A Path To The Moon
Part 4
Disclaimer: See Part 1
Spoilers: See Part 1
Summary: See Part 1
Status: Work In Progress
Repost Note: I made some changes to Marguerite and Roxton's conversation. They are minor and still run with the story, but I think they explain what I was trying to say better. Somehow the previous explanation just wasn't working for me. It seemed to force. Sorry about that.
******** As Marguerite left the tree house, the rest of the occupants in the house stood still. No one truly believed that Marguerite would do it. The rest of the explorers looked around at each other, the unease and uncertainty painted on their faces. No matter what she did, the heiress was part of the family, and did deserve to be thrown out. They had all felt the wrath of her temper at one moment or another, and assumed that her leaving was just another tantrum.
Roxton made a move to the gun rack before someone stopped him. He looked over and Challenger had put a hand on his arm, restricting him movements. "I need to go to her." Roxton said.
"I agree, but give it a second, I believe there is more to this than Marguerite acquiring another necklace."
Roxton and Challenger turned back to look at the older Laytons. Abigail had a nasty mark forming on her cheek, but her vision was turned inward, as if she was trying to remember something.
Suddenly, her face went pale and she dashed into the room that the Layton's had recently reclaimed as their bedroom. Sounds of things being moved could be heard, and Abigail muttering under her breath. The others looked at each other, as if wondering whether they should try to offers some help. But something kept them collectively back.
When the older woman came back she held something clutched to her chest. Her face had gone even paler. She held the necklace out for her husband to inspect, and Thomas took it with clear uneasy. Once it was in his hands, the same pale and sad look came over his face. He looked back at his wife, as if to confirm what they both knew.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Roxton said impatiently.
"I'm afraid I have made a huge mistake." Abigail said quietly. Her eyes started to mist with tears, and Roxton softened his voice.
"Then, tell us, please. Marguerite is out in the middle of the jungle."
That seemed to bring Abigail and Thomas to their senses and they quickly looked at each other alarmed.
"You have to get to her, and give her this. Tell her when she gets back, I will explain everything."
Roxton looked unsurely at the rest of the people in the tree house, but did as told. He got his rifle and gun holster, and made his way to the elevator.
"Please bring her back." This was the first time that Roxton had heard Thomas speak up since the whole fiasco had begun, and Roxton couldn't miss the choked sound of this voice, or the haunted look in the older mans eyes. Roxton simply nodded and headed down.
****
Marguerite trudged through the jungle, tears spilling down her cheeks. As soon as she had been out of site from the tree house, her damn emotions had decided to gang up on her again. But instead of fighting what she knew was useless, she just let them came.
Marguerite spotted a clearing, and started to make her way towards it. She came up to a little waterfall, and suddenly was plagued with memories of the countless times her 'family' had come here for a day of relaxation. Veronica had one day told them to pack a pick nick, and they had all headed out here. She had of course scoffed at the place, but inwardly marvelled at the simple beauty the place had presented.
Another memory over came her, as Marguerite saw Roxton and herself sitting beside the river. They had just come back from an expedition into the jungle to get food, and she had been tired. They had stopped beside the river, and Roxton had dumped the Raptor meat a couple feet away, so she wouldn't have to smell it. She had smiled and thanked him, while he had said some comment about 'anything for milady.'
Marguerite smiled, and then frowned when she realized that once again her past had made her give up the only good part of her present. She gently fingered the locket attached to her throat and sighed. She could have given it to Abigail and then explained things when everything calmed down. She pushed that thought down right away; she didn't have to give up her only connection to her parents. And Abigail Layton was a fool for making her think that she had to.
Marguerite dipped her hands into the river and felt the coolness of the water rushing over them. She quickly splashed water over her arms to get the heat away, and then splashed her face. Drying herself off with the edge of her skirt, Marguerite tried to think about what she was going to do. She couldn't just wander the jungle indefinitely. That was one sure way to get you killed on the plateau. But she couldn't turn around and return to the tree house. They would not see her come back begging. Marguerite heard a branch snap behind her and whirled around to face her attacker. Only when she turned around it was only Roxton.
"I'm not coming back." She said.
"Abigail and Thomas asked me to come get you."
"Why, so they can accuse me of stealing the necklace again, and have the rest of you gang up and take it from me?"
"No, they want to explain things to you. And besides, I would never betray you."
"No. Betrayal implies an act. You just stood there. And as for the Laytons I have nothing to say to them."
"Don't you want to go home Marguerite?"
Marguerite's shoulders slumped for a second, then were back up as if nothing had happened at all, but her voice had taken on a wishful feeling.
"You know when I was younger and in the convents, I wanted to go home. I mean really go home, with a mother, father and siblings. During vacations when everyone else had gone home, I would sit and stare out a window in my room. The one good thing about my room at the convent was I always had a clear view of the moon. Some nights it was almost as if I could reach up and touch it. Other nights it felt like I had to been there, that if I only found a path there I would be able to fill this emptiness I had." Marguerite stopped and sighed for a second. "I even made up elaborate theories about what awaited me at the end of my journey, a mystical castle maybe, heaven knows we have found enough here."
Roxton chuckled quietly thinking of how Marguerite had acted as a child. But he quickly got serious at the sad look that had taken over her face.
"Since then I have grown, and I know how outrageous that sounds, but when I came to the plateau, one of the first thoughts I had was that I had finally done it. Maybe that was why I was so uncooperative at the beginning, I didn't want to loose this."
Roxton decided to cut in there. "But you haven't-"
"But you see, I have. The one thing that was always constant in my dreams was a loving family, and today proved that my 'family' doesn't believer or trust me. I finally got to the moon, only to find that it was just an illusion. If I go back, I don't think I can take the heartbreak again next time."
Roxton decided to cut off her argument quickly and finally. He went and wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her gently, proving all her love for her. He felt her go stiff, and then relax into him. He then gently let her go and held her so their foreheads were still touching.
"Marguerite, I can promise to be here for you always, but I can't promise anything about the others. I can just tell you what I know. When I left, everyone was very worried about you, and the Laytons desperately wanted to you back."
"Desperately?"
"Yes, why do you think I was ran out of the tree house?" He joked, but stopped when he saw her face. "Marguerite, everyone wants you back." He suddenly realized that he had forgot to give her the necklace.
"And Abigail gave this to me. Said that once you were back, that she would explain everything." Roxton pulled out the necklace and handed it to Marguerite.
Once the locket was in her hands, Marguerite's face turned white, and her hands started shaking. She opened it and Roxton watched her carefully as she read it. Marguerite looked up at him, and the locket slipped from her fingers onto the ground.
"What is it?" Roxton asked.
Marguerite quickly unclipped the necklace around her own neck, and with shaking hands picked up the one on the ground. She opened both and handed them to Roxton. Roxton looked unsurely at her and then read one, then the other. He looked up suddenly at Marguerite, only to find her already at the river packing up her things. She finished and then came back to stand beside him.
"We have to go now." The look on her face, made wonder if her sudden turn of heart about the tree house was made out of anger, or desperation, but either way, Roxton agreed and motioned that he would follow her.
TBC
Disclaimer: See Part 1
Spoilers: See Part 1
Summary: See Part 1
Status: Work In Progress
Repost Note: I made some changes to Marguerite and Roxton's conversation. They are minor and still run with the story, but I think they explain what I was trying to say better. Somehow the previous explanation just wasn't working for me. It seemed to force. Sorry about that.
******** As Marguerite left the tree house, the rest of the occupants in the house stood still. No one truly believed that Marguerite would do it. The rest of the explorers looked around at each other, the unease and uncertainty painted on their faces. No matter what she did, the heiress was part of the family, and did deserve to be thrown out. They had all felt the wrath of her temper at one moment or another, and assumed that her leaving was just another tantrum.
Roxton made a move to the gun rack before someone stopped him. He looked over and Challenger had put a hand on his arm, restricting him movements. "I need to go to her." Roxton said.
"I agree, but give it a second, I believe there is more to this than Marguerite acquiring another necklace."
Roxton and Challenger turned back to look at the older Laytons. Abigail had a nasty mark forming on her cheek, but her vision was turned inward, as if she was trying to remember something.
Suddenly, her face went pale and she dashed into the room that the Layton's had recently reclaimed as their bedroom. Sounds of things being moved could be heard, and Abigail muttering under her breath. The others looked at each other, as if wondering whether they should try to offers some help. But something kept them collectively back.
When the older woman came back she held something clutched to her chest. Her face had gone even paler. She held the necklace out for her husband to inspect, and Thomas took it with clear uneasy. Once it was in his hands, the same pale and sad look came over his face. He looked back at his wife, as if to confirm what they both knew.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Roxton said impatiently.
"I'm afraid I have made a huge mistake." Abigail said quietly. Her eyes started to mist with tears, and Roxton softened his voice.
"Then, tell us, please. Marguerite is out in the middle of the jungle."
That seemed to bring Abigail and Thomas to their senses and they quickly looked at each other alarmed.
"You have to get to her, and give her this. Tell her when she gets back, I will explain everything."
Roxton looked unsurely at the rest of the people in the tree house, but did as told. He got his rifle and gun holster, and made his way to the elevator.
"Please bring her back." This was the first time that Roxton had heard Thomas speak up since the whole fiasco had begun, and Roxton couldn't miss the choked sound of this voice, or the haunted look in the older mans eyes. Roxton simply nodded and headed down.
****
Marguerite trudged through the jungle, tears spilling down her cheeks. As soon as she had been out of site from the tree house, her damn emotions had decided to gang up on her again. But instead of fighting what she knew was useless, she just let them came.
Marguerite spotted a clearing, and started to make her way towards it. She came up to a little waterfall, and suddenly was plagued with memories of the countless times her 'family' had come here for a day of relaxation. Veronica had one day told them to pack a pick nick, and they had all headed out here. She had of course scoffed at the place, but inwardly marvelled at the simple beauty the place had presented.
Another memory over came her, as Marguerite saw Roxton and herself sitting beside the river. They had just come back from an expedition into the jungle to get food, and she had been tired. They had stopped beside the river, and Roxton had dumped the Raptor meat a couple feet away, so she wouldn't have to smell it. She had smiled and thanked him, while he had said some comment about 'anything for milady.'
Marguerite smiled, and then frowned when she realized that once again her past had made her give up the only good part of her present. She gently fingered the locket attached to her throat and sighed. She could have given it to Abigail and then explained things when everything calmed down. She pushed that thought down right away; she didn't have to give up her only connection to her parents. And Abigail Layton was a fool for making her think that she had to.
Marguerite dipped her hands into the river and felt the coolness of the water rushing over them. She quickly splashed water over her arms to get the heat away, and then splashed her face. Drying herself off with the edge of her skirt, Marguerite tried to think about what she was going to do. She couldn't just wander the jungle indefinitely. That was one sure way to get you killed on the plateau. But she couldn't turn around and return to the tree house. They would not see her come back begging. Marguerite heard a branch snap behind her and whirled around to face her attacker. Only when she turned around it was only Roxton.
"I'm not coming back." She said.
"Abigail and Thomas asked me to come get you."
"Why, so they can accuse me of stealing the necklace again, and have the rest of you gang up and take it from me?"
"No, they want to explain things to you. And besides, I would never betray you."
"No. Betrayal implies an act. You just stood there. And as for the Laytons I have nothing to say to them."
"Don't you want to go home Marguerite?"
Marguerite's shoulders slumped for a second, then were back up as if nothing had happened at all, but her voice had taken on a wishful feeling.
"You know when I was younger and in the convents, I wanted to go home. I mean really go home, with a mother, father and siblings. During vacations when everyone else had gone home, I would sit and stare out a window in my room. The one good thing about my room at the convent was I always had a clear view of the moon. Some nights it was almost as if I could reach up and touch it. Other nights it felt like I had to been there, that if I only found a path there I would be able to fill this emptiness I had." Marguerite stopped and sighed for a second. "I even made up elaborate theories about what awaited me at the end of my journey, a mystical castle maybe, heaven knows we have found enough here."
Roxton chuckled quietly thinking of how Marguerite had acted as a child. But he quickly got serious at the sad look that had taken over her face.
"Since then I have grown, and I know how outrageous that sounds, but when I came to the plateau, one of the first thoughts I had was that I had finally done it. Maybe that was why I was so uncooperative at the beginning, I didn't want to loose this."
Roxton decided to cut in there. "But you haven't-"
"But you see, I have. The one thing that was always constant in my dreams was a loving family, and today proved that my 'family' doesn't believer or trust me. I finally got to the moon, only to find that it was just an illusion. If I go back, I don't think I can take the heartbreak again next time."
Roxton decided to cut off her argument quickly and finally. He went and wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her gently, proving all her love for her. He felt her go stiff, and then relax into him. He then gently let her go and held her so their foreheads were still touching.
"Marguerite, I can promise to be here for you always, but I can't promise anything about the others. I can just tell you what I know. When I left, everyone was very worried about you, and the Laytons desperately wanted to you back."
"Desperately?"
"Yes, why do you think I was ran out of the tree house?" He joked, but stopped when he saw her face. "Marguerite, everyone wants you back." He suddenly realized that he had forgot to give her the necklace.
"And Abigail gave this to me. Said that once you were back, that she would explain everything." Roxton pulled out the necklace and handed it to Marguerite.
Once the locket was in her hands, Marguerite's face turned white, and her hands started shaking. She opened it and Roxton watched her carefully as she read it. Marguerite looked up at him, and the locket slipped from her fingers onto the ground.
"What is it?" Roxton asked.
Marguerite quickly unclipped the necklace around her own neck, and with shaking hands picked up the one on the ground. She opened both and handed them to Roxton. Roxton looked unsurely at her and then read one, then the other. He looked up suddenly at Marguerite, only to find her already at the river packing up her things. She finished and then came back to stand beside him.
"We have to go now." The look on her face, made wonder if her sudden turn of heart about the tree house was made out of anger, or desperation, but either way, Roxton agreed and motioned that he would follow her.
TBC