Just Friends

Author: Peg

Rating: PG

Email: pessy@qwest.net

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of The Lost World.

Summary: This story is what I would like to call the edited scene or scenes from All or Nothing. It takes place after Roxton followed Marguerite away from the campsite. I got the idea to write this after rewatching the episode and because I agree with so many other fans that it seemed odd that the relationships of Roxton and Marguerite not to mention Malone and Veronica changed drastically. This is my take on what could of happened to cool things off a bit. It also answers some questions that were left on our minds due to the lack of continuity of this episode and the first season's finale "Barbarians at the Gate".

Spoilers: Reference made to the episodes, "Prophecy" and "Resurrection".

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Oh, why had I teased him and egged him on, Marguerite Krux thought to herself as she reached a clearing in the forest. She knew this man well enough by now to know that he would never back down from a challenge, but no she had to tease him about always being the gentleman and now she would have to suffer the consequences for that slip of the tongue. She could hear Roxton's footsteps as he approached the area where she now stood.

"I thought you were on watch, shouldn't abandon your post," she told him in her usual brush off tone.

"There's really no need, everyone is still awake. So I can concentrate on other things," he told her in a low tone as he walked over to stand right next to her.

She looked up at him a bit nervous but not allowing it to show. The last thing she wanted was to give him the upper hand. She hadn't up to this point and she wasn't about to start now.

"Such as?" She asked calmly staring up into his eyes.

"You for starters," he informed her then backed away a bit to eye her. "Take your pants off."

"I beg your pardon?" Marguerite said raising her voice and putting her hands on her hips.

"I want to have a look at the wound on you leg. To make sure its not bleeding or getting infected," he explained her pointing to the blood stain on her pants from where the arrow had hit her earlier that day.

"Oh, well first you have to turn around.," she instructed.

"But of course. I am a gentleman after all," Roxton said in a mocking tone as he turned his back to her.

Marguerite buttoned up her long jacket then walked over to a nearby bolder. She unfastened her pants and glanced over to see if he was peeking over at her. He wasn't, and she couldn't figure out why she felt a wave of disappointment go through her. Damn that man, she thought to herself. Why did he evoke such emotions in her, not even her former husband was able to make her feel this way. Even when he was pouring on the charm and Marguerite was foolish enough to believe that she had indeed fallen for him and not his money. Too bad she hadn't stopped to realize that her money had been what he had fallen for and not her. Marguerite sighed at the painful memory, if she learned anything from her travesty of a marriage was that certain men couldn't be trusted. She knew even before she came face to face with him that Lord John Roxton was one such man. He had a notorious reputation with the ladies, and because Marguerite traveled in the same social circles she heard rumors of his little escapades. So when Professor Challenger had informed her that he was part of the expedition she immediately put her guard up. She had decided that she was going to make it all too clear to Lord Roxton that she wasn't about to become another one of his countless conquest. Marguerite mused as she remembered their very first meeting in the study of Challenger's home in London. She had walked in and commented on the scientist collection, then told him that she had studied reptiles spotted Lord Roxton, walked over to stand next to him and said that she had been around a couple in her time. She could still remember him turning to look directly at her. The minute those dark piercing eyes stared into hers Marguerite felt her heart skip a beat. She had never encountered a man who possessed such a presence or that could stir up such bottled up emotions inside her with just one initial meeting. But she wasn't about to back down, but it seem like the more she fought him the more he fought back. At first Marguerite thought it was because she was a new challenge for this adventurous man but there were times when she started to wonder if he really did care. He had bargained his life to Orsic to save her from being sacrificed, although she later discovered that part of that had been his fear of death. Yet he had wanted her to kill him when they had been captured by those ban of gypsies just so that her life could be spared. If that wasn't enough after she had been wounded in that attack by Drakul's savages he had told her that he did care. So now what? She thought and sighed. Did she feel the same about him, could she really trust what he was saying? And even if she could, did she want to risk getting too close to him.

"Are you ready yet?" He asked breaking through her thoughts. "At this rate this could take all night."

"I didn't realize you were in such a hurry," she rebutted. "Okay, you can turn around now."

He turned to look over at her. The walked over to kneel next to her and started to examining the wound on her left thigh.

"It seems to be healing nicely," he commented looking at the wound and trying to keep his mind off the long shapely legs.

"Drakul was at least decent enough to allow Summerlee to treat my wound," Marguerite commented and her voice became a bit solemn as she thought of the dear elderly man who was now lost to them. "His last great act of kindness as a doctor. "

"Does it still hurt?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Not as much as before, but it does throb a little," she answered then he did something that made her practically jump. He leaned down and kissed the wound tenderly. He then looked back up at her. "What the hell was that for?" She asked in a demanding tone.

"Its something my mother use to do. She said if you kissed a wound it would make it feel better. I guess mother's are like that."

Marguerite stood up abruptly grabbing her pants as she did so.

"Well, I don't have much experience with that subject," she told him with even more sarcasm as she started to adjust her clothing not even caring that this time he was watching her.

Roxton had to bite back the desire to probe her further on this subject. If there was one thing he had learned about Marguerite Krux in the past year she wasn't the most open person, especially about her past. It was possible that maybe her parents neglected her, after all she came from a wealthy family and he knew that allot of the so called upper class had a tendency to treat their children more like property. Sticking them in boarding schools and pawning them off on governesses. When he thought about it, he figured he had been lucky in this regard. He had been raised by a loving and devoted mother. Sometimes Roxton wondered if she over compensated, because it was all too obvious that his father favored William, since he was the oldest and heir to the title. This sort of situation could of led to rivalry or even resentment where the brothers were concerned but it was just the opposite. John loved his older brother and ironically Willian admired his younger brother for his courage and thirst for adventure. Which led to him going on Safari with John, and his death. Something Roxton was never able to forgive himself for, and even if he had it was all too obvious his father didn't. Andrew Roxton had been of failing health and after William's death he suffered a massive heart attack which led to his death a few weeks later. If that wasn't enough to tell Roxton that Andrew blamed him, his father's will did. For although Roxton did inherit the title of Lord, his father left all the family holdings, the estate and the vast fortune to his wife and made it clear that John would only receive a monthly allowance. It outraged his mother, but Roxton understood all too well why Andrew had done it. Looking back on it now Roxton realized that he actually owed his father a debt of gratitude. If he had inherited the Roxton family fortune he would of had more then enough money to finance George Challenger's expedition and a few others as well, without putting a dent in his holdings. If that had happened he would never had met Marguerite, whose money had been used to finance the expedition instead. He glanced over at the beautiful heiress and couldn't help but smile. She looked back at him and stiffened as if uncomfortable.

"Perhaps we should get back to camp," she stated then began to walk away till he said something to make her stop to look back.

"You never answered my question earlier."

Marguerite looked back at him. "What question would that be?" She asked coyly.

He walked over to stand in front of her. "Did you miss me?"

"Well, of course, I mean Veronica and I were worried about all of you. We searched for what seem like hours with Thane..." She said going off on a rant trying avoid the intimacy of his question.

"Hold it!" He cut in. "Did you say Thane? Drakul's son?"

"Yes, he was searching with us for awhile."

"Then what? I mean he wasn't with you, when you located me and Tribune."

"No, we split up at one point and went off in different directions. But when Veronica and I hooked up again we never heard from him. I guess he must of abandoned the search and went off somewhere."

"Or he found dear old Dad and took him somewhere to hide out till they can rebuild their group of savages once more."

"I never thought of that," Marguerite pondered, "But Drakul could never had survived that fall."

"Why not, I did and so did Challenger."

"Yes, that's true," Marguerite pondered. "Do you think that Summerlee might have survived?"

"Its hard to say. I guess as long as no body is found there's always that chance."

" Yes well, um as fascinating as this conversation has been I think we need to get back to camp," She told him once more but he reached out and placed a hand around her waist preventing her from doing so.

"What's the hurry, its not going anywhere," He told her in a husky voices as his other hand went up to caress her cheek. Marguerite knew she should resists as he lowered his lips to hers, but once again she allowed herself to give into the passion that he stirred within her. She got swept up in the rapture of the moment as the kiss deepened. It wasn't until his lips left hers and made a path down to her neck that the voices of doubt started to form in her mind. Could she really trust this man, and if she could trust him, what if she lost him anyway. In the time she's known him, he had been stabbed twice, nearly killed more then once and today when he fell from that bridge. She felt a sharp pain go through her as she relived the horror of that moment when she saw him fall, powerless to do anything to help him. Marguerite pulled out of his arms abruptly.

"Don't!" She screamed.

"What?" He asked a bit bewildered by her actions.

"Roxton, ....John, I'm sorry if I have led you on in anyway, but whatever ideas you may have where I'm concerned, their wrong. It would never work between us."

"You really believe that? Marguerite, I thought we moved beyond that point."

"Well you were wrong. Listen I'm flattered that you may be attracted to me and its mutual to an extent but attraction can only go so far. I do like you, as a friend."

"A friend? A friend you invited into your tent in that paradise village for more then a casual conversation."

"I was under the influence of that youth fruit, you know that!"

"Yes, what about the night I offered you body heat? If the Norse warriors hadn't interrupted us...."

"But they did and maybe its for the best. I was right awhile back, you and I are a disaster waiting to happen."

"Perhaps your right. After all knowing you, you'd probably sell me out the next chance you get."

Marguerite looked at him in a way that had him wondering if his last remark hurt her in some way.

"You really believe that?" She asked.

"Does it really matter to you what I think? I'm beginning to believe your heart is made of stone."

"You can believe whatever you want," she told him. "But in the future, look elsewhere to satisfy your manly desires." She said then turned her back to him so he wouldn't see the tears starting to build in her eyes.

"That shouldn't be too hard to do," he told her in a cold tone then started to walk away as Marguerite stood there trying to pull herself together. She did the right thing, she told herself over and over again. If he didn't hurt her she would eventually hurt him. There was no way around that.

Roxton headed back to camp fuming as he walked. Damn that woman, he thought to himself. Why did he waste his time on her anyway? He already knew the answer to that question, from the moment he looked into her smokey blue/grey eyes Marguerite Krux had affected him in a way that no other woman ever had. He had known his fair share of women over the years, had more then his fair share of liaisons. But nothing ever came of any of those liaisons, in fact after awhile the women started to bore him. His thirst and love for adventure was something none of them understood. He actually started to wonder if he was the last of his family's line. Since he had no desire to settle down with those boring suitable women, the odds of him producing an heir were pretty slim to say the least. His mother actually went as far as to tell him that the type of woman he was looking for just didn't exist, and he had to agree with her. Then he met Marguerite, and realized that they had both been wrong. She was everything he ever wanted, intelligent, adventurous, resourceful, not to mention beautiful. But she was also everything he hated, selfish, vain, greedy, conniving, and mysterious. It annoyed him that she had to possess those qualities as well. What annoyed him all the more was that despite these traits he found that he still couldn't resist her, and the more he got to know her the more he felt as if he was starting to get to know the real woman. She had shown her compassion to him and the other members of the expedition despite her looking out for number one persona. He started to wonder if maybe they actually had a chance at a future together. He should of known better, Marguerite Krux had been trouble from the day he met her and that hadn't changed.

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Veronica sat on a down tree a little bit away from the camp looking up at the stars. Malone walked over to sit next to her. She looked over at him briefly then continued to look up.

"I'm not sure you know this but Summelee was teaching me about the stars and the constellations. We would spend many a night out on the balcony looking out at them. He told me that it was something he and his wife use to love to do together. "

"I didn't know that, I know that the two of you had become close."

"Yes, we had. Being born here on the plateau I never had grandparents, at least none that I knew. In many ways he was like the grandfather I never had. I never told him that or how much he meant to me."

"I'm sure he knew." Malone assured her as he placed his arm around her. She stood up abruptly to walk a few paces away from him..

"Maybe, I just can't believe he's really gone." She said with her back still turned to him.

"Neither can I," Malone said as he stood up as well. "Which leaves me to wonder if he is. I mean your parents have been gone for several years now and you haven't given up hope that they will one day come back so maybe we should lose hope that Summerlee is alive somewhere and one day he'll return to us. I'm not ready to abandon hope."

Veronica turned to look at him. "Neither am I. Especially when hope is all you have left. I just can't help but wonder who else this place is going to take from me."

"Veronica, you shouldn't be thinking like that."

"How else can I think, Ned. This is about more then just my parents and Summerlee, the people who were a part of my parents expedition, I cared for all of them and their all dead or missing. And today I lost Summerlee and I came so close to losing you, Roxton, and Challenger."

"But you didn't," He told her in a reassuring way placing his hands on her fore arms.

"Not this time," Veronica pointed out. "But I have this bad feeling that we can only tempt fate so often. Ned, today you were willing to give up a chance to leave the Plateau and return to London to stay here with me. I want you to promise me something. If the opportunity ever presents itself again for you to leave that you will go."

"Veronica, why..I don't think I understand."

"We come from two different worlds. Right now that doesn't seem like such a big issue but it could become one. You have a life and career back in London. You have a fiance there...."

"Gladys and I were never officially engaged," Malone pointed out.

"But she's still an issue for you. Can you honestly tell me that you have put that part of your life behind you?" She asked and he doesn't answer. "I didn't think so. Ned, I do care about you but maybe we should just be friends nothing more, it will make it easier for both of us in the future."

He drops his hands and looked over at her a bit dumbfounded.

"Your serious aren't you?"

"I'm sure when you have a chance to think about it, you'll see that its really what's best," she told him.

"I guess your right," he told her in a defeated tone then started back to camp.

Veronica stood there watching him go, fighting back the desire to run after him and tell him that this wasn't what she wanted. No, she wanted to be with him. Today when he had chosen her over London she had been elated. No one had ever done anything so unselfish for her before. But then she had the reality of this savage place slapped her in the face once more. She couldn't let him stay with her not when he would be safer back in London. So if putting a halt to their budding relationship achieves this then she knew she was doing the right thing. Besides as she pointed out to him, he had a commitment to someone else but unknown to him so did she.

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Malone walked back to camp and started to pace around like a caged in animal. Challenger and Roxton who are sitting beside the fire look over at him.

"Is there a problem Malone. You seem a bit agitated?" Challenger asked.

"Nothings wrong! Except that I can't figure out women that's all."

Roxton laughed a little.

"Join the club," he muttered in an amused tone.

"That is a mystery man has pondered for years," Challenger agreed as Marguerite arrived back at camp. Roxton glanced over at her briefly then turned his attention back to Malone.

"Although some women aren't worth the trouble, believe me." Roxton said in a bitter tone.

"I take it you and Veronica had a fight or something?" Challenger inquired.

"Or something," Malone elaborated as he sat down next to the men. " I was willing give up my whole life for her. I was willing to stay here with her and you know what she just said to me? Maybe we should just be friends. Can you believe that, have you ever heard anything like this?"

"Actually I have," Roxton muttered under his breathe.

"Its like, I don't know she went from hot to cold. I don't know what happened since this morning till now to change her tune."

"Except the fact that she lost yet another person she cared about," Challenger told him. "All of us did. But for Veronica the loss of Summerlee was probably even harder. She's already loss her parents and now she is dealing with losing someone else."

"She tried to tell me as much, but I didn't listen," Malone said.

"Well if you ask me the whole relationship thing is quite a waste of time better used for other endeavors." Tribune stated as he walked into the camp.

"We didn't ask and I thought you agreed to remain away from our camp tonight," Challenger pointed out.

"What and miss out on such an interesting study of human behavior. It is rather fascinating to watch how human males give their females so much of a say. In the lizard culture we have a better way to control our unruly females."

"Oh really, and what would that be?" Marguerite asked.

"We eat them," he told her point blank.

"I had to ask," she muttered with a sick look on her face.

"I would think such an endeavor would appeal to someone such as yourself, Marguerite," Roxton stated in a dry tone and Marguerite glared over at him. Malone stood up from the where he was seated and walked a few feet away from the camp. Marguerite hesitated then walked over to him.

"You know Challenger is right, about Veronica I mean.," she elaborated.

"I know that, its just that I actually thought she and I had something special."

"Is there really such a thing?" Marguerite muttered with sarcasm then looked over at the young journalist. "Don't listen to me I have never had much faith in happily ever after and everlasting love. But that doesn't mean that everyone should follow my lead. If you do have real feelings for Veronica then do as she asked and give her some time. You know what they say if its meant to be..."

"It will be," Malone finished. He looked over at the heiress and for the first time was seeing her in a different way. Up till now he had seen her mostly as selfish and predatory despite the fact that Summerlee seem to be so fond of her and Roxton seem to be so taken with her. True, there had been those moments where she had shown compassion but up till now it had been very limited to him and he sometimes wondered if she even liked him or if he liked her for that matter. "Thanks, Marguerite."

"For what, dashing your hopes that love conquers all?" She asked in a cynical tone. "If you want my honest opinion love and all that mushy stuff is just a total waste of time," she then walked away without giving him a chance to respond. Malone shook his head slightly, he couldn't figure Marguerite out that was for sure. He was having a hard enough time trying to figure out Veronica at the moment, he thought as he spotted her returning to camp and joining the others around the campfire. Perhaps Challenger was right and even Marguerite for that matter. Maybe he did need to give Veronica some time to sort things out. If it came right down to it, he would rather have her for a friend then not have her in his life at all. Malone hesitated for a moment then walked over to where Veronica sat, he sat down next to her and placed his hand on hers. She looked up at him and he gave her a reassuring smile. Veronica squeezed his hand, grateful to know that she still had him as a friend.

The End

Note: I did take a few liberties here especially when it came to Roxton's family fortune. But I am among those who question the fact that if this man has so much money why didn't he finance the expedition? I have rewatched the pilot and there was more then ample time for him to volunteer his resources before Marguerite came forward. So I came up with what I considered to be a feasible explanation. In short the money is in his family but not as his disposal, at least not yet. Also, you might have noticed that I didn't square things between him and Marguerite. This was mainly because I felt there was more animosity between them at the beginning of season two then Veronica and Malone. So in keeping with the theme of the program I chose to handle it this way.