Disclaimer: I don't own the wonderful characters in "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's: The Lost World" and I'm not making any money off writing about them. I promise not to play with them for to long and to not get them dirty....well...not TO dirty
1 month after the events in "With This Ring..."
A combination of alcohol and drums were making Marguerite's head pound. The memebers of the Challenger Expedition were currently at the Zanga Village, joining the villagers in celebrating the end of the rainy season. There was plenty of food and plenty of something that wouldn't even be considered beer in London...but then again, beggars couldn't be choosers.
Shakily, Marguerite rose to her feet, holding a cup of the liquor. She had downed more than her share, not to escape from her memories or her past, but to celebrate for a change. The past month had been the best in her life. She and Lord John Roxton had come to an understanding. At least to a point. Over the last month while trapped up in the tree house they had still had their share of fights...but had also been caught in quite a few romantic moments. The problem with living in a place with 4 other people was that you could never get a moment's privacy, Marguerite thought. They had shared their share of kisses but had yet to consummate their relationship, both wanting to take things slow.
As if on cue she felt a warm set of lips kissing her shoulder, two strong arms going around her stomach as if to help her stay upright, but more likely just to keep her closer to him. Lord John Roxton couldn't help be enraptured by the beauty of the woman, as he had been since the first day they met...when she took a shot at him. He himself was feeling a little tipsy. The whole group had taken it upon themselves to celebrate like the world was about the end. He himself had quite a reason to be happy, he had finally won his prize...but Marguerite was so much more than that. 'You only find a woman made of fire and steel once in a life time' he said once...and now that he found her he was NOT going to let her go.
Marguerite turned in his arms smiling, "Hey there...know where I can find any men...about..so high," she said holding a hand up to about his height, "with brown hair, dark eyes and the perchance for shooting things...?"
He grinned and kissed her full on the lips....
The next morning Marguerite woke up feeling like she had been run over by a T-Rex and that she had been sucking a dirty sock all night. She tried to roll over but something kept her in place. Scowling but not opening her eyes, she reached out to the left feeling the wall. Wall..Check, she thought. Next she reached out to the right and found a nice warm chest. Chest...huh?!?!?
Slowly she lifted her head and dropped it back to the bed groaning....and beside her Lord John Roxton let out a drunken snore, tightening his arm around her. "....So much for going slow..."
When Roxton finally woke up his head was pounding. He felt hot and sick to his stomach and he hadn't even opened his eyes yet. Then he felt the bed wobble as someone moved beside him.
"Cut it out would y...." and he trailed off as he opened his eyes to see Marguerites back. A very bare back.
Marguerite half turned, looking at him over her shoulder as she continued to get dressed, "Get up..the others will be here soon and for some odd reason I don't feel like putting on a show."
"....Did you....did we...?"
She snorted, "Nice to know it was a memorable event Lord Roxton." She was almost instantly contrite. It wasn't entirely his fault that they were where they were, plus last night was a little hazy for her as well...then again she'd never tell him that.
Roxton sat up and started pulling on his own clothing, at a complete loss for words. What does a person say at a moment like this..?
As promised a moment later Veronica came in, "Hey Roxton have you seen Marg....oh." she trailed off staring at her two half dressed friends.
"Do you mind..?" Marguerite snapped.
All the blonde jungle girl could do is turn on her heel and leave as fast as her two long legs could carry her.
For the rest of the celebration the two pretty much avoided each other. Roxton made a few half hearted attempts to talk to her but Marguerite persisted in evading him and he let it drop. She'd talk to him when she was good and ready and not a second before.
When they got back to the treehouse things started to get a little more normal. Marguerite was back to flirting and teasing him mercilessly, The only real difference was whenever Ned would look at them his ears would turn an interesting shade of pink.
Then one day not to long after, Veronica headed up thinking she was the first to rise as always...only to find Marguerite hanging over the edge of the railing, expelling what was left of her dinner.
"Marguerite....are you all right..?" Veronica asked, hesitantly stepping forward. Marguerite quickly whirled around trying to cover the fact she had been sick.
"I'm fine...why do you ask?" she said, feigning innocents. Veronica just gave her a look and she slumped against the railing. Ever since Marguerite had opened up and bared her soul, the two woman seemed to have come a little closer. "It might have just been something I ate..." she said hopefully, "...all week."
"Are you...you know."
"No!! Absolutely not. There's no chance."
"But you slept with him didn't you?" Veronica pointed out.
"Okay so there's a small chance...but I'm not...I can't have a baby. Not here. Not anywhere."
Veronica licked her lips. She had never seen the young London beauty look so panicked, so afraid. "Maybe you're just tense....We could ask Challenger.."
"No! I'm not asking Challenger anything."
"Alright...." Veronica said, nodding. She understood Marguerites wish to keep this a secrete as long as possible. "What about the Zanga healers? They might be able to confirm it...."
Marguerite looked a little apprehensive and then nodded, "Can we go now...I'd rather not have to face the questions on where we're going and why."
"Sure...Go get your things, I'll write a note to the guys."
Marguerite went to grab her hat and her pistols as Veronica scribbled out a quick note saying they had to go see Assia about something and not to worry, they' be home before dinner. And the two woman headed out.
They walked for a good half hour before Veronica broke the silence, "Would it be that bad...?"
Marguerite just looked at her.
"I mean, I'm sure Roxton would be overjoyed about it if that's what you're worried about....?"
"He'd be to great. I'm sure he'd be just amazing about it."
"So...what's the problem?"
Marguerite scoffed, "Would you like a list? First off, we're HERE! We can barely keep ourselves and each other alive, how could we protect a tiny baby? And there's the small fact that I'm already married...I mean it may not mean much here, but if and when we ever do get back..."
"You should know by now that Roxton would never let him hurt you again."
"It's not just me though! Around here, children out of wedlock may be a common occurrence but back in London society, the baby would be labeled a bastard. He'd be looked down upon all his life. Even if John did acknowledge him, which I'm sure he would, they wouldn't over look the circumstances of his birth." Marguerite said in a rush.
"That's not fair," was all Veronica could think to say.
"No...It's not fair..but it's how it is."
"Lets not panic yet, we'll deal with one problem at a time...all right?"
Marguerite sighed and nodded and continued, silence overcoming them once again.
1 month later
She couldn't hide it any more. Marguerite was pregnant. There was a bun in the oven and it was already starting to rise. Her normal, lean figure was already filling out a tiny bit and her form fitting clothing was getting a little tight around the stomach. Every day for the last 4 weeks Veronica had told her to tell Roxton and every day, she worked up the nerve to...only to lose it the second she saw him.
She hated it! Hated this feeling that she was sneaking around....not that she usually enjoyed it but this time it was even worse. There were so many "what ifs". What if Roxton didnt want it? What if she was a bad mother....she didnt really have that much of a role modle to look up to growing up. What if something went wrong with the delivery? Shaking her head she ran a hand through her hair.
Herself and the others were out on a picnic. Veronica suggested it sensing that Marguerite needed to get out. Things had been going better than normal at the tree house. With Margueirte and Roxton a couple, the fought less...or at least it was more playful and feelings got hurt far less but still, the young heiress was tense, which was bad for the baby.
Veronica had been feeling perticularly overprotective of Marguerite ever since the Zanga priestess told them the news. Whether it was good or bad news..that was yet to be determined. She wasnt sure what the dark haired beauty was so worried about. Veronica was confidant that Roxton would be over joyed and say to hell with the consequences. She already knew that John would marry her if she wern't already married, even despite the fact that she wasnt apart of the aristocracy. Lord Roxton never seemd much to care what society thought of him.
Marguerite looked around her little impromptu family. Roxton and Ned were in the small field by the lake they were relaxing by playing a sort of demented cross between rugby and baseball for two. Challenger and Summerlee were arguing....'why is it when they argue everyone just smiles and shakes their heads but when John and I argue we're being difficult..?' she thought.
Finially everyone sat down to eat and Margueirte tried to get up the nerve once again. Maybe she should just tell everyone at once and get it all over with like pulling off a band-aid quickly. She tried so hard to put faith in her friends that they wouldnt shun her, or worse yet hate her. On some basic level she knew she was being rediculous about these fears..but whoever said fear was logical?
After everyone ate...well, after everyone else ate, Marguerite just pushed her food around on her plate they all got up to take a stroll up the river and she grabed John's hand, holding him back for a little privacy.
"Roxton...John...there's something we ne...." she began but was interuped by Ned deciding it was time for a water fight and dragged them both into the stream, cloths and all. Marguerite couldnt begrudge the man his boyish fun but did his timming have to be so off? Finially they managed to get away once more and she tried to begin again.
"John...I think you and I..." and once more they were interupted, this time by Challenger wanting their opinion on a debate he was having with Summerlee. Again she paitently waited but her paitence were sorely being tried. A minute later they were left alone again and she began once more.
"I've got something I think you..." and she trailed off seeing he was distracted, watching Ned and Veronica up ahead doing something that looked extremely bizzare with a handful of fruit and some vines. "Dammit Roxton I'm pregnant!"
That certianly got his attention...along with Challenger, Malone and Veronica's and they all turned to stair at her.
"P.p.p.pregnant?" Roxton stuttered doing an exelent imitation of a cartoon figure who's eyes just got rediculously huge. "Who's the father?!" he asked immedately defensive, their whole relationship still being so new it didnt hit him right away.
Marguerite's grey eyes turned a cold steal, "I'm going to pretend that's the shock talking."
"Hey, nice going!" Ned said with a grin, slaping Roxton on the back in a very guy like "congratulations" type way.
Challenger spoke up next with a grin, "This is happy news..congratulations you two."
Marguerite felt like pulling her hair out, "Am I the only one that sees a down side to this?!" The others blinked in suprise at the outburst. "Do any of you know how much work it takes to have a baby? The feedings and the washings and watching it 24 hours a day....there are diseses and man eating dinosaurs and man eating plants for god sake! We can barely keep ourselves alive let alone someone else!"
"...You dont want the baby?" Roxton asked, still in a daze from the first shock.
"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that this isnt a game!" Marguerite said, crossing her arms protectively around herself. She had the sudden urge to burst into tears and fought it with all her might. She knew deep down the others would help out, she knew she wasnt in this alone..but for some reason that didnt banish the terrible feeling of complete, irrational isolation that suddenly overwhelmed her.
Challenger cleared his throat sensing how suddenly upset the woman he now, in some forms, considered to be a daughter. "Yes...we relize that this will take a lot of commitment...from all of us, and I can safely say that we're all willing to do our share. We're a family and we'll stick together."
Marguerite just looked at them all uncertianly and turned, heading back to the tree house, arms crossed protectively over her stomach.
The next few months were relitively normal...which isnt saying to much. Challenger was gone much of the time, staying at the Zanga village learning what he could from the midwives and healers about birthing children. He didnt want to take the chance that something could go wrong and he wouldn't know what to do. Ned figured out very early on just to stay out of the way of Veronica, who acted far more excited than Marguerite did. She pulled out her old crib that had been put away and stored and was redecorating Roxton's room to be a nursery since for a month now the hunter had been spending his nights with the young heiress. Roxton wasn't sure what was expected of him. He was trying so hard to be supportive but he honestly didn't know how to handle Marguerite who seemed to sink deeper into her worrysome depression every day.
She hardly ever smiled any more, the weight that another person, a helpless person would depend on her weighing her down. She wasn't good when it came to people depending on her. She had a bad habit of letting them down. She wanted so much to be a good mother and was so terrified she wouldnt be that she would lay awake at night after John had gone to sleep holding her.
What terrified her the most was the all encompasing feeling of love she felt for this tiny being that was slowly growing inside her. She felt completely vulnerable and knew that if anything ever happened to this child....she wouldn't be able to survive the loss. This feeling of vulnerability is exactally what she had been trying to supress ever since her husband took her first child. That expierance had almost killed her, physically and emotionally. She knew she wouldnt surive it a second time.
The months trudged on as they have a tendancy to do and Marguerite grew in size until she looked ready to burst. It's a fact that some woman dont do pregnancy well. They look horrible, they feel horrible and they act horrible. Marguerite however was absolutley radient. She seemed to glow with a light that even Ned would have trouble discribing in one of his journals and finially her time arrived.
Marguerite was sitting on the chase in the sun relaxing, a hand protectively stroking her huge belly. Challenger was down below working on some expierimen and Ned and Veronica were in the kitchen doing the breakfast dishes. Suddenly she felt someone kiss her cheek and she smiled a little bit. She had to attmit, Roxton HAD been trying awfully hard, going to extremes to make her smile.
"You were gone this morning when I woke up."
Instead of answer he handed her the small boquet of flowers he had picked for her while he was out and sat down by her, taking one of the blooms and tucking it behind her ear before leaning forward and kissing her. "Sorry." was all he said when he finially went up for air.
"I hate it when you do that....A girl just can't stay mad at a man who kisses like...." Marguerite trailed off with a frown.
"Like.....?"
"Marguerite...are you okay..?" Veronica asked wiping her hands on the towl. Over the last 9 months the two woman have gotten even closer to the point where they felt like true sisters. They still fought to the point where the men were afraid they'd draw each other's blood but they always got over it quickly.
"I...don't know...I feel straAHH!" She said, the sentance ending in a yelp as her stomach muscles contracted on their own accord.
Instantly she was in Roxton's arms and being carried downstairs to her room as Ned yelled for Challenger.
As night fell the atmosphere in the tree house grew more tense, the only noise being Marguerite's swearing or screaming every few minutes as the seemingly unending stream of contractions assulted her poor body. Veronica and Challenger were doing what they could to ease her pain and trying to move the labor along as the beautiful young heiress was losing her stregnth. Pretty soon she'd be so weak she wouldnt be able to push when the time came.
Ned was doing all he could to keep Roxton from charging in there. He'd tried to distract him by playing cards, going for a walk, drinking one of their last bottles of wine...but he had to attmit, he was almost as nervous as the father-to-be. Marguerite held a special place in his heart as well and if anything happened to her....He quickly shook off the thought.
He looked over at his friend. Roxton looked like Marguerite was sounding. It was like her every scream of pain and fear was tearing him apart from the inside out. Roxton was a man of action and having to sit there and act like nothing was happening, unable to go in and help was driving him mad.
Inside the bedroom Challenger was doing everything in his limited power. Veronica was sitting by Marguerite's side, bathing her pale face. They were both worried for the woman, her screams of pain getting weaker along with her body. The woman that always seemed so strong was being reduced to a weak, frail mere mortal. Finially Challenger had had enough. He wasn't going to let Marguerite die and he wasnt going to let the baby die.
"Veronica...help her sit up and move behind her. We're going to have to do the pushing for her." He said, washing his hands again and preparing to do whatever was nessicary to get the baby free of the mother's womb.
Veronica did as she was told, Marguerite only muttering a weak protest and when Challenger gave the word, Veronica helped Marguerite bare down.
Never in her life had the woman felt such unending pain. She was so afraid. For herself, for her baby, for John ...if anything happened to either of them she didnt want to know what the grief would do to the man. She felt someone push her forward and the pain became unbareable and she cried out, feeling as if she would be ripped in half....and suddenly there was blessed relief and she slumped back against Veronica to hear the loud wails of the infant, crying indignatly at being expelled so violently into the world.
Somehow she found a reserve of stregnth she never knew she had and opened her eyes. "Let me see her....I have to Challenger...."
Challenger quickly played the wailing baby in her arms as he took a sharp knife and cut the cord "I'm afraid she is really a he.."
Marguerite barely heard him as she looked down at her son and before she could hold back, she was crying as well right along with the baby, utterly overwhelmed. Little hands...little feet...a tiny nose...she could already tell the baby had John's wonderful blue eyes....and that's where her coherant thoughts ended as the quick adreniline rush of seeing her beautiful child wore off and she slumped against Veronica who was a little misty eyed herself.
Challenger carefully took the baby and wraped him in one of the soft blankets they kept on hand for just this reason, leaving Veronica to help Marguerite as he went upstairs.
"Roxton, I think I have someone who wants to meet you..." he said with a smile
Roxton was on his feet in a second and pratically ran over to him looking down at the small bundle who looked up at him...and showed Marguerite's exelent taste by yawning, waving a fist in the air.
"My god......" Roxton was absolutely floored as Challenger carefully handed him the baby and went to make sure Marguerite was all right and Ned patted his shoulder.
"Congratulations Roxton...you two think of any names?"
"Huh? Oh yeah...Marguerite said if it was a girl Mary Elizabeth...and if it was a boy William Arthur...." he would have gone on but he was suddenly to choked up to. This life..this being..was apart of him. Suddenly he remember Marguerite and quickly headed down to find her safe and sound and fast asleep in a fresh night gown, her hair brushed back and the bloody sheets cleaned away.
Carefully he sat down beside her and was suprisde when she opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
"Hi...."
"Are you okay..?" he asked softly, stroking hair back from her face, craddling the baby between them.
"I'm...fine. I'm better than fine. I'm wonderful." she said just as softly.
"You should sleep."
"Always so bossy Lord Roxton!"
Roxton smirked, "When it comes to you and our baby, yes." he looked down at the sleeping child. "William Arthur Roxton...."
Marguerite frowned, "Krux."
"What?!"
"We arnt married..so his name is Krux. William Arthur Krex" she said just to annoy him. She'd never deny her child his father's name but she couldn't be to accomidating, they'd get suspicious.
"But I'm his father!" Roxton said, unsure if she was serious or not.
Marguerite smirked almost wickedly, "Can you prove that..?"
"Why you little...." Roxton smirked and leaned down kissing her gently but insistant.
Finially she broke away, "John...I know I haven't said it but...I do love you."
"Marguerite....you know I love you. And this is only the begining I promise you."
She smiled and closed her eyes laying her head against him. He was right, she knew it deep down in her very soul. This was a begining, a fresh start for all of them. She had Will and she had Roxton...and the others as well and she felt far more richer than any amount of diamonds, emeralds and gold could make her.....of course that didnt mean the rest of it, the diamonds, emeralds and gold wasnt nice too....