Open
"So was this… rape report close by?" Jude asked, sitting in a Mexican restaurant with Sean later on after they left the station. The bad feeling had lifted from her, that feeling like she was being watched. She wasn't sure if it was because she wasn't alone anymore, but she was glad it was gone. She convinced herself she was just being paranoid in the dark streets.
"I… I shouldn't really talk about it." Sean sighed, looking across at her, almost with worry.
"Why are you looking at me like that, though?" Jude asked, "Have I got something on my face?" She chuckled a little.
"No I just…" He paused as Jude looked at him.
"What is it?" Jude shook her head.
"The girl that… reported it. She studies at the art institute." Sean noted as Jude raised her eyebrows.
"Oh my God." Jude shook her head.
"Yeah and then I talked to one of the other cops in the station and he said there's been more sexual assault reports from girls in the institute, all happened this year." Sean said, "Did you know anything about it?"
"I had no idea." Jude shook her head, "Oh my God, that's terrible." She said with worry.
"Yeah, my stomach dropped when I heard she studied there. Just… thought about you, you know." He sighed as Jude nodded.
"Hey, I'll… I'll be ok." Jude assured him, "I'm always with someone." She nodded, "Do you have any idea who it is? Any sort of leads?"
"No, nothing. The guy was wearing a black hooded mask so… she didn't see his face." Sean said, "I swear it makes me so angry." He shook his head, "It's one thing being attacked but being attacked in that way…" He shook his head, running his hands over his face, "You just can't imagine it."
"It's so awful. No one deserves that." Jude shook her head, "I haven't even heard anything about it. I guess I keep to myself. I got a couple friends but… maybe I need to pay more attention." She thought to herself.
"You shouldn't have to worry about if someone's gonna hurt you like that, though. It's fucking bullshit." Sean said angrily, still slightly riled up from his days work, especially with the connotations it had to his girlfriend.
"Did it happen in the institute?" Jude asked.
"No it happened outside, in a street." Sean shook his head.
"It's scary what people are capable of." Jude shook her head.
"Animals more like." Sean corrected as Jude nodded, "I'm sorry, this dinner has been super depressing."
"No, you've had a tough day and… you can talk to me about it." Jude assured him as he smiled gratefully.
"Kirsty, you home?" Jude walked into her apartment later on that night after Sean dropped her off after dinner.
"In here." Kirsty called from the kitchen as Jude put her purse down, taking her coat off and walking into the kitchen where Kirsty was sat at the table, on her laptop, eating from a tub of ice-cream.
"I see you've had a productive night." Jude noticed.
"I have actually. Finished my essay, finally." Kirsty said.
"Which was due last night." Jude nodded.
"Ten percent off my mark? Like I care." Kirsty said, "We're art students. I didn't sign up for essays."
"Part of the education, sister." Jude said, walking over to the fridge to grab a drink out.
"Did you hear about Chelsea Graham?" Kirsty asked with a change of tone.
"What about her?" Jude asked, not even thinking.
"She was… raped last night." Kirsty said seriously as Jude raised her eyebrows.
"It was Chelsea?" Jude gasped, shutting the fridge over.
"Wait… you knew?" Kirsty asked.
"Sean… was talking to me about it." Jude nodded, "I can't believe it was her." She shook her head. It wasn't someone they were best friends with, but the girl was in their classes, and they spoke on occasion.
"Happened outside a club apparently, but I… I hate the gossip over it. It's no one's fucking business." Kirsty shook her head, "I just hope she's ok."
"Well she's probably not." Jude assumed, "Listen to this, when Sean talked to other cops about it, they said there had been other reports of sexual harassment and assault from girls in the institute this year." She said.
"Seriously?" Kirsty questioned.
"Yeah." Jude nodded, "Terrifying, right?"
"Yeah." Kirsty nodded, "You think it's a guy who studies there too?"
"I have no idea." Jude said, "How did you find out?"
"Chelsea's roommate apparently found her after it… happened, then contacted some of her friends because her mom is out of town. I guess… the word travelled." Kirsty said.
"Poor Chelsea." Jude sighed, sitting down at the table.
"Did Sean say anything about who it might be? Any suspects?" Kirsty asked.
"No, they don't know anything yet." Jude shook her head, "Should we go visit her or… send her something? I know we didn't really talk to her but… it's not like we're strangers." Jude said.
"I'd give it a couple days." Kirsty said as Jude nodded, "God, there are so many evil people out there." She shook her head angrily as Jude nodded.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Jude sighed, "How you getting on with your essay?" Jude asked her.
"Halfway there." Kirsty nodded, eating some more of her ice-cream, "Hey, did you make sure it was ok with your parents that I come for Christmas dinner?"
"Yeah, they're fine with it obviously." Jude nodded, "I think I'm gonna go for a bath and have an early night." She said as Kirsty nodded, "I promised Thea I would go shopping with her tomorrow. It's her first time being out properly since she got shot."
"Is she ready for that?" Kirsty asked.
"It's Thea. Of course she is." Jude said as Kirsty smiled.
"Enjoy your bath." Kirsty said as Jude nodded, leaving the kitchen and heading into her room to prepare for her bath.
"Stop hogging the chips." AJ demanded, sitting on the couch with Punk, taking the bag of chips from him and digging in, "You're gonna leave me with all the broken crumbs." She huffed as Punk rolled his eyes.
"I'm sure you'll survive." Punk shook his head, "What is this nonsense we're watching?"
"General Hospital." AJ nodded.
"April." Punk huffed, "Are you trying to torture me?"
"Yes." AJ said, "Hey, this comforted me when you weren't here. This… got me through some rough nights I'll have you know." She said.
"Well I'm here now so… maybe you don't have to watch it aymore." He hoped.
"Nice try." She scoffed as Punk shook his head.
"I'm worried about Thea, you know." He said, folding his arms, "I think it's too soon for her to be… going out shopping. I'm glad she's been doing good these past few days but she's gonna overdo it."
"Thea knows her boundaries, I'm sure she'll be just fine." AJ hummed, "Jude is going with her anyway so if it's too much, they'll go home." She said.
"I still don't like it." Punk said, "Do we have all the Christmas presents we need for everyone?" He asked her.
"More or less." AJ nodded, "Are we supposed to get Sean something?" She asked.
"I don't think we have to but… maybe it'd be nice." Punk shrugged.
"Since when do you like doing nice things? Especially for your daughter's boyfriend?" AJ scoffed.
"I'll have you know I am a terrific father-in-law once you get to know me." Punk nodded as AJ shook her head, "I am."
"Yeah once Jude and Thea yell at you to quit behaving like a child." AJ smiled as Punk huffed, like a child ironically.
"I think she's a little frustrated." Punk said.
"Who?" AJ turned to her.
"Jude." Punk said, "With Sean. Not in like a bad way or anything but… I don't think he's a talker, if you know what I mean. She wants him to open up more."
"Maybe he's got nothing to open up about. Not everyone's lives are as dysfunctional as ours." AJ reminded him.
"That is true." Punk agreed, "I think it's more than that, though."
"Some people just take time. It's not natural for some people to open up." AJ said, "I mean… there's some things I didn't learn about you until we were older." She said.
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Punk questioned.
"I… I didn't know you had never met your dad until years into dating you. I always thought you'd met him and he just walked out-"
"Well technically he did walk out but… I was one and Dean was still in the womb so…" Punk shrugged, "I thought I was always pretty open with you."
"You were but… I mean some things you just learn as you go, right?" AJ shrugged, "Maybe Jude is just being paranoid."
"Yeah well she did say this was the longest she'd been in a relationship for." Punk said.
"It is?" AJ questioned as Punk nodded, "Bless her, I think she's just scared that it might go wrong, which is understandable given her previous relationships."
"I wouldn't exactly call them relationships." Punk shook his head.
"Was I open with you from the start?" AJ wondered.
"Yeah, couldn't get you to shut up." Punk teased as AJ turned to him, "Kidding." He smiled as she shook her head and chuckled, "No, actually you were pretty closed off for a while. You made me work for a lot of things." He said as AJ smiled, "Oddly enough that hasn't changed."
"And it never will, baby. Don't you forget it." She nudged him as he smiled.
"I'm sure you'll make sure I won't." Punk chuckled, "I think our circumstances were different anyway. It's like we were living parallel lives."
"Yeah, I guess it was." AJ nodded to herself as Punk smiled.
"If you had to go back to the start and do it all again… is there anything you would change?" He asked her as she thought to herself.
"I wouldn't change a thing besides… finding a way to not lose you for eight years." She said, "Obviously."
"What about the first time I was in prison? You leaving my ass there?" Punk teased.
"Yeah." AJ nodded seriously as he looked at her, "You and I both know that you learned a lot in that year, and so did I." She said as Punk nodded in agreement, knowing that to be true.
"Yeah, you're right." Punk said, "But… I did miss Thea being born."
"Yeah, I would have liked you there for that." AJ nodded, "And for Cassie." She said, looking over at the TV as Punk watched her.
"I know things like that don't get easier and they still stay with you. I know they stay with me. I feel like I… I didn't even know Cassie as a kid." He admitted as AJ nodded.
"I guess it's things we just have to accept. Past is the past." AJ nodded.
"Yeah." Punk agreed, "We've made some good memories since I got out." He said as AJ smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, of course we have." AJ smiled, curling into him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Phil." She whined.
"What?" He shook his head with confusion, looking down at her.
"I missed the end." She pointed to the TV as Punk smirked deviously, "Was that your plan?" She questioned, "You evil, evil man." She pushed him over as he fell on his side on the couch and chuckled, "Jerk."
"You love me." Punk sat back up.
"No, stay down." She pushed him back over as he chuckled. She couldn't help smile either.