Party


"You want a beer?" Dean asked, opening up the fridge and looking over at Cassie standing in the kitchen.

"Yeah, please." Cassie nodded, watching him take out two bottles, handing one over to her.

"Your dad told me that you're a full-time cop now, no rookie anymore." Dean smiled.

"Yeah, thrown into the deep end." Cassie nodded, "I start officially on Monday."

"Well good luck. I have no doubt you'll be great." Dean raised his beer to her as Cassie smiled.

"Have you and my dad talked about… seeing Daniel again?" Cassie wondered.

"Not really." Dean said, "Your dad wanted to focus on your mom coming home today. Throwing this little get together for her." He said, "I don't know if he even wants to talk to him."

"Do you?" Cassie asked.

"I'm not sure either." Dean said, "I mean… he still walked out. Yeah, he came back and tried to get us out of there but… he still left. And nothing changes the fact he's still a stranger to us." Dean shrugged as Cassie nodded.

"What about Hamilton?" Cassie shook her head, "Are you guys gonna confront him?"

"We haven't really talked about it yet." Dean said, "I think we're just processing it. Your dad wants to get your mom home, stress free, make sure she's good. It's about her today." He said as Cassie nodded.

"Yeah, it is." Cassie agreed, "I'm sorry for digging all of this up." She looked across at him, "I mean ultimately this… this is all my fault."

"No, it's not your fault. We know the truth now." Dean nodded, "You did the right thing by telling us. A lot of our childhood kinda feels patchy, I can't really describe it but I think me and Phil both knew that there was a lot of stuff we didn't know." He said as Cassie nodded.

"I still feel bad about it." Cassie admitted.

"Don't." Dean shook his head, "And don't let Sam's words get into your head. I've listened to them all my life and… nothing she says is true." Dean assured her as Cassie nodded with a smile, "Hey, cheers to being a cop on your own now." He smiled, leaning his beer over and clinking it against hers as she nodded.

"Yeah, cheers." Cassie smiled.

Meanwhile, majority of everyone else was in the living room, waiting for Punk and AJ to arrive home.

"Why did you say Jude wasn't coming?" Dominic turned to Thea, sitting on the couch with her.

"No reason." Thea said, "She just said she wasn't up to it." She shrugged, "Sofia! Stop fighting with your brother." She warned, watching her children fighting with each other on the floor.

"He started it." Sofia complained in a squeaky voice, trying to escape her brother's grips.

"I don't care, babe just stop it." Thea nodded as Sofia huffed angrily.

"She has your temper." Dominic told Thea.

"I know, it's terrifying." Thea nodded, watching Sofia walk over to the other couch, sitting up on it and folding her arms moodily.

"So Jude just… didn't wanna come?" Dominic asked.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm kinda worried about her." Thea said, "I think tomorrow morning I'm gonna take her out for coffee or something. She hasn't left the house since she had the baby."

"Really?" Dominic asked.

"Yeah, and I text Sean and he says he's worried about her too. He's tried getting her to go out, even just for a walk or something but she's not… she doesn't want to." Thea said, "My mom's gonna be upset she's not here."

"I mean she has just had a baby. Maybe she just needs a couple days. It can be overwhelming. Especially since she's new to all this." He said.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't want her to isolate herself, you know? I'm gonna just show up unannounced tomorrow morning and take her out." Thea nodded.

"You're a good sister." Dominic nodded, kissing her cheek as she smiled, "How are things with your dad and uncle?"

"Well as far as I know they blew up at Sam and they haven't spoken to Daniel yet. I don't know if they will." Thea said, "It's all very dramatic." She whispered to him.

"It is. When I saw your dad the other day he just looked sick and tired of it all." Dominic said.

"I don't blame him. He's in his fifties, you know. He just wants peace." Thea shook her head, "And he deserves it."

"You think he'll talk to the cop? Their uncle?" Dominic asked.

"God knows." Thea shook her head, "It's messed up. I mean… that guy used to shout racial abuse at me and my mom when I was little." She said, "I doubt my dad and uncle will be inviting to family occasions now." She said as Dominic nodded.

"You ok?" Dominic asked her as she turned to him.

"Yeah, why?" She shook her head.

"Well… I know you were close to Sam. I know you two got on well and… she was there for you a lot." Dominic said, "How does this all play out with you and her?"

"I don't know, I just wished she told them the truth sooner. I know the guilt and the weight you can feel when you're an addict. You do too." Thea said as he nodded, "But my first thought is always them." She looked over at James and Sofia as Dominic nodded, "Even when I'm really struggling. I always think of them and what they deserve." Thea nodded, "I just wish Sam could have done that for my dad and uncle." She shook her head.

"You think she was in too deep?" Dominic asked.

"She never said what kind of debt she was running from exactly. Or who she was running from. Drug debt I'm assuming but… clearly it was people like Rio or people like Austen. It's not the debt they want, they just enjoy the fear more than anything." Thea shook her head.

"It's sad, actually." Dominic nodded, "It's waste of a good life." She said as Thea nodded.

"Yeah, it is." Thea said, "Don't bring it up with my dad or uncle. I think they're just trying to avoid it for now, at least just until my mom is back home and settled."

"Does your mom know about it all?" Dominic asked.

"Yeah my dad filled her in on it. She didn't have much to say about it, I guess." Thea shrugged.

"Are her parents still here or did they fly back to Puerto Rico?" Dominic asked.

"I actually have no idea." Thea shook her head.

"I think that's them home." Dean walked into the living room with Cassie.

"You good?" Punk asked, giving AJ his arm as he helped her out of the car.

"Yeah, my legs still work." AJ said stubbornly as Punk scoffed.

"You're weak, just let me help you." Punk said.

"Phillip Brooks, I am not weak." AJ gasped, "But I will… hold onto you a little." She mumbled, taking a hold of his arm. Her body was physically drained from lying in a hospital bed for over a week. She was still ordered to rest herself as much as possible by the doctors, but she was just so glad to be getting home.

"Ok, I won't tell anyone." Punk promised as she smiled, leaning into him.

"Good boy." He patted his arm, taking the help he was offering and heading into the house where she had been dreaming of going ever since waking up in the hospital.

"Why are there balloons everywhere?" AJ laughed to herself, looking on at the balloons along the hallway, hearing chatter from the living room, "Are we hosting and you never told me?"

"Maybe." Punk smiled, walking through to the living room where everyone was waiting.

"Hey." AJ laughed a little, watching as their faces all lit up, standing up and swarming her with hugs and kisses. She felt blessed to have such a wonderful family.

"Hey, mom." Thea smiled happily, wrapping her arms around her tightly as AJ smiled.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled.

"A!" Sofia squealed, jumping off the couch and running towards AJ.

"Gentle, Sofia." Thea reminded her daughter, "You guys gotta be careful around A." She told her and James.

"Ok." Sofia smiled, stroking AJ's leg like a cat as AJ chuckled.

"Hey, I still need a cuddle, though." AJ smiled, crouching down and pulling them into a tight hug.

"We missed you." James told her as AJ smiled, cupping his cheek.

"I missed you guys too." AJ smiled, making her way around everyone to say hi, noticing Jude wasn't anywhere to be seen, "Hey, I'm a daughter down." She looked over to Punk, "Where's Jude?" She asked him.

"She just wasn't up to coming." Punk said, "I think she was just really tired."

"Oh." AJ nodded, "That's ok." She said as Punk nodded, watching her talking with Dean and Renee, smiling to himself whilst Thea approached him.

"How was she in the car home?" Thea asked him.

"She's still super tired. She needs her rest." Punk said as Thea nodded.

"Yeah, we won't stay long." Thea said, "The kids are really glad she's back." She laughed a little, noticing James and Sofia tagging along behind AJ like her shadow.

"Everyone is." Punk took a deep breath, looking over at AJ, smiling to himself as he watched her in amongst their family, "Thought I was gonna lose her, Thea." He shook his head. He was incredibly grateful and lucky to be taking AJ home.

"I know but you didn't." Thea assured him, "She's here and she's gonna be ok." Thea nodded, rubbing his arm as he smiled, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her head.

It had been a stressful and worrying time for all of them, putting aside all the added drama, he was just taking the night to be so grateful and thankful that his wife was here with them.

"I wish Jude was here." Punk said as Thea nodded.

"Yeah, me too." Thea said, "I'm gonna swing by her place tomorrow, drag her out for a coffee, put the stroller she still hasn't used to good use." She said, "She needs to get out of the house."

"Well you can't force her but… it would do her some good." Punk agreed, "I think she might be struggling a little." He suspected.

"Yeah, I think so." Thea nodded, "I'll be there for her. Don't worry mom about it. She needs to focus on her right now." She said, looking over at her mom.

"Yeah." Punk nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of mothers…" Thea looked at him, "You're done with Sam?" She asked him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded briefly.

"What about your dad? Your new uncle?" Thea asked.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do about any of it." Punk said, "I've told your mom about it all but… I don't want her to worry about any of this crap. I want her to rest and focus on her."

"Yeah well you can talk to me about it." Thea reminded her.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do. Neither does Dean. I don't feel like I would be gaining anything if I spoke to my dad again. I'm fine with… not having had a dad. When I was little I wasn't but… I'm kinda over it now." He told her as she nodded.

"I just wanna say I think… I think you and Dean were treated really unfairly as kids. You deserved the truth before now." Thea said.

"Well… that's life, I guess. You don't have everything figured out." Punk said.

"What about Hamilton?" Thea asked.

"He's no uncle of mine." Punk shook his head, "This… This here is my family." He nodded, "This is what I always wanted and I have it. I… I'm not looking for other things to fulfil me." He shook his head as Thea nodded.

"Well it's up to you and uncle Dean." Thea nodded, "You got whatever time you need to think about it." She said as Punk nodded, "You should probably go make a toast. I think that's what normal families do." She nodded.

"This ain't a normal family, babe." Punk assured her, "But yeah, I got things to say." He said as Thea smiled, watching him walk into the centre of the living room.

"I got something to say." Punk said loudly for everyone to hear.

"What if we don't wanna hear it?" Dean called back as Punk stuck his middle finger up at him.

"What does that mean?" James asked, sticking his middle finger up and showing Thea.

"Hey no… don't do that." Thea laughed a little, "Dad." She scoffed as Punk shrugged.

"I just wanna say I'm really glad my amazing wife is back home." Punk nodded, looking over at AJ who was standing with Dean who wrapped an arm around her, "You're amazing, and I love you." He winked as she smiled, "And I mean it, I'm dying first." He warned her as AJ chuckled.

"If you insist." AJ smiled. She knew her husband didn't have to make a big scene, she knew how loved she was every day by her family, but to hear it was still sweet.

"And to Cassie, for upgrading from badass rookie to… regular, badass cop." He said as Cassie smiled, "And our new granddaughter who… I'm sure is keeping Jude and Sean super busy." He smiled, "I am super grateful for all of you and…" He paused, watching as Sam stumbled through the living room door, drunk of course.

"My invitation get… lost?" Sam chuckled, "As it always does." She stared across at Punk who turned to Dean, growing nervous, "I got more things to say."