Support


"So you're just gonna be friends?" Jude asked, sitting in a restaurant with her two sisters as they'd managed to meet for lunch whilst she was in town for the day. She really wanted to see her sister in person. She wanted Cassie to feel supported in every way possible.

"Yeah, I mean… I think it's the right thing to do right now." Cassie nodded, "I'm not saying we're never gonna be in a relationship. That I don't care for him. I do." She said, "But it's wrong for me to jump into it when I don't feel ready. We had a good chat about it and I think he's on the same page as me. We can be civil and help each other through this." She nodded.

"And he's keen to be involved?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, he is. He said he's gonna be there whenever I need him. Appointments, classes, buying things that we need, setting the nursery up." She nodded.

"And you're not moving?" Jude asked, trying to process all the information she could.

"No. I'm gonna be terrified as it is, the last thing I need is to be moved out on my own. I think mom and dad are ok with me staying there. It's obviously not going to be permanent." Cassie said.

"So how are you gonna work out when Theo see's the baby and stuff?" Jude asked.

"Jeez Jude, let her get past the first trimester." Thea scoffed.

"Well, you gotta think about this stuff." Jude said. Always the voice of reason.

"I know, and we're gonna figure it out. Even if it means that he stays a few nights of the week at our house-"

"Oh, I'm sure dad will be thrilled about that." Jude scoffed.

"Actually, they both said it's fine. They've been really supportive. Well, dad keeps saying we're gonna end up in a relationship by the time the baby is born but… that's just him being annoying." She shook her head as Thea just smiled a little. She also agreed with her father.

"I just can't believe you're actually having a baby." Jude shook her head.

"I can't either." Cassie said, "I don't think it's really sunk in yet." She admitted, "When does it sink in?" She asked. Of course she had a pretty good team of expertise around her including her two sisters and her own mother. She'd watched her sisters have three babies between them, so she didn't feel totally lost, but she also didn't feel particularly confident.

"For me it was finding out the gender." Jude said.

"I don't know, I think once I saw the nursery all finished for James, I was like wow that's gonna be my kid in there soon." Thea said, "I think that's when it sunk in for me." She nodded.

"I really don't want it to hit me all of a sudden." Cassie said worriedly.

"It won't, you'll be fine." Jude smiled as Cassie nodded, "So, you really don't want to make a go of things with Theo? Having a kid with someone is a really… close thing." She said, "And you don't have to pretend to us, we know you really liked him before, and we know you still like him now."

"I do." Cassie nodded, "I'm not pretending. He knows I care about him. I'm just…. I don't know where I'm at with the relationship. I know we're having a baby and that's a huge deal. A massive deal. But I'm scared if we jump into things, it could really ruin it for real."

"You can't just hold onto the idea of soon and maybe." Thea said, "That's not really fair on him." She shrugged.

"I know but he's being really great and he agrees with me that having the baby is a lot more important than what's going on between us. There's time for us to figure that out. This baby is happening right now and… I just wanna be prepared." Cassie said.

"Ok." Jude nodded, "I mean, it's responsible but… just wait until the beginning of the second trimester." She chuckled a little.

"Oh, yeah." Thea understood the reference.

"Why? What happens then?" Cassie asked worriedly.

"You want dick." Thea nodded as Jude rolled her eyes.

"We're in a restaurant." Jude turned to Thea.

"What? No one heard me." Thea said.

"I think I'll be fine. I do have some self-control." Cassie laughed a little.

"You're literally pregnant. Don't talk to me about self-control." Thea laughed, amused as Cassie rolled her eyes.

"I've had a ton of morning sickness." Cassie said.

"Welcome to pregnancy, huh?" Jude nodded, "I never even imagined you having kids." She admitted truthfully.

"Why not?" Cassie asked, a little forcefully.

"Well you're just… so career focused and… I don't know, I just never pictured it-"

"Hate when you guys say shit like that." Cassie nodded seriously, "As if I'm some cold-hearted wench." She shook her head, "Like what the fuck?" She looked at them both, pissed.

"We don't mean it like that." Thea scoffed, "Obviously." She said, "You're just still really young and you've got such a demanding job." She said as Cassie twirled her spaghetti around her fork unhappily.

"We're gonna be here to help you with anything you need." Jude nodded to her, "Any help or advice."

"Thanks." Cassie nodded to them, "I think me having mom and dad around will help a lot. I'll probably feel more confident that I'm doing ok because they'll tell me." She said.

"Yeah but you don't wanna depend on them too much, though. Might start to feel like you got a sibling rather than a… son or daughter." Thea said.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Cassie scoffed, "You eating that?" She asked Jude, pointing to the garlic bread between them.

"No, you go for it." Jude chuckled.


The next day at work, Cassie arrived early, setting up for the day at her desk as she looked through the armed robbery case she was wrapping up. She snacked on an apple whilst scrolling through the computer, watching as Theo arrived, holding two coffees as he approached her desk.

"Morning." Theo nodded to her.

"Morning." She said, watching as he sat the coffee down for her at her desk.

"So I googled and there's something about caffeine and pregnant women, it's not good for the baby or something but you can have like two hundred milligrams a day. So, that should be fine." He figured as Cassie looked at him with a small smile.

"Well thanks for checking." She smiled gratefully as he nodded. It did warm her heart. She felt a lot better now that he knew and the air was cleared. She didn't feel like she had to avoid him as much, and that perhaps they could even get the friendship they used to have back.

"It's ok." Theo nodded, sitting down on the chair beside her desk.

"Had lunch with my sisters yesterday." She told him as he nodded, "I think I got a pretty good support system for this." She nodded confidently.

"Yeah, that's good. Lot of people to help." He nodded. Part of him still felt a little awkward, like he didn't know what to say. It had all changed so much and keeping their distance whilst going through something so intimate and special, he knew would be a challenge, but he was in agreement that the baby and supporting one another was the biggest priority right now.

"Yeah, for sure." She nodded.

"So do you have like another hospital appointment soon?" He asked. He was doing his best to stay calm and take it all one step at a time, just as she was.

"Not for another few weeks. I just had one before my birthday." She said, "And everything looks good." She nodded.

"That's good." He nodded, watching her as she looked at her computer, typing something for a report as he just watched her in a daze. In a funny sort of way, he really couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else but her. The concept of having a family didn't really feel real for the time being due to their non-existent relationship, but they were still having a baby together, and he knew that was something that would always connect them.

"I got this guy for armed robbery and possession of drugs. Look." She turned the computer screen around and showed him as he leaned forward and looked on, "Busted his house the other day. Two cars in his driveway. Marble flooring in the damn kitchen." She chuckled to herself as he smiled a little. He'd definitely seen her growth as a cop since he'd been gone. She was the badass he knew she was going to be.

"Killing two birds with one stone, huh?" He nodded.

"Yup." Cassie nodded proudly as he smiled, "What case did Jake put you on?" She turned to him.

"Oh, just a boring drug one." Theo nodded, sinking back into the chair, "Just call me king of the narcotics." He shook his head.

"You bored?" She asked.

"A little." He nodded, "Feel like I can't get back into the swing of things since I came back here." He admitted truthfully as she looked at him.

"I mean you were gone for a year, it might take a bit of time." She said, "That's a long time to be working on the same case."

"Felt like a damn lifetime." He nodded, "Honestly, I think I'm a little rusty." He admitted.

"Bullshit." She laughed a little.

"Hey, I feel it." Theo said as she shook her head. He watched her smiling to herself, which made him smile. He'd missed talking to her like this. He was quickly realising that, relationship or not, she was a huge part of his life, even more so now, and they were in this together.

"Oh, before I forget." Cassie remembered, "My mom and dad suggested you… coming over for dinner." She said as he gulped, "It's not how you think. They're not gonna sit us down like a couple of teenagers and lecture us. I think they just... want to get to know you." She nodded sincerely, "And my parents like to keep to themselves, for your information." She said as he laughed a little, nodding nervously.

"Uh yeah… yeah, sure. Of course." Theo nodded, "Your dad really does terrify me, I won't lie." He said as Cassie nodded.

"He's not actually like that all the time. He's a smartass so you'll both get along pretty well I think." She said.

"Hey." He laughed a little as she smiled.

"Whatever night you're free, just let me know." Cassie nodded to him. She knew it was her parents way of just wanting to support her and also get to know the boy who she was having a child with. It was good intentions and she actually thought it was a pretty good idea. It didn't mean she wasn't nervous about it, however.