Years Later


8 years later…

"I said I wanted that done yesterday morning." Punk sat back in his office chair, "I don't care if your daughter was sick. I needed those numbers on my desk at 6am. You knew that. I had to give a briefing at 7am, unprepared." He said angrily, "Yeah, you're right it won't happen again, or else you'll be claiming unemployment." Punk said, hanging up and shaking his head, looking to his left through the glass windows of his office where employees were working hard… for him.

"Morning." Ted walked into his office as Punk sat up a little and nodded, "Good news or bad news first?"

"Give me the good news and don't tell me the bad." Punk shook his head.

"Good news is we remained 5% under budget this month." Ted nodded.

"Because we moved shipment like I told you all to do two years ago." Punk said, "And the bad?" Punk asked.

"We're shipping you, this time." Ted said as Punk looked up, "Back to Chicago." He said as Punk chuckled a little.

"Says who?" Punk asked.

"Says me who thinks you can run this company. Which means you have to be at the head office, which is not here… it's in Chicago." Ted said as Punk rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine working from here." Punk told him.

"I know you are. You're great here." Ted said, "I don't need to tell you twice but… for your career, for your dad… it's time to go to Chicago." He nodded.

"I haven't saw or spoke to my family in like… eight years." Punk said, "I-I can't go back there."

"I didn't ask you to do that. I told you they couldn't come out here with you. I didn't tell you to cut all of them off. Your own mother. That was cold." Ted raised his eyebrows.

"Well how was I supposed to do this job and see them?" Punk asked, "It's easier this way."

"Well now you gotta go back." Ted nodded, "It means you access all the files in the company, if you can get in with the board you can get your own seat there. Start bringing stuff up from back before your dad died." He said as Punk nodded, "Remember why you started this."

"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded, "When do I go back?" Punk asked with a sigh.

"In a week." Ted said, "You really haven't spoken to your family in all this time?" He asked.

"Just my brother." Punk said, "But I told him not to tell anyone." He said as Ted nodded.

"Well at least you get to see him a little more, right?" Ted said.

"Right." Punk nodded just as his phone began to ring on his desk.

"I'll leave you to work." Ted smiled as Punk nodded and picked the phone up.

"Yeah, this is he." Punk answered, "Oh yeah, thanks for calling me back." He said, going into conversation as Ted smiled. He was shaping up to be a great businessman after years of experience. He knew his way around things. He knew the tricks to know. And he was pretty much running the company in New York.


"Why do my pieces keep getting rejected?" AJ shook her head, sitting at the kitchen table with Kerry, eating some ice-cream, "Even when I got back and polish up. I mean… why has this agency signed me when they never, ever want any of my work?" She asked with frustration.

"Oh, honey. It'll happen. They just want the best out of you. That's all." Kerry smiled, "Long day today?" She asked her as AJ nodded.

"Left my place at 6 and this is me just home." AJ sighed, looking up at the clock which read 10pm.

"April, I hope you're taking care of yourself." Kerry sighed.

"I am." AJ assured her on a serious note, "I just wish they'd give me some more guidance, you know?"

"You're still a young woman. All this is just experience for you. I mean you're still getting paid for little exerts you're doing for things, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course." AJ nodded.

"Just have some patience. I bet you're the youngest there." Kerry said as AJ thought to herself.

"Yeah, I probably am actually." AJ nodded.

"You're doing great for how little time you've had. Stop beating yourself up every time." She warned, "I'm proud of you. Very proud." She smiled.

"Thanks." AJ smiled, "I should probably get home and… make sure Dean has had dinner." She shook her head as Kerry smiled.

"You two living together is… not something I thought would work." Kerry laughed to herself.

"We're not living together. He's using my couch because Renee kicked him out." AJ corrected her.

"They'll work it out. They always do." Kerry said.

"I don't blame her. He can't keep a job down and when he does he just spends it on booze." AJ shook her head.

"I know. I've had many of conversations with him, don't worry." Kerry said as AJ finished her ice-cream off, looking up as she noticed the particular picture stuck on the fridge. The picture Kerry took of them on Punk's last day of school.

"Why do you still have that up?" AJ asked as Kerry turned around and looked at it.

"Because I miss him." Kerry nodded, "And the picture makes me smile." She said as AJ stood up, placing her bowl in the sink and taking the picture off the fridge, "April." Kerry said in a concerned tone as AJ looked at it closely, looking at his face.

She then ripped the picture in two, and then ripped it again, grabbing two fridge magnets, sticking up the remaining picture of her, and then the other part of Dean and Patch.

"That's better." AJ said, tossing the remaining piece of Punk in the trash as Kerry sighed, "Much better." She nodded, "I should get home. Thank you for the ice-cream and the chat." She smiled.


AJ got home to her one bedroom apartment which she had in the city so it was close to the office she worked at. She worked at a writers agency doing whatever she could, trying so hard to always have some of her pieces viewed at. She'd been knocked back a lot but it didn't stop her from trying harder every time.

"Dean." AJ called, closing over her door, "You home?" She asked, taking her coat off and sitting her purse down. She secretly liked the company of Dean, who really was simply her brother. Even though he was messy and useless, she liked that she didn't feel as alone as she normally did with him around.

After hearing no reply she kicked off her shoes and headed for her bedroom, opening up the door and jumping when she saw Dean and Renee in it, "What the fuck!?" AJ yelled.

"I thought you were working late." Dean replied.

"Oh my God." Renee cringed.

"That's my bed." AJ shook her head, "You guys." She moaned as Dean chuckled, "Get out." She warned them, slamming the door shut.

"We made up!" Dean called to her as she walked away into her kitchen, shaking her head.

Not long after, Dean and Renee both emerged from the bedroom whilst AJ was cooking dinner, "Sorry, that wasn't planned." Dean said, sitting on the stool at the table whilst Renee had escaped.

"That doesn't make it ok. That's my bed, Dean." AJ shook her head, "I don't… fuck guys in your bed. That would be rude."

"You should be happy we made up so I'm out of your hair." Dean said as AJ just stayed silent, "You having a bad day?" He wondered.

"No. I'm fine." AJ said, "I wanna have my dinner and go to bed." She told him, "So… you can get your things and go."

"Ok." Dean put his hands up, "Thanks for letting me stay. Again." He said, walking over to her and kissing her cheek as she just shoved him, causing him to laugh, "Oh and I might have knocked some things over. Sorry if I've broken anything." He said before quickly leaving the kitchen and the apartment altogether as AJ just shook her head.

She left her dinner cooking down low and headed into her bedroom to first of all, strip the bed sheets and covers. She then put all the things back in place which Dean had knocked over. She then noticed the shoe box under her bed had been kicked further out, the lid hanging off of it a little.

She crouched down and opened it up, looking on at the pictures, tickets, receipts from when she thought she had life figured out. When she thought she'd met her forever. Before he left without a single explanation.


"How is this for you?" A woman in heels walked around the penthouse apartment as Punk stood looking out the window.

"Nice place." He nodded as she smiled.

"Lots of parties here?" She smiled.

"Lots of work." Punk corrected her in honesty.

"I see." She said, whilst Punk stood looking out the window at the city he'd been away from for eight whole years. It felt strange being back after all this time. It brought back painful memories. Harsh realities.

He'd spent eight years working, making money, getting better and better at the job he never thought he'd ever be working, but he had an agenda of course. The harder he worked, the more trust he got with things, the more access, access to finding out who killed his father all those years ago. He was set on finding the person.

He'd grown up a lot in eight years. He felt like he became an adult overnight. He was out in the world alone. His look had also changed from a blonde haired Punk to a tidied up businessman. His hair, now it's normal shade of dark brown, was always slicked back. He kept a little bit of beard. His piercings he had taken out yet his body he had covered in colourful tattoos.

"So what'd you say?" The estate agent asked, clasping her hands as Punk turned around from the window.

"Yeah, sweet. I'll take it." Punk nodded. He wouldn't ever tell anyone how much money he had already made for himself, but he could say he was pretty much already set.

"Great." The woman smiled, "I'll go get the paper work and the keys." She said, leaving the apartment as Punk watched her and nodded.

He turned back around, looking out to the beautiful city falling into night. Knowing he was closer to the family he left was hard to digest. He found it extremely hard to leave them. The decision was never easy at all, and he still loved them. His mother. Dean. AJ. In fact, he thought about AJ every single day. What she was doing. Who she was doing things with. If she was ok. When he knew back then that he wouldn't find anyone like her, or a love like theirs, he really meant it. Knowing that she probably didn't believe his feelings were genuine after he left, broke his heart. The only thing he'd ever been genuine about was his relationship with her.

"Ok. Here are the papers." The girl came back into the apartment, also holding a bottle of champagne, "It's… standard we give a bottle too." She sat on the kitchen counter as Punk walked over and laughed a little, looking on at her.

"Well… how about you stay and have a glass for me." He smiled charmingly as she looked up at him, tucking her hair behind her ear, "That is if… you're not too busy." Punk said, already opening up the champagne bottle.

"You were actually my last showing for the day." She smiled.

"Good timing." Punk nodded, "Why don't you go make yourself comfortable." He nodded over to the sitting area of the large penthouse as the girl smiled and nodded.

"Ok." She nodded, hard to resist, strolling on over to the couch whilst Punk poured her a fizzy glass, making his way over and sitting down beside her.


Eight Years Ago…

"Did Phil go out for breakfast?" AJ asked, coming downstairs one morning, just a week before school started back. She was feeling tired but good, especially after the night she and Punk had. They'd never been so intimate before. She was sure he kissed every inch of her entire body.

She walked into the kitchen, a skip in her step, when she saw Dean and Kerry standing quietly, "Hey, did Phil go out for breakfast?" AJ asked them again, in case they never heard her, "What's going on?" She asked, immediately sensing a strange vibe in the air. Both of them were looking at her funny, like she had something on her face.

"What?" AJ laughed worriedly as Kerry stood up from the kitchen table, a visible written letter sitting in front of her. It was then AJ noticed she'd gone a funny white colour, and had also noticed Dean holding a letter of his own.

"Here." Kerry took the remaining envelope with AJ's name on it, extending it to her as AJ tilted her head a little, "Open it." She nodded as AJ looked at them both. Dean looked like he was in a state of shock and sadness. Kerry looked lifeless. She was afraid to open the letter.

"What is going on?" AJ shook her head.

"Just open it, April." Dean sighed as AJ ripped open the envelope, taking out the letter and reading it extremely quickly as all that was on the letter was "I'm sorry" at the top, signed off by Punk.

She shook her head and looked across at Dean and Kerry's letters, which had screeds of writing, not understanding what was going on.

"Why is he sorry?" AJ asked, turning her letter around to show them the very little to none explanation she had.

"Here, read mine." Kerry sighed, realising she probably had the most detailed explanation from her son who had apparently left to New York overnight.

AJ took the letter from her, reading it in detail, shaking her head the further she got down to the end of the page, looking up at them both once she'd finished reading it, "What?" She shook her head, "He… he's not just left." AJ laughed a little, "Why would he do that?" AJ shook her head. Her heart wouldn't let her believe it. There was no way he would just up and leave this way. Not when she knew what they had was so special. Irreplaceable even. She wouldn't believe it.