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''I couldn't protect her. And I haven't done enough to protect you. Mavis, I need you to stop searching for the gold with John B. I can't... I can't lose you, too.''

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AS I PUSHED open the front door and stepped inside, the usual calm of my house felt different. The soft hum of the refrigerator and the faint scent of my dad's coffee lingered in the air, grounding me, yet the weight of everything I'd just been through clung to me. I turned toward the kitchen and froze. There, my dad was standing by the counter, his face tense, holding a crumpled wanted poster with John B's face staring back.

I didn't say anything. I just looked at him, trying to gauge what he might be thinking, bracing myself for the anger or fear that might follow.

After a long pause, he glanced up and motioned to the chair across from him. ''Sit down, Mavis,'' he said, his voice soft yet firm, laced with a seriousness I wasn't used to.

I moved over, my heart pounding as I took a seat. The kitchen felt too quiet, too still. The way he looked at me, I knew this wasn't just about John B.

He took a deep breath. ''There's something I need to tell you,'' he began, his gaze distant. ''It's about your mom... and Big John.''

I straightened, my heart hammering in my chest. The mention of my mom was rare, almost a taboo subject between us. Even as I was curious, I braced myself for what was coming.

He hesitated before continuing. ''Back then, the three of us – your mom, me, and John B's dad – we were close. Really close. We did everything together, and then... we found something worth more than we ever imagined. The gold.'' His eyes flickered, a glint of regret passing through them. ''We agreed we'd split it evenly if we found it. The three of us. But as we got closer, things changed. It became dangerous...''

I could feel my throat tighten. It was one thing hearing about the treasure with the Pogues, but this felt different. This was my family, my mom... my dad. All tangled up in the very thing that's been haunting us all.

''Your mom,'' he continued, ''she got close to finding it, closer than any of us. She was fearless... just like you.'' He swallowed, his voice breaking a bit. ''But it was her fearlessness that... it got her killed. She was killed.''

I stared at him, the weight of his words crushing me. My mom didn't just disappear. She was killed – for the same treasure we were still chasing. I bit my lip, fighting back the tears that were pooling in my eyes, but I couldn't stop them from spilling over.

''After that, I was done,'' he confessed, his voice barely a whisper. ''I walked away from the search. I couldn't risk losing more. But Big John... he couldn't let it go. He pushed forward, even after your mom's death, and then... he disappeared, too. I blame myself for not doing more, for not stopping him. And now you're...''

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a sorrow I hadn't seen before. ''I couldn't protect her. And I haven't done enough to protect you. Mavis, I need you to stop searching for the gold with John B. I can't... I can't lose you, too.''

The pain in his voice hit me like a wave, but so did something else – a fire, a determination. I blinked through my tears, shaking my head, and finally found my voice. ''Dad, I can't. I know it's dangerous, but I have to do this. For John B, for everyone who's been hurt by this. I'm not doing this just for the treasure – I'm doing this for my friends, for myself, so we can finally ditch this shithole. Even if it means...'' I trailed off. ''Even if it means I end up like Mom.''

He looked at me, a mixture of fear and pride swirling in his eyes, and took a shaky breath. ''Are you sure that's what you want?''

I nodded, my gaze unwavering. ''Yes. I need to do this.''

He reached over and pulled me into his arms, holding me close, tighter than he had in years. ''I'm proud of you, Mave,'' he murmured. ''You're all grown up now. You're brave, just like she was.'' He pulled back, smiling through his tears, though the sadness was still there. ''But you be careful, okay? Promise me that.''

I let out a soft, tearful laugh and nodded. ''I promise.''

We hugged again, clinging to each other in the quiet kitchen. There was no going back now. And as much as his words haunted me, I knew I couldn't stop. For my mom, for John B, for all of us.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE NEXT MORNING, I was jolted awake by a loud, insistent pounding on the front door. Still half-asleep, I sat up, my heart racing in the silence of the house. My dad had already left for work, and I figured maybe it was JJ, coming by for an early start. But as I opened the door, my stomach twisted.

Rafe stood there, eyes wild, his hair messy. He looked more manic than I'd ever seen him, his gaze darting around before locking onto me. Instinctively, I took a step back, reaching to close the door, but he shoved it open, forcing his way inside. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing through the empty house, making me flinch. Every alarm in my head went off, and I backed away slowly, making my way toward the kitchen where the knives were within reach. He killed Perkings. He was here for John B.

Rafe's voice cut through the tension. "You think you're better than us, don't you?" he spat. "All high and mighty, like you're too good for Tannyhill now?" His words came out in a frenzy, dripping with disdain.

I tried to steady myself, gripping the edge of the counter behind me. "Rafe, what are you even talking about?"

"Oh, don't act stupid," he snapped, his eyes narrowing as he took another step closer. "You've been avoiding Wheezie, and she's miserable. I can't even look at her without her moping around, talking about how you just abandoned her." His tone was laced with something almost like mockery, as if my concern for his sister was just another weakness he could exploit. "So now you're too good to help her out? Too good to come back?"

"You know damn well why I can't go back there," I replied sharply, my voice shaking despite my attempt to keep it steady.

Rafe scoffed, his expression twisting with irritation as he advanced toward me, and I instinctively backed up. I could feel the tension building, his movements growing more agitated. "What?" he sneered, his voice growing louder. "You think I'm some kind of monster, is that it? Think I'm just here to ruin your life? Maybe kill you?!" His voice turned almost theatrical, and he gestured erratically, moving forward and backward like he couldn't decide whether to lunge or retreat.

My eyes darted to the knife block, and without thinking, I grabbed the nearest handle, clutching it as tightly as I could. But before I had time to react, he lunged forward, grabbing my wrist in a painful, vice-like grip. The knife slipped from my grasp, clattering onto the floor. I struggled against him, trying to pry his fingers off my arm, but his grip was unrelenting. Barry was easier to fight off.

"Rafe, stop, please," I pleaded, my voice barely a whisper as I felt a wave of fear crash over me. I knew Rafe could be dangerous, but this was something else. This was a side of him I hadn't seen before—a side that made my blood run cold.

He leaned in closer, his face inches from mine, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous murmur. "Where's John B?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with a fury I couldn't comprehend.

"Why do you even care?" I snapped. "Why are you always after me? Harassing me like this? Why don't you take your problems out on someone else for once? You're always trying to scare me, take advantage of me, like I'm some easy target."

My words hit him like a slap. "I thought you were different," he snarled, his grip tightening painfully on my wrist. "I thought maybe, just maybe, you were better than the rest of them. That maybe you'd help me out. You were nice when Ashley was around. But now I see—you're just a bitch like all the others."

With that, he shoved me backward, hard, my back slamming into the edge of the kitchen counter. Pain flared up my spine, and I winced, clutching at the countertop to steady myself as he stormed off, the door slamming shut behind him.

For a moment, I stood frozen, breathing heavily, the shock of what had just happened settling over me. I pressed a hand to my throbbing back, closing my eyes and willing myself to calm down. But the fear lingered, the ache from his grip still fresh on my wrist, and I knew things with Rafe had taken a turn I couldn't ignore.

RAFE - MEMORY

I LEANED AGAINST the railing, barely paying attention to Wheezie's complaints, my eyes locked on Mavis as she laughed with John B down on the beach. She laughed as if she didn't have a care in the world. As if the last thing she needed to think about was someone like me watching her.

''Rafe,'' Wheezie's voice cut through my thoughts. ''You're being creepy.''

''Shut up.'' I shrugged, my eyes still on Mavis, tracing every movement she made. The way her blonde hair caught the sun, how she didn't hold back around him. She was like that with all the Pogues, comfortable. She wouldn't be that way around me.

''You totally are,'' Wheezie persisted, crossing her arms. ''That's, like, stalker behavior.''

''It's not.'' I scowled at her, my mood darkening. I hated how she always had something to say, especially when she didn't get it. This was different. She was a Pogue and I was a kook. She hated me and I hated her. But not really. She never did anything bad to me. Her dad even used to work for us a bit. She was kind. I hated that. I hated to see her so happy all the damn time. Why does she do that to me? Walk into my own fucking house and laugh?

Wheezie rolled her eyes. ''This is exactly why I don't want to date.''

''Good,'' I shot back, shifting my weight. ''You're not allowed to date until you're twenty-five, minimum.'' I couldn't help but smirk as I said it, watching her reaction. She gasped like I'd just stolen her phone.

''Yeah, well, and you're over here drooling over some girl you literally hate?'' She raised her eyebrow.

I ran a hand over my jaw, smirking at her. She didn't get it. Neither did I. ''Listen, Wheeze, I'm allowed to be unpredictable, all right? She's different from the other Pogues.'' I tried to sound casual, but the truth settled heavy. ''Besides, I'm not doing anything. Just watching, okay? You don't want to see me actually get involved. You hate it when I'm angry.''

Wheezie softened a little, her frown fading. ''Just... don't be rude to her, Rafe,'' she mumbled, almost as if she was saying it for her own benefit. ''She's my tutor.'' With that, she slipped back inside.

I shifted, shoving my hands into my pockets, my eyes finding Mavis again. I didn't have an answer, not for Wheezie, and not for myself.

words: 1915

A/N

He does have some issues... but I can fix him ya'll.