Family Discount

It was eleven at night and even though the shop was closed Punk was inside doing paperwork since that was going to be his new job. He was taking over all of that boring crap Jason used to do. He was beginning to think he was going to be spending more time in the office then working on cars or even the car AJ had gotten him. Someone was knocking at the door and Punk groaned as he stepped out of the office and opened shop door.

"We're closed." Punk said to Jack who was clearly freezing outside.

"Yea I can read." Jack snorted and Punk began to close the door. "I blew my tire out right around the corner." he said sticking his foot in the door.

"There's a great shop four blocks over." Punk informed him.

"Come on." Jack groaned and Punk rolled his eyes and stepped aside to let him in.

"I can't pick it up tonight." Punk told him walking into the office and Jack followed.

"That's fine I don't need it until the weekend." Jack said to him. "How much is this going to cost me?"

"Pick up and a new tire?" Punk asked pondering the price dramatically. "It's on me." he told Jack who stunned.

"No shit." Jack laughed. "Family discount. I like it."

"No." Punk laughed along with him. "I'll pick up your car, I'll give you four new tires if you want, top of the line." he told him and Jack nodded happily. "You need to leave AJ alone."

"I'm not bothering AJ." Jack said to him.

"No but you're hanging around her and chatting her ear off." Punk said to him. "I don't want you around her."

"I'm not going to hurt her." Jack said to him. "I like AJ, I liked talking to her before I even knew about you. She's a sweet, hardworking kid."

"She's my wife." Punk added sternly. "I don't want you apart of her life because that makes you apart of mine."

"AJ talks to me and it's rarely ever about you. We talk about school and The X-Files." Jack chuckled. "I'm a customer at her job. I'll never stop going to the Penny and I like talking to AJ. I respect that she is your wife and don't dig or ask questions." Jack told him. "You should be happy that she has family that watches out for her while she's at work."

"You're not family." Punk reminded him.

"Whether you like it or not we all share the same last name and you and I share the same DNA." Jack reminded him.

"Why do you even want to get to know her?" Punk asked folding his arms. "She's way too young for you." and Jack laughed.

"I'm a bastard but I'm not that big of a bastard." Jack said still laughing. "Besides, I'm married myself."

"So AJ has told me." Punk said warily. "Hope you treat her better then you treated me and mom."

"What do you even remember from that time?" Jack asked him. "I really want to know. You were what? Seven or so when you came to live here?"

"I remember you used to hit her." Punk said to him.

"I never hit your mother." Jack said pointing at him coldly. "I would never hit a woman."

"You hit me." Punk reminded him and Jack nodded.

"That I did." Jack admitted. "I took a lot of my frustration out on you that I had for her. It wasn't fair and I wasn't in a good place. Your mom was sick. She was bi-polar, did you know that?"

"No." Punk said to him.

"You must remember her always crying? Then she'd be super spontaneous and take you to a carnival?" Jack asked him.

"I remember her taking me to the carnival." Punk said to him. "It was the last time I saw her."

"You know why?" Jack asked him.

"Because you showed up there and scared her off." Punk remembered.

"No Phillip." Jack scoffed. "She took you there and left you there. She came home without you and started cooking dinner as if nothing was wrong. I asked where you were and she said you were out playing. You were six."

"She didn't leave me." Punk said shaking his head.

"Yes Phillip she left you there." Jack said to him. "After I looked the streets for you for an hour she told me she took you to the carnival and I went to get you. I told her to pack up and leave. She was a danger to you."

"You were the danger." Punk argued.

"I was tough with you." Jack agreed. "I slapped you around and sometimes I went too far but I just wanted the best for you. I wanted you safe. Why else do you think I'd let you live here with David?"

"You didn't want me around." Punk said to him and Jack shook his head.

"No father doesn't want their son around. They want them safe. I was in a bad place after your mother left and I stayed in a bad place for years. You were better off here." Jack said to him.

"You never reached out." Punk noted.

"No and when had our run in, what was it? Fifteen years ago?" Jack asked him. "I didn't want anything to do with you. You attacked me then sent a bunch fucking thugs my way to convince me not to press chargers."

"I never told them to do shit." Punk spat. "I never asked for their help and I would never ask you for a favor."

"I wasn't going to press charges. My wife cleaned me up and convinced me to call the cops. She thought you'd come back and kill me." Jack said to him.

"You started with me that night." Punk said shaking his head.

"No you started with me." Jack shot back and Punk rolled his eyes. "I thought you grew up some street kid. Turns out I was wrong."

"I've seen her." Punk said out of nowhere and Jack narrowed his eyes. "Mom."

"Oh." Jack said to him.

"Years ago. She didn't recognize me." Punk told him.

"She was on so much medication at that time she probably couldn't even recognize herself back than." Jack said brushing it off. "So are you going to fix my car?"

"Yea." Punk said putting on his jacket.

"You're going to get it now?" Jack asked.

"No." Punk scoffed. "My wife is working tonight and I'm going to pick her up."

"The crisis center right?" Jack asked and Punk didn't respond as he zipped up his jacket. "She's a great girl."

"I know that." Punk said to him. "She likes you for some reason."

"She has good taste." Jack smirked.

"Don't be flattered." Punk chuckled. "She also really likes this street rat that's always in our dumpster outside. She'll befriend anyone that's how she ends up hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt your wife. Whether you like it or not she's my family." Jack said to him.

"She's not." Punk reminded him again. "Look, like I said she likes you. Maybe you're not what I remembered I really don't know but regardless if you want to
chat her up that's fine. Don't ask any personal questions, don't talk about me and if you do anything that upsets her what I did to you years ago will seem like a day in a park." He warned him.

"So do I still get free tires?" Jack asked seriously.

"No." Punk said opening the shop door and gesturing for him to leave.

When Punk pulled up outside the crisis center AJ wasn't outside like she said she would be. He quickly got out of his old beat up pickup truck he drove and made his way into the dark and empty center and checked the few rooms and found a computer light on in one and his wife sleeping with her head in a book. He walked over to her and ran his head through her hair gently to wake her and her head shot up.

"I have a weapon!" She yelled and he smirked.

"It's just me." Punk said to her and she looked over to make sure.

"You scared the shit out of me." She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"It's after 12." He noted and she looked at her phone. "You weren't outside and I was worried."

"I'm sorry." AJ said closing her book. "I was working on my paper and passed out. I only got one phone call all night." She said as she stood up and Punk held open her jacket for her. "And the crisis was that this girl thought her sister was sleeping with her boyfriend." She scoffed.

"Isn't a dull night a good night?" Punk asked.

"Yea I just thought I'd be helping more." she shrugged.

"You will." He said grabbing her books for her too.

"Thank you." She smiled and took his free hand into hers.

"You sit in this building alone all night?" Punk asked as she they walked out the door.

"No, security comes by every hour and the clean up crew." she told him.

"I don't know AJ." he said as they walked down the hall. "I thought this would be a busy room with a few other people with you. I don't like you sitting in an empty building on a dark campus until midnight."

"I'm ok." AJ assured him. "I won't be alone every night."

"Good." he said to her. "I saw Jack tonight."

"Really?" AJ asked surprised.

"Yea he came by the shop, needs me to tow his car in tomorrow." Punk said to her.

"Did you two talk?" She asked.

"Does he ever talk about my mother to you?" Punk asked her.

"No." AJ said to him. "He doesn't bring you up much either because I told him I won't discuss anything personal."

"I think you discuss plenty with him." Punk snorted.

"Did he say something about her?" AJ asked as they walked out of the building.

"He said my mom was sick." Punk said to her and AJ frowned. "Bi-polar."

"Do you remember much of her?" AJ asked him.

"I remember her." Punk admitted as they walked to his car. "I want to call Jack a liar but the last time I saw my mom she left me at a carnival. I remember being left there. I remember it really well. I never told Jack because I was afraid he'd hurt her."

"Do you want to talk to her?" AJ asked.

"No." Punk said adamantly. "It just makes a lot of sense."

Punk opened the passenger side door for her to get in and she took his hand since the truck was high for her and eased her way in. Punk walked around and jumped in the drivers seat.

"What makes a lot of sense?" AJ asked curiously.

"It's just, she was always really emotional you know?" he told her.

"You said Jack was abusive." AJ noted.

"He used to yell at my mom but now I'm not sure that he ever hit her. I remember she'd be screaming and slapping at him I just assumed." He said as he began to drive.

"But he hit you." AJ pointed out.

"Yea." Punk admitted keeping his eyes on the road. "He claims that was just discipline."

"I don't know." AJ said to him. "I was never hit as a child. It's not something I agree with."

"Well that's one thing we agree on since marriage." He smirked. "I don't believe in that either."

"So are you two ok?" AJ asked and he laughed.

"No we're not." Punk said to her. "And don't try to play peacemaker." He warned her.

"Fine." AJ said to him. "Oh and I spoke to my mother today."

"Oh yea? How did that go?" Punk asked her amused.

"It went better than I thought." AJ said to him. "She hung up on me when I first told her, then she called me back yelling, then she hung up again but then called me crying where I in turn hung up on her." AJ said to him with a laugh. "I spoke to her an hour ago and she was much calmer. She made me swear not to hide our first child from her." She smirked.

"What about Hugh?" Punk asked.

"Relax, Hugh still adores you." AJ said to him and Punk grinned. "Can we get back to your mom though?"

"Why?" Punk asked her.

"You said you saw her. Did she look sick?" She asked.

"It's not something that shows physically AJ." He noted.

"It could be hereditary." AJ told him and he narrowed his eyes at the open road.

"I don't have it." He said not entirely sure.

"I don't think you do." she said to him. "But when we have kids there's a chance they could get it."

"You think so?" Punk asked and she nodded.

"Maybe you should find out for sure from Jack or her." AJ suggested.

"What difference would it make?" Punk asked. "Will we love our kid any less?"

"No." AJ said without hesitation.

"And I think treatment has advanced." Punk said to her.

"What do you know about bi-polar disorder?" She asked him.

"I guess not much." He admitted. "Do you know anything?"

"My friend Patty in high school had it, her grandfather had it and her mother." AJ told him.

"Huh." Punk said to himself.

"I wouldn't worry about it." AJ said to him and now he glanced over and glared at her, as if he wouldn't not worry now. "You're right it won't change a thing."

"What if I have it?" Punk asked.

"I think you'd know by now." She said to him.

"Or I'll snap when I have kids like my mom did." Punk suggested.

"How do you know she snapped when you came along?" AJ asked him.

"I don't know." Punk said to her.

"Want me to ask Jack?" AJ offered. "I'll see him tomorrow at work."

"No I'll take care of it." Punk said to her. "Just worry about school and your two jobs."

"I think it's nice you and Jack can at least talk." AJ said to him and Punk shook his head.

"Don't AJ." He warned her.

"I'd give anything to have more time with David." AJ said quickly.

"So would I. Want to know why? Because David was my father." Punk reminded her.

"I get it." AJ said to him. "I'll butt out."

"That's all I ask." He smirked.

Punk and AJ walked into the apartment at almost one and both were exhausted.

"I have food for you." He told her.

"Too sleepy." She said simply kicking off her shoes and taking her jacket off as Larry greeted them at the door.

"You need to eat." Punk said to her. "What did you eat today?"

"I'll eat." She said knowing once she told him nothing he'd keep her up until she did eat.

"That's what I thought." He muttered. And even though his eyes were barely able to stay open he heated up dinner for her and placed it in front of her at the tiny table.

"I can't eat all of this." She said to him.

"Just eat half and I'll shut up." He promised and she quickly picked up her fork.

"Deal." She said and suddenly there was loud banging at their door. AJ's head shot up worried and Punk quickly stood up and walked over to the door. The building was getting worse and worse by the day so someone banging on their door at this time was alarming.

"Maria?" Punk asked opening the door and she stormed in. "It's one in the morning."

"I saw you two come up." Maria said to him. "Can you give us a minute?" she asked AJ.

"Um no." AJ said annoyed then went back to eating her food.

"What's wrong?" Punk asked with a tired sigh.

"You're married." Maria said to him. "You didn't even tell me."

"Were you not aware that I was marrying AJ?" Punk asked sarcastically.

"You eloped, you got married." Maria said holding back tears.

"AJ..." Punk began.

"Yea, yea it's fine I'm going to eat inside." She said knowing Punk wanted a minute with Maria. AJ was not insecure in her relationship in the slightest, he worshiped the ground she walked in so if he wanted a minute to give the closure that his clingy ex needed that was fine with her.

"Phil." Maria whispered once AJ closed the bedroom door behind her.

"What do you want me to say?" Punk asked her softly. "We've been over for a really long time."

"We've been together since we were kids." Maria reminded him. "You didn't think I deserved a courtesy call?"

"We didn't tell anyone." Punk pointed out.

"Why did I have to hear about from Pricella?" Maria asked him. "It stings Phil. Half our lives together and you couldn't stop across the hall? It's not like I'm miles away I'm feet away."

"We've been busy but I was going to talk to you and Mike." Punk said to her.

"I don't care about telling Mike. You and Mike didn't spend day in and day out together like we did for fifteen years." Maria reminded him sadly.

"Look, you were my first love and I'll never forget you or what we had but I'm married and I'm really happy." Punk told her.

"I know this." Maria said to him. "I'm not mad you got married and honestly I don't even hate her and I want to. I'm mad that you didn't have the decency or the respect for me to tell me yourself."

"I've had other things on my mind. It's not like fifteen years ago where I tell you everything." He reminded her. "I should have told you in person and I wanted to. Only Kate and Jason knew and AJ's parents, I didn't realize Pricella would tell you."

"Does she realize how lucky she is?" Maria asked folding her arms.

"I whisper it into her while she's sleeping every night." Punk joked. "I'm the lucky one. I used to think when you turned me down that you'd come back to me and the best thing to happen to either of us is you not coming back."

"I did come back though." Maria reminded him.

"You were too late." He shrugged. "We wouldn't have been happy together. We were too similar and we fought constantly. AJ makes me want to better myself."

"And I didn't?" Maria asked him.

"I never even tried with you." he admitted honestly. "I thought we'd just grow old up in his apartment building and never have kids. We'd be married, I'd work at the shop, you'd still be at the salon and we'd be happy."

"And you don't want those things?" Maria asked him. "AJ is too good to be here?"

"Yea." He said honestly. "Every night we come in late I cringe, every time our water turns brown or we hear the neighbors fighting or partying it just motivates me to work harder. I want kids, I want a house, I want AJ to have everything she could ever desire. I'm sorry I couldn't offer you that or try hard enough but it took me a while but I understand why you told me no."

"Why couldn't you have had this thinking two years ago?" Maria asked him with a sad smile.

"We just weren't the end game." He shrugged. "We're still family, we'll always be family."

"Yea." She said and leaned in to hug him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said hugging her back.

"If she breaks your heart I'll break her face." Maria said to him as she pulled away.

"That won't be a problem." Punk said to her.

"Congratulations Phil. I hope one day I could be as happy as you are right now." She said then walked out the door.

"She's still a bitch." AJ said walking out of the bedroom.

"I should have told her." Punk said to her and AJ rolled her eyes.

"I'd love to see her try to kick my ass." AJ scoffed.

"That would be a fight I'd pay to see." Punk grinned. "I'd throw some oil on you two."

"Ew." She said pinching his arm.

"You have a pinching problem." He scolded rubbing his arm.

"You're a really good man for being so patient with her." AJ said to him honestly. "And I love that you want to better yourself for me but you don't have to. I told you I liked it here."

"AJ we're moving." He informed her. "We got backed up with vacation and that little marriage thing." He teased. "but we're moving and I'm making time this weekend."

"This weekend?" AJ asked nervously.

"Why? I thought you weren't working." He said to her.

"I'm not so I kind of made plans." She told him.

"You made plans on probably the last weekend we'll both have off together?" Punk asked skeptically.

"Yea it was last minute but don't worry you're included." she assured him and he glared at her. "So when I told my mom and Hugh we got married-"

"They're coming to town?" Punk asked and she nodded. "Why?"

"They want to give us a gift." AJ shrugged and Punk sighed in annoyance. "And take us out. It's the least we could do. And you know the dinner is going to be super fancy." She warned him.

"This weekend?" He groaned. "Can't you call and ask them to come on a weekend I'm at least working?"

"No Phil because whether you like it or not you're part of their family now too." She reminded him. "You're a Kleinsfield."

"A what?" Punk asked shaking his head.

"That's Hugh's last name, my mother's last name." She told him obviously.

"Fancy." He whistled. "Doesn't change the fact that I want to get the hell out of this building as soon as possible."

"I love you and I love how you want out of here and I know it's because of me." She said to him and he couldn't argue that. "You hate that I'm living here you say it daily and now nightly but I really am in no rush and I'm not scared of this building. I can take care of myself and I also have an amazing, hot, strong husband who is always just a few short feet away." she smiled.

"Damn right I am." he said to her wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her flush against his body. "You want to start a family and I refuse to start one here."

"I know that and I want a family but we agreed we'd until I was done with school didn't we?" she asked.

"Yea." He nodded.

"We don't have to rush." She pointed out. "I want to save and get a small house like you said."

"You're such an eavesdropper." He mumbled. "I didn't mean a house."

"Yes you did and wouldn't you want a house?" AJ asked him. "We don't want to leave this place and move to only a slightly better place that will get worse by the time we have kids. Let's do this the right way."

"Ok." He said to her. "You're right."

"Say that again." She grinned reaching for the hem of his t-shirt.

"You're exhausted." He reminded her.

"I'm never that tired." She replied licking her lips. She began to walk backwards into the bedroom tugging onto his wrists, but not really dragging him because he went willingly...