"Murdock Gets Married"

A fan fiction by La Fille sans peur

Disclaimer: Based on the comic book universe of Daredevil, which is the property of Marvel Comics. This work is composed solely for my own pleasure, not profit, and any questions can be directed to the law firm of Nelson and Murdock.

Characters: Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, Milla Donovan, and Lori Peterson

The early morning fog clung to the stones like a thin silk veil. Matt Murdock shivered slightly in the damp chill. It was still quiet, just before the city came alive with the crush of millions of commuters fighting the endless battle of the workaday world. He liked it out here, away from so much of the noise pollution. He bent down and placed the small rosary on the stone. "Got some news for you, Dad," Matt began softly, as he straightened up and respectfully stood in front of Jack Murdock's grave.

Matt paused, checking around him to make certain he was alone. His "radar" sense searched out in all directions, only registering a squirrel scampering among the tombstones. That enhanced ability had been the tradeoff after his childhood accident that cost him his sight. He wished he had been able to tell his dad about that strange trait he had gotten. He was going to, someday, but that chance was cut short when the boxer, Battlin' Jack Murdock, was murdered for not throwing a fight. Matt still missed him terribly.

"Her name is Milla, and she's the most wonderful thing to happen to me in a long time." You would really like her, Dad. She's so sweet, really smart…Foggy says she's drop-dead beautiful. We met sort of by accident. I think…I know it's the real thing this time." Matt choked back a sob. "We're getting married, Dad. Today." He reached out and traced the block letters on the cold, damp granite. "I wanted to tell you first."

________________________

"Murdock! You're the last person I expected to hear from today. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, your Honor. Nothing much. Just a little marriage ceremony is all…"

Matt hung up the phone, smiling.  "It's all set.  Judge Winslow is available, and will do the honors."  He swiveled around in his chair, pulled a small box out of the drawer in the credenza behind him, and set it on the desk.  Removing the lid, he fingered the pair of wedding rings.  He'd ordered them from a custom jeweler in Tokyo: 18K yellow gold, the outside of the band engraved with cherry blossoms, the symbol of new life and on the inner surface, were their initials MMM/MDM. They were one of a kind, just like her.

It was a shame they couldn't wear them in public.

Nobody could know about this marriage right now. Matt's high profile after the public disclosure of his identity as Daredevil had put anyone connected with him at high risk. He would rather be shouting this from the rooftops, declaring his love for this woman. His bold move to clean up his beloved city had forced them to keep their relationship publicly shallow. Matt wished he could take his public rage back. He would never subject Milla to peril, so it had to happen this way.

Milla's matching smile radiated in her voice.  "This just doesn't seem real.  Are you sure we're really going through with this?  Nobody would believe it, even if we were going to tell anyone."  She laughed incredulously, that wonderful laugh that captured Matt's heart the first time he'd heard it in this very office. "I mean…two blind kids from the Kitchen? What are the odds, here, sweetie?"

"A long shot at best, I'd say. Oh, yeah, the judge will be over about seven.  Now, if you can get Lori over here without arousing too much suspicion, all I have to do is tell Foggy that I need him to stay a little late this evening.  I can say that there are some things about the Smithson case we have to discuss.  I really hate that we haven't leveled with them about us getting married, but the fewer people that know, the fewer repercussions we will cause for everyone else. I wouldn't want to jeopardize any of our friends, and especially not Foggy. Guess we should have a paramedic on standby when we tell him that he's really here to be the witness to this prosecution tonight..."

Matt rounded the corner of his desk and swept Milla into his arms. They did a little impromptu waltz across the room, euphoric with the prospect of the evening, recalling the first time he swept her up out of the way of that oncoming truck, through the plate glass window and onto a concrete floor. They crash-landed onto the butter-soft leather couch in Matt's office, collapsing in a heap of laughter. A much better landing, this time, Matt thought, and way more romantic.  He could hear her heart race, just like his. With a wicked grin, Matt kissed her hard until she gave him a playful push. "You'd better get up, counselor.  Wouldn't want to wrinkle that Armani before this evening," Milla chided, and sat up, straightening her tousled hair. "Save some of that for tonight, hero man."

Regaining their decorum, Milla smoothed her skirt and reached over to the desk for her cane.  After the two had said their goodbyes, Matt held the door for her, smiling as she left.  I am the luckiest man alive, he thought.

Matt straightened his tie and waited for a few minutes to give Milla a chance to get down the street before he left the office. They had talked about keeping everything to a minimum for security reasons, but he just couldn't see having a wedding with no flowers at all. There was a florist just down the street, and Matt was a regular customer at the fragrant shop since Milla had come into his life. As long as he didn't go for a full-fledged bridal bouquet, he reasoned, the flower vendor would be none the wiser. And since Milla really loved flowers, it would be a crime not to get her something on this special occasion. She deserves a lot better than that, he thought, and honestly, she deserves a lot better than having to deal with all this secrecy. What she sees in me, I will never understand.

As he turned the corner, Matt picked up the olfactory delights of the myriad buckets of flowers down at Shannon's Florist. He loved coming by here. His sensitive nose picked out the roses, lilies, carnations, freesia, alstromeria, iris, and tulips. Many times, he would just hone in on a particular specimen because it was an unusual variety. He hoped there was something really special and different here today.

"How ya doin' today, Mr. Murdock?" Barry Shannon had seen the tall, well-dressed, red-haired man approaching from half a block away. He had brought out a couple of new buckets of flowers that he had just prepped in the back, and the metallic clang of them banging together startled Matt momentarily. The aroma wafted upward to greet Matt, and he smiled broadly. "Looking for something special for that lady-friend of yours? All these are fresh out of the greenhouse." He gestured toward the buckets surrounding them. "What's your pleasure today?"

"Hey, Barry! Not sure…tell me what's on the menu today." Matt inhaled deeply. They went through this routine often, even though Matt already knew pretty much what was on display by the scent. He really liked Barry, because he always made sure to give Matt the prettiest blooms as well as the most fragrant. Not everyone had always been that honest in dealing with Matt, and it meant a lot to him. Another perk of living and working in your old neighborhood.

"Lemme see…we got your roses, red, pink, yellow, oh, and a new variety called Chantilly Lace that are lavender…these are the ones I just brought out. It's a spicy rose." He plucked one from the bucket and held it up for Matt to smell. "Here, Mr. Murdock, take a whiff. Then there's a load of nice tulips today, mixed colors. Carnations: red, peppermint, pink, yellow, tangerine. Lilies, ah, we have some beautiful Stargazers today…they're white with a deep burgundy throat…wonderful aroma. Lots of different colors of alstromeria, and some deep purple iris. Any of that strike your fancy?" Barry wiped his green-stained fingers on his apron, and reached for the crinkling waxed paper to wrap up Matt's selection. Usually, he went for a mixed bouquet of whatever was the most fragrant. Lilies were high on his list of favorites.

Matt caught a drift of something less common coming from just inside the shop. He followed his nose inside, and stopped in front of the blooming plants. "What's this in here that's blooming?" He could tell it was not a cut flower, as he could also smell the warm, earthy muskiness of the potted plants.

"New crop of gardenia bushes, Mr. Murdock. Came in from South Carolina this morning. We don't get them too often any more. They used to be one of the biggest sellers way back in the early days of commercial florists. High society demanded that a proper lady wear a gardenia corsage. One of the most fragrant flowers out there, but also one of the most fragile. More so than an orchid. We don't cut ‘em until right before we sell ‘em."

"I know that traditionally, every flower has a meaning," Matt said thoughtfully. "So, what do gardenias signify?" He hoped it wasn't something scandalous. Didn't need any more of that. Perish the thought.

"Lemme check my reference sheet. There's so many that I just can't remember them all, and I sure wouldn't want to tell you wrong. Be right back." Matt was daydreaming, the heavenly scent of the fresh flowers permeating his senses. Unless gardenias were indicative of homicidal tendencies, this had to be what he got for Milla today. "Here ya go, Mr. Murdock." Barry rustled a sheaf of papers. "Gardenias…they speak of secret love in Victorian lore, and in contemporary terms, tell the recipient ‘You're lovely'. How's that? Fit the bill today? Did you want one of the plants or just a corsage?"

Matt smiled wistfully, thinking how nice that would smell in the apartment. "Yeah. Perfect. Well, not the plant…I have the original black thumb with live plants. Could you make a single bloom corsage for me? We have a special date this evening. Could you deliver it around 5 to my office?" He thought about that for a moment, and added, "On second thought, I'll just wait on it if you don't mind. And, could you wrap up one of those lavender roses, too? That's her favorite color."

"Sure thing, Mr. Murdock. Do you know what the lady will be wearing so I can coordinate the color of the ribbon?" Uh, oh, thought Matt. He didn't have a clue what color the linen suit was that Milla was wearing today. Just that she had on that wonderful silk blouse that felt so good against his skin…

"Busted!" Matt grinned. "You got me on that one. I really don't, and probably she won't care as long as it's pretty, Barry. Just do it up nice and I'm sure she'll love it. I'm going to step back outside until you get it finished. Oh, and could you put it in a plain bag? It's a surprise." He actually didn't want to tip off the secretary to his plans.

Matt strolled back outside amongst the flower pails. Yeah, gardenias…secret love…that was a nice touch. He loved the irony in that. He listened to the bustle of the city around him. Things were a whole lot more calm in the Kitchen these days. Daredevil had seen to that.

**************************************

The fashionably attired lady, wearing a soft lavender business suit, shifted her white cane from one hand to the other as she entered the tiny neighborhood jewelry shop.  The silver bell above the door signaled her arrival; the proprietor looked up from his workbench, and rose to greet her. "Ah, Ms. Donovan!  How may I help you today?" The elderly man knew her from her efforts with the housing authority to revitalize the run down area of Hell's Kitchen.  She had made many friends in the neighborhood, and Mr. Marzetti was one of the grateful Clinton residents.

"I would like to buy a gold chain today, Mr. Marzetti.  Could you show me some?"  Milla sat down at the counter, waiting for the jeweler to bring out several for her perusal. 

 "A special occasion, Ms. Donovan?" he inquired. He laid out a well-used piece of black velvet, the chains clinking against the glass display case. "White or yellow gold?" he asked, without thinking.

"Ummm...yellow sounds good to me!" Milla countered, and smiled at her own little joke.

Mr. Marzetti stifled a groan at his own expense, and placed a beautiful fine rope chain in Milla's outstretched hand.  She examined it closely, running her fingers along the length of the chain to discern the pattern of the links. She unhooked the delicate clasp, draped the chain around her neck and fastened it behind.  It hung just below the second button of her ivory silk blouse.  "Perfect," she said.  "Now, do you have a similar style suitable for a man?  About the same length, or maybe a little longer?"  The jeweler reached over into the case and brought out a heavier version of the same chain.  He handed it to Milla, who declared it to be just what she needed.  Mr. Marzetti boxed them both up, thanked Milla once again for her business and help for the neighborhood, then showed her to the door.

"A special occasion, indeed," Milla thought, a private smile parting her lips.

 **************************************************

Lori juggled the packages from her mid-day shopping spree as she fumbled for the key to her office at the Clinton Housing Authority. She wondered if Milla would be back already or whether she and Matt had gotten the chance to meet for a quick lunch. He was one of the busiest guys she'd ever met, and Lori knew that the two took advantage of any time they could have together. Finally managing to get the door open, Lori stumbled into her office, unceremoniously dumping her parcels onto her desk as she grabbed for the ringing phone.

"Lori? It's Milla. Say, I had some business out in town that I needed to finish up before I got back to the office. Could you cover for me for a few more minutes?" Lori suppressed a smile, thinking that it was probably more like pleasure rather than work that was detaining Milla right now.

"Sure, nothing's pressing at the moment. Take your time. I've got it under control. See you when you get here."

"I won't be much longer. Oh, are we still on for a movie this evening? Thought we'd catch the 8 pm showing of ‘Jersey Girl'", Milla fudged. She wanted Lori to be there tonight, but she couldn't risk anyone finding out the truth in advance. It would just be too dangerous, with Matt's high profile at the moment. Lori and Milla had been friends for years, and Lori had been instrumental in finding out who that masked man was that had swooped in to save Milla on that fateful day. Even though she had teased Milla unmercifully about crushing on a superhero, she was the only one Milla could confide in.

"You bet! I've been waiting for Affleck to redeem himself for ‘Gigli'. You have your hunky guy now, but all I have are my dreams." Lori let out an audible sigh, and Milla snickered. Milla snapped her cell phone off and headed back to work.

*****************************************

Matt Murdock had a lot on his mind. He concluded his list of client calls, removed his headset, and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together behind his head. He smiled wryly at the prospect of breaking news of the wedding to Foggy. Good ol' Foggy—how could this day be complete without his best friend and partner by his side? How many times have I done something that shocked the pants off him, Matt wondered. And here I go again, dropping a colossal bombshell right on his head. He's gonna kill me this time.

Matt's thoughts were interrupted with a light rap on the door. Foggy Nelson poked his head around the corner. 'Are you ready to go over that Smithson brief? We're first on the docket in the morning, remember."

Foggy always kept up with the paperwork. When Matt disappeared for days at a time, busy with his superhero intercessions, his partner kept the law office running efficiently. Matt could never have found a more hardworking and loyal business partner than his college roommate. Foggy was always there to take up the slack, even when Matt was out doing his 'other thing' to uphold justice. God, what did I do to deserve a friend like Foggy, Matt thought once again. "Sure, come on in, Fog." He leaned forward and gestured toward the chair facing his desk.

Foggy read the details of the case to Matt, and they discussed the strategy for the courtroom the following morning. But Matt's attention kept wandering, so he got up and began to pace back and forth, thinking about how to break the news to his friend. Foggy noticed his change in mood, and queried, "Something bugging you, Matt?" Matt shook his head, his agitated state worrying Foggy. Finally they were done with the discussion, and Foggy settled over on the couch. "Wanna order a pizza this evening, buddy? I have the urge to splurge on some anchovies."

Matt stood at the window, facing out toward the city. "Uh...not tonight. Milla and Lori are coming over in a few."

"Really? What's up? You and the supermodel squad going out on the town?" Half kidding, Foggy whined, "Dammit, Matt, blind as you are, you always have the hot chicks hanging around you. Seems like you could share the wealth once in a while." Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Foggy thought to himself. Someday, it might rub off on me, though. A guy can always hope.

"Yeah, very funny…. uh…Foggy? Could I ask you a favor? Ummm…a really BIG favor?" Matt's throat suddenly felt very dry. Man, breaking this to Foggy wasn't going to be easy at all. The man without fear was losing his nerve.

"Uh, oh…now what?" Foggy never could read exactly what Matt was fishing for, even after all these years. "You know I'm starving here…"

Matt winced slightly, turned to face Foggy, then began with a sheepish grin, "Judge Winslow is coming over in a few minutes…."

"Geez, Matt, don't tell me you are going to get subpoenaed again for something…doesn't this second career of yours offer enough excitement for you?"

"No, Grasshopper…I want you to stand up for me…"

"Don't I always?" Foggy answered absently. He was envisioning an extra large pizza and wondering if there were still a couple of beers in the office refrigerator.

"Umm…I mean…uh…as my best man, witness my wedding…to Milla…tonight." Matt sat on the couch next to the astonished Foggy, who fell backwards against the cushions with a sharp intake of breath.

"SSSAY WH….WHAT?

Matt put his hand on Foggy's shoulder. "Read my lips…Milla and I are getting married tonight, and only you and Lori will know. You two are the only ones we want to know, the only ones we trust to keep it a secret." Matt listened intently to judge Foggy's reaction. He wondered if his friend's expression was as comical as he imagined it might be.

"ARE YOU ^&^$#%^ NUTS?" Foggy exploded when he regained his breath. Matt hadn't quite expected this. "First, the tabloids out your skinny butt as Daredevil, then you deny it until you are blue in the face. THEN, you go out and kick enough bad guy tookis to build yourself an urban legend of your own design. Now you tell me that you're going to get married? Geez, Matthew…next thing you know, you'll want to be mayor of New York City. Where does it end? I know I'm out of the loop sometimes, but this is ridiculous."

"Well, I thought maybe you would be happy for me, Foggy. Maybe this would be something solid in my life for a change…"

"Happy? Hell, I'm dizzy from you, Matt!" He slapped his hand to his forehead in disbelief. Shock and awe didn't hold a candle to this.

Matt heard the door to the outer office open and whispered for Foggy to be quiet. He listened as Milla and Lori came up the hall. "At least try to be happy for Milla, ok?" Matt said then called out to the girls. "We're back here in my office." Lori burst through the door, raised a bewildered eyebrow at Foggy, and ran over to Matt. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Just how long have you two been planning this? And could you have waited any longer to tell us?" Lori didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had known since the day the two had met that Matt was the man of Milla's dreams. "Foggy, when did Matt tell you? Five minutes ago? I found out in the elevator, coming out of our office. You could have knocked me over with a feather."

Foggy just let out a low whistle. "Right before you walked in the door. Nothing like advance warning. So when is this going to happen?"

Milla could hardly contain herself. She blushed brightly, and blurted out, "As soon as the judge gets here. Strictly no frills. We went upstate to get the license in a little town where no one knows us. We didn't even order any flowers because someone might tip off the media. (You know how those florists can be…just ask Ben and Jen.) We knew you'd understand. That's why we both wanted you two here." Her blush had turned to a glow.

Matt interrupted. "Oh, Lori, come here for a minute." Matt motioned to her to step out into the hallway. He led her into the office break room and pulled a bag from the refrigerator. From it he took the corsage box, and handed it to Lori. "Will you pin this on Milla for me? I wanted to surprise her."

"Well, you never fail to surprise me, Matthew Murdock!" She peered into the cardboard box. "Wow! A gardenia! How cool is that? Did you know that Milla used to tell me about her grandmother growing these in her garden? It was one of her favorite things about that place."

Matt was stunned. There were still so many details he didn't know about Milla, and how lucky could he get with things today? "No, she never told me about that. Barry just got them in down at the flower shop." Incredible, he thought. I'm batting a thousand.

They rejoined the others in Matt's office. Lori pinned the corsage on Milla's shoulder, the fragrant blossom sending a heady scent into the air. Milla squealed with delight, not containing her joy in the least. Even Matt could tell she had a million megawatt smile.

Once again, the outer door opened. Foggy adjusted his tie and went up front to greet Judge Winslow. The usually somber judge flashed a knowing smile at Foggy and asked if everyone was present. He handed Foggy a bottle of champagne, then followed Foggy back to Matt's office, where Matt and Milla were hand in hand in front of Matt's window. The perfect backdrop, Foggy thought. That's their town out there. 

The judge took his place by the window, and directed the tableau for everyone else. "Do you have the rings?" he asked Matt. From his jacket pocket, Matt produced the box and handed it to Foggy, who opened it and stared at the matching bands. Foggy's sweaty hands trembled so hard that he almost dropped the rings before getting them out of the velvety box. He recovered enough to fish out Milla's band first, placing it in Matt's waiting hand.

"Here, Milla," Foggy mumbled, awkwardly grasping her arm and pressing Matt's ring into her palm. "I cannot believe this is happening." He wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. His best buddy was taking the plunge, right here, right now. Un-freaking-believable.

Matt and Milla stood facing each other, holding hands, radiant. Lori stifled a sniffle, and Foggy cleared his throat. The judge began…"We are gathered here today…." Matt thought his heart would pound out of his chest, and could tell Milla's was trying to keep time with it. That gardenia complimented her natural fragrance perfectly.

"Is there anyone here who objects to this union?" Lori and Foggy shot each other glances, but objection was the furthest thing from anyone's mind.

"Do you, Matthew Michael Murdock, take this woman…." Matt's hypersenses had his head swimming. He could smell Foggy's nervous sweat; hear Lori's shoes as she shifted from one foot to the other. Matt pulled his attention back into the close proximity, focusing on the judge's resonant voice. Just at the right moment, he got himself together, responding to the judge's query. "I do."

"Do you, Milla Michelle Donovan, take this man…"? Milla had been almost on her tiptoes, leaning toward Matt as the judge leveled the charges. "Oh yes, I do!"

When time came to exchange rings, Matt whispered to Milla, "I wish we could wear these in public." His heart ached that they had to be so clandestine.

"Wait ‘til later…I thought of something to remedy that." The idea of the gold chains had come to her just this afternoon. She smiled knowingly. It wouldn't show under the costume. They would still be able to wear the rings next to their hearts. That's all that mattered to her.

Matt took her left hand in his and slipped the circlet on her delicate finger. He raised it to his lips and kissed it gently. A tear slid from his cheek onto her hand, and he heard her heart flutter. His throat tightened, and he reached up to touch her face.

Milla wept openly. She felt Matt's strong hands cradle her face, wiping the tears away. She took his hand, placed the ring on his finger, then clasped both his hands in hers. "Let no man put asunder…"

"…You may now kiss the bride"…Matt reached out to take Milla's face in his hands, and her actions mirrored his. What seemed to be minutes later, Foggy quipped, "You guys can come up for air any time now."

For once, Matt's face was nearly as red as his hair.

Foggy popped the cork on the judge's champagne, and Lori brought in some paper cups from the break room. He poured some for each of them, and passed it around. "A toast to the bride and groom! Here's to Matt, the best partner a guy ever had, and Milla, the best thing to ever happen to Matt! Congratulations, guys!"

"Hold on for just a sec, we're missing something." Foggy ran to his office and rifled through a couple of his desk drawers. "Aha!" He raced back to the party, and tapped Matt on the shoulder. "Here, buddy…what's a wedding without cake?" He unwrapped the Hostess Twinkie and dropped it in Matt's palm. "Not much, but all I could do on the spur of the moment. Now, break it in two and share it with your lady."

Matt sniffed the squishy object. He grinned, appreciating Foggy's clever impulse. "Yum…Twinkies and champagne, breakfast of champions! Off to a great start." Matt broke down laughing as they fed each other the impromptu wedding cake. "Do we have Twinkie gunk on us? Be nice and tell us if we do." There were gales of laughter all around.

The judge congratulated the couple and said his goodnight. Foggy kissed Milla lightly on the cheek and gave her a big hug. He slapped Matt on the back, then leaned over and whispered in Matt's ear, "You dog…" giving him a bear hug that nearly knocked Matt over. Lori nudged Foggy, and motioned for him to leave with her. For once, he took the hint. "Uh, I think that we should take a rain check on that pizza, Matt. Lori? How about we go grab a bite somewhere? I'm still starving!" With that, Foggy and Lori eased on out the front door, locking it behind them.

"Thanks, you guys! Sorry we had to throw this at you like this." Milla called after them.

Alone at last. Matt wrapped his arm around Milla's waist and drew her close. "One more thing," he whispered. He reached into his desk drawer, gave Milla the lavender rose, and led her upstairs.