Greetings from The Lady Mage.
Welcome to chapter four. I hope you enjoy. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It took me a few tries to get it how I like it, but I feel now that it is just about perfect. Thanks to all the people who reviewed me. Love you all! Thanks to LadyK and VampyricAngel for their support and for listening to me and for proofreading for me some. Anyway, on to the chap!
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It was the sound of movement that awoke Selene that evening. It was a soft shuffling noise behind her near the door. She tightened her arms around the blankets cuddled to her- intent to go back to sleep for another half hour or so, then jerked up when she realised they were empty. Her eyes immediatly turned to the door.
Michael sat with his back against it, legs laid out parted before him. Standing between his legs was the little girl. He was holding her up, and her knees were wobbling like she wasn't sure just how to use her legs. Her little fingers dug into the skin of his arms as she held on, trying to stay upright. He'd given her his shirt to cover the tattered sundress they had found her in and keep her warm.
"When did she wake up?" Selene asked, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. "She must be freezing, Michael, without her blanket."
"She's okay." Michael said softly, turning his head to see her. "We're right by the heater. I'm sweating. If she isn't warm enough, she never will be."
The little girl grunted softly, finally locking her knees. Tentatively, she loosened her grip on Michael's arm. He lowered his hands down to hover on either side of her little waist, letting her stand on her own.
"How old do you think she is?" asked Selene, walking to crouch beside them.
"Maybe three." he answered. "But not by much."
The little girl turned her head to see Selene, her bi-coloured eyes twinkling as she smiled. Her smile quickly left as she lost her concentration and began to fall. Michael's hands tightened on her waist, holding her up. She resumed her tight grip on his forearms.
"Can she speak?" Selene asked.
"She hasn't spoken yet." answered the hybrid, pulling the girl up to sit in his lap. "I've spoken to her in English, Hungarian, and sketchy German. She doesn't seem to respond to any. I looked at her throat, doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her."
"Maybe she just hasn't spoken yet?" Selene asked, watching Michael lightly tickle the little girl's feet. She pulled them back to her stomach with a small giggle sound, rolling out of Michael's lap and into Selene's to get away.
"Maybe." Michael said, holding his hands out like he might tickle the child again. She clutched Selene about the waist, pulling her feet back away from him with a pout and light whimper. The game was over for now. Michael retreated. "But that is unusual. Children speak around age one. She's got two years on them."
"Maybe she just doesn't understand." said Selene, running her hand over the child's hair.
"I don't know." Michael murmered. "Anyway, you're up. I'm going to go grab something to eat. No doubt she's hungry, and so are we. I'm going to go hunt. Anything you especially want?"
"You are going nowhere. I'm going." Selene said, holding the little girl out to Michael.
The hybrid reached for the child, but she whimpered, squirming in Selene's hands to get away from him. When he took her, she reached out for Selene again, her eyes wet and lips pouted. When Selene didn't reach to take her back, the child began to cry. Before she could really sob, the vampiress pulled her away from Michael like he had hurt her.
"Guess she doesn't like tickling." Michael observed, watching Selene soothe the girl.
"Well, who would?" Selene snapped, grabbing the blankets from the bed to rewrap the girl. Rebundled, the girl was placed back into Michael's lap- with the same results.
The child cried and squirmed, trying to get back to Selene. After a few seconds of watching her, the vampiress lifted her back into her arms.
Michael looked smug. "Guess you get to stay here with her since she likes you so very much more than me." He hopped up and grabbed his wallet from his bag. "I won't be gone long." And he escaped before Selene could stop him.
Selene scowled lightly to herself, perched in the middle of the bed. The toddler was lightly dozing, sitting stomach to stomach in her lap with her little arms wrapped around Selene's neck. Michael had been gone for nearly an hour. The jerk.
"Mm!" The vampiress looked down at the little girl in her lap. Two mismatched eyes stared intently up at her. The girl frowned, turning her head to see the door. "Mm!"
"What's the matter?" asked Selene, loosening her arms around the tot.
"Mm!" The girl grunted, looking up at Selene, then back to the door again. "Mm!"
It was then that Selene heard it, the soft patter of Michael carefully maneuvering around the first floor of the house, the soft squeaks as he climbed the old staircase. She turned her attention back to the toddler in her lap. "You heard Michael. Is that it?"
"Mm!"
The bedroom door was gently pushed open, and Michael appeared with two fast food bags, two bottles of water, and a glass jar of blood. He smiled when he entered, pushing the door shut behind him with his foot. "You guys hungry?"
The toddler gave him a curious look. Selene gave him a tired glare.
Michael handed Selene the jar of blood and the smaller bag. "I couldn't find anything but hamburgers- weird, German style hamburgers." He said, taking his seat back in front of the door. He pulled three large wrapped hamburgers from his bag. He unwrapped one and eyed it. "You think this is cow?"
"What does it matter? It isn't as though you can die of food poisoning." Selene hissed quietly, settling her blood next to her so she could unwrap a hamburger for the little girl. "Here." she murmered, putting the girl's hands around the wrapper. "Eat this."
"Mm?" the little girl scowled lightly, watching Selene sip the plasma from her jar.
Michael looked up from his second burger. "Kid?" The toddler looked at him. "You eat it. Food. Hungry." He took a bite of his own, then pushed her hands to bring her own food to her lips. She turned her face away. "You have to be hungry, kid. Who knows how long its been since you've eaten?"
Still, the tot kept her face turned. "Nn!"
"Oh, for the love of . . Give me that!" Selene knocked Michael's hands away, and took the hamburger from the child. She tore off a little hunk and held it to the girl's lips. As if she was waiting for it, the tot took the bite, chewing it and swallowing quickly, then turning back to Selene like a hungry chick. "Do you not know how to eat, either?"
"Mm." murmered the child, opening her mouth again when Selene offered her another bite. It took only a few moments for half of the hamburger to dissappear before the child seemed full, refusing any more.
"Save that then." said the hybrid, "She'll be hungry again later."
Selene nodded, putting the last in the bag before taking up her jar to finish her own meal while the little girl managed to nurse a bottle of water when Michael held it for her.
"Mm." The water bottle was pushed away, and the child turned around to face Selene again, hugging her arms around the vampiress's stomach, and resting her head on her chest.
Michael watched Selene's free arm snake around the toddler, pulling her closer. The little girl cuddled up, closing her eyes to sleep. Selene settled her empty jar down on the sidetable still left by the bed, then put her other arm around the child. From his angle, they looked so similar- same hair, same skin- like a mother and her daughter. He hid the smile that would have come to his face as he thought, 'Perhaps she would be a great mother...?'
"It's getting early." Selene said, snapping the hybrid from his thoughts. "We should rest. We'll move on tomorrow." She pulled the blankets around the child, pausing to smoothe the stray hair's from the tot's sleeping face.
"You want me to keep watch first?" he asked, trying to hide a yawn.
"This place is secluded." Selene said casually, laying down in the middle of the bed, holding the little girl to her.
Michael couldn't hide his smile. He knew an invite when he heard one. Slowly, so not to seem eager, he stood up, brushed off his pants, and made sure the door was shut tight before He crawled over Selene and thei- the kid, settling behind her under the blanket. With her tucked against him, he listened to her fall asleep, before following her example, and dozing himself.
When Selene awoke around noon, sandwhiched between two very warm bodies, she tried hard to feel annoyed at her situation, but her bedpartners were making it very hard. It was nice to be so warm when she hadn't been warm in years. Though she would loathe to admit it, it was comforting to have Michael's arm laid over her waist. It was soothing to have this tiny toddler cuddled up to her chest. It was a very pleasant feeling to feel needed again.
The child. This innocent little girl wrapped so securely in her arms reminded her so much of her nieces. When they had been....alive....they had relied on her for everything. Her sister had been their mother, yes, but Selene was their Mommy. When they would wake up to nightmares, they ran to her, not their real mother. When they were hurt, they came to Selene for kisses and comfort. When they achieved some great acomplishment, it was to Selene they ran to share their joy. They needed her, and she had needed them just as much.
But then...
Viktor.
She couldn't stop the tears from coming, but she tried her hardest to keep them from falling. It had been months and months since she had...killed...Viktor, killed her beloved Dark Father, and as much as she hated him, a part of her still loved him. Yes, he'd killed her family, but he'd taken her under his wing- gave her everything she ever needed or wanted. But, yes, he had taken her under his wing- gave her everything she ever needed or wanted- but he killed her family first!
It was a double-edged sword, and she was perched on the blade.
The little girl stirred in her arms, breaking her from her thoughts. "Mm?" Eyes, mismatched and half-lidded, looked up into Selene's brown orbs. A little hand reached up to cup a pale cheek, gently spreading wetness from tears that had fallen. "Mm." The tot's eyes began to well up, too, as she snuggled closer to Selene.
Selene pulled her closer. "Shhh. It's okay." she whispered, tucking the girl's head beneath her chin. "No tears." She prayed Michael wouldn't wake. "Go back to sleep."
After a few minutes passed, the tot's breathing evened out, and her body stilled, as she fell back asleep. Selene reached up to wipe her tears away, then settled back against Michael, closing her eyes. She needed rest to move again tonight.
Behind her, Michael peeked out from under one eyelid. '...Selene...'
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The Lady Mage