A/N: we see a bit of Jenny's past. It may be triggering for some people. There are use of sedatives involved.

Song inspiration: Darkside by Neoni.

Four white walls surrounded Jenny, some with scratch marks where she'd tried to claw her way out.

How long had she been trapped in this room now? Ten years?

It seemed so much longer.

Jenny had no concept of time in this place. The last thing she remembered was her twelfth birthday.

Her grandma died shortly after, and then the men in white took her away. That was how she ended up in this awful building with the strange noises.

The noises went on through the night, ghoulish cries that rattled deep in her bones. They sounded as if they were in pain, and Jenny just wanted to help them.

But she couldn't. Because she was trapped herself.

At least her room had a window, but it was out of her reach. Also, it was covered in bars, making her feel like a caged bird.

She just wanted to be free again so she could feel the sun on her face and smell the flowers in her grandmother's garden.

They had all been so beautiful, and sometimes when she closed her eyes, she could picture herself hiding in her grandma's rosebush again, speaking to her favourite friends...

Now Jenny had no friends, apart from a little spider who visited her sometimes. He would weave his web in the corner of her room, creating lovely patterns with his silk.

Today, he decided to climb down the wall to say hello, and Jenny climbed off her bed to greet him.

She brushed her long, mousy hair out of her eyes, holding her hand out. The spider crawled onto her fingers.

"Why, hello, Mr. Spider. It's okay... I won't hurt you..."

He crawled around her fingers, and she giggled. "That tickles."

Then he scuttled up her arm, and she caught him before he vanished up her sleeve. "Not so fast now."

She caged him inside her fingers next, trapping him in place so he couldn't move. Then her heart broke when she spied that sad little look in his eight eyes.

He was sad because he was trapped. Just like Jenny...

As much as she loved her new friend, she couldn't keep him trapped inside her fingers forever.

She had to let him go.

"Go on. Go back to your web..."

He wouldn't move at first. So she blew gently on his legs, watching as he scuttled back up to his beautiful web.

She sighed, smiling.

At least he was free again.

The sound of a bolt sliding out of place made her heart jump next, and then she rushed to her bed, hiding under the sheets.

They were back.

The sound of squeaky shoes echoed off the linoleum floor as the men made their way to her room.

So she threw her sheets over her head, gasping for air. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was in her grandmother's garden again, smelling her flowers.

The sound of feet stopped just outside her room, and now all she could hear was her heartbeat.

Her hot breath wafted the sheets in front of her face as she squeezed her eyes. praying they would go away.

Had they come to do more mean experiments on her?

The door opened, and then the doctor stepped inside her room, settling his cold, dark gaze on her.

Two people in blue followed inside after him, and they were the orderlies.

All three of them stared as she continued to hide under her sheets, biting her lip. Blood pooled on her tongue.

Please... please don't hurt me again...

"Sedate her."

The orderlies moved forward, and Jenny screamed, shuffling away. "No! Please! I... I don't want... No, no!"

She thrashed her arms and legs as the orderlies pinned her down for the doctor.

The doctor came into view, wearing a crazed smile on his face. In his hand was a syringe. He squeezed the top, and the liquid squirted free.

A demonic laugh escaped his skull-like face as he lowered the syringe, and her body froze when she felt the pinch of the needle.

Her body slumped, and she finally stopped thrashing her limbs.

The doctor had paralyzed her, and now Jenny couldn't move. She was trapped in her own body.

Her heart banged against her ribcage as her eyes darted around the room, looking for a way to escape.

But she found none.

Jenny had no choice but to give in to these monsters.

They were going to keep her awake through the whole procedure...

They would never let her rest.

A lone tear slipped from her eye, dripping down her cheek, and if only she could escape this place.

But Jenny was trapped. She would never know freedom again.

The doctor took one last look at her, then turned on his heels. Then he ordered the men in blue to carry her out of the room.

Now Jenny hung as limp as a ragdoll in their arms.

She closed her eyes, shutting herself off from the world. Then a sensation like ice seeped through her veins until she could no longer feel anymore.

That way, it hurt less when the men experimented on her.

Jenny jerked awake with a scream, thrashing her arms and legs to ward off the doctors.

"No, no!"

Someone shot up beside her, shaking her shoulders. "Jenny!"

"Please... don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to... ugh, Jenny, it's just—"

Her fist collided with a face, and then she heard someone yelp in alarm.

"Fuck! My face!"

At least she got one of them in the end. She wouldn't let them experiment on her today.

Jenny would fight them to the bitter end.

All she needed was a weapon...

Then she could escape them for good.

Finally, she came to, glancing around the room.

She was lying on a bare mattress in a strange bedroom. It was devoid of furniture, except for a cracked mirror and a creepy collage of photographs.

Were they pictures of dead people?

Where was she? This wasn't her room back at the hospital...

What happened to the men in blue? The doctor...

Had she managed to escape them?

Something moved in the corner of her eye, and she gasped, whirling around.

Her eyes widened with recognition. "NNY? What... what are you doing here...?"

He grimaced, covering his right eye. "Well, the last time I checked... this was my room... unless... Shit! My eye hurts..."

Alarmed, she peered around the room again, and the memories came crashing back.

Of course! She had come to visit NNY in the middle of the night. He must have carried her in here after she fell asleep.

He'd taken care of her, and warmth spread through her veins next. He had even laid blankets over her, and she had never felt so touched.

She glanced up, reaching her hand out. "NNY?"

He met her gaze, keeping his hand on his right eye. "Jenny? What the hell happened? Why did you wake up screaming? Fuucck... I thought you were being murdered for a moment..."

Her nightmare returned in full colour, and then she grabbed the blankets, keeping them close. She was still convinced that the men in blue would come barging through the door with the doctor.

The dream had felt so real; she could have sworn she was back in the hospital. The putrid, clinical smells still played on her nose.

"Where... where they here?"

NNY studied her carefully. "Who was here?"

"The... the doctor... and the men in blue... they were just here. They held me down and drugged me!"

NNY's eye widened, and then his pupil shrunk to the size of a pea. "Drugged you...?"

"Y-yes... I... couldn't move. I... was frozen..."

She whimpered, covering her face. At least she could move her arms and legs again.

Jenny was surprised to find that she could move again as she wiggled her fingers, crying for joy.

"I... I can move..."

She looked at NNY with a bright smile, but then her smile vanished the moment she spied his ashen face.

He was angry. More than angry.

He looked as if he wanted to kill someone.

Her heart thumped. "NNY, what's—?"

She yelped when he seized her by the shoulders next, dragging her closer, and now all she could see were his crazed eyes.

One was red and swollen.

Her breath stuttered. "Your eye..."

NNY barely seemed to register her finger as she reached across to gently brush his eye. Instead, he bared his teeth, showing her the lovely sclera of his eyes. They were red and covered in viens, and did he even get any sleep?

"Who are they...?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Just give me a name. One name, Jenny... and you will never have to worry about them ever again..."

Her heart pounded as she stared into the deranged eyes of her lover.

NNY was death incarnate. The worst kind of creature imaginable. The only thing he had on his mind now was murder.

His eyes flashed, and then he squeezed her shoulders, yanking her even closer. They were inches away from a kiss now, but this wasn't the time for kissing...

"Tell me... and I will gift wrap their hearts for you once I'm through with them..."

A dry, raspy laugh escaped his throat, and despite how psychotic he looked with his wide, bloodshot eyes, she grabbed his cheek, glancing over his bruised eye.

Guilt pierced her lungs like knives.

"Did I really do this to you? I'm so sorry, NNY. We should get you some ice..."

She went to stroke his eye tenderly, but he caught her wrist, snarling from ear to ear.

"Don't change the subject. One name. Or address."

Jenny sighed, shutting her eyes. She couldn't tell him. If she did, then there was no telling what would happen to him.

NNY was not subtle at all when it came to killing, and he ought to be more careful. He murdered people in broad daylight, and one of these days, he was going to get caught.

She watched him through tear-filled eyes, and it looked as if he would never give up.

NNY was determined to know the name of every person who had ever hurt her.

So for his sake, she would never tell him.

Her secrets would die with her.

Finally, she shook her head, keeping her lips sealed.

NNY trembled, and then a splutter escaped his lips. "Jenny.. tell me..."

"No," she said, keeping her voice firm.

His good eye twitched, and then he laughed like a deranged circus clown.

"Tell me... or I will go and kill every last doctor I find. I heard you say doctor after all..."

Finally, she had enough, looking him square in the eyes now. "I said, no! I won't ever tell you, NNY."

She pulled her arm free of his steel grip, rubbing her wrist where he'd squeezed.

NNY fell absolutely silent. Jenny hated having to yell at him, but it was the only way to make him understand.

He would not learn of her past. Period.

He slumped his shoulders, sighing in defeat. "Why... why won't you just tell me...?"

She gulped, meeting his good eye. "Because... I don't want them to hurt you too..."

NNY looked at her in surprise. Then he barked a laugh, and she huffed in anger.

"It's not funny, NNY!"

"Hurt me? You... really have no idea what I'm truly capable of, do you, Jenny? What I've been through... fuck. So naive..."

He tittered again, patting her on the head to humour her.

She jumped to her feet, stomping toward the door. NNY staggered after her, blocking her exit.

Jenny sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "NNY... would you please move out of my way?"

He pressed his back to the door, chest heaving as he fought for something to say. "But... you can't leave... you're... you're vulnerable!"

Her eyes widened. Then she folded her arms, pouting her lips. "I am not vulnerable!"

NNY wracked his brain for something better to say, but he was having trouble finding the right words.

"But... you fell asleep in my arms... I had to carry you in here like a baby!"

Jenny uncrossed her arms, blinking up at him in surprise. Then she pouted her lips again, stamping her foot.

"I am not a baby!"

Silence passed between them, and it looked as if NNY had run out of things to say.

Finally, she sighed, taking on a gentler tone. "NNY, please move out of the way... I have to leave to go to work."

He peeled his back away from the door, grabbing her shoulders again. He even lifted her off her feet slightly, and she really did feel like a baby at that moment.

She was so much shorter than him.

"But... you can't go out there! It's not safe for you, Jenny. What if those doctors hurt you again?"

She smiled as sweetly as she could. "They won't. I told you, remember? I killed them all..."

NNY shifted his eyes, biting his lip. She gasped in shock, pointing a finger at him.

"You don't believe that I killed them, do you?"

He bent his head in shame, scratching the back of his leg with his boot. "No... of... of course I believe... I mean, I didn't see it with my own eyes, so..."

Affronted, she pushed him aside, marching out of the room. Yet he only caught up with her again, blocking her exit to the front door this time.

Jenny placed her hands on her hips, tapping her right foot.

NNY had a real nerve. How dare he tell her that she didn't kill those doctors properly enough!

He wasn't the only psychotic serial killer in town...

NNY exhaled, pinching the skin between his eyes. "Jenny... please... just... let me protect you. I can't stop the doctors from hurting you if I'm not beside you..."

She hung her head. "But I have to open my shop. I can't stay in your house forever."

NNY thought it over, and then a lightbulb switched on above his head. "I know! I can come with you."

Jenny stepped back. "You... would come to work with me?"

He smiled, trying to appear as genuine as he could, yet he failed miserably. In the end, he just looked like a creepy serial killer.

"Yesss... I can stand by and watch while you sell beautiful flowers to the people of the city..."

She folded her arms, raising a brow. "If I let you come, then will you promise not to pull your knife on anyone?"

NNY looked downright revolted. "But... what if they're assholes?"

Jenny smiled. "It doesn't matter. You just have to smile and be polite. NNY."

He mumbled some expletives under his breath, thinking his options through. Then he sighed, caving at last. "Fine... I will be a model citizen for once, serving the good-for-nothing pieces of shit of this city with a smile on my face!"

Despite the rough morning she'd had, Jenny laughed. Her throat still felt sore from screaming earlier, but she was glad for the company.

Besides, it would be kind of fun for them to work together...

"Okay. You can come."

NNY beamed, and her heart melted when she spied the happiness inside his eyes.

She guessed it was rather sweet how he wanted to protect her.

It had been a while since someone had cared about her so much, and she truly was touched.

NNY was like her personal bodyguard. Or her shining knight.

Either way worked just fine.

That's when she spied his eye. It was still bruised.

"First things first, we need to see to your eye... where's your freezer?"

He pointed. "In the kitchen."

Jenny nodded, making her way to the freezer. She was hardly surprised to find a man's head staring right back at her.

She sighed, pushing the decapitated head to one side so she could find some ice. Then when she found what she was looking for, she shut the freezer door again and returned to NNY.

Time to fix that bruised eye.