Inevitable (Bucky Barnes x OC) [Book 3]

10. A Really Good Lawyer

I traveled to the address Pepper had sent me, arriving at the office building in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. The worn-down sign read "Legal Offices of Nelson, Murdock, and Page."

The building itself was run down, but the neighborhood was quiet, and that was good enough for me. I walked inside the building, finding the office easily on the first floor and knocking politely.

"Mister Murdock?" I couldn't hear anyone on the other side of the door. The frosted glass was too thick for me to see through, and I couldn't hear anything coming from the other side. "Mister Murdock, my name is-"

The door to the office opened suddenly, revealing a slender man of average height, only a few inches taller than me, with fluffy brown hair and wearing red spectacles. His suit was slightly wrinkled but matched in a light grey. His socks, however... were two different shades of grey.

"I know who you are, Miss Grace," he said, unable to look me in the eye. His head was slightly tilted down as he held onto the edge of the door. "Please come in."

He opened the door for me, offering to take my coat.

"Thank you for taking the time to see me," I said, looking around the empty office space. The lobby itself looked clean, though I could see a small amount of dust beginning to form on the main desk. Picture frames were turned downward, and the office adjacent to Mister Murdock's was dark and unused. "I'm sure you're quite... busy."

"Most of my clientele actually disappeared, so," he sighed, his hand guiding him along the walls until we reached his office. "Not so busy."

"I'm sorry," I said. My guilt was heavy in my tone as he offered me a seat in his office. "I assume that goes for your partners as well?"

He nodded, looking in the direction of the receptionist's desk.

"That must have been awful for you," I said. "

"Miss Potts informed me of your arrival," he said, leading me into his office. "And she also told me about your... uh, predicament."

"She said you'd be my best bet in earning my freedom," I sat in the chair in front of his desk. "You're willing to help an ex-assassin super-soldier who's pregnant and technically a fugitive?"

"I'm a Catholic," he said, taking a seat. "I have a soft spot for hopeless causes."

"You think my cause is hopeless?" I asked, stunned that he would be so blunt right away.

"No," he shook his head, smiling. "But I can tell that you do."

My lips twitched into a smile as he offered me a glass of water, which I accepted.

"I'm just trying to give my daughter a good life," I told him. "I can't do that without getting my life back first."

"What makes you think that a judge, or any elected official, won't just grant you a pardon?" Mister Murdock asked.

"I've done more harm than good in my line of work," I answered. "I don't really see them giving me a slap on the wrist and sending me on my way."

"Well, you did evade the law for several years," Mister Murdock chuckled. "Plus, your affiliations with HYDRA, your time as an assassin, aiding and abetting another known fugitive..."

"I know what I've done, Mister Murdock," I cut him off.

"Matt," he said. "Call me Matt, please."

"I know what I've done in the past, Matt," I said. "I'm not denying it, but what I did for HYDRA, what I did as The Winter Soldier, that wasn't me. I wasn't in control of my actions."