A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This one is going to be a tad bit more slow paced as some of you have noticed. Sometimes insomnia and impatience gets the best of me when I'm writing and I rush through things so I'm going to try really hard not to do that with this one. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and thank you for reading!
She's A Little Runaway
Later that night Punk was back on duty and April was not pleased. She remained silent the entire night, careful not to annoy her. She thought the silence would annoy him but he seemed to be basking in it which in turned annoyed her. But Cena managed to sneak her out for a bit so she was living off of that high for the night. She was content with getting a little fresh air and talking a walk around the City she hadn't yet had a chance to enjoy. She was alerted when there was a knock at the door, but it was the familiar knock the team used. Punk opened the door on a crack and spoke to someone she assumed worked for the hotel.
"I have to go downstairs." Punk said to her.
"What's happening?" She asked getting off the bed.
"A possible security breach. You wait here and keep the door locked." Punk told her.
"But-" She began.
"If you're going to listen to anything I say, let it be this." Punk said to her quickly and she couldn't help but be annoyed by the slight dig in the order.
"Fine." April said and watched as Punk walked out the door.
April walked over to the door to put the bolt over it, which she did then walked over to the terrace. If there was something going on surely the place would be swarmed with cops. She stepped onto the balcony and peered over but the street was quiet, well it was filled with police. She flinched when she heard a loud noise and saw someone kick in the door. April didn't recognize the man but she knew he was not a Marshal or a cop for that matter. She tried to hide off to the side but it would only be a matter of time before he spotted her on the small terrace. She looked down and realized she'd never survive the 15 floor jump. She looked through the glass and she caught the man's eyes and he was now jetting towards the terrace.
"Help!" April yelled down to the people passing but no one bothered to look up.
The man yanked the sliding glass door open and April was absolutely shaking.
"You made this very easy for me." The man said grabbing her by her throat so she couldn't scream and then bent her over the railing. "Don't fight it. It would be less painful if you just jumped yourself." he told her and that's when the pressure came off her neck suddenly and she slouched forward and began to cough to get air back into her lungs.
April looked up and saw Punk struggling with the man over a weapon. The man was strong but he was clearly no match for Punk who worked out. With one hard push it was the man who went flying over the balcony and April let out a horrified scream as she heard a thump then a car alarm going off.
"You ok?" Punk asked kneeling down to check on her.
"Who the hell was that?" April asked as she trembled.
"Were you hurt?" Punk questioned as he inspected her neck.
"No...I don't think so." She said quietly then looked over down to the street but Punk gently forced her face to look the other way.
"Do not look down there. Eyes on me." Punk ordered and she just nodded.
"But he-" she began.
"It's not important." Punk said helping her to her feet then quickly pulling her back inside.
"That wasn't Jeremy Sawyer." April said to him.
"I know." Punk said easing her into a chair.
"But who was he? Did he work for Jeremy's father?" April asked.
"I know about as much as you do." Punk said to her. "Did he say anything to you?"
"No." April said shaking her head.
"Alright." Punk said as officers walked into the room. "I have to talk to the cops. You need to sit right here."
"Ok." She said in barely a whisper. She watched Punk talk to the cops and held her hands together. They were shaking uncontrollably and she kept looking at them.
"I can't stay here." She whispered to herself.
She tried to remain strong after witnessing her neighbors murder but this was all getting to be too much for her. She couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't be in this City, she couldn't be in this room and she couldn't be a witness in this trial, no matter how bad she felt for Ms. Paulson. She made the decision right then and there she'd be leaving as soon as was able to escape. She'd only take her purse and never look back.
"I think I have to go to the hospital." AJ suddenly announced and the cops and Punk looked back at her. She was thinking as she went. The only way she would get to be alone was in a hospital room. She'd sneak out through there. It was the only place that the Marshal's wouldn't follow her.
"Why?" Punk asked with concern and stopped his conversation to walkover and talk to her.
"I can't stop shaking. I think I'm having a heart attack or something." She rambled and he eyed her suspiciously.
"Alright." Punk said grabbing her purse. "I'll take you now."
"Thanks." She said as she continued to shake then took her purse from him. "I can hold it." She said then walked past the officers and out of the room first.
Punk was in the waiting room of the hospital when Adam approached him with Beth.
"What the hell happened?" Adam asked.
"Sawyer's father found her. I have no fucking idea how but he did. They had a distraction downstairs to get me out of the room but it felt off. I went back two minutes later and he wad dangling April over the balcony." Punk explained.
"How is she?" Beth asked.
"She thought she was having a hear attack or something, so fucking over dramatic." Punk said annoyed. "I'm wasting my fucking time here. I need to figure out how they found her."
"I think I know." Adam said to him and Punk glared at him.
"There was a breech and you didn't inform me?" Punk asked in a hissing voice.
"When I came on for my shift earlier to relieve Cena they weren't there." Adam explained and Punk tilted his head in anger and confusion.
"Where the fuck were they?" Punk demanded to know.
"He took her for a walk around the block a few times." Adam said and Punk shook his head in disbelief. "They must have spotted her that way."
"Where is he?" Punk asked him.
"He's off tonight. I think it's his wife's birthday or something." Beth answered.
"Get him here now." Punk growled. "How could he let that fucking happen?"
"You know him." Adam said to him.
"It almost got our star witness killed then we'd never get Sawyer. I told all of you I wanted no hiccups with this case!" he yelled.
"He was trying to cheer her up." Adam reasoned.
"No he was trying to get her fucking killed which he almost dead. Ten seconds later we'd be scrapping her body off the pavement instead of his." Punk said to him.
"I'm sure he didn't-" Adam began.
"Know? He's a professional. We've worked these cases before, we've lost witnesses to James Sawyer before. Three of them as a matter of fact that he killed right under our noses." Punk reminded him coldly. "This girl is our last fucking chance!"
"I get that but we can't treat her like a prisoner either." Adam reminded him. "I know you want to get Sawyer, we all do but we have to remember she's human and if we don't give her some space she's going to bolt."
"Well, maybe this was a blessing than. She'll be too scared to run." Punk told him.
"Marshal?" The nurse questioned walking over to Punk and he nodded.
"She ok? Can you prescribe something to her for her over dramatic personality?" Punk asked seriously.
"She's not here." The nurse told him and his face dropped.
"What do you mean?" Adam asked.
"I stepped out to get something to examine her with and when I came back she was gone." The nurse said.
"Check the exits!" Punk ordered Adam as he ran down the room AJ was in and tried to figure out how she would escape.
April knew the first thing they would do is check her credit cards. So she purchased an airplane ticket back to New Jersey on it then took cash out of her debit card at a nearby ATM. She waved down a cab and him take her to the train station. She was going to make the last train heading out to New Jersey and would at least make it onto the train before they figured out she wasn't at the airport.
It was a twenty hour train ride but it was the safest April had felt in days. She couldn't even play on her phone since she tossed it by the ATM in case Punk and his team could track it. It wasn't just Punk she didn't want to find her, it was James Sawyer and his father. She just wanted to go home and hide away there. At least she'd know where to hide there, she'd get to see her parents and be at peace. She hoped once Sawyer figured out she fled it meant she wouldn't testify against him. She felt bad for Ms. Paulson, she truly did, but she knows she wouldn't want April to sacrifice her own life.
She just kept weighing the pros and cons of staying with the Marshal's and she reasoned that the con's outweighed the pro's. She may have taken the chicken way out but she was going to live long enough to follow some of her dreams at least. She'll get to accomplish her dream job, not in Chicago obviously, but somewhere closer to home. Maybe she'll give herself the choice to meet someone and fall in love and maybe start her own family. If she stayed in Chicago she'd be dead. She believed Marshal Brooks wanted to protect her but she just didn't think he could.
Once stepping off the train April pulled her hood up over her head and called a cab from a payphone at the station. It was early morning and she was in awe of all the people they passed as they drove to her tiny little town. All happy and giggling and doing everything things, yet she was afraid she was going to die. She was on a hit list and these people had no idea what she was going through. They had no idea she wasn't going to be free for a long time.
April made sure to have the cab drop her off a few blocks from home then paid the driver. She walked the rest of the way and avoided her neighbors by keeping her hood on and covering her face. She didn't need everyone to know she was back. The closer she got to home the more scared she became. What if she was leading these psycho's straight to her innocent parents house? They killed Ms. Paulson for no reason they'd have no trouble killing her parents.
April grew even more hesitant as she turned down her block and saw her parents house. There was a police car outside of it and she hid behind a tree. She peeked over and could see her parents shaking the officers hand and walking him to his patrol car. Marshal Brooks probably sent them to bring her back home. She waited behind the large tree until the car left then literally ran down the street and into her backyard.
April peered around the well kept yard and smiled when she saw her childhood swing set that she shared with her brother. There was a big tree where her father built her a tree house. She walked over to the tree and ran her fingers over the initials she and her brother carved into them years before. She held back her tears and sniffled as the memories flooded back to her. Her brother was watching over her and protecting her, she knew it. She walked to the sliding glass door and pulled the door open which lead to the living room and came face to face with her mother who was just walking to the door.
"Mom." April cried. "I need you."
Punk was packing a bag at his apartment when someone knocked on his door.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Punk asked letting Cena in.
"I want to go to Jersey with you to look for her." Cena offered. "I feel bad."
"You should feel bad." Punk said to him. "You took her out in public. Why did you do that?"
"She just wanted a little freedom." Cena sighed. "I felt bad."
"She'd be grateful for the lack of freedom if it meant she wasn't killed." Punk said to him. "You can stay here and follow up on the Sawyer leads. I'll bring April back."
"What if she doesn't want to come back?" Cena asked.
"She'll come back." Punk said simply.
"How do you know she's in Jersey?" Cena asked. "Beth told me she bought a ticket to Jersey last night."
"She played us. She bought the ticket on her credit card to lead us there but she wasn't there. She never boarded the flight." Punk said annoyed as he continued to pack.
"What if Sawyer got to her?" Cena asked.
"Do you think I'm fucking stupid? Do you think I'm you?" Punk asked in disbelief. "She took a train to Jersey. I saw her on the security feed step onto the train. She's home by now but her parents are either hiding her or she's staying somewhere else close to home."
"I just don't know if she'd be so obvious." Cena said to him.
"You think you know her?" Punk asked with an amused laugh. "You spend a little time with her and let her talk you into risking her life for a stroll around the block. You're putting your dick ahead of cases and I'm fucking done with it. You want to step out on your wife? Fine. You're a scumbag and I accept that about you because normally you're damn good at your job. But when you decide to risk not only a case but a young girls life because you want to get your dick wet that I do not accept."
"It's not like that." Cena insisted. "I never slept with her."
"I know you haven't because I'd know. And the small amount of time I've spent with April, she might enjoy that you flirt with her but she's a good girl. She's not taking her pants off for you." Punk said to him simply. "I'm going to take this trip to New Jersey and consider your spot on my team as well."
"You're going to fire me?" Cena asked stunned. "We've worked side by side for years and you're goint to kick me off your team for one fucking slip up?"
"One slip up can cost someone their life and me a case." Punk reminded her. "A slip up is running late for work or not cleaning your gun. Those are innocent mistakes. Taking our witness out on the busy Chicago street so everyone could see her knowing she was being looked for was fucking selfish. You did it because you wanted to get laid. You want to get laid so bad? Spend some more time at home with your wife, don't ever fuck up one of my cases for it."
"All you care about is this case and you forget you have to treat the witnesses like humans." Cena said to him. "That's why they never last. They either run or get killed. I was trying to make sure she didn't run."
"Yes, thank you because you did a great job." Punk remarked. "Not only did you almost get her killed but she ALSO ran. Bravo."
"I didn't know that was going to happen-" Cena began to defend.
"If I'm too late and this girl is dead it's all on you." Punk told him bluntly. "Not only will you be off my team but I'll see to it you lose your badge." he warned then zipped up his bag.
April was in her old bedroom after taking a relaxing shower. Her hair was still wet when her mom walked into her room with a tray.
"Food." Janet said putting on a brave smile.
"I'm starving!" April sighed reaching for the tray. "My favorite." She grinned at the sandwich. "I can go back to helping you guys at the diner now." she told her mom.
"Baby, it's best you stay inside for a while." Her mother told her. "We'll keep you safe."
"I just want to get back to normal." April explained.
"The officer who came here before you did told you were in grave danger." Her mother said to her sadly. "I don't understand how you got dragged into a murder."
"Me either." April sighed. "It was an accident, that's for sure."
"I'm just glad you're here now and safe." Janet said cupping her face. "But what about your things in Chicago? Your internship?"
"I couldn't take anything with me or tell my job I was leaving or the Marshal's who were tasked me to would have figured it out." April told her.
"Why did you leave?" Janet asked her.
"I told you this already." April groaned. "I don't want to be involved. Chicago isn't like here. I can testify and then still get killed for snitching. I would never ever be safe ever again. I'm safer just running from the Marshal's and minding my own business."
"That's not what the officer told us." Janet frowned.
"He's trying to scare you into giving me up." April said to her. "No what cop or Marshal comes to that door you can NOT tell them I'm here or they'll make me go back."
"You're breaking the law." Janet explained. "You were a witness to a federal crime and legally you're required to tesify."
"I'll just lie and say I don't remember anything." April shrugged.
"I just don't think running is right. I'll give my life for yours but-" Janet began.
"Nothing is going to happen. If I ran that means the crazy man's family knows I don't want any part of a trial and they'll leave ma lone." April insisted. "It's fine. Nothing is going to happen to you or daddy."
"It's not us we're worried about." Janet sighed. "It's you. You're all we have left April and if something happens to you then we might as well be dead."
"Don't talk like that." April said standing up.
"I have to talk like this because I am terrified for you." Janet said watching April pace around her room. "You witnessed a crime, you shouldn't be made a victim."
"I agree!" April exclaimed. "But not only are these criminals trying to get me but the Marshal's treats me like I'm the criminal! I can't do anything! They wouldn't let me work at first and when I would go to the bathroom they used to make me leave the door unlocked and opened on a small crack. I literally had no privacy."
"I'm sure they were just doing their jobs." Janet said with a frown.
"Their job was making me suffocate. I felt like I couldn't breathe." April said to her.
"Sometimes things are annoying and inconvenient but also very, very necessary." Janet told her sternly.
"If you want me to go I'll go." April said to her. "It wasn't right for me to put you and daddy in the middle."
"Don't be ridiculous." Janet said shaking her head. "We want you here. And not only that, your father feels like no one could protect you like he could." she smiled lightly. "I'm just worried."
"Don't be. Because I'm home and I'm safe." April said to her. "I never should have left to begin with."
"Yes you should have." Her mother said to her. "You're not meant to be here. You're destined for greater and better things."
"You always wanted Robert to take over the diner. I can do that." April said to her.
"Your father and I are closing it in two weeks when our lease is up." Janet said and April's face dropped.
"When did you decide that? That diner has been in our family since great great Grandpa." April reminded her.
"Your father and I are old now and we want to relax now. We raised you and your brother and you finally left the nest, it was just good timing." Janet said to her. "We've been thinking about traveling."
"Traveling? You two haven't even been on a bus before." April scoffed.
"You inspired us." Janet said giving her a warm smile. "We have cruise tickets for the day after the Diner's last day. We're going to Athens."
"Greece?" April asked stunned and Janet nodded.
"Obviously we're going to cancel the trip with you being home-" Janet began.
"No you're not." April said shaking her head. "You two deserve this."
"I just want you two to do something enjoyable. I wasn't planning on staying longer than that anyway. I'll probably have to keep moving." April told her.
"That's ridiculous." Janet said to her.
"I have to do what I have to do." April said to her. "What I need is a good nights sleep and rest and hopefully tomorrow I'll be thinking more clearly."
"Alright. But eat first. It looks like you haven't eaten since you moved to Chicago." her mother scolded.
"I love you." April said to her and she smiled.
"I love you too, baby." Janet smiled back before closing her door shut.