Coping Mechanisms
"What's going on?" Punk asked cautiously, looking at Thea and Cassie for some answers whilst Jude stayed seated on the couch, eyes back on the TV whilst her mother watched her worriedly.
"I was just leaving." Thea nodded, budging by her father, quickly escaping out of the house as Cassie frowned worriedly.
"I was only asking her about Jackson." Jude rolled her eyes as AJ turned to Punk, "He who must not be named under this roof." She mumbled.
"Did you ever think that maybe she wouldn't want to talk about him?" Cassie asked, "He hurt you, Jude. Yeah. But he hurt her too. You can't put all your pain onto her-"
"When have I ever?" Jude laughed a little, turning to Cassie.
"Just now. Asking her how she managed to fall in love with a rapist?" Cassie shook her head as AJ placed her hand over her face, "As if she doesn't beat herself up every day for bringing him into your life. Our lives." Cassie said, "You don't get to do that to her."
"Cassie." Punk shook his head.
"No!" Cassie yelled, "She doesn't." She looked at her father, who was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
"Since when were you and Thea best friends?" Jude shook her head.
"She's my sister." Cassie screwed her face up, "And somehow everyone in this family finds a way to blame her for their problems." She shook her head.
"She's clearly had too much to drink." Punk took a hold of Cassie's arm gently, speaking to her quietly, "Leave her with us." He advised as Cassie shook his hand away from her.
"So you can coddle her and tell her everything will be fine?" Cassie looked at him, "Because she can never do wrong in your eyes?"
"Why are you getting mad at me?" Punk asked her angrily, "What the hell have I done?" He whispered harshly, looking at her with his stern fatherly look that used to haunt her as a child, that still haunted her.
"Cassie, you should go." AJ nodded to Cassie.
"Fine." Cassie shook her head, "I'm going to check on Thea." She nodded, walking through her mother and father, leaving the house whilst Punk and AJ stood in the living room with Jude.
"Where are the girls?" Jude asked calmly.
"The kitchen." AJ nodded, "Having their ice-cream." She said.
"What was that all about?" Punk shook his head, "You taking your shit out on your sisters?" He asked her.
"I was just having a conversation." Jude turned to him.
"A conversation that clearly upset them both." AJ said, "And I assume the both in 'they're both just as screwed up,' is me and your father?" She questioned as Jude looked at her, "That's a real nice way to speak about your family, Jude. Real nice." AJ shook her head.
"Don't act like it's not true." Jude shook her head.
"I think you should go to bed." Punk said, "You're upset, you're having a real tough time… And I don't think it's recommended to drink whilst you're on anti-depressants either." He thought about it.
"I just asked her about Jackson and what he was like." Jude shrugged.
"Thea doesn't want to talk about Jackson." Punk assured her.
"Why do you want to talk about Jackson?" AJ asked sadly, sitting down on the couch a few feet from Jude.
"I don't." Jude said, "He's just always there. Back of my mind. It was all a lot less louder when Sean was there. When he was still just my husband and not my soon to be ex-husband who cheated on me." She nodded, "And I'll have to move back here… I don't like it here." She admitted truthfully, "But how do I deal with being all on my own out there?"
"Maybe you can make it work." Punk said, "No one is telling you to move back here." He assured her, "And Sean is still there for you-"
"No he isn't." Jude stood up from the couch, walking out of the living room and heading upstairs as AJ looked up at Punk.
"What the hell just happened?" Punk shook his head as AJ sighed, rubbing her hand over her face, "That's not Jude. She doesn't… lash out at people." He said.
"She's hurting." AJ nodded, "She put so much trust into him. Isolated herself so much that it was only him she had. Only him she wanted around." She said, "And now that's gone…" She nodded to herself, turning to Punk, "I know how that feels." She said as Punk nodded.
"This family has a nasty habit of taking everyone down with them when they're hurting." He shook his head, placing his hands on his hips, "You alright?" He asked.
"Yeah." AJ nodded.
"I'm going to check on the girls." He told her, leaving the living room as AJ sighed, leaning back on the couch, staring over at the picture of her three daughter's on the mantel.
"Hey, are you ok?" Cassie asked, standing outside Thea's house after knocking on the door, wanting to make sure her sister was ok after she rushed away home from their parents house.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Thea shook her head, "She's hurting and… I don't know what it's like to live with what she has to live with." She nodded.
"Doesn't mean she can do that to you." Cassie said as Thea shrugged, "No, it doesn't." She made clear as Thea looked at her.
"I'm ok. Really." Thea nodded to her, "I just hope she didn't kick off with mom and dad when we left."
"Wouldn't surprise me." Cassie shook her head, "It's just… it's so unlike her. She doesn't lash out or hurt people."
"I know. It's best if we just let it go over our heads." Thea nodded.
"Yeah." Cassie nodded in agreement, "Well I just wanted to make sure you're ok. I… I didn't know much about Jackson or what happened with you and him. I was really young when all of that happened." She said, "But I know it's not something you want to talk about. And she knows that too… she didn't have to do that-"
"It's ok. Really." Thea nodded bravely, "I'll be alright." She smiled.
"Yeah?" Cassie nodded.
"Yeah." Thea smiled, wrapping her arm around Cassie who hugged her tightly.
"I can stayover if you like." Cassie told her as Thea laughed into her shoulder.
"I'll be ok, Cass." Thea assured her, leaning her chin on her sister's shoulder, "Dominic will be home soon."
"Ok." Cassie nodded, pulling back from the hug, which was something she didn't give out often, Thea knew that.
"She didn't mean anything by it." Thea assured her as Cassie nodded, "You should get home."
"Yeah, ok." Cassie said, walking away from the doorway back to her car as Thea stood, waving her off before closing the door over, leaning her back against it and closing her eyes. Tonight had been a lot to handle. She knew her sister wasn't lashing out to intentionally hurt her, she had to keep reminding herself of that. It wasn't Jude's character to say those things, to provoke anger in people, it just wasn't. She was hurting and going through a terrible time but in that she had woken up painful memories in her that she had done her best to bury far away at the back of her head.
"Mom?" James walked down the stairs, "Is that dad home?" He asked as Thea looked over at him, pushing herself off from balancing on the door.
"Uh… no, no that was your aunt Cassie." Thea smiled as James looked across at her. Staring at him, she saw the same curiosity, the same wonder and confusion she had as a thirteen year old.
"Oh." James nodded, "When is dad home?"
"Should be soon." Thea said, "I was just starting dinner." She said as James nodded.
"Are you ok?" He asked, noticing she was acting a little off.
"Yeah." Thea nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." She waved her hand, "I'm making your favourite." She told him, walking on through to the kitchen before she burst into tears.
James watched her head through to the kitchen, standing for a few seconds at the bottom of the stairs. The young boy in him wanted to walk back upstairs but the growing teen in him made his way into the kitchen after her.
"Mom?" James said.
"Yeah?" Thea said in an overly chirpy voice, trying her best not to look at him, moving around the kitchen trying to prepare the dinner until she felt him stand right beside her, looking up at her, "Isn't there a game on tonight?" She wiped her nose, looking down at him as he shook his head before wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tightly as Thea wrapped her arms around him, kissing his head as she blinked her tears away.
"What are you doing here?" Dan asked, sitting in his hospital bed when he saw Cassie walk through the door.
"On my way home, thought I'd see how you're doing." Cassie nodded tiredly.
"You don't need to be checking up on me." Dan scoffed, "I'm sure your life is busy enough without adding visiting me to it."
"Don't be so modest." Cassie rolled her eyes, taking a seat by his bed as he looked at her.
"Bad day?" Dan estimated.
"You could say that, yeah." Cassie nodded, "Between me and you?" She made clear.
"Take it to my grave." Dan crossed his chest as she nodded.
"My sisters both go to therapy and I… I'm not so sure it really works for them." She thought about it.
"It's not for everyone." Dan shrugged, "What makes you say that? Who is having a meltdown?" He asked curiously. Although he wasn't part of the family as such, he still knew enough. The fundamentals.
"Jude." Cassie said, "I mean, I get it… being cheated on, going through a divorce, getting your house broken into… that's a tough time." She nodded, "But this family has a weird way of dealing with things where… we try shift our pain or discomfort onto someone else, intentionally." She nodded, "I don't think we're aware of it at the time… but we all do it." She said as Dan looked at her.
"That's a Sam thing." Dan nodded casually.
"I think it's also just a human being thing." Cassie thought about it, "Nobody wants to feel like they're the only one in pain." She nodded, "But we're sisters. And I hate it when we fight." She said.
"It's normal, though." Dan said, "Siblings fight."
"Mendez-Brooks siblings seem to take it to a different level though." Cassie said, "You ever fight with your brother?"
"My brother put me in prison." Dan raised a brow at her.
"Right." Cassie shook her head tiredly, "So how is it a Sam thing?"
"If Sam had a problem, she made it everyone's problem." Dan nodded, "If Sam had drug debt… I had drug debt." He said, "If she was drowning she'd use you to stay afloat and push you right under. Just who she was." He said.
"Fascinating woman." Cassie nodded sarcastically as Dan smiled.
"You'll make up with your sister." Dan said, "I'm sure it's not the first fight you've had. Won't be the last."
"I think me and Theo are going to adopt a baby." She told him, wanting to tell someone, wanting to share something good.
"Really?" Dan smiled, "Hey, there you go." He nodded to her, "Who needs to grow em." He nudged her arm with his hand as she smiled, "When is this happening?"
"I don't know. We've still got a lot to think about. It'll probably be a long process but I think… I think it'll really be worth it." She smiled, "I was actually on my way to tell my parents tonight." She nodded, "Got ambushed by Jude instead."
"Hey, you got time to tell them. Everyone will be so happy for you." Dan said as Cassie smiled.
"I hope so." Cassie nodded.
"I'm happy for you." Dan said as Cassie smiled.
"Thank you." She placed her hand on his arm as he nodded, patting her hand.
