Topper had thrown a few jalapeño poppers on a plate as Joey came down stairs, hair wet and in new clothes. She looked tired, but warmer then what she was. "Hey."

"Hey." Joey said back, sliding into the seat at the bar.

"Feel any better?" he hummed in response.

"For the most part. My nose still hurts from all the water." she said in return, leaning on her elbow. "He's insane."

"Yeah." Topper admitted with a head shake. "What were you even doing there?"

"Kook Project." Joey said in return, rubbing her neck, Rafes hands leaving a mark and soreness.

Topper looked in disbelief. "So, you go to Rafe?"

Joey ignored him, pulling the plate closer to eat one. Topper sighed when he realized she wasn't gonna talk. "I feel like there's something going on that you haven't told me about."

"I can't." Joey met his eye. "I would. But, I can't."

"Why? Do you not trust me?" he looked at her in disbelief.

"You've been hiding something from me too." Joey pointed out as he blinked. "You said earlier that you don't want to lie to me. So, clearly, there's been something."

"Well, i'm deciding to tell you now." he said back with a head shake, walking toward the living room. "I know you're gonna be mad at me."

Joey rubbed her tired eyes as Topper grabbed a folder, walking back over. Joey saw her full name written across the front. "Are those my medical records?"

"No, legal papers." he said back, getting a look of disbelief. "My grandfather is the judge."

"Ugh, and that just makes it okay?" Joey looked at him in shock.

"No, no." Topper rose his hand to show that wasn't what he meant. "I got them because I remember something, but I wasn't sure."

"So why not just ask me instead of being a creep?" she took the folder from him. "What's even in here?"

"Everything." Topper shook his head. "And I didn't ask you because I don't think you know either."

Joey gave an odd look as Topper pulled out his phone, typing his password in and pulling a picture up. "Look at this."

Joey blinked at the photo, clearly an old one from a while back. "That's my mom."

"You said your mom came down here in her twenties before moving off." Topper said back, pointing to the woman on his right. "This is my mom. I found this in one of her books."

Joey met his eye. "So, they were friends?"

"I guess so." Topper said back with a nod of his head. "And then I saw this guy, and I know that's not my dad."

Joey looked down at the photo, a man with his arm around her mom. Topper nodded to the folder in her arms. "That's your dad, Jo."

Her eyes softened, looking down at the photo again. It was too old to tell if she'd inherited any of his features. "How do you know?"

"That's why I took your file, because I wanted to make sure." he nodded toward the folder. "It's all in there if you want to look."

Joey pulled the folder opened quickly, flipping through the pages as a photo was attached to her birth certificate. A man in his 20s was attached to it, striking blue eyes and nearly white hair. Joey flipped past it, looking for his name on her certificate. Topper realized she was lost, walking to her side to point to the name.

Luke Maybank.

Joey froze. Completely froze. Luke Maybank. JJ's dad, her dad. She immediately remembered when she went to talk to JJ when they were searching for the gold, and all he said about her mom. Joey figured he'd seen her around, never did she think he was the man she'd fallen for before taking off. She never thought about how the destructive, anger filled, danger that Lula Findlay ran from, was Luke Maybank.

Joey shut the folder, she hadn't said anything. What was there to say? She'd always wondered about her dad, wondered what she'd inherited from him and if he was as bad as her mom made him out to be. Now she knew he was an abusive asshole that made his sons life hell. Joey felt guilty for being the child that got to escape him, that didn't have to deal with him her entire life. Topper gave a worried look. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Joey blinked down at the folder. "Did you tell anyone?"

"No." he answered.

"Okay." her voice was a whisper, clearly in shock. The lighters. The lighters were so obvious. M. M, not for Marie like her mom said, M for Maybank. It was Luke's, Lulu gave it to her as the only thing she had of her father without telling her so. JJ. All Joey could think about was JJ. "I don't wanna talk about it right now."

"Okay." Topper nodded, looking down at the folder. "You mad at me?"

Joey turned her head to him. "Do not ever snoop around in my business again without asking me first."

Topper nodded quickly. "I won't."

Joey stood up with a exhale. "I'm really tired."

"I can drive you back home." he nodded his head, the rain still pouring outside.

"Can I just stay here?" she asked after a second. "I don't think I can look at my uncle right now."

Because there was no way he didn't know.

Topper nodded his head. "Yeah, sure. Come on."

Joey followed him up the stairs, he brought her to the bedroom with the book shelves. Walking over, Joey got into the bed. Topper walked over, making sure the window was shut completely. "You all set?"

Joey nodded, pulling the blanket up higher with an exhale. Topper flipped the lamp off, turning. He stopped when a hand latched onto his wrist, causing him to look back. Joey sat up, pulling the blanket back more and scooting over. Topper hesitated, crawling into the bed next to her. They laid face to face. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." Joey said back, breathing out like she was about to sigh. "I just need to talk to JJ."

Topper exhaled. "Will you tell me whatever you're hiding now?"

"If I tell you, it could screw everything up." Joey said back, keeping her voice in a whisper.

"Not if I don't say anything." he said back.

"But, I know you will." she admitted. It wasn't like she could totally blame him. They were always somehow in the same position, and Sarah and John B were their people. Joey knew if the roles were reversed, she'd flip her shit knowing John B was alive when she thought he was dead. "Can you just trust me when I say i'll tell you as soon as I know it's safe to?"

Topper exhaled. "Swear?"

"Swear." she answered. "Night."

"Night." he said back, waiting for her to close her eyes before doing the same.

Joey woke up hours later to someone shaking her. "Joey, wake up."

Her eyes squinted, blinking to adjust. The sun was barley up, only shining in on her side of the bed while Topper was still in the dark. She looked over, rubbing her eyes. The blonde stared down at her, shaking his head slightly. "You're my best friend."

Joeys eyes widened. She'd experienced this before. A moment of realization. John B did the same thing. Only they were on a boat and he'd just looked at her. Topper sensed the widened eyed look, Joey sat up quick. He crawled back some, holding his hands up in a minor panic. "Not-not- I just mean, you're my best friend. No one- you know, non of my other friends make me feel like they're my actual friends."

Joey exhaled. "Jesus, I thought you were about to ask me to marry you."

"What? No." Topper laughed in disbelief, clearing his throat. "Ugh, do you want me to drive you home now? The rain stopped."

Joey rubbed her eyes. "Hey."

"Hey." he said back with an odd look.

"You're my best friend too." she said back, staring up at him. "I've never even had a best friend before, so."

Topper cracked a grin.

•

kylie speaks

even though we all kinda
suspected it, this clears it
up a little bit!