ISSUES II outer banks

paths changing - the end of season 2

"Some paths change our lives forever."

❥

I've lied on the bed for about ten minutes when I feel like I need some fresh air. Why am I on a boat again? Oh yeah, our parents.. am I normal again or am I still high? Wanting an answer, I hit my hand against the door realizing that it doesn't hurt. "Wow, crazy", I am astonished and smirk. Maybe I'm invincible now. Maybe I can get Honey back this way. I leave the room to go on the balcony to look down where people are fighting. 

Hey, those are my friends! Fighting on a boat looks cool. JJ sees me pointing at me and I know what he's saying. He's coming for me. I see Kie, Pope and another girl trying to save the cross. Wait, am I imagining another girl? Is she Pope's guardian angel? John B and Sarah are nowhere to be seen. I see JJ wanting to storm over to me and I'm about to do the same when I hear Rafe's voice. 

"Bella!", he shouts from the other floor, "Get back to the room!" I can't even think about what he's saying as right now, JJ is being spun around by one of the boat's staff landing in the water. "JJ!" "Bella!", Rafe shouts again and I take a look at his face. He doesn't say anything else. I know what his look is saying. Don't. I give him an apologizing look knowing that this is the final moment in which I have to decide whether I'm a kook or a pogue, whether I stay with my family by blood or my family by heart, whether I'm with Rafe or JJ. So I jump.

"JJ!", I scream as soon as I breath for air, the cold water around my body making me shake for a second. "JJ, please stay with me", I yell anxiously and hold his upper body so he doesn't drown. "J, please, you need to stay with me. Do you hear me, JJ?" He's unconscious, but I know he's not dead. "JJ, please, baby, I love you", I cry shaking his body as best as I can in this water, "I need you, J." I look up but no one stands there who could help us. 

"Iz!", I hear John B's voice and turn around. "Oh my god, guys. Please, help me." They drive here as quickly as possible and help me pulling JJ onto the lifeboat. The others take care of the engine while I lean over JJ. "J, please, we're safe now. Open your eyes", I beg until he finally spits out some water. "Hey, man. Welcome back. No first aid needed what", Pope jokes immediately and I stop leaning over JJ but place my hand on his shoulder which he looks at. 

"Hello baby", JJ grins at me cheekily and I chuckle. "Hey", I whisper thankfully and throw myself around him, "I'm so glad that you're here." "Everything has to be about you always, right?", John B jokes, "Iz saved your life, bro." "You did?", JJ looks at me lovely and I slowly nod. "You could say so." "I'm actually here to tell you one thing", JJ smiles at me and lays his hand on my cheeks. 

"Yeah, you are?" "Come back to me, baby. Come back and stay with me this time. No matter what stupid shit I might say." I chuckle and open my pants pocket to pull out the ring that he gave me. "I'm right here." JJ smiles widely and kisses me deeply. "Yeah, something's definitely wrong with you guys", the girl next to me comments and I break the kiss and look at her wanting to greet her but the others look back to the boat where Rafe is standing with a gun. 

He's holding it in the air at first but he lets it fall down when I turn around to face him from afar. He's trying to do better although I've betrayed him once more. "This bullshit isn't over yet", Pope states as we see them getting the cross back on the deck of the ship. "No, it's not", John B nods.

Rafe's POV:

"Hey, dad", I say cautiously as I visit him after someone has taken care of his wounds, "Everything's going to be fine again. We've made it. All of this is over." "It's ended in a good way, Ward", Harvey adds placing his hand on my shoulder and I'm grateful that finally someone sees that I've been giving my best, "Rafe here has got the cross. We've got the gold. We've got everything. We've made it. We're even richer than we could have ever imagined that night at the kegger when we were young." The cross. If someone gave me the chance to trade the cross for Isabella, I swear I'd do it. She's been high. That's the only possible reason why she's followed the pogues.

"We'll find Sarah and Isabella and we'll bring them back to the family, I promise", Harvey continues. "We will.. for our family, like you always wanted, dad." "Until you're feeling better again, I will take over", Harvey states and my dad nods, "Rafe has helped us a lot. He'll take care of everything with me." Dad nods and for the first time in my life, it feels like he's recognizes what I'm capable of. If only I had Isabella with me right now. "I'll be a better man, just like you", I nod as well and take his hand, "Just like you."

"Rafe, where is Isabella?", Dana confronts me as soon as Harvey and I get out of dad's room to let Rose in, "Harvey, where is she?" "She's left with the pogues. I don't know where they went", Harvey states sighing and Dana's eyes darken. "I swear to god if she's hurt and I find out, you'll wish you never looked for the gold. I never cared about the gold. I only wanted Isabella to be okay." "I know, love, I know. Calm down. We'll get Sarah and Isabella back, I promise. Rafe is going to help us." "I am, Dana. I want her back, too. I'll make sure she'll be safe with us", I promise her and she nods. "Don't dare breaking this promise."

Iz's POV:

We choose to stay at the next island that we could see and the boys are pulling the rescue boat far enough on the island so it won't be washed away. "Well done, boys", Kie calls for them and I give JJ a worried look which he returns with a smile. He's been unconscious. If we weren't on the open see, I would immediately send him to a doctor. "JJ, are you alright?", Pope asks him. "Yeah, just a little dizzy. Okay, does anyone know where we are?" 

"Deserted beach, unknown island." "Okay, I'll take that as a no. Plan a, right Pope? That's great." "That's the absolute rock bottom", Pope states, tears in his eyes, "We've literally got nothing to lose anymore. The cross.. gone." "The gold.. gone", Sarah adds. "Seriously, if we got ten cents for each time that someone beats us up, we'd have a dollar and fifty cents." "More than I have with me", Kie comments bluntly. 

"I'm not feeling better in any way", Sarah mumbles and looks at me confused, "You're so calm, Iz. What's going on with you?" "Wait, are your eyes red?", Kie wonders and takes a closer look at me but I close my eyes and shake my head. "Sea water." "Sea water? You never had a problem with sea water when we were surfing", JJ argues and shrug. "I might have taken some coke earlier, okay? Wasn't that great if you wanted to know." "Iz!" "Why the hell would-" 

"My mom told me they knew about everything okay? My family's been fucked up all this time because my dad and Ward wanted the gold so bad that my dad knew about Ward killing John B's dad and helped him get the gold. And my mom was afraid of what might happen is she says anything against their plan. So I needed a break from this shit. I'm here with you guys so it's fine, isn't it? Us pogues, the real family", I exclaim emotionally and they seem to understand me. 

Pope even chuckles. "Who would have thought that Iz is the first and hopefully only one of us to do coke?" "Surprising", John B chuckles as well, "Yes, you're all right. But also good things happened, right?" "Oh yes, what for example?" "Pope, you're related to Denmark Tanney." "I've lost all of his inheritance." 

"You know what? Guys, that's the pogue life. We're in the Caribbean. That's our little piece of paradise. My best friends are here, my family. I don't want to experience this with anyone else than you. And while you are complaining here or still processing the aftermath of doing coke", John B chuckles pointing to me, "JJ, we've got some great waves here. Kie, I know you want to go out there." 

"With what?" "We could do body-surfing until we build some boards. Right? Pope, come on, man." "They look quite good. Here's no one else. It's pretty calm so the beach seems to be ours right now." "Great argument." "I baptize you poguelandia", JJ grins, "I like that. I'll make a flag for us. I'll paint a hen onto it and coconuts and a joint in the hand." 

As John B goes over to Sarah and Kie, Pope and Cleo look for something to eat, I approach JJ who leans against a tree and I let him pull me close. "It's always been you who I wanted to be with", I admit smiling at him shyly. "Is that you speaking or coke-", JJ chuckles but I shut him up by finally kissing him. "I'll love you forever, Iz." 

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an: hey, guys. So this is the last chapter of this story. I hope you liked it all! Feel free to leave your comments. xx