Taking You Down
Punk and AJ stayed at Dean and Anna's house for pizza along with the kids. They thought it was important that Dean and Anna didn't feel so alone at this time. It must have been so difficult for them, and they just wanted to be there for them. Keala was keeping them laughing and every now and then they spotted Anna giving Frankie a hug as he sat on her lap. It was unfair they had to go through this for no reason, but they had the support and love from their family, their real family.
Just as AJ and Punk were getting ready to leave, there was a knock at the front door which Anna offered to go answer.
AJ was helping Keala put her coat and converse on whilst Punk lifted up a sleeping Frankie from the couch into his arms.
"Hey, everyone." Paige nodded as she walked into the living room after Anna let her in and told her to go through. Dean looked up with confusion, and for a second he immediately thought something was wrong with CJ. His mind was in such a negative place that it automatically went there.
"Where is CJ?" Dean asked.
"He's staying with a friend." Paige nodded as Dean sighed, "I… I really wouldn't have come here and bothered you right now if I didn't think I had to." She said as Anna walked over to Dean as they looked on at her.
"You ok?" Dean asked her with confusion.
"I'm fine." Paige assured him, "But I went to the garage." She said, "I… It was stupid of me to assume you'd be there working, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you both… and that anything you need, I'll be there." She said as Anna smiled and nodded, "And then I… I heard Sam, your boss in his office." She said as Punk's facial features dropped as he looked over at her.
"Saying what?" Punk asked, passing Frankie to AJ who took their son in her arms slowly. Keala had wandered away out to the front door.
"I… I overheard him saying things like… it's what they deserve, she's safer with you… uh… they really think they're gonna win." Paige recited as Dean put his hands on his hips as Punk's nose twitched, "I definitely heard him say Jean." She nodded, "And that the custody war was like comparing a rat to a… lion." Paige said as Anna just shook her head.
"What… why would he be calling my mom and saying that?" Anna shook her head.
"I'm gonna kill him." Dean nodded, very seriously but very calmly also.
"It definitely sounded like they knew each other. I mean, he was calling her by her name." Paige shrugged, "I couldn't keep that to myself. I had to come tell you straight away." She nodded. She wasn't close to them by any means, but she had the decency and respect for her son's father, to come and tell him what she had heard.
"Thank you." Dean nodded to her.
"What the fuck is he playing at?" Punk spat, "Wasn't that beating enough for him? Does he want me to unleash dad on him?" He shook his head, "Fucking idiot won't be able to walk."
"But why would he do this? Why would he have my mom's number?" Anna asked, trying to find the sense in it all and avoid being angry. She just wanted answers at this point.
"Maybe your mom knows him and she's asked him to… I don't know, keep a look out." AJ added, "Seems fitting."
"Really? That little weasel?" Punk asked as AJ shrugged.
"Can we use this in court?" Anna asked.
"Judge might dismiss on relevance and… it's your mother's word against ours. She could easily say she was just talking with a friend." AJ shrugged.
"But she was talking about the case and taking Skyler from us." Anna said, "Surely that stands for something."
"I can… I can see what I can do, I could work it in somewhere I guess." AJ nodded. She was trying her best to present the best fight possible for Dean and Anna, and she felt a lot of pressure for it. She felt responsible now for getting their baby back and that was a lot to carry with.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come with better news." Paige said.
"No, thanks for telling us." Anna nodded.
"Anything I can do, just call." Paige said as Dean and Anna nodded, watching as she left the house out of the already opened door.
"Ignore all the shit going on around you. All the people all the talking." Punk nodded, "That's where she's gonna slip up." He said, "Right?" He turned to AJ who was still holding Frankie in her arms who was fast asleep.
"Yeah." AJ agreed, "It's just more we can throw at her. Ignore Sam. Both of you just continue to stay away from him. Play dumb." She told Punk and Dean who just nodded.
"Hey, where is Keala?" Punk asked AJ, noticing their daughter had disappeared from the living room, walking out into the hallway where she wasn't anywhere around, "Keal?" Punk called up the stairs as AJ walked out into the hallway, "Keala?" Punk called again, turning to AJ who just gulped.
"Where is she?" Dean asked, walking out into the hallway as Punk walked down the hall and out of the front door, opening up and sighing with relief as he saw her sitting on the front step, trying to draw on the steps with a stone she'd found.
"Who said you could come out here?" Punk asked her as Keala looked up, "Didn't you hear me?"
"No." Keala said, "I was just waiting for you to stop talking." Keala told him as AJ sighed with relief and shook her head as Dean just smiled.
"Stay inside for me, yeah?" Punk asked her as Keala just shrugged and nodded, standing up and dusting her hands off as they said goodbye to Dean and Anna.
"Early night?" Punk smiled, walking out of the bathroom in their bedroom after showering, walking around the room whilst AJ already lay in bed, her glasses on with some papers on her lap which were related to the case.
"Yeah, I'm exhausted." AJ sighed to herself, placing the papers over onto the night stand, tilting her glasses down a little as she watched her husband drop his towel and pull some boxers on, "Little more awake now." She mumbled to herself as he gave her a smirk over his shoulder and collapsed back down beside her.
"I hope this isn't completely stressing you out." Punk said, turning to her as she just shook her head.
"No, I gotta do it." AJ nodded, "I'd be wrong to have another lawyer help them. It's my niece. I want her back here. I never even got to meet her." She shook her head as Punk nodded.
"We'll get her back." Punk said, "I just… not that I'm thinking of the worst, and I'd never say this in front of Dean, but if this court case doesn't go the way you want it to, you don't get to feel guilty or responsible, ok?" He made sure she knew.
"She's not going to win." AJ said.
"I know, but… for a second let's say that something comes up, you know how unpredictable court can be. She's gonna lose, one way or the other, at one point, but… I don't want you to feel responsible for things not going right. That's way too heavy on your shoulders, and it's not your fault." Punk said as she nodded.
"I know. I know it wouldn't be my fault." AJ nodded, "I just… can't imagine how they're feeling, so if this is one thing I can do to help them, then I'm gonna do it." She said, "Just imagining waking up and Keala or Frankie being taken from us and… not being able to do anything about it…" She shook her head as Punk nodded, "I don't know how they're holding up so well."
"I think they're struggling." Punk said, "That's why I wanted to stay for dinner, just to… be there for them." Punk said, "And that stupid little dick in work is gonna get it-"
"No, he's not." AJ said, "Pretend Sam doesn't exist. I don't know what the deal is with him and Jean, but it's better we play dumb than go raising hell." She said, "Everything has consequences now. You need to behave too." She nodded.
"He deserves another beating." Punk moaned like a child.
"He'll get what he deserves, don't worry about that. But trust me, we're better off ignoring him completely." AJ said as Punk just sighed, "Honestly I'm more nervous about Anna and Dean going to New York to visit Skyler. I'm hoping Jean isn't there. I-I don't think they'd be able to hold back. And that'll mess up the case if something goes down." AJ said.
"Maybe one of us should go with them." Punk said, "Not to give them the impression that we're babysitting them but just to… make sure nothing happens." He shrugged as AJ nodded.
"Yeah, that's a good idea actually." AJ said, "You'd probably be best to go. You're good at calming people down. And I should stay here and work on the layout of things." She nodded.
"You be ok with the kids?" Punk asked her.
"You'll be gone for a night. I think I'll be ok." She smiled, cupping his cheek as he just shrugged.
"You know I don't think I've ever spent a night away from you or the kids, I mean besides our honeymoon… but I've never been on my own somewhere." He said as she frowned.
"Oh, baby. I'm sure you'll be ok." She smiled, "You lasted a few years without me before. You can do a night." She nodded.
"I don't think so." Punk moaned a little, shuffling over and resting his head on her lap as she smiled and played with his hair, massaging her hands through his head, "I feel like a shit brother." He admitted to her.
"What?" AJ shook her head, "Why?"
"I feel like I should be doing something to make a difference. And all I can do is just say everything will be ok, but… how do I even know that. When I was on death row, Dean was out there with you every day trying to prove a full justice system wrong. I feel like I'm not doing anything for him in return-"
"Hey, that is different." AJ said, "We had no choice, and you being on death row was a very different situation. Life or death type of situation. We're lucky we're not in that scenario and we have some hope. You being there for Dean is enough. It always will be. It's been that way since you were little, right?" She said as Punk nodded, "In this case, all you can do is just be there for them both and keep them cool. I know you might feel hopeless but… he doesn't need you to beat anyone up for him. As much as it may… help you a little, he just needs support and he's got it."
"He was so nervous about all of this." Punk sighed as she played with his hair, "He was nervous about having a daughter. A baby. And he's not even getting the chance to… to prove to himself he can do it. Which I know he can." Punk said, "I just think it sucks."
"Yeah, it does." AJ sighed, "But we'll take them down in court. The judge is gonna see that there is… no problem what so ever with Dean or Anna and she will grant them full custody. I know it." She nodded as Punk sighed.
"I hope so." Punk said, "I'd throw her and Sam into a pit of fire, piss in the opposite direction." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows and then nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, people who have way too much time on their hands to go out their way and… and ruin other people's lives. Especially your own daughter." She shook her head.
"What if it doesn't go well in court?" Punk asked her, "I've never even saw you in action in court." He realised.
"You're in for a treat." She smiled, "If everything goes the way I assume it will, it will go fine, we'll win the judge over. I see these cases all the time. The judge always thinks the best option is for the baby to be with the mother and father. There'd have to be real significant reasons not to grant custody-"
"Reasons like them being on drugs?" Punk said.
"Well, when Anna testifies I can present the judge with her medical files. You know they took blood throughout a pregnancy every now and then, I've got those reports which of course show no drugs in her system. Which makes it extremely suspicious that they all of a sudden appeared right at the birth." AJ said, "I've also got Dean's old AA mentor to testify to him being sober for six years." She said, "So the drug thing is… irrelevant to me at this point."
"Look at you go." Punk smiled, "I wouldn't wanna be the opposition."
"No, I wouldn't either." AJ shook her head, "These cases always annoy me anyway but… this is my niece. She's not taking her. She's not walking out there with any chip on her shoulder." AJ shook her head as Punk nodded, "I'm taking her down."
A/N: Let me know what you think! Coming up: visit to New York with Punk, Dean and Anna. Will Jean be there? AJ works on the case. The case itself which of course won't go smoothly. What will happen?
