Calling It Off

"Bob?" AJ questioned, walking into the hospital room as Bob looked up from his book he was reading, looking over at AJ, whom he hadn't saw in years. He'd missed her very much. In many ways, saying goodbye to her was like saying goodbye to his child. Seeing her again after all this time almost gave him another minor heart attack.

"April." Bob smiled, sitting up a little in his bed as AJ smiled.

"I'm so glad you're ok." AJ shook her head, walking into the room, dumping her purse down and giving him the biggest, warmest hug. Something she hadn't gotten unless it was from her six year old daughter, "I missed you." AJ sighed as Bob hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go.

"I've missed you, sweetheart." Bob sighed, "You stopped calling." He said as she pulled back and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"Life got pretty busy." AJ shook her head, "And that's no excuse." She nodded, "I'm sorry." She nodded as Bob just shook his head and took her hand tightly in his.

"It's ok. I'm glad you're here." Bob smiled as AJ nodded.

"How are you? What are the doctors saying?" AJ asked him, taking her coat off as Bob watched her.

"You haven't changed a bit." Bob smiled. And it was true, she was still that same, sweet, beautiful girl he knew and loved.

"Really?" AJ smiled a little, "Not even a few wrinkles? I've got some grey hairs coming in." AJ nodded to him as he smiled.

"No, you're exactly the same." Bob nodded as AJ smiled.

"What are the doctors saying? Do you know when you'll be getting out?" AJ asked him.

"They're just doing some blood work for me and I'm getting a few scans just to make sure things are ok." Bob said, "I'll be out in a few days." He nodded.

"Do you need me to do anything for you whilst you're here?" AJ asked him, "I could uh… I could do some laundry for you or clean your place up… groceries, you need groceries?" She asked him as he shook his head and smiled.

"April, I'm fine." Bob nodded, "Just keep me company. I've missed you." He smiled. He figured if there was one thing his heart attack gave him, it was an excuse to bring her back.

"Well I've booked a hotel for a few nights so… I'll be here." AJ smiled as Bob nodded.

"Tell me how you are." Bob demanded, "You went off to college and I never saw you again or heard from you." He said, "I see you have rings on your finger." Bob smiled, even though deep inside, he was sad. He wasn't sad that AJ had found happiness, he was just sad that he knew it wasn't the right kind of happiness she wanted. Happiness she had before.

"Yeah, I got married." AJ smiled, "Tom from high school. We ended up in the same college class." AJ said, "Things just… took off." She nodded.

"Are you happy?" Bob asked her as she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm happy." She said as he smiled and nodded. It saddened him to see the teen he once took in, having shut herself off from everything and everyone she once loved, "I'm director of a fashion company." AJ told him. Part of her was so excited to tell him about all of the things she had done.

When she left for college, when she left everything, she really found it hard not seeing Bob and talking to him. He always listened to her, no matter what, and he still was.

"Get out of here." Bob smiled, "Director?" He asked as AJ smiled and nodded, "Way to go, kid." Bob nodded, "That's a hell of a gig."

"Yeah well it took most of my adult life to get there." AJ laughed a little.

"Worth it?" Bob asked her.

"Yeah, it's… it's a great job." AJ nodded, "What about you? How have you been?" She asked him as he just nodded.

"As ok as a 68 year old can be." Bob chuckled.

"You still run the store?" AJ asked him.

"Oh, yeah. Everyday." Bob said, "Took a while to get used to you not being around anymore, when you left. It was strange just having Phil around and… not you." He nodded as AJ looked down.

"I'm sorry our relationship had to suffer because of me and Phil." She looked up, "I didn't want that."

"No, it's not your fault. You moved onto bigger and better things." Bob said. He knew that although she claimed she was happy, deep down there was something missing. He could sense it by the way she hadn't really told him much about her husband and her life.

"I wasn't the one who gave up on me and Phil." AJ made clear, "He gave up on us." She said. She never got to speak about her past and all the pain and sadness surrounding it, because she didn't have anyone to talk to about it.

"He was doing what he thought was best for you." Bob nodded.

"Breaking up with me was best? After all we'd been through?" AJ shook her head. She'd never understand it. How things changed so dramatically. How she had someone she loved like no other, and then one day… she had none of it, "Look, I'm not here to talk about him." AJ rolled her eyes, "I just want to be here for you and help you if you need it." She said as Bob just nodded. He didn't want to push her. He could see those wounds were still open, even after all these years, and he wouldn't force her to think back upon it.

"Where is April?" Punk asked, walking through the apartment.

"Her room. She looked upset." Bob said, "What's going on?" He asked as Punk stormed through the living room and into their bedroom, pausing when he saw AJ lying in bed on her side. He expected to get home and for her to be ready to yell at him again.

"April." Punk said, closing their door over as AJ looked over and ignored him.

"Don't worry. There are no guys to be friendly in here." AJ nodded as Punk rolled his eyes.

"I have a right to be pissed." Punk said.

"You have a right?" AJ sat up, "No you do not. Tom was just asking if I was ok. He was being nice and you made such a fool of yourself and a fool of me in front of everyone. They all probably think we're lunatics."

"April, I know guys like Tom. You're vulnerable right now and that's when he would make a move, and he'd tell you all the things you want to hear." Punk said.

"Well he wasn't. He was being honest and we were talking about College. How we're applying for the same course." AJ said.

"Great." Punk whispered to himself.

"I'm not the vulnerable here, clearly." AJ said.

"Clearly." Punk nodded, looking across at her. Although they'd gotten closer on an emotional level, it felt like they were drifting. Like neither knew what to say or do really. They'd had this special, raw, intimate journey. It was only a couple of months they were holding their baby daughter. To go back to parties and school and everything that came along with that was difficult.

"Maybe we just weren't ready for this yet." AJ shook her head.

"Maybe we'll never be." Punk shrugged. He couldn't help feel like the weight on her shoulders. What she said was true back outside the club. Ever since they started dating, he'd really turned her life upside down. He'd lifted her from her home, not that it was much of a home, he'd gotten her pregnant, he'd made poor choices and decisions, he'd became violent and too protective. He felt like he might have been bad for her, and because he loved her so much… he knew this was going to be difficult.

"I guess we just need some space, and time." AJ nodded to herself.

"I think we need to break up." Punk nodded as AJ widened her eyes and looked at him.

"Excuse me?" AJ shook her head.

"Back there at the club, what you said was right. Your life was normal and then I came and fucked it up. I brought you into my world. I put you under stress. And I know I'm not a very controlled person. I grew up with a dad who was always fighting. I'm not saying my dad but… you have a good life ahead of you, I shouldn't ruin it anymore-"

"What? Don't be so ridiculous. You have a good life ahead of you. We have a good life." AJ stood up, "This… ok, this was just a fight." She said, starting to panic and realise… he was really being serious, "What I said, I wouldn't change meeting you for the world. It was the best thing that happened to me-"

"And the worst." Punk nodded, "It's true. I turned your whole world around. We're living with Bob, you missed out on school, we had a baby… if I wasn't in the picture, none of this would have happened."

"And I don't want that. Everything happened for a reason and I'm not mad at you. Phil, I love you." AJ shook her head, "Why are you saying all of this?"

"Because it's the truth. You have plans and just like the baby didn't fit into them… I'm not sure I will either-"

"Hey, no… you're in my plans." AJ assured him, "You're with me all the way. I don't want to move forward with you, Phil. Please don't say this." She shook her head, walking towards him and taking his hands as he backed up and took his hands away.

"This is for you. I'm doing this for you. You'll thank me one day." Punk nodded, "I'll always love you. And we're always gonna have what we had, it's not gonna go away like a normal relationship because this was different." He said, watching her as she began to let go of tears. He hated this moment right here. He never wanted to be the guy who decides what is good for his girlfriend, but he just felt like he was dragging her down.

"Phil, please don't do this." AJ cried, "Please." She shook her head, "I don't want to lose you." She said.

"I don't wanna lose you." Punk shook his head, "But… you'll be off to college soon and that'll be great and you can really focus on yourself. I'm not good for you." He nodded, "Maybe your life can go back to the way it was before you met me-"

"I don't want that. I just want you in my life" AJ shook her head, "What happened to… not letting anything come between us?" AJ questioned.

"It's not that easy. I'm just trying to… do the right thing here." He sighed.

"Really? Because you suck at doing the right thing." AJ shook her head as Punk nodded, "You're just gonna break up with me after all we've been through?"

"In a few year's time you will thank me for this. Trust me." Punk sighed. He didn't want to do this. In fact, his heart broke in two. He loved her like he'd never love anyone, and to let her go was extremely difficult, but he didn't feel like they were healthy, and he felt like his chaotic actions were because of that. It wasn't the first time he'd been violent. He just couldn't face disappointing her any more.

"I will never thank you for this. Believe me." AJ made clear.

"I'll move back home, you can stay here with Bob. I know your parents probably won't let you back home." Punk nodded, "So I'll get my things and go." He said as AJ cried.

"Please don't. Please... please come back in the morning and realise that you're just talking crazy and we can fix this." AJ nodded, "You're not safe in your house, with your dad." AJ shook her head, "This is our escape. This has become… our place." AJ nodded, "Don't give up on us."

"I'm sorry." Punk shook his head, turning around and walking out of the bedroom as AJ placed her hand over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried to herself. Losing him wasn't even in her radar. She never meant to put negative thoughts in his head about her life and how it had changed because she'd never change her life for the world. She'd never change him for the world. And now he was gone.

Bob made his way into the bedroom, having pretty much heard the whole conversation, having watched Punk leave the apartment without saying a word, sighing to himself as he looked over at AJ crying, sitting on the bed.

He walked over to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed and wrapping his arm around her as she cried to him.

"Ok, I brought you some clothes, some bathroom stuff, a few books I saw lying around because… I guess you read. Uh… the scones." Rey unpacked the bag for Bob later on that night at the hospital as Bob sat up.

"You're a star." Bob smiled.

"Well I do try." Rey smirked.

"How come you aren't working?" Bob asked her.

"Sal has gave me a couple days off. Rare, I know." Rey said.

"I hope you didn't ask for them off just to come visiting me." Bob warned.

"No of course not." Rey scoffed.

"I know you're lying, lady." Bob pointed to her.

"Look, I just figured you'd need the company. I keep wanting to come here and see you have another visitor in but you don't so… clearly, you're… alone. But that's ok, because so am I. So I have all the time in the world for you." Rey cheered as Bob just smiled, "Actually, do you have kids?" She asked him, sitting down on the chair beside the bed, "Only… I saw that picture on your fridge. It's cute." She nodded as Bob raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, no… no, they're not my kids." Bob said, "Just some friends." He said. He figured she clearly didn't recognise Punk in the picture as the guy working at the garage. Punk had changed a lot. He was fully tatted up with dark slicked hair. Not a scrawny, blonde Punker anymore exactly.

"Friends? They're like… children." Rey laughed a little.

"Yeah, they're just some kids who used to come into the store all the time. Kids like you. Not much support around them." Bob said as Rey smiled.

"And here I was thinking I was a special one, but you're nice to all the foster kids." Rey shrugged.

"No, you're special, believe me." Bob smiled, "They weren't foster kids just… kids going through a rough time." Bob nodded as Rey smiled.

"Well I bet they were lucky to have you." Rey smiled, "Can I have a scone?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He passed them to her, "Hey, Rey." He said as she nodded, "You ever get told anything about your parents? Your real parents?" He questioned.

"Uh… no, they never told me." Rey shook her head, "So that means they must have been awful people. I'm thinking some crackhead whore and some junkie." She nodded, "And then I appeared."

"Hey, you don't know that." Bob shook his head. If only he could just tell her. But he promised it was never his place. And he'd never go there with any of them.

"I don't really care to be honest." Rey shrugged, "They can be whoever they are but they're still the bastards who didn't want me. That's not gonna change." She said as Bob sighed.

"I see." Bob nodded, "Maybe there's a good reason-"

"For abandoning your kid? No way. Selfish reasons probably." Rey said, "I went through hell as a kid. Different foster homes. Different parents. Some who I literally think hated my guts." She shook her head, "My… quote on quote real parents, sent me into that. They can fuck off." Rey nodded as Bob groaned to himself quietly.

"Mhm." Bob nodded, "Well look at how you grew. You've became an independent woman. You got your apartment, your job, your good friend-"

"No boyfriend though." Rey sighed.

"You don't need a boyfriend." Bob shook his head.

"See, I have a problem with that. I really like boys but I'm also really difficult. That's gotta be something to do with my parents hating me." She shrugged as Bob just shook his head.

"Boys aren't gonna go away so just focus on yourself. You used to tell me when you were little that you wanted to be a doctor. You would come into my store with your teddy bears all bandaged up." Bob remembered fondly, "And then of course I'd have to call the cops because… you'd ran away from somewhere-"

"Yeah, I had a problem with that." Rey shook her head, "I don't know, I don't think I have what it takes to be a doctor." Rey said, "It seems so… out of my league." She shook her head.

"Hey, don't say that. You can do anything you put your mind to. You're a smart girl." Bob said.

"I don't know. Working at Hooters is less stressful I bet." Rey shrugged, kicking her shoes off and bringing her legs up onto the chair as Bob just smiled.

"Well maybe it is." Bob nodded, "Another scone?" He asked her.

"Yeah, they're really good." Rey nodded, reaching over for another one as he just smiled and shook his head.