𝗝𝗝 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 up on the porch, messing around with Kaz, turning to Kaci with a grin everytime he did something impressive like a golden retriever. The girl laid on the couch beside Kie, hungover and exhausted from the previous night, shielding her eyes with thick sunglasses that once belonged to her younger brother.

Standing up and a lot more lively than the others, he was the first to notice Sarah Cameron come through the door, smiling widely at her. "Well, hello, barbie," he announced, alerting everyone else to her arrival.

Sarah smiled back at him, leaning over to give her nephew a quick kiss on the forehead.

"You can hold him for a bit, if you want," JJ offered. "This guyʼs hugs could cheer up Medusa."

In response, the girl chuckled, shaking her head as she was handed over the baby.

Kaci and Kie slowly lifted themselves up on the couch, sharing a vape. "Hey, babe," said the Flores, half-asleep and tone soft. She rose from her seat, pulling the blonde girl into a hug.

Kie nodded. "What's up?"

Lounging on his kingʼs chair, John B looked up at his ex-girlfriend, no expression on his face. "Shouldn't you be on Figure Eight with your little group of polo players?" he asked bitterly. He cringed when she turned to him. "Or did you break up with Topper?"

Kaci rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, he's just moody 'cause the only thing he has to stick his dick into is JJʼs moldy orange."

"It's not moldy," argued JJ. "I bought last month."

"Yeah, and I'm not sticking it in fruit."

"You sure about that, bro?"

"Yes, I'm sure, JJ."

Kie gestured to the boys, deadpanning Sarah. "See what you've left us with here?"

Sarah shook her head, shrinking back when Kaz went to grab for her nose, growing more used to using his fingers. She glanced back at John B. "Topper's just a friend."

"Just a friend," John B muttered. "You have a lot of friends, Sarah Cameron."

Sick of his snarky comments, the girl turned back around with a fake smile. "Yeah, it seems like you've got some of your own too."

JJ and Kaci both made eye contact, the two of them holding in a snicker as John B let out a stressful sigh, caught out. The blonde boy moved himself closer to Kaci, sitting on the arm of the couch she sat at, snaking his hand around her waist, leaving it resting on the warmth of Jordanʼs old sweater she wore. His eyes turned sympathetic, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her shoulder. Kaci didn't speak about it much, but her actions proved how much she missed her baby brother, and JJ would've done anything to take away that pain from her.

John B sat up straighter at Sarahʼs words, turning to her seriously. "All right, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Pope." Hearing his name, the sleepy boy furrowed his brows as the girl turned to her. "Limbrey and Renfield were arrested last night for fraud."

At that, everybody sat up a little straighter. Hungover or not, they all paid close attention to this.

Sarah smiled. "And that's not all," she added, excitedly. "They raided her house — found maps and everything." She turned to Pope. "They're delivering The Cross to you dadʼs now."

One by one, each of the pougesʼ eyes went wider than the sky. Pope let out a low chuckle and JJ spun Sarah around with a whoop. A win. They had a win at last.

"Rafe admitted to everything, too — Wheezie stood up and called out all the bullshit!" she went on, bringing her friends more and more good news. "She's been recording them all summer! We've got the gold, guys!"

Kaci froze for a moment, taking in her words completely. So many months of loss and grief and fighting, and it was all for this. All for the money, all for the rewards, all for justice.

But, as she looked around all her celebrating friends, it took her a minute to realise what it really meant to her. She did this all for her family. All for her brothers, Jordan, Pope and John B, her sisters, Sarah and Kie, her lover, JJ, and her baby, Kaz. She did this for them. And they won.

They really won.

Authorʼs Note
i am deeply sorry and apologetic to anybody who is upset by the way i suddenly ended this. it makes no sense and it's really messy, and i get that it's disappointing. however, whilst writing this (my first wlm story), i've finally come to the conclusion, which has taken me years, that i am a lesbian. i really hope you understand why i've stopped writing this, but i hope you enjoyed it for what it is.
love, tay </3