Trashed


"How can he be a cop again?" Dominic questioned, sitting on the sofa with Thea late on at night, bingeing one of their TV shows whilst talking all the way through it.

"I have no idea, but he was definitely in uniform." Thea said, "I wanted to go ring his neck." She folded her arms angrily as Dominic turned to her, "I didn't." She assured him.

"Don't blame you." Dominic nodded.

"It was bad enough he got out of prison but the fact they're letting him be a cop again? After what he did?" Thea questioned.

"You don't know what's going on." Dominic said.

"Well what was he doing? Going to a Halloween party in December?" Thea questioned as Dominic scoffed, "No, exactly. He was clearly on his break from work." She said, "There's definitely rules that eliminate you from becoming a cop if you have a criminal record, right? It's not just a myth?" She asked.

"Sounds about right." Dominic nodded, "You think Cassie knows? Wouldn't she have bumped into him by now?"

"He might be at a different precinct." Thea said, "I don't think she'd keep something like that to herself."

"It's Cassie. Obviously she would." Dominic shook his head as Thea nodded in agreement, "Unless he's worked through some kind of appeal-"

"He got out of prison on an appeal. That should have been enough. He shouldn't be allowed to have his job back after what he did." Thea said, "Who would want that kind of cop on their team? Someone who lies and throws people under the bus? Breaks into evidence and withholds information… it's ridiculous." Thea said angrily as Dominic nodded.

"I don't think Cassie knows about it." Dominic decided.

"I'd be mad if she did and hadn't said anything." Thea shook her head, "As if that wasn't traumatising enough, Jude was in the middle of telling me she and Sean are getting a divorce."

"I thought they were working through it?" Dominic turned to her with confusion.

"So did I." Thea said, "She's struggling to move past it. I don't blame her. I think when you start running out of options you gotta think about what's really best." She nodded, "I think she's a bit of a tricky place."

"Doesn't help she's all alone out there." Dominic shook his head.

"I know. She knows that, I think." Thea nodded, "But… if she moves back here then she'd have to ask Sean to move too, obviously because of the girls. And that's a little awkward when you're also asking for a divorce." She said, "I don't envy her, that's for sure."

"I'm real sad for her." Dominic nodded, "I mean… they both are like little sisters to me. I've been around them since they were like… fifteen and eight." He said as Thea nodded.

"It's weird imagining her… possibly meeting someone else." Thea thought about it, "Sean was always so right for her." She shook her head.

"I don't know if that's one of her top priorities right now, Thea." Dominic nodded.

"I know, I'm just meaning… in the future." Thea shrugged as Dominic nodded, "I mean, I'm gonna take it with a pinch of salt." She nodded to herself.

"What do you mean?" Dominic asked.

"Well there was a time my mom was one thousand percent sure she was divorcing my dad." Thea said.

"No offence, but I wouldn't be using your mom and dad as an example. They've survived an unnatural amount of bumps on the road." He shook his head as Thea nodded.

"Cause they love each other." Thea shrugged, "Maybe if Sean and Jude love each other that much… there's still some hope." She nodded.

"Maybe." Dominic said, "We're gonna have to rewind all of this." He looked at the TV.

"Oh I'm sorry for interrupting with my big mouth." Thea smirked, leaning down into the couch, putting her feet on the coffee table as she rested her head on his arm.

"It is a big mouth." Dominic agreed as Thea chuckled, "And somehow you still got dinner stains down your t-shirt from missing it." He let her know as she shoved his arm.

"Asshole." She scoffed, cuddling into him as he placed his arm around her, rewinding their TV show back to the beginning again.


"You didn't think to tell us you'd had two heart attacks before?" Punk folded his arms, standing in the hospital room with Dean whilst their seventy seven year old father sat in bed, looking over at the TV hanging up in the corner of the room.

"I didn't think it mattered." Dan shook his head as Punk and Dean looked at one another, "I've been ok. It's just chest pain."

"You've had three heart attacks." Dean screwed his face up, "That's normally lights out for a lot of people." He nodded.

"Must have a strong heart then." Dan shrugged, "Which is surprising given all the gear I pumped into it when I was a kid." He shook his head as Punk rolled his eyes.

"Alright well… what are the doctors saying?" Punk shook his head.

"They only made me call you this time because they say I shouldn't be on my own for the next few weeks whilst they figure out medication. I've to be on bed rest." Dan said.

Punk and Dean had both gotten a call through the night to let them know their father was in hospital after his third suspected heart attack. This was news to them both that he'd even had the first two. They weren't in close contact with their father every day. He never insisted on coming to Christmas dinner or special occasions, so they didn't force him. It was a distant but civil relationship that worked on both ends.

"So we've to be your nurses?" Dean folded his arms.

"No." Dan said, "Just… need one of you to check in on me when I get back home. To make sure I'm not dead." Dan said casually, looking up at the TV where the hockey replays were on, "I don't want to be one of those people who are dead for days before anyone finds them." He said, "The cat will start eating me."

"You have a cat?" Punk shook his head.

"Yeah. Which if I do die, I'd appreciate one of you taking him in. He's no trouble really-"

"April is allergic to cats." Punk said quickly, turning to Dean who made a face at him, mad he never got to get his excuse out first, watching Punk grin like a child.

"So what meds are you getting put on then? Ones for your heart?" Dean asked.

"I assume so." Dan said, "I'm sorry for bothering you both at this time. The nurse insisted." He said as Punk sighed a little, looking at Dean, both of them thinking the same thing.

"Well yeah, it's something we should probably know." Punk agreed, "You feeling alright just now?" He asked as Dan nodded.

"Fit as a fiddle. I could do some laps around this bed if I wanted." Dan nodded confidently.

"Well don't." Dean advised, "Alright so… one of us will take you home when you get discharged." He said as Punk nodded.

"You can… You can stay with me and April when you get out for a little while… if you want." Punk said, scratching the back of his neck, looking at the ground. To say there was still a little awkwardness in the relationship with their father was an understatement.

"No, I'll be alright." Dan insisted, "I don't need taken care of-"

"You've had three heart attacks, you lunatic." Dean scolded, "You'll stay with Phil and April." He told him as Dan stayed quiet.

"Check with April." Dan told Punk, "I won't be intruding in her home-"

"It's my home too and I say it's fine." Punk shook his head.

"But she's the boss, is she not?" Dan asked the question genuinely as Dean chuckled quietly beside Punk, "Something funny, mister Paquette?" He looked at Dean which caused Punk to smile to himself.

"Alright, shut your ass up." Dean folded his arms as Punk shook his head with a smile.

"You can stay with us, until they… sort out your meds or whatever." Punk waved his hand.

"I appreciate it." Dan said, "You can both go home now. I'm sorry for waking you." He said as Punk looked at Dean, both having a conversation with their eyes.

"We can… stay a little bit." Dean nodded, "I didn't see the game earlier." He looked up at the TV, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

"I'll get us some coffee." Punk announced.

"Some for me?" Dan nodded.

"No." Punk shook his head, "I have a daughter who is a nurse and I don't know much about that world of work but I do know coffee doesn't help your heart. Certainly not one that has had three heart attacks." He said.

"Yeah and maybe cut out the bacon sandwiches." Dean suggested as Punk chuckled on his way out of the room.


"Mommy." Mirren nudged her mother in the bed they were sharing in the hotel whilst they were in Chicago for the holidays. Sean had his own room down the corridor.

"What? What's wrong?" Jude asked tiredly, lifting her head from the pillow, eyes barely opened as she saw Mirren kneeling up whilst Leela was asleep between them, "What is it, baby?"

"Someone is knocking at the door." Mirren told her as Jude reached for the light on the bedside table beside her, listening as there was a light knock on the door.

"You stay here." Jude told her, getting out of the double bed, checking the time which was just past 3am, "Who is it?" She called, making her way to the door.

"It's just me." Sean spoke on the other side quietly as Jude rolled her eyes and relaxed her shoulders, opening up the door.

"It's three in the morning." She screwed her eyes up at the light from the hotel corridor.

"I'm sorry." Sean nodded, "Can I come in?" He asked her as she nodded, stepping aside as he walked into the room.

"Baby, go back to sleep, it's ok." Jude nodded over to Mirren who lay back down once realising it was just her father, not putting too much thought into why he was knocking on their hotel door in the middle of the night.

"I tried calling you." Sean said, speaking in quiet voices.

"My phone is on silent." Jude shook her head, "What is it? What did you have to talk to me about at three in the morning?" She sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"Our house was broken into." Sean said as Jude dropped her hand to her side, looking up at him, "Our house… the house… whatever." He added, "About an hour ago I got a call."

"W-What? Who? Were we robbed?" Jude asked worriedly.

"Not of anything that's obvious so far but the cops are there just now." He said, "Your… art studio has been trashed." He shook his head as Jude raised her eyebrows.

"Why?" Jude shook her head, "What do you mean trashed?" She questioned as he looked down at her, looking at the worry and sadness in her eyes. He couldn't imagine a life where he was no longer the person who comforted her.

"Desk kicked up. Your brushes and stuff all over the place. Canvases torn and… pulled down from the walls." He sighed, "So I'm thinking it's not someone after our TV or… car keys." He shook his head.

"The whole house is trashed?" Jude questioned as he shook his head with concern, "Just my art studio?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah." Sean nodded, "Nothing else appears to have been touched." He said as Jude ran her hand through her hair.

"What day is it?" Jude questioned as Sean nodded. She had been a cops wife for too long to not think like a cop.

"It's Thursday." Sean nodded.

"You normally have the girls on Thurday nights." Jude looked at him, "I'm normally in the house on my own." She said as he nodded.

"Yeah." Sean sighed as Jude sat down on the sofa, placing her hands in her hair, "Is there anything you need to tell me?" He asked as she looked up at him.