Stalked
"You ok?" Dominic asked, helping Thea out of the car slowly as she nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Thea said, stepping onto the ground slowly.
"You didn't have to come with me." Dominic said, "This is too much for you right now."
"No, I have to be there for you. I'm fine." Thea shook her head stubbornly as he closed the car door for her, taking her hand, "Just… walk slowly with me." She sighed, leaning into his arm sweetly as he kissed her head.
"Do you not trust me to go on my own?" Dominic wondered as Thea lifted her head from his arm.
"Of course I trust you. That's not why I'm coming." She made clear as he nodded, "I just want to be there for you." She said.
"I know but you're super injured. It's not like you've got the sniffles. You were shot-"
"I'm aware." Thea said, "I am gonna do what I'm gonna do, and you know that, so stop going on about it, ok?" She said, in typical Thea fashion as Dominic smiled and nodded. He'd known her for long enough to know that she was very stubborn, and most often than not, only listened to herself. She had determination for sure.
"Ok." Dominic nodded, walking towards the town hall, opening up the door for her as she walked in first, taking a slow step at a time.
"What do you think Tyler will say?" Dominic asked.
"Not you two again, probably." Thea nodded. She knew she wouldn't have been able to rest knowing Dominic was coming here himself. She wanted to be there with him for all of this, no matter how long it took to help get back on the right track.
They walked on into the meeting which hadn't begun yet, walking through the doors and watching as Tyler, the man in charge of the AA meetings, looked over to them with a sad expression.
"The look of disappointment." Dominic whispered to Thea who smiled a little. The good thing was, they didn't take themselves too seriously, and neither did the meeting. It was very well constructed and very helpful, having been running since they both first meet many years ago.
"Oh, Thea." Tyler sighed, walking over. He took one look at Thea, noticing how weak and sick she looked, only assuming it was her who had relapsed, "Oh, baby we're gonna fix you right up-"
"It's not me this time, Tyler." Thea nodded discreetly as Tyler turned to Dominic who nodded.
"Oh, dear." Tyler sighed, rubbing both their arms, "Ok, come in and get yourself a coffee and a seat." He nodded to them both sweetly.
"You are the cutest little baby ever. You are." Jude smiled, kneeling down on her parent's living room floor, playing with her nephew who was on his mat. AJ and Punk were babysitting James for Thea and Dominic, so they could go to the meeting together.
"I don't mind when you pull on my hair, it's ok, I forgive you." Jude smiled, feeling James pulling on her long dark hair.
"Jude are you staying for dinner?" Punk asked, walking into the living room, "How long have you been down there playing with him?" He laughed.
"Literally an hour. I just can't help it, he's so cute I want to cry." Jude sighed as Punk chuckled, "Is there enough for me to stay for dinner?" She looked up at Punk.
"Of course there is. We're doing tacos." Punk said.
"Oh, yeah. I'll stay for that." Jude smiled, "And I'll stay to play some more with this little munchkin." She said as Punk smiled, sitting down on the couch, "Don't you think he looks like Thea?" She asked her dad.
"Yeah, he does." Punk nodded, "But he's also kinda like Dominic too." He said.
"Look at all this fuzzy hair." Jude smiled, spiking James' little strands of hair up as Punk chuckled, "Now you're a little rocker baby. Can you throw up the horns?" She asked, playing with his hands as Punk smiled.
"Don't teach him that, Thea will kill you." Punk chuckled as Jude smiled.
"I hope Dominic is ok." Jude sighed, crossing her legs in a basket, "And Thea."
"They'll get through it." Punk nodded confidently. He knew his daughter and son-in-law. He always fondly told them they were chaotically responsible. He knew it had been a difficult time for them, for all of them, but the hard part of admitting was out in the open.
"All we can do support them, I guess." Jude nodded with a deep breath, "I'm just… I'm wishing for a good Christmas this year. I feel like we all really need it." She said as Punk nodded.
"Yeah, I agree." Punk said, "Will Sean be coming for dinner?"
"I uh… I don't think so. He might stop by later on but it'll probably just be me for dinner." Jude nodded, "He was actually talking about going away for the weekend after Christmas." She said as Punk nodded.
"You don't seem… thrilled about that." Punk noticed.
"No, I am." Jude assured him, "I'd love to." She said, "But… I don't know, he's… he's really guarded. I don't know if it's a cop thing or what but… I feel like I barely know him."
"Well you have only been dating him for a few months." Punk said, "I'm sure it's normal to feel like that."
"No, it's not like that. I know him I just… he doesn't really open up." Jude shrugged, "I don't know, maybe I'm being paranoid and looking for things that aren't there." She said, "I just… I want to know he's comfortable with me and that he can tell me anything. Right now it kinda feels like he's holding back." She said.
"Sometimes that's just how people are." Punk said, "We're all different. We all share different things with different people at… at different times. I don't think it has to do with how comfortable he is with you." He said, "I mean there was a lot of stuff that I never told your mom until we were a year into dating." He said, "That's what a relationship is."
"Well truth is I've… I've never been in an relationship that has lasted this long." She said, "Which I know is super embarrassing-"
"No, it's not. Just means that this guy might be… special." Punk assured her.
"You secretly like him, don't you?" Jude smiled.
"He's… he's ok." Punk said as Jude chuckled, "Just… try not think too much into it. I'm sure he'll open up when he's ready."
"Yeah, I know." Jude nodded, "The good thing is I finally got my apartment back. Kirsty's family have gone." She said, "Oh and I sort of invited Kirsty around for Christmas dinner. She's not got plans this year."
"More the merrier." Punk nodded.
"And guess what Auntie Jude bought you for Christmas day?" Jude smiled, leaning over James and holding both hands, clapping them together gently, "She got you a little suit and waistcoat."
"You're too much." Punk chuckled.
"Hey, it is the cutest thing ever and I demand Thea has him wear it." Jude said, "He's gonna look so handsome." She said in a funny voice as she played with James.
It was infectious to see just how many hearts James had stolen in the family, especially all the girls. It was hard not to watch him smiling with his aunts and not a crack a smile of his own.
"He's gonna be a little heartbreaker." Punk nodded.
"Oh, for sure." Jude chuckled.
"Mom, that was so good, thank you." Jude smiled, lying on the chair in the living room, her legs dangling off the arm of the chair as her parents came into the living room.
"That's ok, sweetie." AJ smiled, sitting down on the couch with Punk, "Thea text, they're just out the meeting, said it went well and they're gonna grab something to eat somewhere before they come get James."
"Well there's no rush." Punk nodded.
"So what the hell do you do at an AA meeting?" Cassie asked, sitting over on the other couch. James was in his crib upstairs sleeping after his night feed and change.
"Well you meet other people who are going through the same sort of addiction as you." Punk explained, "And you talk about it with each other. It's like therapy but… a little more specified for addiction." Punk said as Cassie nodded.
"Your Christmas tree looks squint." Jude tilted her head, looking over at the Christmas tree in the corner of the house.
"What? No it doesn't." AJ objected.
"It does from here." Jude said as AJ stood up, walking over to where Jude was sitting and looking at the tree, gasping when she noticed it was indeed squint.
"Phil, oh my God." AJ said as Punk looked at her, "It's got a tilt in it." AJ said as Punk rolled his eyes.
"I'm sure no one will notice." Punk waved his hand.
"I noticed." Jude said.
"Yeah but you're annoying." Punk said as Jude made a face.
"We've had that tree for years. Maybe next year we'll need a new one." AJ said, sitting back down beside Punk.
"It's a Christmas tree." Punk shook his head as she turned to him.
"Don't be a grumpy scrooge." AJ looked at him as he chuckled, leaning in and stealing a kiss from her as she chuckled against it, messing his slicked hair up as he shoved her playfully.
Jude looked over with a smile, only hoping she could find someone to share her life with and have the joy her parents had with each other.
"I better head off." Jude nodded, standing up from the chair, "I got a lot of work to do."
"Honey, when do you finish up for Christmas break?" AJ asked her.
"Well I'm technically already finished, I just have one more essay to do for Monday and then I'm free." She yawned, stretching up, "I better start it tonight." She groaned.
"You sound like you're looking forward to it." Punk chuckled.
"Oh, yeah. Can't wait." Jude nodded, putting her boots on and grabbing her coat, "I'll see myself out." She told them.
"Are you walking? Do you want me to give you a ride home?" Punk asked her.
"No, it's dry. I can just walk it." Jude said, buttoning her coat up, "It's only a ten minute walk."
"Well be careful." AJ said as Jude nodded.
"Thank you for dinner." Jude said, blowing a kiss to her sister and parents before leaving the house.
She began walking on down the path, minding her own business, not aware that she was being followed. That she was being stalked.