Selene awoke to silence.
Slowly fluttering open her eyes, she saw seats above her. She was still in the bus.
She had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but she knew it can not have been for long since it was still nightfall.
She gasped as pain flooded her body and mind, her back ached and her head spun, and her legs ached terribly.
Instinctively she immediately placed her hands over her swollen belly checking for any injuries. To her relief there was no injury or sign that her baby was harmed in anyway. She had landed on her back and from what her aching shoulder told her, it what was took the brunt of her landing. It was then she felt a familiar kick from within and it was just what she needed to feel, a soothing feeling of reassurance.
Still drowsy she let her head fall back and to her surprise it landed upon a soft surface, looking to the side she saw a rolled jump jacket someone had placed beneath her head. There had been only few passengers on the bus, she couldn't see or hear anyone remaining, only distant alarms in the darkness. Did they miss her? Flee without checking her? Did they think she was dead? No, she thought, no one puts a jacket under a dead woman's head. Someone had to have gone to fetch help.
She did not need help. She had been on her own and coping just fine. She scoffed in annoyance at the thought of a mere mortal trying to help an immortal like herself, which was until she slowly tried to sit up. Only now she noticed she couldn't move her legs. They where pinned under a sheet of metal which was held down by what was left of a street light that had fallen into the bus crushing it in the middle.
"Shit!" she snapped in annoyance, then realized in horror the closeness to her baby it was and how and could have crushed them both. She tried to move her legs but she was well and truly stuck no matter how she awkwardly tried to twist, pull or squirm. She was pinned across her thighs above her knee and unless she could dislocate her knees and hips she wasn't going anywhere.
She looked down at her watch. The small screen glowed brightly with 6:03am. The sun would be up in under an hour. Panic was starting to settle in; the window above her was wide open and faced the sky.
"Shit" she cursed again and with desperation she took hold of the metal and tried to move it in any direction it was no use, there was no way she could move it or the pole.
"Ahhhh!" she yelled in frustration and fear and laid several punches into the metal sheet making small indentations.
She sat back and took a breath. Think logically there has to be a way out. Instead her mind doubted her.
'Yes' her mind told her, 'you are afraid'. 'The great warrior was afraid' the thoughts seem to scream at her as doubts took over. 'You're powerless, why did you ever think you could do this?' She did her best and pushed the thoughts down and refocused herself.
With no choice she laid back waiting alone. Being a large quake she would have thought there would have been more people or rescue crews around, instead people had fled the area or had been evacuated. More light kicks from within made her smile and refocus on her surroundings.
Another roar rose up from the earth followed with the violent shaking. She let out a yelp of pain from the pole moving against her damaged legs but it lasted only for a few seconds then stopped. The aftershocks where starting.
Her dark heart pounded hard. You're wrong she told herself, you're not afraid. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of her situation and life,
First it's her family.
Then the Viktor issue.
Then Michael.
Now fate wants her child.
Her child, 'their child' before Michael was killed saving them. The child is the last thing she has, the only family possible and the only happiness other than Michael that she has in her Vampyric life. Anger mixed with her fear dwelling within her, she could not and cannot let them take her baby.
Feeling her intense emotions take over she sat up and took to the metal again punching it and screaming at the top of her lungs angrily. She yelled again and again, pushing and pulling, more tears poured down her cheeks until she couldn't punch or pull any more. The metal was curved and full of dents stubbornly remaining in place to spite her. Her fists bled with grazes and gashes. She realized the last thing she needed to do was bleed. This could not be good for her baby.
"You are right." she told herself.
"You are not afraid," she said then paused coming to her own conclusion.
"I'm terrified." she admitted. She was exhausted from everything, the running the danger, the emotions.
She took a breath and wiped the tears off her cheeks with her sleeves then looked her watch.
6:27am.
It felt like an eternity before she heard footsteps. As a natural reaction she slid her hand under her hip to reach for her berretta only to find it was missing from its usual resting place.
"Shit!" she cursed quickly glancing from side to side and feeling around looking for her weapon.
There were only two possibilities, it had either flung out on impact, or some bastard took it.
Instead she took a sharp piece of the jagged metal and held it tightly. It was pathetic but she never goes down without a fight, it's not in her nature, it's not Selene.
The steps came close and they had turned into a jog heading toward her. To her relief the scent was human. In the window above her a young man's head popped into view looking into what was left of the bus.
He had short scruffy brown hair and a grin that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. Upon his forehead where a few cuts and grazes, she realized she had seen him before; he had been sitting at the back of the bus.
"Ha! Great, you're awake." he said bright, in a thick Scottish accent.
She frowned at him surprised by his warm smile and friendliness, considering the given situation they where in. Still she said nothing just stared at him, he thought she was still in shock.
"My name is Duncan. Sorry I left but I went to fetch help, they should be here soon," he said carefully climbing down through the window and toward her. He didn't pose any threat to her or her child so she finally decided to answer him.
"Selene." she respond barely loud enough for him to hear. She tried to sit up again but he grabbed her shoulders to stop her
"Easy…" He stopped as she swiped at him grabbing his wrist tightly pulling his arm away. It was only protective reflex, she realised and quickly let go. He yanked away from her and fell back. He yelped in pain and clutched his wrist
"Steady on lass I'm just trying to help. You shouldn't move that's all." he said quieter almost whimpering like a scorned puppy.
She sat back, her face still expressionless and she gave a loud sigh rubbing her temple. There was an awkward moments silence before he finally moved.
"That's hell of a grip ya have." He said trying to smile breaking the silence still rubbing his throbbing wrist. He got no smile out of her, so put her edginess down to hormones or shock of the accident.
"I don't think I'll be taking the bus again." he said but still no response. He waited then to her own surprise she answered.
"This was my first bus ride." she said with no emotion.
"Oh," he said chuckling
"And I suppose it will be ya last?"
She didn't answer just stared at the window above her, waiting. His face dropped thinking about her last response, she may have calmed down so he decided to move forward toward her.
Slowly he edged closer trying to be as non-threatening as possible. Her head and icy expression remained still, yet her eyes fell to the side landing on him. He was grinning again and lifted his eyebrows high as he noticed her looking.
"I just want to help Selene." he said his expression now worried for her. She noticed his eyes flick to her belly and back. This one had a conscience she thought, will probably get him killed. She gave another sigh in annoyance and thought what could she do anyway? But if he wanted to help, he would have to understand she was a vampire and the sun would be up soon, so how was he to help her from the sun?
"You can't help me." she almost hissed.
"Well I can stay with you at least." he was still so cheerful.
She was about to respond when she saw the handle of her berretta in his coat pocket, it was well out of her reach. She glared at him with a look as sharp as a knife cutting though him.
"What?" he asked then realised as she glimpsed at the gun again.
"Oh," he said putting his hand into his pocket and onto the weapon.
"I'll take that back," she ordered and held out her hand.
He sighed dropping his shoulders
"Look I only took it in case you got any… ideas. People can do strange things in accidents when they are in shock." He tried to explain. Her eyes widened, she was furious the he had even thought that she would kill herself and the baby. She was angry and he could clearly see it in her face.
"Like I would shoot myself!" she snarled angrily but then her face dropped and her eyes widened more than before. In her desperate measure to retrieve her weapon and with the strong smell of blood in the air, she had not noticed the two scents of the both Vampire and Lycan approaching.
"Give me the gun," she snapped waving her hand in the air urgently
"Yeah all right," he said finally pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to her. She snatched it up in an instant and turned it on him. He jumped back in shock at her speed and motion at him
"Hey wait, I only wanted to help you! Put it down!" he pleaded with his hands out in front of him panicking in fear.
"If you want to help, get out and run." Her words where ice cold.
"What! I can't leave you here your wounded and with a little one, I can't do that!"
"Yes you will, it's for your own good!" She shouted at him and cocked the gun. She knew they would kill him for being anywhere close to her. He paused not believing what he was seeing, he couldn't understand why.
"Now!" she screamed at him, in moments he scrambled up and out of the window and jumped from the bus and ran off down the street. She could hear both his fast running foot steps and his heartbeat fleeing from them.
Alone once again she noticed there was something else in the air, a familiar yet distant scent that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her stomach began to turn as the strong presence and power neared her, she held the gun tightly in her hand pointing at the hole above her, and the other protectively over her belly.
Heavy steady footsteps approached along the concrete and stopped outside the bus. There was a small silence then a loud bang as something landed on the end of the bus. The steps continued along the top of the bus from behind her and due to the seat above her she could not see fully out the windows above or behind her.
Her heart almost stopped as the footsteps stopped right above her but she could see no-one. It was silent for almost a minute when in an instant at the speed of light an arm swooped down and swiped the gun out of her hand sending it flying to the back of the bus.
There a few meters away stood a tall broad figure stood watching her
"Hello Selene" his voice powerful and deep.
"Marcus..." she barely spat out his name...