-33-

"He left me. He left me with nothing"  Rafe mutters to himself as Stella walks in. "No other freaking option."

"Hey crazy, you okay?" She interrupts him. 

"Yeah, Im good. Im good." He cross his arms.   "Actually.. do you ever feel like every move is the wrong one or something? Does that make sense?"

"Duh, all the time."

"Really?"

"Yes. For example, I could've finally graduated and gone to college but instead Im running around after gold."

"Yeah.. so" He sits down on the couch. "If we talk hypothetically, that im in this position ... right now. Uh, if I do what's good for me... like the smart thing then i gotta be really hard on someone else."

"This about your dad?" He nods. "Well, you gotta look out for yourself and you know how-"

"I know but help... helping me is gonna hurt him."

Stella sighs, sitting next to him. "The loyalty you have for your dad, shocks me. But at the end of the day he is your family. So don't do something you're gonna regret, and whine about for the rest of your life.  But hey... at least this time round you've thought it through, that's progress." She pats his face.

"Yeah... shit I gotta tell Barry. Why... what do you need?"

"Nothing... nothing important, you should... go tell Barry."

"So you just came to my house to...."

"I just gave you some amazing advice, you should be glad I rocked up." Stella smirks.

"You told me not to have my dad killed even though you hate him."

"Well killing isn't alway the answer, as we've seen...also I came because I left some stuff here."

"When did you do that?"

"When you got a house big enough to house a family of seven." She smiles.

"I really need to change the locks."

"Don't bother psycho boy."

"Woah, woah. You broke into my house?"

"No. The door was unlocked... but if you were to change the locks, and lock the doors, I'd still get in."

"Oh and im the psycho."

"Wait now who has the bigger body count, again?"

"Depends, what type of body count are we referring too?" Rafe smirks.

"I think we both know." She leans in to whisper. "Then again, how's Sofia?"

"Jealous?"

"No I feel sorry for the poor girl. She has to deal with a rich, psycho, daddy-loving Kook."

"That's really what you think of me?"

"Oh no, there's worse.... do you want an example?" She asks, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"Well..." She smiles to herself, "I don't know what her sex drive is like but let's hope it's low because...you barley lasted what... 2 minutes?  And that was with someone you didn't even like." Stella turns to look at Rafe and mockingly pouts.

"Is that all you think about? Sex?"

"No."

"Hmmm you know it's funny you mention that ... because you didn't have to kiss me then, and then... you also didn't have to kiss me on the boat. So that jealously argument, oh it's not looking good Ettie." 

"Why would I be jealous? So what I kissed you, it didn't mean anything... I gather you've kissed Sofia loads, does she mean anything to you?"

"Well, I haven't kissed so... I wouldn't know."

"See- wait what?"

"She just stayed over, we haven't done anything."

"Oh my god you are a psycho, you've got a gorgeous girl in your bed and you what? Just fell asleep?"

"Well unlike you I don't fuck every person that looks in my direction."

"That's not true! For starters I haven't fucked you and you seem to love staring at me!"

"Yeah but you've though about it."

"Oh someone needs their ego checking." She rolls her eyes dramatically.

"Who kissed who again?"

"Shut the fuck up! Who lasted less then 2 minutes again?"

"Like you could last longer?" Rafe scoffs.

"Yes I could."

"Prove it."

"Fine!" Stella slams her phone of the table. " 2 minutes, yeah?"

"Yeah." Rafe nods.

"Easy." She glares.

"We will see..." He smirks, pushing her legs apart, "Press start then unless you don't-."

Stella leans forward to press start , trying to remain calm as Rafe's hand run up her inner thigh.  As she leans back, his hand slides into her underwear, Stella scowls at him. 

Rafe smirks back.   She presses her lips together as he chuckles, "Struggling?"

"No."

"Your mouth might be saying no but your body... you're not lasting 2 minutes."

"Better hurry up them." She spits. 

Unexpectedly, Rafe removes his fingers from her. He grabs her hips, pulling her onto his lap.

"What are you-" Stella goes to ask, but stops herself when she feels some hard as Rafe guides her hips back and forth.

Rafe keeps one hand on her hip, as his other crawls up her body, he smirks before pulling down her bikini top, "Can I?"

"Can you what?"

"Do this, "He leans forward and his mouth grazes her across her breast.

"Yeah." She gulps, thankfully he couldn't see her face.  Stella bit down on her lip trying to think of something to distract herself. She quickly glances back at her phone, 45 seconds. Easy.

That was until she felt his hand under her. She pulls back slightly which she instantly regretted as she made eye contact with Rafe.

"I never seen you so quiet Ettie."

She just shrugs at him trying to ignore what his fingers were doing, Rafe notices. He smirks as he picks up the pace. His mouth moves to  her neck making his way up until his lips hover above hers.

"Come on baby, I know you want to."

"Never."

He hums as his lips press against her ,  Stella couldn't help herself as she rolls her hips against him. Just as a moan was about to escape her lips, the alarm on her phone rang.  Rafe doesn't stop though, he holds her as he leans forward to turn the alarm off without his lips leaving hers.

"You win.... " He mumbles against them as he leans back against the couch. "Now stop being stubborn."

"Im not...im-" Rafe lifts her up, placing her back on the couch, "What are you- Rafe 2 minutes is -" She gasps as his mouth replaces where his finger just were. He doesn't stop as her legs start to shake, her hip buck up  as her head tilts back. She feels Rafe chuckle against her and she was gone. 

"I'd say 2 and a half minutes is fair." Rafe sits up, looking down at her smugly. "Given that scientifically women-"

"Given that scientifically..." Stella mocks him. 

"Hey!" He leans places his hand either side of her of her head, "Now tell me have any of your one night stands done better then 3 minutes ? Or does hating someone just get you off?"

"I've had better." She scoffs, pushing him off her. "Now I've gotta go."

"Where you off too?"

"Pogue stuff." 

"Sure you'll be able to walk there?" He smirks, and she whacks his chest.

"I still lasted longer than you."

"But scientifically-"

"Scientifically my ass, goodbye Rafe." She waved, walking away. 

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

"Stella, thank god." Sarah exclaims as she walks towards them and the plane. 

"Hello?" She walks up to them, "Where's Kie and JJ?"

"Kiara's parents..." Sarah waves her hands, "JJ's gone to get her."

"Do we have time?"

"I don't know."

"Let's hope."

"Cool, Rach is also like totally fine with this..." Stella chucks her stuff in the plane, "So I told her she needs to work on her parenting skills but then she reminded me im almost twenty. So I feel old now."

They all waited,  they waited until it was dark but still no answer from JJ.

"We have to go. We don't have eight hours." Sarah tells John B who's trying to get through to JJ. "And Topper might've already called the police."

"Topper was here?" Stella asks. "How did that feel John B?"

"Don't." He warns her. "And I'll call JJ again, actually Stella you do it."

"Yes sir." She salutes, before pulling up his number.

"Wait, that might be JJ right there." Cleo nods to the bike. Stella knew that wasn't JJ and stepped inside the plane to call him.

"Come on, help! Help!" She hears Rafe yell, as Stella gets a text from JJ. She doesn't have time to read it as Sarah and Rafe are dragging Ward into the plane. Sarah quickly runs back out and Stella occupies herself by texting JJ again.

"He's not going to make it guys... and im not talking about Ward." Stella yells out. "So are you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah. " John B nods, when Stella hears someone behind. She looks up to see Rafe staring down at Pope. She heads to John B and Sarah.

"So do you want me to tell him-"

"Don't worry I've got it." John B nods, diverting his attention to his phone. 

"Please take care of him." Rafe tells Sarah but she just walks past. John B goes to join her but Rafe stop him, "If you do anything to him, anything, i swear to God I'll find you."

"We gotta go." Stella sighs, hearing sirens. "And so do you, Rafe." She finally looks at him.

"Wait, Rafe! Rafe!" Ward appears at the door.

"Dad, hey! Get back on the plane. They're coming right now."

"I gotta talk to you. Come here quick." Stella watches the man limp down the stairs. "Rafe now!"

Stella awkwardly stands at the bottom of the stairs finding herself hearing in the midst of a daddy-son conversation.

"Thank you." Wards tells Rafe. "Yeah, thank you."

"Don't thank me." Rafe says as he is pulled into a hug.

"Yep, yep, you're a good boy."

"Im not."

"Yes you are. Look. Doesn't matter what happens in the middle, it's how you come out in the end. Look at me! Look at me! I know what you did, okay? I don't care, cause you came back for me, right? You're in control now, You're the man. All of it is yours, everything here. You're the man now. You proved yourself, okay? I love you, Buddy." Ward tells Rafe before slowly getting back in to the plane.

"You know what... I didn't hate that one." Stella chuckles.

"You gotta go."

"Don't you want to hear my big speech?"

"You've got a speech?"

"Nah, don't worry and I don't have time to free-style one either."

"Thank god." Rafe smirks.

"Bye then."

"Wait-" He grabs her wrist.

"Rafe I have to-

"Go, I know. Just... don't...."

"Oh don't worry, Im defo coming back in one piece. We need a rematch." She winks. Rafe doesn't have time to reply as the cops are rounding the corner, and the fact he was lost for words. Stella rushes into the plane just as the door start to shut, and Rafe stares into space, waiting as the cops surround him.