XLII.   he had it coming

"Did you two hook up?"

Dylan let out the loudest groan. "Not the time, JJ! What do you mean Rafe and Barry know we're back?" She questioned after being told that Rafe and Barry showed up at the Chateau last night.

"Look, if they know, then it's only a matter of time before everyone knows," Pope expressed, also ignoring the crude question.

"I told you. We should've gone South, man." JJ said with a scoff.

John B threw him a look. "Just stop it."

"Why does no one ever listen?"

"I get. I get. I understand!"

Dylan sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She sat on the grassy ground with her knees pulled to her chest. She couldn't help but feel guilty for not being at the  Chateau last night. If something happened, then she would've been able to help. On the other hand, she was with Pope and she was happy with what happened last night.

"I have an idea," Sarah spoke up. They turned their attention to her. "With me back, my dad's going to have to choose between me and Rafe."

Dylan shared a look with Kiara and they stayed silent, letting the girl continue.

"Sarah, Sarah—"

"He's gonna choose me," she interrupted her 'husband'.

"Just please listen. Ward keeps lying to you, Sarah." John B tried to convince her.

When her face dropped at his statement, Dylan titled her head. "John B, stop." She told him.

"What, DJ? It's true."

"Sarah, he won't agree after all that's happened." Kiara agreed with him.

"No. I. . . I know it sounds crazy—"

"Yeah, it does."

"I know!" 

Sarah swallowed to keep from crying. Dylan raised herself from the ground and sat next to her on the wooden log. "Hey, it's okay. He's your dad. You know him better than any of us," she assured the girl and put a hand on her back. She glanced at her friends as they watched her talk. "If you think you're right on this. . ."  She looked back at her. "Then go for it. Give it a try."

Sarah smiled weakly, but thankfully, at her friend while the others clearly had an issue with the idea. But Dylan strongly believed that Sarah was smart enough to get through to her dad. Even if Ward was a horrible person, she was his daughter and all father's would go to the ends of the Earth to make sure their kids were safe.

When nobody else said anything, Sarah rose from her spot and began to leave. John B quickly chased after her, calling her name. Dylan leaned her elbows on her knees and rubbed the back of her neck, feeling stressed. She was beginning to miss her own father at the thought of Sarah going to see hers. He was worried sick, she knew it, and it made her feel incredibly guilty.

She had changed so much since finding that boat at the bottom of the marsh. She went from being the perfect, straight a student, golden girl that she was raised to be and to now being a girl who lied to her parents and said things to them to hurt their feelings.  She didn't like who she was becoming now. Her family didn't deserve it.

Dylan stood up as well and Pope glanced her way. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"I'm just going to walk down to the beach," she told him and walked away from them.

When she was far enough away, JJ's eyes cut to Pope and he grew a smirk. He quickly slid beside him on his seat. "So, you didn't answer my previous question." He mentioned with a shit eating grin.

Pope rolled his eyes and shoved him away. "Get away from me."

Two hours seemed excruciatingly long as the Pogues waited for Sarah to get back. Dylan was helping JJ and Kiara gather firewood. "Are you okay, D? You haven't said anything in two hours." Kiara asked, her voice full of concern.

Dylan chewed on her tongue. "I'm fine. I just miss my family." She admitted sorrowfully.

She missed the way JJ's face fell.

"I'm sorry," Kiara said with a frown.

"They're going to be so happy when they hear that John B's alive but I also know what's going to happen when everyone realizes he's back. It's too much to handle."

"But your dad'll step in if anything happens." JJ stated firmly.

She nodded. "I know. It's just going to be painful for him." When they got back to the beach, her eyes spotted Sarah driving the boat. "She's back!" She announced and they dropped the wood.

"Sarah!" Kiara shouted and waved her hands in excitement.

They ran down the sandy pathway and met her by the water. "You made it!" Shouted JJ.

"What happened!"

Dylan's face fell when she saw the extreme sadness on the girl's face. "Sare?"

With tears in her eyes, Sarah walked into her arms and hugged her tightly. Dylan's eyes widened slightly in shock but she quickly hugged her back. "Hey, what happened?" She softly asked, catching John B's concerned eyes from next to them.

"You guys were right. It didn't work." Sarah sniffled. "I'm sorry."

She pulled away from her and pushed the hair from her face. "Don't apologize, okay? He's your dad and you believed in him. That's not your fault." She spoke gently.

"Welp, that settled it guys," JJ announced with anger. "Now, y'all need to load up in the paddy wagon and get the heck out of Dodge right now."

"Right. You'll need supplies and you'll have to split as soon as possible." Pope added.

"Guys, I think it's too late."

When they heard the panic from Kiara, that's when the sirens started to wail. Dylan's heart dropped. "Oh no."

"They followed you here?" Said John B.

The police boats stated to her closer. "Guys, we have to go." Dylan spoke and she hit John B on the arm.

"We have to find another way out," said Pope.

"Stay on the beach with your hands in the air!" The FBI announced.

"Go! Guys!"

"Run! Come on! Come!"

"We gotta go!"

The Pogues sprinted off the beach. Hearing the officers talk, Dylan's heart rate quickened even more and she ran as fast her legs could carry her. They ran through the woods, their screams of panic making it obvious where they were going. "We've gotta go through the marsh!" She shouted to everyone.

They pushed past the tall grass until the marsh came into view. JJ and Dylan helped a wounded Sarah into the water and she began to swim as fast as she knew how to. "Let's go! Let's go!"

The FBI appeared from the tall grass. "Freeze! Freeze!"

"Stay where you are!"

Dylan had been watching crime shows since she could pick up a phone. Her mind was full of information about the police and the legal system and the crimes people commit everyday. Dylan thought she knew exactly what to do if she was ever caught in a situation like this. But at the end of the day, she was seventeen years old and she was scared. Now, all she could think about was if she was going to get shot or not.

They finally reached the other side of the marsh. Dylan's soaking wet clothes and shoes made it hard to run but she pushed through it with her adrenaline high. She heard the police sirens from a distance. "Hide!" She exclaimed in a panic.

The group of friends quickly behind a large tree, thinking it would be able to hide them. Dylan dry heaved and her hand automatically wrapped around Pope's arm, the fear she was feeling taking over. "It's over. It's over." She repeated shakily.

He pulled her close to him and peered over the tree,  seeing the police in the water. "What do you we do?"

"Not getting out of it. We gotta make a stand." JJ stated and pulled the wet gun out of his back pocket.  He wiped it off with the bandana.

Dylan laid her head on Pope's shoulder and she closed her eyes, feeling the tears fall. She was so scared. She just got her best friend back and now it was possible this would be the last time they ever got to be with John B. She braced herself for the worst.

When she felt a hand being placed on her shoulder,  she opened her eyes and lifted her head, seeing John B in front of her. The look on his face indicated defeat.  She knew that look. Her eyes watered more. "Please. Don't do this." She pleaded with a break in her voice.

He cupped her face in his hands. "Tell your dad, okay?  Tell him in here and that I love him, okay?" He told her. He swallowed back his own tears. He never even got to see the Jennings family again.

Dylan let out a shaky cry and he dropped his hands.  Everything felt like it was in slow motion. Her heart was in her throat, blood pounded in her ears. She never imagined she would be in this situation. All her life, she did everything by the book. How did everything go so wrong so fast? They were just kids.

A scream erupted from her throat when an office put John B in a chokehold and threw him to the ground.  "NO!"

"Dylan, stay there!"

"No!" Pope screamed and quickly grabbed her, holding her in place.

"Hey, Thomas!"

"Get off of him!" Dylan girl cried and thrashed in her boyfriend's arm. "He's just a kid!"

"Let him go!"

"Stop! Let him go!"

"Sheriff, you're gonna let that happen?"

Dylan cried her heart out and she felt herself sink to her knees, Pope still holding her tightly to keep her from getting involved. The officers surrounded them with their weapons raised, threatening and yelling at them, but all she could focus on was the boy she grew up with getting beat to death by a police officer.

"Stop!" She shouted again, her voice cracking, and she cried again when John B got punched in the face.

Then, the sadness in her shifted, kind of like the weather. It started with a bright sunny day, the air hot and warm, and then it changed to a dark bank of clouds. They turned greyer and greyer until it started to rain. The sun was nowhere in sight. Then, finally, the grey clouds turned black and the lightning struck.

Dylan's heart shook like thunder and her soft eyes hardened into angry slits. She no longer felt like the sun was surrounding her and all she felt was anger like the sky crying when the lightening struck.