-25-

"Unfortunately, I can't let you run off back to the Pogues, so you're coming with me." Rafe tells Stella as they pull up at the docks.

"And where is that exactly" She asks as they get out the car.

"You'll see." Rafe smirks, before motioning to a guy, who comes over and grabs her arm, 

"Ow, what the fuck Rafe?"

"It's just precaution. No hard feelings okay?"

"Oh there are hard feelings. You better sleep with one eye open Cameron. This is kidnapping." Stella spews out as she is dragged away.  "Also a boat?, I hate boats and you and-" Rafe has walked off. "Dickhead."

Stella was locked in a small room for what felt like hours, she refrained from looking out the window, the rocking of the boat already freaking her out. She was contemplating knocking the door down when it opened. 

"Hey." Rafe walks in, " Look, I just had to make sure you weren't going to do anything. Okay?"

She runs her tongue across my teeth looking away from him. "Ettie" he sits down next to her.

"You have a lot of explaining to do Rafe."

"Yes. I will. I'll explain everything.... soon." 

"Don't act like your some sweet saviour. " She snaps, "You basically kidnapped me. You could've just left me on the dock because  for your information I wasn't going to do anything."

"How was I suppose to know you weren't going to do anything?"

"It's the thing called trust." She stands up. "And the fact I don't want to go wherever we are going."

"Trust? Since when can we trust each other." He asks and she rolls her eyes, "Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Roll your eyes at me, like im being stupid or something-"

"More like because you're being annoying and a dick."

"I don't have time for this." He huffs. "There is something you should know though."

He stands up grabbing her arm, she tries to get out of it but he grips it tighter, "Rafe let go I can walk myself." She tugs again, "Rafe!"

He glances back at her and immediately lets go, "Right. Now don't freak out okay." Rafe tells her, as they walk to another room. 

"If it's Ward then you're gonna have to hold me back." He rolls his eyes, holding the door open for her. In the room was  Ward and Sarah.

"Stella?" Sarah looks at her. "Were you in on this?"

"No. I'm here against my own will and I found out about him about 30 seconds ago." She glares at Ward, as Rafe guides her over to the other side of the room. Slightly cautious that she might actually attack his dad.

"Sweetie, What I need you to understand more than anything is that I never imagined that you would be there. I wanted to call you immediately to tell you that I was okay, to explain it all. It broke my heart that I couldn't" Ward carries on talking to Sarah. "But I had to make sure Rafe got away."

Stella looks at Rafe who is watching his father, "Thank you dad. At least one of us is grateful."

"That's psychopathic, both of you." Sarah states and Stella nods.

"I promised Rafe that he wouldn't go to prison for helping me"

"Wait, you knew he was alive this whole time?" Stella exclaims turning to Rafe. He says nothing.

" I had to make good on that promise." Ward says

"Not that you care." Rafe mumbles to Sarah

"Did it look like I didn't care when I thought Dad was dead?"

"It actually looked like you cared about running off with some asshole"

"Rafe-" Ward tries to stop him

"It looked like all you cared about was the inheritance, oh and apparently Stella now? What's going on there huh?!"

"Yes, you cared! You cared! That's the point" Wards yells interrupting her. "Anybody on that dock could see how much you cared, sweetheart. And I know you're angry right now and rightfully so. The important thing is that it's all behind us now. It is. We're gonna live a new life, all of us together. where Im taking you, it's paradise"

"And Stella?" She nods to her. "Did she know all about this? Does she have a choice?"

"No ." She glares between Rafe and Ward.

"Stella is coming with us now, don't worry I had Rose contact your Aunt."

"What?! And she agreed."

"Yes, we said we're taking a family vacation to this place off of Guadeloupe and Sarah wanted you to come with us" He turns back to Sarah. "And oh, by the way, all those A's you got in French are about to pay off, cause they speak French there." Ward places some something in front of Sarah.

She pushes them away, "I want to call my friends, and I want to call my boyfriend. Can I at least tell them Im okay? Im sure Stella would like to do the same"

"Yes of course you can. As soon as we get there, you can call John B" Ward nods "He knows you're here, right?"

"No, he doesn't" Sarah states.

"When you were getting ready, he came by the house, and Rose talked to him." Ward explains. "You know the cross you've all been looking for? Rafe was able to get it."

Sarah sighs, leaning against the couch.

"Turns out that, I guess, historically, it belongs to the Heywards."

"Yeah I know."

"And so you thought, let's take it off them." Stella nods sarcastically.

Ward ignores her, to busy  looking at Sarah, but Rafe  nudges her, , clearly wanting her to stay quiet.

"It also turns out that the most important thing to me is you, so I gave John B the cross. For you."

Rafe nudges Stella again, and she smacks his arm away. He glares down at her and she goes to step away but he grabs her wrist. "Stop." He mouths, and she sighs in defeat. 

"And John B was okay with that?" Sarah asks her dad.

"Well um, I had just given him a half-billion-dollar artefact, so, yeah he seemed pretty okay."

"I don't know what to tell you. He's a Pogue." Ward whispers.

Stella clears her throat. "Oh yes but Stella, you're different. I mean you're practically family so..."

"So i'm not a Pogue? Or so you don't care that i'm a Pogue?"

He doesn't answer and she looks at him confused. "Rose, Wheezie come on in." He yells instead.

Wheezie runs over to Sarah, "Sarah. Sarah. Hey. we are going to our very own private island."

Stella smiles at Wheezie's innocent, as Sarah glares at Ward.

"She's not feeling real well right now, sweetheart. But she will be."

"Speaking of not feeling well, the ship is giving me crazy motion sickness. So can I go... lay down or something. Also leave you lot to catch up."

"Yeah sure. Suppose you've never been on a boat like this. Rafe you can go with her?"

Stella scowls at his unnecessary comment but pulls her arm out of Rafe's grip and walks out.

"Yeah Dad , sure."

"I'll come grab you in a bit anyway."

Stella doesn't bother waiting for Rafe. As she enters the room, she sits down , holding her head in her hands.

"You get used to it after a while." Rafe stands in front of her.

"What?"

"The ship"

"Oh i don't feel ill I just wanted to leave your fucked up family reunion.... I can't believe you knew Ward was alive this whole time."

"What? No. I actually only recently found out. Trust me."

"Trust? Since when can we trust each other?"  She mocks him.  

"You know..." Rafe slowly sits down next her and she looks over at him, "I think I can name a few situation where we've trusted each other."

"Oh congrats!"

"Ettie." He sighs.

"Rafe." She mocks, laying back onto the couch. 

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"No Rafe, im not okay! Im stuck in a room with you in the middle of the ocean because you decided to kidnap me!"

"I didn't really kidnap you " He  looks down at her.

"Hmm i think our definitions of kidnapping are slightly different. Not to mention you locked me in a room. Again!"

"Rafe, you ready?" Ward ask knocks on the door. Rafe goes to stand up but Stella grabs his wrist. 

"Lock me in a room again, or kidnap me and I swear-"

"It wasn't kidnapping." He huffs, "And your broke my door handle."

"Thin ice." She mumbles as he leave  and locks the room.  "Oh you fucking dick."

Rafe doesn't return and Stella doesn't bother trying to get out until she hears voices, "Hello?!" She bangs on the door.

A few moments later , it  opens. "Forget about me?" She asks not looking at who opened it.

"Stella?" It's John B. "Where's Sarah?"

"Oh, hey ... Um I don't know."

"Right, come on we gotta find her, the others are getting the cross."

"Sarah" John B yells as they head into the steam room. He goes left and she goes right.

"Watch your head." Stella overhears Rafe, "What the hell are you doing here, John B?"

"Just put that thing down, all right?"

"Why would I do that? Huh?"

"This isn't about you, all right?"

"It's not about me?"

"No. This is about Sarah, okay?"

"I don't know. I think it is."

John B tries to run, but Rafe hits him in the stomach, and he falls to the ground.

"Same old shit."

"You don't have to do this, all right?

"Pogues stealing from us. You know, I can't.. Im not gonna let that happen." He goes to stab John B.

"Stop!" Stella yells, distracting him for a minute so John B can get up.

"Where you going huh?" Rafe yells after him, ignoring her. She tries to follow when hot steam shoots out part of the ship. Rafe grunts out in pain covering his eyes.

"Go. Go" Stella motions to John B, before turning back to Rafe, "That looked like it hurt." 

"Not shit Sherlock." He rubs his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Stella find herself scanning his face, only looking away when he opens his eyes.

"What?" He asks.

"Nothing... just that...i'm just gonna..." She grabs the weapon out his hand before running off.

"Estella!?" He yells after her.

" Sorry Rafe!" She calls back, heading back upstairs. "But also karma!"

Making  it to the top, she  immediately spot Kiara., "Kie, Hi!"

"Stella watch out."

As she goes to turn around,  one of the crew members push her against the rails. "Get off me" she grunts, as something heavy strikes the side of my head.  He pushes her again and she falls backwards overboard. As her body submerges in water it all goes black.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

"Pope! " John B yells driving the boat over.

"We're over here," Pope and Cleo wave.

"Give me you hand! " Sarah yells to Cleo, as John B pulls Pope into the boat.

JJ helps Sarah pull Cleo into the boat, "Where's Stella and Kie?

"I thought they were with you?" Pope states.

"No" JJ exclaims. 

" Oh we gotta find them guys." John B panics.

"Last time I saw them was on the other side of the ship." Cleo says as John B starts driving.

"John B help! " Kie yells, still holding Stella.

"There they are. Hey!" Cleo points.

"Stella. Stella!" They all yelling spotting her knocked out.

"Oh My god!"

"No! No! No! No!" JJ exclaims pulling her into the boat as John B grabs Kiara.

"Stella!" Kie checks on her as they drive off. They get a couple meters away from the ship when the boat stops.

"Shit we're stalling out."

"You serious? We're sitting ducks."

"We gotta go."

Sarah spots Rafe with the gun.

"He's pointing at us. Hurry!" Pope yells

"Kie, move Stella here." Sarah says.

"What?"

"If Rafe see her.. maybe he won't shoot." Sarah pulls Stella's body into Rafe eye-line as Kie tries to get her to wakeup.

"Stella Wake up." Kie shakes her. "Wake up!"

John B gets the engine running running agin."Go. Go. Go!"

"Stella Please! Please!"

"Wake up" JJ shakes her. Stella starts coughing up water.

"There you go. Yeah, yeah . Cough it out. Cough it out baby."

"Hey Stells, there you go."

"Welcome to the land of living duded." JJ smiles.

"No CPR needed, huh?"

"Hi!" Kie looks at her.

"Hey?" They all laugh as JJ pulls her in for a hug. "Just always looking for attention, huh?" He jokes.

"Yup, that's why I never learnt how to swim. For attention."

"You can't swim?" Cleo asks.

JJ shakes his head, "Maybe it was better that you were unconscious?" Stella laughs weakly, as he hugs her again. 

Back on the boat Rafe watches as the Pogues sail off to sea. He tries to get the picture of Stella's limp body out his brain as he goes to check on his father.