𝟏𝟏𝟒. 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞

make you feel my love      ────      adele

A/N
Hi, my beautiful readers!
I know I usually don't write much at the beginning of my chapters but I wanted to leave a small note.

This act is coming to an end soon and with it coming to an end, it means I soon won't be writing JJ and Brooke until the new season comes out which will obviously take some time, so I just wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you who have read, commented and kept my motivation for this story because without you, Brooke and JJ wouldn't even exist.

Brooke and JJ were my first couple that I wrote way back in 2020 when the first season came out. I then came back and republished, improving my writing, and I am so happy with how Brooke and JJ have grown and what they are right now.

Even when this act finishes, I have a plan to write another JJ fic, so it will not be the end of me, I promise.

This chapter is just for my couple as they discuss their future so please enjoy.

I might even go ahead and say that it's a favourite.

Thankyou!

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖨'𝖬 𝖡𝖠𝖢𝖪 𝖨𝖭 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖠𝖱𝖬𝖲 𝖮𝖥 𝘏𝘐𝘔．In fact, I haven't let go of him since getting him back, afraid he'll disappear right before me if I take my hands off him. So, naturally, I've practically glued myself to him, my head back against his chest while his arm drapes over my middle, hand splayed across my stomach.

Every so often, he either kisses me or mutters some kind of affection into my ear, continuing to remind me that he is right here with me, keeping me safe and warm. I've never, ever longed for a touch as much as I long for his, and I can't believe I almost never got to feel his hands on my skin again. It's why I'm making up for that fact now, my own hands covering the hand that rests over my stomach, making sure he stays by me.

I keep peering up at him, seeing that previous hurt and upset being replaced by a genuine smile, his dimples on show as the moonlight and the touch of fire brighten him in the best possible way. He's so beautiful, unbelievably so, and I finally get to see that gorgeous smile his face is supposed to always hold.

He's here. He's really, really here. He's completely real. He's existing. His heart is beating. He's right here with me. All is good.

More wood ignites the bonfire we started once the sun began to set and moon began to lift, turning day into night. "I think next time we take a trip, we should maybe plan ahead," my brother suggests, chuckling softly which elicits laughs from each of us as no statement has ever been so true. Had we planned ahead or just, you know, had some money, things would be a lot different.

Though, in its own way, being right here is fun.

"Maybe we should stay in a hotel next time," Kiara chimes, raising her hand.

"One of those really fancy ones," I add, wishing we had the luxury of such a thing── of lounging in a giant bed with room service that offers caviar, champagne and one of those desserts that explode when you pour chocolate upon it because I still haven't had the chance to have such treats.

"With a shower," Sarah inputs, sighing loudly. "I smell awful!"

"You aren't the only one," Emory mutters, her face scrunching up at how each of us equally stink which is not an attractive quality, but there ain't anything we can do about it. In all honesty, we've smelled worse than this by a long shot.

"I smelled myself today," John B says, chucking more wood to the fire. 

Sarah giggles, hand over her mouth. "You weren't the only one who smelled you." We each erupt into a fit of laughter, unafraid to admit that John B is the smelliest of us all, and that's just a fact, no offence to him. Sorry, bro.

Everything, for the first time in a long time, feels right. Sure, we're stuck on some beach near Morocco, unaware of what tomorrow will bring, but we're all together and we're smiling and we're laughing, and everything is just... perfect.

I think I'd capture this exact day if I had the chance to do such a thing. I'd capture every expression on each of our faces, embrace the laughter and smiles as, once again, we have no idea what tomorrow will bring once that moon drops and the sun ignites, and all I want to do is lock this moment in my head and replay it over and over and over again.

I'm back in the arms of the boy I love, of the boy I'm going to marry the hell out of once we arrive back at the Outer Banks. My brother has relaxed, beyond relieved that he's back with his wife and unborn child. Emory has calmed down, grateful for JJ being alive and better after the events of the last few weeks, and Kiara just seems at peace with her head on Emory's shoulder. Pope and Cleo, like always, are just as at peace as the rest of us, in their own state of bliss and relaxation.

All is perfect.

Well, almost perfect. What would really push this over the top would be to have Matilda here with us, revelling in the excitement and joy as I know she must be missing us, wherever she is.

"Hey, uh..." I'm brought out of my head, my eyes catching onto JJ who is looking to Sarah and John B rather than at me. "You know what's a good name for a baby?" His cheek leans into my hair, hand pressing harder against my stomach. "JJ," he speaks. "Goes both ways, actually, if it's a girl, if it's a boy."

"Oh, Brooklyn works too," I chirp, knowing my name is also suitable for a girl or a boy much like JJ's is.

"Well, if its twins, you can have JJ and Brooklyn," JJ drawls, bringing a loud laugh out of Sarah who does not like the sound of having twins, but having twins would be my first terrifying thought if I ever found out I was pregnant. Hello, I'm a twin so the chances are higher for me to have twins which is not ideal.

"What baby?" We look to Pope and Cleo who look puzzled, their eyes darting from JJ and I to Sarah and John B. I forgot that not everyone knew about the great news of a future baby Pogue.

Pope points at us, eyes wide. "You two, are you...?"

"No," JJ and I say, shutting down whatever thought he has.

"Can't blame him for thinking that," Emory speaks, bringing her arm around Kiara's back. "You two are wild."

JJ grins, lips pressing a kiss to my temple. "Damn right we are."

I roll my eyes, biting my bottom lip. "Shut up."

"You guys don't know..." Sarah talks, reaching for John B's hand while he smiles down at her, in complete awe of her, and I stare at them with so much admiration, so happy for them and all that they've done to get to where they are now.

"No way," Cleo laughs. "A Poguelet?"

Pope moves his pointer finger from JJ and I to the other wild couple of the group── Sarah and John B. "You?"

John B nods. "Yes."

"You're gonna be a freaking dad!" Pope exclaims, jumping up and leaving Cleo to rush over to hug John B who laughs, getting knocked down into the sand from the impact at which Pope tackles him.

"I'm gonna be a dad," John B confirms, and I watch as Cleo also moves to hug Sarah.

"Do you know?" JJ asks, looking away from Sarah, John B, Cleo and Pope to look at his sister who shouldn't know, but I know Kiara was the first to find out about the baby, so I'm not surprised if Emory does know.

Emory nods slowly, eyes darting from JJ to Kiara, her smile wide. "Oh, yeah."

"Sorry. I couldn't keep it a secret from her."

I shift my gaze away from Emory and Kiara, looking back to my brother and sister-in-law, feeling an immense wave of joy as I watch them interact with Pope and Cleo, the smiles on their faces indescribably sunny. I lean further into JJ, squeezing at his hand that is still over my stomach, grateful that we get to bear witness to this moment together.

His lips graze my ear as he speaks at a tone that only I can hear. "Is that gonna be us one day?"

My lips part, an unsuspecting fluster crawling up my neck and brightening my already red face. I swallow harshly, feeling tingly at what his words insinuate. "What?"

"You heard me," he toys, kissing the shell of my ear before he brings his head back, leaving me with the gentle weight of his words.

Is that gonna be us one day?

Exhaling softly, I reach my hand up, dragging my fingertips against his jaw. "I hope so," I whisper, leaning up to press an awkward kiss to his neck before I settle back into him, finding home in the way he holds me.

With the events of today, with JJ and Sarah being brought back to us, and with the high emotions in the air, it's unsurprising that each of us are tired, itching to fall asleep, so shortly after congratulating the soon-to-be-parents, one by one, each of us begin to drift off.

All except two── JJ and I. We remain awake, breathing the other in while we observe the stars above our heads, content to stay in one another's orbit after we nearly lost one another earlier.

I feel him kiss the side of my head once again, face leaning into mine. "Hey, Sunshine," he whispers, his voice tickling my ear.

I smile, relieved I get to hear those two words as, for some time whilst waiting for some kind of miracle, I thought I'd never get the chance to hear such a simple greeting in all my life. I was so fucking afraid I'd never hear his voice again, never hear him talk to me in the morning when we wake up or when we fall asleep at night. I was afraid I'd lost all those beautiful things he would offer me on a daily basis.

Thankfully, I ended up being lucky as he's currently holding me, speaking so delicately to not wake the others up. "Hey, JJ."

He turns his head, looking to each person as they sleep around the fire, tucked into their significant others while Rafe settles against a log. "Come with me," he utters, already beginning to shuffle back, taking away my pillow which is also known as his chest.

My face scrunches, wishing for him to remain right where he's been for some time. "What?"

"Come with me," he repeats, bringing himself to a stand as I regain some balance, nearly having fallen back when he moved away. "Come on." He holds his hand out, and I choose to not fight this, to just slide my hand into his without hesitating, instead intrigued as to where we're going and why we're going.

Following him, he pulls me away from our friends, away from the fire, and we walk a good distance before he finally stops, bringing us to a halt. "JJ, what──"

He tugs on my hand, bringing us together, and he snatches my words right from my mouth as his head drops, mouth sealing mine in a delicate, featherlight cushion. One arm sweeps around my back, his hand pushing me into him, keeping us close. His other hand holds my face as a means to deepen the kiss, turning it from a gentle press of mouths to an unadulterated push and press of teeth and tongues.

I plant my hands on his chest, sliding them up to grasp his shoulders, doing my best to hold on for dear life as he kisses me like his life depends on it, like he's going to stop breathing if he takes my mouth off mine.

Despite being surprised by the sudden urge to kiss me, I kiss him back just as feverishly, just as desperate for him as I was too close to losing this forever. I nearly lost the feeling of his mouth on mine, of feeling his hands all over my skin, of feeling him in this kind of way. I nearly lost him, so you bet your ass I'm going to make up for what I could've lost had things truly gone more south than they already did.

When we separate, we find we're breathing heavily, peaceful smiles resting on our lips as a string of laughs break free. If we wake people up, I really don't care, but I think JJ has pulled us a little too far away for anybody to actually hear us.

Both hands now grasp my face, and the last time he did this was when he confirmed that he wasn't going to marry me, but everything is so different now. He is no longer that devastated boy who believed he had no one. He's now holding my face in a way that tells me he's going to make everything right by marrying me, of course.

"What was that for?" I ask, taking in his eyes that hold mine so easily, greeting their home like it's second nature.

"I'm sorry," he speaks, swallowing thickly.

My nose scrunches, eyes narrowing. "JJ, you've apologised, like, a thousand times."

"Well, I'm apologising again," he presses, hands holding my face tighter not that I thought that was possible. "I am really, really sorry about what I said on the boat, about how I treated you. I-I was an idiot, alright? That guy on the boat, t-that wasn't... that wasn't me. Well, it was physically me, but that guy was an idiot. A stupid, drunk──"

"Idiot?" I finish, knowing what he's going to say as he's offered me this apology a thousand times, and no, I'm really not exaggerating.

He sighs, swiping his thumbs across my cheekbones. "I'm really sorry, Sunny. I... I didn't mean to hurt you like that, like..." His head drops, the painful guilt painted across his face.

"Hey," I utter, moving my own hand to place against his face, fingers tucking under his jaw, forcing him to welcome my gaze again. "Yes, you hurt me at the time, but you were going through something, JJ, and I understand, okay, I do. I'm not mad at you. I-I was just really worried, but I was never mad at you. I just wanted to help."

"I know." He moves his hands down, instead going to hold my neck. "I-I just thought I was beyond help, you know. I didn't deserve it, not after everything I put you through."

"JJ, you put me through nothing," I state, emphasising that he truly didn't put me through anything. "Everything you did, I followed because I wanted to. I'm the one who put myself in shit because I wanted to be there for you, you idiot."

"You got hurt," he mutters, still feeling guilty for something he had absolutely no control over. In fact, he shouldn't even feel any kind of guilt towards it as my face has healed, the only thing not disappearing is the memory of how I was hurt but it will in time, I'm sure of it.

"We've all been hurt, you more than anyone, don't ignore that, JJ." He tends to ignore his own feelings, much like he did on the ship, instead choosing to drown his problems rather than face them, but I need him to recognise that how he feels is just as important as the rest of us.

I need him to see that, to me at least, he's so damn important.

"I love you," I tell him, stepping closer, bringing my arms around him in an embrace, my head pressing to his chest. "I love you so much, please remember that. You are so important to me, so important to so many people, so next time you feel like you might spiral, remember I'm right here, JJ, that I'm not going anywhere because we are going to be together for the rest of our lives, alright? I need you for life, Maybank."

His arms come to hug me back, his chin resting upon my head. "I need you for life, Sunshine."

"Well, Vitamin D is important," I chime, feeling his lips upturn against my hair.

"You are important," he corrects, kissing my head. "You're so important to me. I-I just... I just kept thinking of you. From the minute I dove into that water until I saw you walking towards me, I couldn't get you out of my mind. I-I was scared I'd fucked it up, that I'd lost you because of how fucking horrible I was, and I'm sorry, I──"

"JJ." I bring my face back from his chest, peering up at him, waiting until his eyes take mine before I speak again. "It was one fight. One stupid fight, okay? It's not the end of the world, I promise. You and me are meant to be, JJ, so it doesn't matter how hard you push, I am not leaving you."

His Adam's apple bobs in his throat as he shoves down the emotion I can see behind his eyes because, like I said earlier, it's all in the eyes. "I'm gonna marry the hell out of you." He goes to kiss me, and I pull back before he has the chance. "What are you──"

"You're going to marry the hell out of me?"

"Yes," he whispers. "I'm sorry I made you doubt."

"Well, I mean, you did upset me..." I talk, sighing softly. "You did make me doubt for a second, you know, so..." I lift my shoulder in a shrug, keeping his gaze that narrows. "I kind of, you know, considered running off with... JR. He heard what happened and now he's going to come and save me and──"

"Shut your mouth," he interrupts, hand moving to dig into my hip.

"Make me," I tease, lifting myself up on my tiptoes just as his mouth captures mine in another bruising kiss, making me shut up. Unlike before, he kisses me harshly, ensuring that I stay quiet for the most part, the only sounds slipping past my lips being that of whines and moans.

With slightly swollen lips, he brings himself away first, leaving me a breathless mess in his arms. "JR, huh? Kook, right?" Ah, he does remember. I press my lips together, nodding slowly. "Does he kiss as good as I do?"

"Hm." My face scrunches, lips pouting. "There's less slobber from him, I'll say that."

"I'm gonna kill this motherfucker."

I roll my eyes, patting my hand against his shoulder. "You do know he's not real, right?"

"Real or not, that dick is dead."

"Well, that's mean. He has a very good dic──"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence," he interjects, hand coming around to slide into the back pocket of my shorts, pinning me to him.

A small laugh ripples out of me. "You're cute."

"And you are not funny," he snipes, lips touching my forehead affectionately.

"There will never be anybody else, JJ," I assure, not that I actually have to. He knows there will never, ever be anybody else, not when I have all that I could ever want right before me. "You're all I need. You're all I've ever needed, okay?"

"Damn straight."

I kiss him again, feeling like I can't get enough, feeling this constant urge to just hold on and have him in any way I can after the events of the past few weeks. Safe to say, we need each other to stay afloat, to stay sane, to stay alive.

Bringing me an inch closer, his hand still tucked into my back pocket, he rests his forehead against mine. "I am sorry I upset you, and I promise I will never, ever do it again."

"JJ, we're going to be married for the rest of our lives, we're bound to upset the other at some point," I state, not to ignore what he just said, but to let him know that it's healthy and normal for couples to fight, even to have big fights.

"No. I won't fight with you," he asserts, seeming insistent. "From now on, you're always right."

"I wasn't always right before?"

I grin, realising I've caught him in a web as he attempts to go back on his previous comment, his words coming out stuttered. "Yeah, yeah, you're... you were always, uh, yeah. You're always right, before and... and now, especially now."

"You're cute," I say again, offering him a smile.

"And I love you." His head drops, mouth covering mine once again, his arm coming to rest around my back like before.

"I'm glad you came back to me," I utter, lips grazing his. "Don't ever leave me again, alright?"

"I'd be a fool to leave you again," he replies, kissing me again.

"Especially when I have other options."

"Nuh-uh." His head shakes. "You have one option── me."

"Possessive much?"

He grins, teeth digging into his bottom lip. "Very possessive."

Some time passes, and the two of us choose to sit in the sand, still away from our friends and the fire that we can still see crackling in the distance. Like before, I'm laying back against him, but instead of having his hand over my stomach, his hand holds my thigh tightly.

I stare up at the stars, feeling so perfectly content in the arms of the boy I love.

JJ's lips graze my ear as he says, "Wanna play truths?"

I exhale a breath, laughter slipping out. "We haven't played that in a long time." I can't even recall the last time we played it, too busy wrapped up in life or death situations to play a game we've always relied on for information on the other. Perhaps, given that we literally know all there is to know about the other, we've just stopped needing to play a silly game of truths.

"Well, there's no time like the present unless you, I don't know, wanna go to sleep?"

I shake my head, wanting to stay awake as sleeping is not an option when I nearly lost this boy. I'm making up for the last few weeks of difficulties and upset. "No. Let's play."

"Okay. You wanna go first or should I?"

I hum, leaning into him. "You."

"Alright." He clears his throat, fingers moving mindlessly up and down my thigh as he considers his question that I shouldn't be afraid for, but I can't help but feel a little nervous for what he could possibly ask me as it's been some time since we played. "What's one thing you wrote down in your letter to me? What's one thing you see for us in ten years?"

"That's two questions," I say even though they basically ask the same thing.

"They ask the same thing, Sunny. Answer me."

I sigh, knowing we won't get anywhere if I don't answer, and we never play this game properly anyway, so why start now? "One thing..." I think back on the letter that's stuffed in a shoebox under my bed at the moment, wondering if Matilda has found it, wondering if she's going to read the letter or leave it until it's supposed to be read on my wedding day. "Hm..."

"Come on, baby, one thing."

"I see us with a... with a pool," I force out, wondering if I should've gone with something a little more sweeter.

"A pool?"

"Yeah, like we have a big house and a pool that we never use," I continue, seeming to make it worse. "We just have a pool for..." I shrug, wishing I hadn't gone down this hole. "I don't know why we have a pool, we just do. It's big and... oh, the dog likes to swim in it. That's what I see."

JJ hums, hearing me but obviously not understanding me nor why he chose to ask such a question when my response was this. Yeah, I'm not giving him any of the juicy details I wrote in my letter, not when I have that saved for the wedding night only. "Okay," he utters, clicking his tongue. "A pool. We have a pool. Right."

I nod in confirmation. "Right. A big pool."

"That we never use?"

"Well, the dog likes it which reminds me..." I relax against him. "We have to get a golden retriever and call him Monty."

"Cool. Very cool. Okay, we'll do that."

I inhale sharply, needing to move on from that awkwardness. "Okay, my turn." I slap my hand over his that has stilled on my upper thigh. "Same question... s. What's one thing you wrote in your letter to me? What's one thing you see for us in ten years?"

"Kids," he answers quickly, the answer seeming to already be on the tip of his tongue before I even proposed the question.

I nearly choke, coughing as I force myself to put together a sentence. "Kids? A-As in, like, uh, plural... kids? T-That's not... That's not one thing, JJ. That, uh── Kids?"

He laughs softly, seeming to find my slight jump of panic amusing. "Look, when I think about having a family in the future, I think go big or go home," he explains, and I am so glad he cannot see my face because I think I've turned an embarrassing shade of red, my entire body both tense and fuzzy.

"S-So, uh, how..." I grunt, straightening myself up slightly, keeping my hand plastered over his. "How many do you want?" I choose to ask which, again, earns me a quick, straight answer.

"Five."

This time I choke, and my head snaps over my shoulder to look at him, my body moving so that I'm turned rather than against him. "Five?" My mouth gapes, head shaking vigorously. "You want five kids? Why? Are you trying to have one for everyday of the week? Let's call them Monday through Friday, like, w-why do you..." I narrow my eyes on him, trying to see if he's just kidding but his face remains utterly serious. "Oh, my God. You want five kids."

"Five girls," he adds, deciding it's not enough to just have five. No, he wants five girls── all girls. He cannot be serious, can he?

I blink, a heavy breath pushing past my lips. "Girls," I repeat, feeling a strange tightness in my chest that doesn't feel like panic. No, it feels... odd. "You don't want a boy?"

He shrugs. "Well, I know you don't really get a choice in the matter, but no, I'd rather have girls because they'd be just like you, right?"

"Not necessarily," I say. "I-I mean, they'd be like you too, JJ. Or, hell, like Emory."

Emory is basically female JJ so it's safe to say that if we do have girls, they're gonna be just like they're freaking Aunt Em.

"Well now you've put me off."

"Put you off?" I scoff, continuing to shake my head. "You just told me you wanted five children. Five girls. I-I mean, I'm not a big woman, JJ. Five kids coming out of me might actually kill me."

"You wouldn't have them at the same time."

"Oh, my God." I grasp his arm, a horrifying thought crossing my mind. "What if we have two sets of twins because, hello, that could happen. I am a twin. Shit."

"Okay, now I've freaked you out."

"Also, do you want five kids in ten years because that is... that is a lot. Like we'd have to start right this second if you want five in ten years."

The corner of his mouth tugs upwards. "I'm down for that."

I gently hit my hand at his chest. "JJ."

"What? We need somebody to fill this giant pool we're gonna have," he says casually like having kids if a good enough reason to fill a pool.

"Can we just get five dogs?"

He tilts his head, a smile remaining on his lips. "Do you not... see us with kids in the future?"

I sigh, realising I'm saying the wrong thing, realising I'm not making myself clear. "Yes, of course I do. I-I can see them in the treehouse or running around our house a-and, yeah, I can see it, but five..." I exclaim, still shocked to my core by such a number. "Well, that's a lot, JJ, and I get going big or going home, but maybe we could have, like, I don't know... three?"

"But what if we have two sets of twins?"

My lips form a tight line, not amused. "JJ."

"I'm kidding," he breathes out.

"You really, really see us with... with kids, like, a lot of them?"

"Enough for each day of the week," he replies, and I inhale sharply, that strange tightness returning to my chest. "I can just see us with a big family, you know? Big house, big pool we don't use──"

"Big marble statue of yourself?" I input.

He chuckles. "You remember?"

"Yep. Marble statue of yourself and a koi pond," I recall, thinking back to the very beginning of realising that there was four hundred million dollars worth of gold hidden away. "I remember everything about you, JJ."

"Well, I also remember saying that I would get an entire room dedicated to your art," he speaks, bringing me right back to that moment he first said those words, making me feel flustered and recognised. "I mean that. I will get a room── several rooms dedicated to your art."

"Well, I guess I can consider getting the marble statue of you."

"Will it make it better if we get a marble statue of us?"

I shake my head, nose scrunched. "Nuh-uh."

"I think the kids will love it."

"Oh, yeah, and when they fall off their daddy's giant marble statue and fall into the pond full of koi, they'll be so happy," I deadpan, thinking of the worst case scenario like always, but JJ just remains soft-eyed and smiley. "What?"

"I hope they're like you."

I press my lips together. "What?"

"Our kids," he clarifies. "I hope they're like you."

"Well, I hope they're like you." I move, his hand going to slide around to hold my hip. "A little boy that's just like you."

"You want a boy?"

"I was thinking, like, two boys and a girl..."

"Well, I was thinking──"

"Five girls, I know," I drawl, shocked that he expects me to push out five freaking girls. "But the chances of us having girls every single time are slim. I mean, you are the one who determines if we have a boy or a girl, so..."

"Well, I'll tell my swimmers to go girl."

"I don't think that's how it works, babe."

I place my hands on his shoulders, bringing myself even closer. "Did we just plan our future?" He brings me to straddle his lap, hands holding my hips.

I hum, hands pushing into his hair. "Kind of."

"We're gonna get married first," he states, fingers pushing into the belt loops of my shorts. "Travel the world, surf every wave we can, have fun. Enjoy our twenties, alright?"

"I like that," I utter. "Then we come back and make like a million kids."

"Okay, I said five, not a million."

"Basically the same thing," I say, head shaking slowly. "Five is a lot, JJ."

"I know, but go big or──"

"Go home," I finish, resting my forehead against his. "I know. I get it."

"I know I hurt you when I said I wasn't going to marry you or be the father of your children, and I am so sorry, and I was so wrong to say that..." His eyes hold mine, promising me all the things I've always dreamed of, but I wish he wouldn't blame himself. "I do want to marry you. Of course I want to marry you. I want us to travel. I want us to have children. I want us to have a giant house with a stupid pool we don't use. I want us to have a dog and a cat. I want us to have everything, Sunshine, and I'm sorry I made you doubt that."

"We will have everything, JJ," I assure, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "We're going to get married. We're going to travel. We're going to have children. We're going to have a house and a pool and a dog and a cat and... and everything."

"Everything," he repeats, holding me closer.

"Everything," I confirm.

"I love you," he whispers, lips pressing to mine. "And I'm really so──"

"Don't finish that sentence," I interrupt, knowing he's going to apologise again for something that was not his fault in the slightest. "No more apologising, JJ, okay? All is in the past now. We're moving forward. Onwards and upwards."

"To Morocco," he grumbles.

"Hey, it might be fun." I drag my fingers through his hair. "Maybe..."

"The sooner we're home with that crown, the better things will be," he chimes, and I nod in agreement, knowing that once we have that crown in our hands, things will be so much better. "The sooner we're home, the better things will be."

"We need to get home," I say, exhaling a heavy breath. "Matilda's hopefully waiting for us."

"You spoke to her?"

I shake my head, frowning. "I left a message on Sarah's phone because it's at the house, and I'm hoping she can get to the house without being caught but I-I don't know if she'll get the message or if DCS have found her or──"

"Hey," JJ interjects, forcing me to stop my panicked ramble. "We'll get to home to her, okay? She's going to be fine, Brooke."

"I promised her, JJ." I swallow, attempting to shake off this guilt I feel for leaving Matilda alone in a town that's trying to take her away. "I promised her I'd get home and that I'd fix this── that I'd fix this thing with DCS."

"I know, but..."

"But what?"

"How are we going to fix it?" I bring my eyes off him, an idea already sealed in my head that, yes, seems insane and totally not doable, but I decide I shouldn't recall my idea when I have no clue if it's even possible to do such a thing to stop DCS from taking Matilda away. "Brooke?"

I take his eyes again. "I-I don't know, but I said I'd try, okay, and I need to try."

"Okay," he replies, giving me a tight-lipped smile.

I clear my throat, needing to move on. "Okay. Uh, you wanna keep playing?"

"I-I don't know what else to ask you."

"Hm." Like I've said, we already know all there is to know about the other. "Do you think we're really gonna get the crown?"

"Hell yeah." He laughs, looking very smug, like he knows we're definitely going to get that crown even though we have no idea how everything will go when the sun lifts. "Do you not think we will?"

"No, I-I do, I'm just a little... worried," I say, being as honest as I can as we're kind of playing the friendly game of truths. "I mean, we have no idea what's out there or how it'll go down. We know those mercenaries are probably in Morocco with your dad, so it's just... worrying, that's all. I really want us to get that crown but I also want us to be safe."

"We will be safe," JJ reassures. "We're going to get that crown and get home safely, I promise."

I puff out a breath. "You have no idea."

"Look to the bright side, baby." One hand holds my face, eyes holding my gaze. "The minute we have that crown in our hands, our future is sealed, do you realise that? We will never, ever have to try and find gold or crosses or crowns ever again, alright?"

"Well, you don't know that either," I jab.

"Baby, this crown is worth enough to set us for life, you know that. You gotta stop worrying, okay? We are just a few short days from having anything and everything."

"You're very optimistic all of a sudden."

"Well, one of us has to be," he utters, dragging his thumb across my cheekbone. "And, money or not, we're still gonna have it all, Brooke, okay?" I sigh, perfectly content, my forehead pressing to his.

I nod slowly. "Okay."

"Hey." He moves his hand, sliding it into my hair, tucking strands behind my ear. "We didn't get to talk about it earlier, but can you believe that your brother is going to be a dad?"

"No, it's crazy, right?" I chuckle, feeling that previous tightness unravel as JJ brings me out of my head, bringing light to us. "I mean, I think he's going to be a great dad, but it's so wild to me that in nine months, I am going to be an aunt and godmother."

"We are going to be godparents."

I nod, tucking my bottom lip between my teeth. "Do you think we're godparent worthy?"

"Definitely," he confirms. "If we're parent worthy, we're godparent worthy."

"Who says we're parent worthy?"

"I do."

I roll my eyes, bringing my hands to his neck, feeling the gentle thrum of his pulse, and I drink in his eyes, spotting nothing but love and warmth. "You know, there is something else I have to tell you. I mean, I don't have to tell you, but in the full disclosure of truths, I'm going to be truthful."

His eyebrows knit together. "Okay..."

"Do you remember, like, three months ago..." He remains confused, face scrunched. "The night of the Twinkie?"

It clicks in his head. "Oh. Yeah. Also known as the night we nearly got caught."

"Yes, exactly." I exhale a laugh, face turning pink as I recall that night in the Twinkie where we thought we'd be reckless and completely insane, and because of our wild behaviour, we nearly got caught. "That night."

"What about it?"

"Well, we weren't exactly... careful, if you know what I mean." Wordlessly, he blinks at me, just listening, and I continue. "And because we nearly got caught, we kinda just, well── Anyway, a couple weeks later, I thought I was... pregnant."

His hold on me loosens, the surprise evident on his face as he looks to me with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. "What?"

"Yeah, I, uh, took a test and everything."

"What? Y-You, um... you thought you were..."

"Yeah," I finish, nodding.

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"Well, I-I wasn't pregnant. I took the test, it came back negative," I explain, but he just looks more lost which I don't understand.

"You still should've told me," he argues.

"Why?" I laugh, exasperated. "So you can pace back and forth in the bathroom while I pee on a stick?"

"Exactly. That's what I'm here for."

I sigh, head dropping to his shoulder. "Great. I can't wait for the day you're pacing back and forth in the waiting room while I have your five children."

"I'll be smoking too, remember that."

"Can't wait," I mutter.

He squeezes my hip, forcing me to bring my head back from his shoulder. "You really took a test?"

"It's your fault Mr. I-Can't-Pull-Out."

"We could've had sex in our bedroom. It would've saved nearly getting caught by your brother."

"And your sister," I jab, smacking my hand against his arm playfully.

"Also, I did pull out."

"Just not in time because you made me think I was pregnant, idiot."

"I thought we decided that I'm not an idiot."

"You are sometimes," I mutter.

"Thanks, Sunny."

"Sorry." I lean my head back into his shoulders, bringing my arms around his middle.

He holds me to him, arms around my back. "You really took a test?"

I sigh loudly. "Yes, I did. It was negative."

"Were you disappointed?"

I shake my head, squeezing him tighter. "No. I was more surprised that I wasn't, I'll be honest, but I wasn't disappointed, I guess. I don't know, it still feels weird to think about it── to think that I was nearly pregnant. I wasn't even going to tell you, but the game of truth requires the whole truth──"

"And nothing but the truth," he finishes. "Thank you for telling me anyway."

"Yeah, of course, daddy."

His face scrunches. "I never wanna hear you say that ever again, Sunshine."

"Yeah, that was gross. I apologise."

He kisses my head. "I love you, Sunshine."

"I love you, JJ."

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❀ soph speaks

hope you liked the references to earlier chapters if you spotted any :)

i'm onto the final episode which means i'm only a few chapters away from the end of this act . . .

thankyou for reading!!!