Punk had gotten up early the next morning with Tate, Thomas and a squealing Jessie who was full of all kinds of energy, bouncing on her fathers lap at the kitchen table while Tate and Thomas enjoyed their breakfast.
"What we doing today, dad?" Thomas asked his father as Punk made funny faces to Jessie who smiled at her father. Unfortunately she would have to wait until AJ got up to be fed, Punk didn't really have the right equipment.
"I don't know." Punk shrugged, "What do you guys want to do?" Punk asked them.
"Can we go on the rope swing again?" Tate asked with hope.
"No, no that was just a one off, yeah?" Punk told them, "Why don't you both go outside and play just now, just until mom wakes up." He asked them as they nodded, leaving their empty bowls of cereal and heading out to the back garden to play around. Unfortunately, unlike Philadelphia, there was no swing set and chute, they had to leave all that behind, but Punk promised the boys he would buy them both a better swing set soon, when he got a few weeks pay in his bank.
Punk took Jessie with him as he walked through the living room and into his and AJ's room, seeing AJ lying in bed awake.
"I think someone is hungry." Punk said, watching AJ sit up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and taking Jessie from Punk into her arms, sorting herself in a position to feed her daughter. She wished she had just decided to go with formula, she didn't want to just randomly start giving Jessie milk from the bottle, plus, breastfeeding was meant to be the better option.
"Are Tate and Thomas ok?" AJ asked Punk.
"Yeah, they've just had their breakfast and they're out the back playing. They're asking what we're doing today." Punk chuckled.
"What are we doing today?" AJ asked her husband as her daughter nestled into her, enjoying her morning feed.
"Why don't we, pack the car up, take a picnic, a ball, a frisbee, I don't know… and go to a park. It's a nice day outside, would be a shame to spoil it." Punk said as AJ smiled.
"Sounds great." AJ nodded, "Let me feed her and take a shower. You could make a start on making the picnic and packing the car up." AJ said as Punk nodded, leaning forward and kissing her head softly, cupping the back of Jessie's head too, so soft and velvety. She really was the perfect little thing.
Punk proceeded to go on and make some sandwiches, pack some chips and other food items appropriate for a picnic, with the help of Tate and Thomas of course.
"Can we take these?" Thomas asked, a handful of chocolate bars in his hand as he looked up at his father.
"How about you both just pick one each, yeah? Not the full lot." He said as Thomas shrugged, picking out his most desired candy bar as well as Tate, putting that into the picnic bag.
"Ok, go get any balls or toys you want to take with you from the back garden." Punk told them, heading through the living room again, picking the delivered newspaper up on his way and entering his and AJ's bedroom, gutted that he had just missed her put all her clothes on from coming out of her shower.
"Oh, is that your column?" AJ asked her husband, little Jessie lying in the middle of the bed contently, happy now that she had been fed, ready for her daytime nap soon.
"Yeah." Punk nodded, looking at the paper, some other headline attracting him more than his own column.
"Well...let's see." AJ said, extending her hand out to take the paper from him.
"They've both been jailed." Punk read the paper about Tim and Jenny being arrested, surprised to have seen it in the paper, thinking again and realising it made sense to put it in the paper, some people probably found it interesting and insanely delusional that a man had tried to take a newborn baby girl of two hours from the hospital.
"What are you talking about?" AJ asked Punk with confusion.
"Look. Page four." He passed the paper to his wife as she took it and read, "I thought you said it was only Tim?" Punk asked.
"It was." AJ said, "He must have… he must have taken her down with him." AJ said with a smile, "Probably the only decent thing he's ever done, taking that bitch down with him." AJ laughed coldly.
"Won't they need us for evidence and statements for the court trials?" Punk asked his wife.
"Nah." AJ shook her head, putting the paper down, "They have enough evidence. Plus, they'll know what he's like, he's got a criminal record, been in jail before." AJ said, "But… let's just forget about that." She waved her hand at the paper, "They're both locked up. Where they belong." AJ said as Punk nodded.
Later that day…
It was such a beautiful, sunny day and there was no place AJ would have rather been than sitting on a picnic blanket in a public park, little Jessie fast asleep under her shaded stroller, her husband playing football with their sons. It was just perfect. Although, she was worried that Tate and Thomas were having so much fun with their father, that they forgot it was time for lunch.
"Boys… come get your lunch." AJ called them over, many other families and couples doing the exact same as them.
Tate and Thomas ran ahead when their mother called them, taking a seat on the picnic blanket and reaching for the made sandwiches and juice boxes while Punk strolled behind, taking a seat beside her and peeping into Jessie's stroller.
"I forgot how much baby's sleep." Punk said, turning his head to AJ who smiled.
"Well I for one am going to enjoy her sleeping all the time, in a few months she's going to be crawling and screaming, pulling your hair and cheeks." She chuckled as Punk laughed.
"And I can't wait." He smiled, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
"I'm so glad they're both jailed." AJ said, "How long do you think they'll get?" AJ asked her husband.
"For attempted kidnap? God… eight years, at the least." Punk shrugged, "They're fucking animals, behind those bars are where they belong." Punk said, "We're safe now." Punk smiled as she nodded with a happy sigh.
"We are." AJ agreed, listening as Jessie began to let out little whimpers from her stroller, not particularly hungry, but just eager to look around and see where she was.
Punk knelt up and lifted her from the shaded stroller, sitting back down with her tucked into him, her little eyes looking over his shoulder at the people behind and beside them.
"You being nosey? Huh?" AJ chuckled, watching Jessie look around, intrigued by the public and the greenery.
"Cool. Jessie's awake." Tate tapped Thomas, both of them making their way over to see their sister, holding her hand as she bounced her little feet on Punks thighs, smiling at her brothers.
"Hey, you're daddy's little princess. Aren't you?" Punk pressed a kiss in against Jessie's cheek as she kept her eyes on her brothers while Punk held her under her arms, her little legs continuing to bend as she bounced on Punks thighs. She really was capable of brightening up anyones day.
Later that night…
"Boys are asleep. Jessie is asleep. Which means I get to sit down and do nothing." AJ smiled, walking out onto the porch where she found Punk sitting on the swinging chair, taking a seat next to him and leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Tired?" Punk asked her, brushing her hair from her face.
"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I'm dreading starting work next week." AJ sighed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Oh, be quiet. You'll be great. Like you always." Punk smiled.
"I'm just not used to working in an office. I liked working at home." AJ sighed, "And I'm going to miss the kids." She pouted.
"You'll be fine. I'll be there to drop you off and pick you up." Punk said, being just as supportive for his wife as she was for him.
"Do you… remember, up on the rooftop at the hospital, you asked me to help you find the better place?" AJ asked Punk who recalled it very well.
"Yeah, of course I do." Punk nodded.
"I think we found it." AJ looked up at him with a smile.
"No…" Punk shook his head, "It wasn't about finding the better place, it was about finding that person, finding each other. And we did… and I thank the god I don't believe in every day, every minute… that I bumped into you in that hospital. Because, I couldn't imagine my life without you." Punk smiled.
"I love you so much." AJ said, reaching up and cupping his cheek, pressing her lips against his for a soft, gentle, meaningful kiss.
"I love you too." Punk said after pulling back from the kiss, feeling AJ lay her head down on his chest as they swung back and forth slowly, pointing out the stars to one another and enjoying the peaceful, beautiful surrounding.
Unfortunately guys, we are coming to an end to this story. I didn't plan to make it such a long story, it was always going to be a short sequel, but I hope you have enjoyed the little extended sequel I've written as much as I did. Only one more chapter to go to sum up this weird, wonderful and crazy story. Thanks for all the REVIEWS and support. So appreciative of it all. Enjoy the last chapter which should be up soon. Much love. - Lauren.