"Hey… April… baby, are you ok?" Punk asked as he began to see AJ wake, opening her eyes as she looked around her bedroom, spotting him crouching down at her bedside. She was still in costume, and she could still feel her make up heavy on her face along with her hair-sprayed hair.
It all came rushing back to her suddenly as she lay looking up at the ceiling. She remembered the loud bangs, and the screams, and the music coming to a sudden halt along with the lights coming on. It was all terrifying. No wonder she had passed out.
"You're safe, April." He nodded to her as she looked up at him, blinking as a tear rolled down her cheek and onto her pillow.
"H-How… what happened?" She asked him, slowly sitting up and turning around to dangle her legs off the edge of the bed whilst he still crouched down in front of her.
"There was an attack." Punk explained, "I spotted them come into the theatre. I don't know what they wanted, but my dad and my uncle are down at the theatre seeing what's going on just now. Elise and Toni are downstairs." He told her, "You passed out once I pulled you backstage. Had to carry you home." He said as she hugged her arms.
"I'm so embarrassed." She sighed, "And frightened." She said, her hands slightly shaking. She was still in shock obviously, and she was scared to death. How could she ever perform in front of an audience again after that.
"It's ok." Punk nodded, "You're safe now." He cupped her cheeks, "No one got hurt."
"No one?" She asked with confusion. She only assumed there was an attack because there was someone there who these intruders wanted to attack.
"Not that I know of. I came straight here with you. I wanted to wait until you woke before I left to go see my dad." He said.
"Oh, you aren't leaving me are you?" She asked with fear. She couldn't be alone right now. She was absolutely terrified. She'd never been so scared in her entire life. Hadn't Punk jumped on stage and pulled her off, she would have stood there, frozen with fear all night.
"Elise is downstairs." Punk told her, "April, there's nothing to be frightened of. These guys didn't attack to hurt you." He said.
"I don't care." AJ shivered, "I'm still terrified." She cried, "Please… please don't go." She shook her head. She needed him right now. Now more than ever. If there was one thing she knew he could do, it was protect her. She didn't want to be alone without him.
"C'mon..." He stood up straight and took her hand, "Let's get you in the shower. Get you into something a bit more comfortable. Yeah?" He said as she slowly stood up and nodded, following him into the bathroom in her room as he shut the door over.
"You know who they were..." AJ whispered as he began stripping her. She could see it in his eyes.
"I might have an idea." Punk said.
"What if it was you they were trying to hurt?" She trembled as he shook his head.
"They'd have no idea I was there tonight." Punk pointed out, "And they weren't aiming for me."
"Phil… I don't think they were aiming for anyone. They were just all pulling their triggers repeatedly." She said as he nodded.
"I know." He sighed. He understood that for her it would have been an awful experience. He'd seen much worse in his time, he and Elise. But he had to take into consideration that AJ was no doubt feeling sick to her stomach with tonight's events.
He stripped her out of her costume and turned on the shower, about to step away and out of the room when she pulled him back.
"Just stay with me for now." She asked, shutting the door over with her foot, "Please." She whispered as he nodded.
"Ok." He nodded, feeling her strip his t-shirt as he done his own jeans and boxers, following her into the shower as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "I'm sorry your night was ruined." He apologised, he ultimately felt horrible for her that her night had been completely ruined, yet again.
"Was I good?" She asked timidly, feeling the warm water spray over them, her make up beginning to run off as he swiped his thumb over her lips to remove the shiny gloss.
"You were incredible." He said with awe in his tone, "The crowd couldn't take their eyes off you." He said as she forced a smile.
"Yeah, until they started getting shot at." She sighed, resting her head against his wet, bare chest.
"Don't let this put you off." He said. He would hate for that to happen, "You were amazing up there, and just because you stroke bad luck with what happened, it doesn't mean you should be put off dancing or performing." He said as she nodded.
"I know." She said, "I'm just… I don't know… I think I've lost it. I'm either tripping up over my own feet, or my crowd have ruffians in it that are bringing agro to the show." She sighed as he nodded, "It just feels like it's all signs."
"Well it isn't." He spoke softly, stroking her cheek as she looked up at him, her make up now off completely, her face completely natural and beautiful, the real her that he loved with every fibre of his being, "You are amazing, present tense. This is what you do, and just because these past few performances you've done have been rough, it doesn't mean you have to be put off." He said, "I heard people whispering behind me, in front of me, around me, saying, oh wow she's the best dancer I've ever seen." He said.
"They really said that?" She asked curiously.
"I swear." He promised her, "Take a rest tomorrow, and then go back out there, hold your chin up, and put on another great show." Punk said.
"You think they'll still carry on with the shows?" She asked.
"I think so." Punk nodded, "The best thing to do when this sort of thing happens, is to carry on. But I'll let you know when I go see my dad later." He said as she nodded.
"Oh God… I don't know if I can go back out there-"
"Yes you can." He cupped her cheeks, "I know you can." He told her, pressing his lips against her own, running his fingertips through her wet hair, hoisting her up into his arms as she wrapped her legs around him, feeling him press her up against the tiles in the shower.
"Oh, Phil… I'm not… I'm not on anything-"
"Shh." He began kissing her neck, oblivious to her words as she rolled her head back, oblivious to her own words as well as he found her entrance, lining himself up with her and piercing inside her like a sword.
"Fuck… you feel incredible." Punk moaned, supporting her waist and hips as he began thrusting inside her, her body sliding up and down the tiles with each passing thrust.
"Phil… Oh, baby don't stop. Don't ever stop." She moaned, raking her nails down his back as he continued to thrust into her, quickening his pace as he latched back onto her mouth, digging his own nails into her sides as her eyes rolled back into her head.
"I'll never stop." He moaned, nuzzling her wet neck with his nose, "I'll always be here." He said as she moaned, pressing her lips back onto his roughly as she grabbed the back of his hair.
"Phil. Yes, baby!" She groaned whilst he continuously thrust himself into her whilst the lukewarm water ran down his back, shielding her from getting anymore wet, not that that was entirely true. If you knew what she meant…
"Oh, it was nice of you to show up." Jack said, some time later when Punk showed up outside the theatre that had lots of police cars there.
"Sorry. April was a little shook up." Punk explained as Jack nodded.
"She ok?" He asked bluntly, with no emotion or real concern.
"She will be. Elise is with her just now. She's exhausted and-"
"Was it definitely those guys? How do you know?" Jack cut Punk off, pulling his son away from the cops. If there was one thing about Jack Brooks, it was that he HATED cops.
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I seen that hand tattoo I told you about on one of them." He said, "I know it was them."
"Well they didn't harm anyone." Jack said, "And as far as I'm concerned, the shows later on in the week are still going on. Whether the audience will show, God knows." Jack shook his head.
"Were they after me? Was this because of me?"
"I don't know." Jack shook his head, "Did you see anyone else in the crowd?" Jack asked.
"Who the fuck is going to be seeing a ballet show that I know?" Punk laughed.
"Well no one would have expected you to be there, would they have?" Jack scoffed, "Why'd you go in the first place? You know wherever you go, you put her in danger. I told you this. This was what I was afraid of." He said.
"Calm down." Punk spat, "We'll sort it. Like we always do. What is wrong with you?" Punk asked his father.
"Nothing." Jack said, "You better get your shit together. You know what guys like us do. They pick on the people we love. They hurt them, to hurt us." He reminded Punk, "If anything happens to her, because of you, I'm afraid you'll lose yourself." He admitted.
"Nothing is going to happen to her." Punk said firmly, "I can protect her."
"Well you best hope you can." Jack said, "I have to go… I'll call you later."
"Mr Brooks… how are you?" A young girl asked whilst making her way over to Jack, bright and early the next morning, staring over at Jack standing anxiously in the room.
"I'm ok." Jack nodded, "Gotta be somewhere so… let's make this quick huh?" He suggested as the girl nodded.
"Your test results are back." The young girl said, "I'm afraid it's bad news. You might want to take a seat."
"I don't need a seat." Jack replied, "What… What is it?" He asked, putting up his frame of no emotion, just like he had when his wife had died, refusing to give into any fear or sadness that may feast on him.
"You got ALS, sir." The nurse said, having been dealing with Jack for a few months now, working all different tests, scans and blood work.
"There's no cure for that." Jack stated to himself, hands in his pockets as the nurse nodded sympathetically, "How long've I got?" He asked.
"Two years, maybe less."