A Safe and Loving Home

They park the Twinkie at the chateau and all pile into the HMS Pogue keeping the fun going and hopefully catch some fish. John B drove the boat to their spot, set up the fish net, and then laid out behind JJ who was sat at the front of the boat with her legs dangling off. Pope and Kie settled nearby.

It was quiet for a minute as they just enjoyed each others company but then JJ smiled wickedly and threw herself in a tackle at John B who laughed and tried to escape. Soon all four of them were dog piled at the front of the boat laughing.

After A minute they disentangled themselves. JJ pulled out her stash and lit up a blunt while Pope pulled out a book. What a nerd she thought fondly. Kie pulled out her cell phone to check in with her parents while John B went to check the fish net. A minute later a pile of fish was being dumped onto the deck of the boat.

"Nice haul JB! Look at that!" She grinned wide at John B and they shared an excited smile. They would be eating good for a few days.

"Ugh John B!" Kie scowled when one touched her foot.

John B just laughed and turned to the steering wheel to drive them back to the chateau. JJ finished her blunt and joined John B at the steering wheel. Pope and Kie shared a secret look that went unnoticed.

"Hey there sailor" JJ winked at John B teasingly, her voice low. "I'm going to need you to back up," and in her best impression quoted "I am the captain now."

John B looked over and grinned at her, his hands steady at the wheel. "And if I don't?"

"Well then I'd have to kill you and ur face is pretty" JJ said humorously.

"Is that right?" John B raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

JJ grinned. "Pretty ugly!"

John B stopped the boat and grabbed her before she could make her escape and tickled her sides causing her to squeal.

"Stop!" She laughed.

"Take it back and say your sorry!" He ordered, trying to hide his smile but his eyes are shining with laughter.

JJ caved. "Fine! I take it back!" She laughed, her sides hurting from laughing so hard.

He's still got her trapped and his fingers threaten to move once more. " And..?"

"And I'm sorry." JJ folds.

"That's what I thought" He smirks annoyingly, but he doesn't let go right away. Instead he adjusts them so they're facing the steering wheel once again and starts the boat back up. She's trapped between him and the steering wheel but she doesn't mind and settles to lean back on her best friend's chest as he steered them back to the chateau.

No more words were said. JJ felt herself slip into a daze as her high kicked in and next thing she knew they had arrived back at the chateau. Kie and Pope said their goodbyes and promised to meet at the keg party later while John B and JJ unloaded the fish from the boat.

After the sun set they decided fo head over to the keg party.

They found Kie talking up a group of people about global warming's and the environment. She brushes them off too caught up in her passionate speech.

Pope was awkwardly talking to a girl. They overheard him tell her he wants to be a coroner and cringed. Poor Pope is hopeless at flirting. JJ and John B grabbed some drinks then JJ went off to smoke a blunt with a group of people she recognized from her class. John B found himself engaged in conversation with a girl with dark hair.

JJ watched from across the fire and felt a tinge of something in her chest but she shook it off and took a hit from the blunt. They're just friends. John B can talk to any girl he wants. And besides the Pogues had a rule: No Pogue on Pogue macking. Sometimes JJ hated that rule but she also didn't want to lose John B's friendship so she never listened to the nagging feelings and urges she would sometimes feel around John B. They'd made it a habit to often sleep in the same bed after that night the police came wanting to officialize Big John as dead, so JJ told herself that much snuggling was bound to make someone feel something. And anyway, John B deserves someone way better than her. She's toxic and doesn't want to bring him down. Everyone knew where she was headed in life. She didn't need to drag John B with her. Despite those thoughts, John B is the most important person in her life and she could never walk away from him so friends it is. Family.

John B talked to the brunette disinterested. She seemed like a nice girl but he was more lost in thought about his next excuse for DCS who had been pestering him even more since school ended. She must've noticed his lack of attention cuz after 30 minutes she walked away with a huff to talk to another boy.

John B decided he wasn't in the mood for the party and let his friends know he was heading out. He got back to the chateau and it took no time for him to drift off into sleep.

JJ stumbled in a bit later trying to keep it down as she dragged some poor fool behind her with dark hair. He had his hands on her waist and she dragged him into the spare bedroom. They made out for a minute but as soon as the boy put his hands on her pants to undo them, froze and stopped his hands from going any further. She was wasted and had hoped to get her rocks off but she couldn't do it when she knew John B was one room over and well her love life had been sucking for a while now so being in John B's house wasn't really an excuse, but she refused to face the real reasons.

The boy huffed in frustration but was also wasted so he passed out on the bed without a fuss and JJ sighed in relief.

But then she didn't know where she was going to sleep cuz cuddling with him was not an option and she didn't want to wake up John B. Instead she walked out to the pullout couch and saw Kie sprawled on top in a way where no room was available for her to slip in next to her. Pope had claimed the other couch so she went to the hammock in the front yard and knocked out fairly quickly.

The next morning she woke first and got up to brush her teeth and change her clothes for work. When she went into the spare bedroom she was reminded of the boy passed out there. She moved to wake him and the boy looked blearily up at her before he smirked and grabbed her. She tried to resist but she lost her balance and fell on top of him. She hears a throat clear from the doorway and she looked up to see John B standing there. Her eyes flew wide and she tried to get out of her position, but the boy held tight and said. "Yo get outta here man" as if it was his house.

John B turned and walked away but JJ could see he was not happy by the downward turn of his lips and something in his eyes that made her feel shame though she knows she's done nothing wrong.

She quickly pushed herself off despite the boys protests and attempts to pull her back down.

"Get out." She said coldly. And he angrily got up and marched out of the room and assumedly out of the chateau. JJ changed and got ready for work. When she left the room she saw John B laying on the hammock she had previously slept in. She wanted to talk to him but she had to get to work or she'd be late. She can't afford to lose it right now. She briefly worried about John B's appointment with DCS later, but shook it off for now as she started up her dirt bike and headed off to work.

John B was staring up at the sky as his anger ebbed. He knew he had no right to be angry at JJ, but when he saw her like that, he couldn't help it. It was irrational. She was in her clothes still from last night and in the back of his mind that didn't make sense but he still didn't like it. John B told himself its because JJ deserves better than some asshole at a keg party. Denial was in his nature after all. So what's one more truth to add to his growing list.

He sighed and got up to get ready for his appointment with DCS on the mainland. Everyone had left while he had been out brooding so he was able to get ready in no time.

He arrived 20 minutes early surprising the DCS agent.

He sat down at the front of her desk as she grabbed some papers from the printer and sat down across from him.

"John, it has come to our attention that you are an unemancipated minor living on your own." She takes her glasses off and sighs.

John B scoffs "No.. no."

She gives him a look that says I don't believe you.

"No" he repeats. JJ was always better at talking than him and feels a bit jealous of that at the moment.

"John I need honesty to help you. That's what we both want right?"

Internally John B screams No! I dont need help, I just want to be left alone! But aloud he says "yeah, I'm being honest" and he knows he doesn't sound believable. He's a terrible liar.

"Okay, then when is the last time you spoke to your uncle?" She asks pointedly.

He tries to look confident when he looks at his watch and says "uh… 34 minutes ago" He purses his lip like that's final, end of story.

She continues her questions though. "When's the last time you saw him?"

"Two hours and.. 43 minutes ago?" He speaks it as a question which he mentally slaps himself for. Also who knows the exact amount of minutes without looking at their phone to check? He's an idiot. He smiles at her anyway trying to look innocent and honest.

She still looks at him like she knows he's lying and places a hand on the desk towards him.

"John, we're going to come out there tomorrow to talk to your uncle. If he's not there we're gonna move forward with foster care."

He feels like he was punched in the gut and it's all he can do to hide it.

"I want to assure you, we're going to find you a safe and loving home." She accentuates the word safe.

Yeah right, he thinks. I'm already in a safe and loving home. He has JJ and the Pogues. And god what will happen to JJ if he's taken away?!

She'd have to go back to Luke full time and John B shuddered at the thought.

He leaves without another word and heads off to see if Ward Cameron has any work for him.

He spent the next few hours helping prepare Ward Cameron's property for newly formed Tropical Storm Agatha, trying to not think about DCS.

He headed back to the chateau to do the same thing for his own home, then headed to the beach to meet up with the pogues as the work day ended.