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Chapter 4
They made an interesting sight as they moved down the corridor, Nicky glowing with pride (and more than a little exertion) alongside Ahk, a sleepy baby cradled protectively against the pharaoh's chest. He couldn't help the smile that blossomed across his face, proud that he had managed to provide at least enough comfort and security to sooth the child. The dark-haired infant snuffled against him, one tiny hand trying to grip the warm skin.
Several of the exhibits noticed the odd spectacle, some looking puzzled. "New exhibit" explained Nicky.
Naturally EVERYONE was curious, even the Vikings, it was a very long time since any of them had seen a baby (for some, not ever) "Please everyone! We are trying to reach the Guardian of Brooklyn, he may know what we may do with our new addition," They kept coming, pressing in closer and closer causing Ahk to drop his more formal language, adding with slight desperation, "please don't crowd us, I've only just got them off to sleep!" The other exhibits chuckled at that, letting them go once Ahk promised he'd bring the baby back for a proper cooing session once they knew more about it.
They finally made it to the entrance lobby, Larry was at the main desk talking to Teddy and Sacagawea, none of them had noticed the new arrivals. A familiar whizzing noise filled the air, Jed and Octavius taking full advantage of the remote controlled car. They were getting closer but that meant-
"NICKY! Get out of the way!" Ordered Ahk as the resounding footsteps of Rexy thundered round the corner. They leapt back behind the wall as a very excited T-rex skeleton stomped past. Normally, Ahk would not have worried all that much, Nicky had respectable survival instincts but now Ahk felt acutely aware that he was technically responsible for two lives, one being tiny and decidedly defenceless. He held the child tightly, ducking the ever-wagging tail of Rexy, staying crouched till it was all clear.
He risked a look down at the little one. Dark eyes were open, full of startled indignation at being woken which quickly widened to fear in the unfamiliar surroundings. Its little face screwed up, "Oh please," Ahk whispered urgently, "shh little one! All is well! It's just a dinosaur. Please go back to sleep!" He began rubbing the baby's back desperately trying to sooth the child. "Please don't-"
The child let out an ear splitting wail.
"-cry." He sighed in resignation.
"Well you tried," Nicky laid a consoling hand on Ahk's arm,
"So much for a peaceful introduct-"
"JEAN BAPTISTE!"
"What was that?" They headed back into the main lobby to see the source of the cry, Ahk trying to sooth the screaming baby as best as he could, rubbing its back as he looked up for someone to help.
Instead he got a frenzied Sacagawea to the face.
She had the baby in her arms, yelling in Shoshone at him before Ahk could blink. Nicky actually pressed into the pharaoh's side, attempting to hide in the folds of his cloak. Turns out Sacagawea was not a woman to annoy.
Teddy and Larry had run over the second Sac' had started yelling at Ahk, he had no idea what the pharaoh had done but Sacagawea looked like she was about to hit him. Currently both Ahk and Nicky were looking shell-shocked whilst Sac' had expanded from simply yelling to crying and laughing in her native language as well. All at the same time. And she had a baby in her arms.
WHAT?! Larry's brain reeled, it turned out What?! Didn't even begin to cover it. So Larry did the only thing he could think of as an appropriate response. He rounded on the stunned boys who caused this emotional explosion.
"What did you two DO?!"
"Dad we can totally explain," And for once Nicky honestly could.
"Where did you get a baby?!" Larry was staring between both groups like he was watching a tennis match.
"Well," Nicky began," we found it, well actually, Ahk found it,"
"And it was just lying around" Larry stared at his child in disbelief.
"Well yeah," Nicky sounded far to matter of fact for comfort, the 'well duh' edge hadn't helped.
Larry's eye twitched.
Ahk jumped in before the Night Guard burst a blood vessel, "exactly," He explained in his calmest British, "so we thought the most responsible thing we could do would be to bring it to you as you are actually a parent Guardian of Brooklyn."
Larry pointed an angry finger, "Don't you guardian me! Where did it come from, we don't have any babies here!" His mind reeling over all the possibilities, an abandoned baby? Lost baby? Or worse, stolen baby!
It was Nicky's turn to get angry, "We didn't steal it if that's what you're thinking!"
"I think, maybe, Lawrence, we could ask Sacagawea what is going on as she clearly recognises the child." Teddy as usual was the voice of calm reason.
Larry ran an exasperated hand through his hair, "Fine."
"My dear," Teddy asked gently, "please, can you tell us what is happening?" Sac' was still crying, tears pouring down her face as she cuddled the baby as though she'd never let it go again, peppering it's tiny face with kisses.
"This," she began in a thick voice,
"Could you tell us in English please my love? I'm afraid I'm not as well versed yet to understand you at the moment."
Sac nodded, swallowing down some of her tears, "This, " She began again, "is my son, Jean Baptiste. I never, I never thought, dared to dream I would have him in my arms again. He was never included in my exhibit. I've wanted him so desperately but never," She wheeled on Ahk who actually flinched, "You brought him back to me!" She reached for him, pulling him into a fierce one-armed hug that nearly crushed the air out of him before kissing him soundly on the cheek. "Thank you!" Nicky got the same treatment, both looking as though they weren't sure to be pleased or terrified. Sacagawea lost herself in her reunion with her child, the rest of the group stepping away quietly to give her some space.
Larry raked a nervous hand through his hair once again, looking over the delighted Shoshone woman and her now laughing baby and back to the pharaoh and his own son, "Er, sorry, guys, may have overacted there."
Nicky frowned but Ahk forgave peaceably
"Do not worry, an infant was not something we expected to find during our game, our reaction was rather similar was it not?"
"Yeah," Nicky agreed, following Ahk's lead, "neither of us knew what to do, only to try stop it, um, him, crying and get him to you."
"Well you've done excellently both of you," congratulated Teddy.
"Well, more Ahk than me," admitted Nicky, "he's a total baby-whisperer."
"Is that so?" Ahk opened his mouth to protest, but Larry carried on, "is this why you're wearing his collar?"
"Well, as Nicky pointed out, gold is a rather unforgiving surface to find comfort upon."
"And so you gave it up just like that?" Larry smiled, knowing what it meant to the pharaoh.
"It was the right thing to do." Stated Ahk determinedly.
"Oh absolutely. Seriously, well done guys," Larry beamed as he looked over the mother and child once more, "I think you've made Sac's century."
"Undoubtedly. I have never seen her so happy." Teddy was deeply pleased, Sacagawea looked happy beyond anything he had ever seen. She looked as though she were shining with joy.
"I'm glad we could help, though if I'm honest," Ahk paused, staring over with awe, "I wasn't aware Sacagawea was a parent. She never mentioned it."
"No," Teddy paused, talking more to himself than the others, "I fear it was a grief too much to bear to bring herself to share it with others."
"But why now, why the baby? I mean, he's her baby so why was he down in storage? Does that mean...?"
All four of them paled.
"No," Ahk voiced their collective concern, he wouldn't wish that kind of abandonment on anyone let alone a baby, "it can't possibly, we'd have heard!"
"Lawrence," Teddy looked as though he were turning back to wax prematurely, "if you would be so kind could check if there have been any new arrivals recently."
Larry didn't need to be asked twice, "I will be right back." He dove for the desk, skimming through all the records piled neatly in the day tray. Flicking through supplies, requests and deliveries. "Got it!" The others clustered round, eyes frantically searching.
"Oh thank god." Breathed read out the date on the details, "one plastic model of Jean Baptiste Charbonnau, child of Sacagawea for immediate display."
The date was today.
This was the baby's first night.
They all let out a collective sigh of relief.
"But why wasn't he put on display when he arrived?" Asked Nicky, "Why wait?"
Larry frowned, "good question." Flicking through again then spotting the attached note. Missing child carrier, await replacement before display. "Date due..." Larry swallowed, "the replacement is scheduled for next week."
Ahk felt like his knees had turned into the Nile at the very idea. "By Ra's grace."
Teddy clapped a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Good job you're a natural explorer, well done my dear Pharaoh."
Ahk managed a relieved smile, none of them would have been able to forgive themselves had it taken them a week. Nicky grinned seeing the best in the situation, "We did it! Ahk and Nick to the rescue!" He beamed up at Ahk raising his fist which Ahk, after several weeks with Nicky, duly bumped, grinning back.
"So dad," Nicky turned his impressive puppy-dog expression to Larry, "since we are the baby-rescuers can we get pizza?" Larry had to bite back a laugh when Ahk tried to remain regal and utterly failed to hide his hopeful look. The two of them were ridiculous. He made a show of considering things then sighed dramatically. "Well, just this once..."
Nicky whooped, the panic and frustration of the last few minutes forgotten he high-fived Ahk who was beaming at the prospect of food, he liked to try new things whenever he could.
"Splendid, we shall have a feast to celebrate!" Declared Teddy. It was a general rule that whilst they didn't need to the exhibits could eat, the magic of the tablet removing all traces of any consumption (or general injuries) during the day.
"Cool! Can we get pepperoni?" Nicky was practically bouncing with excitement (no mean feat with Ahk's collar still firmly in place)
"Are you going to tell me exactly what we are to dine on tonight or is it to be a surprise?" asked Ahk with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh dude, sorry! I forgot, Pizza's awesome! It's this flat bread stuff with cheese and tomato and all sorts of toppings, there's Pepperoni, fish and corn and pineapple and ham and mushrooms and..."
Ahk laughed, easily lifting the excited boy onto the desk as he continued to babble in enthusiasm. Larry nodded thankfully at the pharaoh keeping his child occupied whilst he went to order the food in peace. Teddy smiled at their youthful exuberance, really anything involving food would keep the pair of them excited for hours.
He moved round the desk to watch Sacagawea sway with her son, whispering all the love she'd bottled up for fifty four years. She sensed his presence and turned to Teddy, moving in to show him properly.
Dark eyes met the presidents blue ones, the baby giggled at him reaching for his moustache. Teddy beamed.
"He's a fine fellow, my dear, a beautiful boy."
Sacagawea leaned into Teddy, her smile gradient, "I am complete." She kissed him tenderly on the cheek, "he is returned to me on the same night he was first gifted to me."
Teddy's eyebrows raised, "you mean to say?" Her upset over the seasons suddenly made sense.
"Yes, today was, is, the day he first came into the world." Fresh tears slid down her smiling face, "And now he is returned to me. I am whole once more."
Yay! Sacagawea has her baby back!
divergentlover523 you were spot on! :D
I thought it was sad that despite Rebecca's excited 'ultimate working mother' comment in the first film Sac' is never shown with her child despite the fact that he would have been there on the journey so I decided to fix it! I did a little bit of research to get his real name and here we have a reunion! One more chapter to go featuring the promised pizza! Thank you everyone so much for reading! Please let me know what you think and I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!
