It's All Back
"Where is April?" Coleen asked after being let into the house by Punk whose bruises were fading around his face.
"She's… having a nap." Punk said.
"She was having a nap the last time I came around." Coleen looked at him.
"Yeah, exactly. Take the hint." Punk nodded, walking into the living room as Coleen followed him.
"Well can you tell me if she's doing ok? I'm her sister, I want to know." Coleen said.
"You finished, buddy?" Punk asked James, lifting the half eaten lunch from him as James nodded.
"Yeah, daddy." James nodded, watching his afternoon kids TV shows as Punk took his eaten lunch from him and headed through to the kitchen as Coleen continued to follow him.
"Phil, c'mon." Coleen sighed, "I know she's shutting everyone off but you don't need to either." She said as Punk cleared the kitchen up.
"She just doesn't want to see anyone, ok?" Punk nodded, "She's doing ok." He said.
"And you?" Coleen asked, "What about you?" She asked him, "You guys almost died."
"Thank you for the reminder." Punk nodded, "It's all over now just… AJ wants to be left alone. She just needs some time." He said as Coleen nodded.
"Of course." Coleen sighed, "Well if I can help with the kids or anything let me know." She said as Punk nodded, "You heard anything from the cops?" She asked.
"Not much." Punk said, "The girls were took to the safe house. Hilary and Michelle are in prison. They're writing off Paul's death as self-defence." He explained, "After finding all the dirt on him I don't they're gonna be pressing charges against me." He said.
"This must be hard for you… it being your mom and sister." Coleen shook her head, "Sounds like they were just doing what that guy told them-"
"They're not my mom and sister." Punk made clear, "They're not anything to me. They're in prison now. That's all I know." He said, switching the kettle on as Coleen nodded slowly.
"Can't I just go up and stick my head into the room? See how AJ is doing?" Coleen asked. She hadn't seen her sister in a week since everything happened.
"Coleen, I'm trying to look out for you here." Punk sighed, "When April wants to talk to you, she'll be here ready to talk. Just leave her be." He nodded as Coleen nodded slowly.
"Right." Coleen said, "Well… if there's anything I can do. Pick up the kids, take them for a night… anything." She said, "Let me know."
"I will. Thank you." Punk nodded to her as she forced a smile and left the kitchen, leaving the house as Punk sighed to himself.
He grabbed a banana from the fruit basket and walked into the living room where James was sitting watching TV. For the first time in a week, the three old seemed to feel at ease. If anything he had been the one who felt a lot of the effect. He had stopped sleeping and he had even resided in Punk's side of the bed with AJ for a few nights whilst Punk slept downstairs.
"Hey, bud. You fancy a banana?" Punk asked him as James nodded, "What you watching?" He asked, handing him the snack as James took it from him. He'd also brought in another juice box and sat it over.
"Paw patrol." James said.
"I'm gonna go check on mommy upstairs and then I'll come down and watch some with you, ok?" He said as James nodded, "Ok, kid." Punk smiled, messing his hair up as James smiled.
Punk walked back into the kitchen, making a coffee for AJ as well as a sandwich, heading upstairs with it and walking into their pitch black bedroom, seeing nothing but AJ's frame lying on the bed on her side.
"Hey." Punk whispered, so not to startle her, watching her turn around, reaching over and putting on the side light by the bed, "I thought you'd be hungry." He said, walking around to her side of the bed as he sat the sandwich and coffee down as AJ just stayed lying down.
"Who was at the door?" She asked.
"It was Coleen. Again." Punk nodded, "She really wants to see you." Punk said, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her as AJ sighed.
"She doesn't quit, does she?" AJ shook her head.
"She's just worried." Punk said, "I am too." He nodded as she looked up at him, "You haven't… you've barely left the bed all week. You're not eating." He said, "You're barely talking to me."
"I just want to be left alone. How… how hard is that for people to understand?" She asked with frustration.
"I'm not people, babe. I'm your husband." Punk nodded, "The kids wanna know why you're… in your bed all the time. They miss you. Why don't you even get dressed and come downstairs? Watch some rotten kids TV shows with me and James?" He asked her as she shook her head.
"No, I don't… I don't want to." AJ shook her head.
"You're just lying here torturing yourself with thoughts." Punk said.
"And so what?" AJ shook her head, "Just leave me alone." She groaned a little.
"April it's all over. You shouldn't have to feel like this. You… you got those girls help, and Hilary and Michelle are in prison, that evil man is gone… you did that-"
"No, you did that whilst I was chained to a bed." AJ said bluntly, "Look don't… don't tell me how I should feel." She shook her head, "I just want to be left alone. Ok?" She said as Punk looked down at her and nodded, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Ok." He nodded, standing up from the bed, "Can you at least eat something?" He asked, watching as she reached over and switched the side light back off, leaving the room in pitch black again as he looked down at her, "Fine." Punk nodded, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Later that night, Punk had made the kids dinner and got them in the bath. Having to give them three individual baths was a bit of a nightmare, but they were cooperative kids which he was thankful for. He was glad to see that all three of them were starting to get back to their normal routines after a few days of chaos.
He let them watch some TV downstairs before bed and as he was coming downstairs with James in his Spider-man pyjamas, there was a knock at the door.
"Go… go get your sister in the living room." Punk nodded, putting James down as he ran off into the living room.
He walked over to the door and opened it up, seeing Tara standing with a large box of donuts. He tilted his head a little with confusion.
"Hey." Tara nodded, walking on into the house regardless of being let in.
"Hey." Punk said slowly, "Did you… rob a donut shop?" Punk closed the door back over.
"No, these are for the kids." Tara smiled.
"That's like… twenty donuts." Punk shook his head as Tara nodded.
"For you and April too." Tara nodded, "I'll put them out in the kitchen." She said, walking off to the kitchen as Punk just shook his head and followed her.
"Well thanks, you didn't have to bring anything." Punk shook his head.
"Well I know April loves donuts." Tara shrugged, "She used to always steal them from the delivery van when they came in. We slept outside a bakery at one point. I would distract the driver and she would… she would grab so many." She smiled to herself as Punk smiled and nodded.
"She's in bed, Tara." Punk nodded.
"Right." Tara nodded, "What about the kids? Can they have one just now?" She asked.
"Sure." Punk smiled, watching Tara take the lid off.
She walked into the living room with the box of donuts. James was sitting on the floor playing with his trucks and toy cars whilst Raimy and Vivian were watching TV.
"Who wants donuts?" Tara smiled happily as they all turned around.
"Oh, look." Vivian gasped, standing up and walking over first as Tara crouched down, "Oh, look at the pink one." She smiled as Raimy walked over to check them out.
"There's so many." James noticed with a smile.
Punk smiled as he watched from the doorway as they all chose a donut to have. Their safety and happiness was always his biggest priority next to his wife's safety and happiness. And right now, he wasn't quite sure his wife was doing all too great.
"What do you guys say to Tara?" Punk nodded to the kids.
"Thanks, Tara." Raimy smiled, jumping back onto the couch.
"Thank you." Vivian echoed.
"Thanks." James smiled up at Tara as Tara smiled.
"You guys are welcome." Tara smiled, walking out of the living room and back into the kitchen with Punk, "They're so adorable." She nodded, sitting the box of donuts back down, "Donut?" She asked him.
"I'm good." Punk smiled, "If it's April you're here to talk to then… she's not really feeling like talking to people at the minute." He said as Tara nodded.
"I figured." Tara said, "Gets to a certain point in someone's life where they… they wonder how much more they can take, right?" She nodded as Punk looked across at her, "Just keep checking in on her."
"I am." Punk nodded, "She's just not yourself."
"Well would you be? After what happened?" Tara asked, "It's easy enough for us to turn a blind eye and say… nothing happened, she's ok, he didn't do anything to her but… he did." Tara nodded.
"She hasn't really spoke about what actually happened. She hasn't actually spoke much at all." Punk admitted, "She spoke to the cops, gave them a brief statement and… she's barely left the bedroom." He nodded.
"Just give her some time." Tara nodded.
"I didn't know about you guys being friends. She never mentioned you." Punk admitted as Tara smiled.
"I'm not surprised. We weren't exactly friends by choice. We fought like cats and dogs." Tara laughed to herself, "But… we were going through the same thing, we understood one another and she… she saved my ass more times than I can remember. I thought about drugs, I thought about prostitution, I thought about everything just to get some money." Tara nodded, "But like a… like a nagging mom, she was in my ear telling me to do the right thing." She said as Punk smiled and nodded, "I tell you what, those kids are lucky." She nodded, "She was like a mom to me half the time." She nodded.
"What do you do now?" Punk asked her.
"I have my own business and I have a house and nice things." Tara said, "If April wasn't there for me… I probably wouldn't have any of that." She admitted, "But like I said… someone can only take so much." She said as Punk nodded, "What about your mom and sister? What's going on with them?" She asked.
"Please… please don't call them that." Punk groaned a little, "They're in prison. That's all I know and that's good enough for me." Punk nodded, "They're not my family." He made clear.
"I wouldn't claim them either." Tara said, "You know who your family is." She nodded.
"I do." Punk nodded, "It's still a lot to digest." He said, "Everything that has happened."
"Yeah, I bet." Tara scoffed, "This feels totally inappropriate." She laughed a little as Punk looked over, "Do you have Dean's number? Well I know you do… but could you give me it?" She asked as Punk smiled a little.
"Am I allowed to ask why?" Punk laughed a little, taking his phone out.
"Well we… we had drinks a couple of nights ago and… I didn't even get his number." She rolled his eyes.
"Are you really sure you want it?" He asked.
"Just… give me it here." Tara scoffed, taking his phone as he smiled, "And don't ask any questions." She warned as he put his hands up and nodded, "You'll tell AJ I'm asking about her, won't you?" She asked him, sitting his phone back down.
"Of course I will." Punk nodded.
"Don't push her." Tara nodded as Punk looked across at her, "You live a life like she has and… suddenly it all comes back to you in a wave. I'd be in my bed with the covers over my face too." Tara said as Punk sighed and nodded.
"I just… I don't know what to say. I can't say anything to make her feel better and normally I can do that pretty well." He said, "But nothing is working." He sighed, "She's not eating, I don't even think she's sleeping either. She's just lying there." He said.
"She'll come around." Tara said, "She's a strong girl. Try her with a donut." She smiled, "Might cheer her up." She said as Punk smiled.
"Thank you." Punk nodded, "You're obviously a good friend to her."
"Hey, a box of donuts will never make it up for what she did for me." Tara said, "But I'm here if she needs me, if you need me… you seem like a decent guy." She nodded.
"And you seem crazy to be involving yourself with Dean." Punk nodded as Tara smiled.
"I like his hair." Tara shrugged.
"Is that what it is?" Punk said as Tara nodded.
"It is." Tara nodded, "I'll get going. She'll come around, don't worry. She's been through a lot." She reminded him as he nodded.
"Thanks." Punk nodded as she smiled, picking her bag back up and leaving the house as Punk sighed to himself. He looked over to the donuts and picked one up, putting it on a plate and making his way out of the kitchen.
He headed upstairs and walked into their bedroom, pausing when he noticed AJ wasn't in bed. He sat the plate over onto the bed and burst into their bathroom worriedly, noticing her sitting on the bathroom floor beside the toilet.
"April." Punk shook his head with confusion as she looked up at him.
"Don't worry." AJ groaned, "I was taking my pills." She shook the bottle, "Not downing them." She rolled her eyes, sitting the pills back in the cabinet under the sink as Punk walked into the bathroom, closing the door over behind him.
"Why are you sitting next to the toilet?" Punk asked her with confusion, sitting down on the floor next to her.
"I… I couldn't get the cap off the pills." AJ sighed, placing her hand on her head, looking like she was about to start crying, taking a deep breath, "It wouldn't come off so I crouched down and I just… I don't know I just sat down." She shrugged, "I heard Tara's voice."
"She brought donuts for us." Punk smiled, "She's nice."
"Until you say the wrong thing. She'll rip your eyes out." AJ told him.
"Sounds familiar." Punk smiled as she looked at him.
"I told you to leave me alone." AJ nodded.
"Yeah, well… here's the thing, I'm your husband so… leaving you alone isn't really my operating area." He said, reaching over and taking her hand, "I don't know what you're feeling or what you're going through but… I know it can't feel good." He said as AJ looked at him.
"I… I was back there." AJ whispered to herself as Punk looked at her. She looked down at her wrist which had a bandage on it from how cut up it got from the handcuff, "I forgot how it used to feel." She nodded, "How did I ever survive it?" She spoke to herself as Punk watched her.
"Because you're the strongest person I know." Punk nodded as she looked up at him.
"I don't think I am." AJ shook her head, "I just… I feel nothing." She said, placing her hand over her mouth to hide her quivering lip as Punk sighed.
"Come here." Punk nodded, opening his arm out as she looked at him with tears running down her cheeks, "Please." He said, "Just let me do the one thing I know how to right now." He nodded as she sighed, letting her tears out and climbing over into his body, wrapping her arms around him and crying audibly as Punk closed his eyes, stroking the back of her head and holding her tightly.
"Everything I worked so hard at to forget…" AJ cried, her face getting wet very quickly, "Has all just came back to me." She cried loudly as Punk sighed, taking a deep breath to keep himself composed.
"We will get through it." Punk assured her, kissing her head, brushing her hair out of her face which was sticking to her tears, "I promise you." He said as she just cried, resting her head back into him under his chin, sitting in between his legs as Punk held her as she cried.
