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"SARE? SARAH, WHAT'S WRONG?" Marty says into her phone, as she glances down at her blond boy laying down in her lap. "Wait, lemme put you on speaker."
"Can you hear me?" Sarah speaks the phone a little staticky due to the rain. "Is JJ with you?"
"Yeah, we hear you," JJ answers, quickly sitting up from Martha's lap and pausing the Criminal Minds episode they were watching.
"It's John B," her voice getting a bit muffled out by an abundance siren in the background. "Topper pushed him off Hawk's Nest and, now, we're on our way to the hospital. Pope said that I should call you because he has no service," she starts to ramble on. "And that, you should be with JJ and that JJ needs to know, and that he's sorry, I guess, and that your mom needs to come down to the hospital because she's the only guardian John B has."
As soon as Sarah said it's John B, both Martha and JJ jumped off the girl's bed and got dressed as fast as they could. He is her family. He is his best friend. No argument could surpass their concern for Jonathan Booker Routledge's life.
"Okay, Sarah stay on the phone with JJ, I'm getting my mom," Marty says, pulling on a baggy shirt and chucking the phone to her boyfriend.
"I'm here, Sarah, calm down, tell me what happened," JJ says, turning his girlfriend's phone off speaker and bringing it to his ear.
Martha runs— well, jogs (she's still a little sore)— out of her room and into her parents'.
"Mom?!" She shouts, barging into their room. Her mom is laying on her bed, over the covers, legs crossed with an opened novel in her hand. Her father is in the adjacent master bathroom, mumbling along to some Van Halen.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Lola settles down the book she's reading, startled by her daughter.
"What's going on?" Her father leans his head into the room, mid-brushing his teeth.
"Please, I know you don't want to do anything with John B but he needs your help. He's our family," she pleas, coming to the edge of the bed. Her mother's eyes telling her to explain. "He was protecting Sarah, somehow Topper pushed him off Hawk's Nest, and he's now going to the hospital. He's been running from the DCS and if they find out he's at the hospital, they'll surely come for him. Please, take him in."
Lola sighs loudly, a bit annoyed and a bit frustrated, but she looks over to her husband— who is already sliding his shoes on.
"Come on, I'll drive," he says, pulling his coat jacket off his hanger and walking out of the room. "JJ! Let's go."
➵ ➵ ➵
JOHN B WAKES UP TO THE SOUND OF his monitor beeping smoothly. His fingers move slightly as he turns his head and his gaze falls upon Sarah Cameron smiling at him.
"Hi," she whispers, her teeth nabbing her bottom lip as she grins. Her eyes flicker over to the window, quickly motioning for someone else to join them.
"Where am I?" He greets her back, his eyes shutting for a second as he tries to remember what happened.
"Saint Olive's," Sarah states softly, not wanting to cause an anxious stir in the teenage boy. "You fell from the Hawk's Nest. You have a concussion and a broken wrist."
A woman's voice is muffled on the PA as John B glances down at his left wrist, "Whoa."
"Yeah, pretty cool."
"I need to get outta here," John B says, picking his head up from the pillow. He groans as he leans upward, "DCS is gonna find me—
"—Woah, woah, Johnnycakes, there's no need for that," Marty interrupts, stepping into the room with JJ behind her.
"Martha? J? What are you doin' here? I thought—
"—Just because we fought doesn't mean we wouldn't be here, man," JJ quickly runs to the other side of the brunet's bed, better access to mess up his hair.
"Yeah, besides, I pulled the family card," Marty shrugs, looking over her left shoulder. The kids look over in that direction, JJ and Sarah's all-knowing smile grows ear-to-ear as Lola Holland walks in.
"Marty told me everything. About your little adventure, about you running from the DCS, about how you were protecting Sarah in the tower," Lola states, watching the kids share soft smiles. "John," she steps closer to the bed, "I believe I owe you an apology. Big John and I were never close, but if Marty was in your position, I know he would've done what I should've done a long time ago."
"I'm a bit of a stubborn ass when it comes to my family, just ask her."
"She is," Marty nods, as a loud belly laugh can be heard outside.
In the hospital hallway, Chris holds his chest as he laughs, "that's an understatement!"
"Fuck off, darling!" She snaps, making the group laugh at her spiteful joke and her husband's cackle echo throughout the whole second floor. "Anyway, I spoke with Sheriff Peterkin, and I've offered to be your legal guardian if you'll have me."
"What?"
"That means a roof over your head and no more runnin' from the DCS, try some of my fabulous cookies that JJ should've told you about."
John B looks at Marty, a grateful smile forming on his face. "Sure, yeah... uh, yeah."
"Welcome to the family, you're officially a Holland."
