My apologies to all for the delay. . .I went 'round and 'round with Beni
about this confrontation. We finally worked it out (and I thought writing
Rick was hard? SHEESH!) and now that we've reached an understanding, his
place in a future story is assured. I may need another week before the
next one comes out, since I have an assignment the next three days. Less
writing time, more money.
Onto the reviews:
Sailor Elf: Yep, Beni does have children now. And I thought it was entirely possible that he had children in 'The Mummy,' since it had been three years since he and Rick last saw each other, and Beni simply didn't inform Rick when the opportunity arose.
Deana: Well, you asked for more, and here is more! In this chapter, Beni describes Celia as an avenging angel. Heh. He may be a weasel, and a coward, but he ain't no fool!
Brunette: Keep tellin' ya, it don't make no never mind to me, the signing in bit! You review, that's the important thing. Rick and Evy starts in this chapter, you'll be getting the beginning of Imhotep/Anck in the next chapter, and probably some Lock-nah/Meela, if I have the chance. After seeing TMR, there was NO way I couldn't make those two a couple. And I've always had a soft spot for Beni. So he had to have someone, as did Ardeth. And wouldn't you rather be aggravated than disappointed because of sloppy work on my part?
Terreis: Hehehehhe. . .impatience is allowed. Impatience is what pushes me forward. And you get the first of the real Rick/Evy interaction in this section. Ardeth/Celia are coming up. . .they're both pretty tentative at this point, but they will be interacting.
Part Five
"You let him go, now. I don't care what happened eight years ago, but nobody hurts one of my friends!"
Beni Gabor froze. . .not that it was hard to do. Not with those big hands twisted in his collar, shutting off his oxygen flow. He knew that voice. Couldn't see around O'Connell so well, but he knew that voice. Beni just couldn't decide if he should weep in gratitude or tell Celia to run away. After a moment, however, he decided that even if he told Celia to run away, she probably wouldn't listen.
Of course she wouldn't listen. . .unfortunately, neither would O'Connell, and that was what worried Beni. He closed his eyes. The day started out so well. After finishing his duties inside the dorm, Beni returned to his apartment. A quick check at his recorder told him that Renee called while he was working. His girlfriend's timing was terrible, as usual, but she could hardly be expected to know how long it would take him to finish his duties. Especially when Beni didn't always know how long it would take for him to finish a single floor, much less the entire dorm. She wanted him to know that she would be bringing their daughter to the campus, and would Beni like to have Ceci to himself for a few hours?
That was a very foolish question. Of course Beni would enjoy having Ceci to himself for a few hours. . .he would have also liked to have Renee to himself, but that would not happen until Homecoming weekend. She was working almost every day, and Homecoming weekend would be the first opportunity they had to spend any time together. That was four weeks away. While Beni worked and saved money to provide for Renee and Ceci, Renee worked and saved money for their eventual wedding, and for Ceci's college fund.
He called Renee on her cell, and agreed to her plan. He found out that Renee had a doctor's appointment. . .which worried him, since he didn't even know she was sick. She quickly reassured him that she was not sick, this was a routine check-up. Beni chided her for scaring him, and Renee just laughed. She didn't mean to scare him, of course. It just seemed like they had so little time together. They did have so little time together.
The same was true today. There was just enough time for the young couple to kiss, Renee to transfer their daughter into Beni's arms, and then she was gone again. This was Ceci's third trip to the campus, but each time before then, she was either asleep or spent the entire time in Beni's little apartment. She wanted to see all of the campus. . .since that was not feasible in just a few hours, Beni opted to take his little girl to the Student Union Building. It was one of his favorite places on campus. Besides, the food was better there than in the dining halls.
He actually saw Celia, Anck, and Evy before O'Connell. That was part of what got him into trouble. He was paying attention to them, instead of seeing the all-too-familiar figure of Rick O'Connell sitting at a nearby table with another young man. Although, how he missed those two, Beni had no idea, but there it was. One moment, Beni was telling his daughter about this building, and the things inside it.
In the next, he came face to face with a man he betrayed eight years earlier. Uh-oh. O'Connell was even taller than he remembered. . .and he was a big kid at fifteen. His blue eyes blazed with hatred as he snarled, "Well, if it ain't my old buddy, Beni. . .I think I'll kill you now." Ceci whimpered, burying her face in Beni's shoulder. The emigrant comforted his daughter as best he could, then put her on the ground and gently nudged her behind him. He didn't want Ceci in the crossfire.
It wasn't a moment too soon, for as soon as Ceci was out of the way, O'Connell grabbed Beni by his collar and yanked him off the ground. Beni couldn't help himself. . .he never claimed to be brave, after all. He nodded toward Ceci, rasping out, "You cannot! Think of my children!" All right, so he only had one child. But that one child could end up being traumatized by what she was seeing right now.
Unfortunately, O'Connell wasn't buying it. He shook Beni hard and retorted, loudly enough for the entire room to hear, "You don't have any children!" The Hungarian heard that around the rattling in his head, and tracked his little girl with his eyes. She was now hiding behind the raven- haired man with whom O'Connell was sitting. Her little arms were wrapped around the man's knees, and she peeked around his legs. The man had his hand resting lightly on Ceci's head, a gentle, comforting touch.
Satisfied that his little girl was out of the line of fire, Beni choked out, "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!" The beanpole in question was looking from Beni to O'Connell and back again, his dark eyes narrowed as he tried to decide what to do. Not that there was much he could do, not with Ceci's arms around his legs. He couldn't go very far. Imagine that. Beni's little girl was trying to protect him!
"Let him go, ya ahi. . .you are frightening the child," the raven- haired young man finally said in a low voice. O'Connell just shook Beni again, and the man repeated, "Let him go, my brother. I do not know what happened eight years ago, but there are other things at work right now." Yes, there were other things at work. . .Beni's bladder was on the point of giving way, for one thing. For another. . .well, he was afraid he might earn one of his nicknames.
"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. And it was right then that Celia told O'Connell to put Beni down. . .she allowed no one to harm her friends. Beni never thought of her as being a drama queen, but he had to admit, she made one helluva entrance. Maybe someone should convince her to try out for the drama club.
"Ya ahi. . .enough. Put him down. You are drawing attention, and we do not need that," the dark-haired man said once more. Beni's mind tried to grasp for whatever that meant, sensing that it would be important, but he was distracted by the sight of his daughter. Ceci was still hiding behind the other man, and it wouldn't have surprised Beni in the least if his daughter buried her face in the back of the man's knees. What the hell did 'ya ahi' mean? Couldn't he speak English? After a moment, Beni had to laugh at himself. He often spoke Magyar and English in the same sentence.
Unfortunately, O'Connell thought Beni was laughing at *him.* Never a good idea. Especially not where Rick O'Connell was concerned. The big American shook his head, tightening his hands in Beni's collar, and snarled, "Think that's funny, do you? Think any of this is funny?" Actually, no, he didn't, but didn't have the opportunity to say so. Breathing quickly became more difficult, and unfortunately, it wasn't a body process that was optional, or something that could be put off until later. Oxygen was needed NOW.
"Not gonna happen, Ardeth. This little freak is the reason it took a knife in your gut before I would trust you," O'Connell fired back. Beni wondered if he wanted to hear the story behind that, then wondered what kind of name 'Ardeth' was. His mind was coming up with the damnedest things for him to think about, considering his former friend kept shaking him like a snake shaking its prey. Probably not the best analogy, but. . .it was the one which came to mind.
And then he couldn't think at all. He was too busy trying to keep from breaking his neck. O'Connell glowered at Beni as he shook him again, hissing, "You can't even face me one on one, can you? Gotta hide behind a girl's skirt." Beni tried to answer, tried to point out that Celia was wearing her usual jeans and t-shirt, but the fury in his former friend's eyes warned him not to even try. Besides, he wasn't really capable of being coherent at the moment.
"He's hiding behind no one. . .unlike you," Celia snarled. *Uh-oh. Maybe not the best idea,* Beni thought. Then he saw O'Connell narrow his eyes. He recognized that expression. O'Connell was starting to get pissed off, and that was always dangerous. Celia was just in the way. . .Beni was the one he was really angry with. *Definitely not the best idea.* Celia said once more, "Don't make me repeat myself. Put him down, now. Or else."
He couldn't be the only one wondering 'or else' meant. What kind of threat could Celia come up with, to make O'Connell leave him alone, at least for now? She wouldn't bring up her family's wealth. That didn't impress someone like O'Connell, and it wasn't Celia's style. What could she possibly do to him that would make O'Connell think twice about killing him? Celia answered that a moment later when she added, "Let him go. You're new on campus. How long do you think it would take for word to get around that you're a bully?"
Oh. That was a good point, and one that never even occurred to Beni. Then again, he was still trying to figure out what the hell O'Connell was doing here. Beni didn't keep up with his fellow plebes from military school. . .they all knew him to be a coward and a weasel. After he betrayed O'Connell, he was persona non grata. So, even if they knew O'Connell was back in the States, no one would have bothered to warn Beni, even if they knew where he was. They would have figured he deserved whatever he got.
Beni distracted himself from that line of thought by wondering about the man with O'Connell. The one whom he kept calling 'Ardeth.' He wondered what Ardeth was to Beni's former friend? His brother, his friend. . .something else? Ew. . .he didn't want to think about *that.* Not such a good way to distract himself, after all. And he was spared that rather unpleasant image when he saw uncertainty in the blue eyes boring into his.
The dark-haired man repeated, "Listen to her, Rick. I share your anger with him, but this is neither the time, nor the place." O'Connell wasn't quite ready to let this go, not yet, but he did drop Beni. Unfortunately, that also meant that he turned to face Celia. His back was to Beni, so the Hungarian couldn't see his expression when he realized a girl around the same size as a ballerina just bested him. However, he could pretty well imagine it.
Beni squeaked as he hit the ground. He almost wished that it made O'Connell turn back to him. It wasn't that he was really afraid O'Connell would hurt Celia. For all his bluster, the big man would never hurt a woman. Might scare the shit out of her, but right now, Beni didn't think that was likely, either. He coughed, trying desperately to get some air into his lungs, a task which was complicated when Ceci threw her arms around him. But Beni pushed himself into a sitting position, wrapping one arm around his little girl.
"Who. . .are. . .you?" O'Connell enunciated. As Beni scrambled to his feet, he could see his former friend's expression. He looked amused. O'Connell was well over six feet, and Celia was only a bit over five feet. Not that Celia seemed to care about her diminutive height or the way O'Connell was regarding her. Instead, she was staring at O'Connell, hands on hips. Beni almost smiled. Celia Ferguson, avenging angel. The role suited her. Now, if only she would use those claws on some of the idiots on the floor, or that guy who messed with her at her job.
"Who am I? Me? Nobody important. I'm just someone who doesn't like bullies, much less when they mess with my friends," Celia fired back. She wasn't the shy, quiet little girl whom most of the campus knew at the moment. But Beni saw this side to her in the past, and in spite of himself, he actually enjoyed the confrontation. On the other hand, O'Connell could be nasty when he was pushed. As could Evy and Anck, and they did *not* want a brawl.
"A. . .bully? Did you just call me a bully?" O'Connell asked, sounding more than a little incredulous. That was actually a stupid question, since it was the second time she said such a thing. Then again, Beni always said that O'Connell had more balls than brains. It was almost as if O'Connell didn't think Celia meant what she said. A foolish thought, although Beni supposed he could hardly expect O'Connell to know that.
Beni glanced at the other two women, wondering at their take on the situation. Celia's roommates stood behind her, exchanging glances and looking worriedly at O'Connell at the same time. Anck looked over at Beni, and he cringed. She knew, then. She knew how O'Connell fit into all this. Then she shook her head. . .but didn't try to stop Celia. Beni knew she probably thought he deserved it, but trying to get Celia to back down now would be like trying to make the Mississippi flow backwards. It would take an act of God.
"I believe that *is* what I just said. . .I don't usually stutter," Celia fired back. Beni looked at the crowd gathered. . .looking first at the tall, dark-haired man who shielded Ceci with his body. He was staring at Celia as if he never saw her before, and rather liked what he saw. He called O'Connell his brother, and Beni now remembered hearing that Nathaniel O'Connell remarried a local woman in Egypt. That would explain a lot.
O'Connell said, raising his hands, palms up, "Now, you got the wrong idea here, miss. . .I'm the good guy here. Really." He probably didn't realize it, but a patronizing tone entered his voice. Bad idea. Very bad idea. And the dark-haired man obviously realized this. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh and rubbed his hand across his face. Beni smiled at him in genuine sympathy. Obviously, the guy knew he was attempting the impossible.
And yet still he kept doing it. Beni had to admire him for that. Kinda reminded him of Celia. Whose face currently resembled a storm cloud. Huh. Beni heard that saying a thousand times over the last few years, ever since he moved to the US, but he never knew what it meant. Not until now. Celia asked in a very soft voice, "Good guy? I don't think so. I know what good guys are, and you ain't one of them. Beni was going about his business, probably showing the building off to his daughter, and you accost him, grab him by his throat, and scare the hell out of his daughter. Right in front of several witnesses!"
O'Connell sputtered several times, trying and failing to answer the charges she made. Of course. Beni allowed himself a smug smile, though he made sure no one saw it. If O'Connell did see it, he would probably hurt Beni some more. And for obvious reasons, he didn't want that. Not in front of Ceci, and not in front of Celia, because if that happened, she would go positively ape shit. And that would be a *very* bad thing. Beni didn't hate O'Connell, but he also didn't think he was worth Celia blowing her future over.
A quick glance around the room told Beni that Celia was at least partly right. Everyone in the food court was silent, watching to see what would happen next. Sort of the horrified, yet fascinated, expression you probably wore when checking out an accident. Then again, a plate dropping was considered entertainment. Beni began to feel some actual hope that he would survive this situation.
O'Connell was just staring at Celia, dumb-founded. None of this even occurred to him, evidently. He was the only one, though. It obviously occurred to his companion, and Beni wondered why he never said anything. Unless, of course, he thought it was something that O'Connell thought of? If that was the case, he gave O'Connell more credit than he deserved.
Or maybe he just realized that he was wasting his breath, since O'Connell was starting to go into what the other plebes at the academy called his berserker mode. Maybe he figured Celia had a better chance of convincing O'Connell to back down. Beni noticed that his dark eyes never left Celia. Beni also wondered if he was the only one picking up on some quivering airwaves every time Celia's eyes flickered toward the dark-haired man, however briefly.
There was a long silence as the two Americans regarded each other. Beni shuddered, recognizing both expressions. Neither would back down. Things could end up getting ugly, and Beni looked around discreetly, trying to find a place to hide. If Celia wasn't seeing O'Connell at all, but the toad who hurt her this summer, it was just a matter of time before her temper ignited. Especially if O'Connell continued to think with his pride, instead of his brain. Hmm. Maybe that was asking too much, at least from O'Connell.
After a moment, Evy stepped forward, putting her hand on Celia's shoulder, and said, "I think he understands now, Celia. . .and Beni isn't hurt. Nor is his little girl." She was trying to get Celia to calm down, trying to spare her friend. . .something. At this point, Beni no longer thought it likely that O'Connell would hurt the little brunette. It would have happened much, much sooner. . .like when Celia first stood up to O'Connell.
Celia didn't answer, just stared at O'Connell. Her dark eyes burned, and Beni could almost see her trembling. Not in fear, but in anger. Someone who didn't know Celia very well would have mistaken it for fear, but Beni knew better. Evy continued, perhaps sensing the tension in her roommate, "Mr. O'Connell, if you would apologize to my friend for patronizing her, and frightening Ceci. . .I don't think there will be any more trouble. Celia? Would you accept his apology? For patronizing you, and frightening Ceci?"
Oh, now that was something Beni would pay to see! In the time he knew Rick O'Connell, the other man *never* apologized. For anything. As far as Beni could tell, he was physically and emotionally incapable of apologizing, no matter how badly he screwed up. In a queer sort of way, that was something O'Connell had in common with Beni. Apologizing was something he really was *not* good at. He should have apologized to O'Connell as soon as the other man grabbed him, apologized for betraying him, but. . .he wasn't good with apologies.
Speaking of apologies, it would have to be a damn good apology for Celia to accept it. She considered 'sorry' to be the most overused word in the English language, overused because half the time, it wasn't really meant. Something Celia hated. Perhaps it was a woman thing. . . somehow, they found it easier to apologize, and mean it, than men did. But when she heard an apology, she also expected it to be sincere. She didn't like phonies of any kind. Something Evy knew just as well as Beni did. And it was something to which Celia herself alluded only a moment later, when she spoke again.
"If it's sincere. You know how I feel about people who apologize and don't really mean it," Celia answered tightly. Her eyes never left O'Connell. And he was staring right back at her. Beni wasn't sure if they were having a staring contest or playing chicken with their eyes. Either way, he wished he knew her back in military school. She did a better job protecting him than anyone ever did, except for Renee. The dark-haired man was silent now, looking from O'Connell to Celia and back again.
"I'll apologize for frightening the little girl. . .and for upsetting you. But he betrayed my trust, lady, and he'll betray yours as well," O'Connell replied. Not good enough for Celia. That was surprising, since O'Connell was apologizing for things about which he was truly sorry. But for whatever reason, Celia didn't budge, and just stared at him intently. Beni had the strange feeling that she wasn't seeing O'Connell, not really. Maybe someone else. Maybe the someone who hurt her that summer? It was a possibility. And again, Evy tried to negotiate a cease-fire.
She put her free hand on Celia's other shoulder, saying very softly, "If we are going to play together, we must learn to share. There are other places to eat, dear, and that is why we're here." What Evy expected *that* to accomplish, Beni had no idea. Still, Evy's real concern was for her roommate, and making sure Celia walked away from this alive. She didn't know O'Connell. Beni did.
Beni's friend just stared at O'Connell, her eyes never leaving his face. She didn't back down. Beni didn't expect her to. Unlike O'Connell, it had nothing to do with pride, and everything to do with seeing something through. It had to do with protecting. Beni didn't deserve to have her as his friend, but he couldn't push her away, either. He needed her. As he said before, he was a coward. But he knew not to push away someone with greater strength.
A glance told him that Evy wasn't surprised by Celia's utter lack of reaction. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at Anck. The other girl just shrugged helplessly. Beni rolled his eyes. The English girl really should have known better, but in some ways, Anck knew Celia better. . .and she knew what Beni knew. Getting Celia to back down would take an act of God. Still, he figured, Evy thought she should at least try. The girl asked, looking back at O'Connell, "Mr. O'Connell, will you leave Beni alone? Do you swear?"
The response was pure O'Connell, as Beni's former friend drawled, "Every damn day." Evy glowered at him, but O'Connell continued, "I know what you meant. And I'll leave this little stinkweed alone. . .as long as he stays out of my path. 'Cause if anything happens to my brother, or anyone else, because of him, I'll rip out his lungs. And you should watch out for your friend. . .'cause he'll stab her in the back, just like he did me. Ardeth. . .let's go."
O'Connell didn't even wait for his companion to answer him. . .just swept away with one last glare at Beni. The man he called 'Ardeth,' the one who called him brother and who protected Ceci, caught Celia's eye and inclined his head to her. For the first time, some of the rage left Beni's friend and she returned the gesture, her pale face turning bright red. The dark-haired man smiled and picked up his backpack, then followed O'Connell. He caught up with the American with just a few steps. . .not hard, since he was around the same height.
Beni looked at Celia, and swallowed hard. When he first fell in love with Renee, it took quite some convincing before Beni could believe she felt the same. After all, what would a beautiful girl like Renee want with Beni? He saw that same attitude in Celia. Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting. He would watch this man a little more, to see if he was good enough for Beni's friend. Most men were not. This one might be an exception.
There was a sigh, and as the tension eased from Celia's body. Everyone was looking at her in shock, and Beni could barely hide his proud grin. He felt like saying, 'this is my friend Celia!' However, he didn't. He knew he still had to deal with the girls. Especially Anck. She would probably wait until Ceci, or Celia, wasn't around to witness the explosion. Probably when the other two girls were at class. But for right now, he would count his blessings.
Celia looked at him, asking softly, "Are you all right?" He nodded, lifting Ceci into his arms. The little girl buried her face in his shoulder, and Beni stroked her black hair very gently. His American friend continued, with a deep sigh, "Well, I probably made at least one enemy, possibly two. But dammit, he made me angry." Beni covered his daughter's ears, though not in time, and Celia blushed, adding, "Sorry." Beni shook his head. No need. He was being foolish.
"Who was that bad man, Daddy? I don't like him! He scared me," Ceci asked plaintively. Beni just hugged his daughter. How exactly did he explain Richard O'Connell? He was the bane of Beni's existence and his best friend at the same time. O'Connell had every reason in the world to hate Beni, and yet, he didn't think Celia would find his explanation of what happened eight years earlier a good enough reason for the attack.
"Someone Daddy hurt a very long time ago, my little angel. Tsank you, my friend. I will not forget this," he told Celia. She bobbed her head, now looking very tired. Anck put her arm around Celia's shoulders in a one-armed hug. Beni continued, "And I am not sure if O'Connell is now your enemy. He is strange in some ways. I do not believe he regards you as a threat. Very foolish of him, of course. . .but if you are not a threat to him, he ignores you."
"Oh, one of those. The 'I'm gonna stick my head in the sand until somebody shoves a stick of dynamite up my backside' type. They're always a barrelful of laughs," Celia murmured, sounding more than a little cynical. Ow. That hurt. Not just her description of O'Connell, but the cynicism in her voice. She shouldn't have seen that much to be that cynical.
On the other hand, from random remarks she made about her family, it seemed likely that her father was similar. Celia was very much the dutiful daughter, but everyone had his or her breaking point. Even if she wouldn't say such a thing about her father, a stranger was fair game. And truly, O'Connell wasn't like that in the academy until Beni's betrayal. Something he couldn't tell Celia, because then she would realize that Beni deserved the other man's enmity.
And he might lose her friendship. He didn't want to lose her as a friend, and he didn't want to stop being Ceci's hero. Anck said softly, "You know, I wonder why Ardeth kept silent so much. I could tell he wanted to do more. Unless he figured that O'Connell had to run out of steam before he would listen. I've known people like that."
"That's probably it. Celia, you really should get some breakfast. Your adrenaline crash is already starting," Evy replied. Celia nodded, the redness in her cheeks once more replaced with a shade lighter than her usual pallor. That was something Anck often teased her about, how she got so little sun. She was naturally pale, and looked even paler with her dark hair. On the other hand, she probably wouldn't have to worry about her skin in another thirty years.
"Yeah. I'll see you later, Beni. Nice to meet you, Ceci," she replied. Ceci did something very unexpected then. She practically propelled herself out of Beni's arms, and lunged for Celia. The teenager smiled and caught her easily, making Beni wonder if she had any nieces or nephews of her own. She hugged Ceci tightly, smiling at something Beni's daughter whispered to her. The only thing Beni heard was, "You're welcome, love. Be good for Daddy."
. . .
Celia closed her eyes, still shaking from the confrontation. After little Ceci tugged herself out of Celia's arms, the tremors hit with a vengeance. Just what the hell was she thinking, taking on someone twice her size? She wasn't thinking. That was the whole truth right there. She wasn't thinking, and even now, Celia wasn't sure if she would have done anything differently. She was so angry!
She was not someone, by and large, who enjoyed confrontations. But she also wouldn't stand by and watch while one of her friends was being bullied. Much less by someone who was so much bigger. A gentle grip on her shoulder guided Celia back in the direction they came, and she followed willingly. It was Anck guiding her, she knew. She knew where Evy and Anck were during the confrontation. Now the anger was dying down, taking the adrenaline with it, and she was left only with shaky limbs. She hated getting angry. She really did.
"Sit," Anck murmured and pushed Celia gently into a chair. The American girl did as she was told, numbly noting the way Beni's daughter was staring at her, even after Celia returned the little girl to her father. Beni's daughter. It occurred to Celia somewhere in the back of her mind that she should be angry with him, for never telling her about his daughter, but right now, she just didn't have the energy. She didn't have the energy for much of anything.
Except Beni's words kept running through her mind. And the other man, O'Connell, the one with Ardeth. Ardeth Bey. At first, Celia was angry with him for not doing more to stop the man with him. But now, as her mind cleared, she realized there was nothing he could have done. The confrontation she witnessed. . .and interrupted. . . was eight years in the making. Obviously, Beni did something the last time they saw each other, and maybe O'Connell had a reason to be furious with him.
But Celia couldn't simply stand by and watch her friend being attacked. She wasn't made that way, and though her parents abhorred the idea of getting involved, her grandmother taught her to always stand up for her friends and herself. Besides, even if Beni deserved that man's anger, little Ceci didn't. And it was eight years earlier. People changed in eight years. And as was said in 'Backdraft,' sometimes, they even changed when you were looking at them.
No. No, Celia couldn't regret her actions. She was sure she did the right thing. She was equally sure that it wasn't admiration and respect in Ardeth Bey's dark eyes when he looked at her after the confrontation. She was seeing things. . .seeing what she wanted to see. Anck gently moved Celia's thick hair away from the nape of her neck and began rubbing the back of Celia's shoulders.
Celia wanted to lean into her friend's embrace, but there were too many people watching. There were too many people around. And she was afraid if she leaned into Anck's arms, she would start crying. Celia hated it when she cried. She hated showing vulnerability of any kind. Especially now. Especially after this summer. Anck said softly, "Evy, why don't you take Ceci to the little girl's room? Beni, make yourself useful and get a tray of food for Celia."
Beni almost protested. . .Celia saw it in his eyes. . .but he quickly swallowed that protest. Orders from Anck had that effect on people, she noticed. Beni squeezed Celia's shoulder, whispering, "Tsank you, my friend. I will not forget this." He walked off in the opposite direction of his daughter and Evy. The English roommate was leading Ceci toward the bathroom, holding her hand.
With everyone gone, and the others in the food court turning back to their own meals, Celia was free to lean against Anck. The other girl held her tightly, whispering, "I am so proud of you. You scared the mierda out of me, but I am proud of you." Celia gave a breathy half-laugh, half-sob. Anck murmured something in Spanish which Celia couldn't quite make out, and drew Celia's head to rest against her chest.
It was actually quite odd. Anck always swore she would never have a child. She planned to work in the field, rather than in the classroom, and the field was no place for a child. But in some ways, she was most maternal out of the three roommates. While Anck always said Celia was the born mother, the den mother, of the three. . .Anck had this unerring instinct of knowing when to comfort and when to challenge.
"That was," Celia whispered, her voice muffled by Anck's shirt, "was either the bravest thing I've ever done, or the stupidest. And right now, I'm having a hard time telling the difference between the two." Anck gave a soft laugh, kissing the top of Celia's head, and the American whispered, "Oh gods, Anck, my legs are shaking. I can't stop shaking. What was I thinking?" Her voice cracked.
She replayed the entire confrontation in her head. . .from the moment O'Connell grabbed Beni, until he and Ardeth walked away. A blinding rage stole over her, and took what little sense she had. She didn't regret her actions, but maybe she could have found another way?
"That one of your friends needed your help. That he was being menaced by someone a lot bigger than he was. You were being true to yourself. . .and that, by the way, was a stroke of genius. Threatening that man with the entire campus knowing he is a bully. I was very proud of you for that alone," Anck whispered, tightening her arms around Celia. The smaller girl gave a choked back laugh.
"I was so mad, Anck, I wasn't even thinking. I was afraid I was incoherent. You know I don't do anger very well," Celia whispered. There was a snort of laughter from her roommate, who knew very well just how badly Celia did anger. They only had to remember the one and only time Celia lost her temper with Evy to know that. She paused, and the memory of Ardeth's gaze came back to her. Celia couldn't help herself, asking, "Anck? About Ardeth Bey?"
"Yes, querida, what about him?" Anck asked softly, soothingly. Oh, Celia hated feeling like this. But this was how it always was after an adrenaline rush. She felt like a week-old kitten, if that. And even before the confrontation a few minutes earlier, her equilibrium was out of sorts. Again, because of Ardeth Bey. She trembled a little. So beautiful. She wasn't in the habit of thinking a man was beautiful, but he took her breath away.
"I. . .I saw him looking at me. Right before he and O'Connell left. I. . .can't figure out how I was. . .I couldn't figure out what was in his eyes," Celia finally managed to force out. She winced, hearing how uncertain she sounded. She sounded stupid, really. Like she didn't know what she was doing. Unfortunately, that happened to be the case. But Anck, thankfully, didn't harass her about her lack of experience.
"I wasn't looking at him. . .but I don't think he would have made that gesture, inclining his head to you, if you hadn't earned his respect at the very least. You surprised us all, querida, but I think Ardeth Bey is far more likely to take you seriously as a threat than his brother is," Anck replied. That wasn't exactly the answer Celia was hoping to get. Bad things happened when members of the male population felt threatened, especially by a small woman. She must have stiffened in Anck's arms, for her roommate added, "That isn't necessarily a bad thing, querida. Ardeth Bey is more likely to take you seriously."
There was that. After all, not all men were like Neil Grady. Maybe she was doing Ardeth Bey a disservice by putting them in the same category. Celia relaxed, and Anck murmured, "You are truly attracted to him. I have never seen you like this, Celia." Well, that made two of them. Celia swung back and forth between knowing in her heart that she did the right thing, defending Beni, and being mortified that Ardeth saw the confrontation. As attracted as she was (in lust?), she wasn't sure if she wanted Ardeth Bey to see her dark side just yet.
However, what she said was, "I'm afraid." Okay, that was a really dumb thing to say. Beyond stupid, really. What kind of idiot was afraid of feeling like this? But Anck didn't tease her about it. Celia was grateful, because it was true. She was genuinely frightened. She was frightened of Ardeth, of the way he made her feel. She was afraid because for the first time in her life, she felt out of control in herself. She was accustomed to being out of control in the situation, but at least then, she was in control of herself.
"I know, querida. It's a very scary thing, these feelings, hmm?" Anck whispered, soothing her. Celia clung to her, slowly coming to the conclusion that even with the death of her beloved grandmother, there was still someone to whom she could hold. Anck. If it was possible, if it was humanly to be there, Anck would always be there for her, in spirit, if not in body. Anck would never leave her, never betray her.
"Yeah, it's scary. But at least I have you to help me make sense of these things," Celia answered, drawing back to look at her best friend. There were some things she shared with Evy, but not with Anck. . .however, those were few and far between. And Anck's face softened further with Celia's words. The taller girl released her hold on Celia, instead cupping her face in her hands to stare directly in her eyes.
A few moments later, when she apparently found whatever she was looking for in Celia's eyes, Anck added, "You will always have me, querida. Something happened this summer, hmm? Something, aside from your holiday with your brothers? Why have you not told us? Why are you afraid in that way?" It seemed so stupid now, after what they just went through, what they just witnessed. But Celia was afraid. She was afraid if she told Anck, and/or Evy, they would lose respect for her. She was afraid they would take Grady's side.
"I'll tell you tonight. I promise. I don't want to talk about it here. Not now. Okay?" Celia asked and Anck nodded, drawing her back into a fierce embrace. Celia didn't know how Anck realized there was a connection between what just happened and what happened this summer. And she didn't think she really cared. She just knew that it was safe for her to share this burden now. There was one other thing on her mind, however. Celia whispered, clinging to Anck once more, "Anck? Do you really think I might be good enough for Ardeth?"
A stream of Spanish emerged from her friend, then Anck finally answered, "Ay, querida! The question isn't, are you good enough for him. You are good enough for any man on this campus, and too good for most of them. No, querida, mi amiga querida, the question is if he is good enough for you. That is the million dollar question. I will be watching him very closely, hermanita. I will be watching him to make sure he is good enough for you."
. . .
The idea, when Anck directed her to take Ceci to the little girl's room, was to give Anck time to calm Celia down. Evy was totally incapable of doing that. She had this unerring instinct of angering Celia further when her roommate was this upset. And knowing how little bladders could be, Evy had no trouble taking the little girl to the bathroom. However, as to be expected, things didn't remain simple.
For one thing, after leaving the site of the confrontation, O'Connell and Ardeth doubled back. So, as Evy and Ceci emerged from the ladies' room, the two pairs came face to face. There was a moment of stunned silence, then little Ceci Gabor ran at O'Connell, screaming, "You hurt my daddy! I hate you!" She pounded against his thighs and knees with tiny fists. The three adults were stunned into inactivity for a moment.
Then Evy regained her composure and grabbed the little girl, scooping her into her arms. She soothed the child with meaningless phrases, holding her tightly. Evy didn't like the little girl's father. She would be the very first to admit it. But she also didn't like an unprincipled, rude scoundrel like O'Connell. Celia had the right of it. . .he attacked Beni Gabor, unprovoked, right in front of everyone.
So she was more than a little surprised at the expression that crossed the American's face when Ceci screamed at him. He looked. . .hurt. More to the point, he looked human, rather than smug and patronizing, as he did when he was arguing with Celia. Much to her shock, Evy realized he was actually. . .cute? Well. . .yes. He wasn't really Evy's type. He was too big for one thing. But. . .still. He was still cute.
But he was still a rude scoundrel who upset her roommate, she told herself firmly, trying to ignore the way her knees quivered when he looked at her. O'Connell threatened that perception as he stepped forward and said softly, "I'm sorry I frightened you, honey." That provoked another wail from Ceci, and Evy backed away. She could appreciate that O'Connell was trying to make amends with the little girl, but now really was not the time.
"Come, little one. . .we should go back to your father," Evy told the little girl. She was on the point of suggesting they meet Beni, who was carefully carrying a tray of food toward the table shared by the three roommates, when she realized Ceci left the little purse she was carrying in the bathroom. She said, "Ceci, honey, did you leave your pocketbook in the stall you were using?" Ceci looked around wildly, her eyes growing very big.
"I be right back! Don't leave without me, Miss Evy!" the little girl cried out, sounding like she was on the point of tears. It was probably a special item for the little girl. Maybe a gift from her mother or father, something she couldn't bear to lose. Evy had such things, once upon a time, and the fear in the child's voice touched her heart. Ceci dashed back into the bathroom, leaving the young girl alone with the two men. Maybe she should have followed Ceci in? Make sure she didn't hurt herself, or get taken?
That might be a good idea. Evy turned away from the pair, saying curtly, "Gentlemen. . . and in your case, Mr. O'Connell, I use the term lightly!" She caught the barest hint of a smile on Ardeth Bey's face. Almost as if he approved of her. Not, of course, that such a thing meant anything to Evy. It wasn't like she was Celia, after all, who patently had a terrible crush on the man. Evy continued, "I should check on Ceci. . .she's only three years old." Ardeth inclined his head to her, just as he had to Celia, right before he left with O'Connell. However, as Evy turned away, O'Connell caught her arm and swung her back around to face him. Evy's dark hair whipped around her face as she glowered at the rude man.
Ooooh! Of all the nerve! O'Connell said, ignoring her fury, "Remember what I said, lady. Beni betrayed me. He and I pulled a prank on some seniors when we were in military school together. Except when we got to the dormitory where we lived, he got in through the door first, and slammed it shut behind him. Leaving me alone to face some very pissed off seniors, by myself. They probably would have beaten me within an inch of my life, if the 'lights out' call didn't distract them."
That was all very interesting, and Evy could actually understand why O'Connell hated Beni so. As she said on more than one occasion, she didn't like Beni herself. This sordid little tale only heightened her contempt for the little weasel. But she honestly didn't see what that had to do with her and her roommates. O'Connell was happy to enlighten her, explaining, "He betrayed me. . .he'll betray your friend as well. Watch her back."
Evy drew herself up to her full height and lifted her chin proudly, saying, "Mr. O'Connell. I will thank you to keep your observations to yourself. Anck-su-namun and I have been 'watching' Celia's back from the moment we met her last year. . .we certainly do not need your input in how to protect our friend from the likes of Beni Gabor. Or, for that matter, from the likes of you! You would be better suited to taking care of your own."
By this time, rage was coursing through her very veins. Evy was incensed. Why, the very idea that this smug, rude American could tell her how to take care of her roommate! Never mind that she wasn't entirely truthful when she told O'Connell that she and Anck took care of Celia from the moment they met her. That was hardly his concern! But if she thought her tongue-lashing would make him think twice about messing with the girls of Two Twenty, Navarre Hall, she was quite mistaken.
Instead, his mouth lifted into a smile Evy might have found charming under different circumstances. She would have been charmed, if she wasn't feeling so strangely. That angered her enough, that he wasn't taking her seriously. However, she was in far more trouble than she realized. She didn't know what to make of the expression in his blue eyes. . .so, when he grabbed her by her waist and kissed her hard. . .she was too stunned to do anything.
By the time her brain started working, O'Connell released her and was smiling at her entirely too smugly. He asked, still looking entirely too smug for Evy's liking, "Now you're gonna tell me that you're angry that I kissed you?" Evy's anger returned at the smug tone, overriding the fog and warmth that lingered in her body after the touch. She welcomed the anger. . .she knew how to react to anger.
Evy raised her eyebrows and replied rather pertly, "If you call that a kiss." She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes narrow. He wasn't going to get the best of Evelyn Carnahan, no sir, he was not! She was proud of herself, for holding her own as well as Celia did when she confronted Mr. O'Connell just a few minutes earlier. Unfortunately, that quiet pride was overridden as another question occurred to her. She couldn't help herself. Really, she couldn't. Hearing the pitter-patter of Ceci's shoes on the tile floor, Evy asked almost hesitantly, "By the way. . .why *did* you kiss me?"
O'Connell shrugged his broad shoulders (damn her for noticing that, and damn him for drawing her attention to them) and replied in a bored tone of voice, "I dunno. In the past ten minutes, I've seen someone I never wanted to see again, got shown up by someone who looks like she belongs in a dance company, and got beaten up by a three year old. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Evy heard Ardeth groan, saw him shake his head. It should have made her feel better, but it didn't. Ceci came out of the bathroom and Evy stamped her foot, snarling out, "OOOH!" That was all she could manage. She stamped her foot again, grabbed Ceci's hand, and led her back toward her father. She barely heard O'Connell call, 'what? What did I say?' Strangely enough, she heard Ardeth more clearly. . .and he was the more soft-spoken of the two.
The man who turned her roommate's head answered with a sigh, "If you really must ask that question, ya ahi, then there is nothing I can tell you." The obvious exasperation in Ardeth's voice made Evy smile, and made her slow down. After all, she was supposed to be leading Ceci back to her father, not dragging the poor child. Besides. She didn't want O'Connell to think he got the best of any of the girls from two twenty Navarre!
. . .
"If you really must ask that question, ya ahi, then there is nothing I can tell you."
Rick O'Connell turned to look at his younger brother, hearing the exasperation in Ardeth's tone. The last few minutes went very badly for Rick, and the confrontation with the English girl was just another bump on the road. It occurred this was all wrong. He was far more experienced with women than Ardeth was. . .and yet, Ardeth knew exactly what he said wrong, to send Evelyn Carnahan off in a huff. This was really starting to get on Rick's nerves.
"Well, educate me, since you're so much smarter than me," Rick challenged. He had no right to take this out on Ardeth. He knew that. Just as he knew the little brunette whom he dismissed as being unworthy of his attention was right. Beni deserved exactly what Rick dished out, but he should have done it somewhere else. Rick's only real defense was that he was so shocked by Beni's appearance here, of all places, that his brain quit working.
"Rick. . .you told her that she was just a warm body. I have little knowledge of women, but even I know better than that. Acacia and Aleta have told me about the young warriors who try to court them," Ardeth replied quietly. Damn. He was right. Rick hated it when his brother was right, especially since it seemed to happen about ninety percent of the time. He hated it even more when he was right about something in which he had little practical experience.
"You mean there are actually warriors who have the guts to court the chieftain's sisters?" Rick asked flippantly. Ardeth favored him with a dirty look as they headed back outside. Rick was immediately ashamed of himself. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder, saying, "Sorry. You didn't deserve that. Any of it. It's just. . .Ardeth, what the hell was that girl thinking? She can't be more than five two or five three. . .and she was defending Beni?"
"She sees him as her friend, ya ahi, and reacting as anyone would to a threat. The way you react to a threat," Ardeth answered quietly. Rick shook his head, not negating what this brother said, but unable to comprehend it. Ardeth continued after a moment, "There was a time before the betrayal, when you saw Beni as your friend, yes? What would you have done, if someone threatened him? The same thing you did when I was stabbed, yes?"
Not quite, but Rick took Ardeth's point. He didn't want to. . .didn't want to see anyone else's viewpoint, for that would bog him down. But Ardeth spoke sense, like he almost always did. There were times when Rick hated him for that. He hated him even more when Ardeth added a moment later, a mischievous smile appearing, "And truly, who is it that agitates you more? The American roommate or the English roommate?"
Rick glared at him, but Ardeth wasn't in the least bit cowed. His younger brother added, his smile becoming downright wicked, "Why did you kiss her, ya ahi? Unlike Miss Carnahan, I can see through your smoke and mirrors." Rick's glare intensified, but as usual, his little brother wasn't in the least bit afraid of him. Or it. Ardeth repeated, "Why did you kiss her? And I say again, do not try to tell me because it seemed like a good idea at the time?"
"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" Rick fired back. This bothered Ardeth not at all, for in the words of their sister Acacia, that was part of his job description as chieftain. Rick finally sighed, "Oh, all right! You know there are some women who are. . .in your face. Right? She's not one of them, but she's got this fire. I was trying to make her angry, so I could see some of that anger, some of that fire."
The truth of the matter was, Rick wasn't entirely sure why he kissed Evy Carnahan. She wasn't his usual type. But during the confrontation in the hall. . .there was a spark there. And the song and dance he just gave Ardeth was the best way he knew how to explain what he experienced. Ardeth was silent, and Rick decided to return the favor, asking, "And just what is going on with you and that little fireball?"
Ardeth smiled sadly, answering, "There can never be anything between us, Rick. You and I will be here long enough to stop Imhotep from turning over the Book to his buyer, turn him over to the proper authorities, then we. . .or at least I. . .will return to Egypt with the Book. She is meant for other things." Rick looked at his brother quickly, and saw that Ardeth was trying to convince himself of that.
The older brother said, trying desperately to eliminate the sadness from Ardeth's eyes, "It doesn't have to be like that, you know. You could spend time with her while you're here. I think she likes you." Ardeth blushed at that, and Rick continued, "Just think about it, okay?"
"I cannot do that, my brother. If I allow myself to care for her, then I will place her in danger. Imhotep is not one who believes in harming innocents. . .but Lock-nah is another matter. You know what he is like. . .he kills people because he enjoys inflicting pain. He would harm her, just to get to me," Ardeth argued. Rick couldn't tell his brother that he was wrong. He wasn't. That was exactly the sort of thing Lock-nah would do.
He said after a moment, "Yeah, but I think Miss Celia Ferguson is quite good at taking care of herself. You saw how well she stood up to me." There was more to her than he first thought. . .she wasn't the colorless little nonentity whom he took her for. And while he wasn't entirely sure she was good enough for his little brother, he couldn't deny that Ardeth's eyes lit up whenever she was around.
"You would have never hurt her, Rick, that is not your way," Ardeth told him. Damn. He was batting a thousand today. Rick knew he would have never hurt Celia. . .as annoying as he found her attempts to protect Beni. He would have never hurt her, and that was something that couldn't be said for Lock-nah. It was like Ardeth said. The renegade enjoyed hurting people. And if he even guessed that Ardeth looked at her twice. . .
"Okay," he sighed, "if I admitted that you're right, would you please drop the subject?" Ardeth laughed outright, and Rick continued, "We should be moving on anyhow. I need to get back to work, and what about you. . .when is your next class?" They were leaving the building now, walking back toward the main part of campus. Rick noticed while they were scouting out the perimeter before the start of school that the dorms were on the outer rim of the campus, with the academic buildings on the inside.
"Not until ten. One of the perks of being a tenured professor, Uncle Terrence tells me. Being able to pick and choose your own hours," Ardeth answered dryly. Uh. . .yeah. Rick could see how that would be a perk. Ardeth paused, shrugged as something occurred to him, then added, "I'm also told that the same is true of the upperclassmen. Juniors and seniors have their pick of the schedules. If they want the later classes, they have the first dibs on those, so to speak, and the underclassmen have the early classes."
"Damn, it sucks to be a freshman or sophomore," Rick said, shaking his head. He only got up early because he had to. He could relate to the younger students. Especially if they weren't morning people. Besides. Being the chieftain's stepbrother was a bit like being a freshman or sophomore. Rick continued after a moment, "So. . .I meant to ask you this earlier, but kinda forgot in all the excitement. Have we learned anything new or interesting?" Ardeth raised his brows at Rick's reference to 'excitement.' Rick steeled himself, knowing all too well that he just left himself open to a sarcastic remark.
However, Ardeth didn't follow through. Something that was surprising in and of itself. Instead, he said, "I did learn something from the department secretary. Something my mother suggested to me." Rick smothered a grin. Yeah, he could just imagine his stepmother saying something like that. Ardeth continued after a moment, glancing at Rick from the corner of his eye, "I have learned Imhotep's pseudonym while he is on campus. It is Emmett Tepper."
Rick was tremendously grateful that he wasn't drinking anything, because if he was, he would have spat it out when his brother told him what Imhotep was calling himself now. He looked quickly at Ardeth. Of course he wasn't joking. Ardeth did have a sense of humor, but it wasn't *that* twisted. Rick repeated, trying to process the name, "Emmett Tepper. Imhotep. I suppose it fits. In a weird, warped sort of way."
"Aywa, that was my thought as well. I also found out, again from the department secretary while she was giving the syllabi to me, that his first class is tomorrow. I shall find a way to be in the building at the time, so I may observe him," Ardeth explained. Rick nodded, already thinking of ways he could shuffle his schedule. He came to the States to watch Ardeth's back, and that was exactly what he was gonna do.
He just hoped he wouldn't see Evy Carnahan again. She might just distract him.
Onto the reviews:
Sailor Elf: Yep, Beni does have children now. And I thought it was entirely possible that he had children in 'The Mummy,' since it had been three years since he and Rick last saw each other, and Beni simply didn't inform Rick when the opportunity arose.
Deana: Well, you asked for more, and here is more! In this chapter, Beni describes Celia as an avenging angel. Heh. He may be a weasel, and a coward, but he ain't no fool!
Brunette: Keep tellin' ya, it don't make no never mind to me, the signing in bit! You review, that's the important thing. Rick and Evy starts in this chapter, you'll be getting the beginning of Imhotep/Anck in the next chapter, and probably some Lock-nah/Meela, if I have the chance. After seeing TMR, there was NO way I couldn't make those two a couple. And I've always had a soft spot for Beni. So he had to have someone, as did Ardeth. And wouldn't you rather be aggravated than disappointed because of sloppy work on my part?
Terreis: Hehehehhe. . .impatience is allowed. Impatience is what pushes me forward. And you get the first of the real Rick/Evy interaction in this section. Ardeth/Celia are coming up. . .they're both pretty tentative at this point, but they will be interacting.
Part Five
"You let him go, now. I don't care what happened eight years ago, but nobody hurts one of my friends!"
Beni Gabor froze. . .not that it was hard to do. Not with those big hands twisted in his collar, shutting off his oxygen flow. He knew that voice. Couldn't see around O'Connell so well, but he knew that voice. Beni just couldn't decide if he should weep in gratitude or tell Celia to run away. After a moment, however, he decided that even if he told Celia to run away, she probably wouldn't listen.
Of course she wouldn't listen. . .unfortunately, neither would O'Connell, and that was what worried Beni. He closed his eyes. The day started out so well. After finishing his duties inside the dorm, Beni returned to his apartment. A quick check at his recorder told him that Renee called while he was working. His girlfriend's timing was terrible, as usual, but she could hardly be expected to know how long it would take him to finish his duties. Especially when Beni didn't always know how long it would take for him to finish a single floor, much less the entire dorm. She wanted him to know that she would be bringing their daughter to the campus, and would Beni like to have Ceci to himself for a few hours?
That was a very foolish question. Of course Beni would enjoy having Ceci to himself for a few hours. . .he would have also liked to have Renee to himself, but that would not happen until Homecoming weekend. She was working almost every day, and Homecoming weekend would be the first opportunity they had to spend any time together. That was four weeks away. While Beni worked and saved money to provide for Renee and Ceci, Renee worked and saved money for their eventual wedding, and for Ceci's college fund.
He called Renee on her cell, and agreed to her plan. He found out that Renee had a doctor's appointment. . .which worried him, since he didn't even know she was sick. She quickly reassured him that she was not sick, this was a routine check-up. Beni chided her for scaring him, and Renee just laughed. She didn't mean to scare him, of course. It just seemed like they had so little time together. They did have so little time together.
The same was true today. There was just enough time for the young couple to kiss, Renee to transfer their daughter into Beni's arms, and then she was gone again. This was Ceci's third trip to the campus, but each time before then, she was either asleep or spent the entire time in Beni's little apartment. She wanted to see all of the campus. . .since that was not feasible in just a few hours, Beni opted to take his little girl to the Student Union Building. It was one of his favorite places on campus. Besides, the food was better there than in the dining halls.
He actually saw Celia, Anck, and Evy before O'Connell. That was part of what got him into trouble. He was paying attention to them, instead of seeing the all-too-familiar figure of Rick O'Connell sitting at a nearby table with another young man. Although, how he missed those two, Beni had no idea, but there it was. One moment, Beni was telling his daughter about this building, and the things inside it.
In the next, he came face to face with a man he betrayed eight years earlier. Uh-oh. O'Connell was even taller than he remembered. . .and he was a big kid at fifteen. His blue eyes blazed with hatred as he snarled, "Well, if it ain't my old buddy, Beni. . .I think I'll kill you now." Ceci whimpered, burying her face in Beni's shoulder. The emigrant comforted his daughter as best he could, then put her on the ground and gently nudged her behind him. He didn't want Ceci in the crossfire.
It wasn't a moment too soon, for as soon as Ceci was out of the way, O'Connell grabbed Beni by his collar and yanked him off the ground. Beni couldn't help himself. . .he never claimed to be brave, after all. He nodded toward Ceci, rasping out, "You cannot! Think of my children!" All right, so he only had one child. But that one child could end up being traumatized by what she was seeing right now.
Unfortunately, O'Connell wasn't buying it. He shook Beni hard and retorted, loudly enough for the entire room to hear, "You don't have any children!" The Hungarian heard that around the rattling in his head, and tracked his little girl with his eyes. She was now hiding behind the raven- haired man with whom O'Connell was sitting. Her little arms were wrapped around the man's knees, and she peeked around his legs. The man had his hand resting lightly on Ceci's head, a gentle, comforting touch.
Satisfied that his little girl was out of the line of fire, Beni choked out, "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!" The beanpole in question was looking from Beni to O'Connell and back again, his dark eyes narrowed as he tried to decide what to do. Not that there was much he could do, not with Ceci's arms around his legs. He couldn't go very far. Imagine that. Beni's little girl was trying to protect him!
"Let him go, ya ahi. . .you are frightening the child," the raven- haired young man finally said in a low voice. O'Connell just shook Beni again, and the man repeated, "Let him go, my brother. I do not know what happened eight years ago, but there are other things at work right now." Yes, there were other things at work. . .Beni's bladder was on the point of giving way, for one thing. For another. . .well, he was afraid he might earn one of his nicknames.
"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. And it was right then that Celia told O'Connell to put Beni down. . .she allowed no one to harm her friends. Beni never thought of her as being a drama queen, but he had to admit, she made one helluva entrance. Maybe someone should convince her to try out for the drama club.
"Ya ahi. . .enough. Put him down. You are drawing attention, and we do not need that," the dark-haired man said once more. Beni's mind tried to grasp for whatever that meant, sensing that it would be important, but he was distracted by the sight of his daughter. Ceci was still hiding behind the other man, and it wouldn't have surprised Beni in the least if his daughter buried her face in the back of the man's knees. What the hell did 'ya ahi' mean? Couldn't he speak English? After a moment, Beni had to laugh at himself. He often spoke Magyar and English in the same sentence.
Unfortunately, O'Connell thought Beni was laughing at *him.* Never a good idea. Especially not where Rick O'Connell was concerned. The big American shook his head, tightening his hands in Beni's collar, and snarled, "Think that's funny, do you? Think any of this is funny?" Actually, no, he didn't, but didn't have the opportunity to say so. Breathing quickly became more difficult, and unfortunately, it wasn't a body process that was optional, or something that could be put off until later. Oxygen was needed NOW.
"Not gonna happen, Ardeth. This little freak is the reason it took a knife in your gut before I would trust you," O'Connell fired back. Beni wondered if he wanted to hear the story behind that, then wondered what kind of name 'Ardeth' was. His mind was coming up with the damnedest things for him to think about, considering his former friend kept shaking him like a snake shaking its prey. Probably not the best analogy, but. . .it was the one which came to mind.
And then he couldn't think at all. He was too busy trying to keep from breaking his neck. O'Connell glowered at Beni as he shook him again, hissing, "You can't even face me one on one, can you? Gotta hide behind a girl's skirt." Beni tried to answer, tried to point out that Celia was wearing her usual jeans and t-shirt, but the fury in his former friend's eyes warned him not to even try. Besides, he wasn't really capable of being coherent at the moment.
"He's hiding behind no one. . .unlike you," Celia snarled. *Uh-oh. Maybe not the best idea,* Beni thought. Then he saw O'Connell narrow his eyes. He recognized that expression. O'Connell was starting to get pissed off, and that was always dangerous. Celia was just in the way. . .Beni was the one he was really angry with. *Definitely not the best idea.* Celia said once more, "Don't make me repeat myself. Put him down, now. Or else."
He couldn't be the only one wondering 'or else' meant. What kind of threat could Celia come up with, to make O'Connell leave him alone, at least for now? She wouldn't bring up her family's wealth. That didn't impress someone like O'Connell, and it wasn't Celia's style. What could she possibly do to him that would make O'Connell think twice about killing him? Celia answered that a moment later when she added, "Let him go. You're new on campus. How long do you think it would take for word to get around that you're a bully?"
Oh. That was a good point, and one that never even occurred to Beni. Then again, he was still trying to figure out what the hell O'Connell was doing here. Beni didn't keep up with his fellow plebes from military school. . .they all knew him to be a coward and a weasel. After he betrayed O'Connell, he was persona non grata. So, even if they knew O'Connell was back in the States, no one would have bothered to warn Beni, even if they knew where he was. They would have figured he deserved whatever he got.
Beni distracted himself from that line of thought by wondering about the man with O'Connell. The one whom he kept calling 'Ardeth.' He wondered what Ardeth was to Beni's former friend? His brother, his friend. . .something else? Ew. . .he didn't want to think about *that.* Not such a good way to distract himself, after all. And he was spared that rather unpleasant image when he saw uncertainty in the blue eyes boring into his.
The dark-haired man repeated, "Listen to her, Rick. I share your anger with him, but this is neither the time, nor the place." O'Connell wasn't quite ready to let this go, not yet, but he did drop Beni. Unfortunately, that also meant that he turned to face Celia. His back was to Beni, so the Hungarian couldn't see his expression when he realized a girl around the same size as a ballerina just bested him. However, he could pretty well imagine it.
Beni squeaked as he hit the ground. He almost wished that it made O'Connell turn back to him. It wasn't that he was really afraid O'Connell would hurt Celia. For all his bluster, the big man would never hurt a woman. Might scare the shit out of her, but right now, Beni didn't think that was likely, either. He coughed, trying desperately to get some air into his lungs, a task which was complicated when Ceci threw her arms around him. But Beni pushed himself into a sitting position, wrapping one arm around his little girl.
"Who. . .are. . .you?" O'Connell enunciated. As Beni scrambled to his feet, he could see his former friend's expression. He looked amused. O'Connell was well over six feet, and Celia was only a bit over five feet. Not that Celia seemed to care about her diminutive height or the way O'Connell was regarding her. Instead, she was staring at O'Connell, hands on hips. Beni almost smiled. Celia Ferguson, avenging angel. The role suited her. Now, if only she would use those claws on some of the idiots on the floor, or that guy who messed with her at her job.
"Who am I? Me? Nobody important. I'm just someone who doesn't like bullies, much less when they mess with my friends," Celia fired back. She wasn't the shy, quiet little girl whom most of the campus knew at the moment. But Beni saw this side to her in the past, and in spite of himself, he actually enjoyed the confrontation. On the other hand, O'Connell could be nasty when he was pushed. As could Evy and Anck, and they did *not* want a brawl.
"A. . .bully? Did you just call me a bully?" O'Connell asked, sounding more than a little incredulous. That was actually a stupid question, since it was the second time she said such a thing. Then again, Beni always said that O'Connell had more balls than brains. It was almost as if O'Connell didn't think Celia meant what she said. A foolish thought, although Beni supposed he could hardly expect O'Connell to know that.
Beni glanced at the other two women, wondering at their take on the situation. Celia's roommates stood behind her, exchanging glances and looking worriedly at O'Connell at the same time. Anck looked over at Beni, and he cringed. She knew, then. She knew how O'Connell fit into all this. Then she shook her head. . .but didn't try to stop Celia. Beni knew she probably thought he deserved it, but trying to get Celia to back down now would be like trying to make the Mississippi flow backwards. It would take an act of God.
"I believe that *is* what I just said. . .I don't usually stutter," Celia fired back. Beni looked at the crowd gathered. . .looking first at the tall, dark-haired man who shielded Ceci with his body. He was staring at Celia as if he never saw her before, and rather liked what he saw. He called O'Connell his brother, and Beni now remembered hearing that Nathaniel O'Connell remarried a local woman in Egypt. That would explain a lot.
O'Connell said, raising his hands, palms up, "Now, you got the wrong idea here, miss. . .I'm the good guy here. Really." He probably didn't realize it, but a patronizing tone entered his voice. Bad idea. Very bad idea. And the dark-haired man obviously realized this. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh and rubbed his hand across his face. Beni smiled at him in genuine sympathy. Obviously, the guy knew he was attempting the impossible.
And yet still he kept doing it. Beni had to admire him for that. Kinda reminded him of Celia. Whose face currently resembled a storm cloud. Huh. Beni heard that saying a thousand times over the last few years, ever since he moved to the US, but he never knew what it meant. Not until now. Celia asked in a very soft voice, "Good guy? I don't think so. I know what good guys are, and you ain't one of them. Beni was going about his business, probably showing the building off to his daughter, and you accost him, grab him by his throat, and scare the hell out of his daughter. Right in front of several witnesses!"
O'Connell sputtered several times, trying and failing to answer the charges she made. Of course. Beni allowed himself a smug smile, though he made sure no one saw it. If O'Connell did see it, he would probably hurt Beni some more. And for obvious reasons, he didn't want that. Not in front of Ceci, and not in front of Celia, because if that happened, she would go positively ape shit. And that would be a *very* bad thing. Beni didn't hate O'Connell, but he also didn't think he was worth Celia blowing her future over.
A quick glance around the room told Beni that Celia was at least partly right. Everyone in the food court was silent, watching to see what would happen next. Sort of the horrified, yet fascinated, expression you probably wore when checking out an accident. Then again, a plate dropping was considered entertainment. Beni began to feel some actual hope that he would survive this situation.
O'Connell was just staring at Celia, dumb-founded. None of this even occurred to him, evidently. He was the only one, though. It obviously occurred to his companion, and Beni wondered why he never said anything. Unless, of course, he thought it was something that O'Connell thought of? If that was the case, he gave O'Connell more credit than he deserved.
Or maybe he just realized that he was wasting his breath, since O'Connell was starting to go into what the other plebes at the academy called his berserker mode. Maybe he figured Celia had a better chance of convincing O'Connell to back down. Beni noticed that his dark eyes never left Celia. Beni also wondered if he was the only one picking up on some quivering airwaves every time Celia's eyes flickered toward the dark-haired man, however briefly.
There was a long silence as the two Americans regarded each other. Beni shuddered, recognizing both expressions. Neither would back down. Things could end up getting ugly, and Beni looked around discreetly, trying to find a place to hide. If Celia wasn't seeing O'Connell at all, but the toad who hurt her this summer, it was just a matter of time before her temper ignited. Especially if O'Connell continued to think with his pride, instead of his brain. Hmm. Maybe that was asking too much, at least from O'Connell.
After a moment, Evy stepped forward, putting her hand on Celia's shoulder, and said, "I think he understands now, Celia. . .and Beni isn't hurt. Nor is his little girl." She was trying to get Celia to calm down, trying to spare her friend. . .something. At this point, Beni no longer thought it likely that O'Connell would hurt the little brunette. It would have happened much, much sooner. . .like when Celia first stood up to O'Connell.
Celia didn't answer, just stared at O'Connell. Her dark eyes burned, and Beni could almost see her trembling. Not in fear, but in anger. Someone who didn't know Celia very well would have mistaken it for fear, but Beni knew better. Evy continued, perhaps sensing the tension in her roommate, "Mr. O'Connell, if you would apologize to my friend for patronizing her, and frightening Ceci. . .I don't think there will be any more trouble. Celia? Would you accept his apology? For patronizing you, and frightening Ceci?"
Oh, now that was something Beni would pay to see! In the time he knew Rick O'Connell, the other man *never* apologized. For anything. As far as Beni could tell, he was physically and emotionally incapable of apologizing, no matter how badly he screwed up. In a queer sort of way, that was something O'Connell had in common with Beni. Apologizing was something he really was *not* good at. He should have apologized to O'Connell as soon as the other man grabbed him, apologized for betraying him, but. . .he wasn't good with apologies.
Speaking of apologies, it would have to be a damn good apology for Celia to accept it. She considered 'sorry' to be the most overused word in the English language, overused because half the time, it wasn't really meant. Something Celia hated. Perhaps it was a woman thing. . . somehow, they found it easier to apologize, and mean it, than men did. But when she heard an apology, she also expected it to be sincere. She didn't like phonies of any kind. Something Evy knew just as well as Beni did. And it was something to which Celia herself alluded only a moment later, when she spoke again.
"If it's sincere. You know how I feel about people who apologize and don't really mean it," Celia answered tightly. Her eyes never left O'Connell. And he was staring right back at her. Beni wasn't sure if they were having a staring contest or playing chicken with their eyes. Either way, he wished he knew her back in military school. She did a better job protecting him than anyone ever did, except for Renee. The dark-haired man was silent now, looking from O'Connell to Celia and back again.
"I'll apologize for frightening the little girl. . .and for upsetting you. But he betrayed my trust, lady, and he'll betray yours as well," O'Connell replied. Not good enough for Celia. That was surprising, since O'Connell was apologizing for things about which he was truly sorry. But for whatever reason, Celia didn't budge, and just stared at him intently. Beni had the strange feeling that she wasn't seeing O'Connell, not really. Maybe someone else. Maybe the someone who hurt her that summer? It was a possibility. And again, Evy tried to negotiate a cease-fire.
She put her free hand on Celia's other shoulder, saying very softly, "If we are going to play together, we must learn to share. There are other places to eat, dear, and that is why we're here." What Evy expected *that* to accomplish, Beni had no idea. Still, Evy's real concern was for her roommate, and making sure Celia walked away from this alive. She didn't know O'Connell. Beni did.
Beni's friend just stared at O'Connell, her eyes never leaving his face. She didn't back down. Beni didn't expect her to. Unlike O'Connell, it had nothing to do with pride, and everything to do with seeing something through. It had to do with protecting. Beni didn't deserve to have her as his friend, but he couldn't push her away, either. He needed her. As he said before, he was a coward. But he knew not to push away someone with greater strength.
A glance told him that Evy wasn't surprised by Celia's utter lack of reaction. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at Anck. The other girl just shrugged helplessly. Beni rolled his eyes. The English girl really should have known better, but in some ways, Anck knew Celia better. . .and she knew what Beni knew. Getting Celia to back down would take an act of God. Still, he figured, Evy thought she should at least try. The girl asked, looking back at O'Connell, "Mr. O'Connell, will you leave Beni alone? Do you swear?"
The response was pure O'Connell, as Beni's former friend drawled, "Every damn day." Evy glowered at him, but O'Connell continued, "I know what you meant. And I'll leave this little stinkweed alone. . .as long as he stays out of my path. 'Cause if anything happens to my brother, or anyone else, because of him, I'll rip out his lungs. And you should watch out for your friend. . .'cause he'll stab her in the back, just like he did me. Ardeth. . .let's go."
O'Connell didn't even wait for his companion to answer him. . .just swept away with one last glare at Beni. The man he called 'Ardeth,' the one who called him brother and who protected Ceci, caught Celia's eye and inclined his head to her. For the first time, some of the rage left Beni's friend and she returned the gesture, her pale face turning bright red. The dark-haired man smiled and picked up his backpack, then followed O'Connell. He caught up with the American with just a few steps. . .not hard, since he was around the same height.
Beni looked at Celia, and swallowed hard. When he first fell in love with Renee, it took quite some convincing before Beni could believe she felt the same. After all, what would a beautiful girl like Renee want with Beni? He saw that same attitude in Celia. Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting. He would watch this man a little more, to see if he was good enough for Beni's friend. Most men were not. This one might be an exception.
There was a sigh, and as the tension eased from Celia's body. Everyone was looking at her in shock, and Beni could barely hide his proud grin. He felt like saying, 'this is my friend Celia!' However, he didn't. He knew he still had to deal with the girls. Especially Anck. She would probably wait until Ceci, or Celia, wasn't around to witness the explosion. Probably when the other two girls were at class. But for right now, he would count his blessings.
Celia looked at him, asking softly, "Are you all right?" He nodded, lifting Ceci into his arms. The little girl buried her face in his shoulder, and Beni stroked her black hair very gently. His American friend continued, with a deep sigh, "Well, I probably made at least one enemy, possibly two. But dammit, he made me angry." Beni covered his daughter's ears, though not in time, and Celia blushed, adding, "Sorry." Beni shook his head. No need. He was being foolish.
"Who was that bad man, Daddy? I don't like him! He scared me," Ceci asked plaintively. Beni just hugged his daughter. How exactly did he explain Richard O'Connell? He was the bane of Beni's existence and his best friend at the same time. O'Connell had every reason in the world to hate Beni, and yet, he didn't think Celia would find his explanation of what happened eight years earlier a good enough reason for the attack.
"Someone Daddy hurt a very long time ago, my little angel. Tsank you, my friend. I will not forget this," he told Celia. She bobbed her head, now looking very tired. Anck put her arm around Celia's shoulders in a one-armed hug. Beni continued, "And I am not sure if O'Connell is now your enemy. He is strange in some ways. I do not believe he regards you as a threat. Very foolish of him, of course. . .but if you are not a threat to him, he ignores you."
"Oh, one of those. The 'I'm gonna stick my head in the sand until somebody shoves a stick of dynamite up my backside' type. They're always a barrelful of laughs," Celia murmured, sounding more than a little cynical. Ow. That hurt. Not just her description of O'Connell, but the cynicism in her voice. She shouldn't have seen that much to be that cynical.
On the other hand, from random remarks she made about her family, it seemed likely that her father was similar. Celia was very much the dutiful daughter, but everyone had his or her breaking point. Even if she wouldn't say such a thing about her father, a stranger was fair game. And truly, O'Connell wasn't like that in the academy until Beni's betrayal. Something he couldn't tell Celia, because then she would realize that Beni deserved the other man's enmity.
And he might lose her friendship. He didn't want to lose her as a friend, and he didn't want to stop being Ceci's hero. Anck said softly, "You know, I wonder why Ardeth kept silent so much. I could tell he wanted to do more. Unless he figured that O'Connell had to run out of steam before he would listen. I've known people like that."
"That's probably it. Celia, you really should get some breakfast. Your adrenaline crash is already starting," Evy replied. Celia nodded, the redness in her cheeks once more replaced with a shade lighter than her usual pallor. That was something Anck often teased her about, how she got so little sun. She was naturally pale, and looked even paler with her dark hair. On the other hand, she probably wouldn't have to worry about her skin in another thirty years.
"Yeah. I'll see you later, Beni. Nice to meet you, Ceci," she replied. Ceci did something very unexpected then. She practically propelled herself out of Beni's arms, and lunged for Celia. The teenager smiled and caught her easily, making Beni wonder if she had any nieces or nephews of her own. She hugged Ceci tightly, smiling at something Beni's daughter whispered to her. The only thing Beni heard was, "You're welcome, love. Be good for Daddy."
. . .
Celia closed her eyes, still shaking from the confrontation. After little Ceci tugged herself out of Celia's arms, the tremors hit with a vengeance. Just what the hell was she thinking, taking on someone twice her size? She wasn't thinking. That was the whole truth right there. She wasn't thinking, and even now, Celia wasn't sure if she would have done anything differently. She was so angry!
She was not someone, by and large, who enjoyed confrontations. But she also wouldn't stand by and watch while one of her friends was being bullied. Much less by someone who was so much bigger. A gentle grip on her shoulder guided Celia back in the direction they came, and she followed willingly. It was Anck guiding her, she knew. She knew where Evy and Anck were during the confrontation. Now the anger was dying down, taking the adrenaline with it, and she was left only with shaky limbs. She hated getting angry. She really did.
"Sit," Anck murmured and pushed Celia gently into a chair. The American girl did as she was told, numbly noting the way Beni's daughter was staring at her, even after Celia returned the little girl to her father. Beni's daughter. It occurred to Celia somewhere in the back of her mind that she should be angry with him, for never telling her about his daughter, but right now, she just didn't have the energy. She didn't have the energy for much of anything.
Except Beni's words kept running through her mind. And the other man, O'Connell, the one with Ardeth. Ardeth Bey. At first, Celia was angry with him for not doing more to stop the man with him. But now, as her mind cleared, she realized there was nothing he could have done. The confrontation she witnessed. . .and interrupted. . . was eight years in the making. Obviously, Beni did something the last time they saw each other, and maybe O'Connell had a reason to be furious with him.
But Celia couldn't simply stand by and watch her friend being attacked. She wasn't made that way, and though her parents abhorred the idea of getting involved, her grandmother taught her to always stand up for her friends and herself. Besides, even if Beni deserved that man's anger, little Ceci didn't. And it was eight years earlier. People changed in eight years. And as was said in 'Backdraft,' sometimes, they even changed when you were looking at them.
No. No, Celia couldn't regret her actions. She was sure she did the right thing. She was equally sure that it wasn't admiration and respect in Ardeth Bey's dark eyes when he looked at her after the confrontation. She was seeing things. . .seeing what she wanted to see. Anck gently moved Celia's thick hair away from the nape of her neck and began rubbing the back of Celia's shoulders.
Celia wanted to lean into her friend's embrace, but there were too many people watching. There were too many people around. And she was afraid if she leaned into Anck's arms, she would start crying. Celia hated it when she cried. She hated showing vulnerability of any kind. Especially now. Especially after this summer. Anck said softly, "Evy, why don't you take Ceci to the little girl's room? Beni, make yourself useful and get a tray of food for Celia."
Beni almost protested. . .Celia saw it in his eyes. . .but he quickly swallowed that protest. Orders from Anck had that effect on people, she noticed. Beni squeezed Celia's shoulder, whispering, "Tsank you, my friend. I will not forget this." He walked off in the opposite direction of his daughter and Evy. The English roommate was leading Ceci toward the bathroom, holding her hand.
With everyone gone, and the others in the food court turning back to their own meals, Celia was free to lean against Anck. The other girl held her tightly, whispering, "I am so proud of you. You scared the mierda out of me, but I am proud of you." Celia gave a breathy half-laugh, half-sob. Anck murmured something in Spanish which Celia couldn't quite make out, and drew Celia's head to rest against her chest.
It was actually quite odd. Anck always swore she would never have a child. She planned to work in the field, rather than in the classroom, and the field was no place for a child. But in some ways, she was most maternal out of the three roommates. While Anck always said Celia was the born mother, the den mother, of the three. . .Anck had this unerring instinct of knowing when to comfort and when to challenge.
"That was," Celia whispered, her voice muffled by Anck's shirt, "was either the bravest thing I've ever done, or the stupidest. And right now, I'm having a hard time telling the difference between the two." Anck gave a soft laugh, kissing the top of Celia's head, and the American whispered, "Oh gods, Anck, my legs are shaking. I can't stop shaking. What was I thinking?" Her voice cracked.
She replayed the entire confrontation in her head. . .from the moment O'Connell grabbed Beni, until he and Ardeth walked away. A blinding rage stole over her, and took what little sense she had. She didn't regret her actions, but maybe she could have found another way?
"That one of your friends needed your help. That he was being menaced by someone a lot bigger than he was. You were being true to yourself. . .and that, by the way, was a stroke of genius. Threatening that man with the entire campus knowing he is a bully. I was very proud of you for that alone," Anck whispered, tightening her arms around Celia. The smaller girl gave a choked back laugh.
"I was so mad, Anck, I wasn't even thinking. I was afraid I was incoherent. You know I don't do anger very well," Celia whispered. There was a snort of laughter from her roommate, who knew very well just how badly Celia did anger. They only had to remember the one and only time Celia lost her temper with Evy to know that. She paused, and the memory of Ardeth's gaze came back to her. Celia couldn't help herself, asking, "Anck? About Ardeth Bey?"
"Yes, querida, what about him?" Anck asked softly, soothingly. Oh, Celia hated feeling like this. But this was how it always was after an adrenaline rush. She felt like a week-old kitten, if that. And even before the confrontation a few minutes earlier, her equilibrium was out of sorts. Again, because of Ardeth Bey. She trembled a little. So beautiful. She wasn't in the habit of thinking a man was beautiful, but he took her breath away.
"I. . .I saw him looking at me. Right before he and O'Connell left. I. . .can't figure out how I was. . .I couldn't figure out what was in his eyes," Celia finally managed to force out. She winced, hearing how uncertain she sounded. She sounded stupid, really. Like she didn't know what she was doing. Unfortunately, that happened to be the case. But Anck, thankfully, didn't harass her about her lack of experience.
"I wasn't looking at him. . .but I don't think he would have made that gesture, inclining his head to you, if you hadn't earned his respect at the very least. You surprised us all, querida, but I think Ardeth Bey is far more likely to take you seriously as a threat than his brother is," Anck replied. That wasn't exactly the answer Celia was hoping to get. Bad things happened when members of the male population felt threatened, especially by a small woman. She must have stiffened in Anck's arms, for her roommate added, "That isn't necessarily a bad thing, querida. Ardeth Bey is more likely to take you seriously."
There was that. After all, not all men were like Neil Grady. Maybe she was doing Ardeth Bey a disservice by putting them in the same category. Celia relaxed, and Anck murmured, "You are truly attracted to him. I have never seen you like this, Celia." Well, that made two of them. Celia swung back and forth between knowing in her heart that she did the right thing, defending Beni, and being mortified that Ardeth saw the confrontation. As attracted as she was (in lust?), she wasn't sure if she wanted Ardeth Bey to see her dark side just yet.
However, what she said was, "I'm afraid." Okay, that was a really dumb thing to say. Beyond stupid, really. What kind of idiot was afraid of feeling like this? But Anck didn't tease her about it. Celia was grateful, because it was true. She was genuinely frightened. She was frightened of Ardeth, of the way he made her feel. She was afraid because for the first time in her life, she felt out of control in herself. She was accustomed to being out of control in the situation, but at least then, she was in control of herself.
"I know, querida. It's a very scary thing, these feelings, hmm?" Anck whispered, soothing her. Celia clung to her, slowly coming to the conclusion that even with the death of her beloved grandmother, there was still someone to whom she could hold. Anck. If it was possible, if it was humanly to be there, Anck would always be there for her, in spirit, if not in body. Anck would never leave her, never betray her.
"Yeah, it's scary. But at least I have you to help me make sense of these things," Celia answered, drawing back to look at her best friend. There were some things she shared with Evy, but not with Anck. . .however, those were few and far between. And Anck's face softened further with Celia's words. The taller girl released her hold on Celia, instead cupping her face in her hands to stare directly in her eyes.
A few moments later, when she apparently found whatever she was looking for in Celia's eyes, Anck added, "You will always have me, querida. Something happened this summer, hmm? Something, aside from your holiday with your brothers? Why have you not told us? Why are you afraid in that way?" It seemed so stupid now, after what they just went through, what they just witnessed. But Celia was afraid. She was afraid if she told Anck, and/or Evy, they would lose respect for her. She was afraid they would take Grady's side.
"I'll tell you tonight. I promise. I don't want to talk about it here. Not now. Okay?" Celia asked and Anck nodded, drawing her back into a fierce embrace. Celia didn't know how Anck realized there was a connection between what just happened and what happened this summer. And she didn't think she really cared. She just knew that it was safe for her to share this burden now. There was one other thing on her mind, however. Celia whispered, clinging to Anck once more, "Anck? Do you really think I might be good enough for Ardeth?"
A stream of Spanish emerged from her friend, then Anck finally answered, "Ay, querida! The question isn't, are you good enough for him. You are good enough for any man on this campus, and too good for most of them. No, querida, mi amiga querida, the question is if he is good enough for you. That is the million dollar question. I will be watching him very closely, hermanita. I will be watching him to make sure he is good enough for you."
. . .
The idea, when Anck directed her to take Ceci to the little girl's room, was to give Anck time to calm Celia down. Evy was totally incapable of doing that. She had this unerring instinct of angering Celia further when her roommate was this upset. And knowing how little bladders could be, Evy had no trouble taking the little girl to the bathroom. However, as to be expected, things didn't remain simple.
For one thing, after leaving the site of the confrontation, O'Connell and Ardeth doubled back. So, as Evy and Ceci emerged from the ladies' room, the two pairs came face to face. There was a moment of stunned silence, then little Ceci Gabor ran at O'Connell, screaming, "You hurt my daddy! I hate you!" She pounded against his thighs and knees with tiny fists. The three adults were stunned into inactivity for a moment.
Then Evy regained her composure and grabbed the little girl, scooping her into her arms. She soothed the child with meaningless phrases, holding her tightly. Evy didn't like the little girl's father. She would be the very first to admit it. But she also didn't like an unprincipled, rude scoundrel like O'Connell. Celia had the right of it. . .he attacked Beni Gabor, unprovoked, right in front of everyone.
So she was more than a little surprised at the expression that crossed the American's face when Ceci screamed at him. He looked. . .hurt. More to the point, he looked human, rather than smug and patronizing, as he did when he was arguing with Celia. Much to her shock, Evy realized he was actually. . .cute? Well. . .yes. He wasn't really Evy's type. He was too big for one thing. But. . .still. He was still cute.
But he was still a rude scoundrel who upset her roommate, she told herself firmly, trying to ignore the way her knees quivered when he looked at her. O'Connell threatened that perception as he stepped forward and said softly, "I'm sorry I frightened you, honey." That provoked another wail from Ceci, and Evy backed away. She could appreciate that O'Connell was trying to make amends with the little girl, but now really was not the time.
"Come, little one. . .we should go back to your father," Evy told the little girl. She was on the point of suggesting they meet Beni, who was carefully carrying a tray of food toward the table shared by the three roommates, when she realized Ceci left the little purse she was carrying in the bathroom. She said, "Ceci, honey, did you leave your pocketbook in the stall you were using?" Ceci looked around wildly, her eyes growing very big.
"I be right back! Don't leave without me, Miss Evy!" the little girl cried out, sounding like she was on the point of tears. It was probably a special item for the little girl. Maybe a gift from her mother or father, something she couldn't bear to lose. Evy had such things, once upon a time, and the fear in the child's voice touched her heart. Ceci dashed back into the bathroom, leaving the young girl alone with the two men. Maybe she should have followed Ceci in? Make sure she didn't hurt herself, or get taken?
That might be a good idea. Evy turned away from the pair, saying curtly, "Gentlemen. . . and in your case, Mr. O'Connell, I use the term lightly!" She caught the barest hint of a smile on Ardeth Bey's face. Almost as if he approved of her. Not, of course, that such a thing meant anything to Evy. It wasn't like she was Celia, after all, who patently had a terrible crush on the man. Evy continued, "I should check on Ceci. . .she's only three years old." Ardeth inclined his head to her, just as he had to Celia, right before he left with O'Connell. However, as Evy turned away, O'Connell caught her arm and swung her back around to face him. Evy's dark hair whipped around her face as she glowered at the rude man.
Ooooh! Of all the nerve! O'Connell said, ignoring her fury, "Remember what I said, lady. Beni betrayed me. He and I pulled a prank on some seniors when we were in military school together. Except when we got to the dormitory where we lived, he got in through the door first, and slammed it shut behind him. Leaving me alone to face some very pissed off seniors, by myself. They probably would have beaten me within an inch of my life, if the 'lights out' call didn't distract them."
That was all very interesting, and Evy could actually understand why O'Connell hated Beni so. As she said on more than one occasion, she didn't like Beni herself. This sordid little tale only heightened her contempt for the little weasel. But she honestly didn't see what that had to do with her and her roommates. O'Connell was happy to enlighten her, explaining, "He betrayed me. . .he'll betray your friend as well. Watch her back."
Evy drew herself up to her full height and lifted her chin proudly, saying, "Mr. O'Connell. I will thank you to keep your observations to yourself. Anck-su-namun and I have been 'watching' Celia's back from the moment we met her last year. . .we certainly do not need your input in how to protect our friend from the likes of Beni Gabor. Or, for that matter, from the likes of you! You would be better suited to taking care of your own."
By this time, rage was coursing through her very veins. Evy was incensed. Why, the very idea that this smug, rude American could tell her how to take care of her roommate! Never mind that she wasn't entirely truthful when she told O'Connell that she and Anck took care of Celia from the moment they met her. That was hardly his concern! But if she thought her tongue-lashing would make him think twice about messing with the girls of Two Twenty, Navarre Hall, she was quite mistaken.
Instead, his mouth lifted into a smile Evy might have found charming under different circumstances. She would have been charmed, if she wasn't feeling so strangely. That angered her enough, that he wasn't taking her seriously. However, she was in far more trouble than she realized. She didn't know what to make of the expression in his blue eyes. . .so, when he grabbed her by her waist and kissed her hard. . .she was too stunned to do anything.
By the time her brain started working, O'Connell released her and was smiling at her entirely too smugly. He asked, still looking entirely too smug for Evy's liking, "Now you're gonna tell me that you're angry that I kissed you?" Evy's anger returned at the smug tone, overriding the fog and warmth that lingered in her body after the touch. She welcomed the anger. . .she knew how to react to anger.
Evy raised her eyebrows and replied rather pertly, "If you call that a kiss." She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes narrow. He wasn't going to get the best of Evelyn Carnahan, no sir, he was not! She was proud of herself, for holding her own as well as Celia did when she confronted Mr. O'Connell just a few minutes earlier. Unfortunately, that quiet pride was overridden as another question occurred to her. She couldn't help herself. Really, she couldn't. Hearing the pitter-patter of Ceci's shoes on the tile floor, Evy asked almost hesitantly, "By the way. . .why *did* you kiss me?"
O'Connell shrugged his broad shoulders (damn her for noticing that, and damn him for drawing her attention to them) and replied in a bored tone of voice, "I dunno. In the past ten minutes, I've seen someone I never wanted to see again, got shown up by someone who looks like she belongs in a dance company, and got beaten up by a three year old. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Evy heard Ardeth groan, saw him shake his head. It should have made her feel better, but it didn't. Ceci came out of the bathroom and Evy stamped her foot, snarling out, "OOOH!" That was all she could manage. She stamped her foot again, grabbed Ceci's hand, and led her back toward her father. She barely heard O'Connell call, 'what? What did I say?' Strangely enough, she heard Ardeth more clearly. . .and he was the more soft-spoken of the two.
The man who turned her roommate's head answered with a sigh, "If you really must ask that question, ya ahi, then there is nothing I can tell you." The obvious exasperation in Ardeth's voice made Evy smile, and made her slow down. After all, she was supposed to be leading Ceci back to her father, not dragging the poor child. Besides. She didn't want O'Connell to think he got the best of any of the girls from two twenty Navarre!
. . .
"If you really must ask that question, ya ahi, then there is nothing I can tell you."
Rick O'Connell turned to look at his younger brother, hearing the exasperation in Ardeth's tone. The last few minutes went very badly for Rick, and the confrontation with the English girl was just another bump on the road. It occurred this was all wrong. He was far more experienced with women than Ardeth was. . .and yet, Ardeth knew exactly what he said wrong, to send Evelyn Carnahan off in a huff. This was really starting to get on Rick's nerves.
"Well, educate me, since you're so much smarter than me," Rick challenged. He had no right to take this out on Ardeth. He knew that. Just as he knew the little brunette whom he dismissed as being unworthy of his attention was right. Beni deserved exactly what Rick dished out, but he should have done it somewhere else. Rick's only real defense was that he was so shocked by Beni's appearance here, of all places, that his brain quit working.
"Rick. . .you told her that she was just a warm body. I have little knowledge of women, but even I know better than that. Acacia and Aleta have told me about the young warriors who try to court them," Ardeth replied quietly. Damn. He was right. Rick hated it when his brother was right, especially since it seemed to happen about ninety percent of the time. He hated it even more when he was right about something in which he had little practical experience.
"You mean there are actually warriors who have the guts to court the chieftain's sisters?" Rick asked flippantly. Ardeth favored him with a dirty look as they headed back outside. Rick was immediately ashamed of himself. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder, saying, "Sorry. You didn't deserve that. Any of it. It's just. . .Ardeth, what the hell was that girl thinking? She can't be more than five two or five three. . .and she was defending Beni?"
"She sees him as her friend, ya ahi, and reacting as anyone would to a threat. The way you react to a threat," Ardeth answered quietly. Rick shook his head, not negating what this brother said, but unable to comprehend it. Ardeth continued after a moment, "There was a time before the betrayal, when you saw Beni as your friend, yes? What would you have done, if someone threatened him? The same thing you did when I was stabbed, yes?"
Not quite, but Rick took Ardeth's point. He didn't want to. . .didn't want to see anyone else's viewpoint, for that would bog him down. But Ardeth spoke sense, like he almost always did. There were times when Rick hated him for that. He hated him even more when Ardeth added a moment later, a mischievous smile appearing, "And truly, who is it that agitates you more? The American roommate or the English roommate?"
Rick glared at him, but Ardeth wasn't in the least bit cowed. His younger brother added, his smile becoming downright wicked, "Why did you kiss her, ya ahi? Unlike Miss Carnahan, I can see through your smoke and mirrors." Rick's glare intensified, but as usual, his little brother wasn't in the least bit afraid of him. Or it. Ardeth repeated, "Why did you kiss her? And I say again, do not try to tell me because it seemed like a good idea at the time?"
"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" Rick fired back. This bothered Ardeth not at all, for in the words of their sister Acacia, that was part of his job description as chieftain. Rick finally sighed, "Oh, all right! You know there are some women who are. . .in your face. Right? She's not one of them, but she's got this fire. I was trying to make her angry, so I could see some of that anger, some of that fire."
The truth of the matter was, Rick wasn't entirely sure why he kissed Evy Carnahan. She wasn't his usual type. But during the confrontation in the hall. . .there was a spark there. And the song and dance he just gave Ardeth was the best way he knew how to explain what he experienced. Ardeth was silent, and Rick decided to return the favor, asking, "And just what is going on with you and that little fireball?"
Ardeth smiled sadly, answering, "There can never be anything between us, Rick. You and I will be here long enough to stop Imhotep from turning over the Book to his buyer, turn him over to the proper authorities, then we. . .or at least I. . .will return to Egypt with the Book. She is meant for other things." Rick looked at his brother quickly, and saw that Ardeth was trying to convince himself of that.
The older brother said, trying desperately to eliminate the sadness from Ardeth's eyes, "It doesn't have to be like that, you know. You could spend time with her while you're here. I think she likes you." Ardeth blushed at that, and Rick continued, "Just think about it, okay?"
"I cannot do that, my brother. If I allow myself to care for her, then I will place her in danger. Imhotep is not one who believes in harming innocents. . .but Lock-nah is another matter. You know what he is like. . .he kills people because he enjoys inflicting pain. He would harm her, just to get to me," Ardeth argued. Rick couldn't tell his brother that he was wrong. He wasn't. That was exactly the sort of thing Lock-nah would do.
He said after a moment, "Yeah, but I think Miss Celia Ferguson is quite good at taking care of herself. You saw how well she stood up to me." There was more to her than he first thought. . .she wasn't the colorless little nonentity whom he took her for. And while he wasn't entirely sure she was good enough for his little brother, he couldn't deny that Ardeth's eyes lit up whenever she was around.
"You would have never hurt her, Rick, that is not your way," Ardeth told him. Damn. He was batting a thousand today. Rick knew he would have never hurt Celia. . .as annoying as he found her attempts to protect Beni. He would have never hurt her, and that was something that couldn't be said for Lock-nah. It was like Ardeth said. The renegade enjoyed hurting people. And if he even guessed that Ardeth looked at her twice. . .
"Okay," he sighed, "if I admitted that you're right, would you please drop the subject?" Ardeth laughed outright, and Rick continued, "We should be moving on anyhow. I need to get back to work, and what about you. . .when is your next class?" They were leaving the building now, walking back toward the main part of campus. Rick noticed while they were scouting out the perimeter before the start of school that the dorms were on the outer rim of the campus, with the academic buildings on the inside.
"Not until ten. One of the perks of being a tenured professor, Uncle Terrence tells me. Being able to pick and choose your own hours," Ardeth answered dryly. Uh. . .yeah. Rick could see how that would be a perk. Ardeth paused, shrugged as something occurred to him, then added, "I'm also told that the same is true of the upperclassmen. Juniors and seniors have their pick of the schedules. If they want the later classes, they have the first dibs on those, so to speak, and the underclassmen have the early classes."
"Damn, it sucks to be a freshman or sophomore," Rick said, shaking his head. He only got up early because he had to. He could relate to the younger students. Especially if they weren't morning people. Besides. Being the chieftain's stepbrother was a bit like being a freshman or sophomore. Rick continued after a moment, "So. . .I meant to ask you this earlier, but kinda forgot in all the excitement. Have we learned anything new or interesting?" Ardeth raised his brows at Rick's reference to 'excitement.' Rick steeled himself, knowing all too well that he just left himself open to a sarcastic remark.
However, Ardeth didn't follow through. Something that was surprising in and of itself. Instead, he said, "I did learn something from the department secretary. Something my mother suggested to me." Rick smothered a grin. Yeah, he could just imagine his stepmother saying something like that. Ardeth continued after a moment, glancing at Rick from the corner of his eye, "I have learned Imhotep's pseudonym while he is on campus. It is Emmett Tepper."
Rick was tremendously grateful that he wasn't drinking anything, because if he was, he would have spat it out when his brother told him what Imhotep was calling himself now. He looked quickly at Ardeth. Of course he wasn't joking. Ardeth did have a sense of humor, but it wasn't *that* twisted. Rick repeated, trying to process the name, "Emmett Tepper. Imhotep. I suppose it fits. In a weird, warped sort of way."
"Aywa, that was my thought as well. I also found out, again from the department secretary while she was giving the syllabi to me, that his first class is tomorrow. I shall find a way to be in the building at the time, so I may observe him," Ardeth explained. Rick nodded, already thinking of ways he could shuffle his schedule. He came to the States to watch Ardeth's back, and that was exactly what he was gonna do.
He just hoped he wouldn't see Evy Carnahan again. She might just distract him.