Finally

Punk had finally mustered up the courage to call Hugh. He wasn't an easy man to get in touch with since he was a busy doctor but he was surprised when he called his office and he was put right through.

"Phillip?" Hugh greeted into the phone.

"Uh yea." Punk said almost nervously. He was outside the shop around the corner so AJ couldn't listen.

"Is April alright?" He asked anxiously.

"Oh yea she's great." Punk said putting him at ease. "This isn't about her, well actually it is I guess."
"What is it?" Hugh asked stiffly.

"I wanted you to know I plan on asking AJ to marry me." Punk told him and the phone was silent. "I wanted to give you the courtesy of letting you know."

"So you weren't seeking my permission?" Hugh asked curiously.

"Whether you say yes or no I'm doing it regardless." Punk informed him honestly.

"Well I guess there isn't much I can say." Hugh noted.

"I'm working hard. I'm going to take care of her." Punk assured him. "She's in good hands."

"Ok." Hugh said to him. "I know David was very fond of you and helped raise you so I have no doubt she's in good hands." he said to Punk. "Pricella has really come around on you as well and we were waiting for April's call announcing her engagement especially since she's expecting it." he chuckled.

"Yea I've been holding off until I was really ready." Punk confided.

"I see that. You waited until your job was more secure and you were making better money, you're making sure she's in school and she appears to be the happiest she's ever been." Hugh noted. "I'll make you a deal, let me pay for the wedding and you can have both mine and my wife's blessing."

"I don't-" Punk began.

"It's tradition." Hugh interrupted.

"Alright." Punk said to him. "Whatever you want to do."

"Excellent. Welcome to the family Phil." Hugh said to him.

AJ and Punk stepped off the subway on a breezy night. He took her hand and lead her to their destination. Jason had invited them out to dinner with Kate's parents at a restaurant.

"Why didn't you tell me Jack was your father?" AJ asked out of nowhere and he looked down at her as they continued to walk.

"He's not." Punk said to her and AJ rolled her eyes. "David is my father."

"Phil." She sighed.

"Did he tell you that?" Punk asked and she nodded. "So when I told him to stop talking to you he ignored me?"

"What's the big deal? He's a nice man." AJ shrugged.

"He's not. Don't let him fool you." Punk warned her.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" AJ asked seriously. "You lied to me."

"I didn't lie. You didn't ask if he was my father, had you I would have told you." Punk assured her. "He's not a part of my life and hasn't been for a long time. Just keep your distance from him."

"You two have the same eyes." AJ noted looking at Punk carefully and he shook his head.

"Please AJ, I don't want to talk about this right now." Punk groaned as they stopped in front of Wrigley field. Baseball season was over a few weeks ago as it was mid-November already and it was completely dark out.

"What are we doing here?" she asked confused as he lead her behind the building.

"Before we eat you have to see something." Punk told her.

He brought her to the broken fence they snuck into over a year ago. Thankfully there was seemingly no one but one security guard who winked as Punk passed by and he brought AJ up the stairs and all of the way to top where had first taken her.

"Phil what are we doing here? We're totally going to get arrested." She said clutching his hand sitting in the same seats. The stadium was completely empty and only a few lights on but it was absolutely silent.

"Do you remember the first time I took you here?" He asked sitting next to her.

"Of course. It was the first time I ever broke the law. Stole a car and broke into a baseball game." She said to him.

"I'd like to consider it the start of us." He said to her. "That day you made me forget all of my problems."

"You made me forget all of my problems too." She smiled.

"I love you." He said to her. "I'm going to love you until my last breath."

"I love you too." She smiled as she realized what was about to happen.

"AJ-" He began and reached into his pocket and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "We have to get going or we're going to be late." He said taking out his cellphone and looking at it and her face dropped as he stood up.

"You broke into here to tell me you loved me?" She asked in disbelief.

He smirked then took her by the hand and stood her up as he dropped to one knee before her.

"AJ, will you marry me?" He asked presenting her with a ring.

"Yes." She said sticking out her hand as he slid the ring onto her small finger. "It's beautiful." she said in awe of the modest sized diamond ring.

"It's not much-" He started.

"Stop thinking you're not good enough." She argued. "This last year of losing my father should have been the worst of my life but you helped me so much and I don't think you even understand how much." she said to him. "You helped me clean up when he would get sick at home, you held my hand when he died, you took care of me when I was scared after my attack, you helped me get on track for school and you're a wonderful dad to Larry." she said to him. "You are literally the man I have dreamed about my entire life."

"You are not at all what I dreamed about." He told her honestly and she laughed. "You were the last person I expected to fall in love with. I remember chasing you with a lightening bug when you were a kid and I told you if you touched it you'd burn." He smirked.

"Oh yea." She remembered then glared at him. "I fell right into a puddle."

"It wasn't as funny as you falling into the lake but it was awesome." He grinned. "I've known you almost my entire life and you were there all along. I want to marry you and have children with you and grow old with you."

"I want nothing more than that." She said reaching up to cup his face gently and pulled him into a kiss.

The next morning AJ woke up to feeling kisses on her bare shoulder and smiled before even opening her eyes. She was laying on her stomach and when she did open her eyes she saw the ring on her finger and grinned.

"Morning." Punk greeted.

"Good morning." she smiled rolling onto her back. They had spent the night celebrating their engagement privately all night long but today she'd have to pry herself out of bed to do that first.

"Hungry?" He asked looming over her.

"For you." she grinned.

"Jason and Kate and DJ are outside the bedroom door right now waiting to see you." He whispered.

"Oh." She frowned. "We can be quiet though." She suggested. "And you can be fast."

"Wow." Punk remarked coldly. "Keep saying shit like that and I won't have sex with you until the wedding." he threatened.

"You wouldn't last two weeks." She said lightly tapping his face then sitting up. "I can't believe I'm engaged." She said as she got dressed.

"Really? I think you were expecting it." He mocked as he watched her throw on sweat pants and one of his t-shirts.

"I was but you were taking so long I was about to give up on you." She teased. "Oh! I have to call my mom and Hugh."

"I spoke to Hugh." Punk told her and AJ's face lit up.

"You asked for his permission?" AJ asked in shock.

"Sort of." Punk shrugged. "I would have proposed regardless."

"See? I knew they'd learn to love you as much as I love you." AJ grinned wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him.

"I don't know if they love me as much as you do but they seem to tolerate me." he smirked about to kiss her then stopped himself. "AJ, if I start kissing you again I won't stop so let's go say to everyone."

"You can't call me AJ anymore." She informed him.

"No?" He laughed.

"You can address as me as fiancee." She said to him walking to the bedroom door.

"I'm not doing that." He snorted a laugh and followed her out of the bedroom.

Five minutes into seeing her brother and Kate, AJ was already looking at bridal magazines that Kate had bought her over.

"I like this one for you." Kate said pointing at the dress. "You are so much more of a modern bride."

"I always wanted more of a fitted modern dress rather than a princess dress." AJ agreed as she held DJ in her arms. "I also want DJ to have a matching suit with the boys."

"Of course." Kate said to her. "And whatever color your bridesmaids wear the guys could have matching ties."

"Well I can't imagine having a big bridal party I'm low on friends, so I guess whatever color you want to wear." AJ shrugged.

"When are you looking to have it? Summer or winter?" Kate asked.

"Do I get a say?" Punk asked.

"No." AJ and Kate said at the same time.

"Oh Phil DJ needs to be changed." AJ said looking behind to Punk who was sitting at the kitchen counter with Jason.

"Do you have two hands?" Punk asked her.

"We're planning your wedding." Kate scoffed.

"You do it he's your kid." Punk said taking DJ from AJ and passing him to Jason.

"You should practice." AJ said to Punk who's heart stopped. "I'm not pregnant yet but the second we're married you're knocking me up." She warned him.

"Oh by the way plan anything you want for the wedding because your parents offered to pay." Punk said to her and AJ and Kate's faces fell. "What? Is that bad?" He asked Jason.

"Sounds awesome to me." Jason assured Punk.

"Phil they're not going to just pay for the wedding they're going to want to plan it. We'll have to get married in New Jersey." She warned him.

"AJ-" He started.

"Did you agree to that?" AJ asked in disbelief.

"Uh." Punk started as Jason took DJ from him and hid in the bedroom. "Hugh said that would be the only way he'd give me his blessing."

"You let him talk you into that?" AJ asked him. "You didn't think about discussing it with me first? Were you not at my house in Jersey? Did you not see how controlling they can be?"

"I thought it was a nice gesture." Punk shrugged.

"Can you believe this?" AJ asked Kate who just shook her head at Punk.

"I didn't realize this would upset you so much." Punk reasoned.

"Phil, I've spent the last year trying to distance myself from them and now you're handing them the keys and they're going to hijack the biggest day of my life." AJ argued.

"I just want you to have a dream day." Punk said walking over to the couch. "Obviously you know how I feel about taking help but it is tradition for them to pay and they just want to be part of it and I thought you'd be happy."

"Phil they're going to force our day into some fancy party and invite people I don't know and it won't even be about us and that's all I want." AJ said to him. "If the people at the wedding were just me, you, Kate, Jason and DJ I'd be happy."

"You want your parents there AJ." Punk said knowing her too well. "If they want to do something you don't just tell them to forget, better yet I'll tell them that. I want this to be amazing for you. I don't care if we get married in New Jersey or right here in this living room as long as the end result is the same and you have a smile on your face."

"I'll have a smile on my face as long as you're standing next to me." She sighed. "But I just know they're going to push a big church wedding on us."

"I don't do churches AJ." He reminded her.

"Exactly. It doesn't bother me at all." she told him. "It's just you think this is going to be all rainbows but really a lot can go wrong."

"I don't want you stressing anymore that's not the point of this." he reminded her.

"Planning a wedding is very stressful." AJ warned him and Kate nodded in agreement.

"Then I'm going to say let's not have a wedding." Punk said to her. "Let's elope."

"I don't want to do that. I want to wear a pretty dress and I want to watch you cry as I walk down the aisle." She said to him.

"I don't cry." He smirked.

"You'll cry." She grinned smugly.

"So what do you want to do about your parents? Do you want me to call them?" Punk offered.

"No." AJ said to him. "I'll do it tonight after work. Which I have to start getting ready for." She said standing up.

"I'll leave these for you." Kate said gesturing to the magazines.

"Thanks." She said to her then walked into the bedroom.

"Did I screw this up?" Punk asked Kate.

"Not at all." Kate said to him. "Her parents are still a touchy subject for her."

"This is supposed to be a happy time and they're relationship has been so great." Punk noted. "I don't know how I fucked this up."

"Again, you didn't." Kate assured him. "Let her talk to her parents and who knows? Maybe they'll support her dream wedding. AJ might be underestimating them."

"Yea." Punk agreed.

AJ's mind was all over the place as she worked. She wanted to call her mother and Hugh but now she was afraid of them hijacking their day but mostly she was excited to finally have the ring. She made sure to show every single person she worked with and even her regular customers. Then Jack walked in.

"Look at that." Jack whistled removing his jacket. "My boy bit the bullet huh?"

"Yea." AJ smiled showing him her ring.

"Nice ring." even Jack had to admit. "He must really love you."

"So he says." AJ teased.

"How'd he do it?" Jack asked genuinely curious.

"He snuck us into Wrigley field and he proposed to me in the same place in the stands that he took me one of my first days living here." AJ told him and he smirked.

"That sounds real nice." Jack said to her. "Good for you, even though I think you are far too good for him."

"You don't really know him." AJ told him. "He's a wonderful man and has always put me first. He worries me about me so much."

"If that's the case I hope he never changes." Jack said genuinely.

"You're really missing out on your son." AJ told him.

"There's a lot of history there AJ." Jack said to her. "Neither of us have good feeling towards each other and that's the way it's going to be."

"What about his mom?" AJ asked.

"I haven't seen or spoken to her in over twenty years." Jack laughed. "I'm sure Phil hasn't either."

"It just feels weird that none of his family will be there." AJ noted.

"I'm sure he could care less." Jack laughed.

"It's just a shame because he's grown into this amazing man and it's going to be the biggest day of his life." AJ said to him.

"He doesn't want me there AJ." Jack said amused. "I don't want to go because let's be honest, I didn't raise Phil, David did. Just plan your big day and worry about the two of you and no one else."

"I guess." AJ said to him.

"Don't get any ideas honey, trying to force us together will end terribly and you'll just piss him off." Jack warned her with a grin. "But I admire your effort."

"Thanks." AJ shrugged.

"I mean not for nothing and for what it's worth I'm honored to have you as a daughter. You're a wonderful girl." Jack said giving her a hug.

"Thank you." she said to him. "I have to call my parents though."

"Ah, I'm sure your parents will be less than thrilled with Phil joining the family." Jack teased sitting in his regular seat.

"No they gave their blessing I'm just worried about them taking control." AJ confided sitting next to him.

"You're an adult." Jack reminded her. "You're getting married and going to have your own family soon. You can stand up for yourself, it's ok." He teased.

"Yea." AJ said resting her face against her hand.

"Look, you've been living out here against their wishes for over a year now. I don't think they're really expecting you to hand over their wedding plans." Jack smirked. "Parents just know."

"You're right." AJ agreed.

"You should be thrilled right now not dwelling on this because it seems like Phil went through a lot of trouble to make you happy and if he loves you as much as you claim he does it's gotta be bothering him that you're so upset." Jack told her.

"I shouldn't even be here right now." AJ agreed jumping out of her seat. "I should have called out and celebrated with Phil and my family." she said removing her apron. "Chase!" AJ yelled and the owner looked over. "I have to go."

"Alright." Chase nodded and Jack smiled.

"Thanks Jack." She said placing her hand on his shoulder. "You know, Phil is always at the shop if you ever get the urge to speak to him."

"That's alright." Jack laughed. "Enjoy yourself." He said waving her on.

AJ walked into the shop and saw Punk talking to Mike and Jason but that didn't stop her from running and jumping right into his arms.

"Hi." Punk greeted confused.

"I took the rest of the day off." She informed him happily. "I want you to take me upstairs, undress me and make me-"

"Stop." Jason warned her.

"You don't mind if he takes the day off do you?" AJ asked Jason.

"I have too much work to do." Punk told her.

"Take the day." Jason said to him.

"Yea we've got this." Mike agreed. "With the remodels going on we don't even have that much work today."

"I spoke to my parents too." AJ said to him.

"Yea?" Punk asked.

"They're not hijacking our wedding." AJ told him. "Jack was right, they kind of already figured out they wouldn't be."

"Jack?" Punk asked her. "You spoke to Jack?"

"But there was a compromise." AJ warned him ignoring him question. "They want to throw us an engagement party in New Jersey."

"What?" Punk frowned.

"A big fancy party with all of my family and their snooty friends." AJ told him. "You all are invited." she said looking at Jason and Mike but remaining wrapped around Punk's body.

"I'd love to but someone needs to work at the shop." Mike laughed.

"You guys hired like five guys you can take a few days." AJ said to him.

"Traveling with a newborn isn't going to work." Jason added with a nervous smile.

"We're going to drive and stop over night and that was Kate's idea." AJ told him and Jason's face fell.

None of the boys would be comfortable in AJ's old home. All three were rough boys from the streets of Chicago, a big fancy party where they'd have to dress up and try not to curse or burp for longer than an hour.

"Why do I have to go?" Mike asked her.

"You weren't on my guest list but my mom and your girlfriend are such good buddies since that dinner she insisted on you two." AJ said to him.

"You already spoke to Kate?" Jason asked sadly.

"Yes Jason." AJ scoffed. "Don't worry it's only for a day. We'll be spending more time on the road than anything."

"We'll all be there." Punk assured her.

"Really?" Mike asked in disbelief.

"Yes if this is what AJ wants it's what she gets." Punk told him and Mike just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You know what I really want?" she asked quietly.

"You want me to take you upstairs?" he asked and she nodded. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Punk shouted as he carefully jogged up the stairs with AJ in his arms.

A/N:Thanks for the reviews! AJ/Jack bonding, Phil's mom will be introduced soon as well. Also Chicago meets NJ will be fun!