AGHHHHHHHH! I can't believe it's been almost two months since I last updated! I would promise to do better, but I'm not sure I can keep that promise.
Reviews:
M.Jules: Hi! Welcome board! Seven hours? Whoa, I'm impressed! I haven't pulled a seven-hour jobber in. . .well, a long time! I'm glad you're enjoying this so much, particularly my characterizations of Imhotep and Anck-su-namun (or, as my best friend/evil twin calls them 'Teppy' and 'Moonie' Where do you think I got the name 'Tepper' from?) As for Ardeth and O'Connell. . .it just seemed to fit, you know? And I'm glad you like Celia so much. . .I'm rather fond of her myself. (grins) Here's more!
Kelekona8: What can I tell you, I'm a sucker for the idea of my favorite villain and my favorite hero joining forces! One thing that impressed me in the first film (and second), was Imhotep's loyalty. He was very loyal to his own priests, and I always got the impression while watching the second film that he viewed Hafez and Lock-nah with contempt because they didn't understand loyalty to those under them. More sweet stuff between Celia and Ardeth coming up, and more funny stuff (especially courtesy of Anck. She's turning into quite the little devil!)
Sailor Elf: Well, if you liked the 'parley' scene, you'll like a section in this chapter. (giggles evilly)
LilyLynn: Sorry it took so long! The characters were being stubborn.
Terreis: And I'm not finished weaving, either. It's becoming even more tangled, just in this chapter.
On with the fic!
Part Seventeen
After coming to an agreement about these new lessons, and once Evy and Anck returned to the kitchen (once they were capable of getting up and returning to the kitchen), a brief silence fell between Celia and Ardeth. Celia managed to get up from the floor and sit beside Ardeth on the divan. Ardeth kept silent while she composed herself, but every few moments, he would hear her giggle. Not even Rick's appearance and disappearance made a difference.
Once she could breathe without laughing, Ardeth decided it was time to change the subject. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what prompted that burst of laughter from the three girls. The night before, when Celia kissed him, Ardeth tried to put up a barrier between them by having her talk about herself. That didn't work. Instead, Ardeth let his own guard down. He told Celia about losing his father when he was thirteen, and how much it hurt. Never really knowing if he made his father proud, something he wanted desperately.
The Med-jai were never mentioned. Ardeth didn't want to explain about the twelve tribes of his people. Instead, he focused on his family, telling Celia about Andreas and his death five years earlier. And to his shame, he admitted how angry he was with his brother. He never admitted that before. Not to his mother. Not even to Rick. Celia, for her part, merely listened in silence, her dark eyes reflecting compassion and sorrow.
"Galen. . .there have been times when he has frightened me. He. . .you know, we're Scottish on my dad's side of the family. But my grandmother, Annabelle. . .her mother was Irish. And there are stories told of berserkers. In battle, they would go into killing rages. . . sometimes even killing their own allies. Galen can get like that. If someone harms Jason or me, he'll shift into berserker mode. There's not. . .not even a hesitation," Celia said at last.
Yes, that sounded like Andreas. Years after Ardeth almost died while protecting Rick, Nathaniel finally told him that they. . .the adults. . .had to keep Rick and Andreas separated while Ardeth was unconscious. Nathaniel only told him at that time, because Andreas was dead. The young chieftain allowed himself a half-smile. Yes, Nathaniel knew him well. He knew that Ardeth would have had a few things to say to Andreas, if he knew about the confrontations.
"It would seem," Ardeth answered quietly, "that our brothers are more alike than either of us realized. Though based on what you have told me of Jason, it seems likely that Rick is a combination of both your brothers." Celia grinned, a mischievous smile that made her seem like a little girl of nine or ten. That smile threatened to steal Ardeth's breath away, for he saw in that moment what she must have been like as a child.
"I think that's probably a good way of putting it. And you and I, we've both been caught in the middle between our brothers. You, between Rick and Andreas. . .me, between Galen and Jason. Although, in my case, it's more a matter of chronological and birth order than actually physically between them. Galen has eleven years on me, and I'm five years older than Jason. That's a sixteen year age difference. . .and a world of difference in attitude," Celia observed.
"Even so," Ardeth answered, feeling his throat grow dangerously tight, "there are many kinds of 'in-between.' And as my mother and step- father have said more than once, similar wounds cause similar scars. Perhaps that is part of what draws us together. It is not simply because you are lovely and bright, kind and generous. There is more to this. There. . ." He paused, dangerously close to letting down more of his guard than he was ready to.
And fortunately for Ardeth, Celia didn't notice. She was blushing, her pale cheeks turning bright pink as she whispered, "You. . .you think I'm pretty?" Ardeth was so stunned by her question, he didn't answer at first. Of course he thought she was pretty, how could he think otherwise? How could any man with eyes believe that she was anything other than pretty? The possibility that he was among the few who saw her thus was difficult for Ardeth to comprehend. He thought she was pretty when he first met her, pretty in a quiet way. He thought she was pretty when he first met her, but now. . .
"I do not think you are pretty. I think you are beautiful," he replied. Celia's lips parted, and Ardeth found himself wishing to kiss her again. But her brother was nearby, and he would not show such disrespect to his host. However, his heart demanded that he continue with what he was saying. And so, Ardeth continued softly, "You have such astonishing eyes. Almost jade when you're happy. Obsidian when you are angry and by firelight. And in the meantime, they are both green and brown. Such beautiful eyes."
Celia, by now, couldn't have spoken if she tried. And she wasn't even trying. Instead, she was simply staring at him, dumbfounded. She was lovely even now, staring at him with wide eyes and her mouth falling open ever so slightly. Ardeth smiled at her, adding, "And your hair. Would you slap me, Cecelia, if I told you I have wished to comb my fingers through your hair?" Something that sounded almost like a laugh was torn from her throat as she shook her head. Ardeth went on, "Since I cannot do that. . ."
"Says who?" Celia asked, the stunned expression leaving her face. Ardeth stared at her, his turn to be shocked. But not nearly as shocked as he was when Celia's fingers slipped around his wrist and lifted his hand to her hair. The pads of Ardeth's fingers touched the dark mass, then found a single curl. He twisted the curl around his trigger finger, then lightly stroked it with his thumb. Not once did he look away from her.
Nor did she look away from him. Instead, she reached out with her free hand and caressed the line of his hair along his forehead. Ardeth's pulse quickened at the light touch. Indeed, it felt as if his heart skipped a beat as her fingers traced his hairline, then a single digit stroked the tattoos on his forehead. He found it singularly hard to breathe. . .harder still to swallow. Indeed, he feared it would be impossible for him to speak at this moment.
Not that he knew what to say. They simply sat there, eyes locked, fingers in each other's hair. Neither of them heard the door slowly open. Neither of them saw Anck-su-namun and Evelyn peek outside the kitchen. Nor did they hear the two girls creep into the living room, exchanging wild grins of triumph. A moment before Ardeth forgot that he was a guest in Galen Ferguson's home, however, and kissed the lovely girl in front of him, they both heard something else. The slam of the front door.
Then Rick exclaimed, "Okay, you two have got to stop kissing in front of other people! That's just not fair to the rest of us!" Ardeth and Celia didn't pull apart, but Ardeth stopped his own forward motion, barely biting back a groan of frustration. That was twice Rick did such a thing, and Ardeth was becoming very annoyed. Rick, however, still didn't realize that as he continued, "That's just not fair at all! She cheated!"
Before Ardeth could chastise his brother, before Celia could do anything other than shoot Rick a truly poisonous glare, Evelyn and Anck-su-namun chimed in unison, "PIRATE!" And then collapsed in helpless laughter once more. Ardeth mouthed, 'pirate?' in confusion. However, Celia was no help here, as she was laughing silently. Again. As for Rick, he looked just as confused as Ardeth felt. There was some comfort in that.
. . .
Things were rapidly going from bad to worse for Rick O'Connell. His stint as a clown lasted a very short time. While he certainly looked goofy, his heart simply wasn't it, not after seeing Ardeth thrown from the horse. He wasn't the only one. The kids weren't particularly interested in anything Rick did, aside from their giggles when he first appeared. At last, Rick gave up and told the kids to go back inside, and maybe they could watch a movie while having their picnic inside. He didn't like the looks of the clouds moving into the area.
This suggestion, not surprisingly, was greeted with great enthusiasm by the youngsters. Rick heard Evelyn's nephew Alex suggest asking Dr Ferguson if he had 'Pirates of the Caribbean' on DVD. Rick never saw the movie, but then, he never saw 'The Lord of the Rings' either. From what he heard from the older children, there were at least two movies out. Rick couldn't bring himself to watch those movies, not yet. His mother had loved the trilogy, and she was forever urging him to read it. Rick, however, wasn't particularly interested in reading anything that didn't deal with cars, weapons, or sports at the time.
Now, of course, he wished he did. It would have been another link to his lost mother. And Rick noticed that little Alex's suggestion brought cheers from the other children. There was a part of him that felt insulted that a damn movie brought more enthusiasm than him in a clown suit. . .on the other hand, he was highly perturbed that he was even wearing the damn clown suit in the first place.
And then to find his brother and the little roommate on the verge of another kiss, when Rick's attempts to kiss Evelyn Carnahan kept getting interrupted? It just wasn't fair! Not in the least. Rick made no attempt at sugar-coating it, either. However, he was more than a little stunned when Anck and Evelyn exclaimed in unison (how often did they do that?), "PIRATE!" Then both girls (along with their roommate) collapsed into helpless laughter.
Ardeth looked just as confused as he felt. And only a little light was shone on the subject by little Alex, who exclaimed gleefully, "Cap'n Jack! Aunt Evy, I didn't know you liked Cap'n Jack!" Rick looked at the little boy, who continued happily, "D'ya think that Dr Galen has 'Pirates of the Caribbean' on DVD? Mr Rick hasn't ever seen it, and he thinks it's gettin' ready to storm out there!"
Ardeth barely suppressed a groan. Only someone who knew him as well as Rick did would have noticed. Just as he noticed his brother reluctantly untangling his fingers from the little roommate's hair, before slumping back against the sofa. Rick bit the inside of his cheek, trying very hard not to laugh. It wasn't funny. . .like hell it wasn't! It stuck in his craw that his little brother was seeing more action than he was, and this was making up for it.
"Yes, Alexander, my brother does, indeed, have 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' If you all will quietly find seats around. . ." and here the little roommate gestured vaguely around the sofa and the rest of the room, "I'll find the DVD and get it started." She started to leave her seat, looking more than a little disgruntled that her moment with Ardeth was interrupted. However, she wasn't entirely out of her seat when she fixed all of the children with a stern look, adding, "And whoever tries to steal my seat gets to clean out the stables once the movie is over."
Judging from the disappointed groans, Rick figured more than one girl was planning to do just that. Then again, he shouldn't have been so surprised. The little roommate gave them one last Look, then got up. Evelyn Carnahan added, "And just to make sure you lot does as you're told, I'll be staying out here until Celia returns to her seat. Then we'll start bringing the sandwiches out here, since they're almost done." There was another chorus of groans, and Evy added primly, "We want to watch the movie, too."
And that was exactly what she did. Under her watchful eye, not even one girl tried to steal Celia's place from beside Ardeth. However, Rick leaned over and whispered to his brother, "Better you than me, brother. . .your little lady seems to be a bit on the bossy side." Ardeth's dark brow lifted, along with the corners of his mouth. Oh shit. Rick knew that expression. It meant he was in trouble.
"Can you think of anyone better suited for a Med-jai chieftain, then, ya ahi?" he asked innocently. Rick had to remind himself that his brother took a nasty spill earlier. Otherwise, he would have smacked him in the back of his head. Especially when Ardeth favored him with a particularly saccharine smile, the kind which always appeared when Ardeth knew Rick was getting ready to smack him for one reason or another.
"So not going there," Rick muttered. Celia returned to the room, carrying a DVD jewel case in her hand. She knelt in front of the tv and put the diskette into the player. As she bent her head over her work, her dark hair seemed to part right down the middle, showing the nape of her neck. A muffled groan emerged from his brother's throat, and Rick looked at Ardeth in surprise. Ardeth's eyes were fixed on his lady's kneeling body, more specifically, on her exposed neck.
And Rick knew, he just knew that his brother was thinking about pressing a light kiss to the exposed skin they now saw. The older step- brother jabbed the younger in the ribs, drawing a glare. A blush followed a moment later, and Ardeth ducked his head. Oh yeah. Definitely thinking about kissing her. . .and who was to say he would stop at the nape of her neck, or with her lips?
EW!!!!!!!!!! O'Connell, get your mind outta the gutter before you make yourself sick! Unfortunately for Rick, though, he had a very active, and very vivid imagination. And there were just some things you just didn't want to imagine, when it came to your brother or your parents. Fortunately, the little roommate returned to claim her place at Ardeth's side. With Celia back in her own seat, Evy left the room.
There were a few whines of 'when's the movie gonna start?' The screen was frozen on the menu. . .or at least, Rick thought it was the menu. He wasn't that familiar with DVD's. Sure, he used them a few times before leaving the States eight years earlier. . .but he was eight years out of practice. Celia replied calmly, quieting the whines, "The movie will start with Anck and Evy bring the sandwiches in. It doesn't start without them."
"Or me. . .Matt and Cass are on their way, too. Although, you might want to skip over some parts. You know how jealous Matt can get. Cass drools every time Johnny Deep is on the screen," Galen Ferguson replied. Celia looked up at her brother, who sat down on her other side. He raised his eyebrow at how close Ardeth and Celia sat. . .the little roommate was practically tucked in under Ardeth's arm. . .but said nothing.
"Johnny Depp, Galen, it's Johnny Depp," Celia corrected, her lips quirking. Rick grinned. He didn't know. . .he kinda liked Galen's term. And from the doctor's expression, it seemed pretty likely that Galen knew it, too.
'Sides, wasn't the guy a little old for Cass? From what he could gather, she was a little older than he and Ardeth, which made her no more than twenty-five or twenty-six. And that, in turn, made her about fifteen or twenty years younger than the guy. That much Rick remembered from the girls he hung around with before leaving for Egypt. They thought the guy was hot. He would never understand women. Not if he lived to be a hundred.
"Deep, Depp, whatever," Galen replied dismissively. He shot his sister and Rick's brother another look, then said, "Just remember, little sister. You are effectively sandwiched between two guys who are a helluva lot bigger than you are. . .and Ardeth ain't in much shape to protect you right now." Now Celia lifted her brows at her brother, and she was on the verge of answering. Then Evy and Anck entered with the sandwiches. Celia pressed the 'play' button, and everyone settled in to watch the movie.
. . .
His baby sister was growing up. It was something Galen Ferguson knew for a while. Hell, how could he help but notice? But it wasn't until this weekend that he realized that his baby sister wouldn't be his baby sister for much longer. Or rather, she wouldn't be just his baby sister. Galen liked Ardeth. He liked the young man a lot. But Celia was still his baby sister, and Galen wasn't entirely sure any man was worthy of his little sister.
However, as Matt pointed out to him, what he thought wasn't worthy diddly. Celia believed rather strongly that Ardeth was most assuredly worthy of her, and while she was only nineteen, she wasn't your average nineteen year old. Gran saw to that. . .as did the assholes who tried to kidnap her and Galen more than fifteen years earlier. She wasn't average in any way, shape, or form. Although, he knew, she would try to say that she was average-looking.
But Ardeth Bey knew the truth. Galen supposed that was why he was willing to entertain the possibility that the young man might be good enough for Celia. Still, he had to look the other way whenever it seemed that Ardeth and Celia might kiss. There were just some things a man didn't need to see. Galen made a mental note to ask Jonathan Carnahan if he felt the same when it seemed likely that Evy and Rick would kiss.
And O'Connell. Galen shook his head, thinking of the brash young man. He was a real piece of work, O'Connell was. Galen was several years older, and in some ways, O'Connell reminded him of Jason. The baby of the family was a typical fourteen year old in some ways. And that was O'Connell from time to time. A fourteen year old kid in the body of a twenty-three year old. He was surprised. . .okay, maybe shocked was a better term. . .to learn that Ardeth was actually the younger of the two. He acted like he was closer to thirty.
So yeah, both Jason and O'Connell acted fourteen sometimes. But there were other times when Jason's observations and insight took Galen's breath away. He supposed it shouldn't surprise him so much. The boy damn near died. He actually saw other people die. Something like that left a mark on your soul. He saw it in his brother, he saw it in his sister. He saw it, too, in the step-brothers.
And it was that knowledge which concerned Dr Galen Ferguson. Both of the step-brothers witnessed death. First hand. And it was even possible they actually killed someone else. That disturbed him. No, neither young man was a hood of some kind. They were both good kids, no matter how hard O'Connell tried to pretend it wasn't so. Galen also thought it was likely they either killed in self-defense, or killed to prevent something worse from happening.
But his instinct remained. . .they probably killed someone in the past. And sooner or later, that would lead to Celia being caught in the crossfire. He acknowledged, rather painfully, that this was no reason to prevent a relationship from developing between his sister and the young man. Celia was in danger of every day of her life. She was in danger from the moment she was born. She was in danger because she was an American, and she was in danger because she was the daughter of a rich man.
Something Galen learned the hard way. It was painful to know that. To know that his sister, that his brother, that all three of them were in danger for something they had no control over. There was someone in the world, in the country, hell, maybe even at the hospital or on campus who hated them because of what they were, whom they were, or even whom their friends were. So what reason did he have to be leery of Ardeth?
It was in that perspective that Galen felt easier about Ardeth's ancient soul, and the likelihood that the young man killed someone in the past. Ardeth was an honorable man. A man who believed in protecting others. Given that, wouldn't he rather his sister marry a warrior, someone who could protect her properly from anyone who hated her for whom she was, what she was, whom her friends were?
Galen wasn't a fool. He knew from both Margit and Anck-su-namun that there were people on campus who hated his sister because she was friends with a Latina, because she was friends with Evy. Probably even because of her bond with Beni Gabor. And if they learned that she was the daughter of rich parents, they would probably use that as a reason to hate her, too. Most of those people would probably never directly harm her, but there was always the chance she would get caught in the middle when someone went after Anck, Evy, or Beni.
She didn't even have to do anything directly. There were some people who just couldn't stand the idea of anyone standing with their enemy, and that was reason enough to hurt her. For some, that was more than enough reason. The more Galen thought about it, the more he felt like an idiot for even doubting Ardeth. He wasn't sure if Ardeth knew about Neil Grady, but it couldn't hurt to tell him. Galen smiled wickedly to himself. Now that would be fun. . .Grady the ass facing off with Ardeth Bey. 'Course, Galen would have to hang around, and make sure Grady fought fair. The pediatrician didn't think Grady was capable of fighting fair, otherwise.
Galen felt his sister's elbow connect with his side, and he looked up in surprise. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, raising a single finger to her lips and nodding her head toward the tv. With a start, Galen realized he was muttering to himself, and most likely disturbing the others. He patted his sister's knee, then his gaze met Anck's. What an unlikely name for an unlikely girl.
Anck-su-namun Cortez. A walking, talking contradiction in terms. There were times when his little sister tried to play matchmaker between them, but Anck was too much like a younger sister to Galen for that to ever work. Besides, she just wasn't his type. There was a wildness in her that frightened him. Something wild and uncontrollable, something untamable. Nor did Galen have the desire to tame her.
Anck, Celia, Evy. Three unlikely friends. Anck brought the wildness out in his own sister, and that frightened him at first. Until he realized how selfish he was being. He didn't want his sister to change. . .until he saw what she could be like. The shyness was gone when she was around Anck. She was no longer Galen or Jason's sister, no longer Bruce and Madeline's ugly duckling daughter. When she was with Anck, she was Celia. She was herself.
It horrified him, sometimes, when he stopped and thought about it. There was actually a time when he wanted Celia to remain 'just' his sister, 'just' the daughter of their parents. A time when he bitterly resented any rocking of his world. His world was already rocked to its very foundations, and he desperately needed the stability he lost. He bitterly resented his sister. . .his baby sister, one of the most important people in his life. . .for upsetting the balance yet again.
He was, after all, only human. And Galen needed time to get his balance back, but when he realized that his sister was suffocating, dying inside. . .he found that balance in a hurry. His sister needed him, and that made everything right. Because though his sister was changing at a breath-taking rate, she was still his sister. Still the little sister whom Galen protected and loved and cherished from the moment he first saw her, only moments after her birth.
The little sister, who, in turn, tried to protect him. She was so funny that way. Celia was just a little bit of a thing. More than a foot shorter than he was, but she could be so fierce. Especially when she was protecting him or Jason. Galen stared at the images on the television set, without really seeing them, and he smiled. Yes, Celia could be downright vicious when she was protecting something that belonged to her.
'Little mother,' he called her, half in fun and full in earnest, as the Irish said sometimes. It amused him, especially after the first time he heard Jonathan call Evy 'old mum.' He asked the professor about it, and Jonathan explained that while Evy was his baby sister. . . actually his half- sister, if you wanted to get technical about it (which Galen didn't). . .she often acted like his older sister or his mother. She was bloody well bossy when she was of a mind to be.
Celia's friendship with Evy, Galen could understand. They were two halves of the same whole. Evy could be bossy and self-righteous. . .while Celia was more of the quiet, supportive types. The one, he realized with a faint smile, from whom the others derived their strength.
Bossy Evy, wild Anck, and steady Celia. He was wrong a few minutes earlier. They were three thirds of the same whole, and maybe their group would enlarge. His did. In the beginning, it was just him and Matt. Then Cass joined the group, still healing over her previous boyfriend's abuse. It widened, to include her. . .she became one of them. That's what he was seeing slowly, over time, with Evy, Anck, and Celia.
As Galen turned his attention back to the tv, Will Turner was hotly declaring that he would die for Elizabeth Swann. That set him to thinking about Celia's protective streak again. Was he concerned about Ardeth Bey, because he was afraid the young man would break Celia's heart. . .or was he worried about what would happen if something happened to him? Celia was quiet and easy-going, the most easy-going out of the three. He knew what she would do to protect Anck and Evy. . .what she would do to protect him and Jason. But what would she do to protect Ardeth Bey. . .to defend him. . .to avenge him? That was the real question.
. . .
Alex Carnahan was eight years old, but he wasn't stupid. That was what he liked to tell his father and Auntie Evy. Just because he was a kid didn't mean he was stupid, and he told people that as many times as he thought it necessary. Now, the reason he liked Dr Galen so much was because it wasn't necessary for him to say it. Dr Galen knew that he wasn't stupid. He didn't treat Alex like he was stupid, either.
At least, that was one of the reasons why Alex liked the pediatrician so well. There was also this really cool house. . .Alex had to wonder if it was haunted. He knew it was old, and his dad told him that both of Dr Galen's grandparents died here. On the other hand, they were both really old. . .like, fifty or sixty. . .when they died, and they died in their sleep. Auntie Evy, who didn't believe in ghosts, told him that most ghost stories got their start because someone died in a violent and nasty way.
So that shot that theory. However, that didn't stop the little boy from trying to scare the girls with lurid ghost stories. He tried. He didn't particularly succeed, and Dads took him to one side, gently explaining that most of these children lived in a horror story. They had to watch their brothers or sisters dying, slowly wasting away to nothing. They didn't need to hear any more horror stories.
Alex was a little disappointed, but also sad. As well as a little guilty. He was a mischievous little boy, but he wasn't cruel, and Alex couldn't imagine ever losing Dads or Auntie Evy. Alex could barely remember his own mum. . .she died when he was real little. For as long as he could remember, Auntie Evy was the closest thing he had to a mum.
In fact, as far as Alex was concerned, she was more like a mum than an auntie. Which was why he was so glad when she met Auntie Celia and Auntie Anck. Auntie Celia was more inclined to spoil him and give him hugs, while Auntie Anck told the most gloriously icky stories. She wasn't like Auntie Celia, who liked kids a lot. Alex thought Auntie Celia would make a really good mum one day. No, Auntie Anck wasn't interested in being a mum. But that was okay, because Alex got on just fine with her.
At the beginning of this weekend, Alex wasn't too sure what to think of Mr Rick or Mr Ardeth. Even at the age of eight, Alex could tell that Auntie Evy liked Mr Rick. . .a lot. And Mr Rick was pretty cool, even if he didn't know how to be a clown. He saw through the attempts all the kids made at manipulations. It was. . .what was that long word that Dr Galen used? Oh yeah. Rite of passage. It was something the kids always did with someone new.
And Mr Rick passed with flying colors. He called the kids on their manipulations, and didn't let them get away with any of it. In fact, the only time Alex didn't want to be around Mr Rick was when it looked like he and Auntie Evy would kiss. He knew he would probably get his mouth washed out with soap if he told them to get a room, so instead, he left the room. Fortunately, according to what the other kids told him, they hadn't kissed. Yet. Every time they tried, Auntie Anck did something to stop them.
Mr Ardeth was another one who was hard to fool, but he kinda scared Alex. It wasn't because of his tattoos, which Alex considered way cool. He was a lot more serious than Mr Rick, so it surprised Alex a lot when Olivia told everyone that Mr Ardeth and Auntie Celia liked each other. Alex didn't have much use for girls as a whole, except his three aunties. Even so, because he noticed that Mr Rick and Auntie Evy seemed to like each other, he started watching Mr Ardeth and Auntie Celia when they thought no one was looking.
He came to the startling conclusion that Olivia was right. In fact, Mr Ardeth and Auntie Celia seemed to like each other even more than Mr Rick and Auntie Evy did. Alex wasn't sure how he felt about that, at first. Kissing was icky. . .but Auntie Celia seemed so much happier when she was around Mr Ardeth. Until he saw her with Mr Ardeth, it never even occurred to Alex that Auntie Celia might be sad. . .or, at least, unhappy.
And Alex couldn't understand that. Part of him was bothered that Auntie Celia was even unhappy at all. The other part of him was bothered that they weren't enough to make Auntie Celia happy. . .him, Dads, Dr Galen, Auntie Evy, and Auntie Anck. This was a new situation for the little boy, and he wasn't quite sure how to react to it. For some reason, this liking between Mr Rick and Auntie Evy didn't bother him nearly as much.
Maybe 'cause Auntie Evy always talked like she would never get married, and Alex really didn't believe that as much as she liked Mr Rick, she would marry him. Auntie Anck was, in the words of his father, more of a 'love 'em and leave 'em' type of girl. That was in response to Alex's question when he heard Auntie Evy describe Auntie Anck as being afraid of commitment. Alex still didn't understand. . .nor did he understand the slightly envious tone of voice which Auntie Evy used when she said that.
But Auntie Celia. . .she was different. Out of all his aunties, Auntie Celia was the most likely to get married. And that worried Alex, because he knew sometimes when a lady got married, she moved far away from her family. He didn't want her to marry Mr Ardeth and move far away from them. If she married Mr Ardeth, that was even more likely, because he was from Egypt. So yes. . .he didn't know quite how to react to Mr Ardeth.
Alex's world was changing, and he didn't know how to react to it. He didn't know how to react to Mr Ardeth. When Mr Rick suggested watching a movie, instead of trying to be a clown, Alex thought that was a great idea. He honestly was only thinking about how cool it would be, if he were a pirate like Will or Cap'n Jack. It never even occurred to him that someone else might feel as if their world was being turned upside down.
Until they reached the part of the movie where Will found out that his father was a pirate. Auntie Anck murmured, "You know, it's always annoyed me. . .the part where they get to the cave, and Jack tells Will to stay put, not to do anything stupid. Jack has no room to talk about being stupid. I mean, he tells Will that Will's father was a pirate, and then can't understand why Will doesn't simply believe him."
Auntie Evy actually snorted and replied, "I know! Especially since poor Will almost died because of pirates, and here comes this pirate who tells him that his own father was a pirate. And just expects him to accept it. Hello? That takes a little getting used to!" Alex looked over at his two aunts, prepared to indignantly defend his hero, when he stopped and thought about it. He tried to imagine being Will.
But Alex was a child of the twenty-first century, and that proved to be more difficult than he could have thought. So he tried something else. Alex knew that Auntie Celia was almost abducted when she was a baby. . .she and Dr Galen both. So he tried to imagine it that way. He tried to imagine. . .tried to imagine if Dads was one of the men who tried to kidnap Auntie Celia and her big brother.
It was in this way that Alex began to understand what Auntie Anck and Auntie Evy meant. He couldn't believe his Dads would ever do something like that. And he also understood why Will had such a hard time believing his dad was anything like those men who tried to kill him, attacked Port Royal, and took Elizabeth. It rattled the little boy, since he considered Cap'n Jack to be his hero up until that point.
At that point, Alex realized that Cap'n Jack wasn't perfect. . .and his world was shaken once more. He looked around the room, seeing everyone as if for the first time. Maybe. . . maybe Auntie Celia also needed Ardeth, because nobody was perfect? Maybe he, Dads, Dr Galen, Auntie Anck and Auntie Evy weren't enough to make his quiet auntie happy, because nobody was perfect?
It seemed to make the most sense. If nobody was perfect, you needed more people to make it perfect. To make yourself whole. That brought something else up to Alex, however. He was perfectly happy with Dads and his three aunties.
Did you become less whole as you grew up? If that was the case, Alex didn't want to grow up. He wanted to stay a kid forever and ever. Even if people did think he was stupid because he was a kid. And yet. . .as he looked at his aunties and their misters, Alex didn't think that was right either. Maybe. . .maybe you just became more whole. The eight year old decided that he liked that explanation a lot better. He really didn't want to stay a kid forever.
. . .
When she first arrived at university the previous year, Anck-su-namun Cortez would have decked the first person who told her that she would end up as an honorary tia to her roommate's nephew. She had little use for Evy at this point, and had a hard time even believing that Celia could come to mean so very much to her. The very idea that Evelyn's then-seven year old nephew would start calling her 'Auntie' Anck was beyond implausible.
And yet, here she was, a year later. Celia was her best friend, and slowly, Anck was discovering that was more to Evy than anyone guessed. Even more surprising, Anck actually came to love Alex as a sobrino. She still didn't want children. It wasn't that she disliked them. She actually liked kids. . .a lot. However, liking kids wasn't a good enough reason to have children. She wasn't sure she would make a good mother.
This was confided to Celia once, perhaps not the smartest thing to do. Her friend told her that if Anck-su-namun felt that way, at least she was honest enough to admit it. She knew people (not naming names, of course. . .that was Anck's style, not Celia's). . . who would never admit such a thing, who would have children just because it was expected of them. Better that Anck doubt her abilities than yield to pressure and have a child she wasn't sure she could take care of. Not, of course, Celia added with a sidelong glance, that she believed Anck would ever abandon her child. Not at all.
Anck, however, was too grateful that someone didn't judge her. She thought Celia would make a great mother. . .she took good care of Anck and Evy. Anck made said observation to her own mother once, who responded that it sounded like Celia would make a fine mother once she grew up. Anck, of course, immediately jumped to her friend's aid, but her mother explained, "She must be able to take care of herself, hija, before she can take care of a child."
Anck stopped, and barely managed to keep from muttering, 'hijo de puta.' Her mother was right, of course. Celia was nineteen years old, focused on her studies and future career. When she was older. . .perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six, that would be something different. Her mother agreed to that, adding she hoped Celia was wise enough to marry and have children. It was difficult to raise a child alone.
Here again, Anck protested, remembering her years of growing up. Her mother did a fine job of raising her alone. There was a silence, then her mother whispered, "I am glad to hear that, mi hija. Pero. . .es dificil." It didn't strike Anck as strange that her mother switched back and forth between English and Spanish. She did it, too. Everyone she knew in the States, who was from Latin America, did it.
Glancing at her best friend now, Celia enthralled with the movie, Anck smiled. She wondered what her mother would make of Ardeth Bey. A half second after that, Anck couldn't help wondering if Ardeth knew how to use a sword. She glanced at him a few times during the movie, particularly during the initial encounter between Will and Jack in the blacksmith shop. Ardeth's head was tilted somewhat to one side, his brows drawn together in concentration.
She wondered what had his attention so much. Whatever it was, it also had the attention of his step-brother. O'Connell rose to his feet and leaned over to whisper something to Ardeth. The dark-haired young man nodded, glancing over at his step-brother. O'Connell returned to his seat, also watching with interest. Hmm. I wonder what that was about? The same thing happened when the pirates attacked Port Royal, and Will tried to defend his home.
She also noticed that Ardeth seemed to lose interest when the scene shifted to Elizabeth on the Black Pearl. Instead, he looked at Celia, who was utterly focused on the movie. Foolish girl. If Anck was her, and a man was staring at her the way Ardeth was, Anck would have taken the opportunity given to her. Everyone else was paying attention to the movie. They could have kissed without fear of interruption. . .
Or not. It was about that time that Matt and Cass rejoined them, both looking flushed and. . .well, she really didn't want to go there. Galen looked up from the movie briefly, Olivia happily settled on his lap, and observed, "Getting here kinda late, aren't you?" Matt scowled at him, but Galen just smirked at him, his dark blue eyes twinkling with mischief. The somewhat-larger man bopped him in the back of his head, then sank to the ground beside O'Connell.
Cass grinned at Galen and sat in her boyfriend's lap, her grin widening as Matt wrapped his arms protectively around her. She leaned back against his chest. Feeling more than a little like a voyeur, Anck looked away once more. Honestly, while she loved this movie, she had seen it so many times that it was now more fun to watch other people watch the movie. She liked watching Evelyn mouth Orlando Bloom's dialogue, and Celia lean forward.
She also liked watching Ardeth glance over at her, as if to make sure she didn't fall on her face. By this time, everyone was finished with their sandwiches, and the paper plates sat in front of the children, all of whom were entranced by the movie. O'Connell was watching Evelyn, just as Ardeth was watching Celia. Matt was glancing at the movie, but most of his attention was devoted to Cass.
And while no one was looking at Galen, he had Olivia snuggled against his chest. Not at all the same thing, but that didn't stop Anck from feeling terribly lonely. More and more, the reasons she might have had for not going after a professor were looking more and more foolish.
She wasn't like those petite predators, after all, the ones which she and her roommates hated so much. The ones who took such pleasure in ruining the careers and even the lives of young professors. She wasn't like them, not at all. And Professor Tepper seemed more than capable of taking care of himself. Why shouldn't she find love, like her two roommates were? Why shouldn't she pursue her heart's desire, just as young Will Turner was?
Anck didn't have all the facts in her possession. She, of course, didn't realize that there was far more to 'Emmett Tepper' than she could have guessed at. Nor did she realize that her impulsive decision in that moment to pursue the handsome professor would result in a devastating fall-out for him, for herself, for her two roommates, and the objects of their respective affections. She had no way of knowing that.
She knew only that she was lonely, and that she was tired of being lonely. Celia was engaged in a promising romance. And Evelyn seemed to be drawing closer to O'Connell. More than once, Celia tried to play matchmaker for Anck and Galen, and Anck loved her for it. But she didn't love Galen. He didn't make her heart speed up, just by looking at him. Not the way Emmett Tepper did.
And, she believed that he belonged with Margit. . .even if he didn't realize it yet. Men were like that. They didn't always know what was best for them. Anck hadn't even met Margit yet, and she believed they would be good for each other. No, she hadn't met her yet. . .but she would, and Anck was looking forward to it. Yes. She was looking forward to it, and she was looking forward to seeing Emmett Tepper once more.
The girl settled back in her seat, realizing with a start that they were almost to the end of the movie. She wouldn't have realized that, if Ardeth's laughter hadn't rung out in the nearly-silent room. Anck blinked, startled by the sound, though clearly, she wasn't nearly as surprised as his step-brother was. O'Connell was looking at Ardeth, mouthing 'who are you, and what have you done with my brother?'
Anck grinned. Oh, how she enjoyed harassing him! He was so much fun to torment! However, he didn't repeat himself aloud, and Anck pouted just a little. But briefly. Very briefly. Ardeth was laughing at Johnny Depp's expression when the feather of the Musketeer hat currently worn by Orlando Bloom got in his face. Literally. Anck grinned. As Jack made his escape and Norrington formally gave his blessing to Will and Elizabeth (poor man. . .Anck really did feel sorry for him), Elizabeth removed Will's hat.
"No," she said, "he's a pirate." And kissed him, to the accompaniment of groans from the children. Anck rolled her eyes. Give the young ladies a few years, she knew, and they would be expressing their extreme hatred of poor Keira Knightley for kissing Orlando Bloom. He was cute, certainly, but he wasn't Anck's type. He was entirely too young for Anck's taste, even if he was twenty-six.
However, it was then that Rick O'Connell gave her the weapon she was praying for. With a sigh, he muttered, "Thank God, I'd be wanting to do that myself."
Anck knew what he meant. Really, she did. However, that didn't stop her from replying mischievously, "Oh. . .you mean kissing Orlando Bloom?" It wasn't said loudly. Just loudly enough for the adults to hear what she said. It took her companions a moment to realize what she said. Then the predicted reaction came. . .first, with a roar of laughter from Mathayus. He slumped back against the floor, laughing almost hysterically.
Next was the equally predictable, "EWWWWW!!!!!!" That came from Rick O'Connell, who was wiping at his mouth. His expression sent Anck into spasms of laughter. He kept wiping at his mouth, whimpering, "She took off his hat, she took off that damn hat!" That made Anck laugh even harder, and she waved her hand helplessly. Through the mist of tears, she saw Celia slump sideways, her head resting against Ardeth's shoulder.
And it was Ardeth who said what Anck was thinking, through his own gasps for breath, "I am sorry, ya ahi, but you walked right into that one." Ardeth's observation sent Celia into fresh spasms of laughter, and he had to put his arm around her to keep her from falling off the sofa. Galen was laughing hysterically, and O'Connell threw a pillow at his brother, pouting. Ardeth made a concerted effort to stop laughing, and asked, "Is there another movie the children would like to watch?"
Bad idea. As one, the children shouted, "TARZAN!" Or maybe a good idea, for as the children responded to Ardeth's suggestion, O'Connell groaned and keeled over backward. Anck just smiled wickedly. Oh, this was the most fun she had in ages! And it almost took her mind off Emmett Tepper. . .almost.
. . .
This was something Beni really didn't want to do, but he saw no other choice. Evelyn Carnahan's notebooks yielded nothing of interest. Nor did her personal journal, nor did her field journal. He went through Anck's books, just for the sake of being thorough, but as he suspected, she wrote entirely in Spanish. He turned in a circle, rubbing his hand over his eyes. All three girls had their own computers, but Beni was no computer hacker.
He looked again at Celia's desk. He didn't want to do this. He really didn't want to do this, but he had to give Lock-nah something, anything, to keep the big bad from getting suspicious. It didn't have to be anything big, just something that would buy Beni some time. With a bitter smile, he reflected that he knew this day was coming. . .he told himself that he couldn't give Celia more loyalty than he gave O'Connell. However, he didn't expect this day to come for some time. Muttering a prayer for forgiveness, Beni trudged over to Celia's somewhat cluttered desk. He had to smile. Evelyn's desk, of course, was eerily neat.
Anck's desk was a disaster area. And Celia, as usual, fell somewhere in between the two. Of course. What else was new? Nothing, of course. Where did he start? He was betraying his friend, where should he start? Beni looked through the books in her shelf. Books for this year, and the previous year. Celia was a packrat. He should have realized that. She didn't like throwing anything away. You just never know when you might need something, was her reason for keeping things.
Beside the books sat her notebooks, and Beni pulled them down. Each notebook was labeled with the name of the class to which it belonged. A flick of his finger revealed that Celia's name, the name of the class, the time, and her dorm was listed on the inside. He frowned. That could be dangerous. On the other hand, she kept her things with her at all times. She was, he realized, almost a control freak in that respect.
As he thumbed through the stack of notebooks in his arms, Beni was disconcerted to find there was one notebook without a label. Carefully placing the other notebooks on the desk, he opened this one. . .and realized with a sinking heart that this was Celia's personal journal. How ironic. She put her personal journal in a notebook, then put that notebook with the notebooks for her classes.
Which of her roommates did Celia distrust? Or maybe it was neither, maybe she simply had overall trust issues? That was possible. And he was about to confirm the reasons, whatever those reasons were, for those trust issues. Taking a deep breath, Beni noted the date. . . it was the previous week, when classes started back up. Celia wrote in her tiny, neat handwriting, "I'm back at classes. So much has happened. Neil Grady. I have to tell the girls about him. They have to know. He might try to hurt them."
Neil Grady? Who in the name of Arpad was Neil Grady? Beni continued reading, as Celia explained, "This is the first time I've told this story. Maybe it will give me the courage to tell Evy and Anck. I am so angry, my hand is trembling as I hold this pen. But maybe once I write it down, it will become easier to speak of it. Maybe once I write it down, some of the bitterness and the rage will dissipate."
With a growing horror, Beni read about that summer. Neil Grady was the jerk-off whom Celia told him about the previous week, the one who seriously demolished her self-esteem and left her wondering if people thought she thought she was somehow better than them. He trembled with rage, for he began to see things weren't so simple any more. He had this knowledge. He could buy himself time with this knowledge.
But there was no way he would use this knowledge. He couldn't. Celia was violated three times now. . .first by this pig, Neil Grady. Then by the managers who knew damn good and well what Neil Grady was, and did nothing to protect that child. And now by Beni, who was reading her secrets. He could not violate her a fourth time by telling Lock-nah. It simply wasn't feasible, not even for a self-admitted weasel like Beni. There was being a weasel, and then there was being a scum. Beni didn't want to think he was scum already. This would be far worse than leaving O'Connell outside.
It was still wrong, of course. But O'Connell, even then, was big and strong. Celia was strong, but she had a different strength. She was small and defenseless, in physical terms. Such a girl would never stand a chance against someone like Neil Grady. As he held Cecelia Anne Ferguson's journal, something occurred to Beni Gabor. He held in his hands an opportunity. Not to sell out a friend, but to protect one.
He was a hero in his daughter's eyes, something that would not be true if his little girl ever found out about what he did. He could be a hero in fact, if he could find a way to use this information, not just to protect his Renee and their Ceci, but to protect Celia herself. There was a way to do it. . .he knew there was a way. First, he thought about telling Dr Bey, then shook his head. No. No, regardless of what Dr Bey might tell him, his first concern was the safety of his nephew. Think, Beni, think!
"Well, well. They told me that you were a weasel. I never thought you would stoop to reading a friend's journal," an unfamiliar voice said. Beni spun toward the door, half afraid that his bladder would give way right, then, and there. A man he never saw before was looking at him with a smile that was half-amused, half-contemptuous. The man continued, "I am assuming that is a journal, yes? Not a class notebook?"
"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're trespassing," Beni retorted in a quavering voice. As soon as the words were out, he was regretting them. The newcomer was trespassing, but so was he. The man just raised his eyebrows, a smile touching his lips. Okay, this wasn't good. Beni tried again, "I know this looks bad, but mister, I'm trying to save the lives of three innocent people, including a little girl."
"Yes. . .your girlfriend and your daughter. Who is the third, I wonder? One of the inhabitants of this room? Perhaps the owner of the journal you now hold in your hand? Perhaps even the young girl who may steal Ardeth Bey's heart?" the other man asked. Beni's heart did flip- flops in his chest. Without intending to, he looked down at the journal once more. He began reading the second journal entry. . .the one which mentioned Ardeth Bey. By name.
With a growing sense of horror, he realized that Celia was falling in love with the young Egyptian. At the very least, she was very attracted to him. Oh no. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. What was even worse? The intruder snatched the journal from his hands, murmuring under his breath in a foreign language. After a few moments, he looked up. He was smiling. A different smile. He said, "Well now. It would seem the young lady is far more than she would appear to be. I like that."
The man closed the journal and tossed it to one side, the book landing with a soft thud on one of the beds. Beni looked at the discarded notebook, then at the other man, and the intruder continued, "I will give you no reason to fear me, Beni Gabor. Terrorizing innocent girls and weasels hold no appeal. That is not the pasttime of an honorable man, and I like to think that I am. My name is Imhotep. . .or, as I choose to be called on this college campus, Professor Emmett Tepper. Though you may find it difficult to believe, I have no wish to harm you, your lady, or your daughter. Much less three charming young ladies."
Imhotep. His new employer. The one. . .Beni swallowed hard, asking, "What do you want of me?" He said that he didn't want to hurt anyone. Not the girls. Not Renee. Not Ceci. For the first time, especially since O'Connell caught him snooping, Beni began to feel a ray of hope. Maybe he could find a way to make all this right. With this man's help, he might just find that way after all.
"Very simple. From now on, you report to me. You may be a weasel, Mr Gabor, but you are not cruel. And I do not trust Lock-nah. You tell me everything you learn from the girls, and you tell me the truth about Rick O'Connell and Ardeth Bey. Although. . .you need not tell me that your friend Celia is in love with him. That, I've already learned. In exchange, I will protect you. . .I will protect your beloved and your daughter. And I will do everything I can to shield the three girls. Do we have an accord?" Imhotep asked.
Beni needed no time to think about that. He nodded hard, saying, "My Lord. . .how may I serve you?" The man rolled his eyes, as if annoyed, and Beni started talking fast, before Imhotep changed his mind, "The first thing you need to know is, that notebook can never be read by Lock-nah. There was a man who hurt Celia, very badly. He would hurt her again, and he would not hesitate to hurt anyone who cares for her. You mentioned Ardeth Bey. I don't know if Celia is falling in love with him, but she's definitely attracted to him. . .and I don't know how he feels about her. . ."