Invisible
The next day, everyone's cooler heads seemed to prevail. Punk decided to close the comic book store for the day. He wanted spend his day at home with AJ and Colby. He figured that was exactly what he needed, to avoid thinking of everything else that was going on. Just him and his girls.
"Can you believe she's almost two months old?" AJ asked Punk, sitting next to him on the couch as he held Colby who was awake, staring up at him, enjoying being in her father's solid yet very comfortable and safe arms.
"We'll be planning her eighteenth birthday soon." Punk said as AJ nudged him playfully as he smiled to her, "I'm kidding. Obviously." Punk said as AJ just rested her head on his arm.
"We haven't even got a chance yet to talk about wedding plans." AJ said, "Where… when… who is gonna be there?" She said, "I feel like we haven't had any time where it's just us three. Something is always going on." She shook her head.
"It's us three just now." Punk said, and literally as he finished the sentence, the front door knocked, causing AJ to lift her head and look at him with a sigh, "I get you now." Punk said, "Hey, baby.. you wanna go to mommy?" Punk said, looking down at Colby who wriggled a little and yawned causing Punk to smile, passing her over to AJ as he stood up and headed out to the answer the door.
"Everything ok?" Punk asked once seeing it was Cora.
"No. Not really." Cora shook her head, walking into the house as Punk shut the door behind her and followed her into the living room, "I spoke to Dean last night. I felt like I really got through to him, and then… when I woke up this morning he was gone."
"Maybe he's just went out for some fresh air." AJ shrugged.
"No. I know he hasn't. Last night when I went home he was packing a bag. I sat it away and told him to stop being stupid and that… that we'd all work it out. Because of course we will." Cora panicked, "But when I woke up this morning the bag was gone and so was some of his clothes." She said as AJ looked up at Punk.
"What do you want me to do about that?" Punk asked.
"He thinks we hate him." Cora said, "I'm really worried about him."
"Where is Seth?" Punk asked.
"I don't know. He's not at his place and he won't answer his phone." Cora said, "All three of you can't just… can't just hibernate where no one can find you all, and expect this to all disappear." Cora shook her head, "Maybe he only lied to protect you guys from how painful the truth was." She said, "Ever think of that?"
"He still lied." Punk said firmly, "A lie is a lie."
"Don't you have a heart? He's one of your best friends." Cora said, "And incase you've forgotten he's my boyfriend. And I'm really worried about him." Cora sighed, running her hand through her hair as AJ frowned.
"We'll find him." AJ nodded, "He couldn't have gone far."
"Far enough to need a bag." Cora said, "And he won't answer his phone." She sighed.
"It's Dean." Punk said, "He'll be at the nearest bar drowning his sorrows and flirting with some waitress." Punk said bluntly.
"You're no help." Cora shook her head coldly, "I'll find him myself." She said angrily.
"No." AJ shook her head, "Phil… just go. You're gonna have to talk to him at some point." She said, "Please… please just sort things out." She begged tiredly. Punk could see it in her eyes. She was tired of all the moving around. Tired of everything that was going on. She was right. They hadn't really had a chance to settle down with Colby and really start to enjoy family life. Something was always interrupting him.
"Ok." Punk nodded, "Ok, I'll come with you." Punk nodded to Cora. He knew he was gonna have to talk with Dean at some point eventually. Believe it or not, he still cared about the guy. He was like a little brother. A little brother who had made a mistake, "But we're finding Seth before we head out to find him. If we're talking about this, we're all talking about it." Punk said as Cora just nodded, "I'll try not be long." Punk turned to AJ, pressing a kiss on her head and kissing Colby too before leaving the house with Cora.
"I don't even know where he'd go." Seth admitted later on that day. Punk and Cora had found him heading back to his place after he'd gone out for coffee for himself to wake up. He'd barely slept all night. They were now on the hunt for Dean. As much as they all felt affected by Dean's lie, and hurt of course, they still had to find him and talk to him.
"Me neither." Punk admitted, "But I mean… there's only so many places he could go. Right?"
"Well he had a bag with clothes in it. I think." Cora said, "What if he's left state?" She asked worriedly.
"Nah, he wouldn't have." Punk shook his head, "We'll check the gym. Maybe he's there." He said, coming up to the gym that they used to work and train at.
Cora waited out in the street, keeping her eyes opened. Of course they all weren't expecting him to just pop up out of nowhere, but Dean was a very vague man. It was easy to read him. He could only be at so many places.
"Not there." Punk emerged back out of the gym with Seth, "Where the fuck is he? I'm not running around Chicago looking for him. Maybe we should just wait for him to come back… and then we can talk to him." Punk shrugged.
"No." Cora sighed like a child who wasn't getting her way, "No, we have to find him. He… He thinks we all hate him. Even me." She said.
"Cora, I don't know if you've noticed but I have a baby to be looking after. AJ is exhausted. She is tired of all of this. I am tired of it all. I'm not chasing him around town like he's a kid." Punk spat as Cora glared up at him.
"Go then." Cora said, "We'll find him without you." She implied as Punk just rolled his eyes, "He is your best friend. Doesn't that mean anything to you anymore? Both of you." She looked at Seth too.
"We've been friends since we were little kids. He… He knew all along what happened to our families and he just sat back and let it all unfold." Punk said, "I could have been saved a whole load of unneccesary anger and pain if he had just told us." He said.
"And I'm sure he's sorry, but you don't know anything until you talk to him." Cora said.
"I think I know where he's gone." Seth said suddenly over Punk and Cora's bickering, "C'mon."
Meanwhile AJ had just put down Colby for a nap, heading back downstairs and into the kitchen to make herself a snack. She felt like everything that was going on, wasn't anything to do with her. It wasn't anything to do with her, yet she still felt greatly affected by it. Nothing felt like it was going smooth anymore. There was just bump after bump.
She boiled the kettle, staring intently at it as it popped, pouring herself a cup of coffee and wandering off into the living room. It may have sounded completely strange, but she was beginning to feel really… really lonely. She felt like the only times she seen Punk was late on at night and early in the morning. She knew he had to work, that wasn't the issue, it was everything in between. She just felt like too much was going on.
She got comfy on the couch just as there was a knock at the front door. Silently praying Colby wouldn't wake, she tip toed out of the living room and opened up the front door to see Oliver standing.
"April. Is Phil in?" Oliver asked.
"Uh… no, no he's out." AJ said simply as Oliver just nodded, taking a look at her.
"I didn't wake you there, did I? Were you sleeping?" He said apologetically.
"No. I've just boiled the kettle. Colby is asleep."
"Quiet house then?" Oliver smiled as she nodded, "Well just let Phil know I'm looking for him. It's nothing urgent." He said.
"You can come in." AJ said. Perhaps it was to avoid her own silence or just to be friendly, but she wanted him to come in anyway.
"You're sure?" Oliver asked as AJ nodded.
"Yeah. Can I get you a tea or coffee?" She asked.
"Uh… ok, a tea please, sweetheart." Oliver nodded, walking into the house as AJ wandered off to the kitchen whilst he headed into the living room.
It didn't take AJ long to reappear with a cup of tea for him, taking a seat on the couch across, "Looks like Dean has packed a bag and left. That's where Phil is right now." AJ told him as Oliver nodded.
"That poor boy shouldn't beat himself up about this. We can't choose our family, can we?" Oliver said, "And maybe he just didn't tell Phil because… he didn't want to see him hurt." Oliver shrugged, "Phil shouldn't be mad with him. I seen how close they boys are last night." He said.
"They're really close." AJ nodded, "They've always been that way. Even when they were little boys." She remembered.
"Of course. I forgot you were there too. In the orphanage." Oliver said, "In fact… sweetheart, I don't feel like I know much about you at all. Phil only mentioned you were in the orphanage with them." He said.
"That's all he said?" AJ asked as Oliver nodded, "Well I was there because my mom killed herself and my dad was never in the picture." She said, "She hung herself in our house. I was just a baby. I don't remember anything." She shrugged.
"That's terrible." Oliver sighed.
"She was bipolar." AJ said, "And uh… so am I. I take it Phil never mentioned anything about that either." She shook her head, looking down.
"No. He did." Oliver said as AJ looked up, "Said he'd have you know other way. That you're the strongest person he knows." He nodded to her as AJ smiled to herself, "Does that mean little Colby might have it too?" He asked curiously.
"Maybe." AJ nodded, "We won't know much until she's older. But there's a good chance." She nodded.
"I hope you don't feel any sort of guilt."
"I don't." AJ shook her head, "I just… sometimes I look at her and I know she doesn't deserve to have it. She's too innocent and small."
"Technology, medicine, new equipment these days though. It's not like it can't be treated. Maybe not cured, but it can be dealt with. I'm sure you know that yourself."
"I know." AJ nodded, "But then I think… are all the kids we have gonna have it?" She said.
"Well good God, how many children are you planning to have?" Oliver laughed as AJ smiled.
"As many as Phil allows me to have." AJ smiled as Oliver laughed.
"How old is Colby now?" He asked, sipping on his tea.
"Nearly two months." AJ said, "Nearly two months old and I still don't feel like we're a proper family." She admitted.
"What do you mean?" Oliver shook his head.
"Something is always going on." AJ shrugged, "I mean… I got engaged last week and I just… I feel like this is just a piece of costume jewellery I have on." She admitted looking down at her ring, "Having Colby was meant to indicate us settling down. Being just us three." She said, "I feel like I hardly even see Phil anymore."
"Oh, it will get easier, sweetheart. Things have just been a little crazy lately but they'll calm down." He said.
"I..." AJ took a deep breath, feeling tears well in her eyes as she put her coffee down and looked away from Punk's father, "I feel like I'm starting to get ill again. And I don't want to tell him." She shook her head.
"What?" Oliver shook his head, "Don't you have medication or something to help you?"
"Yeah. But lately I don't feel like it's working, and I've not gotten to speak to Cora, she's my psychiatrist, because she's been so busy caught up with Seth… and now Dean." She said, "I feel… really invisible." She admitted, drying her tears.
"Oh, sweetheart." Oliver sighed, standing up and sitting down next to her, "It's all going to be ok." He nodded, wrapping his arm around her comfortingly. He didn't really know her all too well, but he knew how much his son loved her, and therefore she meant a great deal to him too.
A/N: More coming soon! Let me know what you think.
