Delivery
"Can you guys put mommy on now?" Punk asked, lying in his hotel room, watching his little people on facetime as they passed the phone between them both.
"No." Vivian took the phone from Raimy, putting her face right up to the screen, "No, talk to us some more." She nodded.
"I've spoken to you guys for an hour." Punk chuckled, "I wanna speak to mommy. Where is she?" He wondered.
"We're not finished talking." Vivian said.
"He wants to speak to mommy." Raimy told her, trying to snatch the phone as Vivian snatched it back.
Punk watched as they began to squabble with the phone in their hands, wrestling around on their parents bed as Punk huffed.
"Girls." Punk said, trying to get their attention, "Ok, I'm not gonna bring you back presents." Punk said as the phone immediately stabilised and they both looked at him.
"We're not fighting, daddy." Vivian smiled sweetly, "What presents are you bringing us?" She asked curiously.
"We don't need presents." Raimy shook her head.
"Shh." Vivian nudged her, "We might need a little present." She shrugged.
"Are you two still on that thing?" AJ walked into the bedroom with some washings in the basket.
"Daddy wants to speak to you." Raimy told her, taking the phone from Vivian and handing it over to AJ.
"Ok." AJ nodded, "I'm gonna start running your baths soon." She told them as they both left the bedroom. She then lifted the phone higher to her face and smiled, "Aww, hi baby." AJ smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"Hey." Punk smiled, "Nice to see your face." He said as AJ nodded.
"How was your flight?" She asked.
"Long and draining." Punk admitted, "But we're here and we're making progress. We were at the embassy all day yesterday." He groaned.
"You sound like you need a good sleep." AJ nodded.
"I do." Punk said, "How are you?"
"Oh, I'm fine." AJ smiled, "I'm looking forward to having the weekend off with the girls. I think I'm gonna take them to the movies or something tomorrow. Wish me luck." She laughed a little.
"Yeah, good luck with that." Punk laughed, "Tracking terrorists seems easier than taking our kids to the cinema." He said as she just smiled.
"How is everyone?" AJ asked.
"Yeah, they're fine. Dean is rooming with me." Punk said, "But he's out with some chick from the reception."
"Oh, so you could be in for a loud night?" AJ chuckled a little.
"Shit, I didn't think about that." Punk groaned a little, "Well you should see the size of the bath tub in here, I'll just lock myself in there." He shrugged as AJ smiled.
"Well I'll probably have company in bed tonight. I think I'd rather take Dean screwing someone beside me than having feet and hands on my face." She nodded, "And they always hog the covers." She shook her head.
"Oh, you poor thing." Punk grinned.
"I know, right?" AJ said, "You should get some sleep, though." She nodded.
"I will, I was just checking in. I didn't plan to be on this long but the girls were playing kiss, marry, avoid with me." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh, really? And who were you marrying?" She raised a brow.
"I was avoiding everyone, believe me." Punk laughed as she smiled, "Plus they were like cartoon characters. Weird." He shook his head.
"Children." AJ corrected as Punk nodded, "Well I gotta wrestle them into the bath now." She said just as the girls came back into the room.
"Is he still there?" Raimy asked as AJ nodded, "Daddy." She said, climbing onto the bed, resting her chin on her mother's shoulder and looking at him, "Daddy, one more kiss marry avoid." She nodded as Punk laughed.
"How do you even know about this game?" Punk asked.
"We play it at school." Raimy said.
"You're six." Punk said, his voice high pitched with surprise, "Viv should definitely not know about that game."
"One more." Raimy nodded as Punk groaned.
"Ok, hit me." Punk nodded.
"Uh… Dracula from Hotel Transylvania. The frog from princess and the frog. And…" She thought hard as AJ just smiled at Punk through the phone, shaking her head, "Flynn from Tangled." She said.
"Ok. A tough choice." Punk played along, "Obviously I would avoid the frog." He said.
"But if you kiss him he turns into a prince." Raimy said.
"I'm already married to a queen." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled to herself, "But I'd have to marry Dracula. That'd be cool. I'd… you know what? I'd kiss the frog so the poor guy can… not be a frog I guess, and I'd avoid Flynn cause he's technically a thief." He said as Raimy nodded.
"I wouldn't marry Dracula." Raimy shook her head.
"I would." Vivian announced, coming into the bedroom with her Dracula cape which she insisted on wearing when they went to see the third movie. She'd already dressed up as a vampire for Halloween.
"Of course you would." Raimy scoffed, "I'd marry the frog. Avoid Dracula and kiss Flynn." She said.
"Ok, this is officially the craziest house ever." AJ shook her head.
"Mommy, what would you do?" Vivian asked.
"Well I'd avoid all of them." AJ said, "I don't need a vampire or a frog when I have daddy." She shook her head.
"If… if daddy was a frog." Vivian said, clinging from her mother as Punk watched, "Would you keep him and feed him? And let him in your bed?" She giggled as Punk just laughed.
"Of course I would. He'd be the prettiest frog ever." AJ smiled.
"Ew." Vivian shook her head, not sold that any frog could ever be pretty, "He'd be slimy. I'd throw him back in the pond."
"Thanks very much." Punk nodded.
"Would you really kiss a frog?" Raimy asked her mother.
"No." AJ laughed, "Not unless it was your dad trapped inside." She clarified as Raimy nodded, just trying to get things clear, "And can we make it clear that you both don't go around kissing frogs." She said.
"Or boys." Punk called from the phone.
"What's wrong with boys?" Raimy asked.
"They're disgusting creatures. Stay away from them." Punk nodded.
"You're a boy." Vivian pointed out.
"I'm special though." Punk said, "Rare." He said as AJ just shook her head and smiled.
"I don't know." Vivian said, not convinced.
"Ok, we have to let daddy sleep now." AJ nodded, "And you both need a bath." She said.
The girls said goodnight to Punk as did AJ and both headed for their bath. AJ normally just put them in the same bath as it was easier and less time consuming, and ever since having children, she was all about making changes that made her life easier.
"What pyjamas do you have for me?" Vivian asked, sitting at one end of the bath whilst Raimy sat at the other.
"I have… gingerbread men." AJ said, sitting on the toilet seat, "You like these ones."
"I do." Vivian nodded, "Why do we have to talk to daddy through the phone?" She asked.
"Because he's not here, idiot." Raimy answered for her as Vivian kicked her under the water.
"Hey, don't." AJ warned, "He's working away for a few days so that's how we can talk to him and see him."
"I'd rather see him not through the phone." Vivian admitted as AJ smiled and nodded.
"Yeah me too, baby." AJ agreed, "He'll be home soon." She smiled, listening as there was a knock at their front door, "Stay here." AJ told them, "And no fighting." She warned, leaving the bathroom and walking downstairs.
By the time she'd gotten downstairs and to the door, she suspected that she had probably missed whoever was there, but she opened up the door anyway. She was about to close it back over, realising she had missed whoever it was, when she noticed something sitting on the front step.
She looked down, crouching down and picking up the glass bottle, looking on with horror and terror as she held what was a bottle of whiskey. She immediately closed the door over, locking it with a shaking hand and putting the chain on.
She rushed into the living room and looked out of the curtains to see if she could see anyone and when she couldn't she closed the curtains over tight, clutching the bottle of whiskey in her hand, glancing to and from it.
She knew what it was and she almost felt the air get cold around her. That feeling of fear she hadn't felt in so long taking over her.
"Mommy!" Vivian called as AJ snapped out of her trance.
"Coming!" AJ called up, running her hand over her mouth as she looked at the whiskey.
She walked into the kitchen and placed it down, backing away from it as she headed back upstairs and into the bathroom
"Ok, let's get you guys out." AJ nodded.
"I'm not done yet." Vivian frowned.
"Come on, we can… we can watch a movie in my bed, ok?" AJ nodded to them as they agreed.
She got them out of the bath and helped dry them both, getting them into their pyjamas as quickly as she could, feeling on edge for the first time in forever.
She marched them out of the bathroom, across the hall and into her and Punk's bedroom, closing the over behind her immediately and looking at it worriedly.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Raimy asked, noticing her mother was acting strange whilst they got into their parents big bed.
"What?" AJ turned around, "Nothing." She smiled, "I just want some company." She nodded to them.
"You never want company." Vivian mumbled, "Not in bed anyway." She said.
"Well tonight I do. I miss daddy so… you guys will have to hug me extra tight." AJ smiled to them.
"So we're second choice?" Vivian folded her arms as AJ just smiled.
"No, of course not." AJ gasped, "Come on, let's pick a movie." She nodded to them, climbing onto the bed with them, pulling them into her tightly.
She didn't want to think about what it actually meant, finding what she had just found on their front step. For such a long time, she faced a lot, and she never had to worry because all she had to protect was herself, but having two precious babies that she would do anything for made this all the more terrifying, and she didn't know what the hell to do or think.