"(Y-Y/n)!"

Cold dread washed over (Y/n) as the voice grew closer, way too quickly for her to do anything about it. It was too late to run now, and she didn't have to turn around to know whose voice it was.

Jasper.

He wasn't alone though, multiple hurried footsteps followed, men in uniforms surrounding her and trapping her in like a caged mouse. (Y/n)'s gaze met one of the men, who didn't hesitate to shoot her a smile as though everything was alright. Not surprising, in their twisted Infected mind they probably thought they were doing her a favour, that they had just rescued her poor Uninfected self from Tobias who had wrongfully abducted her.

She was a helpless victim and Tobias was a criminal.

Of course, technically she was indeed a victim, Tobias had trapped her in his house and threatened to hold her against her will. But she wasn't helpless by any means, along with Marcus they had found a way out for her. Unlike what these men thought, they weren't her saviours, they were her worst nightmare made flesh, and the moment they got their hands on her they would throw her in the Uninfected Camp, where Jasper would pick her up like he had every right over her.

"Are you okay? Go-Gods, you have no idea how happy I am to have found you!" Jasper kneeled down beside her, baby blue eyes full of love and adoration. Under other circumstances (Y/n) might have found it endearing, but in this moment it only made her sick to her stomach. These weren't the eyes of a man in love, they were the eyes of a man obsessed. "It's over now. You don't have to hide your identity anymore, we know." He smiled reassuringly, as if this sentence would alleviate any of (Y/n)'s fears.

"Let me go." (Y/n) spat out, coughing up blood in the process as pain sliced through her chest. The fall from the window had probably worsened her broken rib and by the looks of it, it wasn't doing too good.

Fuck.

Not only did it hurt like hell, but this would also make her attempt at an escape much more complicated.

Jasper tilted his head to the side, a sickeningly caring smile curving his lips.

"I'm afraid I can't do this, my love." He said, the pet name coming to him as easily as breathing did. "We have very strict rules when it comes to Uninfected safety. I know you don't understand because you don't see things the same way we do, but I promise this is in your best interest." He continued, tenderly reaching out to stroke her cheek, not caring for (Y/n)'s poor attempts at avoiding his touch. "I promise I won't let you stay at the Shelter very long though, I'll come pick you up as soon as I can."

Needless to say, this was the very last thing (Y/n) wanted to hear.

This was bad. Very bad. And no matter how much (Y/n) rummaged her brain for a way out of this, there was no exit from the current situation. She was surrounded by a dozen of Infected men -all militarily trained and possessing a physical advantage granted by their Infection-, she was injured and had apparently punctured one of her lungs, and she had a broken ankle that would make it impossible to outrun the guards or Jasper.

Saying that the odds weren't in her favour would be an understatement. Saying that she was utterly fucked would be more like it.

There was no way she was going to make it out of this one and hot tears gathered in her eyes at the realization.

Another cough, a familiar sweet metallic taste coated (Y/n)'s tongue, as if sealing her fate. Jasper wiped his thumb across her bottom lip, offering her a loving and reassuring gaze although tainted with concern. Both of them knew her coughing up blood wasn't a good sign. She needed medical care and fast.

"Darling, I know you don't like this, and I don't either. I wish things could be easy and I wish you could see things the same way I do... But you don't, and it's fine. It doesn't change just how much I love you and how much I ache to adore you." Jasper said, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. He leaned closer, burying his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaling sharply. (Y/n) could only flinch and shiver in disgust at the gesture. "I promise things will be alright and I promise you'll learn to see things differently. Just let me love you, please?"

(Y/n) warily analysed his offer. She knew she had no choice in the matter, whatever her answer was, Jasper would still pick her up and carry her all the way to the Uninfected Camp, with or without her consent. The question mark at the end of his sentence was nothing more than a polite adornment.

She could fight all she wanted, the Infected society didn't care what an Uninfected wanted for themselves. Relenting was her only choice.

Jasper smiled, apparently mistaking her silence for wordless obedience, and he stepped closer towards her, carefully wrapping his arms around her and hoisting her up in his arms. (Y/n) coughed at the motion, the pain in her ribs making it hard to breathe correctly. Jasper gently shushed her like he would a scared child, before he turned to the guards, any traces of softness gone from his features as he ordered them with ease.

"We're going now. Call the Uninfected Shelter to let them know we're on our way and that she needs urgent medical treatment." Jasper said to a man on his right, (Y/n) couldn't see the man's features but heard him answer with a decisive 'yes sir'.

After that she didn't have the mind to process all that was happening around her, she barely registered Jasper placing her in a black sleek car and pressing a loving kiss to her cheek before climbing in beside her and getting her to lie down with her head on his lap. She simply complied with everything, let herself get carried away by the motion.

Her body hurt too much, breathing and moving and arguing hurt too much. And the taste of defeat was too sour on her tongue. Zoning out was easier for (Y/n) than living and feeling it all, she much preferred letting her brain wander.

Where was Marcus? What had happened to him and Tobias? She had no idea, but somehow her mind was too foggy to give it much thought.

Where was Lupita? She had no idea either, but the memory of her girlfriend's face was the only thing that (Y/n) allowed herself to focus on, the only source of warmth she could cling to as Jasper's cold fingertips lovingly traced her features.

The gentle slope of Lupita's nose, the smoothness of her skin and the way she wore her hair. The smile on her lips and the light in her dark brown eyes, the excitement bubbling in her gaze when they went thrift shopping together... Those were the things (Y/n) wanted to think about right now. Not the pain that assaulted her with every breath she took, not the fact she would probably never get a sense of freedom ever again and certainly not the fact she would surely never see either Lupita or Grey ever again.

For now and as long as she stayed in her head, things were peaceful. So with the roaring of the car, Jasper's fingers combing through her hair and thoughts of Lupita filling her head, (Y/n) let herself drift off to sleep.











































































"What do you think of this one?" Jasper asked enthusiastically, holding up yet another bridal gown for (Y/n) to see. Their marriage was scheduled in a month and Jasper had already gathered no less than a hundred models of wedding dresses for (Y/n) to look at and possibly try on.

He simply couldn't wait anymore. He had waited for this moment for so long, no one could blame him for how excited he was.

Soon, he was going to marry the love of his life, the light of his existence and the other half of his soul. He wanted to make sure everything would be perfect and that (Y/n) would be the most gorgeous bride ever. Not that there was any second of him doubting that she would be. He knew that whatever dress she picked, she'd make it into history with her enchanting beauty. Gods, she could wear a trash bag and Jasper would still find her the most beautiful and be willing to kiss the floor she walked on.

"You'd look so good in this one! I-I mean, you'd look breathtaking in any of these! Honestly, you're just so-"

(Y/n) droned him out, not keen on hearing yet another monologue about just how perfect and beautiful she was. About just how much Jasper loved and adored her. It was the same every day and no matter how much Jasper apparently loved her, he still didn't love her enough to let her out of this god forsaken room. It wasn't even like (Y/n) had made any attempt at escaping over the last few months. She had given up long ago when one of the guards had been shot by Jasper himself right in front of her for not keeping a close enough eye on her.

When Jasper had realised that she had somehow not been too happy with him shooting someone right before her very eyes, he had spent hours knelt in front of her, crying and begging her for forgiveness. At some point (Y/n) had been so tired of hearing his cries that she had hugged him close to her chest and reluctantly told him that she still loved him.

Love. Such a big word and not one (Y/n) would use to describe her feelings for Jasper. After two years (Y/n) still hadn't learnt to love him, she had just grown tired of fighting for a way out when nothing in the outside world was left for her to come back to.

Grey had tried to save (Y/n) at the Uninfected Shelter, she had tried to take (Y/n) in as her Darling, but since she already had a girlfriend the Shelter hadn't let her. When Grey had insisted Jasper had just killed her for going against the laws and for 'attempted adultery'. It didn't matter that (Y/n) was Grey's sister and that Grey hadn't been trying to cheat on her partner by any means. All that mattered was that Jasper wanted (Y/n) for himself and Grey was standing in the way.

Then, somehow, Lupita had been found out as Uninfected and had been placed in the Uninfected Camp too. (Y/n) had never heard of her ever again after learning about this from Jasper. And Tobias had been executed for 'crime against an Uninfected victim'.

Even if (Y/n) one day made it out of this hellhole, there was nothing left for her out there. Marcus was dead, her sister had been killed and her girlfriend had probably been taken in by an Infected.

All she had left was Jasper, and whatever he had to offer.

"Darling?" Jasper's voice stirred (Y/n) out of her head again, concern bleeding through each syllable as he approached her. "Are you alright? I-I know I've been talking a lot, I'm sorry, you must be tired-"

"When will the treatment be ready?" (Y/n) asked, a question that took Jasper by surprise.

When he had first mentioned an Infected treatment to (Y/n) to make her see his side of things he hadn't expected her to ask about it herself a few weeks later. The tests were still undergoing but he was sure a cure to her being Uninfected would be ready soon. He just had to wait. Not that he didn't love her as she was! He adored her in her entirety, Infected or not. But being Uninfected made her unhappy, made her depressed.

Jasper couldn't bear to see her so sad. So he had asked the best scientists in the city to come up with an infected serum that could give his Darling a bit of help with accepting her new life by his side.

"The treatment?" Jasper repeated, back when he had first mentioned the treatment, (Y/n) had clearly expressed her distaste and reluctance. Her asking about it now was... Strange to say the least. Not that Jasper minded though. "I don't know, my love. But it'll probably be ready in a few weeks... Why?"

(Y/n) shifted her position on the bed, making herself more comfortable.

"I'd like to give it a try." She said, fidgeting with the hem of her summer dress. Jasper had bought her plenty of those, too many to count for (Y/n) to wear them all in a lifetime. "I want... To get better."

Jasper broke out into a smile, wedding dresses now long forgotten as he ran over to kneel in front of (Y/n) and tenderly held her hands in his.

"You do?" He asked, excitement and hope shining through his voice. "I'm so happy I could cry! You'll be so happy, I promise! And then we can-"

Happy? (Y/n) really didn't know what would come of this treatment, if one could even call it that. But whatever this treatment had in store for her, it would always be better than the yawning hole in her chest. Maybe this treatment would indeed make her happy, maybe it would make coping with her current reality easier. Maybe (Y/n) would even come to love Jasper and live a happy life with him.

(Y/n) didn't care, honestly. She just wanted to feel something, anything other than grief and emptiness. So if becoming Infected was the road to escape her current state, she'd do it.

What other option did she have anyways?

"We'll be so happy together. I can't wait!" Jasper continued, happily kissing her hands and up her arms before peppering her face with more kisses. "You'll be the most beautiful bride and our children will be the most adorable too!"

At this sentence, for the first time in a while, (Y/n)'s lips curved up in the ghost of a smile. And one could have almost thought her happy, if not for the emptiness in her eyes and the tear rolling down her cheek.

"Yes. Happy."