Snapped
"Ok, Keala. This is the first video we're making for you." Dean said, turning the camera to face him as he spoke into it, "So I figured we introduce ourselves." He nodded, sitting on his couch, "I'm your uncle Dean. I'm just about the coolest person you will ever know in your entire life. If you ever think you've done something wrong and you know that your mom and dad will shout at you, just come to me, we'll figure it out." He nodded, "Ok, moving on." He said, turning the camera around from facing him as he zoomed it over on AJ who was sitting across on the couch drinking a can of soda as she looked over at the camera.
"This is the living, breathing machine that made you. Take a good look." Dean said as AJ rolled her eyes and sat down her soda, "What do you want to say?" Dean asked her as AJ sat up from being slouched on the couch.
"Uh… be good." AJ nodded, "And please take my advice before you take your uncle or your fathers." She smiled as Dean just grumbled.
"Speaking of." Dean said, turning the camera a little to the side where Punk sat beside AJ with Keala actually in his arms, "Look, it's you and your dad." He said, zooming into Keala and then up to Punk's face who didn't look impressed, "What do you want to say?" Dean asked him.
"If I ever find out that your uncle buys any alcohol or cigarettes for you then I'll lock the both of you in a cupboard." Punk said, "And I love you." He smiled sweetly as Dean rolled his eyes and shut he camera off.
"That's the first video we've done and you're already giving her into trouble. Don't be that guy." Dean said, sitting in his apartment where AJ and Punk had come to visit with Keala and spend the night having some dinner and catching up.
"Technically, I was giving you into trouble." Punk said, holding Keala in his arms who was cradled in fast asleep, "I thought you said Anna would be here?" He asked.
"Yeah, she will. She was working so she said she'd get the first train she could, she should be home soon." Dean said, "Here, do some videoing whilst I go put dinner on." He said, standing up and passing the camera over to AJ who took it carefully and figured out how to turn it on.
"Maybe we should make some of our own private videos to look back on and see how hot we used to be." She said as Punk raised a brow.
"Like sex tapes?" Punk asked her.
"Did I mention anything about sex?" AJ asked him, "You need to get your mind out of the gutter, boy." She said.
"My mind is always in the gutter." He said as AJ switched the video on and moved close to Keala who was fast asleep.
"Look how sweet you are, baby." AJ spoke, "This is you, just a few weeks old." AJ said as the camera focused on Keala who was fast asleep in her father's arms, "You like to sleep on dad. I think you find him comfy."
"Well obviously." Punk added in, "Mom just doesn't want to admit that you already have your favourite parent." He said as AJ nipped his arm, "Don't njp me." Punk whined, "I bruise easily." He said as AJ rolled her eyes and turned the camera back off, sitting it over on the coffee table.
"Do you wanna put her down in her stroller? She'll sleep there." AJ said as Punk nodded, standing up and walking over to the stroller where he placed Keala down in, smiling down at her as he then returned back to AJ and sat down on the couch beside her, "Are you gonna talk to Anna?" She asked him.
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I just don't want her to avoid me the way she does." Punk said, "She made a mistake, and she had a lot pulling her in different direction. I'm human, I understand." He said.
"I think she still just feels really guilty." AJ said as Punk nodded.
He hadn't yet spoken to Dean about his findings of alcohol in the trash a few days ago. He didn't think it was his place. He was stuck in between minding his own business and still trying to look out for his little brother. He didn't want it to come across like he was telling Dean what to do, but he was only concerned and worried. He figured he'd keep it on the low for now.
Later that night after Anna arrived and they had dinner, AJ was sat in the living room with Dean, watching the end of a movie whilst Punk had made his way out to the kitchen where Anna was.
"Let me help you." Punk said, picking up a kitchen towel and starting to dry the dishes as Anna looked over at him.
"It's ok, we normally just let them air dry." Anna waved her hand.
"I don't mind." Punk told her as she just nodded, "No one has to point it out, it's very clear that anytime I approach you, you casually find your way somewhere else." He said, "And I know it's because you want to avoid me." He said, "I'm not mad at you if that's what you think."
"What my mom done was unforgivable and I can't-"
"Yeah, what your mom done." Punk nodded, "What you did wasn't much better but at least you owned up to it, and you were legitimately sorry about it. I don't know what it's like to have a hard relationship with your mom, but I can't imagine it's easy." He said as Anna looked up at him, "You're my brother's girlfriend, you're part of the family, and I'm not gonna hold what you did against you. No one is. We're moving on." He said as she nodded and smiled.
"I just didn't know if you wanted me around anymore." Anna said.
"Of course I do. You make Dean happy." He said, "We all make mistakes. It's all in the past now." He said, "Ok?" He nodded as she just nodded along and smiled, grateful that he'd cleared that air with her.
"Actually, while we're here being open." Anna said, "I uh… I'm worried about Dean." She admitted as he looked over at her, "He's been drinking a lot more than usual. A lot more." She nodded, "He's not… doing anything wrong." She immediately said, "We're not fighting because of it or anything." She said, "But… I'm worried that it's happening too often now, and I can't face telling him off for it because I think that will just make him mad." She said, "But I don't know what's brought it on."
"I've spoken to him… pretty lightly about it." He nodded, "I've noticed too." He said, "But I don't think it's because of anything in particular, as far as I know his job is still fine, he… he seems fine." He said, "I'm stuck between trying to be that big brother and trying to… let him live his life." He shook his head.
"What if he's not fine, though?" Anna asked, "So many people can seem fine and they're not. I mean, he's started smoking… I didn't know he even smoked."
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Well he did before. He quit." He said, "I'll uh… ok, I'll talk to him about it again." He said, figuring it would be for the best, "Before it becomes a problem, you know?"
"Yeah." Anna nodded and smiled, "Thank you. I just worry about him, that's all." She said as Punk smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I do." Punk said.
Once they finished clearing up, they headed back into the living room where AJ was giving Keala her last feed of the night before disappearing into her and Punk's old bedroom which was now just a spare bedroom, to change her diaper and put her down for her night sleep.
Anna had asked to come help AJ, saying she needed practise for when her and Dean got to babysit, leaving Punk and Dean in the living room themselves.
"You've had quite a few of them tonight. What you celebrating?" Punk said casually, nodding to Dean's beer in his hand as Dean just shrugged.
"Just a few." Dean nodded as Punk looked across at him, "What?"
"Nothing." Punk put his hand up, "Well, actually…" He shook his head, "Look, I may be moved out and I may have a kid to be looking after, but you're still my little brother and I'm still always gonna be making sure you're alright, that's never gonna leave me… so, yeah… the alcohol consumption seems a lot, man." Punk said, "I hate to be on your case about it, but… when I was here the other night, there was some strong stuff in the trash, and Anna's noticed it too." Punk said, "Please can you tell me if something is wrong?" He asked.
"Oh my God." Dean groaned tiredly, "What the fuck?" He looked at Punk, sitting his beer down and sitting up straight, "When have you ever cared about me drinking?"
"I haven't, Dean. But I care about how much and how frequently you're doing it. I was over here yesterday to pick up something and you'd already had a few beers. It was… 11am." Punk said, "You've never done that before. What's going on? Is it work? Is it too stressful?"
"No, it's nothing. It's me having some drinks every now and then." Dean said, looking across at him in denial, "It's just a few."
"No, Dean. It's not a few and I'm gonna let you just brush this aside, again." Punk said, "And I'm not gonna be on your case for it, but you're my little brother and I still feel like it's my place to look after you."
"Well it's not." Dean said, "Alright? Quit babying me." He warned, getting angry now, "Focus on your own life now, you actually have a kid who needs looking after, in case you haven't noticed."
"Yeah, I've fucking noticed, shut up." Punk spat back, "I can't be a concerned brother anymore? Because I've moved out and I have a kid?" Punk asked, "I don't want to see this become a habit for you-"
"A habit? You mean an addiction?" Dean smiled as Punk looked across at him, "Well it's not." He said, "Just quit getting on at me about it."
"Well then answer me this? Could you go without it for a week?" Punk asked him.
"What is this? An AA meeting?" Dean shook his head.
"Answer it." Punk gritted his teeth.
"Of course I could." Dean said, even though he wasn't quite sure, which suddenly scared him as he hadn't really considered his drinking problem a problem until now, "People like to have a drink, Phil. Ok, it's not a crime. Just cause you're too pussy in case you turn out like dad doesn't mean I am."
"Well good, I'm glad you have that much confidence in yourself." Punk nodded, "And you're right, that's why I don't drink, I am scared that I end up like him. I'm not embarrassed to say that, but I don't want to see you turn out like that. You've drank before but it's never been this bad. I mean, it's constant, Dean."
"You're giving me a headache." Dean shook his head and rubbed his forehead, turning away as Punk launched the cushion beside him at Dean and stood up.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you." Punk warned as Dean looked up at him, "You better thank yourself lucky that I am around, because I'm the only one here that's gonna say it to your face that you may… you may have a problem, and as your brother, I want to help you." Punk said as Dean stood up and walked towards him.
"Yeah, and what are you gonna do to fix it?" Dean asked, shoving Punk, "Huh?" He smiled, "You gonna go to juvie? Oh, wait… that's only for minors. Let me do you one better… are you gonna go put yourself on death row again?" Dean asked him as Punk pushed him hard.
"Shut your mouth." Punk warned, "All those times I went to juvie I went for you." He hissed.
"Oh, do me a favour." Dean rolled his eyes, "I've spent most of my life thinking that the reason you've struggled so much is because of me." He said, "Because you put me before you, but now… now I'm beginning to think that you were the problem all along." Dean shrugged. He'd had a lot of beers, and of course he was saying hurtful things he didn't mean at all, but he was angry and in denial, and unaccepting of his brothers help.
"Maybe I am the problem." Punk nodded, "Maybe you're right. But I still done my best by you." He said, "And how dare you bring up death row as if I brought any of that on myself." Punk hissed, "I'm trying to help you here, Dean. I don't wanna see you go down this road. You're too smart, you've got too much good stuff going for you."
"Like you actually care." Dean spat, "You don't care if I'm here on my own, drinking myself to death… no as long as you're ok with AJ and Keala-"
"That's not fucking true. I still put you before myself. I always have. And this is the biggest slap in the face right now." He said as Dean just scoffed.
"All hail saint Phil. I don't ask you to look out for me-"
"You're my brother!" Punk yelled, "That's what we do." He spat, "You're being ridiculous. Saying all this shit when I know you don't mean it." He said as AJ walked out of the bedroom whilst Anna stayed with Keala.
"What the hell is going on in here?" AJ shook her head as she looked over at the heated argument and walked towards them, "We're trying to put Keala to sleep." She said.
"Oh, look. Here's the second saint coming to save the day." Dean said, "She's already been here to question me on the alcohol by the way." Dean let Punk know, "I assume you both chat about it, talk about fucked up I am-"
"No, we don't actually." Punk said.
"What are you talking about?" AJ shook her head.
"Do you think I have an alcohol problem, AJ?" Dean asked, "Because your boyfriend does."
"Right now, I'd say yeah." AJ said, "Dean, we're just concerned." She shook her head, figuring that Punk had brought up the alcohol conversation again, and clearly it wasn't going very well, "Look, I know how it feels to feel down and useless… I know that feeling, but turning to alcohol won't help you-"
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I should just down a tub of pills on the bathroom floor and kill myself." Dean spat as AJ's voice hitched. He'd never said something so hurtful.
"Don't make me hit you." Punk warned, "Just don't." Punk shook his head.
"How dare you." AJ shook her head, "We're trying to help you. You're lashing out at us because you know yourself that there's a problem here." She said, "And we wanna help you."
"There's only a problem because of you." Dean said as he looked at Punk, "People still ask me… oh that was your brother who was on death row?" Dean said.
"Since when did you care what people think?" Punk asked.
"Since it follows me everywhere I go!" Dean spat, "You two dealt with it together, and you got by and you made it all sunshine and rainbows and had a cute kid. I'm still here thinking about those three months I spent thinking my brother was going to die." He said, looking at Punk.
"And how is that my fault?" Punk asked him calmly, "We've all went through our shit, Dean. I had night terrors for months after it. AJ went through a few bad spells of her own, you're going through your own stuff right now and I'm here to help you, like you were there for me." He said.
"No, I'm fine." Dean warned, "I can't just have a few drinks every now and then to ease the stress a little? Is that not allowed?"
"Not every day, every hour." AJ said, "You're gonna get addicted."
"Let us help you and stop lashing out at us." Punk said.
"I don't want your help." Dean said, "Just get out. Both of you." He pointed over to the door.
"Are you kidding me?" Punk said, "What the hell has gotten into you, man?" He asked. It wasn't like him to be this hurtful and angry, and he was starting to think this drinking problem had been caused from him bottling up so much, trying to carry on and pretend everything was fine, and now it was finally hitting him. What they'd all been through was very traumatic, and Dean hadn't quite figured out how to deal with it yet, and he wasn't open to letting anyone help him either, beside a bottle of something.
"Dean, we just want to help you." AJ sighed. She hated seeing him like this, and she knew it killed Punk.
"Well I don't want your help." Dean told her, "Alright? I don't have a problem. You guys are the fucking problem." He said.
"That's not fair." AJ said, "I almost lost him too, you know. You're not the only one who has felt the way you feel right now."
"You guys were broken up. He's my brother, you're just his girlfriend." Dean said, "I mean for Christ sake, you went and married someone else. How could you do that?" Dean asked her.
"This has nothing to do with anything." Punk shook his head, "You're just dealing with a lot right and you don't know how to go about it, and that's ok." Punk said, "I'm here to help you, Dean."
"Just like you were when you were in juvie and I was at different homes on my own?" Dean asked.
"Tell him why I kept going to juvie." Punk turned to AJ, "Tell him." He folded his arms as AJ looked over at Dean.
"Did you… not ever notice that you went to nicer families when you were on your own?" Dean asked him as he looked at them both with confusion, "Kids on their own, with no siblings, normally went to the better families, the families who wanted a kid." AJ said, "But… the kids with siblings normally went to families who were on the system just because they felt it was a job." AJ said, "Sometimes yeah, he got into juvie because of his own problems but, he mostly put himself in juvie so you could go to nicer families." AJ said as Dean looked over at Punk.
"Call me what you want." Punk said, "Don't ever question how much I care about you. Ever." Punk warned him as Dean ran his hands through his hair.
"Get out." Dean sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Both of you, just take Keala and get out." He said tiredly.
"I'll pack up." AJ shook her head, walking away back into the bedroom, wiping her teary eyes as she done so. It was so rare to see Dean and Punk fight, she hated it, she was so used to them looking out for one another, looking out for her, and it upset her, especially when she could see how lost Dean seemed, and she knew that was killing Punk.
"I just… want to help you." Punk shook his head as Dean sat down on the couch and placed his hands over his face, not saying anything as Punk sighed, turning around when he saw AJ leave the bedroom with Keala, putting her down in her stroller and getting her ready to leave as quick as she could. The atmosphere wasn't fun to be in at all.
"Let's go." AJ nodded to Punk.
"When you wanna talk, you know where I am." Punk said, "Just let me help you." He said as Dean looked up at him.
"Go." Dean nodded to him as Punk sighed, walking away over to AJ, opening up the door as she quickly wheeled the stroller out, closing the door behind them as Punk helped her bump the stroller down the stairs, leaving the apartment block.
"C'mon." Punk sighed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they walked along the sidewalk, both almost in shock with what had just gone down.
A/N: Let me know what you think!