"

"Go!"

"I'm-I'm trying, okay?"

"Please wake up, JJ," Cassie implored, trying to shake hims awake. "Please, Jay."

She couldn't lose JJ. She couldn't lose him. If she lost him, she didn't know what she would be able to do with herself. They were already on the verge of losing Pope before, but this was different.

JJ had been the only boy that Cassie had ever actually liked. Sure, she's had silly little crushes in the past, but this was more than just a crush.

After her father had died, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get close to anyone ever again. And the icing on the cake had been when Sarah ditched her.

Things changed when she befriended Kiara. Kiara showed her she could welcome people into her life that would stay there forever, despite ups and downs.

But with JJ? JJ showed her she had the ability to partake in romance. Cassie never knew she was capable. She always thought something was wrong with her since everyone else was having their first loves meanwhile she was just forcing herself to hookup with people to fit in.

And JJ changed that.

He showed her she was capable of being intimate with someone and truly meaning it. He showed her that she was able to care for someone more than herself and even though she was afraid, it was still the best feeling ever. He showed her that she was human.

He opened her up in ways that no one had ever before. He saw straight through her. Even when they hated each other, he saw right through her facade. He called bullshit on everything.

He knew her like the back of his hand and still liked her back.

She didn't deserve him. He put up with all her nonsense, baggage, and her persistence on keeping their relationship a secret all because she was scared of showing others how she truly felt. And JJ had been kind enough to put up with it despite everything he's been through himself.

She should be the one who was dying, or maybe already be dead.

Not JJ.

"We gotta get moving." The engine finally started to work and they began to move through the water again. "Yeah! Go, go, go!"

"JJ, wake up!" Kiara shouted.

John B looked over his shoulder, seeing that Rafe was still holding the gun up before he dropped it to his side. He blinked in confusion, but he couldn't dwell on him because his best friend was currently not waking up.

"Jay, please!" Cassie started to cry along with Kiara next to him. "Please get up!"

"Wake up. You gotta wake up," John B urged.

"Get up!" Cassie was about to do mouth-to-mouth just like he had done for her back at the storm drain before JJ spit up water, his eyes finally opening. "JJ?"

"There you go. Yeah, yeah. Cough it out. Cough it out, baby," John B encouraged, relief in his tone.

"Hey, buddy, there you go," Pope said as JJ continued to cough out the water that had filled his lungs. "Hey, hey, buddy. Welcome to the land of the living, dude."

"No CPR needed, huh?" John B joked, looking at Cassie purposefully but her eyes had been locked on the Maybank boy. She couldn't tear them away. She was trying to make sure she wasn't imagining this and he was truly okay.

JJ looked at his shoulder, seeing someone's hand on it. His eyes traveled up the person's arm before they locked on Cassie's sky blue eyes. He blinked at her, but she couldn't even form words. She had thought she lost the boy, but he was here.

Alive.

"Sup," he greeted Cassie suavely, causing Kiara to playfully roll her eyes and shove the boy's head before she hugged him. But Cassie just kept staring at the boy, her mouth parted open as she tried to process everything that just happened.

"Dude!" Pope laughed.

"Just always looking for attention, huh?" John B teased.

"Whenever it takes, right?" JJ replied as Kiara pulled away and they all laughed at him, apart from Cassie who was in no state to laugh.

"Attaboy!"

"What the hell happened?" JJ asked after a second as Kiara placed a cloth up to the side of his head, trying to clean up the blood on his head.

Everyone looked toward Cassie since she would be the only one who knew. However, she was still staring down at the boy with her chest rising and falling heavily.

"Uh, Cassie?" Sarah piped up behind her.

Cassie snapped out of her gaze, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. "The blunt end of a machete," she answered monotonously.

"A machete?" JJ repeated with his eyes wide, smiling a bit from how gnarly it sounded.

"The blunt end," Cassie reiterated, swallowing thickly.

"Next time, duck," Cleo suggested.

"I'll try to remember that next time. Thanks," JJ replied sarcastically.

Pope's eyes traveled over to the ship, seeing the men having the cross back onto it. His face fell. "This shit ain't over," Pope reminded them after a moment.

"No, it ain't."

authors note!
cassie and jj flirting when there are
other important things at stake will
never not be funny to me. also dw
cassie will unpack everything that
just happened in this chapter with
jj next chapter so don't think they
won't be talking about how he
almost died!!! death is an important
characteristic associated with cassie
due to her father which is why she kinda
shut down here! but dw they will be
talking about it!!