100
AJ was laying in bed the next morning completely naked under the thin bed sheet but staring at her ring. It wasn't until Punk walked back into the apartment that she looked away from it.
"You're up." Punk said as he let Larry off his leash and put the box of donuts he picked up down on the counter.
"The sun was shinning on my ring and woke me." She teased.
"There's worse problems to have." Punk said to her.
"My face hurts." She told him and he frowned.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I haven't been able to stop smiling since last night." She confided. "I've never smiled so much in my life!"
"Good. That's my life goal." Punk said sitting next to her on the bed.
"I wish we could have still went away. I'm not ready to go back to reality." She told him.
"We still have today and the rest of our lives." He reminded her. "We'll go away."
"I'll be too busy planning our wedding." She warned him and he laughed.
"Oh yea?" He asked.
"Yes." She said to him. "I have all these ideas." she warned.
"Whatever you want wedding wise. I have a savings account and-" He began.
"We are not blowing our savings on a party." She scuffed. "I mean unless you want a huge over the top occasion."
"No, I want what you want." He assured her.
"I was thinking you can talk to your buddy and we can do it on the roof. It was so pretty up there last night." She suggested.
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. It would mean we'd have to invite him though." He warned and she smiled.
"That's fine." She said to him. "I mean I don't really have friends or family to invite so it'll be just your family and friends." She shrugged.
"It won't be big." Punk warned.
"Good." She said to him. "We'll save our money for what really matters, our future."
"I have money, AJ." He assured her. "I don't want you to not have the wedding of your dreams because you're afraid of spending money."
"I don't know what the wedding of my dreams are because I've never thought about getting married." She admitted.
"Seriously?" He asked. "You were with Elliot for half your life and you never thought about marrying him?"
"No." She said with a laugh. "That's how I know being with you is so right. I had no hesitation."
"That's comforting." He smirked.
"The ring couldn't have been cheap." AJ said to him.
"Ape, don't talk about money." Punk pleaded. "I have money, I'm a saver and I live within my means."
"I know." AJ said to him but happily looking at her ring.
"I'm glad you like it." He smirked.
"It's so beautiful." She sighed happily. "You are so good." She said kissing his cheek. "And I really appreciate you making sure Dean was apart of the planning and celebration."
"He's your family, Ape." Punk said to her. "Of course he was apart of it all. I asked him for his blessing too."
"No you didn't!" She laughed.
"I'm a tad old fashioned." He admitted. "I would have asked your father-"
"No I'm glad you didn't." She said shaking her head. "He wouldn't have cared."
"Maybe he would have." Punk insisted. "I mean if you wanted to call and tell him I wouldn't judge you."
"I would judge me." She said to him. "He wasn't there for me during the hardest times in my life then he doesn't get to be there for the best time of my life." She said to him.
"Fair enough." Punk said to her. "I bought you breakfast."
"Donuts." She grinned. "I feel spoiled."
"That's my goal." He told her.
A few hours later AJ and Punk were watching a movie when they heard a knock at the door.
"I got it." AJ said standing up and jogging over to the door and opened it to reveal Peyton and young boy. "Hey." AJ smiled realizing she was with Jack.
"Hey." Peyton greeted. "I wanted to introduce you to my SON Jack." she told AJ proudly. "This is the woman who helped you out." she told Jack.
"Hi, Jack." AJ greeted with a smile and he hugged her in return.
"He really wanted to meet the woman who helped get him out of that house." Peyton told her.
"Oh, ok." AJ said hugging him back awkwardly. Teenagers didn't usually hug her.
"Thank you." Jack said pulling away.
"Of course." AJ said brushing it off.
"Jack is going to be staying here while his school is on break so I'm showing him around the building." Peyton explained.
"That sounds fun." AJ said as Larry ran to the door.
"Cool! She has a pet wolf! Can I pet him?" The young teen questioned.
"Of course. And he's Larry. We're 70 percent sure that he's not part wolf but I can't promise anything." AJ said to him as he pet the dog.
"He's so cool!" Jack cheered. "Dad got me a dog and he made me give it away after one day because he barked too much."
"Well you can come over anytime and hang out with Larry." AJ offered. "He loves attention and we work a lot."
"Cool." Jack said as he continued to pet Larry who was happy to have the attention.
"Congratulations." Peyton said nodding at the ring.
"Oh, thanks." AJ blushed a bit. She was turning into a friend but she was also still Punk's ex which held some awkwardness.
"I'm very happy for you." Peyton smiled.
"I appreciate it." AJ said to her. "And if you need the week off-" She began.
"Not at all." Peyton said brushing it off. "But Jack might come by with me one or two days if that's ok?"
"Of course. And I'll bring Larry." AJ told her.
"Can I walk him if he's at work?" Jack asked.
"Yea. But he chases birds and babies for so reason." AJ warned.
"I'll be really good." Jack promised.
"Then we have a deal." AJ smiled.
"Let's get going Jack." Peyton told him. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Have a good day, enjoy it." AJ told her and gave them a small wave as they walked off.
"Look at you." Punk smiled from the couch. "Saving children from abused homes and reuniting families."
"Peyton did most of the work. I guided." AJ corrected locking the door again.
"You did a little more than that." Punk said to her. "That kid seemed very happy."
"He won't be happy when I trick him into walking Larry all of the time and he has to pry leaves out of his mouth." AJ retorted.
"We could use a dog walker." Punk agreed.
"That would be awesome." She agreed.
"So, have you given any more thought to what we discussed?" Punk asked her as she sat back down.
"I mean, I can bend that way during sex but you'll have to be quick." She said with a straight face.
"About getting a gun." He reminded her.
"Yea." She nodded.
"Yea you want to learn how to shoot?" He asked.
"Yea I've thought about it and I don't think I'd have the guts to use a gun even if I was in bad situation. What about if I get a fake gun?" She suggested.
"No." He said shaking his head.
"I just don't think it's for me." She confided. "Think I'm a wimp?"
"The opposite." He said surprising her. "I wouldn't use a gun if I didn't have to."
"But you feel safer with it." She noted.
"Sometimes but like I've told you I never really had to use it." He reminded her.
"I'll stick with my mace and stun gun." She told him with a shrug. "Those are weapons I know how to use."
"Good." He said to her.
"And I hate to bring it up but that sketch of Dickie-" She began.
"I made over a hundred copies. They are in the lobby of this building plus put into every mailbox, all over your office building, around surrounding blocks and every cop in Chicago has a copy of his picture." Punk assured her.
"Good." AJ said to him relieved. "I do feel like you should send my dad a copy of the sketch. Just so he's not blindsided himself."
"Oh, do you feel I should?" He mocked.
"I really don't want to speak to him." AJ said to him. "And the better you treat me makes me hate him more because he was never this good to my mom. And I know when we decide to have children that no matter what goes on between us you'd never pick up and leave them."
"I'd never pick up and leave you either." He added. "I don't just bail, Ape. If we're mad we gotta fight it out. I don't quit."
"That's very reassuring." She said to him.
A few hours later Punk was in the shower as AJ attempted to cook him a home cooked meal. They went shopping and she wanted to cook him the chicken pot pie her mother used to make for her. She wanted to prove to him that she could be as domesticated as he was. She wanted to be picture perfect wife but that was going to take time and practice.
"I don't get it." AJ groaned looking at her pot pies in the oven. "Why won't they rise?" She asked herself and Larry barked. "I'd find it flattering that you'd want to eat this but you ate your own poop the other day so it means nothing." she told the dog who barked again.
AJ shook her head and opened the oven door as Larry ran to the door and began to scratch at it.
"Larry you just went out." AJ groaned walking to the door and that's when she heard yelling in the hall. AJ peeked out the peephole and saw nothing so opened the door on a crack and saw Jason in Peyton's face as she blocked her door.
"I'm calling the police! You are breaking a court order!" Peyton yelled.
"He's my son!" Jason shouted but Peyton didn't even flinch. She was a true mama bear already.
"He's MY son and he's staying with ME and you are going to spend the night in jail, is that what you want?" Peytong asked.
"Pack your stuff!" Jason yelled banging on her door as AJ stepped fully into the apartment.
"I'll just get Phil." AJ told Peyton and Jason turned and saw her.
"Why are you everywhere?" Jason snapped at her.
"Leave her alone." Peyton warned.
"You started all of this!" He yelled at AJ stalking over to her but the second he reached her he was on the ground.
"Ape, get my cuffs." Punk instructed holding Jason on the ground. She wasn't even sure where Punk came from but he was in his sweats but body still wet from the shower as his clothes hung to him. AJ ran inside and grabbed his cuffs that were near his gun, always.
"You don't understand, that woman took my son." Jason tried to reason as AJ passed Punk his cuffs to his one free hand.
"I understand. I understand better than you ever could." Punk said to him. "You're violating a restraining order, a court order, probably your bail conditioning."
"I want my son!" Jason screamed as his face turned beat red and spit came out of his mouth as he laid on the ground.
"I called 911 they'll be here any minute." Peyton told Punk.
"That's fine, go inside and be with your son." Punk told her but kept his eyes on Jason and was being held down by him.
"Go." AJ assured her and Peyton stepped back into her apartment and heard the door locked.
"You don't get it!" Jason yelled. "He's my son! I've raised him!"
"Keep your voice down." Punk warned him coldly as he tried to unlink his cuffs so he could cuff him which wasn't easy with one hand and Jason who was stronger than he appeared ending up flipping Punk.
AJ watched as Punk tackled Jason to the ground and they began to struggle. She looked towards the stairwell waiting for the police to show up. When Jason was on top of Punk and hit him with a hard punch that's when AJ's adrenalin kicked in and she clawed at his eyes from behind but he sent her flying. When she looked up she saw him holding a gun.
"Jason." She practically whispered as he pulled the safety back.
"I'm done hearing from you." He warned her stepping closer. "You've ruined my fucking life!" he shouted but was tackled by Punk and the gun went off.
AJ was frozen in place as two uniformed officers raced down the hall and watched as they ran over to the two slumped bodies. AJ couldn't hear anything as she saw Jason being pulled off Punk and he was covered in blood. That meant he was hurt and not Punk.
"Get off me!" Jason yelled. "I didn't mean to shoot!" Jason yelled as the other officer flipped Punk over and his white t-shirt was now stained red. The blood on Jason came from Punk.
"Oh my god." AJ was horrified. "No, no, no." She began to cry as she crawled across the floor over to him. "Phil!" she yelled.
"Miss, please." The officer said trying to find Punk's wound to stop the bleeding.
"AJ?" Peyton asked sticking her head outside and saw Punk and looked back towards Jason. "You shot him!" she screamed horrified.
"Please-" AJ began to cry as the officer called for more backup in his walkie.
"Miss stand back." The officer instructed as he cut Punk's shirt to find the wound.
"AJ let them help." Peyton said helping her to her feet and now the hallway was flooding with police and EMT's.
"He was aiming for me." AJ said to Peyton. "He-"
"Who can I call?" Peyton asked her. "Please, I can't go to the hospital I have to stay with Jack."
"I have to go to the hospital." AJ said in shock. "I have to-"
"You can follow." The officer told AJ as EMT's rushed him on a gurney. "No room in the ambulance. Lets go!"
"No!" AJ yelled chasing after them sobbing. "He's mine! He-"
"AJ!" Peyton yelled grabbing her arm so she couldn't chase after them. "They'll take him to Chicago General."
"I don't know- his mom-" AJ began confused.
"I'll call her." Peyton assured her. "Call Dean."
"I have to get to the hospital." AJ sobbed losing her breath in the process.
"Where is your phone?" Peyton asked and reached into her sweatshirt pocket herself. "I'll call Dean and he'll take you to the hospital."
"He wasn't moving-" AJ began as she cried still in shock but took her phone from Peyton and looked for Dean's number. "Dean!" She yelled after he answered.
"AJ I already told you that I don't know how to pick our wedding dresses." Dean stated already knowing why she was calling.
"He's dead!" AJ yelled into the phone.
"What? Who?" He asked anxiously.
"He shot Phil and he wasn't moving!" AJ yelled and Dean could feel his own heart drop.
"Where are you?" Dean asked.
"They wouldn't let me go with him and he wasn't moving!" AJ screamed into the phone.
"April!" Dean yelled. "Where are your right now?"
"The apartment-" She managed to get out between sobs.
"I'm on my way." He told her. "Who shot him?"
"He was aiming for me and Phil was trying to protect me." AJ cried into the phone. "He's going to die." She sobbed.
"Here let me." Peyton said taking the phone from her.
AJ was in a state of shock. She couldn't move or hear or speak. She was in utter shake as her body shook. She watched as officers tried to speak to her but she offered nothing. She was pressed against the wall and everyone was a blur to her. She peered down to where Punk was lying and saw the blood and was physically afraid of it.
"Please, she's in shock." Peyton could be heard saying to one of the officers. "I'll tell you everything I was watching from my door."
AJ watched the blood stained spot on the floor for god knows how long. She didn't snap slightly back to reality until she was physically shook.
"April!" Dean yelled right in her face.
"Is he dead?" AJ asked.
"I didn't go to the hospital I came for you." Dean told her and AJ could spot Renee talking to officers. As ADA this would be a case for her.
"He just shot him. Like an animal." AJ said to Dean in a tonic state. "We were- I was cooking and he was in the shower, where did he come from?"
"Cooking?" Dean asked and AJ slowly nodded and he ran into her apartment.
"AJ, are you alright?" Renee asked her now.
"She doesn't speak." The officer told Renee.
"She's in shock." Renee snapped. "Officer Brooks and her are engaged."
"Brooks?" The officer questioned. "This was Brooks?"
"We should get her over to the hospital." Renee told the officer.
"I got her." Dean said walking back out of the apartment.
"What can I do?" Peyton asked.
"AJ almost set her whole place on fire and there's smoke, I turned the oven off but can you-" Dean began.
"I'll clean it and watch Larry." Peyton assured him.
"I'm going to stay here." Renee told Dean. "Take her to the hospital, she should probably looked over as well."
"He's dead, isn't he?" AJ asked Dean again.
"We have to go, come on." Dean said ignoring her question and ushering her to the exit.
AJ was sitting in the waiting room that was filled with officers. Normally this was something she'd only see on TV but she couldn't even move or absorb what was happening. Dean was at her side but standing, he couldn't sit he was too anxious.
"Did he die?" AJ asked looking up at Dean.
"AJ you're really freaking me out." Dean sighed. "He's in surgery we've been over this."
"I don't understand what happened." AJ told him as tears still streamed down her face.
"Jason shot Punk." Dean reminded her. "He came to the building looking for Jack and Peyton said he pointed the gun at you."
"He was mad." AJ confirmed. "Why didn't he just shoot me?" she asked Dean who was trying not to snap.
"Because Punk jumped on him." Dean reminded her yet again.
"There was a lot of blood." AJ told Dean. "It was everywhere."
"Sometimes gunshots looks scarier than they are." Dean tried to comfort her.
"What about Pam?" AJ asked slowly snapping back to reality.
"There's an officer picking her up." Dean told her. "I wish you'd let a doctor look at you."
"I didn't get hurt. Phil protected me." She informed him.
Just then a doctor walked over and every officer came to their feet as AJ remained frozen in her seat. She couldn't even make eye contact with the doctor.
"How is he?" Dean asked the doctor.
"He's-" The doctor began and AJ shut her eyes tightly preparing for the news that he was dead and she was going to bury the person she loved most in the world just as they were starting out. "-resting comfortably. The bullet went in and out. He needed a blood transfusion since he was on blood thinners at the time which caused the extra bleeding. He has a concussion from the fall which knocked him out but he's perfectly fine."
"AJ, did you hear that?" Dean asked her and she stood up.
"Are you sure?" AJ asked the doctor finally making eye contact.
"I really hope you're April." The Doctor said to her and she nodded. "He's been asking for you since he was wheeled in. And yes, he's perfectly fine. We're keeping him over night because of the head injury but he's perfectly fine. He'd really like to see you."
"Ok." AJ said still in a bit of shock.
"Go see him, I'm going to talk to the boss." Dean said kissing her cheek and she followed the doctor.
AJ walked into a room and saw Punk sitting up in his bed with an IV in his arm and he turned and saw her.
"Babe?" He asked nervously. She was pale as a ghost and her body was shaking. "I'm ok." he said waving her in and she slowly walked in. "Ape." He repeated more sternly. "Look at me, I'm ok."
"Phil." She let out a cry and wrapped her arms around him.
"I hit my head." He told her. "The gunshot went right through it barely hurts."
"There was all this blood." She said to him pulling away.
"I'm on blood thinner for my thick veins you know this." He reminded her. "Please, sit." he said but she didn't move.
"He shot you." AJ repeated.
"Ok." Punk said realizing how shocked she truly was and he was sure it was. She had never seen anything so violent in her laugh. "Yea I was and I'm ok."
"He was going to shoot me and you-" She began. "-why would you do that?" She asked hurt and he frowned. "Don't do that." She cried.
"Ape, I would take a hundred bullets for you." Punk reminded her grabbing her hand.
"You can't do things like this I can't lose you." She said shaking her head.
"Alright, it's ok." He said tugging her and with his good arm held her.
"I can't stop shaking." She said crying into his neck.
"I can feel it." He frowned. "If I didn't hit my head then I would have been up and talking, I didn't even feel it."
"How could you say that? You were SHOT!" She exclaimed.
"Ape, it's fine." He reminded her with a smile. "Look." He said about to remove the badge and she stopped him.
"I thought you were dead." She told him seriously. "You were in the shower-"
"I heard the yelling from in the shower." He told her. "How is Peyton and Jack?"
"I don't know." AJ admitted. "Everything is blank. You can't get shot again." She told him seriously. "Not ever."
"AJ, I'm ok." He reminded her.
"See? He's not dead." Dean snorted walking into the hospital room. "She told me you were dead." He told Punk shaking his hand.
"He wasn't moving!" AJ defended. "And he was bleeding so much!"
"I'm on blood thinners because I have thick veins." Punk told Dean. "I hit my head and knocked myself out. What's happening with this Jason guy?"
"He's in lockup. He'll be there a while." Dean told him. "Peyton and the kid are safe."
"Good." Punk said relieved.
"Your mom is on her way." Dean told Punk.
"Please tell me you didn't tell my mother I was dead." Punk said to AJ.
"I didn't even speak to her." AJ told him.
"She didn't speak to anyone. She's been mute." Dean scoffed.
"She was in shock." Punk said grabbing her hand as she still cried. "Stop crying." He laughed.
"I can't." She said shaking her head. "I've never been more scared in my life. Next time let me handle things."
"Oh, no." Punk grinned. "When someone points a weapon at you then I get involved no questions asked. You get looked at?" He asked her concerned.
"No I wasn't the one shot." She sighed tiredly as her eyes swelled from crying.
"It's alright, this is my job." He reminded her and she frowned.
"I hate your job." She cried.
"I need some paperwork filled out." A nurse said walking inside.
"Ape, could you? I have a bad shoulder." He asked. "Go get a cup of coffee and just sit."
"Fine." She said drying her eyes. "But I will be RIGHT BACK!" She warned.
"I get it." He smiled a bit and watched her leave.
"I have known her since the day she was born and have never seen her cry that much." Dean confided. "Like even when her mom went missing. She's just not a crier."
"It's a scary situation to be in." Punk defended.
"So it was really a flesh wound?" Dean asked.
"Yea, like I was telling Ape I would be going home right now if I didn't wack my head." Punk said to him.
"You were lucky according to the doctor. An inch to the left and you'd be dead." Dean said to him.
"I don't believe in luck." Punk said to him. "I believe I want to punch that guy in the face though."
"If it makes you feel any better there's no way he can try for custody now." Dean offered.
"Yea, great." Punk remarked. "I'm worried about her."
"She's never seen anything so violent before." Dean said to him. "She'll get over it."
"Thank you for looking out for her." Punk said to him.
"She's family." Dean shrugged. "That makes you my family too so watch what the fuck you're doing I can't bury you because she wouldn't survive it."
"I'm not dying." Punk groaned. "I just got her to agree to marry me I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
"Well, the good news is you're famous." Dean said turning on the TV and his face was on the news. "TV thinks you're near death too."
"Why? Why does everyone think that." Punk groaned. "I have to get in touch with my mom-"
"She's already on her way the Captain picked her up and he updated her on your status don't worry." Dean told him. "I got in touch with your sisters as well and made sure they didn't believe what the news was reporting either."
"I appreciate it." Punk said relieved.
At that moment AJ walked back into the room.
"Finished already?" Punk asked.
"I'm a fast writer." AJ shrugged taking her seat right back next to him.
"Alright I'm going to check in with Renee and grab some coffee." Dean said to them.
"I'll take coffee." AJ said to him. "He'll take water."
"I want coffee." Punk argued.
"No. No caffeine for you. You need rest." AJ said to him. "I'll be up watching you all night so I need it."
"Fine." Punk sighed trying to get comfortable.
"I'll be back." Dean said to hem.
"You feeling better?" Punk asked her.
"I wasn't the one who was shot this evening." AJ reminded him.
"I know that." He said to her. "But that's not an easy thing to see."
"I lost so many people in my life that losing you would literally kill me." She told him. "Be more careful."
"Ape, I-" He began and saw her still terrified face. "I'll be more careful." He promised and she kissing his hand.
"I'm going to take really good care of you." She promised him.
"I needed six stitches I'm not in bad shape." Punk laughed. "But I won't turn down you nursing me back to health." He grinned.
"Good." She said to him. "I need to do it."
"Ok." He said to her and looked at her.
"What?" She frowned.
"You look so tired and scared." He frowned. "I hate that."
"Me too." She sighed. "Just tell me you love me."
"I love you." He said holding onto her hand.
"I'm sorry my work got you hurt." She frowned.
"AJ he came to that building looking for Peyton I would have gotten involved regardless of it being your case or not." He told her. "It's what I do."
"Just do it more carefully." She said to him.
"I will." He promised.
"Now I get it when you say I drive you crazy with work. This being scared thing sucks." She said to him.
"Stop stressing it." He told her. "You can go home and get some sleep."
"I will not." She said to him. "For my piece of mind just let me smother you."
"I like the sound of that." Punk teased.
"Phillip Jack Brooks." Pam announced walking into hospital room.
"Get him, Pam." AJ instructed.
"Ma-" He sighed realizing he was going to have to do this all over with his mom after just getting AJ calm. But he wouldn't have it any other way.