Well, this is the third chapter. Now that I'm done going off on my rabbit trail with Roxton and Marguerite, I'm going to get back to the main story. (By the way, if you liked the last chapter let me know, otherwise just conveniently leave any references to it out and I'll get the point). This is where everyone finally gets the news (even Malone). I guess everything else you can read for yourself unless you're illiterate, in which case you can't read this anyway so why did I just write that? Oh well, I guess its good to have some humor every once and awhile (I think I have a problem with chasing rabbits).
Disclaimer: I know, I know. This is getting annoying even for me but I have to say it. I don't own any of the Lost World Characters. I'm writing for my own enjoyment and the day I make a profit off of it will be the day that I win the gold metal in the Olympics (its not going to happen).
Note: Thanks again to everybody who reviewed. Your encouragement definitely drove me to keep writing
Challenger was in the middle of cleaning the room when he heard the elevator coming up. He started to walk over to it when he spotted Marguerite and Roxton on the elevator. They both laughed and smiled as they stepped off into the room, obviously the result of some sort of joke from one of them. Challenger immediately noticed that their hands were holding each other, but acted like he hadn't noticed, as they broke their grip on each other and approached him.
"Challenger!" Roxton said as he approached Challenger and pulled the older man into a big bear hug. "You have no idea how good it is to see you." Challenger smiled at him, allowing himself to smile for the first time in the last hour. Roxton faded back a bit, giving Marguerite her opportunity to give a hug to the elder scientist.
Fighting against himself, he forced himself to keep the smile on his face. Why ruin their time just yet. After all we've been through today, they deserve just a little more time to enjoy themselves.
Part of him hoped against hope that they wouldn't ask the question he didn't want to answer but, sure enough, it came. "So, where are Veronica and Finn?" Roxton looked around, waiting for one of them to come out and say hi.
Any hope he had of keeping the smile on his face died when Roxton uttered those words. Slowly, the pain of all that had happened began to seep back into his expression. He lowered his head slightly, hopefully to shield his look of shame. "Finn's in her room, she's had a rough day," Challenger stated while pointing down the stairs to where Finn lay in her room, sulking over Veronica.
Roxton glanced down the stairs when Challenger pointed down them but then refocused on Challenger and continued, "…and Veronica?" Those words were almost too much for Challenger and the silence that followed them was enough to tip Roxton off that something was wrong
"What's wrong, she's not back yet?" Roxton questioned Challenger, still unaware that she hadn't been affected by the shifting planes in the first place
"No, she's back Challenger said," absolutely dreading what he would say next.
"Well then, where is she?" The look on his face was becoming more frustrated as the scientist continued to evade the question. He had dropped his head on his chest to look down at the floor.
"Where is she, Challenger?" Roxton repeated in a softer tone, but the reaction he got was unexpected. Challenger lifted his head from his chest and immediately Roxton spotted a couple of tears rolling down his cheek. Unable to speak, Challenger mutely pointed at the couch with his hand.
Roxton knew something was wrong, but he approached the couch and noticed a misshapen lump covered with a blanket. He approached, trying to still the fear growing inside him. He slowly pulled back the covers and Marguerite gasped at what she saw.
There, beneath it, was the blond haired woman that they all knew and loved. At first sight she might have seemed to be sleeping, but Roxton had seen it too many times during the war to be fooled. Her pale complexion, the stillness of her body, there was no mistaking, Veronica was dead, and never coming back.
Hobbling over the last stretch of ground, Malone entered into the clearing around the tree house. No feeling could compare to the joy he felt when he saw his house in the trees. After all the wandering, after all the lonely nights and after all the fights for survival, he was going to go back to where he now truly believed he belonged. His mind raced with anticipation for the reaction he would get from his friends. He could just picture their faces as he walked in.
He had purposely taken his time to get to the tree house, so that he'd arrive right when everyone was asleep. He relished in the thought of them waking up to him cooking breakfast for them. Boy, wouldn't Marguerite be surprised…and Roxton, well I guess he'd be happy Marguerite wasn't cooking, but I still can't wait to see his reaction…Challenger, well he never reacts much to anything, but I'd still relish the look on his face… and Veronica…He didn't even know if she was back or not but the thought of her waking up and smiling at him as she emerged from her bedroom sent his anxiety soaring to intolerable heights.
It wasn't that late, but Malone was sure everyone was asleep. I'll just climb up, so no one hears me. If anything else, I'll just duck into my room and stay there until the morning comes, I'm sure no one will go looking in there since they think I'm gone. Even as he wove his plan, he was overwhelmed with giddiness. It sounded like a good one, and at the time, the thought of having to sit in front of the tree house for hours, staring up at it with the questions that filled his mind was too much to bear.
He stealthily approached the base of the tree and after watching for anyone who could spot him, he started his climb. He hadn't quite taken into account the blisters on his feet and toes that made his climbing a very awkward and somewhat painful experience. He worked tediously up the crevasses in the gigantic tree until he reached the top level of the tree house. First he checked for anyone and when he found no one, he quietly slipped in.
Everything was just as he left it, a sight for sore eyes. Silently, he walked forward, headed to the couch to sit down, at least for a little while. Then he saw her and his breath caught in his throat. There she was, sleeping like an angel. Her face was revealed just enough by the dim moonlight that it made her look just as heavenly as he imagined her. He found himself lost in the moment, staring at her beautiful blond hair and delicate skin. It was no wonder she had been the focus of his dreams for so long, she was absolutely gorgeous.
He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, content just to watch her. Time passed by but he never noticed, he was so lost in his thoughts. He longed to talk to her and to be with her. He remembered all those times in the past when they had held each other and oh how he longed for it again. The temptation was overwhelming and his will power caved to it. He just had to wake her and tell her how he felt. He couldn't wait until morning to be with her, he had to be with her now.
A smile lit up his face as he approached the couch, bending slightly and nearly whispering, "Veronica." She didn't even stir to his reply. "She really does sleep like a rock," he said to himself silently, as he chuckled. With that, he reached to her, stroking her cheek as he whispered her name again. Still she didn't reply to his gesture. Slowly, his grin started to fade into concern. Is she playing a game or something, he thought as he moved closer to her and gave her a light jiggle. "Veronica, this isn't funny," he said as adrenaline rushed over him and he pulled the blanket off of her to give her a moderate shake. But she didn't wake up.
The fear in him was consuming him as he intensified the shake. Come on, your kidding, right? Snap out of it, please snap out of it! This can't be real, you have to be faking! He forgot about everything he had ever wanted in life, his only desire was to see those beautiful eyes open again but they remained closed. He stood her up but she just continued to slump towards the floor like dead weight. Dead, that word shook him to the bone. No, it wasn't possible, Veronica couldn't, she wouldn't, nothing could kill her!
He started to realize how cold she was, as his arms wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling to the floor. There was no warmth, no heat, she was as cold as the night air. Hope was fleeing from him, taking his life with it. He desperately wanted to hear the rhythm of her breathing but she remained silent. Finally, he reached for her neck in a desperate search for hope! His shaking hand reached her neck and he pressed two fingers to it, wishing and simultaneously praying to find the pulse of her heart, but he couldn't feel anything.
He was two shocked to do anything but lower her back onto the couch and kneel over her. A vacuum opened up in his stomach, threatening to swallow him whole. Tears fought their way to the surface as his last ounce of hope died. He lost all his strength in that second, falling onto her with tears now flowing freely. All he wanted was to embrace her one last time but instead he was doomed to hugging the lifeless shell he now had his arms wrapped around. There was no hope left, the love of his life was gone… forever.
I'm sorry if you didn't like that chapter, or my story in general, but this is just how I write, whether it is good or not. I want to try to offer you some hope for the future so I'll just say that this isn't the end of the story, in case you were worried about it. Remember, I said there was a twist. If you want to, give a review about what you think I did wrong or right. I have ideas where I'm going with this story but I haven't quite decided, when I do I'll update it. Once again, I hope you liked it!