Not So Simple

"Hey, I'm home." AJ announced, getting home later that night, dumping her things down as soon as she got the chance.

"Hey." Punk called from the kitchen as AJ smiled.

She took her coat off, sitting it over by the stairs and walking through to the kitchen where she noticed Chase was sitting.

"Hi, baby. You have dinner with us?" She smiled, leaning down and giving Chase a hug from behind as he sat playing with his toy cars on the table.

"Yeah." Chase answered as Punk smiled.

"He wanted to play on his bike for a little longer so I just told Cassie that I'd drop him off after dinner." Punk said as AJ smiled.

"So you got him on his bike?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, it didn't take much." Punk said as she hugged into him, "How was your day?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her head.

"It was ok." AJ sighed, "Tiring as usual." She nodded to him, "That's two days in a row now that I haven't got up to see Thea."

"Hey, don't stress it. She understands that you got work and stuff. She doesn't like when people visit her every day anyway." Punk said.

"I know but still." AJ huffed a little.

"There was a little bit of a dispute in here earlier." Punk told her.

"Between you and Chase?" AJ teased.

"No." Punk laughed a little, "Cassie and Theo." He said.

"Why? What's going on?" AJ questioned.

"Well, apparently Vincent visited Thea which… I'm gonna kick his ass again." Punk shook his head, "He told her that… the people he works for are this group in the south side. They work out of a car dealership. Theo's been looking into them and he's… he's getting close to it all. Apparently he got word about… a hit being put out on Theo if he keeps digging into it." Punk nodded.

"Oh my God." AJ shook her head, horrified, "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "And I guess Cassie got freaked out and they clashed over it." He said..

"That sounds pretty serious." AJ shook her head with concern.

"Yeah, I know." Punk said, "But it's Theo. He doesn't do anything half-hearted." He shook his head, "I think everything I told him might have helped him get closer. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

"Hey you were only trying to help." AJ shook her head, "Clearly it worked if he's… finding out a lot of things. But that sounds too serious to just ignore."

"Well I overheard him and Cassie talking it out and he just said to her that… he's used to this and he's saw it all before, and not to worry about it." Punk said, "But I can understand why she kicked off about it."

"Yeah, I would too." AJ nodded, "He can't expect her just to be ok with knowing that."

"Well he is." Punk shrugged, "I mean… it his job, I do get it on some level. I just don't want to see him any danger."

"Of course not." AJ said, "Did they at least talk it out?"

"Yeah, they left here on a calmer note. I think they were gonna go get something to eat." Punk said, "But I know this is all Cassie is gonna be thinking about now." He shook his head.

"Word sometimes can get taken out of context in that… business sector." AJ shook her head, "Cops get close to stuff all the time."

"Yeah, I don't think this close, though. Plus it seems like a whole different ball game from what we knew. They're actually washing the money through a legit business. We were just on the streets back in the day." He shook his head.

"Yeah well… everything advances as the years go by." AJ nodded to herself, "As long as Theo knows what's going on and… he's not in any danger."

"Well clearly he is." Punk said, "But he's like Cassie. He's too damn stubborn."

"Well if he feels confident and he knows what he's doing then… who are we to say shit about how he does his job?" AJ shrugged.

"It's a little more than a job then, isn't it?" Punk shook his head, "I just know it's gonna worry Cassie."

"Well Theo's good at maintaining her. He'll reassure her." AJ nodded.

"Are you talking about my mommy and daddy?" Chase wondered, overhearing some of their conversation.

"Yes, we are." AJ turned to him with a smile, "We're just talking about how cool their jobs are." She smiled, "You hungry?"

"Yeah." Chase nodded.

"Ok, dinner is coming up." Punk assured as AJ smiled, helping him out with dinner. Now wasn't the time to talk to him about Joey.

"Why are you not eating?" Theo asked, sitting with Cassie in their kitchen having dinner. It was rare they had dinner by themselves, but it helped tonight after the fight they'd had.

"I'm just not hungry." Cassie shook her head as he looked across at her, "How close are you then?" She wondered. It was all she could think about it.

"I got some names and faces but I still don't know who's directing the traffic." Theo said, "I was thinking about going and speaking with Vincent."

"Well Thea said he didn't want her to name drop him. This could bite her in the ass too, you know." Cassie sighed.

"Hey, I wouldn't put your sister in danger." Theo assured her, "I just need to know where their hotspot is. Where they're getting… their product in from." He said, "There's still some boxes I need to check before I can make a move."

"So you don't know who's really behind this?" Cassie asked.

"No, I don't got a name yet." Theo shook his head, "But I'm getting there."

"Well… he knows who you are." Cassie said.

"I know." Theo said, "Cass, you just gotta trust me with this. Like when I trust you when you go out to an active shooting or an armed robbery-"

"It's not the same thing." Cassie rolled her eyes.

"Yes it is. It's the same risk. You just don't notice it because it's you. And you know you can handle it. So I need you to trust that I can handle this." Theo nodded as she sighed.

"I'm not mad at you for this. This… This is me just worried." She assured him, "I know it's your job. I get that. Of course I do." She said, "It's just not ideal when you hear someone is planning to kill your husband, that's all." She shrugged.

"No one's planning to kill me." Theo scoffed, "That's just the way these people talk. I'm a threat to them but I'm just one guy. If they kill me, they draw more attention to themselves, right?" He asked.

"Not if they get away with it, which I'm sure people like that have plenty experience." Cassie shook her head.

"It's not gonna happen. Maybe I just need to be a little more careful and… secretive." Theo nodded, "Maybe I was getting too complacent with it."

"Well yeah, considering you showed up at the dealership asking to look at cars." Cassie rolled her eyes, "I have no idea how you do things like that." She said.

"Uh… honey, you do the exact same stuff." Theo chuckled, "We do the same thing."

"No we don't. You deal with the worst people. I arrest fifteen year olds smoking weed in their car." She rolled her eyes as Theo chuckled a little, watching her smile a little.

"Hey, fifteen year olds are scary." Theo nodded as she smiled.

"They are actually." Cassie agreed.

"Do you think I'd risk getting to wake up and see your face every day?" He asked her as she looked across at him.

"Kinda feels like you are." She whispered.

"I'm not. I'm being extra careful to make sure I don't get to miss a single day without you." He nodded as she smiled a little, "It's just a tricky job, thankfully one you can sort of understand." He said as she nodded.

"Yeah." Cassie sighed, "I get it." She nodded.

"I'm gonna be fine." He promised, standing up from the table and extending his hand out to her as she looked up at him.

"What?" Cassie said, taking his hand as he pulled her up.

"I'm gonna make sure we turn into the little old couples you love watching in the store." He promised her as she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her hips, slowly dancing to the radio in the background.

"That's the dream." Cassie nodded to him.

"I know." Theo said, "And it'll happen. I promise you." He nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear as she smiled.

"You just know how to sweet talk me and I hate it." She scoffed as he chuckled.

"Trust me, babe, it's really hard sweet talking you. I consider it a skill." He nodded as she smiled, "And all you gotta do is smile at me and I'll do anything you want." He said as she chuckled, "How is that fair?"

"That's just the way it is." Cassie smiled, "And it's not gonna change." She said as he smiled, leaning down and kissing her softly, pulling her tight to his body as she melted into the kiss.

The only thing that brought them out of their embrace was a knock at the door.

"Probably your dad." Theo said as Cassie nodded, walking out of the kitchen and opening up the door.

She frowned with confusion when she couldn't see anyone outside. She stepped outside onto the front step, almost falling over when she stepped on the toy sitting.

She picked it up, noticing it as one of Chase's toy aeroplanes with a note attached to one of the wings.

"Theo!" Cassie yelled, looking around their street worriedly as Theo came to the door.

"What?" He shook his head as she turned to him, passing the toy to him as he took it.

"That's Chase's. Dan got him it the other night." She shook her head as Theo looked at the note attached to it.

Quit whilst you're ahead.

Theo looked outside worriedly, turning to Cassie.

"How'd they get that?" Cassie questioned.

"Let's go." Theo nodded frantically as Cassie nodded with him, running to their car as Theo grabbed the keys. Neither wanted to think it or consider it. They didn't even want to say it out loud to one another.

They drove, or more so sped to AJ and Punks. Cassie barely let the car stop before she ran out, running straight into her parent's house as Theo followed.

"Mom!" Cassie called, "Dad!" She ran through the living room, running into the kitchen.

"Hey, what's going on?" AJ asked worriedly, sitting at the kitchen table with Punk and Chase who was having some ice-cream.

"Oh, thank God." Cassie let out a deep breath, picking Chase up from the chair and into her arms as she squeezed him tightly whilst Theo came rushing behind, kissing Chase's head.

"My ice-cream." Chase complained as he stared down at his unfinished ice-cream whilst his parents swaddled him into a hug.

"What's going on here?" Punk shook his head.

"Stay here." Theo told Cassie.

"Where are you going?" Cassie asked him.

"Just stay here." Theo nodded, rushing out of the house as Cassie rolled her eyes with worry, holding Chase tightly whilst AJ and Punk watched with confusion.