A/N: Ok first things first I am so overwhelmed with everyone's kind reviews so far, thank you so much! I'm enjoying writing this new story.
On a different note I'm sure everyone has heard about Punk by now and whether it's a work or real let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best outcome I know a lot of fans aren't going to want a Wrestlemania with out Punk and believe me I'm sure the WWE doesn't want that either. They are set to launch their network and the last thing they need is this Punk stuff hanging over their hand's so I'm hoping for a speedy resolution of the situation. It's real times I like this that I turn to writing and reading, I've personally always found it a fun escape where you could create your own reality and have complete control of it. Sharing it with others and pulling in readers is just and added bonus. My suggestion for all the fans who are upset and just waiting on news is to pull people into your own world and enjoy the escape. With that being said I seriously hope WWE is taking this all seriously because I'd hate to think that the Royal Rumble match would be Punk's last.
Part III: Tampa
AJ arrived home at about two in the morning. She received a text from Punk letting her know that his flight would be landing at ten in the morning and she promised to go pick him up. She looked around the apartment that she had considered a home for the last few years and frowned. She was never there anymore instead most of her time was spent working which normally would be great for her but the people (or person actually) that she had to work with made her time miserable. Was she overreacting? Should she just move on from this? She tired to everyday- her and Dean made an effort to leave the past in the past but it was to hard for AJ but she truly did try.
She wonders if things would have been different if Punk hadn't left or at least kept in touch with her while he was gone. Dean blamed Punk for her mini-downward spiral since it took place three weeks into him being gone but she was sure it was a lot more than that. She was promised a Diva's Title run which she was looking forward to but at the last second they pulled that story and decided to have her work with Dean Ambrose and that's where things got real bad. She didn't like to think back to that time because Dean was actually just plan cruel to AJ when he heard they were working together but AJ took that as a challenge and would force him to like her. In all honesty the way he treated her now was ten times better than back then so for that she was grateful.
Maybe if she was able to talk to someone about it and let all out and get someone else's opinion on the matter she'd be able to forget it but she was too afraid to talk to about it. The girls backstage would judge her and the guys would just laugh at her. She couldn't count how many times she had written a text to Punk but quickly erased before it sent. Would he have even cared if he had known? Deep down she knew he would but the fear of rejection always held her back. She brushed off the thoughts and placed them to the back of her mind and decided to just look forward to spending time with her friend again.
The next morning AJ was up bright and early and headed to the airport to pick up Punk. When he got in her car she looked over to him and gave him a smile.
"So did you want to stop by the performance center first?" AJ asked
"No" he said hesitantly "Let's just head back to your place and we'll take it from there"
"Sure" She said hitting the road putting the radio on low
"Thanks for letting me stay with you" Punk said again
"Anytime" she beamed "I'm actually looking forward to spending some time with you without the prying eyes of everyone we work with"
"Are people giving you a hard time because we traveled together?" Punk questioned
"No, no one has said a thing" AJ told him but bit her lower lip
"Really?" Punk asked
"Well Dean did mention something about you shooting him dirty looks" she admitted
"So because I gave him dirty looks he ran off to you tell on me?" Punk snorted "Why doesn't he just say something to me himself?"
"He's not the type" AJ smirked "Like I said the other day I think he's a little afraid of you"
"Good" Punk said to her "It's interesting how he acts like a jealous boyfriend"
"He's not my boyfriend" AJ told him quickly
"Oh I know that" he laughed "The few times I've seen you two together you're arguing. I get bickering in a relationship but you two really seem to hate each other"
"So were you shooting him dirty looks?" AJ questioned glancing over to him quickly before placing her eyes back on the road
"Yea" Punk told her coolly "I don't like him"
"Why is that?" AJ asked
"Because you don't" he told her without missing a beat "Simple as that"
"Well he thinks I'm bad mouthing him to you" AJ told him "It's only going to make my job harder if he thinks that"
"Like I said if he has a problem with the way I look at him he could say it to my face" Punk told her
"He figured out that you would be here in Tampa with me" AJ told him quietly "I hope you don't mind I know you like to keep your private to yourself but he asked and I didn't deny it"
"I don't care" Punk told her briskly "I wonder why you do though?"
"I don't care" she clarified
"If you two aren't dating and can't even stand the sight of each other I just can't imagine why he would even care if I was coming out here to see you" Punk said to her
"Maybe he thinks we're plotting against him" AJ said keeping her focused on the road to avoid all eye contact with her friend "He seems to think I'm going to use our friendship to try to bury him at work. Why he thinks either of us have that kind of power is beyond me"
"Yea that's strange" Punk agreed but knew AJ was still holding back. "But I really don't care what Dean Ambrose thinks. I'm your friend and we hang out and that's not going to change"
"Good" she smiled while she continued driving
Later that day after eating brunch they headed to AJ's where Punk immediately presented Nacho with a treat a toy.
"For a little dog he's scary" Punk smirked placing his bag by the door
"He's just protective of his mommy" AJ said while petting the happy dog "He likes you now"
"Thank god" Punk mocked
"So what's on the agenda?" AJ asked him "Are you meeting up with friends or just heading to the performance center?"
"I have a slight confession" Punk smirked "I'm not going to the performance center"
"Why?" AJ asked tilting her head in confusion
"For starters I honestly don't care about he performance center" he told her "I just needed it as an excuse"
"An excuse to come to Tampa?" AJ asked
"An excuse to spend some time with you" Punk admitted "I really just wanted to hang out with you"
"You didn't have to lie" AJ told him "I would have welcomed you here just the same"
"I just didn't know how to say it to you" Punk told her nervously
"Say what?" AJ questioned with a grin "We're friends all you had to say was that you missed me"
"I did miss you" Punk told her seriously "And I have to be honest the one night we spent traveling was the first time in weeks I felt good around someone you completely turned my night around" she couldn't help but slightly smiled to him "But I also know something isn't right with you and I don't want to push you or anything I just want to be here for when you're ready to talk" AJ couldn't believe he cared that much. She was speechless so instead of responding right away she kissed his cheek.
"Thank you" she said holding back tears
"Why are you so sad?" Punk asked rubbing his thumb lightly over her cheek
"I'm not anymore" She told him pulling away abruptly "I'm going to take a shower keep Nacho company for me, will ya?" with that she rushed off leaving Punk standing there with Nacho not far from his feet.
Later that day Punk and AJ took Nacho to the beach and joked around while sipping on ice coffees. It was turning out to be the perfect day.
"Are you jealous of the awesome beaches we have in Tampa as in comparison to Chicago?" she teased the Chicago native
"I do like the beach" Punk said to her "But the real question is are you jealous of the awesome food we have in Chicago as in comparison to Tampa?"
"We have great stuff out here" AJ told him seriously
"All fish places" Punk said to her
"I'll have you know there's an Italian place two streets over from me that is out of this world" AJ told him seriously "It's my favorite place"
"Good so we have dinner there, my treat" Punk told her "A thank you for letting me stay with you"
"You don't have to thank me" AJ sighed "I'm having a great time and more importantly so is Nacho"
"That is the most important thing" Punk teased throwing a rubber ball from where he was sitting so the small dog would chase it and bring it back to him.
"Can I ask you a question?" AJ asked looking over to him
"Shoot" he said as he watched AJ's small dog run back to him with the toy
"What happened with Amy?" AJ asked him "You don't have to answer if you don't want to but I'm just curious"
"When I was on the road and we weren't seeing each other as much we got along great" Punk could help but let out a laugh "I had never spent day in and day out with the same person outside of work like I was doing with Amy and we just couldn't live with each other. We tried well she probably tried harder than I did but it just wasn't going to work. I was probably a bit selfish actually" he admitted
"How so?" AJ probed
"Well I just wanted to be in Chicago the entire time I was back and I wanted to do things and she would tag along but she wasn't having fun. She wanted me to go back to Atlanta with her for a while but I refused" Punk told her "It pissed her off and I don't blame her"
"It was your time off you should have spent the way you wanted" AJ defended. Punk couldn't help but smirk, AJ had always defended him even if he was in the wrong "If she really wanted to be with you she would have just stayed in Chicago"
"Would you have done that?" Punk asked
"Of course" She said without a second thought "So did you two end on good terms?"
"Yea" Punk said unsurely "We've exchanged casually texts here and there I mean it's awkward right now but we'll be fine in a few months and back to being buddies"
"Good" AJ said as she laughed at her dog jumping in the air to catch the toy Punk had just thrown
"Can I ask you a question?" Punk asked and she already knew where this was going
"It's only fair" AJ said to him
"What happened with Dean?" Punk asked. AJ sighed and gave it some thought before speaking.
"Honestly it's not something I like to think about" AJ told him "We had an altercation of sorts back when we first started working together" she admitted "It got really ugly and I can't seem to get passed it"
"What kind of altercation?" Punk asked in a serious voice "Did he touch you?"
"He didn't hit me or anything" she assured him and he instantly dropped his shoulders "It's kind of hard to explain"
"Will you ever tell me?" Punk asked
"Why do you want to know so bad?" AJ asked back
"Because you're my friend and I care about you and if something happened I want to know about it, obviously whatever it is bothering you and want to talk about it so why can't you tell me?" Punk asked
"I will I promise" AJ told him "I just need a little more time"
"Alright" Punk said agreeing to let it go. "When you are ready to talk I'll be here"
"I know" she smiled lightly before turning her attention back to Nacho.
After a quiet dinner Punk and AJ played some games on her xbox until two in the morning.
"Ha! I finally won!" Punk cheered at the sight of the final score on the screen
"That's because I'm tired" AJ mumbled. She hated to lose. "I'm going to bed"
"Goodnight" Punk said watching her stand up
"The couch is small" she simply said to Punk "You're more than welcome to join me in my bed"
"I thought you'd never ask" he replied with a grin causing her to roll her eyes
"Don't be a perv" AJ warned "Nacho will bite you if you try anything"
"Noted" Punk smirked
As AJ headed into her room she saw her phone that she left charging was lighting up. She had a new text message from Dean.
'Having fun at dinner?'
AJ scrunched her nose "How did he know about that?" she asked herself quietly then saw there was a picture attached of her and Punk walking into the restaurant. Apparently a fan snatched it and posted it online. While AJ was typing a response to him her phone started to ring and it was of course Dean.
"What?" AJ asked annoyed
"Seriously? You told me you wouldn't let whatever the hell is going on between the two of you interfere in our relationship" Dean shot back "Are you insane?"
"Are you?" she quipped back "It's two in the morning what if I was sleeping?"
"I'm sure the last thing you and your straightedge pal are doing is sleeping" Dean told her roughly "You're flushing this entire story that I've been working on for weeks down the drain!"
"I'm not ruining anything!" AJ yelled back "And how dare you make those kinds of insinuations you have no right!"
"Oh please AJ save the little woe is me act for him" Dean remarked "We have to go into damage control"
"No the only thing I have to do is go to sleep" she shot back "Don't call me again" and with that she hung up on his call and decided to play it safe and turn her phone off altogether.
"Everything ok?" Punk asked causing her to jump slightly "Please don't tell me that was Ambrose"
"Ok I won't" She smiled simply "You can take that side" she said choosing not to fill him in as she pointed to the right side of the bed
As AJ was lying in bed next to a sound asleep Punk her mind couldn't help but wander. The last way she wanted to end her night was with a phone call from Dean Ambrose. She remained still careful not to wake Punk but she wasn't comfortable all she wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cry. It wasn't until she felt Punk's arm wrap around her waist and pull her close that she felt some ease. He probably didn't even realize what he was doing but she wasn't complaining, this was all she ever wanted. She closed her eyes tightly but the memories of Dean came flooding back. She wasn't sure if it was because of his call or the fact that she was keeping something so big from Punk.
AJ was downstairs in the hotel restaurant bar. She wasn't a drinker the only times she had ever drank were occasional sips at weddings and a few other special celebrations. But she wanted to clear her mind and this was the best solution she could come up with. Kaitlyn, Dolph and Big E were on a separate tour so she was on her own friend wise. She looked down at some of the tweets she had received and held back tears. 'OMG CM Punk is here!' was one tweet from a fan at the same concert Punk was attending 'I guess he and Lita are over, he is all over this blonde!' came another tweet. It was always in the back of her mind once Punk and Amy had ended he would have given it a go with her. He always teased her about it. Maybe she wasn't so hurt because he was moving on with another woman or women for that matter it was the simple fact that he hadn't even given her a second thought. No messages no missed calls- nothing. And she had tried to reach out to him on more than one occasion but he blew her off. I guess he meant more to her than she did to him and that's what really killed her.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Dean Ambrose aka AJ's current onscreen boyfriend asked while taking a seat a stool away from her
"I don't have time for you" AJ slurred taking another sip of whatever the hell she ordered, she couldn't even remember.
"Wow" Dean snorted "Someone's testy and drunk. Didn't know you were a drinker"
"I'm not" AJ replied bitterly "I just had a couple"
"A couple drinks in a small body like yours can do some damage" Dean pointed out "Plus you don't eat like ever so that's not going to help your hangover"
"Any other day I'd be willing to go ten rounds with you in a battle of sarcasm but tonight is not the night" she shot back while sipping her drink again.
"What's wrong?" the question caught AJ by surprise because Dean had made it clear that he didn't care about AJ period.
"It's nothing" she slurred but Dean scooted over to the empty chair between them and looked at her
"You've been crying" he noted "Must be something"
"Why do you even care?" AJ asked annoyed
"I don't, I'm just curious" Dean shrugged "Is this about your buddy having the time of his life and you're stuck here with me?" AJ didn't respond which proved Dean was right. He immediately smiled. "What is the deal with you two anyway? You two sleep together and he never called you back or something? No that can't be it because you two were always attached at the hip, maybe you two were friends with benefits and you're missing your midnight booty call or became overly attached"
"You don't know anything about us" AJ told him in a low voice "So stop running your mouth off"
"Ouch" Dean mocked "You know what I take back the sleeping together thing because you don't strike me as the 'one night stand' type of girl"
"You'd be right" AJ confirmed now gulping her drink down
"If you miss him just call him and stop walking around like a moody bitch" Dean encouraged
"I've tried" AJ admitted looking away and back towards her phone
"You feel like he left you behind?" Dean asked "I know that feeling"
"I didn't realize you even had feelings" AJ retorted causing Dean to let out a laugh
"I'm trying to be nice" Dean pointed out as AJ rolled her eyes
"Well try harder" AJ shot back
"You think it's just me that I'm the bad guy in this situation but the truth is you've been the moody one since your friend left" Dean told her "And it's a little creepy. You two don't date, you don't sleep together so I don't see why you're so effected by this"
"You wouldn't understand" AJ said softly. After a moment she grabbed her bag and threw some bills on the bar "I'll see you at the arena tomorrow" she said standing up quickly but losing her balance in the process. She fell straight to the ground in a classic embarrassing move.
"Miss are you alright?" a waiter questioned
"She's fine" Dean said walking over to her and lifting her to feet by her arm "She's a few too many, I'll take her back to her room" he told the man who just noticed when AJ didn't protest.
"Thanks" AJ muttered quietly as Dean handed AJ her discarded purse.
"Don't mention it" he said roughly helping her out of the bar...
"AJ" she heard Punk say her name and that's when she felt the tears falling from her eyes, she hadn't even realized she had been crying. "What is it?" he asked as she turned her head slightly to face him. She opened her mouth about to speak but instead jumped out of the bed and slammed the door closed leaving Punk very confused and worried.