Come To A Stop
"What's going on?" Punk asked, walking down the hallway where AJ was standing with the door open and appeared to be in an argument with the woman standing on the front step.
"You must be Mr Brooks?" Claire asked as Punk nodded, turning to AJ who looked hysterical and angry.
"What's going on? What are you saying to her?" Punk asked angrily.
"I'm from social services." Claire nodded as Punk shook his head with confusion.
"She thinks we're neglecting our children." AJ shook her head, trying not to get upset. She'd never felt so personally victimised before by such an accusation.
"You what?" Punk screwed his face up, looking across at the woman.
"We had an anonymous report that you were both… mistreating your children." Claire said, "And it's just my job to make sure that that's not the case-"
"Mistreating?" Punk shook his head, "Who the hell do you think you are?" He spat.
"This would be easier on everyone if you both just… cooperated with me." Claire nodded, "I'm only following up the report and doing my job."
"Who the hell reported us? Give me a name." Punk spat.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I do need to… come into your house and take a look around." She said as AJ placed her hand on her forehead.
"We are not mistreating our children." AJ cried, "They're all very happy and… I would never-" AJ gasped, placing her hand on her chest, "I would never hurt them." She cried.
"Just let her come in." Punk spat, "She can see for herself." He shook his head, placing his hand on AJ's shoulder, guiding her back a little as he let the woman into the house.
"I'll try not take up too much time." Claire told them, "You have three children, is that correct?"
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "James, Vivian and Raimy." He said, "James is in the living room and the girls are having dinner." He nodded as Claire smiled, walking through to the living room, pausing at the door when she looked over at James.
"Oh, dear." Claire sighed as AJ and Punk followed, noticing James had been sick which was all down his clothes and in his hair, "Oh, are you ok, sweetie?" Claire sighed sadly.
"That… that just happened." Punk sighed to himself as AJ rushed over to James.
"Baby, are you ok?" AJ asked him, "Why didn't you call on us?" She sighed sadly.
"I was watching my programme." James shrugged as AJ placed her hand on her forehead.
"Come on, let's go get you changed and cleaned up." AJ sighed, getting up and taking his hand, walking out of the room and heading upstairs as Claire turned to Punk.
"How long was he sitting in his own sick?" Claire raised an eyebrow as Punk shook his head.
"Excuse me?" Punk spat.
"It looked dried in." Claire said, taking out a notepad and beginning to take notes as Punk began to panic.
"What? What are you doing? He was just sick there, probably when you were at the door. He was at the dinner table ten minutes ago and he said he wasn't hungry so we let him come in here." Punk said, "What the hell are you writing down?" Punk asked her as Claire ignored him.
"It's a bit messy in here." Claire noticed.
"It's called having three kids and working full time." Punk nodded.
"You work with the CIA, don't you?" She asked as Punk nodded, "Must be long, hard hours. Who watches the kids when you or April aren't around?" She asked.
"Well the girls are at school and we have friends. Sometimes James goes to work with April. She's got her own business so it's easy enough." He nodded as Claire looked at him.
"Shall we go see the girls?" Claire asked as Punk nodded, heading out of the living room and through to the kitchen where Vivian and Raimy were still having dinner.
"Daddy who is your friend?" Vivian wondered, noticing the woman step into the kitchen.
"I'm Claire." Claire smiled, "Don't mind me." She nodded, looking over at Raimy who had visible bruises on her arms, "Raimy… how did you get those bruises on your arms?" Claire asked.
"I play soccer." Raimy said.
"And she's good at it." Vivian added.
"You got them all playing soccer?" Claire questioned.
"Yeah, well me and Vivian were fighting too so… some might be from that." Raimy shrugged calmly as Punk rolled his eyes.
"I see." Claire hummed, writing more things down.
"I said she's matching like with mommy's eye." Vivian nodded.
"What happened to your mommy's eye?" Claire questioned.
"Uh she fell." Vivian nodded, "I cleaned her up when she came home. She was so pretty… she had a pretty dress on and… and a wig too. A blonde one-"
"Vivian." Punk gritted his teeth as Vivian looked up at him.
"Why was your mommy dressed like that?" Claire questioned as Punk ran his hands over his face.
"She was partying." Vivian shrugged as Punk sighed. He felt like everything was going from bad to worse as they toured around the house. So many simple things were making them look like terrible parents and it was making him terribly nervous.
"Does she always go partying?" Claire asked.
"I don't know." Vivian said, "She might in the middle of the night." She shrugged as Punk sighed. He'd never wanted to shh his daughter so much in his entire life.
"Ok." Claire nodded.
"Why are you so interested?" Raimy wondered, "You're nosey." She said.
"Raimy." Punk shook his head.
"I am." Claire nodded with a smile, "I just wanted to ask some questions, that's all."
"Well you've asked them." Raimy said as Claire nodded slowly.
"Yes, I have." Claire said, turning to Punk and nodding as she then walked out of the kitchen just as AJ was walking back downstairs with James who was now in his pyjamas.
"I'm gonna call Dean, I think maybe he ate something earlier and… and that's why he was sick." AJ nodded, "And it just happened there." She said frantically as Punk nodded, placing his hand on the back of his son's head softly as James looked up.
"Mommy, can I go get a drink?" James asked.
"Yeah, go… go ask your sisters to help you get one." AJ nodded to him as he ran away into the kitchen.
"Someone will be around in an hour to pick the children up." Claire nodded as Punk looked at her and shook his head.
"What?" AJ's voice broke, "What are you talking about?"
"Well following up this report and seeing… hearing what I have today, there are indications of neglect and mistreatment to these three children." Claire nodded.
"No there isn't." AJ shook her head, "No… they're fine, they're fine here with us. I love them." AJ said frantically, "They're my babies, please…" AJ grabbed the woman, which didn't help the situation, "Please don't take them anywhere." AJ warned.
"April." Punk groaned, pulling AJ back a little as Claire tutted.
"Quite frankly I think they'd be safer for the time being somewhere else." Claire nodded as AJ shook her head.
"No… no, please don't. We're good parents." AJ cried hysterically, "We would-we would never hurt them." AJ said.
"Please don't do this." Punk shook his head.
"I have no choice." Claire said, "Pack a bag for them each. A worker will be around in an hour to pick them up-"
"No." AJ shook her head, "No, you're not taking them anywhere. It's not happening." AJ made clear.
"I think a doctors evaluation on you, April, might be necessary also." Claire nodded.
"Excuse me?" AJ spat, "What?!" AJ exclaimed, charging herself into the woman and smacking her across the face.
"April!" Punk yelled, pulling AJ back immediately, "You're not helping this!" Punk yelled at her as AJ ran her hands through her hair. It was very clear however, the woman very much wanted AJ to hit her.
"You're not taking them." AJ whispered to herself.
"I think it's best we send someone around right now." Claire said, holding her face as Punk shook his head.
"Please, you've… you've got us at a bad time. We're not… we're not bad parents and whoever has reported it to you just… they probably don't even know us." Punk said, "My wife is just upset." He justified, "Please, we love our kids and they're happy here." He nodded, "This doesn't seem legit or fair in any way."
"Well it is legit." Claire said, "And they'll be picked up soon." She nodded coldly.
"And taken where?" Punk shook his head.
"A foster home until you're both evaluated and questioned." Claire said.
"This is their home." AJ cried.
"A home where they are left in their own sick, have a irresponsible and violent mother, have bruises up their arms… it sounds like neither of you even see them much." Claire said.
"How dare you!" AJ spat as Punk continued to hold her back.
"Please, this isn't necessary." Punk begged.
"Pack their bags." Claire demanded as AJ cried, looking up to Punk for help but it was obvious they weren't winning this fight. She cried hysterically, leaning into her husband as Punk held her and glared at Claire.
"They're not going anywhere." Punk made clear, "You can't just come in and take them after someone anonymous tells you we've been neglecting them."
"I can now that I have the proof." Claire nodded.
"What proof? Our son isn't feeling well. Our oldest daughter plays soccer and she's… a little aggressive with it, April is allowed to go out with her friends and have a good time. Is that what your report is going to say?" Punk questioned.
"That's not the way I see this." Claire said, "I'm being nice about this but if it comes to it, you will be restrained whilst we take your children out of this house." She said as AJ cried a little harder. She couldn't think of anything more painful than having her babies taken from her. It was physically hurting her.
"That should keep them off our case for a while." Hilary nodded, standing in the kitchen of the messy house as Michelle looked across at her, "Damn organizations always trying to play the hero." She spat as Michelle shook her head.
"I think this might make her a little angry and… I don't know, I don't want to see that girl get angry." Michelle admitted as Hilary scoffed.
"We won't be on their agenda anymore." Hilary shrugged.
"They still know about this house." Michelle shook her head, "And they probably know what we're doing."
"No, they don't. And they're not gonna. I'd say they have their hands pretty full right now." Hilary nodded.
"How can you be so sure? What if they're actually amazing parents." Michelle laughed a little.
"I know Claire. She knows what she's got to do." Hilary shrugged, "Trust me, they'll be too wrapped up in this, they'll forget all about us… and this house." Hilary nodded as Michelle sighed.
"How can you do this to him?" Michelle asked, "I mean he's… he's your son." Michelle said, "He's my brother. Those are my nieces and nephew. It doesn't seem worth it." Michelle sighed.
"He's not my son." Hilary said casually, "He was a dirty mistake I should have gotten rid of." She said as Michelle looked across at her, "This is our family. This is our livelihood." She made clear as Michelle sighed, looking over at the girls asleep on the floors and couches, more than twenty of them there, "Now get back outside and do your job. I've taken care of things."