Going Down


"Hey, how was your flight?" Jude smiled, opening the door to her parents.

"Oh, you know… screaming babies and what not." AJ nodded, hugging Jude tightly.

"We've all been there." Jude nodded, "Hey, dad." She smiled as Punk embraced her, kissing her cheek.

"How you doing?" He asked her.

"I'm ok." She nodded, closing the door behind them, "When I told the girls you guys were coming they were super excited." She smiled, heading into the living room.

"Sweet little angels." AJ smiled, taking her coat off.

"I know you always insist on staying at a hotel but there's always the guest bedroom here." Jude said, "It'd save you the money."

"I like getting room service." AJ confessed as Punk chuckled to himself.

"Well I can always deliver you breakfast upstairs." Jude laughed.

"It's ok, sweetie. We don't want to intrude." AJ assured her.

"There's nothing you'd be intruding on. Believe me." Jude shook her head, "I just made some coffee, do you want some?" She asked, walking off into the kitchen as they followed.

"None for me, I'm cutting back." AJ said, "Thea has me doing this cleanse with her. She keeps making me these green juices." She shook her head.

"Yeah she's all about health until she gets stressed and goes through five cartons of cigarettes, in an hour." Jude rolled her eyes.

"We all got our habits." Punk nodded, "I'll take some coffee." He said.

"I hear you're a man of leisure now." Jude smiled a little, "A part-timer."

"Maybe." Punk said.

"Why do you sound so ashamed?" Jude chuckled, handing him the coffee whilst AJ was looking over at the drawings on the fridge, of course made by Mirren and Leela.

"I'm not ashamed." Punk shrugged.

"He's trying to pretend he isn't enjoying it." AJ added.

"I've barely had a chance to get used to it." Punk shook his head.

"Your bones will thank you for it, I'm sure." Jude nodded to him.

"Ok, I'm not crippled." Punk rolled his eyes.

"Yet." Jude smiled, "I figured we could order in tonight. There's this new little Chinese place just opened up down the street. It's great." She nodded.

"Whatever is fine with us." AJ smiled, "How has work been? Any update on that girl who was killed?" She asked.

"No, not really. Apart from she was having an affair with one of the teachers at the academy." Jude said, "I wouldn't know anything cause I don't talk to any of the staff."

"Why not?" Punk asked her, "Sounds like you're missing out on hot gossip."

"They're all weird." Jude shook her head, "Artists are weird." She nodded, "They overshare and most of them are just way too happy." She rolled her eyes as AJ smiled.

"Too happy?" AJ asked, "Doesn't sound like a bad work environment to be in."

"Well it is." Jude shook her head.

"Oh, wait… where's the dinosaur?" Punk asked.

"He's in the living room where he always is." Jude said as Punk wandered back to the living room to see Rex, "I told Sean to keep distance this weekend." She said quietly to her mother whilst her father was out of the kitchen.

"Why?" AJ asked.

"Well I don't know how dad is still taking all of this. It's best, to avoid any sort of… atmosphere." Jude said.

"So you've been seeing him more?" AJ assumed.

"Not much… he came here for dinner one night and we also took the girls for pizza." She said, "We're not getting very far but… it's something." She shrugged without much enthusiasm.

"That's good." AJ nodded, "It's better than standing still."

"Yeah." Jude shrugged, "He normally sees the girls tonight but-"

"Don't let us get in the way." AJ said, "Your father will behave himself. I'm here this time." She assured her.

"I know, it's just easier." Jude shook her head.

"He's not actually said a lot recently." AJ said, looking through to the living room at Punk.

"Well I don't think I trust him just yet." Jude said with a small smile.

"It's your call." AJ said.

"I'm glad you guys are here. Just promise you won't get me drunk the way Thea and Cassie did." Jude shook her head as AJ chuckled.

"I promise." AJ smiled.


"You've had days to tell me." Cassie said, following Theo into the station, "Days."

"Look we're not doing this in here. We can talk about it when we get home." Theo shook his head, putting his suit jacket on. He was met this morning by his very angry wife, who now knew about the case from ten years ago which appeared to be following him again. To say she wasn't happy was an understatement.

"No, just wait." Cassie grabbed his arm before they headed further into the station, bringing him to a halt as he looked across at her, "Do you think this is the man who put that note in Chase's bag?" She asked him.

"I know as much as you've read." Theo said, "He got out a month ago on parole."

"And he'd risk parole?" Cassie asked.

"Did you read about why he's in prison?" Theo asked.

"Yeah." Cassie folded her arms, "Why didn't you just tell me?" She shook her head.

"Because I didn't want to panic you." Theo said, "He was a nasty piece of work. And if I gotta look into this, I don't want you near it-"

"You don't get to decide that." Cassie shook her head.

"I do, actually." Theo nodded, "And maybe I'll start putting a damn lock on my office door. You don't get wife privileges-"

"Oh, get real." Cassie rolled her eyes, "Don't go all deputy on me. Not with this. Not when Chase has been brought into this."

"I still haven't looked further into it." Theo said.

"Then maybe we should go talk to him." Cassie said, "Ask him some questions. Suss him out." She shrugged.

"I'm sending two of the kids out to the housing he's living in right now. Not to question him, just to see what he's up to from afar." Theo nodded.

"We have every right to go question him." Cassie said as Theo shook his head, walking away from her. At times, they both worked very differently, and that made them clash a lot. Where this was concerned however, was a lot different, a lot more personal.

"You should just focus on your own work. I thought you had someone in for questioning early this morning?" He asked, heading to his office as Cassie followed.

"I moved it to the afternoon." She said, following him into his office.

"Look, when I first started out here I just charged at things head on. I used to put myself on hate crimes just to get a kick out of it." He said, "I saw a lot of things. Nothing came close to Brock Andrews." He shook his head, "And even then, I was still obnoxious and smug. Because he didn't think people like me deserved anything, let alone be allowed to cuff him and send him to prison for ten years." He said.

"A lot of us put bad people in prison, Theo. It doesn't mean they all come after us." Cassie said.

"He told me he would find me when he got out." Theo said, "And I told him I looked forward to it." He shook his head.

"So he's using Chase to send a message?" Cassie asked.

"It's gotta be him." Theo shook his head.

"Then we ought to do something about it." Cassie said seriously.


"How's your art projects been coming along?" Punk asked, sitting at the table with Jude after dinner. Take out boxes still sat around the table whilst AJ had gone into the living room with Mirren and Leela, who were just so excited to have their grandparents over for the weekend.

"I can't seem to get anything done these days. And not because I don't have the time." Jude said, "Just… no inspiration I guess."

"You'll find it eventually." Punk nodded, "How have things been? Between you and him?"

"He who must not be named, huh?" Jude looked over at him, "I don't really know. It's almost like I don't know how to act around him anymore."

"Are you trying to work things out or-"

"I don't know." Jude said, "Right now we're just getting used to talking again. Sometimes I catch myself forgetting that I'm mad at him. And for a second it's like nothing has changed." She said, "And then I remember, and it feels like I'm finding out for the first time over and over again." She shook her head.

"It's gonna take some time." Punk nodded.

"I know you hate him." Jude looked across at him, "And maybe you want me to divorce him and just move on-"

"No, I don't. Not if it's not what you want. It's nothing to do with me. I just want you to be happy." He said, "I don't hate him-"

"Yes you do." Jude said.

"I hate that he's hurt you." Punk said, "But I also know what it's like to fuck up. Badly."

"I just miss him." She shook her head as Punk nodded, listening as there was a knock at the door, "I'll get it" She told him.

She got up from the table and headed through to answer the door, opening it up and seeing Sean standing there.

"Hey." Sean said wearily.

"Hey." Jude shook her head, "I thought you weren't coming tonight. My parents-"

"You're not watching the news?" Sean asked.

"What?" Jude shook her head with confusion, "We were having dinner." She said, starting to notice he had a funny look on his face. A look that worried her, "What? What's on the news?" She questioned.

"Maybe you should get your parents-"

"Sean." Jude said, "What's happened?"