Think of the Devil

Thirty-Nine

Closing the apartment door behind her, Jane leaned back against it with a sigh. She didn't turn on the lights, the hue of the twilight sky peeking just enough through her curtains for her to barely make out the space. She had just a moment to herself.

Alberto's surgery had gone well, and he'd been in good spirits despite the anesthesia lingering in his system. The drug couldn't stop him from flashing Jane a wide smile when she'd come into the room. Angélica even gave her a hug. The three sat together for a while, talking mostly about what to do with the store in his absence and what would happen when he returned home. Alberto and Angélica were hesitant to bring up Fisk and Daredevil, though their worry did weigh heavily on Jane's shoulders. She didn't tell them about the wedding or her going. It wasn't technically a lie if it was never mentioned, right? At least, that's what she told herself to stomach it.

Now, Jane took one last chance to breathe and shut her eyes. Her family was safe. The plan was set. For one more moment in her apartment, she had a feeling of calm. She needed it desperately.

When Scooby meowed at her, her eyes popped back open to look at the cat perched on her kitchen table. He needed to eat. And she needed to get ready.

With another sigh, she pushed herself off the door and flipped the kitchen light on.

Jane almost didn't stop to check herself in the mirror. She felt like she was rushing, even if she knew she'd make it in plenty of time for the ceremony. Although, she had put herself a bit behind when she'd originally wanted to leave.

There were a few extra minutes taken in the shower, the memory of the last one she took with Matt bringing her to tears. She'd had to rummage through her boxes in the storage closet downstairs to find an old pair of platform loafers she'd brought with her from California, the only nice shoes she had. When doing her makeup, she'd had to redo her eyeliner twice because she was so out of practice. Then there was sorting her outfit, and she hadn't been able to stop herself from staring at her clothes for a few minutes before finally pulling them on.

Now in the bathroom and collecting her jewelry, Jane caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was messily twisted up with a hair pin that had belonged to Shelly, and her white streaks and a few loose curls framed either side of her face. Her makeup had come out nicely despite the effort it had taken, her blush and lipstick and dark eyeliner changing her features in a way she used to recognize. Her jewelry was simple, just her chain, hoop earrings, and Alberto's ring. She wore a makeshift suit using her nicest black pants and a black vest that she buttoned up and wore as a top. The piece that brought it all together, though, was Matt's dark blazer— the one he'd given her at the 29th Police Precinct in Harlem.

She couldn't help but to waste another minute as she stared at herself. Overall, she did look nice. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd gotten so done up. But her eyes hovered longest on Matt's blazer, the jacket creating an oversized look that she was just barely able to pull off. When she tilted her head towards her shoulder, she could just catch his scent lingering in the fabric. It was clean and warm and she shut her eyes as she took it in. It was surprising to her that the smell had lasted this long.

Her eyes started to prickle when she thought of the night he'd given her his jacket, but she took a deep breath and forced her head up. She wouldn't ruin her makeup now. She'd force that memory from her mind. There was a reason she'd chosen to wear his blazer, and it was to throw him off balance when he realized what she was wearing. It was a cheap trick, but she'd do anything she could to stop him now. She'd already lost Matt once. She couldn't bear to lose him again.

Jane gave herself a nod in the mirror before turning to go.

Security was tight tonight. It seemed like there were more security personnel than usual, both Fisk's men and FBI agents buzzing around. All guests had to empty their pockets or get their bags checked before walking through a metal detector. Security was checking IDs and making sure everyone had an invitation. By the time Jane was ushered into the hotel to wait for an elevator, she wondered how anybody could sneak in undetected. If anyone could, though, it would be Matt.