Author's Note: Ned is Malone's nickname. His full given name is Edward T.
Malone, to reviewers who commented that Malone's name wasn't Edward. They
reveal that at some point during the first season, I think. Everyone just
calls him Ned, like Jack's real name is John, but everyone calls him Jack.
Just thought I'd clarify that a bit.
Also, this is a short ending chapter and probably pretty anti- climactic. Just remember, with this story, the end is only the beginning of another tale to weave.
There was a mournful stillness over the jungle tree house. Little moved; little sounded; little did anything more than breathe.
Most of the explorers were asleep or trying to be. Veronica was busying herself with odd jobs around the home to take her mind off of the day's events. Poor little Bella. Poor Marguerite and John! Veronica closed her eyes to the thoughts.
When she reopened them, she thought for sure she was dreaming. There was her mother, right there!
Abigail Layton, dressed in a simple white robe, smiled at her very surprised daughter. "I'm sorry you won't remember this, Veronica."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I have to alter all of your memories. You can't remember Isabella Roxton's visit."
"Why not?"
"The future will change. Jack Roxton won't die. Marguerite won't leave. Everything will be different."
"Is that such a bad thing?"
"Yes."
The answer hung in the air and almost disgusted the younger woman.
"All fates are connected to each other, so if this changes, the repercussions will change the balance of the Plateau."
"But Isabella doesn't deserve everything she's been through!" Veronica objected.
"She would not be given these burdens to carry if she couldn't handle them."
Not happy with the answer, but accepting it, Veronica asked, "Will John and Marguerite remember that they are going to get married? Other wise I don't think either will have the guts to ask again."
Abigail laughed at her daughter. "I will let them remember their engagement. I guess it is the least I can do."
She then walked, as if she were floating, to Marguerite's room. The raven-haired woman slept with a faint smile on her face.
"Is she dreaming of Isabella?" Veronica queried in a near silent whisper.
"Yes. But she won't remember it."
"Let her at least finish the dream, please. This one last time."
Abigail nodded slowly. "Would you like to see it as well?"
"Can I? I don't want to intrude."
"Nonsense. Just take my hand."
Veronica slipped her hand into her mother's and closed her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~ An infant tottered on wobbly legs, grasping tightly onto a chair leg. Her brown curls were a swirling mass that bounced with every cautious movement. Her bluish-gray eyes looked determined and her chubby lips were hard set with concentration. She let go of the chair and took a step forward. She stopped, giggling with pleasure in herself, and tried again. On about her third step, she slipped and her forward momentum kept her going. Dangerously close to the railing of the tree house now, she rolled forward and threatened to slip through the bars. Just then her savior swept her up and tossed her in the air.
"Ho, little lady, I can see you are going to be trouble already!" Challenger laughed, returning her to her stricken mother.
"George, thank you!" Marguerite cried, hugging Isabella close.
Roxton just grinned, eventually prying his daughter from Marguerite's grasp and tickling her belly. "Just imagine when she has a little Malone to influence."
Veronica walked into the scene then, very pregnant and glowing. "John Roxton, your daughter is going to get my child into so much trouble. I can see it already."
"She gets it from her daddy," John laughed, launching Isabella in the air, then catching her and swinging her around.
Bella squealed in delight.
"John, be careful. Bella just ate," Marguerite warned, keeping an eye on her husband's antics with their daughter.
"My girl's got an iron stomach. She'll be fine," he assured her, spinning her around once again.
"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. And I'm sure as hell not cleaning it up." ~~~~~~~~~
Veronica laughed as the dream faded away from her mind's eye.
"They're adorable," she commented, releasing her mother's hand.
"Yes, they have many happy years."
"Too bad they must end so tragically."
"There is hope for them yet, perhaps," Abigail said cryptically. "The Lady Roxton is very strong. She may yet be able to raise her family from its ashes."
Veronica, of course, assumed her mother meant Marguerite, and she didn't remember anything after that moment to know that she was wrong. She didn't know that fifteen years in the future, a teenaged girl would hold that title: The Lady Isabella Elizabeth Roxton, a girl ripped from childhood as she'd been ripped from her own time, and transplanted in a world filled with adults just waiting to betray her.
Author's note: THE END!!!!!!!!!!!! Hehehehe. Well, if you want the sequel, review review review review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, this is a short ending chapter and probably pretty anti- climactic. Just remember, with this story, the end is only the beginning of another tale to weave.
There was a mournful stillness over the jungle tree house. Little moved; little sounded; little did anything more than breathe.
Most of the explorers were asleep or trying to be. Veronica was busying herself with odd jobs around the home to take her mind off of the day's events. Poor little Bella. Poor Marguerite and John! Veronica closed her eyes to the thoughts.
When she reopened them, she thought for sure she was dreaming. There was her mother, right there!
Abigail Layton, dressed in a simple white robe, smiled at her very surprised daughter. "I'm sorry you won't remember this, Veronica."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I have to alter all of your memories. You can't remember Isabella Roxton's visit."
"Why not?"
"The future will change. Jack Roxton won't die. Marguerite won't leave. Everything will be different."
"Is that such a bad thing?"
"Yes."
The answer hung in the air and almost disgusted the younger woman.
"All fates are connected to each other, so if this changes, the repercussions will change the balance of the Plateau."
"But Isabella doesn't deserve everything she's been through!" Veronica objected.
"She would not be given these burdens to carry if she couldn't handle them."
Not happy with the answer, but accepting it, Veronica asked, "Will John and Marguerite remember that they are going to get married? Other wise I don't think either will have the guts to ask again."
Abigail laughed at her daughter. "I will let them remember their engagement. I guess it is the least I can do."
She then walked, as if she were floating, to Marguerite's room. The raven-haired woman slept with a faint smile on her face.
"Is she dreaming of Isabella?" Veronica queried in a near silent whisper.
"Yes. But she won't remember it."
"Let her at least finish the dream, please. This one last time."
Abigail nodded slowly. "Would you like to see it as well?"
"Can I? I don't want to intrude."
"Nonsense. Just take my hand."
Veronica slipped her hand into her mother's and closed her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~ An infant tottered on wobbly legs, grasping tightly onto a chair leg. Her brown curls were a swirling mass that bounced with every cautious movement. Her bluish-gray eyes looked determined and her chubby lips were hard set with concentration. She let go of the chair and took a step forward. She stopped, giggling with pleasure in herself, and tried again. On about her third step, she slipped and her forward momentum kept her going. Dangerously close to the railing of the tree house now, she rolled forward and threatened to slip through the bars. Just then her savior swept her up and tossed her in the air.
"Ho, little lady, I can see you are going to be trouble already!" Challenger laughed, returning her to her stricken mother.
"George, thank you!" Marguerite cried, hugging Isabella close.
Roxton just grinned, eventually prying his daughter from Marguerite's grasp and tickling her belly. "Just imagine when she has a little Malone to influence."
Veronica walked into the scene then, very pregnant and glowing. "John Roxton, your daughter is going to get my child into so much trouble. I can see it already."
"She gets it from her daddy," John laughed, launching Isabella in the air, then catching her and swinging her around.
Bella squealed in delight.
"John, be careful. Bella just ate," Marguerite warned, keeping an eye on her husband's antics with their daughter.
"My girl's got an iron stomach. She'll be fine," he assured her, spinning her around once again.
"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. And I'm sure as hell not cleaning it up." ~~~~~~~~~
Veronica laughed as the dream faded away from her mind's eye.
"They're adorable," she commented, releasing her mother's hand.
"Yes, they have many happy years."
"Too bad they must end so tragically."
"There is hope for them yet, perhaps," Abigail said cryptically. "The Lady Roxton is very strong. She may yet be able to raise her family from its ashes."
Veronica, of course, assumed her mother meant Marguerite, and she didn't remember anything after that moment to know that she was wrong. She didn't know that fifteen years in the future, a teenaged girl would hold that title: The Lady Isabella Elizabeth Roxton, a girl ripped from childhood as she'd been ripped from her own time, and transplanted in a world filled with adults just waiting to betray her.
Author's note: THE END!!!!!!!!!!!! Hehehehe. Well, if you want the sequel, review review review review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!