A/N: Thank you everyone for your amazing reviews! I'm so happy you're all enjoying the story and still loving AJPunk stories! Here's the next chapter...enjoy the ride ;)

Breakaway

AJ had been in Chicago for two weeks now and although she was loving the time with her father she knew he wasn't getting any better and she was having a rough time adjusting. The rough Chicago neighborhood was nothing like the family friendly suburban neighborhood she grew up in. Her neighbors upstairs absolutely hated her, the streets were so noisy at night and the weather wasn't good.

But she was enjoying getting to know her brother again and she hit it off with Kate instantly and she and AJ would go shopping and get lunch. AJ didn't have many friends so hanging out with Kate, who would be her sister-in-law was great. She also was becoming pretty good friends with Punk who she was surprised she shared a lot in common with. It blew her mind how they were so similar in ways but complete opposites in others. They liked the same comics and video games but her personality was a little more prissy in comparison to his.

After his chemo treatments today, AJ helped her father into bed and kept a bucket next to the bed in case he had gotten sick and then headed down stairs to find his small radio he left in the shop to listen to the game. He couldn't get out of bed to sit on the couch for the game so she wanted to make sure he at least had his radio.

"Hey honey." A man said dropping his keys on the counter and AJ looked at him oddly.

"I don't work here." She said simply and the man smirked.

"Are you standing behind the counter?" The man questioned.

"Yes but-" She began.

"I need an oil change and two new rear tires. If you look up my paperwork you'll have my information but the boys here know me." The very dressed up man stated.

"I don't work here." AJ repeated in the same tone.

"I don't have time for this." The man smirked. "Do you see my car?" he asked pointing to the porsche x50. That was AJ's dream car but her mother and step-father deemed it too 'un-safe' for her to drive and was given a sensible car for her 18th birthday. "Yea, you see my car being in this shop makes your shop look good. It brings business." He told her slowly as if she was stupid. "Do you need to write down the things I need done or did you pass English in 1st grade?"

"You are-" AJ began.

"Ronnie." Punk greeted jogging over.

"New girl is stupid." Ronnie said to him and Punk sucked in a breath.

"New girl isn't an employee here, she's David's daughter." Punk told him. "Apologize." when he demanded he apologize it wasn't a request it almost sounded like a threat and Ronnie seemed taken back.

"Fine." Ronnie said to him and grabbed his keys then looked at AJ. "I'm sorry." he said with no energy then looked at Punk. "Rear tires, oil change and wash it."

"This isn't a car wash." Punk reminded him folding his arms.

"I'll be by in the morning to pick it up and I need it before 12 so don't give me that same bullshit you tried last time." Ronnie said holding up his keys then dropping them at Punk's feet and walking out of the shop.

"What a dick." AJ said in shock of the man's behavior. "How did you not deck him?"

"He helps keep the shop open." Punk said bitterly snatching the keys off the ground. "With the amount of money I over charge him we make rent for six months."

"Such a beautiful car wasted on such a shitty person." AJ muttered finding the radio.

"Yea?" Punk asked looking back at it. "You want to go for a ride?"

"Are you serious?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yea." Punk shrugged. "We have to test the tires." He shrugged innocently.

"I don't know." AJ said shaking her head. "I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Trouble? Me?" Punk asked teasingly. "Come on." He whispered and nodded towards the car.

"Give me five minutes." She said racing up the stairs with the radio.

Punk let AJ drive and man did he regret it. She had to be one of the worst drivers he had ever been in the car with. But he didn't make her pull over so he could drive because it was the happiest he had seen her since she moved out here. She seemed free as she rolled the windows down and let her hair blow back. He gave her directions as she recklessly drove and they ended up in the parking lot of Wrigley field.

"What are we doing here?" She asked turning the car off.

"You said you've never been to a game and there's still two more innings." Punk said getting out of the car.

"You're going to waste money on two tickets for like half an hour?" AJ asked him.

"Nah, follow me." He nodded and she did without hesitation.

He lead her to the back of the building where there was a fence and he carefully pulled back revealing it to be cut and nodded for her to step through which she did and he followed in after her.

"I can't believe we just snuck into a stadium." AJ whispered giggling.

"I thought you dropped out of school because you rebelled." Punk mocked as she followed him up the stairs.

"Yea I rebelled by skipping classes and not studying, not stealing cars and breaking into stadiums." She said as they walked more flights of stairs until they were at the top and he took an empty seat and waved her to sit next to him.

"That's not rebelling that's being a college student." Punk said looking on at the game. "If you're uncomfortable we can go."

"No this is fun." She had to admit. "You do this often?"

"Your brother and I are the ones that cut that fence when we were 13." Punk told her. "We come around a lot."

"You guys seem more like brothers than friends." AJ noted.

"We are. Your dad took me in when I was a kid and I grew up with Jason." Punk told her and AJ smiled.

"David's a good man. I hate that I've waited this long to spend so much time with him." She said to him.

"He understands." Punk shrugged. "But I'm a little worried you're not too happy here which is the reason for the joyride and game."

"I'm happy I'm just getting used to it." She said to him and he just looked at her. "It's different." She admitted with a sigh. "The neighbors hate me."

"They hated me and Jason too." Punk shrugged.

"The people are so rude." AJ told him and Punk smirked.

"That you'll get used to." He assured her. "Are you homesick or something?"

"No it's just new to me that's all. I needed a change and I still don't plan on leaving anytime soon." She told him and he nodded.

"Good because David and Jason are liking having you around." Punk told her.

Punk and AJ stayed until the end of the game before he lead her out the same way they came in. The second they stepped out of the fence a security guard walked by.

"Hey do you two have tickets?" The guard asked and AJ froze.

Punk just grabbed AJ's hand and they ran to the car quickly as the security guard chased after them.

"Start it up!" Punk laughed as AJ nervously started the car up. "You want to get arrested?"

"No!" She couldn't help but laugh as she flew out of the parking spot and sped out of the parking lot. "He probably got the license plate."

"Which is why we never take our cars here." Punk smirked and AJ laughed hysterically.

"You and Jason were little criminals, huh?" AJ asked amused as she sped down the empty street.

"Tickets are a rip off." Punk scoffed. "And that dick deserves to get a ticket." he said simply. "If I didn't do things like this I'd punch customers in the face."

"I get it." AJ said truly understanding it. Normally this would terrify her but she was having the most fun she had ever had in her entire life. "I wish I grew up with you guys." She told him.

"Nah, you were the lucky one." Punk said to her. "You had a good life."

"I did but I didn't have fun." She admitted. "I didn't have a lot of friends, I didn't do anything to ever get in trouble."

"You never even snuck out?" Punk asked in disbelief.

"Never." AJ said shaking her head. "Where would I go?" She laughed. "I didn't even have friends."

"How could you not have friends?" Punk asked seriously. "There had to be other geeks like you."

"I went to an all girl private school until college." AJ reminded him. "Those girls and I did not get along at all. I hated it so much. I wanted to go to public school but my mom and step-father were against it. They wanted me to have the best education just not the best social experiences."

"They just wanted what they thought was best for you." Punk reasoned. "At least they cared."

"They did. Almost too much it was smothering." AJ confided.

"And they're ok with you picking up and coming to Chicago?" Punk asked her.

"Yea I mean they weren't doing back flips but they feel guilty that I missed out on so much time with David and Jason." She told him as she kept her eyes on the road. "They think I'm only going to be here for a month."

"But you're planning on staying?" He asked and she nodded.

"I love the freedom." She said with an almost relieved smile. "I love doing stuff like this."

"Don't do stuff like this alone." Punk warned her with a chuckle. "You're too new at it." He teased.

When Jason had gotten home he went to his fathers apartment to check in on him.

"How are you doing old man?" Jason asked as David managed to make it to the couch to catch the end of the game since the radio just wasn't cutting it.

"Good. Feel like a million bucks." David said sarcastically.

"Where's AJ?" Jason asked not seeing her.

"She said she was going for a drive with Punk." David shrugged and Jason just nodded and peered outside the window and saw them pulling into the garage.

"He took a clients car didn't he?" David asked keeping his eyes on the TV.

"Bet your ass he did." Jason smirked.

"Good. AJ could use a little fun." David said to him.

"It doesn't rub you the wrong way at all?" Jason asked him and David chuckled.

"Punk's a great man." David reminded him. "AJ would be lucky to land a guy like him and he'd be lucky to land a girl like your sister. Does it bother you?"

"No, I mean I barely know AJ." Jason shrugged. "I just don't know if it's supposed to bother me."

"Punk was raised with us. He'd take a bullet for either of us and he treats women right." David said still keeping his eyes on the TV.

"He's still hung up on Maria." Jason reminded him.

"That's a shame because he's wasting his time." David said simply. "They could be good for each other. I would like to see my daughter as happy as my son is." he said looking at Jason. "I don't think I'd make it to her wedding but I want to make it to yours."

"Yea I know." Jason said sitting next to him.

"I'm stopping treatments. It's not working for me." David told him and Jason was crushed even though he was expecting this. "You have six months to plan a wedding." He smirked placing his hand on his shoulder.

"You got it." Jason smiled trying not to show any real emotion.

"You're going to have to look after your sister once I'm gone too." David told him. "She's going through a rough time and she's keeping it to herself. I want her to be happy."

"Of course." Jason said to him.

"Now go call Kate and tell her." David said to him.

"I love you pops." Jason said pulling him into a hug first.

"I love you too son." David said hugging him tightly. "Don't tell AJ yet I want to wait a few more days."

"Alright." Jason agreed.

The next night AJ was hanging out in the shop after hours with Jason and Punk but it was really just Punk. He was showing her to do an oil change and forcing her to get her hands dirty. She was giggling and he was laughing and Jason was eyeing both of them oddly. It was almost hard to concentrate with the two dancing around each other like two virginal teenagers.

"Like this?" AJ asked with both hands under the hood of the car.

"Turn it to the left." Punk said coming up behind her with his chest pressed to her back and his arms around her as his hands covered hers.

Oil squirted out of the car and hit AJ directly causing Punk to let out a loud laugh.

"I said the left." he laughed. "All of those years in private school and you don't know your left from your right?" he teased grabbing a towel and cleaning off her cheek gently as she looked up at him with bright doe eyes.

"I'm not stupid." She pouted.

"I didn't call you stupid." He reminded her.

"Hey." A sweet voice greeted from the door and Punk's face dropped as he looked past AJ to see Maria.

"Maria." He whispered and dropped the towel he was cleaning AJ off with and headed straight to her, forgetting AJ completely.

AJ looked over her shoulder to the gorgeous woman who Punk was clearly enthralled with.

"Hi Jason." Maria greeted and Jason just nodded with a forced smile. He didn't like the way Maria broke Punk's heart even though the three of them grew up together. But he picked sides and he'd always side with Punk. He also could tell how crushed AJ seemed upon seeing Punk's reaction to Maria.

"Whose the girl?" Maria asked Punk who forgot about AJ and turned back to see her covered with car oil on her face and he tried not to smile at how adorable she looked.

"You remember Jason's sister right?" Punk asked.

"Oh of course." Maria grinned. "April right?"

"Yea." AJ said quietly giving her a smile. "Nice to see you again."

"Can we talk outside?" Maria asked Punk who just turned around and he faithfully followed her outside.

"She's prettier than I remember." AJ mumbled once they were gone.

"Fake hair, ten pounds of makeup, dresses like a street hooker." Jason shrugged and AJ giggled. "She's messing with him and she's been messing with him for years."

"He really loves her." AJ pointed out to Jason.

"Yea he does. Punk is the kind of a guy who doesn't let a lot of people in." Jason told her. "She was let in and she took advantage of it."

"It's her loss. He's a great guy." AJ shrugged cleaning her face off the best she could.

"It is." Jason agreed. "You and Punk have gotten pretty close these last few weeks." he mentioned casually.

"He's been really nice to me." AJ told him. "I like hanging out with him and you guys too." She added and Jason smirked.

"He's not over her." Jason told her. "I don't want to see you get hurt that's all."

"We're just friends." AJ laughed nervously.

"I know what's going on." Jason smiled. "You two having been dancing around each other since you got here. He's not over Maria yet and I don't want you to get hurt that's all. Punk's a great guy and if Maria wasn't in the picture I'd be pushing you two together myself but she is in the picture and he's definitely going to but that's his choice, but you're my sister so you getting hurt isn't an option for me."

"It's kind of cool to have a real big brother." She smirked and surprised Jason by hugging him. "I won't get hurt. We're just friends." She said pulling away.

"Alright." Jason said unsurely.

"I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower." She said throwing the towel down.

"Yea it's late anyway." Jason agreed. "Oh Kate wanted me to tell you she'll be by at one to pick you up for lunch."

"Great." AJ grinned. "I really like her by the way, if my opinion matters at all."

"It does and thanks." Jason said and watched as she headed up the stairs.

"Are you seeing April?" Maria asked Punk who chuckled at the thought.

"No. She's Jason's little sister." Punk said to her.

"She seems sweet." Maria said softly and Punk shrugged.

"I'm waiting for you." Punk told her honestly.

"That's why I'm here." Maria said to him.

"I had a feeling." Punk said to her. "Is this insanity over with now?" He asked her with a laugh. "We can go back to the way it was finally."

"I'm leaving." Maria told him bluntly but sympathetically. "Curtis got a great job offer in New York and he asked me to go with him and I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"What?" Punk asked in shock.

"I'm in love with him." Maria admitted.

"And what I am?" Punk asked coldly.

"I love you too but I'm not in love with you." Maria reasoned. "I'm happier with Curtis."

"I get it." Punk laughed. "It's the money thing. My job always rubbed you the wrong way."

"It was cute when were kids Phil but we're adults now." Maria pointed out.

"David is fucking dying!" Punk yelled at her. "You wanted me to get up and leave him and Jason here? Jason would get buried here!"

"I know and you're a great man." Maria smiled. "You'll make some woman very happy one day but that woman just isn't me. I want you to move on and be as happy as I am."

"I was happy!" Punk yelled. "I was happy with you!"

"And I wasn't! I didn't want to live above this shop for the rest of my life! I didn't want to sneak into baseball games! I grew up Phil! What kind of future would we have had together?" Maria asked him.

"It may not have been much space but we would have had each other and I was good with that." Punk told her remaining strong.

"I wasn't." Maria said simply. "I want you to move on now Phil."

"I may not have a lot of money and maybe sticking around here wasn't the best money decision but I treated you like gold." Punk reminded her. "And I wish I could say if I could go back in time I would change things but I wouldn't." he told her honestly. "David took me in- took care of you too for the most part and I would never abandon him like you did to him or me."

"If it helps you sleep at night you can paint me as the bitch." Maria said simply. "Don't try to contact Phil."

"You asked for space months ago and I gave it to you, I haven't tried to see or speak to you once since." Punk reminded her. "I managed just fine without you and I'll continue to do so."

"Good." Maria said with a smile and he just glared at her. "I hope we could still be friends-"

"Shove it." Punk spat then walked back into the shop and slammed the door behind him.

Upstairs AJ tried to get into the apartment but she forgot she locked it behind her when leaving so no one would disturb David while he slept. She let out a sigh and realized she'd have to go back downstairs and ask Jason or Punk for a key inside.

"Hi AJ." A voice said behind her and she groaned. She was sick of her drug dealing neighbors making passes at her and teasing her. She turned around and saw Shane who was the man who manhandled her the first night she was there. "AJ." He whispered into her ear and she could feel his breath. "Want to hang out next door with me?"

"No." She said stepping away and walked to the stair case but he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into him and then pressed her against the wall.

"You look so fucking hot covered in oil." Shane said coldly running his thumb over her cheek. "When are you going to give me a ride baby girl?"

"In your dreams." She hissed.

"In my dreams you're screaming out my name over and over again. Your little body would surely break with me but it would be worth it." Shane whispered.
"You're such an uptight little bitch I'd love to loosen you up."

"Get away from me." She hissed pushing him as hard as she could and he laughed as he stepped back. "If you touch me again I swear-"

"You'll call the cops?" Shane finished for her. "You don't want to do that. Or you'll tell your daddy? Heard he's got one foot in the grave and I'd break him in half or how about your brother and Punk? Did you know that we used to be buddies?"

"You and my brother?" AJ asked quietly.

"Yea me, him and Punk grew up together." Shane said to her. "I even remember you coming by when you were just a little girl. Stuck up rich girl. I like rich girls."

"If you're friends why are you giving me such a hard time?" AJ asked him. "Just leave me alone." She pleaded.

"Am I really bothering you princess?" Shane chuckled twirling a strand of her long hair with his finger. "I'm just trying to have a good time with you. Properly welcome you to the neighborhood."

"Shane!" A man yelled sticking his head out of the apartment.

"I'm coming." Shane said not even looking at him but keeping his eyes on AJ.

"Are you bringing the girl?" The man asked and she was shaking which made Shane smile. He just loved to intimidate her.

"Not tonight." Shane smiled stepping away from AJ. "Soon though." He said winking at AJ then headed off into his own apartment.