The Phantom: Alone

Willow's POV

I had an idea pop in my head after splitting up with Sarah, which led me to my house. I figure if I can get my hands on the gold I got from the well, then I can take it with me, and it looks like John B had the same idea, because I can see him creeping up towards Officer Shoupe's truck that's sitting outside of the Chateau. 

I quickly run up behind him, wrapping my hand around his mouth so he won't make any sound, he whips around, throwing a punch straight to my right eye, I fall back but his hands reach out and grab me before I hit the ground.

"Shit, Will, I'm so sorry." John B whispers, his finger tracing the sensitive area under my eye, "Can't sneak up on me like that right now."

"My bad," I quietly chuckle, "here to get the gold for me?"

He smiles and nods, "Great minds think alike, I see." I silently agree, "Get in the passenger seat, I saw him put my backpack in here, which means he probably found the gold." He gestures to Shoupe's truck, I slip into the seat while he hunches down and runs around the back, jumping in the other side. 

"Shit, it's push start, we need his key fob." I point to the start button near the steering wheel, his eyes go wide, we both glance over at the house, seeing Shoupe and Thomas walking around with gloves on while they search for something. My nosy side comes out so I click open the glove box, gasping when I see our melted blob of gold shining back at me, "Look Johnny." I smile and hold it up before stuffing it into my backpack. 

"Hell yeah," He grabs the PA radio and clicks the button on the side, "Shoupe, you there buddy? I think you know who it is. Come on out." We wait a moment, holding my breath when Shoupe and Thomas slowly walk out the front door, their hands on their pistols on their waist, "Nice and easy."

I hold my hands up when they draw their guns on us, "Wait, wait, don't shoot!"

"We just want to talk." John B stammers, fear in his voice. 

Shoupe lowers his gun, "Alright, hey, take it easy."

"We want to talk." He repeats himself.

"John B, Willow--"

"She didn't do it, Shoupe." John B cuts Thomas off.

"Calm down, both of you keep your hands where I can see them, alright?" Shoupe warns, "Now we're gonna approach the vehicle and neither of you are gonna run, and I won't chase. Okay?"

"Okay." We both agree at the same time, my hands shaky.

We have one shot at this, don't fuck it up John B.

"I want to talk to you, kids." Shoupe and Thomas cautiously walk down the steps, "I'm comin' down, now John B, I heard your sister is pregnant, we do not want her getting harmed so please don't do anything stupid when we get down there." 

"She didn't do it." My brother cries, making me tear up, "She was setup." 

"I'm listenin'," Shoupe edges closer to the truck, his gun in his hand at his waist.

"Take your hand off your gun," John B pleads, "Put it away, I don't want her to get hurt either." 

"Both of you take it easy," Shoupe breathes out, "Just keep your hands up for me."

"Then get your hands off your guns." John B warns, tears running down our faces.

He clicks his gun into his holster and turns to Thomas, "Get your hand off your weapon." Thomas angrily complies; his eyes boring into mine. "Alright, so we're gonna talk, right?"

John B and I both nod. 

Shoupe steps towards the truck again, "Okay."

"I want to tell you everything, okay?" I cry, "You have to believe me, I didn't do it, I could never kill someone, especially not Peterkin, she was always good to us."

"Hey!" Shoupe yells out when John B reaches for the ignition, "I want to see that hand." 

John B pushes the button, throwing the truck into gear and hits the gas while Shoupe and Thomas chase after us, "HEY! Don't you dare--"

We tear down the long gravel driveway, leaving them behind.

I let out a shaky laugh, "Holy shit, Johnny! We just stole a fucking cop car bro!" 

"Holy shit." John B laughs with me, "I can't believe we just did that."

I roll my window down and shout into the wind while we drive way too fast through town, "WHOO!"

John B turns on the sirens and smiles when the radio cackles, "Command, this is Shoupe at the suspects residence. We just had a confirmed sighting. Suspect is currently headed north on Middle road... in a Kildare County Sheriff's vehicle. She accompanied by her 17 year old brother, John B Routledge." 

I click off the sound and lean back, a wide smile on my face, "We're in for it now, brother."

"Indeed we are, sister." He smiles back, "Have you seen Sarah?"

"Yeah, she stayed with me all night, we ran from Rafe a few times today, then we split up. I tried talking her out of talking to the police but she insisted. But she said she'd meet me at the phantom."

"I hope she's okay." John B focuses on driving, wiping his tears away. 

We quickly make it to the drop off since we had the luxury of pretending we were cops. I notice JJ, Kie and Pope scrambling onto the phantom when they see us parking close by, I jump out and sling my backpack on my back, the gold nestled into the bottom of it.

JJs face lights up, making me smile, "Princess." 

"Jay."

"No effing way." Pope states in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kie laughs with JJ while they all rush over to us, "Hey wait," She touches my face, "who hit you?"

JJ turns me towards him and lightly rubs under my eye, "The fuck, who hurt you baby?"

I laugh and look at my brother, who's scratching the back of his neck, "Johnny boy decked me in the face earlier."

"WHAT?"

JJs face drops when he turns to John B, "Why? Bro she's.. she's already been through enough shit like that."

He holds his hands up, "She scared the shit out of me when I was sneaking up to Shoupe's truck at our house, I didn't know it was her until after I hit her."

"I was about to throw hands bro." JJ laughs, I shake my head with a smile on my face, "Alright time to leave." He wraps me in his arms, "Hi, Princess."

"Hi, Jay." I lean into his embrace, enjoying the comfort of him for the last time. 

"Yeah, Shoupe let us take the truck for a spin." John B jokes, "We had to get him close enough to the truck to get it turned on though, it was scary." 

"I don't think Shoupe believes that I killed Peterkin, he didn't seem that worried about us hurting him but Thomas hates me now." 

"I'm glad you made it here, we were getting worried since it's after 3." Kie pulls me into a hug when JJ lets me go, "Please be safe." 

"I will." 

"It wasn't easy, baby, but I got the phantom.. for.. for us." JJ nervously watches me smile at him, "And she runs like she was made yesterday. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am. But where's Sarah?"

"She wasn't with you?" Kie frowns, "She told me when she escaped her house she'd go find you."

"She did find me at our secret hiding spot but we separated this morning, she's supposed to meet me here and leave with me."

John B turns me, "What?"

"She can't stay, Johnny. Ward and Rafe are mad that she chose us over them, she told them she was going to protect me and turn Rafe in." I panic when sirens sound in the distance, "Fuck, I can't leave her."

JJ rests his hands on my shoulders, "She will be safe with John B, he can watch over her, but we have to go, okay? Or you'll go to jail." He wipes the tears that escape my eyes, "Come on, Princess."

I nod and turn to my brother and our friends, "I guess this is goodbye, for now at least." 

John B bursts into tears, "I love you, Will. Stick with JJ, don't do anything stupid and lay low for a while."

"I know. I love you guys." I cry with him, "I'll be okay, alright? Don't worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you," He pulls me into a tight but gentle hug, "that's what big brothers do."

"We'll miss you." Kie sniffles, "I'm sorry I cheated on you and I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend to you. Everything that happened was on me so don't feel like it was your fault."

I pull away from John B and hug her, "I'm not mad anymore, Kie. It's fine. You take care of these boys." I point to my brother and Pope, "And Sarah."

She laughs, "I will, don't worry about us. Now go before it's too late."

"We'll come find y'all when the heats off of you." Pope lightly hugs me, "We love you both." 

"I love y'all." 

Everyone gives JJ hugs and waves when we climb onto the Phantom, I cling to JJ when he starts the boat up, waving back as we drive away, off to Mexico we go. 

"I thought you'd make me stay behind." JJ mumbles against my hair when he kisses my head.

"I couldn't do that to you," I press a kiss to his jaw, "I love you too much to never see you again. And we have a baby to raise together."

"You want to be together?" He asks with a hopeful voice, glancing down at me while he drives.

"One day," I answer honestly, "once you've proven to me that I can trust you again. You can't take back what you did, but I hope you can prove you won't hurt me like that again. I want to believe you wouldn't put your hands on me while mad or say there's better girls than me. And I want to trust that you won't let your anger show when our baby is here."

"I could never hurt you like that again, baby, I promise," He kisses my head again, "I will regret what I did for the rest of my life, Willow. I'm not my dad, and I know that's hard to believe after I put my hands on you, but I learned from my mistakes. I stayed away because I needed the space to think about what I want in life. And that's you. Us. And now our baby. Y'all are worth being a better person for." 

"Just keep showing me you're serious about this," I smile at him, "I know what I want, but I have to be sure about it, I can't be scared of you or worry you'll cheat on me because of my insecurities that you made worse."

"You have nothing to be insecure about, Princess, you're literally perfect in my eyes." He caresses my face, "I'll prove that I love you and only you. I mean I'm running off to Mexico with you, that's a big step. A risk I'm willing to take to be with you, cause this is dangerous, we could get shot or I could go to jail for helping you."

"I know, Jay." My arms wrap around his waist, "I love you."

"I love you too." He chuckles, making me glance up, a smile spreads across my face while I pull away from him, he drives us over to the dock that Sarah is running down, "Looks like she found you after all."

"Willow!" Sarah calls out while waving us down, "JJ!"

"Sarah!" I lean over the side of the boat and pull her inside.

"You were going to leave without me?" She pouts, "I was almost to the dump but I caught sight of y'all and ran down here." 

"We couldn't wait any longer, there was cop sirens close by because John B and I stole Shoupe's truck." I hug her, "He's going to be upset you're leaving, he was going to go look for you."

"My dad tried to lock me away again," She breathlessly tells us, side hugging JJ when he turns to look at her, "He found me at the police tent and made it look like I was crazy and off my meds or some shit."

"That's wild." I mutter, sharing a look with JJ, this will not go over well when John B realizes she left, especially without a goodbye. It'll crush him. 

"You sure you wanna go, Sarah?" JJ watches her plop down in the seat at the back of the boat and nod. 

"It's too dangerous here, I hate leaving John B behind, but I'll see him soon." She looks out over the water, playing with the necklace around her neck, "I can't stay, Rafe wants to kill me for taking his Brookie away... I can't believe I'm related to that psycho."

"He's definitely crazy." JJ sighs and pulls me into his side, "My girl." 

I chuckle and lean against his body, "Off to South America we go." 

Maybe JJ really did lie at Barry's, maybe he does still love me. I don't know why he would go to Mexico with me if he didn't have some form of feelings for me. He's leaving his best friends behind and his life. I really want him to actually want me, but I'm scared to trust his intentions. 

I don't want him to hurt me again but I can't see myself living my life without him, especially now that we have our baby to think about. I don't want my child to grow up with split up parents or without a father at all, I know what that feels like so if I can find a way to fix things with him then maybe things will be okay again. 

~~~~~

John Bs POV

I'm sitting in this stupid hard chair in the middle of the police tents watching everything blur around me. I can hear Pope and Kie talking next to me, and the rain pelting the roof, making me cringe. 

How did I let my pregnant sister get on a boat in a storm. If something happens to her... Fuck how do I survive without her. I've never not had her close by, now she's going to be thousands of miles away and my best friend too, I feel like I've lost them both already. And no one can find Sarah, which makes me feel panicked. 

A loud commotion snaps me out of my thoughts; everyone starts screaming that they see the phantom. 

"They see them!" Kie cries. 

Pope reaches out and grabs her hand to comfort her.

"They can outrun them." I try to reassure her, though it did nothing to reassure myself.

"What about the storm?" She blubbers, "They can't survive it!"

I know they can't. Not in that boat.

We whip our heads towards the end of the tent when Ward sits down at a radio.

"Willow, I know you are there. I know you can hear me, and if you love my daughter, then you will turn that boat around and come back." Ward speaks into the radio receiver, "JJ, if you love Willow and her unborn child, then bring them back. This storm will kill them."

Sarah left with them, how? When? 

"We aren't going to listen to you dad." Sarah's voice rings out through the tent. 

My heart clenches at her beautiful voice, why was she okay with leaving me behind? I need her. Now I'm losing my girl too.

Ward tears up, "Sarah, sweetheart, you are going into a storm that you cannot survive."

"We'll manage."

"Willow, Sarah, JJ, please, I will make it right. I promise you. Come back."

"No, you're a liar."

"I am begging you. Please turn around."

"Ward Cameron, do you hear me?" Willows voice speaks up after a moment of silence. 

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm right here. I'm right here. Please come back, okay? We'll work it all out when you get home."

"You killed my father, and you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from John B! But I'm still here. And I swear to God Ward, I will come back one day and take what's mine. So, you listen to me, alright? I'm comin' for you."

I sit frozen when Ward starts to cry after the radio disconnects. 

"Everyone listen up!" Sheriff Shoupe's voice rings out across the tent making me jump, "I want search and rescue on stand by! We need to find these kids, they're headed straight into the storm."

No. This can't be fucking happening right now.

"I can't lose them." I whisper, "This.. this is too much." 

We silently break down for what feels like hours, until Officer Shoupe walks over to us with a conflicted expression on his face.

I don't know if I can handle this. 

"Did you find them?"

"No." Shoupe frowns at Kie.

"So, they got away?"

"We, uh... we lost them." Shoupe avoids our eyes, "I'm sorry."

No.

"W-What do you mean you lost them?" Pope stammers, "Like, they're gone?"

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope."

Tears stream down my face, "So, they're dead?"

"We don't know."

"You drove them straight through the storm, man! Are you kidding me? Come here!" I lung at Shoupe, "I'm gonna kill you!"

"John B, stop!" Kie screams from behind me.

"I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!" I try grabbing onto Shoupe but was yanked backwards by another officer.

"You killed them!" Pope yells, pain across his face, "Willow didn't kill anyone and you know it! This was all Ward!"

"We're still looking for them, alright?" Shoupe pinches his lips together, looking like he's holding his own emotions back. 

My tired body gives up fighting his deputies and pulls away to stand by myself. I cant be alone. That would mean I have nothing left. 

My empty eyes watch Pope and Kie's parents run into the tent, hugging them while they cry, while I have no one. After my gaze lowers to the floor I feel a hand grasp my shoulder and pull me into a hug, when I look up I see Heyward crying, a sympathetic expression while he watches me crumble into his arms, more arms wrap around me but I can't see through my tears anymore. 

The Heyward's treated Willow like she was their own daughter, they took care of her while I was at Tannyhill with Sarah, they made sure she saw a doctor and that she wasn't alone while going through finding out she was pregnant, so I know they're hurting over her death just like I am. 

They're dead. The three most important people in my life are actually gone, forever frozen as treasure hunting teenagers. And my little niece or nephew won't ever get to enjoy life, that sweet baby will forever be a little baby bean as Willow had called it. 

She was right, she ended up dead over the gold, just like our pops. I don't know how I let this happen to her, all she wanted was to be important to us, she tried so hard not to be left behind and forgotten, so I made her tag along, I made all my friends be apart of this stressful shit which drove us straight off a cliff. She ended up abused and then killed at the end of it all, fuck she deserved so much better than this, so did her baby. 

And it's all my fault. 

"John B." Shoupe's voice is quiet, he quickly wipes his cheeks when I turn to him, "I want to have a chat with you sometime this week, but uh, don't worry about getting in trouble over taking the truck. You've been through enough, but I do need a statement from you so we can understand your side of the events that's happened regarding.. regarding Willow." 

"Okay." My body shakes while I hold back my sobs, "Um, will you let me know if y'all.. find them?"

"Of course." He pats my shoulder before walking away.

When I glance over at Mrs. Heyward my face scrunches because there's so much pain written in her features, sobs rack my body when she hugs me, "I miss her."

"I know, honey, I know." She cries with me, her hands rub up and down my back, "We've got you, John B, you aren't going to go through this on your own."

"Thank you for being there for her." I blubber, not caring that I'm making weird ass sounds while I continue to cry, "You were the momma she always needed in her life."

"I loved her like a daughter and I love you like a son." She pulls back slightly, frowning when she sees my face, "We will miss her, JJ and Sarah very much, but we're going to live on for them, okay?"

"I don't know how to," More sobs ripple out of me, "they were my life, I've never gone a day without them."

"You take it one day at a time." 

Kie and Pope pop up on either side of me, their arms wrap around me while the storm rages around us. 

Alone. I know I still have people in my life that care about me, but this still fucking hurts. It's a physical pain that's ripping apart the muscles of my heart because none of this should have ever happened.

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