Author's notes: This chapter is told from two different POV's I spaced them out in hopes to not create confusion
As always I appreciate comments!
Disclaimer:I own Matilda, Kathie, and The Gordon family and the school and The Feldings.
Matilda Gordon stood by the kitchen window of her London flat that she shared with her best mate/roomie Kathie. She sipped her cup of tea as she watched people scurry in and out of the hotel that was across the street. She could feel the bitter fall wind outside even though the heat was on. She wrapped her sweater closer to her. She missed working in Forensics back in Miami. She missed Miami, the warm sun and the blue water. She missed her other best mate Speed. When his gun shot him for the second time, she stayed by his side in the hospital. She didn't eat and she didn't sleep for three days. When she found out Speed was going to live, she fainted. That wasn't the reason she left Miami though. She left Miami because of a few people didn't like her. Eric Delko was nothing but rude and curt with her. He was still recovering from the death of Marisol. When she tried to comfort him, he told her nothing she could say would make it better and that she had no idea what he was feeling and that she might as well just leave because no one wanted her here. Ryan Wolfe agreed with Delko. That hurt her a lot because she rather fancied Ryan. Cooper and Jake thought she was a snotty uptight British bitch and just laughed along with Ryan and Eric at her. Eric and Ryan would take her credit for cases that she helped them solve. Speed was so sure everyone would love her and accept her and it surprised him that some of the team didn't. Although he knew Calleigh, Alexx, Tripp, Horatio, and Valera would adore her. They welcomed her with open arms.
Every time Eric or Ryan said something nasty to her, he wanted hit them but she always told him that it didn't matter. When he heard Eric tell Matilda she had no idea what he was feeling, Speed wanted to grab and tell him that she did know. She lost her brother Charlie in Iraq but it was her business and her business only. Finally after a many months of torment, Matilda handed in her resignation and moved back to London. She had been offered a position as a librarian in a historical society museum. Her parents were historians and still lived in London. She loved history just as much as she loved forensic science. She remembers spending time in Cairo with her parents and her five older brothers with the Med Jai. Everything she knew about combat with swords or guns she learned from the great-grandson Ardeth Bay who was also called Ardeth. Ardeth was her godfather and a man that she idolized. He taught her to read, speak, and write Arabic and ancient Egyptian. She smiled as she remembered her oldest brother Harry and her wrestling in the sand, as they were children. "You're up early." Said a voice behind her. Matilda turned and saw Kathie standing in her pajamas with her brown hair all over the place. "Nice hair." Matilda replied. Kathie flipped her off and Matilda just chuckled. Matilda checked the time on the stove, 7:04. "We should get ready." Matilda said putting her cup in the sink, "Any requests for the DJ?" Matilda asked as she walked into the living room where the stereo system was. "I'm in the mood for some ABBA." Kathie answered. Matilda browsed through their massive collection of CD's (mixes, soundtracks, and albums) until she found it. "This weekend we should really organize our music collection!" Matilda said. "How?" Kathie replied, "by genre and then by alphabet." Matilda explained. She put the ABBA CD in and "Dancing Queen" started playing. "YEAH BABY!" Kathie yelled. Matilda smiled. Kathie came out of the kitchen dancing. "Come on! Get on the table and show those rich tourists what you've got!" Kathie exclaimed. Matilda thought about it for a moment. There was a forensic convention at the hotel, she was only wearing a t-shirt and boy short undies with Spock on them. Oh what the hell! The odds of her former co-workers being at that hotel, in those rooms directly across, looking directly into their apartment at that moment were slim to none. She got on the coffee table and just let loose.
However, her former co-workers were in THAT hotel, in THOSE rooms directly across, looking directly into THEIR apartment. Calleigh had just woken up and gone over to the window. She smiled at the sights of London until something caught her eye. She noticed a girl dancing about in her underwear on a coffee table. Calleigh laughed to herself, "Honey, what's so funny?" Alexx asked from behind her. "Check out the disco queen." She laughed pointing out Matilda. They watched with smiles until the 'disco queen' had turned around and they gasped. "It's Matilda!" Calleigh exclaimed, she ran out of the room and went next door to the boys' room. She started pounding on the door, "Calleigh, don't break the door." Alexx said from behind her. A disgruntled Speed opened the door, "Calleigh what the hell?" he exclaimed as she pushed her way through. Alexx smacked the back of his head. "Um…Ouch!" Speed said to Alexx's retreating back. Calleigh ripped open the curtains and pointed outside. Everyone gathered around the window and looked in the direction in which Calleigh was pointing. "She always was a dancing queen." Speed said smirking. "Is that Matilda?" Eric asked, "You bet your bottom dollar." Calleigh said giggling. Eric, Ryan, Horatio, and Tripp were enthralled by how Matilda moved without a care in the world. She seemed to move so effortlessly.
Matilda jumped off the coffee table and danced her way to her room. "You are the dancing queen!" She sang as she opened her closet. She pulled out her tan boots and red turtle neck sweater and grey pleated skirt. She was still unaware of the audience as she pulled off her t-shirt.
Tripp and Horatio looked away as Matilda pulled her shirt off, but Eric and Ryan couldn't. "Damn." Ryan mumbled; Speed saw Eric and Ryan ogling her. "Hey that's my little sister!" he exclaimed stepping in front of them blocking their view. Eric looked at him confused. "Well not by blood but by association. But anyways, stop eyeing her like a piece of meat!" he said. He turned back around and saw something. "SHE HAS A TATTOO?" Speed exclaimed.
"Don't go wasting your emotions. Lay all your love on me." Matilda continued singing. Luckily her back still faced them as she grabbed a bra and black leggings out of the top drawer of her dresser. She pulled on the leggings and clasped her bra on. She finished getting dressed in no time. She headed into the bathroom to do her hair and make up. Kathie turned the curler on for her. Matilda made loose curls in her auburn hair. Her bangs were side swept to the left and straight. As for her make up, just some black eyeliner and lippy. When she left the bathroom, Kathie was in the living room turning off the stereo. Kathie had put her long brown hair into a ponytail. Her make up was neutral tones that complimented her green eyes. She was wearing black dress pants with an off white blouse and black cardio, she was wearing black stilettos. "Darling, you should be thankful that I like men." Kathie said, "Oh yeah? Why is that?" Matilda asked pulling out her coat. "Because if I were a lesbian, you'd be in big trouble." Kathie answered as Matilda handed Kathie her coat. Matilda just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Come on you loon." She said heading out the door
"She's in big trouble." Speed said through gritted teeth. He turned as if to run after her, but Calleigh stopped him. "Why don't we all go see her? I'm sure you know where she works." Calleigh suggested, "I want to know where she learned to move like that." Alexx chuckled, "I just want to see my baby girl." Horatio had a small smile on his face, "So I take it none of us are going to the lectures today?" Everyone (including Eric and Ryan) just smiledEveryone got dressed in a hurry and met downstairs. "Are we ready?" Horatio asked; every one nodded. "Speed, lead the way." Horatio said.
Matilda and Kathie stopped at their usual café for coffee and breakfast before heading to work. They shivered as they entered the big gothic looking building. "Bloody cold out there!" Kathie exclaimed. Matilda smacked Kathie's arm.
"What?"
"You're so bloody loud." Matilda answered before walking away. Her boots clicked with her footsteps on the hardwood floor. "Good morning Mr. Felding." She greeted a stoutly man with grey hair. Arnold Felding had been a friend of the Gordon's since Matilda was three years old. Arnold and his wife Victoria (who considered Matilda as the daughter she never had) met them while they were vacationing in Cairo with their son Gerald (who was always a bit over protective of her). "Good morning to you as well Matilda and I must say you are looking very lovely today." He greeted back with a warm smile. "Thank you! You're not looking too bad yourself." She replied. "Did you just get in?" he asked, "Yes I was about to hang up my coat." She answered, "Why is something wrong?"
"Oh no! I was wanted to let you know that there will be a class of kids coming in to see the Egypt exhibit and I need you to give them a tour." He answered, "You are after all my top Egyptologist."
"Flattery will you get everywhere." She replied.
"Splendid! They'll be here by ten." He said and walked away.
The team stopped at a restaurant not too far from where Matilda worked. They were seated immediately. Speed had been mumbling the whole way to himself. He kept saying, "Charlie would spin in his grave." Everyone was curious as to who Charlie was but didn't know how to ask. Horatio finally put his hand on Speed's shoulder to calm him. Speed jumped and looked into the blue eyes of the man he loved. "Sorry." He muttered. "Who's Charlie?" Tripp asked. Everyone looked at him, "Well I'm sorry but none of you are asking the question that we all want the answer to."
Speed chuckled at Frank's honesty. He sighed, he knew one day it would be up to him to tell everyone about Matilda's brother. He pulled out his wallet and opened it up. He pulled out a photograph and put it on the table. It was of him, Charlie, and Matilda in the middle at her birthday two years ago. Three months before he left for Iraq. They had planned a surprise party for her. "Charlie is Matilda's brother. He died in Iraq two years ago." Speed said. Eric sat back in his chair. His stomach dropped. Matilda knew all along what it felt like to lose a sibling. "That photo was taken three months before his deployment. Charlie was a good man. He had a wife and three kids and I'm their godfather. The day Matilda found out Charlie died was the worst day of her life." Speed explained.
Alexx took the photo to get a better look at it. She smiled as she saw the pure joy and unconditional family love in Matilda's eyes as she stood between Charlie and Speed, her arms wrapped around both of them. "So I take it her and Charlie were very close." Horatio said, "Very much so. Matilda's close with all her brothers but she was closest to Charlie and me." Speed replied, "And she's in big trouble for having that tattoo. I mean she's no perfect little angel. Far from it, she was a HUGE trouble maker in school but a tattoo is just pushing it."
"It's not like she pierced her belly button." Calleigh suggested, "Piercings, I can handle because they heal but tattoos are permanent." Speed retorted, "Says the man who drives 90 on a two wheel death machine." Alexx quipped. Speed blushed and everyone laughed.
The tour had gone very well and now Matilda was in the library putting books away. She was humming to herself as she put each book in its place. "Seti, you don't belong in medieval warfare." She said to herself. Egypt was across the aisle way so Matilda leaned back to put the book back on the shelf. "Matilda?" a familiar voice questioned, "Back here! Whoa!" the ladder Matilda was standing on gave a lurch and she was falling.
"Oof!' she groaned as she landed on the floor. "How many fingers am I holding up?" a voice said, "Alexx, I just fell, I'm fine!" Matilda answered. She saw all her friends and Eric and Ryan. "Hello everyone!" she said as best she could in her embarrassment. "Matilda were taking the short cut when you were putting that book away?" Speed asked still smirking. "No! Absolutely not!" She exclaimed; Speed looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yes." She mumbled. Speed chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you to do things the NORMAL way?" he asked, "At least a hundred times more mum." She answered as she sat up. "Oh talk about a head rush." She said, "I'll go find Mr. Felding and tell him you're taking the rest of the day off." Speed said getting up but Matilda stopped him, "No I'm fine. I don't need to take the rest of the day off." She said. "Sweetheart, you just took a nasty fall. You need to rest." Alexx said, "And if I have to drag you out of here, I will."
"I guess one day wouldn't hurt." Speed laughed and got up to find Mr.Felding. Horatio and Frank followed him. "Calleigh, would you mind terribly getting me a bottle of water from the break room. It's just down the hall." Matilda said, "Calleigh, I'll go with you and see if I can't make an ice pack. You two help her get her things together." Alexx said following Calleigh. Ryan and Eric each grabbed Matilda's arms and pulled her up slowly. "Thank you. I just need to grab my things from my office." She said not looking at them. She walked past them to a big oak door. Ryan and Eric each felt a pang of guilt wash over them. They followed her. Matilda's office was impressive. She had a big dark wood desk with a computer and shelves lined with books. On the walls were photos and awards. Eric was looking at what looked like a bunch of drawings of different things. "It's an ancient Egyptian blessing." Matilda said from behind him. "Can you read it?" Eric asked. "Yes I can. I can read, write and speak ancient Egyptian." Matilda answered. "That's impressive." Eric replied amazed, "So what does it say?"
"God be between you and harm in all the empty places where you must walk." Matilda answered. Eric stared at her in admiration. She wasn't hostile towards him at all after everything he had done and said. "What are these?" Ryan asked, pointing to some scrolls on her desk. "Those are scriptures. We've just received them. Mr. Felding wants me to translate them for the museum." Matilda answered walking over to him. "You see this symbol of those funky stairs and half circle and the sitting woman?" Ryan nodded as Matilda pointed it out, "The person who wrote this is talking about the goddess Isis."
Eric noticed a picture of what looked like jars. "What are these?" he asked, "Those are canopic jars. They were used for mummification. Each jar represents a different God or Goddess and holds a different organ. One was for your stomach, one for your intestines, one for your liver, and one for your heart." Matilda said, "You know what they did with your brain?" Eric and Ryan shook their heads. "They'd take a red hot sharp poker and shove it into your head through one of your nostrils, scramble it about a bit and then rip it out through your nose." She explained and they winced. "I don't know about you, but I sure as hell am glad I didn't live in those times. That just sounds painful." Frank said from the doorway. "You were dead when they did that Frank. It's called 'mummification.'" Matilda replied laughing. "I couldn't care if it was the latest trend, I don't want anybody removing my brain through my nose." Everyone in the room laughed. Pretty soon everyone was in her office. "Matilda, I have to ask this, why history?" Calleigh said. "Well for me, with history there was always science." She answered, "That was probably really vague so hears a better explanation. We all know who King Tut is. Well due to the latest technology in science, we are now able to determine what he looked like, his diet, his height, and what killed him."
"What killed him?" Horatio asked, "Believe it or not, gangrene." Matilda replied, "He broke his leg several days before his death, it became infected and it killed him. He wasn't a very tall man either. He was 170 centimeters or as you would say five feet seven inches. He suffered scoliosis. He was nineteen when he died and he had knee replacement surgery. Oh and scientists have discovered cloneable DNA in a mummy that dates back to 4000 B.C."
"She's a walking encyclopedia of tidbits." Said a voice. It was Kathie. "Everybody, this is my best mate from growing up apart from Speed, Kathie. Kathie, these are my friends from Miami." Matilda introduced.
"Hello, sorry to interrupt but your sister in law just called."
"Which one? I have five!"
"Mary."
"What did she want?"
"Celia's in trouble again."