You may not like this chapter because it focuses on Beth, my OC and Ardeth. If that is so, then I apologise for not keeping the Ardeth fangirl in me properly restrained. grins This is just for all those who wanted Beth and Ardeth to get together. Insert your own name wherever it says 'Beth'. I know I do.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rick, Jonathon, Alex, Eve or Ardeth, though chance would be a fine thing. They belong to Stephen Sommers, the lucky bastard! Oh, and that other guy that wrote the films too. Man, he must get annoyed that no one remembers his name.

Warning: Ardeth Bay and OC making out. I apologise now for the utter predictability of it all (is that a word?)

Two months had passed since the incident at Nak Tahn. Beth had decided it was best to part ways with her brother for a short time while she organised her affairs back home in the USA. Now she was sat in a small, orderly office just two blocks away from where she had been based with Jimmy. Her desk was stacked high with papers, either from recent cases she had been asked to pursue or with legal documents concerning her responsibility for the office she and Jimmy shared. As Jimmy was 'missing in action' it was now up to Beth to handle the rent, a responsibility that was taking up all of her pay checks. She could practically hear Jimmy laughing at her predicament, and it made her angry, unreasonable and unsociable. Things weren't going well.

"So, I'm not supposed to be here?" Beth yelled at the ceiling. Neighbours had noticed she was doing this a lot recently. "I get that, okay? But I didn't ask to be brought back, so cut me some freakin' slack already!" Nothing happened, and Beth was left to sit at her desk and sigh away the hours. She needed to get out of the office, but she was afraid of more fieldwork. The memory of Ardeth storming off into the desert was nagging at the back of her mind. She was afraid of who she would lose this time.

The bell on the front door rang and Beth heard footsteps in the hallway. Great. she thought, Another infuriating member of the public come to demand my services for a menial price. She shuffled some papers and plastered on her best just-for-the-paying-customer-smile. A figure appeared in the doorway and her smile dropped. "Ar... Ardeth?" she stammered. No one had heard from him for months.

"Hello Beth." he drawled. He crossed the room in two swift strides and stood with his face just inches away from Beth's. Her heart practically stopped.

"Well, I never got the chance to express my happiness at your being alive." she whispered. Her voice didn't seem to want to work all of a sudden.

Ardeth simply smiled. "You know, I thought about many things after I was brought back. They were mainly selfish thoughts about being dragged out of eternal bliss and into this world again." His hot breath caressed Beth's cheek like the desert air, sending a wave of arousal through her (fully healed) body. She was sure he was doing this on purpose. "However, the main thing I found myself thinking about was you."

"Me?" she whimpered.

"Yes. You, Beth. Because you're intoxicating. And distracting. And you're going to be severely disliked by the other Medjai chiefs."

"Why?"

"Because they generally don't like it when their leader falls in love with a woman. They usually think of her as a time bomb, waiting to explode and take their leader from them."

Beth was shocked. "When their leader f...falls in...love with a...a woman?" she stammered, contemplating all possible meaning of that sentence in mere seconds.

Ardeth smiled even more, pure affection etched into his dark, brooding features. He reached up and brushed a golden lock of hair from Beth's face and then leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, "Will you have me Beth? Because I think I might die of I don't have you." Beth's knees gave way completely as lust and joy completely took over her body, leaving her clinging onto Ardeth just to stay upright. She stared straight up into the darkest, most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, and she could feel herself drowning in them, not wanting to be saved. Ardeth was here, alive, and begging her to make love to him, and she could hardly take it all in.

She opened her mouth to tell Ardeth that she was his eternally, but her words were forced back down her throat as Ardeth pressed his lips to hers, kissing her so intensely that the room began to spin. She melted into him, surrendering to his kiss and moaning with desire as his tongue teased her mouth, exploring, caressing, playing. He pulled away and Beth let out a small sound of protest, but she was silenced when he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the sofa. As he plonked her down, she sighed with happiness, imagining the things they would do together. She couldn't have dreamed of a better ending.

And so it ends! Sigh! It's finished (whoo-hoo!). This was my baby. Excuse me while I go and cry (from relief!). Thank you to all those who reviewed. I am sorry that the last few chapters became rushed and slightly crappy. That tends to happen when you write an epic (though this wasn't an epic, it was just more than three chapters long). Pablo and I therefore thank you, and bid you goodnight!

Man, I'm tired!

ZELINIA: Ah, your honesty is refreshing. Yes, sorry about the cliched ending. Like i said - the fangirl got out. Thank you for saying I'm a good writer. I have other things coming up, but they're both Harry Potter fics. I started writing one, and now I can't stop! I'll definately be looking out for your fic, as you so kindly read mine. It sounds good, what with the cool title i don't understand. Thankies for dropping by!

movieluver: Wait, you sound like me reading other people's stories, what with the OMGs and the not leaving till read the next bit of the story. That's so flattering! Thankies muchly (that's my new favourite phrase)! I've got stuff waiting to be posted anyway, so don't you worry. And if you're going to the British part of Europe (yes, like it or not we are part of europe) then don't. It's crappy. trust me - I've lived there all my life. Oh, and by the way - LUV YA TOO!

marakins: Thank you for dropping by at last! I was beginning to think you were bored with me. I'm glad you think Jonathon was in character. He was the hardest for me to write, so go figure. And yes, the mush! Personally I think you boo mush because you're jealous, but thankies for saying I did well in the writing of it! I only really wrote it the way other people do, but thankies all the same! Don't ever go away again! huggles and never lets go

Li'l- Red Bandana: Of course I remember you! Gosh, how could I forget? Did you know that Tarien's Medjai was the first fanfic i ever read. Congrats, by the way, on the ending, which i haven't quite gotten round to reviewing yet. grins I'm so glad you enjoyed this, and thankies for saying i write a good ending. I, myself, was disappointed with myself when i wrote it, because I had tried so hard not to surrender to the overwhelming urge to be predictable. Heck, i even killed Ardeth off for a while! Unfortunately, I brought him back in a cheesy resurrection scolds self. But you enjoyed it, and so did others, so I can at least be happy with that. Thank you so much for dropping by and taking the time to read this though!