This is a short chapter, but since my last chapter ended the way, it did, i wanted to post this one as soon as possible.

All errors are mine. And the only characters i own are the OC's.

The alcohol burned as it made its way down my throat, but it was a welcome feeling. The party was in full swing by the time I arrived and if anyone noticed I was there, they didn't say anything. After a few cups of whatever was on the counter or passed around I decided to grab one of the liquor bottles and walk around to the back of the house by the pool lounge taking a seat in an empty chair admiring all Kooks dancing, making out, drinking, living it up.

"The last time I saw you, you pushed me off my boat." I knew the chances of seeing Rafe at his house was high, so I didn't even bother to act surprised or koi about it.

"And you made it back." I lifted the bottle without turning around to acknowledge him. "Good for you."

"Wow," Rafe laughed taking a seat beside me reaching for the bottle in my hand. "Something's different about you."

"Just trying to live it up." I stated unsure if my words were slurring or not. Handing him the bottle he replaced it with a joint that I took without question. In a normal situation taking anything from Rafe Cameron would be done with extreme caution, but caution was out the window. Here. Now. I didn't care what happened.

"Didn't think you'd ever come to one of my parties again... something about trust..." he chuckled taking a swig from the bottle before passing it back. I took it greedily, taking a long inhale from the joint before giving it back.

"Trust is overrated." I said. "You going to kick me out?"

"Thought about it... but I would rather see where this plane crashes..." I cringed at his choice of words, and he smirked. "Too soon?"

"Fuck you." I stated, taking a drink and flipping him off in the process.

"Where are the rest of the Pogues tonight?" He asked as I passed the bottle back to him. "Should I get security to watch the doors?"

"Just me." I said taking his joint again. "Sorry to disappoint. No Pogues... no hidden agenda, just me."

"Heard your mom came back." His amused tone changed for just a second as he watched me wince as I took a swig from the bottle again.

"And left. After ruining everything." I answered standing up and turning to him. "So, screw her."

"Rowyn..." he started, sympathy in his voice and I quickly shook my head and stood up.

"No, we aren't friends remember. No touchy feely shit. I don't need you to look at me like I'm pathetic." I said reaching for the joint again. "I'm here to forget about her and forget about all the other shit that nobody seems to care about. I'm here for a good time."

"To a good time then." Rafe smiled leaning forward, taking the joint back and wrapping his arm around my shoulder leading me out into the back yard where everyone was dancing, drinking and having a good time.

JJ POV

Lighting the fire outside the Chateau I kept a close eye on John B. His dad being taken by Singh and Sarah cheating on him, I wasn't sure how much more he could take. When John B had rolled up to my house, I was just happy for the distraction. John B. had lied to us, he was a shit liar, but I wasn't about to call him out, he obviously had his reasons, so when he told me about his dad... everything that I had been thinking about prior seemed to disappear. Until I saw her standing in the crowd in front of the Carrera's.

My heart stopped just watching her, she was beautiful, strong... and I... I couldn't be the reason she was anything but that. Then she was standing on the dock, and I told her it wouldn't work... I lied to her face, just so she would hate me, so it would be easier. Acting like I didn't care, to anyone else it was easy, but I felt a part of me break when she walked away.

"Dude that was messed up, you know that right." I sighed, turning to my best friend. "Topper was just looking to piss you off, now everyone on Figure 8 is gunning for you. That ain't gonna help us get to your dad, we literally lost half the islands help."

"Helpful Jay." John B rolled his eyes. Tires crunched on the gravel in front of the house, and I stood instantly on guard.

"Stay here." I ordered, lifting my hand up to John B. as he sat up to follow me. Grabbing the stick, I had been using for the fire and slowly made my way around to see who was coming. Lifting the stick and raising it above my head just as Kie came around the corner. "Jesus I almost just took off your head."

"With a stick?" Kie cocked her head before shaking it.

"Look Kie, if you came to tell him off..." I started seeing John B walking towards us, but Kie was quick to interrupt.

"I'm here because we have a problem." she said any hint a joke was gone, and she looked me straight in the eye. "You need to get Rowyn... you need to fix whatever you did."

"Our relationship isn't..."

"It is if she goes and does something stupid because she'd done caring and done trying." Kie said quickly and I scowled.

"What are you talking about Kie?" John B asked.

"JJ knows." Kie crossed her arms and I groaned.

"I was giving her a chance to be with her mom." I defended. I hadn't had a chance to talk to John B. about any of it.

"Dude, her mom bailed this morning." Kie said and my defensive walls crumbled.

"What?"

"She left, put a note on the counter and dipped for the mainland." Kie explained. "The moment her dad came back her mom left... again."

"Wait! Her dad?" John B asked lifting his hands to his head. "When did that happen."

"This morning." she said her eyes still burning into me, "He cornered at the docks with Sarah, she said it... it wasn't good."

"Shit." I turned and snapped the stick I had in my hand in half before tossing it. I had left her, alone, the one thing I told her I wouldn't do and now... "She didn't say anything."

"Did you give her a chance?"

"No, I... I thought..." I paced lifting my hand into the dark like she was just a few steps away. "I thought it was best if I... Where is she?"

"Tannyhill." Kie deadpanned and I swear my jaw dropped to the ground.

"Why the hell is she at Tannyhill, isn't Rafe there?" John B asked.

"Yeah, he's having some big party I guess, half the Kook kids are there at least." she nodded.

"Why would she go to Tannyhill?" I asked again.

"I don't know JJ," Kie sighed annoyed. "Maybe because she has nowhere else to go, and honestly, we all kinda just gave up on being Pogues... she said... She said she's done trying to find what was left on the island... she's done caring."

"Fuck." I breathed out bending down so I was on my toes pushing the balls of my hands into my eyes.

"Look, normally I would tell you you're an idiot and kick your ass for hurting her... and I will, but right now I'm worried." Kie sighed running a hand through her hair. "Whatever is going on in her head, it pushed her to go to Tannyhill of all places."

"Fuck." I said again as I stood up turning to John B. "Twinkie?"

"Keys are inside." he nodded without any further questions. I didn't bother saying anything else or telling them bye. I ran to the house and grabbed the keys, jumping into the old van and peeling from the driveway. Driving through the cut to Figure Eight my mind was spinning, reliving the conversation I had had in the kitchen the other day.

"She seems happy." Rowyn's mother came into the kitchen just as her daughters left. "I've missed so much."

"You're here now though, and she sees that." I shrugged finishing up on the dishes.

"I wanted to talk to you about that." she said, and I looked up warning bells going off. "I know I have messed up a lot with her, and I am trying to make up for that... I want her to be part of my family, she has been through so much... I have put her through so much..."

"Okay..." I watched her suspiciously as she walked around to stand in front of me, her back to the front door. Looking over her shoulder quickly, making sure we were alone, she looked up at me.

"She deserves to be happy and to have a chance at a good life, and I... We don't think that will happen here. I know I said I am here but, in the end, I want her to come back with me." she explained, and I had to bite my tongue as I nodded and rolled my eyes.

"You don't think she would be happy here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Can you honestly say you can give her everything she deserve here JJ?" she asked, and I scoffed rolling my eyes. "You love her, I can see that, and she loves you. But love also means doing what's best for the other."

"And you're saying what's best is not being with me?"

"I'm saying letting go, so she has the option to fit and be with her family might be best for her." She gave me a sad smile like she understood how hard this was. I had so many things I had wanted to say to her. I had heard this my whole life, and when Rowyn and I started going out, I had my doubts... but to hear someone voice them out loud and for that person to be her mom... I couldn't help but think she had a point. If Rowyn knew I was letting her mom get in my head she would be upset, but part of me knew that she deserved to have her mom, her family... and I couldn't keep her from that. "I'm just asking for you to consider my daughter and who is best for her so she can move on. Away from this place."

I slammed my hand on the wheel of the Volkswagen and yelled angrily. I had done the one thing I told myself I wouldn't do. I let a woman who had left Rowyn years ago get in my head, decide what was best and for what, for her to leave again. Leave Rowyn alone, completely... 'It isn't going to work' that's what I had told her, but it was working she was everything, she fought for us, for me and I just walked away.

There was no missing the party that was going on at Tannyhill. The lights were on, and music was blaring down the road. I could feel the bass through my seat as I parked the Twinkie in front of the house. It was an eyesore compared to all the other vehicles around, but I didn't care. Walking through the opened front door I pushed my way through crowds of kids bouncing and grinding on each other, searching for Rowyn praying I wasn't about to find her passed out. Making my way through the house to the patio, the crowds of kids continued through the yard.

"There he is!" I heard someone say and I turned to see Rafe Cameron raising the beer in his hand to me, smile on his face. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Took you longer than I thought to be honest."

"Where is she?" I snapped slapping his hand away as he came up to me.

"Relax, she's fine." she laughed. "You must have messed up pretty good for her to come running here."

"I swear to God Rafe if you touched her..."

"Calm down," he rolled his eyes. "I didn't touch her, I've been keeping an eye on her... last thing I want is for her to do something she's gonna regret, or hurt her more, I do have a heart you know."

"Sure, you do." I scoffed. "Where is she?" Before he could answer a voice, I knew all too well yelling excitedly from around the corner, filtered through the party's chaos. Ignoring the smug look Rafe was giving me, I rounded the corner to the side of the house. Speakers were lined up with music bouncing around the area and in the center a table was set up with kids dancing on it.

"Whoo!" I heard the voice again. Standing with her arms up, in the center of the group of kids on the platform table was Rowyn, drunk smile on her face, bottle in her hand, swaying her hips with the music.

"Told you she was having a good time." Rafe said snidely patting my shoulder before turning to go inside with a brunette at his hip.

If it had been any other party, any other time I would have joined her, I would have partied just as hard, but the reality of the situation was she was up there, drunk with low inhibitions because her world was crashing around her, and she didn't know what else to do. I was still watching her, staring at her as she swayed her hips to the beat, a Kook girl in front of her matching her rhythm as the two shared a drink from the bottle in Rowyn's hands.

I watched as she laughed and smiled, I watched as she paid no attention to the crowd of teen boys around their table, or the one Kook that decided to jump onto the table with them. Didn't immediately move as the guy came up right behind her and grabbed her hips, pulling her back into him. She didn't push him away as he pulled her tight against him and leaned his head into her neck, brushing her hair to the side.

My blood was boiling, fists clenched as I pushed my way through the hordes of kids. By the time I reached the table Rowyn had turned in the Kooks arm, and there was a moment of clarity through her drunken haze that had her pulling away and pushing the guy hard enough that he stumbled off the table onto his back. Rowyn stared at the kid for a second before she turned to the other girls on the table and cheered. The crowd seemed to go wild and bounced around them again.

"Rowyn!" I called over the base of the speakers, but she either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me. Placing my hands on the table, I bowed my head in frustration. She tipped the bottle back again, seemingly draining it of the last drop looking at the lack of contents with disappointment. Holding the bottle up to the other girls on the table they nodded, and Rowyn stumbled to get down. Quickly weaving around a few partiers and reached Rowyn before she made it back inside and pulled her back.

"Hey!" she called stumbling a bit before turning towards me, "Wha' the hell, you doin' here?" she slurred glaring at me. "Shouldn' you be rescuing Big John?"

"I am here for you." I said keeping my hand on her arm, unsure if it was to keep her from walking away or falling.

"Why?" she scowled blinking lazily at me. "Thiss is wha' you wanted righ'... me a Kook, so here I am, ata Kook party with other Kooks, jus' like you wanted."

"This wasn't what I wanted." I said shaking my head, I opened my mouth to say more but had to take a deep breath before continuing, anything I said now wouldn't be heard. She was too out of it to have any sort of conversation. "Let's go." I started to pull her towards the house, but she planted her feet and pulled her arm from my grip.

"I don' wanna." She shook her head but as she pulled back from me, she stumbled, and I quickly reached for her before she fell into a group of kids. "You're... you're no' the boss of me." she said still struggling in my arms before I was able to pull her back completely. Placing my hands on both her shoulders I looked down at her ready to argue, but as she looked up at me, she scowled and seemed to sway on her feet.

"Rowyn?" I questioned watching as she continued to scowl and blink a few times. "Roe, what's..."

"You're spinning..." she said quietly squinting her eyes. "Stop spinning."

"I don't think I'm the one spinning baby." I shook my head feeling her getting heavier in my grasp.

"I think..." but she didn't finish her sentence. Her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp. As she passed out, I moved my arm around her back, before she fell to the ground.

"Shit." I cursed looking down at her. Rearranging my arms, I lifted her into them and started carrying her into the house. As I made my way to the front door, I caught Rafe from the corner of my eye watching me as I left with Rowyn in my arms. He lifted his drink to me with a smirk, and if I was currently busy, I would have loved to beat it from his face. Ignoring my desire to put Rowyn down and slam my fist into Rafes face I exited the house. Rowyn hardly stirred as I got her into the passenger seat of the Twinkie.

This wasn't her; this wasn't who she was. She was a light for all of us and since we've been back I hadnt noticed that light going out until she decided not caring about herself was the only thing she had left. Pulling away from the house I kept glancing at her sleeping soundly as we passed through Figure 8 and into the Cut. The ride was quiet and when I pulled into the Chateau Rowyn was still asleep, head against the window. Killing the engine, I walked around to her door and slowly pulled her into my arms. Her face scrunched into a scowl, but she remained asleep.

Taking her into the house, I laid her on the pull-out couch in the living room pulling her shoes off and a blanket over her. Sitting beside her just looking over her before dropping my head into my hands. I'm not sure how it got this bad, but I hated seeing her spiral so out of control that she didn't care. Stepping away I walked out into the backyard. John B. was still there sitting by the fire looking out over the marsh.

"You find her?" he asked me as I sat beside him.

"Yeah." I breathed out

"How bad was it?" he questioned, and I just shook my head. "Jesus... what the hell happened man?"

"I let everything get in my head dude." I explained leaning back rubbing my eyes. "I let her mom tell me I should let her go, that I couldn't give her what she needs to be happy..."

"Why would you believe anything the woman that abandoned her kid to a Jack ass like Greg Daniels?" he asked.

"Because she's not wrong." I answered loudly, "Because she deserves to be happy and …"

"And you don't think you make her happy?" John B said sitting forward. "Dude, I have watched you two for years, and you finally get together, and you sabotage yourself because you're from the cut and she's from Figure 8..."

"That has nothing to do with." I said angrily.

"Really?" he challenged.

"That girl, God... she deserves the freaking world, and I can't..."

"Get over yourself JJ!" John B groaned and I stared at my friend surprised and annoyed. He stood and walked over to me kneeling in front of me putting his hands on his shoulders turning towards the house. "Haven't you realized … 'you' are her world." he said patting my arm and gesturing to the house. "You have always been the only thing she's needed... that's her world."

He stood putting his hands on his head walking towards the tree with his name on it. I followed him still letting his words sink in. "What the hell happened to all of us?"

"The island doesn't seem half bad anymore, does it?" I nodded in agreement, putting my hand on his shoulder as we stared at the tree.

Like i said, i know this one was shorter than normal, but hope it wasn't a let down.

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