Perfect Strangers

"This is bullshit!" A young, brunette woman stood at the airport check in desk as she was told that her flight had been delayed for several hours, "You know this happened to me last year. It never changes with you people." She spat harshly.

"Ma'am, it's nothing to do with us, we just work at the check in desk." The woman politely said.

"Yeah, whatever." The short woman said.

"I tell you what..." The check in woman smiled as she looked at the girls boarding ticket, "Miss… Mendez… we'll give you a free twenty percent off voucher for sub express for the inconvenience."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Giving me a tacky voucher for some shit sandwich shop?" The girl laughed, "You can shove your voucher, you just let me know when my flight is in..." She leaned forward to look at the woman's name tag, "Anne." She said, looking the woman in her eyes, kicking her small suitcase on it's wheels and walking back over to the rowed seats in the airport.

April Jeanette Mendez, or AJ to most who knew her, rarely left the city of Chicago, in fact, it was only for the holidays that she ever left to go back home to see her family, even though for the most part it wasn't worth her time. Sitting round a dinner table, being the only single sibling with no children, being the only disappointment, especially to her father, wasn't all that fun. She may as well have just stayed at home and cried into an ice-cream tub.

She sat down on the seat harshly, crossing her leg and folding her arms like a child who hadn't gotten their way. She hated airports, every time she was in one, her flight always got delayed.

As she was just about to pull out her phone and call her mom, to tell her she'd be late, she noticed a man directly sitting across from her, sniggering.

"Is something funny to you?" AJ asked him, sitting up, unfolding her crossed legs and looking over at him.

"No." The man shook his head, his laugh fading as he noticed the woman maybe wasn't the jokey type.

"Good." AJ smiled sarcastically, watching the man just nod, pulling round his backpack that he had as she watched without him noticing, staring at the badges and different medals he had stitched on to his laced up backpack, "Badge collector?" AJ smirked as he looked back up.

"Yeah, I guess." The man nodded, "This one here is a… Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia, this here is a… Annual Rifle Squad Combat Practise Competition Badge." He said as he tilted his head to look at them as AJ closed her mouth over, "This one here is a Marine Corps Rifle Expert Badge, this one is the same only for a pistol and not a rifle." The man pointed, smiling across to her cockily as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"So you're a marine?" AJ questioned.

"No, I just like having these on my backpack." The man nodded as AJ tilted her head, "Yes… I'm a marine." He nodded.

"Home for the holidays?" AJ asked politely.

"You could say that, yeah." The man smiled, "I don't have much family, just my brother but… he's in New Jersey… in prison." The man nodded.

"You're going to New Jersey?" AJ asked with a smile as the man nodded.

"To pick my little brother up." The man smiled, "Take him home to his daughter."

"It's just… you and your brother?" AJ asked curiously.

"Yeah." The man smiled, "He's a bit of a loose cannon. Gets himself into trouble that he shouldn't. Harmless though." He smiled, "Don't worry he wasn't serving a death sentence or anything like that, he was only there for six months. Petty crime." The man said as AJ just nodded, "Where is it you're headed?"

"New Jersey too." AJ smiled, "I take it they told you the flight was delayed too, right?" AJ asked as the man chuckled with a smile.

"I figured that's what had you all riled up over there." He chuckled lightly, "You got family out there or what?"

"Yeah, my entire family live there. The holidays are the only time I see them and… every time I do see them they become that little bit more disappointed in me." AJ chuckled. She didn't know why she was even talking to this man about her own life personal problems, perhaps because he actually seemed interested to listen, "I made such a… stupid mistake too, my mom called me last week to ask if my flight was booked and when I was coming. She then asked if I was bringing anyone and stupid little me said yes just to… shut her up." AJ shook her head, "And now I have to go over there and get even more humiliated by showing up alone." AJ nodded.

"Sounds like you're gonna have a lot of fun." The man laughed as AJ smiled, nodding.

"Tell me about it." AJ said, "Every year I decide that this will be the last year I go see them at the holidays, but then every year I end up back here, flight delayed and on my way to see them." She shook her head.

"You really don't get on with them?"

"Not really." AJ said truthfully as the man nodded, "Shit, sorry… I've been talking this entire time I haven't even asked you your name." AJ shook her head.

"I didn't ask you yours either." The man laughed.

"I'm April. AJ… Just… call me AJ." She shook her head.

"That's a nice name." The man smiled, "I'm Tommy." He said, extending his hand over to her as she shook it politely with a small smile, "It's nice to meet you." He said, taking her hand and kissing it as she blushed.

One Week Later…

"What took you so fucking long?" A taller, tattoo'd rough looking man walked across to Tommy who was standing leaning against his car in the freezing cold weather, "You wanna have me in there for more time?" He spat.

"I was busy." Tommy said.

"Busy doing what? We don't know Jersey." The man said, getting into the car as he rubbed his hands together whilst Tommy got into the drivers seat.

"I was just busy, that's all." Tommy said, "How was Christmas inside?" He asked as the tattoo'd man turned to him.

"Don't." He shook his head.

"Oh, c'mon, Punk. Lighten up, you're out now." Tommy said, "You were in there paying your price, alright? Did you expect to get away squat free?" Tommy added.

"No but I didn't want to miss my daughter's Christmas, Tommy." Punk spat, running his hand through his slicked hair, "Have you spoke to Rachel yet?"

"No." Tommy said, "Think she'll let you see her?"

"I doubt it." Punk huffed, "The last time I was inside Malia was a baby and she didn't let me see her for weeks." Punk said.

"She has a right to bed mad." Tommy shrugged.

"You always take her side." Punk huffed.

Punk was just a childhood nickname that Phil Jack Brooks had developed. He was a troublemaker when he was younger, but as he got older it seemed like trouble liked to find him in certain ways. He and Tommy were like salt and pepper. They were both completely different. Tommy was successful, strong, powerful, admirable whilst he was just… Punk.

"The good news is, Malia just turned three, she won't remember you being in and out of prison, that is if you quit it and stop messing around now. Just because you and Rachel don't get on anymore doesn't mean you can't at least try and be civil, for Malia's sake." Tommy said.

"Rachel hates my guts." Punk just shook his head, "She's just as messed up as me."

"Which is why I count on you to be there for that little girl, you know social services will take her away if you or Rachel aren't taking care of her properly." Tommy said.

"I know that." Punk spat angrily at the thought, "This time this wasn't my fault, I just got caught up in something I shouldn't have." Punk said, "Anyway, when is our flight out of here?"

"Tomorrow morning. I've booked you into a hotel for the night, get yourself a shower, cleaned up, I brought you some clothes too." Tommy said.

For as long as Punk could remember, it was always Tommy looking out for him. They never had parents, not that he could remember anyway, so he depending on his big brother for the most part of his life.

"Where are you staying?" Punk asked curiously.

"Somewhere else." Tommy said.

"Different hotel?" Punk questioned casually.

"Not quite." Tommy said, "I met a girl on the way here. We took a flight together, she was coming over to see her parents. She'd told them that she was coming with a date so… I told her I'd be her date for the night." Tommy said, "And it's sort of turned into more of a week than a night." Tommy admitted with a chuckle, "She's gorgeous, you know. And she has personality. Latina might I add." He winked.

"God damn, sounds good to me." Punk chuckled, "So how long are you home for then? Plan on sticking around?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. They might call me to go back over in a few months. You know my deal with girls though, I tell them everything the minute I see them, you know about me being away for most part of the year." Tommy said as they continued to sit in the car outside the prison.

"And? Did you tell this girl?"

"No, I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. She knows I'm a marine but I don't know, I think she thinks I'm like retired or something, like I don't serve anymore."

"You know you gotta tell her." Punk said, "If you're serious about her."

"I am. It's only been a week and I have a really good feeling about her. From what I know so far she was a bit of a trouble maker. Just like you I guess." Tommy laughed as Punk smiled, "She's taken the flight back to Chicago tomorrow morning with us so, you can meet her then."

"She lives in Chicago?" Punk asked.

"Yeah." Tommy nodded, "AJ, her name is. I think you'll like her." He smiled.

"Great. Can't wait to meet her." Punk said sarcastically as Tommy playfully punched his arm.

"Don't be a dick." Tommy laughed as he started the car engine, driving off from the car park and onto the main road.

"You'll visit soon, won't you?" AJ's mother, Pam asked the next morning as she stood at the front door saying her goodbyes to her daughter whilst AJ's father, Hank, was in the living room drinking, not making any effort to go say goodbye.

She couldn't believe that she invited some random man who she didn't know, who she'd met at the airport, to pose as her date to our judgemental family. She liked Tommy, perhaps just a little too much. She liked that he was loyal and courageous, and she loved his humour. He definitely won her mother over during dinner but of course her father just sat there and drank the entire time.

Tommy sat waiting in the rental outside the house with who only AJ could assume was his brother in the back seat steaming up the window and writing on it like a child.

"Maybe, I don't know… I'm busy with work and Tommy is… well I don't know, he might get called out." She said. They'd both done a damn good job at acting like they'd known each other for a while, it made it all the more fun, and she really did like him, a lot. Maybe it was perfect timing.

"Of course, of course." Pam nodded, "Well, have a safe journey home." She cupped her daughters cheek, "It was wonderful to see you, and to meet Tommy. He seems like a lovely man."

"He is." AJ smiled, "I'll call soon." She nodded, kissing her mom's cheek and walking down the steps towards the waiting car, getting into the passengers front seat before giving her mom a sweet wave.

"Hey." AJ said with a smile as she got into the front seat of the car, looking to Tommy who smiled back at her. It had been a weird week, especially when they were such strangers to each other, but it seemed like they were perfect strangers.

"Hey, you good to go?" Tommy asked as AJ nodded with a small smile. She was actually excited to get home now and see what would happen next with them.

"I have everything." AJ nodded with a smile, turning around and looking into the back seat where Punk sat looking at her intently. So this was the ex convict brother?

"You must be Phil?" AJ questioned. Tommy had mentioned briefly about Punk, but nothing of their parents.

"Punk." Punk said almost angrily, "Nice to meet you." He extended his hand as AJ looked at the colourful tattoos on the front of her hand.

"Uh… you too." She nodded, shaking his hand politely and turning back around to put her seat belt on. She wasn't a judgemental person, she never had been, but Tommy's brother was exactly how he had described him, rough and rigid around the edges. It didn't take much to figure out who was the more responsible and sweeter brother.

A/N: Just something to kick off. Lots more details about our favourite couples lives and of course Tommy will be revealed in the next chapter! REVIEW and let me know what you think.