AS the Pogues regroup, Eden can't help but call out the flaw within escaping the containers. 

Looking between John B., Pope, and Kiara, Eden is quick to notice that neither returned with any sort of weapon or item that could be used to their advantage. Which, while the Pogues have always had a thing for improving on the spot, makes the Bexley feels worse about their situation.

"You're telling me no one grabbed a single weapon or item?" Eden voices, looking between the three teens who had left the container. They've all re-positioned within the space, John B. and Pope having explained what they had done upon the boat. "Like....at all?" 

JJ seems to agree with Eden's point, "Not one single gun?"

"We tr—we tried." John B. defended himself, "I got attacked!" 

Eden can't help herself as she snarks, "That seems to happen a lot to you."

"What's that supposed to mean—"

JJ scoffs, "This is why I should have gone with."

Kiara and Pope try to shush their friends' voices, the entire friend group getting cut off by Cleo.

"Let me get this straight. You four, with no weapons, decided you were gonna hijack this tramp steamer on your own? Get your friend back?" Cleo's eyes scan over the group, resting on Eden as she says the word 'friend'. Her voice is firm and serious as she clips, "Do you have any idea who these people are? Eberhimi, if he catch you, he's gonna kill you. Dead." She pulls a knife out and mimics cutting her fingers, "Cut off your fingers."

Eden wraps her arms around herself, "That's comforting."

"Okay." Kiara huffs, trying to figure out what her and her friends could do to escape the fate of being caught. "What about waiting until we get to port? At least then, if something goes wrong, we have a place to run."

"No," Pope is quick to dismiss, "No, we can't do that." 

"Why?"

"Because I've run this scenario over a thousand times in my head, and our best chances are on this ship." Pope replies firmly, "There's fifteen crew members and six of us."

"Exactly—"

"Three-to-one odds. That's the best it's gonna get." The Heyward continues, "If we wait till we get there, they're gonna trap us."

"We have no chance—"

"No, Kie, there's something else." John B. interrupts, looking between his friends. There's a moment of silence as the Routledge boy tries to figure out how to admit what he'd discovered before he feebly states, "Ward's alive."

The entire container falls quiet, the Pogues taking in the information with sour expressions. Eden tenses at the name, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with her mother that morning—Ward had faked his death and was trying to start it all over in Guadeloupe. 

"It's, uh—it's true. Isla told me before I found you guys." Eden voices, all teens turning to face her. "He's alive and he's on this boat right now. On his way to somewhere near Guadeloupe—it's why Sarah's here." 

Kiara exclaims, "What?"

"Yeah," John B. nods. 

JJ looks at Eden with a scoff, "You gotta be kidding me."

Pope clenches his fists, "Are you serious?"

"Everything was a set-up. Blowing up the boat, his confession to Shoupe—all of it was to clear Rafe and my mom's name." Eden explains, voice firm. "He faked his suicide to get out of everything and probably would have gotten away with it if weren't for us meddling kids."

The Pogues take the information with annoyance. Ward Cameron kept escaping everything they tried to do to take him down, and they were all pretty sick of it. No matter how hard they tried, he always ended up on top; unscathed; with the gold in his back pocket.

"And he does what? Goes to the Druthers." John B. continues, "And what's on the Druthers?" 

Kiara gives an unamused smile as she answers, "Scuba."

"Bingo."

"So, Ward's alive, huh?" JJ perks up, unamused as well. "And he has the gold, and the cross, and Sarah." 

Kiara mutters, "That's for rubbing that in."

"So he's just gonna get away with everything again, huh?" JJ looks between all of his friends before shaking his head, "Not happening. We're not watching this movie again, right, Pope?" He glances at the Heyward boy, "You said we need the win. And with her—" he points to Cleo, "—we're going to the bridge, and we're gonna take it, right now. You with me?"

John B. doesn't hesitate, "Let's do it."

"I'm down." Eden replies casually. 

"I'm with you," Pope agreed, mind already set on the idea of finally taking back what was rightfully his—they wouldn't let Ward win again. "And I wanna be the one to take that bridge." 

JJ does the Pogue handshake with the Heyward, "That's what I'm talking about."

Cleo hardens her gaze on Pope and sends an accusatory finger towards him, "He's gonna take the bridge?" 

JJ glances between Cleo and Pope with a blank, "Yeah." 

"He couldn't even take me." 

Eden can't help the small smile that appears on her face, and she turns to John B., "I like this girl." 

At Cleo's words, JJ turns to Pope surprised that he'd been beaten by a girl, "Seriously? 

Pope seems to have gotten offended by the comment, "Okay—first of all, I was going easy on you."

"I went easy on you." Cleo snaps in a harsh whisper.

John B. and Kiara start to shush their friends, Pope looking between the Routledge and the Maybank as if trying to promise that he hadn't lost against Cleo, "She didn't even—"

"Relax, all of you." John B. whispers, Cleo bringing down the knife she was holding up towards Pope. 

"If you're really with us, if we use that knife, we can go up into the bridge, hold it up against the captain's neck, then we go in the intercom and make him tell the rest of the crew to meet up in the forward hull." JJ announced the plan that was working through his mind, glancing at his friends for confirmation, "Once they're in the same place—bam! We lock them in there, and we take back what's ours."

"I like it." Pope nods, agreeing with JJ—which Eden thinks is the first time in forever. "It could work."

"If Pope is agreeing with one of your plans, I think it can work, J." Eden hums at the blonde. 

JJ narrows his eyes at Cleo, "Are you with us, then?"

"No." Cleo deadpans before looking up to the Routledge, "This is stupid—"

Before she can continue, a voice echoes through the container walls, causing all the teens to fall on high alert.

"Alright, let's open these things up!" 

"Fuck," Eden breathes, heart lurching in her chest. "They're checking the containers."

Pope mutters, "Uh-oh." 

Cleo suddenly stands up, hopping atop the wooden boxes to take off the grate. All five of the Pogues begin to let out whispered exclaims of 'What are you doing?' but the girl shushes them harshly and pulls off the grate.

As Cleo slides out of the grate, Eden can't help but curse once more, "Fuck." 

"Macias!" 

As the group hears Cleo yell, Pope mutters, "She's gonna tell them. Shit." 

Eden mentally curses the Routledge boy for letting a stranger join them. They could have gotten far without Cleo, but now she was going to rat them—

"This one's clear, sir." 

The Bexley tilts her head to the side as she hears Cleo's words. Was Cleo sticking with them? 

A man's voice echoes next, "Are you sure?"

"Went through it inch by inch. Nothing but tubing and plastics in there." 

"What if the stowaway had been in there?" 

"Well, he wasn't, so...." Cleo trails off. The Pogues all stand in silence, almost amazed that Cleo was truly sticking it through with them. "Come on, man. We have work to do! Move your bumper, man!" 

Pope can't help but smile, opinions changing on the new girl. "Okay. She's on our side. That's good." 

"Okay, Pope, you're up." JJ instructed as the Heyward pulled the grate off once more, "We'll wait for your signal, okay?"

There's a light whistle from outside and Pope hands the grate off to Kiara, sliding through the small opening back onto the ship. The Carrera hands the grate to the Bexley before following after the two teens. 

"Now we wait." Eden hums, leaning against the container wall as she heard Pope and Cleo scurry away to try and get the captain.

"As soon as Pope gives the signal, we split." JJ voices, creating yet another set of plans in his mind so they could try and get everything done as quick as possible—they needed the cross and they needed Sarah, but they had to do it strategically. "Once they're all in the hull me and Ed'—" he spares the Bexley a glance, not allowing her a choice in where she'd be, "—will lock them inside."

Eden shrugs, "Sure." 

John B. nodded in agreement, "I'll find Sarah."

"I can stick with John B. and get a lifeboat and get the lifeboat." 

Eden knows that everything could go to shit with ease—not only were the Pogues working on very little, but they had the worst of luck in situations like this. Nothing that was said would be done as easily.

However, what else did they have? Either they tried or they let the cross go and let themselves get caught.

So, Eden nods along, ""Then we'll meet you two, load the cross, and get outta here."

"Attention all passengers and crew." A sudden intercom message causes the four teens to pay attention, heart rates rising as they listen in. "Report to the tween forward hull. Attention all passengers, all crew, report to the tween forward hull. That's an order." 

Eden can't but smile, "They did it."

"Repeat. All hands and all passengers report to the tween forward hull immediately." 

"They did it." John B. repeats, "They took the bridge."

"That's our boy." JJ pulls the grate out, "Okay, let's roll."

The Maybank pushes himself through first, checking to make sure the coast was clear before sliding the rest of his figure through the grate. John B. files through next. Eden climbs out last, glad to be leaving the small and humid container. She climbs out and lands on the ground with a soft 'thud', the others barely giving her a second to recollect before sneaking away from the container. 

The trio doesn't stay together long, JJ ultimately heading off in a different direction than John B. Eden doesn't follow immediately, instead grabbing a hold of John B.'s hand to pull him back. Without hesitation, she wraps her arms around him, embracing the boy tightly.

John B. doesn't question, wrapping his arms around her in return.

"Be safe." Eden let's the phrase slip from her lips without hesitation, simply hoping that her friend wouldn't pull any bullshit. She trusted him, but after having her panic attack, she couldn't help but act like he was prone to getting caught—she couldn't lose him. 

John B. whispers, "You said be safe."

"I know." Eden replies.

Beside her, JJ ushers, "Ed', let's go."

Eden pulls away from the Routledge, sending him an expression of 'please listen to me' before following after JJ, John B. heading in the other direction in search of Sarah Cameron. 

JJ stalked through the ship, making his way to the forward hull. Eden quietly followed, letting the blonde lead the way. She kept her eyes peeled for any incoming crew, or her mother and the Cameron's as they traveled through passageways and halls.

 After a solid fifteen minutes, the two teens made it to the forward hull. The place was dim, lit with red lights structured above. JJ maneuvered to press himself against the side of a door, silently instructing with his hands that Eden did the same. She listened, back pressed firmly against the wall, waiting for the Maybank's next cue.

Different conversations echoed through the space, crew slowly making their way down—all of which confused on why they were being ordered to do so. 

"Hey, what the hell is this all about?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with that stowaway, does it, boss?" 

"Guess we'll find out." 

Eden slightly turns her head, looking to see three men entering the forward hull. She recognizes them as the three that had stopped her, their 'boss' being the man who'd given her the screwdriver into the container. 

"Psst." JJ whispers, gaining Eden's attention. The Bexley looks back at him and he asks, "How many?"

Eden doesn't look back and holds up the number three on her fingers. 

"It's got something to do with that cross. I'm telling you, it's cursed." A man echos, JJ turning towards the entrance the two were leaning against to listen. On his fingers, he holds up the number six, "We're making God angry." 

"Where are we going?" 

Eden glances out again at the new voice, watching as Wheezie Cameron made her way to the forward hull, her step-mother, Rafe, and a single crew member trailing along with her.  On her fingers, she holds up a silent four. 

"Where's Dad?" 

Rose huffs, "I don't know, Wheezie." 

JJ and Eden stay pressed up against the wall for a few moments more, no more figures passing by or incoming voices echoing through the halls. Based on the numbers JJ had been counting, the Bexley takes it that everyone is currently situated inside the forward hull, waiting for instruction.

"That's all the crew, J." Eden whispers. 

"Except Ward." JJ replies, meeting her gaze firmly—they needed to get Ward locked in their, too. "We need Ward." 

Eden knows that they need Ward, but waiting would do them no good. While Cleo was threatening, and Pope could put up a fight, there was only so long until the captain happened to get control, or until the crew got tired of waiting and started to leave—simply, if they wanted this plan to work, they had now to do it. 

"We don't have time to wait." Eden states, "It's now or never." 

JJ quickly thinks it over before ultimately nodding towards the door behind them, jaw clenched as he ushered her towards it.

Eden's Converse smacked against the floor as she rushed through the small opening, running over to the door of the forward hull. With JJ right behind her, she quickly pushes the door closed, hinges creaking, alarming the crew of what was happening.

"Hey! Shit!"

Clamoring is heard from within and Eden is quick to press her body against the door in an attempt to keep it closed. However, it doesn't take long before the crew starts to push and shove against the door, the Bexley—with her small, and currently weak against many men, stature—figure struggling to keep the door closed.

All her strength is put into keeping the door closed, but against the entirety of the crew, Eden feels weak. A strained sound falls from her lips as the men bash against the metal, a small gap appearing where the door should be sealed shut. 

JJ is quick to jump in, pushing himself against the Bexley. His arms position themselves around her waist, firmly pinning her in between them. Biceps exerting all their strength to keep the door shut, he ushers Eden through a strained grunt, "Close it! Close it!" 

Eden finally managed to get the door closed and instructs, "Lock it!"

JJ takes one hand away from the Bexley's figure and grabbed the chain, locking the door.

Once shut, Eden slightly leans into the Maybank's side, body tired from the strength she'd used. However, she's given no time to break as a crew member's yell causes them to yet again get on their feet.

"Check the other door!" 

"There's another door!" JJ panics, running off as he repeats, "There's another door!"

Eden doesn't let herself falter before running off after JJ. He's quick to find the other door, this one much easier to close and lock than the previous. 

"You good?" JJ pants, looking at the Bexley.

Eden nods, "Grand." 

He offers out his hand, and Eden can't help but smile as they follow through with the familiar Pogue handshake—one part of the plan had worked out. 

JJ then moves towards a ladder, climbing down it to mutter, "Time to jack this loot."

"Hell yeah." Eden hums in agreement, following suit.

The two teens climb down with ease, the Maybank steadily pacing towards a large figure covered with a sheet. "Here she is."

Eden hurries over, looking down at the Cross of Santo Domingo with as much awe as she had when she first saw it. However, this time, she can't help but feel real hope that they stood a chance at finally keeping it—maybe this could work in their favor. 

JJ nudges her with a smirk, "Surf trip?"

"Let's get you that passport first." Eden warmly states, trailing a hand over the cross below.

Before any more conversation can be made, there's a loud click. The two Pogues stare upwards, a smile appearing on Eden's face as the hatch cover opens to reveal Pope Heyward standing in the light of the sun.

A laugh of triumph falls from JJ's lips and he can't help but exclaim as he sees the Heyward, "Whoo!"

"We just hijacked this bitch!" Eden is almost surprised that they'd been able to truly follow through with the plan, but things had to go right sometimes, right? Adrenaline and happiness rush through her bloodstream—it felt good when things went right.

"That's what I'm talking about!" JJ cheers, "Let's go!"

From the top deck, Pope raises his fist in the air. "The time where people do shit to us and we just sit back and let it happen is over!"

"Whoo! That's my boy!"

"Preach it, Pope!" Eden hollers with a smile of childish giddiness. 

"Let's get this done, baby!"

Pope scurries away towards the crane upon the dock while JJ and Eden start to tie up the cross. It doesn't take long for the Heyward to make it to the crane, the Pogues with the golden item making sure it was securely tied before allowing him to take it.

"Take her up, Pope!" JJ circles his finger to signal to the Heyward.

"Okay!" Pope hollers from the crane.

The crane comes down, cradling the cross in it's grasp. Eden watches as it teeters sideways, swinging unsurely as it's lifted. "Okay, Pope—slow! Slowly!"

"Alright, bring her into the middle!" JJ calls, Pope doing as he asked. Suddenly, the cross lurches to the side and the Maybank goes flying with the rope, landing on the ground with a soft 'thud'. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa—" 

Eden cups her hands around her mouth, "Too far, Pope! Too far!"

The cross crashes into a huge container, knocking it down. Eden cringes as it makes impact, listening as Pope exclaimed, "Sorry! My bad!" 

"Yeah, you're bad!" the Bexley yells, "Your other middle!" 

JJ still holding firmly onto the rope, Pope tries again, this time managing to haul the cross up without crashing it into storage.  

Another voice comes through and Eden looks up to see Kiara and Cleo running towards the crane,  "Hey! Send it up, Pope! You got it!"

Pope looks at the two girls, "Did John B. get the lifeboat?!" 

Cleo shrugs, "I don't see him!"

Eden's expression turns unimpressed at Cleo's statement. Of course he wasn't anywhere to be found. Right when they're this close to getting the cross, John B. ends up no where to be found, his part of the plan not completed. 

JJ slaps her on the shoulder, taking the Bexley from her thoughts, "Let's go help John B. load it on the lifeboat!"

Neither teen mentions that John B.'s location was currently unknown, or that they weren't even sure there was a lifeboat as they sprint away from the cross.

John B. was yet to be found.

JJ and Eden had run around the entire boat—squeezing past tight railing, trailing up and down rickety ladders, speeding through hallways—eyes searching for the ratty brown hair and pink button down of John B., or a single lifeboat in the water. Yet, the two teens were met with nothing.

John B. was no where to be found and neither was the lifeboat he'd promised to have down.

Despite this, Eden wouldn't give up. Ward had won against them too many times, and she wouldn't let him overpower them again—she wouldn't let Pope down and she wasn't about to let a dead man win.

"Where the hell is he?" Eden breathes, eyes scanning the ocean below as her and JJ stop at another corner. "I swear to God, Ward has him in a headlock and I'm killing both of them."

"He's gotta be somewhere on the boat." JJ replies, looking past the Bexley. His eyes scan over the next section of the boat, taking in no crew members at all before he muttered, "Clear."

The two Pogues quickly pace to the next area of the ship, JJ heading towards the railing to take a look into the water below—he already knows the Routledge isn't there, but he had to be somewhere.

Eden takes this small pause as her breather, but she's unable to do so as a man comes down a set of stairs to her right. Her eyes widened—it was the man she'd seen Rafe talking to about stowaways from earlier; the captain.

"J?" Eden breathes, taking a light step backwards from the man as he takes out a machete—they were screwed.

"I don't see him—" JJ turns around at the call of his name, unaware to why she'd done so until he spots the machete being held. Quickly, his body language tenses and his eyes bug around to try and find something he could use to defend not only himself, but Eden.

"Of course." The man pants, out of breath and exhausted from this entire stowaway chase—first the two who'd tied him up and forced him to send everyone to the forward hull, now them. "There's more of you."

Eden's eyes dart between the man and his machete, watching as he starts to walk towards her and JJ. He looks pissed, and—unlike Cleo—doesn't look like he'd be willing to negotiate or willing to listen to why they were hijacking his boat; he wanted them off his ship now.

"Get down on your knees."

JJ doesn't listen to the man's words, barely letting himself think of a plan before stating, "Yeah, that's not gonna happen."

The man whips the machete in JJ's direction, but the blonde ducks out of the way. Before the man can come back from his original aim at the Maybank, the blonde pushes him towards the wall, "Go! Go! Go!"

Eden doesn't know what she's doing, but suddenly she's pinning his machete holding arm to the wall, holding him in place for a moment. The man turns to her with a rage filled expression, which gives JJ a moment to strike him in the cheek with a quick punch.

JJ grabs him by the back of the shirt, "Hit him, Eden!"

Eden is reminded of when Barry attacked them, Sarah having to slam him in the face with a car door as she opens the electrical power supply door, slamming it into his face without hesitating. "Take that, bitch!"

With the impact to his face, the man topples to the floor. JJ stands over him, fists raised cautiously, "Where's John B!"

Eden flees towards the railing, looking into the sea for the boy—even though JJ had just done the same without sight of him, she had to find her best friend. Hands firmly gripped around the metal of the railing, she leans closer to the water, feeling the salty air against her face. "John! John B!"

There's a loud clamor from beside her, and Eden's head whips downward to see JJ upon the floor. Quickly she offers a hand, unaware to the machete raising in the air above her head, "J—"

JJ quickly shakes his head, eyes widening as the machete swings down, "Eden!"

Eden barely has time to register why he's screaming her name before she's raising her arms to shield her face, body naturally leaning back as the machete flies towards her. She can't stop the unexpected shriek that leaves her lips as she feels the wind of the swing against her skin.

Watching as the weapon barely misses Eden's skin is enough motivation for JJ, and the Maybank quickly gets back on his feet, wrapping his hand around the man's wrist as he raises the machete once more to strike the Bexley.

Eden's hands grip the railing even harder, back pressed against it as her chest rises and falls harshly in fear. She feels frozen in place as she watches as JJ jumps on the man's back, fighting for power.

Suddenly, the man elbows JJ in the chest, causing the boy to get the wind knocked away from him for a moment. This split moment gives the man another chance to raise his machete, and without warning he swings it right at Eden's head once again.

This time, Eden see's it coming and ducks, causing the machete to fly straight over her head and to the side. She quickly whips back up, expecting to see JJ coming back at the man with another punch.

What she doesn't expect to see is the handle hitting JJ in the temple.

Eden's hands fly up to her mouth in horror as she watches JJ fall backwards off the railing, flipping into the ocean. His figure limply hits the water, the splash of impact echoing through the Bexley's head.

However, as she watches the man yet again raise his machete, all of her fear turns into a rush of adrenaline and anger—he'd hurt JJ; he wasn't going anywhere.

Eden suddenly runs towards him, one of her hands grabbing his machete holding wrist while her knee flew upwards, hitting him directly in the groin. A loud yell leaves the man's lips and he stumbles backwards, doubling over in pain. Without a moment to spare, she gives him another harsh kick to the stomach, enticing a grunt of pain from him.

The Bexley leaves him, rushing back over to the railing. Her eyes scan over the water for JJ, immediately spotting him floating atop the water; face down, body limp against the slow moving tide. The sight presents another round of fear in her body—he wasn't moving. He was unconscious.

"No, no, no, no—JJ!" Eden screams, feeling her heart beat faster and faster as he doesn't reply to his name. God, he was unconscious in the water—if she didn't know anything, he would surely drown. "Fuck!"

Looking between the man and JJ in the water, the Bexley knew what she had to do. JJ didn't let her down when she was struggling, Eden certainly wouldn't let him down now.

Heart pounding within her chest, she doesn't let herself think another moment before she climbs on top of the railing and pitches herself into the water below.

The fall is shorter than Eden predicted, and cold water is quick to engulf her. Waves crash over her head and salt water quickly fills her mouth, the shock of it all giving her the momentum to hastily kick her feet and push past the pressure, breaking to the surface with a sudden gasp.

Her wide eyes immediately catch the blonde a few feet away from her and she quickly swims her way against the moving waves—everyone in the OBX knew how to swim, and now it was just to her advantage.

She quickly makes it to the boy, breathing hard as she wraps her hands around his figure. She manages to flip him over, head finally above water— though that means nothing as his eyes still stay closed, figure unresponsive even though he was now presented with oxygen again.

"Hey, JJ? J?" Eden tries to fully hold him in her arms, but he's completely dead weight against her small figure—if she tried to truly hold him, she'd end up drowning in the process. Kicking harshly to keep herself up, she leaves one hand locked around his waist while the over snaked up his chest to try and pat his cheek. "JJ? JJ, come on!"

A course of panic takes over her mind, and she can feel tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. Here she was, holding JJ's limp figure, struggling to keep herself afloat—if he wasn't going to drown, she certainly was.

So much for winning.

She feels water splash over her chin, getting in her mouth. With a light sob she forces her legs to keep supporting her—she had to keep JJ up, she had to keep him safe; she couldn't let him die, not in her arms like this.

"JJ, fucking wake up! Please." Her words meet deaf ears once more, and she continues to croak out pleads for him to open his eyes, pleads for him to respond—pleads that he stays alive. "JJ, please just open your eyes—fuck! Fuck!"

His head lolls back in the water, and Eden tries to position him differently in her arms so he'd stay up—she'd rather have herself go under than him right now. "I got you, I got you, J." Her head is filled with so much emotion that she can't help but sob, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry—"

God, why had she ducked? Sure it was reflex, but that machete had been aimed for her. She was up posed to get hit but she'd ducked and it hit JJ in the head instead—she was supposed to be the one unconscious in the water, or dead for that matter. Not JJ.

This was her fucking fault.

But she was going to fix it. She had to fix this or she wouldn't forgive herself.

Her eyes dart around the ocean, spotting no one but herself and JJ. She knows she's alone but she can't help but start to call out for her friends—if she stayed by herself with JJ for any longer, they both wouldn't make it out.

"John B! John B! Help!" Eden calls out, voice cracking with desperation. He had to be somewhere—one of her friends, or even Cleo for all she cared, had to fucking hear her. "John, please! I need you! Help!"

She's met with silence for few moments and sobs out her best friend's name again, "John B!"

Then, she hears a group of voices that makes her let out a sob of relief.

"JJ! Eden!"

Commotion is all that is heard Eden turns to see a lifeboat carrying John B., Sarah, Kiara, Pope, and Cleo. All five of the teens are letting out her or JJ's name and she feels a rush of hope in her chest—she was going to be okay. JJ would be okay.

"Stay with me, J. John B.'s coming." Eden runs a hand over his arm, reassuring even if he can't hear her. She was here, and she wasn't going to leave him until he was safe. "Stay with me, please. You're gonna be okay."

The motor of the lifeboat grows closer, as does the yells and panic of her friends.

"Eden! Holy shit!" John B. exclaims, eyes widening as she struggled to swim over to the boat with JJ limply floating along with her. He quickly dives his hands into the water, wrapping them under the Maybank's armpits to haul him upwards.

Eden feels weight lifted off her shoulders as JJ is lifted onto the lifeboat, but doesn't let her worry die down. John B. leans JJ against the side of the boat before moving to help Eden upon the boat next.

"Eden, you okay?" the Routledge scans his best friend over for any injuries, "You okay?"

Eden shakes her head—physically, she was okay but she wouldn't truly be okay until she saw JJ open his goddamn eyes. She quickly crawls over to the blonde, hauling him into her lap as she tries once more at speaking to him, "You gotta wake up, J. You're safe now. Please."

There's a sputter of an engine stalling out, the commotion of her friends as they panicked to get the engine going again, the waves hitting the side of the lifeboat. Eden barely focuses on anything other than the blood that's splattered against the side of his temple—something she hadn't noticed till now.

"Fuck, he's bleeding." Eden isn't sure who she's talking too, but she makes the statement aloud anyway. She doesn't really think before removing her shirt—she had a green bikini top underneath, so she didn't care—and pressing it to his temple, trying to soak away the fluid or stop it; she couldn't tell if it was still bleeding or not.

John B. pats his shoulder, repeating the same phrase, "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up—"

"Please, get up!" Kiara's voice is just as desperate as Eden's was in the water. She hits his other shoulder, "Get up!"

Their prayers seem to get answered as JJ snaps back to life.

A small splutter of water comes from his lips, and everyone falls quiet as JJ Maybank's eyes quickly open. He looks dazed and confused, bright gaze raking through all of his friends before he suddenly begins to cough up all the water in his lungs.

All the Pogues light up in relief filled smiles at the sound.

"JJ." Eden can't help but sigh in relief as the boy twists away from her chest. He was okay. "There you go—I got you. I got you." She repeats words she'd spoken in the water in a form of reassurance, even if he wasn't listening.

"There you go! Yeah, yeah," John B.'s face has a smile of entirely relief as he stares at his best friend, "Cough it out. Cough it out, baby!"

"Hey, buddy," Pope smiles, "There you go..."

JJ continues to cough, still unsure on what had even happened to himself—one moment he was watching a machete aim for Eden and now he was laying in her arms in a lifeboat.

Eden takes her t-shirt away from his head for a moment to let him regain his breath.

"Hey—hey, buddy." Pope gently speaks, smile widening when JJ's gaze flicks over to him, "Welcome to the land of the living, dude."

John B. chimes in teasingly, "No CPR needed, huh?"

JJ is still utterly confused, eyes dancing between his friends' relief filled expressions and the way Eden had her arms wound tightly around him.

Eden notices the Maybank's confused gaze, watching as his blue eyes meet hers, "Hey."

JJ is quick to reply with a casual, "'Sup, your majesty."

His reply caused the Pogues to all break out in laughter, amused that despite having just returned from an unconscious state, JJ was still JJ Maybank.

Pope scoffs, "Dude!"

Eden shakes her head, shoving his head away in a teasingly unamused way. "I almost drowned saving your ass and wasted my shirt on your blood and all I get is a 'sup?' "

JJ weakly hums, "My bad."

"Just always looking for attention, huh?" John B. mocks.

"Whatever it takes, right?"

"Attaboy!"

Eden brings her shirt back up to JJ's temple, the blonde moving his fingers to touch the area. Bringing them away, his eyes slightly widen when he notices the trail of blood left behind. "What the hell happened?"

"Blunt end of a machete." the Bexley simply states.

The weapon seems to pique JJ's attention, his mind seeming to have forgotten what had happened up to that moment. His eyes light up as he exclaims, "Machete?"

"The blunt end." Eden rolls her eyes fondly, before the blonde could get his hopes that he'd survived being hit with a machete and boast—the way she knew he would. "You're not that badass."

Cleo looks down at him, scoffing, "Next time, duck."

"I'll try to remember that next time." JJ breathes sarcastically—they can all hope that there isn't a next time, "Thanks."

Pope's head turns back towards the boat they'd been on, eyes narrowing in on the sight. It's only then does Eden realize that the cross is no where to be found on the lifeboat. Instead, it's currently being hauled back upon the ship—back into the hands of Ward and Rafe Cameron, stolen once more from the Heyward name.

Lips in a thin line, Pope looks at his friends, "This shit ain't over."

"No, it ain't." John B. shakes his head, jaw set.

Eden looks at the boat, watching as they grow further and further away from it—watching as she grew further from the cross, the Cameron's, her mother.

Watching as their lifeboat drives further out into the open ocean with no where to go and no clue where they were.

mara's misc!

AND WHAT IF I SAID LAST CHAPTER IS NEXT????

anywho guys this chapter is 6000 words and i don't feel like splitting it up so hope ya'll had fun with that. i don't have much to say, it was pretty fun to write but also a lot of scenes that eden didn't rlly have a real place in which i hate. 

guys one more "omg jj and eden" comment and i'm deleting the book istg i tweak every time. 

random statement but timotee chalamet has such a resume like......bro went drug addict, cannibal, and willy wonka in the span of 2 years tf??? 

also idc how you identify go listen to chappell roan right now. i'm literally straight and i can vibe go listen to her shit.

hope you enjoyed <3  see you back with chapter 62!!