THE POGUES anxiously sat in the courtroom, as the People In Uniform decided whether John is guilty or innocent. Despite trying to be positive, the Pogues knew what would happen. Kooks never listened to Pogues, even if they were telling the truth- it was the way of the food chain.

"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances." The Judge announced to the small audience, "If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty."

The crowd broke into gasps and shocked discussion, both sides reactions being different; of course, the Kook's were amazed with this information, which made Rory's blood boil. The smug smiles on their smug faces caused Aurora to hear her own pumping heartbeat through her chest.

"Your honour, he's 17!" She blurted out loudly, as she stood up, "Are you fucking kidding me-"

Pope held her shoulders, stopping her from saying anymore, as he guided her outside, "Stop. You're good. We're gonna fix this."

"John B!" JJ called to the unrecognisable boy dressed in an orange jumpsuit, "We're gonna figure this out!"

Kiara held Sarah as she cried, pulling her outside to join the rest of the Pogues and the dispersing crowd. Aurora listened to the Kook's conversations about John B, an innocent boy who they think is a killer.

"Can you please shut up?" Kie blurted out to Ward Cameron, who was thanking the system for working with his fellow Kooks. Kiara scoffed, "Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you."

"He'll have his day in court." Ward's friend replied, fixing the tie, "A jury will decide."

"He shouldn't even be in court!" Kie shot back, before pointing at Ward, "You should, because you're a murder. You have a lot of nerve showing up to court-"

"I know you're upset." Ward reassured with a fake comforting voice, which only the Pogues seemed to see through, "I understand you're all upset, okay?"

"Upset?" Kiara scoffed, as three Cops came rushing over. Kie stormed towards Ward, raising her fist, "No, I'm not just upset!"

Sheriff Shoupe, Thomas, and Plumb all held Kie back, as they loudly shouted to the Pogues. As usual, they protected the Kooks.

"Get off her!" Pope shouted, pulling Kie away from Thomas' firm grasp.

"Muzzle your dog, bro." JJ raised his voice to Shoupe, "Why don't you take the Kooks down for a change?"

Aurora stood in front of Sarah, who was being shouted at by Plumb. Rory found the bravery to fight back, "If you lay one finger on her, I'll fucking ki-"

"You'll what? You'll be in here next, Aurora. Then your brother." Plumb replied calmly, yet venom laced her voice, "It runs in your blood."

"Say that again." Aurora gritted her jaw in rage, ignoring Sarah and Pope's hands on her shoulder's which attempted in calming her down- it didn't work, no matter how many attempts they tried. She raised her voice, "Go on. Say it again!"

"I've heard about you." Plumb remained in her frustratingly calm voice, "About all the things you do. With enough evidence, I could arrest you right now... or plant you in rehab."

Aurora froze for a moment, not knowing what to say. She tried to speak, but nothing escaped her lips. She internally screamed, beating herself up inside for being so utterly afraid.

JJ appeared next to her, a deadly look of anger on his face, "It amazes me how much you can say when you don't know what your fucking talking about!"

"Hey!" Shoupe shouted to the blonde twins, "You wanna get arrested? Then stand back. Go!"

"I have something for you, Shoupe." JJ deadpanned, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out nothing but his middle finger. Shoupe smacked it down, causing JJ's jaw to tighten.

Kie raised her voice to the Cameron's,  "It's not a coincidence that your daughter's sitting with us!"

JJ held Rory's arm, as he gently pulled her away. He glared at Shoupe for as long as he could, before looking at Aurora. His voice completely changed from it's loud tone to a quieter tone, "You alright?"

Aurora could only nod.

  ***

The rain hammered against the windows surrounding the front porch of the Château, as the incomplete group gathered together. They spent a few minutes in silence, trying to process what had just happened, occasionally hearing the curses escape JJ or Rory's mouths.

Sarah broke the silence, "I'm gonna testify under oath. I was there." She glimpsed at Rory who was slouched on the couch, "So was Rory." 

"They aren't gonna believe a Pogue." Aurora replied, her leg bouncing uncontrollably, "No matter how hard we try."

Sarah paced up and down, "I just need to get ahold of my sister."

"Sister." JJ scoffed in disbelief, believing no thirteen year old would be able to bust JB out of jail.

"Wheezie is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't home that day." Sarah raised her voice, "I don't know what to do. I got us into this mess, I'm gonna do my best to get us out."

"Wheezie?" JJ shook his head frustratedly, "That'll totally work." He paused, "She's right though, we gotta do something. Our boy is a PO-dub right now, okay? He's held captive by the enemy, maybe even scheduled for execution. Are we just gonna sit here?"

"Then what's the plan?" Kie asked sarcastically, "We kidnap Shoupe?"

"Maybe." JJ shrugged, "That's not the worst idea actually."

"That's the worst idea I've ever heard." Pope disagreed.

"It's pretty bad." Sarah added.

"Can you stay out of this, please." JJ shooed her away with his hand, before looking at Pope, "We've been doing everything your way and how has that been working out?"

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Pope asked sarcastically as he stood up, "You gonna storm in jail, guns a-blazing?"

"Pope, I'm trying to get you to understand is that they got our boy. Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing? No! We're gonna go get his ass." JJ explained as he raised his voice, "We're gonna do something about it!"

"JJ, if we storm into jail, we're gonna end up in jail." Rory replied, "We have to think about this. Plus, Plumb's on my fucking ass so I gotta lay low."

"Well, that's one down. Who's coming?" JJ asked curiously, as the group stayed silence. He sighed, "You know what? You all sit in your comfy chair. Do nothing. Im gonna see what I can do. Make something happen, even if I have to do it by myself."

Kie frowned at JJ's manic decisions, "Okay?"

"JJ." Rory sighed, as her brother made her way outside. She stood up to follow him, as he rushed over to his motorbike in the pouring rain. Rory wiped the rain from her eyes, "JJ, stop. We can't afford another one of us in jail. We have to save John B, not put ourselves in with him. Think, JJ, this isn't smart."

"When have we ever been smart?" JJ raised his voice over the pouring rain.

"Never. And look where that got us." Rory answered honestly, "Look, I know you're impulsive with your ideas but you have to be careful. I can't stop you from going, no matter how hard I try."

"Don't go soft on me now, Rory." JJ hid his smirk, but it faded as he looked at the rest of his friends in the Château, "I'll see you later."

Aurora waved her brother off, before running back into the Château, dripping wet from the rain. She rolled up the end of her t-shirt before squeezing out the water onto the front porch. Rory knew her brother was going to go alone one way or another- it was a JJ thing. When he had an idea, he had to pursue it. JJ had this thing where he thought he was the odd one out, Aurora couldn't remember a time when he felt like he fitted in. Which is why he tends to do things alone.

"Should we be worried?" Pope asked, as he paced worriedly.

"He's doing it alone, he feels like we don't get it. " Rory explained, "You know how he gets with things like this."

"Look, I'm gonna hit up my parents, and I'm gonna see if I can get money for a lawyer." Kie announced, "Justice costs money."

"Alright." Pope nodded, "Im gonna dig in a hard into anything I can find about this key, because that tape Limbrey has, that's exculpatory evidence. That can exonerate John B."

Pope left the Château, shielding himself from the rain which was clearing, before Kie bent down to tie her shoelace. She cleared her throat, "You coming or staying?"

"I'll stay." Rory replied, "Your place is, uh... loud."

Kiara nodded understandably before leaving, and walking towards Figure 8. Aurora lit her cigarette before joining Sarah on the wooden deck, as she dangled her feet in the water. Aurora exhaled smoke, before standing next to her,

"Can I sit?"

Sarah wiped her cheeks, before looking up at Aurora, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure."

Aurora slowly sat down on the edge of the deck, curling her legs beneath her, "Are you okay?"

Sarah hesitated, tears filling her eyes, "It's all my fault. I mean, so much has happened because of me or my family. Wheezie isn't replying to any of my texts so she probably hates me, John B is probably gonna be executed, my brother is a psychopath, and you relapsed. Everything is my fault."

"Hey." Rory said sternly, as she lifted Sarah's chin with her palm, "My drug issues is my shit. It's not your fault. Don't ever say that."

"But you said-"

"I was high and angry." Rory interrupted, "I shouldn't of blamed you for what I did. It was wrong of me... and I'm sorry."

"I was wrong too." Sarah comforted, as she tried to smile through her tears. She took a breath, "I don't like it when we fight."

"Me neither." Aurora agreed, letting go of her chin, realising she'd probably been holding it for too long. She looked down at the water, drowning in the silence that followed. Aurora cleared her throat, "You're hurt, aren't you?"

Sarah hesitated, before sitting back to pull down her high-wasted jean shorts, revealing a white bandage on the side of her stomach which crimson red blood seeping through. Sarah winced, "It's healing, don't worry."

"Healing?" Aurora scoffed in disbelief, "How did you it?"

"I was shot." Sarah replied, as she pulled up her shorts to hide the wound. She saw Rory's worry plastered across her face, as her eyes scanned her body protectively. Sarah interrupted the girl's thoughts, "I'm okay now, Rory. I promise."

Aurora drowned in a pool of her own thoughts, almost blaming herself for not being in the Bahamas to help Sarah. 

"I meant it when I said I love you." Sarah blurted out, "I'm your friend, Rory. I know we had a thing before, but... I'm with John B now, and I need you to respect that. I just want us to be cool again."

Aurora hesitated, stopping herself from saying something she would regret. She heard her heart shatter into a million pieces, feeling confused over what had just happened. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't dare to let them fall down her cheeks.

"Yeah, uh, I understand where your coming from." Aurora replied shakily, "Uh, I... I should get going. JJ probably needs my help."

a/n:
this slow burn is KILLING ME.
trust the process, Sarorah will be happening SOON!!!