Chapter 2: Behaving

The following Saturday Punk arrived at the house show sans Amy and was looking forward to seeing AJ. She hadn't returned his calls and messages and he really didn't blame her. He kept picturing her pained face every time he closed his eyes. She was the one good thing he had in his life and now he felt as if he tainted her. He knew she was hurt and so was he the difference was he wasn't alone- she was.

Punk was in the locker room wrapping his hands for the event when he saw Dolph and Big E enter with their bags. He knew AJ would be traveling with them to the show.

"What's up Punk?" E asked nodding his head towards the former champion

"Hey" Punk said gruffly "Just get in?"

"We would have been an hour ago but someone doesn't know how to change a tire" Dolph laughed pointing towards Big E

"Why don't you know how to change a tire?" E countered

"These are too pretty for grit word" Dolph teased holding up his perfectly manicured hands

"Luckily for us little AJ knew how to change one" E said to Punk with a laugh and Punk just chuckled. Of course AJ would know how to change a tire, she always surprised him.

"Speaking of the spitfire she around?" Punk asked standing up "I've got that comic book she's been asking for"

"Yea she was heading to the locker room but stop with the comics. She reads them out loud during the car ride and it's a long way to the next City" Dolph said seriously "Just take her with you if that's going to be the case" Punk would in a heartbeat. He just offered a smirk and headed out of the locker room.

Punk headed towards the Diva's locker room and was about to knock when he decided not to. If AJ wanted space he didn't want to force himself on her. He wished Wrestlemania was closer so he could be gone and know he wouldn't be able to hurt her anymore. He decided to head towards catering but stopped when he heard a familiar voice arguing into a phone. He peeked over and saw little AJ pacing back and forth by some crates.

"…because I don't want you in my apartment when I'm not there….oh please don't flatter yourself" she laughed bitterly "…it's not funny! Not everything is a joke!...how do I know you won't take my comics?...they're very important to me…yes obviously…no you cannot bring her with you! Are you insane? Do you remember the threatening messages she sent me?...this is why I have to be there I don't want you and your new girlfriend pawing through my stuff…I won't be back until after Wrestlemania…well sorry some of us actually have a job-" she stopped talking and made an odd face "hello?" she looked at her phone in disbelief "I can't believe that bastard hung up on me" she mumbled

"You ok?" Punk asked holding back a laugh

"Oh wonderful" she smirked "Trent wants me to leave him a key to my place so him and his new girlfriend can go pick up his things."

"Maybe you should." Punk suggested walking over to her "Do you really want to be around either of them?"

"There are other people I'd rather spend time with but I really don't trust them in my place unsupervised" AJ said to him

"I can go if you want" Punk offered and AJ gave him a sympathetic smile "I'll make sure they stay out of your comics and underwear drawer"

"That's very nice of you to offer but I've got it under control" AJ said placing her phone into her back pocket "I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you-"

"It's fine" Punk said cutting her off "I get it"

"I'm not avoiding you" she assured him "I just needed time myself"

"How's that working out for you?" Punk questioned

"It's good" she said to him "How are things with you?"

"My mind isn't clear yet that'll come in a few weeks" Punk said to her

"I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for" AJ said to him sweetly and he smiled at her response

"Me too" he said seriously "Look come with me tonight" AJ just widened her eyes in surprise "That's not what I meant" he said quickly then laughed feeling embarrassed "I mean travel with me to the next show. Kofi isn't on this tour, Amy is in Atlanta and we can use this time to catch up and just talk"

"What is there to talk about?" AJ asked him

"I don't know" he shrugged "the weather, the new Batman game, you can list all of the pokemon for me" he smirked causing her to smile "I just miss being around you. What do you say?"

"Ok" she said confidently

"And I know you'll come in handy if one of my tires blow" Punk added to ease the awkward tension that had been created

"Heard about that huh?" AJ asked and he nodded "I could use a break from those two" she said to him

"Now you have it" Punk said to her "I'll meet you at the bus after the show just let yourself on"

"Alright I'll see you later" she said and that's when her phone began to ring again and groaned "I've got to take this"

"Sure" he said then turned and walked away. He was looking down at his phone when ran right into someone

"You really do think you're invincible" Randy Orton snarled at the former champion

"Oh shit sorry Randall" Punk said mockingly as he placed his phone into pocket "I didn't see you there then again does anyone see you at all anymore?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Randy asked him curiously

"I just think it's a shame you didn't make the Wrestlemania card this year" Punk shrugged innocently

"I'm on the card" Randy spat

"Oh I heard that got bumped to the pre-show" Punk laughed "My mistake. But hey opening match isn't a bad thing someone has to do it"

"Right" Randy smirked "We'll see where you are this time next year"

"I don't know" Punk said seriously "But I'll tell you where I won't be- opening the show. I'd rather not be on it at all" he laughed "But hey it's a great spot and I hear you're putting over the new guys. Good for you Randall!" that's when AJ walked by passing by the two

"Hey AJ" Randy smirked at her waving towards her

"Hi" she said with surprised smile. Randy never spoke to her- ever. She continued walking by and Randy made sure to tilt his head to good look at her from behind. Once she was out of sight Randy looked towards Punk

"I'm sorry were you saying something?" Randy asked with a broad smile "When someone so pretty passes me I tend to pause and admire"

"Just watch where you're going next time" Punk said annoyed and passed Randy but made sure to bump his shoulder in the process. Randy just smiled at Punk's reaction.

"How's Amy?" Randy asked causing Punk to stop and turn in Randy's direction again

"What?" Punk asked annoyed that he was continuing this conversation

"How's Amy?" Randy repeated "You two are still together right?"

"What's it to you?" Punk asked annoyed taking a step towards him. First he was checking out AJ and now he was asking about Amy…his list of reasons to hate Randy just kept piling up.

"Amy is a good friend of mine" Randy reminded him "I was just wondering" he defended with a grin

"Give her a call yourself then I don't discuss my girlfriend with other men" Punk spat

"You wouldn't mind?" Randy asked and Punk laughed

"No Randall I don't. You don't intimidate me professionally or personally." Punk said still laughing. Randy's smile faded as Punk continued to laugh as he headed down the hall.

After his match Punk's entire body aching. He couldn't even sling his bag over his shoulder and once he made it to the bus the pain lessened upon seeing AJ already there reading a comic and dressed down for the night.

"I got your heating pad all ready for you" she said holding it up and he smiled dropping his bag

"We're good to go" Punk said to the driver then locked the bus doors. He took a seat on the couch next to AJ and leaned forward so she could place heating pad on his back for him.

"How bad is it?" AJ asked him

"It's not too bad" he lied "Thanks for helping"

"That's what friends are for" AJ said to him simply

"I don't know how much I have left in me" he confided

"Don't kill yourself" AJ said to him "You've worked your entire life I'd hate to see you not able to enjoy your retirement because you overdid it in the ring"

"I don't know how to do anything half assed" he admitted "And I don't want to"

"Well I don't want you in pain" AJ argued "Maybe these few months off aren't such a bad idea after all"

"Yea" Punk groaned

"So what was going on with you and Randy earlier?" AJ asked him

"Hmm?" Punk asked he had almost forgotten about the altercation he had

"You both seemed ready to rip each other's heads off when I passed you" AJ noted

"Oh he was just being a jackass" Punk said brushing it off then remembered he didn't like the way Randy was eyeing AJ. "Are you two friendly or something?" he asked her

"He's never spoken to me ever" AJ said to him with a laugh "I thought it was weird he said hi to me"

"He was looking at your ass" Punk informed her and she laughed "Why is that funny?"

"Because it doesn't mean anything" AJ said still laughing

"It's rude" Punk argued

"He just got divorced and has all of this new found freedom" AJ said to him "He's probably going through a rough time cut him some slack"

"He still shouldn't look at you that way. You're an employee not a toy for him to ogle because he's lonely" Punk said bitterly

"I'd say you're jealous" AJ smirked behind him and he turned to look at her

"I'm not jealous" Punk said to her "I've seen your ass up, close and personal. If Randy only knew the things I have done to that ass he'd be jealous"

"Classy" AJ teased

"I'm just stating facts" Punk defended

"You should go lay down" AJ said to him and he nodded

"Do you want to stop for food?" Punk asked her and she shook her head no "Ok well then I'm going to head to bed" he said standing up

"Take the heating pad with you" AJ said to him

"I'm good" Punk said to her

"Take it" she warned

"What if I fall asleep with it on?" Punk asked "I can burn down the entire bus"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen" AJ said to him seriously

"You're going to join me?" Punk asked her

"I'm going to check in on you" AJ corrected "But if you'd feel better with me watching you while you sleep like a weirdo that's fine too"

"I am weird" Punk smirked "Come on" he said nodding for her to follow

"No funny business" AJ warned teasingly pointing at his face

"My back couldn't handle you tonight anyway" Punk said with a grin but it was true.

Once Punk got comfortable in bed laying on his side with AJ pressing the heating pad into his back he felt so much more at ease.

"So how did it go with Trent?" Punk asked trying to make conversation

"He's agreed to leave the tramp at home and come alone" AJ said almost bitterly.

"Good" Punk said to her "The offer still stands I'll go to your place and give him his crap"

"I'm sure you would" AJ said and he smiled knowing she was smiling behind him as well "I don't even know why I'm still so angry about it. I'm no saint"

"Nobody is" Punk said to her

"I thought when I got the confirmation he was cheating on me it would help ease my own guilt but it didn't" AJ admitted quietly

"You're a good person" Punk said knowing what she was thinking

"I'm not" AJ said to him "I'm so angry at him for something I'm guilty of myself"

"We needed each other" Punk reminded her

"Maybe that's why I didn't put effort in with Trent" AJ pointed out

"Do you want to?" Punk asked her

"Want to what?" she asked

"Try again with him?" Punk asked her hoping she wasn't considering it. He hated Trent for many reasons even though he was good friends with a lot of Punk's buddies

"No" she said to him "I couldn't trust him again and honestly I don't even trust myself. I'm not the person I thought I was"

"You're a good person" Punk repeated

"I've been sleeping with you" AJ said bluntly "I had a boyfriend and I know you have a girlfriend how can we even defend ourselves?"

"We made each other feel good" Punk defended "Was it the right thing? No. It was selfish for us to do but we still felt good sometimes you need to be a little selfish to make yourself happy"

"Do you ever feel guilty?" AJ asked him

"Yea" He admitted "That's why it had to stop"

"I'm not mad about it" AJ said knowing that was a thought in his head "I knew it wouldn't last"

"Do you regret it?" Punk asked her. He was so happy he was facing the wall and not looking at her in the eye.

"No…that's what scares me too" AJ confided "Do you?"

"Not for a second" he said smoothly

"I'm really going to miss you" AJ said to him. He wasn't sure if she was referring to him leaving for his hiatus or she meant being with him. He hoped it was both.

"I'm always going to have your back" Punk promised her "No matter what. We're still going to be friends and I'll be back to work before you know it"

"I know" AJ said to him "And I have your back"

"Literally" Punk joked "Thank you for doing this for me"

"Anytime" AJ said to him "You can make it up to me by taking me for breakfast in the morning"

"Done deal" Punk said to her

"Now rest up and fall asleep so I can go to sleep" AJ said to him

"Turn of the heating pad I'm fine now" Punk said rolling onto his back forcing her to move it "Seriously"

"Ok" she said turning it off and standing up but he gripped her wrist gently

"Just stay in here with me" he offered

"I don't think that's a good idea" AJ smiled shyly

"You don't have to sleep on a small cramped bunk and like I said I have no choice but to behave myself" he reasoned

"What if I don't behave myself?" AJ said to him. She said it so seriously that he couldn't he help but laugh

"I trust you" he laughed tugging her onto the bed

"I'm sleeping above the covers" AJ said seriously

"You'll be cold" Punk informed her

"I'll take the risk" AJ said lying as far away from him as possible with her hands folded over her stomach

"You look like you're in a casket" Punk laughed again "Come on" he said rolling over so he was looking at her and tugged her over to him

"You're not behaving" AJ pointed out nervously

"Yes I am come on get comfortable" Punk said still smiling

"Fine" she muttered rolling onto her side and pressed her back into his chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her close. He used his free hand to pull up the blanket. "Goodnight" AJ said very formally and she could tell he was trying not to laugh

"Goodnight" he said and kissed her shoulder before closing his own eyes and drifting off into one of his peaceful 'AJ' induced sleeps.