Author's Note: Set in the context of my other stories. The relationships are all established, the Sixers are re-integrated into the colony, and the Phoenix Group and Lucas are long gone. This is just a bit more with my OC from the past, Caroline. Also, I don't think we ever heard Dunham's first name, so I'm giving him one. : )

Thanks for the positive response to chapter 1! I know our fandom here is small, and I appreciate the comments and follows!

Disclaimer is as usual – no profit, not mine, just borrowing.

Alicia packs the rover, throwing Carter's climbing gear in the back next to her own and the requested scanning equipment. Skye stands nearby, shifting nervously. Mira is next to her, arm around her shoulders. There's one other rover going, driven by a security team member with another doctor from the infirmary aboard just in case. They don't need a rhino, as they already have one and another rover out there.

Originally, Alicia had planned to take Mark with her, but Reilly intervened and asked to go. Given her closeness with Dunham, Alicia agreed. Maybe it's not the most practical decision, but Alicia knows how frustrating it is to stay behind when someone you care about might be in danger. That thought makes Alicia look over at Shannon, also standing nearby with Gracie on his hip and Caroline and Zoe next to him.

Reilly arrives and starts to stow her gear, so Alicia walks over to Shannon. She holds her arms out and takes Gracie, hugging her close. "You're almost too big for this, Little Bug." Gracie buries her faces in Alicia's shoulder, sniffling quietly. "I love you so much, my Bug. Be good for Uncle Shannon and Caroline, OK? I'll be back with Daddy before you know it."

"I will, Mama," she mumbles, "But bring back Unca Carter, Auntie Lisabeth, and Unca Casey too, OK?"

Alicia chuckles at the fact that Gracie mentioned Carter, Elisabeth and Dunham, but made one obvious omission. "What about Uncle Malcolm?"

Gracie pulls back, a cross expression on her little face. "I hope he OK, but you can leave him at the outpost. He still trouble!"

Alicia laughs again, glad for the distraction from worry about Nathaniel and the others. "I know, Gracie. He's definitely trouble. But I really don't think it was his fault this time."

Gracie huffs out a breath. "OK, Mama. Still trouble, though."

Hugging Gracie one more time, she then passes her back to Shannon, who she thanks with a nod and a small smile. She turns to Caroline and hugs her close too. "We'll find them, Little One. They'll be all right."

Caroline clings on as Gracie had. "I know you and Carter will do your best, Mama. I just want Papa to be all right, and Dr. Elisabeth and Casey as well." She pauses and steps back slightly. "Gracie and I will be fine with Zoe and Mr. Shannon, and I'll be sure to take care of Gracie if she gets a fright again."

"Thank you, sweetie," Alicia smooths Caroline's soft blonde hair back, "I love you, and I'm glad you're here to help with Gracie."

"I love you too, Mama, and I am also glad to be here." She smiles and steps back, looking up in surprise to see that Josh has joined them along with Mark and Maddy.

Josh wraps his arms around Caroline from behind, pulling her much smaller form close to his chest. "I'll help Dad look after them too, Lieutenant."

She gives him a game smile. "Thanks, Josh." Turning back to Shannon, who hands Gracie off to Caroline, she says, "Thank you for not fighting me on staying behind, Shannon."

"It's for the Bug, Wash. You know that." He reaches out and grips her shoulder.

She covers his hand with hers and gives it a squeeze. "I do. We'll get her back, Jim. Carter and I will get her back."

"Thanks." He nods and looks down, and she just sighs and gives him a quick hug before heading for the rover, Reilly already waiting in the passenger seat. She waves to them all, blowing a kiss to Gracie, before jumping in and calling up to open the gate. Seconds later, they tear out of the gate, the second rover close behind.

The ride is mostly silent, both Alicia and Reilly lost in their own thoughts. Just a couple of hours later, when they're closing in on the outpost, Alicia makes Reilly jump a bit when she opens a private channel and says, "Laura, we'll find him."

The younger woman looks at Alicia in surprise, and then she sighs and nods. "I wish I could go down with you and Carter. If he's OK, though, Wash, Casey can climb. I think you know that."

"I do," Alicia smiles briefly, "After me and Carter, he's one of the best on the wall. Laura, what's going on with you two?" At Reilly's worried face, Alicia quickly adds, "Do you really think Nathaniel and I would give anyone a hard time about frat regs? We were certainly the first to break them here, but we weren't the last."

"We were just friends at first. Then we were…friends with benefits." Reilly blushes lightly. "But lately we've been talking about being more serious. We've been talking long term. It's not the stuff of fairy tales, love at first sight and all that, but it's happy. We're happy. And what started out as simple attraction and then affection is becoming…"

"More?" Alicia supplies.

"Yeah," she blinks, "I mean, yes ma'am."

"Then Laura, do something about it. When we find them," she glances over at the younger soldier, who meets her eyes, "Do something about it."

After a beat, Reilly nods. "Yes ma'am."

They lapse back into silence until Alicia radios Carter that they're two minutes out. He's waiting at the door to the outpost when they pull up, an irritated look on his face. When an equally irritated-looking Malcolm steps out behind him, Alicia and Reilly exchange a knowing look. Alicia snorts. "You get the doc, Laura. I'm loading up Carter and heading out immediately. Check in with the colony to let them know we're here, then follow us out for support."

Alicia doesn't even power down the rover, instead just waiting for Reilly to step out with her pack and the scanner and for Carter to climb in. He has a small pack with him as well as a cross-body messenger style first aid kit. Before he gets in, she hears him tell Reilly where they'll be and to come monitor the lines and the area once they're done checking in.

As he settles in, Alicia backs out, taps her comm to confirm what she heard him say to Reilly, "Northwest?" He nods and points in that direction, and she takes off. "What happened between you and Malcolm? And don't say 'nothing,' because you both looked pissed."

He crosses his arms across his chest. "He just tends to forget that he's not next in line after Taylor in the OTG chain-of-command. I damn near had to lock him in a bunk room to get him to stop trying to order the security detail around." He looks over at her. "And before you ask, no, I haven't been able to raise Taylor, the doc, or Dunham, but I'm getting static. It makes me think they may be trying to call us, maybe a good sign."

The knot of tension in Alicia's gut loosens, even if only slightly. She gives him a tight nod, and then he points at an area where the terrain looks uneven. "Park right in front of the trees at the bottom of the rougher ground. We haven't seen any predators at all around. I'm thinking they must be attuned to the fact that the ground is unstable, and I take it as another good sign that maybe they aren't smelling blood or…," he hesitates briefly before finishing, "Bodies."

She winces but parks as he directed, and they both jump out and start to gear up. She looks at him after trading her boots for her sturdy rock climbing shoes. "I know you have the geology background, so what are we facing here, Carter? Honesty please."

He shrugs into his climbing pack, the first aid kit strapped across his chest. "I think it's an underground river degrading the surface. There's a lot of limestone and salt deposits around here, and I know there's a river nearby that seems to come from nowhere. I'm thinking we've figured out the source," he hands her a new comm, "Malcolm did earn his keep a little last night – boosted the signals. Hopefully these," he motions to his own comm, "Will work underground."

"Understood. Have you ever climbed soft rock like this?"

He nods. "Yes, but nothing degraded this badly. It's going to be slow going when and if we have to rappel or climb," she starts to ask him what he means by "if" when he holds up a hand. "I brought a soldier with me and scouted some this morning. I found a way in that might be something we can slide or walk down with little to no real climbing needed. I'm hoping we can set lines as we go and maybe get our people out the same way, even if we have to climb or rappel here and there."

He starts walking, and she follows close behind. "Elisabeth can't…"

He nods, not looking back. "I know. Hopefully Taylor and Dunham are both OK. We're going to have to help the doc – it's going to be bad if we have to help one or both of them too." They get to the edge of a decline, the ground steadily dropping away into darkness. She sees there are already several, likely more than enough, anchors pounded in. At her questioning look, he shrugs. "I had some basic gear in my usual pack. I got us started. I need you to tell me the truth now, Wash. Are you OK?"

She blinks in confusion, but then her eyes narrow, prompting him to say, "Don't get mad, Alicia – I just know this is personal between Taylor and Liz both being down there. Do you need a moment or anything? And even if you don't now, if you do later, I need you to say so."

Her expression softens. "I can't think about it too much, Carter. If I do, I'll get upset. I just need to focus on the task at hand. So yes, I'm basically OK. I'll let you know if that changes. Now, down?"

"Down."

They both drop to their knees to test the anchors that Carter placed earlier, working quietly and efficiently. Once they're both satisfied that they'll hold, they thread their climbing ropes for support, though Alicia thinks Carter is right – they can ease down this slope on their feet or even on their rears if they want to.

As they both are pulling on harnesses, climbing gloves and helmets, Reilly pulls up in a rover followed by a team in the second rover. Malcolm climbs out of Reilly's, the scanning equipment in hand. "Carter, Wash, I'll do what I can to guide you based on the scans. Hopefully the comm signals will work."

Alicia nods as she and Carter thread the lines into their harnesses. "Thanks, Malcolm." She looks at Reilly. "Keep an eye out. No predators so far, but who the hell knows what's next. Also watch our lines as we descend. And don't take any crap from Dr. Wallace. Military issues, military in charge." She glances back at Malcolm. "Sorry, Malcolm. But it's my call."

He scowls, but he doesn't argue. He'll gripe at Shannon and Carter, but he's far more reticent with Nathaniel and Alicia. "Fine."

With that, she exchanges a quick glance with Carter, and they both step towards the edge of the slope down into the dark beyond. It's at the far end of where Carter last saw the missing team, but she's guessing that he's right – she knows he wouldn't steer her wrong on this. They both try to step backwards down, holding their lines, but the rock is crumbling and slippery. She smirks at him and turns and drops to her butt, and he laughs lightly and does the same.

It's inelegant but effective, and they inch their way down. As they start to lose the natural light from above, they both flip on lights attached to their helmets. Alicia gasps, and she hears Carter do the same. About fifteen feet in front of them, they can see that the surface appears to drop away to nothingness.

They continue to edge down, and Alicia breathes a sigh of relief – there's a ledge about six feet below where they are, and they'll be able to drop to it easily. Moments later, they're both down. She shines a light in the direction where the team should be, and Carter calls up to Malcolm and Reilly that they're down.

Over comms, Alicia hears Malcolm say, "Scans show a large cavern, but it'll likely narrow down as you move towards their last location, Carter. There are gaps here and there, but they don't look impassable."

Alicia and Carter both roll their eyes and tap off their comms. Looking at Carter, Alicia makes air quotes and says, "Gaps?"

Carter snorts and carefully heads off in the direction they need, Alicia close behind. "Yeah, I'm a little worried about what that might mean. But it's also encouraging – might be why the team couldn't get out – maybe they're passable with gear but not without."

"You know, they also may not have much in the way of lights." She looks thoughtful.

"I'm betting Taylor had one in his pack, but Dunham and the doc only had bags for the plants." She stops and sets an anchor in the wall, threading the rope she's still attached to through.

He lifts an eyebrow. "Breadcrumbs?"

She nods. "Basically. I'd really like us to be able to find our way back."

He does the same, continuing his line. They have a lot of the light climbing rope with them, so they both hope they'll have enough to keep both lines going. They creep along the edge of the cavern, making sure the surface feels solid beneath their feet. After about 50 yards and only a few of Malcolm's promised "gaps," those only about two feet each, Alicia looks back at Carter. "How far do you think they'd be?"

He leans away from the wall and shines his light forward, seeing the cavern start to narrow ahead. "Maybe another hundred feet or so."

Alicia taps her comm, thinking maybe they can get reception down here, closer to the missing team. "Nathaniel, do you read? Elisabeth? Dunham?"

It's silent for a moment, but then she gets some static back. She exchanges a glance with Carter and says into the comm, "If you can hear me, Nathaniel, sit tight. Carter and I are coming. Also, if you can hear me, start yelling. Anything to help us find you down here."

Seconds later, they hear muffled shouting from ahead, and Alicia breathes a small sigh of relief. Carter squeezes her arm, and she gives him a quick nod before moving towards the sounds. She hears Carter on the comm telling Malcolm and Reilly that they're getting close.

The cavern suddenly begins to narrow sharply, and Alicia realizes that there's a small tunnel ahead. It looks to be about four feet high and maybe three feet wide. "OK, Carter, talk to me about geology. How stable do you think that is?"

He looks concerned. "Probably not as stable as we want it to be. No anchors in there, OK?"

"Hang back until I'm through. Wouldn't do to have both of us stuck in there."

He gives her a mock salute. "Yes ma'am." She flips him an obscene gesture, but then she smiles and nods when he adds, "Be careful, Alicia."

Putting her hands out to gently test the sides and roof of the small tunnel, she moves through it quickly and carefully. Once through, she shines her light around, and the shouting voices start up again, Nathaniel's voice discernable among them. She calls back to Carter, "It's OK to come through. Soft but stable for now at least."

She then moves towards the voices, and she realizes that she also hears the sound of running water. "Nathaniel?"

The voices stop, and then Nathaniel answers back, "We're here, Alicia. I can see your light; you're about thirty feet away, but be careful – we found an underground river, and I'm guessing it's between you and us."

Alicia is worried by Nathaniel's words, but at the same time it's wonderful to hear him sound like he's physically fine. "Copy that, Nathaniel."

She hears Carter behind her as she moves towards the sound of the rushing water and the voices. A moment later, she comes to a stop, a huge gap in the ground in front of her. She shines her light down, and about twenty feet below, water is flowing rapidly disappearing into the darkness.

"Alicia!"

She looks up sharply, and in seconds she spots a ledge about 15 feet away from them but only about 10 feet higher. Nathaniel stands near the edge of it, looking a little banged up but mostly unharmed. "Nathaniel! Where are Elisabeth and Casey?"

"We're here, Alicia." Elisabeth steps out of the shadows, and Alicia can see that she's wearing a makeshift sling on her left arm. Dunham comes into view as well, like Nathaniel, looking banged up but OK.

Carter comes to a stop next to her, but she barely notices. She finds herself with her eyes locked with Nathaniel's, having a silent conversation of sorts. His eyes look half-pleased to see her and half-upset that she's here, and she knows that her eyes are basically saying, "As if I would be anywhere else."

Carter gives them a moment before clearing his throat. "If we can get a line to them, maybe they can just zip across?"

Alicia blinks and nods, tearing her eyes away from Nathaniel's. "Yeah. But I'm a little worried about the integrity of the wall, especially under Casey and Nathaniel's weight."

"Ditto, but I don't think we have a choice, Wash. We can't climb over there, and it's too far to jump." Carter's brow furrows.

She sighs. "Agreed. I forgot to grab the crossbow I have to run lines across. Tie it to one of the extra flashlights and throw?"

He nods. "We'll have to throw them a bag with harnesses, carabiners, anchors and a rock hammer too." Without another word, he drops to his knees to put the two items together.

Walking to the edge, Alicia calls to Nathaniel, raising her voice to carry over the river, "Nathaniel, we're going to throw you a line and a bag of gear to set it. Then we'll have you three zip down. We're putting in three harnesses and carabiners. Casey?" she sees Dunham come to attention, "You know how to adjust the harnesses and set the anchors, correct?"

"Yes ma'am." The younger man nods.

"Good. Help Nathaniel, and get the doc ready first. She's the lightest, and I assume, most seriously injured?"

Nathaniel confirms it, "She is, Alicia."

"How bad is it?" Alicia feels a wave of concern for her friend.

Elisabeth answers this time. "I'm all right, Alicia. A few bruised ribs and a fractured left ulna, as far as I can tell. Sore more than anything."

"OK," Carter stands up, the line and bag in hand.

He gives her the bag, and he motions that the line is coming first. He flips on the flashlight anchoring the rope, and he calls, "Heads up, Taylor," and lets Nathaniel prepare to get the rope at the other end before heaving it across.

It's a good throw, and the flashlight bounces off of the back wall of the ledge, giving Nathaniel the chance to stop it before it slides off of the ledge. He hands the light to Dunham, and Carter follows with the bag. They all stay quiet as the three on the ledge gear up. Alicia and Carter turn and set the anchors for the line on the other side, and, despite Carter's protests, Alicia clips in and anchors the other end of the zip line, mainly as a back up. As she told Carter, she's worried about the walls holding up, but he's better equipped physically to stop the three as they come across. She stays clipped to the lead line from the entrance too, though that worries her a little.

Once Nathaniel and Dunham appear satisfied that the line is solid, they clip Elisabeth in. Moments later, she's coming across the gap, and Carter catches her as gently as he can. She still cries out a little, but then she reassures Carter that she's fine. Carter checks the anchors and confirms that they're holding.

Dunham and Nathaniel check the line again, and while Alicia can see that he's not happy about it, Dunham clips in next, coming across a few seconds later. When he's on his feet and Nathaniel and Carter are checking the line again, Dunham comes up to Alicia. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I wanted him to go before me."

Alicia gives him a game smile, "It's OK, kid. He's the heaviest of the three of you, and he's in charge. I knew he'd go last." She shrugs. "And you'll remember being there the time this happened with me and Reynolds. I made Mark go first. Part of our job is looking out for our people."

"Yes ma'am."

As the young man steps away, "And by the way, Case, Laura is waiting up top. She's pretty freaked out. Just so you know."

Dunham blushes lightly and gives her a sheepish smile. "Yes ma'am."

She grins and then looks up at Nathaniel. Her smile fades at his expression. He calls down. "It's going to be close, Alicia. I reset the lines, but the wall is giving way. It's all too soft."

"It's holding over here, but not great," Carter adds. "We don't have a choice, though, Taylor, it's too far for you to clear without a serious running start, and even then, the injuries could be bad when you land."

They all exchange a glance and then a nod, and Alicia sets her feet and hands on the line. She holds her breath when Nathaniel steps off. In seconds, he's halfway over, but then the line jerks. She feels it loosening under her hands, and she hears Carter say, "Son of a bitch."

Nathaniel is just too heavy. The lines start to pull from both ends, but mostly from above. It stops Nathaniel's progress, as he dips lower than the destination. Alicia strains under the weight as the anchors at their end start to give too. Nathaniel is starting to pull himself up along the line when the top anchors give completely, the wall at the back of the ledge crumbling.

Alicia is jerked forward a moment later when the anchors at her end give way under Nathaniel's weight. She hears him hit the water below with a splash and a yell, and she tries to set herself to hold him, but it's too much too fast. She is dragged over the edge, and she follows Nathaniel into the river. She can still feel him at the other end of the line, and she calls out his name. "I'm here, Alicia." He's disappeared under the cave wall that the river flows into, but it's a relief to know his head is above water.

They're being dragged, though, and Alicia is pulling against the lead line hard. It keeps pushing her head under the water, and she feels herself getting tangled in the two lines even as she tries to get to the wall. Carter yells down, "Alicia? How fast can you get up? The cave is collapsing fast." He dodges some debris that falls, and she knows they have no time.

With a sinking feeling, Alicia feels Nathaniel's line running out through the carabiner on her own harness, she stops fighting and does her best to knot that line off at the end, connecting her to Nathaniel. "I can't, Carter. It's pulling me under and I'm losing Nathaniel. Get the others to safety and try to find where the river comes out."

"What?" Alicia looks up to see Carter's face turn panicked at the ledge. "No, Wash, Dunham and I can pull you two up."

"Not fast enough, Carter, and you know it. And I'm not leaving him alone down here." Her soaked pack is already heavy, but she knows she can't abandon it, as it has supplies they might need. "Be careful, Carter, and find us." Without another word, Alicia pulls out her utility knife, and ignoring Carter's protests, she slices through the lead line. The current pulls her towards Nathaniel, and they both disappear down the underground river, leaving a horrified team behind in the crumbling cave.