Final Say
"April." Punk knocked on the bathroom door in their bedroom, "Ape, come out and talk to me. Tell me what the hell just happened." He insisted.
"Just give me a minute, Phil." AJ sighed to herself, sitting down on the bathroom floor, resting her forehead against her tucked up knees.
"No. No minutes. Either let me in or come out." Punk said.
AJ rolled her eyes, reaching up and unlocking the door, watching as he walked into the bathroom, looking down at her and noticing her eyes red and puffy.
"It's my fault, isn't it?" AJ looked up at him.
"What are you talking about? Please… Please don't cry." Punk sighed, crouching down in front of her, wiping her face.
"It's my fault." AJ nodded, "You said it yourself, I'm… I've been the sole provider for the girls, right? Over the years. The important ones anyway." She said, "All these things that have happened to them. It's my fault." She shook her head, "I'm their mother, I should… I should have protected them better." She said as Punk looked at her with confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Punk shook his head, "Is that what my mom said to you?" He questioned angrily as AJ nodded, "And you're gonna believe her? My mom?"
"She's right." AJ shook her head.
"No… no she isn't." Punk took her hands with force, "You listen to me, you've kept this family together, you've kept our kids safe from the second they were born until now, it's you who's gotten them through things, nursed them back to good health, been a shoulder to cry on… you. Nobody else." He said.
"Thea was doing drugs at seventeen. What does that say about me as a mom?" AJ questioned, "And she was pregnant and I didn't even know anything about it."
"April if it wasn't for you I don't know if Thea would still be here today." Punk emphasised as she looked at him, "Ok? Do you understand that? You got her through that. You did." He said as AJ sighed to herself, placing her hand over her forehead.
"And what about Jude?" AJ whispered to herself, Sam's words playing in her mind, torturing her with unnecessary doubts and questions, "Jackson… Jackson raped her. I let Jackson into our lives. I let him near Thea. You told me about him and what he'd done and I… I let him into our lives. That was my fault!" AJ exclaimed.
"He was thirteen back then!" Punk shrieked with confusion, "You didn't know what he was gonna grow up to be and… what he was gonna do." He said, "He was Thea's friend, someone who… who was there for her at that time. That's why you let him in. Then he grew up and turned into what he did and that… that was not your fault, April. You can't possibly think that." He said as she groaned, placing her hands over her face.
"Cassie… Cassie had a gun put against her head when she was fifteen. Fifteen!" AJ yelled, "And that was because Rio wanted to get back at me for what I did to him all those years ago." She said, "That was my fault-"
"You're being ridiculous." Punk warned her, "You can't think every little thing was your fault, April. You've protected our kids and kept them safe all this time-"
"Does any of what I've just said to you sound safe?" AJ questioned.
"It sounds like… our kids have had a hard time, they've been hurt… and you've been there every time to help them." Punk said, "I am not about to let you take my mom's words to heart. My mom who doesn't even know what it means to be a mom." He said.
"She said they've all turned out like me when I was young." AJ looked at him.
"Oh, really? So they've turned out to be amazing, strong, badass women? Great." Punk nodded as AJ rolled her eyes.
"That's not how I remember me." AJ shook her head.
"Look at me." Punk nodded as she looked up and stared across at him, "My mom, when she's hurting and when she's mad, can be hurtful and spiteful. She is a lonely, bitter old woman who is incapable of forming any… real, genuine relationships with anyone. She should look up to you as a woman. You could teach her a thing or two about… being a mother and… just a decent human being actually." He said.
"I used to think you were harsh on her." AJ nodded, "I got to know her more when you were in prison. She was… nice to me. She would sit and let me talk to her. She'd actually give advice sometimes that… made sense." She said, "And now it's like she's just attacking me-"
"Her back's up against the wall because she got exposed. Which means she's gonna tear down everyone around her to make her feel better. It's what she does, April. I know her." Punk said.
"She initially came here to talk to you." AJ said, "She'll say things that… that make sense. Like how she didn't want to be any more of a disappointment to you and Dean, that's why she never told you about what really happened with your dad and that night he was arrested. And I try put myself in her shoes and I can…. I can try sympathise." She said, "But then I see through it all and it's like she's just saying all of that to make herself feel better about it. She never takes any responsibility-"
"I know. I've lived it." Punk nodded, "But I've always gotten over it. At least… I think I have. But what I'm not about to do is let her say things to you that makes you question yourself and your abilities as a mother. Otherwise… I'll take you back over to her place and you can give her a burst lip to match her burst nose." He nodded as AJ laughed a little through her tears, which caused him to smile.
"Felt good." She mumbled, drying her tears.
"I bet." Punk nodded, "I know she can say decent things every now and then, and she can… show her heart sometimes. But she is selfish and she'll always do whatever she needs to do to make sure she doesn't feel at fault. I mean she's never took the blame for how me and Dean grew up. It's always an excuse about her being in debt, having a drug addiction, being poor." He shook his head, "And her lying about my dad and what happened that night he was arrested is just the cherry on top of all of it." He said.
"It makes me sad because she has been there for me at horrible times in my life." AJ shook her head, "I thought… I thought she valued me in her life-"
"When it's convenient for her." Punk corrected as AJ sighed to herself, "I just never want you to believe a word that comes out of her mouth." He said.
"We've always treated her fairly. We've always invited her to things. Kept her in the loop even when I know you didn't want to." AJ shook her head, "She had her chance to be a part of this family, and it's like she does everything in her power to keep her distance."
"I don't need her in my life. We don't need her." Punk reminded her, "Jokes on us for being too nice over the years. This is our family. We built this. All she's ever done is hurt me and my brother and I… I'm not gonna let her hurt you." He made clear, cupping her cheek softly as AJ rested into it.
He was trying not to show just how angry he was. There was no way he was letting his mother speak to his wife like this and upset her this way.
Punk managed to get AJ out of the bathroom and into bed where she fell asleep pretty quickly after complaining of a painful headache she'd no doubt gotten from crying. He helped her take some medication and got her into bed, only hoping she'd get the rest her head needed.
Once she was asleep he left the house, locking the door behind him and getting into the car, driving to his mother's house and getting out once arriving.
He walked up to the door, opening it up and walking on in, making his way through the house where he eventually found her sitting holding a bag of ice to her nose whilst a half drank bottle of wine sat in front of her.
"You didn't bring that rabid wife of yours, did you?" Sam shook her head.
"You listen to me." Punk said seriously, "I don't want you anywhere near my family ever again. You stay the hell away from April and you stay the hell away from me." Punk warned as Sam looked over at him, "How dare you-"
"How dare I?" Sam began to chuckle.
"How dare you!" Punk yelled angrily as Sam looked at him with fright, "April was right. You've had chances. You've had time to… become part of this family. And you still can't do it." He said, "Don't you dare come to my house and talk to my wife the way you did tonight-"
"You act like she's some God, it's so boring." Sam shook her head.
"She's my wife." Punk said, "She's the best thing that ever happened to me. You and I both know why you said those things tonight." He nodded.
"And why's that, Phil?" Sam asked.
"Because you're jealous." Punk nodded, "You're jealous you'll never even be close to half the woman she is." He said, "She's always intimidated you." He knew that to be a fact.
"Maybe I am jealous." Sam shrugged, "I've said it before, I'll say it again… I know what disappointment I am to you and your brother. I know what a terrible mother I am." She understood, "But I kept that information from you both about your father and everything that happened that night because it benefited all of us. Not just me-"
"Please." Punk shook his head, "You're unbelievable."
"What good would it have done, Phil? He was in prison. If I told you boys the truth when you were old enough, it wouldn't have mattered anyway-"
"That's not the point. You don't get it. You still don't. You're our mother. Do you have any idea how much I just wanted you to be our mom back then?" Punk shook his head, his voice breaking a little as Sam looked at him with shock, "How much I just wanted you to be sober for one day and… spend time with us. Do something with us." He said, "You wanna know why April means so damn much to me? Because she took care of me." He said as Sam looked at him, "She made time for me. She valued me. You never, ever did." He shook his head.
"Phil-"
"No… no, nothing you can ever say now will fix any of this. It is way, way too late." He made clear, quickly wiping his eyes from the tears, "I can't even imagine treating my daughters the way you treated me and Dean as kids. And the… the sad thing is, at one point, I was almost starting to forgive you." He nodded, "In the hospital when you sat with me and you talked to me." He said, "And you acted like my mom for the first time in your life."
"Phil, I carry my shame with me every day-"
"No, save it… you… you don't get to have your say. I'm done." Punk shook his head, "You stay away from my wife and my family. You are a… messed up woman. You always have been." He said, backing out of the kitchen and leaving the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
A/N: Don't worry, more still to come! As always, thank you for the support and reviews!
