"April… are you ok?" Punk practically sprinted through the living room door once getting into their house, looking over at AJ lying up on the couch, hugging into a blanket with every single light and lamp on in the house.

He barely kept his cool throughout the flight home, and racing through the airport. He may have cursed loudly upon a few slow people in his way, but only because he just had to see April, to make sure she was ok. As soon as he got a phone call from Paul about what had happened, his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't lose her. It wasn't an option in all of this.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Punk sighed whilst looking on at her stitched up head, watching her eyes fill with tears as he sat and caught her in his arms, wrapping his arms around her tightly whilst she sobbed onto his shoulder. She thought she could be mad with him about it, but all she really wanted to do was cry and be held safely.

"I promise you I won't leave again." He shook his head whilst repeatedly kissing her head, not being able to hold enough of her to reassure him she was ok.

"Why didn't you tell me?" AJ sighed, shuffling back and looking on at him, turning the TV down low as he ran his hands through his hair.

"I didn't want to worry you. I know I promise you no more lies. But I don't want you getting poisoned by all of this stuff. You don't deserve any of this." He said, cupping her cheek whilst looking on at her stitches. He was glad that it was only a cut head she had suffered. Nothing else…

"What am I meant to do, Phil?" She asked him lifelessly, "I… I don't feel safe." She admitted. Ever since she found out about all of this, and what was still going on around her, she just didn't feel safe at all.

"This was why I didn't want to tell you." He sighed. He hated seeing her all shaken up like this, "I'll keep you safe." He promised her, laying his hand softly on her lap.

"It's not just me, Phil." She looked up at him. She couldn't think of any other way to ease into her announcement that she still couldn't quite believe herself.

"Hey, I'll be fine too." He nodded, of course picking up on the wrong end of the stick, "I promise, I'm gonna find a way, and even if it means we have to..."

"I'm pregnant."

He stared at her blankly, slowly taking his hand from her lap, looking across at her like she had two heads, watching her as she reached out and took his shaking hand, in sync with his shaking head, "We're gonna have a baby." She shrugged, mesmerized by her own words, watching as he still sat speechless, "Say something." She whispered.

She knew it wasn't what they needed right now. But it wasn't like they had planned it, and what she didn't plan on doing, was treating the matter negatively. At the end of the day, it was a baby, and she was going to have that baby, whether Punk wanted to support her or not. She had thought about it since she left the hospital, and she barely even had to think about it. The baby was going to be so loved and cherished, if not by it's father then by her indefinite.

"H-How?" Punk shook his head, easing his hand out of hers whilst staring at her bluntly. He wasn't aware that his heart was beating rapidly inside his chest. It didn't seem real.

"C'mon, Phil. You paid attention in sex ed class." She smiled as he shook his head.

"What… why aren't you… why aren't you scared or at least phased by this? This… we didn't plan this." He shook his head, surprised at how calm she was being.

"I was scared, for your information. But then I realised I didn't have to be." She said, "And you don't either." She said, "I know it's not good timing, and I know it's all happening rather quickly. But I'm… I'm happy about this. It's like there's a light in all the darkness around us right now." She said. She seen this baby as a symbol of light throughout all the evil that was going on with them. She believed everything happened for a reason, this especially.

"But do we really want this?" He asked her, "You don't have to say yes to it just because it's the quote on quote, right thing to do." He said as she looked down with a nod. Of course. Why did she ever think this would be what he wanted? She knew he'd be shocked, but she imagined him eventually coming round to the idea.

"So this isn't what you want?" She asked.

"I'm just saying there are other options out there." He told her as she laughed coldly.

"Well I've already made up my mind." She said bluntly and strictly, making sure he knew that her decision was final, and his attempts to convincing her into any other options was not even open for discussion.

Punk ran his hands through his hair, turning around from facing her and facing straight on, just digesting what was really going on. A baby? What did he know about raising a child? Never once had he gave having kids a second thought. He figured it would happen one way or another, if he met the right girl, which he had, but not this soon, and not at such bad timing where AJ herself was on the line here, never mind their unborn child.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Phil. But I'm the one whose life is on the line right now. I'm the one that's being pushed down the stairs and targeted. The least you could do is see light in all of this." She said.

"April, this baby isn't making this situation any lighter. If anything it's just darkening it all. You… you have much more to lose now. I..." He turned around to her, "I have much more to lose, and much more to protect." He said.

"Well it isn't all down to me." She argued as he rolled his eyes.

"You said you were on birth control." He said with an exhausted tone to his voice, placing his hand out in confusion.

"I was." She spat, "Look, complaining about this isn't going to make it go away. It's quite clear you don't want this, and that's fine, but I do." She said as he turned around to her, "Do you really want to be like your father? My father? Not caring or being apart of their kids lives?" She asked him, hitting a touchy spot.

"I never said I was going to leave." He told her.

"You didn't say you were going to stay either." She replied, looking on at him looking down at the ground. She knew it was a lot for him to take in. And she did completely understand that what they had going on at the moment, wasn't really good to bring a baby into. But he really had to give himself a shake.

"Look..." She shuffled over beside him, "I know it's overwhelming. I felt exactly the same when the nurse told me. But it's happening. It's happening, baby. Believe it or not, the idea and thought of this baby is making me feel ok about what's going on with Jamie and across seas. It's giving me a reason to keep my head up, and not get worried." She told him as he looked on at her with a smile, "I always wanted to have kids, and it was always going to be with the man I love, and I'm with him." She explained, "I know you're scared. I know you're thinking that because you don't know what a real father is, you'll screw up, but guess what?" She asked as he nodded, "You're going to be the best, and we're going to do this. Not because it's the right thing to do, but because in the end, we're going to have a little baby." She smiled, "A little Punk, or a little AJ." She said as he chuckled.

"A little Punk, huh?" He laughed, running his hands through his hair whilst turning back around to her. This was why he loved her. That strength and courage, that not even he as a cop had. She was remarkable, and the fact that she loved the idea of carrying his child warmed his heart. Maybe she was right, maybe this was the determination he needed to get these Albanians, maybe this baby was the motivation to protect April twice as much as what he was striving to.

"You're just back." She announced breaking his train of thought, "You should go take a shower, I'll make some food for us. We have a lot to talk about." She said as he nodded.

"I won't be long." He nodded, taking her up on her offer as she nodded, reaching over and laying a gentle kiss on her head to let her know he was calm and thinking positively. He was still in shock, but it was easing off, and he was beginning to see the bigger picture. He just needed to figure out a way that he could lock away these Albanians quicker. Protecting AJ was all he ever wanted to do, and he vowed to always do it, but now, now he had much more than just AJ.

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