MARGUERITE'S NIGHTMARE

Razor-sharp leaves whipped across her face as she tore through the jungle. Tears mixed with dust on her cheeks. She could feel the blood drying on her hands... his blood.

"She went this way." The voice was deep and broke the early morning peace.

Tripping over a tree root, she fell to the ground, landing heavily on her knee. "No," she whispered, holding her badly injured knee. "Roxton," she cried softly, looking down at her blood-soaked hands. "No, please." The tears choked out her words. Hearing a tree branch crack, she looked up... and her eyes met the barrel of a rifle.

********************

"Roxton!" Marguerite Krux sat straight up in her bed. Her face paled beneath her sweat-drenched hair.

"Marguerite!" A rugged-looking man ran into her room, kneeling beside her bed. He ran his fingers through the dampened curls of her long, dark hair. "It's alright, I'm here." Lord John Roxton took a deep breath to calm his own fears. In their many years stuck on the lost plateau, the Challenger Expedition members had run into many dangers and he had long since come to learn it often took something extremely dangerous to make Marguerite scream out in fear.

Feeling her shake beneath his touch, Roxton positioned himself on the edge of her bed and pulled Marguerite close. "It was only a bad dream, sweetheart. It's alright," he whispered softly in her ear.

Seconds more brought the rest of their friends in.

"Is everything alright?" Doctor George Challenger stood just inside the doorway, the concern of a father showing through his eyes. Marguerite had initially hired him to lead them to untold riches, and he had secretly known her motives, but his sense of adventure and his need to prove science had outweighed all else at the time and so he had agreed. Like the others, he, too, had learned much about the team and had come to care for each equally.

"Just a nightmare," Roxton responded without looking up.

Ned Malone, a journalist who had taken on the adventure to prove something to his fiancée back home, stood quietly by.

Veronica stepped over beside Roxton, placing a hand on his arm. She had met up with the group upon their unexpected arrival on the plateau and had remained with them since.

Marguerite pulled away from Roxton and looked around the room. "What? Don't any of you have anything better to do?"

"They were just concerned." Roxton touched her cheek. "We all were."

"Well, as you can see I'm fine."

Ned looked down at the floor then back at Marguerite. "If you need anything..."

"I don't."

He nodded and walked out the door, followed by Challenger.

Roxton stood up. "You didn't have to be so rude."

Her eyes locked with his, challenging him. "Everyone has nightmares. It's no reason to make an issue about it."

Shaking his head in frustration, Roxton glanced at Veronica and left.

Climbing out of her bed, Marguerite went over to her dresser. "Why are you still here?" she asked without looking at Veronica.

"Thought you might need someone to talk to."

Marguerite laughed and turned to look at the blonde. "And why, pray tell, would you think I'd want to talk to you?"

Pausing, Veronica finally whispered, "Because I had nightmares about Ned when he was gone."

Before she could respond, Roxton returned with a cup of hot tea.

************************

Having been awoken in the middle of the night, no one was really up to doing much however, the daily chores needed to be done and food needed to be caught.

Normally Roxton and Challenger would be out hunting for something but this morning Marguerite insisted on going. No one argued.

Silence surrounded the three of them as they walked through the jungles - no one sure what to say.

"Did you hear that?" Marguerite whispered.

Both men stopped and listened.

Roxton shook his head.

"I wasn't hearing things," she snorted.

"It was a long night for all of us, Marguerite." Challenger turned to continue down the path.

"But..."

Roxton stopped and went back to Marguerite. "Maybe you should go back to the treehouse."

"I'm not a child!" She glared at him but a slight quiver in her chin gave her away.

Pulling her close, Roxton whispered. "I know that. I just don't want anything happening to you, that's all. I'm worried about you." He pulled away, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Ill be fine." Though she was unsure if she was trying to convince him or herself more. "Weve got dinner to catch." She brushed past him to catch up with Challenger.

Roxton shook his head and followed.

***********

"I wonder what had Marguerite so upset."

Veronica sat on the armrest of Neds chair. "I don't know. It is strange for Marguerite to be so shaken though." She smiled. "But if anyone can find out, I'm sure Roxton can."

Ned leaned back in the chair. "I don't know how he did it."

"Did what?" she asked, turning to him.

He smiled back at her. "Ever found the patience to put up with her and break through the wall she has around her."

"Oh, that." Veronica slid off the armrest and began picking up the living area. "I don't either, but somehow he did."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

But the tone of her voice did not convince him. He got up and walked over to her, gently touching her shoulder. She turned to him.

"Veronica"

"I said nothing."

He stared at her for a moment, still not believing her, but not wanting to argue about it either. Eventually he left and let her be.

************

Darkness was setting in quickly causing a drastic drop in the temperature, which none of them had been prepared for.

Noticing Marguerite shivering, Roxton suggested they stop and set up camp for the night.

They managed to find a small cave. Marguerite went inside to set things up while Roxton and Challenger went to gather firewood.

Footsteps approached the mouth of the cave and Marguerites heart stopped. "Roxton? Challenger?"

The footsteps stopped.

She reached for her gun.

"Who's there?" she demanded. Normally she would have been angry and ready to hurt any stranger who walked in, but her nightmare kept flashing through her mind. What if Roxton and Challenger were already dead?

"I said who's there?" The gun shook in her hand as more footsteps approached.

Before she knew what happened, the gun was knocked from her hand and she was being held by two large men with a third staring at her.

"Let me go!" she demanded, struggling to break free. Then she saw it. The mans hands.

Blood.

Fresh blood.

"No," she whispered. With one final, sudden tug, she broke free and ran out of the cave into the jungle.

Tears streamed down her face. Tripping over a tree root, she fell to the ground, landing heavily on her knee. "Not now," she whispered, holding her badly injured knee.

Then she saw him.

"ROXTON!" she screamed. She reached over and touched his blood-covered face. "Please," she cried. Then she saw Challenger lying not too far away. While trying to find a pulse on Roxton, she heard a tree branch snap.

She looked up and her eyes met the barrel of a rifle.

Roxtons rifle.

One of the men roughly pulled her off the ground.

"ROXTON! CHALLENGER!" She screamed and cried, but she no longer struggled against her captors. Was there a reason to live without Roxton?

***************

Veronica awoke with a start. Without hesitation, she jumped out of bed.

"Ned! Wake up!" She practically tripped over his bed.

"What? Whats wrong?"

"I don't know, but something!"

He sighed and settled a little. "You don't know?"

"Look, Ned, I don't have time to explain, but the others are in trouble."

He questioned no further.

*************

Cold, metal shackles dug into her wrists and ankles while the jagged rocks of the wall she was hung against dug deeply into her back. Yet Marguerite felt no physical pain. Her nightmare had been a vision. She knew Roxton and Challenger were dead. They had been dead in her nightmare. It didn't matter anymore. Somehow her tears still managed to come, though she had been crying non-stop for nearly three hours.

One guard had been left with her.

"Why don't you just kill me now?" she muttered.

He did not answer.

"Roxton, I did love you. I only wish I had told you," she whispered in choked sobs.

"If you tell us where you put the treasure you'll be able to go free and give him a proper burial."

She looked up, having been completely unaware someone else had entered the room. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The man grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her head back to make her look at him. "You know where it is. I've been watching you."

"I really don't know what you are talking about," she pleaded. Then she moaned as his fist connected with her jaw.

The beatings continued on her well into the night and the early morning hours. She was weak and wished for death. At least then her pain would end all of it.

****************

"Veronica, we've been out here all night. They probably just went a different direction than what they told us." Ned was tired, cold, and just wanted to sleep.

But Veronica had other ideas. "Would they give up on us?"

He opened his mouth to protest but shut it again very quickly. They had each risked their own lives for the others at one time or another and none of them had ever left anyone behind. Suddenly Veronica let out a yell and he ran in her direction.

"Challenger!" She quickly knelt over him, after having tripped over him. Looking up at Ned, she announced, "He's still alive." Then both of them saw Roxton.

Ned ran over to check on him, but Roxton began to stir. "He's alive, too," he called to Veronica.

She had gotten up and was looking around. "There's no sign of Marguerite though."

Meanwhile, Ned was helping Roxton sit up.

"Marguerite," he mumbled.

"She's not here."

At that, Roxton tried to stand up, but lost his balance.

About that time, Veronica was tending to Challenger who, too, was coming about.

"What happened?" she asked, checking for injuries where the blood on Challenger had come from. They all appeared to be superficial.

"Not sure," Challenger confessed. "We went looking for wood while Marguerite-" His eyes widened. "You didn't find her?"

Veronica shook her head.

"We've got to find her." He managed to get up with Veronica's help. "Roxton?"

Struggling to get up with Ned's assistance, he waved Challenger off. "Doesn't matter. We have to go."

"Are you sure?" Ned asked.

Roxton just looked at him and Ned knew. He, himself, would do the same thing if it were Veronica.

"Are you sure shes' even still well-" Veronica cringed at the harsh glare Roxton gave her but someone had to be realistic. They were in the jungle overnight, with injuries, and dinosaurs.

"She's alive, Veronica," Roxton hissed. "I would know if she were-I would know." He looked around the ground. "Where's my rifle?"

No one answered. His mind was on one thing right now and they weren't going to get in the way.

****************

Marguerite's body hung limply from the wall. Circulation had long ago been cut from her hands. Her arms and shoulders ached from being chained above her. She knew she would lose consciousness soon and hoped it would never return.

Her body barely felt the chill of the water being thrown on her. "Just let me die," she pleaded.

"Not until you tell us where you have found all your jewels," the man hissed, slapping her hard across the face.

"I told you, there is nothing. They are mine. Take them if you want them. I don't need them anymore," she cried. Part of her mind was screaming at her. Asking her what she was doing, what she was thinking. Marguerite Krux never gave up on anything. But her heart her heart was shattered. For once, her heart was winning the interior battle.

The man turned to walked away but grabbed Roxton's rifle from the guard and shoved it into Marguerite's stomach.

As she cried out in agony, small trickles of blood ran from the edges of her mouth. She then heard the click of the rifle Roxton's rifle. How appropriate, she thought, holding her breath, waiting for the final shot.

But it never came.

Her eyes were too swollen and she was too weak to look up, but she heard the man mumble something to the guard then walk off.

And that was the last thing she heard.

**************

"Roxton, you need to rest," Veronica ordered.

But the adventurer refused to listen. He just plowed on. Where he was leading his friends he had no idea, but something was leading him where he needed to be, of that he was sure.

He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Stopping, he turned to face Challenger.

"Veronica's right, John, we all need a rest."

He shook off Challenger's hand. "You three can rest if you want to. I can't. I won't," he muttered, continuing through the jungle.

The others looked on.

"Someone should go with him," Ned commented.

Veronica looked at him, then Challenger. "You two set up camp, I'll go with him."

Challenger grabbed Veronicas arm. "No, this time I have to be the one to go with him." When her eyes questioned, he quickly added, "I just do. Don't question me on this one."

Stepping forward, Ned added, "We all go."

"Not this time." Challenger shifted his gun. "You both need to rest, we all do, but Roxton has to go on. And if he doesn't find her..."

The others understood.

"We'll be right here when all three of you return," Veronica whispered.

********

"Roxton, wait up," called Challenger, running to catch up to the younger man.

"You should have stayed with the others," he told the professor.

"And what if you don't find her? Or what if she's" He hesitated then finished with, "dead."

Roxton did not answer. He couldn't. That was a possibility he refused to even consider.

"We don't know what happened out there," Challenger continued. "She may not have been taken by anyone, Roxton. You do have to consider that. You have to consider that maybe a raptor or-" He was silenced with a fist to his jaw.

"Stop it!" Roxton looked down on the ground at Challenger, who was nursing his injury. Remorse was evident in the hunter's shadowed eyes. "Just stop it! Don't you think I've already imagined all the worst things!"

Challenger began to regret the things hed said as he witnessed tears form in Roxton's eyes.

"I can't think about it, George. If I lose Marguerite this time..." He reached out a hand to help Challenger up.

"Im sorry, Roxton, I just had to make sure you were prepared for whatever we might find."

"I know." Looking ahead, Roxton sighed. "Maybe we should go back to the others. Veronica's right, we all need to rest."

But Challenger stood his ground. "No."

"What?"

"You need to find her, Roxton. No matter what, you need to and since we don't know what happened well, every second counts. However, I'm not letting you do this alone."

After a moment, Roxton nodded, picked up his rifle and together, both men continued on.

****************

"Dont you think we should have gone with them?" Ned stared into the fire. "They were the ones who had been injured, not us."

Veronica smiled. "I think this was something they had to do alone."

"Someday I hope to find someone to share the kind of love Roxton and Marguerite have," Ned said after many moments of silence.

Inside, Veronica's heart ached. There was only one man she could ever sharing that kind of love with and he had just made it clear it wasn't returned. "Me too," she sadly whispered.

Ned passed a quick glance at her. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and tell her everything would turn out fine and that she did have someone who loved her that much, but never had she given any indication she thought of him as more than a friend. Sure, they had had their moments, even a shared kiss or two, but nothing in recent months. And now, with her comment, he was sure her feelings for him had changed.

"I'll take first watch," he told her.

With a small nod, she settled herself on the ground, facing away from him so he wouldn't see her tears.

************

Beads of sweat formed along Roxtons hairline. Part of it was due to the late morning sun, part due to fever. It had been over two days since he and Challenger had been attacked. It had been over two days since he had last seen Marguerite, last looked into her haunting eyes, last melted at her smile when she teased him.

"Roxton, look!"

His eyes followed to where Challenger was pointing. Before them, only a mile or so away, stood the ruins of a stone structure. "She's in there," he announced.

Challenger held him back as Roxton started to run. "How can you be sure?"

Roxton merely stared at him.

Challenger understood. "Then we can't go bursting in there."

"She's in trouble," he countered.

"And what help would we be if we got ourselves killed," Challenger reasoned. "Come on." He stood up, gathered his things, and started slowly down the hill.

Roxton followed, fighting off the urge to run with every step he took. To him, it seemed like hours before they actually reached the exterior of the building but in reality it was mere moments.

The two men crouched behind a dilapidated wall, straining to hear any sign of life. They looked at each other upon hearing other voices.

"She claims to not know where it is," one of the voices hissed.

"Maybe she is telling the truth," another responded.

Roxtons heart raced. He knew they were talking about Marguerite, but what information were they trying to get and what had they been willing to do to get it?

"I'm going to try again. There's got to be something that will break her," the first man said.

"You'll kill her!"

"So?"

Challenger grabbed hold of Roxton's shoulder before he could run off, but he could feel the barely restrained fury coming off of Roxton in waves.

"I don't think she cares about living anymore. She seems pretty broken up over you killing her two companions, especially that one, Rushton, Roxton, whatever his name was. I'm amazed she's lived through the beatings this long."

That was it. Roxton broke free from Challenger, jumped over the crumbling wall and pulled the leader down to the ground with him, where he began punching him.

He didn't see the man behind him lifting a large rock high in the air until a shot rang out.

Roxton turned around to find Challenger standing a few feet away, lowering his gun after shooting Roxton's would-be attacker.

"Leave him."

But Roxton dragged the beaten man to his feet. "Where is she? What have you done to her?" he demanded, shaking the man angrily.

The man merely smiled. "She enjoyed every minute of it."

If not for Challenger pulling Roxton away at that very moment, the man would have been dead right then and there.

"If you hurt her I swear to you theres not a place in heaven or hell where I won't find you," Roxton snarled as Challenger tied the man up along with his friend.

"Oh, I don't think she'll have any complaints."

"Roxton, he's not worth it. Come on." Challenger urged him towards one of the doorways and he followed quietly, too quietly.

*************

"Did you ever think that maybe they didn't come this way and will worry when they come looking for us?"

"Ned, you can go back if you want, but I think they need our help." Veronica stopped to look around. "This way."

He sighed but, having learned long ago to trust her instincts, followed.

***************

"Marguerite?" His voice was strained, but Roxton continued to shout for her.

"We should split up." Challenger looked down two dark hallways that were lit only by slight slivers of sunlight as it penetrated the cracks in the walls. "Meet back here in an hour?"

"Okay, but if you find her-"

"You'll be the first to know," Challenger grinned.

**************

The musty passage appeared to grow in front of him. Roxton's body cried out for him to stop for a moment, but he refused. Marguerite was in there somewhere and he'd find her, even if it killed him.

He stopped.

Gravel fell to the ground behind him.

The air grew thick with tension.

In one swift motion, he turned, raised his gun, and shot the third abductor dead in his tracks.

"Where are you?" he whispered into the darkness, knowing he must be close.

Then he heard it.

A small groan.

"Marguerite?" he cried, blindly running down a dark and crumbling staircase.

But upon reaching the last step, he heard nothing more.

He held his breath as he listened for anything.

Nothing.

His heart dropped and he turned to head back up when

"John?"

The voice was soft, quiet, frightened, but it was her voice.

Unable to see anything in the windowless room, he grasped along the wall for a torch. Finding one quickly, he lit it and froze.

"John?" she cried a little louder with desperation.

In two strides, he was before her. "I'm here," he whispered. "I'm here."

"I thought you were-They told me-I wanted to die thinking I had lost you"

"I'm not dead, and you're not going to be either," he told her.

Holding the torch closer, he gasped. "Oh, my God," he whispered in horror. His heart broke for her. His throat constricted but he fought the tears. She needed him to be the strong one. Her face was bruised all over. Her left eye was swollen shut with dried blood surrounding it. From the healing, he guessed her lower lip had been split soon after they had taken her. Her body hung limply from the restraints on the wall. Bending down to look up into her face, he asked, "What did they do to you?"

A thin, pained smile reached her lips; though she was too weak lift her head to look at him. "Nothing you can't fix."

Her right eye looked right into his, but it was filled with pain, anguish. It had the look of someone who had just accepted death.

He smiled back and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He then stepped back to look at the chains binding her to the wall.

Marguerite panicked. "Where are you?"

Roxton gently touched her cheek, careful not to irritate the bruises. "I'm right here. I'm going to get you out of here."

"Hurry, please," she pleaded.

The metal chains were placed deep into the wall, so deep that when he tugged at one, Marguerite bit back a yelp of pain. He stopped.

"Do it," she said.

"It hurts you."

"Just do it!"

Taking a deep breath, Roxton tugged at one until it loosened and broke free from the wall. He then did the same with the other and quickly grabbed Marguerite before she fell to the floor. With no thoughts of his own injuries and pain, he scooped her up in his arms and ran up the stairs.

"Challenger!" he yelled upon emerging from the dungeon. "Challenger!!"

"Roxton?" came a nearby reply.

"I've got her!"

The two men nearly collided when Challenger ran around the corner. He stopped short. "Is she?"

"She's alive." Roxton didn't want to stop and talk. He took her outside.

"There you two are," Ned called out from the distance. "We've been-Marguerite?" He looked down in horror at the livid marks on Marguerite's body.

Veronica ran to Roxton's side. She gently pressed Marguerite's side, and the heiress moaned. Veronica looked up at Roxton, worry evident in her eyes. "She's got internal injuries," she announced. "I'll go search for herbs that should help. I'll meet you back at the treehouse."

"I'll go with you," offered Challenger but Veronica shook her head.

"I know where they are and it will be much faster for me to go alone." She paused, looking at the rest of them. "Besides, three of you are still injured."

None of them argued. They knew she was right. Roxton and Challenger were now starting to feel the after-effects of their previous injuries and Marguerite lay unconscious in Roxton's arms. They would need Ned with them if they were to get back before nightfall.

"Be careful," Ned called out as she ran off into the jungle. He then looked to Roxton. "Do you want me to take her for awhile?" Though he was not surprised when Roxton shook his head. Before leaving the site of the ruins, Ned spotted Roxton's rifle lying in the grass and recovered it for him.

****************

The men were a little more than halfway back to the treehouse, having only stopped briefly to give Marguerite a drink of water when she had regained consciousness. Suddenly Challenger stopped.

"What is it?" asked Ned.

"Raptors," answered Roxton. "Just what we don't need right now." He didnt want to put Marguerite down but, at the same time, knew it would take all three of them to fight off the dinosaurs.

Placing her gently on the ground, he stood beside her. Ned tossed him his rifle and they waited.

A raptor jumped out and Challenger shot it before it had a chance to touch the ground.

"One down," Ned muttered.

The second one came out behind Ned. He fired two shots but missed.

Roxton took a few steps away from Marguerite to kill the raptor. When he turned back around his heart stopped. The third raptor was standing above the unconscious Marguerite, staring at her.

"Dont you even think about it," Roxton snarled, aiming his rifle and walking towards the beast. With one clear shot, the animal went crashing to the ground. As quickly as he could, Roxton once again gathered her in his arms and they continued to the treehouse.

************

"Where is she?" Ned asked, pacing the floor in Marguerite's room. "She should have been here hours ago."

"She knows this plateau better than anyone, Malone." Roxton spoke, but did not take his eyes off of Marguerite. They had made her as comfortable as possible. Even so, the injuries and emotional insult had taken their toll. She was very pale, and a fine sheen of sweat had broken out across her forehead.

She let out a soft moan and Roxton squeezed her hand, which he had been holding close to him since they had arrived back.

"Roxton?"

"I'm here."

Challenger looked at Ned and motioned for them to leave.

"Where?"

"You're back at the treehouse. In your own bed."

"You're alive?" She managed to open one eye to see for herself.

"Yes." He leaned down to place a soft kiss on her swollen lips then looked at her. "Didn't think I'd leave you did you?"

"Yes. The dream. You were-" She started gagging. He gently rubbed her back and waited for the spasm to pass.

"Hey, no more talking alright? Veronica's gathering things to help you. You just do your part and hang on."

"You're alive," she repeated. "I had given up."

"I'm glad you didn't completely."

A tear escaped from her eye and Roxton's thumb immediately wiped it away.

"But in my dream you and Challenger-" She sat up, screaming in pain before lying back down.

Ned and Challenger burst into the room.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Challenger asked, his eyes settling on Marguerite.

"You're alive too," she murmured.

"I am. And you'd better stay that way." He stepped closer. "You didn't fund this expedition to get yourself killed you know. You have things to prove back in London."

She smiled at him.

Veronica ran into the room. "I've got it." She smiled at Marguerite. "Welcome back."

She smiled at the blonde then closed her eyes, falling into an exhausted sleep.

***********

Nearly two weeks had passed since Marguerite's rescue and, while her physical recovering was progressing along quickly, she remained closed off to everyone, even Roxton. The team found themselves treading lightly around her, afraid to say anything, afraid of what might have happened to her at the ruins. Roxton had tried to push the subject once and only once.

Now, as the sun set, she sat on one of the chairs near the railing. She couldn't hide her smile as a cup of hot tea passed beneath her nose soon to be followed by Roxton kneeling beside her.

"Thought you might like it."

She took it from him. "Thank you. I suppose I owe you an apology." She looked back into the living quarters at the others. "I guess I owe everyone one."

"For what?"

She shrugged, staring into the mug of liquid.

Roxton lifted her chin with a finger. "You don't owe anyone anything. We all understand. You don't go through something like you did and not-" He stopped. She had never told him exactly what did happen.

"They didn't do anything other than beat me," she whispered, answering his unasked question.

In a flash, he took the tea from her, placed it on the ground, and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank God."

She held him tight. "I'm going to be alright, Roxton."

*************

It was her first excursion outside of the treehouse. She fought against her fears. They were unfounded after all. It was merely coincidence that her nightmare had become a reality, nothing more. As she walked beside Roxton, she inwardly sighed. He deserved so much more than what she would ever be able to give and yet he stayed by her side. He loved her.

Without her realizing it, he had walked a few feet ahead of her. When he turned back, she froze in fear. His rifle was aimed right at her. His rifle. The one her abuser had threatened her with.

A shot.

Then Roxton's face close to her own. His mouth was moving but she couldn't hear him. Her own screams were overpowering his voice.

"Marguerite!" he cried, dropping his rifle and pulling her close. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's alright."

But she beat at him. She struggled to break free.

He wouldn't let go. "Its dead."

She stopped and looked up at him.

Fear consumed his face, but he held her strong. "It was a snake. A very large snake hanging from the tree above you." He cupped her cheek. "Are you alright?"

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to laugh at the whole situation but instead said, "Your rifle." She was shuddering.

He looked to the ground then back at her. "It's right there."

Shaking her head, she continued. "They-they threatened me with it. He threatened to kill me with it." The shaking was harder now, the tears sliding fast down her face.

"Oh, Marguerite." John held her as she cried, his own tears being absorbed by her hair. His arms tightened around her, as much to reassure himself as her. "I am so sorry. I didn't know. You know I would never hurt you."

Pulling back, she wiped her face with her hands. "I'm just being silly. Do you mind if we go back though?"

He reached down to pick up the rifle when he noticed her tense. Dropping it back to the ground, he took her hand. "Come on."

"What about?" She nodded to the ground.

"I'll use Malones."

But she stood still. "Roxton, you need it. Take it. I'll get over it." She laughed. "Who knows how long well be stuck here and we barely have enough weapons as it is."

Staring at her for a few moments, he silently conceded, took the rifle then took her hand. In spite of the unknown dangers both back to the treehouse and in the future, they would face them bravely, together.