Here's a long one! Enjoy!

Chapter Four ~

Evie

March 21st, 2019

This whole new land was strange. Of course, the people were nice. Bailey was about as pleasant as sixteen year-olds got, despite her constant persistence. Gina was sassy and highly intelligent, but managed to be sweet despite those parts of her personality. I was yet to meet Sierra and Keeley, but Bailey said nothing but compliments about them as a true best friend would.

Gina drove us to Christmas Circle, where two girls were doing yoga on blue mats, extremely focused in their craft. Bailey explained that the redhead with the messy bun was Sierra, and the girl with frizzy blonde hair in a long ponytail was Keeley. While the other girls did yoga, Bailey led me to a taco shop across the street. I ordered what Bailey ordered, a bean and cheese burrito. There wasn't exactly much Mexican food in Egypt, and in Britain it wasn't very good so I normally avoided it.

"I assume we won't be able to tell when they arrive," I took a sip of my iced tea. I thought about what I'd said, before adding, "Well, Rick and Jonathan may start arguing. Believe me, they are loud." Bailey laughed at that. "So we'll know."

They brought our food, and I began to bite into the burrito. But I right as my teeth reached the tortilla, I heard exactly what I'd been telling Bailey to look out for- Jonathan and Rick's loud voices. We paid up front, so I left Bailey with the food as I jumped up to go greet my family. Rick looked grungy as usual, his plain white shirt already stained in dirt. Jonathan was cleaned up, wearing a formal outfit which I assumed was to charm the ladies (he was so annoying that way). Ardeth was with them, a usual frown on his face. Alex was already straying from Rick, looking around confusedly.

"Rick!" I yelled as I walked over to them. I raised my voice, seeing no reaction from him. "Rick!" I called again. His head swiveled around. There was a moment of realization before he replied,

"Evelyn!"

I picked up my pace, before running to Rick. "You made it!" I was so happy to once more see them, to know that I wasn't completely separated from them. I had a large smile on my face. "Welcome to Borrego."

"2019, eh?" Rick frowned, "Geez, it's different. I barely recognized a car from a sci-fi thing."

"Yes, well," I gazed over at a low, red car. "It's been nearly a century , things were bound to change."

"True," Rick shrugged. He looked over, seeing the wandering Alex. "Hey kid, get over here." Alex turned, his head raising. Upon seeing me, he ran over to give me a hug.

"Mum!"

"Alex!" I reached down to hug him. "How do you like the future, Alex?"

"I haven't seen much of it," Alex replied, before frowning and letting go. He grinned. "Can you show me?"

"Well first, Alex, we have to find the man who we came here after in the first place," I cast an uneasy glance at Rick. "I haven't seen him in all of my time here. I slept at the library here and got a temporary job for those days, but a girl named Bailey and her friends are letting us stay with them."

"Oh, and why do you trust her?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "You didn't trust Cordelia."

"That's because Cordelia was a-" I stopped, remembering that Alex was there. "Bailey and I have… something we need to figure out. She offered for me to stay there, so I said yes." Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"So where is this Bailey?"

"Over at a restaurant- I was eating there too, but I had to come get you!"

"Alright, let's go meet her," Rick shrugged, before leaning in to whisper to Jonathan, "she can't be too bad if Evie likes her."

"You're right, Rick."

"Evie, you aren't supposed to be eavesdropping."

"Oh, and I'm not supposed to be in 2019. Neither are you, frankly."

"Sometimes listening to universal laws is wise," Ardeth commented, a direct attack on my actions at Hamunaptra.

"Well, the Book of the Dead was a different story," I snapped.

"Sure…" Rick rolled his eyes.

"Mum, I'm hungry," Alex looked at me with his puppy-dog eyes, "can we go to the restaurant already?"

"Good idea, Alex," I smiled, with a brief "ha, ha" look at Rick. "We shouldn't leave Bailey for too long, she's only sixteen." I swear I saw disappointment on Jonathan's face. On the other side of the fence I could see Bailey in the outdoor dining area, but everyone else's eyes simply passed over her. I just sent her a grin as we went around to the front to get in. They followed me to the table. Rick's jaw dropped.

"This is Bailey?"

"Mum, why does she look like you?"

"Oh god. Two Evies...," Jonathan was overwhelmed; he put his hand on his face in confusion and obvious disturbance.

"Evie, care to explain?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "For all our sakes?"

"Well, we don't know ourselves, but we believe that she is me reincarnated," there was a confident tone to my voice, and I said it with complete assurance. Bailey looked a little intimidated, her eyes darting away from the newcomers. "Bailey, could you please introduce yourself to my…" I hesitated. "Lovely family?" Bailey nodded, and said with an uncomfortable smile,

"Hi I'm Bailey, I'm sixteen, and…" She frowned, a brief moment of stupidity reaching her. "And that's it, I guess."

"I'm Rick, Evelyn's husband," Rick offered his hand for Bailey to shake, and she did, although it was quite hesitant.

"Jonathan, Evie's brother," Jonathan had quite a bit of energy as he shook hands with the overwhelmed Bailey, his eyebrows raised and a grin on his face. "Its weird, its like I have twin sisters. Although the age thing is screwing with my mind a little…"

"Jonathan." I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm Alex, and Evie's my mum!" Alex was exuberant with energy. "I'm ten!"

"Nice to meet 'ya, Alex," Bailey smiled, "do you like the future so far?"

"It's kinda disappointing."

"Geez, wow, okay," Bailey rolled her eyes, "discover cell phones, kid, then come talk to me."

"Ardeth, no relation to any of these people. I am part of the Medjai, a group dedicated to protecting Egypt against ancient threats." The introductions had gone on for quite awhile, in my opinion. There were far more important matters to be discussed. Or maybe it was just the stupidity of Ardeth's formal introduction while everyone else had simply stated their name and relation to me.

"Okay, please focus, we need to discuss the head librarian and where in God's name he went!"

"Evelyn has a point," Rick sighed, "that's why we came here after all."

"Dad, I'm hungry," whined Alex.

"Jonathan, take Alex to order food." My brother did not at all look happy to be ordered around by his younger sister, and he mumbled as he and Alex turned to go order. But I quickly remembered that Jonathan had no American currency, and got out of my chair, walking at a brisk pace until I reached the two. "Here's twenty dollars. Don't waste it." I handed Jonathan the cash, and headed back to Ardeth, Rick, and Bailey.

"So you're fifteen?" Rick asked, an eyebrow raised as he sat back in his chair.

"Sixteen," Bailey corrected, nervously gazing down at her plate.

"Ah…" Rick looked over at me. "Evie. Glad you could join us."

I rolled my eyes, taking my seat. "I'm sorry, I just had to give Jonathan money."

"I'm only teasing," Rick grinned. "Ardeth, care to contribute to the conversation?"

"I'd rather not," Ardeth rolled his eyes, "we should be focusing on finding the librarian, not on this schoolgirl."

"Hey," Bailey snapped, "I'm equally important, if not more than a stupid head librarian." Oh god, I'm not going to wait around and see where this argument leads. I can ignore her disliking of librarians.

"Bailey," I began to speak, "Ardeth is right. Our first priority, and why we came here, is to find the head librarian, stop whatever he may be doing, and bring him back to the thirties."

"Right," Bailey crossed her arms. "So shouldn't we get on with searching, if its so important?"

"Let's wait until we hear anything. 'Strange man steals artifact,' that sort of thing."

"Waiting is more time that you're away from nineteen thirty," Bailey pointed out, "you shouldn't stay here for very long."

"Well, I'm sure we'll hear something soon," I replied, a bit of certainty in my voice.

Suddenly, a sound almost like a gunshot rang off in the distance. Only it was much louder and further off. I twisted my head to the east, off towards the Salton Sea. When I saw it, I gasped. There was a cloud of dust, but not at all like a sandstorm, more like an atomic bomb.

"That's it," I was in shock. "That's where we need to go. That's where the head librarian will be, and that's where we'll get our well-deserved answers."