Younger Days

"Morning, April. Here's the files from the copy room that were left for you." Lucy walked into AJ's office.

"Morning." AJ smiled sweetly.

"You have a remote conference call at 11am and I think… that's all for today." She checked her diary in her hand.

"Oh, good. That will give me time to catch up on all of these emails and paper work." AJ nodded, "Thanks, Lucy." She nodded, taking the files from her.

"Uh… I think you should know that the new guy on the floor, well yesterday he asked me if you were single." Lucy shook her head with confusion as AJ looked up.

"Joey?" AJ questioned.

"I didn't catch his name. But it's the only new guy around here." Lucy nodded, "I wanted to tell you yesterday but you left early." She said, "I just told him no. That you've been married for years." She shrugged.

"Did he say anything else?" AJ asked.

"No, after that he just kinda stormed away." Lucy said, "Maybe he just has a crush on you." She laughed a little, "It's never a bad thing to hear."

"No." AJ nodded along with a smile, "Thanks for letting me know." She said.

"No problem." Lucy smiled, leaving the office and closing the door behind her as AJ leaned back on her chair with a loud sigh.

She didn't wait long before standing up and leaving her office, walking down the corridors and into Joey's office, not bothering to knock as she walked straight in.

She saw he was on a phone call, but marched straight up to the desk, pressing her finger on the decline button on the telephone as he took it away from his ear slowly.

"That was… kind of important." Joey looked at her with confusion.

"I have to speak with you." AJ nodded as he put the phone back on the hook.

"What's up?" Joey laughed a little.

"Ok, I… I know that you're here for a job. I'm not that egotistical to think you're here just because I am." She said, "But I am married. Happily married. And I'm not ok with you… flirting with me and asking my assistant about me." AJ made clear as Joey raised his eyebrows, "We are both here to do a job, and I'd like to just keep it that way, ok? I am beyond this sort of… drama in my life." She pointed.

"Alright ok, calm down." Joey laughed a little, "I had a hunch you were married… well, technically when we dated you were married too. But I figured once that guy got out of prison you'd… you'd rekindle things. It was very obvious you were still in love with him." He remembered as AJ nodded.

"Yeah and I still am. Always will be." AJ said, "I'm sorry if what I did was cruel to you. Getting with you when I knew deep down I wasn't ready for a relationship with anyone else. I was never gonna be ready for that." She said, "But… just please don't make me uncomfortable in my own work place." She shook her head.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I was making you uncomfortable." Joey put his hands up, "That really wasn't the intention. It's just… well you're still really beautiful." He shrugged as AJ looked at him, "And I hated that things didn't work out for us. I thought about you for a long time." He said as AJ just looked at him, "Judging by that silence you… haven't thought about me."

"It was three months, Joey." AJ shook her head, "And I… I was at a really tough spot in my life when I was with you. And I'm grateful that you gave me a shoulder to cry on." She nodded, "But… when my husband got out of prison we got back together and that… that's the thing that will always feel right to me." She nodded.

"Hey, I understand." Joey said, "I've been married. I know it's a good time. It didn't really work out for me since I'm divorced but… when it was good it was really good." He said.

"I'm sorry about the divorce." AJ said as he nodded, "I'm not saying to you that I don't want you to talk to me or look at me in here. Just… things were just becoming a little too much and I'd rather we just keep this professional." She said.

"I agree." Joey assured her, "You can't blame a guy for trying. Your husband is a lucky man, that's for sure." He said as AJ looked across at him.

"Less of that would be helpful." AJ pointed. It was those comments that made her slightly uncomfortable. The subtle flirting. If she told Punk half of what he had said, she knew he'd flip his switch.

"Oh, right." He nodded, "Sorry." He laughed a little as she just nodded.

"I feel like a bitch coming in here." AJ admitted as he shook his head.

"No, you got every right to tell me to back off." Joey said, "And I will." He assured her as she nodded.

"Thanks." AJ mumbled, backing off out of the office and closing the door behind her as Joey sat back on his chair, thinking to himself.

"Hey, you're home late." AJ said, standing in the kitchen later that night when her husband got home from work.

"The delivery that was supposed to come in at noon decided to come in later." Punk shook his head, walking over to her and kissing her as she scratched under his chin.

"You got a dirty nose." AJ smiled, brushing her fingers on his nose.

"Hard work, babe." Punk nodded, "How was your day?" He asked her, taking his jacket off.

"It was fine." AJ nodded. She felt better after clarifying things with Joey. She felt like she'd really expressed how she felt and was grateful he had listened.

"Busy?" He asked her as she nodded.

"I'm always busy." She smiled as he nodded.

"I know." He said, "I got a visit from our lovely daughter on my lunch break." He nodded.

"Which one?" AJ laughed a little.

"The cop." Punk teased as she smiled, "She told me that Jake was at their house a couple days ago and actually apologise to them both. Which is fair enough."

"He did?" AJ raised her eyebrows, "Well he did fuck up." She nodded, sitting down at the table to have dinner with him.

"Yeah, he did. Especially with Theo." Punk said, "Cass said it's helped Theo move forward now. I think he was really mad about it all."

"I would be too if I was him." AJ shook her head, "He works his butt off and then it's all just taken away from him like that? That's bullshit."

"Yeah." Punk agreed, "She had her lunch with me, it was nice." He nodded as AJ smiled.

"You remember when me and Thea used to come have lunch with you? When she was just a little baby?" She smiled.

"I do." He nodded fondly, "She loved seeing the water. I'm pretty sure she tried every flavour of ice-cream down there."

"Haven't we all?" AJ chuckled, "I used to scrape pennies to get on the bus to come see you. Thea would always make us miss the first one so we'd have to get on the busy one. Then she'd complain about having to stand." She shook her head.

"Kids." Punk nodded, "Who'd have them?" He teased.

"That all still feels like it was a few years ago." AJ shook her head, "It's crazy."

"It does." Punk smiled, "It's always good to think back."

"Yeah, it is." AJ smiled, tapping his foot under the table as he tapped her back.

"Do you want to go see daddy or not?" AJ folded her arms, standing at the bottom of their apartment building, watching Thea crouched down, stalling whilst fixing her shoe laces, "We're gonna miss the bus."

"My laces." Three year old Thea complained.

"Then let me fix them-"

"No!" Thea yelled independently. No one done anything for her. She did things for herself.

"Well chop chop. It's almost gonna be dinner time." AJ shook her head as Thea fixed her laces eventually.

"Done." Thea jumped happily, taking her mother's hand.

"Ok, let's go." AJ nodded, "Watch all that glass." She shook her head at the smashed booze bottles at the bottom of their apartment building.

"Who did that?" Thea observed.

"Silly people." AJ explained.

"Did they drop it?" Thea asked, walking around the glass which her mother guided her around.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, leaving the apartment building.

"Did you pack my sandwiches?" Thea asked as AJ nodded.

"I did." AJ said, "And maybe if you're good, you can get some ice-cream." She nodded as Thea grinned, causing AJ to smile.

Having Thea so young really caused both her and Punk to grow up quick. They were both only 22 years old and had a whole little person to take care of and do right by. If anything, she was the best guidance they could have asked for. Their childlike senses were still there of course.

They got on the bus, thankfully the least busy one and headed to visit Punk for lunch. AJ was sure that Thea knew the way and if she got lost she'd be able to navigate her way around the city. They walked everywhere.

"Thank you, bus driver!" Thea yelled before jumping off the bus at their stop.

"Thank you." AJ laughed a little as the driver smiled, "You know you don't have to yell." She took Thea's hand.

"But what if he didn't hear me?" Thea asked as AJ nodded.

"Fair enough." She said, walking towards the docks, stepping down the stairs and looking around for her boyfriend, spotting him standing with Dean.

"Daddy!" Thea spotted Punk right away who turned around.

"She's as loud as April." Dean scoffed as Punk just smiled, watching as Thea came running for him. The best sight.

"Hey!" Punk yelled back, catching her in his arms and lifting her up, "I like your t-shirt." He noticed the rainbow t-shirt.

"Thanks." Thea grinned.

"Hey." AJ smiled, eventually catching up.

"We took the bus." Thea told her father.

"Like you do every time?" Dean scoffed. His dry personality and lack of children always shined through.

"Yes." Thea answered him.

"Tell him to watch his mouth." Punk nodded to Thea.

"Watch your mouth." Thea repeated, looking at her uncle sternly as Dean nodded.

"Consider it watched." Dean put his hands up as Thea hugged into Punk's neck.

"You been good for mommy?" Punk asked Thea, patting her back sweetly as he looked over at AJ for the true answer.

"Yeah, she's always good." AJ smiled as Punk nodded.

"And has mommy been good for you?" Punk asked Thea who lifted her head.

"Umm… a little." Thea smiled as AJ chuckled.

"A little?" AJ gasped, "Thea Mendez." She shook her head as Thea smiled cheekily.

"Alright, you're going in the water." Dean teased, taking Thea from Punk, pretending to throw her in the water like he did every time, resulting in Thea squealing.

"Brought you some sandwiches." AJ nodded to Punk who smiled, "Made with love as always."

"Thanks." Punk chuckled, "I love when you make me things with love."

"Oh, yeah?" She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Well I love coming down here and seeing you all sweaty. It's the only reason I come actually." She teased as he chuckled, leaning down and kissing her softly.