No Closure
AJ greeted everyone in town who attended her mother's wake the night before the funeral. Punk could tell this was exhausting for her but she was strong as hell. He kept looking around for her father who hadn't shown yet.
"Who are you waiting for?" Dean asked walking to the back of the crowded room. "You've been watching that door constantly."
"Her father came by her place the other night said he'd be at the funeral I thought he'd show up here first. Guess I was wrong." Punk confided quietly.
"Robert is famous for not showing up." Dean said to him. "I hope you didn't tell her you saw him."
"He asked me not to." Punk shrugged. "So I didn't."
"Great." Dean muttered as he saw Elliot, Mayor Bret Daniels and his wife, Eliza Daniels walk into the room. "Always a show. Media is outside I'm sure they got some pictures."
"Politics." Punk said under his breath and watched as Elliot raced towards AJ.
"You want to go break that up?" Dean asked him.
"She's a big girl." Punk said to him. "If he's connected to Daria's case I don't want to cause a scene anyway."
"You're a better man than I am." Dean said then headed outside.
Punk watched the Daniels family interact with AJ from across the room and kept a raised brown on them.
"You didn't have to come." AJ said to Elliot.
"Don't be silly." He said kissing her cheek.
"We're sorry for your loss, dear." Eliza said putting on a smile then passing right by her.
"I'm happy you finally have your closure." Bret said to her then walked past her as well.
"I told them not to come." Elliot said to her.
"Elliot." Eliza called after.
"Your mommy is calling." AJ mocked.
"Let's not be like this." Elliot whispered.
"Be like what?" AJ asked. "Those people hate my mother they're here because it's a big case and it looks good. Don't use my family to push your political agenda."
"It's not like that." Elliot sighed.
"Please don't come to the funeral tomorrow." AJ said to him.
"I just want to support you." Elliot argued gently.
Punk watched from the back as they bickered and was trying to decide when to go over and kick Elliot out. It was his Bret Daniels face that caught his attention. He was fuming and it wasn't because AJ and Elliot were bickering. Punk turned his head and saw Robert Mendez just walked in and made eye contact with Bret. The exchange was subtle as Bret pulled his wife over to speak to the priest but Punk saw it all. He didn't wan to turn this wake into a circus and start questioning everybody so he was going to absorb all the information he could. AJ was still bickering with Elliot and her father looked too nervous to approach so it was time for Punk to intervene at least on this end.
"Hey." Punk greeted softly and kissed the side of AJ's head and placed his arm around her waist.
"Really?" Elliot asked.
"Have you met a real man before?" AJ asked Elliot.
"Let's play nice." Punk said gently pulling her away.
"He's such a-" She stopped when Punk stopped her by her father. "Dad." AJ greeted surprised.
"I'm sorry, April." he said to her. "I would have come sooner-"
"What is this? You the Daniels all you people who never wanted to help me look for her suddenly have the urge to grieve for her." AJ stated loudly and a few heads turned. "I would laugh if I wasn't in so much pain at the thought of it."
"I just wanted to say goodbye." Robert said to her.
"You didn't say goodbye to her the first time you left." AJ pointed out. "But sure, go ahead." She mocked then stormed out of the room with everyone watching.
"Great job keeping her calm." Elliot said to Punk.
"She's grieving. I'm not her keeper, she has the right to say and feel whatever she wants." Punk told him. "Maybe you shouldn't have shown up here."
"She's embarrassing herself." Elliot told him.
"No, she embarrassed you that's the difference." Punk said with a smirk then went in search of AJ.
Punk went outside and saw AJ waiting by his rental and made his way over.
"I want to do something." She told him.
"Anything." He encouraged.
"It's reckless which is why I'm talking to you about it first. That's the deal right?" She asked.
"Are you sure tonight is the night you want to be reckless?" He asked her sadly.
"Yes." She said to him. "Take me back to that house."
"AJ." He sighed shaking his head.
"I have to see where she was. Please?" She pleaded sadly. "Please don't make me go alone-"
"Fine." he said quickly and opened his passenger side door for her.
Punk got in the car after her and he waited a minuted before starting it.
"I'll do anything you want me to do." He told he looking straight ahead but not at her. "You want to go back to the crack house? Fine I'll take you even if I don't think it will help you. I think you're looking to punish yourself and going there now is only going to hurt you and I hate seeing you hurt." He sighed. "Why do you want to punish yourself? Why do you kick yourself when you're down?"
"Just take me home." She said folding her arms.
"AJ-" He began.
"Home is fine." She said looking out the car window and he drove off.
He could sense she was mad at him once they got home. He found her out back in her yard sitting on a swinging bench that was attached to the deck.
"Elliot." She said not looking up at him.
"I'm Phil." Punk said to her and she finally looked up to him.
"Punishing myself when I'm down." She said and he sat next to her. "Elliot used to do it to himself and he used to do it to me too. It's like you have to take all this pain in as quickly as possible because the thought process is once you hit a peak you won't feel it anymore."
"That's not true." He told her.
"It's just I'm not used to having someone like you in my life and it's refreshing. Even if I don't show it." She said and rested her head against his shoulder as the swing moved slightly.
"Someone has to put your emotions first. I'm the person that's going to make sure you do." He told her.
"You've done this a long time." She said to him. "Do you think she suffered for long?"
"AJ…." He sighed not wanting to get into this.
"Just tell me." She insisted still resting against him.
"Chances are she was knocked out for most of it and didn't feel a thing." He lied and AJ sensed he was but decided to believe it for her own piece of mind.
"A crime like that is a crime of passion, right?" She asked him.
"Sometimes." He said to her.
"What are you thinking?" She asked him and he didn't say a word. "Pretend this has nothing to do with me."
"I think someone wanted your mom out of the way. I think they made sure to take her out of town so it wouldn't taint the town image. I think more than one person is involved because you were told to go to that house and I don't think the person who did it would send you there. Someone who wanted you to have closure maybe some sort of affection towards you wanted you to have answers." He told her.
"That's a short list." She said with a soft smile.
"It's a list you need to think about it." He said to her.
"Just Elliot." She said to him. "But why after all of this time?"
"I don't know." He said to her. "Maybe you were getting too close to something? Maybe someone sent you there to die. It's a lot to take in."
"That it is." She agreed.
"Are you sure leaving is what you want to do?" He asked her.
"More than anything its what my mom wanted for me." She told him.
"I'm not going to give up on your moms case either." He promised her. "I'll consult from Chicago.""
"Thank you." She said kissing his chin then stood up. "Bed time?"
"Yea." Punk said grabbing the hand she extended to him.
Punk crawled into AJ's bed where she already was and when he did she cupped his face and tugged him so he was on top of her body under the covers.
"I warned you not to fall for me." AJ reminded him looking up at him.
"I think I fell for you the day I met you." He confided and nipped at her lips. "I haven't been able to look at another woman, you are something else."
"Keep boosting my ego." She said rolling him over so she was on top of him now. "I'm going to try really hard to make you feel half as good and safe as you make me feel" She promised him with a serious face.
"You already do." He said cupping her face and leaned into it. "Coming to Chicago, confiding in me. That's all I need."
"You deserve more." She told him.
"You're enough for me, AJ." He said and that's what she needed to hear. He saw how she almost cried at the words and he kissed over her cheek where a tear was falling. "I hate to see you cry." He whispered.
"This is happy tears though. No one has ever said that to me." She said to him and began to kiss him desperately.
Punk pulled her top over her head and ran his hands over her now bare back as she adjusted her self and tugged at his bottoms to free him. She dropped onto his body so deep that their hips were kissing and she dropped her upper body onto his chest and kissed him as she moved slowly. It would be a slow and tender night for them….
The funeral was sad and AJ wasn't able to speak she far too emotional but she did write a speech that Dean had read for her. The Daniels family stayed away but AJ's father did attend the funeral and burial.
AJ and Dean were thanking the priest at the cemetery and Punk saw AJ's dad trying to sneak off. He made his way over to her dad's car and closed the car door he was trying to get into.
"Can I help you?" Robert asked.
"What is the feud you have with the Daniels family?" Punk asked.
"I don't even know who the hell are you." Robert scoffed.
"I'm a friend of AJ's." Punk told him. "I'm also a cop."
"A Chicago cop. I remember." Robert said to him. "I have nothing to say to the police."
"Do you know why I'm involved in this?" Punk asked.
"I assume because you're fooling around with my daughter." Robert said to him. "I'm not judging my daughter is a grown woman and as long as you aren't Elliot Daniels I'm pleased."
"What was wrong with Elliot Daniels?" Punk questioned. "What's the feud? What started it? I'm trying to help your daughter and solve your wife's murder." He reminded him sternly.
"Daria worked for Bret, he wasn't the nicest." Robert said to him.
"Did they have an affair?" Punk asked and Robert eyed him. "He implied that much to AJ."
"You keep that son of a bitch away from my daughter." Robert said to him. "He and my wife never had a thing but it wasn't from a lack of trying on his end. April would be his type if you know what I mean so you do yourself and her favor and keep that rich slimy prick from her."
"Did he try to assault Daria?" Punk asked.
"You have to let this go." Robert warned him. "Daria is at rest now. She's at peace. As far as I'm concerned the case is already closed."
"If it was my wife I'd want the person who did it to fry." Punk said to him and Robert opened his car door.
"Let sleeping dogs lie before April ends up hurt next." Robert warned him.
"AJ will never let this lie." Punk warned him. "AJ found her mom's body." He told Robert who's face fell. "She was lured to a crack house where some sex offender tried to rape her. YOUR daughter."
"Jesus." Robert said to him.
"She's never going to stop. She's going to end up hurt or worse like Daria." Punk insisted.
Robert took a minute and looked back at Punk before getting in his car.
"Thank god she has a friend like you to keep her safe." Robert said then got in his car and left Punk speechless.
"A waste of breath." AJ said behind him and Punk turned to see her.
"I had to try." He admitted. "And he lives not far from me. I have a feeling I'll be seeing him again."
"Let's get out of here." AJ said to him. "I have to pack some things so I'm ready to leave in the morning."
"Whatever you want." Punk said taking her hand and leading her away.
AJ was packing a few things into a small bag for just a few days in Chicago. She wanted to get a lay of the land and figure out where she'd be staying and how much money she would need.
"I know you said you wanted to stay with Dean and not stay with me-" Punk began walking into her bedroom and she rolled her eyes.
"I don't want to not stay with you but I want to take it slow." She said to him.
"We can have sleepovers?" He asked with a grin.
"Of course." She said blushing a bit.
"Well, anyway I have a friend who owns a building a block away from me and he'll give you a good deal." He said to her and showed her a picture.
"Can I see it in person?" She asked liking what she saw.
"Yes we can go tomorrow before I go to work." He told her.
"I hope you don't want me to live with Dean out of some sort of fear that I'll sleep with him." She warned.
"Not at all. I have plenty of female friends I'm not insecure." He told her and she froze.
"How many female friends?" She asked with a nervous laugh.
"More than guys." He confirmed and she folded her arms smiling.
"I'm fine with that." She said to him and he grinned.
"You're jealous." He noted. "That's really cute."
"I'm not jealous." She scoffed lying. "I think it's sweet you have so many groupies."
"You haven't even met them." He laughed.
"I have to meet them?!" She practically gasped.
"I'd like for you to interact in all aspects of my life." He teased.
"Girls don't like me." She whispered fearfully.
"You'll be nervous when you meet my three sisters than." He said to her and her jaw dropped. "And my mother."
"This isn't fair!" She argued. "My family is dead and you like Dean that's the extent of my life."
"You have had a lot going on in all fairness. I met your dad, your ex, your exes family-" He trailed off.
"Ok you win. I have more shady people." She admitted. "I can't meet them all at once." She warned. "Or I'll start rambling and they'll instantly hate me."
"Nobody I love will hate you. Trust me." He assured her. "Also, I love your rambling."
"Now you do but if I'm talking to lets say your family I may start rambling about what a great lover you are." She warned him.
"They'd be proud." He shrugged and she sighed.
"Don't feed me to the sharks." She pleaded and heard knocking at her front door.
"Want me to grab it?" He offered.
"No I will." She said zipping up her bag and sighed as she came down the stairs and saw Elliot with flowers.
"Elliot." AJ greeted opening the door but leaning in the doorway so he couldn't enter.
"I didn't' want to upset you by going to the funeral." Elliot said extending her flowers.
"Elliot-" She began without taking the flowers.
"Why are you so mad at me? I've done all I could to help you." Elliot sighed. "I can't force my father to help. I've tried I really have."
"And have you ever wondered why your father won't help?" AJ asked.
"You know how he is." Elliot reasoned. "I was thinking you can come to lunch with me and my father tomorrow and we'll talk to him together-"
"I'm leaving." AJ told him.
Old AJ would have been thrilled with the opportunity to sit across from the man she was sure had something to do with her mom but new AJ was looking forward to being in Chicago with her new family.
"For how long?" He asked.
"For good." She told him and his face dropped.
"New York?" he asked.
"Chicago?" Elliot asked more himself then glared at her. "With him?"
"He'll be there for sure." AJ confirmed. "A few weeks ago you were offering me money to go."
"Not to Chicago." Elliot said to her. "Not with that guy."
"What's wrong with that guy?" AJ asked defensively.
"He seems like he has a short temper." Elliot pointed out.
"He never beat anyone to a pulp in font of me like you have." AJ reasoned. "He also doesn't listen to his mommy and daddy. He's his own person."
"He's just a cop." Elliot remarked.
"And what I am?" She asked him. "Just a waitress?"
"You could be more." Elliot told her.
"Not here. Not with you." AJ told him. "You want to be like your father."
"What's so wrong with that?" He asked.
"He's hiding something about my mom, he's racist, he hates me." AJ argued. "Need I go on?"
"You're crazy." He laughed shaking his head.
"That part you got me into in two weeks ago, he made a pass at me and he said it was assure you away from me forever." AJ remarked. "He implied he did the same thing with my mother."
"I get you're upset." Elliot said hurt. "But how dare you try to make it out like my dad would sleep with-"
"Sleep with what?" She asked. "Spanish women? Have you noticed his entire house staff!""
"They clean well and pay cheap!" Elliot yelled back and AJ slapped him across the face.
"You are just like him." AJ said pointing at him and he grabbed her wrist.
Elliot's hand was pried off AJ's and she ran into the house leaving Elliot face to face with Punk.
"You think coming here looking for a fight the night of her mother's funeral was the smart play?" Punk asked getting in his face and Elliot cowered a bit. "If I ever see you put a hand on her again I will break it." he added then slammed the door.
"I'm looking forward to getting out of here." AJ said to him.
"I hate to remind you that he's in Chicago often." He reminded her.
"He'll never find me." She smirked.
"I'll arrest him." Punk offered.
"You'd just piss off his dad." AJ said to him.
"Good." He grinned and the thought to go through his head. Elliot was protected here with his dad being a big fish in a small pond but Chicago was another world. Punk might be able to get Elliot to talk more on his turf.
"What are you thinking?" AJ asked curiously.
"Just happy thoughts." he smirked.
