Author's note: Well guys, I am almost finished! Just one more short chapter after this! I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing!

Chapter 9: Consolation

Izzy cautiously made his way over to where Rick and Evelyn and Jonathan had camped themselves. He pleasantly noticed Rick and his wife sleeping while Jonathan kept guard. He was carrying the sleeping Alex in his arms and dragging the top of the pyramid behind him in the sand. He had tried his best to splint Alex's leg to his other leg, but he had a feeling that it would only be temporary...Wait, isn't that what a 'splint' is? He questioned. Temporary? He smiled to himself, realizing how clever he had been. When he arrived he carefully placed Alex on his back next to his uncle, depositing the treasure on the other side of Jonathan.

Jonathan sat, staring into the brightening day; his eyes were blank ovals that had lost their shine in the course of the late night. The shocking news of his sister's rape had just started to sink in to his altruistic mind. His baby sister. Raped? No, things like that just don't happen. He thought. But they do, and it did and Jonathan hated himself for it. He was right there. Both he and Rick had been. They had turned their heads and laughed "she'll come back, she always does..." A jumble of images whirred into his head. Rick's battle hardened face and body laughing, over and over again. His mouth continued to grow wider until it had consumed him and he was surrounded by darkness. Out of that darkness he saw a dark shape beating his sister across the face. Jonathan cried out.

"What's wrong?" Izzy asked alerted.

Jonathan didn't move, he just stared, into the brightening day.

~*~

Asim hurried into the dawn with one of the twelve tribes of the Med-Jai following close behind. If everything was chaos like Ardeth had said he knew he would be needing some help. Apparently the boy had been badly injured in the crash, Evelyn had been raped. Thus being as it was it could be quite probable that Rick might be mentally unstable, not to mention the brother. And this other one of whom Ardeth talked. Well, he didn't know what to think. He kicked his heels into the spurs on his horse's side, urging his steed forward; his cape billowing behind him.

~*~

Rick awoke several hours after he had crashed and was reassured that his wife was still asleep in his arms. He kissed her face lightly, taking careful notice of the bruising, and then he kissed her on the lips. She awoke with a start and began to back away from him. Her eyes were blazing. "Oh, Evelyn I am so sorry. Come here honey, come here."

"No, I... I can't" came her stuttered reply. His kiss had awakened her into a world of nightmares. She needed consolation; her heart was pounding. What if he doesn't love me anymore? Thoughts ran rampant in her injured mind. She began shaking. Her entire body ached: her arms, her stomach, her thighs, her entire face, and worst of all in between her legs. She was not even sure if she would be able to walk. She was embarrassed, depressed, and shocked.

"Evelyn...?" He scooted closer to her. But the closer he got the farther away she went. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Evelyn, come here. Please." His voice was stern. He held out his hand. Wasn't that the general offer for peace? She didn't take it. "Evie, honey come here. We need to talk about this if we are going to get through it." She wasn't moving farther away so he crept closer, taking it slow until she launched herself at him. Her arms flew around his neck and her face became buried in his chest.

"Rick, will you still love me?" she sobbed.

The look that passed over his face at that moment was one of utter shock. He could not even comprehend not loving her. He loved her with all his heart and possibly more. He craved her like he craved food and drink. He loved her the way he loved his son. He loved her the way he loved a hot shower at the end of a hard day. He loved her like a cup of hot cocoa after a snowball fight. He loved her as a lover in bed. He loved her as a companion. He loved her as a woman and most importantly as his second half to his whole. "Evelyn." He began in all sincerity as a tear slipped out of his eye. "I will always love you. You are part me." Rick placed his hand gently over her heart. "Evie, listen to me, nothing will take you away, ever, because of this," he applied delicate pressure with his fingertips. "Your heart is never out of my grasp, we are inseparable."

Her chin quivered, and lips, which were already trembling, parted, "That's the beauty of it, of us." Her voice was soft and weak.

"Yes, Evie." He touched his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes.

Her internal shield shattered in that instant. She let out a whimper and collapsed into him. The memories, how would she get rid of the god-awful memories that weren't there? The figment of her imagination would plague her day and night. She wouldn't be able to sleep. Her body was in denial. "Will you want to touch me? Rick I am dirty. Someone has had their way with me. I don't want to live without experiencing pleasure ever again. Will you touch me?"

He bent down and claimed her swollen lips with his in a passionate but gentle kiss, knowing how much she had been through. She shuddered. "I will always want to touch you. You are mine and will always be. I love you."

~*~

An hour later Asim showed up with his men. They loaded their precious cargo onto extra horses they had brought. Alex rode with Jonathan on a horse and Evelyn with Rick for she was too sore to ride by herself. Izzy and the treasure got their own horse. Jonathan mumbled and grumbled the entire time Izzy was loading the horse, going on and on about how the treasure was all his and how Izzy would be getting none of the profits.

When the caravan was all set they rode off into the heat of the day. Evelyn felt secure for the time being, and Alex had been given some medicinal herbs to ease the pain and was currently being given a poker lesson by his uncle. The air was filled with laughter for first time in a long time.

The day passed very slowly and when they finally rode into the Med-Jai camp everyone was exhausted. They unloaded the horses and rolled onto sleeping pads in tents. Beforehand though Alex had his leg cleaned, disinfected, set and plastered and Jonathan, Izzy, and Rick all had their wounds tended. Evelyn was sent in with the women to get bathed and groomed. She was made to feel like a princess because they were all told what had happened. When she arrived in the tent she was to share with Rick she was so tired that as soon as her head hit the pillow she was dead asleep.

~*~

The next morning the O'Connell's and Izzy were taken back into Cairo where they would find a boat to take them back to England. Kind words were exchanged between them and the Med-Jai gave them all hearty farewells saying that Ardeth would be in England to see them as soon as he returned from his quest. Izzy was told he would be shipped a third of the proceeds from the treasure so he was extremely happy.

"Goodbye Izzy, and thank you." Evelyn said, a smile upon her face as she kissed the crazy little man goodbye. She was trying as hard as she could to put on a good act for Alex, knowing that he was still a bit young to understand what she had gone through. She had gotten a good sleep the night before and although she was still feeling sore she felt remarkably good.

"Goodbye. I hope to see you all soon! Jonathan, I will be coming for the head of your wife if that money does not arrive to me safe and sound!" Izzy added, pointing an accusing finger.

"Don't worry partner! It will get there!" Jonathan smiled.

"Take care of yourself Izzy." Rick admonished as he lovingly patted him on the back. Then he whispered something in his ear to which his eyes grew big. "Just food for the soul, eh? Good to keep your gears ticking up there."

Alex waved as best he could from his crutches and then yelled. "Nice having you around Izzy! See you later!"

Asim then raised his hand to the sky and shouted to them all "Forever may not be long enough! The creature has gone at last!"