The small fire burned in on itself and smoked into oblivion. The letters were gone and on their way up to Jack now and for a moment the smoke formed a tether between this world and the next. Isabella could almost feel her little brother standing next to her, but when she looked over she only saw her mother. She still couldn't help but smile.

            "This is what Jackie would've wanted.  He loved you so much, Mum."

            Marguerite slipped her hand in her daughter's and squeezed. "I know. Isabella, I'm glad to be home."

            "Speaking of home, Dads will be awfully angry if I miss dinner. Besides, I'm starved!" she grinned, expecting the usual "you're always hungry" response she got from everyone.

            "That hasn't changed," Marguerite mumbled, distracted by the realization she would have to face her husband now.

            "Come on," Isabella called, realizing she was half was down the path and her mother remained.

            Marguerite broke from her reverie and followed slowly, lost in her thoughts. The last time she'd seen John….. The argument and then the confrontation in Isabella's Zanga hut replayed in her mind. Hurtful things had been said. Hopefully time would begin to heal their wounds.

            As they reentered New London, stone pavement replaced the dirt path they were following and lead them down the main street. Ladies in the street paused in confusion looking at the duo, but the young children stopped to talk to Isabella. The older boys grinned and tipped their caps, hurrying on about their errands.

            "Gabrielle was right about one thing," Marguerite broke the somewhat comfortable silence that had rested between them.

            Isabella involuntarily shivered. "What's that?"

            "This whole town loves you."

            "No. They love the Lady Roxton. They can love you for a while now," Isabella smiled.

            "I doubt it," Marguerite countered, "I saw the looks those boys were giving you. I recognize those looks, I had my fair share of them."

            Isabella blushed. "Mum, trust me, I have enough boy trouble as it is."

            "Layton and Cobi?"

            The teenager shot her a 'how did you know?' look.

            "I'm not blind, Isabella," Marguerite grinned lightly.

            Before she could retort, she held a hand out and stopped her mother, quieting her. She pushed her off to the side and motion to Finn exiting from one of the row houses along Main Street.

            In a hushed whisper, she explained, "It's a game Finn and I play. It's going to be hard with this damn knee, but I think I'll manage. Stay here, all right? I'll give you a signal when I'm done."

            Marguerite cocked a brow but nodded her daughter on.

            Approaching the steps to the row house as Finn looked the other way, Isabella leapt as best she could, flipping over the railing and behind Finn, cursing softly at the pain in her knee.

            "Heya Finn!"

            Finn spun around. "Damn! You got me, Izzy. What is that? Are we tied or what?"

            "I think I'm ahead by one now, but I'll have to ask Layton, he's keeping score."

            "Cool," Finn grinned, nudging Isabella slightly. "Why are you so happy and out and about?"

            "I have a visitor," she said cryptically.

            "Izzy, you're sounding like your mother and that scares me!"

            "Funny you should say that Finn," Marguerite called, appearing in full view of the pair.

            "Marguerite!" Finn's eyes widened in pure shock and then she turned to Isabella. "Are we happy she's back?"

            Isabella nodded earnestly. "Pretty happy."

            "Great!" Finn exclaimed, leaping down the stairs to enfold her old friend in a bone crunching hug.

            "Finn, please don't break her, I just got her back. Dads hasn't seen her that. If you break his Marguerite, you're going to have to answer to Lord John Roxton."

            His Marguerite, Lady Roxton repeated in her head. Would all Isabella had said about her father that day in the Zanga village still be true?

            Cringing, Finn released the older woman. "Sorry there, Marguerite, just a little excited."

            "It's fine, Finn. I'm glad to see you all again under happier circumstances."

            "Where are you off to, Finn?" Isabella asked.

            "The Malone residence for dinner, hopefully with all of them if your young suitor isn't waiting for you at your door." She winked at Isabella.

            "If he is, I'll send him home," Isabella grinned. "And tell Aunt Vee and Uncle Ned about our good news."

~*~*~

            Isabella slouched back on her bed, the ice-filled rag she'd gladly accepted from Henry balancing precariously on her knee. Her parents were out in the sitting room talking, civilly she hoped. Dinner had been a bit tense, with Isabella supplying most of the conversation, but the look on her father's face when his wife and daughter had walked up the path to the Roxton home together was priceless. He was happy, Isabella knew. There might be some anger and resentment, but he wanted her home.

            Oh but her knee was killing her!

            There was a soft knock at the door.

            "Bella?" the small voice called through the door.

            "Come in, Nathan-boy," she smiled.

            The strawberry-blond boy tiptoed into the room and slipped onto the edge of the bed.

            "How's your leg?" he asked quietly.

            "It's fine, Nathaniel. Don't worry about it."

            He raised his blue eyes to meet hers and they were welled with tears. Nathan was fighting so hard to stop himself from crying and it just wasn't working.

            "Hey, you," Isabella grinned, patting the bed next to her. He scrambled up and under her arm and she finished, "I'm sorry your mum left. But I'm going to take care of you, I swear."

            He burrowed his face in her side and let a few of his tears out before whispered, "Love you, Bella."

            "I love you, too, my Nathan-boy," she grinned.

            Someone cleared his throat in the doorway. "It is time for Master Nathaniel to be put to bed, my lady."

            "Okay, Henry. Go on, Nathan, I'll see you in the morning."

            Nathaniel kissed her cheek and tumbled off the bed, running before Henry out of the room to get ready to sleep.

            "Henry," Isabella called as he turned to go.

            "Yes, Lady Isabella?"

            "How are things going with my parents?"

            The butler winked at his mistress and nodded knowingly. Isabella grinned and winked back.

            "Goodnight, Henry."

            "Goodnight, my lady."

            Before Isabella could think about anything else, her window opened and her Aunt Veronica rolled inside. Giving her a strange look, Isabella commented, "We do have doors, Aunt Vee."

            Veronica Layton Malone smiled at the girl and sat down on her bed. "I know, but I wanted to see you before I saw your parents."

            Isabella laughed. "Layton told you about the trellis?"

            "Yes he did," Veronica grinned, "And now I'm going to make sure he doesn't sneak out of his window anymore."

            Isabella rolled her eyes and sat back.

            "So, your mother is back," Veronica said.

            "Yes, she is."

            "Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I need to know before I go see her."

            "We'll see about that when I wake up in the morning. If she's still here, it's a good thing. If she isn't, it's a bad thing. I'm just acting like it's a good thing so she'll feel welcomed. So she will be there when I wake up in the morning."

            Veronica's face lit up a little. Isabella knew she wanted to go see her "big sister".

            "Go, shoo, Aunt Vee. Go see Mum. Careful, it could be a battle field out there."

            Veronica winked and headed out of the door.

~*~*~

            In the morning, Isabella woke to the bustle of the kitchen staff readying breakfast and the maids doing their morning chores.

            "So sorry, my lady," Edythe apologized when she noticed her tidying of Bella's room had woken her.

            "It's okay," she grunted, batting her gray eyes to the morning sun as Edythe undid the curtains. Remembering the previous day's events she blinked her eyes again and called for the maid as she left the room.

            "Yes, Lady Isabella?"

            "Is my mum still here?"

            "I haven't tidied the guest bedroom yet, so I don't know."

            Isabella filled with a fear that she might be gone, but bit it back and smiled. "Thank you, Edythe. I'll check for myself."

            She mused about the chambers her mother at slept in the night before as she slid into her royal blue robe. Her father was being cautious after the Zanga village. Neither of them wanted to be left again.

            As she left her room, she spotted Layton playing with Nathaniel in the foyer. He spotted her and winked, allowing her to finish what she had to do. Her bare feet felt the cool floor boards beneath her as she took small steps towards the guestroom door. She reached for the brass handle, turning it gently and, taking a breath and saying a prayer, opened the door.

            The room was empty.

            Isabella's heart sank and she almost started to sob then and there. Left behind again.

            "What are you doing?" an amused whisper asked in her ear.

            She would know that voice anywhere. Her heart immediately soared back up and she turned to see her mother with a jovial smile and an arched eyebrow, coffee in hand. Isabella threw her arms around her mother.

            "You're here!"

            Marguerite returned the embrace. "Yes, I am. And I plan to be for a very long time. Careful of the coffee, Bella. And you're squeezing me to death."

            "Sorry," Isabella grinned like the Roxton she was, releasing her mother. "We should celebrate. Let's go for a picnic. Just you, Dads, and I."

            "Okay, under two conditions."

            "Name them."

            "One, you get dressed. Two, we bring Mr. Malone."

            "If you mean Layton," Isabella teased, "You have yourself a deal."

~*~*~

            They picnicked in a beautiful clearing half a mile outside of New London, on a hill that overlooked the small town over the tops of the tree.

            When lunch was through, they remained relaxed on the blanket. The Lord and Lady Roxton were thinking about their previous night's conversation. There had been tears and confessions and in the end, they knew they need to be together. Obviously, many issues needed to be worked out, but they loved one another and they absolutely adored their daughter. If nothing else could keep them together, she could.

            Isabella Roxton, finally title-less, watched her parents as they watched each other adoringly when the other wasn't looking. She would have giggled, but it would have given them away and they were much too cute to do that to. Isabella was the happiest she had been since her brother's death and she knew why. The whole time she had had wonderful friends and a usually great father. But now she had the last piece of the puzzle. Her mother was home. For good.

            Sensing her parents' need to be alone, Isabella uncurled her legs and stood. She tapped Layton's knee as she grabbed a wildflower, wearing a mischievous grin as she whispered, "Walk with me."

            Unfolding his lanky frame, Layton hurried to catch up with her, following her into the woods at the edge of the clearing.

            "Look at that," Roxton commented with a wry smile, watching them run playfully across the Plateau meadow. "He'll be chasing her for awhile if she's anything like her mother."

            "But Lord Roxton, the chase is half the fun," Marguerite smiled flirtatiously, basking in the happiness of being around him once again. She hadn't truly realized how much she'd missed him.

            "Oh, I heartily agree, Lady Roxton."

            "All this warm weather and bright sunshine breeds young love."

            "What about old love?" John questioned from his lazy position on the blanket, grinning like a Cheshire cat up at her.

            "I don't know about that. I don't see anyone old around here. Challenger and Ned are back in town."

            He laughed, leaning up as she leaned in to steal a kiss.

            "Good to have you back."

            Running a hand through his graying brown hair, she answered, "It's good to be back."

~*~*~

            Meanwhile, Isabella and Layton strolled through the jungle, Bella twirling her violet bud between her fingers.

            "It's been so long since I've seen you this happy."

            "There's something uniquely right with the world when your parents are in love,"
 Isabella smiled at him, the sun playing off of the golden streaks in her brown hair.

            They walked so close their shoulders brushed from time to time, causing each of them to blush. Their idle conversation touched schoolyard gossip and cocktail parties, New London politics and distant memories.

            After a while, Isabella stopped and turned to Layton.

            "Thank you, Layton," she said, touching his cheek lightly. "For being there through the rocky years."

            "It's not a problem," he answered, looking down as his cheek turned red under her fingertips. "I'd never leave you high and dry." He paused. "Besides, why wouldn't I be there for the most beautiful girl in New London?"

            She laughed. "You're rather charming for one so young as yourself."

            "You are not one to talk. You're barely over a year older than me." He grabbed her fingers in his as they retreated from his face.

            "I'll be fifteen in three days."

            "I'm fourteen right before you," Layton grinned.

            He only response was a whole hearted smile as she took a step closer to him. Layton's heart began to pound so loudly he could feel it through every inch of him, but in such close proximity to Isabella, this was normal.

            Twirling the flower once more, she gently tucked it into the button whole of his partially unbuttoned shirt. Then she lifted herself up to reach his lips, innocently brushing hers against his.

            "Layton! Isabella! We're heading back."

            Isabella pulled Layton into a tight hug. When they parted, their hands remained entwined and they headed back towards her parents.

~*~*~

            That night as his daughter settled into bed, Lord John Roxton knocked on her door.

            "Come in, Dads," Isabella grinned, knowing it was her father because they hadn't yet had the chance to really talk about Marguerite.

            "Just came to say goodnight," John said to the only person alive who meant more to him than his wife.

            "And to talk about Mum."

            "You see right through me, Isabella. You get that from her."

            "And I've lived with you my entire life. I know you better than you think I do, Dads."

            "I'm sure you do," he laughed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Bella, I know things are still a little rocky between us."

            "Dads, I forgive you, honestly."

            He quieted her with a gentle wave. "I know it won't be as easy to forgive your mother. I haven't quite forgiven her yet, but…"

            "I will, Dads. We all will. We'll heal and grow together. As a family. Something that should have happened a long time ago. But better late than never, right? Go, spend some time with your wife; I know that she's sleeping in your room tonight, I just prefer not to think about it." She made a somewhat fake grimace.

            Roxton tousled her hair and bent in to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, darling."

            "Goodnight, Dads." Wrapping an arm around his neck, she kissed his cheek then fell back onto the bed.

            "And Dads," she said to his retreating back.

            "Yes?"

            "I love you."

            "I love you, too, Isabella."

            Her door closed momentarily only to be opened again as her mother entered.

            "My, I'm getting the full service tuck-in tonight," she joked.

            "Just came in…"

            "To say goodnight, right?" Isabella grinned. "Goodnight, Mum."

            "Goodnight, little lady," Marguerite said to her daughter, kissing her cheek. She turned and went to the door. Pausing with it half way open she said, "Oh, and Isabella, I love you."

            Isabella giggled and blew her an overdramatic kiss, her arm moving grandiosely. "I love you, too, Mum. Welcome home."

            Lady Marguerite Roxton, mother of Isabella and Jack, caught her daughter's kiss and winked at her.

~*~*~

Author's Note: *stares at computer blankly.* And it's over. Well, this one is at least. Wow. These string of stories has been filling my mind and I can't believe two are actually done. I want to thank all of you so much for supporting me. I'm heading off for vacation until the end of the month. Hopefully during this time I'll get the first chapter of the third story written for you. Tune in next time to watch the explorers finally get back to London….