Attack
"What are you doing up?" Dominic asked, screwing his eyes up at the sudden light as he walked into the kitchen. When he didn't feel Thea in bed, he figured he'd come down and check out where she was. He had a hunch he'd find her sitting in the kitchen with a cigarette.
"I can't sleep." Thea shook her head.
"Well yeah, you're drinking coffee and smoking." Dominic nodded, sitting down at the kitchen table tiredly.
"I'm just struggling to accept that we gotta live here." Thea nodded to him, putting her cigarette out on the ash tray and sliding it over, "Moving was never something I wanted to do."
"I know that but you're… you're looming over it for too long. You gotta accept it." Dominic nodded, "You can't just barely make it through every day wishing you were in Chicago. We gotta just accept that this is where we live now and we gotta get used to it." He said as Thea nodded.
"I know." Thea sighed, "I just never thought it'd be so difficult." Thea shook her head.
"Well of course it's gonna be difficult. We've lived in Chicago all our lives. Our families are there. Kinda feels like we're isolated now." Dominic said.
"Yeah, it does." Thea agreed, "I feel kinda lonely." She nodded to him.
"We'll settle in here. We'll make friends. Work will get easier." Dominic said, "I figured this weekend we could go into town and see what places there are. Any parks that we can take the kids to. Really explore the place better." He said as Thea nodded.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Thea agreed, "They're gonna start sensing that I miss Chicago and then I'm scared that they might start missing it because I've drew attention to it." She said, "And I'm worried about James starting a new school on Monday." She said stressfully, running her hands through her hair.
"James will be fine. He's just a little kid. Kids make friends so much easier than adults. It's you and I that have the hard task there." He said as Thea smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right." Thea nodded, "I just don't want him to be left out or… feel worried about fitting in." Thea sighed, "He made so many little friends at his old school. I feel awful for taking him away from that so quickly." She shook her head sadly.
"It's not your fault." Dominic said, "You gotta stop thinking so much about these things. You're gonna make yourself sick with worry." He nodded.
"I can't help it." Thea sighed to herself.
"Do you trust me?" Dominic asked.
"Of course I trust you." Thea nodded immediately.
"It's just gonna take some time to settle in here. It's new and different. It's not exactly the fast-pace city life we're used to. Maybe we'll come to enjoy it. Things feel a lot calmer out here-"
"Boring, you mean?" Thea rolled her eyes as Dominic smiled.
"It's just different." Dominic said, "And we'll get used to it." He said, "I say on Saturday morning we take the kids out for breakfast. We find a cool spot in town. Take them to a park. Check things out." He said as Thea smiled.
"That sounds good." Thea smiled, "The kids will enjoy that. Although, Sofia asked for my dad tonight. And my mom." She said, "I think they miss them."
"Well they've been close to them. Sofia was spending like… four days a week with your mom and dad. But they'll see them soon." Dominic said as Thea nodded.
"Yeah." Thea smiled, "I called Jude earlier, she told me her and Sean were out for dinner and they had to leave because she felt so sick." She said, "I remember being really sick with Sofia."
"It's a girl thing." Dominic waved his hand as Thea smiled.
"I can't believe I'm gonna have a niece." Thea smiled to herself, "I wish I was there to help her more. I think she's super bummed that I'm not there."
"Of course she is." Dominic said, "But we'll go visit as much as we can. And they can come visit us. We'll make it work." He said as Thea nodded.
"I don't know if I could have gone through with all of this without you. I would have freaked out so much. Even more than what I am right now." She laughed a little, "You have to teach me your ways." She nodded as Dominic smiled.
"Come over and I'll teach you then." Dominic said as she smiled, standing up and moving onto his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his as he kissed her sweetly.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Cassie." Jude shook her head, standing in her kitchen with Cassie whilst Sean sat at the table eating some cereal before he headed out for his night shift.
"Why?" Cassie shrugged.
"You don't even know who this guy is. No… actually, you do. He's a murderer." Jude said, "No way."
"Murder can be taken in many different contexts. May I remind you of our older sister?" Cassie asked.
"That's not even the same thing." Jude rolled her eyes.
"It might be. You don't know this guy's story." Cassie said.
"Cass, I'm with Jude on this one." Sean nodded, "You don't know this guy-"
"Oh, just you eat your cereal and butt out of it." Cassie warned as Sean nodded to himself, continuing to eat his cereal.
"He killed an eighteen year old girl years ago. He left her. Hit and run." Jude said, "Why do you want to know this guy?"
"I want dad to have the option to get to know his dad. It's never too late-"
"Cass, do you honestly think dad wants to know the guy who walked out on him and Dean? Do you think he loses sleep over not knowing his dad?" Jude asked, "Because I guarantee you he doesn't."
"But maybe he'd feel different." Cassie said, "Maybe if I told him I'd met him and spoken to him… he'd feel different."
"No, he'd be mad." Jude said, "He'd be mad with you and you know he would."
"Well then maybe I'm just curious." Cassie shrugged.
"Yeah, that's a cop thing." Sean pointed to Cassie whilst nodding to Jude.
"No, it's not a cop thing." Cassie said, "He's our family."
"You've never met the man in your life." Jude reminded her, "He could be a horrible, horrible person. I mean he's been to prison, who knows what he's like-"
"Yeah because we aren't familiar with ex-convicts. My bad." Cassie scoffed sarcastically whilst Sean chuckled a little.
"Eat your cereal." Jude nodded to Sean who smiled dramatically.
"I'm just saying that maybe I go meet him and find him first before telling anyone. That way if he is a total dick then I don't need to bother telling anyone. I can just forget about it." Cassie said, "Dad doesn't need to know."
"He'll find out." Sean scoffed, adding his input every now and then between enjoying his cereal.
"Don't you have work to go to?" Cassie asked him as Sean rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm gonna leave before one of you attack me." Sean scoffed, putting his bowl over in the sink, "I'll see you in the morning." He said, leaning over and kissing Jude.
"Ok, babe." Jude smiled, cupping his cheek, watching as he leaned down and kissed her bump as she smiled, scratching his head playfully.
"I hope she isn't as mouthy as you two." He rubbed Jude's bump sweetly as Jude smiled.
"I hope she is." Jude smirked as Sean smiled, grabbing his coat as he looked over at Cassie.
"Cass, sometimes you just gotta leave things alone. It's better not awakening stuff you have no clue about. It really seems to me that your dad and uncle are… they're ok with not knowing about their dad." He said.
"They've never had the option of knowing." Cassie said.
"Just… think about it." Sean nodded to her, "I'll see you guys later." He nodded, leaving the kitchen and heading out to work as Cassie sighed to herself.
"He's right, you know." Jude nodded, "Why wake all this up? Who's gonna benefit from it?"
"Well I was hoping dad and Uncle Dean." Cassie said.
"I can't stop you. You're a grown ass woman." Jude nodded, "But just think about it. It makes me really uncomfortable thinking about you going out and talking to this guy. You have no idea who he is or what he's done." She said, "And yeah, maybe there's reasons for what he did but… what if there's not? What if he is just… a guy who walked out on his kids and killed a young girl in a hit and run?" She asked, "You wanna bring that into dad and Dean's life?"
"No, of course I don't." Cassie sighed to herself, sitting down at the kitchen table, "I don't know, I just wish I never came across his file now." She sighed, "I feel bad knowing about it and not telling dad."
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Jude shook her head as Cassie sighed to herself.
''I guess." Cassie nodded, disheartened, leaning her folded arms on the table and resting her chin on top.
"You want some dinner? I was gonna call for a pizza." Jude said.
"Yeah, go on." Cassie nodded.
"My back is killing me." Dean groaned, climbing up the ladder up from the docks, finishing up work with Punk as they headed home for the night.
"Knots, probably. April is good at getting mine out." Punk nodded to him.
"I'm sure she is." Dean smirked as Punk shook his head, "So when are you going to visit Thea?"
"Sunday, I think." Punk said, "Me and Ape are both off Monday so we're gonna stay at a hotel, make a night of it." He nodded, "What's in Milwaukee?" He asked.
"Nothing I'm interested in." Dean scoffed.
"Yeah, April had Thea on the phone last night saying that she misses Chicago. That she misses the smell of Chicago." He shook his head.
"I know what she means. Chicago has a good smell." Dean agreed, "It's only been a couple days. She's gotta give it a chance." He chuckled.
"Yeah well you know how impatient and stubborn Thea is." Punk said.
"Yeah, I do." Dean nodded, watching as Renee pulled up in the parking lot to pick him up.
"I could have dropped you off." Punk said.
"She was on her way home from yoga." Dean shrugged.
"Yoga?" Punk laughed a little.
"Dude, she learns all these positions it's amazing." Dean exaggerated, "I'll try get her to take AJ with her. You'll thank me." He patted Punk's back who chuckled.
"Yeah, Ape doesn't need yoga, believe me." Punk nodded cockily as Dean shook his head.
"I'll see you tomorrow, idiot." Dean said as Punk nodded, watching him head over to Renee's car, waving to Renee who waved back, picking Dean up and driving off.
Punk walked off to his car, which was ultimately the only car left in the parking lot. It'd gone dark since they had worked late, and it was eerily quiet.
He got his car keys out, unlocking the car as he walked towards it, pulling on the door handle to open it up as he suddenly felt someone grab his head from behind, banging it off the car window.
He was no stranger to violence. He'd spent eight years in federal prison. He'd grew up on the streets. Fought just to survive at times. But… he was no spring chicken, and he came to realise there was more than one person attacking him.
He got a few punches in, grabbing one of the middle aged men by the neck, but there was four or five of them and he couldn't do much else before they were beating him down to the ground.
He felt his shoulder pop out of place at one point, blood beginning to seep out of wounds on his face, sliding down the car and sitting on the ground as he held his shoulder in pain.
He looked up at the middle aged men, making sure to get a look at them. He wished he knew who they were, it'd make things easier in the aftermath, but he'd never seen these guys in his life.
"The hell you want?" Punk spat some blood out as one of the men crouched down, putting his hood down and looking across at Punk. He noted the tattoo on the man's face under his eye. He was desperately trying to think of what the purpose of this was for. Who had he pissed off now?
"You tell Thea… I'll find her." The man nodded to him, grabbing Punk's shoulder as Punk groaned in pain before watching the group of guys walk off out of sight.
Punk leaned his head back against the car holding his shoulder in pain. Of all the things he expected to hear from these guys, that wasn't it.