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Paradise on Earth (18)

Chapter: 18. The Cross

Pair: JJ Maybank x Routledge! Reader

Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: Language, mentions of sex, grave digging

Summary: All kinds of secrets are revealed in the island room

Links: Wattpad and AO3, Playlist

Chapter 17 - Series Masterlist - Navigation - Chapter 19

You had a headache. The events of last night had you tossing and turning. The illicit fight, the key is taken, you consoled Pope as best you could as he let his tears flow freely and the sobs wrack from his throat and into his crossed arms- you rubbed his back and let him rant. You feared he was close to his breaking point if he wasn’t already.

All of you had hardly slept, talking through the night about the new game plan- there was none- you were all sleeping in unintentional shifts, sprawled around the porch til daylight. You had all come to the conclusion that it was over, there was nothing left to be done even with Denmark Tanny’s diary.

The key was your only true lead.

That was until Sarah Cameron walked into your screened patio where you all lay like dead flies.

You whistled lowly at the sight of her, “Look what the cat dragged in.”

“Shouldn’t you be on Figure Eight with your little group of polo players?” John B taunted her. “Or did you break up with Topper?”

She smiled sarcastically at him, “We’re just friends.”

“It seems like you have a lot of friends, Sarah Cameron.” Your brother continued as she walked a little way from him between where JJ was leaning against the metal that attached the screen and Pope who was sitting on a recliner chair.

“Yeah, and it seems like you’ve got some of your own too,” She must have seen John B with the girl who had invited him to the bonfire. “I’m here for Pope.”

Pope gave her a confused face.

“I found the island room.”

The five of you instantly perked up, the words she had just spoken had revived you all with hope.

Immediately, the six of you hopped into the Twinkie and rode out to Tannyhill.

“Guys listen to this!” Pope calls for attention holding the stack of paper that were copies of the diary. “The diary says the cross holds the most holy relic in all of Christendom, the garment of the savior.”

“So wait, it’s saying there’s a holy garment inside the cross?” Kie peeks over his shoulder to look at the paper.

“Yeah, it says the garment is capable of healing the sick from any malady.”

That must be what Limberey was after this whole time, you thought, that delusional bitch.

“‘If only I may touch his garment, I shall be made well’" JJ quoted from who knows where. You side-eye him from your seat, the rest of your friends equally as bewildered by him. “What? I went to Sunday school.”

“That’s why Limberey is desperate to find it, she wants it to heal her,” You said. “What else does it say?”

“‘Many feel that we have sinned to steal such a sacred thing and God will strike his vengeance on us’” Pope recites.

“Thing is, God did have his vengeance...” Kie pursed her lips.

“He sent a hurricane to sink the ship, only Denmark survived,” Pope says solemnly.

~~~

Sarah directs you all around the mansion, guiding you all through several corridors to a room that you believe to remember is where Ward took his meetings. The room was completely different now, the fancy wallpaper was torn off, and a mural of a town was painted on the walls of the room.

“It’s the island room,” Sarah gave him a pleased smile. “It has to be.”

Pope walked into the room and written all over his features was pure awe “This has got to mean something.”

“This is a map of the whole island,” John B noted.

You take notice of historical Kildare Island landmarks, as do the others, they name the places the group has been to. Parcel 9, the lighthouse- JJ mentioned Rixon’s, and John B just pointed out the surf break at Mase. The boys determined that the drawing in Denmark's diary and his writing had matched that of the paintings on the wall.

“This has something to do with the key, right?” You ask, though at this point it was obvious it definitely did. You run your fingers across the torn edges of the wallpaper leftover and question Sarah, “How did you uncover it?”

“I didn’t, it was like this when I got home.”

“So then who did it?” Kie questions.

A voice came from the door you all had entered through not too long ago, you and the rest of the pogues jumped at the sound. It turned out to be Wheezie, she answered Kie, “It was the freaks.”

“What freaks are we talking about, Wheeze?” JJ recovered from being startled by her quicker than the rest of the group.

“That sick lady and her attack dog,” She said. You laughed at what she called Renfield, you sent the group an apologetic smile as Wheezie explained. “They showed up last night, and they wanted to talk to Rafe-”

“Pale blonde lady?”

“Crutches?”

“It’s gotta be Limberey.”

Pope, JJ, and Kie give out identifiers of the one person who could have known about this.

“What happened?” You asked, not wanting to wait any longer for the details.

“First, they searched the whole house looking for something, and then Rafe told me to go upstairs, but I didn’t wanna miss out so I listened through the grate, I heard Rafe show them this room and the paper ripping. They were talking about getting across the sand flamingo.”

“That’s code, that’s code for something!” JJ immediately theorized.

Pope dismissed him and clarified with Wheezie, “The cross of Santo Domingo?”

“Yeah that’s it, and they were talking about angels- a lot of angel talk, I don’t know.”

“Denmark’s famous last words!” You piece everything together. “He buried the real treasure at the foot of the angel.”

Pope snaps his finger, “We have to find the angel in the room!”

Everyone spreads out and starts to search for any sign of an angel, Wheezie said something that made you freeze, and a cold chill went down your spine.

“You know, I could never ask Rafe 'cause I know he’d be a dick about it but did you guys break up?” She spoke nonchalantly, “He’s been extra asshole-ish lately and I know there’s a lot going on-”

John B stood still, slowly turning his head to Wheezie. Sarah’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head, “What did you just say?”

You couldn’t move, all thoughts of looking for the angel were gone, you could hear a pin drop in the room as everyone had stopped moving.

“Y/n and Rafe,” Her voice got quieter, just now realizing that she had said something she wasn’t supposed to. Heat rushed up from your neck to your cheeks, not from embarrassment but from shame, that same feeling you get when you're in elementary school and get sent into the principal's office you probably weren't in trouble but it felt like the end of the world. To make matters worse, she pulls out her phone and hands it to Sarah.

You didn’t want to know, you shut your eyes, this was a nightmare- it had to be some shitty nightmare that when you opened your eyes it would all be gone. Everyone was staring at the youngest Cameron’s phone, Kie looked disgusted, Pope couldn’t have hidden the betrayal on his face, and JJ… he was still upset with you so his current indifference toward you hadn’t changed.

“Guys-” You started.

“How could you?” John B practically shoved Wheezie’s phone in your face, you grabbed it and saw a picture, he tapped on it so they could see the date it was taken on the top. “How long?”

Your lips quivered, the tears welling in your eyes, “We weren't together.”

“And that’s supposed to make it better?” John B shouted at you. You flinched, John B hardly ever spoke to you like this, and if he did- you were right there with him. It stung, it felt like getting scolded by your favorite parent or favorite teacher who you never wanted to disappoint. John B was your brother, so fights were normal but it never felt like this.

You didn’t know what else to say, “I’m sorry.” It came out in a sob.

“He framed me for murder, Y/n, he jumps Pope like every other day with no regret!” John B mentions every way Rafe has wronged the group. “He almost killed his own sister!”

You look at the ceiling to stop any more tears from falling, but it was too late, when you blinked they fell. 3-4 at a time, came flooding out of your eyes, you took every word he yelled at you, you knew Kie and Pope had their own thoughts to chew you out but John B was giving it all to you that they didn’t need to.

“Hey, yo guys!” JJ called out to the group suddenly in front of a painting with a tree. “Come here, this humongous tree is still on Goat Island, you know what it’s called?”

John B is breathing heavily and still glaring at you as he walks over to JJ with a shake of his head, Pope glances over at you once- not meeting your eye.

“Angel Oak,” He responds.

JJ points to the center of the painting of the tree, “Look, there’s a keyhole. That means the cross is buried at the foot of the angel, that must be where he put it, we should go.”

Pope wastes no time rushing out of the room, the others going after him, you push Wheezies phone into her chest as you walk out.

“I didn’t know that you didn’t tell them!” She comes after you. “I’m sorry.”

You shook your head but you couldn’t find it in yourself to reassure her with a smile, you settled for just telling her it didn’t matter. “They were gonna find out one way or another.”

Surprisingly, they were still waiting for you in the Twinkie the sliding door left open for you. No one would speak to you, which was fine- you found it better that way. Pope gave John B directions, the tree was past Freedman’s church, a long road surrounded by trees and wetland.

“Shit,” John B cursed. “Tide’s coming in.”

The path turned muddy, there were tracks already imprinted in the dirt that Pope had pointed out. JJ who was in the passenger seat asked John B if they should risk it, “It’s a little dicey.”

“Well, clearly they made it,” Kie stated.

“In a two-wheel drive?” JJ clicked his tongue. “I don’t know about that.”

“Why are y’all acting like you’re not gonna do it anyways?” You dared to quip. “Like when have you ever done the safe thing?”

John B turned his head to give you a quick once over and JJ gave him a downward smile and they both shrugged, you didn’t take this as a sign of being on good terms, simply giving them the fuel they needed to do what they needed to do with no hesitation.

You, Pope, Kie, and Sarah held onto whatever you could as JJ talked John B through the speed he needed to get through the land without getting stuck. At a distance that was deemed safe enough to park, the Twinkie was stopped and the group piled out to where the Angel Oak tree was.

JJ began to ramble about gators, you weren’t entirely sure if it was to diffuse the tension that hung around the group now but it was working. You walked behind the rest of them, Sarah and John B a little ahead of you talking- bickering- more like, amongst themselves until she let a tree branch smack him in the face.

You snickered to yourself which earned you a sharp glare from your brother.

“John B-”

“Not now, Y/n.”

You sighed and came up behind Sarah and Kie who were hidden behind the cover of tall bushes. You heard Limberey’s dreamy voice go on about the significance of the garment, one touch and she will be healed. By the sound of the sarcasm dripping from Renfield’s voice, he doubted it.

There was a crane that dug through the roots of the tree, handled by a hired construction worker. He hit something hard that was covered by soil, and Limberey ordered him to stop. Rafe and Renfield dug with their hands and lifted a casket.

The pogues impatiently stood by as they opened it with a crowbar, the woman’s face fell in disappointment, “We must have missed something.”

She grabs ahold of her crutches and shouts out her new plans to go back to the island room and how it wasn’t over.

The coast was clear once they packed everything up, Rafe got into his range rover, and the construction worker hauled the crane on the back of his truck that was rigged up with something to hold it, Limberey right behind them.

Pope came out of hiding, and ran straight for the casket, “Cecilia Tanny, Denmark’s wife.”

It was empty, only dusty bones left.

“He wasn’t talking about the cross, he buried her at the foot of the angel.”

“The true treasure,” Kie breathed out.

How tragic, your heart clenched at truly devastating it all was- romantic even for all the wrong reasons. “Denmark was hung for burying his wife and they defiled her grave,” Pope reached in, searching for something in her ashen bones- a necklace with her name.

Sarah found something herself, a ring, “This must be from Denmark, her wedding ring.” She and John B shared a look.

“We can’t leave her like this.”

“We won’t,” John B reassured Pope.

You worked together to reseal the top of the wooden casket with nails from a toolbox in the Twinkie, the boys lifted and gently placed her in her resting place, and you all pushed the dirt back over it. Placing fresh flowers from around the area, on top of the spot.

“I just don’t get it,” Pope announces, “He hides his gold so no one finds it for 170 years and then he sends a message to his son, Robert, to come here to his mother’s grave- but the message never gets to him. Denmark wanted him to find the cross, I know we’re in the right spot, it just feels like-”

“Like we missed something?” JJ was looking up at the tree. “Guys, come here.”

Kie climbs up on the roof of the van and then onto the thick tree branch with JJ. “That looks like the painting from the island room.”

“It’s worth a shot right?” JJ reaches into the tree hollow, “There’s something in here.”

He begins to scream as if something inside was tugging him, he struggled to pull his arm out, and the four of you that were still on the ground instantly go to help him. You call his name and start climbing the van to reach him but his shouts were stopped by his laughter.

“Asshole,” You hop down from halfway up the Twinkie.

“I got all of you,” He chortles. “Wait, but seriously there’s something in here.”

He pulls out something metallic and thick, tossing it down to Pope before jumping from the tree to the ground and taking it from him. “Give it to the captain,” He observes before elongating it, “It’s a spyglass.”

“There’s something on the end,” You point out. “An inscription right there.”

“You’ve come this far, do not falter, the cross is on the Freedman’s altar,” Pope reads. “Freedman’s altar… the cross is at the church!”

~~~

Your luck appeared to have run out, the tide had risen and the path that was already made muddy from the water became worse. The road was gone, and John B hit the brakes before warning everyone to brace themselves, he and JJ debated if the Twinkie would make it or not; it did not.

About halfway there, John B hydroplanes and the Twinkie is stuck in the mud. Pope suggests you all walk from where you're at but John B refused to leave the Twinkie when the tide was still coming in.

“I can take my dad’s truck,” Kie begrudgingly suggests.

“Are you sure?” Pope asks.

“How much worse can it get, you know?”

“We’re gonna need something to pull her out with, there’s the winch at the Chateau,” JJ mentions. “That’s like two miles.”

“If you’re gonna do it, just go-” John B declares.

“Can- Can I go with?” You waver when you ask. JJ searches your eyes and glances at Kie as if he’s asking her permission, you almost roll your eyes at the action. She shrugs and encourages you with a tilt of her head.

You’d much rather deal with the asshole who was already giving you shit and your best friend who you could already hear in your head reprimanding you than face your brother, his ex, and the person who had been wronged time and time again by the person you had a secret affair with.

The three of you trekked through muddy waters until you reached the part of the road that had been untouched by the tide, and walked into town with half-soaked pants. The mission to Kie’s house went quickly, she snuck into her parent's house to steal the keys to the truck while you and JJ crouched outside the picket fence.

“You alright?”

You considered the question JJ asked you, it took you by surprise to say the least, you thought he was still upset- he probably still was but he cared. It increased the pace of your heart, you nodded, you didn’t think you were at the level yet with him to actually talk like everything was all good.

Kie tossed the keys at JJ the moment she came back, you rushed to get into her dad’s truck as JJ turned the car on and you were off to your next stop.

“This’ll only take a sec, it’s in the surf shack,” JJ told you both, running out the door- tripping, and falling onto the ground. You winced, he picked himself up and continued running.

“Why’d you do it?” Kie interrogated you the moment it was just the two of you. “Why him? That’s seriously so messed up Y/n, he’s a fucking psychopath.”

You understood the anger, you could take the judgment from Sarah and John B, and the puppy dog glances full of hurt by Pope who couldn’t believe you would betray his friendship. You could even handle the shit JJ gave you for fucking the guy he cannot stand and would probably kill if ever given the chance, but Kie?

“I know, Kiara, I know he is- it just happened.”

“Like what the hell was going through your head, honestly?” Her tone was full of condescension, “That’s just another thing he could hold over you. Did you seriously think we wouldn’t find out? Or that you could keep this from us forever? I’m your best friend!”

“Oh my god, shut the fuck up!” You blurted out without being able to stop yourself. “I know, I know, I know! He’s a psychopath, he sent John B to jail, he fucked the group up too many times to count- he’s a shitty fucking person but he loved me!”

You didn’t want to believe the words that you had shouted at her, but you said it, it was out.

“He was there, and he is obviously toxic as hell but I saw something in him that I thought…” This was going to be embarrassing to admit. “I thought I could help him be better, he acted like he could be like he would- but I guess I was just desperate to think so because of all the bullshit he fed me when we were alone.”

Kie held a bewildered expression, but she openly listened.

“It happened once, it was sort of a long time coming with what we had going on but we weren’t in a relationship- I genuinely meant to help him be better. Clearly, I failed, and everything went to shit but there’s your explanation Kiara. I don’t need one more person- much less you, telling me that I’m fucked up for doing what I did when I’ve already had this conversation with myself too many times to count.”

She frowned and nodded, “I’m sorry.”

You felt like a small weight had been lifted, one down- four more to go. With perfect timing, JJ was walking back but with a taller older figure behind him. Luke. Since when was he out of jail?

Kie walked out of the truck, “No, Immediately no.”

“Just get in the truck, Y/n get in the front passenger,” He instructed as he put the tools needed in the trunk.

Without a word, you walked out of the back cabin and went into the passenger seat as Luke slid into your old seat. He winked at you with a smile, you shivered with disgust, Kie argued with JJ.

“Guys!” You yelled for their attention. “The Twinkie is sinking, what the hell are we doing?”

~~~

JJ made Kie stop at a corner store near the marina where he was to drop his dad off, you and Kie sent each other expressions of distaste as Luke sat in the back, he was just as ADHD as JJ. He tapped on the back of your seats, making as much noise as possible for attention that you and Kie were not giving him.

“You’re a terrible father, you know that?” Kie spoke.

“Preach it to me,” He leaned back into his seat, finally stopping his incessant noise.

“You don’t deserve him,” You chimed. “Not an inch of how amazing he is.”

“He’s a thief is what he is.”

Ire burned through you, you had millions of words to describe how you wanted Luke Maybank to rot in hell.

“And what are you?” Kie retorted. “You’re just a wasted local salt who never did shit but get messed up and hustle people, not exactly impressive.”

“You sound just like your mama,” He told Kie. “She was just like that in high school, always thought she was better than everybody else. Kook princess- and looky here, you're just like her slumming it with the bad boys, and the princess of pogues here pretending she won’t grow up to be trash just like her daddy.”

Kie snapped and elbowed Luke in his nose, knocking him back, “Don’t talk about my family.”

Pride surged in you, you wanted to laugh, you’ve been wanting to do that for years, and although it was Kie who got the satisfaction, watching it happen felt just as good. JJ came not a minute after, handing him a 6-pack of beer, and getting in the back with him.

~~~

JJ practically dragged Luke out of the truck, you called his dad's attention, and you and Kie had your middle fingers up. He went to react but JJ turned him around telling him to go. You and Kie giggled, calming down after a minute.

“You think he’ll be okay?” You worried over JJ dropping his dad off.

“He’ll pretend to be, for sure.”

“I’m gonna go check on him in a minute,” You told her with a frown, she gave you a half smile.

After a couple of minutes, you walked along the dock over to where he stood, watching the boat his dad drifted off in.

He saw you and immediately engulfed you in a hug, you didn’t have time to process before wrapping your arms around his middle. You whispered into your hair, “I’m sorry baby, I’m so sorry.”

You felt droplets fall onto your shoulder, your arm went underneath his aviator jacket and traced the line of his spine with light tickles. Who knows what his dad’s final words were to him, how hurt he must feel.

“JJ,” You took a small step back from his arms, cradling his face in your hands. “It’s okay, you're gonna be okay, we’re okay.”

He shook his head and pulled you back in, clutching you tighter, “I didn’t mean to snap on you. I was just scared I’d lose you to that kook."

He squeezed you after a minute, "You know you’re my girl right?”

You just let him hold you, and tell you sweet nothings if that’s what made him feel better, nodding along as he kissed your temple. He seemed to hold himself up as you walked back with his arm around your shoulders.

~~~

“Oh look, the three tortoises are back!” You heard Pope comment through the open window of the truck. “Where the hell were you guys?”

You observed the three you left behind, John B lay in a weird position on his right- grimacing.

“Luke was at the Chateau,” JJ reached into the pickup bed grabbing what was needed.

“Great, while you guys were there having family time, John B got bit by a gator!”

“What?” You went over to him and ran your eyes over his body to see where he got bit. You saw blood smeared on the side of the Twinkie.

“What the hell happened?” Kie exclaimed. Immediately getting shouted at by Sarah, John B, and Pope. “I don’t why I’m being yelled at, I put my ass on the line.”

“You’re being yelled at because it was 20 minutes!”

“We got here as fast as we could!” You defended Kie.

Pope sent you a furious look, “Let’s not start on what you’ve been up to while everybody’s been put through hell!”

Words were said, voices were raised, and everyone was agitated. The five of you verbally fought amongst yourselves until JJ called out at the top of his voice for you all to stop.

“Seriously guys, I can’t take it anymore, alright- everyone just cut it out for a second.” He chuckles, leaning against a tree to steady himself, “Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good like he’s not ever coming back. He’s straight up like the Spanish- just ‘Bon Voyage’”

Not the right language, you and Kie gave each other puzzled looks but everyone stayed silent nonetheless.

“All we got and I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You’re it” He stared directly at you as he said it. “I’ve come too close to losing you, all of you. So, this blaming each other is some kook-ass bullshit, we don’t do that, we’re Pogues. Sorry, that was a lot right now… I didn’t mean to.” His hands were on his hips and he avoided everyone’s gaze after his speech.

The group looked as though to be in agreement, giving JJ a round of applause.

“That was the best freaking speech I’ve ever heard,” John B praised. “Also, you should think about getting a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped.” JJ flipped him off.

Sarah raised her hand, “We should bon voyage out of here.”

JJ and John B attached the Twinkie to the back of Kie’s dad's truck, hauling it out of the water in no time and the pogues were off to the church.

~~~

Birds fluttered away from the door the boys had forced open. The church had been abandoned, long long ago, vines had grown through the cracks in the floorboards and around the windows.

Pope insisted the cross was here, and JJ joked about there being a secret button around the piano.

“How about we find obvious clues?” John B advises, but there wasn’t much to look for.

“It’s not an escape room,” Kie rolled her eyes.

Pope was on the verge of a break when John B doubted the cross was in the church. “No, no. There’s no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead us to a church that has nothing in it.”

“Yes, I get it, I don’t know what to tell you, man.”

“The clues led us here, the cross is in this church,” Pope slumped down a pew. He fiddled with the spyglass and looked through it, pointing it at the ceiling. With a conspiratorial gaze at the wooden beams supporting the roof, Pope climbed on the walls through the termite-eaten holes.

You, JJ, Kie, Sarah, and John B warned him about the dangers of climbing, but he wasn’t listening. He ignored all of you and knocked on all the beams to hear if one of them was hollow.

You noticed a bee hive above his head, “Pope, just move slow- there’s a hive.”

Sarah left and came back with a crowbar to help Pope who was tearing up the wood on one of the beams that turned out to be hollow with his hands. With the metal in his hand, he tore all the pieces til it revealed the golden cross.

Cheers went all around, Sarah and Kie brought you into a group hug, and John B and JJ had their arms around each other. Pope accidentally dropped the crowbar from excitement, the glory of victory of short-lived as bees swarmed Pope. He slipped, holding himself on the supporting beam, the group worked in unison to move the pews and find anything that could break Pope’s fall.

Just as he landed, the cross came down after him.

~~~

Chapter 19

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kay-wren · 1 month

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I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 41

"You guys ready to go?" Sarah asked as she walked into the bedroom. Jessie and Rafe peeled their eyes away from each other as they both nodded frantically at Sarah.

The three of them made their way downstairs and out into the front yard of Tanneyhill, where they did not find the pogues they had left there minutes earlier.

"Where'd they go?" Sarah asked as she shielded her eyes from the sun to get a better look around the yard. Sarah stated the question rather calmly, thinking the pogues might have just been playing hide and seek with the three year old they were charged with keeping an eye on. Rafe and Jessie, however, were immediately concerned. The two of them suddenly forgot about their argument and looked back and forth at each other with a concerned urgency.

"Where's Charley?" Rafe asked darkly as he darted his eyes around the yard. Before the two parents could actually jut off in different directions to look for their precious daughter, they heard a familiar voice behind them from the entry way of the house.

"Guys! You've gotta come see this!" JJ yelled from the door way with some panic in his voice.

"JJ, what the hell? Where's Charley?" Jessie asked frantically as all three of the Cameron's made their way back into the house.

"S-She's here with us in the dining room but... we found something. You're not gonna believe it." JJ replied as he led them through the house. Rafe and Jessie both felt better knowing their daughter was accounted for, but now they were tasked with a new fear: whatever the pogues had dug up.

They entered the room to find Pope with a map in his hand, looking frenziedly at the wallpaper in front of him. Jessie noticed first that the sage green wallpaper that she had been pushed up against the wall not too long ago was now ripped off the walls, only to be replaced with what seemed like an old time mural... or a treasure map.

"What is all this?" Rafe asked, not even caring about the wallpaper on the floor, and quickly scooping up his beloved daughter in his arms. He knew he shouldn't have left her uncle and his dumbass friends in charge of her.

"I-I think I may have found another clue to finding the cross. Look at all these drawings, these have to have been left for a reason. I think this is the island room that my granny's key was talking about! Look, there's the big tree! The angel oak on the other side of the island!" Pope exclaimed as he wildly pointed all around the room with a beaming smile.

"That's gotta be it!" Kie resounded.

"That's where he hid the cross... in the tree!" Pope replied as he looked around the room with a hopeful smile.

"Well what're we waiting for, dude, let's go!" JJ demanded as he ran out of the room, everyone soon following after him.

Everyone piled into the twinkie and John B drove away. In all their haste there obviously was no assigned seating. Rafe inevitably sat in the back of the twinkie with Charley in between his legs and Jessie was sitting with her back against the driver seat, JJ sitting right next to her. Considering the ride was more than a few minutes, JJ eventually sunk deep in thought as he played with the skin on his fingernails. Jessie noticed, but attributed the racing thoughts to the newly found clue of their treasure hunt and therefore didn't ask any questions.

"I need to ask you something." JJ finally spoke up in a dark, hushed tone, not even bothering to look from his fingers. He looked somewhat angry.

"Okay..." Jessie trailed off as she looked over at her brother with furrowed brows.

"And I don't want you to bullshit me." JJ replied, this time shooting his head up to look at Jessie with sincere eyes.

"Okay..." Jessie responded once again with the same hesitation. She truly didn't know where this was going.

"The only reason we found the mural in the island room is because there was a hole in the wall... and there was still drywall and sawdust all over the ground around it." JJ voiced barely over a whisper. Jessie sighed and looked down at her fingernails, suddenly becoming just as interested in them as JJ once was.

"That hole hadn't been there long, Jess." JJ said, knowing the answer despite posing it as a question. Jessie didn't dare look up at JJ, instead she played with the skin on the inside of her cheek and pursed her lips even further together.

"Look at me." JJ demanded still in a low voice, hoping not to signal any concern from Rafe. Luckily, he was still entertaining his daughter on the opposite side of the vehicle, and between everyone else's mindless chatters, the two siblings couldn't be heard. Jessie finally looked up at JJ with a deep breath and numb eyes.

"Did Rafe put that hole there?" JJ asked, but by the look in Jessie's eyes he already had his answer, so he changed his wording. "No, wait, let me rephrase that... why did Rafe put that hole there?" JJ asked darkly. Now that he had his confirmation Jessie could tell JJ was slipping into a rage deeper and deeper by the minute.

"It was a misunderstanding, he's been through a lot these past-"

"Misunderstanding my ass. Jessie, I told you don't bullshit me." JJ seethed, still trying to remain quiet but maintaining intense eye contact with his sister to get his point across. He wasn't playing around, and Jessie knew it.

"He didn't hit me. And that's all that matters." Jessie said plainly, as if to diffuse the situation. JJ just chuckled darkly and looked down at the ground beneath him.

"You're kidding yourself if you think not hitting you is the only requirement for staying with him." JJ replied matter of factly, with a newfound sadness in his eyes that his sister was once again a victim of old habits. He was transported back to his initial feelings of regret for ever asking Jessie to come back. He had hope that Rafe might have changed, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. JJ was even a little pissed that he didn't see this coming, knowing Rafe was totally capable of snapping like this and Jessie once again being caught in the crossfires.

"You don't know anything about why I'm staying with him. You don't know him, JJ, not like I do. So you can butt out and mind your own business. I know how to handle myself." Jessie snapped, this time with true annoyance in her voice. If there was one thing Jessie and JJ both hated, it was feeling like they didn't know how to take care of themselves. After all, they were experts at it given how they grew up. The sudden scolding hurt JJ, and he simply locked his jaw and looked back at his fingers, abandoning the conversation. Jessie felt bad, but still needed to stand her ground.

"I've left him before, and I can do it again if I need to."

"You need to." JJ simply stated, looking into Jessie's eyes once more. His face said he didn't care, but his eyes were pleading with her.

"No... I don't... but you need to mind your business." Jessie remarked more calmly and matter of factly this time. The conversation ended there, allowing for a thick cloud of tension to overcome the two siblings for the rest of the car ride.

"Guys, we're here." John B stated what felt like hours later. Everyone piled out of the twinkie, Pope obviously being the ring leader. Pope ran up to the tree first, but not before escaping a near miss from falling in the gaping hole right in front of it.

"Woah..." Pope exclaimed as he held his hands out to his sides to balance himself, his toes nearly slipping over the edge of the massive hole.

"What the hell?" Kiara asked, looking at all the new dirt work that seemed to go all around the tree.

"Limbrey. She got here before us." Pope seethed with angry eyes and flared nostrils. "I don't know how, but she must've dug up the treasure."

"Dude, look." John B replied, lightly tapping Pope's shoulder and pointing over to the wooden coffin sitting on top of a dirt pile.

Everyone walked over to the coffin, Pope slowly leaning down to open it up. Inside the coffin held a skeleton. Pope knew immediately who the corpse belonged to, his eyes growing wide with amazement and anger all at the same time.

"This is Cecilia Tanney... Denmark's wife..." Pope trailed off barely above a whisper. "He wasn't talking about the cross... He buried her at the foot of the angel."

"The true treasure..." Kiara finished Pope's sentence for him through tears and a half smile.

"Denmark was hung for burying his wife... and now they defiled her grave..." Pope proclaimed with a dark hushed tone. The pogues gathered around the broken down coffin, looking through the dirt and ashes to find things that belonged to Denmark and Cecilia, things like her wedding ring and a pendent with Cecilia's name written on it.

Jessie didn't go up to the grave for the most obvious reason being that she had Charley in her arms. Rafe didn't go up to the grave so that he could hold his family close. In that moment Rafe understood more than anyone there what Denmark Tanney meant when he buried his true treasure at the foot of that tree. Rafe's true treasure was always his Jessie, and that's why no amount of money, no amount of business, no amount of women, and no amount of drugs could ever completely remove the pain of Jessie's absence or replace the fulfillment of Jessie's presence. As Rafe thought of these things he couldn't help but hold Jessie close, pulling her into his chest and kissing her head. Jessie leaned her head into Rafe's chest, and Charley leaned her head into Jessie's as all three of them stood in admiration of the scene before them. Jessie somehow knew what Rafe was thinking in that moment, that's what made them such a perfect pair.

"We can't leave her like this." Pope finally spoke up.

"We won't." John B immediately replied, with JJ subtly nodding in agreement. With that, the pogues put Cecilia's casket back together, and by that time Charley had rummaged around the tree to find some flowers to give to Pope. Charley had no clue what she was doing, but nonetheless, Pope thought it was the perfect opportunity to involve her in something special, so he took the flowers and laid them carefully on the grave. The pogues finally covered the grave in the remnants of the dirt, taking a step back to admire what they had rightfully put to rest once again. Still, Pope couldn't help but let his mind wonder.

"I just know we're in the right spot." Pope sighed. "It just feels like-"

"Like we missed something." JJ interceded with wide eyes as he looked up closer towards the top of the tree. JJ began to walk closer to the tree, eventually starting to climb it as everyone followed closely behind. JJ pointed at a hole in the tree.

"That looks like-"

"The painting in the island room." Kiara answered JJ's question.

"It's worth a shot, right?" JJ asked with a smirk on his face, knowing the only way to find out was to stick his hand in the trench of the tree, revealing god knows what. As JJ's mind raced thinking about what could be on the other side of the tree, he eyed it hesitantly.

"He's scared." Kiara whispered towards everyone down below.

"I'm not scared, dude, I just..." JJ trailed off before eventually sticking his arm through the small gap.

"There's something in here..." JJ whispered with a sudden smile on his face. "Wait... ahhh!" JJ screamed at the top of his lungs, looking as if something was trying to pull the rest of his body through the hole. "Ahhhh, oh my god, ahhh!" JJ continued to scream and fight whatever creature was on the other side. Everyone with the exception of Jessie, who was holding her daughter's hand, came to JJ's aid to pull him away. By the time everyone got to him, they eventually heard JJ's screams subside, and turn to fits of laughter. Everyone let go of JJ and looked at him unamused, knowing he had just pulled the most JJ stunt they had seen in a while.

"You asshole." Pope exclaimed with a straight face.

"Oh, man, I got all of ya'll." JJ laughed. Not even two seconds after everything was over, they all turned their attention to the cries they heard coming from the three year old. Jessie got down on her level and was trying to soothe her when Rafe looked at JJ with a stare that could kill.

"Thanks, JJ. You made my daughter cry." Rafe snapped as he walked over to Charley to pick her up. Before Rafe could even get halfway to the toddler, she was already reaching her hands out to him with deafening screams.

"Daddyyyyyy!" Charley cried.

"I know, darlin. Come here." Rafe cooed as he opened his arms. "Daddy's got you." Charley's focus was now on her uncle.

"Is JJ otay?" Charley asked with sad eyes locked on JJ with a pout that could bring her uncle to tears... and almost did.

"I'm okay, CharChar, see!" JJ said soothingly as he showed Charley both of his hands. JJ felt terrible, clearly forgetting there was a toddler with them. Jessie just shook her head knowing that one day JJ was gonna scare her half to death, she just didn't think it'd be today. Charley sniffled and Rafe wiped away her tears.

"Uncle JJ's okay, baby. Daddy's not going to let anything happen to him." Rafe said calmly as he bounced her up and down to get her mind on something else. JJ chuckled to himself, reminiscing in his head on all the times that Rafe not only let something happen to him, but was the root cause of whatever was happening to him... boy how times have changed. Once the time was right, JJ finally spoke up again.

"But seriously, there is something in here." JJ remarked as he stuck his hand back into the tree, feeling around for whatever he had felt previously. JJ slowly pulled his hand back out, careful not to drop the brown and gold cylinder he had in his ringed fingers.

"Let me see it." Pope said with an extended hand. JJ handed the object to Pope, to which he frantically wiped the dirt from it to reveal the words H.M.S Royal Merchant.

"It's a spy glass!" JJ exclaimed, hopping down from the tree and extending the cylinder to quadruple its length beforehand. John B turned the spy glass around to find an encryption on the gold piece.

"Look at that shit." John B said with a beaming smile. Pope admired the cursive writing closer, eventually being able to make it out.

"You've come this far... do not falter... the cross is on the freedman's alter." Pope read the words, he took a few steps forward knowing exactly what those words meant. His eyes became even wider.

"Freedman's alter... the cross is at the church!"

"What're we doing here, guys? Let's go!" JJ demanded as they all piled into the twinkie once more.

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