Moving Up
"Well that went awful." Punk shook his head.
"What did?" AJ looked up from the table where she was writing Christmas cards in the kitchen.
"Talking to Dean." Punk huffed, taking his jacket off and sitting it over one of the chairs, "I shouldn't have even asked."
"What'd he say?" AJ asked him, sitting her pen down.
"He just went off on one. Saying dad isn't his family and that I should just know how he feels about it, and that I shouldn't have asked. He also said you should mind your business." Punk nodded as AJ gasped.
"What did I do?" AJ shook her head.
"Well… you talk to Renee about it and then she gets on at him about it." Punk said.
"Well that's on her then. I don't tell her to say anything to him. We just talk about it when we go to yoga." AJ shrugged, "He always takes things out on me when he's mad. Why?" AJ wondered.
"I guess you take stuff out on the people you love." Punk shrugged, "So I think we should assume that Dan isn't coming for Christmas. We can go visit him the next day or whatever."
"That sucks. He'll be alone." AJ frowned.
"He's been alone for a long time. He'll be alright." Punk nodded.
"What if I've already asked him?" AJ said with hesitance as Punk looked over at her, "And he said he'd come."
"April." Punk said angrily.
"What?" AJ sighed.
"I told you I'd ask Dean first, and he gave me a very clear answer." Punk said, "He said if Dan is here then him and Renee will just stay at home."
"Well I was kinda thinking you would have talked Dean round about it." AJ sighed.
"Really? Did you?" Punk asked, unconvinced.
"Well you better tell your dad." AJ groaned.
"Why me? You invited him." Punk said.
"Cause he's your dad." AJ said as Punk rolled his eyes.
"Sometimes you really make my life difficult, you know that?" Punk nodded to her.
"I called everyone else and they're all coming." AJ nodded to him.
"Like they do every year?" Punk scoffed sarcastically.
"Take your cranky ass for a shower and come back with a smile on your face." AJ suggested, "Don't take it out on me just cause Dean bit your head off."
"Well you told me to ask him." Punk blamed.
"Yeah, I was just thinking you could be adults about it and have a normal conversation." AJ said.
"Well don't act like you're surprised." Punk shook his head, "So now I need to talk to my dad and tell him that he's actually not invited on Christmas day, then I need to talk to Dean and get him back on my good side." He shook his head.
"You're a busy man." AJ nodded.
"This is your fault." Punk pointed to her as she slapped his finger away.
"Don't point. It's rude." AJ warned as Punk rolled his eyes, "Go shower." She tutted as he left the kitchen in a strop, which only made her smile.
"Thea said just to keep checking on him and to make sure he's drinking plenty water. Keep checking his temperature." Cassie nodded, walking into the living room where Theo was sitting.
"It's just a cold, he'll be fine." Theo assured her, "You didn't have to call Thea."
"I just wanted to be sure." Cassie shrugged, sitting down beside him. After Chase had developed flu like symptoms she contacted her sister for her best advice.
"It's winter. It happens. He'll probably end up giving us it." Theo nodded.
"Don't say that." Cassie groaned, "I just hate seeing him sick in any way." She frowned.
"I know, a good night sleep will be the best thing for him." Theo said, kissing her head as she leaned into him.
"My mom called this morning, asking if we were coming for Christmas." Cassie shook her head.
"Does she do that every year?" Theo wondered.
"Yeah." Cassie laughed, "As if we'd be anywhere else." She shook her head.
"Well I said to my mom we'd have breakfast at her house and then we can shoot off to your parents." Theo nodded.
"Sounds good." Cassie nodded, "I think I actually got everything for Chase that he asked for. I'm pretty organised this year."
"I give it another week." Theo teased as she shoved him.
"You're the worst." Cassie shook her head as he smiled, "So I spoke with Jake today in his office. He pulled me in."
"What did you do?" Theo asked in a tone of concern, as if she had been called in for reprimand.
"I didn't do anything." Cassie laughed, "He told me that there was a detective opening." She nodded, "And he proposed I take a promotional exam within the month."
"Are you being serious?" Theo raised his eyebrows, sitting up a little.
"Yeah." Cassie nodded with a nervous smile, "I literally thought he was joking. He told me that Charles is leaving within nine months and the spot is opening up. He's in favour of having someone who is already at the precinct instead of having a detective come in from elsewhere. And apparently Karen Williams put a reference in for me." She shook her head.
"Oh my God. Cass, that's huge." Theo nodded to her with a smile.
"I know. I'm trying not to think too much about it because I know I'm not gonna be the only one going up for the job, and I also have the exam ahead of me which… I might end up failing-"
"You definitely will not." Theo nodded with confidence.
"But still, I don't wanna get my hopes up just yet." Cassie said.
"Karen put in a word for you?" Theo smiled, "That's big. She wouldn't do that for anyone."
"Yeah, I think with what we did for Jude's case and everything with Vincent, I worked with her a lot in that month or two and… I guess she thought I was doing an ok job." She nodded modestly.
"You need to realise how amazing this is." Theo nudged her, "Seriously. Not many people get asked to take the promotional exam for a detective position."
"He said it's coming up for me being there for five years which is normally how much experience they'd like for someone to have." Cassie nodded, "So I take the exam just before the new year." She said.
"You're gonna knock it out the park." Theo smiled, "I'm so proud of you." He nodded, leaning in and kissing her firmly as she chuckled against the kiss.
"I'm kinda proud of me too." She whispered, keeping her face close to his as he smiled.
"Sorry for the miscommunication." Punk shook his head, standing in his father's house later on as he'd went by to clear up the plans for Christmas and what had happened.
"No, that's ok." Dan shook his head, "I understand."
"April and I will have you over for dinner the next day or sometime that week, with the girls too." Punk assured him.
"That'd be nice." Dan smiled, "Can I ask you something?"
"What?" Punk asked.
"Is there anything I can do? On my end. For Dean." Dan said.
"I'm not so sure there is." Punk nodded honestly, "He's a pretty tough guy to crack. Stays in his lane. He went through a little bit more than me as a kid." He said.
"How?" Dan shook his head.
"Well I went to school and he had to stay behind. Kinda the first time we'd been without the other." Punk nodded, "It was just a year but… I know he was in that house on his own and I know what would go on. Mom was no help to anyone back then." Punk shook his head, looking down, "So… yeah, it sucked for both of us but he had a year without me there and… sometimes I still feel guilty that I escaped it for a year more than he did."
"You're a good brother, Phil." Dan nodded.
"He's been there for me more than I've been there for him." Punk shook his head, "I know he played a big part in my kids lives when I was in prison." He nodded, "I'm not pushing him to a relationship with you. I think that's just… that's something for him to work on, if he wants to."
"I understand." Dan assured him, "He has every right to hate me and resent me for everything I did. Leaving you both in such a mess, leaving your mom like that… that's on me, and he has every right to be mad at me for that."
"He does." Punk agreed, "I've had plenty of conversations about it with him. About forgiveness and what not. Ultimately it's down to him."
"Can I ask what's different for you?" Dan asked.
"I don't know." Punk shook his head, "I think I just wanted answers and… you're not a bad person. We're kinda cut from the same cloth. Made stupid mistakes and paid for them for a long time." He nodded, "Dean, believe it or not, rights his wrongs pretty quickly."
"I can believe that." Dan nodded, "It's nothing you have to apologise for or justify. It's between me and him. If he ever wants to talk I'm sure he knows I'm here. And I am super grateful for you accepting me in some form and allowing me into your family."
"April likes having father-in-law." Punk nodded as Dan smiled, "It's not something we're used to. Having normal family relationships."
"So it's her I have to thank?" Dan asked.
"You'll come to find that every good I do, it's her you have to thank for." Punk assured him as Dan smiled.
"Don't worry about Christmas. I can see you guys after." Dan assured him.
"Ok. Now I gotta go get my brother to like me again." Punk nodded exhaustedly.
"Doing your rounds." Dan said.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Punk shook his head, leaving the house and heading to his brother's to hopefully get back on his good side again.