An Offer

"Morning." AJ smiled, walking into the cupboard the next day where Cass was getting ready for work, "When I didn't see you at the usual spot I figured you'd just came in early." She said, taking her coat off as Cass nodded briefly.

"Enjoy your date last night?" Cass asked her as AJ paused a little and turned to her slowly, "I saw you through the window. Laughing. Smiling. Having a lovely date." Cass said as AJ narrowed her brows.

"It wasn't a date." AJ shook her head, "He wanted to take me out to make up for what he'd done and… I agreed." AJ shrugged, "It wasn't a date."

"Will the next one be a date then?" Cass asked her.

"What? No. What are you talking about?" AJ shook her head, "Do you have a problem?" AJ asked.

"Just that you are falling into his trap." Cass said.

"What trap?" AJ shook her head.

"He fucks you. Gets some new information. Then he softens you back up afterwards to make sure you don't think he's not a complete scumbag. Then he leaves in three weeks and doesn't shed a thought on you ever again." Cass said, "That is what he's doing."

"No, it's not." AJ shook her head, "You don't know anything." She said, "There's something between us. He knows it and so do I."

"And what's gonna happen, April? He's defending your brother's killer. Could you imagine what your parents would think if they found out you'd been with him? Could you imagine what Robbie would think?"

"Robbie would want me to be happy." AJ said quickly, "Why are you being like this? You're supposed to be supporting me."

"I can't if you're gonna end up flat on your face by the end of this. I'm trying to help you." Cass said, "He is bad news. There's nothing going to happen between you both."

"You don't know that." AJ said, "He said he could be back here with work again." She said as Cass shook her head.

"Listen to yourself." Cass said, "You sound desperate." She said, "I know you. You're gonna glove onto him. Make him your entire world and then he will drop you because all he was after was that information." Cass said.

"No he wasn't." AJ said, "He knows what he done was wrong and he's apologised." AJ said, "There's still nothing going on with us and I'm not so shallow to cling onto him, even if I do like him. I do have some dignity." She said, "And I have never needed a man to depend on." She made clear.

"April, I just don't want to see you get hurt." Cass said, "He will hurt you."

"He won't." AJ shook her head, "You don't even know him."

"And you know him?" Cass asked.

"Yeah, I do." AJ said, "I know that he wouldn't hurt me on purpose. Not again." AJ said, "And he's trying to redeem himself and I'm going to let him because I know he's a good man."

"You don't know anything." Cass said.

"Don't." AJ shook her head, "If you're gonna be like this today then don't bother coming near me." She said, grabbing what she needed from the cupboard and leaving to go start on some rooms.

After a few hours of AJ taking her frustration out on cleaning, she finally got to Punk's room, and once she knocked and heard no answer, she walked on in, only to hear the shower running. She thought about leaving and coming back, but she really wanted to see him.

She began fixing the bed up and cleaning around the tables when she heard the bathroom door open, turning around and watching as he walked out with just a towel around his waist, showing off his hip dents as the water dripped down his colourful chest and arms, watching him slick his hair back and raise his eyebrows when he saw her.

"Do you do this with all guests?" Punk asked as AJ looked across at him. It was hard not to get excited upon seeing such an image, but then Cass's words came into her mind and she felt stupid.

"That's why I get so many complaints." AJ nodded, turning away from him as she carried on cleaning, "I take it you need more towels?" She asked without looking at him.

"Uh… yeah, please." Punk nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "I thought you were taking a couple of days off to yourself." He said.

"A few other girls called in sick, so that plan was out the window." AJ told him, wandering back out of the room to grab some towels for him to put in the bathroom. He could sense something was annoying her. She looked like she had a lot on her mind, like something or someone was bothering her.

"You ok?" Punk asked her from back in the main room area whilst she was in the bathroom.

"Yeah, why?" AJ asked, coming out of the bathroom and looking over at him.

"You look like something is bothering you." Punk told her truthfully as AJ nodded.

"Cass." AJ folded her arms, "She thinks you're gonna hurt me again. She thinks you're just gonna take off and forget everything. That you only took me out last night so I didn't think you were completely horrible." She said.

"And you believe that?" Punk asked her.

"No." AJ shook her head, "But there's no telling Cass. If she has an opinion on something or someone, then it sticks." She said.

"Well… I'm not gonna hurt you." Punk said, "And I didn't ask you out last night to make myself look better. I asked you because I wanted to apologise." Punk shrugged, "You can let her think what she thinks." He waved his hand.

"I am still trying to figure out how… anything could be made out of this." She pointed to them both, "I mean… you leave in a few weeks. I might never see you again." She said.

"Come with me." Punk said casually as she blinked at him a few times.

"What?" AJ trembled.

"Come with me to Chicago." Punk said, "Start over. Get away from here, and your parents, and your job… come with me." He nodded as she looked at him as though he was headless.

"Are you mad?" She shook her head.

"What?" Punk laughed lightly.

"I can't come with you. I've known you for a few weeks." AJ shook her head, "No way." She said, shocked at such an offer.

"It could just be the two of us." He said, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her into him as he sat on the bed, "Think about it." He said as she looked down at him. Suddenly, she realised that he did actually like her, otherwise he wouldn't have asked her such a question, and Cass was wrong, he wasn't just going to drop her the minute he left.

"Phil, I don't even know what's going on with us right now." AJ shook her head, "I can't… I can't even consider it."

"Yeah you can. You're just scared to." Punk nodded.

"No I can't." AJ shook her head, backing away from him. They hadn't even figured out what was going on between them. She couldn't possibly consider leaving her entire life just to go with him. She wasn't sure things were that deep. Although, the thought of having a clean start was extremely appealing.

"Then I'll get work back out here again." Punk shrugged, "Something will work out." He nodded, "In the meantime, how about we go on a proper date?" He asked her. He didn't want to hold back. And the more her friend told her to stay away from him, that he would hurt her, the more he wanted to prove himself. Not only that, but he enjoyed seeing her.

"I don't know." AJ shook her head, "I-I don't know." She said as he watched her.

"Alright, well don't sweat over it. I'm back in court tomorrow. So maybe in a few days?" He asked her. He wasn't going to hold back. He done it too often, and with someone like AJ who intrigued him, attracted him, who was sweet and wonderful and strong… he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers like he always did.

"I don't know, Phil. This is all too fast." She shook her head. She was still hung up on him asking her to come to Chicago, in all honesty.

He watched her and nodded, "Ok." Punk nodded, "I just want you to know that… I do want to see you, and I'm not just gonna drop you the second I leave her. I like you." He nodded.

"I like you too." AJ nodded. She wasn't going to lie to herself just because it was easier, or because Cass told her he was trouble. Cass didn't know him. She knew him. She was getting to know the real him and at the same time, she was getting to know the real her, and what she wanted.

"It can be more than this." He nodded, taking her hands in his as she looked down at him.

"I want it to be." AJ whispered as he looked up at her, "But I don't know where my head is at." She said. She had been all over the place since he got here, and she didn't know if that just because of the situations that had occurred, or if that was what he was doing to her.

"It doesn't have to be so complicated." Punk shook his head.

"But it is." AJ said, looking down at him and breaking her hands away from his, "I have to go." She told him.

"Will you be in court tomorrow?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure." AJ said, "It might be too difficult." She said as he nodded.

"I understand." He said, "Don't forget what I said." He said as she nodded, escaping out of the room and shutting the door over as she ran her hand over her hair. She couldn't believe he had even suggested her coming with him to Chicago. She didn't know if she had to question what he really wanted with her, or if he really was drawn into her like she was with him. Yet again, she just didn't know what to do, and already felt like there was a dark cloud hanging over her.

A/N: Let me know what you think!