Clearing The Air

"Mommy, someone is at the door." Raimy ran into the nursery where AJ was changing James on the changing table.

"Get daddy to answer it." AJ nodded.

"Daddy is on his phone speaking to important people." Raimy said as AJ huffed.

"Stay here with your brother." AJ nodded, rushing out of the nursery and downstairs whilst Raimy stood by the changing table, creeping up on her tip toes, not being able to fully see her brother but reaching up and taking his little hand.

"I'll stay here until mommy gets back." Raimy told him sweetly.

Meanwhile AJ had rushed downstairs and opened up the door where she saw Frankie standing with a gift. She'd never had any opinions on Frankie as a person, but after realising that the stunt he pulled was intentional for her and her husband to end up in a dispute was something that really bothered her, and now she had an opinion on him.

"Hi." Frankie nodded, "Uh… this is for the little guy." He extended the gift as AJ took it from him and nodded, "I'd like to apologise for how I acted at Christmas and if… if it was me who caused you to go into labour… God, I'm so sorry." He shook his head as AJ looked across at him, "I had one too many beers, I got emotional. Me-Me and Phil, we were best friends at one point. Inseparable." He said, "Regardless of what happened, I shouldn't have told you about all of it. It was never my place and I'm sorry for… for the stress it caused you. I'm glad you and James are ok." He nodded.

"Well I think Phil was under the impression that the two of you had moved on from everything. That you could somehow, maybe become good friends again." She said, "He doesn't think that anymore." She said, "And honestly, if something had happened to my son because of my early labour, I promise I would have killed you." She nodded, "You're lucky he's perfect." She made clear as Frankie looked across at her and nodded.

"You're protective of him. I know. I would be too." Frankie said, "I just… I just wanted to apologise. I didn't mean to cause all of this-"

"But you did." AJ tilted her head, "I mean you… you told me with the intention of coming in between me and Phil." She said, "I mean it's obvious that was your intention." She said, "It's just a shame that you didn't really achieve much by doing what you did-"

"I'd just had one too many beers and I was upset." Frankie nodded as AJ just folded her arms.

"Truthfully, it's not much to do with me." She said, "Yeah, I got involved but… this is all you and Phil. Your issues."

"I was gonna ask if he was around but… he probably doesn't want to talk to me." Frankie nodded.

"You're right. He doesn't. He's still pretty heated. It's best to leave him alone for now." AJ nodded. She knew if Punk saw Frankie, he'd just lose it. It hadn't been enough time since everything happened.

"Yeah, I get it." Frankie nodded, "Well… I hope everything is good with the little guy and you're both healthy." He said as AJ nodded, "If Phil wants to talk, I'll always listen and please just tell him I am sorry." He nodded.

"I will." AJ nodded, "Thank you for this." She said, holding the gift as he just nodded and left the house. She would always act accordingly and civil, but she knew this friendship between Frankie and her husband just didn't seem like it would be able to patch itself up.

She closed the door over and headed back upstairs, walking into the nursery where Raimy was standing in the same position she'd left her in, reaching up and holing James' hand.

"Oh, thanks baby." AJ smiled at the sweet sight as Raimy smiled, "Were you talking to him?" She smiled, crouching down and tucking Raimy's hair behind her ear.

"Yeah." Raimy nodded, "I wish he could speak." She frowned.

"It'll come." AJ nodded, "Thank you for looking after him." She smiled. She felt it was important to really involve the girls in raising James, to make them closer and more affectionate towards him. Raimy was great. Vivian was a little impatient but AJ figured that was just differences in age showing.

"Can I go back downstairs and play now?" Raimy asked.

"Yeah, on you go." AJ smiled and nodded as Raimy left the nursery whilst AJ opened up the gift from Frankie, taking it out of the bag and noticing it was a snow globe with his name on it. She smiled to herself as it was very cute, and sat it over by the window where some other little teddy bears and figures sat. It was now her husband's decision if he wanted to talk to Frankie or not.

"It's probably best I don't talk with him." Punk shook his head, sitting on the sofa later that night with AJ. All the kids were in bed which meant they could have a little bit of time to relax, share some chocolate and watch rotten TV.

"I figured that." AJ nodded, "I mean clearly he's still got a lot of bottled up anger for you so-"

"Clearly." Punk nodded, "I don't have a problem with him still feeling hurt by what I did. I still feel hurt from what he did to me but… I thought we'd gotten past that scoring points, petty stage." He said, "If we can't be civil then… what's the point?" He shrugged.

"Were you roomies in the orphanage or just friends?" She asked.

"We shared a room." Punk nodded, "And we'd always get partnered up for things. We related to one another. We both were put into the orphanage when we were born. We both grew up wanting to be in some sort of law enforcement." He said.

"You want my opinion on things?" AJ asked him, her legs sprawled over him resting on his thighs.

"Always." He turned to her.

"I think he's jealous." AJ shrugged.

"Of what?" Punk shook his head.

"Of you." AJ nodded, "Think about it. You grew up and you got all the job opportunities. He has a failed marriage and you have a successful one with kids. It's probably all psychology with you guys." She said.

"My life hasn't been perfect." Punk said, "I worked hard to get my job that I'm in, and it's not been smooth sailing for you and I, has it?"

"I'm not saying that but… it might be what he is seeing." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I get it." Punk nodded. He knew where she was coming from of course.

"I mean we've… we've done well for ourselves." AJ nodded to herself, "Haven't we?"

"Yeah, I'd say we've done ok." Punk smiled and nodded.

"The sweetest thing happened today. Raimy came upstairs when I was changing James to tell me there was someone at the door, so I asked her to stay with him. When I got back up she was standing in the same position and reaching up holding his hand." AJ said as Punk smiled, "She's so sweet."

"It's weird how they're all so different." Punk said.

"I'm glad James is gonna have two big sisters to keep him in line." AJ nodded, "Less work for me."

"Y'all better not annoy him." Punk smiled.

"He's my son. I'm his mom. It's all I'm gonna do." AJ said as Punk smiled.

"How you been feeling?" Punk asked her, rubbing the bottom of her leg comfortingly as she nodded.

"Better." AJ nodded, "You know, I think I just hit a block. Us fighting, the early labour, not really being fully prepared… it got me down." She said, "But we're getting out more and, it's not like he's a difficult baby." She said, "I'm feeling much better." She assured him.

"Good." Punk smiled, listening as their front door opened.

"It's just me." Coleen said. She had a spare key.

"In here." AJ said, looking over at Punk. She hadn't spoken to Coleen since being in the hospital when she and Punk were arguing. She figured they needed to clear some air.

"I'll uh… go… I don't know, clean the kitchen." Punk shrugged, standing up to give them some privacy as Punk smiled and nodded, sitting up and turning around to Coleen.

"Hey." Coleen smiled as AJ nodded.

"Hi." AJ smiled.

"You're uh… you're not still mad with me, are you?" Coleen asked.

"No… I was never mad." AJ rolled her eyes as Coleen walked over and sat down beside her, "I-I was hormonal and me and Phil were going through our own shit… I wasn't mad with you at all." She said.

"I mean you… you're allowed to be." Coleen shrugged.

"No, I'm not. Not now. I forgave you both. The circumstances around what happened with you and Phil were understanding. You were ill, he was grieving, I get it." She nodded, "That was a difficult time for everyone. I wasn't a saint during that period either." She reminded her, "So… it's not something I'm always going to hold against you. It just came out when me and Phil were fighting and I didn't… I didn't mean it." AJ nodded.

"So you're not… you're not mad with me?" Coleen assured herself as AJ smiled.

"No, I'm not mad." AJ assured her, "You're my little sister. And we've both come too damn far to be having stupid, unexplainable arguments." She said as Coleen agreed.

"I'm so glad you're not mad with me." Coleen sighed with relief as AJ smiled. She felt like she owed her life to AJ at times. She was the one who saved her, who gave her a new start at life. To fight with her was difficult.

"I'm not." AJ nodded, "It was nothing to do with you, or me, it was Phil and Frankie and… I got caught up in it and giving birth is an emotional, strange time… I wanted to be alone and shut everyone out. Sometimes I… I go back to that place. You probably do too. That lonely, dark place where you… you feel like you can't trust anyone, even though you can." AJ said as Coleen nodded, "But I'm ok now and… we've moved on."

"Good. I feel like my parents were gonna split up." Coleen placed her hand on her chest as AJ smiled.

"No, we're fine." AJ nodded, "Honestly, we've probably had bigger arguments over more stupid things. It's marriage." She shrugged, "I'm sure Patrick's first Christmas experience with us was enough to haunt him forever." She smiled as Coleen chuckled, sitting back on the couch and taking her coat off.

"He actually loved it." Coleen nodded, having missed her daily chats with her sister, "He gets on so well with Phil and the other guys. It's nice to see." She smiled.

"He's good with the kids too. That's always a plus." AJ said.

"I know, right?" Coleen agreed, continuing to chat with her.

Punk stuck his head into the living room, smiling as he saw them both chatting and laughing away like they normally were. It was good to see them back to their normal selves.