It's a beautiful night, Karen thought with a sigh. She wished she could enjoy it. She wished she could enjoy...anything, really. Karen had hoped, against all hope, that she could get a new start in New York City. New job, new place, new life in a new city that was so big, so wonderfully packed to the gills that there was no way anyone would know who she was. Would care who she was. It was a chance to start over. A chance to be happy.
Was being the operative word.
When had her life spiraled so far out of control? From the minute she got to New York, she had made one wrong choice after another. One bad decision after another. Decisions that had nearly destroyed her life...
Decisions that had gotten people killed.
She was cursed, she had to be. No matter what she did, no matter where she went, Karen Page was destined to suffer. She looked around her tiny, sparsely furnished office. The only sanctuary she had known since she came to New York. Run by two men...the only two men in New York who had truly cared for her. That were still alive, at any rate. I can't stay here, she realized, her heart racing a mile a minute. If I stay, something's going to happen. Something's going to happen to Matt and Foggy, just like it happened to Ben...
Karen stood up, wiped away her tears, and took two steps toward the door when a voice called out to her from the darkness. "Karen," it said. No more, no less. He just called her name.
She thought, at first, that it was him. Daredevil. The mysterious man in the mask who had saved her life. More than once. So Karen was thoroughly surprised when she turned around and discovered that the voice belonged to Foggy, dressed all in black and annoyingly hard to make out in the dim, moonlit office. "Jesus, you scared me," she exclaimed. "Are you okay? Matt said you might be taking a couple of days off..."
"We need to talk, Karen," Foggy declared, his voice heavy with the weight of the conversation to come.
Karen tried to use the desk to steady herself as her nerves started to get the better of her. "What...what's going on, Foggy?" she stammered out. "You're scaring me a little..."
"There are things you need to know, Karen," Foggy replied. "Things we need you to know."
Karen felt herself start to shake as her heart raced, not knowing we to make of what was happening. "We?" she gasped.
"Karen."
That voice was unmistakeable. Karen wheeled around to see Daredevil standing in the doorway to Matt's office. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"We need a safe place," Foggy declared. "Someplace where we can be ourselves. We want it to be this place. But in order for that to work, we need to be able to trust you."
Karen frowned, confused by the way Foggy was the one being cryptic. "We?"
Daredevil crossed his half of the space, stopping when he was directly in front of Karen. "I don't want there to be secrets between us, Karen," Daredevil declared. "Not anymore."
Karen gasped when gloved hands wrapped around hers. The height, the build, the scruff of his face, the strength of his hands...Oh God, she thought. I was right. It's him...she thought as she let Daredevil guide her hands to help him take off his mask. It really is him...
"Matt?"
#
Karen took deep breaths, fighting to get her heart rate back to normal. "Let me get this straight," she said, turning to Matt as buttoned up the cufflinks on his spare 'clean' shirt. "You're a...Sentinel?" Matt nodded. "Which means that your senses are so off the charts that do things like hear things a mile away and feel the differences between grains of sand..."
"More or less, yeah," Matt agreed.
"Can you - can you see?" asked Karen. "Are you just...faking the whole 'blind' thing?"
Matt shrugged. "Yes and no," he told her. "I combine all of my senses to be completely aware of everything around me. It's kind of like seeing..."
"But you can't like, read a newspaper or stuff like that?" Matt nodded.
Her curiosity about Matt temporarily satisfied, Karen turned to Foggy. "And what about you? I know about him, but what's your part to play in all this?"
Foggy waved his hand...and all of the blinds in the room snapped shut at the same time, causing Karen to jump as her nerves shot off the charts once again. "That...that's a n-n-n-n-neat trick..." The cup of tea on Karen's desk slid over to Karen of its own 'free will' and Karen jumped back, not sure if she wanted to touch the cup. Curiosity winning out over fear, she picked up the cup. It felt...normal. The same as it always felt. "How...how...how did you do that?" she asked.
"It's a gift," Foggy replied, his voice showing just a tiny hint of its normal good humor. "One of many I just discovered I have."
"Foggy's my Guide," Matt explained. "When we work together..."
"We're unstoppable," Foggy declared with a smile.
As Matt and Foggy started to tell Karen the amazing tale of their recent adventures, a Bible verse ran through her mind. If you asked her where it was from...well, there was no way she could tell you, but all Karen could think was, I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses...Up until that night, she had been so very certain that all of her life was curses. But if these two men...these two extraordinary men...were willing to entrust her with such amazing secrets...
Maybe she had some blessings in her life after all.
#
Morning came far too early for everyone at Nelson and Murdock. Matt poured Karen a cup of tea and brought it to her desk. "'Morning, Karen."
Karen looked at the cup, then up at her boss, who was sitting on the corner of her desk. "Isn't that supposed to be my job?" she teased.
Matt smiled, glad to hear the lightness in Karen's voice after the heavy conversation of the previous evening. "I am perfectly capable of pouring someone a cup of tea, Karen," he teased back.
"Oh, I am well aware of that," Karen agreed, taking a sip of the tea. "Especially after last night."
Matt caught the hitch in Karen's voice. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "Foggy wanted to tell you a while ago,.."
Karen got up from her desk, trying to keep the conversation light and dodge the issue by bringing a file to Foggy's office. "Matt, it's good. We're good. Now you two talk, or think, or whatever it is that you do now. I gotta finish filing the last of the paperwork on the Wong dismissal."
Matt watched Karen return to the reception room with a heavy heart. Karen's keeping something from us, Matt thought. I don't know what, but everytime I talk about not keeping secrets her heart rate goes through the roof...
I hear it, too, Foggy admitted.
Matt found himself surprised by that. You do?
Foggy nodded. It's like I have a back door key to your head; sometimes the hinges are a little looser than others. I see things, hear things, smell things...how *do* you stand her coffee, by the way? It sucked before I had flashes of hypersenses, but now...
Matt's mind-voice chuckled. Blair and I can teach you to control it, Foggy. Just like I did. Including turning a sense completely *off* if you need to.
Like turning taste off when you need to drink Karen's coffee, Foggy thought, catching on to what his Sentinel was trying to tell him.
Sometimes you just need the caffeine, thought Matt. His eyes wandered over to where Karen was answering the door. I wish I knew what she was keeping from us...
Secrets *suck*, my friend,
Foggy declared.
I don't ever want to have to keep them. Especially from you.
Matt found he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Hear, hear, he agreed.
"Uh...guys?"
Matt and Foggy looked up and over toward the doorway to their main reception area. "Yes?"
"There's a woman waiting to see you," Karen replied. "She's...she says she's looking for legal representation."
"Did she give a name?" asked Matt.
Karen hesistated. "That's just it, the name she gave. She called herself Jessica Rabbit."
Foggy and Matt both chuckled. "We'll be right there," Matt declared. As Karen turned to take care of their visitor, Matt's thoughts turned to his Guide. May I? he asked.
The two men shared Foggy's eyes in order to size up their new potential client. Well, at least she's got a hot body...thought Foggy.
You think any woman who's not five hundred pounds has a 'hot body', Matt teased.
That is not true! Foggy argued. I draw the line at four hundred pounds.
Matt allowed himself a mental chuckle. Her head is pretty heavily disguised, though. And she's wearing a wig.
Do you think she's bad? asked Foggy, his mental voice adopting the cartoon's character's gravely falsetto. Or is she just drawn that way?
Matt chuckled again. Why don't we go meet her and find out?
The two men severed their connection, and Matt grabbed his cane, the anchor that reminded him to adopt the behaviors of his blind 'civilian personna'. He then followed his partner into the reception area and offered his hand. "Miss...Rabbit? I'm Matt Murdock," he introduced himself. "This is my partner, Foggy Nelson. How may we help you today?"
The woman blushed and chuckled at the greeting before shaking Matt and Foggy's hands. "Forgive me," she apologized. "My boyfriend is much better at stuff like this than I am. May I?"
Matt and Foggy both nodded their permission, even though they didn't know what they were nodding permission for. Once the woman removed her hat, scarf and wig, though...it was Karen who first noticed the resemblance. "Ms. Rabbit, has anyone ever told you that you look an awful lot like Pepper Potts?"
The woman smiled. "Well, I'm glad I look like myself, then."
Karen and Foggy both gasped at the same time...while Matt tried not to look as confused as he felt. "Pardon me...Miss Potts?"
The other two members of the 'Nelson and Murdock' team stared at Matt in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?!" Karen exclaimed. "You have no idea who this is?! Pepper Potts? Tony Stark's girlfriend?"
When the additions to Pepper's name didn't register on Matt's face, Foggy picked up the description. "Seriously?! Pepper Potts? Stark Industries CEO and boyfriend to a billionaire Pepper Potts?! That name doesn't register with you at all?!"
Matt blushed, embarrassed on his friends' behalf. "Please forgive my friends, Miss Potts," he apologized calmly. "It appears they are both a bit...star-struck."
Pepper chuckled while Foggy nervously fidgeted and Karen didn't seem to know whether to bow, curtsy, or grab her cell phone. "It's quite all right, Mister Murdock," Pepper replied. "I've gotten used to it."
"May we offer you a bottle of water, Miss Potts?" asked Matt, taking over for his still-dumbstruck secretary. "I would offer you some coffee, but it's a hot day and to be honest, the coffee is not very good..."
Pepper waved off the offer. "Thanks, but no. I can't stay very long. I mostly came to drop this off."
Matt took the envelope without opening it. "Forgive me, but it's not like I can exactly look..."
"Of course," Pepper agreed, noting the details that surrounded the person with whom she was speaking. "Your reputation precedes you, Mister Murdock. In fact, it's why I'm here."
Foggy came to his senses and tore open the top of the envelope. His face paled when he read the heading of the first page. "Th-th-th-this...this...this is a standing retainer agreement," he finally stammered out. "With Stark freakin' Industries!"
"Like I said," Pepper continued, "as Mr. Stark and I looked into your little firm, I've become very impressed by what you're trying to do here. I'd like to help."
Matt opened his mouth to respond...but was stopped when Foggy read further down the page. "You're offering us a half a million dollars a year?! In PERPETUITY?!"
"Is that enough?" Pepper asked. "I was sure it was, but Tony was fully prepared to offer you a million if you needed it..."
"It's unbelieveably generous, Miss Potts." Matt replied, his memory recalling the last time his firm had been offered a retainer...and growing increasingly suspicious of the offer that he couldn't (and Foggy wouldn't, if his racing heart was any indication) refuse. "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm sure you already have an army of lawyers at your disposal. Why are you here?"
Pepper's eyes darted between Matt, Karen and Foggy, and she seemed immediately unsure of how to word her next statement. "Forgive me, but I probably should have been more specific earlier, Mister Murdock. You were recommended to me by a mutual friend. Richard Castle."
Matt and Foggy's defenses instanly went up. "How do you know Mister Castle?" Matt asked, not wanting to divulge any more than he had to.
Pepper was starting to dread having to encode everything she was trying to say. "May I speak to you and Mister Nelson in private, Mister Murdock?"
Matt was starting to pick up on Pepper's discomfort...and he smiled when he suspected the reason for it. He set the cane aside and removed his glasses. "Anything you need to say to me and Foggy you can say in front of Karen, Miss Potts."
Foggy's eyes widened as he watched his Sentinel remove his 'Clark Kent getup'. "Matt..." he warned.
"She knows, Foggy," Matt simply stated, cutting off his Guide. "There's only one way a genius billionaire superhero engineer could possibly have anything in common with a crime novelist. He's worked with the Guardians."
"He's right," Pepper agreed, ending all argument. "Tony and I are well aware of all the good that the Guardians do for this city. We are a part of an organization that allows them to continue those good works by making sure that we take care of the Guardians. And, in turn, each other." Pepper pointed to the retainer agreement as she continued, "there are three reasons for that retainer: One: it's no secret the type of clientele that most defense attorneys have to work with just to keep the lights on. This agreement frees you up to take only the clients you need to take. The innocent ones that you set up shop here to protect. Two: we value what you do for this community. Everything you do for this community. We want to make sure that you're able to keep doing it. And that's a lot harder to do if you're worried about putting food on the table."
Matt finally smiled as Alexis' words of encouragement echoed in his mind...until he realized that Pepper hadn't finished. "What's the third thing?"
"My boyfriend has a rather...dubious reputation in some circles," Pepper replied. "He has needed a lawyer far too often for my liking. Having a little 'super-powered' representaiton on hand, I suspect, would be quite helpful." She then leaned in and shared with Matt in a conspiratorial whisper, "and I might just want to call you for the occasional 'human polygraph' session with Tony, if you wouldn't mind..."
Matt chuckled at the request. "I believe we have a deal, Miss Potts," he announced.
"Excellent!" Pepper exclaimed. She turned to Foggy. "Can I trust you'll look everything over and have the signed documents back to me in the morning?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Foggy agreed eagerly.
"Then I'll be in touch," Pepper declared, effectlvely ending the conversation. "Your first check is in the envelope, gentlemen. Don't spend it all in one place."
It took every ounce of self-control that Foggy had to try to remain calm and business-like as Pepper Potts left the office...but once the door was closed behind Pepper, the celebration began in earnest. "Oh my GOD!" Foggy exclaimed, unable to believe their good fortune. "Can you...I mean...we just..."
Karen was practically glowing as she looked at the men who were her best friends...her family...her heroes. "It's the golden rule," she told them. "Do unto others...and God will make sure that it is done unto you." She pulled the two men into a group hug, finally letting the tears of joy flow unrestrained. "I love you guys, you know? I love you guys so much..."
"We love you, too," said Matt.
Karen broke the embrace, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Does that mean we can get decent wi-fi now?"
Matt chuckled. "Sure."
Foggy pulled the check out of the envelope, gazing lovingly at the numbers dancing in front of his eyes. "I really need to order Bess some Cubans for this. Good, good Cubans..."
"You need to stop buying that woman cigars, Frankie," Matt teased, knowing his Guide was not about to give up that particular practice.
Foggy's eyes went wide. "After everything that's happened in the past two days?! After this?! I feel like I owe that woman a cigar factory..."
#
A/N: Hope you guys all enjoyed this one! Of course, since I didn't post this one in installments, that means all of you have gotten this far *need* to post comments now so I know you liked it. ;-)
And if you want a sequel to this one, I'm gonna make you work for it...a little. If the Daredevil boys are gonna get their own offshoot of this universe then Foggy needs a superhero persona: name, costume, everything. And it's gotta work for him as Daredevil's sidekick. So all you creative types, have at it. :-D Whoever comes up with the best one will get the next story dedicated to them. Good luck!