Different Times

Punk found his way back home after wandering through the streets he knew all too well. He walked into his house, closing the door over behind him. The blood that was on his hands was now dried in, underneath his fingernails with some wiped on his jeans too. He couldn't convince himself there was a possibility it wasn't Jeremy. He was already too far gone to stop. He wanted someone to be mad at. He wanted the person who did this, because realising the actual person who hurt his daughter was still out there, was too much.

He looked in the empty living room and through to the kitchen, stumbling around in a daze, not knowing what to do with himself. He hadn't quite felt rage like tonight in many, many years. Not since his younger days when the streets were raising him. But he couldn't help it.

He walked up the stairs, taking one step at a time, reaching the top and looking on at Cassie's bedroom door. He opened up the door quietly, looking in and seeing his fifteen year old fast asleep in her bed. It was then he realised it must have been late, and he must have been wandering the streets for a while.

He closed his youngest daughter's door over, walking down the hall, beginning to hear his wife's voice singing from their spare bedroom, which used to be Jude's room, now turned into a part-time nursery for James whenever they babysat him.

He stood at the door, watching as AJ stood by the window with James in her arms, singing to him softly, the same way she used to sing to Thea and Jude when they were babies, the same way he wished he could have saw her sing to Cassie as a baby.

Whenever he saw her with James, in reminded him of when the girls were younger. Fond memories. When they were babies and he promised to protect them from everything and everyone…

"That's cute." Punk nodded to himself, standing at the fridge in his kitchen late on one night, chugging down a bottle of water as he saw the new picture his six year old daughter had drew. It appeared to be an alien, or maybe it was a dinosaur. He knew it was green at least.

He'd just gotten off from the night shift down at the docks, and he knew his three girls would be in bed. Tiptoeing around the place was necessary. He couldn't think of anything worse than disturbing his favourite people.

He left the kitchen, turning the light off as he cracked his neck side to side, heading upstairs tiredly. He hated the night shift. It meant he missed the night and the morning with his girls, but sometimes getting to come home and see how peaceful they were was pretty great.

He reached the top of the stairs, walking over to Thea's bedroom, opening it up and chuckling as he saw the six year old almost hanging out of her bed.

He walked over, pushing some of the stuffed toys out of the way on the floor, lifting her into the centre of her bed as she stirred a little, almost waking up.

"Shh, it's ok." Punk said softly, stroking her cheek softly as he pulled the covers up around her, leaning down and kissing her head, giving her the goodnight kiss he never got a chance to when she was initially going to bed.

He left the bedroom, closing the door over and making his way next door, pausing at the doorway as he saw his wife standing in the nursery with their six month old baby girl, singing to her and bouncing her lightly in her arms. He could have watched it on repeat forever.

"What are you looking at?" AJ whispered, watching as Jude kept lifting her little head, "Are you looking out the window?" She asked, walking over to the window with her in her arms, "You like the moon, huh?" She smiled, kissing her sweet little head as Jude leaned her head against her chest.

"You know mommy and daddy love you all the way to the moon and all the way back." AJ said, brushing her hand over Jude's wispy dark hair, "And let me tell you, that moon is forever away." She nodded, "Huh, sweet girl." AJ said softly, rubbing Jude's back softly, listening as the door opened a little wider, turning around and spotting Punk walking in.

"Hey." Punk smiled.

"Oh, hey." AJ smiled tiredly, "God, is that what time it is?" She raised her eyebrows, not realising it was that late.

"Yeah. What are you two doing up?" Punk asked, looking on at Jude, smiling as he saw her cheeky little smile as she clung onto AJ's t-shirt, "What are you up to, cheeky?" He smiled, caressing the back of her head, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"Well she woke me up and for some reason… she won't go back down. She keeps looking out here." She said, "I think she can see the moon."

"It's a full one tonight." Punk noticed, "Maybe she's a werewolf."

"Maybe." AJ chuckled, watching as Jude lifted her head, watching Punk closely. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Jude was a big fan of Punk, "She's watching you." AJ smiled as Punk turned around, noticing Jude was staring at him, in all her perfect little self.

"Oh, hi." Punk smiled, "You want a hug?" He asked, extending his hands out, taking Jude from AJ and giving her a squeeze, "Hi, baby girl." He smiled, kissing her head.

She really was the sweetest baby ever. She was quiet but charming. He went into his second round of fatherhood thinking it'd be similar to the first, but realising it was very different. Thea as a baby was a work-out. It was watching out for her sticking her fingers in sockets and biting through cables. Jude was very zen and calm, and boy did she love cuddles.

"You should be asleep." Punk whispered to her, "Are you keeping mommy awake?" He asked her, taking her little handle.

"I don't mind." AJ smiled, stroking the back of Jude's head, "How was work?" She asked, cupping his cheek.

"It was ok. My neck is so screwed up, though." He shook his head.

"I told you. All that heavy lifting has gotta be bad for you. You should see a specialist." AJ shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine." Punk shook his head, "Nothing a little rub from my wife won't fix." He smirked.

"Oh, you think so?" She smiled.

"You've got healing hands." He nodded as she shook her head.

"You're just chancing your luck." She nodded.

"Maybe." Punk smiled, "How was bedtime? I see there's a new picture on the fridge."

"Yeah she made it for you. It's an alien." AJ nodded.

"You know, that was my first thought." Punk said, "She made it for me?" He smiled.

"Yeah but then she wouldn't go to bed." AJ shook her head, "She's a little rascal."

"What'd she do?" Punk chuckled.

"Hid from me when I was waiting for her to go for her bath. Then when she got in the bath she unplugged it right away so here I am quickly trying to wash her hair before the water runs out, she's laughing hysterical at me." AJ shook her head.

"You couldn't just run more water in?" Punk chuckled.

"Oh, I did. Five times. She kept unplugging it." AJ nodded as Punk chuckled, "And then she'd laugh exactly like that. She's literally your mini me just… more evil." She shook her head as Punk nodded.

"Evil? Really?" Punk nodded.

"Well of course she's always an angel for you." AJ rolled her eyes as Punk chuckled, "Got her out of the bath and then she wouldn't get dried so she was just running around the house naked. I had to run and close all the curtains." She said as Punk nodded, "The kid is insane, Phil."

"She's funny." Punk nodded as AJ just smiled.

"She went to bed around seven and then Jude went down about eight." AJ nodded, "I fell asleep in the bath."

"Nice." Punk nodded.

"Got out and just went into bed but then this little one woke me back up about half an hour ago." AJ said, "I don't know if she just wanted a little cuddle. Her diaper is clean." AJ shrugged.

"Yeah, well she likes a cuddle." Punk nodded.

"Or maybe she just wanted a hug from daddy before bed." AJ said as Punk smiled.

"Maybe." Punk nodded, looking down at Jude in his arms. Feeling her in his arms, her tiny little hands on him, the way she held onto him, it truly felt like his entire world, and all he ever wanted to do was protect his girls. To make them feel loved and safe.

"She looks like she's falling asleep." AJ nodded, noticing Jude's little eyes.

"Yeah, I'll put her down." Punk nodded, walking over to Jude's crib, putting her down and smiling as she held onto his hand for a little while longer, holding on until she fell asleep, "Sweet dreams, baby." He smiled, stroking her cheek softly.

"You want that neck massage right now?" AJ asked him, heading out of the nursery as Punk looked over.

"If you're down." Punk nodded, following her out of the nursery.

"Only in exchange for something else." She smiled, walking backwards into their bedroom as Punk followed her.

"Yeah, like what?" Punk smiled, closing their bedroom door over and stripping his t-shirt off as AJ smiled.

"Keep stripping and then I'll decide." She smirked, pulling him into her by his belt, wrapping her arms around him as he picked her up, collapsing on the bed with her as they pulled each other's clothes off.

Punk stood outside James' nursery, looking on and watching as AJ sang to him sweetly, so sweet it was almost putting him to sleep as he stood watching.

He opened up the door a little further and walked in as AJ turned around.

"Oh, hey… look who it is." AJ whispered, turning around and smiling as she noticed him, her smile fading slowly as she looked at his face, "Phil." AJ said, looking him up and down, spotting the blood on his hands.

"Hey." Punk nodded, "How is he?" He smiled as AJ shook her head with confusion.

"Phil, what have you done?" AJ shook her head.