Part IX: Safe Place
AJ took a seat on his couch opposite the chair he was occupying and she wasn't sure if it was tension or awkwardness in the air but AJ didn't like the vibe.
"So did you get your panties back?" Punk asked slightly bitter
"If you're going to sit here and scold me I'll find my own to Smack Down" She warned causing his face to soften, he clearly wanted this hostility to end just as much as she did "And yes I did. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you"
"It wasn't me who was embarrassed" Punk said softly causing her look down at her hands
"Whatever" She muttered standing up "I can't do this-"
"No wait I'm sorry" He said to her causing her to sit back down
"What did Paul tell you to make you leave me?" AJ questioned
"Ok but before you jump all over me just know I had your best intentions at heart, I always do" Punk started and she just simply nodded "He informed me that the company had finally accepted I was gone and was looking for a way to stick it to me and they'd be using you to do so. He made it seem like your career would be over, your travel schedule would be double and I'd never get to see you- and I know you, I know you can't travel like that" Punk said to her trying to read her expression but he couldn't "I know how hard you worked to get where you are and I couldn't be the reason it was all taken away"
"And where did Paul get this information from?" AJ questioned coolly
"He told me from Hayes" Punk said to her "I was going to call them but I had no leverage, nothing to threaten them with."
"So the best plan you could come up with was leaving me?" AJ asked almost not believing him
"Yea" was all Punk could say "What was I supposed to do? Marry you and say my vows how I swear to love, honor and protect you knowing what you had waiting for you when you got back to work?"
"You could have told me" AJ said to him "Do you really think I'd pick my job over you?"
"I know you wouldn't and I know down the line you'd resent me for it" Punk said to her
"Then you don't me as well as I thought you did" AJ said shaking her head "I would have quit"
"You would have been sued" Punk shot back "At least that's what I thought"
"What do you mean?" she asked
"I spoke to Hunter about it last week he swears that wasn't the plan" Punk said standing up in frustration "Paul lied to me"
"He wanted you back in the company" AJ frowned "He thought you'd come back with me to look out for me"
"I'm sorry AJ" Punk said to her "I thought at that moment in time I was doing the right thing"
"That's always been your problem you think in the moment and never give any though to the repercussions" AJ scolded "Why are you back now? Why didn't you just come back with me?"
"I didn't want them to think they won" Punk admitted "My pride got in my way but I couldn't stay away from you, I missed you- I still miss you"
"I would have just left" AJ said to him "I could have taken whatever Paul said they'd do to me. Do you really think I'm that fragile?"
"No I just didn't want you to have to take anything from those people" Punk told her with almost disgust "Especially because of me" AJ remained silent soaking it all in for a few moments "Tell me what you're thinking please" he pleaded slightly
"I'm thinking what you did could be seen as very selfless" AJ said softly "Or as an easy way out. If you really loved me you would have faced this with me. Instead you took the word of a friend and dumped me the first chance you got"
"I never wanted that" Punk said standing up and moving next to her "I just-"
"I know you had good intentions" AJ said cutting him off "But do you see where I'm coming from?"
"I do" Punk agreed slightly "But I need you AJ" he said grabbing her hand "I need you in my life- I've tried to live with out you and I can't. I mean I came back to this hell hole to be with you" he said forcing her to look him in the eyes "I can't stand seeing you sad and I know I'm the cause of it"
"I need to think" she said pulling her hand away from his "I just need some time"
"We've missed enough time" Punk reminded her "I don't want to waste another day"
"We can't just go back to where we were before" AJ said standing up as his eyes followed her "Too much has happened"
"No I don't believe that" Punk said to her shaking his head "What so terrible happened?"
"Dolph for one" AJ said to him causing him to frown, he was trying to forget about him "You were with other women"
"You keep bringing that up like they mean anything to me" Punk remarked "They didn't"
"Well it means something to me" AJ shot at him "It's going to take more than this to get us back"
"So there's a chance?" Punk asked watching her from her seat
"Yes, no… I don't know" She said feeling overwhelmed "I just don't know how I'm supposed to trust you again. How am I supposed to believe that you won't go running for the hills again at the first sign of trouble?"
"I've learned from my mistakes" Punk assured her "I made a mistake and I have been trying to fix it"
"How?" AJ questioned "You came back here? Big deal I'm sure there was plenty in it for you. You didn't once try to reach out to me to even show you cared and now all of the sudden you woke up one morning and wanted to be with me again"
"I didn't have an epiphany" Punk said to her "It's not like it struck me suddenly I always wanted you. Do you know how many times I tried to call you but couldn't do it?"
"Well why didn't you? At least it would have shown you cared" AJ said sadly "I mean do you have any idea how scared I was? I picked up my life and moved for you. I was in a strange city with no friends or family. I was utterly and completely alone my family lives in Puerto Rico my friends live in Tampa- you were all I had and I was ok with it because I didn't think you'd ever hurt me"
"I know" Punk said solemnly
"When we did that promo when we were working together and I said that no one had ever cared about me- it wasn't a script and you know that. You were the most important person in my life and you hurt me. You destroyed my trust and my heart" she said as a few tears escaped her eyes
"How can I make it better?" Punk pleaded lightly feeling very emotional as well "Please AJ just tell me"
"If you need me to tell you then this is over" AJ said standing up "Do you mind if I take the bedroom tonight? I just need to be alone"
"Of course" he said licking his bottom lip "But could we just finish this first?"
"It is finished" AJ said sadly then turned and headed to the back of the bus
The next morning when Punk woke up he noticed they were already parked outside the arena for SmackDown. He wanted to catch AJ before she took off because he did not like how they left things off last night. He climbed out off the small bunk he slept in and slid the bedroom door open but she was gone, long gone. He wasn't sure how to take AJ's final words to him last night; did she mean they were finished? Not that it mattered because he wasn't finished and he would fix it.
AJ headed into the arena and found Corey in the catering hall and headed in.
"Do you have my stuff?" she asked annoyed. There were bags under her eyes and clearly she had been crying.
"Oh yea I left it in your locker room" Corey said eyeing her "Are you ok?"
"Why did you and Colt do this?" AJ questioned "I didn't want to be with him"
"You two needed to talk" Corey insisted
"On our own time" AJ shot at her friend "When I was good and ready and I wasn't. And now I'm more confused than ever"
"I'm sorry" Corey frowned "We really thought we were helping"
"Stop helping" AJ remarked coldly before leaving the catering area but she did pass Ziggler on her way out and man his face was messed up.
"AJ" Dolph said trying to get her attention but she just shot him glare "AJ wait up!"
"I have nothing to say to you" AJ seethed "I thought you were trying to be my friend!"
"I was…I am!" Dolph argued "He overheard us talking-"
"No you were bragging" AJ said cutting him off "How dare you use me to get to him like that."
"Isn't that what you wanted? Didn't you want him to at least feel some of your pain?" Dolph questioned
"I wouldn't wish this pain on my worst enemy and certainly not Punk" AJ said sternly "If you ever try to get under his skin again by using me or anyone else for that matter what Punk did to your face is going to seem like child's play when I get through with you" she threatened "And honestly I wouldn't brag about our time you weren't that great" she mocked before continuing down the hall. Punk was watching from the corner and couldn't help but smile proudly at AJ who not only stood up for herself but for him as well….there was still a chance.
AJ wasn't in the mood after the show and just wanted to get home which she did. Punk tried to stop her and offer her a ride back to Chicago but she blew him off. She needed time to herself to think things out. She even ditched Corey because she couldn't stand the questions about her relationship with Punk. She knew he meant well but couldn't take it. She spent an extra night in the City they were in then took a late flight back to Chicago. She wasn't a big fan on traveling by herself especially when she found herself in airport parking lots after midnight. She brushed off her fears though because the last thing she needed was Punk or anyone else for that matter thinking she couldn't take care off herself. She got an apartment in Chicago- a strange city- and has made the most of it. It was like a fresh start for her. When she threw her bags into the trunk of her car and started to open the drivers' side door she was frightened when she felt something poking her in the back. This could not be happening she thought to herself….
"Don't turn around I've got a gun" a harsh male voice whispered into her ear. Did she know it was defiantly a gun? Nope. Was she going to take a chance and fight him off and risk possibly getting shot? Nope.
"Ok" AJ said in a low voice nervously
"Give me you purse" He said harshly and she lifted her messenger bag over her shoulders and handed it to him without turning around. "Now your phone" he demanded poking her again in the back
"Ok, ok" she said reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone and passing it over to him
"Keys too" he seethed
"Why?" AJ asked, she didn't mean to but it was reflex. Was he going to steal my car too?
"Shut up and do it!" The man yelled
"Ok here" she said passing him her keys, which had her car and apartment keys
"Now your jewelry" he demanded causing AJ to roll her eyes.
"None of it is worth much" AJ said to him and that was true maybe the only thing worth money would be her necklace which was a gift from Punk on her Birthday last year.
"Turn around" he said forcing her to look at him and pushed her against the car and now she could see he did in-fact have fun "Don't look at me!" he shouted causing her eyes to divert to the floor quickly. It was dark in the lot and he was wearing a hat so she still couldn't see much even if she tried "Rings and necklace or I'll blow your brains out" Now AJ was nervous as her hands started to tremble, she removed her rings as quickly as possible and placed them in his free hand. "You're a pretty little thing aren't ya?" he mocked using the gun to brush her hair back but she kept her eyes on the floor "It will be a terrible shame if I have to shoot you and disfigure your face over a necklace" AJ sighed and quickly tried to unlatch the necklace but her hands were shaking too much
"Now!" He shouted
"I'm trying!" she yelled back but she felt his hands grip the necklace and rip it off of her roughly "Get on the ground" he said using his gun to point to the cold concrete floor. She obeyed and dropped to her hands and knees and laid across the floor "Count to 100 and if you move one inch and I see it I will kill you" AJ just nodded and waited until she heard him literally run off. She wanted more than anything to get up but she was completely frozen. As she lay on the ground she was starting to think she should have taken Punk up on that ride home…
"Miss?" A friendly voice questioned. She looked up and saw an elderly man eyeing her strangely "Are you alright? Did you faint?"
Within ten minutes airport security and the police arrived on scene. She was taken to the police precinct to give her statement. She was starting to miss Tampa a lot more right now. This never happened to her in Tampa…and who would she call? She didn't have her keys or any information but she knew what number to give when one off the officers asked if they could contact someone for her. She didn't even give it a second thought actually and that really surprised her. He was always her safe place no matter how she felt about him now she knew she could count on him to keep her physically safe. Not that she felt she was in any more danger; she just wanted to feel protected. It was about half an hour later when she saw him enter the station. She was sitting in the waiting area for him and his eyes found hers immediately and he practically raced towards her as she stood up.
"Punk I didn't know who else to call" AJ said softly and nervously "He took-" she couldn't finish her sentence because he pulled her into a tight hug. It was as if he was wrapping himself around her to shield her from everything
"Are you alright?" Punk asked finally pulling away and searched her face and body for any sign of injury
"I'm fine" She said to him "Just embarrassed" she admitted "He took my keys and my wallet- and the necklace you gave me. I didn't want to give it to him but he ripped it off-"
"I'll buy you ten more necklaces" Punk promised
"Can you take me to a hotel?" AJ asked "I have to get my locks changed and I'm sure he won't come back and rob me it's just I wouldn't feel safe there. I'll pay you back for it-"
"Stay with me" Punk said to her seriously "You shouldn't be alone"
"I can't go back there" AJ admitted shaking her head "Please don't make me go back there" if she stepped back into that house she knew her mind would flood back to that night. Punk sighed running his hand over his face he obviously didn't want to leave her. "Stay with me" AJ offered quietly "I'd actually really like it if you did"
"Ok" Punk said kissing her forehead
A/N: A little short but effective...next one will be longer and we are one step closer..
