Most Vulnerable
"Hey, you're awake." AJ smiled softly, walking into the hospital room where Cassie was.
"How you feeling?" Punk asked, so glad to see his daughter's eyes opened, and to see her stable, as stable as she could be right now.
"Theo's alive." She shook her head, her mind still spinning, looking on at her parents in disbelief. The information just wouldn't digest at all.
"I know, baby." AJ nodded, "We know." She said, sitting down at the side of the bed, rubbing Cassie's arm softly, "Did he… explain to you what's going on with him? He wouldn't talk to us until… until he told you." She smiled softly.
"He did but I wasn't paying attention." Cassie realised, "I can't believe he's alive." She shook her head, looking at her mother in awe, tears in her eyes.
"Neither can we." Punk assured her.
"He said something about… having to go undercover to track your family." She told her mother, "So that they didn't think a cop was watching them." She nodded.
"Yeah, sounds like he was looking into it all." Punk nodded.
"Is everyone ok?" Cassie asked them.
"Yeah, we're all ok." AJ nodded, "Thea and Dominic have just taken the kids home. Jude and Sean are at the hotel with Mirren." She said, "And we're here." She assured her daughter, cupping her cheek as Cassie sighed.
"I should have done more." Cassie said, feeling like she'd let herself down as a cop.
"Cassie, she stabbed you." Punk said, "There was nothing you could do. Please don't think that way." He said.
"Where is she?" Cassie questioned.
"We don't know. The cops are out looking for her and Rob right now. Rob was shot so… doubt they'll get far." AJ nodded hopefully.
"Theo helped us." Punk said, "Helped save Sofia and James. Without him there I… I don't know how it would have went." He said. He thought it was important she knew that.
"But he was dead." Cassie whispered, "I watched him die. We all did." She said as Punk nodded slowly.
"He obviously had to keep it legit. Make sure no one knew a thing." Punk said, "I'm sure he didn't want to hurt you like that." He said.
"Where did he go?" AJ asked.
"I don't know. I told him to go. I couldn't.. I couldn't handle it." Cassie said.
"You just get some rest." Punk nodded, "Have you spoken to a doctor?" He asked her.
"Yeah, one came in earlier. Told me I'd be in here for at least a week probably, to avoid my stitches ripping and any possible infection." She shook her head.
"We'll be here every day." AJ assured her, stroking her hand down her hair motherly.
"Is Jude ok?" Cassie wondered, "God, this was her day." She sighed to herself sadly.
"We… haven't spoken to her yet." AJ realised, "But she's safe." She nodded. Safe started to sound like it really wasn't enough anymore.
"Close your eyes and get some sleep." Punk nodded, noticing how exhausted Cassie looked, "We'll be right here." He promised, leaning over and kissing her head as Cassie drifted off to sleep.
"I don't wanna leave their side." Thea shook her head, crouched down by her bed where they'd put James and Sofia in after they got home. Sofia was still in her little dress and James still had his shirt and pants on. Thea just couldn't find it in herself to part ways from them. Not after tonight.
"They're safe now." Dominic assured her, and himself.
"I hope they find her." Thea gritted her teeth angrily as Dominic nodded.
"They will." Dominic said, watching Thea brush her hand through James' hair softly, watching them as they slept, "Come on, we should let them sleep." He placed his hand on Thea's shoulder as she sighed, nodding and standing up straight, hugging into her husband as Dominic pulled her in tightly.
"I was so scared tonight." Thea said as Dominic ran his hand down her hair soothingly.
"Me too." Dominic took a deep breath, looking over at the kids, so grateful they were safe and sound in their home.
"I've been scared before but not like that." Thea shook her head, "I still feel scared, and I know they're ok now." She said. The feeling just wouldn't budge. She was so overwhelmed by it all.
"It'll ease off." Dominic nodded, rubbing her back softly as she hugged into him for comfort.
"I hope she burns in hell." Thea spat. The thought of anyone putting their hands on her babies, let alone taking them straight from her was sickening, and she couldn't shift the feeling of worry at all.
"Come on, let's go downstairs." Dominic nodded as Thea turned around, looking at James and Sofia, keeping her eyes on them as she walked out of the room, leaving the door open as they headed downstairs.
They headed into the kitchen where Thea picked her phone up, "Cassie is awake." She nodded, seeing the text from her mother, "She's doing ok. Shook up about Theo." She nodded, sitting the phone down.
"How is he even here?" Dominic shook his head.
"I don't know but… I'm glad he was. I thought…" She placed her hand on her chest, feeling physically sick, "When that train was coming…" She shook her head.
"Don't." Dominic pleaded as she took a deep breath.
"All I wanted was to run over. I would have if you didn't hold me back." Thea realised, "I didn't think they were gonna make it." She shook her head, "Them. My dad." She sighed, rubbing her forehead stressfully.
"Well they did." Dominic nodded, "And they're safe." He said as Thea nodded, "Thea, this isn't… this isn't even anything to do with us anymore." He shook his head, "And yet we're still getting wrapped up in things." He said, "This is between your parents and their parents. And somehow our kids got used tonight as bait." He said as Thea looked across at him.
"I know." Thea sighed, "I'm so tired of it. I'm tired of hearing the same things over and over again. My mom's family are at the root of everything. And what they did to Sam…" She shook her head, "The way they've targeted my dad and… put him in prison, both times." She shook her head, "If I was my mom, I'd kill her." She said bluntly as Dominic looked across at her.
"Your mom looks pretty exhausted by it all too." Dominic nodded.
"Everyone's exhausted, Dominic." Thea said, "When's it gonna end? When will I feel like my kids are safe?" She questioned, "It's always us. It's always me and my sisters. Rio shot me. Jackson raped Jude. Janet just stabbed Cassie." She said, "What next?" She shook her head as Dominic sighed to himself.
"It's not your mom and dad's fault." Dominic shook his head.
"I know it isn't, but what if us all being together, something I thought was better, is actually the thing that makes us vulnerable?" She shrugged as Dominic looked at her.
"Look, don't go thinking too much into it right now. We need our family around us right now." Dominic said, "This whole thing has to come to blows soon enough. They're gonna find Janet and Rob, and throw their asses are going to jail." He nodded, "It's pretty much cutting the head of the snake, right?" He gathered as Thea nodded.
"Yeah, I guess." Thea nodded, "I just feel bad for my parents. They've dealt with this for too long. They deserve better than this." She sighed, "All they've ever done is try to protect us from it and now it's almost like it's surpassing them." She said, "I want better for them. I want better for all of us." She said as Dominic nodded.
"I do too." Dominic said, "It's gonna get better. They'll find Janet and Rob. After that, it seems like there's nothing else beyond that." He figured.
"Yeah, that's true." Thea nodded.
"Cause there was always something. If it wasn't Jackson, it was Rio, and if it wasn't Rio, it was Marina… if it's not your mom's family… then there's no one else. That's it." Dominic said as Thea nodded.
"It just sucks so bad." She sighed, wrapping her arms around him tightly as he nodded.
"Yeah, I know." Dominic nodded, kissing her head and holding her tightly.
"I can deal with things affecting me but… when it comes to the kids." She shook her head. It wasn't an option.
"Yeah, I know." Dominic agreed, "We'll get through it." He promised her.
Meanwhile back at the hotel, Sean had managed to convince Jude to stay at the hotel for the night. Mirren was already sleeping and settled, and it was practically the middle of the night.
They lay in the large bed, Jude curled into him, both unable to sleep. She had visions of what their wedding night was going to be like and this wasn't it. Her head was spinning with so much thoughts. Her number one concern was her family's safety, that was always going to be her number one concern. But after that, all she could think about was leaving.
"Would you really move away from here?" Sean asked her.
"Yeah." Jude said, "I really would." She whispered, "I'm just so tired of all of this. I'm tired of waiting for the next bomb to drop, and then having to clean up after it. I want Mirren to have a good life. I don't want her to remember anything like this. I'm not saying that I want perfect, I know that doesn't exist, but… I just want better." She shook her head.
"What about your family, Jude?" Sean sighed.
"I love my family. I love my parents. My sisters." Jude nodded, "But I feel like I get to be selfish about this. For me. For our daughter." She said, "My mom and dad are good people. And they're amazing parents." She shook her head, "But that doesn't deter me from knowing what's best. What's best for us, our family we have now." She said.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to run away from them. It'd break their hearts if they found out that's why we left." Sean said.
"I do feel like I have to run away from them, though." She admitted honestly, "Not from them but… from the things that come with being their daughter." She said, "I'm just fed up. And I know I sound like a spoiled brat who's throwing in the towel but… I don't wanna live like this anymore. I don't want to be scared." She shook her head, "And I never want my daughter to be scared." She said as Sean nodded.
"Neither do I." Sean agreed. The more he heard her talk about it, the more he could hear it in her voice how serious she was about it, and it made him think about it a lot more.
"I don't want to hurt them." Jude shook her head, "But I don't wanna be around this anymore." She made clear, "And I know you don't either." She said as Sean nodded slowly.
"And you really plan on just… seeing them at Christmas and Thanksgiving?" Sean asked her.
"I'm not cutting them off, Sean. I'll call them. They can come visit. We'll visit them sometimes. But I want a fresh start somewhere, and it sounds so cruel to say, but I want it on our own." She said as Sean nodded. He heard her, loud and clear.
"And you think New York?" He smiled a little.
"Well, that was just… a suggestion. We could go anywhere." She nodded. The thought of getting out of this place, with her own family, where they could be safe was the only good thought she had in her head, "I could find a job really easily. You could ask about a transfer to the nearest police department." She said as Sean nodded, "Mirren is young enough we don't have to think about schools or anything like that." She nodded.
"You really want out of here, don't you?" Sean figured.
"Yeah. I really do." Jude said desperately, cuddling into him tightly as he kissed her head.
AJ and Punk were headed out of the hospital after feeling content that Cassie was settled and peaceful for the night. They figured they could go home and get a few hours sleep, if they could.
They were leaving the main entrance where they bumped into Jake on their way out.
"Hey." Jake nodded to them both, "Are you guys ok?" He asked sincerely.
"Yeah, you guys came across them yet?" Punk asked desperately.
"Yeah, well… we found Rob." Jake nodded, looking at AJ with hesitation, "We found him dead." He clarified as AJ nodded slowly, turning to Punk, "I don't know if I'm supposed to say I'm sorry to you right now." He looked at AJ.
"You're not." AJ assured him, "It's fine." She said. The truth was, she didn't feel anything upon hearing that news, and she didn't have to explain why.
"We found him in a car park. No sign of Janet unfortunately but we're still looking." Jake assured them, "How is everyone? How's Cassie doing?" He asked.
"She's just fell asleep." AJ said, "Honestly, I think seeing Theo has affected her more than being stabbed." She admitted.
"Yeah, I… I figured it might." Jake nodded, "Theo's been looking into your family for a while. I sent him over to Puerto Rico, undercover, to really get as much on them as possible."
"Did you have to fake kill him to do that?" Punk asked, "Cassie thought he was dead all this time. That's messing with people's feelings." He said, unhappily.
"I know that and I… I never wanted to do it this way but… it had to be legit as possible." Jake said.
"Is my mom still running the cartel in Puerto Rico?" AJ questioned.
"Yeah." Jake nodded to her, "But since it's in Puerto Rico we don't have as much power to do anything, so her being over here is our chance to really get her. That's why Theo was at the wedding but… obviously helping Cassie was more important." He nodded, understanding.
"My family had ties to a lot of the drug businesses in Chicago, didn't they?" AJ nodded. She was starting to realise that her family weren't just on the wheel dealing drugs when she was younger. They were the wheel.
"Yeah, a number of them. But you'll spend years trying to figure out how those businesses work." Jake said, "Especially family businesses."
"It's not much of a family now. It's just… her on her own." AJ realised as Jake nodded.
"Yeah, I know… so it should be easy to take her down." Jake said as Punk and AJ nodded, "Just stay safe, take care of yourselves… we'll do the rest." He said as Punk and AJ nodded.
"Thanks." Punk said.
"I'm hoping I can bother Cassie for a few minutes to ask her some questions. I don't wanna wake her but… it'd really help me out."
"Sure, she's not a heavy sleeper." AJ assured him as he nodded with a smile.
"I'll speak to you guys soon." Jake nodded, walking past them and into the hospital as AJ and Punk took off into the car park.
"You ok?" Punk wrapped his arm around her.
"Yeah." AJ looked up at him, "You?"
"Yeah." Punk nodded by default. It was hard to keep going at times like this.
