"How long have you been up with her?" AJ questioned the next morning, waking up and heading downstairs to find Punk in the kitchen feeding Liesel, looking rather tired. She hadn't even heard Liesel wake earlier this morning, she must have been out cold, but that was only normal.
"Not long." Punk admitted, "About half an hour. She slept good considering it was her first night." Punk admitted. Even though it was 6am, which was practically still during the night to he and AJ, it was later than he thought she would first wake, and he had to be up anyway to go hand his project into college.
"I think she gets more beautiful every time I look at her." She said with a defeated sigh. Defeated by her daughters growing beauty, stroking her cheek softly as she lay curled into Punks arms, enjoying her bottle, having been fussy at the start with it, but now taking it rather willingly.
She was surprised at how well Punk had been doing with her. She thought he would be panicking and freaking out, but he was taking charge and he was shaping up to be such an amazing father already.
"What do you plan on doing with your day?" Punk asked her as she walked over to the counter, putting the kettle on and making herself up a mug of coffee, a thing she had missed the most during her pregnancy.
"I think I'm gonna swing by and take Liesel to the studio. Show her to my older girls. They'll love to see her, and I want to know what they've been getting up to." AJ admitted, "Unless you want me and her to stay at home?" She said.
"No, you go ahead. I have to go to college anyway, and then I guess I'll go see my dad." Punk shrugged.
"I thought he was giving you a few days off with her just being born." AJ folded her arms.
"I think he is. But I'm just gonna go see him anyway. See how the club is holding up, thank him for the gift he gave us." Punk said. He was very surprised with the amount of congrats gifts they had gotten, from his 'work' in particular. Dean and Sami had got Liesel half a wardrobe practically, and coming from two hard men who knew nothing about babies, especially girls, he and AJ were both super appreciative. Jack had bought a cot for the nursery, which Liesel would move into in a few months time after spending the first few months in her crib in their own room. They knew how expensive the cot was, and he'd also put in a considerable amount of money in a card.
Not that it made a difference to AJ, she still despised the man and wanted her daughter no where near him, it did please Punk that his father had managed to turn his view around on the baby that he once was calling the devil.
"Ok." AJ nodded with a small sigh that Punk couldn't pick up on. She couldn't stop Punk from going to see his father. And plus, for their plan to still work, for Punk to continue working for Jack until his illness wasted away inside him, they had to both keep civilised with Jack, her included, "Let me take her, you go and shower. Hand in your project." She smiled, scooping Liesel from his arms as he nodded with a smile.
"Thanks for staying up with me last night. I enjoyed your company." He smiled as she nodded, standing with Liesel tucked into her chest, rubbing her back to burp her after her very much enjoyed bottle.
"Well… I enjoyed staying up with you." She smiled sweetly. Liesel had very much brought a warm, homely atmosphere to their home. She was their pride and joy, and they both felt closer to one another now that she was here. She unified them. She made their relationship complete.
"You be good for mommy." He said, pressing a kiss at the back of Liesel's soft head, carrying the kiss onto AJ's lips as she smiled against the softness, watching him pull back and head out of the kitchen as she took a rested seat at the kitchen table, smiling at the soft, relaxing noises Liesel was making, cradling her in her arms and stroking her cheek softly.
"Mommy will protect you." AJ whispered, "No bad men are gonna hurt you. Mommy and daddy will make sure of it." She smiled, pressing a kiss on her head.
Punk left shortly after his shower with the promise of being home around lunch time to be back with his family. He knew AJ was keeping herself busy with going to her studio to proudly show off their newborn daughter to those she was close to. He assumed his sister would tag along too.
He dropped off his project into college, which was a super quick journey, and then he headed out to go see his father, heading into Invictus, knowing that if his dad wasn't there, then he'd be at home.
Lucky for him, his father was sitting at the bar on a stool, a half bottle of brandy beside him whilst he clutched a crystal glass tightly. Something wasn't right. He could already sense it.
"Hey." Punk made his presence known, walking over to his father who turned to him. Pain inching over his face, a upsetting vibe coming off him as he pulled out a stool and sat beside him.
"Why-Why aren't you at home, with Liesel?" Jack asked, shaking his head, thinking that his son would have taken every opportunity to be away from him.
"April was taking her out to her dance studio. She her off, you know." Punk smiled, "Thought I'd swing by. Is everything ok?" He asked cautiously.
"Oh, son. I don't know how to tell you this." Jack said, looking down as Punk raised his eyebrows.
"Tell me what? What is it?" Punk asked, "Dad..."
"Your uncle Dennis is dead."
"What?" Punk asked for repetition, not sure if he heard right.
"He was found early hours of this morning." Jack sighed, holding his solemnity in for the sake of his son, "I don't know what happened to him. I think he was done in. It must have been when he left this place last night. It-It could have been anyone. You know what your uncle was like..."
"Uncle Dennis, where is daddy?" A younger Phil asked feebly, a nine year old Phil to be precise. His uncle stood in his dimly lit room with his one year old baby sister asleep in his arms. She had been crying all night, it had really hurt his head, and he was exhausted, and ready for bed, but not without knowing where his father was.
"He's just gone out for a little while, son." An also younger Dennis said as little Phil hugged his batman covers over him, sitting up in his bed as his uncle paced the room with thoughts on his mind.
"When he coming back?" Phil asked, "Not long?"
It had been a regular occurrence now. Ever since his mom had disappeared over night, his father seemed to have been taking weeks off at a time, just disappearing, sometimes even leaving him in the house alone with baby Elise. But he could always count on his uncle Dennis to be here, when his father didn't care to be.
"Not long, buddy. Not long." Dennis nodded, focusing his attention now on his nine year old nephew, walking over and sitting on the edge of his bed, still holding a sleeping Elise who had her head resting on his shoulder, fast asleep now thankfully, "Why don't you lie down, son. Get some sleep."
"Are you gon' leave like daddy does? I don't wanna be alone. Please, I don't want to be alone, Uncle Dennis." Phil's voice squeaked frail and frightened.
"I'm gonna be here when you wake up, Phil. I promise. I'm not gonna go anywhere. You get some sleep. Ok?" He said as he watched his nephew shuffle down in his bed, hugging into his covers as he refused to shut his eyes for a while, just incase his uncle would leave.
"Will dad be ok?" Phil asked his uncle with concern, concern that a nine year old shouldn't have for a parent.
"He'll be just fine, son. I promise. He's just doing some work. You close your eyes." He soothed the best he could, waiting in the room until he seen his nephew fall asleep, "You're alright, buddy."
"He can't be." Punk shook his head, "You're sure it's him?" He spoke in disbelief.
"I've identified the body, Phil. It's him." Jack nodded, "I'm sorry, son. I know how close you were with him and-"
"I can't believe this." Punk placed his fingers through his slicked hair, his heart feeling like it was expanding and ready to burst, his chest heaving as tears rose in his eyes.
"I think I'm still in shock." Jack said truthfully, "I swear, Phil. We're gonna… we're gonna find the bastards that done this. I promise you." Jack said as Punk stood up from the stool, stumbling away as Jack watched him, "Phil… Phil come sit down."
"I need some air." Punk shook his head, walking out of the club, quickly stumbling through the door in time to throw up in the corner, the shock rushing completely to pit of his stomach to hurl up last nights Chinese food and this mornings breakfast. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't help but weep tears whilst chucking up his guts.
"Shh, baby. That's it, you get a little nap. All those girls holding you must have really taken it out of you." She said whilst laying Liesel down in her crib in her and Punks bedroom. She'd enjoyed the visit to the studio, all the girls loved her completely, and they were also so happy to see their teacher back and looking great.
"No bad men are gonna hurt us, are they?" She whispered with a smile, pressing a kiss on her soft head, smiling as she watched the baby girls eyes shut over, clutching the baby sound monitor on the nightstand tightly, slowly inching away from the room, however… keeping her eyes on Liesel the entire time, pausing at the doorway to their room as she looked over her, not really feeling emotionally ok with leaving her alone. She always felt the constant need to be with her, and watching her over, protecting her.
Eventually, she did have to pull away from the door as she heard the front door open and close.
She began to walk down the stairs, "Phil? Is that you?" She asked wearily.
"Y-Yeah." She heard faintly as she continued walking downstairs.
"Oh, Phil. The girls loved her at the studio. No one could keep her eyes off her and-" She reached the bottom, facing him as she looked into his glistening eyes, confused at his sudden state of sadness. He'd been completely on top of the world these past few days, and now he looked like someone had kicked the life out of him, "Phil, baby what's happened?" She asked with horror as he looked down at her.
"My uncle's dead." He snuffled, his eyes puffy and red, "He was killed last night." He said as AJ gasped, watching tears well up in his eyes.
"Oh, Phil." She sighed, "I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around him, hugging into him as he hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss on her head as his tears fell down on her, ready to be caught. He felt like he'd lost so much in the time of gaining so much. He really felt hopeless and so upset at this news.