The Salvage Yard

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it," John B explained for the 100th time to a sulking Pope in the back of the Twinkie. JJ sat next to Pope and was focused on rolling a blunt, as she tried to drown them out, while Kie sat up front next to John B deciding if she should tell them to shut up already.

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality," Pope recited grumpily.

"Did you come up with that?" John B asked, impressed.

"Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing," Pope replied.

"Oh," John B said, no longer impressed or interested.

"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?" Pope asked.

"Why are you so weird Pope," JJ finally cut in, not knowing if she liked the direction Pope was going with that statement. She glance at John B to make sure he was good.

"It's fantasy, but possible reality," Kie responded perfectly, mediating.

"Reality," John B said optimistically.

"Virtual reality," JJ said just to be a part of the conversation. She went to light the perfectly wrapped blunt, but Pope snatched it and tossed it towards the rear of the Twinkie.

"Keep the signal clear," he told her sternly. She glared at him as she flicked her lighter shut. The Twinkie rolled to a stop and Kie got out signaling they arrived, but JJ couldn't stop herself.

"You know what your problem is?" She snapped lightly at Pope.

"You?" Pope bit back.

"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense."

"I'm not too tense!" Pope argued, shoulders tense proving her point.

Kie came around to John B's side as they ignored the two arguing in the back.

"Don't worry, you got this," John B assured her.

"It's not me that I'm worried about," she replied as she looked pointedly towards the arguing pair.

"We got it," he assured her as he watched her walk away towards the gate. He mumbled to himself, "Let's hope this works."

He interrupted JJ and Pope's arguing, and they all climbed out of the Twinkie and snuck closer to the gate. They hid behind a nearby big wooden toolbox as they waited for Kie to initiate her part of the plan aka the distraction. JJ had volunteered, but John B quickly dismissed that idea saying they needed her to show them where the drone was which was true. He was very glad to have a valid reason because his real reasons wouldn't have flown.

They watched as some big tough looking guy walked up to the fence to talk to Kie. Kie did some flirty looking gestures and they watched the man briefly walk away.

As JJ watched Kie, she couldn't help but feel self conscious. Kie was beautiful with her tanned skin and long dark hair. She carried herself with so much confidence. If JJ had been born a boy, she thinks Kie would have been exactly her type.

John B had briefly told her what happened with Kie and JJ can't help but wonder why John B wouldn't choose Kie. He could date anyone he wanted, and yet.. and she can't even allow herself to think it. The possibility that he might want her is hard to fathom as she'd repressed those ideas for so long it was hard to accept they might actually be becoming real. But the last couple days something was definitely different and she was afraid she was just imagining things or even that John B was just emotionally vulnerable and it might not real. That's the only thing that makes sense because JJ isn't the type of girl that gets the guy. John B deserves someone like Kie who is kind and compassionate and brave.

JJ was brought back from her thoughts by John B nudging her to go. Kie had apparently succeeded.

They quietly ran through the gate before the fence could shut, praying Kie could keep the man distracted long enough for them to grab the drone and get out.

JJ led them through the impound lot to the storage building where the drone was kept. JJ tried the numbers she remembered for the lock. It the lock didn't work. They must have changed it, she realized.

"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope asked.

JJ backed away from the lock, "Alright so I might have the wrong numbers."

"Ah, damnit!" Pope complained. Then, a dog barked and within seconds a German shepherd was coming round the corner and headed straight for them.

"Oh hey!" JJ panicked as the dog cornered them.

"That's a cougar, never mind," John B gulped as he ran behind the building to try to find anything he could use to fight the dog away from JJ and Pope.

"Hi, no stay there, good boy!" JJ tried to sweet talk the dog, but the dog growled aggressively. "No your okay!" JJ moved slowly around the dog hoping to lure it away from Pope. She has no clue where John B went.

Once she was on the other side of the dog, she yelled, "Pope, run!"

But the dog was in Pope's way, not letting up for Pope to run. He grabbed a nearby pipe to try to scare the dog away. "Back off back off back off!"

JJ knew what she had to do so she pulled out a red rag and waved it as she called for the dog's attention. "I got a toy, boy." The dog turned as started coming for her and she shook off running. "Wait. No. I was just kidding. Shit! Okay, sit!"

JJ climbed into a boat to hide and escape the dog who continued to bark at her from outside the boat. Shit, she was trapped. She has no clue how she's gonna get out of this one. She sits down as she waits for the inevitable.

John B feels worry as he comes back around the shed, not having found anything and sees that the dog and his friends are gone. He knows an opportunity when he sees one, though so he picks up a nearby pipe and breaks the lock open. He briefly wishes he'd seen the pipe earlier but it's too late now.

He quickly finds the drone where JJ described it would be and makes his get away. Hopefully JJ and Pope got out okay.

"What's that, huh? What's that, Tebow?" JJ can hear from outside the boat she's sitting in. She knows that voice. It's Bobby, who never liked the way her dad beat her even if he did nothing to stop it. "What you got huh, what you got?" An idea starts to creep into her mind.

"Whoever's up there better come on out!" Bobby yelled threateningly. "I mean it! Don't make me go up there and get your ass!"

"Wait Bobby! Don't shoot." She called out, raising her hands up above the edge of the boat and slowly standing up so he could see her. "It's me, JJ. Luke's kid."

"What are you doing?!" Bobby yelled, surprised and suspicious.

"I swear okay. I didn't want to, okay?" She forced her voice to break a bit, hoping she could pull this off.

"Tebow quiet!" Bobby commanded his still barking dog.

"My dad made me," JJ tries to sound desperate.

"Don't you lie," Bobby demanded.

"He told me Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know after he got fired." She made her voice tremble lightly as she continued. "He said if I didn't get it, he was gonna.. he was gonna hit me again." She forced her eyes to water as she looked down ashamed.

"Son of a bitch," Bobby swore. JJ knew she had him now.

"I'm sorry," JJ sobbed.

"Come on down," Bobby replied, softer. "I almost killed you."

"I know," JJ sniffled as she climbed down from the boat.

"Here, come on," Bobby commanded Tebow.

"I'll just come up with somethin," JJ told him as she reached the ground. "Tell him I couldn't find it."

"Mm hmm alright," Bobby muttered, uncomfortable with the situation with her father.

"Sorry," she told him one last time as she turned to leave. Once her back was turned and she was walking toward the gate to catch up with her friends, she smirked. Oh, she's good. She did feel a little guilty for having to lie to Bobby. She liked him better than most other men her dad would work with.

John B had arrived at the Twinkie, drone in hand, and noticed only Pope and Kie were there. His heart sunk.

"Where's JJ?" He asked tensely.

"The dog chased her. I hoped she would come back with you," Pope stressed.

"You left her with the dog?!" John B asked angry.

"No- yes- she-" Pope stuttered, then defensively he asked, "Where were you?!"

John B didn't respond because how could he. He'd gone to find a weapon, but came back empty handed and they were gone. Instead he turned around, left the equipment, and started walking back toward the gate.

After a few steps though, he stopped when he saw JJ walking out of the salvage yard in clear view like she had all day. He watched the tough looking man walking behind her with his dog not chasing her, just closing the gate behind her. She had a smirk on her face. What the fuck, John B thought, he's definitely gonna need to hear how she got out of this one. After he lectures her for being wreckless again as he has no doubts she offered herself up as dinner for Pope to escape. He didn't need Pope to tell him what happened, it was written on his face, and John B knew how JJ was. He'd need to apologize to Pope later for his initial reaction. But first he really just wants to grab her and pull her close where he can protect her.

When JJ finally arrives at the Twinkie, her grin widened when she saw the drone case on the ground behind where he stood. She looked at him proudly, knowing it must have been him. He liked her looking at him like that.

He grinned back, lecture and worry forgotten. "You're late."

"Am I?" She asked, eyes sparkling as she came to stand in front of him. God, she's beautiful, he thought.

He nodded and neither said anything. He imagines they look odd as they stand there just smiling at each other stupidly and not saying anything. A throat cleared behind him and they both startled before turning to join Pope and Kie at the Twinkie.

He picks up the drone and loads it into the back before taking his place at the wheel. This time JJ sits up front and Kie in the back with Pope, as it should be.