Too Much
"Hi, Laura. I'm working on the Phil Brooks case." AJ introduced herself to the duty manager in the hotel they were revisiting again, speaking to someone else instead of the manager they saw before.
"Oh, I thought that case had been cleared up." Laura said, a young woman around AJ's age, standing behind the reception desk as AJ and Dean stood across from her.
"Not quite." AJ said, "Who has the keys to the back room where the CCTV footage is kept?" She asked.
"Uh… just me." Laura smiled, "Why? What's going on with the footage?" She asked.
"There's some frames missing." Dean said, "Someone must have gotten in there and deleted them." He said.
"Sometimes the footage does cut out at certain points." Laura told them.
"Yeah, Bill told us that." AJ nodded, "But we just think it's a little coincidental." AJ said, "You're the only one who has keys to that room?" She asked as Laura nodded.
"Just me." Laura nodded, "If it helps I could give you a rundown of the hotels activities that week… you know, suppliers, engineers, to see if anyone like that was around?" Laura said, "We have a logbook, like a diary." She smiled as AJ raised her eyebrows and nodded.
"That would be great." AJ nodded, "Thank you." She smiled.
"I'll just be a minute." Laura excused herself and wandered away into the back as AJ turned to Dean.
"This could give us something." AJ nodded to Dean who nodded hopefully, waiting as Laura came back with a log book to mark in when they got different suppliers in and when they had different work done in the hotel.
"Ok, here we go." Laura said, flicking the pages back to the week which the bodies were found, "So… we had our suppliers in as usual but they don't ever come around here they drive around the back and drop off the boxes there." She said, looking through more, "Oh, we did have a technician in." She said, looking up at them both, "Our systems were down and I couldn't check anyone in so he came out and fixed it. He was probably in the back at one point." She nodded as AJ turned to Dean with hope.
"You got a name and a number?" Dean asked immediately, reckoning that could be the guy they were looking for.
"I do. I'll write it down." She said, grabbing a piece of paper and writing down the name and number for which belonged to the technician, "He was in an awful hurry to get out of the hotel too. That was the day that someone had stole something from the reception. I remember that now." She smiled as AJ raised her eyebrows.
"When this… technician was leaving, did he happen to have a drink in his hand? Coffee maybe?"
"You know, I think he did." Laura nodded, "Of course I wasn't paying much attention because I was busy trying to deal with the thief." She smiled a little, "I hope that helps you." She said, handing her over the name and number of the man who had came in to fix the systems.
"You're a star, Laura." AJ smiled, "Thank you." She nodded, leaving the reception area with Dean.
"So that's our guy?" Dean asked, "He messed with the footage, deleted the frame of him walking down the corridor to Punk's room, came back, finished up with whatever he was doing, deliberately bumped into Punk and set the footage so they got a shot of him wiping his jeans instead." Dean nodded.
"But that means the bloody pants were in the hotel room whilst Punk was in it too." AJ shook her head, "Where were the pants found?" She asked.
"Bathroom." Dean said.
"I'll need to check with Punk. Obviously he didn't even notice." AJ shook her head, "Ok, this is good. This is something." She nodded.
"Are you still gonna talk to that Alberto guy?" Dean asked her.
"Not just now. I think we should focus on this." She waved the piece of paper with the name and number on it, "See where it takes us." She said as Dean nodded.
"Seems promising." Dean sighed with a little relief.
"Yeah, hopefully." AJ nodded as they left the hotel.
"She took them off you?" Punk asked as AJ nodded, sitting outside in a park bench whilst Dean was over by the van getting them drinks and snacks. AJ had to quickly tell Punk about what happened with her mom after he had left. She didn't want to say anything in front of Dean.
"She must have come in during the night and took them." AJ said, "I'm fine for just now but in a few weeks I'll need to go to the doctors again for another prescription." She shook her head.
"Why is she like that?" Punk shook his head.
"I don't know." AJ sighed, "She's just so… strict. It's like she's trying to outdo her own mistakes through me." She nodded, "But we're careful, I thought that would mean something to her." She said, "I just can't keep up." She shook her head, running her hand over her face.
"Hey." Punk said, stretching his hand over and taking hers in his, "It's alright. Don't bother about her. She… She clearly just wants to protect you, maybe a little too much." He nodded, "She'll probably forget about it soon." He said as she sighed.
"Not my mom." AJ shook her head, "I just constantly walk on eggshells with her. All the time." She sighed, "It's never ending."
"You can stay at ours tonight if you want to." He said.
"Now she knows I'm not going to stay with a girl friend, she probably won't let me out of the house. She'll know I'm going to see you." AJ said.
"Well bullshit, who does she think she is?" He asked, getting a little angry, "You're eighteen, you can do what you want now." He reminded her as AJ just nodded, watching as Dean came back from the van with the drinks and some snacks.
"That fucking line was ridiculous." Dean groaned, sitting back down beside Punk as AJ sat across, "What?" He sensed the atmosphere, opening the can of soda.
"Nothing." AJ shook her head, "Just my mom being… crazy, I guess." She nodded.
"So nothing new?" Dean said, "What this time?"
"She found out about me and Ape and she's not happy about it, let's just say." Punk said.
"She'll get over it. No parent wants their daughter dating, especially when the boyfriend looks the way you do." Dean nodded to Punk.
"And how do I look?" Punk asked.
"Terrifying. Like a murderer." He teased as Punk just rolled his eyes, "Forget about her, AJ. She'll need to accept it at some point." He shrugged, "Have a churro." He pointed as AJ sighed and smiled. She could always count on them to be there for her and cheer her up.
"Ok, I got through to him." AJ nodded, walking back into the hotel room where Dean sat after she had just called the man who they had gotten the number from the hotel. The man who had access to the CCTV footage, the same man who 'accidentally' bumped into Punk on his way out.
"Yeah? Is he gonna meet us?" Dean asked
"Yeah, that's the way I went about it." AJ scoffed, "I told him I was Phil's attorney and he was just desperate to come see me." She said as Dean glared at her, "No, I said we needed him to fix the system in the real estate agents office across the road. When he comes we'll be waiting for him. You'll be there to make sure he doesn't run and I'll be there to make sure he talks." She said.
"What if we fall short?" Dean asked her.
"Well we possibly could." AJ said, "This guy could just be working for someone else. The mask behind the mask sort of thing." AJ nodded, "We just gotta make sure we get as much out of him as possible. If he was sent to delete those frames, who by, names, addresses. I'll record the whole thing too for evidence." AJ nodded.
"What if this is way bigger than the both of us?" Dean asked her as AJ looked at him.
"What do you mean?" AJ asked.
"Well, if we start peeling at a foundation, what if… behind it there's a ton of people behind it?" He asked, "What then?"
"If we get that close to who actually killed those girls, we go straight to the police, they will reassess and Phil will be exonerated." AJ said, "Why? What makes you think this is bigger than we think?"
"Well it just seems like a lot of thought has gone into it." Dean said, "Getting Phil out here so he was in a state which still allows the death penalty." Making sure the crime committed was brutal enough, planting the evidence, erasing the evidence, making it look like… it was impossible for it to be anyone else other than Phil. That's scary to think who could be behind that. And we're probably poking around where we're not wanted." Dean said.
"Well I'm not gonna stop until I prove he's innocent." AJ said.
"Me neither." Dean said, "I just think we should be as discrete as possible."
"Yeah, of course." AJ nodded, listening as there was a sudden knock at the door, "Did you order room service?" She asked him as he sat on the end of the bed.
"No." Dean shook his head with confusion as AJ walked across to the door, opening it up and gulping.
"Ben?" AJ shook her head, looking on at her husband standing with a suitcase.
"Mmm… right there." AJ moaned with a smile, laying on her back naked whilst Punk was settled between her legs, thrusting into her, every now and then leaning down to kiss her neck, knowing how much she loved it, knowing everything she loved.
"Yeah, you like that?" Punk whispered in her ear, kissing her neck as she moaned her head back.
"Yes, harder…" AJ moaned as Punk thrust into her harder, feeling him completely fill her, continuously hitting her g-spot as she immediately tangled her hand down and massaged her clit, the combination being enough to give her another release, "Fuck!" AJ moaned, gripping his arms, arching her back and rolling her head back as Punk watched her with a smile, feeling his own release reach it's peak.
"Fuck." Punk grunted under his breath, his thrusts becoming slow and steady as he spilled himself inside her, collapsing over her as she smiled. There was no better feeling. Being together was like being in their own little bubble, quite literally now that Punk and Dean had their own apartment now.
It was a few months later and after Punk secured a job in a garage like he suspected he would, he managed to secure enough for a deposit on an apartment, and was making enough money to support the apartments rent, bills and whatever they needed such as groceries.
It meant AJ was spending less time at her own house and more time with Punk in the apartment, and she was beyond caring what her mother thought about that. Punk and Dean were just glad they didn't have to see another new foster family again.
"You might need to change these sheets." AJ whispered as he collapsed down beside her, feeling her curve into him, resting her body on top of his, "I made a mess." She smirked quietly, tangling her leg over his. She felt at her most happiest with him like this, she felt safe and loved, and their relationship had been blooming for almost a year now, and it had never been better.
"I like when you make a mess." Punk grinned, cupping her face, pressing his lips against hers as she kissed back softly. He felt as her hand roamed down his chest, touching his length as she stroked it up and down which caused him to laugh.
"So you're not satisfied?" He asked her.
"Oh, I am. I just want it again." She smirked, kissing the corner of his mouth just as the bedroom door was slammed open, causing AJ immediately to roll back over, grabbing the sheets to her body as Punk sat up and looked at the door where Dean stood with his duvet wrapped around him, only his face visible amongst it.
"What the fuck? Get out!" Punk shook his head as AJ placed her hand over her mouth to stop her from laughing.
"If I hear any more from you two tonight…" Dean warned, "I will behead you both." He said, "You have school in the morning." Dean looked at AJ, "Please behave." He told them as Punk and AJ looked at him, "Go to sleep. Everyone… everyone hush." He nodded, "Alright?"
"Alright. Get out." Punk said as Dean left the room, closing the door over and walking back across to his bedroom.
"Was he high?" AJ laughed to herself.
"Looked like it." Punk shook his head as AJ just smiled and turned back into him.
One Year Later…
"When will she wake up?" Punk asked, sitting by a hospital bed whilst Dean stood on the opposite side.
"Soon hopefully. She'll be tired, groggy… might take her some time to come around. When she does she'll… she'll be assessed by a psychologist." The doctor said as Punk nodded and sighed, taking a hold of AJ's hand as he looked down at her lying on the hospital bed, so small and vulnerable, hooked to the machinery.
"So the pills are out of her system?" Dean asked the doctor.
"Yeah." The doctor nodded, "We assume like you told us, she threw most of them up with your assistance." He nodded to Punk, "But… we still had to rush her here to make sure everything was flushed out. The IV drip will help with that." He nodded, "Are you her… only family?" He asked as Punk turned to Dean.
"Yeah, we are." Dean nodded as the doctor just smiled.
"Ok. She'll wake soon. If you need anything I'll be down the hall." He told them, leaving the room as Punk sighed, running one hand through his hair whilst the other held onto AJ's hand. He'd never been so scared in his entire life. He thought he had lost her for a second.
"Why'd she do this?" Dean sighed, taking a seat at the opposite side of the bed as Punk just shook his head.
"I-I don't know." Punk shook his head. That was the most worrying thing. He though that if his girlfriend was suicidal, he would have noticed at some point. It had all happened so fast.
"She's not like that." Dean sighed, "She doesn't just… give up." He shook his head, "Maybe it was the stress of applying for those law schools." He said as Punk just shook his head.
"She's been fine." Punk sighed, not understanding why he had come home to his girlfriend lying on the bathroom floor next to an empty box of pills, "In fact she's been more than fine. She was buzzing the other night." He laughed to himself, looking on at AJ and sighing. He felt helpless and annoyed at himself for not spotting anything different with AJ, but it was hard to. She had her ups and downs, but he didn't ever think it was leading towards suicide. He felt like an idiot for not noticing and reaching out to her sooner.
"You can't blame yourself." Dean said, already knowing that's what his brother was doing, "We couldn't have known. She showed no signs-"
"Does anyone show signs before they try to kill themselves?" Punk thought to himself, "What if she's unhappy?" Punk asked. There was so much going through his head.
"Look, man. We won't know nothing until she wakes up. Main thing is she's fine. She's safe. If you didn't find her when you did, could have been a whole different story." He said, "You saved her, alright? So don't be blaming yourself." He shook his head as Punk just sighed, "We'll be here when she wakes up."
A/N: Let me know what you think! More details to come!