I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 52

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 52

"What the hell do you think they're talking about in there?" John B asked looking between Rafe and JJ.

"If I know Jessie," JJ answered with a sigh and a run through his hair. "She's probably setting her straight."

"You don't think she'd actually do that do you? I'm sure she's just trying to reason with her." Sarah said, saying that last part as more of a question than a statement.

JJ and Rafe just looked at each other with a face that showed they weren't so sure Jessie was reasoning.

"Yeah, well..." Rafe replied as he held Charley in place on his lap and held her plate steady. "Jessie's got a a way with words."

"And a way of getting what she wants." JJ only half joked with a crooked smile, always trying to lighten the mood as he took a sip of his beer.

"Come on guys, if anyone can get Wheezie turned around, it's her and you know it." Pope commented. All the Pogues seemed to just nod either out of understanding or hope that he was right.

"I don't know..." Sarah interjected. "Wheezie's pretty persistent."

Rafe and JJ both laughed and hung their heads. It was almost freaky how they did it at the same time. What was even freakier was what they were about to say in unison.

"Not like Jessie."

"Woooooah" Charley finally piped up through a mouth filled with food. "You said that at the same time as uncle JJ!"

Rafe simply laughed at his daughter who was so bewildered. The Pogues were really just astonished at how much JJ and Rafe seemed to be on the same page now more than ever... literally. Suddenly they all turned their heads when they heard the distant creaking of the unmistakable screen door to reveal Wheezie and Jessie, who now was dawning her Manhattan Mayhem jacket. Rafe took notice of it, and knew she definitely just handled business. JJ took notice of it, and was once again reminded how badass his big sister was.

Wheezie came out looking somewhat neutral. The Pogues, especially Sarah, studied the teenager ever so closely, looking for any sign of anger, sadness, joy, or anything in between. Wheezie simply looked at everyone. Jessie stood behind her with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

"So when do we leave?"

Wheezie's question was enough to pull everyone out of their concern and turned their faces immediately to smiles and laughs. On the other hand, Wheezie wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked exchausted, mentally and physically. Jessie made her way back over to Rafe and Charley and before she could trade places with the toddler on Rafe's lap, she heard Wheezie speak up once more.

"It's late... shouldn't I be going to bed?" Wheezie asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Jessie could tell she was still feeling a little defeated and was probably looking for a way out of the impending conversation.

"You're an adult..." Jessie stated calmly as she moved Charley to set beside the couple and took a spot on Rafe's lap. "you can decide when you go to bed."

Wheezie realized once more that Jessie really wasn't playing. She was going to treat her like an adult, and was going to advocate for the others to do the same. However, Wheezie's first lesson in adulting was playing out right then and there. She wasn't sure if she liked the feeling. Sure, she had always wanted to be an adult, but now... it all seemed too much. Nonetheless, the teenager took it in stride and sassily replied back.

"Fine then I'm going to bed."

"Alright." Jessie sassed back with a shrug of her shoulders, clearly not caring whether Wheezie actually stayed up or not. Wheezie just shook her head and turned back around, but not before hearing her brother speak up behind her.

"Goodnight Wheez." Rafe spoke up loud enough for her to hear as she was walking away. "I love you." He yelled a little louder.

"I love youuuuu!" Charley chimed in, of course being the perfectly timed comedic relief in the situation. The pogues all laughed despite them being worried about the kid they just watched stomp off in defeat. Wheezie swatted her hand back at them and only murmurs could be heard from her mouth as she went back inside. Once she was gone the pogues felt comfortable speaking up.

"What the hell did you do, Jessie?" Sarah asked, clearly annoyed and feeling like she needed to come to the defense of her little sister.

"I told her that if she wanted to be treated like an adult, she was going to have to act like one." Jessie retorted as if it was basic knowledge as she kicked back her beer.

"Well she looks like you scared the shit out of her, Jess." John B spoke up through a slight laugh.

"You shouldn't have done that." Sarah broke in with furrowed brows. "Now that you've given her all this freedom she's going to take it and she's going to abuse it! Do you know what you've gotten us into?!"

Jessie didn't waver. Rafe didn't speak up, secretly he worried the same way that Sarah did, but he had to trust that Jessie saw something in Wheezie that neither one of them did. He just looked at his wife, who never broke eye contact with his sister as she took another big sip of her drink.

"She's not gonna do shit. I'm telling you. She's not half the adult she thinks she is. She's scared shitless, trust me." Jessie responded nonchalantly.

"Sometimes that's all a kid needs... a little tough love and some hard truth." JJ commented. "And Jessie's right, Wheezie hasn't been exposed to a third of the shit that Jessie and I were exposed to at her age. She's definitely not as hard as she thinks she is."

Sarah sighed and looked down at her plate, still not fully convinced. Jessie could tell, and she looked at Rafe, who clearly had the same worries.

"Guys..." Jessie spoke back up, her words clearly indicated for the two Cameron kids. They both looked up at her. "To you she's your little sister, to me, she's a cocky little teenager who needs a reality check. This is either going to make her grow up or make her realize she needs to rely on us. But I promise you, she'll be fine either way. She's got all of us to make sure that she doesn't screw her life up."

Rafe and Sarah looked at each other and took a deep breath, indicating to the other that they were choosing to trust Jessie on this one.

"But... there is one more thing Rafe and I wanted to talk to you guys about." Jessie said with hesitation as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

"Oh my god if y'all say you're having another kid I'm gonna-" JJ was never able to finish that sentence.

"Absolutely not." Jessie refuted with a hand up in defense. Jessie took the accusation seriously, Rafe, on the other hand just found it funny. He tried to hide his laughs in his hand as he looked away from his wife. The Pogues breathed sighs of relief as they got confirmation that that is not where this conversation was going.

"Ok well then what is it?" Kiara asked through giggles as well.

"Well... Rafe and I talked and... we've decided that wherever you guys go... we're not gonna go with you." Jessie replied, physically wincing as if she was ready to catch a jab from anyone at any second. Her ears were immediately filled with judgmental murmurings and questions.

"What do you mean? Rafe? Where's Wheezie gonna go?" Sarah asked, clearly more worried now than ever. John B placed a hand gently on Sarah's leg and gave her a comforting look to try and ease her mind. It didn't work very well.

"We're gonna go with you guys and get you settled wherever you need to go but... we're not staying." Rafe began to explain. "We can't."

"And why can't you?" Sarah asked defensively, venom clear in her voice.

"Because the business-"

"The business can go to shit, Rafe! Are you seriously gonna let your little sisters run off to some foreign country and live on their own?"

"You're not living on your own, Sarah," Jessie butted in, now spewing venom in her words as well, as she felt it was unfair for Rafe to get the brunt of her wrath. "This was a decision that Rafe and I came to together. It's what's best for our family at this moment. It's not to say that we can't move down the road but for now, to keep the business in tact, we have to keep things as localized as possible."

"Too big of movements looks suspicious Sarah, you know that." Rafe interjected.

"And besides, you guys have been playing treasure hunting for the past year clearly not caring where you go, who you meet, or what kinda trouble you get yourself into... so this is your chance... you can go full kook wherever the hell you want. And Rafe and I, being the legal adults for now, will support you however you need us to. We want to take Wheezie with us but there's no way she can live a good life here in the US while everyone thinks she's dead."

The Pogues all looked around, knowing that Jessie had a point. Here she was, treating them like the adults they wanted to be as well. The only person who didn't seem to hesitate about this arrangement was obviously JJ.

"Yukatan anyone?" JJ butted in, and suddenly Jessie realized where exactly Charley got her perfectly timed comedic relief. She laughed at her brother, yet all the Pogues just groaned.

"There's no way you guys are serious." Pope chimed in, "What're we gonna do with the cross?"

"What do you wanna do with it Pope? It's your family's heirloom." Kiara replied.

Suddenly Pope realized, he really didn't know what he wanted to do with it. He had spent so much time actually finding the cross and worrying about keeping it safe and now he had no clue what to do with it. For once, Jessie wasn't going to tell Pope to forget about the cross. Now was his actual opportunity to be strategic with the treasure.

"I say we melt that bitch down and sell the gold piece by piece." JJ piped up with a smirk on his face and a greedy glint in his eye.

"JJ, no, that's a terrible idea." Pope retorted. "This- this cross is much more valuable than just the gold and diamonds it's made out of... it's... it's priceless to me."

"You could sell it in a museum." Rafe hinted with a shrug of his shoulders. At this point he was just spit balling with the rest of the group.

"Okay, but guys, you still haven't figured out where you're gonna go. You might want to do that first." Jessie only half joked as she looked around the fire. All the Pogues stared at each other. Rafe and Jessie couldn't take the silence, as they clearly had a better plan in their head, one that they had thought up long before they got back from their trip. But they both agreed they would let the Pogues decide. Jessie could see the tension in Rafe's face as he bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He began to bounce his leg as he heard the Pogues argue in front of him.

"Okay, can I please make a suggestion." Rafe finally spoke up, not being able to take it anymore. Everyone could tell there was clear annoyance in his tone and his face. They all went silent, hanging on his words.

"You need to at least start in the Bahamas. We have a house there with Cameron hired security so you know it's air tight down there and you all will be safe until you can actually do something with that damn cross."

The Pogues say there silently, realizing that Rafe's plan was actually a good one.

"That's... actually a good idea..." Sarah admitted. Rafe just looked at his sister with an expression that said duh.

"If I were you, I'd sell the cross to a museum with the rights and name tied to the Hayward's." Rafe continued, mainly speaking to Pope at this point. "That way the cross stays tied to your family but you also get the money out of it. I'll even help you sell it."

It was clear on Pope's face that he wasn't sure if he should be grateful for the offer or terrified. He felt bad for not trusting Rafe completely in the back of his mind. Rafe could tell he had a hint of hesitation. He didn't blame him. Him and Pope had just as much of a checkered past as him and JJ, and just like his brother in law, he had to take baby steps.

"I think that sounds like a win win to me." JJ said as he shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing else to consider.

"Look, Pope, we're gonna be in the Bahamas with you guys anyways at first just to get you guys settled in. Will you at least let me set up some meetings for you so you can meet with some buyers? You can make the final decision, I'm just trying to help."

Pope was seriously considering his words as he looked around at the Pogues, who all seemed to be on board despite their slight hesitation as well.

"Pope..." JJ whispered as he laid a hand on his shoulder. "I think Rafe's the only one that can really help us here."

That was JJ'a attempt at giving Rafe the benefit of the doubt, although it didn't make Pope much more confident. Jessie cursed JJ in her head and wondered why it was so damn hard for him to just say something nice about him.

"I think what JJ meant to say," Jessie spoke up, giving JJ a side eye. "Is that Rafe would be a great help considering he's had a lot of experience with multi million dollar deals. Pope, you're still gonna make the final decision on where it goes or if it goes anywhere, but you're only gonna get contacts through Rafe."

Pope sighed and looked down, his leg bouncing in thought.

"But what about my parents? W-what are they gonna think? What if I never get to come back home and-"

"You'll get to come home, Pope. I don't know when... but you will." Jessie said assuredly.

"Yea, Pope," Rafe reiterated, "you just all need to stay the hell out of dodge until everything blows over. I think that'll be just enough to get the cross sold, get comfortable somewhere else and then decide how you wanna come back."

"Or if we wanna come back." JJ jumped in. All the Pogues looked at him as if he was crazy for not wanting to come back... all of them accept for Jessie. She understood exactly what JJ was hinting at, as him and her both had dreamed of the day they could leave OBX and never come back. Now was their chance, and Jessie assumed JJ wouldn't pass up such a perfect opportunity.

"Look I know the rest of you got families and shit to come back to..." JJ said as he jumped up from his seat. "But my family is all right here, okay? Jessie, you and I both know how long we've dreamed of skipping town and never coming back. Guys! This is our chance! To go full kook!"

The pogues knew JJ was right, this was the stuff they had dreamed about all their lives, especially after they started searching for treasure. Were they really going to pass up their perfect exit plan? John B finally decided to stand up alongside his best friend.

"I'm with JJ... my family's right here." John B said as he looked over at Sarah, who decided to join him with an arm wrapped around his waist. By this point all Jessie and Rafe could see was the three teenagers standing in front of Kiara and Pope, the only two with parents that would actually care about this escapade.

"My parents would kill me." Pope spoke up.

"I think they'd forgive you when you come back with half a million dollars to their name." JJ smirked. "What do I always say, Pope?"

"Bad ideas..." John B started the infamous saying.

"Have good outcomes all the time." JJ completed.

"Hey, you got that from me!" Jessie chimed in. They all chuckled in response, knowing that Jessie was definitely the original ring leader for the friend group's bad ideas. At this point Pope just looked over at Kiara.

"Don't look at me..." Kie responded with a slight laugh, "the second I get home my parents are sending me to military school."

Pope took one more deep breath as he contemplated the faces of every person there, all of them hanging on the edge of their seat waiting for the teenager to agree. Pope got up from his seat, went to the cooler and grabbed his favorite beer.

"To going full kook?" Pope asked as he raised his drink in the air with a slight smile.

"To going full kooooook!" JJ screamed as the rest of the group whooped and hollered various things out of excitement. Jessie and Rafe both were happy to see the pogues so excited, like they were kids again.

Everyone got up to grab another drink and they all brought them together, inevitably spilling most of it, but drinking it nonetheless.

Rafe held Jessie in his arms and looked down at her after watching the scene unfold before them.

"To going full kook?" Rafe asked. Jessie just smiled, despite being a Cameron for four years now, she hadn't technically ever been a kook. She dreamed of that just as much as JJ and the others did. In fact, she was the originator of the idea years ago.

"To going full kook." Jessie replied with a grin.

want drew to be successful but also want people to stop staring at him 😌😌😌😌😌😔😔😔😔

Drew Starkey omg I'm sooo proud of him???

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 50

Rafe woke up around noon the next day. He awoke to Jessie still asleep right beside him, naked of course, after the long night they had. Rafe couldn't forget it even if he tried, and of course he didn't want to. It was just like when they were teenagers, the Coke doing its job of taking over their mind and bodies, creating a never ending night that would leave them with the best sleep of their life. Strung out sex was always their favorite, and as much as Rafe didn't want to admit it, that fact still remained true no matter how much he hated it. He couldn't believe he actually gave in. Then again... Jessie always had her ways.

Rafe was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Jessie stir beside him. He looked down to see her turning her head over to face him, slowly opening her eyes and blinking away the blurriness. She had a sweet smile on her face that suddenly made all of Rafe's worries take a backseat. He reciprocated by propping himself up on one arm and tilting his head, displaying a loving smile as he swept some hair out of her face. Jessie couldn't help but notice how perfectly his arm was flexing as he held himself up.

"Hi." Jessie said sweetly as she scrunched her nose up a little. Suddenly Rafe remembered his second favorite thing about nights like last night... the Jessie he got the next morning. She always seemed particularly lovey the next morning, although it was always short lived back then considering one of them always had to leave almost immediately to sneak back into their respective houses.

"Hi." Rafe responded simply, barely above a whisper. Jessie quickly brought herself closer to Rafe, snuggling up into his chest and wrapping a leg around his torso. Rafe simply laid back down and cuddled her closer, knowing this was customary for Jessie after long nights like the one they just had. Jessie brought her hand up to one of Rafe's that was laying contently on his chest, slowly intertwining their fingers and playing with them. Rafe didn't dare say anything, out of fear of ruining such a perfect moment of just being together with no interruptions. In the entirety of their relationship, that was something they never got much of. Peaceful moments like this were odd for them, and both of them were too scared to break the silence because of it. But of course, leave it to Jessie to never let her fear determine her next move.

"Did you have fun last night?" Jessie asked, not bothering to look up at Rafe. She felt the subtle rise and fall of his chest, indicating a slight laugh. She could almost bet he was smiling and shaking his head in amusement.

"Yes I did, baby." Rafe replied. Jessie now brought her face up to meet his with a shit eating grin. Rafe could read her mind.

"I knew you would!" Jessie responded knowingly with a subtle point of her finger upwards. Rafe just scoffed and shook his head once more at Jessie.

"You need to get that cocky little attitude under control." Rafe demanded as he grabbed the pillow behind Jessie and started whacking her with it, not enough to hurt of course. Jessie just kept screaming and trying to block the blows through laughter. Eventually Rafe let up on the brutal beat down and found himself back in the same position he started in, staring down at Jessie once more. He sighed in contentment as he noticed a peculiar look on his wife's face.

"What time is it?" Jessie asked, suddenly growing a little more concerned. Rafe looked over at his phone and grabbed it.

"Almost noon." He said with surprise laced in his voice.

"Oh my gosh!" Jessie exclaimed as she sat up. "I didn't realize we had slept that late! JJ's probably blowing up my phone!" Jessie said as she frantically rummaged through her bedside table to find her phone and take it off the charger. Jessie's surprise turned into disappointment as she realized she had no missed calls or texts from her brother. Rafe noticed her change in demeanor and he looked a little closer at her, bringing his hand to her face.

"Hey..." Rafe whispered, trying to get Jessie's attention. She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes.

"He hasn't called... not even a text..." Jessie trailed off, concern evident in her words. Rafe just smiled and tilted his head.

"Well maybeeee that's because he's trying to give you some time to actually enjoy yourself. You'll hear from Charley tonight I bet."

"But what if somethings wrong, what if-"

"Jess, they're adults. They can handle it. That's what you've been trying to convince me of this whole time, right?" Rafe insisted. Jessie just sighed and let go of the tension in her back.

"Yeah..." She admitted with a hint of embarrassment as she realized how dependent she was on her child. Rafe didn't mind at all, though, of course. He secretly worried too, but that wasn't for Jessie to see. He made sure to send his brother in law a quick text to encourage him to send some pictures of their daughter her way just to ease her mind.

"Let's go get some breakfast." Rafe suggested as he got up from the warm bed, quickly regretting his decision and scrambling to put some clothes on. His feet hit the cold wood floor and the cold mountain air that couldn't help but seep through the cabin walls gave his shirtless chest goosebumps. Jessie followed suit, quickly finding a sweatshirt and pants for the same reasons.

The two of them headed downstairs and as Jessie was walking into the kitchen she noticed Rafe stopped in the living room. She turned her body back around with an inquisitive look.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm starting a fire, it's cold in this bitch." Rafe said as he rubbed his hands together for dramatic effect. Jessie just laughed in agreement as she watched Rafe put the cut up wood in the wood stove. After a few minutes of coaxing the kindling, they finally had a fire that would roar all day.

Rafe met Jessie in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her from behind as she admired all that was in the fridge.

"How do we have food when you haven't been here in years?" Jessie asked, not letting her eyes wander from the plethora of fresh food in front of her.

"Baby... my dad had someone specially hired to iron his business ties... you think I can't call someone to get some groceries delivered?"

Jessie just laughed and shook her head at the statement. She wasn't even surprised.

"Kook shit." Was all Jessie could muster through a judgmental chuckle as she turned her body to see Rafe laughing along with her. He knew it was Kook shit too, but sometimes it has its perks. Jessie wrapped her arms around Rafe's neck and began to rub her hands along his back. He reciprocated by pulling her closer and looking contently into her eyes with a smile. Suddenly Rafe saw Jessie's eyes turn a little darker and her smile turn into a smirk.

"I know what we could do to keep us warm." Jessie hinted. Rafe returned the look with a smirk as well.

"What's that?" Rafe asked as he gently swayed them back and forth. Of course, the question was rhetorical. He knew exactly what they could do to keep themselves warm... or he thought he did.

"Those high noons in the fridge will keep us nice and toasty." Jessie replied with a cheeky smile and an innocent nod. That's not where Rafe was expecting the conversation to go, and of course he was a little let down for more than one reason.

"Jessie..." Rafe sighed with an eye roll. Clearly he was judging her, and Jessie could tell. She suddenly became defensive.

"What?" She snapped with a disgusted look on her face as she leaned back a little more from her husband, not enough to get out of his grip, but enough for the both of them to notice the newfound distance.

"We're not getting drunk, okay? That's not gonna help anything and you know it. Besides, when we get drunk... one thing leads to another... you know that... you saw that last night."

Rafe prepared for the impending lecture based on the storm brewing behind the eyes he was staring at.

"First of all... I don't need to get drunk to make the decisions I did last night. I don't even need alcohol in general to make those decisions, so I don't regret it, and neither should you. This is our trip where we get to do what we want when we want and we don't have to explain ourselves to anyone." Jessie explained.

"Yeah, but..." Rafe sighed as he searched for the right words to say. "You and I both know that nothing good comes out of what we did last night."

Jessie understood where Rafe was coming from, but this was always the game they played. Jessie teaching Rafe to live a little more, and Rafe teaching Jessie to live a little less. Rafe still thought that Jessie wasn't afraid enough of the consequences of her actions. Even after years of growing up, that never changed.

"You need to change your definition of good." Jessie simply said. The answer threw Rafe. He didn't understand what she meant by that. Jessie decided to ignore his look of confusion and shimmy out of his grip and back to the fridge to grab some milk and chocolate syrup.

"So the question is..." Jessie asked nonchalantly as if she hadn't just had a serious conversation about impending consequences. "Since it's past noon, are we gonna eat breakfast or lunch?" Jessie asked as she grabbed the contents she was looking for and set them on the counter, looking up at Rafe for an answer. He still had his brows furrowed in confusion, clearly still trying to figure Jessie out. He was still always amazed at how she could just flip a switch and change the conversation like nothing just happened. Although, he knew her well enough to know it was simply a defense mechanism. This time, he wouldn't give in and change the subject. This was important... this was why he was here: to get Jessie back on the right track. She seemed to only be regressing further into the woman he had seen before she left. The wild child once again trying to convince the wallflower to "live a little", and he had seen that movie before... and hated the ending. Rafe shook his head to try and pull himself out of his thoughts.

"Jessie..." Rafe scoffed as he looked around the room in disbelief. "You can't ignore this conversation. You're slipping- slipping back into old habits that made you leave in the first place and-"

"My habits was not what made me leave Rafe!" Jessie interrupted with a pointed finger at her husband and venom in her words. "Are we seriously still on this? You're seriously still throwing it back in my face that I left?!"

Rafe grunted as he threw his hands up in the air and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand on his hip, clearly unsure of what to say. Finally, he found the words.

"Jessie." Rafe snapped. "I'm not blaming you for leaving, I'm just saying I've seen where this leads, and you have to! We can't keep doing this! We have a daughter now. We can't keep getting drunk, we can't keep smoking weed, we can't keep doing coke! Don't you get it?!"

The room went silent as Rafe caught his breath, his chest heaving slowly up and down. Jessie took notice of his chest becoming slightly more defined under his white tshirt and the veins in his arms sticking out a little bit more. She looked down at the counter in front of her and swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing that he had a point.

"It's just that..." Jessie squeaked out, now looking up at Rafe. "I've lived my whole life being the adult for everyone in my life. My dad, JJ, and especially Charley... you were the only one I didn't have to be the parent to. Doing all the things we used to do just... just brought that feeling back. That weightless feeling." Jessie explained through a broken voice. No tears. She had no tears left to cry. After all, she was never a cryer. Still, Rafe never took her lack of waterworks any less seriously when she opened up like this. He moved a little close to her with sympathy in his eyes.

"Jess..." Rafe whispered with a slight laugh and a smile that she didn't understand. "You've always been weightless. Before you met me. You never needed drugs, you never needed alcohol." Rafe explained as he cupped the side of her face, begging her to understand. Jessie just looked away from his chest and up to his eyes, this time with tears brimming and an angry frown.

"That's what you think." Jessie simply replied as she played with the skin on her lips. In all their late night talks, their marriage, and their reunion, and Rafe just now understood what she meant. Jessie had never made it so clear before. She partied. She did drugs. She drank alcohol. All to numb the pain and relieve the pressure of the parentification she had been a victim of her entire life. No words needed to be said, and yet Rafe understood. He felt like he had unlocked a new level in their relationship and gone into the deepest part of Jessie's soul. Jessie felt the same way, and she physically felt the hurt it brought her to do so. But Rafe could see the pain in her eyes, and all he could do to try and stop the aching of her heart was to hold her precious broken face in his calloused hands. He slowly and gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her delicately into his chest. Suddenly he felt unworthy of holding such beauty in his arms. Rafe understood Jessie better than he ever had before. Yet she didn't cry, hardly a sniffle, only falling into the warm embrace of her tenderhearted husband. When Rafe felt it was time, he finally broke away, but not before taking Jessie's face in his hands once more and looking deep into her eyes with a look that showed he really wanted her to listen.

"We don't have to be those people anymore." Rafe whispered with tears in his eyes. Jessie's lips quivered and quickly turned into a sob, this being the first time anyone had ever really told her she did not have to hold onto any semblance of her past to keep her safe. Rafe held her there, finally proving to her that she didn't have to fall prey to a vice of any kind, and that he would be her safety.

drew

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 42

John B sped off in the twinkie as if there was no tomorrow. With the way he was driving Jessie was convinced they wouldn't see tomorrow.

"John B, let off the gas a little, yeah?" Jessie remarked anxiously as she held onto the handles of the door for dear life. Rafe sat closely beside her, one arm wrapped around Charley and the other hand gripped tightly around the opposing door.

"We're no good if we don't get there in one piece man." Rafe commented with some snarkiness to his tone. The rest of the pogues, with the exception of JJ, all muttered in agreement. JJ  on the other hand was so high on the thrill he could've crashed the vehicle and wouldn't have cared. John B slowed down slightly, but not enough for Jessie or Rafe's liking.

The twinkie thankfully arrived in one piece at Freedman's church, all of them quickly piling out of the old van and running inside. They were met with a large open concept room of worship, one that was clearly abandoned and overgrown with vines and wood that looked like it could crumble with just one wrong step. The sight concerned Rafe so much he had Jessie take Charley in her arms and he decided to step in front of both of them, with one hand extended behind him for Jessie to hold.

"You're telling me... Denmark Tanney hid the cross in here?" JJ asked in disbelief at the sight before him. Pope only mumbled in agreement, clearly enraptured in thoughts of where in the world the cross could be.

Everyone eventually decided to fan out and look at each piece of wood uniquely, looking for any little discrepancy that could lead them to a clue, such as a loose board or unusual carving or cut.

"What if we have to push like a secret button or... or play like a certain chord... and then all of a sudden the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something... on which we stand." JJ clearly let his thoughts run wild with wide eyes of bewilderment.

"How about we try to find obvious clues." Jessie scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She shouldn't be surprised at JJ's illusions of grandeur, yet she always was.

"It's not an escape room." Kiara commented matter of factly.

Pope sat down on the front old rickety pew enraptured in thought once more. He eventually played with the spy glass still in his hand, looking through it carefully and pointing it throughout the room. For Pope, it was a long shot, but he figured it was better than nothing.

Pope looked up closer towards the ceiling, his face still ravished with deep thought as he slowly lowered the spy glass, never once breaking eye contact with whatever he just saw.

"What?" JJ asked plainly as he looked up and then back down at Pope.

Pope didn't respond, instead he slowly stood up and looked even more intently at the wooden beams above him. They all realized the same thing at the same time, seeing two wooden crosses posted solidly in between the beams above them.

Pope still hadn't said a word, only moving towards one side of the church to climb the wide wooden wall that had just enough cracks and holes in it to climb perfectly.

"Wait, Pope, no don't-" Sarah began to exclaim, the rest of them joining in her protest as well, insisting that wasn't a good idea. Pope disregarded their protests and only continued to climb higher, eventually reaching the first cross and banging on it with his fists.

"Okay, this one's solid wood. I'm gonna try the other beam."

The pogues and Jessie and Rafe couldn't believe their eyes, as they watched Pope not so gracefully scoot to the other cross.

"Pope, that's rotten as shit right there." JJ protested once more, muttering something else about how Pope wasn't exactly coordinated. Pope once again let their words go in one ear and out the other.

"It has to be here... I know it." Pope replied confidently as he continued banging his fist against the wood. With another swift move from one side to the other, Pope's foot kicked away a piece of excess wood, causing it to fall to the ground. Everyone down below him jumped, clearly scared that the whole roof was about to cave in just from that one little piece. Thankfully it didn't but the disruption caused Pope to take a closer look, revealing a tiny glint of what looked to be gold.

"That beam's not solid..." Pope realized with hope in his tone. "Go get a crowbar!"

Sarah frantically exited the church to grab the requested tool. As she rummaged through the bag she could've sworn she heard a rustling in the woods. She quickly looked around her, not seeing anything. She wildly ran back into the church, feeling as if something was watching her. She didn't think it was the right time to say anything, instead she threw the crowbar to Pope.

Pope began to carefully but anxiously pry at the wood, trying to contain his excitement and stay focused on not falling.

"Holy shit!" Pope screamed as the wood started to fall off of the beam. Everyone else soon realized what he was so excited about as they saw more and more of the coveted golden cross come out of the woodwork— literally. It was beautifully adorned with diamonds and precious jewels of all colors, shapes, and sizes.

Everyone whooped and hollered as they realized they had finally found the treasure they were looking for. Pope, in his excitement, had to remind himself to hold onto the beam. In the quick motion of Pope trying to regain balance, it was the cross that ended up off kilter. The cross inevitably tumbled out of the beam and thankfully everyone still had their eyes glued to it.

"Shit shit shit shit shit." JJ exclaimed as everyone quickly got out of the way. JJ had his arms around Kie, John B had his arms around Sarah, and Rafe had his arms around his two girls. They all covered their eyes and their heads, hoping nothing else would hit them on its way down. Once they finally heard the thud of the cross on the wooden floor, they all slowly looked back towards the scene, seeing the cross even closer.

"How the hell did that not just fall through the floor?!" Sarah asked almost as a joke, even though everyone was in amazement at the fact as well.

"I'm glad it didn't fall through the floor..." everyone heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the entryway of the church. "Seeing as you're all about to load it into the truck I have waiting outside." Carla Limbrey's voice rang through the church once more as everyone turned to see the crippled blonde standing before them, accompanied by her brother, who had a gun to none other than Rose Cameron's head.

Before Rafe could even complete the shift towards the door he already had his gun drawn, truly becoming instinct at this point. Jessie quickly followed suit. Passing Charley to the closest person, that being Kie, and drawing her gun from her jean shorts as well. Rafe saw Jessie's gun pulled out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't have time to be shocked that she still carried it after the other night. Instead, he was silently grateful she had it on her... and slightly turned on. Still, he remained focused on the people in front of him.

The Pogues on the other hand, were more than shocked at the scene in front of them, mainly at the modern day Bonnie and Clyde they were watching unfold right before their eyes. Despite JJ's attempts at staying focused on the Limbrey's holding Rose Cameron hostage, he couldn't help but glance over at Rafe and Jessie and think this is why they're perfect for each other. Here they were, together, both willing to put their lives on the line to save the people they loved the most. Not only would they die for each other, but they'd kill for each other too.

"Kiara... take Charley-"

"Don't," Jessie interrupted her husband. "There's probably more of them outside."

"Could be..." Carla spoke up with a shrug of her shoulders. "But you'll never know." She completed with a sheepish half-smile.

"You're not getting shit." Rafe proudly proclaimed through labored breaths as he tried to cool his trigger finger.

"Oh, I think I am, Mr. Cameron. Because if I don't, I'll blow this woman's head off."

"We don't know that woman." Jessie calmly stated with Limbrey still in her sights as well. The response earned a chuckle and a head shake from the crippled woman.

"Oh, sweetheart..." Carla said in a maniacally hushed tone. "You know exactly who this woman is. See, I found her, in Tannyhill. I think she was looking for you?" Limbrey explained as she pointed at Rafe with furrowed eyebrows. Rafe had no doubt in his mind that Rose was looking for him, however, he didn't know what she knew just yet, and now was not the time to find out. Even if he did ask Rose what she knew, she couldn't answer due to the gag around her mouth. Although, her eyes still conveyed a message, one that was clearly only in need of Rafe pulling that trigger. "But not only did I find her... I found something much more valuable." Limbrey whispered as she took a few wobbly steps closer and cleared her throat. "I found... the Island room, and that's exactly what led me here. So, back to my original point. You're going to give me what I want... or Renfield here... will put a bullet in her skull."

To say that the pogues... Pope especially... were conflicted is an understatement. There he stood, with his family's most prized possession rightfully returned to him, and he just had to... give it up? All to save Rose Cameron, a woman who never did anything for him or any of the pogues, a woman who was married to a terrible man, a woman who was an accomplice to many terrible things her husband did.

All the pogues looked around at each other with wide eyes as if to beg someone to say something and decide what's going on. Rafe and Jessie still had their sights set on the pair of intruders in front of them.

Jessie was the only one that wasn't conflicted about the situation, knowing exactly what needed to happen to escape the terror before them.

Before anymore words could be said, three loud shots rung through the wooden walls of the church, Rose falling to the ground with a fatal gunshot to the head. Before Renfield could recover from the shock, a bullet was put through his skull as well, Limbrey quick to follow before she could register what had happened either. There all three of them lay dead in the entryway of the church.

Rafe shook uncontrollably as he lowered his gun and looked at it inquisitively, not a shot had been fired from it. He labored for breaths as he looked over at his wife to see her lowering her gun with a calm demeanor, not breaking eye contact from the dead bodies a few yards in front of her. Her face looked like that of a stone cold killer, like the face of a mother who would-- no, just did-- do anything she needed to protect her family. Rafe immediately walked over to Jessie, trying to talk her out of whatever adrenaline induced coma she was in.

Now JJ remembered why they were so perfect for each other... deep down, Jessie was always just as volatile as Rafe, if not more so, she just knew how to control it.

Jessie eventually looked around the room with a stolid look that sent a chill down everyone's spine, as if she was totally unphased.

"Is everyone alright?" Jessie asked through deep breaths as she looked around the room. Nobody quite knew what to say.

"Are we alright? Are we alright?!" JJ spoke up, truly at a loss for words, not knowing what emotion to feel. "Jessie, are you alright? You just shot like half the people in this room!"

"Yeah, get Charley outta here! And someone go with Kie!" Rafe demanded, finally bringing himself back to reality just enough to register that his daughter was unfortunately still in the room. With that, everyone filed out except for JJ, feeling like this conversation was strictly a family affair.

"I'm fine!" Jessie snapped with anger. "I did what I had to do." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders and knitted brows.

"Jess... we could've found another way-"

"Like what, Rafe? Let those jackasses take what's ours? Then we go on some other quest to get it back, get Charley or someone else hurt in the process, and lose what money and dignity we still have? No, no, I'm tired of this game! I never asked to play! I just tied up every loose end we had!" Jessie proclaimed. JJ and Rafe looked at each other with the same facial expression knowing she was completely right. They both knew exactly where she was coming from. Jessie put her hands in her hair in frustration, adopting one of her husband's mannerisms from the stress. "And now, thanks to me, we can finally all start fresh wherever we want! You swore you wouldn't get violent in front of our daughter... but I didn't. You should be thanking me that Charley will never have to have that memory of you because I did what needed to be done!" She yelled as she looked to Rafe for reassurance. The judgement and confusion on Rafe's face immediately turned to pity, as he licked his lips and walked closer to his wife, catching her as she fell into his embrace. He held her close as she sighed into his chest. JJ just stood there, still in complete shock at what just happened.

"Alright, uh, guys, I know this is a lot but... we gotta move. Alright? The longer we're here the more exposed we are." JJ explained frantically, genuinely feeling bad about interrupting such an important moment but also knowing he had no other choice.

Rafe heard JJ loud and clear and nodded towards him in understanding. He peeled Jessie off of him and held her shoulders squarely in front of him, leaning down to be eye level.

"You're gonna go back to JJ's with Charley and everyone else... and JJ and I will take care of this here." Rafe commanded in a hushed serious tone.

"Rafe, no I can handle-"

"I'm not asking." Rafe interrupted, not with crassness, but with a stern plea. Rafe knew Jessie was unpredictable right now, he knew that feeling better than anyone else. Jessie sighed in annoyance and shook her head. The three of them walked out of the church, Jessie not so carefully trudging over the bodies below her.