Girl Power
A week later Lily was again woken up by Larry barking out her window. She grunted and shooed Larry off her bed and peeked out her window and again saw the same man she had seen a week ago. Her eyes widened and she ducked behind the curtain and watched him. She jumped off her bed and started to open her parents bedroom door but stopped and decided to run down the stairs. Her little bare feet slapped against the hardwood floor as she ran into the kitchen which was already lit and she opened the pantry.
"What are you doing?" A voice asked causing her to halt her movements. She froze and backed away from the pantry backwards. "I'm talking to you, Princess." Punk said and she turned to see her dad sitting at the counter with a pile of paperwork.
"The man is outside again." She told him and he frowned.
"You sure?" He asked and she nodded.
"Yes! He's probably hungry." Lily said going back to the pantry as Punk stood up and watched as she grabbed a bag of chips. "Give this to him."
"No." Punk laughed putting on his jacket.
"Don't be mean daddy." Lily scolded and he glared at her but took the chips and walked to the side door. He stopped short of walking out the door when he realized Lily was shadowing him.
"What are you doing?" He asked looking back at her.
"I'm going with you." Lily shrugged.
"No. You are going upstairs back to your room." He said to her.
"But-" She began but he just pointed. "Fine." She huffed and walked away.
Punk opened the side door and saw nothing. He again walked around the entire house and saw nothing, not even a beer can this time. He walked back inside and saw Lily waiting by the door.
"Didn't I say up to your room?" He asked her.
"Yes. But I was walking slow." She shrugged and he rolled his eyes as he locked the door. "Why didn't you give him the chips?"
"He wasn't there." Punk said to her. "Are you sure you keep seeing him?"
"I promise daddy." She said to him. "Let me look."
"No." He laughed leading her back inside into the kitchen. "I think maybe you're imagining him."
"I am not. Larry sees him too! He barks and it wakes me up." Lily told him.
"Maybe you think you see someone." He said to her.
"No." She said casually as she sat at on the stool Punk was originally in.
"I'm pretty sure it's after midnight and you should be in bed." Punk said to her.
"I'm hungry now." She said to him. "Cookies!"
"There aren't any. I already looked." He sighed then looked at the bag of chips in his hand and tossed them to her and she eagerly opened the bag and smiled.
"What are you doing?" She asked him. "Are you and mommy fighting?"
"No." He laughed grabbing a water bottle. "Why?"
"Because you're not in bed." She shrugged.
"I'm doing some homework." He said to her.
"Homework?" She asked surprised.
"I'm thinking about going back to school." He told her honestly and her face lit up.
"Really!? You can come to school with me!" She cheered.
"A different school." He laughed. "A school for grown ups. I'm just looking over some of the work to see if I can make time."
"That's so cool." Lily smiled.
"Yea? You don't think that's lame?" Punk asked curiously.
"Nope." Lily said honestly. "School is fun."
"I don't know about that." He said to her with a laugh. "It's a lot of hard work. I don't know if-" he stopped when he realized he was in fact just talking to his six year old.
"I think you can do it, daddy." Lily said munching chips. "You're very smart."
"I wouldn't say that." He laughed.
"You said you didn't have a home." She reminded him.
"Yea, so what?" He asked.
"Now we have a big home!" She grinned. "My teacher told me to make money and have a big home you have to study hard and work hard. You have to be smart."
"I guess that's kind of true." He said thinking about it.
"It's very true." AJ agreed walking into the kitchen and Punk grabbed his paperwork quickly.
"Hi mommy." Lily smiled trying to hide the chips.
"I already saw them." She said reaching into the bag. "I woke up to no husband and a missing daughter."
"Daddy made me eat the chips." Lily told her quickly.
"For such a good kid, you lie a lot." Punk mocked.
"The man was outside." Lily said to her and she frowned.
"No one was out there." Punk assured her quickly and Lily narrowed her eyes at him.
"Larry saw him too!" She argued.
"How about you stop eating junk food and go up to bed and I'll be right up to tuck you in again." She said to Lily who passed her the chips and jumped off the stool.
"Night daddy." She said giving him a hug then ran up the stairs with Larry following her.
"There was nobody there and not even a beer can." Punk told her.
"It's making me nervous." She said to him.
"Don't be." He said to her. "I don't think she's even seeing anyone. She's half awake."
"What is all of this?" She asked nodding at his paperwork.
"Paperwork for night school." He confided and she smiled.
"You're going to do it?" She asked.
"Maybe." He said to her. "It's two nights a week. I just don't know if I want to sit in a class for two hours two nights a week."
"If it's something you want to do it, do it." She said to him. "I support it."
"How embarrassing would it be if I flunked out?" he asked seriously.
"You wouldn't." She practically laughed. "You are very smart. I don't even know why not having the diploma bothers you so much."
"It just does. How can I tell our kids to stay in school when I never have?" He asked her. "It's just hypocritical."
"Lily was right by the way." She said to him.
"Can you be more specific?" He mocked. "She talks a lot."
"About how you came from nothing and now you have a big beautiful home and family. A family that you take care of. You learned how to save money, invest it and make it without having anyone show you. You learned how to be a husband and father without a proper example." she said to him.
"You think I'm good at that?" he asked seriously.
"Are you kidding?" she asked seriously. "You make us laugh everyday, you make us feel safe, you make us feel loved. You're pretty much the total package and you learned that all on your own."
"I guess." He said to her. "Tell me more about how great I am." he said seriously and she laughed. "I love your laugh."
"After my mom died and I was taking care of my dad, I never thought I'd laugh again." She confided. "I thought I'd grow old and alone in that pet store. You're not only the best thing that has ever happened to me but I've learned so much from you and I was a straight A student." she pointed out.
"So, you think I could do this? It won't be easy I have to train still and I'll have a fight at some point-" He began.
"I know you can do it." She said to him. "But it's a lot to take on and if you don't want to do that I understand."
"They said if I'm out of town or whatever I can do online classes." He said to her.
"Sounds very easy." She shrugged. "But you don't have anything to prove either."
"I have to prove it to myself." He said to her. "You won't be embarrassed?"
"Embarrassed by my hot husband who constantly looks to better himself in order to be an even better example to his children?" She asked mockingly thinking it over. "Let me think..."
"I love you." He said wrapping his arms around her waist. "You don't mind me not being around two nights a week?"
"You're usually at the gym anyway." she shrugged. "I think I'll manage."
"You'll tutor me if I need it?" he asked in a whisper before nipping her lips.
"I'd love that." She grinned against his lips. "You can wear a naughty school girl outfit and I can be the teacher with the ruler."
"How about we switch up those outfits." He suggested and she shook her head laughing. "Fine." He sighed. "I can pull it off." he teased before leaning in and kissing her again.
"Hey!" Lily scolded and they jumped apart. "You were supposed to tuck me in, mommy."
"I'm sorry baby." She smiled cleaning off her lips quickly.
"Tuck me in after?" He whispered into AJ's ear before she walked off and quickly turned her head and shot him a wink.
"Daddy, give the man those chips if he comes back." Lily ordered.
"Listen to your daughter." AJ teased taking Lily's hand and leading her out of the room.
Punk looked at the bag of chips and closed them up and put them away. He truly believed Lily was just seeing things but he peeked outside just one more time to make sure, he didn't want her waking up again. And again he looked and saw nothing and went back inside.
The next day Lily walked out of school the saddest Punk and AJ had ever seen. It was almost as if Louis left all over again.
"What's wrong?" AJ asked kneeling down.
"It's over." Lily sighed.
"For two months." Punk laughed. "You'll be back before you know it."
"I love school." She said dramatically. "I love my friends. I love my teachers."
"I get it." Punk said to her. "You love us too, right?"
"Of course! But I see you all of the time!" she said. "Can I go to sleep away camp?"
"No." Punk answered before AJ could.
"Phil." AJ sighed standing up.
"No. She goes to school all day for most of the year. Summer is our time." Punk said to AJ. "You are the weirdest kid ever." he said to Lily who giggled. "You love school, you want sleep away camp, don't you want to do fun kid stuff?"
"Like what?" Lily asked. "Can we go to the water park?"
"Sure." Punk said to her.
"And me and mommy can go on all of the water slides!" Lily smiled.
Punk was a chicken, he hated rides and when they went to the water park AJ and her did all the fun stuff. Punk was content just watching them have fun.
"Oh, honey I can't go on slides." AJ said to her and Lily frowned.
"Are you a chicken like daddy now?" Lily asked confused.
"That's really insulting." Punk said to Lily who ignored him.
"No." AJ laughed. "I just can't go on stuff like that until after I have the baby." AJ told her.
"Oh. I get it." Lily said to her.
"I'm sorry." AJ said instantly feeling awful. "We can still go and I can watch you go on the rides."
"No it's ok. I don't want to go alone." She shrugged. "Can I go to camp?"
"Why?" Punk asked. "We can do all the stuff we normally do."
"Yes!" AJ urged. "It's still the same. We want to spend a lot of time with you before the baby gets here."
"I understand." Lily said to her. "You can't do fun things anymore."
"I can still do fun things." Punk said to her.
"So can I!" AJ argued.
"I'll do the slides and stuff." Punk forced out.
"Really?" Lily asked skeptically.
"Yes. We want you to have a fun summer and it's your last summer as an only child." Punk said to her. "And we really want to spend it together."
"You can do camp days." AJ offered. "But we'd really like to spend the summer with you."
"Ok." Lily smiled.
"I mean unless we're not cool enough for you..." Punk teased.
"Mommy is so cool." Lily smiled proudly. "She's pretty, smart and funny."
"Just like you." AJ smiled.
"What about me?" Punk asked.
"You're smart and funny." Lily had to admit.
"I'm not pretty?" He asked pretending to be offended.
"Not like mommy." Lily argued.
"Really? Because I think I'm prettier." Punk teased.
"Is there a reason you didn't want to spend time with us?" She asked.
"No. All the kids here are going." Lily said to them.
"Probably a snooty camp for rich kids." Punk scoffed. "Those parents don't love their kids."
"Phillip." AJ hissed.
"I'm kidding." He added quickly as Lily looked confused. "We want to hang out and party all summer."
"Party!?" She asked jumping up and down.
"No bedtime either." Punk said and AJ elbowed him. "It's summer." he argued with AJ. "I want her to want to be home."
"And you know what? I'm going to need someone to help me with the baby's room." AJ said to Lily.
"I forgot all about that!" Lily said to her. "Littler Mermaid room!"
"Yea? I like that." AJ smiled.
"I don't." Punk remarked bitterly.
"You're not the boss." Lily sighed as she reminded him. "It's mommy, Lily, Larry, you."
"Yea, yea." He mocked.
"Am I coming back here next year?" She asked her parents.
"If you want to." AJ said to her and she nodded.
"I really do." Lily told them. "I get to do so much more next year! I can be in a play!"
"That sounds like a lot of fun." AJ grinned.
"Since I can't go to camp, can we go camping?" Lily asked them as they walked to the car.
"Oh, well you see your dad has a lot going on this summer. He's going to be training and studying-" She began.
"Let's do it." Punk said without thought. "We can go for a weekend."
"Are you sure?" AJ asked.
"Yea." Punk said to her.
"Can Uncle Paul come too?!" Lily asked. "Uncle Dean?"
"We can ask." Punk said to her.
"What do you know about camping?" AJ asked with a laugh.
"I can put a tent together and start a fire." He remarked smugly. "How hard can it be?"
"I used to go camping all the time." AJ told Lily proudly.
"Really?" Lily asked and she nodded.
"Grandpa and Grandma used to take me every spring break." AJ told her. "We'd start a fire, sleep in tents, swim in the lake."
"Oh! That sounds like fun!" Lily cheered. "Can Grandpa come too?"
"We'll ask him." Punk smirked looking at her.
"Water park, camping, baby sisters room..." She trailed off as Punk buckled her up in her car seat. "I'm going to have a very busy summer."
"You sure are." Punk agreed.
Later that day Punk was at the gym and Lily was with him watching and coloring while AJ worked across the street.
"Hey kid." Dean greeted and Lily perked her head up. "Heard we're all going camping this summer."
"We are!" Lily smiled happily and Dean slyly passed Lily her favorite cookies so Punk wouldn't see. He did this often, always snuck Lily extra junk food.
"Thanks." She whispered.
"No sweat." He said looking over at her coloring book. "Cool picture."
"Thanks." She grinned then checked to make sure Punk wasn't near. "I need your help."
"Really?" Dean asked flattered. "Me?" and she nodded. "I'm honored."
"I told a lie." She told him and he frowned. "And now I need you to help me fix it."
"Ok." Dean said nervously now. "You lied to your dad?"
"And mom." she whispered and Dean was horrified.
"Your dad I can handle but a secret from your mom- she'll punch me in the nose." He said seriously and Lily giggled. "Alright, tell me what it is."
"I told mommy and daddy I picked a great name for the baby and I haven't yet!" she told him dramatically. "I can't pick one! Daddy said it can't be a Disney princess."
"Ah." Dean smiled. "That's a fun secret and an easy one for me to keep for you."
"Help me name her!" Lily pleaded.
"I'd love to." Dean said to her. "Do you have like a list?" and she shook her head. "I'll tell you what, I'll get a name book and when you come back we'll read the names together and I'll help you pick one."
"Thank you Uncle Dean." Lily said relieved. "I'll come back tomorrow."
"What are you two whispering about?" Punk asked walking over.
"Nothing." Lily and Dean said innocently at the same time.
"Not at all suspicious." Punk mocked. "Did he give you cookies?"
"Maybe." Lily smiled slyly.
"Be careful and really hide them because mommy is at that pregnancy stage where she can smell junk food from a mile away." Punk warned.
"She can have some." Lily said to him.
"Can I?" Punk asked.
"No." Lily said as she went back to coloring.
"You're in training." Dean reminded him.
"Yea daddy." Lily said to him.
"Any word on when the fight will be?" Dean asked.
"I'm hearing December." Punk said to him. "It's a Chicago show."
"Oh sweet." Dean said to him.
"The new baby will be here by then too and I don't want any trips to Vegas." Punk told him.
"I promise to not get lost, break my arm, get pushed, help Uncle Paul or break the lamp." Lily sighed glaring at him in annoyance.
"She gets mad at me." Punk mocked looking at Dean then looked at her. "What lamp did you break?"
"Oppsie." Lily smiled and went back to coloring.
"I can have everyone in our home." Punk said to Dean. "Robert can watch the girls to make sure they stay out trouble and we can't get on a plane with the new baby anyway."
"I get to still watch you walk out, right?" Lily asked.
"Oh yea of course." Punk said to her.
"And I can have the sexy hair?" She asked and Dean and Punk looked horrified.
"We talked about that." Punk reminded her sternly. "No sexy anything until I am dead and buried."
"Daddy." Lily warned.
"No." He warned right back pointing at her.
"Mommy said-" Lily began.
"Nope." Punk said putting on a smile. "Baby hair."
"Ugh." She groaned rolling her eyes and went back to coloring.
"Dude, she is going to drive you crazy in a few years." Dean laughed and Punk glared at him.
"You don't think I don't know that?" Punk asked him.
"And you have another one on the way." Dean warned.
"I'm well aware. Thanks." Punk remarked annoyed. "Anyway, it's not set yet but that's what I'm pulling for. I know AJ would prefer something later because she doesn't think she'll look good enough in that time."
"Blasphemy." Dean snorted. "She always looks hot. She looked hot in the hospital when she had Lily."
"That's what I keep telling her." Punk sighed.
"I actually have to talk to you about something with Celeste." Dean said to him and Punk nodded. "We're kind of hitting a dry spot..."
"No sex?" Punk asked with a laugh.
"Something like that." Dean forced out frustrated.
"It happens when you're with someone for a certain amount of-" Punk began but Lily, who they forgot was sitting there and listening intently, interrupted.
"What's sex?" Lily asked curiously and both men froze and then looked down at her. "What's se-"
"Shh." Punk said covering her mouth with his hand. "Don't say that word, ever, ever, ever."
Later that night AJ was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Lily wandered into the kitchen and sat at the counter stool.
"Hi honey." AJ greeted.
"Hi mommy." Lily smiled.
"What's wrong?" AJ asked amused.
"What's sex?" Lily asked and AJ froze as Punk walked in the kitchen to hear the question then quickly turned around and tried to leave.
"Don't you dare." AJ warned him and he froze. "Where did you hear that word?"
"If I tell you will that person get in trouble?" She asked curiously.
"No need." AJ said then looked at Punk. "You used the word, you explain it."
"No thanks." Punk shrugged. "I told you not to say that word." He reminded Lily as grabbed a water bottle.
"Phil." AJ said nodding at Lily. "You have to tell her."
"Never." Punk said simply and kissed the top of Lily's head then walked out of the kitchen.
"What is it mommy?" Lily asked desperately.
"You're far too young to know." AJ said to her. "But when you have...you know what...that's how you make a baby."
"Oh!" Lily said nodding. "So are Aunt Celeste and Uncle Dean having a baby?"
"Do me a favor, don't listen to the boys at the gym- ever." AJ smirked at her daughter.
"Are they bad?" Lily asked.
"Of course not. They're just careless. They're not as sensitive as we are." AJ said to her.
"Boys are stinky." Lily agreed and AJ laughed. "Uncle Dean gave me those cookies." She whispered.
"Hide them for us?" AJ asked and she nodded. "Good girl." AJ said proudly. "Tomorrow do you want to come to the paint store with me? We can look at colors for the nursery?"
"Yes!" Lily said excited.
"What colors are you thinking?" AJ asked.
"Purple." Lily told her.
"Purple is your room color." AJ smirked.
"Oh." Lily said to her. "Dark purple!"
"We'll look at all the colors tomorrow." AJ said to her. "How's the name coming along? Want to tell me?" She asked and Lily looked away. "Lils?"
"I can't tell you." She said turning all the way around and AJ laughed.
"You didn't pick one yet." AJ said to her and Lily turned around to look at her.
"How did you know!" Lily gasped.
"One, I'm mom- I know everything." AJ informed her. "Two, you're the worst liar."
"Uncle Dean is going to help me pick a name." Lily told her and AJ cringed.
"Oh god no." AJ said to her.
"He's getting me a book!" She assured her. "This is very important mommy."
"Alright." AJ said unsurely. "But you could always ask me too."
"What about daddy?" Lily asked.
"Daddy already got to name you." AJ pointed out. "I'm thinking girl power on this."
"You're right." Lily agreed.