A/N: This is written for YoYen, who requested this little fic that turned into a monster. More will be coming your way shortly, just after this break. ~~Arones

Helen could hear him breathing heavily as they raced through the woods. Her feet were sure as they stepped down, pressing into the damp ground and around tree roots. Will, on the other hand, was clumsily making his way behind her. She stopped around a large pine that stood surrounded by smaller ones. Bending to rest her hands on her thighs, she calmed her breathing and waited for Will to catch up.

They had been chasing. Then they had been chased.

The beast that they were after had turned a full one-eighty and came charging at them before Helen had time to get any shots of her tranquilizer or of the stunner in her hand. Will and promptly turned and left, and she followed suit.

Will caught up and grabbed the small canteen off the back of his belt. He was breathing heavily as he squirted the water into his open mouth and handed the plastic over to his boss. Coughing and sputtering, he realized that he could see his breath.

"Is it gone?"

"Gone? Doubtful." Helen took a long gulp and leaned her back against the rough bark. "The Harsuth will run out of energy eventually and burrow its way back underground."

"Yeah? Then how do we find it." He wiped his brow and the sweat that was riddling his skin. Glancing up, he saw her eyes narrow on him.

"We don't, we find him first. He's a very—"

"—rare abnormal species. Yeah, I got the memo." He took another long chug from the canteen and drained it before slipping it back onto his belt. Turning his head, he looked around staring into the trees as if he could judge where the brown bear-like creature would be coming from next.

Helen heard it first, the slow break of tree branches that were scattered on the ground as the beast moved closer. She held her breath in her chest, trying to decide where it was coming from. Using her eyes and ears she turned her head looking, locking eyes on where Will was glaring. Her hand reached up to press against his arm and he turned to look her in the face. She lifted a finger to her lips and he nodded. Lifting her arms, with stunner in hand, she aimed in front of her.

She went one way and Will went the other, mimicking her movement with his own stunner. They stepped further and further away from each other and deeper into the forest. Will realized that was a bad decision on their part as soon as the large mammal came bounding out of a gully, over a fallen log and bared its teeth at him growling. "Magnus!"

"Will!" She shouted it back, but knew, instinctively, that by the time she got there it would be far too late. Reaching for the weapon strapped to her thigh, Helen ran as fast as she could taking aim as soon as she saw the hairy thing rear up on its hind legs with claws outstretched ready to swipe down on him. She stopped to get her bearings before firing the gun. Each bullet flew exactly where she wanted it to, landing into the beast's chest. It took a moment, but it stepped back. She moved forward.

Three more rounds entered into its shoulders, before it turned and thudded to the ground. Saving the last two in her clip, Helen slowly stepped forward, her feet silent on the ground. She didn't let her eyes leave the Harsuth as she closed in on it. Leaning over it, she looked to make sure it was dead. Her eyes skimmed over the lime green eyes and the red nose, she suddenly caught sight of the air being issued from its lungs into the cold night as it fogged.

The Harsuth reared up as quickly as it could, its large paw pressing under its body to press up. Squeezing the trigger tightly, she put two more bullets into the head. Gritting her teeth, she waited a second before turning to her protégé who was still laid out on the ground. Her left hand flitted over his cheek and forehead, where she felt the large bump blooming.

"Always the bait." She smirked quickly before tapping his cheek. "Will, wake up." She waited a moment, her eyes skimming over the rest of his body for any more injuries, but she found none. Leaving him be, she twisted her body to lean over the abnormal, checking to make sure it was dead. "This did not go as planned."

The groan behind her sounded with an answer, "Does it ever?"

She chuckled. "No, it doesn't." She moved back to Will and checked his eyes with a small flashlight she pulled from her belt. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got mauled, by a declawed bear."

"Pardon?" Her eyes narrowed and he didn't answer. She turned back to the abnormal suddenly, looking at its paw. There were no claws; rather, they were blunt like hooves, only six on each finger of the paw. "That's odd."

"Yeah." Will dragged his body up until he could sit, leaning over he winced and pressed a hand to his side. "Oh… I think it's broken."

"You think what is broken?"

Will glared at her, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes dead-panned. "My ribs."

"Let me see." She reached forward, her knees protesting, and reached for his jacket and shirt trying to pull it up. It was then that both of them heard the clear click of a gun being cocked, and Helen felt the press of metal against the back of her head. She lifted her hands up and out to the sides of her body, her eyes not leaving Will's face.

He glanced behind her, into the dark forest and made out the form behind her. He didn't speak; he waited to find out what was going to happen.

"Who are you?" The voice was deep, masculine, and filled with anger.

Helen answered, her voice clipped and her accent deep. "My name is Helen, why don't you put the gun down and we can talk."

"You're trespassing."

Her eyes skimmed Will's face and he shrugged at her. "I didn't realize that we had wandered so far off our path." The snow was starting to fall, large flakes landing on the curls of her hair and on Will's nose. "If you could point us in the right direction, we will gladly leave without further delay."

"Who are you?"

The voice was beginning to sound redundant. She was staring at Will, gleaning as much information from him as possible. She was sure that there was only one person behind her. "I told you, my name is Helen."

"I don't believe you."

Before he had time to speak again, Helen swung her leg out and dodged her head avoiding the shotgun as it fired and she knocked the man onto his back. Will rolled out of the way and subsequently into the Harsuth that was bleeding out onto the forest floor below. Helen grappled for the weapon and threw it away as an elbow collided with her jaw and her head snapped back. Not giving a second thought to the hit, Helen pressed her knee deep into the man's chest, just under his ribs and leaned all her weight on his body, her wrists tightening around his as she held them above his head. "I would appreciate it if you didn't manhandle me or struggle any further." Her voice was hushed and in his ear. Both their heads turned when they heard the footsteps coming closer.

"Jack?"

"Carter, what did I say?"

Helen's eyes locked on the young woman coming into view. She was wrapped in a thick jacket and had a weapon in her right hand. A weapon that Helen had never seen before. She was studying it, and the way that she walked, confident and wary at the same time.

"Since when have I listened. What the hell did you do, Jack?" Her voice was accusing as she came to a stop and stared at Helen. "Do you mind?" The blue eyes locked on Helen's and Magnus leaned back, releasing Jack's hands, but not moving her knee. Helen watched as the weapon became smaller and the woman pressed it into a holster against her back.

Will was watching the scene carefully, his eyes dissecting what everyone was doing and how they were reacting. Helen was staring at the blonde, her eyes narrowing and he could feel the tension coming off her in waves. He shuffled his body and lifted his hand up when he set it in something warm. Grimacing, he looked down to see his fingers covered in the blood from the Harsuth that they were chasing.

"Jack… whatever did she do?"

"Trespassed… fired a weapon…"

The woman raised a brow at Helen. "All right, so who are you?" She asked, her voice expecting an answer.

"I'm Helen Magnus. My colleague and I were just out for a walk, we must have lost the path, ended up on your property." Helen didn't turn back to look at Will. She knew he was behind her. Will felt his stomach churn and his head spin. "I do apologize, it was unintended."

His eyes were not focusing and he was having a hard time figuring out where the two women were.

"Would you mind letting him up?" She glared down at Helen.

"Is he going to attack me again?" Magnus turned her look from the woman's to Jack's. He shook his head. "All right then." Moving, she stood and helped him to his feet.

Jack suddenly turned on the blonde, his eyes angry. "I told you to stay at the cabin."

"Really, Jack. I think I can handle myself."

"Carter this isn't…" He trailed off looking over the woman. "I don't even know." He rubbed his cheeks with his palms before glancing at the man behind Helen. "What's wrong with him?" Raising a finger, he pointed at the boy and watched as Helen's face fell.

She took the two steps to get to Will and knelt beside him. Her fingers found his wrist and she took his pulse, lifting his lids to see his eyes rolling back. She leaned over him speaking, "Will, what happened?"

He shook his head from side to side.

"Will?" Her voice sounded slightly panicked, but she couldn't help it. Her hands started to run over his body, his neck, his shoulders, and down his arms, feeling for anything that could be wrong. When her fingers touched against his she brought it back suddenly and glared. "Dear lord." She wiped her hand on her jeans until it was cleaned and turned back to the two people staring at her. "I need to get him inside. Do you have any water?" Each shook their head. "I need to clean his hand, the blood is poison."

"What do you mean?"

"The blood of this animal," she pointed at it, "is poison to a human, he needs to be treated right away." The snow was falling hard and she watched the quick look being exchanged between the two.

The woman moved first and bent over the man. "Treated how?"

"It's simple, but I haven't the equipment here. It will take too long to get back to our vehicle." Their blue eyes met and Helen pleaded.

"Jack?"

"No."

"Jack…?" Sam turned to look at him, her eyebrow raised in his direction. They had a stare-off before she won. "Help us carry him." Jack grumbled, but did as he was told.