~*~
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh my, I can't believe I actually got around to finishing this. I'm so terribly sorry that it took that long. I did have the first half written but the ending was proving to become quite a problem. Well, to all those who have reviewed this story, and to all those who will, many, MANY thanks! You guys are awesome to stick with me throughout this whole thing, and your patience is absolutely and totally amazing (either that or you just forgot ;)) Since I have yet to see Season 3 of TLW (I'm stuck in Canada), I think I'll have to put stories on hold since I have no idea what's going on anymore (heck, I'm still clinging to the fact that Summerlee's alive and kicking)..anyway, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Now enjoy.
~*~ Part 5: Beginnings of a Journey ~*~ She became vaguely aware her surroundings as her eyelids fluttered open, her head feeling light and dizzy. Distantly aware of something cool pressed against her forehead, Marguerite struggled to focus her vision so that she could see her surroundings.
"Ah, my dear, I see you've finally decided to wake up."
The voice that rang out over the incessant jungle noises was all too familiar, and as her eyes began to clear, Marguerite beheld a wonderful sight.
"Arthur?"
The old man smiled, removing the wet cloth he had pressed on her forehead. "Good morning to you, Miss Krux. It's been a little while."
Abruptly, Marguerite sat up in her bed, ignoring the flash of lights that sparkled in her eyes after the sudden movement. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to reassure herself that she was truly in the tree house and not in another vision.
When her eyes came to rest upon Professor Summerlee's smiling face and worried eyes, she knew that she was home.
On impulse, Marguerite grinned brightly and threw her arms around the Professor's shoulders to give him a quick squeeze. The show of emotion took both of the explorers by surprise, but neither one regretted it.
"It's nice to be home, Summerlee," She whispered. Craning her hearing, she realized that the tree house was abnormally silent. "Where are the others?"
Summerlee, still trying to sort through what had just happened, waved his hand absentmindedly towards the door. "Veronica is around here working on her latest sketch, Challenger and Malone are outside tinkering around with one of Challenger's newest inventions, and Roxton, well, he's around here somewhere."
"If you have no objections, I'd like to go out and see them."
Summerlee shook his head and was about to reply, but Marguerite was already out of bed, taking a quick peek in the mirror. She noticed that her bandages were gone, and all that remained of her ordeal was a newly healed scar that cut across her forehead. What was a nasty bruise was also beginning to fade on her cheek, but the heiress simply ignored it.
Satisfied with what she saw, she gave her dark hair a quick brush, while listening to Arthur's instructions.
"Now don't strain yourself too much, my dear. It's only been three days, and the concussion is still taking its time to wear off."
Marguerite nodded, then flashed him another smile. "Thank you for your help, Arthur. I promise to be careful."
He watched her retreating back, and shook his head in wonder at what he had just experienced. Perhaps Marguerite had hit her head harder than they thought, for he had never seen the heiress be so cooperative or cheerful since they had started out on this godforsaken expedition.
The Professor shrugged it off and began to clean up the bandages that were lying around. He decided he would get his answers later, when everybody had said their hellos.
~~
Marguerite scoured the tree house for Veronica, and eventually found her by the deck, an easel in front of her and paints in hand. Determined to turn over a few new leaves, the heiress surmised that it would start with the jungle girl she had come to know well.
"It's beautiful," Marguerite commented from over Veronica's shoulder, admiring the soft colours of the flowers she was painting.
"Why thank you, Marguerite," The blond girl replied automatically. Then suddenly she realized who had just talked to her.
"Marguerite?" She exclaimed, whirling around on her stool. "But what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be in bed? What have you done with Summerlee?"
Marguerite held up a hand in an effort to slow down the questions that were being directed at her. "Summerlee's fine, and he said I was ready to get out of bed. Besides, you expect me to sleep in on such a beautiful day?"
Veronica was taken back by the last comment, not used to Marguerite being so enthusiastic over anything, unless it was worth something. And the heiress was never one to wake up and recognize a beautiful day.
Puzzled, Veronica could only smile warily as Marguerite gave her shoulder a pat. "Would you know where the others are by any chance?"
The jungle girl nodded her head in the direction of the jungle. "They should be around near the base of the tree."
"I should have guessed," Marguerite muttered, then smiled at Veronica. "I'll be back."
With that she waltzed off to the elevator and started the descent down to the jungle floor. Veronica could only watch in stunned amazement as the elevator began its rickety descent. Something drastic must have happened while Marguerite was knocked out, for she had never, ever known the heiress to be quite that friendly.
Hearing footsteps, Veronica turned around to find Summerlee packing up the newly washed bandages they had used for Marguerite.
"She really did hit her head hard," The jungle girl remarked casually, trying to sort through it all.
Summerlee simply smiled. "It seems as though she has truly woken up to what's around her."
"Or she's just gone crazy."
The Professor laughed, tucking the last of the rolled bandages back into their storage box. "Perhaps we're both right, my girl."
~~
Ned Malone and Challenger were slaving over one of the failed experiments at safely trapping prey when Marguerite found them.
"Good morning gentlemen. Having fun?"
Surprised, their heads shot up-Ned's bumping against the top of the cage- their eyes wide.
Challenger was the first to regain his senses. "Marguerite! You're looking better. How do you feel?" He wiped his oily hands on a spare rag, and then went over to feel her forehead.
The heiress grasped his arm and pried his hand away. "I'm fine Challenger, really. It was just a nasty scratch, that's all."
"Well it's a good sign that you can be up and about so soon after waking up," The explorer remarked. "It means your concussion is wearing off a lot faster than I expected."
"I'm not one to meet people's expectations," Marguerite replied with a wry grin.
"So what happened by the river?" Ned asked, as he wiped away the dirt and soot that had collected on his face, secretly nursing the bump that was beginning to form on his head. "You went off for water, then the next thing we know, Roxton's rushing back with you and your head bleeding away."
A warm sort of feeling crept through her defences at the thought of Roxton rushing with her in his arms, but she suppressed it for now, instead turning to Ned to give him an answer, or lack thereof.
"I'll tell you about it one day Malone, but I was wondering if you had seen Roxton anywhere about? I need to talk to him."
"He came by a few minutes ago. Said he was going to go by the pond to wash off." Ned jerked his thumb down the path that led to the water. "He should still be there."
"Thanks." Marguerite waved as she headed off down the beaten track. "I'll be back eventually."
As Marguerite disappeared around the bend, Challenger and Malone exchanged a glance.
"Well that was.interesting," Malone commented trying to put into words what he had just seen.
"It seems our Marguerite has decided to turn over a new leaf," Challenger observed, just as confused as his friend. "Perhaps something happened while she was out. There have been studies on visions of those who have been in comas, or unconscious for certain periods of time."
Ned shrugged, easing out the kinks in his shoulders as he did so. "Well whatever happened to her, I have a feeling it won't be around for too long. Marguerite's not one to be cheerful for extended periods of time."
"Of course, she is with Roxton at the moment, so you never know." Challenger's comment earned a laugh out of both men, as they began to work on the trap again. "We may have just experienced a new historical event, Malone. Things may be changing around here."
"But will it be for better or for worse?" Ned replied dryly, sending a surreptitious grin to his friend.
"We'll just have to wait and see."
~~
As Marguerite continued on down to the pond, she began to feel little nerves growing in her stomach. After her ordeal with Sophie, she had woken up feeling energized, and convinced to start making some changes. She had seen a future that she had been wishing for, and now with the knowledge that she could achieve it, she was determined to make that same kind of life for herself.
The big surprise for her was that it hadn't been hard at all to reach out to her fellow explorers. And the true shock of it was that they didn't mind at all. In fact, she had been rewarded with more grins and puzzled but pleased glances than she had in awhile. While her mood wouldn't last, at least the connections she had made, and was planning on making, would- hopefully-last a lifetime.
The pond was beginning to come into view amid the bushed and plants that obscured the scenery. Marguerite's eyes scanned what she could see, and disappointment hit. There was no sign of the hunter anywhere in the clearing.
Determined to find him at any cost, the heiress quickened her pace and nearly burst out of the path and into the clearing.
Her eyes caught sight of him just as she stepped out of the plant-entangled trail. His back was to her, a little to her left, dousing his dark head with handfuls of water.
Biting her lip in resolve, she fought the nerves that were slowly spreading throughout her whole body, and began walking towards the hunter.
She was just a few feet away, when Roxton straightened, and swivelled around to detect the noise he had just heard. His eyes widened at the sight of Marguerite frozen to the spot, still dressed in the clothes he had found her in just days before.
'Damn his ears,' Marguerite thought sourly as she caught John's gaze. Just as she was about to open her mouth, she found herself suddenly and unexpectedly encircled by two strong arms and crushed against his chest. Marguerite could do nothing except hug him back just as tightly, burying her face in the folds of his shirt. Never had she thought it would feel so good to be held by John Roxton, of all people.
The hug was brief, but it gave the heiress the reassurance she needed.
"It's nice to see you too," Marguerite managed to gasp once John let her go, trying to regain some of the air that had been squeezed out of her.
"What are you doing up so quickly?' Roxton demanded, the surprise of seeing her sending him of guard. " You should be resting, not gallivanting around the jungle without protection."
"Well excuse me for wanting to say hello," Marguerite shot back, that familiar spark welling up. " For your information, I feel perfectly fine. The scratch isn't as bad as everyone thought."
His hand reached up and gently traced the scar that still remained. It had healed well, he noted, but that still didn't assure him of her good health.
"What did Challenger and Summerlee have to say about you being up and about?"
With a frustrated sigh, she slapped his hand away from her forehead. "They said the exact same thing that I just told you. I'm fine," She stated, stressing the two words firmly. "Besides, I needed to see you."
The last sentence fell out before Marguerite could stop herself, and she quickly froze up, cursing herself for being so stupid.
Roxton caught the last few words, and hope surged through him. She had never admitted to wanting to see him before. But what had changed her mind? He decided not to worry about it just yet. This was a moment he had a feeling he would enjoy.
Marguerite mentally kicked herself when she saw the sudden glint in the hunter's eyes, but bit back her fear and continued. Today she was going to make some change, and this was the last thing she needed to do.
"Yes, you heard me straight. I needed to show you something."
He spread his arms out, and sent her one of his most dashing smiles. "Well then, show me."
'There's no time like the present,' The heiress thought in an effort to prepare herself for what she was about to do next. Steeling herself, Marguerite took one step closer to him, so her body was nearly touching his. Her arms inched up around his neck, and her eyes lifted to catch his.
At first, Roxton was unsure of what exactly she had meant by her words, but as she moved closer, suddenly things became clearer. He wanted to pinch himself, to make sure none of this was a dream.
But when Marguerite lifted her mouth to his to capture them in a sweet kiss, the only coherent thought the hunter could muster was, 'I'm not dreaming'.
As the kiss deepened, so did their passion, and Marguerite allowed her arms to tighten around his neck, pleasantly surprised when his own twined about her waist to pull her closer.
They remained in their embrace, and Marguerite finally realized what she had been missing. The change she had been seeking was found, and deep down, a part of her knew that she had found that final puzzle piece that had gone astray in her life. For once she was glad to be living in the present, in the moment, and by the way Roxton had reacted, she knew he felt the same way.
They would have to talk, she realized, there was so much to say that had been left buried for the last two years. But for now, she was quite content to relax and enjoy the present while she still had it.
Roxton was the present now, Marguerite was beginning to believe, and deep down, a tiny part of her was whispering that maybe, just maybe he might be the future too.
~*~
THE END
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh my, I can't believe I actually got around to finishing this. I'm so terribly sorry that it took that long. I did have the first half written but the ending was proving to become quite a problem. Well, to all those who have reviewed this story, and to all those who will, many, MANY thanks! You guys are awesome to stick with me throughout this whole thing, and your patience is absolutely and totally amazing (either that or you just forgot ;)) Since I have yet to see Season 3 of TLW (I'm stuck in Canada), I think I'll have to put stories on hold since I have no idea what's going on anymore (heck, I'm still clinging to the fact that Summerlee's alive and kicking)..anyway, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Now enjoy.
~*~ Part 5: Beginnings of a Journey ~*~ She became vaguely aware her surroundings as her eyelids fluttered open, her head feeling light and dizzy. Distantly aware of something cool pressed against her forehead, Marguerite struggled to focus her vision so that she could see her surroundings.
"Ah, my dear, I see you've finally decided to wake up."
The voice that rang out over the incessant jungle noises was all too familiar, and as her eyes began to clear, Marguerite beheld a wonderful sight.
"Arthur?"
The old man smiled, removing the wet cloth he had pressed on her forehead. "Good morning to you, Miss Krux. It's been a little while."
Abruptly, Marguerite sat up in her bed, ignoring the flash of lights that sparkled in her eyes after the sudden movement. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to reassure herself that she was truly in the tree house and not in another vision.
When her eyes came to rest upon Professor Summerlee's smiling face and worried eyes, she knew that she was home.
On impulse, Marguerite grinned brightly and threw her arms around the Professor's shoulders to give him a quick squeeze. The show of emotion took both of the explorers by surprise, but neither one regretted it.
"It's nice to be home, Summerlee," She whispered. Craning her hearing, she realized that the tree house was abnormally silent. "Where are the others?"
Summerlee, still trying to sort through what had just happened, waved his hand absentmindedly towards the door. "Veronica is around here working on her latest sketch, Challenger and Malone are outside tinkering around with one of Challenger's newest inventions, and Roxton, well, he's around here somewhere."
"If you have no objections, I'd like to go out and see them."
Summerlee shook his head and was about to reply, but Marguerite was already out of bed, taking a quick peek in the mirror. She noticed that her bandages were gone, and all that remained of her ordeal was a newly healed scar that cut across her forehead. What was a nasty bruise was also beginning to fade on her cheek, but the heiress simply ignored it.
Satisfied with what she saw, she gave her dark hair a quick brush, while listening to Arthur's instructions.
"Now don't strain yourself too much, my dear. It's only been three days, and the concussion is still taking its time to wear off."
Marguerite nodded, then flashed him another smile. "Thank you for your help, Arthur. I promise to be careful."
He watched her retreating back, and shook his head in wonder at what he had just experienced. Perhaps Marguerite had hit her head harder than they thought, for he had never seen the heiress be so cooperative or cheerful since they had started out on this godforsaken expedition.
The Professor shrugged it off and began to clean up the bandages that were lying around. He decided he would get his answers later, when everybody had said their hellos.
~~
Marguerite scoured the tree house for Veronica, and eventually found her by the deck, an easel in front of her and paints in hand. Determined to turn over a few new leaves, the heiress surmised that it would start with the jungle girl she had come to know well.
"It's beautiful," Marguerite commented from over Veronica's shoulder, admiring the soft colours of the flowers she was painting.
"Why thank you, Marguerite," The blond girl replied automatically. Then suddenly she realized who had just talked to her.
"Marguerite?" She exclaimed, whirling around on her stool. "But what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be in bed? What have you done with Summerlee?"
Marguerite held up a hand in an effort to slow down the questions that were being directed at her. "Summerlee's fine, and he said I was ready to get out of bed. Besides, you expect me to sleep in on such a beautiful day?"
Veronica was taken back by the last comment, not used to Marguerite being so enthusiastic over anything, unless it was worth something. And the heiress was never one to wake up and recognize a beautiful day.
Puzzled, Veronica could only smile warily as Marguerite gave her shoulder a pat. "Would you know where the others are by any chance?"
The jungle girl nodded her head in the direction of the jungle. "They should be around near the base of the tree."
"I should have guessed," Marguerite muttered, then smiled at Veronica. "I'll be back."
With that she waltzed off to the elevator and started the descent down to the jungle floor. Veronica could only watch in stunned amazement as the elevator began its rickety descent. Something drastic must have happened while Marguerite was knocked out, for she had never, ever known the heiress to be quite that friendly.
Hearing footsteps, Veronica turned around to find Summerlee packing up the newly washed bandages they had used for Marguerite.
"She really did hit her head hard," The jungle girl remarked casually, trying to sort through it all.
Summerlee simply smiled. "It seems as though she has truly woken up to what's around her."
"Or she's just gone crazy."
The Professor laughed, tucking the last of the rolled bandages back into their storage box. "Perhaps we're both right, my girl."
~~
Ned Malone and Challenger were slaving over one of the failed experiments at safely trapping prey when Marguerite found them.
"Good morning gentlemen. Having fun?"
Surprised, their heads shot up-Ned's bumping against the top of the cage- their eyes wide.
Challenger was the first to regain his senses. "Marguerite! You're looking better. How do you feel?" He wiped his oily hands on a spare rag, and then went over to feel her forehead.
The heiress grasped his arm and pried his hand away. "I'm fine Challenger, really. It was just a nasty scratch, that's all."
"Well it's a good sign that you can be up and about so soon after waking up," The explorer remarked. "It means your concussion is wearing off a lot faster than I expected."
"I'm not one to meet people's expectations," Marguerite replied with a wry grin.
"So what happened by the river?" Ned asked, as he wiped away the dirt and soot that had collected on his face, secretly nursing the bump that was beginning to form on his head. "You went off for water, then the next thing we know, Roxton's rushing back with you and your head bleeding away."
A warm sort of feeling crept through her defences at the thought of Roxton rushing with her in his arms, but she suppressed it for now, instead turning to Ned to give him an answer, or lack thereof.
"I'll tell you about it one day Malone, but I was wondering if you had seen Roxton anywhere about? I need to talk to him."
"He came by a few minutes ago. Said he was going to go by the pond to wash off." Ned jerked his thumb down the path that led to the water. "He should still be there."
"Thanks." Marguerite waved as she headed off down the beaten track. "I'll be back eventually."
As Marguerite disappeared around the bend, Challenger and Malone exchanged a glance.
"Well that was.interesting," Malone commented trying to put into words what he had just seen.
"It seems our Marguerite has decided to turn over a new leaf," Challenger observed, just as confused as his friend. "Perhaps something happened while she was out. There have been studies on visions of those who have been in comas, or unconscious for certain periods of time."
Ned shrugged, easing out the kinks in his shoulders as he did so. "Well whatever happened to her, I have a feeling it won't be around for too long. Marguerite's not one to be cheerful for extended periods of time."
"Of course, she is with Roxton at the moment, so you never know." Challenger's comment earned a laugh out of both men, as they began to work on the trap again. "We may have just experienced a new historical event, Malone. Things may be changing around here."
"But will it be for better or for worse?" Ned replied dryly, sending a surreptitious grin to his friend.
"We'll just have to wait and see."
~~
As Marguerite continued on down to the pond, she began to feel little nerves growing in her stomach. After her ordeal with Sophie, she had woken up feeling energized, and convinced to start making some changes. She had seen a future that she had been wishing for, and now with the knowledge that she could achieve it, she was determined to make that same kind of life for herself.
The big surprise for her was that it hadn't been hard at all to reach out to her fellow explorers. And the true shock of it was that they didn't mind at all. In fact, she had been rewarded with more grins and puzzled but pleased glances than she had in awhile. While her mood wouldn't last, at least the connections she had made, and was planning on making, would- hopefully-last a lifetime.
The pond was beginning to come into view amid the bushed and plants that obscured the scenery. Marguerite's eyes scanned what she could see, and disappointment hit. There was no sign of the hunter anywhere in the clearing.
Determined to find him at any cost, the heiress quickened her pace and nearly burst out of the path and into the clearing.
Her eyes caught sight of him just as she stepped out of the plant-entangled trail. His back was to her, a little to her left, dousing his dark head with handfuls of water.
Biting her lip in resolve, she fought the nerves that were slowly spreading throughout her whole body, and began walking towards the hunter.
She was just a few feet away, when Roxton straightened, and swivelled around to detect the noise he had just heard. His eyes widened at the sight of Marguerite frozen to the spot, still dressed in the clothes he had found her in just days before.
'Damn his ears,' Marguerite thought sourly as she caught John's gaze. Just as she was about to open her mouth, she found herself suddenly and unexpectedly encircled by two strong arms and crushed against his chest. Marguerite could do nothing except hug him back just as tightly, burying her face in the folds of his shirt. Never had she thought it would feel so good to be held by John Roxton, of all people.
The hug was brief, but it gave the heiress the reassurance she needed.
"It's nice to see you too," Marguerite managed to gasp once John let her go, trying to regain some of the air that had been squeezed out of her.
"What are you doing up so quickly?' Roxton demanded, the surprise of seeing her sending him of guard. " You should be resting, not gallivanting around the jungle without protection."
"Well excuse me for wanting to say hello," Marguerite shot back, that familiar spark welling up. " For your information, I feel perfectly fine. The scratch isn't as bad as everyone thought."
His hand reached up and gently traced the scar that still remained. It had healed well, he noted, but that still didn't assure him of her good health.
"What did Challenger and Summerlee have to say about you being up and about?"
With a frustrated sigh, she slapped his hand away from her forehead. "They said the exact same thing that I just told you. I'm fine," She stated, stressing the two words firmly. "Besides, I needed to see you."
The last sentence fell out before Marguerite could stop herself, and she quickly froze up, cursing herself for being so stupid.
Roxton caught the last few words, and hope surged through him. She had never admitted to wanting to see him before. But what had changed her mind? He decided not to worry about it just yet. This was a moment he had a feeling he would enjoy.
Marguerite mentally kicked herself when she saw the sudden glint in the hunter's eyes, but bit back her fear and continued. Today she was going to make some change, and this was the last thing she needed to do.
"Yes, you heard me straight. I needed to show you something."
He spread his arms out, and sent her one of his most dashing smiles. "Well then, show me."
'There's no time like the present,' The heiress thought in an effort to prepare herself for what she was about to do next. Steeling herself, Marguerite took one step closer to him, so her body was nearly touching his. Her arms inched up around his neck, and her eyes lifted to catch his.
At first, Roxton was unsure of what exactly she had meant by her words, but as she moved closer, suddenly things became clearer. He wanted to pinch himself, to make sure none of this was a dream.
But when Marguerite lifted her mouth to his to capture them in a sweet kiss, the only coherent thought the hunter could muster was, 'I'm not dreaming'.
As the kiss deepened, so did their passion, and Marguerite allowed her arms to tighten around his neck, pleasantly surprised when his own twined about her waist to pull her closer.
They remained in their embrace, and Marguerite finally realized what she had been missing. The change she had been seeking was found, and deep down, a part of her knew that she had found that final puzzle piece that had gone astray in her life. For once she was glad to be living in the present, in the moment, and by the way Roxton had reacted, she knew he felt the same way.
They would have to talk, she realized, there was so much to say that had been left buried for the last two years. But for now, she was quite content to relax and enjoy the present while she still had it.
Roxton was the present now, Marguerite was beginning to believe, and deep down, a tiny part of her was whispering that maybe, just maybe he might be the future too.
~*~
THE END