Christmas Miracle

"What did you get from Santa?" Dean asked, sitting in the living room with Raimy and Vivian who had toys and all sorts of gifts lying around after a successful visit from "santa" earlier in the morning. They had woke AJ and Punk up at 6am to go downstairs and open their gifts, and they were very happy. AJ was convinced that if they had wrapped up one present for them, they'd still be happy, but it was a great feeling to be able to give them lots of nice things.

"I got a switch of my own." Vivian exclaimed happily. She hadn't put it down all day, sitting up beside her Uncle Dean, "And I got Sonic to play on it, like Raimy has."

"I've done all the levels." Raimy said cockily.

"But I just got mine." Vivian said as Dean smiled. He'd escaped to the living room whilst dinner was being served out. There were a lot of people in the kitchen and he made himself useful by taking the kids out.

"What did Santa get you?" Dean asked Raimy.

"He got me a bike." Raimy nodded, "It's got a bell." She added.

"That's cool." Dean nodded.

"Uh Dean, what did Santa bring you?" Vivian asked him as Dean chuckled a little.

"He got me lots and lots of beer." Dean nodded.

"Oh." Raimy nodded slowly.

"Beer?" Vivian made a confused face, "But why? Didn't he bring you toys?" She wondered.

"I like beer better than toys. Maybe one day you will too." Dean shrugged as Raimy and Vivian shook their heads.

"No way." Raimy said, "But he didn't bring you anything else?"

"Beer and wine." Dean nodded as Vivian looked at her sister with worry.

"Dean." Vivian said sweetly, jumping off the couch and walking over to her presents lying unopened beside the tree, picking one up which appeared to be some sort of board game, "Dean, you can have one of my toys if you like." The three year old smiled, walking over to him as Dean smiled to himself. They were sweet little girls for sure.

"Oh, no… that's yours. Santa gave me all that I asked for, it's ok." Dean assured her.

"I don't want you to be sad without any toys." Vivian sighed.

"I'm not sad." Dean shook his head, "I tell you what, after we have dinner, we'll come in here and we'll play this game. Just the three of us." He said as they both nodded.

"Hey, guys. Dinner is ready." AJ smiled as she stuck her head into the living room.

It was stressful having everyone around for dinner, but it was worth it to have everyone around. Sometimes it was an emotional day for AJ. There had been many years she had spent Christmas lying in a bed, not even realising it was Christmas. She was so grateful to be with her children, her husband and their friends and family.

AJ and Punk deliberately put Dean and Frankie on different ends of the table throughout dinner. It was the only way they managed to convince Dean still to come. AJ was no fool, she knew there was something that Punk was keeping from her. The only reason she wasn't fighting him on it was because she trusted him enough to know it probably wasn't something all that serious. She just wanted to enjoy her day with her family.

Once dinner was finished, everyone moved into the living room whilst Punk cleared everything away, with the help from Frankie who volunteered.

"Nice dinner, man." Frankie nodded, handing him some plates, "Thanks for inviting me I normally… take the Christmas shift at work but I… well I guess I never really get an invite anywhere." He admitted truthfully.

"Well it's nice to have company on Christmas." Punk nodded.

"Well it was brave of you because I know what all of your friends think of me." Frankie said as Punk turned to him, "They just think I'm the guy who… tried to ruin your career."

"Well you did." Punk nodded, "You did try to ruin my career." He said as Frankie looked across at him and nodded.

"We grew up the same. We grew up roommates in the orphanage. We were used to getting the same treatment all the time so when you got the chance to go to the CIA and I didn't… I just…. One. I was worried I was going to lose contact with you, which we did. And two, I was jealous that you managed to get there, and you did it all on your own."

"And why ruin that for me?" Punk shook his head, "Real friends are happy for each other, they don't get jealous and try to bring the other down."

"I don't know, it was stupid and foolish and we were younger then." Frankie said, "I did wrong by you but… you didn't handle the situation very well. You weren't a saint." He said as Punk nodded, "I highly doubt if I told your wife what you did when I pissed you off, she'd be sniffing you out every time you came through the door." He said as Punk turned to him.

"None of this has anything to do with April so don't… don't go there." Punk made clear, "It wasn't intentional what I did."

"Oh, please." Frankie scoffed.

"It wasn't." Punk said, "You're right. We were both young. Both petty." He said, "We don't need to fight over it anymore."

"Well your friends seem to still give me dirty looks, which gives me the impression that you aren't quite over what happened." Frankie said.

"They're looking out for me. Like real friends they actually care about me and my happiness. And they think every time you come around, something bad always happens, which I don't know… maybe they're right."

"Real friends, huh?" Frankie nodded, "So me and you we were what? Fake friends?" Frankie questioned.

"Well real friends don't stab each other in the back." Punk nodded, "None of the guys in there have ever tried to bring me down when I get some success in my life. They build me up. That's real friends." He said as Frankie nodded.

"And have you slept with any of their girlfriends?" Frankie questioned, "Like you did mine. My wife." He said as Punk turned away from him, "Multiple times?"

"Look, we invited you around because we wanted to celebrate and have you with everyone, because you've been good with us recently, good with April and the trial and everything going on, but if we can't get along now, if you've had one too many beers… you know where the door is. You're not gonna ruin my kids' Christmas by causing a scene." He said as Frankie just put his hands up.

"I'll go." Frankie said, "It's obvious you haven't gotten over what happened-"

"I got over it. You're the one picking a fight with me. You always did. Even in the orphanage. You just wanted to fight all the time." Punk said with exhaustion, "And you couldn't handle that, the academy only wanted you for your fighting ability and not so much how smart you could be. That's why I elevated to the CIA, I had a brain and I kept my fists down."

"And your dick in your pants?" Frankie asked angrily as Punk shook his head.

"You're acting like it was a one-way street. Your wife didn't love you, that was not my fault." Punk shrugged.

"Really? And how would you feel if I had an affair with April? Huh?" Frankie asked as Punk shook his head angrily.

"Just leave my house." Punk sighed, "I thought we were beyond this."

"I'm going don't worry. Where is my coat?"

"It's upstairs in my bedroom." Punk said, "Tell people you got called out to work, don't make a scene." He made clear as Frankie shook his head and left the kitchen whilst Punk sighed.

He really thought they were both beyond what had happened, but he supposed Frankie having a few drinks had perhaps brought out the truth on how he really fell, and how angry he still was.

Frankie made his way upstairs, walking around to find the bedroom which he eventually found, only because he saw AJ in it.

"Hey, I'm just… coming for my jacket." Frankie nodded, walking into the room.

"Oh, right." AJ smiled, placing her hand on her stomach, "It's here somewhere." She nodded, looking through all the jackets on the bed.

"Hey, I'll look. You… you take a seat." He nodded, "Are you feeling ok?" He asked her, noticing she was holding her stomach.

"I think I just overate." AJ laughed a little, "I should have stopped after the first plate." She nodded as Frankie laughed to himself.

"We all should have." Frankie smiled.

"Why are you leaving so soon?" AJ questioned, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "You're gonna miss all the real fun." AJ laughed to herself, "We got the girls these games but they're pretty much for us more than they are for then." She smiled.

"Oh, I…" Frankie looked across at her. He was about to say he was called to work, but he figured why should he have to lie. The anger in him just wanted to tell her, "Me and Phil aren't getting along." He told her truthfully.

"What? Why?" AJ shook her head.

"Just… the past." Frankie nodded.

"What-what happened with you two? I know Phil won't tell me because he's probably scared I'll stress over it but… I'm a big girl." She laughed to herself, "Literally in this case." She looked at her stomach as Frankie smiled.

"Uh… it's not really my place to say." Frankie milked it.

"Oh, just tell me." AJ rolled her eyes.

"When we were at a precinct working, Phil always got the promotions, he always cracked the codes, fixed the puzzles, worked really hard to be the best at his job. And he was. I won't take that away from him." Frankie said, "We both tried to get to the CIA and… when they only took Phil on and not me I… I just felt like I was constantly in his shadow, you know?" He said as AJ looked across at him, "I was young and stupid, and I… I wrote a letter to the CIA and basically told them that Phil was unfit for working there. He wasn't, but I just… I was jealous."

"Unfit like how?" AJ asked.

"Well he was a little… little bit crazy." Frankie nodded, "In a good way, though. But I… I was doing it to try and make it a negative, like he needed help, which I know is not cool in any way." Frankie said, "But it worked and they… they let him go right away." He nodded.

"Why would you do that to him?" AJ questioned.

"I was just jealous." Frankie nodded, "He eventually found out it was me and instead of you know… punching me or slapping me around he… he had an affair with my wife." He said as AJ shook her head.

"Wait-what?" AJ shook her head.

"My wife and I weren't on a good page for a long time and… I don't know if she came onto him but… he wasn't hesitant, and I know he did it because of what I did." Frankie said, "Somehow he actually still got with the CIA and… my wife and I divorced so… I guess we know who won the fight."

"He had an affair with your wife?" AJ questioned, "How long?"

"Months." Frankie said, "It was shocking to me because it just… it wasn't in his nature but I think he was so pissed at me for what I did that he… he wanted to get me back where it would really hurt." He nodded, "So I mean… not that I think he's the same person but… if you ever have a fight with him, I wouldn't be too confident in how he tries to hurt you back. Because he goes that one step too far." Frankie nodded as AJ gulped and shook her head.

"He wouldn't…. no, he wouldn't do that to me." AJ said confidently, even though it was a shock to her to hear what she was hearing.

"I… I thought he wouldn't do something like that to me either, and I've been best friends with him since I was a little kid." Frankie nodded, "I'm sure he's probably different now." Frankie said, enjoying the fear he'd now put in her.

"What's going on in here?" Punk asked as he walked into the bedroom where he saw AJ and Frankie standing.

"I was just getting my coat." Frankie nodded, grabbing his coat from the pile, "Thank you both for dinner." He nodded politely as he walked by Punk and left the room.

"What'd he say to you?" Punk turned to AJ who looked across at him, placing her hand on her stomach.

"He told me about the fight you both had." AJ said, "How you had an affair with his wife because you were mad at him?" She said in a questionable tone.

"Look… I was… I was young and stupid and he-he really hurt me, what he did-"

"So you decided to hurt him back by sleeping with his wife?" AJ shook her head, "Would you do that to me? If I hurt you somehow. If I hurt your feelings. Would you go have an affair with another woman?" AJ questioned.

"How could you even ask that?" Punk asked, "I knew he would do this. I knew he would try and tell you and that's why I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you doubting me." He said, "He was supposed to be happy for me, he was my best friend and he… he took away such a huge achievement from me."

"So you took his wife from him?" AJ shook her head, "Were you in love with her? Were you just doing it to hurt him?"

"Hold on a minute." Punk said, "I'm getting scolded from the woman who used to kill people for a corrupt government. Who would use sex to manipulate people and hurt them-"

"I didn't do it to get back at anyone else. I was doing my job." AJ said, "Don't you dare turn it around on me, like you do all the time-"

"All the time?" Punk questioned.

"Yeah. Any time you do something wrong, you call me out on my past and then I end up apologising to you-"

"No I don't." Punk said, "I never bring up your past and you know fine well I don't." He said.

"Well you did just now." AJ said.

"April, it's Christmas I don't wanna fight with you, especially not because of that guy who probably loves that he's stirred things up now." Punk said, "Dean was right, we shouldn't have invited him."

"I-I feel sorry for the poor guy. You're supposed to be his best friend and you-you sleep with his wife? Multiple times? That's disgusting." AJ shook her head, "You know… maybe you and my sister, what happened there-"

"Don't even go there-"

"No, maybe that makes sense now. Maybe you just needed to move on to the next thing and not care about who you might be hurting."

"You're out of line to bring that up." Punk warned her, "You were dead. I was raising our baby on my own-"

"So letting my sister drop to her knees in front of you was gonna help all of that?" AJ questioned.

"You don't get it. You don't know how it felt." Punk shook his head, "And this has nothing to do with any of this." He said, watching her pacing, "He's just trying to fuck things up here but we're better than that, you know we are." He said, "I would never hurt you. You know I wouldn't." He said, watching as she placed her two hands on the bed, doubling over, "April." He shook his head, listening as she let out a painful moan, "April, what's wrong?" He walked over to her, placing his hand on her back.

"It's the baby." AJ moaned painfully, feeling liquid running down her legs, "My waters have just broken." AJ said as Punk ran his hand through his hair.

"Ok, ok… just stay here." He nodded, walking over to the window and looking out at the snow covered streets. They'd had a massive downpour of snow all week and he hadn't been able to drive to work all week. He was immediately panicking.

"Oh, God." AJ moaned, sliding down the side of the bed and sitting on the floor, taking deep breaths, "You have to… you have to get me to hospital." She panted. She knew she was in labour. She just had that sense. She was three weeks from her due date, so she was slightly worried that something was wrong.

"Ok, just stay here." Punk nodded.

"No, where are you going?" AJ worried.

"Just downstairs, I'll be back." Punk said, running out of the room, flying down the stairs, "Uh… April, April is in labour." Punk told the room as they all fell silent in the midst of playing a game, "Upstairs." He said.

"I'll try and start the car." Dean nodded, running off and outside as Punk nodded.

"Call an ambulance." Eve nodded, "Is she ok? Will I go up?"

"Has her waters broke?" Coleen asked as Punk nodded.

"I'll… I'll take the girls outside." Seth nodded, "Hey, let's go build a snow man in the dark." He told them both as they were sold on the idea and ran out to the kitchen.

"What if the car doesn't start?" Punk asked Eve.

"I'll get some blankets." Eve nodded.

"What?" Punk asked horrified and worried.

"Phil, just go upstairs and stay with her." Eve told him as Punk just nodded.

"The wheels are just spinning on the car." Dean stuck his head in the front door as Punk ran his hand through his hair.

"Phil!" AJ exclaimed from upstairs as Punk ran back upstairs, bursting back into their bedroom where AJ was on her hands and knees, "This baby is coming right now."

"Right now?" Punk asked her as she nodded.

"Right now." AJ moaned painfully, "Is there… is there someone coming?" AJ asked.

"Ok, Eve called an ambulance, so they-they'll be on their way." Punk nodded, crouching down in front of her, "It's gonna be fine." He nodded, trying to get himself together. He knew he was no use to her if he was running around headless, "Look at me." He cupped her cheeks as she looked up, "It's gonna be fine. I'm right here." He nodded, kissing her cheek as she cried out painfully.

"The ambulance can't get out." Eve rushed into the bedroom with blankets, hot water and anything else of use that she could fine, "But they're sending EMT's in a car, they gave me a run-down of things to do if they don't get here in time so… let's just pretend we all know how to do all of this." She said.

"You're going to do it?" AJ asked her.

"Would you rather Dean?" Eve asked her as AJ groaned to herself.

"I want to push." AJ cried, kneeling on her knees, placing her hands on Punk's thighs and resting her head on his shoulder, all the while Eve took care of her bottom end, "Have you done this before?" AJ asked Eve.

"I'm not a midwife on the side. No, of course not." Eve said, taking AJ's pants down as AJ cried to herself.

"Hey it's gonna be fine. Eve did a… a course in medical one time, didn't you?" Punk looked over to Eve.

"Yeah, I know some stuff." Eve nodded as AJ nodded.

"I need to push." AJ shook her head, moaning loudly through a contraction as Dean burst into the room.

"Can I do anything to help?" He asked.

"Get out!" AJ yelled through her moaning as Dean immediately left the room again, "Why… why do bad things always happen when we fight." AJ moaned, resting her head on Punk's shoulder.

"It's fine. I'm here, it's gonna be ok." Punk nodded, "We're gonna get the baby out safely, ok?" He assured her.

"Ok. You… you need to push." Eve nodded, "We can't wait." Eve said. She didn't know much, but she knew enough to know AJ wouldn't make it until the EMT's arrived.

"Be careful with it!" AJ snapped at Eve as Eve just ignored her.

"Ok, push." Eve nodded as AJ knelt on her knees, her hands holding onto Punk's as he crouched in front of her as she pushed and groaned painfully.

"That's it, you're doing good." Punk assured her, holding her hands, looking across at Eve who thankfully was focused and probably the best person around for the job. She was very calm in situations like this, which was helpful.

"Ok, keep doing that, April." Eve nodded as AJ pushed again, grabbing Punk's shoulders in front of her, holding her head down as she pushed and yelled loudly.

"I didn't know birth sounded like that." Dean admitted, standing at the bottom of the stairs with Coleen and Patrick.

"Why can she never give birth normally?" Coleen shook her head, "Apart from Vivian."

"I don't think she can help it." Patrick laughed to himself, "Hopefully the EMT's arrive and can get her any immediate help she needs."

"This is how they did it in the 50's right?" Dean questioned, "In the house, no real help." Dean said, "She'll be fine." He said calmly.

"It's more about the baby, though. Isn't it?" Patrick nodded.

"Let's just be positive. Yeah?" Coleen nodded.

"Hey…" Dean looked around, "Where is Frankie?" He asked, "Is he out with Seth and the girls?"

"Uh no… I think I saw him leave not that long ago." Coleen said calmly, listening as they continued to hear the sound of AJ's crying and yelling.

"I thought people said birth was beautiful." Dean said, "That sounds like a murder."

"After it is." Coleen assumed.

Meanwhile AJ was continuing to soar through her labour, in the final stages, kneeling up and holding Punk's hands in front of her whilst Eve knelt behind doing the hard work.

"Nearly there." Eve smiled, "Almost there." She nodded

"Come on, you can do this." Punk kissed her sweaty head as AJ nodded, squeezing his hands and giving a final, painful push, her body shaking as she collapsed against Punk's body in a heap, her ears picking up on the crying from a baby, crying with relief as Punk smiled.

"It's a boy." Eve nodded, cutting the chord, cleaning the baby boy up and making sure his airways were all clear, wrapping him up as AJ cried against Punk.

"You did it." Punk laughed to himself in awe, kissing her cheek as she looked up from his shoulder, turning around as Eve shuffled over to them, holding the baby boy who was crying loudly.

"He's beautiful." Eve smiled tearfully as Punk helped AJ to sit down, leaning against him in between his legs as she reached out for the baby, taking him from Eve as they both looked down at him.

AJ cried to herself as Punk looked down, stroking the baby boys cheek and shaking his head with amazement at such a surprising arrival.

"Hi, baby." AJ cooed quietly, "Hi." She cried, looking down at the perfect baby as Punk smiled, sitting with AJ in between his legs, holding the baby boy.

"AJ, you feel ok?" Eve made sure.

"I'm ok." AJ nodded, "Thank you." She shook her head as Eve smiled and nodded.

"I'll tell everyone the good news." Eve smiled, getting up from the floor and leaving the room as AJ looked down at the baby boy.

"He's perfect." AJ shook her head, crying happily as Punk smiled, kissing her cheek as she cupped his face from behind, not being able to do it without his support and being in his arms.

"I love you." Punk nodded as she tilted her head back, kissing him softly whilst the baby boy quietened down and looked up at them.

"You're so perfect." AJ shook her head, looking back down to the baby boy who was so perfect and small, the best little bundle ever.

AJ and Punk were left in their own little moment, staring on at their baby boy with so much love, when they heard the door open back up, watching as Eve brought the girls into the room as AJ smiled. The room wasn't as messy as she thought, mostly because Eve had put towels down. It was safe for their daughter's to come meet their brother for sure.

"Hey." Punk smiled as the girls stood at the door.

"Is that my baby?" Vivian questioned.

"Your baby brother." AJ nodded, "Come see." She said as the girls walked over to take a look at their new brother.

"He's so small." Raimy smiled.

"Oh, he's cute." Vivian smiled, "It's like the baby Jesus." She exclaimed as Punk and AJ chuckled, as well as everyone else who were sticking their head in.

"We're not naming him that." Punk made clear as AJ smiled.

"What is his name then?" Raimy asked, stroking the baby's head softly and smiling to herself.

"His name is James."