The Protector's Husband
Chapter Two: Flashes of an Ugly Future
[ Abigail's little legs came running towards the tree house as Roxton stood from behind the electric wire chopping wood. "Abby?" he asked the girl; picking her up once she came through the fence. "Where's Mummy and Daddy?" his English accent coming through. The small child buried her head in Roxton's chest sobbing.
"Malone's dead." Veronica replied, appearing through the trees and soon coming to where the pair stood. "I'm going after the person who killed him." Her tone was detached and serious, not letting a minuscule of grief or sorrow into her voice.
"I'll come with you. Challenger or Marguerite can watch Thomas and Abby." Roxton spoke, speaking of Malone and Veronica's 8 month old son. "You shouldn't be alone." He didn't tell her that he too wanted to avenge the death of man whom had become a brother to him.
"No, I can't have anyone else die because of me." Veronica replied. "Please just take care of my children, and-" She stopped, letting emotion in for a moment. "Get Ned before the raptors find him."
"Mama?" said the small child struggling out of Roxton's arms. "I want to go with you."
"Stay with Uncle Roxton. I'll be alright, sweetheart. I promise." she said kissing her daughter and then walking away determined not to cry. Abigail did not fail to notice it was the same thing her father had last said to her.]
"Veronica?" she heard someone call distantly as she also felt a light shove on her shoulder. Batting her eyes twice to adjust to the light that filled the room she turned around to see whom had spoken to her. "Why are you in here?" Veronica pulled the blanket off her lab and uncurled her feet in the chair.
"I was talking to Challenger, I must of fallen asleep when he went into his lab."
Malone nodded gently. "Thomas needed a feeding." he spoke while holding a bottle to his son. Veronica stared out into space as her husband conversed. "Are you alright?"
"Just a dream." she replied. "Premo-"
"-I hope someone made breakfast." Marguerite's cheerful voice rang through the treehouse as she stopped and ticked the small infant.
Veronica hesitated, even though she believed her dreams to be true, worrying Malone would accomplish nothing. "I'll take him." she called, kissing Ned and then cuddling the child in her arms. "Will you wake up Abby for breakfast?" Domesticated life suited both of the young blondes. Still, she sighed while rocking Thomas, wishing she could ask her mother for answers. When the storm hit four years before, she had indeed saved the plateau but had no idea how. All she knew was that Finn was gone and so had the storm, with all the explorers back in their original place in the treehouse, including Malone.
"Abigail Avalona Malone. Get up this instant." she heard Malone call distantly. Smiling to herself, she knew that she had to figure out why she was getting these dreams.
*~*
"Marguerite are you ever going to marry me?" Roxton stated as the pair rested at their favorite shore. "Who would have ever thought, Malone and Veronica would tie the knot before us?" He remembered all to well, their off and on again romance. Between that and long periods apart Roxton never thought he'd see those two married with two kids.
"Have a little patience, Lord Roxton." Marguerite's face turned up in a mysterious smile as she edged in for a kiss, the minute his eyes closed she playfully threw sand in his hair.
"Very funny!" John replied chasing her around, until he pulled her to the ground. The dark haired Lord and almost Lady laughing as if they were school children.
"Sorry to interrupt but," George Challenger stated looking over the two, smiling secretly to himself.
"No your not ol' boy. What's the matter?" said Roxton as he helped Marguerite and himself up.
"Oh Malone just had one of his spells," Ever since returning from his solo expedition, he had spells of pain, as if his body was reliving, he's brief but horrific time as a captured slave. Never speaking too much about this time, Malone chose instead to tell vivid stories of a village he encountered that trained him in fighting, and loving nature and his capabilities of surviving alone in the jungle. Still, the ever scientist and friend, Challenger wanted to find a way to stop these convulsions that plagued his young friend ever so often. "But that's not what I came to tell you. There's a storm approaching, I think we should all head back to the treehouse."
When they reached their home, even though rain and winds raged below the treehouse, the Malone family seemed agreeably in their element. Veronica had managed to get all of her family members to stay still enough to draw their portraits.
"Back so soon?" Malone stated as he saw his friends approach from the elevator, after sending his children to play. Challenger began to answer but the huge crack of thunder that shook the household was a loud enough answer for them all. "Veronica!" he yelped as his wife collapsed to the ground as the lights went out. In a bizarre fashion the entire room was engulfed in a blue bubble as if watching a nickelodeon.
i[Veronica crept along the forest floor searching for the murderer. She saw nothing ahead of her but red and grief; nothing was going to stop her from accomplishing her task, Not even the cries of her daughter could turn her away. Too many people she cared for had left her- wait she heard a noise in the brush. Walking towards it she found what she was looking for. Blood tricked down from his leg, and he looked horrifically surprised when he saw Veronica's angry determined look. Confused in her state of mind she didn't even ask why he was hunting for the protectors of the plateau, (namely Abby and Veronica) Malone's sole purpose of telling Veronica to find this stranger. Raging she attacked the murder laying out all her grief with each blow she attacked and attacked until he was within an inch of his life.
"Veronica!" she heard a voice all behind her as time around her stood still. Not a bird or animal moved, the murderer did not continue his labored breathing. "Mother?"
"I have much to tell you... Most of what I will have to say, you will not like, sweetheart." Abigail Layton replied as she embraced her daughter. "Do not kill this man, it is not up to you to condemn him. He was sent to kill your husband in order to fulfill the prophecy set for you and your daughter. It was not my order that killed Malone but I did know about it and could do almost nothing to stop it."
Veronica looked at her mother in horror. "Your people killed my husband?"
The first Abigail ignored her daughter. "It is time to take your place as protector of the plateau. It is time for you to stay in Avalon."
"How do you expect me to go after they killed Malone? How do you expect me to leave my children?"
"It is your destiny, Veronica. I am sorry and I know how you feel. But it is time."
Veronica numb and surrendered watched as her mother allowed her to see a vision of future. "Your friends and children will think you disappeared just as you thought your father and I did as a child."
The explorers searched for months after Malone's death thinking Veronica may have been killed while searching for the murderer. Realizing that they may never find Veronica they vowed to make sure Thomas and Abigail wouldn't be alone as their mother was.
Seven years later, an eleven-year-old Abby questions an aging Challenger about her vague parents and a seven-year-old Thomas calling Marguerite and Roxton "Mummy" and "Daddy".
Soon, it flashes to nine years after that as a twenty-year-old Abby stands before the graves of Malone, her brother Thomas and her husband, making Abigail the last protector. ]
The images that appeared around them disappear as quickly as they arrived with the storm vanishing as well. Veronica's eyes fluttered open, with a realization, "My mother sent me these visions so I can stop it from happening."
A/N: More to come!
Chapter Two: Flashes of an Ugly Future
[ Abigail's little legs came running towards the tree house as Roxton stood from behind the electric wire chopping wood. "Abby?" he asked the girl; picking her up once she came through the fence. "Where's Mummy and Daddy?" his English accent coming through. The small child buried her head in Roxton's chest sobbing.
"Malone's dead." Veronica replied, appearing through the trees and soon coming to where the pair stood. "I'm going after the person who killed him." Her tone was detached and serious, not letting a minuscule of grief or sorrow into her voice.
"I'll come with you. Challenger or Marguerite can watch Thomas and Abby." Roxton spoke, speaking of Malone and Veronica's 8 month old son. "You shouldn't be alone." He didn't tell her that he too wanted to avenge the death of man whom had become a brother to him.
"No, I can't have anyone else die because of me." Veronica replied. "Please just take care of my children, and-" She stopped, letting emotion in for a moment. "Get Ned before the raptors find him."
"Mama?" said the small child struggling out of Roxton's arms. "I want to go with you."
"Stay with Uncle Roxton. I'll be alright, sweetheart. I promise." she said kissing her daughter and then walking away determined not to cry. Abigail did not fail to notice it was the same thing her father had last said to her.]
"Veronica?" she heard someone call distantly as she also felt a light shove on her shoulder. Batting her eyes twice to adjust to the light that filled the room she turned around to see whom had spoken to her. "Why are you in here?" Veronica pulled the blanket off her lab and uncurled her feet in the chair.
"I was talking to Challenger, I must of fallen asleep when he went into his lab."
Malone nodded gently. "Thomas needed a feeding." he spoke while holding a bottle to his son. Veronica stared out into space as her husband conversed. "Are you alright?"
"Just a dream." she replied. "Premo-"
"-I hope someone made breakfast." Marguerite's cheerful voice rang through the treehouse as she stopped and ticked the small infant.
Veronica hesitated, even though she believed her dreams to be true, worrying Malone would accomplish nothing. "I'll take him." she called, kissing Ned and then cuddling the child in her arms. "Will you wake up Abby for breakfast?" Domesticated life suited both of the young blondes. Still, she sighed while rocking Thomas, wishing she could ask her mother for answers. When the storm hit four years before, she had indeed saved the plateau but had no idea how. All she knew was that Finn was gone and so had the storm, with all the explorers back in their original place in the treehouse, including Malone.
"Abigail Avalona Malone. Get up this instant." she heard Malone call distantly. Smiling to herself, she knew that she had to figure out why she was getting these dreams.
*~*
"Marguerite are you ever going to marry me?" Roxton stated as the pair rested at their favorite shore. "Who would have ever thought, Malone and Veronica would tie the knot before us?" He remembered all to well, their off and on again romance. Between that and long periods apart Roxton never thought he'd see those two married with two kids.
"Have a little patience, Lord Roxton." Marguerite's face turned up in a mysterious smile as she edged in for a kiss, the minute his eyes closed she playfully threw sand in his hair.
"Very funny!" John replied chasing her around, until he pulled her to the ground. The dark haired Lord and almost Lady laughing as if they were school children.
"Sorry to interrupt but," George Challenger stated looking over the two, smiling secretly to himself.
"No your not ol' boy. What's the matter?" said Roxton as he helped Marguerite and himself up.
"Oh Malone just had one of his spells," Ever since returning from his solo expedition, he had spells of pain, as if his body was reliving, he's brief but horrific time as a captured slave. Never speaking too much about this time, Malone chose instead to tell vivid stories of a village he encountered that trained him in fighting, and loving nature and his capabilities of surviving alone in the jungle. Still, the ever scientist and friend, Challenger wanted to find a way to stop these convulsions that plagued his young friend ever so often. "But that's not what I came to tell you. There's a storm approaching, I think we should all head back to the treehouse."
When they reached their home, even though rain and winds raged below the treehouse, the Malone family seemed agreeably in their element. Veronica had managed to get all of her family members to stay still enough to draw their portraits.
"Back so soon?" Malone stated as he saw his friends approach from the elevator, after sending his children to play. Challenger began to answer but the huge crack of thunder that shook the household was a loud enough answer for them all. "Veronica!" he yelped as his wife collapsed to the ground as the lights went out. In a bizarre fashion the entire room was engulfed in a blue bubble as if watching a nickelodeon.
i[Veronica crept along the forest floor searching for the murderer. She saw nothing ahead of her but red and grief; nothing was going to stop her from accomplishing her task, Not even the cries of her daughter could turn her away. Too many people she cared for had left her- wait she heard a noise in the brush. Walking towards it she found what she was looking for. Blood tricked down from his leg, and he looked horrifically surprised when he saw Veronica's angry determined look. Confused in her state of mind she didn't even ask why he was hunting for the protectors of the plateau, (namely Abby and Veronica) Malone's sole purpose of telling Veronica to find this stranger. Raging she attacked the murder laying out all her grief with each blow she attacked and attacked until he was within an inch of his life.
"Veronica!" she heard a voice all behind her as time around her stood still. Not a bird or animal moved, the murderer did not continue his labored breathing. "Mother?"
"I have much to tell you... Most of what I will have to say, you will not like, sweetheart." Abigail Layton replied as she embraced her daughter. "Do not kill this man, it is not up to you to condemn him. He was sent to kill your husband in order to fulfill the prophecy set for you and your daughter. It was not my order that killed Malone but I did know about it and could do almost nothing to stop it."
Veronica looked at her mother in horror. "Your people killed my husband?"
The first Abigail ignored her daughter. "It is time to take your place as protector of the plateau. It is time for you to stay in Avalon."
"How do you expect me to go after they killed Malone? How do you expect me to leave my children?"
"It is your destiny, Veronica. I am sorry and I know how you feel. But it is time."
Veronica numb and surrendered watched as her mother allowed her to see a vision of future. "Your friends and children will think you disappeared just as you thought your father and I did as a child."
The explorers searched for months after Malone's death thinking Veronica may have been killed while searching for the murderer. Realizing that they may never find Veronica they vowed to make sure Thomas and Abigail wouldn't be alone as their mother was.
Seven years later, an eleven-year-old Abby questions an aging Challenger about her vague parents and a seven-year-old Thomas calling Marguerite and Roxton "Mummy" and "Daddy".
Soon, it flashes to nine years after that as a twenty-year-old Abby stands before the graves of Malone, her brother Thomas and her husband, making Abigail the last protector. ]
The images that appeared around them disappear as quickly as they arrived with the storm vanishing as well. Veronica's eyes fluttered open, with a realization, "My mother sent me these visions so I can stop it from happening."
A/N: More to come!