Within the next few weeks, AJ had finished up her shows for her theatre production and boy was she proud. It started off in such a terrible way, but she got there in the end and could finally tick off the dream and goal in her bucket list.

Punk had been explaining to AJ how his father had been very off with him in the past few weeks. He barely showed up to Invictus anymore, and when he did it was only for a few hours. Dennis was very much in charge over all.

"When are you going to tell the boy, Jack?" Dennis asked, sitting in the Invictus office with his brother who sat behind his desk dis occupied with everything. He was just after breaking the news to Dennis about his illness. It was extremely hard for a man like himself to admit to being down and weak.

"I'm gonna invite him, April and Elise for dinner tonight. I'll break it to them then." Jack said, "I'm not sure how I'll ease it in."

"So what's the treatment procedure?" Dennis asked gloomily.

"I'm not sure yet." Jack shook his head, "All I know is I'm dying." Jack shrugged, "Nothing else really matters. They can give me treatment, but nothing is going to cure it."

"It'll help with pain, Jack. Don't be a stubborn old bastard." Dennis shook his head, "You're going, even if I have to drag you there myself. Your kids aren't going to want to see you in pain." He said.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Jack laughed.

"You know Phil will be upset. And despite her ways, Elise is going to be just as sad." Dennis said, "You better tell them tonight. Don't cop out like you always do." Dennis warned him, knowing that the only way to get through to his little brother, was to be hard on him.

"I need a cigarette." Jack sighed, standing up and walking out of the office with a heavy sigh.

"Why are you home so early?" Punk asked, turning down the tv in AJ's house as he seen AJ walk through the living room, trailing her bag along the floor.

She'd allowed him for quite some time now, to just stay at her house if he had nothing else to do, whilst she was at work at the studio. He liked sitting around in her house better than he liked being in his own apartment. It was warmer in some way, and she had better tv channels.

"I threw up in the corner of the studio." She dumped her bag as he held back his laughter, watching her collapse down beside him, "It's not even like I feel ill. It just… comes and goes." She leaned in against him.

"Maybe you're coming down with something. You've been like this for days now." He pointed out as she nodded, "Do you want me to take you to the doctors?" He asked her whilst turning the tv back up.

"I'm sure I'll be ok. Maybe it's food poisoning. You know… with the way I'm throwing up so irregularly." She said as he nodded.

"Can you take some pills or something?" He asked hopelessly as she shook her head.

"Doesn't work like that, Phil." She said.

"Well why don't you go lie down for a bit. You look tired." He said, playing with her hair lovingly as she sighed tiredly. She was tired, it wasn't like her. She was normally full of energy, but she just felt so down and uneasy.

"I suppose I should." She nodded, sitting up straight, "Don't let me sleep too long." She asked him as he suddenly remembered.

"Oh, I almost forgot. My dad text. He wants us round for dinner tonight. Said it's urgent. He's even asking for Elise to join." He raised his eyebrows, "I don't know if I should be worried or excited." He said nervously, "But I can ask him to rearrange if you don't feel up to it." He said as she shook her head.

"No… no, I'll make it. If he's going out of his way to invite us over for dinner then we should go." AJ said, "I'll just watch what I'm eating." She told him as he nodded.

"Ok. But go get a sleep before you get ready. You still look exhausted." He stroked her cheek as she smiled, leaning forward and pecking him on the lips before heading off upstairs to lie down whilst he lazed on her couch.

She liked knowing he was here. She enjoyed not feeling so alone anymore. A lot had changed these past few months, and definitely for the better, despite the world that the man she had fallen in love with came from.

"Baby, what's taking you so long?" Punk questioned whilst walking up the stairs. He had already been showered and was dressed ready to go, but AJ seemed to be taking an awful lot of time, "We gotta leave now if we're gonna beat traffic-"

He paused as he seen her still in her pyjamas, standing in the bathroom as he walked in behind her slowly, "What's wrong?" He asked her as she looked up at him, holding a prescription, "What's that?"

"I… Oh, Phil I'm such an idiot." She threw the box down on the bathroom ledge and placed her hands over her face, "I haven't been taking my pills." She trembled with fear as he folded his arms.

"What pills?" He asked her with concern, "Are you really sick?" He pained to ask.

"No… no, my birth control pills." She said, "I haven't taken them since… since before my show." She said.

"April, that was two months ago." Punk pointed out the obvious as she nodded.

"I know." She shrieked, digging her fingers through her hair in denial, "What if I'm-"

"Don't." Punk shook his head, "You can't be… c'mon think about… weren't you on your period last week?" He asked her, not meaning to be so personal with her, but he thought he remembered her saying something.

"No. I told you I was going to be. Which means… I'm a week late." She gasped as he placed his hands on either side of the sink, "Phil, what am I going to do?" She asked him, watching him breath heavily, standing in silence whilst hunched over, "Phil!" She exclaimed as he ran his arm over the bathroom products sitting on the ledge, watching them pour all over the floor as a crack appeared in the huge mirror, leaving AJ frightened in the corner as he glared over at her.

"Get ready. We'll talk about when we get home." He spat.

"Phil..." She shook her head with tears in her eyes, "Baby, don't look at me like that." She begged with a lump in her throat. He looked angry with her. He looked angry with himself and her. She wasn't sure what to say or do. Nothing was confirmed yet, but it all made pretty good sense to her. How was this actually happening?

"We'll deal with it later. Just get ready. I'll be outside waiting in the car." He told her, walking out of the destructed bathroom, running down the stairs and straight out of the house for some well needed fresh air.

AJ and Punk had both managed to put on their best faces, pretending everything was alright as they went to his fathers house for arranged dinner. AJ could have thought of better places to be, aka at home wondering what on earth was going on with her life, but instead she was here at the scums house who killed her parents.

She was completely hurt and shocked by Punks actions towards her tonight before they came out. It was the first time he'd lashed out or lost his temper with her. Even though, none of this could have possibly been all her fault. She distinctly remembered telling him in a heated shower with him, that she hadn't taken her pills. She had let him know very clearly that there was a good possibility they were being unsafe, but he chose to ignore it.

But they couldn't blame each other in such a situation like this. They had to step up and think about what they were really going to do about this.

"Everything ok?" Elise asked after a surprisingly talkative dinner. She decided to come after all after debating with herself. She wanted to know what her father needed her for. She was glad AJ was here, and she didn't have to sit with her brother and father all night who would just talk strict business, which they were right now in the living room.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I've just not been feeling well these past few days. Think I'm over the worst." She admitted as Elise smiled.

"That's good to hear-"

"Elise… April, come sit down. I have something I'd like to say." Jack plucked up the courage. He was already on his fifth brandy, and was firing through all the liquor he had in his house, not that it was going to help with the meds he was on.

AJ took a seat next to Punk on the sofa, leaning into him as he discretely shuffled away. It was like he was scared to touch her or look at her. He hadn't spoke to her once throughout the entire dinner, nor even glanced her way. She didn't know whether to be worried, upset or angry. Worried that he was going to flee from her any minute. Sad that he hadn't reacted in a calm and soothing way. And angry because he had no right what so ever to be treating her the way he was right now.

"What is it? What could you have possibly summoned us here for? I've been trying to figure it out all night." Elise chuckled, looking over at her brother who was just fixed on his father with confusion.

"The reason I haven't been around a lot recently, is because I've been… in and out of hospital a lot." He said as Elise's smile faded as she sat up, "I've been having a lot of seizures, nothing major, but I thought it'd be best to get it checked out." He said, "Well… they done some blood work and tests and..."

"What?" Punk said, "What is it?"

"I have ALS." He said with a slight chuckle as Punk tilted his head whilst Elise covered her mouth, "Your old man is dying. I have… one, maybe two years." He said as Punk glanced up at him.

"For sure?" Punk asked. Sometimes it was hard to take his father seriously, especially since he was currently laughing. Although he could sense his father seemed a little drunk.

"One hundred percent." Jack nodded.

"There isn't a cure for that." AJ whispered as Punk turned to her.

"Precisely, April. Eventually, I won't be able to walk. I'll need a wheel chair. And towards the end, I may lose speech." He told them, still clutching a glass of brandy.

"Oh, dad." Elise cried, standing up and wrapping her arms around her father for the first time in forever. She hadn't realised how precious family really was until this very moment right here.

"I'm dying and now I get the hugs." Jack joked, "It's alright, princess." He kissed her head whilst embracing her upset frame, looking past at Punk who was running his hand through his hair.

"I need some air." Punk announced, standing up and walking out of the living room and out of the house all together.

"I knew he wouldn't take it very well." Jack admitted whilst letting go of Elise and looking over April, "Maybe you should take him home. Tell him to come visit me when he feels ready. I'm not going anywhere for the time being." He said as April nodded.

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" AJ asked. She wasn't sure what she was meant to say to this man? Was she really sorry? No. Was she sorry for Punk? Yes.

"No. Not at all. Upstairs, first on your left." He said as AJ nodded, walking away and heading for the stairs as Jack turned back to embracing his upset daughter.

AJ had eventually finished in the toilet, flushing and powdering her nose as she looked in the mirror, her eyes dropping to her stomach which until now always felt empty. Now that it was acknowledged, call her crazy, but she really felt like there was something in there. Something hopeful and bright.

She had no idea how this conversation with Punk was going to go when they got home. Everything that Jack had just told him hadn't helped their situation. He would sure be like a brick wall for a few days.

She headed out of the toilet, walking out and noticing a few framed pictures along the upstairs hallway, not being able to help smile at the obvious infant pictures of Phil and Elise. Phil was maybe ten or eleven, which would have made little Elise three or four. They looked adorable, and so alike.

"Back when everything seemed simple." Jack croaked behind her as she jumped.

"S-Sorry… I didn't mean to be-"

"Oh, don't worry." Jack chuckled, slightly fumbling in his steps from the large amount of alcohol consumption tonight, "Phil was a little cracker, wasn't he? The bright eyes. Dark hair. That smirk. I knew… I knew he'd be a troublemaker from day one." He admitted as AJ smiled.

"Was this before or after you began poisoning him?" AJ turned away from the picture and looked at him, watching him scowl, "I'm taking from his smile and his loving arms wrapped around his sister, it was before." She spat. She had no remorse for this man. Not even if he was dying.

"Where are your manners? Mommy and daddy never taught you them?" He chuckled as she hissed and lashed her hand completely hard across his cheek.

"How dare you-"

But before she finished anything she wanted to say, he had grabbed her by the shoulders and was forcing her into a room. His hand snaked around her mouth to cover her screams as he threw her face first on the bed, stripping off his coat as she squirmed for an exit.

"What are you doing? Please… don't-"

"I'm teaching you a lesson, little girl." He spat, wrapping his arm around her neck and pushing her head down on the mattress as she cried with fear.

"I'm pregnant… please don't… please..." Her begging turned to a whisper as Jack paused.

But his pausing wasn't set for long, as he suddenly felt a sharp tug on his arm and a hard and painful fist connecting with his face, keeling him completely over onto his back at the bottom of the bed whilst AJ scampered frantically to her feet, pulling down her dress which had slid up, running over to Punk who looked like he was ready to kill.

"You're disgusting." Punk shook his head, "You can rot for all I care." Punk spat, looking down at his father holding his bloody nose. Never once had he raised his hands like that to him. He never would have thought it would be on the night he told him he was dying.

"Phil… she totally came-"

"Don't even talk to me." Punk shook his head, "You're scum. You deserve to die alone." He spat, guiding AJ out of the room as she wriggled out of his grasp, running down the stairs as he caught up with her.

"AJ..." Punk ran down the drive way and into the car she had ran into, "AJ-"

"Don't." AJ shook her head, looking up at him as he got into the car, "Just don't." She shook her head, "I just wanna go home." She cried like an infant child.

"Ok, but-"

"Just drive me home, Phil!" She yelled and he gulped, nodding and starting the engine, watching as she turned away from him, looking out the window, placing his hand on her lap as she violently threw it away.

He ran his hands through his hair and got on route to go home, not remembering a day that had been so bad in his life before.