Told Off


"Oh, God." Cassie woke up, lying on her stomach half way down the bed, feeling the pounding in her head as soon as her eyes opened slowly.

She slowly pushed her way up to her pillow, nudging Theo who grumbled, opening his eyes and looking at her, not saying anything, feeling nothing but pain.

"I hate us." Cassie frowned as Theo nodded, looking up at the ceiling with a bursting headache.

"When did we get home?" Theo grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't know." Cassie sighed, reaching over for her cell phone, looking at the time, "It's one in the afternoon." She shook her head.

"Must have been like 4am." Theo estimated.

"I feel like shit." Cassie grumbled, sitting up in bed.

"Well I have no boxers on so… must have been a good night." He estimated as Cassie laughed a little.

"I need some food." Cassie nodded, getting up from the bed and making her way into the bathroom, in hopes a shower would wake her up.

She showered and headed downstairs, Theo doing the same as they went on a desperate search for coffee and an bottomless supply of toasted bagels.

"My mom text and said they'd bring Chase home after his dinner." Cassie nodded, popping some adderall out of the tub to take with some water, "I haven't had a headache this bad in a while." She groaned.

"We haven't had that much to drink in a while." Theo added, listening as there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Cassie nodded, leaving the kitchen and heading for the door, opening it up to see Theo's brother standing.

"Morning." Matthew smiled, "How are we feeling?" He asked, walking into the house.

"Like shit, probably to your enjoyment." Cassie nodded to him.

"Good." Matthew patted her on the shoulder as she rolled her eyes, watching as he walked through to the kitchen whilst Cassie closed the door over.

"Oh, not now." Theo groaned, rubbing his face tiredly.

"I think now is the perfect time, actually." Matthew nodded, "Headaches this morning? Or… this afternoon I should say." Matthew said.

"You don't have to enjoy it this much." Theo shook his head.

"You two owe me for last night. Big time." Matthew said, "Come on. I told you I liked this girl and… and you both show up drunk."

"We weren't drunk." Cassie said, "Tipsy." She shrugged as Theo nodded.

"Yeah." Theo agreed.

"Please, you were drunk." Matthew said, "And normally I wouldn't care, normally I'd get drunk with you but really? I was trying to make a good impression." He shook his head as Theo moaned into his hand loudly.

"We'll make it up to you." Cassie assured Matthew, "We… We had a couple drinks before we left and… well we don't get out that often what with Chase and our jobs… we're sorry." Cassie nodded to him.

"What she said." Theo added, holding his head in pain just as Thea came into the house.

"Hey!" Thea called as Theo rolled his eyes.

"Hey." Cassie said tiredly watching as Thea came into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey." Thea smiled to Matthew who nodded.

"Hey." Matthew nodded to her.

"Who died in here?" Thea laughed a little, "I've come with that dress I borrowed from you. I finally found it." Thea nodded happily, sitting the bag on the kitchen table.

"This isn't over." Matthew warned Theo, "I'm out of here." He shook his head, leaving the kitchen as Thea watched discretely.

"What's wrong with him?" Thea asked them once Matthew had left.

"We were out with him and his new girlfriend last night and we… got a little drunk." Cassie nodded to her, "A lot drunk."

"I was gonna say… you both look terrible." Thea nodded.

"We feel it." Theo said, "I'm gonna go back to bed." He shook his head, getting up from the table and leaving the kitchen.

"That much to drink, huh?" Thea turned to Cassie who nodded.

"Thanks for bringing this back." Cassie nodded, taking the dress from the bag.

"I knew I'd find it somewhere." Thea said, "Besides getting overly drunk, how was the night?"

"Well after the train wreck of meeting Matthew's new girlfriend, it was fun. We don't go out that often so it's always nice to do the rounds of the locals." Cassie nodded, "Day off today?"

"Yeah. Just dropped Sofia off at gymnastics. Figured I'd hang here until I gotta pick her up." Thea said.

"I've just been standing here toasting and eating bagels for the past half hour." Cassie nodded, "Help yourself to the coffee."

"I will." Thea chuckled a little, pouring herself some coffee, "I was actually going to see mom and dad but they weren't home."

"Yeah, they were taking Chase out for the day." Cassie smiled.

"Just because a few days ago dad came to the hospital and said he wanted to talk. I felt really bad that I didn't have time." Thea said.

"Yeah I got an earful from Jude yesterday morning about it." Cassie nodded.

"Saying what?" Thea asked curiously.

"Apparently he was looking for advice about Dan. About what to do. Looks like we both didn't have the time to speak to him, so he skyped with Jude." Cassie said, "So then Jude was getting all hot with me saying that we should make more time if mom or dad needs something." Cassie shook her head.

"He prefers listening to her anyway." Thea rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't be childish." Cassie shook her head, "It's not about that."

"I was working. What did he want me to do?" Thea shook her head.

"Yeah and my mother-in-law had just broken her hip." Cassie said, "I didn't follow it up and ask him what it was about after, though. Which does make me feel a little bad." Cassie admitted.

"Hey we got our own lives and shit to deal with. What the hell does Jude know? She's not around." Thea shook her head bitterly.

"Yeah but she still makes time for mom and dad." Cassie said.

"So do we." Thea said, "She can work from home. She's got access to her cell phone or a computer for the majority of the day. We work shifts. Long ones." Thea said, "So don't even try to make me feel bad."

"I'm not." Cassie assured her, "But… mom and dad help me out a lot with Chase. They are always there for us. It'd be a shame if they felt we weren't there for them." Cassie nodded, "It's all I'm saying."

"No, it's all Jude said to you probably." Thea shook her head.

"Well I understood where she was coming from. That's all I'm saying." Cassie said, "I'm gonna talk to dad when he comes by to drop Chase off. I think it's real good he's wanting to pursue more with Dan."

"Does he, though? Or is everyone just pushing him to it?" Thea asked.

"No, he wants to. Going by what Jude told me." Cassie said, "I guess I know the most about him."

"Yeah, you do." Thea agreed, "Mom and dad are still doing their Halloween party, by the way."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Cassie asked.

"Well… with everything that happened recently, I didn't know if they would fancy having a party." Thea shrugged.

"Well I think it's good they do." Cassie nodded.

"Means I gotta find a costume." Thea rolled her eyes.

"You don't need a costume." Cassie shook her head.

"Shut up." Thea nodded as Cassie smiled, watching as Thea chuckled a little, shaking her head, "How many bagels are you gonna eat?"

"All of them." Cassie nodded.


"God damn, my back." Punk groaned, making his way over to AJ who was sitting on a bench in the park.

"Not what it used to be, huh?" AJ laughed a little, having been watching her husband running around with Chase, playing with him on the playground equipment.

"No, clearly not." Punk laughed, sitting down beside her, "And he's got so much energy." He shook his head, watching as Chase ran up the ladders and slid down the chute repeatedly, "I think he's gone down that chute like forty times already." He nodded.

"Well he's a kid. He's in his element." AJ smiled as Punk nodded.

"I am clearly not." Punk nodded.

"You need physiotherapy on your back." AJ scoffed.

"I'm fine." Punk changed his tone, "It's all good." He waved his hand as he'd always done.

"Of course it is." AJ nodded.

"It's just the job I do." Punk said, "Takes it out of you sometimes." He nodded to her.

"I know but you should still get it checked." AJ said.

"I used to run around here with Thea and Jude when they were little with so much energy." He shook his head.

"You mean when you were like twenty-two?" AJ asked him, "Long time ago."

"I know." Punk raised his eyebrows, watching as Chase was trying to climb up the chute.

"Chase, don't do that, baby." AJ called over as Punk smiled to himself. Watching any of his grandchildren was a joy and filled him with pride he would never get anywhere else. And it reminded him of when the girls were younger.

"I think I'm gonna go see my dad tonight." Punk turned to AJ who nodded to him.

"Yeah?" AJ smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah." Punk said, "Just to see how he's doing." He shrugged as AJ smiled, leaning forward and hugging into him, kissing his shoulder.

"I think that's a good idea." AJ smiled as he nodded, looking over and watching as Chase successfully climbed up to the top of the chute, "I see he doesn't listen to me like his mother never did either." She laughed a little as Punk nodded with a smile.