Elora had somehow - somehow - convinced Tyler to let her walk him back home. He needed to check in with everyone, and to keep his cover.

"I'm just..." he explained to her as they walked. "I mean, it's not like I'm embarrassed by you guys or anything, but I'm just not ready for them to find out I'm hanging out with you guys, you know?"

"I know," Elora said immediately, turning to him. "I mean... I still don't really understand what the fuck you think you're doing, but... having a shit family is an idea I'm very familiar with."

Tyler sighed heavily, not looking at her. He wasn't going to agreed. He would call his family a breeze compared to what she'd been through, and he would never dare compare that to him. Yes, his mother may be a bitch and his brother a psycho, but not on the level of Elora.

"So," Elora changed the subject with a sly smile. "How're you enjoying the Pogue life?"

"It's..." Tyler chuckled slightly. "It's crazy, sure, but I'll have you know that I do understand what the fuck I'm doing, Elora Easton. It's one of the first smart decisions I've made in my life."

Lie.

Massive lie.

He was ruining his life by going with them and Elora knew it.

However, she didn't say anything, instead opting to chuckle slightly to herself and say. "The only smart decision you've ever made in your life, you mean?"

"Yeah, probably," grinned Tyler, as they crossed from the Cut into Figure Eight. He looked around cautiously, his tone becoming one of concern. "Listen, Elle, you should probably go back here, I don't want you to run into-"

"Well, well, well."

Shit.

Elora would've objected to what Tyler was about to say anyway, and they both knew it. However, as they watched a smirking Topper Thornton cross his arms in front of them, they both realised that this was not a smart idea whatsoever.

"Oh this is- this is brilliant," Topper laughed lightly at the sight of them. "I mean, I was hoping for any excuse to dob you in it, but hanging out with her? That's better than I ever-"

"Shut it," Tyler advised him, fists clenched as he took a subconscious step forward and shuffled a little to the right, half covering Elora.

"I don't think you're in any position to tell me to shut it," Topper squared up to his brother, who was a few inches taller than him. "Not after what you've been up to."

Tyler crossed his arms, snarling. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Topper scoffed. "I don't know, maybe that you and your little band of rejects stole thirty five K off a drug dealer?"

Oh... shit.

Elora tensed behind him, and he could feel it. Tyler, as well, was tense, because he knew how this was going to go. Topper was going to tell their mum, she was going to go nuclear, and worst of all, she was going to find out that Tyler had been hanging out with the Pogues.

"Yeah," Topper went on, up in Tyler's face. "Yeah, what are you gonna say about that? Because when I tell mum, and she finds about about all this, about her," he jabbed a finger in Elora's direction, "then you're as good as dead."

"Yeah," Tyler snapped. "I'm aware."

"So why the fuck are you doing it?" Topper shot back. "Just ditch your new thievinf friends and your brain dead little girlfriend, and-"

Elora didn't even see Tyler move, but next second, he had shoved his brother backwards, sending him stumbling away.

"Talk about them again, I dare you," he said loudly.

"Oh yeah? Don't you mean, talk about her?" Topper taunted, looking in Elora's direction.

"Shut the fuck up!" Tyler yelled.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's really how you wanna play this one, Ty?!" Topper raised his own voice. "That's really how you wanna do this! Listen, I'll just go straight to mum-"

"SO FUCKING GO STRAIGHT TO HER, THEN!" Tyler roared at him, anger pulsating throughout his body. "GO AND SNITCH! BUT KEEP ELORA'S NAME OUT YOUR M-"

"AND WHAT IF I DON'T?!" Topper shrieked back.

"Then you better watch your back!" Tyler yelled, grabbing Elora's arm gently and leading her back in the direction of the Cut, all attempts of going home abandoned.

Tyler was shaking in anger, his face red and his eyes lit with malice. Elora glanced at him, eyes both confused and thankful. She didn't understand why he'd stuck up for her back there, because she had given him no reason to, but somehow, he had.

"What are you gonna do if he tells her?" She asked cautiously.

"Nothing," Tyler replied determinedly. "My mother opinion means jackshit now."

And that was that.

But the feeling that he was making the entirely wrong decision here still lingered.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"So we gotta be done before my scholarship interview tomorrow," Pope said as he, Kie, Elora and Tyler pulled up to the Chateau. They'd already tried JJ's and they had a very pissed Luke breathing down their necks.

It was night time, and the sky was dark. Tyler still hadn't been home, but he didn't seem concerned. They needed to check up on JJ, to see what was going on with him. And to see if they could convince him to give the money back.

"Okay, well, we gotta focus," Kie commented as Pope stopped the engine.

"I know, I know, it's gonna be fine," Pope said. "We got John B and JJ inside the well, and us two up top," he gestured between himself and Tyler. "And you, you and Sarah will be outside transporting," he pointed at Kie then Elora in turn.

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, we're gonna rock this shit."

Kie and Pope nodded, both opening their doors. That was when Elora glanced at Tyler,  who was sat in the back seat, eyes unfocused, looking thoroughly dejected.

"Hey," she said gently, turning to him.

"Hey," he mumbled back, not looking at her.

"Um..." Elora hesitated. "Listen, Topper's a dick, but-"

"Yeah," Tyler said, but his tone was still heavy. "I'm aware."

"Tyler..." Elora didn't know what came over her as she lifted her arm up, turning him to face her. His eyes flickered to her's and then back to her. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

Tyler looked down for a second as she took her hand away, hesitating. He knew what he wanted to say, of course, he just didn't know if he could say it to her.

Then, finally, he took a deep breath, swallowed and said. "Elora-"

And then he was stopped.

Because all around the car, fairy lights lit up the trees. Elora and Tyler both turned, looking out the window to see it.

Without another word, both of them got out the car. "What the hell is that?" Elora asked Kie and Pope, who were both as confused as they were right now.

"No idea," Kie shook her head. "Come on, let's go."

She led them all through the trees towards the Chateau, the fairy light leading their way. And when they broke through the trees- holy shit.

Elora was blinded by light. All around, there were more fairy lights, there were LEDs around the trees, there were blow up palm trees and flamingoes, and there was a hot tub.

A hot tub that JJ Maybank was sitting in, holding an open bottle of champagne, jacuzzi jets firing up around him, sunglasses on.

Elora, Tyler, Kie and Pope stood before him in absolute fucking shock, eyes popping out their sockets as the blonde boy in the water lowered his sunglasses to grin at them. They were horrified.

"What did you do, JJ?!" Pope exclaimed.

JJ chuckled. "I got a jet going straight in my butt right now."

"Yeah, and your head's up there too," Elora snapped.

"Your loss, Elle," JJ shrugged with another grin. "Y'all should get in immediately, you hear me?" He poured them all champagne, thrusting the bottle up into the air. "Salud!"

Pope asked warily. "How much did this cost?"

JJ took another swig from the bottle, shrugging. "Uh... well, with the generator, the petrol, and, oh, hey, express delivery," he grinned flirtatiously, "uh... pretty much all of it, yeah."

Pope's eyes went wide. "All of it?"

"Yeah, all of it."

"You spent all the money in one day?"

"Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket."

"This isn't funny, JJ!" Elora yelled.

"Come on, Elle! Lighten up! Look at this!" JJ yelled, gesturing all around him. "Finest in jet based massage therapy, that's what they told me."

But no one was looking remotely pleased.

"Kie, what?" JJ demanded, looking at the brunette. "Can't a man have a little luxury in life? I mean, like- guys, we only live once, right? Enough of this emotional shit, get in the Cat's Ass, come on."

"The what?" Elora asked.

"The Cat's Ass, that's what I named her," JJ grinned, discarding the sunglasses completely. "Come on, look at this!" He pressed a button on the side that caused a disco ball to spin around above them and more jets to spray out. "Disco mode! Come on, baby!"

Elora looked at him, shaking her head hopelessly. Yes, JJ could be insane, but not like this.

She looked at Tyler, who was speechless, an expression she couldn't quite read on his face. It looked like shock and horror like the rest of them, but there was also an ounce of understanding.

"Are you kidding me?!" Pope shrieked. "You could've paid for restitution!"

"Or literally given it to any charity!" Kie added.

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

And that's when JJ broke.

"Okay, well, you know what? I didn't!" He yelled, standing up, the bottom half of his torso now becoming visible. "I got a hot tub! For my friends! Actually, screw friends, I got a hot tub for my family!"

But none of them were listening to him.

Because all four of them were staring at the bruses around his ribs. There were about three or four in total, and they were huge and purple and so clearly new. And that's when Elora realised.

He did this to spite his dad.

"JJ, what the hell-?" Kie tried.

"I got this for you!" JJ shouted over her, his anger starting to crack as it gave way to sadness, and trauma, and the immeasurable pain he was feeling. "Guys, look what I did got you!  Alright? Look at this! Look at this!"

"JJ..." Kie and Elora were both on the verge of tears, looking at him.

And he was crying himself, his voice breaking as he shouted. "No, you stop being emotional, it's fine, okay? I mean, it's sweet, right? Everything-"

He didn't get another word out, because Elora and Kie were practically running at him, hugging him tightly as he broke down sobbing in their arms.

Elizabeth Easton had never hurt her daughter. Sure, when Elora had dislocated her arm at thirteen she had dismissed it, not taking her to the hospital and saying Elora was being dramatic. In the end, Heyward put it in a haphazard sling and life had gone on.

There was another time, last year, that Elora had been burned pretty badly on the stove, and her mother's latest hook up had laughed at her, mocking her for crying. Elizabeth had laughed too, letting her daughter figure out how to treat it by herself.

But nothing she had done measured up remotely to Luke Maybank.

And Elora could tell that just by the way JJ clung to her and Kie, sobbing and shaking, all three of them caught in the crossfire of the jacuzzi jets but none of them caring.

"I just couldn't do it," his voice broke as he did, and at that, both Pope and Tyler joined the hug, holding the boy as tightly as possible as he fell apart.

"I can't take him anymore!" He roared, but his voice was torn apart. "I was gonna kill him..."

And it made Elora cry, as well. Because she had had those thoughts. She had wanted to kill her mother, she had wanted her to just disappear for doing what she did to her dad.

"I just wanna do the right thing..." JJ gritted out, as all four others held him tightly.

"I know," Kie comforted. "I know..."

And there was a reason she knew. Because all of them wanted to do the right thing, it was just rare to see them actually achieve it.

So, as Elora stood, wrapped up in a hug from four of the seven Pogues, squeezing tightly as she tried to comfort and be comforted at the same time, she made a choice.

She was never going to leave her mother behind entirely.

But she had to stop letting her control her.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Elora hated her house.

Not really, not properly, but she hated it for all the memories. The memories of her mother that JJ had dreged up last night (not intentionally, but still) had sent her into turmoil. And the last thing she needed right now was to be thinking about her mother.

Once JJ had calmed down yesterday and started insisting he was fine, they'd got to work. They had set up the winch and the cart and everything else to go and get the gold, and got all their stuff prepared. Elora had been distracted from thoughts of Elizabeth, and all was fine.

But as soon as she'd got back home that night, all her thoughts had come back. Where was her mother? Was she okay? Was she dead? Was she thinking of her daughter? Did she even c-?

"Elora!"

And apparently, the universe wasn't giving her a break.

John B was panting, his face covered in sweat, his hair slightly damp. His eyes were wild and wide, and he was moving very erratically. He ran up to her, his body shaking, his whole posture jumpy.

"Elora, I need you to listen to m-"

"John B, what wrong? You look cra-"

"I need you to listen, Elora!"

Elora's whole body tensed up as he grabbed her shoulders, his face inches from her's. She shook slightly at the force with which she was being held, but didn't back down, eyes narrowed.

Her friend stared back at her, his eyes jumping all around.

"John B," Elora said firmly, causing his eyes to jump to her's. "What. Is going. On?"

John B looked at her, a battle she could only just see going on inside his head. And then he just came out with it.

"Your mum was working with my dad. To find the Merchant."