Cracks

"What do you think about this?" AJ asked, later one night as she showed Punk the baby grows she had bought earlier on. He'd just gotten home from work and had crashed out on top of the bed, "Look at this one." She held up the baby grow as he looked over.

"I love my daddy." Punk laughed, "We gotta let it have its own opinions, Ape." Punk chuckled to himself as AJ smiled.

"Hey, it's gonna love you." AJ smiled, "I know it." She nodded, folding them up and sitting them over in the bag with some other stuff they were collecting, "We actually… don't have a lot of stuff." She admitted, "Bob said that he… he's gonna buy us the crib as a gift but I mean… his apartment is literally our gift." She shook her head, "But we still need a stroller, a carrier, a changing table… a hell of a lot more clothes for it." AJ nodded, "Oh, bottles too. Not to mention toys and teddy bears and stuff-"

"Ok ok." Punk nodded, "I get it. We need a lot of stuff." He said as she turned to him.

"Someone's cranky today." AJ raised a brow, "What's wrong?" She asked him.

"I'm just tired." Punk shook his head as AJ nodded.

"I feel lazy. Like I'm not actually doing anything to help us." AJ shook her head.

"April, you go to school, and you take those baby classes two times a week." Punk said, "You're not getting a job." He told her. He would never tell her what to do, but in this scenario, he didn't want her working and having no time to relax herself, especially whilst pregnant.

"If we need the money I can do it." AJ shrugged.

"Money is fine. We're on track." Punk nodded. It was hard lying to her. She never deserved to be lied to, he just didn't want to worry her.

"Are we really?" AJ asked him as Punk nodded, "Well that's a relief." AJ nodded.

"When do you apply for college?" Punk asked her as she sat up on the bed beside him.

"Soon, actually. I'm working on my application form right now." AJ said. It was hard that whilst they were trying to fit in to new jobs, apply for college, spend time with one another, pretty normal teenage things… they were also trying to figure out how to change a diaper, what temperature to bathe the baby in etc. It was a lot to take in.

"What is it you're applying for again?" Punk asked, "Business?"

"Marketing and business." AJ nodded, "It's a pretty good qualification. It gives me a variety of jobs to choose from." She said as Punk nodded.

"You still like the fashion thing?" Punk asked her as she nodded.

"Yeah, I don't know how realistic that is with a baby to take care of but… we'll figure it out." AJ nodded. She knew things wouldn't be as easy for them as normal teenagers their age. They had another little person to take care of whilst everyone else was trying to get used to taking care of themselves.

"Hey, you'll get there." Punk nodded, "I believe in you." He said as she smiled.

"Thank you." AJ smiled. She knew he did legit believe in her and that was nice, "You look so tired." She frowned, looking on at him as he was falling asleep, brushing her hand over his cheek softly as he nodded.

Later on through the night, Punk had woken up, looking around the room, looking beside him where AJ was fast asleep. He hoped one day they could look back on all of this and smile. He saw them getting married, raising their baby together happily, coming to visit Bob for the holidays, creating a life for themselves that they both wanted, that they had both talked about this entire time.

He got out of bed and got dressed, keeping his eyes on AJ the entire time. He hated that he was doing this. Taking such a risk, taking the chance at such a risky time. But they needed the money.

He crept out of the bedroom and left the apartment, heading down to the local bar that he knew Ricky was always at, walking on in and finding him sat over at the edge of the bar.

"Hey." Punk nodded to them as Ricky turned around.

"Phil." Ricky smiled, "I knew you'd show up." He patted him on the back as Punk just nodded, "You want a drink?" He asked him.

"No, I'm good." Punk assured him, "Listen, I just… I wanna do whatever job I can, if you can guarantee the money for it." He said as Ricky nodded with a smile.

"Of course we can." Ricky smiled, "Hey, I got something for you to do tonight." He said as Punk nodded, "There's a car parked next to the garage a few blocks away. Drive it over to Belmont." He nodded, handing a set of keys over to Punk, "I know the guy there, Davie. He'll give you your money there and then." He said as Punk took the keys.

"How much?" Punk asked him.

"Easy six hundred." Ricky nodded as Punk raised his eyebrows. Six hundred dollars was a big difference to he and AJ. It was a big catalyst and it could sure as hell be put to good use, "Just like that." He smirked to Punk.

"And why the hell do you want to help me?" Punk shook his head, of course having to be cautious of such dangerous men.

"Your Dan's kids. He's a friend of ours which means you're a friend of ours. We just wanna help you out. We're all fathers to be at one point in our lives. Not as young as you were… but still." He chuckled a little, "Go on." He nodded to him as Punk looked at the keys.

"Yeah, ok." Punk nodded, leaving the pub as Ricky shook his head, watching as Dan came out from the bathroom.

"Hey, Dan." Ricky said as Dan nodded, "Phil was just in."

"What?" Dan chuckled to himself, "A pub? Can't be my son." He shook his head.

"We gave him that job." Ricky chuckled.

"So soon?" Dan asked, sitting on his stool beside them, "I'm surprised. He's normally a smart kid." Dan admitted.

"That's what desperation does." Ricky nodded, "We called the cops. They'll be on the other side when he gets there." He said as Dan chuckled.

"Cheers to that." Dan nodded, lifting his whiskey before throwing it back.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rey shook her head, looking on at Zac who had shown up on her doorstep late on one night after she'd gotten back from work, "Why are you here?"

"I got… I got nowhere else to go." Zac said, drunk and clearly high as Rey folded her arms, "Reylissa, I'm begging you. Let me in." He moaned as Rey rolled her eyes.

"I literally hate you." Rey shook her head, grabbing him by the scruff of his collar and pulling him into the apartment, closing the door and locking it over.

"Thank you." Zac stumbled over his own feet, making his way to the bedroom as Rey coughed loudly.

"Excuse me." Rey said, "You operate on the couch." She pointed as he turned around.

"Uh… baby, come on. We don't gotta do anything. I got a bad back." He moaned as Rey shook her head.

"Then I'll sleep on the couch." Rey nodded.

"No, come on. I know you don't like being alone." Zac nodded.

"You don't know anything about how I feel, Zac." Rey said.

"I do… I… me and you get one another." Zac nodded, walking back over to her, "We got no one and nothing and that… that makes us compatible, right?" Zac nodded.

"I have people in my life." Rey shrugged.

"One friend, your boss and the store owner down the road?" Zac asked, "Yeah, you got people." Zac scoffed.

"Yeah and they care." Rey shrugged, "I've never needed anyone to take care of me. I did it on my own. That's the difference between you and I. You need to be looked after. You can't go five minutes without fucking something good up. But I try. I've tried my entire life to make sure I end up ok." She said as Zac looked across at her.

"Didn't seem like that last year." Zac said.

"Last year was a bad year for me, ok?" She shrugged, "And you know what, you were a lot to do with that." She nodded.

"You always blame me." Zac shook his head, "But you gotta look in the mirror, Reylissa. You say I destroy good things but… you're the queen at pushing good things away."

"Well maybe I don't want to be disappointed." Rey shrugged, "And stop… stop calling me that." She demanded.

"Well it's your name." Zac laughed.

"Just go to bed." Rey shook her head, "Or I'll throw you out on the streets." She threatened.

"I don't think you know who you are." Zac nodded drunkenly as Rey looked across at him.

"Maybe not, but I'm ok with that, I think it's pretty difficult to figure out who you are when no one has ever really wanted me." Rey assured him.

"I wanted you and you pushed me away." Zac shook his head, "I got a job, I was ready to get my shit together-"

"Yeah and then I hurt your feelings and you went off on a four week bender." Rey spat, "You let that guy down in the garage. He gave you a chance and you fucking blew it and I had to go apologise on behalf of you. And you know what… you weren't letting him down, you let yourself down."

"Yeah, well it's not easy to be as brave as you, is it?" Zac spat.

"Brave? You think I'm brave?" Rey asked, "I'm not brave. I've had no choice. Did I want… parents growing up? Yes. Did I want to enjoy school without having to move all the time? Yes. Did I want a normal life with friends and family? Yes." Rey nodded, "But I don't cry about not getting my way. It is what it is. I've made my own life." She made clear, "And not you or anyone else can take that from me."

"Your parents dodged a bullet with you." Zac pointed at her, "I bet they're nothing but relieved-"

Rey slapped him hard across the face, pushing him over onto the ground as he tried to push her away.

"Get out." Rey spat, dragging him by the hood of his jacket, opening up her door, "Get out of my apartment." She spat, kicking him out as Zac looked up at her, "Don't you come near me ever again." She made clear, slamming the door shut and locking it over as she leaned against the door, tilting her head to make sure her tears didn't run down.

"You idiot!" AJ exclaimed as she watched Punk walk into the apartment with Bob, "Why would you do this?!" AJ spat, shoving him roughly.

"Ok ok." Bob got in between them, "Calm down." He nodded to AJ.

"No, no… I'm not gonna calm down." AJ spat, "You're so stupid!" She yelled as Punk looked across at her.

"Hey hey…" Bob looked at her, "The important part is, there's no charges being pressed." He said.

"Oh." AJ laughed sarcastically, "Oh, that's great then. That's ok. Let's just forget about it." AJ nodded, shaking her head, "I didn't expect this from you." She shook her head. After getting woken up by Bob, the last thing she expected was to hear that her boyfriend had been arrested.

"I did this for us." Punk made clear, "I was set-up."

"I don't give a fuck." AJ spat. She'd never been so angry before, "You were stupid enough to go through with it."

"It was good money-"

"Drug money!" AJ yelled, "Drug money, Phil. You think I want to buy strollers and teddy bears with drug money?" She questioned, "You know fine well that one job turns into the rest of your life." She said, "I just… I can't believe you did this." She shook her head. She was shaking with how angry and how upset she was. She never expected it from him.

"I wasn't thinking. We need the money and I was trying to… make sure you wouldn't worry about it." Punk explained as Bob gradually disappeared into the kitchen.

"Oh, you didn't want me to worry? So you thought, I know… what won't make April worry? Oh, yeah. Me going to prison and leaving her to take care of my baby." AJ said, "Well done." She spat.

"Hey, I'm fucking trying here with you." Punk spat, "I'm trying to make sure that nothing in your life has to change. I'm doing my fucking best with it-"

"And I have appreciated that but this wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want you to become a criminal." She spat, "I mean this… this couldn't have been your solution." She said, "You're smarter than this."

"I panicked and it was easy money." Punk said, "But my dad must have set me up." He said as Bob overheard and shook his head, "I was just driving the car a few blocks and leaving it somewhere. When I got there the police were literally waiting on me." He said.

"You weren't just driving a car, you had a car with drugs in it and of course you knew that. Don't play dumb with me." AJ shook her head, "I can't… I can't even look at you." She shook her head. She was shocked at his actions, at his foolishness to put their entire future in jeopardy, all the things they spoke about, it terrified her to know he really wanted to take that risk, and it made her feel sick.

"Oh, well then don't look at me." Punk said childishly as she shook her head.

"You're such a dick." AJ shook her head as Punk just nodded, "Such a dick." She whispered to herself tearfully as she walked off into their bedroom as Punk shook his head.

"This ain't good, kid." Bob walked back into the living room, "This wasn't the right decision to make."

"Yeah, I get it." Punk rolled his eyes, "I was trying to do the right thing-"

"This wasn't it." Bob said, "She's right. You could have gone to prison and then what? You don't get to see your kid? All the promises you guys are making mean nothing? That's what you put on the line with this. That's why she's upset." He explained as Punk sighed.

"I know, it was stupid. I just… I thought it'd be quick and easy to get the money and I didn't exactly plan on getting caught." Punk sighed.

"The last thing you wanna do is stress her out." Bob said, "She's been happy and healthy. I told you both, you can stay here with the baby for as long as you need to. You didn't have to put yourself in that dangerous position." Bob shook his head, "Go talk to her." He nodded to him.

"She hates me." Punk said.

"Just go." Bob pushed him forward as Punk shook his head, walking over to their bedroom and walking in.

"I don't want to talk to you." AJ warned him.

"Can we just talk?" Punk asked her.

"No." AJ said bluntly, "I don't want to talk to you." She made clear, "You're exactly what everyone told me you were." She shook her head as Punk tilted his head, "You're a criminal and you're dangerous and… and this was never going to work."

"What?" Punk shook his head, "Are you kidding me right now?"

"You were risking everything tonight. You were risking me, our baby… why would you do that?" AJ spat as he looked across at her.

"As much as you don't believe me, I was doing it for our baby, to get money. I was desperate."

"Then talk to me. Tell me we've not got a lot. We'll figure it out together." AJ said, "I don't expect you to be perfect, Phil but… this… I won't have this." She made clear, "It's obvious you aren't ready to be a dad and you know what? Maybe… maybe I'm not ready to be a mom either." She shook her head, tears starting to make their way through.

"I do one wrong thing and now you think this is all a mistake?" Punk questioned, "It seems a little dramatic."

"No, because how can I trust you that when we're ever in a crisis you don't run off to some… drug dealers and start working with them. I don't want that in my life."

"You think I want that in my life?" Punk asked, "It was… it was a stupid mistake and I'm sorry. I was just… trying to get money. That's it."

"I've been so scared this entire time." AJ cried, "I'm out in the world on my own, I'm having a baby, I'm living in practically a stranger's place. I'm eighteen." She said, "But it was ok because we had each other and we were on the same page and we wanted to do good." She shook her head.

"We still can." Punk said as she just shook her head.

"Please just get out." AJ told him.

"April." Punk sighed.

"No, please…" AJ cried, "Just leave me alone." She said as he sighed and nodded. He knew he'd made a terrible mistake. When he was in the moment, in desperation, thinking he could just get the money and go, he thought it was a good idea, but now he realised it may have perhaps ruined everything, because maybe it did show what type of person he was. He didn't want to bring that life into his child's, and he was sorry. So sorry.

AJ sat down on the bed, crying to herself and drying her tears as they kept pouring, looking over to the small bag in the corner with the very few things for their baby, crying even more. The doubt had never been stronger.