Official

"No, wait a minute." AJ shook her head, bursting into Punk's house, refusing to knock or meet any standards that she thought she had. She wasn't prepared to let this fall apart and crumble and for her to be the bad guy. She knew she wasn't.

"Don't just come into my house." Punk shook his head, standing in his living room.

"Or what?" AJ shook her head, "What are you gonna do? Arrest me?" AJ asked him.

"Funny." Punk nodded sarcastically.

"You called this off." AJ reminded him, "So don't look at me like I'm a piece of shit for… for sleeping with someone else. I was trying to pretend that everything was fine, that I could get over you and move on, like you want to." She said, "So don't come to my house and look down on me like that." She made clear, "Besides, I told him to leave, nothing was… happening for me." She said, "What did you think I was gonna do? Wait around on you changing your mind back and forth?" She asked him.

"I don't know I just didn't expect you to move on so quickly." Punk said.

"I've not moved on. I was trying to because you… you told me to stay away, and then you show up at my house looking to chat? You're messing me around, Phil. And I don't know if that's your intention, but I'm telling you right now to quit it." She said.

"I'm messing you around?" Punk laughed.

"Yeah. You are." AJ said, "I know what's happened is shit on you. I've put you in a bad position, I respect that and I don't expect you to just forget it and carry on with things with me." She said, "But don't tell me we're done, don't tell me to stay away, and then give me into trouble, look at me like I'm cheap for doing what you told me to."

"I didn't tell you to sleep with anyone." Punk said.

"Well I attempted to, so I could forget about all of this shit. Men aren't the only ones who can get away with one night stands, ok?" She emphasised, "I can let you be mad at me but I want you to remember that I chose to tell you, eventually. I could have… kept going on, keeping it from you, but I chose to tell you because I care about you and I trust you." She said, "And I just want things to be ok. Like how they were… they were so good. We were so good. And I know you know it." She said.

"You can do what you want. I wasn't giving you into trouble, I just didn't expect it-"

"You're jealous." AJ pointed out.

"No I'm not." Punk scoffed.

"You are." AJ said, "You totally are. You don't want anyone else to be with me, but… you don't wanna be with me either?"

"I never said I didn't wanna be with you, April." Punk said.

"Well your actions and words say differently." AJ said, "I wasn't the one who committed the actual crime. I'm not in the wrong here. I told you. Maybe it wasn't right away, but I eventually told you. So why can't we just figure this out together?"

"What is there to figure out?" Punk shook his head.

"This whole thing. This case." AJ said.

"That would mean me arresting Matthew." Punk reminded her, "And I know that would hurt you, so do you honestly think that I'm gonna go do it? This is the situation you have me in."

"This isn't my fault!" AJ shouted, "I didn't ask for any of this. I'm the one who gets to be.. angry and pissed off that someone murdered my best friend, men who… who actually set out to get me. I still don't know if one day they're gonna show up and hurt me like they hurt her… that scares me." She said, "You're not the only one who feels helpless and confused and hurt." AJ reminded him as he listened to her. He always knew she would speak her mind, and like Cami had said, she wasn't afraid to tell him to shut up, and he could respect that.

"It's been a long few days." Punk nodded, running his hand over his face.

"I don't care. We're talking about this." AJ warned him, "I don't let my hair down with anyone. I've never trusted anyone in my life. I don't let people get close to me because of things like this." She said, "But I thought you were different, you made me want to… try being human again, having feelings, and it was so nice. If I didn't care about you I wouldn't have told you what I knew." She said.

"I think you're missing the fact that I feel the same about you, April. I care about you. But I don't know what I'm supposed to do here." He said, "I really don't."

"Then just let me help you, Phil." AJ shook her head, "We can figure something out." She said, walking closer to him and taking his hands in hers, "This doesn't have to come between us." She shook her head.

"It is between us." Punk said.

"You told me to tell Matthew to start running. Have you already told someone?" AJ asked.

"No. I was just… mad." Punk said, "Look, I get it, April. I understand why the guy did what he did, why he killed Greg. You're right, I'd feel the same if it was Cami who I was defending. But I can't just turn a blind eye to it."

"If we found Sofia's killers, there'd be an easy way to put the blame on them. I know these things. It happens all the time. Putting more load on bad people makes it convincing." She said.

"How do you expect me to find her killers?" Punk asked.

"Well they're clearly around." AJ said, "The picture they sent. Could run it in the lab for fingerprints." She said, "Look, you're gonna do what you want to do, that's fine, it's your decision, but… if we focus more on Sofia's killers, it might not be in your head as much."

"It's always gonna be in my head." Punk sighed, "And I mean what I said, we're not gonna work like this, April. Our jobs… they're gonna clash, our opinions." He said.

"What does work have to do with us? When we're together none of that matters. You know that. I know you feel it." She said as he nodded.

"I do, but… I'd rather end it now before things get serious, instead of… down the line." He said, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You're just afraid." She nodded, "I am too. I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't know what anything means anymore but what I did know for sure was that I felt like everything was going to be fine when I was with you." She said as he sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was jealous of her getting with someone else, that's why he acted the way he did, not because he thought she was cheap or unentitled to sleeping with someone else, he just didn't like the thought of it when he was still so hung up on her.

He didn't know what to say to her. He was so conflicted and confused, but he did know for sure that he cared about her and her health and safety. He just didn't know if telling her that would have been the best idea. He was protective of his feelings. They'd never been exposed like this before.

"I'm not gonna say anything about Matthew. To anyone." Punk nodded to her as AJ looked up at him, "And I'm gonna try and focus more on Sofia's killers and getting them." He said quietly as she nodded.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "And what about us?" She asked, "You still want to pretend it never even happened?" She asked him. She appreciated it wasn't easy for him, and she also appreciated that he wasn't doing anything rational, she knew in his job, it was a lot for him to not take action when needed, and for that, she knew he still cared about her, and she desperately just wanted to hug and make up, but the look on his face told her otherwise.

"I just think we should… stay away from each other." Punk said, "I don't think we're good for each other." He said as AJ just stared up at him.

"I have never… clicked with anyone like I did with you." AJ said, "And I know you feel the same." She said, "Why can't you let me in anymore? Why can't we do this together?"

"Because you shouldn't be around it." Punk shook his head, "We should just go back to our normal lives. Let me focus on this case and you… focus on your own work. The more you hang around me, the more those bastards out there will wanna hurt you?"

"Well if it brings them out of the woodwork-"

"No. You're not gonna play bait." He said, "I think we should just go our separate ways." He said. Even though, of course he didn't. He was trying to be logical with everything going on. Of course he cared about her.

"Ok." AJ nodded. If he wanted to give up, she wasn't going to fight about it, "I'll go fuck who I want then." She nodded, of course angry and to spite him.

"Do what you want." Punk nodded, pretending he didn't care even though his blood was sizzling.

"I thought I was hard to figure out." She shook her head, "But you are… on a different level."

"It's what's best for both of us." He told her.

"If you think so." AJ nodded, "Just remember… you're the one who made this decision." She said.

"I know." Punk nodded, "You should leave now."

"I'm going." AJ said bluntly, backing away from him and leaving out of the door, slamming the door shut behind her and shaking her head. She wished she never even let herself go there with him, because now she felt that hollow pain of emptiness in her chest and she hated it.

She walked on out to her car, getting in behind the wheel, staring the engine when she saw something stuck to her window wipers. She rolled her eyes and got out of the car, not in the mood, walking around to the side by the window, pausing as she looked at the picture.

She pulled the glossy photograph from the wipers attacked to the window. It was the same photograph as the first one of her and Sofia, and her body immediately went cold as she glanced around her in the dark street.

She then turned the photograph over and looked at the back which had 'Keep digging. We'll make it right this time' on the back of it. She took a deep breath and turned back to Punk's house. She desperately wanted to show him, seek comfort in him, but he'd made how he felt very clear and so she got back in her car and tossed the picture onto the seat beside her before driving off.