chapter 25.
sad in carolina.

୨୧

Josephine stares at the necklace in her palm, exiting her mother's tomb. "hey, would it be all right if i came here alone sometime?" she misses the tense look on her brothers face; his mother is a deadbeat, hers is just dead.

chandler looks taken aback, quickly shifting his expression into one of pleasant surprise. "of course. anytime." he locks the stone door tightly behind them. "hey, jj?" he notices the look on his sons face. "you ever wonder why you are the way you are? always doubling down, going for the big prize. that's me, jj."

groff chuckles, patting the blondes shoulder just as a police siren wails and cruiser pulls up just outside the cemetery's gate. "oh, shit." groff curses, reaching for jj. "quick, hide! get back in the mausoleum!"

"what?" jj questions, allowing himself to be steered back into the tombstone. "in the mausoleum?"

"yes, hurry!" groff gestures for josephine to follow and she does so, sliding through the doorway. their birth father hisses for the young blonde over jj's shoulder. "posie, give me the lens, quick!"

"no." josephine tights her grip on the necklace. "how do i know you're coming back?"

"i'm your father, posie." groff looks exasperated, as though jo's question was not a valid concern. he looks to jj; he knows his son shares his treasure-hunting blood. "look. you either trust me, or you can go with that lens and this adventure is over."

jj hesitates briefly. he looks over his shoulder to his sister, nodding towards their father. "give him the lens, jo."

"but—"

"joey." jj suddenly sounds impatient. "just give it to him. it'll be fine." with a huff voicing her disapproval, josephine hands her mothers necklace over to groff. he pockets it before promptly shutting the heavy stone door, locking the teenagers inside of the mausoleum. her discontent was less about trusting groff, and more about the object itself; that necklace was the first and only piece of her mother josephine had ever held.

joey exhales dramatically, sliding down the locked door to the stone floor. she looks to her brother, unsure of her feelings for their 'father.' on the one hand, jo was ecstatic to learn they were not related to the scum that is luke maybank. on the other, however, she can't help but question groffs true intentions. after all these years, why now is he making an effort?

she rises back to her feet, peering through the small dusty window in the stone door. chandler stood at the end of the pathway, speaking with the very officer josephine had jumped just two nights prior. groff gestures to the mausoleum dramatically and jo gasps, ducking. he is going to sell you both out. why would you trust him? you idiot!

"jj, what if he tells that pig we're in here?" she squeaks, voice barely audible. even in her panicked state, josephine still clung to her bred-hatred towards cops. "you'll get arrested, and i'll get sent away again."

"he's not gonna snitch, josie." jj exhales, sliding to the concrete floor. "relax."

"no. don't call me that, and don't tell me to fucking relax." josephine snaps, suddenly angry. she grits her teeth so fiercely her jaw aches. she hated him calling her the nickname that once defined their relationship. "you don't understand. i cannot get sent away again." rejoining the foster care system is josephine's greatest fear...even more so than contracting sepsis or mrsa. 

"jesus." jj mutters at the child's sudden outburst. "jo, he's not gonna rat us out. if he does, i'll just get 'em right between the eyes with the crowbar and we'll make a break for it."

"oh, god." josephine groans, heart heavy. they were so screwed. she fights off hot tears, biting index fingernail into the calloused flesh of her thumb pad.

jj's eyes widen. his sister is very rarely emotional; the sight is almost unnerving. "oh, no, joey, it's okay. everything's fine."

this does nothing. josephines chest heaves and her bottom lip shakes. she tugs it between canines, hoping to draw blood before tears fall. "no, it's not." she shakes her head. it's not alright, and nothing was ever fine. jo is sick of being 'fine' all the time. she's not, hasn't been for a very long time. maybe not since inside her mothers womb.

"shit." jj curses, moving across the floor to sit beside his breaking sister. he places a warm hand on her back, moving it side to side; he's unsure how to be of much comfort. he was never taught how to be gentle. "joey, you're alright. it's okay, you're okay." the boys heart cracks hearing his sisters ragged breathing as tears spill over. he's unsure what's got her so worked up. "jo, i won't let anything bad happen. no one's gonna hurt you, okay?"

joey sucks in a breath so sharp it pierces a lung. she coughs, pulling away from his embrace. "no, not okay! you can't promise that!"

"what are you—yes i can!" jj argues, brows stitched together. he's unsure what to make of this sudden outburst. "i can promise that, joey. nothin' bad's gonna happen. i won't let it."

"no." jo shakes her head. her tears are red hot and angry, burning her cheeks. "you're lying, just like you always do."

"what are you talking about?"

"you let them take me!" jo cries, on her feet now.

jj sucks in a breath. he understands her outburst, now. "no, i protected you! you were safe from da-from luke." the name felt foreign, an intruder on his tongue.

"but i didn't need protection from him! i needed protection from all the homes they took me to!" she's shouting with force now. she's sure her mother can hear her from beyond the grave.

jj's face softens in confusion. "what?"

josephine inhales, pursing her lips. she was angry, so angry; she wanted jj to know what he had subjected her to, that day he allowed her removal. "living with luke was the safest i've ever been."

"joey, what are you talking about?"

josephine bites at the inside of her cheeks, stalling. she'd rather contract mrsa than say the words; luckily, she doesn't have to.

a lock pops and the door to the mausoleum heaves open. josephine jumps at the escape, harshly brushing past groff. "won't lie—started doubting you. didn't think you were ever coming back."

"hey." chandler stops the child, grabbing at her arm. "you don't ever have to doubt me ever again." josephine swallows a scoff; i'll believe it when i see it.

groff looks to the older boy, passing him the keys to the twinkie. "we got one last mission." he closes the door to the mausoleum. "you know the back roads of this place?"

of course he did. he bled this island; knew it like the back of his hand. and josephine would, too, if she hadn't been gone four years; even then, she likely could still walk the cut with her eyes closed.

but groff does not direct them into the cut.

jj pulls up outside a looming mansion on figure eight, overlooking the waterfront. he's just as confused as josephine. "right here? you sure this is the place?"

"yeah." groff shrugs, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding open the vans backdoor. "i just gotta pick something up. hang tight." he doubles back, leaning through the open passenger window. "jj, can i borrow your phone? mines as dead as julius ceaser."

"all right, but can we please hurry up?" jj retrieves his phone from a back pocket, passing it over jo to their father. "you know, since i'm sort of a fugitive, and all."

"oh, yeah." groff shrugs as though this is an easy fact to forget. "just lay low and sit tight. i'll be right back." he leans closer to the siblings, a smile haunting his lips. "we make a good team, the three of us."

josephine can't fight the return grin; she's longed for a father to smile at. jj, however, is fighting a sickening feeling in his gut. something is off, something is wrong.

"jo, i don't trust this guy. let's dip."

josephine blanches, looking at her brother as though he has three heads. "what? no."

"he locked us in your dead mothers grave for an hour."

"he was getting rid of the cops!" jo argues. "he was helping us!"

"you seriously believe it took him that long?" jj shakes his head, throws the van in reverse. "nah, dudes up to something."

"no, he isn't!" josephine shouts, reaching over and moving the clutch back into park. the vehicle lurches as it stops. jj curses, throwing his hand back atop the lever but jo won't move, gripping the clutch with all her strength. "fuck, joey, let go!"

"no!"

"goddamnit, sass-ephine, let go!"

josephine scowls at the use of her childhood nickname. "don't call me that, jerk-face!"

"ahem." the siblings freeze; chandler is standing at the open passenger window. "sorry, kids, i've got one more request to make."

"what?" jj shoots his sister a look, eyebrows raised as if to say i told you so.

"leave the van and come with me. i've got a boat here." groff holds up a hand, dangling keys between to fingers. he gestures for the siblings to follow him. "get you off the streets."

josephine undos her seatbelt, hand on the door handle when jj stops her, grabbing her shoulder. "no, no." he shakes his head, calling out the window to their father. "we gotta get back right now, with that little lens thing, all right?"

"i'll take you back." chandler promises, holding the necklace that once belonged to josephine's mother. "here's your lens, come on." he notices jj's hesitation. "this is the safest way; take a boat. gets you both of the streets." he eyes josephine; he knows she's fearful of the ever-looming threat of foster care, now that she technically assaulted an officer of the law. "now let's go, we're losing time."

with an exasperated sigh jj pops open the drivers side door, signaling josephine to follow. "drop us off with the lens, all right?"

"with the lens." chandler nods, "it's a deal." he hands the boat keys to the older blonde. "slip forty two."

"slip forty two." jj repeats, closing his fist around the keys. chandler nods to joey, "you go with him, posie. i'll keep a look out."

the siblings head down the dock, oblivious as their father slips a gun through the drivers side window of the twinkie.

the same gun used to kill hollis robinson just five minutes prior.