Chapter One

..

Foggy Nelson had always been the protective older brother when it came to his younger sister, Isabelle.

She was his best friend as soon as she was able to talk and communicate with him; she would always laugh at his jokes even when they were anything but funny; would always prank him just as much as he pranked her which was quite often despite his parents frustration at how wild and crazy they became sometimes; and always tried to make him laugh whenever the stresses of school and the bullying that came with it began to take its toll on him.

They were inseparable, and their relationship was something to be admired with how much they respected each other. People around them would always comment on how close they were, often wishing their own children were as close as they were, or even how protective they were with each other. Despite Isabelle being four years younger than Franklin, their relationship only seemed to strengthen and mature as they both got older and ventured into the dreaded teenage years. They feared their bond would weaken when Foggy announced to his family that he was leaving for college a few states away in Massachusetts with his best friend, Matthew Murdock.
Life, for the first few weeks, seemed pretty unbearable when neither of them were able to spend much time with each other but promises were made and promises were kept.

The years at college went by relatively quickly, almost in the blink of an eye, once Isabelle was able to drive and she would travel up to see Foggy on the weekends he was free to hang out with her and wasn't buried deep in essays. She was introduced to Matt quite early on, finding that they preferred to stay in their shared dorm room with take-out and a movie instead of her being smuggled into parties on campus. Partying wasn't their thing, Foggy explained to her, and she was happy that she got to spend time with her brother even if she did have to share him with his best friend. But Matt was a great guy who she knew was good for her brother, and in turn, her brother's presence on Matt's life helped him grow confident with his place within the college. It was nice for Isabelle to see her brother have a friend who genuinely cared for him as much as she did.

Foggy didn't necessarily have a great time in high school, but he was thriving in college. He had a friend who was studying the same subject as him, and they were both wholly interested in helping people and changing the world for people. Matt seemed to push Foggy in ways that showed Foggy he was worthy of simply being himself in a world where people fought desperately to try and fit in.

As the years passed by, Foggy and Isabelle remained incredibly close when Foggy returned home to New York after college. And even when Isabelle announced that she was moving thousands of miles away to start a new life with a man she had only just met. It had been a whirlwind romance that her family hadn't been expecting and had known she wasn't necessarily prepared for, but she was happy and adamant that this was what she was doing, and that was the only thing that truly mattered.

Foggy had seen the strain on Isabelle's face when she packed the last of her things in the back of her boyfriends' truck. They were leaving to start their new life, and even though she was excited, she was upset that she was being separated from her brother once more. He knew in an instance that the decision to leave had been a big one for her and that maybe she had made it too soon, especially with it coming around way faster than she had anticipated. He knew that she needed to go, to live her decision out, and so he offered her the only thing he knew would reassure her that he believed in her: a brotherly hug that spoke a thousand words, one full of love and support. She was grateful to him for that; for not telling her she was making a mistake but simply allowing her to spread her wings and do what she believed was what she wanted.

Whenever you need me, I'll always be here.

But when Foggy Nelson opened the door to his apartment one Friday evening to see his sister standing their drenched with rain with a suitcase at her feet, he was shocked. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that she hadn't ever been to his apartment before, with him moving a few weeks after she left to start her new life, or if it was the black eye she was trying to hide under her wet hair that clung to her face.

"Belle," he whispered, his nickname for her coming out shocked. "What are you doing here?"

He tried desperately to not draw attention to her obvious black eye as he knew she was trying hard to hide it.

"You've been telling me for so long to come up and see you and your new apartment, and I thought, what the hell," Isabelle smiled at him, her voice shaky and feigning excitement. "I hope I haven't come here at a bad time."

"Of course not, come in," he said quickly, stepping out of the way and allowing her entry into his apartment. "I thought you would've called first before making such a big journey. I don't have anything set up for you."

She waved him off politely as she heaved the suitcase in with her. Foggy moved to help her with it and caught sight of a busted lip. He felt the world shudder around him, and he closed the door gently. Isabelle stepped into his apartment quietly, her footing gentle and almost cautiously.

"How long did you want to stay here for?" he asked gently, his eyes searching hers as she turned to him, still careful to cover the bruises marking her face and the busted lip. The broken skin looked sore, and he could only assume that it was fresh.

Isabelle blinked a few times. "Is a couple of days okay? I can always find a place to stay if it isn't, I wouldn't want to put you out."

"You wouldn't be putting me out, sis. You're always welcome here, you know that," Foggy was quick to reassure her, and he knew by the way her shoulders dropped just how tense she was. "I just… I'm your brother, right? You can tell me everything. Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah, of course it is, Foggy!" Isabelle said quickly, with a shake of her head as if him suggesting anything different was bizarre. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You've travelled all the way here without letting me know beforehand which makes me wonder if you even have your mobile phone with you," Foggy began, and watched as Isabelle diverted her gaze to the floor. "And… I'm aware of the injuries to your face that you keep trying to hide from me. Did he do this to you?"

Isabelle shakily shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, Foggy."

"Okay. That's fine," Foggy said. "But we're going to have to talk about it sooner or later. Because if he has laid his hands on you, I'll kill him."

The venom in his voice cut through the air and silenced them both. Isabelle stood there, her whole-body shivering but not from the cold.

"I don't want to talk about it, Franklin," she whispered after a beat.

The use of his first name stopped him and he took a moment to look at her properly. He closed the gap between them. She stood awkwardly in front of him and didn't make a move when he gently moved the wet hair from her face; the bruise dark and heavy against her eye, the scratch marks scattered across her neck and jaw, the broken skin on her lip that looked painful. Her clothes were soaked, and the thin material of her jacket was sodden. The light in her eyes was gone, all memory of the happiness she would radiate having been taken from her.

"Does mom and dad know that he's beating you?"

"Foggy… he's not beating me. We just—we just had an argument, that's all."

"And you walked into a door, right?" His words came out more bitter than he intended them to. But he had seen this many times before with clients, and it never got easier. But this wasn't a client standing in front of him, it was his baby sister and he sure as hell wasn't going to let her make excuses for her husband. "I'll kill him, I swear. You know I'd do anything to protect you. You know that right?"

Isabelle avoided his gaze, biting her bottom lip and wincing when her teeth grazed against her cut. The siblings stood awkwardly in front of each other for a few moments, neither of them knowing what else to say. Isabelle could feel her entire façade beginning to slip as Foggy's threat hung in the air clear as day, and Foggy feeling the anger being to surge through his veins at the sight of his sister so powerless and hurt. She was married to a man they barely knew, who moved her away from them as quick as flash, and who had now laid his hands on her. Foggy couldn't be sure if this was the first time, or if it was the first time that Isabelle believed she was truly in danger. But what Foggy didn't know was that it wasn't the first time he had done it and would hurt her as a way of communicating with her. Everything she did wasn't good enough for him and she didn't understand what else she had to do to get him to stop hurting her; she loved him so much and she couldn't understand why he would do this to her whilst claiming he loved her too.

She always believed he would change. But he never did.

She had never had a good enough reason to leave until now.

"You can have my bed," Foggy whispered, defeated as he knew the woman standing before him was broken and scared. "I'll sleep on the pull-out couch."

Isabelle nodded and bowed her head. "Thank you, Foggy."

Foggy shrugged. "Why don't you get out of those wet clothes, yeah? Have you eaten?"

"No, not yet."

"I'll order us some food," Foggy told her. Isabelle nodded silently and made her way to the bathroom that Foggy showed her to.

Foggy waited until he heard the sound of the lock before he pulled out his phone and dialled a number. He moved into his bedroom and pushed the door shut, making sure that Isabelle wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Did you miss me or something, Foggy?"

The sound of Matt's voice was a welcomed one and he sighed, unsure of how to approach the subject with his best friend.

"Or something," he quipped. "I've got a bit of a situation."

"Is everything okay?"

He noted the hint of concern in Matt's voice but brushed it aside.

"My sister's just turned up at by door," Foggy explained, turning his back to the door.

"Isabelle?"

"Well, I only have one sister, Matt. Unless you know of another sister that I didn't know about."

"Is she okay?"

"She has a black eye and a bust lip," Foggy told him. "It looks like she ran away."

Matt was silent for a moment. "She's there with you now. She's safe. That's all that matters right now."

"What do I do, Matt?" Foggy felt powerless and Matt could hear it in his voice. "I threatened to kill him if he did lay his hands on her. She kept avoiding my questions and I just… I don't know what to do."

"Do nothing but be there for her. She came all this way to you for a reason," Matt reassured him. "Don't push her with any more questions, you're not her lawyer. You're her brother. She's probably scared and wants your reassurance that she's safe from him."

"Thanks, Matt," Foggy whispered. "I knew I could count on you."

"Anytime, Foggy."

"Are you going out tonight?" Foggy asked.

Matt's reluctance to answer him said it all. "Yeah. I am."

It was still tense between them since Foggy had found out about Matt's hobby. It wasn't an ideal situation with how he came to find out about his best friend being the talk of the city, especially having to peel a bleeding Matt up off the floor and patch him up.

"Alright, be safe, okay? I don't want to find out that you died or got kidnapped, yeah?"

There was a low chuckle on the other end of the phone even if it did sound more like a wince. "Okay, I promise. It's gonna be okay with Isabelle, okay?"

"I know," Foggy whispered, knowing that Matt was right. She had come to him for a reason, whether it be a place to stay or the need to have her brother close to her. As he ended the call, he walked over to his couch, his eyes flicking over to the bathroom door.

He hated seeing his sister in the state she was currently in, but he knew he couldn't do anything other than remain by her side and be there for when she thought it was time to tell him what had happened. The scars were obviously still so raw, and he knew she wasn't ready to talk about it, but he wanted to reassure her that he would always be there for her no matter what. Matt had been right; giving her time was the most important thing he could do for her right now.

The bathroom door opened which caught his attention and he offered Isabelle a soft reassuring smile as she stepped out. It took her a moment to return it but when she did, he felt his heart drop. She had changed into a set of pyjamas that looked as if they were four sizes too big for her.

"I'm always here for you, sis," he said reassuringly. "I'll always be there for you. When and if you want to talk about it, don't be afraid to come to me. While you're here, you're safe with me."

Isabelle bowed her head as tears stung her eyes. "Thank you."

"How about…" Foggy whispered, wiping his own tears. "I order us our favourite pizza and we watch a crappy movie together, like old times?"

"That sounds amazing," Isabelle smiled, watching as her brother picked up the phone.

She tried to ignore the sound of her stomach growling. Foggy seemed to not notice as he pressed the number in.

"Still don't like mushrooms?" Foggy asked to which Isabelle shook her head and pulled a horrified look.

"Only if they're magic," Isabelle teased with a wink.

Foggy shook his head smirking.

..

A few hours later, a movie had been watched and pizza had been consumed. They had sprawled themselves out on individual couches with a blanket wrapped around them as they eagerly began to eat their pizza and watch a film that Isabelle had chosen. She had chosen Dumb & Dumber, a favourite of theirs growing up and even though they hadn't seen it in years, laughter filled the air. It was nice to hear her laugh in a way she hadn't for a long time; especially when it was her real laugh that caught her off guard sometimes, that came from deep in her stomach. It always made him laugh out loud in response.

He didn't question her again about how she had gotten the black eye from, but he could see that she was deeply troubled by it. During parts of the movie, she would tenderly touch it until it hurt as if to remind her of something. He wasn't sure why she kept doing it, but he remembered watching Matt do it absentmindedly one day in the office. It must be a reminder of what happened, to make sure that it had truly happened.

He glanced over at the couch. Isabelle was lying there, unfazed by the credits that were rolling up on the screen. Foggy leaned over and saw that her eyes were closed. He waited a moment before standing and taking the pizza boxes and plates to the counter.

For now, he would just be there for her when she needed him.

He moved back over to her side and watched as she slept soundly. He smiled, remembering finding her curled up on the couch back at home waiting for him as she had tried desperately to try and stay awake. She would wake up with wide eyes before the realisation hit her that he was home and with her. Foggy moved towards her and brushed the hair away that had fallen into her face. His eyes fell on the black eye that was trying to hide in the shadows of the dark room but like the moon shining brightly in the night sky, he could see it plain as day.

"I'll always protect you," he whispered.

He moved into his bedroom, taking a pillow from his bed and a blanket from the cupboard, before returning to her side. He didn't want to wake her by carrying her to his bed, and the fact that she was asleep soundly on the couch meant everything to him. He lifted her head gently and slipped the pillow underneath her. As he laid the blanket over her, he watched as she snuggled into the pillow. He watched her for a moment before heading to bed and closing the door behind him.

What he didn't notice was the shadow that swiftly passed by the window.

..

Matt waited until Foggy had left the room before he moved in front of the window. He listened into her breathing; soft and calm breaths escaped her, and he knew she was sleeping soundly. He listened in for a few moments, listening as Foggy walked up and down his bedroom floor trying to process everything that had happened. He was worried which wasn't surprising. Matt was too, but he never gave Foggy any clue to how much. He hated the idea of Isabelle having to run away from something so bad that she had turned up on Foggy's doorstep without any warning. She must've been desperate enough to leave quickly.

He had been passing.

Well, that was a lie. As soon as Foggy had told him that Isabelle was on his doorstep, he knew he was going to make another stop that night. He had always been protective over Isabelle.

He heard Foggy settle down on the bed, his breathing and heartbeat calming down.

He was about to leave when he heard it. He didn't know what it was, and he furrowed his brow. He silenced the secondary noise and focused on the primary noises around him.

He was right.

Three heartbeats inside the apartment filled his senses.