Night of your life

AJ was wearing a pair of jeans and a white tank-top but it was chilly for September so she threw on her light black leather jacket. She had no idea what Punk had in store for her but she knew it would be casual.

"Big date?" Jason teased as he walked into the apartment.

"I wouldn't say big." She smirked. "You're ok with this, right?"

"Yea it's cool." Jason shrugged. "Just remember that you're my sister and he's my best friend and the less I know is for the best."

"I don't kiss and tell so you don't have to worry about that." She assured him.

"Good." Jason said relieved.

"Make sure he doesn't steal anymore cars out of the shop tonight." David said from the couch.

"I promise." AJ smiled.

"Punk is a great guy." David told her honestly. "I wouldn't let you go out with him if he wasn't."

"Wouldn't let me?" She laughed.

"Oh you're stubborn like me." David chuckled. "Trust me sweetheart I may be old and sick but I'll kick any boy's ass that I don't trust around you. And tell your friend I'll kick his ass if he hurts her." he said to Jason who laughed.

"He knows." Jason assured him. "Are you sure you're up for dinner?" since AJ was going out Jason and Kate were taking David out tonight.

"Yea sounds good." David said slowly getting off the couch and that's when Punk walked into the apartment. "There's the man of the hour." And AJ was mortified.

"Am I?" Punk asked teasingly.

"What are your intentions tonight?" David asked him and tried not to laugh. "What? I've never gotten to have this talk with any of your boyfriends before." He said to AJ.

"You didn't miss out on much." She said grabbing her small wallet and putting it in her pocket. "Ready?" she asked Punk.

"Yea." Punk said to her then looked at David. "I have the best of intentions."

"Bet your ass you do." David muttered walking into his bedroom.

"Night." Jason said as they walked out the door. "Have fun but not too much fun!" he shouted after them.

They got to the train station and Punk slipped her a metro card to slide through and she was confused.

"What's wrong?" Punk asked her as people passed them.

"I don't know what to do." She said looking back at him and he bit on his lip to keep from laughing. "What? I've never taken a train before." she defended.

"Just do what this guy is doing." Punk said nodding to the left and AJ saw what he did and slid the card through and passed it back to Punk who followed her.

"Don't think I'm stupid." She insisted.

"I don't. I think you're very sheltered." he said as people raced to the train and poor AJ almost got trampled but Punk grabbed her hand and led her onto a train that was just stopping. It wasn't too crowded but there was no seats. "Get up and let her sit." Punk said to a man around his age who just rolled his eyes and got up. "Sit." He instructed AJ who took the man's seat.

"You didn't have to do that." she said as he held onto the railing.

"Men should give up their seats for women." Punk said to her. "It's basic manors." He said glaring back at the man who just shrugged in defense and walked to the back of the train.

"So where are we going?" AJ asked excitedly.

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes you can wait fifteen more minutes." He smirked.

"I don't know if I can." She teased.

"I went through a lot of trouble for tonight so the least you can do is be patient." He said to her and she smiled wide.

"You went through a lot for me?" She asked.

"Yea you." He laughed. "You had to have had a boyfriend before who took you out at least." and she remained quiet and he narrowed his eyes at her. "No way."

"I went out with one of Hugh's colleagues son a few times but he was awful." She sighed remembering. "And he didn't go through a lot of trouble for any of the few dates."

"That's sad." He said to her and she frowned. "Not you." He corrected quickly. "The fact that you've been hidden from the world for so long."

"I'm getting out now but I feel behind." She admitted. "Fun stuff like this really makes me wish I spent more time here growing up."

"Riding the train is fun?" He laughed and she nodded. "Wait until we come home and people are throwing up on your shoes." he warned her and her face fell.

"Are you serious?" she asked him.

"This is our stop." Punk said helping her out of her seat.

"Phil are you kidding about the throwing up?" She asked horrified but he just guided her off the train.

They walked for about ten minutes and stopped in front of a closed building.

"Are we breaking into this building?" She asked him curiously.

"Not everything I do is illegal." He laughed pulling her behind the building and pushing a window open. "This is a tad illegal though." He said and held the window up for her. "You go through first."

"Are you sure you about this?" She asked skeptically.

"Trust me?" he asked and that's all she needed to hear. She crawled through the window and held it up for him so he could get in next.

"About time." A voice said to him. "I have to clean up at some point."

"Thanks man I appreciate it." Punk said shaking his hand.

"Forty five minutes." The man warned him.

"Got it." Punk said slipping something into his hand and AJ knew it was money. "Thanks again."

"What is this?" AJ asked him.

"We're going to play hockey." He said to her and she seemed shocked. "What size skates?"

"Skates? As in ice skating?" She asked and he nodded.

"Don't know how?" He asked going behind the counter and grabbing skates for himself.

"6." She said to him and he reached for a pair for her. "And barely. I went a few times when I was a kid but that was it."

"Well, you're going to learn." Punk said passing her skates. "We only have forty minutes here so let's make the most of it."

"Alright." She said kicking off her converse and quickly putting the skates on.

On the ice AJ wasn't doing too bad as long as she didn't move around too quickly. Punk on the other hand was literally skating around her. She was trying to stay balanced with the hockey stick and shooting the puck into the small net.

"There you go." Punk grinned watching her get in. "See? You're not bad."

"If we were on roller skates I'd kick your ass." AJ said trying to skate forward quickly with the puck and fell flat on her face and he let out a loud laugh. "That's not funny." she pouted as he skated over to her and helped her up.

Punk grabbed AJ by her arms and helped her back up.

"You ok?" he asked still laughing.

"Yea." She said leaning in close to him and she braved in moving in and kissing him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and returned the kiss. He had wanted to kiss her all night.

"Come on Punk!" his friend who worked there yelled. "The boss is going to be driving by to make sure I locked up!"

"Yea ok." He said pulling away from the kiss. "We need to go." He said skating forward and as AJ tried to follow she landed right on her ass.

"Phil." She whined and he turned around and helped her back up. "My butt." She almost cried as he helped her back up. He tilted his head to look at it and nodded fondly.

"Looks good to me." He smirked causing her to blush. "Come on." he said holding her hand and skating off the rink.

After ice skating it was too late for dinner so he took her for ice cream which she seemed to be enjoying. They also decided to walk back home rather than take the train.

"This is so good." AJ grinned as they walked with her arm linked around his and ate.

"Mine is better." He said simply and she rolled her eyes. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"I did." She had to admit. "I just hope you did." She said to him. "I'm not like Maria and I know that. I don't have the street sense or the body or the looks-"

"I'm glad you're not like her." Punk said truthfully. "I'm not using you to get over her I hope you know that." but she didn't say a word and kept eating her ice cream. "I mean it AJ." he said looking down at her and she caught his eyes.
"When I took off for those few days I realized I was already over her. We were over for months before she stopped by but before this goes any further with you I hope you realize what you see is what you get."

"What do you mean?" She asked her.

"I mean I don't make a lot of money." He clarified. "I like working at the shop and I don't plan on leaving it ever. I'm going to help Jason run it just like David has always wanted. I don't have a college degree, hell I don't even have a high school one I got a GED."

"Why would I care? You're allowed to work and do what you want. It's not about money its about being happy and I've never been happy before." She said to him. "If Maria broke up with you over money that's a shame and she'll be back because she'll realize money won't make you smile or laugh."

"She's not coming back." Punk said to her.

"What if she does?" AJ asked him.

"She's not." He said wanting to get off the Maria topic.

"Jason said she was your only girlfriend." AJ noted and Punk nodded.

"I'll have to thank Jason for sharing that tidbit with you." Punk remarked sarcastically.

"That's nothing to be ashamed about." AJ said to him. "You're loyal."

"Sure you can call it that." Punk snorted.

"So...not that it's my business-" She began.

"I've only ever been with Maria." He confirmed and AJ couldn't believe. Punk was the most attractive she had ever met in her life and women fawned over him everywhere he went and he stayed faithful to Maria for fifteen years. "Are you uh-" He started nervously not sure how to ask.

"No I'm not." She said shaking her head. "It's not a memory I like to remember but I've had sex before." She said bluntly and he nodded.

"Why don't you want to remember it?" He asked.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked with a laugh.

"You're right." He said quickly already not wanting to think about AJ with any other man.

They chatted about a few more personal things as they approached building and walked up the stairs. Punk walked her right to David's door and she wasn't sure if she wanted to just jump on him and pull him into his apartment.

"I had a great time tonight." She said to him. "I think I need a hot bath though because I know I'm going to be covered in bruises from all the falls."

"Next date I promise I'll do less damage to your body." He smirked.

"So there will be a second date?" She questioned trying not to sound too hopeful.

"A second? I think it's the third one actually." he pointed out including her coming over to watch the game last night.

"It's still pretty early." AJ pointed out and he arched an intrigued brow. "Want to hang out at your place?" She suggested taking a bold step as she played with his shirt and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yea? Are you sure?" he asked knowing what she meant and she nodded biting on her bottom lip.

"Alright." Punk said grabbing her by both hands and pulling her across the hall but just as he was about to open the door David's door opened.

"I thought I heard voices." David grinned and Punk froze as did AJ.

"What are you doing up?" AJ asked turning around to face her father.

"Couldn't sleep." David groaned. "Coming inside?" he asked AJ.

"Yea." She said and Punk kept a smile on even though he was furious on the inside. "Goodnight."

"Night." he smiled and kissed her forehead.

AJ walked into the apartment and David looked at Punk and chuckled as he waved his finger at Punk who had to laugh then walked into his own apartment.

The next morning Jason was surprised to see Punk already had the shop open and was working on a car.

"A little early, no?" Jason asked coming down the stairs with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Yea but I couldn't sleep." Punk said to him and Jason glared at him. "Oh come on that's not what I meant." he scoffed.
"I wouldn't talk to you about sex with your sister."

"Saying sister and sex in the same sentence is already going too far." Jason warned him.

"Your dad cock blocked me anyway." Punk said to him and Jason chuckled.

"Old man still has it." Jason said to him. "So how did it go last night? Was it bad and that's why you can't sleep?"

"No it was great and I kept thinking-" he stopped himself. "You don't want to know what I was thinking." He said to him.

"Probably not." Jason said to him as the shop door opened. "Morning." Jason greeted.

"Jason." the man with gray hair greeted. He as in a crisp suit and had a New Jersey accent.

"Hugh." Jason noted and Punk dropped the wrench in his hand. "It's nice to see you again." He said shaking his hand.

"How's your dad doing?" Hugh asked with a voice laced with concern.

"I'm sure AJ has kept you updated." Jason shrugged.

"I'd like to look over his medical files and see if there is anything I can do. I have a few friends who specialize in his problem." Hugh offered.

"I'd appreciate that but the old man is stubborn." Jason smirked. Jason knew nothing could be done for his father and even if there could be, David would never accept help from Hugh.

"Yea reminds me of his daughter." Hugh teased. "Speaking of April, is she around?"

"I think she's still sleeping." Jason said to him. "But I'll go get her if you want."

"Could you?" Hugh asked him and he nodded.

"Oh Hugh this is Punk." Jason introduced.

"Hi." Hugh said eyeing Punk as if he was dirt on the bottom of his shoe. "April has mentioned you, it's nice to put a face to the name."

"She's talked about you a lot as well." Punk noted as he continued to work under the hood of the car.

"Has she now?" Hugh questioned.

"She didn't mention you'd be in town." Punk said to him.

"I'm surprising her." Hugh said to him. "I'm going to take her home for a little bit."

"I don't think she's keen on leaving just yet." Punk informed him.

"Yes she's enjoying her time here." Hugh said looking around the shop curiously. "It's not really her scene though."

"I think she's fitting in just fine." Punk said simply and Hugh looked over to Punk amused.

"I'm sure you think that." Hugh noted and Punk looked over to him now.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Punk asked curiously.

"It means a pretty rich girl like April comes along men like you think you hit the lotto." Hugh said honestly.

"Men like me?" Punk scoffed.

"Men who don't even use their real names and work with their hands everyday." Hugh pointed out.

"You work with your hands don't you? Aren't you a doctor?" Punk asked.

"Big difference between what I do and you do." Hugh chuckled.

"From my understanding AJ doesn't have any money. You cut her off." Punk said to him.

"She must really trust you if she told you that." Hugh noted. "I hope you haven't grown too attached to my daughter because she's leaving tonight."

"She's David's daughter." Punk argued. "She wants to be here for him."

"And she can be. But she has to come for a while first. April has never worked a day in her life. She'll play by rules and her mothers." Hugh said to him.

"I think you're underestimating AJ." Punk said stiffly.

"And I think you don't know my daughter as well as you think you do." Hugh responded coolly.

"Hugh." AJ greeted jogging down the stairs.

"Hi pumpkin." Hugh grinned and Punk just shook his head in disbelief at the man as AJ hugged him.

"What are you doing here?" AJ asked.

"I was in town on a conference and I told your mom I would stop by and see how you were doing." Hugh smiled. "She's hurt you're not returning her calls."

"She did it to herself." AJ said simply.

"Can we talk in private?" Hugh asked AJ and then looked past her to Punk.

"Yea we can go outside." AJ offered and she lead Hugh outside the shop.

Jason came down the steps a few minutes later and caught Punk lingering by the door.

"Eavesdropping?" Jason asked.

"I can't hear a damn thing." He groaned. "Did you know he wants to take her home?"

"I'm sure he does." Jason said to him.

"Aren't you going to stop it?" Punk asked in disbelief.

"I'm not my sisters keeper." Jason reminded him. "If she wants to go she can go."

"Don't you want her to stay?" Punk asked growing angry.

"Of course I do but this isn't her home." Jason said to him. "I don't plan on losing touch with her after weeks of bonding."

"She can't just pack up and go." Punk argued.

"If you want her to stay you should tell her that." Jason said to him.

"I don't want to keep her somewhere she doesn't want to be." Punk said to him. "She doesn't even want to go but he's not giving her much choice. They cut her off, did she tell you that?"

"No she didn't." Jason frowned. "She just wants to help with David I don't get why they're pushing her into leaving."

"We can get her a job in here right?" Punk asked him.

"The shop is just us for a reason." Jason said to him. "We don't have the money to pay another person."

"There has to be something in the budget." Punk argued.

"What budget?" Jason laughed. "With David sitting out a lot of people have turned away from us since we can't work as fast as we did before and even if I did manage to get money to pay someone I'd need a trained mechanic not AJ."

"Why are you so hellbent on her leaving?" Punk asked annoyed.

"I'm not. I'll help her with anything. If she stays and has no money do you think I'd let her starve or live on the street?" Jason asked him with a laugh. "You're really into her aren't you?"

"I just don't want her to feel pressured into anything." Punk said to him.

"You just don't want her to go." Jason teased.

At that moment AJ walked back inside and both men eyed her wanting to know if she was leaving.

"What?" AJ asked them.

"Hugh mentioned you'd be going back home." Jason said to her. "Not that it's our business or anything."

"I'm not leaving, hate to disappoint you." she teased then walked over to Punk. "Disappointed?"

"Relieved." He whispered as Jason began working on the other car in the shop. "I wanted to do something tonight but I'm going to be here late we're really backed up."

"It's fine." AJ said to him. "I'm meeting Kate at the bridal shop and I'm going to jump hunting."

"Oh really?" He asked amused and she nodded.

"Yes." She said proudly. "Hugh doesn't think I can do it but I know I can."

"I know you can too." He said to her. "If you need money-"

"I don't." She said to him. "I still have some cash on me and even if I didn't I'm living rent free." She shrugged.

"Jason has a big dinner tonight which is why I'm playing catch up, if you want to come down and hang out after you get David settled I'll be here." Punk said to her.

"I don't want to distract you." she teased.

"I want you to distract me." he answered back seriously and her cheeks turned red. "I love making you blush." He said running his fingers over her cheek and she curled into his palm as he leaned down and kissed her.

"Oh! I'm right here!" Jason yelled and they quickly parted.

"I'll be by tonight." She whispered.

AJ practically floated up the stairs. She turned Hughes offer down before he even had the chance to offer it. She had no intentions of ever leaving Chicago. She was bonding with her brother, helping her father and falling in love with Punk. No amount in the world would be a free trade. She walked up the stairs and the hallways was crowded like usual.

"Is that her?" A voice asked and AJ tried not to look over.

"Just leave her alone man she's Jason's little sister." Her neighbor whispered.

"I don't give a shit who she's related to she ratted on Shane." The man hissed.

AJ briefly looked over as she tried to get her key in the door and saw the man was in gang colors. Jason had warned her there was heavy gang presence around the neighborhood but for the most part stayed out of the building.

"Hey honey." The man said bum rushing her and grabbing her roughly before she could get into the apartment and pulling her further into the hallway.

"I didn't do anything to Shane." AJ said to him quickly and the man eyeballed her.

"You think I'm stupid? Rich prissy bitch like you moves in and threatens to call the cops on him and bam! An anonymous tip sends him packing." The Hispanic man spat in her face.

"I didn't do anything I swear." She defended fearfully.

"Shane was paying me $250 a week you're going to be picking up that tab." he told her.

"Paying you?" AJ asked confused.

"This is how the street works honey, how hustlers hustle." he informed her. "I'm not Shane I'm not going to fuck you or pull at your pigtails I want my money that you cost me and you're going to give it to me or you're going to be dead." AJ was too afraid to even respond. "I'll burn down the shop downstairs too, your daddy and brothers living will go right out the window and they'll be homeless. Do you want that?" AJ just shook her head fearfully. "I need you to speak up darling because I can't fucking hear you!"

"No!" AJ yelled back and an instant a switchblade was at her throat.

"Watch the way you talk to me." he hissed getting in her face. "Keep it up and I'll leave you in a pool blood on your daddy's doorstep, am I clear?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"Good. I collect Sunday nights." He said to her and she nodded but he widened his eyes and titled his head at her.

"Ok." AJ said knowing he wanted to hear her speak.

"Good girl." He said pulling the knife away. "You call the cops or try to get your brother involved I'll have my friends burn his shit to the ground am I clear?"

"Crystal." She said to him in a shaky voice.

"What the hell is going on?" David asked emerging from his apartment.

"Hey Dave." The man said in a friendly voice.

"What are you doing with my daughter?" David demanded walking outside and stepping in front of her.

"Just introducing myself, she's lovely." the man smiled.

"Fuck off Hector." David warned him. "I've already told you not to bring any of your crap into my building."

"I'm just visiting a friend." Hector assured him. "Nice meeting you." He said giving AJ a friendly wave.

"You ok sweetheart? He threaten you?" David asked pulling her into the apartment.

"No." She said putting on a brave face. "So are you ready for breakfast?"