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"Who did this?!" Frank asks, taking in the site of her black eye. "I want names!" he seethes, his teeth clenched as he balls his fists up at his sides.
Karen knew this is how Frank would react. She also knew that there was no way she could lie and say she'd walked into a door, he was too smart to buy that lame excuse.
"I'm not telling you, Frank," Karen says, shaking her head. "You'll just go full punisher and track the person down."
"Karen, name!" Frank hisses.
Karen narrows her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Don't you hiss at me!"
"Someone laid their hands on you, Karen!"
"Yes, I'm aware." Karen reaches her hands up to massage her temples. "I can feel the ache of my head and throbbing of my eye that was left behind."
"Why won't you name names, then?"
Karen sighs. "You know damn well why," she responds, turning to walk towards the kitchen. "I will not have you going full punisher on every single person who hurts me. If I did, then there'd be a list the length of Santa's naughty or nice list for you to pummel your way through. It's not happening, Frank. I won't allow it."
Frank walks over to the island and leans against it. "Karen..."
Grabbing an ice pack from the freezer, Karen closes the door before turning around. "Don't Karen me, Frank. You know you won't change my mind."
"Someone hurt you, Karen," Frank says quietly, gripping the island tightly.
"Superficially," she replies, making her way over to the couch. "My head will stop hurting with time, and my bruises and lacerations will heal."
"But..."
Karen shakes her head, holding up her hand to silence him. "Can you please for once just be here with me, be Frank Castle and comfort me. Don't be the Punisher. I don't need Punisher right now."
Frank's expression mellows at her words, and his body slumps away from the tenseness. The Punisher leaves, and Frank Castle returns.
"Please, just come here and hold me."
Frank nods, walking towards her.
"Thank you."