The feedback I'm getting has been so great! But I'm disappointed that I
haven't been seeing a lot of new TLW fics out there… but I guess ppl have
exams coming up or other stuff… But still!!! :) Okey. Here's another
chapter just for you! This chapter has taken quite some time to write… and
I'm not exactly sure if it's up to par (especially after the reunion
chapter). But I feel that this chapter had to be written before I start
with their next reunion…
Alright… I know that I feel so special when I'm included in ppl's a/n so I've decided that if I get that happy warm fuzzy feeling… maybe someone else might too…
Thanks to: Kseniya, TLWROX, Alley, anon, Susan, I-LOVE-ROXTON, Pam, Lady_Krux, Grizzled Rose, sternwoelkchen, and Anyanka for your reviews… it has meant a lot to me that you're enjoying this!
Steph: I'm glad you're impressed that they're still in character. I try my best. *blushes* And I must commend you on your fic… hee hee… that was too funny… when am I gonna see more from you? School better be over soon.. so you can get back to writing… :)
Veronica: I might decide to throw in a little more n/v in the fic… even tho it's mainly focussed on m/r… (just for you… lol!)
Sabrina: I'm waiting for another chapter of "A Path to the Moon". But don't think I'm rushing you or anything… *grins*
Lixta: Thank you so much for you input. Who knows… I might consider your suggestion about m/r. Anywho. You've reviewed every chapter… !!!! Yay!
Alanna: Thanks for the review! Sorries that you're not going to find out exactly what Roxton did to Marguerite… I'll prolly reveal their past slowly… well… there's going to be hints and small blurbs…
Gabbo: I'm a major m/r fan… but you're so right. N/V are sucha sweet couple. Too cute! Who knows… I might take your advice and throw in stuff about N/V's past as well… I'll see where my muse takes this.. and yes… can't wait to see more of your fic…
Ascamelien: I'm glad you like this fic… :) and I'll forgive you for not reviewing sooner… it s'all good. Hee hee… and I loved your reaction to the reunion…
CrimsonCat: I always look forward to hearing from you!!! Thank you so much for being so great in reviewing my l'il fics… :) I like your idea of what Roxton did… hmm… And I'm gonna have to say I'm prolly going to be evil about revealing the past… *looks sheepishly* sorries. But what happened to "Forgotten Angels"? huh huh? :) get moving with that…!!! You're killing me here… have you beaten writer's block yet? I'll hand you a baseball bat or something so you can whack it… :)
Evil Irish Eyes: You're reviews always make me feel special… they make me all tingly inside and crack up at the same time… you are one funny chick! And I hope you've found out what happened in the finale… I mean… if no one has e-mailed you that by now… whew… I'd be majorly surprised. But if for some reason you're still in the dark… e-mail me and I'll try to send you something… you're always so supportive of my work… and it's sucha honour coming from you… I mean… common… your fic is AMAZING! Speaking of… when am I gonna get another chapter, eh? Hee hee… I said "eh" … so Canadian- like… ;)
Okey… so now that the thank you's are all done…(phew… a whole page)
Onto Chapter 4… (any typos and stuffy stuff stuff… ignoraging would be a good thing… and yes… I know ignoraging is not a word)
********************************
Marguerite found it increasingly difficult to drive. Tears were streaming down her face as memory after memory flooded her.
~*~*~*~*~
flashback
"How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends!" Her eyes started to well up. "Maybe even more…" Her voice cracked as she was fighting the sobs that were beginning to wrack her body. He continued to stare at her, not saying a word. His friends however, had plenty to say.
"Oh look at her. She's going to cry."
"Aww... the poor baby."
"She really thought that someone like Roxton would even give someone like her the time of day." Danielle smirked as she snaked her arm around his waist. "Poor young, naïve, misguided fool. Like any guy would look at you twice."
Marguerite thought of every horrible name to call herself. She had basically walked into this mess headfirst. She usually wouldn't let what the popular kids say bother her, but this time it was different. She had given Roxton something that she treasured and he had thrown it back in her face. Trust. She had given him her trust - something that wasn't easily given away. Especially for a person like Marguerite. And he had betrayed her. Marguerite mentally scolded herself. It was her own fault, wasn't it? If only she had been more careful. If only… She had been asking for it. She knew it had been only too good to be true. Roxton, Mr. Popular. Friends with plain, ordinary her.
The tears that she was trying to hide began to spill over. She turned as quickly as she could and ran down the hall. Trying to escape. The whole time Roxton still hadn't moved or said a word. He was having trouble breathing normally. All he could do was stare at Marguerite's form slowly disappear.
Veronica had just walked out of her English class to see a dark haired girl rush right by her, dropping a loose sheet of paper. *Crazy people always running in the hall!* She thought to herself. She bent down to pick up the paper, and gasped in horror at what she saw. The person that had run down the hall was not just any person. It had been Marguerite.
"MARGUERITE!" She called out. But Marguerite didn't stop. Not even to see who had called her. Disgusted, Veronica crumpled the piece of paper in a tight fist. Worried for her friend, she started down the hall after Marguerite.
~*~*~*~*~
Marguerite shook her head in hopes that it would shake away her painful memories. She unlocked the door to her apartment. Flopping on her bed she lay there like that for a couple of moments. Reliving the evening's events. She didn't even remember telling her hand to ball into a fist or to aim at his face. And Marguerite definitely didn't remember telling herself to knock him right in the jaw either. From the look on his face, she could tell that he had finally recognized her as well. But by then, her fist was on a one-way mission. To slug him as hard as she could. Mission complete. It had been a success. She had punched him with an incredible amount of force she never realized she was even capable of.
Sure. She had acted rashly. I mean, after all those years, she shouldn't have still held a grudge. They were in high school. People did stupid things all the time when they were that age. Maybe she was wrong in punching him. It probably wasn't the most polite way of answering the door. No matter how terrible Marguerite felt she couldn't help it as a smile slowly crept on her face as an image of Roxton doubled over in pain filled her mind. "Serves him right!" She scoffed. "That'll teach him to never mess with me again. I'm not the same weak person that I was before. I will not be pushed around."
Her mind continued to wander when suddenly she began to question his presence at the Malone residence in the first place. Roxton being at the Malone's at the exact same time as she was could not have been a coincidence. The chances had to have been slim to none. That meant that her "friends" had planned it. THAT was why Veronica had acted so suspiciously! Veronica HAD to have known that Roxton would show up. Oh. Veronica was going to have some serious explaining to do.
~~~~~
"Here's some ice. It'll stop the swelling." Veronica handed Roxton and ice pack.
He groaned as he gently placed it n his jaw. He winced in pain. "Did anybody catch the license plate of that truck???"
Veronica shook her head and went to the kitchen to join Ned.
"I CAN'T believe she did that!" Ned said as he heard Veronica approaching.
"I know that Roxton wasn't one of her favourite people… but …" Veronica trailed off.
"Alright. I'll admit our original plan failed miserably." Ned started scratching his chin.
"You are SO not concocting another plan right now!!!" Veronica cried out in horror.
He looked at her wide-eyed and giving off an impish grin. "And what if I am?"
"She slugged him!!! Right in the jaw!!! Is that not enough proof that she does not want to see him again? When will you get the point? When she kills him?"
He chuckled at his wife's sudden outburst. "Oh no. She wouldn't do that."
"Ned. Are you sure you didn't get knocked in the head as well? You are not getting those two together. Not now. Not ever."
"Ye of little faith."
"Since when did you get bitten by the love bug, cupid? Obviously you've matched two people who are completely incompatible. Get it through your thick skull!"
"My skull is not thick." He joked.
"Then, maybe your skull is bruised. Because you are not thinking straight! Right now, you have a friend lying on a couch in pain as a result of your horrible matchmaking skills."
"Hey. Don't put this all on me! You know very well that you had a hand in this match making scheme too!"
Their argument was cut short when they heard a voice from the den. "Ned? Veronica? Are you there?"
"Hi Roxton. How are you feeling?"
He rubbed his face and chuckled. "Well, I feel just about as good as anyone can be after being punched in the face."
"I do apologize for Marguerite's behaviour."
"No need to apologize. I probably deserved it anyway."
"Why don't we finish this conversation over dinner? That was the original idea for you coming over." Veronica suggested.
~~~~~
"So what have you been up to?" Roxton asked curiously.
"Well. I own a fitness centre. Not very exciting."
"She's just being modest, Roxton. She owns the number one fitness centre in town! Plus she's also a martial arts, gymnastic and swimming instructor."
"Wow Veronica, that's quite impressive. Martial arts?"
"Yeah. And I must admit, Marguerite has been taking lessons from me. I taught her how to channel all her energy in one blow."
"You must be some teacher." He laughed.
Veronica had to admit her impression of Roxton had changed. She hadn't known him very well in high school. All she knew was that he was part of the most popular kids at school. They had everything that you could ever wish for. Money, looks and power. Of course, Marguerite had a crush on him. But the thing was that they were assigned to work together on a project and had become friends. Or so it seemed. After the incident, when Veronica had caught Marguerite crying her eyes out in the ladies' room, Veronica didn't have a great opinion of him.
After dinner and some really good conversation Roxton looked at his watch and noticed the time.
"Wow. I didn't realize how late it is. I should be heading back to the hotel. Early meeting tomorrow morning with some other business partners. Veronica, the meal was delicious. It was nice meeting you. Thank you both for having me over."
"It was our pleasure. But I must apologize. I'm sorry your welcoming party wasn't so… welcoming." She shook his hand.
"I've already forgotten about the incident. Besides, I probably had that coming to me for a long time. Neddy boy, if you're ever in L.A. give me a call."
"And if you're ever back in town, you know my number."
Roxton nodded and headed to his car. This evening had been a total surprise for him. He had to admit, he had forgotten about the incident with Marguerite back in high school. He had recalled calling her in hopes to smooth things out between them. But Marguerite refused to pick up the phone. She ignored him whenever they passed each other in the hallways. Basically, Marguerite knew how to hold a grudge. And apparently she had a great memory too. He shook his head. Of all the scenarios he used to picture of seeing Marguerite again, he hadn't expected to her to slug him hard in the face. Well, then again, maybe he did. It was just that in his mind, she didn't hit him so hard. She had changed so much after the "incident". She became tougher, angrier at the world. Guilt washed over him. It was because of him. He had hurt her in an unimaginable way. After spending so much time with her on the assignment, he had gotten to know the real Marguerite. She was not as quiet and shy as everyone thought. Actually, she was quite the opposite when she was around friends. Marguerite had strong opinions and wasn't afraid to say them. That was one of the reasons why he had been so attracted to her in high school. Her strength. Though, he was too scared to tell her that he liked her. Imagine that, the most popular guy in school was too afraid to ask a girl out! His friends would've hassled him till no end. He sighed once more as he shut his car door. If only he could change the past or at least patch things up with Marguerite. Maybe one day he would get his chance. That is, if she gave him a chance to talk before punching him in the kisser again. He just hoped that day would be soon.
TBC…
**************************************
Okey, so what was the point of the chapter? Eh? Don't ask me… I just write what my muse tells me to do… (yup… and I'm sticking by that excuse… lol!) But seriously… I'm prepping for another M/R reunion soon… maybe in the next chapter… who knows! Reviews are appreciated as always… it ain't that hard. Just clicky on the purply button that says "Click Here to Submit Review"
Alright… I know that I feel so special when I'm included in ppl's a/n so I've decided that if I get that happy warm fuzzy feeling… maybe someone else might too…
Thanks to: Kseniya, TLWROX, Alley, anon, Susan, I-LOVE-ROXTON, Pam, Lady_Krux, Grizzled Rose, sternwoelkchen, and Anyanka for your reviews… it has meant a lot to me that you're enjoying this!
Steph: I'm glad you're impressed that they're still in character. I try my best. *blushes* And I must commend you on your fic… hee hee… that was too funny… when am I gonna see more from you? School better be over soon.. so you can get back to writing… :)
Veronica: I might decide to throw in a little more n/v in the fic… even tho it's mainly focussed on m/r… (just for you… lol!)
Sabrina: I'm waiting for another chapter of "A Path to the Moon". But don't think I'm rushing you or anything… *grins*
Lixta: Thank you so much for you input. Who knows… I might consider your suggestion about m/r. Anywho. You've reviewed every chapter… !!!! Yay!
Alanna: Thanks for the review! Sorries that you're not going to find out exactly what Roxton did to Marguerite… I'll prolly reveal their past slowly… well… there's going to be hints and small blurbs…
Gabbo: I'm a major m/r fan… but you're so right. N/V are sucha sweet couple. Too cute! Who knows… I might take your advice and throw in stuff about N/V's past as well… I'll see where my muse takes this.. and yes… can't wait to see more of your fic…
Ascamelien: I'm glad you like this fic… :) and I'll forgive you for not reviewing sooner… it s'all good. Hee hee… and I loved your reaction to the reunion…
CrimsonCat: I always look forward to hearing from you!!! Thank you so much for being so great in reviewing my l'il fics… :) I like your idea of what Roxton did… hmm… And I'm gonna have to say I'm prolly going to be evil about revealing the past… *looks sheepishly* sorries. But what happened to "Forgotten Angels"? huh huh? :) get moving with that…!!! You're killing me here… have you beaten writer's block yet? I'll hand you a baseball bat or something so you can whack it… :)
Evil Irish Eyes: You're reviews always make me feel special… they make me all tingly inside and crack up at the same time… you are one funny chick! And I hope you've found out what happened in the finale… I mean… if no one has e-mailed you that by now… whew… I'd be majorly surprised. But if for some reason you're still in the dark… e-mail me and I'll try to send you something… you're always so supportive of my work… and it's sucha honour coming from you… I mean… common… your fic is AMAZING! Speaking of… when am I gonna get another chapter, eh? Hee hee… I said "eh" … so Canadian- like… ;)
Okey… so now that the thank you's are all done…(phew… a whole page)
Onto Chapter 4… (any typos and stuffy stuff stuff… ignoraging would be a good thing… and yes… I know ignoraging is not a word)
********************************
Marguerite found it increasingly difficult to drive. Tears were streaming down her face as memory after memory flooded her.
~*~*~*~*~
flashback
"How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends!" Her eyes started to well up. "Maybe even more…" Her voice cracked as she was fighting the sobs that were beginning to wrack her body. He continued to stare at her, not saying a word. His friends however, had plenty to say.
"Oh look at her. She's going to cry."
"Aww... the poor baby."
"She really thought that someone like Roxton would even give someone like her the time of day." Danielle smirked as she snaked her arm around his waist. "Poor young, naïve, misguided fool. Like any guy would look at you twice."
Marguerite thought of every horrible name to call herself. She had basically walked into this mess headfirst. She usually wouldn't let what the popular kids say bother her, but this time it was different. She had given Roxton something that she treasured and he had thrown it back in her face. Trust. She had given him her trust - something that wasn't easily given away. Especially for a person like Marguerite. And he had betrayed her. Marguerite mentally scolded herself. It was her own fault, wasn't it? If only she had been more careful. If only… She had been asking for it. She knew it had been only too good to be true. Roxton, Mr. Popular. Friends with plain, ordinary her.
The tears that she was trying to hide began to spill over. She turned as quickly as she could and ran down the hall. Trying to escape. The whole time Roxton still hadn't moved or said a word. He was having trouble breathing normally. All he could do was stare at Marguerite's form slowly disappear.
Veronica had just walked out of her English class to see a dark haired girl rush right by her, dropping a loose sheet of paper. *Crazy people always running in the hall!* She thought to herself. She bent down to pick up the paper, and gasped in horror at what she saw. The person that had run down the hall was not just any person. It had been Marguerite.
"MARGUERITE!" She called out. But Marguerite didn't stop. Not even to see who had called her. Disgusted, Veronica crumpled the piece of paper in a tight fist. Worried for her friend, she started down the hall after Marguerite.
~*~*~*~*~
Marguerite shook her head in hopes that it would shake away her painful memories. She unlocked the door to her apartment. Flopping on her bed she lay there like that for a couple of moments. Reliving the evening's events. She didn't even remember telling her hand to ball into a fist or to aim at his face. And Marguerite definitely didn't remember telling herself to knock him right in the jaw either. From the look on his face, she could tell that he had finally recognized her as well. But by then, her fist was on a one-way mission. To slug him as hard as she could. Mission complete. It had been a success. She had punched him with an incredible amount of force she never realized she was even capable of.
Sure. She had acted rashly. I mean, after all those years, she shouldn't have still held a grudge. They were in high school. People did stupid things all the time when they were that age. Maybe she was wrong in punching him. It probably wasn't the most polite way of answering the door. No matter how terrible Marguerite felt she couldn't help it as a smile slowly crept on her face as an image of Roxton doubled over in pain filled her mind. "Serves him right!" She scoffed. "That'll teach him to never mess with me again. I'm not the same weak person that I was before. I will not be pushed around."
Her mind continued to wander when suddenly she began to question his presence at the Malone residence in the first place. Roxton being at the Malone's at the exact same time as she was could not have been a coincidence. The chances had to have been slim to none. That meant that her "friends" had planned it. THAT was why Veronica had acted so suspiciously! Veronica HAD to have known that Roxton would show up. Oh. Veronica was going to have some serious explaining to do.
~~~~~
"Here's some ice. It'll stop the swelling." Veronica handed Roxton and ice pack.
He groaned as he gently placed it n his jaw. He winced in pain. "Did anybody catch the license plate of that truck???"
Veronica shook her head and went to the kitchen to join Ned.
"I CAN'T believe she did that!" Ned said as he heard Veronica approaching.
"I know that Roxton wasn't one of her favourite people… but …" Veronica trailed off.
"Alright. I'll admit our original plan failed miserably." Ned started scratching his chin.
"You are SO not concocting another plan right now!!!" Veronica cried out in horror.
He looked at her wide-eyed and giving off an impish grin. "And what if I am?"
"She slugged him!!! Right in the jaw!!! Is that not enough proof that she does not want to see him again? When will you get the point? When she kills him?"
He chuckled at his wife's sudden outburst. "Oh no. She wouldn't do that."
"Ned. Are you sure you didn't get knocked in the head as well? You are not getting those two together. Not now. Not ever."
"Ye of little faith."
"Since when did you get bitten by the love bug, cupid? Obviously you've matched two people who are completely incompatible. Get it through your thick skull!"
"My skull is not thick." He joked.
"Then, maybe your skull is bruised. Because you are not thinking straight! Right now, you have a friend lying on a couch in pain as a result of your horrible matchmaking skills."
"Hey. Don't put this all on me! You know very well that you had a hand in this match making scheme too!"
Their argument was cut short when they heard a voice from the den. "Ned? Veronica? Are you there?"
"Hi Roxton. How are you feeling?"
He rubbed his face and chuckled. "Well, I feel just about as good as anyone can be after being punched in the face."
"I do apologize for Marguerite's behaviour."
"No need to apologize. I probably deserved it anyway."
"Why don't we finish this conversation over dinner? That was the original idea for you coming over." Veronica suggested.
~~~~~
"So what have you been up to?" Roxton asked curiously.
"Well. I own a fitness centre. Not very exciting."
"She's just being modest, Roxton. She owns the number one fitness centre in town! Plus she's also a martial arts, gymnastic and swimming instructor."
"Wow Veronica, that's quite impressive. Martial arts?"
"Yeah. And I must admit, Marguerite has been taking lessons from me. I taught her how to channel all her energy in one blow."
"You must be some teacher." He laughed.
Veronica had to admit her impression of Roxton had changed. She hadn't known him very well in high school. All she knew was that he was part of the most popular kids at school. They had everything that you could ever wish for. Money, looks and power. Of course, Marguerite had a crush on him. But the thing was that they were assigned to work together on a project and had become friends. Or so it seemed. After the incident, when Veronica had caught Marguerite crying her eyes out in the ladies' room, Veronica didn't have a great opinion of him.
After dinner and some really good conversation Roxton looked at his watch and noticed the time.
"Wow. I didn't realize how late it is. I should be heading back to the hotel. Early meeting tomorrow morning with some other business partners. Veronica, the meal was delicious. It was nice meeting you. Thank you both for having me over."
"It was our pleasure. But I must apologize. I'm sorry your welcoming party wasn't so… welcoming." She shook his hand.
"I've already forgotten about the incident. Besides, I probably had that coming to me for a long time. Neddy boy, if you're ever in L.A. give me a call."
"And if you're ever back in town, you know my number."
Roxton nodded and headed to his car. This evening had been a total surprise for him. He had to admit, he had forgotten about the incident with Marguerite back in high school. He had recalled calling her in hopes to smooth things out between them. But Marguerite refused to pick up the phone. She ignored him whenever they passed each other in the hallways. Basically, Marguerite knew how to hold a grudge. And apparently she had a great memory too. He shook his head. Of all the scenarios he used to picture of seeing Marguerite again, he hadn't expected to her to slug him hard in the face. Well, then again, maybe he did. It was just that in his mind, she didn't hit him so hard. She had changed so much after the "incident". She became tougher, angrier at the world. Guilt washed over him. It was because of him. He had hurt her in an unimaginable way. After spending so much time with her on the assignment, he had gotten to know the real Marguerite. She was not as quiet and shy as everyone thought. Actually, she was quite the opposite when she was around friends. Marguerite had strong opinions and wasn't afraid to say them. That was one of the reasons why he had been so attracted to her in high school. Her strength. Though, he was too scared to tell her that he liked her. Imagine that, the most popular guy in school was too afraid to ask a girl out! His friends would've hassled him till no end. He sighed once more as he shut his car door. If only he could change the past or at least patch things up with Marguerite. Maybe one day he would get his chance. That is, if she gave him a chance to talk before punching him in the kisser again. He just hoped that day would be soon.
TBC…
**************************************
Okey, so what was the point of the chapter? Eh? Don't ask me… I just write what my muse tells me to do… (yup… and I'm sticking by that excuse… lol!) But seriously… I'm prepping for another M/R reunion soon… maybe in the next chapter… who knows! Reviews are appreciated as always… it ain't that hard. Just clicky on the purply button that says "Click Here to Submit Review"