Author's Note: this is an AU. The general plot of the movies will be generally the same in this story but different in some places and some things will be drastically different. If something is different, assume it's on purpose.

By now, I'm used to the sensation of breath returning to my lungs and feeling my limbs unfreeze. It has been happening to me for more years than I can count, though it must be close to half a century.

I am situated by day in the entrance hall of the Museum of Natural History, on the opposite side of the room to the exhibit of President Theodore Roosevelt, whom I keep my distance from during the day.

After waking up, I watch as Mr President (who insists on people calling him Teddy) gallops away on his horse, yelling something about being proud of America. I sigh. Sometimes I wish I wasn't in an American museum. After all, I am—or at least I was—an English nurse. I still retain my English accent. I do not belong in a museum full of American exhibits. I have these thoughts every night, and I have expressed my concerns to the nightguards but they have never done anything about it, so for now I simply have to be content to stay in this American museum.

Speaking of nightguards…

"Attila!" barks Cecil Fredricks, the lead nightguard, as he strides across the hall towards the Hun leader. "What have I told you about staying in your assigned wing of the museum?"

Attila yells something in his native language, something that nobody in the room can understand. This makes Cecil mad. "You get back into your assigned wing right now or there will be big trouble!"

Attila glares at Cecil for a long time but eventually decides to retreat, muttering in his native language. I am not sure what "big trouble" means for Attila, but apparently it is fearsome enough for the fearless Hun to retreat. I feel a certain amount of respect for Cecil for that, but I am still not sure if fear and force are the best things to use to control a museum full of people and animals. Sometimes, people will get along better with love and compassion.

Then I hear the clip-clop of a horse in the distance. Next thing I know, Teddy has returned on his horse. Cecil immediately goes over to him, probably to tell him off for being too loud. Cecil doesn't like people making too much noise. Even if they can't control it. After all, who can control how loud a horse runs?

After Cecil is done, he strides out of the room, heading in the direction of the diorama room: a room I have heard of but have not yet visited. Teddy comes over to me and dismounts.

"Miss Nightingale," he says respectfully. "It's a lovely night indeed."

"Indeed," I agree warily. Teddy doesn't normally talk to me so I am a little cautious. "May I ask why you feel the need to make conversation with me?"

Teddy gives me a smile. "I'm simply catching up with the other exhibits."

I give him a look and he relents. "Alright, I was hoping you could help me."

I close my eyes briefly. "What did you have in mind?"

"There's a girl I like," Teddy says, sounding both awkward and wistful. "She is beautiful, and yet I have not been able to talk to her for fear of embarrassing myself."

"What does that have to do with me?" I ask, becoming slightly impatient.

Teddy twists his hands awkwardly. "I know we have been in this museum a very long time, but I have only recently discovered the room where this woman resides. And I…" He pauses, averting his eyes. "I have forgotten where this room is."

It is such a comical situation that I actually give a small laugh. Teddy scowls at me. I try and compose myself. "I'm sorry, but first of all: how is it that you've only recently discovered a room in the museum where you've never been? We have literally been alive for almost half a century."

"It is a large museum," Teddy says in his defence. "And besides, I usually stay on this single floor."

"Ah, so it's on one of the other floors?"

Teddy nods. "I just can't remember where."

I think. "Hmm…do you know her name?"

"There was an information plaque, but I didn't have time to read it," Teddy replies.

"Come on, then." I smile. "Let's find your woman."

I begin striding off. I hear Teddy protest a little about his horse, but eventually he catches up with me.

"Tell me about this woman," I say as we walk. "I have explored almost the entirety of the museum at some point or another. Maybe I'll know her if you describe her."

"Well, she has brown her in two long plaits," Teddy says, frowning as he recalls. "She wears a light brown dress and has the same colour boots."

The cogs in my head begin turning at that. I think I know who that might be. "Was she behind glass?"

"Yes!" Teddy suddenly says. "That's it! She was behind glass!"

"Sacagawea," I say aloud. "I know where her exhibit is."

"Sac-a-ge-way-a?" repeats Teddy. "I don't think I've heard of her."

We go up in the lift (elevator for you Americans) to Sacagawea's exhibit. As soon as I open the doors that have clearly been closed by Cecil, Teddy catches sight of the woman in the exhibit. He stares at her, and I know I'm right: the woman he has a crush on is Sacagawea.

"Go talk to her," I say, giving Teddy a nudge.

"I-I can't," Teddy stammers, stepping back. "She's so far out of my league…"

"Out of your league?" I repeat incredulously. "You were the president of the United States, for heaven's sake!"

Teddy still doesn't look sure. I am debating as to whether I should simply drag him away to avoid further embarrassment or push him closer to make him talk to her, but that choice is resolved for me when Cecil Fredricks comes barging through the door. "I thought I locked this!" he snaps, before he catches sight of Teddy and me standing inside the room. "You two, get out! You know you're not allowed to open doors that have already been closed!"

"There's nothing in here that can get out," I say. "Apart from the horses, and they're attached to the heavy carriage."

Cecil gets right up in my face. "Get out of here or I'll lock you up in the Hall of African Mammals! Don't think I won't."

I narrow my eyes. "You have no right to threaten me."

Teddy taps my shoulder. "Miss Nightingale-."

"Teddy and I were simply attempting to locate a fellow exhibit," I say. "The door was not even halfway open, and we were only going to stay for less than ten minutes, so really you have no reason to intimidate me. I do not appreciate being threatened at the best of times, let alone for doing nothing wrong."

Cecil looks like he's about to explode. He grabs my wrist and violently pulls me after him as he storms away. I hear Teddy protest briefly before he becomes out of earshot. I realise where we're going when we go down the stairs and reach the floor with the place Cecil said he was going to lock me up in. He reopens the gate to the Hall of African Mammals, pushes me in so hard that I fall over, and then recloses and relocks the gate. I push myself onto my elbow and watch as Cecil snaps through the gate, "I'll be back before sunrise to let you out. Try not to get mauled too much."

Then he leaves.

I sigh as I stand up. I probably won't survive for very long in this place, what with all the wild animals around. However, I dislike people who do not make good on their threats. And however much I dislike Cecil, he is a man of his word.