A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I am in the middle of a few hectic things these past few weeks and few weeks to come but trust me I haven't forgotten this story! I wrote this up, it's not crazy long and I wrote it on two hours sleep so please bear with me. I promise a far more exciting and longer one this week. Thanks for all your reviews!

Long time, no see

April stepped out of the dressing room and starred at herself in the mirror as a seamstress straightened out the white mermaid gown. April couldn't believe the day was coming next week. Five months since she asked him to marry her, Punk and April were about to be married and start their lives together. It had been a whirlwind since the engagement. Punk was practically living at work as he searched night and day for James Sawyer Jr. and April herself had gotten in at the Chicago Times and was working a lot as well. It's like everything was falling into place.

"Just exquisite." Karen beamed behind April and she turned her head to look at her future mother-in-law.

"Really?" April asked nervously.

"Breathtaking, truly." Karen said as she sniffled a bit and an employee passed her a tissue as she held a glass champagne in her other hand. "Phil is going to weep like I am right now." She said dabbing her eyes.

"That's my goal." April smirked.

"I want to pay for the alterations at least." Karen told the seamstress.

"She doesn't need any, this is the final fitting and her fiance paid all costs." she told Karen.

"My cheap son?" Karen asked stunned.

"We got into an argument about my dress months ago and to make it up to me he insisted on paying for my dress. I told him not to but he's insisted." April sighed inspecting the dress in the mirror again. "Do you think he'll really like it?"

"Of course he will." Karen smiled. "You could wear a garbage bag down the aisle and he'd fall all over himself."

"I wanted to thank you and Mr. Brooks again for paying for our honeymoon." April told her.

"We already told you, it's mom and dad now." Karen reminded her sternly. "And it's our pleasure. I know you two have both been so busy lately as well you two deserve a much needed vacation."

"It will be nice to not just pass him by as he's leaving for work and I'm coming in. Even though we've met up at furniture shops to finish furnishing the house." April smirked.

"Phil told me how easy it was. He just had to pick a couch." Karen smirked.

"He was so interested that I've decided to leave him out of the furnishing job." April smirked. "I almost have it all done and the best part is I was able to pay for it myself since I'm working so it's my wedding present t o him."

"He hasn't been to the house to help set the yard for the wedding?" Karen frowned.

"Please." April snorted a laugh. "He's so obsessed about this case at work that I'm afraid he's going to blow off our honeymoon."

"He's just trying to make sure you're safe." Karen defended lightly. "My son is like a dog with a bone sometimes but in this case I understand it."

"I just don't want him working himself into the ground." April said to her. "I want him to enjoy our wedding but I don't think he will."

"Trust me, he will." Karen assured her.

"It makes me feel bad because I know it's all for me. I know he wants James Sawyer because his prints were on our window but he still can't even charge him with anything. There's no proof he was in the apartment." April explained. "I don't want him getting in trouble with work by making up charges or antagonizing this guy."

"Phil is very smart. I think he just wants to find him so he can watch him." Karen said simply. "Enough about work. When are your parents flying in?"

"Thursday." April told her happily.

"I'm very much looking forward to meeting them." Karen told her. "I was sorry I missed them on their last visit."

"They're excited to meet you too." April told her. "Are you sure don't mind hosting the rehearsal dinner? You're already doing so much-"

"It's my pleasure." Karen told her. "Besides, it's at the new house and I've having it catered. All I have to do is set up."

"Will you look at the downstairs bathroom too?" She asked and Karen nodded. "I told you I'm having trouble deciding what kind of wallpaper I want in there."

"I'll take a look." Karen told her. "I just have to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

April was alone in the fitting room and stepped off the stool and looked at herself again. She turned to the size and examined herself then looked straight ahead again and silently prayed to herself that she would make Punk proud on their big day.

"Wow." A voice said from behind her and she looked at the mirror and saw the familiar man standing behind her.

"This is bad luck." April told her fiance who stepped further into the room.

"You know I don't believe in that." he said coming up behind her.

"I wanted to surprise you." She frowned.

"It won't surprise me that you'll still be beautiful." He said kissed her cheek from behind. "So beautiful."

"You really think it is?" She asked hopefully.

"I was referring to you." He smirked. "I haven't looked much at the dress." he admitted slyly and she turned around to face him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile as he pulled her close to him.

"I had to sign the receipt for the dress." he told her. "It's a pretty dress. But you could have worn anything."

"You didn't have to buy it for me." She reminded him.

"Seeing you smile as you looked at yourself in the mirror makes it all worth it." He said leaning down and kissing her. "You really do take my breath away."

"I was hoping to save that reaction for our actually wedding." She sighed pulling away from the kiss slowly.

"I think I'll have the same reaction." He smirked not letting her go. "I've missed you."

"I know. We're like two strangers passing in the night." She frowned.

"I'm going to make it up to you I promise. But I have a meeting at seven tonight and then at nine I have a stakeout." He told her. "This was literally my only free moment of the day."

"Just promise me that you'll be off Thursday through our honeymoon." She pleaded.

"I swear." He promised kissing the tip of her nose and she smiled brightly. "I'm going to pick your parents up from the airport too. I got their flight information today."

"How?" she asked.

"I called your dad." he told her and she eyed him warily. "I needed to talk to him about the Cubs trade."

"Maybe if I dressed up like a baseball you'd call me more than my father." She pouted.

"That would be cute." He teased. "But save it for the honeymoon."

"Stop." She giggled and he leaned down to kiss her neck.

"No you don't!" Karen scolded entering the room and pulling Punk away from her then jumped in front of her. "Get out. It's tradition."

"We don't believe in tradition." Punk told his mother.

"He's already seen it." April told her and Karen stepped away but glared at Punk.

"Always impatient, even as a child." Karen said annoyed.

"Can you blame me?" He asked eyeing April who instantly blushed.

"Yes I can." Karen said to him. "Remember I need a key to the house so I can get in there and set up for not only the rehearsal dinner but the wedding." she said holding her hand out to Punk.

"Take Ape's key." Punk said annoyed.

"I need my key because I'm still working on stuff myself. I haven't gotten around to making your mom a copy." She told him.

"Woah." Punk laughed pulling his keys out. "She doesn't get a copy."

"Why?" April asked him.

"He thinks I'll just barge in." Karen said to her.

"That's fine." April said to Karen and Punk shook his head. "Phil, she should have a key in case of an emergency."

"She thinks everything is an emergency." Punk told his soon to be wife. "She'll be running in there every time the mail comes."

"I resent that." Karen said to him. "If you're going to have children soon I'm going to need a key."

"I'm making you a copy." April assured her.

"You'll regret this." Punk warned April. "Zero privacy." he warned.

"Shut up." April laughed.

"Yea, shut up." Karen agreed. "I am your mother." she reminded him.

"And I love you dearly, doesn't mean I want you busting into my bedroom when I'm sleeping or not sleeping." Punk told her.

"I would NEVER burst into your bedroom. I don't even do that now." Karen said snatching the key from him. "I actually want grandchildren." Karen snorted grabbing her purse. "I'll meet you outside." She told April then kissed Punk's cheek goodbye before leaving the room.

"Did you tell her we've been discussing having kids?" He asked her.

"No." April laughed. "She just really wants grandchildren. Unzip me?" She asked turning her back to him and he slowly and carefully unzipped the expensive gown.

"You haven't been taking your pill, right?" He asked.

"I haven't for weeks." She reminded him as she carefully stepped out of the gown and bent over and put it back on the hanger the best she could. "But it takes more than coming off the pill, making a baby requires actual fornication, something we haven't done in I don't know how long."

"It hasn't been that long." Punk said thinking about it as April fixed her dress on the hanger as she stood in her white lace underwear. "Has it?"

"It's been a while." April said walking over to her clothes now.

"We're going to have plenty of time to make up for this lost time." He assured her as she got dressed.

"Are you saying you'd rather work than have sex with me?" She asked teasingly.

"No. But you are my work." he reminded her.

"It really takes away my power to get annoyed with you over working so much when you remind me you're doing it for my safety." She groaned.

"I know these last few months have been lonely and tough but we'll get through them." he promised her.

"Do you have any leads on Sawyer?" She asked him.

"A few, nothing solid yet." he said to her as he watched her get dressed. "Have you seen him?"

"No. If I had I would have called you." She almost laughed at his desperation. "I feel like I'm marrying you but you're cheating on me with Sawyer."

"I know it sucks." He told her. "I can't have him around you, you get that right?"

"Yea." She agreed quietly.

"I love you." He reminded her and she smiled. "Everything I'm doing is for you."

"I know. I don't mean to sound like a needy girlfriend I just miss you." She pouted.

"No need for that and you're not a girlfriend and in a matter of fays it will be my wife." he reminded her proudly. "It's going to be the best day of my life and I'm honored you've agreed to spend the rest of your life with me."

"Even if I'm a pain in the ass?" She asked.

"All of your little quarks, pain in the ass and all." He told her as he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Punk walked into his office at 7:45 after his meeting and was surprised when he saw April in there. His desk was cleared off neatly and a table cloth covered it and April was setting up food.

"Briefly seeing you earlier wasn't enough." She told him "So I squeezed myself into your busy schedule. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind." He smiled closing the door and locking it. "What did you bring?"

"I made you tacos." She grinned.

"My favorite." he said sitting behind his desk. "You didn't have to do this."

"If you have to work- which I completely understand- than I'm going to join you here. I'm starting to forget what you look like." She said sitting across from his desk and passed him a napkin.

"This face?" He asked teasingly as he took a bite out of his taco.

"Speaking of that devastatingly handsome face-" April began in a too sweet voice.

"I'll shave it all before the wedding." he assured her and she smile.

"This is why I love you." She said happily.

"I hope it's more than the face but I accept it." He smirked. "I read your article today."

"Oh, did you enjoy my literary genius on the why you should buy your fruit at the farmers market over the supermarket?" She mocked.

"I did actually." He said to her. "You're just starting up there, you'll get to what you want to do before you know it."

"The women who get the good stories in the office where their shirts one button down. But I don't have anything to tease." She told him and he almost choked on his food.

"What was that?" Punk asked grabbing his bottle of water. "What do you mean one button down?"

"They unbutton an extra button on their blouse and they always get the good stories. It could just be in my head but I don't think so." She sighed as she only picked at her food.

"You're not like that." he laughed.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Because I know you." He said to her. "And if you wanted to use your sex appeal to get ahead in work you could have done it because you are sexy. You have respect for yourself and for your job. You want to be recognized because of what you write not by what you wear or don't wear for that matter."

"I guess." She mumbled.

"It'll happen for you, Ape." he assured her. "Give yourself sometime. I know that's hard for someone as medically as impatient as you."

"I'm not medically impatient." She defended and Punk glared at her. "Ok, maybe a tad." she smirked. "So impatient I'm trying to figure out a way to sneak you back home for ten minutes." She said leaning back in her chair.

"Ten minutes." He snorted a laugh. "You mean thirty minutes."

"I was going to say five so be happy with the exaggeration you got." She laughed.

"You're killing my manhood." he said to her and unbuttoned the top button on her blouse.

"What do you think? Do you want to give me work?" She asked.

"I know what you're doing." Punk laughed warningly. "Attacking my manhood, undressing."

"I'm not undressing." She said undoing another button then another.

"Ape. This is my job." He reminded her.

"I know but the office is empty for the most part." She said to him. "You the locked door and your curtains are down..."

"Trust me it's not that I'm in my office because believe me I-" he began and she glared at him.

"You've done it in your office before?" She asked harshly and he was speechless. "You have!"

"Ape, I-" he began nervously. "I was just going to say it's because I have to leave in twenty minutes."

"That's not what you were going to say." She said annoyed. "How do you not miss me? When we first started sleeping together we were like rabbits."

"Trust me Ape, there isn't one thing on this planet I'd rather be doing than you- other than catching James Sawyer." he added at the end and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She said to him. "You can't get to your stakeout and I'll clean this up here." she stood up and he stood up as well.

"I'm sorry." he said to her.

"I know." She said with a faint smile and he kissed her and backed her into his filing cabinet. "I thought you had to go?"

"I have at least seventeen minutes but I only need like-" he began.

"Four?" She asked and he lifted her roughly and placed her on the counter.

"Keep messing with me." He warned with a laugh.