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"She still won't speak to me." Punk shook his head, standing in his eldest daughter's kitchen as he watched her stressfully make dinner for the kids.

"Well you're obviously saying all the wrong things then." Thea nodded, juggling some spots around on the stove.

"Obviously? Why am I obviously always in the wrong?" Punk asked.

"Because you are. It's just the way it is." Thea shrugged.

"I shouldn't have to stop working just because she has. How is that fair?" Punk questioned.

"I don't think she's asking you to stop working, I think she's telling you she wants to spend more time with you and that maybe you should cut back your hours a little bit." Thea said, "She's obviously lonely, and that makes me sad to think about it." She shook her head.

"She doesn't seem lonely. She goes shopping and she goes out for coffee with Renee and-"

"I'm sure the point she was trying to make is that she wants to spend more time with you." Thea shook her head, draining some pasta, leaning back a little from the steam which rose up, "You just don't want to cut down your hours because it'll make you feel old." She nodded, "This might come as a shock to you." She paused, looking over at him.

"What?" He questioned.

"You are old." She confirmed as he rolled his eyes, "You've worked hard, both of you, now it's time to relax a little." She said as Punk sighed to himself. He went to Thea because he knew she was always the most honest person in the room.

"How many dinners are you making?" Punk shook his head.

"They all eat different things." Thea shook her head as Sam came running into the kitchen. Her hair looked as if it had been back combed, but truthfully it was just the result of a long day at play group.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Sam whined, holding a naked barbie by the leg.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Thea assured her, "I think you should put clothes on her." She pointed as the three year old giggled.

"Mom!" Sofia yelled from the living room as Thea shut the oven door and shook her head.

"James is annoying Sofia." Sam explained, climbing up on a chair at the table.

"I'm pretty sure it's the other way around." Thea said as Punk chuckled to himself quietly.

"You really have to make three separate dinners for them?" Punk sighed with sympathy, "Even you and your sisters weren't that bad."

"I know." Thea shook her head, "Yeah. Sam only wants to eat the chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs. Sofia has them too but she doesn't want potato waffles like Sam does. She wants pasta." She explained, "And James has what I'm having because he's reasonable, like his father." She nodded as Punk smiled.

"Mom!" Sofia yelled, storming into the kitchen as Punk watched. She was just a miniature version of Thea. Everything about her reminded him of Thea when she was little.

"I heard you the first time. What is it?" Thea asked.

"James kept changing the TV channel." Sofia said.

"Because you watch boring stuff." Twelve year old James entered the kitchen.

"But I was watching it first." Sofia said angrily.

"Well it doesn't matter now because dinner is ready." Thea said.

"Is papa staying for dinner?" Sam asked, taking a large gulp of her water, letting out a satisfied sigh in between gulps.

"Will you share your chicken nuggets with me?" Punk asked her.

"No." Sam said politely, sitting her cup back on the table as Thea smiled to herself.

"Well then I guess I can't stay." Punk shrugged.

"Too bad." Sam said as Punk just chuckled.

"There is plenty, if you do want something." Thea said, sitting the kids dinner down in front of them, grateful for the time where they'd all be quiet.

"I'm good." Punk nodded.

"Seriously, doesn't it sound nice to just work two or three times a week? Have the rest to spend with mom and do things you guys don't get to do often?" She asked him.

"It's not about her. Of course I wanna spend time with her. I just know that work keeps my mind busy." He said as she nodded.

"I get that." She understood, "Explain that to her, I'm sure she'd understand that too."

"I don't know." Punk shook his head, "I'll go and let you get your dinner." He nodded.

"Just talk to her." Thea advised as Punk nodded.

"You really gotta get them to eat veg." He said as Thea rolled her eyes, chuckling to himself as he knew it angered her.

"I try. I really do." Thea assured him as he smiled.

"I'll see you later." He nodded, messing James's hair up as he headed on out of the kitchen to leave them to their dinner.


"Jude text earlier." Cassie said, sitting in Theo's office whilst he worked behind his desk, "She's having dinner with Sean tonight." She told him.

"Really?" Theo looked up with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah." Cassie said, "I was surprised too."

"Maybe you guys shed some light?" He wondered.

"Oh, not me. I don't shed light." Cassie shook her head, "Thea probably got through to her." She nodded, "And it's long overdue anyway, they gotta talk at some point." She said as Theo nodded.

"Where do you even begin, though?" Theo asked, leaning back on his chair, tapping his pen on the table.

"I have no idea." Cassie shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee she'd got from the machine on her way to his office.

At times they did clash at work, but most often than not they enjoyed that the other was just a few doors down.

"You on break or are you just bored?" Theo asked, looking back at his work.

"On my break. Haven't had one all day." Cassie shook her head, "I was out all morning responding to a domestic violence call." She nodded.

"Really? That's minor for a fancy detective like you. I'd leave the kids to deal with that." Theo waved his hand, meaning the rookies outside squirming for a chance to ride along with one of them.

"Well I did, but this is the seventh call from the same house." Cassie said.

"Oh." Theo nodded.

"Yeah." Cassie shook her head.

"You're really rounding up all the shitty husbands in the neighbourhood, huh?" Theo nodded.

"Yeah, gladly." Cassie said, "You should have seen her, Theo. She was a mess. Bruises all over her arms. Her eye was all puffy. And she still stood there and defended him." She shook her head.

"I don't think anyone can understand the psychological damage that can do to someone." Theo shook his head.

"I just… it was like I wanted to shake her." Cassie shook her head.

"So you arrested the husband I'm assuming?" He asked.

"No, he'd gone out to the store apparently. I told her I would happily wait but she wanted me gone. She kept telling me she knew her rights." Cassie shook her head, "I don't think she had a clue what her rights were."

"They never do." Theo said, "You checking back in?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna head out soon." Cassie said, "What are you so busy with?" She smiled.

"I can't tell you." He smiled over to her.

"Yes you can." She folded her arms suspiciously.

"Believe me, nothing interesting." Theo shook his head.

"Why won't you tell me?" Cassie laughed, realising he wasn't budging. Normally they told each other everything regarding work, not as colleagues but as husband and wife.

"Don't you have work to be doing?" Theo wondered.

"Theodore." Cassie laughed, "Tell me what you're doing." She shook her head, standing up and approaching his desk, snatching up some papers on it, "Insurance fraud?" She scoffed, looking at him with disappointment.

"Told you, nothing interesting." Theo shrugged as she looked at him, sitting the paper back down slowly.

"Is this what Jake has you running around doing? I thought you got the juicy cases." She said.

"I did. Years ago." Theo nodded cockily as she rolled her eyes, "I gotta let the others have some fun. Just like you have to be helpful to the rookies out there-"

"I'm incredibly helpful." Cassie defended as Theo looked at her with a 'no you are absolutely not' face.

"You're not helpful." Theo said, "You don't have patience with any of them."

"Well they're so slow-"

"They're learning, Cassie." Theo said, "Just like you were."

"But was I ever slow?" Cassie smiled, leaning her hands on his desk and looking at him directly, "Was I ever slow for you?" She smirked as he chuckled to himself, "I was always a well behaved, good girl for you." She nodded.

"Stop." He shook his head as she chuckled to herself, "Just be nice. We all started where they did."

"Yeah yeah." Cassie shook her head, heading for the door, "Was I the best rookie you ever had?" She turned before leaving as he chuckled.

"Top three I guess." He shrugged as she chuckled to herself, leaving his office as he leaned back on his chair.

His smile he had whenever his wife was around began to disappear as he took out a folder from his desk, sitting it on top of his other work and staring at it with dread. Being a cop of his tenure did have some disadvantages. Like the fact he'd managed to piss off a lot of people in his lengthy career.


"Hey, I'm home!" Punk called, getting home from Thea's later on as he walked through the house, finding his wife in the kitchen decorating some waffles which she appeared to have freshly made, "Oh, look at them." He smiled, impressed.

"I made them for you, actually. I had mine earlier." She said as he raised his eyebrows with surprise. Normally when she was mad with him she didn't spontaneously make him sweet treats.

"Well thanks. They look good." He smiled, "I never knew you could bake."

"Well I got the time." AJ nodded.

"You're gonna fatten me up now, aren't you?" He worried as she smiled to herself, trying to hide her smile as she headed back to the fridge, "I called by Thea's on my way home. I gave her that brochure."

"Oh, good." AJ nodded, "You normally don't remember when I ask you to be my messenger." She said.

"I know. Go me." Punk nodded, sitting down at the table, "She was cooking three separate dinners for her and the kids."

"She's too soft with them." AJ shook her head, "Over my dead body would I make three different dinners for my kids. Our girls ate what they got, and that was it."

"I think Sam and Sofia are picky eaters to be fair." Punk nodded as she sat the waffles down for him, "I kinda think I should be the one making you waffles or something." He admitted as she sat down across from him.

"Why is that?" She raised a brow. She knew she'd given him time to stew on their argument.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings." He said, "You asking me to cut down my hours at work… I know that it's because you want to spend more time with me." He nodded, "And I'd hate it if you thought I didn't want to spend more time with you. Cause I do."

"So why are you so set on… working yourself into the ground?" AJ asked.

"I'm just worried." He shrugged.

"Worried about what? About money?" She wondered.

"No… No, I know we're fine there." He said, "We could both fully retire and be fine." He said with confidence, "It's not about that."

"So what is it?" She asked.

"It keeps my mind busy. Working." He said.

"You've said." AJ nodded.

"It worries me that if I stop… I'll have all the time in the world to just overthink and scrutinise the past. Maybe I'll start thinking about prison again." He shrugged as she sighed a little. She figured it went deeper beyond him just simply not wanting to cut back his hours.

"Just because you take a step back doesn't mean the walls are gonna close in on you." She shook her head, "I get it. Work keeps you busy. Keeps you healthy. That's always been a good thing. Something I'm glad you've had. We've both had." She nodded positively, "But… I don't know, I think it's time we had a little more of each other. It might surprise you how much you enjoy having more time to yourself." She said.

"Maybe." He nodded, "I just don't want you to think it's anything to do with you. It's not. I promise."

"I know, baby." AJ nodded, "I just think we deserve some time to ourselves. Take some vacations. Or even a road trip somewhere." She said, "Or just simple things like… making some waffles together on a random Tuesday." She shrugged as he smiled.

"You make it sound so dreamy." He said as she smiled.

"It is dreamy." She smiled, flicking his chin playfully, "How about you just cut it back by one day and see how it goes?" She nodded.

"Alright." He nodded, "Ok, I can do that." He nodded to himself as she smiled, "It's like you have an itinerary waiting for us." He laughed a little as she smiled.

"I'll keep you busy." She nodded, leaning over and pecking his lips before sitting back down on the chair.

"These are good." He nodded, digging into the waffles.

"I pretty much made them whilst on the phone to Jude the entire time." She nodded.

"How is she doing?" Punk asked.

"Well she's… having dinner with Sean tonight." AJ nodded as Punk looked across at her, "She made it very clear to me that it was just a conversation, which I think is good considering they haven't had one for six months. A proper one."

"So she's… giving him a second chance?" Punk asked.

"I don't know. She wouldn't answer when I asked that. I think this is just a small step forward. Very small. But… it's good." AJ nodded, "They need to have that first conversation."

"Yeah." Punk said, not so convinced, "Maybe Thea and Cassie put too much pressure on her." He wondered angrily.

"No, I don't think so. Jude can hold her on when it comes to them." AJ said, "Phil, this is a good thing. They need to do this. They need to confront it all."

"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded to himself, "Well I hope they can at least be civil." He said as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, me too." AJ nodded.