Disclaimer: I don't make any money with this story. Characters, general idea etc. are not mine. All belong to the producers (Len Wiseman etc.), the actors (Kate Beckinsale etc.) and Screen Gems.

Rating: PG-13 (Mention of violence, blood, intimacy. You've been warned!)

Summary: Oneshot. One doesn't go from ruthless death dealer to doting mother in the blink of an eye. See Selene's struggle with the new situation and her resolution. Selene's POV. Selene&Michael, (Hurt/Comfort/Angst)

Author's Note: First: Go watch the movies, if you have not done so yet. Otherwise the story will make no sense.

For everyone else: Enjoy! And if you have some time left, please give constructive feedback. Even spelling mistakes will be gladly received. Can not improve without some good feedback.

Words in italic are memory flashbacks.

Facts to know beforehand: After two weeks Selene and Eve had been able to track down Michael. They started living with David's coven and had been pivotal in strengthening it, with money and knowledge.

What we do for the ones we love

Selene had no more patience for this. Exaggerated she slammed the shiny door of the Jaguar shut and was instantly confronted by Thomas with yet another of his complaints. At his side, as always, was David, looking apologetic.
"The investments you plan to do down here are outrageous," Thomas spit out.
Selene crossed her arms, "Which do you exactly mean?"
"Three more holding cells, cameras for all of them, state of the art nonetheless and drugging pipes in the cells! You are supposed to kill the lycans not catch them. The money should be invested on the defensive. We need to be able to protect ourselves. We need more cameras covering the grounds, automatic weaponry and more guards!" as always he got even more agitated through his ranting.

This was a never ending issue between the two vampires. Selene knew the best defensive was the attack, but the aged vampire only wanted to cover himself in the ground and hide there. Thomas had been the last to leave the hidden underground coven and move into the villa on the outskirts of town. He wanted to continue his monologue when the death dealer just had enough.

Angrily she pushed past the two vampires and rebuffed him coldly, "The council already voted on this, take your whining to them." Thomas stood rooted to the spot silenced for now and glared after her, while David fell into Selene's stride. He was smart enough to not stop her in her goal. She was already late as it was. "I gather you managed to find the lycans and kill them?"

Selene just raised one eyebrow when she hurried past the doors leading from the garage to the underground facilities of the death dealers. Although David strived to be not like his father, he had some politics move down very well. Her coat was covered with blood which oozed the definite stench of lycan, he already knew the answer. David was wise enough to skip further the small talk, "The death dealers continued their surveillance on the lycan coven, as you ordered. The delta squad chanced upon a lycan on the eastern side of town. They were able to exterminate him. Our healer will perform the autopsy. She will be able to tell us if he was a loner or lived in that area being part of a pack."

Selene nodded satisfied with the efficiency of the revived death dealers and hurried to one of the lockers filled with armour and clothes. Shedding her dirty cloak she put on a fresh one. David turned meanwhile to a cabinet and took out a clean cloth for cleaning wounds. Wetting the cloth with water from the tab he returned to Selene, who finished refilling her guns with ammunition and put them back into her holsters. Grateful she took the cloth removed the blood that was spattered on her face and covered her hands. Continuing her clean up, she turned to the corridor taking her out of the mazelike steel corridors.

She had absolutely no time to lose. David followed her again, "I have already put the videos that have been gathered on your computer." "What about Michael?"

David should have known that this was the main thing tonight she took interest in. "He successfully made contact with the dealer. He says he will be back tomorrow night." "Make sure Adams and Smith report as scheduled," she hoped the two best death dealers she got were enough to protect Michael.

"One second later. Inform me," Selene ordered David reaching the second floor of the mansion. Only a few more turns through the richly decorated halls and she would have finally reached her destination. "I will, don't worry," the young vampire assured Selene. She wanted to push the oaken doubles doors that marked her destination open, when David suddenly grabbed her arm. Selene had to stifle her instincts so she didn't hit him right through the next wall. "What?" "The cloth." Finally understanding Selene handed him the blood reddened textile. Nodding he stepped back, "She is still inside, waiting for you. I will go and stop my father from bothering the council." Putting the bloody evidence in his pockets he turned around and left Selene to her most important task tonight.

The slow opening of the doors stood in stark contrast to the race through the mansion. Silent to not disturb the two occupants of the vast library, the death dealer entered. The entrance was on an upper floor, from which great wooden steps lead to a lower reading area. The walls and the floors were all covered with great amounts of shelves stacked with books, recovered from the now abandoned underground coven. On the left far side of the room, a great basalt desk stood before the glass doors leading to a spacious terrace. Soft light from a lamp shone on the head of the young black haired girl sitting at the table.

A much older blond woman stood at her side and glanced up to Selene nodding in acknowledgement and then concentrating again on the young girl. With a furrowed brow and deeply concentrated Eve read out her German essay. It featured the rise of the vampire influence in the Magdeburg area in the 15th century. She was so engrossed in pronouncing every word correctly she hadn't noticed her mother entering the library.

To not disturb the scene Selene stood back and just listened to her daughter. Warmth filled her heart when she looked at that beautiful creature she and Michael had created. Every time she looked anew on Eve she had to remind herself that she wasn't actually having just a wonderful dream. Proud she listened to the reciting of the text. Especially impressive was the fact that the hybrid only two month ago hadn't even known one single word in German. Eve was like a sponge, sucking up knowledge faster, than her teacher could sometimes feed her with.

"Stuor..Stuer ...Stuerm..."

"Sturmangriff," corrected her teacher. "Very good, Eve. We will continue tomorrow. Don't forget to repeat your calculus tasks and please read the next two chapters of the Historicae Vampiricae Germanicae." Relieved Eve raised her head being finished for tonight. Her eyes then finally fell on Selene and she hurriedly started to pack her things to not make her mother wait too long. With a beautiful startling smile she raced to the waiting Selene, who had the suspicion that if Eve arms hadn't been full with books, papers and pens she would have hugged her in her excitement.

Selene tried to offer Eve a compliment on her progress,"Your pronunciation could be much worse." To Selene's chagrin Eve's smile lost a lot of its radiance and the death dealer had the feeling she had yet again said something wrong. Michael was so much better at this. To save face in the situation she asked, "Are you hungry?" Eager again Eve nodded her head, "I'm starving." "Well then let's go," Selene laid a hand on Eve's lower back and stirred her softly through the halls to the rooms in the east wing. She made a point of staring death glares at the vampires who crossed their path and dared to look too openly at the young hybrid.

Thankfully it was a short walk. Relieved Selene threw her black leather coat on a nearby chair and strode purposefully to the small makeshift kitchen in their apartment. The full fridge was opened and the vampire stared down at the blood packages. Selene had no particular favourites; a soldier was trained to eat when necessary. Taste didn't play a role. But the death dealer had to make sure that her daughter ate regularly and enough. So which one should she take?

The time for considering was over, when Eve joined her in the kitchen. Selene finally settled for a B-positive and hoped for the best. The package was put into the microwave and the timer set on 60 seconds. Then Selene turned to the young hybrid, which stared expectantly at her. Leaning against the counter the death dealer wished the numbers to drop faster. Still 45 seconds left, 43... . What should she talk about?

"Did you finally get the lycans you were searching for?" Eve inquired not aware of her mother's discomfort. Smiling reassuringly Selene nodded. Four lycans less who could hurt her daughter. The eager hybrid instantly sat up straighter and pressed further: "How did it go? How did you find them? Was it a hard fight?"

Eve had already killed in self defence and seen things nobody should ever see. Still Selene wanted to be a good mother and shelter her as long as possible from all the things bad in the world. So she offered only, "The how is not important. Important is that they no longer pose a threat to us." Disappointment was written on the teenagers face and Selene could see how Eve tried to think of a good way to pry the information out of her mother. Yet again she was struggling with the fact that on the one hand Selene loved her calling, while at the same time being abhorred at the thought that her daughter wanted to be like her. All the things she liked or was good in weren't good for Eve. Death dealers were no appropriate role models.

This was one of the reasons why Selene herself had never sired a new vampire. She had no clue how to be someone to look up to and shape into a better person. Reluctant as she was to admit it, Victor had been a very good sire. Being always patient with the young woman and teaching her everything necessary to survive. It had been Selene's idea to become a death dealer. Had it been up to Victor she would have stayed in the safety of the coven and spend her days in leisure.

Eve just wanted to try again, when the loud beep of the microwave startled them both. 'Saved by the gong' Selene mused and took the package out to fill it in a glass for Eve. Her daughter gladly took the food, her questions forgotten in the face of finally eating something. Selene turned and put her own package to heating. When she faced the teenager again, the blood was still untouched. Disappointed Selene thought she had taken the wrong blood type, "What is it?"
Frowning in confusion Eve answered, "Nothing. I'm just...I'm waiting for yours to finish. ... Is that wrong?"

Selene felt inadequate again, her daughter practiced her newly learned table manners and she had to make a big deal out of it, "No that's very kind. But you can start without me, if you like..." "No I'm fine."

Both women waited in silence for the bag to finish. 60 seconds could be awfully long, but finally the 'Beep' sounded again and Selene joined the hybrid at the table. With amusement Selene watched how Eve struggled not to gulp all down in her hunger. Taking her own drink, Selene was glad they didn't eat like humans. A long dinner without Michael keeping the conversation flowing would still be unmanageable for the vampire. It was amazing how well the three of them functioned together and how bad, when separated. She always felt a painful sting when she had to part with one of her two beloved.

Eve had already finished her food and was now restlessly shifting on her stool, her earlier questions forgotten for now. Smiling the vampire ushered her out,"Go on. I'll be there in a few." In a hurry Eve sprang up, while Selene drank her last sip of blood and took up the dirty dishes. A glance in the glass showed her that her daughter had finished all of the blood. Satisfied Selene put the glasses in the sink and cleaned them. Her ears picked up the heavy thump of a tome on the coffee table in the living room. The young teenager always eagerly started with her homework. No coaxing of the parents was necessary. Selene wouldn't call herself an expert on children or teenagers, but still it seemed odd to her although she knew she shouldn't be complaining. Drying her hands on a dish towel the death dealer recalled Michael's statement about her musings only a few nights ago.

Their breaths had finally returned to a normal pace and she felt Michaels hand drawing idle circles on her back, when Selene remembered the questions she wanted to ask him earlier and had not come to in their hurry to get into bed. The restless hand on her back told her Michael had yet to decide if he was in a mood for more. Drilling him with her questions would be a good ruse to regain some of her strength. Keeping up with a hybrid in bed who was also a doctor after an exhausting night out with the death dealers could be straining, even for a 600 year old vampire.

"Do you think Eve liked yesterday's trip to the shopping mall?" Michael chuckled, "Don't worry, you did well, she couldn't stop talking about it until she fell asleep." His idle strokes stopped. Only his thumb continued his caresses. Selene knew this to be his soothing move, when she was troubled and went on with her next question, „Other kids her age were there in groups and not with their mothers. Should I have left her shopping alone for a while?" The question hung in the air and then he said,"Eve is not like other teenagers." Sighing Selene shifted her head on his shoulder, stroking his chest with her fingertips.
"That is one thing I always have on my mind. But it is not just that. When I was her age I was considered nearly an adult. My father started looking for a suitable marriage for me. I've got no idea what is appropriate in this century."

"And did he find one?" Michael still young for an immortal was always interested about the life, he only had read about in textbooks. Whenever the topic of her past arose he asked endless questions being nearly as adamant in that respect as their daughter. Although this time she had the suspicion she heard some jealously in his voice.

"There were some candidates. But after my sister lost her husband he got overly picky for me." Michael gave a satisfied grunt and then came back to the actual topic at hand,"Eve will be fine. We just love her and when she is actually ready for the first steps alone, we will support her." Frowning Selene wasn't satisfied with the answer, but she let it go for now. There was something else that had her bothered, "Don't you think she is a little bit odd for a teenager?" It was now Michael's time to frown, "What do you mean?" He didn't take critic on their daughter well.

"She never argues with us, she always does what she is told, shouldn't she be more rebellious?" "Not every teenager runs amok, Selene. And you should be careful, what you wish for..."

The discussion had then stopped in favour of some sleep, but Selene just felt it in her guts, that there was just another shoe waiting to drop. Michael didn't like conflict, but Selene knew that sometimes it was just necessary. She was still waiting for Eve to show a rebellious streak. Selene had considered trying to push it with the young hybrid, but still didn't know how. And actually she had to confess she didn't really want to fight with her daughter. The fear that they would estrange themselves in the process was too strong.

Sighing she threw the towel on the counter and joined Eve in the living room. The teenager sat on the floor her books and papers strewn out on the coffee table. Selene took her weapons and her cleaning utensils starting with her own duties. In moves repeated a million times she disassembled her beloved Berettas and started cleaning them. Working in silence on their respective tasks, Selene was so engrossed in the polishing of her weapons she at first didn't recognize the increasing frequency Eve threw her glances.

"What is it?" The teenager hesitated and then answered, "When I have finished my lessons with the healer, can I come with you? Hunting lycans, I mean" Selene stopped in her moves, "You are too young for fighting." "So when will I be old enough?" "Never, I mean...you are not going to, ever." Eve voice rose slightly in volume, "Why! I'm already stronger than most of the death dealers. I can help you. It would be safer, if..." "No. I forbid it," Selene's tone matched the one she had used with Thomas, cold and with steel in her voice. It worked, Eve went silent again.

The death dealer put her weapons away. Next she reviewed the footage David had talked about. Booting up her laptop she watched Eve continue with her work in stony silence. Pushing the volume on mute, just in case, Selene watched the videos of the last days. Eve eventually had her homework finished and hiding a yawn behind her hand stood up gathering her things in her arms, "I'm going to bed now."

Selene looked up and nodded in acknowledgement. Her view kept on the laptops monitor she intently listened to the bedtime ritual of her daughter. Her eyes fixed on the time clock she made sure the young hybrid took enough time brushing her teeth.

When Eve finally passed from the bathroom to her bedroom Selene stared intently on the monitor letting her hair fall into her face, hiding the look to check on her daughter's constitution. Her short sleeping shorts and tank top didn't leave much to the imagination and she was able to confirm that her weight and muscle development was well. She had again grown some, explaining the healthy hunger of the child. Satisfied Selene stopped her medical examination and viewed her daughter with softer eyes, followed by sudden dread. The still prominent baby fat in Eves cheek made her look more a child than a woman, but her body already told a different story.

So little time left ... there was still so many things to teach Eve, before she was an adult. But that day seemed to be rushing to them faster and faster. Selene had just found out, that she had a daughter and already she had to cope with the thought that soon Eve would follow her own path, make her own way in life. Her heart constricted in pain at the thought what she had missed out on all that years being held captive. Selene had never held her daughter as a baby, seen her first steps or knew what her first words had been. And now Eve already turned into a woman and had her first crush, on David, of all the vampires. He saw it as the childish infatuation it was, but in another ten years... There were bound to be problems in the years to come.

Finished with the videos Selene rose and followed the hybrid into her bedroom. Eve was too old to be tugged in by her parents, but Selene and Michael made a point of checking every night, if the safety systems were working and the shutters in front of the windows in Eve's room tightly closed. After finishing her nightly routine Selene turned to her daughter, which already lay in her king-sized bed. Satisfied the vampire noticed that Eve had finally adapted to the spacious bed and didn't just occupy a small space similar to the cot she had slept in at Antigen.

Drawn to her daughter by a sudden need to be close to her, Selene sat down on the bed. Eve turned from her side to lie on her back expectantly watching her mother. Confused to what to do next Selene licked her lips, "When you have a nightmare you will wake me alright?" The young teenager looked away in embarrassment but then nodded. It wasn't much she had gotten out of Eve about the years at that dreadful place, but sometimes they were woken by the screams of her daughter in the middle of the day. It took a great deal of time to calm her down and Selene always felt the need to kill those bastards all over again. From what they had put together so far Eve had at first been tested in her physical and mental abilities as a hybrid.

The first years of her childhood she had been watched like an animal in a zoo. But when she had grown older and there were no more new things to learn in that respect, they had concentrated on her anatomy and her chemistry, finally leading to their final sinister plans with her. What they yet had to find out was the role that Lida woman had played in Eve's upbringing. Sometimes Eve was screaming in fear of her and on other times she was clearly screaming for her. Selene felt even more hatred for that woman than for those men. She had known Eve in ways Selene never had a chance to. She dreaded the thought that she must have played a pivotal role in Eve's childhood, shaping her into the girl she was now.

"Will you keep the door slightly open?" the hybrid finally dared to whisper admitting to her fears. Selene smiled reassuringly and brushed a lock of black hair out of her daughters face. Eve was as strongly frightened by sleep as she was eager to become a death dealer. A contradiction Selene watched with caution. "Sure. You know I'll be only a door away and in shouting distance." "Will father be back tonight?"

Selene shook her head. Understanding Eve nodded clearly fighting with her drooping eyes. "Sleep now," Selene ordered softly and watched as Eve cuddled deeper into the blankets her eyes closing. The death dealer dared bravely to brush a soft kiss on her child's forehead. She had seen Michael doing it and finally felt obliged to indulge herself as well. With silent steps she moved to the door and turned to take a last look at her daughter. Startled the vampire drew a shaking breath.

For a moment the shadows of the room had played a trick on her eyes and instead of the teenager in the bed she saw a small child suckling her thump. Seconds later the moment had passed that had turned Eve into a toddler and her hand was only close to her face in remembrance of the childhood habit of suckling once thumb. Selene was torn between feeling happiness about the glimpse she got into the past and heartbroken about the loss she felt. She stood rooted to the spot for a few more seconds and then crept through the apartment following tired her own bathroom habits to fall into her own bed. Her hand resting on the empty spot Michael had left by her side she let herself be lulled to sleep by the steady clicking of the grandfather clock in the living room.

A scream rose Selene from her deep sleep. Her blue glowing eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her gaze already pointed in the same direction as her raised arm, holding one of her Berettas at the ready. Jumping from the bed she moved swiftly through the rooms pointing her weapon in every corner an enemy could lurk. She knew the course of the screams followed by agonized moans, but safe was safe. The whole search of the apartment had only taken seconds until she moved into Eve's room. Sad she was greeted by the familiar sight of Eve thrashing wildly and moaning in distress. Putting away her weapon the death dealer moved to her side and tried to shake her daughter awake.

"Help ...help, please, Lida ... help me. Make them stop." Eve kept whimpering in her sleep. "It's alright no one is going to hurt you. Eve, wake up! Wake up!" With a startled gasp Eve woke up and focusing on her mother stopped in her screams. Shaking the hybrid raised into a seating position. Eve instantly avoided Selene's gaze and wiped away the tears, which were still wet on her cheeks. The death dealer reached out, but stopped millimetres before touching her child. Especially after dreams featuring this Lida Eve was shaken up and uncomfortable being touched. Unsuccessful Selene tried to catch Eve's green eyes with her own brown ones.

"Do you want to talk about the dream?" Selene knew that it was a futile question but at least she had to try. In that respect her flesh and blood was just like herself. Selene had never spoken about that night her family had been killed until she had met Michael. She just hoped their daughter wouldn't take so long to confide in somebody. As expected Eve just shook her head. Knowing nothing else to ask Selene tried,"Would you like some milk?" Eve considered for a second and then whispered a "Yes".

"I'll be right back." Selene rose, glad to have some act to focus on, put on the light on her daughters bedside table and moved to the kitchen. The preparation of the milk would take some time and give Eve hopefully the opportunity to calm down enough to talk with her. Selene switched on the kitchen light and gathered the milk and some more blood out of the fridge. After mixing the milk and blood she put it in the microwave and waited. One of the surprising things they had learned relatively fast from their daughter was that contrary to her pureblood brethrens she could sustain herself on normal food. Only recently she had begun to crave blood, which also had triggered her ability to change into the hybrid form and enabled her to heal at a rapid pace. Michael assumed in that way she was actually a next evolutionary step, being able to survive on more than only blood.

Selene wished Michael was here right now. He had a very calming influence on her as well as on their daughter. Sighing she picked up the finished warm drink and moved back to the waiting hybrid. But when she reached the room Eve had turned again on her side and had her eyes tightly closed, seemingly sleeping. Selene hesitated for a moment but then abided to the child's ruse. Carefully as if not to wake her she put the glass on the bedside table and switched the light off before leaving the room. Eve might be unwilling to share the information but Selene had other sources. Sources she would exploit as soon as Michael was back. No one would keep hurting her daughter not even in her dreams.

The waning moon shown down on the two storey house in the suburban neighbourhood, while Selene stood in her hiding spot beside the road. The sign "To be sold" showed clearly that the house was empty. The death dealer had staked out the house and the close surroundings for about a half an hour before getting into her surveillance spot. Sebastian had led her to this address. The allusive doctor woman had owned this house before her untimely murder. Antigen had paid her well before she had been killed by her employers.

Lida had been found dead in the underground facilities of the company already packed away for burning, when the police had arrived at the crime scene Selene had left them to clean up. Neither she nor Sebastian had any doubts that her death was directly linked to her daughters escape. From what Sebastian had found out about her, Lida had no husband and no children of her own. She had spent most of her time at work barely even sleeping in her spacious house. Lida was the perfect tool for the likes of Antigen: a workaholic and easy to dispatch. No family to miss her. Except, maybe Eve...

The government had inherited all her belongings and sold them. Sebastian said there had been no information found in the house about her work at Antigen or about Eve, but Selene had still to try. Not drawing the waiting out any longer Selene moved to the back of the house. From there it was easy to jump on the balcony and move through an open window. From the inside it seemed even bigger than from the outside. Her footsteps echoed on the parquet and her nose picked up the stinging smell of polish and cleaner. The walls were freshly painted and everything weaned to perfection. No sign of anyone ever leaving an imprint on this house could be detected. Frustrated Selene moved from empty room to empty room. It took her only seconds to have to admit that the upper level was bare of any information.

Swiftly she moved to the lower level, hurrying down the stairs which were interrupted by two landings. The kitchen was the only room with furniture and Selene took the opportunity to search every corner of each shelve carefully. But yet again there was nothing to be found. Gritting her teeth she turned from the hallway to leave the residence the way she came in. This had been a total waste of her time. Lida had taken her secrets to the grave. Her foot set on the first step of the stairs and her climb stopped abruptly, when she caught side of the glass window above the first landing of the stairs. A mosaic of the smallest coloured glass pieces depicted an exceptional beautiful picture. Various shades of blue and black glasses were illuminated by the moon shine from outside. A figure cloaked in black, stood on a rooftop of a tall building overlooking the city below.

The full moon was in the background, formed by yellow to beige glass pieces. Tilting the head just right one could picture the outline of a wolf in the moon. Selene could not understand how she could have missed such a big display of herself or how the doctor came to the information to give such work in order. But that was of small importance right now. Selene was close to her goal. Slowly she moved to the first landing and searched the window for any more hints. But there was no more information to get out of the glass mosaic. Selene hesitated and decided then that maybe this was the entire hint she would get and actually need. Gathering her strength she raised her right leg and then with all her power let it crash on the wooden boards under her feet.

Once, twice three times was enough to crash the wood to splinters. Crouching Selene moved the wood and rumble aside with her hands. It didn't take long to find a big a plastic bag and inside, wrapped in paper, two books, one bigger than the first. Selene first opened the smaller one. It was a thick book wrapped in black leather filled with bible thin paper. Riffling through the pages she recognized it to be a diary. Picking up a random date she read:

I can't refer to her anymore as a test subject. What I had sworn to myself would never happen, did happen, I fell in love with this little child. Yesterday she made her first steps and fell in my arms smiling a heart breaking smile. She thinks I'm her mother. While the real one is actually only lying one room away from her. Not knowing that she even has a daughter. This death dealer will kill us all if when she finds out.

Shaking Selene closed the book understanding that she held a detailed description of the past twelve years in her hands. Her gaze fell on the photo book. Taking a deep breath she brazed herself to open the book already guessing what it contained. She opened the first page and was greeted by a short note.

When you find this the time has come and you have had your revenge on us. I'm confident we all burn in hell right now. But still I hope this will at least make up for part of the sins we committed to your family. I tried my best to keep her as safe as possible, please tell her that.

Frowning Selene crumbled the paper in her hands and let it fall to the floor. She hoped the doctor was right and they were suffering in hell right now. Then her eyes fell on the first picture in the book. It was the only one on the page and bigger sized. The description under it read: Subject 2: 42cm and 3956g. Time of birth: 8.15pm on 06/03/.

With hungry eyes the vampire took in the first picture of her baby girl. Her hands that were closed into tiny fists were raised above her head. Her eyes squinted shut in the unfamiliar glaring light. A thin layer of black her already covered the small head. Eve had the look common to all the newborns, but Selene could also detect the features of her and Michael in the little baby. It was the most beautiful thing Selene had ever seen in her life. The thump of a dropped book could be heard echoing through the rooms and then a harsh intake of breath shattered the calm atmosphere in the house. The heart wrenching sobs that followed echoed from room to room, upstairs and downstairs alike. Not even when her family had been murdered had Selene ever cried so hard.

The crying had been going on for quite a while. Never stopping and never decreasing in its intensity. Until the ringing of a cell phone was mixed to the sound. Still shaken Selene took the call, "Yes?" The curt and deep voice on the other end was recognized as Montgomery, a death dealer. He was one of the few with military background in his human life and so led his own squad under Selene's supervision. Selene had confidence in his abilities and with some time maybe even in him. So when he told her now that there was a situation, she knew it was serious. And when Eve's name was mentioned, she had finished the call, grabbed the books and left the house before he had time to go into further detail.

Grinding her teeth Selene stormed through the mansion ignoring all the curious stares from the other vampires. Hurrying down, she reached the underground facilities as fast as she could. The metal covered walls didn't ring off with the typical training sounds and discussions that were usual for this time of night. All the areas were curiously empty and with dread she moved to the few holding cells, which lay a little further off the healer's domain. When the death dealer rounded the last corner she was greeted by a very unwelcome sight. In the room before the monitors depicting the cells occupants a small group had gathered. Montgomery and three vampires of his squad were there, all of them injured but already healing.

One still nursed on a blood pack, but only on the adamant insistence of the blond healer standing by his side. The group was completed by a pale Michael clutching his chest and seemingly having difficulty breathing and an even paler David. Standing beside him obviously not amused about his son stood Thomas glaring at everyone with flaming cheeks until his gaze landed on Selene. Opening his mouth he obviously wanted to start with one of his tirades. The seasoned vampire had no time for this. "Report!"

Her curt order was obeyed by Montgomery who stood a little straighter when he began with military accurateness and efficiency: "At exactly 9.00pm this night the alpha squad continued in safe house "12" the surveillance of the lycan coven. Until tonight the suspected size was 42 lycans. 25 males, 10 woman, and 7 humans had been identified so far. At exactly 12 o'clock the bus frequenting the street across the hideout arrived like every night. The occupants were closely watched and recorded. This night however...," Montgomery had come to the uncomfortable part of the story and swallowed, "this night your daughter was seen getting out of the bus. We immediately contacted the coven for instructions. One of our men followed her to keep an eye on her. Before we could further interpret the situation gun shots could be heard. We got out of hiding and stormed the lair."

Selene didn't understand a coven of that size against five vampires. The squad should have been eliminated and not standing in front of her. "When we reached the entrance of the lair we found three armed lycans dead on the ground, our man at their side, unconscious. From the sound of the weapons fired all hell seemed to have broken loose in there. The man down was brought to the safe house and the coven was informed asking for reinforcements. The rest of us continued in. The further we moved in the more dead lycans we found. When we finally reached the main hall they were hiding in, we could do nothing more."

"What do you mean! What about Eve?"

"Your daughter was fine. Well as fine as she could be, going in like that." That got Selene only more confused. Michael finally helped the death dealer out of the situation, "Eve killed everyone in there with her bare hands, but she didn't take care of herself. She has been hit, many times." Tightly holding it together she moved closer to the group, "Where is she!"

Instead of an answer she got a loud answering boom from one of the closed steel doors. With a second crash the door got a clearly visible outward dent. Angry she stormed past the backing off death dealers and glanced at the monitors. And there she was, transformed into her hybrid form Eve raged through the cell, hitting the walls screaming at full force. Her tattered clothes and her arms and face were covered in blood.

"Shortly after Montgomery and his team found her Eve fell unconscious through the blood loss. They took her back. All of the bullet wounds had closed when they arrived here. She got literally pumped full with bullets. We wanted to get them out, but just as we were preparing her for surgery she regained conscious. She must have been reminded of Antigen, because she hit me in the chest and ran. We were only able to catch her in the cell by cheer luck and with a few broken bones," finished Michael the explanation and looked pointedly at the death dealers.

"She is going mad with pain...," whispered Selene, her eyes fixed on the screen showing her still raging daughter. "How are we going to save her?" asked David, who had been silent so far. "I will talk with her," said Selene although she didn't know what to say to calm her daughter down. "All of you leave, now!"

The death dealers reacted without complaint, but David had to be dragged by his father away, while the healer put a comforting hand on his arm pushing him in the direction of her office. Frowning Selene let her package fall on the table and drew a deep breath. She was not good with feelings, not good at all. Knowing her struggle Michael withdrew to the corner of the room and left her some space. Taking one last steadying breath Selene pushed on the communication button. She was instantly greeted with the roaring and screaming of her daughter. The pounding on the walls increased in volume ten folds. Selene had to raise her voice to make herself audible, "Eve listen, please, calm down!"

With vigour Eve aimed and threw herself against the door, which shook under the impact. "We want to help you! Please, Eve, it's your Mom" Selene's voice croaked on the last word, but the raging teenager in the cell took no notice at all that Selene was talking to her. Desperate Selene tried again,"I know you are in pain. But if you calm down enough to let us tread you..."

The only answer she got was the ear piercing screeching of metal that was sliced apart by razor sharp claws. "EVE YOU LISTEN TO ME THIS INSTANT!" panic and anger at her helplessness let Selene scream at her daughter. But to no avail, Eve kept on hitting the walls. She would exhaust herself and eventually drop down. But, who knew how much damage the bullets in her body could cause in that time?

Selene wished they had had already the time to install the drugging pipes for the holding cells. But they hadn't and so there was no feasible way to sedate their daughter without endangering everyone, who opened the door. Damn the council and damn Thomas. Selene jerked when Michael pushed the Off-button for the communication. She should have known that this would do no good. If Michael hadn't been able to calm her down how could she have...? She just had gotten her little girl, saved her and was now forced to see her suffer and possibly die like that! She had had only months with her, while that vile woman had been granted years...

Angry Selene stared down at the books she had found. Testaments to the time she had lost. The things she had missed... Shaking Selene took the diary out of the paper package. If anybody knew how her daughter could be calmed down then it was this woman. Frantically she started riffling through the thin pages.

"What are you doing?" was Michael's curious question. He knew Selene to be a woman of action and not the studious type. The death dealer looked up shortly,"I found this book hidden by this Lida. It is a diary. This woman knew our daughter better than anybody; this book may have the answers we need."

Frowning Michael accepted the truth with a nod and started pacing back and forth, always keeping an eye on the monitor. As long as he didn't get Eve on an operation table there wasn't anything he could possibly do at this point. As fast as she could Selene scanned the pages of the book. They were covered with the tiny and straight handwriting of the woman on every page. Most entries were filled with unknown medical terms and left Selene frustrated and disgusted, as she could only guess what those procedures done to her daughter meant. Time was running out...

And then after rifling the pages the fourth time she stumbled on the right entry. Swallowing again she reread the passage with a beating heart. Of course! Every little child had a lullaby sung to it when it had to be calmed down. Trembling, the vampire licked her dry lips putting the book aside. She swallowed ones, twice and then opened the communication between the holding cell and the observation room. Taking a deep breath she hummed the first tune and by cheer force of will chipped again a little piece of her armour around her heart away to start to sing for her girl a lullaby. Her voice was at first barely above a whisper but Eve heard it nonetheless.

Like a deer in the headlights she stopped in her raging and listened to the song tilting her head in the direction of the speakers. More confident Selene increased her singing in volume and watched with tears in her eyes how Eve sat down, intently listening to the tune. Michael gave a surprised chuckle and hurried then away. The song was like a wonder drug and Selene kept on singing until Michael returned with a syringe to drug their daughter. Eve rocked back and forth a little to the tune, while Selene kept on singing crouching by her side when Michael administered the sedative. The death dealer never stopped singing: not when Eve's eyes closed in sleep, not when they moved her into the prepared surgery room and not even when it took long into the new day to extract all of the 42 bullets locked in their daughter's body.

"You need to sleep some too, you know," reprimanded Michael when he joined her at their daughter's sickbed. Selene just looked at him once and then returned her attention to the sleeping Eve. She hadn't left her side during surgery and she wouldn't now.

"I didn't know you had such a beautiful singing voice," was her mates next try to start a conversation. This time the death dealer craned her neck looking up at him with a look of annoyance and slight warning, which he knew meant he was only one step away of getting a serious hit in his most precious parts. The vampire asked while focusing on Eve again,"Did you look into the diary?"

"Yes, I got until her third birthday. Our assumptions about the early years at Antigen are correct. She was at first studied like a curiosity...also thanks to the doctor's intervention." Selene nodded and continued to stare at the steady rise and fall of her child's breast. "How could this happen? She was not allowed to leave the mansion alone." Selene had expected something to happen, but certainly not something like this. Sighing Michael sat down on the food of the bed.

"She is as strong minded as you are." Frowning Selene looked up at him.

"So how do we keep it from happening ever again?" When Victor forbade her to leave the coven, she had most of the times also not obeyed, sure that he would forgive her eventually. She couldn't be angry with her daughter when she lay so frail and defenceless before her eyes.

"I guess we will have to punish her, forgive her and then try to be better role models," offered Michael. Frowning Selene considered his words. Better role models... Her death dealer duties had always come before all else, but now she had started to sometimes wonder more about how Eve was doing at home than the fight at hand. Once it had even caused a close call with death, she had rather not dwelled on. There were many enemies outside just waiting to attack them, how could she not actively fight them to protect their child? On the other hand, had this Lida sacrificed all of her personal life to take care of Eve, who was not even her own flesh and blood. The diary was a testament to that fact. Selene had already sacrificed the icy shell around her heart to be with Michael. To actually be with her daughter obviously much more was necessary.

"I will inform the council, that Montgomery from now on supervises all the squads. I'm going to concentrate on training the death dealers and making sure Thomas isn't cutting low on our resources." It was time to make this gift to their daughter. Should others take on the hunting from now on. Understanding Michael nodded. With relief Selene recognized the telltale twitching of Eves eyelids. She was waking up. It was time to have an earnest talk with their wayward child, a first of many probably. But it was good this way.