"She's really kicking tonight." AJ admitted, getting into bed with Punk later that night, "I wonder if she's unhappy about something." She wondered, resting in against Punks body whilst rubbing her round tummy soothingly. Whenever she wanted to sleep, their daughter wanted to be very much awake, so she had been doing a lot of sleeping during the day.
"Nah, I bet she's having a great time in there." Punk smiled to her, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger playfully, "Are you scared to go back?" He asked curiously.
"A little." AJ nodded, "I just-I don't want you to be unhappy and sucked into his poison again. I don't know why it bothers him so much that you work for him anyway." She shook her head.
"I think he's just a normal dad who wants his son to be just like him." Punk shrugged, "I don't know."
"If we were having son, would you treat him the way your father treats you?" She asked.
"Of course I wouldn't." Punk said bluntly.
"Then clearly you know that what he does, the way he treats you, isn't fair. You should be allowed to make your own decisions." She sighed, "I mean… your job, you've just been under the illusion that you like it because you haven't been allowed to do anything else."
"I know." Punk nodded, "But I am good at it."
"You are." AJ admitted, "I don't doubt your skills. But it's not realistic. Not if we want everything to work out. I don't want to always live in fear. It was ok when it was just me, and I could protect myself. But… not anymore." She placed her hand on her tummy, signifying the unconditional love they already had for their daughter.
"Wouldn't it be easier if I just went back? I mean… I could continue to go to college and work for him at the same time-"
"Phil..." AJ moaned frustratedly.
"You didn't let me finish." He said, "I'll work for him when we go back, but… when he passes on, I can walk away, easily." Punk said, "He's still my dad, April. He has this pride thing that must of us guys have. He's dying. Elise doesn't go near him. He's got no one." He said.
"I will never understand why you continue to defend him." She shook her head, "He's alone, because he's hurt those who he used to have by his side. He doesn't deserve your sympathy." She shook her head.
"It will be easier." Punk said, "We can go back. I just explain to him that I wanted to take a few months away with you, I continue working with him at night, going to college during the day-"
"All the way up until he dies?" AJ asked him.
"Yeah." Punk nodded.
"That's another year." AJ sighed.
"April, I'm trying my best here. You know it isn't an option for me to go back and just neglect the work. You know it. So stop pretending that we can go back and live like a normal family." He said, "You just gotta be patient with me. I promise it'll all work out. It's just gonna take some time."
"Maybe it'd be better if we went back home before I have the baby." She said as he looked down with confusion, "Elise will want to be there, and your father isn't going to come near me whilst I'm pregnant." She pointed out.
"I thought you wanted to chill here and have her before we went back?" Punk asked.
"Well, I did. But if we aren't going back now, we'll be going back in a month. And maybe it won't be good moving with a new born baby. I want her to be settled in her home." She rested her hand on her bump as he nodded.
"Ok." Punk nodded, "I'll pack up tomorrow."
"Why was I called here so suddenly? I'm a very busy man." Jack spoke with anger the next day, standing in the doctor's office in the hospital he had been going to for treatment, not really sure what was such an emergency to call him here so quickly. It wasn't like they could tell him he was dying.
"Take a seat Mr Brooks." The nurse pointed as Jack sat down with a huff, "I have some news."
"Well get on with it. What is it?" Jack shook his head.
"Well… Mr Brooks, since we've started therapy and gave you your medication, your symptoms haven't shown of ALS. We here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital would like to apologise. We've seemed to have misdiagnosed you." She said as Jack raised his eyebrows.
"I don't have ALS?" Jack asked as the nurse shook her head with a smile.
"No." The nurse said, "Although you do have a serious muscular disorder. But… it's not a death sentence, and we can help it." She nodded as Jack leaned back on the chair, overwhelmed to say the least.
"I'm not dying." He whispered to himself.
"I'm very sorry for the misunderstanding. You did show all the signs of ALS." She admitted, "But we can confirm it's not."
"Don't be sorry." Jack shook his head, "Thank you. Thank you very much." He extended his hand, shaking the young girls hand with a large smile. The paranoia wasn't there anymore. It was confirmed. He was immortal again. Well… for as far as he wanted to last.
"So you're not dying?" Dennis shook his head, later that night, sitting in the office in Ivictus as Jack poured himself a second brandy, not being able to stop smiling.
"Nope." Jack raised his glass, "Here's to good health." He laughed to himself, throwing over the liquor like a shot, placing the crystal glass on the office desk.
"Well that is good news." Dennis nodded.
They'd both been running the place smoothly since Punk had left without so much as a phone call. Jack was relatively pissed off with his son for just leaving so sudden, and for so long. But he'd managed to hold the fort with Dennis, and things were running smoothly, although the club did miss Punk's witty charm and his quick skills on the job at night.
"He's some even more good news." Dennis said, "Joe said he seen Phil and April today." Dennis looked at his brother who placed down the glass bottle of brandy.
"Where?" Jack asked forcefully.
"Going back into the house-"
"With the baby?" Jack spat out.
"No. She's still pregnant. They've only been away for five months." Dennis said, "What'd I tell you? He'd come back." Dennis smiled, having told Jack nearly every day for five months that Punk would return at one point. Sometimes he believed he knew his nephew better than Jack knew Punk.
"He owes me the biggest explanation of his damn life." Jack spat.
"I think the boys explanation will be that he needed a break, Jack. You have him on the job all the time, and I'm sure he wanted some time with April. Alone." Dennis said, "If you really want him to take this business on when we're long gone, like you always say, you have to start showing him respect, the way he does to you. Or else you're just gonna push him away."
"No… as long as she's in the picture, he'll never want this place." Jack shook his head, "Not even if it gave him all the money in the world." Jack said.
"He will. It's in his blood. It's all he knows. What else is he gonna do to provide for a family?" Dennis said.
"He still owes me an explanation. He could have called me to let me know he was taking some time away and-"
"And you would have tracked him and found him." Dennis said, "He's back now. Just drop it and go see him." Dennis said.
"Nah. I'll wait for him to come see me." Jack smiled, taking a seat and placing his feet up on the office desk whilst clutching his brandy glass.
"I oddly missed this place." AJ admitted whilst standing in the middle of the living room the house they had continued paying mortgage to whilst away.
"Me too." Punk nodded, "I'll crack on with the nursery tomorrow." He told her as she nodded. Before they had left, they had cleared out the spare room and also ordered a crib, dressers, changing table and other newborn baby essentials.
"Ok." AJ smiled, "I think I'm gonna order some chinese food later. You fancy anything?" She asked him as he shook his head.
"I'm ok." Punk said, "I'm gonna go face the inevitable and see my father. Wish me luck." He asked her as she smiled.
"Just be honest." She told him, cupping his cheek, "And don't be late. You know she doesn't stop kicking me unless you tell her to at night." She smiled as he laughed.
"I won't be late." He promised her, pressing a soft kiss on her lips, crouching down and kissing her stomach, "No kicking mommy whilst I'm gone, baby." He said as she smiled, running her hands through his hair as he stood up straight.
"Be safe." She smiled as he left the living room, heading out the house as she collapsed down on the couch, suddenly feeling the sudden urge to pee.
In all honesty, she'd enjoyed her pregnancy very much. The cravings fascinated her, the sex was amazing, despite her being just a little too big now to work around it, but they still done their best, the glowing and bright feeling she had all the time was wonderful. It wasn't a experience she would ever look back on and be negative about.
"When are you gonna let momma rest." She sighed, standing up from the couch and slowly making her way for the stairs, walking slowly up each step when she suddenly felt a sharp pain up her abdomen, causing her to grip the bainster running along the stairs, doubling over as she felt a liquid concave underneath her, running down her legs as she looked on in horror.
"Oh, no..." She began to cry, "Oh, no… you can't come now."
Spoiler alert; Jack isn't dying. Sigh. How will this affect Punks plan? Is the baby on it's way? Will AJ manage to reach someone in time? All coming soon. Stay tuned and REVIEW!