Meeting The Family

"I don't wanna put her down." AJ said, still in awe as she held their baby girl against her chest. She'd been taken to a recovery room and set up there, and although she was completely exhausted, she just couldn't stop looking at their baby girl. She really couldn't take her eyes off of her.

"She's so beautiful." Punk shook his head, sitting on a chair beside the bed whilst looking on at Keala, sleeping against her mother's chest. He too just couldn't keep his eyes from her at all. She was perfect in every way possible, and he couldn't believe he was a father now.

"I can't believe she's finally here." AJ whispered. For going so long with only the bump on her stomach to talk to their baby girl, and not really being able to hold her or meet her, this was a moment they'd longed to have for a while and AJ couldn't believe she was really here and in her arms. She already knew she'd go to the ends of the earth for her daughter.

"Me neither." Punk shook his head, "Have you felt her skin? It's so soft." Punk said, stroking the top of the baby's tiny hand as AJ smiled and nodded. She'd not only loved meeting their baby girl, but watching Punk with her was something she never thought she needed until right now. He was already so good with her, so protective and gentle, and she could already feel the unconditional love he had for her. To think that just around a year and a half ago he was sitting on death row, waiting to be executed was unbelievable. It'd put things into perspective. It made her realise it had always been him she wanted, to eventually share moments like these, to do all the things they wanted to do together. She was so glad she could tell her daughter that she'd met her father in high school and had loved him ever since.

"Look. She's yawning." AJ smiled, looking down at her and smiling to herself. Any little movement from Keala amazed them both. They were new parents, of course they were paying attention to everything, and she really was the cutest little thing, especially whilst yawning.

"She's only been here a few hours and she's tired already?" Punk teased as AJ smiled.

"She's had a long day." AJ said, "Haven't you, baby?" She looked down at her, kissing her head softly as Punk smiled, just as the door to the room opened with Dean walking in with a balloon in his hand and a teddy bear tucked under his arm as Punk and AJ smiled.

"Hey." Dean whispered with a smile, sitting down the balloon, walking further to the bedside, passing the teddy bear to Punk who had no choice but to take it as Dean looked over at the baby, "Oh my God." He smiled, "She's actually there." He said as AJ and Punk smiled.

"You wanna hold her?" AJ smiled to him as Dean nodded immediately, reaching down and scooping up the baby in his arms. It wasn't just his niece to him, because his brother wasn't just a brother to him. He himself was down to do anything for this little girl, and he couldn't wait to watch her grow just like AJ and Punk.

"Man, she's so perfect." Dean smiled, "Wait… what's her name? Do you guys know?" He asked them. AJ and Punk had kept the name they'd picked private because they wanted it to be kept close to them until she was born.

"Keala." Punk said, "Vanessa Brooks." Punk nodded as Dean smiled.

"Keala." Dean smiled and nodded, looking down at the baby, "She suits it." He nodded, "She's a lot like you." He nodded to AJ, "You must have the dominant genes."

"Well hello." AJ smirked as Punk laughed.

"I can't believe you guys are parents." Dean shook his head with disbelief, "She's amazing you guys." He smiled to them both as Punk and AJ smiled whilst Punk looked up at Dean, seeing the glint in his eye.

"Can I talk to you outside?" Punk nudged Dean and stood up as Dean nodded.

"Yeah." Dean said, "Here, go back to your mama." Dean said as AJ smiled, taking Keala back from Dean and into her arms again. She was too exhausted to notice that Dean was in fact drunk.

"Here." Punk said, sitting the teddy bear down beside AJ who rested back on the bed, letting her baby girl rest on her chest as she rubbed her back softly whilst Punk and Dean left the room.

"Congratulations, man." Dean nodded, "She's amazing." He said as Punk nodded and smiled, folding his arms.

"You drunk?" Punk asked him calmly as Dean looked at him like he had two heads, "Or are you high? Which one?"

"I… I had a few beers, yeah." Dean nodded, "You text me telling me AJ was in labour so I had some to celebrate my niece being born. Is that alright?" He asked.

"It's 10am." Punk said.

"So what? Since when did you become the fun police?" Dean asked, "Is it cause you're a dad now?" He teased.

"No, I just… well you've been drinking a lot lately. More than usual." Punk admitted, "Are things not working out with Anna?" He asked. No matter if he had a daughter or not, he'd always be there for his brother to help him, even if he had priorities elsewhere, his brother would never be shut out.

"No, they are." Dean said, "It's just going really slow. We thought it'd be best if we just take our time. Don't smother each other." He said, "And yeah, I've been having a few drinks here and there, big deal?" He shrugged.

"I just don't want you to make it a hobby, that's all." Punk said, "Keala needs her uncle around, preferably sober." He said. He was never one to tell his brother what to do. He was never against him drinking, he encouraged him to have a drink, it was healthy, socially and mentally to have a break, he understood that, but it was beginning to seem more and more apparent that Dean had been drinking a lot more than he usually did, and of course that worried him.

"Hey, don't worry about me." Dean said, "I'll be there for Keala. I really just had a few to celebrate. I was excited for you guys." He said as Punk nodded and smiled.

"I know, man. I don't wanna be on your case or nothing, I just worry, that's all." Punk said.

"I know you do." Dean said, "But don't. You've got more things to focus on now than me." He nodded, "I'm fine."

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Ok." He said, not wanting to go on anymore. He took his brothers word.

"So when will they get to go home?" Dean asked, walking back into the room where they noticed AJ had fallen asleep with Keala in her arms, she still had her grips on the baby girl, but her eyes were closed, no doubt from sheer exhaustion.

Punk smiled to himself and walked around the bed, lifting Keala up from AJ, "Uh… hopefully tomorrow. They're both really healthy so the doctor doesn't see why they can't go home right away." He nodded, smiling as he placed Keala down in her bassinet, turning his attention back to AJ who he slid further down the bed and pulled the covers over, making sure she was comfortable so she could get a good sleep.

"Look at you." Dean smiled, "Such a dad already." He said as Punk nodded and smiled.

"It's weird." Punk said, "Today I've just been thinking about… being on death row." He said, "I mean, obviously not the entire time, but before AJ gave birth, and a little after once we came back to this room… I don't know, I just kept thinking about sitting in that cell, twenty three hours a day, waiting to die…" He said, "Made me all the more grateful for this. Making it right with AJ, getting back together, having Keala." Punk nodded, "Puts a lot of things into perspective for you."

"Yeah, I bet." Dean nodded, "Well I for one am glad you're still here." He said, "I know AJ is." He said, "That night that… that we thought you were gone, after final visitation, I'd never saw her like that before. She didn't look like she was in there anymore. I was worried about her." He nodded as Punk looked over at AJ.

"It's all in the past now, right?" Punk said as Dean nodded, "And we don't need to imagine what would have happened." He said, "I just think we're all a little more grateful now, I know I am." He said as Dean nodded.

"Yeah, I'm grateful your stupid ass is still here." Dean said as Punk smiled.

"You can't say ass in front of the baby." Punk told him with a smile.

"Can I say any curse words in front of her? Dean asked.

"Not in front of AJ you can't." Punk said, "She wouldn't even let me curse when she was pregnant. She said she doesn't want Keala's first words to be fuck, anything Star Wars related, Duncan Keith or practically anything to do with me." He laughed as Dean nodded and smiled.

"We gotta make Keith happen. I'll drill it into her, make that her first word." Dean nodded as Punk smiled.

"She'd kill you." Punk said, looking over at AJ, "Like, legit, she'd kill you." He laughed as Dean nodded.

"It'd be funny." Dean smiled as Punk nodded, "Are you happy?" He asked as Punk looked over to him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I used to think people were just over exaggerating when they said their kids being born is the greatest thing to happen to them but… I feel it, man." Punk said, looking over at Keala. He was just swelling with pride, "She's perfect." He shook his head, still in awe.

"Yeah." Dean nodded, "She is.' He said, wandering over to the bassinet and looking over at Keala, "She's gonna be a little mini AJ." He laughed a little.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Punk shook his head as Dean smiled.

"A good thing until she reaches eighteen, I'd say." Dean nodded.

"Oh, she's not even a day old. Eighteen is a lifetime away." Punk waved his hand as Dean smiled, "AJ is in love with her." Punk smiled, looking over at AJ as she slept peacefully. The love AJ had for her daughter was something he loved to see. Especially since they had been through so much.

"Well I should hope so." Dean chuckled a little.

"Well, you know what I mean." Punk said as Dean nodded.

"She's got her eyes opened." Dean smiled, leaning over the bassinet, looking down at Keala who was laying looking up at Dean, making soft little baby noises, "Hiya." Dean smiled, "How is this life thing working out for you so far?" Dean asked, stroking her cheek softly as the baby girl stayed quiet, looking up at him.

Like he referenced before, she was more than just his niece, because Punk was more than just his brother. He was all he knew. The only family he'd known along with AJ, and he promised that he'd always keep Keala safe and be there for her in a heartbeat if she needed him.

"You've got a good family, kid." Dean smiled, "I mean… the best uncle ever above anything else." He smiled as Punk laughed to himself, "Your mom and dad are alright I guess." He teased as Punk smiled, watching as Dean continued to talk away to Keala, whilst he turned back to AJ who was fast asleep, taking her hand and kissing it as he smiled. Things felt pretty perfect right now.

A/N: Let me know what you think! More to come.