Your Decision

"Hey, April." Dean smiled, walking into the bar a few nights later as AJ looked over at him.

"Hey." AJ nodded, "Where's your girlfriend? She's nice, I like her." She smiled.

"She got caught up at work." Dean nodded, looking across at her. The more he thought about it over the past few days, the more he realised how suited his brother was to AJ. Way more suited than Janine ever was. If it weren't for his brother being married with a baby on the way, after the shock, he would have been over the moon that Punk had found someone as great as AJ. But it wasn't quite as easy as that.

"Whiskey? Or a beer?" She asked him.

"Just a beer." Dean nodded, sitting up at the stool as AJ nodded, grabbing a glass from behind her and pulling him a pint. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He could see the sadness she was carrying and it hurt him.

"Here you go." AJ smiled pleasantly, sitting the beer on the bar for him. It was hard for her to see Dean. When she saw him, she thought about Punk, and when she thought about Punk... it was pretty painful.

She hadn't seen him since a few nights ago when he was at the bar with Janine, when they talked in the stock room. She appreciated him staying away from her. It was too difficult to see him and pretend like nothing had happened.

"I know." Dean nodded to her as AJ paused, "About you and Phil." He said quietly.

"What?" AJ questioned, looking around the bar to make sure none of her family were around. It was a weekday night, which meant the bar was a lot quieter.

"He told me the other night." Dean said as AJ gulped, "And for what it's worth, he really does love you." Dean nodded, "I really think he was going to end his marriage, but then… well Janine being pregnant kinda held him back."

"We don't have to talk about it." AJ shook her head, slightly uncomfortable but also surprised at how nice Dean was being. She thought she would be frowned upon as the girl his brother had been cheating with.

"I know, I just… I want to make sure you're ok." Dean said, "I feel like you've been dragged into this mess now and… you don't deserve it."

"I knew what I was getting myself into." AJ assured him, "I'm not a kid."

"I know that, I just know that Phil is really struggling. He has no idea what he's supposed to do." Dean said.

"I told him that I don't blame him for sticking by his wife. She's having his baby. I get it." AJ shook her head.

"I think the problem is he doesn't want stick by her. And he doesn't want to admit that because of the baby." Dean said.

"Well it's either I get hurt or his wife… and given that she is pregnant and vulnerable, I'll take the fall. What do I have to lose yourself?" AJ shrugged.

"Don't shrink yourself. You're not any less important than she is." Dean nodded.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" AJ questioned, "I mean I'm the girl who your brother was cheating with."

"I was mad at first." Dean nodded, "But only because I thought he was…" He paused, not sure if he should say it, "I thought he was using you." He nodded, "I guess when you think of an affair, you don't really believe that there's actual feelings involved." He said.

"Right." AJ agreed.

"But then when I found it was you, and I saw you upset the other night, and he kept telling me that he would rather be with you…" He sighed to himself, "I know my brother and I know he's genuinely fallen for you." He nodded.

"There's no point talking about it. He shouldn't risk losing his own kid for me. I'm not… I'm not breaking up a family." She shook her head.

"He's miserable, AJ." Dean sighed to himself, "He never wanted this. He told her months ago he wasn't ready for kids. I think she's under the impression that it's gonna save the marriage but… I think it's pushing him further away and I don't wanna see him stuck." He said.

"I can't get involved anymore." AJ made clear, "And you shouldn't either. It's his marriage. His decisions." She nodded, "He knows how I feel and that's that." She shrugged, "Losing me is gonna be a lot less important than if he loses his wife right now." She nodded.

"I don't think he believes that." Dean said as AJ looked across at him, "I was worried that he was just stringing you along. With the age difference and… him being married-"

"You thought I was naïve and stupid?" AJ corrected.

"Not stupid but… maybe naïve." Dean said, "Maybe he was just telling you lies until Janine came back and worked it out with him. But… I know now that's so far from the truth. He loves you." Dean nodded. He wanted her to know that. He didn't want her to feel like she'd been thrown away.

"And I love him." AJ nodded, "But it's just… it's not meant to be." She said. She had to keep her cool head on for now. She wouldn't lie about her feelings to anyone, but she was staying out of the drama at all costs.

"I'm sorry." Dean shook his head, "We've known you for years. I never thought… this is something we'd be talking about." He said as AJ nodded.

"Weird, huh?" AJ smiled a little.

"It's not actually." Dean admitted, "I get it. You two." He nodded, "You're both pretty similar. Same annoying sense of humour."

"Excuse me?" AJ tutted as Dean smiled.

"Those three weeks… he was really happy. I saw it." Dean said.

"I was too." AJ nodded quietly as Dean watched her, "He has more important things to be worrying about than me." She shook her head as Dean sighed, "I gotta change these barrels over here." She said, finding her escape from the conversation as it got harder to talk about it. But she did appreciate him talking to her.

Dean watched as she walked away, sensing just how hurt she was and how unimportant she felt.

"When will you be home?" Janine asked, sitting at the kitchen table whilst Punk got ready to go out on the night shift at work.

He had been trying his hardest not think about AJ but it was truly impossible. She was the only thing on his mind, even when he was lying next to his wife in bed. It only made him feel more miserable as the days went by that he couldn't be with the woman he truly loved, not unless he sacrificed his unborn kid.

"6am." Punk nodded to her, "You'll be asleep." He said as Janine nodded.

"I hate when you do night shift." Janine frowned, "I miss my cuddles." She said as Punk smiled.

"It's just another couple days." Punk nodded. It was even harder for him as it felt like Janine was really trying to work on things with him. She wasn't starting fights like she would so easily before. She was actually having normal conversations with him, and yet, all he could think about was AJ and having her in his arms.

"Couldn't you get someone to swap with you? Or is that not how it works?" Janine asked.

"It's not really how it works." Punk said, "Hey when are you going for your scan? I'll need to get the day off so let me know when you get the appointment."

"Oh, it… it probably won't be for another few weeks." Janine said, "I'm only a couple weeks pregnant." She said as Punk looked across at her.

"Well you gotta be more than that. You gotta be at least five or six." He said, because he knew that was the last time they'd slept together, "Isn't there an appointment you get to see how far along you are? And see the baby?" He asked her. He was no obstetrician, but he was pretty sure there was a lot of appointments involved with pregnancy.

"Yeah… yeah, but that's still really early." Janine nodded, "I don't need to go until another few weeks." She assured him as he just nodded slowly.

"Ok." Punk said, he just supposed she knew best, she was the pregnant one.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning." She stood up, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'll try not disturb you when I get in." He smiled.

"I don't mind." Janine smiled, "Maybe I could find myself something to do." She said, running her hands down his chest as he looked down at her.

"I'm gonna be late." He smiled lightly, leaning down and pecking her lips.

"Ok. Have a good night." Janine smiled, watching as he took off and left the house, sitting back down at the table to finish the rest of her coffee.

Punk drove to the station to start his shift when he found Dean waiting for him outside.

"Hey, I thought it was your day off today?" Punk asked him.

"It is." Dean said, "I just wanted to tell you that I spoke to AJ." He said.

"You what?" Punk said angrily, "Dude, I told you I'm not involving her-"

"I know. I just… I wanted to make sure she was ok." Dean said, "And… if it makes you feel any better I think she still loves you. But she also feels like a piece of shit-"

"I know, trust me. It's eating me up every day." Punk sighed to himself, "What did she say?"

"That she understands why you have to choose your wife over her." Dean said as Punk sighed to himself, "I would be a terrible brother if I sat back and watch you get trapped in something that you are completely miserable over." He said, "Especially when you have something good elsewhere."

"I can't divorce my wife, Dean. There's gonna be a baby here soon." Punk reminded him.

"What if she doesn't react as badly as you think she might?" Dean suggested.

"Are we talking about the same woman?" Punk scoffed.

"I'm serious. Sure she's gonna be pissed and she'll probably kick off. Rightly so." Dean nodded, "But what if she doesn't take off with the kid. What if she finds it in her heart to… accept that you two are over but you can both still co-parent." He said.

"Do you honestly see that happening? I sit her down and tell her not only have I been sleeping with another woman, but I'm in love with her and would like a divorce." Punk said, "Do you honestly think her first thought is to make sure I get treated fairly with the kid? She'll use it against me. I'll never see it. And we have no prenup so… I'll probably have to move out."

"And what about when it's all settled? And you have April… and you're happy?" Dean asked as Punk looked across at him.

"You're the guy who was losing his mind with me over sleeping with her. Telling me that I gotta stay with Janine for my kid." Punk said.

"I didn't actually think you two were serious. I thought you were just using her and she was just a naïve little girl who got played." Dean said.

"Is that how low you think of me?" Punk asked.

"No, I just know it's been a shit year for you and I thought maybe this was you reaching your breaking point." Dean said.

"No, this was me waking up." Punk said, "Only to be… shot back down again."

"If you love April, you shouldn't risk losing her for a life of misery." Dean said.

"Then I become the dad who walked out on their kid." Punk said, "I become just as bad as our dad."

"You are not our dad." Dean said, "And this isn't you walking out-"

"If I leave Janine she will take that as me walking out on the baby." Punk said, "I know her. She'll pack her bags or she'll make me pack mine. She'll get lawyers. Good ones because she has money." He said, "And I'll never see my kid, ever." He said as Dean sighed to himself, "What would you do?"

"I would never have married Janine." Dean scoffed as Punk looked at him angrily, "Sorry, I just… I do feel for you, man. I know it can't be easy." He sighed. He wished there was something he could have done to help his brother, but it was ultimately his decision. The decision had to be his.

"I'm gonna be late for my shift." Punk shook his head, "Just… leave April alone for now. I doubt she wants to talk about this." He said, walking off.

"I get you two." Dean said as Punk turned around, "I don't think I did before but I've thought about it and… you guys are really similar people." He nodded as Punk sighed to himself. He knew that.

"I gotta go." Punk said, walking off into the station to start his shift as Dean frowned. It was only getting worse.