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Jessica Jones has never been a religious person and after her family died she stopped even considering the existence of a higher power. Her belief was only solidified after IGH’s experiments, Stirling’s murder, Kilgrave and her best friend / sister shooting her mother. If all of this could happen to one person, God is either a real mother f*cker or a fantasy and she chooses to believe it is a fantasy. But somehow, on this Sunday she finds herself in St. George’s Catholic church in Hell’s Kitchen for 10am mass. She’s passed this church many times and knows this is where Matt Murdock’s funeral was months ago but she didn’t, couldn’t, attend. Why was she here? Well Vido can be very persuasive and he had been asking for a while so she finally gave in. Oscar pleaded with her not to drink before mass and after they could go to brunch and she could drink her meal if she choose. She was in a church, at 10am, sober; no one would recognize this Jessica Jones.
After the hour long service which left like 4 hours, they were walking out of the church and Vido went to shake the priest’s hand and Oscar says,
“Thank you for a lovely service, Father Lantom.”
“Thank you for coming, you and Vido have made a lovely addition to our parish family. And I am glad you brought a friend with you too. Ms. Jones, correct?”
Jessica was taken aback that the priest knew her name; they had never met and she was about to ask him how the hell he knew her name when he said,
“We had a mutual friend, Matthew Murdock, he spoke about you.” Hearing Murdock’s name was like a kick to the gut. She never quite got over that particular death and then just pushed it all further down after everything that happened with her mom. So to hear his name again was like ripping open a wound that never healed correctly.
“Yeah, sure.” Jessica grumbled. She was uncomfortable and was really looking forward to that promised liquid brunch.
“Actually, Ms. Jones, I wonder if I could have a word with you privately? Matthew had mentioned your profession in the past and I might be in need of your services.” Jessica was about to make a lame excuse and a quick exit when Oscar chimed in, beating her to the response.
“You go, Jess, help the Father. We’ll be at Jackson’s on 48th. Have a good Sunday, Father.” With that Oscar and Vido leave, Oscar winks at Jessica while her face tells him that he’ll pay for this.
Jessica waits impatiently while Father Lantom says good bye to the remaining parishioners. Father Lantom approaches but his demeanor has changed, “Come with me Ms. Jones”. She follows the priest to the back of the church and out a side door to an adjacent building.
“Ms. Jones….”
“Please just call me Jessica, I can’t stand the formal shi…..stuff.”
“As you wish. Jessica, you’ll have to forgive me but I am bringing you to the rectory under false pretenses.”
“Look, padre, I don’t know what this is all about …”
“Please, just come with me. There is something you need to see.” Jessica really did not like the tone of the priest’s voice. It a mix of pleading, fear and something close to hope which was an odd combination. Father Lantom held the door of the rectory open for her and followed her in.
“This way.” And he walks her down a hallway toward what she assumes are the priest’s sleeping quarters. Her body is tingling all over, years of honing her “spidey senses” kicking in. Then the priest stops and opens a door, gesturing for her to enter.
“Remember, Jessica, God works in mysterious ways.”
She walks into the room and her heart must have stopped. She was frozen, she was looking at a ghost…..again. This time she was looking at one blind lawyer, vigilante who she left in a collapsing building all those months ago.
“Hi Jess. Whatever you do, please don’t hit me. I’m still healing.”