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HE KILLED OUR DAD.
He killed our dad. He killed our dad. He killed our dad. Judy wishes the words would stop circulating around in her head, but they won't. And watching her brother speed off with a hunch of vengeance on his shoulders, she's more scared than her diagnoses has ever made her.
If he does something stupid, he could land himself in jail. And then what? She's on her own. She will have lost a father, and a brother. John B is many things, but he is not a killer.
And right now, she fears he's about to take it out on Ward Cameron.
Tears blurring her vision whilst the others are chasing after him, dust spraying out of the back of the bike trail, she sprints back into the Chateau, retrieving the keys to the Twinkie from the empty fruit bowl, and makes a beeline for the vehicle.
"Jude, what're you doin'?" JJ is the first to turn around and notice her.
The doors are already unlocked, which greatly aids her in getting inside before anyone can stop her.
"Judy, hey!" He runs forward, reaching for the handle to the passenger door, but before he can do so, she clicks the locks down.
"What's going on? Judy?" Kiara and Pope, having immediately lost John B to the road, acknowledge what's happening. Kie tries the back door, but it doesn't shift.
Blinking through her watery, impaired vision, Judy sticks the key into the ignition and twists it, feeling the engine fire up beneath her weight.
JJ shuffles around to her window, slamming his hands against the dusty old glass. "Open up, Jupiter." He tries to soften his voice in order to conceal the rising concern bubbling in the back of his throat.
"Yeah, c'mon, Jude. You don't even know how to drive!" Pope points out, logically, of course. Because he's Pope.
That's not entirely true. Her dad had given her a lesson once or twice. Plus, she's pretty good at Mario Kart, it can't be that different.
"Baby, open the door." Anxiety ripples through the passages of JJ's bloodstream.
He just wants to Hulk-smash his way inside and take her in his arms. If she's there, she isn't putting herself at risk. He can protect her, and comfort her if she's with him, but he can't do that if she's gone rogue.
