Finally, Chapter 3 is here! Sorry it took so long I've had loadsa work to
be handed in recently but I know that's no excuse lol!! Well firstly I
wanna say thanks loads to Velma-Kelly-Online for all her help in this
chapter and also TheChosenOne3!! *big hugs* (
I know it's kinda short but Chapter 4 has been started and should be on the
way very soon! Well, hope you like it and don't forget to R&R!!
CHAPTER 3
*GOODBYE*
"Finn? Well she's the five hundredth Protector, due to succeed you in about one hundred years from now. How do you know about her?" asked the very confused lady that still stood by the door.
"Finn was here. She." Veronica stopped mid sentence. "Protector? Does that mean.?"
"Your great, great granddaughter, yes," replied the guest.
Veronica was stunned, speechless. Tears came to her eyes. Whether they were tears of joy or not she had no idea. She turned to Malone and he hugged her tightly. He had never really seen her like this before. She stood for a moment before reality returned. She wiped a tear from her eyes and proceeded to question the couple.
"Where is she now?" she sniffed. "She was with us last night."
"Last night everyone was returned to their rightful place," answered the woman tactfully. "Finn must have been returned to her time. How did she get here in the first place?" she asked, puzzled.
"That's not important," answered Veronica firmly. "She was happy here. Do you have any idea what it's like in her time?"
The woman looked down at the ground. This was not what she had come to discuss. She had no answer to Veronica's questioning. It was nothing to do with her. All she knew was that Finn was in the line of Protectors.
"And why isn't she a Protector then?" continued Veronica. "Her family are dead, every one of them," she shouted. She paused. Ned pulled her back towards him. She stopped to calm down.
"I don't know anything else, Veronica," replied the lady. "I'm sorry. I."
The room was silenced as Marguerite walked slowly into the room. Her head was down. Her curls covered her face. She didn't want to see them. She wasn't ready. All attention turned to her. With everything that had been going on, everyone had forgotten the real reason the strangers were in the Treehouse. It came home to each and every one of them at that moment. They were about to lose one of their family, they were about to lose Marguerite.
Roxton followed her, carrying her belongings. Neither of them spoke. They headed toward the elevator and stopped, placing her things down on the floor. She turned to see her parents. She looked at her mother for the first time. This was who she was. She had waited for this moment her whole life. She had imagined it to be far different from this. She was at one with herself but at the same time felt that anger penetrating from somewhere deep down inside her. "Don't think I'm doing this for you," she said in an icy voice. "There are innocent people who need me." Marguerite couldn't react. This wasn't reality, it was all so surreal.
Her parents didn't know what to say. Of every time they had imagined this meeting to be, it had never been like this. She was more beautiful than they had ever imagined possible. Her mother remembered those eyes, the ones that had stared at her so longingly as they had taken her away. She was headstrong, like her mother had always been, and her father could see it in her eyes. They wanted to know so much about her, her life, her love, but they knew they had lost her. She would never care for them again like she had so long ago, when she had faith in people, trust.
Marguerite took a deep breath before turning to say her last goodbyes. She wanted to stay with them, and more than anything she had wanted a life with Roxton. She looked slowly across the room at her friends, the only people she had ever truly cared about. Roxton caught her eye and she quickly looked away. This was going to be hard enough already without having to say goodbye to John again. Everyone was silent as she stepped towards them.
First she moved to Ned Malone, the brother who had always thought highly of her. He smiled at her warm-heartedly. At this she gave in to her desire to embrace him. She took him into her arms and hugged him lovingly. "If the situation were any different I would never admit this, but you've become a brother to me. A bratty little brother but a brother none the less," she said attempting to sound cheerful.
Her gaze moved to Veronica, her loving little sister. Tears were streaming down Veronica's face. Marguerite tenderly brushed them away and embraced her warmly. "I'll never forget you," she whispered. Tears were audible in her own voice but she did not let them fall. Not yet anyway. She did not want her last moments with them to be unhappy. She wanted to remember everything they had shown and given her. She was grateful for their love. A knot tightened in her throat as the two sisters tightened their embrace.
"Funny how I never wanted any brothers or sisters, or even a family but now I don't know what I'm going to do without you all." She touched her forehead to Veronica's, and then steeped away. Veronica wiped away her tears without much success. She attempted to cheer up the atmosphere, "Now don't give them too much trouble Marguerite, we don't want to hear any complaints." She smiled and Marguerite smiled back. "Say goodbye to Finn for me." She paused. "She will come back, Veronica, be strong. I've left some things for you two," she said, attempting a happy tone. "Thank you," mouthed Veronica. It was all she could manage.
Next Marguerite turned to Challenger. "Our turn," she whispered with a watery smile. Challenger smiled back at her attempt to sound cheerful. He loved the way that she never wanted to trouble anyone else with her problems, even though she urgently needed help. He took her face into his hands and kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you, my child, we all will." He took her into his arms and held her tightly, losing battle to his own tears. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "You'll always be in my heart, Marguerite." She smiled again and looked lovingly into his face. "Goodbye, George. He'll never be as much of a father to me as you are," she said softly as she stepped from him.
Slowly, Marguerite turned to Roxton without looking directly into his eyes. He took her hand and stared back at her. He wanted to give into to the impulses that were troubling his body. He wanted to hold her, kiss her and love her forever, but he knew how hard it would be to let go again. Marguerite didn't want to leave her family let alone her chance to have her very own family with this wonderful man. She couldn't do it again. She stepped back, slipping her hand out of his. "Goodbye Lord Roxton," she whispered, trying her hardest to salvage a smile as her voice caved with tears.
As they stepped into the wooden elevator, Marguerite looked back at her home and her real family; the ones who had stood by her through everything, the good times and the bad, and the ones who had even forgiven her for her miserable lies. Now the tears were streaming down her face. Not just hers, but everyone's, except Roxton's. How could he even begin to feel, begin to believe that this was actually happening? He refused to believe, he refused to let it in.
As the explorers watched, the elevator disappeared out of sight. Before long, they crowded the balcony, looking and following into the distance until she was gone. All this without a word. The room was silent, except for the gentle sobs of Veronica into Malone's shoulder. Today she had lost her two sisters, her two best friends. She had nowhere to turn. No one knew what to do. The world had stopped turning.
Roxton sat down for a moment. All this had happened so fast. He just wanted to wake up and everything would be ok again. She would be in his arms. 'It must be a dream,' he kept thinking, but he knew it wasn't. Everything was so clear and it all made sense, well as much as it possibly could. "I love you, Marguerite," he muttered under his breath. Why hadn't he said that to her as she left? There were so many things he had wanted to say, but he had stood silent, and now it was too late. He couldn't believe she was gone, that he would never see her again.
Soon, Malone became aware of Roxton's numbness. He moved from Veronica who was still staring from the balcony. As Malone approached, Roxton sat up.
"Hi," volunteered Malone, sitting down beside him. There was silence for a moment.
"I have to go after her."
"What?" questioned Malone.
"I have to go after her," repeated Roxton calmly.
"Erm, are you sure? I mean she actually wants to do this, Roxton. Maybe you should think it through."
Veronica, overhearing their conversation decided to go over to join them. She headed to the other side of Roxton and gently placed her hand gently on his back. "Roxton, I know this is gonna be hard, for all of us, but we have to let her do this. You don't wanna mess with her now she's made this decision, you'll be dinner." She said, trying to lighten the mood a little. It was worth a shot, but it didn't work. "It'll be ok," she continued.
"How? How can anything EVER be the same?"
"I didn't say."
"Marguerite has gone, GONE," he barked. "FOREVER."
He stood up, grabbing his rifles and making for the elevator.
"Where are you going?" screamed Veronica.
~ The end! Well the end of the chapter, obviously not the end of the story! You know what I mean!! I told you it was short, but R&R anyway, you know you want to!! *big smile* xx
CHAPTER 3
*GOODBYE*
"Finn? Well she's the five hundredth Protector, due to succeed you in about one hundred years from now. How do you know about her?" asked the very confused lady that still stood by the door.
"Finn was here. She." Veronica stopped mid sentence. "Protector? Does that mean.?"
"Your great, great granddaughter, yes," replied the guest.
Veronica was stunned, speechless. Tears came to her eyes. Whether they were tears of joy or not she had no idea. She turned to Malone and he hugged her tightly. He had never really seen her like this before. She stood for a moment before reality returned. She wiped a tear from her eyes and proceeded to question the couple.
"Where is she now?" she sniffed. "She was with us last night."
"Last night everyone was returned to their rightful place," answered the woman tactfully. "Finn must have been returned to her time. How did she get here in the first place?" she asked, puzzled.
"That's not important," answered Veronica firmly. "She was happy here. Do you have any idea what it's like in her time?"
The woman looked down at the ground. This was not what she had come to discuss. She had no answer to Veronica's questioning. It was nothing to do with her. All she knew was that Finn was in the line of Protectors.
"And why isn't she a Protector then?" continued Veronica. "Her family are dead, every one of them," she shouted. She paused. Ned pulled her back towards him. She stopped to calm down.
"I don't know anything else, Veronica," replied the lady. "I'm sorry. I."
The room was silenced as Marguerite walked slowly into the room. Her head was down. Her curls covered her face. She didn't want to see them. She wasn't ready. All attention turned to her. With everything that had been going on, everyone had forgotten the real reason the strangers were in the Treehouse. It came home to each and every one of them at that moment. They were about to lose one of their family, they were about to lose Marguerite.
Roxton followed her, carrying her belongings. Neither of them spoke. They headed toward the elevator and stopped, placing her things down on the floor. She turned to see her parents. She looked at her mother for the first time. This was who she was. She had waited for this moment her whole life. She had imagined it to be far different from this. She was at one with herself but at the same time felt that anger penetrating from somewhere deep down inside her. "Don't think I'm doing this for you," she said in an icy voice. "There are innocent people who need me." Marguerite couldn't react. This wasn't reality, it was all so surreal.
Her parents didn't know what to say. Of every time they had imagined this meeting to be, it had never been like this. She was more beautiful than they had ever imagined possible. Her mother remembered those eyes, the ones that had stared at her so longingly as they had taken her away. She was headstrong, like her mother had always been, and her father could see it in her eyes. They wanted to know so much about her, her life, her love, but they knew they had lost her. She would never care for them again like she had so long ago, when she had faith in people, trust.
Marguerite took a deep breath before turning to say her last goodbyes. She wanted to stay with them, and more than anything she had wanted a life with Roxton. She looked slowly across the room at her friends, the only people she had ever truly cared about. Roxton caught her eye and she quickly looked away. This was going to be hard enough already without having to say goodbye to John again. Everyone was silent as she stepped towards them.
First she moved to Ned Malone, the brother who had always thought highly of her. He smiled at her warm-heartedly. At this she gave in to her desire to embrace him. She took him into her arms and hugged him lovingly. "If the situation were any different I would never admit this, but you've become a brother to me. A bratty little brother but a brother none the less," she said attempting to sound cheerful.
Her gaze moved to Veronica, her loving little sister. Tears were streaming down Veronica's face. Marguerite tenderly brushed them away and embraced her warmly. "I'll never forget you," she whispered. Tears were audible in her own voice but she did not let them fall. Not yet anyway. She did not want her last moments with them to be unhappy. She wanted to remember everything they had shown and given her. She was grateful for their love. A knot tightened in her throat as the two sisters tightened their embrace.
"Funny how I never wanted any brothers or sisters, or even a family but now I don't know what I'm going to do without you all." She touched her forehead to Veronica's, and then steeped away. Veronica wiped away her tears without much success. She attempted to cheer up the atmosphere, "Now don't give them too much trouble Marguerite, we don't want to hear any complaints." She smiled and Marguerite smiled back. "Say goodbye to Finn for me." She paused. "She will come back, Veronica, be strong. I've left some things for you two," she said, attempting a happy tone. "Thank you," mouthed Veronica. It was all she could manage.
Next Marguerite turned to Challenger. "Our turn," she whispered with a watery smile. Challenger smiled back at her attempt to sound cheerful. He loved the way that she never wanted to trouble anyone else with her problems, even though she urgently needed help. He took her face into his hands and kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you, my child, we all will." He took her into his arms and held her tightly, losing battle to his own tears. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "You'll always be in my heart, Marguerite." She smiled again and looked lovingly into his face. "Goodbye, George. He'll never be as much of a father to me as you are," she said softly as she stepped from him.
Slowly, Marguerite turned to Roxton without looking directly into his eyes. He took her hand and stared back at her. He wanted to give into to the impulses that were troubling his body. He wanted to hold her, kiss her and love her forever, but he knew how hard it would be to let go again. Marguerite didn't want to leave her family let alone her chance to have her very own family with this wonderful man. She couldn't do it again. She stepped back, slipping her hand out of his. "Goodbye Lord Roxton," she whispered, trying her hardest to salvage a smile as her voice caved with tears.
As they stepped into the wooden elevator, Marguerite looked back at her home and her real family; the ones who had stood by her through everything, the good times and the bad, and the ones who had even forgiven her for her miserable lies. Now the tears were streaming down her face. Not just hers, but everyone's, except Roxton's. How could he even begin to feel, begin to believe that this was actually happening? He refused to believe, he refused to let it in.
As the explorers watched, the elevator disappeared out of sight. Before long, they crowded the balcony, looking and following into the distance until she was gone. All this without a word. The room was silent, except for the gentle sobs of Veronica into Malone's shoulder. Today she had lost her two sisters, her two best friends. She had nowhere to turn. No one knew what to do. The world had stopped turning.
Roxton sat down for a moment. All this had happened so fast. He just wanted to wake up and everything would be ok again. She would be in his arms. 'It must be a dream,' he kept thinking, but he knew it wasn't. Everything was so clear and it all made sense, well as much as it possibly could. "I love you, Marguerite," he muttered under his breath. Why hadn't he said that to her as she left? There were so many things he had wanted to say, but he had stood silent, and now it was too late. He couldn't believe she was gone, that he would never see her again.
Soon, Malone became aware of Roxton's numbness. He moved from Veronica who was still staring from the balcony. As Malone approached, Roxton sat up.
"Hi," volunteered Malone, sitting down beside him. There was silence for a moment.
"I have to go after her."
"What?" questioned Malone.
"I have to go after her," repeated Roxton calmly.
"Erm, are you sure? I mean she actually wants to do this, Roxton. Maybe you should think it through."
Veronica, overhearing their conversation decided to go over to join them. She headed to the other side of Roxton and gently placed her hand gently on his back. "Roxton, I know this is gonna be hard, for all of us, but we have to let her do this. You don't wanna mess with her now she's made this decision, you'll be dinner." She said, trying to lighten the mood a little. It was worth a shot, but it didn't work. "It'll be ok," she continued.
"How? How can anything EVER be the same?"
"I didn't say."
"Marguerite has gone, GONE," he barked. "FOREVER."
He stood up, grabbing his rifles and making for the elevator.
"Where are you going?" screamed Veronica.
~ The end! Well the end of the chapter, obviously not the end of the story! You know what I mean!! I told you it was short, but R&R anyway, you know you want to!! *big smile* xx