The next day, Punk had came round to the house after dinner time like AJ had suggested. He was really grateful to her for letting him see the kids. Yesterday was a small step into things, like dipping a toe into the water and taking it back out, but it was a start. They were children, he couldn't force them to feel safe and confident around him. That had to be gained, and he was so willing to take it slow for them, even though he knew he would get incredibly impatient. It seemed like he already had a one up on Nick, but the small boy had still grown an awful lot, and Punk still had so much to learn about what he'd been up to. Three years was a long, long time.

"This is my room. Do you like it?" Nick guided his father into his bedroom.

The room was big and spacious unlike the cramped conditions he and Nick knew years ago in Chicago with Dean. And he was right yesterday, it was all spider-man. Spider-man covers, curtains and a spider-man night light. He could see that AJ had tidied it, no doubt afraid he would judge her if there was mess, which he totally wouldn't. He didn't care.

"This is cool, buddy." Punk nodded, "You got lots of room in here, huh?" He smiled as Nick nodded.

"I've asked for a TV for my Christmas, but I don't know if santa will bring it." He shrugged. He was at the age of wanting to indulge in video games that the boys in his class talked about. Growing up with two sisters and a mom had left him pretty clueless on what to do with his spare time. Not that it was a bad thing.

"Well here's hoping he does." Punk said, "Are these all your toys?" Punk asked, pointing to the box in the corner with some trucks, action figures and some comics in the mix.

"Yeah." Nick nodded, "Rebecca plays with them more than I do." Nick shrugged as Punk smiled.

"Hey, maybe you could help me out." Punk said as Nick took a seat on his bed, watching his father sit next to him, "What do Rebecca and Harli like? Is there something I could talk to them about?" He asked.

"Rebecca will talk to you about anything." Nick stated.

"And what about Harli?" Punk asked as Nick shrugged.

"Dunno. Sometimes mom can't even get her to talk." He said, "But c'mon, I can show you the swing-set mom got in the garden." He yanked his fathers hand and dragged him out of the room.

He was full of excitement and from that, Punk was excited too. He could see how much Nick had really grown, especially in the way he spoke and looked of course. He could remember when he was just a baby. When life was hard and he thought that would be the biggest challenge of his life But it wasn't. This was. Being broken apart from his and the girls, and having to reconnect.


After Nick showed Punk nearly every visible part of the house, he settled down and sat in the living room to watch TV like AJ had suggested. Harli sat with him whilst Rebecca stood in the kitchen waiting for her mother to pierce the straw through her juice box, hugging her favourite blanket under her arm as she kept her eyes on Punk the entire time.

"What's this, is this a blanket?" Punk asked her, about to reach for it when she tugged it away. He could see she was tired and not happy about him going to touch her blanket.

"Don't touch it, please." Rebecca said politely as Punk turned to AJ who grinned a little, "Mommy, c'mon… the movie is nearly finishing." Rebecca sighed as AJ tutted.

"You're so impatient." AJ sighed, "Here." She handed the four year old her juice box as she ran away into the living room.

"Well, at least she has manners." Punk laughed as AJ threw some collected rubbish from the kitchen into the trash, "What's with the blanket?" He asked.

"Oh, it's just her favourite blanket. You know, kids her age normally have a teddy they love. She just loves that blanket." AJ shrugged, "And don't worry about her snapping. She's tired, she gets like that."

"Just like me." Punk muttered.

"What?" AJ said.

"Nothing." Punk shook his head, "It's like she doesn't even care that I'm here."

"She doesn't really understand, Phil." AJ said, "Which may be a good thing. She could be like Harli." She said as Punk sighed.

"I don't know what I can do for Harli to talk to me." Punk said as AJ sighed, folded up the dish towel in front of him.

"Try not get caught up in Harli too much-"

"She's my kid just as much as Nick and Rebecca are." Punk said, "I'm not- I'm not treating her any different from them."

"I know." AJ nodded, "I just mean, leave her be, let her come round to you." She suggested as Punk nodded.

"It still feels surreal to see them again. To see how much they've grown." He said, rubbing his hand over his face, feeling a little tired himself. He hadn't been sleeping much due to everything that was going on in his life at the moment, and nor was AJ for that matter of fact.

"I still can't believe you're really here." AJ said as Punk smiled.

"Starting to warm up to me again, are you?" He joked as she turned away from him.

"I'm gonna get them to bed. They've had a long day." She said as he nodded.

"Do you want help?" He asked her, a thing she had dreamed about hearing for three years, yet realised she had to refuse the offer.

She shook her head, "One step a time, yeah?" She said as he nodded, watching her walk away, hearing Nick put up a fight but hearing footsteps follow on the stairs shortly after. He wouldn't deny that she was a great mother, and she definitely had to have the patience of a saint considering there was three of them. But surely she struggled some times. He was here not to just see his children again, but help out more, take the pressure off her, and it looked like she was refusing that help.

Around fifteen minutes later, which was quicker than Punk expected, AJ came downstairs just as he was getting his things together to leave.

"That was quick." He admitted.

"They were tired." She said as he nodded, "Same time tomorrow?" She asked him as he nodded.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I'm looking at some houses near by in the morning. Can't live in a hotel forever." He said as she shifted a smile his way.

Forever. He was staying forever? Forever was a long time.

"Listen, don't worry too much about them not reacting much to you. They've went a long time without a father. It's just going to take some time." She told him as he nodded.

"I know. And I have time for them. So much time." He smiled, "I'm gonna get a house and find a job around here. It's time I start paying for them and helping you out." He said.

"Don't say it like that." She said, "You asked so much in the letters you sent, if you could send me money for them, and I always refused. Don't say it like you walked out on me back then-"

"Well that's the way you treat this situation." He shrugged as she frowned.

"Phil, I don't."

"Then why tell Nick it was me who left?" He asked, recalling yesterday at the park.

"It was easier." AJ replied.

"On who?" Punk shook his head, "On you, of course." He said.

"Don't say it like that." She sighed, "I've always done what was best for our children."

"Yeah, exactly. Our children." He said, "I've missed the full of my daughter's life. I never heard her first words, seen her first steps, seen her first everything. My son isn't a little boy anymore. I've missed him starting school, learning new things. And Harli, well she hates me and gives me daggers everytime I even look at her." He said, "So you tell me, what part of taking them from me, in your head, was ever a good idea? You knew this would happen. You knew I'd come back and give in eventually." He said.

"We weren't happy together. You weren't even there, and when you were, you were accusing me of cheating-"

"We could have worked it out. You never talked to me, April." He exclaimed.

"You were never there to talk to." She fought back, "You were in Iraq or Afghanistan." She said, "So I turned to Randy, as a friend, to talk to, and you thought I would stoop so low and cheat on you with him." She said, "A relationship is built on trust, and you didn't trust me, and I was not going to be forced away from my children. They were always coming with me." She said.

"Of course they were." Punk nodded, "Because what am I? I'm just dad, I don't have a say in anything, they have to be with their mom." He said as she shook her head at him.

"Why are you being like this?" She asked, standing across from him in the living room, "Don't take it out on me because your daughter's won't speak to you." She said. But she realised that, it was partially her fault, and if there was anyone to take it out on, it would be her.

"They won't speak to me, because you took them away from me." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry." She sighed, holding back tears as he presented true facts in front of her, "I'm sorry." She repeated.

Punk watched her as tears welled in her eyes, refusing them to be cried from her own pride, turning away and wiping her eyes so he couldn't see, but he did see. He seen it all.

"What happened to you?" Punk sighed, walking over to her, reaching out and placing his hands on either side of her arms. He full on expected her to be living it up in the sun, a new man on her waist, a smile on her face, but she just looked completely broken.

"I didn't do it to hurt you." She shook her head.

He didn't mean to cause such a fight, but he was just saying what he felt and what was obvious. It seemed like she was admitting to her mistakes, because of course he knew that she seen this as her mistake.

"I know you didn't." Punk said, "But you didn't do it to benefit me either." He said as she looked up at him, having nothing left her in, no fight or resistance of crying, bowing her head as her shoulders shook in rhythm of her cries, "April." Punk whispered, slowly guiding her into him as she hugged him for the first time, resting her head into his solid, protective chest.

She hadn't been hugged in forever, and she was just completely lost in the heat of her ex husbands body. What good was denying that she needed him. She knew deep down she did, but she didn't want to look needy or desperate.

"S-Sorry." She shook her head, pulling back from his embrace, "I didn't mean to-"

"Cry?" Punk asked her.

"No, I just-" She paused as she felt him dry her tears from her cheeks, almost having to shut her eyes at the soft touch, "It's inappropriate. You're here for the kids and I shouldn't be… shouldn't be crying." She said, drying her tears further as he nodded.

"I am here if you need me, AJ. You can talk to me." He said.

"I'm fine. Really." She smiled as he nodded, unconvinced.

"Ok. Well I better get going." Punk said, "Tomorrow, the same time?" He said as she nodded.

"Yeah." She walked him out, watching as he left the house, shutting the door over and sighing as she pressed her hand against her forehead with embarrassment.

Ignoring the fact that it was he who pulled her in, she was so sure of it that she did not want him back in her life. She was doing this for the kids, but each passing moment with him began to build up more heat and she wouldn't allow it.

She'd done fine on her own for three years. She didn't need him now. But perhaps she had to figure out what fine really meant before making that statement.


A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! Keep them coming. Who thinks AJ needs to loosen the hinges a little? Maybe there's a reason behind her coldness, who knows. Hope you're all enjoying. More coming soon. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Happy Sunday! -punklau