"Slob" muttered Biggie, as he picked up empty wine bottles in the library.
"Yeah, you should see what my lab looks like" Henry said, as he searched for a book. "The Vamp is one messy guy." Biggie just shook his head and headed off to dispose of the bottles. Henry found the reference he needed and exited the library, colliding with Will in the hallway.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Will looked down at his wet shirt, liberally spattered with the soda he had been carrying.
"Why don't you watch where you're going instead?" Henry snapped back, and immediately regretted it. Even though Henry had been putting in twelve hour days and hadn't been able to play "Parachute Troopers" in a week, Will looked more tired than he did.
Helen Magnus came down the hall in time to hear the exchange. Her whole team was tired, overworked, and irritable. "Gentlemen, enough. Will, do you have the month end summary for me yet?"
"Uh, no, but I'll have it today. Our team in Spain needed emergency help this morning with an infestation of giant earwigs, the Australian tax audit is a mess, I've got four more calls to return. . ."
"Just do your best" Helen said quietly, trying to calm her second in command. She herself had been swamped dealing with the reorganization and consolidation of the Sanctuary network and had delegated a lot of the day-to-day to Will, in addition to his own duties. He had only been here two months, and had barely adjusted to the new location when she had found it necessary to offload some of her own work on him. She noticed Henry edging down the hall and turned to him, allowing Will to escape back to his office.
"Henry, what's the status on physical installation security?"
"We've got basic EM shielding up, the passageway protections are in place, and cameras are all functioning. I still need to install infrared sensors and I think there's a problem in the Peru entrance, the alarms go off but there's nothing there as far as I can tell.
"Do you need anything?"
"Could you get Fang-boy out of my lab? Every time I need a tool, I eventually find it buried under all his stuff."
"Unfortunately, no. You know he's trying to consolidate and catalog the entire Sanctuary database. He insisted he needed total carte blanche to do it, so you will have to put up with him for now. I'm sorry, Henry, but we need to have the computers in order ASAP and he's the expert."
Henry nodded, grimacing. He hated that Tesla was better with computers than he was, but the chance to see how the guy worked was an opportunity to learn that Henry wanted badly, no matter how annoying he was. Too bad he had no time to watch him.
Helen strode to her office, intent on continuing her review of the placement of the abnormals in residence into the best possible habitats. Most were currently separated, but some could and should share habitats, it would be beneficial and more natural for them. It just took excruciatingly exact scholarship to ensure each move would prove beneficial for all involved. Many were already stressed from the consolidation move, and she wanted to limit increasing their stress as much as possible.
Biggie was waiting for her. That surprised her; he usually functioned unobtrusively and independently, and rarely came to her office when she was working. Now he looked unhappy, as near as she could tell. His Sasquatch face didn't show emotion very much, but his eyes did.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently.
"Everything is wrong" he replied miserably, adding a couple of grunts for emphasis.
"Come now, everything cannot be wrong. What is it you don't like- the grounds, your quarters? You know you can move if they don't suit you."
"My quarters are fine. It's just . . . it's not like it used to be. Henry is mad because most of his stuff got blown up when you destroyed the old building, Will is mad because he was the last one you brought here, Kate is never around, and Tesla makes messes and won't lift a finger to clean up after himself. I tell him, but he doesn't listen. I don't like him. I stayed to help because it was like having a family, now it's not."
Helen went over to her desk and sat down, taking a moment to order her thoughts.
"I know things are different right now, but it will work out. I couldn't help it about Henry's belongings, I did save all the photos from his childhood, and most of the rest is replaceable. It will take some time, but you know Henry will forgive me. Will was working for SCIU, I had to be sure his connection with them was completely severed before I could bring him down. He understands that, I don't believe he's really angry, but he's playing catch up and he's a bit overloaded right now. And you know Kate is with her beau."
Biggie grunted, thinking it over and finding himself somewhat mollified. "What about Tesla?"
Helen sighed. What about him? "My dear, I'm afraid I don't have much of an answer for him. Since he left home in 1875 he has lived his entire life in boarding houses and hotels. His mother and sisters picked up after him at home, and he has had maid service for over a century. I don't know if he can be retrained at this point."
"Well I'm not his maid."
"I know. Perhaps we could work on him a little at a time. What one thing would make the most difference to you?"
"The wine bottles; everywhere wine bottles. And the wine glass rings on the furniture."
Helen thought for a moment. "Put a tub at the entrance to the wine cellar, with a sign on it saying 'wine bottle recycling'. Since he usually ends up going back for another bottle whenever he finishes one, perhaps we can convince him to deposit the empties there."
"You think so?" Biggie asked hopefully.
Helen sighed. She doubted it would work, but at least the attempt should be made. "It might" she said, but without much conviction.
Biggie shook his head and grunted, not convinced either. He headed for the door, saying "I'll put the barrel and sign up today" but he didn't sound hopeful.
Helen sat and watched him go. The abnormal re-housing would have to wait. Her team was grumpy, irritable, and overworked. There really wasn't time for a vacation, but a long weekend? Yes, but it had to put them in a situation where they had to work together and had to talk to each other, somewhere out of their comfort zone. She smiled. Camping would be perfect. She liked the outdoors, and it would be a bit of a reward for Biggie who had put up with a lot lately, from allowing himself to be beaten up and dumped at the Sanctuary gate to lure the "bad guys", to months of picking up wine bottles. And fastidious Nikola would hate it. Her smile turned into an evil grin.
Helen had Biggie, Will, and Henry in her office. Henry fidgeted, Will sat slumped in his chair and Biggie stood by the wall impassively. Ten minutes late, Nikola strolled in and walked straight to where she sat at her desk.
"Finally," Helen said, frowning at him.
"I hope this doesn't take long, I'm busy you know" Nikola said, one hand on his hip and the other on her desk, leaning over her a bit.
Nikola didn't intimidate her one bit. "Sit down" she told him sharply.
He was a bit taken aback at the tone of command in her voice, and did as he was told. Henry stopped fidgeting, Will sat up straight, and all four males eyed her expectantly.
"We are going to do a team building exercise" Helen announced. Will and Henry groaned.
"I can't take . . ." started Will, and "I don't have . . ." said Henry at the same time. She stopped them with a raised hand. Nikola just looked peeved.
"I know everyone is busy, but there is nothing that needs doing so urgently that it can't wait until next week. We cannot continue as we have been. I have arranged for Declan to sub for us with a team starting late on Thursday for handoff, and Kate will also be back to handle any abnormal missions that come up. On Friday the five of us are going camping. We will be returning Monday afternoon."
Shocked silence, and then the reactions started. Biggie looked pleased, Henry was thinking about it, and Will was about to object again. Nikola's face had gone blank- bad sign.
Helen continued. "Will, we all need a break, and a little time alone together will help us reintegrate as a team."
Will looked thoughtful, and nodded. She could see Henry was starting to take to the idea too, but she had to ruin the plan she could see forming in his mind.
"There will be absolutely no electronic devices permitted, with the exception of one cell phone that I will have for emergencies."
Henry half rose from his chair. "Doc, that's not fair. I need . . . "
"No, Henry. If we have electronic devices three of you will sit with your heads in them the entire weekend. We are going to communicate with each other, and that is final!"
"She's right" agreed Will. "You know she is. Tesla, Henry and I would spend the entire weekend like that and that would abrogate the whole purpose of the outing."
Helen nodded at him gratefully. It was so lovely having an intelligent psychologist for a second in command.
"We leave at six A.M. Friday morning gentlemen. Bring what personal items you need. Henry, Biggie, please ensure we have the tents, bedrolls, etc. packed in the van by then. Questions? No? Good. I will see you then."
Biggie, Will and Henry filed out. That left her and Nikola facing each other. She knew this was not going to be easy, but she was prepared.
"I am not going" Nikola said flatly.
"Oh yes you are."
"You can't make me."
"You will go, and you will participate."
"I am not living in the dirt with the bugs for one minute, much less three days."
Helen softened her expression. "The tents have floors and zippered doors, they will be relatively dirt and bug free, and you will have one to yourself. And if you do not go, I will require everyone to update their access codes except you, wipe out all the old access codes including all of mine that you know, and make you ring the bell and beg for admittance every time you come to visit."
"You wouldn't."
"Oh I most definitely would. And I will not restock the wine cellar."
"You are a cruel woman."
"Indeed, but you are coming camping with us."
Nikola sat looking at the floor for a moment, twiddling his fingers. Suddenly he stood and looked at her grimly. "Fine. I'll go, God help me."
"I thought you didn't believe in God."
"I don't, but I am a desperate man, Helen."
Helen laughed, and Nikola couldn't help but respond with a wry grin before he left her office.