I'm back y'all! Sorry for the wait, I really would've gotten this up sooner, but with finishing classes before spring break and this coronavirus hysteria going on, it's just been insane! But here I am with chapter 12, quite a bit happens in this one, be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions. There may be tears. Enough of my rambling, onward to the chapter!

Chapter 12: Send Me An Angel

The air was tense with silence as we entered my apartment. Matt lingered in the doorway, hesitant to step inside.

"Well, come in." I demanded.

He let out a sigh and entered further inside, closing the door behind him. I locked the door to ensure our privacy and pulled a couple water bottles out of the fridge.

I turned to him and saw he still had the black mask on. "Please take off your mask. There's no point in having it on in front of me anymore."

Matt reached up with shaky hands to remove the mask, revealing his familiar sweet face that was filled with remorse.

"Iris-"

"Say it." I cut him off.

"What?" He asked, stepping closer yet still keeping a respective distance.

"Who you are." I clarified. "I need to hear you say it, so I know this is real. That it's not just in my mind. Say it."

He let out an exhale as he handed me his mask. "I'm Daredevil."

The tension in the air was so thick and heavy, I had to take a seat on the couch. I held his mask tightly as I looked up at him, he stood still in the same spot.

"How is that possible?" I asked, scooting back on the couch to make room for him. "You're blind. How are you able to do all those things when you can't even see?"

He tentatively walked to the couch, hesitant to sit down. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the seat next to me.

"New couch?" Matt asked as he took off his gloves and felt the soft, unfamiliar material of the seat cushion.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I redecorated." I replied, thrown off by the question.

"I like it." He gave a soft, sweet smile.

"Thank you, quit changing the subject." I replied, getting a little annoyed. "I told you everything about me, Matt. And you know how hard and painful that was for me to do, so please extend me the same courtesy. I deserve that much after what you put me through for the past two weeks."

Letting out a sigh, Matt turned to me and reached for my hand. "You're right. And I'm so sorry for putting you through that. I know it wasn't easy for you to tell me the truth about you, and it wasn't fair to you that I wouldn't do the same."

He cleared his throat before he began. "You remember how I told you I lost my sight?" I nodded and told him yes before he continued. "That chemical did more than take away my sight. It enhanced all of my other senses. My hearing, my sense of touch, taste, it all increased to an extremely high degree. They were so sensitive to the point of it being painful to even hear the sound of footsteps. It was unbearable until I finally got control of it."

"Are your senses still sensitive?" I asked.

"Extremely." He replied. "It's just less painful now. They help me when I'm out at night. I can hear the cries of someone in distress clear across the other side of the city. I can hear people's heartbeats and how they change when they lie, or get scared, or excited. That's how I knew from the moment we met that you were lying about your name, and that you were scared."

Oh fuck, that means he definitely heard the things I was saying about him to Lucy when I was drunk. But that's not important right now, I'll just cross that bridge when I get there.

"And the fighting?" I asked.

"You remember when I told you I lived in an orphanage after my dad died?" He continued when I nodded. "Well not too long after dad died, I met this man. His name was Stick. He was blind. He taught me everything I know. How to control my abilities and use them to my advantage, how to fight. He helped me."

"What happened to him?" I asked, noticing the emptiness in his voice.

"He left. He abandoned me." His voice cracked. "I started getting attached, I saw him as a father figure. He said I was being weak. Emotions and attachments were signs of weakness to him. So I was alone again."

I reached for his hand, which made him eagerly grasp onto mine. "I'm so sorry, Matt."

He held up my hand to place a gentle kiss. "I continued training myself as I got older." He continued. "When I became a lawyer, I saw just how flawed and corrupt the justice system can be. I couldn't just let crimes go unpunished and not get any justice for the victims. I work for the law, but I decided to take it into my own hands."

"And Daredevil was born?" I interjected with a slight smirk.

"I didn't pick that name, but yeah." He replied with a chuckle. "So that's it. Now you know."

I reached for my water bottle as I processed everything. "Well...it certainly explains a lot. So I'm guessing part of the reason you disappeared from me for two weeks was because of the cuts and bruises you got from that night?"

He winced. "Part of it, yeah….."

"What?" I asked, starting to get annoyed again. "What else is there?"

Matt looked guilty as he hesitantly replied. "I had a concussion after all, and I passed out in my apartment-" He was cut off by the sudden splash of water in his face from my now half empty water bottle. "I deserved that."

"You're damn right you did." I growled. "I knew I should've checked your stupid, stubborn head!" I smacked his shoulder repeatedly. "Anything else? I know it takes around a week to recover from a concussion, but what about week two?"

Matt went silent. His jaw tightened and his sweet, stupid face was stuck in a deep frown. It felt like a minute before he replied. "I was...I was scared. I ran out on our date like an asshole without even thinking about how it would look, or how it would make you feel until it was too late. My mind was clouded with what we were doing, and then I heard someone being attacked, and I just left without a second thought. I didn't plan on you seeing me like that. I was gonna make my way to Claire's-"

"Claire knows?!"

"Shit." He muttered. "Yeah...I kinda fell into her care the same way I fell into yours. I had put her in harm's way just for helping me, I almost got her killed. You just got out of a horrible situation, I would never forgive myself if I put you in another one. So I tried to stay away and just make sure you were safe from a distance. I kept telling myself it was for the best, that you would be safer not being with me. But I realized that I was hurting you already. I didn't know how to face you after everything. But Iris, I lo-I care about you too much, and I want so much to be with you. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry for doing this to you. I never meant to hurt you. I hate myself for keeping all this from you, but this is who I am. And it's okay if you hate me. I would understand completely."

I sat in silence, digesting everything Matt just told me. I looked at his beautiful face, he looked so drained and forlorn. Like he expected me to never want to see him again, to hate him.

"I don't hate you." I finally spoke.

Matt sharply turned to face me, his brown eyes widened. "You don't? Why not? I deserve it."

I grabbed his hand. "Matt, I faked my own death and changed my identity to get out of my abusive marriage. I'm the last person who should judge you for keeping a secret like this. I meant everything I said that night. You are a good man, and I support what you're doing; as long as you don't get yourself killed and take care of yourself."

Matt's body relaxed as he let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ir-"

He was cut off once again with a sudden splash of water in his face.

"But I'm still pissed at you for the disappearing act you pulled on me for two weeks!" I growled through gritted teeth as I hit him with the now empty water bottle Matt just sat there and took it. "I was so depressed, you made me insecure thinking that I drove you away! I was fucking miserable, you asshole!"

He quickly pulled me into his arms. "I know, I'm so sorry!" His voice cracked. "Iris, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You're right, I am an asshole. I was so fucking stupid, and I will to whatever it takes for however long it takes to make it up to you, I swear to God."

I hugged him back tightly as tears ran down my cheeks. He rubbed my back and kissed my head while saying "I'm sorry" repeatedly. I lost track of how long we sat there in each other's arms, but we sat like that until my breathing slowed down and my tears finally ceased.

I pulled away slightly to look at him. "Who else knows? You said Claire knows, right?" He nodded. "So who else?"

He cleared his throat before replying. "Foggy…."

I noticed the hesitation as he trailed off. "And?"

He looked at me guiltily. "And Lucy."

"What?!" She knew this the whole time?! And she let me say all of that embarrassing shit that night knowing he was listening! "I'm gonna kill her."

"It's not her fault," Matt replied, trying to ease my anger. "I didn't even want her to know, but Foggy decided to tell her. I made her promise not to say anything."

I took deep breaths to calm myself. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. But I'm still mad at her. She is so gonna hear it from me at work on Monday."

"I'm sorry Iris. I really didn't mean to cause you more pain." Matt spoke softly as he held my hand.

I looked at his sweet face once more. "I understand why you didn't wanna tell me, Matt. Your tactic was terrible though. It's just gonna take a while for me to forgive you for that."

Matt's eyes widened as if he was hit with an idea. "If you give me this one chance to do so, I think I know how to make it up to you."

"Okay, I'll bite. What do you have in mind?"

The Next Day

"I don't know about this, Matt. What if someone sees me?" I shifted nervously on my feet as I kept checking my surroundings.

Matt gently held me by my shoulders to face him. "Iris, I promise you, it's gonna be fine. I won't let anything happen to you. You just stay hidden behind the bushes, and I'll help you get inside when I know the coast is clear, okay?"

I let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Okay. I trust you. I don't know why I'm so scared, I feel silly."

Matt kisses my forehead. "Don't feel silly, it's okay to be safe. That's what I'm here for. I'm gonna go inside, wait for me to signal you."

He squeezed my hands before leaving me behind to enter the familiar building.

"Welcome to Amsterdam Nursing Home. How may I help you, sir?" The middle aged woman at the front desk greeted Matt as he entered.

Matt smiled, "Good afternoon. I'm here to visit Violet Williams, I called earlier."

"Oh yes, Mr. Murdock. Glad to see you've made it, I'm Jane." The kind woman smiled as she walked over to him. "I'll take you right over to Violet's room, she just finished her lunch. Would you like to hold my arm for assistance?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you though." Matt replied with his charming smile.

"I must say, it's so nice for Violet to finally have a visitor. Poor dear has been here a little over six months now and hasn't had a single person come to see her since. I just wish your visit was under better circumstances." She finished with a saddened frown.

"I know, I truly wish her daughter was here instead. I know she loved her mom very much." Matt replied, sticking to the lie he told.

"Did you know her well?" Jane asked.

"I did. We had been friends for a couple years before the...accident. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Williams, but Ir- uh Lily talked about her so much, I feel like I know her already." Matt wanted to kick himself for almost slipping up.

Thankfully Jane didn't seem to notice. "Yes, I remember meeting Lily when she checked Violet in. Such a sweet girl. But very sad. I remember how sad she was when she left. I just can't believe she's gone."

The crack in the kind woman's voice made Matt feel a twinge of guilt for the deception.

"Did you tell Mrs. Williams?"

Jane nodded softly. "I did. She's been taking it really hard, the poor dear. She's just devastated. I hope your visit along with Lily's possessions will give her some comfort."

"I have a feeling it will help a little." Matt replied with a knowing smile.

They stopped in front of Violet's door. Jane gently knocked, causing a sweet and somber voice to call out. "Jane?"

Jane opened the door and ushered Matt into the room. "Hi, Violet." Jane greeted. "You have a visitor. This is Mr. Murdock; he was a friend of Lily's and he wanted to meet you."

"Oh yes, I remember you told me. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Murdock." Violet replied, holding her hand out in their direction.

"She has her hand in front of you, Mr. Murdock." Jane whispered helpfully.

"I'm pleased to meet you too, Mrs. Williams. And please, call me Matt." Matt smiled as he gently shook Violet's hand.

"Only if you call me Violet." She softly smiled in return. She then cocked her head in curiosity. "I don't mean to pry, but Jane told you where my hand was. Are you blind as well, Matt?"

"It's okay, Violet. And yes, I am." Matt replied with a light chuckle.

Violet faintly giggled in reply, "What a pair we make, huh?"

Jane cut in, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to go make my rounds. Will you be alright, Violet?"

"Oh yes, Jane, thank you. Take all the time you need. We'll be just fine."

"Okay, dear. Mr. Murdock, there's a chair and a table three steps to your right, make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a little bit to check in." Jane replied before exiting the room.

The moment Matt had been anticipating had finally come.

He listened for Jane and any other person's heartbeats near the door as well as the window to ensure that the coast was clear.

"Is everything alright, Matt? Jane told me you brought some of Lily's things to give to me." Poor Violet's voice cracked at mentioning her daughter's name.

Matt set down his cane and briefcase to kneel down in front of Violet in her wheelchair. "Violet, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm here because of Lily...but I'm not here to give you her possessions."

"I don't understand." Violet warily replied.

"Trust me." He simply said, patting her hand before stepping towards the window.

I knelt behind the lush bushes hearing the rapid, anxious beating of my heart. I could hear the muffled voices of my mom, Matt, and another person in the room.

There was silence.

Then the window opened.

My heart paused when Matt stuck his head out the window, smiling that beautiful smile down at me.

He held out his hand to me and whispered. "Come on, it's okay."

I eagerly grabbed his hand, and he helped pull me through the window to my mom's room.

I had to hold onto Matt's arm tightly to keep my knees from giving out at the first sight of my mom in six months. Still so beautiful, her face radiating sweetness, her bright blue eyes my own resembled; her shiny strawberry blonde hair that was once down to her shoulders was now in a cute, short pixie cut. She still looked so young; too young for a nursing home.

"Matt? What's going on?" Mom asked, her nervous voice snapping me out of my thoughts.

I let out a shaky breath, Matt rubbed my back in encouragement. I pulled away from him to slowly walk towards my mom. My mouth opened and the first words I could think of were to the song she used to always sing me to sleep.

"Stars shining bright above you" Mom let out a gasp, her eyes widened with tears.

"Night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'" She shakily reached out her hand to me, which I quickly grabbed.

"Birds singing in the sycamore tree

Dream a little dream of me"

"Lily!" Mom cried out, smiling through her tears.

"Mommy!" I cried back as I dove into her arms, being mindful of her left side.

Mom held me as tight as she could, saying "My baby, my baby" over and over. She rubbed her hand up and down my back, her hand reached up to my head to run her fingers through my hair. She paused her motions when she noticed my much shorter length.

"Did you cut your hair, sweetie?" She asked.

"Yeah...I dyed it too. I needed to change my look." I took a deep breath for the hard truth. "I finally got away from him, Mommy. It just got so terrible." I held her hand that was now on my cheek. "But we're gonna be fine. God, you look so beautiful! I love your new haircut."

I ran my fingers through her short locks. She held my cheek, her thumb ran across my bottom lip, feeling the cut on my lip that's now healed into a scar.

Her eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Is he after you?"

I let out a sigh. "I don't think so. But I'm not sure. That's why we told them here that I was dead, so he couldn't find me."

"God, what did he do to you?" Mom started to cry. "What did he do to my baby?"

I wiped her tears, ignoring my own as I tried to console her. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter now, Mommy. I'm okay now. I'm far away from him and that awful place. I have my own apartment now. I have it decorated the way I want. I get to listen to the music I want. I got a job, I'm making my own money. I work in a bakery, so I can bake you all the sweets you want. I'm playing the piano again. I play with other musicians. I have friends now, Mommy. They're wonderful, you'll love them."

Mom smiled, tears still in her eyes. "So you're not alone anymore ?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not alone anymore. I get to start over. I'm happy. For the first time in a long time."

"And how about your friend, Mr. Murdock here?" She asked with a light smirk.

I blushed as I turned to look at Matt, who was standing against the wall smiling at us. "Matt's really special to me. He was the first friend I made here. We live next door to each other, so it's like he's always by my side. He makes me feel safe."

"Could you come here please, Matt?" Mom asked him.

"Of course, Violet." He walked over and knelt by her side next to me.

"This sweet, beautiful girl is the light of my life. So I must ask, what are your intentions with my daughter?" I let out a surprised laugh at her question.

Matt smiled sweetly and replied. "I intend to treat her like a Queen, like how she deserves to be treated. I will respect and cherish her. And I will protect her till my last breath."

"Will you make her happy?"

"Yes, I hope so. I will do my absolute best to make her the happiest woman in the world." He replied, reaching for my hand.

Mom turned to me with a grin. "I really like him."

I giggled. "I really like him too."

Mom laid a tender kiss on my forehead. "I am so proud of you, Lily. You are so strong. I know you probably don't think so, but you are. You were trapped with that monster Paul, but you never gave up. You protected me when I should have protected you. You saved yourself. You are so brave and so strong, nobody can take that away from you. Not Paul, not anyone. You've survived all this time, now you have the chance to live. Live and be happy, my sweet flower."

I struggled to control my tears as I replied. "I will, Mommy."

"Matt?" Mom turned to face Matt again.

"Yes, Violet?" He replied, his voice cracking.

Mom raised her hand to his face, he took off his sunglasses already sensing what she would do. Her fingers lightly traced the features of his sweet face as she spoke.

"Please be good to my baby girl. She's been through so much pain and fear because of that monster, I blame myself for not realizing sooner how bad he was for her. She's such a precious soul with so much love in her heart. Please don't break it."

"I won't break it, Violet. You have my word. Nothing's gonna harm her while I'm around. I swear on my father's soul that she will never go through that nightmare again." He replied with such conviction.

Mom kissed him on the cheek with a soft reply of "Thank you. Thank you for bringing my baby back to me."

She turned to me and said. "I really really like him for you. And he's so handsome."

I let out a laugh seeing Matt blush at the compliment.

For the first time in years, my heart felt so full and happy. It was like a wonderful dream that I didn't want to wake up from.

After spending a couple hours catching up with Mom, and promising to visit again soon, Matt snuck me back out the window and we took the next cab home.

I laid my head comfortably on his chest with his arm wrapped around me, feeling absolutely relaxed and content.

"Thank you for today. It meant a lot to me."

"You're welcome, I'm happy to do it. I know how much you wanted and needed to see her." He replied softly, laying a kiss on my forehead. "I just want you to know, I didn't really do it to make you forgive me. I just really wanted to make you happy."

"I know." I replied with a faint smile as I closed my eyes to the sound of his comforting heartbeat. "But I forgive you anyway." His heart skipped a beat. "Just don't do anything that stupid to me again."

His arm tightened slightly around me. "Never again, I promise. I shouldn't have done it to begin with. I'll never forgive myself for hurting you like that-"

"Shhh." I cut him off and whispered for only his ears. "Enough with the self loathing, Mr. Superhero."

Matt gave a light chuckle. "I'm not a superhero."

"You are to me."

Annnnnnnnd that's it! Iris and Matt now know the whole truth about each other and everything is okay. I got teary writing the reunion between Iris and Violet, not gonna lie. I hope you guys liked it and I'll do my best to get chapter 13 out a lot sooner. School's closed for at least 2 weeks now so I have plenty of free time to work on it. The next chapter is gonna be a little bit of a time jump to Iris's birthday, and things will really be picking up after that. Thanks to all who are reading this story of mine! Please be sure to leave a comment, I love reading your thoughts on the chapter, and subscribe to stay updated on the upcoming chapters. Well that's all for now, until next time...*kiss noise*