Title: They Will Know Us By Our Kin

Author: Heather-Lass

Summary: The naturalist Heather O'Toole is here, and she's not what anybody expected. But they still welcome her openly. She's met her mother and her grandfather, with happy results. Next up, school trip!

Disclaimer: All the Christy characters are property of the Marshell/LeSourd (did I get that right?) estate, etc, etc, etc. The naturalist character is of my own creation but with some real life folk singer. Heather Alexander. Because she rocks. So yeah.

Author's Note: Short, sorry. School was out but I've got a month of summer quarter and business with work. I vow to maybe finish this by the end of the summer, but we'll see.

Chapter 6: Cold and Dark

Cautiously, Christy, Heather, Neil, David, and the children entered the cave. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they began to see glittering limestone formations in all sizes and shapes.

"The cavern's so pretty," Zady Spencer breathed.

"There's another tunnel over there," Neil said, "and we have plenty of lamp fuel. Why stop here?"

"Wait," Heather said and everyone looked at her questioningly. She took out a red bandana from her pack – one of several spares she always carried – and tied it to the stalagmite closest to the opening they had just come from. "In case we get confused coming back. The openings may look different to us when we are going the other way."

"Good thinking," David smiled at the smart-minded redhead.

They proceeded down the passageway through a smaller cavern and another tunnel without much incident. In the third cavern, which was bigger but on a lower level than the first two, a subterranean stream came through a crack in the rocks. It splashed down to the cavern floor as a beautiful water fall. A pool formed at its base, containing some blind fish and lizards that fascinated the children.

At the far end, the cavern constricted again into a tunnel and David and Heather went to see if the tunnel was travel worthy. Neil and Christy stayed with the children as they explored the cavern.

"You know, I think there's something between those two." Christy mentioned to Neil as David and Heather retreated into the dark.

"I haven't seen anything."

"Have you seen how they each look at each other when they think the other isn't looking? Something's bound to happen."

"If they're not too dense. We have too…"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence as suddenly a large rumbling was heard and rocks started falling done near the end of the cavern David and Heather had gone into. Everyone stared in surprise and then ran over to the tunnel. Once the dust had settled, they saw that the tunnel was completely blocked!

"Heather! David!" Christy yelled.

"Christy?" a faint female voice answered. "Are you there?"

"Are you two alright?" Neil bellowed.

"Just fine. Just fine." David's voice sound sarcastic and quite close. He must have been amused by the bellowing. "We're okay."

"I see light further down the tunnel," Heather called. Maybe we can get out that way."

"We'll start moving some of the smaller rocks," Neil answered. "Just in case."

"Alright." David and Heather relit their lanterns which had gone out when the rocks fell and slowly made their way towards the light.

End Of Chapter 6

Next Up: Chapter 7: Out of the Dark, Into the Light- In which the four adults get into some arguing amongst themselves.

Author's Note: Short as I said, sorry. I promise better next time.