Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter 2: News
Challenger looked at his barometer. It indicated high pressure, which usually was a sign of good weather, but he didn't trust his pressure gauge completely. He still remembered the incident, which occurred almost two years ago. When they tried to leave the Plateau for the umpteenth time and all those windows in time opened. It still gave him a shudder when he thought about being trapped in that room everything controlled by machines.
He looked at the sky to convince himself the barometer was working properly. The sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds in the sky. He let out a sigh of relief. So far so good, he thought. If everything went according to the plan they would be in the balloon flying home just a few days from now.
He heard the elevator coming down.
"Finn, is that you?" he asked without turning around. He didn't expect Veronica or Malone to be up that early.
"No, sorry to disappoint you, but it's just me." he turned.
"Oh, Veronica. Why are you up so early?" he looked at her in surprise.
She touched the dark-haired boy's head, whom Challenger hadn't seen so far.
"Our little friend Alasdair thought it would be a good idea to get up at six o'clock in the morning. It's certainly not a thing he got from his mother."
Challenger had to laugh.
"That's right."
He turned to the little boy.
"And how are you today?"
But the boy wasn't paying attention. He was already running his rounds through the garden.
Veronica looked after him and shouted.
"Alasdair, you know rule number one: Don't touch the electric fence!"
"Yeah." The boy shouted back. He had been hearing those words since he was old enough to walk.
Challenger watched him for a while.
"Quite a lively boy. By the way, where is your son?"
Veronica pointed towards the treehouse.
"Still sleeping, thank god."
David Thomas Malone was almost two months old and a good boy. He was screaming every four hours when he was hungry and spent the rest of the time sleeping. Ned and Veronica were very happy about that, because they had the chance to spend some time alone. But looking after Alasdair was a full time job. He was a very good boy, too, but he was always running around. And because he was only one and a half years old he was very curious and wanted to explore everything. And that wasn't always good of course.
Veronica sighed.
"Would you look after Alasdair? Then I can prepare breakfast."
Challenger nodded and glanced over to the little one, who had stopped to watch some ants crawling up and down the tree.
**********
"Come on, Marguerite, it's just a few more yards." Roxton walked back to where Marguerite had sat down. The brunette had problems to keep up with his high speed.
"A few thousand more yards, without any doubt." she hid her face in her hands and breathed heavily.
He sat down beside her and rubbed her back gently.
"What is it?" he asked.
She lay her head on his shoulder.
"I don't know. I think I'm just tired. A good night's sleep in my own bed in the treehouse and I'll be as good as new."
He looked at her sceptically.
"Let's hope so. You're not ill, are you?"
She looked at him in annoyance.
"John, stop worrying about me. There's nothing wrong."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"If you say so, my dear. But if you change your mind, I'm always there for you."
Marguerite's annoyed expression disappeared and she gave in.
"I know. It's just...," she stopped for a moment, "I haven't been feeling very well for some time."
She looked him in the eyes to see how he was reacting. As she had expected he was shocked.
"Why haven't you told me? I wouldn't have asked you to join me on this trip. I would..."
He couldn't finish the sentence, because she put her finger on her mouth.
"Shh. I'm feeling much better now that I'm close to you."
He smiled, but his face turned serious again.
"But you should have told me."
She looked down to the ground.
"I know. But there is more."
He studied her with curious glances.
"What?"
She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes.
"I have a hunch why I am feeling so sick lately."
"You do, then tell me!"
He could feel her struggle, if she should tell him. This seemed to be really difficult for her.
She took another deep breath.
"I felt the same way, when I found out that I was pregnant with Alasdair."
He just looked at her with big eyes.
"You mean..." he gesticulated with his hands, then stopped and just looked at her again.
"You mean you are pregnant."
She looked away.
"I'm not sure, it's just a feeling."
He took her in his arms.
"But I thought you should know it." She couldn't look into his eyes right now. She felt so miserable and most of all vulnerable. She didn't think she could stand looking him into the eyes otherwise she would burst into tears.
Having a second child wouldn't be so horrible. But the thought that Alasdair grew up on this Plateau with all its dangers made her sick with worry. How would that be, if there was another child to worry about. She wasn't sure, if she had the strength to go on, if anything would happen to either of them.
And if they'd ever get away from this place, there were still some things from the past she had to face. And she didn't want her children to suffer from her past actions.
And what about John? Marguerite was quite sure that he wasn't upset or something. In fact he seemed to be happy. Just as he had been when she had told him, that she was pregnant with Alasdair. A little overwhelmed but definitely happy.
But if they'd make it home this time and he'd come home with a child and a pregnant woman in tow, people would be talking. Especially because he had a high status in the English society. There would be people, who would disagree with their relationship. Marguerite knew that John would never leave her, because of what others thought about her, but she would damage his reputation. And their children would be made a fool of when they had to go to school...
Stop it, Marguerite! You're thinking too much. You don't even know if you are pregnant and you definitely don't know if we make it home this time. There had been so many opportunities and in the end there was always a disappointment.
And now don't be a coward and look at him. And don't even think about crying!
She looked directly into his eyes. They were full of joy and happiness, but she could also make out a little bit of worry. She didn't know if she was the reason for his worry or their unborn child or something completely different.
"Could we please keep this for ourselves for now, just to see in which direction it heads?" she asked with a trembling voice.
"Of course." he said while he pulled her close to him.
He could hear her sobbing and felt her tears dropping on his right hand.
End Chapter Two...
Sorry, but I don't know how little English kids talk. So it might sound strange to you. Another sorry, because I tend to choose strange names. Alasdair (also Alistair or Alastair) is a Scottish name and it means "Protector of mankind, Defender, Helper". I would have chosen William for his firstname (you know in memory of John's brother), but I thought that he would always be connected to William's life and fate. And that makes him lose a great deal of individuality. That's the same reason why Thomas (in memory of Vee's father) is the second name of Ned and Veronica's son David (hey this name is normal, isn't it?).
And of course a big thank you to everybody, who reviewed. I had had a really bad day and you helped cheering me up. That means a lot to me. Thanks.
Chapter 2: News
Challenger looked at his barometer. It indicated high pressure, which usually was a sign of good weather, but he didn't trust his pressure gauge completely. He still remembered the incident, which occurred almost two years ago. When they tried to leave the Plateau for the umpteenth time and all those windows in time opened. It still gave him a shudder when he thought about being trapped in that room everything controlled by machines.
He looked at the sky to convince himself the barometer was working properly. The sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds in the sky. He let out a sigh of relief. So far so good, he thought. If everything went according to the plan they would be in the balloon flying home just a few days from now.
He heard the elevator coming down.
"Finn, is that you?" he asked without turning around. He didn't expect Veronica or Malone to be up that early.
"No, sorry to disappoint you, but it's just me." he turned.
"Oh, Veronica. Why are you up so early?" he looked at her in surprise.
She touched the dark-haired boy's head, whom Challenger hadn't seen so far.
"Our little friend Alasdair thought it would be a good idea to get up at six o'clock in the morning. It's certainly not a thing he got from his mother."
Challenger had to laugh.
"That's right."
He turned to the little boy.
"And how are you today?"
But the boy wasn't paying attention. He was already running his rounds through the garden.
Veronica looked after him and shouted.
"Alasdair, you know rule number one: Don't touch the electric fence!"
"Yeah." The boy shouted back. He had been hearing those words since he was old enough to walk.
Challenger watched him for a while.
"Quite a lively boy. By the way, where is your son?"
Veronica pointed towards the treehouse.
"Still sleeping, thank god."
David Thomas Malone was almost two months old and a good boy. He was screaming every four hours when he was hungry and spent the rest of the time sleeping. Ned and Veronica were very happy about that, because they had the chance to spend some time alone. But looking after Alasdair was a full time job. He was a very good boy, too, but he was always running around. And because he was only one and a half years old he was very curious and wanted to explore everything. And that wasn't always good of course.
Veronica sighed.
"Would you look after Alasdair? Then I can prepare breakfast."
Challenger nodded and glanced over to the little one, who had stopped to watch some ants crawling up and down the tree.
**********
"Come on, Marguerite, it's just a few more yards." Roxton walked back to where Marguerite had sat down. The brunette had problems to keep up with his high speed.
"A few thousand more yards, without any doubt." she hid her face in her hands and breathed heavily.
He sat down beside her and rubbed her back gently.
"What is it?" he asked.
She lay her head on his shoulder.
"I don't know. I think I'm just tired. A good night's sleep in my own bed in the treehouse and I'll be as good as new."
He looked at her sceptically.
"Let's hope so. You're not ill, are you?"
She looked at him in annoyance.
"John, stop worrying about me. There's nothing wrong."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"If you say so, my dear. But if you change your mind, I'm always there for you."
Marguerite's annoyed expression disappeared and she gave in.
"I know. It's just...," she stopped for a moment, "I haven't been feeling very well for some time."
She looked him in the eyes to see how he was reacting. As she had expected he was shocked.
"Why haven't you told me? I wouldn't have asked you to join me on this trip. I would..."
He couldn't finish the sentence, because she put her finger on her mouth.
"Shh. I'm feeling much better now that I'm close to you."
He smiled, but his face turned serious again.
"But you should have told me."
She looked down to the ground.
"I know. But there is more."
He studied her with curious glances.
"What?"
She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes.
"I have a hunch why I am feeling so sick lately."
"You do, then tell me!"
He could feel her struggle, if she should tell him. This seemed to be really difficult for her.
She took another deep breath.
"I felt the same way, when I found out that I was pregnant with Alasdair."
He just looked at her with big eyes.
"You mean..." he gesticulated with his hands, then stopped and just looked at her again.
"You mean you are pregnant."
She looked away.
"I'm not sure, it's just a feeling."
He took her in his arms.
"But I thought you should know it." She couldn't look into his eyes right now. She felt so miserable and most of all vulnerable. She didn't think she could stand looking him into the eyes otherwise she would burst into tears.
Having a second child wouldn't be so horrible. But the thought that Alasdair grew up on this Plateau with all its dangers made her sick with worry. How would that be, if there was another child to worry about. She wasn't sure, if she had the strength to go on, if anything would happen to either of them.
And if they'd ever get away from this place, there were still some things from the past she had to face. And she didn't want her children to suffer from her past actions.
And what about John? Marguerite was quite sure that he wasn't upset or something. In fact he seemed to be happy. Just as he had been when she had told him, that she was pregnant with Alasdair. A little overwhelmed but definitely happy.
But if they'd make it home this time and he'd come home with a child and a pregnant woman in tow, people would be talking. Especially because he had a high status in the English society. There would be people, who would disagree with their relationship. Marguerite knew that John would never leave her, because of what others thought about her, but she would damage his reputation. And their children would be made a fool of when they had to go to school...
Stop it, Marguerite! You're thinking too much. You don't even know if you are pregnant and you definitely don't know if we make it home this time. There had been so many opportunities and in the end there was always a disappointment.
And now don't be a coward and look at him. And don't even think about crying!
She looked directly into his eyes. They were full of joy and happiness, but she could also make out a little bit of worry. She didn't know if she was the reason for his worry or their unborn child or something completely different.
"Could we please keep this for ourselves for now, just to see in which direction it heads?" she asked with a trembling voice.
"Of course." he said while he pulled her close to him.
He could hear her sobbing and felt her tears dropping on his right hand.
End Chapter Two...
Sorry, but I don't know how little English kids talk. So it might sound strange to you. Another sorry, because I tend to choose strange names. Alasdair (also Alistair or Alastair) is a Scottish name and it means "Protector of mankind, Defender, Helper". I would have chosen William for his firstname (you know in memory of John's brother), but I thought that he would always be connected to William's life and fate. And that makes him lose a great deal of individuality. That's the same reason why Thomas (in memory of Vee's father) is the second name of Ned and Veronica's son David (hey this name is normal, isn't it?).
And of course a big thank you to everybody, who reviewed. I had had a really bad day and you helped cheering me up. That means a lot to me. Thanks.