Sorry i made you guys wait so long for it but here it is...chapter 4!
Soon enough darkness engulfed the plateau and evening settled in upon the inhabitants of the treehouse. Veronica was in the kitchen finishing dinner and Marguerite was busy setting the table, Ned sat in his personal area writing in his journals, Challenger of course was in his laboratory running test on a new discovery, and both Jewel and Layton sat listening to Summerlee tell stories. Roxton, the only absent one, was down stairs asleep. Dinner was done within minutes and Veronica began calling everyone together to get ready to come to the table.
"Alright everyone dinners ready. Come and sit down. Layton, Jewel, Summerlee. Challenger come out of that laboratory and eat. You too Ned. Get up from that desk of yours and come eat." she called to them all.
As they all came into the kitchen, Ned walked over to his beautiful wife who stood by the stove. Lacing his arms around her waist he whispered in her ear letting each word creep barely above a whisper :
"I love a forceful woman. You keep yelling like that and your going to be in trouble." he said as he kissing her neck. With her body fitting perfectly between his she let out giggles as Ned continued to whisper in her ear such inappropriate but deliciously divine "secrets".
"Oh would you two get a room!" Marguerite finally interrupted.
"Come on Marguerite, like you and Roxton don't do same."
"Speaking of Lord pain in the ass, he needs to be summoned from his mighty domain. Jewel!" she said calling to her beautiful little girl. Within seconds Jewel came bopping with her dark brown curls and her bright gray eyes to her mother's side .
"Mummy you called me." she said with her little British accent, walking up to her mother.
"Yes, sweetie do mummy a favor and go get daddy and tell him that dinner's ready." she said bending down next to her daughter to meet her at eye level.
"Yes mummy." she said obeyingly , as she scampered away running down the stairs to do as she was told.
"Thank you sweetie." was all Marguerite said before having her attention drawn back to the conversation they were engaging in prior to her command.
"As we were saying before" ,Veronica said pressing on with the conversation, "you two can't stay away from each other."
Marguerite smiled thinking of how inseparable her and Roxton were but remembering his awful attitude from earlier that put her right back into her formal mindset; pissed off. But before she could respond she was cut of by the yelps and sobs of "Mummy! " of her daughter coming back up the stairs. Marguerite ran to her automatically.
"Jewel! Jewel sweetie what's wrong? What's the matter?" Marguerite asked frantically kneeling to the floor and pulling her daughter to her, confused by the tears streaming down her daughter's face.
"It's Daddy!" she exploded through her tears. "Something's wrong with Daddy!" she explained more thoroughly through her choking sobs. A silence of pure panic and magnificent fear surged through Marguerite's veins before she took off down the flight of stairs to her room, with Ned, Veronica and Challenger following her. Summerlee remained upstairs to try to relax a now worried Layton's and a frantic Jewel.
The sight the treehouse inhabitants engulfed was most frightening. There in the bed, lay Roxton breathing extremely hard in convulsions with beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, and sweat profusely soaking the sheets. Marguerite gasped at the heart wrenching sight as she ran to his side and took his hand. He muttered something in a barely in and audible voice.
"Marguerite. Marguerite." he repeated in a whisper.
"John, sweetie! John I'm here! I'm here sweetheart! John can you hear? Darling please open your eyes. John! You'll be fine I swear it! Challenger do something!" Marguerite screamed frantically on the brink of tears.
"My God!" was all Challenger said as he rushed to Roxton's side taking his pulse and temperature.
As he placed his hand to John's forehead, he snatched it away as if he had been burned.
"He's burning up! We have to get his temperature down."
With Challenger at one side of Roxton trying to still him from the convulsions and Marguerite at the other whispering soothing words into his ears and wiping away his sweat from his forehead and replacing them with kisses, Ned and Veronica were left in the room taking in the horrific sight.
When suddenly Jewel came running down the stairs, with tears flowing down her face and yelling for her father, followed by Summerlee trying to catch her. Veronica caught her at the door before she could see the frightful sight again. Ned seeing Layton at the stairs ran out and took him in his arms and carried him back upstairs trying to prevent his from witnessing this horrifying sight.
"Daddy! Daddy! "she screamed through her sobs. "I want my Daddy!" she said continuing to scream.
"Get that child out here!" Challenger screamed out, fearing for Jewel to once have to see the limp body of her father. Veronica attempted to pick her and carry her out but Jewel resisted with all of her strength still screaming for her father.
"Nooooooo! Noooooo! I want my Daddy! I want my Daddy!" she screamed to the top of her lungs, kicking and screaming trying to resist her aunt from carrying her away.
"Marguerite take your daughter, you're the only one who will be able to calm her!" Challenger screamed to her through the noise of Jewel's tears and screams.
"I can't leave John!" Marguerite protested.
"Marguerite go! He'll be fine!
"But Challenger -"she protested once again.
GO!" challenger screamed.
Feeling no alternative but a heart full of remorse, she did so obediently slowly letting go of John's hand, and going to taking her screaming and kicking child from Veronica. Finally in the arms of her mother Jewel calmed, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and crying into her mother's shoulder allowing Marguerite's sushes and rhythmatic rubs on her back to finally alleviate her frantic rage. With her daughter in her arms Marguerite turned to leave the room. At the doorframe Marguerite turned back looking at her husband laying in the bed with tears streaming down her face and finally with a heavy heart ,turned retreating up the stairs hearing only the mumble of Challengers orders and her daughters sobs as the world began to fade leaving only her and her lonely heart.
Alright you guys know the deal let me know whatyou think and i'll continue!