What Dreams May Bring
By Taya Henderson
Summary: Marguerite is getting married, but is it Roxton who she is going to be with? Key: MargueriteM:, JohnJ:, NedN:, ChallengerG:, SummerleeS:, FinnF:, VeronicaV:, Lady RoxtonL:, MedicME:, Jesse ChallengerC:, MontclairMo
(Phone rings, Malone picks it up) Mo:(In French accent.) Monsieur Malone? N: Yes.
Ned Malone snapped awake from his nap to the sound of a phone ringing. For a moment, he was confused, thinking he was back on the plateau. Then he realized, he was lying on the couch in Arthur Summerlee's guest suite, getting a little rest. Moreover, the phone was still ringing.
"I'm coming." Malone sighed, picking up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Monsieur Malone?" A French-sounding woman's voice asked.
"Yes?" Malone said.
"I am Mademoiselle Montclair, the future Lady Roxton, and I was wondering if you could join John and I at our engagement party this Friday at our manor at 5 o'clock, we will have dinner and dancing. We sent out invitations to your last listed address, but then we heard you were staying with Dr. Summerlee. I apologize for the short notice." The French woman explained.
"Of course I'll come!" Ned replied, smiling.
"Merci! See you then!" With that, the mysterious French woman hung up the phone.
"Goodbye." Malone put the receiver down, and then picked it up again to call Marguerite.
Marguerite Krux sat in a lounge chair in her townhouse, looking over several ledgers when the phone rang. "Hello?" She asked absentmindedly.
"Marguerite, its Ned. I just got a call from a Miss Montclair. She claims she is Roxton's fiancée. Do you know anything about this?" Malone asked, clearly worried.
Marguerite grinned; things were going according to plan. "Of course I do. Her name is Elizabeth Montclair. Roxton met her a month after we broke up and liked her. They fell in love and are getting married. We got invited to the engagement party."
'You're not mad, are you?" Ned still sounded concerned.
"Ned, I appreciate the concern, but John and I had a mutual break up a month and a half after we got off the plateau. We are good friends still, and I am very happy for him. I have met someone too, but we really are not having such a big, public, engagement party. Just a wedding. I will tell you about it when we set the date. You've been out of touch." Marguerite explained.
"Oh, okay. Is Veronica there?" Malone asked.
"No. She and Finn went to pick up our party dresses from the shop. We are going over early to help Lady Roxton and Miss Montclair set everything up. We will see you there, right?" Marguerite inquired.
She could hear Ned's smile. "Of course. I've got to go, Summerlee is my host, and I imagine he's going."
"Then I will see you then. Goodbye Ned." Marguerite allowed herself another grin.
"Yes. Goodbye Marguerite." With that, Ned hung up the phone.
Marguerite placed the receiver back on the phone and laughed a little. Veronica came in carrying three dress bags and grinning.
"Did he fall for it?" She asked.
"Have you been listening at the door?" Marguerite shook her head. "Yes, he did. Hook, line, and sinker. The only people who know are you, John and myself."
"It is going to be so funny to see the look on his face. On all of their faces." Veronica grinned. "The dresses look amazing. I convinced Finn to only carry a knife so her dress will lay flat.
"Good. Lets go try on the dresses." Marguerite nodded.
Malone was still puzzling the ever-mysterious Elizabeth Montclair when Summerlee came in to see if he wanted lunch.
"Summerlee, I thought Roxton and Marguerite were going to end up getting married. I guess it just didn't work out. She seemed very happy on the phone, so, I assume she's happy because we all know what she's like when she's angry." Malone sighed. "Do you know what's going on?"
"Yes, quite so. All of London is talking about the Roxton party. Everyone who has some status in the community was invited, and if you aren't there, you'll probably never go to a big party again, unless you have an excuse." Summerlee nodded. "I imagine it was harder in London to keep the relationship going than it was on the plateau."
"Can't argue with you there." Ned laughed. "Come on, let's get some lunch. You know, some days, I actually find myself craving a good hunk of raptor meat…"
"Oh, bite your tongue my boy." Summerlee shook his head, grinning.
Friday, 4 o'clock, one hour and counting…
Finn was running around, clearly searching for something as everyone else around her scrambled to get ready for the party. "V, where's Roxton's fiancé?"
"She's in the kitchen with Marguerite." Veronica replied as she and Lady Roxton supervised the placement of the tables.
"Oh, okay. Wait a minute, I just came from the kitchen, and Marguerite was the only one in there who wasn't a servant." Finn looked exceedingly confused.
"Exactly." Veronica grinned, she was enjoying this.
Marguerite came in from the kitchen, smiling to herself. "Everything is set." She said. "Are you three done?"
"Everything is going to go wonderfully." Lady Roxton nodded her approval.
"I'm confused. Where's Roxton's fiancé?" Finn asked.
"Should we tell her?" Veronica looked at Marguerite.
"It is rather amusing, but the poor girl is so confused…" Lady Roxton trailed off.
"I'm Roxton's fiancé. I'm right here." Marguerite laughed.
"But you guys broke-what the heck?" Finn tried to put all the pieces together. "But you said her name was Montclair."
"Yes, I've been Krux, Smith, Montclair, and many other names." Marguerite shrugged.
"Don't say anything to anyone else, okay? It's supposed to be surprise." Veronica warned.
"Fine. Don't worry." Finn nodded.
"Every time the words 'don't worry' come out of her mouth, I get really scared." Marguerite checked the time. "We need to get dressed; the guests will be arriving in an hour. Come on, I'll show you to my room."
Marguerite lead the girls upstairs to a large suite full of rooms and a bathroom. There was an office and parlor-like area, but no bed.
"All of this will be yours?" Veronica asked.
"Yes. I won't sleep here, but it'll be nice to have." Marguerite nodded. "If we stay."
"This is so big." Finn grinned. "But what do you mean 'if you stay'?"
"It's all a very complicated thing…Veronica feels we would be safer living on the plateau. Especially with my…history." Marguerite sighed. "Never mind that, though. The gateway allows us to travel whenever we want, though that knowledge will not leave the family. I invited them all here tonight. It should be a fun little reunion. We haven't seen Ned in months, and it's been ages since I saw a good Summerlee-Challenger showdown."
"I can't say I've missed those. They tended to scare me a little, and they were hard to follow." Veronica smiled.
"There, what do you think?" Marguerite asked, adding the finishing touches to Veronica's hair.
"Beautiful. Now what about Finn? Her hair has gotten longer." Veronica said.
"Yes, Finn." Marguerite nodded, as she and Veronica closed In on Finn, hairbrushes in hand.
"Come on Finn, we aren't going to hurt you. Just do your hair." Veronica gave the younger woman her most assuring smile.
Marguerite and Veronica pulled her hair back and pinned it up in loose, short curls. "See, that isn't so bad." Marguerite smiled.
"Vee! You…you…you two made me look…proper." Finn was distraught.
"Oh, it's only for a night, you'll survive." Marguerite shrugged. "And my wedding, of course."
"Fine. Just twice. That's all. No more." Finn nodded.
"Come on!" Veronica exclaimed, excited.
The three women headed downstairs, Marguerite looked stunning in a royal blue gown that accented her curves, and set off by her favorite diamond necklace. Veronica was a vision in white, and Finn looked adorable in a pale sage green silk gown.
"I do believe three goddesses have entered our presence, mother." A voice said.
"John!" Marguerite exclaimed and ran into his arms. "Oh, you're here."
"Miss me?" Lord John Roxton asked.
"Not really." She gave him a sound kiss.
"Your kiss, my dear, says otherwise. Perhaps I should go to the plateau for two weeks with Challenger more often." Roxton raised his eyebrow.
"Why go away when you could have this every day of every week." Marguerite grinned, kissing him again.
"Then I'm never leaving again." He smiled. "And if I do, I'll be damn sure to take you with me. Now, you know when to slip out, right?"
"I have to powder my nose." She nodded.
"Now?" John asked, confused.
"No, that's my excuse." Marguerite shook her head.
"Come, let us greet the guests." John offered her a hand and led her into the entryway.
The guest began pouring in, and Arthur and Malone were some of the first to arrive.
"Arthur!" Marguerite grinned, hugging the older man.
"Ned." Veronica smiled, getting a warm hug from the journalist.
"They're here, Roxton!" Finn exclaimed, excited.
"Who?" John asked.
"Summerlee and Malone!" Finn replied
"Glad you could make it! Miss Montclair does not make her appearance until all the guests or almost all the guests have arrived. And Ned." Marguerite hugged the young reporter too. "So nice to see you! How've you been?"
"Busy. You're an excellent hostess Marguerite." Ned nodded.
"Well, Veronica and I chipped in to help Lady Roxton and Miss Montclair plan it, and Lady Roxton asked me to help host." Marguerite explained.
As Ned walked off to find Veronica, George and Jesse Challenger walked in.
"Marguerite." George hugged her and whispered. "I thought Miss Montclair wasn't supposed to appear yet."
"George, she hasn't. How'd you know?" Marguerite replied.
"You can't hide things from me." Challenger smiled.
"Well, please keep it to yourself. I'm sure Roxton and Veronica will like to see you, as well as Finn. Ned and Arthur are here already. Go George, mingle, but be quiet." She instructed.
"So, Roxton, what is Miss Montclair like?" George asked as they stood around talking.
"Well Challenger, she's beautiful, smart, tenacious, caring, when she wants to be. I love her very much." John was trying not to smile at Marguerite.
"She's very nice. I enjoyed working with her to plan this." Marguerite nodded.
"As did I. And Finn? What about you?" Veronica asked.
"She was a little bossy, but I had a good time with her. She, Marguerite, and Veronica helped me look all proper." Finn nodded.
"And it suits you well Finn." Challenger smiled. "Ah, music. Finn, would you like to dance?"
"Okay." Finn shrugged and they walked off.
"I think I'll go dance with Jess, just to make George mad." Arthur grinned. "Jess!"
Veronica smiled. "Ned?"
"I'd love to Veronica." The journalist offered her his arm and the couple walked off.
"Marguerite, would you dance with me?" John asked.
"We have to play it down John. Remember we are just friends." Marguerite warned.
"Of course we are." He grinned and they danced off.
While they were dancing, Malone kept looking a Roxton and Marguerite. He was so confused; it was all Veronica could do to keep from laughing at him.
"I don't get it." Ned sighed.
"Don't get what?" Veronica asked.
"Marguerite and Roxton were so in love, and then they just break up?" He looked at them again.
"They were going in opposite directions, and since the breakup was mutual, they remain good friends. See for yourself. Do they look in love? Do you really think they do? Besides, they haven't fought all night, or much since they broke up for that matter." Veronica hoped he would be swayed by her words.
Summerlee approached and cleared his throat. "May I cut in?
Ned bowed and walked off to dance with Finn.
Roxton and Marguerite were trying to look like they were having fun, but not too much fun. Soon, Roxton had to leave to go do the announcement.
"Don't you need to make an exit?" Challenger asked, coming up behind Marguerite.
"Thank you George. I think I need to powder my nose." She grinned and walked off.
Lady Roxton appeared in the upstairs balcony, and the crowd began to murmur. The explorers, minus Marguerite and Roxton stood close together.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my son would like to make an announcement." Lady Roxton smiled proudly.
John stepped out on the balcony, "Thank you all for coming. On behalf of all those here, I would like to thank the women who planned such a wonderful evening, and I hope you enjoy it. But now for the lady of the hour, I introduce to you, my fiancée, Miss Marguerite Krux."
Marguerite walked out to applause. "Thank you all for coming. Now, enjoy the rest of the party!"
"But Marguerite told me…" Ned trailed off, confused.
"Ned, she told you she and Roxton broke up, which they did, but they got back together less than a month later, privately. They were both tired of all the media snapping pictures, exploiting their life together. So, they decided to publicly be just good friends." Veronica explained.
"But she lied to us." Ned said.
"How is that new? Besides, it was just a joke; we were all in on it. Well, I was and Challenger knew…but most of the stuff she said was true." Veronica grinned.
After another hour, the music faded, and Lady Roxton again appeared on the balcony. "Honored guests, dinner is served. If you would please follow my son through the doors to the left and be seated at a table, then the feast shall begin."
Roxton and Marguerite led the way through large double doors into a fine banquet hall. They go to a table towards the back while the rest of the crowd files in and finds their seats.
"My lady." John pulled out Marguerite's chair, and then sat next to her.
"Thank you your Lordship." She grinned.
"So, I want to hear everything. How are the Zangas? How's Avalon?" Marguerite asked as the 'family' set down to dinner.
"Beautiful as ever." Veronica grinned. "Though I would have thought John would have told you all the news."
"He only tells me how many raptors he fought. He never tells me the things I want to know." Marguerite shrugged. "So?"
"Assai had a son. Challenger found another beetle like Arthur and decided to name him George." Veronica replied. "And Avalon is beautiful as ever."
"Did…could we have a ceremony on the plateau?" Marguerite asked in a whisper. "It would mean a lot to John."
"I'll arrange it, but you will have to help me hold the gateway open." Veronica warned.
"I know. Though I think we'll be back there soon enough." Marguerite sighed.
"Girls, no sad talk at the table." Jess Challenger chastised them. "You should be planning the wedding and smiling, not speaking of solemn things."
"Well, with your help, and the help of Veronica, Finn and Lady Roxton, I think I'm in good hands." Marguerite grinned at the older woman.
"Of course you will." Jess smiled and turned to Lady Roxton. "Now Ellen, what do you think of Marguerite?"
"Oh, I'm just glad John found love. You must be very special to have healed him so thoroughly, my dear." Lady Ellen Roxton nodded to her future daughter-in-law. "Jess, we must do tea again, it's been too long."
"How did you two meet?" Veronica asked.
"Through…well, the families here had a sort of support group that met once every few weeks. It was really just a time where we could talk about our missing loved ones with people who understood. Now that I've been to the plateau, I know why George is so anxious to return." Jess smiled.
While Veronica chatted with the older ladies, Marguerite turned her attention to her fiancé, who was oddly quiet.
"John?" She asked.
"I…are you very against going back?" He looked at her seriously.
"We don't have a choice, John. We have to go back." Marguerite sighed. "Otherwise, Veronica will lose control of her powers. She needs me there to balance her. And it's not safe for our children…what was done to me should never be done to another person."
"I know, my dear." Roxton took her hand. "I just don't want you to leave what you love because of me."
"Well, this time, we know how to get off, I find I don't mind the plateau so much." She kissed him gently. "And you know I'd never let you leave me."
Before they could kiss again, and explosion ripped through the wall, knocking the explorers over and killing Ellen Roxton, Finn, and Jess Challenger immediately. Summerlee and several others died moments after the first three. The rest of the party was thrown several feet in the air and several feet away from the blast. Chaos erupted as guests fled and servants tried to either flee or find any injured. Emergency services had already been called and they were on their way.
"Margue...uer...rite." John called out in a scratchy voice.
Marguerite, who is not badly injured, Roxton took the brunt of the blast for her, crawled over to him and held his hand. "I'm here John. You need to lay still, its okay. I'm here."
"The others?" He asked.
"Always concerned with everyone else…Veronica is talking to Ned." Marguerite replied. "I can't…there's so much smoke…"
"What's wrong my love?" John gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Your mother…Jess…Finn…Summerlee…they're dead, and from the way Veronica is sobbing, Ned's about to join them." She bit her lip to hold back a sob. "John, you have to stay with me. You can't leave me."
"Don't cry. Things will work out. Here, take this." Roxton handed her his signet ring. "It's yours. You are a Roxton. I love you. Go on, tend to Challenger and Veronica."
"Veronica is okay, she can care for Challenger. You have to hold on, John." Marguerite pleaded. "Please don't leave me."
"It is my time, my darling. I love you." John touched her face gently.
"I love you too." She sobbed, kissing him one last time and holding him. Suddenly, he went limp, checking for a pulse, Marguerite found none and began to cry harder. "Goodbye, my love."
"Roxton too?" Veronica asked, her white dress now a pinkish red, and completely tattered.
"Veronica, he can't be gone, they can't be gone!" The two women hugged and cried uncontrollably.
"Ladies? Could you come with me please?" A medic asked, leading them away from the scene. "Are you both okay? Physically, I mean."
"How's Challenger?" Marguerite asked.
"Minor injuries, someone is treating him now. Would you both take a seat so we can tend to some of your injuries." The medic replied calmly.
"How many?" Veronica choked out.
"Ned, John, Jess, Arthur, his son, Lady Roxton, and Finn." Marguerite buried the pain, trying to remain calm. "I don't believe they're gone. We survived four long years on the plateau with dinosaurs, but we can't survive a simple dinner party?"
"I know." Veronica nodded, resting her head on Marguerite's shoulder.
"Ladies, if you would. Lady Roxton, Miss Layton, would you both come with me please?" The medic asked.
"He just can't be gone…John." Marguerite nearly burst into tears again and they climbed in an ambulance and drove off.
Marguerite, Challenger, and Veronica all woke up screaming a resounding "No!" and rushed into the kitchen to check all the rooms. All three were sweating and in a high state of panic from their nightmares.
"Veronica? George?" Marguerite asked.
"What are you two doing up?" Veronica looked confused.
George sighed. "I was about to ask the same question."
"Well, I had a nightmare, and John, Malone, Finn..." Marguerite trailed off.
"Summerlee and his son, Jess and lady Roxton," Veronica continued.
"Died." George finished. "The three of us were the only survivors."
"How did you…did we all have the same dream?" Veronica asked, confused.
"Is that even possible?" Marguerite asked.
"If it is, it's a remarkable experience." Challenger nodded. "Perhaps I will go check on Finn."
"I'll see if Malone is okay." Veronica said.
"And I'll check on the snoring Lord." Marguerite nodded.
Marguerite crept slowly into his room to see him sleeping peacefully, his trusty pearl-handled pistols on the nightstand next to him.
"Thank goodness you're alive." She whispered.
"What are you doing in here?" Roxton asked, not moving or opening his eyes to indicate he was awake.
"Do you have to be such a hunter…" Marguerite grumbled, and then sighed. "I was just checking on you, go back to sleep John."
"Won't you join me?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Goodnight Roxton." She shook her head and went back into the kitchen to join Veronica and Challenger. "That was an awful nightmare."
"Yes, but curious that all three of us had the same one." George stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I mean, I saw the same events…but I saw you kneeling over Roxton, and you, Veronica, crying over Malone."
"Mine was from my point of view." Veronica nodded.
"As was mine." Marguerite shuddered.
"Remember that temple we explored today? I told you it was called the dream cave. But I never ventured as far in as we went today…because of the Zanga warning that evil spirits would come and change your dream into a nightmare, and you would lose the things closest to your heart." Veronica explained.
"There must be some sort of…hallucinogenic fungus in the air…" Challenger trailed off. "We should investigate further."
"No George, this is one thing we are leaving alone." Marguerite said with finality. "And if it was a fungus, how did we all see the same thing? No. Let's just not mention this nightmare to the others and never go back to that cave again."
"What, you don't want us sharing the thing closest to your heart?" Veronica teased.
"Veronica, don't breathe a word to John." The other woman warned.
"Should we make breakfast then? The sun's coming up, and I can't sleep anyway." Challenger suggested.
"Sure." Veronica nodded.
"I'll help too." Marguerite volunteered.
"I thought you needed your 'beauty sleep'." George teased.
"Even if I wanted to go back to sleep, I don't think I could after that dream. I'll set the table then I think I'll go check on them again." Marguerite shrugged.
"Well, the other two are okay, how about you, your Lordship?" Marguerite whispered as she crept into the hunter's room.
"This is becoming a most interesting habit." John said. "I enjoy a beautiful woman sneaking into my room, but twice in one night it more than I expected. I smell breakfast. Who else is up?
"Challenger and Veronica." Marguerite replied. "And this is not going to become a habit. We all had the same nightmare and it was awful. It did start out pleasant though."
"What kind of pleasant?" John sat up. "How could all of you have the same dream?"
"The cave we went in while you were setting up camp, Challenger thinks it was some fungus, and it made us all dream. In the dream we lost what was closes to our hearts." She sighed.
"So, did you go bankrupt?" He teased.
"Three years on the plateau and that's what you think I hold closest to my heart?" Marguerite demanded, livid.
"Shh…I was only kidding Marguerite." He patted the spot on the bed next to him. "Tell me all about it."
"We were back in London after six years on the plateau, we'd been back six months. Apparently, we could travel back and forth to the plateau through some sort of gateway…so Veronica, Arthur, and Ned were visiting for a few months. You and Challenger had gone on a two week excursion to the plateau and had just returned, in time for our engagement party." She sighed. "That's when it all went to hell. At the party, there was an explosion, killing your mother, Jesse, Summerlee, and Finn almost instantly. George was injured, so were Veronica and I, but not life-threatening. You were badly injured…then Ned died from him wounds…and then…you died."
A stray tear slid down Marguerite's cheek and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Good thing it was just a nightmare." John said. "I won't let anything like that happen, ever."
"It was just so real…" She shook her head. "I keep seeing it over and over again in my head, like a bad memory that I can't repress."
"Just sit here and relax." He kissed her forehead. "I promise, when we get married we will not have an engagement party."
"Did you say when?" Marguerite asked.
"Did I?" John smiled. "Come on, breakfast smells wonderful."