To whom it may concern:

Thank you for your lovely reviews!

Morph - Thank you! I was trying to give people the impression that John was getting a little tipsy. It made my sister laught too, so it must be good!
Faust - You're right, Jekyll is a trooper. I love writing him. Thanks for correcting me about the will thing. I guess that's another fact that I'll have to skim over. (Like the fact that Griffin's invisibility thing is physics not chemistry!) Anyway, at least I can admit that I did know Lanyon was dead. (Mind you I didn't really like him anyway...)
Drakena the Destroyer - Who would tear the pages out? Someone who wanted the formula! I don't know, John's kinda growing on me. I rather like him!

Disclaimer: Bah! You know what I'm gonna say anyhow!

Chapter 8 – Back to the Nautilus

"Thank you for your help, John," Mina shook his hand, standing to leave.

"I'm only sorry I couldn't do anything more." He replied, opening the door for them to walk into the corridor. He smiled at them each in turn as they passed him.

At that moment, Jekyll and Bet walked down the stairs together. Jekyll looked much shaken and Bet was obviously forcing a smile at the others.

"What have you two been up to upstairs?" Skinner asked cheekily. "You've taken your time. We were just about to send out a search party." Jekyll didn't reply and avoided all eye contact with the others. Bet turned at the bottom of the stairs and walked over to John.

"I was just showing him around the rooms upstairs," she explained to the others. "It brought back a lot of old memories. We took much longer than we thought we would." John put his arm around Bet's waist.

"And I missed every moment of you," he told her. Mina smiled at the young couple and Jekyll rolled his eyes.

"Are we heading off now?" He asked, trying to divert the attention from Bet and Stapleton.

"Yes," Nemo told him. "We've got a lot to discuss."

"So have I," Jekyll replied, trying to hurry the others up to leave. He needed to tell them about his notes, but he didn't want to do it in front of John.

Nemo turned to John. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It's the least I could so," John replied. "And I promise that I will get in contact with you if I make any progression with that vine." Jekyll had a small smile on his face.

"Oh," He exclaimed, trying to sound upset. "You weren't able to identify it then?" He turned to face John.

"On the contrary," Mina spoke up. "John identified what it was, but it's the wrong size." John smiled innocently at Jekyll. "She must be using some sort of growth hormone to make it bigger." John's eyes lit up at the mention of identity of the thief.

"She? You know who it is you're looking for?" He asked them, intrigued. Sawyer stepped forwards.

"Well, not exactly," He told, John. "We saw her escaping with the vine after it had attacked us. I got a good look at her before hand, but that's all that we're able to go on."

"Oh, do tell me," John asked, excitedly. "I'd love to be able to help with your little mystery!" He beckoned them back into the sitting room. Jekyll slouched slightly and followed them.

After everyone was seated with another glass of brandy, John egged them on to tell him all they knew about this woman. Sawyer described her as best he could, and told him about how she had disappeared when he turned back to her.

John's eyes were wide and interested. He reacted eagerly to everything Sawyer said.

"So you never got to speak to this woman at all?" He asked them. Nemo shook his head.

"No," Nemo told him. "Sawyer failed to catch her."

"Hey," Sawyer spoke up. "That wasn't my fault! If Skinner was wearing something, I wouldn't have tripped over him." Skinner turned to him.

"If Skinner was wearing something he wouldn't have been able to follow her without her seeing him!" Skinner replied to Sawyer. John looked slightly puzzled.

"Why weren't you wearing anything?" He asked, curiously.

"Skinner has strange hobbies..." Jekyll spoke up, before the others could say anything. "Now I hope you don't mind but I really feel as if we should be going. I need to tell..." Skinner interrupted Jekyll.

"Stop worrying, Jekyll!" He told him. "We can tell John. After all, Elizabeth knows." Jekyll opened his mouth to interrupt again, but closed it when he saw Bet looking at him.

Skinner stood up and pulled his sleeve up, revealing to John that his arm was invisible. John blinked slightly, and looked at his brandy glass.

"I must have drunk more that I thought I had," he muttered to himself. He leant forward and touched Skinner's arm.

"Extraordinary," He whispered to himself,

"That is the idea," Skinner replied. John leant back in his seat.

"I always wondered why you looked so pale!" He told Skinner. He gazed at each of them in turn. "I thought you were just a bunch of do-gooders." He turned to Bet. "Elizabeth, you knew all along?"

"It's wasn't really my place to tell you, darling." She said softly to him. He smiled broadly at the rest of them. "So, anyone else have something they want to reveal?"

"John..." Bet hissed. "You shouldn't ask such a thing!"

"I have every right to ask them when they are in my house," John said to her, almost sternly. Jekyll tightened his fists. His house, indeed!

"None the less, I think it is time for us to go," Nemo piped up. "We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Ah, well," John replied, looking rather dishevelled. "Some other time then."

"Quite." Jekyll said, standing to leave.

The League stood a few yards outside the house on the wet cobblestones, as John and Bet waved them off from the door. Bidding them farewell, all but Jekyll turned from the door and started to make their retreat from the house.

Bet looked sternly at John as he reached for the door.

"Honestly," She murmured, placing a hand on John's arm. "You had no right to ask them any such thing, Jack." John grimaced, taking her hand and leading her into the house.

"Please don't call me by that hideous nickname," Jekyll heard him reply to her. "I've told you not to, far too many times before."

The door closed firmly behind them. Slowly, he looked around and followed the others.

Jekyll caught up with the others. He was about to tell them about his notes when Sawyer spoke up.

"What are we going to do now?" He asked the others as they walked slowly to the Nemomobile to take them back to the Nautilus.

"My crewmen have been trying to track the location of the message." Nemo told him. "They may have some news when we return."

"Let's hope so," Mina added. She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She looked ahead of them in a fixated stare. "Did you retrieve your notes, Henry?" She asked without looking at him. Jekyll and Sawyer stopped and looked back at her. "I assume that was what you were looking for." Jekyll paused for a moment, slightly surprised.

"Erm... yes, that's what I was looking for." He replied. "But they were missing. I was trying to tell you but I didn't think that..."

"She has got them," Sawyer interrupted. A wide smile grew across his face. "Of course! Why didn't we think of it before?" Jekyll stood for a moment trying to catch up with the train of thought Mina and Sawyer were sharing.

"I don't think I understand what you mean," He told them timidly, but they didn't seem to be listening.

"Nemo! Skinner!" Sawyer called to the pair who had continued walking ahead. "We need to contact our messenger tonight. I think we've got something." He broke into a run and caught up with the pair, Mina close behind him.

"Don't worry about me!" Jekyll called behind them. "You can tell me about it later, I'm sure." Sighing deeply, he traipsed behind them to the Nautilus.

NB: Yeah, so this was a sort of in betweeny chapter. I'm hoping the next will be a bit better. Ah, well! Reviews are appriciated.