Excuse my French

AN: After watching the Indiana Jones movies the first time after a few years while smoothing my clothing I came up with this idea. The title was inspired by the song "Excuse my French" by Caro Emerald. I've always preferred villains to heroes and Dr Belloq has always been one of my favorite villains of all time. In my opinion he's the only villains of the Indiana Jones series with a personality who would have fitted the role of the protagonist as well as Indy. And I think he really liked Marion and wanted to save her. When I was younger I had been very disappointed, that there hadn't been more interaction between the two in the tent scene and I also noticed a great lack of fanfics on this subject. So now I decided to take this matter in my own hand. The point of view will switch during the chapters. Please forgive me, if the dialogues aren't correct in some parts.

In this fanfic Indiana Jones won't be the hero he is in the movies and get a little bit bashed, so don't read it if you're a big Indy-fan! You have been warned!

English isn't my native tongue, so please don't kill me for grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.

Reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed. Flames and spam won't be tolerated!

Summary: Things take a different turn during the tent scene in Raiders of the lost ark. Sparks fly between Marion Ravenwood and a certain French archaeologist what gives the story a complete new twist. It also includes a closer look on the motives and thoughts of Jones' archrival. Mainly Marion x Dr. René Belloq, hints of former Marion x Indiana Jones. Some OoCness. Rating may change later.

Italics: thoughts, sometimes flashbacks

I don't own the Indiana Jones Series. This also applies the following chapters!

Chapter 1: Digging in Tanis

"I told you not to be premature in your communiqué to Berlin" said René while strolling along the endless digging site in the Egyptian desert with Colonel Dietrich and his assistant Gobler following him. Bored to tears he picked up a random brick from a digger's cart. Oh how he longed to smash it in the blasted Nazi Colonel's face!

"Archaeology is not an exact science. It does not deal in time schedules."

"The Fuehrer is not a patient man." replied Dietrich. René frowned, knowing very well that the German hadn't understood anything of what he had said.

"He expects constant reports and expects some progressing! You led me to believe-"

Mon dieu! Is he deaf or stupid or both?

"Nothing!" interrupted René quickly . "I made no promises! I merely said that it looked favorable"

Apparently those rude Germans weren't just incoherently cruel but also stupid. But right now they were a necessary evil for Belloq to make the greatest discovery in archaeological history: the legendary Ark of the Covenant. There was absolutely no archaeologist or antiquarian who didn't aquiver at the mere mentioning of the ancient sacred treasure or wouldn't kill for the opportunity to seek it. And Doctor René Emile Belloq wasn't any different.

Maybe it seemed a bit paradox but he didn't want the Nazis to get hold of the Ark. True to the saying "keep your friends close but your enemies closer" the renowned French archaeologist was even willing to collaborate with the most evil force in the world, leading their extensive excavation in order to prevent them from finding the Ark. To outsiders this might have looked like a true suicide mission. It certainly was but Belloq was more than willing to take the risk. Like he had said the day before to his archrival Indiana Jones, archaeology was his religion. For him there was nothing at stake.

But there was only one factor that was really molesting: the Germans, especially the ones who were talking to him at the moment were really driving him up the wall with their foolishness. An empire whose goal it was to eliminate all Jews on earth yet they wanted to find an ancient Hebrew artifact to make their army invincible, which genius had made that up?

But though they were a pain in the neck to work with the Germans and their resources were necessary for him to get what he wanted, a small price to pay for a far greater reward. His time was going to come soon, he knew he just had to be patient.

But the hunger for the most desired archaeological treasure in history hadn't been the only reason why the Frenchman had accepted to lead an archaeological excavation for the Nazis as he had been taken by Dietrich to a countryside in Berchtesgarten to see Adolf Hitler himself. He also had accepted it for the sake of his mother country. Belloq remembered his meeting with the Fuehrer as if it had been yesterday. His assumptions that Adolf Hitler was a pure lunatic had been totally confirmed. He had felt really sorry for the interpreter. Actually an interpreter wouldn't have been necessary. René spoke fluent German but he had decided to keep silent about that in order to have an advantage against his enemies, euhm, employers.

"Well Monsieur, along with Dr Jones you are by far the best archaeologist available. Dr Jones surely won't cooperate with us so we are in need of your skills." When René had asked extremely carefully what would happen if he declined the interpreter had been trembling visibly as he had translated the answer.

"As you most likely know, the German Empire soon plans to go to war. We need to start with one of our neighbor countries. We are not sure if we are going to start with Poland or France but one thing is for sure. In order to intimidate the artilleries we are going to shoot everything and everyone that moves, we are not going to stop until nothing but the ashes remain. If you decide not to help us, the consequences for your country won't be very favorable. Poland or France- for us both is good enough, the choice is yours!"

For René the choice had been clear, he had accepted the so called "offer". He knew that somehow, someday he would make them pay for threatening France. But now he had to play along with his bosses who were following him closely.

Nazis were all the same. They thought they were so clever, so smart and superior to all other human beings. René already knew that the opposite was the case. Because if Dietrich and Gobler were as clever as they always claimed to be they would have noticed a long time ago that they had been given the runaround the entire time.

"Besides with the information in our possession my calculations were correct."

That was a brash lie and René knew it. The truth was that he knew exactly why they couldn't find the well of souls. The headpiece he had created as a replica for the staff of Ra was totally useless with its engraving. He knew that there were also inscriptions on the side that hadn't been burned into the Gestapo agent's hand. More than fifteen years ago his class for archaeology studies had gone on an excursion to Chicago. He had been among a selected group of students who had been invited to have a look at the personal collection of the famous Professor Abner Ravenwood. And the Professor had shown him a very interesting artifact. It had been a medallion, not just some random medallion. It had been the true headpiece, the one the Germans had been looking for feverishly in the past months.

But that was another story. Right now he was busy with two affairs at the same time, with progressing the excavation in the current wrong place and deliberating how he could get hold of the real headpiece and the real measures without the Germans noticing.

"Who knows? Perhaps the ark is still waiting in some antechamber for us to discover. Perhaps there's some vital bit of evidence which eludes us. Perhaps-"

Gobler interrupted him. "Perhaps the girl knows something!"

This made the Frenchman listen up. Up to now he had been drinking what felt like liters of red wine and grappa every evening in order to suck up to the whole masquerade he had gotten himself in. But drinking hadn't been necessary any more since the day before. The patrols strolling through Cairo had captured Dr Jones' lovely partner Marion Ravenwood and had brought her to Tanis.

With her there was at least a little bit of pleasant company present in the camp on the digging site. Even though the Germans were handling and interrogating her all the time and not René, he still couldn't help but feel very protective of her. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because she was very beautiful, clever and obviously a feisty one. But in the back of his mind René knew the answer. Maybe his reputation and his usual ways to find archaeological artifacts weren't confirming that but he wasn't a monster. And the girl was innocent and didn't deserve this kind of treatment the Nazis were giving her.

"My feeling exactly." insisted Dietrich. "She was in possession of the original piece for years. She may know much if properly… motivated"

Couldn't they just leave her alone? As they had brought the Ravenwood-girl the day before René already had to convince the Nazis not to shoot her what had been very difficult. And now he had to insist them to leave her in peace.

"I can assure you, the girl knows nothing."

"I am surprised to see you so squeamish, that is not you reputation." reckoned the Colonel."Anyway it needn't to concern you. I've got the perfect man for this."

René saw a figure clad in a black coat and hat approaching. As he stood in front of them he raised his burned hand for the Nazi salute.

"Heil Hitler!"

René's cool and calculated façade was close to tumbling down the moment he recognized the man. He was just shocked. It couldn't be! Not him! Not that psycho of a Gestapo agent!

"Alright. Agent Toth can take care of that." said the Frenchman

His apparent resignation seemed to have a calming effect on the Colonel and his assistant. Good, that seemed to keep them content, at least for now.

"Please excuse me Gentlemen, I have some mappings to attend to."

Dietrich and Gobler nodded in approval and went off. René waited until they were out of sight then he quickly went away into the control tent. Once alone he sighed and rubbed his sweaty temples. After shutting the curtain at the entrance of the tent he sat down at the table with lots of drawings, sketches and maps scattered on it. The calculations and maps weren't important to Belloq, he needed time to think about this matter carefully.

He just couldn't let that psycho Toth interrogate the girl. That sadist wouldn't even wait for a confession and torture her in the cruelest ways imaginable, just caring about his own sick sadistic needs. René just couldn't let that happen. Holding an innocent woman captive was bad enough but torturing and interrogating her even though she clearly knew nothing and was only brought into this business by Doctor Jones was beyond cruel. He shifted the documents and maps aside and poured himself in a glass of wine. The clear red liquid always helped the Frenchman to think. He had to do something to help her. Then a thought crossed his mind. The Colonel clearly didn't have any success with his cruel methods and only made the girl close up more so why shouldn't he try to get her trust? Yes, that was clearly a good plan. René brought the glass to his lips and emptied it one sip.

This evening I am going to question her myself - in my way!

To be continued

What do you think? The next chapter will be written in Marion's point of view and will contain the tent scene. I hope you like it!

Please review!