Chapter Text
Everyone knew Jj had it rough growing up. Whether it be showing up to school covered in bruises, the way he flinched at loud noises and voices, or the trouble he would manage to get himself in. Everyone knew. But nobody knew more than Big John and his son John B.
Jj has spent many nights on the Rutledge’s pullout, even more nights sharing John B’s bed.
These were the nights John B had to help tend to wounds or calm Jj from a panic. These were the nights that brought the two troubled boys closer than the other pogues. John B was willing to help Jj and then “forget” about it the next day. He has been there through most of it and doesn’t ask questions.
It’s not that he doesn’t trust Kiara and Pope, the other pogues would probably try to get Jj help or start treating him like he was made of glass. But John B was willing to do things however Jj wanted and let it go from there.
It took only one time when they were 13 for John B to look him in the eye and say to him. “I won’t ever do anything you don’t want me to do. But if there is a time you want me to do something. Just say the words and I will.” That was enough for both of them to understand that John B won’t meddle, not with this, until Jj asked.
John B knew where the boundaries were and he had never crossed them.
No matter how often these sleepovers occur, he always goes back home, even if there wasn’t any food in the fridge.
This leads to its own set of problems. The Maybanks do not have much in the money department, whatever they have to go towards food, clothes, etc., goes to drugs, alcohol, and boat parts. Luke Maybank spent any money that was for Jj’s basic needs without a second thought.
Because of this, at a young age Jj needed to learn how to provide for himself. When he needed new clothes, he could get by with some of John B’s hand-me-downs. He didn’t like them, but they fit.
Food was a different problem though, he couldn’t only survive on school lunch, especially since it wasn’t available during the summer.
The year he was seven, he would take whatever money he could gather from the floors and grounds. It was enough to be able to cute his way into thinking he had enough for a snack and getting it for free.
When he turned nine that wasn’t cutting it any more so he started putting small items in his pockets, along with trying to pay with what he had. Eventually though, the cashiers would stop giving him things for free or letting him pay minimum price.
By twelve, he was a master at shoplifting.
Pope and Kiara knew most of this, they knew about Luke Maybank neglecting his son, they knew about his drawer of clothes at John B’s. Which is why when Jj took food off their trays at lunch they didn’t notice. When they found one of Jj’s shirts on the floor of the chateau, they just threw it in John B’s room without thinking about it.
But what they didn’t know was how bad it was. They didn’t know about the beatings, how bad they could get, and they didn’t know about the habits Jj had created for survival.
It was the middle of May, only three weeks until summer break. Uncle T was in town for his monthly meeting with CPS so John B was on edge.
Jj had been at the chateau a few nights prior with one of the worst sets of bruises he’d seen on him. He promised, all those years ago, he wouldn’t do anything unless Jj specifically asked, but it was getting harder to do nothing as Jj’s late night visits were coming far more frequent than usual and worsening every time.
Uncle T was in town so Jj wouldn’t come near the chateau and risk him seeing the cuts and bruises. So John B just had to act as if things were normal until Uncle T left tomorrow afternoon.
“—n B, earth to John B,” John B snapped his head up to Pope waving his hand in front of his face “Welcome back buddy, get your ass on the bus.”
“Huh?” Pope rolled his eyes as he turned John B by his shoulders and guided him in the bus.
“You were really out of it bro, you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just tired.”
“Well it’s nap time soon for you and Jj. It’s day E, so we have History second period. You just have to get through math first.” John B nodded against the window “Remember that because you and Jj get to sleep through class, it’s homework day. I need you at the store today so I can get Jj to focus. He is falling behind and needs to catch up before he can’t.”
Pope looked over at John B staring off into space again. “I don’t even know why I bother talking to you before lunch, you’re practically dead in the mornings” rolling his eyes, Pope opens his Anatomy textbook.
John B made it through Math without falling asleep. But just because he was awake doesn’t mean he was mentally present, he just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about today.
It was made clear that he was right when he woke up from history and Jj wasn’t in sight.
Looking over to Pope he asked “Jj?”
“Didn’t show. He can’t keep missing school John B, he already missed too much this quarter.”
“I gotta go, Pope.”
“Go where? Don’t you leave school John B, you can’t miss–“
John B grabbed his backpack and was already out the door before he could finish.
Making it out the school doors, he grabs some kids' bike and raced to Jj’s.
His legs aching, he whipped the too small bike into Jj’s lot, only to find three cop cars and an ambulance in his best friend's driveway.
The medics were tending to Jj while one of the cops was asking him questions. Looking around he sees Ms. Tammy, Jj’s elederly neighbor talking to another cop. He hears a loud car door slam and immediately looks over to see Luke in the backseat of one of the cop cars.
As John B tries to make his way over to his best friend, he is stopped by a different cop.
“You can’t go through here kid,” he gruffs
“Come on officer, that’s my best friend,”
“I don’t care if he’s your best friend, you can’t go through here.”
“I just wanna talk to him for a minute, please?”
“You. Are. Not. Going. Through. You can whine and beg all you wan-”
“JB?”
“Hey bud,” John B changed to a gentler tone when he saw Jj’s terrified face. “This jackass won’t let me through. Do you want me to go home?”
“No! No John B! Please don’t go” he started to panic repeating that same phrase over and over
John B looks to the cop holding him back, “You’re gonna have to arrest me if you think I’m not gonna go calm him down” shaking his head the cop let go.
John B rushed over to Jj, kneeling in front of him, “Take some deep breath’s bubba,” he exaggerated a few breaths to get Jj started. “You’re doing awesome, we gotta calm your heartbeat so it isn’t so loud in those ears huh.”
John B continued to help Jj through his panic attack until he was breathing semi-normally again.
“Okay Jj, what do you need right now?” Jj looked John B in the eyes, with tears running down his face he started reaching for him. “I need you to use your words. I don’t want to give you something that you don’t need Jj.”
“Closer. No touch.”
“Okay, I’ll come closer but I won’t touch you.” He moved to sit as close as he could in front of Jj without making any physical contact. “Thank you for telling me what you need bud.”
The two boys sat there in silence until a female officer came over to them.
“Hi Jj, I’m officer Anna.” she introduced as she squatted down to the boys’ level, “The paramedics need to take you to the hospital for an X-Ray and some pictures. Would you like your friend to go with you?” she asked in a gentle tone. Jj nodded, “Okay. Can I ride with you so I can make sure you two can stick together?” another nod from Jj
“Alright now Jj, do you want to walk to the ambulance or do you want them to bring over the stretcher?”
John B could see Jj starting to shut down at the question.
“Hey bubba,” Jj looked at him “Officer Anna is gonna ask you again, can you tell her yes or no so she can help you?” Jj nodded and looked to Officer Anna
“Would you like the paramedics to bring over the stretcher?”
“No.”
“Would you like to walk to the ambulance?”
“Yes.”
“Whenever you’re ready we can all walk over together.” Officer Anna spoke
When Jj tried to pull himself off the steps John B and Officer Anna stood.
Jj was having trouble getting up. His ribs were killing him and his arms were so tired from trying to defend himself against his father.
After a few tiring attempts, he gave up.
John B squatted back down to Jj’s eye level, “Jj, can I help you?”
Jj made eye contact with him with tears slowly running down his face, “Yes.”
“Alright bubba, I’m gonna go to your side and put my arms under yours and then we’ll do a 1, 2, 3. Just like if we were jumping off the Pogue.”
Making sure he is where Jj can still be able to see him, he gets his footing. “Okay Jj, 1, 2, 3”
Once Jj is standing, he helps him down the few steps before loosening his grip. They get halfway to the ambulance when Jj stumbles against a loose rock and whips himself into John B’s arms.
“I gotcha, you're not gonna fall bubs,” he reaches to put his hand in Jj’s hair, only to feel blood.
He shows his hand to Anna before turning back to Jj who was trying to hide in John B’s shoulder “Come on Jj, we’re halfway there.”
They make it into the ambulance and Jj onto the stretcher without any problems. That is until Jj realizes that he needs to be strapped to the stretcher.
“Jj, take a deep breath and look at me,” Jj takes a deep breath and looks at John B “You have to wear the buckles. I’m going to sit right here where you can see me and I’m going to wear my buckle. Can you wear yours too?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you Jj.” John B pushes the hair out of Jj’s face and sits down
Jj reaches his hand to John B, “Hand. Please.”
John B puts his hand in Jj’s and watches his eyes flutter, “You can close your eyes, I’m right here.”
Jj closes his eyes and falls asleep.