Space


"April." Kurt opened up the door to his apartment as AJ stood out on the landing, the stroller with her baby girl in it behind her, "Everything ok?" The older man wondered.

"Y-Yeah… could you help me take the stroller down?" AJ asked him, embarrassed to do so of course. Every time she had to ask him, it was just a slap in the face of reality that she was so very alone.

"Of course I can, honey." Kurt patted her arm softly, "I'll get it from the top." He said as AJ nodded, watching him lift the stroller at the top whilst she got the bottom, carrying it carefully down the stairs. Living on the top apartment block really had become a pain, even more so when she was nine months pregnant trying to walk up them every day.

"They really should get an elevator." AJ scoffed as Kurt smiled.

"Yeah, I don't think this shabby apartment block could afford that." Kurt laughed as AJ nodded.

"Probably right." AJ nodded.

They eventually reached the bottom floor thankfully, "There you go, honey." Kurt smiled.

"Thank you." AJ smiled.

"Are we off somewhere nice?" Kurt asked sweetly, looking in the stroller and smiling at the peaceful little baby.

"Uh… off to pay my rent, collect my unemployment and this one has a doctor's appointment." AJ nodded.

"You're walking into town?" Kurt asked, "I can give you a ride, April. You know that."

"No, I can get the bus, it's ok." AJ smiled, "Thank you, though. I appreciate you offering." AJ nodded sincerely. Small acts of kindness really made a big difference to her.

"It's really no problem." Kurt said.

"It's ok, I like the fresh air." AJ nodded, "I need it, I spend too much time in that apartment." AJ said as Kurt nodded.

"Is this little one ok?" Kurt wondered.

"Oh, she's fine. Just a check-up. She had a rash a few weeks ago and I have to go back for another cream." AJ shrugged as Kurt smiled. He admired her so much. Such a young girl yet such an incredible mother. He could tell by the way she cared for her daughter just how good a mother she was.

"Poor little thing." Kurt smiled, "You know… last night-"

"I don't really wanna talk about it. Or him." AJ made clear.

"I know, but… there are restraining orders for situations like this." Kurt nodded, "And you have my number. Not that I wouldn't hear him, but… you call me if he ever causes you trouble."

"I'll be ok." AJ nodded, "Thank you, Kurt." AJ smiled sweetly as he nodded.

"You take care of yourself." Kurt nodded, rubbing her on the arm softly as she nodded, watching as he left to go back upstairs whilst she headed out of the apartment building.

She opened up the door, struggling to lower the stroller down the few steps, sighing to herself with embarrassment.

"Let me help you."

She looked up, seeing him standing there. She didn't know if she was angry with him or relieved to see him. It was such a mix up of emotions that she didn't understand. Not after everything that happened. All she knew was that his choices had impacted her. And he had hurt her very much. She didn't want to go through that again.

"Get away from me." AJ warned him.

"Just let me help you." Punk put his hands up.

"Were… were you waiting on me coming out of here?" AJ questioned, wondering how he conveniently had just showed up.

"April, we gotta talk." Punk shook his head. Seeing her again was such a rush of emotions. He'd missed her. He wanted to hug her and kiss her, and escape into their own private world that they used to share. But he knew things were very far from that life.

"No, we don't gotta talk." AJ said, "I don't need your help, just get away." AJ warned as Punk stepped aside, not wanting to anger her anymore.

He then had to watch her struggle down the steps, slowly bumping the stroller down to the path at the bottom, "April, please. I want to explain it all to you. We should talk. Come on, you had my baby for crying out loud." He said, "And I wanna… I wanna meet her-"

"No." AJ shook her head, "You think I'm going to let you see her after everything that happened?" AJ asked.

"I'm sorry. I… I can't say it enough, I know." Punk said, "There's nothing I can do to make it up to you or make this better, I know that. We made some mistakes-"

"We?" AJ widened her eyes with shock, "We?"

"Don't act like you weren't involved in this. You were the one who introduced me to Rio-"

"Do not." AJ gritted her teeth, "Do not put this on me." She warned as he looked at her, "Yeah, we got into some trouble together when we were in high school, and yeah I… I introduced you to Rio but… I didn't tell you to work for him and do what you did. That was your decisions. Not mine." AJ made clear as Punk looked at her, "And then you cheated on me. Proving that you are exactly like all of those guys-"

"You broke up with me." Punk said.

"And I found you in our bed with some other girl a few hours later." AJ said, "I'll call that cheating if I want to." She said as Punk looked across at her, "I want nothing to do with you, Phil. Ok?" She made clear, "Stay the hell away from me."

"Wait… please." Punk took her arm and sighed, "April, I gotta make things right somehow. I did my time and I'm… I'm starting over-"

"You don't get to just start over and we forget all that happened." AJ said, "I've been here, living with your mistakes whilst you were safe in prison. I had my door kicked in last month." She spat, "Because of you-"

"I wasn't having a blast in prison." Punk reminded her as AJ rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry. I'll say it as much as you want me to. I truly am sorry for all of this. For what I did to you, for the choices I made, for not being here for you and…" He sighed, looking down at the stroller. He couldn't see his daughter because AJ was standing in the way deliberately, "What's her name?" He asked sadly as AJ looked at him.

She thought so much about writing to him three months ago when she had given birth. She'd even thought about sending him a picture of their baby girl, but then she would remember everything that happened, all the dumb things he did, and she realised her daughter deserved better than him.

"I don't have to tell you." AJ shook her head.

"April, please… she's my daughter." Punk said, "Just tell me and I'll… I'll leave you alone." He shrugged. He knew his ex. He knew the type of person she was. She was fiery, she was aggressive and harsh. But she was also sensitive and so caring with the biggest heart. And knowing he'd broken that heart killed him every day.

"Thea." AJ said, "Her name is… Thea." She nodded as Punk looked at her, smiling softly as AJ watched him, "Mendez." AJ made clear as Punk looked at her, running his hand through his hair, "Stay away from me. I'm warning you." She said, pushing by him.

"April, come on." Punk sighed, "We gotta talk." He shook his head, watching her hurry down the street.


"Where did you go?" Dean asked, watching Punk walk into the kitchen in the apartment.

"To attempt to talk to April." Punk shook his head, throwing his cap down on the kitchen table, "She absolutely hates me."

"Yeah, she does." Dean nodded, sitting at the table eating cereal.

"It's two in the afternoon, why are you eating cereal?" Punk questioned.

"Why not?" Dean questioned, "So you actually saw her?"

"Yeah, she was coming out of her apartment with the baby… who…" He sighed, "Her name is Thea." Punk smiled as Dean raised his eyebrows.

"She told you?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Yeah. She didn't want to. And she made clear that I am not going anywhere near her." Punk nodded, "So… not looking good." He said, sitting down at the table.

"Thea." Dean said to himself, "That's sweet." He said as Punk nodded, "So what else did she say?"

"Nothing. She just… she blames me for all of this. She is right. No one forced me to get involved with Chris and Rio. That was on me." Punk nodded, "She warned me not to, she made me promise." Punk said.

"She's not a saint, though." Dean reminded him.

"Yeah, she's made her mistakes but they were… they were childish, high school mistakes like we all made. She grew up. We got the apartment and… and I ruined everything." Punk nodded, "And now I've lost her, I've lost my daughter."

"Maybe she'll come around." Dean shrugged.

"No, you should have seen the look on her face." Punk said.

"Isn't she just being angry with you to avoid showing that she actually missed you?" Dean wondered as Punk shrugged.

"I don't know. I gotta talk to Rio about kicking in her door. I mean… that shit isn't right. He has a problem with me, he comes to me. Not her." Punk said.

"I'd advise you just to stay away from him." Dean said, "The guy is trouble. He's the reason you went to prison for a whole year." He said, "Just stay away from him."

"I don't even know what I can do to make this better." Punk said.

"You gotta grovel. And beg." Dean shrugged, "I mean… she's a kid raising a kid. At one point, she's gonna want your help."

"This is April we're talking about. She's too proud to admit to anyone that she needs help." Punk said.

"But she's literally on her own. Her family have left. She has no friends and no job. It's her and that baby in that broken apartment, all alone." Dean said, "Who is to say she's not gonna wanna hear you out at one point."

"You think?" Punk asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm just trying to think of ways to make you feel better." Dean nodded as Punk sighed.

"We had something so good." Punk shook his head, "I've loved that girl since I was sixteen. And I still love her. She's… she's the only person who got me." Punk said, "She understood our situation with mom because she… she came from similar backgrounds." He said, "I still love her." He shook his head, "And I've fucking blew it." He said as Dean looked across at him.

"You've been out one day." Dean said, "Just… give her some space and let her think about it. Let her digest that you're out and you're here." He nodded, "She's done a lot of growing up in the past year. She's had to for the baby." He said, "She probably thinks the best thing for her is to avoid you and all the problems that went on. It's a smart decision." Dean nodded.

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Punk questioned.

"But…" Dean emphasised, "I mean… she's still in love with you, obviously. I mean… why would she still be hurting so bad after a year? Why would she go through with the pregnancy and have your baby?" He asked, "I saw you two, you guys had something good, and yeah… you fucked it up."

"I know I did." Punk said.

"But you gotta let her hate you." Dean nodded, "So she can… learn to allow herself to love you again." He said as Punk sighed to himself.

"Yeah." Punk said, "How did you even get this place?" He suddenly wondered.

"Once I got the job with Kofi, got enough money and got on the list, started renting it a couple months ago." Dean nodded, "You know you can move in and start paying half the rent." He said as Punk nodded.

"I'm gonna need a job for that." Punk sighed.

"I told you I'd hook you up with Kofi." Dean said, "Maybe getting your shit together might prove to April that you're serious about… being a dad and starting fresh." He said.

"Yeah." Punk realised, "Yeah, I wanna… I wanna see my kid. I wanna meet her. She was right there in front of me and I… April was standing in front so I couldn't see her." Punk said, "She's protective."

"Hell yeah she is." Dean said, "Like a damn lioness protecting her cub." He said as Punk nodded. It was a pretty accurate saying to compare to the sight he saw today.

"I gotta make it right again." Punk said.

"Not gonna happen overnight, buddy." Dean stood up, patting him on the back as Punk nodded and sighed, "Spare bedroom is officially yours, you can come with me to the site tomorrow and I'll speak to Kofi about getting you the job." He said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, thanks ma. Thanks for this." Punk sighed, "Some big brother I am." He shook his head.

"You got yourself into a pickle. Made some mistakes. I can forgive. You're my brother." Dean said, "You didn't leave me with any broken promises, though. Or a baby for that matter." Dean said, "Give her space." He patted him on the back before leaving the kitchen. It was the only appropriate advice he felt he could give his brother right now.