Disclaimer: I don't own Daredevil, just my OC's. All rights go to Marvel... Just in case you guys were wondering.

Authors Note: This starts out with Ruth's point of view when first meeting Matt Murdock. Now we get to see what poor Ruth thought of our favorite bruised avocado.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

It smells like people in here... Not in an unpleasant way, though. Not like the rest of New York. It was almost like walking into someone's home- a friend's home- that has such a distinct and familiar smell that you feel right at home the moment you breath it in. That's what this place was like; the perfume in the air made up of incense, old wood, and fresh air lifted my heart just a little bit. Other than that, the old church was rather plain compared to the grand cathedrals that I had seen elsewhere; instead of grand arches and intricate paintings and statues, there was one statue of Jesus and a few stained glass windows. Though this may have seemed a little underwhelming and far less impressive, I liked it much better than the other grand buildings. This was a much more humble sort of place, like a church should be. Welcoming to all of the poor and lost, somewhere for the weary to rest their head.

Stepping into the quiet church cautiously, I half expecting to be stopped by a priest and ordered out. But no one came so I walked towards one of the middle pews and sat. The wood groaned underneath me and then the silence settled again.

I hope it's okay that I'm here. I looked up to examine the figure of Jesus on the cross hung above the altar. Sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows, the wooden Jesus softly glowing in the colored shine. There was a peaceful expression on his face despite the fact that there were nails in his wrists. That can't be accurate, Jesus was a human being who could feel and so he would probably be expressing his pain in some way. I guess that wouldn't be very uplifting to see Jesus crying out in pain at the altar, though. But if I'm wrong and it is accurate then I wish I was that calm through stressful situations.

The worn hand-me-down Bible that I carried felt especially heavy in my hands today. The pages were curled slightly and the spine was cracked from use, it looked like the pages were about to fall out at any second. The margins were littered with notes, the handwriting a deep ebony carved into the delicate paper. Perhaps my father thought that the harder he pressed down on the paper the more likely the words would be engrained in his brain. He was always so eager to learn more about the Word of God. Why am I never that eager to learn? Maybe if I was I would be happier. My dad was always happy. Even on the brink of death. I want that happiness, too.

I had left the apartment that afternoon on a mission. My mother and I had only been in New York for about a day and already I felt like I was losing it. You turn on the news and there's crazy crap happening and then you walk outside and you literally see the crazy crap happening right in front of you. I felt like I was living in some ridiculous T.V. drama that wouldn't end. My mission: to find out why the heck anyone would actually enjoy living in this city. To do that, I needed to explore the city. Well, not exactly explore- I'm not adventurous enough- but look around a little. The church, while not being of my denomination, looked inviting and quiet and I couldn't help but be drawn in. I flipped through the Bible and my eyes skimmed over the page. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10. Ok, that's encouraging because I definitely need some strength now, God. How am I supposed to not fear in a place called Hell's Kitchen?

I sat back, resting against the pew, and closed my eyes; meditating on the words. Trying to, anyways. My mind was always prone to wander which became a problem when I prayed. It was silent, the airy church only giving the occasional creak as old buildings do. Peace at last. Just God, a statue of Jesus, and me. Or not. The wood of the pew creaked with the weight of another body and my serenity crumbled. I jumped and whipped around to face the intruder of my privacy, audibly gasping.

"Oh! I'm sorry if I scared you..." His voice was low but soft. I quickly gained my wits back and examined my companion. He was an older man and there was wisdom in his eyes that seemed to go beyond the knowledge of a regular man. His dress was one of a priest, which made me instantly relax. He's probably just wondering what the heck I'm doing in his church.

"I-I'm sorry, is it okay that I'm here? I wasn't really sure if you had, like, visiting hours, or something. The doors were unlocked so I just kind of assumed- um, I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Your'e probably closed-"

He smiled at me and nodded his head, an amused gleam in his eye. The wrinkles in his face deepened with his smile but for some reason it still made him look younger. "Everyone is welcomed at any time in the house of God." I smiled yet still felt like I was probably intruding. "Howard Lantom." He offered me his hand and I shook it tentatively.

"Ruth Collins."

"Are you new to Hell's Kitchen?" He seemed genuinely curious, his eyes flicking to the book on my lap and then back to my face. It took me a moment to process his question, not sure if I had enough energy to start up a conversation with a stranger.

"I just moved to New York, actually."

"Oh? How are you liking it?" He was genuinely curious, something that the people I usually met never were.

"... It's definitely different than California." I hate it and wish I had never left home but I'm not going to tell you that, of course.

"Is that where you're from? California?"

"Yeah... My mother grew up in Hell's Kitchen but we've been in California since I was born... I guess- I guess she decided it was time to move back."

He nodded his head thoughtfully, "It was good of you to come with her."

I faltered for a moment, trying to think of a response. I couldn't have lived so far away from her, especially after... losing dad. "We're pretty close." Was all that I could say. I knew he could tell that I was uncertain of my whole situation.

"Sometimes, God lets us go through tribulations that we think are too much for us," my eyes wandered to the Bible in my lap. "But in reality, all we are asked to do is have faith in him." The words hung in the air and filled my brain. I had been putting God in the back of my mind a lot as of late. I hadn't been trusting Him. I nodded slowly and furrowed my brows. The silence hung thick all around.

"Are you, by any chance, related to Jeffery Collins? He owns the barber shop not too far from here?" The change in topic was gratefully accepted.

"Yeah, he's my uncle."

"You look like him. I used to go to him a lot, back when I had hair, of course." He chuckled thoughtfully and the tension from moments ago was released. I let myself laugh, relieved and a little surprised to see that this priest was such a laid back guy.

The doors to the church creaked open and taps on the floor announced a newcomer. I glanced over my shoulder but couldn't help a double take when I saw the man walking in. Does that sound dramatic? It wasn't really, it was only because I had met so few blind people in my life and.. I don't know. Maybe I am just dramatic.

His dark glasses and cane were obvious indicators of his disability. He walked slowly to the altar and kneeled, crossing himself before rising. I realized that I was staring, but more importantly, Father Lantom noticed as well. Flustered, I looked down at the Bible in my lap again and tried to focus on the words. So do not fear, for I am with you. The weight on the pew shifted as Father Lantom rose to greet the blind man.

"Hello, Matthew! I was wondering when I might see you again." The blind man, Matthew, turned in the direction of the priest and offered a tightlipped smile. The two exchanged friendly greetings yet I could sense a tension in the air. They weren't angry at each other or anything like that; there was just a sense of urgency in the way the man acted. His eyebrows were furrowed as if he we're stuck in a perpetual state of worry and his hands squeezed his cane so tightly that his knuckle shown white. Maybe I should go... I grabbed my things and tried my very best to sneak out quietly but Lantom stopped me before I could get any further. "Matthew, this is Ruth Collins. You know her uncle Jeffery from the barber shop." Crap.

"Hi." I tried to sound as kind and normal as I could but my anxiety flowed out in waves and I was grateful that he couldn't see my pained expression. It wasn't that I couldn't talk to people, I held a conversation with the priest easily enough. Sometimes, though, there are people that just are... intimidating. And this guy was intimidating.

"Oh... Um. Yes, it's nice to meet you." He turned his head in my general direction and his face went from being hard set to relaxed and generally normal. I looked from the priest to Matthew's held out hand, quizzically. What is this priest trying to do? Is he trying to set us up or something? Am I on a hidden camera show? Am I being dramatic again?

"Nice to meet you." I gave the firmest handshake that I could. I refuse to make this awkward. I'm an adult. I can make good first impressions.

"Matthew Murdock." I recognized the last name though I couldn't figure out how. Maybe my mom knew him. Or my dad.

"Matthew is a lawyer in town. He does a lot of good work for people." the priest piped in before turning away to do whatever it is that Catholic priests do.

He gave me a half-hearted smile as we shook hands. He's definitely a charming guy, isn't he? If my mom saw us she'd probably freak and go matchmaker on me. Matthew Murdock was a good 7 inches taller than me- which isn't really a big deal because I'm only 5"3'. He was well built and his face was slightly scruffy like he hadn't shaved in a while. I could tell even with his glasses on that he was a handsome guy. A bluish bruise stood out on his cheekbone right under his glasses and a scar lined his jaw. Looks like someone's been having a rough day. He cleared his throat, chuckling slightly, "We do our best."

"Wow, a lawyer that's- that's cool. Do you work for a big firm or…"

"A friend of mine and I started our own. We're still new, still trying to figure out what we're doing." His words came out quick and precise in a no-nonsense kind of way yet he was nice, maybe a bit tense but still nice.

"Yeah, that's- that's cool. If I ever run into a bit of trouble I guess I know who to call." Okay, you're doing good keeping up dialogue. Oh, stop sweating; this is what normal people do. He's going to think you're a freak. Act like the adult you're supposed to be.

"Well, we could use all the clientele we can get so tell your friends, too."

"Sure thing," a moment of silence penetrated the air and the priest seemed to have found the statue of Jesus hanging on the cross more interesting than keeping our conversation going while the lawyer looked like he was getting restless. I need to end this. "I-uh-I should be heading home. My mom probably thinks I got hit by a taxi or something." Father Lantom smirked but Matthew seemed to have gotten caught up in his own thoughts, his head turned downwards and his brow once again scrunched. "Um, what was the name of your firm again, just in case I might need it? You never know in a place like this." His head snapped up out of his thoughts.

"Nelson & Murdock. Feel free to come by anytime."

"Yeah, I will. It was really nice to meet you, Father Lantom and Mr. Murdock."

"I hope to see you again, soon, Ruth." Was the priest's reply before I slipped out.

I walked out of that church as fast as I could, my whole face burning from embarrassment. Why can't I be good at talking to people like Olive? And what was up with that Murdock guy? He just seemed kind of... Well, I wouldn't say he was being rude but- no; he was just preoccupied with something else more important. Or maybe he was just having an off day, it definitely looked like it with those bruises. Anyway, who am I to judge him? He's a lawyer; he's probably got a lot on his mind. Especially a Catholic lawyer with fresh bruises on his face.

My phone vibrated against my thigh. "Hey, Ruth! I was just checkin' in. How's New York been treatin' yah?" Olivia's voice floated through the speaker, her sentence interrupted every so often by the sound of what I assumed must be popcorn being eaten.

"Hey, Olive." I looked at my surroundings, trying to think of something positive to say about the city. "Um, New York's fine, I guess. Not as glitzy as it is in the movies but it'll have to do." I could hear her sigh over the phone. She definitely just rolled her eyes at me.

Olivia Woods is just the kind of best friend that any girl needs. She's courageous, insanely witty, and beautiful. But don't think that she's perfect. I could just picture her snuggled up on her bed binge watching Netflix in her PJs. Classic Olive.

"You're a baby. A literal baby. I think I need to go over there and check on you to make sure you're not doing something stupid."

"What did I say that would indicate that I'm doing something stupid? I've only been here for a day. Also, I can't be a 'literal baby' because that would literally be impossible. I'm older than you, anyways."

"You know what I mean! You're in New York saying that there isn't anything to do. Are we thinking of the same place? The stupid thing you're doing is that you're not doing anything at all."

"But-"

"Nope! No buts. Live a little, Ruth! Go on an adventure and meet people. You're so boring!" I chuckled softly at her small rant; we had had this conversation too many times. Olive had recently gotten married and was already going places at her job as a journalist. I had always been a little less of a busy body than her, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I just liked to take my time on things.

"I appreciate your concern, but I am an adult. I can spend my free time however I please, thank you very much!"

"Loser."

"Alright, fine. I'll happily be a loser."

She dramatically sighed, grumbling something inaudible under her breath. "Alright, Jason just got home and I haven't made dinner yet so I've got to go. You know how annoying he gets when he's hungry." I laughed remembering the years in college spent listening to him complain about missing breakfast and wanting fast food for every meal.

"Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright. Just promise me you'll do something fun tonight."

"Sure, Olive. How 'bout I go bungee jumping off of The Avenger's Tower?"

"Perfect! Don't forget to send me pics." And with that she hung up. When will Olive learn that I'm just a boring person? Maybe boring was a harsh word but at that point in my life that's what I felt like and that's what I wanted to be. I didn't know anyone in New York and I didn't have anything to do except be with my mother and look for work. Not being boring got people in trouble and that's exactly what I was not looking for. However, I knew that I needed friends. Being alone or with people well over my age would probably drive me crazy.

• • •

"Really! You met Matthew Murdock! Oh, I always loved that little boy. He was just such a sweet little baby. I remember holding him when he was just this big." She held up her hands to indicate to me just how tiny Mr. Murdock was when he was a baby.

"Mm-hmm. That's fantastic mom." I replied quietly but also very sarcastically.

"You know what we should do?" my mother's eyes lit up, completely ignoring my tone. Oh no, please no, mom. Don't say it.

"Hm?" I tried to hold back the flood of thoughts in my mind. I don't want to have him over. Nope. No way. No.

"We need to invite him over. It's been ages; oh I hope he remembers me. And we could make him something really good for dinner, um, let me think. Maybe meatloaf, he always loved it when I made that." Her voice trailed out into thoughtful contemplation over finishing unpacking and what to make for dessert as she went to pick up her dropped knitting needles.

I nodded halfheartedly, looking over to the television showing the daily news. Death, violence, hatred, and cruelty. That was all that there was. Gang violence was at large and the Devil of Hell's Kitchen was still fighting with a vengeance. I had left death behind only to be even more consumed by it here in this horrible place. Just the other day there had been something horrible about a kidnapping. I didn't really remember the details, but they had said that the father had been dragged out of the car and beaten right in front of his child. Right in front of his child. My mother had a deep respect running in her blood for this place, as if she was blind to the darkness that enveloped it. But I wasn't blind to it. I soaked it all in and instead of falling in love with the city like my mother said I would, I loathed it even more. It didn't help that the only childhood memory I had of the place was a funeral for a man who was shot because of organized crime.

"What about peach cobbler? Maybe some vanilla ice cream with it. Ooh, that sounds good. You know if you give him that, Ruthie, he'll be sure to fall in love with you. That's how I got your dad to fall in love with me. Well, that's not the only reason but-" Her comment brought me back out of my dark thoughts and I faked a smile.

"Mom, I literally just moved back in with you. You can't be trying to marry me off that fast. Do you really hate living with me that much?"

"Oh, come on, Ruth, you know I'm just joking! I'm sure you'll be good friends, though." Her eyes suddenly lit up again with excitement and I dreaded what she might be thinking. Do I often dread my mother's schemes? Well, yes, but only when they involve me hanging out with people I don't know.

"What?" My eyebrow rose in suspicion.

"Where did you say that he worked again?"

"Who? Matthew?" I asked with dread. Why did I tell her!

"Of course!"

"Um, he said that he and a friend own a law firm. Nelson & Murdock or something like that."

"We should go visit him. Yes, I'll go make some cookies and you and I can go and invite him to dinner then!"

"But-but, mom, you don't even know where his building is? How are you supposed to find it?"

"I'll just call Uncle Jeffery and Aunt Marcy. They know where everything is. That reminds me, we need to get together with them soon..." She left the room and I could faintly hear her chatting away with her sister-in-law on the phone, scheduling a get together. Why me. Why did I come here? Now I have to socialize with this person more. Well, at least he's a relatively nice guy. Maybe a little rough around the edges but we've all got problems.

•••

3rd Person POV

Blood dripped from his clenched fists, dark drops splattering the cement. The man he had just pummeled leaned heavily against the brick wall in the alleyway, whimpering and cursing under his breath, earning him another blow to the head. "I told you, I don't know nothing about any Fisk!" The man gasped, holding his newly sprained wrist to his chest. The man was small and he hadn't really even tried to defend himself when the devil had caught him. His breath was labored; Matt could feel the man's whole body shake. "Please, you have to believe me!" Matt Murdock had heard those very same words too many times to count from low life criminals lately and he was tired of it. It didn't matter though; sooner or later they would usually spill their guts once they realized there was no getting out of their situation.

"I think that you do know something." He spoke slowly, his voice low and dark.

"No! Really, man, I just- I know I've done some wrong but I'm really trying to clean up my- Aaaah!" Not interested in hearing the rest of the pleads and stories about how he didn't know anything, the black-clad man grabbed for the crook's wrist, silencing him once more, except for the occasional whimper. The man's heartbeat eventually evened out, the perspiration running down his face a result of the fear that anyone would have if they were being threatened by a vigilante. The man wasn't lying though- he didn't know anything. Matt turned his head with an exasperated sigh, still keeping the man in place by the wrist. He was frustrated, his nights in the city seemed to be getting more and more fruitless each time that he went out.

Leaning in close enough that the devil could feel the man's hot breath on his face, he whispered in a gravelly voice, "Get out of my city." He could have said more to really scare the living daylights out of the man but he had already wasted enough time. There was more that he had to do that night and the sun wouldn't wait for him to finish.

Author's Note:

I hope that you all enjoyed and please review! Stay classy, people!