Taken
"Hey! Anna is in labour!" Punk called as he walked into the house a few weeks later, watching AJ appear at the top of the stairs as she rushed down them.
"She is?" AJ asked.
"Yeah, Dean text. Says her waters broke this morning." He said, "I told him to update us and that we'd be in there right away as soon as she's born." He smiled.
"Oh, I'm so excited." AJ smiled cheerfully, "I'm just glad I don't have to go through any pain to see this baby." She said, walking through to the kitchen as he followed and nodded.
"Yeah, me too." Punk agreed as AJ just made a face, "What? I get those sympathy pains thing." Punk waved his hand, immediately going to the fridge to eat something after a long shift.
"Yeah, and I'm sure that compares to the pain I had to go through." She made a face as he just shrugged.
"Where is Keala and Frankie? It's real quiet in here." Punk admitted to her truthfully.
"Keala is with Colette and Frankie is sleeping. Jackson wanted Keala to go over and play on the new x-box he got for his birthday." AJ smiled sweetly, "Of course Keala jumped at the opportunity to beat any male at anything."
"My girl." Punk nodded, not surprised at all, "So we have a… a quiet house?" Punk gasped, "That's tempting."
"I have work to do, nice try." AJ smiled across at him.
"It's 5pm. Work time is over." He said, walking over to her.
"Yeah, for you maybe. I have a case to present in front of a judge in a few days." She told him.
"Are you married to this judge?" Punk questioned as she smiled.
"No, I'm not." She said.
"Well then forget about him." He smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss on her lips as she kissed back, smiling against the kiss as he picked her up and sat her on the kitchen table.
"You're terrible." She shook her head.
"No I'm not." Punk smiled, kissing her neck as she rolled her head back and smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Vanessa asked, looking over as her mother walked into the hospital room she was in. Of course dressed head to toe in her finest clothes, her hair perfectly curled and her make-up slapped on.
"Here to meet my grandson." Kelly said, sitting her purse down and walking over to the bassinet beside Vanessa's bed, not saying anything else as she wandered over and picked the baby boy up, "Now this one looks more like you." She nodded.
"This one?" Vanessa stared at her tiredly, "His name is Dean." She spat.
"Dean." Kelly nodded, "It's a nice name." She smiled, cradling the baby boy into her arms as he slept quietly, "Where is your other son?" She asked.
"With a friend." Vanessa said.
"Not his father?" Kelly asked.
"Go away." Vanessa shook her head, "I… I just can't be bothered listening to you right now."
"Nineteen and you have two kids. It's like you're going for a record or something." Kelly shook her head, "I taught you about safe sex, didn't I?"
"Go away." Vanessa repeated calmly.
"Where is he?" Kelly asked her.
"I don't know." Vanessa answered truthfully.
"He left a few days ago and he's not came home." Vanessa said.
"And then you let him back in when he does come home, don't you? You let him back in and you have no idea where he's been, who he's been with or… inside-"
"He doesn't cheat on me." Vanessa spat.
"How do you know that?" Kelly asked her, "You know nothing about what he does. He's a filthy drug addict and if you want any sort of quality of a life, for you and your sons, then you'll tell him to stay away."
"Why do you care?" Vanessa asked, "We all have our problems. He just needs some help. He'll be fine." She said, still living in denial that they could be a perfect family, when so much damage had already been done.
"I care because you are my daughter you stupid girl." Kelly spat.
"You didn't care when I had Phil." Vanessa said.
"I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I thought you'd prove me wrong, and for a while I thought you had. You got into nursing school, JC had a steady job, you had your house, I thought… I owe that poor girl an apology." She nodded, "But no… this is exactly what I knew would happen since the minute you looked in that boys general direction. I told you. He is messed up, he is from the wrong side of the tracks and he will bring you down with him. I'm surprised you're not on drugs at this point." She shook her head as Vanessa just stayed silent, "I mean… he left you to give birth alone. What kind of man does that?"
"He didn't know I was in labour-"
"Vanessa, stop defending him." Kelly shook her head, "You need to open your eyes, girl. And do it fast." She said.
"I love him. And he loves me." Vanessa said, the only thing she was sure of.
"Maybe but it's not a good relationship. Not for either of you. This is where the adult in you should tell you to walk away. But you're a child and you're trying to glove onto something that just isn't happening. You have two sons now. One who is one, almost two. And a newborn. That's a lot for a young girl like you to focus on. The last thing you need is to be worrying about that boy coming home drunk, or high… what if he gets violent? It's all possibilities-"
"He wouldn't hurt me." Vanessa shook her head, "Why are you here? You don't care about me. I was… I was invisible to you. It wasn't until Hayley died that you actually paid attention to me." She said as Kelly glared at her.
"That is not true." Kelly spat.
"It is." Vanessa said, "You didn't even know I was dating JC until you found out I was pregnant… because you didn't care." She said, "And I'm glad you didn't because he paid me attention, and he loved me, way better than you ever have. And yeah we had dirty rough sex. And I've smoked. And I've been so drunk I forgot about what happened the night before." She said as Kelly looked at her with disgust, "I don't care." She said tiredly, "I don't care about any of it. I care about my sons and my boyfriend."
"Your boyfriend who… just disappears for a few days, doesn't tell you where he is. Your sons… one who is with a friend because you have absolutely no one else in your life to look after him." Kelly said as Vanessa rested her head on the pillow, "You should be ashamed of all of this… this mess you've gotten yourself into. You should have got an abortion the first time, got rid of JC and went onto nursing school-"
"No, I shouldn't have." Vanessa shook her head, "My sons mean the world to me. I can do everything I want to do with kids too. It's not impossible." She said.
"And what about a drunk boyfriend?" Kelly asked, "He's gonna weigh you down until you are six foot under. Believe me."
"You're wrong." Vanessa whispered.
"Am I?" Kelly laughed a little, "You're just in denial. Wake up. And wake up quickly, if not for you, then for these two little boys. I don't doubt your skills to be a mother. You've always been a very… caring person. Especially with your sister." She nodded to herself, "Just get rid of him. Watch all your problems fall away."
"Leave." Vanessa said as Kelly just nodded.
"I just wanted to come… give you a reality check." Kelly said, placing Dean back down in the bassinet, picking her purse back up, "I hope you come to your senses." She said as Vanessa just turned away from her, listening as she left the room.
Vanessa turned her head around and sighed, tears welling in her eyes as she looked around the empty room, glancing over at Dean and sighing as she wiped her tears. She felt more alone now than ever.
"I have a niece. I can't believe it." Punk smiled, walking into the hospital later that night, holding Frankie in his arms as the one year old looked around at the hospital surroundings, holding onto the top of his father's jacket.
"I bet she's so cute." AJ smiled. They were both super excited to meet their new niece who they had been told was perfectly healthy, born a few hours ago at 6 pounds and 5 ounces.
"Keala will be so bummed she couldn't come." Punk said.
"To be honest, I think she's more happy at Colette's, she text to say that we might need to get an x-box for her this Christmas." AJ laughed a little, "I'd end up just playing it all the time. Could be a disaster."
"Now that's something I'd like to see again." Punk nodded, recalling AJ playing video games a hell of a lot when they were younger.
"Could be bad for my career." She smiled, taking the elevator up to the maternity unit as they eventually got out and walked along the corridor to get to the room which Dean text that they were in.
"Here take this guy." Punk said, passing Frankie over to AJ who took the toddler in her arms, walking on into the room, "Hey." Punk smiled, glad to see both Dean and Anna.
"Hey." Dean and Anna both smiled in sync, Anna of course a little more tiredly.
"Congratulations, kid." Punk smiled as he walked over to his brother, embracing him tightly and messing his hair up as Dean laughed.
"Thanks." Dean smiled.
"Congratulations." Punk smiled, moving onto Anna as he leaned down and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. AJ went onto do the same, awkwardly giving them both a hug with Frankie in her arms. It was nice for something nice to be going on for once.
"So where is she?" AJ smiled.
"She's down in the nursery." Dean said, "I'll take you down to see her." He nodded, "I think it's only one person in the room at a time-"
"I'll wait here." AJ said, "As long as you come back for me so I can see her straight after." She smiled.
"What's her name?" Punk asked, taking his jacket off and throwing it over the arm chair which AJ took a seat on beside the bed, sitting Frankie on her knee as he looked around the room and pulled her hair cheekily.
"Skyler… April." Dean smiled, looking over at AJ as she raised her eyebrows.
"What?" AJ said in a high-pitched voice.
"What?" Dean shrugged, "You're my sis." He said as Anna smiled. She understood why he wanted to give their daughter a special middle name. And it was special to him. AJ was just as good a sister to him as Phil was a brother.
"That's so nice." AJ said, feeling extremely touched, "Thank you." She said, looking over at Anna who just smiled.
"It's a pretty name." She nodded as AJ smiled.
Dean smiled, turning to his brother who folded his arms and looked at him, "And where is Phil?" Punk asked.
"Phil is a boy's name." Dean rolled his eyes, "Don't be so dramatic." He shook his head, "You're still gonna be her favourite uncle." He nodded as Punk just scoffed.
"Yeah, well obviously." Punk said, "Ok, c'mon. I wanna see her." He said as AJ smiled.
"Don't be too long." AJ told them as they left the room, turning around to Anna to talk to her about how she was feeling and how it all went.
"She seems really small but like… I think it might just be me thinking that." Dean told his brother as they walked down the corridor.
"Yeah, it seems like it when you hold them." Punk nodded, "How'd it feel? Being in the room?"
"Dude I almost cried." Dean shook his head, "It's so overwhelming like… it's your little person. It's crazy." He said as Punk smiled.
"So it's not as scary as you thought so far?" Punk smiled.
"Well… she's a few hours old." Dean said, "Give it a few days."
"Does CJ know she's born?" Punk asked.
"Yeah, I told Paige to tell him. She's gonna bring him in tomorrow to see her. He's super excited." Dean nodded.
"I'm just joking about the name, by the way. I love it. It's cute." Punk nodded, "And… I know it will mean a whole to AJ that you gave her April as a middle name." He said.
"Yeah, well she's just like a sister, isn't she?" Dean shrugged, "Been there for me as much as you have over the years." He said as Punk smiled, "Ok, here we are." He smiled, walking up to the glass window in the nursery, "She's just…" He looked along the babies, spotting the bassinet that Skyler was in earlier, empty.
"Where?" Punk asked.
"She was… in that one there." Dean said with confusion as he pointed to the empty bassinet as Punk shook his head, "Wait a minute." He said, turning to a doctor passing by, "Hey, my daughter was in the bassinet over there on the right and now she's not in it, do you… know where she is?" He asked, feeling like it was a stupid question.
"I can go check. She might be getting fed or something." The doctor nodded casually, "I'll go see." She told him.
"Thanks." Dean nodded, watching her as she walked down the corridor to the desk area.
"Look at them all just lying there. I guarantee one of them will end up in prison." Punk said, looking on at all the babies as Dean just rolled his eyes.
"What the hell is going on?" Dean said to himself as he saw the doctor he was talking to, speaking with a few other doctors. He was starting to get nervous.
Punk turned around and saw Dean was making his way over to the desk area, so he followed him.
"Can you guys tell me what's going on?" Dean asked, slowly creeping around the corner, shaking his head as he saw Jean, Anna's mother standing signing papers over a desk, "What the hell are you doing here?" Dean shook his head.
"She… has legal custody over the baby, sir." The doctor said as Dean looked at the doctor as though she was headless.
"Excuse me?" Dean shook his head.
"What?" Punk spat.
"With you and the baby's mother on drugs, on legal grounds, Mrs Ferris has gotten legal custody over the baby as her grandmother."
"I'm not on drugs… neither is my girlfriend." Dean said, looking up and over at Jean who finished signing over release papers, looking over at him.
"She's not safe with them." Jean told one of the doctors quietly as Dean looked on at her, in shock and disbelief that this was actually happening.
"You have no proof." Punk spat, starting to get just as angry.
"We… do." The doctor said, "We have blood work from both the baby's mother and father. A stream of cocaine was found in the blood work. That's not something we can ignore and with Mrs Ferris here seeking custody, she's got it on the basis of the safety of the baby. That's all we can say." The doctor said.
"You can't just take her!" Dean yelled, "You fucking bitch." Dean spat as Jean sat down the pen on the desk.
"She's not safe with your or Anna. This is the best thing for Skyler-"
"Who'd you pay to give the fake blood work?" Dean asked, trying to get closer to her as Punk followed closely to make sure he didn't do anything he'd regret, "Huh? Who did you pay? We all know you're rich. Who'd you pay for this to actually work out?" Dean asked loudly, making sure everyone could hear him.
"No one." Jean said, "She's in safer conditions in New York with me."
"You are not taking my daughter to New York." Dean said, "How is this happening?!" He yelled at the doctors angrily.
"The papers are all there." The doctor put her hand up, "It's official-"
"Fuck off, no it's not." Dean spat, "I'm her dad and I'm not on drugs!" He spat at Jean who just nodded
"Yeah, you are. You're just like your father." Jean shook her head.
"Think about what you're doing here." Punk said, trying not to lose his cool, not believing this was actually happening in front of him.
"I'm making sure a little girl grows up safely." Jean spat, "Something your mother never did for either of you." She hissed as Punk and Dean just stared at her, "Only if she could see this right now." She smiled.
"She would knock your head clean off your shoulders!" Dean yelled.
"You see." Jean said, turning to the doctors, "Violent and a drug addict." She nodded, "She's better with me." She nodded to them.
"You're not gonna get what you want here." Punk said, having to put a hand in front of Dean to make sure he didn't get any closer to Jean, "I don't know who you're paying to get this appropriate evidence, and I don't know why you want to take your own daughter's baby from her, but you're not gonna get what you want." Punk shook his head.
"I always get what I want." Jean said, "She stays with me now." She nodded.
"You can't just take her!" Dean shouted, beginning to get hysterical as Punk had to hold him back, "That's my daughter!"
"You'll get an update, maybe a visit." Jean nodded, lifting up the carrier which Skyler was in as Punk and Dean looked at her fast asleep. From what Punk could see, she was perfect, with light little strands of hair, small but healthy, fast asleep over all the commotion going on.
"Please don't take her." Dean shook his head.
"You don't wanna do this." Punk said.
"I do." Jean told him.
"Don't." Dean said, "Why is no one doing anything?!" Dean yelled at the doctors as Punk tried to calm him down, "She's taking my kid!" He yelled, watching as Jean walked out of sight.