Unprepared
"Cassie?" Thea looked over at her sister who wasn't saying anything, holding the scan in her hand as she looked at them, "Are you pregnant?" She shook her head.
"Yeah." Cassie nodded quietly as AJ and Punk looked across at her in shock.
"I didn't know she had a boyfriend." Renee whispered to Dean.
"She doesn't." Dean whispered back.
"Maybe all of us staring at right now is a little unfair?" Sam suggested, "April, you're obviously burning something out there." She stood up from the couch, leaving the room and heading into the kitchen.
Cassie looked at them all, backing up out of the living room and immediately heading upstairs to get out of what she could only describe was an intense situation. One she wanted no part in.
"This isn't a prank, is it?" AJ turned to Punk, "Is she actually pregnant?"
"Did you know?" Punk turned to Thea.
"I swear I didn't." Thea shook her head, "I didn't know." She assured her parents. She was just as shocked as everybody else.
"Maybe someone should go check on her." Dean nodded, "Clearly this wasn't how she wanted people to find out."
"I'll go." AJ nodded, walking out of the living room and heading upstairs whilst Punk sat on the arm of the couch.
AJ headed upstairs, walking over to Cassie's room and opening up the door where she saw her daughter sitting on the edge of her bed.
"I don't wanna talk about it." Cassie shook her head.
"Sorry, Cass but this isn't something you can just… dodge around." AJ told her straight, "How long have you known?" She questioned.
"About a month." Cassie nodded, "Found out in Puerto Rico."
"A month?" AJ raised her eyebrows, "And you haven't told anyone?"
"No, I haven't. And it's worked out fine. I'm not like you. I don't need to constantly get things off my chest. It's better for myself if I just… handle it on my own-"
"Having a baby is not something you can just handle on your own, Cassie." AJ shook her head. It wasn't surprising to hear Cassie talk like this. She was always very shut off. Not in a worrying way. It was just how she was. But this different circumstances. Shocking circumstances.
"Well I don't need everybody worrying about me." Cassie shook her head.
"Who's the father?" AJ asked as Cassie looked at her.
"Theo, obviously." Cassie shook her head.
"Obviously?" AJ questioned, "You've not spoken to him in weeks. It's not like you guys are in a relationship." She said, "Does he know?"
"No." Cassie shook her head.
"So you've known for a month and you haven't said a thing to him?" AJ questioned.
"I've been thinking about what I'm gonna say." Cassie defended, "And I'm scared what he'll say. If he blows up and freaks out, I'm on my own. At least right now I can still think there's a possibility."
"That's a dangerous way of thinking and you know it." AJ said as Cassie rolled her eyes, "How far along are you?"
"Seven weeks." Cassie said as AJ looked across at her, "I don't need you or anyone else judging me."
"Baby, I'm not judging you." AJ assured her, "I'm really not. I'm just worried about you. This is a huge thing and you don't even… you don't even seem phased by it." She shook her head, "Are you… are you gonna have the baby?" She questioned. She had no idea what Cassie was thinking. Trying to get answers from her was like trying to get blood from a stone.
"Yes, I'm having the baby." Cassie said, "You know, this isn't that different from Thea and Jude having a baby. I don't know why everyone is acting like I'm thirteen."
"You're not thirteen." AJ agreed, "But you're still really young, and you're not even in a relationship-"
"Says the woman who two out of three of her kids were born, out of a relationship." Cassie looked across at her.
"Yeah exactly, and it sucked really bad." AJ said honestly as Cassie looked over at her, "You know that whatever you do, however this goes, we'll support you one hundred percent." She made clear, walking over and sitting down next to her on the bed.
"It's not like I planned it." Cassie shook her head, "Believe me, I know my situation. I'm twenty-three, living with my parents, not in a relationship with a stressfully demanding job." She nodded, "It's not a very good pregnant set up." She nodded.
"You need to tell Theo." AJ nodded, "Whether it's you telling him that you don't want to be with him but that you're having a baby… or you want to make a go of things. I don't know where your heads at with him-"
"Neither do I." Cassie shook her head, "That's my issue." She said.
"You have no idea how you feel about him?" AJ questioned.
"I know I care about him a lot. And he's a good person." Cassie nodded, "But just… everything that happened, him leaving, what it felt like when I thought I lost him… I'd rather stay as far away from that as I can-"
"Baby, you can't be afraid to love someone that you care about." AJ shook her head, "I know it seems like the easier thing to do but… you're having a baby. Maybe that's a sign that you should trust him and… make a go of it with him-"
"You just don't want me to be a single mom." Cassie scoffed.
"That's not true at all." AJ said, "If the father was just some random hook-up then yeah, I'd probably say that maybe you're better off on your own… but I know you care about Theo."
"I know I do too." Cassie said, "But I'm scared." She said.
"I know you are." AJ sighed, "But you have to tell him about this. You don't want it to end up a situation where he finds out on his own." She said.
"I know I need to tell him." Cassie said, "Do you think I've made a mess of my whole life?" She asked as AJ shook her head.
"No, honey of course I don't." AJ sighed, "Come here." She wrapped her arms around her as Cassie leaned into her, "You haven't messed up anything. These things happen. I just wish you didn't keep it in for so long. I worry about you doing that-"
"It's easier for me." Cassie said, "I'm not really in the mood to see everyone downstairs now."
"Ok." AJ nodded.
"I'm gonna take a nap, I think." She nodded.
"Ok, sweetie." AJ nodded, standing up from the bed as Cassie stood up, pulling the bed covers back, "You don't have to do any of this on your own. We're all here for you." She assured her.
"I know that." Cassie nodded as AJ sighed, watching her get into bed as she slowly backed out of the room, heading away downstairs where she found her husband pacing at the bottom.
"He left her, didn't he?" Punk jumped to conclusions, "She told him and he split?" He questioned.
"She hasn't told him yet." AJ pinched his arm with agitation.
"She hasn't?" Punk questioned.
"No, so just calm down." AJ told him.
"I can't believe this." Punk said, "W-What… what is she saying about it? Is she having the baby?"
"Yeah… yeah, she said she is. She doesn't seem to know much else right now, mind you." She said.
"How long has she known?" Punk shook his head.
"A month." AJ said.
"She's been walking around here keeping that to herself for the past month?" Punk questioned as AJ nodded.
"Yeah but you know how she is. She likes dealing with stuff on her own." AJ said.
"Yeah, like work problems or stuff not… being pregnant." Punk shook his head, "I mean, this is Cassie, I didn't think she even wanted to have kids. And what about her career?"
"You really don't help in these types of situations." AJ let him know, "She's isn't panicking as much as you are right now-"
"Well I'm worried about her. Clearly this isn't something she wanted." Punk said.
"No, but it's happening now and she's dealing with it. Pretty well, actually." AJ nodded. Although she was taken back by how secretive her daughter had been, she was amazed at how calmly she was approaching the whole thing.
"What's her situation with Theo?" Punk asked, "Are they together? Are they not? I mean, clearly something has been happening." He scoffed.
"She's still working it out. And I told her we'll be here to support her whatever happens. Whether she works things out with Theo or they decide just to… be friends and co-parent." AJ said as Punk sighed to himself.
"What about her career?" Punk asked.
"What about it, Phil? She's not gonna get fired cause she's pregnant." AJ said, "Women can have kids and go to work." She reminded him.
"I know that, but her job's a little different. She's out there, running around crazy, bullets flying everywhere." Punk groaned.
"I'm sure she'll figure it out." AJ nodded, "I think we just need to give her some space right now. There's no way she wanted us to find out like that."
"I just can't believe this." Punk shook his head. He wasn't mad or disappointed. He wasn't upset that his daughter was pregnant and not in a relationship. All that stuff wasn't issues for him, he just got anxious about the struggles of having a kid so young, and he didn't want his daughter to struggle. That was where his concern was.
"Neither can I." AJ shook her head, "I think it's best we cut the party short." She said as Punk nodded in agreement.
Everyone left shortly after, no questions asked, only concern for Cassie and if she was ok. Thea wanted to go talk to her sister but AJ advised against it, to give her a little space and to come by tomorrow to talk with her.
Dean and Renee dropped Sam back at the rehab facility and AJ and Punk began to clear up the living room, making their way into the kitchen.
"I wonder if she'll want some of these tacos." AJ frowned.
"Put some on a plate, I'll take it up to her." Punk nodded.
"Ok." AJ nodded, grabbing a plate out, "Don't ask her too many questions." She shook her head.
"She's my daughter. I know how to act around her." Punk assured his wife.
"Just don't say anything dumb." She begged, handing him the plate.
"Thank you." He scoffed, walking away out of the kitchen and heading upstairs, walking towards Cassie's room and knocking on the door, "Cass?" He called.
"Yeah?" Cassie answered, "You can come in." She said.
Punk walked into the room, looking over at Cassie sitting up in her bed watching TV.
"Thought you'd be hungry." He said, walking over to the bed and handing her the plate, sitting down on the edge of the bed at the bottom.
"I am." Cassie nodded, folding her legs in a basket and sitting the plate in front of her, "This is when I get sauce all over my bed sheets." She said cautiously as Punk watched her. He wasn't sure if he admired her for her strength, or was concerned about her being in possible denial.
"Look, I'm just gonna emphasise but your mom said to you. We're here." He nodded, "If that means we gotta turn the spare room into a nursery, or we gotta help you move out if that's what you want… we'll be there." He said, "For everything."
"Thanks." Cassie nodded to him, "I thought you'd be mad." She admitted truthfully.
"Why?" Punk shook his head.
"Well it's not ideal, is it? I've never even thought about having kids." She said, "And it's not like I'm even in a relationship." She shook her head.
"I'm not mad at any of that." Punk assured her, "I just don't want you to be in a difficult place. I don't want you to struggle with it." He said.
"You weren't concerned about Thea or Jude having kids." Cassie said, "What's different about me?"
"You're young." Punk said, "And you're really career driven. I don't want you to be in a position where you have to choose-"
"I can do it both." Cassie shrugged, "I've thought about it and I can work all the way until I have the baby, then I can take like… two months off at the most, then I'll be back-"
"Two months?" Punk questioned.
"Yeah." Cassie shrugged.
"And when you go back to work, who's looking after the baby?" Punk asked her as Cassie looked at him.
"Well, I still haven't figured that part out yet." Cassie said as Punk looked at her, "Once I talk to Theo, I'll know more about the situation."
"Thought about what you're gonna say to him?" Punk asked.
"I'm pregnant." Cassie said as Punk looked at her.
"And?" Punk waited.
"And he can… be involved as he wants with it all." Cassie said as Punk nodded slowly. Just by listening to her, he could tell it hadn't really sunk in yet for her, and he didn't expect it to. He just wanted her to realise it wasn't going to be as smooth sailing as she was painting it.
"And what's the deal with you and him anyway?" Punk asked her.
"I'm still trying to figure it out." Cassie said, "I just don't want to get hurt."
"You can't let the frighten you. If you like him, let yourself like him. What's the worst that can happen?" Punk said.
"Uh… he could fake die again." Cassie said.
"The chances of that happening are very slim. Clearly he likes you. He sends you flowers and he listens to you when you ask him for space. Came all the way to Puerto Rico just to check on the cut you had on your head. Got you to hospital when you were stabbed. Saved the kids-"
"Jeez, sounds like you wanna have a baby with him." Cassie scoffed as Punk smiled a little.
"Just saying, he doesn't sound like a bad guy." Punk nodded.
"He's not." Cassie said, breaking off some of her tacos as she played with her food, "I just don't want to feel like how I felt before. And what if he doesn't even want a baby? What do I do then?"
"I think you need to figure out what you want." Punk said, "And like I said, whether you and the baby stay here or you move or… God help me, Theo moves in… if it helps, we'll be there with whatever you need." He said as Cassie nodded.
"Thank you." Cassie nodded to him sincerely, "Really helps me out that you guys aren't shitty." She said as Punk laughed a little.
"I'm glad you think so." Punk nodded, "I'll be honest, I didn't expect your birthday going this way."
"I didn't either, believe me." Cassie nodded, "I can work it out… don't worry about me." She assured him bravely.
"I'm always gonna worry about you." Punk nodded, leaning over and kissing her head, "Enjoy your tacos." He smiled as she nodded, watching him walk away out of the room, closing the door behind him as she continued to play with her food.
Having to really think far ahead, about where her life was going on and what things were changing, it was starting to really sink in how life changing this all was, and how unprepared she was for every single part of it.
