"Hello world, it's your man Damian! 'Bout to piss off my girl again, since y'all seem to enjoy that so much. I don't really know if this is worth it..." A quiet sigh left his lips, his dark eyes closing before springing back open as a grin took over his features. He peered into the camera on his phone, wiggling his eyebrows as he brought an air horn into view. "But I got a louder horn this time so it best be worth it!" Damian looked behind him at the couch, angling the camera over his shoulder so that his viewers could see the sleeping form of a girl. Long brown hair hung over her face as she slept; her skinny form engulfed in one of Damian's old college sweatshirts that she had long since claimed as her own.

The camera shifted back up to Damian's dark face, a genuine smile causing dimples to form in his cheeks. "This is going to be good."

Sunlight stole into the room through the half opened windows, the busy morning sounds of the city slowly drawing Jalen out of slumber. Her long eyelashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened, half hidden by her long locks of dark chestnut hair. Nothing hid her naked body from the world except a white sheet but even then she felt a soft hand lazily tracing shapes on her bare back.

"Good morning, beautiful," a crisp voice greeted her, drawing her attention to the source. Jalen found herself staring into a familiar face, already aware of every detail and secret that it held. Genuine blue eyes glistened down at her, soft pink lips turned upward in a lazy smile. Blonde hair adorned his head in a mess of curls, resting peacefully against the pillow.

"Asher?" Jalen asked cautiously, her eyebrows scrunching together in utter confusion. His blue eyes lit up in amusement, his fingertips dancing along her back causing goosebumps to form on her skin.

"I do believe that is my name," he laughed, his lips forming into the familiar smile that Jalen loved so much. He shifted slightly in the bed, causing Jalen to notice how intimately close they were. She could feel every movement he made and noticed he smelled faintly of mint and oranges; a strange combination that always seemed accompany him. Jalen loved it. She shook her head, getting lost in every detail about the man before her.

"Did you sleep well?" He questioned, moving some of her hair out of her face as to view her eyes better. His hand then returned to her back as if out of habit.

"But how can you be here?" She whispered, ignoring his question. Hurt spread through her hazel eyes as they searched his. Though she longed to run a hand through his soft curls, she feared he might disappear if she moved.

"I don't leave for California until tomorrow, silly. You and New York are stuck with me for another day." His wonderful laugh continued in her ears, causing the corner of her lips to twitch into an unwanted smile. Jalen wondered how he saw nothing wrong with the current situation, but even she found herself forgetting the full extent of the problem.

"But you're gone." The words felt odd coming from her mouth, and Jalen finally saw Asher become faintly concerned. He sat up slightly, turning to lean over her as he supported himself on his elbow. His strong form threatened to distract Jalen again, the sheet falling as he changed positions until it rested just above his hips. Asher's toned chest rose and fell as he breathed, and it was all Jalen could do to not simply lay and watch it.

The hand that was tracing circles on her skin left her back to caress her face. Jalen leaned into it slightly against her better judgement. "Jay, I'm not gone, and when I am tomorrow, it will only be for a week." He looked into her eyes, offering a light smile. When he saw she looked less than convinced, he gently pulled her hand from her side and intertwined their fingers, pressing a light kiss to each one. "You must have had a bad dream. Come here," he tugged her hand softly, and Jalen found herself seeking his embrace. It was just a bad dream, and the more Jalen thought of it, the harder it was to remember. She snuggled her head into his bare chest, closing her eyes as she listened to his strong heartbeat. She felt his muscular arm wrap around her, pulling her closer, and soon after his soft lips pressed to the top of her head. She smiled in content, relaxing into the quiet sounds of the city.

A loud horn sounded beside Jalen's head, ripping her from her blissful dream. A loud scream erupted from her mouth, her body rapidly trying to get itself up. Only when she was standing straight up and looking around wildly did she register the loud laughs coming from Damian. His whole body was shaking with laughter, his phone capturing the entire thing with one hand, the other still grasping the air horn.

"Dio, stop it!" She screamed, grabbing a throw pillow and throwing it at him harshly. The level of shock traveling through her body slowly died down, however the confusion only grew. She threw him one last glare before turning and stalking away, the image of Asher still fresh in her mind.

"Oh come on, Jalen! You know this is how I pay off student loans!" Damian called after her, shooting the camera one last grin before ending the video and chasing after her. She often got annoyed with his little pranks and annoying videos, but she'd never seemed this upset before. She would always offer an irritated "Dio, why?" or "Dio, do you realize you're not actually funny?" and then give the camera a small smile or ended it with a lame joke, and everything would be okay.

As Damian walked across their apartment, he stopped at her door and knocked. "Babe, you alright?" He asked after a moment of not hearing anything. He gave a light sigh, before knocking again. "Babe?"

A few more moments passed before the door suddenly opened, revealing a freshly clothed Jalen. In a thin purple sweater that clung to her body and red skinny jeans that really complimented her rear, she was in the process of putting her hair up as she walked past a very surprised Damian and into the kitchen.

"Jalen…?" He questioned, and she turned to smile at him, tying the elastic band around her textured hair.

"Sorry, Dio, you just caught me off guard. But it's a good thing you woke me up because I need to go see a friend in Hell's Kitchen."

Damian stopped, leaning against the kitchen counter. He raised an eyebrow, playing with the stem of a pear in the fruit basket next to him. "Oh yea, and who might that be?" Jalen walked over to him slowly, an innocent smile playing on her face.

"His name is Matt. He's a lawyer." She answered, wrapping her arms around his neck. Damian's hands automatically placed themselves on her waist as he smiled down at her. His hands slowly snuck under her shirt, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles on the skin above her hips.

"And what do you need a lawyer for?" He questioned, glancing at her with mild confusion.

"I'm divorcing you," she whispered solemnly, then giggled, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek and unwrapping herself from him. She grabbed an apple from the fruit basket on the countertop, taking a bite from it as she winked at him.

Damian smiled and let out a chuckle, rolling his eyes. "We're not married, Jalen."

"No," she took a step back as he took a step towards her, "but now you know that I know a good lawyer." She continued to back up until she was near the door, finally letting Damian wrap his arms around her waist once more.

"And how do you plan on getting there?"

"Driving?" She asked in return, giving a sheepish smile.

"But you don't have a…oh," Damian realized as she held her hand out to him what she wanted, and he looked at her grudgingly.

"I'll be back in three hours," she pleaded, sticking out her lower lip.

"You know, I bet he'd represent you in court against me even if you two weren't friends," he grumbled, dropping his keys into her waiting hand.

"Why, because I'm a woman?" She asked closing her fingers around the keys and looking back up at Damian with amusement filled eyes.

"No, because I'm black," he answered honestly, causing Jalen to snort. "What? Lawyers hate black people. Proven fact." Damian was a bit offended that she seemed to find this so funny, and decided to poke her in the side for laughing at him.

"Dio, he's blind!" She laughed, causing him to give a sheepish laugh.

"Oh," he grinned at her, loving the sound of her laugh. His embarrassment would always be worth it.

"Yea, 'oh'", she giggled, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "See you in a bit."

She went to open the door but was pulled back, feeling soft lips against hers once more. She smiled as she kissed him back, pulling away to insist upon her leaving. This happened several more times until she convinced him that she really had to go and was finally allowed to leave.

Once she was safely away from Damian's view and in his car, her smile fell and worry encompassed her. Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white, and it was several minutes before she had the courage to turn the engine on. As she began to drive, she only had one goal in mind. Find Matthew Murdock.

As she pulled out into the street, her hand absentmindedly turned on the radio and she hummed along softly as she tried to do anything but remember.

The wind sent the rain crashing against the windows in such a force that it seemed near impossible the glass didn't shatter. The dark clouds of the sky cut off all natural light from entering the apartment. Thunder boomed overhead so loud that one had to talk in a shout just to be heard when it struck. Lightning illuminated the skies for brief seconds of time, casting long shadows on the walls.

A heavy figure lay sprawled out on the couch, adorned in black and bleeding heavily from several wounds. A black cloth mask lay dropped on the ground by the doorway, a trail of blood staining the carpet. Soft tunes from a radio could faintly be heard during the rare quiet moments of the storm.

"Ash, that was dangerous and reckless!" Jalen scolded in slight panic, rushing around opening doors and cupboards. He said nothing, partly due to the focus he was putting into not passing out. Jalen, dressed similar to him, placed her mask on the counter as she continued searching the various cabinets around the apartment. "Ugh, where does Matt keep his medical kits?" She mumbled to herself, casting a warried glance to the couch.

When she found one she rushed over to his side, kneeling on the ground and hovering over him. She reached for his shirt, ready to peel it off and see the severity of his wounds, when he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"The boy. Is he…is he safe?" Jalen smiled through her worry, taking her hand from his grip and pressing her cool fingers to his forehead. She looked into his eyes, smoothing his hair down.

"He'll be fine, Ashy. Matt went after him so I could get you here, remember?" Asher closed his eyes and nodded, breathing deeply through his nose.

Jalen passed her fingers through his hair once more, before gingerly lifting up his shirt to view the long gashes in his toned flesh. She sighed in relief, having feared much worse and having seen much worse before. She quickly went to work stitching him up – finding she had gotten quite good at it over the years.

When she had finished she gave Asher's limp hand a squeeze, deciding to take a shower as he slept off some of the pain. Her eyes shed tears as she turned on the hot water and let it scald away the fears of one day losing the boy in the next room.

When the water began to cool, Jalen shut it off and changed into a spare change of clothes she kept at Matt's for moments exactly like this. She brushed her long hair, twisting it up into a messy bun. As she exited the bathroom, she noticed the radio had moved and was now perched by Asher's head, the soft tunes playing throughout the now quiet room.

The storm had settled to a slow rain, the sky dark and gloomy above. Jalen softly padded over to the couch where she sat on the edge, feeling Asher's forehead with her hand.

"Mmh, that feels good," he said, a small smile tracing his lips. Jalen laughed, caressing his cheek for a moment before protesting when Asher made a move to sit up.

"No, no, dance with me," he insisted, gently grabbing her hand. She gave him a hard gaze, but didn't stop him as he sat up and pressed his forehead against hers. Jalen's eyes fluttered shut as his lips softly pushed against hers, fire dancing through her body. As they separated, Asher kept his forehead pressed firmly against hers. "Dance with me." He commanded with a pleading voice, searching her eyes.

Jalen allowed him to stand after he turned the radio up, letting him use her for support. Jalen shook her head at the recognizable tune, watching with a light smile as Asher wrapped her into a tight embrace, swaying side to side.

"You can't not dance to Bon Jovi," he chuckled, looking down at her with pure love in his eyes. Jalen snuck her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is

And lay you down on a bed of roses..."

Jalen found herself standing outside of Matt's apartment, the faint feeling of Asher's lips still on her own. Silent tears streamed down her face, her hand shaking as she knocked on the door.

"Matt!" She called, voice cracking slightly as she tried again. "Matt, please, it's important. I know- I know you haven't seen me in a while...but please…I-I need you." Her forehead pressed against the door as she continued to plead, more tears falling with every passing second.

When it was beyond clear Matt was not currently home, Jalen pushed herself away from the door. She rubbed her face, trying to even her ragged breaths as she fought to remain calm. She looked at Damian's car, hands sliding away from her face as she slowly nodded.

Her next stop was at Nelson and Murdock, and if Matt wasn't there Jalen had no idea what she would do. She exited the car, standing between it and the car door as she stared up at the building. Jalen could remember every detail of it, from the sign hanging on the door to the cracks in the bricks. She glanced around her once more before shutting the car door and walking in.

Jalen was mildly surprised to see dozens of people waiting inside the law firm, a steady chatter filling her ears. Even at its prime, the place was never this busy when Jalen had worked here. She tentatively took a few more steps into the building, before being greeted by the familiar Karen Page.

"You can just take a seat over – Oh my god, Jalen?" Several people turned their heads upon the sudden excitement, but when they failed to recognize the girl being fussed over, they turned back to filling out paperwork.

Karen stood frozen in shock, the only movement being some of her ginger hair spilling over her shoulder. The surprise soon turned into pure glee when Jalen smiled and gave a small wave, causing Karen to start crying.

"I don't see you for over a year and all you can do is wave?" She cried, smiling as she pulled Jalen into a bone-crushing hug.

"Sorry. It's so good to see you, Karen," she spoke, gripping Karen with just as much force. However, Jalen soon pulled away and looked at Karen with her own tear-brimmed eyes. "Can I speak to Matt? It's urgent."

"Of course," Karen nodded, grabbing Jalen's hand and leading her through the sea of people.

"Wow, busy place," Jalen laughed, causing Karen to join before nodding excitedly.

"Yea, it's really picked up. We've helped a lot of people." Jalen smiled, glad to hear that Nelson and Murdock was doing some good in the world. "Here, just wait in his office. I'll fetch them." She nodded and walked into Matt's office, sitting in one of the chairs opposite his desk. As she looked around, she rolled her eyes but could help to utter a small laugh. While the waiting room had undergone significant changes, every single detail about Matt's office was just as she remembered it to be; right down to the unevenly hung photo of her and Matt the day he agreed she could work here.

It wasn't long before Jalen heard familiar voices, and she eagerly stood up from her seat.

"What do you mean she's back?" Foggy asked, reaching for the doorknob. Upon laying eyes Jalen, he abruptly stopped, causing Matt to bump into him. "Holy shit," he whispered, looking wildly at Matt.

"Jalen?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

"Hey Matt," she smiled, not being able to help it as it grew. "Foggy. It's nice to see you."

"Jalen!" Foggy shouted, bounding over and sweeping her up into a hug. She pressed a kiss to his cheek as he set her down, walking over to Matt where she stopped in front of him.

Tension filled the air for a minute before both broke out into smiles and laughs, gripping each other tightly not wanting to let go.

"Jay it's so good to see you again," Karen repeated, biting her lip. "But why are you here?" Her words were kind and full of concern for the younger girl before them.

"I'm so sorry I haven't visited sooner, really I am. I've missed you all so much, but…" Jalen's voice trailed off as everyone took a seat, unsure of how to begin.

"But after I told you to go live a normal life, you didn't have reason to come back anymore," Matt answered, fully understanding the situation. Karen rested a hand on Matt's arm, causing a light smile to pull at Jalen's lips. It was comforting to her to know that no matter what, some things didn't change. Karen must have noticed her smile, for red soon adorned her cheeks and ears. Jalen would have teased her for this, in not for the seriousness of what she came here to say.

"Yea. But, well, I'm sort of here about Ash." Her eyes shifted to the ground, her hands retreating into the sleeves of her sweater.

Karen and Foggy both gave her looks of shock at her words, while Matthew furrowed his eyebrows.

"Jalen, you know I'm still looking for him," he assured her, placing his hands on the desk in front of him.

"No, yea! I totally know that. It's not like I've completely given up either but…"

"But after five years it's only natural to have doubts." Foggy finished for her, receiving a thankful nod.

"I haven't dreamt of him for a while," she whispered, staring at the carpeted ground. "Not since-"

"Not since you met Damian over a year ago." She nodded, watching as Matt looked at her with sympathy, finding he had taken his glasses off sometime during her stumble of words. "Which is why I told you to leave when you met him. It was your chance to finally have something that you could hold onto."

Tears pricked in her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that day as she simply nodded again. "But you dreamt about him again, didn't you?" Karen asked, sadness underlying her question.

"It was the day before he left for California," Jalen cried softly, staring at Matt.

"The day before he disappeared?" Foggy asked rhetorically, his face scrunched up in confusion. She nodded anyway, causing him to press his lips together.

"It wasn't really a dream though," Jalen tried to explain, picking at a loose strand in her sweater. "It was a memory. Exactly how it happened but…but I don't know why I didn't think about it before." She took a deep breath, biting her lip as to concentrate her thoughts. "It was the morning before he would leave. I had just woken up, but I was confused. Matt, I asked how he could be there because I knew he shouldn't be. He tried explaining to me that he didn't leave until the next day when I told him that he was couldn't be there because he was gone."

Nobody spoke as she looked around, the same confusion and puzzlement portrayed on each of their faces. "He convinced me that I had had a bad dream, and I believed him. But it wasn't a dream, was it? Matt?"

She looked at him for advice, but still, no one could offer her any.

"I stopped at your apartment, but you weren't there. I didn't know where else to go," she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand to contain the sobs.

Matt stood up, walking around the room only to come to her and kneel by her side. He rested a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned forward until her tears stained the jacket of his suit. They stayed like that for several minutes – until Jalen ran out of tears – and he gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

"We all miss him, Jay, and we all want him back." He looked back to Foggy and Karen; though unable to see them he knew he had their support. "I'm sure none of us miss him as much as you do, but I'm sure it's just a chance dream. If it helps, I'll go out again tonight and search relentlessly for anything that might help."

Jalen leaned up from his shoulder, shaking her head repeatedly. "No, we've already done that hundreds of time, Matt. If there's anything that can tell us where Ash is, it's not in Hell's Kitchen. It's not even in New York for that sake. And you know I looked in California."

"Matt, I don't think it was some freak dream. On the way over I got another flashback. You remember when Ash went chasing after that little boy and got in serious trouble? And I had to haul him back to your place while you promised you would continue the search?"

Matt nodded slowly. "Yes, I remember. The little boy was fine, told me to thank the man in black." A small smile danced on his lips, though they were soon back into a frown.

"It's like I was there, Matt. I stitched him up, took a shower, and then we danced." Her eyes seemed to light up a little bit as she stared into space, lips twitching. "Remember? We were still dancing when you came back."

Matt pressed a firm kiss to her cheek, standing up and offering her a hand. She took it, looking down at the ground as not wanting to make eye contact with anyone.

"Matt, we have to find him." She encouraged forcefully, pulling her hand out of his.

Matt simply nodded, walking over to the door and opening it for her.

"We will, Jalen. I promise." Jalen walked out of the small office, turning back to give a light smile.

"I'm sorry, after fifteen months, I'm sure this isn't how you wanted to see me again." They all let out breaths of laughter, Matt's hand falling from the doorknob as he nodded to her.

"Visit soon."