Knight in Shining Armor

Trust

She ignored the knocking on her door. Hand to her mouth and huddled in the corner. Fear coursing through her system. "Jenna? It-it's me." Uncle Mick called out.

She didn't know what to do. Should she open the door? Should she pretend she wasn't home? But her body reacted on its own, all over again. She stopped herself at the door, that ugly white thing with peeling paint to reveal grey wood underneath. "Jenna?" He asked again.

"Uncle Mick?" She whispered softly, so softly, he wasn't sure he'd heard her.

"Why did- didn't you tell me?" He asked. His heartbreak evident to her ears.

"It's.... It's so stupid." She sighed tearfully.

"Let me in, aye? We can talk about it."

She shook her head like he could see her. "I'm... I'm... I don't want you to see me like this." Her hair was in tangles, cheeks tear stained, clothes rumpled.

"Fuck! Ass!" She jumped, stumbling away from the door. "Oh d-d-d-"

Nauseous, she wrapped her arms around herself. She sat on the edge of that trunk. "I'm... I'm fine." She could hear the break in her voice as she swiped at her eyes.

"Ly- lying t-t-t-to youer -youer uncle!" He cried out, teasing a bit.

She scuffed her foot. He was right. She was anything but fine. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know where else to go. Her last haven was tainted now. She had nothing. No one... How could she have thought it was a good idea to put her uncle- her only family- in this mess?

"Youer not alone lass." He said softly. "..Are you eating?"

He stomach answered that for her. She'd run out of food last night and hadn't had the nerve to leave yet.

"Let... Let the-the-the b-b-b-boys take you-you Fuck! Ass! sh-sh-sh- Oh, let' 'em take yeh out."

She couldn't help but smile at his new tactic. "I... I wouldn't want to trouble them." She tried, a hand wrapped around her elbow, head falling.

"No trouble!" Murphy piped up from her left, their apartment. A sound smack and a scuffle later, had her smiling again. Boys would be boys where ever she went. The familiar sounds put her at ease, between her uncle and them... Ease...

Her stomach grumbled again. She sighed. Uncle Mick thought a lot of those boys, and if no one else, she trusted her uncle. She opened her door. "If he-" She started, only to find her uncle was not alone in the hallway any more.

"We'll be there. Nothin'll happen. And if he shows up, it'll be his lumps." Conner had Murphy in a headlock. "Eh, Murph?"

"Let go!" He was muffled by Conner's armpit. Conner let him go and he rubbed his nose. "Go put on some deodorant before you scare her back in!"

"You- you'll be fine. I- I Tt-t-ttrust my boys." Uncle Mick assured, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Those eyes so kind and warm.

Jenna sighed. "I know."

Her uncle went to the elevator with them, but separated on the street. He went to the bar and they went to the market. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw how crowded it was. Of course it was, it was the weekend. Conner wrapped a warm arm around her.

"We're right here, Love." He whispered.

"I can't do this." Her voice hitched as she shook her head, ready to run. Only Conner's arm kept her in place.

"Course you can." Murphy scoffed, "We ain't gonna let nothin' happen to yeh."

Her shaking continued, but she took a step as Conner did. "It's just any other trip." Conner assured.