Title: Whisperer

Synopsis: Whisperers are a part of history, a myth and yet for Helen Magnus and the Sanctuary they hope that myth becomes reality.

Co-Author: Laura

Pairing: Jackson

Rating:

Season: 2+

Episode Spoilers: Sanctuary season 2 episode Kali, Stargate Atlantis season 4 & 5, Stargate SG1 season 10 & both movies

Disclaimer: We don't own Sanctuary or it's characters, we just took them out for a little fun so please don't sue us!

::Sanctuary::

::Foss Lab::

::Old City, Washington::

"Dude come on..."

Over the secure web connection Henry Foss sighed at the two images on the screen, the Big Guy cuffing their newest member, Kate Freelander upside the head at her comment. He was tired, frustrated, worried, pissed and oh so many emotions no one could even imagine and the fact that the 'idiot' which is what he'd taken to calling Terrance Wexford, wouldn't let him go home saying he needed his expertise to try and come up with a way to stop Bertha aka Kali, had him a whole new level of frustrated. Of course the Sanctuary's senior technology expert had wanted to say that they'd already had a way if he hadn't tried to kill her unsuccessfully and pissed her off, now it was looking unlikely that anyone could stop her but he also hoped that wasn't true...in command or not, calling the shots or not Doc was blaming herself for this.

"Henry" 'Bigfoot' stated to snap him out of his reverie.

Blinking and nodding, "Yeah, yeah right. Listen guys I can't help you here, you're gonna have to get through to Doc on your own. I've got my hands full and Wexford won't let me come back to the house until either Doc is completely out or he can step in as the leader of that facility and..."

"Yeah that's not gonna happen" Kate insisted for all of them, she maybe former Cabal and new to this world but the one thing she did know was that she didn't like nor trust Terrance Wexford to be calling the shots. "We gotta get the boss back in charge then we can focus on this spider thing."

Henry rubbed his neck and nodded, "I know but I'm not an expert in Sanctuary politics Kate and that's part of the reason why Doc recruited Will, he was learning but he was the best one next to the other heads of houses and they aren't really gonna help us now that Wexford has called in his marker the little..."

Grunting a bit, "Henry" just as Helen Magnus would have done. The hairy man was silent for a moment as the 'children' rattled on about something or complaining then he stated, "Henry, if we calmed the situation with Bertha would that not help to get Helen back into control?"

~Interesting~ the man thought, "Yeah I suppose if she could do what the rest of the network can't it would certainly show she knew what she was doing, all she needs is a few of the heads of houses to stand beside her and she's probably got enough markers to knock that guy into another century. It's just everything piling up on each other from what I understand, all at once you know."

"So" Freelander insisted, "We control or stop the spider we get the boss back in command and she can stake the moron to an ant hill somewhere."

Again a cuff upside the head.

"HEY" she called out putting a hand on her head, "Stop that before I shoot you."

Grunting, "Stop being rude" he insisted.

Suddenly Henry smiled a bit, "I think I have an idea but I can't help you with it, the Doc is the one that would know the most about it or Will but he..." sadness in his voice, Will Zimmerman was due to be flown back to the Old City Sanctuary by the end of the week to be placed under Helen Magnus's personal care again if he stayed stable but he'd been in a coma or unconscious for the past two days since Ravi and Kate had barely saved his life. Doing some typing to extra secure the connection and then locking the doors and turning off the security cameras the man came back and sat down, "Kate do you remember what Doc said when we were talking about the history of Bertha and who might have done it?"

"Uh yeah, a little why" she asked confused?

"She mentioned something called a Whisperer" he responded. "I remember hearing the boss say something about them once a few years ago, it's supposed to be a race of people that have spanned the Earth since creation if I remember right. They could communicate with all creatures in someway, I don't remember all she said but if one of them is still alive..." the message clear, it might just be a chance...the slim chance they needed.

In theory it all sounded well and good, "Ok, not a bad idea I have to admit," Kate told him. "But Henry I can't just put an ad in the newspaper. How do you suggest I try to locate one of these whisperer people," she asked? It was not like she had a million contacts like the boss lady did.

It was the Big Guy who answered, "We enlist help."

Henry smiled and nodded, "Exactly. Guys I have to run, keep me in the loop as best you can without tipping your hand...if Wexford learns about this..."

"Uh yeah...yeah we got it" Kate insisted bidding goodbye and shut off the monitor looking over at the hairy man. "How exactly have we got it?"

He grunted a bit, "Meet me in the library in an hour" he ordered and turned stalking off.

Kate shook her head this place was just plain crazy most of the time, but it was the most interesting job she had ever had that was for sure. Then she headed for the gym, a quick workout before she met the Big Guy would help to keep her calm.

::Magnus Chambers::

::Master Bedroom::

::Balcony::

Standing out on the balcony watching the setting sun, her lunch nearby untouched as always Helen Magnus was a million miles away and a million directions. It was only a matter of time before under Terrance's leadership the Sanctuary became everything she'd vowed and that her father had vowed would never happen, the abnormal world would quickly tire of his rules and self imposed complex and leadership. The in fighting would start small but it would quickly escalate to the point he could not control it, eventually the network would serve to do what the Cabal had so wanted to do...get the humans and the abnormals fighting for dominance and it would not end well for either side.

Perhaps worst of all was that she was powerless to stop it, at least at the moment. She'd tried talking to the other heads of house but for now they were backing Wexford, not because they wanted to but because they all had doubts about her judgment and the truth was she could not prove to them or show them that their doubts were unfounded. The woman was not crazy but she was different that she was this time last year, less sure but so much had happened. Her daughter gone, the network openly attacked in an all out war, several abnormals friends of hers gone in that war or the fallout, John gone or so it appeared, Tesla mortal now and would eventually be gone, Nigel long gone and her dearest friend James Watson gone as well...she was all that was left and everything important to her was being taken or had already been taken away.

Across the ocean the young man she'd brought into this world, that she at one time thought would be her crowning glory and could take over the network for her so she could finally retire was fighting for his life and loosing the steady battle her latest information told her. If they did not come up with a way soon to stop Bertha aka Kali he'd be gone as well. She'd lost so many people, so many protégés but William Zimmerman was different...he was special and she'd known that when she saved him that night when the abnormal attacked his mother.

This was how it would end for her she was sure, standing on the balcony of her rooms watching the world burn...poetic justice in a way, they often said Nero watched as Rome burned powerless to stop it and she was as powerless. There was nothing she could do; no one wanted to listen. If only she had not taken Terrance with her on that ship, if only she'd foreseen just how devious he was but of course her mind was on other things and now those other things were going to finish taking and stripping away the last few strings of dignity and hope she held onto...the last few glimmers of happiness she had in her life.

The sound of her door opening in the distance pulled at her focus, she knew who it was simply because there was only one person other than John though he would never have done it that would enter her chambers after only one knock which was ignored and that person was someone she trusted with her life. Figuring why he was there as she took a small sip from the teacup that was sitting on the railing of the balcony in the darkness; tea was her one and only solace right now. Waiting until she felt his presence, "I was not hungry."

Grunting was her response and Victor sat down a new tray covered with her dinner inside then came back out, "You must eat madam and I wish to speak with you, it is important."

"I am really not hungry Victor so please take it back and do not let it go to waste," she told him taking another sip. "Just leave the tea," but she did not turn to face him as she normally did. With a heavy sigh not sure she could take one more thing, "What is it?"

He approached her closer, "We may have found a way to save William" which is what the two of them called him when he wasn't around; even though it was his name like most 'children' today they shortened and preferred shorter names. "And to stop Bertha but we need your help madam."

"Perhaps you are not aware that I have no authority. What could you possibly expect me to do," she asked giving him a slight glance, she was just not in the mood?

Their friendship, their understanding, their respect for each other made it so her shortness or her moods now and then did not even phase him and he grunted, "Eat and I will tell you" he responded.

"Victor..."

"Eat" and he stepped to the side of the door that led back into her chambers where her dinner was waiting.

Picking up her cup she turned in frustration, "Must you always be so obstinate," she demanded as she headed inside? "I hardly thinking my eating is a valid reason to hold William's future hostage."

::Sitting/Living Area::

The man followed her inside and out to the sitting area where her tray was awaiting, "William would disagree, he would not wish you punishing yourself Helen" he responded going over to start serving her.

"I am doing..." only to stop when he gave the look, the look she knew so well that she was coming close to a line they had both walked now and then, "All right I will try. Just tell me what the idea is."

::Library::

An hour later Kate Freelander strolled into the library expecting to find the Big Guy waiting and was surprised to see him among a pile of books he was carrying to one of the long tables, the fireplaces going in the room, a tea and coffee service nearby waiting and more than that was the sight of Helen Magnus, prim and proper like always sitting at one of the tables going through a large volume, "Doc" the surprise clear in her voice, she hadn't been out of her rooms much since they returned to the US.

"Hello Kate, get something to drink and pull up a chair. You may help me to look," the woman ordered as if it was a totally normal day. "There are just too many volumes for me to do myself."

Surprised for sure, "Doc are you..."

"You may take that table there" pointing to another table area.

Looking from her to Victor who merely heavily put down a stack of books on the table for himself, "Work" he insisted and sat down.

~Right~ she thought, "Right work. Can one of you tell me what I'm looking and working for," she asked heading toward the coffee and tea service?

"Any and all references to Bertha we need to find the earliest and the most recent," Helen informed her. "Then I may have an idea of where to start looking," she explained.

Nodding as she poured her coffee, "Ok, references to Bertha it is" heading toward her table.

*A Few Days Later*

::Central Lab::

A few days later Kate Freelander was tired, this was like being in school trying to gather information and understand it. At the moment she was standing beside the Big Guy waiting for Henry to come on again, the damage the wave had done to a lot of coastal cities was not good...thousands had died and Magnus and the network were taking it hard but with Will here now at least they had him to be concerned over and the woman could focus on that in between the research.

Just then the screen blinked on and the tired looking Henry Foss filled the screen, "Hey Kate, Big Guy, how's things going there?"

"You know about the old needle in the haystack thing. Well this is worse," Kate snapped. "But hey we only have a dozen or so more books to look through," she moaned.

"How are things there Henry," Victor asked as he opted not to smack Kate just yet.

Shaking his head, "Not good, thousands were injured and killed worldwide when that wave hit" he responded. "The only good news out of all this is officially all that happened on Wexford's head, I hope he crumbles under it."

"Henry" the man grunted at him.

Nodding a bit, "Right. Anyway tell Doc that I ran the searched discreetly she asked for but I didn't want the results sent over the network IM system or email so I mailed a disk to myself at the Sanctuary under a false company...it will look like just some computer software, no one will think twice about me getting it. It should get there today, take a look and see if it will help you all narrow it down. How are the boss and Will doing?"

Victor shook his head "Not good on both scores," he commented.

"Doc's most positive thing aside from taking care of Will was looking up this information. But she barely eats and sleep is not existent as near as I can tell," Kate told him.

He nodded a bit, "Pretty much par for the course, when Doc is really worried taking care of herself is way down on her list of priorities...I've seen it more than once, particular when one of us was sick. I've got to run but let me know what you learn if you can, hopefully I'll be home in the next couple days...staying out here isn't getting us or me anywhere but aggravated."

As the connection ended Kate sighed a bit, "Back to the research I guess."

"Indeed" he stated and turned.

::Magnus Study/Office::

Sitting on her boss's sofa with an oversized book in her hands rubbing her eyes, the words starting to blur together which wasn't really surprising at one am Kate Freelander looked up as she heard the feet and saw her boss coming in carrying some files, her white doctor's coat over her dress which was proof she'd been with Will a while. "How's he doing," she asked as she went toward her desk?

Shaking her head slightly, "He's stable but still no change. I just don't know. Have you found something?" Kate seemed to be protecting a page in the book.

"Nothing really concrete other than sleep deprivation but look" she responded rising, settling the massive book in her arms and came toward her. "This talks about a story passed down from a tribe in Egypt back in the time about a guy who seemed to understand the winds, he warned them about upcoming sandstorms and stuff. Most from what I can understand thought he was touched by the Gods but it did have his name in ancient Egyptian, I've only translated it thanks to another book over there the first name...it was Azun which in modern English is closely related to what we call Daniel today."

"Very good Kate." Helen told her with a slight smile. "That means we are getting closer. Does it say a year for this tribe," she asked? "We could be only a generation or so away at this point," trying to sound positive.

She smiled a bit at the praise, "Not yet boss but my eyes glazed over about that point, I'm going to hit the restroom then I'll start reading again."

Shaking her head, "You will go to bed. I will take a look, I have to wait for some tests to finish," she informed the young woman. "No arguments I do not need you sick as well," Helen insisted

Kate opened her mouth to protest but it was a ringing that came out. Quickly she closed it, ~Ok that's weird~.

For her part Helen took out her cell phone, a big part of her hoped this wasn't more complaints. As she had suspected the in fighting had started among the heads of house and Terrance did not have the experience nor the long term respect within the network to stop it, if they didn't come up with an answer soon all she had worked and sacrificed for would start to fall apart, "Hello."

"Doc" came the excited voice of Henry Foss, "Listen I don't have long, just check your email...I think I found the connection you were looking for on the info you sent me, at least I think. I got some coordinates."

Quickly moving around her desk she turned on the computer, "You are an angel" she told the man. "Remind me we should talk about a raise when you get home;" it was the first joke like thing she had said in months it seemed.

Henry smiled, "Hey just you having your job back boss and being back home with you, Will, the hairy fella and even Kate is all I want" he responded. "I have to go, I don't want this call risk being overheard but listen...be careful and...I love you ok?"

"I love you too Henry, you do the same," she told him before she hung up then went to open her email.

Confused the young renegade watched her, "Doc?"

"Restroom Kate then come back" as she started to type her username and password into the system.

Nodding, "Ok I'll be right back."

The coordinates that Henry had found based on some information they'd found in ancient tests intersected at a spot in the Costa Rican jungle at what appeared to be a mountain called 'Speaker's Perch', which rumor had it the holy people in the forest could use to speak to the almighty when they reached the summit several thousand feet up in the air.

"Oh boy" Kate Freelander mumbled as she read and was shown the specifics, "Doc if we gotta scale that..."

Helen Magnus shook her head, "I don't think so, look" bringing up a satellite image that Henry had sent her of the region and the mountain. "There's evidence of tunnel systems running through the mountain, it's possible these Whisperer people once lived in them."

"Do you think they still do," she asked?

Shaking her dark head, "It's unlikely but there maybe cave drawings, information pointing us to how to contact someone about these people or perhaps who a descendent is."

~Makes sense I guess~ she thought, "Well if we have to hike through the forest it's going to take us about a week to seven days to get there and then back out but...can you bring up anymore satellite images of that mountain? If we can find a large enough ledge or clearing spot we could go in by chopper or even parachute in then climb out the same way when we had what we needed."

Helen nodded her head, "That might be very possible. Now you go to bed and I will study this and figure out a plan; you need to be rested Kate. We will leave tomorrow if I can work it out so we are not tracked "

The woman wanted to protest but saw the look and nodded, "All right but here" picking up a pen and pulled over the small pad of paper on her boss's desk writing down a name and a number. "It's a guy who can transport us out of the network, he's normal but he owes me quite a few favors...trust me and he'll keep his mouth shut or he knows I'll shoot him."

Helen nodded, "Thank you dear," she told her with a smile. "Sleep well"

"Thanks" the young girl stated. "You know Doc it would not hurt you get a few hours," she offered before she headed out. She was amazed by the woman's stamina, but surely even the mighty Magnus had to have a breaking point?

*The Next Afternoon*

::Loading Dock::

Knowing that Victor could handle Will's needs for now, she as comfortable as she could be about leaving him alone. But if this worked maybe they could find who or what they needed to get him well. Kate and Helen were up on the platform as the truck backed in, a non-descript truck that came and went from the Sanctuary on a regular basis. This truck however was there to take them out of the city and to a small airport where she had rented a plane for them to fly to Florida. Then they would change planes for the rest of the journey.

"It is not as nice as the car but it will have to do. It is the only way not to be followed," Helen was explaining.

Dressed in her standard street clothes tossing bags into the back with their gear in it Kate Freelander smiled a bit, "Hey no worries with me boss lady, I'm comfy riding in anything. I could fall asleep in a laundry hamper."

"Indeed" the woman stated patiently, "I may have to remember that."

~I might regret that~ the woman thought as Biggie came up, "Came to give us a hug big guy?"

The hairy man grunted, "Here" and he held out a satellite phone to Magnus. "Henry encrypted the signal, no one will be able to track it incase you run into trouble madam."

The older woman smiled, it was nice the way her boys took care for her. "Thank you Victor. I will keep in touch but if forty-eight hours go by without hearing from me assume that something has happened. And do consider the time zones." she reminded him.

"Be careful" he insisted.

Nodding as she put the phone in her bag, "Of course."

"Doc, we gotta go" Kate called to her, slapping the driver on the shoulder before he moved forward to get back into the truck. "You sure he won't have any wild parties while we're gone?"

Victor grunted and cuffed her upside the head; "Silly" and he turned heading away.

Shaking her head a bit playfully to clear it, "LUCKY I DON'T GOT BRAIN DAMAGE FROM YOU BIGGIE, GEEZE" she called as he left.

"That will do children," Helen told them as she got into the back of the truck. "Close it up Kate and lets be on our way" she ordered.

The woman climbed into the back of the truck and with a grunt got them sealed in, then she went toward the front and gave a loud smack on the back and the engine gunned in response. Quickly she took a seat and sighed, "And we're off to the races."

"Quite" Helen responded patiently.

Sitting her head back against the side of the item for the ride, "Doc you really think there are any of these Whisperer people still alive? I mean wouldn't you or the Cabal have known about em if there was?"

Helen shook her head, "The best I have been able to find is before the printing press and telephone were invented. Once the news started coming faster then people could spread the stories the trail gets cold. The Indians still have medicine men and such but that is not the same thing," she explained. "Even with all the knowledge the Sanctuary and the Cabal and others may have access to not everyone can know everything Kate as proved by the very situation we're trying to rectify."