Anniversary

"They were happy to see me." Punk smiled, looking over at Kaia and Marty who had fallen asleep on the chair beside his bed. He'd spent the night with them in his room and it was the best he had felt since waking up. Their little conversations distracted him from the pain he was in for sure.

"They've missed you." AJ nodded, sitting on a chair the opposite side as Punk looked at her, "How are you feeling?" She asked him.

"I've been better." Punk said, "But it's not as bad as the last few days." He assured her, "I slept better last night. I'm sick of sleeping." He shook his head.

"It's helping you, though." AJ said, "You need your rest. You… You went through a lot." She nodded as he looked at her.

"You forgot." Punk whispered with a small smile.

"Forgot what?" AJ asked.

"Our anniversary." He smiled as AJ looked at him.

"No… no, it's the..." AJ paused as she took her phone out, realising it was in fact their wedding anniversary, placing her hand over her mouth and looking up at him as he smiled and waved his hand.

"Hey, it's fine. I was the one who forgot last year. And no one was even in hospital then." He smiled, "Forgiven."

"Oh, Phil… I'm so sorry." AJ sighed, "My head is truly up my ass right now." She said, "Happy anniversary, baby." AJ shook her head, leaning over and kissing him, cupping his cheeks and giving him a deep meaningful kiss. It wasn't like her to forget special occasions, which made him realise just how crazy things were for her right now, and he hated it.

"Is my dad still here?" Punk asked her as she sat back down and nodded.

"Yeah." AJ nodded. She wasn't going to tell him about Nadine and the fact she saw them chatting over friendly coffee. All she wanted was for her husband to get better in a calm environment. Telling him this wasn't something he would have appreciated. It could wait, "We're dealing with it." AJ shrugged, "Dean's gonna help me with the restraining order."

"Could take a while for that to go through." Punk told her as she nodded.

"I know. I know… until then we just… keep our distance. If he comes around, call the cops. It's all we can do." AJ nodded.

"Don't be scared of him." Punk told her.

"Well I am." AJ admitted honestly.

"He's just a bully. He likes watching people squirm and fear him." Punk nodded, "I wish I could do more." He sighed.

"Hey, no… we got this. You don't have to worry about it. Just focus on getting better. That's honestly the most important thing right now." She nodded, "Hopefully before we know it, you'll be coming home." She smiled.

"I hope so. I miss my own bed." Punk said as AJ smiled.

"How is your chest?" AJ asked him.

"Extremely sore." Punk nodded, "You wanna see my scar? Doctor said it's good I have all these tattoos, hides the scarring really well." He nodded, pulling his t-shirt up and pulling back the bandage as she looked at the gigantic scar down his chest.

"Oh, wow… that's… that's big." AJ raised her eyebrows, "But it looks clean and like it's healing well." AJ nodded, her nurse side showing of course, "That's great." She said as he nodded, pulling his t-shirt back down, "Gosh, I can't believe I forgot our anniversary. I'm… I'm the worst wife." AJ shook her head.

"You didn't forget it. You just didn't know that today was that date." Punk shrugged, "I was lying in bed this morning thinking about how… this will be the first anniversary that we haven't had sex on." He said, "That depresses me." He nodded to her as AJ smiled.

"Yeah, me too." AJ agreed, "When you get better I promise… we'll make up for it." She nodded.

"I don't doubt that." He smiled, "How have they been?" He nodded to the girls, looking over at them sleeping against one another.

"They're fine. Just missing you." AJ nodded, "I keep letting them sleep in our bed with me. I know I should stop it but… I'm just getting a little lonely." She admitted.

"Hey, they're keeping my space war. That's ok." He smiled, "Has my dad seen them yet?" He asked her.

He wasn't sure what to make of his father returning. A part of him was still in shock. He hadn't seen the man since he was just a little boy. He hated that he couldn't do anything to make sure his family was safe.

"Yeah he saw them the other night when he came to the house." AJ nodded to him, "They were sleeping in the living room. He didn't see them for long." She said as Punk nodded.

"What was he saying to you?" Punk asked her.

"He just kept saying he had changed, that he deserved a chance to prove himself but… I didn't want to hear it. I just wanted him to leave." AJ said.

"How is my mom with it? Has she seen him?" He asked curiously.

"Uh… no, no she's not." AJ shook her head, "We're just trying to figure out how to get him away. The restraining order is a pretty lengthy wait… we kinda need something to kick in now." She sighed.

"Once you file for the order, his probation officer will be notified, that might be enough to get him put on a curfew, if he isn't already on one, I guess." Punk said, "Could keep him at bay at least."

"Yeah. Yeah, hopefully." AJ nodded, "Just… don't worry about it." She took his hand, "We'll figure this out."

"Well obviously I'm gonna worry about it." Punk smiled softly as she nodded, "Tell me what you're gonna do later." He said, "Since I can't be with you on our anniversary night." He said as she smiled, watching him pat the bed beside him.

"Oh, no… you're not supposed to sit on a patient's bed, I-"

"Not a patient. Husband." Punk reminded her as AJ smiled a little and nodded.

She got up from the chair and lay up beside him on the bed, making sure she didn't pull any of the wires out and making sure she wasn't hurting him in any way. It felt so good to finally be beside him so closely.

"So you wanna know what I'm doing with the rest of my night?" AJ asked him.

"Go on." Punk nodded.

"Well I'm taking those monsters home and I'm putting them to bed." AJ smiled, looking over at the girls, "Then I think I'll go for a bath." She nodded, "Maybe light some candles. Try and destress myself." She nodded.

"Wish I was getting in that bath with you." He sighed.

"Yeah, me too." AJ nodded truthfully.

"What else?" He asked.

"Well I haven't ate… so I'll probably make myself some food. I don't know what yet. Probably end up being a sandwich or something." She laughed as he smiled, "And I'll lie on the couch, probably start to fall asleep." She figured as he smiled, "You're not missing out on much, trust me." She looked up at him as he smiled and nodded.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as she looked at him, tilting her head a little.

"For what?" AJ questioned.

"For this. This is what you were talking about when you would tell me about working. Putting myself in danger." He said.

"Hey… don't you dare." AJ sat up, "Don't blame yourself for this. You… You didn't do this." She said, "And I don't blame you at all. You… You were doing your job. I can never be mad at you for that." She said as he looked at her, "This was personal and you got caught up in it."

"I could have been more careful. I jumped into a bullet." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah… that was headed for your best friend." AJ reminded him, "That's just the type of person you are. If it comes down to yourself or your family, you always choose them. I know that. I've known that since I first met you." She nodded, "There's no one to blame for this apart from Jensen and… that man is being dealt with." She said, "He's out of our lives."

"Did we get any answers out of him?" Punk asked.

"I don't know." AJ shook her head, "I got banned from the station."

"Banned?" Punk questioned.

"When… you were taken into hospital and they told me you were in a coma I… I got a little mad." AJ said, "I went to the station and I might have punched Jensen… and kicked him… a lot." She nodded as he raised his eyebrows.

"And why did they stop you?" Punk laughed a little as she smiled.

"I was a mess." AJ remembered, "I thought… I thought you were gone." AJ admitted, "Thought that I was going to raise the girls on my own. And let me tell you, judging by the dreams I've been having, it's not gonna be easy." She said as he smiled.

"Dreams?" Punk shook his head.

"Yeah, I kept having dreams. The girls were older in them and it would start out with you in them… and then you would just disappear." She said, "And it'd… it'd just be me and the girls." She nodded as he frowned, "And that really terrified me." She admitted, "I really thought I was going to lose you." She shook her head, sitting on the bed facing him, playing with his hand as he looked at her.

"But you aren't." Punk reminded her as she looked up, "I'm here. And I'm gonna be here." He promised her as she nodded.

"Good." AJ smiled, "Because I… I don't think I can do life… without you." She realised as he smiled a little.

"You can." Punk assured her, "But you don't have to." He said as she smiled, "So… was I old in these dreams? Did I look good?" He asked as she laughed.

"No, we were the same." AJ smiled, "Hope it stays that way." She nodded as he smiled.

"You'd be a beautiful eighty year old." Punk nodded as she laughed.

"Well thanks." AJ smiled, "The dream was only set in like ten years. Not fifty." She laughed a little as he smiled.

"Well whatever age you are, you'll always be beautiful to me." He smiled.

"That's good to know." AJ whispered, holding his hand in hers, "I'm so glad you have such a freakishly strong body." She nodded, "I'm so glad you're still here." She gulped and nodded as he smiled, cupping her cheek.

"I am too." Punk nodded, catching the tear rolling down her cheek, "I'm sorry we couldn't spend our anniversary with better scenery."

"Are you kidding?" AJ scoffed, drying her tears and resting back down beside him, "I love the sound of… heart monitors and that smell of bathroom cleaner." She nodded as he smiled.

"Better than any candle lit dinner, huh?" Punk nodded.

"Of course." AJ teased as Punk smiled.

"I love you." He whispered as she looked up at him.

"I love you too." AJ smiled, cupping his cheek softly, "When you get out of here I'm gonna be the best nurse you've ever had." She promised him as he smiled.

"I don't doubt that all." He smiled as she leaned up and kissed him softly. It was nice just to be alone, to block out everything else going on and take some time to themselves.