Selene pulled up behind the apartment building next to a Chinese takeout. She took in a deep breath and took a moment. She still had not eaten a sufficient meal and became tired so easily.
"You Okay?" he asked concerned.
Her hands slid down off the steering wheel almost defeated.
"Fine." She answered quietly and climbed out the car.
Duncan lead the way past the glow of the closed takeout store and in through an old entrance door. The building was old dark, run down, and a little musty. She didn't care she had spent countless days sleeping hard in an old abandoned buildings, attics, train cars or where ever she could find to keep the light out.
He led her though a creaky door and into to a small courtyard in the middle of the main block. Duncan froze when they were greeted by a large snarling Rottweiler.
"Oh shite, Mr Hagley let his bloody dog out again." Duncan said backing up back toward the door but Selene remained standing where she was.
"That dog hates everything!" Duncan said trying to get Selene to move back to the door. The dog snarled and bared its teeth at her and slowly walked forward barking. As soon as it was within arm's reach of her it snapped at the air toward her, ready to attack. Calmly she changed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Her nose wrinkled up as she bared her own teeth at the dog and let out a loud threading hiss. The dog immediately stopped barking and snarling its head and ears perking up alert. She took another step forward and hissed again this time it was louder and partly a growl.
The dog dropped its head and tail backing away a little, lay down on the ground and rolled on its back submissively. Selene crouched to one knee and put her hand out
"What are you doing?" Duncan asked thinking she would be bitten.
"Come," she demanded. The dog got up and ran in under her and sat down almost smooching her lovingly wagging its tail sitting beneath her.
"Good dog." She smiled only briefly giving him a pat. The dog wagged its tail fiercely looking up at her adoringly with its large brown eyes.
Duncan couldn't believe his eyes
"I forget you're a Vampyre,"
"A man is a dog's best friend, but a Vampyre's is even a better friend, we have a stronger bond and companionship. We speak a similar language. We companion better with them even more Lycans, and they are of wolf." she quietly explained giving the dog a good scratch.
"What's a Lycan?" he ask cautiously approaching her in case the dog went for him.
"I'll tell you all inside," she said looking up at the sky. The sun would be up soon.
His apartment it was on the first floor on the shaded side of the building so she didn't have to worry too much about the sun. The apartment was small with two rooms a tiny bathroom and small kitchen joining what could be called a living room with a single couch squeezed in along the wall. It was modest but at least it was brightly lit with lamps, clean and well kept, unlike the exterior of the building. She walked and looked around at the apartment as he hurriedly covered the single window with a blanket, creating enough protection for her.
The centre of the room held a small table with a couple of chairs, along the walls stood shelves with neatly stacked books, photos, knickknacks and even a fish tank glowing at one end. It was a warm atmosphere and very cosy. For a moment she wondered if she and Michael could have ever lived like this with their child. Pain shot through her heart and she shoved the thought away quickly. This was living atmosphere that Vampyre's could not possess; they always held a cold elegant dullness that lacked any sense of feeling.
Her attention was grabbed by a series of pitter patter that came running into the kitchen. In ran a small skinny half fox terrier half whippet dog followed by an overly fluffy fat ginger cat. The dog skittered about excitedly and greeted Duncan, that cat sat next to its bowl and stared at him.
"Hey guys!" Duncan whispered careful not to wake his flatmate. He patted the dog then picked up the cat that started to purr.
"This is Gomez," he whispered while smooching the cat affectionately.
"And that is Russ," he nodded to the dog. Like the dog outside Russ came over and sat at her feet wagging its tail looking up at her. She reached down and gave him a small pat.
"This way," Duncan said leading her into his room and placed Gomez on the end of the bed, Russ followed them closely. The room was small, heavy curtains already covered the window keeping out the light. He flicked on a lamp on the bedside table lighting up the room. Like the living room it was cosy with full shelves, a small simple desk in the corner, a dresser, wardrobe and a few posters of some singers and movies she had no idea of what.
"You can sleep in my bed for the day. Don't worry its clean. I need to sort out my flat mate when she gets up soon. She will want to know where I've been."
Cleanliness was the last thing she was worried about. She sat down on the corner of the double bed and rested her hands on her belly. There was a thump of feet hitting the floor in the next room.
"Oh, be right back. That will be her now." He said fleeing the room.
Selene was about to take her coat off and she had the feeling see was being watched. She turned around to see two the furry faces looking at her on the other side of the bed. Russ was still wagging his tail, as soon as she set eyes upon him he wagged it so hard that his chest and head wagged side to side with it. His backside almost lifted off the bed at the sheer force.
Duncan stood in the kitchen after shutting the door to his room, when an auburn haired woman wearing on oversized t-shirt stood half asleep, with her hair in a mess staring at him in disbelief.
"You! Wear the hell have you been!?" she grouched at him.
"I'm really sorry, but I have this new friend she needed my help."
"You disappeared after the quake! I had to report you as missing! I thought you were dead!" she yelled him upset.
"I'm sorry I got… well trapped. But I'm okay now, she helped me get out. I need to help her."
She sighed and tried to tame her hair with her fingers to calm herself down
"She? Who is she?" she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Selene, my friend. We went through all of it together. Look it's a long story and I don't think you will believe half of it. I will explain. She just needs to stay here for a few days is all. I'll even pay extra rent." He pleaded, giving her the best sappy face he could manage.
"Duncan I know you, you can't help every stray, cat dog or human that you find. There will always be people in need. You can't help all of them." She said trying to be compassionate but honest at the same time.
"This one is… different."
"Different?" she said now curiously raising a brow
"Not like that." He laughed.
"A huh. And how long have you known…Selena was it?" she said while heading over to the kettle to fill it with water.
"Selene," He said flopping exhausted into the chair by the table
"She got hurt in the earthquake, I saw it happen. I got caught up in…a situation of sorts." he rubbed his face then combed his fingers through his hair
"She got me out. And now has nowhere to go so I brought her here."
"If she helped you then okay I suppose, she sounds alright." she sighed. She took out two cups and proceeded to make them both tea. She glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. He watched her with the same heartfelt grin at her he always wore.
"If you didn't have a heart of gold Duncan, I would have thrown your stuff out into the street with the drama you bring through that door." She laughed teasing him.
She handed him a mug of the hot sweet contents which he took very gratefully
"Thank you." He took a long sip and placed his cup on the table in front of him.
"Really, thank you. I know it's a bit cheeky to ask, but could I ask a small favour of ya?"
She looked at him over her mug that was cupped in both hands, her eyebrow rising up again, she couldn't believe his cheek.
"She's pregnant. Could Elaine maybe give her a check over? She can't go to the hospital it's… complicated."
Julian didn't know if she wanted to know anymore. She sighed again
"Alright, I will call her later this morning, I can't promise anything."
"Oh get her to bring one of those scanny thingamajigs?" He said waving his hand as if using it.
"You'd be pushing your luck there."
"Alright" he said heading back toward his room.
"Oh one more thing" he said before opening the door.
"What Duncan?" she was becoming annoyed.
"Is it alright if I run a bath?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" she asked confused.
"Oh and can she borrow one of your baggy T's too?" he added turning back to her again
"Yes if I can go back to bed! It's my day off!" she grouched again starting to get really annoyed.
"Okay, sorry!" he changed direction and popped into the bathroom.
She let out a long exhale, sculled the last of her tea and plodded back to her room.
Returning to his room he gave a quiet knock before poking his head in. She was sitting with her back against the headboard on top of the sheets with Russ and Gomez either side.
"Wow Vampyre's are really pet magnets eh!" he marvelled at the sight.
"I'm running a bath. I thought it will be good for ya. Not too hot of course."
"Alright, thank you."
"Great! It will be ready in a minute."
He was a little surprised at her quieter subdued demeanour. It was not long ago she was shooting people, giving him orders, driving rapidly and marching about taming aggressive dogs.
In reality she was too tired to argue and knew it would be good for her achy body.
The bath was an old a large deep tub with the clawed feet and sat against the wall in a tiny bathroom. Selene breathed out with relief as she submerged into the warm water and sat back against one end. Finally her back let up its screaming a little and settled. She closed her eyes enjoying the delightful heat, he did well making it warm and not hot just right against her naturally cooler skin.
She felt a lot more at ease, even if Duncan was just a mortal, she trusted him. That added with having sufficient weapons again gave her a little piece of mind. Opening her eyes she double checked that they still sat on a small table next to her. Both guns sat along with the oils, soaps, wash cloths and shampoos well within reach. One of silver nitrate the other UV light.
She closed her eyes again making the most of the heat before it cooled down too much. Alone and quiet it wasn't long before her mind wandered back to the thought of Michael and the baby. She had been running so long she hadn't had time to really think of him or reflect on what and how it happened. She thought she didn't need to, or just pushed it to the back of his mind. He was gone and no amount of thinking about the scenario would bring him back.
He's gone, I'm here with our baby. She thought.
Alone.
She couldn't stop her eyes from beginning to dwell in her eyes. She had pushed it down so hard for so long she could no longer fully suppress it
"Damn you Michael" she cursed at herself quietly squeezing her eyes shut trying to fight it. It was useless, the tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. A little over a year ago, she was Viktor's beloved warrior daughter, the feared Death dealer. Back then if she had seen herself now running from both species, pregnant with a hybrid's baby, crying in a mortal's bathtub, she would have never believed it.
As much as it pained her, she wouldn't change it or go back to her old life, not for the world. Her baby was now everything to her, every time she thought about the baby it made her smile. She felt real pure love.
Something she never felt while under Viktor. Michael and hers, the thought gave her another warming feeling. Michael was not gone a part of him lay within her, happily content with the soothing rhythm of her heartbeat. She felt almost terrible for bringing the baby into a world of war where so many creatures wanted kill it, wanted dead before even being born.
She stroked her belly at the thought. So innocent and unaware, she thought, it gave her the positive strength she needed.
"I'm sorry you will never see your father," she spoke quietly. More tears streamed down her pale cheeks, she talked to her baby as if she where holding it in her arms.
"I'm sorry to bring you into this war. But I'm not sorry you are here. I don't consider you an accident and never will. You were created in love and the best thing to come from it."
In a strange perfect timing the baby kicked hard making her smile. Most women she knew had complained about being pregnant, especially her sister when she was pregnant with the twins. She on the other hand had quite enjoyed most the experience. When she was not running, being shot at, or on a bus ride from hell that was, she loved every little kick and movement the baby made.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a tiny little grizzle at the door. Russ was waiting for her outside.
"Russ?" the door swung open a little and a tan face with big eyes looking around the corner. She could tell he was wagging his tail he head was swinging side to side again hitting the wall and door.
"Russ get out of there" Duncan's voice came from the other side of the door. Selene sat up and turned toward the door as Russ ran in and jumped up against the side of the bath, without thinking Duncan tried to grab him and fell though the door into the bathroom, Selene quickly covering herself with her arms.
"Oh, shite, sorry!" he said quickly turning away but at a quick glimpse of her he had seen her red swollen scarlet eyes. Staying faced to the wall he picked up Russ
"Are you alright?" he asked facing the wall.
"I'm fine." Her answer was short and snappy. He knew it would be best to leave. Putting the dog down Duncan grabbed the pile of clean towels and cloths he had found for her and placed it inside the door
"Here are some cloths and towels big enough to wrap around ya."
"Thank you" her answer was again short.
Duncan closed the door and walked back into the kitchen he found Julian back in the kitchen standing at the sink and opening a bag of bread.
"Sorry didn't mean to wake ya again." He said, his face glum and full of concern.
"Couldn't sleep anyway. Want another cuppa?"
"That would be great." he said flopping back into a chair at the table.
"You haven't gotten yourself into more than you can handle have you."
"Well, not really. More..." he paused looking for the word
"Dangerous?" she finished it off for him.
"Well… kind of more adventurous, I'd say." he said taking up the cup of tea that was just placed in front of him.
"She a gang girl isn't she? She's gotten herself knocked up and wants out. Daddies still in the gang and wants her under his control?" she mused thinking she had figured it all out.
"No she's not in a gang or been in one."
She placed her plate and tea down and sat down across from him
"Don't bullshit me Duncan, what's with her long cloak then? The gang symbols on the back, I saw it. I was fine with it before but not this, this is dangerous!" she said quietly and angrily keeping her voice low.
"It's not a gang symbol." He corrected her.
"What, so she's a drug lord then? A dealer? You've fallen for a knocked up crack head?"
"No! It's not like that! It's… hard to believe but I saw it all with my own eyes."
"I don't want thugs turning up on our doorstep looking for her; I have all morning for you tell me the 'long unbelievable story' of yours if you want her to stay. You owe me that. And while you're at it, you can tell me what that's about." She said pointing at the covered window.
Duncan sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Alright. But I warn ya, ya aren't gonna believe half of it."
"Try me."
So he began from the moment the quake hit.