Part Fifteen
AJ was in her hospital bed growing anxious. She had been there for hours. Even though her water broke her labor was progressing slowly.
"Ice chips." Cassie greeted with a smile walking into her room.
"We told you to go home." AJ scolded. "It could be hours longer."
"I know but I'm too excited." Cassie grinned and looked over to her brother who was sleeping in a chair in the corner. "Want me to wake him?"
"Nah, I want him to get as much sleep as possible before he takes over night duty." AJ said seriously admiring Punk herself.
"I keep giving your parents updates." Cassie said to her.
"Thank you I appreciate it." AJ smiled towards her. "You've been great throughout this whole thing."
"I get a niece out of it." Cassie grinned sitting on the edge of the bed. "Are you nervous?"
"Anxious, not nervous." AJ said thinking about it. "But I'm prepared. I've read every book, attended every class and I've got your brother to keep me calm."
"You're going to be great." Cass assured her.
"I hope so." AJ said to her with a sigh. "I think Phil and I make a good team."
"The best team." Cassie corrected looking at the machines.
"Are you in nurse mode?" AJ asked teasingly.
"Always." Cassie laughed. "Everything looks good though and she should be here soon."
"Good." AJ said rubbing her belly. "Get out." She pleaded to the belly. "Have you uh- seen Dean or Kofi?"
"No." Cassie said to her. "You don't have to worry. Jamie Meyers isn't in town or in this hospital. Besides that the hospital is on high alert just in case."
"Yea it's just I'd feel better if one of them walked in here and told me they know Jamie is for sure in New Jersey." AJ said to her. "You think I'm crazy to be thinking about that while I'm in labor, don't you?"
"Not at all." Cassie said shaking her head. "You're about to be a mom and you're already worried about her safety. It makes sense."
"I'm a mom." AJ said with an excited face. "And he's a dad." She said looking over to Punk who was still out cold. "I wish I could sleep like him."
"He's so annoying." Cassie said grabbing a cup and throwing it at him and he shot up. "You're girlfriend is in labor over here."
"Sorry." Punk said running his hands over his face. "I closed my eyes for a minute."
"You've been sleeping for an hour." Cassie scolded.
"What can I do?" Punk asked standing up. "Ice chips?"
"Got them." Cassie remarked smugly and he glared at her.
"Are you going to go into the delivery room with her as well?" Punk asked mockingly.
"I should. I'm a trained professional." Cassie shot back at him.
"Hey." Dean greeted walking into the room. "Still no baby?" He asked annoyed.
"No." AJ responded bitterly. "Did you hear anything on Jamie Meyers?"
"Yes I did and he's in New Jersey. His parole officer called him in an hour ago and local PD is tailing him for the day." Dean assured her and AJ let out a relieved sigh. "Today is all about this kid."
"Can I talk to you?" Punk asked waving Dean outside.
"Yea." Dean said following him out. "I can't stay long I'm picking Celeste up from the airport."
"Celeste is coming?" Punk asked.
"Yea since AJ's mom can't fly right now she's coming in her place." Dean said to him. "What's up?" He asked and Punk glared at him. "Oh, shit that's right." He said reaching into his pocket and passing him the ring box. "Nervous? A baby and a proposal all in one day."
"I wasn't until you just said it out loud so thanks." Punk replied sarcastically. "And that Jamie stuff?"
"All true. It's all squared away." Dean assured him and Punk nodded.
"What? What aren't you telling me?" Punk asked and Dean rubbed his temple. "Spit it out."
"It's really nothing." Dean reasoned.
"But it's something." Punk reasoned.
"He showed up at Celeste's gym last night." Dean told Punk. "Said he heard AJ was nearly due and wanted to send a gift."
"Shit." Punk remarked. "How does he even know she's pregnant?"
"It's not really a secret." Dean reasoned.
"I don't like him showing up around Celeste." Punk said to Dean.
"No shit." Dean remarked. "I wanted to fly out and beat the shit out of him but she met me halfway and agreed to come out today."
"Don't mention this to Ape." Punk warned.
"Of course not." Dean said to him. "I'm more afraid of Celeste killing me if I tell her than I am of you anyway. She thinks I'm overreacting but come on, the guy is a psychopath."
"She'll be safe here." Punk said to him. "Staying with you?"
"Of course." Dean said to him.
"Alright." Punk said to him. "I can't focus on this today."
"And you shouldn't." Dean agreed. "You're officially on leave." He informed him. "I'm in charge."
"You're not in charge." Punk corrected. "Halstead is in charge."
"Yea, sure." Dean remarked. "I'll be by later. Good luck."
Six hours later and a long delivery and Prima Rose Brooks was finally here.
"Look at her." AJ said holding her daughter. "She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen."
"You're kind of hogging her." Punk remarked and she looked up at him with happy tears.
"I'm sorry, here." She said passing the baby to Punk. "I mean you did get to hold her in the delivery room."
"Yea but now I can hold her without her looking an alien from space." He grinned looking down at his daughter. "She's extraordinary." He marveled. "I can't believe we made her."
"We did." AJ grinned. "Our genes combined made a super cute baby."
"She's beyond cute." Punk said looking down at her. "I think she likes me."
"I think she loves you." AJ corrected.
"Ape-" Punk began looking at her but her door swung open.
"I couldn't wait any longer." Cassie gushed rushing inside with balloons with Jeff, Dean and Celeste following.
"Celeste?" AJ asked stunned and she reached over and hugged her.
"You didn't think I'd miss you becoming a mom, did you?" Celeste asked.
"Thank you." AJ mouthed to her.
"Everyone step away from the baby." Punk warned them.
"Don't hog her." Dean said annoyed holding his arms out.
"I'm her father, I'll hog her all I want." Punk practically growled.
"Ugh I knew you were going to act like this." Cassie said stepping in front Dean with her arms extended. "I'm a professional don't worry."
"Is everyone's hands clean?" Punk asked eyeing them all.
"Yes." Cassie insisted.
"Dean." Celeste scolded.
"Fine." Dean said walking over to the sink to wash his hands as Punk placed the baby in Cassie's arms.
"Be VERY careful." Punk warned. "She's tiny like her mom."
"I hold baby's every day." Cassie remarked. "Oh my god shes gorgeous!" She gushed.
"And she doesn't have your big ass nose." Dean noted fondly and Punk glared at him then walked over to AJ.
"You did great." Punk said to her and AJ gave him a tired smile.
"I did, didn't I?" She asked smugly.
"You want to try to get some rest?" Punk asked her.
"Maybe just a few minutes." AJ said resting her eyes and he kissed the top of her head.
When AJ opened her eyes later it was night already and the room was fairly dark but she can see Punk standing over the baby in her carrier.
"You should have woken me." AJ yawned quietly.
"I couldn't. You looked to peaceful." He said walking over to her now.
"Have you been standing over her like that all night?" He asked.
"Yes." Punk admitted. "I can't stop looking at her." He argued. "I just want to make sure she's breathing and stuff."
"Good man." AJ smiled lightly. "You seem worried." She noted. "The crease in your forehead gives you away."
"I'm not worried about the baby or anything like that." He admitted. "I don't think it's the right time to bring this up-"
"Now you have to or I won't rest." AJ insisted. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." He insisted. "That's what I wanted to say."
"Ok." AJ said confused.
"I love you." He told her grabbing her hand and kissing it. "I love you so much and I didn't think it was possible to love you more than I did yesterday but after watching you today give birth to my daughter- I don't know it's almost overwhelming."
"I love you too." She assured him and he reached into his pocket and opened the box.
"I want to marry you." He told her. "I know the timing is weird you're in a hospital bed-"
"Yes." AJ answered quickly.
"I had a speech." He insisted.
"You said it all already." She said to him. "This was the perfect time and place. I love you and I want to be your wife."
Punk slipped the ring on her finger and she didn't even look down at it before grabbing his face to kiss him.
"Are you sure you want to commit your life to me? I'm a handful." She warned with happy tears.
"I'm very sure." He smirked. "I like the adventure of you."
"Can you bring me baby now?" She asked him hopefully.
"Yea." Punk said pushing the carrier over to her.
"I want to hold her." AJ said looking down at her who was sleeping.
"They say you shouldn't wake a sleeping baby." He warned.
"Well, she's mine." AJ scoffed reaching in and picking her up. "Hey, I'm marrying your dad." She said to the sleeping baby in her arms. "You want to be a flower girl? Huh?"
"You don't think she'll be too little?" He asked.
"Yea but she's still the flower girl." AJ insisted. "I got a baby and and a ring all in one day." She grinned happily.
"Some would call that out of order." Punk teased.
"Not for us." She said looking up at him. "We're not of the normal. We do things at our pace and in our way and that's what makes us so strong."
"I agree." He said to her. "Look at my girls." He said happily.
"Aren't you tired?" AJ asked.
"Couldn't sleep even if I wanted to." Punk admitted. "My entire life is changing and I'm excited."
"Did the doctor mention when we can go home?" AJ asked quietly not to wake Prima.
"If you guys stay the same then tomorrow." He told her.
"Good." AJ said relieved. "I just want to get her home."
"I know." Punk said to her. "I'll be more comfortable watching her sleep from our bed our the couch." He said to her.
"You can't stay up 24 hours to watch her." AJ teased.
"I can try." He insisted.
"Ugh I have to call my mom and tell her I'm getting married." AJ said to him.
"It's two in the morning. Call her tomorrow." He smirked.
"You've had this ring, huh?" She asked.
"I bought it a few weeks ago." He told her. "Kept it hidden at the office. You like it?"
"It's beautiful. You have good taste." She said to him. "I gave you a baby and you gave me a ring."
"Doesn't seem even." Punk said thinking about it.
"It's not. You can spoil me when we get home." She teased.
"I plan on it." He said seriously. "You and Prima both."
"We talked about spoiling her though, right? All the experts say we can't constantly hold her and have to let her cry it out." AJ reminded him.
"Yea I don't care what experts say. If my girl is crying for me then I'm picking her up." Punk argued and AJ sighed.
"Oh boy." AJ remarked. "Are you going to make daddy crazy?" She asked her sleeping daughter.
"Nah. An angel is what she is." Punk insisted. "She'll never do any wrong and always be perfect."
"Oh boy." AJ smirked at him. "You hear that? You're never allowed to date."
"Correct." Punk agreed sitting next to her to look down at baby Prima.
The next afternoon Punk was helping AJ pack up as they were getting to take Prima home. A nurse walked in with flowers just as AJ headed into the bathroom.
"Flowers?" Punk asked oddly. AJ being in this hospital and in this room was kept very tight lipped.
"Yup for mom and baby." She said putting them down. "You have the discharge papers filled out?"
"Yea, here you go." He said passing her the paperwork while he grabbed the card on the flowers.
"I'm sure she's as beautiful as you." Punk read aloud and looked for a name but there wasn't one. "Son of a bitch." He hissed and Prima started stir and cry. "Not you, not you, not you baby." He said picking her up with ease.
"What's this? Flowers?" AJ asked.
"Yea bought to the wrong room." Punk said tucking the card into his pocket while still managing to hold Prima.
"What happened?" AJ asked taking Prima from him.
"I breathed too loudly." He mocked. "She was so easy yesterday and so far today she hates us."
"Is daddy breathing too loud?" AJ asked her cutely as she fussed. "I feel like it's going to be a long day."
"It is." He agreed. "I'm going to bring your bags down and bring the carrier up."
"I'll go down with you and wait by the door." She offered.
"It's like 50 degrees outside! Way too cold for her." Punk practically laughed and walked out of the room with her stuff.
"I sense a super overprotective daddy." AJ warned Prima. "Do you want to go see your new room? Mommy and daddy spent so long getting it just right and I think it matches your personality perfectly."
"You guys are leaving already?" Dean asked stepping into the room.
"Yea. We're doing great so we can go." She said to him. "Those flowers are from Jamie." She said nodding towards the bouquet.
"What?" Dean asked looking at them. "No card?"
"Phil thinks he slipped it into his pocket without me knowing." AJ smirked. "Daddy is such a bad liar isn't he?" She asked Prima cutely.
"That's a violation." Dean told her.
"I assume he didn't sign the card." AJ said to him. "But ask Phil about it. You know he is."
"He's crazy." Dean remarked and looked over at the baby. "Thank god that this baby got your genes mostly."
"Phil is very handsome." AJ defended lightly.
"Yea but a big ass nose." Dean cringed.
"Where's Celeste?" She asked.
"I'm not supposed to tell you but Celeste and Cassie are prepping your apartment and decorating it with balloons and crap." He told her freely.
"You're as good at keeping secrets as Phil." AJ laughed.
"They're also stocking it with food and other helpful things. I kept popping the balloons so I got sent away." Dean shrugged.
"Hey." Punk greeted. "Everything ok?"
"Yea, just checking in." Dean shrugged. "Ready to bring baby home?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Punk said nervously.
After getting Prima home and entertaining the few people who came over it was time for their first official night as parents.
"Are you sure she's safe in the bed with us?" Punk asked laying on his side of the bed facing Prima who was between him and AJ.
"Yea." AJ said to him. "It safer than her crib right now. We just can't roll over on her." AJ explained and Punk groaned. "What?" She asked amused.
"I'm never going to sleep." He sighed. "I have to make sure you don't roll over on her."
"I'm not going to roll." AJ defended.
"Babe, I've slept next to you for almost a year now you are the most wild sleeper I've ever slept with." Punk said to her.
"We're supposed to sleep when she's sleeping." AJ reminded him.
"I'll sleep after you." He said to her. "You sleep then we'll switch off."
"I don't think that's how it's supposed to go." AJ teased.
"I don't really care." He remarked. "She really is beautiful."
"She is." AJ agreed with a wide smile. "I wish I could share pictures of her on my social media but I can't have social media, or pictures of my daughter."
"I know that's something parents love to do but as an FBI agent take it from me, don't ever post pictures of your child on the internet." He warned her.
"You would know better." AJ agreed. "I wish my parents would have met her."
"They're flying in this weekend they just want you to be settled first." Punk reminded her.
"Wish your parents could meet her?" AJ asked casually.
"No, Ape." He sighed. "You bring my parents up all of the time and the answer is never going to change."
"I know but I'm so excited for her to meet my parents I feel like you're missing out." She defended lightly.
"My mom would was insane." Punk told her bluntly. "Petty theft, she'd enlist me to help her. Robbing guys on the street I was little and could pick a pocket, she would take me when she needed a drug fix and I'd be in the worst parts of this City." He explained and AJ frowned. "When my mom had Cassie she would just leave. And I mean for days and I was only ten years older and I'd sit there and try to take care of her. I told Cassie's father once that our mom would leave for days and he went to court and got custody of her. My mom was mad and not for losing Cass but because her food stamps and monthly money got cut."
"And what about you?" She asked. "The judge kept you there?"
"Yea. It was really just a check in on Cassie." Punk shrugged. "Cass's dad was always good to me. I mean could you imagine leaving little Prima alone?"
"No." She said shaking her head. "What about your dad?"
"He left when I was a kid." Punk shrugged. "He never showed an interest in me. He loved my mom for some reason and she threw him out and that was that. He never wanted to be around me without her."
"I'm sorry you grew up like that." AJ said to him.
"My dads brother was always good to me. When I was 14 he took me in and helped me clean myself up. Always made sure I'd make it to the academy." Punk said to her.
"I haven't seen your uncle in a while." AJ noted.
"He'll be by this week to meet the baby." He assured her. "I just….I have this beautiful daughter and I can't imagine ever treating her like my parents treated me or Cass for that matter."
"You're a good man." AJ said to him with a smile. "I think we're going to give Prima a really good life."
"I always wanted to have kids so I can give to them what I never had." He said to her.
"You will." AJ assured him.
"I heard you spoke to Dean about those flowers." Punk said to her and she eyed him before looking down at Prima.
"I'm not an idiot, Phil." She reminded him. "I could tell by your body language what you thought of those flowers. Were they from him?"
"They were paid in cash from a floral shop in New Jersey but no name to them so we can't link it but yea, it was him." Punk said to her.
"Maybe this is it for him now." AJ suggested. "He see's I have a baby and a life without him."
"Yea maybe." Punk said looking at Prima himself.
"You really can't lie, can you?" AJ asked amused.
"Not to you for some reason." He said annoyed.
"I think that's a great quality." AJ said to him. "I hope Prima inherits your inability to lie to me."
"From your lips to gods ears." Punk sighed.
"You won't lie to mama, will you?" She asked the sleeping baby.
"I mean if she gets the best of both us we're going to be in big trouble." He warned her.
"I know." AJ sighed. "Let's enjoy her while she's super cute and can't talk back."
"But seriously, what do we do about Jamie? I don't want him to look for her." AJ insisted.
"He's not going to." Punk assured her.
"What if he obsesses over her like he does me?" She asked.
"Then I'd have to kill him." He answered seriously and she glared at him. "I'm sorry Ape, but I won't let him stalk her. She can barely open her eyes. But I can tell you that she has a team of people lined up to protect her and you."
"I want to get married." She told him and he smiled a bit.
"I think we already are." He reminded her.
"No, I mean soon." She said to him. "I want to work off some of this baby weight and just get married. I mean we can't have it anywhere big or anything or my stalker might ruin it-"
"We can have our wedding absolutely anywhere." He said cutting her off. "I won't let him take that away from you. I promised you a peaceful pregnancy and labor and I'm making the same promise about our wedding. I don't want to rush it because you're scared. And I know you and I know what you're thinking."
"What am I thinking?" She asked.
"You're thinking of Jamie breaks parole he's going to come here and hurt you or kill you and you want to legally be married in case something happens to you and I'm sorry Ape but I'm not going to marry you on a limb because you're scared." He said to her. "I want to be married to you because you want it not for legal reasons."
"Its just-" She began.
"Ape I won't do it." He repeated firmly. "I want you to marry freely not feel forced into it. I can wait, I don't want to but I will."
"I want to marry you because I love you and I love the life we're building but it just makes sense to go down to city hall." She argued.
"I have no problem with a City Hall. I mean it's my second marriage I already experienced the big one. The DJ and the guests and the photographers." He shrugged. "But you deserve more than that and I'm going to see to it that you get more than that. I know you want a day with your friends and family I know you want the white dress and party."
"I'm just trying to be realistic." She said to him.
"Me too." He said to her. "This is the last time I'm getting married and I want it to be spectacular."
"You're right." She groaned annoyed.
"Jamie is in New Jersey and he will stay there." He assured her. "Let's just focus on this beautiful little girl and our wedding that we will take our time planning."
"We?" She scoffed with yawn closing her eyes.
"Yea, I mean I get input, no?" He asked and she didn't answer. "Babe?"
"I've just been mentally planning my wedding since I was little." She said not opening her eyes. "It's already planned it's just finishing touches."
"Seriously? I don't get to pick a flower?" He asked.
"You want to pick a flower?" She asked amused.
"No." He replied defensively.
"I can compromise." She offered opening her tired eyes again. "You can pick one thing."
"Really?" He asked flattered.
"You can pick the item." She told him. "Whatever you want."
"Now I feel all this pressure." He groaned annoyed and Prima started to cry.
"Ugh." AJ groaned sitting up.
"No, sleep I've got her." He said picking her up swiftly.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yes. I'm wide awake." He said walking out of the room with the crying baby.
Not a minute later the bedroom door opened again and Punk was standing in the door with the baby and AJ stuck her head up.
"What does she want though?" Punk asked confused. "Like is she hungry? Or need to be changed? Or is she just like cranky?"
"I think you have to figure that out." She said to him.
"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" He asked seriously. "She can't talk!"
"You'll figure it out." She assured him. "Are you sure you don't want me to get up and help?"
"No, no I got this." He said to her closing the door and AJ just smiled as she could hear Punk questioning their daughter on what she needed. He was going to be the best dad.