Author's note: Great thanks to my beta readers Taz and Steffi. You really healped me! And special thank for my friend Amber for helping my realize very important things in life.


BACK TO THE LOST WORLD

Marguerite was sitting near the window and looking out at the snowfall. The first snow this year, she thought.
It was about 7 o'clock in the morning when Marguerite woke up and realized that she wasn't able to sleep any longer. She went to the kitchen and made a coffee. All her servants were still asleep and making coffee by herself took Marguerite back to her life on the plateau.
Thoughts about the plateau brought her to the thoughts about the handsome hunter with tender eyes. She sighed and threw them away. It was easier now, in a year after their coming back to London.
Marguerite thought now that this year in London seemed to her longer than two years on the plateau. These two years in the real family were the best in her life and now in cold London she felt so lonely that she wanted to cry.
She had a lot of reasons to be happy. She finally had everything she always wanted to have - money, honor, and big house to live in. But it didn't make here happier; she didn't have love; she didn't have the man she loved by her side.
Summerlee and Challenger also got everything they wanted. They became really popular and had a tour around the world with the lectures about the dinosaurs and the evolution on the Earth.
Malone had came to London only for several weeks. Then he packed his things and moved to the treehouse where Veronica waited for him. They married in London three months ago and now lived in the treehouse.
Marguerite looked on big snowflakes and closed her eyes. She missed them, really missed. Yes, sometimes she met Challenger or Summerlee in the lab. But the spirit of their little family was lost now. They were just scientists that thought only about the bones of raptors and wings of pterodactyls.
Most of all she missed Roxton but every time when she closed her eyes she saw him kissing Caroline McGregor on the party that was made when they came back from their trip. She came into the library in search for Roxton and saw him kissing this woman. When he saw her standing in the door he tried to apologize and to explain something but she didn't listen to him. She just left the room.
And his life.
He came to her after that a million of times and called her on the phone every five minutes but she didn't talked to him for more than 10 months. They had nothing to talk about.
Loud phone call brought her back to the reality.
- Yes? - She said, thinking about who could call her in such an early time.
- Marguerite? - Asked the familiar voice.
- Yes, George. - She smiled. She didn't talk to Challenger for a couple of weeks and even began to miss him and Summerlee, though Arthur called her more often.
- Nice to hear your voice, Marguerite. - His voice was warm. - Why didn't you come to visit us? We missed you.
- I'm sorry, George, but I just decided to have some rest to put in order my thoughts and life. I needed it after...
- I know. - Challenger interrupted her, as he knew perfectly how hard it was for her to talk about Roxton. - I call because we need your help.
- We? - She lifted her eyebrows.
Challenger cleaned his throat, trying to find correct words.
- Summerlee and me. - He laughed shortly. - And others.
Marguerite singed.
- George, stop speaking in riddles and tell me EVERYTHING.
He kept silent for a moment. Then he understood that he had no other way but to tell her the truth from the beginning.
- We've got a letter from Veronica and Malone...
- Since when they have a post office on the plateau? - Marguerite smirked.
- It's not difficult to come down from the plateau to the nearest village. - Challenger explained. - Well, they wrote that they found a new cave with the wonderful paintings and some hieroglyphs and they want us to come to see it. Malone told us that this discovery can make a great sensation in scientific society.
Marguerite understood everything immediately. Challenger knew perfectly that she would never refuse to help them. He just tried to tell her in soft words that Roxton would go there too and to see her reaction.
- And what do you want from me? - She tried to play till the end.
- We all know your amazing knowledge in speaking different ancient languages. - His voice was encouraging. - And I think we have no need to go there without you.
- George, - she began, - just say me if Roxton go or not.
Challenger kept silence for a moment, and then replied:
- No, he won't, I think. He was too busy and Summerlee couldn't call him. He even wasn't in London for the last couple of months.
Challenger waited for several long moments, while Marguerite kept silent. He hoped that some day she'd forgive him his little lie. And he hoped he wouldn't understand his lie immediately.
- Well, as I have no plans on the nearest... How long we'll be there?
- Two months, not more. - Challenger couldn't refrain the sigh of relief when he heard her words. - I promise.
- Well, I have no plans on the nearest two months so I can only express my sympathy to Malone and Veronica and to you and Summerlee, of course, because I go.
- Thank you, Marguerite! - Challenger exclaimed. - I knew you couldn't refuse.
- So, when do we leave?
- Tomorrow in the morning.
She jumped on her chair.
- What?! Are you crazy?! - She exclaimed. - You're in your style, George. I wouldn't be surprised if you called me tomorrow and said to go.
- See you tomorrow, Marguerite. - He hung up the receiver.
Marguerite really missed her friends and wanted to see them as soon as possible but to spend two months on the plateau where were a lot of memories about Lord Roxton was difficult for her. If she saw something memorable for both of them...
And besides that she hoped that now Challenger was a better liar now than a year ago.
She sighed deeply and asked God to help her.