IF EVERYTHING HAD BEEN DIFFERENT – Chapter 3
AUTHOR: Lady F., Lady K, TowandaBR
DISCLAIMER: All of the characters of the show "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World" are property of John Landis, Telescene, Coote/Hayes, DirecTV, New Line Television, Space, Action Adventure Network, Goodman/Rosen Productions, and Richmel Productions.
SPOILERS: OUT OF TIME
To all people who write or read Fics keeping TLW alive.
Thanks to: Cris, Carnation, Rosa, Claudia, Manu Jones, Emerald Krux, Lady Rroxton
Special thanks to Cris Zanini (our translator)
We hope you like what you are reading as much as we like to write.
Note: This is a completed Fic.
English is not our first language so please be nice and review.
Also in Portuguese: "Se Tudo Fosse Diferente".
'They come through you but not from you,'
Khalil Gibran – 'The Prophet'
Marguerite left as fast as she could. She did not want Veronica noticing that somehow her interest by the baby boy had been awoke, even if only for a brief instant. Even she could not explain the origin of this interest. She smiled to herself. "Veronica is too troubled to keep smiling around with that little ape..."
Marguerite decided to go back to her bedroom, and stopped when passing by the mirror. "You are jealous, aren't you?" She questioned herself still smiling, not believing in her own thoughts and shaking her head. "Of course not! In the worst case... Envy... Yes, envy... Envy of... Envy of having a peaceful bath... Guess what, the little ape can get it, and Marguerite Krux can't!" She wrinkled up her noise, and remained there for sometime walking around the room. Restless, she sat on her bed. She looked towards the balcony, waiting to listen to some noise coming from Veronica and the baby. "Has someone seen me? Everything is so silent..."
Curiosity got the best of her, and the heiress stood up and went to Veronica's bedroom, where she paid attention to the noises coming from inside. "Hum... What are they laughing of? It doesn't matter, Marguerite, whatever is happening inside, it's simply stupid... What could possible be funny in watching a little monkey having a bath, or even bathing one?..."
Marguerite was surprised to notice they were leaving the room and quickly pretended to be examining some Zanga craftwork that was hanging on by one of the pillars of the Treehouse, at the same time that Veronica appeared with Tommy already in clothes, wearing a blue overalls with short leaves that had belong to Veronica when she was a little older than she supposed Tommy was, what made her think that Tommy was growing up faster. She had used a handkerchief to create a small hammock passing through her shoulders where she put Tommy in a way she could carry him safe and sound, and at the same time keep her hands and arms free. And the boy either seemed to enjoy this new arrangement. He could see practically everything around him, and look straight to Veronica who was always responding to his mirth. "Go ahead, Veronica, came on!" Marguerite thought glancing at her sideways. And as if Veronica could listen to her, she quickly stared back the heiress in silence, took a bag with some food, and took the elevator down with the boy. "Time to walk around and feed the little ape..." Marguerite thought with sarcasm. Trying to make sure she was not being observed, Marguerite Krux looked to her back while stepping to the opposite direction and bumped into something. She turned back rapidly just to find herself practically over John Roxton's chest, who was looking to her arms-crossed attentively. She missed his eyes at the same time that stepped back. "As always, you are on my way...".
"Do you need anything, Marguerite?" Roxton asked, almost ironically, interrupting her thoughts.
"I need you to leave my way free!... No, I'm not going to say that, no...".
"Are you ok, Marguerite? You've not gave me any bad answer yet...".
"I'm ok, John" she said with an unnatural smile "Thanks for asking. Now, can you excuse me?".
"Why have I said that? I don't owe you any satisfaction, John Roxton... This rude man... so crude, so arrogant, so strong... so... Marguerite, you are delirious, maybe you are just ill, yes...".
With a light smile, John bowed to her. Marguerite looked at him as if she was a queen, and, raising her nose, went to the common room.
Roxton followed her steps and she noticed that, turning back very fast and facing the hunter. "What do you want, John Roxton?".
"I do have a task for you".
"That's great!" She looked curiously at him. "Explain yourself....".
"Come on" he answered to her, taking the heiress' hand and guiding her to his bedroom. Marguerite was fighting against her own will, and sometimes looked back looking for Veronica and Tommy.
Roxton opened a woodened box.
"These are cloths that I took from the expedition trunks. You need to make some sheets and clothes to the baby".
"How do you dare to tell me what I need to do? And why an ape would need clothes?".
"Don't be rude, little Marguerite..." Roxton said pointing an accusative finger to her.
"Listen to me. I don't care what you think. And I'm not asking...".
"Roxton..." She interrupts. "Not today, ok?".
Marguerite left the room while listening to the hunter responding rapidly "Are you sure?".
"Are you asking if I'm sure of not wanting to beat around the bush with you? Of course, I'm completely and totally sure!". She gave him a tiny smile that awoke the rage in him. But he decided not to enter her game and to show her who was in control, and then he said:
"Coffee is over. So, you sew or I'm not going to toast any more coffee...".
"Challenger or Malone can toast the coffee...".
"... Yeah, you are right, they could... IF they knew where the coffee is...".
"What have you done? " she was starting to feel scared.
"I hid it. And from now on, there will only be coffee in the Treehouse when and if I want and I tell that, while you do not sew, Miss Krux, there will be no coffee for you..." Calmly John completed his message to the heiress, and now was her time to be furious.
"What is this, blackmail? Torture? Marguerite asked aggressively, bothered by the calm expression in Roxton's face.
"You may call it anything you want...".
"Challenger won't appreciate your help to Veronica and the little monkey...".
Roxton advanced pointing an accusative finger to Marguerite's face, and firmly continued. "His name is Tommy... And if you tell someone about this, you will have no coffee the same way. Just sew and give me the resulting clothes. I take care of the rest". The hunter just left, leaving behind and even more enraged Marguerite.
"Dammit, all this due to the dummy little ape!"
Since she decided to take care of the boy, Veronica tried to recall all she had observed in the raising of children in other tribes, especially in the Amazons and the Zangas whom she had more contact with. Besides that, she used her own memories about how her parents educated her. She decided to create a daily routine to help making things easier and more efficient. In the first two days it had been difficult to support the baby in an efficient way what made her notice that if she did not change her way to drive the situation, soon she would not be able to take care of the baby anymore. And in this routine she had included a middle-afternoon tour to enjoy the heat. She spread a large towel under the shadows of a tree, and sat there simply playing with the baby. At the same time it was a period when she was away from the curious eyes of the other fellow residents in the Treehouse. She knew that soon she would have to know more about Tommy to decide what his needs were, but she would prefer to delay this moment. Besides that, what started just as saving someone needing help was becoming now much bigger than she could have ever expected.
The policemen followed closer the smart girl that knew all the streets of the city. She could hide easily whenever she wanted, until the day she was caught and dragged by the arm across the streets, still trying to resist. She made the mistake of wanting to walk among the rich and wealthy people of London, and someone so off-standard as she was could never ever be welcome by them. "Aristocracy, go to hell!" she thought, hiding in an alley, at the same time observing a refined party across the block. "Someday I will be one of them... I swear by my parents..." She stopped "If I ever had parents. Well, Marguerite... You got it... You are surrounded by jewels so bright that could make a blind man come back to sight, my God! I'm among them, but I don't feel like one of them... Even wearing this expensive dress, this wonderful hat, these bright jewels, I'm not and I shall never be one of them... I don't want to be.... ".
"Never, ever..." Marguerite whispered waking up with a startle. That dream followed her during most of her life, but it had been so long since the last time it happened. Why now? She stood up and suddenly noticed that everything was abnormally quiet as it had not been for a long time. She went to Veronica's bedroom and looking through a crack noticed that the blond and the baby were deeply sleeping. She went to the kitchen where she sat sipping some water. She recalled her dream and thought bitterly about Tommy. "Is that why you are here, little boy? To bring me back the memories I've buried so long ago? Are we as similar as I imagine?" A tear slowly traced across her face. "No, we are not. With all my efforts I left this part of my life behind, and neither you nor anybody else shall bring it back..."
In the next morning Roxton was finishing buttoning his shirt when he was surprised by an enraged Marguerite invading his bedroom with some ready child clothes that she threw on his lap.
"Ready. Was that what you have in mind, milord?".
Roxton opened the clothes observing them carefully.
"Very well... But...".
"... But what?" she was even more enraged...
He critically assessed once more the heiress' handwork, who was turning back furiously heading to leave.
"Hum..." Roxton muttered making her to turn back suspiciously.
"What?". As he remained quiet, she got mad "Does "hum" means good or bad?".
"It depends... Take a look... This border is not well done... This other sewing is not neatly finished..." Roxton lied, knowing the Marguerite's abilities were not questionable, even when she did not wish to cooperate.
"HA HA!" She clapped slowly, and then rested her hands on her hips. John continued calmly.
"Marguerite... these clothes are not for you, they are for a baby... you can be more careful, include some needlework... and well done... otherwise you will rework them again and again... and no coffee".
Marguerite grunted and took all the clothes, leaving in heavy feet, but before completely disappearing from Roxton's sight, she still glanced to him as if asking for his comprehension. But John kept his position and just nodded his head negatively. She rolled her eyes and left heavier than before, now almost crying in rage for that man.
As soon as Marguerite left, Roxton laughed, and laughed a lot.
The baby muttered bringing Veronica back to reality. "I'm already preparing your milk, honey...". She smiled going to the kitchen. By some time she observed the child on her arms, sat straddled across her waist. He smiled as if he had understood what she had just told him, and the blond answered "Thanks for waiting, little boy!".
She put the goat's milk in a bowl over the fire and took a sit rocking the boy on her lap.
The baby was impatient. "What is that, Tommy? Your milk is almost ready... Do you have belly-ache again?" As if looking for something, he scanned her. Suddenly he stopped when he calmly rested his tiny hands over one of Veronica's breasts. Tommy's face showed he was looking for his feed under her leather top. Initially she did not react, thinking that the milk's flavor had increased Tommy's hunger. But soon she learned that he was looking for her breast to get fed.
Then she finally left her despair to take over. "Tommy, I cannot offer you any food from here..." Her eyes were covered with tears while she looked to the child that was either on the verge to cry. Veronica moved his hands from her breast and hugged him warmly. Her tears could not be held any longer, nor could the baby's tears, who seemed to understand what she said.
"I would do anything for you to get feed from me... I would give you my life, little one... But... I cannot offer you more than care and shelter..." She was crying freely, and she felt good-for-nothing.
She was not trying to stop the baby's cries, his cry was a moan, a different cry, as if the baby could finally understand that she was not his real mother.
"Veronica! What is this scent?" Roxton said tracing something different in the kitchen.
She looked to John with her eyes red of crying, finally recalling the milk that was now shed. She tried to stand up, but Roxton prevented her by simply resting a friendly hand on her shoulder. He smiled to her wet face "It's not worthwhile to cry over the spilled milk..." They both smiled as if nothing was happening. The hunter threw some water over the fire looking to Veronica, who was grating him with her eyes, and soon she missed his eyes to hide her momentary weakness. Someone saw her weakness and she was not used to that.
John kneeled in front of her and carefully lifted her chin.
"Please... Don't tell anybody that you've just seen me crying... I trust you, Roxton...". Her wounded and hesitating voice broke his heart. The unshed tears were on her eyes while the lady begged for his discretion. John had never seen her so fragile. Indeed he did not even know she could be fragile.
"You can trust me... You know that...".
A shy smile appeared in Veronica's lips. "Thanks... ".
"Veronica, you must smile, despite everything that is happening... You must remember that everything a mother feels is transmitted to her baby... And you do not wish Tommy to be sad, do you? ".
Veronica was stunned. "Mother?"
"There are several ways to be a mother, and there are several women who are more than mothers... You know that... You are doing very well, don't dare to doubt that. Your attitude was noble, brave and very human. Your mother would be proud of you."
Veronica's eyes were full of tears again due to the mention to her mother. "Do you really think that, Roxton?"
"I'm completely sure."
Veronica sighed. She looked to the baby now quiet on her lap. He was almost closing his eyes, sleepy, and now he was already getting used to her scent. Veronica now understood why he was so restless.
"You see how calm he is now?" John whispered. "I told you that if you remain calm, he will remain calm...".
She smiled and caressed Tommy's head, who now was with his eyes completely shut.
"I don't think he will want milk now..." She mentioned a little bit encouraged.
John smiled and before standing up, tenderly kissed her forehead, while she closed her eyes softened by knowing she had a friend like him around her.
She wiped away her tears when she listened to the elevator, meanwhile Roxton took away the bowl containing the remaining of the spilled milk.
Challenger and Malone left the elevator bringing some birds from their hunting.
"Good hunt, boys" – Roxton smiled helping Challenger with the birds, putting them in an empty bowl. – "I'm going to call Marguerite and check if she wants to join this old hunter in a walk." – and saying that he left.
"Good afternoon, Veronica" Challenger said in a very formal way. Since the boy had become an inhabitant of the Treehouse he had not exchanged more than a few not at easy little words with her. They both knew they needed to discuss their different points of view, but none of them was prepared for that and to anticipate this conversation could only hurt them even more.
"Good afternoon, Challenger."
"I will be in my lab..." the scientist left without looking to her or to the boy.
"How are you?" Malone sat besides her showing his worry that Veronica knew to be true and sincere.
"I'm ok, Ned..."
"I would like to talk something with you" Veronica seemed surprise by the grave tone in his voice.
"I know I've been not giving you the support you need, deserve and wait from me, but..." Veronica interrupted.
"I don't expect anything from anyone, Ned, I've never expected..." He noticed the angst tone in her voice.
"I know that. I just don't know how to deal with this situation... I really like you very much, but everything is just so different and strange that I don't know how to proceed... And it's exactly because I like you so much that I don't want to take any decision in which you may feel I'm not comfortable... I prefer not to get too close to you while I'm still in doubt about how I feel about Tommy. It would not be fair... And I don't want to make the same mistakes Challenger made..."
Veronica tenderly caressed his shaved face while he closed his eyes. He wished to hug and kiss her right there and now. Veronica lightly pressed her lips against his for seconds that seemed endless to them both.
"I will wait for your decision, Ned... Whatever it is...". Caressing his face once more she smiled at him, and stood up carefully, taking Tommy to her bedroom to allow him to rest on his cradle.
Ned Malone went to the balcony alone. With a lost look he observed the dark plateau night and started to register in his journals:
"I came here as an impartial observer but could never ever imagine myself so involved emotionally with the object of my observation. But before I take any decision that involves other people I need first to solve the things that are going on inside me..."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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