Hold You Back

"Who ate my boston cream?" Punk questioned angrily, looking in the donut bag which only had his wife's favourite left, turning to Thea who was sitting at the kitchen table scrolling through her phone, "Thea." He said, putting his hand on his hip.

She didn't respond, too busy looking at her phone.

"Hey, fatty!" Punk said louder as Thea looked up.

"What?" Thea shook her head.

"Did you eat my donut?" He questioned.

"Oh, yeah." Thea nodded, "It was good."

"Me and your mom went all the way into town for those this morning." Punk shook his head, "I need you to stop eating my food."

"I didn't know it was yours. I just… picked one." Thea shrugged, "Are you really gonna yell at a pregnant lady for eating?"

"Yes." Punk said grumpily, "That baby doesn't need a donut it needs good nutrients. Vegetables and fruit." He shook his head.

"Oh, shut up." Thea shook her head, looking back at her phone, "I'll bring you some festive donuts over tomorrow. My work are doing a coffee morning thing, all the money goes to charity so I'll buy you some things." Thea said.

"Now what is so interesting that you need to have your eyes glued to your phone?" Punk asked curiously, tidying the kitchen up, sweeping around Thea and washing the table around her where she sat in the same position.

"There's sales on, I'm still buying Christmas presents." Thea said, "Anything for a bargain." She nodded.

"What happened to walking to the store and purchasing things in person?" Punk shook his head.

"Time moved on and you stayed behind. The only people that I know do their Christmas shopping in stores are you and Cassie, and it makes sense cause you're both weird." Thea shook her head.

"You're just lazy." Punk mumbled.

"What?" Thea said loudly.

"Nothing." Punk scoffed.

"You gotta help me buy something for Dominic. The man is so hard to buy for." Thea shook her head stressfully.

"Quit stressing." Punk shook his head, "It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year." He reminded her.

"It is." Thea agreed, "When you're organised. You know, I am actually organised I'm just being stupid." Thea spoke to herself, "Where is mom?" She asked.

"Grocery store." Punk told her, "Why are you even here?" He asked as she looked over, "Well I don't mean it like that."

"I got off work and I'm supposed to pick Sofia up from gymnastics but I'm too early so I thought I'd come here and kill some time." She shrugged.

"So she hasn't quit yet?" Punk asked her.

"No, she enjoys it." Thea nodded.

"You and Jude quit everything you tried." Punk rolled his eyes, "I think you lasted two weeks at gymnastics. Jude was the same."

"Phil, you need to take the girls to gymnastics this morning. I've got called in to work." AJ said frantically, rushing around their bedroom where Punk was asleep in bed, laying on his stomach, "Phillip!"

"What?" Punk groaned.

"You gotta take the girls to gymnastics." AJ told him.

"It's my only day off." Punk lifted his head unhappily.

"Oh, cry about it later." AJ rolled her eyes as he buried his head back into his pillow.

"They don't even like it." Punk shook his head.

"What? Yeah, they do." AJ shook her head, "They've only just started. Look, their sweats are hanging up and make sure their hair is tied back properly." She nodded, "I'll see you later." She told him as Punk just lifted his hand to wave to her before she left quickly to go to work.

Punk got out of bed eventually, putting his shorts and t-shirts on and making his way out of the bedroom, walking into ten year old Thea's bedroom where he saw she was awake, "Gymnastics, let's go." Punk nodded to her as she rolled her eyes.

He moved onto Jude's room, walking into the four year old's bedroom, crouching down at her bed and nudging her gently until she woke.

"What?" Jude rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"You got gymnastics." Punk told her as Jude looked at him unhappily, "Mommy's left your clothes out, I think." He said, scouting her closet for her sweats.

"I'm too tired." Jude whined as Punk nodded.

"I am too." Punk agreed.

It took him a while to get them ready, fed with breakfast and out the door into the car. It was a fifteen minute drive and in that fifteen minutes Jude had fallen asleep multiple times, but that wasn't rare.

He parked up outside the gym, getting out of the car as the girls followed.

"You guys could look a little more enthusiastic, you know." Punk nodded to them.

"I don't even want to go to stupid gymnastics." Thea shook her head, "It's lame and boring." She folded her arms.

"Why don't you say anything then?" Punk asked her, "I thought you liked it."

"No, I hate it. And Jude hates it too, she only goes because I go." Thea rolled her eyes, turning to her little sister who stood beside her, nodding.

"Why didn't you tell mom?" Punk asked.

"I didn't want her to be mad." Thea shrugged timidly.

"She wouldn't be mad." Punk scoffed, looking at them both, "You guys wanna go for some breakfast instead?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Jude nodded excitedly.

"Yes." Thea nodded along.

"Ok, get back in the car." Punk smiled, watching them quickly getting back into the car, shoving each other on the way. He knew his daughters and he sensed it wasn't something they were enjoying anyway.

"Why wouldn't they say to me?" AJ questioned, sitting in the living room later on that night with her husband. The girls were in bed for the night and he was filling her in about the day, "Why would Thea think I'd be mad? Of course I wouldn't be mad." AJ shook her head.

"I know, I just think you're naturally an encouraging person so-"

"Am I a pushy parent?" AJ turned to him, "Was I being too pushy with it?"

"Of course you weren't." Punk scoffed, "It's just not for them. They take their elegancy from their father."

"Yeah, that's true. The three of you are very clumsy." AJ agreed as he smiled, "Especially Jude. She has three band aids on one of her legs right now from tripping up in school." She shook her head.

"I think maybe they'd rather do something else or just do nothing. They're only young." Punk shrugged.

"I just thought it'd be something they'd enjoy. Something that I never got as a kid. My mom never sat me down and asked if I wanted to join any clubs or pick up a sport. My mom never sat me down and talked to me about anything actually." AJ shook her head.

"Don't beat yourself up about it." Punk shook his head, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her head as she smiled.

"Well at least you had a fun day with them." AJ smiled, "That's all that matters."

"Hey did you know that Thea wants to be a doctor?" Punk asked her.

"She's ten." AJ smiled a little, "She doesn't know what she wants to be."

"Nah, I believe her." Punk nodded to himself, "It's crazy thinking about who they're gonna grow up to be." He thought to himself.

"Well… their mom and dad will always be there for them, no matter what they do, or who they become." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Damn right." He smiled, kissing her head as she curled into him.

"So I stopped by at Cassie's house on my way home from work and look what Chase drew me." AJ smiled, showing Punk the picture Chase had drawn for her.

"Very Picasso esque." Punk nodded.

"He's just the sweetest boy." AJ shook her head, "Would you help me in with all the things I got at the store later? It's still in the trunk." She told him.

"I thought we had everything ready." Punk shook his head.

"I know, we do. But I panicked and got more." AJ said as Punk rolled his eyes, "We do have to feed a lot of people."

"Half who are little small people." Punk reminded her.

"I really think this might be one of our better Christmas' you know." AJ nodded to him.

"How so?" Punk asked her.

"I just… I think everyone is in a good place. I haven't seen Thea look as good as she does right now." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah she was here earlier. Ate my donut." Punk scoffed, "I don't know, Ape. I think it's still a sore one for Jude."

"I know." AJ sighed, "But I think she's doing ok. And Cassie has some news-"

"Oh, please no more grandkids. My back is on the verge of being broken." Punk joked as AJ smiled.

"Not that." AJ assured him, "She's going for a detective position in the precinct." She smiled.

"Really?" Punk raised his eyebrows.

"Mhm." AJ nodded, "Don't tell her I told you, though. She doesn't want to tell anyone until she knows for sure."

"So why tell me?" Punk scoffed.

"Cause you're my husband. I tell you everything." AJ said. "She's taken the exam and she's got the interview next week just before Christmas." She nodded, "Apparently Karen Williams proposed for her to take on the role."

"That's great." Punk nodded, "She does work incredibly hard. And all the work her and Theo did for Jude's case with… with Vincent." He said, "They really came through with all of that."

"Yeah, they did." AJ agreed, looking over at him, "Speaking of…" She put her hand on her hip, looking over at him, "No one is stopping you, you know."

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"From going to visit him in prison." AJ nodded, "Vincent."

"I know no one's stopping me." Punk assured her.

"Unfortunately, it's one of these situations where no matter what he says, nothing will ever make it ok. And even getting answers, inside information, it doesn't mean shit cause it's our daughter." AJ nodded, "But if you feel you need to address him, I won't stop you."

"I just… I thought he was a decent person." Punk shook his head, "I'm still kinda shocked and confused by it all. And he played the innocent clueless card so well." Punk sighed to himself.

"You and I never really knew anyone from that time in our lives. Not truly. We said we had friends but… we didn't." AJ shook her head, "Cause the truth is they would have ratted us out in a heartbeat. No one was friends." AJ said as he nodded.

"But what did we ever do to him?" Punk shook his head.

"Like I said… you won't get any answers from him." AJ said, "What it comes down to is… Rio, I guess." AJ nodded, "I don't doubt he planted the seeds whilst Jackson was locked up with him."

"Yeah, I figured." Punk nodded.

"I don't need to gain anything from visiting him but if you want me to come with you, I will." AJ nodded to him.

"I don't know what to do. I know I don't have to do anything. It's done with and he's gonna die in prison which is the best news we could get. But… something is drawing me to it." Punk said.

"Well, it's your decision. I think sometimes it's just in your nature to want to close a chapter. Say how you feel to someone who has hurt our family so bad. Hurt Jude." AJ nodded, "I'll come with you if you want." She said as he nodded, "We can hold each other back from murdering him." She placed her hand on his shoulder, leaving the kitchen as Punk sat back on the chair, running his hands through his hair.