A/N: Thanks for the reviews! You all are awesome and keep me writing so I thank you all. This chapter is a bit of filler, I'm super tired but wanted to post one. Doesn't delve into too much but some important need to know things take place in this one. Enjoy!

It's a Brooks thing

Punk and AJ arrived home two days later and they were in complete bliss. They got home late so the shop was already closed and Punk carried up their luggage to their apartment.

"It feels weird without Larry." AJ frowned realizing the dog was still with Jason.

"He'll be dropped off in the morning." Punk assured her. "We have one more night to ourselves." he pointed out and tugged her against his body.

"I can't believe I'm officially your wife." She smiled.

"Mrs. Brooks." he said to her and she made an odd face. "Are you not changing your name?"

"Do you want me to?" She asked and he laughed.

"Yea I do." he said to her. "Why wouldn't want to be a Brooks?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Brooks huh? Do I look like a Brooks?" she asked stepping back.

"You look like my wife." Punk informed her amused. "And my wife should have my last name."

"You're right. It's just that's it now. No more connection to my dad." She admitted. "My mom always wanted to changed my last name to Hugh's when I was younger and I refused because I was and still am a proud Mendez."

"AJ you're my wife." he repeated. "You should have my name."

"It's just, look at me." She said to him and he eyed her head to toe. "I look nothing like my Irish mother do I? I am all Puerto Rican like David and Jason."

"So you don't want to take my name because it will make you less Puerto Rican?" Punk asked growing angry.

"No it's just I've always worn my name and heritage proudly." AJ reasoned.

"You'll always be a Mendez." Punk reminded her. "You'll always be Puerto Rican and David's daughter but what about me?"

"It's fine I'll change it if you want." She said to him and he shook his head.

"I want you to want to change it." Punk said to her. "What about when we have kids by the way? Do you think my kids won't take my name? Because they are and I don't care if they come out looking more Puerto Rican than you."

"It's not about matching my name to what I am it's about how I was one of three Hispanic girls in my school and everyone used to think I was adopted." She told him. "I was so proud of my name."

"But you won't be proud of my name?" He asked. "Taking your husbands name won't make you proud? Do I embarrass you?"

"Of course you don't." She laughed at the ridiculous comment. "And of course our children will be Brooks. Mendez-Brooks."

"No." Punk said shaking his head. "The Mendez name lives on through Jason and now DJ, my name is supposed to live on."

"A name is so important. You don't even talk to your parents though, wouldn't you want them to be part David?" She asked.

"I'm trying to be sensitive towards you because I know you're still really upset about David dying but I'm not budging on this." He told her. "My name for my wife and my children and to be honest I'm a little pissed off you weren't even considering taking my name."

"Phil-" She began but their door swung open and Jason walked in and Larry ran inside.

"Welcome home!" Jason cheered as AJ dropped to her knees and began kissing Larry. "I thought I'd surprise you guys with Larry early."

"He was driving you crazy?" AJ asked with a laugh.

"Something like that." Jason smirked and he looked over to Punk who was clearly pissed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Punk forced out.

"Phil is upset that I'm not taking his last name." AJ said to him.

"So now it's decided? You're just not taking it period?" Punk asked glaring at her. "And she wants our kids to be Mendez-Brooks."

"Oh." Jason said feeling uncomfortable. "Well, it's tradition AJ." He said to her.

"She doesn't believe in that apparently." Punk remarked.

"I didn't mean I'm not taking it. I'll take it." AJ said to him.

"I don't want you to take it if you don't want it. Fuck the Brooks name." He scoffed. "Growing up I always preferred to be a Mendez myself."

"Phil." She sighed standing up feeling bad. "I didn't mean to insult you."

"What's the big deal? You two have plenty of time to sort this out." Jason pointed out and both looked at him. "What?"

"We got married three days ago." AJ told him and Jason's face fell. "In Disney World."

"It was a spur of the moment thing." Punk added nervously unsure of how Jason was going to react.

"Seriously?" Jason asked the two of them and Punk nodded. "Holy shit." He smiled and hugged them both. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks." AJ said pulling away and looked over to Punk who wouldn't even acknowledge her.

"What bought this on?" Jason asked.

"Phil asked me on New Years Eve." AJ said to him. "It was very romantic."

"I didn't realize she didn't want to really be my wife at the time." Punk added.

"I want to be your wife." She said looking over to him. "Why are you so snappy about this?"

"Because it's what's right." Punk said to her. "You take your husbands name whether you like it or not."

"I do like it." AJ said to him. "It's just I have to get used to it."

"You don't like it or this wouldn't even be a discussion right now." Punk argued.

"Three days married and your first fight." Jason smirked. "Kate and I argued on the elevator ride to the honeymoon suit ten minutes after the wedding." He was clearly trying to ease the tension.

"Since when are you so big on tradition on anyway?" she asked him folding her arms and narrowing her eyes and now Jason took a nervous step back.
"We've had sex before marriage, lived in sin and in it's not the stone age anymore. Of course our children will have your last name."

"Are you pregnant?" Jason asked her.

"No." AJ said to him.

"At this rate she never will be." Punk added and AJ huffed.

"I'm going to bed." AJ informed him grabbing Larry but turned and gave Jason a kiss on the cheek. "We have gifts for you, Kate and DJ." AJ told him. "I'll get them out of the luggage tomorrow."

"Ok." Jason smiled and watched her walk into the room with Larry and slammed the door closed behind her.

"I knew what I was signing up for." Punk said to Jason before he could say anything.

"AJ is just like me. If you come at her so defensively like that she's going to snap back. Talk to her reasonably and she'll change her name." Jason said to him.

"I'm not going to beg her." Punk grunted turning on the TV and sitting on the couch. "If she doesn't want my name fucking fine."

"She wants it but the Mendez name was really all she had of David growing up." Jason pointed out. "She used to get teased because her mom and Hugh had a different name then her all of the time growing up but she was so proud to be different."

"I want her to be proud to be a Brooks." Punk said to him. "But again, I'm not going to force her into it. I'll get over it."

"She'll change it, trust me. AJ is very proud of you. But this wedding was kind of rushed so give her a break." Jason suggested.

"Are you always going to take her side?" Punk asked him seriously.

"No." Jason said sitting next to him. "I'm not even taking her side now I'm just defending her."

"Right." Punk said looking at the TV.

"So uh, I wanted to tell you and AJ at the same time but Kate is pregnant." Jason said to him and Punk had to smile and Punk turned to look at him.

"I heard, congratulations." Punk said genuinely.

"Yea it was unplanned." Jason said to him as he twiddled his thumbs.

"What's going on?" Punk asked turning off the TV.

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to afford two kids and a wife." Jason admitted. "Kate just got back to work now but she'll need more time off once the second one comes."

"Do you need money?" Punk offered without hesitation.

"Yea I do but not in bulk, thanks for the offer though." Jason smirked.

"AJ and I don't mind." Punk told him. "Whatever you guys need."

"I need a more dependable job." Jason confided and Punk frowned.

"The shop is doing great." Punk pointed out.

"It is." he agreed. "But it's a lot of work and it's not a 9-5 job. The reason people always come to us is because we're always open and available."

"What are you trying to say?" Punk asked.

"I need a 9-5 gig." Jason told him. "Something were I can get good health insurance and make more money because Kate might not be going back to work. We can't afford a nanny for two kids everyday. We'll lose Kate's income but that's cheaper then the baby-sitter option."

"Wow." Punk said to him. "You' want to sell?"

"No." Jason said shaking his head. "That was my dad's shop he built it from the ground up but I'll have to take a step back."

"And do what?" Punk asked.

"Kate's dad offered me a job at the bank he runs. The job just opened and I have no qualifications for it but it's a shit load of money." Jason told him. "I'll be able to even get a small house."

"Wow." Punk said to him. "Good. You should take it."

"I'll have to wear a suit." Jason said and Punk laughed. "I never wanted a 9-5 job where I had to dress up but two kids? I need to do it."

"Absolutely." Punk agreed.

"I'll still work here on the weekends and some nights." Jason told him.

"You own the shop, you don't even have to show up I'll make sure shit gets done." Punk told him.

"I'm not going to collect a big fat paycheck from the shop when I'm barely there." Jason said to him. "I want you to run it."

"I'll run it." Punk shrugged. "I basically do now." he joked.

"No I want to make it legal. I want the shop to stay in the family and I want you to be majority owner." Jason told him.

"No." Punk said shaking his head and turned the TV back on.

"Why not?" Jason asked.

"That shop was David's and it belongs to you and AJ for that matter." Punk told him.

"AJ sold me her share and I'm going to sell that same share back to you. I'll still own a piece of it." Jason told him. "But you and AJ could use the bigger income yourselves don't you think?"

"David would want you to have it." Punk told him. "I'll take care of the shop, manage it for you but I will not own it."

"David wanted the shop to stay in the family it is." Jason said to him. "David always thought of you as a son. He left you an equal share for that reason. And I have to remind you, you married my sister so you're now legally family." he pointed out. "He'd want you to do this. I'll still be around and I'll still have a share but the shop is yours. And I know under your ownership you'll continue to grow it."

"I don't know." Punk was still hesitant.

"It's either that or I have to sell to a stranger." Jason said to him.

"You wouldn't do that." Punk scoffed and Jason just shrugged. "Fine." Punk forced out and Jason smirked. "Your sister does the same shit by the way."

"You know us Mendez kids." Jason said to him. "And hopefully by the time you and AJ decide to start a family the shop will be making even more money."

"The way I'm feeling now she's never getting a kid from me." Punk snorted.

"I heard that." AJ said sticking her head out of the bedroom door startling both of them. "I will have a kid and if it's not from you it will be from someone else so think about that tonight while you're sleeping in your smelly old chair." she then slammed the door again.

"Pain in my ass." Punk whispered to Jason.

"Why are you whispering you chicken shit?" Jason asked with a laugh.

The next day AJ was back at work. Jack was in at his regular time and it was the first time AJ had seen him since the holiday.

"So he liked the car?" Jack asked.

"Yes!" AJ told him as she sat next to him. "His whole face lit up when he saw it. He was working on it last night already."

"Good." Jack said with a small smile. "And where have you been?"

"Phil got me a trip to Disney World." AJ told him. "My dad and I had a bucket list of things we wanted to do together but it was too late he was too sick. So he took me to Disney and skydiving."
"Sounds more like a vacation for him." Jack teased.

"It was great." AJ admitted. "We eloped."

"Get out." Jack grinned.

"Yup." AJ said holding out her left hand to show off her new ring.

"Look at that." Jack whistled as he put on his glasses to examine the ring closer.

"He's not talking to me today though." AJ laughed.

"He's such a baby." Jack remarked with a roll of his eyes. "Convinces a beautiful woman to marry him and then he gets pissy."

"It's about taking his last name." AJ confided.

"Oh." Jack said to him. "You don't want to ?"

"It's not that, I just hadn't thought about it before but he got so defensive that my immediate reaction is to piss him off more for some reason." AJ shrugged and Jack laughed.

"You'll make a great wife." Jack said still laughing.

"He never talks about you or his mom." AJ admitted. "Just his grandfather which is rarely as it is. I didn't think he'd even care."

"Well, I think Phillip got stuck with the Brooks name when he didn't want it." Jack said to her. "I think he was looking more to rebuild the name and finally share it with someone he actually loves."

"Why couldn't he just say that last night?" AJ asked Jack, already feeling bad about giving him a hard time about it.

"If he's anything like I remember he has a hard time expressing his feelings." Jack said to her with a laugh. "The name isn't that bad." Jack told her. "My father fought in World War II." He told AJ who gave him her full attention. "He saved his platoon from a live grenade by picking it up and tossing it. Half of his body was burned and he had those scars forever."

"Phil never told me." AJ said to him.

"I have so many medals and plaques with the Brooks name on it." Jack told her and AJ nodded in awe of the heroism. "When he was finally medically cleared to come home he worked at a bakery, 3am every morning he'd get up, he made pennies but it was for his family and he worked really hard."

"Sounds like Phil." AJ said to him and Jack gave her half a smile.

"He ended up running that bakery out here and early mornings he'd feed the homeless and other vets. Ended up going out of business since he gave most of the food away." Jack smirked. "He was a great man."

"He sounds it." AJ agreed.

"Skipped a generation." Jack admitted honestly. "I was a bastard to not only my wife but Phil."

"I've heard." AJ noted.

"I've grown up since then it just took me a long time. I used to try so hard to live up to my fathers name but I knew I never could. War hero & local hero. I stopped trying and went in the other direction. From what you've told me Phil is carrying his name and legacy though." Jack said to her.

"He really is." AJ agreed. "He's amazing."

"The Brooks name isn't that shabby, that's all I'm saying. Maybe I don't wear the name well but my father did and so is Phil and I'm sure you would as well." Jack said to her and she smiled.

"Thanks Jack." She said standing up.

"Anytime honey."

Punk was up in the apartment unpacking the rest of their stuff when AJ walked in.

"Honey I'm home!" AJ announced.

"You're late." Punk noted.

"I am and do you want to know why?" she asked cheerfully.

"You found a man who will give you a baby?" He teased referring to her comment from last night.

"No you jerk." She laughed and handed him a piece of paper.

"What is this?" He asked looking it over.

"Had my name changed." AJ told him proudly. "You are now looking at April Jeanette Brooks."

"You didn't have to do this." He said to her passing the paper back.

"I know but I wanted to." AJ said to him. "I am proud to be your wife and a Brooks. And I can't wait until our children carry the name."

"You really wanted to do this?" He asked her and she nodded.

"I wouldn't have if I didn't want to." She reminded him. "Jack also talked to me-"

"Jesus AJ." He groaned. "Please stop talking to that man."

"He just gave me a history lesson on the name." She assured him. "Not that it would have changed my decision to change the name but the Brooks are pretty amazing people."

"No, my grandfather was." Punk said to her. "Jack wasn't."

"He didn't say he was." AJ said to him. "He said you and your grandfather were though. I want our sons to carry the Brooks name too. I loved being a Mendez, I really did but I only carried the name. When you think about it you were more Mendez than I ever was. I never really felt part of my family with my mom and Hugh and I wasn't with my dad but now that I'm a Brooks I have a real family name and history." he had to smile at her little speech and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you." he said kissing the top of her head.

"I think David would be proud that I'm a Brooks now." AJ said to him.

"I hope so." He said wondering for himself then she pulled away.

"I'm going to change Larry's paperwork at the vets office too." AJ said to him. "He'll be Larry Brooks too."

"Larry Talbot-Brooks." He corrected. "He's too ugly to get the whole name. We have a reputation in this family of being good looking, can't let him bring us down."

"Mean." AJ smirked.

"So, did your call parents yet?" he asked her.

"I did. I told them I was home from vacation. But I was at work and told them I'd call them back with pretty amazing news." She said to him.

"You didn't tell them?" Punk asked.

"No. I want them to sit on the 'amazing' news because they're going to think I'm pregnant, this way when I announce we're married instead they'll be a little relieved." She said to him.

"I married a very smart woman." Punk stated proudly.

A/N II: Still to come...

The bond between Jack and AJ deepens, will it make Jack more curious into mending fences with his son (spoiler alert, probably because I promised drama)?

Punk running the Mendez shop while Jason takes a step back. (Ironic after all the last name arguing)

AJ starts at the crisis center but will she be able to leave the crisis's there and not bring them home (probably not because, you know, drama)

Punk meets the past. (This is going to be rough)

Pricella and Hugh wedding reaction.

OH and Maria wedding reaction. (LOL)