Marguerite instantly blushed red after saying this and pulled away
from his astonished face.
"Do what?" he finally stuttered out.
Marguerite closed her eyes and cringed. "Marry me."
Roxton blinked a couple times. "Well, I..are you sure you want that?"
"Yes," Marguerite managed, a frightened smile on her face.
"Then. of course! Marguerite Krux, I love you. I would be overjoyed to be your husband!" He pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately.
They heard a giggle at the door and turned just in time to see Isabella's curls dart out of the door. Both laughed.
"Come on, let's go tell Challenger and the rest," Roxton grinned taking Marguerite's hand.
Everyone was in the main room, talking about different things amongst themselves.
"Isabella, what can you tell us about New London?" Challenger badgered the young girl.
Isabella, still red in the face from giggling, merely replied, "I think Marguerite and John have something they want to share with us."
All of the explorers turned their attention to their comrades.
"Well, do you?" Finn asked.
"Umm, yes. Marguerite and I are getting married," Roxton announced.
"What?!" Veronica and Malone exclaimed in unison.
Isabella laughed happily as the explorers converged on poor Marguerite and Roxton congratulating and asking thousands of questions.
"I knew this was coming," Challenger beamed, clapping Roxton on the back.
"Congrats, guys," Finn laughed.
Isabella smiled and retreated to the balcony. This brought back a very recent memory. Except that time the excitement coming from Aunt Vee and the rest was fake.
~~~~~ "John proposed last night!" Gabrielle giggled, showing off the large ring on her left finger to everyone. Roxton just stood nonchalantly at her side as she clung to his arm and clucked about all the wedding arrangements.
Isabella backed away and stared at her father as his friends enveloped him. Layton was soon at her side but she pushed him away.
"How could you?" she screamed at him. "How could you do that to Mother? Why? Damn you both! Go to hell!"
She turned tail, sobbing, and ran away.
"Isabella! Wait!" Layton called, running after her with a scornful look at his one time hero, who stood there so stoically as his own daughter cursed him.
~~~~~
That night Isabella sat on a chair pulled out onto the balcony, wrapped in her own light blanket. Its deep blue was faded in areas and she pulled it close to her. The blanket was decorated in Zanga patterns.
Roxton approached her. She looked so very young and helpless huddled there with her legs pulled up to the chest. Her eyes were staring into the nothingness of the jungle canopy.
"You know, we have thicker blankets if you need one," he said gently, coming up next to her.
"I'm okay. I'm attached to this one. It's a present from a friend," Bella smiled at him.
"Oh, a Zanga friend? Cobi perhaps?" he teased her.
She blushed and buried herself further into the blanket.
"Maybe," she said softly.
He laughed.
"So, Mr. Husband-to-be, how about a duel tomorrow? You, me, fencing. It'll be fun. You'll lose, but it'll be fun."
Roxton chuckled. "Just because you're so arrogant, sure. You fence then, I take it?"
"Since I was really little, yeah. My teacher says I'm pretty good. I'm not like most Roxtons. I can't shoot a gun."
Surprise was evident on Roxton's handsome face. His own daughter not being able to shoot.
She laughed at his look.
"Oh, John, don't look so astonished," she giggled. "You tried to teach me and I was all right. I just don't like to use them, so I'm not very good at all. They're too loud and cumbersome. The saber is more of a civilized weapon."
"We don't take hunting trips, do we?" he asked.
"No, not very often. Not since..well, five years ago. And before that you did all the shooting, with Jackie shooting his tiny pellet gun at birds sometimes. He was good. Like you."
"Your brother.what was he like?"
"He looked just like you. But he had more of mother's personality. A quick, witty tongue, an almost magical way with languages, and a pessimistic side to him. He always saw the worst in every situation and I always saw the best. After long fights, we'd compromise to the best solution. If one of us didn't beat the other up."
Roxton chuckled. "Rowdy, were you?"
"Oh very! Mother hated it! But you said it was good for us. Made us tougher!" She gave a sighing laugh.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Where's the fiancée?" she finally asked.
"Sleeping," Roxton smiled broadly just thinking about Marguerite as his future wife.
"In HER room?" Isabella's gray eyes brightly danced casting him a sideward glance.
"Of course!" John cried, giving her a light shove.
She whimpered very slightly in pain and withdrew towards the side of the chair instinctively.
"Oh Bella! I'm so sorry. Did I hit a bruise?"
She bit her lip then regained her composure.
"Yeah, no problem, just a pain reaction, you know?"
"Do you think we can change our future, Isabella?" Roxton asked her, his dark eyes staring intently into her gray ones.
"I don't know, John. I honestly don't. I..I really hope so. But..what if by some morbid twist of fate you forget when I go back? If I go back! We have no way to get me back. Challenger said he'd try to figure out a way. I think it has something to do with electricity. There might've been a stray current in the old fence when I hopped it. The professor told me it might, but I was in too much pain and grief to pay attention."
"I swear to you on your uncle's and grandfather's graves I will not forget," he said lowly, his voice heavy.
"If you can help it," whispered the teenager.
Marguerite's dream that night was a blur of passing time. It was set in the Zanga village near the tree house and the key players seemed to be Isabella and Jack Roxton.
Children's giggles whispered through the huts surrounding the main circle. The women spoke quietly around their cooking pots and a dull rumble of drums settled onto the groups of men talking.
The noise seemed to die down as four children, their cheek healthily ruddy from running, stepped from the shadow. The oldest was a Zanga boy on the precipice of adolescence. His dark hair fell to his olive shoulders and from his handsome face powerful, nearly black eyes peered at the central group. He was dressed merely in a pair of crème knickers like the other boys around him. Beside him on the right was a pretty young girl, about four inches shorter than the Zanga boy, with her light brown curls pulled back in a messy ponytail. She wore a simple summer dress. On his right was a boy of similar height to the girl, his blond curls cut close to his head. They were Isabella and Layton, Marguerite recognized. At Isabella's left hand Jack stood proudly, his arms crossed across his chest with a black eye starting to form on his left eye.
An elder from the central group, which included the explorers and a toddler, Jane, barked something at the boy.
The boy, whom the elder had called Jacobi, replied something in his native tongue. Jack laughed harshly and added something in Zanga, pointing angrily at Jacobi.
"Bella-sa, who started it?" a female voice lifted from the group. It was an older Assai who looked at the girl.
"Jack. Cobi won at a foot race and Jack accused him of cheating."
"I didn't cheat," Cobi said coolly.
"Did too!"
"I did not! I am a Zanga prince; I have no need to cheat. I've been trained to run fast."
Jack stuck his tongue out, making the adults laugh and the scene faded into another.
Time had regressed it seemed as the children ran races through a cleared section of the main clearing. Bella looked about five and it was only she, Layton, and Cobi Marguerite could recognize.
Bella and Cobi faced off at a stick drawn line in the sand. Layton stood perpendicular to it and the Zanga children lined a narrow raceway.
"On your marks, set, go!" Layton shouted in a youthful cry.
Cobi and Isabella took off, Isabella's skirts trailinf behind her. Cobi reached the end a second ahead of her, but she threw herself into a slide, pulling up her skirts, and tripped his legs out from under him. Both tumbled to the ground as the children laughed.
Once again the image blurred and was replaced by a warm night. Drums rumbled and fires burned. The young men and women of the tribe danced as the night's celebration burned on. Marguerite could recognize no one, but then the scene shifted slightly to the side where the shadows flickered with the fires.
"Did she hurt you, Bella-sa?" a soft baritone whispered in the dark. Standing against a pole, Isabella leaned heavily. She appeared the same age as she was now. A much older Cobi, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, stood next to her, his hand against her back, helping to support her.
She didn't answer, her clear gray eyes cloudy with tears.
"Isabella..did she hurt you?" he pressed, raising his other hand to hold her face.
"Not any more than usual," she whimpered. The tears finally slipped down her cheeks. His thumb came up to caress her hot tears away.
"Stay here. I swear to the gods I won't let her hurt you anymore," he swore.
"No, Cobi, too many people depend on me in New London," she sobbed.
"Then remember you'll always have a safe place here. My people will never let her through the front gates."
She laughed lightly through her tears. "You're sweet, Cobi. Thank you."
He smiled at her, then lifted her chin to kiss her softly.
The dream faded out as Marguerite awoke to Roxton and Isabella's laughter. Again, Marguerite awoke content, but she wasn't sure how happy she was that some teenage Zanga prince was kissing her daughter.
Author's Note: Lol. This was more of just some pure fluff and to answer everyone's question. Was it predictable that Marguerite asked? I was really going over and over who should ask it, and both seemed predictable so I went with my gut. Anyway, this also is preparing you for the sequel that takes place in Isabella's own time. evil laughter Of course I'm not done with her yet!
"Do what?" he finally stuttered out.
Marguerite closed her eyes and cringed. "Marry me."
Roxton blinked a couple times. "Well, I..are you sure you want that?"
"Yes," Marguerite managed, a frightened smile on her face.
"Then. of course! Marguerite Krux, I love you. I would be overjoyed to be your husband!" He pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately.
They heard a giggle at the door and turned just in time to see Isabella's curls dart out of the door. Both laughed.
"Come on, let's go tell Challenger and the rest," Roxton grinned taking Marguerite's hand.
Everyone was in the main room, talking about different things amongst themselves.
"Isabella, what can you tell us about New London?" Challenger badgered the young girl.
Isabella, still red in the face from giggling, merely replied, "I think Marguerite and John have something they want to share with us."
All of the explorers turned their attention to their comrades.
"Well, do you?" Finn asked.
"Umm, yes. Marguerite and I are getting married," Roxton announced.
"What?!" Veronica and Malone exclaimed in unison.
Isabella laughed happily as the explorers converged on poor Marguerite and Roxton congratulating and asking thousands of questions.
"I knew this was coming," Challenger beamed, clapping Roxton on the back.
"Congrats, guys," Finn laughed.
Isabella smiled and retreated to the balcony. This brought back a very recent memory. Except that time the excitement coming from Aunt Vee and the rest was fake.
~~~~~ "John proposed last night!" Gabrielle giggled, showing off the large ring on her left finger to everyone. Roxton just stood nonchalantly at her side as she clung to his arm and clucked about all the wedding arrangements.
Isabella backed away and stared at her father as his friends enveloped him. Layton was soon at her side but she pushed him away.
"How could you?" she screamed at him. "How could you do that to Mother? Why? Damn you both! Go to hell!"
She turned tail, sobbing, and ran away.
"Isabella! Wait!" Layton called, running after her with a scornful look at his one time hero, who stood there so stoically as his own daughter cursed him.
~~~~~
That night Isabella sat on a chair pulled out onto the balcony, wrapped in her own light blanket. Its deep blue was faded in areas and she pulled it close to her. The blanket was decorated in Zanga patterns.
Roxton approached her. She looked so very young and helpless huddled there with her legs pulled up to the chest. Her eyes were staring into the nothingness of the jungle canopy.
"You know, we have thicker blankets if you need one," he said gently, coming up next to her.
"I'm okay. I'm attached to this one. It's a present from a friend," Bella smiled at him.
"Oh, a Zanga friend? Cobi perhaps?" he teased her.
She blushed and buried herself further into the blanket.
"Maybe," she said softly.
He laughed.
"So, Mr. Husband-to-be, how about a duel tomorrow? You, me, fencing. It'll be fun. You'll lose, but it'll be fun."
Roxton chuckled. "Just because you're so arrogant, sure. You fence then, I take it?"
"Since I was really little, yeah. My teacher says I'm pretty good. I'm not like most Roxtons. I can't shoot a gun."
Surprise was evident on Roxton's handsome face. His own daughter not being able to shoot.
She laughed at his look.
"Oh, John, don't look so astonished," she giggled. "You tried to teach me and I was all right. I just don't like to use them, so I'm not very good at all. They're too loud and cumbersome. The saber is more of a civilized weapon."
"We don't take hunting trips, do we?" he asked.
"No, not very often. Not since..well, five years ago. And before that you did all the shooting, with Jackie shooting his tiny pellet gun at birds sometimes. He was good. Like you."
"Your brother.what was he like?"
"He looked just like you. But he had more of mother's personality. A quick, witty tongue, an almost magical way with languages, and a pessimistic side to him. He always saw the worst in every situation and I always saw the best. After long fights, we'd compromise to the best solution. If one of us didn't beat the other up."
Roxton chuckled. "Rowdy, were you?"
"Oh very! Mother hated it! But you said it was good for us. Made us tougher!" She gave a sighing laugh.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Where's the fiancée?" she finally asked.
"Sleeping," Roxton smiled broadly just thinking about Marguerite as his future wife.
"In HER room?" Isabella's gray eyes brightly danced casting him a sideward glance.
"Of course!" John cried, giving her a light shove.
She whimpered very slightly in pain and withdrew towards the side of the chair instinctively.
"Oh Bella! I'm so sorry. Did I hit a bruise?"
She bit her lip then regained her composure.
"Yeah, no problem, just a pain reaction, you know?"
"Do you think we can change our future, Isabella?" Roxton asked her, his dark eyes staring intently into her gray ones.
"I don't know, John. I honestly don't. I..I really hope so. But..what if by some morbid twist of fate you forget when I go back? If I go back! We have no way to get me back. Challenger said he'd try to figure out a way. I think it has something to do with electricity. There might've been a stray current in the old fence when I hopped it. The professor told me it might, but I was in too much pain and grief to pay attention."
"I swear to you on your uncle's and grandfather's graves I will not forget," he said lowly, his voice heavy.
"If you can help it," whispered the teenager.
Marguerite's dream that night was a blur of passing time. It was set in the Zanga village near the tree house and the key players seemed to be Isabella and Jack Roxton.
Children's giggles whispered through the huts surrounding the main circle. The women spoke quietly around their cooking pots and a dull rumble of drums settled onto the groups of men talking.
The noise seemed to die down as four children, their cheek healthily ruddy from running, stepped from the shadow. The oldest was a Zanga boy on the precipice of adolescence. His dark hair fell to his olive shoulders and from his handsome face powerful, nearly black eyes peered at the central group. He was dressed merely in a pair of crème knickers like the other boys around him. Beside him on the right was a pretty young girl, about four inches shorter than the Zanga boy, with her light brown curls pulled back in a messy ponytail. She wore a simple summer dress. On his right was a boy of similar height to the girl, his blond curls cut close to his head. They were Isabella and Layton, Marguerite recognized. At Isabella's left hand Jack stood proudly, his arms crossed across his chest with a black eye starting to form on his left eye.
An elder from the central group, which included the explorers and a toddler, Jane, barked something at the boy.
The boy, whom the elder had called Jacobi, replied something in his native tongue. Jack laughed harshly and added something in Zanga, pointing angrily at Jacobi.
"Bella-sa, who started it?" a female voice lifted from the group. It was an older Assai who looked at the girl.
"Jack. Cobi won at a foot race and Jack accused him of cheating."
"I didn't cheat," Cobi said coolly.
"Did too!"
"I did not! I am a Zanga prince; I have no need to cheat. I've been trained to run fast."
Jack stuck his tongue out, making the adults laugh and the scene faded into another.
Time had regressed it seemed as the children ran races through a cleared section of the main clearing. Bella looked about five and it was only she, Layton, and Cobi Marguerite could recognize.
Bella and Cobi faced off at a stick drawn line in the sand. Layton stood perpendicular to it and the Zanga children lined a narrow raceway.
"On your marks, set, go!" Layton shouted in a youthful cry.
Cobi and Isabella took off, Isabella's skirts trailinf behind her. Cobi reached the end a second ahead of her, but she threw herself into a slide, pulling up her skirts, and tripped his legs out from under him. Both tumbled to the ground as the children laughed.
Once again the image blurred and was replaced by a warm night. Drums rumbled and fires burned. The young men and women of the tribe danced as the night's celebration burned on. Marguerite could recognize no one, but then the scene shifted slightly to the side where the shadows flickered with the fires.
"Did she hurt you, Bella-sa?" a soft baritone whispered in the dark. Standing against a pole, Isabella leaned heavily. She appeared the same age as she was now. A much older Cobi, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, stood next to her, his hand against her back, helping to support her.
She didn't answer, her clear gray eyes cloudy with tears.
"Isabella..did she hurt you?" he pressed, raising his other hand to hold her face.
"Not any more than usual," she whimpered. The tears finally slipped down her cheeks. His thumb came up to caress her hot tears away.
"Stay here. I swear to the gods I won't let her hurt you anymore," he swore.
"No, Cobi, too many people depend on me in New London," she sobbed.
"Then remember you'll always have a safe place here. My people will never let her through the front gates."
She laughed lightly through her tears. "You're sweet, Cobi. Thank you."
He smiled at her, then lifted her chin to kiss her softly.
The dream faded out as Marguerite awoke to Roxton and Isabella's laughter. Again, Marguerite awoke content, but she wasn't sure how happy she was that some teenage Zanga prince was kissing her daughter.
Author's Note: Lol. This was more of just some pure fluff and to answer everyone's question. Was it predictable that Marguerite asked? I was really going over and over who should ask it, and both seemed predictable so I went with my gut. Anyway, this also is preparing you for the sequel that takes place in Isabella's own time. evil laughter Of course I'm not done with her yet!