Breakfast

AJ woke up the next morning, feeling tired and sick. She saw that she was still in her clothes from last night and couldn't understand why.

She got out of bed, her eyes hazy and her head still feeling slightly light. She couldn't remember coming home last night and that terrified her. She immediately thought of Kace and ran or more so tripped out of her room, opening his bedroom door as she saw him lying peacefully asleep.

She placed her hand on her chest with relief and closed the door back over, heading back to her room to go for a shower. She wasn't drinking and she never did drink, so she couldn't understand why she didn't remember most of the night. It was beginning to worry her, and she had no idea how she even got into bed, or how she got Kace into bed.

She stripped out of her dress and got in her shower, washing her hair and scrubbing herself, wakening up a little more as she eventually got out of bed. She was glad that it was the weekend and she was off from work. She just got into some pj's and left her hair wet, heading through to the kitchen and switching the kettle on.

She was frustrated because she was desperately trying to remember what happened. She remembered the party up until a certain point but then it got blurry.

Just as she was waiting on the kettle boiling, she heard a knock at the front door.

She walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to answer it, opening it up and seeing Punk standing with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Morning." Punk nodded as she looked across at him.

"Morning." AJ said with slight confusion, "Are you ok?" She asked him.

"Me?" Punk asked, walking on into the apartment without being asked, "I'm fine." He said casually, "I just wanted to come check in." He said, handing her over the coffee as she took it slowly and walked through to the kitchen as he followed.

"Check in?" AJ asked.

"Yeah. I was actually worried about you last night. I barely slept." He admitted, walking into the kitchen as she took a seat at the table. He could see that she wasn't her normal self. She looked tired and still a little confused.

"Worried?" AJ looked up at him and shook her head.

"Yeah, you were… you were out of it." Punk said, "I opened my door and you were leaning against the wall, practically unconscious." He said, "I thought you were drunk but… Kace told me you didn't drink and the more I looked at you… well, let's just say I didn't think you were drunk." He admitted, placing his hands in his pockets as AJ looked up at him.

"I… I can't remember anything." AJ shook her head, "You… You put me in bed?" She asked him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I wasn't trying to play hero. This is a bad block. Anyone walking in or out, seeing you unconscious, anything could have happened. And… I hate to think that, that was the aim. Maybe you were spiked?" He asked her.

"I was at a fiftieth birthday party." AJ shook her head, "A party where I didn't know anyone. How… How could I have been spiked?" She asked him.

"Wait…" Punk paused, "Did you go with Bonnie?" He asked. He didn't know that she was going to the party. He just thought she'd been out somewhere else.

"Yeah. I said I'd go with her for a few hours." She said, "I can't remember coming home or leaving the party."

"So someone spiked you there?" Punk asked as AJ just shrugged, "Anything could have happened to you." He shook his head as AJ looked up at him.

"You… You put Kace to bed too?" She wondered.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "He made me read to him too." He rolled his eyes a little as AJ smiled, "I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Thank you." AJ nodded, trying not to freak out in front of him, "You're right. Anything could have happened to us. I appreciate what you did." She said as Punk just nodded.

"I think it's something worth while reporting to the police." Punk nodded, "I mean, I hate to break it to you but… someone wanted you spiked because they had an agenda." Punk said.

"I didn't know anyone there." AJ sighed.

"That doesn't matter." Punk said, "This is what I mean. This is what I try to tell Bonnie. Our foster parents are seedy. They've got connections with people I wouldn't want involved with." He said as AJ sighed.

"They seemed lovely." AJ shrugged.

"Yeah, they seemed lovely when I first met them too." Punk said, pulling out a seat and sitting across from her at the table, "You should go to the police. I could come with you if you want-"

"No… No, I'm not going to the police." AJ shook her head, "I'm ok. Whoever… whoever spiked my drink… they obviously didn't have any intentions."

"And what if they did? What if they did and they just… couldn't get to you?" Punk said, "I saw you last night. You were… You were completely out of it. It would only have taken one scumbag to pull your dress up."

"Don't be ridiculous." AJ shook her head, trying not to face the reality of it.

"I'm not being ridiculous." Punk said, "I'm being honest." He told her.

"I'm ok." She insisted, "The police won't be able to do anything anyway. After all, nothing happened to me." She said, "Thank you for… for helping me but I'm ok." She nodded, "I can take care of myself." She said as Punk just nodded.

"In future, I'd stay away from my foster parents." Punk said, "They're bad news."

"I highly doubt it was them who spiked my drink." AJ said, "Maybe it was just someone goofing off and… there weren't any intentions to hurt me-"

"Well I don't find that funny." Punk shrugged coldly, "Do you?" He said.

"No." AJ said, "I just wanna forget about it." She told him truthfully as he just nodded.

"Ok." He said, putting his hands up and standing up, "Like I said, I just wanted to check in and make sure you were feeling ok."

"I'm ok." AJ nodded with a smile. She was trying to act strong but truthfully, she was terrified of what could have happened to her last night. She was so grateful that he'd found her when he did. She just wanted to forget about it all. There was no way she could go to the police…

"If you need anything just let me know." He said as she smiled.

"I uh… I underestimated you." AJ admitted, standing up and looking across at him as he raised a brow, "You're a good man." She nodded, "And maybe… it's none of my business but… I heard you fighting with your girlfriend the other night." She nodded, "Bonnie said you guys fight quite a lot." She said, "Maybe… I don't know, maybe it's a sign." She shrugged.

"Maybe." Punk nodded, "I think we're done. For good this time." He said as AJ just tilted her head, "What?" He laughed.

"Don't you always say that?" She shrugged.

"No, this time I really mean it. I can't keep up with it." He said.

"You shouldn't be with anyone who wants you to change." AJ shook her head, "Or be someone you aren't." She said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I agree." He smiled, listening as a door in the hallway opened and he saw Kace come into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled upon her son as Punk looked down at him, "Did you have a good sleep?" She asked him, running her hand through his messy hair as Punk smiled.

"Yeah." Kace nodded, "Hi, Phil." He waved to Punk.

"Hey." Punk smiled, "I'll uh… I'll get going. Let you guys have breakfast." He nodded.

"Can you stay for breakfast?!" Kace asked excitedly. He'd never had any male figure in his life, not even for a few seconds, and Punk was becoming the closest thing to it, even if he was just a neighbour who liked comics.

"Oh, I'm sure Phil has already eaten." AJ said, smiling to Punk, making sure he knew he didn't have to stay just because Kace said so.

"But please." Kace said as Punk laughed to himself.

"Ok." Punk nodded, "I mean… since you're desperate." He nodded to Kace who smiled and sat up on the kitchen chair.

"You don't have to." AJ whispered.

"I don't mind." He smiled, taking a seat at the table as AJ watched and smiled to herself, watching as Kace began talking to him.

She made breakfast and after Kace running most of the conversation topics whilst eating his breakfast, he eventually left the kitchen and headed to the living room to watch some TV whilst AJ cleared the plates and began to wash them.

"I can give you a hand." Punk stood up and walked over to the sink where she was washing the dishes.

"You don't have to." AJ insisted. She had no idea how to handle the fact that someone was actually offering to help her. Even if it was just with the dishes. She couldn't remember the last time she had breakfast with someone else other than her son.

"I don't, you're right. But it's nice to be nice." Punk shrugged, grabbing a towel and beginning to dry the dishes that she washed.

"You'd make quite the house wife." AJ grinned a little. She'd saw a different side to him. A caring side. A protective and warm side that she didn't assume he had. It was nice.

"My true goal in life." Punk said playfully as he put the plates away, "I didn't mean to intrude on breakfast like this. It wasn't my aim. But your kid sort of captured me in." He said as AJ smiled.

"It's one of his many talents." AJ nodded.

"You should be proud of him, you know." Punk said as AJ smiled to herself, "He's great. Smart. Pretty funny too." He nodded, "I… I don't know your story or… where his dad is but… you're doing fine." He nodded as she smiled.

"Thanks." AJ nodded, her struggling self was grateful for what he was saying, "He's just not in the picture." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Better off without him kind of deal?" Punk asked discretely.

"Without a doubt." AJ nodded, drying her hands as he cleared up the rest of the dishes, "Thank you again for last night." She said, "You're right. Anything could have happened to me and… you made sure not only me but Kace was ok too. That means a lot to me." She said, "And… I know I should go to the police but… trust me on it, I just want to forget about it." She said as Punk nodded.

"I'm just glad you're ok." Punk said simply, putting down the towel and looking down at her. Even in just pyjamas with slightly wet hair, he had to admire how gorgeous she was, and he knew there was a lot more to her than just a working mom, "I should get going." He cleared the silence as they both just stared at one another.

"Yeah, of course." AJ nodded, "I'll see you around." She said as he nodded.

"Yeah." Punk said, "Thank you for the breakfast." He smiled.

"You don't have to thank me for anything." AJ assured him, "Least I could do." She said as he smiled.

"I can just see myself out." He said as she nodded, watching him leave the kitchen, listening as he shouted goodbye to Kace and then left the apartment.

She was seeing him in a completely different light now.

A/N: Let me know what you think!