Scared

"Hey, I didn't think you were coming in tonight." AJ said, sitting up in the hospital bed as Punk walked into the room.

"Yeah, well… I know your surgery is early in the morning." Punk nodded.

"Is Breea ok?" AJ asked as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she's fine." Punk smiled, walking over to the bed and sitting down on the chair, "Your mom was putting her down to sleep when I was leaving." He said as AJ nodded, "What you reading?" He asked, noticing she had been reading a book.

"Oh… just something I picked up from the shop downstairs." AJ nodded.

"You know I can bring more things in for you." Punk said.

"I know." AJ smiled a little, "The more things that are here, the more it… it makes me feel like I'm here for a long time." She admitted, rolling her head back on the pillow, "I just wish there was another way they could fix this." She said as Punk nodded.

"You and me both." Punk nodded, "But hey, it's good they're on top of things and you can get the help." He said as AJ nodded.

"Truth is… I'm scared." She admitted, playing with the spine of her book which she'd closed over, "I remember how I felt the last time I woke up from surgery."

"Hey, it's normal to be scared. Anyone in your position would be. It's… it's normal." Punk assured her.

"How am I supposed to look after Breea? I barely managed this the first time and… and now I have her." She said, "What I supposed to do?"

"Hey, I'm here. So is your mom. You don't have to worry about Breea. She's gonna be just fine." Punk nodded, "This is all gonna be over soon and… and I'm here to help you throughout all of this." She said.

"Me and you haven't even… worked anything out." AJ shook her head. Her mind was spinning. Surgery was the last thing she needed. She knew it was necessary, but to her, it was extremely inconvenient, and terrifying.

"That's ok." Punk smiled, "I'm right here and when you're feeling better and back to yourself, we can figure more out." He nodded.

Their relationship had still been very rocky. They hadn't gotten to resolve much as they were planning around AJ's surgery and making sure that it was as least stressful as it could be.

"What happened doesn't ignore the fact that… you've been here for me." AJ nodded, "These past couple of weeks." She looked at him. She felt like she was really getting the man she loved back. He'd been at her house every day to visit Breea and to assure her this surgery would be ok. Secretly, she was so thankful he was here with her.

"Nothing will make up for what I did and the choice I made. It's gonna haunt me forever but… even throughout all of it, I still cared about you and loved you." He nodded, "And I don't want you to be frightened." He shook his head, taking her hand as she looked down hesitantly.

"I just… I feel like my life has just been taken over by all of this. Ever since I got shot." She nodded, deciding not to let go of his hand as it made her feel safe, "The seizures, the scans all the time, more surgery… can't catch a break." She shook her head as Punk nodded.

"I know it must be exhausting." Punk nodded, "But… we're gonna help you through it." He smiled, "And you got all these doctors who know what they're doing, and they know you." He nodded. He was trying to say anything to put her mind at ease.

"Yeah, I know." AJ nodded, "I just don't want this to be a… a regular thing." AJ shook her head.

"No, you just… you drew the short straw with this thing but, they can fix it and you'll be back to your normal self again." He nodded as she smiled.

"You should stay at the house." AJ said.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"Whilst I'm in here." AJ said, "Stay at the house. If Breea can't have her mom then… then she should have her dad around her in her house." AJ nodded.

"But I thought we-"

"Yeah, well things change." AJ nodded, "You've been here for me. Like… like the husband I remember I had." She said, "It's been nice." She said, still holding his hand as Punk smiled.

"I'm always gonna be here. I'm gonna have to pay for my mistake every day, I know that, but… I'm not gonna give up." Punk said, "We can be a family again."

They hadn't had much time to talk about things regarding their relationship and where it really stood. They had been focusing on AJ's surgery and the arrangements for it. AJ no longer had the energy to hate him or argue with him, because she was in desperate need for his comfort and oddly enough, he was in desperate need to give her it.

"Yeah, I think we can." AJ nodded, "Like you said, we can talk more when I'm better." She said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah." Punk smiled, "How long is the surgery?" He questioned.

"Seven hours." AJ said as Punk raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, I know." She sighed, "Could you… come by in the morning, when they're putting me out?" AJ asked.

"I uh… I just assumed your mom would be here." Punk admitted honestly.

"No, I'd rather you." AJ told him truthfully as he nodded.

"Of course." Punk said, "Of course I'll be here." He smiled.

She had this fear that something could go wrong in her surgery. It was a big thing and of course she was scared. She didn't want to go through this whilst still fighting with him. She'd said everything she needed to say to him. They'd fought, they'd explained their feelings, now they just needed time.

"How was she?" Liz asked, later that night when Punk returned to the house he used to call a home, which he was now invited to stay in for a little while.

"Scared." Punk nodded.

"I thought she would be." Liz sighed, "I'll see her in the morning." Liz nodded.

"Actually… she asked if I could come instead when they're knocking her out." Punk nodded as Liz looked across at him, "She asked and I said yes." He said as Liz smiled and nodded.

"And you expect me to have an issue with that?" Liz said, "You're probably better at the comforting thing than me anyway." She nodded, patting him on the arm as she cleared her coffee cup from the table.

"Breea ok?" Punk asked her.

"Oh, yeah. Fine." Liz smiled.

"AJ actually asked if I would stay here whilst she's in hospital. She wants me to be around Breea." Punk nodded as Liz smiled again.

"Sounds like things are oddly steady with you two." Liz nodded.

"I think she's just scared." Punk admitted.

"When we're scared, the first thing we do is turn to people we love and trust. Need I say no more." Liz nodded to him, "I've been sleeping in the spare bedroom so you can take April's."

"Oh, no way. I'll just sleep on the couch." Punk shrugged.

"Phil, shut up." Liz rolled her eyes as Punk nodded to himself, "Just sleep in the bed." She said as Punk just nodded, "So… are things on the right track for you two?"

"I don't really know. I can't tell. We've not really talked about us so to speak. It's just been about getting through the surgery." He said, "We've stopped bickering which is a good sign I guess." He nodded.

"Just be there for her." Liz nodded, "It could change everything." She said as Punk nodded, "I'm gonna go watch some TV." She announced.

"I actually think I'm gonna head to bed. I'm pretty tired." Punk nodded.

"Ok." Liz smiled, walking by and into the living room.

"This wasn't exactly how I pictured our first night in our new house." AJ laughed a little, walking into their bedroom which only had a mattress lying on the floor as their bed frame hadn't arrived yet, nor had most of their furniture.

"I quite like the room like this." Punk shrugged, lying on the mattress as AJ shook her head.

"The scary thing is, I bet you wouldn't mind sleeping like this every night." AJ said, lying down on the mattress beside him.

"Hey, as long as I'm sleeping beside you." Punk smiled as she nodded.

"That's true." AJ said, "It's scary, isn't it?" She nodded.

"What is?" Punk asked her.

"Well this is probably gonna be the house that we get married in, we… we bring babies home in." She nodded as Punk turned to her with a small smile.

"I thought you didn't think about that stuff." Punk smirked.

"That's the kind of stuff I think about when I'm at my desk at work with mountains of paper work." AJ said as Punk smiled, "When I can't afford to be daydreaming about a perfect life with you." She nodded.

"Yeah, you and paper work aren't the best of friends." Punk agreed.

"It's the worst." AJ shook her head.

"So uh… how many kids we talking about here?" Punk asked.

"Two." AJ nodded as Punk smiled.

"You got it all figured out, huh?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't actually, not until I met you." AJ said, "Because what was the point in thinking about that stuff when I have no one to enjoy it with." She said as he smiled, "I know I'm freaking you out right now and I won't lie, I love it." She nodded as he laughed to himself.

"You're mean to me." Punk frowned, turning on his side as she lay on her back.

"It's good to look to the future." She nodded.

"As long as you're with me, I'm up for anything." Punk assured her as she turned her head to look at him.

"I love you so much." She smiled, cupping his cheeks as she rolled them over, laying on top of him as she traced her fingers down his face.

"I love you." Punk smiled, "I got you for life." He assured her, "You don't need a wedding ring for that. I'm always gonna be here, even if you don't want me to be." He smiled.

"Hey, I'm always gonna want you." AJ shook her head, "Always." She nodded as he smiled.

"I'm gonna remember this the next time we have a fight." Punk smiled quietly.

"Good. I look forward to it. I love make up sex." AJ smiled.

"What about mattress on the floor sex?" Punk looked around the room as AJ chuckled.

"I'll have to get back to you on that one." AJ said, kissing the corner of his mouth down to his neck as he smiled, tilting her head up as he planted a kiss on her lips, beginning to remove her clothing as they got tangled up in the sheets.