Final Straw


"Cassie?" Punk called, walking through the empty kitchen after getting home from talking with Dean, "Cass?" He said, heading upstairs, feeling the house oddly quiet.

He knocked on Cassie's bedroom door before walking in, finding her lying on top of her bed.

"Hey." Punk said.

"Hi." Cassie said, looking up at the ceiling like she had been ever since she collapsed in her bed, getting home from speaking with Sam.

"Where is Thea and Dominic? And the kids?" Punk asked.

"Uh… the movies I think. They wanted to get the kids out of the house." Cassie said as Punk nodded, "Where were you?" She asked him.

"I was talking to Dean actually. He got paid a visit from this… guy." Punk said.

"Daniel?" Cassie asked as Punk nodded.

"We were just talking about what we're gonna do about it." Punk said as Cassie sat up on the bed, leaning against the headboard of her bed.

"Do you blame me?" Cassie asked him.

"No." Punk shook his head immediately, "No, he lives like five minutes away, you had every right to be curious. He's your grandfather." He said.

"Am I an afterthought?" Cassie asked him.

"Huh?" Punk shook his head.

"To this family?" Cassie asked him, "Am I the one that… is gonna end up distant in a few years? Am I different from everyone?" She asked him as he shook his head with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Punk laughed a little.

"I'm being serious, dad." Cassie said as his smile faded, "I used to think it was because I was the youngest. That you guys just wanted to protect me but… is it because I'm not like everyone else."

"Babe, what are you talking about?" Punk shook his head with confusion, "What do you mean you're not like everyone else?" He walked into the room, sitting down on the edge of her bed as she played with one of her cushions.

"It's always Thea and Jude." Cassie shrugged, "It's like… the four of you and then there's me." She nodded, "Some people don't even know you have a third kid." She said as Punk looked at her with confusion.

"What you… you think we love you less than Thea and Jude?" Punk shook his head as Cassie shrugged, "Come on, Cassie you can't be serious." He said.

"I ended up being a cop after being born to drug dealing parents." Cassie scoffed.

"You being a cop has nothing to do with how me and your mother see you. You're our daughter. Just the same as Thea and Jude." Punk said, "Is this how you really feel?"

"I didn't but… I don't know." Cassie shrugged.

"You being a cop makes me so fucking proud." Punk nodded, "Because you said hey mom and dad, fuck the societal norm, I'm gonna go be me." He said, "And you did. And you're good at it. All three of you are different in your own ways and that's… that's what makes it so amazing to be your dad." He said as Cassie looked at him, a smile forming.

"You should go talk to Sam." Cassie suggested.

"Yeah, me and Dean were talking about going to talk to her about some stuff." Punk said, "We'll go tomorrow or something-"

"No, I… I'd go tonight if I were you." Cassie nodded as Punk looked at her, noticing her eyes glassy.

"What'd she say to you?" Punk asked suspiciously.

"Nothing that matters. You should just go talk to her." Cassie nodded.

"Did she upset you?" Punk asked her.

"I'm a big girl, dad. I'm fine." Cassie said, "Just get Dean and go talk to her. She… has a lot to say, trust me." She shook her head as Punk stood up.

"Like what?" Punk shook his head.

"Just go." Cassie scoffed.

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Punk looked across at her.


"Hey, Cassie. What are you doing here so late?" A nurse asked as Cassie walked down the hospital corridor later on.

"Just to see my mom." Cassie nodded, "You reckon she's awake?"

"Probably." The nurse smiled, "Is everything ok?" She asked, noticing Cassie's eyes were red and puffy.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine." Cassie nodded, walking down the rest of the corridor, heading into her mother's room where she was glad to see her awake watching TV.

"Cassie." AJ lifted her head from the pillow.

"Hey." Cassie said quietly as AJ looked across at her. She knew instantly that she was upset.

"Baby, what's wrong?" AJ frowned, sitting up a little.

"I just think I need a hug." Cassie nodded. Some things only her mother could fix.

"Oh, come here, baby." AJ sighed, creating space in the bed as Cassie walked over, sitting down on the edge of the bed and hugging into AJ tightly as she cupped her face softly.

"I miss you at home." Cassie sighed, hugging into her tightly.

"Baby, what's wrong? Talk to me." AJ said softly as Cassie leaned into her, "Why are you upset?"

"I got my job back. And I… I'm a full-time cop now. I don't need a partner to supervise me." She said, dodging her mother's question.

"Really?" AJ gasped, "Babe, are you serious?" AJ shook her head.

"Yeah." Cassie nodded, realising she wasn't as excited as she should have been. As she could have been.

"Oh my God, that's amazing, Cassie." AJ smiled happily as Cassie looked up at her, "I'm so proud of you, baby." AJ sighed with happiness, kissing her head as Cassie smiled a little.

"Are you?" Cassie looked up at her.

"Of course I am." AJ shook her head, "God, you work so hard, you deserve this so much." AJ kissed her head, hugging her tightly as Cassie smiled to herself. She didn't question her mother and father loving her, she knew they did, sometimes she just felt out of place, and foolishly she'd let Sam's hateful words get into her head, "Theo would be so proud of you." AJ whispered as Cassie nodded tearfully.

"I really miss him." Cassie cried as AJ nodded.

"I know you do." AJ sighed, holding Cassie in her arms, "But you get to use everything he taught you, and do him proud every day at a job that you both bonded over." She reminded her, "He wouldn't' want you to be upset." She said.

"I know." Cassie sighed, "I didn't really have anyone to tell. Jude is busy with Mirren and… Thea's gone out with the kids and Dominic. Dad is busy with Dean and… whatever's going on with them."

"Mama's always here to listen." AJ whispered, leaning her head against Cassie's.

"Yeah, I know." Cassie smiled, drying her tears as she looked up at the TV, "What are you watching?"

"Golden Girls." AJ said.

"This looks ancient." Cassie said.

"It is." AJ laughed a little, playing with Cassie's hair, "I used to watch this in the motel rooms that me and your dad would stay at. The same episodes would play over and over again." She shook her head as Cassie looked up at the TV, feeling her mother playing with her hair in a soothing manner.

"I could see myself watching it." Cassie nodded as AJ smiled.


"Alright alright, I'm coming." Sam walked down the hallway, reaching the door and opening it up where she saw her two sons standing on the doorstep, "Hello, children. Come on in." She nodded, having expected their arrival, letting them into the house and closing the door behind them.

"You got some stuff you wanna say to us?" Dean asked, walking through to the kitchen as Punk followed behind, trying to keep their cool as they reached the kitchen.

"I assume Cassie told you to come speak to me?" Sam asked, "I swear that girl isn't your daughter. I'd be doing some DNA tests if I were you." She chuckled.

"Shut up." Punk spat angrily as Sam looked at him, "She told me everything." He said as she looked across at both of them, "Everything that happened with dad and you. Trying to leave town. Dad taking the fall for you. Fucking Hamilton being our uncle!" Punk yelled angrily as Dean looked across at Sam.

"Now Phil, just… calm down." Sam warned, "I didn't tell you because there was no point-"

"I don't care if there was ever a point in telling us, we deserved the truth." Punk spat, "I mean that explains why he always took us away from you and put us in foster homes-"

"And does it explain why he's a bastard? A pig who constantly harassed you both as teenagers. Constantly harassed April and Thea?" Sam asked, "He is no family of yours-"

"Why did you keep all of this from us?" Dean shook his head angrily, "If it didn't make a difference like you say, why not just tell us?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was mad at myself?" Sam asked, "Mad that I never got us out of there in time-"

"And whose fault is that?" Punk asked, "You got behind the wheel, drunk, with us still in the fucking car!" He yelled, "And you never thought to tell us that a man who, yeah, has always harassed us and been on our case, was actually our fucking uncle!" Punk spat, "You just live in your own little bubble, don't you? You don't think. You never have." He said.

"I did everything I could to protect you both-"

"Bullshit." Dean shook his head, "We used to get beat up, mom." Dean said, "In our own house." He said with sadness, "We'd be hungry. And cold. And alone." He said as Sam looked at them both.

"And I tried to get us away from that but… but it didn't work. I had no choice." Sam said, "We all… we all make mistakes, right Phil?" She turned to Punk who raised his eyebrows.

"Right Phil?" Punk repeated, "What the hell is that meant to mean."

"Well you get it, don't you? Getting caught up in things you shouldn't have. Letting your children down." Sam said.

"Just shut up." Punk spat, "You and I are not alike." Punk made clear, "You never cared in the first place. You willingly got involved with drugs. Even when you were sober you weren't a good mom. You used to tell us we'd burn in a bad fire if we were bad." He shook his head with confusion.

"That's just a saying." Sam scoffed, "You know… the bad fire? Hell?" She shook her head as Dean ran his hands over his face, "Ok, I know I'm not mother of the century. I'm a terrible mother, I know that but… I never wanted either of you to go through he childhood you did. You have to believe me." She said, "Nothing really changes. Your dad still walked out on us-"

"And he came back." Dean said, "You failed to mention that. He came back. That means something to two kids who had nothing. Their dad coming back could have been lifechanging and then… you ruined our fucking chance with him."

"Your father is not a saint, believe me." Sam chuckled, "And neither are you two. You stand there, judging me, yet you two have gotten into your fair share of problems. Drug dealing. Arrests. Prison."

"Yeah well let's just say we didn't have the best start in life, did we?" Punk spat, "You're a liar. You've always been a liar."

"I've been here for you and your girls, whether you like it or not-"

"Yeah to take them for abortions and get them into trouble?" Punk questioned.

"Yeah well where were you when your teenage daughter was out sleeping with different men twice her age?" Sam spat as Punk walked towards her.

"Phil, don't." Dean warned, grabbing his brother back.

"I was there for your family when you weren't." Sam warned Punk.

"Why? Because you felt guilty? Because you fucked up so bad with me that you felt like you could make it up to me by being a gran to my kids? Which should be a fucking privilege to you in itself anyway." Punk spat.

"I love those girls. All five of them." She warned them both.

"Really? Because you just told Cassie that she's an outcast… an afterthought?" Punk said, "How fucking dare you!" He yelled.

"Well can you blame me? Look what she's dug up. This is all so unnecessary. This makes no difference to anyone's lives-"

"It makes a difference to ours." Dean said, "Because we owe the ten year old versions of ourselves an explanation as to why their mom couldn't look after them." He said calmly as Sam looked at him, "Cassie did the right thing, because now we know the truth about it all."

"No, she did it for attention." Sam shook her head.

"I'd pay to see her beat you ass right now." Punk spat.

"Ok, hold on then… you two wanna play the parenting game? You wanna shame me for how shitty a parent I am?" She questioned, "I can play that game too." She said, "Let's see… crackhead daughter." She pointed to Punk whose nostrils flared, "Who was also shot, had a psycho boyfriend growing up who you couldn't do anything about. Why? Oh because you were in prison." She nodded.

"Shut your mouth." Punk spat.

"And then there's Jude… you didn't even notice when she walked in on Christmas morning that something had happened." Sam spat, "April noticed, Thea noticed, I noticed… you were oblivious-"

"Don't you dare talk about that. Don't you dare." Punk spat.

"Just stop it." Dean warned.

"Oh, don't think I forgot about you. Does Chrissy know you put her ex-boyfriend in the hospital?" Sam questioned as Dean stared across at her.

"Shut up." Dean spat.

"You boys wanna blame me for how you turned out? Go ahead, but I don't live inside your heads, I never made you make the choices you both did. That's on your hands." She said, "If I told you all these things you would have turned out the same way."

"It's not about what it would have done for us. It's just about telling us the truth. That's all you had to do." Punk said, "I'm done with you." He made clear.

"You've always been done with me, Phil." Sam scoffed.

"No, this time… I'm done." Punk said, "Just stay the hell away from me and my family." He shook his head, walking out of the kitchen as Dean nodded in agreement.

"We're done." Dean nodded to her as Sam looked at him, watching as he left the kitchen, both of them leaving the house as she sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing the bottle of vodka and pouring some in a glass desperately, drowning in it as she'd always done.