"I can't stop staring at her." Punk said with awe in his voice, looking over their few hour old baby girl, curled up in her bassinet that sat beside AJ's bed, "She's so beautiful." He said, never feeling such instant love for something in his entire life. Her skin was as soft as anything, and her eyes, his eyes one hundred percent. They didn't have the same guilt and horror that he had, they were innocent and pure, untouched with grief or sorrow. Which he was willing to protect her from. She had soft wispy strands of hair the same colour as AJ's, and she had the same little button nose like her too. She was very much a combination of the two, and how beautiful she was. Indescribably.
"She is." AJ agreed, leaning her arm over to stroke the baby girl's cheek, so content and happy now that all the pain was over and her baby girl was out, happy and healthy. Fortunately for them, her being born a month early hadn't made much of a difference. She supposed it was just their luck. She was perfectly healthy in every way possible, and for two new parents, that was all that mattered.
"What are we gonna call her?" Punk asked as she thought to herself.
"I was gonna ask you if you… wanted to name her after your mom?" She shrugged as he looked down at the baby girl, tilting his head to see if the name fit.
"She doesn't look like a Lisa." Punk shook his head, "What was your mom's name?" He asked curiously.
"Crystel." AJ said as Punk nodded, not to keen on that name either, but being stroke by a sudden idea.
"I have an idea."
An hour later, they got a few visitors to the room in the hospital, perfect timing as their baby girl had just drifted off to sleep after being a little fussy for an hour.
Although very much hating the man, AJ didn't want to cause a scene, and allowed Jack to follow into the room, along with Elise and Dennis. She had to respect that it was Punk's family, and they probably very well wanted to say hello to the newest Brooks.
"Where is my newest granddaughter?" Jack asked with a proud smile, taking his coat off and hinting for a hold of the sleeping newborn.
"She's here, and she's asleep." Punk mentioned, "So… keep it down a little." He said as Jack nodded, taking her from Punk with confidence as he looked down at her.
For Punk it was nice to see his father very much in the zone. He knew there was a heart in there somewhere, it just took a lot for it to come out. Although AJ was put off the idea of such a man handling her baby girl, she had to admit, Jack did look swelling with pride, and very happy for them on their new arrival.
"She's a very beautiful baby." Jack complimented, never seeing such a radiant little thing before. He never would have guessed his son. His demented, cruel son, would have managed to create such a beautiful little thing. She clearly took a lot after her mother. Although she did have those Brooks eyes.
"Has she got a name yet?" Dennis asked, having just came for the visit and to drop off a congratulations card, along with a small present for the baby. He'd known Punk since he was a baby. Took care of him when his father was too messed up to do so. It was nice to see something good happen to him.
"Yeah." AJ smiled, "Yeah we just decided on one before you guys came." She said as Punk nodded.
"Well…" Elise nodded, sitting on the armchair, "Are you gonna tell us?" She asked.
"Well… we wanted her name to have meaning. April suggested naming her after mom, and I suggested naming her after her mom." Punk said as Jack looked up, "So we merged the two together, along with your name." Punk looked to Elise, "Her name is Liesel." Punk nodded as Jack smiled whilst Elise teared up.
"That's a beautiful name." Elise smiled whilst Punk winked to her playfully as she laughed. She never would have thought they would end up here like this. But then again, she never really knew how human he really was, unlike their father.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." Jack agreed, "Liesel Brooks." He whispered as AJ watched with screwed up eyes. She was exhausted and hadn't slept yet, but she wasn't shutting her eyes whilst Jack had a hold of her daughter. She trusted Punk to always protect Liesel, even when it may have seemed like she didn't need protection. And she felt like what she needed protecting from most, was her own grandfather.
"I uh… I haven't slept." AJ announced, "Maybe you can all come back tomorrow. Or come visit at the house." She said as Punk looked down at her.
"Yeah." Punk agreed, "I should probably take her." He said to his father, scooping Liesel back into his arms and placing her down in the bassinet. He wanted the baby girl to rest just as much as her mother.
"We weren't staying long anyway." Jack announced, "Got some work to be doing. You take a few days off, son. Take care of that little cherub." He nodded, "We'll see you later." Jack said as he and Dennis left the room.
"I better shoot off too." Elise said, "I've left Toni with the neighbours. Told her I wouldn't be long." She announced whilst standing up.
"You can stay." AJ said, "I just wanted him out." AJ grunted whilst resting her head on the pillow as Punk looked down at her and tutted, "What?" She looked at him.
"He's trying." Punk said, "Can't you see he's legitimately happy for us?" He asked.
"Yeah, for how long?" AJ questioned as Elise agreed.
"C'mon, Phil… you know that-" Elise was interrupted as new visitors came through the door, one holding a giant teddy bear and the other with a 'it's a girl' balloon. Of course being Dean and Sami.
"Where is the little cracker?" Dean exclaimed loudly as Punk and AJ both hissed 'shh' at the same time.
"For fuck sake, Dean. What the fuck is that?" He looked at the giant teddy bear that was near the same size as Dean himself.
"Stop swearing." AJ hit Punk on the leg.
"It's a giant teddy bear." Dean smiled, "They had bigger ones. We thought it would look good in her nursery." He smiled. For such bad men, they really were melting over this baby girl. Everyone was.
"I think it's great." AJ smiled, "Thank you." She nodded to them. They always came across to her as good natured people like Punk. With good hearts that were easy to see unlike Jack's.
"So, where is she?" Sami asked whilst rubbing his hands together with anticipation, "Can I have a hold?" He asked as Punk nodded.
"Yeah, but keep your big gruff voice done, yeah? You're both gonna wake her." He said, not sure who the child was in all of this, little Liesel, or the two children who just toppled in the door with a giant teddy bear.
"Damn, Brooks. She is stunning." Sami admired whilst rocking the baby girl softly in his arms as Dean looked on, "Permission to date when she turns 18?" He looked up as Punk scowled.
"Yeah, sure. If you want to die." Punk nodded as Sami tutted.
"You're gonna have to fight all the guys off her." Dean admired, "Can I hold her?" He asked as Punk just nodded casually, letting them both have their hold.
"What's her name?" Sami asked.
"Liesel." AJ smiled as Sami smiled.
"What happened to the basic Anne's and Mary's?" Dean shook his head as Punk just rolled his eyes.
Elise sat quietly in the corner unnoticed, watching as Dean held Liesel with great care, pressing a soft kiss on her head as he smiled down at her. Perhaps if she had done things right four years ago, maybe that would have been her first class view after she gave birth to Toni. But she'd let this go on for too long. He was oblivious.
AJ watched as Elise got up and walked out of the room, closing the door over behind her as Punk spoke to Sami, not even noticing it.
"Dean, why don't you… go check on Elise." AJ suggested, feeling very upset for Elise, knowing it must be hard to be in her position.
"Why?" Dean screwed his eyes up with confusion.
"Because I'm telling you too." AJ smiled, "I'll take her." She said as Dean just shrugged, placing Liesel in her mother's arms and strolling out of the room, doing as he was told and looking around for Elise.
"Hey, there you are." Dean said, spotting her picking out a bottle of juice from the vending machine in the corner of a waiting room, an empty waiting room.
"What's up?" Elise turned around.
"I'm actually not sure. AJ told me to come out and check on you… so… are you ok?" He asked with his hands in his jean pockets.
"I'm ok, yeah." Elise nodded, walking over and taking a seat on one of the waiting chairs, watching as he sat down beside her, not sure why he had even bothered to come see if she was ok. She still had strong feelings for him. Of course she did. She loved him, and she was pretty sure he loved her too. She longed for her daughter to have a dad every day, and knowing it was him, oddly enough she couldn't have been happier. She just wished she had told him at the beginning.
"It's good this… you know, Punk having a kid. For so long so much shit after shit has went on. It's nice for something good to happen for once." He admitted as Elise nodded.
"Yeah. It is." Elise nodded.
"You remember when we were kids… well, when you were a kid. We used to mess with Punk all the time. Back when you both still lived with your old man." He reminded her as she smiled.
"Yeah. When you'd come round Saturday night for the hawks game." Elise remembered very well. She must have been as young as fifteen at the time. That's how long she had been crushing on him. He would always come round and stay, and with him being older, she knew she had to wait, luckily enough he stuck around, and it wound up not being all about the sex. She'd really fell for him.
"Those were good days." Dean smiled. He would always be thankful to the Brooks family. They took he and Sami off the streets. They helped them. Gave them a roof over their head and clothes on their back. And through it he also found a best friend who just so happened to have a beautiful little sister.
"They were." Elise nodded, looking up at him with a smile, watching him smile back, "I have to tell you something." She said.
"Ok. Shoot." Dean nodded, all ears listening.
"Don't-Don't be mad. Just… let me explain before you storm off." She said as he nodded, "You're… You're um..."
"Is your tongue in a knot?" Dean joked with a chuckle.
"You're Toni's father."