A/N: This is a JJ/OC story. It follows some themes of the show, but a different story line. I love Kie as a character, but there are pieces from early season 1 that I had a hard time figuring out how to include. That being said, I opted for my own OFC story. In this version of OBX, Kie is still present but paired with someone else. Characters are over 18 in this story. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: all works in this story are not mine and belong to their respective owners.
1 - Away Again
Absent parents don't always mean there is love lost. In the cut of Outer Banks, they were a pretty common occurrence. In Julianne's case, she had a mother and father at opposite ends of the scale. She knew her dad loved her and their family. Her mom's chronic drug problem and rehab stays are what added the strain. Because of said addiction, her mother was basically out of the picture. Instead she was represented by a constant negative bill balance owed to the state for continued inpatient rehab services. Her father, Brandon, did his best. And in the Outer Banks, that meant finding whatever work he could to send money home.
Brandon Patten worked on steamer ships, trying his best to make an appearance for holidays. He sent emails from time to time checking in, but that was about it. This left Julianne as the primary caretaker for her younger sister, Evie. Yet, she wasn't alone. Fortunately for her, she had a supportive group of friends who helped her along the way. Shuffling Evie between school and appointments, and the struggle to make ends meet, her loyal Pogue comrades always had her back.
At only eighteen, she considered herself pretty responsible for what she was forced to take on. As was the Pogue life, she did her best to get by with what they had. Right after high school graduation she lucked out and got a job at the Island Country Club waitressing. One of her best friends, JJ, bartended at the club part time. They worked together pretty frequently, but he had been working more fishing charters with John B since summer started. They were saving for a boat to make it into a legit business one day.
Getting past the choking snooty attitudes of the Kooks, working at the country club was excellent money. The tips rolled in on the weekends and she squirreled away every extra dollar she could.
With a fresh cup of coffee in an old beat up travel mug, she grabbed her bag and hurriedly ran to her SUV parked in the gravel driveway of their house. "All ready?" she asked her younger sister Evie who was just buckling her seatbelt.
"Yep. Ready," Evie answered, her blonde pony tail swinging back and forth as she wiggled in her seat. Julianne was bringing her to the country club, which offered childcare for employees and club members. Of course the childcare service was only available during employee shifts, but it was still a huge help for her to be able to get some hours in on the weekends and summer when school was out.
"Okay, here we go," she said, taking a long drink of her coffee before pulling out of the drive. She was working a Saturday lunch shift, which usually was pretty busy. She was pleased to be working with JJ today, knowing they made quite the team for powering through a Saturday lunch rush. They had the occasional harmless flirting with each other, which kept the day entertaining.
"You know, I can stay home by myself while you work," Evie tried to offer. Julianne saw the little smirk in the rear view mirror.
"You're six. I don't think so."
The little girl huffed in annoyance and turned to look out the window. Within a few minutes they pulled into the country club and parked in staff parking. Julianne quickly dropped Evie off at the childcare center and made her way towards the kitchen. Throwing on her apron, she ran a hand through her golden blonde hair and prepared herself for the Kooks. Putting on her service smile, she grabbed a pen and pad to check in with her section of tables.
After greeting a few members (the club insisted they refer to them as members, not customers), she typed in some drink orders to the computer. Waltzing over to the bar, she spotted JJ busy behind the taps. "Hey stranger," she called and gave him a smile. He paused what he was doing to grin back at her. His bright smile contrasted against his tanned skin.
"Hi Jules," he greeted and nodded his head to the crowded tables. "Kook city, huh?"
"Yeah. How did did your charter go yesterday?"
"Fine, business is starting to pick up. John B got Pope to help us with Facebook to make a page and stuff. If it can take off enough for me to be done serving the Kooks bloody Mary's all weekend, I'll be happy as a clam." She chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Your favorite table is here," she motioned towards the Cameron's, seeing Rafe, Ward, and Rose sitting near the overlook at their preferred table.
"Oh yeah, Rafe's been his usual asshole self since they got here. Might water down his next drink..." he taunted.
"JJ," she warned and grinned at his sideways smile before returning to her tables. The afternoon passed relatively quickly, and she was pocketing some great tips. Kie's parents stopped in for a late lunch and she was happy to serve them. It was nearing four o'clock when another waitress Tara was supposed to show up for the dinner shift. Looking at the clock, she knew her coworker was going to be late again. It was kind of a pattern. At first she huffed in annoyance. Then, she reasoned it was more tips for her.
Sighing, she walked back over to JJ who was just getting ready to head out. "Meet you at John B's tonight? Bonfire and brews," he asked.
"Yeah, sounds good." He nodded and threw a rag over his shoulder as he finished cleaning the last counter. "Hey, JJ, I hate to ask, but can you pick up Evie? She's been at the center since I got here, and I have a feeling Tara won't be in for a while, if at all. I don't want to give up the tips if I can put a few extra hours in." She met his blue eyes and hoped it wasn't going to put him out for the day.
"Not a problem. I got it. I'll bring her with me and meet you at John B's when you're finished," he agreed with a reassuring smile.
"Here take my truck," she fished out her keys and handed them over. "It's got her booster in it."
"Okay, here," he traded her the keys to his beat up pickup truck. "Remember, be gentle with her. She's delicate," his blue eyes narrowed at her.
"Thanks again JJ," she said and kissed him on the cheek quick before going back to work. He hesitated, watching her walk away and quickly shook his head turning to collect Evie.
Downstairs at the childcare center JJ found the six year old coloring with another girl. "Hey princess," he called and Evie shot up.
"JJ!" she squealed and ran over. "Are you picking me up?"
"Yep. Jules is working a little late today. Wanna come to John B's with me? We can go out fishin' until she gets done?"
"Yes!" He nodded at the staff who recognized him and Evie followed along. They found Julianne's SUV in the parking lot. Evie stopped, getting distracted with dandelions like a typical six year old.
"Hey slow poke, let's go, come on," he urged, trying to keep her on task. He didn't like hanging around at the club any longer than he had to. Wrangling the kid into her seat, he sped off toward the Chateau. Picking up Evie from the childcare center wasn't out of the ordinary for him. Sometimes they went on fun little adventures to get ice cream, but most times he helped shuttle where she needed to go. Between him, John B, and occasionally Kie, it was a team effort. Evie was used to spending a lot of time at the Chateau, and it was a fine balance between being young and dumb with a case of beer and having to be the responsible adults for Evie.
That being said, JJ knew for a fact Julianne would do anything for them in return. It was the Pogue life. They'd all been friends since grade school, graduated, and started to find their place in life. Funny thing was - John B, Julianne, and himself already knew their place. They had been functioning as adults long before the legal defining age.
Kie and Pope were a different story. They both had promising futures. Pope was attending college during the week on the mainland, and came home every weekend. Kie had followed a similar path and decided to take college classes online. Their group still got together on the weekend like old times, but during the week their responsibilities had shifted.
Pulling in to the gravel drive of the Chateau, he put Julianne's truck in park. With Evie and tow, he found John B on the porch going through some tangled fishing line. "It's little E, hey, what's goin' on?" John B said with a quick glance before returning to the line. "Tara no show on Julianne again?" he asked JJ with a raised eyebrow.
"Pretty much."
"Well, let's get out on the water. We're wasting daylight," John B reasoned and the three of them headed out on the HMS Pogue. Evie had her own fishing pole stored in the boat that Pope had bought her for Christmas a few years ago, and she claimed it was good luck. Truth be told, she actually caught more fish than the guys did that day. They still came home with a decent catch, and pulled in right after sunset. They were met by Kie and Pope who had already started a small fire in anticipation of their return. When they saw little Evie skipping down the dock with John B and JJ in tow, Kie ran up to give her a hug.
"Tell me you outfished those boys," she giggled and guided Evie back to the campfire.
"Bro, we got outfished by a six year old," JJ muttered to John B.
"Let's not advertise it," he answered and they brought their supplies up to the porch.
Julianne finally arrived at the Chateau with an exhausted expression on her face. "Hey guys," she waved and gratefully accepted the beer Kie offered her. "Evie, you okay if we stay here tonight?"
"Yes only if we have pancakes for breakfast," she cheered.
"You heard her, pancakes it is," Pope agreed and helped her set up a chair to sit on. Julianne wandered over to John B and JJ who had just set up a table to clean fish.
"Tara ever show?" JJ asked as he sharpened the fillet knife in his hand.
"Nope. But, with tonight's tips we almost have enough for bills this month," she exclaimed and took a drink of her beer. That's the way it was, always living paycheck to paycheck. Most of her fathers money sent home went to the mountain of medical bills for her mom's rehab.
"Nice," John B said as he and JJ started to clean fish together. They'd been doing it so long it was a well coordinated routine. Julianne went into the house to grab a bowl with some cold water to rinse the fillets, and set up the fryer to cook. About an hour later they say around the fire with full stomachs. Evie was dozing off, and Julianne brought her inside to sleep on the pull out couch in the living room.
The five of them sat around the fire for the rest of the night, enjoying a few drinks except for Pope. He volunteered to be the sober responsible adult. After a long day, it was nice to just relax with friends and let responsibility of bills and work take a break. It was a familiar feeling, and one that Julianne appreciated. Comfort of friends who were her family - that was the Pogue life.
A few days later, Julianne finished a shift at the Island country club and took Evie over to The Wreck to grab a bite to eat and visit with Kie. They took a table in the back of the restaurant, Mr. Carerra giving them a smile and wave. "Hey you two," Kie said as she bounced over. "Evie I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you want chicken strips, yeah?"
"Yes please," she answered. Julianne scanned the specials board and her eyes went wide.
"I'll have the turkey BLT special," she said and Kie jotted it down. "When are you off?"
"In about two hours or so. But I've gotta stick around to prep for the storm." Kie chewed in her pen in annoyance.
"Storm?"
"What do you live under a rock? Yeah, hurricane Agatha is making her way in." Julianne's blue eyes widened even more than they had at seeing the lunch special.
"Shit, I thought it was just bad weather, I didn't know it was a hurricane." Julianne said, and looked over at Evie who had busied herself coloring.
"What's wrong?"
"My dad. I just worry when there's a storm. His check ins are few and far between, ya know?"
"Hey," Kie put her hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. "The bright side is he's living on a boat, not under a rock, so I'm sure they're well prepared." Both girls laughed.
"Yeah, I guess your right."
"Hey, let me know if you guys need anything, okay? Are you going to ride the storm out at home? You can always crash at our house if you need." She looked down at her sister and paused to think for a minute.
"Not to be a baby, but I think we might buddy up at the Chateau. Share resources. Never know what a hurricane will do."
"Not a bad idea. I'll get your food in." Kie walked away leaving Julianne with her sister. Her phone buzzed and she saw John B's name pop up on the group message.
P4L:
John B: Pope, are you staying on the mainland this weekend?
Pope: considering there's a hurricane, that would be a yes.
JJ: pussy
John B: looks like it's just me and JJ surfing the surge then.
Kie: hey, what about me?
JJ: guys only
Julianne: that's not very nice
Kie: you boys go be lame I can't go anyway. Parents need me at the Wreck.
Julianne: JB, is it cool if E and I crash with you guys for the storm?
John B: of course
Kie: I'll send her with some food for you guys.
Julianne put her phone down and started to scribble with the crayons. She looked out the window at the horizon and the waters still seemed calm. By the end of their meal, she could see the clouds rolling in more furious than before. The wind had picked up and she could see the trees starting to bend. "Y'all be safe," she called to the Carreras as she and Evie left the restaurant. Kie had sent her with a goodie bag of food for the guys. They made a quick pit stop at home to pick up the essentials, making sure to pack extra snacks.
It didn't take them long to get settled in at the Chateau. Evie was occupied watching Disney films on TV, and had her own little corner set up with toys. Julianne sat on the front porch scanning the water for any sign of JJ and John B. The weather started to worsen along with a darkening sky. She began to worry, and pulled her phone out. They created a separate group message of just them three once Kie and Pope had started to distance themselves with college. It was sad to think of them a little more removed, but that was reality.
Julianne: hey where are you guys? Evie and I are at the Chateau.
She waited. Another twenty minutes passed with no response. She started to grow more worried, and didn't take her eyes off the water. Finally, the HMS Pogue pulled up to the dock. JJ and John B were running down the dock as the rain started coming down. The idiots were carrying their boards and quickly propped them up in the surf shack before joining Julianne in the porch. "What the hell guys, I was worried!" she started to lecture.
"We got distracted. Sorry," John B laughed, slightly out of breath. They both looked frozen from being out in the water.
"Yeah, chill we're good. You bring dinner?" JJ asked, always thinking with his stomach. He pushed his hand through his wet blonde hair.
"Yeah, food's on the counter," she grumbled and followed them in. Evie greeted the guys, but didn't turn her attention away from her movie for long.
"How was work?" John B asked as he shoveled cold French fries into his mouth.
"Slow."
"Probably because I wasn't there," JJ chimes in.
"Yes, you're just the life of the party JJ," she added.
"I can be the life of this party, a hurricane party." He held up a case of beer from next to the fridge. "We're prepared."
"Oh thank god. Silly me, I wasted my time in provisions for food, water, dry linen, and a radio. Clearly you're the expert," she rolled her eyes but let out a chuckle.
"You got that right," he answered. After the guys finished eating they sat in the living room playing a game of cards. Evie had fallen asleep after her movie, and the three of them were left awake to watch the storm.
"You think Pope will come back to OBX full time after college?" she asked. She missed the way things used to be with everyone together all the time.
"That one could go either way," JJ answered.
"I wonder about Kie. Some days I think she's intent on staying here and then it seems like she's wanting to do something bigger. She's a Pogue, but she's got big dreams of changing the world," John B said, scrunching his eyebrows.
"Maybe they'll hook up," JJ suggested.
"I thought they had," she admitted and both guys wide-eyed her.
"What?" JJ choked on his beer out in surprise.
"No..."
"I don't know, I just have a feeling," she said and pulled her knees up to her chest. She looked over at Evie sleeping peacefully despite the raging storm outside. The guys drank and played a few more hands of cards before John B yawned and stood stretching.
"I'm beat. Wake me if you need anything," he said before waltzing back to his bedroom. JJ and her were left with a sleeping Evie. All of a sudden it was a little awkward. JJ and Julianne were friends, but suddenly she didn't have anything to say.
"You sure you don't want the other bedroom?," he asked with a pointed finger down the hall. After Big John's disappearance JJ had taken over the bedroom.
"There's plenty of room here. Besides she's already sleeping." They sat in silence for a moment while JJ looked down the hall. A bright flash of lightning lit up the room with a loud thunder following. She jumped and rested a hand on her sleeping sister. He studied her for a minute, sending her unease. Over the years, they had been through plenty of storms. Julianne was never a fan of them, and as kids she would huddle under a blanket pile.
"Want a thunder buddy?" he offered with a sideways smirk.
"Thanks. Come on in," she waved him to the pullout couch with a thankful expression. The awkwardness dissolved as he smiled at her and joined them on the couch. Julianne lay between JJ and Evie, looking up at the slow spinning ceiling fan. "You think the Pogue is ok?"
"We're in the middle of a hurricane within dangerous high winds, and you're worried about the boat?" he whispered. Her chest shook with laughter and she turned her head to look at him.
"Yeah I guess so."
"The boat will be fine," he answered and turned to look back at the ceiling, eventually closing his eyes.
"If you say so." She drifted off to sleep shortly after.
They were woken by a loud shatter, JJ jumping to life from the pull out couch bed. He was always the lightest sleeper. "What the fuck," he muttered and looked around. Evie woke up crying, and Julianne searched for the cause of the shattered glass. JJ walked back to the kitchen and found a tree branch struck through the window above the sink. "Just a branch," he announced and came back to the living room. The room was dark, aside from the flashing lightning.
"It's okay Evie it's just a tree branch," she tried to comfort her sister. Evie looked at her with a confused expression before snuggling into her side.
"What if one gets John B?" she asked between tears.
"John B sleeps like the dead. We're fine. I'll board this up quick and the we'll be good as new," JJ answered, using a flashlight to find the stocked wood in the porch, nails, and a hammer. It took him a few minutes, it didn't look pretty, but it did the job for the night. "There," he reasoned and moved back to the couch. Evie was awake, but calmed down once the wind wasn't rushing into the house.
"Get some sleep," Julianne said and pulled Evie's blanket over her again. The power had gone out, but the storm kept the air cool. Thunder booming, waves crashing, and lightning surging kept her on edge. She saw Evie eventually falling back asleep, but had a hard time settling down herself.
"Listen to your own advice Jules, we're not going to blow away," he tried to reassure next to her. She met his eyes with a flash of lightning in the dark. She nodded, unsure if he could even see it, and tried to go back to sleep. Jumping at another loud boom, she gasped. Without a word, a warm arm went around her shoulders. At first she felt her heart speed up with the new feeling, but quickly settled into the warmth. Neither one of them said anything, and instead just hunkered down and tried to sleep. He was being a comforting friend, and she left it at that.