─☼☼☼─

𝘼 𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙄𝙉 𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙉 blew somewhere in the distance, a defeated sigh tumbling from Charlotte's lips as she glanced around the train yard, "There's like a thousand trains here."

Kiara nodded, looking over at her sister from where the stood atop one of the train cars. "This is going to be impossible."

"Well," Pope reasoned. "We know it's car 750X on the track to Raleigh."

"Yeah, now we just gotta find it." JJ agreed. 

"News flash." Kiara declared. "We're not getting out of here with a giant ass cross unnoticed."

Pope shook his head, "We don't have to. We can nab it somewhere further in the country. We just have to figure out how to stop the train."

"Oh," Charlotte muttered under her breath, "I'm glad that's all."

Seconds after the words had left Pope's mouth, a mischievous smile had spread across JJ's lips. "Leave that to me."

"How you gonna do that?" Cleo wondered. 

JJ lifted his chin in a nonchalant manner. "I got an uncle up in New Bern, right? When he got tipsy, he'd just throw an old chain across the tracks, just for shits and gigs. And that old chain would stop all the trains on the track in coastal Carolina." He finished, as if reminiscing an old war story. 

"A chain?" Kiara challenged. 

"He's actually right." Pope supported. "There's a low voltage current that runs across all rail tracks. Throw a chain on it, you close that circuit. It would read as another train, crossing lights come down. Science is actually pretty sound."

"Science." JJ exclaimed. "I know my science."

Charlotte shot him a look, "You don't even know what an ion is. And besides, I thought we agreed we'd stop doing things your batty old uncles used to do?"

"I don't see you comin' up with any bright ideas, Charls." JJ fired back,  "Uncle Barty knows his stuff, all right?" 

Pope shook his head at the two of them, "Doesn't even matter. We don't have a chain."

Sarah's face flashed in realization for a moment. "No, but I bet Topper's dad has jumper cables in the truck. Would that work?"

As if on cue, a voice sounded from down below them, "Yo! What's going on? Are we doing this or what?"

All six of them turned to lay eyes on the blonde, khaki wearing Kook who was looking up at them with a look of sheer unease. Topper Thornton was less than pleased to be aided and abetting them in this act and that was clear. 

"Okay," Cleo announced, "You all wait here. Me and Pope will go look for it and signal when we find it."

"Do we actually have a plan right now?" Sarah wondered. "That's impressive."

And while it was impressive, it did little to calm the nerves coursing through Charlotte. Just because they had a plan didn't mean it would work. And even if it did work, she wasn't sure relief would be what she was feeling. 

As Pope and Cleo disappeared into the darkness, the other four of them crouched down on the train car, attempting to hide themselves from view.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Kie wondered, her eyes scanning the hundreds of train cars surrounding them. 

"If they know the one they're looking for, then hopefully not too long." JJ reasoned, but not even he seemed convinced.

And he was right to be apprehensive. Ten minutes later, a signal had yet to come through. 

"What's taking so long?" Sarah whispered, pursing her lips in a thin line. 

Down below, Topper was still pacing in anxious circles, waiting for the others to join him.

Two more minutes passed before the light from Pope's flashlight appeared not far down the tracks. 

"He's got it!" Charlotte exclaimed, pointing the other Pogues in the direction of the light. 

"Good shit, Pope." JJ grinned, hopping to his feet before reaching down to help the girls up. "Let's go."

"Wait." Charlotte interjected, pausing as something met her ears. 

Her heard thrummed against her ribcage as the sound of hissing sounded. "Do y'all hear that?"

The other three stopped as well, straining their ears to hear what Charlotte was alluding to. "Is that─"

Kiara was cut off by a gasp that flew from her sister's lips, "The train is moving." Charlotte deduced. It now clear that the train car where Pope and Cleo were was currently on the move. 

"Train is moving." JJ repeated, ushering the girls down the ladder with urgency. "Go time."

"Oh, hey guys." Topper bit out sarcastically as the four of them joined him by the truck. "You guys havin' fun?"

Sarah ignored him, marching toward the truck. "Do you have jumper cables in there?"

Topper threw his head back in exasperation. "Here I am involved in illegal activities─"

Charlotte pulled open the back door of the truck. "Not that illegal." She argued. 

Shooting her a look, Topper then refocused on Sarah. "By the way I am not even close to being okay with this...jumper cables, what do we need those for?"

"Okay," Sarah responded, unbothered. "Topper, if you're not okay with this then that's fine. We'll just take the truck."

Successfully finding the jumper cables, Sarah handed them off to JJ and Kie. as Topper sputtered to find a response. "Seriously?"

He shook his head in awe, "Okay, I just wanna make sure that everyone here is okay with ending up in federal prison?"

Three months ago, that would have been Charlotte's biggest fear. Now, that seemed like the least of her worries.

"Uh, yeah. If it gets to that, I'd do it for Pope." JJ answered Topper, slightly amused with the Kook's panic. 

"Yeah." Charlotte agreed with a grin as she stepped up onto the running boards of the truck. "Do you guys think we could be roommates?"

For the second time that night, Topper fixed her with a withering glare as he, Sarah, and Charlotte got into the truck, JJ and Kie taking off on JJ's bike. "Do you think this is funny, Charlotte?" Topper demanded, no hint of amusement in his tone. 

"Seeing you so worked up? Yeah, Top, I do." Charlotte grinned, setting into the back. 

Topper looked at her in the rearview mirror as he pulled back onto the road. "What would Rafe think of this?" He challenged, wiping the grin from Charlotte's face. 

"What?" She shot back, more defensively than intended. 

He barely broke eye contact in the mirror. "Well, I mean you two are back together aren't you? Kelce saw you two having lunch today. What would Rafe thing of you running around with Pogues? Committing crimes."

"I don't think you're one to talk to me about committing crimes." Charlotte argued, her eyes meeting his in the mirror. "I mean, you did almost murder my good friend John B on two different occasions...did we forget about that?"

Anger flashed across Topper's face. "Fuck off, Charlotte. You don't get to─"

"Enough." Sarah snapped. "Don't talk to her like that."

If she held any anger over the revelation of Charlotte's lunch date, she didn't show it. "Let's just focus on our task at hand, alright?"

With one more glare through the rearview mirror, Topper dropped the topic, refocusing on the road. 

Not a single word was shared as the three of them travelled down the road parallel to the tracks, waiting for the moment the train finally stopped. 

Charlotte was the first to speak. "Turn here." She instructed, leaning between the two seats to point Topper in the direction she wanted him to go. "We need to get right up against the tracks so that when Kie and JJ stop the train we can load the cross."

Topper gave her a quick glance, deciding better against sniping any snarky remark. Instead, he did as she said, turning onto the dirt path. 

Another few minutes passed before the train started to slow, a burst of adrenaline coursing through Charlotte. Her sister and JJ did it.

"They did it." Charlotte breathed, rolling down her window an effort to spot Pope and Cleo. "We have to move quickly."

"There." Sarah pointed, drawing the other two's attention to one of the cars up ahead that had the doors pulled ope. "Pull over here."

Taking the order, Topper pulled up next to the car, pushing the truck into park."Okay, are we going to─" He was cut off by the sound of Charlotte and Sarah's doors opening, neither of them waiting to hear what he had to say. 

"Up here!" Pope called, extending a hand to pull Charlotte and then Sarah into the car. "It's in here somewhere. Just haven't found it yet."

From somewhere deeper into the car, Cleo spoke. "Hey," she declared, "This one says 'Cameron'"

Charlotte's stomach flipped as she shared a quick look with Sarah. Once again, the cross was back in their lives. 

Pope ushered the other two girls toward it. "Cameron Development." He read, shining his light on the large box. "This is it. This is the cross! This is it!"

His excitement was enough to break through the anxiety Charlotte was feeling, but only slightly. 

"Hey, what are we doing here?" Topper questioned, speaking up to them from the tracks below. 

"We're gonna put this in your truck bed." Pope explained, patting the crate in front of him. 

Topper's face fell instantly. "Woah. No. No. That's gonna scratch the paint."

"Topper," Pope levelled. "You'll be able to get a thousand paint jobs after this thing."

"Just help us spot it." Sarah pleaded, and since the request came from her, Topper listened. He was just in the process of opening the tailgate when the other four began moving the grate. 

Charlotte's muscles strained against the crate as she helped Sarah guide it toward the truck as Pope and Cleo pushed from the other side. "Jesus." She grunted, trying to fathom how Rafe and Renfield were able to carry this thing on their own. "Topper, help." She muttered, knowing as soon as that crate went over the edge, it was going down. 

"Spot us!" Sarah exclaimed. "Spot us!"

"My dad's gonna kill me." Topper muttered, looking up at the crate with wide eyes. 

"Okay, steady." Charlotte instructed the other teens, her arms screaming in protest as she guided the box toward the edge. 

They barely had the front of the box over the lip of the car when a horn sounded from down the tracks, the mechanical sound of the train whirring up hitting their ears. Charlotte's heart plummeted as Pope let out a quiet curse. "That can't be good."

That kicked them into overdrive. 

Sarah and Charlotte hopped down onto the track, assisting Topper in supporting the cross as it came down from the car. 

"Hurry!" Cleo prompted. "We gotta go."

"Don't mess up the cross!" Pope exclaimed. 

Which prompted Topper to respond with a vehement. "Don't mess up the truck!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she felt a trickle of sweat roll down her face. "Why does this thing have to be so fucking heavy?" She gritted out, wincing as the weight shifted to the end her, Sarah, and Topper were holding. 

"Woah, woah." Pope called, "Careful."

Topper exhaled sharply, "What way do you want it to go?"

"It's almost there." Charlotte declared, letting out a deep breath as they finally secured the cross in the bed of the truck. 

But of course. Of fucking course, they weren't in the clear year. 

"Hey! Stop!" 

The voice came from down the tracks, and when Charlotte turned, she could see a man making his way toward them. "Shit." The curse fell from her lips as she removed her hands from the cross, "We gotta go!"

Cleo and Pope remained in the bed of the truck while the other three rushed back into the truck, adrenaline pumping in all of them. "The cops are comin'!" Topper yelled. And sure enough, the sound of sirens somewhere in the distance could be heard.

Pope hit the top of the truck, "Punch it, Chewie!"

Topper slammed his foot on the gas, sending the truck lurching forward. "How can you two live like this!?" Topper demanded, looking between the two girls. "You come from good families."

Charlotte held onto the seat in front of her, heart in her throat as she shook her head, "Just drive, Topper!"

But part of her was asking the same question. How did she get here? She could have had been at home with Rafe, but instead she was here, on the brink of arrest. Had she made the right decision. 

Her stomach flipped as Topper veered onto the road, the police sirens now not far behind them. The odds of them getting out unscathed were becoming a lot less likely. 

"There's someone on us." Topper announced, prompting Charlotte to turn and look out the rear window. 

"It's my sister and JJ." She breathed, noting the way they placed themselves between the truck and the police car. At the speed they were going, she really wished they were wearing some damn helmets.

JJ's bike revved as he pulled up next to the truck, causing Topper to sputter in shock. "What is he doing? J─what is he doing!?"

Charlotte shook her head, rolling down her window to ask that very question herself. "What they hell are you doing!?"

"Top, keep it straight!" JJ yelled, eyes set dead ahead. 

It felt like Charlotte's heart was quite literally in her throat as JJ drifted closer to the truck. 

"Watch it!" Topper yelled. 

JJ turned his head slightly, addressing Kiara. "Get ready to jump."

"What!?" The yell flew from Charlotte's lips as her eyes widened. There was no way her sister was about to jump off that bike at the speed they were going. 

Kiara mirrored the reaction, "Have you lost your mind!?"

"Probably!" JJ called back. "Get ready to jump!"

Charlotte leaned further out the window, her face distraught as JJ inched even closer to the truck. It felt like she couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, as she waited in anticipation.

Pope motioned Kie toward him, "Okay, come on! I got you. I got you."

Shakily, Kiara rose from the seat of the bike, reaching out toward Pope. 

Charlotte's heart was on the brink of exploding as she watched her sister. "Kiara!"

With a final vote of confidence, Kiara closed the distance between the truck and the bike, landing on top of the cross with a thud. 

"Oh shit!" Topper cursed, throwing a look over his shoulder. "Did she make it?"

Charlotte let out a deep breath as she threw her head back in relief. "Yeah. She made it."

But now that Kiara was safe, all eyes had turned to JJ who had stopped his bike, falling behind the truck as he turned back toward the oncoming squad car. 

"JJ!" His name flew from Charlotte's lips as a new feeling of distress slammed against her. The relief she had been feeling over Kiara's return to safety was quickly wiped away at the prospect of JJ in danger. 

Topper glanced in the rearview mirror. "Okay, maybe he's just trying to get rid of the cops." He proposed. 

Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Charlotte shook her head. "No. He's trying to get himself killed."

But whatever JJ had done seemed to work, because the police car was now in pursuit of him, not the truck. 

"Topper, stop the truck." Sarah demanded, which was met by vehement opposition from Topper. 

"Oh no. I am not stopping this truck, Sarah!"

Charlotte pulled herself back into the vehicle, leaning forward slightly. "Stop the damn truck, Topper."

Sarah and Charlotte's demanded were echoed by the three in the back who were now banging against the window. "Stop the truck!"

Topper, obviously, did not stop the truck. "I'm not going to jail for y'all. No chance."

"And we're not leaving JJ behind!" Charlotte argued.

It was the final plea from Sarah that sent Topper over the edge. He slammed on the brakes, sending them all lurching forward as he murmured to himself in distress over not wanting to go to jail. 

"Topper," Sarah declared, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Topper, look at me. They're going to arrest him. We have to go get him."

Throwing his head back against the seat for a moment, Topper hit the wheel in front of him,"Damn it!"

But Charlotte was already throwing open her car door, jumping down onto the pavement before yanking open Topper's door. "Get out."

His eyes shot open as he turned to face her, "What?"

"I'm driving." She demanded, already in the process of pulling him from the vehicle.  "You can get in the back or wait on the side of the road. I don't really care. But I'm driving."

"Charlotte, you are not─"

"Topper, get out." She repeated, this time more firmly. 

They couldn't rely on Topper as a driver, not when he was already so bent out of shape. Her behind the wheel was JJ's best chance at rescue in that moment. 

Surprisingly, Topper did what she said, tumbling from the vehicle before clammering into the back seat. "Charlotte, if you ruin my dad's truck, I swear to God."

Already shifting into drive, Charlotte turned the wheel, sending them back in the direction they came. "The truck will be fine."

A mutter of disagreement fell from Topper's lips as Charlotte floored it, sending the truck racing back toward where JJ had gone. 

"Turn left here!" Pope called from the back. Charlotte did as he said, cranking the wheel to the left which sent them onto a side road running parallel to the main road. 

"There he is!" Sarah yelled, pointing to the main road. 

Stealing a glance, Charlotte watched as JJ continued leading the cops, the squad car closing in on him. 

"What the hell is he doing?" Topper panted from the back. 

"Right!" Pope yelled. 

Without even touching the brake, Charlotte veered the truck to the right, sending them around the corner. 

"No way." Sarah breathed, "He's up on the overpass."

Sure enough, the police lights could be seen flashing overhead. More terror flooded over Charlotte, terrified as to what JJ was going to do. 

And just as a car horn blared from up above, something came breaking through the barrier, plummeting from the overpass down toward where the truck was. The object crashed into the cinderblock median below just as Charlotte slammed on the brakes, bringing the truck to a stop. 

Ragged breaths fell from her lips as her eyes landed on what had been launched from up above...it was JJ's bike. 

"No." The whisper fell from her lips as she threw open her door, her feet on the pavement  within seconds. "No. No. No."

"Jayj!" Kiara yelled, the others joining Charlotte on the road. "Jayj!"

Charlotte had to force herself not to collapse as she surveyed the area, looking for any sign of JJ. "J!" She called, voice raw.  "JJ!"

"Where is he!?" Kiara cried, desperately searching. 

Tears had sprung from Charlotte's eyes as she looked to her sister, each of them utterly broken. They couldn't lose him. 

"Maybe he's up on the bridge?" Pope proposed, not even sure he believed it himself. 

Breaking down, Charlotte dropped into a crouch, burying her head in her hands as she shook her head. This was never a good idea. Why did they do this? It was just a stupid fucking cross. It was─

"I wish I could say that I did that on purpose. But, that was the gnarliest power slide I've ever done."

Shock, relief, and maybe a bit of anger, coursed through Charlotte as she rose to her feet, slowly turning to face the source of the voice. 

JJ Maybank was standing in front of them, looking rather shaken but otherwise unharmed. 

Pope was the first one to strive toward him, wrapping him in a tight hug. "You're alive!"

Their laughter melded together. "I know, I'm surprised too!"

"Oh shit, that was gnarly!" Topper exclaimed. 

The minute Pope was out of the way, Charlotte was marching toward JJ. She wanted to hit him, honestly, but instead a sturdy shove sufficed. "You fucking idiot!" She snapped, breathing still ragged as tears coated her cheeks. "Don't you ever do that again."

JJ's face softened slightly, "Charls─"

Charlotte cut him off, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Don't." She whispered, voice cracking. "Don't scare me like that."

Wrapping his arms tightly around her, JJ buried his head in her hair for a moment, his body shaking. He didn't have to pretend to be okay, not in that second. 

As Charlotte pulled away from him, stepping away to regain her composure, Sarah pulled him into a hug. 

"Okay, as nice as the pleasantries are, we've gotta get a move on." Pope commented, bringing them back to the fact that they were still being chased by the police. 

Shoving past Topper, Charlotte made for the driver's seat. "I'm still driving!"

If Topper protested, she didn't hear it. 

While the five of them piled into the truck, JJ and Kie had an exchange out on the road. Only was it interrupted by the yelling of the police officers up on the overpass. 

"Shit." Charlotte breathed, shifting into drive. "Go time!"

The minute JJ and Kie were secure in the back, she was flooring it, sending the truck back down the road. 

In hindsight, being the literal getaway driver maybe wasn't her best decision yet. But it was still one she stuck by. 

As the truck barrelled down the road, JJ leaned forward, nudging Charlotte's arm. "Yo, Charls. Turn here."

"Don't touch me." Charlotte ordered, shooting him a withering glance. 

He ignored her, nudging her again. "Turn!"

Sarah slapped at his hand. "Don't touch the driver!" 

JJ threw his hands up, "Then go faster!"

Charlotte threw a look over her shoulder. "I literally cannot go much faster than this." And it was true, she was already pushing 80. 

"That'll draw attention!" Topper interjected. 

JJ scoffed. "I think that ship has already sailed."

A few more demanded were thrown around, causing Topper to shake his head. "God, you guys are exhausting. Do you argue about everything?"

Ignoring him, JJ leaned forward again. "Charls, just a bit faster, come on."

"Fuck it." Charlotte muttered, pressing her foot even harder against the gas. The truck sped forward onto a bridge. However, at the speed they were going, and the bump in the road, it was a recipe for disaster. 

The truck bounced violently, the cross being thrown onto the road behind them. 

"Fuck." Charlotte whispered, eyes wide as she slammed on the brakes. 

"The cross!" Pope was already rushing from the vehicle, the other close behind. 

"Way to go, Charley." JJ muttered. 

She spun, with a look so vicious it could kill. "I'm literally going to kill you."

As the two of them followed the others out of the truck, they were stopped in their tracks as Pope pulled the lid of the crate to reveal...nothing? Nothing but a few tires filled with concrete.

"What the hell?" Kiara questioned, leaning forward to get a better look. 

Pope shook his head, crouching down in front of the crate. "It's fake."

All of that had been for nothing. JJ had almost died for nothing. 

Yanking her hands through her hair, Charlotte shook her head. "God damnit."

JJ pulled off his hat, mirroring Charlotte's actions. "Of course we did. Of course we stole a fake."

"Pope, I'm so sorry." Charlotte said softly, her eyes sad as she watched on. 

His shoulders dropped for a moment before he spoke, not yet turning to face them. "Did you tell him?"

Charlotte froze, confused looks spreading across everyone's faces. "What?"

Pope's shoulders heaved with heavy breaths. Finally, he stood and faced them. "Did you tell him?" He snapped, this time more assertively. "He's your boyfriend! You told him what we were doing, didn't you?"

She couldn't believe Pope was truly accusing her of what she thought he was. He was accusing her of betraying them. 

"Pope, no. I ─"

"I knew you getting back together with him was a bad idea." Pope spat. "I knew something like this would happen!"

JJ stepped forward, inserting himself in between Pope and Charlotte. "Pope, man, I know you're upset, but don't put this on Charley."

"This is her fault!" Pope yelled, the loudness of his voice causing Charlotte to stumbled backward slightly. 

"Pope!" Kiara snapped, her face distraught, voice defensive. 

The sound of sirens filled the night air. Breaking the tension that was hanging between them. 

There was no more time to argue. They needed to go. 

─☼☼☼─

Early the next morning, while all the Pogues gathered at the Chateau to greet John B and Big John on their return, Charlotte Carrera found herself standing in front of Tannyhill. 

She didn't belong with them. Not right now. This is where she belonged. 

The door opened, revealing a smiling Rafe. He was happy to see her...yes, this is where she belonged."

"Mom driving you crazy still?" He wondered, quirking a brow.

Charlotte cleared her throat, not wanting to lie anymore. 

"I know you have the cross." She declared, watching as his face fell slightly. "And I want in."

─☼☼☼─

-an-

sorry for the late update guys! for those of you who didn't see my announcement, my grandma passed away a few weeks ago so i have just been dealing with all of that along with school. 

now that summer is here, things should be more frequent. 

i hope this long update is worth it.