A/N: Hello again. Sorry about the long wait, fall semester got in the way; it won't happen again. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please R&R! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost World.
Chapter 10:
"Oh, so you're all finally home," Marguerite stated, annoyed, when she heard the elevator squeak its way up.
"Wait until you hear what happened to us," Roxton piped up.
The three of them waited for their friends to reach the top. And when they did they were shocked to see two things: that some were missing and the looks on the remaining faces.
"Where are Veronica and Finn?" Challenger asked, looking grave. "What happened?"
Malone, Kyra, and Raye stumbled out of the elevator into the tree house, all out of breath from running the rest of the way home. Malone fell into a chair before he spoke. "We saw… we saw Summerlee!"
"What?" Marguerite, Challenger, and Roxton shouted at the same time.
"Well, where is he man?" Challenger demanded from Malone.
Kyra saw that Malone was still struggling for breath; she quickly grabbed him a glass of water. "Here you go Ned," she said, breathless herself.
He took it from her and gratefully gulped it down, while the others looked on in suspense. "Thank you Kyra."
"All right, out with it!" Marguerite said forcibly.
"We were on our way home," Malone began, "When we saw this blinding light… I thought for sure we were being transported to another world, but when the light faded Summerlee was standing there."
"What did he look like?" Marguerite asked eagerly.
"The same as when we saw him last. Not a day older," Malone answered. "He said he needed to take Veronica and Finn to see Veronica's mother."
"Abigail Layton? How does he know Veronica's mother?" Challenger questioned.
"I don't know, he just said that they were close friends," Malone offered. "And then-"
"And then he spoke to me and Raye like he knew us!" Kyra exclaimed.
"Knew you?" Roxton echoed.
"And that's not even the weird part. He wants us to go all Xena Warrior Princess like!" Raye exclaimed.
"Translation!" Marguerite called out.
"He wants both Raye and Kyra to be trained to fight; he said it was important that they learn," Malone explained.
"None of this makes any sense," Roxton grumbled.
"Hmm…" Challenger said thoughtfully. "So Veronica and Finn are gone with Summerlee?" Malone and the girls nodded. "To Avalon, I presume. That is where Veronica's mother supposedly is. And Summerlee somehow knows the girls."
"I don't even know how. I mean we've never met him in our lives. From what I'm hearing he's from your time not ours," Kyra added.
"That part could be explained easily," Challenger stated matter of factly.
"All right, give it a shot Mr. Know-it-all," Raye snarked.
"Raye!" Kyra scolded.
"That's quite all right Kyra," Challenger let it go. "It's all very easy to explain. See, living on the plateau we've been frequently exposed to some time anomalies. For instance the time William Maple White came back from the past. See Summerlee could have met you in a number of ways. For example he could have used a shifting plane of reality to be transported to the future and meet him that way. Or, sometime in the future you two can be transported to the past and meet him that way." He stared at the blank faces around the room. "It is quite simple, really."
No one said anything for a bit until Kyra spoke up. "No, I think I actually get it."
"You would, Kyra is also a science freak," Raye said disdainfully.
"Really you're a scientist as well?" Challenger said admiration on his face.
Kyra blushed under everyone's scrutiny. "Umm… not really. I mean Biology was my major in university before I had to leave because of my singing career. But I never got my degree."
"Well she still aced every science class she had in her whole life. Mom and Dad we're always bugging me to be like you. They were disappointed when you dropped out," Raye informed them.
"Well… it's still nice to have someone around here who's interested in science," Challenger complimented.
Kyra smiled. "But what does all this mean?"
"Do you think it has something to do with Mordred?" Malone asked anxiously.
"Must be," Roxton answered. "From the way Veronica explained what happened that day. I don't think things were over."
"Can you explain to us what's been happening here? We're totally lost!" Raye said in annoyance.
So they all sat around the table. Marguerite, Roxton, Malone and Challenger each took turns telling part of their most life threatening tale. When finished the two girls sat quietly contemplating, until Raye blurted out, "I'm only a teenager! I can't fight anything. I'm not risking my life for this place!" And then she stormed to the room she was staying in.
Kyra sighed. "I'm sorry. You've got to understand from the time we come from fighting like you've talked about doesn't really exist. I mean there's war in the Middle East and elsewhere. And we are definitely not violence free. But most people don't need to learn combat moves or anything like that. It's something people do for fun."
Roxton nodded at her explanation. "But this is important. Summerlee wouldn't have requested this of you two if you weren't needed. Maybe he knows something we don't."
"Obviously," Marguerite said sarcastically, getting a look from Roxton.
Challenger placed his hand over Kyra's. She looked up at him and was surprised by the compassion she saw there. "We understand completely, but just give it some thought, all right?"
She nodded silently. And he got up without another word.
Marguerite blew out a breath saying, "I don't know about you all but I'm dead tired. So I'm going to say good night."
"Good night," the three remaining mumbled.
"Well," Roxton spoke up. "If you do decide to do this I can help you begin your training."
"Thanks Roxton," Kyra said dejectedly.
"It's sort of ironic, you two need to learn how to fight, and the two best who could teach you properly are gone," Roxton said, chuckling at the irony. "Good night."
"Night," Kyra said.
Kyra let out a restless sigh; she was left alone with Malone and he'd been quiet for awhile. She hazarded a look in his direction. He was staring at her very intently and she blushed under his gaze.
"So… how do you feel about all this?" Malone spoke up.
"I don't know Ned," she said, not masking her frustration. "I always loved watching action movies, where the heroes kicked the butts of the bad guys with just their bodies. I especially enjoyed it when the heroes were heroines. I could put myself in their shoes; I always wanted to be like them." She paused and Ned could tell there was more.
"But…" he prompted.
"But…" Kyra started. "That was all make believe. No one really got hurt. If we do this we could be hurt, or worse."
"That's true," Malone said solemnly, not denying the fact. "I guess what you need to decide is if what you'd be fighting for is worth your life."
It was so logical and essentially an easy question. But at the same time it wasn't easy. The plateau wasn't her home. The time wasn't hers either. She had a good life back home. But for all she knew, to get back she had to help her new friends first. She decided that she might just give it a shot. Who knew maybe raptors and t-rex's would grow on her- she looked up at Malone's concerned face- and maybe certain people too.
Kyra grinned brightly. "You know that's not even the most important question. It's if my clumsy self can stand up long enough to learn anything." She laughed out loud. Malone realized that she accepted her fate. "I mean my gym teacher said I have the coordination of a drunken one-legged monkey!"
They laughed together and then talked more, until both were too tired to hold their eyes open for much longer.
Malone walked Kyra to her room. They stood outside her room just looking at each other.
"Thank you Ned," Kyra breathed out, reaching out she touched his arm briefly.
Malone smiled lazily. "For what?"
"For just sitting here and talking. It just… it made me feel a lot better about everything," Kyra explained.
"Nah... I didn't do anything. We had a long day. We needed a break," Malone replied.
"Still," Kyra began; she leaned forward and placed a warm kiss on Malone's cheek. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Malone said breathlessly. "Good night."
"Night," Kyra said, smiling she turned and went inside.
Malone stood there for a second in wonder, wondering what exactly was starting for him, for them.
Well that's it. This is one of my favorite chapters from this story so I hoped you liked it too.
Thanks to my two reviewers: GWbaby and Pearlana (Thanks! Go ahead and use the phrases if you like).
Review and let me know if you like.
Thanks.