Notes:

Changed the rating. Just in case...

Rin-Rin: Here is the scene how Rachel found out about Matt's secret!

Anika_Ann: Matt isn't such a rebellious puppet this time, but he needs an ally first. :)

rfreda: Let's see what Karen & Jessica are thinking, shall we? ;)

RACHEL

Rachel remembers that evening when she met Matt Murdock like it was yesterday. She didn't know why she even cared that she was going to get fired. It's not like she likes her job, she's just good at it. There was no way to know that someone would warn their new star about her and her show, so it's not like it was her fault. Who would have thought a guy from Hell's Kitchen would get shocked about what she - allegedly - had done? Well, she was aware that she's a bad person and maybe it would be better if she'd finally be forced to turn her back on "Everlasting".

When a man in a suit sat down next to her she rolled her eyes expecting him to chat her up. She didn't come into Josie's to talk to men. She came into the crappy bar to get drunk and she had half succeeded in that so far. Several minutes then went by without him uttering a word, so she risked a glance and that's when she noticed the glasses and the cane. Immediately she felt like an ass for assuming and started wondering what he was doing here, because he looked utterly out of place. "I'm sorry if I sound like a creep right now, but what on earth is a fancy guy like you doing in a dump like this?"

He smiled in her general direction and she couldn't help noticing those lips that looked a bit too soft on a guy. His hair was a little askew - which probably had something to do with him being unable to comb it right in from of a mirror - and he apparently hadn't shaved for a few days giving him a rougher look, except for those aforementioned lips. Her professional eye insisted on noting that he'd work very well on TV. "I was supposed to meet my best friend, because we usually drink here after work, but he cancelled last minute."

"Lucky me." She smiled and saw his eyebrows shoot up. Okay, that came across a little forward she guessed. "What do you do?"

"I'm a lawyer. Matt Murdock."

Ooooh... jackpot. She carefully shakes his hand after he offers it. "Rachel Goldberg. TV producer. You don't happen to be interested in finding a wife on TV?"

He laughed charmingly at her completely desperate suggestion, but Rachel was prepared for that and just pretended to be kidding. Worth a try. Then a thought crossed her mind. "You know, I might need a lawyer some day. I always find myself in a mess and sometimes I think I'm just a bad day away from going to prison." She made that sound like a joke, too, and without seeing the tear in the corner of her eye she thinks she may have been able to fool him.

The guy hesitated for a moment and tilted his head in a strange way before moving to get his card with a smirk. "You could have just asked for my number..."

"I'm serious!" She was seriously grateful that he probably understood that, but decided to play along and keep up the light facade. "Having your number is a plus, though." That blush looked cute on him.

When he gave her his card he seemed still casual, but earnest. "We're pretty good, my partner and I. So, give us a caĺl when you think you're in a mess you can't charm yourself out of."

Shit. Did he see through her, already? Lawyer, right... "I don't do that!"

Matt Murdock laughed again and she inspected the card he just gave her. It did look rather simple. "I'm not sure I can afford you."

That made the man almost spill his beer. "You met me at Josie's. Trust me, you can afford us. Right now, most of our clients pay us in cakes & fruits."

And that was the first time Rachel started laughing for real this evening. "You're kidding! Are you sure, you're good at your job?"

"That has more to do with the fact that we only take innocent clients."

"Now that's a shame... I'm not so innocent." Suddenly she felt unworthy of this man's kindness for some reason.

"Okay, but that doesn't mean that you deserve to go to prison. I think we can make an exception."

They talked for another hour after that. Harmless topics, distracting Rachel from the shitstorm she was going to face the next day. Finally Matt offered to walk her to her hotel that wasn't far and she agreed easily. She rarely felt this comfortable with someone. The blind lawyer cracked her shell instantly. He met the real Rachel and he somehow didn't run from her. It even seemed like he wanted to protect her in a way, maybe from herself.

Walking side by side through the dark streets she felt safe in his company. Which was probably weird, because she thought if they were attacked her self defense course would likely make her more able to protect him than the other way around. But he just had that aura... So, when he suddenly stopped beside her and told her to wait before turning into one of those alleys she suddenly felt alone and afraid.

Looking around said corner she was also confused to find him nowhere to be seen. Did the blind man just run off? Did someone drag him somewhere to mug him? Suddenly she heard a strange sound and she had to make sure that he was fine. Was that a struggle? Someone crying? She tried to find where it was coming from and soon other sounds were getting louder. As if there was a fight going on.

She didn't know why, but she kept going to see what's happening. Finally she found the right alley and there he was. It was without a doubt the lawyer she'd been talking to tonight and he was obviously beating up an entire group of men with knives. Alone. For some reason her instinct was to take her phone out and film him, so she did. Maybe she just wanted to make sure this was real, because she couldn't believe her eyes that a blind man could do all that.

After saving the video she noticed a woman with torn clothes sitting on the floor holding her purse close to her chest and trembling. Rachel decided then that she needed to get her to safety, so she went out in the open and carefully grabbed the woman's arm to lead her away from the fight and find her a cab. The driver was very patient with the clearly traumitized woman who stuttered her address and Rachel probably should have just left with her, but for some reason she stayed and when she turned around she saw him standing in the shadows.

Why she wasn't scared she doesn't know. Instinctively she must have understood that he helped this woman. But seriously, the blood on his fists and the menacing look in his eyes - which were certainly unable to make eye contact and that meant he really couldn't see - should have intimidated her. "You can't tell anyone and you have to delete that video."

She didn't know if his chest kept moving that fast, because he was exhausted from the fight or because he was panicking, but Rachel immediately realised that she had leverage on him. "That video is already on a server somewhere. If you hurt me the police will definitely find it."

The shock was rather obvious in his eyes and again Rachel found herself thinking that he belongs on TV. Did he put away the glasses? His face was so damn expressive and it twisted in a grimace at her remark. "I wouldn't hurt you."

Sweet. He was interpreting the situation all wrong, thinking she was afraid of him when really she already started seeing him as her savior, the last minute solution to all her problems. "I know, you wouldn't hurt me." Rachel stepped in front of him admiring that gift she was given. She came so close then that she could have kissed him out of gratitude and she practically saw his brain working, understanding that he should be the one who's afraid. "You're going to stay here, you're not going to follow me, you're not going to intimidate me, you're going to wait for my call and then you're going to sign the documents that you'll come on my show, because otherwise... I am going to give this video to the police."

"Please, don't do this..." Those angsty begging eyes of his almost made her change her mind. Almost.

"I'm sorry. I don't have a choice." He grabbed her arm forcefully, but this wasn't the first time some guy was trying to scare her and she could take it. Also: His threat was empty and they both knew it. So, she walked away terrified, but unharmed.

About an hour later she realised that she probably just blackmailed the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Wow. A vigilante. That's new. A shame that nobody was going to know this going in. And in that moment Rachel decided that she'll do anything to make this worth it for Daredevil, if only for her conscience. Matt Murdock was not supposed to regret the day that she discovered his secret. In fact, she vowed to herself that he was going to thank her in the end for helping the helpless.

Thinking back on it now she should have known that it wouldn't be easy to control him. He fought entire drug rings, put Wilson Fisk in Prison and he is just way too idealistic for her world.

"Rachel! Rachel, do you hear me?!", Quinn is still yelling at her. "Talk to him! Make sure he understands that he can't send our best candidates home first!"

Rolling her eyes Rachel turns to her boss. "You told me I had to make him keep Elektra. You didn't say anything about Celine. And there were no indications he was going to do this!"

"Well, you're lucky this was probably a shock that'll keep the audience invested. But make sure he doesn't do it again. And he can't send anyone home without a ceremony. They all have to fear that he's going to break up with them."

"Sure. Whatever." Making a deal with the devil was one thing, but will he allow anyone to fall for him like this?

JESSICA

It was only a matter of time before these girls started to form alliances and Jessica internally groaned at a couple of them bonding over Elektra throwing herself at Matt. The mysterious socialite who got on the show last minute anticipated that, of course, and she deliberately stayed away from them. She didn't seem like the type to make a lot of female friends and Jessica sure wasn't there to make friends either, but she still shared a few annoyed glances with her.

It wasn't like she was cheating. If these girls thought they were better than her because they didn't put their fingers on their price, then they should go home, because it doesn't matter what they think about her and they just come off as judgy bitches for complaining all the time. It only matters what they think about the lawyer and if he's into it, then maybe they don't have a chance of winning, but if they were honest they shouldn't want to then, should they? If they thought what Elektra did was so bad, then they shouldn't want to marry a guy who prefered her.

He seems to be on the fence, though. So, maybe one of those princesses should just thrust a tongue into his mouth. That would certainly spice things up a little. Sending home Celine instead of Elektra was a bit of a surprise to be honest. She was just the kind of girl to win these things, at least that's what Trish told her. She seemed nice, warm, fun and not at all threatened by an Elektra or any of the other girls.

Jessica liked Celine, because when they talked she not once asked her what she was doing there, instead she voiced her relief that Jessica didn't seem to check out her competition when talking to her. To be fair though, Jessica didn't come to win. She came to bring the house down. She couldn't care less who Matt is making out with. She does however care if someone goes crazy or gets killed on the producer's watch.

But she does think finding out what's wrong with Matt Murdock is going to get her closer to discovering what kind of shit show these people are running. He plays his blind role pretty well, but observing him closely she finds little inconsistencies in his performance. Too subtle to call him out or get him exposed on TV, but they're there. He tells some of the girls that his working senses are a little better than they are for seeing people, but it seems a bit random to her what he can and what he can't hear or smell. And he uses that cane like a prop when he's in a hurry, not something he actually needs. His eyes however really seem unfocused, so either he's a very good actor or he uses contact lenses that make him blind. She has to check his bathroom for this.

She awkwardly stumbled into him on purpose a couple of times, but so far he hasn't reacted like a seeing person. Everyone has reflexes though, so she just has to be patient. She takes a little ball to the walk around the lake with all the other girls planning to play around with it and throw it at him. He even seems to know what she's up to, when he hears her play with the ball and asks suspiciously what she's doing. She wonders how long he's going to hold up this charade or if he's going to warn her off.

Surprisingly the team isn't too concerned which would mean that they are oblivious to the situation and that would mean that him faking blindness has nothing to do with the show. But when he avoids her ball "luckily" she sees Rachel smirk and that has to mean she's in on it, right?

Some time later she sees the producer nod in a certain direction and suddenly a loose branch starts cracking right above this cute nerdy girl called Lucy, but Matt calls for her to catch up just in time, so she only jumps when it hits the ground right behind her and she hurries up. That was dangerous. Unless Rachel knew he'd do that or she's also trying to catch the lie...

When they arrive at the lake all the girls start going gaga over the view, except for Elektra who takes this opportunity to get close to Matt again. Sneaking up on them she is actually surprised to hear her describe the view to him. But now that she sees them together she finds the familiarity between them rather odd. Okay, Elektra was one picnic ahead of the others, this however looks like she really knows him. And is he using her standing there to shield something that he is doing?

When they walk away to join the others he seems to be looking in Jessica's direction as if he is trying to tell her something. Naturally she checks out that tree they were standing in front of and what she finds gives her more questions than answers. In very clumsy handwriting she reads a message that was carved into the tree: "Stop making me trip, please. We can help each other."

Is Matt Murdock maybe not an accomplice in all this, but a victim? Or is he trying to play her so she won't expose him? A few minutes later Rachel drags him away from the crowd to talk about the next scene and Jessica follows them to listen in.

They are already arguing in hushed voices when she's within earshot. "I just wanted to remind you to play by the rules. All I have to do is get a girl in trouble and you'd expose yourself to help her."

"No, I don't think even you would go this low." Matt tilts his head and steps a little closer towards the producer. "Then again, what do I know? When we met you told me that you think you will need a lawyer. Maybe I should start some digging for your secrets here."

"Fine...! Send home who you want, but don't blame me if Quinn takes over from me, because I'm incompetent and then I have no control over what gets aired. I'm the only one here who can protect you. Don't forget that."

She then storms away right in Jessica's direction, almost seeing her when Matt makes her turn around again. "Wait!"

Quickly Jessica hides behind a bush, glad that the sunset is over and it's pretty dark already. "I'll cut Zoey, okay? Does that work for you?" That was one girl who was bitching relentlessly about Elektra.

"Fine. Thank you. And maybe consider taking Lucy on the boat. Her jump scare was TV gold."

"You're horrible."

"I know."

KAREN

When this woman who introduces herself as Madison arrives at their office Karen really tries to be friendly, but her plans to make Nelson & Murdock look good on TV - which her boys negotiated cleverly - sound awfully cold and lacked character. When she finally has a moment alone with Foggy he tells her to relax. "It's really not that bad. Stop looking like that!"

"It's not us!"

"We get a new printer and computers and we get to keep them! It will certainly help convince future paying customers to come back if they don't meet any rats in here."

She crosses her arms defiantly. "Waldo never set foot inside our offices and I know that you feed him, too. Don't deny it!"

"Okay, I might even have teached him a trick or two. But we won't have time for stuff like that anymore. We might even have to hire another lawyer after this." She sees Foggy's eyes shine at the reminder of their firm's newly acquired prominence. "I know what you think, Karen, but earning money will make it easier for us to pick clients in the future."

Grudgingly she gives up and she tries to even be friendly the rest of the day. The only thing the TV people didn't hate was Matt's apartment. The spartan look of the loft seems to go well with their aesthetics. Foggy warns them about the billboard, but they think it should be fine, because they can just shoot that portion during the day.

When they later inspect the bar though, Madison draws a line. "No. Quinn is going to kill me if we shoot here. I think there's supposed to be a rooftop bar two blocks from here that should work well. If you could go there with us-"

"No." Karen decides it's time to put her foot down.

"No?!"

"You heard right."

"Could you tell me what's wrong with that bar?"

Karen really doesn't like her attitude. Like their firm is not good enough for their garbage show. They're lucky to have a place with actual character that they could use. "Nelson & Murdock doesn't work for the bigwigs. We're there to help those who need it most. It can't look like we're rich and can afford to drink at a place like that."

"Fine, I'll ask if we can film here and at least clean the place up a little." Madison rolls her eyes.

"Josie will never agree to that," comments Foggy correctly as she walks away, because they find themselves outside of the bar two minutes later.

Madison stares accusingly at Karen. "I guess, she didn't take that too well."

"Oh, you think so...? Got any other great ideas?"

Karen smiles. "Actually..."

MATT

It's been a long tiring day full of dodging balls and trying to keep his dignity intact while stumbling around attempts from both Jessica and Rachel to make him get out of character. He's exhausted. Hopefully it's over soon. Rachel proved her point, but if he could get Jessica as an ally... And it's all far from being over, because now he's sitting in a boat with Lucy and she's trying to make conversation which he has no energy left to contribute to.

"Soooo... You're from Hell's Kitchen?" She's rowing slowly close to the shore, while the group is gathered in a distance, some of the girls probably watching them like hawks. It's weird.

"Born and raised." With a stiff smile he plays along.

"Have you ever come across Daredevil?" Since he heard Rachel nudge Lucy to bring her enthusiasm for superheroes up, this isn't such a shock to him now.

"Well..." He might as well use it for a little PR to make Foggy happy. "He helped our firm, Nelson & Murdock, to bring a dangerous criminal behind bars."

"Oh wow! Don't you feel conflicted as a lawyer to work with a vigilante?" She sounds really excited and less nervous suddenly. Okay, he knows she isn't entirely pretending, but he can tell that she's also not completely relaxed either. In the end they are in the same boat after all and maybe she truly approves of what he does.

"In this case that was the only way to get him."

"I know what you mean." Lucy sighs. "I wish we had someone like you in Chicago..."

Matt grins. "I'm sure there are blind people in Chicago, too."

At that she kicks his leg playfully. "You know what I mean... people who fight corruption outside of the law if necessary."

They laugh and fall into a brief silence afterwards.

"Today must have been such a waste for you. It's not like you can appreciate the landscape like we can. It's really pretty and peaceful out here. Apart from the cameras."

He may not be able to appreciate the view, but it's also never been so quiet for him. "I know it must look wonderful. I can hear the birds and the trees and I can breath in the fresh air. It's a nice change of pace. I've never been out of the city."

"Not once?" He nods. "Wow."

Suddenly there's a really loud bang and he can hear cheers from the shore. "Are they starting fireworks now?" Shit this is always a special kind of hell because of his senses and Lucy doesn't seem too happy about this surprise either. Her heartbeat quickens as the noise gets worse because there are more and more explosions, but she doesn't say anything. She just grabs hold on the boat which is a clear indication that she's afraid. "Are you alright...?"

"I'm sorry I just hate fireworks. Bad childhood memories," she mutters.

With her lack of focus on their direction and his senses going haywire he has no chance to notice the low, thick branch they are floating towards early enough to avoid it without causing suspicion. So, when another panicky half-jump from Lucy makes the boat shake dangerously Matt braces himself for getting knocked off the boat.

Acting blind can be a real pain.

Note: So, who do you think should fish Matt out of the water? Jessica, Rachel, Elektra or Lucy?