Robert

Punk walked into his house at close to 5 in the morning. He was working all night on a bust with Cody and just wanted to get into bed. He tossed his keys in the normal spot, a table by the door but he heard them hit the floor. That's when he turned on the light and realized the living room had been completely rearranged. He looked around oddly and saw the TV was elsewhere, the couch was moved under the window and there were now plants and candles all over.

"Fuck." He groaned.

"Phil?" AJ asked walking down the stairs rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, babe." he forced out with a smile. "Did I wake you?"

"No I have to shower and get ready for work. I have to be in court early." She said. "Oh! Do you like what I did?"

AJ had moved in a few weeks ago and he could tell it didn't feel too 'homey' for her so he gave her the green light to add whatever she wanted. He didn't realize he wouldn't be able to recognize his own place.

"It's different. I just have to get used it." He said picking his keys up and putting them on the coffee table.

"I just think it flows better this way." She shrugged.

"Yea I feel the flow." He forced out.

"You hate it and you haven't even given it a chance." She frowned.

"I'm giving it a chance but the TV is all the way over there and the couch is all the way over there." he pointed. "It doesn't flow in that aspect."

"Sure it does." She said to him. "You shouldn't have told me to move stuff if you didn't want me to move stuff."

"That's not it." He argued.

"It is." She said to him. "Trust me, you'll love it. Who knows you best?"

"I know me best." he argued.

"No I know you better than you know yourself." she reminded him.

"Right." He said to her.

"Just give it a try if you don't like it you can move it all back." She said to him.

"No. It's fine." he said to her. "Just a tad feminine."

"Well you live with a female now." She pointed out.

"You're right." he said to her. "I'll get used to it. I just haven't lived with anyone for a long time."

"You want coffee?" She asked walking into the kitchen.

"No, I want actual sleep." He said to her. "I'm just going to go to bed."

"You're coming to the dinner tonight, right?" She asked.

"Dinner?" he asked.

"My boss is throwing this big dinner party." She reminded him.

"Yea, yea I'll be there." he said running his hand over his face. "I'll sleep all day and be fully awake."

"Excellent." She cheered and he gave her quick, but wet kiss before passing by her and heading up the stairs to finally get some sleep.

AJ had just turned on the coffee pot when there was a knock at the door. She doubled checked the time to make sure this wasn't a mistake and walked over to it and opened it.

"Bradford?" She asked stunned, he seemed just as surprised.

"I'm sorry I came by so early, I didn't think you'd be here I thought Punk just got in from work." Bradford stated nervously.

"He did just get in. I live here now." She told him.

"Oh." Bradford said slowly.

"Is this important?" she asked him. "He just went up to bed-"

"Yea it is." Bradford said to her. "He didn't mention what we were working on?"

"No." She said confused. "I didn't know anything about it. I'll go get him."

"No forget it." he said rubbing his head.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked him.

"Yea you can." Bradford said glaring at her now. "Who did you tell about me?"

"What?" She asked taken back.

"Who the fuck did you tell about my boyfriend?" He demanded to know.

"I didn't tell anyone anything." She defended shaking her head.

"This is really important April." He said gripping her arms and leaning over and looking her in the eyes.

"Bradford." She whispered in shock, she could see how terrified he was. "What's going on?"

"Someone knows!" he yelled shaking her slightly.

"Knows what?" She asked.

"About me! And I didn't tip anyone off and there was only three of us who knew and maybe you're mad at me for what I did to you and I understand that but-" Bradford began to reason until he felt himself being pushed right out the door and when he looked up Punk was standing in front of him, closing the door behind him leaving them standing on the stoop.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Punk asked him.

"I got another letter-" Bradford began.

"You ever come at AJ like that again I'm not going to help you with shit." Punk threatened. "I told you she didn't say anything and she wouldn't."

"I haven't slept in days, it feels like weeks." Bradford said passing him another note. "They want me to throw out a case on Rupert Klein."

"Rupert Klein?" Punk asked reading the note.

"He's a 'captain' with the Calderon family." Bradford told him.

"So, we know who is blackmailing you." Punk said pocketing the note. "I needed to know that and I will take care of it."

"How did they find out?" Bradford asked.

"They were probably following you. If I found you out- without even trying- I'm sure someone else did. I would also speak to your boyfriend about it." Punk said to him. "Now get out of here and leave AJ out of it, you've now tipped her off and she's going to want to get involved-"

"She can't! The Calderon family-" Bradford began.

"I'll take care of AJ and the Calderon family you just stop coming around here, take a shower because you smell like shit and get some sleep because you look like a zombie." He said to him.

"Fine." Bradford said then walked down the stairs and headed to his car.

"Who is blackmailing Bradford?" AJ asked the second Punk walked in the house.

"It's nothing and I'm taking care of it. You go to work and forget he even came by." He said to her.

"Phil-" She began.

"Ape, I'm fucking wrecked. I need sleep and don't have the energy to argue. Just for today do as I ask and we'll argue about it later." He said to her and she glared at him.

"Fine." She said folding her arms. "But we will discuss it later."

"Fine!" He yelled as he again tiredly climbed the stairs.

AJ walked into the police station and into the interrogation room where a suspect was waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late." AJ said to the man who was in awe of her. She didn't notice since she was shuffling a ton of files. "Rick Diaz?"

"No." the man replied softly.

"Juan Gonzalez?" she asked pulling out the next file.

"Robert Mendez." He told her and she looked up from her files and looked at him. "This isn't exactly how I wanted us to meet."

"Crap." She muttered.

"You look just like your pictures." Robert said to her.

"I can't defend you." AJ told her father.

"I requested you." Robert said to her.

"Did you get yourself arrested to meet me?" She asked.

"No." he smirked. "That was a misunderstanding and since I'm on parole I need the best to defend me so I don't get sent back to jail."

"Mr. Mendez-" she began.

"Don't call me that." He frowned. "At least call me Robert."

"Mr. Mendez." She began again, refusing his request. "I'm a very busy public defender and there are a lot of people here who actually need my help. You have a long wrap sheet and I'm not interested in wasting my valuable time or the courts."

"Please don't go." he pleaded. "Just hear me out! I got pulled over for a busted taillight and when the cops pulled me over. They ran my ID and made me get out of the car and started to say they smelt booze on my breath- I've never drank a day in my life! When I told them that they said I was resisting and cuffed me."

"That can't be true." AJ said shaking her head.

"It's exactly what happened. Now I'm going to go back to jail because my taillight blew out and these asshole cops have a quota!" Robert argued.

"They're not assholes." AJ warned him. "My boyfriend works in this house."

"I've met him, I'm sure he's not an asshole but these two definitely are." Robert insisted. "I'm going to go back to prison if you don't help me and I swear to you, I did nothing wrong!"

"You didn't resist them?" AJ asked.

"I swear to god." Robert said placing his hand over his heart. "Any other PD would just tell me to plead out but I know you, I've read about the work you do and your cases and you fight for what's right and I am right."

"If this was some elaborate scheme to meet me-" She began.

"Meeting you is something I wanted badly, not worth risking going back to prison." Robert said to her. "I would have just swung by your place. I'm not this stupid."

"I'll look into your case." AJ said to him in a professional voice. "But you can't ask me anything personal or expect anything. I don't want anything to do with you."

"Can I just ask how you are?" Robert frowned. "I heard about what happened a couple of weeks ago with-"

"No you can't ask that either." AJ informed him. "You're going to have a hearing with your parole officer and I'll try to get you out of here by the end of the night but I can't make any promises that they won't keep you until this is all over."

"I understand." he said to her nodding.

"Don't say anything to anyone here and don't mouth off to the cops." She warned him.

"I won't." He promised.

"Just sit there and keep your mouth shut." She warned him. "Let me do my job."

"You really did grow up so beautifully." He said and she rolled his eyes.

"One more personal remark and I'm not helping." She threatened.

"You're not made that way." He smiled. "You're like my sister. She was a lawyer too."

"Really?" AJ asked then shook her head. "I don't care. I'll be back later." She said then walked out of the office.

It was almost eight and Punk was in his suit leaning against the counter in the kitchen, afraid to sit and wrinkle his suit.

"I'm late!" AJ yelled running in the door and dropping her briefcase on the floor and running up the stairs.

"Yea and after you called me three times today to remind me not to be late!" He yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"I had a long day!" She yelled back down from the bedroom, leaving the door open so she could hear him.

"I don't care, it's not my party." He said to her. "I just thought you wanted to impress your boss."

"I don't have to impress at a party, I impress him with my amazing job skill!" She shouted from the bedroom and he let out a small laugh.

"God, I love her." Punk said to himself and cranked his head and saw her in a cute little cocktail dress. AJ was blessed enough to not need makeup but she was applying lip gloss as she came down the stairs with shoes in her hand.

"Hi." he greeted and she gave him a sad smile and kissed him hello. "Everything ok?"

"I just had a case that I couldn't get a hearing for until 7 and it ran late." She said to him as she put on her shoes. "We'll be late but only a few minutes." She said to him.

"Big case?" he asked curiously.

"Do you know officers Romano and Diaz?" She asked him.

"No." He said to her.

"They're rookies." She told him.

"No idea. Why?" He asked.

"I think they set up my new client for brownie points." She said to him. "He has a record and the arrest was ridiculous."

"I'm sure there was something there for them to bring him in." Punk shrugged.

"He had a busted taillight." She said to him. "They didn't have to arrest him."

"There definitely had to be more to the story." He laughed. "You don't arrest someone for that."

"They accused him of resisting arrest but they gave him a hard time for no reason." She said to him.

"Ape, I know it's your job to defend the guilty but sometimes you make stuff up in your head. How can you trust a convicted criminal over two police officers?" Punk asked her.

"I just do." She said to him with a shrug. "I looked right into his eyes, he didn't lie to me."

"You look deep into the eyes of all the men you defend?" Punk asked casually and she laughed, using his shoulder to hold herself up as she put on her other heel.

"It was my dad." She said to him.

"Oh." Punk said to her. "Should you be working this?"

"Anyone else won't even try. He has a history and no one will believe him but me." She said to him.

"I don't blame you for helping him." Punk said to her. "But make sure he's being honest before you wage a war with the police officers in the station. They don't like being called liars. Especially the young ones looking to prove themselves."

"I know what I'm doing." She said to him running her hands over her dress to smooth it. "Do I look ok?"

"Beautiful." He said without hesitation. "I can't wait to get you out of the dress."

"I just got into it and it wasn't easy." She noted grabbing a light jacket to put on.

"It is tight." He agreed tilting his head to look at her ass.

"Don't do that at the party." She warned him.

"So,what am I supposed to look at?" He asked seriously.

"All of the guests." She laughed.

"I just want to look at you." He said to her and she blushed.

Punk was having a blast at AJ's work function. He swarmed by all the women. AJ couldn't stomach how all the women fawned over her attractive Detective boyfriend. She found herself sitting at their table waiting for close to fifteen minutes for her drink she asked Punk to get her from the bar as three women stopped him.

"I thought I was going to have to send a search party out for you." AJ muttered as Punk sat down next to her.

"I'm very popular here." He shrugged innocently passing her a glass of wine and he had a glass of water for himself.

"How nice." AJ remarked sipping her wine.

"Don't be jealous." He grinned.

"If I was at a party with your coworkers who were drooling all over me you wouldn't be thrilled either." AJ remarked.

"I'd be flattered." He remarked smugly and she rolled his eyes. "I'd be honored that the men I work with thought my girl was so beautiful they had to risk their lives to try to flirt with her."

"What did you think of my dad?" AJ asked out of nowhere and he looked at her.

"I didn't really speak to him for long." He admitted.

"I trust your judgment more than anyone." She told him seriously. "You are the only person in my life to tell me how it is and you've never been wrong about anyone before."

"My first feeling was that he was genuine in wanting to meet you." He told her and she just nodded. "That doesn't mean he doesn't have demons and isn't a criminal tho."

"I know. I'm going to keep it professional." She told him.

"After it's all said and done and this goes the way you want it to, then you can see how you feel." he said to her.

"I never needed a dad." She said to him. "I didn't cry at the father/daughter dance, I didn't care when career day came around and I didn't have either parent. It's just not needed, you know?"

"It's not something you ever got your hopes up for." Punk pointed out. "But it's ok that you weren't expecting this and something came of it. You'll also inherit a bunch of siblings."

"That's ok." She mumbled. "One unwanted relative at a time."

"Just prepare yourself, this might end with him back in prison." He warned her.

"I get it." AJ said to him. "I don't have my hopes up. And even if I do get him out of trouble I'm still not sure I want to pursue anything with him."

"That's your decision." He said to her.

"What's going on with Bradford?" she asked him.

"He's being blackmailed. I have a good idea who it is." Punk said to her. "I'm going to take care of it."

"How? You can't arrest anyone without outing Bradford." She pointed out.

"There are ways around things Ape." He pointed out.

"Who do you think is doing the blackmailing?" She asked.

"That's private." he said to her and she frowned. "I don't want you to get yourself involved in this mess. And I know that no matter how mad you are at Bradford your instinct is to try and help him which is the only reason I'm doing it." He told her.

"I appreciate it." She said giving him a warm smile. "But I still want to know who is blackmailing him."

"Why?" He scoffed sipping his water.

"Because not only do I feel bad but what if they have something on me?" She asked and he froze. "I mean, I was with Bradford a long time and if these pictures are from the motel that's from when I was engaged to him." She pointed out casually

Punk instantly didn't like the idea of the Calderon family knowing anything about AJ. They were a very powerful crime family and the thought of AJ even being on their radar made him nervous, but of course they'd know about her because they had to have down their homework on Bradford and his relationship wasn't a secret. He suddenly felt the urgency to investigate this quickly.

"You ok?" AJ asked.

"Yea." he said to her trying to brush it off. "I'll take care of this Bradford stuff, worry about your dad."

"Don't call him that." AJ cringed. "Let's just call him Robert."

"Fine." he shrugged sipping his drink again.

"What about you dad?" AJ asked.

"What about him?" Punk snorted.

"What if he came back?" She asked him.

"I know my dad, you know my dad." He reminded her. "He showed up a few times when I was a kid then he took off and started a new family that I wasn't included in."

"He did try." She said to him. "For a while."

"He gave up." Punk shrugged.

"Have you looked him up at all?" She asked him.

"No." He said to her. "I have no interest in him."

"You know my dad's sister was a lawyer." She told him wanting to get off the topic of his dad which she knew he didn't like.

"Really." Punk noted skeptically.

"Maybe being a lawyer is in my DNA." She said to him.

"Detective." A female public defender smiled placing her hand on his shoulder. "I was just-"

"He's with me." AJ snapped. "Back off Sharon."

"Sorry." The woman said to her and turned around.

"That was rude." He smirked at her.

"Rude? Rude would have been punching her in the face." AJ said seriously.

"You'd probably get arrested." He warned.

"I'm sleeping with a cop, I think I'd get off." She teased.

"That reach will only get you so far." he teased back.

"You'd leave me sitting in a dirty cell?" She pouted.

"Nah, I'd break you out if I had to. You're to pretty for prison." He told her seriously and she giggled.

"Want to get out of here?" She asked.

"We just got here and I have to be honest, I feel very welcomed here." he remarked and she rolled his eyes.

"My dress is so tight I feel like I'm about to bust out of it." she told him and his eyes lit up.

"That sounds amazing." he said confused. "What's the problem?"

"I want to go get a box of donuts, get out of this dress and take you to bed." She whispered against his lips as she kissed him tenderly. "I don't like all of these women throwing themselves at you."

"I guess if you want to leave here and eat junk food and have sex while watching the Hawks game then who am I to stand in your way?" he asked seriously then stood up.

"I didn't mention the Hawks." She said narrowing her eyes at him.

"We can catch the end of the game." he said grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet.

"Fine." She agreed. "Just get me out of this dress first." She said as he helped her into her jacket.

"I'll get you out of it in the car." He told her grabbing her hand and dragging her to the exit door.

A/N: Is Robert being set up by the cops? Is Punk going to crack this case for Bradford? Also, thanks for the reviews!