++++++ Again with the writer's block! Just grrrrrrrrrrrr! Anyway, here have a chapter of Hell's Angel instead...
I do not own ++++++
Two
"The distance between dreams and reality is called action."
Unknown.
When Izzy awoke the next morning to Blue almost sitting on her face, it didn't take long for her to notice how painful her entire face was. The young woman forced herself out of bed and trudged to the bathroom to take a look at her face in the mirror. The entire right side of her face was basically one giant bruise.
Izzy groaned and slumped back on the toilet. She tucked her hair behind her ears-man she had so many plans for the day-all of which involved going outside...no amount of concealer was going to solve this problem.
Blue meowed, weaving in and out of her legs, purring as she went. Izzy chuckled and made her way into the kitchen looking for the cat's food. Blue was the only family member that she had left who still loved her, the cat had been a gift from her adoptive grandparents and as she was an Egyptian Mau, Blue cost them a pretty penny and she showed Izzy nothing but love...as long as Izzy kept feeding her that is.
She got Blue's food from the cupboard and poured the dry biscuits in her bowl. Blue immediately stopped purring around Izzy's feet and started to gorge herself on the food laid out for her. Izzy shook her head and retreated to the bathroom for a shower. She turned the water on, waiting for it to heat up whilst she picked herself out something to wear for the day.
She pulled out a pair of green jeans to go with a yellow top and a dark grey jacket. She pulled out a pair of black boots and dumped them on the bed. Izzy had an appointment at the orphanage in a few hours to start tracking down her brother, Matthew.
But first she was really looking forward to having another accidental run in with Foggy. Izzy laughed as she stripped down for the shower and winced a little from the pain. What kind of nickname was Foggy?
The warm water ran over her skin, soothing those sore muscles. Izzy really needed to join a gym and get herself back into the swing of things. She could have died yesterday like a snivelling coward...at least if she was going to die Izzy was sure to hell that she would put up a fight and make them pay. It's funny the things you think and feel when you're sure you're about to die...that fear was a feeling that Izzy never wanted to feel again.
From in the bathroom, Izzy could hear her phone ringing. She stuck her head out of the shower door and let the answering machine get it. Eventually the phone rang out and a voice that she hadn't heard in a while started to speak.
"Isabelle it's your sister...you know the real one that was there for you your whole life."
Izzy rolled her eyes. "Nice dramatic effect Amelia."
"I'm calling to let you know that mum and dad are going to New York and since I had your address, they asked to come and see you. Maybe you three can sort your shit out. I also wanted to let you know that Able and I are having a baby. The twenty-week scan says it's a boy. Love you, bye."
Izzy smiled. That was great! Amelia and Able had been trying for years to fall pregnant...she was going to have to buy something for them...that's if she'd take it. These days Izzy and the Moran clan weren't exactly on the best terms. She got out of the shower and dried herself off before dressing and just piling her messy hair in an equally messier bun. She opened the cupboard sink and start looking through her makeup supplies for anything to make her face look better than what it did now.
By the time Izzy was finished you could only see a faint bruise and that was if you were even looking in the first place. She smiled in satisfaction and finished up by putting her boots on before she headed out.
Her first stop was the coffee cart from yesterday.
"Large latte please." Izzy handed over some cash as the old guy took her order.
"Are you Izzy?" the cashier asked her.
Izzy frowned. "Um-yeah. Why?"
"Some guy gave me ten bucks to give you this," he answered. He shoved Izzy's latte in her hands along with a napkin before forcing her to move along.
Izzy stepped aside and opened the napkin. It was an invitation from Foggy to meet up with her later on at his law firm if she wanted to come. Apparently there would be a free dinner in this meeting if she was interested. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she walked along.
"MOVE LADY!"
Izzy was forced to jump out of the way of the bike messenger and slammed straight into someone, spilling her coffee all over some woman in a very expensive suit. "Oh holy hell!" she gasped. "I'm so, so sorry!"
The woman scowled. "Jesus Christ! Look where you're bloody going next time! Stupid fool!" She brushed her blouse off but the dark coffee was soaking into the white fabric. "Now thanks to you, you little imbecile, I'm going to be late for my meeting."
Izzy scowled at the woman as she tried to clean her blouse up. Then she accidentally dropped her coffee on the woman's thousand dollar pumps.
"Bloody hell!" she growled. "You clumsy, moronic, little oaf! You are going to pay for that!"
"Look at me lady," Izzy grumbled, "me wearing an outfit that costs about the same price as that cup of coffee I just spilt and you wearing an outfit worth more than what I make a year...I suppose the courts can always give you my cat but Blue would probably chew on all your crap." She pulled her wallet out of her bag and pulled out a twenty before she threw it at her. "For the dry cleaning."
Izzy kicked the cup and moved around the angry woman to continue on her way. Midway down the street, she broke out in fits of laughter remembering the woman's angry, high and mighty tone. Izzy hated people like that.
On the way down the street, Izzy kept on getting distracted by photos for her portfolio. She found herself standing in the entranceway to an old, dusty looking gym.
"Fogwell's Gym?" Izzy whispered. She walked down the few steps that led to the old, low-profile gym as an image flashed through her mind. It was pretty much the only image that she had of Jack Murdock and that was of him standing in front of the boxing ring inside looking as proud as punch beside a young boy. She pushed open the door and the smell of leather, dust and sweat hit her senses. Izzy cringed a little but she stepped inside.
"You lost?"
She looked at the sweaty man who approached her and smiled softly. "Did Jack Murdock used to train here?" she asked.
For a moment the guy seemed to be a little confused by the question but that cleared up in a matter of seconds. "Yeah, he sure did. Who's asking?"
Izzy cleared her throat. "That would be me, I'm Izzy Murdock."
He frowned. "Wait a minute-you're Jack's daughter? He mentioned once or twice that his ex was knocked up-wow. That was a lifetime ago."
She frowned at the sentiment and cleared her throat. "Yeah-well-I'm trying to find my brother. I kinda got adopted out when I was two."
"Heard he's some lawyer now," the guy shrugged. "Set up shop right here in the kitchen. Now if you don't mind, I got some guys to help with."
"Actually there is one more thing," Izzy answered. "I'm looking for a gym and frankly this one will do just fine. How do you pay your membership?"
-XXX-
By ten that morning, Izzy found herself sitting in the office of the Mother Superior of Saint Agnes Orphanage across from a stern looking woman who went by the name Elizabeth.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," Izzy smiled softly.
The Mother Superior did not smile back. "I don't understand what you think we can help you with Miss Murdock. You said on the phone that your request was the adoption records that could help you find your birth brother."
Izzy nodded. "Yes. From what I understand, my brother and I were left here by my birth mother and I was adopted when I was two. I'd like to reach out and establish a relationship with my brother."
She drummed her fingers on the file in front of her and pursed her lips. "I took the liberty of inspecting your records from when you were a resident here and when your mother surrendered you into our care, she authorised a closed adoption process which means I cannot give you any records relating to your family without a court order."
"What the fuck?"
"Language Miss Murdock!"
Izzy glared at her. "Hey! You don't get to give me that bullshit excuse and then scold me for my language. Fuck you!"
"Miss Murdock if you don't desist, I will have you removed!"
"Don't bother, I'll fucking go myself!" Izzy snapped. She got to her feet and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
-XXX-
So the appointment at the orphanage had been a complete and total disaster. What pissed Izzy off more was the fact that her stupid mother had authorised a closed adoption so there was no way that she could find out anything without a court order.
Fucking fuck! Yeah the sisters had loved that language.
For the rest of the day Izzy plotted around the city, searching for a job-yeah she had some cash but she wanted something a little more interesting. She handed in an application at this little independent bookstore where the owner offered her a few hours every day if she wanted it. Izzy loved the feeling of the place and immediately accepted, the money wasn't great but it was something to start with.
Around five in the afternoon, Izzy changed into a dress and a pair of flats before she left to meet Foggy at his work. On the way, she picked up some Chinese for dinner, not know what to get, Izzy got one of everything.
"Wherefore art thou my fair knight?" Izzy giggled when she let herself into the office labelled Nelson and Murdock. She opened the doors to see Foggy standing there with another woman, both going over files and looking pretty serious as they did it.
"Foggy, what's going on?"
Izzy gave the tall, pretty strawberry blonde over and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, right," Foggy groaned. "Sorry-Karen-this is Izzy, Izzy, this is our trust assistant, Karen Page."
Karen smiled. "Nice to meet you, Izzy. How do you know Foggy?"
Izzy blushed a little. "He saved me from being roadkill. Almost walked straight into a taxi."
"Sorry I didn't see you this morning," Foggy apologised. "We have this case going on-"
Izzy held her hands up. "No, don't apologise. You've a life, can't put it on hold for little old me. So if Muhammad can't come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Muhammad-or some shit like that." She picked up the bag off the floor and sat it on the table followed by a second bag. "I didn't know what you liked so I ordered one of everything."
"You are a goddess!" Foggy grinned, rushing over to the Chinese food. "Hey Matt!" he shouted. "Get out here! My goddess brought me dinner."
Izzy blushed. "Oh stop it." She started pulling containers of food out of the paper bags and sat them on the desk as someone else joined them. She opened the container of prawn chow Mein and helped herself to some chopsticks to eat.
"Hey beer!" Foggy grinned, getting to the bottom of the bag he was digging through.
"What smells so good?"
"Oh Matt, this is Izzy, I was telling you about her yesterday," Foggy grinned.
"Ah-the coffee lady," he smiled.
Izzy glanced at the guy smiled. "There's plenty of food here if you want it so help yourself. You as well, Karen. I'm Izzy, by the way."
"Matthew Murdock," he introduced himself.
"Matthew Michael Murdock, son of Jack Murdock and Christine Murdock?" Izzy blurted out. An awkward silence filled the air as three sets of eyes looked at her. She cleared her throat, "that came out a little more stalker like than what I'd hoped."
"How do you know that?" Matt asked her.
Izzy bit her lip and shifted where she stood. "Um-don't be weirded out or anything but I think you're my brother."