-The disclaimer is in chapter 1 if you're looking for it.

Chapter 2

The heat rose as the morning progressed. Finn, who was finally feeling better, took the three older children along with Veronica on a foliage tour of the surrounding jungle. While Abby slept, Marguerite helped George in the lab, as Ned and John chopped wood. "Oh my" Sabrina knocked a plate on the floor. "Professor Challenger" she called down to the lab.

"You keep an eye on Abby, I'll go up" Marguerite volunteered. "It just fell" Sabrina said. Attempting to keep calm, Marguerite picked up the broken pieces and threw them in the garbage. "You're very lucky, Lady Roxton, you and Mrs. Malone both, many women would do a lot for what you have" Sabrina commented. "Thank you" Marguerite forced a smile. "Marguerite!" George called her back to the lab. "Excuse me" she returned to the lab.

"I don't like her, George" Marguerite said. "Marguerite, she is just a young girl lost in the jungle" he pointed out. "That line has been overused George, I know it and you know it" she told him. Do you not like her because she is pretty or because she is throwing herself at your husband?" he asked as Abby began to wake up. Without a word, Marguerite picked up Abby and walked out.

"Water, gentleman?" Sabrina asked, swinging her hips seductively. "Thank you" the water traveled down his sweat soaked body, disappearing beneath his pants. "Your welcome, Lord Roxton" she thought to herself. "Look whose up" Marguerite carried Abby over to her father. "Miss Montague was giving us some water" Ned explained. "Join me for a swim?" John asked, kissing her forehead. "Of course" Marguerite eyes, narrowed on the young woman, sending the clear message of who was Lady Roxton.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked as they dressed. "Much" she left the top button of her blouse open. "Are you trying to prove a point?" his hands burned through her clothes. "Maybe" her lips again demanded his. "Would you care to take the second dip or are jealous of Miss Montague?" he asked, relishing the feeling of her body on his.

Their moment of happiness was interrupted by a scream. "The tree- house" they both picked up their supplies and ran back. "Help me" Sabrina was about to become the raptor's next meal. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" the bullets started flying as two raptors lay dead and the third ran back into the jungle. "Lord Roxton, all I did was take a walk and these creatures..." Sabrina stammered.

"First rule, Miss Montague, never go out into the jungle alone and never, ever go unarmed" Marguerite's dislike of their houseguest increased tenfold. "Oh, my ankle, I think I twisted it, Lord Roxton would you carry me" Sabrina tried to stand up. Marguerite rolled her eyes as John looked at her for approval. Mouthing a thank you to his wife, knowing that he would have to make it up to her later, he picked Sabrina up. Neither saw the dead raptors disappear into mist. "Your so strong, Lord Roxton" Sabrina flirted as Marguerite again rolled her eyes. "Everything is in place, you will be mine, Lord Roxton" Skathina said.

"What happened?" Ned asked as Sabrina was placed on the couch. "Miss Montague decided to take a walk in the jungle, alone and unarmed. If we hadn't heard her scream, she might have been raptor lunch" Marguerite explained icily. "A perfect scenario" Marguerite thought to herself. "I twisted my ankle running from those awful creatures," Sabrina said. "Raptors" John explained. "It doesn't feel twisted, try standing up" George examined her. "Oh my, I guess it wasn't twisted" Sabrina stood up as if she was perfectly fine.

John turned around to see Marguerite storm out of the room. "Marguerite, I..." he started to say. "Stay away from me, John Roxton" grabbing the whip, a souvenir from their last visit to the Lizard City, she ran back to the elevator. "Men, the lot of them, they profess love and commitment, then they see a pretty face..." she felt the hot tears on her face as Veronica and Finn returned with the children. "Mummy" Will and Kate ran to their mother.

"What's wrong, Mummy?" Will asked. "Nothing how was your trip?" Marguerite forced a smile. "Why don't you tell her later? Finn, would you take them upstairs?" Veronica saw the pain in the older woman's eyes. "But, mummy" Kate protested. "Kate, why don't we show Uncle George what we found?" Finn shooed the children upstairs.

"What happened?" Veronica asked. "She happened" Marguerite said. "You mean Miss Montague" Veronica said. "She has the gall to run into the jungle unarmed and alone and pretends to twist her ankle. Men, they're all the same..." the hot tears returned. "Come here" Veronica comforted her.

Dinner was quiet, except for the children's chatter. "Daddy, why is Mummy mad at you?" Will asked as John prepared his children for bed. "Well, um" John tried to think of a way to explain what happened. "Is Mummy mad at you because of Miss Montague?" Kate asked. "Just like her mother" John thought to himself. "Yes, it does have something to do with Miss Montague" John told them. "Daddy, I think Mommy is prettier than Miss Montague" Will said. "So do I, goodnight" Kissing his children, John walked through the partition separating the children's room from his and Marguerite's.

"Got it" he found what he was looking for. While trading with the wandering tribe several months ago, the Helotecs, he secretly traded a bag of fruit for an emerald. Originally planning to give it to her for her next birthday, he held it nervously, hoping it might win her over. "Are they asleep?" her voice was cold and harsh. "Marguerite I'm sorry, had I known that her ankle wasn't twisted..." he started to explain.

"Of course you didn't notice you were too busy flirting with her" Marguerite stood up angrily. "I was not flirting with her, I told you, I didn't know she was pretending" he caught her elbow in his grasp. "I am not stupid, John Roxton..." his lips covered hers. "And don't think you can use jewels to apologize either" she knocked he emerald from his hand. "Marguerite, please" the blanket and pillow fell at his feet. "Fine, if that's the way you want it" he huffed to the couch.

The couch was horribly uncomfortable; it felt as if the springs were pushing into his skin. Waking up, he saw a figure walking toward him. "John?" Marguerite called out softly. "Marguerite, I'm so sorry, you were right..." he started to explain. "Hush love, it's done with" he met her kiss with equal determination, his fingers pulling the blue nightgown off her body.

Marguerite cried herself to sleep, her tear soaked pillow her own companion. In her sleep, she fitfully called out "John!". "John?" she asked as she walked into the living room. Seeing not one but two figures on the bed, Marguerite picked the .365 colt off the wall and fired two shots.

"What the..." the adult members of the tree house sprang out of their beds as all four children screamed. "Marguerite, my god, Miss Montague" John looked shocked. "Marguerite, I thought she was you, it was dark" he started to explain. Without a word to him, she got dressed, grabbed her pack and her gun and headed to the elevator. "You cannot go out alone, especially at night" he told her. "Why not, Lord Roxton, if I pretend to twist my ankle, will you rescue from those horrid beasts and carry me all the way back?" she angrily mocked.

"Marguerite, please, can we wait until the morning?" he grabbed her arm. Her response was kick to the gut that sent him to the floor. The elevator descended downward and Marguerite disappeared into the dark jungle. Skathina smiled, her plan was working, Lord Roxton responded as she hoped, before long she would be Lady Roxton and the chosen one would be forgotten.

"I have to go after her," John said, not looking as his companions. "Mommy? Daddy?" a tear stained Arthur walked in carrying Abby as the Roxton children followed his lead. "I want Mummy" Katie reached for her father. Challenger quickly took charge of the situation.

"Veronica and I will search for Marguerite. Ned, you and John put the children back into bed. Finn, escort Miss Montague to my room, I'll sleep on the cot for now" he said. "You know the drill, fire two warning shots if there is a problem," Ned told them.

Marguerite didn't know where she was running or how far she ran. Frankly, she didn't care. She just wanted to get away from the tree house. Dam him; he was the one man who she had truly loved, who had broken down the walls she had put around herself for so long. With John, everything she had secretly wished for so long; a family, children of her own and a safe, comfortable, loving environment. The Marguerite who had walked into to the Zoological Society years earlier would have scoffed at the woman who would replace her. "See what happens when you go soft" the voice taunted.

"Shut up" Marguerite said aloud. "I'm right and you know it. You were the one of the best double agents in the war, an international jewel thief that never saw the inside of a police car or jail cell. Now you've become what you hated, a bloody Victorian housewife" the voice continued to taunt. "Stop it" Marguerite shrunk down to the ground.

"I can't, this too much fun, as Finn would say" the figure materialized before her. The prim and proper Miss Montague was replaced by a demon with red eyes and scaly skin. "You did this" Marguerite said. "Very good Lady Roxton, or should I address you as chosen one" Skathina, in her true from laughed. "What do you want from me?" Marguerite asked, fear building up within her. "What you took from me," Skathina told her.

"I didn't take anything from you, I've never seen you before in my life" Marguerite attempted to remain in control. "My name is Skathina; you took my brother, Sinthar. Because of you, I am the last of my kind. For that, Chosen one, you will be the last of your kind" Skathina held out her arms, read to kill her as Challenger and Veronica were heard. "Marguerite, where are you?" Veronica called out. "This is not over, chosen one" Skathina disappeared.

"Are you ok?" Veronica asked. "How would you feel if your husband was caught in bed with a demon?" Marguerite snapped. "Demon?" Challenger asked. "Miss Montague is not human, it's a façade, her real name is Skathina, her brother was Sinthar, she means to kill me" Marguerite explained. "Then we must hurry" Veronica said.

"Mummy" Kate and Will ran into her arms as they stepped off the elevator. "Marguerite..."John started to say. "Why did you run away in the middle of the night? Your not supposed to" Will said matter of factly. "I just needed some air" she hugged the children tightly. "Marguerite..." again John approached her. "Go to hell, John" her words hit him as if he were in an ice storm.

Marguerite awoke hours later to feel a hand over her mouth and the evil figure of Skathina standing over her chanting. "No!" she screamed as she felt more hands dragging her away from the tree house as the world become dark. "Goodbye chosen one" Skathina laughed as the unconscious Marguerite disappeared.

"What's this?" Challenger asked the next morning. "Morning, professor" Finn said. "Oh my god, Finn, get everyone up now," Challenger told her. "Wake up, wake up" Finn raced through the house. "What's wrong?" Ned asked. "Marguerite is gone," Challenger said. "What, where did she go?" John asked, running in.

Thank you for the time I had here. Take care of the children; tell them I love them very much. I will be looking for a way home, if I should find one, I will return for you all. Sincerely Marguerite Krux. "Mummy?" Will asked. "Daddy, I want mummy," Kate said as both Roxton children began to wail.