𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘, 𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄 - kiara carrera²

𝒙𝒙𝒙𝒗𝒊. 𝒄𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

"SO, YOU AND CAMERON SORTED EVERYTHING OUT?"

Illegally walking along the streets of Outerbanks, still giving no shits that the police were after her, Tatum Quinn shrugged at Pope's observation. The sun was beginning to set and the annual bonfire started in two hours. Though she wasn't supposed to go and all her friends would be pissed if she turned up and got arrested, Tatum planned on making an appearance at what she was convinced was her birthday party.

However, right now, she was going over for dinner at the Heywards. She never seen them as the family dinner type - no southside family was, it was a kook thing - but she was grateful to be invited as part of them. And she knew Sue Heyward made a mean pie, which would make up for the food poisoning JJ gave her this morning with his uncooked eggs and flour. It was the thought that counts.

"He's my brother, I can't hate him forever, right?" she shrugged it off like the talk she had this morning was nothing, but she hadn't even came out and said all that stuff to John B, nevermind someone she met a few days ago.

Pope nodded, an unusual amount excitement buzzing through his veins as he thought about the conversation to come. He couldn't wait for this dinner, he couldn't wait for the announcement, the present.

"I guess," he said with a nod, trying to contain the shaky adrenaline in his blood. For the first time in his whole life, he understood how it felt to be in Tatum's mindset - way too energetic, attention snapping at the most random times, weird shakes that come out of nowhere, the need to run and jump around for no reason at all - and he had no idea how she did it. "JJ still doesn't trust him, though."

"JJ didn't trust Sarah until JB's trial," Tatum reasoned as they stepped inside the Heyward home, taking in the amazing scent of apples and spice from the crumble Sue was cooking. "He's just overprotective."

At the sound of the door opening, Sue rushed in to meet the children, a dazzling smile on her face and Baby TJ cradled in her arms. "Happy birthday, sweetie," she greeted, pulling Tatum into a tight squeeze, meeting the eye of her son from behind with a large grin.

Pope smiled back instantly, not sure how much longer he could take before he exploded and asked the question himself. He knew the answer would be yes, he knew it was basically already a thing, but he couldn't wait to make it official.

"Come on," said Heyward from the kitchen. "Let's eat before the goddamn food gets cold."

Although he tired to play it off, Pope knew the main reason his dad wanted to hurry up and eat was because he was secretly nervous for what was to happen during desert.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"THANKS, MOM, THE FOOD WAS GREAT."

Pope's manners were completely on-point under the presence and examination of his father. Respect was everything to the Heyward family, and the whole town knew that. Even the kooks held a large amount of respect for the man who delivered and picked all their groceries.

Tatum nodded in agreement, having finished her food ages before everyone else, and was now feeding TJ some leftover mash from his highchair Kiara and John B made themselves.

Most of the day, she wondered what was going on at school. If Kie had met someone, if anyone had mentioned her, what they did. But all Pope told her was that some girl invited JB to the bonfire - though, JJ was totally convinced the invite was actually made for him - and their history teacher  gave them the real diary that belonged to Denmark Tanny. It took Tatum a long moment to remember exactly who the famous slave was, which meant Pope had to explain the whole story of the Royal Merchant. Again. For the 1000th time. Which only made her feel extremely sick for sharing the same blood as the people that trapped and used and tortured her best friend's ancestors. Or just anyone at all. Even she knew, as a diagnosed sociopath, that the things that went on those days, and are still going on in some places now, were sick and disgusting and just plain wrong.

The diary revealed that the cross - the golden cross that Tatum had also forgotten all about - was on the Royal Merchant. They had the key to this cross, and it linked to every single thing that had gone on in the last few months. Everything was finally coming together, and it confused the absolute shit out of the girl.

Sue raised herself from the old, wobbly wooden table with a large smile, happy for how well the meal had gone and how smoothly the conversation had flowed.

Pope and his father watched her go, the two boys trying their hardest to restrain the anxious, but excited grins begging to stretch onto their faces, while Tatum obliviously continued to feed her baby brother.

When Sue returned, she was holding up a cake. A beautiful homemade victoria sponge with sugar icing sprinkled over the top, spelling out a question.

Tatum, who didn't notice the words at first, grinned at the fantastic smell of the cake. When it was placed onto the table and the whole creation was shown, she let out a huge gasp, head snapping towards an anticipated Pope.

W͜͡e͜͡l͜͡c͜͡o͜͡m͜͡e͜͡ t͜͡o͜͡ t͜͡h͜͡e͜͡ f͜͡a͜͡m͜͡i͜͡l͜͡y͜͡,
T͜͡J͜͡ a͜͡n͜͡d͜͡ T͜͡a͜͡t͜͡u͜͡m͜͡ H͜͡e͜͡y͜͡w͜͡a͜͡r͜͡d͜͡?

Hand over her mouth, the girl looked over at the man of the house in clarification that what she thought was true.

"We got the adoption papers last week," he revealed, a nice smile sitting on his face. "Thought it would be a good birthday present. What d'you say?"

She paused, taking a moment to think. She turned to the baby beside her, the happiest child she'd seen in her life, surrounded by the people he'd known as family since the day returned to Outerbanks.

She thought about herself, how this was the life she always dreamt of, how this was the exact family she craved from being a child visiting the shop and meeting her best friend.

But then she thought about Thomas, where he was, how lonely he'd be, how if she did this, she wouldn't hold the Quinn name anymore. How she'd have no legal ties to him. To Joseph. To Leroy.

"They'll always be your brothers," Pope assured her, knowing exactly what she was thinking and squeezing her hand in comfort and encouragement.

Tears brimmed over the corners of her eyes. She blinked and they begun to fall down her face.

The family waited patiently, prepared for whatever answer she gave them.

At last, Tatum smiled and nodded, uncaring towards the happy tears that spread out along her face. "Yeah," she said and lifted her brother out of his chair. She met the eyes of the happily, healthily married couple, seeing the parents she'd imagined herself having ever since she was a little girl and breaking into houses. "Yes, I want to be your daughter."

The rest of the Heyward family stood up and took turns wrapping the sweet girl and her brother in their arms, crying around the cake, wishing they had done this sooner. Wishing they had taken Tatum away from her nightmare home before the monster was executed.

But they did it now. They had her. They had their daughter at last.