Moved On

"What's going on?" Punk asked, waiting for Michael to say something whilst Keala banged her spoon off of his hand, impatiently wanting more mashed potatoes.

"Well as you know they've been carrying out the trials all this time for Alberto and Ben." Michael said as AJ and Punk nodded, "They're not giving Alberto the penalty." He said as Punk looked up at him.

"But I was getting it?" Punk asked.

"The argument was that… he didn't physically murder or touch those girls. That was Dennis, and he's dead." Michael said, "So Alberto is still getting life imprisonment but… no death penalty." He said as Punk shook his head.

"That's fucking bullshit and you know it." Punk said, "He was the one who planned it all, he was the one who made sure everything worked in favour of them, to make sure I went down for it… he deserves the exact same punishment that I was falsely given." Punk stood up, "I was in a cell every day, twenty three hours, in complete isolation from everyone, in the dark. When my brother visited me I was literally sitting in a cage. I had chains around my ankles like an animal." Punk said as AJ sighed, "And he… he just gets off with it? Gets to go to gen pop, sit back in his cell with a buddy to talk to? Gets to socialise, eat food in the hall, take part in PI… how's that fair?" Punk asked.

"I knew you'd be mad." Michael nodded, "I don't give out sentences." He reminded him as Punk sighed, "He still won't have a life. He still won't ever get out of prison. He'll die there." Michael said, "He'll never have a life like this, right here." He looked around, more specifically looking at Keala who was babbling away and making noises, "He's still getting his punishment, and this way, he has to live with it for the rest of his life."

"Oh, they pick and choose when they wanna use that term." Punk said, "With me it was, oh kill that son of a bitch. Make him suffer. And now all of a sudden the new punishment is to keep people alive to live with their guilt?" Punk asked, "The whole justice system is a joke." He shook his head.

"I think so too if it helps." Michael said.

"What about Ben?" AJ asked, "What… What did he get?"

"He got eight years. Probably be out in half that time, maybe less if he's good." Michael said as AJ shook her head.

"That's all he got?" AJ asked, "He played a big part in this. I mean he was practically Del Rio's inside information to anything legal. He showed him out to get away with certain things."

"Well actually because of Ben's job, how normal and successful he was, that's what gave him a little bit of leniency, and this is his first ever offence." He said.

"That makes it alright then?" Punk asked.

"I'm not saying that. I'm just trying to think what the courts would be thinking. You're an attorney, you know how corrupt the whole thing is." He looked at AJ who sighed and nodded.

"You came all the way to Chicago to tell us their sentences?" Punk asked him, "Or are you after something?" He asked.

"Well I'm hoping this part you… might like." Michael said, "As you can imagine, wrongful convictions happen from time to time." He nodded, "Given what you went through, which I can't really imagine… you're gonna be entitled to some compensation. And by some… I mean a lot of money." Michael nodded as Punk looked at him and shook his head.

"I don't want the money." Punk told him bluntly, sitting back down at the kitchen table, taking the spoon from Keala and giving her a little more food, "Money from the same government who were happy to sign over my death certificate?" Punk asked, "Keep it."

"Money isn't going to change what happened." AJ shook her head.

"No, I wouldn't think so, but I'm just telling you what you're entitled to." Michael said, "It's up to you whether or not you wanna pursue it-"

"I won't." Punk answered quickly, "I appreciate you coming here, and we also appreciated the card you sent when Keala was born." Punk nodded sincerely, "But I'm not after money." He made clear as Michael nodded.

"I uh… I had a feeling you would say that." Michael nodded, "I had to fly out here for a work related task anyway, so I wanted to stop by, let you be the first to hear about the sentences." He said.

"We appreciate that." AJ smiled, "You didn't have to."

"I know but… I felt like I had to." Michael said, "I get it, no money could ever buy back what you went through, and to me, it looks like you guys are doing pretty great here." He said, "I assume you're just trying to move on?"

"Trying." Punk nodded to him.

"If it's something you want, the compensation is there." Michael said, "I'm sure you'll know a bit about it." He turned to AJ who nodded, "But… it's your decision." He said, "I'll leave my number with you." He said, pulling out a card and sitting it on the table, "I'll see myself out. I wanna wish you both good luck with the rest of your lives." He nodded.

"Thank you." Punk nodded to him as AJ smiled and nodded too, watching as Michael then left the kitchen and walked out of the house, "I can't believe that scum isn't getting the penalty." Punk said as AJ sat back down across from him.

"Michael is right. This way he… he suffers for the rest of his life in prison. He'll die there." AJ nodded, "Maybe it's better."

"They were so quick to sentence me to death." He shook his head.

"Well I guess it's down to that argument of… he didn't really kill the girls. They thought you did. I know how court works, things can be changed and dodged." She nodded.

"I am just… I'm so over it." Punk looked across at her, "I'm over it ruining all of us. Being at the back of our minds, making us think what if." He said, "I don't want their money and I don't want their reminders." He said, "I'm happy here, I'm living my life, that's all I wanted." He said as she smiled. He was so brave, and she knew that he wouldn't be interested in any money. He would never be bought and he wouldn't take money as an apology. He just wanted to live his life with his family and move on. They all did.

"That's all I want." She smiled, reaching her hand across and taking his in hers whilst Keala banged her spoon off of his other hand whilst making baby babbling noises happily, "We're moving on." She nodded, "We don't have to remember it as a nightmare. It's just the past. We can't change it. Why should we be so afraid of the past when we have tomorrow? And the next day? And our whole lives ahead of us?" She asked him as he smiled, "It's always gonna be a part of your life, all of our lives, but I'm more excited about looking to the future than I am about the past." She said as he smiled and nodded

"Me too." He agreed with her, squeezing her hand softly as she smiled, turning their attention to their loud baby who was eager for their attention, "What are you saying, lady?" Punk asked Keala as AJ smiled, watching as the baby girl looked up at him and silenced her noises, "Oh, now you're quiet?"

"She wanted your attention." AJ smiled. This was all she wanted. She never thought it would be, but she was so thankful that she was back with the man she loved and they were having that life they'd always wanted to have.

7 months later…

"What do you guys wanna say?" Dean asked, holding the camera towards AJ and Punk who were in the kitchen putting candles on a birthday cake.

"I wanna say get that out of my face." Punk shoved Dean.

"C'mon, it's her first birthday. You gotta say something for the tapes." He said.

"Ok fine." Punk grumbled, "Happy birthday Keala." Punk said, 'We hope you have the best day. And I swear you better play with all those toys we got you, otherwise they're going in the trash." He said.

"Phil." AJ scolded whilst preparing the birthday cake.

"What? She only ever plays with the same two toys and you made me go buy her a shit load for her that she won't play with." He said to AJ who rolled her eyes, "So you better play with them." He looked back at the camera.

"Ok, that's plenty from you." Dean rolled his eyes, "Let's get a close up of the cake." He said, budging by Punk and zooming into the cake which AJ had gotten made from a bakery, "Hey, look at that. Is that bunny rabbits?"

"Yes, it is." AJ smiled, "And squirrels."

"Yes, AJ thinks we're raising a woodland creature." Punk said.

"You wanted to put skulls on the cake." AJ rolled her eyes.

"I compromised with making them pink, didn't I?" Punk said as Dean got the full thing on camera. He figured this would make Keala laugh when she watched the tapes when she was older.

"She likes animals." AJ explained, "And she has a stuffed bunny rabbit that she takes everywhere, so I thought she'd like it." She smiled.

"I mean… she probably won't know what it is." Dean said.

"She's one. Not two days old." AJ scoffed, "Just… both of you go make sure she's sitting up and I'll bring this in. And you better both sing really loudly." She warned them as Dean shoved the camera off, smiling as he and Punk walked off into the living room.

The house was decorated in balloons and banners as Keala's first birthday was taking place. AJ couldn't believe her baby girl was already one. They'd already made so many beautiful memories together and she was so happy living with her little family, the happiest she'd ever been.

They were having just a small celebration in the house. Dean and Anna were of course there, Colette was there with her one year old son, AJ's therapist Nicole, their friendly neighbour who was probably more so there for Punk than to wish Keala a happy birthday, and a few people from Punk's work.

AJ had gone back to work full time like she had planned, as was Punk, and on the days that they weren't off, Keala went from being with Anna, Dean or Colette, they managed without a sitter as they had all the help they needed.

She took the cake into the living room with the candles on them, making sure not to drop it as she walked on into the living room, singing happy birthday to her precious girl who was sitting on her father's lap and watching as the cake got closer and closer to her.

She didn't know why but she felt really emotional, crouching down with the cake as she watched Keala giggle. She had grown so much already. She had dark wispy strands of hair and still looked like a mini version of AJ, but her little personality was so beautiful and she was so proud to be her mother.

"Ok, you need to blow the candles out now." Punk told her, holding her on his lap where Keala sat looking at the cake. She was just starting to take her first steps and was saying her first words here and there. It was a pretty exciting time.

"Will we help you?" AJ asked her as Keala looked at her, "Ok, on the three. One, two three." She said, blowing on the candles along with Punk as Keala pretended she was blowing them out too.

"Now we can eat it." Punk cheered happily as Keala giggled and collapsed back against him as AJ smiled.

He too had never been as happy as he was right now. To go from being a man who had nothing, who thought he was going to die with so many regrets, with so many things that he hadn't done, to managing to get it all back and have this perfect life with the girl he loved and their beautiful daughter, he felt pretty lucky.

"I'll cut some pieces then." AJ smiled as Punk watched her, seeing a glint in her eye as she walked back into the kitchen to cut some pieces of cake up.

"Hey, baby. You wanna go play with more toys?" Punk asked Keala who wriggled down from him and crawled over to the collection of toys she had. Although she had turned one, she was still just a baby in his eyes. She was wobbly on her feet, liked to drop her toys and pick them back up again, and say one or two of the same words over and over again. But man did she have him wrapped around her little finger already.

Dean and Anna crouched down to play with Keala whilst Punk made his way into the kitchen where AJ was cutting up slices of cake.

"Hey." He smiled, placing his hand at the small of her back.

"Hey." She replied.

"You ok?" He wondered, looking down at her as she nodded, "You looked upset." He said as she shook her head.

"No… no, I'm not upset." She shook her head, looking up at him and sitting the knife down, "I'm a happy upset." She laughed a little as he smiled, "I don't know I've just… I've been a mess all day." She waved her hand.

"Why?" Punk laughed a little.

"I don't know I just… I can't believe she's one. We have a one year old. It's terrifying." She laughed as he smiled.

"I think it's pretty cool." He smiled, "I feel like the luckiest guy ever." He smiled.

"Stop." AJ smiled.

"I do." Punk smiled, "Did you see her little face trying to blow out the candles?" He laughed a little as AJ smiled and nodded. To be together since they were kids themselves, and to now watch their own daughter grow up, it was something AJ never thought she was in desperate need for but it turns out she was. Keala was without a doubt the best thing they'd ever done. She was so bright and bubbly, with her own little personality, and every day she was just so glad to be her mother, and be doing this whole thing with the man she loved. The man she always loved.

"She'll love this cake." AJ nodded, "She's an icing maniac." She said as Punk laughed and nodded.

"She's gonna have it everywhere." Punk said as AJ smiled and nodded, "You sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine." AJ smiled, "I'm just really happy." She nodded, smiling to him as he wrapped his arms around her. All he wanted since he was a teen when he first met her was to see her happy. To see her happy and see his brother happy, and right now, they were both doing pretty good, and so was he.

"Me too." Punk smiled, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss on her lips as she kissed back, eventually breaking away, "Ok, let's go feed the monster with some cake." Punk said as AJ laughed a little.

"Are you talking about Keala or Dean?" AJ teased, taking some of the cake on the plates in her hands.

"Both." Punk smiled as they walked on into the living room with the rest of their family.

A/N: So I thought this story was getting sort of long now and I figured this was the perfect place to end the first part of the story! There will be a sequel following this story up as there is some unfinished business within the story that I want to touch down on! Also, I plan to have some more flashbacks again in the next story. So stay tuned for the sequel coming soon, and thank you for the support on this part of the story! I appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed.