Clear Minded

AJ was being dragged down the dark path to the storage unit. Her hands were still tapped behind her back. She was weak from being so sick and not eating that she was stumbling over her own feet, it didn't help that it was pitch black out either.

"Walk straight, bitch." Ryan hissed but AJ just kept crying. It was muffled due to the tape over her mouth but she was sobbing. Her emotions were everywhere especially since she was off her medication. "I wonder if my brother cried like you are when he died or he handled it like a man?" He asked.

"What do you think?" he asked as he unlocked the gate to AJ's now empty storage unit and pulled her inside. "Your boyfriend emptied the place out but is still paying it off until your contract is up next month. That's when they'll find your body." He said pushing her onto the cold floor.

Ryan walked over to her and ripped the tape off of her mouth.

"Help!" She screamed as he pulled the gate down.

"No one is here April." Ryan said to her. "Scream all you want. They didn't hear you the first night and they won't hear you tonight."

"If you go right now I won't tell them about you or Daffney." AJ told him as she sat up on her knees. "I swear! You two an run off together!"

"I don't trust you." Ryan laughed. "Daffney pities you. Don't know why." he said to her shaking his head.

"Help me!" She screamed out as she cried.

"Keep screaming, but if I was you I would preserve my energy." Ryan said simply as he removed his hat and jacket. "You know you're going to die but as you can see I don't have a gun or a knife." he pointed out holding his hands out to show he didn't have any weapon. "You know what that means?"

AJ knew what that meant but opted to shake her head slowly anyway. Anything to prolong the beating.

"That means you're in for a long night." He said rolling up his sleeves.

"Please don't do this." She whispered now. "You're not a murderer."

"I am." Ryan informed her calmly. "I'm also a desperate man who wants to keep his freedom."

"Killing me- you don't know Phil." AJ warned him shaking her head. "He's like a dog with a bone. He'll look for you forever." she warned. "He won't stop. You'll be looking over shoulder for the rest of your life."

"And what would he do exactly?" Ryan asked amused as he cracked his knuckles. "He's not a real man. He doesn't put his fists up, he's not going to hurt me or kill me. I've known Punk a long time. He's going to be sad and throw himself a pity party when they find your body. Then he's going to fuck anything with a pulse and use the excuse of being depressed." he told her. "That's how men grieve. If you would have just called him like I asked you two could have been together forever." he told her.

"That's why I didn't call him." she whispered.

"Noble." Ryan smiled at her. "You're going to give your life for his but couldn't float my brother a few bucks? Walking around with a ten thousand dollar ring on your hand and you couldn't give him two thousand dollars? That's what he needed. That's all he needed."

"I took care of him most of my life. He wasn't mine to take care of." AJ told him.

"And now look where you are." Ryan said gesturing the spacious but empty utility closet. "All alone. Just like Nick was."

"That's ok." AJ said to him. "I don't believe in heaven or hell. I think when I go I'm just gone and if I go knowing Phil is healthy and safe and Nick is dead, then I'm happy."

"You miserable-" Ryan began as he raised his arm but a bang at the gate startled him.

"Help!" AJ screamed and Ryan quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shit." Ryan nearly cried then there was another bang at the gate. "Get up!" he yelled pulling AJ onto her feet. "Up!" He yelled as AJ grew weaker but finally got her to her feet.

Ryan pulled AJ to the side as the gate opened and Punk walked in cautiously.

"You have to be shitting me." Ryan said to him.

"It's over." Punk told him as AJ met his eyes.

"It's not over." Ryan said shaking his head. "I'll let her live if you let me walk out of here."
Punk eyed him and then let out an amused laugh.

"What are you going to kill her with?" he asked. "No knife, no hammer, no gun...nowhere to run."

"I didn't want it to end this way." Ryan told him growing nervous as Punk took steps towards them. "This wasn't part of the plan."

"What was the plan?" Punk asked.

"Daffney was going to talk AJ into talking you into giving her some money. I needed to get out of town." Ryan explained. "AJ wouldn't do it and she was already at Daffney's so I kept her in the apartment. I told her to call you and ask for the money. She texted you that she was at work instead, she didn't want you involved. If she had just done that then this all could have been avoided."

"Get your hands off of her." Punk warned him and Ryan shook his head. "I heard you out there. I was listening. You're not afraid I'll kill you, so why won't you let go?"

"You don't look right, you don't sound right." Ryan said shaking his head. "AJ is fine."

"I can't hear with the tape over her mouth." Punk said walking right over and gently pulling the tape off of her mouth.

"Phil." She cried and he cupped her face

"Are you ok?" he asked softly as he gently caressed her face.

"I'm fine." She told him.

"You said that last time." He said to her.

"I really am. Not a scratch on me." She assured him. "I've missed you."

"You're going home." he promised her and then without warning he grabbed her by her shoulders and tossed her has hard as he could so she was out of Ryan's grasps.

AJ hit the floor hard but she knew he only did that to get to Ryan who he beating. Ryan hadn't even gotten a hit in.

"Phil!" AJ screamed as Ryan fell to the floor and Punk jumped on top of him. "Stop! Phil!" She screamed as she sobbed.

Two uniformed officers ran inside and soon more followed. Punk pulled off of Ryan. His fists were bloody and his face with red from rage. AJ watched in horror as he was handcuffed.

"Don't." AJ said shaking her head as more officers ran in and they began to help her.

"April Mendez?" Detective Quinn questioned.

"Yes." She said as someone cut her wrists free. "Don't arrest him." She pleaded trying to get to Punk but she was held back. "He was protecting me!"

"It will get sorted out." The Detective assured her but she pushed past him and wrapped her arms around his neck even though he was cuffed.

"It's alright." Punk promised her. "Go to the hospital and get checked out."

"Not without you." She cried into his neck.

"It's alright." The Detective said gently pulling her away from him. "We need to get you looked over. I'll personally drive Mr. Brooks to the hospital to meet with you."

"I wasn't hurt." AJ cried to the detective. "I want to be with him."

"It's ok, Ape." Punk told her nodding. "Go with him. He'll take care of you."

"He saved me." AJ wept to the Detective as Punk was pulled away. "Phil!" She cried out.

"It's alright." The Detective told her.

"Ryan did this." She said pointing at him then noticed the state he was in. He was barely breathing as EMT's rushed and worked on him.

"Were you hurt?" Detective Quinn asked her.

"No-" She began but her eyes were on Ryan and she immediately began to vomit.

"Can I get some help here?!" Detective Quinn demanded. "She is the kidnapping victim!" he yelled again until an EMT ran over.

"Phil was just helping me." AJ told him. "Ryan was going to kill me. He told me that-"

"I understand." The Detective said as the EMT sat AJ on the floor.

"No you don't or you wouldn't have let them arrest Phil." AJ cried.

"I'm going to call your brother and have him meet you at the hospital as well." The Detective told her.

"I just want Phil." AJ insisted.

"He'll meet you there, I promise." The Detective promised.

AJ was laying in her hospital bed when the door crept opened.

"I don't want to see anyone." AJ hissed coldly. She had been there for two hours and still hadn't seen Punk. She refused to even give her statement until she could see him.

"Even me?" Punk asked stepping aside.

"Phil." She cried climbing out of the bed and running to him.

"You should be resting." He said holding her close.

"I couldn't rest without you." She said.

"What's this I hear about you refusing to talk to the cops?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about that." She said refusing to let him go.

"I have to know everything they did to you." He said still holding her.

"Nothing." She said and he gently pulled away to look her in the eyes, he'd know if she was lying. "They knocked me out from behind and tied me up and I was in like this giant cooler for two days. They didn't hit me, they didn't try to hurt me. It wasn't until he took me to the storage unit he said he was going to kill me." She told him. "He didn't get a chance to do anything."

"I've missed you so fucking much." He said cupping the side of her face.

"I didn't think I was ever going to see you again." She said shaking her head. "I thought-"

"You thought wrong." He said simply. "I'm here. You're here. We're ok."

"They arrested you." She said to him.

"They cuffed me and questioned me, I wasn't charged and I won't be." Punk assured her and she felt relief run through her body. "What have the doctors said?" he asked as he walked her back to the bed and sat her on it. "Lay down." He instructed and she did but grabbed his hand.

"They said I'm dehydrated but that's it." She told him. "They're going to give me an IV."

"Ok. Your medication?" he asked.

"They gave it to me as soon as I came in." She said to him.

"Good." he said brushing her hair gently out of her face. "You look beautiful."

"I look like shit." She laughed lightly.

"No way." He said admiring her.

"How is Larry?" she asked him.

"He misses you like fucking crazy." He told her. "It's only been a few days but he sleeps on your side of the bed and he cries when I walk in the door because he's expecting you."

"If they keep me here over night you have to go get him and sneak him in for me." She told Punk.

"Your brother is outside waiting to see you and his pregnant wife, you refused to see anyone- why?" he asked.

"I was protesting until they released you." She told him simply.

"Is this the father?" The doctor asked walking into the room and Punk's face fell.

"I don't look that much older than her, right? I'm the finace." He told the doctor who looked at AJ. "What? I do?" he asked.

"He's the father." AJ told the doctor and Punk looked at the doctor.

"I swear to god I'm not her father." Punk said to the amused female doctor.

"I'm pregnant Phil." She told him. "Or I was."

"What?" He asked.

"I didn't want to say anything until I had a proper examination because I was locked in a crate for days and tossed around." She said to him.

"You're what?" Punk asked her confused.

"We need to examine her." The doctor told him. "I'm sorry I didn't realize he didn't know yet."

"Like I said I wanted to wait to make sure the thing was alright." She said to the doctor.

"Thing? The doctor smirked as she pulled up AJ's hospital gown and placed a jelly on her belly. "Didn't want kids?"

"No we did not." AJ said but Punk was still in shock and not speaking or moving for that matter.

"Do we need to discuss options if everything is ok?" The doctor questioned unsurely.

"No." AJ said to her quickly. "We know our options. I was pregnant before."

"Yea?" The doctor asked.

"I was a kid." She told her. "I had an abortion." she confessed. "I have no idea why I'm telling you this."

"You've had an emotional week from." The doctor reasoned. "Did you ever have a sonogram?"

"No." She admitted and the doctor moved the probe over AJ's stomach.

"Yup." The doctor said eyeing the screen. "There's your baby." she pointed and a switch went off in AJ.

AJ sat up slightly and eyed the screen with her mouth slightly opened. There was this tiny little bean inside of her and it was a life she created with the man she loved. It wasn't intentional but it was there. Against all odds, no matter how careful they were there was this baby. If it survived this hell week then it was truly a fighter.

"Is it ok?" She asked curiously tilting her head but Punk was still in shock and looking at the wall.

"Yes." The doctor told her. "You're six weeks along and he seems to be fine."

"He?" AJ asked curiously.

"I'm sorry I don't know the sex, it's a force of habit. I have four sons." The doctor smirked.

"Four?" AJ asked with a small smile.

"Yup." The doctor told her. "Four boys. 16, 13, 11 and 7."

"And you're a doctor?" AJ asked in awe of her.

"Yes." She laughed. "Was not easy. Balancing a career and a husband and four sons who are ten times harder than having girls."

"I'm bipolar." AJ told the doctor.

"I read your file." The doctor said to her nodding. "That's why I was called in to check you. So am I."

"Do your sons have it?" AJ asked almost desperately.

"Not yet." The doctor said honestly. "But I know to look for the signs. I know how to help. My manic cycles helped me get through med school." the doctor teased. "I don't see it as curse. My kids know all about it and are fully educated about it. It's not easy but nothing in life worth having is easy."

"I suppose that's true." AJ had to agree.

"Do you want me to print you the sonogram photo?" She asked.

"Yes, Phil-" She began and saw he was still in shock. "Phil!" She yelled snapping her fingers in his face. "Have you been listening to anything?"

"No." He said honestly.

"That's our baby." She said pointing at the screen.

"How?" He asked looking at the screen himself. "Why is it so small? Is it a midget baby like it's mother?"

"Don't ruin the moment." AJ warned him as the doctor laughed a bit but Punk was completely serious and still in shock.

"I don't know how this happened." Punk said to the doctor as if he was in trouble. "We're usually very careful."

"No we're not. I'm usually careful." AJ reminded him. "You are sloppy."

"She was kidnapped." Punk told the doctor who just nodded.

"Very big surprise I see." the doctor said to AJ.

"This is a huge surprise." AJ admitted.

"He'll be ok in a few hours." The doctor said printing two photos then cleaned off AJ's stomach. "I'll give you both some time to talk." She said passing AJ the photos. "If you want to continue with the pregnancy have me paged and I'll give you prescriptions. And I'll go over safe prescriptions you can take for your bipolar."

"Thank you." AJ said quietly then the doctor left.

"Phil." AJ said looking at him but he was still staring off into space. "Please come back to me I need you." She nearly cried.

"I'm sorry." He said to her. "I thought we were careful."

"We weren't." She said passing him his copy of the sonogram but he wouldn't even look at it.

"Whatever you want to do I support." He told her taking her hand and kissing it. "I'm always with you, always on your side. You don't have to decide anything now."

"I've already decided." She told him. "I had a feeling. I was sick every morning I was gone I couldn't eat but I chalked it up to nerves. I had missed my period but I thought it was stress."

"Ok." Punk told her. "I'll be with you every step of the way and we'll be more careful."

"Please don't be mad at me." She cried.

"I'm not mad at you." He told her. "I love you and I want what you want-"

"-but I want to keep it." She told him, completely flooring him.

"You what?" he asked.

"I know I told you I didn't want kids and you didn't want kids and I know it's a big flip." she cried uncontrollably. "But this baby is me. He held on throughout this entire ordeal, he happened when he wasn't suppose to happen. He's a survivor and I want him. He belongs with us." she cried and Punk kissed her hand again and she felt tears hit her hand. The second time she had seen him cry. "If you don't want to be involved I understand-"

"I want what you want." He repeated. "I want the baby."

"You're emotional." AJ reminded him as she sniffled. "You don't know what you're saying-"

"Ape, if anyone is emotional it's you. You're the one that's been gone, you're the one that's been off your medication, you're the one who went through this." Punk reminded her. "I don't want to get my hopes up about a baby if you wake up tomorrow and change your mind."

"I've never been more clear minded." She said to him. "A brush with death really changes your prescriptive on things. I want him." She told him. "I'm ready now and I know that sounds selfish because I didn't even try before but I want this baby with you. If you don't, like I said I understand and will figure it out on my own."

"You think after I just got you back I'd ever let you walk away?" Punk asked with a smirk as tears still escaped his eyes. "Especially with my kid?"

"We both said no kids." She reminded him with a smile as she cried.

"We also both said no getting kidnapped and almost dying." He teased as she ran her finger gently under his eye to clean the tears he was shedding.

"I don't think we said that." She had to laugh through her tears.

"It was implied." He said to her seriously. "No more of that."

"I'll try." She said to him and he examined her left hand. "She took it." she said knowing what he was looking for. "She pawned it."

"Yea." Punk said kissing her ring finger and without letting go of her hand he reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled her ring out of his pocket.
"That how I knew where you were. This ring saved your life." he said sliding the ring with ease back onto her finger.

"I knew it was special." She smiled as she watched him do it.

"I love you." He told her with pure honesty.

"I love you too." She whispered back and pulled him into a kiss. "I almost hate to kill the moment, but Ryan?"

"He's going to live." Punk said to her and she just nodded relieved. "Why does that make you happy?"

"Because you didn't kill him. You're too good of a man to live with that kind of guilt." she said to him.

"I would have had a smile on my face for the rest of my life." He told her. "Even if it was from behind bars."

"But then you would have missed out on marrying me." She reminded him. "And holding your child."

"I didn't know about the child." He defended. "But I would have been satisfied knowing he'd never get to you again."

"What about Daffney?" She asked.

"She was arrested for kidnapping, assault and false imprisonment. She won't be out for a very long time. Detective Quinn told me Ryan will be charged with the same with the added attempted murder and will be formally charged for your assault as well." Punk told her.

"That's good." AJ said with a sigh that she felt she had been holding in for days.

"Do you need to talk to somebody?" he asked her concerned. "Your therapist?"

"I don't have one." She reminded him.

"I'm sure your little boyfriend will make the exception and drop everything to come see you and check in on you." He teased.

"Nah. I'm so content and relieved and I feel full." She told him looking at him. "I am tired. I couldn't sleep in that little crate."

"Sleep." he told her. "I won't leave."

"I want to sleep in my own bed with you and Larry." She told him.

"It might be another day." He warned.

"I can hold out another night." She said to him.

"Your brother is itching to get in here." He told her.

"Ok." She said to him. "But don't tell him about the baby. It's bad luck."

"I won't tell him." Punk promised standing up but before walking away kissed her again.

"You're coming back too, right?" she asked.

"As long as you're in here, I'll be here too." He told her.

A/N: I KNOW I totally eye-rolled the baby thing but the problem is, this is where the story was always going to go and end. I mean, duh I think I made that super obvious from one of the first chapters when she said clearly 'I don't want children ever'. Problem is, have to finish a few plot lines first. Hold on.