OK. Here is my first Mummy fanfic. The usual disclaimers apply… I own nothing, Stephen Sommers is a genius, etc. etc. I hope you enjoy. I wrote this before TMR was released. Therefor, I have to edit the end (I gave them too may children- LOL). I also wasn't happy with how I'd written the wedding scenes, so I'll update them and post the rest of the story ASAP. Please R/R. I'll welcome any and all criticisms and comments. Takes place immediately following the end of TM.
INTO THE SUNSET
As the fatigued trio made their way across the desert, back toward civilization in the form of Fort Brydon, Rick O'Connell was happy to see the last of Hamunaptra. He held Evy close in his arms and wondered how he could have ever thought her timid.
They had first met only two weeks ago, though Rick could scarcely believe it had been a mere fifteen days since he had first set eyes on her. So much had happened, it seemed a lifetime ago. As Evy slept fitfully in his embrace, Rick allowed his mind to wander back over the memories of that first meeting…
The guards dragged Rick through the door, into a cell facing the prison's courtyard. Rick was unceremoniously tossed against the bars and struck in the back by one of the guards. Rick ground his teeth in an effort to control the pain. He sucked in air greedily; the smell in the courtyard was trivial when compared to the stench inside the prison's walls. He glanced around and spotted a rather slim fellow dressed in suit carrying a pith helmet and a lovely young woman in a long, loose fitting skirt and sweater wearing a wide brimmed straw hat. They were standing next the warden.
Rick was struck by how utterly perfect she looked; not a wrinkle on her clothes not one hair out of place. She definitely did not belong at the Cairo prison. The thought crossed his mind that she looked like an angel. Taken aback by such a fanciful thought, Rick asked rather rudely, "Who are you?" He then gave the woman a lascivious look, "And who's the broad?"
"Broad?" she asked haughtily.
"Well, I-I-I'm just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that. And this is my sister, Evy." the man replied.
"How do you do?" she asked politely.
Rick thought she sounded as if they were at a garden party rather than in a deplorable prison. He wondered what it would take to shake her composure. An image of her spent and satisfied, smiling up at him after a round of mutually gratifying lovemaking popped into his brain. Where the hell had that come from? Rick felt shocked and angry with the woman for putting such thoughts in his head by her mere presence. He wasn't some adolescent prone to daydreams. What was going on here? "Well, I guess she's not a total loss," he said dismissively. He didn't understand why he was reacting so strongly, he just knew he wanted her gone, some place safe where the stick of the prison couldn't touch her.
"I beg your pardon!" Rick could tell his last remark had ticked her off. It served her right, he thought.
Rick was distracted by the warden, who announced that he'd be back in a moment. The woman said something else, but Rick paid no attention to her until she said pleasantly, "Hello, excuse me, we both found your…your puzzle box and we've come to ask you about it," she said sweetly.
"No," he said.
"No?" she asked, her pleasant expression falling.
"No, you cam to ask me about Hamunaptra," he replied simply.
The man, her brother, shushed at him.
Rick however was watching the woman. Her eyes literally lit up as she asked, "How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?"
"Because that's where I was when I found it…I was there."
"But how do we know that's not a load of pig's wallow?" the brother asked, leaning in close to the bars.
Up close, he seemed very familiar. "You know… Don't I know you?" Rick asked.
"No, no, no, I've just got one of those faces," the man said.
Comprehension dawned and Rick swung his fist into the man's jaw. He crumpled to the ground and Rick received a few whacks from the guards. It had been worth it, Rick thought to himself. He squirmed, trying to ease the tightness in his shoulders and noticed, rather bemusedly, that Evy just stepped daintily over her fallen sibling.
"You were actually at Hamunaptra?" she asked so earnestly that Rick couldn't help but smile at her.
"Yeah, I was there," he stated.
"You swear?" she asked, somewhat skeptically.
"Every damn day!" he admitted, smiling.
"No, I didn't mean that. I meant –"
As much as he'd enjoyed ruffling her feathers, Rick grew serious. "I know what you meant. I was there – Seti's place, City of the Dead…"
"Could you – could you tell me how to get there?"
He gave her look to indicate what he thought - that she was crazy.
Evy looked around worriedly and removed her hat. She leaned in closer to the bars. "I mean the exact location." She used the hat to shield her mouth.
"You want to know?" he asked.
"W-well, yes." She leaned closer.
"Do you really want to know?"
Closer still, until she was at his eye level. "Yes."
He crooked his finger at her, motioning her still closer. When she was almost touching the bars he reached out, grabbed her chin, and planted a wet, sloppy kiss full on her unsuspecting lips.
"Then get me the hell out of here!" he demanded. He looked at her intently as the guards began to hit him once more. She looked stunned - part shocked, part curious. Rick had had all he could take from the guards, so he stood and fought back. "Do it lady!" he commanded again as they dragged him back inside.
He next saw her from the hanging platform. She and the warden appeared to be arguing. With all of the noise in the courtyard, Rick could not make out what they were saying. Despite his surroundings, a part of Rick was sure he wouldn't die. He couldn't say how he knew, but he felt sure he would spend the rest of his life with this woman. He didn't know her, had never seen her before, but felt connected to her in a way he could not explain.
He figured he'd gone over the edge, that these foolish thoughts were just his mind's feeble way of coping with his impending execution. He felt the trap door give way beneath him and wished regretfully that he'd had the opportunity to know the woman. It did not occur to him until much later how odd it was that that should be his one regret in life. He fell through the hole and tried to cry out as his full body wait came down on his neck. The rope cut tighter and tighter as he fought to draw air into his lungs. He looked at the woman and the warden as his mind blanked.
The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, gasping for air, staring up into the woman's face. He knew, at that moment, she was the most beautiful thing he would ever see.
Memories of that first meeting still had the power to shake him. Looking back, Rick realized he'd fallen in love with her that day at the prison. Oh, he had fought his feelings, not wanting to believe them. He had been no longer able to deny the strength of his love for her when they'd fled from the Museum of Antiquities. Jonathan had crashed his Dusenberg and they had all jumped from the car in a futile effort to escape the zombie villagers.
Rick, Jonathan, Ardeth Bay, the museum's Curator, and Evelyn had all watched helplessly as the fully regenerated Imhotep had walked regally through the huge crowd, Beni tagging faithfully behind him.
"Oh dear." Evelyn had said complacently. "Do you have any bright ideas?"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." Rick had replied, trying in vain to figure out a way to escape.
"Well, you'd better think of something fast." Evelyn said simply. "Because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after."
Rick had just stared at her, awed by her courage and overwhelmed by the faith she showed in him. She then walked deliberately to Imhotep's side. Rick hadn't thought, he'd just reacted, pulling out his gun and saying, "No."
Evelyn had turned to caution him, stating Imhotep would still have to take her back to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual. The Med-jai, had grabbed hold of his gun arm and talked some sense into him. Rick had reluctantly put the side arm away.
He'd stared deep into Evelyn's eyes, knowing he loved her and would die to protect her. However, it had been neither the time nor the place to tell her of his discovery. So he had done the next best thing. He'd made a simple vow to Imhotep that they would be seeing one another again soon. He had then watched helplessly as the ancient priest led his beloved away and ordered his army of zombies to kill them.
The Curator had sacrificed himself so that Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth could escape. They had returned to Hamunaptra, rescued Evelyn, killed the creature and were, miracle of miracles, alive to tell the tale.
Rick's trip down memory lane ended when Evelyn came suddenly awake. Still caught up in the torrent of emotion, Rick didn't take time to censor his thoughts. "Evelyn Carnahan, will you please marry me?"
"What?" she asked.
Rick didn't know who was more shocked by his question, him or her.
Still, in for a penny, in for a pound, he thought. "I umm… That is, I, ah, asked you to marry me."
Evelyn stared at her him with her mouth gaping open. She fought to sort out her feelings – she was equal parts excited, baffled, scared, amused, and thrilled. Still, it was her sensibility that won out. "O'Connell… Rick," she corrected herself, "we barely know each other."
Patience had never been one of Rick O'Connell's character strengths. Still, he took a deep, calming breath knowing he would have to go slowly with her. "That's not true." he answered. "I know that you're smart and courageous and funny and stubborn and beautiful and – and…" He took another deep breath, "And I love you and I want us to spend the rest of lives together." Saying it out loud had been tougher than he thought. He chanced a glance into her eyes to see if she understood all of his rambling. What he saw there gave him the courage to continue. "Please, Evy I know I'm not much of a prize catch. Hell, I don't even have a job at the moment. But I swear I'll always take good care of you. Please marry me."
He didn't care if he sounded desperate - he was desperate.
Evelyn longed to throw caution to the wind and just accept his unexpected proposal. A part of her, the adventurous and brave part of her that had seemed to take over in the past few days was urging her to tell him yes. But Evelyn was too scared of being hurt to chuck it all aside and marry a man who was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger. She was terrified of how fast and how much she had come to depend on this man.
"Rick, you don't really…" She stared deep into his gorgeous blue eyes and felt as if she were drowning in the love and tenderness there. "What I mean to say is that the past few days have been rather," she paused trying to think of something to encompass all they had been through, "traumatic." It was really quite unfair that the man should have such beautiful eyes. How was a girl to remember what she was trying to say? "Oooh! How can you be so sure?" she demanded.
Rick smiled. Evy may not realize yet, but she was his. "Evy – I don't… That is to say, I may not be good with the words – saying what it is that I'm feeling." He shrugged as if to underscore that point. "I don't – didn't believe in love at first sight. Heck, up until now I don't think I even really believed in love, period." He rubbed the nap of his neck, betraying his nervousness. "I'm not saying that we don't have things to learn about each other. I mean, there's A LOT of things I want to know about you. What you were like as a little girl, what your favorite food is… I could think of dozens of questions to ask you right now." He smiled again, thinking. "But we have our whole lives ahead of us to do that. I figure forever isn't long enough."
Evelyn reluctantly placed her fingers over his lips to silence him. Why was he making this so hard for her?
Still, she owed it to him to be honest. "I'm scared, Rick." She shook her head when he opened his mouth to reply. "I think – I think that I'm in love with you." Rick's heart hurt at the sadness in her eyes. He kept silent, waiting for what she said next. "But I want, no I need to be sure. I need to know that you're sure."
She stared deep into his eyes, trying to communicate her feelings to him. What she saw there reassured her in a way his words never could. There was longing and impatience, yes, but also sympathy and acceptance. She sighed and gave in to her heart. She kissed him softly on the lips and said simply, "Ask me again in a week," she said.
***
They found the gold when they made camp that night. Jonathan protested loudly, but Rick made it clear they would allow Evelyn to decide what to do. Rick laughed aloud when they realized Beni had to have been the one to place the treasure filled bags on the camel. When they had discovered the huge treasure chamber, Rick hadn't given the golden artifacts much thought. He'd been tied up with a few other trivial matters – saving Evelyn, battling soldier mummies and the like. He wasn't sure Beni would have seen the humor in their current situation, but Rick did. Even if they sold only a few pieces he and Evy would be set for life. To think, he owed that little weasel!
When they arrived back in Cairo, Rick secured himself lodgings at Fort Brydon. Jonathan and Evelyn reopened the Carnahan family home on the outskirts of the city. They had closed up the house in anticipation of weeks, even months away for the dig at Hamunaptra.
It took Evelyn and Rick three days to clean up her "bit of a mess" in the museum's library. Evelyn then spent a day carefully researching and cataloging the treasure they'd discovered. The items with significant archeological value, she set aside for the British Museum. She divided the trinkets into three equal groups for Jonathan, Rick and herself. There were a few items she felt pertained solely to the City of the Dead. These she hid to give to the Med-jai. It wasn't much, but she felt she owed them.
She'd relayed a message to Ardeth Bay as quickly as possible. So it was that ten days after they'd left Hamunaptra, the Med-jai leader once again found himself in Cairo.
After helping out at the museum, O'Connell had thrown himself into the city's cleanup efforts. At least he felt he was doing something important. He'd taken Evy out to dinner several times. He was trying to court her properly. He knew that despite her sense of adventure and her thirst for knowledge, she was, above all else, a lady in the true sense of the word. He didn't quite feel worthy of her, but he'd be damned if he let a little thing like class strata keep them apart.
Still, it was very frustrating for him to be so unsure of where he stood with her.
Rick was just putting the finishing touches on a mosque's new roof when he heard a familiar voice down below. He scurried down the ladder and came face to face with his misunderstood enemy-turned ally-turned-friend. "Hey, Ardeth! Should you really be away from your lookout so soon?" he teased.
Ardeth actually smiled. Although utterly devoted to his life's chosen task, he could appreciate this Western man's sense of humor. The truth was that O'Connell truly had earned his respect and gratitude. There were not many people the Med-jai leader felt at ease with. Even fewer he would consider real friends. Most of the people he knew were Med-jai, which meant he was their leader. It was true that it was lonely at the top. He was surprised at how happy he was to see the American. "You're still here, O'Connell." he replied with a straight face. "If He-who-shall-not-be-named causes any more problems, I am sure you will help out."
It took Rick a moment to get the joke. When he did, he threw back his head and laughed. Ardeth laughed, too. Anyone watching would assume the men were old acquaintances, with a long history between them.
"Let's get out of here," Rick said, slapping Ardeth on the back. "I know Evy will be anxious to see you."
As they walked to the Carnahan home, Ardeth sensed that Rick was troubled. He was not a particularly nosy person, but he felt compelled to ask what the matter was.
Rick glanced at his new friend and debated what he should tell him. He went with his instincts and explained quickly about Evelyn.
Ardeth nodded, discerning that Rick simply needed a sounding board. He could well understand the man's confusion. Having grown up in Egypt, where women were far more subservient than their counterparts in the West, Ardeth felt Evelyn Carnahan was too outspoken. After all, she was the one who'd read from the Book of the Dead thus waking He-who-shall-not-be-named. Of course, it was also Evelyn who had figured out how to send the creature back to the grave. And he couldn't really fault her scholarly ambitions. Against all odds, he had come to like and respect her. So, he could certainly understand why his friend had fallen in love with her. Underneath her prickly prim exterior was a woman who would, no doubt, always keep O'Connell on his toes, so to speak. Still, Ardeth knew that when his time came, he would pick a nice, quiet, more traditional woman with whom to fall in love.
"Well, my friend," Ardeth said when Rick had finished, "I am sure you will find the way to unlock her heart."
"That's it?" Rick asked nonplussed. "No philosophic advise, no sage wisdom to impart here?"
Ardeth chuckled. "None," he replied, shaking his head bemusedly. "I'm afraid we in the East have no greater understanding of how a woman's mind works than you do. It is a mystery to all of mankind."
"Thanks a lot." Rick said comically.
Still, he did feel better.
***
They had dinner with Jonathan and Evy. Evy then showed Ardeth the artifacts she'd set aside for him. They agreed it would best of Ardeth took them out of Cairo. Ardeth explained he would remain in town until a new Curator was found. There were several Med-jai who would be suitable for the task. Ardeth tried to explain to a disappointed Evelyn why she couldn't be allowed to sit in on his interviews. He finally gave in and agreed to listen to her input on the matter, not that Evelyn really gave him a choice. He was glad she was O'Connell's 'problem' and not his.
Rick had proposed to Evelyn every night for the past four days. After Ardeth left for night, he and Evy went for a walk, as had become their nightly ritual. They each shared more of their live stories with one another. As they rounded the corner back on to the street where she lived, Rick suddenly halted. He sank to one knee and simply stared up at her without saying a word.
Evelyn shot him a look then stared up at the sky as if to ask, "why me?" It was a beautiful moonlit night. After glancing around nervously looking everywhere but at the man kneeling before her, a feeling of peace settled over her. She finally looked down at Rick and she began to giggle. "Oh, all right!" she said. "Yes, I will marry you."
Rick yelped in joy, stood, picked her up and spun her around in circles. "Thank you." he said. He then kissed her with all of his pent up passion. The kiss went on for some time, before he drew back. "When?"
Evelyn wondered why she'd been so reluctant to say yes. It was obvious Rick was devoted to her. So what if they'd met less than a month ago. They had their whole lives to figure it all out.