Epilogue

Two years later…

"She's so beautiful." AJ smiled proudly, holding her newborn granddaughter in her arms, "She looks just like you, Thea." AJ said in awe, looking over at Thea who was sat up in the hospital bed.

"Dominic said the same." Thea smiled tiredly.

"What's her name?" Punk asked, looking over AJ's shoulder at his newest and second grandbaby.

"Sofia." Thea smiled.

"Oh, I love it." AJ smiled, "Hi, Sofia." She whispered, stroking the baby girls cheek softly, "Have you called Jude?"

"Yeah, she was wrapping up a class and then she was gonna come straight to see her." Thea said.

"Where are Dominic and James?" Punk asked, still staring at baby Sofia in AJ's arms, not being able to take her eyes from her. She was so perfect and beautiful.

"Dominic took James to get a drink in the café. He was getting kinda restless up here." Thea said.

"How is he with her?" AJ asked.

"He's really good." Thea smiled, "He sat up there and Dominic helped him hold her. He was all proud of himself." She nodded.

"I knew he'd be good with her." Punk nodded.

"How you feeling?" AJ asked Thea.

"Oh, you know…" Thea groaned a little, "I've felt better." She said as AJ nodded, "But she's so perfect, it's all good." She smiled happily.

"She really is." AJ smiled.

"Punk!" Three year old James yelled as he burst through the room door, noticing his favourite grandparents had come to visit.

"Hey, sport!" Punk smiled excitedly, lifting James up as he came running to him. James was definitely the son he never had in all aspects.

"That's my sister." James pointed to Sofia in AJ's arms.

"So I hear." Punk nodded, "She's pretty cute, huh?" Punk asked him as James nodded.

"A little cute." James nodded to himself as Punk smiled.

"Hey, you're a big brother now." AJ said, "That's so cool." She said.

"It is." James agreed, "Her name is Sofia." He told AJ who smiled and nodded.

"Such a pretty name." AJ said. Their grandson definitely had his own little unique personality. He was a ball of energy, and a part of him reminded her of Thea when she was that age. All her mischievousness and energy she had.

"James, did you get something to drink with daddy?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, mommy. I had water." James said.

"Good boy." Thea smiled.

"Hey now you gotta help mommy look after Sofia." Punk said to James who he was still holding up in his arms, "Gotta help her feed her and change her."

"Not all the time." James said as Thea and Dominic chuckled.

"We won't work you too hard, baby. Don't you worry." Thea smiled to him.

"When you getting out of here then?" AJ asked Thea.

"Tomorrow." Thea nodded, "The doctor is happy with everything." She said, "I'd leave tonight if I could." She rolled her eyes.

"We know." Dominic chuckled, tucking his wife's hair behind her ear, "One night won't send you too crazy, will it?"

"I suppose not." Thea hummed.

"Did you get a hold of Jude?" Dominic asked Thea.

"Yeah, she was just finishing up taking a class and then she was gonna pick Sean up and come by." Thea nodded.

"Yeah and Cassie was at the movies with a friend so she should be here any time." AJ nodded, "Dean and Renee said they'd swing by when your home and settled with her."

"Yeah, everyone doesn't need to come rushing in right away." Thea laughed a little, "Let mama breathe for a second." She said.

Meanwhile Punk was sitting over on the chair with James sitting on his lap, sharing a bag of chips which Dominic had bought for James at the vending machine outside.

"Have you got everything you need at home? Is there anything we can get?" AJ asked.

"No, I think we have everything." Dominic nodded.

"Yeah, we're good, mom. Thank you." Thea smiled.

"Hey!" Eighteen year old Cassie appeared into the hospital room, "Sorry, I'm late." She said, "Congratulations." She smiled excitedly, hugging Dominic first and then moving onto her big sister, "I knew it was gonna be a girl. Jude owes me twenty bucks." She said.

"You were betting on my baby?" Thea raised a brow, "Why didn't I get in on that bet?" She teased as Cassie smiled, hugging her tightly.

"How are you? Healthy?" Cassie asked.

"Oh, I feel great." Thea nodded sarcastically, "We're both healthy." She assured her.

"Let me see her." Cassie smiled, wandering around the bed.

"Cassie!" James noticed his aunt.

"Hey, man." Cassie smiled, "Put it there." She put her hand up as James gave her a high five, "Who just became the best big brother ever?"

"Me!" James cheered as Punk chuckled, sitting with James beside him.

"Hell yeah." Cassie smiled, walking over to AJ who was holding Sofia, "So what's her name?"

"Sofia." Thea smiled.

"Oh… she's precious." Cassie gasped, "Oh, look at her little hands." She frowned, placing her hand on her chest.

"You wanna hold her?" AJ asked.

"Please." Cassie nodded, taking Sofia from AJ into her arms, "Hi, baby girl." She smiled, "You're so beautiful." She whispered as Thea smiled.

"I could hold her all day." AJ shook her head, walking over to Punk and James, "Can I have a chip, please?"

"Ask the boss." Punk nodded to James sitting on his lap, "Can A get a chip?"

"Yes." James nodded, giving the packet to AJ. He called his grandparents Punk and A, and always had done since he started speaking.

"Hey!" Jude appeared into the room with Sean.

"And here goes the revolving door." Punk said as AJ smiled.

"Hey." Thea smiled.

"Congratulations." Jude smiled happily, both she and Sean giving Thea and Dominic a hug, "Where is she?"

"I've got her." Cassie said.

"Let me see her." Jude said excitedly

"Hey, Jude!" James noticed his other aunt. He copied Punk by saying 'hey, Jude' whenever he saw Jude.

"Hey, buddy." Jude smiled, "Happy big brother day." She said as James smiled. He was full of energy upon seeing all of his family, and of course he loved all the attention.

"Her name is Sofia." Thea told Jude.

"Sofia." Jude placed her hand on her chest, looking on at the baby girl in Cassie's arms, "She's so beautiful." She gasped as Cassie passed her over to let her have a hold, "Hey, you." Jude smiled, looking down at Sofia, "I'm Aunt Jude. She whispered as Thea smiled, "I'm gonna be your favourite." She whispered.

"I heard that." Cassie scoffed as Jude smiled.

"She's an angel." Jude smiled, "I may or may not have screamed to my students "it's a girl" at the top of my lungs."

After graduating from college she went onto teach art classes at the institute as well as taking part in personal art projects, traveling to exhibitions around the city. It was something that made her happy, and she was all about doing things that made her happy.

"You owe me twenty bucks." Cassie added in.

"Mommy." James said, jumping down from Punk's knee.

"What, baby?" Thea smiled tiredly, almost nodding off to sleep for a second.

"Can I come up?" James asked, walking round to the side of the bed.

"Yeah, come give me a hug." Thea nodded as Dominic smiled, lifting James up onto the bed beside her as James snuggled into his mother. He was definitely a mommy's boy, and being surrounded by a ton of women, he was definitely a charming little character, "Are you tired?" Thea asked, playing with James' hair.

"No." James said, not admitting to his tiredness.

"You wanna go for a nap? Will daddy take you for your nap?" Thea asked him.

"Maybe." James said.

"Maybe." Thea smiled, repeating him softly.

"Yeah, I'll take him home for a couple hours and then we'll come back later on." Dominic said.

"Honey, we'll go to and let you get some sleep. You look exhausted." AJ nodded.

"Yeah, I'm starting to feel it." Thea admitted.

"We all need a nap." James said as Thea chuckled as the rest of them smiled.

"Yeah we do." Thea agreed, kissing his head, "You go with daddy and I'll see you later on." She said, giving him a squeeze before Dominic lifted him up.

"I'll see you later." Dominic nodded, leaning over and giving Thea a kiss.

"Yeah, don't rush up, just take your time." Thea nodded.

"I could just hold her forever and ever." Jude sighed, looking on at Sofia who was sleeping so peacefully in her arms.

"She's cute." Sean nodded, "Normally all babies look kinda weird when they're first born."

"Sean, I can hear you." Thea made clear.

"I'm just saying." Sean said defensively as Thea smiled, enjoying the fear she put in him whilst she said goodbye to her parents.

"Hey, Sean… could I maybe ask you about… you know, the academy and stuff?" Cassie asked as Sean turned to her.

"Sure you can." Sean nodded as Jude smiled.

"You gonna apply?" Jude asked her.

"I think so." Cassie nodded nervously, "I wanna make my application really good, and obviously you got accepted so…"

"I'll help you." Sean promised, "No problem."

"Thank you." Cassie smiled.

Meanwhile AJ and Punk had said their goodbyes to Thea, leaving the hospital room to go home and let new baby and mom have some rest.

"Phil, she's perfect." AJ sighed, putting her coat on as they walked out of the hospital.

"I know, right?" Punk smiled, "She looks just like Thea too."

"Oh, I know. And I love the name. Little Sofia." AJ sighed, completely won over by her new granddaughter, "Little angel."

"Who keeps buzzing my ass?" Punk shook his head as AJ turned to him with confusion, "And it's not a good buzz either." He scoffed, pulling his phone out, "Dean."

"What's he saying?" AJ asked, walking out of the hospital and into the parking lot.

"Oh…" Punk paused as he read a text message from Dean.

"What? What is it?" AJ shook her head.

"Supposedly he hung himself." Dean said, standing in the graveyard over by a tree with AJ and Punk the next day.

"How'd he manage that?" Punk shook his head.

"A guard probably slipped him a rope. Fed up of his bullshit." Dean said.

"Two years in solitary confinement." AJ said, "Should have been a lifetime."

"I don't think I've ever saw a funeral with… no people." Punk shook his head, standing over by the tree whilst they watched from afar as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

"Well, no one makes friends with the devil." AJ shook her head as Dean folded his arms, leaning against the tree as he watched the coffin get lowered in the ground.

"Imagine no one showing up to your funeral." Dean shook his head, "It's sad, actually." He said.

"It is." Punk agreed.

"And it's also what he deserves." AJ turned to them both, pausing for a second as she looked at their faces. Her family. The first two people she'd met in her life that saw her. Thirty three years later and she loved them both just the same.

"What you looking at, Mendez?" Dean noticed her staring.

"Nothing." AJ smiled a little, turning back around and watching as the men lowering the coffin had disappeared, leaving the grave empty and cold.

"That's enough for me." Dean nodded to himself, "Dead and gone. Where he should be." He said, "You guys coming?" He asked, turning to his brother who was looking over at the grave. He then looked at AJ who just shook her head to him, "Ok, I'll see you guys later." He nodded, patting Punk on the back and taking off to his car.

"You ok?" AJ asked Punk.

"You mind if… if we go over?" Punk asked her.

"No, I don't mind." AJ said, walking over to the grave with him, holding his hand as they stood in front of the open grave. All the gravestone read was Rio's name, nothing else. Just his name. Not what he was to anyone, because ultimately, he wasn't anybody to anyone.

"I hope he thought of me when he did it." Punk nodded.

"Phil." AJ sighed.

"I do." Punk said.

"He's gone now." AJ said, "And he got what he deserved in the end. A cold, lonely death." AJ nodded, looking up at Punk who just nodded to himself, "He thought our love would kill each other… and his inability to love or care about anything is… what killed him." She realised.

"Yeah, he'll be burning." Punk nodded to himself, looking at the headstone, "Along with his son." He said as AJ squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Let's go." AJ kissed his arm as he nodded, turning around and walking away from the grave. This time, he really wasn't looking back, ever.

"You think our life would be any different if he hadn't come into it?" Punk wondered, walking through the graveyard with her, holding her hand.

"No, I knew I loved you before he got involved." AJ shook her head, "I think somehow everything would have worked out the same." She said, "Because nothing is perfect, right?"

"Right." Punk nodded right away.

"I don't wanna be perfect, though." She shrugged as he smiled, turning to her. His absolute best friend, the best person he'd ever know. His everything. Always.

"You're perfect to me." Punk nodded as she smiled to him.

"It's been over thirty years, you have to say that to me." AJ scoffed.

"No, I mean it." Punk assured her as she smiled, looking up at him. Never had she felt anything less than his. Even when things weren't going their way. It was always him. It always would be.

"I love you." AJ smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"I love you too." Punk smiled.

"Hey, your mom sent me round with these. Some dinner she made for you guys. She knew you'd be too exhausted to cook." Punk said, walking into Thea's house later on that night, "Oh, hey." He noticed Jude sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hey, I was just leaving." Jude said.

"I gotta go pee." Thea said tiredly, walking out of the kitchen.

"Where is Dominic?" Punk asked Jude, opening up Thea's fridge to put the food in.

"He is putting James to bed upstairs. Sofia is in her nursery." Jude smiled, "It's so sweet. All pink and girly. I love it."

"All pink and girly. Sums up my experience of parenthood." Punk nodded as Jude smiled, "How you been?"

"Good." Jude nodded as he nodded with a smile.

What happened to her hadn't left her, and by now, she knew it never would. But she had learned to accept it in some way, and deal with it in her own ways. There had been plenty of tears over the years. Just last Christmas she broke down the second she woke up. Nothing about her experience had been healed or disappeared, but she was learning to maintain it, and she certainly didn't let it define her.

"When you teaching a class next?" Punk asked.

"Monday." Jude said, "I got the weekend off." She said, putting her coat on, "Me and Sean are going into town."

"Nice." Punk smiled as she nodded. Going into town was something she still struggled with, especially when it was going into bars, but all those little goals she set herself certainly helped her strength and confidence, and with Sean's encouragement she felt like she could do anything.

"I'm going to pick a pizza up for dinner for us." Jude said, "I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too." Punk said, "I left Cassie cooking dinner. She'll probably burn the house down." He shook his head as Jude chuckled.

"Let's hope she's a better cop than she is a cook." Jude nodded as Punk smiled, "I'll see you later." She said, giving him a hug as he kissed her cheek.

"See you later, sweetie." Punk smiled, watching as she disappeared out of the kitchen and left the house, fearless, brave and unstoppable.

"I forgot how much this after part kicks your butt." Thea sighed, walking into the kitchen with Sofia in her arms, "And it doesn't help that my husband is asleep."

"He'll be tired too." Punk defended.

"I don't remember him pushing a person out of him at any point." Thea said as Punk nodded.

"Why don't I take her and you go put your head down? I'll feed her and put her down." He nodded.

"No, I can't ask you to do that-"

"Well I'm gonna." Punk nodded, already taking Sofia from her, "Go. Go get some sleep." He said as Thea smiled.

"You know how to make up a bottle, right?" Thea asked.

"I've had some experience in my time, yes." Punk nodded as she smiled.

"Ok. Thank you." Thea nodded gratefully, leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs as Punk smiled down at his granddaughter.

He made up her bottle and headed into the living room, sitting down on the couch as he began to feed her, "Yeah, Papa Punk never lost his touch, huh?" He smiled cockily as Sofia began feeding right away, "Or maybe you're just a good baby." He nodded.

He smiled as he watched her have her bottle, so tiny and precious, feeling like he was back at the start, when he'd first laid eyes on his eldest daughter, the minute he knew he had to be more than what he was. He had to be more for her and for his children to follow.

"Welcome to the family, baby girl."

A/N: That's a wrap on this one. These three stories have been my favourite to write thus far on this site, this story in particular. Thank you all so much to those who read, reviewed and followed along. It was challenging to write but also incredibly important to me. I'll be sure to drop a new story soon, but for now I'm gonna soak this one up, because I had a blast writing it.