Edit, Phase Two.

Disclamier: If I'm not married to Kate Beckinsale and named Len Wiseman, obviously, I don't own Underworld.


Chapter One: Hide and Seek

Spin me round again

and rub my eyes.

This can't be happening.

-Imogen Heap


A swift wind shot through the sewer tunnels, rushing over the leather clad figures that trudged through the murky waters. Nearly eighteen hours of searching turned up nothing. Biting cold seeped through even the water-proof layers and sending short shivers through the vampires and lycans that pressed on. Armed with UV and silver nitrate bullets, flashlights mounted to their weapons, it looked more like an ambush than a search-and-rescue operation.

Every so often, the haunting and beautiful voice of their leader would come over their headsets, sending two down this way, three in the other direction. She walked far ahead of them all, piercing blue eyes cutting through the grunge and grime, looking for some sign of life down among the remnants of garbage and families of rats. Far back, toward the service entrance, they found partial shoe prints, but rain dripping down from a street grate and various creatures damaged what there was, leaving them to guess who or what made the marks. But it was enough to give Selene hope.

And so, they searched.

"Squad one, return to the surface," she commanded briefly. Seeing as the entire party was considered a member of that group, there was slight hesitancy for them to leave her alone. Even with no signs of mortal or immortal life down here, the Dealers were clever; they could attack her at any moment. "Squad one," came her voice again, now clipped and cold.

"You heard it," Samuel told the group that gathered around him; as one of the oldest lycans, his command came right under Selene and crossing them both was unwise. With another night of disappointment still very much young in time, they trudged back toward the service entrance. Filing out, each one took a deep, silent breath as they stepped into the damp air of November, clearing away the stench of the underground.

"Thomas," Samuel waved his hand to a younger lycan who readily came forward. "Stay down here with me. We stay until squad two reaches her." Moving to stand on either side of the doorway leading to the outside world, they kept silent for a while.

"Sir, will she be alright that far away?" Thomas asked quietly, looking down at the murky waters.

Samuel gave him a sad smile and looked ahead into the darkness. "I'm sure she'll manage."


What the flashlight didn't illuminate was searched by six hundred year old vampire eyes. The soft lap of water against Selene's thighs made the only noise she could pick up. Each tiny droplet of water echoed in her ears, the tiny patter of vermin and insects created a roll of thunder to her highly trained senses. Much of her immortal life was spent training her senses and body to become the perfect solider for the Coven. Tracking the faintest scent, the smallest drop of blood, even the soft rumble of a lycan's growl was her specialty, her life. She was a deadly hunter that rarely ever failed.

But even now, with all those years, a new phase of the immortals' war and nearly 65 years of leading a Clan of both vampires and lycans, nothing seemed to help her find the most important thing in her world: her daughter.

Reaching a junction, she stood for a moment deciding whether to wait for the next squad here or to let them find her. She leaned against the nearby wall, closing her eyes tightly, allowing the moisture to slide down her cheeks in small drops.

Already, four, nearly five years passed by, each one marked with another invisible scar on her heart. The last time she saw her child burned her right through her soul, the tiny newborn's shrill cries as she was ripped from her mother's arms gave Selene nightmares almost everyday. And when her eyes were open, objects and people tore at already open wounds. Thoughts bombarded her with things that she should have seen and been a part of in her daughter's life. Her first word, first step, even her first bad dream; she should have been there to praise and comfort her.

Instead, she stood in a sewer, crying silently, mourning every second that passed without her child in her arms.

"Squad Two has arrived," Samuel's voice said, startling her slightly. Shifting away from the wall, she wiped the trail of tears away. The pale moonlight filtered through the grate above, the rain pausing for a moment. With a deep breath, she shook her head and gripped the pulse rifle in her hands. As she waited for the team to show up, she looked up and down the length of the tunnel. It was in the soft light coming from that grate that something caught her eye.

Cautiously, Selene trudged down the tunnel to the object, raising her gun as her eyes made their final change into an icy white. Half way down, she stopped dead in her tracks, her blood draining fast then pounding back through her veins. The pounded of her heart hurt her ears slightly. Somehow, she couldn't find the strength to draw breath.

Dear God, it can't be.

Throwing her gun down, she ran as best she could through the water. A large circular grate opened up into a ventilation duct in the wall, sucking the cool air into the pumping station to cool the machines. She climbed up the wall, circles of light from flashlights mounted atop the teams' guns as they turned the corner gave her a better view. She reached up, her fingers just barely brushing the object. Straining, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"Please, please," she begged softly.

A shaky sob escaped her lips as she wrapped her fingers around a tiny hand. Beneath the clammy skin, a thready pulse beat. She let the hand slip from her own, unable to keep on her toes for so long. In her palm, a mixture of dirt, mud, and what looked like congealed blood. Pressing her hand to her face, Selene inhaled deeply. The exhale came in the short blast as her senses quickly picked up on the unique smell of hybrid blood, the coppery iron scent much sweeter with a touch of both viruses contributing to the unique bouquet.

"Selene," Samuel called as he ran up next to her. He braced himself slight at the sight of tears tumbling down her cheeks. "Selene?"

"Get Michael," she commanded with a quavering voice, "We've found her."


A/N: yes, i am rewriting the first several chapters in order to bring them up to par with my last few i've posted. please enjoy.

anthestria