𝟎𝟒𝟒.              𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐮𝐩

burning pile ──── mother mother

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

"𝖨 𝖢𝖠𝖭'𝖳 𝖡𝖤𝖫𝖨𝖤𝖵𝖤 𝖸𝖮𝖴'𝖱𝖤 𝖱𝖤𝖫𝖠𝖳𝖤𝖣 𝖳𝖮 𝖣𝖤𝖭𝖬𝖠𝖱𝖪 𝖳𝖠𝖭𝖭𝖸"

Since telling the group, JJ and John B have not shut up about the fact that Pope is related to the Denmark Tanny. It was pretty cool to hear that Pope is related to him and to Denmark's wife. So, Limbrey is probably interested in Pope because of that fact, but that still doesn't explain why the key is so damn important to her.

But we will find out why, that much I can promise because this has just gotten personal now that we know Pope is related to the Denmark Tanny.

I can't believe it. I can't stop saying it.

"Are we in the presence of a royal?"

"A king?" JJ steps over to Pope, holding his hands up. "We shall crown him. All hail the Lord of Tannyhill." He speaks in a ridiculous British accent as he puts a fake crown upon his head.

"Can we all relax?" Pope begs, exhausted from having to listen to us fawn over him and this news.

"How soon can we move in?"

"'Cause I don't have a place to stay," JJ chimes in, nudging me.

"Me either," Kiara speaks up, raising her beer can. "Bunk beds?"

"Bunk bed. Cheers to that." JJ and Kiara clink beer cans, bringing a smile out of me.

JJ then lifts his arm, resting it over my shoulders and knocking his beer can into mine, eyes locked on mine as he tilts the can back to take a sip. I like having him the close to me, especially in public. The simple act of him putting his arm around me is small enough to not raise any questions from our friends whilst providing us both with a small ounce of comfort. It's great.

"I just keep thinking about the letter, the one that Limbrey sent," Pope says, bringing us back to the reality of this situation. "It had the wheat symbol on it. That must mean it has something to do with the Royal Merchant."

"Yeah. Something seems fishy."

"But if we find that cross, we can split it like we are gonna split the gold," Pope tells us which is obviously music to our ears. Losing the gold last time was... crap, but now we have a new gold trail, and this time we need a win.

Seriously, we need a win.

I still know what I want to do with the gold, as does everybody else, so this time I really want to have real cash or I can start to kiss my dream goodbye.

"Yeah. I'm with that."

"And live happily ever after?" That voice isn't one of ours, and it doesn't sound familiar to me.

We turn, coming face to face with Limbrey and her── Well, I'm not too sure who this man is. He's the one who chased after us in Charleston and he was probably the one who beat up Heyward, so basically, we hate this guy. And Limbrey by extension.

Limbrey pulls herself along with crutches, coming closer to us. Her eyes look over each of us, honing in on John B for longer than necessary before turning on Pope who speaks up, "You assaulted my father."

"Oh, I didn't assault anyone," Limbrey claims.

"He can identify the psycho from a mile away," Kiara comments, tone harsh.

"Why would my employee a... a... assault your father?" She can keep up the innocent act all she wants, but we know what she and whoever this guy is did to Heyward. "That's absurd," she laughs, head shaking. She is pissing me off.

"Listen, we can keep on negotiating, but the fact is that I want the key." Pope looks just about ready to charge forward and start a war, but I yank on his arm, insisting he stay back because while I'd follow him to Hell if he asked, I still don't need him caught up in whatever this is. "And I won't stop until I have it. I don't have a choice, which means you don't either."

John B pulls the key out of his pocket, and we each turn to him, utterly confused because I thought Pope had the key. When did John B grab it? I have no idea what's going on, but I'm not going to open my mouth.

"It's Limbrey, right?"

She looks downright greedy for this damn key. "Yes," she answers, peering up at John B.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

She nods. "Yes, it is."

John B hums, looking over his shoulder at the water. "Looking at the tide right now, I'd say it's about twenty feet deep out there." He pauses, smiling to himself as he turns to look back at Limbrey. "So, if I just threw it in the channel, the probability of you finding it again is slim to none. You wanna give it a shot? Ready?" He steps away, moving to throw it away.

Seriously, what is he doing?

"No. Hey!" Limbrey gasps as John B pretends to throw the key out to the water. "Please don't do that." I shouldn't find this situation amusing but I do, I can't help it.

Her "employee" or whatever he is to her is a lot closer than he was before, looking just about ready to attack my brother which I absolutely won't stand for. I look to Limbrey. "Get your dog to back the hell up," I snipe, smiling innocently.

"Of course." She turns to him, speaking to him as if he were a dog as she utters a quick, "Back up."

"Good doggy," I whisper, taunting him.

He looks just about ready to kill me now.

Limbrey pushes herself forward another inch as her employee hides behind her, following her orders. "As I have told you from the beginning, I am willing to be reasonable," she says, looking at each of us.

Pope peers over at John B, head nodding. "Okay."

My eyes widen. Okay? Huh?

I have no idea what's going on. Are we actually handing off the key? I'm confused.

"Okay?" Even she sounds surprised.

"I'll give you the key, but I want the tape." Well, the tape to exonerate John B is far more important than the key, no offence to that rusty piece of metal. And even though John B has been let out of prison, that evidence on the tape is still very key to putting Ward and Rafe Cameron behind bars. 

"Of course. Of course."

"Pope. Hey, hey." John B steps to him, slapping a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this, okay?"

I watch the boys interact, really not understanding if they're doing a bit right now. It seems a little... scripted, like they've planned for this to happen. Okay, now I sound insane. I'm just going to keep on watching, not saying a word.

"No, it's okay," Pope assures him.

"No, dude, this is your family."

"Hey, it's fine. It's okay. It's about your dad." Pope looks from John B to me. I smile at him, appreciating that he'd do just about anything for us. He holds out his hand for John B to put the key into his palm. "That's more important."

John B looks back at Limbrey, placing the key into Pope's hand.

I might sound crazy, but the key doesn't look as rusty as it did earlier when we showed it to Pope's grandmother. In fact, it looks awfully familiar to me, I don't know why. I've seen that key somewhere. I shift my eyes from the key in Pope's hand to John B, and the moment our eyes meet, I read him.

The key in Pope's hand isn't the real one. Ah.

Now it all makes sense to me.

"The tape," Pope says, bringing my attention away from John B before somebody suspects that we're speaking with our eyes.

The freaky twin shit is back! I missed it.

"Yes, give him the tape." The tape is smacked into Pope's open palm while the key── the fake key── is passed to Limbrey who seems very, very appreciative of it. "You know, I wish that you'd have come to this decision earlier. We could have avoided all this unpleasantness."

Limbrey pulls herself away, her employee following behind her. "See you around, Pope."

I roll my eyes. "Just go."

Once they're away from us, JJ turns to John B, slapping a hand on his shoulder. "How long do you think we have until she realises she has your father's old key?"

"Ten minutes," John B replied.

My mouth gapes. "I knew it looked familiar."

"Whose idea was the fake key?" Pope asks, looking from JJ to John B.

John B places an arm around JJ's shoulders. "Hmm, I don't know. Should we tell him?"

I laugh, looking at JJ. "I'm impressed," I say, earning a smile from him. "Maybe you are good for something."

"Did hell freeze over?"

"Even a blind pig can find an acorn at times." Pope steps forward, wrapping one arm around JJ, shaking him excitedly. JJ laughs as the boys cheer, applauding him. "I actually don't know what that means, but I saw it on Reddit."

John B steps away, taking the tape from Pope. "We gotta take the tape to Shoupe."

"Yes, sir." JJ steps forward next, fingers squeezing at my shoulders as he passes by me, rushing after John B. "Ward Cameron, we're coming for you, big boy!" He cheers, clapping his hands. "Shotgun!"

"It's Ward's turn now!" Pope laughs, rushing after John B and JJ.

I shake my head, watching as the boys rush back to the Twinkie, ready to hand in this tape as evidence against Ward. I, instead of chasing after them, decide to turn to the daughter of the real criminal.

I look to Sarah, nudging her arm with my knuckles. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." She isn't fine, I know that, but we're here for her. We've got her.

I lift my arm, letting it fall over Sarah's shoulders. I then hold out my other arm, forcing Kiara to join us. With one arm around Kiara and my other arm around Sarah, I pull my girls along, following after the boys.

I want Sarah to be okay. This must be hard for her because regardless of the bad her father has done, he's still her father, so I really hope she'll be okay.

And if not, she's got us── her girls.

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𝖶𝖤 𝖧𝖠𝖭𝖣𝖤𝖣 𝖨𝖭 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖤𝖵𝖨𝖣𝖤𝖭𝖢𝖤，𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖭𝖮𝖶 𝖶𝖤'𝖱𝖤 𝖩𝖴𝖲𝖳 𝖶𝖠𝖨𝖳𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖳𝖮 𝖧𝖤𝖠𝖱 𝖡𝖠𝖢𝖪．Whilst waiting, the boys are already celebrating with beer while us girls sit outside without beer. Sarah is obviously having a hard time dealing with everything at the moment, and isn't in the mood for celebrating the arrest of her brother and father, so Kiara and I stay with her, trying to support her in any way she needs.

Sure, I want to see Ward Cameron in prison for the rest of his life. Hell, part of me wants to see him dead. But Sarah is my friend, and she needs somebody, that much I can see, so I'm here for her despite how much I need to see her father and brother locked up for what they did.

The boys aren't much aid to Sarah, not in any kind of way. Perhaps I should be in there, celebrating right alongside them because my dad and Peterkin are finally going to get justice, but I can't bring myself to step away from my friend.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ward Cameron, King of Kooks, is going to jail!" JJ cheers, clinking his beer can against John B's.

"Goodbye! Goodbye!"

"Adios! He out of there! Adios!"

Kiara looks away from the boys, looking to Sarah. "Do you regret it?" she asks.

"No." Sarah shakes her head, a frown on her lips. "He deserves all of it, and I know that."

"He's your dad. I get it." Regardless of who her father is, he's still that same guy who raised her and loved her and took care of her. He's still her father, so it must be difficult for her to process how she's feeling.

Before Sarah can respond, her phone begins to ring. She reaches for it, sighing loudly. "Sorry." She steps away, moving from us to take the call from who I think is her sister. I'm not sure though.

Kiara nudges me, snatching my attention. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah." I look to the boys who continue to cheer and laugh together, overjoyed about Ward Cameron's impending arrest. "Should I be in there? Cheering and... dancing."

Kiara looks at the boys, confused. "What?"

"JJ's doing that..." I shake my head. "...weird dance thing with his feet, I don't know." I huff out a laugh, looking back to Kiara. "Should that be me? Cheering and laughing and dancing about his arrest? I want it to be me, but I can't seem to bring myself to cheer about it, and I don't know why."

Kiara's knuckles brush against my knee, offering me a small ounce of comfort. "He killed my dad, Kie, so I should be jumping for joy that he's going to be arrested but I just..." I lean my head into my hand. "I don't know how I feel. It's weird."

"It's okay," she whispers, offering me something of a smile. "You don't have to be in there celebrating, Brooke. Everybody handles their feelings differently, it's okay."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Guys." Sarah rushes over to us, now off the phone. "We need to go. Now."

Minutes later, we're in the Twinkie, speeding off to the Cameron's household to find Ward who is likely going to be arrested right now. Sarah seems panicked, more stressed than she was before, and now I'm just worried about her. I can't celebrate this idea of Ward being arrested when Sarah is sitting here, visibly concerned.

I want to help her, but I feel completely useless to her right now.

Police cars speed past us, heading in the same direction we are. John B hits his foot on the gas, wanting to catch up with the police and get to the scene so he can see Ward arrested. He seems to be very, very eager to see the arrest.

I should be, right? Why am I not?

"Can you please hurry? I need to be there for Wheezie." She's typing away rapidly on her phone, likely to her sister who was probably the one who called her because of everything going on at the moment.

Ward is absolutely being arrested right now.

"You think I wanna miss this?"

The snap in his tone has me surprised, and even though John B and I have every right to want to see Ward Cameron arrested, he doesn't need to be so harsh. Or maybe he's allowed to be this harsh, I'm not sure. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel right now.

The police pull up in front of the Cameron's home, obviously assuming he'd be at the home but the police are directed towards the dock where the Druthers is. Once the van rolls to a stop, we're rushing out to follow after the cops who head towards the Druthers.

We lift ourselves up and over the wall, desperate to follow after the cops so we can see Ward get arrested. I do want to see him arrested, so badly that it hurts, but I'm also afraid to see what's going to happen. I have this sinking feeling that something bad is going to happen, I don't know, maybe I'm being ridiculous. 

We find Ward standing against the railing── the railing I was shoved over when we discovered that Ward was more involved in the disappearance of our father. The scar on my hip still burns against my skin, reminding me of that dreadful day when I learnt that my father was killed by Ward Cameron.

I do want to see Ward Cameron arrested for his crimes, I do. Part of me even wants to see him dead, but some part of me feels horrible for even saying that because he's my best friend's dad, and she is obviously struggling with this family stuff.

Dad would want to see this── to see the man who killed him being arrested. He'd want to see this.

I wish he could see this, I really do.

We come to a stop at the dock, staring across the water at the Druthers. The cops are yelling up to Ward, wanting him to steer the boat back to the dock, but he isn't moving a muscle.

"Dad!" Sarah yells, emotion swelling in her throat. "Dad! What are you doing?"

"Vic, you gotta get her out of here!" Ward yells, not wanting his daughter near whatever is about to happen. "She can't be here right now!"

Something bad is going to happen, I can feel it, and I don't think it's going to be Ward getting arrested.

No, it'll be something much worse.

"Just come on in, and you... you... you can talk to her!" Shoupe shouts, hoping that'll bring him down, but I don't think anything is going to stop Ward from doing what he wants.

"Sarah, I'm so sorry, baby. I can't!" He steps away from the railing.

"What are you doing!"

"Ward, this ain't gonna end the way you want it to!" The police move in on boats, heading towards the Druthers, ready to attack, but I suspect they won't get there in time. "You don't need her seeing this."

Ward has something planned.

"Dad, don't leave! Where are you going?"

"I love you!"

"Turn around and get back here!" Ward moves, heading down the boat, moving down into a hatch where we can no longer see him. "Ward!"

Where has he gone? What's he doing?

A single explosion── that's all it took to force everybody backwards and shut them up. That explosion follows on from several more with tiny bursts of yellow and orange and red blurring my vision as I stare forward at the Druthers as it explodes into a fiery ball of nothing.

Nobody could open their mouth, not to say anything, that's for sure. Everybody just stared, visibly shocked by what just happened. One minute, the Druthers was right there, and the next it was nothing but a thick ball of smoke in the air.

It almost doesn't feel real.

But then I take a single glance at Sarah and I find it to be very, very real. She's fallen to her knees with her head in her hands as she sobs loudly and openly.

I think, with being so surprised, I can't stop myself from joining her side. I fall down right beside her, bringing her towards me with an arm around her back. She presses her face into my shoulder, crying into my arms as I stroke her hair and continue to watch the flames crackle and pop into a dark cloud of smoke.

I've never seen anything like it.

I've never imagined anything like this. I mean, this is the type of shit that happens on action movies, not... not in real life, right? But here we are, staring at the largest explosion I've ever witnessed, and it feels nothing like a film.

Because if it was a film, I'd rewind and turn off the television so I don't have to watch this part── the part that brings about heartbreak and sadness from those who just watched the explosion.

Ward killed my father, so I should feel this great relief but I don't. I don't feel as if justice was served, not in any way, but he's... dead so justice technically has been served. Right?

I... I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling.

I hate Ward, yes, but I'm not going to abandon Sarah in a time like this, not when it's not her fault. She didn't choose her family. She didn't choose this. I won't leave her side because I'm not that kind of person. I'm her friend, I need to be here for her because she needs somebody.

She needs somebody because my brother── her supposed husband── isn't moving. He's just staring straight ahead at the explosion, listening to Sarah cry and weep into my arms.

Should I not be hugging her?

I guess John B and I are different in that sense, I don't know. He should hug her, shouldn't he? I mean, Ward is── was── her father, so it's understandable that she feels this pain regardless of all the bad he's done. I mean, my father wasn't exactly perfect and I still felt this exact way.

I felt this way because her father took him from me and my brother.

But I can't seem to let go of her.

Maybe I'm hugging her because I need some kind of comfort too. I don't know, it's hard to explain how I'm currently feeling. I just can't put it into clear words, I guess.

Sarah means more to me than my complicated feelings towards Ward and what just happened right now. Sure, in some way, my dad has been avenged, but has he really been? I mean, the boat exploded and he obviously died with it, but at the end of the day, nothing will bring my dad back.

Dad is still gone, and now Ward is right there with him.

Two fathers have been lost.

Sarah deserves just as much comfort and support that I received when I found out that Dad was truly never going to come back.

John B should realise that, right?

I can understand his side, I can. His side is also my side, but I can't let go of Sarah. She needs somebody right now, so I'm not going to let go of her until she wants me to.

I peer up at my brother, meeting his eyes, but this time I can't read what he's telling me.

I've always been able to read him. In the silence, in the dark, in the sunlight, I've always been able to read what my brother is saying just by meeting his eyes. For the first time in the seventeen years we've known each other, I have no idea what he's thinking or feeling, and I hate that.

I look away, dragging my hand through Sarah's hair. "It's okay," I whisper, feeling a swelling in my own throat as I try to calm her down. Holding her feels all too familiar to the first night John B and I realised Dad hadn't returned from his trip, and it didn't seem like he was coming back as it had been nearly a week. I cried, shamelessly and loudly, into the arms of my brother, scared that something had happened to Dad.

Little did I know he was dead.

Now I'm holding another daughter who has lost her father.

I'm holding the daughter of the man who took my father from me.

"I got you." That's what John B whispered to me when I cried the night we found out Dad had been killed. I whispered the same thing right back to him. "I got you."

I hold onto her, she holds onto me. I hug her, she hugs me. I feel tears glisten my own eyes but I blink them away, not wanting to get emotional over this, not when there's a thick cloud of smoke hanging over our heads, taunting us with a friendly reminder of what just happened.

I close my eyes, resting my chin on Sarah's head. "You're okay." She's not going to be okay, not for a while, but I'm here. I won't go anywhere.

Sarah's that friend that came into my life unexpectedly over Midsummers and gossip. The moment I met her, I had no idea we'd create a bond such as this one. She barged into my life and brought this huge beam of light with her that I don't want to switch off, not when she means so much to me.

She's my best friend. She's my sister.

I love her, I do. She's the friend I never knew I needed until she showed up and impacted me in the best possible way.

So I've got her, for as long as she needs.

Each of our friends look down at Sarah and me as she continues to cry into my arms, hands clinging onto my arms as I hold her. I look up, finding Topper to be looming over us, and I don't have any kind of strength or willpower to push him away because he's here, wanting to support Sarah in this time.

Then again, I can't seem to stop myself from saying, "Dude, why are you everywhere?"

Sarah lifts her head, looking over her shoulder to see Topper who has moved to join her side, leaving me to let her fall into Topper this time. I'm still here if she needs me, that much she knows. I lift myself up and off the dock, falling back to join my brother and friends as Topper wraps his arms around Sarah.

Seriously, why is he everywhere?

Is he stalking Sarah?

Now isn't really the time for those questions, not when a very explosion just occurred before us.

I look up at my brother, really not seeming to understand why he isn't the one holding his wife right now. Then again, the man who took our father from us has just blown up along with his boat, but Sarah's just lost her father.

I don't know.

It's hard to explain this feeling I'm having.

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❀ soph speaks

two chapters in one day . . . whoop!!

serious question,, do you guys wanna see me write season four bcos i seriously can't decide and i know i'm nowhere near it right now,, but i'm conflicted

if so, i think i have an idea for season4 but i'm unsure

thankyou for reading!!