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Rafe Cameron was singing- off key as hell, but still, Kiara Carrera could not help but be a smidge floored. A giggle escaped her lips as they drove towards the Bell Tower, the sun setting in the distance, leaving the sky a mixture of dark blue and purple hues.
She still was stunned at how fast the tides had turned- and was equally impressed at her and Rafe’s ability to hijack a car from Figure Eight.
“Topper won’t mind.” Rafe suddenly blurted, ever in tune with Kie’s thoughts.
Kie raised an eyebrow.
“Right, cuz your last meeting was so cheerful.” She quipped knowingly.
Rafe bit his lip and Kie turned her gaze to the window, her cheeks flushing red.
Though the tide had shifted, it was clear the waves were still a little choppy.
Unable to bear the silence, Kie instinctively turned her hand towards the radio dial. However, the feel of Rafe’s cool palm on top of hers halted her attempt.
She snapped to attention, her deep brown eyes unwavering. Before Kiara could jerk back, Rafe smiled and Kie exhaled, relieved that they hadn’t regressed due to her big mouth.
She returned his grin, squeezing his hand affectionately for emphasis. He meant what he told Ward- Rafe was carving his own path.
Before Kiara could realize it the dusky and dated hues of the Tower came into view. A shaky breath escaped from her chest and Kiara realized that Rafe and the Pogues weren’t exactly on good terms.
“You don’t have to do this, you know. I mean- if you think-...” Kie offered as she observed Rafe anxiously bite his lip.
Nonetheless, Rafe shook his head.
“Nah, I meant it- if there is any bad blood, it won’t be from me.” He vowed and it took every cell in Kiara’s body to refrain from kissing him right then and there. Just as they were about to get out of the car, a chilling scream filled the air, its voice just as eerily familiar.
“Sarah!” Kie exclaimed as she met Rafe’s gaze. The pair wasted no time and took off running in the direction of the pained cries, and began to climb the steep building.
Unsurprisingly, the Tower was heavily guarded and Kiara waited with baited breath as Rafe attempted to talk to them. She grinned at the guards for emphasis, though her heart was racing faster than the HMS Pogue after a spring cleaning. Her shoulders, which had been tensed up when she saw the guard nod, seemingly believing whatever fable Rafe had come up with.
Just as Rafe took her hand, Kiara observed the guard reach into his pocket and switch on his walkie. It seemed Rafe had caught him too, and before Kiara could intervene, Rafe swung a balled fist forwards, and deftly sent the guard reeling.
Kie stared in shock, both amazed and horrified. However, Ward’s hired help began to stand up, and instinct kicked deep inside of her. Kiara kicked him sharply in the shin, delivering a firm round kick to his head for emphasis. Panting, she glanced towards Rafe, admittedly enjoying the power more than she wanted to admit. Her parents had once sent her to a karate dojo in order to “further her socialite skills.” She had protested, but now, Kie almost enjoyed it.
Rafe nodded in understanding. Before she could say anything, more guards entered the fray. The pair fought in tandem, and their combined power was ultimately no match for even Ward’s goons.
With a slew of unconscious and bleeding guards on the ground, Kiara finally turned her attention to Rafe, a slight smile on her face.
“Well, I think that went fucking great.” She remarked wryly, wiping a trickle of blood from her lips.
Rafe stepped clower towards her, his thumb grazing the base of her neck.
“You’re fucking hot when you’re kicking ass, Kiara Carrera.” He murmured.
Just as Kie was about to reply with her own witty remark, the same scream echoed in the distance.
“Let’s get out of here.” Rafe stated and Kie didn’t need to be told twice as they raced towards the screams, opening and examining every inch of the structure like people possessed- and perhaps, in a way, they were.
After what seemed like hours, Kiara was about ready to give up- she had no idea that a building seemingly so simple could be that efficient to stash a handful of teenagers. Suddenly, a feeble voice pierced through the darkness.
“K-Kie?” Is that you Ack.” Sarah Cameron coughed and Kie immediately scrambled forwards, tears immediately pouring down her face as she was reunited with her friends at long last- Sarah, Pope, JJ, Cleo, and John B.
It was quickly replaced by unabashed rage as she took in the shackles and various bruises and cuts on her Pogues.
“RAFE!” She screamed, as she knelt down and began to work to untie JJ’s bonds first.
“RAFE, OVER HERE!” She cried again, willfully ignoring the confused looks on her friends’ faces.
Rafe came quickly, and his own expressions when he saw what was in front of him resonated with Kie all too well.
“Oh God. Jesus fuck, okay, shit shit shit.. Okay, I’m gonna look for something sharp, wait actually…”
Kie stared as Rafe frantically reached inside his pocket and produced a switchblade. Normally, it would have made Kiara sick- a keen reminder of his affinity for violence. Now, it made her exhale in relief.
“Yo, Kie, what the fuck?” Pope exclaimed, clearly having regained some energy.
“Look, I’ll explain everything later, just fucking shut up and let us help you so we can get out of here.” She hissed, and gave a look so tenacious to the 5 of them. To her surprise, they listened.
Rafe and Kie worked quickly and soon the group was free.
“Never fucking leave us again, Kie.” JJ quipped.
Kie grinned and wrapped her friends in a tight hug, oblivious to the muck and the blood seeping onto her outfit. It lasted only a moment, as the sound of footsteps soon followed.
“Come on, let’s ditch this dump.”
“Logically, I second that motion. However, emotionally, if we make it out of here, giraffe Kook over there is going to get it.” Pope stated.
Beside her, Rafe scrunched his nose sassily.
“You know, “Giraffe Kook” is right here and h-”
Rubbing her temple, Kie sighed.
“ENOUGH! We can deal with this shit later, let’s just fucking get out of here, unless you wanna be Ward- food.”
Rafe and Pope pursed their lips, and shockingly, Sarah was silent.
“Alright.” John B said, ever the leader.
“Good.” Kie concluded.
So, the seven of them made their way, successfully and miraculously, and eventually found themselves outside and right by Rafe’s Jeep.
Just as Kiara was about to unlock the door, she caught sight of JJ’s fist swinging directly towards Rafe.
“NO!” She cried and stepped in between them, her back facing Rafe.
JJ tilted his head.
“Really, Kie. You’re gonna defend him- after everything, what he did to you, to me, to Pope, I mean look at Sarah she’s not saying anything but she’s TREMBLING! John B is literally holding her right now so she doesn’t get a fucking panic attack- look at them! And you want to- you want us…” He trailed off, tears pooling in his deep blue eyes.
Kie gazed at him wistfully. She knew he had a point, but Kiara also knew her newfound faith in Rafe was unquenchable.
“He also saved your life- and mine, look, blame me all you want okay, be angry with me, for bringing him here- but I didn’t have a choice. IT was Sofia and Ward who did this to you, right? Well, he knows both of them better than anyone- and besides, JJ, and honestly all of you should understand that not everyone has to be their father’s child.”
“Well it seems like he wanted to be that for a long time there, or did you forget how badly he beat me, or the fact that he choked you and…” Pope interjected, stepping besides JJ.
Before Kiara could intervene, Sarah, who had indeed been quietly wrapped in John B’s arms, stepped forwards, a sharp exhale leaving her body.
“I believe Kiara.” She said, before fixing her gaze on Rafe who had also been eerily quiet.
“I can’t forget it, you know, what you did. You fucked me for life. All of us. But if Kie trusts you and if Kie…. loves you, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to take those sons of bitches down. And… damnit, Rafe, I just want my brother, I want my actual brother for fucking once, without all the antagonistic bullshit.”
Rafe sniffled behind Kiara, and she knew that he was fighting back tears.
Still, she had to make one last plea.
“Guys, Sarah’s right- I know what he’s done, he knows what he’s done, okay, but… I love him, I love beyond life, I don’t know how or when or why but I do and I need him as much as I need you. So don’t make me choose okay? He may be a sinner, or what fucking ever, but he’s my devil. Got it?”
She cried, the truth bursting from her like a searing ray of light.
A stunned silence filled the air as the Pogues processed her words.
“Kie’s right.” Rafe suddenly stated.
“I love her, and I don’t want to be what Ward is- I know what I’ve done, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Sarah, I’m sorry. All these years, but I can’t take them back. But what I can do is move forward. If you let me.”
As his words tumbled from his mouth, Kiara was once again filled with the urge to kiss him hard on the mouth.
Still, she steeled her focus and waited for her friends’ responses nervously.
“Okay.” JJ said, and Kie grinned.
It was a sight more beautiful than anything she had ever painted, or any mixtape she had made. Her friends and her boyfriend united at long last. With the Pogues and Rafe bonded together, Ward Cameron’s days were surely numbered, along with Sofia’s.
“AYE KIE GET OVER HERE!” JJ cried and Kie grinned, wiping a stray tear from her eye.
As the warmth of her circle embraced her, she shut her eyes, that same sense of peace she had felt earlier returning with even greater force.
“Okay, okay,” She forced herself to say.
“Let’s get out of here so we can plan our Pogue takeover.” She added, wriggling out of the group hug.
“I agree.” Rafe remarked after the group had disbanded their embrace.
“To going full Pogue?” She asked, her eyebrows raised in amusement.
Rafe bit his lip, and Kiara watched as the last of the poison in his blood put by Ward drained from his very face.
“To going full Pogue.” He grinned, snaking his hands around Kiara’s waist.
Kiara didn’t resist as he yanked her close to engage her in a passionate kiss.
“OH yuck!” She heard her friends- no, her family, exclaim.
She chuckled, and aptly raised her middle finger as she continued to makeout with her boyfriend.
Still, Kiara eventually pried herself off of Rafe, though she refused to let go of his hand.
“Come on, Scooby Gang, let’s get out of here.” She quipped.
“Amen.” Sarah added.
So, they piled into Rafe’s Jeep and started the drive back to the Cut, though they all knew that trouble would surely find them soon enough. But for now, they could just be the teenagers they were, teens who had done too much harm to one another, but teens who would now operate from a place of love.
Rafe Cameron was good as he was bad- but so were the rest of them. All Kie knew was that she was not going to lose any one of them- Rafe included. This sinner was in her very soul- and she wouldn’t have it any other way.