The Way Out

"Hold still. Stop being a baby." AJ said, wiping Dean's upper eyebrow as he sat on a stool at the kitchen table in he and Punk's apartment. The same apartment she used to live in with them. She'd missed it. It brought back a lot of great amazing, but a lot of scary ones also. But this was always a place she felt loved and safe.

"Who does he think he is?" Dean spat, moving around, making it difficult for AJ to clean his wound. Once Dean put one and one together and saw that Ben had hit her, he completely lost it and both men participated in a nasty brawl around the living room until AJ managed to separate them and drag Dean out. She was just glad that it was Dean with her and not Punk. She was sure Punk would have threw him out the window, or maybe even something worse.

"Forget about him." AJ sighed. She was trying her best to not let it all get to her head. The fact her husband was not only a liar, but he also had no remorse for his actions either, and seemed to think it was ok to justify it by saying he was in a difficult position. AJ just couldn't deal with it, and the punch in the face was the cherry on top for her to really see the true him. It was scary, considering she thought she knew him so well, and thought that she loved him because he was a good, honest, kind man. She was back to thinking the only people she could ever trust would be Punk and Dean.

"You know Punk will go crazy when he finds out what he did. To you." Dean said.

"Then maybe it's best we don't tell him." AJ said, making sure his eyebrow was clean, "He's got enough on his plate right now. He's still trying to get used to the fact he was seconds away from being killed." AJ said, "This isn't something he needs to know."

"Yeah, maybe in a few years, when Ben is in prison you can tell him." Dean said as AJ sighed to herself and nodded. She didn't think this would ever end like this. She thought she would have been put in a difficult position between the man she loved and lived with, and the man who still had a place in her heart, who she still loved, but the tables had turned, and it felt like although she was still trying to come to terms with what Ben had done and what he had lied to her about, she felt like it was meant to be, and that it was a sign that brought her straight back to the one man who she still loved, "So are you gonna tell me what you're gonna do?" Dean asked her.

"About what?" AJ said.

"About Phil." Dean said, "I'm no idiot. You two still look at each other like you're nineteen again. You won't get that with anyone else. You know that, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I know." AJ said.

"So… what are you doing about it?" Dean asked.

"I've just been punched in the face by my husband. The last thing I'm needing right now is a new relationship, right away." AJ said.

"It's not just a relationship with you two though, is it?" Dean asked, "You guys just gave up on each other. It was like you were both just tired, and this break you guys took ended up lasting years and you managed to move on… you've found your way back to each other now." He said.

"It's not just as easy as getting back together." AJ said, "There's still so much going on, and… I'm still trying to deal with what Ben has done. What he's lied about." She said, "I know Phil would never lie to me, but jumping back into a relationship with him… I don't think that's what either of us need at the moment."

"But you're saying there's a chance?" Dean smiled like a child, hopeful for his broken up parents to get back together.

"I don't know, Dean." AJ smiled to him a little, "I mean… the feelings are still there…. Like, really still there." AJ nodded to him, "And we've kissed a couple of times and… feels like…" She paused, running her hand through her hair as Dean watched her, "Feels like nothing has even changed." She nodded. There was no denying their feelings still being there, if not… even stronger than they were before, and of course she wanted him. Like she told Ben in the heat of the moment when she was angry, she wished now that she hadn't stopped their kiss in the hotel that night. She wished she'd went further with him, got naked with him again. She'd still never felt love like she did with Punk, and of course she wanted it again, "Who's to say that he even wants to get back together?" AJ said, "I mean… he's been emotional these past few weeks. Thought he was gonna die. Maybe he just wanted a bit of comfort from me-"

"Oh, please." Dean scoffed, "He wants you, alright? Take it from me, who knows him inside out… he wants you and he has done ever since you left." He said as AJ sighed, "And I miss you being around, AJ. You're like my sister." He sighed to himself.

"I missed you too, Dean." AJ sighed, "I would have come to see you, but I thought maybe… maybe that would just make it worse between me and Phil, I thought it'd be best if I just kept my distance from him, in all aspects of his life." She said, "I missed you every day." She told him as Dean just smiled.

"Everything felt right when it was just the three of us." Dean nodded as AJ finished cleaning him up, walking over to the sink and putting the first aid kit away, knowing her way around the place like she hadn't even left.

"It's… well it's not my place or business to be asking…" She said, wiping down the surface as Dean looked over to her, "But… was Phil with anyone else… I mean, obviously he was with someone else… it's been a lot of years but… I mean like a relationship?" She asked, turning back around as he smiled a little.

"What do you think?" He asked her.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking." AJ said.

"No relationship." Dean shook his head, "But… he's only human, few girls I had to make breakfast for, and I remember clearly that it wasn't me who slept with them… so… I mean he had a few dates, one night stands." He nodded, "Why? Are we jealous?" He smirked as AJ just smiled to him, her emotions catching up to her as she let out a sob, placing her hand over her face as Dean's smile faded and he stood up, "Hey." He said softly.

"Everything is a mess." AJ cried, "Turns out my whole life for the past few years have just been a lie and… and I'm still in love with him and I'm so mad at myself for not fighting a little harder for us." She sighed. She was frustrated with herself, because she wished that they had just fought harder for one another, because she had missed him terribly, and she still loved him completely, and now she felt like an idiot for thinking she had moved on with a good man, when he turned out to be a seedy lawyer who lied to her.

"Hey, come on." Dean sighed, placing his arms around her as she hugged into him, "Look, I don't know what my brother is thinking, but the one thing I know for sure is that he still loves you. You guys went through so much together, you were always there for one another… and yeah, life got in the way but… it's all very convenient that you're both back seeing each other again… and if they feelings are still there, you shouldn't brush them aside." He told her, swaying from side to side with her like he always did as she smiled.

"I just feel really stupid for thinking I had moved on with someone amazing." She said, "And it was always gonna be Phil. No matter what." She sighed.

"You need to talk to him when we go back to Florida. Both of you lay it all out on the line and figure out what's going to happen." He said.

"I just feel really down." She sighed, resting into his chest as he rubbed her back and kissed her head.

She felt herself going into a deep state of dark depression. And back when she lived with Dean and Punk, she remembered them doing everything they possibly could to cheer her up. If she wanted to sleep all day, they'd make sure she was extra comfy with cookies, and her favourite drink, and good movies to watch. With them, she felt like she had a family, and being with them again now made all those wonderful memories come back, and she wished they'd never had to part ways.

"Do they still last as long as they used to?" Dean remembered. He and Punk most likely knew more about her illness than anyone else, including Ben who never really acknowledged her illness. She was trying not to think about him right now anyway.

"Yeah." AJ whispered as Dean nodded.

"Ok, why don't you go for a sleep? We'll get the flight tomorrow, I'll give Phil a phone, let him know what's up." He said, "Have you taken your pills?" He asked her as AJ nodded, "Ok, all of this stress probably isn't good for you." He speculated, "Go… Go have a lie down." He told her as she nodded. He could see she looked exhausted and mentally drained.

"We could still catch the flight tonight." AJ said.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I want to." AJ nodded.

"Ok. Just get a few hours then." He said as she smiled.

"Thanks, Dean." She nodded to him, wandering over to the couch, laying down as he smiled. Things just felt right with her back in their lives. Even for him.

"Is that… Is that all you got?" Punk spat blood onto the carpet floor of the motel, feeling his face pulsing from the constant punches he had been taking from both Alberto and Dennis. He was glad they were having fun, and this was what made them feel big.

"This is what is going to happen." Alberto said, crouching down to him as Punk looked down at him, breathing heavily, "You're going to go back to the police and tell them that you're guilty. That it was you who killed those girls after all. That you just managed to make up this little idea that it wasn't you." He said.

"They have hard proof evidence, you stupid fuck." Punk spat and laughed sadistically as Alberto glared at him.

"Does it look like we care?" Dennis asked, moving Del Rio out the way and looking on at Punk, "You turn yourself in or we kill you right here, right now." He said, "And it's not gonna stop there." He said, grabbing Punk by the face so he would look at him properly, "I'll find that attorney of yours, and I'll find your brother… and you don't want to know what I'll do to them." He hissed as Punk's nostrils flared, collecting the blood in his mouth and spitting it out onto Dennis' face, watching as he moved back a little.

"Take your fucking hands off me." Punk warned.

"Bad move." Alberto shook his head whilst Dennis wiped his face and looked on at Punk.

"Alright then." Dennis nodded, "This is your funeral. Police are gonna find you, slumped over that chair, dead with your pants around your ankles, because it's been a long time coming for you, boy." He hissed as Punk looked across at him.

"Really? I thought I was too old for you." Punk said, "You-You want me to hold a school lunch box? Huh?" He spat as Dennis glared at him, "You're a fucking monster, and whatever you to do to me, that doesn't change who you are. You will always be an evil monster." Punk spat.

"If you were smart." Alberto said, "You'd do as we say and no one has to get hurt." Alberto said.

"No, he's chose his fate." Dennis said, playing with the loop of his jeans as Punk watched and shuddered. The man was vile. Like a snake in the grass, filled with poison. The devil himself perhaps.

"You try anything, you'll be the only dead man around here." Punk said, "So I'd be careful if I were you."

"Coming from the man tied up." Dennis chuckled just as there were loud sirens heard in the distance as Punk smiled to himself and looked at both of them.

"You're out of luck, boys." Punk nodded, "Maybe would have been wise to just…stay away." He said, "And maybe would have been wise to pick a motel with a back door or a window too." He smirked as he watched Dennis and Alberto begin to worry as the sirens became so close that it seemed like they were right outside in the car park area, and from what they could hear, there were a lot of them.

Punk watched as they scrambled around the room trying desperately to come up with a plan, but it was no use, they had became too smart for their own good, and whilst trying to save their own ass again, they had just failed, and there really was no way out anymore.

"Alright, you shut the fuck up." Dennis spat, pulling out a gun on Punk who just glared up at him.

"Oh, go on. Shoot me. They'll only speed up your execution." Punk shook his head, feeling the gun press against his temple. He'd felt what it was like to prepare for his death, yet there were still the same nerves there, if not even worse, because he knew what he had to live for now.

"I will blow your brains out if you don't be quiet." Dennis spat.

"They know you're here." Punk said calmly, listening as what seemed like a large group of armed officers made their way down the motel corridor, pausing outside the door as they suddenly heard a loud banging noise, "Oh, look at that." Punk smiled, watching as both of them began to sweat bullets and panic. It was all very satisfying to see two men that had tried to kill him, fear for their own life, and be found, ready to be taken into prison, ready to be executed.

The cops only knocked once before breaking down the door, pointing their guns at Alberto and Dennis who backed away, however Dennis still had the gun pointed at Punk.

"Put down your weapon!" The cops yelled, pointing their guns at Dennis whilst Alberto had already put his hands up in defence. Dennis was a different kind of evil, though, he just couldn't go down without taking one more innocent life with him, "Put your weapon down!" The cops yelled as Punk looked at Dennis, watching him, as if in slow motion, as he pulled the trigger on him.

As soon as Dennis pulled the trigger on Punk, the cops fired their guns at him, taking him out in the case of him harming any more people, whilst Punk felt his side gush out with blood, watching as the room became blurry, starting to black out as he felt people untie him from the chair, completely blacking out straight after.

A/N: Let me know what you think!