Fitting In

Arriving at the house close to nine AJ just wanted to sleep but not as much Punk wanted to. They were all greeted with open arms by her parents and AJ quickly headed into her old bedroom dragging Punk behind her.

"The party is at eight tomorrow so we'll have plenty of time to rest up before." AJ said as she brushed her hair.

"Yea." Punk yawned, already in bed under the covers.

"I'm wearing one of those nightgowns you like." She said standing up and walking over to the bed.

"You look great." He said without even opening his eyes.

"You're not looking." She complained placing her hands on her hips and he opened one eye and smirked.

"You look great." He repeated then closed his eye. "If you want to have sex hurry up before I pass out."

"No you can sleep." She groaned getting into the bed next to him.

"You should sleep too." He said as she rolled onto her side and he draped his arm around her waist and pressed his chest into her back.

"I can't sleep." She said fully awake.

"Hmm." He muttered.

"It just feels weird to be back here." She said to him. "I haven't been around these people for so long I'm not even sure how to act around them." she confided. "But I'm not going to stress about it even though you think I'm stressing. Honestly, it's not like I had a bad childhood or anything so I have no idea why I'm so anxious. And I am happy to show off my new family. But I want to make sure when we have children they're not so anxious or afraid to come home to us and I have feeling they won't be. Our kids will grow up with Jason's kids and we'll have this big happy family where we always spend holiday's together and we can string popcorn even though I've never done that before so you'll have to teach me." She giggled.

AJ looked over and saw Punk was out cold and narrowed her eyes at him. The poor guy was working like a dog to provide a good life for her and was now traveling to attend a stupid party to make her parents happy. She knew how lucky she was. She rolled onto her back but Punk's arm stayed over her body as his face snuggled over her chest and she leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

The next morning AJ was up but Punk was gone. She frowned as she looked around the room and saw his bag was opened which meant he got up and dressed.

"I was just coming to wake you." Pricella said walking into her room.

"No knocking?" AJ groaned sitting up and running her hands over her face.

"Well, Phil isn't here so I know I wasn't going to walk in on anything." Pricella said to her. "You need to get dressed."

"Where's Phil?" AJ asked her.

"Your father took the boys out for the day and I am taking you and the girls for a spa day." Pricella told her.

"That's ok." AJ said slowly getting out of the bed.

"Don't be silly I've had this planned out and your friends are excited." Pricella said to her. "We'll get our hair and makeup done for the party. I also got you a dress, hope you don't mind." she said walking to the closet.

"I have a dress already." AJ said to her.

"A new one?" Pricella questioned walking out of the closet holding a short white dress.

"Wow." AJ said surprised.

"It's pretty right?" Pricella asked looking at it.

"It's very not like you to buy me something that doesn't doesn't touch my feet." AJ said taking the dress from her.

"Obviously you're an adult April." Pricella noted. "And I think it's the only time you can wear white without lying." She added and AJ rolled her eyes.

"Had to ruin it with that last comment." AJ said to her. "Need I remind you that you had me out of wedlock?"

"I'm not saying either of us are right April." Pricella assured her. "I think the dress will look great on you."

"Thank you." AJ forced out. "And for the party."

"I also want to take this time to discuss wedding plans." Pricella said to her.

"We're thinking the summer." AJ said to her.

"This upcoming summer?" Pricella gasped. "That's not a lot of time."

"We don't need anything too fancy we just want to be married." AJ said as she walked into her closet and began to dress for the day.

"It's still not a lot of time." Pricella said to her. "What's the rush? Are you pregnant?"

"No." AJ scoffed. "I wish." She added bitterly.

"You really want children." Pricella noted.

"Yes." She said proudly. "We still have a lot to do first. Like move."

"Well you'll be earning enough money from this party to certainly get that on track." Pricella said to her.

"That's what I said but Phil wants to put that towards a honeymoon." AJ said to her. "He wants me to have the best of everything."

"Noble. But we're paying for your honeymoon as a present." Pricella told her.

"Paying for the wedding is enough." AJ said to her.

"This is our gift, let us do this for you." Pricella said to her. "We'd love to help you two find a home in Chicago as well."

"No that's ok." AJ laughed. "We're really set on trying to do this for ourselves."

"I give you a lot of credit. You can take the easy route but you're choosing to be difficult and independent." She smirked.
"I just don't know how you can go from this home to where you are now."

"Because this was never my home. This was yours and Hugh's. Do you realize I've never decorated a Christmas tree?" AJ asked. "We've always had professionals design our trees and this year Phil promised we'd get to do our own tree."

"Didn't you do one last year?" Pricella asked.

"David was really sick in the hospital the last thing any of us thought about was decorating for Christmas." AJ told her.

"You miss him." Pricella said with a sad smile as AJ emerged from the closet.

"I really wish he could have been here for all of this." AJ admitted. "It wasn't just me he loved but he loved Phil. He'd be so happy right now."

"Your father was very fond of Phil, your father was also a great man who helped raise him which is why Hugh and I have been so open to all of this." Pricella said to her.

"I thought you were open to it because I was happy." AJ noted.

"Of course April but you were also happy playing in the middle road chasing those little ducks but that wasn't very smart, was it?" Pricella asked.

"Phil is wonderful." AJ defended.

"I'm not saying he isn't and I respect his work ethic." Pricella said to her. "Please stop looking to fight, I just want to throw my only child an engagement party."

"Fine." AJ said to her.

"Oh April leave your hair down." Pricella said as AJ pulled her hair back. "You have a mark on your neck."

"Oh." AJ blushed placing her hand over it.

"For gods sake April." Pricella scolded grabbing a scarf out her closet and handing it to her.

Finally after spending the day with Hugh, Jason, DJ and Mike Punk was back at the house already dressed and greeting people he didn't even know.

"I can't believe AJ grew up here." Jason said sipping on a drink from the bar. He grabbed something off a tray of one of the servers as well.

"Yea it's pretty remarkable." Punk admitted feeling way out of place.

"One summer Pricella and Hugh offered to have me so I can spend some time with her, I would have taken them up on that offer if I had known they had two pools." Jason smirked.

"It's a lot to compete with." Punk said to him as someone walked over and shook Punk's hand. "Nice to meet you." he forced out then looked at Jason.

"There's no competition." Jason scoffed. "AJ doesn't even want to be here right now."

"Where is she?" Punk asked looking around.

"Kate said she was still getting dressed." Jason said to him. "Look at that basket." he nodded towards the decorated basket with envelopes. "How much money do you think is in there for you two?"

"I have no idea." Punk said to him.

"So you two are going to start looking for places soon I guess." Jason noted.

"I wanted to put it towards a honeymoon but Hugh informed me he's paying for that too." Punk said a little annoyed.

"AJ is technically his only child." Jason reminded him. "He wants to do this."

"Yea I know it just makes me feel like shit that I can't." Punk said to him.

"Just try to enjoy this." Jason said to him and that's when Punk's eyes moved to the entrance and saw AJ. She looked beautiful. Her hair was down and pinned to one side, short but yet classy white dress, makeup done, cute little heels and the necklace he gave her a year ago around her neck.

"Wow." Punk said losing his breath as AJ walked right to him. "I was about to send out a search party for you."

"I've missed you today." She said reaching up and pecking his lips.

"I missed you too." He noted forgetting all of his personal issues with this upon seeing her.

"Did you have fun with Hugh?" AJ asked.

"He took us hunting." Punk smirked.

"Oh no." AJ laughed.

"Mike almost shot his foot off." Punk added and she laughed. "What about you? Did you have fun?"

"I didn't hate the massage I got." She admitted.

"You got a massage?" he asked and she nodded with a grin.

"Yes he worked out my entire back for me." AJ smiled and Punk's face fell.

"He?" Punk asked and AJ nodded again. "Were you naked?"

"Yes I laid out completely in the nude and he massaged me while we made love." She teased and he glared at her.

"Relax." She laughed.

"So, who are all of these people?" Punk asked looking around the crowded room.

"Family friends, Hugh's colleagues." She shrugged.

"No friends of yours, huh?" Punk asked.

"I told you I didn't have friends." AJ reminded him. "I wasn't lying."

"I just want to get this party over with so I can get you out of that dress." He said eyeing her from head to toe.

"Maybe we can sneak into the hot tub later." AJ suggested.

"And risk your mom or Hugh walking in? No thank you." He smirked.

"Just to relax." she laughed. "Your mind is always in the gutter."

"April, Phil you need to socialize." Pricella insisted walking over to them.

"We are socializing." AJ defended. "With each other."

"You know what I mean." Pricella scolded.

"I don't know what to even say to these people." Punk told his future mother-in-law honestly. "I'm not a doctor."

"You don't have to be a doctor to hold a conversation." Pricella said waving off his worries.

"Phillip." Hugh greeted walking over with a friend. "My friend Sam here is looking into purchasing a new Ferrari-"

"Don't do it." Punk said to him and the only thing worse than 'sports talk' was 'car talk' for AJ who really didn't have a clue. She listened as Punk spoke to Sam then more people came over and they were in a deep conversation about cars.

"Boring." AJ muttered to herself walking away and over to the bar.

"Having fun?" Jason asked her.

"Not as much as Phil is having." AJ said nodding over to the small crowd surrounding him now.

"Car talk is serious." Jason teased.

"I appreciate you coming all the way here for this." AJ said to him.

"It's like a short vacation." Jason said to her.

"I wish dad was here." AJ said to him.

"He'd be so happy for you and Punk." Jason said to her seriously. "He's looking down and smiling right now I promise you that."

"Yea." AJ agreed quietly.

"He's here with you, trust me." Jason said to her.

"At least Phil is having a good time now." AJ noted looking over to him.

"Get him talking about sports or cars he's all set." Jason grinned looking over himself.

"Can you believe my mom is forcing me to have Maria in my bridal party?" AJ asked him and he laughed.

"That just means Punk has to have Mike so don't worry you'll both be suffering." Jason said to her.

"Look at her." AJ said looking over to Maria who formed her own crowd of young men at the party.

"She's right in her element, smells lots of money." Jason remarked.

"Where's Kate and DJ?" AJ asked.

"Kate is putting him to bed upstairs." Jason told her.

"Want to sneak into the movie room and watch TV?" AJ suggested.

"I don't think your family would appreciate that." Jason teased. "It'll be over soon."

"Right." AJ muttered grabbing a glass of champagne as a server passed her. "I just would rather be home in my apartment with Larry falling asleep to whatever boring sports thing Phil puts on TV."

"Soon enough." Jason assured her. "But I don't know, Jersey is real nice." He noted.

"You're not thinking about moving out here are you?" AJ asked him.

"No but it's a lot cheaper here." Jason noted. "Safer streets and schools for DJ."

"But the shop." AJ pointed out.

"I'm not saying I'm doing it but Kate seems interested, she's the one who bought it up." Jason told her.

"It would be ironic if you moved to New Jersey and I was in Chicago." She said to him. "It's funny because when I was younger all I ever wanted was for you and David to move out here."

"No matter what happens we're still family and we won't go years without seeing each other." Jason promised her. "But I doubt we'd move out here anyway. Don't think I'd ever be able to leave the shop behind even though it would still be with family." he said looking over to Punk.

"Yea." AJ agreed looking over herself and smiling towards the man who would be her husband and he caught her eyes this time and shot her a subtle wink.

Later that night Punk was in search of AJ who went missing from the party towards the end of the it. He did get caught up in talking to a lot of people about cars then it switched over to sports. Hugh's friends weren't that bad Punk had decided. Trying to find AJ in the mansion was difficult and he kept walking in circles until he finally realized where she would go.

"I was beginning to think you left me here." Punk said to AJ who had her back to him as she sat in the hot tub/Jacuzzi.

"I just wanted some alone time." She said turning her head to look at him.

"Want me to go?" He offered.

"I want you to come." She responded and he tried not to laugh. "I can be alone with you."

"I don't have a suit." Punk said walking over with his hands in his pockets and shivered from the cold air outside.

"Me either." She shrugged innocently and he peeked over and saw she was in fact naked.

"What if it was someone else who came out here?" Punk asked her.

"The party is over, people are gone and everyone else is at the other end of the house." AJ reminded him. "I'm not worried. How about you come in with me right now and spend a little time with me?"

"AJ-" He began.

"Don't be such a chicken." She teased. "No one is coming out here." AJ said to him and he looked behind himself to see it was in fact silent at this end. "Come on." She nodded.

Punk shook his head in defeat and began to slowly undress as AJ's eyes lit up. Punk stepped into the hot tub and she swam and sat right next to him.

"You need this before our big ride home tomorrow." AJ said to him.

"I do." Punk agreed as she began to kiss over his neck while under the water her hand began to stroke him slowly.

"Did you have fun tonight?" She asked and he just groaned as she bit over his neck tenderly.

"Did you?" he asked.

"I had more fun than I thought I would have." she admitted. "Can I give you a hickey?" she questioned and he laughed.

"You can give me anything you want but I'd rather have your mouth on mine." He said to her.

AJ moved to straddle his lap and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and kissed him deeply. His hands explored her bare back while her hips rubbed against his.

"If we're going to really do this right now you have to promise me to be quiet." He warned her.

"I promise." She said kissing the corner of her mouth as her breasts pressed into his chest.

Under the water Punk grabbed himself and she lifted her hips and slowly swallowed him completely. He used his hand to cup the back of her neck to keep her mouth pressed to his as both moved their hips in sync with each other. His trick to silence her didn't last long but she dropped her head onto his shoulder and managed to keep her voice down.

"That's it baby I'm so fucking close." Punk growled into her ear as her hips continued to move up and down.

"Me too." AJ whispered as quietly as possible.

Punk's fingers moved over clit and that did her in. Just a few minutes of massaging her sensitive nub she tightened around him and came hard. It caused Punk's orgasm thirty seconds later.

"I can't wait to marry you." Punk said catching his breath as he looked down at AJ who looked so completely satisfied.

She responded by reaching up and kissing him sweetly.

As they prepared for bed AJ was opening all of the envelopes they received and there was a small pile of checks on the bed.

"Did you add it up?" Punk asked.

"No but it's a lot." AJ said to him. "Nobody gave less than $500, a few doubled that."

"Wow." Punk said impressed.

"We can get a nicer apartment and all new furniture." AJ said to him.

"We don't need new furniture." Punk reminded her. "Let's not waste it."

"You need a new chair." AJ said counting the checks and Punk glared at her from the back. "We're not moving into a nice new apartment and bringing that chair that is so crappy Larry won't even piss on it." AJ warned him.

"Wow." Punk laughed bitterly. "I love that chair."

"More than me?" She asked looking over her shoulder and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"My chair does keep me comfortable at night." Punk pointed out.

"I keep you warm and satisfied." she reminded him.

"I'll get a new chair." He said quickly and she smiled triumphantly.

"So we can get a nice place." She said to him. "Maybe a three bedroom." She said to him.

"Why three?" He asked.

"So we won't have to up and move when we have our second baby." AJ laughed and his eyes widened.

"We don't even have one yet." Punk reminded her.

"What if we had twins?" She asked excitedly.

"Do twins run in your family?" He asked her.

"No." She admitted.

"Mine either, don't think that will be a problem." He smirked.

"Damn." She muttered. "Are you inviting Jack to the wedding?" she asked him casually.

"No I'm not and either are you." He said to her. "You still talk to him?"

"He still comes in everyday and he's a customer." AJ shrugged.

"I told you a hundred times that Jack isn't my father." Punk said to her.

"I know you have a bad history but he's always been nice to me." AJ pointed out. "Maybe he's changed."

"Maybe he has." Punk agreed. "Doesn't erase all of the beatings I took from him growing up."

"I'm sorry." AJ frowned.

"Don't feel bad I didn't have a bad childhood. David swooped in early." Punk reminded her. "I don't hate Jack but I don't want to see him. If you want to talk to him because it's your job to do so that's fine but don't talk about me."

"You're all I can talk about. You're all I have going on in my life." AJ shrugged.

"That's not true." He smirked. "You have school, you have all of this activism you've bee doing and you have Larry."

"I'm just so excited about the wedding and finally starting our family I tell everyone!" She admitted as if she was a child incapable of keeping a secret which he really admired about her. "I was telling the bust boy the other night and he doesn't even speak English."

"Try to work on it, ok?" Punk said to her.

"What about your mom?" AJ asked and he rolled his eyes.

"I don't know that woman at all and I have no desire to know her. I'm very happy with my family situation." he said to her.

"You know Jack runs a used car lot." AJ pointed out now going back to Jack.

"Yes he's owned it since I was a kid." Punk said to her. "I'm well aware. I still don't want to talk to him and I'd really like it if you didn't either, but I am a big enough person to compromise and not ask you to do that just as I assume you're a big enough person to respect my choice in not speaking to Jack."

"Fine." She groaned collecting the checks and putting them in her purse. "I'm ready for bed now." She said crawling into the bed next to him.

"Good because we have a long trip home." He said turning off the lights.

"Can I have a turn driving tomorrow?" She asked him but he just closed his eyes and kissed the tip of her nose.

A/N: Christmas is next! Thank you all for your continued support with your reviews, I appreciate more than you even know :)