Chapter Text
JJ
The island felt more like a strange sanctuary than a deserted prison, and JJ was grateful for it. Despite their lack of food, clean clothes, or a real place to sleep, he was relieved. His friends were safe, and they even had Cleo, the scrappy stranger from the ship, with them. He hadn’t officially met her yet, but her bold attitude had left an impression. Something told him they’d get along just fine.
Yet, JJ couldn’t fully relax. His head throbbed with lingering pain, but that wasn’t the part that bothered him. What grated on him was being benched by Pope, who insisted he rest, waving off any offer JJ made to help. JJ hated feeling weak; he’d spent his whole life hiding pain, determined to never show it again. But the attention made him feel exposed, and he wasn’t comfortable with it.
Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed Sarah sitting down beside him until she waved a hand in front of his face.
“Earth to JJ,” she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
“Hey, princess,” JJ replied, flashing a grin. “Where is everyone?”
“Kie and John B are off collecting firewood,” Sarah explained. “And Cleo and Pope went into the forest, checking if anyone’s actually out there on this deserted rock.”
“Miserable?” JJ snorted. “Nah, this place is a paradise. You’ll see,” he said, trying to cheer her up. But as his gaze drifted to her neck, he saw faint bruises—a distinct pattern of marks that made his stomach drop. He reached a hand out, wanting to touch the bruises gently, but Sarah instinctively pulled back.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice low, concern knitting his brows. “Who did this?”
Sarah hesitated, her eyes averting from his. “My dad,” she murmured, the words barely audible.
JJ didn’t think twice; he wrapped his arms around her, and to his relief, she didn’t resist. She melted into his embrace, and he held her close, letting her take the comfort she needed.
“Dad… he tried to kill me,” she admitted, her voice breaking as she clung to him. “And I—I don’t know why I can’t hate him. I just… don’t.”
JJ held her tighter, feeling the pain in her words. “Sarah, you don’t have to decide how to feel about him now,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “You’re safe here. You have time—time to figure it out, time to decide. No rush.”
She sighed, exhaustion lacing her voice. “I’m so tired, JJ.”
“Then get some rest,” he whispered, brushing a reassuring hand through her hair.
She lay her head in his lap, eyes heavy, and within moments, her breathing slowed as she drifted off. JJ watched her, his hand resting on her shoulder protectively.
JJ sat quietly, keeping watch over Sarah as she slept, her head resting on his lap. The stillness was a rare moment of peace, and he found himself relaxing. He barely noticed when Kiara appeared out of the trees. She opened her mouth to speak, but JJ quickly raised a finger to his lips, then pointed down at Sarah. Kiara rolled her eyes as if JJ had turned into a stranger, but he just shrugged, giving her a silent grin.
Moments later, John B returned, oblivious to JJ’s warning signs.
“They’re still not back yet? Where’s Pope and Cleo?” John B asked, his voice loud.
Sarah jolted awake, startled, her head snapping up and colliding right into JJ’s jaw
.
“Ahhh!” they both yelled in unison, wincing from the unexpected pain.
JJ’s pain quickly turned to frustration. Rubbing his jaw, he shot a glare at John B, who was now laughing, unable to contain himself. JJ raised his fist half-jokingly, making John B laugh even harder, and JJ just rolled his eyes and looked away.
“Are you okay, Sarah?” JJ asked, his tone softening.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She rubbed the top of her head, wincing a little. “That was definitely not the best wake-up call.”
JJ chuckled as she got up and, with a mischievous look, slapped the back of John B’s head. John B grinned, turning to her, and without missing a beat, pulled her close and kissed her, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they strolled down toward the beach, leaving JJ and Kiara standing alone.
A quiet stretched between them before Kiara finally broke it, glancing over at him. “Are you okay, JJ?”
He shrugged, looking after Sarah and John B as they disappeared down the beach. “Always,” he said, his voice low.
He tried to brush it off, but a hint of something lingered as he watched his friends, a feeling he couldn’t shake but couldn’t quite name either. Still, he forced a small smile, looking back at Kiara, hoping she hadn’t noticed.
As sunset began to darken the horizon, Pope and Cleo returned empty-handed, their expressions grim. They hadn’t found anyone else on the island. John B suggested they make the best of things and took Pope down to the water to try fishing for their dinner, leaving JJ alone with Sarah, Kiara, and Cleo as they gathered kindling and lit a fire. They didn’t let him help, all insisting he “rest up,” leaving him feeling a little more useless than he’d have liked.
By the time night fully settled over the island, they all gathered around the fire, the warm glow casting long shadows across their faces. John B had managed to catch enough fish, and he and Pope cooked them over the flames, making the best meal they’d had in days. They fell into an easy rhythm, sharing memories and laughing at funny stories from their childhoods. It was the first time since arriving on the island that they seemed to truly relax, lost in the warmth of friendship and good memories.
JJ found himself laughing with them, though he was distracted, his eyes flickering to Sarah more often than he intended. She was sitting close to John B, who would occasionally lean over to whisper something in her ear, making her laugh softly. JJ didn’t understand why he felt that odd pang every time he looked at them. It was a restless, hollow feeling, something he wanted to shake off but couldn’t quite manage.
He forced himself to look away, the discomfort gnawing at him. To get rid of it, he abruptly pushed himself to his feet.
“Ah, I’ll just… I’ll go to sleep,” he said, scratching his head and flashing a small, sheepish smile.
“What? It’s still early!” Kiara protested. “Come on, stay a little longer!”
Cleo added with a grin, “Yeah, Maybank, you can’t leave us just yet.”
JJ chuckled, shifting on his feet. “Next time, maybe,” he replied with a wink, trying to play off the sudden fatigue he was feeling.
But the moment he straightened up, a wave of nausea hit him hard. His stomach churned, and before he could do anything about it, he doubled over, throwing up the dinner they’d all just enjoyed. The dizziness grew intense, the world blurring around him as he swayed unsteadily.
“JJ?” Sarah’s voice sounded faint and worried, but before he could respond, the darkness came over him completely. The last thing he felt was the sensation of his legs giving way before everything went black.
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Sarah
After JJ crumpled to the ground, Sarah’s heart leapt into her throat. She, Pope, John B, and Kiara crowded around him, worry painted on their faces. Pope was the first to speak, his voice steady but laced with tension.
“He’s probably got a concussion,” Pope muttered, checking JJ’s pulse and the side of his head. “Did he say anything to any of you? Any symptoms?”
They all shook their heads, and Pope let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead. “Of course, it’s JJ,” he murmured, half-annoyed and half-worried. “Only he would ignore something like this.”
Sarah took a deep breath, her gaze shifting from JJ’s still form to Pope. “So… what do we do?”
Pope glanced at her and then looked down at JJ. “We make him rest. Keep an eye on him. Just… wait until he wakes up.”
“I’ll stay with him,” Pope said, glancing at the others. “You all should get some rest.”
Reluctantly, Sarah got up, casting one last look at JJ before heading back to her spot on the sand with John B. She lay down next to him, her mind swirling with worry. John B, though initially restless, eventually drifted off, his breathing slow and steady. But for Sarah, sleep was elusive. Her eyes fixed on the stars, thoughts of JJ’s pale face and the way he’d crumpled to the ground playing over and over in her mind.
After what felt like hours, she glanced at John B’s sleeping form beside her, his face peaceful, unaware of her worry. She knew she wouldn’t be able to rest without checking on JJ one more time. Carefully, she slipped out from under the thin blanket and walked back to where Pope and Kiara sat around JJ, watching over him as he lay there, still motionless.
“Hey,” she whispered, sitting down beside them. Pope gave her a small, reassuring nod, and Kiara just sighed, still looking concerned.
They sat together in silence, the three of them keeping vigil over JJ as he slowly stirred, his eyelids fluttering before he finally opened his eyes. As he regained full consciousness, a flicker of confusion crossed his face.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked, her voice soft.
JJ gave a lopsided grin, trying to shake off their worry. “Yeah, yeah… I’m fine. What happened?”
“You fainted,” Kiara replied, rolling her eyes. “Scared the crap out of us.”
JJ smiled, attempting to brush it off. “I’m good, I swear.”
But Pope wasn’t having it. He immediately launched into a lecture. “JJ, you can’t ignore things like this. A concussion is serious—you could have made it worse by acting like nothing happened.”
JJ listened for a while, nodding half-heartedly, until Kiara sighed in frustration and left. The tension hung in the air as Pope continued to scold him, but Sarah cut in, leaning forward to catch JJ’s gaze.
“Don’t worry them like this again,” she said quietly, her tone more pleading than angry.
JJ’s expression softened, and he looked at her curiously. “Why are you all so worried? I’m fine, really.”
Sarah exhaled, exasperated and a little angry. Without another word, she stood up and left to try and get some sleep, though she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she’d be back to check on him again soon.
The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the sand as Sarah slowly stirred from her sleep. She blinked a few times, squinting at the brightness of the morning, and immediately noticed that John B wasn’t next to her. Her heart sank, just a little, a twinge of disappointment that he wasn’t there.
“Of course,” she muttered under her breath, pushing herself up with a sigh. “Where else would he be but off somewhere doing something reckless?” She stretched, groaning slightly as the tightness in her muscles from sleeping on the hard ground reminded her of the uncomfortable night. But sleep hadn’t come easy, not with all the worry gnawing at her mind.
She ran a hand through her tangled hair, gathering her thoughts, and then made her way to the beach. The cool morning breeze brushed against her skin, and the salty scent of the ocean filled her lungs. As she moved closer to the water, she paused, noticing a familiar figure crouched near the shoreline.
It was JJ. The sight of him instantly stirred a mixture of emotions in her—relief that he was still alive and safe, but also a bit of frustration. JJ, despite being badly injured, was sitting in the sand, attempting to fish with an old, makeshift spear. He looked up when he heard her approach, a bright grin spreading across his face, but it only made her irritation flare.
“JJ!” Sarah called, her voice sharp, “What the hell are you doing? You’re supposed to be resting!”
JJ just shrugged, the grin never leaving his face as he went back to jabbing the spear into the shallow water. “I’m fishing,” he said, his tone light. “Thought I’d be productive for once. It’s not like I can sit around doing nothing all day.”
“JJ, you’re an idiot,” Sarah snapped, walking up to him. “You need rest. You don’t get to pretend like you’re fine just because you’re moving around.”
He ignored her, though. He tossed his head back in a careless, nonchalant manner, his usual cocky self despite what had happened yesterday. “Resting’s for the weak,” he said with a wink, poking at the water again. “I’m good. Seriously, I can fish. And you know, I’m kind of a pro at it.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Sarah muttered, shaking her head. “You have a concussion, JJ. You fainted last night. And now you’re out here trying to fish like nothing happened?”
JJ finally stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, a small, almost teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I’m fine, princess. No big deal.”
Sarah clenched her jaw. “No big deal?” she repeated, taking a step closer, her gaze narrowing. “No, you don’t get it. I told you last night not to worry us like this, and here you are, acting like nothing’s wrong. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
JJ held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll stop being an idiot for a minute.”
Sarah sighed deeply, looking out at the water as she tried to calm down. The frustration inside of her simmered but didn’t boil over. It was just that JJ... he never made it easy.
She folded her arms over her chest, staring at him, letting him squirm under her gaze for a few seconds before she said anything. “Where is everyone, anyway?” she asked, her tone softening slightly but still carrying a hint of concern.
“They all went off with their errand,” JJ answered nonchalantly, stretching out his legs in the sand as if the whole world were nothing but a game. “John B and Pope went off to do... I don’t know what, probably trying to fix everything. Cleo and Kie went to look for food or anything that can help. I got bored, so I figured I’d fish. Figured maybe I could help out.”
She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty at his words. He was trying to help, even though he should have been resting. But the idea of him fishing while dealing with a concussion still didn’t sit right with her.
“JJ, you're not helping anyone by pushing yourself like this,” Sarah said, kneeling down in front of him. “You can’t just act like nothing happened. If anything, you’re just making things harder.”
JJ met her gaze, his expression softening for a second, but then he shook his head. “I’m fine, really. I don’t need you to tell me that.”
Sarah’s frustration came back full force. She wasn’t used to dealing with this side of JJ—the stubborn, pushy side that didn’t know when to quit. He acted like he didn’t care, but she knew better. He did care. Too much, probably. That was the problem.
Without another word, Sarah grabbed his arm, not taking no for an answer. She yanked him gently but firmly to his feet, her grip firm around his wrist.
“Hey, hey, what the—” JJ started to protest, but Sarah was already pulling him away from the water and toward the small makeshift camp they had set up for the night.
“No more fishing,” she ordered, her voice finally laced with a little anger. “You’re going to sit, and you’re going to rest. You’ve done enough today.”
JJ looked at her like she was crazy, but Sarah didn’t care. She had no intention of letting him keep pushing himself just to prove a point.
“Come on, just sit down,” Sarah said, guiding him to a spot on the sand where the others had gathered their belongings. She pointed at a flat rock, an impromptu seat. “Sit here. Stay.”
She didn’t wait for him to argue, as she would’ve expected, but instead gave him a stern look.
JJ sighed but didn’t fight her anymore. He sat, crossing his arms, the same smirk still playing at the edges of his lips. “You know, I don’t need you to treat me like I’m a kid,” he muttered.
“I don’t care,” Sarah retorted, turning on her heel. “You need to rest. And you’re going to get it.”
It was just typical JJ. But she’d make sure he stayed in one piece. Whether he liked it or not.
As Sarah turned away from JJ, feeling a little relieved that he was finally sitting down and listening to her, she couldn’t resist the urge to glance back at him one last time. He was slouching in the sand, looking like he wanted to argue, his fingers idly tapping the ground beside him.
She started walking toward the rest of the camp, feeling the tension from the earlier exchange ebb away. But just as she was a few steps away, she heard JJ’s voice cut through the air.
“You’re so bossy!” JJ yelled after her, his voice dripping with that familiar mix of frustration and playful defiance.
Sarah stopped in her tracks. She didn’t turn to look at him, but the words hit her like a slap. Her shoulders stiffened, and her patience snapped back like a rubber band.
Without missing a beat, Sarah spun on her heel, walking back toward him, her eyes narrowing with an intensity that made JJ freeze. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him with enough force to make him think twice about opening his mouth again.
“What did you say?” she demanded, her voice sharp.
JJ’s eyes widened for a second before he realized what he’d done. The look on her face made it clear that he had pushed her too far. He could tell that if he didn’t smooth things over quickly, she wasn’t going to back down.
“Uh, sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean it like that,” JJ sputtered, immediately raising his hands in mock surrender, his usual smirk replaced with something resembling genuine concern. “I’m just, uh... you know, I’m fine. You don’t have to be so bossy about it. I’m good!”
Sarah just stared at him, not saying a word. Her gaze was unwavering, intense, as if daring him to say something else. JJ’s face quickly changed from defiant to apologetic.
“Okay, okay, sorry!” he yelled, raising his voice to emphasize his desperation. “I didn’t mean to push you! Don’t glare at me like that!”
Sarah kept glaring, her posture still rigid, but after a long, tense moment, she finally let out a frustrated sigh. She uncrossed her arms, turning to walk away again.
“Good,” she muttered, over her shoulder. “Now get some rest.”
JJ let out a dramatic groan, sinking back into the sand, throwing his arms out in exaggerated exasperation. “Yes, ma’am,” he muttered sarcastically, though there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
But Sarah didn’t look back this time. She could already feel the weight lifting from her shoulders as she headed back to the fire, her heart a little lighter, knowing that for once, she’d gotten through to him—even if it took a bit of a fight.
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