Chapter 24: Scratches

Later that night AJ headed to the bus and was there long before Punk. Obviously he opted to change and shower in the arena. The more she thought about it the more she felt she was right- was it ok to keep it from Punk? No but as far as AJ was concerned it was her secret to keep. During his match with Randy tonight he didn't acknowledge AJ at all and he was clearly having a lot fun not pulling any punches against Orton.

When Punk arrived on the bus he seemed refreshed from his match but his face was still tense. She just hoped this wouldn't turn into a huge blowout. He knocked on the window to signal for the driver to take off and tossed his bag on the couch opposite of AJ.

"So let it out" AJ insisted "Just yell, kick, scream do what you have to do to feel better"

"You think yelling at you is going to make me feel better?" Punk asked and his voice was laced with a disappointment and that made her feel worse.

"If I was you maybe" AJ said to him

"Good point" Punk said with a nod sitting opposite her "You're me- how do you react?"

"I would be very grateful for the fact that you tried to protect my feelings and would probably buy you something really nice" she said casually but he wasn't amused "I'd be upset ok but I would understand. You do understand don't you?"

"I do" He said surprising her "I know you lied to me because you wanted to spare my feelings but lying is a hard thing for me to get past"

"I was really just on my way to tell you" AJ insisted "You just beat me to the punch and how did you figure it out?"

"Well Paul mentioned a comment that Frank made and it was the same thing you remembered from your dream" Punk said to her "Orton confirmed the story- I love that too by the way"

"I didn't even tell Randy" AJ said to him "He was eavesdropping. Believe me keeping this to myself wasn't something I did for fun"

"I could only imagine how difficult it was for you to do this" Punk said to her "And I know you said you wanted to protect me but how is keeping this secret from me protecting me?"

"Amy only did this to get to you" AJ pointed out "And I thought I could use this information and get her to stay away from you"

"Is that what you said to her?" Punk asked

"She agreed to it" AJ said nodding "I also told her if he came near me the deal would be off but the fact that he was lurking around the beach house vetoes the deal as well"

"I wish you would have told me" Punk said to her quietly

"I remembered the night he came to our room" AJ said to him "If I woke you up and told you what would you have done?" she asked him

"I don't really know" Punk admitted but AJ just glared at him

"You wouldn't have marched right back down to their room?" AJ asked

"Probably" Punk said to her

"And you would have calmly informed them that you were aware of all of this-" AJ started but Punk cut her off

"Obviously I would have went down there and been out for blood" Punk admitted coldly "I just want him to feel what you felt"

"You would have been arrested" AJ informed him seriously "Then say goodbye to Wrestlemania and your entire reputation"

"I would have been proud of my reputation. Beating someone who puts their hands on a woman- my woman none the less deserves to be left broken and bloody" Punk said bitterly

"See?" AJ asked "You would have overreacted"

"It wasn't your decision to make" Punk said looking at her "This was done because of me and out of everyone I had a right to know."

"I was wrong" she said softly "You did have a right to know I get that"

"And I get what you thought keeping it from me would be beneficial" Punk said to her "But no more lies ok? First with Randy and now this and I know you were lying because you were looking out for me- you're always looking out for me"

"It's just an instinct" she agreed

"I'm not used to it" Punk told her honestly "No one has ever looked out for me the way that you have been the last few months. I mean you were willing to let a man who beat you and almost rape you walk away free all because you thought my feelings would get hurt. I love you even more then I did yesterday" she smiled at the last sentence "But I mean it AJ it ends now so if there's anything else you have to tell me I want to know right now"

"I think that's it" AJ said then frowned "Well there is one more thing"

"What?" Punk asked her

"James" AJ said to him

"What about him?" Punk asked almost hesitantly

"He must have passed the key off to Frank" AJ admitted "There in cahoots or something"

"Ok" Punk said slowly nodding "How do you know that?"

"When I spoke to Frank earlier I asked him if James helped him and he said yes but wouldn't tell me why" AJ said to him "If he was in my new place it had to be James because no one else knew the address"

"What else did Frank say?" Punk asked her

"He just kind of rambled and he wasn't even making sense" AJ said to him "He just wanted me to know how easy it was to get to me if he had to"

"He won't get to you" Punk said to her "He's a moron"

"Did you call the police?" AJ asked

"I did and I'm waiting to hear back from them" Punk said to her "They'd rather hear from you in person though so Monday night after Raw we're flying back to Tampa and getting this all sorted out"

"Do you think he's still in our place?" AJ asked him

"No because the police did go to check it out and they said it was empty but there was a broken window so he was in there" Punk said to her and she nodded

"I would understand if you didn't mention the Amy part to the police" She said surprising him "I know you love her and I know she-"

"She's dead to me" Punk said firmly "I don't really care what happens to her and I gave the police her name"

"I'm sorry she did that" AJ said to him

"I'm the one that should apologizing" Punk said to her "You did nothing wrong"

"If I would have stayed away from you or didn't go onto your bus that night…none of this may have happened" AJ pointed out

"I'm glad you came on my bus that night" Punk said to her "She's not the person I thought she was. The only thing I would change about us is the fact that Frank got you- that's it."

"We have had a bumpy road" AJ noted standing up and walking over to where he was sitting and tugged her so she was sitting on his lap

"You have been my most complicated relationship" He admitted and she frowned "Hey, you've also been the best." He assured her causing her to smile faintly "Every bump has been worth it"

"You still want to marry me one day?" AJ asked hopefully

"Yea I do" He said wrapping his arms around her "You've been so distant this last week I thought I scared you off actually"

"Nope" AJ said simply "Sorry I'm not going anywhere if that's what you were hoping for"

"Not at all" he smirked

"We haven't been dating that long" she noted "And you already want to marry me"

"I've wanted to marry me since the first time you kicked my ass at injustice" he smirked referring to the superhero game he used to play with her all of the time

"What are we going to do about Amy?" she asked bringing him back to reality "She's never going to admit that she asked Frank to do this she probably won't even get charged unless Frank rats but I doubt that"

"We avoid her at all costs" Punk said to her "I really want you to though. If she's around at a show do not engage with her just turn around and walk away"

"What about you?" she asked "I'm afraid for you. This was all about getting to you and I've heard stories about crazy exes killing their boyfriends"

"She's not going to kill me" Punk chuckled

"She might" AJ said to him

"I'm not worried- she'd have to get you through first and I doubt that would be possibly" he teased

"I'd beat her ass" AJ said confidently "Again" she added with a proud grin

"See I'm in good hands" Punk said then grabbed her hand "Small hands, but good hands" he teased

"You love my hands" she noted looking at her hands that were now intertwined with his

"I do" he agreed looking at them as well "And one day you're going to have ring right here" he said moving over to her left hand

"When is that?" AJ asked curiously

"Hmm?" Punk asked

"You've been talking about marriage so much that I'm starting to think you have something planned" AJ said to him

"I don't have a plan" Punk informed her "And like I told you last week I don't know when or how but it's going to happen"

"People are going to rip us apart online" she noted

"Yea well I don't really care what people think" Punk admitted

"I know" she said with a laugh

"But I have been thinking about some things" Punk said to her "I don't like being away from you"

"You haven't been" AJ reminded him with a giggle

"I know but there's going to be a time where we're both needed at home and I don't like being that far away from you" Punk said to her

"I can take care of myself" AJ said seriously

"It's not even about that" Punk sighed "I just- I don't even like being home when you're not there"

"So what do you want to do?" AJ asked him

"I want you to move to Chicago" Punk said to her

"I just got a place" AJ said to him

"I know and you can keep that as a summer place or just a place to crash when you're in town" Punk suggested

"So are you planning on buying me a place in Chicago too?" she teased

"Oh no you misunderstood" he smirked "I don't want you to just live in Chicago I want you to live in my place with me"

"Living together?" she asked surprised

"Yea I mean we've pretty much been living together for the last few months" he said to her "I know you love Tampa and like I said we can keep the beach home as-"

"Yes" she said abruptly cutting him off

"Just like that?" Punk asked with a laugh

"Just like that" she said seriously "Even though the idea of me having to pack up my stuff again makes me cringe"

"You can keep your furniture and stuff there" Punk said to her "Just pack up your clothes and toys"

"Action figures" she corrected

"Right" he laughed "It will be easy"

"Are you really sure you want me there?" she asked him "I take really long showers and I drool in my sleep apparently" she warned

"I love long showers myself and I've grown used to your drooling" Punk smirked "Let's just do it"

"Ok" she said happily

"Are you sure?" Punk asked her "You don't just have to say yes if you're unsure"

"Tampa holds a lot of bad memories for me now" she admitted "Only have good in Chicago"

"And I'll make sure it stays that way" Punk said positively "Let's go celebrate" he said standing up and taking her in his arms and rushing her to the back bedroom.

AJ left her phone on the couch and as Punk pulled her away she missed a call from Amy…

"Why can't I just stay in AJ's old place?" T asked his cousin James "this place is a dump"

"Because you told me the police went to your place and asked your roommate questions about you" James reminded him

"So?" T shrugged

"They have DNA!" James yelled

"It's not my DNA" T smirked "AJ kicked me in the balls and hit me pretty good but it wasn't me she scratched now was it?"

"I didn't touch her" James said to him seriously "I went to help her and scared her she was barely even conscience"

"Right" T grinned "I'm sure you walked in there and found her passed out on the floor and didn't want a taste?"

"She scratched my arm" James spat "It was an accident"

"Yea if that's your story" T scoffed "Anyway I'll go down and talk to the police they'll take my DNA and then they'll realize they have the wrong guy"

"You admitted to AJ you did it" James reminded him

"There's no case without DNA" T said to him "Also we have a past which means it's going to look like she's trying to settle an old score. I'm not worried"

"Good I'm so glad you're not worried" James mocked

"You have nothing to worry about" T assured him "I told Amy that it was my DNA under AJ's nails and didn't even mention you trying to get it in with her"

"That's not what I was trying to do!" James screamed

"Ok, ok" T said laughing "I won't mention it again"

"Good" James said bitterly

"But you should be on the look out because AJ knows you were somehow involved in this" T warned

"Perfect" James muttered

"Which means Punk knows" T added and James shivered

"I told you going to her new place and contacting her was stupid" James said to him

"I thought it would work…stuff like that always works out in the movies" T said seriously

"Are you-" James stopped himself and glared towards his cousin "Do you watch those movies all the way to the end?"

"Sometimes" T shrugged "Anyway I'll talk to the police tomorrow so relax"

"Easier said then down" James mumbled

Punk and AJ were just catching their breaths after two rounds in the bedroom together.

"When you move in we could do this all of the time" Punk said looking up at the ceiling

"I feel like we do this all of the time anyway" AJ smirked against his chest leaving a soft kiss over his heart

"We do but we could do it even more" Punk said seriously

"Or living together will take away all of the magic" AJ noted

"Nope not possible" Punk said to her shaking his head

"Yea I don't this so either" she smirked and started to get up

"Woah" he said pulling her back down "Where are you going?"

"To get my phone" she said to him "I need to check to see if my brother called"

"Ok I'll get it" Punk said sitting up "You stay there just like that" he said looking down at her as he stood up and grabbed a pair of boxers

"Just like this?" she teased laying naked on the bed

"Exactly like that" he warned then opened the door and looked around for her phone. As he picked it up it lit it up and saw she had a missed call from Amy. He frowned and looked back at the room but didn't walk back. He hit 'call back' and it rang twice before she answered

"You lying bitch" Amy seethed "You went back on your word I guess you don't care as much about Phil as you claimed"

"Hey Amy" Punk replied coolly

"Phil" she said nervously

"Don't hang up" Punk warned "Listen and listen very carefully I know what you did and I know why you did it" he said in a low voice "If you go near AJ again or use her to get to me it will be the last thing you do"

"Are you threatening me?" Amy asked amused "Are you going to put your hands on me?"

"You're lucky you're not a man" Punk spat "By the time I'm done with you won't have anyone left in your life- no friends, no WWE to fall back on- you'll be all on your own and you deserve that"

"No that's what you deserve" Amy shot back "You started this"

"Are you fucking crazy?" Punk demanded "Never mind I already no the answer to that"

"You don't scare me Phil" Amy said to him

"I should" Punk said to her "You know me better than most people and you know the pull and connections I have you're going to be nothing"

"She's fine isn't she?" Amy asked "Why don't you chill out"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response" Punk said to her "Don't call her number again, don't approach her shows and next time I see you around it's not going to pretty so for your sake stay gone- do you understand me?"

"Yea Phil and I'm shaking in my boots" Amy said to him "We'll see who has the last laugh" she then hung up

"Who were you talking to on my phone?" AJ asked coming up behind him

"Amy" Punk said passing her back her phone "Don't worry about her anymore"

"Ok" She said unsurely