"You're ok. C'mon, we're all ok." Punk soothed AJ as they still sat in the car. AJ was shaking and holding onto him tightly, while Liesel still slept in her car seat in the back, oblivious to everything.
"Why would someone do that?" AJ shook her head with confusion. She'd never been so scared in her entire life. Just seeing the train in the distance, knowing it wasn't going to stop in time, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.
"I don't know. But I'm gonna find out who it was." Punk told her, kissing her head, "Please, don't cry." He said, holding her tightly as she sobbed in fear. Was it the case that they couldn't even go out at night anymore? Without his father sending all sorts their way to battle. What would have happened if he couldn't have started the car back up? How could his father really have lived with killing his own son, an innocent young mother, and a completely innocent baby girl who just so happened to be his granddaughter. How could he have lived with himself?
"What if that happens again when I'm on my own with Liesel?" AJ looked up at Punk, "I come to Elise's sometimes when you go out. What if… what if it happens again?" She asked as Punk just shook his head.
"Just… don't go without me until I figure out who the fuck that was."
"But they're dead… how can you-" She paused, sitting up and looking out onto the tracks, "It's him… isn't it?" She trembled, "What if it was him in the car?" She looked up at him, watching his facial features drop as he unbuckled his seat belt, running out of the car, "Phil!" AJ screamed, getting out of the car as she seen him sprint off to the hit car that sat burnt out at the side of the tracks.
Punk didn't know why he was scared or worried. It wouldn't have been the case if it was his car that got hit, but he was absolutely terrified to see if it was his father that was actually in the car. It was just a normal reaction. Because guess what? He had a heart.
"Dad!" Punk yelled loudly, "Dad!" He shouted whilst running to the car that was upside down, dropping to his knees and looking through the smashed windows, spotting two dead bodies that neither was of his father. And then he suddenly realised that his father did not deserve that sort of reaction from him. If it was he, April and Liesel dead in that car, he'd be happy to go identify bodies.
He walked back to the car, spotting AJ standing outside with Liesel who was crying, trying to soothe her back to sleep as she whaled her cries loudly.
AJ could tell from his reaction that Jack was not in that car. Unfortunately. From her point of view anyway. She was surprised at Punk's panic when suggested it might have been him. Jack didn't deserve that sort of response. In fact, she believed there should be a national holiday all around the world on the day that Jack finally died. She wouldn't say that to Punk, but she damn well thought it.
"Do you know the people in it?" AJ asked, kissing Liesel's head that had the blanket wrapped over her, the snow falling them, making sure not to let Liesel catch cold.
"No." Punk shook his head, "Never seen them before."
"But you believe it was him that made them-"
"I don't know, AJ!" Punk shouted as AJ raised her eyebrows, "Everytime something bad happens to us, you can't just blame my father."
"I'm blaming him, because I know it was him. Who else would do that? Why… Why are you defending him. Again!" She yelled whilst Liesel continued to cry at the disruption.
"Because he's my father. Ok. He's still my dad." He spat, "You might not understand that, it's not my fault your parents are dead, and you're just… you're just numb inside-"
"My parents are dead because of your father. That you're standing here, defending." She spat, "I am not numb. My heart is saved for the people who deserve it. And that does not mean Jack Brooks." She spat, "Don't you dare-"
"I'm sorry." Punk apologised, realising it was out of order to call into question her parents that were taking away by his own father.
"You have to stop defending him." She said, "Or else I'm gonna lose my mind… permanently." She spat.
"He's still my father, AJ."
"And you're still his son, but does he treat you like it?" AJ questioned, "You know fine well that this was his doings. If it was us in that car, he wouldn't have ran to check on us, he would have toasted a drink to himself and carried on with his life." She said, "You have to open your eyes to all of this. Now that you're out into normality, and you're living a normal life, you're finally realising what he's like, and you're refusing to admit that he is an evil, evil man-"
"I know he's evil." Punk nodded, "But I used to be just like him, April-"
"You didn't try and kill innocent women and babies, Phil. You didn't try and hurt your own blood." She said.
"I still done bad things-"
"Not anymore." AJ replied quickly, "You have to let this idea go that you're a bad person. You are not."
"Only because you came and changed everything. If you hadn't shown up, I'd still be out… doing god knows what for my dad." Punk sighed, leaning against the car as he watched AJ place Liesel back in her car seat in the back of the car, finally having gotten her to sleep, shutting the door over quietly and looking back over at Punk.
"Well you can't always say what if, Phil." She said as he sighed.
"If I had money I would move. I'd buy you a house somewhere that isn't here, and we could just get out of this place." He said, "But I don't have money, April. I earned my money through Invictus and sticking knives in people. I go to college. I make nothing. And I can't even go get a night job somewhere, because I have no qualifications. I'm not sure I even have a resume." He laughed as she frowned, watching him look down at the ground.
"Do you think I care about that?" She asked him, walking over to him, standing close to him whilst cupping his cheeks, lifting his head up to look at her, "I love you for you. I don't want a new house. He shouldn't have to force us out of our own home where our daughter is safe and happy. I don't need anything from you but you… just you." She said, "Don't be so hard on yourself."
"I just want to make you happy. And I can't when he is… pushing us out on damn railway tracks." He shook his head.
"I am happy." AJ nodded, "When it's just me and you, and Liesel. I'm so happy. But he is a problem, and it needs to stop before someone gets hurt." She told him as he nodded, "Let's just go home. I'll text Elise and say we're not feeling up to it anymore. I'll just cook us something." She said as he nodded, watching her reach up for his lips as he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into him as he deepened the kiss.
The next day, Punk had gone off to college whilst AJ told him she was just going to have a lazy day with Liesel at home, but she was very much getting ready and heading out with Liesel.
"I promise we won't stay long, baby. A few minutes with this man is enough to drive us crazy." AJ said whilst walking down the street, Liesel in her stroller, awake but not causing a fuss, "And we can't tell daddy we came here." She added, walking into Invictus, bumping the stroller up the steps and closing the door behind her, walking through the empty and club and to the back.
She had to give it to Punk and Jack… the club was nice, and as far as she knew, it made a lot of money, but obviously Punk had now been cut off from that money.
She walked straight into Jacks office, watching him lift his head and grin with surprise at her.
"Now there's a visit I never seen happening." Jack laughed, watching AJ shut the door behind her, "Come to let me see my granddaughter, have you?" Jack asked as AJ shook her head, taking a seat with Liesel in her stroller beside her.
"No." AJ said, "I'm here to talk to you about the little stunt you pulled on us last night." AJ said as Jack raised his eyebrows.
"Stunt? What stunt?" Jack laughed.
"Oh, don't play idiot with me. We know it was you." AJ said, "What sort of sick bastard does that?" She spat as he clasped his hands.
"Well, I'd tell you if you enlightened me on what it is you're talking about." Jack said.
"You, pushing us out in front of a train last night, when we were on our way to Elise's." AJ said, "Liesel was in the car. How could you-"
"Oh, right… that." Jack laughed, "I knew Phil would evolve. He wouldn't let you die, or Liesel-"
"It wasn't a matter of him choosing. He couldn't start the car. And then when he did, we missed the train by a second." She spat, "Don't you care about your son? How… how could you have lived with knowing you killed him, and his family."
"Phil's a smart boy. I knew he'd get out of the situation." Jack said, "Stop getting your panties in a twist. This is between me and Phil."
"What is? You torturing him and playing games with him?" AJ questioned, "Just leave him alone. Leave him to be happy." AJ sighed, "He's worked for you since he was a child. Let him choose what life he wants to live now."
"You're right… maybe I should leave him alone." Jack nodded as AJ looked at him with confusion, "Maybe it's you I should be keeping my eyes on. I mean… if it wasn't for you, my son wouldn't be so humped up on this idea of a normal life." He said, "I look to put blame on you."
"You blame me for making your son happy?"
"He isn't happy. He just thinks he is. In a few years time, when his money has gone down the drain to children and houses, he'll blame the wedding ring that he put on his finger, and let's face it April, he'll leave you." Jack said, "He isn't as good and sweet as you think. He has a temper. He can snap. He likes to go off on little detours without telling anybody. I mean… I'm already betting myself that he will cheat on you at one point. Whether it's next week, or when you're married with three kids and he just doesn't love you anymore." Jack shrugged.
"You're a horrible man." AJ spat, "I don't even know why I bothered coming here." She stood up as Jack stood up in sync.
"You came because you want me to stay away from you and Phil. You want me to stop my games, but guess what sweetheart..." He walked his way around the desk, standing close to AJ, looking down on her, "I'm never going to stop. I told Phil this when you were in a dark room worrying about the devil." Jack laughed as AJ looked up at him, "You get Phil to come see me, apologise, and come back to the club to work for me, and I'll leave you both alone." He smiled.
"Well that isn't going to happen." AJ said, "You'll get what's coming to you." AJ spat, about to take a hold of Liesel's stroller, when she felt Jack's hand wrap around her neck, pushing her up against the nearest wall in a slam, choking her as she tried to grab his hand away from her neck, but he was too strong.
"That little mouth of yours needs to learn when to shut up." Jack spat, "You just remember, that Phil isn't always going to be around. You need to watch your back." Jack said, "It's a shame that such an innocent little thing like you has been brought into this darkness." He said, looking at her gasping for a breath, "You better watch out." He hissed, letting her go as she gasped, placing her hand around her neck, watching as he looked in at Liesel in her stroller.
"You stay away from her." She choked, "You stay away from her, and you stay away from me." She said, walking out of the office with Liesel in her stroller as Jack chuckled, sitting back down at his desk and carrying on with his work as if nothing even happened.
Will Jack stay away? What will AJ do next? Will she tell Punk she went to see him? How will Punk react? How are things going with Dean and Elise? All coming soon. REVIEW and let me know what you're thinking!