Aunt Nico


"Tia!" AJ smiled happily, opening the door to her apartment and greeting her aunt affectionately in the language she grew up speaking.

"Mi dulce niña!" Nico exclaimed, dropping her bags before she even headed into the apartment, opening her arms up and swaddling AJ in a tight hug.

"I've missed you." AJ said, savouring the tight hug and the familiar scent of her aunt. She didn't know any woman who had used the same perfume since she was eighteen, apart from her aunt.

"Oh, I missed you." Nico sighed, pulling back from the hug and taking a look at AJ, "Beautiful as always." She concluded as AJ smiled.

"Come on. Come inside." AJ said, helping her aunt into the apartment with some of her bags, "How was your travel day?"

"Dreadful." Nico said, sitting her bags over by the sofa, "No one in America can drive. Not properly." She shook her head, unwrapping the scarf from around her neck.

"Yeah, the holiday season brings out the worst in drivers." AJ nodded.

"April it is so good to see you." Nico sighed happily, taking AJ's hands into hers, "You look beautiful. Your hair… so shiny as always." She smiled, caressing her hand down AJ's hair, "You glow."

"You look amazing too. The girls are so excited to see you. They've missed you." AJ said.

"Oh and I'm excited to see them, the little devils." Nico grinned, "Where is the mister?" She asked curiously, looking around the apartment and not spotting Punk, who she'd only met a few times through the computer.

"Phil had to pop to the store for a couple of things. He shouldn't be long." AJ said, "I'll take your jacket and you can make yourself comfy. You must have had a long day."

"Long days are my thing, mija." Nico waved her hand, taking her jacket off and handing it to AJ before sitting down on the sofa, "You're not being extravagant, are you?" She asked as AJ sat the jacket over a chair.

"What do you mean?" AJ chuckled.

"Making a fuss. I'll have a microwaves meal." Nico insisted.

"Microwave." AJ smiled sweetly, "And no you will not. I haven't seen you in person in a year. You're getting a home cooked meal and your favourite wine." She said as Nico smiled over at her.

"If you insist." Nico shrugged as AJ smiled.

"Phil is actually cooking it for you. He wanted to make it." AJ said.

"He wants to impress." Nico understood, "And so he should. I need to know my baby is being taken care of properly. This is a big step for you, mija. He must be a good one." She said as AJ nodded.

Besides Lyla, her aunt was the only other person who knew what she'd been through on a deeper level. She'd been the one who took care of her during that awful time after her attack. If anyone knew the everlasting impact her attack had left on her, it was her aunt.

"He is a good one." AJ nodded, "I really love him."

"Then I should hopefully love him too." Nico said as AJ chuckled.

"Hopefully." AJ smiled.

"So, what has been up with you? What is going on in your life?" Nico asked, focusing her full attention on her niece, "Apart from this new man."

"Nothing really." AJ smiled nervously. Nothing, apart from the fact I'm going to have two babies, she thought to herself.

"Oh, don't. Tell me tell me." Nico insisted.

"Becca has a boyfriend." AJ said, "Patrick. He's a farmer. She's pretty smitten."

"Love is in the air in this town." Nico said, "Maybe I'll finally find a man. At least one for Christmas. For the mistletoe." She nodded as AJ chuckled.

"And Shiv left for college in August." AJ added, "We've barely seen her. Hopefully she'll be back for Christmas."

"So you're down on staff?" Nico asked, "That means I can help."

"No, you're here to relax." AJ scoffed, "You're always so busy. Travelling and blogging your life. This is your rest time."

"But I love your café. I want to help. And what will I do with the rest of my day anyway?" Nico said, "I will help."

"I baked a yule log yesterday." AJ said as Nico looked at her with confusion, "It's a chocolate cake basically. It's a festive cake."

"Ahh." Nico nodded.

"And for the Summer Fair a few months ago, I made some Quesitos and Pan de Mallorca." AJ said.

"Oh, remember the bakery in New York we used to get them from?" Nico smiled as she remembered, "I bet yours were better."

"They went down well." AJ nodded, "I'll make you some to try."

"I can't wait." Nico smiled happily.

"And Lyla has got your room ready at her place. She's really excited that you're staying with her." AJ said.

"Well, this new man of yours has taken my place beside you." Nico scoffed.

Whenever her aunt had stayed in town, she always just slept in beside AJ, which often meant they didn't go to sleep until the middle of the night due to so much giggling and nonsense.

"Yeah, he feels real bad about it." AJ nodded.

"I'm just teasing." Nico said, "I can't wait to see Lyla. I love coming to stay with you, mija. I'm sorry I don't do it more." She huffed a little, taking AJ's hand in hers again.

"You're out living the most incredible life." AJ shook her head, "You deserve that after taking care of me my whole life."

"Have you spoken to your mama recently?" Nico wondered, "I have not." She said shadily.

"I spoke with her a few weeks ago. To go over some bills." AJ rolled her eyes a little as Nico muttered in Spanish to herself, "She does seem interested in my life and what I'm doing. I told her I've been dating a guy. She said she can't wait to meet him." AJ shrugged.

"When? In twenty years?" Nico scoffed, "Ha, I'll make the jokes, April." She waved a hand as AJ just smiled.

"It doesn't bother me like it used to." AJ assured her, "Things are just… civil. We don't really have a normal relationship so I wouldn't expect much from her anyway. Or daddy." AJ said.

"Enough about them." Nico waved her hand, "When is the Christmas Fair? Can I help at that too?"

"It's in a couple of weeks." AJ said, "I should just put you on the payroll for December." She laughed a little.

"No no, I love helping." Nico said.

"We've been actually teaming up with Phil's coffee shop at the past few Fairs. It goes down really well. He's got two other employees, Daryl and Finn. We all work together." AJ said.

"That's lovely." Nico smiled, "Since he isn't here." She said, eyeing up the door cautiously, "You really love this man, don't you?"

"I really do." AJ nodded, shuffling closer to her aunt, "He's one of the best things that's ever happened to me." She admitted.

"And he makes you feel safe?" Nico asked, gripping AJ's hand tightly, "Not scared?"

"I've never felt safer." AJ nodded, "You know how I struggled after my attack, with… intimacy and dating."

"Yes." Nico nodded along.

"He made it all feel so… normal again. He's like my best friend. Although I did kinda hate him at first." She nodded, just as the apartment door opened with Punk walking in, holding a shopping bag and a bunch of flowers.

"Speak of the devil and the devil appears." Nico said, "You're taller than I thought you'd be." She tilted her head a little as Punk chuckled.

"Thanks?" He said in a questioning tone.

"This is the man who wants to build my baby a house?" Nico stood up from the sofa as Punk turned to AJ with a smile.

"I would be that man." Punk nodded, "It's great to finally meet you. I picked these up for you." He said, extending the bunch of flowers to her as Nico smiled.

"They're beautiful." Nico said, taking the flowers from him whilst AJ stood back and watched happily, "It's lovely to meet you, Phil." She said sincerely, reaching up and kissing his cheek as Punk smiled.

"I was just filling her in on our December calendar. She wants to help out." AJ said.

"I thought this was your resting time?" Punk asked.

"Who is saying that?" Nico asked, "I don't rest." She turned to AJ who just put her hands up in defence.

"I'll make a start on dinner." Punk laughed a little, "For the record, I can't cook." He made clear to Nico.

"He makes good sandwiches, though." AJ inserted.

"I think I can do a little better than sandwiches for our special guest." Punk nodded, making his way over to the kitchen whilst Nico smiled to AJ, giving her a thumbs up as AJ just laughed.

"April, let's get these in water." Nico nodded, heading over to the kitchen and wrapping her arm around AJ's waist as they walked together.

"I'm so happy you're here." AJ said, leaning her head against Nico's as Punk watched with a smile.


"And you had purple hair?" Nico asked, sitting around the table with AJ and Punk after they had tucked into dinner.

"Yeah, he had the nickname Punk." AJ explained as Nico raised her eyebrows.

"You don't look like a Punk." Nico scoffed as Punk chuckled.

"I've smartened up a bit over the years." Punk nodded.

He couldn't believe how easy it was to speak to AJ's aunt. She was so fun and vibrant. Opinionated without being a preacher. And it was very clearly to see how much she loved AJ. Punk could see the connection and bond between them both.

"Because of being the lawyer?" Nico asked whilst AJ cleared the plates.

"Yeah, that and… I'm not a stupid kid anymore." Punk shrugged.

"I told him I might dye my hair purple soon." AJ smirked.

"And I told her any colour would look good on her." Punk added.

"He's right, mija." Nico nodded in agreement, "Although I think a blue would look good on you. You'd be like a mermaid." She said as AJ chuckled.

"Much to think about." AJ said, standing up and beginning to clear the plates.

"I'll get them." Punk bet her to it, taking the plates and heading over to the kitchen with them, "Now is the perfect time for me to ask… what was AJ like as a kid?" He asked, placing the dishes in the dish washer whilst looking over to AJ and Nico who still sat at the table.

"Oh, she was many things." Nico smiled, looking at AJ lovingly, "Adorable. First and foremost. Cheeky. Daring. Creative." Nico nodded, "Fascinated by people."

"Is that why she loves to people watch so much?" Punk asked as AJ scoffed, "We go to the park here once a week and sit on a bench just so she can watch people go by."

"You enjoy it too." AJ whined as Nico smiled.

"You had a wild imagination too." Nico nodded to AJ, "Always reading or making up stories." She said as AJ smiled.

"So she hasn't changed a single bit is what you're saying?" Punk asked.

"Not in my eyes." Nico said, "Above all. She was and still is very caring. I remember one Winter, I got very sick. A very bad flu." She explained, "April was only eight or nine, but she made me every meal. She negotiated with our neighbour to go out and buy me stuff from the pharmacy, to make me feel better. She'd cover me in blankets and sleep in my bed beside me to keep me company." Nico smiled, "The most thoughtful little girl."

"I only learned that from how you took care of me." AJ said as Punk smiled.

"Alright, who wants some desert? Yule log?" He asked, uncovering the cake which AJ had decorated earlier on in the morning for her aunt's arrival.

He brought it over to the table, sitting it down in the middle as Nico looked with fascination.

"My little baker." Nico said with pride.

"Phil calls me that too." AJ laughed a little, "Bust out the plates." AJ nodded to Punk who collected some plates for them to enjoy the desert.

"Just a little bit for me, April." Nico said as AJ cut some of the cake and dished it out, "You know I did goat yoga. In Thailand."

"Goat yoga?" Punk laughed a little.

"Yoga with goats." Nico explained as Punk nodded.

"I figured." He laughed, "How was it?"

"I enjoyed it." Nico said, "They were friendly goats. Too friendly." She scoffed as AJ chuckled.

"What's the best place you've visited?" Punk asked her curiously whilst digging into the cake.

"Oh, I'd have to say Italy. The Amalfi coast." Nico nodded, "So beautiful. Like paradise. You should take April." She insisted as Punk nodded.

"I would, if she allowed herself to have a vacation." Punk said as AJ rolled her eyes.

"See, he thinks you work too hard as well." Nico turned to AJ, glad to have back up for once.

"I don't work too hard. I work… the right amount." AJ said, "And I like my job. You two aren't allowed to gang up on me." She warned with her fork.

"You're only young once, mija. You should enjoy the success you've had with your business. You're too humble. Spend that money." Nico said as AJ chuckled.

"We will be. Don't worry." AJ scoffed, looking over at Punk discretely and giving him a nod whilst her aunt enjoyed the cake in front of her, "Actually, tia… we have some news." She said as Nico looked up at them both, feeling shivers go up her spine at the tone of her niece's voice, knowing something big was going to be announced.

"What's the news?" Nico asked, sitting her fork down.

"I'm pregnant." AJ said as Nico raised her eyebrows and gasped a little, saying something in Spanish, no doubt a statement of shock from Punk's perspective.

"Are you really?" Nico asked as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "And… we're having twins." She said. She wanted her aunt to be the first to know that they were expecting twins. It felt nice to share this news with only her, especially in person.

"Oh, Jesus Mary and Joseph." Nico placed her hand on her chest, "Two babies?"

"Two babies." AJ nodded, "It's… obviously a big shock to us. It wasn't planned or anything. And we're going to have to move to a bigger place. But… we're happy. Terrified, but happy." She said as Punk smiled to her.

"Oh, mija." Nico placed her hand over her mouth, "My baby is having two babies?" She gasped with bewilderment as AJ nodded, "Oh, come here." Nico insisted, feeling tears well in her eyes as AJ stood up and hugged her aunt tightly.

Punk watched with a smile. It was obvious Nico only wanted happiness for AJ. He knew that from the second he'd met her through AJ's laptop screen. But to see it in person, to see how close they were, how much they meant to each other. It warmed his heart.

"Phil, come over here." Nico demanded as Punk laughed a little, standing up and leaning over as Nico grabbed him into the hug, squeezing them both tightly as they chuckled.

No questions needed to be asked. Nico heard the words 'We're happy' come from AJ's mouth and that was enough for her.


A/N: Aunt Nico is here! Thank you all for 1k+ reviews on this story. It truly means the world. For the longest time I didn't think anyone would bother with my stories again, so it really does mean a lot to me. Much love.