-24 -

Carnage is what Stella would describe the current situation. They found the cross, but Pope almost died from bees so they had to ditch the cross and guess who steals it in the meantime? Yup, Limbrey and co. Anyway, there's a new plan, she thinks. So right now Stella and Sarah were heading back to the Cameron's.

"So what's the plan?" Stella asks just before the reach the door.

"You distract my brother while I grab the keys."

"What?!" She exclaims and Sarah smacks her hand over Stella's mouth.

"Shhh, I would ask Wheezie but I don't want to get her involved. And I know you can distract him for long enough.... not like that Stella." She corrects herself seeing Stella's face. "I mean that, you could just argue or something, honestly who else could do it?"

"Wheezie?" Stella mumbled against Sarah's hand.

"I just said I don't want to get her involved."

"Fine." She removed her hand,  "But you owe me."

"Oh Im doing you a favour." Sarah chuckled as Stella entered the house. 

"You were my favourite Cameron." Stella points at her before heading upstairs to find Rafe.

"Hello." She leans against his door.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" He asks, not looking up.

"Wheezie let me in, and i'm looking for your sister."

"She's not with you?"

"Yeah she is. That's why I am here ... looking for her." Stella deadpans, walking towards his bathroom.

"What are you doing now?" He sighs following her in.

"Looking for Sarah."

"Why would she be in my bathroom?"

"Um I don't know..." Stella moves so that she's standing with her back to the door, "might want to try drowning her again?"

Rafe's mouth drops slightly.

"Yup, you're not the only one who knows everything." She grins while shutting the door. "Oh shit. Would you look at that? " They both look down at the door handle in her hand.

"What have you don- oh you fucking got to be kidding me." Rafe groans. "You just broke my fucking door."

"You'd think you Kooks would have better quality door handles. Now back to you and Sarah."

"You just broke my door, I have places to be!" He exclaims, motioning to his door.

"So this is my fault?" She asks innocently.

"Of course it's your fault Ettie, i'm not the one with a door handle in my hand."

Stella drops the handle, and it lands straight onto his foot. "I'm not holding anything."

"Bitch." He hisses .

"What was that?"

"I called you a bitch." He steps forward.

"Wow you're such a gentleman Rafe. Daddy would be proud."

"Don't." He grabs her shoulders pushing her against the door, "You think this is funny huh?"

Stella scowls, "No I don't think you pushing me against the door is funny."

"Oh my god." He groans in frustration, letting go and walking to the other side of the room. "You're so fucking annoying."

"So i've been told." She glances at her nails, knowing the longer she had him in here the better.

"Move."

"What?"

"Move. Im have to get out of here."

"What? Are you not enjoying my company?" Stella teases, and he looks at her but doesn't answer.  Rafe focuses his attention of the door, and she watches as he eventually breaks it down.

"Now what has the door every done to you?" She jokes but he walks out and shuts it on her. 

"What the fuck Rafe!" Stella yells, as she tries to open it.

"It's just karma Ettie." He tells her.

"Oh you little bitch." She huffed, before trying to barge against the door.

Eventually  Stella gets out, she was going to leave  but spots Rose going to the basement and decides to  stand at the top of stairs to listen in.

"Im not letting you out, Sarah. Not until you calm down, Okay?"

Stella's eyes widen as she quickly texts to Pogues.

"Rafe what the hell is going on?"Rose asks.

"Who is that?"

"Rose?" Sarah cries.

"Why is she locked in there?" Rose asks

"Rafe locked me in!" Sarah yells

"She's locked in there because sometimes you have to make the hard choice, right? She just didn't get that. You fail to understand that constantly, don't you? Huh?"

"Wheeze? Stella?"  Sarah calls out.

"Sarah sweetie"  Rose start when Rafe comes upstairs.

"Oh hey, Rafe" Stella smiles, trying to act casual.

 He grabs her arm, "So this is why you broke my door handle? Also how did you get out?"

"Magic and you just need better quality handles. "  Rafe doesn't buy it. "And... Wheezie texted me that  she hadn't heard from Sarah, and wanted my help."

"Yeah, right." He drags her upstairs. "Wanna tell me what's really going on?"

"Do you wanna tell me what's going on?" She mimics, crossing her arms. He pushes her back into his room.

"Where are your little friends, huh?"

"Where are your friends?" She  repeats.

He exhales, "You're making this a lot harder than it has to be."

"You're making this a lot harder than it has to be."

"Don't fucking push it." He warns.

"Don't fuck-" She's cut off as he pins her against the wall. "Kinky. I didn't realise how much you were -"

"Estella." He grits through his teeth.

"You just don't believe me Rafe."

"Yeah, cause you're fucking lying Ettie!" He walks off, grabbing  something on his way out.

"Hey, where are you going? We aren't done talking " She rushes in front of him.

"Im done talking to a liar. I've got to take care of something"

"Can't it just wait a minute?"

He sighs, "What do you need?"

"Um... I just... well the funny thing is... you know."

"Mmm" He crosses his arms look down at her. "really convincing. Look I really gotta do something."

"Cool I'll come with you."

"No you won't"

Stella nods but still follows him down the stairs.

"Rafe, Wait." Rose catches him before he leaves,"I just talked to Sarah."

"She said there's a dead boys in the truck, right?" Rafe asks stopping by the door.

"What!" Stella exclaims and Rose looks at her.

"Stella?"

"Hi Rose. Good to see you. Not." She smiles.

"Yeah. That's Renfield" Rafe continued. " I didn't do shit." he tells Rose, then looks at Stella .

" I didn't do shit, Okay? Limbrey shot him" Rose looks at him wearily while Stella slowly nods.  " I took the truck, and I left the old lady at the hangar, all right?"

He turns his attention back to Rose, who looks like she is about to cry. " I got the cross for all of us, okay? I did! And I was just getting ready to take care of Renfield when you came up. You should be... you should be thanking me"

"Do what you have to do with the body, '' Rose whispers, looking at Stella cautiously. "Get the cross to the Wharf. And deal with her"

"Im on it" He nods, "Come on." He grabs her arm, pulling her with him. Charming.

Stella stares out the window while Rafe drives, she was trying to come up with a plan when she spots Pope running and jumping on the back of the truck. What an idiot.

"What was that? Rafe asks looking in the wings mirrors.

"What?" Stella looks at him confused.

"I heard a thud."

"Well maybe it's Renfield's dead body rolling around" Stella smirks.

"Hey, I said, I didn't kill him!"

"Whatever" She rolls her  eyes, turning back to the window. 

"Are you mad at me? Because I feel like you're mad at me... You know I did this for my family Ettie. Okay? If the Pogues got the cross and had a dead body would you be mad? Probably not."

"Yeah but at least the cross belonged to one of them. To Pope. Who could actually use the money from it." She mumbles.

"Well, I got this cross fair and square so. It's their loss."

"Hardly say it was fair." She presses her lips together, finally looking over at him.

"Okay well I have it now. You can't change that."

"Where are we even going?"

"Just dropping something off"

"Renfield?"

"If you were in my position you would do the same thing, for your family, for your parents?"

"Don't bring my parents into this Rafe."

He doesn't say anything, and they drive in silence for a while, until he starts up the conversation again. 

" So... do you you wanted to talk about the other night?

"Hmm?... Oh shit, yeah... I just, um... no."

"Okay." He nods, and Stella stared at him confused.

"I just don't understand." She sighs, "You were nice that night but then tonight you call me a bitch and lock me in your bathroom."

"You were being a bitch and broke my door handle. Also I didn't lock you in, the door was just stiff."

"Well I wouldn't of had to do that if you didn't steal the cross from Pope."

"I didn't steal it! You left it in the church for anyone to find."

"But you knew it was Pope's."

"You know Jack showed up here." Rafe changes the subject.

"Was he buying coke off you?" Stella sulked.

"No...no, he was here to ask... about you.... and me."

"Why?"

"He asked if we were together and I said no. And then he asked why I punched him then."

"And what did you say then?"

"Because you clearly wanted him to stop but he wasn't." He glances at her, "Look, Ettie I might have done some fucked up things."

"Like almost drown your sister."

"Yes but I am not a bad person."

"So shooting your sister, almost drowning her, and killing Peterkin is fine but you draw the line at sexual assault? Noted."

The truck comes to a stop, and Rafe turns his whole body to her, "I never liked Jack."

"Ah. He's just another person you don't like. So when do I get almost killed by you?" She tilts her head.

"Um.. technically I almost drowned you in the sewers."

"Touché."  Stella looks out the window, "You know Rafe, I never really saw you as a romantic. I mean driving me to who knows where in the dark, to dump a dead body... I feel so special, dream first date."

"Shut up... I have standards."

"Oh so this isn't a date, and you're gonna dump by body here too?"

"Stay here." Rafe tells her, ignoring her comment as he gets out.

For once Stella listens, waiting as Rafe gets rid of the body when she hear a grunt. Looking at the wing mirror she can't see anything, so she opens the door just in time to see Rafe pushing Pope to the ground. Oh for fuck sake.

"Rafe! Stop." Stella yells running over as he continues to punch Pope. He glances over at her giving Pope a chance to push him off.

"Guys stop." She yells again as they roll around on the ground

"Get back in the truck Ettie" Rafe warns, choking Pope. Pope then elbows him in the nose and Rafe pushes him off walking to his side of the truck. Stella goes to check on Pope.

"Shit, Pope. Are you okay. Im so sorry. I promise I have nothing to do with this." She checks his face, "You should probably hide.".

Rafe comes back round pointing a gun but it's just Stella standing there.

"Where is he?"

"Put the gun down Rafe."

He look out at the swamp "It's me or the gators. Good luck!" He yells out, going to close the truck doors.

Stella glares at him, "Get in the truck Ettie."

"Give me the gun." "What? No"

"I'll give it back later, but for now, gun."

He huffs placing it in her hand as she's uses her other hand to punch his arm.

"Ow." He rubs his arm.

"Is Pope someone else you don't like?" She causally asks as they head back to the truck, Rafe just scoffs at her.