Reviewers: Wow! Five this time around! Cool!
Brunette: I got no problem with laziness or people not signing in. At least you left me your name, which is more than I've known people to do. As you requested, here's more of Beni and his daughter! This wasn't supposed to happen until next chapter, but Beni decided to pull a fast one. (sigh) Renee will be making her debut later on. This is the beginning of the Rick/Evy and Ardeth/Celia. Imhotep and Anck will be making their debut soon. The thing about Ardeth and Celia is, Ardeth forgets to eat because he's busy taking care of everyone else. Celia forgets to eat because she really doesn't have anyone to take care of. They balance each other out.
Terreis: Yup! First sighting for Ardeth and Celia. I'm really glad you like the backgrounds. For me, that's a lot of the fun involved in writing. It's even more fun with an AU, coming up with a reason for the enmity between Rick and Beni that stays true to the events of the first movie.
Sailor Elf: (giggle) I think Ardeth will never be without someone to comfort him. There's Rick, Evy, Jonathan, Alex, Celia, you. . .
ChelseaBloom: Hi and welcome! Glad you held on through the first few chapters, while I was still laying the groundwork. Things are about to pick up. . .especially after Imhotep and Anck meet.
Deana: My eternal reviewer! Yes, dear, I do indeed have a good woman planned for him, although she's still in that transition between being a young girl and a young woman. Celia shows her claws in this installment. Poor Rick. Heheheh!
Part Four
Well. Now. This was *very* interesting! If she didn't see it for herself, Evelyn Carnahan would have never believed it. Well. . .on the other hand, she could hardly blame her roommate for her reaction to the young teaching assistant for Dr Hafez. This young man was. . . quite handsome. Not quite Evy's type, though she wasn't entirely sure what her type was. . .but he was attractive.
That was beside the point, however. Even if he was her type, Celia's reaction to the teaching assistant meant that Evy would not pursue him. It was bad form to pursue a man whom your roommate fancied. Whether you liked that roommate or not, such things made a living relationship more difficult. And the fact that this was the first time she ever saw Celia react in such a way to a man. . .well, that settled things.
As it was, she and Anck had to practically push Celia forward. Anck, as usual, took control and said, "I'm Anck Cortez, and these are my roommates, Evy Carnahan and Celia Ferguson. You have a very unusual name. . .where are you from?" Evy stared at her roommate, her mouth agape. If they were alone, she would have taken Anck to task for being so forward and bold, but that wasn't possible at the moment. However, she resolved to have a Talk with Anck when the opportunity presented itself.
"I am from Egypt. My name is a. . .variation upon the name of a heroine among my people. She was raised by Hebrew slaves, a concubine to Rameses II until her death at the age of twenty. Her son, Ardeth Bey, was my direct ancestor," the young man replied. Evy puzzled that through, but much to her surprise, it was Anck who figured it out first. Which was truly embarrassing, considering this was her major.
"There's a Hebrew girl's name, Ardath. . .your name is a variation of that?" she questioned. The young man nodded, and Anck continued, "Interesting. Oh, look, the rest of the class is arriving. . .we should find our seats." With that, she literally pulled Celia past Ardeth Bey and pushed their roommate into a seat directly in front of the desk. Evy rolled her eyes. *Subtle, Anck,* she thought, *very subtle!*
Celia squeaked and immediately jumped out of the chair, taking a seat beside the door. She always sat beside the door. . .but Evy knew from previous classes with her roommate that Celia was usually the last person out the door. First in, last out. Anck glowered at her, only to have Celia glower right back, and Evy whispered, "Remember, he's Dr Hafez's teaching assistant. He won't be here every class." Anck actually pouted, but nodded and took the seat beside Celia, while Evy took the seat behind her.
As Anck said, the rest of the class filed in behind them in drips and drabs. Ardeth waited quietly, sitting atop the desk until eight oh five. When he was satisfied that no one else would be coming in, he went to the door and closed it, studiously ignoring the whispers of the students. Of course, the three roommates weren't the only females who noticed the TA's dark good looks. And there was more than one comment about his tattoos. . .a lot of people wondering about where they came from, and what they meant.
He came back to the desk and picked up what Evy assumed were the syllabi. He said with that lovely accent, "Good morning to everyone. My name is Ardeth Bey, and I am the teaching assistant for Dr Hafez. He cannot be here this morning, so he asked that I pass out the syllabus and get everyone oriented." He went to the head of each row, counting out how many people were in that row.
There were usually six rows to a classroom, and at least five or six seats to a row. About twenty-five of the thirty-six seats were filled with warm bodies, though Evy seriously doubted if most of them were awake. Ardeth continued, "Since it seems very few people gathered this morning are morning people, I should confirm that this is the eight am Introduction to Egyptian Art and Architecture class, taught by Dr Hafez."
There was a ripple of laughter through the room, and no one got up. Ardeth continued with that dry humor, "Then I will assume everyone in this room is meant to be here. The texts that Dr Hafez wishes you to use are listed on the first page of the syllabus. I have bought my copies, and as of yesterday morning, there were more than enough for everyone. The office hours are also listed on the syllabus. . .however, I have been instructed to inform you that if you have classes during those times, you may set up an appointment."
"When are your office hours?" a young girl in the second row asked pertly. Evy rolled her eyes. She prayed that their TA was as intelligent as he was handsome. Otherwise, she would give up any thoughts of matchmaking between him and her roommate. Celia deserved someone who was intelligent enough to see through such an obvious ploy. No matter how handsome he was. A quick glance at Anck told her that the other girl agreed. In fact, Evy noted that Anck looked truly disgusted with the obviousness of the question.
"Those have yet to be determined," came the prompt reply, Ardeth Bey never missing a beat. Evy bit her lower lip to keep from smiling. Good on him! The TA continued, "There will be three major exams during the course of the semester, and possible quizzes. Those will not be announced, otherwise, they would not be called pop quizzes." There was another ripple of laughter, and Ardeth added, "Oh yes, and there will be a paper."
"Isn't there always?" Anck muttered, and Evy grinned at her. She wasn't entirely sure why Anck was in this class, since the other girl was majoring in Sociology/Anthropology. Evy asked Celia, and the American girl said it probably had to do with a society expressing itself through art. Evy did a double take and Celia shrugged, adding that it was something her grandmother often told her.
"Yes, there is, Miss Cortez. . .and the deadline for choosing your topic is three weeks from today. That should give you time to get some ideas," Ardeth answered, startling Anck. She blushed (that was something unusual), and Evy grinned. It was too bad that Ardeth Bey would be their teaching assistant, instead of their professor. She had a feeling he could keep things quite interesting. On the other hand, if he was a professor, she knew she would stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting him and Celia together. Oh well. One worked with the material one had at hand!
. . .
The morning did not get off to a good start for Ardeth Bey. The worst part about his nightmares was that he always felt like hell the morning after. This was no exception. However, he managed to drag himself out of bed when the alarm went off and into the shower. While the cold water served to wake him up, it didn't really make him feel any better. Nor did the coffee, nor did the quick banana he grabbed for breakfast. After his headache from hell the previous day, Ardeth wasn't willing to take any chances.
A quick glance at the recorder told him that there was one message. . .from Dr Hafez. He couldn't make it to the eight am class, Ardeth would have to handle it. He left instructions with the department secretary to give the syllabi to Ardeth when the TA arrived. Ardeth grimaced, though he was grateful he got up early enough to make the eight am class. More than likely, Rick turned off the ringer of the phone in his room, because according to the answering machine, the professor called while Ardeth was in the shower.
At least he didn't have to half-kill himself to get to work on time. That was always a plus. Rick's driving was scary enough when they were just 'cruising,' as his brother put it. And when Rick was late? Well, Ardeth closed his eyes and held on tightly to whatever was available.
By the time he finished his morning rituals, his brother was dragging himself into the shower. Ardeth, knowing his brother as he did, had a cup of steaming coffee ready for Rick. His brother wasn't totally human without his caffeine in the morning. With that done, he padded back to his own room for his shoes. They were black hiking boots, bought during his first week in the States. After his shoes were laced and tied, Ardeth pulled his hair back from his face.
This actually had less to do with looking professional and more to do with practicality. He could shake his hair from his eyes during a fight. It was much harder to do the same when reading. He supposed he could have gotten his hair cut, but he didn't want to do that. For that matter, he knew his mother and sisters didn't want him to get it cut. Even Rick weighed in with an opinion, telling Ardeth he would look 'goofy' with short hair. How Rick figured that, Ardeth had no idea, and he really didn't want to know, either.
Though he didn't wear the black robes and trousers of the Med-jai. . .again for sheer practicality, and not just a matter of fitting in. . .Ardeth still preferred black. Black jeans, black shirt, black hiking boots. And when Rick could convince him to wear it, a black bomber jacket. However, Ardeth was still getting used to wearing jackets. And it was still late summer in Illinois. There would be time enough for jackets later, he was sure.
The young chieftain studied himself in the mirror critically. Normally, he didn't really care what he looked like, but these were hardly ordinary circumstances. Perhaps it was silly, but Ardeth wanted to try to fit in. He couldn't explain that desire to himself, and it rankled. For the last five years, he learned to explain even hunches not only to others, but to himself as well. This, however, he could not explain.
Finally deciding that he would pass muster, at least for now, Ardeth returned to the kitchen. Rick looked somewhat more human now, and he said, "You know, if it weren't for those tattoos, you would look like any other teaching assistant on campus. Not bad, little brother, not bad at all." Ardeth swept a mock bow, and Rick added with a grin, "Now, don't you start sassing me, I'm still fourteen months older than you are."
"A mere fourteen months, ya ahi," Ardeth was quick to point out, "not fourteen years. Were I the same age as Anatol, you might have more credibility. . .however, I am twenty-two years of age, not fourteen." Rick seemed on the verge of making an obscene gesture, as he often did when on the verge of losing an argument with Ardeth, and instead, contented himself with drinking his coffee.
"I'm nine years older than Anatol, Ardeth, not fourteen," Rick answered after a few sips. Ardeth merely raised his eyebrows, and Rick growled, "I *hate* it when you do that. Keep it up, and people will start thinking you're the older brother, instead of me." Ardeth smiled, and Rick rewarded him with a brain duster. At least, he would have, if Ardeth hadn't grabbed his wrist in mid-swing. Rick complained mildly, "Damn, you spoil all my fun."
"I have no wish to start the day with a headache, ya ahi. It's bad enough that Hafez is leaving me with his very first class this morning," Ardeth fired back.
Rick's jaw dropped and Ardeth added with a sigh, "I am not sure if I am ready for this, Rick. I remember watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with you. Ask me to take back what is ours, and this is something I can do. But the idea of girls making eyes at me. . .that makes me very nervous." Rick draped a brotherly arm around Ardeth's shoulders, in much the same way his father Nathaniel often did.
"Unfortunately, little brother, I can't tell you not to worry. . .because I've seen the Med-jai girls making eyes at you. And they aren't shrinking violets, by any means. But now, this is something totally different. Did someone mention this to you?" Rick asked. Ardeth nodded, remembering the message on the answering machine, about not being distracted by the stares of the young girls in the class.
"Aywa. . .Dr Hafez. He seemed to think the girls in this class would find me attractive," Ardeth admitted. He was highly uncomfortable with such a conversation, and even more uncomfortable admitting that he knew women found him attractive. That was another part to his practical decision to pull his hair back. Maybe if he did that, the young females would overlook him. He could hope, could he not?
"Huh. Maybe he's jealous," Rick offered. Ardeth responded with a flat-out disbelieving look, and Rick continued, "Look, much as I hate to admit it, there are girls on this planet who find my pain in the ass kid brother more attractive than me. Don't ask me to explain it, but that's the reality. I'm fourteen months older than you, Ardeth. . .how do you think someone who is probably twenty years older than you are, if not older, will react to that?"
The conversation had gone from uncomfortable to downright surreal. Rick sighed and added, "What I'm trying to say is. . .Hafez is a bow- legged, middle-aged little man, and from what I've heard around campus, he makes girls feel dirty just by looking at them. Then there's you. Young and good-looking, and a total gentleman. . .something, I might add, that makes me look even worse. Of course he's jealous of you."
"Rick," Ardeth said succinctly, "you have lost your mind." He couldn't stop his brother from swatting him in the back of his head this time. The older brother removed his arm from Ardeth's shoulders, adding a light punch to his ribs, and the teaching assistant added, "I'll start the car while you finish getting ready. You must report to Winston Havilock and Nicholas Burns, and I must deal with this eight am class."
Rick grabbed his arm as Ardeth started to leave the apartment and said seriously, "Ardeth, listen. You'll be just fine. Okay? You know I don't like to get all mushy, but the truth is, I think you can do whatever you set your mind to. And I really hate to admit this, but I'm damn proud of you. Now go start the car." Ardeth blinked, but did as his brother said. He hated driving. . .usually left that up to Rick. . .but he often started the car to warm it up.
Rick joined him outside about five minutes later, and they set out for the university. Both brothers were silent, lost in their own thoughts. Rick dropped Ardeth and his backpack off at the humanities building, then headed over to the campus police station.
They would meet at the student union building at nine am. Ardeth took a deep breath, staring up at the Humanities building. After a moment, he released it, then headed inside. He knew from previous visits to the building where to find the office. The secretary, an older lady around the same age as his mother, gave him an appreciative look, but handed over the materials left for him by Dr Hafez without a word. Something that made Ardeth very, very grateful.
He arrived at the classroom at seven forty-five and began arranging things on the desk. Once he was satisfied with the set-up, Ardeth turned his attention to what he learned so far. It didn't add up to much, he was disgusted to see. Not much at all. Hopefully, however, that would change as he intermingled with students. Speaking of which. . .he was relatively certain he heard girls laughing.
He was right. Only a moment later, three young women entered the classroom. Ardeth glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. They were around eighteen or nineteen years old, maybe twenty, although the small one in the middle looked no more than sixteen. Ardeth rose to his feet, noting with some trepidation the expression on the middle one's face. He knew that expression. However, he summoned forth a smile and said, "Hello. My name is Ardeth Bey. I am Dr Hafez's teaching assistant. Thank you for arriving early this morning."
The girl in the back gave her friend a nudge. The most eye-catching of the three, she wasn't much shorter than Ardeth, who stood a few inches over six feet. This young woman said with a friendly smile, "I'm Anck Cortez, and these are my roommates, Evy Carnahan and Celia Ferguson. You have a very unusual name. . .where are you from?" Ardeth tried not to show his surprise. . .it wasn't that hard. He was still processing the names of the other two girls, although one sounded familiar. He would remember why eventually.
"I am from Egypt. My name is a. . .variation upon the name of a heroine among my people. She was raised by Hebrew slaves, a concubine to Rameses II until her death at the age of twenty. Her son, Ardeth Bey, was my direct ancestor," he replied. He wasn't entirely sure why he told them that. After a moment, he gave a mental shrug. It wasn't as if he told these girls anything about his people.
By his uncle's figuring, Imhotep already knew they were here. And the best way to tell a lie was to stay as close to the truth as possible. Ardeth wasn't very good at deception, at least, not yet. The girl named 'Anck' observed, "There's a Hebrew girl's name, Ardath. . .your name is a variation of that?" Ardeth nodded with a faint smile, and the girl went on, "Interesting. Oh, look, the rest of the class is arriving. . .we should find our seats."
As she spoke, she pulled her small friend (Celia?) past Ardeth and nudged her into a seat directly in front of the desk. Ardeth looked at the pair with a combination of amusement and wariness. The girl jumped up with a squeak and went to the first row beside the door, the first seat. Ardeth wondered if she chose that for strategic purposes. Still, Anck was right. . .the rest of the class was arriving. He spared one last glance for the three girls in the front corner, then turned his attention to orientation and the distribution of the materials they would need, including the syllabus. He knew which books would be used. . .his uncle told him beforehand.
Over the next thirty minutes, he fielded far less subtle inquiries about his personal life than what Anck Cortez posed to him. There was, of course, the question about his office hours. He would have to ask Rick later, or perhaps his uncle, but Ardeth didn't think teaching assistants *had* office hours. Teaching assistants were graduate students, working on their Master's or PhD. But other, explicit questions arose, and he handled those as best he could.
Still, this was a new experience for Ardeth, and he wasn't sure if he was doing it right. Was he showing the proper amount of respect, was he doing anything that could be construed as leading these girls on? His stepfather warned him to be careful, especially with college-age girls. He knew too many young professors who were burned by spoiled little girls. If they didn't get their way, they made whoever said 'no' to them pay dearly. Nathaniel O'Connell didn't want that to happen to Ardeth, not when he had other things on his mind.
So perhaps it was just as well that he came across as cool and indifferent. The more time he spent in front of the class, and felt the eyes of those girls on him, the more nervous Ardeth became. Thus, he was more than a little relieved when he finished going over what Dr Hafez asked of him. He knew that he could dismiss class early, and so he finished, "That is all that we have to go over, so class is dismissed."
"We'll see you again, won't we?" a voice asked. It took Ardeth a moment to locate the source of the voice, which had a soft English accent. Oh yes, Evy Carnahan. Part of the original trio. Anck Cortez, Evy Carnahan, and Celia Ferguson. He was cursed, or blessed, with an excellent memory. And Celia Ferguson was turning a rather interesting shade of crimson as she desperately shook her head at her friend.
"I do not know," he said honestly, and pretended not to notice when Celia kicked her friend's ankle. Hard, judging from Evy's expression. He was starting to see the outlines, at least he thought he did. Celia found him attractive, and both Evy and Anck were trying to see if their friend had a chance with him. While the frankly admiring glances of the other girls in the class made Ardeth very nervous, Celia was a little different.
He caught her looking at him several times during the hour, but each time Ardeth made eye contact, she ducked her head. As if she didn't want to be caught looking. He was curiously charmed by that, and felt a kinship to her. He knew about taking what he could have, instead of what he really wanted. Maybe he could become friends with her. Once she was no longer afraid to look him in the eye. Curiously, while the room emptied, the three girls in that front corner remained in their seats. They weren't the first ones out.
Once the last female student expressed her desire to see Ardeth again some time soon and left the room, Anck Cortez rose to her feet and approached. Behind her, Ardeth could see her two friends quietly gathering their things. He also noticed Celia sending several concerned glances in their general direction. Anck said, "There was one other thing which I didn't mention to you earlier. My real name is 'Anck-su-namun.' I was named for the wife of King Tut. Listen. If any of those girls give you a hard time, try to make your life difficult. . .I'll be watching out for you. We all will. I know what they can be like."
He should have told her that he could watch out for himself. But where females were concerned, he was so inexperienced, it almost was laughable. Even with four sisters, he often found it difficult to talk to women. So he said, trying not to show any emotion that might be misconstrued, "Thank you for that. Is. . ." He stopped, trying to think of a way to say the next sentence without giving offense. No sense in making enemies where none existed.
"Is there anything I want in return? I'm tempted to ask you to. . .be extra nice to my roommate Celia, but she'd kick my butt if I did that. She's small, but she's got a temper. And I really don't want to upset her, even though you're the first guy she's really paid attention to. So no. Nothing in return. Just. . .watch your back. You're good looking and exotic, and some of these girls can be truly nasty," Anck replied.
Ardeth flushed, but nodded his acceptance. Anck turned and told her two roommates, "C'mon, you slowpokes! None of us have had a proper breakfast, and I for one have NO desire to carry your butt across campus, Cecelia Anne!" Both girls protested this, and Celia gave Anck a little shove as the girl rejoined her small group. Ardeth smiled to himself, recognizing the affection in that shove. These girls were sisters. They did not yet know it, but they were sisters.
And speaking of siblings. . .he should head over to the Student Union Building to meet Rick. Ardeth wondered how his brother was getting along at the campus police. Ah, no doubt he would find out. Ardeth gathered up his belongings, stashing them inside the backpack. Rick told him about carrying a backpack to school when he was a child. Ardeth's smile faded, because with memories of his own childhood came memories of his father.
Suleiman Bey was a big man, and quiet. Far more quiet than his first born son, who often seemed larger than life, even on the day he was killed. Suleiman was older and wiser, and he was forty years old when he was murdered. Though nearly a decade passed since his father's death, Ardeth still struggled with his grief. Rick told him it was because Ardeth never allowed himself the luxury of mourning his father properly.
But that was the way things were. Ardeth had responsibilities. Thirteen at the time of his father's death, he wasn't yet a warrior, and had duties to his family. Especially caring for his mother, younger brother, and sisters. . .while Andreas saw to the Med-jai as a whole. Even at thirteen, Ardeth already spent much of his life taking care of people, in one way or another. And at thirteen, he already had a great deal of experience in hiding away his emotions.
It made it easier, he discovered, to deal with his own pain if he comforted his mother and siblings. Andreas was different, of course. He raged and stormed, and lashed out at his little brother for not showing his emotions, then begged Ardeth's forgiveness. He always gave it, of course. Andreas was his big brother, his idol, and his hero. There was never any question of forgiving him. And he cried alone in the dark.
He missed his father so much. So much more than anyone might have believed, since Suleiman couldn't spend the time he wanted with his son. But a steady, stable, loving force was removed from Ardeth's life. Of course he would miss it. Only a fool would think otherwise.
He couldn't know at the time that his mother saw right through his stoic mask. She made sure he only learned of it years later, because it was so important for that little boy to have some control. Even if it was an illusion. That child's world was spinning out of control, and if the illusion of control helped to save some of his sanity, so be it. By the time Ardeth learned the truth about that dark time in his life, he was eighteen years old, and going through another dark time. For it was then that he was struggling with the weight of leadership.
As he approached the doors to the student union building, Ardeth brought himself back to the present. That was one positive thing. . .as they waited for classes to start, and to see if Imhotep would start running again, he and Rick explored the campus. Ardeth got to know it very well indeed, and was not at all surprised that his feet carried him to the student union building while his mind was otherwise occupied.
On the ground floor was a collection of cafes, for lack of a better word. These were spread out around the building, much like a food court in a mall. And like a food court in the mall, the tables and chairs were set out in the middle. At one of the tables, he found his stepbrother, nursing another coffee with a decidedly mulish expression. It looked like things didn't go well at the campus police station, and Ardeth braced himself for his brother's frustrated rantings. However, it was always better than the alternative.
. . .
Rick O'Connell would be the very first person to admit he wasn't a morning person, and if pushed to acknowledge it, Ardeth would admit he wasn't much of a morning person, either. The main difference between the two was that while Rick could pretty much get up any time he wanted, Ardeth couldn't. He was usually awake with the sunrise, if not before, and he could pretty much fool people into thinking that he was a morning person.
Now, however, Rick was having to get up at the same time as his brother, and finding he *really* didn't like it. Not for the first time, he both resented his stepbrother for having an edge over him and felt guilty because he wasn't there to help Ardeth with some of his burdens. Rick didn't like feeling guilty, for any reason. It put him in a very bad mood, and most of the time, he took that out on Ardeth, which made him feel even guiltier.
So if Ardeth's morning didn't get off to a very good start, Rick's morning started out hellish and went down hill. He had no problem with Nicholas Burns. For one thing, the young Texan advised him to call him 'Colin,' rather than 'Nick.' This was a GOOD thing, because it spared Rick from jokes about 'the Nick and Rick show.' He heard those things. He did not need any would-be comedians.
Rick did question, however, the nickname 'Colin.' His contact explained that his mother was reading a romance novel set in old England while she was pregnant with him, and 'Colin' was a nickname for 'Nicholas.' Since she wasn't overly fond of 'Nick' as a diminutive for 'Nicholas,' she decided 'Colin' would be much better. He had a number of run-ins, over the years, because of his unusual name. But eventually, he grew into it.
Winston Havilock, on the other hand. . .Rick sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. In the last hour, as he watched the older man, there were times when Rick could swear he was looking at a future version of himself. It frightened him. Winston lost his entire unit to terrorists, and he couldn't forgive himself for surviving. Rick had only to think of losing everyone who was important to him, and he wondered if he would do any better. Winston was fine in the beginning. . .in the beginning, he had a score to settle and colleagues to avenge.
But once that was achieved. . .Winston had nothing left. Rick felt sorry for him. God, he felt so sorry for him. He pitied him, prayed that he would never become like him, and tried to avoid being in his company as much as possible. Winston lamented the loss of his laddies and lassies, and often expressed the desire to have died with them. And he spoke bitterly of the agents who told him how lucky he was.
Lucky. That he was left behind, when the people he loved most were dead. To Rick, that was nothing short of cruel. It probably wasn't intended that way, of course. Perhaps those other agents were trying to tell Winston that he was lucky to be alive. But it was still a cruel thing to say. It was Rick's understanding that such survivors would get some sort of help, some sort of counseling. How did Winston fall through the cracks?
Ardeth would have tried to help Winston in some way. For all his stoic desert warrior crap, Ardeth couldn't keep from trying to help someone in need. The only time he turned away was when a person was a threat to his home, his people. Yes. Ardeth would have tried to help Winston. And Rick wished he had his brother's strength, to even try to help Winston. But that wasn't possible.
There was a second problem with his new assignment. Though Rick liked Colin Burns, the same couldn't be said for his two best friends, Tony Daniels and Jake Henderson. It took him all of five minutes to detest the two, and wondered how a nice guy like Colin ended up with such losers as friends. Sure, Colin could be arrogant, but he was a decent guy. Daniels and Henderson, on the other hand. . .
The two seemed to be walking, talking clichés. Bad clichés at that. Hollywood's idea of what people from small towns were like, of what people from Texas were like. Rick lived in a small town for most of his life, before moving to Egypt at fifteen. His mother was originally from Texas, and was a small town girl. She was nothing like the stereotypical Hollywood Southerner. Rick didn't like people like Henderson and Daniels, who were living stereotypes.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Henderson and Daniels saw Ardeth get out of Rick's car at Humanities, and made assumptions they had no business making.
Even after they were informed that Ardeth was Rick's brother, that didn't stop either of them from making fun of the young Egyptian. Colin disapproved, a silent disapproval that was ignored by his two friends. It took all of Rick's self-control to keep from knocking those two clear into next week. He did lash out at Ardeth, he did give his brother headaches and if they weren't careful about the stress and strain, possibly even an ulcer. But there was no way those two clowns would insult his little brother. Not a chance.
After an hour and a half with the two clowns, Colin, and Winston, Rick was ready for his break and made his getaway to the student union building where he was to meet Ardeth. He didn't have long to wait, but Ardeth was always a punctual sort. Ardeth asked softly, "I take it things did not go well?" Rick pushed out a chair for his brother and Ardeth slipped into the offered seat. Rick just rubbed his hand over his eyes, and both men were silent.
At last, the American answered, "You know, I just spent an hour and a half with a suicidal anti-terrorist expert, a rookie cop, and a pair of walking, talking clichés. There were times, when they were talking, when I was tempted to ask who the hell wrote their dialogue." Ardeth didn't laugh, just looked at Rick with those serious eyes. The older brother continued after a moment, "It didn't go well. I keep telling myself that it's early yet, and it'll take time before Imhotep feels comfortable enough to make a dumb move, but. . ."
Ardeth said not a word, and Rick looked at him. There were times when he wondered what his younger brother saw. The American added bitterly, "And then they went after you, for your tattoos and long hair. Those turds say anything more about you, the things they said about you today. . .and I might just blow this whole thing to hell. Dad and Altair wanted me to come with you, to watch your back, and I don't know if I can keep my temper to do that."
Ardeth flushed and looked away, saying softly, "I am sorry if I embarrass you." Rick blinked. Huh? What the hell? Then he remembered what he just said, and mentally kicked himself. The last hour couldn't have been easy on his brother. Like Ardeth, Rick remembered the Indiana Jones movies, especially the last one. Indy, a mature man in his forties, found it difficult to deal with those girls. Of course it would be harder for Ardeth.
He reached across the table and grasped Ardeth's forearm. Rick whispered, "Don't you ever say that again, you understand me? I'm not embarrassed. . .the people who should be embarrassed are those two clowns. Don't ever say anything like that again, or I swear to God, I will kick your sorry Egyptian ass all the way to the North Pole. I mean it. Christ. Only a pathetic excuse for a human being would be embarrassed by you. You're more of a man than both of those two jackasses put together."
It was more than he would have said under usual circumstances. But Rick's protective instincts were in full force with what those turds said about his little brother, and he knew Ardeth was more vulnerable than usual. His brother knew how much he cared for him, and sometimes, Rick even told him how proud he was of him, but it wasn't something he often said. It wasn't something Rick was comfortable saying, unless Ardeth was in a bad place and needed all the moral support he could get. This was such a time.
Ardeth sighed and returned the grip, saying, "Forgive me. I am too sensitive today." Rick looked at his brother, asking him without words to tell him what happened. Ardeth explained, "I thought I might make myself less attractive, by pulling my hair back. It did not work. And I was afraid I was not striking the right balance. I did not want any of those girls to accuse me of leading them on."
"Ardeth, first off. . .you are gonna stand out. Regardless of what you do. So quit worrying about making yourself less attractive to women, because believe you me, brother, it ain't gonna happen. I saw some of the admiring looks you got today. And the other thing. . . look. There are some people, both men and women, who will accuse someone of leading them on, no matter what. And I know you. Uncle Terrence knows you. Even if one of these girls do. . .make trouble, we'll be here, watching your back," Rick told his brother. He paused, then asked, "Were there any nice girls?"
Now his brother smiled, his dark eyes lighting up, as he replied, "Yes, there were. Many nice girls. And the boys were all right, too. But they seemed so young to me, Rick." The American nodded. Yeah, he didn't doubt that for an instant. Even someone like Rick, who knew Ardeth very well, could easily forget that he was in his early twenties. Most of these kids would probably never go through the things Ardeth survived in his first twenty years of life.
Ardeth continued after a moment, his voice thoughtful, "And there were three girls, at the beginning of class. Anck-su-namun Cortez, Celia Ferguson, and Evy Carnahan. One was very forward, one very shy, and the third somewhere between the two. Rick, why does the name 'Evy Carnahan' sound so familiar? I know that I have heard that name recently, but I cannot place it." Rick frowned thoughtfully, then nodded.
"Izzy mentioned it yesterday, when we met him. Evy Carnahan is one of your uncle's students. If I remember correctly, she made a shambles of the library and Izzy had to make sure she cleaned it up properly," he replied. He paused, then added, "And I'm not surprised you don't remember where you heard it. You had a splitting headache at the time." He was still angry with Ardeth for that. Damn stoic Med-jai pain in the ass!
Ardeth, for his own part, just rolled his eyes and sighed, "Rick, how many times must I tell you? It was only beginning when we met with Izzy Buttons. . .and you still have not told me about that. . .why will you not believe me?" Rick briefly considered pointing out to his brother that Ardeth wasn't exactly known for remembering to eat or other such necessities, but realized it would be no use. Especially since he knew Ardeth's headache were caused as much by stress as by not eating.
So, Rick changed the subject, asking, "So tell me more about these girls. . .the forward one, the shy one, and the in-between one. What are they like, and what is this Evy Carnahan like? Is she pretty?" He was willing to bet that his stepbrother would start stammering and blushing. Ardeth was still very shy where women were concerned, and if they were pretty, he was even more shy. However, Ardeth surprised him. . .he didn't blush, and didn't even seem embarrassed. That was good. . .wasn't it?
His brother smiled faintly, replying, "Yes, I think she is pretty. Especially when she smiles. And pretty is the wrong word for Anck-su- namun. She is. . .I am not sure how to explain her. I receive the impression that she can be very gentle and tender with those whom she loves. . .and a formidable foe, if one is foolish enough to harm someone she loves. Someone like her two roommates."
Rick nodded his understanding, knowing the type very well. Ardeth continued thoughtfully, "She is very striking. That is the best word I can use to describe her. She is the forward one. Evy is the middle one. And the third, Celia, is the shy one." He paused, then said, "I think she could be very pretty, if she smiled. But she. . .there were many times when I felt her eyes on me, and when I looked at her, she looked away."
Rick said, "Well, she could be shy. . .or just coy. Some girls play that game, play hard to get, because they think it interests guys." Ardeth was shaking his head, and Rick asked, "Okay, why don't you think that's the case?" It wasn't a challenge, though he knew that was how it sounded. He wanted to know what his brother was thinking, and if he needed to protect Ardeth from some floozy who thought she could use his brother.
"Because of the way she reacted to other girls being forward. Anck- su-namun put her in a chair right in front of my desk. . .of Dr Hafez's desk. Celia got up immediately and went to the chair beside the door. And then she kicked Evy's ankle when Evy asked me if they would see me again. I. . .Rick, do you think a teaching assistant can be friends with a student?" Ardeth asked with a curious frown.
Well, maybe it wasn't necessary for Rick to protect Ardeth from this girl, after all. He replied, "I don't see why not. As long as she doesn't interfere with the mission, and doesn't expect her friendship with you to help her pass the class. . .why shouldn't you be friends with her?" He was starting to realize there was something about this girl that touched his brother's heart. Which was worrying in and of itself, because Ardeth guarded his heart very carefully.
Maybe he should watch out for this girl, after all. Ardeth said, "I hoped you would say that. I. . .she is different from the other girls. She does not seek to take what I cannot give, and when she looks at me. . .would it make any sense, Rick, if I told you that even when she is with her two friends, her two sisters, she seems lonely?" The words were spilling from Ardeth, reminding Rick of water pouring from a shattered dam.
"It would make perfect sense, Ardeth. After all, you're lonely, even with me and the rest of the family," Rick answered. Ardeth actually winced and looked away. Which probably meant he never wanted them to realize how he felt. Typical Ardeth. Typical stoic Med-jai. Rick was the exact opposite. He had no trouble telling people when he was angry or upset, and half the time, the words weren't even necessary.
And with something like this, Rick had to be careful with the advice he gave. He even had to be careful with the wording, something that made him very uncomfortable. Rick was used to saying exactly what he thought.
After a moment, the older brother asked softly, "Why do you want to be friends with this girl, Ardeth? Is it because you feel like you have something in common with her? Or is it a different kind of loneliness?" Ardeth turned bright red at that comment. To the best of Rick's knowledge, Ardeth was still a virgin, but his brother was a gentleman. If he kissed somebody, he sure as hell didn't mention it to others.
"I would not dishonor her, Rick. I told you. She is different. She does not ask for what I cannot give. I see it in her eyes," Ardeth replied. Rick translated his brother's words in his head. In other words, Ardeth felt like he could trust this girl. He briefly considered pointing out to Ardeth that he just met her, but Rick knew that his brother had good instincts. He didn't know if those good instincts carried over to the female persuasion.
Rick said, "Okay, it's common ground. She's lonely and you're lonely. You think you might enjoy her company, and she finds you attractive, but is willing to keep her distance." Ardeth thought that through, then nodded. Personally, Rick thought this girl sounded too good to be true, but then, Ardeth didn't say she was especially pretty. If she was beautiful, then she would have been too good to be true.
"Yes. So how would I go about this, Rick? I do not want her to think I am asking her out, I want there to be no misunderstandings," Ardeth said earnestly. Rick swallowed hard. This morning, he and Ardeth were joking about the age difference between them, only fourteen months. But there were times when it felt far greater on both sides. This was one such time. Ardeth seemed so terribly young to Rick right now.
"Wait for the opportunity to present itself. Don't seek her out, because that *will* give her the wrong idea. I. . ." Rick began. He stopped in mid-sentence, staring at a trio of female students who just entered the eating area of the food court. Ardeth turned to look, and Rick saw a faint smile appear on his brother's face. It was them, then. The trio of girls who turned his brother inside out.
Based on Ardeth's description, the tall girl with waist-length dark hair had to be Anck-su-namun. She was, indeed, striking in appearance. . .had the kind of good looks that made a man think about sex. And based on the way she looked around, she was becoming aware of the power it gave her. Someone to be very wary of, and Rick reflected ruefully that despite his inexperience with women, Ardeth called this one right.
On the opposite end was probably Evy Carnahan. Ardeth said she was very pretty, but Rick saw the world through somewhat different eyes. She wasn't a total loss, but she also wasn't the most beautiful woman he ever saw. One of these days, he would have to ask Ardeth what it was he saw when he looked at girls like Evy Carnahan, what made him think that she was so very pretty.
The final one was Celia Ferguson. Had to be. Ardeth said that she would probably be very pretty, if she smiled. Rick didn't see it. He didn't see it at all. He saw a small, drab sparrow of a girl with long, wild hair and a serious expression.
Her shoulders were hunched, almost as if expecting a blow, and she was too thin. Way too thin, even for a college-age girl. Rick's heart sank. Well, it wasn't like Ardeth was attracted to her. But what was he seeing in these three girls, that Rick was missing? Maybe it was as simple as Ardeth feeling sorry for her. That, Rick *could* see. His brother had a soft heart, with a bit of the knight in shining armor complex.
But Celia Ferguson was no damsel in distress. What was Ardeth seeing that he was missing? There had to be something. Rick knew his brother. There had to be something about those two girls, especially, that Rick was missing. Ardeth had a soft heart, but not a soft head. What was he seeing that made him want to reach out to Celia Ferguson, aside from pity? Pity might have been enough for Rick, but not Ardeth. What was he missing?
. . .
"Who is that rude man with Mr. Bey, staring at us like that?" Evy wondered aloud. Anck noticed him as well, though she pretended to ignore him. She didn't like him at all. Didn't like the way he looked, the way he looked at the three of them, and she didn't like the pitying glance he bestowed upon Celia. Her roommate was far from pitiful and pathetic, and she wouldn't have someone dissing her little sister like that.
"Who cares? You know, I just realized. . .we should have asked him if he's any relation to Dr Bey. Isn't he from Egypt?" Celia asked, concentrating on the much more interesting Ardeth Bey. Anck grinned at her roommate, feeling very proud of her. Celia made more and more progress every day. Anck could remember a time, not so long ago, when being in the same room as someone as attractive as Ardeth Bey would have rendered her roomie speechless for the better half of the day. Anck didn't know what happened to her friend over the summer, but it was obviously good for her.
"Oh, drat! I knew there was something I was forgetting, but that's your fault, Celia!" Evy retorted. Celia glared at their roommate, though it wasn't as dark as some of the Looks Anck saw from her smaller roommate. Evy affected a supercilious tone, adding, "Yes, it's all your fault. . .I'd never seen you react that way to a man, and it threw me off guard." Celia rolled her eyes, then smacked Evy in the back of her head. The English girl glowered at Celia, muttering, "OOOOH, you. . ."
"Yessssssssss?" Celia asked, drawling the word out. Anck grinned as she guided her two friends to a table where they could watch Ardeth Bey and his rude friend (spy on them?) in peace. Celia immediately relaxed once they left the classroom, joking around with the other two girls as if nothing happened.
At least, she tried, but Anck could tell from her eyes that a part of her was still in the classroom they left. She's got it bad, Anck thought. Celia didn't talk much about high school, so to the best of Anck's knowledge, Ardeth Bey was the first man Celia was ever attracted to. Anck knew her friend would pooh-pooh that, saying that she just met the man, she couldn't possibly be attracted to him, but Anck knew better.
And she could tell now, the way Celia's eyes never left Ardeth for more than a few minutes. Especially after he reached behind him and removed that rubber band from his hair, allowing it to fall lightly to his shoulders. He leaned forward, looking at something his companion pointed out to him, then shook his head. When he leaned back, Anck heard Celia exhale suddenly, and snuck a peek at her friend. Poor girl looked like she was poleaxed.
Evy smacked Celia's shoulder, whispering, "Celia! Stop it! If he catches you looking at him like that, he'll think you're stalking him!" It was a joke, of course. Their roommate could be intense with what she wanted, but violating a person was so not Celia. However, all the color drained from her face, and Celia tore her eyes away from Ardeth. Anck almost gasped, seeing the expression there. Her eyes were, for lack of a better word, haunted.
"And we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Celia rasped out. Anck cringed at the bitterness in her voice. That reaction was also not like Celia, which begged the question. What the hell happened to her roommate? Celia was, evidently, keeping secrets from them. That bothered Anck to no end, but experience taught her that when Celia was fragile like this, she did need delicate handling. High maintenance she wasn't, as a general rule, but everyone had his or her high maintenance points.
Anck was angry, though, and since taking it out on her American roommate was out of the question, her anger was instead directed at the man sitting with Ardeth Bey. The one who looked at Celia as if she was a pitiful, pathetic excuse for a woman. The one who summed up all the reasons Anck hated guys her own age. They were blind, self-centered, and unable to look past the surface.
That stopped her. Maybe that was why she liked Ardeth Bey, even on such a short acquaintance. She saw the way he observed first her, then Evy, then finally Celia. At first glance, he looked older than his companion, but appearances could be deceiving. Her two roommates were living proof of that, as was Anck herself. And he definitely seemed capable of looking past the obvious. She just had to be careful about the way she dealt with him, because if she stepped out of line, she would hear about it. From both her roommates.
"I wonder what he's doing here?" Evy asked, drawing Anck's attention away from the handsome teaching assistant and his rude companion. The girl looked in the direction of her roommate's gaze, to see Beni with a little girl. She was nestled on his hip, her head turning this way and that. If it was physically possible, Anck had no doubt that her little head would have been swiveling around, to take everything in. The raven-haired girl smiled, recognizing Beni's daughter immediately from the pictures. Evy continued, sounding more and more curious, "And who is that child with him?"
"It's his daughter," Anck replied. Twin gasps of 'what?' could be heard from her two roommates, and Anck grinned. It wasn't often at all that she was one up on either of her roommates. She continued, "She's his daughter. She's three years old, and her name is 'Cecilia.' It's 'Ceci' for short. I didn't know that 'Cecilia' was a name used in Hungary. Spanish and Italian speaking countries, yes, but not Hungary."
"Yeah, 'Cecilia' is the name of my friend Margit's mother," Celia replied almost absently. She was watching their janitor with a close eye, seemingly confused about how he had a daughter. Anck briefly considered explaining to her friend about the birds and bees, then decided it wasn't worth getting soda poured over her head. Celia knew where babies came from, after all. Anck looked at Evy, who paled when Margit was mentioned. Should have seen that one coming. Margit was at the heart of one of the few arguments between Celia and Evy.
"She is a cute little girl. . .hello, what's this?" Evy asked, wanting very much to avoid the topic of Margit and her travels around Europe with Celia. Anck shook her head, noticing the way Ardeth Bey and his companion were both on their feet as Beni Gabor passed their table. Celia tensed beside Anck, and the older girl put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to calm her. This could get very ugly, very fast.
"Well, if it ain't my old buddy, Beni. . .I think I'll kill you now," the man said. He had a decided American accent. That was the first surprise. Beni, usually such a weasel, immediately put his daughter on the ground and gently pushed her behind him. That was the second surprise. What happened next was anything but a surprise. Celia was on her feet immediately, dislodging Anck's hand. Her eyes blazed, and Anck got up as well.
However, any hope of things settling down died an unnatural death when the tall American twisted his hands in Beni's collar and yanked him up from the ground. Anck heard the growl starting deep in Celia's throat, and before she could stop her friend, Celia was steaming toward the confrontation in progress. Anck only had time to exchange a quick glance with Evy, and then the pair ran after their friend.
From this distance, Anck could see Beni's lips moving, and that he turned a rather interesting shade of green. She couldn't hear what he said. However, she could hear the American as he shook Beni like a rag doll, sneering, "You don't have any children!" Anck rolled her eyes. Stupid idiot. She didn't know how long it was since he last saw Beni, but if it was more than a year, it would take a little less time than that for a child to be conceived and brought into this world.
Beni retorted around the strictures of his suddenly tightened collar, "I do now! I was fifteen years old the last time you saw me, O'Connell. The little girl hiding behind your bean-pole friend is my baby, and you are frightening her!" Ceci Gabor was, indeed, hiding behind Ardeth. He was looking from Beni to the man named O'Connell and back again, his dark eyes narrowed as he tried to decide what to do. Although, in all fairness, every time he moved forward, Ceci's arms tightened around his legs. He couldn't go very far. Anck wasn't sure if the little girl was just scared, or frightened that Ardeth would also hurt her daddy.
"Let him go, ya ahi. . .you are frightening the child," Ardeth said in a low voice, his hand on Ceci's dark head. Ya ahi? What did that mean? O'Connell just shook Beni again, and Ardeth repeated, "Let him go, my brother. I do not know what happened eight years ago, but there are other things at work right now." What the hell did *that* mean? Anck frowned, remembering that Ardeth called O'Connell his brother.
"This little stinkweed betrayed me, Ardeth, he betrayed me and left me to die at the military school. We pulled a prank together, and he left me alone to deal with the consequences. I should break your neck right here and right now," O'Connell spat out. Anck's mind whirled, remembering what Beni told her the night before. About a friend he once betrayed, and how he was afraid he would do the same to Celia.
As Anck put the pieces together in her mind, she missed Celia stepping forward until she was in full view of both Ardeth Bey and the child. Ardeth's eyes widened, but before he could say or do anything, Celia growled out, "You let him go, now. I don't care what happened eight years ago, but nobody hurts one of my friends!" Well, so much for not getting involved!
Brunette: I got no problem with laziness or people not signing in. At least you left me your name, which is more than I've known people to do. As you requested, here's more of Beni and his daughter! This wasn't supposed to happen until next chapter, but Beni decided to pull a fast one. (sigh) Renee will be making her debut later on. This is the beginning of the Rick/Evy and Ardeth/Celia. Imhotep and Anck will be making their debut soon. The thing about Ardeth and Celia is, Ardeth forgets to eat because he's busy taking care of everyone else. Celia forgets to eat because she really doesn't have anyone to take care of. They balance each other out.
Terreis: Yup! First sighting for Ardeth and Celia. I'm really glad you like the backgrounds. For me, that's a lot of the fun involved in writing. It's even more fun with an AU, coming up with a reason for the enmity between Rick and Beni that stays true to the events of the first movie.
Sailor Elf: (giggle) I think Ardeth will never be without someone to comfort him. There's Rick, Evy, Jonathan, Alex, Celia, you. . .
ChelseaBloom: Hi and welcome! Glad you held on through the first few chapters, while I was still laying the groundwork. Things are about to pick up. . .especially after Imhotep and Anck meet.
Deana: My eternal reviewer! Yes, dear, I do indeed have a good woman planned for him, although she's still in that transition between being a young girl and a young woman. Celia shows her claws in this installment. Poor Rick. Heheheh!
Part Four
Well. Now. This was *very* interesting! If she didn't see it for herself, Evelyn Carnahan would have never believed it. Well. . .on the other hand, she could hardly blame her roommate for her reaction to the young teaching assistant for Dr Hafez. This young man was. . . quite handsome. Not quite Evy's type, though she wasn't entirely sure what her type was. . .but he was attractive.
That was beside the point, however. Even if he was her type, Celia's reaction to the teaching assistant meant that Evy would not pursue him. It was bad form to pursue a man whom your roommate fancied. Whether you liked that roommate or not, such things made a living relationship more difficult. And the fact that this was the first time she ever saw Celia react in such a way to a man. . .well, that settled things.
As it was, she and Anck had to practically push Celia forward. Anck, as usual, took control and said, "I'm Anck Cortez, and these are my roommates, Evy Carnahan and Celia Ferguson. You have a very unusual name. . .where are you from?" Evy stared at her roommate, her mouth agape. If they were alone, she would have taken Anck to task for being so forward and bold, but that wasn't possible at the moment. However, she resolved to have a Talk with Anck when the opportunity presented itself.
"I am from Egypt. My name is a. . .variation upon the name of a heroine among my people. She was raised by Hebrew slaves, a concubine to Rameses II until her death at the age of twenty. Her son, Ardeth Bey, was my direct ancestor," the young man replied. Evy puzzled that through, but much to her surprise, it was Anck who figured it out first. Which was truly embarrassing, considering this was her major.
"There's a Hebrew girl's name, Ardath. . .your name is a variation of that?" she questioned. The young man nodded, and Anck continued, "Interesting. Oh, look, the rest of the class is arriving. . .we should find our seats." With that, she literally pulled Celia past Ardeth Bey and pushed their roommate into a seat directly in front of the desk. Evy rolled her eyes. *Subtle, Anck,* she thought, *very subtle!*
Celia squeaked and immediately jumped out of the chair, taking a seat beside the door. She always sat beside the door. . .but Evy knew from previous classes with her roommate that Celia was usually the last person out the door. First in, last out. Anck glowered at her, only to have Celia glower right back, and Evy whispered, "Remember, he's Dr Hafez's teaching assistant. He won't be here every class." Anck actually pouted, but nodded and took the seat beside Celia, while Evy took the seat behind her.
As Anck said, the rest of the class filed in behind them in drips and drabs. Ardeth waited quietly, sitting atop the desk until eight oh five. When he was satisfied that no one else would be coming in, he went to the door and closed it, studiously ignoring the whispers of the students. Of course, the three roommates weren't the only females who noticed the TA's dark good looks. And there was more than one comment about his tattoos. . .a lot of people wondering about where they came from, and what they meant.
He came back to the desk and picked up what Evy assumed were the syllabi. He said with that lovely accent, "Good morning to everyone. My name is Ardeth Bey, and I am the teaching assistant for Dr Hafez. He cannot be here this morning, so he asked that I pass out the syllabus and get everyone oriented." He went to the head of each row, counting out how many people were in that row.
There were usually six rows to a classroom, and at least five or six seats to a row. About twenty-five of the thirty-six seats were filled with warm bodies, though Evy seriously doubted if most of them were awake. Ardeth continued, "Since it seems very few people gathered this morning are morning people, I should confirm that this is the eight am Introduction to Egyptian Art and Architecture class, taught by Dr Hafez."
There was a ripple of laughter through the room, and no one got up. Ardeth continued with that dry humor, "Then I will assume everyone in this room is meant to be here. The texts that Dr Hafez wishes you to use are listed on the first page of the syllabus. I have bought my copies, and as of yesterday morning, there were more than enough for everyone. The office hours are also listed on the syllabus. . .however, I have been instructed to inform you that if you have classes during those times, you may set up an appointment."
"When are your office hours?" a young girl in the second row asked pertly. Evy rolled her eyes. She prayed that their TA was as intelligent as he was handsome. Otherwise, she would give up any thoughts of matchmaking between him and her roommate. Celia deserved someone who was intelligent enough to see through such an obvious ploy. No matter how handsome he was. A quick glance at Anck told her that the other girl agreed. In fact, Evy noted that Anck looked truly disgusted with the obviousness of the question.
"Those have yet to be determined," came the prompt reply, Ardeth Bey never missing a beat. Evy bit her lower lip to keep from smiling. Good on him! The TA continued, "There will be three major exams during the course of the semester, and possible quizzes. Those will not be announced, otherwise, they would not be called pop quizzes." There was another ripple of laughter, and Ardeth added, "Oh yes, and there will be a paper."
"Isn't there always?" Anck muttered, and Evy grinned at her. She wasn't entirely sure why Anck was in this class, since the other girl was majoring in Sociology/Anthropology. Evy asked Celia, and the American girl said it probably had to do with a society expressing itself through art. Evy did a double take and Celia shrugged, adding that it was something her grandmother often told her.
"Yes, there is, Miss Cortez. . .and the deadline for choosing your topic is three weeks from today. That should give you time to get some ideas," Ardeth answered, startling Anck. She blushed (that was something unusual), and Evy grinned. It was too bad that Ardeth Bey would be their teaching assistant, instead of their professor. She had a feeling he could keep things quite interesting. On the other hand, if he was a professor, she knew she would stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting him and Celia together. Oh well. One worked with the material one had at hand!
. . .
The morning did not get off to a good start for Ardeth Bey. The worst part about his nightmares was that he always felt like hell the morning after. This was no exception. However, he managed to drag himself out of bed when the alarm went off and into the shower. While the cold water served to wake him up, it didn't really make him feel any better. Nor did the coffee, nor did the quick banana he grabbed for breakfast. After his headache from hell the previous day, Ardeth wasn't willing to take any chances.
A quick glance at the recorder told him that there was one message. . .from Dr Hafez. He couldn't make it to the eight am class, Ardeth would have to handle it. He left instructions with the department secretary to give the syllabi to Ardeth when the TA arrived. Ardeth grimaced, though he was grateful he got up early enough to make the eight am class. More than likely, Rick turned off the ringer of the phone in his room, because according to the answering machine, the professor called while Ardeth was in the shower.
At least he didn't have to half-kill himself to get to work on time. That was always a plus. Rick's driving was scary enough when they were just 'cruising,' as his brother put it. And when Rick was late? Well, Ardeth closed his eyes and held on tightly to whatever was available.
By the time he finished his morning rituals, his brother was dragging himself into the shower. Ardeth, knowing his brother as he did, had a cup of steaming coffee ready for Rick. His brother wasn't totally human without his caffeine in the morning. With that done, he padded back to his own room for his shoes. They were black hiking boots, bought during his first week in the States. After his shoes were laced and tied, Ardeth pulled his hair back from his face.
This actually had less to do with looking professional and more to do with practicality. He could shake his hair from his eyes during a fight. It was much harder to do the same when reading. He supposed he could have gotten his hair cut, but he didn't want to do that. For that matter, he knew his mother and sisters didn't want him to get it cut. Even Rick weighed in with an opinion, telling Ardeth he would look 'goofy' with short hair. How Rick figured that, Ardeth had no idea, and he really didn't want to know, either.
Though he didn't wear the black robes and trousers of the Med-jai. . .again for sheer practicality, and not just a matter of fitting in. . .Ardeth still preferred black. Black jeans, black shirt, black hiking boots. And when Rick could convince him to wear it, a black bomber jacket. However, Ardeth was still getting used to wearing jackets. And it was still late summer in Illinois. There would be time enough for jackets later, he was sure.
The young chieftain studied himself in the mirror critically. Normally, he didn't really care what he looked like, but these were hardly ordinary circumstances. Perhaps it was silly, but Ardeth wanted to try to fit in. He couldn't explain that desire to himself, and it rankled. For the last five years, he learned to explain even hunches not only to others, but to himself as well. This, however, he could not explain.
Finally deciding that he would pass muster, at least for now, Ardeth returned to the kitchen. Rick looked somewhat more human now, and he said, "You know, if it weren't for those tattoos, you would look like any other teaching assistant on campus. Not bad, little brother, not bad at all." Ardeth swept a mock bow, and Rick added with a grin, "Now, don't you start sassing me, I'm still fourteen months older than you are."
"A mere fourteen months, ya ahi," Ardeth was quick to point out, "not fourteen years. Were I the same age as Anatol, you might have more credibility. . .however, I am twenty-two years of age, not fourteen." Rick seemed on the verge of making an obscene gesture, as he often did when on the verge of losing an argument with Ardeth, and instead, contented himself with drinking his coffee.
"I'm nine years older than Anatol, Ardeth, not fourteen," Rick answered after a few sips. Ardeth merely raised his eyebrows, and Rick growled, "I *hate* it when you do that. Keep it up, and people will start thinking you're the older brother, instead of me." Ardeth smiled, and Rick rewarded him with a brain duster. At least, he would have, if Ardeth hadn't grabbed his wrist in mid-swing. Rick complained mildly, "Damn, you spoil all my fun."
"I have no wish to start the day with a headache, ya ahi. It's bad enough that Hafez is leaving me with his very first class this morning," Ardeth fired back.
Rick's jaw dropped and Ardeth added with a sigh, "I am not sure if I am ready for this, Rick. I remember watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with you. Ask me to take back what is ours, and this is something I can do. But the idea of girls making eyes at me. . .that makes me very nervous." Rick draped a brotherly arm around Ardeth's shoulders, in much the same way his father Nathaniel often did.
"Unfortunately, little brother, I can't tell you not to worry. . .because I've seen the Med-jai girls making eyes at you. And they aren't shrinking violets, by any means. But now, this is something totally different. Did someone mention this to you?" Rick asked. Ardeth nodded, remembering the message on the answering machine, about not being distracted by the stares of the young girls in the class.
"Aywa. . .Dr Hafez. He seemed to think the girls in this class would find me attractive," Ardeth admitted. He was highly uncomfortable with such a conversation, and even more uncomfortable admitting that he knew women found him attractive. That was another part to his practical decision to pull his hair back. Maybe if he did that, the young females would overlook him. He could hope, could he not?
"Huh. Maybe he's jealous," Rick offered. Ardeth responded with a flat-out disbelieving look, and Rick continued, "Look, much as I hate to admit it, there are girls on this planet who find my pain in the ass kid brother more attractive than me. Don't ask me to explain it, but that's the reality. I'm fourteen months older than you, Ardeth. . .how do you think someone who is probably twenty years older than you are, if not older, will react to that?"
The conversation had gone from uncomfortable to downright surreal. Rick sighed and added, "What I'm trying to say is. . .Hafez is a bow- legged, middle-aged little man, and from what I've heard around campus, he makes girls feel dirty just by looking at them. Then there's you. Young and good-looking, and a total gentleman. . .something, I might add, that makes me look even worse. Of course he's jealous of you."
"Rick," Ardeth said succinctly, "you have lost your mind." He couldn't stop his brother from swatting him in the back of his head this time. The older brother removed his arm from Ardeth's shoulders, adding a light punch to his ribs, and the teaching assistant added, "I'll start the car while you finish getting ready. You must report to Winston Havilock and Nicholas Burns, and I must deal with this eight am class."
Rick grabbed his arm as Ardeth started to leave the apartment and said seriously, "Ardeth, listen. You'll be just fine. Okay? You know I don't like to get all mushy, but the truth is, I think you can do whatever you set your mind to. And I really hate to admit this, but I'm damn proud of you. Now go start the car." Ardeth blinked, but did as his brother said. He hated driving. . .usually left that up to Rick. . .but he often started the car to warm it up.
Rick joined him outside about five minutes later, and they set out for the university. Both brothers were silent, lost in their own thoughts. Rick dropped Ardeth and his backpack off at the humanities building, then headed over to the campus police station.
They would meet at the student union building at nine am. Ardeth took a deep breath, staring up at the Humanities building. After a moment, he released it, then headed inside. He knew from previous visits to the building where to find the office. The secretary, an older lady around the same age as his mother, gave him an appreciative look, but handed over the materials left for him by Dr Hafez without a word. Something that made Ardeth very, very grateful.
He arrived at the classroom at seven forty-five and began arranging things on the desk. Once he was satisfied with the set-up, Ardeth turned his attention to what he learned so far. It didn't add up to much, he was disgusted to see. Not much at all. Hopefully, however, that would change as he intermingled with students. Speaking of which. . .he was relatively certain he heard girls laughing.
He was right. Only a moment later, three young women entered the classroom. Ardeth glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. They were around eighteen or nineteen years old, maybe twenty, although the small one in the middle looked no more than sixteen. Ardeth rose to his feet, noting with some trepidation the expression on the middle one's face. He knew that expression. However, he summoned forth a smile and said, "Hello. My name is Ardeth Bey. I am Dr Hafez's teaching assistant. Thank you for arriving early this morning."
The girl in the back gave her friend a nudge. The most eye-catching of the three, she wasn't much shorter than Ardeth, who stood a few inches over six feet. This young woman said with a friendly smile, "I'm Anck Cortez, and these are my roommates, Evy Carnahan and Celia Ferguson. You have a very unusual name. . .where are you from?" Ardeth tried not to show his surprise. . .it wasn't that hard. He was still processing the names of the other two girls, although one sounded familiar. He would remember why eventually.
"I am from Egypt. My name is a. . .variation upon the name of a heroine among my people. She was raised by Hebrew slaves, a concubine to Rameses II until her death at the age of twenty. Her son, Ardeth Bey, was my direct ancestor," he replied. He wasn't entirely sure why he told them that. After a moment, he gave a mental shrug. It wasn't as if he told these girls anything about his people.
By his uncle's figuring, Imhotep already knew they were here. And the best way to tell a lie was to stay as close to the truth as possible. Ardeth wasn't very good at deception, at least, not yet. The girl named 'Anck' observed, "There's a Hebrew girl's name, Ardath. . .your name is a variation of that?" Ardeth nodded with a faint smile, and the girl went on, "Interesting. Oh, look, the rest of the class is arriving. . .we should find our seats."
As she spoke, she pulled her small friend (Celia?) past Ardeth and nudged her into a seat directly in front of the desk. Ardeth looked at the pair with a combination of amusement and wariness. The girl jumped up with a squeak and went to the first row beside the door, the first seat. Ardeth wondered if she chose that for strategic purposes. Still, Anck was right. . .the rest of the class was arriving. He spared one last glance for the three girls in the front corner, then turned his attention to orientation and the distribution of the materials they would need, including the syllabus. He knew which books would be used. . .his uncle told him beforehand.
Over the next thirty minutes, he fielded far less subtle inquiries about his personal life than what Anck Cortez posed to him. There was, of course, the question about his office hours. He would have to ask Rick later, or perhaps his uncle, but Ardeth didn't think teaching assistants *had* office hours. Teaching assistants were graduate students, working on their Master's or PhD. But other, explicit questions arose, and he handled those as best he could.
Still, this was a new experience for Ardeth, and he wasn't sure if he was doing it right. Was he showing the proper amount of respect, was he doing anything that could be construed as leading these girls on? His stepfather warned him to be careful, especially with college-age girls. He knew too many young professors who were burned by spoiled little girls. If they didn't get their way, they made whoever said 'no' to them pay dearly. Nathaniel O'Connell didn't want that to happen to Ardeth, not when he had other things on his mind.
So perhaps it was just as well that he came across as cool and indifferent. The more time he spent in front of the class, and felt the eyes of those girls on him, the more nervous Ardeth became. Thus, he was more than a little relieved when he finished going over what Dr Hafez asked of him. He knew that he could dismiss class early, and so he finished, "That is all that we have to go over, so class is dismissed."
"We'll see you again, won't we?" a voice asked. It took Ardeth a moment to locate the source of the voice, which had a soft English accent. Oh yes, Evy Carnahan. Part of the original trio. Anck Cortez, Evy Carnahan, and Celia Ferguson. He was cursed, or blessed, with an excellent memory. And Celia Ferguson was turning a rather interesting shade of crimson as she desperately shook her head at her friend.
"I do not know," he said honestly, and pretended not to notice when Celia kicked her friend's ankle. Hard, judging from Evy's expression. He was starting to see the outlines, at least he thought he did. Celia found him attractive, and both Evy and Anck were trying to see if their friend had a chance with him. While the frankly admiring glances of the other girls in the class made Ardeth very nervous, Celia was a little different.
He caught her looking at him several times during the hour, but each time Ardeth made eye contact, she ducked her head. As if she didn't want to be caught looking. He was curiously charmed by that, and felt a kinship to her. He knew about taking what he could have, instead of what he really wanted. Maybe he could become friends with her. Once she was no longer afraid to look him in the eye. Curiously, while the room emptied, the three girls in that front corner remained in their seats. They weren't the first ones out.
Once the last female student expressed her desire to see Ardeth again some time soon and left the room, Anck Cortez rose to her feet and approached. Behind her, Ardeth could see her two friends quietly gathering their things. He also noticed Celia sending several concerned glances in their general direction. Anck said, "There was one other thing which I didn't mention to you earlier. My real name is 'Anck-su-namun.' I was named for the wife of King Tut. Listen. If any of those girls give you a hard time, try to make your life difficult. . .I'll be watching out for you. We all will. I know what they can be like."
He should have told her that he could watch out for himself. But where females were concerned, he was so inexperienced, it almost was laughable. Even with four sisters, he often found it difficult to talk to women. So he said, trying not to show any emotion that might be misconstrued, "Thank you for that. Is. . ." He stopped, trying to think of a way to say the next sentence without giving offense. No sense in making enemies where none existed.
"Is there anything I want in return? I'm tempted to ask you to. . .be extra nice to my roommate Celia, but she'd kick my butt if I did that. She's small, but she's got a temper. And I really don't want to upset her, even though you're the first guy she's really paid attention to. So no. Nothing in return. Just. . .watch your back. You're good looking and exotic, and some of these girls can be truly nasty," Anck replied.
Ardeth flushed, but nodded his acceptance. Anck turned and told her two roommates, "C'mon, you slowpokes! None of us have had a proper breakfast, and I for one have NO desire to carry your butt across campus, Cecelia Anne!" Both girls protested this, and Celia gave Anck a little shove as the girl rejoined her small group. Ardeth smiled to himself, recognizing the affection in that shove. These girls were sisters. They did not yet know it, but they were sisters.
And speaking of siblings. . .he should head over to the Student Union Building to meet Rick. Ardeth wondered how his brother was getting along at the campus police. Ah, no doubt he would find out. Ardeth gathered up his belongings, stashing them inside the backpack. Rick told him about carrying a backpack to school when he was a child. Ardeth's smile faded, because with memories of his own childhood came memories of his father.
Suleiman Bey was a big man, and quiet. Far more quiet than his first born son, who often seemed larger than life, even on the day he was killed. Suleiman was older and wiser, and he was forty years old when he was murdered. Though nearly a decade passed since his father's death, Ardeth still struggled with his grief. Rick told him it was because Ardeth never allowed himself the luxury of mourning his father properly.
But that was the way things were. Ardeth had responsibilities. Thirteen at the time of his father's death, he wasn't yet a warrior, and had duties to his family. Especially caring for his mother, younger brother, and sisters. . .while Andreas saw to the Med-jai as a whole. Even at thirteen, Ardeth already spent much of his life taking care of people, in one way or another. And at thirteen, he already had a great deal of experience in hiding away his emotions.
It made it easier, he discovered, to deal with his own pain if he comforted his mother and siblings. Andreas was different, of course. He raged and stormed, and lashed out at his little brother for not showing his emotions, then begged Ardeth's forgiveness. He always gave it, of course. Andreas was his big brother, his idol, and his hero. There was never any question of forgiving him. And he cried alone in the dark.
He missed his father so much. So much more than anyone might have believed, since Suleiman couldn't spend the time he wanted with his son. But a steady, stable, loving force was removed from Ardeth's life. Of course he would miss it. Only a fool would think otherwise.
He couldn't know at the time that his mother saw right through his stoic mask. She made sure he only learned of it years later, because it was so important for that little boy to have some control. Even if it was an illusion. That child's world was spinning out of control, and if the illusion of control helped to save some of his sanity, so be it. By the time Ardeth learned the truth about that dark time in his life, he was eighteen years old, and going through another dark time. For it was then that he was struggling with the weight of leadership.
As he approached the doors to the student union building, Ardeth brought himself back to the present. That was one positive thing. . .as they waited for classes to start, and to see if Imhotep would start running again, he and Rick explored the campus. Ardeth got to know it very well indeed, and was not at all surprised that his feet carried him to the student union building while his mind was otherwise occupied.
On the ground floor was a collection of cafes, for lack of a better word. These were spread out around the building, much like a food court in a mall. And like a food court in the mall, the tables and chairs were set out in the middle. At one of the tables, he found his stepbrother, nursing another coffee with a decidedly mulish expression. It looked like things didn't go well at the campus police station, and Ardeth braced himself for his brother's frustrated rantings. However, it was always better than the alternative.
. . .
Rick O'Connell would be the very first person to admit he wasn't a morning person, and if pushed to acknowledge it, Ardeth would admit he wasn't much of a morning person, either. The main difference between the two was that while Rick could pretty much get up any time he wanted, Ardeth couldn't. He was usually awake with the sunrise, if not before, and he could pretty much fool people into thinking that he was a morning person.
Now, however, Rick was having to get up at the same time as his brother, and finding he *really* didn't like it. Not for the first time, he both resented his stepbrother for having an edge over him and felt guilty because he wasn't there to help Ardeth with some of his burdens. Rick didn't like feeling guilty, for any reason. It put him in a very bad mood, and most of the time, he took that out on Ardeth, which made him feel even guiltier.
So if Ardeth's morning didn't get off to a very good start, Rick's morning started out hellish and went down hill. He had no problem with Nicholas Burns. For one thing, the young Texan advised him to call him 'Colin,' rather than 'Nick.' This was a GOOD thing, because it spared Rick from jokes about 'the Nick and Rick show.' He heard those things. He did not need any would-be comedians.
Rick did question, however, the nickname 'Colin.' His contact explained that his mother was reading a romance novel set in old England while she was pregnant with him, and 'Colin' was a nickname for 'Nicholas.' Since she wasn't overly fond of 'Nick' as a diminutive for 'Nicholas,' she decided 'Colin' would be much better. He had a number of run-ins, over the years, because of his unusual name. But eventually, he grew into it.
Winston Havilock, on the other hand. . .Rick sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. In the last hour, as he watched the older man, there were times when Rick could swear he was looking at a future version of himself. It frightened him. Winston lost his entire unit to terrorists, and he couldn't forgive himself for surviving. Rick had only to think of losing everyone who was important to him, and he wondered if he would do any better. Winston was fine in the beginning. . .in the beginning, he had a score to settle and colleagues to avenge.
But once that was achieved. . .Winston had nothing left. Rick felt sorry for him. God, he felt so sorry for him. He pitied him, prayed that he would never become like him, and tried to avoid being in his company as much as possible. Winston lamented the loss of his laddies and lassies, and often expressed the desire to have died with them. And he spoke bitterly of the agents who told him how lucky he was.
Lucky. That he was left behind, when the people he loved most were dead. To Rick, that was nothing short of cruel. It probably wasn't intended that way, of course. Perhaps those other agents were trying to tell Winston that he was lucky to be alive. But it was still a cruel thing to say. It was Rick's understanding that such survivors would get some sort of help, some sort of counseling. How did Winston fall through the cracks?
Ardeth would have tried to help Winston in some way. For all his stoic desert warrior crap, Ardeth couldn't keep from trying to help someone in need. The only time he turned away was when a person was a threat to his home, his people. Yes. Ardeth would have tried to help Winston. And Rick wished he had his brother's strength, to even try to help Winston. But that wasn't possible.
There was a second problem with his new assignment. Though Rick liked Colin Burns, the same couldn't be said for his two best friends, Tony Daniels and Jake Henderson. It took him all of five minutes to detest the two, and wondered how a nice guy like Colin ended up with such losers as friends. Sure, Colin could be arrogant, but he was a decent guy. Daniels and Henderson, on the other hand. . .
The two seemed to be walking, talking clichés. Bad clichés at that. Hollywood's idea of what people from small towns were like, of what people from Texas were like. Rick lived in a small town for most of his life, before moving to Egypt at fifteen. His mother was originally from Texas, and was a small town girl. She was nothing like the stereotypical Hollywood Southerner. Rick didn't like people like Henderson and Daniels, who were living stereotypes.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Henderson and Daniels saw Ardeth get out of Rick's car at Humanities, and made assumptions they had no business making.
Even after they were informed that Ardeth was Rick's brother, that didn't stop either of them from making fun of the young Egyptian. Colin disapproved, a silent disapproval that was ignored by his two friends. It took all of Rick's self-control to keep from knocking those two clear into next week. He did lash out at Ardeth, he did give his brother headaches and if they weren't careful about the stress and strain, possibly even an ulcer. But there was no way those two clowns would insult his little brother. Not a chance.
After an hour and a half with the two clowns, Colin, and Winston, Rick was ready for his break and made his getaway to the student union building where he was to meet Ardeth. He didn't have long to wait, but Ardeth was always a punctual sort. Ardeth asked softly, "I take it things did not go well?" Rick pushed out a chair for his brother and Ardeth slipped into the offered seat. Rick just rubbed his hand over his eyes, and both men were silent.
At last, the American answered, "You know, I just spent an hour and a half with a suicidal anti-terrorist expert, a rookie cop, and a pair of walking, talking clichés. There were times, when they were talking, when I was tempted to ask who the hell wrote their dialogue." Ardeth didn't laugh, just looked at Rick with those serious eyes. The older brother continued after a moment, "It didn't go well. I keep telling myself that it's early yet, and it'll take time before Imhotep feels comfortable enough to make a dumb move, but. . ."
Ardeth said not a word, and Rick looked at him. There were times when he wondered what his younger brother saw. The American added bitterly, "And then they went after you, for your tattoos and long hair. Those turds say anything more about you, the things they said about you today. . .and I might just blow this whole thing to hell. Dad and Altair wanted me to come with you, to watch your back, and I don't know if I can keep my temper to do that."
Ardeth flushed and looked away, saying softly, "I am sorry if I embarrass you." Rick blinked. Huh? What the hell? Then he remembered what he just said, and mentally kicked himself. The last hour couldn't have been easy on his brother. Like Ardeth, Rick remembered the Indiana Jones movies, especially the last one. Indy, a mature man in his forties, found it difficult to deal with those girls. Of course it would be harder for Ardeth.
He reached across the table and grasped Ardeth's forearm. Rick whispered, "Don't you ever say that again, you understand me? I'm not embarrassed. . .the people who should be embarrassed are those two clowns. Don't ever say anything like that again, or I swear to God, I will kick your sorry Egyptian ass all the way to the North Pole. I mean it. Christ. Only a pathetic excuse for a human being would be embarrassed by you. You're more of a man than both of those two jackasses put together."
It was more than he would have said under usual circumstances. But Rick's protective instincts were in full force with what those turds said about his little brother, and he knew Ardeth was more vulnerable than usual. His brother knew how much he cared for him, and sometimes, Rick even told him how proud he was of him, but it wasn't something he often said. It wasn't something Rick was comfortable saying, unless Ardeth was in a bad place and needed all the moral support he could get. This was such a time.
Ardeth sighed and returned the grip, saying, "Forgive me. I am too sensitive today." Rick looked at his brother, asking him without words to tell him what happened. Ardeth explained, "I thought I might make myself less attractive, by pulling my hair back. It did not work. And I was afraid I was not striking the right balance. I did not want any of those girls to accuse me of leading them on."
"Ardeth, first off. . .you are gonna stand out. Regardless of what you do. So quit worrying about making yourself less attractive to women, because believe you me, brother, it ain't gonna happen. I saw some of the admiring looks you got today. And the other thing. . . look. There are some people, both men and women, who will accuse someone of leading them on, no matter what. And I know you. Uncle Terrence knows you. Even if one of these girls do. . .make trouble, we'll be here, watching your back," Rick told his brother. He paused, then asked, "Were there any nice girls?"
Now his brother smiled, his dark eyes lighting up, as he replied, "Yes, there were. Many nice girls. And the boys were all right, too. But they seemed so young to me, Rick." The American nodded. Yeah, he didn't doubt that for an instant. Even someone like Rick, who knew Ardeth very well, could easily forget that he was in his early twenties. Most of these kids would probably never go through the things Ardeth survived in his first twenty years of life.
Ardeth continued after a moment, his voice thoughtful, "And there were three girls, at the beginning of class. Anck-su-namun Cortez, Celia Ferguson, and Evy Carnahan. One was very forward, one very shy, and the third somewhere between the two. Rick, why does the name 'Evy Carnahan' sound so familiar? I know that I have heard that name recently, but I cannot place it." Rick frowned thoughtfully, then nodded.
"Izzy mentioned it yesterday, when we met him. Evy Carnahan is one of your uncle's students. If I remember correctly, she made a shambles of the library and Izzy had to make sure she cleaned it up properly," he replied. He paused, then added, "And I'm not surprised you don't remember where you heard it. You had a splitting headache at the time." He was still angry with Ardeth for that. Damn stoic Med-jai pain in the ass!
Ardeth, for his own part, just rolled his eyes and sighed, "Rick, how many times must I tell you? It was only beginning when we met with Izzy Buttons. . .and you still have not told me about that. . .why will you not believe me?" Rick briefly considered pointing out to his brother that Ardeth wasn't exactly known for remembering to eat or other such necessities, but realized it would be no use. Especially since he knew Ardeth's headache were caused as much by stress as by not eating.
So, Rick changed the subject, asking, "So tell me more about these girls. . .the forward one, the shy one, and the in-between one. What are they like, and what is this Evy Carnahan like? Is she pretty?" He was willing to bet that his stepbrother would start stammering and blushing. Ardeth was still very shy where women were concerned, and if they were pretty, he was even more shy. However, Ardeth surprised him. . .he didn't blush, and didn't even seem embarrassed. That was good. . .wasn't it?
His brother smiled faintly, replying, "Yes, I think she is pretty. Especially when she smiles. And pretty is the wrong word for Anck-su- namun. She is. . .I am not sure how to explain her. I receive the impression that she can be very gentle and tender with those whom she loves. . .and a formidable foe, if one is foolish enough to harm someone she loves. Someone like her two roommates."
Rick nodded his understanding, knowing the type very well. Ardeth continued thoughtfully, "She is very striking. That is the best word I can use to describe her. She is the forward one. Evy is the middle one. And the third, Celia, is the shy one." He paused, then said, "I think she could be very pretty, if she smiled. But she. . .there were many times when I felt her eyes on me, and when I looked at her, she looked away."
Rick said, "Well, she could be shy. . .or just coy. Some girls play that game, play hard to get, because they think it interests guys." Ardeth was shaking his head, and Rick asked, "Okay, why don't you think that's the case?" It wasn't a challenge, though he knew that was how it sounded. He wanted to know what his brother was thinking, and if he needed to protect Ardeth from some floozy who thought she could use his brother.
"Because of the way she reacted to other girls being forward. Anck- su-namun put her in a chair right in front of my desk. . .of Dr Hafez's desk. Celia got up immediately and went to the chair beside the door. And then she kicked Evy's ankle when Evy asked me if they would see me again. I. . .Rick, do you think a teaching assistant can be friends with a student?" Ardeth asked with a curious frown.
Well, maybe it wasn't necessary for Rick to protect Ardeth from this girl, after all. He replied, "I don't see why not. As long as she doesn't interfere with the mission, and doesn't expect her friendship with you to help her pass the class. . .why shouldn't you be friends with her?" He was starting to realize there was something about this girl that touched his brother's heart. Which was worrying in and of itself, because Ardeth guarded his heart very carefully.
Maybe he should watch out for this girl, after all. Ardeth said, "I hoped you would say that. I. . .she is different from the other girls. She does not seek to take what I cannot give, and when she looks at me. . .would it make any sense, Rick, if I told you that even when she is with her two friends, her two sisters, she seems lonely?" The words were spilling from Ardeth, reminding Rick of water pouring from a shattered dam.
"It would make perfect sense, Ardeth. After all, you're lonely, even with me and the rest of the family," Rick answered. Ardeth actually winced and looked away. Which probably meant he never wanted them to realize how he felt. Typical Ardeth. Typical stoic Med-jai. Rick was the exact opposite. He had no trouble telling people when he was angry or upset, and half the time, the words weren't even necessary.
And with something like this, Rick had to be careful with the advice he gave. He even had to be careful with the wording, something that made him very uncomfortable. Rick was used to saying exactly what he thought.
After a moment, the older brother asked softly, "Why do you want to be friends with this girl, Ardeth? Is it because you feel like you have something in common with her? Or is it a different kind of loneliness?" Ardeth turned bright red at that comment. To the best of Rick's knowledge, Ardeth was still a virgin, but his brother was a gentleman. If he kissed somebody, he sure as hell didn't mention it to others.
"I would not dishonor her, Rick. I told you. She is different. She does not ask for what I cannot give. I see it in her eyes," Ardeth replied. Rick translated his brother's words in his head. In other words, Ardeth felt like he could trust this girl. He briefly considered pointing out to Ardeth that he just met her, but Rick knew that his brother had good instincts. He didn't know if those good instincts carried over to the female persuasion.
Rick said, "Okay, it's common ground. She's lonely and you're lonely. You think you might enjoy her company, and she finds you attractive, but is willing to keep her distance." Ardeth thought that through, then nodded. Personally, Rick thought this girl sounded too good to be true, but then, Ardeth didn't say she was especially pretty. If she was beautiful, then she would have been too good to be true.
"Yes. So how would I go about this, Rick? I do not want her to think I am asking her out, I want there to be no misunderstandings," Ardeth said earnestly. Rick swallowed hard. This morning, he and Ardeth were joking about the age difference between them, only fourteen months. But there were times when it felt far greater on both sides. This was one such time. Ardeth seemed so terribly young to Rick right now.
"Wait for the opportunity to present itself. Don't seek her out, because that *will* give her the wrong idea. I. . ." Rick began. He stopped in mid-sentence, staring at a trio of female students who just entered the eating area of the food court. Ardeth turned to look, and Rick saw a faint smile appear on his brother's face. It was them, then. The trio of girls who turned his brother inside out.
Based on Ardeth's description, the tall girl with waist-length dark hair had to be Anck-su-namun. She was, indeed, striking in appearance. . .had the kind of good looks that made a man think about sex. And based on the way she looked around, she was becoming aware of the power it gave her. Someone to be very wary of, and Rick reflected ruefully that despite his inexperience with women, Ardeth called this one right.
On the opposite end was probably Evy Carnahan. Ardeth said she was very pretty, but Rick saw the world through somewhat different eyes. She wasn't a total loss, but she also wasn't the most beautiful woman he ever saw. One of these days, he would have to ask Ardeth what it was he saw when he looked at girls like Evy Carnahan, what made him think that she was so very pretty.
The final one was Celia Ferguson. Had to be. Ardeth said that she would probably be very pretty, if she smiled. Rick didn't see it. He didn't see it at all. He saw a small, drab sparrow of a girl with long, wild hair and a serious expression.
Her shoulders were hunched, almost as if expecting a blow, and she was too thin. Way too thin, even for a college-age girl. Rick's heart sank. Well, it wasn't like Ardeth was attracted to her. But what was he seeing in these three girls, that Rick was missing? Maybe it was as simple as Ardeth feeling sorry for her. That, Rick *could* see. His brother had a soft heart, with a bit of the knight in shining armor complex.
But Celia Ferguson was no damsel in distress. What was Ardeth seeing that he was missing? There had to be something. Rick knew his brother. There had to be something about those two girls, especially, that Rick was missing. Ardeth had a soft heart, but not a soft head. What was he seeing that made him want to reach out to Celia Ferguson, aside from pity? Pity might have been enough for Rick, but not Ardeth. What was he missing?
. . .
"Who is that rude man with Mr. Bey, staring at us like that?" Evy wondered aloud. Anck noticed him as well, though she pretended to ignore him. She didn't like him at all. Didn't like the way he looked, the way he looked at the three of them, and she didn't like the pitying glance he bestowed upon Celia. Her roommate was far from pitiful and pathetic, and she wouldn't have someone dissing her little sister like that.
"Who cares? You know, I just realized. . .we should have asked him if he's any relation to Dr Bey. Isn't he from Egypt?" Celia asked, concentrating on the much more interesting Ardeth Bey. Anck grinned at her roommate, feeling very proud of her. Celia made more and more progress every day. Anck could remember a time, not so long ago, when being in the same room as someone as attractive as Ardeth Bey would have rendered her roomie speechless for the better half of the day. Anck didn't know what happened to her friend over the summer, but it was obviously good for her.
"Oh, drat! I knew there was something I was forgetting, but that's your fault, Celia!" Evy retorted. Celia glared at their roommate, though it wasn't as dark as some of the Looks Anck saw from her smaller roommate. Evy affected a supercilious tone, adding, "Yes, it's all your fault. . .I'd never seen you react that way to a man, and it threw me off guard." Celia rolled her eyes, then smacked Evy in the back of her head. The English girl glowered at Celia, muttering, "OOOOH, you. . ."
"Yessssssssss?" Celia asked, drawling the word out. Anck grinned as she guided her two friends to a table where they could watch Ardeth Bey and his rude friend (spy on them?) in peace. Celia immediately relaxed once they left the classroom, joking around with the other two girls as if nothing happened.
At least, she tried, but Anck could tell from her eyes that a part of her was still in the classroom they left. She's got it bad, Anck thought. Celia didn't talk much about high school, so to the best of Anck's knowledge, Ardeth Bey was the first man Celia was ever attracted to. Anck knew her friend would pooh-pooh that, saying that she just met the man, she couldn't possibly be attracted to him, but Anck knew better.
And she could tell now, the way Celia's eyes never left Ardeth for more than a few minutes. Especially after he reached behind him and removed that rubber band from his hair, allowing it to fall lightly to his shoulders. He leaned forward, looking at something his companion pointed out to him, then shook his head. When he leaned back, Anck heard Celia exhale suddenly, and snuck a peek at her friend. Poor girl looked like she was poleaxed.
Evy smacked Celia's shoulder, whispering, "Celia! Stop it! If he catches you looking at him like that, he'll think you're stalking him!" It was a joke, of course. Their roommate could be intense with what she wanted, but violating a person was so not Celia. However, all the color drained from her face, and Celia tore her eyes away from Ardeth. Anck almost gasped, seeing the expression there. Her eyes were, for lack of a better word, haunted.
"And we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Celia rasped out. Anck cringed at the bitterness in her voice. That reaction was also not like Celia, which begged the question. What the hell happened to her roommate? Celia was, evidently, keeping secrets from them. That bothered Anck to no end, but experience taught her that when Celia was fragile like this, she did need delicate handling. High maintenance she wasn't, as a general rule, but everyone had his or her high maintenance points.
Anck was angry, though, and since taking it out on her American roommate was out of the question, her anger was instead directed at the man sitting with Ardeth Bey. The one who looked at Celia as if she was a pitiful, pathetic excuse for a woman. The one who summed up all the reasons Anck hated guys her own age. They were blind, self-centered, and unable to look past the surface.
That stopped her. Maybe that was why she liked Ardeth Bey, even on such a short acquaintance. She saw the way he observed first her, then Evy, then finally Celia. At first glance, he looked older than his companion, but appearances could be deceiving. Her two roommates were living proof of that, as was Anck herself. And he definitely seemed capable of looking past the obvious. She just had to be careful about the way she dealt with him, because if she stepped out of line, she would hear about it. From both her roommates.
"I wonder what he's doing here?" Evy asked, drawing Anck's attention away from the handsome teaching assistant and his rude companion. The girl looked in the direction of her roommate's gaze, to see Beni with a little girl. She was nestled on his hip, her head turning this way and that. If it was physically possible, Anck had no doubt that her little head would have been swiveling around, to take everything in. The raven-haired girl smiled, recognizing Beni's daughter immediately from the pictures. Evy continued, sounding more and more curious, "And who is that child with him?"
"It's his daughter," Anck replied. Twin gasps of 'what?' could be heard from her two roommates, and Anck grinned. It wasn't often at all that she was one up on either of her roommates. She continued, "She's his daughter. She's three years old, and her name is 'Cecilia.' It's 'Ceci' for short. I didn't know that 'Cecilia' was a name used in Hungary. Spanish and Italian speaking countries, yes, but not Hungary."
"Yeah, 'Cecilia' is the name of my friend Margit's mother," Celia replied almost absently. She was watching their janitor with a close eye, seemingly confused about how he had a daughter. Anck briefly considered explaining to her friend about the birds and bees, then decided it wasn't worth getting soda poured over her head. Celia knew where babies came from, after all. Anck looked at Evy, who paled when Margit was mentioned. Should have seen that one coming. Margit was at the heart of one of the few arguments between Celia and Evy.
"She is a cute little girl. . .hello, what's this?" Evy asked, wanting very much to avoid the topic of Margit and her travels around Europe with Celia. Anck shook her head, noticing the way Ardeth Bey and his companion were both on their feet as Beni Gabor passed their table. Celia tensed beside Anck, and the older girl put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to calm her. This could get very ugly, very fast.
"Well, if it ain't my old buddy, Beni. . .I think I'll kill you now," the man said. He had a decided American accent. That was the first surprise. Beni, usually such a weasel, immediately put his daughter on the ground and gently pushed her behind him. That was the second surprise. What happened next was anything but a surprise. Celia was on her feet immediately, dislodging Anck's hand. Her eyes blazed, and Anck got up as well.
However, any hope of things settling down died an unnatural death when the tall American twisted his hands in Beni's collar and yanked him up from the ground. Anck heard the growl starting deep in Celia's throat, and before she could stop her friend, Celia was steaming toward the confrontation in progress. Anck only had time to exchange a quick glance with Evy, and then the pair ran after their friend.
From this distance, Anck could see Beni's lips moving, and that he turned a rather interesting shade of green. She couldn't hear what he said. However, she could hear the American as he shook Beni like a rag doll, sneering, "You don't have any children!" Anck rolled her eyes. Stupid idiot. She didn't know how long it was since he last saw Beni, but if it was more than a year, it would take a little less time than that for a child to be conceived and brought into this world.
Beni retorted around the strictures of his suddenly tightened collar, "I do now! I was fifteen years old the last time you saw me, O'Connell. The little girl hiding behind your bean-pole friend is my baby, and you are frightening her!" Ceci Gabor was, indeed, hiding behind Ardeth. He was looking from Beni to the man named O'Connell and back again, his dark eyes narrowed as he tried to decide what to do. Although, in all fairness, every time he moved forward, Ceci's arms tightened around his legs. He couldn't go very far. Anck wasn't sure if the little girl was just scared, or frightened that Ardeth would also hurt her daddy.
"Let him go, ya ahi. . .you are frightening the child," Ardeth said in a low voice, his hand on Ceci's dark head. Ya ahi? What did that mean? O'Connell just shook Beni again, and Ardeth repeated, "Let him go, my brother. I do not know what happened eight years ago, but there are other things at work right now." What the hell did *that* mean? Anck frowned, remembering that Ardeth called O'Connell his brother.
"This little stinkweed betrayed me, Ardeth, he betrayed me and left me to die at the military school. We pulled a prank together, and he left me alone to deal with the consequences. I should break your neck right here and right now," O'Connell spat out. Anck's mind whirled, remembering what Beni told her the night before. About a friend he once betrayed, and how he was afraid he would do the same to Celia.
As Anck put the pieces together in her mind, she missed Celia stepping forward until she was in full view of both Ardeth Bey and the child. Ardeth's eyes widened, but before he could say or do anything, Celia growled out, "You let him go, now. I don't care what happened eight years ago, but nobody hurts one of my friends!" Well, so much for not getting involved!