Title: The Price
Author: Jenn B.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roxton relives his past as the one event that constantly haunts him reoccurs on a whole new, and very real level...involving Marguerite. M/R
AN: My first Lost World fic. I'm a new fan but this scenario just leaped into my head during a bout of insomnia and a fanfiction reading spree. :-).
Website (still a work in progress!!): http://www.geocities.com/intotheunknowntlw
Disclaimer: No I didn't create them...although I would have liked to! The plot is from my demented mind though!
The jungle glistened with early morning dew as numerous birds welcomed the sunrise with their cheerful songs. Lord John Roxton enjoyed a rare moment or serenity as he gazed out at the landscape around him from the folds of the tent he was sharing with Ned Malone. Glancing at the neighboring tent he wondered if Marguerite was stirring from sleep yet. The trio was coming to the end of a week long hunting expedition, stocking up food for what Challenger had predicted would be month of heavy, and dangerous, visiting monsoons. Roxton was more than a little eager to return to the tree house and sleep in his own bed; and he knew from Marguerite's recent complaints that even if it meant getting up early she wanted to return home as soon as possible as well.
A crackle of branches stemming from somewhere behind the campers made the hairs on the back of Roxton's neck stand up in anticipation of approaching danger and with one swift move he grabbed his hat and rifle and alerted Malone with a nudge of his elbow. Looking the startled reporter in the eye, Roxton jerked his head towards the rear of the tent, alerting the other man to the danger as another crack echoed through the jungle. Ned nodded and grabbed the spare rifle, following his friend cautiously out of the tent.
" What do you think it is?" Ned whispered, steadying his rifle in preparation for their defense.
" I don't know." Roxton answered quietly, a roar interrupting him. " Raptors!" He shouted, rushing over to Marguerite's tent to rouse her from sleep. To his horror, as he flung the flaps aside, he was greeted not with the expected gray eyes flashing with annoyance but to an empty tent.
" She's gone!" He shouted to Ned, who blinked in surprise before jumping into action as the first of what seemed to be many raptors sprang, ready for attack, into the clearing in front of him. The gunshot was piercing as it felled the first raptor. Roxton soon became occupied with two others who surrounded him, shooting quickly at his foes, his mark unerring.
Ned spotted another in the bushes and took the fourth out of commission before it had a chance to cause trouble. The silence that then settled around the two adventurers made them more uneasy than the noises that at least gave them a fair warning. Both men were visibly tensed, guns held at the ready. Roxton's eyes shifted slowly from side to side, shaded by the brim of his hat, scanning the brush for any more of their 'friends'.
" I spotted five." He announced softly to his companion, who nodded in acknowledgment.
A snap of a twig behind them had the skilled hunter whirling around and firing in a matter of seconds; his victim's body falling audibly to the ground with a sickening thud.
" That's five." Malone declared, lowering his rifle with relief.
" Yes, now where in the bloody hell did Marguerite get off to!" He growled in a futile attempt to disguise the worry in his voice as the grip of panic rose up to grasp at his throat as he swallowed the lump forming there.
" We'll find her." Ned assured him calmly. " She probably went back to investigate those crystal deposits we had to pull her away from yesterday."
" That woman will be the death of me yet." Roxton grumbled under his breath, his mind's eye picturing the raven haired heiress happily picking away at shiny stones while he was out of his head with worry. A small smile crept up the corners of his mouth at the mental image.
Shaking his head to bring his focus back to the present he walked back to the tent to retrieve his pistols.
" We should split up. Circle around near the deposits we found and I'll head south."
" Right." Ned agreed before heading off.
Roxton walked in the direction where minutes earlier he had shot the final raptor, when a small moan pricked at his hearing. Brow furrowed, he slowly approached the cluster of bushes that the sound seemed to come from. When he didn't immediately see any evidence of what he had heard, he almost thought he was imagining things until a weak cough, radiating with pain caused his heart to plummet to his stomach. Pushing through a particularly thick grove of bushes he came to a small opening where the smell of blood immediately assaulted his strong sense of smell. Expecting to see the raptor he had killed earlier he glanced to his left only to see the most horrific sight he had ever witnessed in his hunting career.
His beautiful Marguerite lay crumpled on the ground, her chest barely heaving with breath, and a pool of blood stemming from a location on her chest spreading around her.
Author: Jenn B.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roxton relives his past as the one event that constantly haunts him reoccurs on a whole new, and very real level...involving Marguerite. M/R
AN: My first Lost World fic. I'm a new fan but this scenario just leaped into my head during a bout of insomnia and a fanfiction reading spree. :-).
Website (still a work in progress!!): http://www.geocities.com/intotheunknowntlw
Disclaimer: No I didn't create them...although I would have liked to! The plot is from my demented mind though!
The jungle glistened with early morning dew as numerous birds welcomed the sunrise with their cheerful songs. Lord John Roxton enjoyed a rare moment or serenity as he gazed out at the landscape around him from the folds of the tent he was sharing with Ned Malone. Glancing at the neighboring tent he wondered if Marguerite was stirring from sleep yet. The trio was coming to the end of a week long hunting expedition, stocking up food for what Challenger had predicted would be month of heavy, and dangerous, visiting monsoons. Roxton was more than a little eager to return to the tree house and sleep in his own bed; and he knew from Marguerite's recent complaints that even if it meant getting up early she wanted to return home as soon as possible as well.
A crackle of branches stemming from somewhere behind the campers made the hairs on the back of Roxton's neck stand up in anticipation of approaching danger and with one swift move he grabbed his hat and rifle and alerted Malone with a nudge of his elbow. Looking the startled reporter in the eye, Roxton jerked his head towards the rear of the tent, alerting the other man to the danger as another crack echoed through the jungle. Ned nodded and grabbed the spare rifle, following his friend cautiously out of the tent.
" What do you think it is?" Ned whispered, steadying his rifle in preparation for their defense.
" I don't know." Roxton answered quietly, a roar interrupting him. " Raptors!" He shouted, rushing over to Marguerite's tent to rouse her from sleep. To his horror, as he flung the flaps aside, he was greeted not with the expected gray eyes flashing with annoyance but to an empty tent.
" She's gone!" He shouted to Ned, who blinked in surprise before jumping into action as the first of what seemed to be many raptors sprang, ready for attack, into the clearing in front of him. The gunshot was piercing as it felled the first raptor. Roxton soon became occupied with two others who surrounded him, shooting quickly at his foes, his mark unerring.
Ned spotted another in the bushes and took the fourth out of commission before it had a chance to cause trouble. The silence that then settled around the two adventurers made them more uneasy than the noises that at least gave them a fair warning. Both men were visibly tensed, guns held at the ready. Roxton's eyes shifted slowly from side to side, shaded by the brim of his hat, scanning the brush for any more of their 'friends'.
" I spotted five." He announced softly to his companion, who nodded in acknowledgment.
A snap of a twig behind them had the skilled hunter whirling around and firing in a matter of seconds; his victim's body falling audibly to the ground with a sickening thud.
" That's five." Malone declared, lowering his rifle with relief.
" Yes, now where in the bloody hell did Marguerite get off to!" He growled in a futile attempt to disguise the worry in his voice as the grip of panic rose up to grasp at his throat as he swallowed the lump forming there.
" We'll find her." Ned assured him calmly. " She probably went back to investigate those crystal deposits we had to pull her away from yesterday."
" That woman will be the death of me yet." Roxton grumbled under his breath, his mind's eye picturing the raven haired heiress happily picking away at shiny stones while he was out of his head with worry. A small smile crept up the corners of his mouth at the mental image.
Shaking his head to bring his focus back to the present he walked back to the tent to retrieve his pistols.
" We should split up. Circle around near the deposits we found and I'll head south."
" Right." Ned agreed before heading off.
Roxton walked in the direction where minutes earlier he had shot the final raptor, when a small moan pricked at his hearing. Brow furrowed, he slowly approached the cluster of bushes that the sound seemed to come from. When he didn't immediately see any evidence of what he had heard, he almost thought he was imagining things until a weak cough, radiating with pain caused his heart to plummet to his stomach. Pushing through a particularly thick grove of bushes he came to a small opening where the smell of blood immediately assaulted his strong sense of smell. Expecting to see the raptor he had killed earlier he glanced to his left only to see the most horrific sight he had ever witnessed in his hunting career.
His beautiful Marguerite lay crumpled on the ground, her chest barely heaving with breath, and a pool of blood stemming from a location on her chest spreading around her.