Chance

"I wish we could just disappear." AJ whispered, lying in the back of the car in Punk's arms half naked with no effort to move any time soon, "Don't you?" She asked him.

"If it meant… keeping you safe." Punk nodded, tracing circles around her shoulder with his fingers, "There's no reason for you to not have a normal life here." He said, "Forgetting Dean and Seth for a second… you're smart as hell, and I mean you can… you can stay with me." He said.

"I feel like I'm just lying to myself." She admitted, "I was this… terrible human being who helped in covering up a corrupted government-"

"You didn't know that. You took immunity. You saved your own life. I don't blame you for that." Punk said, "Didn't you ever dream of having a normal life? When you were in prison?"

"I dreamed about hot showers and… fries." She nodded to herself, "Those little things were what I dreamt about." She said, "Having any sort of life was completely off the radar." She said truthfully.

"Now you got the chance." Punk nodded, "I'm not trying to jump on you and lead you into this really mundane life but… I figured since you've been through so much chaos that… sitting on the couch on a Saturday night with pizza might be… something you'd enjoy."

"You do that every Saturday?" AJ crooked her neck slightly and looked up at him as he laughed a little.

"Sometimes." Punk nodded, "Or we'll go out."

"We?" AJ frowned.

"Yeah, me and the guys and girls from the unit." Punk nodded.

"I doubt I'd be welcomed there." AJ shook her head, leaning her head back again.

"You would. It's just gonna take some time, Ape." He nodded as she smiled. He was sweet to her. So sweet that she truly believed he would never ever hurt her. That was a strange feeling to have that much confidence in someone, to know they'd always love her. It felt special. Like she'd only get that feeling, that experience with him.

"Maybe I just gotta let Dean and Seth hate me." AJ shrugged, "Until they get bored of hating me." She said.

"I'll talk to them." He nodded, "I'll try and talk them around. To be honest, I think Seth has sort of laid off a little. Dean, he's very programmed I guess. Goes by the book." He said, "I'll get him drunk at the weekend and we'll figure it out." He said as AJ smiled.

"You have such a nice life here." AJ admitted, playing with his hand, "You have friends, you're successful, you have two apartments so I guess you're rich." She nodded.

"I have you." Punk nodded as AJ looked up at him.

"What am I?" She asked quietly.

"What do you wanna be?" Punk asked her, looking into her eyes as she smiled, "I mean I can't remember the last time I asked a girl to… be my girlfriend?" He laughed a little as she looked up at him.

"You're asking me to be your girlfriend?" AJ shook her head as he nodded.

"I know it seems quick." He shook his head, wondering if it would scare her, "And I don't blame you if you just want to take one step at a time but… I love you." He shrugged, "I can't bite my tongue with shit like that." He said as AJ smiled and nodded.

"I'm not really sure how to be… a girlfriend." She said, "But it's the first normal thing I've heard in a long time." She nodded as he smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear, "You sure you want this?" She teased as he laughed a little.

"I don't think I've ever wanted something like this before." He admitted truthfully as she smiled, "I guess this means I owe you a date."

"A date." AJ repeated, impressed, "Wow." She nodded to herself, "I can't believe I'm not running away from you right now." She admitted truthfully.

"I'm glad you're not." He nodded, "You can start a life here. One you should have been given a chance to have… since the minute you were born." He said, "The past is the past. We can't change it." He said as she nodded, "But I'm not interested in the past. I'm interested in right now. With you." He said as she smiled, touching his face softly, cupping his cheek.

"I love you." She shook her head. She wasn't sure he quite understand just how big of a deal it was for her to utter those three words. It was something that came from the heart. Something she was sure she could only say to him. She'd been so alone for so long that she was convinced she was incapable of loving. But he changed that.

"I love you too." Punk smiled, kissing her softly. So much still scared her but having beside her, realising how much she really did care for him and knowing he cared for her, it made her feel like she could relax just that little bit more. That she could try and get used to the idea of having a normal life, for the first time ever. She just needed a little assurance from time to time.

"Hey, how's the head?" Punk asked, walking into the bar which he knew everyone from the unit went to after work sometimes, looking over at Dean sitting on a stool with a beer in his hand.

"It's swollen and bruised." Dean answered, "She's not around is she?" He asked, looking around worriedly as Punk smiled a little.

"No, she's at my place." Punk nodded, "Can I talk to you both?" He asked, looking at Seth who was sat beside Dean.

"What's up?" Seth asked.

"Well it's about AJ." Punk said, "Mind if we go outside?"

"I need a cigarette anyway." Dean nodded, hopping off the stool and heading out of the busy bar as Punk followed with them, "So what you wanna talk about? How crazy is she?" Dean asked, lighting up whilst Seth folded his arms.

"No. I just… I want to talk to you about me and her." Punk said, "I know she's not even close to normal. But I don't think anyone is." He shook his head, "She's been through a lot in her life. Things I can't even imagine." He said, "And somewhere along the line she snapped." He nodded, "She snapped and she gave up." He said, "But you know what, she came back fighting and maybe it was channelled into the wrong thing but… all she's done is protect herself from… getting hurt again." He nodded as they both stood quietly and listened, "I'm not asking you to love her or hug her every time you see her." Punk said, "I'm just asking you to give her a chance. She deserves this chance at a normal life." He shook his head.

"She does." Seth nodded, looking across at Punk, "I wasn't looking at it from that perspective. We're always so programmed into looking at the bad guys and… keeping them as bad guys. It's essential for us not to sympathize but I get it." He said as Punk nodded.

"Thank you." Punk nodded, "I know it'll mean a lot to her."

"Will it?" Dean asked, "The only thing she seems to care about is you so… what does it matter?" Dean shrugged.

"She cares, trust me." Punk nodded, "She wants a normal life. She's never had that. All of this is so different, so new to her." He said, "Imagine that. Imagine not really having a place to call home. Or imagine not having any friends at all." He said as the both stayed silent, "That's what she's felt her entire life." He shook his head.

"How'd she get out?" Dean asked, "How'd she end up in the orphanage?" He questioned.

"I don't know." Punk shook his head, "I… she doesn't wanna talk about it." He nodded, "So don't ask her." He rolled his eyes.

"You're not normally this kind to people." Seth shook his head as Punk shrugged.

"Yeah, well… she's different." Punk nodded.

"Good different?" Dean asked as Punk nodded, "You in love with her or something?" He chuckled, puffing on his cigarette as Punk looked at them both.

"Phil." Seth tilted his head.

"What?" Punk shrugged.

"You love her?" Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, I do." Punk nodded, "She's not who you think she is." He shook his head, "We're all capable of what she was, when our backs are against the wall." He nodded.

"Is she really gonna stay here? You don't think she's gonna split?" Seth asked.

"I don't think she wants to." Punk admitted, "But I need you guys to make it easier for her. She doesn't want you to hate her." He said, "So please… if you won't do it for her then do it for me." He nodded.

"Yeah, sure." Seth nodded to him as Punk looked at Dean.

"Fine." Dean shrugged, "But I'll be the first one to… say I told you so when she leaves your ass." He nodded.

"Thanks for the positive thinking, man. Always a treat." Punk patted him on the back as he walked back into the bar, trying to find Eve as he saw her sitting over on the stool by herself, "Eve." Punk called, walking over to her as she turned around.

"Hey." Eve nodded, a little tipsy.

"Hey." Punk laughed a little, "You ok?" He wondered.

"Yeah, I… I just got off the phone with Jeff." Eve nodded, "You're right. I… I need to fight this. I need to fight for my son." She shook her head, "Cause I'm a good mom and he… he convinced me that I wasn't for so long." She said as Punk nodded, "You're right. We gotta start living. We gotta start doing things for ourselves." She shook her head as Punk nodded.

"You know I'll be right in that courtroom with you." Punk nodded, "You called him just there?"

"Yeah." Eve said, "The power of wine." She said, looking at her empty wine glass.

"What'd he say?" Punk said, sitting down on the stool next to her.

"That I would never win. I'd have to give up my job. That Thomas is doing a lot better without me in and out of his life." Eve nodded.

"He's just saying whatever he can to get to you. You know that." Punk said as Eve nodded.

"I know." Eve nodded, "Hey, what are you even doing here?" She shook her head.

"I was talking to dumb and dumber." Punk said as Eve nodded, "About AJ."

"Oh." Eve nodded, "You know I'm… I'm happy if you are and strangely she seems to… make you happy." She said, "If I knew this I would have gotten you a Russian assassin years ago." She said as Punk laughed a little.

"Yeah, where the hell were you?" Punk laughed as Eve smiled, "I just want everyone to give her a chance. She's not evil. She's just not used to this." He said as Eve nodded.

"You know what?" Eve said.

"What?" Punk nodded.

"I think… she'll be fine with us." Eve nodded, "We're a weird bunch. She'll fit in just fine." She smiled, "You deserve some happiness in your life. Just some." She teased as Punk smiled.

"So do you." Punk said as Eve smiled, "I gotta go. Don't drink too much. You got your pepper spray in your purse?" He asked, stepping off the stool.

"In my purse?" Eve chuckled, "It's my pocket, brother." Eve pulled it out as Punk smiled.

"It's what I like to see." He pointed to her as she pointed back, watching him leave the bar as she turned back around.

"Hey, where is my wine?" Eve asked the bar attender.

Punk got home, feeling a little better that he had spoken to his friends and that they were managing to look at things a little differently. It meant a lot to him.

"April?" Punk called out, "Where you at?" He asked.

"Kitchen." AJ said as Punk walked around the apartment, walking into the kitchen and pausing for a second as he saw her draining spaghetti.

"Cooking?" Punk smiled, leaning against the side of the door as she turned around and nodded.

"Yeah, I… I can't remember the last time I cooked." She admitted truthfully, "And I was in the mood for spaghetti." She shrugged as he smiled and nodded.

She felt at home. It wasn't for definite, she wasn't asking him to marry her, but getting to live in this normality for just a few days really showed her what she was missing out on. The safety. The warmth. Feeling comforted by someone who actually cared about her for real. It made her feel good. Really good.

"Smells good." Punk nodded, walking over and taking a strand of spaghetti out the pot.

"Hey." AJ smiled, nudging his side, "Where did you even go?" She asked him.

"I went to speak to Dean and Seth." Punk nodded, "I think they're gonna lay off a bit."

"You didn't have to ask them to do that." AJ said, "I mean if they don't like me then… they don't like me." AJ shrugged.

"No, they need to give you a chance first." Punk said, "And if we're going to be working together-"

"You still want me to work with you?" AJ questioned.

"Why wouldn't I?" Punk asked, "You're brilliant." He shook his head, walking over to the table as she smiled to herself.

"I don't know if the office scene is really for me." She admitted.

"Well it's worth trying out. Maybe I don't know… you'll wanna pursue a different career?" He asked her, "I mean maybe this is all too close to home. You're just really good at it, that's all I'm saying."

"I'll give it a go." AJ smiled over to him as he nodded, "I take it you want some of this?" She asked him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "But tomorrow night we're going on that date." He said, "No ifs or buts." He said as she nodded.

"Ok." AJ smiled over to him, turning back around and plating up the food as Punk watched her with a smile. She made the place feel more like a home. She was becoming his home.