Judge Me or Love Me?

"Careful." Punk hissed at April annoyed as they walked into his loft.

"I am being careful! I'm just walking!" She yelled back.

"You just got out of the hospital I don't want to take you right back." Punk groaned nodding at the Marshal outside his door then closed and locked the door.

"I've been laying in a bed for four weeks in the hospital. I'm fine, I just haven't walked around much." She reminded him.

"Just take it easy." He said putting her bags down by the couch then ran over to help her sit.

"I'm fine. I'm not even in pain anymore." She laughed.

"I'm being cautious." He said to her. "We're almost out of the woods with all of this."

"I know." April said to him happily. "I mean I know the threat isn't completely gone but I do feel a lot better. I'm looking forward to getting back to my old apartment actually."

"You're in that much of a rush to get away from me?" He asked half teasingly.

"No. But you can spend time at my place too." She said to him and he didn't seem enthusiastic. "What's wrong with my place?"

"Someone was murdered next door." Punk replied innocently.

"I was shot on your front lawn." She shot back.

"Fair point." Punk agreed.

"And you were shot in this very loft." She added.

"Grazed." He corrected and walked into the kitchen. "My mother has fully stocked the kitchen so whatever you want you can have."

"I just want to take a shower, get into bed and have a good nights sleep since I'll be out of the hospital." She told him standing up.

"A shower?" He sighed. "But-"

"It's not like you have a bathtub in here I can use." She mocked.

"I don't like baths so I had it replaced with a spacious shower." He shrugged. "But don't you want to rest first?"
"Nope." April said to him.

"Do you need help?" He offered and she arched an intrigued brow. "Not like that." he warned. "You're too injured for that kind of physical activity."

"Not if you're gentle." She grinned.

"No." He said to her.

"Well, you can help me take my clothes off and wash my back for me then." She said walking into the bathroom.

"She's such a pain in my ass." Punk said to himself.

Punk walked into the bathroom and April was already in the shower, clothes thrown all over the floor. He groaned and bent over and picked up the items and tossed them in the hamper.

"I've really missed cleaning up after you." He mumbled and she opened the shower door and he immediately looked away from her naked body.

"Does my scar freak you out that much?" She pouted.

"I didn't even see your scar." He said looking the other way towards the door.

"If it's going to be a turn off for you-" She began and he turned around and walked towards her.

He kept his eyes in the spot of her scar and examined it.

"I think it's hot." He said gently rubbing his thumb over the small scar.

"Really?" She asked.

"It's bad ass." He confirmed.

"Are you going to help me wash my back?" She asked cutely playing with his shirt.

"Ape, I'm not touching you like that." He warned her.

"I know, no sex." She said to him. "But I really could use some help in here." She said nodding into the shower. "You'll behave yourself."

"You really are a pain in the ass." He groaned and began to remove his clothing.

April tried not to lick her lips obviously but she didn't get a chance to fully appreciate him naked in the attic since it happened so fast. He was absolutely gorgeous and very blessed in his lower region. His entire body was that of an ideal man. chiseled, hairy and covered in tattoos. April moved aside and Punk stepped into the shower and she turned around so her back was to him.

April felt a wash rag run over her back and could also feel the body wash. She smiled and closed her eyes as she let him massage and clean her back for her. She pressed her back into his chest after a moment and then felt him run his own soapy hands up and down her arms. She felt so safe and relaxed in his home and arms.

"That feels nice." She moaned.

"Yea." He said in a serious voice.

He glared at April when she turned around to be chest to chest with him.

"Ape, no." He scolded as if she was dog he was trying to train.

"We can kiss. We kissed all of the time in the hospital." She pointed out kissing his chin, which was all she could reach since he was pulling his neck back.

"We weren't both naked and wet in the hospital." He reminded her.

"Naked, no. But speak for yourself when you say wet-" She began and he placed his hand over her mouth.

"Ape, please." He begged. "You can not have sex. I'd love to have sex with you right now- believe me this is as painful for me as it is for you and even though you feel fine the doctor said two weeks. Hold out for two weeks."

"We can still play." She said to him. "This has been a very trying time for me. I want to take care of you." she said reaching and grabbing his already stiff member.

"See what I mean about me being in pain?" he asked as she backed into the shower wall and forcing him with her. "I thought you said you'd behave in here?"

"I said YOU would behave and you are, I never said I would." She grinned as she stroked him. "Just kiss me, please?"
Punk couldn't turn her down. He leaned down and kissed her and even though they weren't having sex this was very intimate. She slowly and lovingly stroked him and he made out with her like a teenager. He loved her this close to him. He loved her hands on him. This was something he could get used to for sure.

"That feels so good." Punk groaned arching into her tiny, yet capable hands.

"I like making you feel good." April smiled and reveled as his lips ran down her neck.

AJ and Punk fooled around for close to ten minutes until she finally helped him peek and rode out his orgasm with her hand. She didn't need anything. Just being able to touch him and be this close to him again was good enough for her. She could hold out for two more weeks.

After helping April clean off and cleaning himself off, Punk pulled himself from the shower so April could finish up and got dressed. He decided he was going to attempt to cook for her when someone knocked on the door. The Marshal stepped inside and nodded at Punk.

"I told you to tell my mother I'm not here." Punk said to him and the Marshal laughed.

"It's Cena." he told Punk who rolled his eyes but John just stepped in with someone behind him.

"Great." Punk muttered.

"Sorry for dropping by so late." John said to him.

"Yea, don't do that anymore because April is here and she needs to rest." Punk told him.

"I just wanted to introduce you to our new team member." John said stepping aside.

"I know who he is." Punk said eyeing Corey Graves.

"Marshal Brooks." Corey greeted extending his hand.

"Graves." Punk greeted back quietly and shook his hand. "It's a temporary team spot until I get back and get to evaluate you myself."

"I told you he'd say that." John said with a laugh to Corey. "We're still looking to fill the last spot."

"Look more into finding a way we can arrest James Sawyer senior." Punk shot at him.

"I found James Sawyer Jr. didn't I?" John asked smugly.

"Phil, have you seen-" April began to ask as she stepped out of the bathroom completely naked then froze when she saw John and a strange man. "Oh my god!" She yelled as she ran back into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"That was April Mendez." John told Corey with a grin.

"Get out." Punk said walking them to the door.

"I thought she had to rest?" John asked. "You both just stepped out of the shower?"

"Mind your own business." Punk said opening the door and nodding for them to leave.

"I'll check in with you tomorrow. I did want to talk to April to see how she was feeling but I guess I got my answer." John teased then Punk slammed the door shut on him.

"They're gone!" Punk yelled and April walked out in a towel this time.

"I didn't know you were having people over." She groaned.

"I didn't invite them." Punk laughed.

"I've been home half an hour and have already humiliated myself." She groaned.

"That's a record." he teased.

"Why are you so happy?" She asked in annoyance.

"I had a great shower, I have you back in the loft so I can clean up after you, I'm pretty happy." He had to grin.

"You know what would warm this place up?" She asked him cutely.

"I don't even want to answer because I already know I'm not going to like the answer." He said to her.

"A dog." She grinned. "You should get one and let me take care of it."

"That is tempting. Because I totally trust you'd clean up after a dog since you do such a good job cleaning up after yourself." he remarked sarcastically. "But this building has a strict no pet rule."

"So does mine." She grunted.

"Oh, well." he shrugged as he moved around the kitchen.

"You're cooking?" She asked nervously.

"I can cook. My mom taught me." he told her.

"So who was that other guy with John?" April asked. "The one covered in tattoos?" she asked and Punk turned around to her eye her. "What?"

"Why did you say it all lustfully like that?" he asked and she laughed.

"I did not but he is cute." She told him honestly.

"He's a fucking carbon copy of me." Punk mocked. "John added him to the team."

"What's his name?" April asked.

"His name is 'you're not dating him'." Punk informed her and she laughed.

"I don't want to date him." she said amused.

"Corey Graves." he said pulling things out of the cabinet for his meal.

"He seems interesting." She said to him.

"Enough about him." Punk warned her and she smiled.

"I've never made a man jealous before." She stated proudly.

"Then you were never with a real man." Punk said simply.

"I spoke to my parents earlier." April told him and he nodded as he turned on the stove to make a sauce.

"Yea? They want to see you?" Punk asked.

"Yea. They're flying in tomorrow." She told him and he froze. "Do you think you could pick them up from the airport?"

"You didn't mention they were coming in." Punk said to her nervously. "They're coming here?"

"Yup." She told him. "And they have never been to a City like this. So they're staying here."

"Where?" He asked gesturing around the small apartment.

"The couch pulls out. They can sleep there." She shrugged.

"Where do I sleep?" he asked.

"In bed with me." She said slowly.

"I can't sleep in the same bed with you with your dad here." He said shaking his head. "There's no walls."

"It's not like we'll be doing anything." She laughed. "My parents love you, why are you so nervous?"

"They liked me before we started dating but my girlfriends parents usually don't like me." He warned her.

"My parents like you." April told him.

"I'll put them up in a nice hotel." Punk offered.

"It is your home." April noted. "I shouldn't have invited them without asking it's just...there was a time I thought I'd never see them again and so much has gone on and is going on that I wanted them close to me." She said sadly. "But it's ok I'll tell them they'll have to stay in a strange hotel room in a strange City all by themselves. Or maybe I should get them two rooms so I can stay with them-"

"Fine." Punk said annoyed. "But this apartment is a mess."

"They don't care." April said to him simply as she grabbed a magazine that was on the counter and began to read it.

"I care, Ape." he said to her. "I don't want them to think I'm a slob."

"They know I'm the slob." April assured him not even looking up from her magazine.

"I just have a lot to clean." Punk said looking around the messy apartment. "What time are they coming?"

"Their flight gets in at 7." She told him as she continued to read.

"I can work with that." Punk said to himself. "I'll have all day to get ready."

"In the morning." She clarified.

"Fuck." He groaned turning off the stove.

"No food?" She frowned.

"Ape, I have to clean this place." He said to her then opened the drawer and passed her takeout menus.

"I can help clean." She said to him.

"No. You can pick out what you wan to eat, go upstairs and get dressed and get into bed." Punk told her.

"I don't know why you're so antsy." She said to him. "They know you."

"They knew me before we became a thing." Punk pointed out. "It's like a whole new thing."

"They don't even know we're dating." She told him and he glared at her. "What? I couldn't just tell them how we got together fifteen minutes before I got shot." she defended. "They'll find out when they get here tomorrow. They'll be happy."

"You really just love putting me in bad positions, don't you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry." She frowned.

"Yea, yea." He mocked.

Punk spent the better part of the night cleaning the apartment. April woke up at three in the morning and demanded he come up to bed which he did. Of course when he did he forgot to set his alarm. His head shot up from the pillow at eight in the morning when he heard commotion downstairs. He looked to his left and April was no longer there and he jumped out of bed and peered over the balcony and saw April hugging her parents hello. He was supposed to get them from the airport and that was strike one against him.

"What a cute place." Janet said looking around the loft.

"It is. I think my apartment is decorated better but whatever." April teased.

"You look good." Robert, her father said hugging her next.

"How did you think I'd look? I was shot almost a month ago." April told him. "I feel so much better."

"I was just expecting the worst." Robert frowned and that's when Punk ran down the stairs fully dressed.

"There's the man who saved my daughters life." Robert cheered and gave Punk a big hug.

"I overslept, I'm sorry I meant to pick you up." Punk said as Janet greeted him with a hug next.

"Don't be silly." Janet smiled.

"I felt bad waking you up so I asked the Marshal to send someone to get them and he did." April shrugged.

"I was just telling April what a lovely home you have." Janet told him.

"You should see Phil's house." April grinned. "He has a big home right outside of the City and it's white with this red door and is bigger than the old high school."

"It's a retirement plan." Punk explained.

"Heroic and smart." Robert said patting Punk on the shoulder. "Real-estate is a wise investment."

"Are you sure you have room for us?" Janet asked looking around.

"I told you the couch pulls out." April reminded her.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Robert asked and Punk who was a brave, heroic US Marshal, was about to pass out.

"I was going to sleep upstairs in Phil's room with him." April said bluntly and Punk looked ready to faint. Obviously they were two grown adults but he really REALLY didn't want to screw up this new relationship.

"I didn't realize you two were seeing each other." Janet said to her.

"You picked a good one." Robert grinned at his daughter. "I like Phillip."

"You should. He spent all night cleaning this apartment for you." April told him.

"Ape." Punk warned.

"It's no easy task to clean up after her." Janet groaned.

"Your mom wanted to pack cleaning supplies." Robert teased.

"So, how long are you guys here for?" Punk asked as he turned on the coffee pot.

"Just the weekend." Janet told him. "We don't want to be in the way we just wanted to see April."

"You're not in the way." Punk told them. "You guys coming is a nice distraction for April who gets bored within three minutes of every activity."

"You should be in bed resting." Robert told her.

"I've been in bed for almost an entire month." April complained.

"And you should be a bit longer if you don't want to end up back in the hospital." Robert said to her.

"You sound like Phil." April groaned.

"He's right." Janet said. "Let's get you to bed."

"But-" April began.

"Bed." Janet said sternly.

"Fine." April said and let her mother lead her up the small spiral stairs.

"I'm indebted to you for saving her life." Robert told Punk quietly.

"She's saved my life too. I think we're even." Punk smirked.

"I like you too. I think you're smart, you have an honorable job and you make my little girl happy. I haven't seen her this happy since before Robbie died." Robert told him. "But if you break her heart, Marshal or not, I'll hurt you."

"I respect that." Punk said to him. "I'm not going to hurt her. The admiration she feels for me is very mutual."

"Good to know." Robert said to him.

Later that night Punk was walking back into his building carrying takeout food. The Marshal at his door stopped him before he walked in though.

"Hey, I just thought you should know she tried to escape." The Marshal told Punk.

"What? Who?" He asked confused.

"Ms. Mendez." He told Punk who instantly rolled his eyes.

"When?" Punk asked already growing angry.

"Two minutes after you left for the food." The Marshal told him.

"Did she have bags with her or-" Punk began.

"No, nothing like that. I don't think she was running away I think she just wanted to go somewhere." The Marshal told him. "Said she cleared it with you but you warned me she would try this."

"And I was right." Punk groaned. "Did she say where she wanted to go?"

"No. But there was a cab downstairs already waiting for her that she called ahead for but we told him to leave." The Marshal told him.

"Thanks." Punk said to him.

Punk walked inside and April caught his eyes and could tell he was mad. She put on a bright smile as she in-between her parents.

"That smells so good." Janet said standing up.

"April, can I have a word with you?" Punk asked with a forced fake tone.

"Not right now." April smiled cutely. "I'm about to have dinner with my parents."

"We'll wait for you." Robert said to her.

"It's so rude to go off and talk though." April said and Punk glared at her.

"April." Punk warned and she stood up. "Outside." he said opening the door and April stepped out first.

"I bought you some food too, you can go in and grab some pizza." Punk told the Marshal who nodded and stepped inside.

"Ok, I know you're mad-" She began.

"The second I let you out of my sight you tried to run." Punk said coldly. "What am I fucking doing wrong?"

"I wasn't running I needed fresh air, just a walk." She reasoned.

"Then why did you call a cab?" He asked.

"Do you think I would run and not come back with my parents here?" She asked shaking her head in shock.

"Then where were you going and I'm asking you not to lie to me again." Punk said to her. "You owe me that much."

"I wanted to go see Adam." She said to him and Punk shook his head in disbelief.

"No." He said to her.

"You're not my keeper. I can do what I want to do." She reminded him. "But I knew you'd act like this so I didn't tell you!"

"You can't go see him." Punk told her simply.

"Really? Because I asked John a week ago when I was in the hospital and he said I could." She said to him.

"You asked John and not me?" He asked her.

"Because you would say no!" She yelled.

"With good reason!" Punk yelled back. "There is no reason for you to see him."

"He shot me! I want to look him in the eyes! I have that right!" She yelled.

"No you don't!" He yelled back at her. "I don't want you any further involved in with this!"

"I am involved! All of this that is happening to ME is because of ME!" She reminded him loudly. "You weren't the one who got shot! You weren't the one lying in a pool of your own blood wondering how long it would be until you died! Thinking about all of your regrets! You don't close your eyes every night and see him holding a gun in your face! He was your friend, I know that and it makes me feel so bad for you but I was the one he was going to kill for a few bucks and believe it or not I considered him a friend even if it was a short amount of time! I deserve to face the man who was about to put a buller into my head!"

"Ok." Punk said quietly. "It's alright-"

"It's not alright!" She cried now. "It's not easy Phil! Being with you has made this all tolerable but I'm still a prisoner in someone else's home and I'm still walking around with a target on my back. The only difference between now and before I was shot is that I have nightmares. The car, the shooting-"

"You're right, I don't know exactly what you're feeling." Punk agreed. "I hate that you're having nightmares and I wish you would have told me about them, not that I think I could stop them but maybe if you were honest with me I could talk to you about it and that could help." he said as she cried in front of him sadly. "But I have nightmares too. I keep dreaming I don't make out there in time and Adam pulls that trigger and kills you right in front of me. You going to see him is like my nightmare coming to life."

"That's why I didn't want to tell you." She sniffled. "I know it upsets you-"

"It kills me." he told her. "I thought when he shot you I lost this opportunity with you and I was never going to get the chance to make you fall for me the way I did for you. For the first time in my life I was powerless and I hated it. There is no one in my entire career I want to protect and keep safe as much as you."

"I fell for you the second you walked into that interrogation room after Ms. Paulson was killed." She confided as she cried softly. "You were nice to me and you helped me clean my hands and you were honest. I would relive this crappy nightmare every single day if it meant knowing you. I wouldn't have changed anything that has happened if I had the power to."

"I don't know whether to judge you for that or love you for it." He said with a light smile as he cupped her cheek.

"Love me?" She asked hopefully.

"I do." He told her without hesitation. "I wouldn't have risked my career for you if I didn't. I wouldn't have given up my personal space or cried when I read your letter if I didn't."

"You cried?" she asked curiously as her tears slowed down.

"I did." He said to her. "You laid it all out. You are an incredible writer, I look forward to watching you grown and accomplish your goal with that because I'm already your biggest fan and I still have that letter in my back pocket."

"No you don't." She said shaking her head and he proved it by reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet then inside was the folded up letter. "Why?"

"I just can't bare the thought of throwing it out." Punk said simply. "It was raw and honest and showed me that you had a beautiful soul." Punk let out a sigh as he folded the note back up and put it in his wallet. "I don't want you to go see Adam because I don't want him to hurt you again. I don't think he's worthy of seeing you."

"I'm tired of being scared all of the time." April told him. "I want to be free even though it terrifies me."

"I can help." He offered. "I've got a few ideas but you have to understand something like being shot isn't something you can sweep under the rug. You can make a hundred jokes and put on a smile like you've been doing but it is traumatic. Talking about it hurts but it helps."

"Same goes for you." She said to him.

"Not letting you near Adam is my therapy." Punk said to her. "But...if you really have to see him then you should and I'll make it happen."

"Really?" She asked and he nodded. "And we can do some of those ideas you mentioned?"

"Yea and they require leaving the loft as well." He smirked. "Once this trial is over I swear on my life that I'm not going to monitor what you do or keep you locked away and hidden. But the end is so close right now I'd hate to fuck it up."

"I can be patient." She said to him and he eyed her with confusion. "Ok, I can try to learn to be patient." she groaned in annoyance.

"We should go inside and eat." he told her.

"Wait." She said grabbing him by his wrist and grabbed his face and pulled him down into a kiss. "I love you too."

"Thank you, but I already knew that after reading your note." he smirked then kissed the top of her head.

"I wish my parents were here so we could-" She began.

"None of that for a while." he reminded cutting her off.

"I was going to say shower together again." She said to him. "PG shower like our last one."

"That was PG to you?" he asked laughing. "We have very different opinions on the rating system."

"I just want to be close to you." She told him. "Normal close. Not just hiding in an attic or a quick hand job in the shower."

"Look, we'll make time." he told her. "I promise you that we'll make up for all this crap. We'll get to be normal eventually but one thing at a time." He teased.
"Let's try to stop these nightmares and I'll show you some things to make you feel safer and then we'll have the trial but after all of that-"

"Normalcy." She smiled hopefully.

"Right." He said to her. "But do me a favor, before we go see Adam, really think about it." he encouraged. "I know you're an emotional woman and I love that about you but you tend to jump in feet first, just think about it for a few more days. He's not going anywhere so there's no rush."

"Ok." She promised then they walked back inside.