Truth


"Are you ok?" Rocky asked, turning is head to Freddie who lay beside him in bed and smiled.

"I'm good." Freddie smiled, curling into him under the sheets, resting her head against the curve of his arm, "Where is your mom?" She asked.

"She works nights. And my little brother is at a friend's." Rocky nodded, "Wasn't weird, was it?" He asked consciously as she looked up and shook her head.

"No. No… it was great." She smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss on his lips and wrapping her arms back around him comfortably, "You've done this a thousand times, though. Right?" Freddie hummed, leaning against his chest as he tilted his head a little.

"I wouldn't say a thousand. I think I'd have a problem if that was the case." Rocky said as Freddie looked up at him, "Once or twice more like." He assured her.

"I bet they knew what they were doing." Freddie said.

"Does anyone ever know what they're doing when it comes to this?" Rocky laughed a little, "That's what makes it fun." He said as she nodded in agreement.

"I did have fun." Freddie smiled up at him, feeling his hands roam at her body under the sheets as she smiled, "But I have to get home." She told him truthfully.

"Oh, can't you just stay?" Rocky groaned.

"I'd get killed." Freddie laughed to herself, rolling over and sitting up by the edge of the bed, moving the sheets away as he watched her put her underwear on, leaning on his side and resting his hand on his fist.

"You know my mom works most nights." Rocky smiled as Freddie laughed a little, shimmying her jeans on and nodded.

"She does, does she?" She smiled as Rocky nodded.

"I'm just saying." Rocky nodded, watching her put her t-shirt on, "Yeah I definitely prefer you without that stuff on." He said as Freddie smiled.

"Of course you do." She nodded, "Is your mom working tomorrow night?" She smirked, sitting back down on the edge of the bed, leaning over closer to his face as he smiled and nodded.

"She is. And if she's not I'm gonna make her." Rocky said as Freddie smiled.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow night." Freddie smiled, pressing a kiss on his lips as he kissed back, trying to pull her back onto him as she laughed against the kiss and pulled away, "You can wait twenty four hours, right?" She said, standing back up straight and putting her jacket on as he groaned to himself.

"I guess." Rocky nodded as she smiled.


Freddie walked home, huge smile on her face from the nights events. She had no regrets and that was the most important thing to her. She knew she wanted it and so did he, and because of that, it was special, and everything she imagined it to be. He was gentle, but exciting, and there was so much want between them both that it was impossible for it not to be amazing. The only problem she had now, was that she wanted more.

"Hey, I'm home." She announced, walking into the apartment she shared with her dad, "Dad?" Freddie called into what appeared to be the empty apartment.

She walked off into the kitchen and saw the fridge magnets spelled out to say 'at moms' so she grabbed a bottle of water and headed to bed. Her parents had been spending more time with each other on their own, and she was happy for them. She didn't have any reason to be mad about it. She could see they clearly still loved each other, and she was happy they were able to still find that love.

Meanwhile at AJ's apartment, the opposite of love was being shown.

"He's dead?" AJ said, for the fifth time perhaps as she looked at Punk in the eye as he nodded. He'd only been home for a week, so he still wasn't feeling one hundred percent, and he definitely didn't want to argue with AJ, but he had to tell her the truth before they went any further.

"My dad… he… he wasn't thinking. He thought your dad was a threat, and he was mad about what happened to Freddie and me, and you." Punk said, "I'm not defending him, absolutely not, I'm mad with him, but… I mean, your dad was a bad man." He said.

"Why lie to me? Your dad? Toni? They told me they sent him away. Why?" AJ shook her head.

"I guess they didn't know how you would react." Punk said, "But I couldn't keep that from you."

"I uh…" AJ shook her head, trying to find words but not knowing what to say or how to feel. It wasn't like her father was her best friend, or even someone she respected, but the concept of murder, upon anyone, wasn't something she associated Julio with and it scared her.

"Since when was Julio a murderer?" AJ asked him.

"He's not. Look, I know that's what you think, I did too, but he's seeing it as protecting us, protecting you even."

"For saying you aren't defending him, you're doing a good job." AJ nodded.

"I'm not. I think he made a horrible decision, but… he had reasons. It's not like he did it for fun or to be bad. I mean look what your dad almost had done to Freddie. Look what happened to me… hell, look what he did to you, April. He took you from your own daughter for eighteen years. Put you in that position."

"Yeah, my dad was a piece of shit, I know that, but… this… this group was never about that sort of life. You always promised me that and I saw it." AJ nodded, "They're not killers. That's just giving in to those stereotypes and digs that people take at us." She said as Punk nodded.

It appeared she was more upset that his father had taken a life, rather than acknowledge the fact it was her own father.

"I know, I said this to Julio." Punk nodded.

"He just killed him? How?" AJ stood up from her couch, "How did he kill him?"

"I didn't ask." Punk shook his head.

"Where did he take him?" AJ asked.

"I-I don't know." Punk said.

"Do you know anything?" AJ asked angrily.

"No. Because I didn't want to know." Punk stood up, "I didn't want to know what he did, I didn't want any part of it, all I wanted was for him to tell you, and he couldn't do that so I'm doing it." He said, "The less we know, the better."

"What about my mom?" AJ shook her head, "Did he kill her too?"

"No, she actually was sent away." Punk nodded, "Dad gave her some money and put her on a flight. I don't know where to but she's gone. He told her that Rick had gone elsewhere so she knows nothing."

"So who knows? Me, you, Toni and Julio?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded.

"The last time someone was murdered, I had to choose between you going to prison and me never seeing my daughter again." AJ said.

"Yeah, because of your dad." Punk reminded her, "He can't… he can't hurt you anymore. Not to think of the positives that his death has brought but… he can't haunt you or come for you again, that's all over." He said as she placed her hand on her forehead.

"I can't believe he's really dead." AJ shook her head. She didn't know what she felt. It wasn't pain or sadness but it wasn't happiness either. It was somewhere in between. He was a bad man, and of course she didn't want him in her life anyway, but murder upon anyone scared her, especially when it was happening inside the group that she thought wasn't like that, "Is this what this group has become then?" AJ asked him, "Murderers?"

"No." Punk shook his head, "No, that's not it and you know it."

"Well that's what it looks like Phil. Is that what you are? Is that what this group has become?"

"You really think I could do something like that?" Punk asked her, "In case you forgot, the past eighteen years I've been here focusing on raising our daughter, nothing else-"

"Oh, yeah. Throw that at me." AJ nodded, "I knew you would at one point." She said.

"I'm not throwing anything at you. It's facts. Don't come at me. I'll come back. You know me." Punk said as she folded her arms, "Maybe you're hurt. I've been there. I've lost a dad before. A shit one. We can both relate on that level. And hell, the world was a better place when my real dad died, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise."

"The fact you're saying that gives me chills. My dad was no saint, no kidding, but wishing death upon anyone… that's not who I thought you were." She said.

"It's not. I'm not a killer. It's not like I asked Julio to do it for me. I'm just saying I know how it feels."

"You were younger and getting beat by your dad." AJ said, "There's a difference."

"Yeah and you're a grown ass woman who was controlled by your dad for most of your life." He stepped closer to her, "What's your point?" He asked, watching her nose flicker a little as she glared up at him, "Don't give me those eyes." He warned quietly to her as she took a deep breath and looked up at him, not realising how close they were until she could practically feel him against her.

She reached up and pressed her lips against his, cupping his face as he kissed back with surprise and then pulled away for a second.

"I-I thought you were mad-" Punk shook his head.

"I'm tired of being mad." AJ shook her head, leaning back up and kissing him again, this time feeling as his hands ran down her body, picking her up, wincing into her mouth a little but carrying on.

"I don't think we should do this." Punk told her, yet whilst walking to her bedroom.

"No, we definitely shouldn't." AJ shook her head whilst kissing his neck, clinging to him for dear life as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door over with his foot, throwing her onto the centre of the bed and stripping his t-shirt off before hovering over her.

They were surprised actually that they had actually lasted this long without this happening. The tension had built up for the past few months since she'd gotten back, and in the wake of this news about her father, despite what her emotions were trying to do to her, she just wanted him, to cling to him and feel him again the way she hadn't been allowed to for so long.


"Fuck… yes." AJ moaned, later that night, lying on her back, the sheets a mess around them as she felt him inside her after so long, after only having memories to think of. The last time they were like this, they were just teenagers, so it was a different experience, almost better after so much absence from each other, and it felt great to finally be together so intimately again.

"You gonna cum? You gonna cum for me?" Punk moaned, settled between her legs, kissing her neck whilst thrusting into her as she rolled her head back and forth and moaned loudly.

"Yes. Yes, please." AJ begged, scuffing her teeth over his arm as she placed her forehead against it, watching his hand go between them and stroke her clit as she cried out a little louder, "Yes, oh my God." She moaned as Punk smirked. They certainly hadn't lost any spark or fire they had. They still knew what made the other tick and no feelings had left, if anything it felt more intense.

They both carried on until they reached their release. Punk slowly collapsed down beside her, out of breath and a little in pain from his side but nothing that could cancel out how great it felt to be with her again in this way.

"That… probably wasn't good for your side." AJ gasped a little, pulling the sheets up and turning onto her side, kissing up his arm and curling her body next to him.

"It's ok." Punk nodded, running his hand over his messy hair as she looked up at him.

"I've missed you." She whispered as he smiled down to her.

"I missed you." Punk nodded, as she smiled, rolling back on top of him carefully and pressing her lips against his as he settled his hands on her waist. They couldn't deny the feelings were still there, and there were so many emotions tied to what they were going through and what they had gone through. AJ only knew one thing and it was that she still loved him and trusted him like no one else, and for that she had to hold onto him even tighter this time.