𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

[𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔]

❧

MARINA COULD SEE HER MOTHER SMILING AT HER FROM INSIDE THE DINER. She unfortunately agreed to her fathers request to speak with her, although was regretting it the moment she stepped foot inside. Seeing her mother's fake smile and cold welcome that she tried to pass off as warm... yeah, it wasn't exactly how Marina wanted to spend her time.

"Mija, you came." Amelia says as Marina stops at the table. Marina just tosses her bag on the ground as she sits down on one of the chairs.

"Well, you won't stop harassing dad." Marina retorts in a snappy tone. Amelia sighs as she takes a breath, glancing around before talking the seat in front of her.

"I'm not harassing your father, Marina."

"Could've fooled me." She mutters and Amelia tried to keep her frustration at bay because she just wanted to have a conversation with her daughter.

"I just want what's best for you." Amelia assures her and Marina couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Like you know what that is." Marina responds, meeting her mother's gaze. "You abandoned us, and now you want to show back up and take me away from my family? From Ryder?" She asks, shaking her head.

"I'm not taking you away from your brother, sweetheart." Amelia denies quickly.

"Then why are you only fighting for full custody of me?" Marina points out. It was clear that she only had intentions of getting her daughter, it didn't matter what happened to her own son.

"Your brother is eighteen in a few months, it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to lengthen the process by fighting for you both." Amelia explains and Marina narrows her gaze.

"I don't want you to fight for me. I like living with dad and I can make my own decision." Marina tells her. Why couldn't she just respect that she wanted to live with her father?

"He's a drug dealer. I don't want you around that kind of influence." Amelia denies and Marina only let out a humor less laugh.

"You seemed to like it when he was spending most of the money to keep you happy." Marina admits as she tilts her head. "Well, until you found some other sucker's money to leech off of." She adds, pressing her tongue to the inside of her cheek.

"He is a great guy."

"Hes a money hungry kook who doesn't give a shit about us." She corrects with a scoff, glaring at her mother who's jaw clenches lightly.

"Watch your mouth, okay?" Amelia warns her but Marina didn't even blink at the so called threat.

"You can't tell me what to do." Marina denies.

"I am still your mother."

"Just because you gave birth to me does not make you my mom." Marina wasn't about to be told what to do by someone who had abandoned her family. Amelia sighs as she leans her arms against the table.

"Mija, i know you love your dad. But think about your future, he'll only be holding you back." Amelia tries to tell her but Marina didn't believe it for a second.

"Hes been very supportive actually and tirelessly trying to get enough money to fight for me. He loves me. Your love is subjective, leaving us the first chance you got for greed and selfishness."

"I didn't cheat on your father, no matter what he says." Amelia denies and Marina raises an eyebrow.

"So, you leave him for another man during your relationship and I'm supposed to believe you didn't cheat?" Marina responds. Yeah, that was the most believable story.

"Things were drifting between us, we were fighting constantly, i didn't want it to affect you-"

"Oh, so you left us to protect us? Do you know how you sound?" Marina asks her, crossing her arms against her chest. If her parents were truly having problems they should've just ended things amicably.

"Just come meet him, you'll see he's a nice guy, we have a room set up for you and everything." Amelia explains to her and Marina rolls her eyes, grabbing her bag from the ground.

"I'd rather stick my head in boiling oil." Marina retorts as she stands up from her chair, scraping the metal against the floor.

"Then why did you agree to meet with me?" Her mother asks watching as her daughter turned her back to her. Marina stops momentarily before allowing herself to look back at the woman.

"Because dad convinced me to." She responds as she places her hands on the chair. She stares down at her mother before a scoff leaves her lips. "Last time I let him do that." Marina mumbles as she shakes her head, holding the straps of her bag. "If you really love me and want what's best for me like you say you do, you leave me the hell alone." Marina tells her before turning and heading off toward the door, not sparing one more glance at the woman.

❧

AS MARINA PULLS UP TO THE CHATEAU ON HER BIKE, she notices Kiara and Pope impatiently waiting by the porch. "Where have you been?" Kiara asks with a scoff as she gets up from the step, brushing herself off as she walks over to the girl. Marina shrugs her shoulders, taking off her headphones as she puts her bike on the ground.

"I just had something to do." She responds which causes Kiara to cross her arms against her chest.

"We're supposed to be making a plan in order to get the gold." Kiara tells her and Marina could see she was angry.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't i?" Marina mutters back before glancing around the area. "Wheres everyone else?" She questions as she couldn't see anyone else from the group.

"God, this whole thing is falling apart." Kiara groans as she tilts her head back, glancing to the side.

"Kie, just calm down." Pope tells her but she just furrows her eyebrows as a light catches her eye.

"What the hell is that?" She asks, walking toward it. Marina and Pope both follow her around the house until they notice the hot tub in the back yard. JJ was sat in it, champagne in his hand, sunglasses on his face as he stared up at the sky.

"What did you do, JJ?" Pope asks, surprise in his tone as the group take in the scene around them.

"I got a jet going straight in my butt right now." JJ says with a laugh as he tilts his head. "Yall should get in immediately, you hear me?" He tells them, his eyes moving to Marina who was only glancing around the area. "Mari, come let off some steam." He pleads, gesturing bis hand. She could only stare at it.

"How much did this cost?" Pope questions.

"Uh.... Well, with the generator, the petrol, and oh, hey, express delivery... pretty much all of it, yeah."

"All of it?" Pope responds, staring at the man like he was crazy.

"Yeah, all of it." JJ retorts like it was just a casual thing.

"You spent all of the money in one day?" Pope asks, his eyes widening. Although Marina didn't think that was hard.

"Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket. But, I mean, like, come on, guys. Look at this! Finest in jet based massage therapy, thats what they told me." JJ explains to them but Kiara just shakes her head in disgust. "Kie, what? Can't a man have a little luxury in life? Come on, all this scrimpin and scrapin... I mean, like, guys we-- you only live once, right? Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the cats ass, come on." He tells them, putting a smile back on his face as he gestures for them to join him.

"In the what?" Kiara asks, her eyebrows furrowed.

"The cats ass. That's what I named her." He says with an small laugh. "Oh, hey, yo, I almost forgot." JJ turns for a moment before water shoots from both sides and lights shine all around. "Huh? Yeah, thats right, I know. Disco mode. That's right, baby." He says, holding his arms up. "Mari, come on, get in and join me, huh?" JJ demands, now staring at the girl who was simply stood behind Kiara.

She didn't know what had gotten into him-- well, he was acting erratic before, this just seemed to be the end result. "Are you kidding me? You could've paid for restitution." Pope scolds him, hating how he spent all the money on meaningless things.

"Or literally given it to any charity." Kiara adds with a scoff.

"Or better yet, you could've help us buy supplies to get the rest of the gold out of the well!"

"Okay, well, you know what? I didn't do that!" JJ denies as he stands up, the water dripping from his body. That was when his bruises were made clear to the group and they all could only watch in shock. "I got a hot tub! For my friends. I got a hot tub for my friends." He tells them and Marina scans him a bit, feeling her stomach twist lightly. "You know what? No-- screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family!" He corrects himself with a scoff.

"JJ, what the hell?" Kiara asks him, clearly not used to seeing the man in this state.

"Guys, look what I did for you! All right? Look at this!"

"JJ." Kiaras voice was in as whisper as she just stares at the man with tears in her eyes.

"No, you stop being emotional! It's fine, okay?" JJ tries to stop her, shaking his head. "Mari, you're not emotional, right? I-i mean you never are. So just get in! Enjoy what I gave you!" He pleads, his eyes now moving over to Marina, yet his gaze was still shifted mainly to the ground. "I mean, it's sweet, right? Everything-- just get in." Marina didn't know what to do as she watched JJ break down.

It was clear what his father did to him had affected him. Maybe even the whole treasure hunting thing added on to all of the stress as well. He had been kind to her when he learnt what she had gone through and well, she never really reciprocate that. She didn't know if that's what lead her to do what she did next, but it was definitely one reason.

As the water drenches her pants, Marina moves into the hot tub, her eyes on JJ as she stood in front of him. Her stance was awkward, not really knowing what to do as she fiddles with her fingers. JJ was softly crying as he stared down at the water, edging ever so closer to her but he was at a standstill as well.

The smallest sigh left Marina's lips as she ran her eyes over his injuries once more, hearing the man sniffling and trying to catch his own breath. Fighting against her own hesitation, deciding her discomfort could be pushed past, she lifts her hands slowly to his shoulders. It was like a sign, an indicator to JJ that she had opened herself up to him.

Because as soon as her hands hit his skin, he was stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. His head was pushed into the crook of her neck as he held onto her tightly, the cries still audible from his lips. Marina tensed slightly at the contact but knew this was what he needed in the moment.

So, she allows her hand to run along his back, trying to offer what little comfort she could. "I got you." She tells him as his fingers grip her sides, their bodies pressed together as JJ sobs in her arms.

"I just couldn't do it." He denies, shaking his head. "I can't take him anymore!" JJ cries as his grip loosens for a minute before he was holding onto her again. Marina frowns to herself as her hand moves up to his hair, running through it ever so slowly. "I was gonna kill him." His voice cracks, the shaky breath inhaling through his lungs.

"Its okay." Marina assures him. Honestly, a world without Luke Maybank would probably be a better one but they weren't that lucky. And she didn't really want JJ going away for murder.

She heard the water splash behind her and before she could glance back, four more arms were wrapped around her. It seemed Kiara and Pope had joined in on the hug. Marina didnt know if this made things less awkward or more for herself. "I just wanna do the right thing." JJ admits as he holds onto them.

"I know. I know." Kiara responds as she sniffles, holding onto her friends. Marina was never one to be overemotional or to have these moments all together. But it was what JJ needed, it was what her friend needed. And sometimes you had to put your own discomforts aside to help a person you care about.

❧

THE GROUP LOUNGED AROUND THE CHATEAU, all of them were waiting for John B's long awaited return. None of them had really spoken about last night with JJ and the hot tub, knowing it wasn't really a conversation the man wanted to have right now. Kiara just stared toward her best friend who was drawing something in her book. She sighed as she knew something was wrong.

Getting up, she walks to the other side of the room, taking the seat beside Marina. The girl shifts a bit but doesn't move her focus from her book. "Hey." She says, putting on a light smile as she nudged her arm. "Why have you been so off with me lately? Did I do something?" Kiara asks, wondering if she had done something to upset her.

"Its nothing, Kie." Marina denies as she tilts her head, grabbing a different pencil.

"It clearly is something cause you haven't been yourself." She denies but she didnt get a response. "Is it Sarah? Did she say something?" Kiara questions. She knew something had to have happened. Marina had been giving her the silent treatment since the boat and Sarah seemed awkward anytime Kiara mentioned Marina.

"We don't exactly talk." Marina snaps and Kiara let's out a frustrated sigh.

"Can you at least give me something, Mari? Because I feel like I'm grasping at straws here." Kiara points out and Marina finally meets her gaze.

"Yeah, well i was doing that while you were at the kook academy so." She responds bluntly. Kiara furrows her eyebrows, a bit confused on why she was suddenly bringing up freshman year.

"Is that what this is about? Not hanging out as much when I was at the kook academy?" Kiara asks, blinking a bit as she tried to understand.

"I don't care that you didn't hang out with me." Marina denies but that just seemed to add to the confusion.

"Do you think now that Sarah's part of the group that she'll take your place or something?"

"Well, John B seemed fine with it." She mumbles and Kiara clenches her jaw. What had John B told her?

"What? What did he say?" Kiara was furious that John B would say agree with something like that.

"Why don't you just talk to them, Kiara?"

"They're not here, you are." Kiara responds with a scoff. "Youre my best friend and suddenly you're acting like a stranger." She points out but Marina just keeps her eyes on her paper. Kiara waited patiently but that ran out pretty quickly as she huffed. "I can't deal with this shit right now." She denies, storming out and slamming the door behind her.

Pope flinches, his wide eyes meeting JJ's. Of course JJ knew why Marina was being like this but Pope was as clueless as everyone else. They both look over at Marina who ignores their looks as her phone rings. She pulls it out, a sigh leaving her lips. "Yeah?" She asks in annoyance.

"Mar, you gotta get home now." Her brothers voice comes through the phone making her roll her eyes.

"I'm not gonna bail your ass out again, deal with dad on your own." Marina says, about to hang up before he continued talking.

"No, the police are here, they say they have a warrant for his arrest." Ryder tells her and she felt her whole body go numb as she tensed.

"What?" She asks and this catches the boys attention. "What are you talking about?" Marina questions, sitting up straighter.

"I-i don't know. Just get here!" Ryder tells her before hanging up the phone. Marina stares in front of her for a moment before snapping her art book closed.

"I have to go."

"But John B might be back any minute." Pope points out, not needing another member of the group to go awol.

"Yeah, well, this can't wait." She denies as she grabs her bag.

"Is everything okay?" JJ asks her with a frown as he sits up a bit. She stops, staring at the man.

"Can you take me to my house on your bike?" Marina asks. She knew it would be way faster than taking her bike and she needed to get there now.

"Uh, yeah, sure." JJ says, a bit confused as he shuffled through his pockets for his keys which made Marina impatient.

"Now, JJ." She says, heading toward the door and JJ jumped off, finally finding them but not before they practically went flying across the room.

"Y-yeah, coming." He responds, grabbing them from the floor and racing out of the house with Pope following. Kiara seemed to notice this, looking at the pair as they both climbed onto the bike.

"Where are you guys going?" Kiara asks them. JJ turns the ignition key, making sure Marina was holding onto him.

"We'll be right back." JJ tells her and she just stares back at him in shock.

"No, you can't just leave-- JJ! Mari!" She shouts after them as the bike heads off down the path. Kiara runs after it for a moment before giving up, a groan leaving her lips as she brings her hands to her head. Her eyes move to Pope who just shrugs his shoulders, neither of them knowing what had just happened.

❧

AS JJ PULLS UP TO MARINA'S HOUSE, there was cops everywhere, flashing lights and a crowd forming with their phones out. Marina jumps off of the bike just in time to see her dad being walked out of their house in handcuffs. Her eyes widen as she rushes over. "Dad?" Marina calls out but he was only brought toward the cop car nearest to the house. "Dad!" She tries again and this time he lifted his head but the cop holding him just pushes him toward the car.

She cuts past the police tape, not caring in the slightest. "What are you doing, you can't just arrest him!" Marina points out as Shoupe walks over to her, making sure she can't get any closer as her dad gets put in the back of a squad car.

"I have a warrant, Marina, now stand back." Shoupe tells her and she scoffs, glaring at the older man.

"For what? What did he do?"

"Possession of illegal drugs, intent to distribute illegal drugs, selling to minors, assault, assault with a deadly weapon-- i can go on." Shoupe says, almost sounding bored as he stared back at her. Her lips slightly part as she narrows her gaze.

"You cant prove any of that!" She denies but Shoupe rolls his eyes, a scoff leaving his lips.

"Your father is a well known drug dealer on the island, Marina. He's going away for a long time."

Marina just pushes past the man. "Dad!" She shouts, trying to get to the cop car but one of the officers grabs a hold of her. "Get off me!" Marina hits him forcefully, pushing him back. JJ seemed to step forward at this but the other cop gave him a warning look.

She glares at the cops as she sees the car drive down the street. Marina scoffs as she pushes past them to get to her house. JJ flips off Shoupe as he follows her up the stairs. Marina sees Ryder pacing back and forth in the living room. "This doesn't make any sense, dads careful, he doesn't keep shit in the house, he deals to people he knows--"

"Someone must have snitched, I dont know." Ryder responds as he brings his hands to the back of his head before kicking the table in front of him. "Fuck! Man, this is just perfect." He mutters, closing his eyes momentarily.

"It had to have been mom. She wasn't getting her way so she made sure nothing could stop her." Marina points out. It was so obvious from the moment Ryder had called her.

"Even if it was, how would she have known where he hid the drugs? He never let her in on that. They seized them, Mari."

"Her kook husband has ties with people, they probably bribed somebody or did an illegal wiretap or something." Marina suggests. No doubt her kook husband--fiance--boy toy-- whatever the fuck he was, was also in on this.

"I don't know." Ryder says with a sigh, rubbing his back.

"Cant we like bail him out?" She questions.

"I doubt they'll post a bond and even if they do, it'll be too expensive." Ryder points out.

"Dads been saving money for a lawyer, we can use some of that."

"They emptied what was left in the safe."

"What do you mean what was left?" Marina answers, confused. There should've been plenty in there, maybe not enough to bail him out but to get a decent lawyer to defend him.

"Someone cleared it out earlier." Ryder tells her with a shrug and Marina stared back at him. Who would've cleared it out? Especially since the police seemed to be on their dad's tail for a while now.

"Youre telling me that she won? That'll we'll have to go live on the kook side with all the wannabe rich brats?" She asks with a groan, loathing just thinking about it.

"We won't have to do anything." Ryder corrects her and she freezes for a moment.

"I'm not leaving without you."

"Aww, you do care, sis." He teases with a smirk and she simply clenched her jaw as she crosses her arms against her chest.

"Say that again and I'll cut out your tongue." Marina warns and he chuckles lightly before a sigh leaves his lips.

"Look, I'm seventeen, I can get emancipated--"

"And what? No judge will allow me to live with you and even if we both get emancipated, where will we stay? We barely could afford this place even with Dads money." Marina points out with a scoff. JJ was only silently listening to the siblings conversation, not really seeing a place here for him. But he did see an opportunity, especially since it wouldn't be that long before someone came to kick her out of her own house.

"You can stay at the chateau." JJ pipes up causing both of them to look at him. "I mean, you can have the guest room." He adds, rubbing the back of his neck and Marina furrows her eyebrows.

"Dont you sleep in there?" She retorts. Ryder looks between them, narrowing his gaze before smiling to himself.

"Ill crash on the couch, no big deal." JJ says with a shrug of his shoulders.

"And I have a few friends i can crash with." Ryder says and Marina bites the inside of her cheek. "She doesnt have to win." He denies with a soft smile as he nudges his sisters shoulder. "Just don't do anything stupid." He teases and she cocks an eyebrow back at him.

"What, like threaten someone with a gun?" She responds and he chuckles, nodding his head.

"Exactly." Ryder tells her, lifting his hand to ruffle her hair. She groans instantly.

"Get off." Marina grumbles, slapping his hand away roughly as she glares at him. Ryder just smirks, laughing as he turns to head toward the door. He just nods toward JJ who waves back before the man leaves.

The two teenagers were left alone in the eerily quiet house. "I'm sorry about your dad." JJ says, rubbing his hands against his legs. Marina just looks over at him, slowly nodding her head.

"I'm sorry about yours." She responds, her eyes moving back in front of her as JJ clears his throat. "Guess I should pack a bag." Marina says as she walks toward her room, JJ practically trailing behind her like a puppy.

"The essentials, right?" He says, picking up the art supplies that were beside him. Marina could see the light smile he was giving her. She couldnt get the conversation she heard out of her mind so she simply choice to look away. JJ seemed defeated as he looked down at his hands. "You know, you shouldnt ice out kie, she doesn't know what happened." JJ points out which makes her roll her eyes.

"I can make my own decision, thanks."

"I'm just saying she loves you, you can't exactly be mad at her for something she doesn't know she did." JJ tells her and Marina just stares back at him. "That didn't really make sense but you know what I'm trying to say." He adds and Marina sighs as she shakes her head.

"I'm not mad at her." She denies and JJ narrows his gaze at her. "I'm a bit annoyed that she's talking to Sarah so easily... maybe it's coming across too hostile." Marina mutters as she shrugs her shoulders.

"I'll say." JJ snickers and the woman just glares back at him making his smirk drop.

"I just sometimes don't know the right emotion to portray, okay?" She says, awkwardly fiddling with her hands. "Can we move past this?" Marina says, not really asking as she moves toward the bathroom.

She glances at the mirror, leaning her hands against the counter. Marina felt her stomach twist a little bit. Her father was gone, probably for a long time. There was no way he was going to get through a trail in this town. Not with the snotty kooks who, even though they bought from him, would throw him to the sewers every single chance they got.

Marina knew it was her mother. No one else really had the guts or the proof to get him behind bars. She must've known something and had been keeping it to herself to use when she didn't get her way. And well, Marina not going with her was the final straw.

And now she didn't have her dad. And she didn't know what she was gonna do. Marina felt a tear trickle in her eye. She looks up at the ceiling, trying desperately to stop the emotion. She hated crying, she hated the feeling of it, she hated being vulnerable, she loathed it entirely. But it was the one thing she could never seem to stop when it happened.

"Hey, is it okay if i--" JJ stops in the doorway, holding one of her artbooks up in his hand. She turns to look at him and thats when the tear had fell down her cheek. "Oh, sorry." He apologizes immediately, a frown forming but she just steps forward, quickly pushing him out of the bathroom and slamming the door in his face.

JJ could only stand, staring at the wooden door as his arm slowly drops to the side.

❧

Authors note; sorry for the long awaited chapter! I have decided to cast Jensen ackles as the kook husband who is yet to be named.

thank you for reading, be sure to comment your thoughts and reactions throughout the chapter, leave a like if you want to and stay tuned for more updates. check out my profile for more stories <3