Seasons Greetings


"Remember you're taking the girls to see Santa this morning." AJ said, moving around the kitchen frantically like she did most mornings before work whilst Punk sat at the kitchen table with some cereal and the newspaper.

"Santa?" Punk screwed his face up, "Aren't they a little old for that?"

"Jude is three." AJ paused, looking at him with confusion as he shrugged, "They're really excited about it and I am really upset that I'm going to miss it-"

"You chose to work the weekend before Christmas-"

"I was asked to work." AJ batted back, "Unlike you, I can't pick and choose my shifts."

"Maybe you should work at the docks with me and Dean then." Punk smirked.

"Just make sure you take lots of pictures for me." AJ warned him, packing her lunch in her bag as Punk nodded along.

"Where even are they?" Punk wondered, "It's weirdly quiet for a Saturday morning." He said.

"Thea is still sleeping and Jude is in the living room watching TV. Make sure they wear something appropriate." She told him, "You always have my girls looking homeless." She shook her head.

"I dress them how I dress." Punk scoffed.

"Exactly." AJ nodded as he rolled his eyes.

"So all I have to do today is take them to see Santa?" Punk asked. Normally when he had a day off when AJ was working, she supplied him with a to do list like get groceries or take the girls to a birthday party or clear out a part of the house. She knew he liked to be kept busy and she took advantage of that aspect.

"That's all you have to do." AJ smiled, "And I will see you when I get home." She nodded, walking over to him, leaning down and kissing him sweetly.

"Shame you can't tell Santa what you want for Christmas." He hummed as she pressed her forehead against his.

"I got everything I need." She assured him quietly as he smiled, "You have a fun day." She pecked his lips one more time before grabbing her bag.

"You too." He nodded and she groaned, leaving the kitchen, saying goodbye to Jude in the living room and heading off to work.

Punk finished up his breakfast, clearing up the kitchen and heading through to the living room where Jude was sat in her pj's watching cartoons.

"Alright, we got a big day." Punk announced.

"A big day?" Jude asked.

"A big day." Punk nodded, "You wanna go meet Santa?" He asked her as she grinned and then shook her head.

"Santa doesn't live in cago." Jude shook her head, her own language of her home state which Thea had passed onto her.

"No but he's passing through this morning and mommy woke up super early to make sure we got tickets to meet him." Punk nodded as Jude looked at him, "So we can't be late because he's making his way through all the towns this week before he has to deliver all the presents on Christmas." He explained as Jude nodded, convinced of course.

"Well I have to wear something nice." Jude insisted, getting up from the couch and running away upstairs as Punk chuckled to himself.

"Hey, wake your sister up!" Punk told her, "I'll be up in a second." He said whilst Jude reached the top of the stairs, bursting into her nine year old sisters room.

"Thea! Thea, we're going to see Santa." Jude ran over to her sister's bedside, shaking her as Thea opened her eyes, "You need to wake up because we're going to see Santa." Jude explained.

"No we're not." Thea shook her head, "We're going to see some fat, strange guy dressed up." She sat up as Jude folded her arms.

"No, daddy said it's Santa." Jude shook her head, "He's coming to cago."

"Only to tell you that he's not bringing you any presents this year." Thea smiled, "Because you're on the naughty list." She nodded, one of her favourite things to do was tease her sister, especially the older she got.

"I am not." Jude said worriedly.

"You are too." Thea nodded, "And I'm on the nice list-"

"I'm on the nice list too, Thea." Jude insisted, "I'll ask him myself."

"Alright." Thea shrugged, watching as Punk came into the room.

"Daddy, Thea said I'm on the naughty list." Jude turned to him immediately, "And that it's just a fat man playing dress up." She told him as Thea chuckled to herself.

"Thea doesn't know what she's talking about." Punk nodded, "Go pick out something festive to wear. Go." He messed Jude's hair as she ran past him and out of her sister's room.

"It is a fat guy playing dress up." Thea said, "I'm not sitting on his knee." She folded her arms.

"It's Santa." Punk scoffed, "You loved seeing him last year." He said.

"I was pretending." Thea nodded coolly as Punk nodded along. It was fun getting to watch Thea aspire to be older than her years when really he knew she was still just a kid excited for Christmas.

"Well… you can pretend again because mom wants me to send her a picture of you both." Punk nodded, "And it is Santa, you know." He insisted as Thea just looked at him, unconvinced but smiling as he winked and left the room.


"W-What… what are you doing here?" Cassie asked bluntly, looking across at Theo's father and step mother standing on the doorstep.

"We've come to visit." Kelise, Raul's wife nodded with a nervous smile.

"And to drop some Christmas gifts for the little man. They're in the rental." Raul pointed to the car parked up outside as Cassie looked on, in a slight daze.

"You've… You've never come to visit us." Cassie said, stepping back a little, "Do you want something?" She questioned as Raul let out a deflated sigh, turning to Kelise with frustration.

"No, Cassie. We don't." Kelise said firmly, "Only to visit for the holidays." She said just as Theo came behind Cassie at the door, pausing once he noticed who it was.

"Hi, son." Raul smiled, "You look… well, you look better than the last time I saw you." He nodded as Cassie turned to Theo, trying to read him and wonder how they approached this situation.

"You look well." Kelise added as Theo nodded slowly, looking at Cassie.

"They've brought gifts." Cassie told Theo bluntly, turning back to Raul, engaging in an intense stare off with him.

"Chase is asleep so…" Theo nodded.

"We're here to see you both, too." Raul said, "Are you going to invite us in?" He laughed a little as Theo looked at Cassie.

"Y-Yeah." Theo said, "Yeah, ok." He agreed, stepping aside as Cassie followed suit, letting them into the house.

"Your home is beautiful." Kelise nodded, taking her gloves off.

"It is." Raul agreed, closing the door behind him, "I uh… I feel embarrassed that this is the first time I've been in it." He admitted.

"You should be." Cassie folded her arms whilst Raul ignored her, looking around and making his way into the living room after Kelise.

"Why are they here?" Theo whispered to Cassie, standing in the doorway.

"I don't know but they are not staying." Cassie made clear, "He hasn't lifted the phone all this time you've been out of hospital-"

"You told him not to after you roasted him in the hospital." Theo admitted.

"Which you said you supported me on." She pointed her finger at him.

"I know." He swatted her finger away, "I know, but I can't… I can't tell him to leave-"

"Then I will." She charged for the living room as Theo took her hand and pulled her back.

"Then we're just as bad as him." He said, "I can't complain about him not making effort and then send him away when he does-"

"This is just him having a guilty conscience, Theo. You know that." Cassie said, "We won't be the bad guys for telling them to leave." She assured him as he sighed, running his hand over his hair.

"How long have you been living here?" Raul appeared back into the doorway, wondering what was taking them so long, and then figuring out they were no doubt speaking about him.

"Ugh… we moved here when Chase was one." Theo nodded.

"Two cops salary… I don't doubt you'll upgrade down the line." Raul nodded.

"Why would we upgrade?" Cassie asked.

"Well… more space for the little one. Bigger yard, maybe. More kids?" He smiled as Cassie walked off down to the kitchen, "That woman does not like me, does she?" He nodded to Theo.

"We just… we weren't expecting you." Theo said, "Most people don't just show up like this. Especially during the holidays when things are crazy anyway."

"I thought it'd be a good surprise." Raul said, "It's great to see you up and around." He nodded, "I would have stayed longer at the hospital but… it was very clear your in-laws didn't want me there. Your wife didn't want me there. And apparently she claimed that you wouldn't want me there either if it was your last moments on earth." He said as Theo shook his head.

"Everyone was clearly emotional." Theo said briefly.

"If you want us to leave, we will. We'll drop the gifts in and… be on our way." Raul nodded as Theo looked at him, sighing to himself at the conflicting moment he found himself in.

"I'm not going to ask you to leave." Theo shook his head as Raul nodded, "But we… we have plans for Christmas. We go to Cassie's parents. And we go to the markets on Christmas Eve. And Chase has his first soccer game in a couple days." He explained.

"We won't overstay our welcome." Raul said, "I just wanted to see you." He nodded as Theo nodded along.

"Let me get you a drink." Theo said quietly.

"A beer if you've got one. And wine for Kelise." Raul said, walking back into the living room as Theo made his way through to the kitchen where Cassie was clearing dinner away.

"Tell me you've offered them a drink and I'm leaving the house." Cassie nodded as Theo looked at her, wondering if she was joking or being serious.

"They won't stay long." Theo said as Cassie rolled her eyes, "Cassie, I understand why I don't get along with him but I don't understand why your hatred is so strong-"

"Because I see the way he treats you. You and your brother." Cassie said with disgust, "He just shows up here, smug as hell, thinking he can win us over with gifts? This is the first time he's even step foot in our house." She said, "He walks all over you, Theo."

"Hey, I agree. But I don't need to raise to his level." Theo said.

"Stoop down, you mean." Cassie shook her head, "He has no idea what you've gone through. What you're going through. Who's the one teaching you how to make bird feeders to calm your anxiety?" She asked as Theo looked at her, "I'm sorry but I won't be sitting in his company."

"Cassie." Theo said, watching her storm off out of the kitchen, hearing her head upstairs, not doubting she would stay up there for the remainder of the night.

He got his father and step-mother drinks, putting on a calmer face which his wife couldn't achieve, making his way back into the living room.

"She's not joining us then?" Raul asked with a little bit of a smirk, which Theo wasn't shy in noticing.

"She's been really busy with work actually." Theo said, "Said to me earlier she was gonna try and catch an early night."

"She's a beautiful girl." Kelise smiled as Theo smiled back to her politely.

"Yeah I think so." Theo nodded.

"Shame she doesn't smile." Raul added as Theo looked across at him, "So you have Christmas at her family every year?" He asked, "Sit down." He encouraged as Theo took a seat on the sofa across.

"Yeah, every year. Cassie's got two sisters who have kids too so… Chase gets to hang out with them." Theo nodded, "And her parents are good to us. Help babysit Chase, things like that." He nodded.

"Your mother doesn't help out?" Raul scoffed, "Of course she doesn't."

"She does." Theo batted, "Ever since she broke her hip, Chase has been a little bit more of a handful for her. Babysitting hasn't really been an issue these past couple months, though." He stated the obvious.

"How are you feeling?" Kelise asked.

"I'm getting there." Theo nodded.

"And that bastard is in prison?" Raul nodded, "I say bring back the chair." He said as Theo looked at him blankly, "Mass shooters, rapists, pedophiles… line them all up and send them one after the other-"

"Yeah, alright." Theo nodded, "We don't have to get into that."

"When do you think you'll be back? You know… back on the job?" Raul asked.

"I'm not sure. I was told eight months but… if I have it my way-"

"That's my boy. Jump straight back on the horse." Raul agreed, taking a drink of his beer.

"It's a lot to handle… mentally." Theo said, "When you've been involved in something like that." He put it lightly.

"It's the first shooting you've been involved in?" Kelise asked.

"No, not my first I've been involved in but… my first being hurt in. And it… was personal to me, I guess." Theo explained.

"Cassie is still working?" Raul asked.

"Yeah, too hard most days." Theo smiled, "She's uh… she's a detective, actually. I don't know if you know that." He admitted.

"I didn't." Raul raised his eyebrows, impressed, "Working under you, I bet she gets a lot of slack whenever she gets a promotion, huh?" He smiled in a teasing manner.

"I have nothing to do with who gets promotions." Theo said, "And if I did, I wouldn't be allowed to deal directly with Cassie. It'd be conflict of interest." He explained, "But what I think you're saying is she didn't earn her job… she got it because of me?" He questioned calmly as Raul looked at him.

"You and your brother were always tough cookies to crack." Raul nodded, laughing a little to himself, "I'm sure she's an excellent detective-"

"She is." Theo nodded, "And she's right. She was right." He said, "If that was it for me, when I got shot, I wouldn't have wanted you there." He said as Raul sat his beer down, "Because you don't get to… not show up for me my whole life and then show up for me when I'm dying." He said, "And she knew that." He nodded gratefully.

"Theo." Raul sighed.

"No… I… I appreciate you bringing gifts and coming out here." Theo nodded calmly, "Can I get you both something to eat? Have you travelled long?" He asked politely.

"No, son. We're alright." Raul sighed a little.