A/n. okay guys a big big sorry from me, I know I tempted you with the idea of another chapter before Christmas, and I really did mean for it to happen but you know how life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes. Anyway I hope all you out there had a nice holiday. I did as your lovely reviews beat my best record again, and a few of you out there even reviewed some of my other fics, which was a very nice present. :o)

Role call time;

New people; orlando-is-a-hottie, I must agree he is. Lizzie my regular posting day is Thursday, (but more about that later) Opui, short but sweet. poppylena, wow I am honoured to hear from you. I hope you hear from all of you again.

Old faithful ; lucky fannah so pleased and relieved you liked the last chapter, I wondered how you would react. allstarz808, yes yes I am evil (hangs head in shame) lilylnn, sorry. Mandi-solo I will I will. hypercaz, see allstartz comment, Lol. rosie-bec, thank you thank you for my beautiful chrisssy present. Toni Isis. I do appreciate the quoted lines really I do, it does make me smile. superstar54, I've had a word with miss Jax and she's promised she wont… (looks over shoulder, Jax pulling faces again.) long suffering sigh, oh don't look at me I cant control her. ;op

Oh yes by the way there's a note on my bio in regards to posting times, please check it out.

Well I guess you waited long enough, so onwards………

Chapter Nine.- Messing about on the river.

Evelyn stood on the east bank of the Nile and looked out across the busy Giza port. It was just coming up to midday, and hundreds of traders were busy bustling around in anticipation of when the next steamer would unload its passengers, and they would have a chance to sell their wares. Ever since Rick and Ardeth's disappearing act a few moments ago, Evelyn had already been offered more food than she could ever hope to eat in her lifetime. Eventually relenting, she bought some fruit for the journey. Sighing now, she looked around again, and was relieved to finally see her husband returning with a smile on his face.

"We have a boat!" he announced loudly as he reached her side.

Evelyn looked confused. Although she had packed a small travelling bag at Ardeth's request, she hadn't expected to be sailing.

"A boat?" she repeated. "Why do we need a boat?"

Rick shrugged. "Because Ardeth said we needed one." Seeing that his wife was unconvinced he picked up her bag and continued. "Come on, he's at dockside and he said he'll explain all."

Evelyn watched as Rick enthusiastically strode away, and smiled. She loved seeing him in adventurer mode.

XXX

"Its… its…" Evelyn stumbled, speechless as her eyes finally saw the boat Rick had spoken of. "It's a fishing boat."

"It's a Dhow," Rick smiled.

"That is not a Dhow!" Evelyn argued.

"Of course it is- it's flat bottomed boat made from wood, and ok the sail is a little on the small side, but its got a good engine and it will get us were we want," Rick continued.

Evelyn looked at Ardeth. "What do you think?" she asked

Ardeth shrugged. "Well at least its not a plane."

XXX

"So?" Rick asked as he started the small engine, after finally convincing his companions that the ship was safe and helping them board. "Where to?"

"We go south," Ardeth informed him, "to the Valley of the Queens."

Nodding, Rick turned the wheel.

Quickly leaving the business of Cairo's port long behind, the small Dhow soon began cutting through the still water. As she looked over the side, mesmerized by the movement, Evelyn couldn't remember why she had been worried by the boat. Remembering how he liked the river, her thoughts turned to Jonathan, and she began to wish for her brother's safety.

"So, what's at this Valley of the Queens then?" Rick's voice cut through her thoughts and Evelyn looked up. Seeing Ardeth now sitting under the small shelter, she moved to join them.

"It's a large burial complex on the west side of the Nile," Evelyn informed him as she took a seat. "It is were nearly all the female members of the royal families were buried, in tombs cut from the rock."

Ardeth nodded in agreement. "It is were Nefertiri's tomb is."

Evelyn shook her head. "No," she said, confused. "Nefertiri's tomb hasn't been found in the valley. It is widely believed she was buried somewhere else, or that grave robbers desecrated all evidence of her," she finished slightly sadly, upset for her former self.

"I am afraid that is a misconception," Ardeth continued, "one that has served the Medjai well. Nefertiri's tomb was discovered, many years ago by one of our order. And ever since we have protected it from outsiders, and made sure it has remained untouched."

"So that's where we're going?" Rick asked from his standing point as he saw his wife was left speechlessness by this revelation.

"Yes. I have been looking deeper into the Medjai history, and found a reference to a 'great protector' that was buried with her. It is recorded that she had this item with her at Hamunaptra."

"So that could be what Djeser-si wants- maybe it's a weapon?"

"That is all I can presume it to be," Ardeth confirmed Rick's guess.

"How are we going to know what it is?" Rick asked, thinking aloud. "All we know is that it's not the blade we already had."

"We must trust that Nefertiri will guide us with her inscriptions."

Rick lapsed into silence as he thought about everything that had happened.

"Why does Djeser-si want us to retrieve the weapon that can kill him? And what do we do once we have it?" he asked eventually.

"We go to Hamunaptra," Evie said, speaking for the first time since Ardeth's bombshell.

"But we can't just hand him the only weapon that can kill him!" Rick argued.

"If that's what we need to do to get Jonathan back," Evie started as she stood up, "then that is what we will do." Slowly she moved towards the bow of the boat.

"I fear this may be a trying journey for your wife," Ardeth suggested quietly as he saw Rick's concerned eyes follow her.

"What makes you say that?"

Looking down at Evelyn standing silhouetted by the sun, Ardeth paused before answering quietly. "Very few people are prepared to visit their own grave."

Rick twitched uncomfortably; the thought didn't exactly sit well with him either.

XXX

As the sun began to set sometime later, Rick handed the controls of the boat over to Ardeth and made his way down to his silent wife.

"Are you okay?" he whispered as he sat next to her.

Turning her face from the beautiful sunset she was watching, Evelyn smiled, and handed him an apple from the bag she held. "Of course," she answered.
Taking the apple gratefully, Rick turned and threw it quickly to Ardeth, who caught it one-handed without moving. "Jonathan's going to be alright you know, he can look after himself," Rick said as he received another apple.

"I know," Evie answered with a small smile. "It's just, well, he's Jonathan."

Rick smiled and took a bite of his apple. He knew exactly what she meant- Jonathan could get himself into trouble at the best of times.

"Eugh!" Rick suddenly exclaimed. "Evie, these apples are soft."

"I know," Evelyn admitted again. "I brought them at the dock- the boy was only young, and he kind of looked like Alex, so…" she trailed off, embarrassed by her own weakness.

Rick laughed good naturedly and pulled her into his arms. He loved the fact that no matter how many times he had warned her, she couldn't resist taking a chance on a kid, especially if he bore any resemblance to Alex.

XXX

After the night had fallen, Rick began to remember his dream- the opulence of the party, and more importantly the intensity of the kiss.

"Evie?" he began as he looked down to her lying sleepily in his arms.

"Hmmm?" she mumbled back against his chest.

"Did Nefertiri every marry?"

Evelyn opened her eyes fully now, and looked up. "No," she admitted, somewhat surprised by his asking. "It's strange- before Seti was killed he arranged for her to marry her uncle, but the marriage never happened. For some reason her uncle called it off. why do you ask?"

Smiling, Rick looked up quickly to where Ardeth stood holding the wheel. Ascertaining that the Medjai's eyes were firmly on the horizon, he turned back to Evelyn. "They were in love," he whispered, "Menka and Nefertiri."

"What?" Evelyn gasped, surprise making her forget her manners as she sat up. "How- how could you know that?"

"I had another dream last night," he admitted. "And trust me, you can't kiss someone like that if you don't love them."

Evelyn stared deep into his eyes and felt her heart singing. Not only could she accept this idea, but she liked it. "Have you told Ardeth?" she whispered as she spared the Medjai a quick look herself.

"No," Rick admitted, "and I'm not going to. They went to a lot of trouble to hide it back then, and I don't think we should betray that."

If it was possible, Evelyn fell even more in love with her husband as they lay under the stars. "So," she whispered sitting up, "tell me more about this kiss."

Reaching out, Rick cupped Evelyn's face with his large hands and brought her towards him. " I believe," he whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke, "it went something..."

Leaning forward, Evelyn closed her eyes and stopped his speech. As their lips finally met and the pressure built, it lit a fire deep in her belly. The heat that passed through her as Rick's tongue teased hers was enough to light every torch in Thebes. Groaning slightly as she felt his fingers in her hair, she leant further forward, her body craving closer contact. Reacting instinctively as his excitement grew, Rick slid his hands beneath her cardigan and began to run his hands across the bare skin of her shoulders, and down her back, pulling her body tight against his.

Suddenly a lurch from the boat reminded him were he was, and reluctantly pulling back from the edge, Rick moved his lips away from the sweet nectar that was Evelyn. "Something like that," he finished breathlessly after a second.

XXX

From were he stood, Ardeth was trying desperately not to notice the O'Connell's' behaviour, but as he watched them after a while move into a sleeping position he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. They were so obviously in love it was unreal; even when asleep they moved instinctively to one another. Ever since he had been little Ardeth had been betrothed to a woman, but he wasn't in love with her, she wasn't his soul mate. He had always had the feeling that there was someone else out there, and that he just hadn't met her yet.

Sighing, he drove the thoughts from his mind and resigned himself to the task of sailing the boat safely through the dark night.

XXX

As the sun peeked over the horizon, Rick blinked. He had been awake for hours, and even when he had slept it was only lightly and briefly. He knew he had to move, to get up- Ardeth had been at the wheel all night and Rick knew it was his turn to take over. But Evelyn was asleep in his arms; her head lay on his chest and he could feel the pounding of her heart against his. He loathed to wake her. Looking down the boat Rick could see Ardeth, and a tiredness that he would deny in the mans eyes.

"Evie," he called quietly, half hoping she wouldn't hear him.

Mumbling something incomprehensible, Evie snuggled further into his neck.

Moaning inside his own head, Rick reluctantly began to slide away. Lifting Evelyn's head gently, he placed his coat beneath it to replace his arm, and sat up. Her beauty was undeniable as she lay with her hair splayed behind her, and he couldn't refrain from planting a small kiss on her cheek before getting to his feet and moving to the other end of the boat.

Shivering slightly as her body recognised the loss of warmth, Evelyn slowly woke. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, her sleep befuddled mind began to wonder where she was. However, upon seeing the bright blue that was attempting to break through the night, she knew there was only one place she could be- the only place she knew that afforded such richly coloured skies; Egypt. Sitting up with a lazy smile, she looked around the boat. Rick and Ardeth were talking softly under the canopy. Getting to her feet she stumbled towards them.

"Good morning," she greeted them as she ran a hand through her tussled hair.

"Sabah il khayr," Ardeth greeted her back, as he moved past her and knelt on the blankets that served as the makeshift bed.

XXX

Evelyn watched as Rick turned the wheel in the early morning sun, steering their small craft to skilfully avoid the dangerous sandbanks that often littered the famous waterway, and she could not help but remember the first Nile trip they had taken.

"Do you remember," she began, but Rick was already nodding his head; he had been thinking of the same thing.

"Our first trip," he finished for her. "The second time you saved my life."

"The first time you saved mine," Evelyn countered, "when that Medjai attacked me, in my cabin."

"From what I remember, you took pretty good care of him yourself," Rick continued, as he remembered that first moment when he had seen Evelyn in trouble. It was in that second that he realised his feelings were more than just the infatuation that he had believed them to be.

From where he now lay, Ardeth, who had finally succumbed to shutting his eyes, could hear every word. Hearing their descriptions of the attack, he flinched inwardly with guilt- after all, it had been him that had ordered the attack. Taking a deep breath he tried to console himself with the fact that he had made the right choice at the time.

"We lost everything that night," Evelyn was continuing with her memories, "and that water was freezing."

"Mmmh," Rick smiled back, not completely listening as he remembered his own overriding memories of that night- namely the way Evelyn had looked in her night gown, especially after their unexpected swim.

"Rick!" Evelyn cried in embarrassment, punching him gently on his arm as she guessed from the look on his face what he was thinking about.

Rick just laughed gently.

XXX

As the scorching sun reached its apex, the hum of conversation generated by Evelyn- and the now awake Ardeth, who was standing at the side of the boat- floated across the water and into the dessert sand. Rick, who still stood at the wheel, was not listening, however. He was concentrating on the beautifully rhythmic pounding of the water crashing against the wooden sides of the boat; he could feel each wave washing through his body. Closing his eyes slightly against the glare of the sun, a shiver suddenly ran through him.

The sun that had previously blinded him was gone, as was the warmth from it, he could feel a cold draft caressing his now practically bare chest.

Blinking rapidly he could not get the scene to change back, and although he knew not what had happened he recognised the woman sitting beneath the stars in front him; Nefertiri.

XXX

Looking up from the water, Evelyn's eyes suddenly went wide, and she forgot everything she had been about to say.

"Are- are we supposed to be that close?" she asked urgently as she pointed to a sandbank.

Looking to where she was pointing, Ardeth eyes also widened.

A/n. so was that worth the wait? Any comment? Well you know how to get in touch.

Until next time my lovely's. xxx :o)