(deepfake - brakence)
Upon entering her father's condo, Danica was horrified to see him being held by a man with a metal arm by his neck. His face was masked and his hair hung down to his neck, his eyes focused solely on her Dad.
Without thinking, Danica rushed toward the man and jumped, lunging her feet forward and kicked him in the side, making firm contact with the masked intruder and he let go of her Father who then fell into a coughing heap on the floor. Danica landed on her back before catapulting herself back up with her arms as she swung at the man's head. He dodged and tried to lunge at her but she twisted out of his way.
The man hand shot out and he was able to grip her shirt then. Thinking quickly, Danica head butted him but it didn't seem like it had much affect on the man besides making him angry as he reared back his arm and punched her in the face, and then again, over and over, until all she could do was finally raise her knee to his crotch in a swift motion. As he doubled over in pain, she grabbed his hair and slammed his face into her knee before pushing him back and landing a kick to his chest as he fell.
He got back up slowly, his mask having fallen off and blood running from his nose as he glowered at her. "Dad, run!" She exclaimed before he charged at her with a yell, gripping her around the waist as they both fell with him on top of her. The man grabbed her around her throat with his metal hand, squeezing her neck with an iron grip. As slowly Danica lost oxygen, she pulled the blade she kept in her pocket out and stabbed it into his side one time, two times, then three and he finally let go of her neck, rolling off of her with a grunt.
Danica took in a ragged breath as she struggled to get up and when she finally did, the man was holding his side a few feet away from her. Danica pushed the hair out of her face as she pointed the blade at him. "Try me motherfucker." She spit out, glaring at him before he took out a gun and she dived to the side as he shot at her. When Danica finally got up, he had thrown himself out the terrace window and quickly she ran to the window but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Son of a bitch." She muttered to herself as slowly, Danica pulled out her phone and called the cops then Foggy, all the while her hands shook as she did.
"Danica what's up? I'm kind of in the-"
"Someone was in my Dad's apartment, they were trying to kill him. I stopped them but they got away. I'm pretty banged up." She interrupted him as she rubbed some of the blood that was dripping from her head away from her eyes.
"Oh fuck, Matt and I will be there in a second." His voice was frantic as he hung up. Danica stood in the effectively destroyed apartment, her Dad finally running back in and hugged her tight while she just stared at the destroyed apartment in shock, still trying to process everything.
"Oh my God Danica, are you okay?" He asked as he pulled back and held her by her shoulders, looking over at her bruised face, the gash on her forehead, and the currently bruising hand print on her neck.
"I'm good Papa, are you okay?" She asked numbly as she inspected his neck. It was bruising but other than that, he was unscathed.
"I'm okay, I'm okay. God you're bleeding." He muttered his eyebrows knitted together in concern. "If I lost you Dani, I- I don't know if I could live anymore. I just- oh God. How did you fight him off? Where did you learn that?" He asked her perplexed as she laughed, a dry hollow laugh, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment before speaking.
"My ex. He left me with at least one useful skill from our entire relationship. But we have more important things to discuss. Why was that man trying to kill you? Did you recognize him?" Danica asked, looking at his confused face as he shook his head.
"I don't know who that was or why he was trying to kill me. I don't even know how he got in, I was just waiting for you, making tea and then when I turned around, he was there. All I could think about was how you would find me and it tore me apart.." he told her, his eyes watering as she hugged him this time tightly.
"Oh Papa, I'm so glad I was here to make sure you were okay. You're not staying here, you can come to my apartment and stay." As soon as she said that, Matt and Foggy were running in through the door before Foggy stopped and looked around at the destroyed room.
"Holy shit, this place is completely destroyed." He said in astonishment before looking at Danica. "Oh my god Danica, your face!" Foggy exclaimed as he went to her, grabbing her gently and turning her face either direction. Matt was quickly behind Foggy, hovering while waiting for him to move so he could inspect Danica himself
"That bad, huh?" She asked weakly as he nodded with a frown before stepping back. Matt quickly flocked her once he moved back, gently feeling her face then and winced as he did.
"Danica, who did this?" He asked, his voice tense as she sighed, throwing her hands up in perplexity.
"Some man with a metal arm?" She spoke questioningly as if she too was confused by the information. "It was seriously a metal arm, I've never seen anything like it. He had my Dad by the throat." Danica told them as her dad nodded, confirming her words.
"He had insane strength. I couldn't fight back against him if I had wanted." Her Dad explained to them as Foggy looked over his neck.
"I'm sorry Mr. Kravitz. It looks like he got a pretty good hold of your neck, jeez." Foggy inspected his neck just as the cops ran through the door.
"Why are you guys everywhere?" A detective asked in irritation, squinting at them annoyedly.
"It's our specialty Mahoney." Foggy told him cheekily before getting serious. "This is one of my good friends, Danica. She moved back from the UK a month and a half ago." He told him as the man, Mahoney walked over and held out his hand for her to shake. Danica did so tiredly and he looked her up and down with a grimace.
"Damn girl, you took a pretty good beating. Mind telling me what happened here? I see a lotttt of blood." He commented as he looked around the room with raised eyebrows as Danica sighed once again, feeling as if it was the only thing she could do anymore.
"I was coming by to have tea with my Dad here." She gestured to him as he put his hand up in a small wave. "I let myself in with my key and I just see some man with a mask on, choking him with a literal metal arm. I immediately attacked him, kicked him off my Dad, got him good in the nuts after he pummeled my face, kneed him in the face when he hunched over, then he tackled me and started choking me. I carry a switch blade around in my pocket for protection and I managed to get it out and stabbed him a good three times in the side before he rolled off me. I got up and pointed my switch blade, told him to try me and he pulled out a gun. I dived as he shot and he used that moment to jump out a window." She explained, pointing to the broken window as Mahoney shook his head in disbelief.
"You're serious?" Mahoney asked as Danica nodded with her lips pressed together in a thin line.
"Yep." She responded dryly.
Foggy's jaw dropped as he blinked and Matt tilted his head in surprise at hearing her tell the story. "Holy shit Danica, you're a badass!" Foggy exclaimed as Mahoney sent him a glare while he just shrugged. "I'm not lying though."
"Where's the switch blade now?" He asked as she pointed to it on the floor a few feet away, now covered in blood. "Okay, don't touch it. I'm gonna have to have it bagged for evidence. You said he was choking your Dad? What's your name, sir?" Mahoney turned to her Dad who cleared his throat and stuck out his hand.
"Christopher Kravitz sir." Mahoney shook his hand.
"Do you know how this man got into your home?" He asked as her Dad as he shook his head.
"Absolutely no clue, I didn't even hear him. I was making tea for my daughter and I and when I turned around he was there."
"What do you do for work Mr. Kravitz?" Mahoney asked and her Dad shifted for a moment before clearing his throat again awkwardly.
"Currently I'm a data analyst for the department of Defense, however before this I was a data analyst for SHIELD." He told him as Mahoney hummed with a nod, as if piecing it all together.
"I was thinking you were going to say something like that." Mahoney told him as her Dad furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "The man you are describing is who people are referring to as the winter soldier. Ever heard of him?" Her Dad sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Of course I have, it's part of the reason I lost my job at SHIELD."
"I'm confused." Danica interjected. "Who is the winter soldier?" She asked, looking between both her Dad and Detective Mahoney.
"You don't know?" Mahoney asked as she shook her head.
"I don't watch news or tv."
"He's an assassin who worked for Hydra. SHIELD was dismantled because it had been infiltrated by Hydra with numbers unknown." Matt explained to her while rubbing her back comfortingly as he felt her tense up.
"Papa, why didn't you tell me this?" Danica asked as she turned to him, her brows furrowed in upset.
"It wasn't important, Dani. I just got an new job anyways, I wasn't directly involved in any of the combat or all that nonsense." He spoke dismissively. "That's why I'm so confused as to why I'm even a target of the winter soldiers."
"Well maybe you had some data that he wanted or wanted to erase." Mahoney threw out as her Dad put his hand on his chin in thought for a moment but groaned with a sigh as he rubbed his face tiredly. I see where I get it from. Danica thought as she watched him do the thing she did all the time.
"I'm genuinely not sure." He finally told him, continuing to rub his face with his hand. "What a stressful day, all I wanted was to have tea with my daughter and she's all beat up because of me." He muttered, looking at Danica's face in remorse.
"Mr. Kravitz, none of this is your fault. Your daughter protected you and you should be grateful to be alive right now. Things could have turned out much worse then they did." Matt told him comfortingly, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you. Matt, was it? You seem like a nice young man. Why don't you take my daughter on a date?" He suggested, gesturing to Danica as Danica's mouth fell open as she blinked. Matt grinned as she was left speechless.
"Papa it is not the time-" Matt held up his hand then.
"Good news, Mr. Kravitz. I was intending to do so but thank you for giving me the excuse to now."
"What is happening right now?" She asked to Foggy in confusion as he just shrugged with a chuckle.
"I think your dad got you a date with Matt? Or maybe he gave Matt an opening? Who's to say."
"As sweet as all this is, I need you both to be looked over by paramedics, Ms. Kravitz you especially." Mahoney told her, steering them back on track as she groaned with a scrunched up face.
"They won't tell me anything I don't already know, sir. I have a fracture possibly on my orbital socket, maybe a concussion? And they can't really do anything about it but tell me to ice my face, take it easy, and pop some Tylenol if it hurts." Danica said as she suddenly felt extremely tired. "If we're being completely honest Detective Mahoney- it's detective right?" She asked as he nodded. "I'd just really like to take my Dad back to my apartment and go take a nap."
"Well I can't force you to have the paramedics check you out but I strongly advice you do. Don't come back to your apartment for awhile Mr. Kravitz, in fact you might just want to move entirely. The winter soldier is a dangerous man and the lengths that he's willing to go is unknown."
"How should we deal with this? What if he doesn't stop?" Danica asked in concern as Mahoney sighed, his hand on his hip as he once again examined the area.
"I'm going to give Tony Stark a visit at his little Avengers tower. He can put me in contact with Steve Rogers, it's probably the only way to keep your father safe."
"As in Captain America?" Danica asked with a raised eyebrow as he nodded in confirmation.
"Yep, that's the one. He was the lead man involved in the case with the winter soldier. Once I get ahold of him, probably expect him to drop in to say hello. He's very interested in anything to do with the winter soldier for whatever reason." Danica pressed her lips together in a thin line for a moment, taking everything in as she tried to remain calm and collected.
"Okay, great I guess.. I've only been home a month and a half and I'm already dealing with crazy shit." Danica muttered as she shook her head.
"It's okay, we'll deal with it together." Matt told her, reaching out and squeezing her hand. She squeezed back with a small smile. "In the mean time we should go back to your apartment and get you cleaned up. You too, Mr. Kravitz."
"Wow, your new boyfriend is so nice Dani." Her Dad told her with a cheeky grin as she groaned.
"Thank you, Mr. Kravitz." Matt smirked. Foggy laughed.
"Smooth Matt." He commented. "Thanks for your help Mahoney, I'm assuming the apartment is gonna become a giant crime scene in a few minutes so we need to get Mr. Kravitz clothes and dip out, right?"
"You'd be correct. Danica, Christopher, I'm definitely going to be coming by to ask some follow up questions and also to let you know what I find out. Can I get your address?" He asked as she nodded.
"Oh yeah of course, it's 240 centre street, apartment B." Mahoney quirked his eyebrow at that.
"Isn't that your apartment, Murdock?" He asked as Matt shook his head.
"No, mine is apartment A. We're neighbors." He explained as Mahoney just stared as if he thought it was a joke that he didn't find funny. When no one said anything more, he squeezed his eyes together before opening them again.
"Uh-huh, How convenient. Okay, Mr. Kravitz if you could please go get your clothes, we're gonna start taping this place up soon."
"I'll help you get your clothes, Mr. Kravitz." Foggy told him as he smiled at him.
"You've always been such a nice lad Foggy, thanks for the help." They walked towards the hallway on the right as Matt and Danica slowly made there way to the door to avoid being in the way of the police.
"I'm glad you're okay, Danica. Even if you're all beat up." Matt told her quietly as they stood close together, their shoulders brushing one another's.
"Me too." Danica's voice broke for a moment as she looked away, feeling exhausted and emotional. Matt then grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug. For a moment, Danica didn't move then finally she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest as she tried not to cry, swallowing harshly.
Matt's chin laid gently on her head as he quietly comforted her. "It's okay now, you were so brave and strong. You kept your Father safe, you did amazing." He stroked her head with one free hand as his other was wrapped around her and laid on her lower back.
"If I had came a second too late, he could have.. he'd have been-"
"But you didn't, and that's all that matters." He murmured as she finally looked up at him. He looked down at her even though he couldn't see her but reached his hand up to feel her face.
"Did you mean what you said to my Dad about asking me out? Or was that to appease him?" She asked quietly as his face broke out into a smile.
"I meant it. Maybe not just yet but soon. I just wanna spend some more time with you first, not rush anything." He told her as she gave him a small sad smile, trying not to let the disappointment show on her face.
"I get that." Danica responded as finally Foggy and her Dad came back with a suitcase with clothes. Her Dad looked nervous as he glanced to Foggy then to Danica. Danica slowly let go of Matt and looked at her Father in confusion as Foggy looked awkward as he glanced to him then Danica as well.
"Dani, I'm not going to stay with you. Not that I don't want to or anything- but erm.." He trailed off as he looked at the ground then back up. "I'm going to go and stay with my girlfriend, Karla. I'm old and my back would ache sleeping on your couch."
There was silence as Danica looked at him wildly for a moment, her face running through different emotions. "Girlfriend?" Danica asked, her voice thick with emotions as he sighed, running his hand nervously through his hair.
"It- it wasn't supposed to come out this way. I was going to tell you but I was trying to do it tactfully." He explained as he took a step towards her, reaching out to touch her only for her to jerk back as if his touch would burn her.
"What about Mom? She only died a year and a half ago Dad." Danica spoke quietly, her eyes filled with hurt as her Dad closed his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them.
"I mourned, Dani. For a whole year, it felt like I could barely breathe, eat, sleep, and then.. I met Karla. I was alone, you were all the way in London and she was here for me. I was able to lean on her and it just.. slowly happened. You have to understand." He pleaded with her as Danica exploded then, feeling as if she was being ripped apart.
"I don't!" Danica exclaimed angrily. "I don't understand. You held Mom's dying hand and then you're just able to move on in a year and a half? Just like that?" Danica shook her head as she turned around, walking away without a second thought. This time tears did stream down her face as everyone started calling her name. Going down the stairs as fast as her feet would let her get away from the situation, she made her way out of the building. As she started flagging down a cab, Matt was beside her.
"You don't need to go alone, you're emotional right now. Foggy is gonna escort your Dad." He told her as she said nothing, arms crossed as she waited for a cab. "I know you're mad at your Dad, it feels like he betrayed your Mom, right?" He asked as she slowly nodded her head, feeling an ache in her chest as she spoke.
"My Mom was the light of his life, at least I thought. They loved each other more then anything, and he- he was at her side through all of the cancer. They had been together since high school and now.. I just can't even wrap my head around it." Danica wiped some tears away then. "I'm not saying he shouldn't ever be happy with someone again, but a year and a half? Is that the expiration date for someone you love? Because if it was me, if it was someone I had been with since I was a teenager, someone I was so in love with, had two kids with, grieved a child's death together, and then lost them too, I don't think I'd ever recover. I might not ever love again."
Matt was silent for a moment before a taxi pulled over for them and they both got in. "I didn't know you had a sibling." Was what he finally said as Danica nodded slowly.
"Travis committed suicide in 2011. It didn't come out of nowhere but we were all gutted by it just the same. We thought he was doing better but he just started hiding it better. I moved right after that, I couldn't be here anymore because everywhere I went felt like a reminder of him. I was still in college so I transferred to Queen Mary University and applied my credits." She explained. "The last few years have been nothing but grief and right now it feels like an overload." She whispered as Matt just grabbed her hand and held it.
"It's gonna be okay, I promise." He whispered back as she looked at him doubtfully but said nothing. Once they got to the apartment complex, she paid the driver and they both got out.
"I could have paid." Matt told her as she shrugged.
"You can pay next time then." She told him as they went inside and went up. For a moment, they stopped in the hallways between her door and his. "Thank you for this, for seeing me back to my apartment- even if you live here too." She thanked him as he gave her a small smile.
"It's no problem. I'd do it again." He told her as she sighed as she looked at her apartment door. "Do you want me to go in with you?" Matt asked her as she turned her head back to look at him.
"Don't you have to get back to work? Not that I don't want you to, just that you know, I don't wanna keep you from important things." Matt shook his head with a small smirk.
"I'm pretty sure that we're not gonna be getting back to what we were doing before this. And besides, you're hurt, your Dad's hurt, and I just don't think in good conscience I can leave you alone." He took a step closer to her and rubbed her arm. Danica's heart swelled with emotions at that. His tender touch's and the way he wanted to make sure she was okay was new to her and it felt so good.
"I'm convinced then." She told him as she walked over to her door with him trailing behind her, unlocking it and walking through. Once in, she put her bag on a hook next to the door, kicking off her flats as she went. "You can take your shoes off at the door, get comfy if you want." She told him as he nodded, bending down to unlace his loafers then gently set them down together. "My apartment lay out is similar to yours, just flipped. I'm not sure if you need or want any help but I'm here if you do."
Matt chuckled at this. "I'm fairly good at navigating so that's okay, and I've been inside twice before but thank you for the helpful tip. I think right now I'm more content to help you. Let me order us some food, do you want Chinese?" He asked as she salivated some, not having eaten all day.
"That sounds absolutely perfect. I'm gonna hop into the shower while you order if that's okay?" She asked as he nodded.
"You don't have to ask me if it's okay. Take your time and I'll be here when you get out." He assured her.
"Okay, well my couch is to your left about 20 feet if you want to sit down, I rearranged since you've last been here. I'll be right back." She told him as she quickly walked up a few stairs then to her room, walking in and grabbing some clothes before making her way to her bathroom. As she did, she shut the door and then looked at herself in the mirror.
For a moment, Danica just stared at her beat up face, then the giant hand shaped bruise around her neck and swallowed harshly. I'll have to call in to work, explain the situation. She thought to herself as, in the quiet of the bathroom, she broke. A sob escaped her lips for a moment, her back sliding down the door as she cried.
As she cried more, she tucked her knees to her chest, holding them. Crying for her face, her Dad, her Mom, her brother, for the new relationship her Dad was in, and the one she had left almost 2 months ago now. Everything combined made it feel like she had a heavy weight sitting on her chest. Finally, when she had cried so much that she felt exhausted, Danica slowly got up and turned on the shower.
As she waited for the water to get hot, her phone suddenly started ringing in her pocket. Taking it, she looked at the caller I.D which just said unknown. "Hello?" Danica asked, and for a moment there was silence.
"Dani, where are you?" It was Marc. Once again, the weight in her chest felt even heavier, as if it was about to crush her.
"What?" She asked in shock. If he only just found out she was gone, that had meant he hadn't even gone to check on her in the last two months. I shouldn't be surprised, I hadn't seen him for two months before this anyways. Danica thought bitterly.
"I was coming to see you, to talk with you and you weren't here. There's some new people who moved in here but all your furniture was here." Marc explained as Danica laughed but it was hollow.
"It's been 4 months, Marc. You have the nerve to even call me, to contact me after everything." Danica told him angrily, her voice cracking with emotions. "I can see how much you gave a shit about me." she spit out venomously.
"Im sorry Danica, I really am. Just- just tell me where you are and let me come see you, please. I won't leave again, I promise. I just had so much going on and I can tell you all about it if you just give me a chance." Marc pleaded as Danica broke down again, a sob leaving her lips as she put her hand against her mouth, trying not to cry. "Don't cry baby, please don't. I'm sorry. I can make it all better, just give me the chance to." He tried to soothe her.
"I kept holding on, my heart pinned to my chest so long for you. Feeling heavy and broken." Danica said, her tiredness growing as she spoke. "The more I watched you turn and leave over and over again, the more I wondered if you ever thought of me when you left? When you were gone for weeks, months at a time, but then I realized I answered my own question. And it cascaded, those feelings of hurt, loss- as if I was mourning someone- but you weren't dead, you weren't there at all, and I realized that was not what I wanted. I'm so far away from you now, so far from what we even were."
There was silence over the line for a moment and suddenly a knock came from the other side of the bathroom door. "Danica?" Matt's muffled voice asked from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"
"Who's that?" Marc asked quietly as Danica scoffed.
"None of your business, and it never will be again. Don't hurt me anymore Marc. You have the chance not to, so take it." With that, Danica hung up and opened the door for Matt who had some clothes of his own in his hands.
"Hi, who were you talking to?" He asked as she sighed.
"A bad memory. Hopefully they won't bother me again." She said as he slowly nodded knowingly as if somehow he understood exactly what she meant.
"Hopefully not. I grabbed some clothes from my apartment real fast and I was wondering if I could use your shower and spend the night? I don't want you to be alone."
"Of course you can. Uhm, I haven't showered yet but you can before me if you'd like. I have it on but I haven't jumped in."
"How about we shower together?" Matt proposed as she held her breath for a moment at the thought.
"Y-yeah, okay." Danica agreed, feeling suddenly very shy. Matt didn't say anything then as he walked in, closing the door behind him as he slowly took off his clothes. As he unbuttoned his shirt, Danica couldn't help but look at his lean physique. His body was toned but not overly so, and his body was surprisingly littered with scars everywhere.
Without thought, Danica reached out and her fingers lightly dragged over one of the scars as Matt paused for a moment as he felt her fingers touching him. Danica looked up at his face then, his ever so handsome face, chiseled jaw, rugged features, and she swallowed before retracting her hand to get undressed herself.
Danica took off her blouse, then her skirt, then her bra, and next her panties as she stared at him. He was naked now too and she tried not to glance down, otherwise she was afraid she would become a shy mess. "You can see me but I can't see you." Matt's voice was low, taking off his glasses and putting them down on the counter before stepping closer.
Without thinking, Danica reached out and pulled him into the shower with her and as the hot water hit both of their skin, suddenly Matt's hand was holding one of her hips, his hand on her exposed skin and she shivered. It had been so long since anyone had touched her like this. His other hand slowly explored her body, stroking her waist then lightly over her stomach, next over her breasts, his finger tips grazing her nipples lightly as Danica felt lightheaded.
"You're beautiful." He whispered and as he did, Danica froze. The words he had said to Foggy a few weeks ago rang in her head, and then the words he told her earlier rang in her head.
"I think you need to leave." Danica murmured as she took a step backwards out of his grasp as his face contorted into confusion.
"What? Danica I don't understand." His voice was hurt as he said it and she couldn't help the painful stabbing in her chest at his voice.
"I don't understand either, Matt. You told me you wanted to take things slow, but this isn't slow. You can't have your cake and eat it too, I'm sorry. Come back when you know what you want." Danica pressed her back up against the shower as his mouth opened as if to say something then it closed.
"Okay." He spoke quietly and as he got out of the shower, Danica felt a little bit of her already broken heart shatter further. It was quiet as he got dressed and left, closing her bathroom door behind him. Danica bathed herself slowly then, tears silently streaming down her face.
When Danica finished showering, she got out and got into some pajamas. Finally she sat on her couch and curled up, pulling a blanket over her. The moment she got comfortable though, a knock sounded on the door and Danica felt her heart clench. Did Matt come back? She thought as she got up and made her way to the door, slowly opening it and seeing.. Pete. Deja vu much? She thought as he immediately came inside upon seeing her face, taking her chin and turning her head back and forth to assess the damage.
"Jesus Christ, Danica. Who did this?" His voice was dangerous as he stared at her, his eyes blazing.
"Why are you here Pete?" She asked him tiredly as his eyes roamed her face then looked down at her throat where a giant hand print shaped bruise was turning an ugly color of purple, the skin around it a bloody red color.
"You called me earlier today and I came by to make sure everything was okay. Clearly they're not." He shut the door to her apartment and walked to her kitchen as she followed behind him.
"What are you doing?" Danica asked as he pulled out an ice cube tray from her freezer.
"Where do you keep your ziplock bags?" He asked, ignoring her question. She pointed over to a drawer and he glanced at her before going over to it and opening it, pulling one out. "Hand towels?" He asked before glancing around her kitchen and seeing one hanging on a rack. "Never mind." Pete walked over and pulled it off the rack before going back over to the ice tray.
Quickly, he popped out a handful and shoved them in the ziplock baggy then closed the bag before wrapping it in the hand towel before marching over to Danica and wrapping his hand around her wrist gently and tugging her over to her couch. He had her sit then sat next to her, putting the ice on her cheek that was swollen. "You're gonna need stitches for that gash in your forehead." He muttered as he looked at it.
"Oh." Was all Danica said, too surprised at what was going on to form any coherent sentences.
"I take it you didn't wanna go to the hospital. I have a kit in my car, I'm gonna go get it. Here," He took her hand and had her hold the ice on her face. "Do not move that, I'll be right back." Then he quickly went out the door. Danica's phone started ringing then and she answered without even looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?" She answered tiredly, her eyes heavy as she stifled a yawn.
"Danica, Matt at your place?" It was Foggy.
"Nope." She responded curtly as he sucked in a breath from the other line.
"He's not? I tried his place like 30 minutes ago and he wasn't there so I left thinking he was at yours but he's not answering his calls."
"I'm not his keeper Foggy." Danica responded, her irritation getting the best of her as Pete walked back in with a medical kit. He said nothing as he saw that she was on the phone but got to work, opening it and pulling out various things.
"Well you're his girlfriend, I just figured-"
"We're not dating." Danica snapped, interrupting him.
"But he-"
"He retracted that statement after." Danica informed him as he sighed.
"That son of a bitch." Foggy muttered. "I'm sorry Dani, are you okay? I know today has been a lot for you."
"I don't even know to be honest. Listen, I hope you find him but I have to hang up." Danica told him as Pete put disinfectant on her cut as she winced. He mouthed 'Sorry.' Before he kept going.
"Okay Dani, I love you. Call me when you're ready to talk."
"Love you too, I'll talk to you later." Danica hung up then and put her phone down with a sigh. For a minute or two their was silence before Pete cleared his throat.
"Don't uh, mean to dig into your business but that sounded tense." He murmured as he focused on sewing up the gash on her forehead. Danica tried not to focus on the pain as she closed her eyes.
"That guy-"
"The one who stood you up three times?" He asked, interrupting her as she sighed.
"Yes the guy who stood me up three times." She told him as she opened her eyes to look at him only to find him shaking his head.
"You gave the jackass a chance, huh?" He asked as Danica hummed out a 'Mhm.'
"Yep. And to be fair, things have been going smoothly and then in front of my Dad he asked to be my girlfriend to appease him and then retracted that statement in private."
"No shit? Wow, what a real stand up guy." Pete scoffed. "He didn't do this, did he?" He asked, eyes narrowing.
"No." Danica told him. "Wasn't him. Some guy they call the winter soldier? I went to my Dad's this evening after work and he had my Dad by the throat. I did my best to fight him off, stabbed him in his side about three times after he did all this." Danica gestured to her face.
"The name sounds familiar." Pete muttered. "Think I've heard about him on the news. Question is, what does he want with your Dad?"
"That's the million dollar question. My Dad doesn't seem to know, he was a data analyst at SHIELD until they effectively fell apart. I was told that this winter soldier guy works for Hydra so whatever it is, it has to be something he's seen."
"I'll do some digging." Pete told her as she furrowed her eyebrows.
"What do you mean? How would you be able to find out anything?" She asked as his eyes shifted from sewing her up to look at her face for a moment, just staring before finally he spoke.
"I have my ways."
"You have your ways?" Danica raised her eyebrow.
"Yep." He responded as she tried to figure out what the hell he meant.
"You're not gonna do anything dangerous, right?" Danica asked him as he laughed.
"Don't worry about me, Danica. I know how to take care of myself." Finally he pulled his hands away and stood up. "I'm gonna wash up. You don't have anyone to stay with you tonight, do you?" He asked as she shook her head as she watched him.
"No, it's just me by my lonesome." She told him as he grunted in displeasure.
"I don't like that. I'm stayin' with you tonight, you can't be alone. If that guy came looking for you and you were alone, he'd make short work of it."
"And you think you could what? Fight him off?" She asked as she stood up and padded over to the kitchen, crossing her arms across her chest as she watched him wash his hands. Pete shrugged.
"Look, I'm impressed you fought him off the way you did but from what I've heard about this guy, he's not someone to mess with. He's somethin' else and believe me when I tell you, I can handle my own." Pete turned off the faucet and dried his hands on another one of her hand towels. "Look, I'll sleep on the couch, don't worry."
Danica rolled her eyes at him and walked back over to her couch. "This is where I was planning on sleeping tonight already. I don't like sleeping in my room sometimes, I find it more comforting on my couch with my blanket."
"Well then get comfy." He told her as he threw himself on the other side of her couch, slipping off his shoes as he did so. Pete then stretched out his arms and laid them on the top of her couch with a groan. Danica curled up then, tucking her feet close to her chest as she put her blanket around her.
"I have blankets in my closet if you wanna grab one." She murmured before yawning.
"Nah, I don't need one." Pete declined as she rolled her eyes before unwrapping herself from her blanket and putting part of it over him.
"Stop trying to be a big macho man, everyone wants a blanket." She told him as he chuckled.
"Yes ma'am." Danica reached over and turned off the lamp next to her couch then and soon as they both got comfortable, she found herself laying on his chest. She was asleep at this point while Pete laid wide awake, his arm wrapped around her while his other hand gently stroked her hair, on guard. "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you again Danica." He muttered, his eyes steely.