Charlotte knew she shouldn't be surprised that Matt would be late back. She had made them a pasta bake for dinner, but she had hardly touched her portion. She kept telling herself that he was fine. It wasn't like he was donning a mask and risking his life tonight. He was just taking on a new client. It was legitimate business and she knew that he would be home before she knew it. Still, she was a worrier. She didn't know how to not worry. Things were going well. She was with Matt. She had a job she loved. She was beginning to feel like she could be independent and make something of her life. She just didn't want everything to come crashing down, but she knew that it would eventually. She had grown up to know that good things didn't last.

Sitting on the sofa, Charlotte let the TV play in the background. It was some reality TV show she used to be obsessed with, but she could hardly pay any attention to it. She kept thinking about what Matt had found at the docks the previous night and how deep it went. How deeply was her ex-husband involved? Would Matt insist on investigating further? Maybe if his law firm became busy then things would be fine and he would focus on that and not illegal business?

Finally, she heard the key turn in the door at eleven p.m. She stood up from the sofa and headed towards the hallway, peering down to the door and looking at Matt as he closed the door and shrugged out of his coat.

"Are you alright?" Charlotte asked him.

"Fine," Matt assured her. "Sorry I'm so late. Turns out that we do have a client…but it's not like she has means of paying us…well…not enough anyway."

"Who is she?"

"Karen Page," Matt said. "She was found covered in blood in her apartment with a colleague …but he was dead and she was covered in his blood."

Charlotte's brow furrowed and Matt dropped his bag by the door. He moved towards her and Charlotte felt his hand move to her hip as he lowered his face to meet hers, kissing her tenderly for a brief moment and glad to be home. He brushed her hair from her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Affair gone wrong?" Charlotte wondered and Matt shook his head.

"A cliché, but wrong in this instance," he said to her and heard her moving towards the kitchen. She began opening up cupboards and pulling out a plate and cutlery. "You've watched far too many films. You know how often a lover kills another lover?"

"You're telling me not that often?" Charlotte questioned and Matt chuckled at her. She bent down to open the oven, tugging out the covered pasta bake and hoping it was still relatively warm considering she'd kept it on a low heat.

"Not that often," Matt confirmed to her.

"So…you must think her case is worth taking on considering she has no money? I imagine it's that Catholic guilt inside of you? Wanting to help those who need help?" Charlotte asked and Matt continued to smile, despite the fact he knew the case was no smiling matter. A part of him felt relaxed. He felt as though this was what his future could be like and he'd have no qualms about it. He enjoyed coming home to Charlotte and talking about his day. It made his life feel normal and a part of him needed normal.

"You know me so well. I was just imagining what Sister Angela might say if I turned my back on her," Matt said and Charlotte did scoff at that, serving up a portion of pasta.

"Matt Murdock, we do not turn away from a person in need," Charlotte said, imitating the nun's high-pitched voice. "Now go and fetch my laundry from the basement."

Matt laughed at that. "She really did have us running all her errands for her," he recalled.

"Questioning if she was a nun for the right reasons," Charlotte retorted and she carried the plate over to the dining table as Matt took a seat and she set the food down. "Anyway, what made you take the case? And what did she say about her colleague? Did she admit to killing him? Self-defence?"

"That's the thing," Matt said to Charlotte and shook his head once. "She didn't kill him. I'm pretty sure she didn't anyway. I was listening to her heart rate and I could tell she wasn't lying."

Charlotte filled up two glasses of water and carried them back to the table as Matt ate a forkful of pasta, his stomach churning with hunger. He pulled his glasses off from his face and left them on the dining table, sightless gaze moving in Charlotte's direction as she sat across from him and he listened to her 'hmm' as she urged him to continue.

"She said that she worked at Union Allied Construction as a secretary. Her colleague, Daniel, worked in the legal department. She claimed not to know him very much…and she asked him out for a drink. She said he seemed like a nice guy," Matt said. "Anyway, she claims that she had a few drinks and then she woke up covered in his blood."

Charlotte scoffed. "Matt, that will sound like a pretty lame excuse to anyone judging this case," she said and Matt nodded, chewing on his food and swallowing as Charlotte took a sip of her water.

"I know," Matt agreed with her on that point. "And believe me, if I didn't have this…this ability to know when people are lying then I'd agree with you. But she wasn't lying. She knew how it sounded and she continued to protest her innocence," he said and Charlotte knew that Matt had a point. He did have the ability to tell when someone was lying. All of his senses were heightened to the point where he could pick up on minute details.

"Does she have any idea who it was?" Charlotte wondered back and Matt shook his head.

"She said that she didn't," Matt said. "I went back to the office with Foggy and he wanted a deal…and I do get that. She is the only witness at a murder scene, covered in blood and with no defensive wounds. It doesn't look good and I know that."

"I guess the question is…if it goes to trial…would anyone else believe she is innocent?" Charlotte wondered and crossed one leg over the other, leaning back on the wooden dining chair and looking to the ceiling for a moment as she considered what she would do in Karen Page's situation. "I guess, the thing is, if I was innocent then I don't know if I could plead guilty, even if I might get a lighter sentence in the long run."

"And that's the issue," Matt said. "But the other problem is that the police haven't charged her yet. Why would they not charge her if the case was so clear cut? They have the evidence. There's just…something's not right about this case and I can't put my finger on it."

"You think there's something deeper there?"

"I don't know," Matt said. "Foggy pointed out that it is the weekend and the precinct is short staffed."

"So that might be a reason why they haven't charged her yet?" Charlotte continued to guess.

"It could be," Matt concurred with her on that point. "Either way, we need to find out who did it. If we can't provide the DA's office with an alternative then the case probably is dead in the water. That means we need to look into her life…find out everything we can about her…I mean, we were only with her for a few brief moments so even I'm not sure if everything she was telling us was the truth."

"Are you going back in the morning?" Charlotte wondered.

"We're going to try to," Matt said. "In the meantime, I should thank you. You didn't need to make dinner or keep it warm…I appreciate it, Lottie."

"Don't get used to it," she said and Matt smirked as he heard a teasing tone to her voice. "I'm not exactly a great cook or willing to be your stay-at-home girlfriend who waits for you to get home after a busy day at work. I mean…I might be a big artist one day."

"I hope so," Matt replied and she knew he was being honest on that point. "Anyway, this is delicious."

"I thought it was quite dry," Charlotte said. "I think I overcooked it."

"Trust me, it's good," Matt said to her and she knew he was probably humouring her, but she didn't care.

"Well, once you've had that I'm going to turn in," she said.

"You don't need to wait for me," Matt said. "You go and get ready for bed. I'll finish this off and be there in a minute. Trust me, I might collapse as soon as I hit the mattress."

"Well, I might just take a quick shower if you're sure?" she said to him and Matt nodded his head before leaning over to kiss her quickly.

Charlotte stood up and he listened as she fiddled around in the bathroom, tugging on the handle until she had the shower at the right temperature and climbed into it. Matt ate his dinner as she hummed to herself and his lips quirked at hearing her. Shaking his head slowly, he stood up once he was done and tidied the dishes away and went to the bedroom. He started stripping out of his suit, hanging up his jacket and tossing his shirt and trousers into the wash basket in the corner that contained both his and Charlotte's clothes.

Somehow, everything in his apartment was no longer just his own. Charlotte's dresses hung up beside his in the wardrobe. Her toiletries sat next to his in the bathroom cabinet. She'd bought cushions and throws for the sofa and had even fixed his desk so that the legs were all the same size. He'd even bought a mug for her to use for her herbal teas. She had integrated into his life seamlessly and not once did he miss how his life used to be.

"I told Vanessa that I would work late tomorrow night," Charlotte told Matt as she came back to the bedroom, smelling of lavender and peppermint. She was wearing one of his sweatshirts and a pair of sleeping shorts. Matt was already sat up in bed, taking his watch off and placing it on his nightstand.

"Is there an event?"

"Another artist showcase," Charlotte confirmed to him.

"Then I'll cook dinner tomorrow night," he said. "And I'll come and meet you after work."

"You don't have to," Charlotte said and tugged the quilt back on her side of the bed.

"No, but I want to," he replied and she turned her lamp off after putting her phone on silent.

Charlotte sighed softly as Matt held his arm out to her and felt her nestle against his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she laid her head against his, a hand going to his chest.

"Then I won't dissuade you," she promised him and stifled a yawn.

"Get some sleep, Lottie," he urged her.

"Mmm," she sighed contently. "Love you, Matt."

"Love you too, sweetheart," he responded and she closed her eyes.

Matt let her drift off to sleep against him. Eventually, she rolled onto her other side and Matt slipped his arm from around her after feeling that it had gone dead. He closed his eyes and laced his hands together on his stomach. He wanted to sleep, but no matter how much he longed to drift off, he kept thinking about Union Allied Construction and trying to remember where he'd heard of it before.

….

"The caterers have all set up and I've briefed the two girls the agency sent," Charlotte told Vanessa as her boss finished doing her make up in the backroom, applying a fresh sweep of lipstick against her lips. Charlotte's cheeks were tinged red from running around and trying to keep everything organised. She stood behind Vanessa who looked at her in the mirror with a smile.

"You know, you make my life so much easier…and you're bringing in some good commission," Vanessa told her and straightened up, tugging on the fitted white dress she wore that Charlotte was certain she would ruin in minutes if she had it. "And how many are we expecting tonight?"

"Well, we sent out two hundred invites and we had one hundred and twenty yeses…twenty maybes…thirty-two no's and the rest didn't respond," Charlotte said to her. "So I think it could be a busy night. John's on his way here, but he text to say he was stuck in traffic."

"I think our star guest can be a bit late if he wants," Vanessa declared. "And you don't have to stay until closing tonight. I've got this covered and a couple of my friends said they will help me close up before we go for drinks. No doubt you'd rather be home with your boyfriend."

"No, I like doing this," Charlotte promised her. "Matt understands and is always super supportive. He's always encouraged me to pursue art…tried to bully me into going to college when we were growing up."

"And why didn't you?"

"Money…I didn't get the best grades in high school…and I never thought I could. I mean, since then I've been thinking about it and wondering if there's a way to go back there, but I don't know if I'm too old."

Vanessa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You're still a baby in my eyes," she said to her and Charlotte smiled at that. "And anyway, there's mature students out there. If you want to do it then you should. You know how many connections you've made from working here…use them."

"I just don't want to quit here though," Charlotte said.

"And I wouldn't want you to, but maybe there's part time courses?" Vanessa said. "And when you become a world-famous artist, you can work exclusively with me."

Charlotte did laugh at that. "Alright then," she said, but her tone said she knew that would never happen.

"Just have some faith in yourself. I've seen your work…it's good," Vanessa said to her. "Look, we can talk about this another day when we have more time…but in theory, I'd be happy if you wanted to take some kind of course. I think it could be good for you and good for business too."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Vanessa said. "Now, let's go and woo people into buying some paintings."

Charlotte followed Vanessa dutifully and chatted with people for a few hours. She didn't drink any of the champagne on offer. She'd taken a flute and held it in her hands until the alcohol had turned warm. Excusing herself to use the bathroom, she placed it in the backroom and checked her phone in her bag. She saw a missed call from Matt and quickly took her phone into the corridor near the storage room to call him back.

He picked up after six rings. "Lottie," he greeted her.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," Matt promised her. "I just wanted to tell you that I might not be able to meet you tonight. We got a call today…someone tried to kill Karen Page while she was in custody."

Charlotte's mouth fell open. "What?" she gasped out loud.

"We don't know why or what happened, but the security camera was turned off right before she was assaulted. The guard who did it is in custody and we haven't been able to talk to him yet," Matt said to her and Charlotte leant back against the breeze block wall, a sense of foreboding taking over her. "We've brought Karen back to the office. She was released and she's talking."

"What is she saying?"

"Well, she's shaken up," Matt said. "She still doesn't know who tried to kill her, but she might know why. She worked in the finance department at Union Allied and said that they've been given new government contracts and grants after what happened with the Avengers. She dealt with the pension claims for the company and opened an email she shouldn't have…there's money coming into the company and going out that is big…large sums of money."

"You think the company is a front for something?" Charlotte asked.

"I think that's likely," Matt said. "It turned out that she found something she shouldn't have and started to tell her colleague before waking up in her apartment covered in blood."

There was silence then for a few moments and Charlotte closed her eyes. She leant her head back and her grip on the phone tightened. She heard Matt breathing heavily on the other end of the line.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Matt asked from her.

"A business being given government contracts to cover up illicit doings?" Charlotte checked with him. "I'm thinking that Jonathan is probably somehow involved in this…and the people he's working for."

"That was my first thought too," Matt said to her with a nod of his head.

"And you know what he said before, Matt," Charlotte said. "He warned us not to go snooping…about what could happen. If he finds out you're working on a case he might be connected to-"

"-I know that it seems likely the case will be connected," Matt interrupted before Charlotte could continue to hypothesise and spiral into 'what ifs'. "But I am acting in a legal capacity here, Lottie. Ms Page needs a lawyer and we've agreed to represent her. Whatever is going on…I know it would be easier to walk away. I know it would be best to tell her we can't help, but I don't know who would help her. I don't know who would take her case and actually believe her side of the story."

And Charlotte knew that, deep down, no matter what, there was something inside of Matt that meant he didn't turn his back on people who needed him. He hadn't turned his back on her and she loved him for it. It was one of his traits that she admired more than anything.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," Charlotte urged from him.

"Feels like you've been saying that to me a lot recently."

"Only because I know what you're like," she said to him. "And as much as I would love for you not to take this case and walk away, that's not who you are. You don't abandon people who need you."

"You know, most girlfriends wouldn't be so supportive," Matt said to her and she chuckled darkly.

"Most girlfriends haven't gone through what we've gone through," she replied. "You should get back to work, Matty. I'll catch a cab home tonight, don't worry about meeting me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise," she urged from him. "Just try not to be too late home."

"I'll try. Thanks, Lottie."

"See you soon," Charlotte said and he replied likewise before she ended the call. Sighing loudly to herself, she knew that things were going far too smoothly and were unlikely to last. She'd been right on that one from what she could tell so far.

….

The rain was hurling down by the time Charlotte left the gallery. She'd taken one of the big umbrellas and had put it up, trying to find a cab, sticking her arm out whenever she could, but no cab seemed to be stopping. She groaned to herself, her trainers soaked through and her feet also wet. The backs of her thighs had been splashed by a passing car and her hair was hanging in clumps despite the umbrella. The rain was bouncing up against the sidewalk by the time a cab stopped for her and she climbed into it.

She paid the driver and ran into the apartment building, taking the steps quickly towards the apartment. Unlocking the door, she shook the umbrella before leaving it against the wall and kicking the door closed behind her.

"I am soaked through," she complained.

The light was on and so she figured Matt was home and loitering somewhere as she spoke. She toed her trainers off her feet and left them by the umbrella. Moving down the hallways, she saw Matt stood there with hands on his hips and an unreadable expression on his face. Charlotte began shivering from the cold as she arched her brow and tilted her head, dropping her bag to the floor.

"Don't be mad," Matt urged from her.

"What have you done?" she questioned him.

"I…I kind of told Karen that she could stay on our sofa for the night. She's not safe out there and we both know that I can protect her if I have to," Matt said to his girlfriend and Charlotte frowned. He moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know that I should've asked you, but I didn't have time and I didn't want to bother you again at the function."

Charlotte moved a hand to his chest, playing with the knot of his tie. She remained silent and Matt moved so that his forehead brushed hers, nose nudging hers.

"You know, sometimes I hate it when I can't see you because it would make it a lot easier to tell if you're really mad with me right now," he said to her and he heard a soft breath of laughter come from her as she seemed to smile.

"I'm not mad," Charlotte assured him. "Just concerned. I'm always concerned…if someone comes here-"

"-They don't know she's here," Matt interrupted her. "No one is going to come here and then tomorrow night we'll try and figure something more permanent out. I promise it's not going to be a regular occurrence, me bringing clients home."

"I should hope not," Charlotte replied. "Besides, I thought you told me I was the only client who got special privileges?"

"You are, sweetheart, trust me," Matt promised her on that point.

"Glad to hear it," Charlotte said and she pulled back from him after another quick kiss to his lips. "Anyway, have you had any dinner? I'm starving and was going to suggest we order in, but not sure anyone would be delivering in this weather."

"Picked up some Thai food," Matt said to her.

"And that is why I love you."

"Only reason?"

"One of few," she said. "Anyway, where is Karen?"

"She's using the bathroom to freshen up," Matt said to her.

"Got it," Charlotte said and Matt ran his hands up and down her arms. "You're freezing. You should go and change before you eat. I don't want you catching a cold, Lottie."

"I'll go in a moment," she promised him. "I can't believe how miserable it is out there."

Charlotte moved into the kitchen, lured by the smell of Thai food. She began opening up one of the boxes and picked at the Pad Thai with a fork, waiting for Karen to leave the bathroom. Matt went to pour her a glass of wine, setting it down on the worktop beside her. "How was the event?" he asked her.

"Good," she said in between mouthfuls of food. "Vanessa told me that we could talk about me applying for a college course and working part time for her. That's good news anyway because I don't want to quit my job, I love it too much. I take it your day has been busy?"

"It has," Matt said, "but I've told you all about it. But that's great news about your boss having the conversation. You deserve to be able to study and I don't doubt that you'll do an amazing job."

"Always the optimist," Charlotte said, sipping on her wine.

"Because I know you can do anything," he whispered to her and kissed her quickly on the side of the head before the bathroom door opened to reveal Karen stood there in a wet tee and trousers. She had pale cheeks and red hair. She was tall and skinny, her face long compared to Charlotte's round face.

Matt sensed her moving to the kitchen and took the lead. "Karen, this is Charlotte, my girlfriend," he introduced her.

"Hi," Karen said.

"Hi," Charlotte said, wiping her hands on her brown leather skirt. "Matt told me everything that's going on. I'm so sorry…it sounds horrible and scary. Can I get you anything? Do you want some food? A drink?"

"I've got no appetite," Karen said with a shake of her head and nervously she tucked her hair behind her ears. "But thank you though. And thank you for letting me stay. I know that this isn't ideal and I don't want to intrude for any longer than I have to."

Charlotte shook her head. "It's completely fine," she promised her and Matt suspected she was humouring her to some extent. "But you're completely soaked. Do you want a shower? You can borrow some of my clothes…take whatever you need from the bathroom."

"You wouldn't mind?" Karen asked and Charlotte shook her head, taking a final sip of wine.

"Not at all," she said. "Come on, I'll get you some clothes and a towel…and then I'll see about making a bed up."

Matt let Charlotte lead Karen away and move around the bedroom for spare clothes and a towel. She showed Karen where the toiletries were alongside offering her a spare toothbrush. She left her alone to shower and Charlotte headed into the bedroom. Her shower would have to wait. She changed out of her wet clothes into leggings and Matt's sweatshirt before going back to the living room with a thick blanket and a few pillows for the sofa.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Matt asked and Charlotte set out the pillows and moved the blanket over the cushions of the sofa to make a bed.

"I'm fine with it," she promised him. "I'll let Karen shower and then I'll shower and head to bed…I just…looking at her…I saw myself in her for a minute. I mean, I showed up at your doorstep with nothing and you took me in. I know what it's like to feel helpless…to be involved in something you don't want to be involved in."

Matt went quiet then, hands going to his hips as he listened to Charlotte's heartbeat and enjoyed the soft hum of it. He took a moment before he moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her neg as she kept fiddling with the makeshift bed on the sofa. She moved her hands on top of his and leant her back against his broad chest.

"You don't need to go back to that place," Matt promised her, kissing her softly on the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and patted his hand, silently assuring him that she was fine. "What happened with Jonathan and what he did to you…I know you're never going to forget it, but I just want you to be able to be happy again. You've gone through so much."

"I know," Charlotte said and she turned around in his arms, moving her own to drape over his neck and hold onto him. "There's times when I just…I just regret some of the things I did…the abortion…I just…I was so scared of bringing a baby into this world and with him. I was scared about what would happen. I just think that I should've been stronger and left him sooner."

"You weren't to know, Lottie," Matt said to her. "You did what you had to do."

"Did I?" Charlotte wondered from him. "Because sometimes I don't see it like that. I'm a Catholic, Matt. What I did went against-"

"-What you did doesn't define you," Matt interrupted her. "Listen to me, sweetheart, you were being abused by your husband. He is the one in the wrong here for everything he did. I don't like torturing yourself like this. You're a good person, Lottie."

Charlotte was quiet then and she sniffed, looking to Matt as his eyes flickered around. She moved a hand up to his cheek and stroked it softly. "I'm sorry," she said to him.

"You don't need to apologise," Matt assured her. "We've been through so much, you especially…and if there's anyone you can talk to then I'd like to think it might be me."

"Always," she promised him and moved to kiss him once more.

They ate their dinner together in comfortable silence while Karen finished in the bathroom. Once she came out, Charlotte stood up and carried a mug of herbal tea to the coffee table as Karen stood there, arms wrapped around herself anxiously. Charlotte offered her a small smile, hoping that it seemed comforting above all else.

"I made you a tea," she said. "I usually try and have a mug before bed. It helps me relax. I made you a bed and there's some leftover food in the fridge. If you want anything, just help yourself or ask."

"Thank you," Karen said. "I know that this isn't ideal and I'm sorry. I don't want to put you in danger or at risk…and I…" she trailed off, her voice shaking.

Charlotte stepped towards her and rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. "It's alright," she promised her. "I know how it feels to feel alone and lost, but Matt's a great lawyer. Whatever you're going through, he will help you. He won't abandon you. It's not who he is."

Matt listened to Charlotte and his heart felt an ache at hearing her.

"Thank you," Karen said.

"You're welcome," Charlotte said. "I'm going to go shower and head to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"I'll be there in a bit," Matt assured his girlfriend and he heard her sneak into the bedroom. Karen sat down on the quilt on the sofa and Matt moved to take the chair next to her. Sitting on the edge of it, he leant forward and laced his fingers together.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Karen wondered from Matt and she reached for her mug of tea.

"Is it have I always been blind or is Charlotte the same Charlotte who was on every front page in New York the other month?"

Karen saw Matt's lips arch for a second. "Both," she confessed to him.

"No, I haven't always been blind," Matt said to her with a shake of his head. "And yes, it's the same Charlotte."

"And she's your girlfriend?" Karen checked.

"It's complicated," Matt confessed to her. "We've known each other years and her break-up with her husband isn't what the tabloids make it out to be…she…" Matt heard the shower running and he knew she couldn't hear him, but he didn't like talking about her private life. "She's great. She's sweet, loving, intelligent and…I've loved her for a lot of years."

"When did you meet her?"

"When we were kids," Matt said. "We grew up together."

"At school?"

"Sort of," Matt said. "We were in the same orphanage together."

Karen went quiet for a moment then. "I'm sorry," she said and Matt just gulped once and nodded. "That must have been rough. Were you…were you blind when you were there?"

"Uh, yes," Matt confessed. "I was nine when it happened in a car accident. I was in the orphanage a few years after that."

Karen shook her head slowly. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be able to see and then have that taken from you."

"You know, I'm supposed to say that I don't miss it," he said. "That's what they teach you in trauma recovery. Define yourself by what you have…value the differences, make no apologies for what you lack. And it's all true for the most part, but there are times when I'd give anything to…to see the sky one more time…to see the smile on Charlotte's face when I'm with her…to know what she looks like."

Karen watched Matt and felt a sadness for him. "Well, I can tell you that she's very pretty," Karen said and Matt chuckled at that, nodding his head slowly.

"I've heard that," he said, "but to me it doesn't matter what she looks like. She's beautiful no matter what."

"You know, after everything that's happened in the last few hours, I've realised that I can't judge anyone," Karen said. "Because the truth isn't always what it seems. She…I can see why you're taken with her and I've met her once. I doubt many girlfriends would be so understanding if their boyfriend brought a client home with them."

"Yeah, she's one in a million," Matt confirmed for Karen. "And I know you must be tired…but do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Karen shifted on the seat and took a moment to think before looking at him. "Yeah," she said.

"Okay," Matt said and moved to stand up, clearing his throat. "Here's what I don't understand. I'm the man in charge of the pension funds and I find out that one of my secretaries has discovered my illicit activities. To make matters worse, she's now telling people about said activity, which obviously I can't have and so I decide to take action. Why don't I kill you?"

"They tried," Karen said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, the second time in jail," Matt said. "But the first time, they left you alive. Why? What were they trying to do? Frame you?"

Matt began pacing a few yards by the window.

"Now, the second time, maybe that's a change of plan," he declared. "Something doesn't go their way, something sloppy at the crime scene. Two lawyers show up out of the blue before their people can get to you. So they figure, okay, maybe Karen hangs herself in her cell and this thing gets swept under the rug. But the first time…the first time they're trying to discredit you or scare you…and the only reason to do that is if you have something they want."

Matt listened to her heart beat intently as he continued talking in a more hushed tone.

"I've been trying to come up with what that would be and the only thing I can come up with is the Union Allied pension file," he concluded and her heart sped up as he continued pushing. "Did you keep the file, Karen?"

"No," she lied to him. "As soon as I asked my boss, he took it away from me and the computers were wiped. I wished I'd made a copy, but I didn't."

Matt knew she was lying, but she had no way of knowing he knew that. And so he kept his cards close to his chest.

"Ah well, it's just a thought," he concluded and turned his sightless gaze in the direction of the window. "Feel free to close the curtains," he said, knowing there was nothing else to say on the matter. He suspected she was going to do something reckless at some point. She was probably going to go after the file. "I've heard the billboard light can be quite bright. Charlotte insisted on blackout curtains."

"Thank you," Karen said.

"Sleep well, Karen," Matt said and he moved into the bedroom.

He closed the sliding door behind him and heard Charlotte moving around the bedroom. She smelt of mango shampoo and body scrub. She was brushing her wet hair by the mirror and Matt tugged at his tie, pulling it off his neck.

"Do you want to shower? I think there's some hot water left," Charlotte said to him.

"I'm fine," he promised her. "I dried off pretty quickly."

"And is Karen alright?" Charlotte asked.

Matt began unbuttoning his shirt and he sat down at the end of the bed. His shirt hung half open and he went quiet. Charlotte looked to him and he held his hand out to her. She set her brush down and took hold of it, letting him tug her to sit down at the end of the bed. He whispered to her, keeping his mouth by her ear.

"She's lying to me. She took something from Union Allied…evidence of corruption…and she's hiding it. That's why they tried to kill her," Matt said and Charlotte's eyes widened as she squeezed his hand tightly.

"And she didn't tell you?"

"I asked and she said she had nothing, but her heart rate sped up. I think she's scared of us getting hurt," Matt said. "But I think she's going to go back for it tonight…to her apartment."

"That would be dangerous," Charlotte muttered.

"More than dangerous. I imagine they'll be waiting for her to go back so that they can take it from her…kill her and tie up loose ends," Matt said.

"And I take it this is the part where you want to follow her?"

"I have to," Matt said.

"Or you could tell her you know she's lying and that you'll tell the police?"

"We both know there's corruption in the force. Look at what your husband got away with," Matt said and Charlotte knew he had a point there. "I don't want to go, Lottie. I'd much rather stay here with you and hear about your event…lay here until you fall asleep."

"But you're not going to," Charlotte said. "Let me come with you and just wait outside."

"No," Matt said firmly. "I don't want you anywhere near this. I want you to stay here. I can get that file and I can get it out into the public domain…let everyone know what was going on at Union Allied and clear Karen's name."

Charlotte closed her eyes and rested her head on Matt's shoulder. He dropped his cheek to sit on top of her head.

"I'm not going to change your mind and I know that," Charlotte said. "I imagine I'm just going to have panic attacks worrying over you all of the time."

"I don't want that…you know I don't…"

"I know," Charlotte promised him on that front. "But you are who you are, Matty. There's corruption going on and you…maybe if you couldn't fight like you were trained by assassins then you wouldn't be doing this."

"Wouldn't be wise," Matt agreed with her on that point.

"Just come home," Charlotte said to him. "I just need you to come home to me."

"Always to you," Matt said to her. "Come on, let's go to bed and see what happens."

He kissed her on her forehead. Charlotte stood up and finished moisturising before climbing into bed. She was wearing her short pyjamas and Matt felt her bare leg brush against his as she moved to rest in his grip once more. Her warm breath hit his throat and she toyed with his hand against his chest.

"You know, Karen was asking how we met," Matt said to her. "And if I missed seeing."

"What did you say?"

"I told her that there are times I do. You know that…I want to see the sun…the sky…but you know the one thing I want to see more than anything…and I spent hours imagining it when I found out you were marrying Jonathan…I just imagined what you would look like walking down the aisle in a wedding dress. I spent hours trying to picture it and nothing did my mind justice."

Charlotte smiled sadly and shook her head. "It was a designer dress that was much too fancy. Jonathan's mom insisted I wear it. She knew the designer personally," she said. "So trust me, you didn't miss much."

"I sincerely doubt it," Matt said to her.

"Well, don't," she replied and stifled a yawn. "Anyway, do you think about me in a wedding dress often, Murdock?" she wondered and Matt chuckled and she felt the vibrations from his chest.

"More often than I think I should," Matt replied to her. "We're endgame right? You and me?"

"I guess you'll do for the rest of my life," Charlotte said and Matt chuckled again. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "But yeah, we're endgame."

"Then one day…when the time is right…when your ex is no longer a threat…corruption is done…I'll marry you, Charlotte Daniels."

"You know, that didn't sound much like a proposal," Charlotte said to him and he shook his head.

"It's a fact," Matt said to her. "I'll propose and I'll do everything right by you, but I will marry you."

Charlotte smiled, struggling to stop her body from convulsing with happiness at hearing him say that. She tried to play it cool as she hovered over him. "I might just let you," she teased and kissed him softly for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of him against her before he gave her a final peck, knowing that he could get carried away. She collapsed down onto the mattress besides him and, just for a moment, she forgot everything that was going on in Hell's Kitchen.

Matt held onto her as she drifted to sleep and he listened out for Karen. A part of him hoped she wouldn't go. He wanted to stay in bed with Charlotte. He wanted to sleep. But then he heard the familiar creak of the floorboards and he knew his job was just beginning.

...

A/N: Thanks to The Chaos of the Stars for reviewing the last chapter! We're now into Daredevil and I would love to know what you think/which direction we're going to go! Please do let me know your thoughts!