Regress

"These cookies look like Christmas puddings!" Becca squealed, coming into the kitchen of the Brewberry where AJ had been baking since 5am in hopes to get all the cakes and pastries for the morning ready for opening.

"Yes they do." AJ nodded, "You like?"

"Love." Becca said, "You're so creative. I want your brain."

"No, you don't. I thought about this idea at 2am and couldn't get back to sleep after that." She said, "Is Lyla in yet?"

"Not yet." Becca said, hanging her coat up and getting her apron on for the day, "Did you see Shiv's message on the group chat last night?"

"No." AJ turned to Becca with concern, "What is it? I've barely looked at my phone since my Aunt got here."

"Apparently, she's not coming home for Christmas. She's just staying at college over the festive break." Becca shrugged.

"What?" AJ shook her head, "She really said that?"

"Yeah. I tried to call her, but she wouldn't pick up. She eventually messaged me privately this morning and said that her parents were working pretty much the whole of December, and she had a lot of work to do." Becca said.

"What about us?" AJ pouted, "Surely she knows we'd want to see her. We need to exchange gifts. And she was so excited to see Nico." AJ said, "This is so unlike her."

"Maybe it's because of her attack." Becca suggested, "I mean… they haven't caught the guy yet. I'd be nervous to come back here, too."

"I know." AJ said, "But now I'm even more worried about her. I should call her."

"There's still plenty of time for her to change her mind." Becca said, "Give her another week. She's maybe just had a bad day. You know… one of those day's where you just want to be alone forever."

"Hopefully. I can't bear to think about her spending Christmas alone in her dorm." AJ sighed.

"I know." Becca agreed, "How's things with your aunt here? You guys having fun?"

"It's so great having her here." AJ nodded.

Aunt Nico had been in town for a week, and in that week, they'd barely spent any time apart. Punk and AJ cooked every night for her, with Lyla occasionally tagging along too. Her aunt had also been helping out at The Brewberry and sometimes strolling across the road to have a chat with Punk. It was the nicest thing, getting to see her aunt get along so well with the man she was in love with. It was everything she could have hoped for and more.

"You think she likes Phil? She approves of baby daddy?" Becca smirked, opening up the oven to take out the croissants and Danish pastries.

"Yeah, they seem to be getting along well. Sometimes I feel like the third wheel, actually." She laughed a little, "It's just so nice getting to see her in person every day. Just the simplest things like watching a movie with her last night… it's great." AJ nodded.

"That's so good." Becca smiled, "You know… maybe we should tell Daryl about Shiv saying she's not coming home for Christmas."

"Why?" AJ asked.

"Because he seems to be the only one who can get through to her properly." Becca said, "The last time she was here, her and Daryl came for dinner at the farm. I think everyone knew something was going on between them… apart from them." She rolled her eyes.

"I think we've meddled enough in Daryl and Shiv's… situationship." AJ said, "Don't you think?"

"This isn't meddling. I think he's the only one she really listens to." Becca insisted.

"She listens to us." AJ scoffed, "Sometimes."

"I don't know. It was just a thought." Becca said, "Maybe he could convince her to come home."

"Maybe." AJ agreed, "I know her relationship with her parents isn't the best but… I'd even offer up my sofa for her to sleep on, if it meant we got to see her."

"Yeah, there's plenty of room at the Eckles farm." Becca agreed, "She might change her mind in a few days. Hopefully." She nodded, taking the freshly baked croissants out to the front of the shop to load them into the display area for customers to salivate over and then buy.

"Someone drew a penis on our display board." Lyla announced, walking into the Brewberry with Nico who was holding a fresh bunch of flowers.

"What?" Becca chuckled whilst AJ came in from the kitchen with another tray of pastries.

"Yeah, there's a penis on the display board out there." Lyla nodded.

"Very artistic." Nico nodded in agreement.

"It'll be Daryl or Finn." AJ rolled her eyes, more focused on unloading the pastries carefully, "I told you they would get you guys back for messing with their board last week."

"How did they know it was us?" Becca scoffed.

"Because obviously it was." AJ shook her head.

"Mija, I got some fresh flowers from the flower shop down the street. For you, because you're blooming and glowing." Nico smiled, sitting the flowers on the counter.

"Actually, I'm sleepy and hormonal." AJ corrected, "But thank you. These are pretty." She frowned, looking at the flowers, "I'm sure I've got a vase in the back. I'll keep them on the counter so I can see them all day." She decided as Nico smiled.

"Where am I needed?" Nico asked, rolling the sleeves on her blouse up, making her way behind the counter.

"You've helped us enough so far. Please, just go relax." AJ said.

"No, I will not." Nico said stubbornly.

"Hey, do you know someone has drawn a penis on your board?" Patrick asked, walking into the coffee shop.

"We're aware." Lyla nodded.

"What are you doing here? We're not open yet." Becca said, although smiling nevertheless, happy to see her boyfriend.

"You forgot your scarf." Patrick said, holding up the knitted scarf which Becca always wore to work in the colder months, "It's cold out. You'll need it for getting home."

"It's too early for people being nice and sweet." Lyla rolled her eyes, walking away from them and heading off into the kitchen.

"Thanks." Becca smiled happily, taking the scarf from him.

"Have a good day, yeah?" Patrick smiled.

"I'll try my best." Becca said, watching him as he left the coffee shop, smiling to herself and wrapping the scarf around her as AJ watched with concern.

"It's weird. Seeing you have feelings. And emotions." AJ told her.

"It is weird." Becca agreed.

"What am I making you for the Christmas Fair?" Linda asked, wobbling around the kitchen at Punk's shop, occasionally pressing her walking stick into Finn's foot as he yelled angrily.

"Whatever you want to make." Punk said, rushing around the kitchen, "Is this one gluten free?" He pointed to one of the waiting sandwiches.

"On the right." Finn nodded to Punk, "I've been putting yellow stickers on the gluten free ones."

"Good thinking." Punk nodded to him.

"You're not listening to me." Linda hummed, following Punk around the kitchen.

"Sorry, Linda. Let me get these orders out of the way and then we can have some coffee together." Punk assured her, making his way out of the kitchen and back to the waiting customers, handing off sandwiches whilst Daryl was taking charge of the drinks.

It still amazed him, even after almost a year, how busy his coffee shop was. He never in his wildest dreams thought the shop would have the success it had. He was grateful to the people of the town for embracing the shop and giving him a chance.

"We drew a penis on the Brewberry's board, by the way." Daryl said casually whilst making Linda her coffee after they'd served the last of the morning rush.

"What?" Punk turned to him with confusion, "Why? Why would you do that?"

"Cause, they messed with ours last week. They changed the spelling of come." Daryl scoffed, "Like immature little children."

"You've just told me you drew a penis on their board." Punk said.

"Had to get them back." Daryl shrugged, "I think it's still drawn on there." He said, trying to look over to the Brewberry across the road through the window.

"Ok, enough with the Tom Foolery." Punk shook his head, "You came up with any drink ideas for the Christmas Fair?" He asked, whilst scooping a pastry out onto a plate for Linda who was now sat over at her usual seat.

"Peppermint hot chocolate." Daryl suggested, "Sugar plum iced tea."

"You've downloaded Pinterest, haven't you?" Punk realised.

"No." Daryl scoffed, sitting Linda's coffee over on the tray as Punk stared at him, "Ok, yeah. Dude, it's amazing."

"I know." Punk agreed with enthusiasm, "It was Shiv who downloaded it on my phone for me. Said it would change my life and you know what? She was right."

"It's pretty good." Daryl agreed, "Haven't heard from Shiv in a while, actually." He said.

"Busy with finals, probably." Punk shrugged.

"She told me to keep in touch with her, though. And then she barely replies to me when I message her. So I feel like I'm bothering her." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"You two have to be the most annoying people to exist." Punk concluded as Daryl turned to him, "Just date her already. I'm dying with suspense." He shook his head as Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." Daryl scoffed.

"Shut up." Punk mimicked his voice, taking the tray with Linda's order on it, "Go wipe that penis off the girls board." He told Daryl.

"What? No. They can wipe it off." Daryl said.

"Go wipe it off." Punk said seriously as Daryl looked at him, wondering whether or not he wanted to challenge him, thinking better of it and nodding.

"Fine." Daryl shook his head, making his way out from the counter and heading out of the shop whilst Punk took Linda's coffee over to her at her table.

"Finally. Some attention from my handsome man." Linda scoffed, unimpressed by the delay.

"Sorry, sweetheart. We were a little busy there." Punk smiled.

"I'm only teasing." Linda said, "You know I love to see this place busy."

"I know." Punk said, sitting down across from her at the table, "You were talking about the Christmas Fair?" He asked.

"Yes, what should I bake for you?" Linda asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Whatever you can manage. You know I'm grateful for anything you have to give. No matter how big or little." He said.

The truth was, they didn't really need Linda to bake for them anymore, especially now that they teamed up with The Brewberry, not to mention Finn was starting to improve on his baking and cookery skills. However, Punk didn't have the heart to dismiss Linda, not when she'd been so helpful to him in the beginning. He didn't think he'd ever be able to dismiss her. It seemed far too cruel, and unnecessary. He could tell it gave her some kind of purpose.

"Then I'll have a think about it." Linda nodded, "I heard through the grape vine that you're having yourself a baby." She said as Punk looked across at her.

He was wondering when the news would circulate through the town. So far, they'd only told their close friends, but he figured one of them had slipped up and it had no doubt snowballed from there. He put good money on it being Daryl.

"I am." Punk nodded.

"Are you excited?" Linda smiled. A genuine smile.

"Yeah. And terrified." Punk laughed a little, "We need to move to a bigger place and the real estate here isn't the best, so that's a little stressful."

"It's a wonderful thing. Being a parent." Linda nodded, "Nothing like it in the whole world. You'll not understand it until that sweet baby is here, and in your arms." She said as Punk smiled, realising he wasn't entirely aware if Linda had children of her own. He'd never heard her talk about any kids.

"Do you… have children?" Punk asked her curiously as Linda gave him a polite smile.

"I had a daughter." Linda nodded, "She died young. Unfortunate accident."

"I'm so sorry." Punk said, seeing the pain on Linda's face as she told him.

"Treasure every moment." Linda said, taking a sip of her coffee to clear her crackly throat, "This baby will certainly be loved." She stated as Punk smiled.

"Yeah. It really will." He nodded.

A/N: Hey! Sorry for the delay in update. I've had a pretty bad flu so I've not been up to writing. I'm also starting to prepare to go back to university for my final year, so the chapter updates might get a little slow unfortunately which I'm sorry about. I promise I won't abandon the story though and will update as fast as I can. Thanks again for the support.