Punk and AJ eventually arrived home after a few magical days away in their little love island, where AJ had pointed out that she wanted to come back for their honeymoon. She felt like they didn't have enough time to explore the island, and she knew with a week or two away on their honeymoon, they could get up to all sorts.
But despite being sad to leave their little love nest, she was so completely and utterly happy to have her baby girl back in her arms. They'd both missed her so much.
"Oh, baby girl I've missed you so much." AJ sang softly whilst bouncing Liesel softly in her arms. They had came straight to Elise's house from the airport to see their daughter and take her back home. AJ couldn't get enough of Liesel, and hogged her completely whilst Punk stood by with a smile.
"Did you have a good time?" Elise asked with a smile.
"Oh, it was so good." AJ smiled as Punk nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it was good to get away for a few days." He agreed. He felt refreshed and rearing to go again. He'd oddly missed waking up at 4am to feed his daughter, or wiping the sick off his t-shirts after feeding her and burping her. He supposed he was turning soft.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Elise asked Punk who turned from watching AJ and Liesel, nodding as he followed her into the kitchen, leaving Dean to tell AJ about all the unfascinating things Liesel had done whilst they were away, aka, just lying on her mat looking around.
"Everything ok?" Punk asked, watching her shut the kitchen door.
"I went to see dad the other day." She said as Punk folded his arms, "You can't… you can't keep it all in, Phil." She shook her head, "What has he being saying to you?"
"What has he not?" Punk said, "He's just being dad, alright. He's just not dealing well with the fact that I'm moving on to other things." Punk said.
"I'm afraid he's going to hurt you." Elise said, "I can see it in your eyes… you're terrified." She whispered as Punk turned away from her with shame.
"He's gonna hurt her. Both of them." He said, "And I don't know when. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say." He admitted, "I figured I just go back." He said as Elise shook her head.
"No… no, you can't. You've finally gotten out. You can't go back." Elise shook her head.
"But I'm not out, am I? I'm never out. He said it himself. It's in my blood." Punk shrugged.
"You choose your own path, Phil. You've spent so many years, letting him lead you." Elise said, "If you go back, it boosts his ego, he thinks he controls you."
"I go back, and I end him." Punk said as Elise shook her head, "I corrupt his business. I beat him down. Until he's crawling to me for help. And then… then I walk." He said as she folded her arms with a sigh.
"Are you really going to beat him at his own game?" She asked.
"Yeah. And I'm going to win." Punk said, "If he thinks I'm back in the game with him, then he'll leave April and Liesel alone. That puts me at ease. Then I can just focus on completely destroying everything in his name."
"I just want you to be careful." Elise sighed.
"I will be." He smiled, "I know what I'm doing." He said, "If there's one thing I've learned from dad, it's how to be the world's biggest scum bag. And that's what I need to be." He shrugged.
"And you've told April about this?" Elise asked.
"Yeah. I've not went into great detail about it. But I've told her enough." He said.
"Well just make sure you're being honest with her. You both need to stick together through this." She said as he nodded.
"I know." Punk said, "I don't want you worrying about this. Just, trust me when I say that I know what I'm doing. If there's anyone that's gonna play dad for a fool, it's me." Punk said, "Don't worry." He flicked her chin as she gave out a small smile.
It was impossible for her not to worry. He was her brother. But she trusted he knew what he was doing. She just hoped it didn't back fire, and she prayed that no one would get hurt.
AJ and Punk got home later on with Liesel after staying for lunch with Elise and Dean. They would have stayed longer, but Liesel was starting to get fussy, and AJ wanted nothing more than to have her back in her own home comforts. Who knows how distressed she could have whilst whilst they were both away.
"Are you at college tomorrow?" AJ asked, approaching from their bathroom, looking on at Punk sitting up in bed, Liesel hugged into his bare chest, peacefully sleeping, bringing a permanent smile to her face.
"I just have to go to pick up some things. I can keep an eye on her." Punk said, "Are you going to the studio?" He asked as she climbed into bed with him, sitting up against the headboard and resting into him whilst stroking the back of Liesel's soft, velvet like head.
"Yeah. I really need to get back into it." She said, "The girls' recital is coming up soon, I want everything to be perfect." She smiled but with exhaustion, knowing there was a lot of work to be put in. Ballet was so wonderful when she wasn't a mother or significant other. Sometimes she just wanted to clone herself so she could be with Liesel, and dance, and be with Punk.
"Well don't be hard on yourself. Remember you've not long had a baby. Just take it easy." He said as she nodded.
"I know. I just don't want to mess it up like last year." She said as he smiled, remembering what happened last year, "Which yes, I still blame you."
"I'm pretty sure I made it up to you that night." He turned to her with a smile as she remembered, blushing.
"You still embarrassed me." She said as he rolled his eyes, "Just because you came backstage, pulled down my pants and buried your head between my legs, doesn't mean I don't remember it." She said as he chuckled.
"Well, I thought it would ease the memory." He shrugged, "You'll be fine. Last year was just a slip up. We'd just met and you were confused. You have nothing on your mind right now." He said, "You'll be fine." He smiled to her.
"You'll take Liesel to come watch, won't you?" She smiled as he nodded.
"Of course I will. She'll love it." Punk smiled, kissing Liesel's head as the baby girl curled her fists and wriggled a little on his chest, perfectly comfy on his colourful chest. AJ understood how it felt.
"Do you think she's excited that we're getting married?" She asked as Punk raised his eyebrows her way, "You know what I mean." She smiled, stroking Liesel's cheek with a smile.
"I don't know what you mean." Punk laughed, "She's seven weeks old. She probably doesn't even know who we are." He chuckled, "She's probably just like, oh, there's the guy with the colours on him, and the guy I love spitting up on, and the guy I love peeing on." He said, "Don't you?" He looked down at Liesel with a smile.
"Don't be silly." AJ shook her head, "She knows we're here for her. Why do you think she stops crying when we hold her? She'll sense the love we have for her." She smiled, stroking the back of her soft head, looking on at her with so much swelling pride.
"She'll probably be about one by the time we get married. Which means laughing, and crawling, and non-constructive sentences, and pulling of my beard and hair." He said as she laughed.
"But it also means hair for me to put in a cute little band." AJ smiled with excitement as Punk just shook his head.
"You're way too excited about her getting hair." Punk laughed as AJ smiled.
"Because then I can put it in little pig tails, or bunches, or pony tails." She said.
"But no dyeing, straightening or any of that rubbish." Punk said as AJ laughed.
"Well if her hair is as static as mine in humidity, then she'll have to use straighteners." AJ pointed out.
"I don't think so." Punk said, "Just stick to putting pig tails in. That'll do." He said as she smiled.
"Don't you think it's wonderful that some of the best days of our lives with her, has yet to happen?" She asked as he smiled, "Her first word, her first steps, first haircut, first day of school, first bike ride, first cut knee." She smiled.
"How can her cutting her knee be one of the best days of my life? That's horrifying." He shook his head as she laughed.
"Because you kiss it better and you wipe her tears, and watch her get back on the bike, because you've taught her to always stand back up when you fall down." She smiled up at him, leaning up and pressing a kiss on his cheek as he smiled.
"If you're getting up early, you should probably get to sleep." He smiled as she nodded.
"I know. But you're both distracting me." She sighed, lying down, resting her head on the pillow whilst hugging into the covers.
He brushed her hair from her face as she smiled, watching as she fell into a deep sleep beside him, exhausted by a day of travelling, but happy to be home in her own bed. He could have really watched her sleep all day, but he had places to be.
"I'll be back soon, baby girl." Punk whispered, sitting up and placing a sleeping Liesel in her crib, grabbing his t-shirt and putting it over his body as he watched AJ closely as she slept peacefully. He was doing this for her. To protect her and Liesel.
He kissed Liesel and left the room in darkness, leaving the house quickly and quietly, locking the door behind him and getting in his car.
He arrived outside a pact Invictus, walking into the club, pushing by all of the people, his head thumping with the music he once enjoyed listening to, the stench of alcohol stinging him whilst he walked through to his father's office, having to push multiple drunk women from him along his way.
He walked into his father's office, shutting the door over behind him, the loud music still booming through the walls as he looked over at Jack.
"Thought you'd have a tan-"
"You win." Punk nodded, "You win, alright." He put his hands up in defence as Jack tilted his head.
"What?" Jack shook his head.
"You're right. This is where I'm meant to be. You want me here… here I am." He said as Jack stood up with confusion.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Jack questioned suspiciously.
"I know the type of man I am. I belong here." He said, "Just, leave April and Liesel alone."
"Phil, if you're here because it's a last resort to protecting your future wife and daughter, then just save it-"
"I'm not." Punk said, "Honestly, no where else feels like home than this place. I'm not good at anything else. This is where I'm supposed to be." Punk said as Jack nodded.
"Well I'm glad you've finally come to your senses." Jack laughed, "Very well." He nodded, "I'll leave April and Liesel alone. All I wanted was you back here." He said.
"Well, you got me. Whatever you need done. I'm your guy." Punk said sincerely as Jack smiled with a nod.
"Good." Jack nodded with an excited and relieved smile, "I knew you couldn't stay away for long. Elise came here, told me that… this wasn't who you were, but I know that this is all you are." Jack said.
"Well, Elise has never been the brightest." Punk shrugged as Jack chuckled.
"You got that right." Jack laughed, looking over to Punk with a smile, "My boy." Jack grinned, slapping his arms around Punks tightly as Punk accepted the embrace, hugging back whilst grinning to himself.