Well, here's the second chapter of this story.  I hope some people are actually reading this… but it's only been a day so I'll cross my fingers and hope all of you in cyber world will take pity on me and review.  Anyways, this chapter starts out with the family discovering what happened to Leah, and ends with the beginning of how they are all going to end up in Egypt.  Also, this is just a working title for the story… I'm hoping to come up with something better, but the current one will have to do for now.  Anyways, here's chapter 2.

Chapter 2 The Solution

            The next morning, Rick, Evelyn, their son Alex, and Evelyn's goofy brother Jonathan were gathered around the dining room table, eating brunch.  They were discussing the absent family member, Leah, who was still sleeping.  It was 10:00 in the morning, but Rick knew that what his sister had been through was traumatic and that she needed all the sleep she could get.

            "I still think that the reason she's so upset is because she has no gold," said Jonathan.  "That would be enough to make even me cry."

            "Shut-up, Jonathan," said Evelyn.

            "What?  It was just a suggestion," Evie's brother complained.

            Evelyn glared at Jonathan and said, "I think we should just treat her as we normally would.  Let her know that she's welcome here as long as she needs us, and tell her that we love her.  She'll come around in her own time if we just let her alone."

            "I don't know about that," said Rick.  "We can't let her alone.  What if she just sort of withdraws into herself and we never see her the way she used to be?  If I just knew what was wrong, maybe I could help her.  She's my little sister, you know, and I want her back, happy and healthy."

            "I know you do, Rick," said Evelyn, putting her hand over Rick's, which was laying next to his plate on the table.  "And we will have her, don't worry."

            "She'll be all right, Dad," said Alex as he put down his glass of milk and picked up his fork.  "I know Aunt Leah, and she is always fine.  Her last name is O'Connell, you know.  O'Connells are tough"

            Rick grinned at that comment.  "O'Connells are tough," he repeated.

            "And Leah O'Connell is no exception," added Evelyn.

            Rick seemed to accept that explanation, at least for the moment, until the doorbell rang.

            "I wonder who that could be," said Evelyn, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

            "Hopefully someone who's come to tell me that our long lost uncle has passed on and I'm the sole heir of his multi-million pound estate," said Jonathan, making a move to get up from his chair.  "If you're all nice to me, I suppose I may be in a position to want to share some of it with you all.  If you're nice."

            "I'll get it," said Rick.  "Sit down, Jonathan."  Rick put his napkin down onto the tabletop and proceeded to leave the dining room through the doorway that led to the foyer and the front door of the mansion.

            Jonathan sat slowly in his chair and began to eat his breakfast again.  "What is it with that husband of yours, Evie?" he asked.  "I don't know what I ever did to him, but I get the feeling that he doesn't like me very much."

            "Of course he likes you, Jonathan," said Evelyn.  "He… he just gets annoyed easily, that's all."

            Jonathan sort of grumbled to himself, but Evelyn and Alex ignored him.

            There was a thump from the direction of the stairs, and then suddenly Leah entered, wearing a white terry cloth robe that she had borrowed from Evelyn.  Her hair was in a tangled ponytail, and her eyes looked heavy with sleep, as if Leah had not gotten any sleep, which from what Jonathan, Alex, and Evelyn had heard from Rick about her condition the night before, seemed like a very real possibility.

            "Aunt Leah!" said Alex excitedly.  "Good morning!"

            "Good morning, squirt," said Leah, walking to her nephew and rubbing his hair affectionately.  "Morning, Evie.  Jonathan."

            Jonathan smiled absently at her and busied himself feeding his face.

            "Good morning, Leah," said Evelyn with a big smile, hoping to spread some of her cheer to her sister-in-law.  Her next thought was to ask how Leah had slept, but she knew the answer already so she opted for another question.  "Are you hungry?"

            Leah shook her head.  "Not really."

            "Sit here, Leah!" said Alex enthusiastically, patting the seat next to his.  "I saved this one for you."

            "Thanks, Alex," Leah said, sliding into the offered seat.  She smiled at the kindness of the boy, and cracked the first smile she had smiled in days.

            "You really must eat something," said Evelyn.  "How about a muffin?  Or some toast?"

            "No, thanks," said Leah.  "I think I'll just have some milk."

            "I'll pour it for you," Alex offered eagerly, excited to be spending time with his aunt.  He reached for Leah's glass and the pitcher sitting in front of him and began to pour.

            "How about some eggs, Leah?" asked Evelyn.  "Jonathan ate most of them, but I did manage to save some just for you."

            Leah, not wanting to sound ungrateful, agreed.  "Okay."

            "They're in the kitchen," Evelyn said, jumping out of her chair.  "I'll get them and bring them to you."

            "No, that's all right," said Leah quickly, not wanting to bother her brother's loving wife.  "I can get them."

            "No, really, it's no trouble," said Evelyn, reaching for Leah's plate.

            "I know it's not, but I can take care of myself.  You finish your food before it gets cold."  Leah stood, picked up her plate, and headed towards the kitchen.  The threesome left in the dining room gazed after her, curiosity burning in their minds.

            "So, are you ready for spring break, Alex?" asked Evelyn as she reached to the center of the table for the salt and pepper shakers, trying to break the silence.

            "What do you think, Mom?" asked Alex.  "I've been ready since I was born!"

            "But I thought you liked school," Evelyn argued with her son.

            "Only history," said Alex.  "I hate math.  I'm never going to learn how to do long division.  What will I even need it for in life, anyway?"

            "Well, lots of things," Evelyn said, her mind racing to think of good examples of how she used long division in her daily life.

            "Like figuring how many dates I can have in one day," said Jonathan.  "All you have to do is take the number of minutes in a day and divide that by the ideal date duration of thirty minutes per lass.  Do you know the answer?  How many cheap girls can I have in one day?"

            "Jonathan!" said Evelyn, appalled at the direction that the conversation had taken, especially in front of her son.

            "I'm just trying to help!" said Jonathan.  "Obviously, he needs a practical example."

            Evelyn glared at her brother for about the hundredth time that day, annoyed at his whining and smart remarks.

            "Well!" said Jonathan.  "I do believe that one of those fine young ladies may be waiting for me at the door.  I think I'll go and investigate."  He quickly pushed his chair back and stood, heading towards the exit and the foyer and out of sight.  A few moments later, he reappeared, walking backwards.  "Or not," he said, tripping over a dining room chair that was sitting by the doorway and nearly falling on his rear.  Rick followed him in, a stern but comical look on his face as he watched the fear in Jonathan's eyes.

Jonathan located the table behind him with his hands and quickly found his way into his chair.  He began to nibble on a croissant, avoiding eye contact with Rick and his sister.

"Is Leah up yet?" he asked of Evie.

"Yes.  She went to get some eggs," Evelyn informed her husband.

"Okay.  She has company."  Rick turned and walked towards the foyer, motioning with his hand to someone who was standing out of sight.

"Good morning!" said Evelyn as the guest entered the dining room, followed by Rick.  "What a pleasant surprise to see you!"

"Good morning, Mrs. O'Connell," Andrew Hawkins answered.  "Mr. Carnahan.  Alex."

"Mornin', old chap," Jonathan mumbled around a mouth full of doughy grain, still avoiding eye contact with the people around him.

"Would you like something to eat, Andrew?" asked Evelyn of the tall young man standing in front of her.

"Oh, no thanks, Mrs. O'Connell.  I've just come to call on Leah.  Is she available?"

"Oh, she went to get some eggs.  She should be right in.  Have a seat," said Evelyn, motioning towards a vacant chair on the other side of Leah's.

Andrew sat, playing nervously with the cuff of his sleeve, wondering why Leah's family was being so hospitable after all that had happened.

"So how's school going?" asked Rick, settling into his chair beside Evelyn.

"Oh, oh, it's going fine," said Andrew.  "It's hard work, but I think it's all going to pay off."

"Sha!  It ought to, after all that money you have to cough up!" said Jonathan, suddenly becoming interested in the conversation.  "But if you had all of the money that I have—"

"All of the money that I have," corrected Rick.  "Don't you have somewhere to be, Jonathan?"

"No," said Jonathan nonchalantly.

"Whatever happened to that fine young lady, Uncle Jon?" asked Alex.

"Uh, well, she—"

"Andrew?" a voice suddenly gasped from the direction of the kitchen.

"Leah!" said Andrew, standing quickly.  "Leah, you have no idea how glad I am to see you.  I—"

Andrew's only answer was the sound of shattering ceramic as Leah's plate of eggs ended up on the floor.

Everybody was absolutely stunned.  Everybody but Leah and Andrew, that is.

"Oh my god!  Leah, are you all right?" asked Andrew, darting towards the redhead.

She screamed.  "Get away from me!" she screeched.  "Leave me alone!  I hate you and I never want to see you again!"  She turned and ran into the kitchen.

            "Leah!  Leah, wait!" yelled Andrew.  He began to run after her, but Rick quickly snapped into action and yanked the young man back into the dining room.  He threw him into one of the dining room chairs as Evelyn rushed after Leah.

            "Well!  This suddenly got interesting!" said Jonathan, sitting back and propping his feet on the table.

            "You.  Out.  Now," grunted Rick, pointing at Jonathan and then pointing towards the dining room entrance as he held Andrew in the chair with his other hand.

            "Sorry, Uncle Jon," said Alex, pushing his plate away from his body and crossing his arms over his chest.

            "You, too, Alex."

            Alex and Jonathan left, grumbling the entire way.

            "And now," said Rick to Andrew, "you and I are going to get to the bottom of this.  Please explain to me, in ten words or less, how you have hurt my baby sister.  Or if you don't, you will regret it."

            "What a snake," Evelyn said that night as she and Rick were getting ready for bed.  "I'd like to just take his neck in my hands and twist it all around until…"  Evelyn trailed off as she flopped onto the large king bed.  "How could he do such a thing?"

            "I don't know," said Rick.  "But I do know what I'll do to him if I ever see him again."  Rick cocked the hammer of his handgun to the ready before he placed it in his dresser drawer.

            Evie laid back onto her pillows.  "We have to find a way to help her.  She loves him so… but she's got to start letting him go.  How can we help?"

            "I know what I'd do," said Rick deeply, removing his holster from his shoulders.  "I like to think of it as doing Andrew a favor."

            "No, Rick.  No.  Whatever you're thinking, no.  We have to do something for Leah, not Andrew."

            "Well, we'll think of something.  Right now, she's safe and sound in her room.  And right now, you and I are all alone…"  He leaned over and smothered his wife in kisses.

            "Oh, Rick," said Evelyn, returning his nibbles.  "Rick!"

            "Just promise me one thing," said Rick.

            "What's that?" asked Evelyn, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck.

            "Promise me we'll find a way to help Leah," he whispered in her ear.  "Promise me that she will be okay."

            "We'll try our best," said Evelyn.  "The rest is up to Leah."

            "I love you," said Rick.

            "And I, you," Evelyn breathed, and husband and wife consummated their love.

            The solution to the problem came the next day.  Leah and Evelyn headed to work.  The new curator, Dr. Applegate, was back from his vacation, and he put Leah straight to work alphabetizing a new shipment of books.  He then pulled Evelyn aside, to his back room where he kept all of the treasures that he had unearthed on his many trips to Egypt.

            "Here it is," he said in a low voice as he and Evelyn walked passed a sarcophagus in the middle of the dimly lit room.  "What do you think?"

            "Wow," said Evelyn., amazed.  "Where did you find this?"

            Dr. Applegate smiled triumphantly.  "At the Pyramid of Samir-hi."

            "You mean, the lost pyramid of the lost city of Rathshad?" asked Evelyn incredulously.  "Where the fabled Battle of Rathshad took place?  Where the Egyptians fought their civil war, brother against brother?"

            Dr. Applegate nodded triumphantly.

            "You found it?!" asked Evie, astonished.

            Dr. Applegate nodded again.  "That battle has never been proven to have happened, because nobody has ever found the city.  Until now."

            "Where?  How?  When?  I mean—"

            "Well, I used this," said the curator, and he pulled a piece of yellowed paper out of his pocket.  "This map was found in the Statue of Hourus by one of my interns.  It was found inside this crate, buried ten meters below Hourus' feet."

            "Amazing," Evelyn said, fingering the six-inch high statues scatter throughout the crate sitting on the floor.  The figurines were in the shapes of ancient pharaohs, warriors, priests, and queens, and gave Evelyn a bit of an uneasy, yet curious feeling.

            "Is this not near the same place where the Book of the Living was found?" asked Dr. Applegate.

            "Why, yes it is," said Evelyn, a bit proudly.  "My husband and I found it there over ten years ago."  She shivered as she thought of the events leading up to the discovery, but then smiled as she remembered the first stages of her relationship with Rick.  "Interesting.  Very interesting."  She knelt down and continued to examine the curator's findings as Dr. Applegate wandered away to study some of the other collections he had in the room.

            Suddenly, her bright idea dawned on her.  She shot to her feet and walked quickly to her boss.  "Dr. Applegate," she began purposefully, "what would you think of allowing one of your colleagues to go back to Rathshad?  It has only just been discovered, surely you will sponsor several more expeditions to the area."

            "Of course," Dr. Applegate said, moving around a large wall with hieroglyphics written on it.  "Hopefully within the next few months, I will have a couple of hundred men trained to excavate the site.  I have several well-renowned archaeologists on my team, but I need men to dig, men to move, men to assist.  And finding those men and teaching them the expertise they will need will take time."

            "Yes, I understand, Dr. Applegate, but do you think that perhaps you yourself should go back before the diggers and archaeologist and look around a little more to see what else you may find?"

            "My dear Evelyn, I'd love to, but I cannot go back.  I'm not as young as I used to be; and besides, I have a museum to run and an expedition to organize."

            "Then send me!" said Evelyn excitedly.

            Dr. Applegate did not flinch.  Instead, he kept moving through the room.  "Absolutely not," he spoke with firmness.

            "Why not?" asked Evie, indignant but not discouraged.  "You know that I am the best historian and archaeologist in this city—probably in the entire country!  I can have a team together in just a week, and we can scope the site out for anything significant before you send in the masses.  I will only need a team of five to ten people, and a small budget of—" she glimpsed the look on Dr. Applegate's face at the mention of money—"of nothing at all!"

            Dr. Applegate finally stopped moving and turned slowly to Evelyn.  "Mrs. O'Connell, what makes you think that I need you to go to Rathshad before I send my expedition?"

            "Well, I am very knowledgeable about ancient Egypt… you've said that yourself, may I remind you.  And you will need somebody to decide which places the team should excavate first, and the lost city of Rathshad has always been one of the most interesting places that I have studied.  I truly believe that I can find the most noteworthy locations to study.  I can find the places that hold the most fascinating discoveries—ones that are just out there waiting for us to dig them up!"

            Dr. Applegate began moving around the room again, lifting a cloth atop a shelf to examine a few jewels.  "And what makes you think that I haven't already found these places?" he asked, trying to control a chuckle.

            "Well, you certainly don't have as much of… uh, endurance as you once did, nor are you as young as you once were…"

            Dr. Applegate glared at Evelyn over his shoulder.

            She continued, gulping as she spoke, "But you were only gone four days.  That is not nearly enough time to get an even remotely in depth look into a city that has been lost for four thousand years.  And you will be so incredibly busy planning for your formal excursion that you won't have the time to put into exploring the ruins as I will.  Oh, Dr. Applegate, do you have any idea what sending me to Rathshad will mean?"

            Dr. Applegate turned to face Evelyn and burst into full-blown laughter.  "Ah ha ha… ha ha… ha ha ha!" he crowed.

            Evelyn just looked at her mentor strangely as he laughed.  "Dr. Applegate," she said, clearly upset.  "Why are you laughing?"

            "Oh, Evelyn, you make me laugh so… ah ha ha… ha ha…"

            Evelyn pursed her lips and placed her fists on her slender hips.  "Well, I never!" she said angrily.

            Dr. Applegate closed his mouth and tried to regain his composure.  "Oh, Evelyn, Evelyn, I am not laughing at you!" he said, grinning.

            "You're not?" asked Evelyn, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

            "Well, okay, maybe I was, but" he stressed, taking in Evie's angry frown, "it's only because I know why you want to go to Rathshad, and well, I can't very well blame you."

            "And why do I want to go?" asked Evie, annoyed.

            "Because.  You are like me.  This is what you thrive on.  It's the essence of your being.  Because you love this kind of thing and you want to have one more adventure.  Am I right?"

            Evie finally smiled, and nodded sheepishly.  "You're right, Dr. Applegate."

            "I was going to ask you to go all along," he said.  "I just wanted to string you along a little.  So, now I am asking you:  Will you please take a small team to Rathshad to do some investigating for me?  The British Museum will fund your trip, you just have to get yourself there."

            "Will I?" asked Evelyn.  "Of  course I will!  And I know just who my team mates will be!"