Disclaimer: I don't own them! Neither Marguerite, Roxton, Challenger nor Veronica, Finn and Malone. I don't own anything that has to do with TLW... But Aly, David, Rhianne, Tuathal and those are mine somehow.
Chapter 12: Decisions
Marguerite didn't know what to say. She had fixed Rhianne with such an angry stare as if trying to kill her by simply looking at her. What Rhianne had just said made her see red. When it came to her children she didn't stand for any nonsense.
Rhianne noticed that she had said the wrong thing and made a step towards Marguerite.
"Don't you come any closer!" Marguerite warned her and stepped backwards.
"I'm just trying to help you. I would never ever harm your baby." Rhianne answered. Somehow Marguerite knew that this woman did speak the truth, but she was still not sure what to do.
"Then why did you say my daughter is going to die?"
"Because she will, if you don't do anything." Rhianne said and a sign of relief could be heard in her voice. She was glad that Marguerite was at least listening to her.
"But who? Who would harm her?" Marguerite sounded desperate. Rhianne approached her again and this time Marguerite didn't shrink back.
"Your daughter and also your son, are something very special. They unite the powers of two of the most respected people of Avalon." Marguerite thought about that for a moment.
"Wait, you just said two of the most respected ones. One of them certainly is my mother or rather me, from what you've told me, but who's the other one?" Rhianne gave her a weak but friendly smile.
"That's another story. It has to do with your mate." Marguerite looked at her rather surprised than confused.
"John? Is he involved in this, too?"
"More than you think is. His father is the son of Conroy a very wise leader of Avalon."
"You're loosing me. You mean that he's somehow related to Avalon, too? Then why doesn't he have powers and what about my son?" Rhianne nodded.
"That's a legitimate question. But you have to know that no man can develop active powers. Only women are capable of doing that. But if they got certain characteristics from their parents they usually have strong passive powers and that's a mighty gift. It seems that your mate's and your powers were passed on to your children. But your son cannot use his powers. Both of them are very valuable nevertheless. Especially your unborn daughter."
"But why is she so valuable and for whom?" Marguerite asked impatiently. In her opinion Rhianne didn't answer her questions quickly enough.
"Dierdre is dying. The body that once belonged to your sister is weak and it's getting weaker with every day that passes by. She needs a female successor and she has chosen your daughter, because of her powers."
"But my daughter is not even born, yet. And you said for yourself that a baby can't do anything." Rhianne nodded.
"Yes, you're right. Not even Dierdre or Morrigan are able to control a baby's mind. It has to do with the fact that an infant's mind and awareness have yet to develop. But Dierdre still has the time to wait until your daughter is old enough. And if she succeeds everything will be lost. A new Kaie will start and this time the good will lose. But if you'll defeat her now that she's weak the world would be save." Marguerite sighed. She felt strange. On the one hand it made her feel so sad, angry and frightened that she was now obviously the one to prevent a catastrophe she hadn't caused, but on the other hand there was her daughter's life at stake.
Rhianne looked at her sympathetically. She felt so sorry for her and she knew that Marguerite still kept relatively calm. She would show all her emotions, if she realized what a great deal of influence all these new information had on her life. But until that time would come, Rhianne would try her best to cheer her up. She took some steps towards Marguerite until she was able to take her hand.
"I will show you something that will convince you that it's worth fighting." She said. She knew that Marguerite wouldn't and couldn't remember what Rhianne would show her now, but she was sure that she'd feel better afterwards.
**********
There was a flash of light and suddenly Marguerite found herself in a familiar room. It was the dining room of the Roxtons' house in Avebury, but it looked slightly different. She could see herself sitting at the table reading something. She was alone in the room.
"Where are we?" Marguerite asked. Rhianne smiled at her.
"In the future. About seven years from now. Time travelling is a very inaccurate business so you often have to guess." Marguerite shook her head.
"Isn't it dangerous to travel space and time? You could alter so many things if you for example talk to the wrong people at the wrong time." Rhianne nodded.
"Yes, but we're only spectators here." She didn't want to tell Marguerite that she would forget everything afterwards.
The door was flung open...
**********
The door was flung open and a boy, who was about eight years old, entered the room. His little coat was covered with snow, so was the cap he wore.
"Mummy! Mummy, guess what happened?!" The boy came up to table his mother was sitting at. Excitement made him jump up and down and the snow from his shoes was spread out on the floor.
"Oh no, Alasdair. Suzanne had cleaned the floor this morning. Look what you've done!" The boy looked down at the mess he'd made.
"I'm sorry, mummy. I'm going to wipe that away later, but now guess what happened!" The boy grinned.
"I don't know." Marguerite said and closed her book.
"Well guess!" Alasdair jumped again and even more snow fell to the ground.
"You won at football?" She tried.
"Yes!" The boy shouted. Then he took the cap from his head and shook it.
"Alasdair! You're making it even worse!" The boy looked down again at the snow that had already begun melting. But it didn't seem as if he cared much about it.
"There was Noah, Kieran and me against Andrew, Malcolm and Francis. And I shot two goals at least, mummy. I was there and Francis was right behind me..." He used his hands to illustrate the things he told her.
"Where is Daddy?" He asked then. "I have to tell him that he has to watch out next time he plays football with me, I practised a lot."
**********
Marguerite smiled at the scene she had just seen. She couldn't believe that Alasdair was already so big. But it was reassuring to know that she would finally find her peace. One thing made her a bit unsure though: She hadn't seen her daughter. Rhianne stood beside her observing the scene attentively.
"What about my daughter?" Marguerite finally asked. Rhianne turned to look at her.
"Patience, my dear."
**********
"Alasdair, would you call Ella and Aidan? Dinner will be served in a few minutes." Marguerite said towards her son while she helped Suzanne to set the table.
Alasdair nodded.
"I think they are in the backyard." Suzanne added.
It was not much later that two small figures stood in the doorframe covered with snow from top to toe. One of the figures was giggling. Marguerite turned and held her breath.
"My god! What the..." She stopped as she remembered whom she was talking to. "What have you two been doing?"
"Aidan started it!" The taller figure said and pointed at the smaller one. Marguerite shook her head and smiled at the two 'snowmen'.
**********
It was almost half an hour later that they could start eating. Ella and Aidan had to take a bath so they wouldn't get a cold. Ella's long and wavy hair was still wet and her green eyes were sparkling as if they were emeralds. Aidan was the only one in the family that didn't have dark hair and green eyes. The three year-old had short and curly blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked a lot like John's older brother William except for the curls of course.
"John! Are you coming?" Marguerite shouted.
"Almost there, my dear." His voice could be heard from the other room. He entered the room while he was still speaking.
"Finally, Daddy!" Alasdair moaned. "I'm starving!" John sat down at the table and looked at his wife.
"Ned has just phoned me. David and Eve have a little sister now. Veronica gave birth to a little girl. Her name is Julia."
**********
Everything went black. And there was only Rhianne standing next to her.
"What happened?" Marguerite asked.
"It's about time..."
"Time for what?"
"I'm going to leave you, now. But I'll be back. Meet me here in three days from now." And with that she disappeared.
Marguerite didn't know what to do at first. She stood there in the room still wondering what had just happened to her. And suddenly everything hit her with such a force that she just couldn't help it, she just had to cry. It was getting colder and colder and then she could see the moon again. She was out of the stone circle.
**********
John still couldn't believe what he had seen. There had been a flash of light and suddenly just like that Marguerite had been gone. He had called her, but there had been no answer. He had been searching the whole area that surrounded the stone circle for her, but there had been no sign of her. She had just disappeared. Where was she? And was she in danger?
He wondered whether there had been anything he could have done to prevent what had happened.
"Marguerite!" He called again. And although his common sense told him that there was no way to find somebody, whom the earth had literally swallowed up his heart would never give up on her. Slowly he walked back to the place where he had seen her for the last time. He stopped from time to time to make sure he didn't miss a thing.
Suddenly he heard somebody weeping. Marguerite! He thought at once and started to run. If somebody had harmed her in any way, he swore he would kill the one, who had dared to do that.
He found her lying on the ground, only a few yards from where she had disappeared earlier. Her face was buried in her hands and her whole body was shaking.
John fell on his knees next to her and took her hands, which were as cold as ice, so he could look into her eyes. The silvery light of the moon allowed him to see that she must have cried a lot. She looked at him and as if she wanted to say something, but new streams of tears began to run down her cheeks.
"My god." He whispered and took her in his arms. Marguerite wrapped her arms around him and lay her head against his shoulder.
"John," she sobbed, "I'm so glad you're with me." John pressed his cheek against her head while he stroked her hair.
"Shh! It's okay." He paused to give her a chance to calm down.
"Would you mind telling me what happened?" He asked then. Marguerite shook her head.
"It's Dierdre. She wants to kill our girl." Her fingers held his upper arm in a firm clutch while she turned her head. John felt her tears dripping on his left shoulder.
"Who wants to kill our girl?" He didn't get an answer, because an indescribable feeling of anger seized her. She tried to stand up.
"I'm going to kill that bitch." Her voice echoed in the darkness. She sunk to the ground again, but John caught her.
"Easy now! Easy, my dear!" He said. But there was obviously no way to calm her down, now.
"That bloody minx! She will pay for what she has done to my sister and my mother and for what she plans to do." A new wave of tears hit her.
Although John was really curious now what this was all about, he tried to keep quiet. He stood up from the cold ground and took her in his arms.
"Come on, we better bring you home now."
End Chapter Twelve...
So that was chapter 12. I hope you liked it, so please review.
It could take some time now, before I update the next time. I'm going to be a little busy the next four weeks, but I'll give my best so you don't have to wait too long…
And special thanks to everyone, who reviewed of course! I'm sorry that I don't have the time to name everybody now, but you know who you are. *hugs*, *kisses* and best wishes to everyone of you! Love ya! And have a wonderful weekend (as long as it lasts:)