Not Blowing Over


"Hey, you're back." Thea smiled happily, hugging AJ as she walked into the kitchen.

"We are." AJ smiled, hugging her tightly, "Is everyone good? How is James?"

"Everyone is fine." Thea assured her, turning around and hugging her father. It always put things into perspective when her parents went on vacation or were out of town. She missed having them around and so did the kids.

"How come Jude is still here?" AJ asked, having noticed Jude's bags and the girls toys were still in the house, "I thought they were just here for the weekend?"

"Oh, yeah." Thea nodded, trying to think of something to say. Truthfully, she didn't want involved in everything that was going on with Sean and his new job, and so she didn't want to be the one to inform her parents, "I think they decided to stay a little longer." She shrugged.

"No word from the adoption agency?" Punk asked, pouring some coffee.

"No, nothing." Thea shook her head.

"Man, they've really got them waiting, huh?" Punk said with a sigh.

"They'll get that phone call soon." AJ nodded positively.

"So how was it? Did you guys have a nice time?" Thea asked.

"Oh, it was great." AJ smiled, "We had a blast."

"We locked ourselves out of our hotel room." Punk scoffed as AJ chuckled a little as she remembered.

"How?" Thea laughed a little.

"Your mom wanted food at 1am so we went out and both forgot our keys for the room." Punk shook his head, "To top it off, there was no night manager for the hotel, so we sat outside eating our food until 6am." He said.

"You didn't." Thea scoffed.

"We did." AJ confirmed, "The good thing is, it was the best cheese fries I've ever had."

"Oh I'm glad it was worth it for you." Punk chuckled as AJ smiled, "We did have a good time, though." He nodded.

"What about James' leg? How is he?" AJ asked.

"Oh, he's ok mom." Thea assured her, "It's a clean break. It's just gotta heal. He's just struggling to do nothing, I guess." She nodded, "I took him with us to go see Chase's game on Saturday-"

"Oh how'd he do?" Punk asked immediately.

"Scored two goals." Thea smiled, "I think it's the cutest thing ever watching these little guys just running around, tripping up over each other, kicking a ball around… and I don't find a lot of things cute." She said.

"Oh well we're bummed we missed it." Punk said.

"I'm sure there will be others." Thea said.

"How are your sisters?" AJ asked, "I didn't hear from either of them whilst we were away." She said, a tiny bit suspicious.

"They're fine." Thea said calmly, "I should get to work. I just wanted to stop by and see you guys. I knew I wouldn't have a chance to come over later." She said.

"Ok, sweetie." AJ smiled.

"You want some breakfast to take with you?" Punk asked her, "You had your breakfast?"

"I had a bagel." Thea nodded.

"A coffee to go?" He asked.

"Already got some in my flask in the car." Thea affirmed.

"A prepared woman." Punk nodded, impressed.

"I know, who would have thought?" Thea scoffed, "I'll see you guys later!" She called as she headed out of the kitchen and left the house.

"Something's happened." AJ immediately turned to Punk suspiciously.

"What?" Punk scoffed.

"Something's happened whilst we were gone." AJ nodded, folding her arms.

"And where have you picked that up from?" Punk questioned.

"I can feel it. And Thea was being weird." AJ said, "No contact from Jude and Cassie the entire time we were gone. Jude's things are still here." She listed, "Something is going on."


"Hey, you got a minute?" Sean knocked on Cassie's office door, walking in as she looked up from her paper work.

"I suppose I have to have one for you." Cassie said, looking back down at her work, "What?"

"I'm having a meeting with all the detectives tomorrow." He nodded, "I know we're… family but… I think it's probably best if we keep it official when we're at work." He said as Cassie smiled a little, shaking her head and continuing to look at her work, ignoring him.

"I've got you pencilled in for 11am." He said.

"You've got me pencilled in." Cassie nodded with a smug smile, "So what? You can introduce yourself to me? Tell me a little bit about yourself and what plans you have going forward for the station?" She looked up at him, putting her pen down, "How about you just say whatever it is you need to say right now. You can go get a coffee at 11am tomorrow instead of wasting my time."

"Alright." Sean shook his head, figuring this would be difficult with her, "I'm putting you on homicide." He nodded as she looked at him, "I've got a new missing persons detective starting next week and I think you could do with the move." He nodded.

"I've done missing persons for two years now." Cassie shook her head.

"I know, and you're good at it but… I think you'd be better with homicide. You're stubborn. Works well." He said.

"Homicide detectives barely leave this place. I'm… I'm about to have a baby." Cassie said, "You can't just put all this shit on me like this." She stood up from behind the desk.

"It's a good thing. I'd say it's a rank up, wouldn't you?" He asked her as she looked across at him. She would, but that wasn't the point.

"Well do I even have a choice?" Cassie laughed a little.

"Yeah of course you do, Cassie. I'm not gonna force you-"

"You just said you have a new missing persons detective starting next week… so where would that leave me?" She asked, "First you take Theo's job and now you're taking mine from me?" She shook her head.

"I'm trying to help you. You can't stay in the same place. Homicide is a step up. It'll be good for you. I'm trying to… look out for you." He shook his head, feeling like he couldn't win with her.

"And what's your plan with Theo?" Cassie asked.

"Well I'd like to speak with him at some point. Chat about when he's coming back and what he wants to do. I know he's been through a lot so… I can leave it up to him." Sean nodded.

"How good of you." Cassie said sarcastically, "He sure as hell doesn't want to be your second in command." She assured him.

"I figured he wouldn't." Sean said, "I was gonna throw him the suggestion of narcotics. I was looking at all the divisions he's worked in and he was most successful with that." He nodded.

"And he hated it." Cassie nodded.

"Ok so we'll chat about it." Sean shrugged, "Cassie… please." He said with exhaustion.

"Please what? Forgive you for what you've done?" Cassie questioned, "For stealing my husband's job and then making us have to… answer to you. Nod our heads like little kids at anything you tell us?" She said.

"Well you would have been nodding your head like a little kid at Theo if he stepped into the job." Sean shook his head.

"Yeah and I would have done it with a smile on my face." Cassie said, "Because he deserved it. He was preparing himself for this job. He was going to physical therapy and… normal therapy… so he could get in the best shape for this." She said, "And you just came on through and took it. You took it when you didn't even need it. I've never heard you speak about being a chief one day. Never-"

"How the hell do you know what I want? I barely see you." Sean shook his head.

"And now you're gonna have to see my cranky ass every day. Cause believe me, I'm not gonna cheer up or quote unquote come around." She made quotes with her fingers, "Alright?"

"I'm your boss now." Sean nodded.

"Oh, don't." Cassie laughed, "Don't even try it."

"No, I won't be disrespected by you because your husband wasn't ready. I am. I'm ready for this. That's why I got it." He said.

"I won't give it long until you end up going back to New York." Cassie shook her head, "Jude hates it here, and when she says she wants to go back to New York, you're gonna have to say yes because you're just her little bitch now cause you're forever in debt that she took your stupid ass back after cheating on her." She spat.

"I'm not going anywhere. Jude is excited about this, actually. If you cared to notice." Sean said, "She wants to start her own business here. She wants the girls to be closer to their cousins-"

"And she wants the big fat pay check you're getting." Cassie nodded, "C'mon, let's not be naïve."

"If she didn't want to be here, she wouldn't, and I'd pack up my things and go back to New York, because I care about her and how she feels. I know this place hasn't got great memories for her but… well we can try and make new ones." Sean said.

"Oh well I'm happy for you both. Go on. Go make your new memories." Cassie said as Sean sighed, rubbing his forehead with frustration.

"Look, I want to do right by this station. I was a rookie here just like you. I paid my dues here. And it feels good to be back and to be given this opportunity." He said, "I'm sorry that it's happened the way it has but I'm here now and I want us to work together. And Theo. I haven't worked with you since you were just starting out. It's mad that you have your fancy own office now and everything." He smiled a little as Cassie folded her arms, "This wasn't the snake move you think it was."

"It's exactly what I think it was. And you are exactly that. A snake." Cassie nodded, "I care about my job and this place, so I'll do what needs to be done. But do not come near me unless you have to and don't think we're gonna be friends in here or out." She said, "And don't expect it from Theo either."

"Well that's just childish." Sean nodded.

"No, no you're messing with someone's life here. Someone's entire life's work." Cassie said, "He won't let onto it but this is hurting him. And that means it's hurting me." She made clear.

"So what? You're gonna be pissed at me forever? You're not gonna speak to your sister over it?" Sean asked, "You're being childish."

"Leave my office." Cassie nodded, "Seriously."

"Will you let Theo know I want to speak to him?" Sean asked her, heading for the door, not waiting for a reply as he left and closed the door behind him.


"Mommy, what are we doing?" Mirren questioned, standing on the sidewalk with her sister whilst Jude stood, staring at the house in front of her, Vincent's house, a little across from the park.

"Don't ignore us." Leela pulled on Jude's hand, bringing her out of her trance as she looked down at them both.

"Oh, sorry. Mommy was just… being silly." She shook her head, glancing back at the house, feeling the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.

She could still feel everything about that morning. Feeling sick from the drugs. Feeling pain between her legs. The minus degrees winter weather hitting her as she left the house, walking to her parents barefooted. She could remember passing kids on the street, outside testing their new bikes from Santa. She remembered it all painfully well.

"Where is daddy?" Leela asked, taking hold of Jude's hand as they eventually walked past the house. It had been a while since she'd seen it up close.

"Well daddy is at his new job today." Jude nodded.

"Why'd he get a new job?" Mirren asked, "He's not a police man anymore?"

"No, he is, but they wanted him to work here now." Jude nodded simply, "So…" She crouched down in front of them as they stopped and looked down at her, "What do you guys think about coming to live here?" She asked them, "Here with papa and A. And aunt Thea." She nodded, "Aunt Cassie." She added.

"But we can't leave Rex." Leela said sadly.

"Oh, we won't." Jude shook her head, "No, we'll get Rex and bring him to our new house here. And we'll get all your things too."

"Ok." Leela jumped up and down excitedly whilst Mirren stood still.

"Mir?" Jude looked at her, "What about it? A new adventure?"

"Ok." Mirren approved.

"Ok." Jude smiled, kissing their heads one by one before standing back up straight.

"So we can see the boats some more? With papa?" Leela asked as Jude smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." Jude laughed a little at her enthusiasm.

Despite the strange circumstances and the rather sudden changes, she was feeling bright and optimistic about their move back to Chicago, something she never thought she'd feel.


"Hey." Cassie said tiredly, walking through to the kitchen after she got home from work, finding Theo sitting on the computer at the table.

"Hey." Theo frowned a little at her, "You sound sad." He opened his arm as she collapsed herself onto his lap and hugged into him. She'd been dreaming of this all day.

"He's gonna make me hate my job that I love so much." Cassie sighed as Theo shook his head.

"No he isn't. You're just mad at him on my behalf. And I appreciate it. But… it will blow over eventually." He nodded.

"He's moving me to homicide." Cassie said, "This is my last week on missing persons." She told him.

"What?" Theo shook his head.

"Yeah." She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, "He came into my office today. Trying to play nice friendly boss man. Told me he had a new missing persons detective starting next week and that I'm going onto homicide. Which I… I'll be honest, I'm terrified of. It's new and I don't know if I'll be any good and I liked missing persons-"

"Ok ok… shh." Theo nodded as she let out a loud sigh, "You like a challenge, right?"

"I don't like being thrown into things." Cassie said, "And he shouldn't be making all these changes without consulting anyone either."

"Homicide could be a good move for you, you know." Theo nodded, "It's… in my opinion, the top detective rank. It's a little gritty but you get used to it." He said as Cassie nodded.

"I know… I know, it's just because it's new and I'm a small fish in a big pond when it comes to homicide." She said.

"You'll be great." He nodded, "You just use everything you know from missing persons and apply it. Piece of cake for you." He said.

"He still thinks he's done no wrong." Cassie shook her head, "He wants to speak with you, to find out when you're coming back. And he talked about putting you back on narcotics… if you didn't want to be second in command anymore."

"Oh, cause I loved narcotics so much." Theo said sarcastically.

"That's what I said to him." Cassie said, "The guy doesn't have a clue. It's just not fair. Seeing him in Jake's office… making the decisions you should be making." She sighed, "I'm just so mad, Theo."

"I know you are." He nodded, brushing his hand down the back of her head as she rested on his shoulder again, "I guess I will need to talk to him at some point about coming back." He nodded.

"To top it all off, my mom text to say she wants us all round for dinner this week." Cassie shook her head, "Trying to think of an excuse for us."

"No, we should go. For your parents if anything else." He said, "Chase has missed them."

"Yeah I know." Cassie said, "I just can't see myself ever being ok about this." She looked at him, "He's trying to act like it was just this innocent decision he made to for the interview, and then he has the audacity to tell me you weren't ready." She shook her head, "It's just bullshit."

"You wanna just move to Canada?" He teased.

"Yes." She huffed, falling back down on his shoulder as he smiled, "Once I get my baby." She nodded as he smiled.