𝟏𝟏𝟔.              𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐭. 𝟐

close to you ────   gracie abrams

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖩𝖩，𝖤𝖬𝖮𝖱𝖸 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖨 𝖡𝖤𝖫𝖮𝖭𝖦 𝖳𝖮 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖧𝖨𝖦𝖧 𝖳𝖤𝖠𝖬 𝖶𝖧𝖨𝖫𝖤 𝖪𝖨𝖠𝖱𝖠，𝖯𝖮𝖯𝖤 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖢𝖫𝖤𝖮 𝖡𝖤𝖫𝖮𝖭𝖦 𝖳𝖮 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖫𝖮𝖶 𝖳𝖤𝖠𝖬．Up top, we keep a close eye out for Sarah and John B, making sure we don't cross any Corsairs in our midst. Down low, the others walk back and forth, attempting not to look suspicious as they observe the area, acting as an extra layer of sight for my brother and Sarah who are breaking into Terrance's boat as we speak.

Well, as Emory speaks.

"If that crown really does grant wishes, I'm wishing for a shitton of money," she tells, mindlessly dragging her knife into the wall we're looking over, attempting to sketch out her initials which is something JJ does, I realise.

JJ peers over at his sister, and if I wasn't mistaken, I see a hint of concern in the way he looks at her, knowing she's not in the right state of mind either. I mean, she also lost her mother, also realised her father wasn't biologically hers, and also faced her biological father who selfishly took everything from her. Her and JJ are in a similar boat, if not the exact same one, and while JJ is doing better, it's not surprising that Emory is beginning to spiral, her heart and mind set on one thing and one thing only.

Kill Chandler Groff.

"It grants wishes?" he inquires, not seeming to remember what Groff said about the crown when he ambushed our lives, consequently doing his best to try and ruin them.

"According to daddy dearest," she grumbles, digging her knife harder into the stone, the mention of her father making her more agitated.

"You want a shitton of cash?" I ask, repeating the supposed wish she wants if she's given the chance to have the crown in her hands.

"That's right, B. I want a shitton of cash."

I hum, choosing to accept that answer even though I believe there's something else she'd much rather wish for if given the chance to play genie. Choosing not to pry, I refocus on JJ. "What about you, J?" I ask, tilting my head to JJ who stands at the other side of me. "What would your wish be?"

His eyes hold mine, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're gonna say you want a truck or something, aren't you?"

I bring my gaze off him, looking back to Emory who continues to keep a lookout. "No," he replies, though the suspicious edge in his tone suggests otherwise. "Okay, maybe I was, but whatever."

"At least wish for something cooler than a truck, dude," she grimaces.

"Like what?"

"Wish for a plane or something, not a truck."

"What would I do with a plane?" he asks, but the answer seems pretty obvious.

"Uh, fly away," Emory chimes, head shaking.

"Where would I fly to?"

"I don't know, bro, fucking anywhere you want."

"Okay!" I clap one hand on Emory's shoulder, another on JJ's, needing them to be silent for a minute before they start maiming each other. Then again, a bit of friendly sibling rivalry never did hurt anyone. I mean, look at me and John B. We fight constantly but we really do love each other at the end of the day, that's what matters. "We, the high team, are friendly, okay?"

Emory scrunches her face up. "The high team?"

"Em, that was your idea," I point out. "Now be nice to each other, please."

"Whatever," they both say, looking away from the other like bickering children. Siblings, man.

"Okay. JJ, what's your real wish?"

I look out to the wharf, needing to still keep a lookout as I don't want anything happen to Sarah and John B. With every second they're on that boat means another second for the Corsairs to potentially find them if we don't catch them. I hear JJ hum beside me, his eyes on me in my peripheral but I keep my gaze focused on what's before me.

I also catch Emory bringing her head back to look our way, eyes seeming to look past me and at her brother. She clears her throat, tilting her head. "What's your wish, J?"

"I've got one," he replies, offering nothing further which forces me to look away from the wharf, my eyes going straight to him.

"What is it?" I ask, impatient and desperate.

"Well, Sunny, if I tell you, it's not going to come true, is it?" Keeping his focus on the wharf, he misses me gaping at him, surprised that he won't just come clean about whatever wish he's concocted in that head of his.

"Shit," Emory curses.

"What?"

"He makes a good point. My wish won't come true now that I've said it."

I roll my eyes, refocusing back on my fiancé who just smiles, unbothered that he's withholding a wish that I wish to know. "Come on, you've gotta tell us. Is it really special or something?"

"Very special," he replies, exhaling a breath. "Now..." He turns his head away, eyes meeting mine. "What's your wish, Sunshine?"

I've made several wishes over the past few years, but only two have ever come true. The first being that of wishing for my brother and Sarah to return, for us to find them and for us to be reunited. The day after that wish and on mine and John B's seventeenth birthday, my wish came true in the form of him and Sarah. JJ and I also made a wish to one another when we said goodbye to Luke for what felt like forever but we were so off on that assumption, but regardless, my wish did come true shortly after.

I, Brooklyn Routledge, got the boy── my wish. Days later, he asked me to be his on a ship that changed both our lives, that crash landed us in Poguelandia 1.0 where our relationship only blossomed.

Now I'm faced with the choice to make a third wish, and you know what they say... third time is the charm despite my first two wishes already coming true. I guess I've got to make it good even though my life has been pretty wonderful if you ignore the nearly dying aspect of it all.

We got the gold. We purchased a home that, yes, is being taken from us, but we technically have a home. JJ proposed. We're going to be getting married. I befriended a six-year-old who I can't imagine my life without. I have the greatest friends and family in the world.

Until all this Groff shit happened, all was great, and I know that when all this business in Morocco is finished and we have that crown, I know things will go back to being great again. I know that we'll have everything and more, and we'll have far more opportunities which I can't wait for. We just need to get out of Morocco first.

For the sake of Emory and JJ, I act like I can make a wish when, really, I have nothing I could ask for as I have everything I could ever want.

"Okay," I sigh, eyes flickering from Emory to JJ.

"You got it?"

I nod firmly, turning my head forward to check out down below, still not seeing anyone just yet. "Yep."

JJ hums. "Okay."

"You two suck," Emory exclaims. "One of you better wish for a shitton of cash just for me because I just lost my wish."

JJ shrugs. "Sorry, Em. Can't tell."

"You suck," she mumbles, tucking her knife back into her back pocket. "Just tell us your──"

"Wait, wait." He holds his hand up, silencing Emory. "You see that guy? That one right there?" He points out to a guy walking along. "That was one of the Corsairs that kidnapped us."

I squint, double checking the guy that JJ is looking at. "Oh, yeah. He looks familiar."

"I think he's heading towards the boat," Emory realises, already beginning to back away from the wall we've been looking over for the past ten minutes.

"I see it, I see it." JJ moves away from us, going to the canon to signal to the others of the Corsair's presence, hoping they can stop him before he reaches John B and Sarah. Though, as soon as JJ hits the canon to try and get the attention of the others, chanting rings out throughout the town, alarming us.

"What the hell is that?" I ask, utterly confused as to where the chanting originated from or why it even began in the first place.

"It's the call to prayer," JJ answers, moving back to us, head shaking.

"They won't hear us," Emory utters, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What do we do?" I ask, looking from JJ to Emory, finding that she's already beginning to move away, looking like a woman with a plan. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go distract him, offer him some of the Emory Thorne charm," she chimes, winking, not a hint of fear or hesitation in her voice.

"What?" JJ pushes off from where he was standing, going to step in front of his sister, hand snatching her arm to stop her. "It's too risky. No way."

She narrows her eyes, huffing out a laugh, stealing her arm back. "I appreciate the concern, little bro, but I can do this, alright?" She slaps her hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. "We can't have that guy getting to John B and Sarah, can we?" We don't answer, not that she expects us to. She knows the answer. "He knows what you both look like, so I can do this, alright? Have some faith in me, man."

I sigh, not liking the idea of putting her in harm's way but I can't have anything happen to Sarah and John B, and I know Emory is more than capable of handling herself. "Okay."

"Okay?" JJ shakes his head vigorously, acting like John B when he finds me going into a dangerous situation, and I find that overprotective brothers must be a thing in our crew. "Em, that guy is definitely armed. You can't go in there."

"Well, I'm armed too, J."

"With a tiny ass knife," he argues.

"That can, and will, do a lot of damage."

He shakes his head, hands on hips. "I feel like I'm pimping out my sister," he says, looking to me, and I roll my eyes, thinking he's exaggerating a little in saying that, once again sounding just like my brother.

"You're not pimping me out," Emory scoffs. "I'm volunteering."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

I place a hand on JJ's shoulder. "She's got this," I assure, needing him to take a step back from the protective brother stance so Emory can go and help John B and Sarah by distracting this Corsair. "Go on, Em, but be careful, okay?"

She nods firmly, saluting to us as she backs away. "If I don't make it back, it's been a pleasure."

"Not funny!" JJ calls out, watching his sister move away and leave us, those words potentially being her last. I'm kidding, those will not be Emory Thorne's last words.

She leaves JJ and I, rushing to get down to the low team so she can sort out the problem we have. With her gone, JJ immediately goes back to where we were previously stood, standing and waiting for Emory to appear and greet the mercenary who is too close to Terrence's boat for our liking.

I peer at JJ, seeing the concern on his face, and I lean my head into his arm reassuringly, attempting to keep him calm. "She'll be fine, JJ. She can hold her own."

"I know, but she always says the wrong shit at the wrong time," he mutters, dragging his hand across his face, exhaling a heavy breath. "Oh, there she is." I navigate my gaze to where Emory appears, and we watch her move quickly, going to catch up with the Corsair, bumping shoulders with him a little harder than necessary to force him to stay put and see her. "Shit."

"She's okay, JJ," I utter, looping my arm around his, remaining close to him.

Like Emory is with JJ, it seems that JJ is the exact same way with her── protective and worried for her safety when push comes to shove, just like John B and I are with each other. It's sweet, it is, but if there's anyone who can defend herself without the help of anyone else, it's freaking Emory. Also, if things do go south, I know she has that knife in her back pocket and she ain't afraid to use that thing.

We watch Emory begin to converse with the mercenary, smiling in all the right ways and laughing like some kind of damsel in distress, playing her role perfectly. With every passing second, JJ grows tenser and tenser, seeming on the verge of storming down there but I keep my arm secured around his, knowing he needs to stay put and give Emory a chance.

"You know, it's nice," I say, attempting to distract him from Emory who continues to talk with the mercenary, looking to be asking for directions as she points away from the ship.

"What's nice?" JJ asks, eyes laser focused on Emory and the Corsair.

"To see you have a sister," I clarify. "To see you have blood family that doesn't... suck."

He sniffles, nodding. "Yeah."

"You deserve it, you know?" I look away from Emory, gazing at JJ who remains focused on his sister, worry still sketched across his face. "You deserve to have blood family that don't hurt you, that just protect and love you, so I'm really glad you have Emory."

He exhales, lips forming a line. "Yeah, me too."

"You're a good brother," I tell him, wanting him to hear that because, despite not knowing at first how to be a brother to Emory, he's done a splendid job so far.

"Well, I learnt from the best."

I scoff, resting my chin on his shoulder. "He's not here, J, you don't have to suck up."

He breathes out something of a laugh, eyes still caught onto Emory and the Corsair below. "Come on, Em," he mutters.

"I think she's doing good," I say, watching as the Corsair begins to help Emory with directions as she acts oblivious which I know she hates being, but she's doing a great job of keeping his attention away from the boat.

"Incredible acting must run in our blood." He grins, seeming serious despite his tone suggesting a joke. Either way, I laugh, head shaking in disbelief because JJ is not as good an actor as he believes he is, almost always getting us caught in terrifying situations because of his "great" acting.

I pat his shoulder. "Sure, babe."

The Corsair looks away from her, looking agitated, and I feel JJ straighten, body tensing once again as he looks forward. "Is she okay?"

I stare forward, eyes narrowed. "I-I don't know."

We watch the Corsair raise his shirt slightly, and I can only imagine what he's threatening her with. Why else would he raise his shirt? "Shit," JJ curses, separating from me and already beginning to move away just as the mercenary barges past Emory, fed up with whatever game she was playing. "Bastard."

Emory begins to wave her hands up to us, snatching my attention before I go to follow after JJ, needing to get to him before he gets himself killed while trying to protect his sister.

Once we're down below, JJ places a hand on her shoulder, checking to see if she's harmed, but she just seems frustrated. "You okay?"

She nods frantically, breathing heavily. "Sorry. The bastard had a gun." She looks over her shoulder, seeing him moving away. "Dick."

"It's alright, you did good," JJ assures, patting her shoulder once before moving past her just as I greet Emory, offering her a nod and a smile.

"Yeah, nice one, Em."

She turns away from me, eyes going to focus in on her brother. "What the fuck is he doing? JJ!" Emory moves, and I follow, noticing that JJ is following after the Corsair. "JJ!"

"He has a gun, JJ!" I shout, but that doesn't seem to slow him down, he just seems to quicken his steps.

"I swear, I'm gonna kill him," Emory threatens, rushing to meet up with him.

We watch as JJ snatches an oar from close by, manoeuvring his way around the fishing nets on the ground just as he reaches the Corsair who raises his gun, unable to do anything just as JJ whacks him in the back of the head the paddle.

The Corsair hits the floor, and as a result, the gun fires, bringing gasps and screams from those nearby. "JJ!" Emory yells, charging forward to reach JJ, both of us unclear on where that bullet ended up, but I hope to God it didn't end up in him. He promised me he'd be careful, and so far he's done the opposite.

But, as a positive, because of mine and Emory's prior research, we know there's a hospital not far if worst comes to worst.

"JJ!" I shout, fear in my tone as I reach him, grasping his arm tightly, turning him so he faces me. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Emory smacks him upside the head, and if she wasn't the one to do that, I absolutely would've because that was too fucking close again. "Ow!"

"You idiot," she curses. "What was that?"

"What the hell was that?" We look away, finding Pope and Kiara.

"Where's Cleo?!" I ask, concerned that something has happened to her because that's twice she's gone and disappeared on us, and this time around cannot be a friendly coincidence, can it?

"I don't know!" they both say.

"She was with you guys!"

"I don't know, I'm gonna get John B and Sarah!" Pope tells, rushing to go and find John B and Sarah who should be leaving the boat now, probably having heard the gunshot.

"Pope, come on!" I shout, not wanting to come close to losing anybody else.

"Pope!"

I look over my shoulder at JJ, hand going to touch his arm again. "Are you definitely okay?"

He nods. "Yeah, I'm good, baby."

"You won't be when I'm through with you," Emory grits out through her teeth.

"Guys, come on!" JJ shouts. "Where's Cleo?"

"Cleo!"

Suddenly, a truck pulls up at our sides, a horn honked at us by none other than the master thief herself, Cleo. "Come on! Come on, guys!" We stare at her in disbelief, finding it insane that she somehow managed to steal a whole ass truck, but we go to get on anyway.

"How did you get this?" Pope asks, stepping onto the truck, John B and Sarah following.

"I stole it!" Cleo tells. "Come on!"

Once we're all aboard the Cleo Express, Cleo slams her foot down on the gas pedal, shooting us forward and away from the wharf so we can get the hell away from here and far enough away from the Corsairs so we can think of a game plan.

Annoyingly and because we have very little luck in the transport department, we're forced to pull the truck into another part of town where we can get gas, food and water. "Cheese on bread! If one more engine goes out on me, I'm gonna be the one blowing it up next time!" Cleo snaps, attempting to fix the truck herself.

I look away from her, stepping up behind John B, Sarah and Pope. "So, yeah, putting together all those photos you found, it definitely looks like they're going to this place, Agapenta," Pope explains, pointing to a location on the map. "Looks like it's a straight shot."

"A straight shot as in, how many miles, Pope?"
John B questions.

"Seventy five kilometers, give or take? About forty seven miles," Pope answers quickly being our boy genius, after all. "We can definitely make it there. Can't guarantee we're gonna make it back, but we can definitely make it there."

"Ah, that's news I love to hear."

"Well, it's better than no news, Em."

She shakes her head, arms crossed over her chest. "Actually, sometimes no news is better."

"In what world?"

"In my world," she deadpans.

Stepping away from the likely bickering match Pope and Emory are bound to have, I go to check on my guy, seeing him filling the truck with gas. He peers at me, spotting me moving towards him. "Hey, Sunny."

While I'd usually melt at the smile he offers me, there's something more urgent I need to pester him about. "Why did you think it was a good idea to run up on that guy like that?"

"He threatened Emory, Brooke."

"What if he had just turned?" I question, arms folding over my chest. "He was, like, actively shooting a gun. He was holding the gun."

"Not anymore, though," JJ states, stepping back from the truck, turning away and revealing the gun he stole from the mercenary that he's tucked into his waistband. I didn't even know he'd stolen it. "Live a little, Sunshine."

"J, you promised me you'd be careful," I say, afraid that he's going to spiral and spiral and spiral until the point of no return, until I can't even save him. "How is this careful?"

"Sunshine, the only weapon we have is Emmy's shitty knife, alright? This..." He gestures to the gun. "...is me being careful, okay? I'm going to protect you, protect all of us."

"Hey, my shitty knife is gold," Emory yells, having overheard our talk. "And she's right, you're a fucking idiot."

"She never called me an idiot."

"Oh, well, I am," she chews out, so not impressed by her brother's antics.

JJ shakes his head, stepping back, going to greet the man who sold us the gas.

"You know, your luck's gonna run out one day," Kiara pipes up, sliding in beside her girlfriend.

"Damn straight," Emory whistles.

"Guys," I exhale, really not needing them to say such a thing when I've come too close to losing JJ a lot lately, and I'm not for losing him all over again just because his luck may or may not run out. As far as I'm concerned, his luck will keep him fucking alive for me.

JJ turns away from us, going to pay for the gas. "How much do I owe ya, sir?"

"Three hundred," he replies.

"Three hundred?" I bite back a smile, shaking my head as I move to get into the truck, needing to put my mind at ease as I attempt to ignore the reckless nature of my fiancé who I wouldn't change for the world, but I do wish he'd be a little more careful at times, especially for my sake.

He can say he'll protect me with that gun, and I appreciate it, but I'll protect him without any kind of weapon, believe that.

"Alright, she's ready for the road," Cleo tells, shutting the hood of the truck.

"All right, hey, let's go. Quit lallygagging." Pope claps his hands at John B and Sarah who are sharing some bread.

JJ comes to sit beside me, arm laying over my shoulders as he pulls me into a reassuring embrace that I wish would settle the nerves I feel, but I'm just fucking terrified of this entire mission, of losing him or somebody else along the way if we aren't more careful.

Sarah looks back at me, catching the frown upon my face. "Want some bread?"

I smile, nodding. "Please."

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❀ soph speaks

i have like three chapters left? maybe four depending on how i split up the backend of the episode

basically, the story is very close to an end . . . until i see you all again for season five

these last few chapters are draining me but im powering through :)

thankyou for reading!!