#don't forget that half the cast are jjpope shippers

[simplylupin]

Pope saves JJ

What if Pope was the one who saved JJ from drowning in e10??

For the first time in his life, Pope didn't hesitate once - didn't think twice - as he swung over the railing of the ship and jumped into the water below. Somewhere, in the very back of his mind, he knew that launching himself at highspeed into the ocean wasn't the smartest of moves, but as he let go off the metal bar and let himself fall, he found he didn't care much. He was only focussed on JJ and the way he'd looked when Pope had peered over the edge: face down, his body limp and lifeless. All he cared about was making sure JJ stayed alive.

He impacted with the water hard, momentarily shocked by the cold, his muscles seizing up at the sudden change in temperature. A waved slapped against his face and shook him out of his daze, and he gritted his teeth, searching desperately for a sign of JJ. Panic flooded through him when he couldn't spot the boy anywhere, but then another wave broke and there, a flash of blonde hair against the dark water. Pushing past the ache in his limbs, Pope swam over frantically, gasping for breath by the time he'd reached JJ. He grabbed his arm, careful not to weigh him down but enough to keep him up, and slung it over his own shoulder, holding JJ up. He didn't give the slightest of movements at Pope's touch, nothing but shallow breaths and the scarily small rise and fall of his chest. Pope felt his panic rise again as he shook JJ as best as he could, trying to get a get a reaction, any reaction, out of him.

"JJ," he managed to gasp out, "J, stay with me."

Pressure in his chest began building up, and it didn't take him long to realise that it wasn't a result of lack of oxygen, but rather his anxiety slowly stirring inside of him. Not now, he pleaded silently, JJ. I need to help JJ. He gripped his hands tighter around the fabric of JJ's tank top, his fingers digging into his arms.

"Please," he said, not sure if he was talking to himself or JJ.

He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath to calm himself but received a mouthful of seawater instead. Now he was panicking, and he couldn't breathe properly, his breaths coming in short gasps and splutters. JJ's going to die and it's going to be your fault, a voice taunted from deep in his head. He's going to die because you were too useless and weak to do anything about it. Somehow, that small voice gave him enough motivation to kick his throbbing legs, lifting both of them above the surface a good few inches.

"JJ please, please. Stay with me, J," he begged, smoothing wet hair out of JJ's eyes.

Pope wasn't sure he could live a life without JJ. When he tried to imagine it, all he saw was an empty, dark place of nothingness. Like an endless void of heartbreak. He'd known the boy since they were eleven, skipping stones together in the school pond. Well, Pope had been skipping stones. JJ had been throwing them and seeing which made the biggest splash. Thinking back to it, he reckons he might have fallen in love with JJ a bit that day. Even if he hadn't realised what it meant until years after. Even if he was still grasping at the concept now; still confused on when along the way JJ's smiles and touches began to mean more than anyone else’s. Every moment just merged into JJ and so it only made sense to Pope that it had been love at first sight for him. And so, a life without JJ meant a life without loving. And Pope had been loving JJ his whole life. He wasn't ready to let that go.

He kicked hard again, pushing them back up, but he could feel himself begin to tire, his grasp beginning to slip. Faintly, in the distance, he thought he could the start of an engine, and for a moment he let himself believe.

"John B's coming, okay?" he said, reassuring himself as much as the boy in his arms. "Please, J, just hold on. Just a little longer."

Pope could feel himself slipping away. The cold was beginning to get to him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep them both up much longer. He was tired and freezing and all he wanted was for JJ to be alright.

"You fucking idiot," he murmured, half whisper, half sob. He managed to lift his hand and cradle JJ's face. "Making me fall in love with you was the stupidest thing you've ever done."

They were both slowly sinking as Pope's kicks got weaker and sloppy, their faces barely above the surface. He tried to keep JJ up and in front of him, determined to keep him out of the water as much as possible, but it was a feeble attempt.

"I'm sorry." His voice was sluggish, and his vision was going hazy. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

As his fingers started to uncurl from around JJ's forearm, Pope knew that if JJ was going down, so would he. They'd done everything together, for as long as he could remember. Why not this too? And then, just as Pope was about to give up entirely, there were arms grabbing onto him, hauling him up out of the water. His hold on JJ broke and he struggled before realising that hands were on JJ as well, saving him. He collapsed onto the lifeboat and Kiara immediately crouched down next to him, helping him up into a sitting position.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she pressed, concern etched in her face.

Pope almost felt bad as he pushed her out of the way, scrambling to where John B had hauled JJ on-board. John B moved back as Pope knelt, hands on JJ's shoulders, shaking him. He was dimly aware that he was crying.

"Wake up! Please. Please, JJ. Just wake up."

There was an excruciating long silence where no one moved, no one said anything, and then JJ made a spluttering noise, cracking open his eyes as he started coughing up seawater. Pope was pretty sure the tears were coming down heavier now. He didn't move away as JJ scanned his surroundings through lidded eyes, finally settling on Pope's hand on his shoulder. When he finally looked up at Pope, it felt like a weight was being lifted off his chest, the heavy pressure disappearing from where it had built up in his lungs.

"Hi," he said, voice coming out in a whisper.

JJ continued to stare at him, unmoving and silent, until, "'Sup."

Pope let out a watery, somewhat hysterical laugh, and he heard the others behind him do the same as he pushed JJ lightly. And then his body was betraying him, and he was reaching out, drawing JJ in and cradling him in his arms. He rested his chin on top of his head and held him tight, not sure he would ever let go again.

"Pope," JJ said after a moment, "You're going to break my ribs in a minute, man."

Loosening his hold, Pope felt a sudden rush of anger flood through him, and he shoved JJ again, harder this time. The blonde made a noise of surprise and he looked up with a confused expression.

"You almost drowned, you asshole!" Pope said, voice cracking - unable to keep out the emotion.

"I'm okay, Pope."

Pope let out a hysterical laugh. "No, you're not! You probably still have water in your lungs which means you could be dying from secondary drowning right now and we don't know it, you're lips are turning blue from the cold, you're shaking and coughing," he shrugged away from JJ's hand that had been reaching to him, continuing, "You've been hit in the head which could mean serious brain trauma, and you most definitely have a concussion. You're bleeding and cold and trembling and--"

"Pope!"

JJ's sudden exclamation startled him, and Pope quickly stopped his rambling. JJ lifted his hand again and this time Pope let it settle on his cheek, cupping his face gently.

"I'm okay," JJ reiterated, smiling reassuringly. "I promise."

And Pope believed him.