AN: Gah. We need more info on Snake's history, darnit. XD He's an awesome character. So this was just in my head- Snake may have come from some creepy experimental laboratory. Finny came from somewhere like that. And Finny is the friendliest to Snake's friends the Snakes. WHA-LAH.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji, Black Butler, or whatever the person who's reading this calls it.

It was a rare sunny day in England, and all of the Phantomhive Manor's residents were enjoying the pleasant weather.

Sebastian had sent all the servants out to the front gardens to do yard work, perhaps encourage the flowers to grow a little under the bright and brief sunlight. "And keep an eye on Finny," he had sighed. "Maybe all of you together will catch each others' mistakes." Despite the head butler's words, it showed in his eyes that he fully expected to have to clean up after them later.

Finny, cheerful as always, was running after a butterfly he had spotted, his straw hat bouncing along the back of his neck. The Chef, Baldroy, walked a ways behind him, grinning, a cigarette clamped between his lips. Mey Rin the maid quickened her pace behind Baldroy, hitching up her skirts in an effort to move faster. Her over-sized glasses threatened to slip off the end of her nose.

A little ways behind her came the newest addition to their ranks, the first in a long time. A young man, tall, with light hair and what seemed to be scales on his face silently observed the others with slitted eyes. A snake lay across his shoulders; a second could be seen peeking out from the pocket of his coat.

"Snake!" The young man responded to his name, looking over to where the other three had gathered together. "Come over here and help us plant the young master's flowers!" At the group's feet were pots of some new breed of flora to be added to the garden. "Finny, you remember no weed killer this time, right?" Silently, Snake made his way over to where they stood.

They hadn't been working long, barely started actually, when someone suggested they take a well-deserved break. "Lovely day, isn't it Mr. Snake?" chirped Finny, lying down on the grass with his arms stretched above his head. Looking at the young boy to his right, Snake took a soft breath and began to answer shyly. "Yes-"

"Ooh look, a bird!" The blond groundskeeper shot up into a sitting position, gazing at an adventurous robin that had flown down from the trees. He moved his head to get a better look, his yellow hat slipping down his shoulders. Snake suddenly realized that he had never seen the back of Finny's neck before; it had always been covered by the hat. There seemed to be a system of black numbers near the base…

Snake reached out and touched them.

The effect was immediate. Finny whipped around like lightning, simultaneously bringing up his right hand to grab Snake's. A weird flash in his eyes, he slapped Snake's hand away with what felt like a monstrous force. Before Snake could blink, the limb that had been in front of him was now by his ear.

And it hurt. Quite a lot actually.

Slowly he saw the light in Finny's eyes leave, replaced by astonishment, then horror.

"Oww…"

"…says Oscar." Snake and Finny were both seated in the kitchen, the latter of which had apologized profusely and continued to spout "I-didn't-mean-it"s and "so-so-sorry"s while Sebastian doctored the injured appendage.

"You'll be alright," said the black butler, wrapping the broken hand in lots of bandages. "It's not a bad break. But someone else might have to peel potatoes for a few weeks."

"…wasn't trying to hurt you it was just automatic I don't know what I was thinking Mr. Snake oh God I'm sorry I do stupid things sometimes are you alright it's all my fault…" Ring, ring. Finny's blubbering was thankfully interrupted by the service bell to Ciel's study.

"He probably wants some sweets." Sebastian muttered as he finished tying tight the makeshift cast. "That should do it. Don't strain it in any way, I'll be back soon. I'm no doctor, but you'll heal. I'll inform the young master of your mishap while I'm with him. And Finny…" he said, putting on his tailcoat as he turned to face the sniffling servant. "I know this wasn't on purpose. Nonetheless, I must remind you to always keep your strength in check." He headed out the kitchen door.

A silence blanketed the room like fog.

"…I'm sorry I broke your hand." Finny finally said.

Snake listened but did not answer, thinking about what Sebastian had said. He had known about Finny's great power? "That's a lot of brute strength you have…says Woodsworth." The young boy remained silent, staring at his knees, fists clenched. "I'm sorry I touched the markings on your neck." said Snake, issuing an apology of his own. "…says Bronte."

"I'm a monster!" Finny suddenly cried, fists trembling.

Snake was astonished. "D-Don't say that!" he spoke, eyes wide in surprise. "You're one of the kindest people I've known! …says Oscar." A monster? Have you looked at me? He wanted to say.

Finny smiled sadly. "That's nice of you to say Mr. Snake." He scratched the back of his neck self-consciously. "Maybe not a monster by birth, but by engineering."

"What do you mean? …says Emily." Asked the snake charmer.

"I…" the gardener started, fidgeting around. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then tried again. "All of the servants here…we're not normal. That is, we had special pasts before being asked by Ciel to come to his mansion. We're more than capable of defending this place from threats, just the few of us." Seeing the look on Snake's face, Finny gave a small smile. "We'd do anything to protect Ciel. He rescued us from a place where there was no hope." He gave a small shiver.

Then his face suddenly lit up, startling his captive audience. "Wait, you got the offer to work here too, didn't 'cha Mr. Snake? So you're probably like us in a way!" Slowly, he seemed to calm back down, staring at his lap again. "If that's true, then I guess I could tell you…"

"I came from a laboratory. It was a cruel place. The stuff on my neck is a remnant of that. I wear my hat to hide it. Immature, yeah, but that's why I reacted so strongly to you touching it." He sighed and fiddled with his hair clips. "I never had many friends there. The ones I did…they all died." His voice became quieter. "They would give us injections. We were guinea pigs basically; they didn't care if we lived or died. Somehow, through one or a combination of their "treatments" I developed super-strength. You want to know how I found out?" He looked up at Snake, then continued, not waiting for an answer.

"They kept us locked up inside, in our rooms mostly. Horrible places- all gray and cracked and terrible. The only glimpse of the outside came through a small, barred window. I wanted to go out so badly…" Finny trailed off. "…I guess that's why I love being out gardening so much." He finished.

Continuing on, he said "Through that window came my only visitor; one that they couldn't harm." He smiled. "It was a small yellow bird. It gave me hope. I would always try to pet my dear friend, but it would never let me near. Then one day…it did." The boy frowned, his voice trembling slightly. "But…I had gotten my immense strength by then. I…didn't know how to control it. I…tried to pet it and…" he stopped. "…At least something good came of it. I went wild- just started smashing everything. Next I came to my senses I was in a pile of rubble. Ciel and Sebastain…picked me up."

He finished his story. "That's why…I've got to work hard to control my power. I don't ever want to hurt anyone else." Shyly, Finny looked to the side at Snake, who hadn't moved or said a word the whole time.

"…I also came from a place like that." came a soft voice.

Finny nearly jumped out of his chair. "What?"

"…said Keats." finished Snake. "There weren't injections but…we were treated like monsters just the same. …said Keats. I was very young…" and Snake's story came to light. Less and less "…said Keats/Oscar" were added, until whole paragraphs went by without a single statement that a snake had said those words.

"The most I remember is a lot of…people like me all put into this room. Everyone was bleeding; some maybe were dead. I was hurt too. I guess they were told to get rid of us for some reason. I didn't move. They thought I was dead. I wasn't."

"The room was dark and cramped and smelly. It smelled like death and fear. Some sort of gas began to come through holes in the walls; I could hear the hissing. …said Oscar."

"The scientists all left quietly. I thought I'd better do the same. There was a barred shaft near floor-level for ventilation or something. I was really skinny and flexible, so I managed to writhe my way out. I ran away, but I saw smoke rising behind me. I guess the gas was flammable."

Snake paused. "I was soon caught though. I had gathered a few friends," the snake known as Keats poked his head out from his coat affectionately. "…and this man stuck me in a cage with the word 'Snakeman' on a sign. Like some sort of freak. I don't remember much about that either, thankfully. But my real family came to save me one day." He smiled at the memory of Joker opening the lock with the keys that Doll had kicked the man into giving up. "…said Keats." Snake mumbled.

Silence.

"…That's a lot to go through." Said Finny eventually, wide-eyed.

"I could say the same for you. …says Emily." Snake replied.

"I guess."

The two sat in familiar silence for a tiny bit more. "We're quite similar, aren't we?" Finny said in an awed voice. Snake gave a small nod.

"Mey Rin and Baldroy," the scaled man said, "they have backstories too? …says Bronte."

"Hm? Oh yeah!" Replied Finny excitedly. "We're all interesting here at Phantomhive." He seemed to think for a moment. Then he thrust his hand out at Snake for a handshake, it looked like.

"Well, Snake, you really are a true Phantomhive servant!" Snake gazed at him quizzically, not sure what to think. Finny's grinning face beamed back at him. "'Cause you care about the young master a ton now too, right?" His grin retreated to a smirk. "I'm happy I got to know you better Snake. I never knew we had something in common. I won't tell the others your story if you don't want me to."

Snake blinked. He did care about this mansion and it's inhabitants now. And he did have a bad past. Now that he thought about it, when things were the worst and his family had disappeared, Ciel had been there to offer him a place in this world. "Yeah…says Oscar."

He waved his right cast. "But, um…"

"Oh! Right." Said Finny sheepishly, withdrawing his right hand and putting in the other. "Left-handed handshake it is then!"

R~E~V~I~E~W P~L~E~A~S~E