Through The Night

AJ woke up throughout the night, having felt the space empty beside her as she got out of the bed, running her hands through her hair and walking off out of the bedroom in hopes to find Punk somewhere. If she wasn't here she'd begin to worry seeing as it was 4am.

She of course checked the girls room first and thankfully, she seen him sitting on the rocking chair in just his boxer shorts, holding Quinn in his arms as he read her one of the story books which mostly consisted of pictures from the little book shelf they'd got for the room.

She stood at the door unnoticed for about five minutes, just in a daze whilst watching as Punk turned the pages of the small story book and read aloud quietly to Quinn who was cradled in his arms. His love for the girls was strong and it didn't take a fool to see that at all. Having the girls had put a lot in perspective for both of them and they had each realised just how precious life was, and how much they were needed now. Sure it was pretty scary knowing they had such a responsibility, but it was a wonderful responsibility.

"What are you doing up?" AJ finally walked into the room, speaking quietly as she seen Quinn was fast asleep in his arms.

"I got up for a drink." Punk explained, standing up from the rocking chair and placing Quinn in her crib, "I came in just to see if they were ok and she was awake, just… looking up." Punk laughed quietly, "So I thought I'd read her a story." Punk said, showing her the book.

"The tortoise and the hare?" She smiled as he nodded, walking over to the small book shelf in the corner and putting the book back, "Did you enjoy the story?"

"Yeah, I did actually." Punk smiled, "Somewhere, behind all those pictures, there's a moral to the story." He nodded as AJ smiled.

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I'm sure Quinn did too, but it's 4am… and I'm pretty lonely." She admitted.

"You were sound asleep when I left." He said as they began to walk out the girls room and back into their own bedroom.

"Well, you know how I wake when you aren't there." AJ said, "I can't even remember what it felt like to sleep alone anymore." AJ admitted truthfully as they got back into bed in the dark room, pulling the covers back and sliding in against one another.

"Me neither." Punk admitted.

"Didn't you sleep around?" AJ laughed a little.

"Well… yeah, but… there was no enjoyment of sleeping next to someone you love from that." Punk admitted, "It was just sex and then… awkward conversation in the morning." Punk said.

"Why'd you sleep around? What did you even get out of it?" She asked. She didn't get angry about or feel threatened. She knew where she stood with Punk now, of course, and she accepted that they both had a past after they broke up.

"I don't know… to avoid how lonely I was, take the stress off work, help me stop thinking about you." Punk laughed truthfully.

"Did you really still think of me?" AJ asked.

"Yeah. Almost every day. I imagined that you were… married to some middle class, lovable, ticks all the right boxes kind of guy, maybe you guys had kids, you probably worked doing something with your poetry or your English." Punk said, "So then the thought of you with some other guy, happy, swayed me over to anyone who was willing to help me forget about it, for a few hours at least." Punk admitted.

"You think I would have achieved that much?" AJ laughed.

"Yeah." Punk nodded truthfully, "I knew girls like you only came around once and… I fucking blew it."

"Well, luckily I came around twice." AJ smiled up at him as he laughed.

"What about you? You with anyone else? Or did you go thirteen years without sex?" Punk asked her as she laughed.

"C'mon, I'm only human." AJ said, "There was a few guys. Nothing… special. A few were one night stands, a few were, one night dates where I didn't call them again, and only one or two were… a relationship, if you'd even call it that. They ended pretty quickly." She admitted.

"Because you were thinking of me the entire time." Punk said smugly as AJ smiled.

"Pretty much, yeah." AJ laughed, "I quickly realised that not all guys are capable of having good, quality, emotional sex. Had to fake it a few times just to… get it over with." AJ admitted truthfully as he laughed.

"And I'm obviously not in the category." Punk smiled, "Right?" He panicked a little.

"You tell me." AJ raised her eyebrows, "And some guys are really selfish." She admitted as she thought back to life before meeting back up with Punk, "Some of them couldn't even get me off, just left me hanging after nutting two minutes in." She rolled her eyes as he laughed.

"I really do love our 4am conversations." Punk smiled as she laughed.

"Me too." AJ smiled as Punk stared at her lovingly. He felt so lucky to have gotten another chance with her, and to have really made it work this time, to show her he was serious and he truly did love her, "You're giving me your sex eyes." AJ noticed as he laughed.

"I have sex eyes?" Punk questioned as she nodded.

"Yeah, it's like you stare right into my soul." AJ laughed, "I kinda like it though." She nodded.

"So I should keep doing it then?" Punk asked as AJ nodded with a smile, cupping his cheeks and pressing her lips against his as he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him as she rested on top of him. It wasn't like she was squashing him much.

She sat up straight, straddling his hips, lifting up her vest t-shirt and throwing it away, revealing no bra underneath as Punk smiled, pulling her back down to kiss her again as her breasts pressed against his chest, her hands running up and down his torso as he done the same to her.

"Fuck, baby… I need you." AJ moaned, "I need you inside me." She said, leaning her head into the crook of his neck as he kissed and nipped at hers.

She sat back up, shimmying her shorts off whilst he pulled down his boxers, placing her hands on his chest firmly as he done the honours of lining himself up with her, leaving her to take him in as she eased down upon him.

"Fuck." AJ whispered, "You feel so good inside me, baby." AJ moaned blissfully, leaning down so she could kiss him, feeling him kiss her back deeply as he wrapped his arms around her and began thrusting up into her as hard as he could, her lips falling from his to moan as she moaned into his ear all sorts.

"Shit, Ape. You feel so good." Punk moaned as he thrust into her, taking her breath away with every hard thrust as she turned her head back to kiss him, moaning against his lips as she held onto him tightly.

Later that night, after Punk and AJ fell asleep exhaustedly naked against each other, and the morning was slowly coming upon them, Punk woke up at the sound of their front door opening. He was an extremely light sleeper and heard everything, so he quickly stood up and put his boxers on, rushing out of his bedroom and slowly walking down the hall, fists clenched whilst walking round the corner, bumping into Melissa on his way round.

"Melissa!" Punk hissed quietly, "What are you doing? Why are you just walking into my apartment?" Punk asked her angrily.

"I needed to talk to someone." Melissa said.

"And it couldn't have waited?" Punk shook his head, "What? What is it?" Punk asked, rubbing his forehead as he walked off into the kitchen, Melissa following behind. From being awake with Quinn through the night, to being awake with AJ, he was pretty exhausted.

"You don't think… You don't think Beretti is gonna hurt anyone, do you?" Melissa asked with worry as Punk shook his head.

"No, you know he's all talk. He's never laid hands on any of us. It's always just been him and dad." Punk said.

"What if he goes for dad again? What if dad has another heart attack? What if he hurts him?" Melissa asked.

"That won't happen." Punk shook his head, "Beretti comes and goes, he won't stick around, he'll be pissed and then he'll go back to his old stomping ground. It's the way it's always been." Punk said.

"Why-Why is things always so tense with him? I know that mom and dad dropped him, but… what else happened? Do you remember anything, from when you and Monica were kids? I know you guys were older." Melissa said.

"I remember some things." Punk nodded, "He was a bad guy, but… somehow he always took to me and Monica. Used to take us out for day trips when mom and dad were too busy, used to take me to the cubs games and hawks matches." Punk shrugged, "He was a good guy in my eyes." Punk nodded, "And then he started coming round the house, drunk, when me and Mon were little." Punk said, "Pushed mom downstairs when she was pregnant with you. He set part of the house on fire one time. Tried to ambush headquarters a few times. And then it seemed like he just gave up." Punk shrugged, "I only assume that he's back because he's pissed about the recording studio."

"What if he tries to do something?" Melissa asked, "What if he tries to hurt us? Or mom and dad?"

"You worry too much." Punk said.

"And you worry too little." Melissa said, "It isn't just you anymore, you realise that. You have two children, a fiance, people to protect."

"You have doubts about me protecting my family?" Punk wondered.

"No, I never said that. I just think you need to be more aware and realise quickly that… Beretti isn't something to just… brush off." He said.

"Melissa… have I ever let anything happen to you or Monica?" Punk asked her, "Or April and the twins for that matter too?"

"No." Melissa said.

"And it's gonna stay like that." Punk said firmly, "You don't need to worry."

"Well I'm going to anyway." Melissa said, "I don't like this guy. He scares me. He scares mom. I don't like that."

"He's a scary guy, but I know that dad can always shut him down." Punk said, "They're not as young as they both were before. They aren't gonna start scrapping in the streets like teenagers." Punk said, "You shouldn't be worrying, ok?"

"Still gonna worry." Melissa said defiantly as she sat down at the table.

"Mel, I don't wanna be rude. But when the babies sleep late, it's a blessing, and I've not had much sleep." Punk said.

"I was kind of hoping I could maybe spend the day with you and AJ, and the girls." Melissa smiled, "Ever since me and Seth broke up I… I don't really have much to do." She admitted as Punk sighed, "You can go back to bed. I'll-I'll make some breakfast and watch some TV, listen out for if the girls wake up. We all know I'm their favourite aunt anyway." She said as Punk chuckled.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Monica has a heart of stone. Can't show any affection what so ever." He said, "Ok… make yourself comfortable." Punk nodded, "But I am going back to bed." He warned her as she just nodded.

"Go. I don't mind." She smiled as Punk nodded, patted her head brotherly as he walked out of the kitchen and back off to bed. Having as much family around should never have been an issue for him and he knew that, but it was bothering him that Beretti was worrying his family so much. Maybe, he had to go talk to him.

A/N: Let me know what you think!