Connection


"Phil, keep it down, c'mon. This is supposed to be the kids section!" Chrissy yelled over the bar as Punk got himself together, looking across at Seth and Cora stood in disbelief.

"Please don't tell me you're being serious." Cora shook her head whilst Seth just stood in disbelief.

"He knew." Punk spat, "And he… he never said anything." Punk shook his head, walking away back to the table as AJ watched, turning to Oliver who stood sadly.

"Is this true?" AJ asked. Even though she seen the glint in Dean's eyes whilst Punk had him held up against the wall. She still had to ask.

"Yeah." Oliver nodded, "You get home with Colby. Leave him to me." Oliver nodded over to Punk who was sitting at the table with his hands in his head.

"No… No, I'm not leaving him." AJ shook her head.

"He'll be fine." Oliver said, "It's getting late." He said.

"I'll uh… I'll walk you home." Seth added to the conversation, still a little shock and in disbelief of the situation. Everything happened so fast just there. He felt like the world was spinning.

"Walk her straight to the door." Oliver said as Seth nodded.

"Come on." Cora smiled, wrapping her arm around AJ and walking out of the bar whilst Seth got Colby, walking over to the table where she was sleeping in her stroller, looking on at Punk.

"I'm gonna take AJ and Colby home, ok?" Seth assured Punk.

"Ok." Punk nodded simply, reaching over into Colby's stroller and stroking her cheek lovingly, sitting back eventually and letting Seth leave with her whilst his father came by and sat down across from him, "I lost my cool, I know I shouldn't have but… I couldn't help it." Punk shook his head, "He knew. He is one of my best friends. A brother to me. And he knew all along what his father had done to not only my family but Seth's too. Cora's." Punk said.

"Maybe he has his reasons." Oliver said.

"You're really gonna defend him?"

"It's not like he done it." Oliver said, "He was just a baby like you at the time. He had no clue about anything."

"But he eventually knew about it and chose not to tell us. I could see it in his eyes when I asked him." He shook his head, "Makes sense now that he always just avoids questions or conversation about his dad. All he ever told us was that he done some bad things and was in jail for life."

"And that isn't Dean's fault. You can't be mad at him for what his father done."

"I'm mad he knew and didn't tell us. Especially something so personal and serious like that." Punk said.

"Like I said… he might have his reasons." Oliver said, "Maybe he was worried it would change your relationship. And… I see what you boys have. It's a real bond and closeness that not many people have." Oliver said. He'd noticed it all night and it seemed pretty sad that the night ended the way it did, "We're gonna… we're gonna make this all right."

"What do you mean?" Punk shook his head, "We?"

"I'm gonna talk to the police. Get my name really cleared. Prove that it was Dean's father who was responsible for your mom and sister's death."

"But he's already in jail." Punk said.

"Yeah, for arson and murdering Seth's family." Oliver said, "Not mine." He said as Punk nodded, "And you are going to talk to Dean. You and Seth."

"I don't wanna talk to him."

"Well you're gonna have to because whether you like it or not he is one of your best friends. He didn't choose his father. Maybe telling you guys was a way of protecting you both." He said, "You can't rough him up, accuse him and then scare him off." Oliver said, "I'd kill to see my best friends again. You don't really appreciate them until… until they're gone." Oliver said.

"You were really close to Seth's parents, huh?" Punk said as Oliver nodded.

"Just as close as you guys are."

"Weird, huh? How we all became friends in the orphanage without even knowing our parents were friends or… enemies in Dean's case." Punk said, "I just… I don't get why he couldn't tell us. I wouldn't have been mad. I get that it was his dad and not him." Punk said.

"You don't know what he's thinking." Oliver said, "You need to talk to him. Regardless." Oliver told him as Punk just sighed. Just when things felt so right and so good, of course things had to fuck up right in front of him.


Cora got home after her and Seth walked AJ home with Colby. Seth had told her he was gonna go for a walk to clear his head. He asked her to come but she was eager to get home and see if Dean was there. She just couldn't believe it. She maybe wasn't taking it as personally as she'd known Dean for a shorter time than Punk and Seth, but she was still hurt that he knew and never said anything.

She walked into the house, looking around downstairs first and then upstairs, walking into their room where he was, appearing to be packing a bag.

"Are you going somewhere?" Cora folded her arms.

"I have to… I have to get out of here." Dean said.

"Why?" Cora shook her head, "You think running is gonna make it go away?" Cora said as Dean just shook his head but continued to frantically grab clothes, "Dean!" Cora yelled, storming to him and grabbing the bag he was packing, throwing it on the floor, "Look at me." She demanded as he looked down at her, "I don't really know what is going on right now." She said truthfully, "But I am not backing up from you."

"They won't forgive me for this." Dean shook his head.

"Tell me what happened." Cora said, sitting down on the edge of the bed with Dean who just ran his hand through his hair tiredly. He figured it was only a matter of time, and he knew that Punk would have reacted exactly like that.

"When I was eighteen." Dean said, "When I got out of the oprphanage I done some research. I wanted to know what it was my dad had done that was so bad, to end up in prison for life. I then found out that he'd set a house on fire. A full family dead besides a five year old girl and a few month old baby boy." Dean said, "Story seemed familiar, I found out it was Seth's family."

"Wait..." Cora said, "You always knew I was still alive and you never told him?" Cora asked.

"I was scared incase you'd died later on after you got out of the fire. I didn't know the facts. All I knew was that my father was responsible for killing a perfectly good family." Dean said, "And then I started digging deeper, found out my dad ran some sort of illegal loan organisation." Dean shrugged, "I then found out he'd killed Punk's mom and sister."

"Why didn't you say anything, Dean?" Cora shook her head.

"Because I didn't know how they would react." Dean said, "I was scared they would judge me, or they'd think I was like him." He said.

"They wouldn't have." Cora said, "It isn't your fault you got stuck with such… evil as a dad. You didn't choose him."

"It was still a difficult position to be in. Avoiding it just seemed like the better option." Dean said, "Punk and Seth are the only people I had. I didn't want to lose them."

"You wouldn't have lost them, baby." Cora sighed, "You should have told them." She sighed.

"I know I should have." Dean nodded, "They're gonna hate me now. I mean… did you see Punk. I'll be lucky if he ever looks my way again."

"He'll cool off." Cora said, "But running away isn't going to solve anything." She made herself clear, "You just… you have to talk to them. Tell them what you told me. They might not be ok with it but they'll try understand you. That's what friends do." Cora said.

"I really don't deserve you still by my side." Dean said, "I mean… this is your family too." Dean reminded her.

"Yeah and it was your dad who killed them. Not you." Cora reminded him, "There is a huge difference, Dean. Just because it's your dad doesn't mean you carry everything he done with you too." She shook her head.

"Why does it feel like I do then?" Dean asked her.

"I don't know. But you shouldn't." She shook her head, "You're a good man. I know you are." She nodded.

"A good man who has lied to his friends for so many years about the death of their families?" Dean turned to her.

"Everyone makes mistakes." Cora said, "No one is perfect." She said, placing her hand on his thigh, "We can fix this."

"I don't know." Dean shook his head.

"We can." Cora said, "We can fix this. It'll be like nothing even happened."

"I doubt it." Dean sighed.

"Trust me." Cora said, pressing a kiss on his cheek as he smiled. He still felt so lucky to have her by his side, even when he was the one in the wrong here and it was so clear to see. She wasn't judging him or telling him off. She was simply there for him to talk to and seek comfort in. He knew he'd fucked up. He wasn't a lying man, but he really just could never bring himself round to telling his friends what he knew and the connections he had to the deaths of their families. In some way, he felt like Cora understood and that's why he loved her so damn much.


Punk had gotten home later on after parting ways from his father who had been oddly supportive throughout this entire situation. He fully expected and hoped that AJ would have just gone to bed, but of course she was up waiting for him.

"What are you doing still up?" Punk asked, walking into the kitchen where AJ was sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee.

"Couldn't sleep, and I wanted to make sure you were ok." She said.

"I'm fine." Punk said, "Don't worry about me, baby."

"Impossible." AJ said, "What the hell happened tonight?" AJ questioned with so much confusion. She'd been sat here all night trying to figure out what was actually going on. Of course she knew but she was just so confused by it all.

"He knew… Dean knew about my mom and sister… about Seth's family. And… he never said a damn thing." Punk said, "That's what happened." He said, taking a seat across from her.

"But… it's Dean. You don't honestly think he done it to hurt you both?" AJ said, "Do you?"

"I don't know what I think." Punk shook his head, "I know I won't be able to trust him again."

"Don't say that." AJ frowned, "Maybe he had his reasons."

"Now you just sound like my dad." Punk sighed, "I want to be ok with it. I do. But he lied to us. He's like a brother to me and all this time he's been lying to our faces." Punk shook his head.

"So it was… really his dad that done it all?"

"Yeah." Punk said, "I mean it's not like he's out there walking free, he's in prison, for life." Punk said, "But that isn't the point in all of this. That's not even what bothers me. It's just… him lying to us. That bothers me."

"Maybe he didn't say anything because he was scared of what you guys might think." AJ said, "You don't know what he was thinking. You have to speak to him." She said.

"He should be the one coming to speak to me. Me and Seth." Punk said.

"You slammed him against the wall in the bar. I think maybe he's gone to clear his head and figure out what he's gonna say to his best friends to make them understand why he did what he did." AJ said, "I think it's pretty remarkable actually." AJ admitted.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"That… the outcome of all these tragedies became best friends in an orphanage, without even planning it." She said. He never thought about it that way. It was sorta weird. How they were all each lonely survivors of their own stories and somehow they all linked together and befriended one another before they got the chance to know their connection and linkage. He guessed it was pretty remarkable.

"I don't know about you." AJ said, "But I am exhausted." She said, "Why don't we go to bed? We can talk about all of this in the morning." She said as Punk just nodded.

"I'll be up in a minute." Punk said as AJ nodded and stood up, kissing his cheek as she headed on by him, leaving him in his thoughts for a few minutes before he eventually followed her into bed.


A/N: Let me know what you think!