"Layla! Hey, Layla! You coming in soon?" Henry called out as he hung out of the back porch door, "Mosquitos are gonna eat you alive!"

The pair of dolphins eating from the girls hand swam off when she gave a minor whistle, turning around as her hair blew in the wind and sun caught her eye perfectly, "Coming!"

"What I tell you about feeding those dolphins? They're gonna get needy soon." Henry spoke as Layla walked up the small hill, back up to the small sugar shack and away from the docks.

"They're my only friends here." Layla said honestly as she walked into the house, the back door shutting behind her, "Besides, they like me."

"They like you because you feed em." Henry said as Layla sat down, "Finish your school?"

"We only had orientation and a essay about our summer." Layla nodded as he laid the plate before her, "My summer essay was all about dolphin training."

Henry gave her a minor grin, "I know this is hard, not being with your friends."

Layla shrugged, "It is but what can I do? Go home and be sent to a church school that is actually just border line conversion therapy?"

"The lawyer has a good case going right now. You get to stay with me until the trial is over and then I got custody and we move." Henry spoke as he looked across the table at his niece, "No more homeschool, no more Raymond, and no more of you having no friends."

Layla cracked a smile, "You're my friend."

"You bet your ass I am." he said back with a grin, tearing into the mac and cheese. Layla was about to do the same before her phone buzzed, making her eyes cast over at the screen. The Unknown number shined up at her as she dropped her fork.

"That your dad again?" Henry asked, being ignored as she stared at the screen with wide eyes, "Layla?"

The image of Sarah and John B sent Layla into a void, clutching her phone as she blinked.

Kiara: WTF is this you???

Unknown: Is JJ there?

JJ: I'm here Bree

Unknown: Did you pimp my short board?

Layla gave a sudden laugh at how familiar the words were, bringing her comfort to know John B was there. Her eyes swelled with salty tears as she began typing through the blurry vision.

Layla: And Sarah?

Unknown: Feel like making out in a bathroom again?

Layla laughed suddenly as she cried, her heart thumping as she stared at her phone.

"You're scaring me." Henry said as his niece looked up with a bright smiled and tears, "You smilin'? Cryin?"

"They're alive." Layla said as she stood up, "My friends. They're alive."

"Is that a flashlight in your pocket or you just excited to see me?" Layla called out as Henry drove the boat up to the docks behind Popes, the three pogues standing in wait for her.

"Layla!" JJ yelled as he threw his hands up.

"JJ!" she yelled back, throwing him the rope. Kie pulled Layla off the boat and wrapped her in a tight hug as they rocked slightly, "What are you feeling? How are you feeling?"

"Like Sarah and John B are alive." Layla laughed with the brightest smile on her face, "How'd this even happen? I feel like I can just scream."

"Maybe not scream considering your dad can show up and see you here." Pope pointed out as he gave her a hug.

"Creepy man from the hospital." JJ greeted Henry with a nod, "Thanks for taking care of our girl."

"Oh, that doesn't stop here, kid." Henry said as he got off the boat, "I'm Layla's guardian until this court is over. I'm staying."

"Does he know?" Pope whispered to Layla as she nodded her head, "Do we trust him?"

"Right here." Henry pointed out with a raise of his eyebrows.

"We can." Layla nodded, "You think John B's gonna care if we crash at the Chateau for a while?"

"Yes but we don't have to tell him." JJ said, throwing his arm around her, "Say it, Layla, say it."

"Say what?" Henry asked as he unloaded the bags off the boat.

"Pogues for life!" Layla shouted into the air.

"Kiara, I need those setups done by five!" Kie's mom yelled as she saw the four walking up from the docks. Layla supporting Sarah's shirt that she left at her house the time she drew her.

"You know there are other people that work here!" Kie called back to her in annoyance.

"But ain't none of them my children!" the mom said back quickly, Layla rolled her eyes as she sat down on the docks with a long sigh.

"I feel that. On a deep, emotional level." Pope agreed as he sat with Layla, crossing their legs on sync.

"That's the good thing about Henry. He's still young so doesn't act like a complete Karen." Layla shook her head as she looked toward the restaurant, "Not like Kie's rude ass mom. I'm still pissed at her for snitching on me freshman year."

"You mean when you stayed the night with me and then snuck out to go make out with Scarlett Clarke at the high school?" Kie asked with an amusing look on her face.

"Yes, I mean exactly that." Layla nodded her head in agreement.

"So we going to the Bahamas or what?" JJ spoke up in questioning, leading the conversation back to John B and Sarah.

"Obviously. How else are we gonna rescue them?" Layla asked him.

"There's no way we're getting to the bahamas." Pope shook his head as he looked between the pair.

"John B's gonna get nabbed sooner or later. So if we're gonna clear his name, we need to have done it yesterday." Kie pointed out, her bandana clinging to the bit of sweat on her forehead. Layla missed her own bandana, the pink one she left at her fathers house.

JJ stood suddenly, "I'll tell you how we do it."

"So you have it all planned out?" Pope hummed in disbelief.

"As a matter of fact, I do." the blonde said back with a point of his finger, "We kidnap Rafe."

Layla blew out of her mouth suddenly, "That one came outta no where."

"I'm sorry, what?" Pope asked with the same amount of disbelief.

"We kidnap Rafe, tie him up and stick a gun in his mouth and just wait until he starts squawking." JJ spoke with confidence.

"Are we talking about the same mother fucker that I ran over with the golf cart? Because I broke the dudes arm and he got right up immediately, immediately, and started chasing me." Layla pointed out as she gave a cringe at the memory, "Scary ass dude, looked like something right out of a horror movie."

"You know, torture is a war crime." Kie pointed out.

"Yeah, so how do you plan on clearing John B's name from a prison cell? Because that's a felony." Pope added in with her words, a wave of his hands in disbelief.

"Well, what you got, Pope?" JJ hummed as he sat back down, "I was just trying to keep it simple."

"Guys, all we need is a material witness." Pope spoke up, meeting each of their eyes, "Layla was there. She saw Rafe shoot the sheriff."

"I already said that but my dad lied and said I was at the church all night. He had our other pastor lie to the police as well so that's two, very respected men of god, against me." Layla pointed out with a shake of her head, "No one believes I was there. Plus with the law suit already going on..."

"It'll definitely ruin your case." Kie confirmed for her.

"The plane flew right over our heads. Ward didn't fly it. If someone else flew, they were there on the tarmac. They saw Peterkin get murdered. We just need to find whoever that was and get them to confess on record." Pope's plan B being spoken to the remaining trio.

"How do we do that?" Kie wondered.

"A little light espionage." Pope grinned as he looked over. Layla raise her eyebrows at the way he'd been gazing at Kie, looking to JJ as he gave her a knowing look back.

"A little ghost recon." JJ added into his words.

"Woogity-Woogity." Pope grinned.

"Woogity, baby!"

"If this guy flew planes for Ward, he's gotta be pretty tight-lipped." Pope spoke as they drove in the car, Layla and Kie in the front while the boys were in the back.

JJ cocked the gun in his hands, "So then direct approach him."

"JJ, no." Pope scolded.

"Dude, Henry taught me how to shoot!" Layla said quickly with wide eyes, "I shot a tree."

"What?" Kie asked in disbelief.

"I shot a tree!" Layla said loudly again.

"Guys! We gotta keep this simple, or we'll never get John B off." JJ tried to reason with the gun in his hands

"And get Sarah away from her wack ass family." Layla pointed out as her heart flipped at the thought of the blonde.

"Or we tickle the wire." Pope spoke up again.

"Tickle the what?" Layla asked.

"I can leave my phone in his car and hook it up to your Airpods." Pope said toward Kie as the pair of girls turned back and watched him put the pods in his ears before holding his phone toward Kie, "Say something."

"Something." she said back.

Layla watched before Pope spoke, "Okay, we have audio."

"Audio?" Layla spoke as she looked around the street, "My dad did a indoor prayer around here once."

"Indoor prayer?" JJ asked with a odd look.

"At home, I mean." Layla corrected herself as Pope climbed out of the backseat.

"Okay, call or, uh...yell or something if you see anything suspicious." Pope spoke, mainly looking toward Kie.

"Don't do anything dangerous." Kie shook her head his way.

"Come on. I'm not JJ." the Hayward boy laughed.

"Real funny, Pope." JJ hummed, "I love third wheeling with my lesbian."

"With your lesbian?" Layla snorted, "What is that?"

"You're my lesbian. You're lesbian and I love you, making you my lesbian." JJ confirmed for her as Layla raised her eyebrows with a hum.

"Right, so do I call you my little turtle.." Layla trialed off.

"Why on earth would you call me your little turtle?" he asked her in disbelief.

"Because You're a little turtle and I love you, making you my little turtle." she mocked his precious words.

"Absolutely not." JJ shook his head before kicking Kie's seat, "How's it been going, you know, with Pope and all?"

"Oh yeah, please tell me about this outta no where relationship." Layla nodded her head.

"It's good." was all Kie said back.

"Good as in like normal or good as in a super complicated good and one of you ends up in the bahamas?" Layla asked as Kie looked her way, "It can happen, Kie. Look and me and Sarah."

"How about in the bedroom? Is he, like, really freaky, because he's Pope, you know." JJ spoke up again, earning a odd look from Layla, "Don't look at me that way, you're not just a little curious?"

"I was not until you mentioned it." Layla shook her head.

"Why are you asking me this when she-"Kie spoke as she pointed over at Layla, "Literally has done some crazy shit in the bedroom."

"Did you have sex with Sarah that night we brought you to see her?" JJ asked curiosity.

"JJ, don't be gross." Layla rolled her eyes.

"I'm not! I'm just curious since you didn't tell us anything." JJ defended himself as he rose his hands.

Layla have a cheeky grin, "No, we didn't. We just, kissed and stuff. She said she loved me."

"Well, did you say it back?" Kie asked with wide ehes.

"I said dido." Layla slapped her forehead.

"You said dido?" Kie asked in disbelief.

"I know, I should have just said it back." Layla huffed in disbelief, letting out a yell as the door opened, "You scared the hell outta me, Pope!"

"Okay. Phase one is complete." he grinned, shutting the door and jamming the pods into his ears.

•

kylie speaks

my lover girllll,
i've miss my babyyyy
sm aw. i can't wait for
the two of them to reunite,
it's gonna be so precious.