On past and future
By Carla
DISCLAIMER
Challenger, Marguerite, Roxton, Malone and Veronica belong to Telescene, not to me. No infraction to their rights is meant, I'm just having a little fun. I own nothing but the story.
Chapter II
"So, we tried our best, but we still crashed against the trees. The pilot died in the impact. I guess you could say I'm lucky to even be alive. Ouch! Really gorgeous, you ought to be careful with that!"
"Suck it up whinny." Marguerite smiled at him. They had returned with Keith to the treehouse, although Roxton had seemed less than pleased with the idea. An hour ago, Keith had met Challenger and Veronica, he had also been properly introduced to Ned. Now he was telling them the story of how he had got in the plateau, which Marguerite was sure was a total lie. Still, she had to give him points for improvising. He was on the couch and, to everyone's surprise, she had taken it to herself to take care of his wounds.
"Yes madam!" he smiled, caressing her cheek. Roxton took notice on that.
"Where do you know each other from?" Roxton could have asked more gallantly, but right now his head wasn't in the right place. Marguerite was taken aback, she had expected the question at some point, but not from him and certainly not like that. She didn't want to give away too much so soon. Keith didn't know how little they knew from her past, so she motioned for him to stay quiet.
"I'm sorry John, I didn't realized I had to tell you everything." God! Why had she done that? She hadn't meant to start a fight or hurt him, that simply flowed naturally between them. Still...
"And I didn't realize it was such a horrible question!"
"Are they like this all the time?" Keith asked suddenly.
"You have no idea." Veronica answered, smiling. It hadn't escaped to Ned that Veronica seemed unable to take her eyes off the stranger. When Keith offered Veronica quite a provocative smile, he understood why Roxton disliked the guy so much. Then Keith turned back to Marguerite caressing her hair. To Malone's surprise, she said nothing. Marguerite never allowed anyone such a gesture without a good reason, not even Roxton. Still, Keith seemed to get away with that, calling her names like "gorgeous" or "dear" and making eyes to Veronica! Who the hell was this Keith Lawrence?
"There Maggie, I'm sure John didn't mean it like that. It's a natural question, let me answer it." He smiled at her, but she was dead serious. Keith gave her a look that seemed to indicate not to be worried. They seemed to know what was in each other's mind with a mere glance "We have known each other since childhood, actually. My father was a doctor, he once went to make a check up in a boarding school Marguerite happened to be staying at. I was with him and so we met. Is that enough for you?" Roxton was ready to jump over the guy, but he couldn't find a good reason. He didn't answer, just went to the balcony.
"That man..." Marguerite started to rise but Keith stopped her.
"Is just looking out for you. Don't take offense on that Marguerite, I haven't."
"Yeah, well you were never that smart Lawrence."
"Touché! Is that what you want to do? Fight him? Now? When we could be catching up about old times?" Marguerite had to smile as Keith brought her closer to him. The other explorers were unsettled by the way she seemed to change around him. They took this as their cue to leave them alone.
"Maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"Later." She smiled in triumph at him. "You realize there won't be any catching up before you take a bath Keith."
"Maybe we could accommodate both the catching up and the bath, don't you think?" he smiled seductively at her. Man, she had missed him. There was something about him, he was so easy to be with, he was one of the few people she considered a friend. They had gone through so much together, hell and back... literally. There was something about a person you really, really knew. Specially in the plateau where everything seemed to be in constant change.
"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" she asked.
"I guess not. Can't say that about you, though."
"Meaning?"
"Hunter boy in the balcony." He smiled sarcastically.
"Don't go there Keith." She warned.
"Is he that special?" he kept poking. She could like him a lot, but he was really getting on her nerves now.
"We haven't seen each other in so long Keith, and you want to talk about Roxton?" she teased, trying to divert his attention.
"As special as Greg?" That was too much! Marguerite shot him a look that could've killed him. Keith looked at her seriously, a trace of concern in his eyes. Still, he was walking in shifting sands.
"Make yourself at home Keith." She stood up, feeling as if someone had torn her heart apart.
Roxton hadn't heard the conversation from the balcony, but he did see Marguerite stand up from the couch and storm towards her room. He almost smiled at that... almost. Because, after a second he saw Lawrence run after her, entering her room. He looked eagerly at her door, hoping, praying, she would kick him out. Still, nothing happened.
"I didn't mean to upset you darling." Keith started.
"Like hell you didn't!" Marguerite just felt like shooting him.
"It was just a question Marguerite!"
"One you had no right to ask!"
"Is that so?" he looked at her with a cocky smile, she couldn't help but laugh back.
"Point. Still... it's not that easy Keith."
"It almost never is regarding you."
"What I meant," how the hell did he manage to make her smile that easily? "is that the people in this house know very little about who I... who we really are."
"I assumed so. Don't worry Maggie, I won't go telling any secrets, not the important ones anyway."
"Keith..." she warned.
"Come on darling." He said in a pleading voice, sitting down on her bed. After considering it for a while, Marguerite joined him, sitting in his lap, facing him. "Did I tell you how much I missed you?" he asked, encircling her waist.
"I could hear it again." She smiled. At once they were kissing again. Marguerite had missed that... not only with him, but just the act. Because although she had kissed other men in the plateau... mainly Roxton... she had missed the next step. Keith wasted no time, laying her on the bed, kissing her all over , undressing her while she undressed him. This was okay, this felt right, she kept thinking. She knew Keith and her had not gotten around the important issues yet, but first things first.
"I don't understand you." He stated calmly, making not effort to hide how much the words hurt him. His green eyes tore her soul, but she knew this was the only way, he had not left her any other. She wished it could be different, but that was impossible. Impossible with him, impossible with anyone.
"You never did." She almost broke when the words escaped her mouth. Because she knew they were untrue... so did he.
"Liar."
"Leave Greg." She pleaded.
"I can't! I won't until you explain to me why we can't be happy together!"
"We just can't!"
"Why, damn it?! For the jewel thing? I'm a part of that too, you know?"
"It's beyond that Greg." Why couldn't he just leave? Couldn't he see how much this was hurting her?
"Yes it is. And you know why Marguerite? Because you love me, as much as I love you. You're just too scared."
"You were the one that brought love into this relationship Greg, I never said I loved you!" He was setting her off, maybe because he was so close to the truth.
"Then why won't you marry me?"
"Because I don't love you!" she screamed. She wanted him to leave, so she could shoot something, break stuff... she needed him to leave.
"Liar. You've been married before Marguerite, remember? Not in love but married. The reason you left me the moment I told you that I loved you and I wanted to marry you is because you can't bear the thought of loving me the way you do. You're scared, and you're sacrificing our happiness because of that. You can say it's because you want to protect me from who you really are, from those mysteries you and Keith keep, but I know better."
"So you think."
"So I know."
"What are you thinking about?" Keith asked as she lay against his naked chest. She couldn't remember how long they had stayed that way, but it was nice.
"Nothing worthwhile."
"I don't believe that for a second."
"Believe what you may Keith."
"That's my girl." She felt his soft kiss in her hair "So... you want to know?"
"Sure."
"The Germans found me at India, can you believe that? A couple of months ago. I heard that your expedition had never come back. You're as good as dead in London, so they're probably not really looking for you anyway. They started coming after me, so I figured any place wild enough to kill you was a nice hiding spot."
"I have run into a German fellow in here truth be told." She was playing with her hand around his chest.
"Well that's my luck!" he said playfully before going back to seriousness "I cried."
"What?"
"When Emma told me you were dead, I cried."
"Good."
"Would you have cried for me?"
"I don't know, I'd like to think I would."
"I think you would."
"You have way too much faith in me Keith." She rose a bit, so they could face each other and kiss tenderly. When they broke off, Keith made her lay on his chest again, gathering her closer with his strong arms.
"Greg was quite shocked as well." He added.
"Why do you keep talking about Greg?"
"Because I think you need to talk, darling."
"So what? He's with his wife and kid anyway."
"Wife, the kid died a few weeks after the birth, and you know he doesn't love her."
"Whatever. I don't want to think about Greg right now, fine?"
"Fine."
"Where's your plane?"
"The... what do you call them? Apemen? They tore it apart."
"Damn. Keith, who was the pilot?" he didn't respond right away, that gave her a rather good idea of what the answer was.
"I told him not to come, but he never listened." He said after five minutes. She just looked at him, and listened "I never told him why I was running away, he figured it had to do with the jewels. When I left India, I went to London. I met with Emma, Greg..."
"Bradley?" she volunteered, trying to make it easier on him. He just nodded.
"They figured we had left together, that I had gone to the Lost World after you. Maybe I should have... So, I decided to come in hiding, and Brad insisted on coming. No one knew why we both fled like we did, but Brad insisted on coming. As I told your friends, Maggie, we crashed and he didn't make it."
"I'm sorry Keith." She really was. Brad was a wonderful friend to Keith and she had had some of her best laughs with him.
"Yeah, so am I. But that's life to you kiddo."
"So you're stuck here with us, right?"
"Right."
"I'm happy you're here."
"Are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's the story between you and the lord out there?"
"There's no story." She turned and sat down, searching for her clothes.
"Really? You haven't answered my question yet."
"What question?" she asked, buttoning up her blouse.
"Is he as special to you as Greg was?"
"Keith, that's nothing of your business."
"Trust me." She froze. He was the one person who could say those two words to her in a way that meant something... maybe not the only one, there was Roxton now. She wasn't ready to talk about her feelings for John, mainly because she wasn't sure of what to say. Lord John Roxton... what was he doing to her?
"Just... don't ask me Keith, please?" she whispered.
"That bad? Alright." She felt his hands on her waist again, laying her back on the bed and covering her with his own body. They were kissing when she suddenly felt a strong noise and then Keith fell from the bed.
"Roxton!!" She hadn't heard him enter the room. Roxton had broken a vase in Keith's head, and he was now trying to stand up. The other members of the expedition where in her room now as well.
"What the hell is going on here?" Challenger asked.
"What the hell is wrong with you John?!" she was oblivious to anyone else in her room. Veronica wasn't trying to help Keith to his feet, Keith wasn't rubbing his head, Malone had not positioned himself between Roxton and Keith, and Challenger wasn't looking at them. No, it was just Roxton and Marguerite in that room.
"He was attacking you!" Roxton almost yelled.
"No he wasn't! Didn't it ever cross your mind that I wanted him here?!"
"Did you?"
"What if I did?" Marguerite was mad now. He was acting as if he was her... better not go there. She could see the pain on his face, the hurt in his eyes, she wanted to ease his burden, but she simply didn't know how to do that. Instead, she got mad.
"Then I don't know who you are anymore." That simple statement made her heart twist. Roxton didn't notice the other people in the room either, obviously. She felt a strange feeling of déja vu.
"You never knew me in the first place John. And it's not as if you haven't slept with any women you found in this blasted plateau!" Challenger, Veronica and Ned felt like they should leave them alone, but they were afraid of what Roxton would do to Keith if they did.
"So who the hell is this guy anyway?" they knew Marguerite had hit home with her last comment by the sound of Roxton's voice "Why do you allow him so close to you? Don't you think I know he's lying to us? Who the hell is this guy to you Marguerite?!"
"That's an easy one Lord Roxton" Keith wanted to hit him square in the face, but he knew where blows really hurt, and he knew just how to break the defiant man who had attacked him "I'm her husband."
By Carla
DISCLAIMER
Challenger, Marguerite, Roxton, Malone and Veronica belong to Telescene, not to me. No infraction to their rights is meant, I'm just having a little fun. I own nothing but the story.
Chapter II
"So, we tried our best, but we still crashed against the trees. The pilot died in the impact. I guess you could say I'm lucky to even be alive. Ouch! Really gorgeous, you ought to be careful with that!"
"Suck it up whinny." Marguerite smiled at him. They had returned with Keith to the treehouse, although Roxton had seemed less than pleased with the idea. An hour ago, Keith had met Challenger and Veronica, he had also been properly introduced to Ned. Now he was telling them the story of how he had got in the plateau, which Marguerite was sure was a total lie. Still, she had to give him points for improvising. He was on the couch and, to everyone's surprise, she had taken it to herself to take care of his wounds.
"Yes madam!" he smiled, caressing her cheek. Roxton took notice on that.
"Where do you know each other from?" Roxton could have asked more gallantly, but right now his head wasn't in the right place. Marguerite was taken aback, she had expected the question at some point, but not from him and certainly not like that. She didn't want to give away too much so soon. Keith didn't know how little they knew from her past, so she motioned for him to stay quiet.
"I'm sorry John, I didn't realized I had to tell you everything." God! Why had she done that? She hadn't meant to start a fight or hurt him, that simply flowed naturally between them. Still...
"And I didn't realize it was such a horrible question!"
"Are they like this all the time?" Keith asked suddenly.
"You have no idea." Veronica answered, smiling. It hadn't escaped to Ned that Veronica seemed unable to take her eyes off the stranger. When Keith offered Veronica quite a provocative smile, he understood why Roxton disliked the guy so much. Then Keith turned back to Marguerite caressing her hair. To Malone's surprise, she said nothing. Marguerite never allowed anyone such a gesture without a good reason, not even Roxton. Still, Keith seemed to get away with that, calling her names like "gorgeous" or "dear" and making eyes to Veronica! Who the hell was this Keith Lawrence?
"There Maggie, I'm sure John didn't mean it like that. It's a natural question, let me answer it." He smiled at her, but she was dead serious. Keith gave her a look that seemed to indicate not to be worried. They seemed to know what was in each other's mind with a mere glance "We have known each other since childhood, actually. My father was a doctor, he once went to make a check up in a boarding school Marguerite happened to be staying at. I was with him and so we met. Is that enough for you?" Roxton was ready to jump over the guy, but he couldn't find a good reason. He didn't answer, just went to the balcony.
"That man..." Marguerite started to rise but Keith stopped her.
"Is just looking out for you. Don't take offense on that Marguerite, I haven't."
"Yeah, well you were never that smart Lawrence."
"Touché! Is that what you want to do? Fight him? Now? When we could be catching up about old times?" Marguerite had to smile as Keith brought her closer to him. The other explorers were unsettled by the way she seemed to change around him. They took this as their cue to leave them alone.
"Maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"Later." She smiled in triumph at him. "You realize there won't be any catching up before you take a bath Keith."
"Maybe we could accommodate both the catching up and the bath, don't you think?" he smiled seductively at her. Man, she had missed him. There was something about him, he was so easy to be with, he was one of the few people she considered a friend. They had gone through so much together, hell and back... literally. There was something about a person you really, really knew. Specially in the plateau where everything seemed to be in constant change.
"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" she asked.
"I guess not. Can't say that about you, though."
"Meaning?"
"Hunter boy in the balcony." He smiled sarcastically.
"Don't go there Keith." She warned.
"Is he that special?" he kept poking. She could like him a lot, but he was really getting on her nerves now.
"We haven't seen each other in so long Keith, and you want to talk about Roxton?" she teased, trying to divert his attention.
"As special as Greg?" That was too much! Marguerite shot him a look that could've killed him. Keith looked at her seriously, a trace of concern in his eyes. Still, he was walking in shifting sands.
"Make yourself at home Keith." She stood up, feeling as if someone had torn her heart apart.
Roxton hadn't heard the conversation from the balcony, but he did see Marguerite stand up from the couch and storm towards her room. He almost smiled at that... almost. Because, after a second he saw Lawrence run after her, entering her room. He looked eagerly at her door, hoping, praying, she would kick him out. Still, nothing happened.
"I didn't mean to upset you darling." Keith started.
"Like hell you didn't!" Marguerite just felt like shooting him.
"It was just a question Marguerite!"
"One you had no right to ask!"
"Is that so?" he looked at her with a cocky smile, she couldn't help but laugh back.
"Point. Still... it's not that easy Keith."
"It almost never is regarding you."
"What I meant," how the hell did he manage to make her smile that easily? "is that the people in this house know very little about who I... who we really are."
"I assumed so. Don't worry Maggie, I won't go telling any secrets, not the important ones anyway."
"Keith..." she warned.
"Come on darling." He said in a pleading voice, sitting down on her bed. After considering it for a while, Marguerite joined him, sitting in his lap, facing him. "Did I tell you how much I missed you?" he asked, encircling her waist.
"I could hear it again." She smiled. At once they were kissing again. Marguerite had missed that... not only with him, but just the act. Because although she had kissed other men in the plateau... mainly Roxton... she had missed the next step. Keith wasted no time, laying her on the bed, kissing her all over , undressing her while she undressed him. This was okay, this felt right, she kept thinking. She knew Keith and her had not gotten around the important issues yet, but first things first.
"I don't understand you." He stated calmly, making not effort to hide how much the words hurt him. His green eyes tore her soul, but she knew this was the only way, he had not left her any other. She wished it could be different, but that was impossible. Impossible with him, impossible with anyone.
"You never did." She almost broke when the words escaped her mouth. Because she knew they were untrue... so did he.
"Liar."
"Leave Greg." She pleaded.
"I can't! I won't until you explain to me why we can't be happy together!"
"We just can't!"
"Why, damn it?! For the jewel thing? I'm a part of that too, you know?"
"It's beyond that Greg." Why couldn't he just leave? Couldn't he see how much this was hurting her?
"Yes it is. And you know why Marguerite? Because you love me, as much as I love you. You're just too scared."
"You were the one that brought love into this relationship Greg, I never said I loved you!" He was setting her off, maybe because he was so close to the truth.
"Then why won't you marry me?"
"Because I don't love you!" she screamed. She wanted him to leave, so she could shoot something, break stuff... she needed him to leave.
"Liar. You've been married before Marguerite, remember? Not in love but married. The reason you left me the moment I told you that I loved you and I wanted to marry you is because you can't bear the thought of loving me the way you do. You're scared, and you're sacrificing our happiness because of that. You can say it's because you want to protect me from who you really are, from those mysteries you and Keith keep, but I know better."
"So you think."
"So I know."
"What are you thinking about?" Keith asked as she lay against his naked chest. She couldn't remember how long they had stayed that way, but it was nice.
"Nothing worthwhile."
"I don't believe that for a second."
"Believe what you may Keith."
"That's my girl." She felt his soft kiss in her hair "So... you want to know?"
"Sure."
"The Germans found me at India, can you believe that? A couple of months ago. I heard that your expedition had never come back. You're as good as dead in London, so they're probably not really looking for you anyway. They started coming after me, so I figured any place wild enough to kill you was a nice hiding spot."
"I have run into a German fellow in here truth be told." She was playing with her hand around his chest.
"Well that's my luck!" he said playfully before going back to seriousness "I cried."
"What?"
"When Emma told me you were dead, I cried."
"Good."
"Would you have cried for me?"
"I don't know, I'd like to think I would."
"I think you would."
"You have way too much faith in me Keith." She rose a bit, so they could face each other and kiss tenderly. When they broke off, Keith made her lay on his chest again, gathering her closer with his strong arms.
"Greg was quite shocked as well." He added.
"Why do you keep talking about Greg?"
"Because I think you need to talk, darling."
"So what? He's with his wife and kid anyway."
"Wife, the kid died a few weeks after the birth, and you know he doesn't love her."
"Whatever. I don't want to think about Greg right now, fine?"
"Fine."
"Where's your plane?"
"The... what do you call them? Apemen? They tore it apart."
"Damn. Keith, who was the pilot?" he didn't respond right away, that gave her a rather good idea of what the answer was.
"I told him not to come, but he never listened." He said after five minutes. She just looked at him, and listened "I never told him why I was running away, he figured it had to do with the jewels. When I left India, I went to London. I met with Emma, Greg..."
"Bradley?" she volunteered, trying to make it easier on him. He just nodded.
"They figured we had left together, that I had gone to the Lost World after you. Maybe I should have... So, I decided to come in hiding, and Brad insisted on coming. No one knew why we both fled like we did, but Brad insisted on coming. As I told your friends, Maggie, we crashed and he didn't make it."
"I'm sorry Keith." She really was. Brad was a wonderful friend to Keith and she had had some of her best laughs with him.
"Yeah, so am I. But that's life to you kiddo."
"So you're stuck here with us, right?"
"Right."
"I'm happy you're here."
"Are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's the story between you and the lord out there?"
"There's no story." She turned and sat down, searching for her clothes.
"Really? You haven't answered my question yet."
"What question?" she asked, buttoning up her blouse.
"Is he as special to you as Greg was?"
"Keith, that's nothing of your business."
"Trust me." She froze. He was the one person who could say those two words to her in a way that meant something... maybe not the only one, there was Roxton now. She wasn't ready to talk about her feelings for John, mainly because she wasn't sure of what to say. Lord John Roxton... what was he doing to her?
"Just... don't ask me Keith, please?" she whispered.
"That bad? Alright." She felt his hands on her waist again, laying her back on the bed and covering her with his own body. They were kissing when she suddenly felt a strong noise and then Keith fell from the bed.
"Roxton!!" She hadn't heard him enter the room. Roxton had broken a vase in Keith's head, and he was now trying to stand up. The other members of the expedition where in her room now as well.
"What the hell is going on here?" Challenger asked.
"What the hell is wrong with you John?!" she was oblivious to anyone else in her room. Veronica wasn't trying to help Keith to his feet, Keith wasn't rubbing his head, Malone had not positioned himself between Roxton and Keith, and Challenger wasn't looking at them. No, it was just Roxton and Marguerite in that room.
"He was attacking you!" Roxton almost yelled.
"No he wasn't! Didn't it ever cross your mind that I wanted him here?!"
"Did you?"
"What if I did?" Marguerite was mad now. He was acting as if he was her... better not go there. She could see the pain on his face, the hurt in his eyes, she wanted to ease his burden, but she simply didn't know how to do that. Instead, she got mad.
"Then I don't know who you are anymore." That simple statement made her heart twist. Roxton didn't notice the other people in the room either, obviously. She felt a strange feeling of déja vu.
"You never knew me in the first place John. And it's not as if you haven't slept with any women you found in this blasted plateau!" Challenger, Veronica and Ned felt like they should leave them alone, but they were afraid of what Roxton would do to Keith if they did.
"So who the hell is this guy anyway?" they knew Marguerite had hit home with her last comment by the sound of Roxton's voice "Why do you allow him so close to you? Don't you think I know he's lying to us? Who the hell is this guy to you Marguerite?!"
"That's an easy one Lord Roxton" Keith wanted to hit him square in the face, but he knew where blows really hurt, and he knew just how to break the defiant man who had attacked him "I'm her husband."