Four years, nine months and twenty-seven days. It has been four years nine months and twenty-seven days since the last time that John B stood in Outer Banks. Four years, nine months and twenty-seven days since he had to leave everything behind. His chateau. His job. His Pogues. His life. He had to leave everything behind except for her- Sarah. It has been four years, nine months and twenty-seven days since John B and Sarah left Outer Banks for the better.
Together, they fought through the storm battling every wave that they faced. Together they stayed tightly knitted, protecting one another. It was the only thing that kept them from being lost at sea. They saved each other. John B knew that they were going to survive the storm- as long as they had each other.
Together, they clung to each other until a ship passed by to help in the fight against the waves. They clung to one another all the way until the word 'Bahamas' was said. The Bahamas. The place where the gold was taken. The place that had stolen the Pogues' future away from them. John B had to listen to Sarah when she stated 'We need to be smart.' Plans went poorly back in Outer Banks, John B and Sarah would not make the same mistake in the Bahamas.
They had planned to get to the Bahamas and locate where the gold was straight away. But they didn't. Sarah and John B were still in the same wet clothes from the storm. They instead found somewhere to stay- making sure that no one recognised them. But then when they found a small apartment in the Bahamas, they almost forgot about the gold altogether. They were living a new life as Valerie and Vlad. They even got haircuts and made sure not to wear any of the same clothes that they would have worn in Outer Banks. It got to a point that John B and Sarah didn't even use their real names when in private.
Vlad found a job cleaning windows whilst Valerie tried to hunt down a job to help children. Vlad was great as his job and even made enough money for the apartment to look somewhat liveable. A month in, Valerie found a job reading fantasy books to kids.
The apartment was small- with only three rooms. A bedroom. A living/dining area. A bathroom. But it was all that they needed. When they were not at work, they spent the time working out what they wanted to do with the apartment. They ended up painting all the walls and buying a crap tonne of Bahamas souvenirs.
They found themselves in a routine. Vlad wakes up early. Vlad goes to work whilst Valerie sleeps in. Vlad cleans windows for the Bahamas' version of the Kooks. Valerie wakes up. Makes lunch. Vlad comes back for lunch. Vlad and Valerie spend their lunch break laughing, having fun. Valerie then goes to work whilst Vlad goes to the beach to surf.
An easy life for Valerie and Vlad.
Until it wasn't.
Six months into living in the Bahamas, Vlad was walking along the pier until he found himself frozen from the sight in front of him. The Camerons. It was only then that everything crashed back to reality. He wasn't Vlad- he's John B. John B. The man wanted for the murder of Sherriff Peterkin. The man that was thought to be lost at sea alongside Sarah Cameron- not Valerie.
Thankfully, the Camerons didn't spot him. John B ran back to the safety of the apartment, hoping Sarah would be home. "Your family is here." John B had sweated out.
"What?"
"They're here, Sarah."
"Shit. The gold."
The gold. They had forgotten about the gold. The Camerons obviously hadn't. It was then that John B recollected himself. He needed to get the gold before Ward Cameron took everything from him all over again.
John B found himself watching the Camerons closely for the next five months. They knew where the gold was and John B needed to find out. He watched as Rafe strolled around the Bahamas as if he owned the place. The thing that confused John B was that Ward was nowhere to be seen. The Camerons were only: Rose, Rafe and Wheezie. There was no sign of Ward Cameron. John B watched as he saw Rafe make a dodgy handshake with a dodgy looking guy- obviously the Bahamas version of Barry.
John B watched Rafe the whole time they were in the Bahamas, but Rafe never went to find the gold. So, the Camerons went home. And John B was left confused.
Over a year went by and John B got restless with finding the gold. His determination caused argument after argument with Sarah. "Why are you still so obsessed with this gold?"
"It's why we're here, Sarah!"
"No. We're here to stay out of trouble. The fucking gold is trouble."
"I need to find it." He knew she was right. The gold was illegal and if anyone found John B trying to find it, he could be behind bars. But he couldn't think about anything other than the gold.
"You're turning into our fathers." It made John B slam the door in her face. She had no right comparing Big John to the murderer Ward Cameron. Over the year, John B had found a way to understand why the gold was so important to Big John. The gold was a promise of a new, better life. Sarah would never understand that.
So, John B kept hunting the gold even when Sarah tried to pull him back to safety. He had to find the gold. He hunted around the entirety of the Bahamas with his father's words haunting his every movements. "You're losing yourself, John B." Sarah said to him after he returned to her at the apartment one afternoon.
"It must be here."
"Or it was never here in the first place."
"It has to be here, Sarah." John B felt tears building. "It just has to be here. Otherwise I failed him." She held him that night as John B couldn't control his tears.
It was Big John's only purpose in life. The gold. And then, it was taken from him before his own life was taken from him. John B knew that it was his mission to complete what Big John had started. Nothing could change John B's mind about it.
It was not like John B had completely forgotten Outer Banks; he just knew that his mission was in the Bahamas. But it didn't stop him wondering what was happening to the Pogues that he left behind. Did Pope go to college? Did JJ leave his dad? Has Kiara left Outer Banks and gone on her own adventure? John B's thoughts often appeared at night when he was wondering what life in Outer Banks looked like.
For the next six months, John B and Sarah kept thinking back to Outer Banks and the friends that they left behind. One night, they even asked each other about Outer Banks. "We should go back." Sarah said.
"You know we can't" John B took a deep breath. "You know I can't."
"I miss them."
"So do I."
"Then, let's make a promise." Sarah sat up from the bed. "We find information about my family, take them down, and then return."
"They're Kooks, Sarah. And Kooks get away with everything." It was a bleak thought from John B. But they both knew it was true. Never had the cops believed a Pogue. But they always believed the Kook.
"Well it's a good thing that I'm a Kook then. You finally have a Kook on your side John B."
Information didn't come easily to John B and Sarah. They tried everything to be subtle when collecting their information, but no one was letting anything go to some random Vlad and Valerie. That's why, years go by and they still couldn't find the necessary information that could take down Rafe and Ward for good.
Word got around that Ward Cameron was being investigated for the death of Big John and was most likely to be arrested for it. This made John B optimistic that maybe the Kooks will finally get what they deserve.
Then, word got around that Ward Cameron was going crazy in jail. He was losing his mind because he was haunted by what he did. When John B and Sarah heard that Ward was crazy, they decided that it was nearly time as Rafe wouldn't be able to stand tall and mighty without Ward making up shit to keep him from his demons.
It has been four years, nine months and twenty-seven days since they last saw someone that knew their real names. The last time they saw someone that knew the real them. They walk along the dock that John B remembers so well. They keep looking out at the water, scared that someone may spot them and tell Shoupe. Sure, they are nearly free. But they're not free yet.
The dock looks the same. John B hopes that the Pogues still use it as much as they once did. Maybe they could all go out there again. The dock is empty, other than a few workers, so it isn't hard to spot the Pogue that is sat in the same place it used to be. And there, right in front of the Pogue are the rest of the Pogues. Kiara. Pope. And JJ. They are all untying the boat, just like how they used to.
It feels like John B and Sarah never even left.
…
"Kie?" Kiara hears JJ call out to her. But she is frozen to the spot. She can't say anything. She can't even look away from the two moving figures. It can't be them. They're gone.
Wake up, Kie. Wake the fuck up.
But Kiara can't make the figures go away. They keep moving closer to where they are stood and she can see them clearer. John B and Sarah. An older John B and Sarah. This can't be real. Shoupe said their boat went under- that the Phantom went with them. She tries to steady herself but can feel her legs beginning to give way. Everything is going dizzy as she vaguely hears JJ's voice once more "Kie, what's wrong?" She still can't say anything.
Kiara thinks she is about to fall to the ground as her heart spikes and her eyes can no longer focus on the people that look too much like John B and Sarah. Kiara doesn't fall to the ground though. JJ catches her, making sure that she stays on her feet. His hands stay around her waist, which Kiara is thankful for.
When Kiara eventually looks around, JJ is still looking at her, concerned. But Pope is looking straight forward to where Kiara was just looking. He is looking at John B and Sarah. "Kie." JJ almost whispers. Kiara tries to say something but no words come out. Shaking, Kiara looks back towards John B and Sarah. "What's with you two?" JJ eventually asks both Kiara and Pope, obviously not spotting them yet.
"Pogues!" The person that looks like John B shouts from the distance. It makes JJ look around.
"John B and Sarah." Pope hiccups out.
…
JJ runs to catch Kiara before she can fall to the ground, whilst Pope rushes behind him. She must be about to faint or something. But JJ can't think why she would. "Kie." His voice is full of concern as she shakes in his arms. Her eyes are fixated forward but JJ can only look at her.
Turning to Pope, JJ sees that Pope is now looking forward as well. They are both frozen and shaking before his own eyes. What they hell had he missed? "What's with you two?" JJ eventually asks.
"Pogues!" It is then that JJ freezes. That voice. It's the voice that JJ has nightmares about. A voice that keeps reminding JJ that their death was all his fault. A voice of the ghost of a brother. John B. JJ turns slowly to see what Kiara and Pope are frozen, looking at. Sure enough, it is him.
"John B and Sarah." Pope struggles to say but JJ doesn't really listen to him. Because they're here, they're stood right in front of them. It has been four years, nine months and twenty-seven days since JJ didn't take the blame, or didn't get the Phantom fast enough, or didn't say something before they disappeared.
He is stunned to the spot as John B and Sarah move until they are standing opposite the rest of the Pogues. They have smiles planted on their faces as if they haven't been gone for almost five years. John B has cut his hair, so much that he almost looks like a fucking Kook. He is even dressed like one. Sarah also has shorter hair, but other than that she looks the same. Together, they look like any couple on the Kook side- any couple that John B used to hate.
They look so well put together, as if they have not been hiding for almost five years. Anger builds in JJ before he even knows what is happening. It's not his fault. They look like they have not even worried, not even cared that they left everyone- JJ- behind. "You guys look old." John B even has the decency to joke right now.
"I have missed you guys so much." Sarah joins in. But it doesn't look like any of the other Pogues are ready to talk. Pope is watching them with his jaw wide open. Kiara has a scrunch in her eyebrows as JJ can see her eyes turning glassy. JJ though, he can't stop shaking his head and letting hot air escape his nostrils. "Anyone going to say anything?" Sarah asks.
"You're here?" Pope breaks the tension.
"Yeah." John B speaks.
"You're alive." JJ doesn't mean for it to sound like an attack, but he can't keep his anger at bay.
"Yes." John B finally loses that fucking smile it makes JJ let out an angered laugh.
"Well, that's… good for you." JJ manages to snap.
"JJ." Kiara's cries out.
"Where the fuck have you been?" JJ ignores Kiara.
"The Bahamas."
"Oh, was it a nice fucking holiday?"
"That's not fair." Sarah jumps in.
Not fair. They don't get it at all! JJ thinks back over the five years. He thinks about how many tears he has shed for the two people that knew him, that knew that he wasn't the same shit as his dad. "We were hiding in the Bahamas." John B adds.
"Five fucking years!"
"Not five years…"
"Four years, nine months, twenty-seven days." JJ jumps in. "And you don't find a phone or a piece of paper in all that time?" Words flow out of JJ before he can control himself. "We thought you guys were dead! We were told you guys went down but you've been alive this entire time."
"I was looking for the gold, JJ." John B tries to step closer but JJ doesn't care. They left him.
"I don't give a shit about the gold."
"JJ." Kiara reaches out for JJ but he can't control himself. Not even with her.
"Fuck you guys." JJ spits before storming down the dock.
They're alive.
…
They're alive. How the hell did they survive that storm? Kiara wonders if this is all still a dream, or a nightmare. But JJ's anger is real. They were in the Bahamas the entire time- the times that Kiara and JJ couldn't stop thinking about their death. No wonder JJ is angry at them. "We're here guys. Everything is fine." John B tries to lighten the mood.
"You were gone for a long time, John B. We can't just pretend it never happened."
"How are you guys back, anyways? What about Shoupe?" Pope adds.
"Ward's in jail." Sarah speaks up. "So, it won't be long until Rafe is there as well. I'll go to Shoupe and tell them that I saw Rafe kill Peterkin and my dad won't be able to save his ass this time." Kiara tries to listen to Sarah, she really does. But Kiara can't stop staring daggers at John B. She doesn't even understand her own anger. But it definitely is there.
"Why didn't you call?" Kiara can't stay quiet, and act as if nothing happened.
"Kie…" John B starts.
"You could have found a way to tell us." Kiara tries to compose herself. "We mourned you. We cried for you and we hurt for you. You were alive the whole time."
"We were hurting as well."
"Not in the same way. Every night was surrounded by nightmares, John B. JJ still gets them and it's been five fucking years!"
"I had nightmares." John B adds fuel to the fire.
"What about? How you were alive?" Kiara practically yells. "Oh my god, John B we thought you were dead!"
"I'm sorry but I'm not dead, Kie. We're all okay." John B tries to calm Kiara down but it's no good. He thinks everything will be okay? The once leader of the Pogues has no idea what they have been through.
"We're not okay!" Kiara screeches. "The first four fucking months had us all breaking apart and you haven't even asked about them."
"What happened, Kie?" Sarah is guilted into asking.
"JJ went home." She shows no obvious emotion but Sarah only looks at her confused which makes her pull out a harsh laugh. "I forget, you guys were getting all romantic when JJ was arrested and then beaten up by his dad. Then you guys were still nowhere to be seen when he had bruises all along his torso. I forget that neither of you ever even cared about his fucking bruises!"
The anger is there. The anger towards John B and Sarah but also the anger towards herself. None of them asked JJ questions. They all walked around thinking he must have been in a fight with a fucking Kook. None of them asked where the bruises came from.
What surprises Kiara is when John B looks at the floor, without mirroring the confusion on Sarah's face. "Did you hear me, John B? JJ's dad beats him."
"I already knew." Wrong thing to say, John B. How could someone know about the abuse and not try and put a stop to it?
"Of course, you did." Kiara pretty much spat. Kiara takes a deep breath to calm the tears in her eyes. "Did you also know why he kept the gun?" This makes John B show confusion. "Let's just say that we all suffered, sure. But JJ was fucking tortured."
Brownie obviously feels the anger as he comes running to Kiara. Kiara watches as Brownie eyes John B and Sarah before starting a low growl. His tail doesn't move as he eyes them up and gets louder with his growl, trying to scare them away. It's the first time that Brownie has done this. It's the first time that Brownie looks like he is going to attack.
"Brownie."
"Brownie." Pope and Kiara sat at the same time. John B looks down at the dog, with a mix of confusion and fear plastered on his face. Brownie stops growling as he looks back up at Pope and Kiara with an innocent look.
"Whose dog is this?" John B doesn't look away from the dog.
"You need to wake up, John B." Kiara ignores his question. "None of us are okay."
Kiara loses her patience with hearing John B trying to turn this situation positive. She needs to find where JJ went. She needs to see someone who can face reality.
It's not like Kiara is not happy to see that they're alive. The shock masked every other emotion but she can't help but be happy that they are alive- that maybe the world isn't as broken as she had thought. But they could have told the remaining Pogues. Nightmares fill every sleep and it's all because of the uncertainty of that one night.
When Kiara finds JJ, he is stood by the Wreck kicking at something on the floor. She doesn't say anything as she moves over to him and pulls him into a warm embrace. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve any of this shit that he has had to put up with in Outer Banks. Kiara can only hold him as he puts the information into the right order. He doesn't say anything as he pulls Kiara closer to him. She can feel him shaking against her so she just brushes her fingers through his hair in the way that she knows he likes. "They're alive, Kie." It's only then that Kiara recognises his tears as happy tears. Because she knows, even if they are angry at them not telling the Pogues, John B and Sarah are alive. They are alive.
They make their way into the Wreck which is now empty and about to close. They need to get away from the high emotion of John B and Sarah. There are still so many unanswered questions that Kiara needs to find out from John B and Sarah. But right now, she needs to calm down and see all the good in her life.
Brownie had followed her to the Wreck and is now not leaving JJ's side. The calmness of Brownie calms the whole situation down almost entirely as they enter the Wreck. Brownie whimpers until JJ leans down to pat his head. Kiara watches with a smile as she sees how the normally hot-headed JJ is put out with just the light touch of the pup. It has been four years, five months and ten days since Brownie came into their lives. Brownie came to save them. And it worked.
Kiara's dad comes out from the kitchen and looks at them confused. Not often do they come to the Wreck unless Kiara is working. "You're not working today, Kiara." His presence makes Kiara smile. Sure, she is still mad at her mother, but her dad is always there. No matter what.
"Just came by."
"Hey, Mr C." JJ leans over to shake Mike's hand. It always made Kiara glow when JJ played nice with her parents. It's why she doesn't understand how her mother can listen to the gossip about JJ rather than see who he really is. Mike does look JJ up and down before turning to Kiara and nodding. Kiara wonders what he is thinking. But she doesn't need to wonder this for long.
"So, you're here to finally ask if you can marry my daughter, JJ." Kiara is sure she burns up straight away as she looks down at Brownie just for something to do.
"Dad!"
"Mr C…" JJ laughs out.
"Because if you're here to ask, I will say yes." Kiara knows she's the colour of a tomato as she turns just to see JJ's reaction. "Just don't tell my wife."
"Oh my god, dad." Kiara pulls at JJ's arm as he is stunned to the spot. His face is just as red as her own. Kiara watches as Mike laughs at them but Kiara is too embarrassed to say anything as she pulls herself and JJ out of the restaurant.
…
John B didn't expect their reunion to be so tense. He didn't know that the news around Outer Banks was that himself and Sarah were dead. But they're not dead. And they're home, hopefully forever.
As soon as Kiara storms away from them, John B wonders if she has gone after JJ. Even before the gold hunt, Kiara had always gone after JJ after there was a fight within the Pogues. She just cares so much that she can't let anyone be alone. So, just like the good ol' days, John B is stood alongside Pope walking down the dock to try and find the rest of the group.
They haven't aged. Pope and JJ even wear the same clothes that they have always worn. It is almost as if they were frozen in time when John B and Sarah were away. Kiara's hair is still curly as hell and JJ still wears that cap. The only difference that John B can't seem to ignore is the pelican sweatshirt that John B is sure is JJ's is being worn by Kiara. What the hell did he miss? Another difference is the dog that seemed to be very protective of the Pogues. Where the hell did dog come from? It left with Kiara, maybe the Carreras got a dog? It would make sense saying that Kooks are the only ones that can really afford to look after a dog.
What is going on?
John B, Sarah and Pope walk in almost silence, with John B looking at the world around him. Outer Banks is everything that he remembers. They keep walking and John B starts to realise exactly where they are going. The Chateau. That makes sense. It means that someone must have been staying in the chateau to make sure that it didn't get taken by the storm.
They walk straight up to the chateau which straight away looks different to the chateau that he used to live in. It looks perfect. Not a beer bottle in sight. It's as if he never even lived here. "They cleaned it up when you were gone." Pope states. They? Two people have been staying here. Maybe there are some new Pogues or something living here in the old home of the Routledges.
"Who's being staying here?" Sarah asks the question that John B is thinking.
"JJ and Kie."
"JJ and Kie?" John B jumps in. It doesn't make sense to John B. No way could they live in harmony together. JJ's jokes would eventually get to her or Kiara's Kookiness would mean she couldn't stay.
"They've been living here for a few years now, JJ and Brownie longer and then Kiara joined them." It's the information that John B needs. Brownie? The dog? So, it's JJ's dog. He guesses it makes sense; Kiara would have wanted to be the aunt to the dog making sure that it was well fed.
Kiara has always been an animal lover. John B remembers when Kiara had disappeared when they were out by the boneyard all because she had seen turtle eggs. She stayed with those eggs until the hatched and made their way back into the ocean. She has always cared like that and seen how to protect anything from a bad situation. Maybe this dog is the same. She is protecting the dog from the world around it.
It does confuse John B why JJ would have a dog. He has never been able to take care of anything before. He steals which often ends up with his own life being in danger. If JJ can't look after himself, how does he look after a dog?
He wants to ask Pope questions and see exactly what he has missed these last few years, but his questions run dry when they get closer to the porch. John B's confusion of the last few years only grows when he sees JJ and Kiara sat on the bench. Their foreheads are pressed together as they stare down at their intertwined hands. JJ's dog is sat, resting his head onto JJ's lap. They look like a family. A family that John B never really saw coming.
They have all had a thing for Kiara once in their lives. But JJ's thing for Kiara looked just the same as his thing for every girl with a heartbeat. But here he is, resting up against the girl that only ever highlighted the importance of the rules. They are all coupled up, with his dog watching them. But the rules. The reason why she turned him down.
They make their way onto the porch but they are still lost in their own little world that they don't notice them. It takes Pope to clear his throat for them to look up. John B watches as Kiara shuffles awkwardly on the porch before looking at JJ before looking back at them. "Why are you guys here?" She snaps out.
"We're sorry, Kie." Sarah speaks up as John B keeps watching at the two that seem to be in a couple. "We're sorry that we didn't tell you guys where we were but… but we can't change the past now." Kiara nods before breaking into a smile.
"I'm just happy that you're back now." Kiara says.
"For good." Sarah smiles before looking down at the dog that is still resting on JJ. "Now, who is this?" John B watches as Sarah gets to the dog's level.
"This is Brownie." Kiara leans and both of the girls are fussing the dog in front of them. Brownie.
"So, he's yours?" Sarah asks.
"Mine and JJ's." There's the answer that John B was fearing. They had been playing house with a dog. JJ and Kiara have been playing house.
"So much for no Pogue on Pogue macking." John B can't help but scoff out. It makes everyone turn to John B. He knows he's out of line. But he can't help but wonder how this even happened. There were no clear signs, John B doesn't think. Hell, he would have been less shocked if he had found out Pope and Kiara had gotten together.
"John B." Sarah warns.
"I'm sorry, but this is a lot." John B tries to keep his anger at bay. "What happened to the rules?"
"The rules were fucked up, man." JJ finally speaks.
"They're still the rules!" Kiara scoffs at John B before shaking her head violently. It confuses John B. The rules were so important before he went away, what had changed?
"You didn't have a problem breaking them when you kissed me and you didn't have a problem when Pope told me that he loved me, no offence Pope." Kiara spits.
"Don't worry." Pope jumps in.
"But you have a problem with JJ?" Kiara rolls her eyes as she stands from the bench. "We're together, okay? And you don't get a say about the fucking rules because you never followed them when you were here."
"Kie…"
"You've missed so much John B! So, you don't get to judge."
"She's right, John B." Sarah speaks up.
"I'm sorry, Kie." John B given in, feeling the dagger eyes from his own girlfriend. "It will just take time but I want to understand."
…
It all makes sense to Sarah. The last few years finally pushed a couple together. She had always thought it was weird how a group of friends as close as the Pogues never had a relationship blooming. Maybe she's a hopeless romantic. In the movies, Sarah always wants the two oblivious friends to finally get together. Maybe this is that movie.
Of course, she seems to be the only one that saw this coming. Pope looks like he worked it out but Sarah believes she has always known. It makes sense to Sarah that it is JJ and Kiara. She read a lot of fantasy books back in the Bahamas but none of them reflected reality. JJ and Kiara are the new romance story. A broken boy meets an adventurous girl that can fix him.
Later that same day, Sarah sits next to Kiara on the pull-out. Sure, her own boyfriend is an idiot about but Sarah is not the same idiot. "So, you and JJ?" Sarah says at one point.
"Yeah." Kiara breathes out.
"Finally."