Talk
"I'm sorry we couldn't talk the other day." Cassie said, sitting down on the couch in her house where Punk was sitting.
"When?" Punk asked with confusion.
"The other day you came here and asked if I could talk with you. I guess I never really followed it up." Cassie said, "Sorry." She nodded.
"Don't be stupid." Punk shook his head, "It's fine."
"No, I… I'm grateful to you and mom for everything you've done for me. Always being there for Chase if me and Theo are working. If you ever need anything from me I am always here." Cassie assured him.
"Cassie, it's fine." Punk assured her calmly, "Don't send yourself into a frenzy about it. Theo's mom was in hospital. I can give you a pass." He scoffed as Cassie nodded.
"So what was it about?" Cassie asked him. She knew what it was about after having her conversation with Jude, but she still wanted him to tell her.
"Dan." Punk said, "Yeah, I just… I figured you know the most about him and it'd give me a head start on trying to actually get to know him." Punk shrugged.
"Is that what you want?" Cassie asked him.
"I think so, yeah." Punk nodded to her, "At first I thought it was just… everyone saying that I should make more effort with him, but… I think I do want to know more about him. It's my dad." He shrugged as Cassie nodded.
"Well this might come as a shock… but I don't have very much details on him if it's background information you're looking for." Cassie said, "But I can tell you what he's like as a person."
"Go for it." Punk shrugged.
"He's kind. Polite. He's so good with Chase." Cassie nodded, "I swear every time he comes over, he brings a new toy for him." She smiled, "He's shy, I guess. Crazy about the Cubs and the Hawks. I do know he… had a mild drug addiction when Sam had you and Uncle Dean." She said.
"Any time I've seen him or he's had dinner with us, he just… he barely says anything." Punk shrugged.
"I think he's just nervous. He said to me before that sometimes he still can't believe that you and Dean are his sons. And I don't blame him. Imagine meeting your children when you're as old as he is. It sucks." Cassie nodded.
"Well… he walked out." Punk mumbled.
"And you know he came back." Cassie said.
"Still walked." Punk shrugged.
"This won't get you anywhere. This little pity party you always have for yourself." Cassie said, "It's only gonna make it awkward."
"It's already awkward." Punk shook his head, "I'm just saying… me and Dean could have really used another parental figure at that time." He said.
"Maybe he left to get clean or sober." Cassie said, "And you can't take a dig at him for ending up in prison."
"I know." Punk nodded, "Technically he didn't even do anything wrong. It was Sam who was driving the car. He took the fall for her, I guess."
"If anyone should understand him on some level it… it's probably you. You know what it was like to lose everything. You eventually got it all back but he… he spent his whole life locked up. Can you imagine that?" Cassie asked him as Punk shook his head.
"No, I can't. And I've been there." Punk said.
"He reminds me of you." Cassie nodded as he turned to her, "It kinda makes sense now. I always wondered how you and Dean came from Sam. Crazy Sam. But I get it now after meeting Dan." She said as Punk nodded.
"I told your mom I'd go see him tonight." Punk said, "Hope I don't talk myself out of it."
"You'll be fine." Cassie nodded, "Just be honest with him. Just talk to him like you would with… me or mom. Ask him what you want to know. He'll tell you." Cassie said as Punk nodded.
"I don't know what it is I want to know." Punk admitted, "I guess maybe about how he grew up. Where he grew up. Was his only sibling Hamilton?" He wondered.
"So ask him." Cassie encouraged, "I'm sure he'll answer it all."
"Yeah." Punk took a deep breath.
"Where's little bro?" Cassie asked.
"He's not as warm to the idea of getting to know him as much as I am." Punk nodded to her, "Might need you to go sort him out."
"He'll come round in his own time." Cassie nodded.
"I didn't know you stayed with Dean and Renee a lot when you were young." Punk admitted.
"Really? Have you seen my vinyl corner?" She pointed over to her record player alongside her stacks of records beside it, "I mean I didn't live with them or anything but… I guess with Thea struggling at the time, me and Jude spent some weekends at Dean's. It's why I'm so close with Sarah." She nodded, referring to her cousin who was also one of her best friends.
"He'll come round." Punk nodded to himself, "Eventually. He's just stubborn."
"Oh and you're not?" Cassie had to laugh.
"Well… I'm not as stubborn." Punk shrugged as Cassie nodded.
"I agree." Cassie said, "But you'll be fine." She assured him.
Punk left Cassie's house after dropping Chase off and chatting with her, heading straight to his father's house, knocking on the door and standing outside nervously. Something about it made him feel like he was thirteen years old. That was the child like fear he had inside him, he couldn't really explain why, it was just there.
He waited outside until eventually Dan came to the door, opening it up and looking on at Punk standing.
"Hey." Punk nodded to him.
"Hi." Dan said with a surprising tone, "Is… everything ok?" He asked.
"Uh… yeah, fine." Punk said, "Just… wondering if we could talk?" He asked as Dan looked across at him.
"Y-Yeah." Dan stuttered a little, "Uh… come in." He nodded.
"Thanks." Punk said, walking into the house as Dan shut the door over, pausing for a second at the doorway, not expecting this.
Punk made his way into the living room, standing nervously with his hands in his pockets as Dan eventually came through.
"I was just… doing a crossword puzzle." Dan nodded as Punk looked over at the coffee table where the puzzle book sat opened.
"I uh… I like doing them." Punk nodded, "Although, April always ends up finishing hem for me cause I get frustrated." He laughed a little as Dan smiled.
"Do you want a drink?" Dan asked him.
"I don't drink." Punk reminded him.
"I know, I do have non-alcoholic stuff." Dan smiled a little.
"Oh… uh, no I'm ok." Punk waved his hand.
"Was there anything you wanted to talk to me about in particular?" Dan wondered.
"No, not really." Punk shook his head, "Just… thought I would come see how you are." Punk nodded as Dan raised his eyebrows a little.
"Well, thanks. That's… that's nice of you." Dan nodded. It made him feel physically good that for some reason, one of his sons had come to see him, just to see him. For no reason. It was a first.
"I was dropping Chase off with Cassie just there. Me and Ape were babysitting." Punk nodded to him, taking a seat on the couch, which encouraged Dan to sit down across.
"He's a great kid." Dan smiled.
"Yeah, we like him." Punk teased.
"And you got a lot of them. Grandchildren." Dan pointed out.
"Yeah, five." Punk nodded, "Same as you." He realised.
"That's true." Dan nodded, "They're all great. A lot to keep up with, though." He laughed a little.
"I guess but… with Jude living in New York it doesn't feel like it really." Punk said, "It's a madhouse when everyone is together, though." He nodded as Dan smiled, things going awkwardly silent all of a sudden.
"What's with the Punk thing?" Dan asked.
"What?" Punk laughed a little.
"I've heard a few people call you it. Or Punker." Dan said, "Is it a nickname?"
"Yeah, from when I was younger." Punk nodded, "Mom started it actually. I think she meant for it to be an insult. Then it just caught on with Dean and… any friends I had." Punk shrugged, "Thea calls me Punker when she wants something." Punk shook his head as Dan smiled.
"How is she doing?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, she's ok. She's working full-time again at the hospital. I can really see her taking care of herself better. I think rehab actually helped her with that part a lot more." Punk nodded.
"That's good." Dan said, "And April? How has she been doing after everything that happened?"
"She's ok. She has her moments I guess. She's back at work too. I've still been going to her office for lunch every day, just so she's got someone with her. Sometimes one of the girls will go too." Punk said as Dan nodded.
"Well she's got a good support system." Dan nodded.
"Do you only have the one brother?" Punk asked. He figured he'd take Cassie's advice and just be brave enough to ask the questions he had for his father. To not feel nervous or scared.
"Yeah. Just Greg." Dan said, "Haven't seen him since before I was in prison." He said as Punk nodded, "Couldn't even tell you if he was still alive."
"I think he is." Punk nodded, "He didn't give me and Dean such an easy time. Finding out he was our uncle was a little bizarre. Seemed like he had a lot of hatred for us." He shook his head.
"Well, like everything… there's a backstory." Dan nodded.
"Well… go on." Punk nodded to him.
"Your mom actually dated him first." Dan said as Punk looked across at him. "They dated for a short period of time. That's actually how I wound up meeting your mom." He nodded, "I assume you know where this is going."
"Oh." Punk nodded to himself, "So that's why he hates you?" He questioned.
"Yeah, I'd assume so. We never got along anyway." Dan shrugged, "Me and your mom just had more in common. She was… little crazy, and I was ok with that. Greg… not so much." Dan shook his head, "So we ended up dating and it seemed like from then on he just had this vendetta against me. Must have really liked your mom." He shook his head.
"So me and Dean were just little reminders for him that he was second best?" Punk figured.
"Possibly." Dan nodded, "He was human. I did think it hurt him to see the way your mother… ended up. And I think he blamed me for it."
"Wasn't your fault." Punk shook his head.
"I got just as hooked on shit as she was." Dan shrugged, "I can't criticise her."
"Is that why you left me and Dean?" Punk asked, "Cause of drugs."
"Yeah." Dan nodded, "I couldn't do it. With me and your mom it was like… when we were good, we were good. When we were bad… we were really bad." He said as Punk nodded.
"How'd you get involved with AJ's family?" Punk asked.
"Your mother was friends with Janet. Either from school or they grew up near one another. I'm not actually sure. Sam was a foster kid so she hung out with Janet a lot. Stayed at their family home. Started working for her and her family. Of course I got roped into it but… then I split." Dan said, "I came back cause I knew your mom was digging herself a grave. But… it wasn't a successful rescue, as you know."
"If they were best friends why would she put her through all the shit she went through?" Punk asked, "I grew up thinking she was just… a hooker by choice." He shook his head.
"No." Dan shook his head, "I say Janet was just using her all along." He said, "Makes me mad thinking about it." He admitted truthfully as Punk looked over at him.
"Sorry, we… we don't have to talk about it." Punk shook his head. Already he'd seen a different side to his father he hadn't ever saw.
"No, it's ok." Dan assured him, "Just… well you know how it feels like to be locked up and wish you were there to help the people you love." He nodded.
"Yeah, I do." Punk nodded.
