Questions

"Morning." Theo smiled, walking into his in-laws house.

"Hi, sweetie." AJ smiled, rushing around the kitchen as she tried to get her paper work collected into her bag before she left.

"Running late, are we?" Theo smiled.

"Yeah, but what's new." AJ said, "Is everything ok?" She wondered. It wasn't like him to just drop by on his own, not that she had a problem with him doing that of course.

"Yeah, everything is fine." Theo nodded, "Chase is with my mom this morning. I hope you don't feel betrayed." He smiled.

"Of course not." AJ said, "I have an ugly meeting to get to anyway." She huffed unenthusiastically, "You working today?"

"No. It's my day off." Theo said, "I was actually over to speak with Phil, if he's around." He said.

"Oh, well he is upstairs showering so… he should be down soon." AJ nodded, "I really gotta go. Help yourself to breakfast and coffee. It's all there." She said as he smiled.

"I'll catch you later." Theo said, watching AJ rush out of the kitchen and leave the house.

He paced around the kitchen, making some coffee, feeling comfortable enough to do so thankfully. He didn't have to wait long until Punk came downstairs.

"I thought I heard your voice." Punk said as Theo nodded, "You need a last minute babysitter? Cause I've just gotten rid of James and Sofia." He teased.

"No… no, we're all good there. My mom's got Chase this morning." Theo said.

"Oh." Punk nodded, realising Theo was actually here to speak to him, "You good?" He asked.

"Yeah… sorry to show up unannounced." Theo said.

"You're fine." Punk shook his head, pouring himself some coffee.

"I actually wanted to talk with you." Theo nodded, "Cassie was kinda hesitant on me bringing this up so I hope you don't mind."

"What's up?" Punk shook his head.

"Well since I'm in charge of narcotics now which is… such a thrill." He nodded sarcastically, "I need a lot of scope on things. There's still a whole lot of action going on in this town-"

"And you wanna know if I know something?" Punk shook his head.

"No… no, not like that." Theo made clear, "I know you don't… I know that you have nothing to do with that stuff anymore. I know that." He made very clear as Punk nodded, "But… you did sort of… work in that environment for… a long time." He said as Punk looked at him, "Now I'm no drug dealer so I don't know how things work, but if I did it'd sure make my life and my job a lot easier." He nodded as Punk looked at him.

"Does Cassie know you're here?" Punk wondered.

"Yeah." Theo nodded, "She didn't want me to ask you about this, and I hope you don't take any offence or anything… I'm actually just looking for your help, that's all." He admitted as Punk nodded.

"Well what is it you want to know exactly?" Punk asked, "I haven't done that sort of stuff in over twenty years. I'm gonna bet that the process is different."

"Probably, and I'm sure the people who you worked with are all moved on, well some of them anyway." He said, "So I'm not asking for old names or anything like that. I just… I just want some insight into how it all works. Where things go. Who is in charge of what."

"I mean… there's a lot there." Punk said, "And you gotta understand that some of these circles, it's families or it's best friends… that's how I got started with it. You get yourself in a bad situation, you're homeless, you got the wrong kind of friends, Ape's family wasn't ideal either." He said, "That's how I met Rio."

"Through April's family?" Theo nodded.

"Yeah." Punk said, "You do odd jobs and then… it's a year later and you're out there every day doing it." He nodded.

"I don't wanna trigger anything for you or anything like that." Theo said.

"No, it's fine. Hey, if I can help you I'm all for it." Punk nodded, "Shoot the questions."

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Thea asked, sitting in the lounge area when she noticed Cassie coming in.

"Thought I'd come have my lunch break with you. I was passing by anyway." She said, having brought her lunch into the facility with her, "How are you?" She asked, sitting down on the soft couch beside Thea who was reading a book, putting the book mark in it and sitting it over.

"I'm good." Thea nodded to her, "That smells nice." She said as Cassie nodded.

"I gotta stop eating like shit when I'm working." Cassie shook her head, opening up her sandwich she'd got from a deli which was overloaded with a ton of stuff, "What have you been up to in here?" She asked.

"I'm just out of therapy." Thea said, "And then I have group AA at 4pm, so I got a little free time." She nodded.

"How was therapy?" Cassie asked her.

"It was ok." Thea nodded, "I always dread it and then when I'm there and I'm talking it's… it's not so bad." She said as Cassie nodded.

"How was your sleepover with Dominic last night?" Cassie smiled.

"It was good." Thea smiled to herself, "And very necessary." She nodded as Cassie chuckled.

"That kind of sleepover, huh?" Cassie nodded, "Well listen to this. Theo's gone to talk to dad about the ins and outs of the drug world." She nodded to her as Thea made a confused face.

"What?" Thea laughed a little.

"Yeah, exactly." Cassie shook her head, "Theo thinks that dad could give him some useful information about how things are run in that… particular world."

"Dad's not done that since… since you weren't even born." Thea shook her head, "I'm fairly certain that the process of drug dealing has changed with the times."

"Yeah but… Theo thinks there could be some help there. And I agree. I mean… dad probably does know some things but… I just don't want it to be weird. I don't want it to make dad feel like a piece of shit." She shook her head.

"Hey, if he doesn't wanna talk about it with Theo then he won't." Thea said, "That is kinda weird, though."

"Tell me about it." Cassie shook her head, "Hey so what's going on with your job? Have you heard anything? I know obviously you've spoken to them about what's going on with you."

"They've put me on sabbatical." Thea nodded to her.

"Well that's better than being laid off." Cassie said as Thea nodded.

"Yeah they were really understanding actually." Thea nodded, "I do miss working." She thought to herself.

"You'll be back in no time." Cassie nodded to her.

"Hey, wait a second. I wanna show you something." Thea said, getting up from the chair and heading away to her room whilst Cassie sat enjoying her sandwich, noticing an older man staring at her from across the room.

She rolled her eyes, taking another bite of her sandwich, noticing he was still staring at her which of course was making her uncomfortable.

"Dominic gave me it last night." Thea said, eventually coming back into the lounge area.

"Uh… that guy over there keeps staring at me." Cassie told Thea once she returned.

Thea looked up, noticing it was one of the older men who was staying at the facility, "Hey!" Thea yelled loudly at him, "Quit staring at my sister." She warned as the man immediately turned away.

"Why are you the way you are?" Cassie turned to Thea.

"What? He would have kept staring." Thea shook her head, noticing the older man getting up and leaving the room.

"I wish I could intimidate people the way you do." Cassie shook her head.

"It's really one of my only gifts." Thea nodded to her, "Here, look." She passed the picture over to Cassie who wiped her hands on a napkin first.

"Who is this?" Cassie shook her head.

"Guess." Thea smiled.

"I literally have no idea." Cassie shook her head.

"It's Sam." Thea nodded.

"Get out." Cassie raised her eyebrows, looking at the photograph, "Wow, she was really pretty, huh? And… look at that fashion. I love it." Cassie nodded.

"Yeah she was like… sixteen or something there. Must have been just before she had dad." Thea nodded, "Dan dropped things off for dad and Dean to look at. Dad wanted to show me this one." She said.

"I feel bad for Dan." Cassie admitted.

"I don't really know him." Thea shook her head truthfully, "Just had a couple conversations with him, I guess."

"I see him sometimes." Cassie nodded, "I hate that he's so alone." She frowned, "And the fact that him and Sam only got to have a few years together before she died." She nodded, "Kinda sucks for him."

"Dad just… isn't close to him." Thea shrugged, "You can't force it."

"I know." Cassie said, "But… sometimes him and Dean don't even try. At least with Sam they always… checked up on her at least. And towards the end they… they actually a kinda good relationship with her."

"I mean he did just come into their lives like a few years ago." Thea said, "I mean, at that age, there almost doesn't seem like a point."

"Well I think there is." Cassie said, "He's nice. He's so sweet with Chase whenever we see him. Always brings him a toy." She smiled.

"How often do you see him?" Thea questioned.

"Once every couple weeks." Cassie said.

"Really?" Thea said, "I didn't know that."

"Well it's cause I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I see him. I know I'm not but… that's how it feels." Cassie said.

"Hey, you know dad wouldn't stop any of us from seeing him if we wanted to." Thea said.

"I know." Cassie nodded, "And I know I'm not in dad's position. I don't know how it feels to have my dad just appear fifty years too late." Cassie said, "But… I don't know, I think I'd still wanna get to know him."

"That's because you're pure like mom." Thea concluded.

"Ok, pure is not a word I'd use to describe our mother." Cassie shook her head as Thea chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I agree actually." Thea nodded, "Talk to dad about it then. Tell him how you feel. But it is his decision."

"Yeah, I know." Cassie sighed, "Do you want some of my sandwich?" She asked.

"Yeah, go on." Thea smiled, taking the sandwich from her and taking a bite, "Oh, yeah." Thea nodded, impressed.

"Life changing, right?" Cassie nodded as Thea smiled.

"It's good." Thea nodded. She enjoyed the casual visits from her family. It made her feel closer to getting out of this place, headed in the right direction.