Greed's Reward
By Felicia Ferguson
feliciafergusonmha@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Spoilers: The Journey Begins and Stranded

Summary: Someone else's opinion of greed.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's note: I was intrigued by Marguerite's reaction to Lord Roxton's condemnation and her later
reluctant apology in "Stranded" after the cave collapsed.


"I guess greed has its own rewards." -- Lord John Roxton, "Stranded"

"No wonder no one likes you!" -- Veronica, "Stranded"

1/1


Marguerite Krux had never suffered remorse; thus, she was surprised by the depth of hurt one scornful
phrase from Roxton could so inflict. Even after the apemen attack, she still didn't understand what had
moved her to thank the infuriating man for saving her life. On some deep level, she knew that it just had to
be done. She couldn't leave his shameful words hanging between them.

And so she *had* thanked him -- not that he had even deigned to acknowledge the fact. No, he had been
too busy listening to the forest. And, she grudgingly admitted, only to herself, it was a good thing he'd
done so otherwise they would have been ape food for certain.

It was a new twist in her life. Never before had she worried about others' feelings or their opinions of her.
As she thought back to Veronica's furious retort, she paused. She was forced to admit, and again, only to
herself, that she had been wrong to trade the younger woman for a way off the plateau. Marguerite, though,
blamed experience. Never having had to rely on anyone other than herself, it was easy to sacrifice others
for the sake of her own survival. Now, she was beginning to understand that such behavior was indeed the
quickest way home. Only it was home in a body bag -- that is if the T-Rex left any remains to be sent.

But what was most disconcerting of all was that Roxton knew what she was, or at least thought he did, and
was still drawn to her. And, surprising enough, much to her intense irritation, she could not suppress the
annoying urge to be near him. Even as she flaunted the possibility of never seeing him again after their
return to London, a small part of her balked at the actuality. He was worming his way under her skin and
would not quit his ever-increasing advance into her thoughts. His proximity alone inflamed more than one
of her senses.

She was a woman unused to changing her mind once her ideals had been set. Yet, with every passing
moment on the plateau, she found a few more preconceptions were shattered -- not that she would ever
admit that to anyone in the party. After all, she had a reputation to maintain. In the interim, however, she
would content herself with the myriad of stones waiting to be collected for future needs. Greed, and Lord
Roxton's opinion thereof, be damned.