Hiya! So I just finished the Punisher aaannndddd I'm hooked. I'd cast Emmy Rossum for Bellamy, just to give you an idea to run with while you read. Read and review, I live for that shit.

One

Bellamy felt him before she saw him. She felt a looming presence in her supposedly empty apartment from the instant she crossed the threshold. Miya, the unstoppable 4 year old, scampered past her before Bellamy was able to grab her collar and reign the child back. Her eyes, now wide with caution, scanned the space in front of her. Empty, nothing out of the ordinary. No giant monster springing from the shadows. Was she being paranoid?

No. She learned a long time ago to trust her gut. And right now, her gut told her that they weren't alone in the dank little studio. Her first instinct was call Miya back to her, pick up the child and run. But she didn't trust her own voice not to crack with fear, alerting the intruder that she knew. So she calmly made her way to the kitchen. There were knives in the kitchen, weapons. Silently, she cursed herself for getting rid of that old glock she used to carry. The thought of having a gun around Miya was just too much. Too many horror stories had blared on the news about toddlers finding weapons and mishandling them, ending in tragedy. She had nowhere to lock a gun up, so the solution was simple. Get rid of it.

Now, she was kicking herself for the decision.

Slowly, she worked one of the kitchen drawers open. The damn things had always been tight and noisy, which had only been a problem when she wanted to rummage for a late snack without waking Miya. Funny how the squeaking always seemed so much louder when she needed it to be silent.

It had been no more than sixty seconds since Bellamy and Miya returned home, but in her mind, everything had been in slow motion. In that solitary minute, a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. Was someone really here? Who was it? What did they want? Why had they chosen her shitty apartment to rob when there were penthouse a few blocks away? Maybe they weren't here to rob her. Maybe they were here FOR her. Voices played in her head, thick and heavy with Irish accents, repeating the same horrible and terrifying things they'd said to her 14 months ago.

Another sound infiltrated her ears. A small creek. She knew exactly where it was coming from. The old linoleum floors of the kitchen have irritated her since the day she moved in. Especially that one particular square that creaked under even Miya's weight.

Whoever it was, they were right behind her.

The handle of the knife was in her hand now. She had to turn around. She had to. Because if she didn't, Miya wouldn't have a chance in hell. So she turned.

Bellamy was fast, but he was faster. The man behind her caught her wrist as she brought the knife up towards his heart. She threw her body weight at him, hoping to knock him off balance. It seemed to work for a moment, forcing him to take a step back. Her closed fist made hard contact with the side of his face. It wasn't the first punch she'd ever thrown, but it had been a while. She forgot how much it stung her knuckles to connect with someone else's cheek bone.

While he was distracted, she made to dart out of his reach. She didn't even take a step before his hand clamped into her hair and he threw her up against the closest wall. Her shoulder slammed into a small hanging picture frame. The frame and broke glass scattered on the counter and floor around her. Before she could react, a forearm was pressed against her chest, pinning her to the spot. She struggled against it, biting her nails into his arm, feeling them break through the skin. But he was solid as a wall.

The pressure on her chest made it hard to take a breath, leaving her winded and weak. She kept pushing as if her life depended on it, because it did. She clawed at him, trying to reach for his face. But every attempt he thwarted easily, as though her flailing limbs were just an inconvenience.

"Aunt Bell." A tiny voice sounded from the corner of the kitchen. Miya's big green eyes stared at the scene wide with terror.

"No." the word came out as a breath. "No, no." Bellamy repeated the word in horror. Her attacker was caught off guard by the little girl. His head snapped in her direction and Bellamy felt his arm ease up off her chest. She took advantage.

Fingers curling around a fragment of the broken glass, she swiped upward, slicing across his arm. He backed up, letting her out of his reach for an instant.

"Miya run!" Bellamy choked out. But that damn little girl, bless her heart, stayed rooted in place.

"Aunt Bell." She cried out again, tears now spilling over her lashes. Bellamy turned her attention back to her assailant. She struck out again with the shard of glass, but he was ready for her. Catching her wrist once again, he easily wrenched her arm behind her back nearly popping her shoulder from the socket.

"Easy." he said quietly enough for Miya not to hear. "Calm her down." His voice warned her against fighting. And seeing that the girl was on the verge of a break down, Bellamy knew it was best to keep her as calm as possible. Fear would only trigger more chaos.

"Miya, baby, I'm okay. I'm okay." She cooed, keeping her voice as steady and sweet as possible. The man's free hand slid down her arm until reaching her hand, where he quickly snatched the glass and tossed it aside. Miya's eyes followed the glass and they carefully perked back up to the man himself.

"It's alright sweetheart." He said in a voice so deep that Bellamy could feel it rattle in his abdomen where her back was pressed.

"Don't talk to her." Bellamy growled.

"Fine." She felt his chest rise and fall with a quick silent laugh. "I'll talk to you." Bellamy struggled to break her wrist free from his vice like grip, but he twisted her arm harder, forcing her to quit before the bones cracked. "Why don't you go watch tv sweetheart." he said calmly to Miya. The girl looked to her aunt, silently asking for permission. Sending her to the living room got her out of his way, which was a good thing. But it also took her out of Bellamy's sight, which was the last thing she wanted.

While weighing her options, which were limited to say the least, Bellamy felt the man lean forward, bringing himself closer to her. His hot breath tickled her ear as he whispered.

"If I was going to hurt you, I would've done it already. Yeah?" the sound of his voice so close to her sent a cold shiver down her spine. Realizing that he wasn't exactly asking, she gave her niece a nod with a small smile.

"Go ahead baby." Being given the go-ahead, Miya slowly turned away from the adults. Bellamy saw the concern in the girl's eyes and felt a sudden ache of love towards her. She'd do whatever she had to do to keep her out of harm's way.