Considering
"Don't let the girls come out here." Agent Matthews told AJ and Punk after Jason's body had been taken away.
"We won't." AJ shook her head, "Phil didn't do anything here. He just… he was just defending himself." AJ said. She almost didn't know how to not defend her boyfriend when things like this happened.
"We're not after Phil, April." Matthews placed a hand on her arm, "This is all over now. I would have preferred to… march that bastard into a cell but… he made his own decision." Matthews nodded.
"I'm going to check on the girls." AJ shook her head, shaken by what had gone on.
"I'll be in after you." Punk told her as she nodded and walked into the house.
"You held him out for us." Matthews nodded, "Thank you."
"I wanted to kill him." Punk admitted.
"But you didn't." Matthews said, "You're a tough S.O.B." He nodded, "Wasted talent." He looked across at him as Punk just looked back.
"What are you trying to do, man?" Punk groaned, "Look at me." He said, "I'm a bloody mess. That bastard has my blood all over my daughter's tree house. You think this has convinced me to take a job with you?" He laughed a little.
"What I'm saying is, you're a smart individual, and you have the physical talent too, clearly." Matthews said, "No one is gonna force you-"
"Well it feels like you guys are." Punk said.
"Don't you miss it?" Matthews asked, "Getting your teeth sunk into something? Going out there and doing the right thing? Catching people just like Jason?" He asked as Punk just scratched the back of his neck, "I know you do."
"Now isn't the time to be asking me about that." Punk said, "I just… I wanna go be with my kids and my girlfriend. Can you let me do that?" He asked as Matthews nodded.
"Phil, we're only asking because we like you." Matthews made clear.
"And I get that, and I appreciate it, but right now I just want to be with my family." Punk said as Matthews nodded.
"Of course." Matthews nodded, "Of course." He said as Punk turned and left the garden to go back inside whilst Agent Kelvin approached.
"You still harassing him?" Kelvin asked.
"I think he's thinking about it." Matthews admitted, "I know he misses it."
"I think he just wants you to step off his neck." Kelvin said.
"Did I step off your neck when I tried to get you a job with me?" Matthews asked.
"No but-"
"And look at us, we're successful, rich and smart. Everyone wins." Matthews nodded, "He started from the bottom, just like us, came from nothing." He said, "Those are the ones who shine. I want him with us." He nodded.
"You're crazy." Kelvin shook his head, "Let's just do our job so we can get out of here."
Meanwhile Punk had disappeared back into the house, his face wasn't completely cleared of blood but it was gone as much as he could wipe. He just wanted to see the girls and make sure they were ok.
"Hey." Punk said softly as he noticed Robyn was asleep in AJ's arms.
"Dad." Jessica smiled, getting up from the couch and running to her father, hugging him around the legs as Jo followed and hugged the other side.
"Hey." Punk smiled, crouching down so he could hug them both tightly. He'd never felt fear like it when he saw Jo fall off the side of the tree house, and yet so much relief just after as he saw she was perfectly safe with Jessica, "Are you guys ok?" He asked them, pulling back as he noticed Jo was still crying, "Oh, baby don't cry." Punk sighed, wiping under her eyes were her tears were gathering.
"Are you hurt, daddy?" Jo wondered sadly.
"No, baby. I'm fine. I'm all good." He said as she smiled thankfully, "Are you guys ok?"
"Yeah." Jessica nodded.
"Yeah, Jessica caught me when I fell." Jo told him, "Like a superhero." She smiled to her sister as Jessica just smiled.
"I know, how cool is that?" Punk smiled, turning to Jessica and giving her a wink as she smiled, "You guys were awesome." He shook his head.
"I'm glad I have my sister." Jo nodded as Punk smiled.
"And I don't want you to disappear." Jessica shook her head, giving her sister a little hug as AJ looked over and smiled.
"You want me to stick a movie on for you guys?" He asked them as they nodded, "Yeah?" He smiled, kissing both their cheeks before he stood up and headed over to the DVR to put a movie on for them.
He was glad that as kids, they were able to quickly get over what had just happened. They definitely were concerned and confused, but with the right love and comfort from their parents, they'd be ok.
"Jo, you haven't ate. I'll go get you some dinner." AJ said, standing up from the couch, placing Robyn down in her basket as Jo leaned over to the couch to look at her.
"I'll watch Robyn for you, mommy." Jo said as AJ smiled, leaving the living room whilst Punk put the movie on.
"There you go." Punk said, handing the remote over to Jessica, "You guys good?" He asked them as they both nodded, "Ok." He said, "I need you guys to stay in here, ok? Don't go back out into the garden just yet."
"I don't wanna go if… if that man is there." Jo shook her head.
"Me neither." Jessica shook her head in agreement.
"No, he's not there. I promise, he's gone." Punk nodded, "But you still can't go out. Some things need fixed and it's dangerous, ok?" He said, not knowing what else to tell them.
"Ok, daddy." Jo nodded as Jessica nodded too.
"Ok." Punk said, walking over to Robyn's basket where the baby girl was fast asleep, smiling down at her before he left the living room and headed into the kitchen where AJ was making some food for Jo since she hadn't had her dinner, "Hey, are you ok?" Punk asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she nodded.
"Yeah, I'm ok." AJ sighed, turning into him, "I was so scared, though." AJ shook her head, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head into his chest.
"I know." Punk nodded, "When I saw Jo fall I thought… I just went numb." He said.
"Jessica ran out right away once she got me the card to phone the feds. She was so brave." AJ admitted as Punk nodded.
"They both are." Punk said, "And you too. You should have stayed inside."
"No, I wasn't leaving you. I didn't know what to do but I knew I wasn't leaving you." She looked up at him.
"I thought I was gonna lose it. When I saw him backing you up, everything he was saying, I almost snapped but… something in me made me do the right thing for once, make the right decision." He nodded.
"It can be finally over now, right?" AJ asked him as he cupped her face and nodded.
"Yeah, it's over." Punk nodded, "It's all over." He said, kissing her head softly as she rested it back on his chest whilst he rubbed her back softly, thinking about everything those agents had said to him, everything they had presented him with, the offers, the compliments, the truth.
Later that night, everyone seemed to have an early night. Punk came upstairs and into his bedroom where there appeared to be no space for him. Jessica and Jo were sleeping on his side. Jo was hugging into her sister, amazed and inspired by her courage and help. AJ was laying on her side, completely exhausted after the emotional and tiring day. And Robyn lay asleep in her little bedside crib beside AJ.
He wouldn't have had it any other way. They were the most important people in his life. The people he would do anything for, and to finally be able to see a safe and bright future with them, one which he didn't have to worry about his time spent with them, it was truly magical.
He pulled the covers up over them so they kept warm before he left the room and headed downstairs, grabbing the car keys and leaving the house.
He got in the car and drove to an industrial car park lit up just by a few street lights, parking up to the other car that was in the car park, getting out and closing the door over.
"Have you changed your mind?" Matthews asked, leaning against his car as Punk looked across at him.
"Tell me why you want me to work with you so bad?" Punk asked, "You don't know me."
"I know you." Matthews smiled a little, "I've been watching you for… a lot of years." He nodded, "And I know Ian. He told me you were the best cop he'd ever seen." He said as Punk looked across at him, "Phil, I ain't gonna stand and kiss your ass all night. If I want someone with me, it's because I think they got talent. I wouldn't be bothering if I didn't think you were worth it." He said.
"And where is your friend?" Punk asked.
"He's at home, with his wife and kids." Matthews said, "He's got a similar story to you. Got caught up in some stuff he didn't mean to. I pulled him out of it and now he's one talented, smart individual." He nodded, "This world is a mess. We're fighting crime every day. And not many people know how to do that." He said, "You do."
"Who is it you work for?" Punk asked.
"We got a boss but… we work for ourselves." Matthews nodded, "The bureau is a lot more independent than the force." He said, "But I want you with me and Kelvin."
"To do what exactly?" Punk asked.
"We cover a lot of grounds. Terrorism, corruption, organized crime, cyber-crime… you name it." He said.
"Wouldn't I have to go through a process?" Punk shook his head.
"I don't think you need to. I think you got a good head on your shoulders. You know what you're doing." Matthews nodded, "And if it's your family you're worried about, don't be. In fact, you working with us makes them all the more safe, and if you still wanna… do the school run, make it home in time for dinner… you can, it's flexible, you can work from home-"
"How does me… working with more criminals make my family safe? Me working with criminals, working in this sort of job, was what got me into the state I got into with everything. How can you be sure that none of that happens again?" Punk shook his head.
"Because hopefully you'll have learned from your lessons." Matthew nodded as Punk just rolled his eyes a little, "And we're not dealing with crime face-to-face. This is investigating, this is research, this is under-cover." Matthews said, "And once you become part of the team, so does your family, that means your family will be safe. Just ask Drake."
"Drake?" Punk shook his head.
"Kelvin. That's his first name Drake Kelvin." Matthews said, "My name is Rio." He said as Punk just nodded.
"Would you give me time to think about it?" Punk asked him.
"I can give you time." Matthews nodded, "And if it's showing up to work in suit every day that's worrying you, we got plenty of workers who roll up in jeans and hoodies." He nodded as Punk just folded his arms.
"What about my girlfriend? She's a defence attorney. Is that gonna put me in a difficult position?" He asked.
"You sound like you've already made up your mind." Matthews smiled, "April can continue doing what she's doing. If we didn't have defence attorney's, we wouldn't have a justice system. Plus, normally the cases we look at are beyond a court's decision." He nodded, "Why the sudden change of heart?" He asked as Punk leaned against his car.
"When I was fighting with Jason… brought back all those memories, those good feelings of… giving evil people what they deserve." Punk nodded, "I've been out of this sort of job for eight years." Punk said, "How do you know I'll be any good?"
"I know." Matthews nodded, "And let me be the first to tell you… you won't be making pennies." He said as Punk ran his hand through his hair.
"I gotta talk it over with April." Punk nodded.
"You got my number." Matthews shrugged, "The decision is yours." He nodded.
Punk got home later on through the night, walking through the door and locking it behind him, walking into the living room and jumping with fright as he saw AJ sitting on the couch holding Robyn who was awake.
"Jesus." Punk put his hand on his chest as AJ smiled a little.
"What? Why wouldn't I be awake at 3am?" AJ smiled sarcastically as he just smiled and walked over to her, kissing her head and sitting down next to her, looking over at Robyn as he stroked her cheek softly.
"She wants to fight tonight, huh?" Punk wondered.
"She's not been crying since she first woke up. She's just been having a cuddle with me." She smiled.
"No fair." Punk frowned, "All these kids taking our cuddle time away." He sighed as AJ smiled, cupping his cheek and kissing his head as he leaned on her shoulder a little.
"Not to be in your personal space." AJ said, "But where were you at this time of night?" AJ asked him.
"I was meeting Matthews actually." Punk said, sitting up straight as AJ turned to him, "Talking to him about the job offer." He nodded as AJ raised her eyebrows.
"You're considering it?" She asked him.
"I'm not sure." Punk sighed, "A part of me… really wants to do it. It's a challenge, it's new, it's good money." He nodded to her specifically as now parents of three, that meant a big deal, "And they're really keen to have me on board." He said.
"And what's the other part of you saying?" AJ asked him.
"Things might end up the way they got before. I might suck at it. It might take up too much time. Too much stress." Punk said.
"You were such a good cop." AJ nodded, "And you loved it. You'd be a natural at it."
"But is it what I want? Is it who I even am anymore?" Punk asked her, "Ten years ago all I was, was a cop. It was all I had. My job was everything. That's why I was so focused on it. How can I maintain that sort of schedule whilst making sure I see my kids, making sure that me and you get our own time, that I get to see my sister, my friends…"
"Phil, you're allowed to be selfish with this." AJ said, "If you want to do this I will… I will support you one hundred percent, and we'll make it work." She nodded as he smiled.
"I know and I love you for it." Punk nodded, "But I've spent so much time not being here that… this feels like a dumb decision to make." He admitted, "But something is still pulling me." He sighed.
"What do you wanna do? What is your heart saying?" AJ asked him.
"My heart is always here with you, and the girls, and my sister, it doesn't matter what job I'm working." He nodded.
"Then maybe your heart wouldn't be in this job like it was before, because it's someplace else now." She shrugged honestly as he nodded.
"I just… I feel like we've waited so long for this, to finally… not have to worry about anything." He said, "I don't wanna ruin that by bringing more danger into our lives with this job." He nodded.
"You do what your heart says." AJ told him, "I'm not gonna tell you what you should do. It's not like you're… an unhappy dad who hates spending time with their kids." She smiled, "And you loved working at the rehab centre." She said as Punk nodded, "I just want you to be happy with whatever you're doing." She nodded as he smiled to her, "That's all that matters to me." She said as he smiled.
"You're the best." He nodded, leaning over and kissing her softly as she kissed back.
"Not in front of the baby." She whispered in a funny voice once he pulled back and smiled.
