A/N: Sept 16, 2012: Another updated chapter. Hope you enjoy this edit.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.

Chapter 8:

"So, Summerlee, what happened to you after you fell?" Roxton asked, curiously.

After the initial shock of seeing their previously 'dead' friend, they'd all settle down in the sitting room. Emily had brought in a tray of tea, and each one of them now sported a cup.

"That is a day I will never forget," Summerlee began to tell his tale. "After I fell into the water, the river swept me away quite rapidly. There was nothing I could do, and I knew I would soon fall down the waterfall.

"As I was falling, it felt like ages before I could see the land below. I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew some men were pulling me out of the water. It was miraculous, but a British expedition was the ones to discover me. They also happened to be on their way back to London. Thankfully, they took me along with them, even without knowing who I was.

"I was in a coma from then on, till about six months ago. That's when I woke up and remembered all of you were still back on the plateau. I've been trying to get back ever since. I'm still in the process of rounding up a proper expedition."

"Amazing," Veronica murmured. "You've had quite the adventure, Professor."

"Yes, I guess I have." Summerlee chuckled.

"Maybe you can try to explain something to us, Professor?" Roxton proposed.

"What's that?"

"About a year ago, we began to get messages from you. You told us that you spent a lot of time in the botanical gardens. And Malone even saw you there. But according to what you just said, you were still in a coma when that had occurred. Any explanations?"

Summerlee pondered this new bit of information before diving in. "That is interesting. I faintly remember myself willing messages to you. It's hard to know for sure, because anything that went on in my mind while I was in the coma could have been a dream. But, I do distinctly remember wanting to tell you that I was all right even though I didn't know exactly where I was.

"I also remember dreaming about Malone. He was following the same river; only it was dried up now. And I recall that he fell down the waterfall only to somehow be blasted back up. All of you were standing there, waiting for him."

"That is very interesting. That's what basically happened," Veronica replied, looking to Roxton with a 'how the heck?' look on her face.

"I've always believed in the telepathic mind," Summerlee offered.

"Amazing…" Lady Roxton added after the tale; she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"But that still doesn't explain why you said you were in the botanical gardens and why Malone saw you there?" Roxton argued.

"Maybe my mind put me into a familiar setting. As you both know, I've worked with plants all my life. Perhaps my brain was attempting to keep me comfortable, by putting me there," Summerlee theorized.

"Maybe?" Veronica said, still unsure.

"What about you two? How did you come to be here, without the others, I presume? And why in God's name are you two married? That doesn't seem right; Marguerite and Malone would make more accurate matches to you two. Finding out about your wedding was quite a surprise," Summerlee shot off the myriad of questions.

Lady Roxton's attention peaked at the mention of Marguerite. "Marguerite? You couldn't possibly mean Marguerite Krux? The woman who funded the blasted expedition? Now Arthur why would you ever think such a thing?"

She looked from Summerlee and then turned her hawkeyed gaze to Roxton, who shifted uneasily under her stared. "It's a long story, mother. One that I will tell you later… much later."

Roxton's mother shot him a pout, but he couldn't go into the details of his relationships right now. There were more pressing things to discuss. He faced Summerlee once again and told him of how they'd arrived here.

"Well," Summerlee breathed out, once he was finished. "That was a most adventurous feat you had to endure; I daresay equal to mine. I'm very grateful that you two made it here unharmed. However, am I right to presume that Malone, Marguerite and Challenger believe to have perished, just as you had believed that I had not survived?"

Veronica frowned at the possibility. "Yes, they probably do. And that's something I want to fix right away. How soon do you think we can go back, Roxton?"

"Soon, I think. We'll need help. A proper expedition… more people who would be willing to go back with us. Now that we have an idea of what's there, we can better prepare ourselves, I think. Summerlee, have you rounded been able to round anyone up?"

"Four people, so far. Two of them have even offered to fund the trip. I believe you may have encountered them before, John, Alexander Kent, Lana Sullivan, Clark Luthor and Chloe Lang," the Professor let them know.

"Yes," Roxton answered with a smile. "They're good people and even better explorers. We travelled into the African desert together… But, I still think we'll need a couple more people and then we can be off."

"Stop!" Lady Roxton suddenly yelled out, causing all eyes to fall on her. She looked upset, near hysterical. "Stop this nonsense. For God's sake, three long years you've been gone, and with each passing day I hoped you'd return. And finally you did! Now you want to leave again? What am I supposed to do?" She was now in tears.

"Mother, please, calm down. I hate seeing you like this," Roxton tried to comfort her.

Veronica went to her side placing a tentative arm about her mother-in-law's shoulders.

"First William, then your father, and now you, why does everyone I care about want to leave me?" she wondered out loud, heartbrokenly.

"Please believe me when I say that I don't want to leave you," Roxton started slowly. "I would gladly stay. But, three of my best friends are still on that Plateau, and I'm sure they'd like the chance to come home too. I will not take that away from them."

Lady Roxton looked at her son, realizing what a good man he'd become. To stand by his friends in the face of immense danger… that said a lot about his character. She was suddenly very proud of the man she raised.

After a moment's hesitation she said, "All right, I understand, but, I'm coming with you."

Short chapter, I know. Next one I believe is slightly longer. Hope you'll take the time to let me know what you think. Thx!