Apologies

A few weeks down the road AJ was in full wedding planning mode. She had already ordered a dress and was just going for a fitting. She didn't want to go alone and her mom couldn't make it so it was up to her best man to go with her.

Dean didn't blend in at the fancy expensive boutique where she was getting her dress but he did like how he was served champagne. He wasn't back to full on drinking he hadn't been drunk in years but he spaced it out well.

"Come on AJ!" Dean yelled.

"It takes time be patient!" She yelled out of the changing room she was in.

Dean looked around at all the dresses and even caught the prices on some of them and nearly passed out. He couldn't believe how far AJ had come in her life where she could shop in places like this and have her dream wedding.

"Dean what do you think?" AJ asked stepping out of the room. She was wearing a tight fitted lace dress that had a long train. It was strapless and absolutely beautiful. "Dean?" she asked him when he didn't respond.

"It's beautiful." Dean said sincerely. "Robbie would be so happy for you right now."

"Yea?" She asked looking into the mirror.

"Really. Punk is the luckiest SOB I have ever met in my life." Dean said standing behind her and she smiled.

"He doesn't believe in luck." AJ pointed out to him.

"Well he's fucking lucky and he knows it." Dean said seriously. "So the big day isn't far off how excited are you?"

"More excited than I thought I'd be." She admitted. "What about you? Looking forward to it."

"Yup good food, loud music what's not to like?" Dean asked.

"Did you decide on a date?" AJ asked him.

"Who would I bring?" Dean asked her.

"You've been hanging out with Bayley an awful lot." AJ said casually studying herself in the mirror.

"She's good people. She's fun but again not my type." Dean reminded her.

"Why Dean?" AJ whined stomping her foot. "She's perfect for you!"

"She's a kid!" Dean laughed.

"She is not and don't say that to her because I'm sure she doesn't like it." AJ said to him. "Just bring her with you. She helped planned the wedding the beginning I'm sure she'd like to see how it all turned out."

"So invite her." Dean said to her.

"I did but she said it would be weird because she won't know anyone." AJ shrugged.

"She'd know me." Dean said confused.

"Yea I don't get it either. Maybe she thinks you already have a date." AJ said to him. "Or maybe I'll get her a date!" she said with a big smile.

"Stop it AJ." Dean said annoyed. "I don't butt into your life."

"Uh yea you kind of do." AJ laughed. "What's the big deal?"

"Just leave her alone she's my friend not yours." Dean said to her.

"Ouch." AJ laughed. "Fine but I'm going to make sure she's at the wedding."

"Good she should be there she'd probably have fun." Dean said to her.

"Did you get your tux yet?" AJ asked him.

"Yea, yea I went with Punk and the other best man." Dean said to her.

"I think it's fitting that Phil picked Paul as his best man since he's the reason we even met to begin with." AJ noted running her hands over her lace dress. "Does it fit ok?"

"It's a little tight." Dean said eyeing her. "But I'm sure that's what you were going for. I don't know why you're going so nuts over this dress he'd marry you if you had a paper bag on."

"You think so?" AJ asked him.

"Yea I really do." Dean smirked.

Punk walked right into Dean's place since he always left it unlocked looking for AJ and when he stepped in AJ was startled.

"Phil no!" She yelled pointing at the door. "Turn around!"

"Why?" Punk asked turning around.

"My dress is in a clear bag here." She said rushing into Dean's room and throwing it inside.

"Geez sorry." He mumbled turning back around.

"It's fine. Hi." She smiled reaching up to kiss him hello.

"How come you got to see my tux?" he asked her.

"Because it's different." AJ said to him. "I don't want you to see it until I'm walking down the aisle."

"It's your day have it your way." He said to her with ease.

"Its your day too." She reminded him with a pout.

"My day will be the next day when we're halfway to Bora Bora." He said to her. "Boating, beaches, hot sex…." He trailed off.

"I'm in the room." Dean announced from the kitchen. "Right here in earshot."

"Oh shit sorry man." Punk said looking back at him.

"We just ordered the pizza." AJ said to him. "And there's a hockey game on that Dean wants to watch that I have no interest in."

"I'm in." Punk said to her.

"Good because after dinner I have some things to do anyway." AJ said to them and they both looked at each other.

"Like what?" Punk asked.

"Yea I thought we did everything." Dean said to her. They both still nervous about her going out at night by herself.

"It's last minute wedding stuff that neither of you can know about." AJ said to them. "It won't even be 8:00 so just chill." She laughed.

"How come I can't come?" Dean asked.

"Yea he's supposed to be the best man for you so he should be there for everything." Punk agreed.

"You want Dean to help me pick out and try on sexy lingerie?" AJ asked him seriously.

"I mean I'll do it." Dean said seriously.

"No." Punk said quickly then laughed. "And why do you need anything? You won't be wearing anything the entire honeymoon."

"I'm still standing here." Dean added annoyed.

"Because I want to get some things. Stop being crazy I'll be fine." AJ said to them.

"Crazy." Dean snorted.

"We're not crazy." Punk laughed. "We're just protective."

"Right." AJ said sarcastically.

After pizza AJ managed to sneak out since the boys were so into the hockey game. She wasn't long she stopped in the Victoria Secret a few blocks over and was in and out in under an hour. She decided to wave down a cab home since she promised Punk she would but was distracted when someone poked her in the back.

"Renee." AJ said startled.

"Hi AJ." Renee said with a soft smile. "It's really good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same." AJ said coldly eyeing her.

"You cut your hair." Renee said to her. "It looks nice."

"I went mad in the room I was locked in for eight months and ripped it out pretty much." AJ informed her casually. "But thanks anyway." She remarked sarcastically.

"I'm really sorry AJ." Renee said in a pleading voice.

"For aiding as an accomplice in my abduction and torture, using and lying to my best friend or fucking my fiancé?" AJ asked folding her arms dramatically. "Could you narrow it down for me?"

"For all of it." Renee said nervously. "Sleeping with Punk wasn't about anything but trying to comfort him."

"And you think you're capable of comforting anything or anyone?" AJ snorted. "You're not capable of being selfless."

"I just want to make things right." Renee said her. "I've tried to talk to Dean-"

"Stay away from Dean." AJ warned her. "Let him move on and be happy."

"He needs me for that." Renee said to her.

"No he doesn't. Maybe you need him but newsflash he will never forgive you for the role you played in this. It's sad because he could have forgiven you for the cheating but don't ever underestimate my place in his life." She warned her. "You were always number 2."

"I'm trying with you AJ." Renee argued. "I helped bring you home where is my thank you?"

"From what I was told Dean dragged you to the police station and forced you into helping." AJ laughed. "Screw you and your apologies and if you think you're going to get a thank you out of me you're insane besides maybe you should worry more about making friends on your cellblock."

"I'm not going to jail." Renee told her. "I cut a deal. I'm going to testify against Mike."

"And you're a rat too." AJ said with an obnoxious laugh.

"I thought that would make you happy! I'm keeping him away from you!" Renee yelled.

"No you're doing it to save your ass because you're a phony! You'll sell anyone out in order to help yourself!" AJ yelled back. "Stay away from me, Punk and Dean." She warned her then walked off.

When AJ got home she skipped going back to Dean's and headed straight to the penthouse. She threw her new bags across the room and ripped her jacket off and tossed it onto the couch.

"Something wrong dear?" Punk asked sarcastically stepping out of the bedroom.

"I saw her." AJ said full of anger.

"Who?" Punk asked.

"Her." AJ hissed with disgust. "Renee!"

"Oh!" Punk said to her.

"I don't know what I hate her more for! Sleeping with you, cheating on Dean or working with Mike." AJ admitted. "She wanted me to thank her can you believe that?"

"Thank her?" Punk chuckled. "Thank her for that sweet eight month vacation?"

"Exactly!" AJ said annoyed. "She said she's testifying against Mike to keep me safe."

"Fuck her." Punk said with a wave of his hand.

"You already have." AJ shot at him. "Sorry!" She said seeing how taken back he was.

"No, no it's alright." Punk said to her. "It's got to bother you."

"It doesn't well it didn't until I saw her." AJ said folding her arms. "Was she good?"

"No." Punk said to her without hesitation or much thought.

"Really?" AJ asked.

"Really and truly and I'm not just saying it." Punk said to her. "I don't know if its because she wasn't you or she's just not good but it was bad."

"Did it help you? Did it bring you the comfort you were looking for?" She asked him.

"No but you know what did, after when Dean walked in. He beat the shit out of me." Punk told her and she looked horrified. "And I just let him hit him and that actually made me feel better."

"Getting hit in the face made you feel better?" AJ asked disbelievingly.

"I just wanted to feel something and being with Renee didn't help but getting punched did." Punk shrugged. "I didn't want to feel happy I wanted to feel whatever you were feeling."

"I wasn't beaten Phil." AJ reminded him. "I was cold that's all the pain I remember."

"I didn't know anything." Punk reminded her. "I didn't know if you were indoors or outdoors or if someone was hurting you."

"Did you ever once think I left of my own free will? That I really wanted to be away from you?" She asked him.

"When I first read your note back in LA I drove to the airport to look for you then I came home and re-read the note about ten times and I realized you called me Punk and signed your name April and should have realized when I first read it that it wasn't really from you." He said to her. "I hate myself for believing it at first."

"You believed it for what? Forty minutes? Big deal." She laughed. "It wouldn't have changed anything."

"Then I kept thinking I shouldn't have left you home that I knew Mike was around but I didn't think he'd be able to get in." Punk said to her.

"He was already inside with Randy." AJ told him.

"When I was in there with you they were in there." Punk said to her shaking his head. "I'm an idiot."

"You're not." AJ said to him.

"Even after you called the police I didn't buy it. I felt like something was wrong. I hired PI's, called in favors, harassed police- I did everything and it wasn't good enough." He said to her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him. "Your PI found my picture, you ran down to the town I was in and moved into the police station practically. If you would have given up on me the picture wouldn't have been found, Dean would have never went to Mike's looking for answers where he found Renee. You saved us." She said to him. "And you put your brother away again. You're Batman."

"It won't happen again." He said seriously. "I won't let you down."

"You won't let me down." AJ smiled then saw his eyes wander behind her and he walked past her and picked something up.

"What's this?" Punk asked picking up a thong that fell out of one of her bags.

"No Phil!" She warned trying to snatch it from his hand but he raised his arm so it was out of her reach.

"Is this for the wedding night?" he asked her with a laugh as she tried to jump up.

"No Phil it's for the honeymoon I have something a little more for the wedding night now give it back!" she said jumping.

"Don't you want my opinion?" he asked her with a laugh.

"No or I would have asked you to come with me." She said finally grabbing it out of his hand. "Stop ruining my surprises."

"Don't you want a males opinion?" he asked her.

"I already got a males opinion. The man who works there was more than helpful and no he wasn't gay." She said to him and he frowned. "He even helped me try them on."

"Excuse me?" he asked coldly but she just skipped by him. "AJ!" he yelled going after her. "You're kidding right? AJ!"

A week later AJ was at the hair salon wanting to get something done. Her hair was growing back but since she had been back she hadn't even gone and had it properly cut or taken care of. Every time she looked at her short hair it reminded her of the time she cut it herself. So she went to the salon and had it dyed darker and extensions put in for the wedding, which wasn't far off. The salon was in Brooklyn and she drove in instead of taking public transportation because even though she felt good about being out and about she was still slightly frazzled.

"Bayley?" AJ asked seeing the young girl sitting on the steps outside of a building.

"Oh wow hi AJ!" She greeted giving her a hug.

"Hey how are you?" AJ asked her.

"I'm good really good actually." Bayley smiled.

"Dean said you lived in Brooklyn but you live here?" she asked pointing to the building.

"Um sort of." Bayley said with a laugh then AJ noticed her large book bag.

"Bayley do you not have a place to live?" AJ asked her.

"No of course I do." Bayley said to her. "I stay here."

AJ looked closer and noticed it was a local shelter and frowned. It was also freezing out and she didn't want the poor girl to have to sleep in a cold shelter.

"How long have you lived here?" AJ asked her.

"I bounce around. It's really not bad." Bayley said to her.

"Why aren't you inside?" AJ asked her curiously.

"Your hair looks great!" Bayley said getting off the topic but that didn't fly with AJ.

"Thanks but is there not any room in there tonight? Do you need a place to stay?" AJ asked her.

"Oh no there's like two other shelters but this one always books up fast especially because of how cold it is." Bayley said with ease.

"Let me give you a ride." AJ offered.

"Oh no it's only a few blocks over." Bayley assured her.

"Great so it won't be a long trip." AJ said wrapping her arm around hers and leading her away from the shelter. "Are you hungry?"

"No I'm good." Bayley said to her. "Could you not mention this to anyone?"

"You mean Dean?" AJ asked. "I'm sure Dean takes you home when you guys hang out he doesn't know does he?"

"No I have him drop me off at the apartment building across the street." Bayley said to her. "I just don't want anyone to look at me the way you're looking at me."

"I'm sorry I don't mean to." AJ said as they reached her car. "I had tough times just like you. Dean and I lived in a shit hole." She said opening the car door for her.

"I'm going to move on from this too." Bayley said to her as AJ got into the drivers seat. "It just takes time."

"Yes it does." AJ smiled as she began to drive.

"Oh it's the other way AJ." Bayley said pointing back as AJ kept driving.

"Please don't consider this kidnapping but I'm going to take you home with me tonight." AJ said to her nervously. "And before you protest just remember it's my wedding coming up and you can consider it a gift. Also I was kidnapped and held hostage for eight months so leaving you out on a cold street will keep me up all night."

"You really don't have to do this." Bayley said to her. "I swear I'm fine I have a lot of friends here."

"And now you have one more." AJ shrugged as she drove further away. "Is this why you won't come to my wedding?"

"I can't exactly afford a gift." Bayley laughed.

"I don't want a gift I want you there." AJ said to her. "I don't like many females but I like you. You're bubbly, happy and Dean likes you. It's no easy task to get him to like you."

"He's a teddy bear." Bayley said with a wave of her hand and AJ almost crashed.

"A teddy bear?" AJ asked amused arching her eyebrow.

"Yea! He's a great friend." Bayley said to her.

"So why didn't you tell him you were homeless?" AJ asked her.

"I wasn't until Summer fired me that I ended back on the streets." Bayley told her. "He has enough on his mind with the wedding coming up and his problems shouldn't be his."

"I get that." AJ said as she drove. "But he's a good listener. Sometimes that's all the help someone needs."

Later that night Bayley was on the made up couch watching a movie and eating popcorn as AJ cleaned up after dinner. Punk was still confused by what was going on but didn't want to embarrass Bayley by asking too many questions.

"AJ." Punk whispered to her and nodded towards Bayley.

"She needs a place to stay. She couldn't get into the shelter and I wasn't leaving her on the cold street." AJ whispered back.

"That's fine." Punk said to her looking back at the clearly happy girl as she watched the movie. "But for how long?"

"She wants to leave tomorrow but I want her to stay a little longer. You said you needed a secretary at work right? Can you talk to Paul?" AJ asked him.

"Yea sure." Punk said to her. "I don't understand why she's on our couch though when Dean has an empty room downstairs or I could put her up someplace."

"Don't be cruel Phil." AJ said to him as she dried a dish. "She needs help."

"And I'll get her a job and make sure she never stays in a shelter again." Punk promised her. "I just like having you to myself that's all."

"Don't be selfish Phil." She said to him.

"I don't know her ok?" Punk argued. "What if she's friends with Mike or Renee?"

"Phil look at her." She said looking at Bayley who snorted from laughing so much and then missed getting the popcorn in her mouth. "She's a young kid who needs help. She didn't know I'd find her and besides Dean really likes her and this is helping him too."

"Ok so why isn't Dean here?" Punk asked her.

"She doesn't want him to know." AJ frowned. "I don't blame her. I remember how mortified I was when you showed up at my old place in Brooklyn."

"Ugh." Punk said remembering that crappy place. "It was bad but it didn't change how I felt about you if anything it made me love you."

"You didn't love me back than." She laughed. "You just wanted ass."

"Nope. When we first met I wanted ass." He said to her honestly. "Your perfectly firm and big ass and I got it."

"You're so romantic baby tell me more." She said teasingly.

"Sorry I'm just being honest." He defended.

"So when did you realize you loved me?" she asked seriously.

"That night I went to your place." Punk said to her. "You had just gotten into that fight with Dean and you started crying about your brother and I held you because I didn't know how to make you stop. I couldn't stand to hear you cry." He shivered remembering that moment well. "I would have done anything to make you smile."

"You did." AJ said to him sweetly.

"You lived in a hellhole, your roommate sucked, you were grieving for your brother and dealing with harassment from my brother and you were thinking about finding Dean and making sure he was ok. It was so selfless and unreal to me." He said to her. "You're an amazing woman."

"Phil." She said blushing.

"I mean it." He said walking behind the counter and grabbing her hands. "I can't wait for this wedding."

"Even though it means nothing because we're already married?" AJ asked him.

"It means everything." He corrected kissing her lips. "Your hair looks beautiful by the way." He said running his fingers through the new pieces.

"It doesn't look fake?" she asked him.

"Nope it looks great." He assured her and she kissed him again.

"Do you guys want me to go outside?" Bayley asked after they had been kissing for a few minutes.

"No of course not." AJ said to her with a smile and wiping her mouth.

"Hey I'm out of bread." Dean said walking right into the apartment. "And stuff to put on it." He admitted then saw Bayley sitting on the couch. "What's this?" he asked AJ.

"Hi Dean." Bayley said with a nervous smile.

"Seriously what's going on?" he asked looking between Punk and AJ.

"I literally have no idea." Punk said moving to the couch and sitting next to Bayley to watch the movie.

"I ran into Bayley and we decided to have a slumber party." AJ lied with a laugh and Dean rolled his eyes.

"It's ok AJ." Bayley said to her.

"Phil." AJ said waving him over.

"But it's back to the future." He whine pointing at the TV.

"Phil come into the bedroom and help me get ready for bed." She said to him.

"Fine." He said getting off of the couch and following her into the bedroom. "There better be nudity." He warned as he closed the door behind them.

"Are you ok?" Dean asked her.

"Yea AJ is just being super nice." Bayley said to him with a smile. "I needed a place to sleep tonight and she pretty much kidnapped."

"Why would you need a place? And if you needed a place why didn't you ask me?" Dean asked her.

"I got kicked out of my apartment because I couldn't make rent." Bayley told him.

"How long ago?" Dean asked.

"A few weeks." She said as if it was nothing. "But it's cool I know people and I've been doing great. AJ was just being overly kind."

"That's AJ." Dean mumbled. "I wish you would have called me or asked for a place to stay you know I have an extra room."

"I don't have the money to chip in." Bayley whispered.

"I don't want your money I don't even pay for that place." He laughed. "I think AJ does."

"No I do!" Punk yelled from inside the bedroom.

"See." Dean said to her. "You can sleep in a bed and not some couch that I have to warn you those two have probably had a lot of sex on."

"Isn't it AJ's old bed?" Bayley asked with a laugh.

"True." Dean smirked. "Where have I been taking you after I dropped you off?"

"To a shelter well across the street from one." Bayley said to her.

"You can't stay in a shelter." He huffed. "You're….you're Bayley! Sweet and innocent Bayley people will eat you alive!"
"I've been doing it for a long time." Bayley assured him. "I really don't mind people are really nice to me. If you're nice to people they are nice to you. Sometimes all people need is a hug."

"Yea I don't live by that motto. Sometimes all people need is a punch in the face." Dean corrected. "Get your stuff you're not staying here."

"Dean-" Bayley started.

"Don't argue get your stuff." Dean said sternly and she stood up and grabbed her bag. "That's it?"

"Yeppers." She said cheerfully. "Are you sure you don't mind me staying the night?"

"The night? You're staying until you have a solid place to live." Dean said to her.

"You have a life you don't need your dorky buddy getting in your way." Bayley laughed.

"You won't be in the way." Dean said refusing to take 'no' for an answer. "AJ!" he yelled out and she walked right out the door since clearly she was listening by it. "I'm taking Bayley and food." He said walking to her cabinet and taking some bread and peanut butter.

"Oh ok." AJ said trying not to smile too much. "If he annoys you too much Bayley you can always come back up."

"Thanks again AJ." Bayley smiled as Dean picked up her bag.

"What's different about you?" Dean asked before walking out the door.

"Maybe it's my hair?" she asked sarcastically.

"Oh right it's long again- looks much better." He said to her then Bayley followed him out of the apartment.

"She's gone?" Punk asked as AJ closed the door and turned around.

"Yes and she-" she started but laughed upon seeing Punk stretched out naked on their bed.

"Don't laugh at me while I'm naked it's rude." He scolded.

"You're posing on the bed." She giggled.

"That just goes to show how horny I am." He said to her.

"So you don't want to hold out until our wedding night?" she teased removing her clothes slowly.

"I don't think I'll be able to hold out throughout the reception." Punk admitted as AJ crawled onto the bed and joined him. "Right after the 'I do's' I'll pull you into the bathroom."

"I don't think my dress will rise up as easily as you think it will." She laughed as he pushed her onto her back and crawled on top of her.

"So your dress is tight?" he asked curiously.

"Uh-huh." She nodded as he kissed her neck.

"How tight." He asked rubbing over her flat stomach and slowly moving his hand further south.

"Skin tight." She said to him.

"Hot." He smirked against her skin.

"You have no idea what it looks like." She giggled.

"I don't have to know what it looks like it's tight and you're hot and that's all I need." Punk said to her as he began to suck over her pulse point but she pulled away.

"No hickey this close to the wedding." She warned him.

"Fine." He groaned as he his hand fully slipped into her panties and she gasped causing him to smile wide…..