Perfection

AJ was sleeping face down in bed while Punk was holding Hartley and slowly rocking her.

"Please don't wake mommy." Punk pleaded quietly to his fussy daughter. "But daddy is so tired." He could cry.

"Daddy should stop spoiling her then." AJ mumbled against the mattress.

"I can't help that she likes being in my strong arms." Punk defended. "Go back to sleep."

"I slept for six minutes I'm starting to feel spoiled." She said sitting up and her hair was in a messy bun. "I'll take her." She said extending her arms tiredly.

"No I got her." Punk said to her.

"Larry needs to be walked." She reminded him. "I don't want to go it's too cold."

"Alright fair." Punk said passing Hartley to her. "She's happy as long as she's being held." He noted with a shrug.

"She's been home for over a week and I don't think she's ever felt the mattress in her crib. She has to sleep on her own." AJ said to Punk. "Didn't you read that in your books?" She asked as she watched him get dressed.

"I like holding her." He defended and AJ had to smile. Punk was a total dotting father. He would never put her down or share her.

"Yea but you have to go back to work in a few weeks and I can't hold her the entire times. My upper arm strength isn't yours." She said looking down at her daughter.
"Don't you want to sleep?" She asked her. "No? Ok." AJ looked over to the time and sighed. "It's time to feed her again." She said lowering her shirt. "Make sure you put the little gloves on Larry's feet. You know the salt bothers his pads." She said as Hartley latched onto her.

"Will do." Punk said to her. "I'll walk him down to the paper stand. Do we need anything?"

"We need milk, diapers, wipes, rash cream, detergent, our laundry done, some sort of food that isn't a pastry or filled with sugar, juice-" She trailed off.

"So I'm going to the supermarket." Punk said grabbing his keys now. "I'll get the laundry done and a real hot meal for us to eat." He promised.

"It's not your fault." She sighed. "We're new at this, we'll get the hang of this, right?"

"Yea and I'm going to take care of everything." He assured her.

"You do not have the energy to shop, clean, cook, do laundry, hold her, burp her, walk Larry, feed Larry, feed us-" She counted off.

"Babe, I got this." he said to her reassuringly. "Watch me work."

When Punk got back he took Hartley to burp her and before AJ knew it it was four hours later. She checked the time again and jumped out of bed when she didn't see Punk or Hartley. She walked down the hall and narrowed her eyes noticing the hallway that was filled with diapers and other baby items they didn't move were cleaned out. She looked in Hartley's room and her diaper changing table was fully stocked. She then headed down the stairs and again noticed all their stuff was cleaned up. She then smelled something coming from the kitchen and it was real food. She also saw a stack of clean laundry in the laundry basket. She smiled realizing Punk was superman. She peered into the living room where she expected to find her husband and daughter but instead just found her husband snuggled under a blanket snorting lightly.

"Phil!" She screamed pulling the blanket off of him and he jumped up.

"What? What happened?" He asked anxiously.

"Where is Hart?!" She yelled.

"I just got her down." Pam whispered from the kitchen poking her head out.

AJ raced into the kitchen and there was Hartley sleeping in her baby carrier peacefully.

"You called your mother?" AJ hissed at Punk.

"She wanted to help." Punk defended nervously.

"I do!" Pam said with a desperate smile. "You two just need an extra set of hands. When I had my first my mom moved in with me for six months." she pointed out. "I'm retired now and have free time."

"The point is that Phil said he'd take care of everything." AJ said glaring at her husband.

"I did." He defended. "I took care of it with one phone call. And look, she even got her to sleep without someone holding her."

"If you don't want me here I respect that." Pam said to AJ. "This is your choice but I just want to help. Help is normal and ok. I'll just be here to help you get some sleep or so you can shower in peace or take a bath. You can't do it all and it's such a big house to maintain."

"I'm so happy to see you." AJ said grabbing her mother-in-laws hands. "And I thank you and accept your help."

"Really?" Pam asked excitedly and AJ nodded.

"The point is Phil is a mama's boy." AJ said to her and Pam smiled.

"Go sleep some more." Pam urged her.

"No let me help." AJ insisted.

"I don't need any help everything is under control." Pam told her. "Dinner will be in an hour."

"Real dinner?" AJ asked ready to cry.

"I made a turkey." Pam said to her. "The leftovers will make for great sandwiches tomorrow."

"I love you." AJ said throwing her arms around her mother-in-law and cried into her shoulder.

"You poor thing." Pam said holding her tightly.

"I'm tired too." Punk added and Pam glared at him.

"You didn't just give birth. Your hormones aren't all over." She scolded.

"I can take a shower." AJ said pulling away.

"Yes you can and take as long as you'd like." Pam said kissing her cheek.

"Have I mentioned I love you?" AJ asked her.

"Go." Pam smiled.

"Are you staying with us in the house?" AJ asked her.

"If you don't mind having me." Pam said to her.

"Phil you have to make sure the guest room is set." AJ told him.

"Sure." Punk said to her. "I need a shower too." He said to them and both women glared at him. "I won't try anything. We can shower."

"No I'm going to shower." AJ said to him. "You can shower downstairs."

"First bring up the laundry." Pam instructed Punk and pointed to the laundry basket.

"Right." He said grabbing the basket.

"Go and shower." Pam insisted.

"Do you think I'm an awful wife or mother?" AJ asked her. "You must be thinking that."

"I don't." Pam smiled. "If your mother were here today she'd be here helping you." She told her with a light smile. "And like I said I needed my mother for a while. It's a big adjustment to step into motherhood."

"Thank you." AJ said to her.

AJ stepped out of the shower and entered the master bedroom and saw Punk sleeping on the bed. AJ took the towel that was wrapped around her hair and dropped the wet towel on Punk causing him to sit up.

"Huh? What?" He asked looking around.

"Are we bad at this?" She asked him.

"Yes." He answered putting his head back down and closing his eyes.

"Phil." She whined and he opened his eyes again.

"Ape, take this few minutes to close your eyes. Stop over thinking everything." He said pulling her onto the bed to lay next to him and wrapped his around her. "The baby is sleeping so we should be sleeping." He reminded her. "You know we're just getting our feet wet with all of this. There's nothing wrong with letting mom help out. We can't be good parents with no sleep."

"I don't think I can sleep." She yawned and she felt him kiss her shoulder and smiled as she closed her eyes.

"I think you can." He challenged.

"I miss her." AJ said to him. "I know she's downstairs but I miss her. Am I weirdo?"

"You're a mother." He corrected.

"What if we're missing her making that cute face she makes when she's sleeping?" She asked him and now his eyes opened.

"Or what if she wakes up and is looking for me but I'm not there?" He asked her and sat up. "She's used to having me there."

"What if she needs to be fed?" AJ asked sitting up now.

"She would get us if the baby needed us, right?" Punk asked her.

"What if she has a bad dream and just sees Pam?" AJ asked now.

"Let's just go." Punk said getting out of the bed and she followed him out the door.

Punk and AJ ate an actual mean for a change. Pam cooked and cleaned and by that time Hartley was up and ready to play and be held. It took them a few hours to get her back down to sleep but when they did the quickly followed suit and shut their eyes. Hartley was in her side crib next to AJ but AJ always kept one hand in her crib so she could feel the baby at all times. Punk's phone vibrating altered her though.

"Yea, Brooks." Punk answered quietly. "Now?" he asked fully alert sitting up. "I"ll be there in twenty." He said then hung up.

"Where are you going?" AJ frowned. "You're on paternity leave."

"It was Dean, he has a lead on Dickie." Punk told her and she looked over to him.

"He got him?" AJ asked.

"No but he got his surgeon friend." Punk explained. "I want to talk to him personally. Before the feds get there too."

"Be careful." AJ frowned.

"Always." He said cupping her face and giving her a deep kiss before he left. "Don't wake up until I get home." he told his daughter quietly.

AJ frowned as she watched him walk out the door and in that exact moment Hartley began to scream. AJ let out a tired sigh and reached over for her daughter.

"You really don't like mommy, do you?" She asked her unhappy daughter.

Punk made it to the station in record time and Dean waved him to the interrogation room.

"You talk to him?" Punk asked passing Dean his gun.

"No. He's all yours." Dean told him and Punk nodded and walked into the room.

"I want a lawyer." The doctor told Punk as he entered the room. "I don't even know why I'm here."

"Richard McCall is why you're here." Punk said sitting across from him.

"Who?" The Doctor asked innocently.

"Right." Punk forced out a laugh. "Your friend Dickie has caused A LOT of hurt."

"I haven't seen him in years." The Doctor lied with ease.

"I think you saw him less than a year ago and gave him a new face." Punk said to him. "And you're going to go to jail for that."

"You can't prove anything." The Doctor scoffed.

"I can prove it all." Punk told him. "Do you want to help us or go to prison?"

"No idea what you're talking about." The Doctor shrugged.

"Dickie McCall kidnapped wife." Punk informed him opening a file. "That's my wife. That's her beaten and bloody face." Punk pointed and the doctor looked away. "Hey! Pay attention!" Punk snapped and stood up and forced the doctor to look. "The next picture is my mother in law. That's just what we found left of her body after Dickie killed her, next picture is my father in law." He pointed. "He murdered almost her entire family."

"He didn't do those things." The Doctor insisted. "He wouldn't do those things."

"Why do you think he's wanted?" Punk asked. "I have another file here." He said opening another file. "I know Dickie took out the Mendez family for money but he also does it for fun. Has been doing it for fun for a long time." Punk informed him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The Doctor questioned annoyed.

"We've kept it out of the press." Punk said opening a file and the Doctor nearly vomited upon seeing the dead young woman. "You have a daughter her age, don't you? 17?"

"He wouldn't." The Doctor insisted.

"How the hell do you think we figured out he was in both states? He left Daria Mendez's necklace at one of the Chicago crime scenes." Punk told him. "And DNA links him."

"Impossible." The Doctor argued and Punk turned the next picture.

"She was only 14 but she looked older." Punk said to him. "He's a murdering, rapist and a pedophile. That's your friend?"

"You have DNA to prove this?" The Doctor asked him.

"Of course I do." Punk said pulling out the next report. "I have a daughter now. I have a wife who is afraid to be home alone. I have a child." He repeated. "Do you know what kind of fear that brings me?"

"He's not like you're making him out to be." The Doctor said to him.

"You're a doctor." He said pushing the DNA results closer to him. "Does DNA lie? Read those results." He pointed and the Doctor looked away. "I said READ IT!" He screamed startling the doctor who looked down. "You have to know he's like this." He said to him.

"I know the Mendez family gave him a hard time. The little one, your wife I'd assume, he blames for it."

"Of course he does." Punk remarked. "He's looking for her, isn't he?"

"He knows where she is." The Doctor told him. "I told him if he hurt her I'd turn him in though and he swore he wouldn't that he never hurt anybody! He just wanted to talk to her to clear up the confusion!"

"Confusion?" Punk mocked. "Confusion!" He yelled now and the doctor jumped again.

"He said he's been by her office, she's a PI, right?" The Doctor asked and Punk's eyes went cold. "But anytime he's gone by he's missed her. He got her address but he said her angry husband was setting him up."

Punk grabbed the Doctor by his neck and dragged him over to the wall and tossed him into it causing the wall to crack.

"Where is he?" Punk demanded.

"I have no idea I promise!" The doctor pleaded and Dean walked in the room.

"Punk." Dean warned.

"Why are you in Chicago? Are you checking in on him?" Punk asked going nose to nose with him and he didn't answer.

"He'll kill me." The doctor cried out. "He's crazy! Ok! He's an old friend but he's been forcing me to help him! He said he'd hurt my family!"

"He's already hurt mine!" Punk yelled.

"We'll keep your family safe." Dean assured the doctor calmly. "Where do you meet him?"

"He has an apartment." The doctor forced out. "It's not far from here."

"Address." Punk hissed. "And I know you have a picture of what he looks like today."

"Don't let him hurt my family." The Doctor pleaded.

"He can't hurt them if he's in prison." Dean pointed out.

"He has friends. I'm not his only connection." The Doctor pointed out.

"I'm going to be YOUR most important connection." Punk hissed in the man's face. "Address." He demanded.

Punk, Dean and a team of officer made it to the apartment building that the Doctor sent them to. They kicked in the door and the place was empty. Dickie was gone. And he left in a hurry. He literally dropped his mail on the floor and left food on the stove.

"He has to have a police radio." Dean said to him. "No other way for him to know we were coming."

"Or there's a leak in the department." Punk remarked shaking his head. "We should have let the feds handle it." Punk hissed shaking his head.

"I have a feeling he would have figured that out too." Dean noted. "This is place is close to AJ's office."

"Yea it is." Punk noted walking across the living room and looking out the window. "There's AJ's office." He pointed and Dean looked over. This apartment was directly across from her office. Next to the window was binoculars. "He's been watching her this whole time."

"This is as close as we've ever been to him so let's check every inch of this place." Dean said to him.

"He was literally across the street this entire time." Punk said shaking his head. "Son of a bitch."

"If he was watching her why didn't he go for her?" Dean asked.

"Maybe because she was pregnant and he has a code? I don't know." Punk said shaking his head.

"Brooks!" An officer yelled from one of the rooms and Punk walked in the room. "He's got all pictures in this file." He said opening it.

"That's my house." Punk hissed and Dean looked over his shoulder.

"From the yard." Dean pointed out. "Your house is some land and the rest is the woods he can travel in the woods unnoticed.

"Send a cop to my house." Punk told the officer who nodded.

Punk turned more photos and his blood began to boil.

"He's got a picture of Hartley already." Punk said coldly looking at the photo of AJ and Hartley in the kitchen. "He's been all over my property!"

"We're close to him." Dean said to him.

"He's got you too." Punk pointed at a picture of Dean in the yard smoking a cigarette. "And Renee."

"Your mom." He pointed at the next picture.

"Fuck!" Punk yelled.

His phone began to buzz and he looked and saw AJ's face.

"Take the call." Dean insisted.

"Hey, babe." Punk greeted.

"Are you alright?" AJ asked. "You've been gone longer than I thought you'd be."

"Yea I'll be a little while longer." Punk said to her. "Why are you up? Don't wait up for me."

"Hartley is waiting up for you therefor I have no choice." AJ said to him. "Are you alright?"

"Yea it's all good. I'll try not to be too late." Punk said to her as he eyed some receipts on his dresser.

"I love you." AJ said to him.

"I love you too." He told her. "Before I hang up I'm sending a patrol car over just to watch around."

"Why?" AJ asked alarmed.

"He's nowhere near our home and if I thought he was going there I'd be there but I'm just being cautious." He assured her.

"Alright." She said then hung up.

"What's that?" Dean asked as he noticed Punk looking at a receipt.

"I know this bar. He seems to go there often." Punk noted. "I'll check it out."

"It's almost midnight." Dean noted.

"And it's Saturday night." Punk reminded him. "Probably won't be closed for another few hours. Call me if anything comes up."

"Will do." Dean nodded.

Punk walked into his brothers bar and it was a lot more crowded then the last time he came back. He scanned the crowd looking for Dickie first.

"You lost?" Nate asked from behind Punk.

"This guy has been coming in here." Punk said holding up an updated photo of Dickie.

"Yea he has." Nate confirmed and walked to the back and Punk followed him into the small empty kitchen. "What did he do? Rob a bank or something?"

"He kidnapped my wife." Punk spat and Nate looked up.

"What?" He asked.

"He's the one who kidnapped her and he killed her parents." Punk explained. "What did you tell him?" he seethed.

"I didn't tell him anything it's not like he walked in wearing a t-shirt saying he almost killed my sister-in-law who I've never met." Nate scoffed.

"Does he ask about me? Her? Police in general? You really need to fucking think." Punk demanded. "Does he come in often?"

"He is here at least once a week." Nate confirmed and took the picture from him and looked closer. "Yea for sure once a week. He started coming in a year ago he had scars on his face said it was burned and he was getting work done on it. He has asked me once if I had a brother and I said no." He said passing Punk back the picture.

"Does he mention my wife ever?" Punk asked.

"I don't really talk to him." Nate shrugged cleaning up the back. "He comes in he has one whiskey and leaves. He never stood out."

"Well of course he doesn't stand out he has the entire Chicago PD and FBI searching for him." Punk said annoyed.

"He doesn't look like that sketch you guys put out he looks different. If I thought a wanted fugitive was drinking at my bar I'd call the cops." Nate said to him.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Punk asked.

"A couple of night ago I think Thursday." Nate shrugged. "You should come back and talk to Alex she usually serves him."

"If you see him you call me. You still have my number right?" Punk asked.

"Yea, yea." Nate said waving it off.

"He already has pictures of my daughter." Punk told him and Nate looked at him. "He's been to my home watching her and my wife."

"Relax if I see him I'll take care of it." Nate said to him. "I have a gun back here."

"I don't want you to kill him." Punk said annoyed.

"I'll just make sure he stays here until the police get here." Nate shrugged.

"This guy is very dangerous. He's killed over 15 people." Punk educated him. "He will kill you in a heartbeat you just call me. If he senses you're on to him he'll act out."

"Whatever." Nate said to him. "For what it's worth if I knew this was the guy I would have told you last time I saw you. He was here that night."

"He was here the night I was here?" Punk asked trying to think back.

"Yea he was at the end of the bar with his baseball cap on. He was gone the second you walked in you probably passed him." Nate told him and Punk's heart sunk. "The guy has a new face what did you think?"

"This guy wants to kill my wife. The fact that I was feet away from him-" Punk began bitterly.

"You've probably been close to him a bunch of times." Nate pointed out. "He really does look totally different. If you found him out he probably won't be around but I'll keep an eye out."

"Thanks." Punk forced out.

"So, you had your kid?" Nate asked trying not to sound too interested.

"Yea, Hartley." He said to him and he nodded.

"Good on you." Nate said casually.

"Here." Punk said pulling out his phone and showing him a picture of AJ holding Hartley and Nate genuinely smiled.

"Wow." Nate grinned taking the phone. "She looks like your wife….thank god."

"I think it's more of a curse than a blessing but ok." Punk said to him.

"Never thought you'd have a cute kid but you proved me wrong." He said passing him back his phone.

"Me either." Punk admitted and looked at the picture and smiled a bit before putting it back in his pocket.

"She looks like she's barely a week old. You should be home." Nate remarked.

"I should be." Punk agreed.

"They're probably safer with you there anyway." Nate noted. "I'll call if I see him."

"And don't play hero." Punk reminded him again. "Just act casual and text me or something."

"Relax I know how to handle things." Nate said to him.

"You handle serial killers often?" Punk mocked.

"You let serial killers walk right by you often?" Nate mocked back.

"Oh, fuck off." Punk said annoyed. "Asshole." he mumbled walking out of the kitchen.

When Punk got home it was almost three in the morning. He saw AJ laying in bed and Hartley was fussing in the middle of the bed but not crying but AJ's eyes were closed. He kicked his shoes off and took of his work shirt and moved the pillow AJ had blocked his side of the bed and crawled into bed.

"Hi, baby." Punk whispered picking up his very awake daughter and placing her on his chest which she loved. He kissed the top of her head and smiled.

"You left bed to go to a bar?" AJ asked with her eyes still closed and he tried to smell himself.

"How do you always do that?" Punk asked annoyed.

"I'm a PI." She yawned with her eyes still closed.

After a few moments of silence he looked over to her and she opened one eye and smiled lightly.

"You're not going to ask about tonight?" He asked surprised.

"Not tonight." She said opening both eyes. "Tonight I'm basking in my hot husband caring for our beautiful daughter. I don't want to taint this mental image. We have tomorrow to talk."

"We do have tomorrow." He agreed. "Have I thanked you?"

"For being me? Not today so feel free." She teased trying to keep her eyes opened.

"For giving me her." He said looking down at his daughter who's eyes were getting heavy as well. "She's the best thing I've ever done."

"We've ever done." AJ smiled a bit. "And you're welcome. Even though it took two tango."

"She's perfect." Punk said in awe of his daughter.

"Do you want to talk now?" AJ asked more awake.

"No." He said without hesitation. "I want to stay in this moment forever too."

AJ reached across the bed and grabbed his hand and bought it to her lips.

"I love you." She said to him and he looked over and she looked so beautiful with no makeup and crazy hair. Perfection in Hart clearly came from his wife.

"Get some sleep." Punk told her. "I love you too."