"C'mon, old man, keep up," Bella laughed, taking a swipe at his left
hip before spinning off of his block.
They had cleared the main living room area of furniture, and with Finn, Malone, and Veronica watching them from the sides. Marguerite was still asleep and Challenger was toiling in his lab trying to get Isabella back to her time. Now Isabella was giving John a run for his money.
"Cocky, aren't you?" Roxton breathed, raising his branch to block her gutsy thrust.
"Just slightly," Isabella parried, meeting his "foil" and ducking beneath the crossed branches. As she twisted her wrist, and the foil along with it, away from the lock, she swept it towards his side. The hit struck home and John jumped back. Laughing, Isabella flipped away. "You okay, John?"
"Fine," Roxton grumbled, shaking it off and rolling his shoulders back.
"That's good," Isabella grinned.
He brought his branch down hard on her block, the force of the blow sending her stumbling back. She knocked a chair pushed against the side over, falling to the floor.
"Are you okay?" Roxton asked, hurrying over to her.
"Wonderful," she laughed, picking herself up and brushing off.
"Maybe you two should take it outside," Veronica laughed. "I want my furniture in one piece, please."
"Yes, ma'am," Bella chirped, winking and saluting. "C'mon, John."
"How about later, Isabella?" Roxton answered, breathing a little heavily.
Isabella laughed. "Okay."
"Vee and I'll make breakfast," Finn offered as Malone, Roxton, and Isabella began to put the furniture back in place.
"Good. I'm so hungry!"
"You're always hungry, Isabella," Roxton teased, ruffling her hair. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm a bottomless pit, John. Jack and I used to see who could eat the most food at dinner. Even now when Father and I sit down for dinner, he tells me I eat more than a lady should." She stopped for a moment, lost in memories and thought. "Father and I always eat alone. I guess that has changed now."
It had been at least a day since she had thought about the fact she now had a stepmother. Isabella shuddered at the thought of having to return to that world. Layton would be frantic by now, but she wondered if her father would even notice she was gone . No, he would, she told herself. After the novelty of marriage wore off, he would realize when she didn't show up to dinner. Or when Layton showed up demanding where she was. Then they would start looking for her at all the usual places. Cobi would be alerted and he would be frenzied in search of her. The world that Bella would return to, if she did, and if things were the same, would be a mess.
Isabella had to laugh at that. All of this because Layton would worry that the worst had happened to her. She'd then have to scold him that, honestly, he should lighten up a little.
She missed him, he that knew everything about her. He was a great listener, the perfect person to rant to because he just patiently heard you out before offering reasonable advice if it were called for.
Sighing, she turned back to the present and went to the table to grab some breakfast.
"Good morning, everyone," Marguerite announced moments later as she emerged from her room.
"Morning, Marguerite," Isabella mumbled through a mouth full of food.
Veronica ever so lightly smacked her upside the head.
"Sowwy," was her muffled apology right before she swallowed.
"Just a few more minutes, Marguerite," John told the whining heiress at his left arm. Isabella walked at his right heel, carrying the picnic basket. Finn and Veronica brought up the rear with Malone and Challenger taking point.
"It's nice out today," Isabella commented merrily from beside him. He grinned at her.
"Yes. It is one of the nicest days in a while. Not a cloud in the sky. There's a nice breeze from the northeast."
Isabella's face fell. "It was like this the day Jack, Mum, and I decided to take that walk. That was why we decided to go out. But it rained the night he passed on, as if the plateau itself mourned the loss of such a boy." Silence remained because no one knew what to say. Sensing this, Bella attempted to brighten the mood. "No use dwelling on the unhappy. Jack wouldn't like it. Is that the forked tree at which we turn, John?"
"Yes, I..." Roxton halted and put out a hand to quiet the rest. Isabella's senses went on alert as well, attuned to everything around her.
"Behind us, to the left," she whispered, her voice quieter than the breeze.
The lord nodded and couldn't help the proud smile rising to his face. His smile was quickly smothered as a muffled cry rose behind them. They turned to see Finn battling a man in swashbuckler's garb. Three more appeared from the left.
Veronica took on one of them and Roxton swung his rifle out to shoot another. As Marguerite fumbled for her pistol and Ned and George rushed to the help, Isabella saw something moving to the right of the group. Creeping closer to the brush and ignoring the shots John was firing, she jumped back as another man leapt from the shadow. Looking him over once and swallowing any fear, she reached for one of the two swords he carried before he could. Surprise flashed over his bearded face and then a sinister snarl curled his lips. He drew his sword.
"So the lassie wants a fight? Well, you wanna fight like a man, you'll die like one," he told her.
Isabella rolled her shoulders back and raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"
She took a quick strike at his left shoulder, forcing him to block her or have his arm removed. By the time his block was up, though, she'd brought the sword back across his body, slashing his stained shirt.
He looked very taken aback and stumbled for a minute. She used the opportunity to shove the blade through his chest, dropping the sword and turning away from the gruesome affair. As she turned, she watched the admiration in John's eyes as he'd been watching her.
"John, watch out!" she called, alerting him to the man sneaking up behind him. He took him out with the butt of his rifle. Isabella turned to survey the rest of the area.
"Isabella!" was Marguerite's scream, but it was too late. Pain rushed over her and everything became white. When her vision cleared, she looked down and saw the sickening blood stained sword tip protruding from her stomach. Her entire body throbbed and she fell to her knees. Someone laid her on her side, Marguerite most likely. Roxton's screams of anger sounded as if they were miles away, as did the subsequent gunshots.
She groaned as the sword was removed and she was rolled onto her back.
"Bloody hell," Bella murmured, pressing her hands against her free flowing wound. Her hands were soaked in blood and she knew she was far-gone.
"Change it. Please. Change it..." Isabella mumbled, reaching out for anyone around her.
Roxton finished off the men in a round of angry shots and then rushed to Isabella.
"Hold on, Bella. Hold on," he commanded, reaching for her bloody hand. He looked up and saw Marguerite's tear-stained and bloodstained face across from him. She shook her head. Isabella's body shimmered from his grasp and nothing was left.
"Dammit!"
There was a hand on his shoulder, but he wrestled free of it, running away from his friends to the edge of the path. He felt the tears slip down his face and tried vainly to stop them.
This time it was Marguerite's hand on his shoulder and he lifted his arm, inviting her close to him. She slipped in and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. The tears mingled as they fell to the ground.
Author's Note: One more chapter to go, where many things get explained and the stage is set for the sequel...kinda.... This is really sad, I just realized rereading it. The entire fic has been. I hadn't intended to end it this way, but it just felt right and so here it is.. don't get too worried yet.. review, review, review!!!!!!!!!!!
They had cleared the main living room area of furniture, and with Finn, Malone, and Veronica watching them from the sides. Marguerite was still asleep and Challenger was toiling in his lab trying to get Isabella back to her time. Now Isabella was giving John a run for his money.
"Cocky, aren't you?" Roxton breathed, raising his branch to block her gutsy thrust.
"Just slightly," Isabella parried, meeting his "foil" and ducking beneath the crossed branches. As she twisted her wrist, and the foil along with it, away from the lock, she swept it towards his side. The hit struck home and John jumped back. Laughing, Isabella flipped away. "You okay, John?"
"Fine," Roxton grumbled, shaking it off and rolling his shoulders back.
"That's good," Isabella grinned.
He brought his branch down hard on her block, the force of the blow sending her stumbling back. She knocked a chair pushed against the side over, falling to the floor.
"Are you okay?" Roxton asked, hurrying over to her.
"Wonderful," she laughed, picking herself up and brushing off.
"Maybe you two should take it outside," Veronica laughed. "I want my furniture in one piece, please."
"Yes, ma'am," Bella chirped, winking and saluting. "C'mon, John."
"How about later, Isabella?" Roxton answered, breathing a little heavily.
Isabella laughed. "Okay."
"Vee and I'll make breakfast," Finn offered as Malone, Roxton, and Isabella began to put the furniture back in place.
"Good. I'm so hungry!"
"You're always hungry, Isabella," Roxton teased, ruffling her hair. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm a bottomless pit, John. Jack and I used to see who could eat the most food at dinner. Even now when Father and I sit down for dinner, he tells me I eat more than a lady should." She stopped for a moment, lost in memories and thought. "Father and I always eat alone. I guess that has changed now."
It had been at least a day since she had thought about the fact she now had a stepmother. Isabella shuddered at the thought of having to return to that world. Layton would be frantic by now, but she wondered if her father would even notice she was gone . No, he would, she told herself. After the novelty of marriage wore off, he would realize when she didn't show up to dinner. Or when Layton showed up demanding where she was. Then they would start looking for her at all the usual places. Cobi would be alerted and he would be frenzied in search of her. The world that Bella would return to, if she did, and if things were the same, would be a mess.
Isabella had to laugh at that. All of this because Layton would worry that the worst had happened to her. She'd then have to scold him that, honestly, he should lighten up a little.
She missed him, he that knew everything about her. He was a great listener, the perfect person to rant to because he just patiently heard you out before offering reasonable advice if it were called for.
Sighing, she turned back to the present and went to the table to grab some breakfast.
"Good morning, everyone," Marguerite announced moments later as she emerged from her room.
"Morning, Marguerite," Isabella mumbled through a mouth full of food.
Veronica ever so lightly smacked her upside the head.
"Sowwy," was her muffled apology right before she swallowed.
"Just a few more minutes, Marguerite," John told the whining heiress at his left arm. Isabella walked at his right heel, carrying the picnic basket. Finn and Veronica brought up the rear with Malone and Challenger taking point.
"It's nice out today," Isabella commented merrily from beside him. He grinned at her.
"Yes. It is one of the nicest days in a while. Not a cloud in the sky. There's a nice breeze from the northeast."
Isabella's face fell. "It was like this the day Jack, Mum, and I decided to take that walk. That was why we decided to go out. But it rained the night he passed on, as if the plateau itself mourned the loss of such a boy." Silence remained because no one knew what to say. Sensing this, Bella attempted to brighten the mood. "No use dwelling on the unhappy. Jack wouldn't like it. Is that the forked tree at which we turn, John?"
"Yes, I..." Roxton halted and put out a hand to quiet the rest. Isabella's senses went on alert as well, attuned to everything around her.
"Behind us, to the left," she whispered, her voice quieter than the breeze.
The lord nodded and couldn't help the proud smile rising to his face. His smile was quickly smothered as a muffled cry rose behind them. They turned to see Finn battling a man in swashbuckler's garb. Three more appeared from the left.
Veronica took on one of them and Roxton swung his rifle out to shoot another. As Marguerite fumbled for her pistol and Ned and George rushed to the help, Isabella saw something moving to the right of the group. Creeping closer to the brush and ignoring the shots John was firing, she jumped back as another man leapt from the shadow. Looking him over once and swallowing any fear, she reached for one of the two swords he carried before he could. Surprise flashed over his bearded face and then a sinister snarl curled his lips. He drew his sword.
"So the lassie wants a fight? Well, you wanna fight like a man, you'll die like one," he told her.
Isabella rolled her shoulders back and raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"
She took a quick strike at his left shoulder, forcing him to block her or have his arm removed. By the time his block was up, though, she'd brought the sword back across his body, slashing his stained shirt.
He looked very taken aback and stumbled for a minute. She used the opportunity to shove the blade through his chest, dropping the sword and turning away from the gruesome affair. As she turned, she watched the admiration in John's eyes as he'd been watching her.
"John, watch out!" she called, alerting him to the man sneaking up behind him. He took him out with the butt of his rifle. Isabella turned to survey the rest of the area.
"Isabella!" was Marguerite's scream, but it was too late. Pain rushed over her and everything became white. When her vision cleared, she looked down and saw the sickening blood stained sword tip protruding from her stomach. Her entire body throbbed and she fell to her knees. Someone laid her on her side, Marguerite most likely. Roxton's screams of anger sounded as if they were miles away, as did the subsequent gunshots.
She groaned as the sword was removed and she was rolled onto her back.
"Bloody hell," Bella murmured, pressing her hands against her free flowing wound. Her hands were soaked in blood and she knew she was far-gone.
"Change it. Please. Change it..." Isabella mumbled, reaching out for anyone around her.
Roxton finished off the men in a round of angry shots and then rushed to Isabella.
"Hold on, Bella. Hold on," he commanded, reaching for her bloody hand. He looked up and saw Marguerite's tear-stained and bloodstained face across from him. She shook her head. Isabella's body shimmered from his grasp and nothing was left.
"Dammit!"
There was a hand on his shoulder, but he wrestled free of it, running away from his friends to the edge of the path. He felt the tears slip down his face and tried vainly to stop them.
This time it was Marguerite's hand on his shoulder and he lifted his arm, inviting her close to him. She slipped in and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. The tears mingled as they fell to the ground.
Author's Note: One more chapter to go, where many things get explained and the stage is set for the sequel...kinda.... This is really sad, I just realized rereading it. The entire fic has been. I hadn't intended to end it this way, but it just felt right and so here it is.. don't get too worried yet.. review, review, review!!!!!!!!!!!