Forever

AJ was admitted into the hospital for a few days for observation. She was badly dehydrated, lacking in vitamins and exhausted but she had trouble falling asleep and refused anything to help her sleep. Just as Punk promised he held onto her hand since the police station and never left her side. Even when the doctors examined her he was right there.

"I've missed a lot." AJ said looking at him who didn't look tired at all. He seemed almost refreshed even though he hadn't slept in days.

"Not really." Punk said to her. "Nothing important. The only thing important is you."

"How long have I been gone again?" she asked.

"A little bit." Punk shrugged not wanting to stress her out.

"It feels like forever." AJ admitted looking up at the ceiling of her hospital room. "I can't believe you waited for me."

"I never gave up on you." Punk said to her.

"He made me write that letter." AJ said looking at him. "I didn't want to Phil he said he'd hurt you."

"I heard your statement to the police AJ you don't have to relive it." Punk assured her kindly squeezing her hand.

"I want you to understand though." AJ argued. "He was going to kill you. Randy was there and I couldn't let that happen."

"I know." He said with a sad smile. "I would have done the same thing."

"No you wouldn't." She disagreed. "You would have been stronger."

"What you did was incredibly strong and you survived which proves how strong you really are." Punk said very seriously.

"Did I?" she asked him.

"You're here right now aren't you?" he asked her.

"I'm not used to this. This is the longest I've been out of the room in I don't even know how long." AJ said to him. "Please tell me how long." She begged.

"282 days." Punk said to her and her eyes began to water up. "It felt like 282 years."

"You look different." She noted then smiled lightly. "You don't shave anymore?"

"I've had other things on my mind." He smirked happy to see she was slowly coming back to him.

"I kept your ring on." She said to him. "And I waited."

"I'm so sorry it took me so long." Punk almost cried.

"I left a note." She reminded him. "You weren't meant to come and find me."

"I called the police that night and I knew something was wrong." He said to her.

"I know they made me call the police to tell them I left of my own free will." She said remembering. "It feels like yesterday."

"I don't want to talk about what happened to you there or anything right now but at some point-" he started.

"They didn't hurt me." She promised. "They didn't want to once I said I had hepatitis who knew that was gift in itself." She teased lightly.

"They never hit you or anything?" he asked.

"Not your brother or Randy I tried to get a way once or twice and the guy who had me wasn't so gentle but I don't think I ever broke anything." She said to him. "It wasn't physical torture it was mental. I had a friend rat that I named Ben because I couldn't think of anything original." She admitted.

"I didn't realize you were a Michael Jackson fan." He teased.

"The little boy who let me out would talk to me sometimes and sneak me comics and candy." AJ said to him. "I'm glad the police got to him before his dad did. What about Mike?"

"Him and Randy were arrested before they found you." Punk told her.

"How did you figure it out?" she asked him. "I know it wasn't the police because the boy told me that someone found a picture of me, it was you wasn't it?"

"I've had some PI's looking for you." Punk admitted. "One found a photo of you and Randy in a check cashing. Mike was arrested before Randy though."

"How did he get arrested first?" she asked.

"That's a long story." Punk sighed not wanting to tell her about Renee's part at least not yet. "When you're out of the hospital we'll talk about everything."

"There's more?" AJ asked him.

"It was almost eight months." Punk reminded her. "Things have changed."

"What about you? Have you changed? You're all I care about." She said to him with a sweet smile.

"I moved back to New York so I can keep an eye on Mike." Punk told her.

"Have you seen Dean?" she asked hopefully.

"Yea I have and he's on his way here actually." Punk said to her.

"My parents?" AJ asked him.

"They're good and they're coming here too." He smirked seeing how excited she was getting.

"How have you been? Have you been taking care of yourself?" AJ asked him.

"Yea, yea." He nodded not wanting to talk about himself because he knew at some point he'd have to tell her about Renee.

"You're not telling me something." She frowned. "You're keeping something from me and I can see it in your eyes so spit it out."

"AJ it's not the time." He said seriously.

"I have nothing but time." She reminded him with a laugh. "Thanks to you." She said shooting him a loving smile.

"There's some stuff." Punk admitted shifting in his seat nervously. "About Renee."

"No." AJ frowned. "Don't tell me you slept with Dean's girlfriend!"

"I did." Punk said and AJ let go of his hand.

"She was keeping him sober Phil." AJ argued. "How could you do this to him!"

"You're mad at that I slept with Dean's girlfriend and not at the fact that I slept with her in general?" he asked her.

"I told you in the letter to move on Phil and I meant it." AJ said to him. "Yea it hurts but you weren't cheating on me. I would have preferred you not ruin my best friends life in the process."

"Actually I saved him." Punk said to her. "Dean found us-"

"Oh god." AJ sighed shaking her head. "He was crushed I'm sure."

"Yea kicked my ass and threw her out. Do you know where he found her?" Punk asked her and she shook her head. "At Mike's place. She's known him for years and she knew that he had you."

"That bitch." AJ muttered bitterly. "Slept with my fiancé, broke my best friends heart and knew what happened to me all along. I knew there was reason I didn't like her."

"You were right." Punk had to agree.

"How is Dean?" she asked him.

"We don't exactly talk but he seems fine. Still showed up to work everyday and seemed sober to me." Punk said to her. "I've kept my eye on him."

"Why?" AJ asked.

"Because you love him." Punk said simply. "And I love you."

"Where there any other women? Because I have a lot of medication in me and it really seems to be softening the blow so now is a good time to get it all out." AJ said cringing at actually hearing more.

"No one but that one stupid time with her." He promised.

"Ok." She said to him.

"That's it?" He asked. "You're not going to break up with me? Yell at me? Kick me out of your room?"

"I've been waiting for you for 282 days the last thing I want is you gone." She said to him. "I'm just surprised it was only one woman."

"Gee thanks." He mocked. "It wasn't easy for me AJ. I never stopped looking for you even when everyone told me to."

"I know I'm sorry." She said to him. "You lost weight."

"So have you." He said nodding to her smaller frame. "I'm going to have to fatten you up."

"I have a food dream list." AJ admitted slightly embarrassed. "I made a top five list of meals that I promised myself I'd eat once I got out."

"Tell me and I'll make every single meal happen." He said to her.

"The first one is a-"

"-cheeseburger." Punk said at the same time as her because he did know her so well. She let out a happy laugh and almost cried.

"Yes a cheeseburger." She said still giggling. "The second meal I want is-"

"Pizza." He finished for her and she was now glaring at him.

"How do you know this?" She asked him.

"I know you better than anyone or even yourself." He said confidently.

"Care to bet on it?" AJ asked him. "Three more meals if you guess them right I'll let you pick our movie for our next movie night."

"Movie night." He laughed relieved. "Oh man I cant believe I'm betting on this. Something so small but something I realize I took for guaranteed."

"Get to guessing." She insisted almost smugly.

"Oh so cheeseburger, pizza, fried chicken, hot dog and a box of donuts which doesn't count as a meal but I'm sure you've thought about it." Punk said to her.

"You win." She said almost annoyed. "I'm not watching weekend at bernies again." She warned.

"We'll watch whatever you want." He said kissing her hand.

"Hey." Dean said standing in the doorway and Punk stood up.

"Hi." AJ said slowly smile.

"You need a minute?" Punk whispered to her.

"Yes but don't go far?" she asked and a hint of fear was in her face.

"I'll be right outside the door." He promised and let go of her hand and stepped just outside the door.

Dean slowly walked over to her to make sure that was really her then leaned over and pulled her into a hug. AJ hugged him as tightly as she could back but she was still weak.

"I've missed the shit out of you." Dean said letting out a breath he's held in since Punk called him to tell him she was missing.

"I've missed you too Dean." She cried.

After hugging and brief chatting for twenty minutes AJ eventually brought up the elephant in the room.

"I know about Renee." AJ said to him.

"You're back for a few hours and he tells you this?" Dean asked annoyed. "What a fucking idiot."

"I asked him to tell him everything." AJ said to him. "I know she betrayed you."

"She betrayed you." Dean clarified. "She doesn't exist in my world anymore after that but I don't want to talk about her or think about her anymore I want to bask."

"Bask away." She teased.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time because your boyfriend keeps glaring at me." Dean said side eyeing Punk who was lingering around the door.

"How was he?" AJ asked him.

"He was a fucking mess." Dean said bluntly. "And as much as he pisses me off he's the reason you're home. We all told him he was crazy, we all told him to stop and he never did. And you know I don't like him that much so you know I'm not lying."

"I was afraid if I ever got out that he would have already moved on." AJ confided.

"That dude lived for you the entire time you were gone." Dean snorted. "He stalked his brother to the point I was afraid he was going to actually kill him. The Renee thing- it was on her." It pained Dean to say it out loud but he knew it. "She was using him and me to get to you and I'm sorry I brought her into your life."

"It would have happened regardless." AJ said to him.

"No it wouldn't have." Dean argued. "Your LA address, Ryan breaking into your place it was all her and I'm sorry."

"You didn't do it." She reminded him. "Don't be sorry."

"I've stayed off the booze too." Dean told her proudly and he could see AJ's face light up. "I've taken care of myself I'm a big boy now." He joked.

"I'm proud of you." She said to him.

"Are you guys done?" Punk asked losing patience and walking back into the room and Dean let out a laugh.

"Yea, yea but I'll be back tomorrow with her parents." Dean said to him.

"Fine. I'll be there too." Punk said rushing right back to his seat and grabbing her hand.

Almost a week later AJ was back in New York her true home. She never wanted to go back to LA and Punk understood that and now with Mike gone there was no reason they couldn't stay in New York.

"Wow." AJ said looking around the penthouse. There was empty food containers, garbage, clothes- everything thrown around.

"I didn't expect you home." Punk admitted. "But we don't have to stay here until I clean it up, we can stay downstairs in your old place."

"That's Dean's place now." AJ said taking her jacket off.

"Or a hotel? I'll get us a huge penthouse suite." He offered. "For as long as you want."

"No I want to be here." AJ said turning to smile at him. "I need to be here."

"Ok let me clean up and you can lay down." Punk said carrying her small bag into the bedroom.

"Tell me you washed the seats after you slept with her." AJ said referring to Renee.

"Threw them out." Punk said honestly. "I couldn't live with what I did."

"I don't like these." She said touching the cheap rough beds sheets.

"I'll go out right now and get you that crap you like." Punk offered. "What is it again?"

"100% cotton?" she laughed and he nodded.

"I got these from a thrift place." He shrugged. "Cost me 10 bucks."

"Better than what I slept on." She shrugged sitting on the bed and enjoying the feel of a mattress.

"What did you sleep on?" he asked her.

"The floor." She said to him. "I made a bed out of old clothes in the attic. It wasn't bad but in the summer it was so hot I thought I'd die and now with the winter approaching I'd freeze." She said to him and he felt his chest tighten.

"I'll get the best bed sheets in the world." He said in such a serious voice she let out a laugh.

"These are fine for now." She assured him.

"Good lay down and I'll clean and order food for tonight." He said to her as he picked up some of the clothes on the bedroom floor. "You had a cheeseburger last night so it's pizza tonight?"

"From Gino's? He's my favorite!" AJ asked clapping her hands together excitedly.

"He um closed down a few months ago." Punk said quietly. "Sorry."

"It's so weird." She said with a small laugh. "Anywhere is fine but I'm not hungry now."

"You're tired right? It was a long ride home you need to sleep." Punk said pulling down the bed sheets for her and she rolled her eyes.

"I slept for like three days in the hospital." She said to him. "I want to talk to you, catch up and try to make up for some of our lost time."

"I literally did nothing." Punk said to her. "I was in here every night and only left to work or track down Mike."

"That's no way to live. You were in your own prison." She noted.

"You can't compare the way I lived to the way you did." He said and that's when she reached her arm and hand out and took her hand.

Punk let AJ tug him over to the bed and sat down next to her. He looked into her eyes and leaned in to give her a proper kiss. He didn't want to overwhelm her or push her but he needed to kiss her because being with her, touching her made him a whole person again.

"Touch me, love me." She requested cupping his face and kissing him.

Punk wanted to question if she was ready or maybe slowing down but he had been literally dreaming of this moment for over 200 days and couldn't stop now. He gently pushed her against the bed and she inched up never detaching her lips for him. As she moved up the bed she began to unbutton her blouse but Punk pushed her hand away and removed the buttons himself.

"Just like I remembered." Punk smiled against her lips before quickly standing up and removing his shirt and jeans then her own pants leaving her in her underwear.

Punk crawled back over her resting his leg in-between hers and using his knee to put a small amount of pressure on her sex. Punk didn't want to stop kissing her because the last time he kissed her she was gone. It was weird that her hair was shorted than he remembered but she still looked beautiful.

Punk's hands moved to her breasts as he lightly cupped and squeezed them while she used his knee to rub herself against him. Unlike Punk, AJ had no release while she was away. She had gone from the craziest best sex with Punk to nothing for months and she was sweating already thinking of him being him inside of her again. Punk's hands removed her bra and his mouth moved away from her lips and over one of her breasts while his hand fondled the lonely one.

"Keep touching me." She begged him as she continued to rub against his knee.

"I'll never stop." He said then gave her nipple a long rough suck.

AJ was getting anxious herself and tugged his boxers down just enough for him to spring out. AJ gently stroked him while she felt her belly begin to burn. This was truly embarrassing but she didn't even care. She needed this release and Punk didn't even seem to mind that she was using his knee and leg to get off.

"Holy fuck your hands." Punk groaned in-between her cleavage as she stroked him harder.

"Kiss me." She said softly and he quickly kissed her as she he felt a warm liquid hit his knee. "Sorry." She said pulling away realizing what she had done. "It's been a while…."

"Don't apologize for that." He chuckled and then pulled her panties all the way down her legs and kissed her there causing her to bite on her lip.

But Punk didn't spend anytime down there, not his mouth, not his hands because his mouth needed to be on hers and his hands needed to be wrapped her around her body. AJ rolled onto her side and rested her leg over his hip and Punk lifted her ass as he entered her. She let out a moan but it was captured by Punk's throat as he was still kissing her.

Punk's thrusts were so gentle and his kissed were sweeter than candy. She ran her hands up over his neck then face until she reached his hair. Punk's hands were everywhere because he want to get reacquainted with her body very badly. Her back, her breasts, her ass, her calve, her hair, her face- he wish he had more arms.

AJ had no problem matching his slow pace and knew she was building to a strong finish. Like the last half of a year she wasn't sure how much time had passed while they made love but one thing she knew was that no matter how much time had passed his love only grew for her and he was proving it to her right now.

"I don't want to stop, I don't want this to end." She said removing her lips away from his.

"We have forever to do this." He reminded her kissing the tip of her nose. "I'll make love to you like this every single night."

"I want to marry you." She said surprising him and that's when she felt him actually release first into her but that sent her straight into her own orgasm.

Punk rolled onto his back taking AJ with him so she was resting on top of him and he was still where he wanted to be- inside of her body.

"What?" he asked.

"You do still want to marry me, right?" she asked unsure since his reaction was not what she was expecting.

"More than I want to take my next breath." He said with a straight serious face.

"I want to do it this week. I don't want to lose anymore time Phil." She choked out.

"Then we do it this week." He said as if he was agreeing to a small trade.

Punk was never surer of anything in his entire life like he was of April Jeanette Mendez…..