Honest Conversations

"Hey, mom." Thea smiled, walking into the kitchen where AJ was making lunch with Obi purring around her ankles.

"Hi, sweetie." AJ smiled, "You on your own? I was just making lunch."

"James is with me. He's in the living room." Thea nodded, "I can't stay but… I was wondering if you or dad could do me a favour."

"Of course. What's wrong?" AJ asked with worry.

"James has been asking questions." Thea said, "About the past. About our family. He's found some articles from the news." She nodded, "I've told him basics, but I feel like it might be better received if it came from you or dad."

"What is it you want us to tell him?" AJ asked.

"Just something that won't make him think that he's gonna have to kill to protect his sisters in the future." Thea sighed as AJ looked at her with concern, "He knows about what happened… with Jackson. Told me that if anyone hurt his sisters then he'd kill them too." She shook her head, running her hand through her hair stressfully.

"He's a teenager. They got all kinds of emotions and hormones going on. They say a lot of things that don't make sense or things they don't mean." AJ assured her, "But…" She looked out the window where Punk was pottering about in the yard, "I'll have your dad talk with him."

"Thank you." Thea nodded, "I thought if maybe he understood how you guys were brought up… he might look at things a little differently." She said.

"Let me go talk to your dad and tell him what's going on." AJ nodded to her, leaving the kitchen to go speak to Punk whilst Thea headed into the living room where James was sitting.

"Next you'll be taking me to a shrink." James scoffed.

"Nobody calls them shrinks any more. What are you? Seventy?" She shook her head, "I'm sure papa has lots of work he needs help with in the yard. You can stay for dinner, too. If you want. Or I can get dad to pick you up." She nodded.

"I'll stay for dinner." James nodded, looking over at the mantel where school pictures of his mom and aunts sat, "You did look like Aunt Cassie when you were younger." He observed.

"Yeah, seems to be what everyone thinks." Thea nodded, looking over at the mantel.

"Hey, you." AJ smiled, walking into the living room, looking over at her grandson.

"Hey." James smiled.

"He's going to stay for dinner if that's ok." Thea turned to her mother.

"Of course. We're having burgers." AJ smiled, "Your grandfather is in the yard… been planting some vegetables and fruit. If you wanna go help him." She suggested as James nodded.

Although he knew what his mother was up to, he didn't want to object. Mostly because he was curious, and also because he loved his grandparents very much. Their word was as good as gospel, and he was always willing to listen and learn.

"I gotta get to work." Thea turned to AJ, "Thank you for this. I didn't really know how to talk to him about it. I guess I thought he'd never really ask." She shook her head.

"Hey, our life is gonna be stories for his kids, and their kids after that… he should know his family." AJ nodded, "We have nothing to hide."

"Yeah…" Thea smiled.

Meanwhile James had gone outside to the yard where Punk was planting some vegetables and fruits.

"Isn't it too cold for growing stuff?" James asked.

"Not this kind of stuff. Broccoli, leeks and parsnips can tough out some cold weather." Punk nodded to him.

"You can just buy those things at the store." James said as Punk handed him a trowel.

"True, but where's the achievement in that?" He asked, "Plus, I'm retired. I gotta do something with my time or I'll go insane." He said as James smiled, "Get some compost into this pot here." He instructed as James nodded.

"Don't you like being retired?" James asked.

"I do and I don't." He said, "Makes me a bit anxious, honestly. Feel like I never know what I'm supposed to be doing."

"You're supposed to be taking naps on the sofa. Not becoming a greengrocer." James said as Punk chuckled.

"Don't worry, I still fit in my naps on the sofa." Punk nodded, "This just keeps me active. Keeps my brain active too. I don't want to lose all my faculties just yet." He said.

It was rare whenever he got to spend time one on one with one grandchild. Normally they came in packs and his attention was spread out evenly to all of them, but it was nice whenever a rare moment occurred where he got to spend some alone time with just one of them.

"So…" Punk began, "How's that leg of yours doing?" He asked, filling another pot with compost.

"Terrible." James concluded, "I can't play soccer. And I get a lot of pain with it at night."

"That must be hard. I know how much you love soccer." Punk nodded, "You still going to physiotherapy?"

"Yeah, but mom got a number for a new one. She got it from Uncle Theo." James told him.

"Well, if anyone knows a good physiotherapist, it's your Uncle Theo." Punk nodded, "I guess all this free time you've got, not playing soccer, has got you thinking about some stuff?" He asked casually.

"Yeah, I suppose." James nodded.

"You have every right to ask questions, James." Punk nodded, "You know you can always talk to me or your grandmother about anything you want to know." He said seriously.

"Yeah, I know that." James nodded, "Just seems like a touchy subject."

"Well… some of it is. Doesn't mean you can't ask about it." Punk nodded, "I suppose your mom has told you as much as she could."

"Yeah." James said, taking another pot to fill with compost, "And I've saw some news articles from years ago."

"Don't look at those." Punk said, "A lot of stuff can get fabricated and exaggerated in the media. Just… come straight to the source." He nodded as James smiled, "Is there anything you came across that worried you?"

"Didn't know I was kidnapped. Me and Sofia." James said, "Can't remember it."

"It was a long time ago." Punk nodded, "Me and your grandmother, we didn't… we didn't come from very good homes or families. Mine had its dysfunctions but… well, your grandmother's was a little more complicated. Her family were not good people. And I don't just mean because they were criminals… they were destructive, controlling… dangerous individuals." Punk summed up.

"You were a criminal." James pointed out.

"I was." Punk nodded, "I got no excuses for how I got involved with that lifestyle. I could tell you it was because my mom didn't hug me enough as a kid, or I could tell you that I needed money and the opportunity came about." He shrugged, "Doesn't matter how it all came to be. I know what I did was wrong and I… I did my time."

"I couldn't imagine if my dad went to prison for eight years." James admitted as Punk looked over at him, wondering what to say next.

"You ever notice things between me and your mother?" He asked, "How our relationship is a little different from my relationship with your aunts?"

"You guys are like the same person. If that's what you mean." James nodded, "Mom always says your favourite is Aunt Jude." He shrugged as Punk chuckled.

"She would." Punk nodded, "I don't have favourites."

"I guess you and my mom butt heads more." James thought about it.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Serving my time in prison was tough for everyone. But your mom… I think she suffered the most."

"Cause she missed you?" James figured.

"She missed me, yeah… and she was at an age where she didn't know how to express how she was feeling. She was mad, upset, confused… something I don't want you to ever feel. I don't want you to be in the dark, as young as you still are."

"Mom has told me most things. It's just all sorta messed up." He shook his head.

"It is." Punk agreed, "And it's a lot to take in and understand, especially for that underdeveloped little brain of yours." He teased as James threw some compost at him, smiling.

"Kinda sounds like you guys just had people coming after you for no reason." James admitted.

"I crossed the wrong people when I was young. Me and your grandmother… we got associated with people we should have avoided. They seemed to follow us for the rest of our lives." Punk said, "Things are much better now. They have been for a while. And it feels like our connections with the past have been finally cut." He said as James nodded to himself, understanding what he was saying.

"I got more questions." James admitted, feeling more comfortable to ask now that he'd heard his grandfather open up.

"Shoot." Punk said, "But we work as we talk. I run a tight ship around here." He nodded, messing with James' hair as he headed over to grab another bag of compost.