Stitched

"April." AJ's father, John smiled as soon as he seen his daughter walk through the door.

"Happy birthday, dad." AJ smiled, wrapping her small arms around her father tightly. She'd come straight from work to see him and planned on staying here for as long as she could. Something about her just didn't want to go home to her boyfriend.

"How are you? Have you just come straight from work?" John asked, examining her work uniform as AJ nodded.

"Yeah. I was really busy today." AJ said, "I wanted to beat traffic so I decided to just come straight."

"No Chad?" John asked sadly, walking into the small living room.

"No, he's been really busy this week. Hasn't had a minute to himself." AJ said coolly, "We'll see you on Sunday though." AJ smiled. It was a tradition that her father made, to always have Sunday together as a family. AJ and Chad came along as well as AJ's aunt, uncle and cousins.

"Of course you will." John said, "Do you want anything to drink? Or a snack? You must be starving coming straight from work." John tutted.

"I'm fine, dad." AJ said, "Here." She took the card from her purse and handed it to him, "I… me and Chad didn't know what to get you." AJ explained as her father opened the card to some money it, "That way you can buy whatever you like." AJ said.

"Oh, April. You know just having you here makes all my birthdays perfect." He smiled, "But thank you, sweetheart." He said, placing the card on the mantel. It was as if, when her mother had died, he'd gloved onto AJ as the only thing he had left, and ever since he'd held her close as close can possibly be.

"Did Aunt Julia come visit?" AJ questioned, taking her coat off and getting comfy on the couch as John sat down across from her.

"She did. Earlier this morning. She brought a whole cake." John rolled his eyes, "As if I have much of a sweet tooth." He scoffed, "I'll have to give you some to take home for you and Chad." He said as AJ just smiled, "So how have you been? How is work?"

"Work is good." AJ nodded, "New batch of guys in last night so… it's gonna be busy for the next few weeks."

"How so?" John asked.

"Well normally it takes a while for them to all get settled in. But it's a cycle. Once those guys are settled in, new guys are brought in." AJ shrugged.

"And you're still happy doing this job… I know that it's terrific pay but… is it what you want?" John asked. He'd always pushed AJ to her limits with her career, and was quite pleasantly surprised when she announced she was working in a prison as a nurse. He was a little iffy about his daughter around some of the earth's greatest scum, but still proud. He only wanted what was best for her.

"I'm happy." AJ nodded, "I'm content. It gets stressful sometimes, but so does every job." AJ shrugged.

"I guess you're right." John smiled, "And Chad? How is he?" He asked.

"Good. Yeah, he's good. He's been busy. Very busy, but we're moving along fine." AJ smiled happily. It wasn't the entire truth. Things had been harder for her, especially regarding Chad, but she wouldn't tell her father that. Never, "What about you? How have you been?" AJ said.

"As good as any retired man can be." John smiled, "I've been getting by. Redesigning the garden." He said, "I'm making it more child friendly." He said as AJ tilted her head.

"Why?" AJ shook her head.

"Well for when you and Chad have children." John said.

"Oh." AJ nodded, "Right." She said. She did plan on having kids one day. And being married. But… there was just something holding her back. Never did she think it would be Chad himself.

"Don't worry, I know you'll want to wait until you're married." John said, "You've always been wise like that." He said as AJ just smiled.

"Yeah." AJ casually agreed with a small smile.

"Babe, I'm home!" AJ announced, "My dad was really sad you weren't there to see him." AJ said, dumping her bag down on the couch, "Baby, where are you?" She asked, walking out of the living room and into their bedroom where Chad was fast asleep in their bed. She smiled. Maybe she just misunderstood him sometimes. He did have a tendency to snap but so did every normal person with a job as stressful and tiring as his. It was just something she had gotten used to. She did truly love him. So she believed.

She stripped out of her work clothes and got into her pyjamas which consisted of small shorts and a small strapped vest t-shirt.

She had an equally tired day today and couldn't wait to just slip under the covers and shut her eyes over peacefully.

She got into bed under the covers, turning on her side so her back was facing Chad, feeling comfortable and ready to fall asleep until she felt his hands travel up her thigh and under her vest, squeezing her breasts as she backed into him a little with sudden awareness.

"Mmm… I missed you." He smiled, shuffling his boxers down a little under the covers as she sighed a little.

"N-not tonight, baby. Let's just sleep." She pleaded, only feeling him pull at her pyjama shorts, "Aren't you tired?" She said. She really wasn't in the mood and she really didn't like how he was choosing to ignore her and proceed.

"Not anymore." He whispered, "I've been waiting to fuck your tight little pussy all night." He said as she just uncomfortably sighed, gasping as she felt him push himself into her, not even warming her up or giving her time to get ready to take him in.

All she could do was lay there and pretend she was enjoying herself. Most of the time she did enjoy herself, but sometimes she just wasn't up to it, tonight was one of those nights but… her opinion or requests didn't seem to matter to him.

She got into work bright and early the next morning, going about her normal thing, stitching up unfortunate souls and running her own tests on whoever she needed to run them on. She was just about to take her lunch break when a knock at the medical room door occurred.

She put down what it was she was sorting through, walking over to the door and opening it up to see an officer standing with the man she'd remembered the most from yesterday. Punk.

"Scrapping in the yard. Check the back of his head. Any nonsense from him just send him back out. He can bleed out if he doesn't want the help." The officer said harshly, shoving Punk a little into the room as AJ watched him walk on over, closing the door over and watching as he sat up on the bed.

"Are you the only nurse here?" He asked curiously.

"Me and another girl." AJ said, "W-What happened to you? Where are you hurt?" She asked him.

"I think the back of my head is cut open." Punk said, as though it didn't even phase or bother him, "I told you, you'd see me back in here." He smirked a little as she walked around the back to look at his head.

"That looks nasty." AJ cringed, "You're gonna need stitches on that." She said. She could tell by just looking at it.

"Maybe you should just let me bleed out like Mr big shots outside said." Punk shrugged.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." AJ shook her head, "Lie down." She instructed as he groaned, lying up on the bed and resting back whilst she headed over to grab what she needed, "So you were fighting?" She asked.

"No. I tripped." He replied, "Yes. I was fighting." He said, "People aren't so friendly in here."

"You don't say." AJ chuckled a little, walking over to him, standing at the front of the bed where his head was, "Tilt your head to the side a little for me." She instructed as he obliged, "So what happened?"

"Why are you so interested?" He almost laughed.

And to be honest… she was wondering that too. Why was she so interested? Was it because this man seemed different from the other people she seen on a daily basis. Was it perhaps his aura, physique and intense features made her intrigued like she'd never been before. She didn't know. She felt danger from him but not a type that she should be afraid of.

"I just don't want it to be silent in here." She said, "I hate silence."

"Well I like it." Punk replied as she began stitching him up very carefully.

"Well then shut me up." AJ said.

"No." Punk shook his head, "No… I like your voice, actually. Going from out there, back in the cells. Your voice sounds like an angel." He admitted with a small laugh as she just smiled.

"So c'mon then, tell me what happened?" AJ asked.

"It was just a scrap. I didn't know my place. I tried to fight back. I didn't realise the guys in here come in packs and I got my ass handed to me." He shrugged.

"It's awful the way they behave in here." AJ shook her head, "Someone could get seriously hurt with the way the guys carry on." She said.

"What would you know? You aren't out there." Punk said.

"I know when a dozen guys have to see me with split lips or burst open eyes." She said, "Do you think I just sit in this room and paint my nails all day?" She asked him.

"Maybe." He shrugged.

"Stop moving around." She demanded. He was making it incredibly hard for her when he kept shrugging and moving.

"Sorry." He whispered, "So why do you work in a big, bad scary place like this?" He asked.

"I don't know. It appealed to me." AJ said, "Besides the groping and getting hit on almost every day. I love it." She said.

"I'd love to grope you." He admitted.

"Excuse me?" She paused her stitching.

"What? I can't admire a beautiful girl when I see one?" He said, "I'm in here for a long time. I'm probably never gonna see another beautiful girl again. I feel privileged that you are the nurse here." He said as she just scoffed but then smiled. She couldn't remember the last time someone called her beautiful. Even from Chad.

"You're in here for a long time, huh?"

"Seventeen years." Punk said, "I say life because… well it practically is. I'll be an old sod when I get out, that is if I even make it out." He said.

"What did you do?" AJ asked suddenly as she continued to stitch his deep cut.

"I thought you weren't supposed to talk to me about it." Punk smirked a little as AJ then suddenly realised.

"I'm not… That was stupid of me to ask." She shook her head. But she was so confused as to how someone that seemed so… normal and good, could have done something so bad to wind up in prison for seventeen years.

"Ah, you're just curious. Don't beat yourself up about it." He said.

"I won't." AJ replied sharply, finishing up stitching the cut, "Ok, all done." She said, "Would you like some meds?" She asked him.

"Nah, I quite enjoy the pain." Punk said, sitting up as she just shook her head with confusion. She was a very beautiful girl. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. He almost felt like… in this room… it was just them two, and he could blank out his handcuffs and jumpsuit.

"Ok, well you'll come back in a few days to get the stitches out." She told him, "For now just… try stay out of trouble." She offered him advice as he just nodded, hopping off the bed.

"Yes, ma'am." He smirked as she looked his way. He was definitely something else. But he'd done a bad thing. As childlike as that sounded. He was in here to be punished, not to be treated lightly. So what he was handsome? And a little sweet? And completely charismatic. But that didn't matter. He was just another inmate.

"Well, off you go." AJ walked over to the door where the awaited officer stood. She watched as he just nodded to her, walking out of the room as she shut the door over. He was a difficult one him. Difficult but interesting.

A/N: Let me know what you think.