Nobody to Blame
by Miss Becky
Disclaimer: I don't own these people, except for my narrator, who I kinda like.
Summary: Evy wrestles with her feelings after her rescue at Hamunaptra.
Rating: PG, just in case.
This one's a little different. See notes at the end.
*****
Well.
Don't look at me that way. It wasn't my fault. Honest.
Haven't you ever thought about playing matchmaker? I'm sure you've got at least one friend who's always trying to set you up with that "special someone." We all do, whether we admit it or not.
But it wasn't like that. I swear.
Actually, this is all Jonathan's fault.
Really. I only did it because he asked me to. "Talk to her," he pleaded. "You're her best friend. She tells you everything."
Well, she used to, that was certain. We spent hours working in that dusty library, cataloguing books and making lists and telling each other our hopes and dreams. But since her return from Hamunaptra, Evy hadn't talked to me much.
It was disappointing, to be sure. Evy was younger than me, and taller and prettier, and yes, I worshipped her. I used to wish my hair would be thick and dark like hers, or that I could be as slender as her. She drew men's eyes everywhere she went, while I was ignored, just a shadow at her side. But I didn't begrudge her this, because she was my friend, and I loved her.
I wanted her to be happy.
So when Jonathan told me, a few weeks after Hamunaptra, that Evy was unhappy, I resolved to say something.
She was my friend. Wouldn't you have done the same?
****
"Talk to me," I said.
She looked up at me. "What?"
We were sitting on the floor of the back room, sifting through stacks of books. She had a distant look in her eyes, as though she was seeing something not in this room, someplace far away.
"I know something's bothering you," I said. I tried to joke. "Come on. This is me we're talking about. Cat, your old friend. Now talk to me."
Evy looked around, made as if to speak, then shook her head. "No, I can't."
"Why not?" I demanded.
She took a deep breath, then burst out, "I can't stop thinking about him."
I very nearly laughed. So that was it!
The tall American. O'Connell. He had been by the museum often since bringing Evy back from Hamunaptra. I liked him alot. I'm sure you can guess why.
Evy clutched the book she was holding, that faraway look softening her dark eyes. "I dreamed about him last night."
Abruptly she put the book on top of the stack beside her, laying it down hard enough to send a puff of dust flying up. "That's the silliest thing I have ever said," she snapped, evidently irritated with herself.
Before I could even begin to reply, she said, "I mean, it's not like me! I'm not the kind of woman who--who goes off on flights of fancy! I don't have dreams about men I hardly know. It sounds so sappy and romantic, and not like me at all, but..." She looked at me, and the helpless misery in her face almost made me cry. "But I did it anyway, Cat."
"Oh, Evy." I didn't know what to say. "Does he know you feel this way?"
She looked surprised. "Oh, no."
Perhaps Evy was good at hiding her feelings from him, but it was patently obvious what O'Connell thought about her. Every time he came by, he got this wide-eyed, besotted look about him that made me want to hug him. I liked him a lot, as I said. I liked everything about him. I liked his accent, and the blueness of his eyes. I thought he was a good match for Evy.
I did. I swear. I know you don't believe me, but it's true.
"Why don't you tell him?" I suggested gently, hoping I was saying the right thing. I didn't want to mess this up.
For she was living my daydream, of course. She had been swept off her feet by a dashing, handsome hero, and now she was falling in love with him. It would never happen to someone like me, but she had the chance, and I was determined to see her take it.
"Tell him?" Evy shook her head. "I can't tell a total stranger how I feel!"
"He's not a stranger, Evy," I pointed out. "He did save your life, after all."
She considered this, then murmured, "Mm, yes."
"You should tell him tonight," I said. "Don't let him get away." Not that there was any danger of that, I thought. O'Connell only left the museum because Evy made him. Otherwise he would have been content to stay all day.
"I don't know where to find him," she said.
I thought she was being coy. "Oh, Evy. Come on! It's not like he blends in or anything." I was thinking of those blue eyes. "He stands out in a crowd, and you know it."
"Yes," she said, and now she was smiling.
Then the smile died. "But how can I? I can't leave here. I have responsibilities, and a job. And then there's Jonathan. I can't just walk away from all that."
I gave her my best stern glare. "Evelyn Carnahan. Don't you dare throw this away all over your brother. He's old enough he should be taking care of himself now. And who says you have to leave your job? You could stay here in Cairo if you wanted."
She wanted to believe me; it was written all over her face.
I looked at her, and took a deep breath. "Do you love him?"
She was startled. "What?"
I just stared at her.
Evy gazed into that far-off distance, and a slow flush crept up her cheeks. Her eyes glowed. She was so lovely then, and I wanted to throw my arms around her and cry with happiness, for at last she had found love in her life. She had been so lonely since her parents had died, leaving her with only Jonathan, and she had told me once that she despaired of ever finding a true love such as her parents had known.
She knew love now. She looked at me, her eyes still shining. "I think so," she whispered. "How can that be?"
"Who can explain love?" I said, grinning from ear to ear. Then I simply couldn't help myself. I flung my arms around her. "Oh, Evy! I'm so happy for you!"
She hugged me back, and it was just like old times again. She held me tight and whispered, "You're right. I should find him and tell him."
We drew apart, and I realized she was shaking, trembling with anticipation.
"Tell him tonight," I urged.
"I will." She stood up, and I followed suit. "I will." She smiled, and the shadow that had fallen over her since Hamunaptra fell away in that moment. She looked like the old Evy then, young and pretty and ready to conquer the world.
She walked over to the door. "Will you tell the curator?"
I nodded. Of course I would. We had been covering for each other as long as we had worked together. "Good luck. I just know you two will be happy together."
Evy smiled radiantly. "So do I," she said.
She turned and walked out the door, and I never saw her again.
****
You're still looking at me like that. Stop it.
Don't you see? I honestly didn't know. How could I have?
So really, there's nobody to blame.
She walked out and I had no idea where she had gone. Not until you walked in the door and told me.
You just stand there and look at me, devastated. Your whole world has shattered, and you don't know how to even begin picking up the pieces.
But what can I say? I didn't know, Rick. I thought she was talking about you.
How was I to know that she was talking about the Med-jai, that he was the stranger she barely knew, the man she dreamed about?
I'm sorry, I say. And I mean it. Truly I do.
And yet... Yet I remember how happy Evy looked when she had resolved to ride out into the desert and find the mysterious man in black, the man who had claimed her heart without even speaking to her. And I still can't bring myself to begrudge her that happiness.
You wouldn't, either, if you could only have seen her face.
I hold out my arm. Come on, I say. Let's not stay here. I know a place we can go.
You take my hand, lost and bewildered and sad. Right now you're thinking about Evy, but I promise you, someday you'll be glad this happened. Someday you'll be happy.
With me.
*****
END
Author's Note: Well, I couldn't say it was an AU at the start of the story, could I? That would have given everything away. :-)
by Miss Becky
Disclaimer: I don't own these people, except for my narrator, who I kinda like.
Summary: Evy wrestles with her feelings after her rescue at Hamunaptra.
Rating: PG, just in case.
This one's a little different. See notes at the end.
*****
Well.
Don't look at me that way. It wasn't my fault. Honest.
Haven't you ever thought about playing matchmaker? I'm sure you've got at least one friend who's always trying to set you up with that "special someone." We all do, whether we admit it or not.
But it wasn't like that. I swear.
Actually, this is all Jonathan's fault.
Really. I only did it because he asked me to. "Talk to her," he pleaded. "You're her best friend. She tells you everything."
Well, she used to, that was certain. We spent hours working in that dusty library, cataloguing books and making lists and telling each other our hopes and dreams. But since her return from Hamunaptra, Evy hadn't talked to me much.
It was disappointing, to be sure. Evy was younger than me, and taller and prettier, and yes, I worshipped her. I used to wish my hair would be thick and dark like hers, or that I could be as slender as her. She drew men's eyes everywhere she went, while I was ignored, just a shadow at her side. But I didn't begrudge her this, because she was my friend, and I loved her.
I wanted her to be happy.
So when Jonathan told me, a few weeks after Hamunaptra, that Evy was unhappy, I resolved to say something.
She was my friend. Wouldn't you have done the same?
****
"Talk to me," I said.
She looked up at me. "What?"
We were sitting on the floor of the back room, sifting through stacks of books. She had a distant look in her eyes, as though she was seeing something not in this room, someplace far away.
"I know something's bothering you," I said. I tried to joke. "Come on. This is me we're talking about. Cat, your old friend. Now talk to me."
Evy looked around, made as if to speak, then shook her head. "No, I can't."
"Why not?" I demanded.
She took a deep breath, then burst out, "I can't stop thinking about him."
I very nearly laughed. So that was it!
The tall American. O'Connell. He had been by the museum often since bringing Evy back from Hamunaptra. I liked him alot. I'm sure you can guess why.
Evy clutched the book she was holding, that faraway look softening her dark eyes. "I dreamed about him last night."
Abruptly she put the book on top of the stack beside her, laying it down hard enough to send a puff of dust flying up. "That's the silliest thing I have ever said," she snapped, evidently irritated with herself.
Before I could even begin to reply, she said, "I mean, it's not like me! I'm not the kind of woman who--who goes off on flights of fancy! I don't have dreams about men I hardly know. It sounds so sappy and romantic, and not like me at all, but..." She looked at me, and the helpless misery in her face almost made me cry. "But I did it anyway, Cat."
"Oh, Evy." I didn't know what to say. "Does he know you feel this way?"
She looked surprised. "Oh, no."
Perhaps Evy was good at hiding her feelings from him, but it was patently obvious what O'Connell thought about her. Every time he came by, he got this wide-eyed, besotted look about him that made me want to hug him. I liked him a lot, as I said. I liked everything about him. I liked his accent, and the blueness of his eyes. I thought he was a good match for Evy.
I did. I swear. I know you don't believe me, but it's true.
"Why don't you tell him?" I suggested gently, hoping I was saying the right thing. I didn't want to mess this up.
For she was living my daydream, of course. She had been swept off her feet by a dashing, handsome hero, and now she was falling in love with him. It would never happen to someone like me, but she had the chance, and I was determined to see her take it.
"Tell him?" Evy shook her head. "I can't tell a total stranger how I feel!"
"He's not a stranger, Evy," I pointed out. "He did save your life, after all."
She considered this, then murmured, "Mm, yes."
"You should tell him tonight," I said. "Don't let him get away." Not that there was any danger of that, I thought. O'Connell only left the museum because Evy made him. Otherwise he would have been content to stay all day.
"I don't know where to find him," she said.
I thought she was being coy. "Oh, Evy. Come on! It's not like he blends in or anything." I was thinking of those blue eyes. "He stands out in a crowd, and you know it."
"Yes," she said, and now she was smiling.
Then the smile died. "But how can I? I can't leave here. I have responsibilities, and a job. And then there's Jonathan. I can't just walk away from all that."
I gave her my best stern glare. "Evelyn Carnahan. Don't you dare throw this away all over your brother. He's old enough he should be taking care of himself now. And who says you have to leave your job? You could stay here in Cairo if you wanted."
She wanted to believe me; it was written all over her face.
I looked at her, and took a deep breath. "Do you love him?"
She was startled. "What?"
I just stared at her.
Evy gazed into that far-off distance, and a slow flush crept up her cheeks. Her eyes glowed. She was so lovely then, and I wanted to throw my arms around her and cry with happiness, for at last she had found love in her life. She had been so lonely since her parents had died, leaving her with only Jonathan, and she had told me once that she despaired of ever finding a true love such as her parents had known.
She knew love now. She looked at me, her eyes still shining. "I think so," she whispered. "How can that be?"
"Who can explain love?" I said, grinning from ear to ear. Then I simply couldn't help myself. I flung my arms around her. "Oh, Evy! I'm so happy for you!"
She hugged me back, and it was just like old times again. She held me tight and whispered, "You're right. I should find him and tell him."
We drew apart, and I realized she was shaking, trembling with anticipation.
"Tell him tonight," I urged.
"I will." She stood up, and I followed suit. "I will." She smiled, and the shadow that had fallen over her since Hamunaptra fell away in that moment. She looked like the old Evy then, young and pretty and ready to conquer the world.
She walked over to the door. "Will you tell the curator?"
I nodded. Of course I would. We had been covering for each other as long as we had worked together. "Good luck. I just know you two will be happy together."
Evy smiled radiantly. "So do I," she said.
She turned and walked out the door, and I never saw her again.
****
You're still looking at me like that. Stop it.
Don't you see? I honestly didn't know. How could I have?
So really, there's nobody to blame.
She walked out and I had no idea where she had gone. Not until you walked in the door and told me.
You just stand there and look at me, devastated. Your whole world has shattered, and you don't know how to even begin picking up the pieces.
But what can I say? I didn't know, Rick. I thought she was talking about you.
How was I to know that she was talking about the Med-jai, that he was the stranger she barely knew, the man she dreamed about?
I'm sorry, I say. And I mean it. Truly I do.
And yet... Yet I remember how happy Evy looked when she had resolved to ride out into the desert and find the mysterious man in black, the man who had claimed her heart without even speaking to her. And I still can't bring myself to begrudge her that happiness.
You wouldn't, either, if you could only have seen her face.
I hold out my arm. Come on, I say. Let's not stay here. I know a place we can go.
You take my hand, lost and bewildered and sad. Right now you're thinking about Evy, but I promise you, someday you'll be glad this happened. Someday you'll be happy.
With me.
*****
END
Author's Note: Well, I couldn't say it was an AU at the start of the story, could I? That would have given everything away. :-)