Knight in Shining Armor

Stay AWAY!

Jenna sat in a mess, surrounded by wires and electronics. "Put the... put the red one....." She mumbled, "In the red... which red?! There's two of 'em!" She nearly growled. She'd been working on trying to set up her television for a good hour. Her mother had raised her to be a lady. She didn't curse, her accent was well hidden, and she never spat. But right now, her frustration was at an all time high. She'd bought a sound system and a television, but with all this frustration she was about ready to toss it out of the window. Be it the ingrained training or the electronics, which ever came first.

She wasn't sure what she was doing. She'd wanted to be able to listen to some music or watch a few movies, but was it really worth it? Couldn't she just read a book? Her to-read list was rather extensive. She sighed as someone knocked on her door.

Her body tensed, expecting someone to announce themselves, but they just waited a moment and knocked again. Though the boys were at work, they were due any moment. After a week, she'd kind of learned their schedule. Easy to do when she was as bored as she was with nothing to occupy her time or block the noise from her mind. That was why she'd bought this. Hoping to distract herself.

She pulled her hair up as she stood. Not wanting to seem quite so disheveled as she was. "Who is it?" She asked.

"Jenna." She froze for a moment. She knew that voice like the back of her hand. "Open the door, Jenna." He ordered.

Her hand shook as she put it to her mouth. How? How had he...? So soon?

"Jenna, you better open this door." He warned.

Her hand flew before she could think, panic flooding her system. "No, don't!" She opened the door quickly and stepped outside, shutting it behind her. "What do you want?" She whispered.

"Really? You're gonna ask me that after all this time?" He chuckled. "I just wanted to check in on you. See how you were doing."

"I...I'm fine." Her heart was beating so loudly, she was sure he could hear it, tapping out a Morse code against her ribs. She pulled the door shut a little, hoping to hide the mess inside.

"Are you?" He smiled, looking down his nose at her. It wasn't hard. He was so tall. "Let's see then." He started to push past her, but she pushed him back.

"No." She protested, hands against his chest to hold him there. Do not let him in. That little voice cried out. The door shut behind her, trapping her with a click.

"No?" He nearly spat. All pretense gone. "You're gonna tell me no?" That was the man she'd seen last time. The time before.... Surely things had changed? Surely he wasn't going to do anything here?

"We... We aren't together anymore. And... And I don't... I don't think-"

"That's right, you don't think. I just wanted to make sure you were doing all right after that moron... But if you think you've got everything handled. Fine." He threw his hands up like he was finished, taking a step away.

"Michael, I'm fine." She assured, chancing a look up at his face. Those brown eyes were cold, calculating as she pleaded silently for him to just go. Please, just go.

"You don't look fine. Let me take care of you. Let me make you something to eat? Or we could go out. We can talk about what happened?" He put a large hand on her shoulder. She stayed very still for a moment, assessing the fact that he was that much closer to her neck.

She shook her head, gently nudging his hand off. "I don't think... I don't think that's... appropriate."

"Appropriate?" He scoffed. "You're gonna talk to me about what's appropriate?"

"I think you should leave." She whispered.

"Now you think? Which is it, you do or you don't?"

"Please, just go."

"Oh, don't start crying now. You brought this on yourself. You're in this hell hole because you ran from a good man. A good home! Because you couldn't take being happy. Can't stand to settle down. I've put up with your commitment issues for long enough!" He snapped, backing her against the door. "It's time to come home, Jenna!" His hand didn't move from her shoulder as the other caged her in, resting on the door beside her head.

"Hey!" Their heads snapped to see Conner and Murphy quick-marching up the hallway. In his distraction, she turned the knob and practically fell inside, kicking it shut.

"Jenna!" He started pounding on the door before Conner pushed him off.

"How about you take a walk, mate." Conner offered. "Before you get made to."

"How about you two stay out of this? This is a private matter. Jenna, come on!" He tried again. "Guys, I've got this. She's just upset it's taken so long for me to talk to her. Honestly, you'd think it was the end of the world. It'll be fine."

"Did you not hear him? Get lost." Murphy snapped.

The door opened and a pot flew out of the door, nailing Michael in the forehead. "Shit! You bitch!" Blood welled between his fingers as he pressed them to the sudden cut above his eyebrow.

"I'm done! I'm done with your abuse!" She swung a baseball bat at him, making Conner lunge to the side to dodge a wild swing. "Go away!"

"Crazy bitch!" She backed him to the elevator.

She swung again and he pushed her down, grabbing the bat from her. Conner shoved her behind him while Murphy tackled the guy.

"Are you crazy? I'm defending myself! Bitch is-"

"I saw! Take a walk." Murphy punched him, taking the bat and pushing the button. "We see yeh again and you'll regret it." He warned.

"Hey, hey now. It's me Lass. It's me." Conner held her close and her arms were like vices around his waist, her face buried in his chest. She was shaking like a leaf, her knees went out form underneath her, but he held her up as Murphy came back, bat in hand. She flinched at the sound of his footsteps. "Hey now, easy. It's just Murph. We got ya. He's gone now. He's gone."

She let out a whimper, hugging him so close, he thought she might bruise a rib, but he only held her tighter too. Looking at his brother over her head, both exchanged murderous eyes.

"Come on, let's get outta the hallway." He tried. She shook her head, pulling away. She swiped her eyes.

"I....I...." She didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe she'd done that. But she'd heard them, outside her door. Heard him try to turn his charm on them. Heard them try to protect her. Getting in the middle of her mess."I'm sorry." She finally said, bending to pick up her pot- now a pretty intense dent in it.

"You ain't got nothin' to apologize for!" Conner assured.

She shook her head, refusing to look at them. "He'll be back."

"And we'll be here."

She shook her head. "I can't ask..."

"You don't have to. We're offerin'." Murphy offered the bat to her. They could both see the turmoil rattling around her brain as she stepped away from them, closer to her door. Just one step, as though the distance might help her.

"No..." She whispered. She didn't mean to involve... She shook her head. She wrapped her arms around herself, clutching the pot and the bat like a shield. "You.... You stay away from me." She turned and walked away, voice as broken as her spirit. "Please, just stay away." Before they turned out just like him.