- Serena -

Ben was calling me. I couldn't move.

Both sides of my body hurt, the left from the car bumping into me and the right from the impact when I fell to the ground.

My ankle was sore and I felt Ben's warm touch around my body as he shouted for help.

I wanted to tell him I was fine, but the ache I felt throughout my body was draining my energy.

It wasn't a big accident, the driver was cruising and bumped into me hard enough to make my ribs hurt a little upon contact. 

I had to force my eyes open, Ben's breath was coming in gasps. He looked worried as hell.

"Serena! Oh God are you okay? Fucking hell, someone call an ambulance!"

"Ben shut up, let me help her. She doesn't seem that badly hurt," I felt Roxanne hold me and she brushed my hair away from my sweaty face.

I groaned in pain as the impact in my head pounded and my ankle started swelling.

"Serena, can you hear me? We're taking you to Ben's apartment, it isn't far from here," Roxy gently held my head and supported my back at the same time.

I nodded slightly, suddenly unaware of how I ended up here. I could hear a repetitive annoying thud and saw Austin calming Felicia on the truck. Where did Ben go?

"BEN STOP! HE'S BLEEDING!" Austin yelled at him and the noise stopped.

I pushed myself to sit up, Roxy helping to steady me.

I pressed my hand to my head, letting the cold ease the pain.

"I'm sorry dude, I didn't see her! She came out of nowhere!" I heard a muffled voice and realised Ben was holding the driver by his collar.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE LOOKED WHERE SHE WAS GOING!" He shouted at him and Austin pulled Ben to get him to release his grip from the poor guy's neck.

"Ben?" My voice came out in less than a whisper but he looked at me immediately and ran over.

"Get her in the truck Ben, we'll meet you at your apartment after we settle everything here," Roxanne handed me to him and he picked me up in his arms easily.

He walked to the truck and I glanced at the driver, his nose bleeding and face bruised. Austin was talking to him and Roxanne went over.

I looked up at Ben, his face was distraught. I reached out and touched his cheek, "Ben I'm fine. You didn't have to beat the guy up."

That was all I managed to say, I felt my core churn and the chill flowed through my body to calm me down. I quickly pulled away from him and he hugged me closer to him.

"Stop talking Serena, I'll keep you safe."

Ben placed me in the truck next to Felicia and she was crying her eyes out. She clung to me the moment she had the chance and I patted her head, holding her close to me.

"What happened to you?" I whispered and she pressed her face onto my body.

Ben drove off, his eyes scanning over us and the road. I sighed and brushed my fingers lightly across Felicia's face. She dozed off almost immediately after her wailing scene ended.

I leaned back, realising blood was running down my arm because I scrapped the rough road when I fell.

"We're almost home," Ben mumbled and I turned to him.

"Why did you beat the driver up?" I asked airily.

He glanced at me, his eyes burning through me, "He knocked into you Serena, you got hurt."

"It wasn't his fault."

"I know, I'm just angry."

I raised an eyebrow, "It's wrong to go around hitting people when you're angry."

"I'm angry because you were hurt. Why did you run out like that? I warned you before didn't I?"

My mind worked double time, how did I end up on the ground again?

We arrived in the car park and the moment the vehicle stopped, Ben was already striding over to my side to pick me up.

"Carry her, I'll be fine," I held Felicia and handed her to Ben.

He was about to reject me but he already had her in his arms and I was on my feet.

I stumbled on my first few steps and I wanted to die right there. My ankle hurt like a bitch. If I could use my powers to help me it would be so much easier.

Ben wrapped an arm around my waist and I reached around his for support.

He helped us over to the elevator and I leaned on him so much I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt.

We arrived at his apartment and he placed Felicia in the guest room while I slumped on the sofa.

I whimpered quietly, the pain coming from everywhere in my body.

Ben was next to me in a flash, a first aid kit ready in his hands.

He slipped my heels off me and I sat up too quickly, "What are you doing?"

I clamped my hand over my head, the sudden motion making my head whirl.

"Just relax Serena, your ankle is twisted," he pushed me back down gently, his face inches from mine.

He stared into my eyes and for a moment I wondered if he was going to do it. If he was going to kill me with those eyes.

He pulled away and resumed working on my ankle. He massaged it gently but I yelped at every single touch. It hurt like hell.

He grabbed ice from the freezer and placed it on my ankle, wrapping a cloth around it to keep it in place.

It wasn't cold enough for me though it was really comfortable. I directed the cold from within me to my ankle and felt the relief take over. Careful not the create any ice in front of him.

Ben checked for the swelling to reduce before starting to clean the blood off my arm.

He wiped the grazes with an alcohol swab and applied some cream before pasting a bandage over.

"Thanks," I pushed myself up and winced, the left side of my waist aching.

He held me carefully, "The car knocked your left side, there might be a bruise or an ache there."

He sounded embarrassed and I wondered why, "I think it's just a bruise, don't worry about it."

I sat up a little straighter and groaned as my left side ached further.

"Serena, don't move. I have to check it but uh- I need you to lift your shirt up slightly," his face flushed bright red and I stared at him. He was adorable.

I couldn't help it.

I leaned close to him, his hot breath fanning my face. His eyes were wide as he watched me, I could feel the heat evaporate off him.

I tilted his chin to look me in the eye, "Why are you so scared Ben?"

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down and I smirked, he was so affected by this simple closeness.

He stared at my lips, his breath coming in heated waves, "You're hurt Serena."

I leaned even closer, our lips barely touching and I heard him inhale a sharp intake of breath, "You're nervous Ben, why is that?"

I saw something dance around his irises and he reached a hand out to hold my neck, "You're crazy Serena."

We pulled away like two poles of a magnet repelling against one another as we heard the front door open, Roxanne and Austin walking in.

They eyed us, me looking like a wreck with bandages and Ben on the floor like the weirdo he is.

Roxanne flew over to me, "Goodness are you okay? You were barely conscious earlier, where does it hurt?"

I laid back down on the sofa as she inspected me from head to toe and I grumbled when she pressed on my left side. 

Ben got up and walked to the kitchen, Austin trailing after him.

"Here? The car did knock you here," Roxanne pulled my shirt up and she gasped, must be bad.

"God the bruise is horrible, here and here," she pressed on each bruise and I winced each time.

"Fuck, Roxy it fucking hurts," I ran my hands down my side and let the chill stop the pain.

She eyed me, "Do you need ice? Or you'll do it yourself?" She whispered the second question.

I rolled my eyes, "Some ice please."

She chuckled and shook her head, she knew I didn't need it, it was just for show. She called out to the guys to bring some ice out and they did.

Ben came back out with two frozen ice packs and his eyes checked out my exposed side before zeroing onto the bruises.

He kneeled down and Roxy stood aside to watch as he pressed the ice packs onto my marks.

He was so careful, gentle. He looked at me, his eyes plastered with worry.

He pulled my top down and it managed to hold the ice packs in place. He helped me sit up and both him and Roxanne settled on either side of me.

Austin came out with glasses of water and we drank up, feeling exhausted by the day's events.

"It's that girl, isn't it? The one from yesterday, her mother was in the hospital and her weirdo gangster dad showed up," Roxanne broke the silence and I realised that she doesn't know anything.

That Ben and Austin weren't technically kicked out of the town but were actually running away from a gang. Wait I mean just Ben.

Ben and Austin looked at one another and I glanced at Roxanne, "There's something we need to tell you Roxy."

Ben gave Austin a look and he sighed, sitting next to her. He held her hand in his and started the whole storytelling. 

She wasn't scared, it was clear enough. My life experience has given her enough to the point that nothing would scare her anymore.

Ben snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me gently to rest on him. This much contact from him was weird. 

But I enjoyed every bit of it.

I laid on his chest and I could feel him breathing into my hair. His heartbeat was like a lullaby to me.

The soft rhythmic pounding of his heart calmed me down and my eyes felt heavy. His hand ran down my right arm, over the bandages he plastered earlier.

Austin was about done with telling the story of the gang when I heard a soft cry from the guest room.

I got up and nearly fell when I forgot about my ankle.

Ben caught me, "I'll help you."

My ice packs slipped out and they were completely melted. Roxanne picked it up and eyed me, as if I was the one that melted the ice.

Well technically it was normal ice so it will melt anyway. I don't even know how fast normal ice melts now.

Ben held my waist and I limped to the room, all the while resting most of my weight on him.

We entered the room and Felicia was sitting upright, rubbing her tired eyes and crying softly.

I skipped the last few steps over to the bed myself, Ben letting me hop over.

I reached out for her and she hugged me tightly.

I patted her head, rubbing soothing circles on her back, "It's okay sweetheart, you're okay now."

She started crying, her tears flowing at full force but barely a sound from her, "Mummy, mummy is gone."

I stared wide-eyed at her, "What do you mean mummy is gone?"

Ben sat next to me, clenching my hand tightly, his words from before suddenly swarming me.

Do it or get killed.

No way. He won't kill his own wife, will he?

She sniffed and used her sleeves to wipe her tears away, "Daddy took mummy away, he gave me to snow man. Daddy hit me."

"Daddy hit you?" Ben asked her and she nodded, her eyes wary as she stared at Ben.

"Who is snow man?" I asked her and she gestured some movement with her hands.

"Snow man."

What was she talking about?

"There was a snow man there earlier? But it wasn't even snowing." I turned to Ben and he watched me.

"No, not a snow man. But there was a man. You don't remember? There was a man standing behind the group of thugs just now. The group ran up to get Felicia but you flew out of the freaking truck and grabbed her away," he filled me in and the events of what happened earlier filled my mind.

"Oh God, what happened after that?" 

"You ran out like a crazy woman and got knocked by a car, what else did you think happened?"

Tears filled my eyes, I remember why I ran out now. That man standing in the front of the group, that man was definitely Shawn.

"Do you even know who he is?" Ben asked me sternly until he registered the look in my eyes.

"You were shouting his name earlier, you know him," his eyes were wide.

"Ben that was my brother, Shawn," I whispered and he stared at me.

"Serena, Shawn is my partner. He works for Tyronne. He wanted to kill me."