Four


"What the hell? You never called or answered my messages?" Cassie walked into Theo's office later in the day. She noticed he was on the phone but continued to talk anyway, "Did you speak with someone at the school?"

"This is kinda important. I'll come find you." Theo said quietly, holding the corded phone to his ear with his shoulder whilst trying to rearrange some paper work on his desk.

Cassie walked over to the desk, placing her finger down on the hook as Theo heard the line go dead, "Not as important as this." She made clear as Theo put the phone back on the holder.

"I spoke with admin." Theo nodded, "The principal was busy but they arranged a meeting for me to have with him tomorrow evening. Admin said they would inform all staff in the school to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour-"

"They're trying to say it was someone who came into the school from the streets? I was more thinking it was another teacher. Or at least someone working in the school." Cassie shook her head with confusion.

"I don't know, Cass. It was only admin. They didn't know much." Theo said.

"What about CCTV?" Cassie questioned him.

"They don't have any CCTV outside classrooms, only certain parts of the school have it." Theo told her.

"That's bullshit." Cassie shook her head angrily.

"They did let me take a look at the CCTV they do have. Nothing alarming jumped out at me." He said, "You gotta be prepared to… let this go. We might not get anywhere with it-"

"Let it go?" Cassie asked furiously, "Are you kidding me?"

"Cassie-"

"No. No, he is six years old, Theo. He's… He's a baby." Cassie said, "I'm coming with you to meet the principal. I want an investigation into this. It's a hate crime. Against a child." She said, "What the hell is wrong with you?" She shook her head angrily. She was angry at his sudden pessimistic attitude. His lack of concern. It was so unlike him, especially when it was involving Chase.

"I'd rather you didn't come." Theo looked at her.

"Why? Because you know I'll say things that you won't?" Cassie challenged.

"Dammit, Cassie I'm second in command here." Theo said, standing up with frustration, "That means I'm a figure around here. And if I'm ever chief, I gotta establish relationships with these people in the community. I can't be unprofessional with this." He said.

"What community?" Cassie laughed at the word.

"You know what I mean." Theo shook his head.

"I don't care. I don't care about your job, being chief, being professional… someone knew what they were doing when they put that piece of paper in Chase's bag." Cassie said, "And as cops, the least we could do is find out who. And as his damn father, the least you could do is be a little more concerned. It's like you woke up this morning and decided it wasn't important anymore." She said as Theo sat back down behind his desk.

"That's not true." He shook his head.

"You know what this feels like." Cassie said, "And I can understand if… if that's why you aren't as angry as me. In a way, maybe you're used to it-"

"It doesn't happen to me much anymore." Theo made clear.

"But it still happened. You can be angry about that, Theo. In fact, you can be infuriated. Because it's not fair and it's not right." She said as he looked down, tapping his pen against his notepad, "I was raised to… to see people as human beings, not as colour or gender or sexuality, whatever it may be… I know you were too." She nodded, "Some people weren't. As cops we gotta do something about it-"

"Those people who weren't raised right?" He asked, "Some of them work with us." He assured her as Cassie looked across at him, listening as his office phone began to ring, "I really need to take this." He said as she backed off, leaving the office and slamming the door shut hard behind her before he answered the call.


"You want some pretzels?" Thea asked, sitting on the bleachers with her sister later that night watching James' soccer game.

"No, I'm alright." Cassie shook her head, putting her hands in her coat pockets.

"Look, it's a touchy subject." Thea said, "Maybe he's just upset that Chase is now dealing with the same shit he's been dealing with for years. It's gotta be rough." Thea shook her head.

"He's never really spoken to me about it." Cassie said, "Am I super ignorant for thinking it wasn't something that really affected him?" She turned to her sister.

"Well if he's as good as you at keeping things in then no." Thea said, "How do you guys even communicate?"

"We communicate fine." Cassie shook her head, "He was so mad last night. He looked like he might explode. Then this morning it was like things were fine and normal again. He was just going about his day like it was all sunshine and rainbows." Cassie said.

"Cause maybe that's what he's had to do for a long time." Thea said, "It's sad, really. The way it's always just been this never-ending cycle of hatred." She said.

"Well he's meeting with the principal tomorrow." Cassie said.

"That's good. Is there gonna be an enquiry about it or something?" Thea nodded.

"If Theo pushes for one, which going by how he's acting, I don't know if he even will." Cassie said.

"It's his son. Of course he will." Thea said.

"I don't know… I think there's something going on with him." Cassie sighed a little, "Beyond all of this stuff that's happening with Chase, I mean."

"Like what?" Thea asked her.

"I don't know." Cassie shook her head, "Something just feels off with him. I can't describe it. I know he'd do anything to protect Chase from any kind of hardship he had to deal with growing up." She nodded.

"So maybe just give him a break." Thea said as Cassie turned to her, "Just because he's not yelling and screaming, going out looking for heads, doesn't mean he isn't super mad. I know growing up with a dad like ours, you kinda expect that sort of reaction… but everyone is different." Thea nodded.

"Yeah I know." Cassie said.

"The world is a disgusting place sometimes." Thea nodded as Cassie reached over into the pretzels she was holding, taking a few out to eat.

"Tell me about it." Cassie nodded, "I take it you've spoken with Jude? How'd it go with Sean?"

"She said it was ok. They ended up talking for a few hours." Thea nodded.

"Damn, that's progress." Cassie said.

"She was still crying by the end." Thea added.

"Oh." Cassie nodded, "Well, it's something I guess." She said as Thea nodded.

"I worry about her a lot but she's strong enough to figure it out." Thea said confidently, "Stronger than I could ever be in her position."

"Well that's Jude. She goes through hell with elegance." Cassie shook her head, "She got that from mom. We got cursed with dad's ability to handle stressful situations." She shook her head as Thea smiled a little.

"He got better as he got older." Thea said.

"Six months ago he flew to New York and beat Sean up… in the police station." Cassie turned to Thea.

"Well…" Thea shrugged, "It's not like Sean didn't deserve it."

"That's true." Cassie agreed, "Would you judge me if I said I hope they work it out?" Cassie said, leaning her head on Thea's shoulder.

"No." Thea shook her head, "I hope they do to. As much as I think he doesn't deserve her, I do know he loves her." Thea nodded.

"Nothing would ever feel the same again." Cassie said, "In the relationship."

"It could. He's just gotta prove it." Thea said.


"You did so good tonight, babe." Thea smiled, getting out of the car outside their house with James. She was so proud of her eldest son. She couldn't believe he was almost a teenager.

"We lost." James shook his head unhappily.

"Doesn't mean you weren't great." Thea said, wrapping her arm around him, kissing his head as he scoffed at the gesture. She loved that he was becoming older and turning into her best friend. He was the kindest, sweetest boy and she loved spending time with him.

"If we were that great we would have won." James objected, opening up the door to their house.

"Well I love that you strive to be better but you don't have to be so hard on yourself." She said, walking into their house and closing the door behind her.

"I need a snack." James said, heading off to the kitchen immediately whilst Thea took her jacket off, hanging it up on the rack and sitting her keys down.

She made her way down to the kitchen, raising her eyebrows when she saw a baked cake on the table with four lit candles on it. Dominic stood with Sam in his arms, Sofia kneeling on one of the chairs whilst James stood beside with a smile.

"Look! Mommy we baked for you!" Sam exclaimed, pointing to the cake as Thea smiled, her eyes glistening a little as she looked at the cake.

"Why does mommy get two birthdays?" Sofia wondered, eyeing up the cake which she desperately wanted to eat after baking with her father.

"Cause she's special." Dominic answered as Thea looked across at him with a smile, shaking her head at how much she loved him.

"Blow them out." James nodded as Thea smiled.

"It looks so great." Thea smiled, clasping her hands as she leaned forward and blew the candles out.

"Can we eat some now?" Sofia asked as Thea chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah." Thea said, "Yeah, let's get some plates." She said as James dug into the cupboard for plates.

"I want a big piece." Sam told her father.

"A big piece?" Dominic gasped, "You're too little." He teased.

"No, daddy." Sam whined as Dominic chuckled, putting her down on the ground as she ran over to her other siblings who were cutting the cake, giving themselves ridiculously huge pieces.

Thea made her way over to Dominic, wrapping her arms around his neck, "You're gonna get it tonight." Thea nodded quietly as Dominic chuckled, feeling her rest her head on his chest.

"I'm proud of you." He whispered, "Every day." He kissed her head as she smiled, turning her head and looking over at the kids bickering over the cake.