Betrayed


"When did you say the adoption agency people are meeting with us?" Theo asked, cooking dinner whilst Cassie sat at the table helping Chase with his homework.

"Wednesday. Might have to reschedule. My shifts are probably going to be all over the place now with everything going on." Cassie nodded, "I'll try work my way around it."

"I'll probably be back next week." He told her as she looked up from Chase's homework, looking over at him where his back was to her.

"Are you ready for that?" She asked with concern as he nodded.

"I'm gonna have to be." Theo said, "Are we out of rice?" He shook his head.

"I don't want rice." Chase inserted, rubbing his eye tiredly.

"Well there's none in anyway." Theo nodded.

"You shouldn't rush back." Cassie said, "You'll just end up hurting yourself."

"I'll be fine. I've been feeling good lately. Physio has been helping a lot." He said, "And I should be there. My entire job description is literally showing up at times like this. I'm second in charge which means for the time being… I'm in charge." He said, the weight of the world on his words as Cassie watched him with concern.

"That doesn't mean every single burden gets put on you." Cassie said, "If you're not fit and healthy enough then-"

"I am." He turned around to her, "I'll be alright. I was thinking about coming back soon anyway. I actually have been feeling good." He promised.

"You'd tell me that anyway." She smiled a little as he nodded.

"How's that spelling doing?" Theo asked as Chase huffed, picking his pencil back up after taking his second break of the night. He wasn't a fan of homework. It was very obvious.

"We're almost there." Cassie smiled, brushing her hand through Chase's hair.

"I can't do the rest." Chase huffed tiredly.

"Of course you can." Cassie nodded, "If you're quicker, you can have it all done before we have dinner." She said, brushing his messy hair around his ear, "And then you can play after." She encouraged as Chase sighed, placing his hand on his forehead with the frustration of a stressed forty year old who hated their job, taking his pencil and heading back to his spelling as Cassie smiled over to Theo who chuckled to himself.


They eventually had dinner after Chase got to the end of his spelling and Theo and Cassie lingered at the table after like usual whilst Chase headed to play with his toys before his bath time.

"You want some ice-cream?" Theo asked her, "Or there's a donut we can share." He tempted her as she shook her head.

"I'll pass just now." She said, looking across at him as he stared back at her.

"What?" He shook his head, "Look, I'll be fine. I gotta be there. He put me in the position he did because he counted on me to… keep things in order." Theo said, "So that's what I gotta do."

"I'm not thinking about that." She shook her head.

"Then what?" He asked.

"Why did you never tell me how close you and Mark were?" She shook her head.

"This again." He groaned a little, leaning back on the chair and rubbing his face.

"Well all the times he has been the conversation topic you've never even brought it up." She said.

"I thought you knew." Theo said.

"No. I mean I… I thought you were just colleagues. Guys who worked together." She shrugged, "I didn't know you were in the academy with him and… hung out with him. Voluntarily-"

"Well it was a long time ago." Theo made clear.

"If I knew how close you were… I would never have… me and him-"

"I don't care." He shook his head as she looked at him, "You thought I was dead. I wouldn't hold anything you did during that year against you." He said, "Plus… I'm the one who got to marry you and have a kid with you… life with you." He nodded, "As far as I'm concerned, I won." He shook his head.

"I am not a prize to be won, Theodore." Cassie raised a brow with a smile.

"Best looking prize I've ever seen." Theo nodded as she smiled.

"You must have wanted to kill him when you came back and found out." She figured.

"I did." He nodded as she smiled, "No, really. I almost beat the guy to death." He said as Cassie looked at him with confusion, "When you told me… when you were pregnant… sure I kept my cool with you but best believe I was at his house that night." He nodded, "I thought he was my friend."

"He did think you were dead." Cassie said quietly, "Not that I side with him on anything but-"

"No, he knew I wasn't dead." Theo shook his head as Cassie raised a brow.

"What?" She shook her head.

"He knew I was in Puerto Rico." Theo said, "Jake needed another cop to know. So I could report back without directly going to Jake or Chicago. I obviously requested it be you but Jake shut that option down right away. Said you were too close to what I was investigating." He shook his head, "So I asked for Mark… cause I thought he was my friend." He nodded, "So I'm the fool who is asking him about you, and he's telling me to my face that you're doing alright… meanwhile he's fucking you." He nodded to himself.

"It was just one time." Cassie clarified.

"Whatever, I'm not mad at you. You had to carry on living your life." Theo nodded, "But he's the snake that went behind my back-"

"It's hardly surprising. Given what he went on to do after." Cassie nodded, "And now he's what? A changed man? Playing the… give me a chance card?" She questioned, "Everything about him is shady and we're expected to allow him to be a cop again? After all he did?"

"As long as he isn't in our precinct, I don't care what he does." Theo shook his head as Cassie nodded.

"Yeah." Cassie agreed, looking across at him with curiosity.

"Is this why you don't really have much friends?" She suddenly pieced some things together.

"Excuse me?" Theo laughed a little.

"C'mon." Cassie smiled, "You don't have friends. You only ever hang out with your little brother." She said, "I always thought it was just because you were a bit of a loner. Kept to yourself." She said, "But I guess you don't really trust anyone after what he did-"

"Not really." Theo agreed, "You don't really have friends either." He whispered.

"I have friends." Cassie laughed awkwardly.

"Your sisters, your cousin and your grandfather don't count." Theo nodded.

"Well I'm way too invested in my husband to keep up with any friendship." Cassie teased.

"That's a little bit of a red flag, don't you think?" Theo chuckled.

"Maybe." Cassie smiled, "I had friends in high school, and on my soccer team, even in the academy." She nodded, "Nothing ever stuck, though. It's kinda the same for all of us, actually. Besides Jude. She's always had Kirsty since college." Cassie nodded.

"It's not for everyone." Theo nodded.

"You don't think he wants anything, do you?" Cassie asked.

"What would he want?" Theo asked her as she shrugged.

"I don't know. I just wish he'd go away." She shook her head.

"He will." He said, "When are we meeting with adoption people?" He asked her again.

"Wednesday. They're coming here to the house. I think it's just a brief introduction. And I think my dad has been working on our reference." She said.

"Let's hope he makes us look like really good people." Theo nodded.

"We are really good people." Cassie smiled.


Dear Phil,

Thea is in hospital. I'm not sure for how long but she's been admitted as an inpatient. She overdosed. Sad thing is, when she came around at first and the doctor spoke to her and told her what had happened she said "I didn't overdose I just took too much" I don't think he knew what to say. I didn't know what to say. She's sleeping right now beside me in the bed. Your brother, as much as me and him have been fighting a lot over Thea and what's going on with her, he's here too. He went to get coffee.

She has really bad tremors in both her hands. I had to feed her tonight. I tried to make light of it. I really did. But I think we're both beyond that now. I know I should actually be sending you these letters at this point. Or I should be visiting you about this but after that fight we had I just can't stomach the thought of sitting in that room again with you. And if I tell you what's been going on, I don't want to give you more to worry about. I know you've probably already got your struggles in that hell hole. I don't want to tip you over the edge by telling you our daughter almost died and is a drug addict.

I do try a lot to imagine what you'd be doing in this situation. How we'd be handling this together. Because even if you were here, who's to say she wouldn't still be having these problems. You were always so protective of her. You did everything you possibly could to protect her from the stuff we grew up around. I know it'd break you to see her like this. It breaks me.

When she gets out of here I'm going to take the three of them away for a little while. Just the four of us. Maybe somewhere outdoorsy. I'm not sure how much strength Thea will have, though. Fresh air will do her good. And I feel like I haven't even seen Jude or Cassie in so long. They've been staying with Dean and Renee a lot. Cassie only ever asks if Thea is sick. Jude doesn't say much of anything. I think she

AJ looked up from writing by Thea's bed in hospital when she watched Renee walk through the door with Jude who had a red, blotchy face, as if she had been crying hard.

"Hey." AJ said worriedly, tossing her pen and paper over, standing up immediately.

"It's ok." Renee nodded, "She uh… she wanted to come see Thea." She told AJ who nodded, looking at Renee with confusion, "She asked me if she was dead." Renee whispered so Jude couldn't hear as AJ sighed, her heart dropping as she looked down at eleven year old Jude who was now watching her big sister sleeping.

"Ok." AJ nodded, gathering herself as Renee watched.

"How is she doing?" Renee asked.

"Uh… yeah, she's ok." AJ said, "Just tired and sore. Her vitals are doing better, though. And she ate a little something tonight."

"That's good." Renee sighed with relief, "That's really good."

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Dean was away to get coffee but… you can take him home. Tell him to get some sleep. I'll be alright." She said as Renee nodded.

"Well, we'll be back in the morning anyway." Renee said.

"How is Cassie?" AJ asked.

"She's fine." Renee nodded.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "Thank you." She said as Renee nodded, leaving the hospital room as AJ looked down at Jude who was still staring over at Thea.

"Is she ok?" Jude asked, looking up at AJ.

"She's ok, baby." AJ nodded, crouching down in front of her as Jude looked down at her, "She's just sick. And she needs a little bit of help."

"But she's making herself sick." Jude said, confused by her sisters self-infliction and actions.

"She is." AJ nodded, "And that's the part she needs help with. So she doesn't carry on like this." AJ said, "I'm so sorry you had to see her like… that." She nodded. In a way, she'd almost forgotten how to be a mother to her two youngest children whilst focusing so much on Thea. She'd forgotten that they were no doubt scared and confused and needed equal support during this time.

"Can I stay here with you and her?" Jude asked.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Yeah, of course." She said, standing up and making her way over to the arm chair by the bed, taking and patting beside her where Jude squeezed in, hugging into AJ who wrapped her arm around her and kissing her head, "She's gonna get better." She nodded whilst Jude watched Thea.

"I wish dad was here." Jude said honestly. They very rarely spoke about Punk anymore, but they were all thinking the same thing. She was sure Thea was too deep down.

"I do too." AJ whispered with a lump in her throat, kissing Jude's head and playing with her hair as the eleven year old leaned against her.