The Beginning

"How'd it go?" Dean asked once he spotted AJ walk out the doors of the prison, immediately walking over to her after standing out in the cold for half an hour, "What'd he say?" Dean asked.

"Not much." AJ said, "I think we both know that he didn't do this. The Phil you and I know has a bad temper, doesn't get along with others… but he's no killer or kidnapper." AJ shook her head, "They're suggesting that he kidnapped the girls the night he got here." AJ said, "Locked him in one of the underground branches in the building site." AJ said, "He was going back to get tools for his friend, opened up the door and there they were, and the cops just conveniently show up right at that exact minute?" AJ asked, "And the blood on his pants back at the hotel… how could that have happened, he said he never came into contact with them."

"April, I'm just as clueless as you are." Dean told her, "I know you're thinking what I am… someone set him up. They must have, right?" Dean shrugged, "But who else was out here that he knew other than Pearce and Kane, who are too dumb to be apart of any of this, let's face it." Dean said.

"I don't know, Dean." AJ shook her head, folding her arms, "But he's not putting up a fight, which isn't helping him.'

"He's in prison, in full segregation, they slide his food under the door… how is he gonna fight?" Dean asked him as AJ sighed to herself, "That's why I called you."

"Dean, I'm an attorney, not an investigator." AJ reminded him, "Any time I put my nose where it doesn't belong, something bad happens. I've learned my lesson."

"This isn't just some random client, though." Dean reminded her, "And the outcome of this isn't even him getting a life in prison… he's sitting on death row. I don't know… I don't know how long he has." Dean told her as AJ gulped, it was still a shock to her, "I know you guys fell apart on bad terms… but I know you still care about him… as a friend." He said quickly, "So… please, I need your help trying to figure this out, because the cops… well it's easy for them to put the blame on him, the story checks out, but if he said he didn't do it, then he didn't do it." Dean said as AJ nodded.

"He gave me a rundown of what happened." AJ nodded, "He thinks he's being set up too but… he has no idea by who, especially cause he's not even in Chicago." AJ said as Dean looked to her.

"You think… you think that's why someone set him up here? So he could get the death penalty?" Dean wondered as AJ looked up at him.

"Who would want him dead?" AJ shook her head, "He's an ass but he's no trouble for most part, and who'd be clever enough to set the full thing up in a different state, making sure they covered their tracks and put the blame all on him?" AJ said as he sighed, rubbing his forehead, "I think we should talk to Pearce and Kane, they were closest to him when it all happened." AJ shrugged as Dean nodded, "We need a starting point." She said as Dean looked across at her suddenly.

"So you'll stay and help?" Dean asked her.

"I'll do what I can." AJ nodded as Dean smiled.

"I really appreciate it." Dean said as AJ nodded, "When was the last time you even saw him?" Dean asked, walking to his rental car with her.

"Uh… a few years ago. We ran into each other, awkwardly, I was at the store with Ben, he was himself. He didn't say much, I didn't say much." AJ shrugged, "Before that it was when we split up." AJ said, getting into the car with him into the passengers seat.

"Miss him?" Dean asked her as AJ looked at him.

"I'm married." AJ said.

"I didn't ask your relationship status. Do you miss him?" Dean asked again as AJ just looked the opposite way out of the window.

"I did." AJ nodded, "But I've moved on." She took a deep breath and turned back to him, "I have my own life now. We dated. It never worked out. We moved on. It's a common thing that people go through." She nodded.

"Yeah, but… you were best friends." Dean said, "Inseparable."

"Yeah, well things change. Time goes on." AJ said, "He couldn't support me in what I wanted to do, that wasn't my fault."

"I'm not saying it was." Dean said, "I just… well I know you still care about him and… seeing him like that must be tough. It is for me." Dean nodded as AJ sighed and nodded.

"They're treating him like an animal." AJ sighed and shook her head, fidgeting with her hands as Dean nodded, "And if he's innocent… how can he be… how can they put him to death?"

"Well because they think he's guilty. And everyone loves when a psychotic killer of two young girls is caught, right? It avoids panic." Dean said as AJ sighed and nodded.

She knew that this man was not a killer. It was hard to dismiss such hard evidence, but she believed him, and truth was, she already knew in her heart the minute she got word about it, that he hadn't committed this awful crime. She knew him too well.

She was scared, and she didn't know where to begin with pulling this massive jigsaw apart. She'd been managing to live her life just fine, but every now and then she did think of him. He was a special part of her life. He was there for her when she was at her lowest and vice versa, but life got in the way, and before she knew it she was staying at law school and he was at home taking whatever jobs he could get.

She met hem both in high school when she was just sixteen after moving from New Jersey. They took her in and at first, she really thought she was like a little sister to them, but not with Punk. Feelings got in the way and he suddenly became a bigger part of her life. He was her first everything. First date, first kiss, first boyfriend, first time. And she loved him. Truly. But things got difficult. Illnesses, deaths, careers, the future… and it fell apart. She never thought that she'd be siting across from him again… especially not with a cage between them and his wrists and ankles shackled together.

"You wanna go grab some lunch?" Dean asked her, "Figure out where we're gonna start with all of this?" He asked her as AJ nodded as he started the engine and drove off. Sometimes she did find herself snooping around, it was in her nature, she was curious, especially with her job title as an attorney, she liked to know everything about everything, and she knew that the skills she had learned would benefit her with helping Punk, but she only hoped it would help them enough, because right now, she had no idea what was going on and why he was being very clearly set up, in ways that could possibly end his life.

"How long are you gonna be out there?" A voice spoke through AJ's phone later that night, being her husband of one year, whom she had met at law school. She promised herself that she wasn't going to entertain the idea of a boyfriend during her studies, but things just sort of happened and snowballed from the get go. She loved him and cared about him. He was a good man. Maybe too good.

"I'm not so sure yet." AJ said, lying on her bed on her stomach whilst her phone sat in front of her on loudspeaker, "Could be a while." She sighed. She hated lying to him, but she knew how he felt about Phil, and this would have easily broken out a fight between them both if he knew why she was really out in Florida.

"Well, give your aunt my love." Ben said, "I'm missing you. The house is quiet." He said as AJ smiled.

"I miss you too." She said, "I'll give you a call in the morning before you go to work, yeah?" AJ said.

"Ok, sweetheart." Ben said, "Love you."

"Love you too." AJ said, hanging up and groaning to herself as she rested her forehead down on the soft mattress.

Her and Dean had spent the day together, thinking of possible scenarios which would lead them to the truth, but it was incredibly hard when everything really did point to Punk. The friends he was with were flying out and AJ had arranged to meet them in the morning whilst Dean went to visit Punk in prison. She knew how hopeless Dean was feeling and it killed her to see him so broken. They were very close brothers; AJ knew that better than anybody.

"Look who decided to actually show up for once." Dean watched as his brother who was just a year older than him, sat his tray down in the school cafeteria, dumping his backpack which had approximately one notebook in it, which no doubt wasn't even for the right class, "Mom didn't wake you?" Dean asked him as Punk sat down next to AJ across from Dean.

"No, she was night shift. How did you get up?" Punk wondered.

"Uh… that magic thing called an alarm. They're quite good." Dean said.

"Shut up." Punk said, looking down at the food, "This is like fucking prison food, how can you two eat this?" He groaned.

"It's actually not that bad." AJ told him, taking her nose out of her book and sitting it down.

"You're reading a different book today." Punk noticed.

"Yeah?"

"What happened to the… the other one? What was it called?" He asked her, sticking his straw in the can of soda heavy handed as Dean rolled his eyes.

"Origin? I finished that." AJ waved her hand, "I'm onto a new one."

"You need a hobby." Punk scoffed, inhaling the so-called prison food which he was complaining about mere seconds ago.

"This is my hobby." AJ rolled her eyes, "What hobbies do you have?" She tested, "Besides sleeping, eating and unfortunately breathing really heavily." She nudged him to move over a little.

"I have a ton of hobbies." Punk scoffed as Dean raised a brow.

"Like what?" AJ smirked as Punk turned to her.

"Ask your mom." Punk smirked as AJ narrowed her eyes at him, pushing the tray of food off the table as it splattered everywhere, almost over a group of girls walking by.

"Uh... That was my breakfast." Punk turned to her.

"Eat it from the floor then." AJ smiled, standing up, knocking her tray off his head deliberately as she walked off to the trash cans and out of the cafeteria as Punk sighed, turning to Dean who was just smiling to himself.

"Oh, what?" Punk spat.

"Nothing." Dean laughed, "Just one of these times she's gonna claw your throat out."

"She knows I'm playing." Punk waved his hand, "Do you know what class I'm in this afternoon?" He asked him as Dean just rolled his eyes.

"No, I do my best to remember my own classes. Not yours." Dean shook his head.

Punk was in his last year at school, whilst Dean and AJ were on their second last. He didn't enjoy school. Most of the time he didn't show up. He didn't have many friends, explaining why he sat with his brother and the girl they'd taken under their wing after watching the local bullies pick on her. He was very much protective over the both of them, and he was always going to be the big brother looking out for his little brother, with AJ, there was always something there. He thought she was the most beautiful girl in any room, and he loved how she was her own person, and didn't change for anyone.

"C'mon, let's go find out what class you're in." Dean shook his head, standing up from the table as Punk followed, stepping over the tray of food on the floor and laughing to himself. He also loved that AJ was a little crazy, just like him.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! For anyone who think they're gonna see anything other than Punk and AJ paired together, you're reading the wrong story I'm afraid. They own my ass and I'd have to be held at gunpoint to write them with other people (in a serious way). So, sorry if that's what you came here for! But there's lots to come for this one. Let me know what you think! Lots of flashbacks, lots of angst, lots of drama… you know me.