A/N: New Story ALERT! This one won't be as long and very similar to 'the Journey' only this one is Rated M (for language and other stuff) and instead of a countdown to the wedding it's a countdown to AJ's book. It's basically going to be a bunch of one-shots centered around significant moments in AJ's life. I have not read her book obviously so this is just a bunch of crazy theories to help us pass the time until the real thing comes out.

Also, just want to thank everyone for their kind reviews and messages. It means a lot to me and a big reason that I'm back. So, enjoy and let me know what you think :)

A Man Like Him

Writing her memoir was the hardest thing April Jeanette Mendez Brooks had ever done in her entire life. The world had no idea what skeletons were in her closet. She always feared she'd be exposed, she never imagined she'd be the one doing it. She realized that the only person that she was afraid of learning her deepest darkest secrets was her husband.

Sure she spent a majority of the last two years following him to UFC, following him to Milwaukee, preparing meals and lifting him up when he felt down and he would offer the same but what lied within the pages of this book could have scared him off, SHOULD have scared him off, but it didn't. Thankfully before taking her vows or even before dating Punk knew everything that was inside of this book, inside of her mind and he accepted her. She knew his opinion was the only one that mattered and he supported her just as much as she supported him.

Punk took over Larry duty and let her lock herself inside of her office for up to twelve hours a day writing. He would provide her with endless amounts of junk food and even set up her own personal coffeepot inside of her office so she wouldn't have to leave for that. There was also the moral support, the most important of all. There were some chapters that were harder to write than others and he would hear her sniffling within in her office walls and pull her out of the room and into his arms just when she needed it. He would also find her sleeping at her desk in the middle of the night and carry her into their bedroom and tuck her in without disturbing her so she'd get enough sleep.

Sure she was worried about the reaction to her book. Would her fans hate her? Would her family forgive her for spilling their deepest darkest secrets? Would she be mocked by former collages? All of these question ran through her head more and more once the book was finalized and the cover was prepared. There was no turning back. She would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat shaking Punk awake to confide in him her worst nightmares.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. It's your story to tell, not theirs. I have your back."

That's all it took to get her back to sleep. But tonight she managed to wake without stirring him. He was still sleeping off his UFC loss, something he was ashamed of but AJ couldn't be prouder of. She was glad he had actually gotten some sleep tonight and slipped out of the bed without even waking Larry who was at Punk's side. She put on her slippers and headed down the hall to her office.

AJ was so proud of her office, she finally had it perfectly decorated. Within these walls she accomplished her biggest dream ever- to be a published author. Every page was written in here. Her office was her sanctuary and she owed that to her husband as well. When she agreed to move in here February of 2013 he promised he'd have this room empty so she could have her own personal space. Not only did he clear it out, he actually had the wall knocked down to give her wall to ceiling glass doors so more light would shine through and a small terrace to drink her coffee on.

"I really just want to sleep." AJ groaned as Punk took her suitcase out of her hands and left in the hallway.

"I know it's been a long week." He sympathized.

"Yea and now I have so much to unpack-" She began and looked around. "Where are all of my boxes?"

"They're upstairs." He shrugged. "I moved some things around for you."

"How thoughtful." She smirked kissing her fiance briefly and slowly climbed the stairs. "I need my box of clothes."

"I put all of your boxes in the office." Punk told her as he followed her towards her seemingly empty and messy office.

"I just want to find my sweats." She said opening the door but gasped.

There were no boxes inside of the office. She wasn't even sure it was the same room. The room that was basically a storage room for Punk was transformed.
He had literally knocked out half a wall to give her more light and french doors, and even a small terrace with two little chairs and a table on it. The room was painted the color she had picked out a week back in Tampa and the furniture she had seen online that she liked were in here. White couch, desk, shelf. She couldn't believe it.

"Is this a new laptop?" AJ asked noting the laptop on the desk.

"I knock out a wall and you notice the laptop?" Punk teased.

"It's amazing." She grinned turning to look at him. "It's just like I imagined. You actually listened to what I said."

"I listen to everything. It may not appear that I listen since you seem to enjoy talking during hockey games but I definitely listen." He remarked.

"How did you pull this off in this amount of time?" She asked.

"I had the wall and terrace done two weeks ago, you just haven't been here. The rest was easy. I painted and unpacked your stuff, furniture got here a few days ago." he shrugged as if it was nothing. "I won't be offended when you rearrange all of your toys either." he said pointing to her shelf.

He did know her so well. Her OCD was off the charts looking at how unorganized her space was and in now way the order she would approve but her heart was about to burst. Nobody had ever surprised her like this.

"Why did you do this?" She asked softly, suddenly unable to look at him he chuckled.

"Consider it a thank you for uprooting your life in Tampa and agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me." He smirked and cupped her chin gently so she'd look at him. "Don't feel bad or get embarrassed when I surprise you with things because you deserve to be surprised and showered with gifts and I have a lot of tricks up my sleeves."

"I just feel funny accepting this." She admitted feeling bad.

"Are you kidding?" he laughed loudly. "You live here. You're going to be my wife. I want you to have this space to write your book."

"Oh, I was going to call Lisa about that. I don't think I'm doing that." She told him and his face dropped. "So the room was a waste." She shrugged as her eyes wandered around the beautiful space created specially for her.

"What are you talking about? Why would you do that?" He asked with a hint of anger. "You've been so excited about this."

"I'm not excited anymore." She shrugged. "It was a dumb idea."

"No it wasn't. You have an incredible story." He argued.

"Nobody is going to care to even read it." She pointed out and he narrowed his eyes.

"I'd read it." He shrugged simply. "Isn't that good enough?" and she grinned.

"We're getting married." she reminded him seriously.

"Yea I know. I just picked out my tux." He smirked smugly. "What does that have to do with your book?"

"It's going to embarrass you." She pointed out and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You know everything and I mean EVERYTHING there is to know about me and you have to cringe at some of it. Sometimes I wonder why you'd even ask me to marry you."

"Don't do that." he warned her. "Don't beat yourself up like that. I think you have an incredible story and I love every piece of you, even the bad stuff."

"People will make fun of you." she informed him seriously and he chuckled.

"What the fuck do I care what people think? What do you care what those pricks think?" He asked amused. "I'll tell those people to fuck off. Besides there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Oh really?" She mocked.

"You told me this was your dream." He reminded her. "You went on and on about how you wanted to help at least one person and you wanted all that bad stuff to be worth it. You're not ashamed of your past are you?"

"No-" She began hesitantly.

"So, what's stopping you?" He questioned.

"What if its not good?" She asked seriously.

"It'll be good." He smirked. "You're smart."

"That's it?" She asked dramatically.

"No. I can list a hundred positive qualities you have but being smart is the most relevant to you writing this book." He said to her. "Besides, getting this room together wasn't cheap. I'd like you to use it."

"You really did go all out for me." She had to admit.

"Do you like it? And I mean seriously." He said to her. "I can change the color or the furniture."

"It's perfect." She assured him with a bright smile.

"And I'm not going to force you to write this book or anything but maybe test out your desk and chair and see if anything comes to you." He suggested gently.

"What about our kids?" She asked out of nowhere and his face dropped.

"Kids?" he asked feeling himself sweat. "Are you-"

"No." She scoffed and he felt relief. "But we talked about it, we said kids in a few years."

"Yes I remember that." He nodded. "I'm confused as to where you are going with this."

"They'll know I wrote a book and they'll read it and realize what a nut job their mother is." AJ argued.

"Or they'll think she's incredible." He shrugged with folded arms. "I also think if anything there's a few lessons to be learned from some of your past and that could be helpful."

"I guess." She said giving it thought.

"It hasn't been all bad Ape." He pointed out. "You have an amazing wrestling career, you have me."

"That is true." She grinned thinking more about it. "It really has had good moments."

"Just think about it." he said to her simply. "No pressure. But for what it's worth, I believe in you."

"It's worth more than you know." She whispered before gently grabbing his face and pulling it down so his lips could touch hers...

"What are you doing?" a voice asked startling AJ who let out a scream causing Larry to let out a bark in the dark room.

"You scared me." AJ sighed annoyed placing her hand over her beating heart.

"Sorry, I thought you came in here to work but the light was off so it intrigued me." He smirked.

"And I thought you were out cold." She responded coyly.

"Why? Did I interrupt a secret rendezvous with your man on the side?" He asked with a straight face.

"Yes." She responded just as seriously. "He climbs up onto my terrace every night around this time."

"Ballsy little fucker." Punk nodded walked over to the doors and she cracked a smile. "It may not have looked it last Saturday night but I would kick his ass." he warned her and she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his chin.

"Stop thinking about it. You need to rest." She insisted.

"You need to rest." He corrected. "You have a bad dream or something? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Wasn't a dream." She said resting her face against his chest. "I was just remembering my first day living here and how you surprised me with this room, how I created my brainchild in here."

"I don't want to take all the credit." He remarked teasingly. "But I may or may not be expecting a shout out in the dedication."

"I told you that was a surprise." She giggled. "You're just going to have to wait just like everybody else."

"That's why I pre-ordered my copy." He remarked smugly.

"You didn't have to do that." She said with a cute smile.

"I think I did." He said seriously. "Some of your fans are ordering multiple copies and since you didn't let me read the finished product..."

"You already know everything." She reminded him.

"Yea I know but I want to read your beautiful words on how your entire world changed the second you laid eyes on me for the first time." He said seriously.
"How the ground shook and the birds chirped and the angels sang."

"Is that what it was like when you first met me?" AJ asked teasingly.

"All of the blood in my body rushed right to my-" he stopped short and grinned. "My heart."

"Right." AJ roared a laugh.

"Made me a little light headed." He added and she rolled her eyes. "I'm just curious as to what you said." He said slyly running his fingers over her closed laptop.

"What makes you think I wrote about the first time we met?" She asked amused.

"Um, wouldn't that be considered the best day of your life?" He asked sarcastically.

"Our wedding is." She giggled.

"You really didn't write about the first time we met?" He asked with a frown.

"I wrote about the first time I saw you." She informed him.

"That's the first time we met." He smirked.

"No it's not." She said to him. "I met you before I joined WWE."

"No way." he laughed sitting at the chair behind her desk.

"Do you remember Colt's birthday party in 2007?" she asked and he laughed.

"Sweetheart, I don't remember Colt." Punk informed her almost smugly. Him and Colt's were on the outs and the last person he was thinking about.

"I was there and so were you." She informed him. "It's not the center of that particular chapter but it's the most important."

"I'm not the center of every chapter?" He asked seriously then smirked. "I'm kidding, what was the chapter about? Being a wrestling groupie and sneaking into parties?" he joked.

"It was about Jay." She told him and his face fell and he rolled his eyes. "You knew I'd be talking about my exes."

"Yea I know." He mumbled. "Doesn't mean I like it. Where was that party?" he asked.

"It was in Jersey. Colt and Jay had a match that weekend." She reminded him. "You were in town with WWE."

"Oh at that seafood deck place." he said remembering.

"It was a bar on seaside boardwalk." She corrected with a laugh.

"It was fucking cold." He remembered.

"It stays open all year round." AJ shrugged.

"You were there, huh?" He asked eyeing her carefully and she nodded. "You never told me that."

"Yup." She said moving around the desk and sitting on his lap.

"Was I dick?" He asked.

"No." She laughed. "You were with Maria though."

"Oh." He frowned. "Did we talk?"

"No." She said shaking her head. "I did talk to Maria."

"Are you going to tell me the story or do I have to hack into your laptop?" He asked casually.

"Don't you want to wait until the book is published?" She asked and he side-eyed her. "Fine." She sighed leaning against him.

"They're going to realize I'm not old enough to be in here." AJ whispered to her boyfriend Jay.

"Just blend April." Jay encouraged as he sipped on his glass of whiskey. "I want you to meet some people." He said tugging on her arm, tugging on her arm was something he had done often but she never saw it as a sign.

AJ was introduced to just about everybody as Jay boasted and bragged about dating her. This really wasn't her scene. She was happy to be in Jersey and the fact that Jay was so lovable and affectionate tonight but she had been there for hours and was ready to go.

"Jay it's getting really late." AJ sighed tugging on his shirt as his back was to her.

"We didn't even have the cake yet." Jay said briefly turning his head and she got his with a wave of his breath that reeked of liquor.

"We're just waiting on two more people." Colt said to AJ who offered him a thankful smile.

Sure enough in walked two more people, so late that they missed most of the party. AJ recognized both- CM Punk and Maria. Both working with WWE. They walked in hand in hand to a round of cheers and people running over to say hello. Colt, who was talking to Jay instantly ran across the room to greet his best friend.

"Are you going to introduce me?" AJ asked nudging Jay who was ordering another drink at the bar.

"No." he said simply and he turned to face her. "Maria is sweet, Punk is a dick."

"Really?" AJ asked surprised. "You guys used to have great matches."

"WWE has gone right to his already big head." Jay whispered to her. "He's not good people. He just steps on everybody and hogs the spotlight and glory."

"You sound jealous." AJ teased but he wasn't amused.

"You know how much it gets to me that WWE turns me down after tryout." Jay remarked shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're right, I'm sorry." She said quickly plastering on a smile. "I really am." She said kissing his lips but he didn't kiss her back.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom, then we can leave and you can properly apologize to me." He said to her then pushed himself off the bar.

AJ turned her head and watched as Punk pulled a chair out for Maria, something Jay had never done for her ever. He didn't cut her off as she spoke to his male friends, instead he laughed along with them. They kissed publicly in front of cameras (a big no-no from Jay) and saw how truly happy the two were. AJ turned her head towards the bar when she saw Maria walking over.

"Hey, I like your shirt." Maria noted pointing at AJ's 'geek' t-shirt.

"Thanks." AJ smiled shyly. "I see you on TV and I'm a big fan." She told her nervously.

"I was going to say the same thing. I've seen some of your stuff with Jay." Maria told her in kind, "You're really, really good. Do you want to come over and sit with us?"

"Jay wants to leave." AJ told her and Maria just nodded as she ordered a pepsi for her boyfriend a glass of wine of herself.

"He's like that." Maria shrugged.

"Hello beautiful." Jay greeted walking over and kissing Maria on the cheek and pulling her into a hug.

AJ felt like invisible as Jay's eyes raked over Maria's perfect body and he now grabbed her hand and kissed it. She wasn't sure if he was flirting with her because he was truly attracted to Maria or to piss off Punk which he appeared to be doing as Punk ended his conversation at the table and strolled over to the bar next.

"Can't say hi to me but you can drool all over my girl?" Punk asked half seriously.

"Sorry man, I was just about to stop by." Jay said sticking his hand out but Punk wouldn't shake it as he draped his arm over his girlfriends shoulders and kissed her cheek. "I get it." He laughed.

"Do you?" Punk asked. "If you have a problem we can take it outside." he offered in an almost friendly voice.

Was her boyfriend about to get into a fight over some other girl at a bar? AJ asked herself. Was she going to stand for this? Probably.

"No problem. I was just leaving." Jay told him as Punk cracked his neck ready to fight the man anyway.

Jay turned around and walked right out of the bar, waving at Colt on his way and completely forgot about AJ and the bill for that matter.

"He shouldn't be driving." Maria said to AJ as she fished into her purse to cover Jay's tab.

"I know. I have the keys, he's not getting in the car." AJ said throwing whatever she had on the counter and pleaded with the bartender. "It's all I have." she frowned.

"Keep it." The bartender said sliding is back to her. "And find yourself a better guy."

"Jay is sweet but my guy-" she began and pointed to Punk who was now across the room catching up with Colt. "-never lets me pay for a thing." she told AJ. It wasn't to make her mad though and AJ understood that.

"He seems like a great guy." AJ agreed.

"He is. I hope you find one too." Maria said symptomatically to her. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too." AJ smiled and watched her walk over to Punk who again wrapped his arms around her and AJ smiled, she wanted to something like that with a man like that.

"I remember that night." Punk nodded thinking back to it. "I remember you too, I didn't think you were his girlfriend though because why in gods name would you stand there and let him kiss up on another woman in front of you?"

"I didn't have a lot of confidence back then." She sighed. "I thought you were awesome though." She smirked turning her head to kiss his cheek. "I wanted a man just like you."

"Who would have thought you'd get the real deal?" He teased.

"Not me. I assumed you and Maria were so in love you'd marry her." AJ admitted.

"We broke up a few months after that." He pointed out. "A lot of it was for show. It wasn't any deeper than that."

"It's funny how I stood there and let Jay fall all over Maria and I wouldn't even let Michelle Beadle speak to you." AJ pointed out.

"Because what you had with Jay was artificial." Punk said brushing it off.

"Oh really?" AJ laughed and he nodded knowingly.

"Yup. I don't care how low your confidence is, if you truly love somebody you won't let them be disrespected or disrespect you." He said to her. "Which is why I thought you were a friend that night. But back to that story, so uh- how did you apologize to him?" He asked curiously.

"What?" she asked him.

"You accused him of being jealous of me which he was and still is, he said you'd apologize later how'd you do that?" Punk asked and she narrowed his eyes at him.

"You really, REALLY don't want me to share that story." She said and felt his body cringe.

"I need to get this out of my head." He sighed dramatically.

"You wanted to hear the story." She defended with a laugh.

"I didn't think a story about you and I would involve us with different people." He practically gagged. "What an awful night."

"I'm sure you and Maria had a great night after the party." AJ remarked.

"We got into an argument and I slept on the beach and almost got arrested for sleeping there." Punk said to her.

"Poor baby." AJ teased. "Ready to go back to sleep?"

He just shook his head no and she knew was was coming.

"Let's christen your office couch." He suggested kissing the nape of her neck as his hands wandered around the front of her body.

"We have." She reminded him trying not to laugh. "More times than I can count." her eyes closed as his dipped under her night shirt and was now kissing behind her ear.

"I just thought that sounded better than 'let's fuck over there'." He told her honestly and stood up and lifted her bridal style and carried her over to the long white couch...

A/N #2- What do you think? Please feel free to leave ideas in the reviews on what YOU want to see me write about. First date? Second date? Getting Larry? Moving in? Something completely fictional because that is EXACTLY what this site is for lol. Let me know!