Slowing Down

Punk sat up the rest of the night and couldn't sleep even he wanted to. How was he going to tell AJ she lost her last parent? No matter the strain that was her father. He also knew she would blame herself. He wanted his wife to have peace so badly. He'd pick up and move to mars with her if it meant she could have peace even for just a little while.

"Morning." AJ grinned with a smile as she slowly began to stir and wake up.

"Morning." He greeted in a horsed voice and watched her sit up and stretch.

"Did you sleep?" She asked.

"Not really." He admitted.

"Did I snore? Did it keep you up? I haven't slept that deeply and well in months." She admitted getting out of the bed.

"Your snoring kept everyone up on the floor but I told them to fuck off." He teased.

"I have to run to the bathroom." She said passing by him but first giving him a kiss and then ran into the bathroom.

"I know." Punk said to Larry. "I don't want to tell her either."

A few minutes later AJ walked out of the bathroom and looked over to Punk.

"What's wrong?" She frowned.

"I really…" He trailed off looking at her well rested face.

"What is it?" She asked and then felt tears. "Dean?"

"No." He assured her and she felt relieved.

"I think you should sit down, Ape." He suggested and she did as he suggested and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Just tell me Phil don't it drag out." She pleaded.

"I got a call from Dean last night." He began. "It's your dad, babe."

"What about him?" She asked.

"He died." He told her bluntly and she sucked in a breath.

"How?" She asked arching a brow.

"They're not really sure." Punk lied a bit. "They have to wait on the autopsy."

"I'm sure the police came to some conclusion. How did it happen?" She asked.

"Dean called me with a few details this morning again it's not confirmed." He began.

"Phil stop pussy footing around." AJ demanded. "Just spit it out!"

"His boss found him hanged." Punk told her and AJ didn't say a word. "He was in his place. There were no signs of foul play."

"Suicide?" She asked and he nodded.

"Dean went and IDed his body." He told her.

"We have to go there." AJ said standing up. "It's going to take forever to drive there but we can do it."

"Ape-" He began.

"He wouldn't kill himself." AJ told him as she grabbed her suitcase. "Elliot mentioned seeing him in town-"

"April please." Punk pleaded stopping her from packing. "Just absorb what I'm saying. Not everything is case. Not everything isn't as it seems- sometimes it is what it is. Your dad was in a bad place. When I saw him a few months ago he was sleeping in his car he smelled like beer."

"My father wouldn't kill himself." AJ insisted. "And if he did then it was my fault and I won't be able to live with myself if that's the case. So we have to go and make sure."

"It wouldn't be your fault." Punk argued shaking his head.

"Phil!" She yelled pulling away from him. "I told him to go away! I told him he was a terrible person I wouldn't see him, I wouldn't return his calls!

"April-" He began trying to pull her into a hug.

"Don't!" She yelled pulling away. "Don't touch me! I don't need comfort I need your help." She began to cry. "Are you going to help me?"

"Of course I am." He said without hesitation. "We'll fly to Wisconsin." He told her. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"I just have to look at it myself." She told him.

"Alright." He said to her. "Whatever you need I'm here for."

"I'm going to get dressed." She told him.

"Get dressed and packed. I'm going to book us a flight. I'm going to call Celeste and see if she can take Larry." Punk told her.

"Larry." She sighed. "We can't just dump him."

"We can't take him either that's not fair." He reminded her. "I'll figure this out."

"Celeste isn't around this week." She told him.

"Well, let me make some calls." Punk said to her.

An hour later AJ was packed and ready to go. Punk was in and out of the room making calls and finally a knock at the door while he as gone got her attention. AJ opened the door and saw Elliot who walked right in.

"I'm sorry, April." He said giving her a hug and she was confused.

"Elliot, what are you doing here?" She asked pulling away.

"Phil called. Told me about your dad." Elliot frowned.

"Why would he call you?" She asked.

"Because I have the means to get your car and dog home safely back to Chicago." He said to her.

"Right. That was smart of him to ask you." AJ said to him. "Just don't pet him he doesn't like strangers." AJ told him.

"I'm not personally driving your dog back. I have a staff." He reminded her with half a smirk.

"I need to ask your mom what my dad said to her." AJ said to him and he eyed her.

"You're in no condition to be around my mother." Elliot remarked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" AJ demanded.

"It means you're very pregnant and my mother and her people are terrible." Elliot reminded her. "I'll speak to my mother about Robert."

"It's not your place to, I'll do it." AJ insisted.

"You need to stop thinking you can do everything." Elliot said to her. "You are a wife and about to be a mother and you're not made of steal. I'll speak to my mother." He repeated. "I'll make sure Lenny gets home safely too."

"Larry." AJ frowned.

"You can't keep doing this you know." Elliot said to her. "Picking up and trying to solve the worlds problems."

"What?" She asked.

"If this was a few months down the road would you have asked me to drive your baby home?" He asked her.

"No." AJ said folding her arms.

"You're not a kid anymore, April." Elliot reminded her.

"This is my father." She reminded him coldly.

"I get that but you're not by yourself anymore. You're having a kid and you have a husband and if you keep acting like you have to be the one to solve the worlds problems or every single case you're going to have none of that end and you're going to end up alone like me." Elliot warned her. "Is that you don't trust Dean to do his job?"

"Of course I trust Dean." AJ scoffed.

"Well he's the one who's there." Elliot reminded her. "I get that you are hurt and when you are hurt you have to hit the ground running so you don't feel it but going there and getting in the way of Dean and the police isn't the way to do it. You aren't alone anymore you're so lucky to have the family you made."

"I hate you so much." AJ groaned sitting down in the chair.

"You can go there and I'll make sure your dog or wolf whatever that is and car make it safely back to Illinois or you can take your weird dog and your annoyingly kind husband and go back there and wait for your brother."

"It's not just me." AJ agreed touching her stomach. "Thanks anyway but we'll take Larry and our car."

"And I'll speak to my mother." Elliot said to her.

"We all set?" Punk asked walking into the room.

"Yea." AJ said to him. "Thanks Elliot." She said again and he nodded and left.

"Where is he going?" Punk asked.

"I'm sorry." She said to him. "I don't want to go to Wisconsin."

"You don't." He sighed.

"I can't keep trying to solve everything I'm a mother and a wife." She told him.

"You can be a mother and a wife and yourself." Punk assured her. "I never want you to hold back because of me or this baby."

"I need to slow down." She told him emotionally. "Elliot made a good point. I have worked so hard to make the family I never had growing up. Let's just go home. I trust Dean."

"Are you sure? Because I can get us tickets out."

"I'm sure." She said slowly nodding. "I'm really sure."

"I'm really proud of you." He told her and she hugged him.

"Did he do this because of me?" She asked against his chest.

"No. You can't make someone do something like this." He said to her. "If someone does this they've had it in their head a long time. They don't just wake up one morning out of nowhere and do this."

"Logically I know that." She said pulling away and nearly falling.

"Ape." He frowned catching her and walking her over to a chair. "I know this is a lot for you. I'm so sorry."

"Me too." She said sadly. "I said I wanted him gone but I didn't mean-"

"I know that and he knew that." He assured her.

"I just wish I could have done things differently. Said things differently, you know?" She asked as tears escaped her eyes and he knelled in front of her and looked up at her.

"I get that." He said to her. "I'm sorry that you have to bury another parent and I'm sorry when things seem good they get real bad. I hate to see you sad."

"I'm sad about my dad I am." She agreed. "But I have a baby growing inside of me and a whole future to look forward to with you and her." She said to him. "I really do have to learn to slow down."

"Dean has been in touch and we'll stay in touch and we'll follow everything with him, ok?" He asked.

"Alright." She said trying to put on a brave smile.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked.

"He's dead." AJ reminded him. "Getting there now or next week isn't going to change anything."

"Alright." He said kissing the top of her head. "I'll pack up the car."

"Thank you." She said to him.

"I'm the man, it's my job." He teased.

"Not for packing up the car." She laughed sadly. "For being you and willing to drop everything for me when I need it."

"We're a team, I told you that." He reminded her.

The next day they were back in their home and the ride home was mostly silent. AJ didn't have much energy or will to speak about what happened. Punk felt she was replying her last conversation with her father over and over.

"I'll unpack and then we need to food shop because we have nothing in-" AJ began.

"Ape." He said to her quietly. "You're going to go to bed. And I'm going to take care of the unpacking and food shopping." He told her.

"I don't need-" She began.

"Yea you do." He finished for her and grabbed her hand and lead her up the large staircase. "You've been traveling, you barely ate, you got some bad news, you're going to bed." He ordered walking her into the bedroom now. "You've taken care of me these last few months let me do some things for you."

"Alright. I'm only agreeing because I'm so tired." She sighed climbing into the bed.

"You look so pale." He frowned.

"Tired." She corrected as he pulled the covers up over her.

"I know you need something happy to happen." He said sitting next to her and brushing her hair away from her face. "I think tomorrow you'll be able to see the baby's room."

"Really?" She asked sticking her head up eagerly.

"Yea I just have to add a few more things." He told her and she smiled and closed her eyes.

"You hear that she, daddy is going to finish your room." She said to her belly and Punk glared at her.

"Names." He reminded her. "We really need to think of a few names."

"Got it." She yawned unable to keep her eyes open. "Maybe we could order food?"

"You're going to sleep, I'll order groceries and dinner." He assured her.

"I like Hartley." She told him tiredly.

"Hartley?" He asked.

"Yea. We can throw that name into the baby name hat." She suggested opening her eyes slightly.

"I like that name too. It's the only name in the hat right now." He teased.

"We still have time." She reminded him.

Punk felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out.

"Who's that?" She asked.

"No one important." He told her standing up. "Sleep. I'll bring dinner up to you."

"Ok." She yawned again.

Punk jogged down the front stairs and to the front door and opened it and waved Dean in.

"You just made it. We just got back." Punk told him quietly and waved him into the kitchen so AJ wouldn't hear them.

"How is she?" Dean asked looking around.

"She's exhausted." Punk told him. "The traveling and the news I'm worried about her."

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Dean asked nervously.

"No but she's under so much stress." Punk reasoned. "What did you get from Roberts place?"

"Well according to autopsy reports his throat was obstructed and died." Dean told him. "Ruled it suicide."

"But?" Punk asked knowing Dean well enough by now and Dean opened a file.

"He was found in the bathroom, right? So I went through every inch of the place with that Agent Creed and what's this?" He asked pointing at a photo of toilet seat.

"A shoe print." Punk frowned. "On the toilet seat lid?"

"You would think he used the seat to climb up to attach the metal railing of the shower but the outline of the print isn't Robert's size. Robert is 14, this print is 12 or 12 1/2." Dean informed him.

"Like someone shorter." Punk noted.

"Like someone hung him." Dean told him. "We went over it again with the medical examiner and he said the belt strangled him there are no other marks around his throat." He confirmed. "But, there was a bump to the back of his side."

"He was knocked out then hung." Punk said to him and Dean nodded.

"I can't figure out why Dickie would do this if it was him at all." Dean said to him.

"Elliot told Ape that Robert was in New Jersey not too long ago visiting Eliza. He met up with her today to see if he could figure out why and she wouldn't bite on the bait but told Elliot that Robert Mendez was a fool."

"He had paperwork at his apartment, all articles on Dickie, he had tips that came into tip lines, he was in Tennessee himself a week ago." Dean told him.

"He was trying to find Dickie." Punk noted.

"That's what we're thinking." Dean told him. "That's probably why he went to see Eliza."

"And she told McCall." Punk added.

"It's a possibility." Dean agreed.

"He must have gotten close." Punk said to him.

"Feds are going through everything." Dean assured him. "It's possible that Eliza slipped up or he found something at her place. I just don't know why he wouldn't go to the police."

"Because Dickie killed his wife and almost his daughter." Punk told him. "If I was Robert I would have taken the information and killed him myself. I'd have nothing to lose."

"Right." Dean had to agree. "Got him killed."

"I don't know if him being killed will comfort her or just scare her more." Punk said to him.

"Both parents killed by the same man years apart." Dean said to him. "The movie writes itself at this point."

"Why can't we get this fuck?" Punk asked him. "How was Robert Mendez able to get closer to him then us or the feds?"

"Us is easy, we haven't been looking. We put our faith in Creed and the rest of the FBI." Dean pointed out.

"That's been our mistake." Punk told him seriously. "That ends now. We need to find this guy before he gets to Ape." He told Dean. "Or before he causes her so much stress she loses it. She's not safe until he's gone. My daughter isn't safe until he's gone."

"I get it. Now more than I ever I get and I'm going to get him." Dean promised.

"We're going to get him. AJ can't lose anyone else to him." Punk told him.

"I want to check in on her." Dean sighed.

"She's napping. Grab a drink I'm going to order food and we can go over everything by the time I order dinner she'll be up you can see her." Punk told him and he nodded.

AJ woke up and it felt like she slept for days. She looked at the time and it was hours. She went into bad at noon for a quick nap and now it was almost ten at night. She ran to the bathroom since that's what woke her initially.

She headed down the stairs and heard voices as she made her way towards the kitchen. She saw Punk, Dean and a pile of paperwork spread all over.

"Dean?" She asked and both men looked over.

"Hey." He said with a tired smile and got up and pulled her into a hug. "You look bigger." He said pulling away. "How's my niece slash goddaughter doing?" He asked her and she grabbing his hand and put it on her stomach and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Is she kicking?"

"Yes." AJ smiled a bit. "Feel it?"

"Hell yea I feel it." Dean smiled and look towards Punk. "You have a soccer player in there."

"Hockey player." Punk corrected.

"Ballet dancer." AJ corrected both.

"This is amazing but must be so annoying." Dean reasoned and AJ laughed.

"It's not, it's comforting." AJ said to him.

"Is that dinner?" AJ asked looking over to the counter.

"Pizza." He said pointing to the boxes and she rushed over. "I'll heat it up." He offered but she took a cold slice and took a bite out of it and moaned.

"No this is fine. Too hungry." She said with a full mouth then looked over to the table. "What is all of this?"

"Files." Punk said to her and she glared at him.

"I can see that." AJ said to him. "What's this all about? My dad?"

"Yea, look." Dean began. "I don't think Robert killed himself. I'm looking into other things."

"You must have something." AJ said to him. "What is it?"

"A shoe print at the scene." Dean told her honestly. "It didn't match him. He didn't leave a note, I spoke to coworkers who said he seemed in good spirits, he had a physical appointment at his doctors office the next day. Normally people who take their own lives don't plan things out."

"They don't." AJ agreed. "You think it was Dickie?"

"He was following up on Dickie tips and traveling in his search of him." Dean told her. "That's pretty much all we found at the apartment and it wasn't visible. It was hidden."

"In a pot in the cabinet?" She asked curiously and Dean nodded.

"How did you know that?" Dean asked.

"It's where he used to hide extra cash and presents." AJ shrugged.

Punk turned around and looked to where they kept their pots and pans.

"You don't look through our pans?" She asked him.

"No. Do you hide things in them?" He asked confused.

"Cash. Always have emergency cash." She told him. "So he was looking for Dickie maybe that's why he saw Eliza."

"Eliza didn't speak highly of him." Punk told AJ.

"That makes sense." AJ nodded. "Robert probably bragged he was closing to finding him to her."

"That's one theory." Dean agreed.

"What's your other theory?" AJ asked.

"That's the only theory." Dean admitted.

"How are you feeling?" Punk asked her.

"Better. Sleep was needed but I feel like that's all I do." AJ said sitting at the kitchen island with them.

"I uh- I want to make the arrangements for your father." Dean told her.

"I'll do it." AJ told him.

"I don't mind." Dean said to her.

"You did my mom's I'm going to do this. I can do this." AJ said to him. "He wanted to be cremated I know that for sure because him and my mom would fight constantly about it. She wanted to be buried and he wanted to be scattered into the lake or something. All of his family is dead so having a big viewing wouldn't make sense."

"If you change your mind let me know." Dean said to her.

"I'm going to go back to work a few days later and help you with anything you need." He told her.

"You'll have to go clear at his stuff before the end of the month." Dean told them.

"We'll get it done." Punk assured AJ as she grabbed another slice of pizza.

"Agent Creed is probably going to meet you at your fathers place and go over a few things." Dean told her.

"Alright." AJ said to him. "Thank you for going there." She said to Dean.

"Don't be ridiculous. You can thank me though by naming your kid after me." Dean suggested.

"Babygirl Dean." Punk teased. "Don't like that."

"Not Dean." Dean mocked. "Deanna or Deena."

"We'll through those names into the baby hat mix." She told Dean then mouthed 'no' to Punk.