Authors Note: Hi, everyone. As always thanks for the reviews.

Oh and it just occured to me. I didn't write a disclaimer for this story. Soooooooo, just in case you were wondering...

Disclaimer: The characters in TLW are not mine.

Anyway....

- Keys3303

That's our Marguerite: Take Charge. :)

- ZeusFluff

Geez, the name had nothing to do with what I thought... I was thinking more along the lines of Greek gods. (hehehe)

- TheChosenOne3

Thanks for your hint. Very subtle. ;)

- MissMeganJane

I have a lot of this story finished, so you can expect chapters nearly every day for awhile. I'll warn you when I'm going to slow it down.

For now though, the story will be updated fairly quickly.

- LoveMR and Spirita:

I'm glad you're enjoying it. Here's more....

Authors Note #2: Just a note for those of you following my other story Linked. The reason its taking me so long to update that one is that unlike this one I don't have most of it written. So just bear with me, k. =) I'll finish it... promise.

Without further ado........

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Karla smiled sadly at the question. Taking a deep breath she sat down. "They didn't. They wouldn't ever have given you up."

"That's interesting considering that I never knew them. I never so much as knew there names... Are they even still alive?"

"Your mother is. Your father... he..."

"... he died" she finished for the woman, who seemed reluctant to say the word.

"He was murdered."

"What?"

"Its a long story, honey and it apparently has no happy ending."

Marguerite paused and glanced at John who intertwined his finger with hers, she shrugged then and said as carelessly as she could manage, "I've never believed in fairy tale endings anyway so go ahead. How do you know my mother?"

"We grew up together. I'm the only Veloz daughter and Belle is the youngest of the Mendoza children. There's four of them - two boys and two girls. The boys and Rosa each followed each other closely. But Four and a half years separated Rosa and Belle. She was the baby, the princess..... the favorite."

Karla smiled softly remembering the little girl that her best friend had once been. "Richard, her father, was especially attached to her. From the time she could walk, she had him wrapped around her little finger. All her life there was nothing she wanted, that she couldn't have. Every thing she could possibly want he gave her. At every party she ever attended she was truly the belle of the ball. She glimmered and was epitome of what a Spanish Maiden should be - sweet and docile, charming and lovely, delicate and graceful, respectful and obedient; above all obedient." She paused here and returned her gaze to Marguerite's, a serious look invaded where the tender one had been.

"You must understand that, Marguerite, for you to comprehend this tale: you must understand that above and beyond everything else she was expected to be obedient and she fulfilled this expectation to a T. In her mind her father's word was law. It was not subject to questioning or compromise; it just was."

Marguerite smirked, "Doesn't sound like we're much alike. I never handled authority well."

Karla smiled, "You never had authority like this. This was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that was established before she even entered grade school. He gave her everything, let her do anything - within reason of course and in return she obeyed him unconditionally." Marguerite still looked unconvinced so Karla continued "He loved her. She was the light of his life and she was so because, she was truly the perfect daughter. For awhile anyway."

Marguerite met Karla's steadily and asked in a steady voice, "What do you mean?"

Karla smiled sadly, "It means that Little girls grow up, and with that growth comes understanding and change. Change that is sometimes hard to accept." She looked down and said quietly, "Your mother hasn't spoken to her father since she was 17 years old."

"Her father..." Marguerite murmured softly "my grandfather."

Karla shook her head smiling sadly, "not according to her. I remember once I said something like, he's your daughter's grandfather and she went ballistic. He was not your grandfather, she said, that he didn't deserve such an honor, that he didn't deserve to be associated with anything's of Christopher's."

Marguerite was silent for a moment before she in a hushed voice, "She loved him very much."

It was a statement but Karla answered anyway, "Yes, she did. They believed they were soul mates, they believed they'd met and loved each other many times throughout history." she smiled slightly and took a breath "None of you have asked what I'm waiting for."

The explorers looked at her blankly. Each had been absorbed into the tale she'd been spinning of what sounded like a little princess.

"what about the siblings." Karla said with a smile, prompting the others.

John inclined his head a little and said in a mocking voice "What about the siblings?"

"The boys were twins" she began immediately after giving Roxton a look that said she didn't appreciate his tone. "and pretty much good at everything. Marcus and Lucas - Mark and Luke, to family and friends, they're Mendoza through and through. They were and are good-looking, but they were never much involved with their sisters. They had a separate education and very different hobbies but they loved them, especially Belle. I remember she could be yards and yards away and the minute she caught sight of them she'd shoot out like a bullet and land atop them with hugs. She loved them, even though she didn't really know them, the feeling was mutual. Both were out of the house by the time Belle's situation unfolded. In fact one was out of the country."

"And the sister." Finn asked.

The change of Karla's face was instant, dramatic. When talking about the boys, their was a fond look in her eyes and a faint smile on her lips. At the mention of the sister a look of pure hatred covered her face; her features didn't change in the least but the smile became brittle and her eyes hard.

"Rosa" she spat the name.

She looked down as if to collect her thoughts. When she raised her head again there was pure fury and hate in her eyes. She directed her gaze towards Marguerite and for the first time the beautiful heiress had trouble meeting it.

"Your aunt, my dear, is your mysterious benefactor."