𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗰𝗶 Flores woke up the next morning, things were good. Really good. She woke up with JJʼs arms over her waist, his warm palms pressed against her bump so that he could cuddle the baby, too. Kie made breakfast, which was a luxury in Kaciʼs eyes, considering she'd been suffering through John Bʼs food for a while now — he wasn't the greatest chef in the world, and Kaci was too lazy to do things for herself.

Waiting for John B to get home, the other four sat outside and prepared for the next long night ahead. Yesterdayʼs storm had passed, and today was supposed to be the sun that came after. "You should do a water birth in here," said JJ, sitting on the edge of his hot tub with his arms wrapped around Kaci.

Kaci turned around to look at him like he was dumb, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. "Absolutely not."

"Why? It would be so fun." He grinned, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"Maybe for you," she said, "but I'd rather go through the most painful thing of my life with hospital drugs."

JJ shrugged, tracing a smiley face on her soft stomach with his finger. "I don't care," he told her honestly, "as long as I get my two babies back to me by the end of the day."

Kaci shook her head, lips curling into an awkward cringe, causing the boy to chuckle and push her off the edge and into the hot tub, which wasn't so hot anymore, spilling her drink inside. "You bitch!" Kaci stood up to push him the other way, sending him flying off the hard ground, still laughing.

"Love you."

When she didn't respond, the boy smirked and dug his hand into the dirt, slapping her over the back with a chunk of mud.

"I'm literally gonna scream," she complained, arching her back at the feel of it while JJ continued to laugh.

"Wouldn't be the first time I made you do that." JJ winked, and she splashed him with the water.

"Yo, does this look good?!"

The two of them turned around to face Kiara and Pope, who were at the other side of the open yard and actually doing stuff to prepare them for the gold grab. JJ sat back onto the hot tub ledge, dangling his feet into the water and pulling Kaci closer to him again as he slowly sipped his beer.

"No, it looks like shit," Kaci called back to them, leaning her head back on JJʼs chest.

"You're so helpful," Pope stated, using the same amount of sarcasm as she did.

Kaci smiled back at him. She loved her relationship now with the pouges, even if she was a slight bit mean to them occasionally; they understood her more than the kooks ever did, and they treat each other like genuine family, not business associates. They matched her humour and acted as though she'd been there from the start. They built her a bed and opened up their home to her without hesitation. Kaci Flores couldn't have been more grateful for the pouges — and she couldn't wait for them to be a part of her sonʼs life.

"John Bʼs pullin' a Houdini," said JJ, putting his bottle down to lift Kaci up onto his lap.

"Yeah, where is he?" asked Pope. "I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning. We gotta get this done."

Right on cue, the boy in question joined them on the field, staring straight ahead and not sparing a single second to glance at his friends around. Not even to question the random hot tub in the middle of his yard.

"Hey, speak of the devil! Hey!" exclaimed JJ happily, leaning back to see his brother. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull the gold and everything."

Kaci rolled her eyes. "Bro, that is such bullshit," she was quick to call him out. "You sat here and made Pope do it all, because you were so convinced my water had broke."

JJ grinned. "You were packing a bag."

"Because I'm due in a week."

"Exactly." He shrugged simply. "It's happening today, I swear."

The girl just shook her head as he squeezed her tighter. She felt absolutely fine. There was no way the baby was coming early. If anything, it was going to come late — it was the son of the two most laziest people on Earth, afterall. "Is my wife here?" she questioned, looking back up to John B, who was still not speaking and storming towards the Château.

He ignored her.

Kaci looked him up and down, a judgemental pout on her face. "Be like that, then, you bitch."

However, even with her aries attitude, Kaci was the first one to stand up and go after him. After all he did to help her out yesterday, she figured she owed him as much. Plus, having lived together for a short while now, John B was slowly morphing into a brother to Kaci, and it was rare she ever bonded with people that well.

In the Château, the boy was slamming and opening compartments, searching through everything with a desperacy, all while ignoring his friends as they tried talking to him. Eventually, he dug his hand into the couch cover and pulled out a pistol.

"You said you got rid of that," Kaci accused, turning to JJ with a glare.

The blonde shrugged, stepping closer to wrap his arms around her neck, resting his chin atop her head. "It's for protection."

"And so are condoms, but look at where we are," the girl retorted, causing him to laugh.

However, he swiftly turned serious again when John B brought up the gun in the air carelessly. He moved Kaci back a little, not wanting her to get hurt incase an accident occurred, and stepped forward to his friend. "John B, whay do you need the gun for, man?" he asked, trying to take it out his hands, only for John B to push him off the pullout. "Talk to us!"

"John B, chill!" Kie shouted.

Kaci glared at him as he stormed past, putting out her foot so that he'd trip over her toes. After falling forward a little, John B spared a moment to scowl back at her, but continued with his journey outside with a gun.

"John B, what are you doing?"

Pope stood forward, trying to stop his friend with concern. "What, are you JJ now?" And like JJ, he was shoved away by the boy.

Kaci didn't understand why they had to bring his name into it after last night, because all he was trying to do now was help and prove himself good. She held out her arm to help JJ up from the sofa-bed, but he grabbed it and pulled her down with him.

"Shi — are you okay?" Kie helped Pope regain his standing position, and everybody watched as John B left the small home.

Kaci and JJ sat up from the bed, turning in the direction the other two were. The girl sighed. "We're chasing after him, aren't we?" she asked tiredly.

JJ nodded. "C'mon, Princess, I'll carry you."

"You better do. Anymore exercise, and my water really will break."

"I really fuckin' hope so."

The boy pulled his cap on his head, and the remaining four followed John B outside of the Château. His outburst was a little unexpected, considering he was one of the more chill people of the group, other than the occasional fight he got himself into. And with everything that was going on, they couldn't let him lose himself and the things he stood for. They were his friends. They weren't going to stand by and watch him tear apart his whole future.

"John B, what are you doing?" Kie called, chasing after him.

He continued to ignore them, climbing onto a motorbike and revving it up. Kaci had no idea when he got a bike, but she hated it. They were so ugly and overrated, and the mere sight of one pissed her off.

"John B, what the hell?!"

"Ward knows about the gold!" he finally answered, turning back to them, eyes lingering on Kaci. "He killed my dad, and Mikel helped him get away with it it. You were right." He nodded. "He killed your brother, too."

Kaci froze. She knew it was true. For a long time now, she had known those facts and lived by them. But the confirmation of it — hearing somebody else say it — made her feel a different way. Mikel murdered Luis. Her dad killed her brother. His own son. She had been living under the roof of a murderer for almost a year.

Before any of his friends had a time to react, John B was gone. And so was the gun.

Kie and Pope were swift to run after him, jumping into Twinkie without any kind of hesitation, but JJ stayed back to look at Kaci, who hadn't so much as blinked since the words escaped the boyʼs mouth. "I think you should stay out of this one, Princess — you need to stay away from it all until the baby comes."

Kaci shook her head. "I wanna help out. I'll probably get some sleep on the way to...wherever we're going."

JJ nodded, not wanting to be the kind of guy that makes decisions for people, though he was visibly worried. "Alright, promise me you'll get a little rest tonight, though."

She smiled. "I promise."

𖧷

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗲𝘀 had been searching for John B for hours now, and it was starting to get really late. Staying true to her word, Kaci Flores rested on the boat, slowly drifting away to the peaceful sound of the gentle waves. They ditched the van shortly after searching for John B, not being able to find him anywhere on their side of the island. Which left figure eight. Home of the kooks. Birthplace of Kaci Flores.

JJ made sure the girl was warm, wrapping a blanket around her, and kept her close to him, massaging her head and peacefully playing with her hair. Neither of them spoke as much as they usually did, and the girl hadn't started a single argument with anybody, not bothering to get pissed off at anyone there. The leader of this mission went out to be a battle between Kiara and Pope, to which the latter was definitely losing.

"What now?" asked JJ as they parked outside the Cameronsʼ family dock. "We just go up to the front door and ask, ʼHey, have you seen John B?ʼ?"

"Yeah, ʼHe's got a glock on him, but that's okay because he's totally saneʼ," added Kaci, voice sounding tired as she leaned closer into JJʼs touch, wrapping herself tighter into the soft, rose blanket.

"Look, he lives in Tannyhill now. It's plausible," Kie argued, determined to find their friend before leaving to go home for the night. "We can play dumb."

"Play dumb?" echoed JJ, shaking his head. If he thought an idea was stupid, then it really had to be one of the worst ideas in the world.

"It's pretty late," stated Pope.

"Yeah, and I'm, like, really pregnant," complained Kaci, rubbing her stomach. It was starting to feel weird, a little painful, even.

JJ nodded. "She really is."

Kaci looked up to glare at him. "Are you calling me fat?"

"No, Princess, I'm calling you pregnant."

Kie rolled her eyes. "Look, I've never seen John B like that," she said in concern. "We should honestly be talking to the cops."

"The cop —" JJ scoffed. "Yeah, and say what, Kie? ʼWe're worried about our friend because he's going on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John, and Mikel Flores helped him hide itʼ? Like, they're not gonna believe us!"

Kaci nodded. "Yeah, there's no way my dad would let someone fuck around with his name in their mouths," she agreed, heart sinking at the sound of his name. He seriously was one of the bad guys in all of this. He seriously did kill Luis. But it didn't affect her nearly as much as it should've. Mikel was never her dad, he was never a family member — hearing that he was a killer was the same as hearing that a neighbour was; shocking and upsetting, but not world-ending.

JJ laughed. "Like father, like daughter," he joked, earning an elbow to the chest. "Ow."

"Hey, I see Ward...I think he's talking to somebody."

"Is it Mikel?" asked JJ, looking up in acknowledgement but staying seated while he tried encouraging Kaci to get some sleep.

Pope slowly shook his head, furrowing his brows as he held up his binoculars. "No, I don't think so."

Kie stood forward, holding her hands out. "Let me see," she said, and Pope obediently handed her his binoculars. "Who is that?"

"I have no idea." He shrugged simply. "But Ward doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home."

"What?" asked Kie incredulously, turning around to face him as though he was stupid.

"Uh...okay." Pope pointed to the house ahead of them. "Obviously, Mr Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay?"

Kie still didn't get his point, looking to the couple behind them, who only shook their heads — Kaci being way too tired for this crap, and JJ still convinced the kid was going to pop out early.

"Plus, I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours," Pope went on, defending himself.

"Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble," argued Kie.

"I'm in trouble," Pope shot back. "Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dadʼs probably put all my shit out on the street by now."

"Okay, so that's it?"

Kaci let out a yawn, rolling over to avoid their argument. She honestly didn't give a shit what they spent the rest of their night doing, but if she had to sleep during a screaming match, she was going to lose it.

"In a time of need, you're just gonna bail?" Kie questioned, going on and on at the boy. "You're just gonna walk away?"

"Hey, yo, guys can we not do this right now?" JJ tried stepping in, rubbing Kaciʼs scalp and feeling her temper rise at everything that came out of Kieʼs mouth. Needless to say, she was always going to be on team Pope, especially in situations like this.

"Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning," reasoned Pope calmly, seeing the furious look on Kieʼs face. "I can't —"

"Okay, well, what about John B?" the girl snapped, raising her voice.

"Oh, my God, can you just shut the fuck up for one second, and let the guy speak?" groaned Kaci, rubbing her eyes and sitting up, done with this whole argument. She obviously wasn't going to get any sleep soon, anyway, so she might as well have said something. "Like, seriously, respect to the dude for everything he's done, but why is it always about John B? Where was this energy yesterday, when it was JJ? I didn't see you trekking the island head-to-toe for him."

JJ shook his head the second his name was mentioned. "Kaci, don't —"

"I'm just telling the truth."

"No, no, no — Kaciʼs right," said Pope, nodding to Kie. "Why is it always about John B?"

Feeling embarrassed about being called out rather than defended, Kie shrunk back. "It's not always about John B," she denied. "You're so stupid. It would be any of you in this situation."

"Did you not just hear what I said?" Kaci spoke up again, letting out a scoff, and JJ shook his head, trying to pull her back before she got angry-angry.

"Guys —"

"Oh, bullshit!" Pope cursed.

"This is about friendship."

"Bring it down."

"No, this is about pouges for life!"

"What about forensic pathology, huh?"

"Forensic pathology?!"

"Yeah. It's my life. That's everything I've worked for."

"That's your priority?"

Kaci hadn't said anything in a few moments, so JJ slowly let go of her waist, sitting back down on his seat and expecting her do go back with him. But she didn't. She just stood there, in her own world, seeming a little confused. Eyes on her stomach.

"Stop with the moral high ground bullshit!" Pope finally snapped back at her, done with defending himself and onto offending her — or, rather, just speaking plain and blunt facts.

"Pope, come on." JJ tilted his head in reasoning, not wanting to listen to his friends argue.

"No."

"Excuse me," Kie hissed at him.

"No, no — she has no room to talk," Pope repeated, turning back to the girl. "Where were you when Big John went missing? You weren't there. You weren't there for any of us. Remember your kook year?"

That shut Kie up straight away, for the boy had hit a sensitive spot in her. She glanced at Kaci for a moment, expecting her to say something, but she was preoccupied. It was almost like she couldn't hear the world anymore, like the only things she could contact were herself and her mind.

"Dude." JJ tried again.

It didn't work.

Pope nodded. "Yeah, you forgot about us. Now you feel guilty."

"Give me a break!" Kie pushed him back, causing him to stumble backwards and go into Kaci, snapping her out of her thoughts. His back collided into her front, causing her to let out a scream of pain. A loud one that shot concern throughout the whole group.

"Yo, yo — stop it now!" JJʼs voice raised with sudden anger, leaping forward to pull Kaci back. He looked over her for injuries, but she held her stomach tight in pain.

Kie and Pope went stiff at what they did, their expressions falling straight.

"Kace, are you okay?"

The girl looked to the ground, where a puddle of clear water lay underneath her.

"I think my water just broke."

Authorʼs Note
listen, i know i told y'all jordan was coming back this chapter, but he didn't in the end. he is coming back soon, though, i promise. anyway, this was not supposed to happen in season one. like, at all. i have just impulsively decided that this is happening now, so, like, i'm probably going to have to change the whole season two plot, but that's all good.

however, there still is one issue i have. i do not have a name decided still. so, please, give me a hand and give me FIVE baby boy names names below. try picking names that you love, but that you also think kaci would adore. actually idc, i'm desperate, just give me your TOP FIVE baby boy names. pretty please, i am struggling here.

drop them here ☞︎︎︎

thank you for reading.
love, tay </3