Sam
"Is this the house you grew up in?" Cassie asked, getting out of the cab outside Theo's fathers house in Mexicali.
"No, he moved after him and my mom divorced." Theo said, "He said on the phone that we could stay at the house but I figured you wouldn't want to."
"You figured right." Cassie smiled a little as he nodded.
"Carry me." Chase pulled on Cassie's pants as she looked down at him.
"Why? You can walk." Cassie looked at him, sticking her tongue out at him, "Only little babies get carried." She nodded to him as Chase huffed, folding his arms and turning away from her angrily. He had an adorable plaid shirt on with some shorts.
"When was the last time you saw him?" Theo tried to remember.
"Our wedding." Cassie scoffed, "Which he was extremely rude to me at, and you had to ask him to leave." She reminded him as Theo nodded.
"Cass, this weekend isn't gonna work if you're gonna stay in Brooks mode the entire time." He turned to her, walking towards the door of the house.
"Excuse me?" Cassie raised her eyebrows as he laughed a little, "I'm here for you, that's it." She made clear.
"I know that but… you don't gotta make it worse for yourself." Theo nodded to her, "Let's just be civil. The claws don't have to come out. Not just now anyway." He told her as she rolled her eyes.
"Well then you best hope he is kind and welcoming. You know… the way my parents were when they met you." Cassie nodded to him, "It's a good job I love your mom a lot. She makes up for you dad."
"Can I knock?" Chase asked, turning to them both.
"How about you ring the doorbell?" Theo asked, lifting Chase up towards the bell which he pressed and smiled proudly, "Good job." Theo smiled, putting him back down on the ground, messing his hair up and turning to Cassie, who he knew wasn't best pleased to be spending the weekend with his father.
"Hey!" Theo's father, Raul, opened up the door.
"Hey, dad." Theo nodded to him, reaching out and shaking his hand as Raul pulled him in for a hug.
The unfamiliar face had Chase backing up against his mother's legs.
"How are you doing?" Raul asked Theo, placing his hands on his shoulders as Theo just nodded.
"I'm alright." Theo smiled as Raul nodded, turning to Cassie.
"And beautiful Cassie, how are you my sweetheart?" He asked, leaning over and kissing her cheek.
"I'm good." Cassie nodded to him with a smile, feeling Chase holding onto her pants so tightly that he was pulling them down, "Chase." She nudged him a little.
"And this must be mister Chase Theodore Sanchez." Raul crouched down in front of Chase.
"Brooks." Cassie smiled a little as Raul looked up at her.
"Sanchez-Brooks?" He turned to Theo.
"No. Just Brooks." Cassie nodded, watching as Raul just nodded slowly. She could sense he wanted to say something, to question it, but she saw him refrain and force a smile.
"You look just like your dad." Raul nodded to Chase, "Did you come here on a plane?" He asked.
"Yeah." Chase nodded quietly.
"He loves planes. All transport, actually. It's trains, planes and automobiles at our house." Theo smiled as Cassie turned to him, smiling a little at the forced attempt to joke, watching him just shrug to her.
"Well, let's not stand outside all day. Come in." Raul nodded, walking into the house as Cassie and Theo followed, "Cassie, Kelise is in the living room if you want to go through. I'll sort some drinks. Theo, you can help."
"Ok." Theo nodded, heading into the kitchen with his father whilst Cassie headed into the living room with Chase.
"How was the flight?" Raul asked, opening up the fridge and bringing out a jug, "Kelise made margaritas." He explained.
"The flight was good." Theo said.
"The little one isn't a handful?" Raul asked.
"No, he's great." Theo smiled.
"What's this about him not having your name? That's not right, is it?" He shook his head with confusion.
"Well there's no rules, is there?" Theo laughed a little.
"No, but it's… it's a proud thing. Having a son. Having your firstborn son, and giving him your name." Raul nodded.
"Well, Cassie and I weren't married when we had him and… it really wasn't a big deal. It means the Brooks name can continue." Theo shrugged.
"So it was to please the other father-in-law?" Raul asked, amused and figuring it out.
"No, he… probably couldn't care less actually." Theo shook his head, "Can't say I'm not curious about the invite." He admitted.
"Why do you say that?" Raul asked, pouring the margaritas.
"Well, we haven't spoken in two years. You haven't seen Cassie since the wedding. You've saw Chase once, I think." Theo said.
"Alright, let's not get into this so soon. At least let's have a drink first." Raul nodded.
"I'm just curious." Theo said.
"I wanted to spend the weekend with my son, his family. You don't have to tell me that I'm not a present father or grandfather. I'm very much aware-"
"Oh, good. Sometimes you don't act like you are." Theo shrugged as Raul looked at him.
"How about we just have these drinks first. Yeah?" Raul nodded to him.
"Alright." Theo said, "But… Cassie won't drink that. Do you have any beer in?" He wondered.
"Who the hell doesn't like margaritas?" Raul chuckled.
"My wife." Theo nodded, opening up the fridge and searching for a beer, wondering what was in store for the weekend ahead.
"What are you doing?" Punk shook his head, sitting at the kitchen table, looking up from his crossword puzzle where he saw his eldest daughter digging her spoon into the jar of peanut butter.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Thea asked him.
"Eating my peanut butter." Punk said, watching her take a spoonful and then proceed to put the same spoon back into the jar, "You can… take it home with you." He groaned.
"Oh, like I didn't used to wipe my snot on you. Get over it." Thea rolled her eyes, "What are you doing?" She asked.
"My crossword." Punk said, "Your mother is late at the office tonight so it's dinner for one."
"Oh." Thea frowned, "I could have come by and had dinner with you." She nodded as he just waved his hand, "You ever get lonely?" She wondered, screwing the lid back onto the peanut butter, looking over at him.
"No, I have your mom." Punk shook his head with confusion.
"Well, when she's not here." Thea shrugged, "When you… have to have dinner by yourself." She said.
"I had breakfast, lunch and dinner by myself for eight years. It doesn't really bother me." He nodded to her, "Plus some nights we have Chase or we have your kids over for dinner." Punk shrugged.
"I hope Cassie behaves herself with Theo's dad." Thea thought to herself.
"What do you mean?" Punk shook his head.
"Well she doesn't hide the fact she doesn't like him. Not even to Theo." Thea said, "She wasn't exactly thrilled about spending the weekend out there."
"Well, not everyone will like their in-laws." Punk shrugged, "Mine put me in prison twice and tried to kill our entire family. It happens." He nodded casually as she smiled a little at his humour.
"I think she's more angry at the way he treats Theo, and the fact he doesn't give a damn about Chase." Thea shook her head, "I'm glad I don't got in-laws to deal with."
"Well, you don't need to say it like that. Poor Dominic's parents died. It's not really the same." Punk nodded to her.
"Yeah, I know." Thea nodded.
"What even happened to them?" Punk asked her.
"Car accident. He was young so he always tells me it wasn't a big loss at the time. I think he was five or something. Too young to realise." Thea shrugged, "From what I know, they seemed like really nice people." She nodded.
"Well, I'm sure Cassie will be fine. She has a filter unlike some people." He looked across at her.
"And who are these people may I ask?" She folded her arms.
"You." Punk nodded, looking back to his crossword.
"What's the crossword obsession? I mean, I know you're old but-"
"It's good for your brain." Punk said as she sat down at the table across from him, "I always leave the last one for your mom to do." He nodded as she smiled.
"That's sweet." Thea nodded. Getting older she could appreciate her parent's relationship more and more as time went by. She did feel privileged that she was born to two people who really did love one another unconditionally, even with all the obstacles they'd faced.
"Where are your children?" Punk asked her.
"They're at home with Dominic. I came to see you actually to run something by you." She nodded.
"What?" Punk looked up, "Don't make me nervous."
"No, it's… it's nothing to worry about." Thea laughed a little, "Obviously we're having a girl and we've been going back and forth all week with names." She nodded.
"Are you gonna call her Phil?" Punk smiled as she rolled her eyes.
"Of course not." Thea shook her head, "I uh… I'd like to call her Sam." She nodded whilst Punk looked across at her, "And I'm probably gonna do it anyway, even if you don't like it but-"
"I like it." Punk nodded to her, "And I think if she was her, she'd really love it." He said as Thea nodded with a smile.
"Yeah I think so too." Thea smiled, "Something about it just feels right. We were going through names and it just came up. We said we would sleep on it for a while but… it's hard to imagine anything different now."
"I think it's great." He assured her, "Sofia and Sam. Now there's a duo." He smiled as she nodded.
"God help me." Thea nodded to herself as Punk chuckled, "I just hope when she comes that the kids don't feel left out or anything. I hated when you guys told us you were having Cassie. I was so mad about it." She laughed.
"Why?" Punk shook his head.
"I don't know, I was older I guess. Too cool for another sibling." Thea teased as Punk nodded, "You really like it?"
"I do." Punk nodded, "You're right… it does feel right." He agreed as Thea nodded.
"Well you can tell mom when she gets home." Thea nodded.
"I will. Are you going to take that peanut butter with you?" He pointed over.
"Yeah. I'll eat it on the way home." She nodded, getting up from the chair and grabbing the peanut butter, "I just want you to know that… you don't have to go see Vincent." She turned to him.
"What makes you think I want to?" Punk asked her curiously.
"Well… I know you." Thea said, "It's still pretty raw, I don't know if it would be such a good idea-"
"I'm not going to visit him." Punk nodded to her, "You don't have to worry about me, alright? Now go and get yourself and that baby home. Put your feet up." He ordered as she smiled, doing as she was told and leaving the house whilst Punk continued with his crossword.