Second Chances


"What?" Jude asked with sadness, watching her sister take a drink of water, looking the other way from her after announcing her miscarriage, so calmly.

"I should go change." Cassie nodded to herself.

"Cassie, wait." Jude insisted, shaking her head with confusion, "W-What… when did you… how-"

"A few days ago." Cassie said, looking across at her, "I didn't know I was pregnant so… it's not a big deal." She shrugged as Jude just shook her head.

"Did you go to the hospital or… what happened?" Jude shook her head. Getting information from her sister was like drawing blood from a stone.

"Yeah I had some bad cramp when it happened. And I wasn't due a period or anything. Not that I really have a regular one anyway." She added, "I just got checked out to be safe and they told me I was having a miscarriage." She shrugged.

"Cassie, I'm so sorry." Jude frowned as Cassie looked down.

"It's fine." She nodded.

"You guys wanted this for a long time." Jude sighed.

"It was bad timing anyway cause Theo is gonna need my help around the house and he's gonna be out of work so…" Cassie shrugged.

"You've told him, right?" Jude assumed as Cassie shook her head, "Why not?"

"Because I'm not telling anyone." Cassie made clear, "I wouldn't have told you if you weren't here lecturing me on eating cakes for dinner." She rolled her eyes.

"You can't just keep it to yourself. Especially where Theo is concerned. He should know." Jude said, "And won't you tell mom?"

"No. I won't." Cassie said, "I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me. I wasn't far along. It's just like a damn period I'm having. It's not a big deal." Cassie shook her head.

"You've lost a baby." Jude looked at her with confusion, "You've been trying to get pregnant for two years almost." She said.

"Yeah and I think this is all very obvious that I can't and won't have another baby." Cassie nodded, "I don't need to tell anyone anything. I'm healthy and I'll be alright." She nodded as Jude frowned. She wasn't sure if it was just because she was more fragile than Cassie, or if Cassie was just good at hiding how she really felt. Probably both.

"You won't even tell Theo?" Jude asked.

"Why would I do that?" Cassie asked, "Why would I tell him that something we've been wanting to happen for so long happened, and now it's gone and it doesn't matter." She said, "Why would I do that to him?"

"So he can be there for you and… you can get through it together." Jude shrugged.

"There's nothing to get through." Cassie shook her head, "Don't tell anyone." She warned her sister.

"I wouldn't." Jude insisted, "I just wish you let people help you, Cass. You don't have to go through things on your own."

"Well it works fine for me." Cassie nodded, "I need to go change these pants." She said, leaving the kitchen as Jude watched her walk down the hall and head upstairs.


"Is he asleep?" AJ asked, watching Punk come back into their living room, sitting down beside her on the couch after he'd gone up to check on Chase who had woken up with a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "He's probably just a little unsettled. He doesn't normally stay with us for the long haul." He said as AJ nodded. Chase had been staying with them to let Cassie be at the hospital with Theo around the clock. They wanted to be as much help to their daughter as they could be right now.

"Yeah he probably misses his mom and dad." AJ nodded, "I think Cassie said she was taking him in to see Theo in the morning, though. Before she takes him to school."

"As long as Theo is up to it." Punk said.

"Well I think he's doing ok, considering what he's pulled through so far." AJ said.

"I think he'll be out of work for at least… eight months." Punk thought to himself.

"Well no one needs your input." AJ reminded him, "He'll be back when he's fit and ready. Let's leave it at that. Putting a time on it will only… depress him." She shook her head.

"I'm just saying." Punk scoffed, "Is Jude still here?"

"Yeah, I spoke to her earlier. Sean is getting a flight back in the morning, to be with the girls and get back to work. Resume life I guess." AJ nodded.

"Well yeah the girls will be missing their mom and dad too." Punk said, "Is Jude going with him?"

"No, she's staying for a little bit longer I think. Just to be there for Cassie if she needs anything." AJ nodded.

"Cassie rarely needs help from anyone." Punk pointed out.

"Well it's still nice to be there for her if she needs anything." AJ nodded.

"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded.

"Have you spoken to your dad at all recently?" AJ asked curiously.

"Not for a couple of weeks." Punk shook his head, "Why?" He turned to her.

"Just asking." AJ shrugged innocently, "I know you just see him kinda sporadically now. I just hope he doesn't get lonely."

"April he spent most his life in prison. He'll appreciate the peace and quiet." Punk assured her.

"You're telling me prison isn't lonely?" She asked.

"Definitely not." Punk shook his head, "It's the loudest place in the world." He shook his head.

"Do you think I could handle it?" She smiled a little, turning to him as he chuckled a little.

"Prison?" He asked as she nodded, "I don't know. Women are way dirtier than men." He said, "That'd be a whole other ball game." He said as she nodded in agreement.

"I'm not looking to test myself with it." She assured him as he nodded.

"Yeah, don't." He agreed, "I just hope Cassie isn't exhausting herself by going to the hospital every single day. I know there's no telling her of course." He said.

"Theo won't be shy in telling her to take some time to herself." AJ nodded confidently, "He's good at looking out for her like that."

"Yeah." Punk nodded in agreement, listening as Jude came into the house. She'd been staying with them instead of a hotel.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled tiredly, watching as Jude walked into the living room, equally as tired, slumping down on the chair.

"I thought you guys would be in bed." Jude said, looking over at the TV to see what they were watching.

"We're not that old yet." Punk scoffed, "Where you been?"

"I was seeing Sean and then I went to see Cassie." Jude said, "She's holding up by eating cakes for dinner and staying awake on energy drinks." She said.

"Sounds like how she lived when she was at the academy." AJ laughed a little as Punk nodded, "Is Sean still leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, his flight is in the morning." Jude nodded, "It'll be good for the girls to have one of us back home. I hate not seeing them. I'd go with Sean but I just wanna be here a little while longer in case Cassie needs anything." She said as they both nodded. Now she felt even more inclined to stick around longer given what she had just found out. However, it would remain a secret until Cassie decided otherwise. Often as sisters they did poor jobs of keeping one another's secrets, but something like this was a no brainer.

"Well I'm sure the girls will miss you but they'll have Sean back." AJ nodded positively.

"Yeah." Jude nodded along, "I told him to just stay at the house if he wants. Most of the girls things are there. Instead of the apartment he's renting." She said as AJ nodded.

"Are you any further forward with your situation with him?" AJ asked as Jude shook her head.

"I don't think so." Jude said, "The only thing I know is that it's never gonna be anyone else but him." She nodded, playing with the edge of her cardigan and looking down, "And not just because we have the girls." She added, "I think if I still love him after what happened and all this time we've spent apart… that's gotta mean something, right?" She looked at them both.

"I'd say so." AJ nodded whilst Punk stayed quiet, looking over at the TV.

"Dad, what do you think?" Jude asked deliberately as Punk turned to her, "Be diplomatic about it. Don't… don't be my protective dad." She said as he looked across at her.

"I think that I trust you to make a decision that is good for you and good for your children." He nodded, "Not only that but I trust you to make the decision that makes you the happiest. Because that's all I'm interested in." He nodded as she gave him a small smile and nodded. She knew he'd always have their best interest at heart.

"I don't think I ever really let onto you guys how bad it was." Jude said, "Just after I was attacked." She nodded, looking back down again, "Over the years, going to different therapy sessions and group counselling, attending meets with those charity's I work with… you learn a lot about how people deal with trauma." She nodded, "Sometimes people will develop a comfort person. Someone they immediately feel safe with. Someone that can settle any kind of anxiety they might have." She said, "Sean is mine." She nodded, "It kinda feels like I need him in my life to survive now." She admitted truthfully as AJ sighed.

"He was there for you at… an awful time in your life." AJ nodded, "But you work so hard, independently, at moving on from what happened… you've never needed to depend on anyone." She said.

"I depended on him." Jude nodded, "I still do. When we first heard that Cassie and Theo might have gotten hurt, he was the first person I turned to… to calm me down. Tell me it'll be alright." She said.

"He's your husband. Of course you turn to him." AJ nodded, "Doesn't mean you don't get to hold him accountable until you're ready to… take him back, if that's what you want."

"I think it is." Jude nodded, "But I don't want to look like a fool. I feel like me taking him back is just… like I'm desperate or something. Scared to be alone." She shrugged.

"No, it doesn't. And nobody would think that." Punk inserted, "It means you love him and… assuming he loves you too, maybe you guys can… really move past this. Work on it every day." He nodded.

"You guys will never treat him the same." Jude shook her head, "Nothing feels like it will be the same."

"It's not about us, sweetie." AJ reminded her, "Will it take us some time to forgive him for hurting you like this? Of course. But we know how much he means to you, and vice versa." She said, "And… people do deserve a second chance." She nodded, turning to Punk who gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for second chances you and Cassie wouldn't be here today." Punk smiled as Jude rolled her eyes, "Jude, you do what you think is gonna make you happy. Even if it means it takes months or… years to forgive him." He said, "And don't worry about us or what we think. If you take him back then… I guess we'll have to too." He shrugged with a small smile as Jude nodded with a smile his way.