Punk left AJ with what little dignity he could possibly find, and decided that if this was what she wanted, then he had to settle with it. If she felt it would help her life. If she felt it would make her happier, then of course he was going to go through with it. All he really wanted was for her to be safe and happy. It just hurt that it couldn't be him making her happy anymore. He knew there was a reason he didn't get involved with women. Because of this exact reason.

"So what… that's just it? No refusing? Just… it's over?" Kerry asked whilst standing making dinner, slapping Punks hand away from the biscuit tin like he was a child. Sean was working, so it meant it was just her and Punk for dinner, and of course three year old TJ.

"This is what she wants." Punk said, "I can't do anything about it." He shrugged, "She thinks she and the twins will be safer if I stay out of her life." He said.

"Why does she have this impression that you'll all be in danger if you stay, though?" Kerry asked curiously.

"Why wouldn't she?" Punk retorted, "I bring my work home with me. You know that. I've destroyed her damn life through my job. And my dick." He grunted, disapproving his own self with shame.

"But she still loves you?" Kerry asked, not being able to wrap her head around it.

"She says she does." Punk said, creeping back into the biscuit tin whilst Kerry had her back turned, facing the cooker as she made them dinner. Although getting off to a bad start, she did love Punk in a brotherly way. She broke her heart when she thought he was dead. She'd never tell him that though.

"Why can't you just… get another job?" She turned around as Punk quickly disposed the biscuit wrapper, "It's clearly the problem here." She said.

"But I love my job." He sighed, looking down as she placed her hand on her hip.

"More than April?" She asked.

"They're both different types of love. My job is a… it's an energetic, adrenaline love. April is just… well it's love. You know how it feels." He shrugged.

"Yeah, I do. And I know that I'd do anything to make it work. Especially with two small children, Phil." She said, "You're really just going to let her go?" She sighed.

"I don't see how I have a choice." Punk said, "Plus, this year has been torture for her. I know I'm not to blame. But she's been through so much already. She doesn't need anymore stress or heartbreak." He said, "I'm better just to let her go. It's what she wants. She's still gonna let me see the kids. I guess that's all that really matters."

"And if she came running back to you one day?" Kerry looked across at him.

"I'd take her back, obviously." Punk said, as if Kerry was a fool to even ask.

"So you're telling me your just gonna have your life on hold until she comes running back to you. That is, if she comes running back to you?" Kerry asked, "You can't live your life like that, Phil."

"Well what do you want me to do, Kerry?" Punk looked up at her, "Maybe she'll move onto someone else. Maybe we both will, and we'll realise that we weren't meant to be. I don't know." Punk shrugged.

"Oh, stop talking shit. You're worse than Sean." Kerry said, "He said the exact same thing to me last night. Oh… Oh, Kerry, um… Phil might move onto someone else, and maybe he and April weren't meant to be." Kerry mimicked rolling her eyes as Punk chuckled a little, "Both of you are just as stupid as each other."

"But maybe he's right." Punk shrugged, "I mean, if she wants to move on, I'm taking that she'll try and get her life back together again. She might go back to work. She might… find someone else." He pained to say, "But I just gotta deal with it. Because it's what she wants." Punk sighed.

"You know..." She looked across at him whilst dishing out dinner, "In all my years of knowing you, I've never once felt any sympathy for you." She told him, "Until now." She admitted, "You've lost a good woman in April. All because of that stupid job." She pointed a kitchen utensil at him, "If you had a brain, you'd ditch the job." She said as Punk just shook his head.

"I can't do that." Punk said, "I'm expected of so much in that place. They need me for a lot of things. I can't." He said.

"And I'm sure AJ needs you more." Kerry said, "Go get TJ in for dinner, huh?" She asked as Punk nodded, sliding off the kitchen stool and walking into the living room where little TJ sat playing with his toys. He actually looked very much like Caleb, which was no surprise, they were cousins, but he was a lot more quiet and well behaved. When he went to see the twins, they were just so loud and full of energy, pulling at his ears and clothes. But he loved that. He loved being with his children, and it hurt that he couldn't be with them all the time.

"Hey, buddy. You coming in for dinner?" He asked as TJ stood up. He was small for his age. But then again, Sean wasn't all that tall.

"Daddy home yet?" TJ asked. Of course it was a different relationship with TJ. Not just because he was his nephew, and the twins were… well, his children. But, TJ was able to walk and talk and understand. He was only three, but he was bright and quick witted, a lot like Kerry in that way. When talking to the twins, it was almost like talking in a different language.

"Not yet, kid. But he'll be home soon." Punk promised as TJ took hold of his hand, "I think your mom made you your favourite." He admitted. He wasn't quite sure, but he had a hunch that TJ's favourite dinner was spaghetti and garlic bread.

"TJ? Did you wash your hands, baby?" Kerry asked as TJ shook his head.

"Oh, well we know how much of a clean freak your mom is." Punk added, lifting TJ up and sitting him on the kitchen counter beside the sink, helping him wash his hands. Believe it or not, the little boy was keeping him going. Something had to.


The next morning, AJ had gotten up, of course with the twins, taking them for a bath after their breakfast to get them ready for the day out. She was planning to meet with her mother who was in town. She'd told her mom over the phone about Punk, and it was safe to say her mom was relatively pissed off with the whole thing, as well as shocked.

"Will we go see grandma Mendez today?" She asked them, "Maybe she'll have some presents for you guys for Christmas?" She said whilst bathing them both. It was extremely hard to bath twins, harder than what it looked. It was such a challenge to keep them from kicking one another, or splashing one another. She could see it, both of them being teenagers and fighting every day with one another. A part of her was actually glad they were just small babies still.

"We'll go see Grandma Mendez, and then… maybe we'll see daddy. I don't know what he's doing today." She told them. She wanted her children to see their father. Every day if they could. She always did.

It broke her heart last night, to officially part ways from the man she was absolutely still in love with. She would always be in love with him. Regardless of how much she tried to move on with her life. And people may have found that ridiculous. Why should they part when they clearly both loved each other dearly? But that wasn't the point. She was just so fed up of his job and the risks and upsets that came with it. This year had completely broke her, and it was all because of his job. She didn't want to live in that sort of fear anymore. She just didn't.

"Een… een!" Caleb splashed the water with his small hands, soaking AJ and his sister. He knew Harleen, his sister, as 'een' and he knew AJ of course as mama. Harleen also was getting into the habit of calling Caleb 'eb.' They were at the age of picking up words here and there. She'd no doubt blink and they'd be up walking and talking soon.

"I know, tell her to stop splashing." She smiled, as Caleb was clearly telling his sister, enough was enough with splashing him, but she kept doing it anyway.

"Oh, you guys..." She sighed whilst swishing the water slightly at the sides whilst they enjoyed looking and touching the bubbles, "What am I going to do? I… I lasted a year without him, and suddenly I think I need him?" She said to herself. She believed that, because Punk was actually here now, her mind was telling her that he WAS in reaching point now. He was here, and he was able to talk to and touch again. But her brain told her no.

"How am I going to do it? I still love him." She said, "I still love him."


"Hi mom." AJ smiled, greeting her mother with a big hug later on in the day. They were meeting for lunch, with the twins too of course who were actually fast asleep in the their double stroller, which was a good thing. It meant they could enjoy lunch peacefully.

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you?" Janine asked her daughter whilst taking their seats in the booth they had been reserved.

"I'm ok." AJ nodded, "I guess these past few days have just been such a whirlwind." She admitted.

"I'm still… I'm still in so much shock, April." Janine said.

"I think I still am too." AJ admitted, placing her jacket beside her, "I still can't believe it was all just… fake." She said.

"It is ridiculous. That is messing with someone's life. Someone's heart. Can't you take action?" Janine asked. She thought it was ridiculous that her daughter was made to believe that the man she loved was dead for a full year.

"It wasn't his fault. He was just as mad as me. And he was away from the twins too. At least I had them." She looked over to her sleeping babies, not being able to help smile.

"If it was to protect him like you said, then why were you left here with the twins?" She asked.

"It wasn't me these people were after." AJ said, "I was safe. But Phil wasn't. And they knew if they told him in advance, he'd tell me. It's why they just grabbed on the street one night and took him away." She explained as Janine nodded.

"Well… it does make a slight difference that it was to keep him safe." She shrugged, "But… that boy has just brought trouble upon trouble to your doorstep, April. I mean… has he done anything right? Apart from giving you my precious grandchildren." She smiled over to the twins.

"Of course he has. He's a great man, mom. You know it." AJ said, "It's just his job. I don't want to risk being caught up in it any longer. I mean, it was his job that got me involved with him in the first place. If it wasn't for him, I'd still be with Jamie no doubt." She shivered at the thought.

"Would he ever leave the job?" Janine asked curiously.

"I wouldn't ask him to." AJ said, "I wouldn't put him in that position." She admitted.

"Well, why not?" Janine asked.

"Because." AJ just shrugged, "I'm not making him choose. I just… I want us all to move on. I love him, but I can find a way to let him go. We'll still have a good relationship, for the twins sake, but it will be strictly friendship." She said.

"Just like it was strictly friendship when he moved in next door to you and Jamie?" Janine smiled as AJ just shook her head.

"No." AJ said, "I think he's finding a place to live soon. Hopefully before Christmas. He's staying with his brother just now. So… I guess we'll just take turns of taking care of the twins." She said, "We'll make it work. For them anyway." She turned to the twins with a smile.

She was willing to keep a good relationship with Punk, to make sure the twins were brought up in a happy environment, but they were definitely moving on from one another. It was what she wanted. Well, that's what she was convincing herself anyway.