CHAPTER I
Little Sadie O' Connell, peered over the Chesterfield sofa as she watched her Uncle sleeping. Giggling quietly to herself, she reached down to the floor for the feather duster and aimed to tickle the near side of her Uncle's face. His left arm, and hand, fully stretched out, for Jonathan had fallen asleep on the sofa for the second time that day, and did not seem to learn from his mistakes.
In his left hand, was a rather large pile of squirty cream which the little tyke had taken great care in preparing. She reached again, wearily watching around should her father appear in the room. But she knew he wouldn't scold her for it.
With one more flick of the duster, Jonathan Carnahan slapped his nose with his left hand. It took him a moment to realise what was on his face – and hand.
"Ah Sadie!" He yelled, but his niece had ran away already, giggling hysterically and hiding behind her father who was sat on a chair in the kitchen talking to Evelyn.
The small child stood at the side of her father, and looped her arms in a childish like manner around his strong neck.
"Honey not right now-" He muttered, patting Sadie's back gently only to be interrupted by Jonathan's whinging voice.
"Evie look what that little-"He paused, glaring down at an innocent looking Sadie, who stared right back, still clinging to her father.
Rick O' Connell, turned around, preparing himself to order Jonathan to shut up, only to laugh instead.
"It's not funny-"
"Ah come on Jonathan," Said Rick, perching Sadie on his lap.
"Being beaten by a five year old?" His voice taunted Carnahan, his grin widening as he reached for his coffee mug.
"Besides, you've been asking for it for ages." The tall soldier shrugged carelessly, taking a sip of the hot liquid.
Little Sadie looked at her Uncle with a wicked grin, before snuggling into her father before he turned her to face him.
"You. Grounded." He said simply, tapping her nose with his index finger and wiping the cream from her right hand.
"This, Sadie O' Connell...is war..." Muttered Jonathan, only loud enough for the little tot to hear. She pouted, sulking, and tried to get sympathy from her mother instead.
"Oh Sadie please don't do that..." Said Evelyn, biting her bottom lip guiltily.
Sighing, her bottom lip quivering from defeat, the tot exited the large kitchen and skulked upstairs to her room.
**************Eighteen years later **************
Sadie O'Connell sat in the library with a thick old dusty book in her hand, leafing through the pages in an idle like manner as she did so. She sighed, scribbling down some notes on a post it sticker, running a hand through her hair in a stressed like manner.
"You okay?" Asked a deep voice from over the far end of the room. She looked up, smiling at her father who was smoking a cigar, leaning on the fireplace.
"Yeah, I think so. Just trying to cram it all in, y'know...?" She said, smiling.
"Well if you ask me splitting that exam in two is the stupidest idea I ever heard of." He said, leaning over the green Chesterfield chair to see what she was reading.
"Y'know you should ask your mom to test you. She's pretty good at that kinda stuff..." He ruffled her hair gently, before looking up with moody eyes at the sound of Jonathan's voice echoing through the room.
"Rick, have you seen Ev_ Sad's! You're back!" He said, whooping a little as he practically wrestled his niece for a hug.
"Ah I've missed ya!" He hugged her close, beaming proudly.
"Oh god. Not you too..." He said, his eyes scanning the hieroglyphics wearily.
"Yup. I got back a few hours ago." Said Sadie, beaming back at her uncle. The years of the foam and cream wars had long since passed and now she was relatively close to her Uncle.
"How's Ardeth?" Asked Rick, changing the subject. Mainly to shut his thieving brother in law up.
"He's fine..." She said, tilting her head back on the rest and beaming up at her father.
Ardeth was her partner. A Medjhai warrior, they had met during an excavation which she had been taking part in. As a close friend of the family, he had risked his life to save her from the high priest Imhotep, resulting in the pair falling in love.
"Bet he's cursin' these darn books." Muttered Rick, grinning wickedly.
She giggled, organinising the scattered books into a neater pile. "Actually he's been really helpful. The Medjhai are more useful than you realise, dad." She said, matching her father's gaze.
"Well, as long as he's keeping Imhotep underground I don't care." Muttered Jonathan, shuddering at the memories of the mummy.
"I don't miss Egypt one bit."
"Liar."
"I don't."
"You do."
"No, I- well alright maybe I do..." Jonathan glared at Rick, not really in the mood for quarrelling.
"Evie was right about you. You are an argumentative scoundrel." He muttered, folding his arms.
"Oh yeah and when did she call me that, exactly...?" Challenged Rick.
"Well...she ah...she did. Actually." Said Sadie, gazing up at her father in her uncle's defence.
"She told me that was her first impression of you."
O' Connell stared down at his daughter. "Huh." He said, letting out a defeated sigh.
Still in the library, Sadie watched the amber flames flicker and crackle, sighing softly to herself. She missed Egypt. Sure, this was her real home, but it wasn't where her heart was. She sulked, curling her feet up on the sofa, the family Labrador joined her, resting his large black head on her knee.
"Hey Toby," She said softly, stroking the beloved pet, making a bit of a fuss out of him, but that didn't stop her from missing Ardeth.
A gust of wind made her jump as the curtain's bellowed from out of nowhere, Toby, fled the room after Jonathan who had walked past the corridor a few minutes ago. The library door shut, but she wasn't alarmed. In fact, a small smile crept upon her pretty face.
"You just can't keep away, can you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, her green eyes twinkling at her Medjhai warrior.
"I sensed your worry..." Ardeth's voice hit her like a breeze of wind. She smiled as he kissed her.
"But why here?" She said softly, her arms around his neck.
Ardeth shrugged. "He has risen again. Though this time not through your parents, though I fear for them...he seeks his revenge." His wise words passed through her.
"You're staying?" She asked softly, smiling into another kiss.
"Yes, I'm staying."
She giggled as he tormented her with his false attempt of broken English.
"I've missed you." He said softly, his deep blue eyes gazing into hers.
She beamed back, matching the look in his eyes.
"So have I." She whispered back, wrapping her arms around him.
"Dad? Dad get up. We got company," Said Sadie, throwing a pillow at her father.
"Hu what? WHEREARETHEMUMMIES?" He yelped suddenly, almost leaping out of the bed and staring in a half dazed shock at Sadie. She giggled, leaving the room and waiting for her father.
"Ardeth's here. Something's happened in Egypt." She explained as he met her in the hallway.
"What? Oh, well...go wake your mother...we'll be downstairs."
Sadie perched lightly on the arm of Ardeth's chair. Normally she would have perched beside her uncle, for her mother would normally perch next to her father.
She leant back on the arm, but listened intently as her partner spoke of the havoc Imhotep had been causing.
"But why us?" Asked Evelyn.
"You woke him up. It is you who must put him back to sleep again." Replied Ardeth.
"Yes but why must you fight him all the time?" Asked Sadie, trying not to sound frustrated.
Gently reaching out to her, Ardeth placed a gentle hand on her thigh. Evelyn watched the warrior with her daughter, and smiled softly at the communication between the pair. Somehow Ardeth had managed to quieten her daughter with the simple touch of his hand. Something even Rick couldn't do.
She paused, realising she must have looked strange, and coughed, pretending to clear her throat.
Sadie watched her mother, frowning a little. Ardeth somehow managed to keep her quiet, and, she quietly exited to get herself a drink.
In the kitchen, she came across her Uncle.
"Not looking for squirty cream I hope," She teased, reaching to the side of him for an alcoholic drink.
"Pfft me? Nah." He grinned.
"I just don't like mummies..." He muttered, watching her pull the cap off and pour the liquid into a glass.
"Oh I think you're brave." She said.
"I couldn't do that. Ardeth just pisses him off for fun." She said softly, raising her brow at her uncle, grinning a little through the glass.
"He'll be worried about you disappearing like that." Said Jonathan, chomping on a piece of apple pie.
She smiled softly. "I tell him not to."
"Well he will." Said Jonathan, his mouth full of pie.
She chuckled, winking before entering the lounge again, perching back on the chair by Ardeth's side.
"So, what's the plan?" She asked softly, handing Ardeth a glass.
"We go to Egypt." Said Evelyn simply, grinning at her daughter.
Sadie blinked in disbelief.
"Mum, you've almost died twice out there – dad – you can't be serio-" She sighed, feeling Ardeth sushing her gently with his hand on her back.
"No. We brought him back, we're sending him back." Said Evie firmly.
Sadie pouted a little, matching her gaze with Jonathan.
"I still can't believe you talked them round," She argued softly, standing in the middle of her room, gazing at Ardeth with her arms folded sternly.
"It's better that way –only they know how to send him back. It must be them. No one else can do it," He explained softly.
Sadie let out a hefty unhappy sigh.
"Well I'm staying here with Uncle Jonathan." She said stubbornly.
"Ameerati," He murmured softly, his hand reaching out for her.
She shook her head, staying rooted to the spot.
"No, I don't want to be involved in this..."
Evelyn heard the lover's tiff and smiled softly. Even though Ardeth had silenced her daughter in the room before, now she heard them speak differently.
She raised her brow when he called her Ameerati. It was Arabic for princess. She pressed her ear to the door, hoping that they would not quarrel about the quest too much.
After all, it wasn't worth spoiling love over an ancient dead mummy.
"Evie?"
"Shh" She said, silencing her husband quietly.
"Why are you spying?" He asked, frowning.
"I'm listening, there's a difference."
"No, it's spying..."
"Oh sush, they're quarrelling."
"They're what? Y'mean they're actually arguing?" He asked, pressing his ear against the door.
"Shh..."
"I'm not going." Sadie dug her feet firmly in front of me as we quarrelled. I have to say, it was probably the first time we have ever quarrelled before, and I wasn't liking it much. There she stood, rooted to the spot like a stubborn camel not wanting to walk. This had never happened before, and it left me bewildered and confused.
"I cannot leave you here unprotected – he will use you to get to your parents. Your life is much more important to me..."I furrowed my brow in confusion clear upon my face. Sadie stared back, looking doe eyed and afraid.
"Why do you do that? Why do you make me give into you." She muttered softly.
"I do?" I stared, a little puzzled by her words, drawing her close into my arms in the hope of comforting her more.
"Yes, you do..." She said, snuggling close into my chest, sighing softly.
"...Well that was a hefty sigh."
Gazing down, I sensed the troubled sigh worse than my own, touching her cheek gently with my hand and making her look up at me before I vowed to protect her.
"I promise you, I will never let any harm come to you as long as I live...Sadie you have my word-"
"I know, I know,"
Another sigh...softer this time, for she knew she was defeated. I looked down. Clearly she did not wish to be dragged through Egypt and frightened by whatever may lurk there, and I didn't blame her. I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her tighter, more for reassurance.
"Then trust me, Sadie..." She looked up at me, with those doe eyes again, clearly defeated. She should know better than to quarrel with me, but she did it anyway, regardless of the fact that I was a Medjai Chieftain. ...