AN: Sorry about the wait. I got tied up with a few things. ::Grins sheepishly:: To answer a question, Argent Inluminai, Daniel was loosely based on Daniel Jackson from Stargate, only in name and profession, though. I'm a big fan of that show and movie, as well and a fellow Sci-Fi geek ::grins::. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! Enjoy!
1928
A cab pulled up the drive of Highclere Castle in the middle of the rain. Typical London weather, Jonathan thought as he sat next to his new brother-in-law, always has to be bloody raining. His sister had married O'Connell shortly after the events at Hamunaptra and was now pregnant. Jonathan was still a little nervous of this but he knew he would eventually come around to the idea.
When the cab stopped, Rick climbed out and paid the driver. Jonathan went to the boot to get the bags and Evelyn just stood in the rain staring at the house. She and her brother had hardly been there since their parents died. The house just felt so empty with out them. Jonathan had offered to go home to London on numerous occasions, but his sister had turned him down. He had come to believe that she missed their parents so much that she felt it would hurt her to stay at Highclere. Now that she was pregnant, and the heat in Egypt would soon be too much for her to handle, she didn't seem so bothered by the idea.
After paying the driver, Rick went to his wife and put an arm around her shoulder. "Wow," he said as he stared up at the mansion. "I didn't expect it to be this big."
Evelyn grinned, "Yes, well, it's not really that much."
"You're kidding me right?" Rick asked, raising his eyebrows. "For a Chicago raised kid like me this is Buckingham Palace."
"Well, Buckingham Palace is actually not too far," Evelyn stated.
"Geez. I bet every room in this place has it's own bathroom." Rick announced as the trio headed up the walk.
"Actually, your bedroom has two washrooms," Jonathan stated. "Specifically so Evy here doesn't hog the bloody thing."
Evelyn rolled her eyes at her brother's comment and continued to walk hand-in-hand with Rick up the walk.
When the trio reached the door, Jonathan fished into his pockets for the key. He inserted the key into the lock and proceeded to open the door and walk into the manor.
"Wow," Rick said upon entering the foyer. "This place is nice."
"Yes," Evelyn stated, quietly, "well, it's not all that nice, but it is home."
"Mind if I take a look around?" Rick asked, staring up the staircase leading to the next floor.
"Oh, be our guest, or rather," Jonathan paused "Oh, never bloody mind. I suppose you live here too, now, eh?"
Rick grinned at his brother-in-law's confusion and turned to head up the stairs.
"Um, would you like a tour?" Evelyn asked.
Rick stopped and turned to face his wife. He grinned at her. "Nah. I like to explore on my own. Adds more adventure to life."
She smiled and nodded as he ascended the staircase.
"Seems a bit bothered by all of this, doesn't he?" Jonathan asked his sister.
Evelyn discontinued her gaze at her husband as he disappeared and turned to face her brother. "You noticed that, too?"
"Don't worry, Old Mum. He'll get used to it," Jonathan said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "If he doesn't we could always send him packing, now couldn't we?" He chuckled until he received a sharp jab to the stomach from his sister's tiny elbow.
"This all seems so strange, doesn't it?" Evelyn stated, glancing around the room. "It's just so surreal being here without Mum and Dad."
"Yeah," Jonathan said quietly. "But soon there'll be a new family here to terrorize the help and keep the old place looking battle worn." He gently poked her abdomen and gave her a wink.
Evelyn beamed and let out a deep sigh, strode over to a nearby sofa and took a seat "Do you think this is all happening too fast?"
"It's a bit late to think about that now, don't you think?" Jonathan stated, raising his eyebrows and sitting down next to her.
"No, I don't mean it like that. It just- it seems like just yesterday we were children, mum and dad yelling at us to stop playing in the hall and on the stair. Now I'll be yelling at my child to stop running in the house and to take a bath."
Jonathan nodded. "Do you think it'll like me?"
"Of course the baby will," Evelyn answered. "Even if you are a scoundrel."
Jonathan squinted his eyes at her. He relaxed his face quickly.
A moment of silence passed between the siblings.
"I'm proud of you, sis," Jonathan stated, startling his sister.
She looked at him, confused for a moment, "Thank you, Jonathan." She grinned as a bit of a blush crossed her ivory features.
The sound of metal hitting hardwood floor could be heard from the upper level. The siblings jumped.
"I'm okay!" Rick shouted from above.
"I'd better go see what he's done," Evelyn said. She stood and headed for the second floor.
Upstairs, Rick had knocked a metal tray from a vanity on the floor. When Evelyn entered the room, Rick was hunched over, attempting to arrange the tray's contents to their original positions. He sensed her presence, for he glanced at her and grinned.
"Sorry 'bout that," he said, rising. Before he could stand, he dropped the tray on the floor, once more spewing its contents to the ground. He bent again to retrieve the fallen items.
"It's alright," Evelyn said, quietly. "Just leave it all there and I'll get it later."
"You sure?" He asked, turning to her.
"Positive." She grinned at him, and gave him her hand. She led him to sit on the bed.
"Thanks," Rick said, "I have no idea what half of that stuff is, much less where it goes."
She laughed. "This was my room," she stated.
"Really?" Rick said, "If I didn't know your brother I would have guessed that."
She gave him a funny look and then replaced it with a smile. This is going to be the start of a wonderful life, she thought.
AN: More in about a week! Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!
1928
A cab pulled up the drive of Highclere Castle in the middle of the rain. Typical London weather, Jonathan thought as he sat next to his new brother-in-law, always has to be bloody raining. His sister had married O'Connell shortly after the events at Hamunaptra and was now pregnant. Jonathan was still a little nervous of this but he knew he would eventually come around to the idea.
When the cab stopped, Rick climbed out and paid the driver. Jonathan went to the boot to get the bags and Evelyn just stood in the rain staring at the house. She and her brother had hardly been there since their parents died. The house just felt so empty with out them. Jonathan had offered to go home to London on numerous occasions, but his sister had turned him down. He had come to believe that she missed their parents so much that she felt it would hurt her to stay at Highclere. Now that she was pregnant, and the heat in Egypt would soon be too much for her to handle, she didn't seem so bothered by the idea.
After paying the driver, Rick went to his wife and put an arm around her shoulder. "Wow," he said as he stared up at the mansion. "I didn't expect it to be this big."
Evelyn grinned, "Yes, well, it's not really that much."
"You're kidding me right?" Rick asked, raising his eyebrows. "For a Chicago raised kid like me this is Buckingham Palace."
"Well, Buckingham Palace is actually not too far," Evelyn stated.
"Geez. I bet every room in this place has it's own bathroom." Rick announced as the trio headed up the walk.
"Actually, your bedroom has two washrooms," Jonathan stated. "Specifically so Evy here doesn't hog the bloody thing."
Evelyn rolled her eyes at her brother's comment and continued to walk hand-in-hand with Rick up the walk.
When the trio reached the door, Jonathan fished into his pockets for the key. He inserted the key into the lock and proceeded to open the door and walk into the manor.
"Wow," Rick said upon entering the foyer. "This place is nice."
"Yes," Evelyn stated, quietly, "well, it's not all that nice, but it is home."
"Mind if I take a look around?" Rick asked, staring up the staircase leading to the next floor.
"Oh, be our guest, or rather," Jonathan paused "Oh, never bloody mind. I suppose you live here too, now, eh?"
Rick grinned at his brother-in-law's confusion and turned to head up the stairs.
"Um, would you like a tour?" Evelyn asked.
Rick stopped and turned to face his wife. He grinned at her. "Nah. I like to explore on my own. Adds more adventure to life."
She smiled and nodded as he ascended the staircase.
"Seems a bit bothered by all of this, doesn't he?" Jonathan asked his sister.
Evelyn discontinued her gaze at her husband as he disappeared and turned to face her brother. "You noticed that, too?"
"Don't worry, Old Mum. He'll get used to it," Jonathan said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "If he doesn't we could always send him packing, now couldn't we?" He chuckled until he received a sharp jab to the stomach from his sister's tiny elbow.
"This all seems so strange, doesn't it?" Evelyn stated, glancing around the room. "It's just so surreal being here without Mum and Dad."
"Yeah," Jonathan said quietly. "But soon there'll be a new family here to terrorize the help and keep the old place looking battle worn." He gently poked her abdomen and gave her a wink.
Evelyn beamed and let out a deep sigh, strode over to a nearby sofa and took a seat "Do you think this is all happening too fast?"
"It's a bit late to think about that now, don't you think?" Jonathan stated, raising his eyebrows and sitting down next to her.
"No, I don't mean it like that. It just- it seems like just yesterday we were children, mum and dad yelling at us to stop playing in the hall and on the stair. Now I'll be yelling at my child to stop running in the house and to take a bath."
Jonathan nodded. "Do you think it'll like me?"
"Of course the baby will," Evelyn answered. "Even if you are a scoundrel."
Jonathan squinted his eyes at her. He relaxed his face quickly.
A moment of silence passed between the siblings.
"I'm proud of you, sis," Jonathan stated, startling his sister.
She looked at him, confused for a moment, "Thank you, Jonathan." She grinned as a bit of a blush crossed her ivory features.
The sound of metal hitting hardwood floor could be heard from the upper level. The siblings jumped.
"I'm okay!" Rick shouted from above.
"I'd better go see what he's done," Evelyn said. She stood and headed for the second floor.
Upstairs, Rick had knocked a metal tray from a vanity on the floor. When Evelyn entered the room, Rick was hunched over, attempting to arrange the tray's contents to their original positions. He sensed her presence, for he glanced at her and grinned.
"Sorry 'bout that," he said, rising. Before he could stand, he dropped the tray on the floor, once more spewing its contents to the ground. He bent again to retrieve the fallen items.
"It's alright," Evelyn said, quietly. "Just leave it all there and I'll get it later."
"You sure?" He asked, turning to her.
"Positive." She grinned at him, and gave him her hand. She led him to sit on the bed.
"Thanks," Rick said, "I have no idea what half of that stuff is, much less where it goes."
She laughed. "This was my room," she stated.
"Really?" Rick said, "If I didn't know your brother I would have guessed that."
She gave him a funny look and then replaced it with a smile. This is going to be the start of a wonderful life, she thought.
AN: More in about a week! Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!