In the following months, Nelson and Murdock quickly became part of a winning team at Mackey and Associates. They were rapidly building a reputation for being honest, hardworking and filled with compassion for their clients while helping to tear apart their opposition like a pack of angry wolves. Their successes, along with Jen's on the prosecution side of the aisle, were the talk of Hell's Kitchen, especially if you frequented Nelson's Meats or Clinton Church.
That was one reason why Elena Cardenas ended up in the offices of Mackey and Associates with Matt's and Foggy's business cards in her hands.
Señora Cardenas had been telling anyone who would listen about the issues that she and her neighbors had been having with their landlord. Issues with the heat and water, cracked walls and leaky ceilings and unreliable electricity were just a few. Despite multiple requests and attempts, the landlord did nothing and no one was willing to help. She received Foggy's card from his dad when she went into his store for her weekly order. She got Matt's after Mass one Sunday from Maggie.
Señora Cardenas timidly walked into the reception area of Mackey and Associates. She tried to explain her issue to the receptionist as best as she could but she was getting flustered. The receptionist was sympathetic to this poor woman and quickly paged Mr. Mackey.
Mackey emerged from his office to see the obviously nervous woman. "I'm Thomas Mackey. How can I help you, ma'am?" he said warmly as he offered his hand.
"Cardenas. Elena Cardenas," Señora Cardenas replied. "I have problem with landlord. He want all of us to move so he no fix things. No water, no heat, no electricity, cracks in walls. We try everything. We even call police. No help. I ask around neighborhood for who can help and I get these cards," she explained as she took out the business cards of Franklin Nelson and Matthew Murdock.
Mackey smiled as he saw the cards in her hands. "I would like for us to speak more about this, Mrs. Cardenas. My receptionist, Jane, will take you back to our conference room while I will get the two gentlemen who are on these cards and we will get to the bottom of this."
While the receptionist took Mrs. Cardenas back to the conference room, Mackey turned down a hallway to the right. The door with Franklin P. Nelson and Matthew M. Murdock on it was slightly ajar when Mackey knocked on the door frame before pushing it open and sticking his head in. "How about you two come with me?"
Foggy and Matt looked up from their desks when they heard Mackey's voice at the door. "What is it, sir?" Foggy quickly asked.
Mackey smiled to try an ease their nerves. "There's a very nice lady in the conference room from your neighborhood looking for help and she may actually want to work with the lawyers whose names were on the business cards she brought in."
Matt and Foggy entered the conference room where Mrs. Cardenas had been waiting as Mackey introduced them.
"Mrs. Cardenas, I'd like to present the two men who you were referred to. This is Franklin Nelson."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cardenas," Foggy said as he shook her hand.
"I was told Senor Foggy can help."
"I'll do my best," Foggy replied before he sat down.
"And this is Matthew Murdock," Mackey added in.
"A pleasure to meet you," Matt said as he offered his hand.
Mrs. Cardenas blessed herself before taking Matt's hand. "Gracias a Dios. A godsend like Sister Maggie."
"My mother hasn't been a nun in quite some time now," Matt replied.
"But still a blessing, Senor Murdock."
Mackey's secretary joined the meeting as well and he started the conversation. "Mrs. Cardenas, please explain to Mr. Nelson and Mr. Murdock the problems you are having with your landlord."
Mrs. Cardenas started to explain in a mixture of English and Spanish when she couldn't find the word she was looking for. Matt was happy to translate when she switched between the two languages. She explained how her landlord wanted to turn the building into condominiums and wanted to evict all the rent-controlled residents. He offered money but the residents refused so he let the building fall into disrepair. There wasn't always electricity or gas for cooking. There was no heat or hot water and sometimes no running water at all. The walls and floors were cracked and full of holes. There was no security at the doors so anyone could come in, which invited a great number of drug users and the homeless. She explained how the residents filed a police report but nothing was done.
"Would the other residents in your building back up your statements?" Foggy asked.
Mrs. Cardenas nodded. "Yes. All of us have same problems. We try to help each other where we can."
"If we can get statements from the other residents of your building and collect evidence of the neglect of the building, we can use this to get a court order to force your landlord to maintain the building. If he refuses, there are both civil and criminal channels that we can explore," Matt explained.
"Tomorrow, the three of us will visit your building and we will get this started. It will take time but we will do our best," Mackey added.
Mrs. Cardenas thanked all three of them profusely. As Mackey walked her out, Foggy and Matt went back to their office to get started.
First, a visit to Brett Mahoney to get a copy of the police report.
The next morning, Mackey met Matt and Foggy at their apartment since they lived only two blocks from Mrs. Cardenas. The plan was to get an initial look at the state of the building and to invite the other residents to sign on to the potential lawsuit.
"There are twenty apartments in this building. I'll start from the top and you gentlemen start at the bottom to get the documents signed," Mackey explained as he opened the unsecured door to the building. "We'll meet back down here when we're done."
As Mackey opened the door and went in, the smell from the inside leaked out. The combination of awfulness of urine and excrement, various drugs, body odor and mold nearly made Matt throw up right where he stood.
Foggy watched as Matt's face went pale and then tinged with green as he fought back a hard gag. "Matt? You okay, buddy? You need to sit down?" Foggy asked with concern as he guided Matt over to the bench behind them.
Matt was trying to calm his breathing as he clamped his mouth shut against another gag. He really didn't want to vomit right now.
"Buddy, if you need a moment, I can go through and get the signatures," Foggy said with increasing concern. "Mackey will understand."
Matt swallowed hard and took a few deep cleansing breaths. "I can do this," he replied with determination. "I just need to control how much I let in."
Foggy wanted to argue but he knew he would lose. The only thing he could do was offer the best solution possible in the situation. "You do the third floor. It's only four apartments. Most of the squatters are going to be on the lower floors. They're gonna pick a quick spot to hide. Hold your breath until you get in the stairwell. Get those done and come back outside. I'll get the rest."
Matt nodded. "I'll meet you back here in a bit."
An hour later, Matt was sitting back on the bench waiting for Foggy and Mackey to return. He had loosened his tie, undid the top two buttons on his shirt and held his head in his hands as he willed his stomach to calm down. He had unfortunately thrown up once already in a nearby garbage can and he wasn't looking forward to repeating it. Matt held himself together while he was talking to the other residents but the stairwell back outside had done him in.
When Foggy and Mackey came out a little while after and found Matt on the bench with his head hanging down, Foggy didn't need to ask what happened. He already knew and he went over to the bodega to get Matt a bottle of water.
Mackey however was very concerned. "Matt, are you okay? Did something happen?"
Matt held out the completed forms for Mackey. "My stomach is kind of queasy," Matt replied before swallowing hard again. "My sense of smell is very sensitive and some of the scents in there were a little overwhelming."
Mackey sat down next to Matt on the bench as Foggy returned with two bottles of water, one of which he handed to Matt and the other he briefly placed on the back of Matt's neck.
"'Do you need to cut out early?" Mackey asked. "I completely understand if you're not feeling well."
Matt took a few sips of water from the bottle that Foggy gave him. "I can keep going. I'll be okay." Eventually.
"Matt, please let me know if you need a break. The last thing I want is for you to be sick over this."
Matt nodded. "I will, sir."
Mackey relaxed a bit. "Can you tell me what you experienced in there? I think I just chalked it up to another bad city smell and ignored it."
Matt took another drink before he started. "After you get past the rat and human waste, there was the body odor of those humans. Add to that the rotting garbage in a dumpster that hasn't been emptied any time recently. On top of all that is the mold mixed in with a concoction of alcohol and pot with probably a few other drugs as well. Then, there is also a pest infestation."
"You can smell a pest infestation?" Mackey asked with surprise in his voice.
"No. I heard them," Matt corrected. "The residents' apartments were clean and as well-kept as they can be without running water."
"We're going to need a building condition report and a health inspector," Foggy chimed in.
"This landlord is forcing them to live in squalor outside of their own space. These people deserve better than that," Matt added.
"That's the exact reason why I want to look into the other buildings this guy owns. Odds are pretty good if he did it to one, he did it to others. Think you can go through three more?" Mackey asked.
Matt straightened up and pushed himself off the bench. He was a little unstable but recovered pretty quickly, with Foggy's discreet offering of his arm. Murdocks get knocked down but they always get back up. "I don't know of many fights that end in round one. Time for round two."
When Jen came home that evening, she found Foggy on the couch with Gizmo curled up next to him while he finished a few things on his laptop. Matt was decidedly absent from the space and she was pretty sure that she hadn't seen him in the gym downstairs. "Where's Matt?" she asked as she set down her briefcase and took off her heels.
Gizmo jumped off the couch to greet Jen as Foggy pointed a thumb towards the bedroom. "Today was a bad sensory overload day with an all-out assault on his sense of smell. Those apartment buildings were in rough shape. He stuck it out through all four of them because he wants to help these people. He threw up at least three times to my knowledge. He was so shaky and drained by the time we finished that Mackey literally sent him home. He made sure I went with Matt to make sure he was okay. After he took a shower, he went to lay down."
"Thanks, Foggy. Let me go check on him," Jen replied as she turned towards the bedroom. She slowly pushed the door open and found Matt stretched out on the bed in just his boxers. One arm was over his eyes and the other wrapped around his stomach.
"Hey Beautiful," Matt whispered sleepily as he moved his arm behind his head and a smile graced his lips.
"Hey Handsome," Jen replied as she crossed from the door and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Matt and leaned over to give him a kiss. "What would you have done if it was Foggy?"
Matt laughed softly. "You should know I can tell the difference between you and Foggy quite easily by now. Heartbeats, smell, size, sound of your footsteps...take your pick."
"Foggy told me what happened. How are you feeling now?"
"Not 100 percent but better," Matt admitted. "My stomach still isn't quite settled and I can't get the taste out of my mouth no matter how many times I brush my teeth."
Jen brushed Matt's hair back away from his face and kissed him again, brushing her hand over his chest. "So, how about this? I'm going to get changed into something more comfortable and then I'll make you some of the mint tea you like to help settle your stomach. Iced or hot, whichever you prefer. Then we'll do dinner if you're feeling up to it and maybe kick Foggy off the couch."
"You don't need to kick Foggy off the couch," Matt laughed as Jen got off the bed and unzipped her dress. "Now, you're teasing me."
Jen stepped out of her dress and pulled on a t-shirt and pajama shorts and then crawled up on to the bed next to Matt. "I promise that I'll make it up to you later tonight when you're feeling better."
Matt wrapped his arms around Jen and pulled her close with his hands around her hips. "I'm holding you to that."
As their caseload increased in both quantity and difficulty, the time for wedding planning all but disappeared. Time was running short and Jen and Matt had no time to interview a multitude of wedding vendors just to find someone they liked within budget. After a series of overwhelming nights that ended with DJ advertising mixed in with their case files, Jen realized that they really did need a wedding planner/coordinator to help them out. Matt was reluctant at best. It was their wedding and he wanted it to still feel like their wedding. He wanted it to be personal instead of empty and without feeling.
They had interviewed five different people before they found one that didn't completely piss Matt off and irritate the hell out of Jen. Two of them were almost dismissed immediately when they wouldn't stop talking about their vision for the wedding instead of what Matt and Jen wanted. A third wanted to completely start from scratch and undo everything Matt and Jen had already done. Jen put her foot down on that one. Jen fell in love with the Lighthouse on Chelsea Piers for their reception from the moment she and Matt had toured it. A fourth dared to even consider not having the ceremony in Clinton Church. Matt didn't insist on much but this was something he wasn't going to budge on and Jen agreed wholeheartedly. Matt was baptized in that church. His First Communion and Confirmation were made in that church. There was no way in Hell that this wedding would happen anywhere else.
Before the interview of the last one, a trip to Fogwell's was in order to burn off some of the growing irritation. Matt had gone down first to pound on the bags a bit before he had to screw on his 'be nice' face one more time. The last and final interview was a literal God sent angel of wedding planning. She was polite, efficient and genuinely listened to what Matt and Jen wanted. She was thoroughly knowledgeable of vendors she frequently worked with and could easily recommend those that would fit well and wedding chaos was soon well organized in both a physical and digital binder complete with calendar and spreadsheet of expenses. Her work was flawless until one tiny accident a few weeks after she was hired.
Jen wasn't home when it happened and neither was Foggy. Jen had planned a girls' day with Nikki, her best friend/maid of honor and paralegal. She had put her phone on silent while they were in the yoga class and then the spa and she had forgotten to turn the ringer back on. Foggy was helping his parents out at their store before his date with Marci that night. The wedding coordinator only called Matt because she got Jen's voicemail and really wanted to make sure that Jen got the message.
"Hey Matt. I'm sorry to bother you but I got Jen's voicemail and I needed to confirm her dress fitting for next Saturday."
Matt froze for a minute. The dress. What everyone will be talking about and what he will never see. "I'll make sure that she gets back to you," Matt replied quietly, hanging up after she thanked him.
Matt had tried for a while to pretend that it didn't bother him that he would never actually see Jen's wedding dress, just like so many other things that he wished he could see again. Sometimes, it just hurt more than others. He cast his phone aside as he started to cry, letting regret and jealousy pull him down a sad spiral that would get him stuck in his own head.
Gizmo jumped up on the couch and wedged himself under Matt's hand and placed his head on his legs.
Matt understood what the dog was trying to do. He was trying to comfort him in his own way. Petting Gizmo helped a little but Matt knew from past experience that he was going to need more so he reached for his phone. "Call Jen."
Jen and Nikki stopped for a late lunch after a morning of spa treatments and shopping after yoga class. After placing their orders, Jen remembered her phone had been on silent since yoga and she pulled it out of her purse to turn the ringer back on.
Two missed calls and two voice mails. Jen listened to the first message from the wedding coordinator.
"Hi Jen. Just calling to confirm the dress fitting for next Saturday. I want to give the dress shop a firm time. I'll call Matt as well."
The second was from Matt which Jen was guessing that it was just him relaying the wedding coordinator's message. She couldn't have been more wrong.
"Hey Beautiful." Matt's voice was all shaky as he spoke and Jen was quickly getting worried. "I know you're out with Nikki and I don't want you to cut your day short but I need you. Can you please come home?"
Jen's face fell as she frantically checked the time stamp on the message. Matt had called over two hours ago and that was about an hour after the wedding coordinator.
"Is something wrong? Girl, you just turned pale?" Nikki asked when she saw the smile on Jen's face turn to horror.
"Matt called two hours ago and he didn't sound right. He was asking me to come home."
"Girl, if your guy needs you, just go. I got you. Even I know he wouldn't call if it wasn't important. I'll take care of this and bring it to your place later. I'll call first just in case Matt isn't up for people. Go. Take care of your man."
Jen gave Nikki a hug before excusing herself. "You are a life saver."
"That's what best friends are for. Tell Matt I hope he feels better."
"I will."
It was frighteningly silent when Jen entered the apartment. "Matt?" she called out and when she didn't receive an answer, the worst possible thoughts were going through her head. Jen called his name again as she looked in the bathroom and bedroom. On the third time she called his name, there was a bark and Gizmo's head popped up in the window from outside on the fire escape. Thank God for their dog not wanting to leave Matt's side. Jen slipped out the window and found Matt sitting in the corner looking positively wrecked. From his erratic breathing, she could tell he was trying to gain some control. Her heart broke when he lifted his head and she saw his bloodshot eyes.
"I'm sorry," Matt whispered shakily as he extended his hand to Jen.
"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. You needed me three hours ago." Jen took his hand and allowed him to pull her to sit across his lap, nudging the dog to the side before he went back into the apartment. "What happened? How can I help?" she asked as she brushed his hair away from his face.
Matt sighed as he wrapped his arms around Jen's waist and rested his head on her shoulder, burying his face against her neck and breathing her in. "You are helping."
Jen wrapped her arms around his shoulders, running her fingers through his hair as she placed gentle kisses on his cheek. Even she could taste the salt there from dried and new tears. "Please, talk to me. Did someone die?"
Matt shook his head and hugged Jen tighter. "It's nothing like that. It's something that I've tried to not let it get to me but it did today. I don't know if it's jealousy or foolishness."
"Matty, if it's making you this upset then it's not nothing," Jen replied as she kissed him again. "Tell me, please. I want to help fix it if I can."
Matt swallowed hard as fresh tears started again. "Your dress," he whispered. "Everyone gets to see it but me. I know I can get a feel for it and you can describe it to me to get an idea but it's not the same. This is one of the times that I would give anything to get my sight back."
Jen's eyes filled with tears along with him. She had chosen her dress with Matt in mind. It was made of the softest satin they had. The only beading was at her hip for a bit of sparkle. "What you're feeling is not foolish. Your feelings are justified. It's our wedding and your feelings should be considered too. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Matt sniffed. "You were so happy when you found it. I didn't want to bring you down. I thought I could handle it."
"But you shouldn't have had to," Jen sighed. "I don't know how we'll fix this but we'll find something. We can find some random and obscure precedent to prove an argument so we can figure this out." Jen felt Matt smile against her and his body relaxed. "So, how about this? We stay in tonight, a hot bath together, order in some take out for dinner and snuggle up on the couch with some binge-worthy comedies?"
Matt finally lifted his head with a relaxed smile. The dark cloud was receding and he was feeling better. "That sounds perfect. Maybe more than snuggling?"
Jen kissed his lips and made his smile brighter. "When do I say no to that? So, I'll take Gizmo out for a walk and how about you get our bath ready?"
"I may want to wait for Foggy."
Jen looked at Matt with confusion written all over her face as she stood up. "Why?"
"Because I know he has a date tonight and not only can I hear him coming down the hallway but I can smell him. I don't think Marci would appreciate it if he smelled like a butcher shop."
Jen chuckled about the comment about how Foggy smelled all the way down to the street with Gizmo and an idea popped into her head. She knew she wasn't far enough away from Matt's hearing if he was paying attention but she's kind of hoping he wasn't. She pulled her phone out and called Bruce.
"Hey Fuzzball. What's up?"
"I need your help with something. For Matt. As a wedding gift."
"Sure, I'd be happy to help. What's on your mind?"
"I may need Tony's help as well. Is he around?"
"He's actually right next to me. I'll put you on speaker."
"Hey Gidget. What's up?"
"I want a way for Matt to see my wedding dress on our wedding day," Jen explained.
"Are we talking like experimental eye surgery here?" Tony asked.
"No. Nothing that extreme."
"It seems like you have something in mind. What are you thinking?" Bruce asked.
Jen took a deep breath. The moment she and Matt had on Coney Island when she got knocked over by the wave and he could see her face for the first time was very special and deeply personal to them and she had to share part of it for this to work. "Matt's other senses compensate for his lack of sight and water, like when it rains or ocean spray, enhances his ability to pick up details from what he hears. I'm wondering if there was something we could do to use that and not get my dress and hair wet in the process."
There was a pause on the other end and Jen swore she heard two of the greatest minds in the world actually thinking. "How intense would the water need to be?" Tony asked. "Are we talking rainstorm here or light mist?"
"I think it could work in light mist. Matt managed better than I did in thick fog one time."
"I think we have some ideas here," Bruce chimed in.
"We just need some measurements from you and we can get to work," Tony added. "I can put together a mockup pretty quick."
Jen was overjoyed. "Thank you both. Just let me know what you need from me."
"You're welcome, Fuzzball."
"Tell Rocky we said hi. I think Clint wants to challenge him to another round of darts."
"I'll let him know," Jen said as she silently thanked whoever was listening for being related to a genius with genius friends.
Matt woke up from where he and Jen had fallen asleep on the couch to the sound of keys in the door lock. Because of the minimal traffic noises from outside, he guessed it was pretty late. Matt pulled the blanket up around Jen's shoulders as she slept on his chest as his senses were on full alert. Matt had it figured out before the door opened. "Foggy?"
Foggy closed the door behind him and locked the deadbolt. He was moving slowly and just because it was two in the morning. There was a sadness to his steps. "Shit. I'm sorry, Matty. I didn't mean to wake you."
"Don't worry about it," Matt whispered. "I didn't think you'd be home tonight. Did something happen?"
Foggy slumped into the chair near the couch. "I think Marci and I broke up."
"Foggy, I'm so sorry," Matt said.
"What happened? That's if you want to tell us," Jen added.
Foggy shrugged. "I don't actually know what happened. I went to pick her up. We went out to dinner. We went back to her place. I had her screaming my name a few times. Then she started to pick a fight saying how I'll regret leaving Landman and Zack when I've never been happier to be out of there. We get to do real work now and we are helping people. She didn't agree and then she kicked me out."
Jen shifted so Matt could get off the couch and give Foggy a hug.
Foggy was quick to stand from the chair as Matt approached him.
Matt wrapped his arms tight around his best friend, like he was trying to hold him together. "What can I do, buddy? Tell me how I can help."
Foggy melted into the hug, letting some of the tension go. "I don't know. I really don't know. I don't want things to get weird but I think it may be truly the end this time." Foggy sighed and broke from the hug. "I'm gonna go to bed. Maybe things will be clearer in the morning."
Monday morning was a straight up curse after a tumultuous weekend. Matt and Foggy had a meeting scheduled with the landlord's legal representatives, which just happened to be Landman and Zack, and they were going in on their own because Mackey had an early meeting with the DA. It would be their first time back there after their abrupt departure and both of them guessed that they would not be received well.
Matt put his cane away as he stepped up to the receptionist. "Matthew Murdock and Franklin Nelson from Mackey and Associates. We have an appointment."
"Oh shit," Foggy muttered when the elevator door opened a few moments later.
"What's wrong?" Matt whispered.
"Marci's on her way over," Foggy groaned.
Matt caught the sound of expensive heels on marble mixed with too much hair spray and the perfume Foggy had given her one Christmas. "Are you okay? Need me to handle it?"
"You'll know when to jump in," Foggy replied.
"Hello Foggy-bear," Marci started nauseating pleasantness and then she saw Matt and all pleasantries vanished. "Murdock. I'm surprised that they sent you."
"You don't get to call me that now," Foggy spat back. "Did they send you down here to act like their secretary? Bring them up or send them away?" Foggy knew that was a bit cruel and uncalled for but she broke his heart a few days ago. He had the right to be bitter and a little mean.
Marci did not like that she didn't have the upper hand for once and quickly picked up on it as her breathing changed.
"I came down to tell you that you don't have a chance in there. It's better if you back off and drop all of this foolishness now," Marci stated arrogantly.
"Well, we are not in the habit of discussing our clients' cases in lobbies so if you would be so kind as to take us up, it would be greatly appreciated," Matt stated as politely as he could even though every word had venom underneath it.
"You two have no idea what you are getting into," Marci warned.
"Yes, we do," Foggy replied smoothly. "Remember the other night when you said that I would regret leaving here just before you kicked me out? Well, you're about to see why they are going to regret not treating us better and actually hiring us. So, take us upstairs so we are not late."
Marci was seething as she took them up in the elevator. She refused to look at them as they ascended. When the doors opened again, Marci took them down to the conference room where five other lawyers were waiting.
Same old dog. Same old tricks. Six lawyers against two. Of course their client is not here. They want to intimidate them and shut them down before it goes any further.
Marci made the introductions and took her seat at the end of the table.
"I thought we were expecting three."
"Mr. Mackey had an appointment with the District Attorney that he just couldn't miss. We will be filling him in after this meeting," Matt replied cooly as he heard six different hearts stutter.
"Let's cut to the chase here. We do not see what the problem is. Our client wishes to upgrade his ownings from apartments to condominiums. He offered ten thousand dollars to your client to accommodate moving expenses."
"First off, Mrs. Cardenas is not our only client now," Foggy interrupted. "We now have seventy clients who have issues with your client."
"We visited Mrs. Cardenas and her neighbors as well as the tenants in Mr. Toomey's three other buildings. They were all very eager to talk to us and all of them had the same complaint as Mrs. Cardenas. Every one of them stated how when they refused the money and did not want to move, your client became an absentee landlord and let the buildings fall into neglect," Matt added.
"These buildings are rundown and full of drug users and dealers and the homeless."
"Then you obviously haven't visited these buildings," Foggy stated. "The actual residents are afraid to leave their apartments because of the elements you mentioned. These elements only got in because there is no building security. No door man. No pass code access. Not even a door lock on the main door."
"The residents of these apartments maintain their apartments and keep them livable to the best of their ability," Matt replied. "They care about where they live and do not want to leave their homes. They do the best that they can with limited to no electricity, no heat or hot water and in some cases no running water either. Many of them lack gas to cook with and those who do have it help their neighbors where they can."
"These residents did not uphold their end of the lease."
"How?" Foggy asked.
"Their rent was not paid on time."
"Rent was only withheld as a last resort to get their landlord to fix and maintain the building. That is within their rights as tenants when the landlord does not uphold his end of the lease," Matt said. "Garbage has not been removed and left to rot which led to an infestation of insects and rats. When so-called repairmen were sent in, they made holes in the walls to appear to be doing something only to leave with the job undone and never returned. Your client allowed his own properties to fall into neglect and made his tenants live in inhuman conditions and with that also violated several city and state housing codes. Those violations come with hefty fines and criminal charges that end with jail time if convicted."
"Your clients were given the opportunity to break the lease and move." Now, they were grasping at straws to climb back out of the hole they dug themselves in.
"Our clients do not want to move. This is their home," Foggy hammered in. "Our clients are senior citizens, like Mrs. Cardenas, who have lived in that neighborhood for decades and don't want to lose the stability of a rent-controlled apartment when they live on a fixed income. Our clients have families and do not want to uproot their children from their schools and daycare. Our clients are young professionals who are just getting started with their adult lives. They may live with two or three roommates but having a secure home is one less thing they need to worry about."
When Matt was met with silence from the opposite side of the table other than their racing heartbeats, he continued. "From where we are sitting, we see the following options for your client. He could begin upholding his end of the leases and become an attentive landlord again. He would need to make all necessary repairs and updates to bring the apartments up to and above appropriate living standards. He would also need to provide safe and clean alternative housing at his own expense when repairs may displace a resident. The other scenario is that we tell the DA to file charges based on the evidence that we have already collected and your client will not only face a criminal trial but our clients may be entitled to damages and those damages may be so great that they may actually end up owning the building. Your client would potentially be left with nothing and a criminal record on top of it."
Foggy smiled when he found cracks in the opposition's impenetrable facade. "We expect that you will discuss this thoroughly with your client and get back to us on how we may proceed. If we don't hear from you in a timely manner, we will assume that we will just meet you in court." Foggy gathered up their files and slipped them in his briefcase. "Mr. Murdock, do we have anything else to add?"
Matt smiled. "I don't believe so, Mr. Nelson. I only hope that their client is better at returning their phone calls than he is with his tenants."
Foggy stood up from the table and stepped back to let Matt out. "We look forward to hearing from you otherwise, we'll see you in court. We hope you have a pleasant day and there's no need to see us out. We remember the way," Foggy said as Matt unfolded his cane and walked out with Foggy following.
Once they were out the door, Foggy was practically bouncing with excitement at how well that went. Matt gently squeezed his elbow to remind him to rein it in. "They're still talking about us and I'm trying to hear," Matt whispered as they walked towards the elevator.
"What are they saying?" Foggy asked.
Matt laughed. "They're wondering how what should have been a shutdown went south so quickly. They're also trying to figure out a way to steal us."
The elevator dinged. "We need celebration libations. To Josie's, we go!"
"Back to work we go. Celebration libations will need to wait until later," Matt reminded him.
Foggy sighed dramatically. "If we must."
With only a month until the wedding, Jen's bridal shower was turning out to be a situation all in itself. It was a great deal of work for Nikki to do on her own since she was Jen's only bridesmaid. Maggie and Anna Nelson were more than happy to help out where needed as well as Jen's mom, Elaine, doing what she could from California. Nikki wanted her bestie's shower to be epic but there was also a budget to keep in mind.
One of the biggest problems was location. Nikki first looked into some of New York's best restaurants and wineries, especially when the guest list includes a bunch of lawyers, Natasha Romanoff and Pepper Potts, but those came with hefty New York price tags. Anna and Maggie both made suggestions that were closer to home but they didn't have the elegance that Nikki wanted. The location dilemma eventually got to the ear of Bruce Banner - probably from his Aunt Elaine. With Tony's and Pepper's blessing, Bruce offered the top levels of Avengers Tower for Jen's shower and threw in Pepper's favorite caterer all paid for by Tony. After Nikki remembered how to breathe after hearing that, she enthusiastically accepted.
Trying to keep it a secret was another. Jen is nosy about gifts, present shaker through and through. So given that trait as well as being a kick ass lawyer, she'd be reading Nikki for tells as often as she could. Sometimes, she'd bring in Matt and Foggy as well. Nikki was good but fighting off the onslaught of three lawyers was hard. The whole deal was truly blown open when Morris, Jen's dad, called to confirm dates on when they would be visiting and where they would be staying. Jen just hung up the phone with a shit eating grin on her face.
The morning of the bridal shower, Nikki showed up in front of Fogwell's gym in Happy Hogan driven car to pick up Jen for what was going to be a kick ass party. Nikki pulled out her cellphone and texted Jen - I'm coming up. You'd better be fabulous and your man better be eye candy.
Jen texted back - Matt is my eye candy. Just because you walked into the apartment as he was getting out of the shower ONE TIME does not make him your eye candy.
Your man is a work of art. Can't a lady appreciate an ass that looks like it was sculpted by Michelangelo?
Looky no touchy :)
Jen opened the door on Nikki before she could knock, thanks to Matt hearing her heels on the hallway floor and her nails texting Jen on her floor. "Fabulous enough for you?" Jen asked as she spun around in her dress.
"Hi Nikki!" Matt and Foggy called out from the couch in the living room.
Nikki made Jen spin on more time so she could appraise the short sleeve white and purple ombre dress. "I love it. Not enough bling for me but perfect for you. Matthew, have I ever given my compliments on the engagement ring? White gold with yellow gold ribbons, vintage looking, blue diamond in the center and little ones on the band...very unique. Where did you find this?"
"I had a custom jewelry designer make it. They made a matching wedding band as well," Matt explained. "None of the stores had what I was looking for. I dragged Foggy through at least a dozen of them."
Nikki gasped. "Jen, you know I love this one. Come on. We've got a party to get to."
"One second," Jen protested before going over to Matt. She placed both hands on his face before kissing him deeply. "Have fun today. Be careful."
Matt smiled and let out a small laugh as he slipped his arms around Jen's waist and returned the kiss. "I will. You have fun too."
"I don't think Nikki would let me not have fun." Jen then turned to Foggy. "I'm trusting you, Foggy. Nothing funny."
"I will guarantee that no one will end up in jail or the hospital or on the news. Beyond that, I promise nothing," Foggy replied.
"Girl, they'll be fine," Nikki said as she dragged Jen out the door. "You have an epic party waiting for you. Bye boys!"
"Are we stopping to get Maggie? What about Mrs. Nelson?" Jen asked when she saw that Nikki hit the ground floor button on the elevator instead of three.
"Mama Nelson and Mama Murdock are already there waiting for you," Nikki exclaimed. "They were there at the crack of dawn to decorate with your mom and then Pepper Potts came in and made it fabulous. I thought Matt and Foggy were going to hang with your dad and Bruce with the Avengers."
"That was the original plan," Jen said as they got in the car. "But then Mackey suggested and Foggy agreed to take Matt out for his own celebration. So, the guys from the firm are going to a Yankees game, then dinner and drinks and finishing with a fight at Madison Square Garden."