Memories

"Hey, how you feeling?" AJ smiled, walking into the spare bedroom where Rey had been staying with her, bringing her lunch as Rey slowly sat up in bed.

"I'm ok." Rey nodded, "You didn't need to take any time off work to babysit me. I feel bad." She shook her head.

"It's only a week. I had extra hours to take back so it's all good." AJ smiled, "I want to make sure you aren't being your stubborn self and moving around when you shouldn't be." She nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed, passing her over the sandwich she'd made for her.

"I just feel like I'm chained to this bed." Rey shook her head, "And the pain isn't going away." She sighed.

"The doctor said you're gonna be in a lot of pain for a few weeks. You were stabbed. It's not going to feel good." AJ nodded to her, "Just let us take care of you, ok?" She smiled, rubbing her arm softly.

"I'm twenty years old." Rey laughed to herself.

"You're never too old to be taken care of by your parents." AJ reminded her, "And I think… I think we have times to make up for. Amelia had the flu a few weeks ago and… all I wanted to do was care for her and I never… I never got that with you." She sighed as Rey looked across at her, "Just let me take care of you." She nodded as Rey smiled.

"Ok." Rey nodded, taking her hand and smiling, "Where is dad?" She asked, taking a bite of the sandwich.

"He's with Dean clearing out Bob's apartment." AJ nodded.

"Oh." Rey sighed, "Why aren't you there?"

"I… I thought it'd be too hard." AJ shrugged, "I gave birth to you there." She nodded, "There's a lot of memories." She said as Rey nodded.

"Why do I miss him more than ever?" Rey shook her head, "Now he's gone it's like… I've never been more desperate to talk to him." She sighed to herself.

"I guess we don't really know just how important people are to us until we lose them." AJ nodded.

"Yeah." Rey agreed, "Trust me to go and get stabbed a few weeks before starting college." She rolled her eyes as AJ shook her head.

"Hey, first of all… this certainly wasn't your fault." AJ shook her head, "Second of all, you still have a lot of weeks, you can heal and get strong. You'll be fine." AJ nodded.

"What if I suck at it? I mean I couldn't even make it through school. Isn't college going to be even harder?" Rey worried.

"Starting something new can be terrifying but… once you get over the initial fear of it, go in with an open mind and you'll settle in. You'll make friends and you'll learn just like everyone else. You're no different and you're not going to be singled out." AJ assured her.

"I thought people who go to college are smart and rich with really wealthy backgrounds." She looked down at her sandwich.

"I went to college." AJ nodded, "I was definitely not rich. I'd just had a baby at seventeen, I was terrified of what people would think of me. I didn't even have a home." AJ said as Rey looked across at her.

"And now you… have your own company." Rey nodded to herself with a smile.

"You can do anything you put your mind to." AJ smiled as Rey nodded slowly, "You're gonna be great."

"So when is Amelia home tonight? I miss her." Rey frowned. Staying with her mother meant she was getting to see Amelia a lot. She even slept beside her the other night whilst they watched a movie. Having her family around her right now was so helpful for her recovery.

"She's with Tom tonight." AJ frowned, "He's picking her up from school and taking her to his place."

"Oh." Rey frowned as AJ nodded, "Do you hate it?"

"Hate what?" AJ asked.

"Having to… co-parent?" Rey asked her.

"Well it's certainly not the best. I don't get to see Amelia as much as I'd like anymore but… Tom is her father and I can't change that. And I wouldn't want to. It is what it is." AJ nodded.

"Amelia loves dad. In a perfect world-"

"In a perfect world would I live happily ever after with your dad and Amelia and Lily and you? Of course." AJ nodded as Rey smiled, "It's not a perfect world, though but… we do what we gotta do." She said, "And we're gonna make it work."

"I like seeing you both happy." Rey smiled.

"Thank you." AJ nodded, "I'm gonna go do some washings, call me if you need anything, ok?" AJ smiled as Rey nodded.

AJ left the room and headed downstairs just as there was a knock at the door. She walked on over to the door and opened it up to see the boy who was there with Rey when she was stabbed.

"Hi, Miss…" Coby paused as he realised he didn't know her second name.

"April." AJ smiled, "Just call me April."

"April." Coby nodded, "Uh is… Rey here?" He asked her, "I was just wondering if she was doing ok." He said as AJ smiled a little.

"Why don't you go upstairs and find out?" AJ smiled, "Second room on the right." She said.

"Thank you." Coby nodded to her, walking on into the house and heading upstairs as AJ smiled and closed the door over.

He opened up the door which AJ had directed him to, looking over at Rey sitting in bed eating her sandwich and reading a book.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rey shook her head.

"Uh… your mom let me in." Coby nodded, "I just wanted to know if you were doing ok." He admitted, "How is your side doing?"

"My mom has to help me up and down the stairs, into the shower, into bed… I'm pretty much not functioning." Rey nodded.

"Not good, huh?" Coby asked.

"Not really." Rey said, sitting her book over along with the empty plate.

"Your friend Joanne told me that you… you loss someone who was close to you. I'm really sorry." He shook his head as Rey just nodded to him.

"It's ok." Rey nodded, "I take it she was the one who told you I was staying here."

"Yeah." Coby smiled, "She told me I should bring you flowers, chocolates and lingerie." He laughed a little.

"I literally hate her." Rey groaned, rolling her head back on her pillow but with a slight smile.

"I think she was trying to mean well." Coby nodded, "So you're on bed rest?" He asked, walking over and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, pretty much." Rey nodded, "It's a pain in the ass." She shook her head, "I hate not being able to do anything."

"Must be frustrating." Coby nodded, "I won't lie, I was terrified. There was so much blood. I felt like it was my fault." He admitted.

"Why?" Rey shook her head, "It wasn't your fault."

"If we just walked away from them… I shouldn't have challenged them-"

"They're idiots." Rey said, "You were just… trying to protect me." She shrugged.

"And I done a terrific job, right?" He nodded sarcastically as Rey sighed.

"I got in the way. There was nothing you could have done." Rey shook her head, "They've been arrested so… I'm not even thinking about it." She said.

"Well if there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know." He smiled as Rey nodded, looking across at him.

"You can… stay and keep me company, if you want." She smiled as he raised his eyebrows, "I have a mountain pile of crosswords that I really need to do." She said, grabbing the crossword puzzles from the bedside table as Coby laughed a little, "If you're good with general knowledge… I'd appreciate the help."

"I'm just gonna say I am anyway." Coby nodded, kicking his shoes off and sitting up beside her as she smiled, handing him some crosswords and a pen.

"Is this the last box?" Dean asked, carrying one of the boxes from Bob's apartment. He'd helped his brother clear the place out, giving him a helping hand as he knew he would have found it difficult.

"Uh…" Punk looked around, "I think so… there's a few left in the bedroom but I can get them." Punk nodded to him.

"You sure?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Yeah, that should be it." He said as Dean nodded.

"You ok, man?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." Punk assured him, "You go. I'll be down behind you." He said.

"Ok." Dean nodded, heading out of the apartment with the final boxes whilst Punk headed through to the bedroom where the last box was sat with a lot more sentimental things. Things which Punk was keeping.

It felt strange to be clearing the apartment away. The fact he couldn't come here and speak to his friend anymore was upsetting, but he was trying to be as positive as he could, and remember all the great memories they had.

He looked over at the final box sitting, lifting the picture album up that was sitting at the top, opening it up and sitting down on the stripped bed, smiling to himself at all the pictures.

Each one felt like they were just taken yesterday, holding different, special memories that he would never forget. From birthdays, Christmas, different holidays and occasions.

He continued to flick through the pages, reminiscing, when he came across pictures that became a little more current. Pictures he never knew existed. Pictures of Rey as she grew up.

"Why you taking a picture of me?" 6 year old Rey folded her arms as she stood in Bob's store.

"It's your first day of school." Bob shrugged as he snapped a picture of her, "It's an important day."

"Says who?" Rey asked with confusion, walking over to the fruit and picking an apple up.

"I already packed you a lunch." Bob reminded her.

"Well I need breakfast." Rey scoffed as Bob just nodded, "So what is this school thing? What am I going to do?" She asked him.

"You're going to learn cool things and meet different friends. You're gonna have fun." Bob nodded.

"And what if I don't like it? I don't go back?" Rey asked him.

"Well… no, you gotta go back." Bob laughed a little, "You'll have the best time, trust me." He nodded, "Just… be kind to people." He reminded her as Rey rolled her eyes, biting into her apple.

"I want this tooth to come out." Rey said angrily, trying hard to bite her apple roughly to pull her wobbly tooth out, "Because then the fairy comes and gives me money. Hopefully enough money for me to move out." She rolled her eyes as Bob chuckled to himself. She was definitely a character.

"And where you gonna move to?" Bob humoured her.

"Somewhere nice and pretty." Rey smiled, "No more foster homes." She shook her head as Bob smiled softly.

"It'll happen one day, trust me." Bob nodded.

"I could have a house like everyone else does. Like you do." Rey nodded, "If the tooth fairy gives me enough."

"Well here's hoping." Bob nodded, "Do you got everything you need for your first day? Lunch? Emergency money? Gym shoes?"

"Hey, I don't know. I'm the kid." Rey shrugged, skipping around the store whilst eating her apple whilst Bob checked over her bookbag.

"Yeah, I think you got everything." Bob said, "And you're not gonna run away when school is finished. You wait on your carer picking you up." He nodded.

"I hate her." Rey walked over to the desk, "She's fat and ugly."

"Hey, don't be mean." Bob shook his head.

"She's mean to me." Rey said, "She says nobody wants me." She shrugged.

"Well she's wrong." Bob said, "You're more wanted than you'll ever know." He nodded as Rey just shrugged, "Let's get this bookbag on you." He said, walking out from behind the desk and putting Rey's arms through the handles on her bag.

"Bob." Punk walked into the store as Bob looked up, "Can I grab a water and I'll give you the money next week?" He asked as Bob gulped, fixing Rey's bag on her and looking over at Punk, "Who… who is the kid?" Punk laughed to himself, grabbing the bottle of water.

"My name is-"

"Yeah just take the water, Phil." Bob interrupted Rey who frowned.

"Thanks." Punk nodded, looking over at Rey, "First day at school, kid?" He asked her.

"Yes." Rey nodded.

"Well good luck." Punk nodded to her, leaving the store.

"Luck is for losers, mister!" Rey yelled as Bob laughed a little.

"Come on, you." Bob smiled, "Let's get you to school." He shook his head.