Hi everyone! I am so sorry for the time it took for her to get this out there. With season 1 finished so long ago and very little Punisher inspiration, I totally lost motivation. It sucked a lot.

Thank you for reading and thank you for supporting this story!

Song: Here to Mars by Coheed and Cambria

Honey, it's in the stars

And you're my everything

From here to Mars.

Every word I say, I truly mean.

Dear darling,

I hope I'm being clear,

'Cause there's no one like you on Earth

That can be my universe.

Two Months Later

Karen was finishing her strength-training regimen for the last time; she told Frank she intended to continue it, though her doctor had only encouraged her to complete six to eight weeks of it. Frank stood right behind her, as usual, with his hands lightly touching her waist and her arm. She'd had a follow up x-ray the day before and her doctor told her that she was "good to go."

Frank had offered for her to stay with him as long as she would like to and, it seemed, she didn't have much of a desire to return to her own place for the time being. For his part, Frank loved having her with him, to dote on her, protect her, and keep her from pushing herself too hard.

He'd given her a stern look when she told him that she intended to return to work after two weeks of medical leave, but he had said nothing. While she was out, he had gone to her place and picked up clothes for her, as well as some other items she had asked him to grab. He met her at the office and they walked home together each night.

Home.

Through her recovery, Frank had waited; he'd been patient, far more patient than Karen was. She would practically jump him whenever he undressed in her vicinity and he would, gently, fend her off, reminding her of the possibility of re-breaking the bones.

"Then it would be even longer," he had said.

She had made a face but said nothing. He made sure to hold her against the wall of the shower and use his hands and mouth to make her come over and over in hopes of relieving the tension. But every time she tried to reciprocate, he shook his head.

"Remember," was all he would say.

So he waited and was patient, loving, attentive throughout her recovery. He asked about what her doctor said after each visit and continued helping with her stretches. He held her and kissed her, kept her close and tried to protect her from the nightmares.

But Frank couldn't wait anymore.

She had returned from her doctor's appointment the day before and reported that her doctor gave her the all clear. That night, he let her touch him more; she sat on his lap on the couch, grinding against him as they kissed, passionately. But he had eased her off of him and laid her down, pushing her dress up her thighs. By the time he pressed his fingers against her clitoris, she was panting and shaking, whispering "Please," and "Oh God," and "Frank."

But he had pulled away after she came for the third time and said, "Be home right away tomorrow night."

She barely registered that he had spoken, apart from a small nod, as she lay – limp and pliant – on the couch.

When she returned home the following evening, right on time, Frank had chicken baking in the oven, vegetables steaming, and salad ready for them. She smiled at him as she walked in and he grinned back as he set their plates on the counter.

"Hey," he said, "dinner's almost ready."

"Smells good," she said, approaching him and kissing his cheek. "I'll be right back," she added as she walked through the bedroom to the bathroom. He watched her the whole way.

When she returned, he had served their food and said, "Beer?"

"Yes, please," she said, sitting down.

He brought the plates to the table and then returned to the kitchen to grab their drinks. He used the counter top to remove the caps before he took his own seat. As they ate, she talked about her day at work and about the story she was working on – something much safer.

It hadn't been Frank's suggestion, or even his request – he could protect her, he knew that now. He knew what might have happened, but he knew that it didn't – he had saved her. Recognizing that had been exceptionally difficult for him. Seeing her bruises heal and her wounds close had slowly eased his guilt.

But it was Karen that hadn't been ready to take on something like that again. Not yet. She was still Karen Page, intrepid reporter; she still had a nose for trouble; and she would jump back into the line of fire, of that Frank was sure.

And he would be there.

At that moment, however, Karen was happy to take it slow. That didn't mean that she wouldn't hold her gun a little tighter in the future.

When they finished, Karen picked up their plates and began washing them while Frank put the leftovers in Tupperware. He finished his beer and brought Karen's to the kitchen, setting it on the counter so she could drink it when she wanted to. She washed the plates and the pans, setting them in the rack to dry.

Frank was suddenly right behind her, pressing his body against hers and rubbing her arms. She released a quiet moan and tilted her head to the side; Frank took the opportunity to reach up and move her hair away before he began kissing her pale skin. Her hand came up and gripped his hair, holding him in place; he sank his teeth into her neck and she let out a moan that he promised he would hear over and over again.

His hands moved from her arms to her back, gripping around her waist, then moving down to hold her hips. She was trying to press back against him, but he held her still.

"Frank," she whispered; her voice was tinged with frustration but he held fast. "Frank, I'm ready, please."

At that, Frank spun her around and kissed her, running both hands down to her thighs. For once, he hated that she was wearing such a tight skirt because he couldn't lift her up like he wanted to. But she sensed his annoyance and unzipped the garment and pushed it down.

He cursed under his breath and bit his lip, hard, looking down at her body. She was wearing black stockings with lace edging, attached to a garter. He growled and ripped her shirt open, sending buttons everywhere, and exposing a matching bra. She made to object but he kissed her, hard, and lifted her up to walk them to the bedroom. He set her on the bed and crawled on it after her, watching her as if he were about to attack.

In a way, he was.

He yanked his own shirt off and she pulled the ripped blouse off, then reached around herself to unhook her bra and tossed it away. When she reached for the garter, he grabbed both of her arms and forced them above her head. His chest was heaving as he kissed her, hard and desperate.

"Leave it," he growled against her cheek as he kissed down to her neck.

This was different than the other times they had made love. Frank was aggressive, as if when she told him she was ready, she had unwittingly unleashed a beast. He remained gentle in his ministrations, though no longer being so careful, as if he might break her. Karen loved the change of pace, if her breathy moans and the way her hands gripped his neck as they kissed were any indication.

Frank pulled away and began unbuttoning his jeans as she watched, transfixed. He knew that he couldn't remove her panties without removing the garter but he was fine with that. Once he was divested of all of his clothes as well, he put his knee back on the bed and began crawling over to her.

"Frank," she breathed, eying him with intense desire. "Don't make me wait anymore."

He smirked and leaned down to kiss her lips, then over her chin, jaw, and then down her neck. She dug her nails into his shoulders as his kisses moved further down her body. By the time he was licking her over her lacy panties, she was desperate.

"Frank, please," she gasped and then moaned when he pulled the fabric aside to have better access to her clit.

She came within minutes and he crawled along her body once more to kiss her. She wrapped her legs around him, making her desire perfectly clear, and Frank grinned at her. "You need something, ma'am?" He teased.

"God, yes," she answered and groaned against his lips. He used one hand to push the fabric aside again as he lined himself up and thrust inside. "Oh, fuck yes," she breathed.

He chuckled and leaned back to disentangle her legs and put them over his arms – he knees resting in the crook of his elbows. He kissed over the sheer material of her stockings, biting into her thighs and growling when she tensed around him. Then he bent back toward her and kissed her.

The feeling was so incredible, being with Karen in this way. Knowing that he was making her feel so much pleasure. The sounds that exploded from her lips when he began to move could have made him come right then.

"Shit, Karen," he whispered, biting her neck, hard enough to leave a mark. Her body clenched him again and he growled.

The rhythm he set was harder than before; faster, too, and Karen was leaving red scratches along his back. He planted one hand by her head and with the other, he reached around her thigh to locate her clit. She gasped and threw her head back as he rubbed in circles. He wouldn't last as long as he wanted to; he'd been just as horny as she had been over the past eight weeks.

"Frank," she said, "don't hold back."

He groaned, remembering the words he'd whispered to her all those weeks ago. So, he picked up his pace, slamming his hips against her hard, harder than he knew he could. His lips found the juncture between her neck and shoulder, and he nipped the pale flesh. Her moans became louder and she dug her nails into his arms. His thumb was still rubbing her and he began to see the signs that she was getting close.

"Oh, Frank," she gasped. "Don't stop."

He would never – could never stop. Not this, not the feeling of her wet heat around him, or the way her thighs trembled, or the way her blue eyes blazed at him. "Never," he whispered and he was sure her nails broke the skin on his arms when she came.

Her entire body clenched; she arched her back and sobbed. "Frank!"

"Karen," he groaned, fucking her through her orgasm, reveling in how her body seemed to want to keep him inside her forever.

He wasn't far behind her, especially when she kissed him and licked into his mouth, pulled his hair a little bit, and scraped her teeth along his lips. His rhythm stuttered but he kept up the pace, feeling how his body tensed up, and then he growled, thrusting deep inside her one last time.

"I love you," he gasped, resting his forehead against hers.

When he opened his eyes, she was smiling up at him. "I love you too," she said.