Other Ways


"Hey, how was the game?" AJ smiled, watching Punk walk into their bedroom where she had just gotten out the shower.

"It was good." Punk nodded to her.

"Did James have fun?" She asked him as Punk nodded.

"Yeah. He wasn't too expressive but he was smiling a lot." Punk nodded.

"He's so sweet. Every time he comes here he asks if my head is sore." AJ placed her hand on her chest, "I can't take it."

"Yeah, he's a sweetheart." Punk agreed, taking his jacket off and laying it down on the bed as AJ put some shorts and t-shirt on, "Cass still at work?" He asked.

"Yeah, she's working late tonight." AJ nodded, brushing her wet hair as Punk nodded, watching her closely as she winced a little.

"Ape, your head sore?" Punk asked her.

"No, it's fine." AJ lied calmly as he looked across at her, "It's just the bruising-"

"Let me help you." He shook his head, walking over to her as she handed him the hairbrush, turning around as he brushed her wet hair gently.

"Thank you." AJ said as he shook his head.

"You don't have to thank me." Punk said, "I'm here to help you." He reminded her as AJ smiled softly.

"Yeah, I know." She said as he stood back, handing the brush back to her once he'd brushed all the wet tugs out, "The girls always wanted you to brush their wet hair because I was too rough." She remembered, "Thea would… brush Cassie's for her since you weren't there." She nodded as Punk looked over, "What?" She noticed him looking at her funny.

"Is there things you wanna ask me, April?" Punk asked her as she looked over at him, "Because I'm not… I'm not having a conversation with you through Thea." He made clear as AJ gulped a little.

"That's not what this is." AJ made clear, "I just know that you… you talk to the girls and I didn't know if you'd maybe told them about prison. More than what you've told me-"

"And why would I do that?" Punk asked her, "You will always be the first person I tell everything to. You always have been." He said, "I love my kids but… this stuff isn't for them to know. It's not for them to be involved with. They suffered enough whilst I wasn't here." He said.

"Every time I bring it up you just… dismiss it." AJ shrugged.

"What is it you want me to tell you?" Punk asked her, "What do you think happened whilst I was in prison?"

"I don't know, Phil. Things that are bad enough to give you nightmares after being out for years. You've blocked those eight years out. You act like they don't exist." She said, "But it was eight years. That's a long time and I'm sure more than just a couple of fights happened-"

"What are you asking me?" Punk asked, "Do you want me to tell you about all the horrible people I met? All the horrible things that happened? All the horrible things I did?" He asked her.

"You did?" AJ raised her eyebrows.

"Why is it so hard for me to just… move on from it all?" Punk asked her as AJ looked at him, "I don't sit and beg you to tell me about everything you went through-"

"That's because I tell you anyway." AJ said, "Because I want to talk to you about it. Because it makes me feel better." She explained as he looked at her, "So you understand when you don't wanna talk about it with me, it makes me feel like a piece of shit-"

"This… this honestly has nothing to do with you. This is how I feel." Punk made clear, "You know I'll tell you anything-"

"Then do it." AJ said, "Tell me what happened. You don't get to act all responsible and proper with me. It's me here. We've did horrible things together." She reminded him, "Anything you tell me would never change how I see you. Ever." She made clear as he looked across at her.

"There's nothing to tell. It's… It's really not that interesting." Punk shook his head, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm not interested in if it's interesting or not." AJ said, "I want you to get it off your chest. I don't want you to live with that burden for the rest of your life. Just let it all out and tell me." She said as he looked over at her.

"I've done just fine without talking about it." Punk assured her.

"You might think you have but it's me you live with. I see you. What about all those panic attacks? The nightmares you still have?"

"That's normal." Punk said.

"Is it?" AJ questioned, "I know how much I felt every minute of that eight years. But I had my girls. I had my freedom. I had some sort of escape at times. You didn't.." She said.

"I know that." Punk said, "It was just… fights and people. Nothing more." Punk shook his head.

"What people?" AJ asked him, "People that hurt you?" She asked worriedly as he shook his head, "People that you hurt?" She questioned as he looked at her.

"Look, this isn't gonna help me." Punk made clear. It was already making his heart beat rapidly. He couldn't face talking about it. It seemed impossible.

"It will." AJ said, "Just tell me what you remember, the things that still give you nightmares, get it off your chest and maybe it… it won't become such a nightmare, maybe it'll help and if it doesn't then… I'm still there for you." She made clear as he shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I'm not… I don't need to talk about it to feel better." He took a deep breath as AJ looked over at him, folding her arms.

"I'm worried about you." AJ shook her head.

"I'm fine." He assured her.

"I don't think this is fine." She said.

"Why are you bothering me about this now?" Punk asked her.

"Bothering you? Phil, I care about you." AJ shook her head, "It's ridiculous that I have to say that aloud to you given we've been together for thirty plus years." She said, "I thought maybe you'd come around to opening up as the years went on. I didn't wanna pressure you at first. And then… there's been other stuff that's gone on. Thea's problems, Jude getting hurt-"

"Talking about it won't make me feel better so what's the point? It's just gonna remind me of it all." He said, "And I… I don't need you to know what happened." He said.

"I'm your wife." AJ said, "It's actually my job to know things about you that I'm not supposed to." She reminded him. The more he spoke about it, the more nervous she grew as she realised there was something or some things that he was deliberately not talking about, and that scared her, but it didn't make her want to run. She just wanted to be there for him.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Punk shook his head, "So quit asking me. And quit making me feel bad for not wanting to talk about it-"

"Phil." AJ sighed.

"No, I'm not talking about it." He insisted frantically.

"Ok… ok." AJ nodded calmly, noticing he was starting to get flustered about it. It was hard for her to see because she knew that wasn't the Phil she knew.

"I'm uh… I'm gonna go make some food." Punk said as AJ looked at him, "You want something?"

"I'm ok." She nodded, watching as he left the room, sighing to herself and sitting down on the edge of the bed. She was imagining the worst, but she was sure it was a whole lot worse than the worst she was imagining.


"You don't have to check that every time you get in here." Tom laughed a little, walking back into their cell after dinner where he saw Punk checking his pictures were still in the hiding spot he'd shown him.

"Yeah, I do." Punk insisted, counting the four pictures. The one of AJ, one of Thea, one of Jude, and a baby sonogram picture of his unborn child.

"No one comes in here. Not unless there's a riot and we're all loose." Tom assured him.

"How many riots have you seen?" Punk asked him curiously.

"Five or six." Tom nodded, "Guaranteed one of every year at least. Last one we had one of the guards got killed. You gotta watch yourself." He emphasised.

"Who are those guys that sit together at the far away corner?" Punk asked him.

"Joey and his crew?" Tom asked, "Yeah, stay away from them." He advised.

"What's their deal?" Punk asked, sitting down on the bottom bunk.

"Well I don't know much because I'm not involved. I've been here for a long time so everyone sort of leaves me alone." Tom said, "Word is they're still running all kinds of shady business on the outside."

"They all know each other?" Punk asked.

"Only from being in here together." Tom said, "I've known some cruel people in my time but… they're on another level." Tom shook his head, "I swear some of the guards just turn a blind eye to it because they're scared of him."

"Him… Joey, that's the one with the scar on his chin?" Punk asked as Tom nodded.

"If you're talking about your pictures being stolen… he's probably one to watch out for." Tom said, "His sentence is for drugs and what not but… heard he was supposedly doing things with underage girls too." He said as Punk looked at him, "You see the picture I'm painting?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I get it." Punk shook his head, running his hands through his hair.

"Just stick with me, stay away from them and you'll be fine." Tom assured him, "They tend to pick on fresh meat that have come in, to see if they're worthy to join the clan but… they normally pick on the young ones. The vulnerable ones." He shook his head, "You got your wits about you. You'll be fine." He nodded, suddenly hearing strange noises coming from the cell next to them.

"I swear that's the sixth time today." Punk looked up at Tom, standing up and walking over to the cell door, hanging his hands out of the bars, "Hey, Terry!" Punk yelled out, "Shut the fuck up and give your dick a rest!" He yelled as Tom chuckled to himself.

"You get used to it." Tom laughed as Punk shook his head.

"I don't think I'm ever getting used to hearing some guy masturbate eight times a day." Punk shook his head, "He woke me up with it this morning." He told Tom who nodded.

"Believe me, it's sad, but you will get used to it." Tom chuckled, patting him on the back as Punk groaned, collapsing on his bottom bunk face first.


"Hey, baby. How was work?" AJ smiled, standing in the kitchen as she saw Cassie coming home later through the night.

"It was fine. Why are you still awake?" Cassie asked curiously, followed by a tired yawn as she looked in the fridge.

"Can't sleep." AJ shook her head.

"Your head?" Cassie assumed.

"It's a little sore." AJ went along with it, "You want me to fix you something to eat?" She asked.

"No, mom. I can manage myself." Cassie smiled sweetly, "You should get to bed. It's super late." She said.

"I know I know, I'm going." AJ smiled, watching as Cassie took some things out the fridge, "Hey, Cass… I really don't wanna ask this but… how likely is it that you could find me someone's address?" She asked as Cassie shut the fridge over, revealing her face, unimpressed.

"I don't fancy losing my job, mom. I'll be honest." She said.

"I know, look I… I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate." AJ said, "It's not to harm anyone. I just need to talk to someone."

"Someone whose address you don't even know?" Cassie questioned, "What's going on?" She asked as AJ looked across at her.

"It's your dad. I'm worried about him." AJ nodded, "About prison."

"So whose address are you looking for?" Cassie asked with confusion.