Sense

"How are AJ and James?" Coleen smiled once Punk had gotten home. He wasn't feeling elated as he should have been. He was of course so proud and thankful for the birth of his son, but fighting with his wife in the midst of that arrival wasn't what they had really planned.

"Yeah, they're doing good." Punk nodded, "Are the girls ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, although they can't wait to see their brother again." Coleen smiled, "Neither can I. I told them we'd go in tomorrow when AJ had a good sleep." She said, "I figured that's why you came home." She said.

"I got told to go home, actually." Punk nodded, taking a bottle of water from the fridge, turning around to her.

"What?" Coleen shook her head.

"We're kind of in the middle of a fight." Punk said as Coleen shook her head.

"Right now?" She questioned, "But… what about?" She asked with confusion as Punk sat down at the kitchen table as Coleen folded her arms.

"Well… us for one." Punk ran his hands over his face.

"Us?" Coleen questioned worriedly, "What? What about us? What- Have I done something?" She asked. Her sister meant a great deal to her. She had been there for her when no one else was and had picked her up and helped her after all she'd gone through. To think she was mad with her was terrifying.

"Me and you… what happened before." Punk said, "When she was in Germany, I thought she was dead, you weren't exactly… you were ill." He said, "That situation we were in. She's mad about that." He said.

"I-" Coleen gulped, "I thought… I thought she understood. I thought we had gotten over that." She admitted, getting a horrible feeling of guilt in her stomach. It was something she wished she could have went back and changed. She was in desperate need of rehab at the time, and when she saw Punk showing her attention which she'd never had, she gloved onto that. She was ashamed but she and her sister had talked it and they had gotten through it, "Why is she bringing it up now?"

"Because of my past… things I've done… it's more me than it is you so… don't worry." Punk said, "She's putting that wall back up that I helped her bring down." He said, "And I don't think she trusts me anymore." He nodded.

"Oh, Phil. Of course she does." Coleen sighed, "I don't know a couple like you two who just… you get each other and you love each other." She said, "It's been a crazy twenty four hours, she's just gave birth, she's probably tired and not in the right state of mind to talk about whatever it is she's getting at." Coleen said.

"Well the fight started before she went into labour so…" Punk shrugged, "It's probably made her go into labour." He admitted honestly.

"Why would she start thinking this, though?" Coleen questioned.

"Because of Frankie, because of him. He came and he had a few beers and we had a fight about the past. We were young and stupid. He blew my chance at going to the CIA, the first time, and I… had an affair with his wife." Punk sighed, hating himself every time he had to say it out loud, because it wasn't who he would ever be to April, "AJ now… I guess she's scared that I'm gonna hurt her, and then of course she spoke about what happened with me and you and… I think she's wondering if she's just been a fool but… I don't love anyone like I love her."

"And she knows that." Coleen shook her head, "She hasn't had the best past either. Surely she can understand that things happen." She said, "Her hormones, her emotions… they're gonna be all over the place. Let her get a good sleep and… you guys will work it out. I know you will." She said as Punk sighed.

"I hope so." Punk nodded, "I don't want to bring the baby home whilst we're fighting." Punk sighed.

"You guys will figure it out. You always do." Coleen nodded confidently, "You… you go get some sleep too. I'll see myself out." She said as Punk nodded.

"Right." Punk nodded, "Thanks for staying with the girls." He said as Coleen just smiled and nodded.

Coleen left the house after Punk headed up to bed. Instead of going home however, she headed straight to the hospital, asking for AJ's room number and heading on down the corridor.

She walked on into the room slowly, noticing AJ sitting up with James in her arms, noticing she was breast feeding him.

"Hey." Coleen said softly, so not to scare her as AJ looked up and stared right through her, "Sorry, I know it's late but… I just wanted to come see you." Coleen smiled, closing the door over and walking on over, "You're breast feeding him." She smiled, "I thought you would have wanted Phil with you for the first one." She said.

"It's 3am." AJ sighed tiredly, "Why are you here?" She questioned, "Phil send you to come and sweet talk me?"

"N-No." Coleen shook her head, "No I came to see you and to see if you were ok. He told me about you both fighting and-"

"Because you're both so close aren't you?" AJ nodded slowly, "Why didn't you just go jump in my bed with him? Keep it warm whilst I'm here feeding his baby." She spat.

"April." Coleen said sadly, "What's gotten into you?" She questioned, "You're-You're letting this get into your head too much and this has absolutely nothing to do with me and Phil." She made clear, "What happened with us was circumstance. It was me being ill, very ill. It was him thinking his wife was dead. I know that it's horrible for you to think about but… it meant absolutely nothing and I thought we talked about it." She said.

"Yeah well maybe Phil isn't who I thought he was." AJ shrugged.

"You don't mean that." Coleen said, "Phil loves you more than anything. You know he does." She said, "Don't push him away because of… because of something Frankie said. We all have a past. Look at me and you." She said, "But Phil never, ever judges you on any of that." She said as AJ rested her head back against the pillow.

"This has nothing to do with you." AJ made clear.

"I'm trying to help you. You were there for me when I had nothing and no one. You found me. You found me and you helped me become who I am today. Thanks to you I actually have a life now. I like who I am. I have a house that I'm proud of, a job that we built together, a boyfriend who actually… knows the real me. You helped me with all of that." Coleen said, "So I can't stand you being mad at me, and I want to help you."

"I don't need any help." AJ shook her head, "I haven't needed help from anyone my entire life."

"Why are you speaking like that? Like that lonely, cold woman you became all those years ago." Coleen said as AJ looked across at her.

"I'm not." AJ defended, "Coleen, this has absolutely nothing to do with you so just… stop inserting yourself where you don't belong."

"I'm trying to help you. Phil doesn't deserve you punishing him for… for nothing? What has he even done?" She questioned.

"Always defending him." AJ nodded to herself.

"No, I'm trying to help you see sense." Coleen shook her head, "He's not done anything wrong here. We've all done terrible things before." She said, "So don't put up this wall with him because you know he'll get it down. He's the only one who can." She said as AJ looked across at her.

She knew her sister was right, putting up a wall wouldn't work because he would get it down eventually. But she felt like she was allowed to feel insecure and worried, even if she did know how much her husband loved her. She was still allowed to feel vulnerable.

"Just don't involve yourself." AJ shook her head, looking down at James who she was successfully breast feeding. She did wish she had Punk by her side to show him and be proud, but she'd stubbornly told him to leave and had done it on her own. It didn't feel the same and she regretted telling him to go away.

"I'm not trying to. I'm just trying to help. You two are better than this. You're emotional and hormonal, I get it but… this guy, Frankie, he seems like he's probably enjoyed doing this, causing this sort of commotion. Don't let him win. You know Phil loves you. He'd do absolutely anything for you and the kids. You know that."

"Of course I do." AJ said.

"Then drop this. If you're implying that you're scared he's gonna cheat on you when times get rough then just… stop yourself. He's not that type of person. I know that's rich coming from me but… I've saw how you two are, how you are together, and with the kids… there's nothing else he loves in the world like he loves you." Coleen said. She just wanted her sister to see sense and not push something so good away, especially at such a special time.

"It's still none of your business." AJ said, "I asked him to leave because I wanted to be alone. Same goes for you. I want to be alone." She made clear.

"I'll go." Coleen nodded, "But please don't hold this against him. Has he ever held anything against you? Anything you've done in your past?" She asked her as AJ just sat silently. She sat silently because she knew the answer. Her husband hadn't judged a single bone in her body at any time. He'd been her best friend, her number one supported, her councillor, someone she could always confine in no matter what the situation was. She felt bad for holding his past against him the way he had never ever done to her.

"Leave, please." AJ said as Coleen just nodded, walking over and leaning down to give James a kiss.

"He's beautiful." Coleen nodded as AJ looked down at him, "Please don't push everyone away." She sighed, placing her hand on AJ's shoulder as AJ kept her eyes on James as she fed him.

"Please just go." AJ shook her head as Coleen nodded, leaving the room and closing the door behind her as AJ sighed to herself. She just wasn't feeling herself.