To Wish Impossible Things

"Dad!" J.R shouted running to Punk who was inside watching the Cub's game. "You said you wouldn't start the game without me!" He huffed sitting next to his father in his little league uniform.

"I was just putting it on, I was going to pause it." Punk assured his son as he ruffled his shaggy here, something he inherited from Punk. He was only 7, but everyday he was more and more like Punk.

"Can we practice after we watch?" J.R asked his dad and Punk looked down at him.

"Of course but you just had a game today. You did great. Almost a no-hitter." Punk reminded him proudly.

"I don't want almost, I want a no-hitter next time." J.R said aggravated with himself.

"J.R, you're losing the passion for the game. This is supposed to be fun and you're the only one not having fun." Punk pointed out. "I know this because I'm the coach." he added teasingly.

"I want to be the best baseball player in the world." J.R reminded his father.

"Yea you can do that but you're seven and you should be having fun." Punk told him. "I wouldn't have signed you up for it if I thought you were going to worry more than anything. There's no scouts coming to games." Punk smirked.

"Don't you want a world famous baseball playing son?" J.R asked his father seriously and Punk let out a laugh.

"Will I get free tickets to Cubs games?" Punk asked warily and J.R nodded. "That sounds awesome but I still would prefer a happy son. Let's enjoy the game, we'll have dinner then we'll throw the ball around for FUN. No drills, no keeping count."

"Alright." J.R sighed.

"You played great today." Punk said slinging his arm around his son. "You know this because your mom didn't get thrown out of the game for yelling at the umpire." he teased.

"She was pretty mute today." J.R laughed.

"That takes a lot of restraint." Punk told him seriously.

"Phil! Could you tell Mya to come in and wash up! She's in the front playing with her bike!" April yelled from the kitchen

"Oh, man! The game is starting!" J.R moaned.

"Relax." Punk smirked standing up and he opened the front door.

Punk peered around the front yard and saw Mya's bike on the front yard and walked down the stairs.

"Mya!" He yelled out as he walked down the driveway and that's when he saw her bright pink helmet.

He narrowed his eyes at his daughter who was chatting with someone in the car. They were in a friendly area and she was VERY chatty like her mother, but he didn't recognize the car. Punk swallowed the lump in his throat and headed down the driveway.

"Daddy!" Mya smiled.

"Hi, Pea." He said walking to her urgently. "Who are you talking to?"

"My friend." Mya smiled.

"We go way back." James smirked and Punk's face fell. "Come get in the car, sweetheart." James said winking at Mya.

"No." Punk said grabbing her hand.

"Daddy, he has a puppy in there." Mya grinned.

"You don't talk to strangers." Punk reminded her sternly as he kneeled in front of her.

"I was just explaining to her that we're old friends. We met years ago." James reminded Punk.

"Go inside and lock the door." Punk instructed Mya.

"No!" James yelled. "Get into the car." He said to the seven year old spitting image of April. "The puppy is really sad and wants to play with you."

"Ok." Mya smiled opening the van door and Punk went to grab her but it was like he was a ghost, he couldn't touch her.

"Mya, no!" Punk screamed and the van door shut suddenly.

"You know I'm a patient man." James smirked winking at him as he rolled up his window now and Punk tried to open the van door Mya had just crawled into.

"Mya!" Punk yelled banging on the door then the tires screeched and the van pulled away.

Punk began running after the van as fast as he could. Mya's scared little face appeared and she was banging on the window.

"Daddy! Daddy help me! Daddy!" Mya screamed and it only urged Punk to run faster but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun a vehicle.

Punk woke up abruptly and he was gasping for breath and covered in sweat. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would rip through his chest and bounce down the stairs. He didn't even pay attention to April who was sleeping next to him. He jumped out of the bed and ran across the hall and saw both babies sleeping soundly in their cribs.

"You scared the shit out of me." Dean said lowering his gun as he approached the nursery.

"Sorry." Punk said as he reached in and picked up Mya.

"Don't wake her." Dean groaned.

"I had a dream." Punk said kissing the top of Mya's head who was struggling to fall back asleep. "She's ok though."

"Yea, she is." Dean said eyeing him. "Want to talk about it?"

"Her and J.R were seven and James got Mya into his van and took off. I couldn't stop the van, I couldn't reach her." Punk said resting his cheek above her head. "She kept screaming for me to help her. But she's right here and she's ok." he said holding her close.

"What's going on?" April asked tiredly. "Did she wake up?"

"Yes." Dean lied.

"No." Punk corrected. "I just had a weird dream." He said kissing the top of Mya's head again.

"Yea? Are you alright?" She asked Punk as she gently rubbed his back.

"Yea it's fine." Punk said to her. "Just a dream."

"I'm going back to bed" Dean said excusing himself.

"I had those dreams too." She said to him.

"I barely remember the dream." He shrugged.

"You dreamed he took her again. I can't count how many times I did that myself. I felt better with both of them in my arms at night." She told him.

"I'm going to stay in here with them." Punk told her climbing into the lounge chair.

"Are you sure?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yea." He said letting Mya sleep on his chest.

"Alright." She said grabbing a blanket and placing it over him and Mya, "We are going to talk about why you had this nightmare tomorrow. If you're keeping something from me and I want to know about it."

"I'm not." He assured her.

"Uh-huh." She said in disbelief then walked out of the nursery.

The next morning Punk decided to let April sleep in before he went to work. He changed and fed both babies and by the time April got up he was already done and about to leave for work.

"I'm impressed." April said walking into the kitchen.

"I know, I've become Mr. Mom." He remarked smugly.

"Thank you." She said kissing his cheek.

"You know what's funny? You haven't bought them to the office yet." He pointed out.

"That's funny?" April asked trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"I'm just saying, they should come to the office with me- you too- so everyone can see them." He suggested.

"Why do you want us with you?" She asked warily. "What is happening?"

"Nothing." He laughed to himself. "People in the office keep asking for you and the kids."

"There's nothing for them to do there. They'd get bored and start crying." She told him.

"There's a daycare there!" Punk smiled. "They can come to work and if they get antsy we just drop them there." He shrugged.

"What have you heard about James Sawyer?" She demanded to know.

"Nothing. I know he was last seen in California and he met with some associates for weapons." He shrugged.

"But it was California." She clarified and he nodded. "You think he's coming here with all of those weapons?"

"No." He said quickly. "I don't know." He added scratching the back of his head.

"I have to take the kids into the City to go shopping. They've outgrown everything already. Your mom is meeting us for lunch, maybe after if they're not too cranky I'll bring them by." She offered.

"Why do you have to go all the way into the City? Tell my mom to come here." Punk argued.

"Dean is obviously coming with me." She laughed.

"You're going to have lunch with my mom and Dean?" Punk asked disgusted.

"We had these lunch plans a week ago." She told him.

"Make sure everything is locked up before you leave." Punk instructed.

"You're scaring me." April whispered.

"I'm sorry, I just had this shitty dream last night." He said to her.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked.

"Nope." Punk said and kissed her. "I have to get going. I'll see you at the office."

Punk rushed out the door as Dean entered the kitchen.

"He's worried." April said as she saw Punk from the kitchen window inspect around his car first before getting into it.

"He had a nightmare." Dean shrugged.

"You haven't been sleeping either." She noted. "I hear you up all night."

"It's my job to be awake and alert." Dean reminded her.

"Not around the clock." She said to him. "You both are on high alert for a reason and Phil isn't suddenly having nightmares out of nowhere."

"It's really just that." Dean shrugged. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"I'll always worry for my family. It's not just the twins, it's you and Phil too." She insisted. "Don't keep me in the dark."

"We're not." Dean said shrugging it off.

"Alright, I'm going to get their bags ready so we can go, can you keep an eye on them?" She asked.

"Easy peasy." Dean said waving it off.

At almost three in the afternoon Punk looked up from his desk and peered out the window and saw April stepping off the elevator with the double stroller and Dean in tow. His face lit up but then dropped when the first person to approach them was John. Even though he was on decent terms with John, he didn't want the guy around his wife and kids.

"They are so big." John grinned kneeling down in front of the stroller.

"Yea. Getting bigger by the hour it seems." She teased. "Your son has to be one by now?" she asked and he nodded.

"Yea." John said pulling out his phone and showing her a picture. "Maybe they can all play together one day."

"There you are." Punk greeted, cutting April off before she could respond and gave her a kiss. "They shopped til they dropped, huh?" Punk teased looking at his sleeping children.

"Yea, they ate lunch then couldn't hang." She teased.

"Is this them?" A woman asked and a small group began to huddle around.

April stepped aside as Punk spoke to his co-workers and she slunk off to John's desk.

"I heard you've been helping with James Sawyer, I wanted to thank you." April told him.

"Don't thank me. I've gone about it the wrong way for a long time but it's my only case right now so I'm giving it all of my undivided attention."

"I heard there was some news." She said to him and John nodded.

"They told you about him stocking up in California." John said.

"Yea. Phil seems to think the worst, he's glued to Mya." April told him.

"Well, we're lead to believe that's who he wants." John told her and April felt her heart fall. "I mean, that was his target at the hospital and just because he didn't get away with her doesn't mean he won't try again."

"Why?" April asked sitting next to his desk. "Why does he want my daughter."

"It all stems from his weird attraction to you." John told her honestly. "Mya as an innocent connection. Someone too young to be afraid of him or horrified by the things he's done."

"That's so creepy." She cringed.

"He's not getting back into Illinois." John assured her. "There's no way he could get in. He's the most wanted man in the state."

"But don't we want him here to catch him?" She asked.

"No. I mean, I know my old idea was baiting him with you but we can't use Mya as bait." John told her.

"What about using me?" She offered. "I won't even tell Phil about it. You can bait him with me." she whispered and John gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Punk would kill me and I'm sorry, you're not the object of his affection anymore." John informed her.

"How do I protect my children?" April asked him seriously. "And don't tell me to hide behind the Marshal services because he's outsmarted you all constantly."

"It's really the only thing you can do." John told her.

"Babe." Punk greeted walking over. "What are you doing?"

"I was just thanking John for all the hard work he's put into finding James." She said to him standing up.

"I'm taking half a day and we'll go back home together." He told her.

"Again?" She asked.

"Yea, why not? There's nothing here for me right now." Punk shrugged. "Jenny who is having a baby keeps asking me questions I can't answer so you should talk to her." he said to her.

"Sure." April smiled stepping away.

"If I have to tell you one more time to stay away from my wife-" Punk began.

"She came over here." John reasoned. "Relax. She was just asking about Sawyer. Keeping her in the dark is only going to cause her to act out. You know how she is."

"Of course I know how she is, she is MY wife." Punk remarked.

"She wanted to use herself as bait to lure James out." John told him and Punk turned his head and glared at his wife who wasn't even looking in his direction. "I told her no."

"Fuck off." Punk spat and walked off into his office.

Arriving home later that day Punk, Dean nor April noticed the man in his car parked in front of the house that was two doors down. The man watched as April grabbed one baby from the backseat and Punk grabbed the other one. The man narrowed his eyes and saw when Punk bent over to reach into the backseat he had a gun located there. When the next car pulled up and Dean got out, he had a gun strapped around his shoulder and the man narrowed his eyes. The man reached for his phone as he watched the family hurry inside.

"It's me." The man said.

"You got her?" James asked anxiously.

"No. And you neglected to mention the fact that the gentlemen in the house would be armed!" He shouted. "What do they do for a living?"

"They're Marshals." James told him honestly.

"You expected me to go in there alone and gun down two Federal US Marshals?" The man asked in disbelief. "Are you that fucking crazy or are you just stupid?"

"So, you're saying you can't do this? I already paid you half." James hissed.

"I can do it. But I'm going to need help and that's going to cost you." The man warned. "I can't just stroll in and shoot Marshal's alone. They'll take me out."

"How much more?" James asked.

"Don't play it up like you can't afford me. I know your dad left money hidden and I know you have it." The man said annoyed. "I'm going to need at least two more men. One for each, I'll take the wife out."

"Just make sure the baby girl isn't hurt." James warned

"Yes, I know." The man said to him. "You don't want the boy?"

"No." James said brushing it off.

"What happens to him? You kill his parents and take his sister?" The man asked.

"That's not really my fucking problem." James told him. "Or yours. Worry about getting the job done and less about what happens after." he said then hung up.

"Crazy bastard." The man muttered putting his phone down then pulled away.

The hitman expected to do the job tonight, but since he needed more hands it would be a few more days. The family got a reprieve...for now.

Once they were inside April put the babies into their cribs but was startled with Punk standing behind her.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Punk spat.

"What?" She asked surprised.

"You asked John about baiting Sawyer? Why do we have to have these same fucking conversations we've been having for two years?" He spat.

"I've never offered myself up as bait! But if it meant protecting my babies or you? I'd give my life for you three!" She yelled.

"It's a dumb fucking thing to offer up." He said coldly. "You're smarter than that! What if he took you up on it?"

"Then good!" She shouted. "You're keeping me in the dark about my own children! James Sawyer is a threat to my children and so help me god, I will do anything to keep them out of harms way!"

"It's not up to you to decide what to do!" He yelled back. "I am the Marshal, remember your place!" he yelled then walked out of the room and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't you talk to me like that!" She demanded pulling on his arm. "I know my place and this is MY family and I'm done playing cat and mouse with this psychopath! For two years you, Dean, the Chief, John- everyone has told me to wait it out, I'm DONE waiting it out. I'm sick of feeling like a sitting duck! If you big, tough, strong men won't do anything about it, I WILL!"

"Butt the fuck out." He warned her. "This isn't a fucking a story for you to write about, this isn't a game, this isn't like when we first met, this is dangerous. This isn't just about YOU either, this about our two kids!"

"I know! Which is why I'm confused as to why I'm the only willing to do anything about him!" She yelled and he glared at her. "If you won't stop him, I'm sure as hell going to try."

"Stop him? Do you think it's that easy? That I can just step outside and wave you around like a white flag forfeiting the war?" he asked angrily. "I have spent the last TWO YEARS of my life dedicated to finding him and locking him up or killing him. He is the hardest kind of criminal to track down because he has no connections, he has no moral compass, he has nothing to live for. He doesn't have a friend, all he has is himself."

"There has to be something he wants-" She began.

"He wants our daughter!" Punk shouted. "And you want to serve yourself up to him and give him a chance to get close to her? Over my dead fucking body. I'm not risking your life or hers!"

"We need to do something because obviously doing the same thing for the last two years- which is nothing- hasn't worked!" She screamed.

"What do you want from me!" He yelled looming over her. "I'm doing the best I fucking can!"

"It's not good enough!" She yelled back then stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door.

The yelling and door slamming seemed to have worked up the babies. Rather than chase after April who he knew wouldn't let him in the bedroom he headed into the nursery.

"Oh, you're all worked up too." Punk said picking his son up. Mya was awake but she wasn't crying. "It's alright." He told his son. "I know you don't get it but you can sense the tension and fear. I'm sorry, buddy." He said kissing the top of his head as he tried to sooth him. "I also know you think we're not paying enough attention to you but believe me, we are. It's just- your sister..." He trailed off and looked at Mya who was smiling now in her crib. "There's a bad...you'll understand when you're older. Actually I hope you never have to understand this. I hope you two never remember this." He said.

"Everything cool?" Dean asked.

"She doesn't get it." Punk said as he calmed J.R down. "She thinks I'm sitting around twiddling my thumbs waiting for Sawyer to come back."

"She's impatient and I don't blame her." Dean reasoned.

"She gets reckless when she get's impatient." Punk warned him. "You didn't know her back then but she was a fucking handful. She was always running off, running through woods-"

"I saved your life TWICE in the woods!" April shouted as she opened her bedroom door just to say that then slammed it again. Dean had to smile a bit at that.

"She doesn't think." Punk told sternly. "She thinks she's helping but she's usually just making my job more difficult!" he said with each word louder so she would overhear it. "She's going to get not just herself hurt, but our kids." He told Dean.

"Now isn't the time for this." Dean warned him quietly. "We know James is up to something."

"It's her fault. She again went behind my back and tried to fix this herself." Punk said to him. "You need to keep a close eye on her."

"She was only talking to John." Dean said waving it off.

"She knows better." Punk said to Dean annoyed. "I don't need her stirring the pot right now. We have to tread carefully."

"Want me to hang with J.R? You can go talk to her." Dean offered.

"No." Punk said walking out of the room with J.R in his arms and he skipped past their bedroom and headed down the stairs.

"He went downstairs?" April asked opening her door and Dean nodded.

"You know, April-" Dean began as she strolled into the nursery and picked up Mya then stormed back across the hall and slammed the door on Dean now.

"I can just talk to myself." Dean said to himself.