�Hey, Challenger, whatcha doin�?� Finn had bounded down the stairs to the lab fully intent on making sure Challenger hadn�t fallen into a funk from last night�s conversation. She jumped into the chair next to Challenger and peered over his shoulder to see what he was working on.
�Hmm�? Oh, after I returned I retrieved Arthur from his jar down at the base of the treehouse, and I�m trying to figure out a logical explanation of how he spun himself a cocoon.�
�So did you figure out how a beetle spun a cocoon yet?�
Challenger placed the jar back down on the table. �Beetles do not spin cocoons. Logically, it is not possible. But we both saw Arthur before this; he was a beetle. It does not make sense.�
�Well, we�ve seen crazier things happen here. Why don�t ya just wait and see what pops out of there when it hatches. Maybe you�ll understand then?� Finn placed her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. She peered into the jar and frowned. �Hey Challenger, how long do these things usually stay in their cocoons?�
�Well, Finn, in normal circumstances I would tell you it varies by species and I would tell you the time it takes for transformation based on that particular one, but as I told you before, beetles do not spin cocoons, therefore I have no point of reference. I really have no idea how long Arthur will be in there. We will just have to wait and see.� Challenger got up from his chair and walked over to his notes and started going through them.
Finn looked away from the cocoon and back at Challenger. �Hey Challenger, do you need some help with an experiment or something? I�ve got time to help if you need it.�
Challenger looked up from his notes, �Oh, that is nice of you, Finn, but I�m currently not working on an experiment, I�m just going over a few details.�
Finn had a hunch on what he was thinking about and wasn�t going to let him continue down that path. �Hey, I�m hungry, why don�t we go grab something to eat?�
�You go ahead, Finn, I�m not hungry at the moment.�
�Oh come on, I don�t wanna eat alone, you can keep me company if you�re not hungry. And we can see what everyone else is doing too.�
Challenger sighed and put down his papers. �Very well.�
�Great!� Finn jumped up and ran up the stairs with Challenger following.
Finn found Marguerite sitting at the table exactly where she was when she first passed by her down to Challenger�s lab. �Still no luck with the translating, Marguerite?�
Marguerite paused her writing and glared up at Finn, but didn�t comment. �Ooookay, I�ll take that as a no.� Finn started fixing Challenger and herself some lunch and glanced back at the heiress. �Where is everyone else Marguerite?�
�Veronica and Malone went to the Zanga village. Veronica wanted to check on them and make sure no one was missing or hurt after the storm and of course Malone went with her.�
�And what about the Big Guy?� Finn asked.
�He went down to chop wood.� Marguerite sighed in frustration and put down her pencil. Finn�s interruption wasn�t bothering her. The truth of the matter was she wasn�t making much progress. The few symbols she had recognized from her dream were all that she could make out. What frustrated her more was that she knew she recognized the language, as if she could read it at one point in time but she had just forgotten how. It seemed that the more she tried, the harder it got to understand what the symbols meant.
Challenger sat down in the chair next to Marguerite. Finn looked at the both of them and saw they were both wearing nearly identical expressions. She set a plate in front of Challenger and turned to Marguerite. �You hungry, Marguerite? I could fix you up something if you want.�
Marguerite smiled. �Thank you, Finn, but I�m not very hungry. I think I�m going to go lay down in my room.�
�Ok, Marguerite.� Finn grabbed her own plate and sat down next to Challenger to enjoy her lunch. Nearly halfway through, they heard the elevator sound and saw Roxton step into the room.
�Hey, Big Guy.�
�Hello, Roxton.�
Roxton placed his pile of wood down in its proper spot and nodded a greeting. �Hello Finn, Challenger.�
�Me and Challenger are just finishing eating, but if you want I could fix you up something.�
�Challenger and I, Finn,� Challenger added after he swallowed his mouthful of food.
�What? You and yourself? What about me?�
Roxton chuckled at Finn, �No thank you, I�m going to go wash up. Where�s Marguerite?�
Challenger stopped explaining that he was correcting Finn�s grammar and let her answer Roxton while he continued eating. �She was in here translating when we came up for lunch, but then she said she was gonna go lay down. I think her not gettin� anywhere is gettin� to her.�
Roxton nodded, �Yes, she�s been working with no breaks for quite some time. Did she eat anything at least?�
Finn and Challenger both shook their heads and Roxton sighed. �Well, I�ll check on her after I wash up.�
�Ok, Big Guy.�
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Marguerite had come into her room and taken a wash cloth to her tired eyes. She then went straight to her bed and tried to gain back some of the sleep she lost from the previous night.
She immediately fell asleep but it wasn�t the deep, restful sleep she was hoping for. Once again, the same dream was conjured up in her mind. Whether she was awake or asleep, she couldn�t escape the images or the unease they brought her.
Every time she saw the dream, it seemed to last a little longer, as if she was searching for something, but she couldn�t imagine what. The torture of watching her own betrayal again and again was almost too much to bear.
Foot steps on the stairs eased her into a semi-conscious state and by the time the hand pulled back the curtain and the person stood beside her bed, she was fully awake. She opened her eyes and looked into the worried eyes of Roxton.
�I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to wake you.�
�That�s all right, I would rather be awake at the moment.� She sat up on the bed as Roxton sat in the chair beside her bed.
�Marguerite,� Roxton began, �I�m worried about you.�
�Why?�
�You�ve hardly eaten a thing these past few days. You look tired. Are you even sleeping? And I can tell there is something else bothering you. I know something happened to you during the storm and something happened to the other night.�
Marguerite once again sighed because she knew he would corner her sooner or later. He always knew when she was off balance, as if his internal radar was set to her and not himself. She knew he would try to help her, no matter what she told him, but how could she explain what was happening to her when she didn�t understand it herself?
Roxton reached over and took one of Marguerite�s hands in his and used the other to touch her cheek. She leaned into his hand and looked into his eyes again. �Marguerite, trust me, let me help you.�
Marguerite took her free hand and joined it with the one that Roxton had on her face and brought it down next to the other joined pair. �I do trust you, John, but��
She felt his hands tighten around her own, �No buts, Marguerite, just tell me. You are not alone here and it�s about time you realized it.�
Marguerite nodded and decided to start at the beginning. �Remember that cave we were trapped in? The one we almost didn�t make it out of?�
Roxton nodded, despite the fact that they almost died there, he had fond memories of that place. She had finally told him she loved him there. It wasn�t a place he�d likely ever forget.
�Well, that�s where I went after I disappeared when we were with the conquistadors.� Marguerite paused before continuing. �Well, actually I was in the jungle first when some men, druids to be more exact, came out of nowhere and took me to the cave.�
�Druids? Didn�t we have a dream about druids when we were at the cave?�
Marguerite frowned, �I almost forgot about that. In my dream, they called me Morrighan and said I was their high priestess. These druids who captured me called me Morrighan as well, and said that I had created a storm that would destroy them. This can�t be a coincidence, John. I just don�t know what it all means!�
�We�ll figure it out together, Marguerite.� He gave her a reassuring smile. �What happened after they took you to the cave, Marguerite?�
�After they told me about the storm and how I created it, I tried to tell them they had the wrong person but they didn�t listen to me. They took me in the cave and it looked familiar. It�s when they put on the altar and were preparing to sacrifice me, that I recognized it.�
�Oh god, Marguerite.� Roxton got up and sat next to Marguerite on the bed.
�They were going to kill me, Roxton. I was sure that the body we found in the cave was mine, and not some distant relative. Then a woman saved me. I swear to you Roxton, she looked exactly like me. She told me to leave�.they killed her, John. It was her we found in there.�
Roxton didn�t realize how close he had come to losing Marguerite. He pulled her close and held her. �I�m sorry I wasn�t there, Marguerite. But I�m glad she saved you, I don�t know what I would have done if I lost you.�
Marguerite nodded against his shoulder and pulled back. �After that I wandered through the jungle trying to find a way back. I was lucky to have gotten back in one piece, the druids took my pistol and I had no weapons. I was relieved when I managed to find you all finally.�
�Sounds like we all had quite the adventure, hmm?�
�Yes, I guess we did.� Marguerite smiled.
�And what about the other night, Marguerite?� Roxton asked.
Marguerite�s smile faded. �I told you, I had a dream, recognized some symbols, that�s all.�
Roxton frowned. �I know something is bothering you, Marguerite. Why are you so determined to translate the journal now? Veronica has had it for months and you�ve never shown this much interest in it before.�
�That was before I knew what the symbols meant. If I keep at it, I might be able to figure out the rest.�
�No one expects you to figure it out immediately, Marguerite. You�re going to make yourself sick if you keep going like this. Take a break, work on it tomorrow, maybe it�ll make more sense to you then.�
Marguerite stood up from her bed. �No, Roxton, I can�t wait, I have to figure it out now.�
Roxton stood up as well. �Why Marguerite? Why can�t it wait?�
�Because, Roxton! I have to do it, now! You wouldn�t understand!�
�Marguerite, I�� Marguerite was already half way up the stairs to the main room. Roxton bit back a growl of frustration and left her room. He couldn�t force it out of her, but sooner or later he�d find out what was bothering her. Until then, he would just have to keep an eye on her.