Author's note: Thanks for the reviews =) As for what happened to Skinner ... it's not as bad or exciting as what many of you are thinking!

Clez: Teeheehee shall I save Skinner *thinks* nah .. :-p You seem to be always correcting my spelling :-p ... maybe I should rename my spell-check 'Clez'!

JeanGrey/Phoenix: when am I planning to update? About now :-p Thanks

Niani: I'm evil? I know *grins evilly* but it's fun to be evil! Teeheehee what happened to Skinner will be revealed in this chapter ...

Crystal: All will be revealed in this chapter ... well not all, but you know what I mean :-p

Melanie: I take it you don't like cliffhangers? Actually, the real reason for the one at the end of chapter 2 was that I was writing, and I had to go to school, so I finished quickly and uploaded the chapter and left! So it was an unintentional cliffhanger.

Chapter 3: Reunion

Skinner grinned – though no one would have known – as he entered the room, and saw Mina's astonished face. "Morning, love," he said with a laugh. "Nice to see you too."

The invisible man was being directed by two police officers. He was wearing his coat, and his hands had been handcuffed behind his back.

"Good morning, Mr Skinner," Mina said, regaining her composure. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"To these two gentlemen here – they found me in an alley a few nights ago. But of course you know why we're here – the League is being reformed," he finished in a pompous tone.

"I knew the League was being reformed," Mina retorted, with a dangerous look in her eye. "But I did not know that you were returning, or I would have remained in Berlin."

Skinner fell back in mock surprise. "Why, Mina, my love, I had no idea your feelings ran that deep." He laughed. "And I love you too, by the way."

"Stop fooling around," Mina snapped, beginning to get angry. "You know perfectly well what I mean. I mean that your stupidity in going to that tavern led to the abortion of the first mission, which had the benefit of surprise, and certainly had a far better chance of succeeding than the second. A reasonable case could be made for your guilt in causing the death of the President's daughter, Skinner – don't ever forget that." Her eyes flashed red, and both Skinner and the policemen stepped back, nervous.

"I trust I am not interrupting," said Roger Barnes from the doorway. Mina and Skinner looked up. "Roger Barnes; I work for the British government," he said, introducing himself again. He stepped aside, to allow Nemo, Jekyll and Sawyer into the room.

"Mrs Harker," Sawyer said, before turning to Skinner. He grinned slightly. "Skinner."

"Well, well," Skinner said, " 'ain't you the picture of a grown up gentleman? Nice of you to honour us with your presence."

"You seem to have done well enough without me," Sawyer remarked drily. "Arrested already?"

Skinner shrugged, and made a non-commital noise in his throat. Sawyer grinned.

Mina was looked intently at Sawyer, noting the differences to the Sawyer she had last seen – the lone, forlorn figure standing on the docks watching her ship leave; the boy who had been forced to be a man. Now ... there was a self-assurance about Sawyer that she couldn't place; it was different to his usual cockiness and pig-headed stubbornness. He looked older; manhood was resting well on him.

He noticed her scrutiny with a curious glance. At least he isn't wholly different, Mina thought, still curious. "Mr Sawyer," she greeted him, regally inclining her head. "Captain Nemo; Dr Jekyll."

"If I could interrupt, Mina love," Skinner said, "I was thinking we could get down to business, because if we are just going to stand here and exchange pleasantries, I might as well be back in my cold lonely prison cell." Mina shot him a furious glare, but Jekyll took Skinner's side.

"Skinner is right," the timid doctor said, "we should get down to business."

Roger Barnes sat down at the table. "Please, have a seat." They all took up his invitation, except Skinner, who remained standing with his police escort.

"You have been gathered here as you are required to face a threat that could – if unchecked – destroy the world as we know it."

Skinner yawned loudly. "Haven't we heard this before?"

"In all likelihood," Barnes replied, "but not from me. As I was saying, a formidable threat has been detected."

"What is its name?" Nemo asked.

"It doesn't have a name," Barnes countered. "This man is known as 'Shadowman'. No one knows who is or where he comes from ... or if they do, they aren't talking. But what we do know is that this man was behind a vicious attack on the British Museum a week ago – during which 15 guards were killed – and that his operatives took a file from the vaults of the Museum."

"What file," Sawyer asked.

"Yours," Barnes replied simply. "The file relating to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

The League were stunned. "But – why would he want our file?" Jekyll asked.

"We don't know ..." Barnes replied. "Maybe he has a personal vendetta against you, maybe it was just for bedtime reading."

Mina ignored his last comment. "So you brought us back together ..."

"To find out what he wants with you," Barnes told her.

"But ... in bringing us together, haven't you made it easier for him?" Sawyer said. "Now we're all in one place ... saves him having to track us down individually."

How astute, Mina thought, with a mental smile. The boy has indeed become a man.

Barnes paused. "That may be so, but in uniting you we have also made his task that much harder – now he must overcome you all when you are united and strong."

"United we stand," Nemo muttered, but Barnes heard.

"And divided ... you will fall," he finished, a strange intense gleam in his eye.

Sawyer shoot a sharp look at Barnes, while Nemo's hand edged towards the hilt of his sword. Barnes grinned as he saw this. "Ah, I take it you have not recovered from M's betrayal of you? Never fear, I will not echo him. Gentlemen, Mrs Harker : I will wait in the next room for your decision." He bowed his head and left the room, followed by the policemen.

"Well," Skinner said, to break the silence, "he's a queer one, isn't he?" He was not graced with a reply from the rest of the League. "So – are we reforming or not?"

Jekyll answered first: "I believe we should: it is clear that this 'Shadowman' is aware of us, and we are quite possibly in danger from him. We need to be united to find the source and meaning of this threat."

"I agree," Skinner said, "I'm for reforming the League."

"You only want this so that you can get out of those handcuffs," Sawyer retorted.

"Well, I'm not stupid," Skinner said, laughing. "And I only just escaped the Shadowman last time; I want to know why he wants me dead."

"What?" Sawyer said.

"I paid him a visit on the night of the attack on the British Museum, and tried to steal the files. Turns out, I got some but not them all ... I got the files on Jekyll, and Mina. Everyone else's ... are still with him."

A horrible idea was starting to occur to Sawyer ... "What kind of information would be in these files," he asked slowly.

"Biographical information," Jekyll replied. "Age, date of birth, place of birth, life history ... friends – family," he said, coming to a halt, and Sawyer knew that the same idea had occurred to Jekyll also.

Mina looked at them both. "What are you thinking, Tom? Dr Jekyll?"

Tom turned to face the rest of the League. "Look, this is just a hunch ... I don't think the Shadowman is going to attack us ... I think he's going to attack everyone we care about."

"Why?" Nemo asked.

"He probably has some kind of vendetta against us, but doesn't think he will be able to attack us ... so he will attack those whom we love but we cannot protect ..." Jekyll said. "He means to punish us by attacking others."

There was an uncomfortable pause. None of the League could look at each other. Then at last Mina spoke: "I am for reforming the League, but with reservations. I think I can safely say that none of us really want to be back in the League. We have all moved on and started new lives, or picked up the threads of a past life. However, here we don't have a choice. If we don't unite to protect our loved ones, they will be taken from us. I vote that we reform for the duration of this mission."

Sawyer nodded. "I agree."

Nemo nodded his head regally, and Jekyll too acquiested. "Skinner?" he said, as they turned to look 'at' the invisible man.

Skinner took a deep breath. "Oh what the hell," he exclaimed. "I'm in!"

The League had been reformed!

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Author's note: well there's chapter 3 ... let me know what you think. No cliffie this time ... *evil grin* I will update soon I promise.