Julian indeed could not believe Duncan's entire story. She sat in disbelief narrowing her eyes at him suspicious of his mental state

"So why does this 'guy' that's half 'Vampyre' want to capture her?"

"We don't know. I think it has something to do with her baby. When he first gave her the blood he was relived the baby was alright, he didn't seem to want to hurt her at all. But she was afraid of him." He did his best to explain.

They were unaware Selene was listening in and able to hear everything.

The way Duncan had spoken about Selene with such compassion, Julian felt for her. She was more than happy for her to stay, even if she still found the Vampyre part hard to believe, she knew Duncan wasn't one to make up crazy stories so she did believe him, but logic was telling her this was stupid. Duncan was sure Julian would change her mind when Selene got a hold of some blood and she saw what happened.

"It can't be easy for her." Julian said seeing why Duncan would want to help with his gold hearted nature.

"No." He said and turned and looked down the short hall at the bathroom door

"She's been in there a while. I hope she's alright, I'm a bit embarrassed cause I walked in before. I think she had been crying. You wouldn't be able to check her could you?"

"Sure." She said getting to her feet and placing her cup in the sink.

"You're the best! I'll cook everyone breakfast eh? You need more than one bit a toast."

She nodded and headed for the bathroom door.

Selene quickly grabbed her guns off the side table and put them down under the shelf on the other side of the bath so Julian wouldn't see them.

There was a sturdy knock on the door and before Selene could reply Julian opened the door and entered with Russ running in as soon as the door was wide enough to fit through.

"It's alright I'm Duncan's flatmate, my name is Julian." she was totally oblivious to the fact Selene had heard everything.

"Hi" Selene said quietly leaning forward keeping her head facing toward the water her hair falling along side her face hiding her red eyes, she did not like pity.

"Are you alright? You've been in here a while."

"Fine."

There was a pause of awkward silence Julian tried to break it again

"You're further along than I thought, Duncan's been telling me about you, hope you don't mind. He'd worried." Her words almost bounced off Selene as if she was a brick wall since she did not reply.

"Well congratulations, I bet you can't wait to be a mother huh," she lightly chatted whether Selene answered or not and picked up the large towel and clothes off the floor away from the door. Selene could help but note it was the first time anyone other than Michael had said anything nice about her pregnancy.

"I guess." She answered glancing through her hair at her.

Julian smiled warmly taking a flannel from the nearby shelf above the bath then picked up a purple jar labelled Anti-flame in marker pen.

"I got this off my sister she gives it to her clients to use I got some off her for cramps." she screwed open the lid and scrapping up a blob of the cream onto her figures.

Selene was shocked for a moment when she felt Julian blob the cream onto her back and began rubbing, she was about to move and protest at the nerve of the woman.

"You feel cold, maybe you should hop out?" Julian asked began.

"I'm always cold, it's normal." Selene explained. What Duncan had told her crossed her mind.

"This will work wonders on your back." She smiled she could tell the way Selene dropped her shoulders she was relaxing, she greatly appreciating it.

What Duncan had said about Selene talking more though her motions and facial expressions rather than vocal was so true, she didn't mind.

"The water is a bit cold." Julian said reaching for the tap. Selene's head popped up paying attention she almost dozed off from the massage.

Julian saw Selene's bloodshot eyes and sat on the side of the tub turning the hot tap on rising the temperature of the water

"Are you sure your alright, if you need to talk I'm all ears."

"No, I'm fine it was my back killing me, thank you."

Julian smiled a fake smile she knew she was lying. She grabbed an oil bottle off the table where Selene's guns had been and dripped two drops into the water.

Both their noses were filled with the aroma of lavender.

"Lavender is good for your joints, it has camomile in it to help you relax" She screwed the lid back on and put it back in her place then looked back at Selene who was watching the oil drops disperse into water. Julian was stubborn like Selene except far more assertive. She wanted to ask Selene again to get it out of her, then there was the question of are you really a Vampyre lingering in her head.

"Russ" she said in a joking tone seeing the dog sitting by the bath next to her feet.

"Well I'll leave you to it, come on Russ." She said opening the door. But the dog did not budge just watch Selene and wagged his tail when she looked at him.

"He's alright." Selene said putting her hand out over the bath for Russ to come over. He was there in an instant.

"Okay" she pulled the door closed. Julian walked into the kitchen to see Duncan had cooked piles of food everything from toast and eggs to soup. Gomez stood under Duncan meowing continuously.

"Are we expecting a hoard of people?" She asked causing him to jump with fright.

"Oh, no I haven't had a proper meal in days! Neither has she. They gave me scraps in that cell."

"Right."

"Did she say anything?"

"No. I see what you mean on the quiet side. She's… cold."

"That's normal for her. Told ya - a vampyre."

"That's what she said." she sat down noticing the table with three plates laid out and plates full of food in the centre. Her mind wandered - maybe it's all true.

Selene stood dressed in a large light blue baggy t-shirt that just fitted which had 'I think your sexy' printed on the front with 'Want to f*k?' on the back and she wore baggy blue track pants with two white stripes down each side. She had felt a little uncomfortable changing in front of the dog that stared but quickly got over it when she dried her hair watching herself in the mirror.

Russ sat right next to her feet. She stopped to look at herself properly then stood side on to see the size of the swell properly.

"I look like my mother." she told Russ who watched her every move.

She had let her hair grow, Michael had always asked her to grow it but she used to cut it despite his wishes. It now hung to just on her shoulders almost below. It had a subtle wave to it and curled out nicely at the bottom just like her mothers had. Wiping the thought away she threw the towel into the basket and headed for the kitchen.

Duncan stood with his head in the fridge with Gomez at his feet still meowing relentlessly. Julian saw her standing in the doorway the blank expression on her face.

"Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Take a seat." Duncan said holding a bottle of Orange juice closing the fridge behind him almost shutting the cat inside. He stepped to pull the seat out but tripped on Gomez and stumbled, Gomez letting out the strangle cat squawk sound.

"Gomez!" He cursed

Gomez ran under the table and continued his pursuit of continuous meows looking for more food.

A ravenous wave hit her when the smell reached her and an instinct to eat food overtook her like never before. She began hungrily shoving food from the centre plate into her mouth as soon as she sat down. It was a habit she had picked up off Michael. After her first swallow with little chewing she paused realising her rudeness. She looked to see Duncan and Julian staring, Duncan smiled and proceeded to do the same and stuffed the food into his mouth to make her feel more at ease. Julian had not stare at her because of the way they ate; her eyes were studying Selene's exceptionally long incisor teeth every time she opened her mouth

"I thought Vampyre's only drink blood?" She finally asked a little confused.

Selene swallowed then looked up

"Not when pregnant."

"Oh. That makes sense." she said realising it really was all true.

The room was quiet as they all ate, except of course for the cat that didn't let up its meows. Duncan was becoming annoyed

"Shut up Gomez!" he snapped with a mouth full of food.

"Did you feed him?" Julian asked

"Yes. Twice" Duncan spat toast everywhere as he spoke.

"Might want to ease up a bit." she said screwing her nose up at the spat out food pieces on the edge of the table.

"Just feed him again. He won't shut up!" she ordered

Duncan rolled his eyes but got to his feet

"He's fat enough, Oaf!" he yelled tripping on the cat yet again this time going all the way over.

"Bloody cat!" he yelled form the floor but Gomez walked right up to him and smooched his fluffy coat into his face meowing again.

Selene, cheeks full of food couldn't help but slightly grin, while Julian laughed her head off. Duncan sat up and saw the two of them

"Oh both of ya find that funny eh?"

"He's your cat." Julian remarked.

Julian turned to see Selene smiling fully, Duncan also realised and smiled

"Well if that cheers you up, I'll trip over more fat cats." He laughed.

Selene had moulded so much into their warm relaxed atmosphere she hadn't even realised how relaxed she had become. Forcing it aside like every emotion she refocused herself she could rest but always needed to remain vigilant.

Duncan fed Gomez and began his clean-up of the kitchen. Julian still watched Selene out the corner of her eye curious about this vampyre.

"So what is the baby?" Julian asked

"A hybrid of vampyre and lycan."

"What is a Lycan?" Duncan asked hearing the name yet again.

"What mortals call a werewolf. Marcus, the man that captured us, is also a hybrid. He used to be a vampyre elder in the coven I was in." Selene explained

"I actually meant is it a boy of a girl." Julian said still trying to grasp the concept of Vampyre's let alone werewolves.

"Werewolves exist too?" What about big foot? How about shadow people?" He asked excited.

"I don't think so." She wasn't sure what he was on about.

"I think maybe it's a boy." She continued talking to Julian; she didn't want to get into the creature subject with Duncan.

"Have you had any check-ups or scans?" Julian asked.

"No."

"Well my sister can give you one, you can find out if it is a boy of girl I'm sure."

Selene almost let lose another smile at the thought of finding out. Duncan meanwhile was still fixed on the werewolf issue.

"So do you know of any other types of creatures?" he asked most curious.

"No just vampyres, Lycans, and now the hybrids." She answered bluntly starting to get annoyed.

"Why don't you live with the hybrids if your baby is one?" Julian asked.

"Marcus is the only hybrid I'm aware of. Well other than my baby. It will be the first born one."

"Vamcans!" Duncan loudly spluttered out "We can call them vamcans! Half vampyre, half lycan ha, ha!" Duncan mused at the name he created. He looked at Selene who was clearly not amused. He finally took the hint and went back to the dishes.

Selene began to tell the brief history of her kind, they lycans and how the hybrids came about. To them her story and things from the news and papers all lines up and now made sense. Once she was finished she said with distant eyes recalling it all in her mind. They could see how much it weighed on her and how tired she looked so didn't ask any more questions.

Duncan led Selene to his room while Julian made the phone call to her sister in her room, when there was a knock on the door. They both froze

"Wait here I'll get it." Duncan insisted.

"Duncan!" Selene said handing him the two Berettas she had hid under her shirt.

"Make sure fire one from each gun." She said quietly.

Duncan nodded taking the guns and slid them into the back of his pants in such a way they could be quickly grabbed.

He cautiously opened the door a little and peeked out into the hall. He breathed out with relief; outside stood a scrawny angry looking elderly man from the apartment across the hall. His grey eyes furrowed and lips pursed seeing him

"Your dog shit on my doorstep!" he growled angrily at Duncan, spitting as he spoke.

"Mr Hagley, your own dog shite on your doorstep! I'm bloody sick of this! There is no way Russ can do a turd that bloody big; it's bigger than his head for feck sake!" Duncan yelled at the old man who stood back in shock. Duncan had never raised his voice or got angry at him before.

"Bugger off" Duncan growled at him then threw the door shut with a loud slam. Leaving him standing alone, mouth agape shocked.

Proud of himself he marched back to Selene, to find her sitting in bed with Russ sitting against her.

"It was just the miserable old bastard from across the hall," he said taking some cloths out of his draw.

"I can call him out if you like" he referred to Russ

"No he's fine really."

"He likes new friends, if you rub his chest he will fall to sleep instantly and fall over." Duncan explained handing her back her guns. She slid them under her pillow and lay down.

"Have a good sleep I will be in the shower and Julian's in the kitchen" he said flicking the light off and pulling the door to. Russ insisted on getting in with her and snuggled up against her. He was warm and sure enough when she rubbed Russ's chest he plopped right over onto his side fast asleep.

She was relaxed, but couldn't sleep immediately. The cream had done wonders on her back giving her much relief making her comfortable. Not enough to escape the thoughts that plagued her again. Duncan had given her breathing space away from the war, but she knew this was the quiet before the storm. Marcus along with the death dealers and Lycans would not give up so easy.

Duncan checked her a little while late. She was fast asleep and Gomez was snuggled into her like a teddy purring happily. He smiled, he did not know Selene a long time but knew viewing this was a rare occasion.