Thinking
"What are you two doing here?" Jude groaned, opening up the door where she saw her two sisters standing, "It's late."
"We need to find dad." Thea nodded.
"What are you talking about?" Jude looked at them both.
"There was more to this story with Sam and Daniel." Cassie said, "Dad's gone off and he's not came home. Mom can't go out and look for him so me and Thea said we'd find him."
"He's probably just gone out for some air." Jude shook her head, "This is why this family shouldn't have parties." She said.
"Jude, come on, we need your help." Thea said as Jude looked at them both.
"Mirren might wake up." Jude shook her head.
"Is Sean home?" Thea asked her.
"Well yeah but-"
"Then you can help us." Thea nodded.
"Well are you gonna tell me what's actually happening first?" Jude shook her head.
"Yeah, we will once you get out here." Thea nodded as Jude shook her head.
"You're a pain in my ass." Jude shook her head, walking off back into the house to let Sean know she was going out, grabbing her jacket and stepping outside with her sisters, "Well go on, start talking." She said.
"It's mom's parents." Cassie said.
"What about them?" Jude shook her head.
"Well we know it was them who got mom and dad into trouble when dad went to prison, turns out they were behind the first time he went to prison too." Thea said, "And they were also the ones chasing Sam and Daniel out of town that night." She said as Jude folded her arms.
"This family is so fucked up." Jude rolled her eyes, not even having the energy to be surprised or shocked.
"Mom knew about it all, about her parents behind behind it." Cassie said.
"And she never told dad?" Jude asked as they shook their heads, "Great." She nodded, unenthusiastically, "Why is everyone lying to dad?" She shook her head.
"Now he's wandered off and he's not answering his phone. He said he needed some air and some time on his own but… I'd rather find him." Thea said anxiously.
"Are mom's parents still in town?" Jude wondered.
"We don't know." Cassie shook her head.
"This is so fucked up." Jude said, "I thought mom's parents were just shitty parents, I didn't know they were like Rio."
"Neither did we." Thea said, "Apparently when mom tried setting Rio up all those years ago, her parents found out and warned him, told him to send dad out instead." She said as Jude shook her head.
"But why? Because they don't like dad?" Jude shook her head.
"Probably because of Sam, right?" Cassie said, "And the history with them." She said.
"Ok, let's just… find dad, it's freezing out here." Jude shook her head, hugging her arms around her.
"Is all that true?" Dean asked, standing in the kitchen with AJ.
"Yes." AJ nodded.
"Why've you kept it to yourself?" Dean asked, "Why didn't you tell him?" He asked.
"Because maybe I didn't wanna believe it myself." AJ said, "I spent so long blaming myself for Phil ending up in prison the first time. And then I find out that it was my mom and dad who made sure it was him who got caught that night." She said, "And that they had beef with Sam and Daniel." She said.
"What's their problem with Phil?" Dean asked, "He loves you. I would have thought that they'd be happy you had somehow taking care of you and… been there for you." He said, "I mean… surely it's not the whole… you're not good enough for our daughter situation considering how awful they are." He said.
"I only assumed it was because of Sam. The beef they had and then here I show up with her son, and I'm having a baby with him… I don't know, I guess it got them mad." AJ shook her head.
"And you found all of this out when? The night Phil was arrested?" Dean asked.
"Yeah." AJ said, "Yeah, well obviously we knew it was their ties to Rio that we were trying to work off through Marina, right?" She said, "So I blamed them, obviously for Phil going to prison and getting caught. I found them and I let them have it. Then they told me all of this and I… I lost it." AJ said, "I… somehow knocked my dad out and almost killed my mom." She shook her head, "I've never been more angry in my life."
"And then my mom came?" Dean asked.
"I didn't know who else to call. Phil was gone and… I don't know, she just seemed like the easiest person to tell." She said.
"What did your parents tell you exactly? Did they mention our dad? Did Sam mention anything about him?" Dean asked.
"No, nothing about him. Or Hamilton." AJ said, "My parents just said they had dealt Sam drugs before, she got heavily involved with them and… she borrowed money that she didn't pay back." AJ explained, "They didn't say anything about what happened that night with Daniel."
"This is so fucked up." Dean shook his head as AJ nodded.
"Yeah, which is exactly why I didn't want to revisit it. Phil was better off not knowing." AJ shook her head.
"Your parents are dangerous people, April." Dean said. He always knew that but, now more than ever, he was gobsmacked by just how much they were tied to involving all of their pasts.
"I know that, Dean. Trust me." AJ said, "I don't think I ever let onto you or Phil how difficult it was being brought up by them. Living amongst everything they were doing." She said, "And then when I found something that made me happy. Someone. All they've ever done is try to ruin it." She shook her head.
"Well someone needs to stop them." Dean said.
"They're probably on their way back to Puerto Rico. They came here because they thought I was dead or… almost dead." AJ said.
"And you're… you're fine with just letting them go about their normal life, after all of this? After everything they've done?"
"Rio was their friend. I should have seen it coming. I should have known." AJ shook her head.
"Why wouldn't he have told us? He liked dropping bombs here and there. Why wouldn't he have said it was your parents idea to send Phil out that night?"
"He was probably protecting them." AJ said, "They were in business together for a while and then… I think they owed him money which Marina then took over and dumped on me and Phil." She said, "I'm a little hazy on all the details but… the one reoccurring theme in all of this is Phil getting hurt." She looked up at him, "And I feel like it's my fault."
"Why?" Dean shook his head, "April, it's not your fault. This is your parents. Who are clearly sick and… and twisted, way more than we thought." He said.
"Maybe I should have known." AJ shook her head.
"How could you have? You left home when you were sixteen and… did your best to avoid them ever since." Dean said.
"I just wish Phil would come home so we can talk about it." AJ sighed.
"The girls will find him and talk to him." Dean nodded, sitting down beside her and wrapping his arm around her as she leaned into him for comfort.
"I feel uncomfortable being here." Jude sighed to herself, walking along the docks as Cassie turned to her.
"Oh, shit… yeah." Cassie realised, looking at her.
"I don't know why you even need me here." Jude said, "This isn't even anything to do with us. This is mom and dad's business, and their parents business. I don't… I don't want involved in any of it."
"He's still our dad, Jude." Thea said, "We're not getting involved, we're just being there for him." She said.
"Is that him?" Cassie noticed, looking on at their dad who was sat at the end of the boardwalk.
"Yeah." Thea nodded, walking towards the boardwalk and stepping onto it, "Dad." She called as Punk turned around, noticing all three of them.
"What are you guys doing down here?" Punk shook his head with confusion, getting to his feet.
"We were worried." Cassie said, "You're not answering your phone and… well after everything that was said we just wanted to make sure you were ok." She said as Punk nodded with a small smile.
"I'm ok." Punk assured them. It was hard to get his head around any of it. Being as old as he was and finding out certain things in his life, things that had happened, weren't all they seemed, it was difficult to wrap his head around it all.
"Are you sure?" Thea asked.
"Yeah, I'm ok." Punk said, "Just trying to wrap my head around it all." He said, "You guys shouldn't have come down here." He said, looking on at Jude who was standing quietly, "You ok?" He asked her.
"Yeah." Jude nodded tiredly, "Yeah, I just wanna get back home." She admitted to them.
"Sorry, I made you come down here." Punk noticed her looking around consciously, "It's… it's quiet and it's a good thinking spot." He said.
"The lights are pretty." Cassie noticed the lit up city as Jude looked around.
"Are you gonna be ok?" Thea asked Punk, "That's a lot of stuff that you thought you were sure of that… has completely different stories to it now." She said.
"Yeah but… the outcome is all the same." Punk shrugged, "I got you girls. I got a happy ending out of it." He nodded as Thea smiled.
"You're lame." Cassie nodded.
"I know." Punk nodded with a small smile.
"What about mom's parents? What are you gonna do?" Thea asked.
"I don't know. Like I said, it doesn't change anything that happened. It's just the stories around it." Punk said, "They're clearly bad, mixed up people who had issues with my parents and got mad that me and your mom got together." He said, "I don't wanna dwell on it too much. I still got my girls, right?" He nodded.
"Yeah." Cassie smiled, wrapping her arm around him as Thea joined in, both hugging him as Punk looked on at Jude.
"Get in here." Punk encouraged as Jude smiled softly, joining in on the group hug.
He had to focus on the fact that this information, this twisted information didn't change the outcome of his life. The things that happened had already happened and couldn't be reversed. He had to be grateful for the family he built with his wife, because that was what he truly cared about. He'd wasted so much time being angry, being frustrated with all the loss and the pain in his life.
"I'm always the one getting squashed." Jude muffled in the middle of the hug.
"You're the middle one, that's why." Thea said, enjoying the embrace. She admired his attitude towards all of this.
"Dad." Jude said.
"Yeah?" Punk looked down.
"I think you've finally started to think before you act." She said as Thea and Cassie chuckled, "Seriously." Jude said. She didn't always remember her father this way. She remembered him being chaotic and impulsive. She now saw a man who knew the good things he had in life and how to keep them safe.
"Aw, he's all grown up." Thea smiled, patting Punk on the head as he chuckled and nodded.
"We're so proud of you." Cassie said as Punk chuckled to himself and nodded.
"Yeah, thanks." Punk smiled to himself, hugging his arms around all three of them, his smile fading as he noticed someone walking along the boardwalk, getting closer as he realised it was AJ's father.
"Brooks." Robert called as the girls turned around.
Punk immediately, stepped in front of them, pulling them behind him as he noticed Robert had a gun.
"What the hell are you doing?" Punk shook his head worriedly.
"You and I have never had the chance to properly talk, have we?" Robert asked, keeping the gun by his side as Punk looked across at him.
