Just a Witness

April was in Punk's office sitting behind his desk while he was off interrogating the man who broke in and nearly killed them. She watched as people rushed by back and forth and wanted to do more but all she could really do is keep out of the way.

"Hey." Punk greeted walking into the office. "I got you a coffee."

"Thanks." April said holding her hand for it and taking it.

"You ok?" He asked sitting on the edge of his own desk and she nodded.

"I think I'm growing oddly used to almost being killed." April teased lightly.

"You were incredible tonight." Punk told her honestly. "You really did save my life. Even though I told you to run and next time I tell you to do something, do it."

"I wasn't just going to let him beat you to death." April said to him.

"The spider monkey thing was impressive." he smirked. "Where did you learn that?"

"The playground." She said seriously and he laughed. "Or maybe after watching a few UFC fights I'm ready for the real thing." she suggested and he laughed.

"You just might be." Punk agreed. "I'm going to be here the rest of the night so if you want to go back home Beth and Adam will both take you and stay with you."

"I don't think I want to." April said to him. "Maybe I should go back to a hotel or-"

"I let you down." Punk said cutting her off. "It won't happen again."

"You didn't let me down." April said shaking her head.

"I did. I told you that you would be safe there and you weren't. But it's not going to happen again and it's not fair to keep moving you around." Punk said to her. "You were settled and content there and you'll stay there."

"It's not safe, Phil." She said to him. "It's not safe for you either! I've put a target on your back now-"

"I always have a target on my back." Punk informed her.

"Is this guy talking?" April asked.

"No he's not. Lawyer bought and paid for by daddy Sawyer." Punk told her and she nodded. "I'm going to keep working on him though. I'm going to get James and this nightmare will be over."

"You heard what he said last night, right?" April asked. "He said I was going to die."

"I heard it and he was wrong." Punk said to her. "He was just trying to scare you. Don't give him that power."

"What about the witness protection program?" April asked him. "I can go into there and then come back to testify then go back, right?"

"It's an option." Punk nodded. "But that's saying goodbye to everything and everyone. Your parents, your friends, your job- you can never come back or talk to them again."

"I don't really have friends if you haven't noticed." She teased. "My parents have each other and my career is blown. Maybe a fresh start is what I need."

"It's not a fresh start it's a complete do-over." Punk reminded her. "You should think about it. There's no do over if you do this."

"I don't want to die." April said bluntly. "After finding my brother I remember thinking 'how could he give up when he was so young'? He had his whole life ahead of him."

"You have the right thinking but WITSEC is something you have to seriously consider. I notice after traumatic things happen you tend to make life altering decisions." He noted and she glared at him. "Give me all the dirty looks in the world but I've been living with you, I've known you for a pretty long time now and I know that's what you do."

"Wouldn't you be able to work the case better without me around?" April asked.

"Not really. I'd still worry about you." Punk said to her. "You're not a distraction, you're a reminder and I need that. And maybe I need your protection." he teased and she smiled brightly.

"You're right." She said to him.

"About WITSEC?" He asked.

"Yes but not just that, you need my protection." She agreed.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back home?" Punk asked her.

"No. Just to the bathroom." April said standing up and passing him her coffee then walked out of the room.

"How is she doing?" Punks boss, the chief asked as he walked into Punk's office.

"She's tough as nails." Punk said to him.

"You got damn lucky tonight." The Chief told him. "I think we need to have the conversation with her."

"What conversation?" Punk asked.

"WITSEC." The Chief said to him.

"We just did. She's not going." Punk said sipping his coffee.

"It's the safest option for not only her, but you." Chief warned him. "I knew I shouldn't have approved her to stay with you."

"It's not the safest option." Punk argued. "And she shouldn't have to start her life over because she saw someone do a shitty thing."

"You know this job isn't easy." Chief reminded him. "Sometimes the best thing to do doesn't always feel right. I can't promise her safety after trial either."

"I promised her parents and her I'd keep her safe. She's young she has a career she's working on she's already lost a lot. I want to do this my way." Punk told him.

"It's foolish." The Chief told him. "She's just a witness." he reminded Punk who looked bothered by the comment.

"I know." He agreed quietly. "But I want her with me. I'll protect her."

"Maybe you need the protection." The Chief said to him.

"There's more to this." Punk said to him. "Why didn't he just kill her tonight?"

"What do you man?" The Chief asked.

"He had me down and he could have easily pulled the trigger when she was checking on me and killed her but he didn't. He grabbed her. He was also masked." Punk told him. "That's not like James Sawyer senior."

"It's not." The Chief agreed. "But his lawyer is paid for by him, right?"

"Yea." Punk said to him. "They didn't want to kill her."

"Maybe they thought they could get her to change her statement." The Chief suggested.

"Why waste the time? Take the risk of coming into a federal Marshal's house? He knew making it out of the building with her would be risky too. They wanted her out of the building and alive." Punk told him.

"What's this Mendez girl's story?" The Chief asked. "Could she have a connection to the Sawyers? It was her building where the original murder took place."

"She has no connection to them." Punk said waving it off. "Her town is Jersey is the size of a mall and she wasn't in Chicago long before this happened."

"I'd say maybe she dated one of the family members but she's not really their type." The Chief said to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Punk asked curiously.

"Look at her." The Chief said. "Pretty thing but not their type. They prefer beautiful and voluptuous."

"I think she's more than pretty." Punk said to him and the Chief smirked.

"I hope you're not keeping her around because you're sharing a bed with her." The Chief said to him.

"I'm not. I'm not Cean." Punk said to him.

"Yea. He's had some slip ups." The Chief agreed. "How are you handling that?"

"I suspended him." Punk said to him.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't want this girls or some other innocent girls death on our hands." The Chief warned him.

"I'll take care of it." Punk assured him.

April stepped out of the bathroom and the minute she did an office door opened and she was tugged inside.

"It's just me." Cena said to her with a laugh.

"Can you not terrify me like that?" April asked as she placed her hand over her beating heart.

"I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Punk doesn't like when I talk to you." Cena said to her.

"I'm fine. A little shaken up." She admitted.

"Heard you kicked some ass." John grinned as he ran his hands up and down her arms.

"I did." She said growing uncomfortable and gently nudged away from him.

"Look, you've always been nice to me so it's fair that I should tell you what was just said in the meeting with our Chief." John said to her.

"What?" April asked.

"We can't keep you safe it's very clear now." John told her. "Punk thinks he's God and he's not. He's being very stubborn with this but the Chief is pushing to put you in witness protection."

"Phil said that's not a good idea." April said to him.

"He just wants to get James Sawyer he doesn't give a shit what happens to you after. Me and the Chief are thinking about you, not him." John said to her.

"You think I should go?" April asked.

"Yes." John said to her. "And the sooner the better. I don't want to see you get hurt again. But we know Punk is going to talk you out of it. I'm the one thinking of your best interests."

"I'll never get to see my family again." April told him sadly.

"Better to not see you and know you're alive then burying you next to your brother." John said to her and April narrowed her eyes at him. "You might as well commit suicide like him if you don't-" he began but April slapped him hard across the face then stormed out of the office.

"Fuck." John hissed rubbing the red mark he was sure she left on his cheek.

April went right to Beth and asked her to get her back to Punk's. She was so angry she didn't want to look at him. She thought it went without saying that what she told him about her brother was in confidence. By the time he made it home late that morning she was still up and drinking coffee at the table.

"Hey." Punk said spotting her. "You didn't say goodbye last night." then he saw her bag packed by the door. "You're running again?" He asked in disbelief.

"I was going to stay elsewhere at least. Maybe a hotel but still stay under the protection of your team because for some unknown reason that for the life of me I can't figure out I do still trust you with my life." she said to him.

"So why would you leave here?" He asked her.

"You betrayed me." April said to him and he looked at her confused. "It's my fault though, I should have known better."

"You're really going to have to explain this to me, Ape." Punk said to her.

"You call me Ape like we're friends." She said to him.

"I mean, this is a work thing but I spend more time with you than I do with my friends. I'd say we're friends." He said to her.

"You told John about my brother." April said to him as she suddenly choked back tears and his face fell. "I told you that in confidence. Maybe I didn't say it out loud but-"

"I never spoke to John about your brother." Punk told her. "But it's not hidden information either. If he looked into you he could have looked into your brother. I'm sure there was a police report."

"You didn't know about it until I told you." April argued.

"Because I didn't feel the need to poke into every aspect of your life." Punk said to her. "Why would I tell John about that? Why would John tell you I did?"

"He didn't say it was you." April said thinking about it. "I guess he could have looked it up..."

"How did that even come up?" Punk asked her.

"Last night at the office he implied if I stayed with you here that I might as well kill myself like he did." She said to him and Punk's jaw dropped. "He said him and the Chief discussed it and feel I should be in WITSEC."

"I spoke to the chief about it too and he agreed at the end you should be with me." Punk said to her. "Why would John say this to you?"

"He pulled me into an office after I went to the bathroom and that's what he said." She said to him. "I slapped him."

"Good." Punk said to her reaching for his phone. "He's fucking done-"

"Was he wrong?" April asked standing up. "It's one thing if I'm putting myself in danger but you've been nothing but generous. I can't say patient because we both know that's not true."

"I've been working on that." Punk sighed. "I don't know why he tried to scare you into witness protection but you can't go. You need to be here in Chicago where I can watch out for you. I gave my word to your parents and you and I'm keeping it. I'm not going to let James Sawyer take your life away from you which is exactly what he would be doing if you went into WITSEC."

"Ok." April said to him simply.

"That's it? You're not going to run off and make chase you again?" Punk asked.

"Nope." She said picking up her bag. "I told you, for some reason I trust you. Please don't make me regret it."

"You won't." he promised her. "You're going to get your life back. I'm going to see to it."

"Just tell John to stay out of my face." April said to him. "He had no right to throw that in my face."

"You're right. I'll talk to him." Punk promised her. "I don't know what his problem is."

"And make sure you tell him if he puts his hands on me again I'm going to sue him for sexual harassment!" She yelled then frowned. "Well, not sue him but I'll get him in a lot of trouble." She added defensively.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"He pulled me into that office and was rubbing my arms like a creep. I understand he's going through a divorce and all but I'm not into him." She said taking her bag and walking up the spiral stairs.

"Interesting." Punk said then after four short knocks indicated Punk's outside Marshal who was guarding his door was entering.

"Marshal." he greeted Punk. "Your mother is out here and-"

"I don't need permission to enter my son's home." She said pushing her way in.

"It's fine." Punk said to him.

"Why is there a guard outside?" She asked grabbing Punk's face and giving him a big kiss.

"Work stuff, Ma." Punk said and peered upstairs and saw April unpacking. "Look now isn't the best time-"

"I haven't seen you four weeks." She said placing bags on the counter. "I bought you groceries because you can't eat out every night." she then took another bag and walked to the spiral stairs. "I got you new bed sheets too."

"Ma-" he began but she was already heading up the stairs.

Karen Brooks stepped into Punk's room and gasped when she saw April who also jumped back slightly.

"It's my mom!" Punk yelled up so April wouldn't get scared.

"Hi." April said with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry I was just-"

"Unpacking." Karen finished. "Do you have a name?"

"It's April." She smiled holding her hand out as Karen walked over to her but she instead hugged April.

"I'm Karen." She smiled pulling away. "Oh my, my, my you are a pretty little thing."

"Oh, thanks." April grinned happily.

"My son doesn't tell me about his personal life so I'm sorry I surprised you." Karen said to her.

"Oh. This isn't personal, it's business." April said to her.

"Oh honey you are way to sweet looking to be a hooker." Karen said in shock.

"She's not a hooker." Punk said walking into the room. "She's a witness for a case."

"Thank god." Karen said relieved.

"You thought I hired a hooker?" Punk asked.

"You think I look like one?" April asked sadly looking down at her clothes.

"No sweetheart, I'm so sorry." Karen said smiling at her. "Why is there a witness staying at your place?" she asked Punk.

"It's a long story." Punk said to her.

"And that's why you have a Marshal guarding your door?" Karen asked and Punk nodded. "And she's sleeping up here?"

"I offered to take the couch." April said quickly.

"She doesn't care if you're sleeping in my bed she's wondering where I'm sleeping." Punk said to April then looked at his mom. "I'm sleeping on the couch."

"It's nice to know you remember the manners I raised you." Karen said proudly.

"He has very good manners." April told her. "He's a tad impatient though."

"That he gets from me." Karen laughed.

"Can you come downstairs and leave her alone now?" Punk asked pulling at his mothers arms.

"I said I got you new sheets." Karen reminded him. "April should get to use them."

"I'll put them on the bed." April offered taking the bag.

"They're already washed." Karen told her and April nodded.

"Thank you." April said to her. "Phil's sheets are so-"

"Cheap." Karen finished for her. "I can't believe you let a guest sleep on those."

"Enough." Punk said waving his mother away.

"Are you hungry dear?" Karen asked April.

"Actually-" April began.

"She's not." Punk answered.

"I'm starving!" April admitted.

"I bought some food and I'll cook up a lasagna." Karen told her and her eyes lit up.

"I've only ever had a frozen lasagna. Pasta sauce was never really my mom's thing. She can make a mean roast but Italian cooking she tried to avoid." April told her.

"You've never had lasagna?" Punk asked almost disgusted.

"You poor thing." Karen said hugging her and April snorted a laugh and Punk instantly laughed at that. He had never heard her snort before. "I'm going to fill you up. You look like you can stand to gain a few or twenty pounds." she said to her and Punk rolled his eyes.

"Ma." Punk said sternly.

"Sorry." Karen said. "I'll be downstairs, come down when you're all done."

"I will." April smiled.

Punk was watching his mom begin to cook and he could tell she had something to say.

"What? Why are you mad?" Punk asked her.

"What makes you think I'm mad?" Karen asked innocently.

"Because you're not talking to me." Punk said to her. "Are you mad because I bought work home with me?"

"No of course not. You're good at your job." Karen said honestly as she turned on the stove.

"So what is it? And before you say it remember she can hear." Punk warned in a whisper.

"She's perfect." Karen said annoyed to him.

"Excuse me?" Punk asked confused.

"She's your girl." Karen said to him.

"You don't even know her." Punk said in disbelief.

"She's gorgeous, she speaks in complete sentences so she's already worlds ahead of Candice." Karen said and Punk smirked at the dig. " And if you took her into your home, your home that you barely let me into then she has to be special and you have to trust her."

"She's a sweet girl." Punk told her quietly. "She witnessed a crime and she got pulled into this."

"Is she single?" Karen asked in a whisper.

"I don't know nor do I care." Punk said to her. "This is just work."

"Ok." Karen grinned. "But I think with her complexion and your eyes you two would have beautiful children."

"Ok." Punk said with a groan. "No more talking. Go back to ignoring me."

"Can I help?" April asked walking into the kitchen.

"I'd love that." Karen smiled. "Come on over sweetheart."

Punk's mother stayed for hours past dinner. You would have thought April and Karen were really mother and daughter. They bonded over cooking, they both teased and mocked Punk throughout all of dinner. Punk cleaned up dinner while Karen showed April photos from his childhood and then April showed her the photos her mother sent to her as well.

"Do you have to go so early?" April frowned as Karen walked to the door.

"I'll come back tomorrow with those books we talked about." Karen said hugging April.

"I'm here too." Punk said to his mother.

"Don't be a baby." Karen mocked grabbing his face and kissing his cheek.

Punk then opened the door and waved over the Marshal.

"Have Marshal Lucas escort my mother home before the shift swift." Punk told him.

"Don't be ridiculous." Karen scolded Punk.

"It's midnight, someone is taking you home." Punk said to her seriously.

"No problem, Punk." The Marshal said to him.

"Bye April!" Karen waved again with a smile and Punk laughed as he closed the door.

"I think I love her." April said to Punk seriously.

"She loves you." Punk smirked as he locked and bolted the door.

"Her cooking is so good too." April moaned.

"She left plenty of leftovers." Punk said to her.

"Good." She grinned. "This is the first night since this happened that I didn't feel terrified."

"That's because my mom in general is so terrifying. If someone tried to come through the door with a gun she'd beat his ass." Punk said almost fearfully and she laughed.

"She's awesome. She reminds me a bit of my mom." April said to him.

"She's pretty great." Punk had to agree. "Ape, about Cena-"

"Don't make a big thing of it." April said to him.

"He shouldn't have touched you at work." Punk told her. "I'll talk to him."

"I feel like you already don't like him and you'll be incapable of just talking." April said to him.

"I'm his boss. I know how to talk to him." Punk said to her. "Just don't listen to anything he says. He's not going to be working your case anymore."

"What about the Chief?" April asked. "What if he makes me leave?"

"You can't force anyone into WITSEC." He told her. "And he did mention it but it was just a thought. He doesn't want you there. None of us want you there. We never push for WITSEC for anyone because we know it's not meant for people like you."

"What do you mean like me?" She asked.

"I mean sweet and innocent." Punk said bluntly. "We push WITSEC on criminals who rat on other criminals. For people who chose to be complicit for their husbands and wives and then wake up one day and realize they don't want to go to prison with them. Not for good people like you. I imagine you have never broken a law your entire life."

"I've jaywalked." She admitted and he laughed.

"You're a terrifying rebel." Punk mocked.

"Once I stole candy from the candy store." April told him almost smugly.

"Wow. Remember I'm an officer of this country and it's my job to enforce the law." Punk said seriously and then there was that snort again. "What were you? 10?"

"8." She corrected. "I felt so guilty that I told my dad and he walked me all the way back tot he store and I apologized to Mr. Henderson and begged him to not turn me in." she laughed remembering.

"I had no idea you were such a wild child." Punk said to her.

"I'm full mysteries." She shrugged.

"I doubt that." he said eyeing her.

"Ok, you're right. I'm dull as dishwater." April admitted.

"I don't think you're dull. I just can't imagine how much trouble you could get into where you were living." Punk reasoned.

"I had fun. We played in the streets and we were able to run around the town without fear of being kidnapped or killed." She told him.

"If I ever had kids that's what I'd want for them." Punk told her. "I never had that."

"It was nice. But I always imagined growing up in a City. Where there were more than three kids on the block and one of those rowdy public City schools I used to see on TV." she said to him.

"You didn't miss much." Punk assured her.

"You and your brother looked just alike. Your mom showed me pictures." April told him and he just nodded. "You never talk about him."

"I didn't really know him." Punk said to her honestly.

"I feel like I'm always confiding in you about my brother and I never give you the chance to do the same." She said to him.

"I was four when it happened." Punk said simply. "All I remember is the blood and my mom running down the street screaming. After that it's a blur."

"I'm sorry." She said to him quietly.

"It's alright." Punk said to her. "But that's why I want to live in a quiet area. Maybe not as extreme as your hometown but I don't want to be afraid my kid is going to be shot."

"Did they ever find the person who killed your brother?" April asked him.

"Yea they did. Fifteen year old kid riding in the back of his brother car." Punk told her. "Two kids lost their lives that day."

"What about your dad?" she asked and Punk looked at her.

"What's with all the questions?" He asked her.

"I just want to know you better" April said to him. "If you don't want to talk about it-"

"Him and my mom broke up a year after my brother died. Not a lot of parents survive a death of a child." Punk told her.

"Do you still see him?" April asked.

"Yea, once a in a while. He was part of my life growing up. He always came around and I spent summers with him." Punk told her. "I'm obviously closer to my mom."

"You're a mama's boy." April teased.

"No I'm not." He said seriously but she just laughed.

"You're a total mama's boy and I think that's so cute." She said to him and he laughed bitterly.

"I obviously love my mother but I am in noway a 'mama's boy'." He said to her.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of it." April shrugged walking past him and to the stairs."Be proud of it. I hope one day my son is a mama's boy just like you."

"I'm not a mama's boy!" He yelled as she walked up the stairs.

Punk had been a light sleeper his whole life. It was impossible for him to sleep on the busy street and loud building he lived in growing up so it was no surprise when he woke up suddenly by the sounds of April crying. He looked up and knew she was in the room but couldn't see her which meant she was in the bed. He didn't even put his shirt on, he grabbed his gun and took the safety off of it and slowly crept up the stairs. Punk saw April in bed alone, tossing and turning and realized she was having a nightmare. It didn't surprise him. After everything she had gone through these last few weeks it was bound to happen but especially after last night.

"April." He said shaking her arm gently but she didn't wake up. Her face was beat read and her cheeks were soaked with her tears. "Ape!" He yelled shaking her slightly and she sat up horrified. "It's alright!" He said quickly grabbing her wrists before she swung them at him. "It's me, it's just me." He said.

Punk froze when she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his bare chest. She was shaking uncontrollably and sobbing into his chest.

"It's alright." He whispered trying to sooth her. He ran his hand through her long hair and held her tightly. "It was just a dream."

"It felt so real." She cried to him.

Punk held for almost twenty minutes until she calmed down. When she finally did she pulled away and used her hands to clean off her face.

"I'm sorry." She said to him.

"Don't apologize." he said to her. "We all have nightmares like this."

"I haven't had a dream like this since I was sixteen." April said shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm so embarrassed."

"I have very real dreams about the death my brother died, usually around the anniversary of his death." Punk told her. "Sometimes after a bad day in the field it happens again."

"Well, if it ever happens to you and I'm still here I'll hold you while you cry too." She said reaching over to the table and grabbing a tissue to clean her face.

"I'd appreciate that." He smirked.

"I slobbered all over you" She frowned passing him a tissue as well.

"Are you ok? You want to eat something or have some water?" Punk asked.

"No." April said shaking her head. "I'm good. It's out of my system." She said to him.

"Want to talk about it?" He offered.

"You want to hear me talk?" April asked with a laugh. "But no, I don't. Thank you though."

"Alright." Punk said and before he stood up, April leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks again" She said with a smile that he saw through the darkness and was sure he'd still see if he was blind.

"Anytime." He said then stood up and left.

April let out a breath and laid back in bed and placed her hand over her pounding heart. She was not going to fall back asleep after her nightmare. It was like a reply of what happened last night only she wasn't able to move. She was frozen in place and watched as the man who worked for Sawyer kill Phil right in front of her. It was so horrid that she would bleach her brain if she could. Although she had only know Punk a short time she already felt a special bond with her savior. And it wasn't just the fact that he was hero in her eyes for saving her life and going above and beyond to keep her safe but it was an emotional connection. The more time she spent with him, the more she fell for him.

With Punk being so true and genuine with her it helped her see Cena's deceit. The man she playfully dubbed 'Ken' the first time she met was now a snake in the grass as far as she was concerned. She didn't believe a word out of his mouth. He wasn't honest with her and his flirty was disgusting now. Not that she saw anything romantic with Punk because she was convinced he was out of her league but she wanted to be with someone who treated her the way her new friend Punk did. With respect and manners. Someone honest but also funny. That's what she needed. And she was going to stay part of Punk's life after this case was over as his friend because he was the kind of man she needed in her life and it didn't have to be romantic, she just needed someone like him to keep her in check. Someone she knew she could depend on. Someone she trusted.

A/N: Thanks for your reviews and kind of words! I'm so happy you all are enjoying it!