A/N: Hey all! I'm sorry for taking the summer off without warning, a lot went on but a major issue was writers block. Sorry for the long wait but I hate leaving anything incomplete so I'm powering through this for you all. Thank you for your reviews and patience!

New Beginnings

A couple of nights later Punk walked in the front door from work and was shushed by AJ who waved him into the living room. On the floor was Larry sleeping half on top of Hartley who was also sleeping.

"Isn't it the cutest?" she asked anxiously.

"Very cute." Punk smirked. "I'm glad he's taken to Hartley so much."

"Of course he has, Hartley is his sister." AJ pointed out. "How did it go down at the shop? Any news on the Shane front?"

"Mike didn't even show up for work today so I have no idea. Shane didn't come by either." Punk shrugged taking his jacket off.

"Why didn't he come to work?" AJ asked him. "Did you call him?"

"Maria called and said he was taking a personal day." Punk scoffed. "What about on your end? Any psycho visits?"

"None but I did report the car keying." She told him. "Just like I promised."

"Good." He said to her.

"And dinner is on the table waiting for you." She informed him happily. "I'm almost going to miss being a stay at home mom and wife."

"There's no rush." Punk said walking into the kitchen and she lingered in the doorway to keep an eye on Hartley.

"There is a rush. We need money." She pointed out. "I have a couple of interviews set up. My supervisor at the center set it up for me."

"Don't just take the first job offered to you." Punk warned her. "This isn't some part-time job you've worked really hard for this and I want you to do exactly what you want."

"I know, I know." She said to him. "If I don't find something I'm going to go back to the Penny a couple of nights." And with that said Punk groaned in annoyance. "It's a good job." She reminded him.

"You're a college graduate. Before you I don't think I ever even knew a college graduate. You deserve more than wearing short shorts and bending over for men at a bar." He told her.

"It's good money." She smirked leaning against the door frame.

"Not everything is about money." Punk reminded her.

"No but money is what keeps a roof over heads and food on the table." She reminded him. "Its just a waitressing job."

"You deserve better." Punk said simply. "So where are these interviews? Are the schools nearby?"

"I'm not going to work at a school." She laughed and he looked up at from his dinner. "My first interview is at Clearwater."

"The rehab place?" Punk asked and she nodded.

"Second one is at the hospital." She told him. "And the third is at Sunny side."

"What's sunny side?" Punk asked.

"It's basically a shelter or safe haven for victims of abuse." She told him and he nodded along. "I won't be making a lot of money Phil." She warned him.
"This kind of line of work doesn't pay a lot and-"

"You'll be making a difference in the world." Punk said cutting her off. "Like I said before, not everything is about money. I want you to do what you want to do and your career choice is amazing. I support and back you one hundred percent."

"I know you do." She smiled shyly.

"How was Hartley's physical therapy?" He questioned.

"It was good." AJ assured him. "She hates it but she's doing really good with it. They don't even think she'll need to do it much longer."

"That's the best thing I've heard all day." Punk grinned.

"She's a tough cookie." AJ told him. "She's getting so sassy too. She was making the meanest faces at the physical therapist today."

"That's my girl." Punk teased.

"So, I was thinking that maybe before the holiday's we could take Hartley to meet your mom." AJ suggested.

"Oh, no." Punk chuckled.

"Why not?" She asked.

"I'm not even sure I want her here for Christmas." Punk said to her.

"She should meet her granddaughter. Your dad told me she asks for her constantly." AJ told him.

"Jack should mind his own business." Punk scoffed. "Doesn't he have his a new wife to worry about?"

"He's just trying to right some wrongs." AJ shrugged.

"He can right them all he wants, I did no wrong and therefor have nothing to right." Punk reminded her simply. "I don't trust the woman yet. She's mentally unstable and has a history of violence. Didn't I tell you what she did to her last boyfriend?"

"Yes. Something I would do to you if you ever cheated on me." She said seriously and he laughed.

"You have nothing to worry about, I on the other hand will sleep with one eye open." He teased. "And he didn't cheat on her, she cut his dick off because he burnt dinner." Punk said to her.

"She wasn't well." AJ reasoned. The doorbell rang and AJ turned around to answer it. "Hey." She grinned upon seeing Jason as he stepped inside out of the cold air.

"Hey." Jason smiled and kissed her cheek. "Punk home?"

"Yea he's in the kitchen." AJ pointed out and as Jason passed Larry and Hartley, Larry growled protectively.

"Look at that, a scary little doggy guard for the baby." Jason snorted and then walked into the kitchen.

"Hey." Punk greeted trying to eat his dinner quickly.

"Mike is in the hospital." Jason told him and Punk's face fell. "He got the crap kicked out of him."

"Is he alright?" Punk asked.

"I was on my way over now to check in on him, want to come with?" Jason offered and Punk nodded and stood up.

"What's going?" AJ asked as Punk put his jacket on.

"Mike had an accident of some kind today." Jason told her. "We're just going to head over to the hospital."

"What happened?" AJ asked concerned. "Do you need me? I'll just dress Hartley-"

"No." Punk said zipping his jacket up. "Stay here with her, ok?"

"Ok." She said with a frown. "Call me and let me know how he is."

At the hospital Mike was in the ER with Maria.

"Stop fussing." Maria warned slapping his hand away from the cut above his eye.

"Hey." Jason greeted.

"Finally. You two can watch him." Maria said annoyed. "I need coffee."

"I'll take one." Mike said to her.

"Doctor said no fluids yet." Maria reminded him as she walked away.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"Good news is I stopped Shane from coming to the shop." Mike told Punk.

"I told you to stop paying him not get your ass kicked." Punk said shaking his head.

"He's going to be arrested for this." Mike said pointing to his cut up face. "I knew telling him I wasn't paying him would get my ass kicked and now he'll be arrested for violating the terms of his probation so again, you're welcome."

"That was really fucking stupid." Jason said to him and Punk agreed.

"You could have been killed." Punk pointed out. "Where is Shane now?"

"I have no idea." Mike shrugged. "But you're welcome."

"Now you've just pissed him off more." Jason told him.

"He can't hide forever. The police are looking for him." Mike told them. "I took care of it and you two don't seem grateful for it."

"We didn't want you to get hurt." Jason insisted.

"And we didn't want him further pissed off." Punk added annoyed.

"He'll be arrested." Mike repeated with a groan. "I'm in a lot of pain here."

"Did you at least get a punch in?" Jason laughed.

"Of course I did." Mike mocked defensively.

The next day Punk was at the shop and Hartley was in her car seat sitting on his desk. One hand was rocking her in the seat and the other was going through paperwork.

"Look at you." Jason smirked walking into the office. "Dad and business owner."

"I have all of this paperwork to do but what I really need to be doing is working on cars since I'm short handed with Mike out." Punk groaned.

"That's why I'm here." Jason smirked. "You do the paperwork and dad thing and I'll work outside. AJ told me she had some interviews."

"She sent you to check in on me?" Punk scoffed.

"No she thought you'd need an extra pair of hands. You can't do it all." Jason reminded him.

"I'm not doing it all, I'm actually getting barely anything done." Punk groaned and that's when Hartley began to cry. "Perfect timing, I got five minutes of work done." he said standing up and taking Hartley out of her seat.

"You can always drop Hartley off with Kate, she doesn't mind." Jason offered as Punk searched the diaper bag for Hartley's pacifier.

"Kate has two kids to watch as it is the last thing she needs is a newborn." Punk said to him.

"Well, what are you going to do when AJ goes to work?" Jason questioned. "I mean you can't have this baby sit around this shop it's filthy, AJ can't take the baby to work-"

"We haven't figured it out yet." Punk said as he calmed Hartley bouncing her gently in his arms.

"Can you afford daycare or a sitter?" Jason asked.

"We don't want a sitter." Punk said to him. "We want Hartley with family."

"Kate will help a few days a week." Jason again offered.

"Jack has offered too." Punk scoffed.

"That's awfully nice of him." Jason said to him.

"AJ tried to talk me into dropping her off with him today." Punk snorted.

"He loves her." Jason pointed out. "His wife adores her."

"I know." Punk grumbled. "But I remember growing up with him and I never want Hartley to be afraid or scared like I was."

"She's your kid." Jason agreed.

"Besides it's not like AJ is going to get a job her first day interviewing." Punk reasoned. "We have time to come up with a plan."

"Hey." AJ greeted walking into Punk's office. "There's my girl." She inched over and took Hartley right from Punk.

"You're early." Punk noted.

"How did the interviews go?" Jason asked.

"I got a job!" She cheered. "Can you believe that?"

"You what?" Punk and Jason asked at the same time.

"Sunny Side hired me." She told them eagerly. "They're very short handed and needed me. I start next week."

"Congratulations." Punk said in shock.

"That's great." Jason agreed with a smirk.

"Babe, what about Hartley?" Punk asked her.

"Yea we have to figure that out." AJ agreed. "I didn't think I'd get a job this quickly or be needed so fast. Kate can watch her a few days, right?" she asked Jason.

"She'd be thrilled." Jason assured her.

"That's not a permanent solution." Punk groaned.

"I'm not sure yet Phil." AJ sighed. "Like I said this was sprung on me. There's a daycare a few blocks over but it's pretty pricey I can talk to my mom-"

"No more handouts from them." Punk warned her.

"We're going to have to pay Kate." AJ pointed out.

"No you're not." Jason scoffed. "We're family."

"Don't be ridiculous." Punk said to him.

"You don't be." Jason shot back.

"It's a lot for Kate to take on." AJ reasoned. "I get overwhelmed with just Hartley. Phil's dad offered-"

"AJ we discussed that." Punk said to her. "Absolutely not. For the time being she can come here with me."

"I don't want her cooped up in a shop all day." AJ sighed.

"That's how Jason was raised." Punk pointed out. "It's just until we figure something else out."

"Phil-" she started but her phone began to ring. "Here." She said passing Hartley to Jason now and stepped outside to answer her phone.

"I feel like there's never a peaceful quiet day." Punk mumbled.

"She likes me." Jason grinned ignoring Punk as Hartley grabbed his finger.

"She's trying to poop." Punk scoffed.

"I have to go." AJ said sticking her head in the office and running out.

"What?" Punk asked chasing after her. "AJ!" He yelled catching her as she reached his car. "What's going on?"

"That was the police." AJ sniffled. "There was some kind of accident with Alex and they need to talk to me."

"What kind of accident and why does in involve you?" Punk asked her.

"She killed herself." AJ whispered. "I couldn't help her-"

"AJ don't-" He started.

"She left a note and the police want to talk to me." AJ said reaching for the car but Punk plucked the keys out of her hands.

"I'm going with you." Punk said to her. "Let me just tell Jason, he'll stay with the baby."

At the police station AJ was in talking to detectives and Punk was outside waiting for her. He glanced over and saw two police officers dragging someone inside and smiled.

"Here to gloat?" Shane asked peering over his shoulder as his hands were cuffed behind his back and the officers handed in their guns.

"Just good timing." Punk grinned sitting in his seat. "I imagine this is parole violation, I'll see you in twenty years."

"That's cool." Shane shrugged. "Your daughter will be blossoming enough for me at that age."

Punk shot up from his seat and rushed Shane as officers pulled Punk away.

"You son of a bitch!" Punk yelled.

"Relax!" An officer yelled pushing Punk away.

"I'll look her up the second I'm out and break her in." Shane assured him laughing as another officer pulled him away.

"Did you hear him threaten my kid? She's only a few months old!" Punk yelled.

"Relax." The officer said to him.

"Relax?" Punk argued.

"Phil, let's go." AJ said walking over to him.

"You should go." the officer agreed nodding towards the door.

"What was that all about?" AJ asked Punk as he pulled her out of the station.

"Nothing." He mumbled. "You were in there a long time, what happened?"

"She killed herself because I cut her out." AJ said to him.

"No she didn't." Punk disagreed.

"Phil it was in her note." She cried. "I should have tried harder! I'm calling tomorrow and not taking this new job, clearly I'm not good at my job-"

"Stop this." Punk argued.

"You don't get it Phil." She cried as she reached the car and he turned her so she was looking at him.

"You are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You care too much, that's your only fault. Alex wasn't your patient because you'd know to keep personal and professional separated. Alex was a disturbed, obsessive girl who you weren't treating." Punk reminded her seriously. "This isn't you fault and I don't care what she wrote in that note. No one kills themselves over someone else like that."

"Thank you." She said forcing a smile. "But I think I'll just go back to work at the Penny." Then climbed into the car.

Later that night AJ was watching as Harley fell asleep in her swing. She couldn't keep her eyes off of her daughter tonight.

"Both my girls abandoned me." Punk noted stepping into the living room running his hand over his face. "Usually the bed is too small the three of us but tonight it's too big, what's going on?"

"I didn't want to move her." AJ replied simply.

"Did you call Sunny Side?" Punk asked.

"Tried to, the office was closed and voice mail box was filled." She said to him.

"I want you to take this job." Punk said sitting next to her. "You're going to make such an impact and help so many people by doing this."

"What about the one I couldn't help?" She asked him.

"That's not on you." Punk whispered to not wake the baby. "You know that too. You know she wasn't your responsibility and if anything you were a victim of her. I think you're just afraid to take this job."

"We have no one to watch her. I don't want her growing up in daycare and I don't want to overwhelm Kate and I also don't want to leave her. I don't want her growing up without me." AJ sighed resting her head on his shoulder.

"But you want to work and you've worked your ass off to get a job like this." Punk pointed out. "I've actually given it some thought."

"You have?" AJ asked surprised.

"Yea. Because we're going to make this work." Punk said to her. "I have an empty room at the shop, I'm going to paint it and put a bunch of the baby crap in there and she can be there."

"I don't want her locked up in a room alone." AJ said shaking her head.

"She won't be alone. I figured the room is big enough so the boys can come and hang out, my dad can watch her as long as I'm in the building, you can come by on breaks and see her, I can be there constantly- I think it works. Also, you're not going to like it but Maria offered to watch her too." Punk said to her.

"I don't want Hartley to call Maria mommy." AJ warned him.

"I just think it's a smart setup for now." Punk shrugged.

"It is a good idea." AJ agreed.

"I just need a few days to get it ready." He told her. "You have no reason to not go to work now."

"You think I can do this?" AJ asked him.

"I absolutely know you can." Punk said to her. "I mean this is it right? The dream? We're married, have a little house, a dog, a baby, my shop is huge an thriving, you're going to do what you've worked so hard to do, we don't have to worry about daycare or sitters we're very lucky."

"I thought you didn't believe in luck." AJ smirked.

"I didn't until I met you." Punk said to her honestly. "I was lucky to be there the night you walked back into the shop, lucky that you let me into your life, lucky you agreed to marry me and lucky you made me a father."

"She is amazing." AJ smiled looking down at her.

"She's perfect." Punk agreed.

"You don't regret picking me over Maria?" AJ asked seriously and he rolled his eyes.

"There was never a competition." Punk reminded her. "Things didn't work out with Maria because she was meant for me, I'm convinced that everything that happened in my life had lead me to you."

"Really?" She asked touched and he nodded.

"If I didn't move in with your dad and Jason I might have missed you." He noted. "All the pain of my childhood was like a debt I had to pay off before finally getting you back in my life."

"I love you." AJ said with a soft smile and he pressed his lips to hers.