Work Stress

"Can you just slow down and… and let's talk about this." Theo shook his head, walking after Cassie who had parked outside her parents' house to go pick up Chase, "Cassie!" Theo yelled as Cassie ignored him and walked into her parents' house, slamming the door shut behind her as Theo stood by the car.

"Dad?" Cassie called, walking through the house, heading into the kitchen and looking out in the yard through the window as she saw her father watching Chase ride his bike. She knew he'd manage to get Chase on his bike without any fear.

"Hey." Cassie walked outside into the yard as Punk looked up.

"Oh, hey." Punk smiled.

"Mommy, look!" Chase smiled proudly, peddling up and down the path on his bike.

"Look at you." Cassie smiled so big, "Good job, baby." She nodded.

"It didn't take long to get him on it." Punk admitted as she smiled.

"Well thanks for helping him." Cassie nodded, "Are you ready to go home now, babe?" She asked Chase.

"I want to ride my bike." Chase frowned.

"I can drop him off later if you want." Punk shrugged.

"You sure?" Cassie asked him.

"Yeah. Me and your mom will give him some dinner and I'll drop him off after." Punk nodded to her.

"Ok." Cassie nodded, "Ok, thanks." She smiled as he nodded.

"You ok?" He asked her, noticing she seemed a little all over the place.

"Just frustrated with my husband, that's all." Cassie said, walking into the kitchen as Punk followed.

"Why?" Punk asked her.

"His job. He's getting into something dangerous and I… I can't say anything to make him stop." Cassie said, "You're partly to blame too, actually. For giving him all that information."

"How am I to blame? I have no idea what's going on." Punk shook his head with a laugh.

"He's looking into this drug gang on the south side. They run it through a car dealership. Theo's been onto them for a while and whatever information you gave him on how good old drug dealers work, it got him closer… so close that now the gang know and they want to kill him." Cassie smiled, "It's just great."

"How… How do you know they wanna kill him?" Punk shook his head.

"Vincent apparently works for them and he told Thea. Thea's just told us." Cassie shook her head, "He said she said, as per usual."

"Why the hell is Vincent visiting Thea? I fucking warned that prick to stay away." Punk said angrily.

"He was doing a good thing. He was telling Thea what he'd heard. They know Theo is looking into them and… if he gets any closer they're gonna put a hit out on him. Apparently the drug world is kill or be killed now."

"It was like that when I was involved with stuff." Punk scoffed.

"It's even worse now, apparently. According to Vincent." Cassie said, "And Theo is so obsessed with his job that… it's like he's glad they know he's onto them. He's such an adrenaline junkie." She shook her head.

"Well have you talked about it? Instead of yelling at one another?" Punk asked.

"What's there to talk about? He needs to back off from it. Period." Cassie said, hearing Theo walk into the house as Punk looked down the hall, turning to Cassie and not saying anything.

"Can we go?" Theo asked Cassie, nodding to Punk hello who just stayed quiet.

"Chase is staying here for dinner. I might too." Cassie nodded to him.

"You can both stay." Punk shrugged.

"No." Cassie turned to Punk, "I'm not talking to him." She shook her head.

"What age are you?" Theo shook his head, "We're talking this out. You're not hiding out at your parents." He said as Punk folded his arms awkwardly.

"Well maybe you need time to go think about all this shit." Cassie said, "Realise how dangerous it is-"

"It's my job, Cassie!" Theo yelled, "What the hell do you want me to do?"

"Umm… we don't raise our voice in the kitchen." Punk butted in.

"Can you just give us a minute?" Theo asked Punk.

"This is my kitchen." Punk shook his head.

"Dad." Cassie rolled her eyes, turning to him.

"Fine." Punk shook his head, "But can you guys have a quiet discussion? Your son's outside." He reminded them, walking back into the yard to see Chase.

"Can we just go home and talk about this?" Theo asked her.

"Please don't make me the bad guy here." Cassie shook her head, "You're my husband. You're the thing I love best in this world. I hear someone wants to kill you and yeah, that scares me." She said, "Sorry I can't just shake it off like you want me to."

"Look, I know it's not a nice thing to hear." Theo nodded, "I get that. But… this is what I do. I'm pretty close to busting these guys, and when I do, I can let everyone in on it, and it won't be just me on my own." He said, "But for now, it's gotta be, and you just gotta trust me when I say I'm gonna be ok."

"How can I believe that after what I've just heard?" Cassie questioned.

"Because it's me who's telling you, and you trust me, right?" Theo nodded to her.

"I trust you but this… this is a little different." Cassie said, "Please don't make me feel bad for caring about you."

"I'm not." Theo shook his head, "I mean this is why I was hesitant to let you in on it. I knew you'd be worried." He nodded.

"I think it's pretty justified." Cassie shook her head, "Look what people like that did to my family. I don't wanna invite that back into my life, especially not with Chase in it now." She said.

"I know. I don't either. Trust me, I don't enjoy this part." He assured her, "I'm gonna be fine. I can watch out for myself. Please I just… I need you to trust me." He said as she looked across at him.

"I trust you but that's not what this is about. I don't trust these people." She shook her head.

"Some of them are old timers who have been to prison and are back out. There's branches to this, I learned that from your dad. I'm not after the suppliers or the dealers. They can follow soon after." He nodded, "I want the ones making the business moves."

"People start dying when those guys are getting hunted." Cassie nodded.

"No one is going to die." Theo shook his head, taking her hands, "Look at me." He said as she looked at him, "I've been doing this for a long time. I spent a year in Puerto Rico surrounded by threats like this. It's gonna be ok. Nothing's gonna happen to me, you or Chase. Especially not you or Chase." He made clear as she sighed.

"Husbands aren't supposed to stress their wife's out this much." She looked up at him.

"I'm sorry you're stressed." He nodded, "I'll do everything I can to make sure this is easier on you, cause I know it sucks. I do." He understood as she sighed.

"Please don't put me in a position where I could lose you again." She shook her head.

"You're not gonna lose me." Theo assured her, wrapping his arms around her as she hugged into him, "I promise. I've dealt with this before." He said as Cassie sighed.

"I wish you were a… sales manager or something." Cassie said as Theo chuckled.

"My number one priority in life is protecting you and Chase. No job comes before that." He assured her.

"I know that." Cassie sighed, feeling him kiss her head. She knew their job could be a difficult one, and a scary one at times, and it was something they'd had to deal with over their years together, but this was by far the most scared she'd felt.

"April, I've left everything that I copied in the copy room in your tray." Lucy, AJ's assistant walked into her office.

"Thanks, Lucy." AJ smiled, "Why don't you take off early tonight?" She nodded.

"Really?" Lucy asked her.

"Yeah, it's Friday. Get yourself out of here. I got things covered." AJ nodded to her as Lucy smiled. She treated her colleagues and her assistant the same way she would treat the richest person or the poorest person. That was just who she was. Everyone was treated as equal. She didn't forget what it felt like busting her ass in the café she worked in years ago for pennies, dealing with rude customers and a rude boss. She promised herself if she got high up on a pedestal, she wouldn't be that way.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind staying behind." Lucy told her.

"No, you can go." AJ smiled, "I'll see you Monday morning. Let me know how the date goes on Saturday." She nodded to her. She was just a young girl, and she reminded her so much of her own daughters.

"I will. I'm still so nervous." Lucy said.

"You'll be fine." AJ smiled, "Just be yourself." She nodded as Lucy smiled.

"I'll see you on Monday." Lucy said.

"See you then." AJ nodded, watching her leave her office as she looked back at her computer.

She was typing past on her computer, finishing off the email she was in the process of writing when she saw her door opening again, looking up, only expecting it to be Lucy.

Her hands fell away from the keyboard a little once she noticed the formerly familiar face.

"Hi, April." The man nodded as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"Joey?" AJ questioned.

"So you remember me?" Joey chuckled as AJ looked at him.

"Y-Yeah." AJ said, "What… What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"I got hired. Someone apparently put in a good word for me here and I…I thought it might have been you." He smiled.

"It wasn't." AJ laughed a little as he nodded, "You uh… You look good." She shrugged awkwardly. She wasn't sure what to say. What was she supposed to say to the man she had a two month fling with whilst Punk was in prison. In a way, him being in the room, now that her husband was very much back in her life, made her feel uncomfortable.

"You do too." Joey smiled, "You look like you're getting younger." He nodded, walking further into the office.

"I don't know about that." AJ chuckled.

"You've climbed quite the ladder in this business, huh?" He nodded.

"I guess so." AJ nodded, trying to be as formal and polite as she could.

"Wow, are these your girls?" Joey took the picture frame from the table of Thea, Jude and Cassie. A recent one.

"Yeah, that's them." AJ smiled, "I'm a grandmother now."

"Really?" Joey smiled, "No kidding."

"Yeah, five times actually." AJ chuckled a little.

"Which one is Cassie? She was the little one, right?" Joey looked at the picture.

"That's her on the right." AJ pointed, "She's a police officer. They're all married. Jude lives in New York now. Thea's a nurse." She smiled. She beamed with pride when she spoke about the best things in her life.

"Smart girls." Joey nodded, sitting the frame down as AJ nodded.

"So you're moved back in town then?" AJ asked him.

"Yeah. Yeah, not far from here. Easy commute." Joey said, "Sorry I just wanted to come say hi. I hope it didn't throw you off."

"No, it's fine." AJ nodded, "It's… great you're here full time." AJ nodded, lying of course.

"Yeah, I can't wait to get stuck in." Joey nodded, "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your work and… I guess I'll be seeing you around." He smiled.

"I guess so." AJ nodded politely as he smiled.

"I'll catch you later." He said, leaving the office as AJ eventually dropped her fake smile as soon as he was gone, leaning back on her chair and huffing a little. It wasn't ideal.