Lonely

One month had passed since Punk started his undercover stint. AJ barely saw him. If he did make it home it was the morning when she was getting ready to leave for work. He was now in an undercover apartment most of the time and that happened a lot quicker than either AJ or Punk expected. He did his best to keep in touch but AJ was completely and totally alone 98% of the time. She was doing her best to be supportive but she was getting lonely.

She dived into work though, filming things for her new prime time weekly show with Alan before it premiered and writing her book. She was also furnishing the house. She wanted Punk's opinions on things but since he wasn't around he forfeited the right to an opinion as far as she was concerned. She was starting to go stir crazy though. She missed falling asleep next to him and waking up with his arms wrapped around her.

"It's a beautiful home." Alan noted after AJ gave him a tour of the new house. It was completely empty as the furniture was delayed in delivery. "I did not get this big of a check from Calvin Troy."

"You weren't stalked for half a year." She shrugged innocently.

"So, no word from Punk?" Alan asked curiously.

"No." She frowned. "I haven't seen him since Monday."

"It's Saturday." Alan pointed out.

"It gets longer and longer each week." She admitted. "I feel like I'm single in the City."

"If he's already this deep under then that means it's going better than they thought it would and it will over before they thought." Alan reasoned.

"I suppose." She said glancing around the kitchen. "I just thought by this point I'd be married with a dog."

"It'll happen." Alan assured her. "I'm sure you're just worked up about Hale's pre-trial starting Monday."

"That too." She groaned. "I wish Phil could be there with me. I know I don't have to be afraid of him and obviously I can take care of myself but..."

"It would feel better to have him there with you." Alan finished for her.

"Yea." AJ admitted with a sad smile. "I know he's working and doing something great but I just want him back."

"It's just the pre-trial." Alan said to her. "I'll be there with you."

"Yea." she said to him. "It's just not the same. No offense."

"None taken." Alan said to her.

"He has a really good attorney." AJ told Alan who scoffed.

"He stalked you and took a room filled with people hostage." Alan reminded her. "He can have Johnny Cochran reincarnated and even he couldn't get him off."

"We'll see." She said to him. "I just want him to get this over with and be safe."

"Punk's a great cop." Alan reassured her. "Did he mention what he was doing?"

"No and I wouldn't tell you anyway." AJ said knowing he was fishing for a story.

"I would never put Punk at risk while undercover but it would be nice to have a head start for when the case breaks." Alan shrugged.

"No." AJ warned. "Besides, I promised Phil I'd be on my best behavior while I he was working."

"How nice of you." Alan smirked.

"I'm a giver." AJ smirked with a shrug. "That just means when he gets back I'm going to have to cause an extra amount of trouble to make up for this." she teased.

"He'll be so pleased." Alan remarked sarcastically. "So, when are you moving in?"

"When Phil can." she told him simply and he laughed. "Why is that funny?"

"He can be working this case for a year. You're going to live in that dank apartment when you can live in this gorgeous house?" Alan asked.

"A year?" She frowned.

"Not a year." Alan corrected.

"No." AJ stated firmly. "This is my home with Phil. I won't live in it without him. We'll be married first and he'll carry me over the threshold."

"Whatever." Alan laughed.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Can I live here until you two move in?" Alan asked seriously following her out.

At the pre-trial AJ was seated in the front row with Kofi sitting at her left, Alan at her right and even Detective Jenkins showed up. AJ had some kind of hope Punk would show face but this was going to be a high profile trial giving how much coverage it had gotten and she knew he wouldn't. AJ listened as the prosecutor spoke but kept her eyes locked on Hale Green. She was still so angry at him. He caused her so much pain and misery she didn't feel she got her revenge.

As Hale's lawyer stood up he turned his head and looked AJ. AJ locked eyes with her tormentor and glared at him coldly even though he seemed happy as could be. He smiled at her and shot her a wink before returning around and listening to his lawyer. AJ couldn't hear a thing as she was consumed with anger. Her fists were clenched and she wasn't sure she wouldn't be able to contain jumping over the divider and strangling him.

"What?" the people in the gallery whispered and gasped and AJ snapped back to reality.

"What happened?" AJ asked Kofi who looked just as angry.

"Stalking charges have been dismissed." Kofi whispered.

"What?" AJ demanded.

"He'll still be charged with false imprisonment." Kofi assured her.

"How can they not charge him with stalking?" She asked stunned.

"He had keys, there's no way to prove they were stolen and sending gifts isn't a crime. We discussed this before we even knew who it was." Kofi reminded her quietly. "He has a good lawyer-"

"This isn't right!" AJ yelled standing up.

"April don't." Alan hissed trying to pull her back into her seat.

"Order." The judged demanded.

"This man stalked me!" AJ yelled. "He made me afraid every time someone knocked at my door! He made me afraid to sleep in my own apartment! He made me feel like a victim every second of every day!"

"If you do not sit down I will hold you in contempt of court." The Judge warned. "You'll have your day in court Ms. Mendez."

"No I won't." She said shaking her head. "Do you think the gun pointed at my head scared me? I wasn't afraid he'd shoot me! He's a coward!"

"April stop." Kofi warned standing up knowing she was now hurting the rest of the case.

"Last warning Ms. Mendez." The judge threatened.

"I'd be safer in a cell than in this room with tainted judges and lawyers who clearly don't give a crap about women!" she yelled and the judge signaled for the guard.

"Ms. Mendez I'm holding you in contempt of this court." The judge informed her and AJ didn't even fight the officer as he lead her away.

"So much for that no trouble thing she promised Punk." Alan whispered to Alan.

"I'll get her out. This judge loves me." Detective Jenkins said leaning forward.

"The sooner the better." Kofi said to him. "All I need is for Punk to pop up today and find out she's locked up."

"He probably wouldn't be surprised though." Alan teased and Kofi glared at him.

AJ was in lock up for three hours before being released to Detective Jenkins.

"I had to convince the judge you were a CI on an important case for me." Jenkins told AJ as he walked her out of the courthouse.

"I technically am." She mumbled.

"What are you so pissy about?" He asked in shock. "The guy is still facing charges for a felony- if you didn't blow that today too."

"How did I blow the stalker charges?" She asked him angrily. "I was the victim yet I was the one who was put in a cell today!"

"April-" Jenkins began.

"You don't get it." She said shaking her head. "Because you're cold. I've been meeting with you for weeks now and you don't seem to give a crap about Tiffany."

"My job is put the bad guys behind bars and that's what I'm doing. Just because I don't get emotionally attached doesn't mean I don't give a crap. You can't do this job and not give a crap, believe me I wish I could give a crap!" Jenkins yelled back.

"Then do your job!" She yelled. "I'm constantly being let down. Bret Walsh didn't kill Tiffany, Hale Green isn't going to pay for stalking me-"
"He's going to get jail time- a lot of it." Jenkins argued.

"Not for stalking!" She yelled reminding him. "That's what mattered to me! And now Charles Palanski is walking around free and proud!"

"We're going to get him." Jenkins told her. "These guys are all going to go away for a long time just suck it up and accept that."

"I'm sick of accepting things." She snapped. "I've accepted everything with a smile on my face and I am done. I'm tired and pissed off."

"I think you're just upset about Punk." Jenkins shrugged.

"At least he would understand my anger." She said turning around and walking away from him.

When AJ arrived home she barely had her jacket off before someone knocked at the apartment door.

"I'm sorry." Detective Jenkins said to her and she reluctantly stepped aside to let him in. "I'm not some right wing bastard who thinks Green shouldn't be charged with stalking. But he won't be and I have to accept that no matter how little I like it."

"I'm frustrated." She told him. "I hear about these things all of the time, the women being treated like the criminal. I got locked in a cell for three hours today. I got locked in while he smiled at me."

"I know this isn't easy for you and I'm not the best at this kind of stuff. This is why I work cold cases." Jenkins said to her. "I don't like it when the wound is still so fresh."

"It's been a rough year." She admitted sitting on the couch and Jenkins remained standing. "I just want a peaceful time, you know? I want the bad guys to pay for what they do, I wanted my story to be a lesson for women who are afraid to speak to police about harassment. I wanted some good to come out of this. Instead all they'll learn is if they open their mouths they'll be rudely body searched and groped in the process of being tossed into a cell." She said in disbelief.

"You have a pretty powerful voice here in the City." Jenkins pointed out sitting next to her. "Use it. Just not in the middle of a courtroom."

"The judge hates me now." She said to him. "I might have fucked up the rest of this case."

"I'm sure you didn't." Jenkins assured her.

"I think I did." She said sadly shaking her head. "I have a tendency to speak before I think."

"I think that makes you passionate." Jenkins said to her and she gave him a light smile. "You're going to get justice for what Hale did to you and we're going to get justice for Tiffany as well."

"Nothing has moved on that." She pointed out.

"I have a few ideas, going to need your help." Jenkins said to her.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. I think you should sleep this night off." Jenkins said standing up.

"I don't need to sleep this off." She insisted standing up.

"Ok, well, I do." He smirked.

"Whatever you need from me I'm in." She told her seriously as she followed him to the door. "And thank you for getting me out of lockup earlier."

"When Punk told me you were a handful I thought he was kidding." Jenkins said to her. "When Anderson and Kofi warned me of the same thing I thought they were in on the joke. Then I started hearing the whispers around the station house."

"People whisper about me?" She asked horrified.

"It's not bad, it's just what I had been warned- you're a handful." He laughed.

"I am not." She said to him with a laugh. "Just a tad." she admitted.

"A tad?" he laughed as he opened the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." he said then turned around and bumped right into somebody.

"Punk." Jenkins greeted.

"Phil!" She yelled and pushed Jenkins out of the way and jumped into Punk's arms.

"Hi baby." Punk grinned holding her tightly and smiling. It felt good to have her with him again.

"See you tomorrow April, bye Punk." Jenkins said but neither acknowledged him.

Punk carried AJ into the house and kicked the door closed behind him.

"I've missed you." AJ said giving him a kiss.

"I've missed you so much you have no idea." He said kissing her again.

AJ climbed off of him and he looked down at her.

"Is the case over?" She asked hopefully.

"No, Ape." He frowned and she sighed. "But I'm getting there. I only have a few hours then I have to get back."

"Hours?" She asked devastated.

"I know today was the pre-trial for Hale I wanted to see you." He said to her.

"You didn't hear about it?" She questioned.

"No." He said to her. "I'm kind of cut off. We don't really watch the news."

"Too busy watching girls?" She asked then she noticed his black eye. "What happened?"

"Caught an elbow breaking up a fight at the cub." He said to her. "It's nothing."

"It looks bad." She sighed.

"How did it go today?" He asked pushing her hand away from the bruise on her face.

"If you don't count the stalking charges being dropped and me being groped and tossed into a cell, it went great." She told him.

"Excuse me?" he asked angrily.

"They dismissed the stalking charges and everyone thought I should be ok with that because he'd still face felony charges for the hostage situations but I of course thought it was-" She began.

"Bull shit." He finished for her. "Which is exactly what that is." he said to her. "I need to make some calls-"

"No." She smiled grabbing his hands. "But thank you for understanding."

"Of course I do." he said to her.

"The judge held me in contempt of court and I got searched and locked in a cell for three hours until Detective Jenkins convinced the judge I was a CI." she told him. "I had a meltdown."

"I'm so sorry Ape." he said cupping her face.

"It's not your fault." She said to him.

"You wouldn't have been held in contempt if I was there." He said to her. "You're the victim you shouldn't have been the one behind bars."

"I love you." She said happily holding back tears. "You're the only one-"

"I always have your back." He reminded her. "Even if I'm not there physically."

"Thank you." She smiled leaning into his chest and he kissed the top of her head.

"What was Jenkins doing here so late?" Punk asked curiously as he removed his jacket and shoes.

"I snapped at him and he came her to apologize." She shrugged and he just nodded. "What?"

"No, it's nice of him." Punk said to grabbing her hand and running his thumb over the engagement ring he placed on it.

"You have nothing to worry about." she said already knowing what he was thinking.

"I've been gone a long time." he said to her.

"Yea but I told you I'd wait forever." She smiled. "Besides it's really only a week at a time, are you having trouble controlling your urges around all the naked women?"

"No." He said to her. "It's not even like a normal strip club, it's the desperate man's strip club. Even if I was looking for a good time I wouldn't find one there." he teased.

"Good." She said seriously. "I ordered furniture for the new house."

"Yea? You have pictures?" he asked.

"I do but I kind of want you to be surprised." She said to him.

"I promise I'm working as fast as I can to get out of there and into our new home with you." he told her.

"I know you are." She said to him. "I just really miss you."

"I'm right here." He smirked.

"Yes you are." She agreed tugging on his jeans.

"I thought you'd want to talk." He smirked.

"How long have you known me?" She asked cutely looking up at him as she removed his belt slowly.

"A year." He said to her.

"So you know how much I love to talk." She pointed out.

"It's your favorite past time." He teased.

"Second favorite." she corrected.

AJ woke up at around one in the morning when she heard movement in the room. Punk was getting dressed and she frowned as she rolled onto his side of the bed.

"I sleep on your side when you're away." She confided. "The mattress has your perfect dent and it smells like you."

"Whatever makes you the most comfortable." He said standing up.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a sleepy voice and barely able to keep her eyes opened.

"I hate leaving you." he said looking down at her beautiful frame. She was curled against his pillow and the bed sheet only covered her bare body from her waist down.

"So don't. Play hooky and stay in bed with me. I'll make you pancakes in the morning and feed them to you." She said closing her eyes.

"Don't tempt me." he said kneeling down and she opened her eyes to meet his. "When I get back we'll deal with this Hale Green thing-"

"I'm dealing with it." She told him. "It's not going to go on hold and wait for you."

"I wish." he said to her. "Look..." he began and grabbed her cellphone. "This is for an emergency only." he said to her. "If you absolutely have to reach me, if something happens- call this number. My contacts are having trouble getting in touch with me."

"Is this a cell number?" She asked curiously.

"No. It's the number to the club and I put it in your phone under Tiffany." He told her and she gave him a sad smile. "If you call it and it's not important it can get me killed."

"I'm not going to call you." She told him.

"I'm out of the loop Ape." He laughed bitterly. "I'll sleep better at night knowing if you have to, you can reach me. You can call up and ask for Punk."

"You're going by your own name?" she frowned.

"It's a nickname." He said to her. "They won't ask who you are-"

"I won't be using it." She told him. "But thank you for trusting me."

"You know I trust you with my life and I am literally right now." he said to her. "Only an emergency." He repeated.

"I'll be fine." She smiled and stuck her head up as he cupped her face and kissed her deeply. AJ whimpered when he pulled away and gave him the saddest eyes he had ever seen.

"Follow me out and put the chain up after I leave." he said to her and she just put her head down and closed her eyes. "You're a pain in my ass."

"You love it." She teased and cupped her face one more time and kissed her one last time before leaving for god only knew how long.