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Part 14/?

-Chapter 13-

Unearthed

Rodney's outburst met complete silence. Four people leveled expectant, awed stares on him, waiting for him to clarify.

Nervous, he pointed to his computer screen. "Ah – well – maybe I haven't found it. I just – found – the most likely place it could be in the Valley?" His voice trailed off into a question.

Elizabeth and Teyla moved as one, going to kneel next to McKay. The men were right behind them, crowding close to see over the women's shoulders.

"How?" Elizabeth asked.

"Are you sure this is accurate?" Teyla asked, digging out her reading glasses so she could see the screen better.

"Hurry!" Ronon said.

"Come on, let's go now!" Sheppard went to stand.

"Wait!" McKay said loudly. "Will you people just be quiet, sit still, and let me explain? It will go much faster that way!"

Everyone settled back to the ground and looked at him expectantly again.

"Okay." Rodney let out a breath, turning back to his computer screen. "I used our research at the museum to check the approximate dates of the known tombs in the Valley. You know – when they were constructed, when the pharaohs were entombed, and then when they were sealed. Using that information, plus the date of the eruption on Santorini, in addition to – somewhat sketchy, I admit, but the most reliable we have at the moment – the approximation of when the last known survivor of Atlantis who had escaped to Egypt could have died, I came up with this." He pointed to a boxed-off area on his computer screen. "According to my research – if I'm right, and I see no reason why I shouldn't be right – Atlantis's Child's tomb should be somewhere in this area."

"Oh my," Elizabeth said, sinking back on her heels. She covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide. "Oh my," she mumbled again.

Teyla threaded her hands into her dusty hair, knocking off her hat in the process. "This is it," she whispered. "This could be it!" Her voice rose with each word.

"Wait, wait!" McKay said, raising his hands.

"What?" Weir asked irritably. "Is there more? Don't tell me there's a problem!"

"Look. We all know someone else is after Atlantis. We also know these people are ruthless. There's also no doubt that they have us under surveillance. If we got out there right now and started excavating, everyone and his brother will know within a matter of hours that we just might have found the tomb we're looking for. At least – that we've found something of importance."

Teyla nodded glumly. "Word does travel fast," she said. "And with all the tours in the Valley during the daytime, it would give whoever's watching us the perfect place to blend in." Unless whoever it is keeping us under surveillance is with us. . . She put the thought aside to ponder later, when she and Elizabeth were alone.

"During the daytime!" Elizabeth said triumphantly.

This time, everyone looked at her, clueless.

Shifting her gaze from person to person, Weir laughed. "Don't tell me none of you see it?"

"Apparently not," Sheppard said dryly. "Care to let us in on your brilliant deduction?"

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him, then laughed. Teyla felt hope, seeing her in such good spirits. Maybe they really could pull this off, find Atlantis before the bad guys. "You said they could keep watch over us during the day, when tourists swarm the Valley like locusts. But, if we come to the Valley at night, when no one but ghosts and jackals roam. . ." She trailed off, smug.

Everyone around her exchanged glances. "Dr. Weir, you're on to something good," Ronon said, giving her an admiring grin.

Teyla absently lifted her hand to her mouth to bite her thumbnail. "There's just one problem with that," she said.

Once more, the attention shifted. "What?" Weir asked, looking crushed.

"The Valley is closed at night. To everyone. No exceptions."

"Ugh." Elizabeth fell back, muffling her scream of frustration into her hands. "Can't we call Dr. Hawass and – I don't know – get a pardon, or a waiver, or special permission or something?"

"No exceptions," Teyla repeated. "Look, I'm just as disappointed as you, but—"

"Wait." John grabbed her arm. "Teyla, do you remember – well – our teenage days?"

She raised her eyebrows. "John, this isn't the time for reminiscing. We—"

"Think! What did we do all the time when we were kids? —Other than almost get thrown in jail for being hoodlums, or hexed because were mistaken for afareet? Uh – evil djinnis, or ghosts," he said to the others in explanation.

An almost-forgotten memory stirred at the back of her mind, then emerged fully formed. Throwing her head back, Teyla laughed aloud from the sheer genius of it. "That's it!" she exclaimed.

"Well?" Elizabeth and Rodney demanded as one.

"You don't grow up in Egypt without learning a few things," John explained.

"When we were kids, John and I usually found our way into places we didn't belong, all hours of the day and night – by accident, of course," Teyla assured.

"A few times, we even came to the Valley after hours. You can't see much during the tours, and we found ways to get past the security measures into the tombs occasionally. Naturally we never took anything, and we were careful to put everything back the way it belonged. Of course, that was in the old days, before they came up with the really good security measures," he mused.

"We won't have to worry about padlocks and metal bars and chains and such now, not with this tomb," Teyla informed him. "The thing is, John and I know a few back doors into the Valley. They're not guarded, because tourists aren't expected to know them. The only time they're protected is after a tomb is discovered, and while it's being excavated. They don't want tomb robbers to come in the middle of the night and wipe everything out before they can study it."

"Just like the old days," John said happily.

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "Now then – if we continue to be looking today, acting like we know nothing while we're actually scoping out the area in question during the daylight, to get an idea of what we're facing—"

"—We can come back tonight, and work unhindered in the dark," John finished triumphantly.

Elizabeth blinked once. Twice. Five times. "Oh my," she said. "I think you're on to something there. I really, really think this could work."

"Wait, doesn't 'breaking and entering' apply to Egypt, too? Particularly the Valley of the Kings? One of the most important places in the world?" From his expression, it was obvious McKay was all ready to vote no. Or go back to America. Whichever one he could say faster.

"Maybe," John admitted grudgingly.

"But we won't actually be taking anything," Teyla said. "Not during the night, at least. We'll have to leave ourselves time to close the tomb up again and get out of the Valley before it's opened in the morning – that is, if we find something."

"We will find something, we will, we will, we will find something," Elizabeth chanted under her breath.

"Then all we have to do is show up at the mouth of the Valley first thing the morning when the gates open, 'discover' the tomb, and dig it out again," John said. "It's perfect."

"Uh, hello! It's also illegal!" Rodney reminded.

"This is important," Teyla said determinedly. "Dr. McKay, Plato's story calls Atlantis the most powerful place in the world. If this power, whatever it may be, falls into the enemy's hands—"

"Legend, Professor Emmagan!" Rodney said. "Besides, Atlantis existed a very long time ago. Whatever power it had then must be irrelevant, out-of-date, by now."

"Okay, then," Elizabeth interrupted. "Let's say, just for a moment, that whatever power – weapons, or whatever it may have been – Atlantis held is irrelevant now. What about the knowledge? The history? They were one of the most advanced races that ever lived. Teyla's right, Rodney. This is important. We have to find the tomb, and we have to find Atlantis before our enemies do. The safety of the entire world as we know it could rest on our shoulders."

McKay pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired but resigned. "Okay, fine," he grumped. "When do we have to come back?"

-Egypt: Valley of the Kings-

"It's so dark!" Rodney complained.

"Shh!" Teyla hissed. "You want to bring the guards down on us?"

The cliffs of the Valley loomed dark and frightening above them, their ancient secrets ready and waiting to be revealed. Teyla suppressed a shiver. She'd been in the Valley at night before, but never like this. Never on an actual errand, to do something other than sightsee, or answer a dare. At any moment she expected the ghost of some long-dead Pharaoh to come at her, demanding to know why she was desecrating his resting place, interrupting his afterlife party.

Or one of the Egyptians' feared afareets to come screaming at her, ready to send her off on her merry way to join the kings of Egypt.

"Stop being so morbid," Ronon whispered.

She jumped. "How do you know what I'm thinking?" she whispered back.

Ronon grinned, his eyes and teeth flashing in the moonlight. "It's written all over your face." His arm briefly closed around her shoulder, squeezing her to his side. "It's all right. I'll protect you."

Teyla pushed him away, but she couldn't hold back her smile. "I don't need protecting."

Ahead of them, Rodney stopped. "Here," he said, eyes focused on the printout he'd gotten from his laptop. "It's here, I'm sure of it."

Elizabeth pursed her lips. "I hate to do this," she said with a sigh.

"Oy!" Rodney smacked his forehead. "You mean we did all this for nothing?"

"No," Teyla said. "This is going to have to be a rush job. We can't sift our fill while we're digging. We're going to have to wait until tomorrow, and risk losing things in the process."

Weir nodded mournfully. "We have no choice, though."

"As long as I'm not elected to sift the fill, I don't mind," John said. "Like 'Lizabeth said earlier, we're running on a timetable here."

"But even the slightest, smallest thing could be important," Teyla argued.

"No. We have to do it this way. We can sift the fill tomorrow." Elizabeth hefted her shovel, the metal end of it glinting in the moonlight. How easily someone could be killed with that, Teyla mused. She shivered again. The night was cool, but that had nothing to do with her chill. "Let's get busy."

They worked in shifts: Elizabeth and John at first, then Ronon and Teyla. The couple who weren't working used the time to snatch what sleep they could. They posted Rodney as a lookout, just in case. The guards usually didn't patrol the Valley at night, but Zahi had said something about raising security measures. There was no point in being careless and getting caught, not when they were this close.

On one of her breaks, Teyla willingly leaned her head against Ronon's proffered shoulder and yawned. "How're you holding up?" she asked.

His tired puff of laughter blew across the top of her head. "Do we have to talk about it?" he asked.

"No," Teyla replied sleepily. There had been a few advancements in excavation since the old days, but doing it this way – the quietest, by far – was hard work, and it took longer. But it was worth it, if they could find the tomb first and keep Atlantis's secret safe. Sneaking out of the hotel and back to the Valley just after sunset was worth it. As far as the enemy knew, they were all tucked safely away in their beds for the night, restoring their energy levels for the next day's work of "searching."

But what she wouldn't give for the help of some of her friends, like the old days. The Egyptians were always eager for work, and helping dig for tombs in the Valley was one of the best-paying jobs for the fellahin, the peasants of Egypt, who often couldn't get work anywhere else.

Ronon's arm, around her shoulders, went slack. His breathing evened out, a soft lullaby in her ear. Drowsily, Teyla closed her own eyes. During her and Ronon's shift digging, she'd had plenty of time to consider Selim's note. She knew she should keep it in mind, just in case. But the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he'd been killed as a warning to her and her friends – her in particular, since she was the Egyptian expert, thus the most useful at the moment. That the note he'd sent was actually a forgery, or something they'd made him do before they killed him. As long as everyone in the expedition was looking over their shoulders, suspecting the others of deception, they wouldn't get much work done. They'd be too busy waiting for an attack that would probably never come.

It was a fake, it was as simple as that. Everyone trusted everyone else implicitly – that's why they were a team, after all – and they'd get their work done quickly and efficiently. They'd find Atlantis first.

With that resolved, Teyla tucked herself a little closer to Ronon's warmth and fell asleep.

-Egypt: The Valley of the Kings-

The ground shook. Earthquake! What she was leaning against shook, and Teyla changed her mind even as she woke. Ronon's having a seizure! Or – or they're attacking!

Her eyes snapped open, and she met Ronon's green ones steadily. He looked excited. "This could be it," he said, breathless. "Sheppard just woke me up. They found something, Teyla! And they think it might be the tomb!"

Teyla immediately stuck out her hand, and Ronon pulled her to her feet. Still grasping her hand casually, they ran the few feet to John and Elizabeth, who stood at the foot of a shallow set of steps, up against a door. They were brushing the remnants of sand off a beautifully decorated, sealed doorway.

She looked at her watch: 5:32 a.m. Less than an hour before the sun rose, and they would have to abandon the Valley. They'd have to work quickly to fill it all back in and make it look halfway like it hadn't been dug up.

"You found something?" Teyla asked. She was still half-asleep, prone to stating the obvious. She let go of Ronon's hand to join the other two in the stairwell.

Elizabeth's hand once more brushed across the surface of the door. "There is some Atlantian writing here!" she said, voice choked.

Ronon flashed his light down, and that's when they all saw it.

The feather of Maat, carved and painted on the doorway.

They'd found the tomb of Atlantis's Child!

-To Be Continued-

bailey1ak: Thank you! I know, it was very hard for me to write that, especially knowing it is. There are little clues, here and there throughout, as to who it is. I'm glad you liked Ronon and Teyla's bantering, they're such fun to write. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

The City of Atlantis: Hi! Oh, thank you so much! You're very nice. It makes me feel even guiltier for taking so long to update this! I hate writer's block. . . I wish you good luck on your stories – I look forward to (hopefully!) reading them in the future! I thank you very, very much for the long review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Bunnylass: Thank you! I really am sorry about the evil cliffhanger last chapter – I hope this makes up for it! I look forward to hearing who you think it is, later! There are more clues, scattered through the story. . . Yes, I think I got it! I must admit, I have been working on the telephone scene for months. I was so afraid I was going to give away something huge, before I was ready to! I'm glad you liked the Ronon/Teyla moments, and the developing relationship between John and Elizabeth! Thank you so much for the long review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Dia: Thank you! You, perhaps more than anyone else, knows how long I've been working on this – and where it's going (at least partly)! LOL Yes, I do know what you mean, and I don't think it's weird at all. Empire has had a slow beginning, slowly building into something much bigger. Things will be building a little bit faster in the next few chapters. Thank you so much for the reviews – I'll see you in less than a week! LOL – and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Alexiel974: Thank you! I know! I've been working on the first part of the last chapter for months, trying to get everything perfect, and to give away some – but not a lot. I look forward to hearing who your suspects are, later! I'm glad you enjoyed the moments between Ronon and Teyla, and then John and Elizabeth. It's a lot of fun to write! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

sparklyshimmer2010: Hi, sparkly! -hugs- I'm sorry if I freaked you out too much with the bad guy. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and the story so far! Okay – I look forward to hearing who you think it is, later! Really? Wow, thank you! I'm very honored. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, and thank you so very much for the review!