Why’d You only Call Me ? (Chapter 4)
Pairing: POC F OC X Frank Castle
Warning: mentions of blood, language, anxiety, needles, trauma
Wordcount: 3,115
A/N: So this is taking place during the end of Defenders and the beginning of Punisher. POC F Oc x Frank Castle, Thank you to @herosneednotapply she helped with plotting of this amazing story!. If you like it let me know !
Summary: After the events of The Defenders ridding of The Hand, Yonah finds herself on the battlefield of her own ghost and the ghost of the man she always came to love.
"Dad, huh..." David sighed, "I ugh kinda went into your personal files..." he said as Yonah shrugged, "I knew you would eventually." she smiled, "If I'm not back by the time Frank wakes, tell him to call me." her car keys in hand. "Unless he doesn't ask for me then, I'll call him." she winked as David sighed, "Alright, be safe..." he kissed her on the forehead, "Sorry, a force of habit as a dad..." he laughed, "I appreciate that..." she smiled, "I do." her smile soft and sincere, David could see why Frank liked her, she was sweet, stood her ground, was not a force to be reckoned with,
And still, she had room to love everyone and thing. The drive to Gotham wasn't long. As usual, there was snow and the smell of lingering toxins and chemicals, but most importantly, home. Stopping by the diamond district, she could recall the vivid memories of when the city was hers, and when it wronged her, staring at the glass display case she could see her reflection, but it wasn't her, pink hair and that mischievous grin almost calling her to come back to her true self. But she couldn't. Yonah promised herself she wouldn't kill unless she had to, "Still delaying to go home, I see Ms. Wayne."
"As always, Ernie." she laughed, sitting on the sidewalk as he gave her a pair of earrings, something he'd done since she was a kid. "These are beautiful..." they were star-shaped, platinum silver, and had pure diamonds on the inside, "Figured you'd like em, after all, you're our star kid." he nudged her as she laughed,
"Thanks... can I ask ya something..."
"Anything, kid..."
"S'pose someone I knew... messed up like really messed up... badly did something their parents told them not to." her eyes staring at the acidic puddle on the ground. "Mmm, go on." he asked, silver hairs glowing in the moonlight, "Do you think a sorry will fix it?" she asked. Ernie looked at her as if she were the little girl in glasses and curly pigtails in her Gotham academy uniform. "I mean, he's your daddy, your pa pops, I'm sure he can forgive his little girl," he smiled, "He's kinda gotta it's part of the job as a parent." Yonah smiled back at him, "Thanks,"
"You're welcome." he helped her up, watching as she got in her car, "Oh, and Yonah?"
"Yes?"
"Can you see if you can get that Buttler of yours to make-"
" Baba ghanoush, hold the cumbers and more tomatoes," she winked, "That's my girl, he winked. The home wasn't always the people or house you grew up in, but it was the people in the community who made it feel like home, "Good luck!"
"Thanks, and tell your husband I said hi!" she drove off, past the Gotham cathedral where she used to spend her Sundays as a little girl, itchy stockings and oddly taught morality, maybe that's why Yonah and Murdock hit it off, she thought to herself, even though it had been only a few weeks before everything,
She still felt like it had been years since she'd been home. As the city lights began to fade into trees and mansions, she could feel the steadiness of her father's judgment, the glaring eyes of portraits in the halls, and the comforting sound of, "It's good to see you again, Yonah.." Alfred hugged her tightly,
"It's always good to see you too, Alfred." she smiled, "Come in, I've made dinner, "
"I wouldn't want to impose." she looked up at him as he glanced at her, much like a grandmother offering food and being denied, "Your father is eating alone, so I suggest you impose." he commanded as Yonah nodded, "Yes sir." she breathed, "Should I change... first?" she mumbled, pointing at her hair, and her slightly blooded shirt, Alfred giving her a nod,
"But not the hair. It suits you." Alfred winked, snapping her fingers, wearing a Gucci suit, one she magiced from her closet. "You look stunning..." walking towards the dining room, Alfred could only sigh as he saw his eyes land on Bruce's,
"Master Bruce, you have a guest accompanying you for dinner."
"Who is it..." he sighed, Yonah stepping behind him, "It's me..." she waved at him, as he looked up at her, "Your hair, what happened to it..." he asked, stunned at her actions already, "I cut it, do you not like it?" she asked sinking in her skin, growing self-conscious,
"You look like your sister..."
"Ez did always have better taste in styles..." she laughed as Alfred left, "I see you have no plans in settling down..." he sighed, noticing her bare ring finger,
"Do you plan to marry Ms. Kyle?"
"Remarrying your mother actually," he responded,
"Nice to see you commit to something then." she sat next to him, just like she used to when she was little,
"Can't wait when you do."
"Would you show up to my wedding if I did," her hands tapping, "Or does it have to be someone you picked, huh, dad..." oh, how the word dad stung when she said it, "This isn't about that guy again is it..." he looked over as Alfred poured him a glass of wine, and Yonah a lemonade,
"Frank... his name is Frank, and if -"
"He's half your senior..."
"And you're half Selina's..." she laughed, "The burnt kettle calling the other black." she snarled. Oh, she was so much like her father, stubborn and moody, but it was his fault he made her that way. "He's changing you..." he growled back at her, "No one can change me but me..." she responded as Bruce shook his head, "I miss the old you Yonah..." he sighed, a look of remorse in his eyes, "Yeah, well she died right along with Carlo and Theodore..." she shrugged, "Damnit Yonah what did you do..." he knew the answer, and he knew it well, she killed them, a thing he was against since the night of his parent's death, but he didn't want to believe,
"Where's your flash drives..."
"Yonah, answer me..." slamming his fist on the table, she was acting like Dick and Jason closed off to the world, to him, "Dad, I have important information to find and..."
"Did you hurt them..." he watched her stop dead in her tracks,
"Dad..."
"Don't make me repeat it..."
"Yes, okay...but Theodore was going to hurt Matt, and Carlo was going to hurt me again, so I killed them both. I swore not to do it again." she sighed as Bruce grunted, "It's that guy..."
"Whatever..." she sighed, "Yeah, sure, but I still love Frank, and I'm going to keep loving Frank cause he loves me now I need to hack into the CIA database," she grumbled, walking off.
"For what, Yonah..."
"Yonah..."
" I don't know, but I do know that I fucked around, and now I'm finding out..." she shrugged.
"So you really can't stay tonight..." Ezra sighed, tracing over his scars, his tracing over her tattoo. "Sorry, Darlin, but I can't." he kissed her forehead, "Gotta meet a few investors tomorrow..." he lied, Ezra knew it, "Well, I had fun tonight, loved the ice cream..." she laughed, "Been ravin about it since we got back." he chuckled, buttoning up his shirt, as she watched him, "Whys that my little bird," he asked,
"I've never had ice cream."
"Never?"
"Wasn't allowed to as a kid." she winked, "amongst other things like pillow forts, cakes, chocolate, oh milkshakes!" she snapped her fingers as he chuckled, "Shit, I thought my childhood was shitty." the two sharing another laugh,
" Had a strict adopted mother... who I found out, she was my aunt who kidnapped me."
"Sheesh, yeah, that's gotta be hard to manage, but I get it... I mean, I was an orphan myself." he sighed, as Ezra felt the pain to protect him, even when she had a different order to do something differently. "Tell me about it, pretty boy..." watching him slip his pants back on as she kissed the scar on his shoulder, he flinched, much like a broken bird, "That phrase... Ez, you have a way of making me like it..." he chuckled, "And I hate it... reminds me of the old bastard who left me that scar..." he sighed, "Wish he was dead..."
"What did he do..." Ezra asked as Billy looked at her, "Some creep thought I was pretty... tried to, you know, attack me... I fight back, beat him nearly to death, and uh breaks my arm and tears my rotator cuff." he sighed, "Billy..."
"I was ten or eleven at the time."
"Billy..."
He sat there looking in the distance, sometimes he still felt dirty, horrible, at the fact that it almost happened, but Billy couldn't change the past, even if he wanted to, running his fingers through his hair, tears pricking at his eyes, "William Russo look at me..." dark eyes looking into darker ones,
"Yes..."
"You are worth more than that disgustin bastard's value on you." she gave him a quick peck, "And you deserve so much," her focus on him and only him, she hadn't felt like this for anyone since Sabella, "You deserve to be loved." peppering kisses on his face, noses pressed together,
"So do you..."
"Mhmm, this isn't about me..." she pressed kisses to the corner of his mouth,
"So you're not buttering me up to kill me..." the two looking at each other in death-like silence,
"Fuck..." Ezra thought to herself, "I don't know what you mean-"
"So you wasn't sent to kill me then, huh... " his cocky persona wavering,
"Billy-"
"Don't lie to me..."
"Yes..." she sighed, "But I can't do it..."
"Why's that, sweetie..." he asked, "Cause I-I..." she looked up at him, "Cause what...come on, Ez." he urged for her response, she nearly croaked,
"I'm falling for you... and I don't know why, and it's sudden and confusing, and it's a weakness and-" he kissed her, the taste of scotch and herself on his lips, her hands fiddling with his belt buckle,
"Ditto..."
"Yonah, your hands are shaking," Bruce sighed, smelling smoke in the air, sprouts of flames coming from her skin, "You're sparking up..." he mentioned, "I'm fine..." sending the information off to David as something crossed her mind, "My open statement shit!" tossing the flash drive in her pocket grabbing her keys,
"Where are you going?" a few bandages on her skin from helping her father fight a few villains in the mix of her troubles, "Back home..." she turned to face him,
"But your apartments..."
"To Frank, Daddy." she winked as he rolled his eyes.
"Fine, but I expect to meet this man someday?" he questioned, hoping he wasn't overstepping his apology. "Fine, my apartment for dinner." she ran out,
"She forgot her Baba ghanoush..."
"Give it to Ernie..." he sighed,
"Wanna tell me why are you not answering your phone?" Frank asked. Her mind had been racing so fast she didn't even notice the missed calls, "Well, hello to you too sleepy head." she said back her Mustang in the wind, "Where are you..."
"Jersey," she said, letting her accent ring out a bit,
"You went home..."
"To uh reconcile with my dad. And send some stuff to David." she responded, "I'm on my way back to you and my open statement..." she grunted, the open wound that she wouldn't let Alfred sew started to bug her, "Babe, you're over workin yourself..." he sighed, his voice full of concern,
"I didn't finish it, it's 2 am, and that leaves me with five hours to practice it..." she began to map it out, taking the backroads to get to New York, "Two hours of sleep..." she whispered, "One minute to do my hair... magic can handle that..."
"Sweetheart..."
"Huh?" Yonah began to focus on his deep voice, "How much coffee did ya drink..."
"Had the law student special," he could hear her grin through the phone.
"The hell is that, "
Black coffee cappuccino, red bull, monster, and green tea!" she laughed, "Jesus Christ Yonah, how ..." he sighed, hearing her pull into the bunker.
"Welcome back, Yonah!" David cheered, "Got the info from the bat computer super neat, by the way."
"Ouch..." she groaned, "You're welcome, David," holding her side as Frank rushed over, big calloused hands holding onto her side "Your hand is on an open wound..." she heaved, "Paybacks a bitch sweetheart. " he chuckled picking her up bridal style, "Well, I'm going to head to bed, you two crazy kids." David shook his head, looking as Frank sat her on the kitchen counter. He knew where David kept the supplies in the cabinet next to iron man band-aids, "If the bitch is named Frank, then he can pay me back anytime." she winked. This woman would be the death of Frank. She was witty, sensitive, sweet, and could kick his ass if needed, which kept him level-headed, but her humanity always wanted to protect him as if he wasn't a monster who tracked blood around everywhere he went, "Why 'd ya fight in your suit?"
"Alfred's fixing it... I changed back into my clothes after fighting Bane, " she shrugged,
"Bleeding in Gucci!" she was getting woozy.
"No more coffee." he laughed, removing her shirt, cleaning up the access blood, keeping pressure on the wound, threading up the needle.
Frank placed her head in his chest, knowing her slight fear of them, "I'm going in..." hearing her breathe hard. "Don't look at the needle, just look at me..." he smiled,
"I'm looking at you." she retorted. her head in his chest
"Watch out for the-" his breath hitched, "Wound..."
"Sorry..." she took a deep breath, the needle going into the skin,
"Attagirl." He kissed her forehead.
"Keep it up with those compliments, mister, and maybe I'll tip the doctor..."
"Hmm... should have tipped the one who uh fixed that." pointing to the burned scar tissue, "It was Curtis's idea," she mentioned as he smiled,
Some would say that Frank Castle was a monster and that he earned every little thing coming to him no one saw the moments where he'd had been tucking the woman Frank loved ever so much in his cot with his feet hanging out and her legs over the top of his, Frank was gentle with her, much like he had been with Maria. If not even more tender and nurturing, he understood a good woman needed to feel safe and treated higher than a queen. But Frank understood that with Yonah, she was tough. Yonah had her demons just as he had his he'd wish she wouldn't burden herself with whatever guilt she was feeling.
"Yonah..."
"I did it..." Yonah stood alongside The Defenders, blood on her hands, blood by her boots, and a head rolling by her foot, "Good job, the princess power ranger can fight..." Jessica patted her on the back. They'd defeated the last of the hand. Luke watched Yonah look for Matt, pulling her away just like he told Luke too,
"Where's Matt..." her eyes glassy behind her mask,
"We gotta go..." Danny pointed,
"Where's Matt. we're not leaving until-"
BLOOM!
Yonah jolted up from the cot in a cold sweat. Her body felt numb, her mouth felt dry, and all she could hear was the sound of distant ringing," It's my fault..." she hoarsely repeated to herself, "Nothings ever your fault." Frank sighed, feeling the weight shift of her no longer present body lay there, "I'm sorry!" she nearly screamed, "I'm so sorry..." her hands tugging her dark sweat curls pawing for her glasses. "You have nothing to be sorry for." Frank tried to hold her close. Hoping it wasn't anything against him. It couldn't have been Frank. She was still here. She didn't kick him out or leave, but she was trembling, and he needed to know why.
Frank had already lost so much. He couldn't lose Yonah too. "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" she shouted, tears coming down her cheek.
"Woah..." Frank looked at her, hands wiping the teardrops away. He saw the tiny cracks, she tried her best to spackle back up, but they were cracking. So much anger, guilt, and pain,
"I should go... I'm going to be late for the trial, going up against Foggy so..." he grabbed her wrist,
"You don't get to do that, then walk away..."
"Let go of me..."
"Not until you tell me what's wrong."
"I said... Let go of me!" Yonah looked at him, skin heating up, her eyes blown in shock like a deer in headlights. Frank looked at her, pulling away at the mark on his hand.
"Frank, I - I didn't mean to.. " she sighed,
"No, you're right... you got that big case comin."
"Frank..." Great, now she felt like shit, and the worse thing is Frank knew, but he knew it wasn't her fault. After all, he had been a wanted alive man. Now a wanted dead man, and most times, "Let me look at it..." she asked, "You get dressed... it ain't my business," he shrugged, watching her march off.
"You two okay... " David asked, "I heard yelling from the kitchen..."
"Yeah, nightmares..." he glanced at his hand,
"I have a cream for that." David smiled, "The burn, not the uh nightmares..."
"Ezra... wait..." Billy sighed as she turned her back towards him, "Before you go..." he sighed, "Look, I know you're with someone else..." she sighed, "Kinda heard the phone call..." Ezra laughed out of disbelief, "But uh... I hope you're happy, Mr. Russo..." his hand on her wrist as she looked at him, "Commitments never really been my thing and..." Ezra grumbled. She understood. Ezra was the same way, but she confessed that she was falling for him, and so did he, "I get it, testing the waters," she laughed,
"or... or,"
"I'm not datin Dinah... plan is I'm keeping her off my tracks."
"That sounds worse..."Ezra chuckled, "But go on..." she shrugged, sitting on his desk, "I'm offering my ear to you as your friend... with benefits?" she joked as Billy had a devious smirk on his face. After all, Ezra had been working alongside him for some time. "Not like you and Allister, though." she laughed as he looked up at her, "You know Allister?"
"Related by adoption, but I see why he liked you." she smiled, "But Billy..."
"Yes."
"When you know what you want, romantically let me know?" she suggested as he nodded,
"Can I still see ya naked?" he joked,
"We'll see..."
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