Strangers

"Hey, hun. What you having?" A short brunette smiled, standing behind the bar as a tattooed man leaned over it, running his hand through his slicked back hair which had slightly come undone with the stress of the day turning to night.

"Water, April. Please." Phil nodded to her.

"Straight from the bottle?" April, or AJ to most locals asked.

"Whatever you got." Phil smiled.

"Busy day, huh? Need something to take the edge off?" She teased with a small smile.

"Yeah, make it a large one." Phil, or Punk to most who know him nodded, "You been busy?"

"I'm always busy. You know this." AJ smiled, "Got a bar to run. It's not easy dealing with all of these drunk people." She pointed around to the busy bar, sliding his drink over as he smiled and nodded.

"No, I wouldn't wish this on anyone." Punk nodded to himself.

"What about you?" She asked, wiping down the surface, "Busy?"

"You know I can't discuss my job with you." Punk said quietly, taking a drink as she looked at him.

"I'm not asking your deepest, darkest secrets." AJ laughed a little, "Small talk." She mumbled as he nodded, watching her put some glasses in the dish washer, "So where is your partner in crime? Literally?"

"He is out with his wife. Apparently it's Valentine's day this week." He nodded.

"That's why there's been so many dates in here." AJ realised, speaking to herself as Punk smiled a little, "Ok, look at the couple to the left, sitting down by the pool table." She told him, "Don't make it obvious." She added, leaning over the bar to get closer to whisper to him.

"Mhm, I see them." Punk looked around at the couple.

"He's been breaking up with her for the past hour." AJ whispered as Punk raised his eyebrows, "Happy fucking Valentine's day, huh?" AJ laughed to herself as Punk smiled a little.

"Ouch." Punk shook his head.

"Tell me about it." AJ nodded.

"So I take it since you're here, you won't be going out?" He asked her.

"Even if I wasn't here, I would not be going out." AJ laughed a little, "Dating is so overrated."

"Is it?" Punk laughed a little as AJ nodded.

"Of course it is." AJ said, putting more glasses into the dish washer, "I don't know how anyone has the effort." She scoffed as Punk looked across at her.

"Someone broke your heart." Punk nodded, "It happens."

"No one broke my heart." AJ assured him, "I'm just doing everything I can to make it… stay that way." She smiled.

"Fair enough." Punk nodded, finishing the rest of his drink.

"Woah, easy, boy. Don't wanna be stumbling home or anything." She joked.

"Have fun with the drunks." Punk nodded to her as she just smiled, walking on off down the bar to attend to more people as he smiled.

He got off from the stool and was about to leave when he saw the roses decorated on some tables. He picked one up and took it over to the bar, sitting it beside his glass before leaving.

"Double?" AJ called to the customer who nodded, walking down the bar for a glass when she noticed the rose sitting next to Punk's empty glass. She smiled to herself, taking the rose and looking at it.

"Are the drunks giving us gifts this year?" Eve, her best-friend and work mate walked along the bar.

"Uh… apparently." AJ smiled, looking at the rose and smiling, sitting it next to her purse down below before carrying on with work.

"April Brooks, are you blushing?" Eve smiled.

"No." AJ rolled her eyes, "I have thirsty customers." She said, walking off down the bar.

Punk got home after walking from the bar. Home which was his one bedroom apartment. He kicked his shoes off, stripping out of his dirty clothes and getting into the shower to rinse the day out of him. Another day done and dusted was another accomplishment in his books.

It was the feeling of not being able to talk to anyone about anything that was driving him insane.

He got out of the shower, putting on some shorts and t-shirt and heading into the kitchen, opening up the fridge and grabbing some things out to make a sandwich, closing the fridge door over and smiling at the picture on it of a girl and a baby.

"A couple more weeks, baby. I promise." Punk nodded to the picture, turning around in the small kitchen as he began making up his sandwich.

He suddenly looked over to the door as someone began banging on it rapidly. He snatched the picture from the fridge and shoved it in a drawer before heading on over, opening up the door.

"Hey, what the hell?" Punk shook his head, "Rodney, what are you doing here?"

"Man, someone is onto us." Rodney walked into his apartment, rubbing his sweaty palms and running his hands through his hair, "They're onto us." He said frantically as Punk closed the door over.

"Who is?" Punk shook his head.

"The cops." Rodney gritted his teeth as Punk folded his arms, "Stan got a tip from someone on the inside. Apparently it's someone at the garage. Man, he's gonna kill every last one of us to keep his business safe." He said.

"Calm down." Punk said, "How do you know he was tipped?"

"He told me!" Rodney yelled, "Stan told me. He knows the cops are onto him and he's gonna go through every last one of us to figure out who has crossed him. I personally think it was little Micky. Maybe we should just throw him under the bus, get it over with-"

"Rodney, calm down man. You're not taking a breath." Punk said, "We'll-we'll talk to Stan, maybe he's just… being suspicious. Or maybe he's testing us." He said, "We work for him and he knows we have loyalty to him. That's how it works." He said as Rodney nodded, "So just… calm down. Don't look into this so much."

"No, you don't know what he's like, you haven't been around long enough. If he finds out someone has double crossed him they… they're dead, painfully dead."

"Well is there a reason you're so worried? Is there something you wanna get off your chest?" Punk asked him seriously.

"Are you kidding? Stan is my best friend. I would never sabotage him or the business."

"Well then why are you sweating it? We know it wasn't us so… whoever it is will get caught out." Punk nodded calmly.

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." Rodney said.

"Now get out of here. I'm having my dinner and I'm going to bed." Punk told him as Rodney nodded.

"Yeah, yeah ok man." Rodney nodded, "I need a fucking drink."

"Yeah, get out of here." Punk nodded, walking him out and closing the door over, locking it over and running his hands through his hair, "Fuck." He whispered to himself, walking over to his bed and picking the mattress up to grab out the untraceable cell phone, dialling a number and putting it to his ear.

"You fucking idiot." Punk hissed, "I told you not now. Stop fucking snooping. They're catching onto it and we're not ready." He spat into the phone, "Will you just let handle it?"

AJ got home to her house late on, closing the door over and yawning as she dumped her purse down, sitting the rose down on the table by the door. She kicked her shoes off and walked on through to the living room.

"Hi, mom." AJ smiled.

"Hi, baby." Liz smiled to her daughter, sitting watching TV, "Just in time. Breea has just woke up." She nodded.

"Gosh, can she give my boobs a break." AJ groaned, sitting down on the couch tiredly.

"I told you, you're going back to work too soon. She's only 5 months." Liz said.

"I feel fine. Just tired like every new mom." AJ shrugged.

"That's because you're doing it on your own." Liz shook her head angrily.

"We're not getting into this." AJ stood back up, "I'm going up to feed my baby. Be a dear and put the kettle on." AJ smiled as Liz nodded.

She headed on upstairs, listening to her baby girl crying quietly from her nursery.

"Mommy's coming." She said quietly, getting to the top of the stairs and heading on into the nursery, walking on over to the crib and smiling at the most gorgeous face she loved coming home to, "Hi, baby." AJ smiled, picking her up from the crib and holding her in her arms, "You heard mommy come in the door and got hungry, huh?" She smiled, walking over to the chair in the corner of the room and taking a seat, putting her feet up on the foot rest.

She began nursing Breea, closing her eyes over and relaxing after a long night at work, opening her eyes back up and looking down at the baby girl with a smile, "Do you miss him as much as I do?" She whispered, "Huh?"

"Here you go, sweetie." Liz smiled, walking into the nursery with a cup of tea as AJ smiled.

"Thanks, mom." AJ smiled as Liz nodded.

"She ok?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, she's fine." AJ smiled, brushing her fingertips over the top of Breea's head. She was a miniature version of herself. Dark wispy strands of hair, gorgeous huge brown eyes and soft caramel skin. Liz was proud that she had inherited their Puertio Rican heritage.

"How long now?" Liz asked her.

"I don't know." AJ said.

"This wasn't part of the deal." Liz said.

"Mom, please don't start." AJ shook her head.

"Well it wasn't. You become a police officer, you don't take on jobs like this. Especially not when your wife just had a baby." Liz said, "I love him and you know I do. But this has been unfair on you and you know it."

"I agreed to it. I support him in… whatever he does. That's how our marriage works." AJ said.

"Do you know the statistics for sting operations?" Liz asked her as AJ ignored her, "Do you?"

"No and I don't want to know." AJ said, "It'll be over soon."

"Until the next one he takes on." Liz said, "Is this what you want Breea growing up around?"

"Stop interfering in my marriage." AJ made clear.

"What marriage, April? You pass your husband on the street and you have to pretend like you don't know him. That's not any sort of marriage." Liz said, "This is not fair on you. You're here with Breea, taking care of her, working shifts again… and what's he doing? Making friends with criminals."

"It is his job, mom." AJ said, "And he'll be done with it soon enough. The reason I… have to pretend like I don't know him is for my own safety. For Breea's safety." She said, "He was a cop when I met him, I knew what he did and I don't care. He'll be home soon."

"Yeah, for how long? How long until the next one?" Liz asked her as AJ rolled her eyes, "You've been married for five years, April. This isn't how it's supposed to go."

"Just drop it, mom. Leave me alone. I don't like being stressed when I'm feeding her." AJ said, "This is a one time thing. He needed to do it and I wasn't stopping him. He'll be back soon and it'll be over." AJ shrugged.

"You're a very clumsy girl around him." Liz warned, "Always have been, always will be."

"Oh, go away." AJ shook her head as Liz put her hands up, leaving the nursery as AJ sighed to herself, looking down at Breea, "Daddy will be home soon. I promise." She nodded, leaning down and kissing her head softly, looking up at the framed picture of her and Phil over on the dresser.

10 years ago…

"Hey, what you having?" AJ smiled, fidgeting around with some glasses before looking up at the man who had just sat down, pausing when she looked up, smiling a little at how insanely handsome he was, "Hey." She nodded again.

"Hi." Punk laughed a little, "Two bourbon and a water, please." Punk nodded to her as AJ smiled.

"Sure." AJ smiled, turning around and grabbing a few glasses as Punk watched her, "So is it you who is driving?" She assumed.

"No, but if that's your way of asking if the water is for me, it is." Punk nodded.

"That's a first." AJ said, "Not many men come in here and order a water."

"Nothing like a first time." Punk smiled as she looked across at him, watching him wiggle his eyebrows as she scoffed.

"Looks like you don't need the alcohol to be annoying, congrats." AJ said.

"Ouch." Punk laughed a little as she smiled, sliding the drinks over as he gave her over the money, "I heard this is your bar." He nodded.

"It's my mom's." AJ said as Punk nodded slowly, "I know, it's tragic. Family businesses make me sick but… it's a lot of fun to watch drunk people make a fool of themselves." She said as he nodded.

"Oh, I know." Punk smiled, "Hey, a business is a business." He nodded, watching her look into his eyes, as if she was hypnotized, laughing to himself, "Uh… thank you for these."

"Mhm." AJ smiled, watching as he walked over to his friends with the drinks.

"You're drooling." Eve nudged her as AJ turned to her, "I mean… I don't blame you."

"N-No, I'm not." AJ shook her head, getting flustered as Eve laughed.

Meanwhile Punk had sat down at the table with his two best friends from the academy, "We can't take you anywhere without chatting girls up." His best friend, Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, man. Literally how do you do it?" Seth questioned as Punk just shook his head.

"Nothing wrong with polite conversation." Punk said, "I think she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He admitted to them, looking over at AJ pouring more drinks and smiling as he watched her look back over to him with a telling smile.