Esmeralda Lopez felt as if she couldn't breathe. The walls were closing in around her as she struggled to gain oxygen into her lungs, the action proving to be ineffective as she hyperventilated in the middle of the hospital waiting room. She had never felt so stressed out in her life as she sped over to the hospital, trying to keep her eyes on the road while also making sure Luna didn't bleed to death in the passengers seat of the car.
Esme couldn't help but blame herself for everything that had happened. If she had just minded her own business just as everyone had warned her none of this would've ever happened. Luna wouldn't be in an operating room fighting for her life with the possibility of never making it out. The thought only made her sob harder, beginning to tug on her hair which was gradually falling out. She had tried to ignore it, assuming that it was just a side affect from not washing it for so long, but it had gotten worse, falling out in much larger clumps that left noticeable bald spots. Esme squeezed the hair between her fingertips before dropping it down on the ground, her vision becoming blurred by the warm tears filling her eyes and falling onto the bleach stained ground.
Esme had been sitting in the hospital chair for so long she was terrified that she might sink into it, the world sucking her in and making her pay for her sins. She had been the one that accused Luna of being apart of everything when in reality that wasn't the case whatsoever. She had been the one to stay inside of the house instead of leaving when she got a chance. Esme wanted to rip her mother's head off. She was a liar, manipulator, and she had been fucking stupid enough to fall for it.
"Esmeralda," Shoupe greeted, Esme slowly opening her eyes once more at the sight of the older man. She didn't have the time or energy to deal with him, especially when he was most likely going to ask the dumbest questions in the entire world. Nonetheless she slowly stood up, smoothing out her clothes which were still stained with Luna's blood. Like practically everything else, Esme didn't have to energy to go back home and change her clothes into much cleaner ones. "I think it's time we had a little talk."
"Talk about what?" Esme uttered, her own voice barely even recognizable due to the amount of crying she did. All she wanted was to curl into a ball and die. "Luna was shot. What else is there to know?"
"You know what I wanna know," Shoupe replied, moving to sit across from Esme who refused to make eye contact with him, for if she did she would simply burst out into tears all over again. "How did this happen? Who shot her?"
"It was all my fault," Esme repeated for about the millionth time, wiping harshly at her eyes. "I-I suspected something was going on when this car kept following me, so I looked deeper into it. Turns out me looking was going to end up with Luna in the hospital. The man's name was Hector Salazar, and I didn't know the other guys name. I didn't mean for any of this to happen shoupe, you gotta understand that. None of this was intentional. Am I gonna go to jail?"
Esme was secretly hoping that Shoupe would say yes, for that would save her all of the torture rifnt then and there. It wasn't as if she didn't deserve it as well. She had gotten Luna hurt, with the possibility of her never waking up from her coma. Jail was the least she deserved. She deserved to be dead. But when Shoupe shook his head, Esme felt a pang of disappointment deep in her gut. She hadn't even thought about how her friends would've reacted if they found out she was in jail for attempted murder. Speaking of, for the last three or so hours they had been blowing up her phone nonstop, not that she had bothered to answer. What was she even supposed to tell them?
Hey, my aunt just got shot and there's a a possibility of me going to jail, don't worry! Esme would look borderline insane, and she would even try to make up anything to defend herself. Shoupe stated at her for a moment longer before turning away, which she was grateful for. It would save her copious amounts of anguish.
"I know it wasn't your fault," Shoupe assured, Esme's eyes widening in shock before finally making eye contact. "I don't know what's going through your head right now, but I know you well enough to figure out that none of this was your fault. You were just trying to do the right thing."
"And look where that got me," Esme snapped, beginning to loose her temper with the false pity she was receiving. "Look where me wanting to play hero got me. My own fucking aunt, man. So don't sit there and try and tell me that what happened wasn't my fault. You don't know anything."
"If that's what you want to believe. You said the man that shot Luna was named Hector Salazar? You have any clue where he could possibly be?"
"I didn't even have time to see where he went. I was too busy making sure Luna got her in one piece."
Shoupe slowly nodded, writing down the information in his notepad. Esme considered ripping up every single page in that book and slamming it against his head. For how has Shoupe truly helped anybody? He didn't help when John B was in the run and she along with her friends were desperately trying to convince him that it wasn't in fact the case and Ward was the murderer, he didn't help when there was literal evidence of the Cameron family being true monsters and choosing not to take any action against them. Shoupe never helped, so why would Esme trust him with something so sensitive and fragile such as her ain't? None of it made sense, and Esme didn't want it to. She was fine the way she was, wallowing in her own self pity.
Shoupe eventually took the hint and left, leaving Esme all alone once more. She sat there for a moment longer, taking the time to process everything that had transpired in the last twenty four hours or so. Nothing was perfect, nor will it ever most likely be again, but it was decent. Decent enough for Esme to flash a smile towards those who loved her like no other. And now everything was no longer decent, just the universe crashing down on her and everything else around her. Esme sniffled before pulling herself up from her seat, making her way over towards Luna's hospital bed where she laid knocked out cold. She was almost happier this way, for at least Luna wasn't in any sort of pain any longer. Esme couldn't live with herself if she was. Slowly Esme stalled over towards her bed, her trembling hand reaching out to smooth back her hair.
"I'm so sorry," Esme choked on a sob, no longer even ashamed of her tears. It was the only thing she was capable of doing anymore. "I'm sorry that I got us into this mess, a-and that I accused you of all of that horrible shit. You didn't deserve it. I could've been all alone, thrown into the foster care system without anybody to care for me. But you fought for custody of me and—and this is how I fucking repay you. I never deserved your kindness, or your love. But I swear I'll find a way to make it up to you. I'll fucking hunt down those guys and make them pay. I swear on it."
Esme leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Luna's forehead, smoothing back her hair one last time before making her way out of the hospital room, more tears of agony rolling down her cheeks.
**********
Esme stared blankly at the now burned down chateau, her mind racing with a billion questions. Perhaps this was what her friends were trying to get in contact with her for hours for, or some other emergency that trumped Esme's only other safe place getting burnt down to the ground. She didn't know whether or not to scream or cry, or maybe even both based on the way she was feeling. Instead she turned on her heel and made her way over towards her friends that were by the docks, most likely coming up with a new plan.
"Woah, Esme, what the hell? Whose blood is that?" Sarah exclaimed loudly, her eyes landing on Esme who practically dragged herself towards them. She could understand why they were so horrified and shocked by her appearance. Her use was torn up and matted, most likely tangled up in large clumps that would be impossible to take care of. Blood practically stained every inch of her clothes that also reeked of dirt and grime, seeing as she didn't bother to shower before making her way over towards the chateau. Not to mention her eyes that looked twice as lifeless as they usually did along with her cheekbones that were now hollow from the lack of food. Truth be told, Esme looked like roadkill, and she was sick of dancing around the truth just to make herself and everybody else feel better.
"Luna got shot," Esme mumbled, running a hand through her hair and cursing when her fingers got tangled in the knots. She ignored the even more horrified looks of her friends, deciding to continue on with her story. "It was because of my investigation that I had going on. I come home, one of the dudes I was spying on had beat the shit out of Luna. Yeah, so, I decided to play hero, which ended up in her getting shot and put in a coma."
"Oh shit," Pope whispered, stepping forward to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Normally Esme would've felt warm inside from the touch, but now all she wanted to do was cry. "I'm so sorry, Esme. Are you ok?"
"Who cares if I'm ok?" Esme snapped, hating herself for snapping on the only people who seemed to actually give a shit about her. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm just going through a lot of fucked up shit right now. The doctors said Luna was gonna survive, it was just a matter of when she was gonna wake up. Anyways, I can't talk about this anymore. What happened to the chateau? Why does it look burnt to a crisp?"
"Someone burnt it down," John B explained, a solemn look plastered across his features which made Esme feel even worse. "We don't know what happened. Anyway, if you really wanna change the topic, Sarah, when did you say the pilot was getting in?"
Esme turned her head towards Sarah, the gears turning in her mind as she struggled to remember what they were even talking about. Slowly however it came back to her, memories of Sarah mentioning how Ward had a plane that was willing to get them down to South America (Esme wasn't sure she was going to be able to get through fifteen seconds without wanting to rip the man's head off if she ever saw him, but she would have to wait and see). She was simply glad that she was finally able to catch up on what was going on quickly without needing anybody to explain to her. Besides, it was a nice little distraction from what was going on with Luna.
"Probably like an hour?" Sarah replied. "I mean, once he's here, my dad says we can leave whenever we want."
"Okay, well, as much as I would love to ghost my parents again, I can't," Pope interjected, Esme's eyes blowing wide in shock, though she truly didn't understand why. If there was one thing Bobby and Christina Heyward were, it was strict. Pope was right, they would never let him go down to South America, especially for something rush had failed so many times.
"Pope, we're talking El Dorado here. Can you just slip out the back maybe?" JJ suggested, a small smile creeping onto Esme's lips at his statement.
Kie shook her head, humming in response. "Great advice."
"I mean, it always worked for me. How to avoid unpleasant circumstances 101. If there's a problem, you don't wanna face it, turn that face and keister around and walk the other way."
"I'm pretty sure that's gotten you into more problems than anything, JJ," Esme spoke, her smile widening as she kicked his foot gently.
"I'm not doing that, ok?" Pope agreed, hopping down from his spot and beginning to make his way away from the group.
"I just want you to be there, dog."
"I'm gonna be there. I'll meet you at the airstrip in an hour?"
John B nodded his head. "Yeah, we'll see you there."
"One hour, Pope. Not a second later." JJ added, Esme sighing deeply before following after Pope, knowing that there was no way he was going to able to convince Heyward to let him go down to South America without backup.
**********
"Pope, you've always known your own mind, I appreciate that," Heyward stated, Esme moving to stand behind Pope in completely new clothes that he was nice enough to lend her for her continence. There was absolutely no way in hell she was going to a completely different continent smelling and looking like death, everyone understood that. "I know you're smarter than me, but...there is no way in hell we're letting you run off to the jungled of South America with your hoodlum friends."
"Pop, please!" Pope begged, Esme seizing the opportunity to step back in order to make it look as if she wasn't interfering in her boyfriend's personal business. "I know Denmark Tanny would want me to do this! Please!"
"And you, Miss Esmeralda? You're free to do whatever you want to do. But this one right, he is not on his own."
"Look, I get it," Esme huffed, not really in the mood to start an argument that has occurred more than enough times to count. She knew Heyward cared about Pope, which was the only reason as to why he was acting like this in the first place. "Pope is your boy, and you don't want him running off with somebody like me. I completely get it. But think about it, you've taught him everything he needs to know about the world. And you want my personal opinion? I think he's ready. Plus, when have I ever gotten Pope hurt? Yeah, I put him in a lot of stupid situations, but I've never once attempted to or gotten him hurt. This is huge. This is about Denmark Tanny and your family's legacy."
"I've gotta do this. It's the real thing. Dad, Mom. This is it." Pope continued to beg, Esme only being able to chew on the inside of her cheek and hope that this was it, that Popes parents were finally going to let him off to do what needed to be done from the beginning. When Heyward eventually nodded his head, Esme couldn't even hide the pure relief that had washed over her face in that moment. She hugged both adults, giggling once she was playfully shoved away from Heyward and kissed on the cheek from Christina.
"Well, this wasn't how I was planning on our first vacation going," Esme dryly commented, hopping on the bike behind Pope as he began to drive off. "Then again, this does seem like the most us thing ever."
"Oh for sure," Pope scoffed with a shake of his head. "We're such a hot mess, babe."
"Oh, the hottest. Literally. We're super attractive, if we really think about it."
"Ok, clearly you're still not in the right headspace. Look, when we're all settled in and shit, can we talk? Like, have an actual conversation?"
Esme frowned deeply, realizing that it had been much too long since they had an actual conversation with one another that didn't entail one of them running off and dealing with matters what was only going to bring them a lot more problems. She slowly nodded her head, resting her cheek on Popes back as he continued to drive towards the airstrip. When the duo eventually arrived, they were met with the sight of the pouges staring at them with a look of disdain. Everyone except for Kiara.
"Shit, y'all were waiting for us?" Esme questioned, climbing off of the bike with the help of Pope.
"Yes, you were. You're late," JJ replied before turning his attention towards Pope. "Did you actually convince your pops this time or....."
"Esme convinced him," Pope nodded his head towards Esme who once more kicked JJ's foot as they did their handshake. "Hey, uh, where's Kie?"
"I don't know," Sarah looked around the airstrip along with Esme, and sure enough Kiara was nowhere to be found. "It's gotta be her parents, dude. They've been up her ass."
"They must've said she couldn't come. We're gonna have to do this without her."
"No, give me the keys." JJ ordered, rounding on John B who had tried to protest. Esme also didn't see this as a very good idea, seeing as time was running very short in their case. The last thing any of them needed was for someone to go AWOL and never respond again. Well, Esme would be lying if she said she hadn't done that numerous of times. "Look. Her parents already hate me. All right? Just give me an hour. It'll be like a black ops mission, in and out. Surgical removal type shit. Plus....I kinda owe her."
Realization has settled into both John B and Esme's face in that moment, a wide grin spreading across the Lopez girls lips as she stepped forward to pat JJ's shoulder. She had also sort of known that JJ and Kie had something going on with one another, but this had just confirmed her suspicion to an entirely new level.
"Okay. Well, yeah, you owe her, right? You owe her," John B handed the keys over to JJ. "I get it. I just appreciate the honesty. Okay? Hurry back."
"An hour, JJ!" Esme called, cringing once he had jumped inside of the van instead of opening the door and entering like a normal person. "Fifty nine minutes! And counting!"
**********
"Luna! Luna, please stay awake," Esme begged, choked sobs escaping her lips as she struggled to keep pressure on the wound and her eyes in the road at the same time. Her body was exhausted, almost on the verge of shutting down if it wasn't for her biting down on her lower lip to the point of drawing blood keeping her conscious. Esme focused on the sound of Luna's ragged breathing, grateful she was at least able to hear that and not pure silence. The drive to the hospital seemed miles away, despite the GPS on her phone stating that they were only two minutes away.
Esme cursed to herself once her hand had slipped from Luna's wound due to all of the blood that was leaking, finally pulling up in front of the hospital and not even bothering to park her car in a way that wouldn't earn her a ticket or even less, towed.
"Help! Someone help me!" Esme screamed at the top of her lungs, her breath catching in her throat once she saw three doctors running out of the hospital with a gurney, spluttering out questions that Esme couldn't even take the time to comprehend. The only thing she managed to focus on was the doctors chopping up Luna's shirt, making her wound even more visible than before.
Esme didn't know how long she sat on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest, her knuckles clenched so tightly into a fist that it began to turn white. She had told herself when she arrived at the chateau that she was going to try and not focus on Luna and her condition at the hospital, as selfishly horrible that sounded. However the more Esme tried, the more rage that seemed to have bubbled up within her.
Natalie.
The was the only name that could appear in Esme's mind since finding out she had gotten tricked yet again, by a woman who had don't nothing but manipulation her and gaslight her throughout her entire life. And of course had had fallen for it, for why wouldn't she? Maybe it was because for once Esme wanted her mother to be right about something, and not just the lying deceitful bitch she had turned out to be in the last couple of years.
Esme finally couldn't take it anymore, shooting up from her spot on the hot pavement and grabbing her bag, feeling a pang once she realized her bow and arrow was now destroyed and no longer able to be an efficient weapon.
"Esme, where the hell do you think you're going?" Pope questioned, watching as his girlfriend had finally packed up her belongings before turning to walk away. "Woah, hey, I'm talking to you!"
Esme froze in her tracks, slowly facing towards Pope who threw his hands up in the air, sick and tired of the same cycle that always seemed to repeat itself over and over again. "Look, I just gotta pull something off really quickly. I'll be back as soon as possible, I promise. Just—just give me an hour. You can give JJ an hour, you can do the same for me, can't you?"
"We can't keep having people running off, Esme," John B jumped in, Esme resisting the urge to snap at everyone who seemed to hand been pestering her. This was one of the main reasons why she enjoyed doing her missions by herself. The silence and tranquility of it all was truly more than enough. "Look, why don't you just sit down, alright? You don't need to leave."
"No, John B, this is really important to me. I'm not books take long, I promise. You can set a timer on that stupid watch of yours, I promise I'll be back before then."
The group had stared at her for a moment longer, pondering on whether or not they should truly take her word for it and allow her to leave, knowing there was a chance that she could have a run in with the cops or even worse c 'of even return at all. But when Esme simply pressed a kiss to Popes lips and grabbed the keys to the bike before walking off, there was nothing anybody could say to her anymore. Esme was spiraling, and it seemed as if nobody was putting in enough effort to pull her out before things got so much worse.
**********
Esme knew for the fact that her palms were now going to be permanently stained with markings from her fingers, the small crest like scars on her calloused skin being a clear indicator. However it was the only thing from punching a hole through the wall as she slowly made her way down towards the waiting room of the woman's prison that Nile was being kept it, that same rage creeping back up once more and making her want to do something irrational. She swallowed it down along with the bile that had slowly begun to rise in the back of her throat.
Natalie had eventually emerged, a smug expression on her features if Esme wasn't paying close Leigh attention. Her jaw clicked, watching as the woman sat down across from us dans Diane say a singular word. It was almost impossible to fathom that no more than two years ago they had been the best of friends, the ultimate mother and daughter duo on the cut. But now nothing but hatred swarmed in Esme's eyes as she sat across from the woman who didn't even deserve the title 'mother'. For what was a mother if not one of the most nurturing people you will ever come across, even if you truly didn't deserve it. Alive wasn't a mother. She was a monster if anything else.
"You gonna say anything?" Natalie questioned, folding her hands on top of the table in order to play the role as the perfect inmate in front of the guards. But Esme knew better. Hell, everyone who has half a brain knew better. "You didn't come to visit me just to stare at your mother, d—"
"You're not my fucking mother," Esme fumed, her cheeks flushing in fury as she slammed her fist down onto the table, hard. Natalie didn't flinch back, almost as if she knew this moment was going. She would've smirked if it wasn't for the murderous gaze in her daughter's eyes. "You stopped being my mother when you left dad. You didn't even fight for him. You just turned to drugs and brought in a man that did nothing but torment me. He—the shit that you allowed under your own roof, Natalie, I'll never forget, nor will I ever forgive you. And now dad's dead, and you're stuck here for the rest of your life. Gotta say, karma did work overtime for this shit."
"So that's what this is about? You wanna rub it in my face that my life is ruined? Bring it on, kiddo. I got all day for your bullshit."
"You're a liar and bitch," Esme continued on, her body trembling as she was finally letting out all of the emotions she had tried so hard to suppress. "That little story you told me about Luna, I actually cannot believe I fell for that shit. And because I did, she's lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life. You owed money to Hector Salazar and his little dog, which is why they came over in the first place. You made it seem like Luna was this huge druggie and all the other fucking bullshit, when in reality she was innocent the entire time."
Natalie's expression didn't change whatsoever at the mention of Luna being in the hospital, which terrified Esme like no other. The woman truly possessed no emotions in regard to anybody but herself. "I didn't mean for it to go this far, alright? I owed some money to the guys on the outside, and they knew damn well I wouldn't able to pay it from in here. So, I cut off contact with them. Anyways, this isn't my fucking fault. Nobody told you to snoop your nosy little ass in adult matters. Don't come up in here making me feel like shit when you're just as guilty for getting your aunt shot. Maybe those guards should put you in handcuffs, hm?"
Esme felt her sanity disappear at that moment, her fist colliding with Natalie's face before she even had a chance to process what an away doing. Shouting surrounded the entire corridor as guards rushed forward to yank Esme away from her mother, failing miserably once the teenager had climbed on top of the woman and landed punch after punch across her features, blood spraying everywhere from the effect of the punches as she roared in both rage and agony. No more was Natalie going to torment her, even from miles away in a prison cell that she wasn't even getting out of. And who knows, maybe Esme would get locked up right along with her for assault? But it wasn't as if she would have any regrets about it.
"You fucking bitch! I'll kill you!" Esme screamed once she was finally able to be dragged away from Natalie's limp body. She hoped she was dead, and that the doctors wouldn't even bother to bring her back if she was.
Natalie had ruined her life in ways no mother was ever supposed to, and she wouldn't be able to erase all of the horrible memories that were a result of the physical and mental abuse she had suffered at her hands. Quite frankly, she didn't care how harsh she sounded. Esme grunted as her body hit the burning hot pavement outside of the prison, her body aching from the forces of the punches and the harsh contact of being thrown to the ground following soon after that. Esme rubbed the side of her mouth that had begun to leak blood, scoffing loudly before hopping back on her bike and making her way towards the airstrip.
**********
"What the actual fuck is this supposed to be?" Esme demanded, shielding her eyes from the sight of a bright motel's making her way towards the airstrip soon after she arrived. The mysterious figure removed his helmet revealing Rafe, Esme's blood running cold at the sight. She was never supposed to see him again. They were supposed to be worlds apart, just as Pope had promised after one of her nightmares. Yet there he was, helping Ward Cameron of all people onto the plane along with Sarah. Esme stomped over to the trio, having to be held back by Cleo who had protectively pulled her away.
"Welcome back," Cleo greeted in a sarcastic matter, her words falling on deaf ears as Esme continued to stare at Ward and Rafe. She understood why Ward was there, for it was his plane. But Rafe? He shouldn't have been anywhere near her. "You missed quite a lot since you took off."
"Are you ok with this?" Esme turned towards Pope who hadn't said a word to her ever since her return, which she was choosing to ignore and instead focus on the bigger picture. "You can't fucking possibly be alright with this."
"What do you think?" Pope huffed, turning his attention towards Rafe who had came down the steps, both Esme and Pope shooting him a deadly glare. It was a silent communication, letting Rafe know that no matter what happened, the war between them will never end.
"Let's go, let's get on the plane. Come on, we're getting on the plane," John B announced, Esme staring at him with a bewildered expression. There was no possible way that she would be able to survive on a plane that has Ward Cameron on it. "We're getting on the plane. We gotta go."
"With them?" Pope questioned, Esme nodding her head in agreement. At least they were on the same page about something.
"Yes. We don't have any other choice."
"Just stick to the plan. Come on." Cleo linked her arms with both Pope and Esme before leading them onto the plane, as much as she wanted to jump out of it right at that moment. John B and Sarah joined soon afterwards, the plane now taking off into the air. Esme rested her head on Popes shoulder as she watched Sarah tend to Wards injures, a scoff escaping from her lips. If it was up to her she would've let him bleed out. Shit, maybe there was something really wrong with her.
"I know you won't believe it, but...you have nothing to worry about from me," Ward announced, more so speaking to John B. Esme snapped back into reality at the sound of his voice, though she truly didn't want to. "Not anymore. I'm just here to help you. All of you. I have a lot to make up for. For what it's worth....I'm glad your father's alive."
This was going to be one long fucking plane ride.
*********
"So Tres Rocas, that's where Neville said we would find the guy," John B stated, Esme sparing him a Quick Look before her gaze landed on Ward. She couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible was most likely going to happen now that he was in the ship, despite his bullshit reassurance that he wouldn't cause any of the teenagers harm. "Solana, that's the archaeological site. I think that's where they're taking my dad. Neville gave me this map. He said it should be....here."
Esme leaned forward to look at the so called map John B had pulled out of his pocket, a small scoff escaping her lips once she had realized that it was just a bunch of scribblings on a blank piece of paper. There was no possible way they were going to be able to find anything with how disorganized it looked.
Sarah seemed to have shared the same feelings, holding the map up to John B. "This? This is the map we're following?"
"He's the only guy who's been there."
"Pretty janky John B."
"I've been in river towns like this," Cleo mentioned, Esme looking out the window to see the scenery. It was much more peaceful than she imagined, despite the fact that they were throwing themselves into a world of uncertainty. "Major danger, you know?"
"Don't worry," Pope spoke. "We're gonna get there, find Singh, boost your pops. And then we'll find El Dorado. It's a layup."
"Four in one baby," Esme nodded, flashing a small smile John B's way. "After this, I'm gonna need a fucking vacation."
"You sure he doesn't know anything?" John B questioned, staring at Ward who continued to snore soundly in his seat.
"Not from me." Sarah shook her head, Esme clenching her jaw in rage. She hated this. She hated that she was sitting on a plane with the man who had murdered her father in cold blood. But she couldn't express her feelings of fury towards Sarah, for that would just lead to an argument she couldn't find herself getting out of without punching somebody across the face.
"Okay, first thing. We gotta find this guy named Jose and then head up river." John B instructed, Esme resting her head against the window and beginning to drift off.
**********
Esme slowly stirred awake to the sound of the plane landing. Immediately her hands clenched into fists, fear that Ward was going to pull something flooding through her mind. However once she managed to peel open her eyes and see that there was no sort of danger, she had managed to calm her nerves slightly, despite them returning every so often to remind her that there was a possibility of something happening.
Pope helped Esme up from her seat and led her down the steps of the plane, the immediate humidity that hit her skin making her feel sick to her stomach. If there was one thing Esme couldn't tolerate, it was the heat. It was ironic, considering she spent most of her days out in the sun in hopes of getting a tan. But for some reason this was much different, and not in a good way either.
Esme turned her head to see Ward climbing down from the steps as well, taking a step forward if it wasn't for Cleo once more holding her back. The somewhat healed wounds on the palms of her hands opened up once more as Esme tried to swallow down the mass amount of emotions she was feeling, which was beginning to fail miserably the longer she stared at Ward.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Sarah ordered, watching as Ward struggled to climb down the stairs. Esme would've laughed if she wasn't so goddamn angry.
"I'm coming," Ward replied as if it wasn't obvious enough.
"No, you're not," Sarah protested. "Yo got us here like you said you would. Now go on to Guadeloupe."
"You're in over your head."
"You need to see a doctor."
"Let me help. Please."
"No!" Sarah finally shouted, Esme raising a brow towards her in both shock and admiration. "Get back in the plane. You promised you weren't a part of this. No."
Ward had eventually gave in, getting back on the plane and allowing for the teenagers to walk off. They had found a taxi while doing so, the driver bringing them into the middle of what looked to be some sort of celebration. It reminded Esme of the time her father had taken her to Mexico with she was a kid, and all of the festivities and celebration that she was able to bear witness to. It was the first and only ever vacation Esme would take with her parents, for it wasn't as if they could really afford anything else.
"Theres a lot going on," Pope observed, Esme pulling him away from all of the commotion to avoid him getting hurt.
"Look like it's a local holiday." Cleo added as she also observed the crowd.
"So we got to assume that Singhs already gone upriver," John B went back on topic. "We're looking for a guy named Jose. He's gonna take us to the dig site."
"Uh, yeah, that's really cool and all, but I'm pretty sure that there could be many Joses here," Esme raised a brow in questioning. "You got a last name or something?"
"I do not have a last name."
"Shit. It's gonna be like trying to find a teardrop in the ocean." Cleo commented, Esme snickering at the analogy before clearing her throat once John B shot her a look.
"I'm assuming river guides probably hang out by the river." Sarah suggested with a raised brow.
"Yeah, but if they're anything like the guides in OBX they're getting drunk on holiday." Pope replied.
"So let's start with the bars?"
The group had decided to split up soon after that, Esme choosing to go with Cleo and Pope while John B had obviously chosen to go with Sarah. The trio walked throughout the streets, asking for Jose but ending up with nothing in return. Esme could feel herself growing more frustrated the more she asked people, only to get a shake of the head of no response at all. There was no possible way that nobody knew a single Jose in what looked to be a very small town.
"This is some bullshit!" Esme exclaimed, making her way back over towards Pope and Cleo who had come up short as well. "Literally nobody here knows a Jose. John B should've got a last name."
"They don't look very friendly," Cleo nodded her head towards a truck that was driving towards the trio, Esme cursing under her breath before grabbing onto both of their hands and making a run for it throughout the streets. Esme had assumed a long time ago that her legs would eventually give out from the amount of running she had done over the last couple of months or so, but it seemed as if they had only gotten stronger as she sprinted down the streets in order to keep up with Pope and Cleo.
"Yo! Como estas, amigos?" JJ greeted, Esme being caught off guard by his sudden presence before climbing onto the bus he and Kiara had most likely arrived on. She immediately wrapped her arms around both of them, terrified of the fact that she was most likely never going to see them again. Both JJ and Kie shared a look with each other before hugging her back, Esme sucking in their presence for a second longer before eventually pulling away and rubbing at her eyes.
"What's happening?" Kie ordered, confused by the fact that Esme, Pope, and Cleo had come charging towards them.
"Singhs men are right behind us," Pope explained. "They're after us. We gotta think of a plan."
"One that won't put us in some more shit," Esme hissed soon afterwards. "I'm looking at you, JJ."
"Why don't we just hijack the bus?" JJ threw out a suggestion, Esme groaning at the stupidity of it before slapping him upside the head. "Hey, don't frickin' hit me, Esme!"
"This bus? The one that goes ten miles an hour?" Kie questioned, not exactly on board with JJ's plan either.
"I'm just spitballing here Kie, ok?"
"Well, your spitballing sucks!" Esme argued, grabbing onto his arm before pulling him to duck behind the fruit stands that were feet away from them. Esme slowly peeked her head up from her hiding spot to see what was going on her, her eyes widening as she noticed one of Singhs men arguing with one of the locals as he lied about the groups whereabouts. Eventually the man had departed, Esme picking herself up from her hiding spot and making a run did it along with everybody else.
*********
Somehow someway JJ had managed to involve Baracuda Mike of all people in their scheme, which Esme still couldn't really bring herself to understand. She had come across him numerous times back when Ricky was still in the picture, the man transporting numerous drugs for him. Esme hadn't stuck around long enough to make conversation, but it seemed as if that was no longer going to be an option based on the fact that he was their only ticket to finding John B and Sarah.
"Got any weapons to protect yourself?" Mike questioned, leading the group over towards his boat. Esme shoved past numerous vines and leaves that kept on embedding itself into her hair, sighing in relief once she had finally gotten into the boat.
JJ shook his head. "Uh, kinda working on that part."
"Here," Mike handed JJ a bag that was most likely filled with weapons, Esme gasping once a brand new bow and arrow was thrown right at her, almost slashing her across the face if she didn't catch it in time. "JJ here personally asked for this for you."
"Shit, my last one got destroyed," Esme exhaled, clutching the item close to her chest before shooting a smile towards JJ who smiled right back at her. "Thanks, JJ. Really."
"I'm adding the cost of this rig to what you already owe me. I don't expect to see it again anyway," Mike continued to speak. "Look, I asked around at the landing today. Your buds did leave this morning, but I was able to get directions to El Tesoro. Pretty loose. Only Jose knows the real way, but get in the right zip code, maybe. It's a start."
"Thanks." JJ nodded his head.
"No. Don't thank me. Start praying, and JJ? You owe me ten times. Good luck."
Esme didn't even want to know what Mike meant by that, pulling JJ onto the boat right along with her as he started the engine and drove off. Esme glanced over towards Pope, once more feeling a pang in her chest once she realized they still haven't had the conversation they've been waiting on for days now. If it wasn't for Singh and his men hunting down Esme and the rest of the group with the intent to kill them, talking would've been the fixers thing she suggested.
**********
Esme stared out at the endless water that seemed to have been ahead of her, her cheek resting against the boat as she tried to regain her thoughts. So much had happened in the last couple of hours and quite frankly she was truly struggling to catch up. And of course right when she was finally starting to get the hang of everything.
"JJ, you were right. That's Singh and his men," Cleo observed as a boat sped past them, Esme raising her head up to get a better look. "But they're not looking for us."
"Yeah, they're moving real quick," JJ agreed. "They're looking for John B and Sarah. They'll know where they're head. We gotta go. They're gonna need us."
JJ once more moved over to start the engine getting them out of the bush and following Singh up the river. Esme being aware of the face that she once more had her bow and arrow to protect herself made her feel slightly more safe, despite the fact that it could break in a matter of seconds if she wasn't careful enough. The group continued to move all the way up the river towards El Tesoro, just as the map had intended. Hours upon hours passed by until they finally reached their location, Esme almost fainting from relief.
"Okay guys, I think this is El Tesoro," Kie stated. "The trailhead to the mountain is supposed to start here."
"Oh shit. That's one of Singhs guys," JJ spoke as the group looked over at a set up camp filled with people, most of whom were Singhs men. "What are we gonna do? We gotta get past them somehow."
Pope and JJ seemed to have conversed for a few moments, whereas the only thing Esme was capable of doing was chewing on her lower lip to the point where blood seeped from it from both stress and frustration. JJ had moved everyone over to the other side of the river, deciding to hide out in a small shack. As soon as Esme was informed of the plan she sprung into action, scribbling down a note before handing it over to Pope to deliver it to one of Singhs men. It was a smart plan, she couldn't even lie about that. Esme watched as the note was toward before Pope sounded off and threw what sounded like a gunshot but in reality was just a firecracker.
The man had yelped, jumping up from his spot on the boat. "Miguel! They're shooting at us! Where are they?"
"Is he buying it?" JJ questioned, Esme nodding her head as her along with Cleo and Kie continued to watch the men freak out over the fake gunshots. The man had grown panicked, pointing his gun to where he thought the gunshots were coming from before firing rounds into the water, almost hitting the group in the process. Esme quickly ducked down, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. As a final taunt Pope threw one final firecracker, which caused for the men to once more panic and finally take off.
"Think we're getting better at this." JJ grinned, doing the signature handshake with Pope.
"Oh yeah," Pope agreed with a nod, wrapping an arm around Esme's shoulders. "Couldn't have done it without the one and only."
"Hey, hey. Ain't no time for celebrating. We didn't do nothing yet," Cleo cut the two boys off, walking out of the small shed along with Kie.
JJ and Pope shared a look with one another. "I thought we did something."
"We did."
"Well done soldier."
The group had began to hike their way up the mountains, following the path so they would end up exactly where John B and Sarah were. Pope kept his fingers interlocked with Esme's as they went ahead with everyone else, even if she didn't deserve it. She had been nothing but distant and cold to him in the last couple of weeks and she truly wouldn't be upset if he considered shoving her off of the cliff in an act of rage, even if that would never happen. The two paused at the edge of a steep cliff, Esme simply taking a moment to bask in the gorgeous scenery.
"Do you ever wonder," Esme paused for a moment, trying to figure out the right thing to say without sounding like a selfish bitch. "At any point in our relationship, did you ever consider breaking up with me? You can be honest, I don't care."
Popes head snapped over to Esme, appalled by the question he had just been asked. "Why would you ask me something like that?"
Fuck.
"I-it's just been on my mind lately, with everything that's been going on," Esme attempted to explain, her heart hammering in her chest. "You're right. It's a really fucking dumb question, but after everything I've put you through, you can't stand there and tell me there didn't come a time where you didn't considered leaving me."
"Only once," Pope softly whispered, Esme slowly nodding her head. She wasn't shocked whatsoever. "It was a little bit after you got sent to juvie. I was so angry at you for getting yourself in trouble like that, a-and bringing it to my doorstep. I was planning on doing it by sending you a letter, telling you that I couldn't do it anymore."
"So what changed?"
"I tried imagining my life without you in it. Your drawings, your snarky comments, and it made me feel.....empty. Like, I was in love with you for so long, and I was gonna throw it all way, over a letter nonetheless. I crumpled it and threw it away in the trash. So yeah, if that answers your question."
A trembling breath escaped past Esme's lips as she stared ahead, the trees now all fading into one blur due to the tears that formed in her eyes. She was hurt, though she shouldn't be. She completely understood the meaning behind Popes words, why he considered leaving her when she got sent off to juvie. It explained why he never came to visit her, despite sending out numerous letters begging him too.
Looking back, Esme realized just how desperate she truly sounded, as embarrassing as it was to admit. She couldn't function without Popes love, so to hear him go radio silent for over a month made her spiral to the point where he considered breaking up with her. It made her feel ashamed of herself, even if that was the last thing Pope wanted. Esme sniffled once Pope grabbed onto her chin, gently tilting her head back towards him so they were making eye contact once more.
"I'm so sorry," Esme could only whisper, biting down her lower lip to prevent a sob from escaping her trembling lips. "I'm sorry for being a mess, and crying. I know I've apologized so many times before, and you probably think I'm full of shit, b-but—"
Pope had cut her off with an eye roll, stepping forward to press a soft yet passionate kiss to her lips that told the two everything that they needed to know. Esme's eyes blew wide at the sudden contact, then reaching her hands up to caress his cheeks and deepen the kiss. Silence consumed the entire atmosphere, just the way that they liked it. Esme was the first to pull away, her cheeks flushed just as they always were when she kissed Pope.
"We're one of those couples that don't talk for weeks and still understand each other. It's because we're connected in a way that even I'm struggling to understand," Pope stated, Esme smiling through her tears. "You are the love of my life, and nothing you say or do will ever change that. Well, unless you cheat on me. Then that'll have to change."
Esme giggled, harshly wiping at her eyes. "Never in a million years, amor. Never in a million years."
"Kinds figured you would say something like that. So let's make a pinky promise. You swear to start seeing yourself the way I see you, and I swear to protect you, always and forever. Deal?"
Esme sniffled, once more nodding before linking their pinkies together. Pope stepped forward, kissing her once more. In that moment Esme just wished that this moment could never end, and they could just stay in the wilderness forever with nothing but each others company keeping them going.
"Pope!" JJ called, pushing past the long grass with the machete in his hand as he made his way over towards the duo. "Hey. We couldn't find anything. You guys find something?"
"Yeah. The path leads this way." Pope pointed to a path right behind him, Esme not even taking notice of it until he had pointed it out.
"Alright." JJ nodded. From the corner of Esme's eye she could see Cleo send her a wink, the Lopez girl nudging her shoulder gently to avoid all of the teasing. The group continued up the mountain, moving around numerous trees and branches. Esme could feel her clothes stick to her skin as she dragged herself along the trail, the humidity making her feel nauseous once more. It also didn't help that her fingers were interlocked with Popes much more sweaty ones, making everything entirely much more worse. They had finally reached the top, noticing a group of people none other than John B, Sarah, Big John and....Ward?
"I fucking knew it," Esme whispered more to herself than anyone else, clutching her weapon as she watched Ward point a gun at Big John's head. It was the first time they had seen each other in about a year, seeing as she wasn't present at the reunion when he had first arrived back on the island.
"You get to go home, back to Kildare. Live happily ever after," Ward uttered. "With your son that loves you. And my daughter....who hates me. I'm sorry, John. I don't think I can allow that."
The pouges remained behind the tree as they attempted to come up with a plan, watching as Ward turned the safety off on his gun. One by one they pulled their machetes out except for Esme, who only loaded up her bow and arrow. They jumped out from their hiding spot, shouting threats at Ward to drop his weapon.
"Stay the fuck down!" Esme ordered, not even flinching as Ward quickly pointed his gun at her before pointing it at everyone else.
"What're you gonna do, shoot us all?" Pope questioned, staring at Ward with a determined look as well l.
"If you gotta shoot somebody, Ward, shoot me." Big John piped up, Esme almost bursting out into tears at the sound of his voice.
"Or me." John B added, stepping forward in front of his father. Ward had continued to point his gun at Big John as he contemplated on what was the best option. Sarah had stepped forward, Esme's eyes widening as she reached forward to pull her back.
"Stop," Sarah ordered softly, the gun now pressed against her chest. "You're not gonna kill all of us. I know you. You forget that I know you. You can't do this."
Ward sobbed, contemplating on what to do for a moment longer before lowering his gun. Esme hesitated before slowly lowering her weapon as well once she had realized that he wasn't going to hurt any of them. "I couldn't, I couldn't do it."
"Yeah?" One of Singhs men had interjected himself into the conversation, the loud and very much noticeable sound of a gun cocking causing for all of them to spin around. "Well I can. Toss it."
"Take it easy, bud," Big John warned. "Your boss is dead. You got no reason to do this."
"I can think of a few reasons," The man replied, continuing to shout at John B to drop his weapon. "Thought you'd end up with the gold, eh? all right, nobody move."
Esme clutched onto Popes hand tightly, terrified of what could happen as the man forced her to hand over her bow and arrow as well for some unknown reason, seeing as it most likely wasn't a threat compared to a loaded gun.
"Now, my mate back there is dead," The man stared directly at Sarah, which worried Esme even more. "Because of you. You go first."
"No," Ward mumbled, turning his head towards Sarah with a gentle smile. Esme had seem that same exact smile before. It was the smile or reassurance. Esme has seen it when her father got sentenced, the smile lingering on his lips as he was dragged off to prison. Everything seemed to have moved in slow motion after that. Ward had charged at the man, multiple gunshots going off as he tackled him off of the cliff, the both of them landing with a sickening thud. The group made their way over towards the cliff, Esme staring down at Wards dead body with a blank look in her eyes.
Esme had imagined this exact moment many times, seeing Ward Cameron finally get what he deserved. It wasn't as if he went out in a total painful way, his fall down the ground being quick. She'd like to think of this as the universe finally giving Ward exactly w he deserved for everything he put her and her friends through. Esme snapped back into reality once she took notice of Big John who was still bleeding out on the ground, quickly rushing over to help him up with the help of John B and Jj as the man grew weaker and weaker.
"Bird, bird, bird." Big John softly called, Esme feeling the warm tears rolling down her cheeks as Pope rubbed her back soothingly.
"Dad, yeah." John B nodded, moving to sit by his side.
"Hey, hey, bird. Hey. Sarah. Sarah.zl
"Hi," Sarah forced a smile, though Esme could only imagine the inner turmoil she was experiencing. "I'm here, Big John."
"Bird, you gotta hold onto this one. I know that I wasn't any great as a father."
"Stop dad."
"But you...you were the best son that any man could hope for," Big John continued, his eyes landing on Esme who continued to cry silently. "I thought I saw you, Picasso. You got so big."
"Yeah, yeah I guess I did," Esme choked on a sob, stepping forward to grab his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. "Everything's gonna be ok, Big John. I promise."
"Look, dad. Look. We did it," John B placed the gold he had found in El Dorado on the man's chest, so Big John was able to see what they had accomplished. "You did it."
"I'll see you. I'll see you, kid." Big John whispered before he went limp. Esme felt her entire body go numb as she watched the life fade from the man's eyes, her entire body trembling. She had witnessed so many deaths in her lifetime, it was just natural for her body to shut down once she saw somebody go. However she stepped forward to place a hand on John B's shoulder, wanting to provide some sort of comfort to her best friend. But hey, at least now Big John and Mario were hugging each other in the afterlife, just as they had first hugged when they met each other at fifteen years old.
The group had paused to to set up a gravestone for Big John, John B engraving the words into a large rock. Esme sniffled and wiped at her eyes once more, growing emotional for about the billionth time that day.
Big John Routledge. Explorer Father. RIP P4L.
**********
18 MONTHS LATER.
If you had told sixteen year old Esmeralda Lopez that she wound be standing before the entire town after finding millions of dollars worth of money, she would've slapped you across the face before calling you insane. Well, that didn't seem the be the case anymore as she stood in one of her most fancy dresses, smiling at everybody who had ever doubted her in the past. They called her crazy, a psycho who was going to end up just like her father. She felt like laughing in front of all of them, taunting them for how wrong they had been. But at the end of the day, she had been the one to find the gold with the help of her friends, her family.
"An expedition of one man, John Routledge and a group of teenagers, who are with us today. Locals, who grew up here and who succeeded where centuries of conquistadors, explorers, and admirals failed," The dignitary spoke. "Today, we come together to celebrate these teens, friends from both sides of the island who came together to solve this 500 year old mystery. Let's hear it for them!"
The crowd began to cheer loudly, causing the teens to smaller rise up to their feet. Esme pressed a quick kiss to Popes hand before looking out into the crowd, Luna cheering front and center in her wheelchair. Since Esme returned to the island, the doctors had informed her that because of the bullets location in her chest, it had managed to hit her spine which meant she would never walk again. The news of course destroyed Esme, but with constant reassurance from Luna that the loss of motion in her limbs wasn't going to change anything, she had begun to feel better. Of course however like any normal adult who's in charge of a child wasn't too ecstatic about the fact she had ran off to South America, however she had soon gotten over it.
The group now stood by one of the tables as they each took turns smoking a joint JJ had provided, which Esme appreciated. As grateful as she was that she was finally getting recognized for the exploration, she didn't know if she would be able to handle one more snobby rich person walking up to her to make small talk. Esme ran a hand through her now shoulder length hair, deciding to chop most of it off after arriving back to the OBX.
"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt." A man had walked over to John B and Sarah, Esme immediately tensing up in fear.
"Uh, can we help you?" Pope asked as everyone began to gather around the table with each other.
"Yes," The man nodded his head. "I wanted to tell you all it's remarkable what you all did. Royal Merchant, El Dorado, Denmark Tanny. Impressive resume, impressive. I was wondering if you would all be so kind as to look at an item of mine."
"Oh yeah? What kind of item is that?" Cleo asked with a skeptical look.
"It's a manuscript. I would investigate it myself, but I'm too long on the tooth. I need partners, and you all were first on my list."
"May I?" Pope held his hand out towards the man who held the manuscript in his hand.
"I was hoping you would."
Pope looked over the manuscript, his eyebrows slowly raising. "1718. Jeez, this is old. Exhibition notes, dates."
"This is a captains log. This shows the exact position of the ship." John B added.
"The exact location where the ship sailed and where it stopped." The man informed.
"Who's the captain?" JJ inquired, looking over the manuscript as well.
"Edward Teach. Blackbeard."
A wide smile appeared on Esme's lips at that moment, already knowing that they were going to be thrown into an entirely new adventure. She shared a look with Pope who had linked his pinkie with hers, pressing a kiss to it seconds later. She didn't care how many times she went hunting for treasure, just as long as she did it with the love of her life and her best friends in the entire world.
Here we fucking go again.
Word count:10,474
wow. it's really over omg. esme and pope, my og couple 😭😭 i'm gonna miss writing them so much y'all have no idea. obx 4 literally needs to hurry up i'm gonna pull my hair out. i know i updated tuis book once every five months and i'm so sorry y'all, but i hope y'all enjoyed this conclusion until season four comes out. as always, thank you so much for voting, commenting, and overall showing your appreciation towards this book! love yall so much!!! ❤️❤️