A/N: another disclaimer: the words in italics are all from published songs. The first verse is from Good Charlotte's 'Hold On'. The rest is from Sarah McLachlan's 'I Will Remember You', although I changed the last line to suit the story. I know it's a bit confusing but all will be revealed in future chapters.
* * *
Sydney took the key out of the receptionist's hand and smiled her thanks, while listening to Nigel's continuous babble behind her. She turned and picked up her bag and Nigel followed suit.
"So, if this is correct, they will probably be staying somewhere in this area," Nigel still had the map in his hand, following Sydney towards the stairs.
"Like here, perhaps?" Sydney queried; her eyes on something dead ahead.
"Well, yes, but the probability of that happening is-" Nigel begin, looking up. His eyes followed hers to where Francois was standing. François looked round and saw them. He froze for a moment and then turned and bolted up the stairs.
Sydney flung her bag into Nigel's chest and threw the key on top, running after François.
"Great…" Nigel muttered and followed. He found them on the second floor, Sydney pinning François against the wall.
"Where is it?" Sydney was interrogating him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." François lied.
Sydney pulled his arm behind his back, "We can do this the hard way or the easy way."
"What the hell?" Nigel turned at the sound of a woman's voice behind him. As expected, she was the companion from before.
"Oh, it's you," he said.
"Yeah, it's me," she replied and looked at Sydney, "Put him down."
"Who the hell are you?" Sydney glared.
"Name's Alex, now put him down Sydney; you don't know where's he been."
Nigel watched in amazement as Sydney released François, "Sydney, what are you doing?"
Sydney shrugged her shoulders, "I don't have a clue… she just seemed to make sense."
"Yeah," François said, "It's sensible not to enrage me."
"Shut up, François!" Both girls said, simultaneously.
* * *
"So, you're searching for the relic for a museum, and François is just helping you…" Sydney sat with her coffee in her hand. "Don't get me wrong, François is a good hunter," she held up her hand when François opened his mouth to speak, "But he's notorious for being in hunts for himself and no-one else. It's about as much gold as he can get his hands on."
The smug smile disappeared from François's face and appeared on Nigel's.
"That I know, believe me, but François is like family. Our parent's were good friends and he is my brother's best friend. I trust him." The 20 year old, blue-eyed, auburn-haired beauty, now known as Alexandria Connolly, sat back.
Sydney sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, "The perhaps we should join forces. I enjoy a good hunt."
"But Syd, what about Maxwell?" Nigel asked.
"Oh, screw Maxwell; he's an idiot anyway." Sydney replied, "As long as the chalice goes to a museum, I'm happy." She stood up, "Why don't you show Alex what we have so far. François and I have a lot of catching up to do."
Nigel rolled his eyes and signalled for Alex to follow him. They took the lift to François and Alex's room, where François had left all the books and manuscripts. Tara unlocked the door and opened onto a grand room. It had a breakfast area, with a sofa and coffee table, a desk and a large bed standing against the far wall, but the focus of the room was the fireplace. Nigel was immediately drawn to it, examining it.
"It's neo-gothic, probably post 1560." Alex told him.
"It's beautiful." Nigel said, his head close to it.
"I know," Alex pulled a case onto the large, wooden table that stood beside the doors to the balcony. She opened it to reveal endless amounts of books, "This is what we have."
Nigel's eyes lit up as he pawed through the collection, "Looks like you've got a library here…"
Alex laughed, "Yeah… well, I'm nothing if I don't have my references."
"Greek Mythology… Roman Mythology… Celtic Histories… good lord…" Nigel carefully lifted out a very old, very fragile book, "This is… is this…?"
Alex nodded, "Yep… Socrates' theory of hierarchy."
"But… but I thought this book was a myth." Nigel set it down and pulling out his glasses, began to read through it carefully, "If this is genuine then it can…"
"It can prove that Socrates was the first father of evolution, and that Darwin's main ideas come from this book." Alex supplied.
Nigel carefully turned a leaf, as Alex bent over to read over his shoulder. Alex looked at him, his eyes devouring every word. "You can read that?" she asked.
Nigel nodded, "I am fluent in many ancient languages, as well as many modern ones.
"Wow, I can only speak five modern and one ancient." Alex told him, "Well, I understand the written form of ancient Egyptian, but I can't speak it."
Nigel looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then shook his head, "Sorry, this isn't what we're here for."
"Oh yeah," Alex went to her bedside cabinet and lifted a very ordinary-looking novel. She opened it at a specific page and pulled out a piece of parchment. She smiled at Nigel, "Thieves would never think to look in here."
Moving some books out of the way, she carefully unfolded the parchment in front of him revealing a section of a map. Nigel pulled his and Sydney's section and placed above the first. "They are identical…" he said.
"Not quite…" Alex replied. She pointed to the edge of his map, "There is a line here that isn't in my map." Suddenly she was struck with a thought. She reached into the case and pulled out a book on ancient hieroglyphics. "My grandfather taught me to read ancient Egyptian with this book…" she flicked through it, "and I hid this piece… here!" She pulled out another piece of a map, "It didn't seem to fit my map, so I thought it was the opposite corner, but…" She lined it up with Nigel's map, fitting it perfectly, "there!"
Nigel bent down to look at it, "So the next stop after this is… ironically, Egypt."
Alex smiled, "Exactly why I hid it in the Hieroglyphics book."
"Only one problem…" Nigel murmured.
"What?"
"One of these maps is either a copy, or… or the one that will lead us astray."
Alex stared at the maps for a moment before deciding, "Well, either way I'm following the map to Egypt because it is believed that-"
"That only the end is changed," Nigel cut her off, "I know." He looked at her for a moment. She was a hard puzzle to solve… she showed an intellectual side with all her books and knowledge like himself, but in many ways she reminded him of Sydney; the strength, the decisiveness and probably stubborn too. Even the clothes she wore made him think of someone like… what was her name? That stupid computer game… Lara Croft? He was almost certain that was her name. He looked at her clothes; black combat trousers, a white vest and hiking boots… definitely an adventurous type.
She lifted a bag and a towel, "Well, if we're finished here I'm going to head down to the gym. Why don't you tell Sydney about this?"
Nigel nodded and, lifting his stuff, held the door open.
"Thanks." Alex smiled and let him past, before locking the door.
* * *
This world, this world is cold
But you don't, you don't have to go
You're feeling sad, you're feeling lonely
And no-one seem to care
Alex slowly stepped up the speed of the treadmill until she could run to the beat of the music in her head.
Remember the good times that we had
We let them slip away from us when things got bad
Lately I foresaw you smiling in the sun
When I feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one
Her feet matched the rhythm pounding in her head. She ran towards an unreachable goal, sweat dripping from her.
I'm so tired, but I can't sleep
Standing on the edge of something much to deep
It's funny how I feel so much, but cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but can't be heard
Soft tears mingled with the sweat that now lined her face.
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
"Alex… ALEXANDRIA!" François' voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"What?!" she cried.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
François looked at her sceptically but, knowing her, changed the subject, "Sydney and I are going for dinner. We wondered if you would like to join us."
"Is Nigel going?"
"No, he has gone to the public library. He is, how you say, pouring over his books as usual."
"Then I won't go…" Alex replied, quickly adding, "I don't want to be a third wheel."
François smiled slightly, "Okay. I will see you tonight."
"Yeah, sure you will…" Alex muttered as she watched him leave, "More like tomorrow morning."
* * *
Nigel knocked on Alex's door later that night, hoping that she would be in. He blushed slightly when the door opened revealing Alex in a pair of cotton trousers and a strapped top; obviously her nightwear.
"Yeah?" Alex asked, adjusting the turban-style wrap on her head.
"Look, I don't mean to bother you. I was just wondering whether I could sleep on the sofa. It's just…" he began to blush again.
Alex smiled at the cuteness of his discomfort before catching herself. "Live sex show in your room?" she enquired.
"Something like that." Nigel replied.
"Come on in." Alex stepped back to let him enter and closed the door behind him.