Author's Notes: Thank you thank you thank you for the wonderful reviews! I never expected so many, and that most would be of people who loved it! I realized myself that having them go away for four years was kind of akward, but it was imperitive to the story that Alex be 14, and I'd already written him as younger in the beginning. So, that's the reasoning behind that. As for those with objections to Imhotep wanting to steal Evy from her husband, the reasons will be revealed. ;) Besides, my best friend is Anak-su-namun (Hannalore Dayne)! And I, of course, am Evelyn. *hugs* Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I hope this chapter is up to snuff!
"Please," she said quietly, voice echoing in the darkness. "Let me say goodbye to my husband." The noises paused, obviously a acquiescence to her wishes. Evelyn threw her arms around Rick's neck, and pressed her lips again his own as hard as she could, as if she could take him with her. "I love you. Never forget that. Goodbye, Rick." She kissed him one last time, tenderly, hoping that somehow he would remember this. She felt a slight prick on her arm, and the last thing she saw was her husband's face, before she blacked out.
A small black shadow snuck through the halls of the O'Connell manor, dragging something heavier than itself. At the door, the small form was met by another, larger one, who hefted Evelyn's limp form over one shoulder. The two walked to a waiting car, and drove away with the prize, heading back for their lord Imhotep.
Meanwhile, inside the manor, Alex, Jonathan, Rick, and Ardeth slept peacefully on, never noticing a thing. In the morning all they would find as a reminder of Evy was a note on her pillow.
THE NEXT MORNING
Ardeth was the first to wake, instantly on alert. He knew from his grogginess that he had not merely slept, but had been drugged. "She's gone." He said quietly, throwing back the covers and stripping. He dressed quickly, wrapping up his turban and sticking his scimitar into his sash. "Now to wake the others."
He went through the silent house, entering the rooms of each of the heroes. Rick was his last destination, for Ardeth thought it best that he let the poor man sleep a little longer, and not wake up to this nightmare. When Ardeth finally awoke him, Rick's desparing cries were loud enough to have woken up anyone in the manor.
Alex made himself scarce, and Jonathan, sensing the tension, snuck off to a nearby bar. That left Ardeth with the morose Rick.
"What happened? How did this happen? She -knew- it was going to happen!" Rick hung his head, using both hands to cover his face. When he raised it again, there were tearstreaks, and his eyes were red. He was a man, and not afraid to cry for that which he had lost.
"Indeed, I fear that she did. That letter, from Imhotep, we did not read it. It was for your wife, and I have a feeling that may give us a clue to her whereabouts.
Rick shook his head vehemently, looking all the more saddened. "I burned it. I threw it into the fire after she read it." He was sitting on the edge of the bed, with his fellow warrior beside him. In a fit of dispair, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at the bed, sending a small square of folded paper flying.
"What was that?" Ardeth said, reaching for the note. Rick turned away, and so the warrior opened it up, carefully unfolding the creases. "It is from your wife. It is for you, my friend."
Gingerly, Rick reached out and took the letter, reading it over once before turning back to Ardeth. When the two looked at each other once more, Rick's face was no longer despondent, but furious. "She knew. She knew. And she didn't tell me. She didn't tell me what was happening. It was like she didn't think it could be prevented." He thrust the letter towards the other Med-jai, who took it, and read it swiftly.
"Allah protect us," he murmured, calm mask broken by an edge of worry to his tone. "Imhotep has discovered a spell that will make her love him, but she must kill you for it's effects to be complete."
"Damn it!" Rick exclaimed, slamming his fist into the mattress. "That's what she was talking about! Why didn't I understand?"
"Do not blame yourself, my friend. You could not have known."
"She was trying to tell me, but all I could do was to say: 'I love you'. Well, that's nice and all, but it couldn't have been that reassuring! That didn't answer her question about forgiveness!"
Ardeth placed a hand on Rick's shoulder, and said, almost cautiously: "Did you read the entire letter, my friend?" Rick shook his head, and so the warrior continued. "We must come to them. Hurry. We leave for Luxor today."
The warrior stood, and walked towards the door. Once there, he paused, and said, "Do not dwell upon it too much, my friend. We will get her back, and you shall have your vengance, once and for all."
Rick, who had been glaring angrily at the floor, looked up, and nodded. "Thank you." Then he turned his face towards the wall, and became as motionless as a statue.
THAT AFTERNOON
"I thought Evy only said to drag me along if you really needed backup!" Jonathan shouted, half-drunk, has his brother-in-law dragged him to the car.
"Believe me, we need it," Rick said. "Get in the car." Jonathan was about to protest once more, but after one look at the younger man, he shut his mouth.
"Right, old chap."
Alex followed soon after, dragging his own trunk of woes. "Don't worry dad, I'll fight like mum did back at Ahm Shere."
Rick looked at his son, and the strong young man he had become, and the warrior couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure you will Alex. You'll make your mother proud."
And so, the courageous quartet got into the car, sitting in the same seats they had 6 years before, when they had gone to rescue Evelyn from the British museam. All realized this, and they also knew that this time it would be much, much harder.
MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER CAR
Evelyn struggled in her bonds, but only suceeded in chafing her wrists.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." Said a voice, one that was young and distinctly female. "Imhotep won't like it if you're injured."
"Why does he want me?" Evelyn asked, taking a small amount of joy in the fact that she wasn't gagged.
"I'm sure he'll be glad to tell you that himself, when we arrive."
AT LUXOR, ALEX'S ROOM
Alex closed the door to his room with a thankfull sigh. It had been quite a job trying to keep his father from going out that very night, and trying to rescue his mum. He shuddered as he thought about the day's events, starting when Ardeth had woken him up that morning. He had been scared, more scared, even, then when he had been kidnapped. And sad, possibly as sad as when she had died, for then he had been there to save her. Now they didn't know where he was, and he felt so very alone.
It was terrifying to see his father like this. So...empty. When his mother had died, his father had been much the same, but his exclamation of joy when he had seen her alive again had remedied all that pain. Alex had a gut feeling that this would not be like this. Happiness would not be so easily found, and heartbreak would not be fixed. He flopped onto his bed, trying to relax for the first time that day.
Most of all it scared him to think that he might never have a mother again. And with that thought, he let fall to the tears which he had been holding in. Silently he wept, for what seemed like hours, until, exausted, he fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.
"Please," she said quietly, voice echoing in the darkness. "Let me say goodbye to my husband." The noises paused, obviously a acquiescence to her wishes. Evelyn threw her arms around Rick's neck, and pressed her lips again his own as hard as she could, as if she could take him with her. "I love you. Never forget that. Goodbye, Rick." She kissed him one last time, tenderly, hoping that somehow he would remember this. She felt a slight prick on her arm, and the last thing she saw was her husband's face, before she blacked out.
A small black shadow snuck through the halls of the O'Connell manor, dragging something heavier than itself. At the door, the small form was met by another, larger one, who hefted Evelyn's limp form over one shoulder. The two walked to a waiting car, and drove away with the prize, heading back for their lord Imhotep.
Meanwhile, inside the manor, Alex, Jonathan, Rick, and Ardeth slept peacefully on, never noticing a thing. In the morning all they would find as a reminder of Evy was a note on her pillow.
THE NEXT MORNING
Ardeth was the first to wake, instantly on alert. He knew from his grogginess that he had not merely slept, but had been drugged. "She's gone." He said quietly, throwing back the covers and stripping. He dressed quickly, wrapping up his turban and sticking his scimitar into his sash. "Now to wake the others."
He went through the silent house, entering the rooms of each of the heroes. Rick was his last destination, for Ardeth thought it best that he let the poor man sleep a little longer, and not wake up to this nightmare. When Ardeth finally awoke him, Rick's desparing cries were loud enough to have woken up anyone in the manor.
Alex made himself scarce, and Jonathan, sensing the tension, snuck off to a nearby bar. That left Ardeth with the morose Rick.
"What happened? How did this happen? She -knew- it was going to happen!" Rick hung his head, using both hands to cover his face. When he raised it again, there were tearstreaks, and his eyes were red. He was a man, and not afraid to cry for that which he had lost.
"Indeed, I fear that she did. That letter, from Imhotep, we did not read it. It was for your wife, and I have a feeling that may give us a clue to her whereabouts.
Rick shook his head vehemently, looking all the more saddened. "I burned it. I threw it into the fire after she read it." He was sitting on the edge of the bed, with his fellow warrior beside him. In a fit of dispair, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at the bed, sending a small square of folded paper flying.
"What was that?" Ardeth said, reaching for the note. Rick turned away, and so the warrior opened it up, carefully unfolding the creases. "It is from your wife. It is for you, my friend."
Gingerly, Rick reached out and took the letter, reading it over once before turning back to Ardeth. When the two looked at each other once more, Rick's face was no longer despondent, but furious. "She knew. She knew. And she didn't tell me. She didn't tell me what was happening. It was like she didn't think it could be prevented." He thrust the letter towards the other Med-jai, who took it, and read it swiftly.
"Allah protect us," he murmured, calm mask broken by an edge of worry to his tone. "Imhotep has discovered a spell that will make her love him, but she must kill you for it's effects to be complete."
"Damn it!" Rick exclaimed, slamming his fist into the mattress. "That's what she was talking about! Why didn't I understand?"
"Do not blame yourself, my friend. You could not have known."
"She was trying to tell me, but all I could do was to say: 'I love you'. Well, that's nice and all, but it couldn't have been that reassuring! That didn't answer her question about forgiveness!"
Ardeth placed a hand on Rick's shoulder, and said, almost cautiously: "Did you read the entire letter, my friend?" Rick shook his head, and so the warrior continued. "We must come to them. Hurry. We leave for Luxor today."
The warrior stood, and walked towards the door. Once there, he paused, and said, "Do not dwell upon it too much, my friend. We will get her back, and you shall have your vengance, once and for all."
Rick, who had been glaring angrily at the floor, looked up, and nodded. "Thank you." Then he turned his face towards the wall, and became as motionless as a statue.
THAT AFTERNOON
"I thought Evy only said to drag me along if you really needed backup!" Jonathan shouted, half-drunk, has his brother-in-law dragged him to the car.
"Believe me, we need it," Rick said. "Get in the car." Jonathan was about to protest once more, but after one look at the younger man, he shut his mouth.
"Right, old chap."
Alex followed soon after, dragging his own trunk of woes. "Don't worry dad, I'll fight like mum did back at Ahm Shere."
Rick looked at his son, and the strong young man he had become, and the warrior couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure you will Alex. You'll make your mother proud."
And so, the courageous quartet got into the car, sitting in the same seats they had 6 years before, when they had gone to rescue Evelyn from the British museam. All realized this, and they also knew that this time it would be much, much harder.
MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER CAR
Evelyn struggled in her bonds, but only suceeded in chafing her wrists.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." Said a voice, one that was young and distinctly female. "Imhotep won't like it if you're injured."
"Why does he want me?" Evelyn asked, taking a small amount of joy in the fact that she wasn't gagged.
"I'm sure he'll be glad to tell you that himself, when we arrive."
AT LUXOR, ALEX'S ROOM
Alex closed the door to his room with a thankfull sigh. It had been quite a job trying to keep his father from going out that very night, and trying to rescue his mum. He shuddered as he thought about the day's events, starting when Ardeth had woken him up that morning. He had been scared, more scared, even, then when he had been kidnapped. And sad, possibly as sad as when she had died, for then he had been there to save her. Now they didn't know where he was, and he felt so very alone.
It was terrifying to see his father like this. So...empty. When his mother had died, his father had been much the same, but his exclamation of joy when he had seen her alive again had remedied all that pain. Alex had a gut feeling that this would not be like this. Happiness would not be so easily found, and heartbreak would not be fixed. He flopped onto his bed, trying to relax for the first time that day.
Most of all it scared him to think that he might never have a mother again. And with that thought, he let fall to the tears which he had been holding in. Silently he wept, for what seemed like hours, until, exausted, he fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.