| A sequel to a woman of steel and fire. A blonde baby girl rested in the jungle woman's arms, with big blue eyes and pale skin. Ned Malone sat beside his wife, astonished and proud. Marguerite touched the infant's fingers, wearing a big smile and kissed Veronica on her cheek, Roxton congratulated her with hug and a kiss on the forehead. Summerlee left Veronica's bedside to call upon Judy, while Challenger took the new borne to get it cleaned and let her sleep in the small basket provided by Assai. Marguerite went out and gave everybody the good news and a new celebration followed the precedent, Roxton joined the raven haired beauty soon after leaving the new parents alone. Ned hugged his wife as he lay beside her and she gave into exhaustion and fell asleep. After he made sure she was well and resting, he joined Challenger at his daughter's side. "What will you call her?" "Veronica wanted to name the baby after her parents, so I guess Abigail." "She is adorable." "Thank you George." Challenger smiled at him and nodded. "I mean it Challenger, thank you for everything." The scientist walked to Veronica's side and checked her temperature and pulse. "Nothing to be worried about she's in perfect health." "That's great news Challenger." Replied Marguerite before Malone as she entered the room holding Judy's hand. Malone smiled at both as the four year old ran to his side. "She is so pretty." She told him marveled. "Why thank you Judy, so are you." "Can I play with her?" Malone chuckled." Perhaps later, you see she is very small now." "Oh, ok." They both sat beside the basket admiring their new family member, while Marguerite noticed the interaction between Ned and her daughter. "He's gonna be a fine dad." With that she walked towards the two. Summerlee came in with Roxton and they all gathered around the new born. Lord John took Judy in his arms and told her they better leave the bay alone to rest if they wanted her to grow and play with Judy, so she had agreed and Marguerite followed with Arthur. As they were walking towards the gathered crowd, the heiress called Summerlee. "I have a favor to ask." "Of course my dear, what is it?" "Can you take care of Judy for tonight, I need to talk to Roxton privately." "Oh yes, definitely." Replied the gray haired man. "Thank you so much Summerlee." With that Marguerite walked to Judy and told her of the plans. The little girl didn't object the old man had always great stories to tell, not the ones like uncle Ned about London, but about science and the future and it fascinated her. "Can I go play now before going to sleep?" "It's past midnight Judy." "Oh daddy please, everybody's dancing I can't sleep." "Ok run along, but don't stay late and listen to whatever Summerlee asks from you." "Ok daddy I will." The four year old ran towards her Zanga friends as Summerlee followed her as fast as he could. Once alone Roxton asked the woman on his side. "What was that all about?" "We need to talk." "What did I do?" She smiled." Nothing, I want to talk that's all." "Why are you nervous then." "I finally found the courage to talk so stop asking too many questions, just follow me to our hut." "Yes ma'am." He replied and she couldn't help but grin. His hear was pounding. What did she want to tell him? She had recovered only a couple of days ago he didn't even have the chance to make her mad. She said courage, he thought, could it be that she was ready to open her heart to him? They sat on the wooden bed and he put his hat on the side table. She looked in his eyes, and saw he was confused, so she took a deep breath and put her hand on his. "I think i'm ready." He didn't say a word, just looked her in the eyes and gave her a nod of understanding. "What happened the last past month doesn't match, not even by close to what I have been to in my past." "You don't need to do this if it hurts." "I need to, let me ... First night the chief realized he wasn't getting anywhere with me, I fought him hard and in a way he liked it and told me I only made matters more interesting and made him look forward to the nights to come. That night..." Roxton's eyes were now full of hate and he wanted to get up and walk to that village, but she placed a finger on his lips and asked him to listen because she didn't know when she might lose the courage to talk and she wanted to tell it all. "That night I tried to escape, they caught me and my past ceased to exist. The only that was left was the ring, it only reminded me that someone out there cared. He got tired of my stubbornness and decided to make good use out of me, so he came up with this high priced idea, I wasn't affordable and so he trained me in hopes that someday I will provide him with a big amount. I was lucky you were the guy that provided him with that, or my spirit would have been broken. He came closer to her and hugged her, brushing a strand of hair away from her now wet cheek. "Here is where it all starts. Twenty years ago in Paris. I met my friend Adrienne, we were young and romantic and Paris was the place to be, but we didn't have any money and singing in cheap pubs didn't pay that good. One evening after singing, a guy met us in the back rooms. His name was Bernard and he seemed so powerful. He knew Adrienne from along time and he wanted to offer us a job." She stood silent for a moment, her mind traveling to the past, to Paris, to Adrienne. "What was the job." He asked. "Bernard was a smuggler. He brought in everything from cough sirop to cigarettes and whiskey. We'd work in the pub and find him clients and he would pay us. Soon after, he started dealing with illicite material, drugs and the police was after him and his providers. Adrienne wanted to take advantage of the situation and double cross him, she got what she wanted, but he tracked her and I never saw her again. From Paris I moved to Montmartre where I met with a great artist, Mario. H e was heading to Shanghai and I followed, he had big dreams, he wanted to study Asian arts and return and sell paintings to the rich. After two years in Shanghai we came to Monte Carlo, but fame and fortune were what he seeked and once he got those I ceased to exist, finally one day I left. I managed to find a job in one of the clubs there, I had experience singing and dancing and the "patron" liked me. There I met with my husband after many escapades and broken relations. He was a German commander, the war hadn't broken yet. He took me to Berlin and within a month we got married." Roxton's eyes narrowed, but still he didn't say a word, he didn't want to hurt her with a spontaneous remark. Marguerite sat back and put her arms around her knees. "My marriage wasn't what you would call a happy one. His name was Viktor Hemlin The first year was happy, we had plans and everything was perfect, As the war started, so did my endless nights of pain. He returned drunk, angry different from the man I used to know. One evening, we were attending a ball a man approached me in a green uniform he seemed to know quite alot about my life and after much questioning he asked me in the name of Britain to do him a favor, one that would allow me to return to England with long term security and finance and away from all that beating and bad treatment. I was interested by what I was told but couldn't trust the man or show interest. "You shot Viktor Hemlin?" He asked. "Yes I did." Her eyes were red as she replied hesitant. "One night he returned home as usual with a bad temper, at first I hesitated, I am not a cold hearted murderer, I had never used a gun. Then it hit me, I was doing it for myself and for my country, he was draining my soul and had killed so many. That morning I had received a letter from the British government delivered by a milk man. I signed the papers. Viktor made a pass at me that night, smelling of whiskey and barely able to walk, he wasn't thinking straight, he pushed me on the bed and I reached for the gun. I did the deed than ran to a back street where the "Milk man" would be waiting and soon after I was back in England. "I don't know what to say." He replied uncertain. "I am damaged goods, you know that now." She answered looking away. "You thought Challenger's expedition would be a perfect escape?" "I knew about The lost world log before Challenger. It played a minor part in Viktor's killing." "What do you mean?" He placed himslef in front of her to see her face. "My husband knew about it, he wasn't able to visit it because the war had broken and he had duties, his expedition was never launched." Roxton stood and crossed the room, smiling not because of happiness but irony. For a moment he didn't know if he was able to wit stand the rest. She waited to see if he would exit the room but he returned and sat beside her. She thought about not revealing the rest but it was too late. "You have been here before?" "No, my husband was more than a fighter he was man of science with a sense of discovery and the plateau was his dream destination. His death gives you an idea about all those visiting pilots. I lived the war in England did some government work but never returned to Germany and never knew the location of the plateau. It was my last assignment." "What do you mean?" "The government then knew about the lost world it was one of the reasons they wanted Viktor dead, I was sent here because of my past connection with Viktor, because when with him I had studied the geological area of the plateau. That night, the night I entered the Zoological society gathering, I was followed by a man, a German then I knew my action weren't forgotten, so I went in and decided to fund the expedition and was backed by the authorities. It was to bring a certain stone that held a chemical so powerful it would alter the courses of war, they wanted to get to it before the enemy. I searched for it all the time we spent here, up until the last year we were together, My greed for gems and my heiress status were a big charade." He took a deep breath scratching his forehead. "I have thought about many things, but this..." She nodded not knowing what to say, hoping he didn't think that bad of her. "Now they think you are dead?" "Yes it's better that way." "I ..." "You don't have to say anything Roxton." She nervously smiled. "I just thought you should know who you're marrying, up until this morning I thought i was able to live this way but I couldn't. Now although I realize I might hurt you, I feel peaceful in a way knowing that you know." She stood. "I am gonna check on Judy, she should be in bed by now." As she reached the door he spoke. "I might need time to realize everything you have spoken, but that doesn't mean time away from you." He walked towards her and silent tears streamed down her cheeks, he hugged her and she buried her face in his chest. "I've been hurt and bruised and through hell and back but one thing I won't allow, is for you to remain here for pity's sake." "I do not pity you, I, more than once have showed you my admiration, we are stronger than to be torn apart by a past." He raised her face to him. "It seems my ill-fated journeys are endless.doesn't it?" "Well not this journey." She chuckled through the tears. "And it's the one that matters the most." She continued. "John. Do you think I can make up for the past?" "Definitely. It hasn't been all black and selfish Marguerite, you gave me Judy and made it all better for me. You are tired let's get you to bed." He kissed her cheek and whispered, "I will love you no matter what, you just need to trust me on that." He spent the whole night thinking about what he was told. It hurt him, not the secrets, but the fact that she got hurt this much. In his mind he always was there for her, he always wanted to protect her, but circumstances had shown him the opposite and as always he had a tendency to blame himself. She was his treasure, a woman of many wonders and layers that he was willing to spend his life protecting. the end |