Chapter Thirty-Five

My friends, sister, husband, and I had arrived at the mud patch that's now completely filled with water. I groaned, leaning back as the van is definitely not going to get through that.

"Ah, crap!" John B groaned. "The tide!"

"Oh, this doesn't look good." John B parked the van right in front of the water.

"How deep is that?" I questioned. It looked pretty deep in my opinion.

"I dunno." John B replied. "The road's gone."

"Tide rose faster than I thought it would," JJ admits.

"Just a little bit." John B spoke sarcastically.

"Uh, John B, how high are the spark plugs?" JJ questioned and I looked at him like he was crazy.

"They're good. We're fine." John B replied back but I could sense a little lie in his voice.

"How high are they?" Pope and I questioned at the same time.

"Oh, um..." John B looks out the window. "Uh, just above the taillight." He grimaces.

"Okay, so, that's what, three feet?" Pope questioned.

"That's three feet. Yeah." JJ nods his head.

"That water can't be three feet deep," Kie says.

"Then what's the problem?" John B questioned.

"Not a problem." JJ shakes his head. "No, we're good. We're good. She'll make it."

Kie, Sarah, and I looked at each other, our eyes widening. "Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen. Fasten your seat belts. Hold onto something." I gripped the chair. "We're going into hyperdrive."

"I'll say a quick prayer." JJ had quickly said before John B does a count down and drives quickly into the deep water.

I cringed as I felt the tires slipping and sliding. We were close to the end—but as I predicted, we didn't make it. We had served off onto the road, I smacked my head into the wall, groaning as the van stops and we remain in the water.

"Shit!" Kie said. "Oh."

"No, no, no, no, no." John B quickly said.

"I think we miscalculated," Pope spoke.

"Really?" I muttered, placing a hand on the side of my head. Looks like I wasn't gripping hard enough.

Sarah looked over at me. "Shit, Storm, are you okay?"

I released my hand from my head to see small droplets of blood on my hand. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I speak sarcastically, sighing.

"I knew I should've driven," JJ remarks, turning around and looking at me. "Ah, Storm...?"

"Don't worry about it," I waved it off. "The bleeding with stop."

"Once your heart does?" Sarah retorts and hands me a rag. I glared at her, taking the rag and pressing it against my head where the bleeding was.

The others had climbed out, me, refusing to go anywhere but stay in the van because of the potential gators in there, stays inside while the others bravely stepped into the water.

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

"What? And leave the twinkie?" John B gestured towards the van. "The... The ride's coming in."

"So, then what are we suppose to do?" Sarah asked.

"Not stay here." JJ shakes his head. "I wanna get Storm to the hospital to check out her head."

"JJ, I'm fine." I insisted, putting the rag away as the bleeding had indeed stopped. "Look? The cut's stopped bleeding."

"I can take my Dad's truck." Kie had offered.

"Kie, are you sure?" John B asked unsurely.

"How much worse can it get, you know?" Kie shrugged.

"We gonna need something to pull her out with." JJ continued. "There's the winch at the Chateau. That's like, two, miles."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." I agreed.

"Okay, if you're gonna do it, let's go, okay?" John B told us.

"All right." Kie nods her head.

"Tide's coming in." John B pointed out. "Twinkie's going underwater."

"Double time, Kie. We gotta keep moving but first—" JJ walked over to me and kisses me roughly. He pulled away, smiling at me. "I love you, Stormy, stay out of trouble. Ya hear me?"

"Aye, aye, Captian," I salute him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes, smiling. "I love you, too." I kissed his cheek before he and Kie had headed off, leaving Pope, Sarah, John B, and I at the van.

Ten minutes had flown by and I eyed the water nervously as I watched the water slowly rise. Sarah was sitting on top of the van, John B and Pope were in the water.

"How long does it take to go two miles and back in a car?" Pope asked frustratedly. He's right, it's been way too long. "I feel like they're taking a minute. Should I go look for them? Should I go back and find them and bring them back?"

"I don't... I don't know." John B had called. "Just give me a sec."

"Damn it!" Pope muttered. "Every time! Why do we gotta send JJ and Kiara, the slowest people on Earth? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! This is always happening to us."

"P, calm down," I told him. I inhaled deeply, looking at the water before dipping my feet in, cringing at the cold feeling going up my bare legs. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew." I complained as I make my way towards Pope.

Pope, hearing me, turned around and eyes me. He watched me like he wants to laugh. "You good there, Storm?"

I shivered at the cold and gripped my hands onto Pope's shoulder, so I feel somewhat safe. "I'm peachy, Pope. We gotta have a little trust in Kie and J, right? There's nothing that they could be doing right now that's more important than saving the Twinkle."

"Twinkle?" I heard John B shout, absolutely offended. "For your information, Stormy, it's Twinkie!"

"Same thing!" I waved off, trying to contain my laughter.

Pope grabbed my hand and dragged me towards John B and Sarah. "Okay, okay. Here's something I think we can do. We can find something to leverage the Twinkie, and you can drive it out."

"Let's do driftwood." John B suggested.

"Driftwood will work." Pope nods his head and I grimace, looking at the water.

"I swear to God, if I end up finding a gator, I'm coming back from the dead to haunt every single one of y'all ass!" I pointed at Sarah, John B, and Pope. "And especially JJ. I think that will be funny."

"All right, all right." Pope nods and John B and Pope do their little handshake. "Be safe, all right? Let me know if you find anything."

"I will." Pope and John B branch off in different sections in the water and I nervously glanced over in the water.

"Nope, I don't think I can do this." I shake my head, looking up at Sarah.

"I thought you hated Elephants, not gators?" Sarah questioned as I climbed on top of the van sat next to her, letting my feet dangle off the edge.

I shrugged. "Well, realistically, I'm never gonna see an Elephant in my life so I don't have to worry about them. I've changed my mind in the past 20 minutes we've been here and it's now gators."

"Oh." Sarah nods.

"Hey, Pope." I heard John B called.

"Yeah?" Pope turns to John B's voice.

"Hey, nothing smaller than three feet, all right?" John B told him. "Big pieces."

"Gotch you. Yeah." Pope nods his head and they went back to finding any driftwood, which I think is highly unlikely.

"Why did you hate elephants, again? They're so cute." Sarah coos.

"Please." I rolled my eyes. "They're not so cute when you're under their giant as feet! I mean, have you seen their feet? It's bigger than my head!"

"Right, right." Sarah looks off into the trees. "You hate almost any wildlife though, so, I'm not surprised."

"You hate wildlife?" Pope questioned from a few meter's ways, looking in the water. "Why? They're so beautiful!"

"Beautifully dangerous!" I added. "I mean, literally any animal can kill you."

"You also hate sealife. And human. Is there anything you do like?" Sarah quizzes, glancing at me and I smiled fondly, looking down. "Other than JJ."

"Of course, I like lots of things. People who give me food, who do shit for me—"

"That's not what I meant." Sarah smiled, shaking her head and I giggled.

"Hey, Pope, come help me out!" John B had called.

"Give me a second," Pope called back. "I'll be over there."

I heard a snarl in the distance and. I glanced over at John B, who was underwater and my eyes widen. "John B?" I had yelled out.

John B surfaces. "Help!" He screamed out and my heart quickens.

"Pope! John B!" Sarah yelled, jumping down into the water and I was quick to follow her. "Pope! I need help!"

"Pope!" I called as I moved towards a drowning John B. Why is this boy always finding himself drowning? He has a death wish, I swear!

"Pope! John B!" Sarah quickly said as she grabbed a knife from inside the van. Fear was rushing up inside me as John B was literally getting attacked by a gator.

"Guys, what's happening?" Pope questioned.

I waved towards John B as Sarah moved through the water behind me. "John B's getting attacked!" My voice cracks as I tried to pick up my pace.

"John B!" Pope yelled, moving in the water quickly towards John B, too. "Hey!"

"Pope, the gator has him!" Sarah's voice yelled and the water goes still where we are. Sarah and I stayed still. Sarah whimpers. "John B."

Suddenly, John B rises, wrestling the gator and I let out a gasp of shock. Sarah stabs the gator repeatedly with the knife. John B punches the gator. John B gets behind Sarah, covered in guts and I felt something touch me and I screamed, jerking back, only to realise it was Pope.

"Fuck!" I had cursed out, placing a hand on my heart as the water goes still.

"You okay, man? Holy shit." Pope asked John B, his eyes widening. I watched as the gator swims away, but my heartbeat never slowed down. "Come on."

"Let's get the fuck out of here," I demanded, turning around and making my way back towards the gator. "JJ! Kie! Where the fuck are you guys?!" They don't reply, as they aren't here, but I was desperately missing JJ.

I swear I have separation anxiety from being away from him.

That's not healthy.

I had climbed back onto the van, shaking from the events that happened. Sarah and John B climbed up onto the van, Sarah inspecting his wound.

"All right, be careful," Pope advises as he sits next to me. "I'm pretty sure that thing will get infected."

"Yeah!" John B whimpered out.

"Yeah, you're lucky," Sarah told him. "It didn't cut into muscle too much."

"Lucky I got—" John B hisses in pain. "Bit by an alligator. And my car is underwater."

"Do you have something to wrap it with, stop the bleeding?" Sarah questioned. "It can..." He pulls out his bandana. Sarah tightens her lips as she takes it.

"Oh, speaking of the freakin' devil," Pope speaks and I looked over to see Kie and JJ driving towards us in Kie's father's car. They honk, as they reverse the car. "Look who it is, the tortoise and the tortoise. Just a couple of hours late. JJ and Kie climbed out of the van. "Where the hell were you guys?"

"Paternal complications," Kie replied back.

"Luke was at the Chateau," JJ confessed as he digs in the back of the car. My jaw clenched at the mention of his father.

"Oh, great! While you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator." Pope gestured towards John B.

"Like, for real?" JJ asked.

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

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

"What happened?" John B repeated. "I got bit by a gator!"

"He got bit by a gator!" Pope, Sarah, John B, and I all yelled at the same time.

"I don't know why I'm the one being yelled at!" Kie exclaimed. "I put my ass on the line."

"You're being yelled at because it was 20 minutes—"

"Okay well, we got here as fast as we could—"

We were all yelling at each other, blaming each other for this situation. "Shut up!" JJ had yelled, finally having enough of our shit. We go dead quiet. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? Everyone just cut it out for a second." JJ leans against a tree. "Look, I just helped my Dad leave the island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back." Relief washed over me. "He straight up like Spanish. Just, "Bon voyage."."

I make a face. "Baby, that's not the right language."

He ignores my correct. "All we got... And I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You're it." He looks at me, making eye contact with me. "And I've come too close to losing you, all of you. I mean shit, like, Kie and Stormy almost drowned, and on top of that—Stormy's been strangled multiple times. Pope, you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot. John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro. So this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, all right? We don't do that. Okay? We're pogues. Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..."

We all exchanged looks, grinning and started clapping for JJ. "Yeah. All right." Pope nods his head. "Well done."

"I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you've ever given." I admitted to JJ, grinning widely.

"Also, you should think about like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flipped off." John B added.

JJ flipped up us off and I smirked widely. "We should bon voyage out of here, bitches." I told them, jumping down into the water.

"All right, let's get this damn Twinkie out of here." JJ claps his hands, walking towards Kie's car.

✫✫✫

Once we had successfully gotten the Twinkie out of the water, JJ and I sit in the back of Kie's Dad's ute. The other four are in the car—since there weren't enough seats, I volunteered to sit in the back and JJ instantly joined me. The ute tows the Twinkie.

We're leaning against the car, JJ's legs spread out and. I sit between them, pressing my back into his stomach and looking at JJ. I leant in, cutting him off from talking and kissed him passionately. He was surprised at first, but kissed back instantly, cupping my jawline with his hands.

While we were in the middle of a make-out session, the car had pulled to a stop outside the overgrown Church. My lips are swollen and so are his as we pulled away, hearing the others come out of the van.

I realised now that there are going to be hickeys all over my neck forming slowly, and the others will know because of how swollen our lips are. John Bsmacks the side of the car, smirking at us.

"Could you not have used a bedroom or something?" John B questioned and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh," Sarah smirks when she sees how swollen my lips are.

"Do I get a kiss, JJ?" Pope teased as JJ jumps out of the back, going into side tackle Pope teasingly. "I said kiss, not tackle!"

I giggled as I jumped out of the car, licking my lips.

"Sorry, I thought you said tackle, I missed heard," JJ jokingly said, letting goof Pope as we make our way to the Church.

I stared at the old Church that probably hasn't been used in 100+ years. "Let's do it," I speak as Pope opens the Church doors.

"Okay, you're telling me, Denmark Tanny decided to hide the cross here?" JJquestioned as we all stood in the doorway of the old broken church.

"Actually, it makes sense." I shrugged. "It's a cross. The Church is all about the cross because that's where Jesus died, ain't it?"

"You're right." JJ nods his head, kissing the side of my forehead.

"Everybody just spread out," Kie told us and we all began looking around in the Church.

"Okay, well, if I was across and wanted to be hidden in an old church, where would I hide?" John B questioned rhetorically and I giggled.

"Are you sure that Denmark hid the cross here, Pope?" JJ asked as we looked around the pretty much empty room. All there really was were the old chairs scattered everywhere. "Like, are we at the right Church?"

"It's gotta be somewhere, guys." Pope encouraged.

"What if we had to push like, a secret button, or, like, play, a... a certain chord," JJ was by the piano and I walked over to him. "And then all of a sudden, the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something on which we stand?"

"How about we start with the obvious clues?" John B suggested and I played a few chords on the old piano—I played the theme song of the pirates of the Caribbean, but I didn't get that far as the chords sounded old and run down. It hardly played.

"Ah! I see what you did there." JJ kissed my cheek. "You play the piano too? You're quite the talented one, my love."

"Only a little." I shrugged.

"Only a little? Dad's been making you do lessons since we were 3." Sarahretorts and I flipped her off.

"It's not an escape room." Kie pointed out.

"It's gotta be in here," Pope claimed.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." JJ muttered.

"Come on." Pope gasped.

"I can't see where they'd hide a giant cross here." John B pointed out. There were so many places we could look, and it's been two minutes and we've already searched everywhere. That's how small this place is.

"No, no." Pope denies. "There's no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead us to a church that has nothing."

"Yes, I get it." John B stresses. "I don't know what to tell you, man."

"The clues led us here. The cross is in this church." Pope determines. Pope takes a seat on one of the old seats and I leant against the old wall. Kie sits next to Pope.

"Pope, it's all right." John B says. "We've had several setbacks in the past, and we figured it out. We're gonna find it."

"He's right," Kie added.

Pope looks through the spyglass. "Look, we've just gotta think about this logically, right?" I asked. "Where else would you hide a seven-foot-tall cross made of gold?"

Pope looks up and lowers the spyglass. "What?" JJ asked, noticing the look on Pope's face. Pope stands. We followed his gaze to multiple wooden crossed shape beams. I tilt my head. There's no way...

"Oh, my God!" Kie softly said. "Look at that."

Pope moves towards a wall and begins to climb. "Pope." Sarah and I speak in unison, concerned for the boy. This thing is way too old, if he climbs that, he could get himself hurt.

"Hey, no!" JJ quickly said as Pope was climbing further up the wall.

"Now Pope's climbing the wall." John B sighed.

"You're not Spider-Man, Pope." I reminded him.

"Wait. Pope, this is crazy," Sarah quickly said.

"Pope, this Church is old." Kie reminded him. No matter what we tell him, he was pretty much there.

"Yo! This Church gots to be at least 200 years old." My husband exclaimed.

"He's right, Pope. It's too dangerous." John B pleaded as Pope climbs onto the support beams and I cringed a little. I was too nervous for Pope.

"Yo, let me be real." JJ continued. "You're not the most coordinated person on the planet earth."

He reaches the beam and begins to knock on them. "Pope? Pope!" Kie exclaimed.

"You hear me?" JJ called and Pope was literally ignoring all of us. "What are you doing?"

"All right, this one's solid wood," Pope informed us and I looked up at him nervously. That's probably a ten-foot-fall. "I'm gonna try the other beam."

"Pope, that's rotten as shit, right there, okay?" JJ tells him.

Pope grunts as he hits the beam once he climbed over to it. "Hey, easy!" I warned him.

"Pope, I hate to break it to you, but that's wood." JJ deadpanned.

"No, no." Pope grunts. "It has to be here. I know it."

He stands up hugging the support beam. "Bro, just look out for the giant wasp nest right above your head," JJ advises and my eyes widen when I spot the wasp nest that Pope was under.

"Yeah." Sarah agrees and Pope eyes the wasp nest.

"Hey, just... Just move slow, all right?" John B coached him. "Nice and easy, all right?"

Pope hugs the centre of the beam and kicks at another—a chuck of wood falls off, landing right in front of him.

"Woah, hey!" JJ had pulled me behind him protectively.

"Look!" Pope suddenly says, looking at the wood. "It's hollow. Go get me a crowbar!"

I quickly dashed off outside. I rushed towards the van and opened the door and I found the crowbar in a bag. I heard the sound of snapping branches and I looked towards the sound, my heart quicking. It's an animal, right?

I shut the van door and paranoia consumes me and I quickly rushed back towards the others. I gripped onto the crowbar as I made my way into the Church.

"Stormy!" Pope exclaimed once I entered back into the Church, I felt a lot safer.

"Hey. Pope." I looked up at him.

Pope made a wavy hand gesture. "Throw it."

"Okay," I responded.

"Oh, for real?" Kie asked and the others take a step back. I threw the crowbar and Pope catches it swiftly.

"Got it." Pope grinned and I smiled.

I turned to JJ. "Did you see that?"

"That was awesome, baby," JJ coos as he wrapped an arm around my bare shoulders and John B lightly claps at me.

"Hey, Pope, Pope, there's a wasp nest right up there, okay?" John B reminded him. "Just move slow, all right?"

"Got it," Pope replied and whacks the beam with the crowbar. Chunks of wood fall onto the ground.

"What is that?" Sarah asked as Pope chips away at the wood. Something was inside it, for sure.

"Do you guys see that?" John B questioned.

Pope pries opened the wooden beam, revealing a gold cross inside and a smile made it's way to my lips. We all gasped.

"Holy shit." Kie and I speak in unison.

"It's here. Oh, my God." Sarah muttered.

"You did it, buddy," JJ told Pope.

"What is that?" Sarah laughed happily. "Oh, my God!"

We were all excited, talking about the cross and it shines in the beam in all it's glory. JJ had kissed me passionately for a few seconds and embraces me.

"We did it!" John B yelled and I let out a happy laugh.

"Ah!" Pope screamed happily.

"I thought you were crazy!" Kie exclaimed.

"We did it! We did it!"

Pope waves his hand around at the wasps. "Okay, they're stinging now," Popeinforms. "Ow!"

"Take it easy!" JJ advises, sheltering me as the crowbar falls from Pope'shands.

Pope loses his footing and dangles from the beams. "Pope!" I yell, worry pumping through my veins.

"Cushions!" John B exclaimed and we all rushed around, finding some cushions soPope could crash land on. We placed all the cushions underneath Pope, making clearly.

"Hold on!" I pleaded Pope.

"I can't hold on!" Pope exclaimed, before letting go of one hand. "I'm slipping guys!"

"Hang on—" Pope comes crashing down and we all screamed as Pope falls and lands on the cushions.

"Pope! Are you okay?" Kie quickly asked and we all quickly checked upon him.

"Anything broken?" JJ asks frantically.

"Do you feel good?" I asked.

"You did not tuck and roll, that's for sure," JJ told Pope who suddenly rolled over, and we all scrambled out of the way from the falling cross. The cross made a huge commotion, diving headfirst into the ground. JJ was holding onto me tightly, all of us breathing heavily, staring with wide eyes.

A/N

I didn't know how to end this chapter, but I did. Some cute moments from JJ and Stormy <3... I truly do love them! And tysm for 6K!!