𝟏𝟏𝟖.                    𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

king of my heart ────   taylor swift

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖨'𝖬 𝖬𝖮𝖬𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖲 𝖥𝖱𝖮𝖬 𝖧𝖴𝖱𝖫𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖶𝖧𝖤𝖭 𝖨 𝖦𝖤𝖳 𝖲𝖧𝖮𝖵𝖤𝖣 𝖨𝖭𝖳𝖮 𝖠𝖭𝖮𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖱 𝖱𝖠𝖭𝖣𝖮𝖬 𝖡𝖴𝖨𝖫𝖣𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖡𝖸 𝖬𝖸 𝖡𝖱𝖮𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖱．Breathing heavily, I drag my hand across my forehead, collecting nothing but sweat. I cast a look to JJ who still has a hand on Emory's shoulders, attempting to keep himself upright. She appears to be struggling, looking so fucking tired, but she's helped out massively.

I then look to John B, watching him harshly grab ahold of Rafe, stopping him as he's been running ahead of us for some time, the scroll still in hand. Rafe being Rafe pushes him off with more force than necessary, and if I had any kind of strength to fight right now, I'd fight him for laying a hand on him.

"Just relax for a second!" John B yells, holding his hands up. "We don't know where we're going, alright? Give me the scroll." Rafe's eyes dart around, checking the exits to see if he can make some kind of escape but we're each handling the exits, making sure he doesn't break past and run away with our scroll. "Just give me the scroll."

"You want this?" Rafe taunts, but instead of handing off the scroll, he brings out a knife, going to hold it against his throat.

Oh, this bastard. "Hey!" I shout, stepping forward but I'm grabbed by Kiara before I charge Rafe Cameron for touching my brother never mind holding a knife to his throat.

"Give me the scroll," John B repeats, attempting to remain calm and without fear, but Rafe doesn't look close to backing down.

"It's ours," Sarah chimes.

Rafe turns, now holding the knife in the direction of his sister. "It was," he corrects. "I took the shit. I bought it for four hundred K, actually, okay?"

"Well, that was a shit investment," Emory bites out, exhaling a heavy breath.

"Rafe, I just saved your life!" Sarah yells.

"No, no, no, no." Rafe shakes his head. "You did it so you could steal it from me. There was something in it for you. Alright? Not to actually help me. I know that," he argues.

"Rafe, we don't have time for this."

"Why would I help you? Huh? I don't trust you.
I don't trust any of you. Do you understand?" Rafe shouts, tone threatening. "Dad trusted you. You remember what happened to him?! Do you remember?!" He's holding the knife to Sarah── to his pregnant sister. His tone is loud, unkind and unrelenting.

"Dad died saving my life!" Sarah steps forward, shoving his hand away, forcing him to lower the knife. She's not afraid, not by a long shot, and I take great admiration in watching her defend herself like this. "And you're so eager to blame me for everything, you won't even listen to what happened. Singh's men had me at gunpoint. I was gonna die." She exhales a shaky breath, emotion beginning to claw at her as she recalls those events. "Dad took those bullets for me. And if he was still around, he'd want us to work together. I know you know that."

Rafe's head shakes, visible that he wants to deny something like that, but it's the hard truth. We each watched it happen. "No, you're just going to screw me like everyone else in my life." He swallows thickly, tears collecting in his eyelids. "No, I know you will."

"No, no, because I'm all you've got," she cries, voice cracking. "And you're the only family I have left." Rafe remains silent, just watching his sister who is breaking down right before us.

"She's telling the truth," John B whispers, offering an extra layer of support for Sarah.

He holds Sarah's eyes, so many unspoken words caught up between them, and I feel a pang of emotion smack me square in the chest as I watch them. Rafe lets out a heavy breath, nodding firmly. "Alright. If we, uh..." His eyes dart around, looking to each of us. "...if we work together, I-I still get my cut? So..."

"Yeah."

"I get my cut?" he repeats, reiterating exactly what he wishes for.

"Yeah."

Rafe holds the scroll out to Sarah, but instead of Sarah just taking it, she steps forward and crushes her body into his, wrapping her arms around her brother in a tight embrace. My mouth gapes, surprise evident on each of our faces as it's clear that Sarah and Rafe have not been this close in a number of years.

I peer at John B who offers me another look I can read easily. Nothing but shock is visible on his face, and I suppress the need to question this── to question this interaction between Rafe and Sarah as we each know what Rafe is like, that he's hurt each of us, his sister more than the rest. Can we really, truly trust him?

I catch Emory and JJ sharing a look, just as lost on this interaction as the rest of us. Our attention is then snapped away from the siblings, instead brought to the shouts of the Corsairs just outside the building.

"Hey, this is great and all, but we seriously gotta go," JJ says, watching Sarah and Rafe separate from an embrace that was long overdue and very necessary.

Knowing what we need to do, I move to JJ. "Y'all keep going," I instruct, looking at John B, Sarah and Rafe. "Try to find the crown. Okay, we'll stay back and hold them off."

"I'm not leaving you," John B argues, looking to me, and while I appreciate his concern, we don't have time to hang back and fight over this.

"John B, I'll be fine. You need to go, alright? We'll be fine. Let's go."

"Let's go," JJ urges, moving away and splitting off in one direction with me, Emory and Kiara following while Sarah, John B and Rafe go off in another direction.

Picking up our pace, we move through Agapenta, needing to find where these Corsairs are. With JJ up ahead, we weave and push walls, stalls, buildings and huts in the hopes of finding where the mercenaries are.

I look over my shoulder, peering at Emory who is rubbing her hand against her chest, her breathing questionable as she staggers up the terrain, still keeping her eyes peeled for any mercenaries, but I have a horrible feeling that something is wrong with her── that's she's feeling sick or something, I don't know.

I'm about to call out to her when she comes to a stop, noticing something. "Hey!" Emory calls, tilting her head towards where the mercenaries seem to be. "They're over there." She moves past each of us, choosing to take lead, but I still remain cautious. "Go up here, come on." Following Emory, I make sure JJ stays ahead of me and close to his sister while Kiara and I follow.

Emory and JJ come to a slow, a similar expression crossing their faces. Kiara and I stop too, looking to them with furrowed brows. "I've got an idea," they both say, looking surprised at the other for saying and thinking the same thing. "What's your idea?" they both then say, and I hear Kiara snicker beside me.

I shake my head, huffing out a laugh, impressed that they seem to hold the same brain when it comes to a little harmless fun.

JJ and Emory explain their idea, coming up with the exact same plan which I've got to applaud them for. What both Emory and JJ have planned is to have us wait behind a wall that's very close to collapsing. With a gentle shove, it should fall away and break. Basically, when the Corsairs come and search for us, we will push it over, letting it fall down on top of the Corsairs, hopefully knocking at least one out while distracting the others and stopping them from finding Sarah and John B.

"Alright, they're coming," JJ speaks, Emory beside him. "Let the first few go by." We spot the mercenaries down below, seeing them walking carefully with their guns raised.

Emory hums. "Okay."

Once the first few go by like JJ and Emory assumed, he and Emory hold their fingers up, once again unaware that they are quite literally in sync. "We got one. We'll pick him off." JJ moves back from the wall, whistling loud enough to catch the attention of the mercenary.

"Right here!" He then rushes to hide behind the wall Kiara, Emory and I are crouched behind just as the single Corsair moves over to us, intent on catching us, but oh, he has no idea what's about to hit him── a wall, if you didn't already know. "Okay, okay, ready?"

"Three, two, one," we each count down before shoving the wall down as hard as we can, causing it to tumble and fall upon the mercenary down below, consequently knocking him out just like we had hoped.

"That's one!" JJ cheers, clapping his hand against Emory's, the two of them sharing the famous Pogue handshake, and I think I catch another scrunch of Emory's face which worries me once again, but I don't have time to question it as something crosses my eyes in the distance, stealing my attention from the siblings embracing their win.

A sandstorm.

"Shit," I curse, averting everyone's attention to the incoming sandstorm that's bound to hit us very soon. "We gotta go. Come on."

"We got a good one. We got one!" JJ continues to cheer, both oblivious and uncaring to the sandstorm, instead choosing to embrace his victory with Emory as we move away, beginning to run in the hopes of catching up with the others now that we've dealt with one of the Corsairs.

I look over my shoulder as I run with Kiara up ahead, seeing Emory pushing JJ ahead of her, making sure he remains a good distance so she can catch him if he falls, though he doesn't seem so interested in the pain right now, not anymore, instead high on the small victory we were handed.

Turning back, my eyes snag onto a familiar face. "John B! Hey!" I yell, spotting him, Sarah and Rafe up ahead. "Do you see what's coming?" I ask, gesturing to the storm.

"Do we have any idea where to look for the crown?" JJ questions, that being the only piece of information we need right now.

"It's up there!" Sarah points away and towards a large statue. "It's in that statue somewhere."

"We gotta climb up," John B tells, and that is so the last thing I want to do, especially with how exhausted we each are from the relentless day of running.

"Okay." JJ nods firmly. "Alright, let's go. Come on, we're running out of time!"

Specks of sand dot our vision before a heavy wind flushes our way. "Get down, get down!" John B shouts suddenly just as a wave of sand rushes in our direction. John B grabs Sarah while I reach for JJ, pulling him down and shielding us from the sand that rains down on us.

This is just what we need right now.

Emory groans loudly, sounding like she's in pain as she and Kiara both crouch down, hiding their faces from the hit of sand. JJ and I look to her through narrowed eyes, confused. "Em, what's wrong?" I shout, squinting as I attempt to see what's wrong in the intensity of the storm.

"I-I don't──"

Kiara rears her head back, lips parted. "Em, you're bleeding!" Kiara yells, hand going to touch her arm where she comes back with red on her fingertips. I feel my stomach overturn, a newfound wave of fear settling in as Emory appears to be bleeding.

"W-When did you..."

"How long have you been bleeding?"

JJ moves away from me, dragging himself along the sand to reach his sister where he also touches her arm, checking out the wound we knew nothing about. "Were you shot?!"

"I-I don't know. I..." She swallows, beginning to rip into the sleeve of the shirt she's wearing, uncovering the clothing that Cleo stole for us, instead finding that her clothes underneath are stained red, her upper arm releasing blood that only just started to stain through the rags she wore over her top which explains why we didn't know before that she'd been shot. Then again, did Emory not feel it?

"When did this happen?"

Her head shakes, eyes squeezing shut for a moment as she touches her fingers to the bleeding wound. "I-I don't know." Her breathing deepens, head continuing to shake in denial like she can't quite understand how she's bleeding.

"Em. H-Hey, Emory. Hey." JJ's hands clasp her face, forcing her to reopen her eyes, and I feel tears prick at my eyelids as I stare forward at this scene, fearful for Emory as she's never appeared like this── scared and worried for herself, but right now I'm seeing a version of Emory I never thought I'd see. "Emmy, it's okay. You're fine, alright? You're gonna be fine."

"I-I don't feel it," she breathes out, bottom lip trembling.

"It'll be the adrenaline," John B explains.

"Shit." Kiara begins to tug at her headscarf, not caring about the sandstorm as she goes to wrap the material around Emory's arm, refusing to let her bleed out right before us.

She looks to her girlfriend, pushing JJ's hands away from her face gently. "Kie, no. I──"

"This'll hurt," she interrupts, not listening to her fight as she pulls the material into a tight knot in the hopes of slowing down the bleeding or stopping it all together. "Okay. We need to get you to a hospital as soon as possible." Kiara's tone is frantic, obviously terrified for Emory as we thought we were fine. We had no idea she had been shot when the mercenaries were firing through the door earlier, but it seems we were mistaken as we now face a bleeding Emory.

"Hey!" Rafe yells, beginning to move away, clearly not keen on sticking around here to help a girl he doesn't even know. Well, isn't he sweet? "I'm gonna go scope it out, alright? I'll meet you all up there!"

"You can't leave it up to him!" Emory winces, the pain now beginning to hit her quicker, and the sketched fear on her face becomes more visible.

"We can't leave you!" JJ shouts, concern in his voice for the only blood family he's got── for the only blood family he's got that hasn't betrayed him, hurt him, or tried to kill him.

"Leave me," she insists, a crack in her tone that has a tear falling down my cheek as I think of the worst case scenario like freaking always. "I'll stay here, alright, just..." She swallows before exhaling a shaky breath, her eyes meeting JJ's. "Just get that freaking crown, JJ."

"Em, I──"

"Go," she demands. "Do not let him win, JJ, not now. You get that crown, okay? We'll stay here." Her eyes flicker to me, and I suspect that she wants me to keep an eye on him, but she knows I'll do just about anything to make sure nothing bad happens to him, she knows that.

I nod slowly, turning to look at John B and Sarah, knowing it would be best for them to also sit this thing out with Emory and Kiara, not wishing to put my pregnant sister-in-law in danger. "Okay, you four sit this one out. We'll find the crown," I say, peering at Emory who is leaning into Kiara, and I silently promise her that we won't let Groff win, that we'll get that crown quickly so we can get her to a hospital.

"Okay." John B nods, eyes holding mine. "Be safe, B. Please." I swallow thickly, emotion clawing at my throat as I'm fucking terrified, I am, but somebody needs to do this and it should be us.

I nod firmly. "I'll be so safe," I joke despite the fear raging in my stomach.

"We'll be back," JJ assures, looking directly to his sister. "Stay safe, guys."

JJ and I begin to move away, refusing to look back because looking back might force us to stay back and we can't do that, not when we need to get this crown for a guarantee on our future. For everybody's sakes, we are going to get this crown and be done with all this shit for the rest of our lives.

We are going to win.

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𝖩𝖩 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖨 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖢𝖧 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖴𝖤 𝖳𝖧𝖱𝖮𝖴𝖦𝖧 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖱𝖠𝖦𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖲𝖠𝖭𝖣𝖲𝖳𝖮𝖱𝖬，finding Rafe who attempts to climb the statue, failing miserably. "Hey, I can't get up there, not with this hand!" Rafe shouts to us, holding up his bloodied and bandaged hand. I have no idea when he injured himself or how, and I don't care, I just need him to stop being a money-obsessed idiot.

JJ looks, seeing just how tall the statue is, and it is much taller than I expected. "I gotta do it!" he then shouts, and I snap my head to him, not expecting him to say that.

"What?"

"I gotta go up there!"

"No, no, no," I chant, head shaking vigorously, refusing to let that be our only option. "We should wait it out! It's not safe!"

"There's no time, Brooke!" JJ yells, pulling down the piece of cloth that is covering his mouth and nose so I can hear him better. "Right now, this is our chance." He delicately places his hands on my shoulders, bringing me towards him. "They've taken everything away from us. They're not gonna take this too. I gotta do this. I gotta do this for all of us. I mean, hey..." He shrugs, a hint of a smile on his lips. "...it was my fault to begin with. So, I mean, I guess I should be the one to fix it."

I shake my head slowly, in so much awe and admiration of the boy standing before me. "It was never your fault," I utter, stepping closer. "Come here." I lean up, pushing my mouth against his in a brief kiss. When I pull back, I touch his face. "Be careful, alright? You come back to me, do you hear me? In one piece, Maybank."

"Well, I've got a wedding I've gotta get to, so I'll be right back, Sunny."

I exhale a laugh. "Damn straight."

"I'm gonna go do this," he says, stepping back from me, and I choose to believe that he can do this, hurt or not. He's doing this for every single one of us, and I respect that, I really do.

"Okay, I'll be here waiting on my crown!" I shout, turning towards him as he moves to the statue.

I watch him pull his mouth cover up, head bobbing. "Coming right up, Queen B!"

I feel another tear roll down my face followed by an airy laugh as I look at my king, seeing him make his way to the statue where Rafe stands. "You got it!" Rafe coaxes, slapping a hand on JJ's back as he reaches him.

JJ grips his jacket. "You'll get your cut!" JJ reassures, patting his arm before releasing him.

Rafe then steps back, allowing JJ to step up to the statue before he begins to climb it. I stay put, fear continuing to bubble at the base of my stomach as I watch the love of my life, my future husband begin to lift himself up the statue, using all his strength and might to find slabs that poke out so he can play a dangerous form of rock climbing.

"Be careful!" I call out, pushing at the rings on my finger, knowing that when he gets down here with that crown in his hands, our future is sealed. We're going to be married. We're going to travel. We're going to have a family.

I continue to watch through my goggles, the sand violently hitting us at every angle. I begin to bite at my nail, watching as JJ's hand slips, causing him to dangle with one hand. "JJ!" Carefully, he brings his hand back to hold on, and I exhale a relieved breath, grateful he's not going to plummet to the fucking ground. "Fuck."

JJ continues to move, and I struggle to see him as the sand worsens my vision despite the goggles I have on. "JJ, we gotta hurry!" I shout, knowing this storm will only get worse before it gets better, and I'd prefer to not have him up there as it rages on.

Something catches my attention── the shout of a Corsair behind me, seeming to appear from down the mountain. "They have to be up here!"

"Shit. Here they come," Rafe realises, both of us looking over our shoulders just in case the Corsair is literally right behind us. I don't have a weapon so I don't know how much help I can be if this guy does get here, but I know Rafe has a knife so, no offence to him, I'm shoving him into the firing line and running away.

JJ is still climbing, no longer in my line of sight. "JJ, they're coming! Hurry!"

Suddenly, a hand grasps my shoulder, forcing me to look in Rafe's direction as I'm brought right back to Barbados where he attempted to work with me and I instead shoved him off a fucking boat. In my defence, he deserved it then, and he might even deserve it now, but he seems sincere as he talks to me. "You stay here! I'll go down and buy us some time!"

"What?" I squeak, watching him back away from me. "No, Rafe. Are you crazy?! They'll kill you!" It's foreign to hear such concerned words coming out of my mouth in regards to a man who has literally made our lives hell, but he's helped us a lot so far, and for him to go flying into the unknown seems irrational and a little crazy, so crazy that he might even get killed. Is he really okay with that?

Rafe looks down at me, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Hey! I'm a killer too! I've got nothing to lose!" I stare at him with wide eyes, unsure what else I can say as he backs away, willingly choosing to step away and go down the mountain.

Knowing Rafe can handle himself, I refocus on JJ and the statue ahead. "JJ, please hurry!" The storm continues to rage, the sand picking up with an intensity that nearly has me falling down along with the howling wind.

Without Rafe up here or any kind of weapon, I needed to be careful, I realised that, but I wasn't going to leave JJ. I need him down here safe and sound, with or without the crown, I don't care, I just need him. "JJ, come on! We gotta get out of here!" I cry, clasping my hands together tightly, basically praying for him to be before me. "We're running out of time!"

"Hey, I think I found something!" I think that's what he said, I can't be sure, but I step closer to the statue, eyes narrowing up on him as I watch him being to pull at a piece of the statue.

"Hurry!" I yell, needing him down here, like, yesterday. "Come on, J!"

"Hold on!" He moves, going to the gap that he's created in the statue.

"What is it?!" I ask, feeling like I might throw up if he doesn't get his ass down here soon. "JJ, come on!" I lose where he is again, the sand limiting my vision, and I curse out the gods for bringing a fucking sandstorm at this moment.

"JJ, come on!"

"One sec!"

One second passes, followed by several more seconds, and I seriously contemplate dragging my ass up this statue just to try and find him, but I know he would not approve of such recklessness. Hm. That's why I almost do it.

I then hear him cheering up above, and I assume he's holding the crown in his hands. Otherwise, I have no idea why he'd be shouting joyously. Whatever's going on up there, I need it to end as I need that boy down here with me. "JJ, come on, hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" JJ shouts, and I take a step back from the statue, continuing to stare up as I watch him begin to climb down. He's quick in his movements, rushing as we don't know what will he revealed once the storm clears up. The Corsairs could literally be behind me, I don't know, but I'm hoping Rafe is doing all he can to keep them as far away as possible.

JJ drops down to the ground and I rush over to him, hands grasping his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good. I'm good. I'm better, actually. I'm great. 'Cause look!" He reveals what he discovered when he was up there, his horrifying journey up the statue not being a waste.

The Blue Crown.

"Oh, my God!" I squeal, hands steadying his as he holds the literal crown. The Blue Crown. I feel like crying, screaming, throwing up, cheering. I feel a flurry of emotions that can only be displayed in the biggest smile and loudest laugh. "You got it!"

"I-I got it!" JJ laughs, a grin brightening his face that I'm so kissing the hell out of later.

"Do you know what this means?"

"Baby, we're getting it back. We're getting back our home!" JJ cheers, holding the crown out to me, allowing me to touch it and feel that it is very, very real. "We're getting married, and I-I'm taking you to Paris, Sunny."

"Yeah, we are," I laugh, shocked that I'm touching the Blue Crown.

"Fuck, I'll buy you the Eiffel Tower!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

His laughter dies suddenly, altering to me that our victory cannot be celebrated yet, not until we're on a boat fucking going home. "Hey! Go, go, go!" he instructs, shoving us to one side as a bullet comes whizzing past us.

"Run, run, run!" JJ yells, shoving me ahead and pushing me down the mountain so we can hightail out of here as fast as possible, needing to find somewhere safe to get to, preferably with the others. "We gotta find the others!"

Everybody's faces are going to be so full of fucking joy when we reveal the crown. We'll get Emory to a hospital. Kiara and Emory can do all the travelling they want to do. Pope can go back to school. Cleo can buy any boat, shop, fucking island she wants if that's what she chooses. Sarah and John B can get themselves ready for their baby, being set for life after this.

JJ and I, well, we can do just about anything.

After all, he's going to buy me the Eiffel Tower. As far as I'm concerned, that's where we're moving to when this is all finished.

First, though, we gotta get the hell out of bastard Morocco.

We stumble down the mountain where it splits off into different directions, one path leading towards the town while another path follows further down the mountain. I have no idea where the others could be nor do I have any idea which direction it's best for us to go in, but I hope my twintuition can drag me in the right direction.

"That way, that way." JJ points, bringing his goggles off as he tries to get a better look at our surroundings.

"No, this way, right?" I point in the opposite direction, certain that they'd go in the direction of the town rather than further down the mountain. Then again, I don't know, but I just have a feeling, I guess, so I just go with my instinct and go in that direction.

"Hey, I think──" I spin around, slowing down to find that JJ isn't behind me. Bringing my own goggles up and away from my eyes, I look around frantically, confused as I swore he was right behind me. "JJ!"

I go to step forward, going to retrace my steps, but a pair of arms wrap around my waist, yanking me back into a body. I squirm, a yelp crawling out of my throat as a I feel something cold touch my neck.

A knife.

I then hear his voice, and a new fear settles low in my stomach. "Shh. Quiet, quiet!"

Groff.

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❀ soph speaks

there's two more chapters left . . .

and you all know what next chapter is but you don't know how i've wrote out the end so i'm gonna just let you sit in suspense :)

thankyou so much for reading,, i rlly can't believe that jj and brooke's story is very close to being done for the time being ahh