"I'm not seeking penance for what I've done, Father. I'm asking forgiveness for what I'm about to do."
or
In which Cecilia Murdock picked up her father's mantle only to have old enemies resurface while she's trying to navigate through college and h...
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"She tends to get over-involved in people's personal lives."
December 2024
"So, I'm going to guess the reason you're hiding away in my office instead of yours has something to do with why your face looks like that," Karen commented as she sat down next to the Murdock girl who had parked herself at one of their small break tables with her computer and has been there since early in the morning.
Cecilia felt ashamed, she didn't want to show her face to her own father. She didn't want him to be able to hear her heartbeat or the way her breathing hadn't been steady since.
"I just can't right now," Cecilia sighed lifting her eyes from her computer screen to the fair-haired woman who had a look of concern etched across her face. Couldn't really blame her though, despite the makeup and turtleneck sweater she knew she looked rough. The 19-year-olds face was pale and the bags under her eyes dark, her cheekbone was littered with what looked like road burn, her lip busted, and her nose was swollen. There was a small bandaid near her hairline that was almost covered by her brown curls.
"What did you and Frank do Cece?" Karen whispered reaching out and grasping the young girl's hand, her thumb rubbing against her bruised knuckles.
Cecilia knew that Karen would understand, she always did. Yet the girl couldn't even admit it to herself, she hadn't spoken the words since she had said them to Frank. The fear that if she did, everyone would know.
"We finished it," Cecilia stated firmly despite her eyes watering. Karen took a moment to digest her words, they could have meant several different things but she was with Frank Castle, she went and finished it with The Punisher.
Karen's mouth opened to say something but she quickly cleared her throat and averted her gaze as a few of her employees went to get something from the fridge, none aware of the serious conversation taking place next to them.
Cecilia's eyes drifted back down to the work in front of her, she couldn't bring herself to open the Connor's file. Not when she had a man's life on her conscience weighing on her heart like a dumbbell.
"Cecilia...whatever it is, it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay, you've got a lot of people in your corner," Karen finally sighed eyeing the girl for any injuries she might have missed in her original assessment.
Her words were true, Cecilia had a plethora of people she could call for help, ranging from Luke Cage to Kate Bishop yet she didn't want to. Cecilia didn't want anyone else to get hurt, to die. Especially not because they were helping her.
