A Woman

Nefertiri's Handmaiden

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mummy, or The Mummy Returns, or anything even vaugley affiliated with The Mummy or The Mummy Returns except for my own humble stories.

Note: My return to The Mummy fanfiction after many, many months of absence. I've had a couple thoughts in my head lately that I needed to get out, though, and so here I am.

It was late one night when Rick O'Connell heard a knock on the door of his room in the fort in Cairo. He dragged himself from bed and toward the door, too lazy to throw on a shirt.

"Coming, coming," he muttered when the knocking resumed; louder this time. He made it to the door grumbling to himself and opened it. What he saw was not what he had expected to see. "Evelyn?"

She marched past him into the room. "Make love to me."

Rick nearly passed out. "What?" he asked dazedly as he somehow managed to shut the door and turn to face her.

"You heard me, Rick. Make love to me."

There was silence for a moment as Rick processed information. "But. . . But you always said you wanted to wait until we were married. . . there's only three more days. Why now?"

"I don't want to wait anymore," Evelyn replied as threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself to his bare chest as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

"I-" started Rick, but he was cut off as her lips closed over his. Instinctively he responded, wrapping his arms around her possessively, but then his mind cleared and he pushed her away, his hands on her arms.

"Evelyn, what is going on?"

"I told you, I'm just ready to-"

"I know you better than that, Evelyn Carnahan. What is going on?"

There was silence and then Evelyn burst into tears.

Rick, needless to say, was shocked.

"Evy, what is it?" he asked tenderly as he pulled her into his arms and lead her to the bed, where they sat down.

"No one wants me. . ." he managed to hear through her sobs. "No one will ever want me. . . I'm nothing. . ."

"Now just a minute," he said angrily, shaking her slightly. "What are you talking about? I want you very much."

She sobbed something incoherent.

"What?"

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"I said; you don't want me. I'm disgusting. You wouldn't even make love to me when I threw myself at you."

"That's because I know you and I love you and I'm not a pig. And you are NOT disgusting. You are wonderful and smart and funny and cute and beautiful. If you must know, I'd take you in a second if I was sure it was what you really wanted."

She sniffled. "Really?"

"Really."

"So you don't think I'm ugly?"

"Never," he swore. He pulled her close and put his lips next to her ear. "You are beautiful and sexy," he said softly. "And you have a killer body."

He felt her smile into his shoulder. "Thank you," she said back softly.

He pulled away slightly and looked her in the eye. "You're welcome. Now, what is all this about being disgusting? What gave you such an idea? Was it Jonathon?"

"No," said Evelyn quickly before Rick needlessly lost his temper. "Not Jonathon. He'd never call me disgusting."

Rick raised an eyebrow.

". . .And mean it," amended Evelyn. "I. . . ran into an old friend. A man who once courted me. Briefly."

"Obviously not the best choice on your part."

"Hmm. He seemed good enough a first, but the longer we were together the more horrible to me he became. I ended up breaking it off and for weeks he kept showing up at the house demanding to see me. Jonathon never let him in."

"I'm glad. His loss was my gain."

She smiled slightly. "Anyway, I was out tonight, dragging Jon home from the bar and we ran into him. He was drunk. He was always drunk," she added softly as an afterthought. "And he sneered at me and said, 'Still living with your brother like a failure. You'll never find a man, Evelyn. You're worthless.' He pulled me to him. I tried to fight but he was too strong. He smelt like garlic and whiskey. Revolting. He said, 'No man will ever want you. You're boring. You're disgusting.'

"And I guess I just thought; he's right. I am boring. I am ugly. And then I got so angry. I'll show him, I thought. So I came here to seduce you."

Rick chuckled. "You didn't do a very good job."

She glared at him. "Shut up."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "'Shut up?' I'm being a bad influence on you."

Evelyn smiled. "I don't mind."

He smiled back and waggled his eyebrows. "So. . . I don't suppose you still want to. . . well, you know. . ." He winked.

She giggled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "No. I don't. But thank you anyway."

Rick sighed in disappointment. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning."

"Right," she responded, and stood up. He stood as well, and walked her to the door.

"Goodnight," he said once they reached that dreaded point of separation; the door.

She turned to face him. For a moment she did nothing; just stood and smiled at him. It was an infectious smile that just demanded he smile back. Then she stood on her tip-toes, placed her hands on his chest for balance, and kissed him soundly. He wrapped his arms around her, his finely cut muscles crushing her close and nearly lifting her from the floor. Too soon she pulled away and headed off to her own room as he stared stupidly after her.

She looked back over her shoulder at him before she turned the corner.

"Goodnight, Rick. And by the way, I think I like you better without a shirt on. It lets me see your killer body."

And then she was gone.

He stared after her for a while before shaking his head and returning to his bed, certain sleep wouldn't come for a while.