In Reverse


Cassie got home later that night, not feeling the best particularly after her conversation or more so argument with Theo. She was trying so hard to say the right things, the things she thought he'd want to hear, the reassurance she thought he'd need, not realising how it sounded out loud.

She thought that if she reassured him that he didn't have to be involved if he didn't want to, would make him feel better, but it seemed to have angered him. She tried looking at it from a different perspective and realised that perhaps it looked like she was trying to assure him she could do it without him, and that wasn't her intentions.

She locked her car and headed into the house, trying to prepare herself for her parents questions. She dumped her things down at the stairs, walking through to the kitchen tiredly where her parents were sitting with what looked like paper work out in front of them.

"Hey, baby." AJ smiled.

"Hey." Cassie nodded to them tiredly, "Something smells good in here." She followed her senses.

"We just had dinner." AJ said, "I left some for you, and a little extra." She added with a small smile.

"Thanks, mom." Cassie smiled, grabbing a plate out and scooping some of the rice and chicken onto her plate.

Meanwhile AJ and Punk were tapping each other back and forth under the table with their legs, silently arguing over who had to ask Cassie how it went with Theo. It wasn't until AJ booted Punk on the shin, a little harder than she intended, that he finally gave in.

"So… did you talk to Theo?" Punk asked, massaging his shin whilst glaring at his wife.

"Yeah." Cassie said, sitting down at the table beside her mother, taking her jacket off and digging into her dinner, cracking the can of soda open.

"And?" Punk waited.

"Well we didn't talk about much." Cassie said, "He stormed off and said I was bullshit. Think he called me a jerk, too. I think I may have gave off the impression that I didn't want him to be involved."

"Why would you do that? AJ turned to her.

"It wasn't intentional, obviously. I just… I started saying how I think I'll probably just stay here with the baby, for now anyway, and then he could come go as he pleased-"

"Sounds like a pretty strict dictatorship." Punk looked across at her.

"Well what the hell am I supposed to say to him, then?" Cassie put her fork down with a clash angrily, "Huh? I'm all ears." She nodded to them both.

"Well what did he say?" AJ asked, "At first?"

"Nothing, he was sort of staring off in a trance. So I had to say something. I just said he can be involved if he wants, it's ok if he doesn't wanna be involved-"

"That's a lot of emphasis on him not being involved, Cass." Punk said.

"But I didn't mean it like that. I was just trying to make him feel better and… less freaked out." Cassie said, "I swear, I can't win."

"Did you guys talk about your relationship at all?" AJ wondered as Cassie began eating again.

"No, didn't really get a chance." Cassie said, "I just don't want to move fast and jump into anything because I'm having a baby."

"But you like him, right?" Punk nodded.

"Yeah but we've never even been on a date. Before it wasn't serious and now it's just complicated. I don't know what to do." She sighed to herself, "I want to be sure that this is what I want-"

"Or you're just delaying things." Punk hummed, scribbling down more words on his lined paper.

"No I'm not." Cassie said fiercely.

"Baby, I just want you to remember that this is his baby too, and it sounds to me like he really wants to be involved. Also sounds like he wants to work things out with you, too." AJ nodded, "You need to start giving him some answers." She nodded.

"I have gave him answers. This is where I'm at. I'm having the baby. He can be involved as much as he wants. I'm still figuring out… what I want with him. I'm certainly not jumping into anything just because I'm pregnant. Ok?" She turned to her mother, "Ok?" She turned to her father who looked across at her with a raised brow, unamused.

"That would have been a good pep talk to give yourself before you got yourself pregnant." Punk nodded.

"Oh, Phil." AJ scolded angrily as Cassie made a face at him.

"I'm just saying. You were sure enough to do that." Punk said, opening up the book beside him as Cassie shook her head with confusion.

"What happened to supporting me no matter what?" Cassie asked.

"That still applies, but don't expect me not to call you out if it's necessary." Punk said, "You like this boy. You were heartbroken when you thought he'd died. You don't feel like that just for anyone." He said, "So quit trying to be tough all the time and just… be with him if you wanna be with him." He said as Cassie put her hands in her hair, looking down at the table, feeling unusual tears running down her cheeks.

She wasn't really a crier, but for some reason, she just wanted to burst into tears. She did.

"Hey, sweetie. Don't do that." AJ sighed, rubbing Cassie's back softly, looking over at Punk angrily who rolled his eyes, feeling bad for being so blunt.

"Cass, come on. Don't cry." Punk sighed, "I'm sorry, I just… I know you like him. And it's really hard to see you be so tough on yourself with this. We're all scared of losing people when we love them. It's life, though." He nodded as Cassie sobbed, her shoulders moving up and down.

"It's gonna be ok." AJ promised, stroking her hand down Cassie's hair at the back.

"It's all a mess." Cassie cried, wiping her nose and eyes as she looked up, "What are you guys even doing?" She shook her head, wiping her bleary eyes as AJ rubbed her arm softly.

"We have an essay due." Punk told her as Cassie groaned.

"God." Cassie groaned, a little disturbed, "God, I'm sitting here, pregnant, making a mess of my entire life and you two are sitting doing homework?" She shook her head, standing up from the table.

"It's called an assignment, actually." Punk nodded as Cassie sat her plate over by the sink.

"I just need to go to bed." Cassie shook her head.

"Cassie, wait…" AJ stood up from the table but Cassie had already left and was on her way upstairs.

AJ turned to Punk, folding her arms unhappily as he looked across at her.

"Stop staring at me with those beady little eyes." Punk said.

"Why did you have to open your big dumb mouth?" AJ sat back down.

"I was just telling her what she needs to hear." Punk said, "She's gonna end up in a right mess, emotionally especially, if she carries on this way."

"She's trying to figure it out, Phil. Give her a break. She's in a pretty vulnerable place right now." AJ said, "And you made her cry." She tested as Punk shook his head.

"I did not make her cry." Punk said, "She's scared that if she gets close to him and they start up a relationship, that it'll go south and she'll get hurt again. Would you be able to live your life normally if every time you got scared you did everything in your power to avoid it?" He asked, "If she gets scared of having this baby down the line, is she gonna avoid it?" He questioned.

"Don't you think all of this is going through her head?" AJ said, "She needs our support right now, not criticism."

"It wasn't criticism." Punk said, "But it sounded like she told Theo that she was doing this on her own. And that's not fair on him."

"I trust Cassie to figure this out, and do what's best for her." AJ nodded, "You should too." She warned.

"I trust her." Punk assured her, "I think she just needs a shove. Maybe we could lock them both in a room." He thought to himself as AJ shook her head.

"She'd kill you." AJ said.

"But it is a good idea." He stared off into a trance as he thought about it.

"I think what's best for everyone is if you stay out of it." AJ nodded as Punk sighed.

"You know I want what's best for her, April." Punk said, "I know my kid. I know she loves him. I just want her to… let herself love him." He shook his head.

"Give her time and she will." AJ nodded to him as he sighed, "Hey, I'm kinda struggling for this third paragraph. What did you write?" She looked over as Punk grabbed his paper and hid it from her.

"I don't think so. This is individual grading. Not group work." Punk scoffed as AJ gasped a little.

"I helped you last week." AJ frowned.

They'd been going to night school classes a few times a week, finally getting the time to go which made AJ happy and Punk just happy to be spending some time with his wife, even if it did mean he had to do work. He just remembered sitting by her hospital bed, promising himself and her that they would get to those classes. It had been a while, and a lot had happened, but they were finally doing it.

"Well, that was different." Punk shook his head.

"Help me and I'll flash you." AJ offered as Punk looked across at her.

"Now this sounds more like our high school experience." He nodded as she chuckled and smiled, "Flash me first then I'll show you." He negotiated.

"No, I don't think so." AJ knew his plan, "After."

"During." Punk bargained as AJ rolled her eyes.

"Deal." She shrugged as he chuckled, listening as he heard the shower turning on upstairs.

"Maybe you should go check on her first." Punk nodded, "I hate to see her upset. I just don't want her to be afraid."

"I know." AJ nodded, "We got any ice-cream in?" She asked.

"Check the freezer." Punk nodded as AJ walked over to the freezer, opening it up and finding a tub of ice-cream.

"I'll give her my general hospital ice-cream." AJ nodded as Punk rolled his eyes, "Always does the trick." She said as Punk nodded, watching her leave the kitchen to deliver the ice-cream and no doubt a big hug to their hormonal and quite simply confused daughter.