Locked Away


"How'd it go today?" Punk asked, getting home later that night after a day of helping Dominic, with Sofia supervising them, move boxes to the new house from Milwaukee to Chicago. He was eager to find out from his wife how Jude was doing and if their day was as successful as he hoped.

"Wasn't great." AJ shook her head honestly, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, finding a quiet minute to herself.

"What happened?" Punk asked her, sitting down across from her at the table.

"Well she didn't want us there from the get go. Then she was bickering with Thea. We watched a movie but she was falling asleep during it. She didn't eat lunch and then said she was going for a nap." AJ shrugged, "She also… made a couple of weird comments about Mirren."

"What do you mean?" Punk asked.

"Just… things you don't say as a mom." AJ said with concern, "Me and Thea were being ridiculous and just saying how adorable Mirren is and… Jude just said she looked like every other baby." AJ shrugged.

"She said that out loud?" Punk asked as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ said, "And don't get me wrong, I know Jude isn't the dramatic kind. She doesn't strike me as the type of mom who does sit and worship their newborn baby but… I mean, to say something like that, it threw me and Thea right off." AJ shook her head.

"Did you tell Sean?" Punk asked.

"Yeah, well he had gone out for a couple hours. Something to do with work." AJ said, "But when he came back me and Thea just told him how things went. He wasn't surprised. We talked a little about her maybe going to the doctors or starting therapy again."

"You know she's not gonna go, though. Right?" Punk nodded.

"Well she's gonna have to because I'm not watching her suffer like this. She's in a… horrible place." AJ shook her head, "And this should be a special time for her and Sean." She sighed to herself as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I think maybe Sean should call the health visitor back to the house." Punk said as AJ nodded.

"How was your day?" AJ asked him.

"It was good. We got mostly everything boxed up and moved in the van." Punk said, "Sofia had us on a strict schedule." He teased as AJ smiled.

"I'm sure she did." AJ smiled sweetly.

"She reminds me of Thea when she was young so much." Punk shook his head, "Same attitude, same personality." Punk nodded.

"Hey!" Cassie called, getting home from another long day, walking down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Hi, sweetie." AJ smiled.

"Hey, another long day?" Punk asked her as Cassie nodded.

"Yeah, they aren't exactly breaking me in gently." Cassie nodded, "I get a day off tomorrow, though. I plan on sleeping the entire day." She said longingly, opening up the fridge to see what she could eat quickly.

"How is the case going with Jake? If I need to come back in for questioning just let me know." Punk said.

"No, it should be fine. It's a long process for something that ends up so easy to finish." Cassie said, "Your mother did make a statement about the both of you, though." She nodded to AJ.

"Saying what?" AJ asked.

"Let's just say… not very nice things." Cassie said, "But, considering her husband is dead I guess we can give her a pass, right?"

"Well It's not like I'm not used to my mom talking shit about me." AJ shook her head.

"It's a pretty annoying process but… they're not gonna charge you." Cassie shook her head, looking over at Punk, "You were defending yourself. If you didn't, you'd be dead. They gotta take that into account first and foremost. Plus the guy was unstable." She said as Punk nodded, looking over at AJ.

"You ok?" Punk asked her as AJ nodded, taking a sip of her coffee, not saying much. He noticed she hadn't really spoken much about her father and what had happened.

"How was Jude?" Cassie asked AJ who just shook her head.

"Not great." AJ said, "She's struggling a lot." She nodded as Cassie sighed.

"Is it like… to do with Mirren?" Cassie asked, "Is she struggling to bond with her?"

"No, I just… I think it's more to do with her, but I just fear that it starts affecting her relationship with Mirren." AJ said, "Maybe you and Thea could take her out for the day." AJ said. She was trying to think of anything that would get Jude out of the house and talking. Her natural motherly instincts just wanted to help her and figure out a way to make things better for her right now.

"Yeah, we can… we can try." Cassie nodded, "Is she really bad?" She wondered. She'd been shut off from family life for a few days, being so busy at work, barely getting time to sleep and eat. She was upset to hear her sister was in a difficult place.

"Yeah, she's not good, Cass." AJ shook her head.

"Well I'll talk to Thea and see if we can come up with something." Cassie nodded.

"Thank you." AJ smiled as Cassie nodded.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." She said, leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs.

"Yeah, maybe a day with her sisters will help." Punk nodded to AJ.

"I hope so." AJ sighed, "It's again, one of those situations where I feel helpless and I can't help her."

"We can help her. Us just being there is helping, whether it feels like it or not." Punk said.

"She just can't catch a break." AJ sighed, rubbing her forehead stressfully.

"Hey, how's the head?" Punk asked with concern.

"Fine." AJ said briefly.

"Ape, come on… don't lie to me." Punk said.

"Well obviously it's sore. It's always sore." AJ said, "But I can't not do anything. Jude needs us." AJ said.

"You're also not long out of hospital. You need to take it easy. Please." He begged as AJ looked across at him.

"I am taking it easy." AJ insisted, "I sat on Jude's couch all day. How much easier can I be taking it?" She questioned as he just made a face at her, to which she replicated a face back at him.

"Did Thea go to the new house?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah, I think they were gonna stay there tonight." AJ said, "They got the kids beds sorted and I think they're fine to start crashing there for the night." She said.

"I told Dominic I would go and help him tomorrow with anything else he needed." Punk said as AJ nodded.

"Good, I know he'll appreciate that. You're the closest thing he has to a dad." AJ reminded him as Punk nodded.

"He's a good kid." Punk nodded, "Him and Sean. The girls did good." He said as AJ nodded.


Later on that night, AJ and Punk were fast asleep. Cassie had crashed downstairs on the couch, having fallen asleep whilst watching a movie, too tired to keep her eyes open with all the work she'd been doing at the station.

Punk was brought out of his sleep with a nightmare, one which he hadn't had for quite some time, frightening him so much he jumped up, wakening AJ in the process.

"Huh?" Punk felt around him, placing his hand on AJ's arm, turning to her and making sure she was there as she looked at him.

"What's wrong?" AJ asked worriedly, sitting up with screwed up eyes.

"I was…" Punk paused, looking around the bedroom, taking a second to let himself know it was only a bad dream. He hated how real they could feel sometimes. As if he really was living it, "I was just dreaming." Punk shook his head, "Sorry." He leaned over, kissing her and cupping her cheek, "Sorry." He mumbled, kissing her again.

"What were you dreaming about?" AJ frowned, rubbing his arm softly as she lay back down.

"Prison." Punk shook his head with confusion, "I haven't… I haven't had a dream like that in a long time." He said, slowly lying back down on his back as AJ watched him.

"You been thinking about prison?" AJ wondered, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.

"No… no, well… Dominic asked me a little about it yesterday but I didn't think much about it." Punk said.

"Could be in your subconscious, though." AJ said, "You wanna talk about the dream?" She asked him. She knew he'd gone through a bad spell of nightmares a while back, especially when he was dealing with his anxiety and panic attacks.

"Not particularly." Punk shook his head.

"You never talk to me about prison." She whispered, playing with his hair at the side.

"It's better for me if I don't talk about it." Punk said. He'd spoken to her about the basics of things but he never got into it with her. Even though it was a while back, somehow it always felt fresh in his mind and he hated that.

"Well you know if… if you ever want to, whenever, I'll listen." She said as he turned to her.

"I know that." Punk smiled. It was less to do with what happened to him in prison, and more to do with the things he seen. There was a lot he couldn't even put into words.

"You want anything? A drink or something?" She asked him as he shook his head.

"No… no, I'm good." Punk assured her as she smiled, leaning over and kissing him on the lips as he kissed back. By natural reaction he pulled her over on top of him, cupping her face as the kiss deepened, watching as she pushed her t-shit above her breasts where his hands immediately fell to hold onto.

"I'll put good thoughts back in your head." She whispered, kissing his cheek and down his neck as he chuckled a little.

"You already have." He smirked, watching as she kissed down his chest, disappearing under the sheets, pulling at his boxers shorts when suddenly his phone began to ring on the bedside table.

"Who the hell is that?" AJ asked from under the covers, climbing back up his body as Punk reached over for his phone.

"It's Sean." Punk said worriedly, sitting up and answering the phone as AJ fixed her t-shirt and sat worriedly, "Hey." Punk answered, listening to Sean, "Ok, we'll be right there." He said worriedly as AJ immediately got off the bed in a panic, grabbing some clothes to put on, "I know, just… just calm down. We'll be over in two minutes." Punk promised, standing up and grabbing his shorts, hanging up on the call.

"What is it?" AJ asked frantically.

"Jude." Punk said.


AJ and Punk drove to Jude and Sean's house as quickly as they could, getting there in record time due to the quiet roads. They got out of the car and headed into the house, immediately running up the stairs and into the bedroom where Sean was standing outside the bathroom.

"How long has she been in there?" Punk asked him.

"Over an hour." Sean panicked, running his hands over his face, "I've said everything. I've tried busting the door at the hinges but I couldn't." He said.

"Jude!" Punk called, knocking on the bathroom door.

"She's in there with Mirren." Sean said as Punk looked across at him.

"Has she spoken to you?" Punk asked him.

"No but I can hear her moving around." Sean nodded, "I've… I've not heard Mirren." He said as AJ looked at Punk, gulping.

"Jude." AJ knocked on the bathroom, "Jude, it's mom." She said softly, "Baby, can you unlock the door for us?" She asked calmly as Punk looked on nervously, "It's just me and your dad here." She promised.

"Come on, Jude. Unlock the door." Punk said, "Mirren should be in her crib." He said, looking on at AJ who he could see was nervous.

"Why would she lock herself in there?" AJ asked Sean quietly.

"I don't know. I… We went to bed and then I woke up. I heard her in the bathroom and then I realised she had Mirren. I asked what she was doing and… she wouldn't say anything. I sat there talking to her for half an hour, forty five minutes… and then I figured I'd call you guys." He said.

"Jude." AJ said, "Can you let me in with you?" She asked, "We just wanna make sure you and Mirren are ok." She said, "Please come out."

"I'm gonna have to break the door down if you don't come out, Jude." Punk made clear, "You gotta come out." He said seriously.

"I'm worried about Mirren." Sean said truthfully, "I don't know what she's doing in there." He said, "We just gotta bust the door open."

"It could fall and hit her." AJ said with concern, "Jude." AJ said, "Jude, please just come out. You don't have to talk to any of us. We just want to know you and Mirren are ok." She said.

"You got tools?" Punk asked Sean, "I can try pick the lock." He nodded.

"Yeah, let me go look." Sean rushed away as Punk looked on at AJ.

"What is she doing?" AJ whispered in a panic.

"Jude, it's just me and mom." Punk said, "We're just worried about you in there so… so, please just come out." He nodded as AJ placed a nervous hand over her mouth.

"Here." Sean came back into the room with a box with some tools in it as Punk took it from him, crouching down and looking through it to find something to pick the lock with, pausing when he heard the lock turning on the door, standing up as Jude opened up the door, holding Mirren in her arms.

"Baby, what were you doing?" AJ asked frantically, watching as Jude walked out of the bathroom, holding Mirren in her arms.

"Give her to me." Sean said worriedly, taking Mirren from her who appeared to be sleeping peacefully, "What the hell were you doing in there with her?" Sean asked angrily. No longer able to be as comforting as he was. Now he was legitimately concerned, "Huh? What the hell, Jude?"

"Ok, calm down." Punk nodded to Sean, "Go put her down in her nursery." He advised, looking on at Mirren who was asleep, watching as Sean left the room whilst Jude stood quietly.

"What were you doing?" AJ asked, looking on at Jude.

"I was trying to feed her." Jude said sleepily.

"She's asleep." Punk pointed out.

"She wasn't when I picked her up." Jude said, "What did you think I was doing?" She asked them suspiciously as they both looked at her, "Drowning her?" She challenged.

"Jude, that's enough." AJ warned, "The hell is wrong with you?" She questioned as Jude walked past her and got into bed.

"Go wait downstairs." Punk nodded to AJ who shook her head, "Yes. Go." Punk told her as AJ looked over at Jude lying in bed, sighing to herself and shaking her head, walking out of the bedroom.

Punk looked over at Jude, running his hands through his hair and walking over to the edge of the bed, "Jude." Punk whispered.

"What?" Jude looked at him, lying on her side.

"You need to see a doctor." Punk nodded seriously as she looked across at him, "And you need to get better. Because you're not in a good place right now." He said as she nodded, looking on at him, "You deserve to feel better than this." He said, watching as a tear rolled down her cheek and dropped on the mattress, "You're gonna get better, ok?" He nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear as she closed her eyes over.