Overwhelmed

"What are you thinking, hombre tonto?!" Nico hissed angrily as Punk returned to the hospital, finding AJ's aunt standing outside of the room, very unhappy by the looks of things.

"What?" Punk shook his head, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? He asks me what is wrong?" Nico questioned with widened eyes as Punk looked at her with confusion and slight paranoia.

"What?" Punk shook his head, "Why are you mad with me?"

"My April had two babies no more than eight hours ago, yes?" Nico looked at him.

"Yeah." Punk said with confusion.

"And where is her fiancé? Nowhere to be found?" Nico questioned.

"I was gone for… just over an hour." Punk checked the time, "Lyla is here."

"Not the point." Nico said, "My baby is very emotional right now. Her hormones are… everywhere. She is very overwhelmed. She needs you here. Not solving the town's latest crime."

"Nico, this is Daryl. And Shiv." Punk defended, "And it was Craig. The guy who has been trying to get to AJ. Don't act like this doesn't concern us."

"Not right now it shouldn't. April and the babies should be your number one priority." She insisted.

"And they are." Punk assured her, "But someone was shot at our house. And the kid I've seen every single day since I moved here is in jail. Forgive me if I wanted to go… check things out."

"And you called your ex?" Shiv narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, for Christ sake. Is this what this is all about?" Punk asked, "Daryl needs a lawyer. Sophie is a good lawyer. That is the only reason I called her."

"You need to be a little more considerate of your fiancé's feelings right now. She is very vulnerable. Cut open and now suddenly a mother to two children. It is all very overwhelming." Nico shook her head.

"Yeah, I know. I feel it too." Punk assured her, "But I don't think I've done anything wrong here. I can't be glued to AJ's hip forever now that we have the babies."

"Yes, but the first twenty-four hours I think you should be." Nico said hastily, "Shame on you."

"Oh, I don't need this right now." Punk shook his head, walking by her and entering the hospital room where AJ was lying sleeping, Lyla sitting on the armchair by the bed.

"What happened?" Lyla stood up immediately, "Is Shiv ok?" She whispered, walking over to him, speaking quietly so not to wake AJ.

"Not really." Punk said, "She didn't give me the whole story. Started hysterically crying halfway through. Oh, and her mom slapped me." Punk nodded.

"What? Why?" Lyla said.

"Apparently, it's all my fault. I came to this town and brought chaos with me. And I pushed Daryl and Shiv together, which Lisette is not happy about." Punk said, running his hand through his hair.

"Did you get anything out of Shiv?" Lyla asked.

"Just that they were in the nursery getting diapers and they heard movement. Daryl checked it out and then… Shiv couldn't tell me the rest." Punk shook his head, "She's all messed up. And her parents aren't exactly the best support system."

"No kidding." Lyla shook her head, "I'll go see her in the morning."

"She'll probably be brought into the Sheriff's office in the morning for questioning." Punk told her, looking over at AJ who was sleeping the way and exhausted person would sleep. Completely out cold.

"She's been a little upset." Lyla told him.

"Yeah, I figured since Nico almost speared me through the wall out there." Punk said as Lyla cringed, "Is she mad at me?" He shook his head.

"I don't think it's you. I think it's all just… really overwhelming, and frightening. Having the babies and… now your house is a crime scene, Daryl in jail… all in less than twenty-four hours." Lyla said.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Maybe I should have stayed with her. Is she mad I left?" He asked Lyla who said nothing, "Ok, well your silence makes it an obvious yes." He shook his head.

"I think she just needs you more than ever right now." Lyla nodded, "I know Daryl means a lot to you but… we're his friends too. Me, Becca and Finn can take your place for now. You've got a family to look after now." Lyla said.

"I can't not help him or… at least try." Punk shook his head, "He's a pain in my ass but… I love the kid."

"I know." Lyla nodded, "There's nothing you can do tonight. Just be here tonight. Nico brought some more things. She said she's going to buy a crib for the babies for her apartment. So you can go there if your house is still out of bounds." Lyla said as Punk just nodded.

"Ok." Punk said, "You should go home and try get some sleep."

"Slim chances of that happening." Lyla said, "I'll come by in the morning. Just… look after each other." She nodded.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, giving her a tight hug before she grabbed her coat and left the room.

Punk made his way over to the bassinet where Rudy and Thomas were wrapped up in their blankets, fast asleep next to one another, the most precious little faces he'd ever seen. He'd never been so in awe, and he knew Lyla was right, he needed to be here, now more than ever. For them and for AJ.

"Hey, guys." He whispered, gazing at them with a full heart, "God, you're amazing." He spoke to himself.

He sat down on the chair beside AJ's bed, watching her sleep, tucking a strand of her hair which was covering her face behind her ear, reaching out and placing his hand over hers.

"Siobhan. What are you doing here?" Sheriff Peterson asked, coming out from his office to the front desk of the tiny Sheriff's station, noticing Shiv was standing waiting for someone to notice her.

"Could I speak with him?" Shiv asked.

"No. You can't." Sheriff Peterson shook his head, "We're waiting on the forensics finishing up in April and Phil's house. Then we're going to arrest him."

"Arrest him with what?" Shiv asked, her stomach twisting into knots. She couldn't bare this.

"Murder. In the second degree probably." Sheriff Peterson nodded.

"But you can't." Shiv said childishly, "He's… he's just a kid. He… Craig was attacking us. What could we have done?"

"Are you implying that there was a we? Did you both mutually agree to shoot him?" Sheriff Peterson asked, testing the waters.

"N-No… well, it all happened so fast. Craig was trying to kill Daryl." Shiv said, "He can't go to prison. Please." Shiv begged.

"It's out of my hands now, Shiv. Daryl told me he shot him. He won't do as many years as first-degree murder. Maybe twelve to fifteen."

"Twelve to fifteen?" Shiv's voice broke, "But that's… that's his whole life." She shook her head. In this moment she felt like a lost, terrified little girl. All she wanted to do was beg and plead, even though she knew this was something very serious. And how could she possibly let Daryl take the blame for something she did? Him confessing proved he had clearly made his mind up.

"He'll be out before he's forty. That's good going from where I'm standing." Sheriff Peterson nodded.

"But isn't there any leniency for the fact Craig was a wanted man?" Shiv asked, "What if this was two days later and that… psycho showed up when AJ and the babies were home alone. It… It's your fault Craig has been let loose for this long." She said angrily, her tears turning to fury.

"I promise you, we have been following up any leads we got concerning him. But he was slippery. Clearly he knew what he was doing." Sheriff Peterson said, "If Daryl gets himself a good lawyer, he might get a shorter sentence. But he will go to prison for this."

"And what about his family? His mom and sister?" Shiv shook her head, barely listening to anything Sheriff Peterson was saying, her mind too busy racing with worries and concerns, "He looks after them. He takes his sister to school and… he helps his mom pay the bills. What about them?"

"Shiv, you should go home and get some sleep. All this adrenaline will catch up to you and you'll be exhausted. And I still need to question you in the morning." He told her as Shiv ran her hands through her hair.

"I don't think I have a home to go to." Shiv admitted.

"What's wrong? Is she ok?" AJ woke up a few hours later, turning around and noticing Punk was sitting on the chair with Rudy cradled in his arms, curled into his naked chest to her confusion, "Where's your t-shirt?" She shook her head.

"She's fine. The nurse suggested it. She was a little restless and apparently skin to skin contact helps." Punk said, "How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Ok." AJ said, slowly pushing herself up the bed into a sitting position, "I must have just passed out."

"You'll be exhausted. Try and get some more sleep." He nodded to her.

"She didn't wake Thomas?" AJ asked, looking over to the bassinet where Thomas was still wrapped in his blanket, fast asleep.

"No. He slept through her fussing." Punk said, "Your aunt dropped some more things off for you. And apparently, she's ordered a crib for her apartment, so we don't need to worry."

"I was thinking we would need to put them in a drawer." AJ teased as Punk smiled.

"I think she's revoked my son-in-law rights." Punk admitted.

"What do you mean?" AJ shook her head.

"She wasn't happy I left you to go see Shiv. She… said you were upset." He said.

"It's not you. It's just… I was just starting to get super overwhelmed and… I just didn't want you to leave me. Which I know is ridiculous. I'm a grown woman. And you were probably only gone for an hour or two but-"

"It's not ridiculous. I should have been here. Lyla could have checked on Shiv." Punk said, "You've just had two babies. If there's ever a time you're gonna need me, it's right now." Punk nodded, having had several hours to think about it, "I just… I just wanted to figure out what the hell happened with Daryl and Shiv." He said.

"And did you?" She asked.

"Not really. Shiv told me a little and then just started sobbing. Oh, and her mom slapped me." Punk nodded.

"What? Why?" AJ shook her head, "What did you say to her?"

"I didn't say anything." Punk insisted, "She thinks I've brought this kind of chaos to the town. And I'm to blame for pushing Daryl and Shiv together."

"She's probably just saying those things in the heat of the moment." AJ said.

"No, I don't think so. They were never Daryl's biggest fans anyway." Punk said, "Shiv isn't exactly getting the support she needs from them. They're treating her like she's to blame."

"Well, they never have been the world's best parents." AJ noted, "Did she tell you anything about what happened?"

"Just that they were in the nursery and heard movement. They thought it was maybe your aunt or Lyla. Daryl went to check and then she just burst into tears. Couldn't finish telling me the rest." Punk shrugged.

"My poor Shiv." AJ sighed, rolling her head back on the pillow, "And Daryl. They're just… they're just kids. And this guy was looking for me. I'm the reason he was there."

"Don't do that. Don't blame yourself." Punk said fiercely, "I can't even begin to imagine what he was doing in our house in the first place."

"Looking to terrorise me, I'm guessing." AJ shook her head as Punk closed his eyes at the very thought, "What's going to happen to Daryl?" AJ dreaded to ask.

"I don't know. They got forty-eight hours before they can charge him. They'll probably wait until they're done examining our house for evidence. And questioning Shiv." Punk nodded, "But it doesn't look good for him."

"Will Sophie represent him?" AJ asked.

"She said she would." Punk nodded, "I'm sorry if that bugged you. Me calling her."

"No. You were right to." AJ nodded, "Daryl will need a good lawyer. My emotions have just been all over the place right now. I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to apologise. It's been a lot to process. And I've not exactly been very present with you. You deserve my full attention. All three of you."

"Daryl means the world to you." AJ shook her head, her eyes filling with tears, "This should never have happened." She sighed, drying the tears from her cheeks.

"Hey, come on." Punk said softly, standing up and placing Rudy gently down in the bassinet, making his way over to the bed and sitting down beside AJ, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she leaned into him, "We'll do everything we can to help him." He said, kissing her head softly.

"I'm sorry my Aunt got mad at you." AJ sniffed, wiping more of her tears, "I just got really upset when you left. It all just hit me. And she's never liked to see me upset."

"I don't blame her. I'm sure she'll forgive me." Punk said, kissing her head again as she leaned against his shoulder, looking over at the twins in the bassinet.

"How'd we make such perfect little things?" She wondered, still amazed every time she looked at them.

"They're all you." Punk nodded.