Mom Talk

AJ woke up the next morning when she heard Punk moving around the room. She glanced at the clock which read 7am and groaned to herself. She had a late start at work, and didn't have university, but only wished she could have spent the morning with Punk.

"Do you have to go so early?" AJ frowned, sitting up in bed, holding the sheets to her naked body as she watched him button his shirt up and nod.

"Trust me, I'd rather stay here with you." Punk said, "But I have a lot to do today." He nodded as AJ frowned, laying back down in bed. He turned around and watched her. He didn't want her to feel like he was prioritising his work over her. That was never the case. Like he said, he would have rather spent the day with her, but he had a job to do, and at this point he really had to start making waves, "I'll be home earlier tonight." Punk told her, "What do you say we go out for dinner?" He asked her as she sat back up.

"I say ok." AJ smiled to him as he nodded, making his way around the bed, leaning over and pressing a kiss on her lips as she kissed back softly, "You should really have breakfast." She said as he wandered back around the room whilst she sat up against the headboard.

"I'm not a breakfast person." Punk shook his head, "I'll get a coffee in my office." He said.

"Do you miss me when you're at work?" AJ wondered.

"Are you kidding?" Punk laughed, "Of course I do." He said as she smiled, "It's not always gonna be like this… you know, where I'm constantly working. I do get days off believe it or not but… this case needs a lot of work." He nodded.

"I know I understand." AJ smiled to him.

"You go back to bed. It's still early." He said as she just shook her head.

"I'm up now." She shrugged, "I'll probably just take a… hot, steaming shower… all alone." She smiled innocently.

"Don't." Punk groaned as she smiled to herself, "I'll be thinking about you." He nodded as she smiled.

"Have a good day." She said as he saluted her and left the room, heading downstairs and leaving out the front door.

AJ gave a sigh of relaxation. One she'd been doing a lot recently. One she hadn't really experienced before. Because she was relaxed. Although she was still trying to fit into a new city, and also accept everything that happened with Cass, she was still happy here. She was happy with Phil and what she was doing at university. Her job wasn't the best but it wasn't unbearable. She mostly ignored the staff as they all weren't particularly friendly, and got on with her job. But she was happy and relaxed, and most of all she did feel safe. Even when she panicked yesterday over her mind playing tricks on her, a part of her still knew she was safe because she was here with Phil.

AJ eventually got up and had her shower, getting into some comfy sweats and heading downstairs to make some breakfast.

She was halfway pouring her coffee when she heard a knock at the front door. She put the coffee pot down and walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the door, opening it up and seeing Punk's mother standing.

"Oh, hello." Grace smiled.

"Hey." AJ smiled pleasantly.

"I was just popping round to give my son his tools back." Grace said, holding up the box as AJ chuckled a little.

"Phil has tools?" AJ arched a brow as Grace smiled.

"Yeah, ones he rarely uses. It was a few months ago, Dean and Renee were on vacation with little Bella and of course that's when my water stopped working. I had to call my second handy-man son." She smiled.

"Well at least Dean trained him well." AJ smiled, taking the box from Grace and sitting it over by the stairs, "Uh… I've just poured myself a coffee, you're welcome to come in."

"Oh, no. I shouldn't." Grace waved her hand.

"I insist." AJ said, "If you're not busy." She added as Grace smiled and nodded.

"Alright then." Grace nodded, stepping into the house and unwrapping her scarf from around her neck, placing it over by the stairs along with her coat as she followed AJ into the kitchen, "Is Phil working?"

"Yeah. He left early this morning." AJ said, reaching for another mug in the cupboard. It really was beginning to feel like her home. She knew where everything was and she was enjoying feeling that independence the house brought her, "I think this case he's working is getting to him." She said with slight concern, pouring Grace a coffee and taking them both over to the table where they sat down.

"Oh, they always get to him but he pulls it out the bag." Grace smiled, "He's wonderful at his job." She nodded proudly.

"He's dedicated, that's for sure." AJ nodded.

"It is quite a… time consuming job." Grace said, "I figured that's why he never had relationships." She shrugged.

"It is and I understand that." AJ nodded, taking a sip of her coffee, "We've both talked about it. I know he'll be away from home sometimes but we'll make it work." AJ said with assurance.

"Oh, I know." Grace smiled, "To be honest, I've never saw Phil this happy before." She said, "He was never miserable by any means but… you make him happy. I can tell." Grace smiled as AJ smiled to herself. It was nice to hear that, especially from someone who knew Phil so well, "How is university getting on for you?"

"Oh, it's great." AJ smiled, "I feel like I never even left. And it's nice to do something for myself for once, you know?" She said as Grace nodded, "I really love the course so that helps too." She nodded.

"It is hard to find something you'd love to do for a living these days." Grace nodded, "I just became a nurse because all of my friends did." She laughed modestly as AJ smiled, "It was tough. Working all different shifts and having a baby, and then eventually having both of the boys." She said.

"Do you mind asking me what happened to… Dean's father?" AJ asked hesitantly.

"Prison." Grace waved her hand, "We were better off without him anyway. He wasn't a very nice man. Got sent to prison when Dean was only two so… he's never known any different." She said as AJ nodded, "We didn't have a lot but… I done my best."

"Well I'd say you done a pretty good job. Dean's great." AJ smiled.

"Yeah, I think so too." Grace nodded.

"Did you know Phil's parents?" AJ asked. She'd not really had an in-depth conversation with Punk's mother yet. They'd chatted, sure. But not much about personal things.

"I knew of them." Grace nodded, "They were just kids. They were only twenty-one when Phil started school. I remember seeing his mother on the first day. She had to have weighed about five stone." She shook her head, "They didn't live far away, and I'd said hi to his mother in passing in the street. Things Phil would say if he was staying for dinner or staying over, I'd pick up on. And then their house got shot up one time." Grace said, "A part of me was… so glad to take Phil in and… give him some sort of stability that he hadn't had before." She said, "And he and Dean were already so close."

"He doesn't talk much about his parents." AJ nodded, "I don't think he likes talking about it."

"No, I don't think he does either." Grace said, "Well, they abandoned him. And they… they didn't even care about what happened to him. He went back to that empty house and I know he would never forgive them." She nodded, "Even though I raised him, he was still troubled and I know it was a lot to do with what happened when he was younger." She nodded.

"He's overcame a lot." AJ nodded, "What was he like as a teenager?" She asked, sipping on her coffee. It was her chance to ask questions that perhaps Punk would answer lightly, or just not answer at all. It helped that his mom was so easy to talk to and sweet.

"He was like all teenagers, I guess. He had his moments." Grace smiled, "He was… a little cold, I'd say." She nodded.

"How do you mean?" AJ asked.

"Well he didn't really make time for people." Grace said, "I don't know if it was because Dean met Renee in high school and they were always together, but as far as I knew, Phil wasn't interested in building a life up for himself. It wasn't until he got the chance to apply to law school where he sort of… figured out what it was he wanted to do." Grace nodded, "What about you? Do you have family back in New Jersey?" She asked.

"Yeah. My mom and dad." AJ said.

"You close?" She asked.

"It's not the word I would have used to describe my relationship with them." She shook her head, "Mom is bipolar like me but… she's a little more careless so I would always feel the wrath of that." She nodded, "We didn't have much growing up either. Barely had a home sometimes." She said, "Add in mental illness and it was like a bomb site sometimes." She shook her head, "I always felt like I had to owe them but… I realised I didn't. I would help pay their bills and play good daughter but… they were using me." AJ nodded, "It was very obvious." She shook her head.

"So maybe close isn't the right word then?" Grace smiled a little.

"No, I don't think so." AJ laughed a little, "There's no bitterness but… well I guess I did sort of cut them off when I came out here but… I came out here to do things for myself. Live for myself. I spent so long just focusing on them and if they were ok that I forgot I had myself to think about." She shook her head.

"That's crazy." Grace said, "They should have encouraged you to go out and do what you want to."

"Well, you'd think so." AJ nodded.

"You don't mind me asking but… how do you treat your illness? Is it medication?" Grace asked.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I have meds and then I also have a doctor who I see regularly." She said, "It's not something I tiptoe around and… you don't have to either." She nodded, "Phil didn't even seem phased when I told him."

"He's understanding." Grace nodded, "I just like seeing him happy. And I can see you make him happy." She smiled across to her. All she ever wanted was her boys to be happy and they both were, which was a blessing.

"He's a good man." AJ nodded.

"I think so too." Grace smiled.

"Do you want topped up?" AJ nodded to her coffee mug.

"Oh, go on." Grace nodded as AJ smiled, taking the two mugs away and refilling them.

Meanwhile, Punk was across town at his clients garage, exchanging over money to one of his clients friends as they settled an agreement.

A/N: Let me know what you think!