Roxton, Malone, and Veronica were in the living area discussing what they'd just witnessed when Marguerite entered, Marietta trailing behind. All discussions ceased as she passed them, heading for the coffee. Her face was clouded, and when Roxton asked her if she'd remembered that they had planned to go to the Xanga village today, she angrily retorted that she didn't remember agreeing to anything. He was taken aback by her hostile tone, and Veronica, noticing the hurt look on his face, offered, "It's okay, Roxton, I can go. I wanted to see Assai anyway. You two should stay here." He looked at her, grateful, then looked again at Marguerite, who was sitting at the table, the child staring up at her. He half-heard Malone's eager volunteer to accompany her. Veronica graciously accepted, and the two got up to leave. After their friend's had departed, Roxton sit on the couch, quietly observing Marguerite and Marietta. The women didn't seem to take any notice of her, other then to glance at her every now and then. When Roxton got up to go into his room to retrieve something, he began to worry that Marguerite would try to alienate herself from the child, despite the small show of warmth she'd allowed less then an hour earlier.
He was walking back from his room when he saw Marietta trying to crawl up onto Marguerite's seat. He cringed, wondering what her response would be. To his utter amazement, she put down her coffee, and took the girl in her arms, lifting her up onto the chair. The child laughed and took her hand, sitting on the heiress' lap, then looked over to where Roxton stood on the other side of the room. She grinned at him, then snuggled into Marguerite's arms. The woman looked over at him, not realizing he was there until now. She looked surprised, then, annoyed at his seeing her showing emotion, demanded, "Do you find it comical to sneak up on people?" He bit back a smile and entered the room, crossing to sit in a chair to the right of her. Marietta looked up at Marguerite's angry expression and laughed. Both of the adults looked at the child, and the woman's anger melted away. Why did this child have such a profound hold over her emotions? She'd not spent two days with her and she already had Marguerite wrapped around her pinky finger. She smiled at the child, then remembered Roxton. Looking up at him, she asked with mock anger, "So I suppose this mean's you're going to lounge around here and not do anything all day, since Veronica and Malone have taken your job?" He grinned at her, "Ah, don't forget, it was yours too, my dear Miss Krux. So how do you intend to spend the day?" She frowned, sighing, "Well, I suppose I'll have to look after the child since everyone else seems to have something more important to do." Although she acted as if it was a chore, he had a feeling she didn't mind that at all. He realized this was his chance to spend some time with her. Marietta would be an excuse. "Well, I was thinking of going over to the river, and thought maybe Marietta would like to come, too. What do you think, Marietta? You can pick flowers for your, uh…" he looked at Marguerite and grinned teasingly, "Mum! And we can bring a picnic! I'm sure you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Marietta laughed and Marguerite glared at him. "You're insane. Are you planning on teaching her how to shoot a gun, too, or did you forget about the nasty creatures crawling all over the place on this god-forsaken hell?" Roxton looked at her, exasperated, "You know that dinosaur's don't come up the river this far, and I doubt we'll run into any tribes. We haven't yet, have we?" The woman frowned, then responded, "Well, you two can just go and have fun without me, because I'm staying here." He looked at her, slightly angry, "Oh, come now Marguerite. You're honestly going to stay here in order to avoid me? Because for some reason I know you're not doing this to get away from the child." She looked at him, her resolve fading some. Marietta looked up at her and pouted. The woman saw a tear slid down the child's face, and she groaned, "Okay! Okay, I'll go! But I'm not packing for your little picnic, I'll have you know. You offered, so you two can do it." Roxton stood up and held out his hand to the child, who took it, jumping down from Marguerite's chair. "We will. You just have to come, that's all." With that, the two departed for the kitchen. Marguerite, staring after them, just couldn't help but smile at the great, fearless hunter holding hands with a little girl. Even she had to admit, he'd make a wonderful father. Maybe Marietta had somehow known that. That's why she choose him. Him and Marguerite- 'Stop thinking like that.' she scolded herself. She and Roxton? There may be something there, but it couldn't be love. Or if it was, did she really think he'd still love her when he found out all her secrets?
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They stopped in a meadow, within feet of the river. There were brightly colored little flower's spotting the green grass. Marietta squealed in delight, running to a patch of yellow and orange flowers. Marguerite sat down, her back to a tree, and watched her carefully, not wanting her to stray too far. Roxton took a look around and, concluding they were indeed alone, came back to sit beside her, gun at his side. He watched the child and laughed when Marguerite almost bolted to the rescue when she tripped over a rock or something. He reached out to stop her and she looked at him, angry. He nodded for her to look back at Marietta, who climbed to her feet and set off again, not a tear shed. Marguerite sat back, feeling slightly foolish, but how was she to know that the kid hadn't hurt herself? Roxton helped her to get their lunch out and she called to Marietta. He looked up as the child came running, and laughed when she sat beside the woman, saying, "Mummy?" Marguerite didn't respond, but gave the child a slice of fruit. They ate in silence, but the child looked up at them and grinned. Roxton and Marguerite laughed at the little girl's face, smeared with dirt. Marguerite wiped off her face with a cloth, and Roxton thought of how much this felt like a family outing to him. He watched Marguerite's tender care of the child and saw something in her eyes he'd never seen before. She'd adapted to her role as mother to the child within seconds, and he could only think of how much he loved her at that moment, more then ever before, if that was possible. She looked up at him and gave him an uncommonly sincere smile, but quickly looked away. She laughed a little and he asked, "What?" She stated quietly, "You've got dirt on your chin." Marietta and Marguerite looked at him and laughed, then Marietta gave the heiress the cloth she'd been using to wipe the child's face. Marguerite, realizing that the girl that it was funny that Roxton needed as much help as she did, leaned forward and wiped the dirt off his chin, resulting in Marietta's high pitched giggle as she ran around the meadow. Roxton caught Marguerite's hand and the mood became suddenly serious, and Marguerite dropped the cloth but didn't pull back. Roxton looked into her eyes and slowly kissed her, giving her every chance to pull away. She didn't, but didn't make any effort to deepen the kiss. He did, however, and for a moment she allowed it. Then she pulled away, though, and moved back, anxious to be away from him. "Marguerite, please, don't pull away from me." he tried, but she was already gathering their things. "We should be going." she stated, and when he reached for her arm she growled, "Don't." He was losing his patience, and stated, annoyed, "Why, Marguerite? Why don't? I know that you have feeling's for me, don't you deny that. I know that you know how I feel about you. Why can't you just trust me and open up? Even just a little." She shook her head and looked down at the ground, responding quietly, "I do trust you, but it's not that simple." He stood when she did, taking her hands so she couldn't run away and questioning, "Why? Why can't it be that simple? I love you, Marguerite, and that's all that matter's. The past mean's nothing. I love you for who you are, and your past can't stop me." She looked up at him, surprised at how he seemed to be able to read her mind. His deep brown eyes stared into hers, pleading with her to not be afraid of love, to open her heart to him. She faltered, then replied, "You say that now, but you don't know about my past. Some of the things I've done…I can't love you if you're going to leave me." Roxton quickly countered, "Marguerite, we've all done things we regret. Every one of us. But that can't stop us from living our life as best we can. To deny love would be as much a mistake as anything you've done. I don't know a lot about your past, but what I do know has shocked me, I won't lie to you. But your past has made you who you are today, and so whatever's happened doesn't matter to me, as long as you can tell me you love me. I know you do." She didn't know what to say, what to do. After more then three years on the plateau, living with this man and putting her life into his hands numerous times, she knew she could trust him. But old doubts and past romances came into her mind, and she didn't want her past repeating itself. "John, I do- but there's so much you don't know, and I just don't know if…" she trailed off and he softly asked, "Tell me, are you more afraid that I may not love you, or that I do? Which would scare you more?" Marguerite took a shaky breath and looked away. She knew what he was getting at. "That I do love you scares you, doesn't it? But that's what love is, Marguerite! It can be scary, because you feel things that make you wanna die for someone else, to lay down your life just to see them smile. I know, because that's how I feel for you. I know you feel the same." She wanted so badly to just put her walls back up, to escape into their normal banter, to be able to throw insults at him instead of feeling for him. But the feelings were there, she couldn't deny that. "John, I do, but I can't…" she tried to tell him, but the words stuck in her throat. "I know, Marguerite. You don't have to say it." He brought his hands up to her face and kissed her, but this time it was soft, innocent. When his lips left hers she looked around, just realizing that she hadn't heard Marietta for awhile now. "Marietta!" she called, not seeing her in the valley. "Marietta!" There was no response, no sound. Marguerite grabbed up her gun and took off at a run for the other side of the meadow, desperate to find the child. In the back of her mind, Marguerite realized that Roxton was following her, but her only thoughts were on the girl who she'd become so attached to in so short a time. 'If anything happen's to her, I'll die.'
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A.N.- thanks for the encouraging reviews, they really do help! next chapter will be put up quicker, i promise!
