(AN there is some Arabic used in this chapter and probably in the chapters to come. If you need help deciphering what the words mean, go to my Information fic to find out)

"I can't believe you're doing this." Rick said, as he trekked across the dunes with his wife early in the morning, five AM to be precise. "I can't believe I'm doing this!" He said to himself. "Where's Alex, isn't he the one who pressured you into doing this, I swear Evie, you have to learn to let go. You're giving into your son, and that isn't right, it should be the other way around, like, why don't you dare him to move out or something. He's 20 for God's sake! It just isn't right. He has friends that are already moved out, by the ages of fourteen! And happily married, they have kids by sixteen, and I bet their parents don't feel so old anymore, you know, at the fact of being grandparents."

Evie turned around and caught Rick off guard, giving him a nice big kiss on the lips. After a few seconds she finally pulled away, keeping the same smirk on her face. "His friends are all Egyptians, darling." She turned back around and continued her journey to the village.

"Oh." He remarked to himself, then ran to catch up to his wife.

~~~~~~

They reached the village by about six, which is when everyone was up to greet the sun and start about their daily tasks. Rick and Evelyn's presence did not go unnoticed. Some of the children ran up to them demanding backsheesh, and others idly crowded around.

They went straight to the Mayor's house, knowing that he'd be the one to help them, although some of Egypt was growing, and with the growth, came more up to date cities and towns, most of the villages scattered out were still as they were years before. Living as they did before, which meant waking and sleeping with the sun, working as they did, farming, and looking for extra money where ever they could find it.

The mayor had a slightly larger house then the rest of the townspeople, maybe an extra room for visitors.

He must have heard the bustle, because as soon as they reached the front of his house, the door was flung open "Marhaba! How kind of you to bless my house like this. What can I do for you Sitt, Effendi O'Connell" He asked as he ushered the two into his home and closed the door, after waving away the crowed that grew around his front door.

All the walls were stained white, and there was barely anything for furniture, a bench moulded right into the wall, and a wooden table in front of it.

"Sit, please, make yourselves comfortable!" the man insisted, he didn't look that fit to be the mayor,

He was a short and stocky man, he wore a navy blue turban, as did all of the people of the village.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked as he started to the back of his house, which contained his kitchen.

"Oh no, that's quite alright." Evelyn politely refused, slightly cringing at the thought. "Effendi Babafemi, we are starting an excavation down in the valley, and we need people to help dig." At this question the mayor lit right up, this was what he was waiting for, more money to the village. He always had the workers give him some of the earnings to go toward the 'town'.

"Oh, very good! How many men do you need?" He asked with sheer joy written on his face.

~~~~~~

They finally got out of there with about 25 workers, all willing and able, after much bargaining because the mayor had promised that there were 'many strong men in the village'. The also came out with a young boy, probably about 14 years old, he's the mayors son and was sent with them as a 'personal guide' boasting of very high directional value. He was thrown in for free 'only the experience is needed for Selim.' The mayor had said. They figured that there wasn't any harm in this boy coming too. Evenly knew the wadi's back to front, up and down and didn't need anyone's help.

They finally got back to the Valley after walking for a half an hour.

"We need to get in the habit of using the horses more often." Rick moaned as they got up to the tomb of Siptah.

"Oh poor baby." Evelyn giggled as she rubbed his back, "We need to get you a litter don't we? That's what we hired these men for, to pull you around on your litter." She started to laugh.

"Ha ha ha" Rick mused sarcastically. "Where's Alex? Wasn't he supposed to meet up here at noon, it's almost there."

"Oh, darling, he's allowed to stay out past noon. He's nineteen, let him have his fun." Evelyn said with a smile.

"Yes well I think we need to give him some boundaries, that boy's been staying out late almost every night we've been up here, he needs rules and responsibilities. We don't' want him to turn into Jonathan!" Rick said with a stern look on his face.

Evie elbowed him in the side of the ribs.

Just then they heard the familiar sound of hooves hitting the earth, as their son came over on his new horse, Rashid, he came galloping over, and pulled up to a rearing stop in front of his parents, then elegantly jumped off.

"Father, Mother." He greeted them.

"Where were you?" Rick asked.

"Hello Alex, come with me, will you?" Evelyn cut in, she grasped her son's arm and pulled him toward the cliff leaving Rick to tend to the horse.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Nothing, just letting your father cool down, he gets so worked up about you leaving for more then a couple hours." She laughed.

"Oh," Alex chuckled. He sounded just like his father, Evenly noted, they continued up a little ledge toward the side of the wadi that bordered the desert floor from the Valley of the Kings.

"So," he continued. "This is where you're planning to dig? Well, let the luck be with you because I don't think you're going to find a da-- erm--- blasted thing on this cliff. There's no sign of anyone ever being here except for a few scraps of pottery." Alex argued his point.

"Well there's only one way to find out." his persistent mother stubbornly concluded.

There was already a few men at the site standing off to the side timidly chatting amongst themselves and avoiding eye contact with the O'Connells.

One man, however came forth and confronted Rick as he tied off Rashid to a poll of the 'tent'.

"Backsheesh?" The man asked.

"Um, Evie?" Rick called out, he knew a little bit of Arabic, and certainly knew what that meant, but didn't know how to give the man an answer.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked as she came down the hill toward her husband.

"They haven't even started working and I think he's asking for a raise." Rick mumbled to her as he smiled to the man.

"Effendi, you will be paid at the end of each week." Evelyn explained.

Then man asked her another question.

"What'd he ask?" Rick asked her.

"He wants to know if they will get Sundays off." She thought for a minute. "Yes." She answered in Arabic. To this the man straightened up and marched off to go tell the others what he had accomplished.

"Ah good, I thought you would have us working through the week without any breaks." Rick sighed.

"Well, Alex should always get some time to himself." Evelyn defended.

"Oh, right." Rick responded.