The Good In People

"Phil, didn't you turn the TV off last night?" AJ scoffed, walking from the kitchen and into the living room, jumping with fright when she saw Jude sitting on the couch with a blanket and a coffee in her hand, watching a morning talk show, "Jesus Christ." AJ placed her hand on her chest.

"Morning." Jude looked up at her.

"What are you doing here?" AJ shook her head, "I mean… hi, sweet daughter." She nodded, "But why are you here?" She asked as Jude smiled a little.

"I had a fight with Sean. A big one." Jude told her.

"You came all the way here? The fight was that bad?" AJ raised her eyebrows with concern.

"It was pretty bad, yeah." Jude nodded, "We've sort of been butting heads a lot since the day in court."

"Why?" AJ shook her head.

"I guess we're just seeing things differently." Jude nodded, "I came here because I don't really have anyone else in New York to go to, and I felt like I needed to be around people instead of going to a hotel on my own." She said.

"Oh, sweetie." AJ frowned, reaching over and cupping her daughter's cheek, "When did you get here?"

"Last night." Jude said, "I talked to dad about it all. He's became very old and wise recently. Not sure if I like it."

"Yeah? Well you gave him a lot of slack for not being that way when you were younger." AJ smiled a little.

"They grow up so fast." Jude nodded to her as AJ smiled, "Now I feel guilty because I left and the girls are gonna wonder where I am." She shook her head, "I just didn't want to argue with him anymore."

"What were you guys arguing about?" AJ shook her head.

"Mark sent me flowers." Jude explained, "It had a card with it saying that he was sorry for what I'd been through. I felt like it was a step forward. Something positive. Someone who had used what happened to me as bait, was apologising. I've never had an apology like that." She said, "But Sean wasn't having it. And he expects me to feel how he feels about things. He can't seem to understand why I'd consider forgiving Mark. He just doesn't understand anything I do, actually."

"Well… I'm sure that's not true. I know how supportive he is to you. Did you maybe catch him on a bad day?" AJ asked.

"No, we've butted heads about it before. Like when I turned the dress I was attacked in into a painting, he got all weird about it." Jude shook her head, "I know I do things a little differently and maybe I do things that make people uncomfortable, but if it helps me why should it matter. If wanting to forgive Mark helps me move forward, why is that such a bad thing?" She shook her head.

"It's not a bad thing." AJ shook her head, "It's not a bad thing at all. I know Sean loves you for all your innovative decisions and your creative ideas. It makes you who you are. But… sounds to me like he's just trying to protect you from someone who has hurt you."

"Well I don't need protected." Jude said bluntly, sipping on her coffee.

"I don't want you to run from your problems. I didn't teach you that." AJ said.

"I know." Jude said, "I'll call him tonight, check in with the girls. You don't mind me staying here for the night, do you?"

"Of course not." AJ shook her head, "It's good to see you, just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah I know." Jude nodded, "I know he loves me and he just wants to keep me away from that stuff majority of the time." She said

"But you are right, doesn't give him a right to tell you how to feel. I think you guys need to talk about it, listen to each other." AJ said as Jude nodded.

"You going to work?" Jude asked her.

"Yeah, unfortunately." AJ nodded, "But I'll go to the store on my way home and get some stuff to make your favourite dinner." She said motherly as Jude smiled.

"Thank you." Jude smiled.

"So… you like them?" Theo asked, sitting across from Cassie in the small restaurant where he'd taken her for tacos.

"Oh, they're good." Cassie nodded enthusiastically as Theo smiled, "Really good."

"I knew you'd like it here." Theo nodded, turning to Chase who was sitting beside him, drawing and colouring with the pictures he was given by the waitress, "How's your tacos, bud?"

"They're alright." Chase said unenthusiastically as Cassie smiled.

"Is he our son?" Theo whispered to Cassie who chuckled.

"So did you come here a lot when you were young?" Cassie asked him. She found it interesting to see where her husband was from and the spots he loved growing up. His upbringing was one he never really dived into, not unless forced by her. She felt like she was getting to know another layer of him.

"Yeah. It's been taken over by different owners so many times, though." Theo said, "Even when we moved to Chicago with mom, whenever we came here to see dad we'd always come here. I'd be forced to take Matthew with me and my friends." He shook his head as Cassie smiled.

"Yeah, I was the sibling who had to get taken everywhere too." Cassie nodded, "Back then did you prefer Chicago or here?"

"They're both so different, it's impossible to say. And over time I came out here less and I never really wanted to go see my dad so staying in Chicago was always the better option." Theo said.

"Are you gonna tell me how your chat went with your dad?" Cassie asked him.

"Didn't go well, let's just say that." Theo nodded, "I just think he's the type of guy that won't ever see wrong in his actions. Or in this case, his lack of actions." He shook his head, "It won't ever be resolved. Matthew had the right idea to ignore him." Theo said, "My problem is I give a damn."

"That's not a bad thing. It's not a bad thing that you care." Cassie assured him.

"Be easier if I didn't, though." Theo said.

"Be easier for everyone." Cassie nodded, "But who knows, maybe your dad will take it to heart more than you think. He strikes me as the guy to not talk about how he's feeling. So even if you don't feel like it did any good, I'm still glad you talked to him."

"I am too." Theo nodded to her, "Thank you for putting me in an uncomfortable position. Always appreciated."

"It's what I'm here for." Cassie smiled.

"Hey, you." Thea smiled, entering her parents house into the living room where Jude was sitting with a coffee.

"Hey." Jude nodded, "You finished your shift?" She asked, noticing her sister still in her scrubs.

"Yeah. Started at 4am this morning." Thea groaned, sitting down on the chair tiredly, "My feet are pulsing. I need a shower. And a cheeseburger. Sex." She nodded to herself as Jude turned to her, "And cake." She added desperately as Jude just smiled.

"The bump is getting bigger." Jude noticed with a smile.

"Yeah, I've noticed." Thea smiled, "She's doing good in there." Thea nodded proudly as Jude watched with a smile. She was so happy to see Thea in such a good place mentally.

"How'd you know I was here?" Jude asked.

"Our mother told me." Thea nodded, "Briefly told me why you were here."

"The drama of it all, huh?" Jude nodded to her.

"Hey, we all have arguments and disagreements sometimes." Thea shrugged, "It happens."

"Yeah, we have arguments all the time. But it's never about this. It's never about what happened to me." Jude said, "Sometimes it just feels like it's a burden to him."

"You know that's not true." Thea shook her head, "You spend way too much time in your own head. I know that's rich coming from me, but you do."

"I'm aware. I try my best to work on it." Jude said bluntly.

"I know that, and Sean does too." Thea said.

"He's never mean about it, though. He's never mean at all." Jude shook her head, "It was horrible."

"Well yeah, he's a prick if he's being mean." Thea nodded, "But we can all snap, and usually it tends to be on the people we love the most." She said.

"Well that's bullshit." Jude shook her head.

"I know." Thea nodded, "What's this about you getting flowers from Mark?"

"Well that's sort of why we started fighting. I got flowers from Mark with an apology in a card. I thought it was… a step in the right direction. Finally someone who was acknowledging what they done was wrong." Jude nodded, "I said that I hope to forgive him at some point and Sean just flipped."

"Maybe he just doesn't think Mark is worthy of your forgiveness." Thea said.

"But it's my forgiveness. It's nothing to do with Sean." Jude rolled her eyes.

"Jude, he's your husband. You're a huge part of his life. You are his life." Thea nodded, "He probably thinks that anyone who used what happened to you to hurt you, doesn't deserve anything from you. And I… I sort of agree with him." Thea said.

"I can't be bitter all my life." Jude shook her head, "And he's apologising. Not only is he apologising but he came forward and told the police what he heard. If he didn't do that, Vincent might never have been caught. Ever." Jude said, "What Mark did, I appreciate."

"It's the least he could do. Any decent person would do it-"

"Exactly. He did it. He came forward and I'm grateful to him for that. Feeling like that almost makes Sean look at me like I'm crazy." She shook her head, "I just needed to get away."

"Well… he loves you, you know that." Thea said, "It doesn't give him the right to force his own feelings on you but… it comes from a good place I'm sure." She nodded.

"I never want him to resent me later in life for all of this." Jude shook her head.

"What the hell are you on about?" Thea shook her head.

"All the baggage I come with." Jude said.

"Stop it." Thea shook her head, "We've all got baggage. All of us. I mean… it's me you're talking to." Thea laughed a little as Jude smiled, "I… I wasn't hurt and attacked like you were, and I'll never understand that pain but… I know what it feels like to feel like you're bringing everyone down." Thea nodded.

"How'd you shake it?" Jude asked.

"Normally I listen to my little sister's advice." Thea looked over at her, "She doesn't seem to take it for herself sometimes." She nodded as Jude smiled to her.

"It's hard to be kind to yourself sometimes." Jude nodded.

"I know." Thea said, "Sean wasn't trying to hurt you. I just think he cares so much about you that he… he probably doesn't want you to deal with this shit anymore, and all the people who are associated with it."

"I just want to move forward. I don't want to stay in the same spot." Jude said, "I don't need Sean to love Mark or forgive him. I just need him to support that I'd like to see the good in him. And one day I would like to forgive him."

"You should do whatever makes you feel better." Thea nodded, "I know the type of person you are. Forgiving and sensitive. It doesn't surprise me." She said, "Whilst I was out causing trouble for myself when I was a kid, you were here checking in on mom, making sure she didn't get too upset." She said, "And you were the only one who stuck with dad all the way through, because for a time I saw my dad, a prisoner. You could always see past it. See the good." She said, "So this might surprise Sean but… doesn't surprise me." Thea shook her head truthfully.

"I just think if someone lets Mark know that what he did was the right thing, a good thing, then he might… start doing more good things." Jude said as Thea nodded.

"I'm with you on whatever it is you want to do. And I'm sure Sean is too. You guys will work it out." Thea nodded to her.

"Yeah, I hope so." Jude sighed as Thea looked over.

She got up from the couch, taking the blanket she was sitting on with her, wrapping it around her and sitting down next to Jude, wrapping it around her too and pulling her into a hug as Jude smiled through her tears.

"Remember when mom used to do this with us?" Thea smiled as Jude laughed a little and nodded.

"Yeah." Jude smiled as Thea hugged her tightly, rubbing her arms up and down whilst holding the blanket around them tightly.