Stand Your Ground

A couple of days later AJ went to meet with Benny and the attorney while Punk had Gracie at his place.

"We're going to need popcorn!" Gracie yelled from the living room watching the TV.

"Got it!" Punk yelled pouring the hot bag of popcorn into a bowl.

"And the chocolate raisins!" Gracie yelled again.

"Already have that too!" Punk yelled back.

"Oh, look it's my picture." Gracie cheered seeing the picture of her and Punk she gave him for Christmas.

Gracie eyed the photo next to it and it was a picture of another little girl.

"Did the game start?" Punk asked from the kitchen.

Gracie didn't answer as she studied the photo next to hers.

"Kid?" Punk asked walking into the kitchen and dropping the food on the table.

"Who is this?" Gracie asked pointing at the picture of Elena.

"Oh." Punk said eyeing the picture and Gracie bought it over to Punk and handed it to him.

"Uncle Punk?" Gracie asked.

"Well..." Punk began as he sat down.

"Well, what?" Gracie asked confused.

"I was hoping to have this conversation with you when you were much older." Punk said to her.

"I'm going to be six." Gracie explained. "I am much older."

"Ok." Punk laughed and they sat on the couch. "So, just like your mom, I was married before I met you guys."

"Really?" Gracie asked.

"Yea. I was married to this woman named Cynthia." Punk explained. "And once we were married we decided to have a baby, just like your mom had you."

"Cool! Can I meet her?" Gracie asked hopefully.

"Um, like your dad, my wife and daughter passed away." Punk told her and her face fell.

"They went to heaven?" Gracie questioned.

"Yea." Punk told her and Gracie took the picture and looked at it.

"She was little like me." Gracie noted studying the picture.

"Yea she was." Punk agreed softly.

"You miss them?" Gracie asked.

"Everyday." He answered quickly.

"What was her name?" Gracie asked.

"Elena." He told her.

"She's very pretty." Gracie smiled looking up at him.

"She was, yea." Punk agreed.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Punk." She said passing him back the picture.

"Thank you, kid." Punk smirked.

"Maybe my daddy is watching TV with them like how you watch TV with me and mommy." Gracie suggested. "He was a good daddy."

"I'm sure he was. That would make me feel better actually." Punk admitted.

"I think so." Gracie said surely as she ran over and put the picture back next to hers. "But I have a lot of daddies." She groaned.

"No you don't." Punk laughed. "Your mom explained the difference between being a dad and DNA."

"Yea but I was only five." Gracie explained to him dramatically.

"You're still only five." He laughed.

"I have another daddy." Gracie told him. "He lives in New Jersey. Then I have my daddy who went to heaven."

"The guy in New Jersey isn't a father to you, Gracie." Punk explained. "A father is someone who helps you, raises you, someone you're comfortable talking to and running to for help. Someone who wants to be around you."

"Oh." Gracie said to him. "I have a daddy day at school and Grandpa Benny is going to go with me."

"That's awesome. Your Grandpa Benny loves attention." He teased. "Your family is a little different but that doesn't change the fact so many people love you."

"Like you and Uncle Bailey and Grandpa Benny?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yea, and Larry." He added and she laughed.

"I am his favorite." Gracie told him proudly. "I'm glad we moved here. First I was really scared and sad. I didn't want to come here at all."

"No? Chicago is great." Punk smirked. "And you know your mom would always make sure you'd be happy."

"I've very happy now. Plus I get to play baseball." She told him.

"I know. And speaking of that." He said standing up and walking over to the desk drawer. "I got you a present."

"Another one." Gracie sighed dramatically and he laughed.

"Too many?" Punk teased walking back over.

"There's always room for one more." Gracie grinned.

"This was my baseball mitt." He said passing the dirty roughed up mitt to her.

"Wow." Gracie said in awe of it and stuck her hand in it. "It fits!"

"I did softball when I was your age too." Punk said to her. "Benny bought me that. When I was on the team with Bailey everyone got new mitt's from their parents but me. Kids made fun of me so Bailey told Benny who got me that one."

"I love it!" Gracie cheered.

"You don't have to play with it but you can practice with it." Punk told her.

"I want to play with it." Gracie nodded surely. "Thank you." She smiled.

"Anytime." Punk smirked.

A knock at the door startled them.

"Oh, no it's mommy!" Gracie jumped up.

"Hide the junk food!" Punk instructed and Gracie ran around hiding the treats before he made his way to the door.

"Ok, Uncle Punk." Gracie said giving him a thumbs up as she ran back to the couch.

Punk swung the door open and it wasn't AJ at all.

"Hi, Phil." Dana greeted and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Dana." Punk greeted nervously and she walked inside.

"I had a Christmas present for you. I wanted to thank you for the beautiful floral arrangement you sent." His former mother-in-law smiled then spotted Gracie. "Oh."

"Dana-" Punk began nervously.

"No junk food here." Gracie smiled and Punk eyed Dana who let out a big laugh.

"Is this her?" Dana asked Punk with a smile.

"Half of the package deal, yea." Punk smirked closing the door.

"Can I meet her?" Dana asked anxiously.

"Yea, sure." Punk said and waved Gracie over who ran over. "Gracie I want you to meet a friend of mine, this is Dana."

"Hi." Gracie smiled sticking her hand out.

"You are the cutest thing." Dana smiled kneeling down and hugging her.

"Thank you." Gracie grinned.

"I don't want to intrude I just wanted to drop off that gift." Dana said standing up looking at Punk.

"You're not intruding." Punk assured her.

"I'm glad you stayed home for the holidays for a change." Dana said to him.

"It was hard not to." Punk said to her.

"I read about you in the paper on Christmas Day." Dana said to him.

"Yea." Punk said quietly.

His rescue of AJ and Gracie made the paper giving he was such a well known public figure.

"She'd be really proud of you." Dana said kissing his cheek. "I am."

"The game is on!" Gracie yelled for Punk.

"I have to get going. It was nice meeting you." Dana waved at Gracie.

"Nice meeting you too!" Gracie waved back.

"You did good." Dana whispered to Punk then walked out the door.

"Hurry, Uncle Punk!" Gracie complained and he ran over to the couch.

AJ walked in a few hours later and Punk was in the kitchen drinking coffee.

"How did it go?" Punk asked anxiously.

"Benny's lawyer swears he's going to get this thrown out. He can't believe Randy's parents thought they had a chance." AJ said taking her jacket off and looked over and saw Gracie sleeping on the couch with chocolate all around her mouth and her hand in a popcorn bowl. "Really?"

"I can't say no." Punk defended and AJ walked over and kissed him.

"Thank you for watching her." AJ said to him.

"Anytime." Punk said brushing it off. "Look, I have an event in Vegas coming up next week."

"Oh, really?" AJ asked.

"Yea. Dana White just wants me to to down and do some publicity for the company." Punk shrugged. "I want you to come with me."

"I have a job and daughter I can't just pack up for a week." AJ reminded him.

"Well, I'm your boss so you can." He said to her. "And Benny offered to watch Gracie but if you're not comfortable with that we can bring Gracie with us."

"Hmm. That does sound tempting." AJ smiled.

"You haven't even heard my pitch." He said to her as he pulled her onto his lap. "Our own private suite, room service every morning and night, I only have stuff at night so we can stay in bed all day long, delicious restaurants, limos, private planes."

"That's very tempting." AJ had to admit with a smile. "I've never left Gracie for so long."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Punk said to her. "A week is a long time. So I'll fly down Monday and you can come on Thursday if you want, this way it's only a few days." He shrugged.

"That sounds better." She said kissing him.

"You seem really relieved." Punk noted.

"I am. Benny's lawyer is a shark." She told him. "I love my daughter too much to let go to New Jersey with strangers even for a short time especially when there's a criminal element. Apparently Randy's father has also had his brush ups with law."

"No kidding." Punk frowned.

"He was arrested when Randy was barely older than Gracie for child abuse." She told him and Punk cringed as he looked over to Gracie.

"They're done." Punk said shaking his head.

"His mother is a devoted Christian woman but like the strange kind." She told him.

"They're all strange." Punk said and she laughed.

"Like everything she does is straight out of the bible. Apparently she feels Gracie is sinful because she was born out of wedlock." She told Punk.

"I can't hear anymore." Punk said shaking his head.

"I mean, it's hard to hear but it's all stuff that is going to help me." She told him. "I never had Gracie christened because I'm not religious. Christian was and we talked about maybe christening her right before he passed away. She thinks my baby is a demon from hell."

"She doesn't know Gracie and she never will." Punk remarked almost smugly. "She's a great kid. Speaking of, she found a picture of Elena."

"Oh." AJ said to him.

"I told her about Elena and Cynthia, I hope that's ok." He said to her.

"Of course it is." She told him. "How did she take it?"

"She thinks her dad and Cynthia and Elena are hanging out and friends in heaven." He smirked.

"Maybe." She shrugged.

"You just said you're not religious." Punk pointed out.

"I'm not." She said to him defensively. "But I'd like to believe that there is something out there. Maybe it's not like the bible says or other religions but I'd like to believe that there's an afterlife of some kind."

"Maybe there is." Punk shrugged. "I guess no one really knows for sure."

"So, how much junk food did you feed my daughter?" She asked him.

"First of all, we went to the store and she picked out everything she wanted. I'm a pushover." He shrugged.

"Good to know." She laughed. "I should get her home. You want to come home with me?" she offered quietly.

"There is something really fun about sneaking in and out of your place at night." He teased. "I can't turn it down." He said to her.

The next morning Punk's eyes fluttered open when he felt someone hold his nose.

"You snore." Gracie announced and Punk's eyes shut completely open.

"Oh my god." Punk gasped in shock and shook AJ awake. "She's in here." he said shaking AJ.

"It's time for breakfast." She told them.

"What?" AJ asked looking at her alarm clock. "I over slept!" She yelled jumping out of bed in her pajamas. "Phil it's, 7."

"I have a class at 7." Punk said getting out of bed in his sweats.

"I have school at 7:30." Gracie added with a smile as the two adults ran around frantically. "Where is Larry?" she asked.

"Fuck." He groaned. "I have to get Larry out for a walk too. I'm going to be so late."

Gracie casually walked into the kitchen and prepared herself a bowl of cereal as Punk and AJ rushed to get ready.

"I need the shower." AJ told him.

"No I need the shower." Punk argued.

"You can shower at the gym." She pointed out.

"I'm already late, you can shower at the gym." He argued.

"Really? I can just jump in the men's room and use the shower there?" She asked cutely and his smiled faded.

"You shower here." He smirked. "I'll use the gym."

"Uncle Punk, take me to school!" Gracie begged.

"I can do that it's on the way to my place." he said and Gracie grabbed her book bag.

"Cover for me at work?" She asked and he laughed.

"What's in it for me?" He asked teasingly.

"Well, I could just explain to Bailey that I'm late because you kept me up all night..." She trailed off. "Awkward conversation to have with my brother-"

"I'll cover." Punk said and gave her a kiss.

"I'm ready!" Gracie announced.

"Have a good day." AJ said kissing her cheek.

"I will mommy, you too." She grinned.

"Hold onto Uncle Punk's hand." She warned Gracie who nodded.

AJ rushed into the gym and sat behind the desk.

"If you're going to be late you should let us know." Peter said to AJ.

"I'm only-" She began.

"An hour late." He finished for her. "I know that you get away with a lot because your brother owns half the gym and your boyfriend owns the other half but you still have to work. You've barely been here."

"Gracie was sick." AJ argued.

"Well, thanks to whatever you were up to I had to cover Punk's class and the front desk. I'm not a receptionist." Peter reminded her.

"I'm sorry Peter." She sighed. "It won't happen again."

"Peter isn't your boss." Punk said from behind them. "You don't owe him an apology or explanation."

"Phil-" AJ began.

"It's irresponsible." Peter told him.

"She shows up everyday and does her job, fuck off." Punk told him. "You're in charge of coaching not staffing."

"How are you managing this place when your dick is in the employee?" Peter asked and Punk let out a laugh but AJ knew Punk well enough to know that his laugh was anger and he was trying to calm himself down.

"You don't have to fucking be here." Punk remarked. "You can fuck off. And you also never had a problem with AJ's attendance when you were trying to sleep with her."

"She showed up to work than. She didn't get so comfortable like she does with you." Peter argued.

"I don't want to talk about my sister's sex life." Bailey announced walking over and AJ was humiliated.

"Get to your classes." he told them.

"You can thank me for covering for you." Peter said to Punk.

"You can thank me for having a job." Punk shot back as they walked away.

"Sorry I'm late." AJ said to Bailey.

"It's fine. Peter is jealous." Bailey said simply.

"So, Phil invited me to Vegas" AJ said to him and Bailey smirked.

"Yea? He hasn't done a UFC event in years." Bailey noted. "You're good for him."

"You don't think it's too soon if I go, right?" She asked.

"Nah. You two have been together a while now." Bailey shrugged. "And it's just a short vacation. It will be good for you two. I mean, Gracie is great but you two deserve alone time. You can enjoy the life Punk was so accustom to. Fine dinning, fancy clothes, TV cameras-"

"Don't make me nervous." AJ said to him.

"It's not that bad. It wasn't for me." Bailey shrugged. "This is a big deal, he wants to show you off."

"Really?" AJ asked flattered and he nodded. "I can't say no to that. He's been so good to me and Gracie."

"You'll also have a great time. You'll get to watch your first live UFC fight." Bailey told her.

"I've never watched one even on TV." AJ admitted.

"You work at an MMA gym, you're going to have to watch it. You'll love it." Bailey assured her.

"Oh, boy." AJ sighed.

"It will be fine." Bailey added.

"AJ, I have a stack of documents on new students that need to be filed." Peter said dropping off a huge box at her desk. "I need it done by the end of the day."

"This will take me all night." AJ said to him.

"Just think of it as making up for lost time earlier." Peter smirked then walked away.

"I hate him." AJ groaned looking at Bailey.

"I'll talk to him." Bailey said to her.

"No. I don't want special treatment. I'll get it done." She told him.

Punk offered to pick Gracie up from school and bring her back to the gym since AJ was working through lunch.

"Uncle Punk!" Gracie cheered running to him.

"Hey, kid." He smirked picking her up and she kissed his cheek.

"Where's mommy?" She asked.

"She's at work. I'm going to take you there." Punk said to her.

"Um, excuse me." a man said walking over to them and Gracie groaned in annoyance.

"What?" Punk asked eyeing the man with the boy from Gracie's class.

"Are you Gracie's father?" The man asked.

"No. I'm her Uncle." Punk said eyeing him. "Why?"

"I told you she doesn't have a dad." The boy said to his father.

"That explains a lot." The man said and Punk put Gracie down.

"You want to say that louder and to my face?" Punk asked stepping to him.

"It's just that Gracie has been picking on my son." The man told Punk.

"No I haven't." Gracie told him. "He took my Cubs hat and put in the garbage. The one you got for me."

"Sounds like your kid is bullying her." Punk said to him.

"Look at his arm." The man said showing Punk the red mark.

"She pinched me today!" The boy tattled pointing at her.

"He tried to kiss me." Gracie said placing her hands on her hips. "I did NOT want him to kiss me."

"Sounds like your kid has some behavioral issues." Punk remarked.

"He was trying to show her affection." The man explained to Punk as if he had no idea what was going on. "And she resorted to violence."

"She didn't resort to violence she was defending herself." Punk told him.

"Maybe if she had a father-" The man began.

"Don't got here." Punk warned him and Gracie nodded proudly behind Punk. "Gracie didn't want your son kissing her, maybe you should teach your son that he shouldn't kiss girls without asking."

"He's just a kid." The man told him.

"That's how they all start out." Punk said and picked Gracie up. "Good job, I'll stop and get you ice cream." he told Gracie.

"You're rewarding this behavior?" The man asked.

"I'm damn proud of her. Don't ever let anyone touch you in a way you don't." Punk told her proudly in front of the man and his son. "And don't ever let anyone make you feel about it either."

"I didn't feel bad." Gracie told him honestly and Punk laughed.

"Good, girl." Punk stated proudly. "Anything else?" he asked the man.

"No I think we'll just keep our kids separate." The man huffed then walked off.

"What a dork." Gracie snorted and Punk laughed.

"I told him not to kiss me." Gracie explained to AJ as she worked.

"I know and you did the right thing, but next time tell a teacher don't just pinch." AJ told her.

"Ok." She shrugged.

"Hey." Punk greeted.

"I'm almost done." AJ told him because she knew he was waiting for them. "Thank you for talking to that boys father."

"Yea, I hope I didn't overstep but he kind of got in my face." Punk told her.

"I would handled it the same way." AJ told him.

"I did good." Gracie told both of them. "No icky boy is going to kiss me and give me cooties."

"That's right." Punk nodded proudly. "Boys ARE icky."

"Super icky. Except for you and Uncle Bailey and Grandpa Benny." Gracie told him and Punk nodded in agreement.

"What about me?" Peter asked playfully and Gracie just looked at him then turned around and walked away.

"I love this kid." Punk said to AJ laughing.