Home
Punk and April were still snowed in her New York City apartment. He took a shower and when he came out he saw her sitting on the fire escape when he felt the cold air blow through the apartment.
"What are you doing?" Punk asked shivering and pulling her through the window.
"I like the view." She told him and he peered out the window as he closed it.
"There's no view. It's just a street." He smirked now locking the window.
"I liked watching people." She shrugged.
"Creep." he teased.
"I've been bored." She reminded him and followed him to the kitchen area.
"Oh, Ape this is all junk food." He frowned going through her cabinets. "You look like you lost weight yet you've been eating shit?"
"I pick at it." She shrugged.
"How are we going to survive off of this?" he asked teasingly and she shrugged innocently.
"So, you really missed me?" she asked.
"Like crazy." He told her. "It's the only reason I'm agreeing to bring you back home." He said leaning over the counter and looking her in the eye.
"Oh, April!" A voice cheered outside her apartment and Punk's smile disappeared.
"Ignore him." April warned Punk sensing how tense he became. "He's an annoying neighbor."
"Why is he knocking on your door?" Punk questioned walking over to the door.
"Because he knocks on my door all of the time." She whispered. "If you ignore him he'll go away."
"April! It's cold and the power is out so if you need someone to warm you up-" Nick began and the door swung open but it was Nick who was surprised seeing a shirtless man covered in tattoos answer her door. "Not April." Nick stated nervously.
"No. What gave it away?" Punk asked seriously.
"I was just-" Nick began.
"Just what?" Punk asked as the man stammered.
"You're the drug dealing husband, aren't you?" Nick asked with a nervous laugh.
"Yes he is." April said proudly before Punk could respond and wrapped her arms around Punk's waist. "I've already told you he doesn't like to share."
"You have." Nick said seriously. "I was just messing around, hazing her into the building."
"How about you go back to your apartment before I through you out of the window of the building?" Punk asked coldly.
"Already half way there." Nick said anxiously running across the hall and into his apartment.
"Drug dealing husband?" Punk asked April as he closed the door.
"I thought if I told him I was married he'd stop hitting on me then that didn't work so I had to come up with a scary job for you." She smirked.
"Drug dealing? Really?" he asked with a frown.
"Relax." She said as he bolted and chained the door. "He's harmless anyway, just annoying."
"I don't like the idea of your neighbor hassling you." Punk said looking back at the door.
"I didn't fall for his charm, don't worry." She smiled.
"Good. Because it would be a shame if I came all the way here only to get locked up for killing a bleached blonde asshole." He told her and she laughed.
"You wouldn't kill him." She smiled as he walked over to her.
"If he put his hands on you I would." Punk warned her. "You should have just told him that."
"I like territorial Phil." She smiled.
"I prefer protective." He defended lightly.
"So, what's this surprise you have back home for me?" She asked. "Is it a puppy?"
"Yea, I ran out and got a dog." He mocked and her face lit up. "I didn't."
"Jerk." She pouted.
"You'll get it when we get home." he promised her.
"Well, lucky for you I don't have anything to pack." She said to him and he frowned.
"Nothing?" he asked.
"No. I had enough cash to get a few change of clothes and I just keep washing them and re-wearing them." She shrugged walking into the kitchen area and putting on coffee.
Punk looked around the run down apartment building and realized how she wasn't living comfortably at all. She didn't have any of her things, limited money, wasn't allowed to get a job and basically had to sit in here as if it was prison.
"I thought he would have put you somewhere nicer." Punk admitted.
"This was fine." She assured him. "Just really lonely. I couldn't use the phone much or make friends or work."
"Yea." He said feeling bad. "I'm sorry."
"You were doing what you thought was best." She said to him.
"It's no way to live." He told her. "So, I've been thinking about our living arrangement a lot while you've been here."
"Really?" she asked. "I'm not moving out." She said seriously and he laughed.
"I actually think we should both move." He told her.
"Where?" She asked.
"To the house." he told her. "It's just collecting dust and it's a shame."
"I thought you were saving for that for when you retired." She said surprised.
"Well, I'm not going to retire anytime soon and what's the point of having it and not enjoying it? It's an hour ride to work every day but it's worth the trip." He told her.
"I thought that was the home you were saving for a family." She added quietly.
"You are my family." he told her and she smiled. "And you can get your dog. What do you say?"
"You had me at family." She smiled wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips. "And dog." She added and he laughed.
"Not ten dogs." he warned. "A dog. As in ONE dog."
"Fine." She smiled.
"Just don't tell my mom yet." Punk said to her. "She's going to be all jazzed up to see you and I haven't even told her I own the house yet."
"Ok." She said to him. "Your mom said you've been a moody jerk to her, you owe her an apology."
"I haven't been a moody jerk but-" He stopped and glared at her. "How did she tell you that?"
"I called your mom a few times while I've been here." She told him and he looked stunned. "I missed her a lot too." She sighed sadly.
"It's not that, she just didn't tell me you called." Punk said annoyed. "She's been up my ass for weeks and she didn't once mention this."
"I asked her not to." April shrugged and he shook his head in disbelief. "It was your rule not to call you. You never said I couldn't call your mom."
"I called your parents a lot too." He admitted.
"I heard." She smiled. "Checking in on them, you're the best." She said kissing his cheek.
"You know, James Sawyer went to look for you at their place." Punk told her and she froze in fear.
"Did he hurt-" She began.
"No." He assured her quickly.
"He's been back in Chicago and I spoke to your parents about it before I came here." He told her.
"Why is he looking for me?" She asked him sadly. "What more of a threat could I be to him?"
"You're just the one who got away." he told her simply.
"Got away?" She asked.
"He wanted to kill you and he won't stop." he told her honestly. "It's the way his mind works."
"It just doesn't make sense to me." She told him.
"That's because you're not a serial killer." He said to her. "It's good you don't think that way."
"I just want him to go away." April said to him. "Maybe John was on to something."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Maybe I can bait him-" She began.
"Nope. Never." He said kissing her cheek then walking by her into the bedroom.
April walked back into the bedroom after making coffee but Punk was already back sleeping. He really must have been awake for six weeks straight since she had been gone. She decided not disturb his sleep but crawled into the bed with him and curled up next to him as she covered the both of them with her warm comforter. They were nose to nose and the second she covered him with the blanket she felt his arm tug her as close as possible to his body and rested his chin just above her head.
"I love you." she heard him said in a quiet sleepy voice.
"I know." She whispered back curling further into him.
Two days of driving later, April was back home in their loft.
"I've missed this couch!" she squealed jumping onto the couch and laying face down in it. "We're bringing this couch to the house right?" she asked picking her head up as Punk walked inside and locked the door.
"I wasn't planning on it." He smirked. "But if you want it-"
"I want it." She said happily. "I'm ready for my surprise now."
"Not yet." he told her and she pouted but then spotted her laptop on the coffee table and grabbed.
"I've missed the internet." She sighed turning on her computer. "I've missed Chicago and that's something I never thought I'd say."
"That makes me happy." He told her. "Chicago is your home."
"Technically our new home is outside of Chicago." She pointed out.
"Still in Illinois and like ten minutes out of the City. You'll be in Chicago most of the time." Punk told her and she shrugged.
"Oh, wow." She said looking at her computer.
"What?" He asked.
"I got an email from the Tribune." April told him. "They want to meet with me!"
"About work?" He questioned.
"I guess so." She smiled typing back. "When can I go?"
"I mean you can go anytime just know I'll be there with you especially since Sawyer's man got to you there last time." Punk told her. "Just let me know when." He said to her and she nodded.
"This is so cool." She said happily typing back. "Everything is going good."
"Don't jinx it." He warned.
"Should we start packing?" She asked him looking over.
"Yea we can start the process but I don't want to leave until this Sawyer business is over." He told her and she just nodded and looked away. "What?"
"It's just I feel like I've been stuck in time since this happened." She told him honestly. "Like I'm never going to move forward."
"You will be. I promise. And once this is over things are going to move so fast that you won't know what hit you." He assured her.
"I hope so." She said to him. "But not too fast. I still want to stop and smell the roses."
"Of course." He laughed looking for coffee.
"I had no idea how much I missed being here before stepping back inside." She sighed happily looking over to him as he put on a pot of coffee. "I mean, I knew I missed being here with you but I really, really missed it."
"Well, that's the end of it. It was too distracting to have you gone anyway." He grumbled more annoyed with himself.
"I thought you hated me." She confided and he looked at her.
"What?" He asked amused.
"When we first met." She clarified. "And the first few weeks. I really thought you couldn't stand me. I wouldn't have blamed you."
"You were a pain in my ass." He said honestly. "But I liked it." He had added with a smirk. "It's impossible to not like you."
"That's so sweet." She teased.
"It's true." he shrugged. "I wouldn't have followed you around like I did. I wouldn't have went searching for you as much as I did if I didn't feel this connection to you." she shot him a warm smile and he quickly ran up the stairs to the bedroom where he was hiding his grandmother's ring.
Punk took the ring out of his dresser and opened the box to make sure it was still there. He peered down and saw April on the couch looking at her laptop and back at the ring. Now was the right time, he had never thought about proposing to anyone so he wasn't sure how to go about it. But the best thing about April was how simple she was when it came to romance. She'd be happy on a date hanging out in PJ's and eating pizza in front of the TV. He was also afraid if he put in a cupcake or something she'd eat it.
Punk headed down the stairs nervously with the ring box in his hand but when someone began knock at the door he glared at it, unsure of who was coming by at this late hour.
"I got it!" April yelled.
"No, Ape!" He yelled running to the door after her but she opened it first.
"Karen!" April cheered upon seeing Punk's mother and she wrapped her arms around her.
Punk rolled his eyes and stuffed the ring box in his pocket.
"I know it's late but Phil told me you were coming home and I had to see you." Karen said grabbing April's hands and examining her left hand subtly.
"Stop." Punk hissed at his mother who dropped April's hands.
"Stop what?" April asked him annoyed. "I'm glad Karen came to see me."
"I've missed you sweetheart." Karen said kissing her cheek. "Not as much as Phil."
"Stop." Punk again warned.
"I have to run to the bathroom, don't go anywhere." April warned Karen.
"Why would you do that?" Punk asked his mother.
"Do what?" She asked innocently once April was in the bathroom.
"Check her hand for a ring." He groaned. "We've been back ten minutes."
"I was just checking her hands in general." Karen defended.
"Please, just go back home I just walked in and want to sleep off this car trip." Punk said to his mother.
"Don't be rude" Karen scolded. "I'm not here to see you anyway, I'm here to spend time with my future daughter in law."
"Shhh." Punk hissed looking back to make sure April wasn't near.
"Sorry, I'm just excited." Karen whispered happily. "I didn't think you'd ever get married! You couldn't hold onto a woman past three months before her."
"Just stop." Punk pleaded.
"Fine." Karen said annoyed as April stepped out of the bathroom. "I can't stay dear, I just wanted to stop in and give you a hug." She said hugging April.
"Thank you." April said to her. "It's really good to see you again.
"You too." Karen smiled. "And you, I'll expect a phone call at some point in the near future setting up a dinner for the three of us." She said to Punk.
"I have five thousand other things goings on but sure, I'll make sure I get that done." he mocked walking her to the door.
"I'll make sure he sets up a dinner." April grinned and stuck her tongue out at Punk.
"Such a good girl." Karen smiled then walked out the door.
"So um-" Punk began.
"I want a hot shower." She said cutting him off and kissing him. "Want to join me?"
"Yea." He said putting on a smile.
Before joining her in the shower he ran back up the spiral stairs and stuck his grandmother's ring back into the dresser drawer.
"Phil!" April yelled seductively from the bathroom.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." He said removing his shirt as he ran back down the stairs.
Punk and April were finally back in their own beds. Punk went right to sleep with his arms draped over April who was also finally have a good nights sleep. It was loud banging on the door that woke them up at 4am.
"What is that?" April asked as she and Punk sat up.
"Stay up here." Punk said getting out of the bed and grabbing his gun and removing the safety and then descended down the spiral stairs.
April peeked over the top of the short wall and peered downstairs as Punk checked the door first and groaned. He didn't put his gun away though.
"Go!" Punk yelled.
"It's important!" a voice yelled back and Punk looked up at April and gave her a sympathetic look before opening the door.
April squinted her tired eyes and saw Adam walk into the loft. The man who shot her point blank and left her for dead. She dropped to the floor and hid behind the wall as her heart began to pound loudly in her chest...