Veronica stood in the clearing. The equipment was running smoothly. The windmill was turning leisurely in the soft breeze. The generator was humming quietly, sounding a bit like a swarm of bees. However, there was no sign of her friends.

She suddenly felt very alone. She had not felt so isolated since her parents had disappeared; but then, that hadn't actually happened. So in truth, she had never been so totally alone. The young blonde had lost her second family.

Completely hopeless, she sat down, cross-legged in the soft grass. "No!" she said and jerked her head up. She refused to give up. "But where do I begin?"

There was no way she could just sit and wait, so she tried to approach the problem logically. The tree-house? She had just come from there so there was little point in looking again. "Think," she told herself. Most of the time, although travelling through time, the space remained the same. "All right," she admitted, "It's a reach and I may be way off, but at least it is a start."

Challenger had disappeared from the base of the tree-house, Finn had been thrown from the tree-house. Roxton and Marguerite had been in the rubber tree grove, at least that is where they were headed.

She stood up determinedly. Veronica had only taken a few quick steps when she saw a familiar rippling. She turned just as Ned Malone stepped from no where into the clearing.

"Ned!" she squealed and ran at him.

The journalist returned her enthusiastic hug, then stood back smiling and said, " knew you'd make it back."

"Me?" her initial confusion melted as she recalled that she had blown away in Challenger's balloon just before Ned had gone on his self-imposed exile, "I've been back a long time. What happened to you?" Veronica asked noting his physical condition. He was scratched and bruised. His torn and tattered clothes were covered in mud and blood.

"You wouldn't believe what I've seen today," he answered excitedly, "Vikings, real Vikings right here on the plateau!"

"Today I'd believe anything," Veronica answered wryly.

"There was a shimmering, like a mirage, and when it touched me I was taken to -- another place -- another time."

"Challenger calls them time distortions."

"Then you've seen them too?"

"They have taken everyone! Spread them through time."

"Everyone's gone?" Malone asked in disbelief.

"I was hoping to somehow find them. This is where Challenger was headed, so I hoped..." she smiled at Ned and said, "but I found you."

Returning her smile, the reporter said, "We can keep looking together. Where were the others headed?"

"Finn was taken from the tree-house."

"Finn?"

Veronica stopped, momentarily startled. The future girl had become so much a part of their lives that she'd forgotten how short a time she had actually been with them. "I'll tell you about her on our way to the rubber tree grove. That's where Roxton was headed when all this started."

Just as they were leaving the clearing, Veronica saw something from the corner of her eye. But when she turned, nothing was there except for the windmill still turning quietly.

Ned turned too. "What is it?" he asked.

She replied uncertainly, "Nothing. Apparently, nothing at all."

********

George Challenger stumbled forward. He couldn't believe it; Finn was gone. Looking around, he saw that he was in the clearing. Before him his magnificent windmill was working just like nothing had happened.

"I'm home," he sighed.

Challenger had taken no more than two steps when espied another time distortion rolling toward him. His first thought was to run the other way, but then he noticed that the phenomena had become stagnant. It was standing static as if waiting for him.

"I am not going to get caught in that inhuman future again," he told the distortion. Tipping his hat to it, he turned away.

Unbidden, Finn's words echoed in his mind, "You get taken someplace you need to be."

Could Finn be right? Would this phenomena take him to save Finn? ... or would it take him somewhere even more horrific than he had yet seen?

The choice was simple: two steps forward into the unknown, or turn and walk away; head safely back to the tree-house.

"I have never played it safe before," he said out loud. "If I don't return, forgive me Jessie." Then he walked determinedly into the mysterious abnormality.

******** Roxton and Marguerite turned as one to the blonde, bearded man standing behind them. He was dressed in the same robes as her abductors.

"Who are you?" Roxton demanded harshly.

Before the man could answer, Marguerite said in confused wonder, "I know you ... my dream ... the emeralds ... "

"I am Bochra," the man smiled, then confirmed, "We have met before."

"It was real," she replied in awe.

"You saved our people, Morrighan."

"Marguerite risked her life to save you," Roxton interrupted angrily, "Now you want to sacrifice her?"

Bochra seemed unperturbed. "Dagthan," he motioned to the battered and moaning man by the wall, "decided that he was born to rule. He convinced several other druids to support him and together they rose up against me. All who would not accept him as high priest were slaughtered mercilessly. He thought he had killed me as well. However, I have power that he could not foresee. Dagthan's reign was bloody and short-lived."

"That doesn't explain what happened to Marguerite," Roxton reminded him.

Bochra nodded, "the quickest way to unite people and gain their allegiance is with a common enemy. Dagthan chose Morrighan. She was familiar, powerful, and his greatest threat. He twisted all that she had done and convinced his followers that she would destroy the world if allowed to live."

Marguerite's fingers strayed to her chest as she asked, "but how ... "

"I was almost too late. Dagthan very nearly succeeded in destroying me and I was slow to ... regenerate. I had barely enough time to move you to safety."

"But I didn't go anywhere," she protested laying her palm flat against the altar. "I was right here when the knife ... "

"You went a fraction of a second forward. Your echo was still visible to Dagthan and you could see him, but you could not be touched."

"But I could feel them holding me down."

Still smiling, the druid shook his head, "You were not removed from the present until Dagthan's knife was only a breath above you. By that time, your protector," he nodded to Roxton, "had already eliminated those men restraining you. I'm afraid that you were sent forward and brought back so quickly that your mind took a while to adjust."

"And the body," Roxton asked, "there was a body buried here with Marguerite's birthmark. It was buried in this cloth!" he held up his bandaged arm.

"Everything has changed since Morrighan returned our people to their proper place in time." Bochra stepped forward and took Marguerite's hand in his. "It is gratifying to have been in time to save our beautiful priestess. After all," he winked, "there is much left for you to do."

With a loud, furious cry, Dagthan jumped onto Roxton and they flew backward landing heavily against the altar. Roxton slipped to the floor like a broken doll.

Dagthan rose and turned to Marguerite. His face was no longer recognisable. He barely appeared human as he approached her saying, "And now, Morrighan, you die."

********

George Challenger looked around. He still stood in the clearing but all of his equipment had vanished. "Now," the professor mused, "assuming that I am in the right time, where do I find Finn?"

He didn't have time to ponder his options.

With the roar of a motor, Finn burst into sight followed closely by a very loud and unattractive automobile. He quickly crouched down to avoid being seen. The vehicle was slipping and sliding in the damp grass, but steadily gaining on the running girl. "If only I had my rifle, I could shoot their engine ... " an idea struck. He did still have one weapon. He reached down into his boot. "Yes!" he exclaimed as he withdrew his hunting knife. But the knife was no good against the motor. Even if he could hit it from here, it would do little more than bounce off the engine's metal casing. "But the tires ... " he looked at the blade. It was sharp enough to pierce a dinosaur's hide, so surely it would puncture the tire. "I only get one chance," he told himself knowing it was now or never. "I'm no Veronica, but I came to bring you back, Finn, and I am not leaving without you." The scientist took a deep breath and aimed carefully at his nearing target. He was almost afraid to look, but he forced himself to watch as the knife lodged in the turning tire -- and nothing happened.

Challenger stood up, perplexed. At that moment, the knife was expunged and the tire blew. The vehicle was thrown end over end. Hands on hips, Challenger stood and admired his handiwork. "Not even Veronica could have done better," he congratulated himself.

Finn kept running. She hadn't even looked back. She was fast.

Challenger couldn't hope to catch her, but he started after her anyway; calling her name all the while.

Finally, out of breath, the professor stopped. He bent over trying to breathe normally. When he straightened, Finn was grinning only a few feet from him.

"So," she asked, "are we going home?"

********

Veronica and Ned Malone had reached the rubber tree grove, but found nothing except the containers of sap that Roxton and Marguerite had collected.

Crouching down, the jungle girl studied the ground. "It looks like they were headed back to the tree-house," she stood and turned to Ned, "they were running."

"I hope that means we're headed back to the tree-house," he replied thinking of how much he wanted to rest and clean up.

"By way of the T-Rex hatchery," was Veronica's answer.

They walked most of the way in comfortable silence. Watching the jungle girl as she deftly avoided overhanging branches, Ned spoke, "I thought about you every day."

Veronica smiled and tried to think of a response.

"You were right," he continued.

"About what?" she asked ducking under a limb.

"Us."

A leaden weight suddenly dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her smile vanished.

The reporter continued, oblivious, "we are good friends, ... the very best friends. That is something I never want to change."

"Everything changes, Ned," she reminded him, there was a slight edge to her tone which he didn't catch.

"But not us," he said with a boyish grin as he came along side her. They had reached the hatchery. Several large nests which were little more than indentations in the ground surrounded them. Some had only broken shells, others held eggs still waiting to hatch.

"Whether or not we ever find a way off of this plateau, we will always be friends."

"Ned ..." she started. She wanted to admit that her feeling for him were much more than friendship. But she got no further.

Two rippling puddles appeared in the air in front of them, and out walked Professor Challenger and Finn.

Squealing in delight, Veronica grabbed Malone's arm. "They're here!" Then she bounded forward to hug them both.

The exuberant reunion was interrupted by the bellow of an approaching Tyrannosaurus. They could feel the ground tremor.

"It might be a good idea if we save this for the tree-house," Challenger suggested, "A rest and a hot meal seem to be the order."

"And a bath," Malone added as the four hurried away before the dinosaur could arrive to find them in it's hatchery.

********

More monster than man, Dagthan lurched toward Marguerite. Blood bubbled from his flattened nose with each whistling breath. His eyes were swollen slits. The battered remnants of his face paralysed her.

As his clammy hands closed around her throat, life suddenly returned to her limbs. She stomped down hard on his foot. His grip loosened and she immediately forced her forearms up and out breaking his hold completely. She brought her knee up sharply and he doubled over. With her fist, she caught him squarely on his bloodied jaw and felt immense satisfaction as he hit the ground.

Marguerite hurried over to Roxton who was looking at her in admiration. He had only had the breath knocked out of him and was even now getting to his feet. With the heiress's help, he was up immediately. "For a half-dead guy," the hunter said as he stretched his bruised back, "he has quite a kick."

Marguerite agreed with a relieved laugh.

During the entire fight, Bochra had not moved. He stood, hands clasped, head slightly bowed, and his lips were moving. If he was speaking, they couldn't hear it.

To the explorer's continuing dismay, Dagthan rose again.

"Doesn't he know when to stop?" Marguerite complained.

As Dagthan turned toward them, Bochra suddenly raised his arms and shouted in an odd, guttural language.

There was a churning in the water below them. Marguerite and Roxton watched in horror as a huge serpent raised it's head from the pit. Dagthan screamed, but before he could attempt to escape, the serpent grabbed him in it's tremendous mouth and withdrew back to the pool.

"We were in that water," Marguerite mumbled, appalled.

Bochra turned to them with his serene smile, "Time for you to return to your own time."

The explorers could not have agreed more.

"You will be returned as soon as you exit the cave."

"Thank you," Roxton said, then added under his breath, "I think." He held tight to Marguerite's hand as they left the cave stopping only to retrieve her pistol from the floor. They didn't look back until they were back in the fresh air. When they looked, the cave entrance was blocked by rocks.

"Are we back?" The raven-haired beauty asked.

"Hopefully," the hunter answered. He held up his hand still clasping hers, "In any case, I am not letting go of you until I am sure this is all over. I am not going to lose you again."

"I'll hold you to that," she replied.

********