So, Defenders happened, and I'm writing for this fic again. I apologize for the delayed update. I've got tons of new ideas on where to take this. Thanks for all your comments. I love hearing from all of you.

Fallen From Grace

Matt steps out onto his balcony and slides the glass door closed behind him. He draws in a deep breath as he listens to the sounds of cellphones ringing, conversations that have little meaning, and the sound of traffic rushing through the city. New York City never sleeps and Matt can hear every gritty little detail whether it be from below his balcony or five blocks down.

He shifts his weight onto his left foot as he exhales heavily. This life - it's not what his father would have wanted for him. Jack Murdock was a good man. And, he died for it. Matt can still hear Roscoe Sweeney on the night that he killed him. He remembers the false apologies that Sweeney whimpered. He could have stopped. He could have been the good man his father was and denied Elektra's gift. But, his heart had been so consumed with anger that he couldn't stop himself.

When Matt was done, he realized that he liked it too much. He liked the power that came with taking another man's life. Elektra had destroyed him but also resurrected him that night. In that same night, he dropped her like dead weight. She became nothing. He walked away from her and never looked back. The empowerment he felt from killing another man had released the control she had over him and awakened his own power. She was once his everything and now she means nothing.

Matt grins to himself as he retrieves his phone from his jacket. He scrolls down his contacts to Fisk. Matt hits the call button and waits for Fisk to answer.

"Murdock…" Fisk's raspy tone calls to him through the phone.

"Page is with me," Matt says. "I'll advise her to stay quiet."

"People don't always do what they are told, Murdock," Fisk's voice raises an octave. "The girl knows too much."

"She does," Matt agrees. "But, she no longer has proof. My private investigator has confiscated any evidence she can provide to the authorities."

"Still...someone must take responsibility," Fisk says.

"Rance was seen by my private investigator in Karen's apartment. I'll have her ID him once he's in police custody," Matt begins. "And, McClintock must pay for his poor judgement. Have him and Rance take the fall together. Surely you can pay someone to silence them both once they're in police holding."

"I like the way you think, Murdock," Fisk says.

"A compliment Fisk?" Matt grins. "I'm flattered."

"Don't let it get to your head," Fisk's voice lowers.

"Of course not," Matt says.

Fisk ends the call and Matt tucks the phone back into his jacket pocket. He pivots on his right foot and feels for a door handle. His hands curl around the handle as he slides open the glass door. He steps inside and slides the door shut behind him. He can feel the floor shift underneath him as Karen approaches him. His fingers tingle as he remembers the touch of her smooth skin. He's almost forgotten how nice it can be to be with a woman. Truly, he does work too much.

"Good news, Miss Page," Matt says. "It appears your charges will be dropped."

"Wait…" she says in utter disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," Matt smiles.

She pauses before saying. "Wow. Can I at least pay you?"

"You don't need to pay me, Miss Page," Matt says. "You're currently unemployed. It would be too much to ask you for compensation."

Karen's breath catches before she releases a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much for all of this."

"It is my pleasure," Matt replies.

"I suppose this is goodbye then?" there's a slight quiver in her tone. He can hear her heart race. She doesn't want to let him go. It's almost endearing.

Matt pauses. Her heart is still beating like a drum. He could dismiss her like he so easily dismissed Elektra so many years ago. He could forget that she exists. But…

"It doesn't have to be," Matt says. "I have an open secretarial position. That is if you are interested."

"I'd...like that," she pauses. "I'd like that a lot."

He extends his hands outward. He expects a brief shake, but all of a sudden, her head is resting against his chest. Her hands are clutching his jacket, and he finds his arms around her waist. Her lips touch his, and he feels a fire ignite underneath him. It really has been too long since he's been with a woman.

Gwen slides her lunch tray alongside Mary-Jane. She glances over her shoulder to see Peter at the end of the lunch line. Their eyes meet and Peter smiles to her. Gwen's heart flutters as she lowers her eyes to her lunch tray. There are days she wistfully imagines what it must be like to kiss him - to just be with him.

"Gwen…" Mary-Jane's voices calls. "Earth to Gwen Stacy. You're holding up the line."

"Oh!" Gwen says. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About Peter?" Mary-Jane asks as they continue to move down the lunch line. "Maybe you should ask him out or something."

"Wait," Gwen says. "You would be okay with that?"

"Sure," Mary-Jane says. "I see the way he looks at you. He's clearly digging you not me."

"I…" Gwen stutters. "I can't."

"Why not?" Mary-Jane asks.

"It's hard to explain," Gwen says.

"You tell me everything," Mary-Jane says. "Come on. Spill it."

"It's family stuff…"

Not family stuff, but radioactive spider girl stuff. Gwen feels her own guilt take hold of her. She's never had to hide anything from MJ in her life, and here she is keeping a very difficult secret from her best friend. Gwen wishes she could tell her. Keeping all this bottled up makes her feel like she's drowning. She wants to tell MJ everything, but at the same time, she also wants to bury all her secrets six feet underneath the ground.

Gwen looks to MJ. Her freshly dyed red hair compliments her dark complexion. She swiftly changes the subject as fast as she can. "You dyed your hair?"

"Yeah," MJ says. "I felt like I needed a new look."

The girls take two boxes of fries and two burgers. They set them on their trays and move to the register. The girls pay and walk towards their table in the back corner. They sit side by side and eat in silence for a moment.

"There was this woman in the paper," MJ breaks their silence. "She wrote this article about being under mind control. It's crazy. She says this man gave her commands for weeks. He...raped her and kept her as a personal slave. She wrote as a personal story. It's scary to think about. That Loki guy controlled people too. I don't want to believe there's someone out there that can get into your head like that, but with all this weird stuff going on, it sounds possible."

"I believe her," Gwen says. "There are people out there with super powers now. It wouldn't surprise me if someone has the power to control minds."

Gwen thinks to her new found strength and her ability to stick to walls. If it's possible for her to have such powers, it's completely possible for someone to be able to manipulate a person's mind. She wonders if this man can get into her head too. With her powers, it could be devastating. She could really hurt a lot of people.

"I wouldn't worry too much," MJ says. "In a city like New York, it would be hard to come by this mind-controlling, rapist freak."

Gwen takes a sip of her juice and tries to force the thought of this unknown man from her mind. "I hope so."

Gwen's eyes connect with Peter's. Her lips part as her heart skips. She wishes she didn't like him so much. Life would be so much easier if she could just isolate herself from everyone. It would be so much easier - so much safer - for everyone around her.

It's two in the afternoon, and she's walking towards the police station already drunk off her ass. Jessica pushes on the door, but is met with immediate resistance. She really shouldn't have made a brief pitstop at the bar before she came here. Jessica mentally chastises herself as she reminds herself to pull rather than push. She tells herself to at least try to look sober as she walks into the station.

Jessica stops at the front counter. "Yeah...so...I'm here to ID a guy."

The woman raises an eyebrow at her. "And, you are?"

"Jones," Jessica says. "I was asked here on behalf of a criminal defense attorney...Matthew Murdock."

"I know Murdock quite well, Miss Jones," the woman says with disgust. Her eyes narrow as she side eyes Jessica with disapproval. The woman grabs a phone from her desk and dials a number. "Detective Knight, this drunk girl says she's here to ID a suspect on behalf of Murdock. Should I ask her to leave?"

"Drunk girl!" Jessica feels insulted. "Listen, I'm just here to do what I was asked to by my employer! Can I just talk with Knight myself? She knows who I am."

The woman stares her down before returning to her phone call. "Her name is Jones. I'm pretty sure she's intoxicated...You actually know her?...Alright, I'll send her in."

The woman hangs up the phone. "Detective Knight is waiting in her office."

"Thanks…" Jessica's voice drips with petty sarcasm as she pivots away from the front desk.

Jessica walks through the front office and turns into a hallway. She staggers down the hall until she reaches the door to Misty's office. Jessica knocks on the door and waits. The door opens revealing Foggy Nelson rather than Misty Knight.

"Hey, Jess," Foggy says.

"Mr. Nelson," Jessica says.

Foggy steps aside for her, and Jessica steps inside the office. Misty looks to her from behind her desk and half-smiles. Jessica half-smiles back to her.

"How's Matt doing these days?" Foggy says.

"Still an asshole," Jessica says.

Misty lets out a small laugh. "I've known Murdock long enough to know that will never change."

"Yeah, but he pays well," Jessica says. "So, I put up with him. Is Stacy here?"

"He's picking up his daughter from school," Misty says. "I'll tell him you said hi."

"But, I didn't say hi," Jessica says.

"Jessica Jones," Misty shakes her head. "You're stubborn as a damn bull. How do you know the suspect, Rance?"

"Yeah, about that…" Jessica says. "Murdock's client let me scope out her apartment. I sort of ran into him there making himself at home."

"And, you didn't call the police?" Misty raises an eyebrow.

"He took off," Jessica says. "I didn't see the point. Look, can I just ID the asshole so I can get paid?"

Foggy looks to Jessica and sighs. "Follow me, Jessica."

Jessica follows Foggy back outside of the office and into the hallway. She tucks both hands in her jacket pockets. She really could use another shot. Jessica's mind drifts as she thinks of the bar across the street from her apartment slash workplace. As soon as Murdock pays her, she's going to spend some quality time with just herself and Jack Daniels.