Forgive Me

"Didn't I, or didn't I not say this was going to be a bad idea?" Dean asked Punk later on, sitting in Punk's new apartment with Seth and Enzo too.

"I still like her." Punk said, "I just don't think I should be stringing her along. What happens when Joni does come home with me? Where does she fit into my life?" Punk asked.

"Joni is just one little girl, Punk." Enzo said, "You don't need to drop absolutely everything for her. You can still be her dad and have a relationship too."

"Woah, woah woah..." Seth put his hand up, walking in from the kitchen with a beer, "Since when do you even date women?" Seth looked across at Punk, "The last relationship you had was Kirin, and that ended in a complete disaster."

"AJ is nothing like Kirin." Punk said.

"As soon as she's done being your probation officer you can just get rid of her. You'll never have to see her again." Seth shrugged, collapsing down on the couch as Enzo nudged him for his discouraging words.

"I don't want that though." Punk said, "I want to be with her. If it wasn't for her, I don't know where I would have turned coming out of prison. And she..." He turned to them all as they all looked at him, every single insensitive bone inside their bodies shuddering, "She makes me happy." He shrugged as Seth groaned.

"Is this what high school feels like?" Seth asked, "I know we never went, but it seems pretty fitting." He spat.

"Who even invited you tonight, man?" Punk hissed back as Seth just grunted and turned to the TV.

"Just be with her." Enzo shrugged, "You can be Joni's dad, and AJ's boyfriend at the same time. I don't think it sounds that difficult." He said as Punk just sighed.

"Well I've gone and fucked it up now anyway." He said, "Should have seen the look on her face."

"Quit hurting her then." Dean said, "Either you tell her you'll be with her, or you tell her you won't. You can't just keep going back and forth whenever you feel like. This is the bitch that can have you locked up in prison by the click of her fingers. Remember that."

"Oh, shut up." Punk spat.

"I think she seems like a nice girl." Enzo shrugged, "It's about time one of us got a nice girlfriend around here. Our dating records are pretty bad." He said, "I'd like to meet her." He said as Punk turned to him and raised his eyebrows.

"Let's focus on her talking to me again first." He said.

"Bet you she's not all that." Seth moaned as Punk just laughed.

"Trust me, pal. She is all that." He said, "I don't see any of you going out and getting laid." He said.

"I'm having a dry spell." Seth said.

"Matches your dry attitude." Dean grunted.

"So what the fuck do I do here?" Punk asked them.

"You're big enough and ugly enough to make your own decisions." Dean said, "What do you want? Where do you see yourself in five years time? Because I pray to God it's not still single." He said as Punk just ran his hands through his hair.

"I think I've fucked it up. She won't speak to me after me messing her around like this."

"Then move the fuck on." Seth added.

"I am this close to coming over and knocking you out." Punk spat.

"Do you want her?" Enzo asked Punk who nodded. He did want AJ. He wanted her morning, noon and night. She was all he thought about, and their short few days together were perfect, but he truly believed he had fucked it up. He had messed her around and she was no doubt terrified he'd do it again. She didn't deserve such an unsteady relationship. She deserved the world. He wanted to give her the world.

"I want her." Punk nodded.

"Then get her." Enzo said, "And don't worry about Joni, you'll make time for her, and she'll be back here in no time. Just gotta give her space and let her come round."

"Thanks man." Punk nodded to Enzo who just winked jokingly and stood up stretching from the couch.

"Are we done having our teenage girl talk?" Seth asked as Punk grabbed a cushion and threw it at him, watching it bounce off his head, "Hey." Seth moaned as Dean and Enzo laughed.

"You just shut your face, Rollins." Punk said, "We all know who'd win this fight." He said as Seth just muttered under his breath but smiled. They'd all missed Punk so much. The gang felt reunited again, despite Joey having ran off…

"What is it with this guy?" Carmella asked, looking over at her friend who sat on the living room floor, in sweats, chinese food in front of her and a bottle of wine, "He is turning you into an alcoholic." She said, taking a seat down beside her.

"I've had one glass." AJ rolled her eyes, looking on at the TV and holding her box of noddles in her hand, "You want some? There's plenty here." She said but Carmella just shook her head.

"You wanna talk about it?" Carmella asked.

"About what?"

"Well clearly he's pissed you off. Again." Carmella said.

"He just keeps messing me around. Thinks I'll come and go as he wants me to. But I'm over it. Over him. Just a stupid criminal I have to babysit to get paid." She shook her head.

"You really liked him." Carmella frowned.

"Yeah, well I'm over it." She said, "He wants to focus on his daughter and getting her back, and I need to focus on my job."

"You know there's more to life than your job, right?" Carmella asked.

"Not for me." AJ said, "As soon as I'm finished with him and he goes off into the sunset with his daughter, I'll be moved onto the next criminal. It's a cycle. And I'll forget about him."

"What'd he say to you?" Carmella asked.

"He wasn't mean." AJ said, putting down her noodles and reaching for the wine, "He just said that he had to focus everything into getting Joni. He said it didn't feel right that he was in bed with me whilst his daughter was in care, which I totally didn't understand what that meant really." She said, "I don't if it's because he feels guilty that she's in there and he's out getting fucked. But it's not like she can leave any time soon anyway." She said.

"I think he's confused." Carmella said.

"Well whatever he is, isn't my problem." AJ said, "Well he is, but on a business level." She said.

"You said the sex was great." Carmella frowned as AJ turned to her.

"It was." AJ nodded, "But there's plenty other fish in the sea." She smiled. She was putting on a brave face, but deep down she was standing her ground. She wasn't going to be messed around like this and come running to him when he wanted her. She wasn't that type of woman. She had class. She thought he was serious and being with her, and she sensed he didn't want to break things off, but she was done caring. He had more important things to focus on.

"You sure you're ok?" Carmella asked, sensing her friends sadness that she wasn't admitting to, watching her put down the glass of wine and sigh.

"I'm not even mad at him." She cried, looking up at Carmella, "It's impossible for me to hate him or not think about him. And I didn't even care that it wasn't really a relationship. I didn't care that it was just sex because when I was with him… it was like nothing else mattered." She said, "And I want to hate him but I can't." She said as Carmella shuffled over to her and wrapped her arm around her.

"It'll be ok." Carmella soothed as AJ leaned her head on her shoulder, "He isn't worth getting upset over."

The next day AJ was at work in her office catching up on paper work she had to file. She wasn't meeting with Punk today, which gave her an extra day to avoid any awkwardness between them which was sure to be there.

She sat at her desk putting printed off documents in their correct folders when she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in!" She said, spinning around on her chair so her back was facing the door, "Give me a second." She said, still not aware of who it was, sliding the folder into the correct place and spinning back around, looking over at her visitor, "What are you doing here?" She asked calmly.

"I came to apologise." He told her, flowers in hand that he sat down on her desk as she looked up at him, "I know it seems like I'm always apologising for doing something wrong, but I've never really done this relationship thing."

"Well as far as I'm concerned we weren't even in a relationship." She said, "I'm busy." She said tiredly, "You need to go."

"I will." He said, "But first I'd like to ask you on a date." He said as she sighed.

"Punk-"

"A proper date." He said.

"You know I can't." She shook her head, "And I'm not… I'm not gonna be messed around anymore." She said.

"This time I won't mess you around." He said, "I promise." He said, "I want you. And I can have you and I can have Joni. I don't have to have one or the other." He said.

"Would have been better if you realised that before you said all that to me last night." She said, "But I still can't go out with you. And I'm not sure I even want to anymore." She shrugged. She was just fed up. She wanted something steady and meaningful with him. Because she liked him. She hated herself that she couldn't dislike him. But she still liked him.

"I spoke to your boss about it." He said.

"What?!" AJ shrieked, "Oh my god, am I fired?" She stood up as he chuckled.

"No." He laughed, "I stopped and asked her if it would be ok and appropriate if I took you out on a date, and she said, yeah, it's been a while since April has been on a date." He said.

"Bitch." AJ whispered as Punk smiled, "I don't want to get hurt." She shook her head, "I'm better off this way. There's a reason I've been so alone this entire time." She said as he just rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that." He said, "I know I've hurt you, and I hate myself for it, but this time I promise… I won't hurt you, and if I do, lock me back up in jail." He put his hands up as she just smiled.

"I would never do that." She said, "I think I'd miss you." She said seriously as he smiled.

"I'd miss you." He replied, "So… what'd you say? Go on a date with me?" He smiled as she looked up at him.

She hated him for this. She wanted to resist and stand her ground, but he seemed serious about it this time. Like he finally had his head screwed on right. Or was she just telling herself that because she wanted to feel better about accepting his offer.

"I'm not going on a date with you if you turn around to me next week and tell me that we're not doing this anymore." She said, "You can't mess me around and expect me to run to you when you want me." She shook her head.

"I don't expect that." He said, "I want you all the time. Not just when I feel like it. I've just been confused these past few weeks, seeing Joni again and still adjusting to being out of prison, and to be honest… I guess I'm pretty shocked that a girl like you is even giving me the time of day." He laughed as she smiled.

"Ok. Fine." AJ said, "But if you shut it down again that's it." She said firmly as he nodded with a smile, "Where do you plan on taking me?" She asked. She hadn't been on a date in so long, and a date with him sounded so inviting.

"Everything you need to know is on that little card on the flowers." He said, "Enjoy the rest of your day." He nodded politely as she just laughed at him trying to be gentleman like.

"I expect to be picked up in a limousine." She said as he walked out the door.

"Just you wait." He said as she smiled, watching the door close over as she reached for the card on the flowers, smiling as she read it and sinking back into her chair.

A/N: I wonder how their date will go. REVIEW and let me know what you think!