Sisters

"Castillo! You're out." A police officer opened up the gate to the holding cell as Thea sat up from lying on the bench, "You made bail." He nodded as Thea walked over to the gate, stepping out of the cell.

"He's really gonna hurt himself, you know." Thea nodded over to the guy who was still hitting his head off the wall and had been for the past six hours she'd been in the cell.

"Yeah, he's a regular, don't worry about it." He told her, locking up the cell and escorting her towards the main station.

She was lead out of the swing doors, into the main entrance of the police station, spotting her husband and father standing at the side.

"I can go?" Thea asked the police officer.

"Yeah." He nodded as she turned back around, rushing over to Dominic who eventually spotted her.

"Hey." Dominic sighed with relief, catching her in his arms and holding her tightly.

"Hey." Thea said, trying not to cry, burying her face into his shoulder and holding onto him tightly.

"It's gonna be ok." Dominic kissed her head. He didn't know for sure if it would be, but he couldn't put doubt in her head right now.

"I don't know if it is." Thea said, pulling back from the hug and looking at him, "This is bad, isn't it?" She nodded as Dominic looked at her, "You can say yes." She assured him.

"It's not looking good, no." Dominic said truthfully as Thea nodded. She didn't want assurance. She just wanted the truth. She wanted to know what she was up against.

"We should never have lied. You shouldn't have said it was you. We should have just… told the truth." Thea shook her head.

"It would have been the same outcome." Dominic said, cupping her cheeks.

"I want to go home." Thea said as Dominic nodded.

"We will. We'll go home." Dominic nodded, pecking her lips and hugging her close again as Punk looked over from where he was standing. He knew this dreaded feeling all too well. He felt like he was staring at versions of he and his wife fifteen years ago.

"Hey." Punk said as Thea walked over to him with Dominic, wrapping his arms around her.

"I just want to go home." Thea muffled against her father's shoulder. She didn't want to talk about the unknown, the to be continued or the possibilities. She just wanted to go home and hold her son, lie in her husband's arms and fall asleep.

"You gotta talk to someone first." Punk said as Thea pulled back from the hug.

"Who?" Thea shook her head.

"She's outside." Punk said, heading out of the station as Thea followed, turning to Dominic worriedly who just gave her a nod of reassurance, "Thea, this is Hilary, she is gonna represent you." Punk said, finding Hilary standing outside waiting.

"Hi, Thea." Hilary smiled, shaking Thea's hand.

"Hi." Thea said nervously.

"Don't look so scared." Hilary smiled, "I'm gonna help you." She promised.

"Oh my God, come here." AJ sighed, practically running to the door as soon as she heard it open, hugging Thea immediately.

"I'm ok." Thea assured her, "I'm fine."

"I know you are but still." AJ held her tightly, kissing her head as Thea selfishly held onto her mother's hug, "You'll get out of this, ok?" AJ pulled back from the hug, placing her hand on Thea's shoulders, "Your… Your dad told me this lawyer is incredible. She's got no criminal defence losses." AJ said, "You're not getting punished for this, do you hear me?" She made clear as Thea nodded.

"I hear you." Thea nodded, "Where is James?" She asked tiredly.

"Jude was changing him upstairs." AJ nodded.

"I wanna see him." Thea said, walking off upstairs as AJ sighed watching her, turning to Punk and Dominic.

"What the hell happens now?" AJ questioned.

"She's gonna meet with Hilary tomorrow morning." Punk nodded, "To go over everything-"

"What are they charging her with?" AJ asked as Punk looked at Dominic, sighing.

"Murder." Punk nodded as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"W-What?" AJ shook her head, "Not manslaughter or… or justifiable homicide?" She questioned.

"No." Punk shook his head, "No, they're going with murder." He said, "They're saying because he hadn't touched her and that she was in no physical danger… it doesn't pass for manslaughter or justifiable homicide."

"He was a rapist!" AJ yelled, "How is that not her being in physical danger?" She spat as Punk nodded.

"I know, well… Hilary is gonna fight them on it, try and get it brought down to justifiable homicide." Punk said, "They got the impression that this was a revenge killing. That Jackson told Thea what he did and… that's why she killed him." Punk nodded, "Which… let's not be discrete about it… that's what happened."

"Oh, and who is really upset about it? Huh? One less rapist in the world. Sounds like a fucking win win to me." AJ spat as Punk nodded to himself.

"Yeah well because there was no trial to convict Jackson as a rapist-"

"What? That means he didn't do it?" AJ questioned, "Huh? He's dead so it doesn't matter? Is that what they're saying?" AJ spat.

"April, calm down." Punk shook his head as Dominic sighed.

"No! No, don't tell me to calm down." AJ hissed, "Thea was protecting herself. And she was protecting her family. She shouldn't… she shouldn't be punished for that."

"I know she shouldn't." Punk said, "Look at me." He said as AJ looked at him, "She'll get off with it. She won't do time-"

"Like you told me you wouldn't do time?" AJ looked up at him.

Of course it was just flooding back memories of the time she watched her husband go to prison. There was no way she was losing her daughter to that. No way in hell.

"I told you from the get go that I was going to prison. I knew I was." Punk reminded her, "I told you, April… I'm not getting out of this." He said as she nodded. Like she could ever forget that day.

"I know." AJ whispered.

"Because I'm always honest with you, and I tell you the truth." Punk said as she nodded, "This lawyer is good. Real good. Thea isn't going anywhere, do you understand me?" He said as AJ nodded.

"When is it gonna end?" AJ whispered as Punk sighed, wrapping his arms around her tightly, watching as Dominic walked past them and headed into the kitchen, feeling just as hopeless and scared.

Meanwhile Thea had made her way upstairs, walking into James' nursery where she saw Jude holding him.

"Suits you." Thea smiled a little as Jude turned around.

"You're back." Jude smiled with relief as Thea nodded.

"Yeah, all good." Thea smiled, walking further into the room as Jude watched her, "He's a good listener, right?" She smiled, looking on at James resting against Jude's chest peacefully. She could see her son was happy and content in his aunts arms.

"Oh, the best." Jude smiled, "He gives the best cuddles and doesn't ask me any complicated questions." She nodded as Thea smiled, caressing the back of James' head, playing with his fuzzy little hair and smiling to herself.

"He been good for you?" Thea asked.

"He's always good." Jude nodded, "Not sure how a little angel like this came from you." She said as Thea nodded.

"Yeah, it doesn't really make sense, does it?" Thea nodded in agreement as Jude looked across at her.

Jude walked over to the crib, putting James down carefully as Thea watched with a smile.

"There, you close your eyes." Jude smiled.

"You're good at this." Thea noticed, "You'll be a good mom one day." She nodded.

"Yeah, maybe." Jude nodded, looking across at her, "How bad is it?" She asked quietly, folding her arms as Thea looked across at her.

"Bad." Thea nodded, "Worse than I actually thought." She admitted truthfully, "And hey, maybe that's what I get for being such a fool. Thinking I could do what I did and not… pay for it somehow." She said.

"In my eyes, you never did anything wrong." Jude nodded, "I want you to know that."

"I don't feel like I've done anything wrong." Thea said, "The law thinks differently." She shrugged as Jude nodded.

"So what's the plan?" Jude asked her.

"I have a lawyer. She's supposed to be really good." Thea nodded, "I'm meeting with her tomorrow morning to go over some things." She said, "But… they're charging me with first degree murder."

"What?" Jude shook her head, "They-They can't do that." She said, "You were just protecting yourself and-"

"I don't know if I was." Thea admitted, "I think I was just put in a room with the guy who raped my sister." She nodded as Jude looked across at her.

"Exactly. You were in a room with a rapist. God knows what he could have done or what he was going to do." Jude said.

"Hilary, my lawyer, she's gonna try push for justifiable homicide. I don't really know how it all works to be honest." Thea said, "I guess a jury decides in court if I… if I'm guilty or not." She nodded.

"You don't even seem scared." Jude noticed.

"I am." Thea nodded, "But I don't regret what I did." She shook her head as Jude looked at her, "Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I should feel worse but… I feel like I've done the world a service." She shrugged, "If the jury and judge has any sense of humanity… they'll agree." She nodded.

"You shouldn't have to go through this." Jude shook her head.

"I'm gonna be fine. You don't need to worry about me." Thea assured her.

"Well I am. I… I don't want to lose you." Jude shook her head, "He's already took so much from me, I don't want him to take you too." She said.

"You're not gonna lose me." Thea shook her head, "I just couldn't let him live the rest of his life after what he did to you. I couldn't. I've saw what he's done to you. What he's left you with." Thea said, "The pain he's caused you." She shook her head as Jude stood closer to you.

"I never needed you to kill him, though." Jude whispered, cupping Thea's cheeks, "I'd rather have him out there than lose you. I need you here. I can't get through this without you."

"Sure you can." Thea took her hands from her cheeks, "It's me who always needs people to get through things-"

"Yeah and now it's my turn to need you." Jude nodded.

"I'll be here." Thea assured her, holding her hands.

"You were the only person I could face telling." Jude said, "I need you around." She said as Thea nodded.

"And I'll be here." Thea nodded, watching the tear run down Jude's cheek, "I promise you." She said, cupping Jude's cheeks, wiping her tears, "You're my baby sister and I'm not leaving you. Not when you need me the most." She shook her head.

"I'm gonna hold you to this promise." Jude said as Thea smiled.

"Good." Thea chuckled, tears running down her cheeks, keeping her hands on Jude's cheeks, "You know how much I love to tell you I told you." She smiled as Jude chuckled through her tears.

She knew that she didn't do what she did for anything but her sister. For the pain and hurt she was going through, for the pain that possibly would stay with her forever, for the undeserved attack she suffered at the hands of a monster. A monster that had no place on this earth.

"I love you." Jude nodded as Thea smiled.

"I love you too." Thea nodded, wrapping her arms around her little sister, cupping the back of her head as they both let go of their tears.