CHAPTER FIFTY

OMW — ASHE
Life is a bitch, everybody's invited!

JJ LIKED PEACEFUL mornings. He liked sleeping next to Stella underneath toasty blankets and waking up on his own time without any blaring alarm to ruin his mood. After six weeks of sleeping on a woven mat, the only thing he wanted was for his first night in a real bed to end with a peaceful morning. Instead, he was startled by Sarah trying to shake Stella awake.

"Dude, what are you doing?" He groaned, his voice still thick with sleep.

Sarah's brows furrowed. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to wake her up. We're supposed to meet Kie and Cleo for breakfast."

"It's too early for this." He rubbed his eyes, careful not to move the arm stuck between Stella and the bed. "And keep your voice down, you'll wake her."

"That's the whole point," she argued, kneeling by Stella's side of the bed. "Star, get up."

"Sarah—"

The blonde looked up like she just remembered something. "Oh, and I'm calling a meeting at the Chateau later. It's important."

JJ ran a hand over his face and let out a sigh. "Will you leave if I say okay?"

"No. Stella still has to get up."

"She's tired, let her sleep."

"Psst, Star!"

"Oh, my god. Stop it."

Sarah shook her head. "We're going to be late," she persisted. "You know how Kie gets when we're late."

He tried to fight her on it, he really did. He told her to leave Stella alone again and to get out of their bedroom, wrapping his other arm around the sleeping beauty before smacking the blonde's hand away. But Sarah pointed out that it was actually Stella's room and that Emma wouldn't approve of him sneaking into it after establishing new house rules the evening before.

Eventually, their bickering woke Stella up and they were forced to stop under her glare.

After the girls left, JJ didn't know what to do with himself. The only other person in the house was Emma and she was still asleep, so everything was quiet. His footsteps echoed as he descended the staircase and the glass of water he poured sounded like a gong when he placed it on the kitchen counter.

To him, quiet and peaceful were far from synonymous. Peaceful was safe and comforting, quiet was the calm before a storm.

He was never a fan of being alone when it was quiet. His thoughts were like vultures, circling around his head while his self confidence rotted away. He could hear their wings flapping the longer he remained unproductive. A distraction was needed and anything would help.

He contemplated making breakfast, but he was never the best cook and the stovetop looked too complicated to figure out so early in the morning. His fingers tapped against the marble counter as he looked around. What to do? What to do?

Across the room, his stare settled on the large windows overlooking the backyard. The pool was still open despite the autumn weather and the grass was overgrown. It seemed like Emma had forgotten to call their gardener.

Taking the task into his own hands, JJ finished his water and headed outside. His feet carried him to the shed and before he knew it, he was mowing the lawn. The labour brought him comfort. Before all of the treasure-hunting business, he made money doing this. On the weekends, he would mow the lawns of Figure Eight members, hoping to make some extra change so he could make ends meet. Now, he was doing it because he was bored. There was a peculiar feeling that washed over him as he realized this and he couldn't quite name it.

There were new truths that he had to accept. Stella, no matter how much of a Pogue she was, was also a Kook. She lived in this grand house with marble finishings and gardeners who maintained the landscaping. This grand house that had a heated pool, double doors, and enough guest rooms to house all of their friends. This grand house that exuded poise and wealth and everything he wasn't. Sleepovers were different from the present circumstances. This was Stella's home, and now it was his too.

He didn't feel like he deserved it. There was no moment in his life where he could pinpoint being good enough to deserve Stella or anything else that came along with her. He was the son of a lost cause and spent the majority of his life listening to others say he'd end up the same way. This lavish lifestyle wasn't one he was accustomed to.

Stella was humble. She never bragged about her privilege and only spoke of it when she needed to. He wondered how long it took her to adjust to this when she first moved here. How long did it take for her to reconcile her Pogue past with her Kook future? How long was it until she felt worthy enough to enjoy it?

When he finished with the lawn, he cleaned the pool. And when he was finished with the pool, he cleared the gutters.

Acceptance was the only choice he had. This was his life now. He needed to make peace with the fact that he didn't need to struggle anymore. He was safe. He had a roof over his head, food in the kitchen, and warmth in the halls. He had his people. He didn't need to fight anymore.

The image of a little blue post-it note came to mind as he walked back to the house. No running. No matter how much the change scared him, he had to accept it. He couldn't push Stella away over this. He left her once and refused to do it again.

Emma was making breakfast when he finally returned to the kitchen. Her back was towards him as she tended to the bacon sizzling on the stove, but she looked up when she heard the back doors open.

Passing behind her to fill his cup with water, he nodded. "Morning, Em."

"Hey, JJ," she greeted. "Where's Stella?"

"She's at The Wreck with the girls," he said before chugging his water.

Emma took in his disheveled appearance with a raised brow. His forehead had a layer of sweat over it and his shirt was wrinkled in odd places. The scent of freshly cut grass followed him around. "Did you mow the lawn?"

JJ shrugged. "Yeah, I noticed the grass was getting a bit long so I just did it."

"Oh." She shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no biggie."

The older woman moved around the kitchen with ease, grabbing another plate from the pantry before giving JJ the one she made for herself. She pointed to the stools at the end of the island and only after seeing JJ sit down did she return to the stove. She started another plate for herself, and while the eggs and bacon cooked, she leaned against the counter and watched JJ.

There was something she wanted to talk to him about since the moment it happened and she hoped the conversation she was about to start would be an easy one. JJ was less stubborn about accepting her help than John B was, but he was still unpredictable. He didn't like feeling like a charity case, even if he wasn't—proven when he turned down her offer to pay his restitution.

"So... Have you gone by your house yet?" She tried her best to sound nonchalant.

JJ, who was pretty good at reading people, noticed her attempt right away. "Uh, yeah. It's kind of empty." He paused before continuing. "Stella had this crazy idea that you bought it."

A small smile tugged at Emma's lips. "Stella's usually never wrong," she stated proudly. "She gets that from me."

Indirect confirmation was a classic Marx tactic that JJ was well acquainted with. They did what they pleased and asked for forgiveness rather than permission.

A sigh fell from his mouth. He was grateful for her intervention. Finding out that his mother-in-law bought his house was much better than finding an eviction notice taped to his door, but there were some kind gestures that were simply too big to accept. "Look, Emma—"

"Let me explain before shutting me down." Her tone was very maternal, both patient and demanding. "The bank had it up for foreclosure, so I bought it. I thought that you guys could fix it up and we could sell it if you didn't want to keep it."

Confusion overcame him. "Keep it? Like, you keep it and I just live in it and pay rent or...?"

It occurred to her in that moment, that her intentions were not as clear as she hoped they would be. "JJ, you're not eighteen yet so it'll stay in my name, but the house is yours." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. As if gifting houses was an everyday occurrence. "I thought that if you wanted to sell it, you could use that money to pay off your restitution. If you don't, we can figure something else out. But it's yours. Besides, it's not like your dad is around to fight us on it. He hasn't been seen on the island for months."

"You..." The words were stuck in his throat. Emma bought his house for him? When the thought finally settled into his brain, he shook his head. "Em, I appreciate it, I really do. I appreciated it when you offered to pay the restitution and I appreciate you taking me in, but I can't accept this."

"Sure you can," she insisted. When she saw his hesitation, she continued. "JJ, I've known you since you were ten years old. Like John B, I practically raised you. I see the way you look at my daughter and I see the way she looks at you. I know you're young, but am I crazy to think you're in it for the long run?"

JJ shook his head. He would stay by Stella's side as long as she would have him.

Emma expected that much. Leaning forward, she offered a smile of reassurance. "Whatever chip you have on your shoulder or thoughts you have about not being good enough need to stop. You're family, kid. Not matter what. Accept it."

JJ could've cried. But instead, he sucked in a breath and gave a curt nod. His appreciation twinkled in his eyes. In that moment, he decided that if he ever got insanely rich, he was going to buy his mother-in-law her own hospital wing or something. "Thank you, Emma."

"Of course." She turned back to the stove. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a teasing look. "But hey, if you want to work for it, my car could use a wash."

A laugh fell from JJ's mouth. "I'm on it."

ON THE BORDER between the two sides of the island, Stella watched as Sarah kept fidgeting with her bracelets. The girl sitting next to her had been acting weird all morning, barely paying attention to Kie or Cleo when they recounted their first night in Kildare.

Raising a brow, Stella shifted her body to face her better. Across the booth, Kie and Cleo gave her a questioning tilt of their heads.

"Okay, spit it out," Stella began. "What is it? You've been jittery all morning."

"Rafe's back," she blurted, causing Kie to choke on her water.

Her coughs caught the attention of her mother, who was standing behind the front counter across the restaurant. Waving her off, Kie leaned forward and raised her brows. "What?"

Cleo watched as Stella stilled, her hand slowly lowering her fork down onto her plate as silence washed over her. "You okay?"

"Um," Stella reached for her drink. The thought of facing Rafe again caused her anxiety to spike. After what she did to him, she didn't expect any of his fond feelings towards her to still be intact. She crossed the line one too many times. Gulping down her ice water, she nodded reluctantly. "I'm good. I'm— Do you want to elaborate on that, S?"

"I saw him at Tannyhill last night when I went to grab a phone and some clothes," the blonde explained. "You and JJ were already asleep when I got home. I don't think he saw me, but I think the cross is coming back to Wilmington tomorrow night."

Kie's stare flickered between her and Cleo. "Does Pope know?"

Sarah shook her head. "No," she replied. "I was going to tell him at the Chateau."

"He can't." Cleo took a piece of bread from the basket between them and tore it in half. Taking a bite, she said, "He's on lockdown."

Stella's brows furrowed as she reached for the other half of the bread roll. "But you're here," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but Heyward's got a soft spot for me."

"Guys, focus," Sarah called. Truth be told, she was terrified to see her brother again. After witnessing everything he had done—killing Peterkin, trying to kill her, shooting Stella, to name a few—she felt like she never knew him. That annoying older brother that existed in her memory was dead and gone, somebody new in his place. "What are we going to do?"

"Split up and rendezvous at the Chateau?" Stella suggested, resting her elbows on the table. Her chin was placed in the palm of her hand. "I'll get JJ and John B, you and Cleo will get Pope, and Kie will try to convince her parents to let her out of their sight?"

"Okay, yeah." Kie nodded and glanced at her mother. She sent her a tight lipped smile and started mentally preparing herself. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan."

"Wow, look at us," Stella mused, nudging Cleo with her foot. "Making a plan and sticking to it for once."

Cleo smirked. "It's a miracle."

"Let's hope it sticks."

Their plan was probably the only one they've ever had that turned out to be successful, and Stella would claim it was because the girls thought of it. In her valiant attempts to ensure that this plan succeeded, she returned home only to find that JJ was already on his way to the Chateau.

Somehow, Stella beat him there. The Chateau was quiet when she arrived with no sign of life to indicate that she wasn't alone. So with a small sigh, she walked over to the surf shack and sat down on one of the plastic chairs. Her hand slipped into her pocket to grab the set of embroidery string she brought from home, and she made quick work on the friendship bracelet she started the night before.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before she heard the familiar sound of JJ's dirt bike. She was lost in her thoughts about Rafe, wondering if he was angry enough to find her and enact revenge. When she looked up, JJ's bike was abandoned and he was walking towards her.

"Hey, Sunbaby," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek before sitting on the small table across from her. "I thought you were going to be at the Wreck for a few more hours."

Stella's nose scrunched. "I was but Sarah wanted to call a group meeting."

"Yeah, Sarah mentioned it this morning." He looked around the property and when he concluded that Stella was alone, he tilted his head. "Where are the others?"

Her hands fell to her lap and she gave the blond her full attention. "Sarah and Cleo are getting Pope, and Kie's on her way," she replied.

"And John B?"

Stella shrugged. When she first arrived, she walked around the Chateau and called his name but neither Routledge was around. "If he's not here, then I have no idea where he is. He's probably with his dad."

JJ nodded thoughtfully, his stare glazed with a far off look as he turned his head to the side. "John B pulling a Houdini again," he muttered. His stare met hers after a few moments of silence. "What does your big brain think about Big John being back? Do you think it has something to do with why John B's acting so sus?"

The thought had certainly crossed her mind. She understood the complexity of the situation and tried to give John B some slack. After all, he found out that his father was alive after a year of thinking the opposite. It was expected that they'd see less of him now that his father was back. But what she didn't expect was John B looking her in the eye and lying that he wasn't hiding anything.

She had a hunch, a peculiar feeling that she couldn't name, and it was telling her that Big John was isolating him from his friends. It was a thought that plagued her with guilt. She didn't want to accuse the man of something so manipulative after coming back from the dead, but she had learned the hard way to trust her intuition. Big John was just as stubborn as his son and when it came to anything treasure related, he didn't care about collateral damage.

Stella took in a slow breath and leaned back in her chair. "I love Big John and I'm happy he's okay, but... I don't know. I've got a weird feeling about it. You know how obsessed he was with the Merchant gold and now this lost city is involved... They're connected, he has to know that."

JJ nodded. "Yeah." He felt the same way, but Stella was better at putting it into words. "The timing's weird. Big John's back, there's a new treasure, and John B's gone all of a sudden? I don't think it's a coincidence."

"I mean, we might just be paranoid," Stella suggested. Despite her doubts, all she wanted was her honorary brother to be happy. After everything the group had been through, it was possible that they forgot how to recognize a good thing when it happened. "They might be catching up like they said they were. I just wish they weren't so determined and stubborn."

"Sometimes people think that about you," he quipped with a cheeky grin. His stare softened as she returned her attention to the string in her hands. Nodding at it, he asked, "What's that?"

He knew what it was from the colours alone. It matched the bracelet around his wrist, and Stella's, and Pope's, and everyone else's in the group. But still, he asked, just so he could see her proud smile.

Stella held it up for him to see, the smile he anticipated spread across her face. "A friendship bracelet for Cleo."

He couldn't help the turn of his lips as he let out an airy chuckle. "You're really fucking cute."

She rolled her eyes, not in annoyance but in a bashful way that brought giddiness to her cheeks. "And you're cheesy," she retorted.

"I take it back. You're not cute, you're mean." He rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned over and placed his cheeks in the palms of his hands. "What's this meeting about anyways?"

Stella looked up and the energy shifted around them. What was once lighthearted was now charged with anxiety and he braced himself for the worst. Knowing his wife, anything she said could range from losing her right sock to accidentally crashing a boat.

"Rafe's back on the island."

JJ felt like cold water had just been thrown on him. The initial shock was followed by his body struggling to keep up with the anger he felt. When he thought about Rafe Cameron, all he thought about was his murderous tendencies and weird obsession with his girl. Rafe wouldn't get within ten feet of Stella. He wouldn't offer her any romantic getaways to Europe or try to convince her that her friends sucked. He wouldn't talk to her. He wouldn't look at her. He wouldn't even think of her. Not if JJ had anything to do with it.

"Spectacular," he said, sarcasm pulling itself from his tone. He looked to the side and shook his head before turning to look at Stella again. "He's not getting anywhere near you. You know that, right?"

Stella appreciated the concern and extra protection. After the shit she pulled, she wouldn't be surprised if she was Rafe's next target. "It's not just that. Sarah overheard him saying that the cross is coming to Wilmington tomorrow night. He's been trying to sell it."

JJ stood up and began to pace. "Does Pope know?"

"He's about to."

Suddenly, he stopped. "Hold on. We know where the cross is gonna be. That means it's still on the field." Excitement filled his features as he spun on his heel. "We can come in and swoop. We're still in this, Stel."

Stella was about to reply but stopped when their other friends turned the corner around the house. Pope moved to sit on the small table JJ had previously been on, Kie and Cleo decided to share the chair across from Stella, and JJ pulled Stella up so he could take her place and pulled her onto his lap. After getting settled, Sarah stood with her hands clasped before her like she was about to give a presentation.

She reiterated everything she told the girls at brunch, then took a seat. "When I went back to Tannyhill, Rafe was on the phone with Ward, and he just kept saying, 'My thing, this is my thing.' And he's coming into Wilmington tonight at eight o'clock. It's being shipped by train to Raleigh from there, but this is our chance to get it back."

Pope nodded. He tried not to get his hopes up. "You get any other information?"

"I got the cargo number."

"Okay, well, that's a start."

JJ tapped his finger against Stella's thigh, unable to stay still. "They're definitely fencing that shit off as we speak, so we should probably get a move on."

Kie nodded and looked around. John B's absence was clear as day and the meeting felt empty without him. Tilting her head, she asked, "Sarah, did you hear from John B?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, he's probably off somewhere with his dad."

"But the problem is they have the Twinkie," JJ said.

Stella scratched her head. "Transportation is kind of important."

Across from the couple, Pope sucked in a quick breath. "I could ask my dad for the truck," he offered, causing the others to raise their brows. The last time they borrowed Heyward's truck, they abandoned it in Charleston.

"What about Emma's car?" Kie suggested, turning to the golden girl with a hopeful stare.

Before Stella could even think about the possibility, JJ shook his head. "No way," he scoffed. He just spent the better part of his morning detailing the interior and exterior of the Audi and he knew how chaotic his friends were. "One, the cross wouldn't fit, and two, I just washed it. There's no way we're chipping the paint."

Stella looked down at him with her brows knitted in confusion. "You washed my mom's car?"

"What can I say?" He shrugged. "I'm a good son-in-law."

"Guys," Sarah called, catching everyone's attention again. She would never say it outright, but she held a lot of guilt over what her family had done. It was really important to her that Pope got the cross back. "Go home, ask your parents if you can leave or borrow their car or whatever, and we'll meet at the ferry in an hour. Okay?"

There was a chorus of agreement and their meeting adjourned with them going their separate ways.

STELLA AND SARAH walked with linked arms as JJ walked his dirt bike beside them. The journey back to Marx Mansion was short and filled with rehearsing what they would say to convince Emma that going to Wilmington would be a good idea. They played several rounds of Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who would do the talking. Unfortunately, luck was not on Stella's side.

The house was quiet when they returned and they knew that Emma wasn't on call and had no surgeries scheduled today. According to JJ, she was doing paperwork in her home office when he left earlier. As it turned out, she still was.

"Mom?" Stella called, knocking on the office door as she pushed it open. Her mother looked up, glasses on the bridge of her nose with papers sprawled out before her. "Are you busy?"

Upon seeing the three teenagers, Emma took her glasses off and sighed. She knew the faces they wore quite well. It was the same look they had when they were ten and wanted to go to the drive-in movies past their bedtime or when they were fifteen and forgot to buy a poster board for their project that was due the next day. It was a mix of apprehension, guilt, and hope.

Before they even spoke, she asked, "Where's John B?"

"With his dad," Stella replied. It seemed that his absence bothered all of them. "Can we talk?"

Emma beckoned them further into the room. They stood before her like they had been sent to the principal's office after doing something wrong. A part of her was nervous. JJ and Stella told her all about their wild adventures over dinner last night and Sarah told her story when she arrived at the house as well. The thought of them doing anything other than hanging out at the Chateau or the Wreck rose her blood pressure. "What is it?"

Stella hesitated and JJ nudged her with his elbow. After sending him a narrowed stare, she turned back to her mother and stepped forward. "Um, do you remember the cross we told you about? The one that belonged to Denmark Tanny and Pope's family?"

Emma nodded. "You mean the reason you ended up on a cargo ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the first place?"

The three teens winced at her tone. Getting her permission to go to Wilmington wouldn't be easy. "Yes, that one," Stella confirmed. Her hand rose to fiddle with her necklace. "Well, it turns out that it's coming back and we need to go to Wilmington to get it. Tonight. Like we need to leave right now."

"Didn't you say that the Camerons had the cross?" Emma asked with a raised brow.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, but Rafe is having it moved—"

"So basically, you're asking me if you can go to Wilmington tonight to steal back a priceless artifact?"

The three teens looked at each other before nodding. "Yeah," they chorused. "Exactly that."

Another sigh fell from Emma's lips and she rubbed her temples. The three Pogues standing before her felt sympathetic. The woman just got her kids back and now they wanted to run off again. She had every reason to say no, which is why they were so surprised when she looked up and nodded.

"You can go but under two conditions."

They all nodded, eager to accept the conditions and leave before she could change her mind.

"You two go to therapy," she requested, pointing to the girls before moving onto JJ. "And you go to school."

There was a beat of silence before the trio responded. Stella's brows were high as she exclaimed her disbelief, Sarah accepted right away, and JJ protested.

"Therapy?" Stella questioned. "Really?"

Emma just shrugged. "You want to go to Wilmington? You gotta go to therapy."

"Why?" Stella groaned, causing her friends to hide their snickers.

Her mother looked at her like she grew two heads. "Stella, you thought your best friends died, witnessed a murder, and were stranded on a deserted island for six weeks. You keep going through all these traumatic things and you can't ignore it. Therapy will help."

"I'm not against therapy," Stella defended. She wasn't against therapy in the slightest and always had good experiences with it growing up, but right now, she only viewed it as another responsibility in her long list of getting her life back to normal. On top of catching up with school, volunteering, and helping her friends adjust to life back on Kildare, she didn't have time to talk about her feelings. "I've read all about Freud's psychodynamic theories and— Actually, I read this article about the differences between cognitive behavioural therapy and talk therapy that was really good and— Forget it, that's besides the point. I don't think I need therapy." 

"Okay, well, I do," Emma returned.

Behind them, JJ and Sarah shared a look. They had seen the stubborn expression on Stella's face a thousand times and it was amusing to see how identical it was to her mother's.

Out of the corner of her eye, Stella could see JJ's failed attempt at hiding a smile and decided to drag him into it. "JJ went through the same things, why doesn't he have to go to therapy?"

"Oh, he's going," Emma confirmed, ignoring the noise of shock he let out. "My biggest struggle will be getting him into school, but once he's settled in, he's joining you and Sarah at Dr. Wolff's."

Stella's mouth fell open at the familiar name. She knew Dr. Wolff very well thanks to her time spent at the hospital, which meant that she knew how good he was at his job. Dr. Wolff would see right through her, no matter how good of a liar she was. There was no hiding her feelings around the man and the thought of being honest with herself was stressful.

Sarah placed her hand on Stella's arm and moved her to the side so that she could stand directly in front of Emma. "We'll do it," she said, answering for the three of them. She figured that a pacifist approach was better in this situation. Time was ticking and they needed to meet the others. "So, can we go to Wilmington?"

"Do you have a money and a phone?"

The trio hesitated. They had no money at hand, but they did have phones. Though, they couldn't say that because they were stolen and if Emma found out, any chance of going to Wilmington would be reduced to zero.

A final sigh escaped Emma's mouth and she opened her desk drawer. Pulling out her personal phone, she tossed it over to Sarah. "Stay in touch and look out for each other. There's ApplePay on that and I have my work phone on me, so if anything happens—and I mean anything—you call me."

The trio took that as a sign to leave and started rushing towards the door. As they left, Emma shouted out. "Be good and don't do anything illegal! I swear to God, you guys. You'll give me a heart attack!"

Her words echoed down the hall, and in return, the trio shouted variations of, "We'll be good!" and, "Love you!"

RAE SPEAKS !
sorry for such a long break between updates, i got sick, had exams, and just life got in the way but thank you for being understanding! this one was a little boring but expect the next chapter to be more exciting with more jj and stella :) hope everyone is doing well!!

emma: