Years Later
5 years later…
"Ok, what are we not gonna do?" Punk asked, taking a little hand as Kaia leaped out of the car in the hospital car park.
"Tell mommy I got into trouble at school today." Kaia recited, looking up at Punk who nodded.
"Right. It's our little secret." He said as Kaia nodded, scuffing her shoes off the road whilst she waited on Punk. She was five years old and very much a miniature AJ. She was short for her age but that didn't come in between her confidence. She had long dark hair like her mother, soft caramel skin and huge brown eyes, whilst she took most of her attitude from Punk, who was secretly proud of that.
"Wait!" Kaia exclaimed before Punk closed the car door.
"What?" Punk turned to her.
"Benjamin." Kaia rushed over to the car, leaning in and grabbing her owl as Punk smiled. As soon as she was old enough to care about having a stuffed toy, it was the owl he had bought when she was just a few days old that she gravitated towards.
"Ok, we good?" Punk asked her as Kaia nodded, "Hand." He wiggled his hand down to her as she rolled her eyes and took it.
"I can cross the road on my own, daddy. I'm not stupid." Kaia scoffed as Punk nodded and smiled. Sometimes he thought her attitude was like his, but other times it really was just a mini AJ he was raising.
"You still gotta hold my hand." Punk told her as Kaia huffed.
"Why are we visiting mommy's work?" Kaia asked him.
"Well she's working late tonight so you won't see her before bed. That's why." Punk said.
"Oh, no." Kaia gasped, looking up at him as Punk nodded, "Is she working during bed times again?"
"Just for a few days." Punk nodded as Kaia frowned.
"I don't like them." Kaia shook her head.
"No, neither do I." Punk agreed, walking into the hospital and heading for AJ's department.
She had been doing some night shifts recently, and the only way she got to see Kaia was if he brought her in on her lunch break once he picked her up from school. She didn't do them often but when she did Kaia and him got very grumpy.
"Always smells funny in here." Kaia observed as Punk nodded.
"It's a hospital. It smells… clean, I guess." Punk described as Kaia nodded.
"It hurts my nose." Kaia wiggled her little nose as Punk looked at her.
"Let's not be dramatic." Punk hummed as Kaia deliberately stepped on his foot.
"Oh, oops." Kaia smiled to him as Punk raised a brow, "You're walking too fast, my little legs can't keep up." She tugged on his hand, trying to keep up with him as he slowed down for her, "Did you pack me sandwiches?" She asked him.
"No, you had your lunch at school." Punk shook his head.
"Oh… oh, yeah." She remembered as Punk laughed a little, "Daddy, you didn't cut the crusts off them, though." She said, "I'd like curly hair but I really don't like the crusts." She said, "So my hair will just need to be straight." She spoke to him as Punk nodded.
"Ok, well you gotta remind me." Punk said.
"But you're the daddy." Kaia shook her head with confusion as Punk nodded to himself.
"Yeah." Punk agreed, "Ok, no more crusts, I'll write it on the fridge or something." He said, walking into AJ's department where Kaia immediately spotted her mom.
"Mommy!" Kaia exclaimed whilst some outpatients who were waiting turned around.
"Shh." Punk nudged her a little.
"Mommy!" Kaia yelled louder as she ran for AJ, "Mommy I got in trouble at school today!" She called.
"Oh my God." Punk rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"What?" AJ laughed, catching Kaia in her arms and lifting her up for a hug as Kaia squeezed her tightly, "Oh, hi baby." AJ smiled, cupping the bag of her head and hugging her tightly. She hated working night shift because she only got to see her daughter and husband for an hour on her lunch break due to the overlapping times of their schedules. When she was just coming home to sleep, they were about to wake up and go to work and school, and when school and work was over for them, she was just starting her next shift.
"Hi mommy." Kaia smiled happily, playing with her mother's hair sweetly whilst Punk walked over.
"Hey." Punk smiled as AJ looked over.
"Hi." AJ smiled as he leaned down and kissed her whilst Kaia covered her owls eyes as well as her own, "How are you guys? What are you talking about getting into trouble at school?" AJ asked Kaia.
"Nothing." Punk answered for her, "She's not talking about anything."
"I didn't do any of my homework." Kaia nodded, "I just didn't feel like doing it, mommy." She shrugged.
"What?" AJ shook her head, "Baby I asked you if you had any and you said no."
"I knew you'd make me do it." Kaia nodded, "So I got no gold stickers this week and I never had recess." She folded her arms.
"Well you would have if you did your homework." AJ said, "Come on, no more getting into trouble." She shook her head as Kaia just nodded.
"Eve!" Kaia noticed Eve at the desk as Eve looked up, "Hi, Eve." Kaia smiled, getting down from her mother's arms and running over to the desk to talk to Eve whilst AJ turned to Punk.
"No homework again?" AJ questioned.
"I know." Punk nodded, "She's fly." He said.
"We'll have to start checking her things." AJ nodded, "It's important she gets used to it now or she'll end up never doing it." She ran her hand through her hair as Punk nodded, "How are you?" She asked him, leaning into a hug as he kissed her head.
"Tired." Punk nodded.
"How was work?" She asked him.
"Busy." He said, "You know we had three missing persons reports over the weekend?" He said.
"Linked?" AJ asked.
"No, all different." Punk shook his head, "I'd take an armed robbery over them any day-"
"I wouldn't." AJ scoffed worriedly, looking up at him. His job was still something that from time to time, made them bicker. It wasn't anything major. She just worried and Punk knew that, and he understood why, "What are you gonna do tonight?" She smiled. She was so glad that Kaia and Punk were practically best friends, because it made these night shifts a lot easier for her to do.
"I don't know. Maybe take them to the movies or something." Punk shrugged.
"Oh, that'd be nice. They really wanna see that new Disney movie that came out." AJ nodded.
"Yeah, and I was thinking I could take a nap during it." Punk nodded as AJ laughed to herself, "I'm serious." Punk nodded tiredly.
"Oh, I know you are." AJ smiled, "But please don't leave our children unsupervised in a cinema." She tapped his chest as he laughed and nodded, "Wish I could come." She frowned.
"Me too." Punk nodded, "They really struggle when you do these night shifts." He said, "I really struggle." He corrected as she smiled.
"I'm sure you do." She smirked, "Only two more nights." She nodded, "You can do it." She smiled as Punk nodded, "When are you picking Marty up from your moms?" AJ asked him.
"Just on the way home." Punk nodded.
"Mommy can we go to the café now?" Kaia asked, running over to her as AJ nodded.
"Yeah, let's go then." AJ smiled. She wanted to make use of any time she got, especially during these night shifts.
"So you're taking us to the movies?" Kaia asked, jumping out of the car as they got to Nadine's house.
"If you and your sister wanna go." Punk nodded.
"Marty will fall asleep." Kaia rolled her eyes.
"Well she's younger than you." Punk said.
"Yeah, she's a baby." Kaia agreed, running ahead to the front door of her grandmother's house, knocking on the door as Punk followed behind.
Nadine eventually answered the door and let them in where Kaia immediately ran to find out where her sister was and what she was doing.
"You just back from work?" Nadine asked Punk.
"No, I dropped in at the hospital to see April on her break and to let Kaia see her for a little bit. Because she's at school now, whenever AJ does night shifts she doesn't see Kaia at all so I gotta drop by on her lunch break." Punk said as Nadine nodded.
"Poor thing shouldn't be doing night shifts." Nadine sighed.
"Well it's part of the gig, I guess." Punk nodded, "She's always cool if I ever have to work late." He remembered as Nadine nodded, "Marty ok?" He asked her.
"Yeah, she's in the kitchen, she was drawing me a picture for the fridge." Nadine smiled as Punk nodded. His mother had been such a fantastic help to both he and AJ, especially in terms of helping out with the kids. Having two small children was hard enough but juggling jobs amongst that was extremely tough, and Nadine was always there to help.
Punk walked on through to the kitchen where he saw his youngest daughter sitting at the kitchen table drawing with a juice box beside her.
Marty was three. She was small, sweet and a lot quieter than Kaia, but the most loving little person in the whole word. She came unexpectedly when Kaia was two. They hadn't planned for another baby so quickly but they made it work and were very proud of their little family and their girls.
"Hey, baby." Punk smiled as Marty looked up.
"Hi, daddy." Marty smiled, "I'm drawing."
"Daddy's taking us to the movies so can you hurry up?" Kaia asked Marty who pushed her sister away from her. They weren't the best of friends yet. Marty was very like AJ and Kaia in terms of her looks with her dark features, but they weren't sure where her timid personality had come from.
"I don't want the movies." Marty shook her head as Punk nodded.
"No fair." Kaia huffed, "I wanna go. Can we go without her?" Kaia asked Punk whilst Nadine laughed a little.
"No you can't go without me, Kaia." Marty shook her head worriedly.
"Then come with us." Kaia said.
"Marty I thought you wanted to see that new movie, the one with the princess?" Punk asked her.
"No, I didn't." Marty shook her head.
"You told me you did." Kaia said.
"Changed my mind." Marty shrugged.
"Come on, you'll love it once you're there." Punk nodded, "Let's tidy all this stuff away for gran, ok?" He nodded as Marty began to collect her pens and put them back in the tub as Kaia watched, annoying her sister by pushing the pens onto the floor.
"Good luck at the movies." Nadine laughed a little, "You're brave."
"Yeah, I'm in for a treat." Punk nodded.
Later on that night, it was approaching 4am before AJ got home. She got in the door to the quiet house and kicked her shoes off right away. She then headed straight upstairs all the while capturing a yawn in her hand. The toughest thing about the night shifts were not being able to see her babies as much as she wanted to, including her husband.
She walked into Marty's room, walking over to her bed where she lay asleep peacefully with her night light on beside her. She was a mischievous little angel and another little girl she was so proud to be the mother of. It was definitely a challenge. At one point they had a newborn and a two year old. It was complete chaos but it was their life and she wouldn't have had it any other way.
She pressed a kiss on Marty's head before leaving the bedroom and moving into Kaia's who was sleeping with her covers all crumpled up and her leg and arm dangling off the edge of the bed. She smiled to herself and walked on over, crouching down and fixing the covers over her. It was difficult watching their first baby growing up into a little person with her own personality and opinions, but also so beautiful. It felt like just yesterday they had brought her home from the hospital and felt so clueless about what to do as parents. Kaia had taught them a lot for sure.
"Goodnight, baby." AJ smiled, kissing Kaia's head softly before leaving the bedroom and heading into her own where she saw her husband asleep in their bed. She was extremely jealous of everyone sleeping, that was for sure.
She quickly got her scrubs off and got into some shorts and t-shirts, heading into the bathroom to take her contacts out and wash her face before falling into bed beside her husband who woke up.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" She cupped his cheek as he shook his head.
"N-No… well… yes." Punk nodded as she smiled, "Me and Marty fell asleep at the movies." He told her, "But apparently it was a good movie, according to Kaia." He said as AJ smiled.
"Were they ok?" AJ asked him.
"Yeah, they were fine." Punk said, "Everyone ate dinner, bath time went well, homework got done." He nodded.
"Oh, wow. You were on a roll." She smiled.
"Mhm." Punk nodded, "How was your shift?"
"It was ok. One of the kids couldn't sleep so I played connect four with him for like two hours." AJ nodded, "I think he had fun."
"I love connect four." Punk said.
"Right? I hadn't played it in so long. I was having more fun than him I think." AJ laughed to herself as Punk smiled, "I just got one more night left." She nodded, "And then I'm back to normal." She said as Punk nodded.
"Good." Punk smiled, "The girls miss you."
"I miss them." AJ frowned, "And you." She nodded, wrapping her leg over him as he smiled, turning to her.
"The nurse will see me now, huh?" Punk nodded as AJ rolled over on top of him.
"Yes she will." AJ smiled, kissing him softly as he ran his hands up her body and got lost in each other.
A/N: Hey, that's a wrap on this story but the sequel will be up soon so stay tuned! Thanks for the reviews and support on this one. Hope you enjoyed. More to come.
