Epilogue

5 years later…

Punk paced up and down the hospital hallway, not knowing what to do with himself, running his hands over his face, sitting down on the waiting chairs and standing back up, feeling agitated and irritated whilst he tried to calm himself down. He'd never been so nervous.

"You didn't have to come." Rey smiled, walking around the corner, putting her coat on as Punk looked up.

"I did, actually." Punk nodded, "How was it? How did it go?" He asked her.

"Well I didn't let anyone die so… pretty good I think." Rey smiled modestly as Punk wrapped his arms around her as she laughed to herself, "Dad I think you were more nervous than me for this."

"Yeah, you're right I was. I never slept all night. I came away from work early too." Punk said, "It's your first day on the job. It's a big thing."

"Everyone was so helpful and nice to me." Rey nodded, walking out of the hospital with him.

"And what about the work itself? How'd you do? Lot of blood?" He wondered.

"Not really. Car crash came in this morning, I thought wow, break me in gently, huh?" She laughed to herself, "But I guess I just had to keep a cool head and everything went well." She nodded as Punk smiled.

"I'm so proud of you." Punk shook his head.

"Hey, enough of the proud remarks." Rey laughed, "I can't take anymore."

"Well I am." Punk shrugged as Rey smiled, walking over to the car and getting in.

"Do you think I'll be any good at it?" Rey asked him as Punk turned to her before starting the car up.

"Rey, if you weren't any good you wouldn't have gotten this far." Punk nodded as Rey nodded to herself, "You're a fully qualified nurse, of course you're gonna be good. You put the work in over the years and it paid off."

"I never thought I'd stick to it. I thought I'd… quit after a year and be a Hooters girl forever." She nodded, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, I love all my Hooters girls." She made clear as Punk smiled and nodded.

"Well you worked hard and it all paid off. You're gonna be great." Punk assured her as she smiled, "I don't know how you can stomach all the blood." He admitted.

"You realise my job doesn't consist of seeing blood every hour of the day, right?" She laughed a little.

"Well when you do, I bet it's not easy." Punk said as Rey shook her head.

"Well no but it's also really rewarding. That woman who was in the car crash came in and she was pretty beaten up. Being able to help her and give her what she needed was the best. Telling her she was gonna be ok." She said as Punk smiled, "And you don't have to say it, I know not every day is going to be as hopeful and good as that. I know I'm gonna… meet people who I can't help, and see people who don't make it but… as long as I'm doing all I can." She nodded to herself.

"I think you were born ready for this." Punk nodded to her as she smiled to herself, "I couldn't wait to hear all about it." He said, starting the engine up, "Your mom is the same."

"Yeah, Coby kept calling me. You're all crazy." Rey shook her head as Punk smiled.

"You going home to get changed before coming for dinner?" He asked her.

"Yes, unless you want me over looking like this." She laughed a little as he shrugged, "What's for dinner?"

"I have no idea, mom is making it this week." He said as she nodded.

They had dinner together every Sunday, and it was even more special this week as they were celebrating Rey starting her new job at the hospital, which had been a long time coming over the years of aggressive studying at college. They were so proud of her that she'd done what she wanted to.

"How was she? Was she ok?" AJ asked once Punk returned from dropping Rey off, "How did things go?"

"Sounded like they went really well." Punk nodded to her, standing in their kitchen of their house.

After a year of taking it slow as they liked to repeatedly say over and over again, Punk had moved in with AJ and they had a life together again, which was better than either could have imagined. It just felt right coming home to each other. Instead of thinking about all the time they lost, they promised to live in the moment and enjoy every second they had together from the get go. They had a beautiful life and things finally felt right again after all this time.

"I couldn't stop thinking about her all day." AJ shook her head, "I wanted to call but I didn't know when she got a break and I didn't want to be putting any pressure on her." She admitted.

"No, I think she did good." Punk nodded.

"Good." AJ smiled, "I'm so excited to see her." She said as Punk smiled.

They'd grown to have an unimaginable relationship with their daughter over the past few years. Although she was later into her life, they were really the perfect family and the lost times were beginning to be replaced with new memories together. To think they could have grown old and never knew how amazing their eldest daughter was, was scary to think, but they had their old friend to thank for reuniting them, and they'd never forget it.

"Dad?" 9 year old Lily walked into the kitchen.

"Mhm? What?" Punk turned to her.

"Need help with my homework." Lily said, sitting up at the kitchen table, "It's so hard that Amelia can't even help with it." She huffed as Punk smiled a little.

"Where is Amelia?" AJ asked her.

"Watching TV, and I want to watch it too so let's hurry." She told her father as AJ smiled to herself.

"So bossy." Punk said, sitting down beside her as AJ watched with a smile.

They still co-parented with their exes and although at times it was difficult, they had each other to help out and lean on, and they got to see Amelia and Lily as much as they could. When they were all together, it really felt like the perfect family.

"Can you keep an eye on those pots?" AJ asked Punk who nodded whilst helping Lily with homework.

She walked on through to the living room where Amelia was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey, have you finished all of your homework?" AJ asked her as Amelia nodded.

"I told Lily to do it on Friday so she wouldn't have to do it tonight." Amelia shook her head as AJ smiled.

She'd watched Amelia and Lily's relationship turn into something sweet of a protective sister/best friend relationship. Amelia liked to take care of Lily and teach her things whilst Lily had grown to enjoy Amelia's company. They'd spent the past few years getting so close that having each other in their lives was just part of every day life.

"So… you're telling me you've finished all of your homework?" AJ smirked, sitting down next to Amelia who looked at her.

"Well… maybe I haven't read more of my book but… but I can do it when I have breakfast tomorrow."

"Mhm." AJ smiled, brushing Amelia's hair out of her face.

"Is Rey and Coby coming for dinner?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah, they are." AJ smiled, "She's gonna tell us all about her first day at her new job."

"I think I want to be a doctor." Amelia said, "Like Rey."

"Yeah?" AJ smiled as Amelia nodded.

"Or an animal doctor." Amelia shrugged

"Yeah, I went through a phase of wanting to be a vet when I was a kid." AJ nodded, "Lot of hard work, baby." She said as Amelia shrugged.

"Piece of cake." Amelia said as AJ chuckled and nodded.

"Jo, I'll call you later, I'm just heading into my mom and dad's for dinner." Rey said, on the phone to her best friend whilst her and Coby approached her parent's house, hanging up on her call.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they had cake and balloons in here for you." Coby smiled.

"I swear they were more nervous than me." Rey laughed to herself, walking on into the house.

Coby had stuck around for a while after she was stabbed. They'd grew closer and closer until they finally decided to start dating. It was just about the only success she'd ever had with a boy, and she knew it was because they were friends first and that really helped their relationship.

"Hey." AJ smiled excitedly, walking down from the kitchen as Rey smiled, accepting the warm hug from her mother. A hug she'd grown to seek so much comfort in.

"Hi mom." Rey smiled.

"I'm so proud of you." AJ shook her head, cupping her cheeks as Rey smiled, "Your dad said everything went well."

"Yeah, it did. Really well." Rey nodded, "I will be returning." She joked as AJ smiled.

"I knew you'd be fine." AJ nodded, "Hi, Coby." She turned, giving him a hug.

"Hey." Coby smiled, kissing her cheek.

"We have an extra place at dinner tonight." AJ nodded, taking their jackets.

"Who?" Rey laughed a little, walking into the kitchen where she saw her uncle sitting, "Hey." Rey smiled happily, "You're back."

"Hey, the world's greatest nurse." Dean smiled, embracing Rey tightly and kissing her head as Rey, "How'd it go? No one died?"

"Dean." Punk scoffed whilst sorting dinner out.

"No, not today." Rey shook her head.

"Great." Dean said.

"I didn't know you were back this week." Rey said.

"Well I thought I'd surprise everyone." Dean smiled. He had moved away for a different job opportunity. It meant he didn't get to see his family as much but he still made it home from time to time and got together with them.

"Colour me surprised." Rey smiled.

"Brought you something." Dean said, walking over to the fridge and bringing out her favourite wine, "Because I know your dad doesn't buy any in."

"Actually sometimes I do." Punk added as Rey smiled.

"Well go on, pour me a glass." Rey nodded, making herself at home as her and Coby always did.

"Rey!" Lily ran into the kitchen excitedly as Amelia followed.

"Hey, my favourite girls." Rey smiled, crouching down and giving them a big hug.

"Rey, how'd your new job go?" Lily asked sweetly as Punk smiled over.

"Oh, it went great." Rey nodded, "How has school been? You both been working hard?" She asked them.

"Yes, very hard." Lily nodded

"I won a spelling bee this week." Amelia told her.

"Really? That's so cool." Rey smiled. She was very close with her sisters. She sometimes babysat them to give her parents a break and just to spend some quality time with them. It didn't matter that they were her step sisters, or that they were so much younger. She spent as much time as she could with them and loved every second of it.

They had dinner and whilst Dean and Coby volunteered to wash up, AJ took the girls upstairs to get ready for bed whilst Punk sat in the living room with Rey.

"I can't believe it's been five years." Rey shook her head as Punk sat down beside her on the couch, "Every time I pass the store I just… I can't stop thinking about him."

"Yeah, me neither." Punk nodded, wrapping his arm around her.

"I wish he could have saw me go to college and… start my new job." Rey nodded, "See us become a family."

"He did." Punk said, "He saw us become a family." He nodded to himself, "I think he knew all along this was gonna happen." He said, "He'd be so proud of you." He said as Rey smiled.

"He'd be proud of you." Rey looked up at him, "You don't give yourself enough credit. You or mom. Yeah, I get it. It's easy to look at me and think about everything I went through but… you and mom made a decision and… I guess now I've grew up a little, I realise how difficult it is to be an adult." She scoffed as Punk smiled, "I don't blame either of you for giving me away. Especially when you were trying to help me." She said.

"We just miss out on all the times we could have had with you growing up. I don't that guilt will ever leave." He admitted honestly.

"It shouldn't be guilt." Rey shook her head, "Look at all the memories we've made over these past few years." She said, "I'm here now. You guys have Amelia and Lily to raise. I just… got there a little quicker." She shrugged with a smile, "I'm not a bitter about that anymore."

She couldn't even remember the type of person she was anymore. She refused to let people into her life in fear of them leaving. She refused to even consider the idea of giving her parents a chance but here she was. They were the most important people in her life and she didn't know where she'd be without them.

"I owe it to Bob. He took care of you and looked after you. At first I thought he was just doing it for us. But… he was doing it for you. He loved you." Punk nodded as Rey smiled.

"I miss him." Rey frowned to herself, looking down as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, me too." Punk kissed the side of her head.

"Hey, you two coming for desert?" AJ walked into the living room.

"I would never miss desert." Rey smiled, getting up from the couch and heading on through to the kitchen as AJ looked over to Punk.

"Hey, you ok?" AJ asked him as he stood up and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Punk smiled, "You?" He cupped her cheeks as she smiled softly.

"Never better." She nodded as he pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I get more desert later, right?" Punk asked, wrapping his arm around her as she smirked.

"Phil." She scoffed as he smiled, walking on into the kitchen with her to join their family.

A/N: The end for this one! I had a blast writing it as it was something different! Thanks for reviewing and supporting. I'll be back with something else soon, probably.