Nightmares


"Hey! Ho! What's going on in here?" Punk spoke loudly as he walked into the kitchen where Mirren and Leela were wrestling over one of their barbie dolls, each pulling onto an arm which Punk feared was about to snap off any minute.

Jude and Sean were still in New York which meant he and AJ were on babysitting grandparent duties.

"Leela took my doll." Mirren complained.

"But she's mine." Leela whined, "Papa, she's mine. I got her for my birthday." The five year old explained.

"You never play with her until I want to." Mirren folded her arms as Punk watched the argument as they went back and forth. It had been a while since he had watched little girls spitting venom at one another.

"She's still mine." Leela stated, snatching the doll from Mirren triumphantly before running to the opposite side of the kitchen.

"Papa." Mirren turned to Punk for help.

"You guys can't play with her together?" Punk asked them, "Sisters play together, don't they?"

"We don't." Leela made clear.

"I don't play with her." Mirren said, taking offence, "She's a baby."

"Am not!" Leela yelled.

"Well why don't you guys take turns of playing with her?" Punk nodded, "Anyway it won't be long until A gets home and I think she's bringing dinner with her." He hummed.

"When is mommy coming back?" Mirren asked, sitting down at the table, resting her head on her hand whilst Leela still kept her distance with the barbie doll.

"A few days." Punk said, "You guys missing her?" He figured as Mirren nodded.

"And daddy." Leela said quietly, playing with her Barbie's hair.

"I know they're missing you guys too." Punk nodded, "But you'll see them soon. They're just back at your house making sure everything is all ready for you guys going back." He said.

"Daddy doesn't live with us anymore." Mirren told him, "Him and mommy don't like one another anymore." She said as Punk looked at her sadly, turning to Leela who nodded in agreement with her sister, as if they had many conversations about it, as little as they were.

"No, that's not true." Punk shook his head, sitting down at the table beside her, "No, your mommy and daddy love each other very much." He said.

"They don't talk to each other." Mirren shook her head.

"You know some mommy and daddy's just… don't talk to each other as much as some others do." He explained. He didn't want them to feel like they were disadvantaged or that their parents were any different from others. They were young and they needed the simple explanation for the difficult things in life.

"But they used to talk all the time." Mirren said whilst Leela eventually made her way over to the table to participate in the conversation.

"I bet they're talking to each other right now." Punk nodded, "In fact, your mommy just sent me a text message telling me they're having pizza right now." He said. He was lying, Jude hadn't sent any message, but he just wanted them to know their parents didn't despise one another.

"What kind of pizza?" Leela asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Pepperoni maybe." Punk nodded.

"That's my favourite." Leela smiled.

"Mine too." Punk nodded, watching as she sat up at the table with them, extending the Barbie doll over to Mirren.


"I can't believe this is even allowed." Cassie shook her head, clocking into the police station with Theo, "Do you really think anyone in this police station is going to take orders from him? Do you think I will? No… no way, I'll put in for a transfer." Cassie nodded, "I'll put in for a transfer, even if it means I gotta travel an hour every day to work, anything beats having to stay here and watch him-"

"Ok ok." Theo interrupted her rant as she gasped for air a little, "Calm your ass down." He nodded, walking through the station with her.

"He's not gonna get it because you are." Cassie smiled smugly, "It's what Jake wanted. This was exactly what he was training you for."

"Never meant I was guaranteed the job when it came. Plus, no one anticipated him having a heart attack and dying any time soon." Theo sighed, "I hate that we're even having to discuss this when he isn't even buried yet." He shook his head angrily, walking into his office as Cassie followed behind.

"I know." Cassie agreed.

"Anyone is free to go for the job." Theo said, "Being second in command didn't mean I got special privileges." He said.

"It's not a special privilege it's just… common sense. You know this police station like the back of your hand and you know how to run it. Everyone knows that." Cassie said.

"I've also got a lot of miles on me, Cassie." He said, sitting down behind his desk.

"And Jake didn't?" She raised a brow, standing in front of the desk, sitting her coffee down.

"The board might look at me and think I'm not in good enough shape to run a precinct." He said, "And can I really argue against that? I'm still not one hundred percent-"

"That's not fair to judge you by that. You will be one hundred percent soon, that's what matters." She nodded, "Mark in charge of this place will never work. Ever. The board will know that. Not after what he did here. I have no idea how he's even being considered for it anyway-"

"Because he's got rich parents, that's why." Theo nodded.

"It's not morally right. The board should see that-"

"The board are all fifty year old white men." Theo nodded as Cassie looked at him, folding her arms and looking a little closer at him, "What?" Theo glanced up, feeling her staring with more intensity.

"That's why you think you won't get it." Cassie nodded to herself.

"I never said that." Theo shook his head, shuffling some paper work together.

"Oh, you didn't have to, Theodore." Cassie said as he looked up at her, "You really think that will be a factor for you not getting the job?" She asked him sincerely as he shrugged with uncertainty, "Has it stopped you from getting a promotion before?" She asked.

"I never had to go through the board for a promotion before. But I've sat in on meetings with them, with Jake." Theo said, "It's not the type of racism that slaps you in the face. More the kind that makes you think hard afterwards about what they were really implying." He nodded.

"Did you ever talk to Jake about it?" Cassie asked.

"No, not really. Cause what am I going to do? They weren't sitting there calling me names to my face. Maybe in their head they were but… not out loud." He said, "So I take them at face value."

"Maybe… Maybe that's not what they were really thinking. Maybe you were just… nervous? Thinking that they might think the worst of you-"

"You think I was paranoid?" Theo smiled a little.

"No, of course not. I'm no one to tell anyone how they should feel about that. And I know you know how to read a room." She nodded, "I just… I want you to believe in yourself, because I think you can get this job-"

"Maybe." Theo nodded briefly as Cassie sighed.

"No… you can." Cassie nodded, "Nobody is harder on you than yourself, Theo. Those people on the board… they know damn well you're ready for the job, so you go into that interview and you… you act like you already have it." She said as he looked across at her, "Think about what you would tell Chase? If he grows up and wants to go after something, but is afraid he's not good enough or that people won't allow him because of where he comes from. What would you tell him? Maybe you have what it takes?" She asked as Theo sighed, leaning back on his chair. That had put it into perspective. Because of course he wouldn't say that to his son.

"No. Of course not." Theo shook his head.

"So don't you tell yourself that." Cassie nodded as he smiled a little.

"Chase ain't gonna be scared of shit with a momma like you around." Theo realised as Cassie chuckled, "Always good to know I married a good person." He nodded.

"I try." Cassie smiled sweetly, leaning over the desk and kissing him softly.


"Why is it so quiet down here?" Dominic asked, walking into the kitchen where Thea was sat with some coffee reading her book. Sam was painting a picture beside her with a very concentrated look on her face as she dipped her paint brushes in the little pots. It was a no brainer who had gotten her the set for a Christmas gift.

"Because the other two aren't here." Thea smiled to him as he chuckled a little, "James is at one of his friends and Sofia is at gymnastics." She said.

"I can't keep up. I feel like I never know where my kids are." Dominic scoffed, pouring himself some coffee.

"I'm right here, daddy." Sam shook her head with confusion as Dominic laughed a little.

"You are. I see you." He smiled, "What are you painting?" He asked, sitting down at the table across from them.

"A sunflower." Sam nodded, turning back to her painting which appeared to be a yellow blob in the centre of the page.

"It's so beautiful, baby. Good job." Thea smiled, brushing her hand over her daughter's hair.

"I'm sure aunt Jude will be happy to hear how much you love your gifts." Dominic said.

"Aunt Jude hasn't replied to my messages lately." Thea interrupted, looking across at Dominic, "I text her about the house, to see if they'd found anything yet but… nothing." She shook her head, sitting her book down after book marking it.

"You know she's not good with her phone." Dominic assured her, "Why don't you ask your mom or dad, maybe they've heard from her."

"Yeah, maybe." Thea said, "Mirren and Leela are still staying with them. It's not like Jude just to leave them and not check in. She's one of those moms that needs an update every hour on their kids."

"And you're not?" Dominic tested.

"I pick the right moments." Thea nodded.

"I can't concentrate." Sam interrupted with frustration, placing her hand on her forehead with stress as Thea looked at Dominic, both of them smiling to each other at her dramatic expressions, "I have to have a break." She told them both.

"You want a snack?" Thea asked her.

"No, some air." Sam nodded, jumping off the chair and heading out into the back yard as Thea chuckled, turning to Dominic and shaking her head.

"She's got a fifty year old living inside her." Thea nodded.

"How come you didn't stick around at Sofia's gymnastics?" Dominic asked, "Don't you normally stay with her?"

"I do but she told me I didn't have to stay anymore because no one else's mom stays and watches." Thea shrugged, "And then I remembered how less cool it used to feel if your mom hung around when you were nine so I just… did as she told me." Thea nodded.

"And what is James doing?" Dominic asked.

"He is at a friend's house." Thea nodded, "Playing video games I suppose." She shrugged, "I wonder what he talks about with his friends. What do boys talk about when they're thirteen?" She asked as Dominic laughed a little, "I mean I grew up with sisters and girl cousins so… I literally have no clue." She said as Dominic nodded, continuing to laugh a little, "What?"

"What do you think they're talking about?" Dominic asked.

"Video games? Soccer?" Thea nodded, "Hockey? Sports in general?"

"Sure." Dominic agreed as Thea looked at him suspiciously, catching on eventually to his smile.

"Really? This soon?" She asked, "That's what you were up to at thirteen?"

"Wasn't what I was up to but…" He shrugged, "I'm sure it was on my mind."

"I don't like it." Thea sighed, "We haven't even had the talk yet." She said, making quotation marks with her fingers when she said the talk.

"Did you get the talk?" Dominic asked.

"No." Thea shook her head, "I got a single mom buying me the pill and condoms." She shrugged.

"It's nice she gave you the options." Dominic laughed a little as Thea chuckled.

"Well this is all you." Thea insisted.

"Why?" Dominic chuckled.

"Well would you prefer giving the talk to Sofia and Sam?" She questioned as he shook his head immediately.

"Yeah I can handle James." Dominic nodded.

"Thought so." Thea smiled.

"You been sleeping any better?" He asked her as she shrugged.

"You know I'm never a good sleeper." She shook her head.

"I know. Nine times out of ten when I wake up in the middle of the night, you're not even there." He said, "You could be out with some other guy and I wouldn't have a clue."

"Oh, yeah. Cause that's exactly what I'm doing." She teased, "Self-destructive Thea, right?"

"I'm messing with you." He assured her.

"I know you are." She assured back, "I normally just come downstairs and make a sandwich and watch TV actually. Otherwise I just lay there awake for hours." She shook her head, "I've been having some nightmares recently, actually."

"About what? Sam yelling at Alexa when she plays the wrong song? That's what my nightmares usually are." He nodded.

"Sounds like a dream compared to mine." Thea scoffed, "No… they can differ, I guess." She nodded, "Recently I've had a few about… him." She nodded.

"Cause Jude brought him up?" Dominic wondered.

"Maybe." Thea nodded, "I can't stop thinking about what she said. Not any of the mean things… but when she said how he constantly just lives in her head." She said, "Cause… even though he never did what he did to her to me… part of me feels the exact same." She nodded.

"He still put you through hell. You don't have to downplay that." He said.

"I know." She nodded, "The troubling thing about it all is just thinking back to when I did actually care about him. That's the part that gives me the nightmares. Cause they don't consist of him hurting me or yelling at me." She said as he leaned back on the chair uncomfortably, realising what she was getting at, "Sorry, you don't want to hear this." She shook her head quickly, feeling foolish for bringing it up with him, her own husband.

"I don't but… I'm gonna, cause we can talk about anything." He nodded to her, "You're not a bad person for caring about him before everything went south." He said, "You don't have to feel guilty about that. The guy had problems… he went to prison, his dad was in his ear, he was clearly sick and twisted." He said, "But none of that is a reflection on you."

"In the nightmares he's… nice to me." She nodded, "We're kids again. In my room at my parents' house." She said, "We used to just stay up all night talking. About everything." She shook her head, "Do you think he was thinking about hurting Jude then?" She asked. She'd always have questions. Questions she knew would never be answered.

"I… I don't know." Dominic said honestly as she nodded, accepting that, "I'm sorry you still think about him so much. I wish I could make it go away. Make him go away." He said.

"That's the annoying thing. He's dead and he still gets to torture my sister for the rest of her life." She shook her head, "Still gets to torture me." She added quietly.

"He seemed to start to lose it when your dad got out of prison, right?" He asked as Thea nodded, "Why'd he have such an issue with your dad?"

"I always thought it was because I always vented to him about… how I hated going to prison to visit my dad. How I hated what he had done." She said, "I figured he just hated my dad because of my relationship with him at the time but… he was the reason my dad ended up in prison in the first place."

"Like I said… the guy was screwed up." Dominic shook his head.

"I can't even imagine what would have happened if I didn't meet you." She shook her head as he smiled, "Seriously. I know we've had some bumps on the road but… my life actually started coming together when I met you."

"Can I ask you something that might sound like we're in high school?" He asked.

"Sure." She laughed a little.

"You said you would stay up all night talking with him about everything." He said as she nodded, "Do you feel the same with me? Can you talk to me about everything?" He asked her.

"Of course I can." She said immediately, "Dominic you're my best friend. You probably know too much information about me." She laughed a little as he smiled.

"We are best friends." Dominic agreed as she smiled.

"Best friends who have really good sex." She nodded, "It's a good set up." She said as he chuckled.

"It is." He smiled.

"No one knows me like you do." She shook her head, "He certainly never did." She assured him.

"Mommy, I want to listen to Alexa!" Sam interrupted, running back in from the yard into the kitchen.

"And here goes my nightmare." Dominic nodded as Thea chuckled.

"Ok, well she's in the living room." Thea nodded to her.

"Remember your manners with her." Dominic said.

"I will." Sam rolled her eyes, running into the living room exclaiming, "Alexa, play who let the dogs out!"

"Oh my God." Thea chuckled as Dominic groaned, leaning his head on the kitchen table as they heard Sam exclaim, "Alexa, volume up!"