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: M (Lime, Blood and some violence. You have been warned!)
Summary: Oneshot. Raising a hybrid child is just as hard as being one. Set a few years after Underworld: Awakening. Some pivotal moments ('days') in Eve's upbringing. Eve's POV. Selene&Michael (mentioned) , (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.
Sweat was running into her eyes and her sides stung like hell. The fact that those inconveniences would be forgotten as soon as they had reached their destination was of little comfort. Eve had recognized that during uncomfortable times living in the now was rather easy.
She kept a curse under her breath, when her right foot slipped on a wet root and she just so managed to regain her balance to keep on running. Her mother Selene had naturally again noticed this slip and slowed down giving her a concerned look. Eve gritted her teeth ignoring the gaze and increased again her speed. There was no sense in explaining that her shoes were not the best any more and therefore she had slipped. This would only lead to another fruitless argument about the right attire. She definitely did not want to get into that discussion again
"Only a little further," offered her mother and again took the lead in the chase to the safe house, which supposedly should give them shelter for the time being. After a mile or so of running through the under-brush, Selene gave her a silent sign to slow down and stepped onto a small clearing. It was maybe 60 meters in diameter and covered with various knee high grasses that had only been moved by deer in a while. No signs of humans passing through could be seen.
Eve stayed back as she had been taught. Her body was slightly turned to keep an eye on Selene and at the same time to cover the direction they came from for potential pursuers. Her nose confirmed that they were still alone as they had been since three days ago, when they had finally managed to conceal their tracks and fool the humans into another direction. The fact that they thought they were after some vampires who were bound to night travel, when they actually could run both night and day did help a lot.
Although she sometimes wished they had to rest more often. Her breath was still wheezing from running nearly three straight days on, ever deeper into the mountains of the countryside. The air smelled of freshly fallen rain, earth, trees and wet grass. Her blue shirt clung uncomfortably to her body under her brown leather jacket. How her mother managed to break not even the slightest sweat in all that rubber and leather was beyond her. "Cold as ice" was quite a good description for Selene, who right now was kneeling down near a big tree at the other end of the clearing searching for something.
After a few seconds Eve could hear the distinguished squeak of a rusted metal hatch being opened. She set two more steps into the clearing being instantly illuminated by the moon. Selene turned and frowning signalled her with a slight tilt of her head to step back into the shadows of the large oak tree behind her. Eve obeyed and retreated instantly. Always the thorough death dealer Selene first drew her weapons and her flash light and let the beam search the bunker under her feet. Then with an enviable elegance jumped down to confirm the safety of the place.
Eve shifted restlessly on her feet while she waited for her mother to remerge. The moon and the running had made her itchy. She was not as fully influenced by the lunar turns like her pure brethrens but still felt more restless and blood thirsty at a full moon. Since her puberty had hit her full force her powers had increased immensely, but also did the overdose of hormones combined with the characteristics of vampire and werewolf battling with each other inside her make her feel torn. And that made her sometimes unbelievably impatient.
Like right now, when the vampire in the bunker down there searched for enemies that were obviously not there. This place had been abandoned for a long time. Eve felt the ever increasing hunger gnawing in her insides. Now that the sweat started to dry and her breath had turned to a normal rate she felt the heaviness of her legs and the dryness of her gum much more intensely. What the hell kept her mother so long! Eve just wanted to get to that damn freezer filled with fresh blood packs that had always greeted them when they had to retreat to some of the hideouts of her Selenes old coven. Long forgotten after the death of the three elders, but always in astonishingly good shape, the well stocked safe houses were some of the better places to crash. They were designed to support a race of immortals after all.
Finally first a silver and black Berretta was seen emerging out of the hole and then the death dealer herself. With a heartfelt sigh of relief Eve moved to her waiting mother, still standing at attention with the weapon. A curt nod was all the greeting she got before she started down into the rabbit hole, while her Selene covered her back. Eve rolled her eyes not bothering if she saw her insolence. The teenager just wanted to get to that bloody blood packs fast.
When she reached the cold steel floor her eyes had fully adjusted to the automatically activated, fluorescent light of the hideout. The hybrid stepped away from the ladder giving room for the following Selene. Her eyes took in the familiar sight of armoires, computers, surveillance equipment and the inevitable accessories for interrogation and torture of captured lycans. Eve had been poked, tweaked and tested with some of the tools laid out on the tables and instead of dread, felt glad that at some time the lycans had suffered the same as she had and eventually would again.
But right now the elders obviously meant her to suffer more. At the end of the spacious room she recognized an unlikely but still happened cave in, taking some part of another weapons closet and the major part of the fridge with it. The earth didn't reach far into the room, but still had managed to cause enough damage to the fridge that it had toppled over and been disconnected from the electricity. Eve didn't need to take a closer look at the few strewn out blood packs to already know her fate. All the blood packs were spoiled long ago. Sudden tears stung her eyes, which she was barely able to hide while her mother leaned eagerly over the computers and started to activate the cameras and the other safety systems.
Uncertain Eve stood rooted to the spot. Normally she would have indulged now into two or three nice B-positives and then as was inevitable with a full stomach and exhausted as she was collapsed in a corner of the room and slept. The thought of lying down now on the cold concrete floor in her rather hungry state was more than horrible. Sudden anger flared through her and she stared ice daggers at Selene's back. If Selene and Michael had just listened to Eve she would now be safely tugged in a bed in David's coven and would have no need to hunger for probably many more horrible days.
But no as always they had both discussed their next moves, standing right by her side completely ignoring her and only giving her a passing glance, when she had mentioned that they could visit David's coven. It had been nearly two years since they had left the coven and started to search for other remaining vampires. Just because she had a crush on David since he had helped saving her life, didn't mean it hadn't been a good idea. Eve swallowed convulsively and tried to ignore the burning sting in the back of her throat.
The run in the woods had been silent and stealthy enough to fool humans, but the animals like deer and so on were long gone at the approach of the two killers. No chance of getting any relief there. The hybrid still stared intently at Selene, when she turned her back to finally snap out of the death dealer mode and switch into Über-mother mode. Eve didn't know which was worse. Intent brown eyes fixed on her face and read her like an open book: "Your father will be here in a day or two. Then we will move on. You should rest now."
"I'm not tired," was Eve's automatic defiant answer. The vampire raised slightly her eyebrows and smiled that knowing smile, showing her white canine teeth: "Really, well then we could use the time to move some of the equipment aside and train on your hand to hand techniques."
Eve was torn between letting her anger go or being wiser and try to sleep. Her tiredness finally won out and she settled down in the corner of the room. Her soft leather jacket was pushed under her chin and supported by one wall. She tried to settle down, ignoring the gnawing anger and hunger in her guts. After staying two and half years at David's, supporting the coven with Selene's extensive knowledge about not only death dealer business but also gathering resources, covered up bank accounts and so on, the little family had moved on to find allies in other hidden vampires. Thomas had been especially grateful, that the big target sign was removed from the newly strengthened coven.
Two weeks after the Antigen incident Selene and Eve had been able to track down Michael and the family had finally been united. Eve shifted restlessly and stilled again, when she heard the rustling of Selene's leather coat, when she turned in her direction to check on her daughter. Eve felt yet again homesick. The time in the coven had been short but the best in her life. During their stay she had been taught by the coven's healer in languages as well as the vampire's history and in general the world she had been born into. How little she had known, when she had fled from Antigen.
The relationship with Selene had been rocky at first, but the learning of the vampire ways and that Selene was actually more than 600 years her elder had made it somewhat easier for Eve to understand the behaviour of her mother. Her father, Michael had helped her tremendously, sometimes joining her in the history lessons and helping her with her homework. Things got only difficult with them when she finally hit puberty full force. It began shortly after they had left the coven. Eve started to have final growth spurts, accompanied by splitting headaches and unbearable thirst. It was during one of those times that while Michael was organizing some extra blood for her, that she and Selene had their real first fight. She didn't remember what it was about, only that when Michael had finally intervened; she and her mother had contested in a screaming match. Blue eyes flashing and canines teeth fully extended, Selene had already backhanded her twice and Eve still hadn't backed down, having herself transformed into the by her secretly called "monster self".
The hybrid had been locked in her room by Michael with the blood packs and the order to drink and not come out until they told her to. No words were spoken the next night, moving on in a new stolen car, leaving Eve ridden by guilt and sorrow by her behaviour. When they had finally stopped at another hide out, that sorrow had turned into anger again. As if sensing her predicament Selene lead her to a clearing not unfamiliar to the one they were resting under now and simply addressed her with the words:"It is time you learned some real fighting techniques."
What followed was a detailed instruction on martial art moves. Eve was thrilled by the prospect to learn to fight as elegantly and efficiently as her mother, but was soon disappointed with the hard reality. Selene was a harsh and overly critic instructor when going through the moves "dry". And when they finally fought she tended to hit Eve into the mud more times than she could count, which was no actual problem with an instant healing skill, but meant for Eve most of the days no reprieve of the treatment.
One morning she would fall exhausted into sleep being hit green and blue to be ready the next night, freshly healed for the same routine. She soon gathered that was actually Michael's idea of mother daughter bonding with some anger management included. So far Eve only recognized her mother to be more relaxed after their sessions. Eve got only more frustrated since she still had to actually get a hit in, while her mother could release her pent up tension about Eve's still insolent behaviour. A broken rib meant often she had her mother seriously pissed off between two sessions. Hence, the reluctance to engage in another fight, while she was still so hungry, that would just have been too much to bear.
Lately she had come to recognize the disappointment in the eyes of Selene, when she had been yet again thrown onto her back. Nearly two years of this training and she didn't seem to improve one bit. Maybe she had Selene's features and other traits like her father insisted, but that actually didn't interest Eve one bit. She would gladly be ugly like the ugliest lycan if she would be able to make her mother proud with her fighting abilities. At least with her increased eye sight, she was not a too bad shot. On the few occasions she had been allowed to fire a weapon she had hit the target quite well.
Eve sat up abruptly being roused from her deep sleep by the loud protesting of a fast opened hatch. Disoriented she searched for her mother's comforting presence, but did not find it. The long black leather coat she had been covered by told her Selene couldn't have gone far. Eve stood up and put the coat carefully over an empty table before taking her jacket to put it on. Just as she was about to turn to the ladder she picked up the figure of her father and her mother on the nearby surveillance screen. What made her stop in her tracks was not the surprising date on the right upper corner of the screen, that said she had actually slept through one and a half days, but the hushed and concerned voices she could slightly make out through the muffled surveillance sound. That was her name she had heard. Eve felt only slightly guilty, when she pushed on the keyboard to increase the volume. Her parents seldom told her anything anyway.
"...s sleeping right now. I'm concerned Michael, what shall we do when she wakes up. The day before yesterday her eyes already didn't turn back to their normal colour. I could contribute it to the full moon, but... ." As if to mock Eve, she just now recognized in the reflection of the screen that indeed her eyes were transformed and her canine teeth had elongated just like her mother's when in thirst. And even as she tried as hard as possible she couldn't change back. Something normally as easy as breathing. She was drawn back to the discussion by the voice of her father. "She just needs to drink blood. Wasn't really any good blood left?" Her mother shook her head. "Gone bad years ago. I checked ...thrice." "Then I will just hunt us some dear or bear or something," came Michael's still confident reply.
"I've been scouting the area for a good hunt, but none is near enough and animal blood will get us only so far...I will have to feed her." Eve thought she hadn't heard right.
"That is very dangerous...," was Michael's ominous reply. "She could be uncontrollable once she starts drinking. We can barely keep her under control fed with human blood and occupied. With your blood we would be no match for her."
Eve's ears seemed to be filled with an inner roaring when she heard those hurtful words, especially coming from her father, who had so far always been supportive. He never had shown the slightest fear of her, not as some of the vampires in the coven. Her thoughts raced in her mind at the speed of light. Scenes in the coven played before her inner eye again, the hurried departure, the vampires they were to track down but seemed so hard to find and the humans suddenly gaining a hint on them so sudden and quick sometimes it had Eve disoriented and confused, but always trustfully following her parents around.
There were no other vampires for them to find! They were just on an endless run to keep her from going berserk. The three days run had probably been a clever ruse, too. The full moon had been approaching and the hideout was quite deep into the woods far away of any civilization. Her stomach twisted into a hurtful knot. Lies... And she had been following them like a stupid little dog, eager for any morsel of approval. She was just a responsibility for them, a danger released into the world, which they had to control, bound by genetics.
The argument above her got more heated, but Eve didn't care any more. Feeling numb she decreased the volume again and looked around herself not seeing anything until her gaze landed on a weapons closet. The ammunition was probably pure silver bullets, before the more advanced versions had been produced. It would hurt like hell, but at least she wouldn't get silver nitrate in her system and risk some allergic reaction. She chose a small gun similar to her mothers and took a position she thought convincing. She switched the safety off like Selene had shown her and without drawing this out longer than necessary pulled the trigger.
A Bang enhanced by the bunkers steel walls bounced from one wall to the other. The damn sound was nearly as hurtful in her ears as the searing pain in her right leg. She had intended to hit her knee but must have slipped at the last second. The bullet hit higher up her leg and embedded itself in her bone. She tried to look where the gun had fallen but couldn't because her mother was already above her blocking her view.
"Shit! Michael!" Michael didn't answer but instead got into her view only seconds later with various utensils in his hands. One of them a big scissor, with which he already started to cut open her jeans. If Eve hadn't been gritting her teeth to keep from howling out her pain she would have protested loudly. It had been an endless argument with her mother to get just this one. Now it would be completely ruined. Her blood covered some of the concrete floor but not so much. Good no artery was hit. Her head was cradled in her mother's lap, while her father inspected the wound.
"The bullet got stuck. It won't come out on its own in her state. I will have to operate," concluded Michael. As always he rather addressed Selene than Eve and stood up. The pain in her leg was finally subsiding when the shock set in as she began to shake slightly.
"Michael!" Selene's voice got urgent but he was already there and pushed her jackets sleeve up to push a needle into her arm. The world around her started to fade when the older hybrid lifted her up and carried her to the grey steel table. She was out before she could feel the table under her back.
A blurry image of her surroundings greeted Eve, when she gained consciousness again. She tried to focus her view and to rise. Immediately she was pushed by her mother's hand on the table and Selene's angry face came into view.
"Stay down. You are still healing."
The throbbing in her right leg confirmed that statement. Eve relaxed slightly. So far that plan had worked. Now she would just have to milk it out long enough to ensure, that when she finally had been healed her parents still thought, she was handicapped. Then she would run like hell.
"What did you think you were doing? I should've never shown you how to handle a weapon. Something like that was bound to happen." Eve tried to look as sheepish as possible. Naturally they thought the weapon had been fired by accident, by a stupid uncontrollable teenager.
"It doesn't matter, the bullet is out and Eve will never handle a weapon, without our permission again. Right?"
Eve nodded her ascent to her father. He seemed satisfied, but she could still feel the death dealers burning glare on herself. Good thing that there would be no training while she was injured.
Eve cleared her throat: "What time is it?"
Letting the issue go for now the vampire answered:"Ten in the morning. We will move after nightfall."
"Are those humans still after us?" Eve tried to ask the question nonchalantly but her pulse still rose, when she searched their faces for the inevitable lie. As if on cue her parents exchanged glances and her mother was the first to spin the web of lies on:"We have lost them for now. We will move next to a place, where we can organize blood. Don't worry."
Selene stroked her cheek in a rare gesture of affection. Eve closed her eyes cursing the tears pressing against her eyelids. All lies. She would run as soon as she could. Deep into the woods where no one would bother her any more: no lycans, no humans, no vampires and especially not her parents. She kept her eyes closed trying to fain exhaustion and sleep. Sooner than she had expected she actually did fall asleep.
Again her awakening was rather abrupt leaving her panting and in a sitting position. Eve felt hot heat race to her face. It had been a while, since she had lost control over the image link. Ever since that first rather embarrassing incident she had worked hard to control that ability. Keeping the minds of her parents gaining any images from her and blocking anything she could gain from them. The hunger and the strenuous healing process must have caused the sudden image of the naked Selene writhing in obvious ecstasy pass through her defences.
The hindered movement of their daughter let Michael and Selene obviously take the rare opportunity for some intimacies. Well, Eve would take an opportunity of her own. Swiftly she pushed aside the blanket, which covered her and looked for the backpack the older hybrid always kept close by. She had to hurry, but also didn't want to run in just her knickers through the woods.
They tended to travel very light, but there should be some spare clothes. With some indignation she slipped into the jeans her mother had preferred and which Eve adamantly had refused to get even close to. Typical to still nick them contrary to her daughter's protests. But beggars couldn't be choosy or something like that. Next she considered to put on her shoes but then decided differently. Barefoot she might cover her tracks more easily.
Finally ready Eve turned to the opened hatch, through which the late afternoon light shown. Her parents must be in shouting distance to keep it open like that, may be even closer. As silent as possible she crept up the ladder and scanned the clearing. She couldn't see them but if she just kept her breath long enough she could hear the tale tell panting, but which direction? Eve got out of the bunker and sniffed the air. A shift of the wind let her smell the sweat and musk she had searched for. As silent as possible she moved out of the bunker and crouching low took off into the opposite direction. First slowly and then after she had confirmed her right leg was only slightly stiff gaining more speed.
If she were lucky her parents would take their time. Eve took care to step mostly on roots and rocks not to leave too many prints in the earth. The sun began to set in the west. Soon would the night fall and although her parents had excellent night vision, it would give her some cover. After the first miles the trees started to blur into to each other. Terrified of even the smallest sign, that she was followed Eve frantically searched for the best direction to run to. Trusting as always her mother to take the lead Eve now mourned the fact she hadn't even looked on a single map to know where she exactly was. But it couldn't be helped now. Gritting her teeth she moved on.
The moon tonight was covered by thick clouds that soon would give way for a hard gush of rain. She could feel it in her bones and smell it in the air. Good because, after the sting in her right leg got more pronounced she saved her energy to move in a straighter line not bothering any more if she left any tracks. It seemed her lack of food had seriously impaired her healing abilities. The rain would hopefully wash the tracks away fast enough. She forced air through her burning lungs.
Violent tremors shook her when she stumbled on. The rain had stopped hours ago and had left her soaked and shivering. The first rays of light would soon rise over the horizon. Thank God on the right sight of Eve's track. For a while she had feared to run in a cycle directly into her parent's arms again. It helped to put not too much weight on her leg.
The sun beat on her head giving her a burning headache even under the shadows of the high pine trees. It was a hot day, but Eve had not one bit of liquid left in her body to sweat a single drop. Every swallow hurt like hell.
She had glimpsed the first wolf during sunset. He had glanced in her direction from the rock he had been posed on. Their gazes had interlocked and Eve was spellbound by the hunter illuminated by the setting sun. When he finally jumped down from the rock, she had felt like she had been greeted in a new and much more liberated life by the kindred animal. Selene and Michael had not caught up with her. She was finally free to do whatever she wanted. With a lighter heart she moved on, ignoring the blisters under her feet.
Ominous came the howling of the wolves yet again. It was perfectly timed with another crash to the hard forest floor. The hybrid shook with the effort to get up again. Dry hiccups were accompanied by sobs raking her body. Eve didn't know when she had started to cry only that she couldn't stop any more.
She finally pulled herself up with the help of a fallen tree, to be doubled over by a sudden bout of dry heaving. The sickness that had bothered her for a while now had finally set in. Another howling of the pack got through her agonized moans. Everything in her body screamed to just lie down and die. The wolves had sensed that long before she had. Tonight she was no hunter any more she was the pray.
Eve supposed it had been the eighth time she had fallen and the final one. With the last of her strength she ignored the hot burning in all her limps and dragged herself to the nearest tree. Her back to the cool bark, she turned into the direction of the wolves surrounding her. A fleeting thought was that she could possibly grab the first to attack just in time and suck him dry to regain some strength, but while she still considered this Eve slipped already to her left side, having no strength left to fight on. Awkwardly posed she stared into the yellow eyes of the first wolf approaching. Fascinated she saw the puffs of fogged breath dissolve before her eyes. Finally she could rest. No more running.
As if on cue all the wolves turned their heads away from her and sharing in a final howl, mourning the loss of their game took off into the woods. A stronger killer had arrived. With dread the half dead hybrid child recognized that it were two of them actually. All her pain and running for naught.
Shaking and shivering the teenager returned the stares of Selene and Michael. Although Michael was the doctor, this time Selene reacted quicker. A fast bite to her left wrist and blood was covering her lips and chin instantly, some even spurting on the forest floor. Detached Eve mused that her mother must have actually pulled out a big chunk of flesh in her haste. The next thing she knew she was cradled in the death dealers lap and the sticky wrist pushed against her lips. Her head supported by Selene's other hand, Eve held her breath. Not like this!
When she hadn't reacted instantly blue glowing vampire eyes looked even more panicked down on her. "Drink, Eve!" mouthed her mother's blood stained lips. A drop of the red liquid flowed down Selene's chin and dropped on Eve's breast. Mesmerized Eve remembered the first time the vampire looked like that. At the time she hadn't known it, but Selene had bitten her to get to the information memorized in the young hybrids blood. Not believing her, that she had no clue about her father and taking instead that knowledge by force.
Pained by the memory she tried to turn her head away, with one hand trying to push the arm from her face and with the other to swipe the blood from her own lips. A struggle started between the two women. Eve was no match for her mother but there was also no way she would open her mouth any time soon. And Selene couldn't force her on her own to do that and still feed her. Eve kept struggling until two even stronger and bigger hands suddenly grabbed and dragged her out of the violent hug with Selene. With ease Michael Corvin trapped his daughter's arms with his legs cradling her head in his strong hands on his lap.
Desperate Eve struggled, but could only tiredly lift her torso and flail her legs. The vampire moved out of harm's way. Eve croaked a strangled "No.", when she saw Selene reopening the wound on her wrist. Selene offered her wrist a second time and Eve took the last way out and set on instincts. Snarling she moved and snapped after her mother. As expected the lycan behaviour let her mother pull back for a millisecond, but not forever. And this time Michael held her head still. To her horror he put pressure on her jaw effectively keeping her mouth wide open for the dripping blood. Tears ran down her eyelids. She didn't want this!
"Yes, we vampires drink blood of humans to sustain ourselves, but our own blood is not for that purpose. It is sacred. Used to restore elders from their deep slumber a single drop infused with years of memory. Healers on the other hand use that same technique to keep memories from passing to the patient. The memories of every individual are holy and private. Thoughts and feelings can be transported, so only deeply involved couples share their blood to increase their bond. Another reason is the coming of age of a vampire child, when parents are especially proud they share their blood and therefore their experiences with their offspring. It is one of our most sacred blood rituals. So does that answer your question, Eve?"
The memory of the healer's words rang in her ears as the first drop starts to pass her lips and flow into her throat. Instead of the cool sustaining of the human blood she was accustomed to, the elders potent life force burned in her parched throat. Her mouth was quickly filled with the scorching liquid that started the painful healing process. Eve tried to keep the blood from passing her throat desperately. This would hurt like hell. More tears burned in her eyes, when she started to choke. And then there was nothing she could do but swallow. She literally felt the healing quantities burning through her starved body and shook with the pain.
Please no more! "Please!" Eve choked out, her words slurred by the blood dripping into her mouth. She tried to fight against the liquid scalding her insides, while Selene beckoned her to drink for real yet again: "Please, baby, take it!" Eve's stomach clenched painfully and then came the responding reaction in her throat, taking another mouthful down. The instincts of her body finally won out. Closing her eyes in sudden bliss she willingly stretched her neck and locked her lips on the dripping wound. The hybrids elongated canine teeth pierced Selene's wrist. The vampire skin at her lips was a cool contrast to the hot blood whose flavour her rejuvenated mouth could finally savour. One, and then two deep gulps and she heard her mother gasp in discomfort. Flashes of memories stopped again her urgent drinking, her mouth hovering over the wound while images blurred dizzying before her eyes.
A man lying in a barn covered in blood, illuminated by flashes of lightning. Another man with shoulder length, black her backhanding Selene. A blond woman's face flashing before eyes: "I'm helping myself." A horse under the death dealer's legs and a silver sword covered in blood in her right hand, charging through a forest. Glimpses of other vampires in fully clad armour at her left and right side. Lycans howling. Eve, herself lying on the concrete floor of the familiar safe house being covered by the death dealers black coat. A hand lovingly pushing a strand of hair from her face. Selene's hands reverently stroking Michael's muscled chest before getting down kissing him. David talking with Thomas in the coven. Eve again, being thrown on the ground. Her defences not fast enough against Selene. Then Michael charging at an unsuspecting hunting party of humans deep in the woods. Obviously out hunting for deer.
Eve recognized the trees she had passed during her run. With efficiency Selene and Michael took out the humans, feeding on their blood, lucky to be able to restore their strength, while desperately trying to find their daughter.
Again Michael, the discussion she had overheard, days ago: "That is very dangerous..."
"She could be unstoppable once she starts drinking. We can barely keep her under control fed with human blood and occupied. With your blood we would be no match for her."
"Dangerous, uncontrollable..."
"Dangerous, uncontrollable..."
No...I'm no monster! I'm ... NO MONSTER!
Eve focused again, with the mantra in her head she was able to push the flood of images aside, an effort not so very different from the blocking of the mind link. Forcing her eyes open she locked them with Selene's glowing blue ones. Time seemed to stand still. Then concentrating Eve forced her teeth to retreat, feeling her eyes change back like an afterthought. Glancing shortly on the bloodied wrist, she moved forward again slowly and carefully searching for the dripping wounds.
Taking great care to keep her teeth from even grazing her mother's skin she suckled one tentative mouthful down. Swallowing it and halting again, not to risk the control she just gained. Then with great care she nursed again. Her eyes locked with Selene's trying to read in her expression if she was hurting her or drank too much. After a while Selene eyes turned to their warm brown again and brimmed with tears, contrasting with the loving smile grazing her lips. Eve kept on feeding ever so careful, while Michael sensing the danger to have passed let go and withdrew from the scene. By unspoken consent Eve stopped drinking long enough to rise into a sitting position and Selene drew her against herself. The hybrids head resting against the vampires shoulder she took the offered blood again. Carefully holding the delicate wrist against her mouth Eve continued to feed in small gulps. Cocooned in Selene's smell and warm embrace she felt as save and happy as she hadn't in a long, long time.
Trying to prolong the moment she let the last sips of blood flow into her mouth and licked the wounds before they closed for a final time, since it seemed the natural thing to do. Her stomach was comfortably full and drowsiness settled on her now that her hunger was finally quenched. Having both arms free now, Selene drew her into an even closer hug. She kissed Eve's grimy head and whispered: "We were so scared for you. It is so easy to protect you against lycans and humans. But I've got no idea how to teach you to be careful with yourself."
Holding her breath the young hybrid listened intently to the confession. "You are strong, much stronger as any pure born immortal I've ever known. But you are not invincible. I know your father and I ask so much of you, but please understand that we try our best to help you grow up. I know you are not happy. You always try to be brave about it and I just wanted to believe you. The most of my immortal life surviving as a death dealer was enough for me. I knew nothing else. It took your father to make me understand, that there is more to this life then just surviving in this world. I'm so sorry."
Still slightly shaken from the feeding and the healing process Eve didn't know how to respond to these words. Instead she clung to Selene savouring this unexpected gift. Cuddling with her mother, she closed her drooping eyes and let herself be lulled to sleep, by the steady heartbeat of Selene and her soothing caresses.
This time, when Eve woke up she was greeted by the unexpected sight of a navy green sky. It took her a moment to understand that she was lying in a tent and actually staring at its green fabric. It must have belonged prior to the hunting party, her parents had encountered. Yawning she stretched like a cat. She couldn't remember, when the last time had been, that she had slept so well. Stretching her neck she inspected her surroundings further. Until her eyes found her mother's again. Selene was lying at her side, propped on her elbow, and must have watched her. For Michael was not any room left. Maybe he was keeping watch outside for intruders.
Swallowing Eve tried to summon up a good explanation for her childish behaviour, standing even more so in contrast with Selene's gift of blood. Guiltily she dropped her gaze: "I'm sorry." Selene didn't say anything and so Eve looked up again. She was met with just a questioning look and knew that she still had to elaborate. Yet again she struggled with explaining herself, without sounding childish. She wrecked her brain and blurted finally to her chagrin:"I don't want to train any more."
Selene kept silent at first and then just said with a carefully measured tone:"You know we cannot do that."
"What else?" asked Selene knowing full well, that there was more to Eve's flight. Scowling Eve came to the most important point:"I know you are lying to me about the hidden covens." A look of surprise flickered on the death dealer's face and for a second Eve hoped her conclusions had been wrong after all. But then Selene said:"You heard us talking via the surveillance." Silence descended on the tent, neither woman knowing what to say in the face of the ugly truth.
Eve summed up all her courage and confessed what she wished most for:" I want to go back to the Coven." There was no need to explain, which she meant. "I want to learn again, read books, sleep in a normal bed, make friends..." The last part trailed of, when she got more silent with each embarrassing confession. Selene gave a heartfelt sigh and confessed surprisingly: "A bed to sleep in would be really nice once in a while."
Eve got her hopes up: "Is that a yes?" Selene frowned down on her and after considering it for a moment, she said: "Could you live with a maybe? I will confer with your father and Thomas first." Sighing Eve looked away. This was as good as a 'no' already.
Instead of answering her mother's question Eve rose into a sitting position and asked:"May I bath myself? There was a lake not far from here."
Selene nodded silently her consent and they left the small tent. Eve was stopped shortly by Michael, who had indeed been waiting outside, to give her a bear hug: "Do that again and I will personally spank you into the next century. Got it?" Eve nodded embarrassed having the bad feeling her otherwise so gentle father meant actually every word he said.
And then finally, watched by her mother, she could dive into the cooling water of the nearby lake being able to wash away the grime of weeks past. After the refreshing swim and slipping into clean clothes, Eve was ready to hike on. Although with slumping shoulders and quite aware of her parents watchful gazes. To break some of the uncomfortable silence she asked: "Where are we going now?"
Smiling Selene answered her: "To find a phone. We are going to call Thomas." Eve stopped surprised in her tracks. This could only mean her father and her mother had actually agreed with her for once. With more vigour Eve moved on. Soon she would see David again! Would he recognize her? She had quite developed in the past years. Funny little butterflies started to swarm in her stomach. Until another thought occurred to her: Hopefully she could get some better clothes before they reached the coven, she would rather die than let him see her in the clothes Selene had borrowed her...
Fin