Six of Us Part 2


"And this is her a few days ago. She had a matching pink hairband for this outfit, but it kept coming off in her stroller. Along with her socks. She's really not an accessory girl, honestly." Cassie said, showing them all pictures of Lena. Many pictures of Lena.

"Do you have something for her in every colour?" Jude chuckled.

"Of course." Cassie nodded, "Oh and look at this one. She's always pulling her toes right now. Look at her smile." She showed them all, not being able to help it.

"Ok, Cass. I think everyone else is too polite to tell you they've seen enough pictures." Theo nodded.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't help it." Cassie sighed, putting her phone away as Theo smiled, "She just melts my heart, you know? Chase is six. It's been a while since I've taken care of a newborn."

"Getting back into the swing of things?" Sean asked.

"Yeah I think so." Cassie nodded.

"Is she giving you more trouble than Chase did?" Jude asked curiously, "Leela gave us more trouble than Mirren. Girl would cry at anything."

"Chase was a really good baby." Cassie admitted as Theo nodded in agreement, "She can be a little fussy. And she peed on Theo this morning." She added.

"Oh, nice." Jude smiled over to Theo.

"It was great." Theo nodded sarcastically, "Had to change my shirt twice. She peed on me first and then she spit up on the second one. I'm gonna start leaving the house topless and put my shirt on in the car." He shook his head as Cassie smiled.

"Hey, is Dominic still out for a cigarette?" Jude asked Thea who had gone quiet.

"I think so." Thea nodded.

"You wanna go check and see if he's ok?" Jude wondered.

"Yeah, I'll go." Thea nodded, getting up from the table and heading outside.

"Something up with them?" Sean wondered.

"I don't know." Jude shook her head, "I mean… they have been going through a lot these few months. They're not normally like that with one another." She shook her head.

"I'm sure they'll be ok." Cassie nodded.

"So when is the big reveal for your painting, Jude?" Theo asked.

"I'm thinking another week or so." Jude nodded, "I'm just doing some finishing touches."

"Has it came out how you wanted it to?" Cassie asked her.

"Yeah, mostly. There's been some hiccups throughout, but it's came out ok." She nodded.

"Well we all can't wait to see it." Cassie smiled, "And it is really great that you're not hundreds of miles away anymore."

"You're not sick of me yet?" Jude asked.

"Not yet." Cassie said.

Meanwhile Thea made her way outside, finding Dominic standing smoking by the window of the restaurant.

"Hey." Thea rubbed her arms, approaching him slowly as he nodded to her.

"You want one?" He asked, opening the cigarettes up as she shook her head.

"Really sucks you've started doing this again." She frowned.

"I know." He nodded in agreement.

"Are you ok? Did I… say something?" She wondered as he looked at her.

"You got this idea of my parents in your head." He nodded, "And I don't. I have nothing. They're just these… silhouettes. These figures that once was." He said, "But you seem to know exactly who they were."

"I don't." Thea assured him, "I was just teasing in there. And I was thinking if they were alive, two responsible, well educated, stand-up individuals… they might not think your choice in a wife was all that great." She shrugged.

"Why would they think that?" He asked as she shrugged.

"Maybe they would have wanted you to be with someone they could share similarities with. Someone with a little less baggage. Little less addictions and mental illnesses." She nodded.

"Or they would have saw that I love you. And that probably would have been enough." He said.

"Maybe." Thea nodded.

"I just feel weird when I talk about them. Cause I don't know them. You know, some people lose their parents young but they grow up with people telling them stories about them and showing them lots of pictures." He said, "I never got that. My aunt never really spoke about them and there was no other relatives that ever reached out. So they really are just this big question mark."

"Maybe you should ask your aunt. Ask her what you want to know." Thea nodded, "I can't imagine why she wouldn't be willing to tell you."

"It's like opening up really old wounds, though." He shook his head.

"I'm sorry I made such light of it." She said, "I think I probably take for granted having my mom and dad."

"It's fine." Dominic shook his head, "This is just kinda weird, too. We never hang out just the six of us."

"I know." Thea agreed, "Maybe we should make more of the effort."

"Who are you and what have you done with Thea?" Dominic shook his head as Thea chuckled.


"Show me another one." Theo said, getting his keys out as they got to their house after walking home from the restaurant.

"Here, I took this one last week at brunch with my mom. She wouldn't stop smiling at the waitress." Cassie said, showing Theo another picture which she'd taken of Lena, "And here's one of her and Chase." She smiled, "I did not think I would become that kind of mom." She admitted, walking through to the kitchen with him.

"What kind of mom?" Theo asked, looking at the picture of Chase and Lena, smiling to himself.

"That is obsessed with their children and think they're God's greatest gift." Cassie said as he chuckled.

"You thought you'd hate your children?" Theo teased as she smiled.

"I actually never even thought I'd have children to be honest." She admitted, "I never thought about it. Never imagined it. Until I found out I was pregnant with Chase."

"You just needed the right guy, babe." Theo winked as she smiled.

"I did." Cassie nodded, "Did you always want a family?"

"I guess like you, I never actually thought about it. And I always put being a cop before anything." Theo said as she nodded.

"I really do feel like things are… complete." She nodded, "It sounds corny and cliché but, I do think we were supposed to be a family of four."

"Yeah, me too." Theo nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Let's go to Mexico." He said as she smiled.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah." Theo nodded, "I think Chase will love it and it's been a while since I've been. It'd be nice to go there without the dread of having to see my dad. We can just relax and spend time with each other."

"You can introduce me to your friends." Cassie smiled, "Do you think they'll like me?" She asked.

"Yeah, but you probably won't like them." He chuckled.

"Why not?" She laughed.

"Because majority of them have the mental age of a ten-year-old." He nodded, "I haven't spoken to most of them in a while, though. Our friendship isn't what it used to be." He shrugged.

"But it'd still be nice for you to see them." Cassie said, "Let's look at flights." She clapped her hands excitedly, running out of the kitchen for their laptop as Theo chuckled to himself.


"Well that was fun." Jude smiled, taking her necklace off in her and Sean's bedroom whilst he took his shirt off, "We should do it more often. You fellas seemed to enjoy yourselves."

"Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Sean admitted, "I did kinda want to just take you out on a date, though. Just the two of us." He said, "But I saw how excited you were about going out with your sisters."

"Oh, well you'll just have to wine and dine me another night soon." She smiled, "I just thought this would be nice. We've never done it before. And I know Thea and Dominic have been stressed the past couple months. And our little drama with Cassie and Theo." She went on, "I thought it was good timing. Fresh start."

"I'm just glad you're happy to be back here in Chicago." Sean admitted, sitting down next to her on the bed, "Cause I know it was always a struggle. You really have come such a long way."

"I know." Jude nodded, "I forgot how beautiful this place is. How much I actually loved it before… what happened, happened." She said, "And some people might think it's stupid. How I can dislike an entire city because of something that happened to me years ago here. But it was difficult." She nodded.

"It's not stupid." Sean shook his head as she turned to him.

"I love you." She smiled.

"I love you." He smiled back.

"You've been really great these past months. I know it hasn't been easy with us. I know I can still have my moments. But I appreciate how much you… appreciate me, if that makes sense." She said as he smiled, "When everything went down with us… I just never saw myself forgiving you or moving past it. I couldn't see things getting better. I guess just because I was so hurt and shocked." She said as he nodded, "But I… I do trust you. I trust that you made the most foolish, idiotic mistake in your entire life."

"Yeah, I did." He nodded.

"I forgive you." She nodded, looking him in the eye, "It's still fresh and painful. I think it might always be. But… I forgive you. Call me dumb and in love. But I do." She said.

"Thank you." He nodded gratefully, "Even though I don't feel I deserve it. And I'll never forgive myself, regardless. It means a lot to hear that." He said, "I'd do anything for you, and the girls. And I just wanna be the best I can be for you. Cause it's what the three of you deserve." He said as she smiled, "We can be happy here."

"Yeah." She smiled, cupping his face, "We can." She nodded, kissing him softly.


"It wasn't so bad." Thea admitted, standing in the bathroom, wiping her make-up off whilst Dominic brushed his teeth.

"I liked the pizza I had." Dominic nodded after spitting some toothpaste out.

"Dominic." Thea scoffed at his sarcasm, but with a small smile.

"What? I did." He shrugged.

"Admit it. It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. Once we got past the awkwardness. It was alright." Thea nodded, "You were in all your glory talking about sports and dude things."

"Dude things." Dominic scoffed as she smiled.

"I am sorry about being weird about your mom and dad. You're really quiet when it comes to your personal life with people other than me. I think I forgot they were there." Thea admitted, "I mean… my sisters don't really know that much about you. They learned so much tonight."

"Well I'm not a chatty cathy." Dominic shrugged, sitting his toothbrush in the pot, looking at her in the mirror, "How do you think Sofia is?" He wondered.

"I know I've been thinking about her all night, honestly." She admitted with a sigh, "God, I just hope she had fun. James was there so I know he makes her feel comfortable. Man, to think that they had fun teasing each other and bullying each other and now James is so… protective of her, and worried about her." She sighed.

"It's good he looks out for her." Dominic placed his hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure she had a blast. Your mom and dad are great with her. And it's good she's spending time with her cousins. She's got Chance too."

"Wonder dog." Thea smiled as Dominic nodded, "She just amazes me every day. I know the specialists all told us that we'd be surprised how quickly she adapted to being blind but… I did not expect just how… incredible she would be."

"I know." Dominic said, "Well, she's like her mom. Defies all the odds and keeps pushing forward. No matter what." He said as she smiled, turning around to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"How many pictures of Lena did Cassie show us tonight?" Thea wondered as Dominic chuckled.

"About a hundred." Dominic nodded.

"I'm real happy for them, though. All that fertility struggle couldn't have been easy at all. They're beaming about her and I just… I love it." She smiled, "And Jude and Sean seem to be doing great, don't you think? Jude just seems so free and happy."

"They do seem to be doing good." Dominic agreed, "Everything is looking up Mendez-Brooks sisters."

"For how long?" Thea scoffed as he nudged her, walking into their bedroom together.

"Out of her with that negativity." He said.

"I can't help it." Thea hummed, jumping onto the bed as he chuckled, "Alright, I want to look like I've been dragged through a bush backwards by the time I go to sleep." She told him, propping herself up on her elbows and smirking at him.

"So poetic." Dominic nodded.

"Come here." She wiggled her finger in a come here motion as he smiled, climbing over her on top of the bed as she wrapped her arms around him and locked her lips with his.