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18 months later

"An expedition of one man, John Routledge, and a group of teenagers, who are with us today. Locals, who grew up here and who succeeded where centuries of conquistadors, explorers, and admirals failed." Shoupe says

The Pogues sat together on stage as the locals of OBX looked back at them. The teens dressed as nicely as they could be while being recognized for their achievements in finding El Dorado.

"Today, we come together to celebrate these teens, friends from both sides of the island who came together to solve this 500-year-old mystery. Let's hear it for them!" Shoupe says. The teens stand as the people cheer for them. Estrella smiles as she looks down at the Heyward's who sat in the front row.

Estrella looks up to JJ who looked out at the crowd. She knew this whole celebration was a lot for him. And while she could sympathize, she also knew if anyone deserved to be recognized for their sacrifices, it was JJ.

She looks down and gently pulls his hand from his pocket. JJ looks over to her as she intertwines their fingers. She looks up and gives him a soft smile earning one back from him. His eyes linger on her as she turns back toward everyone.

•••

"Okay, I need a reset." JJ says pulling out his vape, "I need a reset right now. This is a lot. It's time to celebrate."

"I'll take one hit." Pope says as they walk off stage, "One."

"Bad man now." Cleo jokes while Estrella laughs shaking her head

"Estrella."

The girl stops and turns. Her mother stands behind her in a nice dress and her purse in her hands. Estrella brows furrow lightly as she takes small steps toward the woman, "Mom."

"You look amazing." Pamela says

Estrella looks down at herself. She had on a black dress with ruffled sleeves and sleek black heels. Estrella looks back up, "Thank you. Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to talk." Pamela says, "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Talk about what?"

"Estrella, I'm sorry." Pamela says, "For everything. I thought I was doing what was right for you. I just wanted the girl that I knew back."

"Mom, the girl that you knew never left." Estrella chuckles, "If you thought that I was the type of girl who wouldn't do whatever I needed to help the people I cared about, then you didn't know me at all."

"I'm sorry." Pamela repeats

Estrella looks off. Her mind was as clear as it had ever been as she watched the locals laughing and holding conversations. Some looking at the different exhibits the town put up, "I forgive you." Pamela's face lights up as Estrella turns to her, "But that doesn't mean that anything is coming out of it."

"What?" Pamela frowns

"After everything that's happened, I should just leave you with the fact that your daughter thinks the worst of you. But I won't." She shrugs, "I'm the happiest I've ever been and I'm not gonna let you ruin that."

"Ruin it?" Pamela scoffs, "I'm your mother, Estrella. I'm family."

Estrella turns and points toward where the teens were huddled together. Kie laughing as JJ mocked the people that were walking around, "That's my family."

"Those are your friends-"

"Family." Estrella corrects turning back to her, "They've never given up on me. You did."

"I didn't give up on you-"

"You did. When you forced me to go to Kitty Hawk, that was you giving up on me." Estrella nods, "You're my mom and I'll always love you, but I can't let you back in my life. Not when everything is finally going right for me."

"Estrella, please-"

"No, Mom." She says, "As much as it sucks, I think we're better off without each other."

Pamela stares back at her daughter. 18 months had passed since she last seen her.

Her hair was a little longer, just barely passed her shoulders. She could tell she had bangs, but they had been clipped back. Although, she couldn't control the few hairs that escaped past the bobby pins. Even when she looked at her daughter, who she had known her entire life, the same girl wasn't looking back.

She wasn't the same broken girl she had kicked from the house or the same girl she sent to Kitty Hawk. She was happier, stronger, more vibrant than she remembered. Even if she tried, she knew she wouldn't be able to change her mind. Estrella had always been headstrong. It was one of the few things she learned from her mother.

"Okay." Pamela says, "I love you, mija."

Estrella smiles lightly, "I love you, too, Mom."

Pamela nods to her before turning away. Estrella watches her disappear into the gathering. She lets out a sigh as someone places their hand on her shoulder.

As Estrella turns, JJ smiles at her, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Estrella nods

"You sure?" He asks. Estrella nods again as he tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear, "What'd she have to say?"

"She was trying to apologize."

"Again?"

Estrella chuckles, "Yeah."

"What'd you say?" He asks rubbing his thumb across her cheek

"I told her I forgive her, but I can't let her in my life anymore." She says, "I'm finally happy and I'd be dumb to trust the fact that she wouldn't try to ruin that."

JJ smiles, "That's good. I'm proud of you."

Estrella smiles letting out a soft laugh as she looks down. JJ's hand falls from her face and into his pocket. Estrella looks up as he pulls out his vape. Estrella laughs as she takes it from him, "Thanks."

"You probably need it more than anyone." He jokes as he follows her back toward the others. The teens look over as they approach the table.

"Everything okay?" Kie asks

"Great." Estrella says before hitting the vape

"I don't think that's enough." Pope says as Estrella blows out the smoke. She frowns as Pope holds a blunt out to her.

"Pope Heyward offering me a blunt?" Estrella says taking it from him

"It's JJ's."

"Still counts." Kie says

"Never thought I'd see it." JJ says as Estrella hits it and passes it to Kie. Pope turns just as an older man approaches John B and Sarah.

"Excuse me. I... I don't mean to interrupt." He says

"Uh, can we help you?" Pope asks

"Yes. I wanted to tell you all it's remarkable what you all did." He says, "Royal Merchant, El Dorado, Denmark Tanny. Impressive résumé, impressive. I was wondering if you would all be so kind as to look at an item of mine."

"Oh yeah? What type of item is that?" Cleo asks as they step over. Kie waving the smoke from around them while JJ puts the blunt out.

"It's a manuscript." He says, "I would investigate it myself, but I'm too long in the tooth. I need partners, and you all were first on my list."

"May I?" Pope asks holding his hand out

"I was hoping you would." The man says handing him the book

Pope opens the book while Estrella leans over his shoulder, "1718. Jeez, this is old. Exhibition notes, dates."

"This is a captain's log." John B says looking up at the man, "This shows the exact position of the ship."

"The exact location where the ship sailed and where it stopped." The man nods

"Who is the captain?" JJ asks

"Edward Teach." The man says, "Blackbeard."

The teens look around at each other with a certain familiarity in their eyes. The same look they all gave each other when they decided to look for the gold and right before they jump head first into finding the cross and El Dorado.

John B smiles, "Hot damn."

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ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ɪᴛ ғᴏʀ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ 3!! ᴏᴍɢ, ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜʏs ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴏғ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ғᴏʀ ғɪɴɪsʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ 4. ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜʏs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ʟᴍᴀᴏ. ESTRELLA IS FINALLY ENTERING HER HAPPY ERA. ᴏᴍɢ, ɪ'ᴍ sᴏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ. ᴍʏ ɢɪʀʟ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇs ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ ɪᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴄᴏsᴛs. ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀʟᴏᴛᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɪᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ!! ɪғ ɪ'ᴍ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ, ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ɢᴜᴇssɪɴɢ ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ, ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, ᴇsᴛʀᴇʟʟᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴊ. ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇs. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇ ʟᴏᴀᴅs ᴏғ ʜᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇss ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴏᴍɢ. ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜʏs ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ʟʟ sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏᴏɴ ғᴏʀ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ 4!! <3