Slow beginning. Then it picks up.

Chapter One

To be honest, the last six months felt like crime had been increasing. A rolling tide of newspaper blurbs kept a steady stream of homicides on the front page of the Times. Most of the gruesome descriptions were reports of gang on gang violence, but occasionally there would be an unfortunate bystander who got caught in the crossfire.

Karen wondered if this was a response to Frank's provocations; perhaps the dying gasps of criminal organizations desperately clinging to relevance and pretending to inflate their numbers to appear formidable. Lashing out because they were on the defensive knowing a one-man army was on the hunt, and they the prey.

But the squeaky wheel always gets the grease. Shout loud enough that you're still relevant, and Frank will notice.

Turning the page, Karen noted that despite another bystander killed in collateral damage last week by what was left of the Italian mob moving some of their product, their alleged ring leader had apparently been killed in a home invasion last night. No witnesses. Not even an unknown car parked on the street.

Despite herself, Karen couldn't help but smirk as she sipped her evening coffee.

It had to be him.

"What's the smile for? It's Monday," Foggy groaned and sat down in her office.

He looked like hell.

"Jesus, Foggy. You look like a stomach bug is trying to kill you."

He grunted. "Yeah, only the stomach bug is our wedding planner and Marci is going to kill me."

Karen gave his forearm a supportive squeeze. "I'm sure you'll get through it."

"You clearly don't understand Marci, then. I'm so far behind on our list of things to do, we were supposed to settle on table setting two weeks ago. Everything else is finalized, but Marci can't find the right place to put people." Foggy took a moment to breathe. He sagged back into the chair, giving up on good posture for the moment.

Karen made a face. "The wedding is in two weeks."

"Christ, I had no idea."

They stared at each other for a moment, then each let out a few small chuckles.

"I'm a dead man," Foggy sighed. "I could try to help her again, but all of my suggestions are always wrong."

"And it's going to be big. Knowing Marci's family, lots of New York debutantes and socialites will be there. Anyone who is anyone."

Foggy nodded, rubbing his temples. "It's going to be the event of the season, according to Bridal Magazine."

Karen smiled and shook her head. "You're in way over your head. But the important thing is that Marci loves you. You two are practically relationship goals, the way you both back each other up. And that's the most important connection you can find in life. Not looks, because they fade. Not brains, because no one adapts. Not stability, because it's an illusion. Loyalty."

"True," Foggy conceded. "Now let's talk about something else. Like your new obsession with this case file."

Karen was stunned into silence for a moment.

"Oh, c'mon. I could see it from my office. The way your nose is buried in that file, like all life stops and you're consumed by what you're reading. I only see that look on your face when you're in the middle of a case you're working on."

She nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Well…it's a case I took while I was still working for The Bulletin. I casually made some xerox copies and brought them back home. Then Ellison fired me for not revealing Matt's identity, and I should have returned everything, but I couldn't shake this one."

"Why?" Foggy asked.

Karen looked up from her desk, guilt-ridden. "It was Ben's last case before Fisk murdered him."

Tears began to well up, though she valiantly fought them back.

"I owe Ben this much. He was killed because Fisk found out that he had tracked down Fisk's mother. Only Ben didn't. I did. And I dragged Ben with me to see her. But he didn't implicate me when Fisk interrogated him. Ben kept me safe, and in doing so he got killed."

"Fuck," Foggy's clouded expression of fatigue seemed to clear. "I'm so sorry, Karen."

"So am I," another voice echoed.

She looked up and saw Matt standing in the doorway.

He wasn't wearing his usual red glasses, or walking with a cane anymore around the office when there weren't any clients. Monday evenings were usually a light day for their re-newly opened firm. It was strange seeing him this way, just casually walking around the office as if he had sight. Normally, Karen would have been overjoyed to find out he could sense things incredibly well, and in fact be more keenly aware of his surroundings than most people with sight. But seeing Matt like this only reminded Karen of the lie.

The endless lie.

He nodded to the case file. "What's the story?"

She wiped at her eyes and cleared her throat. "Missing persons. His name is Edward Drogan. His file says he worked in freelance, but that could mean anything. He was also in the Marine Corps, fought in several tours, both OEF and OIF, got out, and after that I can't find anything. He's got a brother in Queens I was going to visit today. See if I could ferret out any information about Edward before he disappeared."

"I'll come with," Matt offered grabbing his coat.

She shook her head. "I don't need you to come with me."

He was halfway across the office, but he could still hear her.

"This case means a lot to you. I want to help," he picked up his coat from his office. "Maybe that's making sure the brother doesn't lie to you by sensing his heartbeat. Maybe that's gaining his trust by telling him we've tracked down people before with success. Either way, I want to be of use."

"I don't need you babysitting me, because that's what this is." Karen stood up from her chair and gathered her things in a hurry.

Why couldn't anyone believe that she could take care of herself? The worst part was hearing Matt sound so righteous, so 'noblesse oblige', like she was some lesser-than who always needed protection from the big bad world. She had begun to take a martial arts class, packed a concealed carry, mace, and brass knuckles. What more did he want from her? Powers?

"Karen," Foggy politely blocked her exit. "Give him a chance. You've been cold and distant with him for a while now. And believe me, no one has more cause to hate him than I have, but you're making it difficult for him to show you that he wants to start mending things."

She paused, watching Matt stand awkwardly by the door, pretending he couldn't hear what they were saying across the room and through a wall.

Karen looked into Foggy's eyes. "Why do you keep forgiving him? He will always find a way to lie to you when shit gets ugly. And I know it's because he cares and doesn't want to put us in harm's way, but look how that's turned out so far."

He paused and considered his next words carefully. "Because despite everything - the deception and leading two lives, he's family, and he would die for us. Isn't there no greater connection than loyalty?"

She smirked for a second time. "Clever. Using my own words against me."

"Well, you're not wrong - loyalty means everything after what you and I have been through."

She sighed and accepted his proposal, walking to the doorway.

Karen then turned around. "You know, there's loyalty, and then there's trust. Matt may be loyal. But he has yet to gain my trust again, if ever again."

She turned to look at Matt.

"Alright, let's go."