With This Ring....
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the charicters from the lost world, I'm just playing with them for a bit...I promise not to get them to dirty.
It was a beautiful day on the plateau. Not to hot, not to humid, not a storm cloud in the sky. Unfortunately there was one brewing in the tree house. It wasn't extremely unusual, but unplesant all the same for those involved. And in such a small home with so many people, these things tended to involve everyone.
Everyone was in their respective places that they liked to occupy. Veronica was on the balcony in the hamock getting some sun, Ned close by writing. Challenger was down in his lab tinkering with something that everyone hoped wouldnt wind up blowing them sky high and Roxton was sitting at the kitchen table, cleaning his rifles.
With a loud sigh the 5th member of the party came up from the lab. Miss Marguerite Krex had no more paitence to assist Challenger in whatever endevor he was currently entralled in and she headed for the elevator.
"Where are you going...?" Roxton asked glancing up from his gun.
She sighed in barely held back frustration. "When did you become my mother?" she said as she grabbed her fadora and gun belt.
"You shouldn't go out alone."
"John, I'm a grown woman. I can decide if I want to go for a walk or not can't I? Or perhaps you think that's beyond my capabilities?"
"Marguerite, the only thing beyond your capabilites is common sense." Roxton said as Ned winced. This was NOT going to be pretty.
Marguerite's eyes narrowed dangerously. as she turned to glare at Roxton. " You wouldn't know good judgement if it bit you on your ass!" she said as she steped into the elevator.
Roxton stood and followed, "We have rules for a reason, one of them being don't wander off alone. Wouldn't it be a shame if that pretty little head of yours got bitten off by a passing T-Rex?" he said, putting on his own hat and getting into the elevator and hitting the lever to send it down.
"And just why do you care if anything happens to my head?" she asked in a huff.
"Because I'll probably be the one that has to scrape you up off the jungle floor. After you Miss Krex." He said, motioning for her to go first. She just glared and headed off the elevator and down the path twords the pool that they used for bathing.
When they got there she angrily turned on him, "Do I get ANY privacy or do you have to watch me while I undress?"
He had the good sense to turn and move back a few feet, sitting on a near by log, his back to her. She simply scowled and began undressing. Lord John Roxton...pain in her neck extrodinair. Then again, she thought she wasnt really being fair..the man was only looking out for her. And with that thought her temper flaired again. How could she let such a man like John get to her to the point where she was defending him to herself?!?! She knew men like him. They only wanted one thing. She had given in once and it had cost her everything, her home, her money, her security...her very soul.
Sighing, Lord John Roxton settled against the log trying to get comfortable. One part of him was thinking that he should have just let her go rather than back-track the little progree the two had made to become closer. Another part of him thought that it would be hard to make any more progress at all if she got killed. His natural instinct to protect her won out. Again.
Marguerite glanced back twords him as she swam twords the deeper end of the pond. Look back, she relized she wasnt really angry. She had her moments but generally wasnt unreasonable....some of the time. She knew as well as the others just how dangerous this place could be and whether she wanted their help or not, she had it.
That in itself was a nice feeling. No matter how awful or picky or moody she could be, they had yet to "throw her to the wolves" as John once so elequantly put it. Try as she might not to be drawn into the little family they had made for themselves, she was apart of it all the same. But when they got back to London.....Marguerite instantly shut down that line of thought. No use thinking of what couldn't be helped now...and no use thinking about just who would be waiting for her when she got back, or what he'd do to her...
Later that night after they had all gotten back and eaten dinner they sat around in the main room of the tree house just relaxing.
"Veronica's told me that the rainy season is almost here...and that we'll be forced to stay in the tree house for a day or two at a time for the next month or so. I suggest that we make some repairs to the roof and settle in for a long stay" Challenger said.
Roxton sighed. He didnt like having to stay in one place for long, espicially when it was forced.
No one really spoke the rest of the night and around the time when everyone usually wanders off to bed, a huge crack of thunder made them all jump, banishing all sleepyness. There was a rush to pull covers over windows and to get everything off the balcony but by the time the sky opened up and started pouring, they were ready. Finially Challenger headed down to bed, followed quickly by Ned and Veronica, leaving Marguerite and Roxton up in the main living room alone.
"How can they sleep with this noise?" Marguerite said petulantly, pulling a lap blanket up over her as she streachs out on the lounge chair.
"Oh I dont know..I think its rather romantic....a nice opertunity to curl up with someone in front of a fire..." said Roxton as he moved to sit next to her and tucked the blanket around her.
She just looked at him as he moved closer to kiss her and turned away at the last second, "I can't."
"Why not...?" he said softly, turning her back to look at him.
"I just can't!"
"Why?"
She paused, "...You wouldn't understand. You couldn't"
"Marguerite please...trust me....." he begged softly taking her hand in his.
"You want to know? You really want to know...?" she said and continued when he didnt answer. "Roxton.....John...we can never be together because..." She took a deep breath. "We can never be together because I'm already married."
Roxton just staired at her like she grew another head, a look of pain and betrayal crossing over his expressive face. Silently he stood up, backing away from her like she was poison and turned, walking down stairs and quietly shutting his door. Marguerite just watched him go.
The next morning the rain was still pouring as Veronica came upstairs, first to rise as usual only to find Marguerite right where she had been last night before going to bed, in the chaise. A look of worry crossed over the pretty blonde's face...she and Marguerite may not be the closest as two people could be, but they did share a sort of shakey friendship.
"...Marguerite...? Are you alright?" she asked softly.
Marguerite turned slowly and blinked, looking at her as if for the first time, her face red from crying. That in itself shocked the hell out of Veronica. Marguerite..crying? The woman's hide was tougher than a T-Rex's..or so she thought.
"Veronica...you dont...you couldn't understand..." Marguerite said softly, tears threatening to spill over again. Veronica's eyes widened a little and she heistantly sat down beside her and pulled her into a hug.
"Whatever it is..it can't be THAT bad..could it?"
That just made Marguerite cry harder and Veronica looked around in almost panick
"Alright..um..lets go down to your room and ...I dunno...talk?"
Marguerite sniffed, trying to get ahold of her emotions, "Alright..I dont suppose it'll matter if one more person hates me..."
Veronica just looked at her in bewilderment and followed the heiress downstairs and into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it.
Marguerite moved to the bed and sat, taking her pillow and hugging it against her. "It's a long story....I suppose its best to start from the beginning hmm? A day or two after I left convent I went to see the family solicitor about my financial situation...so far everything had been paid through a trust but as soon as I graduated, that had been dissolved...The solicitor wasnt there and his office was closed down. I had to make some inquaries and I found out that he had left the country..,and upon making further inquaries...found out he had take everything....sold off the house, the furnature, the bonds, the stocks...everything. I sold off what jewlry and things I had with me that he wasnt able to get at and headed to France..just as the great war was begining. Let me tell you, being in the center of a war, pennyless and friendless isnt fun...but thats another pathetically depressing story. Anyway..I met this man..Charles Wirth. He was...hansome...and kind..and so very charming...and rich...and I know that sounds shallow but when you have nothing, that's not something to scoff at! Anyway...I married him."
Veronica stayed quiet but her mind was whirling...poor? married? france? the war?
"Things wern't so bad at first...then the war started getting really bad...and he'd come home drunk...or smelling like cheap woman...and of course, not being the meak woman I was, I threw a fit...and he did something I never thought a man would ever do to me....he hit me....not just a slap...he REALLY hit me. I learned pretty quickly to stay out of his way. Things wern't so bad...I was luckier compared to most I suppose...Then...." Marguerite had to stop to compose herself, "I got pregnant...."
Veronica stared at Marguerite in shock, "You have a baby..?"
"No." Marguerite quickly replied quickly. "Chalres had told me early on he didnt want children..but I just figured maybe a baby would settle him down a bit...so I told him."
"...What did he do...?" Veronica asked softly, almost afriad of the answer.
Margueiret smiled bitterly, "He threw me down the stairs...I lost the baby...and I figured it was time for me to leave...so I did."
"What about a divorce?"
"In france, the only grounds for divorce is adultry....and even though I knew he was cheating on me, I could never prove it. I took off and of course, he came after me...so I kept moving and finially one night I wandered into the zooalogical society to get out of the rain and heard Challenger talking about an expiditon to South America...and you know the rest."
Veronica just staied at her in shock. "And Roxton..."
"Roxon knows. Now he does at least."
"Marguerite, he wouldn't care-"
"He does" the brunette interuped. "I told him I was married and he looked at me like I had grown a second head."
"He knows your husband hit you? Murdered your baby?"
"Well.....no....I'd rather not air my dirty laundry out for all to see....Besides, I dont want his protection, or his pity."
Veronica just shook her head, "I'm sure he was just in shock...give him a little time." she looked around hearing the others upstairs getting breakfast. "You want to come up and eat..?"
Marguerite just shook her head and laid down. Veronica had no idea what to say..what do you say to a woman that you wern't close to that just suddenly told you this huge, horrible secrete..?
After Veronica went up to join Marguerite at breakfast, she glanced around. Roxton looked miserable, Marguerite..well looked normal but she was a very good actress. Anyone who knew her could see the signs of worry and unhappyness around her. Ned was oblivious, his nose stuck in a book as he tried to read and eat at the same time and Challenger just stayed out of it. After a few moments of silence she couldnt take any more and stood up opening her mouth to speak but when everyone turned to look at her in suprise...she found she couldnt find anything to say and just sat. She would have left, gotten some air, spent some time alone if it hadn't been raining cats and dogs outside.
Then suddenly, as if fearing veronica's wrath, the rain suddenly stopped and she sighed in relief. "It should stop for an hour or so..get some air while you can."
Marguerite instantly stood, desperate to get out of the tree house and away from Roxton's hurt, accusing glances and headed for the elevator, not looking at anyone as she hit the lever and went down.
"Roxton..can I talk to you a second..?" Veronica asked.
He looked at her for a moment before heading downstairs to the relitive privacy of the lab, Veronica following.
"She told me what she told you....."
Roxton interupted, "It's none of your business, Veronica."
"No Roxton..just listen..you need to talk to her. REALLY need to talk to her"
"Veronica, she lied to me. Lied to us all. She's had 2 years to come clean about her past an..."
"Roxton, she didnt tell you everything!" now it was Veronica's turn to interupt.
"What's left to tell? She has a few kids? Wanted for murder?"
Veronica just sighed. "Pretty close..but not quite...." and she told him the truth.....the entire truth knowing that if she didnt, he'd never find out.
Roxton paled as Veronica told him the story Marguerite had relayed to her. No wonder she was so weary of trusting anyone...espicially men. He felt sick...and furious. What kind of man would do that to a woman as speical as Marguerite? To any woman for that matter?! When they got back, he would personally make sure Charles Wirth never touched Marguerite again, even if he had to kill the bastard himself. Giving Veronica a appreciative glance he turned to follow Marguerite out into the wet underbrush.
He finially caught up with her and grabbed her arm, whirling her around. She turned, mouth open with an angry retort as he pulled her to him, kissing her hard, like there was no tomorrow and before Marguerite knew what she was doing she had her arms around him kissing her back.
Suddenly she felt like she was falling....and the next think they knew, they were, landing hard about 50 feet below in what looked like some kind of old mine shaft, Roxton landing directly on top of her.
"Get off!" she said annoyed, shoving him off of her.
"A pleasure as always Miss Krux.," he said, quickly getting to his feet and offering her a hand up, picking a leaf out of her dark curls, "We must be in some old mine shaft."
"How are we going to get out?"
".....I think we might have to wait until they come looking"
And as if to warn them, the sky rumbled with thunder far off.
Marguerite was muddy. She was muddy and cold. She was muddy, cold AND she was stuck in a small sink hole with a man whom she had been desperately trying to avoid. This did not make for a happy camper. It had started to rain again and the water level was already raising, up to her ankles. Across from her stood Lord John Roxton...Looking like a muddy, drowned rat. If she wasnt so miserable herself she would have found it hilarious.
"Why didn't you tell me the rest?" he said. As long as they were stuck down here and very possibly might drown if the others didnt get the lead out and find them first, they might as well get a few things out in the open.
"Why didn't I tell you what?" She said innocently but frowned when he just gave her a "dont bull-shit me" look. "I never wanted your pity John. Or your protection. I can protect and defend myself."
"You think you know me so well..." he said frowning. But then again, as soon as Veronica told him what that bastard had done to her...wasnt protecting her one of the fiece emotions that threatened to overcome him? "Besides, what's so wrong with wanted to depend on someone? To know that they wont leave you..."
"Because they will. Every time they will. Its Murphy's Law - invite someone into your life and they'll leave the moment you really need them."
He took a step twords her closing the small distance and he could feel the heat radating from their wet bodies. "That's not how it always is...It's not how I'd be."
She just looked up at him with a look of wounded fear...and maybe a tiny bit of hope that she was very possibly afraid to believe in and embrace. "Marguerite...I swear...I will NEVER leave you like that...." he said, tipping her chin up a little so she couldnt back away or look away as she had done so many times.
Marguerite bit her lip. It was so hard for her to think rationally when he was this close to her. "You say that now..."
"I'll say it forever if you'd let me."
She knew what a promise from him ment. It ment everything...It ment his world.
"John...I dont have anything..my hands are empty. Literally..."
Slowly he took her hand in his and twined their fingers. "Not any more."
Up above Veronica had a hand over Ned's mouth to keep him from talking and interupting the moment. They had all waited to long for this for it just to be ended with a rescue mission that could wait a few more minutes.
THE END