Author's Note: Thank you so much melissaadams22 and Besilea for your wonderful reviews! I always appreciate them. So, here's the next chapter. It's a longer one, just for you guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary, or the characters therein, nor any historical events or personages mentioned. I simply borrow and occasionally adapt them for entertainment purposes only. Although, this story idea remains mine as does the writing and any and all characters/species of my own creation.

Sanctity

Chapter Three: Leaping In

"Was?" Helen asked gently, catching onto the girl's past tense.

"After he... he left, I wasn't supposed to be talkin' to him no more. But he was me only family and his letters- they said things like 'Terra, you'd love it here' and 'Peter wants to meet ya so badly'."

"Your name is Terra?" Helen kept her voice soft, the sadness rolling off the girl seeming almost palpable.

"Yeah." Terra looked up, as though embarrassed.

"My name is Helen Magnus, this is Henry Foss." She gestured at Henry. "Can you tell us what happened to Titus and our friends?"

The girl's head bowed further. "Titus, he came talking about all the things he'd seen and the friends he'd made, but that... it didn't mean much without me there to share them with. Tried to talk me into going with him but Lero wouldn't hear of it."

"Lero?"

"He's the leader round these parts. He's... not the sort that'd be open to questions." Terra's eyes darted to the bartender.

Surreptitiously, Helen did the same and saw the man glaring their way. She guessed that he was Lero. "Did Lero say anything threatening to Titus?"

Terra ducked her head again. "Just that he shoulda never come back. That if he wanted to leave, he shoulda stayed gone." Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. "Titus said he weren't leavin' without me again."

"What happened to your brother, Terra?" Helen asked softly.

Shaking her head, Terra mumbled into her shirt. "I don't know. He was here, but then, he was just gone."

"And Lilian? Peter?"

Terra scrubbed at her cheeks. "They came lookin' fer him. I told the boy what I told you."

"Our colleagues that were here asking questions didn't speak to you?"

"I... I was told to stay away from 'em."

Helen sat back a little. "When was the last time you saw Titus?"

"He was headed fer Glen Hanserd's. He used to be Titus' best mate. Glen said he never showed."

"Where does Mr. Hanserd live?"

"Other side of the village, about a half hour walk. The small farmhouse near the wall what looks like a turtle."

Nodding, Helen stood. "Terra, if we have more questions, where might we find you?"

"I live down the street with Widow Seap. The little blue cottage." Terra mumbled, bowing her head once again.

Helen laid a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Thank you."

"It really does look like a turtle." Helen remarked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, with the shed as the head poking out." Henry said beside her. They were standing in the dirt road, looking at the house in the fading light. "I can see it. The patchwork on the roof even makes it look like the same texture as a turtle's shell. The green moss between the stones helps too."

"This must be it then." She said decisively, pushing open the small wooden gate and making her way to the door. Her knock wasn't loud but it was answered almost immediately.

The door opened and a man looked out at them. The fur under his eyes was a dark shade of brown, approaching black. "Yeah?"

"Dr. Helen Magnus and my associate, Henry Foss." She introduced herself, nodding politely. "Mr. Hanserd?"

"What do ya want?" The Ferabore asked suspiciously.

"We're are here investigating the disappearance of Lilian Matherson and her ten year old son, Peter as well as Titus, whom I believe you know."

Hanserd's face fell a little. "Titus and me grew up together. We was close." He looked at the ground.

"I understand you must be feeling sad and resentful of the intrusion, but any help you can provide me in helping to find my friends, and perhaps Titus as well, would be greatly appreciated."

The man's face scrunched up in uncertainty. Nervously, he stuck his head further out and looked around, then gestured them past him into the house.

Helen edged around him and entered the tiny building. A living room with a ratty old couch, a small kitchenette with a stove, and a closed door leading to another room, made up its entirety.

"Can I get ya coffee er tea?"

Unable to suppress it, Helen left out a relieved sigh. "Tea would be lovely, thank you Mr. Hanserd." She sat gingerly on the couch and tried not to wince as Henry thumped heavily down next to her. The thing didn't look particularly sturdy.

Hanserd gave her a brief and subdued smile. "You can call me Glen, if ya want. I guess you haven't had much of a reception here."

"We have had our troubles, but Terra took pity on us at the public house."

"Public house?" He asked, giving her a confused look.

"She means the bar." Henry translated flippantly.

"Oh." Glen smiled a little more warmly. "Yeah, that's Terra. She's a kindhearted soul."

"Shame that she has lost her brother." Helen said kindly. "She obviously loves him a great deal."

"He's her only family." He shrugged. The teakettle, already on the heat, began to whistle shrilly. Glen poured them each a cup and handed it to them before taking a seat himself.

"To that end, what can you tell us about Titus' disappearance? Is it normal behavior for him?"

"To vanish and leave poor Terra with naught? Not even a word of goodbye? Titus wouldn't do that, not in a million years."

"So when he went missing, you really had no idea where he might have gone?"

Glen appeared to hesitate. "Not really, no, but..."

"But?" Helen pressured.

"H-He was having troubles with Lero."

"Your leader?" Henry asked.

"Yeah. Being right stupid about it too."

Helen tilted her head. "How do you mean?"

Shrugging sullenly, Glen took a swallow of his tea. "Was like he was gunnin' fer a fight. Kept getting' in Lero's face about everything, sayin' that he weren't here to be bullied no more. That if Terra wanted ta come live with him, he hadn't any right to say say she couldn't."

"Why was Lero so against her going, anyway?" Henry asked, leaning forward in his seat. "Seems like it would have got rid of his headache a lot easier if he had."

"Lero doesn't like the thought of the younger generations going out. Says we'll lose our community if we just let it happen. 'S dangerous to leave anyhow. And Terra... Lero has her in mind to marry his son, Jamie."

Helen nodded her head thoughtfully. It explained the hostility toward Titus from his own people. Influential leaders can have a lot of sway in a hive mentality. Just look at Hitler. Sure, that was an extreme case, but the principal still applied. Clearly they would have to watch out for this Lero. After taking a sip of her tea, she looked Glen in the eyes. "And Lilian and the boy?"

"They seemed like good people when they came to talk to me. I spend most of me time in the hills with the animals, so they came to me in the north field and asked me lots of questions. Told them the same thing I told Terra. He never showed that night and I haven't seen him. After that, she and the lad left. Never heard from 'em again."

"The north field." Helen mused. "Could I persuade you to show me exactly where, Glen? It could prove very helpful."

The Ferabore looked between the two of them. "I suppose."

She set down her tea cup. "Thank you." Now they were getting somewhere. She stood, causing Henry to jump to his feet quickly.

"It's not a good idea to wander the hills at night round here." Glen said nervously. "We should wait till tomorrow." He went to the window. "Besides, it's raining again."

Glancing out the window at the downpour that had started up again, Helen sighed. "That would be wise. I don't suppose your village has an inn?"

"Sorta. Lero's got some rooms, but he only lets 'em ta people visiting from the outlaying farms."

She looked at Henry.

"Ugh, I hate tents." He groaned without her having to say a word.

"You could sleep here." Glen gestured at the ratty couch. "I got plenty of blankets and some extra pillows."

"That would be very kind of you." She said. "Are you sure we wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience?"

Glen half smiled. "Can't let a lady sleep outside now, can I? You can even have me bed, if ya want."

She held up her hand. "No, please, that would be too much. I'm very appreciative of the couch, I assure you."

The Ferabore turned to Henry. "You can sleep on the floor, or the shed has some soft bags."

Henry shot her a quick look. "Floor's good for me." He smiled tightly.

Despite how tired she felt, Helen found herself laying awake well into the night, listening to the sounds of Henry breathing slowly in his sleep on the floor next to her. It wasn't that the couch was uncomfortable. On the contrary, it was quite soft. As long as she stayed turned slightly on her side, the board didn't even press into her back. Glen disappeared into his room after seeing them settled and hadn't made a single sound since. The rain had faded away again, leaving only water to make soft plops as it slid from the eaves. The house settled with audible ticks and groans. However, even this wasn't what kept her awake. It was the uneasy feeling she had felt settle over her like a thick woolen blanket. Her racing mind wasn't helping either, really, trying to sort through all the information they had. It was like having several pieces to a jigsaw puzzle. Interesting, but still missing too many to fit them all together or to know what was still missing that you needed to find.

A sound made her start in surprise. It didn't fit with the night sounds permeating the air. She sat up. The night was too dark outside to cast any shadows inside, but she still sensed movement beyond the glass of the small window. Slowly, she reached into the pack she'd left by her head and pulled out her gun. As quietly as possible, she slid the blankets away and set her bare feet on the floor. Her nightgown she'd pulled on in the small bathroom earlier unbunched and the hem slid down almost to the floor, brushing her ankles. Her hair, braided over one shoulder, tickled her jaw as she edged to the door, gun raised. She paused next to it, listening. Finally, she softly turned the handle. It creaked a little as it swung open. Sticking her head out, she looked around. The dim light of stars was the only thing to see by, so she came out further to see and slid the door closed, careful to keep her gun ready.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers and twisted, effectively keeping her from pulling the trigger as her arm followed it's movement and pushed up against her chest. Just as fast, a hand pressed over her mouth to still her yell for Henry. Instead, only a quiet grunt left her as she was shoved against the wall. A scent pervaded her nostrils.

Anger replacing the spike of fear, Helen struggled against the grasp. When she started though, she was almost immediately released. Simply breathing for a moment, she glared into the shadows at the dark form. "John!" She grated in a harsh whisper. "Bloody hell! What do you think you're doing? Why are you here?" Rubbing her now aching wrist, she moved further away from the door. She didn't want Henry rushing out here.

"I couldn't very well have you shooting me, now could I?" He said softly, following her.

She spun to face him. "Why are you here?"

"You don't honestly think that I would simply accept to deliver dear Ethel's cryptic message without investigating further?"

"That doesn't answer my question." She stepped closer. "You didn't need to come here to find out what was going on, or for what reason we were coming here. So, why?"

John smiled slightly down at her. "Can you think of no reason?"

"Nothing comes to mind." She growled through her clenched teeth.

He just chuckled softly. "Perhaps I just wish to help."

She scoffed. It was rude of her, but her wrist was still smarting and she wasn't inclined to make the effort with him right now. Not to mention she was still upset with him for coming into her washroom, where he could see her, without her permission.

He stepped into her personal space, his face getting so close to hers she could feel his breath on her cheek. "Admit it, part of you is pleased to see me."

Rather than back up, she put her palms flat against his chest and shoved.

Frustratingly, he just laughed quietly as he stumbled back.

She turned for the door back into the house.

"Now, Helen, don't you want the information I possess? Surely you won't turn away help when a young woman and child's lives hang in the balance?"

She froze.

He chuckled again toward her back. "I can be quite useful."

Trying desperately to control herself, she turned back tightly to face him. "It makes little difference if you are here for your own purposes, ones that come out to cause us more trouble in the end than that which you have saved us. Of which I have little doubt."

His arms spread wide, humor gone. "I am not Tesla. I don't always have an agenda. Ethel helped me once, I owe her. You are well aware I do not like having debts."

Closing her eyes, she breathed out a sigh, frustration and fatigue making it quake slightly. "Then tell me the information and go."

"I don't think so." John shook his own head as she looked at him. His arms lifted in a gesture around at the entire area. "Can't you feel it? That apprehension?"

She blinked, then looked around at the dark valley around them. "You feel it too?"

He nodded, looking around as well. "It's almost palpable." His gaze returned to her, stonily serious. "Three people have gone missing already, including a local who grew up in this area. Do you really want to be next? Or your young Henry?"

A quick glance back at the door showed no sign of movement. She tried to size John up. He seemed sincere. Whether he was being truthful or not, the knot that had settled in her stomach wasn't letting the uneasiness escape her mind. Something was wrong, something she was ill prepared to handle, with only she and Henry here. That, and John seemed determined, while she still needed the information he possessed. At the moment, it was like they were still searching around blindly in the dark. Even after the things they had been told, she and Henry weren't any closer to finding their missing people. By the slight tilt of his head, John knew it too.

"If- and I stress- if I allow you to come with us, will you listen to what I tell you?"

He took her hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it, smiling. "Your wish shall be my command."

Her traitorous heart sped up and her skin flushed hotly. Despite her misgivings, he would be useful in their endeavors. She took her hand back quickly with a shake of her head, her breath a sigh. "Very well. Now tell me what you know."

Looking her up and down, from her shifting feet to her slightly chattering teeth, John gestured at the house. "Get some sleep. I'll inform you in the morning."

"John-" She started exasperatedly.

He cut her off. "Helen, it's cold out here. If I know weather at all, it will soon be raining once again. Go inside." His voice softened. "I'll be here when you awaken."

Twisting her mouth in distaste for the fact that he was correct, it was freezing out here in only a nightdress and her bare feet, she hesitantly made for the door. What he had said was no doubt meant to reassure her, but it remained a part of what she was afraid of. It scared her that when he stepped close, her chest still constricted like it used to. That fear, pain, and bitterness could mingle so fluidly with desire, longing, and tenderness. Love and hate, spinning like a pinwheel in a high wind. How could one man's scent still fog her mind so completely? If he was here, how would she ever be able to think clearly? She certainly wouldn't be able to turn her back on him. She opened the door silently and slid it closed on the chill nighttime air outside. Unpredictable was the understatement of the century when it came to John Druitt.

"They came to see you here?" Helen asked, stepping onto the green grass of the field.

Glen eyed John uncertainly. "Few steps in, but yeah."

She moved obligingly forward and then turned to her companions. Henry stood behind John, keeping him in front of him and an eye pointed his way. Frankly, John was bearing it rather well. He hadn't threatened the young HAP since this morning when they had argued about whether John should be coming with them. Henry had protested, but when John said he had found a witness who had seen Titus the night of his disappearance, she couldn't afford to keep him out of it. Finding the missing people was more important than Henry's comfort, or her own, for that matter. "Do you remember which way they headed when they left you?"

The Ferabore's brow scrunched up. "Uh, that way, I think." He pointed south and east.

She frowned. That was the way back toward the town, or at least the edge of it. John said the witness saw Titus heading north, rather than west toward the house they had just left. Could he have been coming here, checking to see it Glen was still in the field? Turning, she traced the way they had come with a single finger. "Glen, do you always take the west road and then head north when you come here?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Old Mealer used to own that field. Ran me out with a cleaver when I was a lad. Haven't set foot there since."

"Did Titus ever have a similar experience?"

"Nah, not that I know of. Why?"

There was a pause before she spoke. "If I was headed here or back to town, unaccompanied, I would cut across that field every time." She answered, her voice quieter as she looked around, pondering.

"You think there's something about the field?" Henry asked, taking his eyes away from John for the first time to peer that way.

"Perhaps they simply wandered off." John mused.

Henry made a face. "I can see the edge of the village from here. There's nowhere to get lost, even in the dark."

"Did I suggest they didn't do so on purpose?" John answered dryly.

"Enough." Helen looked between the two males who were glowering at each other, John with a bit of a smirk tilting his lips. "Our first step should be to follow theirs. So, let's go." She led the way, pulling Henry away from his staring contest until he actually started to follow on his own. The day was as overcast as it had been yesterday and the smell of wet vegetation permeated the chill air. Dressed in her boots, with thick pants and her tan coat, she was comfortable despite the water seeping in as she brushed up against long grasses.

At the edge of the field, Glen stopped and assured them he would wait for them there.

She nodded her thanks to him and continued, pushing through the crop that came up to her thighs. "Keep your eyes open for anything unusual." They moved even farther into the dense field.

"Unusual like what?" Henry asked, then promptly disappeared. One minute he was there, the next he was gone, Helen barely turning in time to see his hair vanish underneath the crop.

"Henry!" She cautiously waded towards where he had been.

"Careful Helen." John practically growled his warning.

"Henry?" She edged closer, looking down and finding a small hole down through the top and subsoil.

"Yeah." A quavery voice came from the black space. "I'm here."

"Are you alright?" She knelt near enough to look down. It was too dark to make out anything.

"Not really, but I'm pretty sure I'll live." His tone was lightly whining with a hint of teasing, a sure sign that he wasn't badly injured. A flashlight suddenly turned on below. "I'm in some sort of cave. Looks like it might be a tunnel. Goes off in both directions."

"It could lace under this entire field." John said. Beside her, he crouched and fingered the edge of the hole.

"Made in rock?" She questioned Henry, speaking loudly so that he could hear her.

"The floor feels and looks like stone, but the walls are a combination. Hey Magnus, do you think our missing people could have fallen in a hole like this one?"

Brow furrowing, Helen shared a look with John. "Could be, but I see no reason why Lilian couldn't have lifted Peter out and had him run for help."

"Perhaps they were injured, or fell farther then he did." John said, looking around.

"So what do we do?" Henry called up.

"First, we get you out of there and make sure you aren't injured. John?" She gestured into the hole.

Hemming in acknowledgment, John jumped in without hesitation, then almost instantly was standing by the hole again in a flash of red, holding Henry by one arm.

She hurried over and looked the HAP over carefully. Besides a coating of dirt and mud, a few scrapes and a rather nasty bruise on his hip, he was none the worse for wear.

"What's second?" Henry asked breathlessly, shaking his head shaggily to dislodge some of the dirt from his hair.

"Second, is to inform Glen of our discovery, then investigate the cave system."

Head hung, Henry grumbled so quietly she could barely hear him. "Caves. Why is always dark caves? And why do we always have to go in them?"

She smiled, not unsympathetically.

Helen landed with a softly expelled breath, stumbling a little as she did so. John caught and steadied her. She turned on her own flashlight to add to John's and Henry's light, illuminating the cave in the bright glow. Nodding to John, she gave his arm a squeeze of thanks and released it.

He turned away to examine the rock walls on either side. "Looks like mostly granite and quartzite." He stooped and touched the floor. "Smooth. Like it's been worn away."

"Worn by underground waterways?" She asked, crouching beside him.

"Possible." Was his only response.

She stood. "Alright gentleman. Right?" Her flashlight lit the way. "Or left?" It swung to the other side.

"Ladies choice." John said amiably.

After a moment of getting her bearings via the hole in the ceiling, Helen choose the left, which sloped down toward the east where the majority of the field remained. She led the way, walking slow as the slope increased and they went deeper underground. They walked in silence, flashlights continuously scanning every crevice even as the tunnel narrowed so that they could barely squeeze past and widened till the ceiling was far above their heads. They ran into many junctures where another tunnel either branched off or connected. A few times they even saw holes in the ceiling above them, but most not even close to being wide enough for a human to fit through. She kept them heading relatively east, hoping they might find any trace of the missing people, but as they continued, it began to sink in that it was very unlikely. Even if Lilian and Peter fell down here, they could have come in anywhere. She and her companions had gone past the boundaries of the field a while ago.

Just as she was about to suggest they head back and get a proper search team down here, she spotted something on the floor. Bending down, she picked it up and looked it over. "A torch." She said, holding it for them to see.

Henry took the flashlight from her and fiddled with it. "Out of batteries. Hasn't been here too long. They must have dropped it on their way through."

"Why come this way though?" John asked, looking around them.

"They were searching for Titus. Perhaps they had reason to believe he came this way." She reasoned. "Either way, to be completely frank, Lilian and Peter are our top priorities. We should focus on finding them first, then worry about Titus." Standing once again, she continued on down the tunnel. It dipped lower again and this time she noticed a definite change in the temperature. The air became colder and heavier. The walls glistened damply and bits of roots and moss grew in a few cracks, mostly on the ceiling where it was mostly earth rather than rock. There was no way of knowing which way the two would have gone once they reached another juncture, but until then, she would just have to hope there would be another sign once she and her companions reached it.

Then, her light reflected off something back toward her. The walls of the cave slanted out a little and the ceiling sloped up further. She paused in the open space for a second, then cautiously approached what was reflecting. A pool of water, clear and dark, disappeared into the corner of the floor on the other side of the open area where the ceiling met the floor. Beside it were two packs, one far smaller than the other and a pile of clothes. Nudging the pile with the toe of her boot, Helen judged it to be three sets. A man's, woman's, and child's. "Looks as though we found where our people disappeared to."

"Why the hell would they have gone into the water?" Henry asked in disbelief.

"Obviously, this Lilian is not easily daunted." John chuckled.

Eying the pool, Helen shrugged off her bag. "Either way."

"Are we really going in there?" Henry asked incredulously.

"We haven't much of a choice, Henry. Lilian and the boy have been missing for quite some time. Obviously something has kept them from returning. Who knows whether they are alive or dead. Or how long they will remain living if they are still alive. Every moment counts at this juncture." She stripped off her coat and shoes. Then her outer pants and shirt followed, leaving her only in a dark black tank top and shorts. On the other side of the pool, John was doing the same, all the way down to his shorts. She tried not to stare at his exposed skin.

As a distraction, she turned back to Henry. "If you're uncomfortable going in, you can wait here. With no diving experience, it would be markedly safer for you."

He looked at the pool again, over to John, and then back at her. "You sure?"

"Quite, Henry." She tightened her belt back around her hips, with light and knife firmly attached to it. "We've no idea what we may encounter, or even if this waterway leads anywhere. If we aren't back in ten hours, it would be best to have someone to go for help."

He shifted nervously and spoke in an undertone. "What about Druitt?"

She glanced at John, who was attaching his own belt, then back at her friend. "It'll be alright. If something goes wrong, John will be able to teleport us back here to safety."

"And what if something goes wrong with Druitt?"

Her face softened. "He won't harm me, Henry."

Henry pulled a face, uncertain. "So I guess I've just gotta cool my heels here, huh?"

A grin slid the edges of her mouth upward. "For what other reason did you bring that hand-held video game you're so fond of?"

He blushed, but with a grin, before sobering. "Okay, if you're sure."

She nodded. "Just give us ten hours. We'll be back before then." Slowly, she drew closer to the edge of the water with John. The sloping ceiling dripped condensation down on them. Her fingers found the slippery wet wall and slid down it as she crouch beside the tiny pool, steadying her. After a nod at John, she scooted forward till her toes touched the surface. Flashlight in hand, she dove neatly into the cold water.