Splitting

"I am never working the day after Christmas again. That's it. I've done my share. I'm an OAP of that police station now. I won't do it no more." Theo shook his head, lying on the couch with his head on Cassie's lap as she massaged her fingers through his hair.

"Shh, there there." She frowned, "The babies missed you today. Apparently, I'm not as good as you at building Lego. And Lena was cranky. Although she did enjoy her breakfast."

"I missed them." Theo frowned, "At least I got New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off." He nodded, "What are the plans?"

"I think Thea is hosting for New Year's Eve." Cassie said, "I know my Uncle Dean and Aunt Renee usually host but I think it's more for Sofia to be comfortable in her own house."

"Yeah, and hey… don't you think it's a bit much for your parents hosting Christmas now? There's so much of us and it seems like a lot of pressure for them. Maybe it's our turn or Jude's turn to host."

"My parents like doing it, though." Cassie shrugged, "Thea offered one time and my dad refused."

"It just seems like a lot for them." Theo said, "It'd be nice for them to relax and be catered for. They've done it for so many years."

"I really do think they enjoy doing it, though. I don't think they feel under pressure. Sure, it's a lot of people but we're not hard to please." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I know." Theo nodded.

"How was work anyway?" She asked him.

The kids were both in bed for the night. Theo had brought home a pizza for them since the Holidays blues were kicking their motivation to cook anything. Cassie had started on one of the bottles of prosecco they'd received from a family member they couldn't remember whilst they picked out a movie to talk all the way through.

"It was quiet actually." Theo said, sitting up from lying on her lap, feeling her curl into his torso as he kissed her head, "And Sean wasn't in. He called in and said he wouldn't be in for the day. Chief privileges, I guess."

"Can I trust you to keep something to yourself?" She looked up at him.

"Do I normally blab our secrets to the world?" He asked her.

"No." She rolled her eyes, "Jude has met someone else. A man she's been working with at her new job. Last night she was going to tell Sean. I think they're… well, I think they're going to end up getting a divorce."

"For real?" Theo asked, quite shocked.

"Yeah." Cassie nodded.

"But they… no." Theo shook his head, "You're sure."

"Came straight from Jude's mouth." Cassie nodded.

"Haven't they been doing good? I mean… you wouldn't be able to tell there was anything wrong with them." Theo said.

"I think they have been doing good. But… you're not going to forget that your husband cheated on you. Even if you forgive him and you can move on with your life. It's always going to be there. And she's found comfort in this other guy who she seems really… interested in. She's putting herself first. I think that's a good thing. It sucks that her and Sean have to go through this. But she needs to think about herself and what she wants." Cassie nodded.

"But how long has she known this other guy? You said she met him at her new job? She's only been working there for a few months." Theo said suspiciously.

"You sound like Thea." Cassie scoffed "You can fall for someone in a short space of time, you know. Just because you and I didn't have the emotional intelligence to open up to one another for a long time doesn't mean it's like that with everyone."

"You fell for me the second you became my rookie. Don't lie to yourself." He scoffed.

"I don't think you actually realise how much I really disliked you back then." She nodded truthfully, "I would go home and yell about you to my parents."

"I wasn't that bad." Theo scoffed.

"You pulled away every single seat that I went to sit down on for the first six months." Cassie raised a brow.

"It was funny." Theo shrugged.

"And you would give me homework. No other rookies got that. You gave me all your reports to do. You barely let me do anything when we went on patrol apart from jump out and get coffee." She said.

"Now hold on a minute." Theo laughed, "Did I or did I not teach you well?" He asked.

"I'm not saying that-"

"Did I or did I not?" Theo looked at her.

"You did." Cassie said reluctantly, "But admit it, you fell for me before I fell for you." She nudged his side.

"Probably true." Theo nodded.

"Ha." Cassie pointed to him with triumph.

"Has anyone ever told you you're annoyingly competitive at literally everything?" He nodded with fondness.

"All my life." Cassie smiled, pecking his lips.

"Real sad for Jude and Sean." Theo nodded, "I mean… yeah, good for Jude for being honest and following her heart. It just seemed like they were doing really good. I'm kinda shocked."

"It's obviously left a gap in their relationship that can't be filled." Cassie nodded, "I'm just curious about this new guy. His name is Miles." She said, "Do you think we could-"

"No." Theo shook his head, "No more wine for you." He said.

"You didn't let me finish. How do you know what I was going to say?" She asked.

"Do you think we could run his name through the system at work to see if he's clean?" Theo raised a brow as Cassie scoffed.

"No." She laughed guiltily, "Ok, yes. But no one would know."

"The guy works in a publishing house right?" Theo clarified.

"He's an editor there." She nodded.

"Doesn't scream criminal to me." Theo said, "It's not our business. And tell your oldest sister that too."

"Fine." Cassie huffed, "Still curious about him, though. I wonder if he's attractive." She sipped her wine.

"Am I not doing it for you anymore?" Theo nodded.

"Yes, you are." Cassie smiled, "You do it for me every day." She said, kissing his cheek down to his neck as he smiled, "Doing it for me right now." She whispered in his ear.

"I'm not doing anything." He chuckled, feeling her undoing the buttons on his shirt, opening it up and kissing her way down his chest as he smiled, placing his hand on the side of her neck, pulling her up to his lips, kissing her passionately as she fell back on the couch with him on top of her.

"How'd I end up with the most beautiful wife?" He murmured against her neck which he peppered with kisses.

"Because you know how to keep me happy." She grinned.

"That's the only reason?' He chuckled, kissing down her collarbone, squeezing her breasts as she pulled her shorts and panties down.

"And you're just lucky I guess." She said breathlessly.

"I am." He nodded, moving down her body, settling between her thighs which he parted.

"Wanna know when I fell for you?" She said breathlessly, propping herself up on her elbows as he kissed the inside of her thighs, making his way towards her centre.

"I already know. When I took you to that record store." He nodded.

"Another time." She said, feeling his mouth getting closer and closer to where she wanted it the most, "First time you went down on me." She nodded.

"Cassie." Theo scoffed as she chuckled.

"It's true." She chuckled, "You were the first. And baby, you were the best."

"Were?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Are the best." She corrected herself.

"Alright are you done talking or can I go?" He asked as she chuckled, leaning her head back on the arm of the couch.

"You can go." She smiled.

"They sounded like they had a great day." Jude said, walking into the kitchen later on where Sean was.

They had pretty much avoided each other all day, trading the girls between them at different times without so much as a word. Now they were both in bed, there was no escaping the conversation they needed to have.

"Well they love shopping." Sean nodded.

"They do." Jude smiled, watching him rinse out a mug at the sink, "Have you ate? I can make us something-"

"Let's just talk." Sean shook his head, turning around to her.

"Ok." She said quietly, "Can we sit or-"

"I know you wouldn't take the girls from me." He started immediately, "I was stupid to say that. I was just in my feelings." He shook his head.

"I know." Jude nodded, "Nothing comes before them. And I know you feel the same." She said as he nodded.

"You've not… I mean… if you slept with this guy-"

"Sean, I haven't. I wouldn't do that to you. Not when I know how it feels." She shook her head.

"This isn't you just messing with me, is it?" He realised, "You're really ready to pull the plug on us?" He asked.

"There will still be an us. There always will be. You're my friend. I will always care about you and love you. And we'll always be in each other's lives-"

"You know what I'm talking about." He said with slight frustration, "Our marriage. That version of us. Us that go to sleep in the same bed every night. You're done with that? You want that with someone else now?"

"I don't think it's the same between us anymore. And I don't want you to think that it's solely because of you cheating." She said, "We're just… different. You're the chief of the Chicago Police Department. I'm publishing a book. We've moved on but… we never moved on together, not in our relationship." She shook her head.

"I don't want to fight with you." Sean shook his head, "We both know I started this downward spiral. You're just being kind to say that I didn't." He nodded, "I just thought we seemed to be doing ok."

"We were." Jude nodded, "But us having that crack in the back of our relationship… it's helped me open up to someone else. I was certain this whole time that you would be the only who could ever truly know me." She said, "But it's because I've only ever let you know me. Maybe that's why I opted to try and work things out between us. Because I was scared." She shrugged, "That was never the right reason to stay. That wasn't fair to give you false hope."

"You love this guy?" Sean asked.

"Yeah." Jude nodded, "He's a good guy-"

"We don't gotta talk about him." Sean said, running his hand through his hair as she nodded, "You want a divorce?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded, "I just think it's over with us. It has been for a while. Please tell me that you've felt it too. How different things are with us. How different it feels." She said.

As much as he wanted to disagree, he knew she was right, "Yeah, I get it." He mumbled.

"The girls will always come first. And we'll always be a family." She nodded, walking over to him, "And I don't regret a single second I've spent being your wife. You have no idea how happy you made me." She said, cupping his cheek as he looked down at her.

"I'm sorry I hurt you this much." He shook his head, placing his hand over hers on his cheek, "To drive you away."

"I've forgave you." She nodded with teary eyes, "You need to forgive yourself too."

"How can I? When I'm losing you because of what I did." He shook his head, taking her hand from his cheek, "I uh… I gotta go into work for a couple of hours." He wiped his face even though she had noticed his tears.

"Sean, we should discuss things-"

"We will." Sean nodded, "I was supposed to be in work today but I stayed at home with the girls. I just need some fresh air." He said, walking past her and heading out of the house as Jude sighed.