Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 5: Amazonia

They flew over an expanse of woodland, the inland sea, some hills and some small streams and rivers until the rock faces at the edge of the Plateau could be seen. They fell away precipitously. "So this is how it ends." Veronica said and sighed. Ned lay his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't say that. It's not the end. I don't say that it's going to be the same. But who says that, just because it's different, it's going to be worse?" Veronica nodded.

"I know you're right. It's just..." she hesitated for a moment, "I've never been anywhere else. It scares me."

"Who says we're not scared?" Ned gave her a smile.

Marguerite kneeled down to Alasdair shortly before they crossed "the border to the civilized world".

"Okay, now you've got to hold on to me. It'll be a very bumpy ride." She sat down on the floor of the basket and held her son tight. Veronica did the same. Only seconds after that the balloon was enveloped in dense, white fog and it began to shake.

"Malone, make sure we're high enough. I don't think I want to hit one of these rocks again." Challenger shouted. He had grasped one of the ropes that connected the balloon with the basket. Everybody knew that he was referring to their rough landing, when they had arrived more than five years ago.

"I'll try. But it's not so easy, because I can't see a thing." Ned had to scream to drown out the howling of the wind.

"Make the balloon fly as high as possible. I'm sure it'll work out then." John shouted.

**********

When the mist lifted the Plateau was already a few hundred yards away. Its top disappeared in the clouds. Marguerite and Veronica stood up.

"We did it!" Marguerite said, but her voice didn't sound very cheerful.

"Yes, we did it." Veronica whispered.

Challenger bursted out into laughter.

"I can't believe it. Finally I have the chance to see Jessie again." John said nothing he just watched Marguerite, who was -as far as he could tell- too quiet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and started to caress her belly.

"Everything all right with...?" he whispered into her ear. She nodded. And turned to look into his eyes.

"John, I'm scared." She took his hand in hers.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know. I think I got used to the Plateau, but..." she looked at the precipitous rock face again.

"Could we discuss this later?" she asked.

"Of course." he kissed her neck and turned to look what Alasdair was doing.

Veronica started to cry again. Ned tried to comfort her, while Finn held David in her arms.

"It's okay, Veronica." Ned whispered.

Finn looked a little helpless with the infant in her arms.

"Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see." And he hoped that he was right about that.

**********

"Hey guys. I don't want to disturb you. But I think we're losing height." Finn said as if it was totally irrelevant. Challenger looked up.

"What?" he couldn't believe what Finn had just said.

"She's right." Ned said as he leant over the edge of the basket. Marguerite grasped Alasdair's hand.

"Well, then make it stop!" she snapped.

"I can't!" Challenger shouted and fear started to spread among the explorers.

"What do you mean: You can't?" Marguerite asked and she held her son's hand tighter.

"The iron and the sulphuric acid completely reacted together. There's nothing left that could possibly make us lift up again. A crash is inevitable." Alasdair looked at him with big eyes.

"Mummy?" he asked noticing that something was wrong.

"There's always something you can do, George, isn't there?" Veronica asked and there still was a glimmer of hope to be seen in her eyes.

"I'm afraid, there's nothing I can do this time." John had to laugh.

"This is ridiculous. We've hardly escaped from this bloody Plateau and now we'll fall to death? That can't be." Challenger shook his head.

"I don't think we'll be falling to death. It won't be a very comfortable landing, but the gas won't disappear all at once. It'll be consumed slowly. We'll be losing height faster than you are used to, but I think, at least I hope, we'll survive. But you should take care of David and Alasdair."

**********

When Marguerite awoke again, her first thought was for her son.

"Alasdair?" She whispered as she tried to open her eyes. Then she felt a wave of pain running through her body. She gasped. At the same moment a hand touched her cheek in a way only one person could touch it.

"John?" She succeeded in opening her eyes now. She was lying on a comfortable bed in a building that seemed to be a kind of hut. She tried to sit up, but John pushed her back gently.

"Where are we and where is Alasdair?"

"Some Indians were kind enough to take us in. At least for the next two days. Challenger told them where we're coming from. They seemed to be very interested in his stories. And the little one is sleeping over there." He pointed into the direction of the opposite wall. Marguerite seemed to relax. John on the other hand didn't. He seemed to be more thoughtful and distracted than usual. Marguerite noticed that right away.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

"I knew you would ask that...," he hesitated for a moment, "I had to tell him."

She was confused.

"You're losing me, John. You had to tell whom what?"

"I had to tell George about your condition." Now she understood what he meant.

"You told him about me being pregnant? But why? I thought we'd both agreed to keep this for ourselves for a while." He took her hand.

"I know, but you were unconscious. I didn't know, if that would be affecting the baby. I was worried." Marguerite's anger disappeared as fast as it had come. She was touched by his obvious concern about her and the baby. And who could be angry with such a guy just being concerned about her? Finally she gave in.

"It's okay. How is the baby by the way?"

"Hale and hearty as a two month old fetus should be." She looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect the fetus to be that old. She still couldn't believe that only seven month from now there most likely would be the four of them.

**********

The next day went relatively quiet and uneventful. Challenger took the opportunity to look after Alasdair. He had grown fond of the little boy. Not only because he was his godchild, it was much more than that. He loved him like his own grandchild. And in a way he knew he was. Being with the little boy was like experiencing something wonderful, which had been missing in his life all the time. It was filling a void inside of him. It made him realize that science wasn't everything and that the decision not to have children had been a mistake. But when he thought about it, he had children: There were Veronica and Finn of course. They had always seen a kind of father figure in him. And there was Marguerite. There had been a lot of disagreements and arguments in the beginning. But George realized that she of all people needed a father the most, especially after Summerlee disappeared, even if she was the one who tried to deny it most vehemently. And to be honest she made him proud in a way no one else could. She had been through a lot of trouble and he didn't doubt for a second that she had had a really hard time. Perhaps even harder than he could imagine and she managed to get over her suspicion and insensitivity and she turned into a helpful, sympathetic friend, a loving mother and a partner you could rely on, admittedly with the sometimes really annoying habit to love precious stones and metals a little too much. But he was wondering, if the new situation was asking too much of her.  He looked over to her little son, who was just about disappear behind the huts.

"Alasdair!" The boy wasn't listening so Challenger was forced to run after him.

**********

Marguerite had been lying in her bed the whole day. She had a headache that was almost unbearable. John had stayed with her most of the time, so they had had the opportunity to talk and to sort some things out.

In the evening she felt a little better. She decided to take a walk to see what was happening in the village and although John didn't like to leave her he went over to Challenger to fetch their son and talk about the coming day, because they wanted to leave early in the morning.

When Marguerite stood up she felt a little dizzy at first. That made her wonder, whether she should go. But she decided that she could use some fresh air.

She had just opened the door when she could hear Veronica's voice.

"Marguerite! Please, wait for me." Veronica quickly caught up with her. Marguerite didn't know how to react. She was sure that Veronica knew about her pregnancy, too. She couldn't explain why it made her feel so uncomfortable, perhaps because it was such a private thing and she didn't like people knowing too much about her.

"I heard about it." That was the first thing Veronica said. I knew it, Marguerite thought.

"Congratulations." Veronica hugged her. Marguerite gave her a weak smile.

"Thanks." They walked into the direction of the forest. When they had put some distance between them and the huts they stopped and sat down on the grass. Marguerite noticed that Veronica had a nasty wound at her back.

"Did that happen when we crashed?" Veronica nodded.

"But it's not as bad as it looks. It doesn't even hurt. What about you? How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better, but the headache is almost gone."

"I didn't mean that and you know it." Marguerite sighed. She didn't really want to talk about it. But she thought it might help to talk about it with another woman, especially because Veronica went through it herself. Well not exactly the same.

"I don't know how I feel. On the one hand I'm happy, of course. But on the other hand it scares me like hell."

"Isn't that normal?"

"I guess it is, but there is more. John doesn't understand it." Marguerite hesitated. She wasn't sure, if she should tell Veronica about it.

"John doesn't understand what?"

"Well, you don't know the English society. Especially in the High Society it's not common practice to have...," she was searching for the right words, "Children, if you're not married. And it's especially frowned upon, if you have them with a woman of my reputation." Veronica looked at her with an expression of complete bewilderment on her face.

"How can you say that? This can't be true?" Marguerite shook her head. She was on the verge of tears.

"But it is."

"Oh Marguerite, you've changed in so many ways. Don't let them destroy all that. You can be proud of yourself, of what you achieved. And John would never leave you, because of that. You know that, don't you? He loves you more than words could ever tell." Veronica had to be careful with what she was saying. Sometimes Marguerite just pushed her away, if their conversation headed into a direction she didn't like. Especially if it came to feelings and emotions. Veronica knew that she didn't like people seeing her at a vulnerable state.

"I know."

"And look at me. Ned and aren't married, at least not the way we should be. And we have a child." She had to smile as she thought about their 'wedding'. It had been a symbolic thing. A Zanga ritual, so they would always be together.

"You're right. But there are so many things and I can't stop thinking about them." Veronica put an arm around Marguerite's shoulder.

"I know what you mean, but let's think about those things when it's time. Have you decided on a name, yet?" Marguerite shrugged. She had talked about this with John in the afternoon.

"We're not sure about it yet. To be honest I think it's too early to decide on one." Veronica nodded.

They sat there for another hour before they returned to the village.

**********

It was dark. Rain was dripping from the black clouds, which covered the night sky. She could feel bare feet walking over the muddy ground. Sometimes a foot was sinking into the mud. There was pain. She felt it. There was so much pain. She could hear shouting, yelling, screaming and shrieking. Children were sobbing, crying for their parents. Blood was everywhere. It mixed with the water that had collected in puddles. There was a mother with a little girl and a baby in her arms. She knew them. Somehow she didn't know why, but somehow she started to relax when she saw them. The little girl looked frightened. The mother seemed to be nervous. She was looking around, but she didn't seem to notice all the blood and the pain. It was more likely that she was looking out for something or somebody.

Suddenly she recognized them. The baby, it was her.

"Mother! Sophia!" she managed to shout before she was pushed into the mud...

End Chapter Five...

I don't know if you know the feeling: You know you could do it much better, but there's a lack of words and so on. That's exactly what I'm feeling right now. So please R&R...

And as you might have noticed I really liked the relationship between Veronica and Marguerite, but now Veronica hangs around with Finn all the time. That's such a pity. I chose to revive this M&V relationship. I don't know, but I think it was something special (Especially in the first part of season 3. And then Finn appeared...)

And THANKS to all my loyal reviewers. You know this means a lot to me…