Disclaimer: As stated, I own nothing from the Mummy or the Mummy Returns.
Capture
Rebecca sighed, snuggling closer to the warmth she was enveloped in. Her head throbbed a bit, but nothing else seemed out of place. She lay on her side, the blankets pulled to her chin. She stretched lazily, bringing her body into direct contact with that of the one behind her. She went completely still, horrified that she didn't know who she was in bed with. She began to inch towards the other side of the bed. She was nearly there when an arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her back abruptly.
"Rebecca, it is I." Ardeth said, using his body to halt her struggles. "Look at me. They did not get you."
The previous night came back to her in a rush. She relaxed instantly, her gaze focusing on
Ardeth. He lay half across her, his
weight pinning her to the bed. He
lowered his head, slowly brushing his lips across hers. Burying her fingers in his hair, she pulled
him down for a deeper, more thorough kiss. Their tongues met and teased, leaving both wanting more. She tugged at his robes, eager to feel him
pressed against her. Ardeth caught her
hands in his, bringing them to his lips.
"We cannot."
"Why?" Rebecca asked, frustration making her voice shaky.
"There is something I need to tell you before this
decision is made."
"I already know." She told him. "About us being
married. At least in your people's
eyes."
"It is not just in their eyes." He said softly, tracing her cheek with his
fingertips. "It is in mine as
well. If we do this now, you will be
tied to me forever."
"What does that mean?"
"If I take what you are offering, you must be
willing to take what I also offer." He
told her. "My life. My heart. You would have to be willing to stay with me, as my wife. If you are not ready to do that I cannot ask
you to give yourself to me now."
"You weren't asking me. I offered." Rebecca said, hurt. "If you don't want me—"
"You cannot think that." Ardeth murmured against her ear, pressing against her so that she
could feel how much he wanted her, how hard he was.
"Then take me."
"Are you prepared to live with me always?"
Rebecca looked away. That was all the answer he needed. He dropped a kiss on her mouth and pushed himself away from
her. It was the hardest thing he had
ever done. He walked to the door,
looking back at the sight of her draped across her bed.
"When you make your decision, I will be
waiting." He promised softly. " I will
warn you of this. Once I make you mine,
there will be no turning back."
Rebecca watched him leave, her breath puffing out in
a rush as she buried her head under her pillow. What was she going to do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Do
you love him?" Evy asked, stirring her
tea with a lazy motion.
Rebecca had spilled all to her friend with minimal
prodding. Evy had always been able to
pry any secret out of Rebecca. She had
taken one look at her expression and had promptly taken her out to lunch. Their Medjai guards sat two tables away,
scanning the room for danger every second.
"I don't know." Rebecca scowled down at her salad, all appetite gone. "I like him. I'm attracted to him. Hell, I'm married to him. But
I've only known him a month!"
"I didn't know Rick even that long." Evy said, a soft smile on her face as she
remembered her first meeting with Rick. "I didn't even call him by his first name."
"It's different with you two."
"How?" Evy
wanted to know. "I met him under
unusual circumstances, we faced death together, supernatural forces. He protected me. Pretty much the same way Ardeth protects you."
"I can't think anymore." Rebecca said, pushing back from the table abruptly. "I'm going to find the restroom. I'll be right back."
She walked to the back of the café, her eyes
searching out the door marked women. Evy smiled, removing her spoon from her tea. She went to set in on her napkin but missed, it fell to the floor
instead. She bent down; cursing softly
when she saw it had gone under the table. She dropped down to her hands and knees, crawling under the table to
retrieve it.
That move probably saved her life. Gunfire erupted as two men burst in,
spraying bullets over all. Evy
flattened herself to the floor, covering her ears as death screams filled the
air. The bullets stopped, but she
remained under the table, knowing that she would be killed if she were
found. She only prayed that Rebecca
stayed in the bathroom. Footsteps
approached, stopping beside her table. The tablecloth was ripped off, and a voice spoke.
"Arise, Mrs. O'Connell."
Rough hands grabbed her arm, dragging her out from
beneath her refuge. She came out
fighting, smashing her elbow into one man's nose as her foot crashed into the
shin of another. One man barked out an order, and she paused when she felt the
nozzle of a gun against her temple.
"That's good, Mrs. O'Connell." The man replied. His voice was muffled by
the hood he wore. "Now call your
friend out."
"No." Evy said, strain making her voice hard. "I won't do that."
"If you do not, you will die." He warned.
The click of the gun being readied to fire was
clearly audible in the quiet restaurant. Evy closed her eyes, praying that something would intervene.
"Whoa! Lively party chaps. Perhaps I
should join in?"
Evy opened her eyes to find Jonathan standing in the
doorway, his rifle aimed at the one she'd guessed was the leader.
"I suggest you let go of my sister,
gentlemen. Mine is not the only weapon
pointing into this room."
The gun that was pointed at Evy's head was suddenly
wrenched away; the man holding it slumped to the ground after Rick's fist
connected with his face. He gathered
her to him as Medjai flooded the room, disarming the remaining sect members.
"Where is Rebecca?" Ardeth asked.
"In the restroom." Evy choked out, her voice muffled by Rick's
shoulder. "I hope."
Ardeth pushed his way through, until he was in front
of the door. When his knock brought no reply, he raised his foot, kicking the
door in with one strong kick. The room
was empty, the only evidence being the bag she had carried spilled across the
floor. His gaze went to the window with
its broken out shutter. He rushed to
the window, looking out to see nothing but a deserted alleyway. His shoulders slumped as he realized that
she was gone.
"We'll get her back." Rick said, resting his hand on Ardeth's
shoulder in a gesture of support. "We know where they're going."
"Yes. We must hurry." Ardeth
said, a menacing expression on his face. "We shall go straight there. We should arrive before they do."
And so another journey to Hamunaptra begins.