Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ever since the day he asked Karen Page to move in with him, Matt Murdock had forever been appreciative of the ability to fall asleep and wake up to the sound of her heartbeat. It calmed him, in a sense. The heartbeat was the first thing he noticed from a person, but there was something special about Karen’s that drew him towards her. 

His now wife of two years laid peacefully by his side in their bed, nuzzling deeper in the gray silk sheets. It was a typical Saturday morning, which thankfully meant that the couple could sleep in. There was no doubt that Matt needed these extra hours of sleep to catch up from his nightly extrusions as Daredevil from the previous days. Karen, however, would never pass up an opportunity to catch a few couple more hours of rest. She wasn’t hitting the pavement of Hell’s Kitchen, like her husband each night, instead she was usually up in the wee hours of the morning either researching for her private investigational work for Nelson and Murdock or editing her latest freelancing article for The Bulletin . Nonetheless, it was a known fact that the Murdocks both cherished their Saturday mornings. 

Matt woke up first, as he usually did. In the slow process of rising into consciousness, he shifted his body weight to his left, towards his wife and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, taking caution not to wake her up. As soon as his lips parted her skin, he hastily shot upwards in alert. 

Something was off.

He heard an additional heartbeat in their loft. It was faint, but small and rapid. Sensing potential danger, Matt immediately flipped a switch and went into full protective mode. Not wanting to worry Karen, he decided it was better to let her stay peacefully asleep, while he scanned the apartment. 

He quietly shut the french doors to their bedroom behind him and ventured out to the living space, honing his senses into the small world of the apartment. Sure, there were the familiar sounds of the clock ticking above the microwave, the shrill humming of the electricity from the billboard outside, and the soft voices of the neighbors making breakfast directly below; however the additional heartbeat was still present and unaccounted for.

As he made a final sweep around the space, he felt defeated, since nothing was out of place from how they left it last night. The fleece throw blanket still rested bunched up on the leather couch from their movie date watching Pride and Prejudice (Karen’s weekly pick). Even the dirty brownie pan still sat unattended in the sink, continuing to give off the sweet aroma from the few crumbs that were left over. Nothing immediately alerted him that something was off, at least, not until he heard the bedroom door open again, signaling the presence of his wife. 

Matt turned his attention to the groggy Karen, who was sporting a lovely bed head look. He instantly calmed down at the all too familiar scent of her lavender shampoo and cool mint toothpaste from the night before. A soft smile made its way across his face.

“Good morning, my love,” he welcomed, as she made her way into the middle of the room. 

She proceeded to move in closer and gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek.

“It’s a good morning indeed. I really needed my beauty sleep last night,” she yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“You, Mrs. Murdock, have been and always will be beautiful,” he assured, pulling her waist into his embrace. 

Matt was about to ask about his wife’s breakfast wishes, but he had a sudden inclination that stopped him in his tracks. As soon as Karen came in contact with him, he noticed that the unfamiliar heartbeat did as well. 

In that exact moment, the world as he knew it had changed. Albeit, a scary and intimidating change; however, he was positive that it was going to be a good one no doubt.

Karen could tell that Matt was not fully there in the room with her, as he had that look on his face indicating that he was deep in thought. This happened often, due to the things only he could sense that no other ordinary person could, so she was used to it by now. But her inquiring mind needed to get to the bottom of Matt’s puzzling mood. 

“Matt, you got that lost puppy look on your face again.” She cupped his face in her palms, directing his attention to her. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s cute and all, but could you let me know what you’re thinking, babe?”

He snapped back into reality at her touch. 

“Karen, have you been feeling okay lately?” He bluntly stated. 

He led her closer to the couch and took seat.

Karen, still concerned by Matt’s unexpected question, followed suit and sunk into the spot next to him. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,”  She confirmed. “Why do you ask? Maybe I should be asking if you feel sick, Matt. You’re looking kind of uneasy there.”

He blew her question off and continued to conclude if his prediction was correct - if they were truly expecting. 

Matt went straight to the source and decided to take her hand in his and direct them downwards to her stomach, which had been covered up by his old gray, worn out, Columbia college t-shirt that she used as pajamas. 

A metaphorical light bulb went off in her head and she had picked up on exactly what he was suggesting. No, it couldn't be…

Her posture straightened up on the couch, as she prepared to shut Matt’s theory down. 

“What makes you think I’m pregnant?” She raised an eyebrow, tapping her foot on the hardwood floor. 

Matt knew he had to approach this subject a certain way, to mitigate the risk of an argument between them. He sensed her breathing becoming more staggered with worry.

“Well you know,” he was beating around the bush and he blushed a bit before his confession, “I picked up on an odd sounding heartbeat this morning that caught me off guard, and there’s really no other explanation expect that -”

He was cut off by Karen’s gasp. 

She looked down at her stomach, coming to terms that what Matt was explaining was indeed true. Then the tears began. 

Matt scooted closer and pulled her into the crook of his neck and began rubbing her back comfortingly “I know we haven’t really talked about the subject of kids yet, but I am here for you, Karen, I always will be. I am just as surprised as you are” - he paused for a moment and tilted his head slightly upwards - “actually thinking of it, we haven't really been that safe lately.” He chuckled. 

She emerged from his embrace and let out a small laugh as well. Her tears dried up quickly as Matt’s shirt had captured most of them. She placed her hand on top of his. 

“Matt, those weren’t necessarily tears of sadness or anger, they were happy tears.” Her face beamed. “I agree that this wasn’t really planned out the best either, but I find that quite fitting, considering our dynamic.” 

He squeezed her hand notifying her of his agreement and smiled. 

“I guess deep down, I always wanted kids, and I am thrilled that you’re on board with this too.” She let go of his hand and tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ears. 

He stood up confidently and started walking towards the kitchen. “Mrs. Murdock, I think this calls for a celebration. What shall the mother of my future child wish for breakfast?”

Mother. That word finally hit her. She was going to be someone’s mother and Matt was going to be a dad. The picture of him rocking their baby to sleep and cradling the infant in his arms popped into her mind and she could tell that it felt so right. There were obstacles that both of them would face as new parents, yes, but who better to face them than their combined forces. 

She snapped out of her daydream and got up from the couch and sauntered over to the kitchen island, standing across from Matt. “How about you start on some chocolate chip waffles while I go down to the bodega across the block and get some actual pregnancy tests. I don’t doubt you’re super senses, babe, but I want hard proof to, you know, share with our family and friends.” 

“I guess you're right. I think that would be the next logical step; plus it will confirm if my so-called ‘super senses’ are correct. Go ahead honey, I will have breakfast waiting upon your return.” He assured her, as he bent down to collect their mixing bowls.  

With a newfound hop in her step, she quickly went back into their room to get dressed, grabbed her jacket, shoes, and went on her merry way.

-----------------------------------------------------

After their delicious and much deserved breakfast, the couple was found sitting together side-by-side on their bathroom floor. 

“Two lines.” She exhaled the deep breath she was holding while waiting for the results. 

Matt shifted on the tile floor and fidgeted with the fabric of the blue shag rug they both sat on. “I’m not too knowledgeable about these kinds of tests, what exactly does two lines mean?” He confessed. 

She turned to face him… “I’m pregnant!”

She set the test on the side and jumped onto Matt with pure joy. 

They sat together in each other's arms for a while before Karen spoke again. 

“What do you think it’s going to be?”

There hasn’t been a girl in the long line of Murdocks before him, so probability wise, it was a safe bet to say a boy; however, there was something inside of Matt that just knew he was going to have a daughter. Matt had really never imagined himself in a fatherly role until recently, but he had always trusted his gut, and it was telling him that they were going to have a girl the moment his heartbeat findings concluded that Karen was pregnant. Call it super senses or not. 

Apparently, Matt didn’t answer fast enough, as Karen shared her guess. 

“I, myself, am going to go with a boy. Can’t you just see a little Matt running around here?” She smirked and playfully nudged her husband. 

“Well, as much as that would be insanely challenging yet thrilling to deal with a mini Daredevil on our hands, I am going all the way and say it’s a little girl,” he guaranteed smugly

As soon as he said that, Karen could tell that, yet again, Matt was probably right, but she would never admit that to him out loud. “Well, Murdock, we will just have to agree to disagree and wait to see,” she claimed as she rose from the floor and offered her hand to help him up.

He accepted her hand in his and kissed her lips after he got to his feet. 

“I guess we will.”

Chapter Text

Karen thought it was unfair that Matt could hear the heartbeat from day one. She had to wait a long and grueling eight weeks until she could finally be made known of her baby’s presence. She had scheduled the appointment with their OBGYN way in advance and was counting down the days. Matt knew she was a tad jealous of him, so he tried to share what he had been hearing to the best of his abilities to make her feel included in the pure joy he had been experiencing; however, it just wasn’t the same as hearing it for yourself.

It was finally May 16th, which was the same date that had been circled on the calendar displayed on Karen’s large cherrywood desk in the Nelson and Murdock office. A fancy new office at that, since two years ago they had moved onwards and upwards from their temporary space at the Nelson’s Meats. Karen made sure during the decorating process that the new office had touches of that special Nelson and Murdock charm, paying homage to their roots. But there were also touches of moderness and sophistication as well - credit given from Marci’s stylish eye. Ever since Foggy and Marci got married, Foggy re-proposed the idea of her joining the firm, to which she finally agreed on being a part of their small but mighty team. At that point, there was no need of even changing the firm’s name because both couples were married. There was a thoughtful suggestion made by Foggy to rebrand them as Nelsons & Murdocks, which was a heartwarming effort, but both women agreed that they were content with the name staying as is. Nelson & Murdock had built up a strong reputation from the Fisk and Punisher cases, as well as many others that came afterwards that allowed them to afford the move. So why mess with a good thing?

Matt opened the door of his office and approached his wife. “Honey, it’s noon - we’ve got to get going if we’re to make it in time,” he promptly stated, attempting to re-apply and straighten up his tie.

She gracefully got up out of her seat and assisted her struggling husband with his efforts, as she proudly took over and corrected his tie for him.

He smiled, “You know I can do my own tie, babe.”

“Yeah, I am aware, but I know how you like it when I do it for you,” she said before stopping his next comment with a kiss.

After pulling apart, Matt grabbed her blazer from the back of her chair, carefully helped her in it, and the couple intertwined their fingers in each other’s and headed towards the door for their appointment.

“Have fun you two!” Foggy exclaimed, as he popped his head out of his office, catching them just before they left from a business call he was previously on. “Marci gives her best wishes too, but she’s still at home with a sick Preston. He’s close to fully recovering though,” he assured, taking a bite out of the bagel in his grasp.

“Thanks Foggy -” Matt smiled and looked back at his friend “- we will let you know how it goes when we get back.”

Matt was always thankful for Foggy, not only had he considered him his best friend, but ultimately - his brother. Foggy and Marci had both gotten married and had a child before him and Karen, so Matt was lucky enough to learn the ropes and gain some advice for both of those major life milestones from Foggy. The day Preston was born, just a little over a year ago, Matt was overjoyed, simply because it was his best friend’s happiest day of his life. The feeling was contagious! After seeing first hand how Foggy and Marci’s lives both flourished from the arrival of their son, Matt couldn’t stop thinking of that for himself and Karen when they confirmed her pregnancy just over two months ago - and today was the first step on their journey.

After a quick cab ride through the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, the Murdocks finally reached their destination.

Matt took the liberty of checking them into the doctor’s office and then proceeded to take a seat next to Karen in the waiting room. As he collapsed his cane, he could feel the vibrations in the tiled floor below from Karen’s bouncing leg, indicating her excited yet nervous anticipation before their appointment.

He placed his hand on her exposed kneecap which stopped her nervous habit immediately. She hesitantly turned to face him.

“It’s going to be fine,” he softy consoled her, aware of the quiet environment, as she leaned towards him and rested her head upon his strong shoulder, revealing a sympathetic smile.

Their blissful moment ended abruptly when a nurse armed with a pen and a clipboard announced that it was time for them to see the Doctor.

Karen stood up, took Matt’s arm and followed the nurse back to the examination room

Once in their room, Matt planted himself in the seat next to the patient chair. The crinkle of the medical paper let him know that Karen had been situated in her seat. After the nurse took Karen’s vitals and asked her some questions regarding her pregnancy, the Doctor made his presence known with the turn of the brass doorknob.

“Good afternoon everyone, I hope I’m not interrupting,” he exclaimed, approaching the rolling chair adjacent to Karen.

“I was just finishing up, Doctor Moore. Mrs. Murdock is ready for you now,” the nurse chipperly reported while logging down her last data entry on the clipboard. With the click of her pen, she finished her tasks and walked out - closing the door behind her.

Matt, being the gentleman he was, stood up from his seat and introduced himself to Dr. Moore and firmly shook his hand.

Afterwards, both men sat down in their respective seats. “I hear this is the first time around for you both.” the Doctor announced as he swiveled his chair to face his attention to his patient. “I hope dear old dad isn't too nervous to hear the heartbeat today. The fathers usually are.” He said that last part under his breath, directed towards Karen.

Matt couldn’t help but let out a smirk at the Doctor's ironic statement, as Karen stifled a chuckle into her hand discreetly.

The three of them continued on with some more small talk to pass the time as Doctor Moore finished preparing for the ultrasound. With the slap of the rubber gloves on his hands, armed with the ultrasound gel in one grasp and the probe in the other, he was ready to begin.

The cool feeling of the clear gel on her bare stomach made Karen flinch as it was being applied by the Doctor. However, she quickly forgot about her discomfort as soon as the metal device made contact with her skin and the monitor took its initial readings.

Matt’s ears perked up upon the sudden change in the environment. Sure, he was familiar with his unborn child’s heartbeat, but this sound was different - it was more clear and felt stronger. The vibrations emanating from the machine tugged on his heartstrings like a grandiose symphony.

He was pulled out of his trance by the sound of his wife’s tears as she gasped from joy. He joined her, falling on his knees at her side, and reached out for her hand - showing his support by being there for her during this tender moment.

She weaved her right hand in his and slowly rubbed her thumb on his smooth skin. He kissed her temple and whispered something in her ear, making sure that the Doctor wouldn’t hear, as his attention was drawn to the monitor’s screen.

“There, now you can finally experience the same wonderful feeling that I do. Isn't it amazing?”

She nodded, still speechless from the gift of proof of her child’s existence. In the silent moment between the two of them, he wiped a lingering tear off her check and pressed his forehead against hers.

“You know what?” She questioned softly back, “It’s still not fair that you get to hear this everyday.”

Matt somehow felt guilty about this. He shouldn’t be, but it wasn’t like he could turn off his abilities at any given moment. To do so, he would have to keep a significant amount of distance between him and his wife to achieve such a feat - and that was something he would never do. He had made a vow to himself and to God once they married that he would forever stand by her side to protect and love her.

His face suddenly lit up with a brilliant idea. Fumbling to grab his phone out of his pants’ pocket, he handed it to the Doctor and politely asked for one favor...“Would you be kind enough to record this for us?”

Doctor Moore was happy to oblige, as many couples he had assisted had requested the same. Now Karen could listen to it anytime she pleased.

She beamed at his idea, questioning to herself why she hadn’t thought of it before. Maybe she was too overwhelmed. Nevertheless, Matt Murdock never failed to surprise her with his thoughtfulness - that was just one of the many reasons why she had fallen in love with him.

The Doctor had passed Matt back his phone which Karen intercepted and immediately sent the voice memo to her number. The appointment was drawing to an end, which Matt could tell from the powering down of the machine and the heartbeat growing fainter.

He helped Karen to her feet after she got cleaned up and then the couple said their farewells. A small bell chimed signaling their departure from the quaint OBGYN’s office and out onto the hectic streets of Hell's Kitchen.

They walked hand in hand down the sidewalk, arms swinging in sync to the spring breeze, both too high on cloud nine to even think about hailing a cab.

“You know what?” Karen remarked, as she stopped in her tracks. “I think I found my new favorite sound -” referring to the heartbeat recording.

Matt simply nodded in agreement, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts.

“Close second is your laughter though,” she admitted, merrily bumping his shoulder before drawing a breath, “that was previously number one until about an hour ago.”

Chapter Text

Sister Maggie was overjoyed, to say the least, upon hearing the announcement of Karen’s pregnancy. Sure, it had only been just about 4 years since Matt had warmed up and accepted her back in his life as his mother; however, she felt blessed to be given a second chance at motherhood and was now even more excited to step into the role of a grandmother for Matthew's child. So much so that she was the first to volunteer to throw Matt and Karen a baby shower at the church in celebration of the arrival of their little one. 

On a crisp October morning, Maggie sat opposite  Matthew over breakfast in a quaint diner, as this was their weekly tradition. She had decided to take this opportunity of being alone with her son to inquire if they had planned on having such a party. Unfortunately, Matt’s declination was not a complete surprise, as the couple were both too dedicated to their work lives rather than their social lives. It took some convincing, and a promise to keep the attendance to close friends and family only, but she had successfully received her son’s approval to host the baby shower at the church. As they were nearing the end of their meal, an intriguing comment escaped Matt’s lips.

“Oh, before I forget, I can’t do breakfast next week. Karen and I have another appointment at the OBGYN. We are finally going to find out the gender with this ultrasound.” He set his now empty coffee mug on the table.

A lightbulb immediately lit up in Maggie’s head. 

“Oh! I have the perfect idea,” she said enthusiastically, as she clasped both of her hands together. “How much of a wrench would I be throwing in your current plans if I asked you to hold off on finding out the gender until the party?” 

Matt furrowed his brow and thought about it for a moment, taking into account Karen's potential reaction to this request. His fingertips softly tapped on the wooden surface of the table between them before answering. 

“I don’t know mom, Karen has been eagerly looking forward to finding out as soon as possible. I guess it could work if we have the party relatively soon after the appointment. Do you think you can put something together in a little over a week?” 

Maggie was up for any challenge thrown her way, especially this one - since it was for her son. She would do anything to make the perfect party she had been planning in her head happen. 

“Done and done. How does next Saturday sound? It only would mean an additional three day wait for you two?” 

He could feel the vibrations from her impatiently bouncing her legs in their booth, as she hoped for his acceptance. Matt didn’t keep Maggie waiting long, and smiled softly before finally agreeing to her plan. 

“Thank you, my boy!” She loudly exclaimed, leaning forward in her cushioned seat and encapsulated his face between her palms. 

This made Matt’s face turn red in embarrassment, as he could sense the other diner patrons turning their attention to the scene at their booth. He took that opportunity to make a quick exit out of the diner and usher his mother outside, but not before leaving cash on the table to cover for both meals and a hefty tip.

The calming hums from the commotion of the streets of Hell’s Kitchen welcomed Matt back out of his haste. 

The mother and son duo shared a short but endearing hug and proceeded to return to their separate worlds - one being the familiar stone walls of Clinton Church and the other being the  home-away-from-home law office of Nelson and Murdock . The latter being where one heavily pregnant Karen was waiting for him. Matt was thankful for the longer walk back to their firm. It gave him the time to formulate his convincing argument to Karen explaining that he’d agreed for his mother to throw them a baby shower with the gender reveal sprinkled in there somewhere.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next time Matt and Maggie reconvened was at the small park near the church where the handoff of one confidential manilla envelope occurred. 

“Are we still on for the party this Saturday?” Matt questioned under his breath, as the crumpling of the stiff material enclosing the baby’s gender exchanged from his hand to hers.

Maggie swiftly put the envelope in her tote bag before reassuring her son to not doubt her party planning process. 

“You’re lucky to have gotten this. Karen almost snuck a peak at it this morning while I was making breakfast, but I caught her red handed. I could hear the undoing of the twine on the clasp a mile away,” he lightheartedly disclosed, proudly smirking from his accomplishment. 

Maggie chuckled at his recollection. Even though it had been a few years since he explained his heightened senses to her, she would always be amazed by his talents. It was truly a God given gift. 

She reached out to his hand that was loosely gripping his cane to show her affection and appreciation. Matt slightly cocked his head at her sentimental gesture, as he was not expecting it at that moment. His attention had instead been focused on the young children and their sweaty palms squeaking as they swung on the monkey bars. He was distracted and lost in the thought of one day in the near future playing with his own child at this park. 

A sudden idea sprung from this sweet daydream…

“Mom, I have one request for the party that would mean the world to me if you could make it happen.” He then whispered his special request in her ear. 

Of course Maggie gladly welcomed his proposal, even though she didn’t quite fully understand the reasoning behind it. She would never let her son down again. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The special day had finally arrived. Maggie had worked around the clock, fine tuning every detail, making sure everything was in its place and went smoothly. As she made the final touches and placed the last bouquet of flowers in the vase on the decorated white pleated tablecloth, she was suddenly alerted to the approaching presence of the first guests. Her head perked up and she straightened out the non-existent wrinkles in her skirt to prepare her to greet them. She didn’t have to possess super senses like her son to guess correctly, as the shrill cries of their newly-two-year-old son echoing through the corridors was a true tell of the Nelson family’s early entrance. 

Marci took Preston from Foggy’s arms, which immediately ceased his outburst - he was so much of a mommy’s boy. Foggy huffed to himself before opening the wooden sliding door to the back room of the church revealing quite the scene, and the couple gasped at the sight before them.

Usually this space was utilized for bible study groups or as a bridal party ready room; however, today it was adorned with a sea of yellow and white streamers hanging from the ceiling tiles, a sizable white banner spanning overtop the fireplace relaying the message ‘Congratulations Karen & Matt’. A grandiose three tiered cake covered in yellow icing and a platter of various sandwiches, bowls of pasta salad, and fruit platters that made Foggy’s mouth water at the sight of it. There were four round tables scattered closely throughout the room, each set up with simple tableware, name cards indicating the attendees' seats all positioned around a beautiful sleek vase tied around with a black ribbon that held the fresh smelling daisies. 

“Woah, Maggie. This place looks amazing!” Marci exclaimed in awe of her surroundings as she looked around at each pristine and thoughtful detail. 

Maggie blushed and bashfully thanked Marci for the compliment then she made her way over to the young couple and greeted little Preston. He giggled as she stroked his chubby cheek and ran her hands up to ruffle his blonde locks. A small smile formed on her face. The sight of any small child these days reinforced the fact that she couldn’t wait to welcome her own grandchild into the world and get to know them. 

Foggy dropped off their gift in the identified area to the left of the fireplace and attempted to swipe a sandwich from the food table; however, Marci swatted his hand away before he could do so.

She had placed Preston down, but still kept a watchful eye on him - as toddlers had a knack of bolting off and exploring the environment around them. Everything was new and exciting in the eyes of a child.

Foggy sighed at first, but ultimately obeyed his wife and swiftly bent down to grab his son’s hand to keep him by their side. 

“Good call Marce, wouldn’t want to eat before Karen. I think she’d strangle me if she found out I had the first bite -” he started distancing himself away from the temptation of food and guided her and Preston to their seats- “I swear she was going to strangle me at the office a week ago when she found me in the kitchen eating the last of the homemade peanut butter bars from one of our clients.” He fearfully recalled, shuttering at the thought, as he sat down and boosted Preston up on his lap.

Shortly after the Nelson’s arrival, the remaining guests finally made their way into the party room. Jessica and Luke, Danny and Colleen and Claire trickled in - each bearing large and brightly colored gifts and lively moods ready to welcome the Murdocks and enjoy the festivities. 

Speaking of the guests of honor, both Matt and Karen were making their way up the stone steps into the threshold of the oh-so-familiar church. It had been a safe and comforting space for Matt, as he has been a frequenter of mass services most Sundays. Karen was still not the religious type, which Matt did not make her feel guilty about in any way, but she still volunteered her time helping Sister Maggie and the fellow nuns sort and organize various donations in her free time. 

As the couple approached the doorway holding the two large oak double doors, Matt stopped and let out a deep breath, taking the moment in. Thanks to his senses, he could already tell which guests his mother had invited to the shower. He counted a total of nine heartbeats inside. He smirked hearing Jessica complain under her breath to Luke about the lack of alcohol. There was a distinct trace of Marci’s designer perfume drifting from the halls which was covering the faint odor of the beer that Foggy had last night with him at Josie's. Danny and Colleen were going back and forth guessing the gender of the baby (Danny was going with a boy while Colleen was betting on a girl). And Claire was seated, taking in the scene before her and tapping impatiently on the table for the festivities to begin. 

Matt snapped out of his trance and cocked his head from Karen’s tug on his arm. 

“Come on slowpoke! Let’s get going - they have food in there and your baby is hungry.” She halfway joked. It had been more than two hours since she had last snacked, and Matt knew from experience these past months that they were approaching her limit. 

Matt smirked and complied to her demand as he let her guide them to their destination. 

To Karen’s surprise, all their friends and Maggie were waiting together behind the door armed with confetti poppers. As soon as they entered, Karen was showered with the small pieces of paper and gasped in awe. She was both overstimulated and overjoyed to see everyone she loved together and the beautifully decorated space.

“Oh my gosh you guys! All of this for me - this is too sweet. Thanks so much for doing this, Maggie!” She exclaimed giddily, practically jumping on balls of her feet in her flats.

Matt comfortingly patted her hand, signaling her to let go of his arm and to go off on her own to give hugs to everyone. The savory aroma of the refreshment table led him to fulfill his first mission to prepare Karen and himself a plate of food. After successfully piling on all he could fit on two plates, he was bombarded by Foggy, Luke and Danny, as the women were chatting with Karen and fawning over her extruded stomach. 

“Quite the shindig Maggie threw here, Matt. It looks very nice,” Foggy chimed in, patting his best friend on the back of the shoulder.

“The theme seems to be daisies with a whole yellow and white vibe going on.” Danny added on, trying to describe the decor of the room the best he could to Matt. 

Matt smiled, knowing very well that those were Karen’s favorite flowers - Maggie was so thoughtful. He carefully steadied the overflowing dishes in his hands and then proceeded to reach down to grab extra napkins and two bottles of water. Luke quickly caught on to Matt’s imminent struggles and offered his help by taking both plates from his grasp and walked it over to their head table. 

The chatter was starting to die down in Karen’s direction, indicating that the women were headed to their seats and that notified the guys to do the same. Foggy graciously escorted Matt to his chair where he met back up with Karen.

He sat the drinks and napkins down adjacent to the cotton placemats set out before them. He could immediately tell the material from the ever-so-scratchy fabric that grazed the side of his fingers.

Suddenly Karen noticed something in the corner of her eyes that made her heart skip a beat. Floating by its lonesome next to the fireplace mantel where the presents were laid, was a metallic helium balloon with the words “hello baby” accompanied by a large brown monkey smiling on both sides as it slowly rotated in the air. 

A wave of emotion washed over her, which could be due to the pregnancy hormones, but in this moment it was because she was brought back to the day she had presented Matt with a similar monkey balloon after hearing of his ‘car’ accident. 

She kissed her husband’s cheek and whispered “Thank you, Matt. I love it.” 

Matt had been aware that his one request from his mother had been fulfilled upon entry, as he had smelled the faint scent of helium that was slowly escaping into the room. He made a mental note to thank Maggie afterwards. 

“You’re very welcome, my dear. What’s a party without a balloon?” He said affectionately, before sitting down along with Karen.

After everyone was happily fed, Maggie stood up and announced it was time for dessert. She made her way back over to the table that was now emptied of the lunch, leaving only the large cake in its place. This sparked most of the guests' attention - especially Foggy’s. Marci softly kicked his leg from under the table in an effort to calm him down. 

“Now this cake is a special one. As a surprise to all of you here, we are actually going to be finding out the baby’s gender along with the parent’s to be,” Maggie proudly declared to the small crowd as she waltzed the three tiered cake in front of her son and daughter in law. “As you can tell, this is not going to be the standard pink or blue cake cutting reveal. To ensure that both Matt and Karen find out at the same time, the flavoring of the cake will be the news bearer. Strawberry for a girl and blueberry for a boy.”

She cut two pieces of a seemingly white looking cake and carefully slid them onto the plates before the couple. 

Karen was intrigued by this brilliant and creative plan that Maggie had devised. She glanced over at Matt before picking up her fork, making sure to start in sync with him. To her curiosity, he had a giant smile on his face as he tilted his head in an abrupt manner down to the cake. The attendees swarmed around their table like flies to honey, eager to find out the results of the tasting for themselves. 

From an enthusiastic countdown from their friends, Matt and Karen both sunk their forks into their respective servings of cake and took a bite. Afterwards, Karen calmly sat her utensil down on her napkin, while trying her best to hold her composure to not give anything away before officially announcing the reveal with Matt. She glanced at him and reached out to catch his hand beneath the table. 

Little did Karen know, Matt could smell the essence of the strawberry flavoring wafting from the cake as soon as he stepped in the room. He just needed to hear the confirming statement from his mother explaining the meaning of what that flavoring meant that almost made him shed a tear of pure joy before tasting the cake itself - he was going to have a daughter. Matt was brought back from cloud nine by Karen’s touch and proceeded to kiss her slowly but passionately, in a manner such that it felt like it was just them two in their own world - a world that would soon be expanding with their little girl. 

 Jessica’s not-so-subtle impatience broke up their tender moment. “Would you guys just tell us the verdict already!” 

The couple pulled apart and Matt simply nodded, indicating his readiness to announce the big news. 

“It’s a girl!” They both exclaimed simultaneously and the room immediately burst out in joy.

Upon this announcement, Colleen had stealthily slid her hand in front of Danny, to which he reluctantly passed over a crisp twenty dollar from his billfold - he had lost their bet.  

They received many hugs and congratulations before the room finally settled back down as the rest of the cake was distributed out.

Once the group was finished up with the dessert, Maggie re-assumed her role as party coordinator and got the event back on track by announcing that it was time for presents. 

Luke and Jessica had bought a hefty supply of diapers and a sit-and-spin for the baby to play on when she gets older. Danny and Colleen came bearing a whole slew of various clothing items from newborn onesies to toddler outfits. Some of which made Karen snicker from the comical sayings such as ‘ninja in training’ and ‘daddy’s little devil’ with small horns over the text. Matt inadvertently rolled his eyes as soon as Karen described the clothing to him. Claire had purchased a play mat which included lots of annoyingly noisy items that dangled from above. This seemed like an act of revenge for Matt from all the times he had shown up bloodied and broken at her doorstep. 

Maggie then approached holding a small gift bag in her firm grasp. 

“Mom, you didn't have to get us anything. Throwing this amazing shower is far enough.” 

She ignored him and set the bag in his lap. The crinkle of the tissue paper graced his ears as he dug into the bag. He pulled out one of the three objects from what he could tell. Matt ran his fingers over the top of it, trying to get a clue of what it was. The rectangular yet glossy surface had puzzled him until he came in contact with braille that read ‘ Goodnight Moon ’. He was touched by the sentiment. Pulling the remaining books out he discovered that they were T he Rainbow Fish and The Very Hungry Caterpillar . 

“I wanted you to read to her, so I found this little bookstore downtown that offered accessible children’s books. All the books have both braille and written English words, so you can help in the process of teaching her how to read.” 

He got up and engulfed his mother in a large hug. “I can’t explain how much this means to me, thank you mom.”

She started to tear up from her son’s loving embrace. She still felt guilty about not being there for him when he was growing up, but she knew that Matt would be the best father and she herself would have the opportunity to be there for him now as he raised a daughter of his own. 

Last, but not least, in the gift giving line up was the Nelsons. One very shy Preston hid behind Marci’s legs, reluctant to approach Matt and Karen. Foggy gently nudged his son out from the comfort of his mother’s protection and handed him a square package wrapped in a metallic green paper all tied up with a brown burlap bow. 

“Go ahead buddy, you got this,” Foggy encouraged, proudly looking down at his son. 

Gaining the confidence he needed from his father’s reassurance, Preston nodded once before making his way up through the crowd, whose eyes were all focused on him - it was quite a cute scene. 

He didn’t say a word, but his little legs did eventually carry him up to the front and he carefully deposited the package in Karen’s lap.  

“Why, thank you, Preston,” she kindly praised, making him blush and then scurry back to his mother. 

Marci bent down to intercept him and promptly scooped him up. The Nelson clan then stepped in closer to watch Matt and Karen rip into their present. 

Matt was curious himself to find out what Foggy had come up with and purchased for his child. Not more than almost two years ago, at Preston’s shower, Matt and Karen had ordered a custom designed onesie online that stated ‘Future Lawyer or Butcher’ and a mini child’s play briefcase along with other various baby necessities. Let’s see if he could top that today.

Karen discarded the shredded wrapping paper on the floor, revealing the highly anticipated contents. Inside the box was a whole slew of avocado themed items - an avocado teething toy, patterned blanket, plushie, hat, and a tiny green onesie with a brown avocado pit on the tummy that said ‘Avocado at Law’. Matt smirked after hearing of the gifts as they were pulled one by one from the box and handed over to him for inspection. It had seemed that the Nelsons did indeed go above and beyond for their daughter. 

They got up from their chairs and hugged Marci and Foggy, and even little Preston. 

“This is amazing, guys. I can’t wait to put her in this ensemble!” Karen proclaimed, clasping her hands together. 

With the last gift opened, Maggie thanked everyone for coming and the guests began saying their goodbyes and exchanged hugs with promises to get together soon. 

The Nelsons had stayed behind to help the clean up efforts - it was the least they could do. While Maggie was entertaining Preston with discarded scraps of gift wrap and tissue paper, the adults were undressing tables, putting food away, and placing the room back to its original state. 

After deeming the place sufficiently tidied up, the Nelsons and Murdocks reconvened in the middle of the room. Marci graciously took Preston from Maggie’s watch and hiked him up over her hip. He babbled indistinctly before nestling into her chest, it had seemed that he was finally all tuckered out. 

“Thanks again guys for coming and helping with clean up duty,” Karen mentioned, tucking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her left ear. 

“No problemo - we are always here for you guys. If you need any help before or after the little one makes her way into the world, we can do anything. You helped us tremendously with Preston, so it’s only fair of us to exchange the favor. You name it - diaper runs, parenting advice, tips on assembling unnecessarily challenging strollers - we got it covered,” Foggy affirmed, as he beamed a bright smile. 

Matt could always count on Foggy, and was planning on taking them up on their offer. With them being first time parents, they needed all the help they could get and the Nelsons completely understood that from experience of their own. 

He glanced at Karen and brushed his hand across hers, as their unspoken signal of what was to come next. Matt then spoke up after nervously clearing his throat. 

“We truly appreciate that-” he paused - “and because of that and everything you’ve done for us since we first met in college, from starting our firm to being the best man at each of our weddings and now having kids, we would uh..” he was having trouble getting that last part out. Thankfully, Karen had stepped in.

“We want to formally ask you both if you’d like to be our daughter’s God Parents!”

Marci and Foggy both got choked up from the sentimental gesture of their friends. With no hesitation, they happily accepted the proposition and pulled the Murdocks in for a group hug. Preston let out a grumble of discomfort from being squished in the middle, which encouraged them to resume back to their original positions. 

“Oof, looks like she likes that idea too,” Karen shockingly pointed out, as she placed both hands protectively on her belly, feeling the baby kick aggressively. 

Matt was always aware when the baby kicked and recalled back on the first time his keen ears picked up the small vibrations that emanated from Karen's stomach. 

“I swear, she is already taking after her dad and is becoming a master of parkour from the way she constantly flips around and bounces off the walls in there.” 

This caused the group to laugh in amusement. It was getting late, so they started to make their way out to the autumn streets covered in red and orange hues of Hell’s Kitchen.

“I guess she’s just eager to come out,” Matt softly kissed Karen’s temple, “see, the Murdock boys may be known to have the devil in them, but I have a strong feeling that this Murdock girl is going to be an absolute angel.”

Chapter Text

Just as Matt was about to step foot on the uneven, graveled surface that was the rooftop of their apartment, Karen’s soft yet groggy voice pulled him back inside. 

“Are you going out tonight?” She inquired while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

He shut the roof access door behind him, closing off the frigid New York air to the warmth of their living room, and retreated back inwards. 

Karen’s due date was quickly approaching and Matt had promised her that he’d slow down on the late night vigilante excursions. However, tonight he thought he could sneak off for a quick trip to tail a lead Jessica Jones had been following. He had been notified from her investigative efforts that the perp was going to be traveling into his neck of the woods tonight to participate in a handoff of smuggled military grade weapons at the docks. It was supposed to be a quiet covert mission to relay intel back to Jess, so he thought he could slip out and back in while Karen was sleeping, but he thought wrong. Nothing got past Karen Murdock.

His wife’s heavy and semi-unbalanced footfalls in her fuzzy pink bunny slippers on the hardwood floor prompted Matt of her arrival. She stifled a groan, shifted her weight, and waddled up to him. She was wearing her cream sherpa fleece bathrobe - one of his favorites since it was so soft to the touch. She clung her arms around his neck and slipped the coarse black fabric tied around the upper half of his face off. The mask fell to the floor with a soft thud that only Matt could hear. 

“Honey, tonight? Really?” She pulled back and gave him a stern, disapproving look. “It’s almost one in the morning and you’re gonna catch pneumonia out there with these temps.”

He sighed in defeat and dropped his head downwards facing the floor. He couldn’t help but feel like he let her down. Karen had no issues with his Daredeviling, in fact she was proud of his immense love for his city and his sense obligation to protect all who needed it. She knew she shared a part of his heart with the people of Hell’s Kitchen and their daughter, who is not even born yet, resided there as well. 

She tugged him by the arm towards their couch while Matt began to explain the intentions of his outing and assured her that he did not plan to engage in anything dangerous. She heard him out and remained sitting cross-legged before speaking up. 

“That is very sweet of you to do for Jessica,” she caressed his cheek, “and I love that you were thinking of the both of us,” she said glancing down and her bulging stomach, “but - wouldn't you be both safer and warmer wearing the red suit and not the black pajamas, Babe?” 

She kissed his temple as he allowed himself to let out a hint of a smile from her approval. He launched off the couch and slid on the shag rug in front of the dual closet doors where the familiar wooden chest sat dormant underneath a mess of empty boxes from the crib, high chair, baby bathtub and other various child proofing devices that both Matt and Foggy had tackled in assembling and setting up together in the weeks prior. 

As he unearthed the chest and meticulously popped the top open with a clank from both metal clasps, his fingertips grazed across the recognizable smooth, hard, and curved surface that were the horns of his helmet. After taking a few moments to change out of his black vigilante garments and into the red Devil of Hell’s Kitchen suit, he returned back to the living room with the helmet in his grip swaying down at his side. 

A smile naturally lit up her face at the sight of Matt striding towards her. He exuded confidence and was stern, yet he also seemed so pure and kind hearted for a man dressed as the devil. No wonder why Hell’s Kitchen fell in love with him, just as she had - he was the kind of hero this city deserved. 

She stood up, leaning back some to adjust for the additional weight at her front. However, as she got up - he bent down on one knee to lace up his black leather boots. Giving both laces one final tug to ensure they’d be secure, he slipped on the mask over the top of his head, letting it adjust and settle into his facial features. Karen sarcastically scoffed at his dramatic presentation. Before getting back to his feet, Matt placed a soft kiss on the exposed part of her belly that was peeking out behind the drawstring that had loosened on her robe.

“Be safe out there, promise?” she whispered, pulling Matt up - hoping that nothing went awry tonight. They were now face to face and the vibrant pink light from the billboard outside shed a warm glow, illuminating the couple. 

He felt a pang of guilt inside at the thought of leaving her alone tonight, but there was also a secret part of him that was eager and excited to go out on patrol. It had been some time now since he’d gone out and he was having slight withdrawals. 

“You’re worried about me, but I think I am going to be more worried about you while I’m out. Honey, please try to get some sleep tonight - the last thing I want is for you to sacrifice your sleep schedule and wait up for me.” He knew it was a long shot that she’d take his advice, as it was usually the case when coming back from his daredevil outings that she’d be up and anxiously awaiting his return. 

She couldn't help herself but worry. She had seen too many instances where he had stumbled home injured, beat up, and bloodied and bruised and had to immediately tend to his wounds or call Claire or Maggie for their assistance if the task at hand was more than a basic stitch up job. That was the one thing she got good at quickly in her time being with Matt - learning how to stitch up wounds. Practice made perfect and she got a lot of practice under her belt over the years

“We’ll both be fine,” she affectionately assured, “now go be a hero, mister. That’s an order” Karen proceeded to rotate him around by both of his shoulders and guided him back to stairs where the roof’s access hatch awaited. 

He did not refute her orders and happily ventured out into the night, turning around one last time before leaving and honing in his senses to make sure that his wife was settling back in bed. Once confirming that had happened, he nodded to himself and leapt off the roof. 

Snowflakes began to flutter around him as soon as his feet were firmly planted with a thump on the asphalt on the adjacent building. Hell’s Kitchen was slowly turning into one giant snow globe before him. He took a small moment to take it all in as the flurries melted from coming in contact with his open palms before making his way to the docks.

_____________________________________

Back at the Murdock residence, Karen tossed and turned underneath their duvet. She honestly did try to go back to bed; however, her feet carried her to the kitchen with worry. Maybe a midnight snack would ease her mind, she thought to herself as she opened the fridge. 

Scanning the shelves top to bottom to assess all of her options, she finally settled on a can of Reddi-Wip accompanied by some fresh strawberries that Matt had picked up yesterday on his way home from church. Sitting down on the barstool at the counter, she contendently sprayed the white fluffy cream on top of the plumpest berry she could find and happily popped it in her mouth. 

She continued this process, which seemed to briefly distract her thoughts of Matt’s current whereabouts, until she was abruptly interrupted by a sharp discomfort in her abdomen that made her wince in pain. 

“Oh, shit,” she uttered to herself as the can fell from her grip and crashed into the hardwood floor.

_____________________________________

Matt was glad Karen made him change suits tonight. Perching on top of the metal cargo shipment container got quite chilly on this early-December night after a while. The target - a man in his mid-thirties named Jason Bluth - did arrive as expected per Jessica’s tip. Unbeknownst that he was being watched by the Devil of  Hell’s Kitchen, Jason confronted one Mr. Maloney who reeked of whiskey, gunpowder and cigars. Matt wrinkled his nose and was taken aback by the strong scent that was wafting through the air, but continued to focus his hearing on their exchange. He then took a mental note to inform Jessica to look into the Maloney man - he seemed to be the boss in charge of this smuggling operation.

All of the sudden a vibration that came from his left thigh abruptly interrupted his eavesdropping efforts. Fishing his burner flip phone out of his pants pocket, he was notified of a text from Karen. Before even knowing what the message was, he was on high alert - fearful that something awful had happened. She was supposed to be sleeping soundly, so his mind jumped to conclusions that someone had broken into their apartment or something along those lines and that her life was in immediate danger. 

He could feel his own heart racing, all caught up in a million worst case scenarios, so he tried to calm himself down and took a deep breath before reading the text…

“Baby is coming! Foggy is taking me to Metro General. Meet us there. Please hurry!!’

Matt was partially relieved that she was in no danger, but still just as shocked upon finding out this news. He stood frozen in place, hyperventilating as he attempted to get himself together while also trying to be careful not to give away his position to the men below. He needed to get to the hospital in one piece and preferably not followed by a gang of angry goons on his heels. 

Finally coming to and collecting his composure, he stealthily slid off the semi-wet snow soaked surface of the container and exited the scene just as quietly as he entered.

His feet quickly carried him back home. This was the utmost most urgent matter and he’d let nothing get in his way. Bounding from rooftop to rooftop in haste, he landed back on top of his apartment to resume the persona of Matt Murdock, father-to-be, rather than the feared vigilante, Daredevil, before sprinting to the hospital. 

_____________________________________

The swooshing sound of the pair of sliding glass doors welcomed him into the bustling hospital lobby. Shaking off the fallen snow from the top of his head, Matt made a beeline to the first staff member he could find. His cane tapped every so often in front of him until it came in contact with what had to be the reception desk. 

“Hello, sir. Do you need any assistance? If you need help filling out the admittance form, we can get someone for you,” a male receptionist in his early twenties nervously offered, obviously picking up on the fact that he was blind. Matt was used to people treating him differently due his disability and paid no mind that this young gentleman assumed he was some misfortunate case that needed extra attention. 

He politely pushed back the clipboard that the receptionist was handing him. “No thank you, I am actually here for my wife Karen Murdock. She is giving birth as we speak. Can you please direct me to her room?” Matt flashed his ID, proving his relation to Karen, and impatiently tapped on the plastic laminate countertop. 

“Yes, of course! And congratulations by the way. My sincerest apologies, Mr. Murdock,” the receptionist stuttered, ashamed of his mistaken assumption. He then proceeded to look up the necessary information on the desktop computer. Each click of the keyboard was one step closer to being reunited with Karen. He could hear her groaning and huffing deep breaths in pain on the fourth floor - experiencing the first set of her contractions. But he couldn't just waltz in by himself, so he had to wait in the lobby for now until he got cleared to go up. 

“Okay, looks like she is in room 447” he stated, glancing up at Matt from behind the large monitor. Turning to his side, he called out to the closest nurse “Katie, can you please take Mr. Murdock here to room 447 for me?”

She nodded and happily complied then approached Matt. He donned a smile and offered her his right arm and they made their way down the first corridor together, likely on route to the nearest elevator. 

Matt was never too fond of hospitals. He tended to avoid them at all costs possible. There were too many overwhelming sounds and smells that reminded him of humanity’s suffering. Each mucus filled cough, high pitched beep of heart rate monitors, vibration of the steady drips of  IVs, pumping of ventilators, and even the annoying buzz of the fluorescent lights made him uneasy. 

Not tonight though - he didn't care about any of this. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing alone - being there for Karen and meeting their daughter for the very first time. 

With the fourth chime of the elevator, they stepped out onto what had to be the maternity level of the hospital. A familiar voice boomed from the end of the hallway which made Matt jerk his head to the right. 

“Matt, buddy, finally there you are!” Foggy loudly examined, getting out from the uncomfortable wooden chair adjacent to the snack vending machine. He was in the middle of biting into a zebra cake when he saw his best friend arrive on the floor. 

The nurse, Katie, let go of Matt's arm, said her goodbyes, and stepped back into the elevator to carry on with other business, knowing that Matt was going to be intercepted by Foggy and would eventually find his way to the room. 

Matt strided at a fast pace to where Foggy was waiting and was warmly welcomed with a large hug from his friend. “Dude, where have you been?! Karen called me like an hour ago to pick her up and take her here. Luckily Marci’s car came back from the shop last week, so your baby had a zero percent chance of being born in a New York cab - because, buddy, you and I both know those aren’t the most sterile environments.”

Matt did a double take to scan the hall in order to assure they were the only people in the nearby vicinity, not wanting to risk anything, before hushly responding. “I was out on patrol helping Jessica when I got the text from Karen. I wasn’t expecting the baby to come two weeks early! Of all nights I decide to go out Daredeviling, she decides to come.” Matt laughs and subsequently shakes his head. 

“Foggy, I can’t thank you enough for being there for Karen when I couldn't and bringing her here. It’s most likely going to be a long night, so I officially relieve you of duty. Go home to Marci and Preston and get some sleep. I will call you as soon as the baby is born, I swear.”

“My pleasure, buddy. I helped fill out all the forms and everything. All you need to do now is go in there and assist your wife through the joys of childbirth.” He smirks, patting Matt on the back. From his own experience, he knew Matt was going to be in for a rough night. “Now go get in there pal!” Foggy pushed him towards the door where Karen awaited.

_____________________________________

As soon as the wooden door opened to her room presenting her tardy husband, Karen’s thoughts were put to ease after setting sights on Matt’s face. A wave of comfort washed over her when he rushed to her bedside and took her hand in his. 

“Hey you,” she tenderly chirped, slowly lifting her head up from the pillow, trying not to think of the discomfort she had put herself in from slightly adjusting her position. 

He smiled and intuitively brushed some loose hairs that failed to make it in her ponytail out of her face. “I am so extremely sorry that I wasn’t there for you and missed the first hour or so. How are you doing so far? Do you need anything - water, ice chips, another pillow? - ” He stammered off, noticeably nervous and overwhelmed from not knowing what to do in this situation. 

She blushed at his obvious panic and stroked his stubbly face with her free hand in an attempt to calm his nerves. “Babe, It's fine and I’m fine too. We are all good so far,” she assumed rubbing her stomach, “and you didn’t miss much - just a lot of paperwork and then they helped me get changed into this beautiful hospital gown -” she said sarcastically, tugging on the fabric around her neck in an attempt to fan herself off - she was starting to get hot “- actually the nurse just left to get some ice and the epidural, so everything is running as smooth as it can go so far.”

Just after Karen’s assuring words, her nurse stepped back into the room, pushing a metal cart in front of her. He stood up and introduced himself to the nurse and thanked her for assisting Karen. She was a bubbly young woman and she happily introduced herself back to Matt and explained to the new parents-to-be the next steps they’d be going through together - prepping them both for the amazing experience that is childbirth. 

Matt being Matt, felt the need to help out, but also at the same time felt utterly useless because there wasn't much for him to do besides hold his wife’s hand and support her while the doctor, nurses and mainly Karen did all the work. He had taken a seat in the chair the nurse pulled up for him next to Karen and readied himself for the journey ahead. 

After a handful of hours of excruciating pain, pushing and breathing exercises - their beautiful baby girl was born at 11 am on December 6th weighing in at 6 pounds and 15 ounces. The sharp, loud cries of his daughter were the most delightful sounds to grace his ears and made him beam with immense pride. Her small but mighty heartbeat pounded in his eardrums - louder and clearer than ever before, now that she was finally out in the world. 

Their nurse cleaned off the baby, wrapped her in a blanket and gently placed her in her mother’s welcoming arms. Karen let out a deep breath of relief now that the hard part was over. Her eyes began to well up with water from holding her daughter in her arms for the very first time. Matt stood up from his seat and hovered over them both, displaying the largest smile possible on his face. Karen was glad Matt couldn’t see the state she was currently in at this moment. Her outer appearance was disheveled - she was covered in sweat, had bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep and the hospital gown was the exact opposite of flattering, but she knew if he could see her now, he’d still think she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. 

“Karen, you did it! I am so proud of you honey,” he exclaimed as he leaned down and kissed her tear stained cheek. 

“No big deal - I just pushed another human being out of me - totally a normal thing,” she joked, wiping the tears from her face. 

The hospital staff let the couple have the room to themselves to enjoy the first moments with their little one in peace and headed out, promising they’d be back to check on them in an hour. 

“You want to hold her?” Karen asked, sitting upwards extending her arms out, offering their small, precious daughter to Matt. 

He hesitated at first, unsure where to even place his hands to hold a baby, but reluctantly and delicately he took their daughter from Karen. Matt then planted himself back down in his seat, steadying her in his arms, making sure to support her head - which Karen instructed him to do. It was true when people say that newborns have a distinctive smell, his daughter had truly overpowered his senses. Her skin was so soft to the touch, her smell was indescribable but also very addicting, and her small coos tugged at his heartstrings. Hearing her tiny breaths and feeling her chest move up and down as he held her was the best feeling in his life - knowing she was real, safe and healthy was what mattered most. When the staff left, he took off his red tinted glasses - which was not something he did often. In essence, this symbolized that all his walls were down and he felt 100% comfortable. He wanted his child to see the real him. 

“Can you describe her to me?” he politely, yet shly, requested. 

Who was Karen to deny him of this? He deserved to fully get to know every aspect of his child. She nodded, still awestruck from blissfully admiring their baby, but she began to speak and fulfilled his request. “Well, for starters, she’s definitely a Murdock. She has your dark reddish-brown hair and deep brown eyes that I’m prone to getting lost in.” Matt let out a soft laugh. He always pictured his daughter would be a mini Karen all blonde haired blue eyed and all - but seemingly this was not the case. 

Karen continued on. “I guess she has my nose, there may be some Page peeking through in her facial features.We will have to see about that when she gets a bit older.” 

“She sounds beautiful - I mean with us for parents - how could she not be? A perfect mix of both Murdock and Page.” Matt confidently expressed and proceeded to hand her back to Karen.

Karen unexpectedly didn’t take her back. “Wait just a minute, I want you to try something,” she interjected. “I read in my motherhood book that skin-on-skin contact is extremely important and beneficial for a newborn to have and bond with each parent - you want to give it a try?”

Matt skeptically raised an eyebrow at her suggestion, uncertain of how to proceed and frankly a little embarrassed at the thought. “You want me to take off my shirt in this hospital room? Right now?”

Karen impatiently crossed her arms “Yes, Matt. It’s not like you won’t be able to tell if someone is going to come in at any given moment. It’s just us in here - can you just do it for me please?” She flashed her famous puppy dog pout, and Matt ultimately agreed. Handing their daughter off to Karen, Matt stripped off his black knitted sweater. 

Karen gazed at her husband's pristine figure and marveled at how stunning he was. She got lost in thought for a moment and Matt took notice, so he cleared his throat to reel her back in the moment. She handed the baby back to him and he gently propped her up against his chest, then her small head rested in the crook of his neck. 

At this moment, Matt was semi-ashamed of all of his scars and imperfections. His newborn daughter was supposedly bonding with him right now and the first thing she was going to associate him with was the feel of his overarching scars upon her perfect, delicate skin. Thankfully, Karen caught on to his anxieties and assured him that he was perfect just the way he was. In fact, his scars reminded her of how selfless and brave he was and how safe their daughter would be with him as her father. 

Karen admired the sight before her of Matt shirtless rocking back and forth in his seat as their daughter slept upon his right shoulder. He had been worrying about this moment for so long, but he had assumed the role of her father so effortlessly. She had no doubt in her mind that he would be the most loving, present and protective dad all throughout her life. After Matt had his time, he passed their daughter over to Karen for her to have the same skin-on-skin bond that he had experienced. 

The nurse did eventually come back in the room to check up on both Karen and the baby - thankfully, he had slipped his sweater back over top of his head moments ago, so there wasn’t any risk of suspicion from their nurse in regards to his various scars, burns and bruises.

While Karen’s blood pressure was being taken, Matt kept his promise to Foggy and gave both the Nelsons and his mother a call to inform them that the baby had been born and to come to the hospital to meet her. 

Within the hour, Maggie, Foggy, and Marci stood before them, taking in the loving scene of both mother and baby together. After each of them got a chance to hold the baby, there was only one thing on their mind - what was her name? Foggy was actually the one to speak up and inquired for the room as he passed the newborn back to her father. 

Karen lovingly looked up at Matt, “Go ahead, babe.”

Matt, with his daughter safely in his arms, proudly announced - “Everyone, please meet Grace Jacqueline Murdock.”

Maggie audibly gasped and began to shed some tears, touched by the homage of her granddaughter's middle name to Matt’s departed father - Jack Murdock.  

Grace was undoubtedly unconditionally loved by each and every person in that room. She had a bright future ahead of her and her parents couldn’t wait to bring her home. The small Murdock family had gained a member on that memorable December day and they were completely infatuated by her from head to toe.

Chapter Text

It had been six months since Grace Jacquline Murdock was born and both parents had slipped into a comfortable routine for her care. It was an adjustment, to say the least, having an additional person in their life, even more so a newborn that neither Matt or Karen had much experience with. 

To accommodate for her arrival, in the months before she was born, the Murdock residence was frequented with a variety of sweaty contractors. They had been tasked with modifying Matt and Karen’s spacious bedroom to partition off another room for Grace to have her own space. As soon as their daughter’s room was complete, both parents painted (Karen insisted on yellow), decorated, and furnished the space. It technically hadn’t been slept in by Grace herself yet - both Karen and Matt were guilty of this. Ever since the first day Grace had come home, they were adamant to keep her close and temporarily moved the crib into their bedroom - and that crib still sat in the same cozy corner to this very day.

“Have your super senses adjusted to diaper changes yet?” Karen inquisitively craned her neck and loudly declared from their bed to Matt, who was in the living room tending to their fussy daughter at the moment. 

Matt let out a small laugh to himself while securing the flaps of the diaper. “Unfortunately, the smell is rather hard to block out thanks to my so-called super-senses,” he mentioned sarcastically, “but I think she’s undeniably worth it.”

Karen didn’t want to admit it, but Matt had somehow mastered that skill better than her. His diaper changes were quick and efficient while Karen often struggled with the task of getting her squirming daughter into a new diaper. She swore that Grace was going to be a daddy’s girl from the start and it became more and more apparent by each day of watching them together. 

He swiftly made his way back into their bedroom carrying their freshly changed daughter in one arm and two mugs of dark roast coffee in his other. It was quite the feat and she was frankly impressed.

“The dad look is very hot on you,” she flirtatiously smirked, raising her brows, as he passed her one of the ceramic mugs. Sipping the hot beverage, she thoroughly enjoyed the familiar taste as it passed her lips. Coffee was definitely on the top of the ‘avoid while with child’ list that she had missed the most during her pregnancy. 

“Oh, yeah? I wasn’t aware.” Matt stifled a grin and planted a kiss to the top of her head. He then made his way to the rocking chair that sat next to the crib. Setting his mug on top of the adjacent dresser, he carefully lowered his body down into the comfort of the cushioned seat, making sure to support Grace who was thankfully calming down, and then he proceeded to slowly rock her in his cradle. 

It was six in the morning on a Saturday, and neither Matt nor Karen had fully gotten used to the inconsistent sleep schedule of an infant, so they took turns tending to Grace each time she stirred - indicating her impending needs. Karen tenderly gazed upon her daughter who was succumbing back into a peaceful sleep in Matt’s embrace. 

With his daughter positioned securely in his arms, Matt thought back to the last six months with little Grace. By simply looking, most people couldn’t observe all the changes a baby has gone through in that timeframe; however, Matt’s abilities have allowed him to log every step of progress along the way. For example - her heartbeat had grown stronger, her lung capability was increasing from monitoring her steady breaths, and her digestion was improving at a rate such that she was starting to be slowly introduced to some solid foods. So far mashed yams had been the most successful with her picky palate and the sweet scent tended to linger in the air. 

Once confirming she had fallen into a deep sleep, Matt got back up to his feet and laid Grace’s small figure back in the crib. “I think she’ll be out for another couple of hours,” he confidently stated in a hushed tone and shuffled back to his side of their bed to join her. After he had happily crawled back into the silk sheets, both parents sat upright together in their bed and enjoyed the surrounding silence with their coffees as the morning sun filtered through the draping curtains adorned at each of the two flanking windows behind their bed. 

Karen couldn't take her eyes off the sleeping form of their daughter behind the bars of the white wooden crib. She sometimes had a hard time believing that the small, precious baby lying before her was all theirs - it was like a dream come true. Karen had noticed over the months of watching Grace sleep that she’d been unusually quiet and still. Early on, it was so worrisome to the new mother that Karen had found herself frequently waking up Matt multiple times a night to assure her that Grace was still breathing. Matt was never bothered by these interruptions, in fact, he found her concern very endearing. His usual response to her doubts were something along the lines of  “Grace is fine, just sleeping that’s all.” In truth, Matt had thought that his daughter's quietness was a blessing and that she was intentionally considerate to his heightened senses. The soothing rhythm of her heartbeats were like white noise to him, so if something had, God-forbid, went wrong as she slept, he’d be the first to know and would be pulled out of his own slumber immediately.  

Karen completely trusted her husband, but she also needed to ease her own anxieties, so she utilized her investigational skills and grabbed her phone off the nightstand in an effort to research if this was truly normal for babies. None of the parenting books she had read had mentioned this - hell, even she could recall Foggy and Marci complaining about how much of a little terror Preston was within his first year. 

“What are you reading there, Honey?” Matt asked, noticing Karen’s fingers forcefully swiping and tapping on the screen of her iPhone. 

Karen sheepishly placed her phone face down onto the top of the mattress, trying to not draw any more suspicion to herself. “Oh, nothing,” she lied. Immediately, she regretted suppressing her thoughts and decided to share something to Matt that has been on her chest. He noticed a change in her disposition and tilted his head in her direction, waiting for her to open up.

“Do you ever wonder what we were like as babies?”

Hesitating, Matt stopped to think about his response before answering. His childhood wasn’t something that he’d particularly enjoyed relishing in. In truth, he typically tended to intentionally forget about most parts - from the moment of losing his father throughout his time spent growing up in the orphanage. Only the memories spent with his dad were worth keeping, and sometimes even those were too painful to look back on, as they just solidified the fact that Jack Murdock was never coming back. 

He shifted slightly in the bed and answered. “Hmm, the thought hasn’t really crossed my mind. But I guess I could ask Maggie if I ever needed to know - although I’m not too confident she’d give me much to work with due to the minimal time she had spent with me during infancy.”

Karen immediately felt guilt bubbling up in her stomach. She should have known this question would lead to a reaction as such from her husband. They both had shared similar trauma from losing a parent and having a somewhat strained relationship with their remaining ones. This unfortunately had strengthened their bond together and made them appreciate their little family of three even more.  

She reached out for his hand as an act of comfort and he smiled at her touch. Taking it a step further, she leaned against him, nuzzling into his embrace, and he welcomed her in by extending his arm around her. When together, Karen and Matt had always felt safe and secure. They never had to hide their insecurities as both heavily relied on the other. 

“I bet you were quite a handful as a kid,” Karen laughed into his chest, picturing a little Matt scampering around causing trouble. 

“Hey! No fair - I’m sure you weren’t always the exemplary poster child either,” he nudged her, “You’re dad could probably share some interesting stories, I’d imagine.”

Looking back, she did recall her parents mentioning that she was a rather rambunctious child. If she were a betting woman, which she was, she’d say that Grace may give her a run for her money - and that thought slightly terrified her. 

“I could theoretically give him a call and ask, but I’d rather leave it up to our imaginations. I just wondered if either of us had been such a silent sleeper as Grace is. I know it’s silly - but it kind of baffles me. There is a widespread of varying theories and reasonings online and I wanted to come to some sane conclusion.” Her confession caused her to slide out of Matt’s arms and sit back up. 

Fiddling with the wedding ring on her finger - an involuntary action that accompanied her nervous tendencies - she strayed away from the topic of her father. It was not exactly her favorite subject. Sure, they still talk on the phone from time to time - usually only on Christmas, each of their respective birthdays, the anniversary of her mother’s death, or just on special occasions - for example, she had called him after Grace had been born to share the news.. 

The last time she had physically seen her dad was almost three years ago at her and Matt’s wedding. This was the first time he and Matt had actually met, which was an uncomfortable experience to say the least. Paxton Page had come to walk his daughter down the aisle; however, afterwards during the reception he had exhibited a low profile and kept to himself. Their relationship would take a lot of work to be fully healed, but the two were slowly inching towards some kind of progress. 

Karen's hesitancy towards his mention of her father sparked an idea from Matt. He’d known that Paxton Page was aware of Grace’s arrival; however he had not had the opportunity to be formally introduced to her yet. Another reunion between father and daughter could be just what Karen needed - even if he was technically using their six month old daughter as bait to do so. Family was an important value in life and both Karen and Grace deserved to have him in their lives.

He couldn’t get the thought out of his head so, during the rest of the day, Matt devised a plan to have his father-in-law come visit Hell’s Kitchen and surprise Karen. He’d find out whether or not it’d be a bad or good surprise for Karen on the day-of and hoped for the latter. 

Step 1: Call Paxton and somehow convince him to fly to New York to meet his granddaughter. Matt would offer to pay for the round trip which should close the deal. 

Step 2: Ask Foggy to drive him to and from the airport. His friend gladly agreed and was predictably all in for his plan. 

Step 3: Keep all of this a secret from Karen - this would be the most complicated obstacle to his plan. With her inquisitive nature and snooping skills, it would be challenging to throw her off his trail. He took all the necessary precautions - made the phone call when Karen was out of the office at lunch with Marci, used Foggy’s card and account to pay for the trip (he’d pay him back afterwards), and even secretly managed to clean up the apartment without raising her suspicions the day before his arrival.

Step 4: Finally - pray that everything will work out. 

It was as simple as that.

_________________________________________

His plan somehow fell perfectly into place and before he knew it, both him and Foggy were waiting at the hustling JFK airport terminal two weeks later to intercept his arrival. Unfortunately, the flight had been delayed for an hour which was not something he was planning on, but that was just a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things.

“You ready for this, buddy?” Foggy cautiously prodded, looking downwards at Matt’s blatantly bouncing leg from the bench the pair were sitting on. Matt had hastily placed a hand on his knee cap to halt the subconscious action. 

He drew in a deep breath, “as ready as I’ll ever be.” Suddenly he shot up, expanding outward his cane, which had abruptly taken Foggy aback. 

“He’s coming,” Matt sternly remarked. He could pick up the scent of his father-in-law as he walked out from his gate. There was a similar trace that lingered on him that reminded Matt of Karen. The smell was wooded and rustic - must have been a Page staple from their small town in Vermont. 

With his one lonely suitcase in tow, Paxton Page was approached by both Matt and Foggy. “Sir, I’m Matt Murdock and this is my friend Foggy Nelson,” Matt firmly shook his hand “Welcome to New York. I’m glad you agreed to come visit, especially on such a short notice.”

“Yes, I know who you are, son. And it is my pleasure, I hope Karen feels the same - I’m assuming you haven’t told her about all of this yet - am I right?” the older man imposed raising his brow. 

Foggy held in a breath, realizing that Matt did not disclose to Karen’s dad that she was not aware of his trip. 

Matt clenched his grip on top of his cane, unsure what to say next. “Unfortunately, Mr. Page, you are correct. This will be a surprise to Karen; however, I fortunately know of a six month old girl who’s been waiting to meet you.”

A hint of a small wistful grin spread across his face, making Foggy let out a sigh of relief. Soon after the three men were on route from the big city to the familiar streets of Hell’s Kitchen where Matt was proud to call home. 

_________________________________________

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and Karen was under the impression that her husband and Foggy had gone out to have lunch with a potential client. Her and Grace were settled inside together on the couch catching up on  90 Day Fiancé (Karen’s guilty pleasure show) while she snacked on a bowl of crisp green grapes.

Glancing at her watch, she noticed the time was approaching 3pm - Matt should have been back by now. Boosting Grace up on her shoulder, she sat her bowl on the coffee table and got up from her comfy spot on the couch. Her feet carried her to the window that overlooked the street below. Curious, Karen scanned her view before her in search of her husband. With no luck from her ‘Where’s Waldo’ exercise, she shifted her attention to her daughter and proceeded to walk around the living room, merrily bouncing Grace up and down. The bubbly giggles that emitted from her daughter’s joy filled the room. So caught up in their session of play, Karen failed to hear the pair of approaching footsteps. 

Matt and Paxton bounded up the steps all the way up to the top of the apartment building. Matt detected the fast paced heart rate of his father-in-law rapidly increasing with each floor they cleared - noticeably apprehensive to reunite with Karen. Beads of salty sweat formed on his forehead which he brushed off just as Matt had stopped them in front of what had to be their apartment door - and behind that intimidating door was his daughter and granddaughter.

The unexpected turn of the doorknob made Karen jump. Frozen in place in the middle of the room, she whipped her head around to find none other than Matt and her father standing in the doorway. 

Grace’s babbling thankfully cut the tension in the room. Matt was the first to make a move and entered, then swooped up his daughter from Karen’s arms, allowing her to focus on her father who was now inside the space standing directly in front of her. 

“Dad? What…Why…? How are you here?” she stammered, still in shock as a tear rolled down her cheek. 

Paxton said nothing, but he didn't need to. Instead he pulled Karen into a longing hug. Matt stepped back, letting both father and daughter have a tender moment to themselves. It was quite the parallel with his own daughter in his arms standing before his wife reconciling with her own father.

Pulling apart, Paxton gained the strength to speak up. “It was actually all your husband’s idea to invite me down here as a surprise. Honestly it was very touching when he initially reached out. He sure does care a lot about you and wanted me to meet the baby as well.” 

Karen looked back at Matt lovingly, wiping the few stray tears from her face. 

She didn’t expect to have missed her father this much, but with him by her side - it caused a whirlwind of emotions to break free inside of her. Pulling herself back together, she suggested they all make themselves comfortable and sat down. Matt, with Grace in tow, and Karen both took the couch while Paxton settled into the leather armchair. 

Seeing how happy his daughter looked with Matt by her side and little Grace cooing as Karen tickled her feet, he felt content yet guilty that he hadn’t shared this moment sooner. The sight before him immediately made him want to be more prevalent in their lives. 

Grace, still in Matt’s arms, curiously reached her chubby arm upwards to his face and wiggled her fingers in an attempt to take hold of the red circular glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. It was her new favorite game to try to steal Matt’s glasses, as she quickly took a liking to them. So far he had to buy a couple replacements because she was relentless and had accidentally bent, chewed on, or dropped a few pairs. 

Matt sensed her mischievous efforts and quickly tilted his head up, dodging his glasses from her reach, then felt around for her pacifier on the nearby table to use as a tool of distraction. This made Paxton laugh “My, she sure does look a lot like you, Karen, when you were her age.” 

“Oh, really? I guess I never had thought of that. I don’t really have any of my baby pictures around to compare Grace to.” She nervously stated, brushing her long blonde hair to one side behind her shoulder. 

“Well, take it from me, it’s like being blessed with a peek back in time. Well - except for her brown hair and eyes of course, but other than that she is a spitting image of you and is just as beautiful.” 

Matt smiled at the considerate words from his father-in-law and offered him the child in his arms. “Would you like to hold your granddaughter?”

Paxton simply nodded and Matt got up to carefully place Grace in his arms. Gazing upon the child before him, she was contentedly sucking on her pacifier with her big brown eyes gleaming, looking back up at him with great interest in the stranger holding her. 

“Hi there, Gracie Girl,” he affectionately expressed, stroking his index finger lightly upon her cheek. Karen beamed as she watched the two together. The love in her father’s eyes said it all. She never had thought this moment would unfold, but was extremely pleased that it had. Snapping a quick photo on her phone of Grace in her father’s arms, she placed the savored moment back in her pocket to look back upon later. 

The three adults talked and reminisced about both life with Grace so far and memories of Karen’s childhood until dinner time approached. There were some stories that his father-in-law had shared that Matt for sure would be holding against Karen and passing along to Foggy so they could both relish in her embarrassment. Paxton got up from his seat and returned Grace back to her mother, just before placing a soft kiss on top of her forehead. 

“Oh - I don’t want to forget,” he suddenly pointed out, and walked back to the entryway to grab something out from his luggage. “I brought something for Grace, that I hope she’ll love as much as Karen did.” He then revealed the gift behind his back which was a stuffed monkey plush. 

Karen gasped at the sight of it. “Dad, you still have Mr Monkey?! I can’t believe you held onto this all these years!” She freed up a hand from under Grace to take hold of the familiar stuffed animal from her childhood. Her father must have cleaned it up a bit, but it was still worn with signs of love from Karen’s youth. 

“Yeah, I couldn't seem to let this one go. Maybe I just had an inclination that someday you’d have a child of your own who’d appreciate it as much as you did growing up.”

Karen offered the stuffed monkey to Grace and she had taken to it instantly. After inspecting the plush thoroughly, the left ear of Mr. Monkey eventually made its way into her mouth. 

“Well, I think it’s safe to say that Grace likes it,” Karen cheerfully noted, watching her daughter blissfully drool all over the plush. “Thank you, Dad. This truly means a lot. Not just the gift, but you being here is honestly a much needed and overdue visit  - even if it was a surprise. And I have my ever-so-thoughtful husband to thank for that,” she paused to lean across the couch and gave Matt a quick peck on the lips. 

“I wholeheartedly agree, sweetheart. I am already looking forward to coming down here again so that Grace can spend some more quality time with her grandpa.”

“We would love that too,” Karen said with delight as she reached out and placed her hand over top of her father’s. 

On that so-called lazy Saturday, Matt’s plan to surprise Karen ended up strengthening the bond between father and daughter and even more so formed an everlasting relationship between grandfather and granddaughter as well. From that day forward, Paxton made an effort to be a part of  the Murdocks’ lives - he checked in with them often via Facetime, he invited them to visit him in Vermont when Grace had gotten older, and made it a tradition to make the trek down to Hell’s Kitchen a couple times a year for the privilege of watching his granddaughter grow up before his eyes. 

Chapter Text

Throughout all his years of being blind in Hell’s Kitchen, Matt Murdock was used to the glares, piercing stares, whispers behind his back and surprised gasps of city goers who observe him while passing in public. Ever since that unforgettable day back when he was only eight years old and the accident that blinded him, people had treated him differently. The nuns at Saint Agnes used to say that differences made us special and unique, but he didn't feel special - he felt like a burden. To everyone else, he was just some poor helpless boy that needed to be tended to, watched, and helped 24/7. Kids bullied him as a child and grown ups pitied him, which he despised. He hated being seen as weak in the eyes of all who had looked upon him - which was something he had previously taken for granted. Matt in his youth and in his adult life never let people’s judgements and mockery get to him, he held his head up high and ignored their hateful gestures and remarks. Murdocks never stayed down, they always got back up. 

Today, however, was different. Matt Murdock - esteemed lawyer and upstanding citizen of Hell’s Kitchen - was going about his day as he made his way down the busy city streets. He was dressed sharply in his staple gray suit and slacks, white button down, and sported a pop of color with a crimson suede tie that matched his red-tinted glasses. He donned his typical accessories - in one hand was his white guide cane and in the other was a black leather briefcase that housed various braille case files and deposition notes, which he needed to review before his meeting with a new client later that day. However, that was not all - the likely reason why he had been picking up on more snide comments from onlookers than usual during his commute was due to the fact he had his sixteen month old daughter strapped to the front his chest in a vibrant pink baby carrier and an overflowing elephant patterned diaper bag slung over his shoulder on this beautiful spring day. 

A soft smile formed on his lips as he took notice of Grace basking in awe of the city around her. The small movements of her head tilting rapidly in all directions, wondering in amusement at street vendors enthusiastically selling ice cream, pigeons flying above spooked from the horn of an agitated cab driver stuck in traffic, lunky garbage men tossing piles of black bags encasing pungent smelling trash into the back of the diesel emitting truck, and the spin of colorful windmills outside a quaint toy store that entranced her the most. Everything in Hell’s Kitchen was brand new to her and he loved experiencing the city all over again through the inquisitive eyes of his daughter. 

The nylon straps of the carrier began to dig into the back of his shoulders, so he hiked up Grace a tad and repositioned her, which immediately eased his discomfort resulting in him exhaling a sigh of relief. As he stopped to do this, he found himself standing outside of Karen and his favorite Indian restaurant. The familiar comforting scent of spicy yet sweet curry wafted through the air and greeted his senses like a warm hug that instantly pulled him into a memory of the past. Suddenly, he was on his first ‘official’ date with her surrounded by an atmosphere of glistening lights where he couldn’t help but fall in love with everything about Karen Page. Her contagious laugh, the soft and comforting touch of her hand on his, the way her cheeks blushed with warmth when she caught herself flustering in their conversation, and most importantly - the way her heartbeat sped up when he stepped in the room. 

Who would've thought only a couple more years in the future they’d be married and have a child together. They had quite the journey getting to this point in their relationship and he was forever grateful she had allowed him to stand by her side - even after what he’d put her through while figuring out how to effectively balance his vigilante life. 

“Ba Da.” Grace’s indistinct babbling suddenly snapped him out of his pleasant daydream.

“Ok Grace, you’re right, we should keep moving if we want to meet mommy on time,” he quietly announced, tickling her stomach which resulted in an eruption of giggles from the small child. 

Maintaining his stride down the sidewalk, he counted each crack he stumbled upon- something he did frequently to occupy his mind and distract himself from the noisy environment around him. Unfortunately, that tactic didn’t work as he couldn't help but tune into some of the surrounding conversations that caused his ears to perk up. 

“That’s not something you see everyday.” One woman whispered into her friend’s ear in between sips of a cappuccino at a cafe patio across the street.

“Oh, that poor mother. What a handful.” An elderly lady remarked to her husband sitting on a nearby bench while throwing stale bread crumbs to persistent pigeons. 

Matt paid no mind to these insensitive comments and routinely brushed them off. If only they knew that he could hear every snide comment- maybe they would think twice to keep their criticizing expressions to themselves. Thinking about an outlandish theoretical possibility, he was truly thankful that he didn't gain the ability to read minds after the accident - that would be Hell. 

Keeping focus on their destination, Matt continued onwards to a nearby community park where his wife awaited. 

Only stopping when he felt the vibrations from his cane scoping the terrain in front of him brush across the bumpy tactical surface strip of pavement that alerted him that a crosswalk was moments ahead. After a short wait tapping his foot impatiently, the insistent chirping of the audio visual crosswalk signal sounded, indicating safe passage.

Unfortunately, what waited for them at the other side of the street was not indeed safe at all and threw Matt for a loop, causing him to jerk his attention to the back alleyway that he had stumbled upon. 

It was in the middle of the day in direct daylight and a loud thud of a body thrusted upon the steel exterior of a dumpster in the narrow cobblestone alleyway between a Chinese restaurant and a dry cleaners that reeked of both week old shrimp lo mein and mothballs caused Matt to go on high alert.  

“Wallet and phone now!” An aggravated man who seemingly was the instigator demanded sharply at the other man whom he was holding hostage by the fabric of his shirt's neck up against the dumpster.

Matt’s fingers instinctively curled around the handle of his briefcase, causing his knuckles to whiten upon reaction. 

He quickly shuffled his body to hide with his back against the brick facade of the restaurant in an attempt to keep out of sight. Tuning in, he could tell that the victim’s pulse was elevated to an alarming rate - likely due to the fear of a probable attack and result of injury or loss of life if he didn’t hand over his possessions. 

Matt’s own adrenaline was spiking, the vigilante inside of him wanted to burst into the alley throwing fists to fend off the attacker; however, he knew that he couldn’t do anything now in this moment. Not only was it broad daylight and he didn’t have anything to shield his identity, but he had Grace strapped to his chest and he would never put her in any amount of danger. Matt made an oath and swore to protect the ones he loved and he would do everything in his power to uphold that. Grace, Karen, Maggie, and the Nelsons’ safety were his top priority. 

While keeping his composure steady and calming his breathing, he witnessed the culprit, who identified himself as ‘Fat Cat’, ultimately get his way and ran in the opposite direction up the alley making a quick escape. The other man let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, from Matt’s senses, he made it out virtually unharmed, only a few bruises from impact would remain from the incursion. He was lucky that this was the result, as Matt did also pick up on a small handgun rubbing against the man’s leather belt hidden in the back of his pants - the situation could have gone much worse.

Matt felt a wave of ease wash over him when the shaken up man stumbled back to the sidewalk where Matt was taking solace in his hideout. He made sure to intercept the man and intentionally bumped into his shoulder as he came out of the alley to hopefully gain some additional information that he could use later.

“Ooof - I’m very sorry. My apologies, I didn’t see you coming there. Are you ok?” Matt excused himself, playing the blind card to pardon his ‘accident’. 

The man who introduced himself as Emilio Brown explained what had happened to Matt. Unbeknownst to him that this visually impaired stranger he’d ran into knew the details better than he had from listening behind a brick wall. Matt revisited the details again in his head as Emilio spoke. The scent of motor oil lingered on the attacker's skin and the jingle of various lug nuts and ratchet heads in the pocket of his pants concluded that he was likely a mechanic. 

Emilio bent down and placed his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath from going on about the mugging. “Do you by chance have a phone I can borrow?” He asked in-between shaky breaths. 

Matt swiftly fished his phone from his back pants pocket and offered it to the man. 

While he talked on the phone to his wife, ensuring he was ok and instructing her to start freezing their credit card before he called 911 to report the incident, Matt made a mental note to himself to make some visits around to the local auto shops in the area to track down the formidable ‘Fat Cat’. It would be a job for Daredevil later that night to retrieve Mr. Brown’s wallet and phone and return them safely to the 15th precinct for them to be reunited with their rightful owner. 

Grace decided that she was getting rather bored from halting their stroll and annoyed that her father was not paying as much attention to her, so she spit up, which made its way down to the bottom of Matt’s freshly dry cleaned suit. He wearily dipped his head down at Grace and grabbed a wet wipe from her diaper bag’s front pocket and wiped her mouth with a single efficient swipe then proceeded to dab the affected spot on this suit. Taking the hint from his daughter’s interruption, Matt was given back his phone and parted ways with Mr. Brown. He was at peace knowing he was leaving him in good hands from the sound of approaching police sirens blaring faintly in the distance about three blocks away, so he continued onwards with little Grace in tow. 

The dirt path underneath his feet was a stark contrast from the asphalt of the urban streets. Matt unlatched the cast iron gate that welcomed him into the park with a screeching metal sound that was not the most pleasing. After filtering out twenty or so heartbeats, the children’s gleeful laughter as they enjoyed the various playground equipment, and the overpowering scent that carried over from the adjacent dog park, Matt’s senses finally picked up on his wife and a hint of a smile inched up on his face. 

Karen was blissfully relaxing on a large picnic blanket in the grass on the edge of the playground, savoring the warmth of the sunlight that shone above her with a trusty iced coffee resting beside her. Flipping through the pages of a composition notebook, she was heavily concentrating on reviewing the notes from an interview she had just completed for her freelancing gig for The Bulletin. She had her blonde hair up in a tight ponytail that was brushing every so slightly on the light fabric of her blouse’s neckline as she skimmed each page. 

Matt could tell she was focused and deep in thought. Wanting to take advantage of this, he spontaneously devised a plan to sneak up behind her and plant a kiss on the top of her head. To his dismay, his daughter was not as dedicated to the plan as he was and gave away their position upon spotting Karen as they approached. 

“Ma Ma!” Grace clapped her hands together enthusiastically and began squirming with all her might in attempts to get out of the carrier and join her mother. 

Karen swiftly threw her head back, turning her attention to her family behind her and let out a small laugh as she watched her husband struggle handling their determined daughter who she could tell was on the brink of a screaming fit. She tossed her notebook aside and got up to help him out. 

“There’s my baby girl!” Karen exclaimed seconds before unclipping the plastic buckles on the carrier and transferring Grace into her arms. 

Matt could feel the stares of park-goers dissipate off their small family of three as soon as she had calmed down and happily hugged her arms around Karen’s neck. 

“Hey babe-” he kissed her quickly on the lips, making her blush “-sorry we are a little late, we ran into some excitement .”

Her eyebrows knitted skeptically, wondering what he could possibly be referring to, but ultimately decided to leave it alone. They both made it safe which was all that mattered; however, the inquisitive reporter in her would be bringing it up again later at home when they were out of the public eye and without the throng of nosy stay-at-home moms circling their attention around them. 

Matt retracted his cane and let Karen lead him to the over-spanning blanket. Karen sat down first and began flying Grace back and forth over her lap and blowing raspberries on her stomach in between. 

He soon joined her on the other half of the blanket soon after peeling off the carrier from his chest and dropping it, the diaper bag, briefcase, and the minimized cane onto a spot nearby with a sharp crunch of grass that followed suit indicating they’d hit the ground. 

“You got a little something on your shirt there, honey,” Karen keenly pointed out the stain Grace had left her mark on earlier since the carrier was no longer concealing it, as she planted their daughter on the open space of blanket between them. 

He slowly glanced down and let out a defeated sigh - he had hoped his efforts of wiping it down with the wipe would have done the job; however, that was not the case. 

“Darn it-” he leaned backwards, tipping his head upwards in annoyance “-I guess I have to make a pit stop back home and change before my meeting.” He was looking forward to spending as much time as he could today during his and Karen’s overlapping free time at the park with their daughter, which now he’d have to cut short. Luckily, Karen suggested a brilliant idea of asking Foggy to bring him an extra suit to change into right before the appointment. He merited her genius and texted his friend. Matt’s mind was put to ease when Foggy quickly agreed to his wife’s advice. 

Both parents’ busy work schedules was an obstacle in itself to overcome in order to prioritize their daughter. Matt and Karen meticulously planned and scheduled time out of each of their days such that one of them could watch their daughter while the other was otherwise held up by work. Most of the time Grace would spend her days at the Nelson and Murdock office - one of the many perks of being your own boss. However, when Matt had courthouse trials, or appointments or meetings with clients, and if Karen had to step out and handle a P.I. outing for the firm or hit the pavement for the Bulletin, then they’d do a handoff similar to today’s. In the rare instance where both parents were occupied by work obligations, Maggie was always thrilled to be the first person they’d reach out to babysit. 

Grace was still learning to master the act of walking, so she was forced to stay close to her parents and keep in the refinements of the blanketed area. She was enthralled by watching the other kids having the times of their young lives swinging, sliding, and spinning directly in front of her. The scene enticed her so much so that, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she made an impressive bolt from the safety of the blanket and wobbled over to the edge of grass that met the mulch of the play area. 

“Oh, no you don’t,” Karen swiftly caught her and scooped her up just in time. As she took her back to their spot, Grace began to wail since she didn’t get her way. Thankfully, Matt was fully prepared for an incoming tantrum and bribed her with a snack that was stored in her diaper bag once they returned which thankfully did the trick. She sat up, leaning against Matt’s leg and munched quietly on the crisp red apple slices. Matt could have been the one to leap into action and intercept Grace, but he didn’t want to raise any suspicions. 

The brief yet ear piercing disturbance made by their daughter apparently caught most of the park’s attention. Many of the so-called “grown-ups” were acting childish themselves and spoke illy of their family by discrediting both his and Karen’s ability to fully care for Grace. Many of the same or similar comments Matt had already heard earlier today on his walk here. Karen, of course, was not aware of the whispers from across the park; however, she was aware that something was bothering Matt. As she attempted to carry a conversation and ask about his day, she noticed that he was starting to tune her out and instead his attention was drawn somewhere behind her off in the distance. 

After a couple minutes of a one sided chat, she took it upon herself and snapped sharply once near his face which shook him out of his trance. “What’s so interesting back there?”

He handed Grace another piece of apple out of the ziplock bag, “Nothing, just some people being rude per usual.”

“Hm, is that so,” Karen craned her neck in their direction and gave a dirty look then turned back and kissed Matt passionately. Not only did this startling action from his wife make the onlookers drop their gossip immediately, as they were left confused questioning to themselves how their comments were heard by the couple, but it also took him aback as well - not that he was complaining. 

“Let’s see what they have to say about that,” Karen confidently stated with a smirk. She then picked up Grace who was now finished with her snack and plopped her in her lap to continue playing with her. It was safe to say the remainder of their time spent enjoying each other’s company at the park that day was left peaceful and uninterrupted - that was until dad had to leave for his meeting, leaving Grace rather upset, as Karen had no choice but to physically pull her off of him. 

“Bye Gracie. I will see you tonight, I promise,” he managed to plant a kiss on her head moments before Karen fully detached her, “I love you both - so much.”

Chapter Text

Matt didn’t need sight to correctly suspect that Grace was bound to have leftover ice cream and a trail of lingering sprinkles smeared all over her face from the course of his actions; conveniently right before they needed to meet his mother and wife at the church. He couldn’t resist her cute voice begging on an endless loop and her persistent tugging on the hem of his shirt for a frosty treat as they passed the vendor’s cart on their way to the church - Karen was right, he was completely wrapped around her petite finger. After Matt happily granted her wish and ordered two cones, the father-daughter duo made a pit stop on a nearby bench and took some time to enjoy their ice cream together in each other’s company. The potent aroma of her choice of a cotton candy scoop stung his nose, as the sweetness was far too overwhelming for his senses.

Sitting there as his daughter giddily swung her small legs back and forth from her seat, her frilly skirt dancing in the breeze while licking intently around the top of the cone, Matt truly felt at peace in the moment. That was until the crinkle of an ice cream cone’s wrapper that was discarded into a nearby trash can by another satisfied customer triggered something inside of him. 

A flood of memories washed over him as he was suddenly transported back to a similar bench on a day very much like today when he was a boy happily sitting next to his mentor Stick eating ice cream and testing the capability of his senses. A shiver ran up his spine at the remembrance of his time spent with that man. Sure, Stick had taught him most of what he knows now and he uses that training up to this very day, but he was blinded, figuratively, by his intentions and allowed himself to even have the small twinge of hope that Stick would be a potential father figure after losing his own. Matt was just a boy then, but he was not the type of man who could ever forgive his past actions easily. His guilt ran deep - so much so that the thought had popped into his head on a few occasions during his lifetime of the hypothetical reality where he had never driven Stick away with the handmade bracelet and followed through with his mission. Would he be the same man today? Most likely not. He definitely would never be a lawyer, therefore he’d never befriended Foggy at Columbia, never started Nelson & Murdock , never fell in love with Karen, never reunited with his mother, and never had Grace. 

“Uh oh,” the three year old apologetically exclaimed after what little ice cream that remained on the top of her cone fell off from her zealous licking, slid down her shirt, and plopped onto the pavement with a splatter. She glanced up at her father, reading his face in anticipation of a disappointed reaction. However, instead he surprisingly chuckled and shook his head to himself. 

This threw Grace off. “Daddy?” she questioned, tipping her head and fiddled anxiously with the fabric of her skirt, gauging if she would be in trouble or not. 

He grabbed one of the many napkins he’d been saving to use in a situation such as this from under his thigh. He got off the bench and bent down, scooping up the melted lump of cotton candy ice cream mixed with sprinkles in his palm. “It’s ok, baby-” he reassured her, turning his attention to her stained face and shirt- “it was just an accident. See, all better now.”  Matt finished wiping her off the best he could, and cursed silently to himself for leaving the wet wipes at home. 

Grace’s uneasiness washed away and a subtle smile inched its way on her face from her dad’s encouraging response. She hopped off the bench enthusiastically while he was still crouched on the pavement at her level and gave him an affectionate hug. “Thank you for the ice cream, daddy!” she said after wrapping her small arms tight around his neck. 

“You’re very welcome, Gracie. How about we keep this treat a little secret between us - we don’t want mommy to find out we spoiled our dinner, do we?” It was 4 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon and they were on their way to the church to help volunteer until they took this short ice cream pitstop. 

Grace nodded loyally in agreement, as her father got to his feet. Matt, however, remained weary, as he knew that his daughter tended to say whatever came to her mind to anyone at any given moment. There was a high probability he would be in some hot water with Karen and he was preparing to deal with that when the time came, but now that they were finished his priority was continuing their trek to the church. Throwing the plethora of used napkins away, he reached down for her hand, but was surprised when she failed to grab it.

“Uppie!” she stubbornly asserted, rocking on her heels and shot both arms up above her head, begging to be carried by her father. 

Matt could hear the beads of her bracelets clank together as she eagerly waved her hands in the air and let out an exasperated sigh. “Ok, honey, up we go.” He fulfilled her wish and boosted her up in his arms. As she rested her chin upon his shoulder, he took in the familiar scent of her wild berry shampoo that Karen had been consistently using on her since she was a baby which lingered off her hair blowing in the light breeze and started walking to their destination.

_______________________________________________

As soon as they entered the church, Grace practically leapt out of her father’s arms and rushed right into Maggie’s. The elderly nun was dutifully tending to her responsibilities in the nave, preparing for the evening mass; however, the pitter patter of little feet echoed resoundly in the halls and signaled her of one incoming granddaughter. 

“Grandma!” Grace shrilly shouted, which made Matt wince at the sound as it amplified bouncing off the walls in the vast and empty room. 

Maggie reactively set down the stack of bibles she was passing out to each pew and happily intercepted the small girl who was determinedly bounding her way. 

Matt doesn’t even bother to try to catch up to nor attempt to advise his daughter to slow down, so he lets her run her course. He knew she was hopped up on a sugar rush from the ice cream that was now hitting her system, so there was absolutely no stopping her. Was a church the best place to let a sporadic toddler run loose? No - but he’d face the consequences from Karen later. In all honesty, he had to admit that last night’s patrol was relatively rough and he was still recovering from a couple of sustained injuries that were healing thanks to a quick and reliable patch up job from Karen in the wee hours of the morning, so he didn’t take it upon himself to rush and catch up to her.

“Sorry for interrupting, mom,” Matt apologized upon reaching both of them in the aisle standing his ground with both hands clasped on the tip of his cane. 

Maggie kissed the wild strands of hair on the top of Grace’s forehead as she wiggled in her embrace. “No need, Matthew. I adore it when you stop by.” Grace’s impatience overcame her, so she wriggled her way out from her grandmother as her feet caught her fall onto the creaky hardwood floor below with an audible “Oof”. 

Luckily, Matt was now close enough to divert another impending bolt from his three year old into something breakable so he took hold of the top of both her shoulders with a firm grasp, letting his cane rest against the endcap of the wooden pew. Her heart rate was still pounding forcefully, but skipped a beat when she was halted in her tracks by Matt. She narrowed her eyes intently to look up at her father in frustration and huffed a breath of exhaust. 

Maggie picked up on the recognizable look on her granddaughter’s face that was a glaring parallel to her son’s when he was a boy growing up in this very church when he was upset. “How about we go in the back and color? Doesn’t that sound fun?” she keenly suggested. Grace nodded in agreement and willingly took Maggie’s hand which led her to a smaller room adjacent to the kitchen with a large wooden table that awaited her colorful creations. 

Grace took no time to scooch out a stool, with a screeching sound that made Matt grit his teeth, and sat down waiting surprisingly patiently for her activity. A smile lit up her face and her eyes widened when Maggie returned and placed a large plastic tub of coloring books, markers, crayons, colored pencils and a variety of stickers directly in front of her. Matt noticed her little heart speed up upon seeing all the goodies. There was always a plethora of toys and activities for children to enjoy and occupy their time with at the church. Not only did Clinton Church dual function as an orphanage, but they hosted many youth groups and camps in the summer months. 

Her small fingers delicately fished into the bin and pulled out a farm animal themed coloring booklet and a handful of random crayons then got to work. Grace was so intently focused with her picture that her tongue popped out of her mouth as she vigorously scribbled onto the thick cardstock paper adorned with a happy scene of cows and pigs smiling outside of a large barn. She was fully lost in her own little world with not a care about keeping within any lines. Matt was just grateful there weren’t any artificially scented markers involved, as he had a hard time being around the bitter chemical odor that came with their use. Unfortunately, Foggy had bought Grace and Preston a 36 pack to use to entertain themselves in the office which had been getting on Matt’s nerves as of late. 

“You know, there’s a hint of your father that I see in her,” Maggie admitted after planting herself down in the stool next to her son, as she observed her granddaughter. 

“Hmm - how so?” Matt slowly turned his attention to the side where his mother sat, genuinely curious to what she was going to say next.

The nun exhaled and relaxed her shoulders. “Well, even from the short time I spent with Jack, he was the most loving, caring, devoted, proud and loyal person I have ever met-” her fingers began subliminally motioning circles around the surface of the oak countertop “-too stubborn for his own good, but his heart was always in the right place. Reminds me of someone else I know too,” she smirked and raised a brow. 

Matt took in her obvious implication and scoffed, as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I miss him and I hope I am just as good a father to Grace as he was to me. Sure he had his faults, but I looked up to him - hell, I wanted to be just like him.” In fact, he had even named his own daughter in honor of the legendary ‘Battlin’ Jack Murdock’ as a reminder to strive to amount to be as good a man as he was. 

His train of thought stopped as he realized what he had said and froze as a thought rushed into his head - the very same thought that his mother shared out loud. 

“Does it scare you if Grace wants to be just like you?” 

It was humorous - the city deemed Daredevil as the ‘Man Without Fear’, but little did they know that the man behind the mask experienced fear all throughout his life and that fear has continued to stick with him. At first it was fear of navigating the world blind during his childhood, then it was fear of disappointing his father. After Jack’s death it evolved into fear of being alone and dismissed as a poor blind orphan that would never amount to anything. Thankfully he found himself, friendship, and love during college and onwards in life that extinguished those fears. However, developing these relationships and personal ties in turn sprouted his largest fear - the fear of losing his loved ones. It was a constant battle back in the day to either stay or completely distance himself from Karen and Foggy when Daredevil was unintentionally placing a target on their back by affiliation. God help him if anything happened to them. 

He didn't necessarily want his daughter to be like him in those ways and pass on those fears onto her. “I will support her no matter what she chooses in life,” he confidently proclaimed, secretly praying that she doesn’t aspire to take on the mantle of Daredevil when she gets older. His heart rate could barely steady after simply thinking of the future scenario. 

Maggie was about to reply, however she was beaten to the punch by one apparently thirsty toddler. “Daddy, can I have my juice?” she asked, looking up at him while taking a much needed break from coloring.

“Baby, we don’t know if Grandma has juice boxes here - this isn’t like home. Can you have some water instead?” He calmly compromised, knowing that she wanted a certain brand of organic apple juice that Karen had got her hooked on two weeks ago, which the church definitely did not have in stock. He could tell that they didn’t even have any form of apple juice on the premises from a quick whiff. 

Maggie scooted away from the table allowing her space to stand up. “I think I can find some juice for you, my dear,” she pinched her cheek which resulted in a warm smile from the girl, then walked back into the kitchen. 

Maggie came back with a fruit punch capri sun in hand. Grace frowned and stared at the juice presented to her and huffed in protest, since this was not the beverage she was hoping for. “What do we say to Grandma, Grace?” Matt was still trying to teach her manners and not to always expect to get her way - which was hard because they had been spoiling her rotten lately. The mini Murdock in all her stubbornness eventually dropped the act and kindly thanked Maggie, satisfying her father’s request. Moments later, Grace was loudly sucking from the plastic straw of the juice pouch and went back to focus on her masterpiece. 

Matt marveled in witnessing his daughter having the time of her life coloring up a storm and rambling onto to himself and his mother about intricate stories that she liked to make up on the spot - this time it was the about the the farm animals she was working on and their secret plan to run away from the farmer into the city to eat chocolate and go shopping. Matt rolled his eyes behind his red tinted glasses and tried his best to hold in his laughter, not wanting to discourage his daughter’s creativity. This story had Karen’s influence all over it…

Speaking of Karen, Matt’s head perked up at the distinct sound of high heels clicking down the hallway and a comforting cloud of a mixture of vanilla and lavender aroma which followed that could only belong to his wife. He could hear her angelic voice asking another nun of their whereabouts. “Oh, there’s Karen!” Maggie declared and clasped her hands together in one large gesture. Grace accidentally squeezed her juice too hard which resulted in the sugary red liquid dripping down her chin and onto her shirt from the pure excitement upon realizing that her mother had arrived.

“Mommy, mommy, mommy!” Grace shrieked and raced into Karen’s arms. She slung her brown leather messenger bag off her shoulder, letting it drop on the floor and hoisted Grace up. “Did you miss me, baby?” Karen began showering her bubbly daughter in kisses all over her now sticky juice stained face. The toddler persistently nodded and ignited with laughter from the attack of kisses. 

“How was your day with dad?” Karen managed to inquire in between Grace’s giggle fit.

“Soooooo much fun!” she squealed, “daddy let me get ice cream!” Grace of course forgot about her promise to her father to keep that tiny piece of information a secret and now the truth was out. 

Matt attempted to object in his typical lawyer fashion, but ultimately decided to bite his tongue and rolled his head back, admitting his loss. Darn, he thought the juice stain that covered up the lingering scent of the cotton candy ice cream on her shirt would have hid all the evidence of their ice cream escapade, but his daughter’s loose lips caused his demise. 

Karen frowned slightly and shot Matt a look of displeasure, but quickly brushed it off because she probably would have done the same if it had been her turn watching Grace today. She bent forward and let Grace hop back down safely on the ground only to run back into her seat at the table and pick back up right where she left off on her coloring sheet - which she proudly held up high above her head on display to show Karen. 

Karen grabbed her bag, walked over to Grace and ruffled the top of her head, “Looks beautiful, Gracie. Great job!” She complimented her daughter’s artwork then walked around the table to her husband and melted into his kiss as he had gotten up from his seat and affectionately greeted her.

Maggie was overcome with a slew of emotions and couldn't help but blush after seeing her son so happy and devoted to his wife and daughter. This type of future was what she had prayed for her son and God had indeed answered. 

Now that Karen had arrived, the four of them made their way back into the kitchen and set out to do what they came here to do. Matt and Karen made it their goal to visit Maggie and help volunteer for the church at least one day a week and brought Grace along to subject her to the selfless act of helping others less fortunate and in need. Today’s task was making and packing turkey and ham sandwiches to donate to a local homeless shelter that the church often partnered with. The adults spent the next couple hours working in an efficient assembly line to make and bag the food while keeping a watchful eye on little Grace, as she assumed position on a tall stool and carefully placed each complete baggie that Matt handed her into a cardboard box. As it approached six in the afternoon, Grace’s sugar rush had officially run out. Her eyes fluttered and began to droop with sleepiness. She let out a yawn and rested her head onto her arm that laid on the top of the box. 

“I think a little certain someone here is all tuckered out from a hard day's work,” Matt reported and tilted his head down in the direction of the spot next to him where Grace sat. 

Maggie, at the other end of the table, leaned forward to look past her son and daughter in law and caught a glimpse of her drowsy granddaughter and hummed in agreement. She began to start cleaning up and put away the sandwich fixings and supplies, which the other two adults shortly followed suit. Matt lifted his daughter on the brink of sleep into his arms to free up the box full of sandwiches from underneath her, this allowed Karen to take the opportunity to safely transport the box into the fridge. 

After everything was sufficiently cleaned up and left just as they found it, the Murdocks said their goodbyes to Maggie and headed out the church’s front doors hand in hand with a now sleeping toddler in tow. Both parents would learn from this experience and would think twice about giving their daughter any sugary treat before dinner time. It was surely going to be a nightmare to wake her up and get her to eat anything remotely healthy when they returned back to their apartment, but that would be something they’d tackle together. 

Chapter Text

Matt’s train of thought was unexpectedly derailed by the piercing, yet, playful screams of two rambunctious toddlers. His stride of concentration went out the door as soon as Grace and Preston had entered the law office of Nelson and Murdock . Up until this moment, Matt had been working on finalizing the opening statement for his court case tomorrow defending their client Mrs. Lopez who was fighting multiple workplace harassment encounters that were unethically swept under the rug by her big tech company. 

“We’re back!” Karen’s voice rang out as she and Marci, following close behind the children, closed the door behind them. 

Both women had returned from picking up Grace and Preston from preschool and a.m. kindergarten respectively. It was the end of the first week of the school year, so the kids were not well adjusted yet from being away from their parents and each other for so long. Karen and Marci were holding their child’s pint-sized backpacks down at their side which were stuffed to the brim with various arts and crafts projects, ziploc baggies of half eaten snacks, and numerous toys they’d brought from home. Luckily, when they were picking out their new office space, Marci and Foggy had been pregnant at the time and successfully convinced Matt and Karen to settle on a location only a few blocks from Hell’s Kitchen public school system, which meant a more than manageable commute to drop off and pick up their kids. Even though at the time, Matt and Karen were newlyweds and children were not a topic on their minds yet, they'd happily agreed. What mainly sealed the deal for them was the fact that the office was also triangulated between each of their apartments and it was also right next door to an amazing smelling bakery which they frequented most mornings to bring breakfast upstairs to the office. 

Grace and Preston usually stuck together, as they were inseparable friends; however today, they split apart, one veering to the right to and one to the left running into their father’s respective offices. 

“Daddy, guess what?!” Grace announced enthusiastically as she scampered up into his lap and bounced with excitement. He took the black wired earbuds out from both ears that were reading his speech’s text back to him off the computer and tilted his head downwards - giving her his full attention. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead when he managed to catch a quick moment of her stillness. 

“What is it, baby?” He inquired, feeding off her bubbly energy. She was practically vibrating with anticipation to share her surprise at this point. 

He was so caught up with Grace’s outburst that he failed to sense Karen leaning up against the doorway, until a small laugh escaped her lips in amusement upon seeing her daughter basically treating her husband like a trampoline. 

“I made you a present in school today!” Her eyes lit up and she looked over to Karen who lifted up her pink Disney princess backpack on display and raised her brow in question. Grace gave her an eager nod, silently asking for her mother to bring the bag over to Matt’s desk. Matt held his breath in anticipation, as he heard the rapid buzzing sound of a zipper sliding from one end of the front pocket to the opposite end. Grace stuck her arm down in its depths and began rummaging through the bag. The rustling of paper stopped, which could only mean that she found what she was looking for. 

Suddenly, his daughter's fingers were forcefully slipping on some sort of elastic necklace adorned with mismatched sizes and textures of beads and shapes onto the top of his head. He was able to remove his glasses and promptly placed them on his desk, avoiding another mishap resulting in a broken or bent pair. What turned out to be a colorful glitter painted macaroni necklace to Grace, was more like an elastic choker clinging tight to Matt’s neck that scratched his stubble on the way down to his neck.

“Wow, Gracie, thank you so much for the beautiful necklace!” He stated, fingers grazing the uncooked pasta which allowed him to notice that the paint was still not completely dry. 

“You’re welcome, daddy!” Grace beamed as she admired her hard work worn by her father and grabbed Matt’s unoccupied hand that was resting on his desk. She had a tendency to do this, which Matt was in no way opposed to. Both Karen and Matt had sat her down and tried their best to explain to Grace before she started school, and began interacting with other children, of her father’s blindness and why he wasn’t like the other dads. Their efforts were solely to prepare her for the expected questions that were to surely arise by her curious classmates of why her father wears sunglasses inside, why he uses a cane, and why other parents may look and talk about him differently. 

She understood that her dad couldn't see, and took it upon herself to always make her presence known to him by physical contact - holding his hand, curling up beside him on the couch, sitting on his lap, or holding onto the fabric of his pants as they walked together. Matt adored the overwhelmingly considerate and loving nature that his little girl possessed, and he also found it amusing that it made his wife a little jealous of their bond.

“Daddy looks very handsome with that on, doesn't he?” Karen remarked, complimenting their toddler's creation. She eased up to sit on top the edge of her husband's desk and ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix it from their daughter’s efforts. 

He blushed at her words and was instantly calmed by her touch. He was about to answer before he was interrupted by their lively daughter who fished yet another item out of her backpack. 

What was unearthed from the seemingly never ending void ended up being a piece of black construction paper covered in jagged cut out pieces of colorful paper held together by an overly excessive amount of glue that was still dripping down the page. Karen made a mental note to give her daughter’s backpack a thorough inspection and clean it later after perking up at the sight of her second art display.

“Mommy, this is for you!” Her body weight shifted to face Karen, which ultimately took Matt with her, as the roller chair slowly rotated clockwise. Karen carefully pinched the top right edge of the paper, avoiding coming in contact with any sticky white paste, and brought it up to her face to admire. 

Karen’s eyes widened in awe, slightly over exaggerating her reaction to appease the four year old who was feeding off of her excitement. “Honey, this is amazing! Such a beautiful masterpiece - what exactly is it?” Her voice strained in delivering that last part. Matt held back a scoff into his shoulder, sensing his wife’s body language, as she attempted to decode their daughter’s mysterious piece. Karen shot him an irritable glance. 

Grace didn’t take notice of the silent conversation between her parents, and zealously answered her mother’s question. “It’s a ma-mo-mosaic,” she struggled with the pronunciation, “like the stained glass windows at the church!” This remark made Matt beam with pride, he was so happy to know that his daughter had taken up the same appreciation of the church as he had. Sure, it was more probable that Grace had affiliated church with her grandmother and endless snacks that was the reasoning behind the adoration.

Karen let out a smile, knowing well enough that this sentiment had pleased her husband so. “Why don’t you explain it to daddy? I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” she suggested.

Grace snatched the paper from her mother’s grasp to get a good view of it and then proceeded to go on to describe the colorful artwork to the best of her ability - only going off on a couple of tangents to explain other events of her day during playtime after the class had finished their pieces. 

“-and then I played horses with Addie and mine was named Star and her’s was named Becky, but the green is next to the blue and it's also above the purple which is my favorite-” Grace zealously went on, guiding Matt’s fingers over each piece of paper she was attempting to narrate in a sporadic hopscotch kind of way. 

Karen had a hunch that this spiel could go on for another hour if she let their daughter run her course, so she decided to kindly interrupt Grace at the ten minute mark. “That was great, baby. Why don’t we let daddy get back to work and you can come with me to pick a spot for it on the fridge!?” she proposed, secretly hoping the enticement to display her artwork in the office would be an adequate enough bribe. 

“Really!?” she gasped, jumping down to the floor triumphantly waving the paper in the air with a fluttering sound. 

“Thank you” Matt whispered under his breath to his wife, then ruffled Grace’s hair and thanked her one more time for the necklace before she went off on her merry way to the kitchen. He relished in the sounds of her little legs skipping as she followed Karen’s strides out of his office into the hall. 

The new office of Nelson and Murdock came with multiple amenities to accommodate all four partners’ needs. Some of those luxuries included more office space, a conference room, a spacious entryway and a fan favorite was the large kitchenette which had so many appliances that some of them still remained unused - like the air fryer for example. 

Mother and daughter were standing before a large, shining, stainless steel fridge. As a toddler who could barely reach the counter tops, Grace looked up and marveled at the behemoth ahead of her. The front facade was currently bare and was practically asking for her artwork to be showcased upon it. Typically both kids’ artwork, letters and crafts were on display; however, after each school year, they’d carefully take everything down and store it away in a cardboard box meticulously filed and labeled to make space for the next creations that were to be made in the upcoming year. 

Karen hoisted Grace into her arms so she could get a front row viewing and assist in sticking the stained glass piece to the fridge. With a little help from her mother, Grace’s little fingers slid two black circular magnets from the top right corner of the fridge and transferred them onto the edges of the black paper which now hung in the dead center of the fridge. 

“What a perfect spot. This already has brightened up the kitchen. Great job, Gracie!” Karen raved before returning her daughter safely to the floor below. Grace smirked in satisfaction as she was overly delighted to see that her work was the first and only item that would catch everyone’s eye. Karen glanced away from the fridge and down to her daughter and shared a hint of a smile at the admiration in her daughter’s chocolate eyes, her pride was contagious. 

The short stint of silence was broken when Grace’s eyes darted to the bottom cabinet where she knew all too well of what was concealed behind those two doors. Karen keenly picked up on her daughter’s request and with the squeaking sound of the doors hinges opening, pulled out the large plastic bin that stored the childrens’ toys. Grace squealed in excitement and impatiently raced over towards it. “Not yet, baby-” Karen impeded the toddler’s attempts of squeezing her grip under the lid to open the treasure trove- “let’s bring this out there and we can see if Preston wants to play too. How about that?”

Grace huffed in agitation, which caused some loose strands of her brunette hair to blow upwards above her forehead.

Seconds later Karen was lugging out the hefty bin as she dragged it behind her along the recently polished hardwood floors with one antsy daughter slugging close behind. Karen knew the sound of the plastic scratching the floorboards would be striking a nerve to Matt’s delicate hearing causing him to wince at every loud screech. 

The sound must have echoed into Foggy’s office too because an intrigued Preston peaked his shaggy blond head out from the door frame, curious of what excitement was occurring out in the hall. 

“You wanna play with me, Preston!?” Grace urged bouncing on her heels, taking notice of his presence.

He gave some vigorously affirmative nods, but looked back and upwards to his mother who appeared behind him for permission. She had a stern stance, a rigid look on her face, with arms folded upon her red blouse that was intimidating to her young son. People often have this first impression with Marci upon meeting her. Her natural demeanor screamed cold and fierce; however, once she opens up to others, they uncover an entirely different side of her that is warm and bubbly. Karen could definitely attest to this.

“Mommy, can I please play with Grace?” Preston hesitantly mumbled looking down into the collar of his blue cotton polo, already anticipating the worst outcome. 

Marci was about to voice her opinion of the irritating screeching that was interrupting her work, but flipped a switch recognizing Karen’s intentions to occupy the kids and promptly loosened up.

She bent down in her stiff pencil skirt to reach her son’s level. “Yes, you may , baby” she emphasized before licking her thumb and meticulously running it across his forehead to fix his hair that was inching a tad too close to his eyes for her liking.

She regained an upright position and ushered her tentative toddler into the hall with a comforting press upon his shoulder blades. Both herself and Foggy had to prepare for an upcoming meeting with a client they’d been working with this past week, so she was very grateful to have Karen watch over the kids and keep them occupied. “I so owe you one,” Marci insisted after settling Preston down on the white faux fur rug that laid a couple feet ahead of Karen’s desk in the lobby. Karen simply shared a silent smile before Marci pivoted in her glossy high heels back towards her husband’s office.

To no surprise, Grace was the first one to tear into the tub and effortlessly pried open the lid to expose the various goodies inside. Preston’s eyes widened as he took some time to weigh his options of what toys he’d choose first to play with, while Grace all but jumped into the bin and dug deep down to fish out two fistfulls of miscellaneous dolls and action figures. After three minutes of contemplation, Preston decided on a box of legos and two hot wheel cars. 

Karen retreated to her desk and continued her research for a new P.I. target, but kept a watchful eye on both children and halted her insistent typing every so often to look up from her monitor, making sure they weren’t wandering off to bother the others.

Grace was in a whimsical world of her own making as she had previously assigned backstories, families, relationships and careers for her inventory of Barbies and Avenger action figures that lived in the office. Her main storyline took a wild turn today as princess mermaid Barbie left her husband Thor for Hawkeye because of a fight over pizza toppings. Karen found this shockingly amusing from eavesdropping into her impressively imaginative daughter and snorted while taking a sip from her glass of water. Preston, on the other hand, had his tongue peaking out from under his teeth, laser focused in concentration on building a fleet of towers to make a lego city and was tuning out of Grace’s character narrations. 

An hour had passed and Preston had cautiously placed the top piece on his fifth building. Content with his work, he began driving the toy cars around them across the floor and was making a handful of engine sounds and horn beeps while crashing the vehicles together every so often. 

Grace was notably annoyed by his incessant sound effects that were rudely interrupting her doll family’s day and shot him an unpleasant glare. She dropped the two Barbies in her grip, crossed her arms in frustration, and audibly grunted. Preston had failed to catch Grace’s drift and in no way acknowledged her provocation. After about a minute of pure displeasure fuming out of the tiny body of the four year old girl, Grace took matters into her own hands and decided that it would be best to chuck her Ant Man figurine dead center at his highest lego tower instead of using her words and asking nicely for him to stop.

Her outburst happened to do the job as it left Preston silent and frozen in place. He snapped his head from the hot wheels and to the right where his once glorious structure stood tall. His bottom lip quivered upon observing the brightly colored lego blocks strewn around the floor which promptly turned into a full blow cry. Tears were flowing down his cheeks like a waterfall, accompanied by loud bursts of despairing shrieks. Preston’s outpour of emotions seemed to be contagious as Grace, feeling somewhat guilty herself, also broke down into a bawling fit in her crisscrossed position on the rug. All four adults instantaneously swarmed into the scene, like bees to honey, at the shrill cries that boomingly resounded from the two kids - rushing to console their respective child. Matt, however, had reached Grace first, as he bounded in as soon as his ears picked up on the plastic blocks clattering against the floor. Sliding in on his knees to meet his daughter, before it blew up into a full blown tantrum.

Matt scooped Grace up into his lap on the floor and rubbed circles along her back, doing what he could to stop her tears, which appeared to be working. Grace felt a wave of calm and comfort rush over her once engulfed in her father’s warm and homey embrace. Karen hastily approached and sat next to them on her knees, then proceeded to wipe the few stray traces of tears off her daughter’s face with the sleeve and shared some soothing and reassuring comments. 

Foggy and Marci mirrored the same reaction and response as the Murdocks, but with their son across the way. Preston, however, was not showing any sure signs of stopping. 

“Oh baby, what’s wrong?” Marci asked, hugging her son from the back and resting her chin on his shoulder, hoping that he would lighten up enough to respond. Her hopes were fulfilled and his outpour lessened to some sniffles here and there as he explained what had happened. 

As both pairs of parents listened to the young boy’s re-telling of the incident, Karen shot an apologetic expression at the Nelson’s who nodded in forgiveness. Unfortunately, Matt and Karen were accustomed to their daughter’s temperamental behavior as of late and had been trying to teach Grace patience, empathy and general interpersonal social skills such as sharing. It took some persistent work and various teaching methods, but Grace was slowly gaining progress.

The Murdocks just had to deal with rare occasions such as this from time to time. They anticipated as Grace continued in school, with being around other kids her age and listening to the authoritarian figure of her teacher, that she’d master controlling her anger and open up to let others in her life. It was currently only the end of her first week of preschool, so there’d be some time before they reach that point. 

For the majority of her life during these past four years, Grace has only been heavily interacting with her parents, her grandmother, and the Nelson’s. Both families had an unspoken promise to each other after Grace’s birth that they’d raise both kids together similar to siblings or cousins with the intention that they’d hopefully grow close and become good friends - which was definitely proving to be the case. Nonetheless, arguments and disagreements were bound to arise with any sibling relationship, so interventions like these were inevitable - especially with Grace’s strong personality. 

It was a running joke with Karen that every time her and Matt had to handle one of their daughter’s outbursts when she didn’t get her way, Karen would make a snide comment something along the line that she expects nothing less from a miniature Matt since Grace must have conveniently inherited her spit fire nature from him. Matt would humorously argue back that it was a joint effort and that Karen’s stubbornness mixed in was more fuel to the fire. 

“What do we say to Preston, sweetie?” Karen supportingly advised with a whisper in her ear, trying to let Grace be accountable and take responsibility for her actions.  

With no hesitation, Grace confidently rose up from her father’s lap, using his knee caps as a leverage boost, and marched over to Preston - her pink light up sneakers flashing at each stomp. The boy, his face still red from the tears, stumbled back, slightly frightened and unsure of her powerful presence. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off, and his breath was squeezed out of him as he was pulled into a tight hug from Grace. “I’m so sorry for wrecking your tower, Preston,” she apologized, eyes still shut with no intention of letting her friend go. 

He grinned widely in her warm embrace and reciprocated the hug before finally getting some words out. “That's okay, Grace. Thanks for saying you’re sorry.” 

They finally let go and were face to face with each other. “Maybe I can help you rebuild it?” she offered, shyly looking towards the ground where the lego blocks still lay scattered.

Both sets of parents let out a deep breath of relief after they lifted themselves up from the floor, knowing that their kids were over that little episode and things were starting to resume back to normal between the two. 

Minutes later the adults watched the familiar scene play out of both Grace and Preston playing together, content and carefree like nothing had happened at all. They had decided to forgo their work that was previously interrupted for the rest of the day and sat together on the large brown leather couch in the lobby. They happily witnessed the two toddlers working together in harmony to create even larger lego towers and houses for the population of Barbies and Avengers. 

“And boom, now you’re married,” Grace enthusiastically announced, as she smashed Spider-Man and a red headed Barbie’s face together before carefully sliding them into their assigned lego suburban home.  

Their audience snickered to themselves on the couch at her aggressive and speedy marriage ceremony. However, this happened to spark an outlandish idea which popped into Foggy's head, and Foggy being Foggy, shared it with the group. “Wouldn’t it be crazy - hypothetically speaking far into the future - if those two got married?” He darted his eyes and nodded his head in the direction of Grace and Preston in the middle of the room, trying but failing to be as inconspicuous as possible.

“I don’t wanna be married. I’m gonna be a princess lawyer,” Grace responded nonchalantly while reaching into the bin to scoop out more legos. Karen sported a curious expression on her face caused by her daughter’s self assuring statement. 

“Well, we have our answer there,” Foggy declared, slapping his leg in defeat as his hopes were shot down. “The girl is smart, she has her priorities straight. Great goal, Gracie! If Preston becomes a lawyer too, we wouldn't have to even re-name the firm - so convenient. Think of all the money you’ll save on signage. Nelson and Murdock strike again!” he happily added and extended his arm to Matt who was sitting to the left of him, patting his back.

Matt straightened up from his previous relaxed slumped position between the couch cushions from his daughter’s response. “That’s my girl!” he beamed between his laughter that emitted from Foggy’s wild hopes and dreams. Rest assured that he wouldn’t be losing his little girl to any boy anytime soon, but mainly also ecstatic that she wanted to be a lawyer and follow in his footsteps- at least for now. 

Karen wasn’t aware of the time until she glanced up at the clock that was mounted above the windows behind her desk. It was a little past five in the afternoon and the sun was in the early stages of setting, as streams of yellow and orange dripped out of the clouds in a heavenly like portrait. She gasped to herself, suddenly remembering something. 

“Crap, guys!” This brought the attention of the room to her. “We can’t forget to take the kids’ heights and the picture!” Marci shot up in a tizzy, clearly disappointed in herself for failing to remember their relatively new tradition, and rushed into her office - her heels rapidly clicking behind her. This tradition technically started only two years ago, when Preston first started preschool, and Marci had the brilliant idea to document the kids’ growth by taking a yearly picture of them outside of the firm’s office building on the steps directly under the Nelson and Murdock plaque at the end of the first week of every school year. This would be in addition to separate family pictures and a group picture with the whole Nelson-Murdock clan that would usually be taken with the assistance of a friendly Hell’s Kitchen citizen passing by. Karen; however, took full credit for the second component of the newfound tradition, which was marking Grace and Preston’s height on both sides of their office suite’s entrance door. 

With a black semi-expensive Nikon camera in her right hand and a simple soft yellow tape measure on top of a box of colorful sharpies in her left, Marci had breezed back into the common area. “Ok kids, let’s take a break and go outside - how does that sound!?” she all but demanded, trying to be as peppy and excitable to coerce and corral the unenthusiastic toddlers who stood there blinking ahead of her. 

The kids exchanged a wary glance between them, silently wanting to protest and continue playing, but they both knew better than to disobey Marci. They set down their toys and reluctantly trudged along and followed her outside, with Matt, Karen and Foggy tailing directly behind them. 

____________________________________________

“One, two, three - smile!” Matt, who by the way was still wearing his daughter’s necklace, grinned through his teeth as Marci took what had to be the twentieth photo of Grace standing between Karen and him on the stoop. It was to the extent that he was getting slightly aggravated from hearing the sharp sound of the shutter clicking rapidly over and over again. Grace was getting antsy herself, fidgeting with the neckline of her shirt. Not to mention that she was quickly distracted by every single dog that walked by, which called for even more retakes. Thankfully, Marci seemed content with the last photo she’d taken and their little photography session had come to a close and the six of them retreated back inside and upstairs to the office.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Grace solemnly announced, turning around to face Matt as soon as she had entered the doorway and revealed a pout on her face. He swiped his finger over his braille wrist watch which read ten minutes till six in the afternoon. He didn’t blame her for insisting about food, as it was reaching close to their usual dinner time. The picture process really dragged out this year, but that’s what you get when dealing with two squirming toddlers with short attention spans. 

Preston stood impatiently with his hands on his hips by her side and seconded her statement. “Yeah, me too. What’s for dinner?”

None of the adults had a homemade meal necessarily planned out with it being so late in the day, so they did what they do best when in a pinch and ordered takeout. “How about we place an order from Anna’s Greek Restaurant and while we wait we can mark your measurements on the door? Is that a good plan?” Karen suggested, trying to appease them to do one final task. 

“Ugh, fine-” Grace drew a sigh and exhaled out with her head tipped back towards the ceiling “-can I get fries though?” She suddenly perked back up and rocked on the balls of her feet, hoping her bargaining tactic would be effective. 

To her surprise, her wish was granted and Foggy whipped out his iPhone from his suit pocket and stepped into his office to make the order. They had ordered from that particular Greek establishment a couple of times now, so he had their order basically memorized by now, he even made sure to get extra fries and pieces of chocolate cake for the kids. Matt quietly shook his head to himself as he caught wind of that from his unintentional eavesdropping. 

“Good news gang, food will be ready in twenty minutes” Foggy ended his statement with a resounding clap to boost morale after hanging up and rejoining the group. 

“Awesome, babe - thanks! Karen and I can go pick it up in five” Marci chimed in, “For now - kids let’s get you over to the door.” She pointed and let the tape measure unravel downwards to the floor.  

With Grace on the left side and Preston on the right, Karen and Marci both took turns measuring and writing their respective kid’s heights down on the white painted door frame.

 “Ok, Preston, you’re three foot ten, buddy!” Marci boastfully stated, with the green sharpie cap still in between her teeth. 

“And Gracie, you’re not too far off at three foot five!” Karen happily chimed in seconds later after finishing up her penmanship on the door. 

Grace, ecstatic with the results, pumped her fist. “Yes!” She then ran over to Matt and hugged his leg with a mighty grip. “Did you hear that, Daddy?!” 

He didn’t have the best inclination of people’s heights, something his super senses did not assist much with; however, he could take a good guess from how she lined up to him as they walked together side by side or by her hugs, such as this. Nonetheless, he was grateful that they carried out this exercise to truly know how much she had been growing through the years. Which, according to Matt, was way too fast. ‘How is she four already?’ he thinks to himself. 

“I did, baby-” he crouched down to her level “-you’re such a big girl, Grace!” he caressed her chin. She beamed with pride at his affectionate compliment. 

“Who knows, Grace, maybe one day you’ll be taller than Preston. Scientifically speaking, taking into account your parents’ tall genes versus ours, it’s bound to happen,'' Foggy snidely commented under his breath, which made Preston huff in dismay. 

After that little tangent of conversation, Karen and Marci headed out to pick up dinner and left their husbands in charge of the ravenous toddlers. 

Twenty minutes later they returned and opened the door. “Foods here!” To their surprise the office was in complete chaos. Both women’s eyes widened in shock at witnessing the scene before them. Somehow, more toys had been acquired and scattered all over the floor. Additionally, there were fifteen or so printer paper airplanes that had crashed into the most peculiar places - potted plants, in the cracks of couch cushions, and on top of the ceiling fan somehow? 

Both fathers were chasing the two wild children, who were practically bouncing off the wall with high levels of energy, back and forth from office to office. “Oh, thank God!” Foggy stopped in place mid-rush, panting between words “Kids, let's eat!” he shouted.  

Matt, following the greasy and sweet aroma of the bag of gyros, fries, and cake emerged from his office, carrying one kid under each of his arms. “Good thing that I managed to catch both of these rascals just in time,” he said jokingly and plopped them both down.

As the sun finished setting on that Friday August afternoon, the Nelsons and the Murdocks sat down around the circular conference room table to enjoy a delicious meal together and celebrate the kids’ completion of their first week of school. Looking forward to the years to come with many more pictures taken and colorful growth marks inching upwards on the doorframe. 

____________________________________________ 

Bonus Scene - the courthouse the next day: 

“Will the defense approach the bench, please,” The judge requested, glancing downwards under her wire framed glasses. 

Matt, feeling as confident as he possibly could from yesterday's preparation, stood up from the uncomfortable wooden chair and took a deep breath. He gripped his cane with his left hand, but proceeded to reach his right into the front pocket of his gray slacks, remembering that something was stowed away in there. His lip curled in delight, feeling the grooves of the elbow pasta between his fingers. He must have forgotten to take Grace’s art project out last night. Thinking of his daughter and all the fun they had yesterday gave him the motivation he needed to confidently push forward and fight for Mrs. Lopez. 

“Yes, your honor,” he said with a confident smirk and effortlessly delivered the first line of his opening. 

From that day onward, Matt seemingly had created a tradition of his own and he would never fail to bring the macaroni necklace in his pocket to all of his future court appearances as a good luck charm. 

Chapter Text

Hell’s Kitchen was never particularly considered peaceful and quiet once the sun goes down and nighttime covers the city like a blanket - and tonight was no exception. It was a semi eventful outing for Daredevil, even with the weather growing colder into late November. The harsh chill in the air wouldn't discourage the lowlifes and criminals that fed off this city like a leech. Early in the night he saved a petite woman in her late twenties from the aggressive hands of her drunk and anger-filled husband outside a dive bar near the river. She was grateful to return to the safety of her home without the fear of another outburst that night from her abusive husband. In fact, he hightailed out of the scene and bolted in the opposite direction as soon as Matt pounced downwards off the roof of the bar and placed a barrier between himself and the woman and let the devil out. The intimidating tone of his voice and his dominant stance with both billy clubs armed in each hand had struck fear in the man so much so that it sent him running - Matt didn’t even have to waste any energy on the pathetic excuse of a man. 

The woman, who had introduced herself as Lucy, had been thrilled when he offered to escort her home in an effort to ensure that the man wouldn't follow or return. As he turned around and stepped off her stoop, he let out a hopeful hint of a smile after sensing the relief let out in the deep breath that she exhaled as she locked the door behind her. Not too long afterwards, he returned to the scene to make sure that her bruises and the dried blood stains that left faint traces on her skin would never return as he scanned the surroundings from his usual perched position on the ledge of an adjacent rooftop and honed in on the intoxicated aggressor asleep in an alleyway still clutching the bottle of whiskey in his fist, he then called in an anonymous tip to the police of the incident and where to find the man in question. 

Capping off a night filled with chasing thugs and bounding off of rooftops, were the sounds of patrol car sirens wailing in the distance taking away a car thief thwarted mid-attempt by Daredevil. His perfect track record that night of avoiding taking any injuries home had been wiped clean when the thief’s cast iron crowbar that he’d been using to break into a freshly waxed Mercedes Benz packed a punching blow against his ribs. Tonight’s outfit of choice, the critically acclaimed ‘black pajamas’ by his wife, was not helping his case- both in terms of his impending frostbite and the large welt on his abdomen that would form during the night in the curled shape of the metal bar. 

His fingers were starting to tingle from the exposure to the frigid air all night. Taking that as a sign, he checked his watch for the time and decided to call it a night since it was almost two in the morning. The warm thoughts of crawling into his and Karen’s comfortable and heated king sized bed happily guided him home.

His wishes were fulfilled as he made it home safe and almost sound (if you factor in the minor fracture to his left rib). After stripping the sweat-stricken suit and tossing it into his bathroom hamper as a reminder to have it washed soon, he slipped on a soft cotton crewneck sweatshirt and gray joggers then blissfully fell into the cloud-like duvet and nuzzled under the covers. Karen must have been especially exhausted tonight, as she did not stir one bit from the shift of weight on Matt’s side of bed. The soothing sound of her resting heart rate and soft snores lulled him into a well deserved deep sleep. 

Not even an hour later, his tranquil night’s sleep was be abruptly turned upside down. Suddenly it seemed as if someone had pulled Hell’s Kitchen’s plug, plunging it into a city wide power outage at 2:42am. Usually any slight change in atmosphere - sound, smell, temperature, or movement could set Matt’s radar off, so in this case he should have been shot awake by the unnatural stillness of his surroundings; however, his body was physically drained so he remained at rest.

It wasn’t until he heard a loud ‘thump’ ten feet away on the face of their bedroom door shortly followed by a soft spoken “ouch” from his daughter behind said door that caused him to rustle awake. 

Grace unfortunately was the first one in their apartment to be made aware of the power outage and she was not taking to it well. A couple years ago she had developed a strong fear of the dark to the point where either Matt or Karen had to sit by the side of her bed until she fell asleep. Thankfully, that fear was alleviated when she latched on to a projector night light which twinkled stars on her bedroom walls and ceiling that her grandfather had gifted her and she could not fall asleep without it ever since. With the power out, the colorful stars that danced across her walls faded into darkness and her body subconsciously woke her to the alarming discovery. 

Fumbling in the dark, her fuzzy knee high panda socks on her feet padded on the floorboards as she meticulously planned out each and every step that would hopefully lead her to her parents’ bedroom. The plush monkey, which Grace had creatively named Mr. Monkey that Karen’s father had handed down to her, was dragging on the floor behind her in her timid clutch. With her trusty companion at her side, she eventually found and collided right into their door then ventured inside with a delicate turn of the knob, trying not to wake anyone inside. Little did she know Matt was now wide awake and anticipating her arrival. 

Stealthily shuffling around the bed, she finally made it to Matt’s side of the bed and gave the excess end of the comforter that was hanging off the side a firm tug downward. 

“Daddy,” she whispered with concern and urgency ringing out in her voice. 

Matt shifted his head to the other side of his pillow and was now face to face with his daughter. “What is it, baby?” His voice was hoarse and groggy from the abrupt wake up call. 

Grace leaned in closer to speak into his ear. “My stars went away. I think my nightlight is broken and I can’t sleep,” she answered, anxiously twisting her finger into the fabric of the blanket, unaware that the issue reached further than simply her nightlight malfunctioning.

Matt pulled himself upwards in a sitting position with his back up against the wooden headboard, emerging from his blanketed cocoon. Upon doing so, a field of goosebumps sprouted up on his now exposed skin to the cool crisp air that lingered in the apartment since the heat was obviously off. The stagnant atmosphere around him would seem peaceful to most, but not to him. The muffled humming of all electric items no longer dampened the array of heartbeats, concerned voices and heavy sleeping snores of the residents in their apartment building. Honing his senses further, he came to the conclusion that the entire city’s power was out. 

“I don’t think it’s just your nightlight, Grace. Looks like the power is out,” he calmly explained while getting his bearings back from assessing the surroundings and directing his focus back to the small world inside the bedroom. 

Grace, growing impatient and bored, invited herself up to join her parents. Grunting as she hurtled and swung her leg up and over the bed, with a little help from her father, she happily sat up on her knees feeling around for Mr. Monkey who she flung up and over beforehand.  

“Ooof,” Matt groaned through gritted teeth, when the full force of his daughter’s knee cap dug into his injured ribs as she climbed over him to reunite with her plush. Grace excitedly wriggled under the covers and snuggled up against her father, burying her head into the warm silk pillowcase that he had been previously occupying. Grace was a notorious mover in her sleep - constantly changing positions, sprawling her arms out of the confines of the mattress, and kicking. This was very much unlike her mother who, until recently, was dozed off face down in a stationary position on her own pillow; however, she began to stir and mumbled incoherently as her eyelids slowly fluttered awake from feeling the shuffling movement of the extra little squirming body brushing up next to her.

“Matt? What’s going on?” she drowsily asked, rubbing her eyes. Instead of her husband answering back, Grace discreetly whispered softly in her ear “Hi mommy!” which gave her an unexpected shock. 

“Grace? What’s the matter, baby?” Karen called out feeling around the new child sized lump in the comforter. She shortly found herself disorientated from being greeted by complete darkness - not even the faint glow of the street lights below to illuminate her daughter who was now clinging onto her instead of Matt.

Grace, who was becoming more active by the minute from the rush of being up so late, attempted to stand up and jump on the bed before answering her mother; however, failing to find her balance in the dark, her legs wobbled and she started to tumble. Matt promptly caught her before she fell on top of Karen and he placed her safely in the confines of his lap. 

“Power seems to be out city wide. Grace couldn’t sleep without her nightlight, so she decided to join us,” Matt tried to explain in between Grace’s giggles, as he tickled her lightly on the stomach. 

Karen fumbled for her phone on the adjacent nightstand, hoping to use it for a flashlight. “Crap, I forgot to charge my phone before bed,” she admitted in defeat after multiple attempts of tapping on the touch screen with no sign of life. Karen spent most of her night, after putting Grace to bed at 7:30pm and Matt leaving on his vigilante spree, on social media tracking Daredevil sightings to try to ease her worries. Sometimes she wished Matt would let her slip a tracker in his suit because his few and far between text and call updates were not enough, especially when Karen was alone with her thoughts without Grace to distract her.

Matt huffed, then decided to pull back the pile of sheets and blankets to stand up and took Grace with him in his arms - determined to do something about their situation. His bare feet began to feel cold, now firmly planted on the creaking hardwood floors. 

“Where do you think you’re going, mister?” Karen squinted as she propped herself up slightly, trying to make out her husband's tall figure in the dark. 

He smirked and shifted Grace forward to get a more stable hold of her. “Last I remember, we have at least one partially working flashlight and some leftover candles in the closet out in the hall. Right?” 

Before she knew it, Matt was standing over her side of the bed and extended his unoccupied arm. “You coming, sleeping beauty?” 

Karen smiled and gladly accepted his offer, allowing him to gracefully pull her up on her feet. Suddenly she felt a weight of soft fleecy fabric drape over her shoulder. She blushed, knowing very well that he could sense her cheeks flush with blood. Matt had thoughtfully grabbed her robe that was previously hanging over the chair that sat in the corner of their room to keep her warm.

Karen placed a hand on the back of Matt's shoulder, trusting Matt to safely guide them out to the living room without any more door crashing casualties. “Lead the way, honey,” she assertively requested.

Keeping a firm grip on her husband’s sweatshirt, Karen was thankful that he kept a slow pace and was mindful of her more cautious smaller steps behind him. Karen felt helpless in this situation - relying on Matt to save the day yet again, but this was truly a taste of Matt’s life and he was accustomed to this state 24/7, which she appreciated even more being thrown in the darkness herself. 

After successfully leading Karen to the couch and sliding their daughter carefully into her lap, he made a beeline to the closet in search of some temporary light sources. Proving himself right, Matt rummaged through the closet and tracked onto the scent of alkaline batteries and ‘non-scented’ candles that were stored away in a box coated in a film of dust. 

Gone were the days where Karen could enjoy the variety of Bath and Body Works scented candles like cherry blossom , a thousand wishes , and sweet cinnamon pumpkin . As soon as she moved in with Matt she gave up all of those types of fake chemical fragrances to appease his enhanced senses and to avoid inducing any migraines upon him. Basically, the only items that she moved in were her wardrobe, shoes, purses, toiletries and television of course since Matt’s place was lacking one.

Karen felt the minimal weight of the flashlight placed in her hand by Matt and she flipped the switch upwards to shed some light in the room. “Yay! Family camp out!” Grace exclaimed and bounced up and down on the couch cushions as Karen set the light upwards on the coffee table.

Gradually regaining her sight, Karen deviated her attention to the sound of a drawer sliding open and the contents clashing together in the kitchen where Matt miraculously turned out to be. He was seemingly searching for some matches to light the candles. Upon turning up with a matchbook in hand, he then proceeded to light and disperse the five candles around the room on a variety of available surfaces - kitchen countertops, the dining table, and the TV stand. 

“There, is that all better?” He inquired, proud of his work, after blowing out the match while making his way back to his girls who were both eagerly waiting for him on the couch. 

As he was just about to sit down and finally relax, out of nowhere, Grace decides to jump into his arms - clearly still hyperactive. Thankfully he heard her take a sharp breath in before springing from the couch and he caught her effortlessly. 

“Daddy, let’s play monkey tree!” she insisted, referring to her favorite game that she had made-up where she would be the monkey and climb all over Matt like a human jungle gym. 

Even in his current sleep deprived state, Matt was not going to turn down his daughter’s request. He felt the vibrations of her small racing heartbeat pound against his back as she crawled over his shoulder while keeping a secure hold with both arms around his neck. He tilted forward to keep her from sliding off and jostled around in the slightest playful manner which caused her to burst out in an infectious spur of laughter. 

Karen watched fondly at her little monkey and curled up on the couch underneath a blanket. “Ok Grace, I think daddy deserves a break,” she stated mid yawn, in an attempt to both relieve Matt and to reel her daughter back in. 

“Awww, really?” Grace solemnly objects, ceasing her wiggles.

Matt kneeled down to the ground to allow her to jump down safely. “You heard your mother. We can continue tomorrow.” He promises, trying to reduce her disappointment. 

Grace reluctantly releases her grip and plants her feet firmly back on the floor. Matt falls onto the couch next to his wife with ease and lifts Grace up into his lap to join them. 

With everyone now on the couch together, Karen extends her blanket to tuck both of them in with her. She notices Matt’s eyelids becoming heavy and drifting open and close intermediately; however, the same was not to be said about her daughter who was still wide awake and fidgeting under the blanket, trying to find the most comfortable position. 

A brilliant idea promptly popped into Karen’s head that she believed should calm the five-year-old down. “Grace, do you want to hear a story?”

The young girl’s eyes lit up and she sat up straight beaming at her mother. “Yeah!” she clapped. 

Matt smiled tiredly and rested his head back onto the top of the couch cushion casually, appreciating the nature of Karen’s plan.

“Ok, tonight’s tale is about an adventurous farm girl and how she ended up meeting a handsome prince in a grand kingdom far away.” Karen prefaced which caught her daughter’s attention. 

Grace eventually found an acceptable position and snuggled into Matt’s lap, settling in to listen to the exciting brand new story that her mother was going to share. 

“Once upon a time…” Karen began inventing a legend semi parallel to how her and Matt’s met and eventually fell in love (leaving out a few things here and there in order for it to be appropriate for a child) intertwined with some story elements of Aladdin. The farm maiden decides to leave her family on her own and rides off on her trusty steed off into the night to the adjacent kingdom in search of a new life. Upon her arrival, she meets a young man- all tall, dark and handsome- in the market. The mystery man ends up being the kingdom’s prince in disguise who has a tendency to sneak out of the castle to watch over and protect the people of his kingdom. 

Throughout the story Grace would not shy away to voice her opinions and asked question after question, assessing some potential plot holes. “Why doesn’t the girl figure out that he’s up to something sooner if he only meets her at night? Shouldn’t she think that’s weird?”, “How do the people in the kingdom not recognize that he’s the prince?”, “How does he sneak out of the castle every night? Are there no guards?” 

Matt raises an eyebrow and laughs to himself, noticing the obvious similarities between his daughter and his wife, “We’ve definitely got a reporter on our hand here.” 

Karen mischievously smirked at Matt’s statement and teasingly hit him on the upper arm then tried her best to creatively formulate answers to all of her daughter’s questions before getting back to the story.

By the time she had reached the end and announced that the farm girl and prince had lived happily ever after, both audience members were peacefully asleep. Grace succumbed to sleep first in the warmth of her father’s arms and then Matt shortly followed suit. 

Karen was about to gently shake Matt awake to suggest they carry Grace back to her bedroom for the night and head to bed themselves; however, as she moved her reach closer, he suddenly shot up wide awake, just before making contact.

“Woah! Honey, are you ok?” she proclaimed, stabilizing him back in his seat so that his sudden movements didn't involuntarily wake their daughter. 

Matt had that intensely concentrated look on his face that Karen knew all too well and he turned his ear to the window. She grew concerned, thinking they were in danger. After a minute or so of pure silence, he responds to his findings. “The pawn shop down the block just got broken into,” he reports - the sound of the broken glass shattering on the pavement still echoing in his ears. 

“I’m sorry, Karen, but I got to get back out there,” He admitted, knowing she would not be adamant to let him slip away for yet another time tonight. Leave it up to Hell’s Kitchen to erupt in looting and violence as soon as the cloak of darkness engulfs it. No power meant no locks, no cameras, and no security whatsoever - the perfect opportunity for all kinds of unsolicited criminal activity. 

She sighed, but ultimately acknowledged the fact that nothing would change his stubborn mind and that Hell’s Kitchen needed more protection at the moment than they did in the safety of their apartment. 

“Can you please take her for me?” He humbly asked, the urgent tone in his voice stressed his eagerness to slip back into his vigilante identity. 

“Yes, of course,” she quickly affirmed. Matt then gingerly passes the small, sleeping, limp figure of their daughter into Karen’s accepting arms, before planting a soft kiss on her hairline.

As Matt rushes back into their bedroom to get ready, Karen paces around the room rocking Grace calmly back and forth to pass the time before she sends her husband off once again. She then results to therapeutically running her fingers through Grace’s smooth, silky hair in an effort to distract her from her anxious worries of Matt returning to the chaos outside knowing that he was already worn down, tired, and injured. 

His black boots tread on the floorboards and met her slippers as they stood only inches apart. The soft light of the dancing flames of the candles illuminate the exposed lower half of his face under the protection of his red devil horned helmet to where she could clearly see him one last time before he ventured back into the complete darkness that was Hell’s Kitchen 

“I will be back in no time - I swear,” he vows in a whisper before closing the gap between them with a kiss, being mindful of their daughter who was resting between them up against Karen’s chest. “I love you both, so much.”

“Be safe out there, my prince - your kingdom needs saving” she insisted, gently caressing his face.

He bows before her and takes her hand to plant a soft kiss. “Farewell, my queen. Watch over our princess in my absence,” he states, playing along. Matt flashes his famous Murdock smile back at Karen, then pivots to make his way out the door one last time that night to a city that desperately awaited.  

Chapter Text

“Honey, don’t forget your backpack!” Matt called out to his daughter as he poured the steaming coffee fresh from the pot into his stainless steel thermos. Twisting the cap on securely, he shot his head up and heard Grace rummage around her semi-messy room, stuffing a variety of arts and craft supplies, activity books and stuffed animals in her bag. He would advise his six-year-old to clean up her room later, but right now he was trying to get her motivated and out the door to spend a day at the office with him. It was not uncommon for Matt to spend a Saturday here and there catching up on work. His life was relatively busy juggling the lawyer and vigilante side of him, and then a loving husband and devoted father was thrown in the mix which turned life into an even more complex balancing game, but he made it work. 

The sound of the soft patter of her feet skipping out of her room made Matt crack a smile. He was glad she was so excited to spend the day with him, even if it was just sitting in the office watching him do work. Grace was still at that young age where she was majorly enthusiastic to do most things, especially if it was with her dad. 

“Ok, I think I’m ready. Let’s go!” She beamed and slung her backpack over her shoulder, the sounds of multiple hard plastic keychains bouncing from impact echoed throughout the room. Matt slipped his thermos in the side pocket of his messenger bag and stepped out of the kitchen and towards the front door to meet his eager daughter. As he reached for his keys and wallet from the bowl that sat on the small table in the entryway, his hand pulled back upon hearing an audible gasp from Grace down at his side.

“Daddy, wait. We can’t go out until you braid my hair!” she frantically demanded. Her hair was getting long and unruly as she had grown; however, she was adamant that it was not to be cut - at least not yet. 

Normally, Karen would be her first choice to do her hair in the morning before school, but unfortunately his wife was away for the past couple days caring for her father in Vermont who had a medical scare. She was contacted by the hospital as her dad’s sole emergency contact when he was admitted and has been by his side since she arrived. Karen made frequent calls to Matt, making sure to check in to see how both him and Grace were faring without her. It was the first time she had been away this long and was on edge from worrying for Paxton as well as stressing out about Matt and Grace alone and 400 miles away. With each conversation, Matt assured his wife that they were both doing fine and passed the phone to Grace in hopes that the cuteness factor of her little voice would put some of her worries at ease as she ended each call stating that she missed and loved her mother to the moon and back. 

Matt looked up to the ceiling and let out a small huff before setting his bag on the table. “Of course, princess, how could I forget?” he admitted. Before she knew it, Grace was lifted in the air and was thrown on her father’s back. She happily played along and giddily enjoyed her journey to the bathroom piggy-back style where she was carefully set on her pink step stool in front of the bathroom mirror. Matt in no way was as proficient as his wife in matters such as taming his daughter’s hair, but he was practicing frequently and Grace was extremely patient with him and even helped guide him. 

He began meticulously intertwining three sectioned pieces of her silky chestnut hair that had  traces of her strawberry shampoo through his fingers. “You missed some,” Grace remarked, as she placed her hand on top of his and led him to the loose strand in the front of her hairline to tuck into his grasp and be collected with the rest.   

“Does that look good, sweetheart?” Matt questioned after finishing up, hoping for a satisfactory response. Grace rotated her head from side to side to get a good view of his work in the mirror, grinned and gave an affirmative nod. “Perfect! Thank you, daddy!” she then hopped off the stool and grabbed his hand to return to their previous spot in the hallway. Matt gladly followed close behind the energetic six-year-old leading him onward. One who finally seemed ready and willing to leave, he resumed gathering his belongings and headed out the door locking it behind him, still holding tight to her small grasp. 

______________________________________________

Once the duo made it to their destination, Grace rushed in front of her father and made a beeline to his office, heading to her favorite spot like her life depended on it. Just last year Marci decided that the office needed yet another round of re-decoration and ordered Matt a red velvet couch to sit in the corner of his office among other items such as new artwork and sleek black filing cabinets to use in her long winded effort to devise a better organized filing system for their firm. The day that couch was delivered, Grace immediately fell in love and claimed it as her throne. 

With a running start, she dropped her backpack on the floor and leapt on top of the cushions which cushioned her impact. Settling into the decorative throw pillow that lay beside her, she stretched out her little body as far as it could extend and started to relax.

Matt entered soon after and was relieved to sense that Grace was beginning to calm down, it was a brisk walk to the office and she practically pulled him the entire way, so he wasn’t surprised she was a little tuckered out. 

“Ok, Gracie, dad’s going to do some work right now,” he announced, settling into his chair and unpacking the content of his bag onto the surface of his desk. 

“Uh, huh,” Grace tiredly let out, taking a moment to close her eyes and drift into the comfort of the soft, cloud-like bed.  

Seemingly assured she was content for now, he powered up his desktop and commenced with his work. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment fester inside of him due to the fact that he wasn’t able to take this one-on-one time on a Saturday to do a more fun and engaging activity with his daughter, but the judge on his case unfortunately pushed his client’s court date up three days to disclosed circumstances. To say the least, he was in desperate need of this extra work time to finalize and polish up his opening statement in addition to gathering more research for his arguments. 

Not more than twenty minutes into his work, his ears perked up at the sound of his daughter’s voice. “Daddy, I’m bored” Grace stubbornly interrupted, kicking her feet impatiently.

“Why don’t you pick something out of your backpack to do? I bet you have some fun, non-boring, things in there,” he suggested, trying to keep her occupied. This is exactly why he instructed her to bring a plethora of toys and activities or else it was going to be a long day, as he knew from prior experience that she loses interest easily when playing by herself. 

She honestly forgot about her backpack entirely which was discarded on the floor and creeping halfway under the couch by the time she flipped on her stomach to reach for it and tossed it over her shoulder landing on the spot next to her. He remained attentive to Grace in the corner before returning back to his computer. Not surprisingly, he heard the familiar chime of her pink tablet powering up and the pen tethered to the device aggressively poking at the screen. This tablet quickly became her favorite pastime ever since she opened it on her last birthday. Karen assured Matt before purchasing the device that it was strictly purposed for children with preinstalled educational apps and games and no internet access. With her tongue out, Grace was highly concentrated in the game that simulated taking care of animals as a veterinarian - which was her favorite game. Matt let out a sigh of relief. He estimated that he’ll at least have an hour or so of uninterrupted work before she wants to move on to something else. 

And oh, how correct his guess was. Around eleven o’clock, Grace apparently had enough of performing checkups on, taking x-rays of, and cleaning virtual cats, dogs, hamsters and reptiles. “Ugghh,” she groaned and threw her head back on the couch as the tablet dropped into her lap with a small thud. 

She noticed her father had his earbuds on while listening to the dictation of the text on the screen and audio descriptions of videos. Grace thought her father wasn’t aware of her discontent, as he didn’t react to her previous groan; however, little did she know, that wasn’t the case. Matt tactfully ignored her small outcry in hopes that she would return to another game on the tablet, but unfortunately that plan didn't pan out. 

Grace decided to get up on her feet after shortly discovering that they were beginning to fall asleep from remaining in the same position for so long. Dragging her feet on the floorboard, she made her way up to her father’s desk. She was just now tall enough to see overtop, so she rested her chin delicately on the surface and curiously watched to see what Matt was doing. “What ya doing?” she questioned, eyes glinting back and forth following his fingers reading some braille files that Karen had printed out for him for the case.

Matt paused his movements and shifted his head down towards the inquisitive six-year-old ahead of him. “I’m reading some documents to help Mr. Gonzalez,” he quickly flipped through the stack of paper displaying the extensive quantity “not very exciting, is it?” he truthfully admitted, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed, trying to focus on the braille. “Can you teach me to read the bubbles, daddy?” She had been intrigued by the so called ‘bubbles” on her dad’s special paper and books for a while now and had been insistently asking to learn more about them, which Matt was more than happy to see her take interest in braille. 

“Ok, I think I can take a quick break. Come here sweetheart,” he rolled his chair to the side of his desk and offered his hand out to her. A smile lit up on her face feeling ecstatic that her dad had taken time out of his work to fulfill her request. When Grace approached him, he lifted her up in his arms and settled her on top of his lap. Sliding both of them back to his original position, they greeted the papers in front of them. “Ready?” Matt asked to which Grace gave a firm nod and let him take her small hand in his. 

Matt knew she wasn’t ready and capable to fully understand the concept of braille just yet, but he’d start out simple and easy with basic letters for now until she got older and more proficient at reading written words in school. “Ok, you feel these dots,” he extended her index finger and ran it across the cells on the page. “Yeah,” she quietly reassured, feeling the wide array of raised circles under her skin. It was soothing to some extent. With his other free hand, Matt searched the paper for a good example to start with. “Here, you feel this one-” moving her finger to the middle and rubbing - “that is the letter A.” He then moved her up to the top left corner, “and this is B, so if we move around like this all these dots make words which then make a sentence.” 

“Wow,” she exhaled, mesmerized by the thought that so many bubbles could mean different words just by feeling their patterns. 

This mini introductory braille lesson lasted about fifteen minutes before Grace let out a small yawn into her shoulder, alerting Matt that it would be smart of him to suggest moving on to yet another activity. 

“I think that’s enough for today,” he shuffled the stack of paper back to a nice neat pile as it was before. 

“Aw, ok,” she responded before hopping down off his lap. “Can we have a tea party, daddy?” She didn’t want to stop spending time with him and was crossing her fingers hoping that he’d agree. He could guess she was giving her famous puppy dog pout, as Karen affectionately called it, but he had to ultimately decline and get back to his case. His hesitancy to answer back shifted her mood and she bowed her head down to the floor, awaiting disappointment. As Matt attempted to think of a way to let her down easy, a brilliant idea popped into his head. 

He stood up from the seat and walked over to her, then bent down to her level on one knee. “How about we have a tea party after dad finishes up his work and you can color some pictures for me until then?” Apparently, his proposition wasn’t tantalizing enough to peak her interest, as she remained silent. “What if I let you color on mommy’s desk?” He raised an eyebrow, anticipating her reaction. She let out a sharp shrill gasp and her face lit up and she practically pounced on Matt in a hug clinging her arms around his neck out of excitement. He took the opportunity to sweep her up and carried her out of his office bouncing her playfully up and down before plopping her down in Karen’s seat. “There-” he planted a soft kiss on the top of her head as she settled in the chair- “now you can have all this space on a big girl desk and make another famous Murdock masterpiece.” 

He went back and fetched her backpack which he was positive she packed her art supplies in since the colored pencils, crayons and markers he could hear rustling around in their pouch. One last stop at the printer pulling out the paper drawer to grab a handful of blank white sheets, and he was all set to return to his little artist in waiting. 

“Thank you!” she chirped and began spilling out the contents of the pencil pouch all over the desk’s surface then proceeded to pluck the top piece of paper from the pile and placed it neatly in front of her. Off she went carefully choosing her first color which was a hot pink marker and then she started scribbling furiously on the page with intense concentration. 

“Ok, honey, I’m going to be back in there-” he pointed behind him towards his office- “if you need me, just let me know”. Lost in her coloring, she simply shook her head up and down “Uh, huh”.

Matt sank back down in his chair and honed his senses one last time out to the hall as a double check to ease his mind making sure that Grace was completely content and occupied before returning to listen to his witness’s audio file. He smirked - a familiar tune that he recognized floated through the air as she began joyfully humming the theme of her favorite television show. The similarities between Karen and their daughter were overwhelming, as Matt was reminded of falling in love with Karen softly singing to herself in their early days of the firm when she thought that nobody could hear. 

In fact, Grace had inherited many other of her mother’s traits. One in particular being their obsession with chocolate - dark, milk, white, fudge, bars, peanut butter cups, etc. - all kinds were loved by mother and daughter. 

It didn’t take the six-year-old to possess super senses like her father to hear her stomach begin to grumble, causing her to pause her progress coloring a majestic unicorn jumping over a rainbow. 

Remembering that her mom usually had a secret stash of chocolate tucked away in the top right drawer of her desk, she discreetly pulled on the handle opening the compartment only to discover that there was nothing inside but an empty family size bag of m&ms. Looks like her mother forgot to restock before she left for her trip. 

Disappointed and still hungry, Grace took it upon herself to leave her art project behind and slid off the leather office chair. Bounding with determination, she peaked her head in the office doorway to ask her father for a snack. 

Matt took one of his earbuds out as soon as he detected her approaching to give Grace his full attention. 

“Daddy, can I have something to eat, please?” she pleaded, impatiently rocking on the heels of her feet. 

“Shoot,” Matt cursed under his breath and placed the palm of his hand to his forehand in disbelief. He knew he forgot to pack something on their way out, but couldn’t believe that the items he had left behind were the baggies of goldfish, pretzels and carrots and applesauce pouch that had been sitting on the kitchen counter right next to his coffee thermos. The morning rush of getting his daughter ready must have thrown him off and caused him to leave behind one of the most important things: Snacks. 

Just as he was about to answer, his phone rang and the automated voice assistant started to call out Jessica Jones's name. Since Karen was away and with time ticking, he had kindly asked a favor of her to look into some past insurance claims made by his client’s employer and dig into some of the opposing side’s witnesses to see if there was anything he could dispute. He was honestly shocked when she effortlessly agreed with no snarky comments when he called late at night to ask. Matt only had to promise to owe her a favor back in return and who knew what that would entail. 

The low grumbles of his daughter’s stomach fought with the phone chiming. He knew that Jessica was not known to be the most patient woman in the world and he would feel her wrath if he sent her to voicemail. However, his daughter was notably cranky when she was deprived of food for too long. He had to make a decision- and quickly. 

“Honey, I think there’s some fruit snacks and crackers in the kitchen. They should be in the bottom drawer next to your toys. Do you think you can be a big girl and find that while I take this call?” He proposed, looking back and forth between the phone which was almost done ringing and at Grace in the doorway. 

“Ok! I’ll find them” She happily stated and pivoted to venture into the kitchen by herself as Matt took the call. Frankly, she had no issue being unsupervised and grinned to herself thinking it would be easier to sneak more snacks without her father watching over her. 

She knew exactly where to look for her snacks even without her father’s directions. Countless times she had seen the grown ups store and grab multiple yummy treats for her or Preston from that cabinet before. 

Just as she reached out to grasp the shiny silver handle of the cabinet, she stopped in her tracks and arched her view to something that caught her eye. Her extended arm fell to her side as her eyes darted to the plate of pastries on the table to her right. 

A client had dropped off the plate of turnovers as a thank you gift for the firm to enjoy after they had won her case and saved her from being evicted from her family home. 

Intrigued by the display of baked goods in the open, she contemplated for about thirty seconds whether or not she should consult her father first before helping herself, as he had not mentioned anything about these pastries. However, she could still hear him talking on the phone, so she ultimately decided not to disturb him any further and allowed the sweet aroma to guide her to the table. 

The table was too high for her to reach, so she swung one leg up on the red plastic chair and boosted herself onto the seat until she was face to face staring wide eyed at the delicious dessert directly in front of her. Licking her lips in anticipation of biting into the flakey golden crust, she hesitated for a brief moment whipping her head back looking behind her double checking no one was coming. Pushing her guilt aside, Grace turned back and stuffed two pastries in her mouth. 

“Mmmm,” she closed her eyes and enjoyed the symphony of flavors that included the buttery outer crust and fruity jam innards which melted inside her mouth. She was struggling to chew after misjudging the amount of food that would fit in her mouth. Looking down at her shirt she felt a dribble of red fruit paste dripping down her chin and smudging on her shirt. 

Shrugging it off, she stuffed two more in her hands to save for later and ventured back to her mom’s desk to resume coloring. 

Matt had finished his conversation with Jessica and was appreciative of her efforts to help. She had dug up some useful information that he would be inserting into his case. She hasn’t alluded to what she needed from him in return, but that would be something he would have to ultimately deal with later. 

Finishing typing the notes she relayed to him, Matt tuned into his daughter who was returning from her kitchen expedition and skipping to her seat. He noticed that she had eaten something unfamiliar that was definitely not an option within the kid’s snack cabinet. It smelled fruity and he was curious of what it could be until he remembered Mrs. Weller’s visit yesterday afternoon. Foggy must have forgotten to wrap up and put away the turnovers before leaving work, Matt thought, shaking his head. 

He stood up intending to go check up on her until he heard violent coughing outside his office. The crayons that she was holding dropped from her grip which caused the rest of the items to roll off the desk onto the floor. His walk quickly turned into a run. As his mind raced, the first thing that he could conclude was that she was choking on her food. He rushed to her aid “Grace, baby, are you ok?!” he asked, frantically trying to find out what’s wrong and to get a response from her. 

She didn’t answer, but continued to cough which transitioned into gasping out for air. He was immediately on high alert. Her heart rate shot up and he could feel increased heat radiating from her tiny body. He took her into his arms and could feel her lungs pumping up and down fighting for breaths against his body. He took off his zipper hooded jacket and laid her on top of it on the cool hardwood floor. Frantically trying to assist the six-year-old who was thrashing in panic and trying to keep himself calm focusing on the dire situation, as his own heart was beating out of his chest, he got his burner cell phone out and dialed Claire’s number immediately. She would surely know how to help. 

“Matt, what’s wrong! Are you hurt? What the hell, it’s the middle of the day-” she ran on thinking that he had sustained a Daredevil injury and was startled to receive his call at this time of day. She had been at work on her shift, but would always make time and step out to take any of Matt’s calls. 

He hushed her persistent ramblings, “Claire, stop ! It’s Grace not me,” he said in a stern tone which left nothing but silence on her end. “She is having trouble breathing, her heart rate is exceedingly elevated, and her temperature is steadily increasing.” He paused to catch his own breath. “I thought she was choking at first since she was eating but her windpipe is clear.”

He held onto Grace’s hand as he awaited Claire’s expert opinion and muttered a silent prayer for his daughter’s health and safety while nervously rocking back and forth on his knees. 

“Wait!” Claire let out a sharp piercing breath, “you said this happened right after she ate something right?” 

“Yeah, some fruit turnover a client made, We’re alone at my office and I don’t know what to do” he urgently replied. 

“What fruit exactly?” she questioned, knowing she was coming on to something. 

He took another whiff and traced the scent of cranberry off her shirt and on her breath. A lightbulb lit up in his head. He was catching onto what Claire was leading on to. Recalling back, he was certain that Grace had not eaten cranberries before and it couldn’t be the crust that set her off because she had tasted pie crust which was similar before with no issues. 

“Cran- cranberries,” he stuttered, still laser focused on his daughter who now had a death hold on his pants. 

“Shit-” Claire whispered under her breath. “Cranberries are not an uncommon allergen. I think she’s having an allergic reaction from the sounds of it without physically seeing her. Matt you need to get her to a hospital or something right now she needs epinephrine!” 

He scooped Grace up protectively in his arms and swaddled her inside his hoodie to keep her securely close to him. Rising to his feet, he grabbed his wallet, keys and cane.

“Are you still there, Matt?” Claire said, still on speaker phone, concerned after hearing no response back.

“Yeah,” Matt answered with his wallet between his teeth, fumbling with his keys and making sure he had everything together. 

“There’s an Urgent Care two blocks west of your office. They’ll treat her and it will be faster than rushing to the closest hospital,” she suggested, which was a partial order. 

Matt had somehow managed to stash all of his loose items in the pockets of his jeans with Grace still bundled up in his arm. “On it, thanks Claire. We’re going now,” he was just about to hang up as he passed the threshold of the front door until he thought of a favor to ask. “Wait!-” he caught her attention - “Hey Claire, can you call Foggy for me and have him meet me there? Karen’s out of town and I will need some help.”

“Of course, Matt! I would stop by too, but I don’t get off until 8pm. I will notify Nelson right away.”

He sighed in relief, thanked her one last time, and shut the door behind him dashing into the city streets outside. It was times like this where he wished he could bound on rooftops to escape the throng of people and traffic that littered the streets and sidewalks of Hell’s Kitchen, except it was broad daylight and he did not have his Daredevil suit with him. With one thought on his mind - getting Grace the medical attention she needed, his feet pounded on the pavement below which matched in synchronization with his racing heart. He frantically ran as fast as he could, surely gaining wild looks from everyone witnessing a blind man holding a small child who was still hyperventilating yelling “Emergency, please make way!” while darting past effectively fending them off with his cane.  

Thankfully, it only took him six minutes to travel in haste from his office to the Urgent Care facility. He all but crashed into the front desk and explained their crucial situation to the nurse in shaky breaths before they got her in a gurney and sped off behind double swinging doors to a room. Matt held onto the rail of the gurney allowing it to lead him to wherever his daughter was being transported. Even though he sensed her easing in and out of consciousness as the staff injected her with something in her arm and placed an oxygen mask on her mouth, he wanted Grace to know that she wasn’t alone and that he would stay by her side for however long it took her to get better. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but this was the most terrified he’s felt in his life. Nothing had prepared him to face an allergy attack concerning his six-year-old alone. He wished Karen was here to help or at least calm his nerves and offer her support. He really needed her to lean on in a time like this. 

“Reinforcements have arrived” Foggy's boisterous voice announced. He had arrived just soon after they’d checked in with a box of pizza and Grace’s monkey plush, anticipating a long night for the Murdocks. He placed Mr. Monkey next to Grace’s side before taking a seat in the chair in the corner of the room watching his best friend anxiously stride back and forth while his goddaughter slept in the bed in the middle of the room. 

After what seemed like an eternity of tests and treatments, Matt had stopped pacing around the room waiting for the doctor to return with the results. 

The creaking of the wood door opening caused Matt to snap out of his pacing spell as he whipped his head in attention. “Appreciate your patience, Mr. Murdock,” the doctor declared while entering, excusing the long wait as there were a handful of other patients that Matt could sense being tended to.

“No worries, thank you again for helping my daughter, I wouldn’t know what I would do if I didn’t get her in when I did. I thought I was going to lose her,” Matt choked up, fretting to himself of what could have gone wrong. 

The Doctor stepped forward and planted a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave a sympathetic smile, despite knowing that Matt could not see it.  

Foggy stood up from his seat and spoke the question that was on everyone’s mind, sensing that his best friend was still shaken up at the moment. “What’s the results, Doc?”

The man let out a deep breath, clicked the pen closed in his hand before slipping it in the pocket of his white lab coat and all but forced Matt to sit down as he relayed the news, recognizing a concerned father’s tendencies. Both Matt and Foggy settled in their seats next to each other and listened intently to what the doctor had to say. Foggy patted Matt’s shaking knee in consolation, “It’s going to be alright, buddy,” he assured. 

To no surprise, the doctor had basically confirmed what Claire had suspected - Grace had developed a food allergy to cranberries which was not something that was rare, as children and even adults can become allergic to a multitude of items in their lives. He had prescribed her an epipen to use at her disposal and advised Karen and himself to teach her to avoid the fruit and alert other family, friends and her school of her allergy, since she did have a rather serious reaction to it and it can be life threatening if not treated in a timely manner. 

“Rest assured, your efforts and urgent thinking have saved young Grace’s life here.”

No matter what praises the Doctor voiced, Matt couldn't help but feel responsible for the whole situation. His mood lightened up thinking of what his wife would say to him if she was here now. Something probably along the lines of him being too stubborn and blaming the Catholic guilt bubbling inside of him that wouldn’t allow him to accept the fact that no one could prepare for their daughter to suffer from a cranberry allergy that came out of nowhere. 

“You can consider yourself a hero, Mr. Murdock” this statement from the doctor which was intended to be endearing, resulted in a stifled laugh from Foggy that he had to suppress after Matt swatted his chest to avoid any offense. “Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it.”

Soon after the doctor left to check up on another person in need, he had released Foggy to return home, but not before thanking him for all his support and for the array of items that had been bought to tie him over for a night spent in the small quarters of this Urgent Care room as they requested to monitor Grace overnight in case the medicine had any negative effect on her.

Now alone with his thoughts, stroking his daughter’s cheek as her small, frail body lay still on the bed, hopefully sleeping peacefully with pleasant dreams, a pang of remorse rose in his stomach realizing that Karen should be notified of their emergency trip to Urgent Care. She did not deserve to be left in the dark any longer, even though she was dealing with her own battles with her father in a similar position in the hospital.  

Not procrastinating any longer, Matt dialed her number and mentally prepared himself to explain everything as calmly as possible before it got too late. He focused on nothing but the monotone ringing which drowned out all the other noises in his surroundings.

“Hello, Matt?-” her familiar voice on the other line had made him feel at peace. He felt some tears well up in his eyes, as his emotions had overpowered him from all the stress and worry he had experienced. 

“Hey, honey. How are you? How’s Vermont and your dad?” he asked coyly, trying to conceal the shakiness of his voice. He was doing all in his power to avoid diving into the news head first. 

Karen didn't have to be in the same room, heck - even the same state in this case, as her husband to detect that something was off about him. Call it a woman’s intuition. 

He frowned when she skipped the formalities and jumped to conclusions. “Babe, stop - what’s wrong?” she skeptically demanded. 

He took a deep breath then exhaled, preparing to bare everything from his chest to his wife. “Karen, don’t panic, but-” Karen unhesitatingly interjected “Matthew Micheal Murdock, you cannot start a conversation off with don’t panic and not expect me to immediately be concerned!” 

Her mind was racing a million miles a minute. The worst thought being if he somehow got injured on patrol and left Grace to wake up alone? She swiftly dropped it, as he had specifically promised to take a break from Daredeviling while she was away so that he could fully focus on taking care of their daughter and she trusted him fully to withhold that promise. 

He didn’t leave the room, but stepped into the farthest corner and faced the wall, making sure to speak softly so as to not wake Grace. “Karen, I’m in an Urgent Care with Grace right now. She had an allergic reaction earlier today and is currently recovering. Everything is fine, I haven’t left her side and she’s sleeping safe and sound.” He reassured, but was faced by multiple pressing follow up questions from the distressed reporter.   

Matt and Karen had talked on the phone for a good hour as he walked her through all the events that had occurred that day in great detail. She finally let him go, realizing that it was getting late and she wanted him to get any amount of sleep he could manage. After saying both their goodnights followed by some ‘I love you’s’ before hanging up, Matt shuffled back to his seat, opened the lid of pepperoni pizza from Rocky’s - their favorite takeout pizza place. It had been quite an eventful day and he was glad that it was almost over. Finishing his meal, he went up to Grace for one final check up before he called it a night and figured out how to fashion a makeshift bed out of two chairs. Her breathing was strong and steady. She mumbled something indistinct in her sleep as she shifted to the other side of the pillow.

Matt tucked the bedsheet tighter around his daughter and planted a fond kiss on her forehead before lightly whispering “Goodnight Gracie” in her ear, hoping that his message got through. Returning to his chair, he covered himself with the zipper jacket that had previously swaddled Grace on their journey, took off his glasses to place them on the side table, and eventually succumbed to slumber as the steady beeping of the monitor that mimicked his daughter’s heart beat lulled him to sleep. 

The next thing he knew, he was jolted awake into consciousness by the sound of rushed footsteps approaching the door. Initially thinking it was the doctor, Matt brushed his fingers across his watch to check the time and discovered that it was six in the morning. An erupt wake up call to the little amount of sleep he was able to catch. He began to lift himself out of the slumped position that he managed to fall asleep in the chair and tried to pull himself together to be presentable. 

What threw him off was that when the visitor entered the room, his senses were greeted by what was inexplicably Karen. Her breath freshly traced with powerful notes of coffee, likely which kept her awake through the night. She was wearing her favorite jeans as Matt noticed the denim scratch against the purse that hung at her side with every step she took. She still smelled largely of an airport, especially picking up on the person who had been sitting next to her who must have lived with at least three cats. He just couldn’t believe she was here- so much so that he had to convince himself that he wasn’t indeed dreaming. 

Upon hearing what had happened from Matt, Karen booked the next available red eye flight back to New York. She made sure that her dad was well taken care of, which he all but insisted that she go back home to her family after relaying the story back to him. 

She gasped softly to herself once entering the room and seeing her baby girl hooked up to various machines and an IV. It was unimaginably jarring to experience your only child- so helpless- as a mother, especially since this was Grace’s first visit to a hospital after her birth. Karen was a little in disbelief from leaving one hospital in Vermont for her dad only to rush to another hospital back at home for her daughter. She was in fact still wrapping her head around everything because it all happened so fast, however relieved that both her father and her daughter were pulling through and recovering. 

Noticing her husband waking up in the corner of the room, laughing inside at the drool that was still plastered below his jaw, she made her way over to him. When she was close enough Karen felt both of Matt’s arms wrap around her waist, clinging to her in desperation. She melted at his touch and let her exhaustion take over, falling into his lap as he pulled her in. 

“Rough night, Murdock?” Karen stated, stroking her fingers through his unruly hair.

“Mmmm hmmm,” he replied, still drowsy. “But my day’s starting to turn around now that you’re here. I missed you.” Matt then dropped his head in the crook of her neck, taking in the comfort he felt with her close. In this moment, he wished time could stand still and never let her go again. 

Matt’s confession was sincere and Karen could tell that he’d been through Hell and back. She was immensely proud of him for dealing with everything without her.

“You did good, honey.” She praised, before closing the minimal space between them with a tender kiss. 

Once they finally broke apart Matt admitted “Well, Claire and Foggy helped a bit too. Thankfully, I wasn’t completely alone.”

“I figured,” she revealed, grateful for the reliable and devoted friends that they had in their lives. 

There was a stint of silence between the couple, both still processing what had happened. They sat there together, Karen still engulfed lovingly in Matt’s embrace, and watched over their daughter across the room with relief. 

“Cranberries, huh. Who would have guessed?” Karen claimed in bewilderment. She turned her head over to Matt, “You know, we are going to have to closely monitor her during Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she semi-joked, since those specific holiday’s were heavily associated with the berry. 

He let out a resounding laugh at his wife’s statement which he instantly regretted as it unfortunately caused his daughter to stir. He clenched his jaw, praying she would remain at rest; however, that hope was squashed when he heard her hoarse faint voice call out “Mommy?” as she attempted to rise upright in the bed. 

Both Karen and Matt got to their feet and shuffled in haste, flanking each side of her bed. 

“Mom’s here now, baby girl.” Karen assured her daughter, caressing her face and dipped her head down to her level so that she could kiss her cheek. Matt decided to reach out and grabbed ahold of her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Grace beamed a big smile and giggled to herself, surrounded by the overwhelming amount of affection from both of her parents. The family of three’s impromptu reunion could have been over more ideal conditions and at home instead of in an Urgent Care, but they were each grateful nonetheless. 

“Daddy-” Grace flicked her head upwards looking at her reflection in his rose tinted glasses- “now that mommy’s back, can we play tea party now?” 

He chuckled, impressed by her persistence from bringing up the promise he made earlier. “Let’s get home first, Grace, then we will,” he assured while ruffling her hair.

The Murdocks eventually were discharged and made their way back to their apartment to grant their six-year-old daughter’s wishes and held a grand tea party together. With the clink of pink plastic tea cups, surrounded by the love of his family, Matt vowed to himself to be on alert and hone his senses in to detect any trace of cranberry involved in anything Grace came in contact with, not wanting to repeat this incident ever again. 

Chapter Text

Matt’s concentration was suddenly thrown off by a persistent knocking at the front door, which was rather unexpected with it being six in the evening on a Wednesday night. Matt had shortly arrived home from the office and had been assisting Grace with her math homework at the dining table. Karen, not too far away, humming blissfully over the pan of boiling water that would cook the penne pasta dish they’d be shortly having for dinner to perfection. He initially brushed off the approaching footsteps up the stairwell, assuming it was his neighbor, but alas there was a visitor waiting on the other side of their door. One who was perspiring substantially and out of breath from the trek up to the top floor. The lingering trace of cold cuts, cheeses, and mustard tipped Matt off on the identity of their unanticipated guest.

“Honey, can you get that?” Karen poked her head up from tending to the pasta and asked, mid stir. 

Matt obliged and scooted his chair out from the table, interrupting Grace’s reading of her math problem involving adding and taking away from a far too large supply of apples for one person. 

With each step, Matt’s curiosity was lessened as his hunch was all but confirmed for the identity of their guest. Opening the door he was greeted by none other than an enthusiastic Theo Nelson - Foggy’s brother. “Hey, Matt! What’s up buddy,” he remarked, casually leaning on his arm which was extended up against the side of the door frame. His composure calmed down to some extent once the door opened, but Matt was still picking up on traces of Theo’s nerves. 

“Theo,” Matt inquisitively arched his brow, “What brings you here?”

“And at dinner time on a school night, nonetheless” Matt smirked hearing Karen mutter that statement under her breath, fully aware that he’d be the only one to catch it. 

In a moment of haste, Theo let himself in and made his way into the living room. “I was just passing by and wanted to catch up,” he stated in passing. Matt sensed him caught up in a nervous lie and could tell that this was not the true intention of the visit, but ultimately shrugged it off for now and followed behind. 

Grace, growing bored of her assignment, snapped her head up at the sight of Theo and jumped out of her seat to run to him with a grin on her face. “What’s up Mini Murdock!?” he bent down to intercept the incoming clash, picked her up and spun her around in the air. “Tornado!” he boisterously announced over Grace’s elated squeals. Matt clenched his fists, fingernails scraping at the skin of his palms, as a rush of uneasiness overcame him. Theo was notorious for excessively roughhousing with kids. Matt had recalled his first Christmas at the Nelson’s during his freshman year at Columbia and meeting Theo for the first time where he had been playing with his young nephew and accidentally throwing the four-year-old off his back while letting the young boy ride him like a horse. Theo had considerably matured from back then, but sometimes he couldn’t always help himself. 

“Careful there.” Matt sternly let out a shaky breath out of apprehension, this in term signaled Theo to slow down his spinning to a halt and gingerly lower Grace back to the safety of the floorboards below. 

His daughter’s heart rate returned back to normal as she started catching her breath from all the excitement of her uncle Theo’s visit. Karen shot Matt a skeptical glance from her husband’s reaction, but ultimately brushed it off. “So, Theo, how's it going? What’s new?” she asked, trying to alleviate the tension in the room. 

He stepped forward and settled up to the barstools across from Karen, “Oh, not much. The shop is doing really well! I am actually thinking of starting catering with our sandwiches,” he proudly remarked, tapping his foot happily on the base of the stool.  

“That-” Matt walked up behind and placed a reassuring hand on Theo’s shoulder- “is a great idea! Perfect opportunity to grow Nelson’s Meats. ” 

Pivoting to face the fridge, Karen wiped her hands on her apron before opening the door and grabbing three beers. “This calls for a celebration!” She slid one bottle across the island to Theo and was about to do the same with Matt’s, but stopped herself and ended up placing the other in Matt’s hand as to not raise any suspicion if Theo happened to notice that Matt had managed to perfectly catch an unexpected object zooming his way. 

The crisp sound of the bottle caps popping off the chilled beverages rang in Matt’s ears, but something else had caught his attention. “Daddy?” Grace inquisitively cocked her head to the side and pulled on her father’s pants leg, requesting to join the grown-ups. She apparently had enough of sitting alone with her assignment - which she had not touched since Theo’s arrival. 

Obediently, Matt extended both arms and picked up his daughter by her petite waist and placed her gently on his lap. She sat on her knees giving her enough height to take a peek at the meal that Karen was still in the process of preparing. Licking her lips, she gazed at the noodles swirling in the sauce pan when Karen poured in the marinara sauce, Italian sausage, and sprinkled spinach into a delicious harmony of flavors. Absent-mindedly, she arched her back and reached out to cherry pick some left over pasta that remained unattended in the pot. 

“Ah, not yet, sweetie.” Matt instinctively pulled her swiftly back into his lap in efforts to save his daughter from burning her hand on the scorching metal pan, he was still able to detect the steam evaporating off its surface through the molecules in the air.

She grunted out in displeasure, which Theo took instant notice of. He swiveled his chair to the side facing her and Matt, “Actually, that wasn’t the only good news I had to share,” he stated in amusement. 

This had piqued both Murdocks’ interests. Karen, eager to find out what he had to say, set down her wooden spoon, tucked her loose hairs behind her ears and leaned forward to listen in. “And what’s that exactly?” Matt arched his brow and smirked, reciprocating the excitement bubbling out of Theo. 

“Becky and I are getting married!” he announced, slicking his hair back to give his idle hands something to do, barely able to contain the wide smile which beamed across his face. 

Karen gasped, raising both hands to her mouth. Matt’s jaw dropped, he definitely was not expecting that reveal, and little Grace was left unfazed, not knowing why her uncle’s statement caused this kind of reaction from her parents. 

Matt and Karen had been aware of Theo and Becky’s relationship since they first began dating about six months ago. She was a baker from New Jersey and they had met at a culinary convention in New York City, and thus the butcher and the baker hit it off. Before dating Becky, Theo wasn’t known to keep and maintain a girlfriend for such a long period of time, thus why the Murdocks and the rest of the Nelson clan were surprised to come to terms that the longtime bachelor was eying to settle down; however, no one could expect it to happen this fast. 

Karen was the first to speak, after registering the new information. “Oh my God! That’s incredible, congrats Theo!” She turned the knob of the stove top to off, extinguishing the gas flames, and scurried around the island table to engulf Theo in a hug. “Wait,” she broke away, “when exactly is the big day?”

“Um,” Theo rubbed the back of his neck, hesitant to answer, “the end of next month.”

Matt chuckled, thinking this was a joke, recalling back on the process and amount of work it took to organize his and Karen’s own wedding - how could they possibly plan one in under thirty days?

He was silenced after feeling his wife’s hand rapidly swat his ribs, urging him to take the situation seriously and to not appear rude towards their friend. “Wow,” Matt cleared his throat, “Theo, that’s amazing! We’re so happy for you both.” He then raised his beer and waited for the groom-to-be to cheers his drink which was followed by an amplifying shrill clinking sound between the glass bottles. 

After the enthusiastic adults settled down, Theo explained the situation further and added some intriguing details. “Well, you see, I wanted a low key wedding. I’m a simple man: just stop by the courthouse and you're in and out in a jiffy to get the job done. However, Becks was unfortunately not on board with that plan,” he reluctantly admitted. 

Karen scoffed, “No shocker there.” She was in disbelief that he would even think that would ever fly. 

Theo rotated his stool in her direction, “Yeah, I instantly regretted proposing that idea - believe me . The next morning I ran to the store and bought all the flowers and chocolate they had in stock to make it up to her.”

“Good thinking, man,” Matt added, taking a sip from his beer, thoroughly enjoying this amusing tale. 

Theo shamefully nodded but continued on with his story, “With the courthouse shot down, I still wanted to marry her as soon as I could after she said yes when I popped the question over dinner last week, so I got her to agree on a smaller wedding and was luckily enough to stumble upon a an opening at a Hilton in Jersey on a Saturday at the end of October. I pulled the trigger, with her permission of course, and booked the banquet hall for the ceremony and reception and half the hotel for all our guests!” He was certainly proud of this feat. Matt picked up on his heart basically pounding out of his chest. 

Slowing down, Theo finally took a swig of his beverage and glanced down at an unamused seven-year-old who was resting her head on the palm of her hand which was propped up by her elbow on the table.“But,” he sighed, “I digress - the main reason I am here is to ask a certain little miss a very important question.” He poked her stomach which resulted in a chuckle from the girl, pulling her into the conversation. 

Her face lit up. “What!?” she asked, bursting in anticipation. 

“Well, you see, all my nieces are well into their teenage years and would not appreciate the opportunity as much, so I need someone to fulfill a very special role for the wedding.” Theo paused. Both Karen and Matt looked down at their daughter, well aware of what he was going to ask, and awaited her reaction.

“Grace Murdock, would you do me the great honor and be the flower girl in my wedding?” He affectionately asked. There was nothing but silence between them for a moment, sensing her apprehension he made a reassuring effort. “Don’t worry too much about it, you’ll be a natural! Plus,” his tone changed and smugly added, “Preston will be right there behind you as the ring bearer.”

That had definitely sealed the deal. Eyes widening, she leapt off Matt’s lap and into Theo’s. “Okay!” clinging her arms around his neck. Her mood shifted for a split second while letting go of her grip, “Wait, what does a flower girl have to do?” She questioned skeptically, after coming to the realization that she had never even heard of the term before with no prior wedding experiences under her belt. 

The remainder of the evening was spent explaining official flower girl duties to an inquisitive Grace as the four of them enjoyed a meal together in celebration of Theo’s upcoming marriage. 

__________________________

The following weeks consisted of vigorous preparation from the Nelson side, getting everything in order with a ticking clock leading up to the big day. The whole nine yards had to be considered from renting out the tuxes, buying decorations, finalizing the flower arrangements, sending out the RSVP invitations, ordering the food, drinks, and cake. As for the Murdocks, they offered up their assistance to help the young couple in any way they could; however, the mothers of the bride and groom had quickly taken the reins and politely declined. 

It wasn't until the weekend before the big day that the Murdocks began their arrangements. “We’re home!” The door to their apartment locked behind Karen as she deposited her keys into the adjacent bowl in the entryway. Matt had been in the process of finishing up some laundry and paused his monotonous folding tasks upon their arrival. Grace was happily swinging a department store bag around her arm at her mother’s side, excited to share the details of their mother-daughter shopping excursion to her father. 

“Daddy, guess what?!” she impatiently proclaimed, seeing her father emerge from his room. Grace carelessly dropped her bag on the floor and dug inwards to pull out a pair of silver glitter ballerina flats with a delicate bow tied on the top and shoved them in his open palms.  

“I got sparkly shoes!” She did not manage to wait any longer than two seconds for his response, as the excitement quickly took over. He traced his fingers slowly around the glossy curves of the small child’s shoe and felt the texture of the glittery undertone against his fingertips. “Wow,” he let out a breath before returning them back, “they must be very special. Did you have a fun time out with mom today?” 

“Oh we did,” Karen huffed, answering for the both of them with exhaustion straining in her voice as she slid her two armfuls of shopping bags gently on the couch. Two of which were housing her and Grace’s dresses for the wedding. It took her a good amount of persuading for Grace not to hold onto her dress during their walk back - which she was extremely insistent on. So, the compromise resulted in grabbing a cupcake from the bakery on the way home and letting her carry her shoe bag. 

Grace followed suit and less delicately tossed her single shoe bag on the couch which Karen fortunately intercepted from wrinkling any of the clothing items it had potential to clash on top of. Karen then made her way to the kitchen and twisted open the cap of sparkling, flavored water, lifting it up to her lips, beginning to relax from their long outing. 

“We went to so many stores and got dresses, shoes, pretty necklaces, mommy got some things called tights, and-” she paused briefly, trying to recall anything else from their excursion- “Oh, I got a cupcake too!” she cheerfully declared. Matt smirked, already aware of the fact from picking up on the red velvet crumbs that remained under the beds of her fingernails and the vanilla buttercream frosting that was stuck to her teeth. 

That, however, wasn’t the only change he detected. From the moment his girls returned he was put off by the sound of Grace’s hair brushing against the top of her shoulders. For the longest time, his daughter had been adamant about growing out her long locks that she had, since this morning, been approaching her waist. He had grown accustomed to brushing and braiding it, but now there was a considerable amount that had been chopped off. “Are you sure that’s it?” he stated skeptically, turning to Karen whom he also noticed got a less intense trim than Grace, which he was thankful for since playing with his wife’s hair was one of his favorite pastimes. 

Grace’s face lit up and audibly gasped, suddenly coming to terms that she forgot one last very important detail. “I got a haircut!” she basically shouted from the rooftops. In fact it was so loud and shrill that Matt could hear the fluttering of pigeons' wings being spooked from perching on the rooftop above. “See, daddy!” she took his hand and forcefully pulled him down to her level. Once eye to eye with his daughter, still clutching his hand, she drew his reach closer to her head and allowed him to thread his fingers through it, getting a good feel for how much hair still remained. 

“Mommy got one too,” she rocked back and forth on her heels, with a grin proud to share the news. “Go feel it!” 

Matt and Karen walked over to each other, steps falling in sync, until they closed the distance between each other meeting in the middle. Grace silently watched her parent’s exchange and held her breath in anticipation of what would unfold. His hand instinctively slowly rose upwards softly caressing her cheek then inched further back to stroke her hair which was ever so similar and silky smooth as their daughter’s and tucked it behind her ear before running his fingers downwards assessing the length difference. Karen’s pulse sped up and her cheeks flushed with blood, as she held in a sharp breath. She was lost in his eyes, enjoying the tender moment that she allowed herself to get swept up in. One of which she was awakened from as quickly as she fell into it. 

“She looks so pretty” Grace interposed, before scurrying over to them both, leaning against Karen’s legs. 

Karen blushed from all the attention. “Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second” Matt whispered in a groveled undertone and affectionately took both of her hands in his, rubbing circles on the the top of her palms with his thumbs - reassuring the fact. He was well aware that many people pitied him for not being able to see the true physical beauty of his wife, some would even be bold enough to tell that to his face. However, he knew from the beginning, ever since the first time they met in that musty precinct holding room, he sensed not only her outer beauty, but her inner beauty too. 

He’s heard time and time again from Foggy in the early days of their firm, when Karen was initially acting as their secretary, that she was physically attractive. Hell, he was reminded of that fact on a daily basis anytime when out with her in public with her - picking up on the second glances and elevated heartbeats of the other men passing by. Before they were together in a relationship, it would make him tremendously jealous, which he never showed on the surface. Forced to be made known of other’s interest in her would eat him up inside. It wasn’t until after they re-established the firm when they both figured out their relationship by re-building trust and coming to terms with their suppressed feelings. Now when they walk hand in hand in the streets, rings adorned on each of their fingers displaying their love and vows to each other, unsurprisingly not much really changed from how passerbyers react to her existence. Matt, however, had changed and his jealousy was extinguished allowing himself to walk with his head held up in confidence and in pride knowing that she was his and no one could take her away. 

“Oh!” Karen exclaimed, releasing her hands from his, remembering something suddenly. She stepped past Matt and leaned over the back of the couch pulling out a bow tie from a Macy’s bag under the pile which was finely wrapped in thick tissue paper. She turned back around to face her husband and deposited the small piece of fabric in his awaiting hands. He traced the outline of the cut edges with his fingers and gave a warm smile. 

A couple of days after Theo had surprised the Murdocks on their doorstep, he invited both Matt and Foggy out to lunch - to which both law partners were bemusedly skeptical of. Sitting down indulging in burgers and fries from a quaint diner down the block, Theo asked his brother to be his best man. However, moments afterwards he then turned to Matt and offered the invitation for him to stand at his side next to Foggy as a groomsman in the wedding. He hesitated for a second, overthinking the kind gesture, but in truth - Theo and Matt had gone way back since his freshman year at Columbia joining the Nelsons for countless Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Their friendship began to grow further during their temporary stint of the Nelson and Murdock office housed in Nelson’s Meats where Theo, Matt, Foggy, and Karen would enjoy many sandwiches together during lunch breaks. 

“It’s maroon, right?” Matt inquired, fading out of his recollection to that day at the diner. 

Karen swiftly snatched it back and delicately wrapped it back up in the box to savor and keep pristine for the big day. “Yup,” she replied, popping the ‘p’ self assuringly. One tiny detail that Theo and Becky had forgotten to mention only a couple days before this impromptu shopping trip was the color theme of the ceremony. Apparently, that tidbit of information was the only item that had been overlooked from the wedding planning committee and they forced Theo and Becky to come to an agreement quickly to relay the news to the florist, the wedding party, and the decorator. Karen had previously asked Foggy out of curiosity when the time came to start thinking about Grace’s wedding attire if there were any special instructions or preferences for her dress, but since nothing had been relayed by the wedding committee at the time, he confidently noted that anything was fine betting on the simplistic and carefree nature of his brother, thinking it would be no big deal.

Fast forward to the current moment where Karen frantically but successfully managed to return a robin’s egg blue sun dress for a more sophisticated maroon A-line dress for her daughter while picking up Matt’s groomsman tie which she was planning to do last minute anyways, since there was no stipulations with the standard black tuxedo that he had planned to pull out from the depths of his closet. While out and about Karen decided to splurge and buy herself a new olive maxi dress with sheer puffed sleeves that she couldn’t take her eyes off of in the store’s display window. Thankfully Grace concurred that the dress was a must have which solidified her thought process and resulted in Karen surrendering her credit card at the checkout counter. It was definitely a treat-yourself kind of day. 

Things were finally starting to come together and the Murdocks felt as prepared as they possibly could, well two out of the three of them at least. Grace had been eager and thrilled, basically counting down to the day where she’d get to walk down the aisle as the flower girl. All was well until she asked to watch a video online showing how flower girls typically walk and how many petals they threw at a time to get her method down beforehand. With no real concept of a wedding, Grace had grown anxious and fearful of somehow messing up on her important duties, not wanting to let down Theo and Becky.

Shortly after watching a handful of videos with her mother on YouTube, her nerves unexpectedly increased, which was the complete opposite outcome that this exercise was intended for. Karen knew exactly what she needed to do to give her daughter the confidence to walk down the aisle, and that was to get some practice under her belt via a dry run wedding march. 

__________________________

The day before the wedding the family of three was extended the invitation by Sister Maggie to join a potluck dinner for patrons of the church and anyone in need of a warm meal, as the weather was starting to take a turn. Karen took this as a perfect opportunity to conduct her plan, and sure - the perk of not needing to cook for a night was just the icing on the cake. After the sermon and a rather delightful dinner that consisted of homemade chicken noodle soup, freshly baked sourdough bread, and tiramisu for dessert which left their bellies and hearts full from the food and the company, the Murdocks stuck around to help clean up. 

“Whew,” Maggie wiped the sweat beads that transpired off of her forehead from manning the soup station during the event, “What a great night!” She was not only satisfied with how many people had showed up, but even more overjoyed that her son and his family had attended. 

Matt shook a large black trash bag open, making his way to clear off the paper plates and plastic utensils that were discarded on the fold out tables. “Indeed, tell Sister Harriet that she did an amazing job with the soup - by far the best chicken noodle I’ve had in a while” He licked his lips, still savoring the taste. 

“Hey!” Karen disputed with an outcry, herself in charge of packing up the leftovers in Tupperware and saran wrap. She was acting offended by his comment, but knew that her chicken noodle soup could never compare to homemade since what she had made for her family came out of a can. “No, you’re right,” her tone shifted apologetically, taking back her allegation, “it was delicious, please ask her for the recipe, if you can?” she requested, admitting defeat. 

“Will do,” The nun pleasantly responded, folding a plastic chair up in her arms to store away in the closet. She then turned her head in the area of the room where her granddaughter resided. 

Grace, who was sitting in her seat at the corner table, waiting for her parents to finish up to go home, resulted in shredding up her used napkin unenthusiastically to pass the time. 

The older woman tried to engage with the seven-year old, “Grace, you want to do a very special job for me?” The girl’s eyes slowly raised up from her activity downwards to her grandmother. Once Maggie knew that she had her attention she posed a question, hoping it would lift Grace’s spirits. “Can you run into the kitchen and grab the plate of chocolate chip cookies to wrap up? I think Sister Clarissa left some extra in there.” She winked, hoping Grace would take that as an excuse to snag another cookie. 

“Sure thing, Grandma!” Before she knew it, Grace was gone in a blink of an eye and quickly scurried to the kitchen. 

Matt shook his head disagreeably to himself tying up his now full trash bag, his efforts trying to wean his mother from offering his daughter sweets as a bartering tool was so far unsuccessful. He could hear Grace eating one, no wait, now two cookies thinking she was getting away with it. “Mom, we talked about this.”

Maggie hummed as if she didn’t know what he was referring to, “I don’t recall such a conversation,” she raised an eyebrow smugly. 

Karen then chimed in, “Oh, let it go, honey. Your mother means well.” Maggie smiled, glad she had Karen on her side. Matt huffed, coming to terms that he really was outnumbered - this was not some court case where he could make his argument win by using logic.  

Grace suddenly burst through the door. “Here they are, Grandma!” She grinned, proudly displaying the ceramic platter of cookies above her head, almost losing her balance as she opened the swinging door with her hip since her hands were quite full. 

“Thank you, my dear,” Maggie took the load from her granddaughter and set it carefully on the table. She then looked around, inspecting the scene - Karen had sealed up all of the food, Matt had taken two bags of trash outside to the dumpster, and she was on her last table of breaking down chairs. “Looks like most of our work here is done, I appreciate all your help, but you guys are fine to go if you want,” she dismissed them, content with their clean up efforts. 

Grace lit up from the good news and twirled around excitedly, “Yay, finally!”, gearing up to go home, she rushed back to her seat to grab her pink puffy coat and slipped both arms in, then marched to the back door that led out to the side street. She stopped in her tracks at the threshold and flicked her head back, noticing that none of her parents were following suit. “Come on, slow pokes, let’s go” she ordered, stomping one foot firmly in irritation and gesturing over her shoulder to the door. 

Karen took a couple steps forward to stand next to Matt and put both hands on her hips. “Grace,” she said frankly then paused, giving her daughter a chance to calm down. “What if we practiced your flower girl walk before we head out? I mean we have a perfectly good aisle right out there?” Karen nodded her head to the pews in the opposite direction where Grace was heading. 

“Sounds like a great idea to me,” Matt added, leaning against the cane in his hands, hopefully his agreement to his wife’s suggestion would convince Grace to stay. He wasn’t in the know on Karen's plan until now, but he ultimately thought it would do her some good. His daughter’s tendency to over complicate and stress over the unknown could be put to rest and calm her wedding jitters which had been the cause of many nights returning from patrol feeling bad for his daughter tossing and turning restlessly in her sleep. 

She contemplated it for a minute, even though Grace had been set on leaving as soon as possible, the idea of having her family help her perfect her flower girl walk outweighed the want to curl up on the couch and watch TV until her bedtime. 

She bowed her head and drew in a sharp breath, “Ugh, ok” she responded begrudgingly, taking off her coat and tossing it over her shoulder as she dragged her feet past her parents and to the door that led out to the pews. 

Both parents smiled to each other out of relief and grabbed each other’s hand to catch up to their daughter. 

Grace stood alone at the beginning of the aisle, her eyes widened feeling daunted by the large span of length between her and her father who was standing at the end playing the role of the groom. Her breaths hiked up, imagining the pews full of strangers with all eyes on her. Matt picked up on the wave of uneasiness that took over the previous calm, collected, and semi-tiresome girl. “It’s okay, Gracie, just take a deep breath and walk slowly over to me. Just keep your focus on me and you’ll be fine - I swear,” he assured affectionately. She followed his instructions and drew a large breath in and tucked both sides of her hair behind her ears before exhaling. “Ready whenever you are, sweetheart,” Karen cheered on from her seat halfway down the aisle and gave a reassuring thumbs up.

Now feeling confident enough to begin, she lifted her right foot up to take her first step down the narrow path, but suddenly heard a voice calling out in the distance - “Wait, wait, wait!” It was Maggie who was approaching with a large yellow salad bowl cupped in her hands. As she neared her Granddaughter, Grace peaked inside, unable to contain her curiosity. During her inspection, she scrutinized the twenty or so wadded up pieces of newspaper which jostled inside. 

Maggie detected the overwhelmingly confused look on her face, “They’re fake ‘flowers’ for you to practice your rhythm throwing them down the aisle,” she flashed an encouraging smile. 

“Uh,” Grace hesitantly picked one crumpled paper ball up and felt the jagged edges in her hand, “thanks,” she then took the bowl and resumed her position, pivoting to face her father. 

Sliding into a pew towards the back, Maggie took a moment to relax and watched the scene unfold before her in admiration. Karen too was also just a mere observer in her seat down the aisle as she had no part to play in this made up wedding scenario. Shifting her gaze back and forth from her daughter slowly striding down the way and dispersing newspaper pieces which littered the floor to her husband who looked so handsome standing there in his fitted jeans and blueish gray plaid flannel. She could tell Matt recognized her affectionately eyeing him up and down, so he flashed a charming smile her way that made her weak in the knees. She chuckled to herself, allowing herself to zone out by getting lost in her own distractions. 

“Mom! What’s wrong, why are you laughing?” Grace was about to walk by her mother and thought the reason behind Karen’s laughter was her fault as her self consciousness took over. Karen’s composure did a 180 and regained seriousness, not wanting her daughter to take anything the wrong way. “Oh, no sweetheart. You’re doing awesome, daddy just made me laugh, not you.” She vouched, placing both her hands securely on her daughter’s shoulders, soothing Grace’s distress, which seemed to be working. “So sorry, keep going, baby.” 

Just like that Grace’s first attempt was complete and she was rewarded with an eager high five from her father. “Ok, I want to do that again, I think I need to go slower this time,” she was set on perfection and marched back to where Maggie was stationed, collecting the trail of paper back in the bowl as she ascended upwards. 

Matt shrugged, perplexed why the first go around wasn’t sufficient enough, wanting to head home himself as it was nearing sundown and he had planned to do some routine surveillance tonight. 

Karen picked up on this. “Be patient, let her go again all she wants, you don’t want her stressed at the wedding,” she sighed, “trust me because it will most likely be you she’d want dealing with it.” Karen whispered to herself for only Matt to hear. He rolled his eyes in reluctant agreement and fixed up his posture, readying himself for round two.   

The second go around went much smoother, largely due to the absence of interruptions from the audience. This time Karen fell silent but not as a result of focus on her daughter, instead her mind drifted off into a fond memory. One which was triggered by the vibrant hues of color which seeped through the stained glass windows as the sun set against the churches’ walls. Blinking from the harsh beams of light, she was suddenly transported back in time to nine years ago; however it felt like only yesterday, where she herself was walking down the very same aisle with an absolutely radiating Matt waiting until the distance between them was negligible. Everyone’s eyes were on her as a hush fell over the crowd when the church doors opened and she began to walk inside. She was focused on her soon to be husband who had cocked his head and smiled.  Matt standing there breathless, overwhelmed by her presence with his senses going into hyperdrive. 

Tears began to well up in her eyes forcing the vivid daydream to turn into a blurring watercolor painting in which all the colors bled together until it was abandoned. She snapped back into reality. A trail of stray tears fell from her face which she dabbed with the sleeve of her white knit sweater, trying to mask the flood of emotions that had just washed over her. 

“Are you ok, mommy?” Grace asked, noticing her mother crying from the corner of her eye while bending over to pick up a piece of paper that fell by her seat. In a moment's notice, Matt was by her side sporting a furrowed brow out of concern. 

“Karen, what’s wrong?” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes in an effort to resume back to her normal self, “It’s okay, I’m all good,” she unsuccessfully convinced her family before standing up to her feet. Matt took this as a sign and urged the two of them that it was about time to get going. He made a mental note to speak with Karen about it later. The Murdocks had made their way out after saying their farewells to Sister Maggie and went home to rest since they had a very big day tomorrow - well, at least some got more rest than others.

__________________________

“Um, hello, we are checking in for the night. Name should be under Murdock.” Matt leaned his cane up against the granite reception desk for a moment while he fished out his wallet from his jacket pocket and swiftly pulled out his ID. 

The Nelson family graciously reserved rooms for their guests since the wedding was somewhat out of town and it was extremely convenient as both the ceremony and the reception were held inside the hotel. When they officially RSVP'd through Theo and Becky’s wedding website, the thought never even crossed Karen’s mind to consider claiming a room with dual beds. She knew that there was absolutely no way that Grace would sleep alone with Matt and herself sleeping four feet away. A cute and snuggly intruder would without a doubt sneak in under their covers, so there was really no reason to deprive another party of more accommodations.

Somehow, out of sheer luck, the family of three had arrived late enough - but not too late where they'd miss the ceremony, that they were not bombarded by any of the wide brood of Nelson family members. Matt could hear the familiar muffled voices of Foggy’s family which carried through the walls of what had to be the ballroom down the hall. “No, no, no - that goes over there,” He smirked to himself upon realizing that Marci’s voice was reaching through over the others’. She was overzealously directing where decorations go while everyone else was in a frenzy putting the final touches on the table settings. His facial expression subsided when the receptionist timidly placed the room key card in Matt’s hand that rested on the counter.

With a chime of an elevator ding, the Murdocks were up and on their way to their room. Grace was actively taking it all in, technically it was her first time spent out of Hell’s Kitchen and in a hotel. The farthest she’s ever been away from her own bed would be the Nelson’s apartment during countless sleepovers with Preston which occur more often than not, since both couples had an agreement to take in the kids when the other needed some childfree alone time. 

During the ride up, Grace was practically vibrating with anticipation unable to contain herself. Karen scoffed amusingly and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder trying to suppress the ball of energy that resided inside her. To her dismay, her attempt was unfortunately thwarted as soon as the doors automatically slid open and Grace bolted ahead blissfully unaware of where she was even going.

“Left!” Karen's voice echoed through the long corridor as she caught a glimpse of Grace approaching the fork in the hallway. Before she turned the corner, the last thing Karen saw was Mr. Monkey peeking out of the haphazardly zipped book bag that bounced carelessly on her back.  

Since they were staying just for one night, only one suitcase accompanied them on their trip which Karen towed behind her, wheels smoothly rolling down the carpeted floors. Matt’s hand naturally found its way interlocking with his wife’s that was previously dormant at her side. They both walked content in each other’s company with their linked arms swinging back and forth “I think she may have passed our room,” Matt frankly remarked, giving her hand a small squeeze. Grace’s headway had slowed to a stop reaching the end of the hall where she was left motionless, curiously looking out the window in awe at the unfamiliar cityscape before her propped up against the window sill. 

Karen didn't answer as she was deeply focused on scanning the room signs which she counted silently in her head until they found their destination. “321, 323, 325 - here we are!” The wheels of the suitcase squeaked to a halt which caused Grace to snap her head back down the hall to where her parents stood. “Honey, over here. We’ve got to get ready, don’t want to be late.” The insistent tone of her mother motivated Grace to cease her gazing wonderment and retreat, backtracking her steps to enter the threshold of the doorway after her father had swiped the card in the reader. 

Harsh cleaning chemicals and remnants of detergent wafted through the air and escaped into the hall. Matt took a moment hoping it would dissipate, but he was knocked off balance and stumbled into the room as Grace recklessly ran through his legs and crashed landed right on top of the mattress. “This is totally awesome!” she proclaimed after falling into the comforter which engulfed her like a cloud. 

Karen checked her watch, noticing the time. “Ok,” she clapped, “let’s start getting ready, we need to get the both of you down in half an hour,” she urged, trying her best to keep them on schedule as a result of their untimely arrival. The wedding party had to convene before the other guests were expected to take their seats to take pictures outside in the quaint garden. Mother and daughter quickly took over the single yet spacious restroom to start their prep work. Matt didn’t have too much to do besides get changed which he did first and then spent the remaining time relaxing on the armchair that sat by the window, soaking up the warm rays that hit his face as he waited for his girls.

“Ouch, mom that hurt!” Apparently Grace’s new haircut, even with its shorter length, was just as wild to comb through as before. It was quite entertaining listening to Karen trying to detangle the knotted jungle that was their daughter’s hair. Matt smirked as he played with the cufflinks that his mother had gifted to him on their first Christmas together after being reunited. They were once his father’s which she had kept as a reminder of the life she had left behind, but felt it fitting to pass them down to her son to carry a piece of Jack with him. They were red opals with gold trim that he had purchased after his first big win in the ring right after him and Maggie had wed. Matt only broke them out on special occasions, not wanting to scuff them up or potentially lose them.

Twenty-five minutes later the bathroom door flung open and he breathed out a sharp sigh of relief before rising up from the chair. He noticed a slight variation in the air which had to be from Grace’s persistent twirling, she was quite fond of her new dress. “Look daddy, I’m a fairy princess!” She climbed up on the bed and jumped off into her father’s arms - one’s which would always catch her. 

“You clean up nice, Mr. Murdock,” his wife coyly remarked. Her heart had skipped a beat when she first saw him in his dapper black three piece suit beaming in the sunlight. After setting Grace back on the carpet, he met her gaze, “Why thank you, my dear, but I’m sure it will be you turning all the heads tonight, Mrs. Murdock.” He smoothly shot the compliment right back at her, rubbing his fingers on the lacy fabric of her dress sleeves . 

A smile tugged at Karen’s face. She was enjoying the moment so much that she had no words to reciprocate, especially since the words she wanted to say couldn't necessarily be said among the presence of smaller ears which were definitely listening. Instead, she decisively gave Matt’s bow tie a firm yank to securely cling it around his neck which also acted as an excuse to pull him in for a quick peck on the lips. Afterwards she adjusted the tie in the slightest manner to straighten it out, leaving her final touch on his look as if leaving her signature on a piece of artwork. She had a tendency of leaving him breathless. 

Suddenly, all heads were turned at an alarming and tenacious series of knocks on their door. “Murdock, you in there buddy?” It was Foggy, most likely picking up Matt and Grace to start heading outside. 

Karen smoothed down the wrinkles in Grace’s dress that had come forth from her twirling show the best she could and ran her fingers once more through her hair to tame it as a last ditch effort. Rushing out the door, Matt took hold of his daughter’s hand and followed his best friend down the hall. “Don’t let her get her dress dirty before the ceremony, Matt!” Karen poked her head out the door announcing the request to her husband while putting her earrings in - she still had to finish getting ready herself, but thankfully she had more time to spare before heading downstairs, so she hopped in the shower. 

The photography session went without a hitch, at least as well as it could. Since the wedding party was on the smaller side - 8 in total including the bride, groom and the kids, the photographer took advantage of everyone’s cooperation and reduced pictures to a half an hour. 

During that time there was only one close call even with Matt’s watchful ‘eye’. He was standing in line with the Foggy and Theo for a guys only shot in front of a roaring fountain that sat in the center of the garden grounds. The rushing water behind him acted like static that dampened his surroundings. After they had taken about ten shots until the photographer deemed she’d got something good enough to work with, he put some distance away from the fountain in haste, which his ears had thanked him for. 

While making his way back to the group, his senses finally returning to normal, he was caught off guard when he recognized his daughter gasping in an inhale through her teeth. Herself and Preston had been chasing each other around the grounds to pass the time and overcome their boredom which was exponentially increasing while waiting around for the adults to be done. Her heart was racing from the thrill and joy of playing with her best friend, but in a moment's notice it halted for a brief instant. Matt immediately sprinted to her side. Before Grace could even realize that she was falling from tripping over a loose stone below her feet with a trajectory straight into the soil patch around a plot of roses, she was scooped up in her father’s arms. 

Holding his daughter close, he noticed everyone’s gaze on him. They all stood in shock after witnessing a blind man come out of nowhere and save his daughter from falling. To everyone, except for Foggy of course, it was a miraculous feat. He stood like a deer in headlights, sweating nervously, trying to think of an explanation to give. 

“Wow, Matt! That was so lucky. Thank God you were so close by when that happened.” Matt smiled sheepishly and loosened his tie, allowing him more room to breathe, as his faithful friend saved the day. He could always count on Foggy to come through. “A father’s instinct- strong with this guy, blindness can’t even stop that,” he playfully nudged Matt with his elbow in the chest. The other’s seemed to go along with it and eventually brushed it off resuming with the shot of Becky, the maid of honor - her sister Nicole, and Rebecca - her best friend from college as her bridesmaid at the fountain. 

Wiping the sweat that formed on his brow, he was relieved to dodge what would have been a rather uncomfortable situation. “Daddy, put me down!” Grace protested, Matt almost forgot that she had been in his arms until she spoke up and started squirming sporadically. 

“Ooof, ok, you're getting too heavy anyways,” he sarcastically exaggerated as he lowered her to the grass below. Karen better thank me for this later , he thought to himself after fulfilling her wishes and almost making the wedding party suspicious of his blindness to do all he could so that Grace wouldn’t ruin her outfit before the ceremony. 

__________________________

When the time had come for the wedding guests to start flowing in to take their seats, Karen felt somewhat off, like a piece of her was missing without Matt at her side. They had been married for a little over nine years now and she had become so accustomed to have him in such close proximity arm in arm together, but alas he had other obligations that stole him away from her. A hint of jealousy sprouted from knowing that their daughter was with him as well, so she was completely alone. Her intrusive thoughts were soon eradicated upon seeing a familiar face. “Hey, Karen. Over here!” Marci waved and signaled her over. Karen smiled and headed to the second row on the right then schooched in, sticking close to the aisle. She instantly felt more at peace while chatting with Marci who was in the exact same situation as her with both Foggy and Preston away. 

The crowd abruptly came to a hush as the double doors closed behind them and soft piano music started to fill the grand hall. Karen and Marci turned their heads in sync, following their gaze on Theo who came from a back door and stood alone under the archway that had been decorated with white roses and green foliage finely twisted around the centerpiece with vines. He had been awkwardly standing there for a couple minutes and bouncing his leg restlessly from the anticipation of seeing his bride enter through the double doors that acted as a barrier to the next stage of his life. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of nerves he must have been feeling being the center of attention for the time being. 

Ten minutes had passed and Karen suspiciously flicked her head back, wondering what was going on that could possibly be holding up the ceremony - hoping and praying that it wasn’t her daughter. At times like this she wished that she possessed Matt’s abilities and could listen in to what was happening behind closed doors. She then shuttered at the thought knowing how much of a burden it was to bear just from second hand experience from being with Matt all these years. 

Thankfully, what was the speculation of Karen’s worry was not the case. Becky and the rest of the girls were holed up in the bathroom in a frantic attempt to fix her veil that had regrettably gotten torn on the metal posts of the gate that lead out of the garden. That left Matt, Foggy, Preston and Grace who were passing the time waiting in the lobby for the women to return. Foggy kept checking his phone looking at the screen for the time and answering the persistent texts from Marci inquiring about the situation.

“The girls are getting restless, it seems like there is plenty of gossip going around from people speculating. So far the top one is that Becky’s got cold feet. Preposterous!” Foggy shared the updates from his wife as soon as they came in to Matt who sat by his side. “I should go in there and reassure Theo, I bet he’s going crazy!” Foggy went to stand fired up in frustration, but was firmly pulled back down by his friend. “No Fogs, don’t do that. If you do then that will give people false hope that the wedding is going to start if they see the best man walk down the aisle.”

Matt could tell that Foggy was in deep contemplation by his advice. “Are they still trying to fix the veil?” Foggy asked, relying on Matt's senses to spy and give a progress update to ease his worries. Matt shifted in his seat and tilted his head to one side, perking up his ears to hone in. “Yes, but they’re close. Rebecca just returned with a sewing kit,” Matt confidently disclosed. 

A heavy sigh escaped Foggy’s lungs, “Ugh okay, I guess we can wait, if it’s not going to be that much longer,” he said, fiddling with his corsage, slumped on the couch. 

Grace and Preston kept to themselves a few feet away. Preston, who sprawled out on the tiled floor, mindlessly twisted the tassels on the pillow that would carry the ring in his fingers - the ring which Foggy kept in his suit pocket for safekeeping to guarantee that his son wouldn’t lose it before needing to transport it down the aisle. Grace, however, wasn’t as calm as her father and Preston were. In fact, she had been feeding off her Uncle Foggy’s apprehensiveness. Pacing back and forth in the lobby, shoes squeaking with each pivot, swinging her flower basket back and forth, worry was gnawing away at her. Even with the practice rounds under her belt, she took this extra time waiting to overthink every little detail. 

It was hard for Matt to ignore his daughter any longer now that he was done consoling Foggy. “Grace, sweetie, come here,” he softly tapped the arm of the couch. She grudgingly came forth and was promptly pulled up into her father’s lap. “You got this, kiddo,” he soothingly kissed the top of her head, “just remember what we practiced. I will be right there waiting for you and Preston will be following close behind. Plus, when you’re done you get to go sit with mom for the rest of the ceremony.” Matt knew that she was missing Karen from being apart for so long and hoped that the friendly reminder of her support system would lift her spirits.

“Yeah, I guess,” Grace unconvincingly admitted with a huff and leaned her head back into his shoulders. 

As a last result he decided to barter and offer her something that his wife would not condone, but she wasn’t here at the moment. “Hey,” he whispered in her ear so that Preston wouldn’t overhear, “no matter what happens, after this is all over you can eat as much dessert as you want, I promise.” He truly was his mother’s son, feeling hypocritical after just shaming Sister Maggie for doing the same thing last night. “But, truly there is nothing to worry about, it’s going to go great.”

Grace perked up, thinking of all the cake, pie and cookies that she was going to get her hands on later in the night. Just as she was about to confidently reply that she was ready to go in there and do her job, Matt whipped his head behind him “They’re coming.” Just like that Becky, Nicole and Rebecca zipped down the corridor, heels clicking, with a patched up veil in hand elegantly floating behind the bride being supported by the other two women.  

“Sorry about that, guys. We are all good now. Thanks for being so patient,” Becky confessed, in a frantic tone. She was clearly stressed out from that little hiccup, but she persisted nonetheless. Matt, Foggy and the kids bolted up to attention. Feeling pressed for time, they each took their child’s hand and allowed the bride to lead the way.

Behind the very same closed doors that Karen and the rest of the guests had been so intently focused on, the wedding party was lined up in their positions awaiting the wedding march to sound. Matt was second from the front of the train paired up with Rebbeca, who was a nice person from the short amount of time he had gotten to know her, but it was apparent that he’d rather have Karen at his side. He exhaled in dismay, thinking to himself that he’d have to wait until after the ceremony where he could finally not have an excuse to hold his wife close for the rest of the night. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting any longer, Foggy was given a thumbs up from Becky to queue up the music and open the doors. 

Silence fell over the restless crowd and Theo’s composure did a 180. He looked up with pure excitement and affection, craning his neck and peering his eyes to get a glimpse of his beautiful bride. Foggy and Nicole lead the procession, falling in step with the music. A moment later, it was Matt and Rebecca’s turn to make their way down the aisle. Once in the room, he tuned out Rebecca’s over excited thumping pulse and sharpened his senses onto Karen whose heart began to flutter upon watching her husband stride down with such poise and allure. He flashed a smug smile as he passed his wife. “Ok hot stuff, save some of that Murdock charm for later,” she giggled under her breath. 

Parting from Rebecca, he veered off to the right and settled into his final post adjacent to Foggy. Gasps echoed around the room, as the music had become louder and more emphasized, alluding to the bride’s upcoming appearance. But first it was time for the flower girl to shine. When the doors opened in front of the seven-year-old, indicating her release, her eyes expanded in bewilderment at the sight of the hundred or so heads pointed in her direction, she was startled frozen in place. Come on, sweetheart , you can do this, Karen contemplated going up there and alleviating the situation. However she didn’t have to, as Preston surprisingly stepped up to the plate and gave her daughter a comforting hug and what had to be some words of encouragement. 

“We can go down together if you want?” Preston thoughtfully offered with an encouraging grin, as he pulled away from the embrace. She simply nodded and reached for his hand in solace. The flower girl and ring bearer took their first step in unison through the threshold and beamed to the adoring crowd. Grace was the first one to let go of his grip, remembering that she had to delicately sprinkle the white rose petals down the aisle. 

Sticking to the overall plan, by keeping all focus on her father ahead of her helped immensely. He was her beacon in the sea of unfamiliar faces. Finally reaching the end, she stood obediently by Matt, looking up for his approval which was granted in the form a sly low five. She then waited for Preston to deposit the rings to the officiant and the two of them were dismissed and were on their merry way to their mothers who welcomed them with open arms and laps. “I’m so proud of you, baby,” Karen kissed Grace’s forehead. 

The hard part was done - at least in Grace’s mind - so she sat back and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the rest of the ceremony. Watching in awe as Becky elegantly glided down the aisle with ease and radiance, she knew that this wedding was something she’d never forget. 

__________________________

After a delectable dinner of either salmon, steak, or chicken fingers in the case for the kids meal, the DJ had been pumping out upbeat party music which had gotten many people on the dance floor. None of those however included Matt Murdock. No amount of alcohol could convince the intrepid blind lawyer that he had enough faith in his dancing skills or lack thereof to ‘tear it up’ on the dance floor. Plus Matt was taking it slow with the drinks, limiting himself to only two, since he still had a seven-year-old who was having the time of her life wreaking havoc with Preston and his cousins under his supervision. No matter how hard his wife begged, and pleaded, pulling his arm to the point where it would dislocate to the direction of the conga line which snaked around the room, he wouldn’t budge and firmly planted himself in his seat with an unamused expression. Matt felt more comfortable fulfilling the role of a watchful observer rather than making a fool of himself trying to attempt to possess rhythm. 

As the evening progressed, the music choices fortunately shifted to Matt’s relief. The DJ decided it was time to slow things down, which was more in his area of expertise. 

“May I have this dance?” he pushed his chair in towards the table and bowed, shortly after offering his hand out to his wife. “Why of course,” Karen followed his ruse, giddily biting her lip in delight.

The couple were found swaying in each other’s arms to the melodic slow tune that had washed over the banquet hall like the tide. Feeling at peace in each other’s company, the world around them began to shrink until it was a bubble engulfing just them two. Karen instinctively wrapped her arms around Matt’s neck and rested her head on his broad shoulder. Matt took the opportunity to pull her in closer, as he firmly latched  himself behind her waist and relaxed his clasped hands on the small of her back. 

Karen closed her eyes and was suddenly lost in the soothing sound of his heartbeat that lulled her into a trance. She envied that he got to listen in to hers all the time, which made intimate moments like these so cherished. For a second she didn’t register that Matt was speaking to her. 

“For the short amount of time they had to plan and put this wedding together, it ended up exceeding my expectations. The Nelson’s really knocked it out of the park,” he confessed, truly enjoying his time so far. 

“Hmm, oh yeah,” Karen responded in a daze. 

He took her short response as a sign to let them return to enjoying their moment in silence, so they continued softly rocking in a sea of tranquility. The song had ended, however the next was something similar and did not interrupt their flow. Karen was not aware yet, but something was stuck on Matt’s mind from yesterday at the church. This may not be the best time, but it was eating at him and he couldn’t keep it in any longer. 

“Honey?” he shifted his posture upwards, clearing his throat, “Can I ask you a question?”

She noticed his change in tone, but ultimately brushed it off, “Mmm huh, what is it?” nodding. 

He took one hand off her lower back and stroked her hair, which caused her to purse her lips in a smile that gave himself the confidence he needed to pose his question. “I can’t stop thinking about last night during Grace’s practice sessions,” he paused, trying to think of how he could dance around the topic so as to not upset her, but decided to just go with the more direct route, “...and you in tears.” 

She cringed, thinking back to that emotional outburst, and guiltily ducked her head in Matt’s chest, as to hide away from the shame. He tightened up, unsure how to approach it any further, feeling his wife’s cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

After collecting herself, she lifted her head up ready to face him eye to eye. She let out a deep breath calming her nerves. “Oh that,” she started twisting her wedding ring around her finger subliminally behind his head, “I was just remembering our wedding day and seeing you there standing in the same exact spot brought me back. I guess I was just so over sensitive that the tears started flowing uncontrollably.”

Matt let himself take in her confession, which in no way was what he was expecting - his mind went to the worst case scenario figuring that something was troubling her, so he was relieved that was not the case. 

“Oh sweetie,” Matt kissed her forehead, “you don’t need to apologize, that is such a thoughtful sentiment, I love that… and I love you even more so.”

Karen allowed herself to stifle a humbling laugh before reciprocating the kiss, but this time going in to capture his lips in desperation. 

“Actually,” she added as they parted, “It got me thinking…do you think it would be a good idea to have a vow renewal ceremony? I mean something small of course, but next year will be our tenth anniversary, which is a pretty notable milestone, and-” she was cut off as Matt picked her up and spun her around in the air.

“I think that is a wonderful idea, you are amazing, I love it!” Matt excitedly loudly proclaimed. Needless to say it was apparent that he was fully on board with her plan. It was obvious to the crowd too. He promptly put her down sensing that most gazes were on them after making quite the scene in the middle of the dance floor. 

Matt laughed nervously, attempting to ease the tension, but focused his attention back on Karen. “You know what, I think I know a perfect little girl who’d love to be a part of the ceremony too” he smugly led on, raising a quizzical brow. 

“Speaking of the devil,” she eyed him speculatively, “I haven’t seen her running around here lately, you got a location on her?” she proposed, surveying the room for a flash of glow sticks racing out of the corner of her eye, which all the kids were wearing.

Matt perked his head out and scanned the area, “Oh, ok, I got her,” he stated confidently once picking up on their daughter’s position , “she’s in the other room at the dessert table stuffing her face with cake and cookies. Seemingly all the kids are all hyped up on sugar and are planning to play hide and seek.”

“Great,” she irritably huffed in Matt’s shoulder, “that’s just what we need. She’s on a sugar rush and now it’s going to be impossible to get her to bed.” Karen was initially not looking forward to ending the night with the only reason being having to stop dancing in Matt’s arms, but now she was dreading dealing with a sporadic seven-year-old past her bedtime. 

“No worries, honey, I’m on it.” Matt assured, kissing her temple. He felt heroic taking on the burden of the tough task to appease his wife; however, he strategically failed to mention that he was indeed the one who allowed their daughter to go crazy at the dessert table in the first place…some secrets were worth keeping.

Chapter Text

Trudging through the sea of scattered leaves that blanketed the sidewalks of Hell’s Kitchen, Matt was enjoying the last warm day of autumn before temperatures started to take a plunge. The trees were now bare, a true tell by Matt from registering that the crisp leaves were rustling below his feet instead of from branches above. It was a radiant seventy five degrees outside and not a cloud in the sky on an early November day. The wind was rather blustery, causing the occasional leaf to be picked up and brush across his face with a sporadic gust of wind; however, he did not allow that to dampen his mood. It was Matt’s day to pick up Grace from school, since Karen was working late conducting interviews with some acquaintances of the target of interest in her investigation. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, he ultimately decided to forgo the cab ride and walk home with his daughter instead. 

“Honey, stay close,” the concerned father exclaimed to his seven-year-old daughter who strayed a couple of feet too far away from comfort. She was wholeheartedly caught up in a game of her own imagination’s design - one which consisted of treating clumps of crisp leaves as hopscotch squares on the pavement. The crackling of leaves echoed through the street and accompanied her giddy laughter which fell quiet after jumping one final time, obeying her father as she scurried back to him. 

As a peace offering to appease her troubles, Matt handed over a large red slushy that he had been carrying while she played. They had purchased it as an after school treat from their favorite bodega which was conveniently stationed halfway on their way home from school. “You want your slurpee back?” He shook the paper cup slightly with the contents inside sloshing around the walls on the verge of melting from the time spent stagnant in the heat. “Yes please!” She eagerly snatched it out of his grip and began happily sipping the frosty beverage loudly through the straw with a grin growing on her face. The sweet cherry syrup was undoubtedly staining her lips, teeth, and tongue deep red which she surprisingly finished in record time. He halted under the awning of a newsstand, sensing his daughter tense up. 

“Ow-” her nose and forehead crinkled simultaneously in discomfort, “Brain freeze,” she painstakingly stated with squinted eyes, trying to pull through the moderate inconvenience. 

Matt snickered unobtrusively, but soon afterwards rubbed her shoulder to ease her brief stint of suffering, hoping she’d learn the important life lesson to take her time and enjoy things in moderation.  

Her headache passed only after needing a minute or two to recover. “All done,” she had returned to her normal bubbly self and proudly raised the now empty cup above her head to showcase her latest achievement. 

“Ok little miss-world-record, let’s get you home.” Matt nudged her forward, ushering them back onto the open sidewalk. Just as the duo was about to make their first step out from under the shady covering, he hastily grabbed her left wrist which was swinging by her side and reeled her to the other side of the path behind him. He had successfully re-adjusted her course to avoid a near collision with a runner who had turned the corner too fast to recognize the additional bodies suddenly emerging. 

The runner continued their trek after spouting a quick apology in passing, but the newspaper stand shopkeeper stood there with his mouth dropped in awe, wonderstruck after witnessing what had miraculously happened. He failed to notice the handful of tabloids which had slipped out of his hands and fallen onto the pavement. Grace, however, did and turned around to collect the loose disarrayed pages in a neat pile before offering them back to the man. “Here you go, sir,” she stated politely. 

Matt was taken aback by his daughter’s act of kindness, Karen and him had raised such a thoughtful and well mannered little girl. The shopkeep snapped out of his astonishment and directed his gaze downwards at the child looking up at him with a glint in her eye. Matt released a huff of air out in relief. His daughter had broken any train of thought the man had been rationalizing the disputable fast reflex attributes of a blind man. Taking the magazines from Grace with an appreciative smile, he thanked her and turned around to place them back in their display which he’d been restocking. Front and center displayed on the cover was the bold red headline reading - ‘Daredevil strikes again! Sources suggest incoming induction into the Avengers’ with a blurry photograph shot on a phone of the costumed horned figure bounding across a rooftop in the middle of the night. If Matt was blessed with sight and was able to see the wall of tabloids adorned with his image selling like hot cakes, he’d surely scoff at the blatantly false statement and the unflattering picture which accompanied it. 

The journey continued on and their walk slipped back into normalcy after that exciting bout. Grace had cautiously stuck close to her father, and remained nearby for the rest of the time - on guard for another close encounter; however, her watchful disposition wasn’t all for naught. As they neared the apartment building, she yelped as a flying object whizzed past. Out of pure instinct, Grace ducked down and pulled her father with her. In his crouched position, Matt appreciated the thoughtful consideration of his daughter looking out for him, but he was well aware of the ball that had been hit by five boys playing a game of baseball in the alleyway next to their building complex. Unlike his daughter, Matt had shown absolutely no reaction. This was partly due to keeping up with appearance in public (not wanting to repeat what had occurred only but fifteen minutes ago with the jogger), but also he confidently anticipated that there was a negligible chance that they’d be considered targets. Sure, the ball was in decent proximity to the duo; however, a gust of wind had blown the ball off course about ten feet to the right of their heads, which was something that his daughter had largely misjudged. 

“Whew, that was close,” Grace admitted while rising back upwards from her hunched position. She slicked her hair back with her sticky, red slurpee stained fingers in an attempt to straighten out and fix the knotted mess of brown locks strewn across her face from mother nature’s windy disturbance.

Following suit, Matt brushed off the top of his head as well, “Quick thinking, sweetheart, I think you saved us!,” he gave her many thanks which filled her with self pride as she shyly smiled at the compliments that her father was showering her with. “I think it’s due time we head inside, don’t you think?” He gestured his arm outwards, not wanting to wait any longer and be caught up in another violent breeze. 

Grace assertively grabbed hold of her father’s coarse hand, one still healing from bruises acquired from last night’s illicit activities, and they safely crossed the street. After making it to the other side, just before reaching the steps into the entrance doorway, Grace caught a glimpse of the source of the projectile. Out of the corner of her eye, Grace acknowledged the boys who were a couple years older than her from their apartment complex and some others from the neighboring building who were resuming their game of baseball in the alley. She stared at them, peeved at their blatant lack of respect for the safety of others; however, on the other hand, she couldn’t quite help but wish to be included in the fun they were having from the sounds of laughter that bounced off the brick and mortar walls. 

“What’s for dinner?” Grace, evidently ravenous, had inquired as soon as they entered the apartment. “Where’s mom? Do you want to play go-fish? Can I have a popsicle?” Matt hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to take off his shoes and coat yet before he was bombarded by her relentless inquiries. Just as fast as she was asking, he had fired answers back to quiet her restless mind. “Mom will be back in an hour or so, she’s going to bring subs back from the deli uptown. And, no, you cannot have a popsicle now - we don’t want to ruin your dinner. Also, go-fish will have to wait after you complete your homework.” He was stern and direct with his words. Usually Grace was accustomed to getting on her father’s sweet side and having her wishes be granted, after all - she was a complete daddy’s girl. However, he had a long day at the office and did not want to be on the receiving end of his wife’s wrath if she discovered their daughter was not finished with her schoolwork upon her return.

Grace grunted while crossing her arms unamusingly. Her temper was crawling its way out of her skin as she stood staring at her father hoping he’d give in.“Okay, fine.” She stomped off to her room after realizing that he was not going to budge. 

He hated witnessing her upset at him, but understood that it was for the greater good and that she would warm back up to him in no time. Taking a seat on the couch, he pulled out his laptop from his messenger bag and popped in one earbud to start an episode of a true crime podcast that Karen had got him hooked on. Grace emerged from her room after twenty minutes, and seemingly her fit of grumpiness had surpassed. “Daddy, can you help me with my reading workbook?” She sat on her knees on the floor hunched over the booklet on the coffee table. Grace was an average reader, but she usually relied on parental assistance for help with some of the tougher words. Matt readily came to her aid as he closed his laptop and slid down from the couch onto the floor to a spot beside her. His closeness was encouraging and she smiled flipping the pages to the chapter she was assigned to read. 

Listening closely, he was fully engaged with the story of the unusual friendship between a brown bear and a blue bird on an adventure in the woods that his daughter read aloud - until it was his turn to help move the story along. Grace paused every so often upon approaching an unfamiliar word, looking to her father for help, she would spell out the word and Matt would use that and the context of the story to relay the correct pronunciation with an accompanying definition to solidify the new word in her vocabulary.  

As she continued to muster through the assignment, fingers tracing the surface of the bound pages following along with each sentence, Matt found himself drowning out the noise emanating from the carefree kids on the street below to direct his focus completely on her. The insistent sound resonating off the baseball bat was like clockwork, as it swung in the air colliding with the ball, but he effortlessly managed to brush it off as white noise. The same could not be said for his daughter who’s gaze strayed to the adjacent window in sync with each hit, causing both her inquisition and her heart rate to spike with interest. She finished her reading in a rush, eager to be done, and closed the booklet with pleasure. Grace couldn't shake off her impulse to join in on the game outside, deep in contemplation about asking her father for permission - unsure if it would be worth it or not. 

She summoned her last drop of confidence, rolling out her strained shoulders, and spoke out. “Da- daddy, can, can I,” she stammered then paused in deliberation, pondering if she should drop it. 

He raised his eyebrows in speculation, “Yes, honey?” he questioned while shifting his legs from under the table which were slowly becoming numb.

“Would it be ok if I played baseball with the kids downstairs?” There, she said it. No going back now. All that was left to do was to continue to hold her breath in anticipation. 

Matt hesitated, feeling his watch for the time, discovering that it was nearing five in the afternoon - which was when his wife was supposedly returning. Figuring it would be a while longer before dinner, he came to the conclusion that it would be best to let her get some energy out and enjoy the final day of nice weather, so he reluctantly agreed.  

“Yay! Thank you thank you thank you,” she clinged onto him, bursting out with excitement. In a flash, she bounded towards the front door, hastily struggling to put on her shoes while hopping on one foot. 

Matt got up and followed closely to supervise her departure. “Don’t forget your windbreaker-” he pulled off the small jacket off the coat peg and guided her arms into it- “And make sure your shoelaces are tight - wouldn’t want you tripping and missing out on a home run, now would we?” 

“Got it, dad,” she rolled her eyes infuriatingly, but ultimately heeded his advice and zipped the jacket up to her chest before turning her heels to the exit. With a sharp click of the latch of the door, followed by soft footsteps running down the steps, Grace was gone off on her merry way. 

Matt leaned with his back to the door, torn between falling into the couch resuming his podcast that was previously interrupted halfway through or tuning in to his daughter who he picked up on just now approaching the boys. Cocking his head in indecisiveness, his restless feet had the final say and decided for him. They carried the apprehensive father up the staircase and out the roof access hatch to get a clearer picture of the goings down below. 

Perching on the roof’s edge, keeping a stable stance in position right above the alleyway where the game was taking place, Matt tuned in to the conversation on the street beneath his feet.

Grace timidly walked over to the scene of the game, posing as an captivated observer at first, since the boys were in the middle of a run. However, when it was time for players to switch positions, she jumped at the opportunity to assert herself into joining in. 

“Excuse me, hey! Would it be okay if I played with you guys - please?” She had stepped off the sidewalk and entered the makeshift baseball diamond out of ragged towels acting as base plates on the alleyway pavement. The boys seemed to ignore her, as they did nothing to pause their conversations and movement. 

“Hello! Can you hear me!” This time she shouted and stomped her foot impatiently. Suddenly all backs which were previously facing her twisted around to investigate the disturbance clearly directed at them. Once all eyes were on her and mouths were shut silent, Grace let out a devious smile - she had successfully commanded their attention. 

The taller boy with messy black hair, who must have been the oldest, was the first to respond. He stepped off of the pitcher's plate and stubbornly made his way over to the small girl who had so rudely interrupted their game.

“What did you say?” the boy said with a snarl. He was so close, standing basically right over her that she could feel his heavy breath on her head. 

Grace gulped, teetering between showing her uneasiness or not letting her fear get the best of her. “I asked if I could play in your game. Can I please join you guys?” She stood her ground and remained polite even in the presence of the other kids’ harsh judgment and discrediting sneers. 

“You, play baseball with us? Hmpf, as is. Girls can’t play.” His sour words stung and left a bitter taint in the air as he bounced the bat that he had carried over with him into the palm of his hand in a threatening manner. 

Maybe the crude boy would think twice and change his degrading demeanor towards the young girl if he knew that her father aka Daredevil was listening in and a moment's notice away on the rooftop above. Up top, Matt curled his itching fingers, balling them up into fists to silence them in the shelter of his jacket pockets - gearing up to potentially intervene if things went south below. He knew all too well how cruel and spiteful little boys could be from his own experiences growing up in the orphanage. Some old wounds from his childhood were harder to heal than the physical ones he receives nightly dawning the horned cowl. 

He was about ready to catapult from the high elevation to settle the altercation and give them a stern talking to. He wouldn’t let anyone treat his little girl like that. 

“So you think a girl like me can’t keep up with you - let’s prove it then. Try me.” She forcibly took the wooden bat from his grip and huffed with agitation. 

Matt’s hands recoiled upon hearing his daughter’s courageous charge and felt relief wash over him which allowed him to relax and ease up. He cracked his neck, which began to grow tense from craning outwards. 

As Matt proudly witnessed the scene below, he almost missed his wife calling out his name from inside. Dumping a greasy brown paper bag of subs on the counter, she scanned the apartment, shocked to be welcomed home to an empty apartment. She had arrived home, albeit a tad later than expected, and dove straight into worry - wondering where both her husband and daughter were. ‘ They should've been home by now.’

Following her reporter’s inclination, Karen ventured up the roof access and was pleased to discover her husband posed with one foot stationed on the roof curb keenly peering out to the city on the horizon. She was still unaware of her daughter’s whereabouts as they had just missed each other in passing. 

Giving his wife the benefit of the doubt, he allowed her to ‘sneak’ up on him as he remained vigilant standing guard. She was unconvinced this was the case, knowing that his senses were too calibrated to dismiss her presence, but remained on a slow and steady path to Matt.  

“You managed to lose our daughter?” She whispered in his ear and joked after slipping her arms around him from behind. A thrill shot up his spine as she began to nuzzle her head in the crook of his neck. 

“You really have that little faith in me, Miss Page?” he questioned, not believing for a second of her underestimating his capabilities. 

“Not in the slightest,” she squeezed her arms tighter around his muscled torso, “But, really, what’s up. Where is she and why are you out here brooding?”

Clearing up his wife’s suspicions before she jumped to any more outlandish conclusions, he calmly explained the situation to her and confessed that he’d been watching over their daughter playing with the other local kids below and gave a recap of what had happened, catching her up to speed. 

“I am just making sure she’s ok down there,” he gave this weak excuse to justify his eavesdropping. She eventually released her arms and gave him room to breathe. 

Matt didn’t understand why his explanation induced a stifled laugh from her, but it did. “Oh my God. You are the textbook case of a helicopter parent. I mean come on, Matt, don’t you think you’re being somewhat overprotective here?”

Sure, to others, it could be considered atypical for a father to use his super hearing abilities to ‘spy’ on his kid, but he was just an overly concerned parent just looking out for his daughter’s well being. He did not find it comical when she went further and made the connecting observation that he had his own helicopter roof pad to assist in his endeavors. Deep in her rant, Karen began pacing back and forth on the roof’s surface, going on about establishing some boundaries for him and explaining the benefits of letting Grace learn how to navigate some of life’s problems by herself, but Matt wasn’t listening to absorb any of his wife’s suggestions. 

“Wait,” he hushed her from voicing her next emerging thought, recognizing that Grace was about to step up to the plate. 

Down below, Grace lifted the bat up with both hands in conviction, bent her knees and shifted her back until she felt comfortable in her stance. “Ready whenever you are,” she licked her lips, locking down the challenge with assertive glare at those who doubted her. 

“Sure thing, princess,” he scoffed. Committed to proving his point, the pitcher, who was the obvious ring leader of the group, kicked the leafs up from under his feet, leant down, wound up then fired off a speed ball. 

Letting out the shaky breath she was holding in to suppress her nerves along with a silent prayer, Grace pulled the bat back stout against her shoulder blade and let it loose as she swung with full force. 

She had closed her eyes mid swing in hopes that her skills and a sprinkle of blind luck would take over and carry her through. When she had opened them she looked to the sky, wondering how far she managed to hit it; however, to her dismay, her game of I-spy was abruptly interrupted by a forceful tap on her shoulder from behind. It was the catcher who directed her attention into the palm of his leather glove which had engulfed the baseball she thought she had knocked out of the park. 

Her facial features retracted as she discarded her revels in victory to let out a sorrowful pout, disappointed in her first effort to show these boys what she could really do. It did not help the matter that the team of bullies bursted out laughing in cahoots at her failed attempt. 

She gripped the bat tighter, feeling overwhelmingly suffocated by their antagonizations. Just as she was about to admit defeat and walk away from embarrassing herself yet again, she recalled something that her father had told her a while back - Murdocks often get knocked down, but they always find the strength to pick themselves back up. 

With his voice echoing these words of encouragement in her head, a raging fire began to light up inside her. Not letting the boy’s to get the best of her, she planted her feet firmly in determination as the loose asphalt settled underneath the soles of her tennis shoes. “Three strikes and I am out right?-” she fearlessly raised her head up to ask. With the confirmation of the pitcher’s single condescending nod, she made another bold statement-  “Then let’s go again.”

“You hear that boys? She wants another round. Better look alive for another strike out,” he sarcastically chastised upon receiving the ball from the catcher and throwing it up in the air a couple of times for good measure. 

If it weren’t for Karen reeling him in, Matt would be struggling to succumb to temptations and repel down the walls as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to give the little heathens a well needed lesson.  

‘Come on, baby, you can do this’ Matt sent out his well wishes into the wind that brushed across his lips as the ball left the pitcher’s glove once more. 

Heart pounding, tongue out in pure focus, she settled up to the plate once more. Learning from her previous mistakes, Grace made sure to keep her eye on the ball the entire time. Trusting her judgment she gave it all she had and released the bat.

Matt’s face lit up as the crack of the wood fibers splitting within the bat rang inside his ears upon impact. There was no doubt that it was a sure hit - dead on. “That’s my girl-” pumping his fist in triumph, he was ecstatic that she showed those kids up. “She did it!” he exclaimed, pride swelling out of his chest as he turned around and hugged his wife who reciprocated his joy. 

If only they could see their daughter’s eyes grow in amazement at her feat - widening almost at the same rate as the onlooking boys had gaped their mouths in awe as they twisted their necks to the sky following the trajectory. Grace was too shocked to start running to first base, her mind was so preoccupied with excitement that it was incapable of sending signals to her feet to move. 

Matt gritted his teeth in anticipation of hearing some disgruntled protests and claims of a lucky one time hit to dismiss his daughter’s achievements; however instead a loud shattering sound had pierced his senses like a knife.  

“Don't tell me,” Karen hissed, dreading to discover the truth of what was behind the sound that had shaken up most every witness outside. She didn’t need his confirmation to prove her deduction correct. But, it was always nice to be assured - the ball had indeed smashed straight through the window of an apartment in the adjacent building. 

Seconds later from the window shattering, Matt and Karen both jumped out of their skin at Grace’s blood curdling scream. “Daddy!” She had dropped the bat on the pavement and bolted so quickly that the boys hadn’t even had the chance to flee the scene to dodge the blame.

His wife patted him once on the back. “Smart of her to lawyer up,” she wistfully remarked with a smirk. He emitted a short reluctant sigh before both of them raced downstairs to intercept their frantic daughter. This was going to be an interesting conversation to approach their not-so-lucky neighbor about - although, nothing the auspicious duo of Matt and Karen Murdock couldn’t handle. 

Chapter Text

Throughout his lifetime, Matt Murdock had experienced a complicated relationship with Christmas. During his early childhood, when his father was still alive to celebrate with him, it was a holiday of pure joy. Jack didn’t have much - just getting by as a single father relying on his boxing career to make ends meet. However, he made an effort to save away a portion of his winnings each month to make Christmas special for his son. 

They’d go out to a tree farm and pick out the perfect Christmas tree to which they’d decorate with all the trimmings head to toe the day after Thanksgiving. Father and son were fond of baking sugar cookies in the shape of disproportionate snowmen, watching Christmas movies while sipping hot chocolate tucked away under mountains of blankets. However, the best part was on Christmas morning, after a fulfilling breakfast tradition of homemade waffles where Jack would sit on the couch with a parallel expression of pure joy while watching Matt’s reaction after opening the gift he had been asking for all year.

One year it had been a Radio Flyer wagon, another it was a new baseball bat and glove to replace the ones that had been worn down by many games of catch before the accident, until it had reached Matt’s final Christmas with his dad - one which he couldn't possibly realize would be the last - where Matt was left speechless upon tearing off the wrapping paper to find the entire set of his favorite sci-fi novel series printed in braille. 

The Christmases that followed the loss of his father were spent inside the stone walls of Saint Agnes. Unfortunately, during his stay, the spirit of the season had a lackluster effect on young Matt. The nuns had tried the best they could to spread the joy surrounding the holiday to the kids, but it wasn’t the same as when he had his dad around. In fact, Matt would isolate himself more during Christmas time in the orphanage since the bitter sting of recalling past memories with his father would encompass his thoughts. He and the other children would be blessed with a well deserved break from their theological studies and would be able to participate in holiday activities such as caroling, snowball fights outside, and helping cook their traditional Christmas feast- consisting of ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, and the coveted warm apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream. At the time, Matt was appreciative of what the orphanage had put together for the holiday and even more so for the small gift they’d give each child which he’d always look forward to, but nothing could replace the company of his father in their small yet cozy apartment. It wasn’t much that he had back then with Jack, but he’d give anything to get it back.

Later in life, after graduating college and settling into a place of his own, Matt grew into his own man which meant that he could make Christmas anything he wanted. Fortunately, he never had to spend it alone since meeting and instantly befriending Foggy at Columbia University. The Nelsons had welcomed him in with open arms during winter break his freshman year, and ever since he’d always had a family to spend the holidays with. He treasured how kind and accommodating Foggy’s family was. They made sure to include him in all the festivities which, by his sophomore year, they had presented him with his own pair of matching pajamas that all family members would wear on Christmas day to open presents. He felt so loved being surrounded by the Nelsons - sure, they were rather loud and slightly overwhelming due to their sheer numbers, which was not always easy on his senses; however, he’d never trade the warmth and joy he’d experience with them for the world. 

As time continued to march on, relationships and families grew, forcing Christmas to change and transform as a result, but in a good way. When both Foggy and Matt had started dating their wives, both Marci and Karen were happily extended the invitation. Mrs. Nelson had been overzealously eager to include both women in their family gathering, so much so that she made it her duty to make sure everything would be perfect for their first Nelson Christmas. It wasn’t hard to pick up on that she was not so secretly plotting and hoping that her boys would keep them around for many more Christmases. Luckily for her, that was exactly what had happened. She was honored that her son had deemed their celebration special enough during his fourth year of bringing Marci to take the next step and get down on one knee in front of the tree after everyone had opened their presents to propose. 

When Maggie had become more prevalent in his life, which was soon after the jarring revelation of her being his mother, she too had been invited to join the Nelsons’ celebration. However, she had graciously declined - not wanting to impose, figuring it was for the best to let him continue to have this special time with them. As a compromise, Matt had insisted on spending Christmas day with her - thus beginning their own Murdock tradition. 

Christmas day consisted of cooking breakfast with his mother in the morning at his place, followed by exchanging presents, attending mid-day mass at their church, and then wrapping up the night with a stroll through the city. The Murdock family Christmas eventually grew from two participants to three after Karen had officially joined the family after Matt and Karen’s wedding and then two years later they were blessed with the greatest present of all when Grace arrived mere weeks before the holiday and the family of three became four. That year was the one rare occasion where Matt and Karen with heavy hearts had made the tough decision to skip out on going over to the Nelsons. Karen was still recovering from labor and the idea of bringing a newborn out of the comfort of their apartment in the cold around twenty or so other people was not something that they were inclined to do. The next year and all the Christmases that came afterwards, they did not pass up on the opportunity to include Grace in the Nelsons’ festivities and watch the joys of the season through their daughter’s eyes.

__________________________

The soft drawl of music circulated through the taxi as the Murdocks traveled through the wintry mix of snow and sleet on their way to Foggy’s parents’ house. It was the time of year where Christmas music was playing non-stop through every nook and cranny around Hell’s Kitchen. Not even the snow could dampen Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You which spewed from multiple storefront speakers. As the drive progressed, Matt was beginning to develop a headache from various songs meshing together in his ear drums playing on an endless loop, but he pushed that to the back of his mind, as the cab swerved heedlessly around a tight corner. At least it was a short break from the Tangled soundtrack that was on a constant repeat throughout their apartment. Grace developed a certain fixation with the film - it was love at first watch and ever since that first viewing, she insisted on playing it almost everyday after school. Matt wouldn't admit it out loud, but the film was growing on him and he loved hearing his daughter and wife on most occasions sing and dance along. He too was guilty of being caught humming to the catchy tunes. 

Matt clutched Karen’s hand tighter each time the wheels spun out due to the lack of traction on the icy slick roads. With gritted teeth, it was obvious to tell that he was slightly on edge, concerned for his family’s safety as he put his trust in this cab driver. Matt had an unnerving feeling about taxis since the fateful day one had violently taken him with it plunging into the Hudson - he shuddered at the memories.

“You okay, honey?” Karen did not need heightened senses like her husband to be aware that he was uneasy. 

Matt shot her a sympathetic smile and lifted her hand up to his lips to plant a soft kiss on the top. “Yeah, all good with you by my side,” he reassured and reinforced the statement with a pat on her leg that was bumping against his. 

“Are we there yet?” Grace begrudgingly huffed out of boredom, her breath fogging up the window, as she kept her keen position observing the various sized and shaped suburban houses passing them by and made sure to alert everyone when she spotted a dog.

Karen adjusted her head to gain a better viewpoint of the driver’s GPS and read that they were ten minutes away from their destination and relayed the good news to her impatient daughter. Matt let out a deep sigh of relief, he too was highly anticipating the end of their ride, but resumed his silent prayer that they’d all make it in one piece. 

After the seemingly grueling ten minutes (for Matt at least), they paid the driver and stepped out of the shockingly yellow taxi into a white winter wonderland. Grace stood in awe at the decorations consisting of garland lining the house, wreaths mounted at each window, and the small army of blow molds adorning the yard. It was safe to say that the Nelsons had taken serious to the matter of decking the halls this year and outdid themselves. Karen nudged her daughter out of her trance and the family trudged up the steps that led to the front door.

“Welcome Murdocks!” Anna Nelson, who was positively radiating, had opened the door and exclaimed while ushering the family of three inside and out of the snow storm that had been quickly developing. “Ed!-” she yelled to her husband who had just extended all the way back in his recliner chair- “Come out here and help them with their coats!” 

Brushing off the coating of stray snowflakes that stuck to his winter jacket and boots, Matt stepped inside. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Nelson!” he declared before offering his coat to Mr. Nelson whom he heard reluctantly approach at the beckon call of his wife. Karen and Grace followed Matt’s lead both with beaming smiles painted on their faces, thankful to be out of the cold and in the shelter of the warm and inviting household.

“Oh, please call me Anna, Matt. You’ve known me long enough,” she insisted before pulling him into a hug. This conversation came up almost like clockwork each year, where Matt would fall into place with formalities by addressing her as such and she would urge him not to. It was plain to see that Anna considered him like a son, never intending to replace Maggie in the slightest, but nevertheless, Matt was grateful to have her as a surrogate motherly figure - especially during the time period where he had none of the sorts to fall back on.

Once her arms eased up around him, Matt pulled away slowly, “Thank you, Anna, it’s lovely to see you again.” He obediently corrected himself by giving in to the older woman’s request, which earned himself an additional hug.  

Grace, eager to venture further inside to play with Preston and his cousins, attempted to sneak past and dodge the hug fest, but was immediately thwarted after taking just one step. “Aww, there’s my Grace! Look how big she’s getting!” The eight-year-old could barely blink before registering that she had been picked up and lifted in the air. 

“Hi Nana,” she managed to get out from being squeezed in a tight embrace and smothered by kisses. Nana had been the title Anna had proposed Grace call her after receiving both Matt and Karen’s blessings, since she’d of course allowed Maggie to hold the honor of being called Grandma. With Matt and Karen being considered family in all ways except by blood, Anna wanted Grace to be treated the same as her other grandchildren. And since Grace was the youngest, Anna had been guilty of going the extra mile for the “baby” of the family. 

After making her rounds as she finished greeting Karen, who had been carrying the gifts and had lucked out with a side hug in lieu of a bear hug like Matt and Grace had received, Mrs. Nelson took the liberty to guide Matt inside by locking her arm in his. The sound of voices and laughter amplified as she led them into the family room where most of the Nelsons congregated. There was a substantial overflow, however, that lingered in the kitchen where the food was being prepared. 

Grace bolted ahead once spotting Preston who was playing a board game on the carpeted floor in front of the Christmas tree with two of his cousins. She pounced on him in a fit of giggles, causing the small colorful game pieces to fly off the board. “Oh, come on,” the other boys cried out in annoyance and scooted away, ultimately giving up on their game. 

“Sorry,” Grace sheepishly apologized before attempting to clean up the mess she had made. It seemed that young Grace had cramped Preston’s cousins’ style, who were twelve-year-old twins (Candace’s youngest), as they decided to leave the family room and ventured into the kitchen to try to sneak some sugar cookies before dinner while the adults were distracted conversing and drinking. 

The duo shrugged it off before shooting each other an equally mischievous glance, hoping that the other had the same idea. It was safe to presume that this look shared between Grace and Preston meant trouble would likely follow. They broke their stares, turned their heads to the tall decorated Christmas tree and smirked. Taking advantage of their close proximity, the kids quietly scuffled on their knees and began inspecting the plethora of brightly wrapped packages tied up with bows that created a fortress around the perimeter of the eight-foot fir tree twinkling with multicolored bulbs. 

Matt concealed his laughter while picking up on his daughter and godson meticulously shaking the contents of each box they picked up. Anna’s voice disrupted his focus on the next item that Grace had chosen, as she sat down on the chair next to the couch that Foggy, Marci, Karen and him had settled into. 

“Why, look at them-” she gestured over to the young children after wiping her hands on the apron that rested on her lap- “My youngest batch of grandkids so angelic under the tree.” Grace and Preston had swiftly set down the gifts, sensing that most of the eyes in the room were now on them and beamed the largest innocent smiles like nothing had happened to mask their snooping efforts and their guilt from almost being caught red-handed. 

“I hope there will be more little grand-babies coming soon though,” Anna craned her head and projected the wishful comment behind her, so that her youngest son could hear. 

There was a loud sigh that followed. “Mom, we just got back from our honeymoon, would you hold your horses!” Theo’s voice carried from the kitchen upon overhearing his mother’s not so subtle remark. He spoke for both him and his wife who stood at his side with wide eyes in silence - slightly shocked by her mother in law’s brash expectation. It was Becky’s second Christmas with the Nelsons, the first after taking the Nelson name, so she was still getting used to their ways. Karen and Marci had tried their best to include Becky in their pack of wives club, but to their dismay, she didn’t stray too much from Theo. There was no doubt that she’d ease up and feel more comfortable in the overbearing pack that was the Nelsons- all in due time. 

Theo’s valiant comment resulted in a chorus of laughter from the room which fluidly transitioned into a round robin of fond memories from Christmas’ pasts and tales of cherished moments that occurred in the elapsed year over flowing streams of alcohol and hot chocolate before the grand meal was ready. 

“Everyone, food’s ready!” Anna’s boisterous voice rang out - acting as their dinner bell. It was rather impressive that one simple sentence had the power to herd the entire crowd of people who had previously spread themselves around the house from every nook and cranny into one common gathering place. The homey aroma of hearty dishes that lined the island table overpowered Matt’s senses, as he allowed Karen to guide him into the kitchen. The menu rarely tended to change over the countless years of attending, therefore to Matt, each flavor was like a snapshot in time.

A long winding line started to form on either side of the table as plates and cutlery were passed down one by one to the end. Grace, who had been formally distracted with Preston, found herself towards the end of the queue; however, she managed to slip away and sandwiched herself in between her parents who had secured a spot in the middle, as a stealthy tactic to cut the line. 

Matt kindly surrendered his plate to his daughter since her impatience did not allow one to reach her during her short stint at the caboose. After witnessing the young girl whose eyes barely peeked over the high table attempt to grab a ladle and scoop her own mashed potatoes, almost dragging the entire bowl off the edge of the counter and onto her head, he figured he’d save both himself and Karen the headache of dealing with an imminent catastrophe, so he boosted Grace up with one arm to grant her a better vantage point of all the dinner choices.

Working as a team, as he held onto their daughter to go over their options from honing into the medley of various scents, Karen was the designated server of each of Grace’s picks. “Ok, sweetheart, what looks good? We’ve got ham, turkey, green beans, rolls, potato salad,” he continued listing the variety of dishes until she voiced an opinion. 

Her plate was piling up, but something red and jiggly in a ceramic gravy boat caught her attention. “Oooh, I want that!” She eagerly pointed to the intriguing substance and unintentionally collided with Karen’s arm which was transporting a tong gripping a golden brown croissant to her plate. Acting out of pure instinct, incognizant of his surroundings, Matt reflexively used his free hand to catch the pastry in mid air. He froze and cursed under his breath, “shit,” however the commotion in the room had not fallen short - thankfully. “Smooth one, cowboy-” his wife patted him once on the shoulder- “I think you’re in the clear - this time,” her tone stressed the end of that comment as a warning to be heeded. 

Grace, who was trying to wriggle out of her dad’s arms, was dead set and desperate to get her hands on the enticing jelly-like food and began to lean forward reaching out for the silver spoon which sat in the middle of the dish that was calling out her name. Matt struggled to keep her contained so, as a deterrent, he leant backwards to keep her from falling on top of the table and ruining all the food that Mrs. Nelson had worked so hard on preparing and making perfect to her wits end.

Speaking of the matriarch, Anna had passed by, floating behind them, making sure that everyone was happily loading up on food and providing general oversight of the dishes if any needed to be replenished. Her eye caught a glance at little Grace playing an invisible game of tug of war between Matt and the dish she was after on the table. The sight caused a thought to suddenly pop in her head which thrusted her forwards to immediately intervene.

“Oh, Matt and Karen - I almost forgot!” she exclaimed, rushing between them capturing both parents’ attention. “This year I did make a cranberry glaze, it was one of Ed’s requests that he found online and wanted to try.” Anna seemed flustered and frustrated at herself for not warning the Murdocks of this in advance. “I know Grace is allergic and had set out to label and flag it, but then people started arriving early and my mind was catapulted into hosting mode,” she continued to ramble, “I sincerely apologize.” Anna sighed then bowed her head over weighed by guilt. 

“No need to get worked up about that, Anna,” Karen gave her a reassuring smile, feeling empathetic for the older woman. “Thanks for letting us know, I will make sure that Grace stays away.” 

Anna lifted her head up and wiped a stray tear that had formed in her eye, “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to this sweet girl here under my watch.” She caressed Grace’s cheek. 

Frozen in place, Grace wasn’t sure how to react, unsure if she was in trouble or not. Plus, it didn’t help that they were now the center of focus in the room from the tiny scene that Mrs. Nelson had started. Either way the color in her face was flushed with red out of embarrassment. 

There was a sudden commotion out in the family room that sent Anna in an obvious tizzy. She excused herself and rushed to tend to the mess. Matt’s insights allowed him to shine some light on the disturbance - one of the twins had spilled all the contents of his plate which was an unfortunate outcome from a friendly yet rambunctious arm-wrestling competition with one of the elder cousins. 

Once she was gone, they resumed filling up Grace’s plate to her little heart’s content - with the exception of the cranberry sauce to her disappointment. She fortunately got over it and happily trotted behind Matt and Karen who escorted her over to the coveted kids table, which consisted of two fold out card tables with a handful mismatched chairs circled around them. Matt noticed the still lingering trace of gravy and mashed potatoes seeping within the carpet fibers that Anna had done her best to scrub away. He made an inconspicuous effort to step over the spot on the floor before carefully setting his daughter’s plate on the closest empty placemat.

After settling her in which had become exceptionally smoother once Preston popped in the chair next to hers, the couple returned back in what was now a substantially shorter line to get their share of food before people started coming back for seconds. While picking up an empty plate, Matt gave his wife a playful nudge shoulder to shoulder, “By the way-” he paused to tilt his head to scan the room then continued his comment in a more hushed tone- “I picked up on that cranberry sauce before we even stepped out of the cab. I would never let Grace get anywhere near that.” The confident charming smirk on his face said it all - he was proud to admit that fact.

“Oh, honey, I had absolutely no doubt in that.” She vouched for her reassurance by giving him a soft peck on the corner of his mouth which caused a giggle to escape into the open as the scratchy stubble on his face tickled her face. She’d never grow tired of that feeling.

After almost all the food had been consumed, leaving only morsels of crumbs left in their platters, to cure the after effects of symptoms such as tiredness, lethargy, and the immediate need to change into sweatpants from full bellies, it was finally time to witness the excitement of opening presents. 

To most in attendance, this was considered round one and affectionately dubbed pre-Christmas since the next day would comprise of gift openings between the immediate smaller family groups. Each year Anna and Ed would give every couple a generous and thoughtful gift. They made no exception with the kids and typically went overboard and showered each of their grandkids and honorary granddaughter (Grace) with multiple goodies. 

This year all of their loved ones were sitting around the tree, warmth circulating the room attributed to the fireplace and the close quarters from the sheer amount of eager bodies awaiting for the distribution of the first gift. Usually, it was a round robin kind of deal; however, to most of the couple’s surprise, Anna began passing out a single unmarked card in either a red or green alternating to each one of her children and then deposited one in Matt’s lap before returning to her seat. “Ok, everyone,” she clapped once to extinguish the murmurs of speculation of what the contents of the card could contain that had been circling the room like a game of telephone, “we are doing things a bit different this year and I want all of you with envelopes to open your cards at once.” 

Foggy glanced up from the small weight in his hand to his mother in disbelief that she strayed from the typical Christmas formula. He was considered the biggest snoop in the family and had successfully sweet-talked his mother to give out hints and clues as to what he would be receiving in previous years, but this year she kept her lips sealed and would flip the conversation during each of her son’s tenacious attempts. 

“Mom, what are you up to?” Candace skeptically questioned with a raised brow. Her mother did not answer the question directly, instead she shrewdly gestured for the card opening to commence with both hands extended outwards which she then raised to cover her mouth, barely containing her elation anticipating their reactions.

Once Matt carefully tore open the flap of the exterior and pulled out the contents inside, he was immediately touched upon running his fingers on the top and then on the inside of the card and realized that it had been written in braille which caused him to release a quiet gasp. Karen smiled as she watched him with glee, “Let me know what it says!” she could barely contain her excitement while feeding off the energy in the room glancing at the other’s reading their cards.  

“Oh my gosh,” he drew in a sharp breath stunned by the gift before turning to his wife to relay the source of his astonishment. “It’s a pre-paid week-long vacation to a lodge in upstate New York, all inclusive and everything.” His heart was pounding in the same intensity as the others - it was evident that they had also been given the same thing and were shell shocked at the extravagant gesture from Mr. and Mrs. Nelson. 

The children’s curiosity got the best of them so they got up from their designated seats on the floor to huddle around their parents in order to view what had spurred their outburst. “I wanna see!” Grace stood directly in front of her parents, craning her neck and narrowing her eyes to focus on an upside down image of a log cabin resort nestled in a thick woodsy scene on a beautiful summer day from the unfolded brochure that her mother had snagged from the card. Before she could share her wishes of joining in on her parents’ trip, Anna rose back to her feet and chimed in to shed some light on their gift. 

“Now, Ed and I thought it was due time to go a little overboard this year and treat you kids to something nice. I hope everyone can find the time to take a week off and enjoy some special time together - child-free of course we’d love to watch any of the kiddos when you're gone,” she smirked, hoping that they caught onto her ploy to spend more time with the grandkids. “The certificate is good anytime in the next year to book the lodge, so you can choose which season you’d like to visit!”  

A chorus of thank you’s and hugs were exchanged from the appreciation of the grandiose gesture. The room finally settled down but the decibels shot back up with what followed - it was the kids’ turn to open their gift from their grandparents. Normalcy returned to their time honored tradition as one by one, starting with the oldest grandchild and continuing down to the youngest, they ripped into their varying sized boxes wrapped in a holographic silver paper. The line had reached the last recipient after Preston had been wonderstruck from unearthing a toy drone from a mountain of tissue paper that would surely be whizzing around the room in a moment. A shrill ring pierced Matt’s eardrums as Grace screamed in amazement.

Discarding the now empty box over her shoulder, she lifted up her present to proudly show it off for all to see. It was a small scale replica of Spider-Man's web shooters that had the capability to launch silly string adjacent material with an accompanying pair of replica gloves and a costumed mask. Grace took no time to wait to bust them out of their cardboard and plastic shell packaging, resulting in using her teeth to rip some areas apart.

“Oh, great choice, mom. Matt’s going to love that,” Foggy sarcastically sneered thinking of the future messes that the toy would make which would trigger his friend’s neat freak nerves. Matt laughed along nervously, dreading the worst outcomes of this new toy. “The girl loves her Spider-Man.” Karen shot Foggy an irritated glance, extinguishing his subtle tease causing him to drop the subject. 

Besides Tangled , Grace has been on a Spider-Man kick as of late and she had become infatuated with the web slinging hero after hearing stories at school of his adventures in New York and his team ups with other Avengers. Matt had developed a slight jealousy of the so-called “amazing arachnid”.

Spider-Man was his daughter’s obsession instead of the other red cladded hero who operated in her literal backyard. He hoped it was just a phase and would pass, but his best friend made a point to joke and rub it in with every opportunity he could to downsize his ego.

“Grace, what do you say to Nana and Papa?” Karen encouraged her to exhibit some manners. The girl popped her head up from registering the urgency in her mother’s tone and ran to give both Anna and Ed a large hug while announcing her thanks.

The grandkids, now fully distracted by their gifts, remained inattentive of their parents’ still unopened packages for the remainder of the exchange. Marci, more so than Foggy, had been elated to unwrap an air fryer from the Murdocks. She had mentioned to Karen that the goal of the upcoming year would entail cooking healthier meals for her family which sparked the idea to snag a good deal on one during Black Friday. “You know you’re getting old when home appliances make your day,'' Foggy remarked discreetly under this breath which earned a displeased look on Marci’s face. 

After apologizing for his ignorant joke to appease his wife, Foggy took it upon himself to present both Matt and Karen with their gift in return. Tearing through the glossy snowflake wrapping paper revealed a box of the newest home assistant device on the market. “Matt, my friend, it’s about time you’ve entered the twenty-first century-” he placed a firm empathetic grip on his shoulder- “You can ask this thing for practically anything - state the weather, read the news, set an alarm, play music,” he continued running through the infinite list of all the features before being cut short-

“Wow, that indeed sounds amazing, Foggy. I’m sure it will be as life changing as you say,” he laughed.

As soon as the majority of discarded wrapping paper, tissue, bows, empty boxes, and gift bags, which had piled up on the floor concealing most of the carpet below, were collected in industrial black garbage bags, it was time to move on to the next event which most liked to consider as the pre-show before dessert. Night began to fall outside from the time that had passed from the prolonged gift giving event. Heavy pleated window drapes were pulled together to contain the scene and keep the warmth contained crackling from the fireplace. 

It was time for the annual Nelson cake ceremony…

This has always been considered a rite of passage in the family, one of which had started way before Matt’s first time attending. To outsiders, this reputable event would be thought of as rather peculiar and humorous, but it has been passed down through the various generations and was to be considered quite serious. In fact, Foggy had to give a lengthy backstory to his incredibly confused friend on that fateful night back during freshman year to explain the reasons behind their ways.

What it boiled down to was one family member is chosen each Christmas gathering to be granted the esteemed honor to smash the first piece of the illustrious chocolate fudge cake onto a person of their choosing. The cake was special, so much so that its recipe was only known by Anna until she decided that it was time to pass it down to one of her lucky children who would host after her. 

A thunderous voice brought the attention of the room. “Now who’s ready to have some fun!?” All heads perked up and turned to Theo who had returned from the other room with a Santa hat in his hands. “Let’s see who shall be the lucky one this year to be crowned the Christmas cakester” he smirked while digging his hand in the depth of the fabric, fiddling the thirty or so pieces of paper clippings which read the name of each person in the room in his fingers. Well, with the exception of himself, since he had been chosen last year and thus was why he was picking this time around.

The anticipation in the room was building up as Theo took his time rummaging around. Knees bouncing, hearts racing, palms sweating nervously - most either wishfully hoping they’d be picked or praying that they weren’t forced to be at the receiving end. Theo finally decided on a paper to snag from the hat and pulled it out in a dramatic gesture. He drew in a sharp breath and then opened his mouth to announce the auspicious name “Grace Murdock!”

At first, she didn’t even register that her name was called. She was still preoccupied playing with her Spider-Man toys until Preston tapped her shoulder “Grace,” he whispered, “You got picked.”

“Wait, what?” she whipped her neck over to glance over to Theo, “Me?” pointing her index finger to her chest, thoroughly unconvinced. She made an effort to take off her mask and web shooters to look more presentable and stored them away back in the cardboard gift box for safe keeping. 

Theo stepped closer and crouched down, showing her the paper. “Yes, you, Gracie,” he tenderly reassured, offering his hand to aid her up and took her to the center of the room. 

The crowd rallied and cheered her on, including her parents which she caught beaming proudly out of the corner of her eye. “Your majesty, ” Theo bowed and placed a golden foil paper crown delicately on the top of her head signifying her role before pulling in a folding chair a few feet away. 

Anna had discreetly snuck away to the kitchen but shortly emerged and carefully placed a red paper plate in the eight-year-old’s hand. Grace could still feel the lingering warmth and moisture of the freshly baked cake seep from the bottom of the plate, as she felt the hefty weight of it transfer into her palm. The smell alone that wafted to her nostrils enticed her to sink her teeth in the delicious dessert, but she pushed those temptations to the back of her head and focused on the task at hand. 

“Now, dear, who here would you like to pick to be your victim?” Anna motioned to the audience who were mostly pointing to others instead of themselves to be chosen or shaking their head with wide eyes begging to be spared. Looking around at her options, she used her reasoning and took a more logical approach. Automatically discarding those she did not know too well or see a regular basis to refrain from any awkwardness and embarrassment. That left her parents, Preston, Aunt Marci, Uncle Foggy, Uncle Theo or her Nana or Papa. After thorough consideration and contemplation regarding her remaining choices, she had reached a final conclusion. 

“I choose Dad,” she firmly declared with conviction. A chorus of ‘ooohhs’ mixed in with sighs of relief filled the room. Grace did not break her gaze on her father after the announcement, gauging his reaction. She was suspicious and thrown off when he motionlessly removed his signature red tinted glasses and passed them to Karen for safekeeping then found his way to the chair with the help of Anna. 

After he had settled in, she nervously bit her lip and looked to the side at her mother for consolation which was returned by a simple smile and validating nod. With that Grace apprehensively took the first step towards her father who was sitting surprisingly patiently and calmly in the middle of the room on his chair. Unbeknownst to her, this wasn’t his first rodeo in the hot seat. She was outweighing the consequences of her looming actions in her head with every footfall, as she simultaneously focused on balancing the large piece of gooey chocolate cake on the paper plate in her hand. The crowd of Nelson family members gathered tighter around the space that Matt and Grace had occupied and held their breath as Grace began to close the gap between her and her father, intently watching the scene unfold before them. 

She stopped mid-way through, considering retreat. 

“Get him good, Gracie!” Foggy encouraged her from behind. “You’ve got this.” She whipped her head back to her godfather for a second and caught his reassuring thumbs up. His affirmative words caused her to brush off her hesitance and continue her stride with a mischievous grin, as a fluttering feeling of suspense rose in chest. Inhaling in a deep breath, she closed her eyes, lined up her aim and recoiled her arm back to launch it forward in a brisk swoop, ultimately coming in contact with his face, smearing the chocolatey substance around. Her eyes popped open after the deed was done and she took a millisecond to assess the situation. 

The icing had now covered most of his skin and meshed with the deep brown hues of his hair and eyes which still possessed a loving glint. He remained speechless, like the rest of the crowd, until breaking out in a bout of laughter, then proceeded to pick up some of the larger crumbs which had fallen into his lap with his hand and popped them in his mouth. 

“Ahh! Sorry, Daddy!” She guiltily squealed from the pure thrill of getting away with something, dropping the now empty plate on the floor, and swiftly turned a heel, fleeing into the solace of her mother’s open arms.

With Grace tucked away hidden in the confines of her lap, Karen patted her back out of comfort, “It’s okay, honey, Dad’s not mad - see?” She popped her head up, rubbing her eyes to clear the vision of her father slowly walking over. 

He bent down on his knee to her level, “You’re fine, sweetheart. It’s all in good fun. And actually-” he paused to lick some of the chocolate remnants off the corner of his mouth ‘- the cake is quite delicious!” 

Grace cheerfully warmed back up, her apprehensions alleviated from Matt’s display of contentedness. With her eight-year-old no longer holding her hostage, she offered to help Matt clean up in the kitchen. “Come on, babe, I think there’s a sink that is calling your name.” He showed no sign of objection, starting to be annoyed by the sticky substance that was starting to lose its adherence and falling from the stubble on his chin. 

They snuck away into the kitchen which was for once secluded and barren. The others remained in the living room happily munching away on the abundance of cookies, brownies, fudge, the cake, and sipping away on either coffee or hot chocolate with candy cane stir sticks, which had been wheeled out by Anna on a festively decorated cart. The fun-filled night hadn't gotten off schedule yet, in fact it was commencing right on track, as Matt could hear the clicking of the television remote turn on the familiar intro of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas - a fan favorite of the Nelsons. 

Karen broke the silence between them by clearing her throat as she pulled a paper towel off the holder and ran it under the sink nozzle to get damp. It was second nature by now to notice that he had been zoning out and tuning in with his senses behind the walls that had concealed them. “We probably should get back in there soon, I can’t have a repeat of last year and let Foggy take the last seven layer bar. At least, not again,” she shuttered half-heartedly at the thought. 

“Oh, I’m sure he will save you some this time around,” Matt had brushed off some runaway water droplets that were sliding down his face with the sleeve of his sweater, “I think he saw a different side of you that night for the first time and it scared him out of his socks,” he snickered, recalling back to his wife’s vindictive confrontation, absolutely ripping him one. The spiked eggnog hadn’t helped the matter in the slightest that she had already been feeling by that point in the night. It got so bad that both Matt and Theo had to step in and intervene since they were disrupting the Polar Express viewing. 

“Ok, you got me there,” she snorted and sheepishly admitted before resuming the clean up process. 

“There, all clean!” Karen had deemed her job sufficient enough after finishing scrubbing off the last spot on the coarse scruff on his chin then wiped the counter down, ridding it of any unwanted traces of water, and tossed two heaping handfuls of damp towels coated with brown icing into the trash can.

“What would I do without you,” he tenderly exhaled in praise, “Thank you.” He was genuinely grateful for his wife. The amount of strength, caring and compassion that she possessed was the cause of all of his admiration. Not to mention the fact that she had supported and aided his vigilante lifestyle, whether that be patching him up after a brutal outing or assisting him dodge the press who were getting a little too close to comfort in their efforts to reveal his identity. All that on top of being the best mother to their daughter that he could ever ask for - he felt like he really had won the lottery in life.

As they started to make their way back, Matt, took advantage of the rare opportunity of an empty room and a looming mistletoe that smelled unmistakably of a fresh evergreen overhead in the doorway and pulled Karen close, interlocking his nimble fingers within hers. His lips had effortlessly found hers. As they collided softly, a fleet of butterflies erupted in her stomach. He could hear her heart beating faster than usual, as it generally did when she was around him, but this time was different and they fell into each other, hungry for more. She couldn’t help but smile as the kiss deepened. Every crease of her smile was so familiarly etched in his mind which reinforced the picture that he painted of what she looked like in all of her beauty. 

“Mmm,” he felt the hum of her lips vibrate within his and they unanimously broke apart, “You’re right - that cake is quite delectable, I can’t wait to get a piece myself,” she teased, after tasting the lingering chocolate morsels from the kiss.

Matt giddily scoffed, “Well then, let’s make that happen. After you Ms. Page,” he courteously offered her to lead the way to the family room in a gentleman like fashion. 

Just as easily as they snuck out, Matt and Karen had smoothly and almost unnoticeably returned to their seats, but not before one quick stop at the dessert cart filling up on all the sweets they could handle. Karen must have manifested her wish of the seven layer bars since she fortunately spotted a few servings leftover in the metal tin. 

Sometime during the third act of the film, Grace had moseyed up to Matt and Karen and invited herself in - squeezing her small figure into the sliver of couch cushion between them. Eyelids growing heavy, Grace decidedly sprawled out onto both of her parents’ lap then curled up in a cozy ball and pulled the blanket closer as the calming drones of Bing Crosby’s voice singing ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas’ induced a yawn. Karen leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder then proceeded to stroke her fingers through her daughter’s hair which soothed her to sleep - undoubtedly dreaming of sugar plums and Spider-Man dancing in her head.

__________________________ 

“Ooof, there we go,” Matt delicately laid Grace down on top of her bed as they returned to the apartment. She had remained asleep during the cab ride home and did not stir from the journey in her father’s arms up the stairs to their door.

Karen took over and helped get the sleeping form of their daughter out of her party dress, into her jammies and tucked her in while Matt put away the presents they had received that night. Both decided it was better to forgo waking her to brush her teeth just this once for the sake of Christmas Eve. There was some minimal prep to be done before waking up in the morning - which they effortlessly completed as a well oiled machine. Karen wrapped Grace’s gifts, handing each one to Matt to place under the tree, then moved on to filling Grace’s stocking with hard candy, dark chocolate kisses, chapstick, and a variety of small toys and hung it up on her room’s outer doorknob. 

Matt took the plate of messily decorated snowman cookies in varying colors, which until the time being had been kept safely in the microwave, and set it on the counter. Before they had left for the Nelson’s, the family of three spent the afternoon baking sugar cookies while sipping on mugs of hot cocoa and dancing around the kitchen to Christmas music that emitted from the television. Matt smiled, recalling back to the laughter and joy that made his heart full, witnessing his wife and daughter having the time of their lives and really getting into the holiday spirit while also making fun of his so-called awkward dad dance moves.

He took a single bite out of each cookie with the help of Karen who had been leaning against the counter by his side, they were both relieved and celebrated another Christmas job well done. 

“You better hurry up and get out there, I have you on the clock, mister,” she nonchalantly pointed out, after swallowing the head of the snowman that she had been nibbling on. Matt had somehow managed to convince his wife each year on Christmas Eve to go on patrol and perform a quick sweep of the city after everything was in order at home before returning safe and sound and back to her arms - as promised. Typically, the night of December 24th had a low risk of exposure in terms of criminal activity. The most excitement he’s ever faced on this night was breaking up a bar fight that spurred from a rowdy office Christmas party. He was glad to assume that even the lowest of low lifes in Hell’s Kitchen took the holiday off. Safe to say, it would be a silent night. 

He abided, donned the red Kevlar suit in record time and snuck out the access hatch - not before kissing his wife goodbye. To pass the time waiting up for his return, Karen had settled in for the night in front of the TV on the couch watching ‘Elf’ , which had started playing on their local cable channel. 

As the movie reached the end and Buddy and Jovie set their bundle of joy on Papa Elf’s lap, Karen unmistakably heard the creaking sound of a door slowly swinging open coming from the direction of her daughter’s room. She poked her head up from her position lying down and was greeted with Grace’s eagerly smiling face.

“Pssst, Mom, are you awake?” she whispered in her ear. 

“Yes, baby,” Karen sat up, “What are you doing up so late?” She tried her best to keep her daughter’s attention on her and not to the presents that sat under the tree behind them. Praying that the mask of darkness in the room would conceal all of her and Matt’s hard work setting up the scene for the morning surprise.

Unfortunately, due to the extra amount of sleep she had received from being exhausted from the party, Grace was now wide awake and bursting with excitement in anticipation of Santa’s visit. 

“Mommy, I think Santa is here!” She enthusiastically explained that her keen ears had detected something on the roof, which could only be the jolly man bringing gifts for her. Karen put two and two together and internally debunked her daughter’s assumption, knowing very well that those heavy footsteps above their heads belonged to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and not Father Christmas. 

With what could only be impeccable timing, Matt made his presence known and opened up the hatch. He had been so focused on getting out of the bitter cold, that he failed to detect his daughter’s voice inside which was muffled by the couple inches of snow that blanketed the roof.

“Oh my gosh it’s him!” Grace exclaimed with bright eyes filled with wonder and bolted to the stairs to try to catch a glimpse of the mythical man.

Karen was right on her heels and drew her back, capturing her in her arms before it was too late in order to preserve the holiday magic.  

At this moment, Matt realized he had made a terrible mistake and retreated back outside, not wanting to make this Christmas even more memorable by having to deal with explaining the fact that he was Daredevil to his eight-year-old daughter. 

When the hatch slammed shut and nothing descended down the stairs, Grace began to worry, fretting that she had scared off Santa. Karen, fully ready to play it off as the wind, had a better excuse for the turn of events through the night. “Grace, sweetie,” she turned her daughter around to face her instead of looking up the stairwell sporting a sad puppy face that she surely had gotten from Matt, “I think Santa had to go because he only visits homes of kids who are fast asleep.” Karen hoped that her delivery was convincing enough. 

The revelation had sparked a sense of shame within the girl, she had heard the classic Christmas tale time and time again, but chose not to heed its advice. Grace’s mouth fell agape, “Oh my gosh, Mom, you're right - I don’t want Santa to skip us!” The eight-year-old scurried back towards her room, however suddenly halted in her tracks and backtracked to plant a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Goodnight, Mom, I love you!” Karen smiled as she watched Grace jump into her bed and cocoon under the covers, “Goodnight, honey, sweet dreams,” Karen turned off the light and closed the door behind her. Walking back out to the family room, she fondly stroked her hand against the spot where her daughter had deposited the kiss which was still warm - she couldn’t have asked for a more perfect kid. 

For a moment, Karen had almost forgotten about her husband who was waiting in the wings outside, so she quickly gave him a subtle signal and whispered “Coast is clear,” knowing that he would be able to hear it. 

Like déjà vu, the door had propped open again, letting in a burst of cold blustery air and stray snowflakes, but this time Matt had entered - seemingly unharmed, besides the obvious frostbite. She intercepted him at the landing and wrapped a fleece blanket around his shoulders. “That was a close call,” he exhaled a deep sigh.

She took his hand in hers, “Indeed it was, Mr. Claus,” her satirical comment caused Matt to stifle a laugh and pull her in even closer. Drinking in her scent and feeling her loose hairs disperse onto his shoulder gave him a sense of comfort. 

“Quick thinking on your part, I owe you one,” he hummed in her ear. Matt had done his fair share of secret keeping, but tonight his wife had graciously returned the favor. 

She paused for a moment, he could tell that she was deep in thought. Once she snorted, he knew that he wasn’t going to be too fond of what she would respond with next. “Maybe next year you should trade in the devil suit for another - one more red, white and merry.” Her eyebrows raised suggestively.

He humored himself and lowered his gloved hands to the small of her back, “If that happens, we need to make sure to not give Grace the more than likely window of opportunity to see mommy kissing Santa Claus. I don’t think we’d be able to live with ourselves once Foggy got ahold of that story,” he insinuated and captured her lips with his. She shivered, as he was still recovering from the cold but she didn’t let that stop her from enjoying the moment nonetheless. 

Who knew what the following years to come would hold, but it was safe to say that this Christmas would always be one to remember. 

Chapter Text

Karen shot up in her bed, the sound of sirens blaring in the distance. After being abruptly awoken from her peaceful slumber, she checked the alarm clock on the side table and noticed that it was one thirty in the morning. “Ugh” she growled in frustration and then fell backwards in bed, covering her head with a layer of blankets in a desperate attempt to pretend that she had never been woken up in the first place. That, however, was not very successful. 

She rolled to her side and exposed her face to the pitch dark room. She was not too overly fond of what followed sirens. The ear piercing sound either meant that her husband was most likely following close on the tail of the dispatched emergency vehicle or worse - he was already at the scene. 

When Karen had first moved in, she had trained herself to stay up through the night until Matt had returned home. It was not that much of a difficult task. She kept preoccupied with working on her laptop, watching television, reading a book she had been meaning to get to, the list could go on. Basically, as many distractions as possible to keep her busy and alert. Although, the largest distraction which contributed to many restless nights was her mind’s constant state of worry until she had confirmation that Matt was home in one piece. 

Her poor sleep habits that she had developed were fortunately easy to kick shortly after Grace had been born. Taking care of a newborn proved to be quite exhausting and in many instances she found herself subdued to sleep even before Matt had gone out on patrol. The first night this occurred left her confused of how she had gotten into bed after waking up to the violent screams of a hungry two-month-year-old demanding a midnight feeding. She had reached the conclusion that her wonderful husband had taken the liberty to put both her and their daughter to bed before he left.

As Grace grew up, the outcome of her nights had fluctuated. Lately, she had become accustomed to staying up until midnight before calling it a night, knowing that Matt would be returning home safe and sound in a few short hours. Unless something happened to him on the rare occasion and she would receive that dreadful call on her cell phone which she left the ringer on at all times for any contact from his burner number. 

Unfortunately, tonight that call came through…

Out of desperation, Karen picked up the phone on the first ring. 

“Honey, it’s me.” His gravelly voice was soft, yet firm on the other side of the line. She could tell that he was around other people since he avoided addressing her by name in order to protect both of their identities. 

Unable to fight the stillness any longer, she stood up out of bed and started pacing the room as she held the phone next to her ear, hoping the stimulation would calm her down to some extent. 

“Wh-what is it?” her voice wavered, obviously distressed. 

She heard him take a deep breath before giving the explanation behind the urgent call. “In about thirty minutes there will be a city wide evacuation notification. I’ve been working with Brett and the police department tracking down this guy who claims he has four long range explosive devices hidden throughout Hell’s Kitchen. Brett pulled me in on the case as soon as they found out when an anonymous note was dropped off at the station this afternoon outlining the threat. Now, I was able to detect one so far and it’s been defused, but the clock’s ticking and we don’t know how much time it will take us to-” His words were rushed, on the brink of hyperventilating at this point. 

“Matt, babe, please take a deep breath,” Karen suggested and inhaled herself to set an encouraging example. 

He followed suit before walking to a more private area to continue the conversation and cupped his gloved hand to shield his mouth which in turn muffled his voice. “I need you to get Grace and yourself out of the city. I will call Foggy as soon as we hang up and tell his family to do the same and to pick you two up. I’d like you to drive at least an hour out just to be safe.” 

Stubborn as she was, even with knowing that he meant well, she protested. “Matt, no. I don’t want to be that far from you. What if something happens and I’m not there? I can stay behind and use my press pass, I-” she fell silent shuddering at the thought of Matt risking his life so carelessly and dying alone. She suddenly became engulfed in guilt from coming to terms that, at this moment, ever so dire, the city needed him more than she did and their daughter needed her even more so.

“Karen, please, do this for me,” he begged, “I can’t be out here in any sound mind knowing that you’re in danger.” He was on his last leg, desperate for her to heed his advice.

She paused from nervously pacing around the apartment in front of the window, illuminated by a glaring yellow neon advertisement for a new sports drink that made her squint from the harsh light like a beacon in the dead of night. She sighed and contemplated convincing him to somehow leave with them as a last ditch effort, but suppressed the thought knowing all too well that it would be for nothing. “Fine, Matt, we’ll go,” she apprehensively agreed with a heavy heart, “Call Foggy and have him let me know when they’ll be here. I'll wake up Grace and start packing.” 

Matt exhaled a breath of relief before being interrupted by what sounded like Brett asking him to reconvene with the group, so the couple exchanged quick ‘goodbyes’ followed by ‘I love yous’ and then the line was silent. It had been only a few seconds, however Karen couldn’t help but look forward to hearing his voice again. She was going to be in for a long and grueling night. Straightening her posture and gaining focus at the task at hand, she bit the bullet and began preparing for what awaited.

Assuming she had ample time before Foggy received and processed Matt’s call then got his family ready, Karen decided it was best to let Grace get as much sleep as possible before breaking the news to her. She pulled out an old gym bag that Matt kept in the closet and retreated back into their bedroom to collect various items that she or Grace would need for their trip. Upon unzipping the noticeably worn out maroon nylon bag, an overwhelming scent that was distinctively Matt greeted her sense and she forced herself to hold back stray tears after noticing her eyes start to well up as a result of being caught up in a sudden whirlwind of emotions.  

“Focus, Karen, focus. You’ve got this,” these whispered affirmations pulled her back in the moment and also subsequently caused her to notice that she should probably change out of her pajamas and into something appropriate to go out of the apartment in. After doing so, she began haphazardly shoving things in the spacious duffle. With no clear estimate on how long they’d be away, she figured that over packing would be their safest option. 

Items such as extra undergarments, socks, laptop, chargers, phone, a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and one of Matt’s hoodies from his days at Columbia that she tended to lounge in were hastily stored inside the bag. Karen moved onwards to the bathroom to stock up on toiletries and then into the kitchen to rummage through the pantry for snacks and some small breakfast items like granola bars and brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts. A buzz from her phone which was concealed in her side pants’ pocket startled her unexpectedly and made her jump, causing an avalanche to erupt in the pantry. A sharp wince escaped her lips, she stopped in her tracks and wishfully hoped that it did not preemptively awaken Grace. To no surprise, it was a text from Foggy letting her know that they’d be arriving in about fifteen minutes. Answering back with her confirmation, Karen faced the hard truth that they were now on the clock. 

Her hand froze mid-reach on its path to open her daughter’s bedroom door. After standing there for a minute, her reluctant tendencies were pushed aside and the slow motion of the door opening allowed her vision to focus on Grace peacefully snoozing away, face down into her pillow, and blissfully unaware of the looming danger that awaited in the city they called home. 

“Gracie, wake up sweetheart,” she whispered, gently rocking the sleeping form of the eight-year-old. She was greeted by some incoherent mumbling, “Uhn noo, gha.” Grace pulled the covers back up even further over her chin as an act of defiance to deny the early wake up call.  

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Karen knew what she had to do. Turning off the precious star projector and on the jarring room lights, she raised her voice in a more demanding tone, “Grace, we got to go. Come on, get up!”  

This happened to do the trick. Her daughter’s eyes shot open and she hopped out of bed wide awake. “Wha- what’s going on?” She was in a frenzy, immensely confused as to why her mother was circling her bedroom like a tornado and hastily throwing her stuff in a bag, but assumed that whatever was going on had to be serious. 

Karen opened her daughter’s dresser and packed some clean clothes then went to the bedside table and slid the plastic projector in the side pocket - knowing very well that she’d regret forgetting to bring Grace’s nightly comfort item along. One of them was at least going to get some sleep tonight, as Karen already figured that she would not. Zipping the bag up, satisfied with her packing list, she finally shed some light on the situation at hand to her daughter. 

“Honey, sit down for a second,” Grace, with arms crossed and feet stubbornly planted on the floor, was lowered back down to her mattress by her mother’s hand firmly pressing on her shoulder. Karen composed herself to the best of her ability and tied back her messy blonde hair in a ponytail with the thin elastic band that was known to live on her left wrist. 

“Look-” she solemnly sighed then kneeled down on the floor boards to her daughter’s level, “There’s no easy way to say this, but the city is being evacuated. The police were informed of multiple bomb threats and it’s dangerous to stay here until they find them all, so Uncle Foggy is going to pick us up soon and take us somewhere safe.” 

Grace sat in silence, mouth slowly opening agape from the newfound fear, coming to terms with the news her mother had relayed. “Wait-” she shook her head out of her trance, “ Us like me, you and dad? Right?” She rose upwards and craned her neck to the doorway looking for him, but caught on quickly that it was solely herself and her mother in the apartment. 

Seeing the amount of worry wash over her daughter’s face upon realizing that her father was missing and reaching the conclusion that he was not going to accompany them shattered her heart in a million pieces. Grace’s complexion was pale like a ghost as she began to anxiously work herself up.

With a heavy heart, Karen uneasily dropped her head to the ground and the tears began to flow. “Baby, dad isn’t going to be coming with us.” Being the mother, she had to be strong for the both of them, so Karen picked herself up, took Grace’s hands in hers, and looked directly into her daughter’s eyes - ones of which mirrored Matt’s. “Dad decided to stay behind and protect Grandma Maggie, he already left for the church and feels terrible leaving us, but she needs him right now and would be alone otherwise.” Karen despised fabricating and getting tangled up in lies, however it was for the best. The truth was too much for even her to bear, imagine how much it would affect their daughter?

“No, no, no-” she upsettingly broke out in denial, “He can’t, we need him! Make him come with us, you have to mom!” Her disconcerting pleads were unfortunately all for not. 

Karen didn’t have the energy nor the time to fight this with her daughter tonight. “Grandma is going to have dad to keep her safe in that big sturdy church and I’ll have you to keep me safe. Can you do that for me, Gracie? Can you be brave like daddy’s going to be tonight?” She posed the challenge to the eight-year-old.

Grace sat on it for a second and begrudgingly huffed in objection, though looking at her mother full of distraught and feeling bad about potentially upsetting her even more caused her to accept the outcome, muster the much needed strength, and rise to the occasion. “Ok, I can do that.” she complied and sprung to action, slinging a jacket that hung in her closet over her arms. 

Karen couldn’t have been any prouder of her daughter than at this moment. She walked over to tenderly kiss Grace’s head and pulled her into a tight hug, enjoying the solace of their shared strength. 

The vibration of her phone yet again interrupted the moment and forced the embrace to break apart, as Karen notified her daughter that the Nelsons had arrived and it was time to head out.

With the duffle bag in one hand and her daughter’s in the other, Karen rushed down the stairs of the apartment building and out to the streets where Foggy awaited standing outside of the black Cadillac sedan. They shot each other matching sympathetic smiles, both having a common understanding that the other was just as worried about Matt and the severity of his situation while they retreated to safety.   

He opened up the trunk then helped Grace get settled in the car before assuming his position in the driver's seat while Karen tossed the duffle next to their excessively large pair of designer suitcases. She chuckled to herself thinking to herself of what Marci had possibly packed in their luggage in such a short time, then slammed down the hatch which revealed the decal of the Nelson family represented by the silhouettes of three bears on the rear window. 

With the bags successfully stowed away, she slid into the back seat with the kids and behind Marci who rode shotgun. 

“Thanks again guys for the ride, we really appreciate it,” Karen expressed her gratitude from both herself and Matt while buckling up after verifying that Grace had done so as well. 

Foggy rotated his head to face the back, “No need for any thanks, Karen, you are family. We should probably be thanking you guys anyway,” he implied silently recognizing Matt’s early warning of the evacuation notice. This head start would give them enough leadway to hopefully avoid both the traffic and the mess of the city fleeing out all at once. “Now, let’s get out of here.” Foggy’s attention was focused back to the front windshield, as he turned the key in the ignition, firing up the car’s engine with a steady hum, and stepped firmly on the pedal. 

Karen fell backwards and was captured in the white leather seat from the sudden acceleration. The kids were preoccupied by each other’s company and Marci was on her phone multitasking by assisting her husband with directions while simultaneously looking up hotels to book on a short notice. Taking advantage of this time all to herself, Karen shifted her head towards the rear and drank in the sight of Hell’s Kitchen rapidly disappearing from view, but somewhere within the chaos was her husband who was risking his life cloaked by the darkness of the night as it engulfed the city. 

It must not have been more than five minutes into the drive and the kids were already subdued by sleep, the soft hum of the engine had tied them over the edge. Karen smiled softly to herself, the sight of Grace dozed off, mouth open wide, leaning with her head resting overtop her hand that rested on Preston’s shoulder was adorable. He, on the other hand, was passed out with his face brushed up against the window which was slowly fogging up with each heavy slumbered breath.  

Marci managed to catch a glimpse of the scene in the backseat as she incessantly flicked her head back to check on her son, which occurred like clockwork every couple of minutes - her motherly instincts no doubt taking over to ensure herself that little baby bear was ok. The first time during their trip this had happened her eyes wandered off and met Karen’s. Marci’s heart ached, feeling emphatic, trying to put herself in her friend’s shoes. She winced noticing the disheveled appearance on Karen’s face, the developing bags under her eyes, and her glazed over look of immense concern. It was not something Marci would wish upon anybody to go through. 

She understood Matt’s obligations to protect Hell’s Kitchen, however she didn’t feel it fair that a wife and child should suffer in turn. After being revealed Matt’s secret identity soon before her wedding which, by the way, didn’t come too much as a surprise to her, she became grateful that her and Foggy’s relationship wasn’t as complicated as Matt and Karen’s. It’s bad enough being friends with Daredevil and worrying about him, but being married to and being the mother of his child? That was on a whole different playing field. 

Some more time had passed and Karen found it best to keep her attention out the window, which became a decent enough distraction. While getting lost in the trance of the pulsing streetlights and flickering neon signs, she almost jumped out of her seat unexpectedly when a sudden vibration on her lap frightened her. 

“Shoot,” she quietly exclaimed before bending down to fish her phone out from underneath Marci’s seat where it had flung under from all the commotion. “Oh my god!” Marci gasped sharply while also looking at the bright screen of her phone. This immediately squashed any and all of  Karen’s hope of her notification being from Matt, she resumed her upwards position and pursed her lips in disappointment. 

“What is it babe?” Foggy shot his head to the side, facing his wife then back to the road ahead. Karen unlocked her phone and read along in sync as Marci announced the message they had both just received. 

It was the city wide emergency notification alert advising all of Hell’s Kitchen to evacuate. 

And just like that, the world around them had turned upside down…

__________________________

Ushering two half-asleep kids under ten from the warm and cozy car to a harshly lit behemoth of a hotel was a feat within itself. Squinting into the light, Karen made her way through the revolving glass doors with the groggy form of her daughter in her arms. Foggy followed close behind with Preston in his, while Marci impressively towed all their luggage in her stilettos - making quite the statement, no doubt. It was apparent that none other than Marci herself had singled out this particular hotel, as it definitely met her posh standards. Karen was already gearing up to apologize to her husband for the bill from getting a first glance around at the marble sculptures, the crystal chandelier and the waterfall features in the lobby in amazement. It truly screamed Marci’s taste. 

The sudden change in environment had caused both children to stir and eventually rise to consciousness during the rather long elevator ride up to the top floor. With it being so early in the morning, the only option the hotel could offer that would accommodate the party of five was a penthouse suite.  

“Woah!” Grace and Preston marveled simultaneously with eyes practically bulging out of their heads after Foggy swiped the key card into the room sounding a high pitch chime. The suite was massive to say the least - notably larger than both families’ apartments. Karen released Grace safely onto the floor, allowing her impatiently squirming body to run free to explore around the room. She became astounded, turning 360 degrees and being greeted with glass window panes that looked on to the unfamiliar city that expanded below. It was no Hell’s Kitchen, but in the moonlight it sure looked close enough. 

As the kids ran back and forth from room to room and Marci and Foggy began settling in, Karen took advantage of her solitude and stepped out onto the balcony that she spotted earlier. Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath of the crisp, cool night air which calmed her nerves to some extent. Once regaining view, she tipped her chin up and noticed the wide array of stars which littered the night sky. On certain nights in the summer, Matt and her would go to the roof and sit under the stars on blankets and pillows and enjoy each other's company. He loved listening to her describe the beauty of the picture perfect scene above them and craft stories behind made up constellations. The ‘milk chocolate way’ had been a fan favorite. Tonight would have been a great night to do that; however, here she was alone with only her memories to keep her company.

She longed to be back home, but home wasn’t just a place, it was a person - it was Matt. She ached to be in his arms again, although tonight she’d settle snuggling up and taking solace in their daughter. 

“Mommy, where are you?” Speaking of Grace, Karen was being beckoned from inside. 

“Over here. Honey. I’m coming,” she answered back, sliding open the glass doors and returning to the confines of the common room. Grace rushed over to her mother and enveloped her in a hug. 

“Can we call daddy before we go to bed?” The desperation on her daughter’s face looking up to her with pleading eyes had taken her aback. She hesitated and cast her gaze over to the side, noticing the Nelson’s sticking their heads out of their bedroom listening in, intrigued by what would come from their goddaughter’s request. She wanted nothing more than to hear Matt’s voice again, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to risk subjecting her daughter to the truth or even worse - having him pick up in the middle of a serious situation and throwing him off task. 

After considering her options, and being heavily influenced by Foggy, who sided with her daughter, she eventually caved in and appeased Grace’s pleas. “Ok, we can give him a call, but afterwards it’s straight to bed, missy,” she sighed in agreement and snuck in a bartering tactic. 

“Yes!” both Grace and Foggy exclaimed. Karen walked over to the kitchen table and pulled her phone out of her duffle. In no time, everyone was crowded around the table, eagerly awaiting to get an update on the status of Hell’s Kitchen from Matt. 

Ripping off the band aid, she dialed his burner number, put it on speaker, then held her breath as it rang - it was all out of her hands now. Her shoulders stiffened, tensing up with each tone that emitted loudly from the phone that sat in front of her - it almost seemed like it was mocking her. 

A monotone robotic voice suddenly filled the room,“You’ve reached the voicemail box of…” the automatic message continued but was shortly interrupted by disgruntled huffs and disappointed groans from the crowd. This triggered something unnerving inside Karen. Matt usually picked up his wife’s calls no matter what, in fact - they came to an agreement early on after giving their relationship a second chance after Fisk was sent to prison that while Matt was out Daredevil-ing he would always be reachable. This could only mean one thing - something truly intense was happening back at home, no doubt that he was definitely in some sort of danger. 

Her eyes widened upon this realization and she was on the brink of a full on panic attack. “Ok, kids, it’s late enough - let’s get to bed.” Marci thankfully diverted the attention off from her hyperventilation fit. Grace, clearly upset, dropped her head to the floor and tears began to fall to the floor below. Karen sympathized with her daughter’s sorrows and leant down to comfort her. “Mom, what if dad is hurt or in trouble or what if-” Grace voiced her fears, overly concerned for the well being of her father and violently sobbed into her mother’s chest. 

Karen wiped tears from her own eyes and held her daughter tighter. “Baby, I’m sure dad is fine,” she choked out the reassuring hope, “We will give it another try in the morning, after we get some rest. He’s probably just asleep right now like we should be,” she hinted while planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. She then scooped her up and rose back to her feet. 

“Goodnight, guys. We’re going to try to get some sleep. Thanks again for everything,” Karen tried her best to smile through her sadness as she parted from the Nelsons and took Grace to their room. Foggy and Marci reciprocated the sentiment and led a yawning Preston back to the other bedroom.  

It was deja vu looking at another, yet different, alarm clock, Karen became aware of the time. It was now a little after three-thirty in the morning. Everything had happened so quickly, she didn’t realize that it had gotten this late. They needed to sleep until at least eleven to get their full eight hours, but that wasn’t realistic for her with the amount of stress she’d been going through. 

Karen had tossed their duffle onto their bed and then started digging in after depositing Grace on top of the bed’s comforter. Thankfully, Grace was already in her pajamas with her teeth brushed from earlier, so she immediately crawled under the covers. Karen went to the bathroom and washed her face quickly - something that was much needed from all the crying. Upon returning to a still wide awake and tearful Grace, she rummaged through the bag and pulled out the star projector. Placing the device on the side table next to Grace and plugging it into the outlet below put a hidden smile on the eight-year-olds face, which was a relief. While in the bag, Karen felt her fingers brush across the soft material of Matt’s sweatshirt that she had already managed to forget packing. Decisively, she slipped it over her T-shirt and the fabric had an instant soothing effect on her. Taking in a deep breath in, the scent of him filled her senses and comforted her like a warm hug. It gave her a false hope, as if he was right besides her, but alas she was simply allowing herself to be caught up in a fantasy.

With the flick of the light switch, the room was painted with a sea of neon stars. With everything taken care of, it was now Karen’s turn to slide into bed and try her best to get some sleep - if there was any glimmer of hope that sleep would be achievable, which was a big if. As soon as the duvet wrapped around her figure, she felt small arms tightly wrap around her torso and a weight rest on her shoulder. Grace thrusted herself at her mother to gain a sense of security. 

“I’m here, baby. You’re safe.” She planted a reassuring kiss on top of her daughter’s forehead in between strokes of her fingers through her long dark hair. The sentiment and overflowing love in her mother’s words was there; however, it unintentionally triggered something inside the girl.

Her head popped up with trepidation. “Mom, do you really think dad’s okay?” Her timid voice strained, growing hoarse with worry. 

Karen shifted her weight over on one side, facing her daughter. “Your dad is one of the strongest, bravest, and smartest people I know. He’s going to be perfectly fine tonight and we’ll see him tomorrow - I promise,” she tucked a frizzy piece of her daughter’s unruly hair behind her ear, “You know what?” she quizzed, arching her brow and squinting, as her face became illuminated by twinkling constellations. 

“Hmm?” Grace replied cautiously.

“I bet dad is just as worried about us as we are about him, so let’s keep each other safe and try to rest to uphold our promise to him. I bet he’s doing the same thing with Grandma Maggie.” Karen sniffled and put her arm around Grace, allowing her to nuzzle inwards. Exhaustion attributed from a night’s length of crying and stress overtook the girl and she ended up crashing within the sheltering protection that her mother had provided.

For Karen, sleep did not come that easy. She found herself wide awake staring at the colorful ceiling, alone with her thoughts that raced in a never ending loop in her mind. Between the numb void she had inadvertently trapped herself in and combatting Grace who thrashed next to her through a presumable nightmare, she was forced to make a fateful decision. Determinedly adjusting her body out from Grace’s grasp and peeling back the covers with great caution, making sure not to wake her daughter, Karen grabbed her phone off the nightstand, slipped it in the pocket of the sweatshirt, and snuck out of the bedroom venturing out to the common area. 

The squeaking sound of her bare feet sliding on the vinyl flooring was quickly silenced by the inexplicably loud snores that traveled from behind the closed door of Foggy’s bedroom. How the Nelsons manage to sleep through that was an astonishing mystery. 

Figuring a midnight snack would take her mind off of things, she frowned and cursed to herself remembering that her stash of Pop Tarts were left behind in the bedroom. Karen regretfully decided against retreating to go back for them in consideration of assuming any risk interrupting her slumbering daughter. While tiptoeing around the space taking in all the amenities and luxurious furnishings, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A wicker basket sat proud on the uniquely shaped natural wood coffee table which was dimly lit by the moonlight casting downwards upon it. She inquisitively smirked, focusing on the variety of snack sized bags of chips, trail mix, and chocolates that were neatly presented. 

Karen fell into the white leather couch, leaned forward towards the table and grabbed a handful of snacks. Satisfying her hunger, as she tore into all the bags and mindlessly munched down on the sweet and salty array of goodies, Karen almost allowed herself to get lost in the comfort of the junk food and stress eat her worries away. But then she made the regretful mistake of turning the television on. 

“Hell’s Kitchen is struck with tragedy tonight as the city urged all residents to evacuate…” a raven haired, white power-suit cladded, woman broadcaster reported on the news. She was standing in front of City Hall which - due to its central location within Hell’s Kitchen - was the home base for the police department and FBI’s operation, as she spotted tents and surveillance vans surrounded inside traffic barriers which littered the scene behind the reporter. Karen stopped chewing and rested her hand holding the potato chip in waiting on her lap. Damn it , she thought to herself, that could be me right now . The thrill seeking reporter inside of her wanted more than anything to hit the pavement, be in the middle of the chaos, and see how everything would unfold. Her Bulletin press pass technically wasn’t currently legitimate since she was no longer a full time employee, but she could have probably gotten away with it being part time and upholding a legacy with the paper from her previous notably popular articles about a certain vigilante. 

Grace’s soft yet heart piercing whimpers drifted from under their bedroom door and swiftly extinguished those thoughts. Times had certainly changed and her responsibilities of being a mother would always be the number one priority - their daughter’s well being would forever come first. 

She rose to her feet, with the full intent to return to the room and console the nightmare plagued girl, but then a real life nightmare played out right before her eyes on the screen that left her numb with disbelief. The camera shook violently as it captured a massive explosion tear through a building in the distance behind City Hall. It must have been a couple blocks away, but the blast erupted so furiously that it caused a rippling effect. A billowing cloud of smoke could be viewed rising upwards, looming over the city like a bad omen of what was yet to come if the madman was not stopped. She was well aware that the news had been downplaying the severity of the bomber’s plan, as Matt notified her earlier in the night of four total explosives, with one being taken care of already, but the news had yet to specify that exact number - most likely to avoid causing any unnecessary mass panic. 

Shit, Matt. Where was he during all of this?

In seconds, her trembling fingers dialed Matt’s number on her phone for the second time. “Pick up. Pick up. Come on, Matt,” she urged under her breath, pacing back and forth, distraught with worry, as it rang. 

“Karen, hello?” His bemused voice verified that he was alive and well at least. 

“Were you there?” she asked firmly - it was more like a demand. He didn’t have to question what she was referring to or how she knew what had happened, it was her nature to be in the know and interrogate until she received the answers she desired. 

“Yes” he truthfully admitted with a shaky, shallow breath. 

A sharp chill ran up her spine and her eyes began swimming in tears. “Are you hurt? I just saw it happen live on the news. The blast made it seem like it took out a whole city block! How did you make it out in time?” Her lips quivered, as she choked out the words. 

He had been previously caught off guard by his wife’s call. At the moment he was catching his breath laying in the gravel on top of the rooftop of a high rise apartment building overlooking the rubble of the building that had been blasted to pieces. His ears were still ringing from the aftermath of the explosion, as it overstimulated his senses. However, the sound of Karen’s broken voice snapped him back into reality.

Matt had tried his best to explain how he exactly managed to clear the blast zone in the nick of time, after being so close to defusing the explosive. It had occurred in an abandoned textile factory which was now forever lost. The sheer amount of guilt from failing to stop the bomb was unmistakably weighing him down. Karen picked up on all the signs of this - his hiked breathing, the stuttered speech, and the long pauses after each sentence. His mind was definitely not in the right headspace at the moment. Karen was going to help him through this - no matter what it took. 

“Honey, you’ve done all that you could so far. Thankfully, no one was hurt. There’s only two more to go right?”

“Yeah,” he gulped in confirmation. 

She exhaled, realizing that he was finally easing up. “Then we’re halfway there. You’ve got this,” she reassured. “The moment you, Brett and Madani locate and disarm the final two I will be right back home and back in your arms.” She left him with that enticing thought, hoping it would give him a much required push. 

It seemed to do the trick, as he shot upwards, springing into action. Unlatching the billy club in his hands, preparing to take the fateful leap to resume the mission, he left her with a final sentiment before swinging in the night across the skyline. “Thanks, Karen. I really needed this. I love you and will see you soon. I swear.”

“Soon can’t come fast enough - trust me. Be careful, devil boy. Love you more.” Karen felt somewhat better after checking in with him, especially since all the uncertainties she was left with after the previous call.

She stuffed the cell phone back in her pocket and began collecting the mess of half eaten snacks to deposit in the trash can. 

“Looks like Hell’s Kitchen has our very own vigilante on the case,” Karen glanced up at the television, the newscaster’s words peaking her interest. A small smile of content tugged on the corners of her mouth, as the camera panned over capturing the outline of a horned figure effortlessly grappling from one rooftop to the next, backlit in the forefront of the flames of the factory that were beginning to die down.

She retreated back to her room, crawled under the sheets next to Grace, and tried to get some sleep praying that he was going to be okay. 

__________________________ 

It was about eleven in the morning when the shuffling of slippered footsteps started to sound off in the suite. Marci had been the first to rise and had been so kind to make a trip downstairs and grab some complimentary Starbucks coffee and English muffin egg and cheese sandwiches - which was much needed. The combination of the bitter and savory aromas of the piping hot beverage and mixture of gooey eggs and cheese was the most favorable wake up call Karen could ask for after the long night. By noon, everyone was awake, congregated at the dining table and apprehensively munched and sipped away in complete silence. It seemed like no one was too inclined to bring the events of last night back up to the surface. 

After their meal was cleaned up and the kids were sent to brush their teeth and get dressed with unbelievably no disgruntled protest, the adults migrated to the balcony to soak in some sunshine and finish their coffees.

“Have you heard anything about Hell’s Kitchen, Karen?” Foggy questioned as soon as the sliding glass door shut behind them, ensuring their conversation was held in privacy. He slowly took a seat on the cushioned outdoor couch next to his wife, making sure not to spill his drink, but kept his gaze steady on Karen as she leaned up against the glass railing and looked out at the view. 

She tapped her manicured nails on the side of the paper cup as a placeholder for the words she was too fearful to say. “Well, I was actually able to get a hold of him last night. I saw one of the bombs go off on the news and immediately called him” she admitted, shifting her body to face them. Their eyes bulged out of their heads and mouths fell agape. In fact, Foggy almost spit out his coffee upon hearing this brand new information. 

“Wait - what? What did he say? Was he near the blast radius? Was he injured?” He rapidly fired off more and more pressing questions, like an inquisitive child. Karen thankfully was patient and understanding of his inquisitions and took the time to answer each question to the best of her ability, with only knowing what she learned on the news and what Matt had disclosed to her. 

Inside, Grace and Preston had finished getting ready for the day and were lounging on the couch watching cartoons while their parents had their boring grown-ups conversation outside. Grace’s head perked up noting an incessant buzzing that came from the granite kitchen counter. At first, she thought nothing of it because it had gone off in the middle of the show’s theme song which she downplayed as part of the upbeat melody; however, when it occurred the second time, she knew something was up. 

Preston remained unfazed, but Grace, on the other hand, was itching with curiosity. Getting up to investigate the mysterious disturbance closer, she stuck her tongue out in determination while using a dining chair for leverage to prop her up to the countertop. Not even taking a second to glance at the caller ID, she mindlessly swiped the slider icon on the screen to the right and lifted the phone to her ear. 

“Karen, hey it’s me-” the young girl’s face lit up like a firework when she heard her father’s voice on the other end.

Grace emitted a sharp gasp, releasing both her excitement and shock. “DADDY!” 

She jumped right out of the chair and almost clumsily fell to the floor, but fortunately caught her footing in the nick of time. “Gracie, it’s so good to hear your voice, sweetheart,” Matt compassionately admitted in relief. “Is mom around? I need to tell her something very important. It’s kind of like a secret.” He egged her on, knowing very well that it would send his daughter into an eager ball of energy. 

“What is it!?!” Grace was bursting with enthusiasm, as she bounced around the kitchen. Preston amusingly watched her scene unfold from behind the safety of the couch, clutching a pillow to his chest, not wanting to risk colliding with the tornado that was his best friend.

“It’s safe to come back home. You guys can head back as soon as you’re ready.” The so-called ‘secret’ her father had just relayed to her brought Grace to tears. She wanted nothing more than to be back in Hell’s Kitchen, in her own room, with her own bed. But, most importantly - to be reunited with her dad. Not wasting a second longer, she sprinted to the balcony where her mother and the Nelsons were blissfully unaware of the stupendous news they were about to be given.

Grace aggressively flung open the glass door with a loud bang as it crashed into the jamb, causing the adults to pause their conversation and set all eyes on the eight-year-old who was standing before them with the widest grin on her face. “Mommy, daddy needs to talk to you!” She proudly presented her bewildered mother the phone and waited to see her reaction as Matt shared the news they’d all been anxiously waiting for.

It was finally time to go home…

__________________________

“Well, look who it is,” Karen heard Foggy announce, as he pulled the car up towards the curb outside of her and Matt’s apartment. She peered out the window to get a better look and was overjoyed to see none other than her husband awaiting their arrival on the front steps. He was  dressed in gray joggers which hung from his waistline and a simple black crew neck that was no doubt purposefully concealing various stitches on his forearms. She could tell that he had been worn down from last night’s activities, not only from the loungewear that he’s previously only worn in the apartment, but by his slumped posture and the heavy bags under his eyes.

As soon as they parked, Grace hurdled across her mother’s lap, threw open the door and bolted straight to her father. He involuntarily winced with a sharp hiss, still recovering from his sustained injuries, as she launched herself into his arms. 

Karen followed close behind, albeit not as quick in haste like her daughter, and approached her husband. He shifted Grace to his left hip, allowing room to pull his wife with his free arm - starving for her touch. She clung to him in desperation. “I can’t tell you how much I missed you,” she admitted in a deep exhale whilst sinking into his embrace. 

“I’m here now. You can’t get rid of me that easily” he jokingly reassured, kissing her on the cheek. She cherished the familiar ticklish feeling that resulted from the wrinkles that formed around the corners of his lips from his smile brushing upon the surface of her soft skin. As his lips parted, he detected the lingering trace of salty tears that remained embedded in Karen’s face and was immediately struck with immense guilt - she was up all night crying because of him. He would do whatever it took to make it up to her. 

Karen stepped back, taking a moment to evaluate his physical conditions. She noticed the deep purple hue of a bruise developing on his left cheek that was haphazardly covered by a bandage. She gasped in concern at the physical mementos of the horror he had endured from the night before. He felt her analytical gaze on him and lowered Grace to the sidewalk as a tactic to pause her efforts. The girl skipped back to Foggy who was now out of the car and had their luggage in his grip. 

“Foggy, it really means a lot to have you and your family take care of and looking out for mine. I truly can’t thank you enough.” Matt patted his lifelong friend on the shoulder and transferred the duffel bag into his possession. 

The shorter man returned the thanks, “It was nothing compared to what you had to deal with during last night. The whole population of Hell’s Kitchen owes you thanks for saving the entire city.” Foggy then left on that note and slid back into the driver’s seat to return home.

“So, what should we do now, counselor?” Karen inquired with a smirk, nudging Matt ever so slightly on the shoulder. 

There was a brief pause. He had to make sure the echoing sound of footsteps in the stairwell from his daughter racing up to her room was growing weaker, indicating her close proximity to their apartment on the top floor.

“Well, Mrs. Murdock - to answer your question - I plan on finally taking my wife to bed,” Matt exclaimed with a devious smile and led her inside the building.

The next thing they could remember was collapsing in their bed and cocooning inside the silk sheets. They slept for the next ten hours after getting not as much as a wink the night before. She sighed happily in her sleep and snuggled deeper against his chest. Matt sleepily kissed her hair that laid messily on the top of her head and let himself be engulfed within her comforting scent and magnetizing warmth. Everything was as it should be. 

Chapter Text

Silence. There was nothing but complete silence that eerily lingered in the air, which was atypical with it being an elementary school hallway. Usually the environment was booming with the laughter of children, the whooshes of paper airplanes floating steadily below ceiling tiles, the splashing of water from that one drinking fountain that was infamous for the stream of liquid which failed to have constant pressure, and teachers’ booming voices attempting to get the attention of their unruly students. However, at the moment, it was after school hours and all but two students remained on school property- well them, and the janitor who was currently cleaning the floors down the hall. 

Grace found herself staring at her feet which were absentmindedly swinging back and forth nervously, as she awaited her fate. She bit her lower lip out of stress from the anticipation, wondering when she would be summoned. Sitting in the adjacent chair was none other than her best friend - Preston Nelson. He was slightly more at ease, bored in fact, twiddling his thumbs, slouched back in his seat.

The sound of a group of footsteps approaching from down the freshly waxed hallway floors accompanied by the distinct tapping of a cane made the girl bow her head lower and cringe - their parents had arrived. 

It was a little after three in the afternoon when Marci and Karen had received simultaneous phone calls from the elementary school office, interrupting a meeting with a potential client that had all members of the law firm in attendance. Both mothers exchanged a suspicious glance across the table, knowing something inauspicious had to be at hand, before excusing themselves and stepping out to answer the calls. They were informed that their respective children had an incident at school and were being held at the administrative office to be picked up. Little to no details were provided about said incident, which sent both Karen and Marci into a fit of hysteria. Safe to say, the meeting had to be cut short and rescheduled after a justified apology, so that all parents could close up shop early to head out and figure out what was going on with their children.

“There’s my baby bear,” Marci rushed ahead of the others to her son and leant down to capture him in a suffocating hug. 

The presence of his mother had induced something inside of him, allowing his emotions to surface. He began softly crying into the frilled shoulder of her black blouse. “Mom, I’m so sorry,” The boy came up for air and looked directly into her eyes, his face was pale stricken with guilt. 

Foggy stood supportively at his side and put a reaffirming hand upon his son’s back, “We’re here for you buddy.” Seeing his son so distressed was off putting to say the least, especially with having no idea what was troubling him so. “There’s no need to worry, son - you have Hell’s Kitchen’s best lawyers on the case,” Foggy joked, elbowing his son playfully, trying to lighten up the mood. 

Grace’s posture stiffened up and she became still in her seat, freezing her swinging legs, when her parents arrived - almost as if she was building walls to shield herself from their judgment. Her developed fear of disappointing them was inching its way into the light. Karen took immediate notice of this and caressed her daughter’s face, trying to induce a smile or any positive reaction from the solemn looking girl; however, her stern expression failed to change. 

“Are you alright, Grace?” Matt spoke up, collapsing his cane to direct all of his focus on his daughter. Despite her outward impassiveness, on the inside he detected her heart rate going a mile a minute with rising blood pressure levels. His quick assessment confirmed that she was deeply unsettled and tense. “I’m fine,” she eventually responded bluntly with a strained voice, as she defensively brushed away her mother’s hand from her face. No one in the vicinity needed to possess Matt’s super senses to recognize that was an obvious lie. 

Karen crossed her arms, determining her next move to broach the subject and uncover what truly went down that caused both kids to be held after school. It was apparent that the adults were frustrated from being in the dark. After realizing that neither kid was going to be much help explaining the events that lead up to this point, Marci took charge and matters into her own hands. “Ok, this is absurd, I’m going in there to get some answers,” she huffed, slinging her designer handbag back up on her shoulder. Heels clicking full speed ahead towards the wood door that displayed the message ‘Administrative Office’ in large white text on the interior window, she was startled when the door creaked open, forcing her to recoil to nearly avoid crashing into the door swing. 

“Mister Nelson and Miss Murdock, I presume,” a small woman in her late-forties announced, pushing a pair of glasses up the bridge of her nose which hung from a beaded chain around her neck, as she read the names off a clipboard in her grip. Her eyes widened upon gazing up and noticing the company of all four adults before her. She then observed the two students in question who were looking at her like a deer in headlights. It was evident that they were trying their best to hide their fear and intimidation from the figure of authority who had forced them to  stay ‘prisoner’ after school, as they would interpret it. 

Matt’s nose scrunched upwards and he developed a slight headache taking in the excessive amount of lavender perfume mixed with oolong tea that had passed through the air as she made her entrance. “Humpf, ” she dismissively breathed out after unfortunately managing to catch his displeased reaction and taking it the wrong way. 

Tapping her foot impatiently, she introduced herself as Mrs. Kwan - the principal, then offered each adult a firm handshake before directing them to step inside her office to discuss why they’d been called to the school in the first place - their children's recent behavior. 

“Please, be so kind and follow me this way,” the principal all but demanded, and swiftly turned her back to the families, striding onwards with purpose through the doorway and into the small corridor that awaited with the clipboard secured tightly to her chest.

Preston let out a long sigh of relief now that she was gone. “Do you really have to go in there?” He wearily pouted, tipping the mop of his shaggy blonde hair upwards at his mother. She felt a twinge of sympathy for her son, herself not having the best impression from the principal, but was too curious to discover what had happened to her little angel that could have led him to end up facing Mrs. Kwan’s wrath. “Yes, honey, but after we're done talking to your principal we’ll go home and pick up Nonna’s for dinner. I promise.” She hoped enticing him with the proposition of food from their favorite Italian restaurant would tide him over for the meantime. 

A hint of a smile graced his face as his solemn pout slowly turned into a puppy dog pout “And the cannolis for dessert?” He innocently begged. 

Marci placed her hand on her hips and contemplated for a second shooting down the request, not wanting to make a habit of appeasing her son all the time. But, she ultimately did not feel the need to do so with the situation at hand, figuring that they’d all appreciate the treat, so she tacked cannolis onto her promise while brushing his unruly hair out of his eyes. 

“That’s my boy!” Foggy exclaimed, thoroughly impressed by and fully onboard with his son’s negotiation tools.

Karen noticed that Grace had not reacted in the slightest to the Nelson’s conversational outburst. She fully expected her daughter to piggyback on their offer, yet she remained quiet and still as a mouse. The concerned thoughts running through her mind speculating what had made Grace act this way were interrupted as she felt Matt’s hand slip into hers. “We should probably head in there, best not to keep her waiting any longer,” her husband leaned in and whispered the suggestion in her ear. Their closeness forced a chill to run up her spine, she reminded herself that they were in a school before allowing herself to melt like putty in his hands. 

Failing to speak, she managed to nod her head in agreement. “We’ll be right back, ok sweetie?” Karen reassured and caressed her daughter’s cheek. “Ok,” Grace answered apologetically, avoiding eye contact. Both parents were relieved that the girl managed to speak up for once. Matt tugged Karen in the direction of the door, he must have picked up on Mrs. Kwan becoming increasingly more impatient. Taking the lead, Karen guided Matt to the door and took one last glimpse at Grace before turning the brass doorknob and stepping inside. 

“Hang tight, kiddo, we’ll be right back” Foggy ruffled the top of his son’s head and flashed a encouraging smile before following the Murdocks close behind with his wife. 

“That’s it - we’re screwed.” Grace frustratingly announced aloud now that their parents were out of range and shamefully cupped her face with both palms. 

Preston scooched his chair closer with a squeak of the metal legs scraping against the tile in an attempt to comfort his friend. “We don’t know that yet. I’m sure everything will be fine - just you wait and see.” He put a hand on her restless bouncing thigh, trying to calm her down and uplift her spirits. 

She deadpanned and looked at the boy in all seriousness, “Yeah, well, maybe for you. At least you didn’t punch a kid in the face.”

__________________________

Both couples eventually found their way to Mrs. Kwan’s office where she waited for them, clicking her pen in annoyance. “Please, take a seat,” she gestured to the group of chairs on the other side of her large mahogany desk. They did as they were told and settled in, looking at her attentively for the long awaited news. 

The older woman released the pen from her grip before clasping her hands together resting on the surface of the desk. “Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. Murdock,” she addressed each couple, “I brought you both here today to discuss your children - Grace and Preston.” 

“We figured as much,” Foggy brazenly stated the obvious, as he loosed up the crimson necktie that was beginning to form a chokehold against his neck. This earned him an aggressive shoulder nudge from his wife, “Honey, please.” she pestered through clenched teeth.  

Mrs. Kwan shot him a peeved expression, sometimes dealing with the parents was just as bad as dealing with the kids, but she resumed her train of thought. “Through both of their times here at school, with Grace being in fourth grade and Present being in fifth, their teachers have noticed that both children have a naturally shy nature in the classroom. They have not fully branched out to make many friends with their respective peers. In fact, we’ve only really observed them being social with each other.” She paused, allowing her audience to take in her words and react as need be. “The most we’ve witnessed them talk and play is with each other during their shared times during lunch and recess.”

Karen uncomfortably shifted in her seat, “So, you’re saying that you’ve kept our kids here and summoned us to let us know that they are introverted?” she said speculatively, arching a brow. 

“Yes and no, as that is only the first half of it - you see I’m leading up to something larger.” Mrs. Kwan got up from her seat and started pacing the room. “Now, I understand that they are both only children and spend extensive time together as you four work together at your accredited law firm. This may be a plausible cause of their current social skill dilemma. I’ve recently read a report-”

While she was going on about childhood studies and spewing out useless data, the lawyer side in Matt tried to come up with a counter argument, taking it upon himself to attempt to level with the woman. However, what she stated was completely true - there was no really no argument to be made. Both couples were guilty of not making an effort to expose their kids to social situations. They weren’t involved in any groups or extracurricular activities. The one rebuttal he could come up with was Grace’s time spent at the church and her piano lessons with Maggie, but those were few and far between and he didn’t believe spending time with her grandmother and parents would cut it for spending time with kids her own age. “I guess you have a point there. Grace and Preston have basically been joined at the hip ever since Grace learned to crawl,” he interjected admittedly “but, we’ve never noticed anything unusual with their upbringing and they’re still so young - I really don’t see the problem here.” He stood his ground and cocked his head ever so slightly, exemplifying his intent.

Mrs. Kwan was getting increasingly tired of her message not coming across clearly to the stubbornly in-denial parents. She re-approached her desk chair, sat down, and let out an exasperated breath of frustration while massaging both temples with her thumbs. This was a sight of a woman who was on the brink of losing all hope.

Foggy couldn’t help but feel sympathetic for her and, being the one known to break the tension in the room, smoothed back his hair with his palm and approached the subject himself. “Your honor, if I may-” Foggy paused with wide eyes, realizing what had come out of his mouth, “Sorry, force of habit,” he shrunk back in his seat out of embarrassment, recanting the statement.

Mrs. Kwan let out a small chuckle from his slip up, which did in fact lighten up the mood in the room and the others eased into it, laughing along. She eventually fell back into a semi-seriousness manner and the laughter lines from the corner of her lips smoothed out, upholding her role as the school principal. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat. After that alleviated moment, it was now time to just get to the point. “Look, folks. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to all come down here and sit down with me, so I am not going to waste any more of your time.” Attentive gazes met hers with desperation while she hesitated briefly. Karen reached out and grabbed ahold of Matt's hand for comfort. Foggy arched his back forward, straightening his posture and Marci remained still with a steadied focused expression. 

“Today, before their lunch period, Grace punched one of Preston’s classmates in the face. The student was apparently teasing and threatening your son and Grace stepped in his defense and quickly put a stop to it.”

Marci gasped, notably distressed, upon learning that her son had been a victim of an act of bullying. Foggy was quite shaken up as well and was still registering what he’d been told; however, he took no time to turn and scoot his chair to offer a shoulder to cry on when his wife began to tear up, which she fell into immediately. The Murdocks, on the other hand, had less emotional reactions. 

“Oh, did she now?” Karen asked with an exaggerated hint of surprise in her voice, as she was not at all shocked to find out that her daughter had developed a hero complex. I mean just look who her father was. She gave her husband a slight kick with the tip of her heels on his lower shin, silently calling him out for rubbing off on their daughter. “Oof, hey!” he exclaimed under his breath, turning around to face her. He had been previously sitting with his mouth slightly agape, pondering whether or not he should be upset or proud that his daughter had been so brave.

Mrs. Kwan awkwardly sat there with her eyes shifting back and forth to each couple, watching the scene play out before her. “Please, everyone, let me explain.” She offered Marci a tissue from the box that sat on the edge of the desk, which the crying mother gratefully took and proceeded to dab the lingering tear streaks off her cheek. “The boy was sent home with a small bruise under his left eye after I had a stern discussion with his father regarding his actions. Grace’s violent outburst was unexpected and uncalled for, but I fear if she hadn’t stepped in that young Preston would be the one on the receiving end of a physical altercation.” 

Marci gulped, grateful that her son was unharmed, which she had her goddaughter to thank for, apparently. 

“As much as we are glad that Preston is safe, we formally apologize for our daughter’s behavior and will address the situation and her actions today appropriately.” Matt said methodically yet consolidarity - he had such a way with words. He stood up, extending his cane outwards and offered his hand out. 

“Well, um, thank you for coming down and please feel free to reach out if you need any resources or assistance - our office is always glad to help,” Mrs. Kwan stated hesitantly, shaking Matt’s lingering hand, “I trust that both children are in great caring hands. If this continues, which I hope it doesn’t, we will have a follow up conversation about other options.” She heeded, nodding firmly. 

The remaining three members of Nelson and Murdock rose to their feet, said their thank yous and goodbyes then funneled one by one out of her office, relieved to wrap up that conversation. 

Grace bit her lip, attempting to hold back her tears upon seeing her parents approach the doorway. That’s it, the truth was out. She was done for . Her parents now knew of her horrendous act. The amount of pressure she put on herself was boiling up inside of her. 

Her pounding heartbeat echoed in her father’s eardrums, which caused his feet to pick up the pace to reach her and engulf her in a warm embrace. “Oh, my sweet girl, I think you’ve been here long enough,” Matt relayed compassionately while transferring his daughter up in his arms and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. There, in her father’s arms, she felt safe. Karen gave Grace’s arm a gentle squeeze, letting her know that she was present. Grace figured that she would still be in trouble, but right now she was loved and supported by both of her parents. Matt then proceeded to carry her down the hallway with Karen’s arm locked into his, as they walked together out the door in sync. They shortly parted from the Nelsons, after saying their goodbyes, who veered off in the opposite direction to make their way to the restaurant, per Preston’s earlier request. Safe to say, the Murdocks were worn out after their long day and were looking forward to getting back to the comfort of their home.

__________________________

“Mom, may I have another breadstick, please?” The girl slowly looked up from her now clean plate. This was the first time Grace had said anything since they had returned from school. It was an unusually quiet dinner over a delicious chicken parmesan meal, which was one of the many dishes Karen had learned to master. The absence of voices amplified the shrill sound of metal forks scratching on their ceramic plates. Karen herself couldn’t stand the sound of it and couldn’t imagine how her husband was dealing with it. It pained both parents to witness their daughter full of guilt and remorse. They decided to wait to broach the subject until after dinner, hoping she would loosen up a bit after her favorite homemade meal; however, that didn’t seem to be the case. 

“Yes, baby, you can,” Karen granted and passed the basket of warm cheesy garlic breadstick knots over to her daughter. She kept her gaze on Grace while doing so, noticing that appeasing her request did not put the slightest gleam in her eye or smile on her face. She tried the very last card in her deck which was offering a bowl of chocolate ice cream for dessert as soon as they had all finished and started to clean up the dishes. “No thank you,” her daughter politely responded, putting her plate and fork in the sink. Both Matt and Karen’s jaws dropped in astonishment. It was so usual - almost like someone had brainwashed their kid completely. She always had a sweet tooth ever since the day she could eat solid foods. “Ok, your call, kiddo.” Karen raised an eyebrow, responding in disbelief and went back to rinsing the pile of dishes in the sink. Matt saddled up behind the basin and planted himself by her side then whipped out a towel from the drawer and started going to work on drying duties. 

Once Matt heard his daughter enter the threshold of her room, he gave his wife a nudge. “She must have beat us to it and started the punishment on herself,” he playfully chided in her ear acknowledging the odd exchange they had with Grace. 

She smirked at his remark, “Oh, quiet, you. It’s not funny!” Karen nudged him back with more force. 

After they had completed their task, time had drawn near for both parents to have the dreaded talk with their daughter regarding the events that had unfolded that day. Karen did not want to admit it, but she had been purposefully washing slower than usual to almost stall and allow herself to mentally prepare and develop a list of talking points in her head. This technically was Grace’s first time in any sort of major trouble. Neither Matt nor Karen had much experience disciplining or scolding their daughter. Sure, she had tried staying up past her bedtime or sneaking treats without their permission before, but nothing as intense as getting physical and lashing out in school.

“Ugh,” Karen released a weary sigh, “I guess it’s time to face the music.” She tucked her hair behind both ears and leaned her lower back against the kitchen counter. Matt sensed his wife’s reluctance, so he turned to face her after hanging the dirty towel that rested on his shoulder up to dry. “We got this, honey,” he took both of her soft, petite, and manicured hands into his coarse and callous ones. “We’re going to do this together - as a team,” Matt vowed, leaning in caressing her face before melting into a passionate kiss which would hopefully alleviate her hesitancy. Thankfully, Grace emerged from her room, causing her parents to swiftly break away before they got too carried away and lost focus on what they had set out to do. It was now or never. 

“Hey, sweetheart, can we talk with you for a second?” Karen made the first move and instigated the conversation, ushering her daughter to sit on the couch as Matt followed her lead close behind. One very apprehensive and intimidated girl sat with wide curious eyes which bounced back and forth from each parent, wondering how this talk would unfold. She expected the worst, in fact, she played out an entire screaming match in her mind which occupied her thoughts during dinner and attributed to her silence.

Her father stepped forward and took a seat next to her,  “Now Grace, before you mother and I start, we want to hear from you exactly what happened today. Can you do that for us, honey?” His voice was soft and comforting. She blinked, perplexed, as she did not expect to be given the opportunity to defend herself. The understanding and compassionate lawyer side of Matt was present instead of the stereotypical disappointed father side that jumped to conclusions, which he would never be known for. In his opinion, everyone deserved to be heard and speak their truth - especially his daughter. 

She gulped, flustered to be put on the spot, but managed to string her thoughts together and proceeded to tell her side of the story. Karen joined her family and nestled up to her daughter, wrapping an encouraging arm around her small shoulders.

The girl exhaled out a deep breath, “So, right before lunch Preston was waiting in the hall for my class to be released like usual. But today when I met him outside the restrooms, there were some boys standing around him which was odd because I’ve never seen them before with Preston.”

Karen’s brows knitted, she had an inclination as to where this story was going. “And what were they saying to Preston?” she asked. 

“When I walked closer I heard one boy named Trevor teasing his height and his pink lunchbox and the others were laughing at him. I felt so angry that they were making fun of him so I rushed by his side and told them to stop. That didn’t do much because then Trevor made fun of Preston being friends with me and said that I was ‘little girl’.”

She paused and clenched her fist, visibly upset. 

“And then what happened?” Matt inquired and placed his hand comfortingly on top of hers unraveling her small fingers into his. “It’s ok, honey”. 

Grace’s upper lip trembled and she sniffled. “Trevor saw that Preston was starting to cry then called him a baby and pushed him to the floor-” she looked up towards her mother with glossy eyes filled with remorse- “an-and that when I punched Trevor in the face. I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. He was being so mean and wouldn’t stop when I asked.” Her head bowed to her lap after finishing her tale. “I’m sorry,” she woefully huffed.

“Baby, we’re not mad at you,” Matt declared, attempting to dissipate some of her guilt. 

Grace squeezed his hand tight which she was still holding onto. “Really, but I hit someone.” Her face wrinkled in confusion. 

Karen stepped in. Unfortunately in terms of their good cop bad cop act, she took the role of sharing the harsh truths and the one responsible of saying ‘no’ to their daughter, as her husband didn’t have the heart to. “Well, using your fists may not have been the most appropriate way to handle the situation…” 

“However,” Matt interrupted, causing his wife to whip her head in his direction - unclear where he was going with this. He smiled as the smell of her shampoo wafted in his direction “We are so proud of how brave you were to stand up and defend Preston. It was a thoughtful choice, but instead of violence, next time try getting a grown up like a teacher to come and help. Do you think you can do that, baby?”

Grace simply nodded at her father’s advice, reasoning with his logic. 

Karen crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at his ironic statement. “Hypocrite” she faked coughed into her elbow. Only Matt would preach non-violence to their daughter and then do the complete opposite himself while taking up the vigilante mantle every night. 

Grace tipped her head, puzzled from hearing the new vocabulary word, “What does that mean, mommy?” 

“Don’t mind her. She’s being silly,” Matt dismissed Karen’s little comment with a swish of his hand to which his daughter thankfully brushed off. 

Karen unfolded her limbs and eased into relaxation. “Honey, we learned an important lesson today and are grateful that you wanted to rush to Preston’s aid, but next time either get a teacher or let Preston’s parents or us know if something is happening like this at school. We will have a discussion with Trevor’s parents, but it would also be nice if you could apologize to him about your actions. Could you be brave again and do that for us, sweetie?” 

Grace fiddled with her hands in her lap, mulling over about approaching the bully again. Fearing that her anger would resurface upon seeing his face after the way he treated her best friend. “Ok, I guess I can apologize to him,” she agreed to her own dismay. 

“Ah, that’s my girl,” Matt gave her a confirming pat on the back, “Now, it’s been a long day and it’s getting late - how about we get you in bed, peanut?”

Grace sank into the couch and stretched out her arms to the ceiling. “But I’m not even tired,” she ironically recanted with a big yawn. 

Matt took the window of opportunity with her arms unguarded to tickle her on the stomach, “I beg to differ, missy!” His laughter dueted hers as he scooped her up and playfully slung her over his shoulder then ventured into her bedroom with Karen following while chuckling in amusement at their antics close behind. 

After successfully managing to get their stubborn daughter to complete her bedtime routine, leaving her all snuggled up with her plethora of stuffed animals, Matt and Karen found themselves quite exhausted and retired to their bedroom. 

Karen did a double take when her husband had returned from the restroom while she was undoing the comforter to crawl into bed. “You’re not going out tonight?” she surprisingly questioned, noticing that he was sporting boxer briefs and a white undershirt which was his typical pajama outfit instead of his black ‘stealth’ suit. It was only ten o’clock at night and a beautiful spring night, so she definitely had him pegged to patrol the city tonight.

“Nope, I think today's events call for a well deserved night off,” he declared, sure of himself, then took her open invitation and slipped into bed. 

Karen quickly followed suit, turning off the lamp on her side table, nuzzling into the blankets, and rolled over to face her husband. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she blinked, focusing on Matt’s tiresome yet peaceful expression. He smiled at the sound of her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. One of her favorite things were the wrinkle lines that outlined his mouth when it shifted into an infectious smile, she couldn't help but get lost in his moment of simple bliss. 

“Is she asleep yet?” She noticed his ears twitch, which was a true tell that she had experienced before that he was listening into their daughter’s room on the other side of the wall. 

He flinched and drew his attention back to Karen, “Yeah, she dozed off about three minutes ago.” Matt wouldn’t admit this, but he typically can’t fall asleep until he is in the presence and drinks in the sound of both his wife’s and daughter’s sleepful heartbeats and lulling labored breathing - it acted as a security blanket for him in a way. 

Just as he found his eyelids growing heavier, almost on the brink of succumbing to sleep, Karen’s crackled voice shot him wide awake. 

“Do you think we’re failing her as parents?” She flipped onto her back with her gaze dead set on the blank void that was the ceiling, and released her secret doubts into the open which had been gnawing at her conscience. 

He frowned, unsure why she would even consider that notion. “No, of course not. Don’t even think that, honey.” Matt attempted to put her intrusive thoughts to rest by hooking his arm around her torso and pulling her in closer. 

She didn’t fight his efforts and nestled her head into his shoulder, curling up against him. “You know, I see more and more of you in her every day. Not sure if we should be reassured or concerned.” 

Matt smirked mischievously at her comment. “Probably a bit of both, I’d imagine,” he admitted truthfully, stroking his fingers through her golden locks that poured out onto his chest like waves lapping on a beach.

She popped her head up, engaging with his statement, “Oh, I'm sure little Matt Murdock was no saint.”

He laughed, suspending the autonomous motion of his hand through her hair. “I confess, I did get into a fair share of trouble back in the day.” He recalled back on his time spent at Saint Agnes running into a handful of bullies himself and scraping his way out of a couple of fights, to the nuns horror and ultimate dissatisfaction. 

“Ha-” she scoffed in amusement, “Well, let’s hope this trip to the principal's office isn’t a recurring thing, I don’t know how many more days like this I can handle. Especially after seeing how she got so worked up afterwards.” She yawned.

He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, which had been practically asking for it, positioned directly under his chin. “We’ll figure out something. How hard can it be to find something she’ll enjoy and allow her to make a couple more friends?” 

“Mmm hmm, easy peasy” Karen drowsily answered before drifting off to sleep in her husband’s embrace. 

That night Matt took advantage of being home at a reasonable hour and appreciated this moment with his wife in the peaceful quiet a little bit longer. At least until he ultimately succumbed to slumber himself from the dueting lullaby of the comforting sounds that emitted from her and Grace, as they all dreamed of a new day. 

Chapter Text

“Daddy! Daddy! Guess what?” Grace made quite the entrance into the apartment, flinging open the door swiftly. 

The whisk in Matt’s hand slipped onto the counter as he twitched at the sound of his ten year old daughter’s shill voice, accompanied by the insistent rattle of the door stop that sprung as the door forcefully pounded against the wall. He was in the middle vigorously stirring pancake batter preparing tonight’s breakfast for dinner (a family favorite) while Karen had pickup duty at school. 

A hint of a soft smile crept up on Karen’s face. The sight of her flustered husband looking so domestic - dawning a slightly egg stained white apron around his waist and sporting splotches of flour that lingered faint traces on his cheeks. It was something she would have never expected to see about fifteen years ago; however, she was accustomed to it now and would never grow tired of it.

“Why hello to you too, honey,” Matt wiped his hands off that were covered in batter onto the apron, put the whisk in the sink, then intercepted the little girl that bounded full speed ahead into him. 

“Daddy, enough!” Grace pleaded between giggles, as her father tickled her stomach. She playfully swatted his hand away, heeding his efforts. Once she was back safely on the ground, Grace crossed her arms and huffed, it was obvious that she had something important to share and was determined to do so. 

“I think Grace has something special to show you,” Karen mentioned, advising her husband to reel himself in and pay attention to their daughter. 

Matt composed himself quickly, taking his wife’s hint and crouched down to the ten year old’s level. “What do you have, sweetie?” 

Grace took no time to pull a pink folder out of her backpack and unveiled a piece of paper. “I made this today in school!” She eagerly slipped the sheet in her father’s open hand and anxiously awaited for a reaction. 

Upon inspection, he immediately noticed that it was a drawing made from crayons. He felt the waxy texture under his fingers, as he rubbed the coarse cardstock. There were a handful of tall rectangles that made up the background and what had to be a person in the middle with multiple lines coming out of the subject. Matt cocked his head ever so slightly, not completely able to use the context of the drawing to determine what it was. Grace took notice of the apparent look of confusion on his face and decided to shed light on the subject of her drawing. “It’s Spider-Man swinging through buildings on his webs!” she bounced on the heels of her feet, grinning ear to ear, ultimately proud of her artwork. 

Matt remained silent, comprehending what she had said. “That’s very cool, Grace. A masterpiece no doubt.” He flashed an apprehensive smile, gritting through his teeth, as he began to stand back up. 

“She had a school project where they showcased their favorite superhero and wrote how they inspire them.” Karen got the run down from Grace on their walk home and was looking forward to sharing it with Matt. “Read daddy some of your paragraph, baby,” Karen urged. Matt offered the paper back to his daughter which she gladly accepted and began slowly reading off the sheet. With each word she said raving about the web slinging hero, Matt’s ego was knocked down a peg. Karen smirked to herself witnessing her husband try to mask his defeat. Grace was doing particularly well in school and was an especially talented little writer - taking after her mother. In the past couple of years their daughter had developed an infatuation with Spider-Man. She had begged for plushies, clothing, pencil pouches, a lunch box, basically any merch she saw with Spider-Man on it Grace wanted. Karen had caved and purchased a couple of items - the recent being a set of pajamas and a blanket which made Grace’s day. Their daughter loved Spider-Man so much that during the past Halloween she insisted on being the web slinging hero or else, and the look on her face conveyed that all Hell would break loose if she couldn’t. 

“Well, an A-plus project like that deserves to be displayed on the fridge and celebrated with some delicious chocolate chip pancakes!” Matt announced, which put a smile on his daughter’s face and made Karen’s heart skip a beat. No matter what, he would always be proud of anything his daughter did, she was his world. 

The girls happily made their way to the dining table and took a seat while Matt mounted the drawing on the stainless steel refrigerator and went back to pouring the pancake batter on the griddle. The sweet scent of chocolatey goodness wafted through the air as the batter formed into puffy circles. Matt dished up a stack of pancakes onto a plate and delivered them to his girls who were anxiously waiting ever so patiently.

“Dinner, or, should I say breakfast, is served,” he set the food in the center of the table along with a can of whipped cream and a bottle of syrup then sat down in his typical seat. Both Karen and Grace gawked with wide savory eyes at the delicious and fluffy pancakes before them. 

Karen closed her gaping mouth just in the nick of time to stop a forming strand of drool from escaping the corner of her lips. “Wow, babe, this looks amazing!” She picked up her fork and took the liberty in serving herself up two, plopping each on on her plate with a soft thud. 

“Very yummy, daddy!” Grace mumbled. She took the faster approach and decided to immediately stuff her face with an entire pancake that didn’t quite fit entirely in her mouth. 

Matt chuckled, “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he stated, his ego slightly restored by their compliments, then dug in himself. 

“Grace, slow down there,” Karen advised, no longer being able to stand seeing her daughter making a mess. She grabbed a napkin and wiped the sticky syrup residue that coated the bottom of her chin which caused the girl to take one big swallow finishing up her massive bite in an effort to discard the evidence. “Sorry, mommy,” Grace apologized sheepishly with a grin. 

There was a moment of silence as they continued enjoying their food until a reminder popped up in Karen’s mind. “Oh, before I forget, Grace, you have hockey practice starting back up on Wednesday. We need to pick up your new jersey before then.” 

Ever since the little fighting incident at school, both the Nelsons and the Murdocks brainstormed ideas of extracurricular activities to expose their kids to more social situations with other children. One day, during his morning commute to work, Foggy stumbled upon a flyer stapled to a light post advertising a youth co-ed hockey league in Hell’s Kitchen that was looking for kids to join. Recalling on the ‘good old days’ of his own childhood playing the sport with his brother Theo, he persuaded both Marci and Matt to have the kids try it (after multiple assurances that hockey was a perfectly safe sport). 

Both Grace and Preston seemed intrigued and agreed to become involved as long as they had each other on the same team. Luckily for them, the smooth talkers of Nelson and Murdock (aka Matt and Foggy), sat down with the head organizers of the league and convinced them to consider both children as a package deal. And thus, the Mighty Ducks gained two new apprehensive yet enthusiastic young players. What wasn’t planned in this deal, however, was agreeing for Foggy to be assistant coach, as they were lacking parent volunteers. Foggy reluctantly accepted, which turned out to be for the best because his son and goddaughter adored having him teach them how to skate and the ins and outs of the game. Thankfully, Grace and Preston took to the sport impressively and enjoyed their time so much that they stayed on for another year. 

This was their second season with the team and their parents were ecstatic that they were truly breaking out of their shell, building relationships, and working together with their teammates.

“Ah, is that at 4 p.m. on Wednesday?” Matt asked, flustered by the news, admitting that he temporarily forgot about the new season approaching.

“Yes, I thought I told you,” Karen confirmed, setting her fork down, puzzled by his confusion. 

Matt huffed under his breath, “I have that late deposition with Mr. Tulley on Wednesday,” he bowed his head guiltily, “I’m sorry, Gracie, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to this one.” Matt strived to attend each game, practice, scrimmage, so he was very disappointed in himself for scheduling something that made him miss his daughter’s time on the ice. 

Grace did not seem visibly upset by her father’s revelation,“That’s OK, daddy. You can come to the next one,” she then picked back up where she left off and scraped off the whipped cream from her plate to deposit in her mouth. Matt didn’t sense a lie hidden in his daughter’s statement, which was a relief. He felt bad, of course, but the case he was working on was high profile and the only time their client could meet was in the afternoons. He made a mental note to add Grace’s hockey schedule to his work calendar when he got to the office tomorrow to avoid this happening again.

The family of three finished their food while simultaneously sharing anecdotes from their day. With warm, full bellies and laughter pouring through the room - it was times like these where they truly cherished moments spent together all cozy at home. Everything was falling in place for the Murdocks. 

__________________________

Wednesday

Karen blinked slowly, greeted by the shrill buzz of harsh fluorescent lights, as she began to regain consciousness. Wincing out through gritted teeth from a sharp pain that ached in her ribs, she glanced down at her midsection to investigate the cause of discomfort which allowed her to come to the realization that she was unfortunately handcuffed to a pipe and had a piece of cloth tied around her face that gagged her mouth. She huffed in frustration, both to her dismay and confusion, as she was still waking up from a dazed state. 

Karen took a moment to assess her surroundings and compose herself. After sucking a long deep breath in, she surveyed the area. It was a small room composed of grimy brick walls which had obvious signs of water exposure accompanied by an overpowering musty smell that she couldn’t shake. She was sitting in a rusty metal folding chair in the corner facing an industrial door which was adorned with a line of sliding locks down the side. There wasn’t much to the room besides some empty chrome shelving and various milk crates and wooden pallets that were dispersed chaotically around the cracked concrete floor. To her best deduction, Karen speculated that she was being kept in the basement of what had to be an abandoned warehouse. She chuckled softly to herself, making light of the situation from the stereotypical circumstance she was in. 

It wasn’t until she noticed her purse which was discarded haphazardly against the wall of the opposite corner with most of its contents spilled out. One of those items happened to be a neon pink mouth guard case which spiraled Karen into an immediate panic. Both her eyes shot wide open in worry - Grace!  

The last thing she remembered was walking Grace home from her hockey practice. They were on their way to pick up a large meat lover's pizza from Rocky’s Pizzeria when suddenly, as they turned a corner, they were jumped by four men from behind. It was still a blur, but from the way she was feeling now and her lack of memory of the situation, they must have been drugged - the pressure of a chloroformed cloth muffled over her mouth was like a ghost she couldn’t shake. She shifted her body towards the door upon hearing a sound from the other side. The sudden movement made her hiss from the persistent sting in her midsection - they must have kicked her in the ribcage too apparently. 

The sound grew louder until it formed into distinguishable heavy footsteps that were soon silenced, followed by a mechanism unlatching. And just like that, the door swung open violently with a clash against the brick wall and she was greeted by two of her kidnappers. The taller of the two wore a ski mask and strayed back, guarding the door, while the other one who donned a black beanie and a black bandana covering the lower part of his face, strided toward her. She remained strong, glaring at him with a furious unnerved gaze - not wanting to let their upper hand seem like it intimidated her. Although her fear was not displayed on the outside, she was utterly terrified on the inside. There was only one thought that was preoccupying her mind: where was her daughter?

“Hello, Karen,” her abductor said sternly with a raspy voice, as he crouched down to her level, meeting her stare with piercing green eyes that shot daggers. Those two simple words made her shudder from a painful memory. The very same words were spoken by Dex on that traumatic night at the Bulletin which struck an unsettling chord from within. Bile rose in her throat that she forced back down as he reached out to stroke her chin.

She flinched abruptly at his touch in an effort to deter his unwanted advances. He was semi startled, taking a step back, he looked down on her and smiled deviously. Karen wasn’t aware of her current physical appearance, amongst other things, such as what time it was and her location, but her onlookers were surely greeted by a completely disheveled woman. Her hair was all over the place, clothes were roughed up and wrinkled, the seam of her cardigan was beginning to unravel, and there was a developing bruise blossoming on her left cheek.

“It seems that somebody-” he raised an eyebrow to Karen, “went poking around places that they shouldn’t have.” 

The vague accusation left Karen drawing a blank. Who were these guys and how did she supposedly know them?

The man scoffed from her lack of response and then turned back to his crony for support. “Ay, buddy, the lady doesn’t even realize what she’s gotten herself into,” he laughed out, slapping his leg. The taller man who previously stood silent, leaning on the door frame, played off his friend. “Yeah, Benson, I don’t know how such a famous investigator and reporter,” he gestured with air quotes, “could be so clueless,” letting out a boastful chuckle.

And just like that, she was able to connect the dots. The name ‘Benson’ rang a bell from a case she had been following for the past month. A client by the name of Rebecca Lance came into the office concerned that her scumbag of a husband was involved in a money laundering operation and she needed concrete evidence before filing for divorce and going to the police out of fear due to being held hostage in an abusive relationship. Her eyes widened upon the realization of who she was dealing with and it seemed like her assailants had caught on. 

“Mrs. Murdock, your reputation precedes you,” Benson, who must have been the leader, began pacing around the confines of the room. “It might have taken you a couple weeks to track us down, but honey-” he paused his steps and threw his head back in her direction- “it only took us four days to find you once we caught wind of you sniffing out our trail.”

The other man inched further into the room and decided to chime into the conversation, “and one of those days were spent tailing you, ” he pointed out . “Damn woman, you are all over this city.”

Benson re-adjusted the mask over his mouth, as it began to droop from the ongoing conversation. She could see a hint of dirty blonde stubble peak under the fabric for just a moment. “We had to jump at the opportunity with you out and about tonight. I didn’t even care if your brat was there, it was too good to pass up.” 

Karen attempted to speak at the mention of her daughter, but all that came out was muffled, incoherent, and enraged mumblings due to the gag. She lunged in her seat, however was pulled back with the same force she exerted which caused her wrists to throb from the strain of the cuffs on her skin.  

“What was that, sweetheart?” Benson cupped his hand over his ear, mockingly, “Do you have something to say?” He unsheathed a switchblade out of his back pocket in a threatening motion. Her heart was beating out of her chest and a bead of sweat formed above her brow, as she watched him step closer menacingly. Breathing became increasingly more difficult through the gag, it almost seemed like she was suffocating out of the fear for her life. 

The cold metal of the blade stroked the sensitive skin of her ear that simultaneously made the hairs on her arms shoot up in response. Instinctively, her eyes shut from the anticipation of a looming gash. A few stray tears, however, managed to slip out of the sealed tight fortitude of her eyelids. The sound of the knife sharply cut through her eardrums, as Benson snapped his wrist downwards in one swift motion. Karen yelled out in a piercing scream. At first, she did not register that the scream was no longer muffled. Her eyes opened back up in shock. Wiping the tears out of her eyes to clear her vision, she was greeted by Benson standing before her with the gag in his grip hanging down at his side in one hand and the open knife in the other. To her surprise, she was left uninjured, as the only casualty was the fabric. 

“That better, darling?” He smirked and threw the gag behind his shoulder. 

“Where’s my daughter?” Karen spat out the question, clear and straight to the point. She felt free and invincible with the ability to speak given back to her, momentarily forgetting that she was still anchored to the wall impeding her full capability to give these men a piece of her mind. 

With the same amount of vigor, Benson shot back an ultimatum. “Listen, babe. Drop our case, burn all the leads, destroy the evidence and your precious baby girl will return home with you safe and sound,” he paused, allowing his threat to sink in. “I promise,” Benson symbolically crossed his heart with the knife’s point. 

Obviously Karen was speculative of the legitimacy of his offer. She was not the type of woman to give in to threats, but the stakes were too high. She had reason to believe Grace was in the same building she was being kept in, however what worried her the most was if she had been hurt. Grace was probably terrified, all alone in an unfamiliar place with strange men instead of with her mother who had previously been walking her home hand-in-hand. Benson and his gang were completely out of line for involving a child. This was between Karen and them, not Grace. 

Karen huffed in anguish, “Prove to me that my daughter is safe and then we can talk.” She stubbornly negotiated, standing her ground - if she could cross her arms, she would. It was a complete stand still and Benson realized that he wasn’t to get anything out of his captee without some incentive. 

“You drive a hard bargain, doll.” He closed the knife, sliding it back in the confines of his rear pocket, then snapped his attention to his lackey and called out an order. “Get the brat.”

Karen dropped her head, sighing with relief at the confirmation that her daughter was nearby. While the men were focused on retrieving Grace, she decided that the best use of her time was working on getting herself out of the cuffs. 

In the span of five minutes, she tried wiggling her wrists out; however, that effort was all for not, as they became more and more inflamed from the pressure. She then resulted to rubbing the chain that linked both cuffs together on the coarse surface of the pipe, with the hope that the amount of friction would break the bond. “Damn it!” she muttered under her breath, coming to terms with the fact that neither of her ideas were going to pan out. 

It wasn’t until she heard rickety wheels rolling over the uneven and heavily cracked concrete floors in the hallway that she fully gave up. Karen gulped then held her breath in anticipation. She slid to the edge of the chair to get a better look of the impending arrival of her daughter. 

“Special delivery,” a new voice mockingly announced, which came from a different man pushing a beat up gurney through the threshold. Benson and the other man, who never seemed to leave his side, followed close behind both with exaggerated smiles displayed on their faces. 

Her fists balled up at the sight of her daughter’s pink glitter boots that first came into her view. “Grace.” Karen barely choked out her daughter’s name in a hoarse voice. Her upper lip trembled, overwhelmed by emotion at the sight of the ten-year-old lying unconscious and strapped to the bed by both of her arms and legs. 

They must have dosed her with an excessive amount of the drug, not taking into account that she was a child and deserved less. The gurney was parked in the center of the room and rotated around to the side so that Karen had a viewpoint of Grace’s face. From a quick scan, her daughter seemed to be fine. There were no visible wounds or bruises on her skin, unlike her mother. To most, her hockey jersey would seem roughed up and contribute to evidence of aggression from their captors, but Karen was not concerned in the slightest, considering she had known what that jersey had gone through last season. 

“Oh, thank God,” she muttered quietly to herself, thankful that Grace was fine and surprisingly ungagged. 

“See -” Benson gestured with both hands to Grace, “I’m faithful to my part of the deal, babe. Now it's your turn.” His eyes narrowed in on Karen, fully expecting her to give into his demands immediately. 

She shot him an innocent smile. Appearing to look content by the situation at hand, although that was far from the case. She was still infuriated at these men and anger continued to boil up inside of her - there would be hell to pay. 

“Let us go and I’ll consider,” she tenaciously bartered. 

Karen reflectively flinched, as he kicked the dirt under his feet in her direction, provoked by her response. “Oh, you little bitch-” He was cut off by a faint groan that came from behind. 

Grace was waking up…

In a fraction of a second the once hostile room stood still, as each curious mind glanced over to the young child. Karen held her breath hoping that she could somehow transfer strength into the tiny, limp body of her daughter. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” 

Grace’s eyes fluttered open, not expecting a man who was definitely not her father to greet her. She charged forward in an attempt to escape - her fight or flight kicking in, but was deterred by the nylon restraints that dug into her skin. 

Karen stifled a whine from witnessing her daughter cry out in pain. Some say a mother’s bond with their child is an unexplainable force of nature and this moment was an attest to that. Her heart was now racing and her breaths became shallow. The world went numb. Nothing mattered, not even her own safety, the only priority was getting Grace out of here safe and unharmed. “Baby!” she called out. 

Grace’s expression returned to a semi-eased state after realizing that her mother was by her side. A glimmer of hope was now in reach. “Mommy?” she called out in a strained voice through quivered lips. Looking past the sea of strangers dressed in black, her gaze met her mother’s.  

Karen released a reassuring smile, a silent message conveying a promise that everything would be okay. She mouthed ‘be strong’, which was answered by a small nod. 

“Enough of this sap!” Benson interjected, no longer finding the patience to waste anymore time with the reunion before him. He shifted Grace’s gurney in haste to impede her view from her mother. The man was going to do whatever it took to get what he wanted - he was not going to let one useless woman stand in his way. “Joey,” he snapped and a messenger bag was tossed his way which he caught effortlessly. Karen gasped, recognizing the familiar leather bag immediately. They had somehow managed to break into the firm’s office and take her work laptop - the one that had all her files, research and confidential PI photos saved on it. She made a mental reminder to check to see if anything else was missing from the office later, upon her freedom. 

He whipped out the silver laptop and carelessly flung it open. Karen could only see his eyes peeking out from above the screen; however, she could tell that something sparked inside of him, as his eyebrows shot up. She was not foolish - there was a password protecting anyone other than herself from accessing the contents inside. The only thing that Benson was greeted with on the bright retina display was her lock screen wallpaper which was a photo of her holding Grace in her arms wrapped in the standard pink and blue blanket on the day of her birth with Matt bending down by her side. It was her favorite picture of all time. Not only was it the happiest day of her life, but it was the largest smile she had ever seen on her husband’s face in all of their time together which always warmed her heart. 

What could he possibly gain from that?

Grace was also confused, even more so, since she had no idea what was going on - but Karen would rather have her oblivious to the danger these men held than exposed to the truth. 

Benson rotated the device so that it was outwards facing and dumped it in Karen’s lap. “Listen real careful now, I’m going to uncuff one hand and you’re going to clear out everything you have on us - okay, hun?” He flashed a greasy smile as he twisted the key into the small lock, freeing up her right hand. 

She was still reluctant to heed his directions, but played along and entered her password. Her desktop, like most things in her life, was kept tidy and non-discreet. The information they were seeking was stored in a maze of folders on the company server, to which only she knew the map to. 

Stalling, Karen clicked into random files, pretending to find the ones that pertained to the Lance case and dragged a couple non-important documents into the trash can icon to appease their requests. 

Her eyes nervously darted from the screen to her daughter. Grace took advantage of no longer being the center of attention and fussed with her restraints. She softly grunted trying to twist her elbow to slip out her wrist. Each wince of pain that her daughter emitted motivated her even more so to try to come up with a plan to escape. 

After a few minutes had passed, some of Benson’s men grew bored of watching Karen fuss with the laptop, so they resorted to scavenging through Karen’s purse in hopes to find valuable items to loot. One by one, miscellaneous items were discarded onto the floor - a tube of red lipstick, her sunglasses case, her wallet (which was shortly stashed in one of their pockets), a granola bar, until something sparked their interest causing them to snicker. 

“Hey, boss-” one of them exclaimed, “Looks like mommy was packing.” Karen gasped as he pulled out her gun from the brown Michael Kors purse and twirled it around his finger mockingly.

“What?!” This was brand new information to Grace and she was rightfully startled. Karen had not been adamant of worrying her daughter that she had a conceal-carry permit. There was too much backstory that came along with the explanation of why she needed to have a weapon on her, which she did want to go through with their ten-year-old. Her and Matt would have told her eventually, when she was older and they felt the timing appropriate, but now was definitely not the desired time. 

Karen tried to defend herself, but the words got caught in her throat, so she shamefully dodged the topic entirely. Benson walked over in a rush and brashly snatched the firearm from his buddy.

“Now what is a nice gal like you doing with a piece with this?” He smirked, as his finger slowly traced the edges of the gun seductively to inspect it. Karen fought the bile that started to rise up her throat from disgust. 

She dropped the silent treatment and answered back defensively, “I don’t need to explain myself to you.” In an act of spite, she decisively pushed the laptop off of her legs and it tumbled onto the floor. The next thing she knew - her gun was pointed directly between her eyes with Benson’s nimble finger resting on the trigger. 

She had realized that she messed up big time and began to hyperventilate. Her rash actions had placed both her and Grace’s lives in jeopardy. Maybe she deserved this? Intrusive thoughts aside, Karen bucked up and apologized, hoping that it would lessen the consequence of her actions. 

Unfortunately, the opposite outcome unfolded. 

“Maybe mama bear needs some more incentive, huh?” Benson chided and tucked the gun into his pants behind his back, exchanging it for something else.

She pinched herself, almost expecting to be awoken from a nightmare, but this was no dream - it was real, but what happened next left her breathless. She was suffocated by her own horror. 

Benson was looming directly over Grace, looking down upon her like prey, and licked his lips in a sickening manner. “Just remember, Mrs. Murdock,” he intercepted her blood shot eyes, “this is all your fault.”

The pipe almost flew off the wall, as Karen thrashed out combatively in defiance. Benson flicked open the switchblade that was previously concealed in the palm of his hand and waved it above her daughter’s head.

“Mom…” Grace anxiously whimpered, as she squirmed in the bed, trying to avoid the blade that loomed over her. Her eyes were glossy - on the verge of tears which pleaded for help and comfort out of pure desperation. Her face was washed over with waves of increasing amounts of fear that worsened with every second that passed. 

Karen’s head throbbed, the blood vessels were practically bulging out of her forehead in horror. “Don’t touch her!” she furiously shouted and fought tooth and nail out of her seat - to no avail. 

Completely dismissing her plea, the other men circled around the gurney and held down the ten-year old who was now sobbing uncontrollably. 

“It’s such a pity that a man with such a beautiful wife can’t fully appreciate her,” Karen fumed at Benson’s mockery targeted towards Matt’s blindness and had an idea of what he was leading on to. “Would be a shame if your daughter couldn't either.” His grip on the knife’s handle tightened as it descended towards Grace’s left cheek. 

“STOP,” her booming voice echoed off the walls, “I’ll do whatever you want!” Her outcry was left ignored. All men swarmed around Grace. This was going too far. With trembling hands, as a last ditch effort, she used her free hand to take the chair out from under her and mustered up enough strength to hurl it in their direction. It fell short and grazed Benson’s calf. The trajectory hadn’t affected his course in the slightest. 

“Too late, bitch.” 

With only a couple of inches between the knife’s point and her eye, Grace forced both eyes shut tight like a steel trap to provide what little protection she could. Not succumbing in the slightest, she fought like hell, shifting around as much as possible, to get out of the grip from the three men who were holding her down. 

The world stopped the moment the knife penetrated her skin right under her eye. There was no going back. 

Matt, where are you? Karen whispered to herself, under the earth shattering screams from her daughter, hopeful of an impending rescue. Karen wasn’t much of a religious woman herself, despite her husband’s efforts to induct her into his Catholic world; however, at her wits end, she silently prayed that somehow he was coming to their aid. 

__________________________

The deposition with Mr. Tulley wasn’t as grueling as Matt had anticipated, to his relief. After shaking the man’s hand, bidding him farewell, he ran his index finger across the braille watch face on his wrist. It was 6:34 at night - too late to try to head over to the rink to catch the ending of Grace’s practice. Matt huffed in disappointment while collecting his notes, documents, and laptop that were previously strewed over the table in the conference room - evidence of a successful session. It was rewarding moving forward with the case, but unfortunate that it clashed with his daughter’s schedule. Both parents were no stranger to making sacrifices for their professional careers, however they made sure one of them would always be there for Grace.

The cool evening air greeted him as he started the trek back home. He figured he’d wait for his girls at the apartment and get a start on dinner. Most of his commutes home after work were accompanied by Karen and the solace he felt in her presence, but tonight he was completely alone with only his thoughts. It wasn’t long that he grew bored of the constant drone of traffic, so he fished out his phone from his coat pocket and began to text his wife.

‘Heading home now. Thoughts on dinner?’

‘Was thinking about picking up some pizza on the way home - I’ve been craving Rocky’s lately’

‘Sounds good to me! I will wait for you at home. How’s practice?’

‘The usual…We have a lot of new kids on the team, so they went through basic skills and simple drills. I can tell Grace wasn’t that impressed. She probably wanted to go head first in a scrimmage. Hoping the pizza will lift her spirits, haha.’

Matt chuckled upon hearing the phone’s assistant read his wife’s text to him in his earbud, imagining his daughter sulking to herself on the ice, probably stuck in dull passing drills. 

‘I know I’m looking forward to it - and seeing you guys. It’s been a long day and I miss you.’

‘Miss you too, babe. I got to go tho, the snack sheet is being passed around to the other parents, and we need to score a good slot. I don’t want to be stuck with rice cakes again like last year. We will be home in about an hour, see you soon.’ 

Her last text left a smile on his face while he tucked away his phone in his pocket. Just thinking about her coming home, and with their favorite pizza in tow, put a hop in his step as he headed to the apartment. 

Arriving back to an empty apartment was not Matt’s favorite thing in the world, but he decided he would use this free time alone to get some chores done - which will likely earn him some brownie points with his wife. 

He let out a long sigh of boredom, as he folded the last shirt from the pile on his bed and tucked it away in the dresser - a man could only do so much laundry to pass the time. He checked his watch once more and was startled to discover, to his dismay, that close to an hour had passed. This revelation sparked his skepticism, there was absolutely no way that the wait for Rocky’s was that long. 

Matt slammed the dresser drawer shut and promptly made his way up the stairs to the roof access hatch, with the intent to scan his city with hopes to locate their position. Being up there on the roof cleared his mind and sharpened his senses. He reached the edge and planted his right foot on the ledge, grounding himself in a way. Honing in to the world around him, he picked up on the usual - conversations of city goers, the strong aroma of cuisine from the Thai restaurant down the street that made his nostrils flare, crude comments of taxi drivers sitting in traffic, the wind whipping through the bridge over the river, the smell of buttercream frosting that emanated around the bakery three blocks away - the list could go on, but nothing distinctly Karen nor Grace came up. 

He noticed his own heartbeat accelerating from worry, the loud thuds echoed in his head, clouding his senses, thus impairing his efforts of finding his family.

Calm yourself, Murdock , he internally advised before taking a brief moment to draw in a deep breath and meditate. That seemingly did the trick, to his relief, as the fog from the overwhelming distractions subsided in his mind. He slammed his fist into the ledge out of frustration, causing the concrete to chip into small bits under the exerted force. It was apparent that he was disappointed in himself, unrightfully so, but there was no time for that - he desperately needed to stay on task. 

Changing his position to the opposite side of the building, giving it another go, his senses focused in once more - almost like a camera lens adjusting the aperture which provided him a brand new picture of the spanning cityscape. The hair on the back of his neck shot up. He picked up on an atypical vibration in his ear which shook him to his core.

Somewhere off in the distance was a frantic, shrill scream that rang in his ears. A sharp shiver shot up his spine, as if a million pins had been plunged into his back. There was no doubt in his mind - that scream was unmistakably Grace’s. 

“Shit.” Matt clenched his fists to the point where his fingernails began to dig into the palm of his hands and draw blood. His muscles trembled, having the urge to collapse, but his body was completely frozen in place. What followed managed to break up his internal standstill and sent him racing inside to suit up…

Karen’s cries for help.

Carelessly leaping and bounding from building to building, his feet carried him on autopilot to their location, as his mind was rather preoccupied, pounding with the thought of reaching his family. Who knew what awaited him upon arrival?

In record time, Matt managed to land on the rooftop, knowing what lay down below was his wife and daughter being held hostage. He pinpointed a way in from feeling a slight draft escaping from a broken window on the top floor. Using the fire escape as an anchor, Matt withdrew his billy clubs which were connected by a retracting strand of reinforced fiber and threw one club around the railing, tying it around securely. He gave the club in his hand a sturdy tug, confirming the integrity of the line before he took the leap of faith and swung to the floor below. 

What amount of glass was left in the window frame was no more, as Matt’s combat boots crashed through the opening with full force. He landed on his feet in a crouched position with one hand steadying himself outreached on the floor. Even through the thick fabric of his glove, Matt was able to detect the vibrations from five men who were milling throughout the building. There were three total floors including a basement in what had to be an old meat packing warehouse. A distinct foul odor of preservatives and animal fat were steeped in the brick walls like a time capsule. He shook the unfavorable smell from his senses as soon as he picked up on something new which overpowered it - Karen's perfume - which drifted from the basement. Using that sweet and familiar aroma as both a guide and a strong motivation, he sprung upwards and bolted down to the main floor. 

Racing through the building, a total of seven heartbeats came into view, but he was only focusing on two - the ones belonging to his girls. His wife’s heart rate was frantic, rising by the minute, yet strong and pounding as her life depended on it. Grace’s on the other hand was smaller, slow and shallow - an obvious sign of distress. Picking up the pace he descended down the stairwell to the lower level, knowing very well that two men who were patrolling the hallway with automatic rifles awaited. He wasn’t especially careful at masking his presence, therefore every thud of his heavy footfalls signaled the kidnappers that someone was on their way. They were gearing up for a confrontation with their weapons aimed steadily and eyes locked on the one door that led to their location. The two guards felt confident from their steady and heavy breaths, underestimating their capability to handle the lingering threat. 

It was rather amusing to Matt that they had no idea that the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen awaited on the other side. 

After cracking his fingers together and rolling his neck, loosening up in preparation, Matt twisted the handle of the door to the oncoming fight. With anger violently coursing through his veins, fueled from the sting of salty tears of his family that tainted the air - the devil was released. 

__________________________

Benson, who had been in the middle tying a cloth around Grace’s mouth to subdue her persistent screams, snapped his neck towards the door after hearing a round of shots out in the hall. 

“What the hell?!” He exclaimed, startled at the unexpected commotion which could only be due to an unwanted visitor. 

Grace subsequently fell quiet, the fear from her kidnapper had been contagious. If Benson was on edge by their guest, then her concern was magnified a million times over by whomever was close to infiltrating the confines of their room. 

A hint of a smile etched on Karen’s lips. She had an inclination that a certain devil had answered her prayers and was seconds away from busting down the door and coming to their rescue. 

Mixed in with the sound of ammunition firing and bouncing off the wall was the resounding thumping of bodies that Matt was pummeling with his fists as he dodged their rounds of gunfire. 

As soon as the commotion in the hallway faded to silence, Karen smugly shared her premonition to the three men standing mere feet from the door shaking in their boots: “You’re not going to like what happens next,” she said with a knowing smirk. 

“Shut up, bitch!” Benson demanded, then returned to his stance with Karen’s gun cocked in one hand and his knife promptly displayed in the other. He barked out a command, “Boys, focus up!” to which his men obediently flanked both of his sides. All the three thugs could do was to wait for what was coming for them.

Karen wanted so badly to console and reassure her daughter that there was nothing to be scared of and that it was her father coming to save them, but that would blow Matt’s cover and put their family in even more danger. Instead she resorted to keeping Grace’s attention focused on her in lieu of what would ultimately unfold. Locking eyes with Grace was hard to swallow. She couldn't help but notice the bleeding wound that had formed under her eye. Her heat lurched with pain - it was a brutal reminder of her failures as a mother and she had become overwhelmed with copious amounts of internal guilt. Grace; however, was so unbelievably strong and was handling it better than most ten-year-olds would. The last thing Karen remembered was the incredibly brave look on her daughter’s face before the door was kicked open and the room dissipated into complete darkness. 

As soon as Matt entered the room he swiftly cut the lights - not only shielding his family from witnessing the violence that would occur, but also placing his opponents at a disadvantage. He drew in a long breath, taking in his wife’s scent. Her nearby presence put his mind at ease, she was tangibly in reach, besides the few obstacles that stood in his way which were a mere formality at this point.  

Something else quickly caught his attention. There was an overpowering scent of blood that was seeping out from the corner of the room which was the same location that he picked up on Grace’s rapid heartbeat and shallow breaths. He was fuming - no one touches his daughter . 

While the three men were fumbling around in the dark, shifting their position, staying on their toes, Matt snuck up behind one of them and wrapped his arms around his neck in a chokehold. 

“Fuck-” Benson managed to cough fighting the constriction on his throat. Completely reactionary, he pulled the trigger and took a shot in the dark - hoping the bullet would find Daredevil somehow. 

Matt cursed under his breath, disappointed that the man would take the risk to fire his weapon blindly with both his wife and daughter in the same room, whose screams had buzzed through his ears as the shot hit the ceiling and whizzed around the space. Thankfully, no one was hurt from the stupidity of Benson’s rash judgment. Matt disarmed his opponent by dislocating his arm, taking the gun out of the playing field as it fell to the floor. After doing so, he winced as a sharp pain stung in the side of his right thigh. The bullet did not find him, but the end of the knife did. The very same knife that was stained with his daughter’s blood. 

“Ma-!” Karen cried out for her husband. She fortunately had stopped herself from exclaiming his name out loud. 

The pain was a minor setback, which he would have to deal with later, pushing it to the back of his mind and putting his plan to take down his family’s kidnappers in the foreground. Matt’s first priority was Benson, who had evaded his grasp during the whole ordeal of being stabbed. 

He tracked Benson down with his back against the door from his unsubtle heavy breaths. He was attempting to escape. His hand was slipping on the door knob likely due to the stress induced perspiration and the broken arm probably did not help much either. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Matt remarked in an ominous tone. His slow and steady pace towards the door was announced by his loud footsteps that did its part in invoking more fear in the quivering man. 

Benson was close to admitting defeat - his pain was no longer bearable to withstand, but as a last ditch effort he threw the dagger with what remind of his strength towards the sounds that came from Daredevil’s looming figure - “Not today, devil boy!” 

Matt scoffed at his efforts. He effortlessly plucked the knife out of the air and was playing with the blade between his fingers before discarding it on the floor. The clatter of the metal on pavement extinguished every ounce of hope that Benson had of getting out of the fight successfully. 

Now completely discouraged, his knees succumbed to weakness as his body slid down against the door. Benson yielded to Daredevil with zero defiance. Matt stood over his slumped body and with no hesitation swung his fist knocking Benson unconscious. 

And then there were two…

Before he moved on to take care of Benson’s remaining men, which would honestly be a walk in the park, Matt rushed over to his daughter. He frantically united all of her restraints in a matter of seconds, unable to think clearly until her whimpers of discomfort were soothed. He was taken aback at first as Grace flinched at his touch, but she allowed him to continue working on the knots until she was freed. 

She sprung to her feet off the bed as soon as she was released. Her vertical position caused the wound to bleed further. Instinctively, Grace placed her hand to her face to cover up the cut and apply some pressure. Hissing from the discomfort, her cheek throbbed to the same extent as her head. Grace was disorientated to say the least, engulfed by darkness. She spun around in place hoping to find the direction of the corner her mother was being held. 

“Ooof.” She panicked upon realizing that she had collided with someone. Out of pure impulse, Grace threw a punch at whomever was before her. “Take that, idiot,” she grunted mid swing. To her dismay her fist met the kevlar of her father’s suit. Her eyes widened, instantly regretting her actions. Matt could tell immediately that Grace had inflicted a bruise as the blood swelled up in her hand. He crouched to the floor and studied his daughter, placing both his arms on her shoulder while she withdrew her hand back to nurse it.

“It’s okay, you’re safe. I am going to take you to your mother.” Grace’s brows knitted, confused by the sudden change in tone from the devil of Hell’s Kitchen. His voice felt more soft and familiar when addressing her than what she had witnessed from the threats to Benson and his men. She simply nodded and let Daredevil guide her right into her mother’s waiting arms. 

Soon after there was another clatter of metal then a sigh of relief. Matt had snapped the cuffs that were anchoring his wife to the pipe. Matt caressed his wife’s face, feeling the wrinkles of her smile form. “I’ll be back,” he tenderly promised. Just like that, he sprung back into action on the prowl for the remaining two men.

With Grace in her grasp, Karen held her close - never wanting to let go again. “Shh, it’s alright, baby. I’ve got you,” she whispered words of reassurance into her daughter’s ears as she cradled Grace’s head in her chest. 

Accepting the wetness soaking through the material of her cardigan from both the tears of Grace’s muffled sobs and the flow of blood from her clotting wound, Karen continued to comfort her daughter and shield her from the cruelty of the world outside the safety of their bubble in the corner of the room.

Matt did not take long to deal with the last two goons, as they too fell to the floor in a matter of minutes. The fluorescent lights flickered back on as Matt flipped the switch once more. “It’s all over, Gracie.” Matt heard his wife report to their daughter. Using Karen’s smooth voice and steady pulse as a beacon, he slowly made his way back to his girls. But something made his entire body numb.

“He’s coming closer!” His daughter’s voice trembled with terror. She was cowering in the corner, backing up as much as possible into her mother’s arms, keeping her distance from the strange man cladded in a devil suit. To her, Daredevil was a threat who she had witnessed beat three men to a pulp. 

Karen frowned to herself and contemplated how she wanted to broach the subject. Fortunately or unfortunately to her, it could go both ways, Matt had made an executive decision and dropped to his knees, as if pulling out a metaphorical white flag. “Grace, honey,” he breathed, “there’s no need to be scared.” His hands inched under his mask, meticulously slipping it upwards to reveal his identity to his daughter. 

“Are you sure about this?” Karen asked her husband while only his nose was uncovered, double checking that he was certain that the timing was right since there would be no going back afterwards.

He took a deep breath in - readying himself for the aftereffects of his decision before replying.

“Yes, I’m sure.” The mask popped off completely, unveiling Matt Murdock - father and husband in its place. “Baby, it’s me.”

Grace was left speechless, needing a moment to come to terms that her father was somehow Daredevil. She went over countless memories of him returning home late or making strange excuses, piecing it all together to logically come to the possibility of the fact that her dad was indeed a superhero. 

“Daddy?” her small voice choked with uncertainty while her head rotated from the safety of her mother to take in the sight of her father before her. At this point, Matt resumed movement and inched his way towards them on his knees. “Yes, daddy is here, sweet girl.”

Grace was still processing everything, experiencing a whirlwind of emotions while also being smothered by her mother as well as keeping up with the wound on her face, but the presence of her father made all of that go away temporarily. The second he reached them, Grace extended her hand curiously stroking his face, proving to herself that he was real. Feeling the coarse stubble under her fingers, she smiled for the first time of the night, giggling with joy that her dad had been their savior. Matt couldn't help but shed some tears as his lips creased with a grin, thanking God for this reunion. 

“Ewww” their daughter exclaimed in disgust after witnessing her parents share a passionate kiss. They drew together like magnets, unable to resist the urge to be close after being separated and almost losing each other. 

Karen laughed into the kiss from Grace’s repulsion, causing her ribs to burn as a result. “Shit,” she winced and drew away from her husband. Matt shot back in sync with Karen, feeling responsible for the pain. He cringed, shutting his eyes closed instinctively. To his amplified senses, hearing the fracture in her ribs shift in and out of place was comparable to creaking floorboards of an old ship or nails on a chalkboard. 

“Honey, we need to get you-” he glanced downwards from his wife to his daughter- “both of you, to a hospital.” Matt urged, then stood up hoping they would follow suit. Grace sprung up immediately, eager to get out of the musty basement room. Karen, on the other hand, remained stationary, looking defeated. Still no doubt mad at herself for putting her family in the situation they had endured. “Come on, love” his irresistible big brown eyes pleaded, as he offered his hand out to her. Karen reluctantly accepted and used it as leverage to gradually rise from the floor. 

Matt swiftly placed his helmet back on his head to free up his hands, allowing him to pick up his daughter. He grunted lifting up the ten-year-old in the air before she settled in and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Owww,” she reacted upon accidentally rubbing her cut against her father’s suit. 

Karen rushed to her side behind Matt to soothe her pain. “Here, baby, take this” she slipped off her cardigan and tucked it under Grace’s cheek to act as a soft pillow and as a sponge to soak up the blood. “Thank you, mommy.” Grace sleepily replied, laying her head back down into her father. Feeling safe in Matt’s arms, her eyelids began to flutter, as she permitted herself to surrender and pass out from both exhaustion and adrenaline. 

Matt stopped in the door frame, realizing that Karen was no longer by his side as they were making their way out. He refrained from turning his attention to her position behind him out of consideration to avoid jostling his sleeping daughter. He smirked secretively to himself. “Who’s the damsel in distress now?” 

Karen muttered her discontent to the unconscious men as she took back her wallet and gun from their pockets and collected her laptop and other belongings that were sprawled on the floor back into her purse. “Humpf,” she firmly huffed, satisfied with her efforts. 

Rejoining her husband at the doorway, she heaved a sigh of relief as he placed his hand on the small of her back, allowing her to lean on him for support as they made their way down the hall to the stairwell.

It was silent for a moment with only the duet of their equally heavy breaths between the two. Karen had been too overwhelmed to discuss what had happened meanwhile Matt was internally judging his life choices. He had inadvertently jumped to the conclusion that Daredevil was the leading reason why his family had been targeted and was seriously considering hanging up the cowl for good.

Conflicting thoughts rushed through his head. If he were to quit being Daredevil then Hell’s Kitchen may take the fall for the worse, but who was he to put Karen and Grace’s lives in danger?

“Karen I-” he stammered, trying to piece together his jumbled up thoughts- “I don’t think I can do this anymore”. He was about to voice his vexations until she cut in, clearly catching on to what he would confess. 

“Matt, I am to blame for what happened tonight, not you,” she bluntly admitted, her voice cracked upon revealing the truth. She was planning to sit down with him and explain everything to him once they had got home and settled down, but she had to rip that band-aid off one way or another. Matt’s mouth froze with his mouth wide open, as if the words were caught in his throat. 

“I was digging into a case and it went too far and-” she began to explain on the verge of tears, getting overworked. 

They both halted at the bottom of the stairs. “Honey, no,” he protested, unable to let her take full responsibility, “You’re both mine to protect. This is on me too”.

That statement provoked goosebumps to spread all up her arms. It was like deja vu. Taking her back years ago when she was insistent that she did not need him to watch out for her. Her younger self would come to regret ever spitting out those harsh words to Matt. She did need him, in fact they needed each other to rely on and keep safe - they were a team through and through. 

“Okay, you have a point,” she yielded, not wanting to start a debate when other matters were more pressing, such as their daughter’s wellbeing. “Let’s focus on getting to the hospital first then we can go into the details later. Okay?” Matt suggested, coming to a compromise.

Karen agreed, taking another glance to check on Grace who was still passed out on Matt. She shifted her daughter’s head back up his broad shoulder, noticing it was starting to slip downwards. “Let’s get going, there’s no time to waste.”

In haste, both parents happily exited the building. Upon making their way out to the city streets, Karen squinted seeing a suspicious buick parked out front with tinted windows. To her surprise, Officer Brett Mahoney stepped out of the vehicle with his hand resting in on his holster - ready for action. 

“Did you call for backup?” Karen asked skeptically in a whisper with a hint of surprise to which Matt simply replied back with a quick nod. She was amazed since her husband was typically a ‘I work alone’ solo act. If he were to reach out for help, it was usually Danny, Luke, or Jessica who would be at the receiving end, but they were nowhere to be seen. 

“We’re fine, Brett,” Matt’s voice carried to inform his friend to stand down. Brett rushed over in their direction, meeting the Murdocks in the middle of the road under a flickering street light. His pulse sped up as soon as Grace’s blood stained cheek came into view. 

“Holy crap, Matt what happened here?!” Brett had known about Matt’s vigilante persona for some time now and was considered a trusted confidant. Daredevil frequently keeps the police department in the loop with any findings from his patrol and they do the same. It truly was a symbiotic relationship with both parties working together towards the same goal - keeping Hell’s Kitchen safe. 

Karen chimed in with an exasperated breath, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, “It’s a long story,” not wanting to elaborate any further - they’d explain everything to him later.

Matt remained stoic and calm then cut to the point. “There’s a handful of men inside. They’ll be unconscious for a good hour. Your men should clean them up easily.” He shifted Grace in his arms who let out a soft groan, “I need you to take them to Metro General,” there was a sense of urgency that rang out in his voice, “Karen has three fractured ribs and Grace is in dire need of stitches on her cheek from the laceration.” 

Brett, still coming out of his initial shock, understood Matt’s pleas and immediately obliged. He too would go to the ends of the world for the well being of his family. “Of course, let’s get moving.” He ushered them across the street, but stopped and looked back noticing Matt passing his daughter into Karen’s arms as they reached the car. “Wait, Murdock - aren’t you coming?”

Karen ducked into the back of the car, slid onto the leather seat and settled Grace in her lap. “Daredevil doesn’t hand deliver victims to the hospital. It would raise suspicion. I will be there soon.” Matt looked down to his wife with a hopeful expression, “I promise.” Karen craned her neck and kissed his lips softly as a parting gift, holding him to his word. He then shut the car door and stood in the street accompanied only with the sound of loose asphalt kicking up from the tires as Brett sped away with his family in tow.

Matt bolted to a sprint as soon as they turned the corner, making his way home to change before heading to the hospital. A wry grin formed on the corners of his mouth upon hearing the drones of police sirens in passing as they raced to the scene he had left behind - Brett had done his part.

__________________________

Bouncing between two hospital rooms was quite exhausting, especially with his wife on the fifth floor and his daughter on the second in the pediatric wing. However, Matt made it his duty to check up on both of his girls frequently, despite Karen’s protest to have him stationed with Grace the entire duration of their stay. Her ribs were reset, her torso was wrapped and she was given strict instructions to take it easy for the next couple of days, but she could be released tomorrow.

Grace, on the other hand, was given fluids due to her dehydrated state and had received five stitches in her face. Matt had been standing by Grace’s side, holding her hand tightly during her minor procedure. Even though Grace was under anesthesia the entire time and unconscious, he needed her to know that he was there for her. He’d always be there for her. Feeling her little hand in his, so weak, limp and cold was heart wrenching, but she was a fighter - inherited from the Murdock blood coursing through her veins. She’d come out stronger than ever.

That much was true, as the operation thankfully went smoothly with no complications. However, like life, there had been a curveball thrown in the mix - not everything could be good news. 

“Unfortunately, Mr. Murdock, your daughter’s scar will be permanent. The cut was too deep.” Matt reactively fell back into his chair upon hearing the doctor relay the hard truth to him. Matt physically could not see her wound, but he felt an extensive pang of guilt and sympathy for her. People would make assumptions, judge her, whisper behind her back, her entire life all from one glance. Grace would have to grow up overcoming this hardship, but luckily she has a father who has dealt with similar prejudice to guide her.

About an hour after the procedure, Matt was found slumped on the couch in her room, impatiently waiting for his daughter to wake up. He had passed the time workshopping various scenarios of how he was going to break the news to his wife - none of which resulted in a pleasant ending. He heaved a heavy sigh and bowed his head in defeat. 

Sleep was creeping up slowly as a necessity, with it being so late and after the night they had, but the anticipation to hear his daughter’s voice again was enough of a stimulant to fend off any sense of slumber. The vending machine coffee sitting on the side table that was getting cold was also a much needed help. 

He reached for the styrofoam cup, bringing it to his lips when something jolted him upright. What was left of the coffee almost spilled all over his lap when he heard a low grumble followed by the tussle of cotton sheets. Grace was awake. 

He reached over and stroked her forehead which had been covered in a layer of sweat. “Gracie?” 

“Daddy?” her weak voice called out, slowly waking up. She began to sit up, which Matt eased her into. “Yes, dad’s here. Are you okay, baby?”

“I’m good,” she nodded reassuringly. Matt did not pry any further on her current state, knowing that her pain medication was going to wear off soon enough and they’d have to cross that bridge when it comes. 

They sat together while she sipped on some apple juice that a nurse brought in per Grace’s request. For once, Matt breathed easy and allowed himself to relax, knowing his daughter was recovering and his wife was even further along upstairs. From a quick scan of the building, he determined that she was fast asleep.

“Daddy?” she summoned after setting down her juice pouch which was now empty aside. 

Matt cocked his head curiously, “Yes, honey?”

She poked her head up, ensuring no one was in the hall, before her voice fell to a whisper. “You’re my favorite superhero,” she confessed with a grin and shifted her body down under the covers. 

Matt’s chest swelled with pride from her sincere declaration. “Oh, baby, you don’t have to like Daredevil more than Spider-Man now,” he stated after placing a kiss on her temple. “I’m not any more special now than I was before”.

“No, not Daredevil. Just you - my dad. He’s the best,” she mumbled groggily as her eyes grew heavier and drifted off to a much deserved peaceful slumber.