A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! You all have been amazing and I love hearing how much you like my stories. I write so people can have a brief escape from reality so it makes me happy that you all like it. I am loving this story and believe me there's so much more story to tell...enjoy ;) #FearAmy
Words of Wisdom
Four months later Punk sat around the same small apartment they were living room except there was no room to live. Celeste had thrown April her baby shower the previous weekend and the apartment was literally filled with baby stuff. Punk had taken April to see multiple homes over the course of the last four months but none of them fit their needs so they were now stuck in the small apartment until at least after the baby would be born.
"We got a lot of stuff." April noted walking out of the bedroom. She was pretty far along but was still carrying small.
"Yea a lot." Punk gritted out.
"Look at the bright side it's less money that we have to spend." April pointed out happily.
"I don't care about the money." Punk said to her. "I care about being able to fit the baby here and I'm going to be honest I haven't seen Serena for an hour."
"She was taking a nap with me." April said with a smile.
"How was your nap?" Punk asked her.
"It was lovely until fetus started playing with my bladder." April said rubbing her belly.
"Are we going to start discussing names?" Punk asked her.
"There's just so much to do and so little time left." She teased sitting on the couch. "How are we going to discuss names when you don't want to know what we're having?"
"We'll pick a boy and a girl name." Punk said to her.
"We can do that." April agreed. "Did you pick up Cliff's present?"
"I did." Punk said to her. "But after his party tonight I have to work at the shop."
"So late?" April asked.
"Yea I have guys coming to put in the new lighting so I wouldn't have to close during the day." Punk said to her.
"I can come with you." April offered. "We can hang out and read comics."
"You can't keep your eyes open past 10 half the time anymore." Punk teased. "I'll be there 10 until 3."
"That was when I was in the office but I'm working for him now until the baby comes." April pointed out.
"I'll try to speed up the process, ok?" he offered kissing her lips and standing up and tried to step over everything.
"Ok." She frowned. "The crib is being delivered tomorrow." She reminded him.
"Great we can put it on top of all of this crap." Punk remarked sarcastically.
"No, the bedroom." She smirked. "Even though it's pretty big."
"This is why I wanted to move earlier." Punk remarked.
"I wasn't the only difficult one. You couldn't pick a place you liked either. We'll make it work. I mean Amy and Cliff did." April reasoned.
"Amy and Cliff have an entire extra bedroom." Punk reminded her.
"Maybe looking for a house is too much. Just a slightly bigger apartment?" she asked. "It's too much pressure to pick a house right now."
"I know you're going to be working from home a lot more once the baby is born I wanted you at least have an office." Punk said to her.
"You're very sweet." She smiled at him. "I have to get dressed." she sighed. "I hope I fit into my dress
"I'm sure you will." He assured her. "You can go in sweats if that makes you comfortable."
"Not with everyone around." April said getting off of the couch. She abruptly stopped moving and grabbed her stomach.
"What?" Punk asked alarmed kicking things over to get to her.
"Nothing." She smiled. "Fetus is just very active tonight." She smiled grabbing his hand and placing exactly where he was kicking her. "Feel that?"
"Yea." He smiled.
"It's so weird." She smiled. "But feels so refreshing at the same time."
"I like feeling the baby kick." He smiled moving his hand a few inches where the baby was kicking now. "I know everything is ok."
"Do you think Amy is going to be there tonight?" April asked him.
"I don't know. I would imagine the mother of Cliff's child would attend his birthday party but Cliff told me the further Amy gets in her pregnancy the less she wants to be around people." Punk said to her. "She won't even let Cliff feel the baby kick."
"That's horrible." April frowned. "Poor Cliff. He's putting on a brave front but I know he's just not happy and I feel like we're rubbing it in his face."
"By being happy?" Punk laughed. "I'm sorry I'm not going to pretend I'm not the happiest I've ever been to spare Cliff's feelings. It's not my fault he had sex with her and got her pregnant."
"You better be nice to that baby." April warned him.
"I would never not be nice to Cliff's child or anyone's child for that matter." Punk said to her.
"Ok well I'm going to go shower and get ready." April said to him. "If you want to join me."
"We're both not going to fit into that shower." Punk smirked.
"Damn it." She muttered storming into the bedroom.
The party was loud and the restaurant was packed with Cliff's friends but April was still enjoying herself.
"You get bigger and bigger every time I see you." Nico grinned greeting his sister who was sitting on a bar stool.
"You saw me yesterday." She laughed.
"You look bigger." He teased. "What are you doing?" he asked noting the napkin she was doodling on.
"Phil wants to start picking names." April told him as Celeste walked over with a drink in her hand.
"But he doesn't even know what you're having." Celeste pointed out.
"We'll pick a boy and a girl name." Punk said to her.
"But we all already know." Celeste said to him.
"What?" Punk asked.
"I'm sorry." April said trying not to laugh. "I couldn't wait to know."
"When did you find out?" Punk asked her.
"Four weeks ago." She admitted.
"And you told Celeste?" Punk asked her.
"I did. And Nico." She said to him.
"I know too." Colt added. "So does Cliff."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Punk asked annoyed looking at the group.
"You said you didn't want to know and you don't." April defended. "I wanted to know."
"So you know for sure?" Punk asked and she nodded. "Well now I have to know."
"No you can wait until fetus is born if you want." April said to him.
"I don't want to be last to know." Punk argued.
"You already are." Celeste pointed out.
"What is it?" He asked her and April began to open her mouth. "No don't tell me, I don't want to know." he blurted out before she could tell him.
"Ok." April said to him then groaned. "Ugh I have to pee- again."
"I'll go with you." Celeste said grabbing April's hand and helping her off of the stool.
"You really don't want to know?" Colt asked amused.
"I wanted it to be a surprise." He said to them. "But I also thought April did too."
"I'd want to know." Nico admitted.
"You already do." Punk spat. "Is it a boy?" he asked them.
"Do you really want to know?" Nico asked.
"No I don't." Punk said quickly. "I've waited seven months I can wait a few more weeks."
"Amy and Cliff are having the same thing you are." Colt told him.
"Wonderful." Punk remarked. "Where is Amy? She couldn't bother to show?"
"She told me she'd be here later." Colt said to him.
"Is it a girl tho?" Punk asked them and Colt rolled his eyes.
"You don't want to know." Colt laughed. "Stop torturing yourself."
"Which would you prefer?" Nico asked.
"Healthy." Punk said to him. "I just think having a boy would be a little weird because of Amy." he pointed out. "I've kind of being secretly hoping for a girl."
"I'm not telling you." Nico said to him.
"Neither am I." Colt agreed.
"That's great because I don't even want to know." Punk laughed.
"It's just I'd want to know because raising a boy and a girl are completely different." Colt shrugged.
"A baby is a baby." Nico assured Punk. "You don't have to know what you're having to take care of it."
"I know that." Punk said to him. "I don't have to know."
"And so you won't." Colt shrugged.
"Know what?" Cliff asked walking over.
"Punk doesn't want to know the sex of the baby." Colt said to him.
"Really? I was so excited to find out. I mean I know nothing about raising a girl-" Cliff stopped when Nico shushed him.
"A girl?" Punk asked him. "You said Cliff and I were having the same thing." He said pointing at Colt.
"Did I?" Colt laughed nervously. "I don't remember saying that."
"A girl?" Punk asked Nico looking for confirmation and Nico nodded. "That's what I wanted!"
"You wanted healthy." Colt corrected.
"And according to April's doctor you're having a healthy baby too." Nico said to him.
"Think about it." Cliff grinned. "Our daughters are going to grow up together and be best friends."
"Yea go to school together, dress alike, lie for each other so one can sneak out to their boyfriends-" Colt told them.
"No." Punk said to him.
"I was just-" Colt began.
"Fucking no." Punk repeated in a warning voice.
"I don't know how I'm going to get up on my own in eight weeks." April said walking back over to her seat.
"A girl?" Punk asked her.
"You spoiled it?" April asked looking at Colt.
"I didn't for a change." Colt promised her.
"Yes a girl." April said to him and he leaned over and kissed her stomach.
"I'm going to be the most protective father ever." he said to her her belly. "Don't hate me when I don't let you out of the house past 8 or date, you'll get it when you're older." He said still talking to her stomach.
"She doesn't hear you." April teased.
"She hears me." Punk smirked. "Look I've got to get going." he said looking to see how late it was.
"I didn't even have cake yet." Cliff frowned.
"I have to be at the shop." Punk said grabbing his jacket. "Are you ready to go?"
"I'll take her home." Nico said to him.
"Yea? Alright." Punk said leaning over and kissing his wife. "Don't stay too late."
"Yes dad." She mocked.
"Not yet." He smirked walking to the door.
Later that evening as everyone was leaving and cleaning up Amy walked in.
"She's six hours late." Colt snorted cleaning the bar area.
"Hi Amy!" April smiled waving at her.
"There you are." Amy smiled walking over to her. "You look wonderful."
"Thanks you too." April said back. "You've gotten really big."
"Yea." Amy said placing her hand over her stomach. "Sorry I missed the party I fell asleep. The baby knocks me out."
"Sleep while you can." April suggested with a grin.
"Oh I am." Amy said to her. "What about you?"
"I sleep all of the time." April laughed. "And pee." She groaned starting to slid off of her stool. "The baby loved my bladder." she smirked but as April's feet hit the floor she tripped over the leg of the stool and hit the floor face first.
"Oh my god!" Amy screamed immediately dropping to her knees.
"April?" Colt asked catching it out of the corner of his eyes as well and raced around the bar.
"You should call an ambulance!" Amy insisted.
"No I'm ok." She said as Colt helped her sit up. "I tripped over my feet."
"You're too far along to fall like this!" Amy argued. "You need to have the baby checked."
"I really didn't even hit the floor that hard." April said to her.
"What happened?" Nico asked as he and Cliff walked over.
"April fell and won't get checked out." Amy said as Cliff moved her out of the way to check on April himself.
"I'm really ok." April insisted as they guys helped her stand up.
"I'll run you right down to the ER." Colt offered.
"I can call your doctor." Nico offered. "What's the doctors number?" he asked her.
"Doctor Castello." Amy answered for her. "Call her."
"How do you know her doctor?" Colt asked her.
"I think we have the same one." Amy said to him.
"I really am ok." April said to them. "It's no biggie."
"Here sit." Nico said pulling out a chair at a table for her.
"I have to go to the bathroom." April groaned.
"Let me help." Amy offered grabbing her arm.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Nico asked concerned.
"I fell on my side." April said to him. "And she's kicking me like crazy."
"Come on." Amy said helping her towards the bathroom.
"I'm sorry." April said out loud.
"For what?" Amy asked.
"Oh I'm sorry I was talking to the baby." She laughed. "I clearly disturbed her by tripping."
"That's sweet." Amy forced out opening the bathroom door. "Can I feel?"
"Oh sure." April smiled and Amy placed her hands on her stomach.
"She's strong." Amy smiled. "My boy never kicked this hard he was too small."
"But the new baby has to be kicking you this hard." April said to her.
"Of course she is." Amy covered quickly. "It's just I can't stop thinking about my boy."
"I'm sorry." April frowned. "Now that I'm so far along just a little further than you were when you lost your son I can't imagine how painful that was for you. I already feel so connected to this baby."
"You should." Amy said to her. "But things can still happen."
"What do you mean?" April asked her.
"I mean things can still go wrong." Amy told her bluntly. "Even if you're at your due date there could always be issues in delivery."
"Why are you saying this?" April asked her.
"I don't mean to scare you it's just I've done a lot of research." Amy said to her. "It's ok to not be too attached."
"I don't believe that all." April said her. "I made it to the bathroom I think I can find my way back thank you."
"I didn't mean to upset you." Amy insisted.
"I know but I'd just like a privacy." April said pushing her to the door.
"God damn it." Amy muttered from outside the door.
April wasn't happy with what Amy said to her. She couldn't imagine not having her baby in her life after growing her inside of her for so long. After using the bathroom and washing her hands she threw some cold water onto her face.
"Hey are you ok?" Nico asked from outside the door.
April was about to say something when she felt a small pain in her stomach, maybe she did hurt the baby when she fell? Maybe Amy was right?
"April?" Nico asked again knocking.
"Nico!" she yelled out fearfully feeling the pain again and he barged right in.
"What is it?" He asked concerned.
"My stomach hurts." April cried. "Something is wrong with fetus."
"So let's stay calm and I'll take you the hospital." Nico said wrapping his arm around her and using his other hand to hold her hand.
"I can't. What if something happened? What if I squashed my baby?" she sobbed as he led her towards the door.
"What happened?" Amy asked walking to her.
"Stay away from me." April hissed even though she was crying.
"What did you do?" Colt asked Amy.
"I'm taking April to the hospital call Punk and have him meet us there." Nico told Colt.
"Yea of course." Colt said to him.
"You want me to come with you?" Cliff offered.
"You keep her away from me." April said to Cliff who frowned.
"I don't know what happened." Amy shrugged as Nico walked her out. "But we should get to the hospital-"
"She doesn't want you there." Cliff reminded her. "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything." Amy said to him. "She must have hurt herself in the fall."
"She seemed pretty angry at you specifically." Cliff argued.
"I can't get Punk I have to go down to the shop, can you lock up?" Colt asked throwing his jacket on.
"Yea." Cliff said keeping his eyes on Amy as Colt raced out the door. "So what the fuck happened?"
"All I said is that she shouldn't get too attached because she still had a ways to go and she got upset." Amy defended.
"Why would you say that to her?" Cliff asked.
"Because it's the truth!" Amy argued. "Anything could happen. Just because she made it further along than I did doesn't mean that something still can't happen. She's not going to be bringing that baby home and I'm just trying to help her understand that so it doesn't hurt."
"Why wouldn't she be bringing the baby home?" Cliff asked warily. "Why would you even fucking think that?"
"I didn't mean it like that." Amy said quickly.
"April has been the only one to go out of their way to be nice to you about this whole and you thank her by scaring her?" Cliff questioned. "What's the matter with you?"
"She has been nice." Amy agreed. "I was just trying to help her as well."
"Maybe Punk and Nico had the right idea about you not getting too close to her." Cliff said to her.
"That's not true." Amy said shaking her head. "I care so much about that baby they're having."
"Why?" Cliff questioned.
"Can we not fight about this now and just go to the hospital?" Amy asked him.
"No." Cliff said to her. "April doesn't want you there so you stay here." he warned her.
Punk raced into the ER and saw Nico in the waiting room.
"April." Punk said out of breath.
"She's fine." Nico grinned.
"Are you sure?" Punk asked still frantic. "Colt said she fell-"
"Trust me she's fine. She's just getting dressed." Nico assured him. "She had gas."
"What?" Punk asked in disbelief.
"It was just gas." Nico laughed. "She was just spooked because she tripped."
"Well can you get me a doctor for the heart attack I think I had in the car on the way over?" Punk asked seriously sitting down. "She scared the fucking shit out of me."
"She was just paranoid." Nico said sitting next to him. "Better to be safe than sorry."
"Yea." Punk agreed. "My hands won't stop shaking." he said looking at them.
"You didn't drive did you?" Nico asked.
"No Colt did. He dropped me at the door and he went to park." Punk said leaning back in the chair.
"She got into a little argument with Amy in the bathroom." Nico told him.
"About what?" Punk asked.
"April said that Amy told her not to get too attached to the baby because things still can go wrong then when April got the pain she thought the worse." Nico confided.
"I'll deal with Amy later." Punk said brushing it off.
"Hey." April greeted.
"Hi." Punk said standing up. "You ok?"
"Yes." She said relieved to see him and hugging him. "I'm embarrassed."
"Don't be." Punk said pulling away. "You told the doctor you fell?" he asked her.
"Yea and I have a gnarly bruise on my side." She said lifting her shirt slightly so he could see the large forming bruise. "But they did a sonogram and ran some tests and fetus is absolutely perfect."
"Does it hurt?" he asked looking at the bruise.
"A little." She said to him.
"I'll give you guys a ride home." Nico offered.
"Thank you for getting her here so quickly." Punk said to him. It was the first time Punk felt no tension towards him.
"Of course." Nico said to him. "I'm just glad she's ok."
Punk, April and Nico walked out of the hospital and missed Colt who ran in.
"Where the hell is everyone?" Colt asked looking around.
Punk hurried April off to bed and called to check in with the shop before joining her.
"Sorry you had to run out of work." April said to him.
"Don't apologize." He said brushing it off. "I'm just glad you're ok."
"Me too." April said looking up at the ceiling. "I was really scared there for a few minutes."
"I know the feeling." He said getting into the bed with her. "What did Amy say to upset you?"
"I don't think she eve meant to upset me." April sighed. "I overreacted. She was just trying to warn me that things could still go wrong. I don't blame her for being so paranoid."
"Just because she's paranoid doesn't give her the right to worry you." Punk frowned.
"It's alright." April said giving him a reassuring smile. "I was just tired I think. You were right about that."
"I won't say I told you so." Punk smiled.
"By the way now that you know we're for sure having a girl I thought of a name." She said to him. "You don't have to agree or maybe we can use it for a middle name it's up to you..."
"What's the name?" He asked.
"Nadia." April said to him.
"After my mother?" Punk asked surprised.
"Yea, why not?" April asked him. "You don't talk a lot about your mom but I know you loved her very much and from everything you told me about her she was pretty remarkable." she smiled. "I think our daughter is going to be just as remarkable and she needs a strong and beautiful name."
"I'd really like that." Punk said to her softly. "It would mean a lot."
"Good because I kind of already fell in love with the name." April smiled rubbing her stomach.
"It's much better than Fetus." Punk teased.
"Fetus will just be my nickname for her." April teased.
"Cute." Punk remarked. "Do you need more ice for your side?"
"No it's painfully numb." She teased. "I can't believe what a bad bruise I got. I've taken worse falls."
"Amy didn't push you did she?" Punk asked and April rolled her eyes.
"No Phil I tripped over the bar stool." April chuckled.
"Well you're going to be tripping over stuff here unless we do something about our space issue." Punk warned her.
"I know you want to move." She sighed. "I'm just so exhausted I can't think about moving right now. All we really need to open out of all of this stuff is the crib, bottles and diapers." She said to him. "We won't put anything else together until we move."
"I want everything to be perfect for her." Punk said to her. "I want her to come home to a real home."
"Anywhere we are with her is a real home." April said to him. "Do you know how incredibly lucky she is? She's going to have the best uncles and the most amazing father." she assured. "Whether she's sleeping right next to us or in her own room she'll feel the love and that's all that matters."
"That's very sweet but I want a bigger place." He said to her and she laughed rolling onto her side and curling against him.
"We'll keep looking." April said to him.
"That's all I ask." he said to her.
Amy went back to her apartment after Cliff told her April was fine. Amy was so relieved that her baby was ok and could kill April for being so careless with her child. April was so lucky to be able to carry a baby and she couldn't. She reached under the large shirt she was wearing and ripped off the pregnancy padding she purchased from a costume shop. She walked into the nursery to make sure everything was in place for her new bundle of joy. She had been carefully planning how she was going to take April's baby for months now and she had no nerves or reservations about it. She was ready to be a mother finally.
She was hoping to have a boy again but she didn't have the right to be picky. She was thrilled with any baby she could get. She also knew she had to make things right with April who was understandably angry with her but deep down Amy was just trying to prep April for what was to come. Amy had spent months visiting the hospital she knew April was going to have her baby in but then when Cliff let it slip that he had a spare key to Punk and April's place since he had been walking Serena for them everything seemed so much easier to her. She didn't have to risk going to the hospital at all now. She made a copy of the key Cliff had months ago and hoped Punk and April didn't move before the baby was born.
Amy's words must have really bothered her because April had the hardest time falling asleep as she re-played everything Amy said to her. Finally when she did fall asleep it was horrific thanks to Amy's haunting words.
April was walking down the empty hospital hall in her hospital gown and a robe barefoot. The lights were constantly flickering as she reached the window to view the newborn babies and there was only one carrier inside but it was empty. The card on the it read Brooks, Nadia but she was nowhere to be seen. April went to open the door but it was locked and she began to shake the handle.
"Phil!" April yelled back but Punk wasn't anywhere either. "Phil the baby is gone!" she yelled louder.
"Shh." A voice cooed from behind the glass and April slowly walked to the center of the glass and saw Amy holding her daughter. "I just got her to sleep."
"What are you doing with her?" April asked her.
"You didn't think I'd let you keep her did you?" Amy laughed. "Phil owes me a child."
"No she's mine." April argued thru the glass.
"I'm calling her Katrina, isn't that pretty?" Amy smiled looking at the infant in her arms.
"Give me my baby!" April yelled hitting the glass.
"She's mine." Amy said to her. "I love her so much. You're just not ready to be a mother April you know this."
"You have a baby." April argued.
"I want this one." Amy grinned looking up at her. "She has Phil's eyes and mouth and thankfully your nose."
"Somebody help me!" April screamed as she banged on the glass.
"You're disturbing my daughter." Amy said step back further into the room. "I told you April, things go wrong all of the time."
"Ape!" Punk yelled finally waking her and she shot up. She was drenched in sweat and slightly out of breath. "Jesus Ape, what the hell were you dreaming of?"
"It was awful." April cried. "She took our baby." She sobbed.
"Nobody took the baby." Punk said pulling her against his chest and holding her.
"It felt so real." She cried.
"Who took the baby?" Punk asked.
"It was Amy." April cried. "She changed her name and you weren't there, she just picked her up and locked me out."
"Amy has her own baby to worry about." Punk reminded her.
"But she wanted ours." April said holding onto him for dear life.
"That's not going to happen." Punk promised her. "You're just letting what she said to you earlier get to you."
"I know." April said to him still not willing to let him go. "Part of me wishes I could just keep her inside of me forever so I know she'll always be safe and with me."
"She's going to be safe with us." Punk promised.
"Remember we used to have those dreams about each other? And they turned out to be accurate maybe this one is too." April said to him horrified. "We need to find a different hospital to have Nadia in or-"
"No one is stealing our baby." Punk said to her. "And we shared those dreams, I didn't dream that."
"Something isn't right." April said to him.
"Everything is fine. The doctor said the baby is good and no one is stealing our baby." Punk said to her. "Especially not a woman who is having her own."
"Maybe it's not her but its someone." April insisted. "I wouldn't have dreamed about it."
"Alright just relax." Punk encouraged lying back taking her with him so her head was on his chest.
"I can't." She cried.
"You're just getting anxious because we're getting close the end and you're looking for something bad to happen because it's been almost too perfect." Punk noted. "I know you're thinking it. Trust me no one is going to steal our baby why would they?"
"If she looks the way she did in my dream she's beautiful." April sniffled.
"I have no doubt she will be." Punk smirked kissing the top of her head. "No one is laying in wait for you to go into labor and take the baby."
"Promise?" April asked him.
"I swear." He assured her. "Sometimes a dream is simply just that, a dream."
"I hope so." She said still too upset to sleep.
"I wouldn't let anyone take her from you." Punk added. "You know this already."
"I know." She whispered. "Thank you."
"I love you." he responded again kissing the top of her head. "Get some sleep."
"I love you too." April whispered back but her eyes were wide open and still terrified.