Poppin' Fresh
"I don't understand, you just had a fitting!" Karen nearly cried as she tried zipping up April's wedding dress.
"I don't know." April said on the verge of tears herself.
The dress fit tight at her last fitting but she didn't think she wouldn't be able to zip it up! She had splurged on food since finding out she was pregnant but she didn't think she would have trouble getting into her extremely tight fitting dress.
"Let me see." Janet sighed walking over and trying to help Karen zip up her gown.
"You're probably just bloated." Karen insisted. "But you don't look it!"
"Yes I do." April sniffled.
"It's alright." Janet said as she held the dress together and Karen managed to get the zip up.
"I look like a cow." April burst out crying.
"No you do not." Karen assured her.
"Tell Phil I'm not getting married." April told Karen who frowned. "I can't marry him! I can barely breathe in this dress." she cried.
"Just give us a minute." Janet said to Karen who nodded.
"You do look beautiful." Karen told April then walked out of the bedroom.
"Stop this." Janet said grabbing a tissue and dabbed her daughters eyes. "The makeup lady just left and I don't know how to fix this."
"Look at me." April cried holding her arms out. "I don't even fit in my dress."
"I am looking at you, you're glowing." Janet said with a sly smile. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"
"Mom." April gasped. "Do I look that big?"
"No. But it's written all over you face. A mother knows." Janet smiled.
"Please don't say anything. We don't want everyone knowing yet-" April began and Janet wrapped her arms around her.
"You look so beautiful." Janet said holding back tears. "I can't believe my baby is having a baby."
"I can't believe my dress doesn't fit." April cried out.
"It fits." Janet assured her. "And you look breathtaking."
"I've been planning this day for months and I didn't not envision being rolled down the aisle." April said walking over to the bed and tried to sit but quickly realized she couldn't without ripping the dress.
"You have a little white dress in your closet you can change into after the ceremony. I saw it in your closet." Janet suggested.
"That's not a dress, Ma." April groaned. "That's supposed to be for the wedding night. It's silk lingerie dress."
"Look!" Janet said pulling it out. "It's long enough to cover your parts and big enough so you can breathe."
"I'm scared." April admitted.
"Everyone gets cold feet on their wedding day." Janet said brushing it off.
"It's not just that. My biggest responsibility used to be remembering to do my laundry and now I'm going to be a wife and a mother." April confessed. "What if I let this baby down? What if I let Phil down?"
"You're not built that way." Janet said simply. "You are the most loving and selfless woman I've ever known. You're going to fall into these two new rolls seamlessly. It comes natural. You won't be perfect but no one ever is."
"You think so?" April asked still crying and Janet smiled and cried herself.
"I'm so proud of you." Janet told her daughter.
"Even though I got knocked up before my wedding?" April asked teasingly as she cleaned her face with the tissue.
"We'll keep that to ourselves." Janet laughed.
Punk was tying his tie and looking in the mirror as his dad and April's father smoked cigars, already dressed.
"I don't want to smell like cigars." Punk groaned.
"She'll marry you regardless." Dan laughed.
"This is right, right?" Punk asked looking at his tie.
"Tuck it into the vest." Robert said standing up.
"Right." Punk said doing what he told him to do and buttoned his jacket.
"I think it's time we have the talk." Robert told him.
"Is this where you tell me if I hurt your daughter, you'll kill me?" Punk asked with a smirk.
"It is." Robert nodded. "But it's also where I thank you for keeping her safe. For keeping your word to me last year that you would. I trust you with my little girl and that's not something you should take lightly."
"I don't. And I'm going to protect your daughter for the rest of my life." Punk promised him.
"I know." Robert smiled slapping his shoulder. "You're a good man. You raised him well." Robert told Dan.
"I did." Dan said and Punk eyed him. "Karen helped of course." he forced out.
"She did most of the work." Punk remarked. "Your girlfriend isn't coming right? I don't need tension."
"No not after Karen chased her with a butter knife last night." Dan sighed.
"Wonderful." Punk forced out annoyed inspecting himself in the mirror.
"I haven't seen your full face in years!" Karen cheered walking into the room and noticing Punk was completely cleaned shaved.
"I promised Ape I would." Punk said. "How is my bride?" he asked his mother.
"She had a little dress issue but I think she's ok." Karen told him.
"The dress? The dress she had to have? The dress I spent over a grand on?" Punk asked.
"Don't you dare say a word. Women are sensitive about that sort of thing." Karen warned him as she straightened out his tie.
"She didn't fit in it?" Punk asked.
"She fit, we just had to stretch it a bit." Karen mumbled.
"I should go talk to her." Punk said.
"Stop." Karen told him. "She's fine. You don't have to run off every time she cries."
"She was crying?" Punk frowned.
"She's emotional today. Janet cried four times before even getting dressed." Robert told him.
"She looks absolutely beautiful." Karen smiled from ear to ear. "You did so well. I'm very proud of you."
"Yea, yea." Punk said as his mother adjusted his boutonniere next.
"I mean it. I told you when I met her she was the one." Karen reminded him proudly.
"I knew it too." Dan added proudly.
"You thought she was the help." Karen scoffed rolling her eyes.
"Shh." Punk hissed nodding towards Robert who was on his phone across the room.
"We are both very proud of the man you've become." Karen told him. "I would have your father talk to you about the responsibility of being a husband but with both know he failed at that."
"Learn from my mistakes." Dan told him. "As soon as you put that ring on April's finger that is your new world. Everything you say or do directly impacts her. Take vacation from work, surprise her with flowers once in a while and this is something you've probably heard before but I mean it, don't ever go to bed angry." he told Punk who listened intently.
"That was the best advice you've ever given him." Karen said then stepped away to speak to Robert.
"Something else you should know? She's always right." Dan whispered.
"What?" Punk asked.
"She's always right." Dan said quietly again. "No matter how wrong she is, she's right. It's easier that way. What I suggest is putting a gym or something in this palace you own and working off the frustration. You're stubborn and I've noticed so is April, just let her win the arguments it's easier that way."
"Not all of them." Punk scoffed and Dan narrowed his eyes at him. "All of them? Seriously?"
"Pick and choose and your battles but for the most part, just let her win." Dan told him. "It will save you nights on the couch and money."
"Noted." Punk said to him.
April was in her room alone as she added a bit more gloss to her lips and heard a gentle knock at the door.
"Go away! You will not see me before I walk down the aisle!" She yelled knowing it was Punk.
"I won't look." He promised. "Let me in." He whispered.
April walked over to the door and opened it on a crack.
"You can't come in." She told him.
"My mom said you were crying." Punk said to her. "I wanted to make sure you were still going to meet me at the end of the aisle."
"Your kid made me fat." She whispered through the crack.
"You're not fat." He said to her.
"Phil, I can't even sit in this dress!" She explained.
"I bet you look beautiful." He told her.
"I look like poppin' fresh!" She insisted and he laughed. "Why are you laughing?"
"Because I like poppin' fresh." He teased. "You can't not look beautiful."
"Wanna bet?" She mocked.
"Blue sweatshirt, gray sweatpants." he told her and she frowned.
"What?" She asked.
"That's what you were wearing the first time I saw you, in the interrogation room." Punk told her quietly and she smiled against the door. "Your hair was in a messy bun and you had blood all over your hands."
"I remember."S he whispered.
"I thought to myself 'this is going to be hard to do with such a beautiful woman'." He told her. "Then your eyes looked up at me and I melted. I avoided your eyes the entire time. I would marry you looking exactly like that right now."
"Really?" She asked.
"Really." He confirmed.
"You were wearing a white t-shirt. It looked so tight on you I thought if you let out a breath I thought you'd rip right out of it." She told him. "Jeans, tight jeans. I wish I had known then that you didn't believe in underwear. I had a hard time looking at you too. But I trusted you."
"Trusted me so much that you kept running off." He remarked.
"I was scared." She whispered. "I'm scared now too."
"I know you are and that's why I'm here, to make sure I don't have a runaway bride." He teased.
"I'm not running from you." April told him. "I just don't want to let you down."
"Only way you could let me down is by not walking down the aisle." He said to her.
"It is kind of funny I made such a big deal about having this perfect expensive dress and now it doesn't fit." She laughed a bit.
"Yea, my wallet is laughing too." He forced out. "Are you going to come out of there or I am going to have to carry you down the aisle?"
"I'll be there." April promised. "The two of us will meet you down the aisle."
"The two of you." He grinned.
"Get going." She urged.
"I'll see you in a few minutes, Ms. Mendez." He told her. "That's the last time I get to call you that."
April eventually made her way down the aisle and Punk had no idea what she was so upset about. She literally took his breath away. Everything about her was beautiful and he was so mesmerized he had trouble reciting the vows he was up all night writing. He even cried as he spoke to her and she was beaming. When it came to her vows she spoke from hear heart, like he did but it was very clear who the professional writer was in their family. They kissed before even given the cue to and the guests of about fifty people total applauded.
"Feel better?" Punk asked as April walked down the stairs in her white silk gown that was meant for the evening.
"I feel on display. This was my wedding night lingerie." She whispered walking over to him.
"Really?" He asked eyeing it. "Why would you buy something to wear at night? That's a waste of money." He said seriously.
"Why do you look like you're working security and not enjoying our reception?" She asked taking his hands.
"Huh? No." He said brushing it off. "I see Cena is here. I didn't invite him."
"I did. Peace offering." She shrugged.
"Right." Punk forced out.
"James Sawyer isn't-" She began.
"Don't say that name." He said placing his finger to her lips. "I don't want to hear that name until we're back from honeymoon."
"Alright." She said to him. "Only if you come get something to eat with me." She said pulling him towards the backdoor to join the rest of the party.
"Hey." John greeted walking inside before they could step outside.
"Hi John." April greeted and he just smiled at her.
"I"ll meet you outside, Ape." Punk said kissing the side of her head.
"Ok." She said nervously and eyed the two tense before stepping outside.
"Congratulations." John said to him and Punk glared at him.
"What do you want?" Punk asked him. "You didn't bring your wife, why are you here?"
"I came to talk to you." John said placing his hands inside of his pockets. "You realize locking him up on bullshit charges only pissed him off more, right?"
"James Sawyer isn't your business." Punk reminded him. "You're banned from working the case."
"You need me on the case. The only person who wants James Sawyer as badly as you do is me." John said and Punk rolled his eyes.
"This is a serious case. I can't have you and your vendetta fucking it up." Punk told him.
"Do you remember Rebecca Howding?" John asked him. "That was James's accidental sixth victim, granddaughter of Marsha Howding, wrong place, wrong time victim. He loved older women but Rebecca was a victim of timing."
"So?" Punk asked.
"So? She was pregnant." John pointed out and Punk narrowed his eyes at him.
"What is your fucking point?" Punk demanded to know.
"She was eight months pregnant and he cut-" John began.
"I don't need a rundown of the murder, I was there on the scene." Punk reminded him. "Why are you telling me this on my wedding day?"
"Because I over heard April and her mother." John informed him and Punk's eyes turned to ice. "She's carrying your kid and you know what James Sawyer will do. He'll cut your kid right out of her-" he began and Punk grabbed him by his shirt and threw him up against the wall.
"Get the fuck out of my house." Punk hissed.
"You can't keep her safe!" John yelled. "I've told you this for over a year now! You are blinded by her pretty face and big ass!"
"I will end you." Punk threatened coldly.
"It's not just her now, you have a kid that is going to be buried next to her- only positive thing out of that is that it will be a double murder charge-" John began and Punk punched him in his face.
"This was a dumb fucking game plan." Punk hissed hitting him again. "You thought I'd let you on this case if you threatened my kid and wife!"
"I'm not threatening them! James Sawyer is! You need me!" John insisted shoving Punk off of him and tackling him.
"You want to help April? Like how you tried to help her New York?" Punk asked as John hit his face now and Punk rolled them over. "Or how you tried to help yourself into her pants!"
"This is about Sawyer! No one is as invested in getting him locked up like I am!" John yelled then Punk hit him again. "You need me fighting on your side!"
"I don't trust you!" Punk yelled reminding him. "You would give her life for his and that's not an option."
"Stop!" Corey yelled pulling Punk off John as Kofi helped John up.
"Get him the fuck out of here!" Punk warned Kofi as he pointed at John.
"Phil." April frowned in the doorway and he saw his beautiful elegant wife and he knew his face was bloodied.
"I can help you." John told April. "He's too stubborn and is going to get you killed." He told her
"Out!" Punk yelled.
"I don't need an escort." John said to Corey annoyed then stormed out of the house.
"Can you give us a minute?" April asked Kofi and Corey.
"Yea I just wanted to grab the shrimp." Kofi said grabbing a tray and following Corey outside.
"You're a mess." April said grabbing a dishcloth and running the tip underwater.
"I"m sorry." He said to her and jerked his head back feeling the cut burn his lip ass he applied pressure.
"Why do you always let him get the best of you?" April asked.
"It's not about him." Punk said to her.
"I know you're scared." April told him as she kept his eyes on his but kept her hands to the cloth holding his bloody mouth. "You can admit it to me, Phil."
"With the baby it's not just you, not that losing you was an option-" He began.
"I know. The baby makes it more real. I told you when James was coming after me the first time I wasn't afraid to die. And I was fearless. I'm not anymore." She told him. "I have a life to protect now. We kind of go hand in hand for the next few months."
"I don't know what to do." He confided almost desperately. "I can't lock him up for good until he does something and I don't want you living in fear. For the first time in my career I don't know what to do and I'm scared. You don't realize but you are literally everything. You're my wife, you're carrying my child-"
"We're going to be ok." She said cutting him off and he eyed her.
"How could you possibly know that?" He asked.
"Because you're the best at what you do. I told you before we were even together how much I trusted you and I still do." She told him.
"I don't have a plan, Ape." He reminded her with shame. "I've never had a wife and kid before-"
"You're the calm one and I'm the crazy one." She reminded him with half a smile. "We're going to go on our honeymoon tomorrow. And we're going to have an amazing time. We're going to come back and live here in our new home and you're going to figure this out. You work best under pressure, like me." She gleamed a smile and he had to smirk. "I'm not scared because I know us, we're fighters."
"We are." Punk agreed.
"Our kid is going to be a fighter." She pointed out proudly.
"That makes me proud." He smirked.
"Makes me nervous. Imagine trying to ground him or her." April teased.
"Oh god." Punk groaned and smiled.
"You got blood on your shirt." April frowned.
"I'll change." Punk said gently pushing her hands off of his face.
"Don't take long, your wife still wants her first dance." She warned him. "I've been waiting to hear the DJ announce Mr. & Mrs. Brooks for twenty minutes now."
"Mrs. Brooks." He grinned eyeing her as he walked backwards out of the kitchen towards the stairs. "Say it again."
"Say what, Mr. Brooks?" She asked with a smile.
"Let's blow off the first dance and you and I can go upstairs and-" He began.
"I want my dance." She warned and he nodded.
"I wouldn't dream of letting you down, wife." He said to her and watched her face light up.
A/N: As usual, thanks for all your awesome reviews and taking the time out to write them. I appreciate it very much!