SUMMARY: After eighty years, destiny still isn't finished with them yet.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of THE MUMMY/THE MUMMY RETURNS
RATING: T+
PAIRING: Imhotep/Anck-Su-Namun
REVERSAL OF FATE:
Tom had taken one step into the dark tunnel feeling freedom within their grasp. He thought of nothing else, except getting himself and Sun to safety. At least he tried. She was tugging on his hand, urging him to turn around. "What is…?" he asked, looking back at her over his shoulder. It wasn't Sun that gained his attention, it was the eerie blue light filling the burial chamber. He'd never seen anything like it in this or his previous life. The light soon turned into a swirling vortex with two figures emerging.
Sun wouldn't be able to accurately describe what it was she was seeing at this moment. The figures coming out of the blue – for lack of a better term – puddle were male and female. And they were familiar somehow. As they came closer more of their features were revealed. Sun nearly stopped breathing. She was staring at her first incarnation; the true Anck-Su-Namun. She looked exactly as she had when she'd taken her life. That made the man next to her Imhotep. "Oh, my gods…" she said, exhaling slowly. The light died down and the torches sparked to life once more. Was she actually seeing this?
"We're seeing this at the same time, right?" Tom asked, tugging on her hand lightly. He was face to with his first self, the man who'd been cursed for loving a woman and for murdering the Pharaoh. It was haunting to see a three-thousand-year-old version of himself. They could pass for identical twins.
"I think we are," Sun responded. She couldn't help but stare at Anck-Su-Namun. It was like looking in a mirror that reached back three thousand years. Though, Anck-Su-Namun was slightly darker than she was. "How is this possible?" she asked, taking a few steps closer.
"You did what we could not," Imhotep spoke, drawing the gaze of his modern love.
"The tunnel…" Tom muttered. "You were supposed to run." He wasn't sure if he meant that lost comment incredulously or not. "Why didn't you leave?!" he snapped, the anger rising up inside him.
"It was not easy," Anck-Su-Namun spoke, addressing the future version of her lover. "Our lives were not simple…"
"We know," Sun replied.
"You may know, but do you understand?" Imhotep asked.
"We remember," Tom added. He clenched his teeth, trying to get a stranglehold on his anger. I they had just fled, he never would have met Sun. And with that single thought, he sighed, completely deflated and the age vanished.
"To know is to remember, to understand you had to have lived our lives," Anck-Su-Namun said sharply. "You get to have better than we did. You get to be together in a way we never would have been allowed."
Imhotep placed his hand on her painted shoulder, no longer fearful if they were seen. He rubbed his thumb back and forth along her skin hoping to sooth her. In the afterlife, Osiris had taken pity on them and allowed them this one reprieve so that they might speak with their reincarnations. Already the course of their lives was going to be different.
"You were afraid of Seti, weren't you?" Sun asked. Underneath it all, she could feel the icy grip of it still clinging to her soul and lingering in the ghostly eyes of Anck-Su-Namun. Not even death had stripped them of that fear.
"It does not matter now," Anck-Su-Namun said softly. In her eyes, though, she answered honestly. Yes, she had been afraid of the Pharaoh. Everyone had been.
"You broke the curse hanging over our souls. By choosing to flee you changed everything," Imhotep added. There was one final thing they needed from their reincarnations and it would be the hardest thing he would ever ask.
Sun stared into Imhotep's eyes, seeing what it was that he needed for himself and for his lover. Tears sprang welled up, clouding her vision. She touched Tom's hand and then went to stand in front of the High Priest. Tom stood beside her, facing Anck-Su-Namun. In Imhotep's eyes, she could see he saw her as he saw his lover; the same woman. Lifting her hand, she said, "I loved you so much in our first life."
Tom moved his hands over Anck-Su-Namun's face and whispered, "You were every single beat of my heart, the breath in my lungs, and the missing half of my soul." He leaned in closer, pressing his forehead to hers, breathing in. So long as he lived, he silently vowed to always remember what they sacrificed for their family and to always love Sun no matter what. "Be at peace and rise no more," he spoke with conviction.
Sun stared into Imhotep's eyes and said, "We release you." Imhotep kissed her as his form faded away like sand being carried away on the wind. She lifted her hand to her heart and whimpered. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did to say goodbye to him. Essentially, he was a stranger, but her heart told her differently.
Tom kissed Anck-Su-Namun's brow seconds before she too faded to nothing. With her the blue light died and he was left feeling cold inside. Blindly reaching back, he felt for Sun's hand. He needed to feel the warmth of her running through him, bringing him back to life. The minute their skin touched, the cold was chased away, and he could breathe normally. His soul was no longer being crushed under the weight of monumental grief. "We should leave while we can," he said.
"Agreed," Sun replied, squeezing his hand moments before letting him go. She went back to the stone altar and retrieved the book of the dead. It wouldn't do too well to leave it behind for Sarah to reclaim it. Like before, the power that resided in the mystical tome bled into her hands, slithering up her arms. It called to her, wanting her protection, and she would give it.
Tom was already standing in the mouth of the tunnel when Sun joined him, carrying the book. "You're not bringing that thing with us, are you?" He could feel the pull to open the book, to read the words inscribed on the black pages. The book of the dead had, at one time, been enshrined in the city of Hamunaptra, and he had been its keeper. Having that tome anywhere near him would be a monumental temptation.
"I'm not leaving it here," Sun shot back, mindful of how loud she spoke.
"That's exactly what you should do," Tom replied, his voice also low.
"I can't. If we leave it here, then it could fall back into my sister's hands, or someone worse," Sun argued. Sarah couldn't have pulled all this off by herself, or even with the help of mercenaries. She had to have someone else backing her plays. But who?
Tom growled but made no further arguments in favor of leaving the book behind. He motioned for her to follow him as he led the way into the tunnel. Before leaving, he retrieved the key and they were ready to escape. The moment they moved away from the entrance, the stone slab closed, plunging them into darkness. "Least we can only go forward," Tom said.
"Provided the tunnel isn't blocked and we don't suffocate…" Sun said sarcastically. The burial chamber might not have made her panic, but the tunnel was doing its job. Seeing her first incarnation had sapped her of her normal steely resolve.
In the dark, Tom found her hand and held it tightly. "We'll move as fast as we can," he promised. Then, keeping his hand in hers, he guided her down the corridor towards the exit. Silently, he hoped that her fears were unfounded and that he hadn't just sealed them in. His fear wasn't the dark, or the confined space. He was concerned about spiders. It wasn't that he hated the fury eight-legged little creatures, but if he had a blowtorch, he wouldn't hesitate to burn them alive.
As they walked, Sun felt her heart beating faster and faster. The panic was trying to get the best of her, but she wouldn't let it win. If she could keep it together in the tomb, then she could sure as well handle this tunnel. Just when she thought she couldn't take another step; she saw a sliver of light appear. Hope swelled up inside her. They were nearing the end with fresh air and wide-open space waiting for them.
Tom kept going towards the light. If things weren't so serious for them at the moment, he might make a joke about tunnels and light. Though, in present company, he thought it bet to say nothing. Sun had a death grip on his hand, telling him that she was nearly at the limit of what she could take. "Not much farther now," he said in a comforting tone.
Sun breathed out a shaky breath and nodded. Belatedly, she realized, he couldn't see her. "Good," she said. Silently, she wished him to pick up the pace.
Tom lengthened his strides, picking up the pace he could sense she wanted from him. Though, honestly, he was ready to be out of the escape tunnel as well. It was a reminder of what could have been. Before too long, they came to the mouth, but it was blocked by debris. He could hear the sound of workers. "Hello! Can anyone hear us?!" he shouted and prayed to whatever gods were listening that it wasn't the lunatics that had captured them.
Outside the entrance, Richard heard faint calls for help. The voice – he hoped – belonged to Sun's gentleman; Tom Hawass. He signaled his people to stop and move out of the way to allow him to get close to the hole they'd made. "Sun!"
"Daddy!"
Richard breathed a sigh of relief. He could hear the panic in her voice. As much work as she'd put in overcoming her claustrophobia, she still hadn't defeated it. "Baby, we're coming to get you."
"Put your backs into it, men!" Ja'Kal shouted. He got everyone, including himself and Richard, back to it. The smaller broken pieces fell out of the way as the larger rocks were pulled away. Steadily, the opening got bigger and bigger.
Inside the tunnel, Tom pulled Sun in front of him. The hole was large enough for her to squeeze through. "Go ahead, I'll be right behind you." She didn't argue, she didn't try to be brave and say she could wait. She handed him the book and crawled through the opening.
Tom curled his fingers around the metal spine of the book while he waited for his turn. A few more seconds and he started to make his way to freedom. The small sharp stones bit into the skin of his knees, cutting him, but still he kept going until hands were reaching for him, helping to pull him out into the daylight. He was momentarily blinded by the light when Sun was back in his arms, holding him tight. "I'm okay…" he said, closing his eyes, and holding her tightly in return.
Richard saw the embrace and knew his daughter had found the right man to be with. Of course, he wasn't going to let the man get away without being hazed. It was his fatherly duty, after all. But he could restrain himself long enough to deal with the problem at hand. Sarah. "We don't have time for this," he said in his best clipped fatherly tone.
Sun pulled back from the safety and security of Tom's arms, so she could stare down her father. "We're going to make the time. What are you doing here and with Medjai in tow?" You're supposed to be with mom, at the hospital, with Avery."
"You're supposed to be in Paris, where I told you to remain," Richard replied heatedly.
"Guess we both excel at not listening," Sun fired back and put her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here?"
"Rescuing you," Richard answered. "A thank you is in order."
Sun grit her teeth and then begrudgingly said, "Thank you." After that, all the fight and posturing went right out of her. She went to her father, tears filling her eyes as she said, "Daddy, Sarah's finally lost it. She paid some thugs to drug us, haul us halfway across the desert, and dress us up to fit some deranged fantasy of hers."
"She didn't pay anyone," Ja'Kal said, gaining the attention of his God-Daughter.
Sun pegged Ja'Kal with a suspicious stare and said, "I don't like the way you said that, uncle."
"He's your uncle?" Tom asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, like a family friend type uncle," Sun replied quickly. Then to Ja'Kal she asked, "Then who's working with her if she didn't pay anyone?" She hoped to high heaven that it wasn't who she was thinking of, because if it was, then they were in very serious trouble.
Tom watched silently, knowing he had nothing to contribute to the conversation. It was best to watch and wait for Sun to find out what she needed to know, then, and only then, would they plan their next course of action. He looked at the book in his hands and wondered, if only for a moment, what powers it could bestow upon him. Tom had not only the memories of Imhotep before death, but the ones from his time as a resurrected cursed corpse. He could remember having powers and for an instant he wanted them back, if only to help Sun. Except, he knew that if he gave into that want, there would be no comping back and he would end up as Imhotep had been. He wouldn't risk that kind of darkness infecting him.
"Your sister has formed an alliance with the Red Guard," Richard explained sadly. Everyone in the O'Connell/Carnahan family knew that the Red Guard was their enemy. To make an alliance with them was tantamount to signing their own death warrant.
Sun scoffed. "She's lost what's left of her ever lovin mind!" She tried to believe that there was still some goodness left in her sister, but this… No, this was too much. As far as she was concerned, there was no redemption for Sarah. Sun wanted to hate her, but it was Sarah's illness that was partly responsible. When the oldest O'Connell child was medicated, she still had moments delusions would take hold of her. Normally, her meds would be altered, and she would go back to be her usual hateful self. What Sun saw in the tomb, that was a new level. She seemed medicated, but only enough to keep the worst of her symptoms at bay.
"What does that mean?" Tom asked, not sure he understood the implications.
"It means the Red Guard that had been following us in New York were there following Sarah's orders," Sun surmised, looking at Tom with heartfelt apology in her eyes. She still felt terrible for drawing him into her family's crazy world.
"Either hers or Mustafa Khalid's," Ja'Kal added.
"What does Khalid have to do with it? He's low man on the totem pole," Sun said snidely. The last time she had even heard Khalid's name had been from Ben's lips, when her cousin was cursing the man's name for betraying him.
"Not anymore," Richard informed. "He killed the top members and has taken control of the Guard."
"Shit…" Sun drew the word out. "Lyla and Ben… they don't know…" She had all but forget about her cousins. "Where are Lyla and Ben? They should have been here by now?"
"Sarah has them," Richard told his daughter.
Sun had never wanted to punch Sarah before this moment. "We have to do something! I have to do something to get them out of there!" She whirled around and was determined to take on the contingent of Red Guard soldiers all by herself. The haze of hatred cleared from her eyes when Tom touched her arms. "I have to get Lyla out of there. She's only here because of me!"
"Sweetheart, we already have a plan in place," Richard said, soothingly. He hoped his words would placate his daughter enough so that she would stay safe and not charge heard first into danger like he knew she wanted to do. "Many of the men encamped with Khalid and your sister are Medjai undercover as Red Guard. We're poised to take the camp, but we had to wait until you and your man were safely out of harm's way."
"Then, what are you waiting for?" Sun scoffed. "We're here now, safe and sound, go get them."
Ja'Kal tried to hide his laughter under a cough. Sun was bossy when she wanted to be; she'd learned it from Richard. "We're ten minutes away from rescuing them."
"Go in now," Sun said sharply.
"Now it is," Richard said and then nodded to another Medjai soldier. The man in turn pulled out a flare gun and fired the signal to begin the attack. Moments later, there was gunfire off in the distance.
It took everything Sun had not find a way to join the fray. She had to trust her father and her uncle had things well in hand and that her cousins were going to be rescued. To dispel the nervous energy, she had she started to pace back and forth. She would have made a lousy battlefield commander. Moments later, the action died down, and another red flare lit the sky. It was over. When she looked at Tom to see how he was feeling, she saw him staring intently at the book, the key already in place to unlock it. Immediately, she took it from him, and shoved it into the hands of the nearest man she could. "Take this and get it away from us," she snapped.
Tom was snapped out of the trance he unwittingly had fallen into. "That thing has got some powerful mojo attached to it," he said, his voice cracking. "Best to keep it out of our hands."
Sun stepped in close to him, her hands going to his face, and she said, "I know… I felt it too." It wasn't hard to imagine Imhotep with the book in his hands, reading the spells contained within its pages. She remembered what it was like to listen to him recite the spell that had shown her the past; but she had been a different person. Back then she had been Meela Nias, raised by the Red Guard.
"For the first time in my life, I am honestly ready to leave Egypt," Tom said with a sigh as he pressed his forehead to hers. It had been such a whirlwind adventure since they'd met on the street just a few days ago. Four days they had been together, but it felt like a whole lifetime.
"Where would you want to go?" Sun asked, taking a step back. She had places to live all over the world. Anywhere would suit her, because, like him, she was ready to leave Egypt behind. For a while, at least. She learned all she needed to from this land, what secrets it held about her past life and her past love.
"Anywhere," Tom replied, chuckling lightly.
"I can do anywhere," Sun answered, giggling lightly, tiredly.
d
****
On the other side of the sandstone outcropping, the Red Guard soldiers that had been captured were being tied up. Inside the temple, Richard looked down at his eldest daughter. She had been rendered unconscious during the attack, either by her attempts to flee to safety, or by Khalid – who was now dead. He was going to do what he should have done in the first place. Sarah needed to be in a secure facility with doctors and with medication. After his wife had gone to the hospital in Cairo, he'd made arrangements to get Sarah into the hands of professionals in an institution based in Switzerland.
Richard would hand her over to Ja'Kal and two others. His friend would then transport her to the facility. It was better if he was no longer involved. Richard already had one child in the hospital, narrowly escaping death while his youngest had faced the hardest test ever given to her. His family had suffered enough. Kneeling down next to her, he caressed her cheek and said his goodbyes. This could be the last time he would ever see her.
Ja'Kal watched his friend, not knowing the amount of pain Richard was in. How could he? In an effort to sooth the man's heartache, he said, "I'll take care of her and get her safely to the hospital."
"I know you will, my friend," Richard said, sniffling. "It doesn't make it easier though."
"Go to Luxor," Ja'Kal said softly, putting his hand on Richard's shoulder. "Your daughter, niece, nephew, and the stranger are all headed there now. Go, be with your family, and leave this mess for me. I will deal with it." One of the trucks they appropriated was being used to ferry everyone to a safe location, along with both books of the dead and of the living. They would be turned over to the O'Connell family, to Sun O'Connell, seeing as she and Tom Hawass were now the guardians.
THAT NIGHT:
The commandeered truck rumbled through the silent streets of Luxor, heading towards the airport. Sun and Tom's bags had been retrieved from the oasis but neither of them changed into normal clothes. They were both still processing the events of the day, sitting quietly, not looking at each other, or any anyone else. But they held hands.
Lyla was still feeling the effects of the sedatives that had been used on her, while Ben was still in and out of consciousness. He had been dosed more than a few times to keep him easy to handle. She looked at his face, seeing it mottled with bruises and blood. They had beaten him, and he'd more than likely fought back, trying to get free. For a second, she closed her eyes and when she opened, they were pulling into a large hangar where a jet was being fueled. The back of the trucks flatbed was lowered and a few of the ground crew helped them all get down. It was hard to walk a straight line and Lyla stumbled more than a few times.
Sun picked up her ruck sack and her duffle before getting out of the back of the truck. She held her hand out for Tom, waiting for him. It was finally time to leave Egypt behind and start to find some semblance of normalcy with the weight of the memories of their past uniting them. "You ready?" she asked as he jumped down.
Tom took one last look out at Luxor through the large open hangar doors. Silently, his bid goodbye to the place he was born and then took Sun's hand. "I am," he answered. "Where are we going now?"
"London," Richard said. He handed a bundle to his daughter. It contained passports, money, and customs documents for the two crates that contained the book of the dead and the book of the living. "You're going home to Carnahan manor."
Sun didn't even argue; the days adventures had worn her out. She took the papers and nodded solemnly. "Are you going with us?" she asked.
"No, I have to fly to Cairo to be with your mother and make arrangements for Avery to transport him to the states," Richard answered. "When you get home, an estate lawyer will be waiting for you. Meet with him and sign the papers he'll have waiting for you, per your grandfather's will." Contained in the bundle was a record of Sun and Tom breaking the family curse. It was finally over. For all of them.
"Daddy… I…" Sun stammered.
"Do this for me," Richard said softly.
"Okay," Sun acknowledged. In the pack of papers was another bundle with the name of the law firm she assumed she would be meeting with upon her return home. Errol and Flynn. 'Lawyers…' she thought snidely. But, because her father asked her to do this, she would.
MID-FLIGHT:
Tom exited the small bathroom wearing a pair of khaki cargo pants, hiking boots, and a black t-shirt. He felt more like himself and less like he was walking around in Imhotep's skin. The ancient clothes he had been in were folded and put in his satchel. He didn't have the heart to leave them behind. Under his t-shirt, he wore the amulet because he couldn't bear to take it off. He tried and just as the thick black braided cord was almost over his head, he dropped it back down around his neck. Better to leave it where it was.
Going back to the large leather seats, Tom saw Sun was in exactly the same position she had been in when he went to change, and she was still wearing the clothes her sister had put her in. "Are you going to change?" he asked softly. Even though she looked amazing, he would've thought she'd want to distance herself from the reminder of a life they never truly got to live on their own terms.
"Not yet," Sun replied, "I want to remember what it's like for a little while longer." She had set aside the past that belonged to Anck-Su-Namun and focused on Meela Nias. Her two former incarnations had more in common than she did with them. Both had had their lives cut short through a series of bad choices. Sun resolved not to be like them, not to lose the one man in the world she knew she could love for the rest of her life. She knew she could do that because she had been raised an O'Connell.
"Remember what?" Tom asked curiously. "Do you remember Anck-Su-Namun's time in the Underworld?"
"Not her," Sun said shaking her head slowly. "Meela."
Tom went silent. There were parts of Imhotep's memories that were of Meela back in the 1930's. He could recall what it was like to be nothing more than a reanimated cursed corpse. He remembered what it was like to have dark powers flowing through him and what it felt like to have them ripped out of his body.
"She was raised by the Red Guard after her parents were killed," Sun said softly. "I think I know why my parents were in that accident and why the O'Connell's found me." She had read the accident reports from her parent's car crash and the investigator suspected foul play. The brake lines in the car were cut. It hadn't made sense to her why the O'Connell's took her in, but now she didn't have to wonder any longer. They were looking for her, whether by her grandfather's edict or through their own initiative. Either way, her path had been irrevocably changed from that moment.
"You think the Red Guard wanted to try for a third time at raising Imhotep?" Tom asked. The question made him sick to his stomach. If they had succeeded in getting their hands on Sun, she could've turned out to be a completely different person than the one sitting next to him. He could have had happen to him what Imhotep did to Meela.
"Yeah, I do, but because they couldn't get their hands on me, they had no choice but to wait for another opportunity," Sun replied. She shifted in her seat, leaned over, and rested her head on Tom's shoulder. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out, letting her body relax. It would be a while before they returned to London. When they were home, she would change clothes then, and then she would go and meet with the estate lawyer like her father wanted.
Tom rested his check on top of Sun's head. It was scary to think that some unknown enemy had been looming on the periphery of his life. An organization that had that kind of patience was one to be feared. Though, for now, he sensed that their interference in his life was over. He was still Tom Hawass, Egyptologist. He had new eyes in which to see the civilization he'd studied for so long, and most of what people believed to be true was utterly wrong. When his past life made sense to him, he would sit down and tell his tale, but that wouldn't happen for a long time yet.
When next Sun opened her eyes, the jet had just touched down on the tarmac. Her dreams were peaceful and unburdened by the past. She dreamed of a future or her and Tom, a life lived simply loving each other and being happy. It was finally within their grasp and that made her heart skip a beat. Getting up from her seat, she slipped on the robe to cover herself against the light spring chill in the London air. When she was home, she would change out of the past and into clothes that fit her present. Once the jet was in the private hangar, the door opened, she walked down the steps and took her bags from the ground grew that had opened the cargo hatch.
"Ms. O'Connell, Mr. Hawass, Ms. Carnahan, Mr. Carnahan."
Sun acknowledged the man in a dark suit after he called their names. She knew the man was a friend of her father's, who was now in the private security game. "Yes, Mr…?"
"Derek Hunter," he responded. "Your father hired my company to escort you home and to be your security detail for the next few months."
Ben, who was wide awake and only slightly hungover from the sedatives, asked, "So, you know the Red Guard are some crazy pillock's with delusions of grandeur?"
"We weren't told that in so many words, sir," Derek replied coolly.
"Well, consider yourself informed," Ben replied with a bit of a snap to his tone.
"Forgive my cousin," Sun said apologetically, "he's tired and doesn't fly well. I assume there are two SUV's to transport us to Carnahan manor?"
"This way," Derek said, motioning for them to follow him out to where the two vehicles were waiting.
CARNAHAN MANOR:
Since being built, Carnahan Manor had changed very little, except to have the electrical wiring updated and a few renovations made. The inside décor hadn't changed much since the 1930's either. When Sun set foot inside, she felt like she was home and the events of the last week just melted away. She took Tom's hand, lacing their fingers together and said, "This was where I grew up."
"Lady O'Connell, Master Carnahan, Lady Carnahan, welcome home."
"Frederick, good to see you," Lyla said with a smile. It had been too long since she'd been home, but something told her she wouldn't be here for long. She was eager to get back to New York, to see Andrew.
"You're still alive?" Ben asked in a joking manner to which Frederick merely sneered. He wasn't worried. The old butler/caretaker had never really liked him from the moment he turned sixteen. Ben was too much a wild child and a rule breaker.
Frederick tugged at the hem of his grey vest and then addressed the only O'Connell in the room by saying, "My lady, your rooms have been prepared for you as well as one for your gentleman. After you've had time to relax, to change, there will be food in the kitchen."
"Thank you, Frederick. Mr. Hawass," Sun said formally know how Frederick was a stickler for propriety, "won't be needing the guest room. He'll be staying with me in my room."
Frederick bristled at that, but Sun O'Connell was an adult with a good head on her shoulders. He trusted her judgment. "I see."
"Don't worry, we're too tired to do anything," Sun said with a light laugh. At the end of the day, Frederick was a bit of a prude, and if she wasn't so exhausted – mentally and physically – she would have teased him more. She had to shower, dress in business clothes, and go to the estate lawyers like her father wanted.
"Before you retire, my lady, a man from the firm of Errol and Flynn will be here this afternoon to meet with you," Frederick informed her as was his duty.
"Thank you," Sun said, nodding in acknowledgement. Even better they should come to her. Then, with her hand in his, she pulled him towards the stairs.
Upstairs, Tom couldn't focus his eyes on just one thing. There were too many antiquities for him to see, for him to want to study. But he didn't get the chance because Sun was opening a door and leading him inside. The bedroom was the size of a suite at a very nice, upscale hotel. A large four poster bed was in the center, a couch near the fire place, and a desk under the window. "This was your room as a teen?" he asked.
"It was," Sun replied. "This was the room Grandpa Alex gave to me when I came to live here." It was the same room Great-Uncle Jonathon had frequented. In her young age, she had taken steps to re-arrange things to make the room suit her taste. Even as a young woman she knew what she liked and how she wanted everything to be. Memories swam to the surface. The room's setup reminded her of the bedroom Imhotep kept in the palace.
Tom saw the shift in Sun. "What?"
"I never knew why I moved the furniture around…" Sun said, her voice sounding far off. Even when she was young, her soul desired to be close to Imhotep in any way she could.
"What do you mean?" Tom asked and then looked back at the bed, the chairs, and the couch. Recognition raced through him. This was the exact placing of furniture Imhotep had. It made him wonder if he'd done anything like this as a young man and just couldn't remember doing it.
"Seems the gods were steering me towards you even when I was young," Sun replied. She shed her outer layer of desert garb, and then started removing the clothes that linked her to Anck-Su-Namun. The bond that spanned thousands of years wouldn't go away simply because she took off her clothes, but it muted the echo slightly.
"I thought you were tired?" Tom inquired as he pulled off his black t-shirt. He sensed her desire to put distance between their first lives and who they were now. It was the same way he felt. He was about to kick his boots off when her hand touched the amulet he still wore. On the plane he had tried to take it off, but something stopped him.
"Does it bother you to know that when I look at you, I can see Imhotep just beneath the surface of your skin?" Sun asked as she took her top off, dropping it to the floor. Her long fall of dark hair covered her. She knew he had to be seeing Anck-Su-Namun whenever he looked at her, but when he looked at her, his eyes were filled with love.
"No," Tom replied honestly. It should, and he knew it should, but it didn't. "Does it bother you that I see Anck-Su-Namun when I look into your eyes?" he asked in return. Their past and present were too intertwined now for them to separate who they'd been from who they are. Tom tried not to think about it too much as it would hurt his head. He took the memories when they came, letting them wash over him like waves on a shore.
Sun shook her head and said, "No, it doesn't." She felt the same as him. Deep down in her heart, she knew the moment she stood in front of him on the street days ago that her life was never going to be hers alone anymore. From the first time her grandpa had told her the first story about the infamous lovers, she felt as if she was missing a piece in her life. Tom filled that void for her. "When I told you that I love you… I love you. It doesn't matter whether I say it to you as Anck-Su-Namun or as Sun. I love you as Tom. I love you as Imhotep."
Tom had nothing to say to that. He pulled her close, kissing her deeply. His arms wrapped around her waist, his fingers slightly digging into the skin of her lower back. This was the woman he'd known in the ancient world, the woman he loved more than anything. He would love her just as fiercely in this life. She was the missing half of his soul.
A little while later, Sun was curled against Tom's side as they relaxed in a large porcelain bathtub, the hot water soothing away the adventure in the desert. The sense of déjà vu, however, hadn't faded. As she listened to him breathing and the way the water lapped against the edge of the tub, she remembered another evening when they had been immersed in a warm pool. The sun had been setting on another day and the Pharaoh was already passed out from too much beer and good food. This was the first time they had dared to be together outside of the shadows. "This is nice," she muttered, snuggling closer to him.
"That it is," Tom replied, kissing the top of her head. His voice was light and sounded far away. "I'm reminded of the Summer Solstice you and I were in the pool behind the temple." That evening, he thought he wouldn't see her because Pharaoh had wanted to take his pleasure. But he'd gotten the shock of his life when he found her in the temple wearing a small smile. She wasn't painted. She was dressed simply in a shear gold dress that served to cover the skimpy undergarments she was wearing.
"You took my hand and led me out back where very few ventured," Sun replied. That evening they had acted more like children than lovers. He pulled her into the cooling water and then she splashed him. They had laughed and carried on for what felt like hours. Then, when they were worn out and drunk on laughter, they stretched out in the shallow water to watch the stars. It had been more fun than she had had in a long time. "That was the moment I really started to love you," she said and placed a kiss to his chest.
"I loved you from the first moment I saw you," Tom replied to her. Before meeting Sun, he wasn't a man to believe in destiny or in true love. With her he'd been slammed by both and he never wanted to look back. He never wanted to go back to a life where he didn't have her. It had been a cold, lonely life he'd lived. His work, his studies, had always come first, and he felt as if he'd been going through life walking through a fog. Now, he was complete. It only took three thousand years.
Sun was about to respond to him when a knock sounded at the bedroom door; two short, sharp raps. Years of living in the manor told her that it was time to get out, get dressed and go down to eat. "Our time of relaxing is over," she said with a chuckle. Right on cue her stomach rumbled. It had been close to a couple of days since they had last eaten anything substantial.
DINING ROOM:
Tom was practically drooling by the time he and Sun entered the dining room to find the table laden with fresh fruit, baked goods, and freshly brewed coffee. Lyla and Ben were already seated, devouring plates of food, barely sparing them a glance as they walked over to their seats. Propriety wouldn't keep him from devouring the food on his plate. He was only mindful of not turning into some gluttonous monster, shoveling food in his face while making a total mess. He was starving.
Sun sat down and poured herself a cup of coffee first. She had to have caffeine before she did anything else. Taking that first sip had her moaning in delight. It was as if she could feel the caffeine soaking into her, waking her up molecule by molecule. She sat back in her chair, holding the mug between her hands. Savoring the moment, she closed her eyes and thought of nothing except her coffee. She blindly took another sip, waking up another fraction.
Tom stopped eating to stare at Sun. She sat back, her eyes closed, and wore a look of pure exquisite bliss. He realized that this look was all Sun O'Connell. This was the present persona that enjoyed the simple things like morning coffee and the quiet. He leaned his elbows on the edge of the table and pressed his mouth against his hands, so he could watch her for as long as he could. She took slow even breaths in between sips and looked to be content. He could sit and watch her for a hundred years and never tire of the serenity he could feel coming off her.
Sun opened her eyes and stared at Tom. His eyes were alight with happiness because of her. She set her coffee mug down and reached out for a slice of tart green apple where she dipped it into the bowl of honey. While her gaze was still linked with his, she took a bite, the sound of her teeth sinking into the meat of the apple echoed between them. No memories surfaced; no sense of déjà vu clouded the moment between them. This was just them. While things were quiet, she continued to eat and drink her coffee.
"Do you know what happened to Sarah?" Lyla asked. Sun was sufficiently caffeinated, so she would be able to hold an actual conversation. The last glimpse she had had of Sarah had been when she walked into the temple, presumably to confront Sun. "Did you kill her?"
Sun shook her head and then looked at Lyla. "I didn't," she answered. In the tomb she had realized that confronting Sarah was only part of it all. She made the choice to protect Tom and not fight. Fighting had been Anck-Su-Namun's choice, and it ended in her taking her own life. Sun wasn't going to go down that path again.
"I don't know whether to be happy or sad about that," Lyla answered honestly. After all this, she kind of hoped that Sun would have found a way to permanently stop Sarah from ever hurting anyone again.
"We're alive, be happy about that," Ben grumbled. He knew the moment his body felt like his again, he was going to indulge in some cathartic revenge. Gavin had sold them out, had sold Sun out, and had to be dealt with. He would take care of that himself. Lyla had a life to get back to in the United States, as well as a new man. Ben couldn't keep her from that. Sun wasn't about to leave Tom to run off to fulfill a revenge fantasy he'd cooked up.
"At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I beat her, and I didn't have to harm her in any way, shape, or form," Sun stated proudly. She stood tall against her sister and chose the better path, chose Tom. And it was that choice that broke the curse. If she had killed her sister, she might have made things worse for everyone as well as leave an indelible black mark on her soul.
"What about the books?" Lyla asked. She had seen them on display at the encampment and had watched as Sarah picked up the book of the dead, carrying it into the temple. For a little while, she had feared the worst; that she would never see Sun again.
"We have them," Tom answered. He could feel the book of the dead calling to him even now. It was currently down in the basement, locked away in one of the gun safes. Sun hadn't elaborated on why the tomes were no in their care and he hadn't pushed for any of explanation either. They were here, locked up, and out of the hands of those who would try to do them harm.
"Don't worry," Sun said to Lyla. "They are out of sight, out of mind." She reached over and took her cousin's hand, squeezing gently.
"Lady O'Connell, Mr. Hawass, would you please join me in the library?" Frederick asked, standing by the open doors of the dining room.
LIBRARY:
Gerard Flynn was a man of advanced years, having been in practice for forty years. He handled the division of assets between the O'Connell children, but the resolution of Carnahan manor was yet to be taken care of. Alex O'Connell had stipulated that the manor was to be held in trust until such time the family curse was broken. Gerard didn't put any stock in curses or any such hoodoo like that. At least, that had been his stance until he received a call from Richard O'Connell, the youngest son of the late Alex.
Gerard, however, would not be meeting with Richard. He would be meeting with the youngest daughter, Sun. She would have a few items for him to review and then she would have papers to sign. To be honest with himself, he was happy to resolve the matter of Carnahan manor. It had been held in trust too long. While he waited for the young woman, he reviewed the video file that had been sent to him from Richard.
At first the picture was black. Gerard leaned forward trying to make out shapes of any kind when torch light blazed to life making him jump. The scene before him was of two bodies lying in open Egyptian caskets. It was as if this was an Egyptian themed horror movie. Strangely, he was fascinated by what he was watching. Gerard his pause, though. He opened a wax sealed letter, written by Alex.
Mr. Flynn,
By now, I assume you have seen with your own eyes that the curse that has loomed over my family is indeed quite real. And if you're reading this, one of my children, or grandchildren, have broken it. Per my final instructions, the manor is to go to the child or grandchild that did the deed. Contained within this letter you will find everything is in order and the papers will match the ones you had me sign years ago.
Sincerely,
Alex O'Connell.
Gerard once more turned his attention back to the tablet screen. The scene before him had changed. "Sweet mother of God…" he exhaled, scarcely believing his eyes. The library doors opened tearing Gerard's attention away from the screen once more. Standing in the doorway was Sun wearing tan colored linen pants and a simple v-neck white short sleeved t-shirt. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a braid, but he couldn't help but see her as she had been in he video. Ancient Egyptian. "What the hell did I just watch?"
Sun slipped her hands in her from pockets and rocked back on her heels. "My family curse being broken, I would guess." The only way for him to have witnessed it second hand would be if there had been camera's set up in the burial chamber. Small ones at that. Her father thought of everything.
Gerard wanted this over as quickly as possible. "Sign these and our business will be concluded."
Sun took a seat in front of him, picking up the papers as she did so. She looked them over and then looked at Mr. Flynn. "Are you kidding me?"
"Per your grandfathers Last Will and Testament, the family member that breaks the curse is given Carnahan manor with all the titles that come with it," Gerard answered, pointing to the tabs indicating where she had to sign.
"The lands and titles transfer to me?" Sun asked in disbelief as she flipped through the papers, skimming the legalese typed out in black letters. It also meant she inherited her grandfather's place with the Bembridge Scholars. She would be Lady Carnahan, for whatever that was worth.
"Yes, and once I file the paperwork, I will lock this –" Gerard waved his table in the air, "– in a safe and will never speak of it again. I don't truly believe what I've seen, but to fulfill my duty to Alex O'Connell, I don't really have to."
Sun turned in her seat and looked at Tom. He was leaning against the door jam, with his arms crossed over his chest. All he did was nod, telling her it was okay to sign. She didn't hesitate. Sun signed every tab she was supposed to. When every paper had been signed, she sighed in relief. It was done. The manor now belonged to her.
ONE YEAR LATER:
So much had happened to Tom in the year since he'd met Sun. He'd learned about his past while falling in love with an amazing woman. She was given her family's manor estate and they moved in a month after she signed the papers. He was given papers giving him the ability to live in Britain with Sun. They had returned to the states to tie up a few things, and for her to pack a few bags from the brownstone. She was giving Lyla free reign of it, so she had a place t explore her new relationship with Andrew. When they returned to England, Ben was gone. He left a note saying he was going after Gavin. Sun had only shaken her head and tossed the note in the nearest bin. Life had never been sweeter for them.
Tom stood next to their bed, holding the Egyptian Mau they had named Isis in his arms. Attached to her collar via a string was a silver coiled serpent ring reminiscent of the golds on Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun had worn. He had found a silver smith willing to make them and had picked them up yesterday. To surprise her, he set Isis down on the bed and watched as the cat went to her mistress, headbutting her.
Sun groaned after something bumped into her cheek. Then she groaned again when she opened her eyes to see Isis getting ready for another headbutt. "What're you doing funny face?" she asked, her voice still filled with sleep. When she could see better, she saw something shiny dangling from her black collar. Sun sat up, picking up her cat. Then she saw Tom and the silver serpent on his finger. Laughing lightly, she pulled the string free, and then took the ring off of it.
Tom sat on the edge of the bed, holding his hand out for the ring. She moved over to him and dropped it into his palm. He took her right hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "They had known each other a year before he dared to give her a token of his affection. I thought it fitting to do the same," he said and then kissed her knuckles.
Sun looked at him with all the love she had for him. "It's beautiful," she said and cupped his face with her left hand, her thumb caressing his cheek. Today was going to be hard enough and he couldn't go with her. Six months ago, she learned that Sarah had been moved to New Bedlam hospital. Her father asked her to go and talk with the doctors, as well as check on Sarah. She and Tom had discussed it last night and it was best if he remained home to work on his book.
"Want me to at least ride with you to Bedlam?" Tom asked. If she wanted, he would ride all the way there, sit on one of the benches outside, and wait for her. Seeing her sister would do a number of things to her and he wanted to be there for her the moment she needed him.
"No, baby," Sun said with a smile. "You stay here and work on your book." Before she got out of bed, she leaned in and kissed him, falling into the power of his taste. She pulled back after a few seconds, "I could do that all day, but not right now." Sun kissed him quickly and then got out of bed. She headed into the connecting bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. As always, her reflection showed her ancient appearance. When she blinked it was gone, like it was nothing more than a trick of the light. Reflected now was Sun as she chose to appear. Her hair was cut short to her shoulders and her bangs had grown out down to her jaw. She still wore the amulet that marked her as Anck-Su-Namun, but she had worked to make it her own. Every day since learning the truth of her first life, she felt more confident in her modern life.
After a shower, Sun dressed in black leggings, matching knee-high black boots, a white undershirt, and navy-blue button up dress shirt. The amulet prominently on display. Then she made up her face with black eyeliner, a light dusting of gold blush along her cheekbones, and gold lip gloss painting her lips. It was a blend of her first life and this life living in harmony in the modern world. As a final touch, she added the silver serpent ring. In this moment she felt like Lady Carnahan. True, the title held no real power, but it was a nice feeling none the less. This was the life her father and her grandfather wanted for her.
NEW BEDLAM HOSPITAL:
Sun stepped out of the car with two Medjai bodyguards in tow. They had been a recent addition from her Uncle Ja'Kal. She had argued against having them following her and Tom around all the time, but he prevailed in the end. She might be safe for the moment, but the Red Guard hadn't been eradicated and she was still in danger. So was Tom. It was because of Tom that she relented and let the Medjai guard her. She was the closest thing to 'Royal' authority they had seen in eighty years, so she had to suck it up and let them protect her.
Sun looked up at the brand new building and nearly turned right around to get back in the car. She was no longer that eighteen-year-old girl that had been nearly killed by her sister. She was an adventurer. She was Lady of Carnahan manor. She was continuing the Carnahan tradition of having a seat on the board of Bembridge Scholars. She was Anck-Su-Namun reincarnated. And she would use every ounce of courage she had today. Squaring her shoulders, she walked up the stairs and into the hospital with her guards in tow.
Inside, Sun was met by Dr. Hayden Matthews. His sandy blond hair was disheveled, and his face set with worry lines. "Is everything all right with my sister, Doctor?" she asked as she pulled out a file folder that contained documents the hospital would need. While their father was away on business, he had granted her temporary medical power of attorney. Avery was in no fit state to make decisions. He was in the states, in a rehabilitation center learning to walk again. Sarah hadn't been the one to put their brother in the hospital. It had been Mustafa Khalid.
"As I explained to your father, Ms… I mean Lady Carnahan… you being the guardian of your sister is not a good idea," Matthews explained quickly, running his hand through his hair. He had been on Sarah O'Connell's case for six months and had seen little improvement in her condition. She was managing on meds, but there were few good days for her. Having her sister anywhere near her would do more harm than good.
"I'm the only one here," Sun replied, thrusting the folder into his hands. "Our brother has a long road of recovery ahead of him, not to mention he is on some pretty heavy pain meds. He's in no fit state to make decisions for Sarah. Our father and mother are away on business and won't be back for months. Her pathetic excuse for a husband OD'd last month in a Los Angeles motel. I'm all you have, doctor."
Matthews flipped through the papers, seeing that everything was in order, and legal. The correct papers were notarized and contained Richard O'Connell's signature, as well as Sun O'Connell-Carnahan's. "Seems I don't have much choice but to discuss her case with you," he grumbled. "Your goons are going to have to stay down here."
Sun bristled at that. "My 'goons' are actually Medjai, sacred bodyguards. Your patient is the reason I need them," she seethed. Her tone had the desired effect. The doctor recoiled from her and looked momentarily ashamed of himself.
"Yes, your father told me what transpired between the two of you in Egypt," Matthews responded.
Sun nodded. Her father had given the doctor the broad strokes of the events. While Matthews continued to scan through the legal papers, she spoke to her guards, ordering them to remain where they were. They didn't like it, but they obeyed none the less.
Up on the fourth floor, Matthews led Lady Carnahan down to his office. After they spoke, then they would go up to the fifth floor where the locked ward was for the more violent patients. He motioned for her to take a seat. "First, I would like to reiterate how terrible I believe it is for you to be here. Ms. O'Connell is in a precarious state with dramatic ups and downs. Seeing you could undo what little progress I've made with her."
"I understand. Your duty is to your patient, first and foremost. Believe me, I only want what's best for her. So, let's talk. When we were in Egypt, my sister seemed particularly cogent while still remaining in the grips of a delusional state. During her initial lab work did they ever find evidence of a strange compound in her blood that would explain things?" Sun asked.
Matthews didn't recall reading anything about drugs being detected in her blood work. He pulled out her chart and flipped to the pages that were faxed over from the first facility she was in. "The lab results don't show any foreign substances present in her blood at the time."
"What meds are you using to curtail the severity of her attacks?" Sun asked, being diplomatic. Medication for schizophrenics was basic mixology. Finding the right dosage, as well as combination, took trial and error, and often times left behind dangerous side-effects that were worse than the actual mental ailment.
Matthews handed over a list of the medications they were trying and said, "She seems to be responding to this regimen, but there is no exact science to this, sadly."
"I understand, doctor." Sun looked over the list and then handed it back to him. "I'd like to see her now, if I could?"
"Please, Lady Carnahan…"
"At the first sign of an episode, you'll intervene," Sun interrupted him. "In fact, I insist on you monitoring us. You'll be the best to judge if she's about to become violent."
"I wish you would come back on another day," Matthews pleaded. Sarah was having a good day, but to put her face to face with her sister…. He wasn't sure what it would do to her demeanor.
"Dr. Matthews, this will be the only time I will be in your facility. From now on, should there be decisions that need to be made, we will do so over video conference. It has been a year since I've seen my sister, and after today, it will be the last time." Sun had had a dual purpose for coming here. It was to say goodbye. She had already made the break with Avery when she had been in New York. She would afford Sarah the same curtesy.
Matthews nodded, reluctantly. He got up and took her up to the next floor.
FIFTH FLOOR:
Sun stood just inside the day room, watching Sarah curled up in a chair, reading a book. To look at her now, she didn't appear to be suffering from any form of schizophrenia. In response to that, Sun touched her throat; to this day she could still feel Sarah's hands squeezing the life out of her. Dr. Matthews moved around her and walked over to where Sarah was sitting. He knelt down to have a word with her. When their father called, Sun would tell him that Sarah was in capable hands. A few seconds later, Matthews was motioning for her to come over.
Sun relaxed her posture and strode over at a leisurely pace, so as not to alarm Sarah. She took a seat in the chair across from her sister, draping her right knee over her left, and interlocked her fingers. "Hi, Sarah," Sun said softly.
"Sun," Sarah acknowledged, blinking twice. "Where's father?" she asked. It was hard to keep one thought in her head at a time. There was relief from the paranoia, but it cost her.
"Out of the country, with mother," Sun answered. She glanced at Matthews, nodding once, signaling him to leave them alone. "Avery is doing well with her therapy, but he still has a long road ahead of him." She didn't tell her about Paul. Sarah had never really loved him, nor had he loved her. Paul had only been interested in the O'Connell family fortune and how many drugs he could buy with it.
"So, I'm stuck with you…?" Sarah grumbled.
"This will be the only time you'll see me, Sarah," Sun stated.
"What is this? Some self-help kind of crap?" Sarah rolled her eyes. She knew she was never leaving the institution.
"No," Sun replied, shaking her slowly. "I forgive you, Sarah." Her father had often told her he admired her for her remarkable ability to forgive, no matter the wrong done to her. It was another thing that set her apart from Anck-Su-Namun. Her first incarnation could never forgive anything that had happened to her. "You'll be the sister I want you to be, and I know that now. So, I've come to say goodbye and to hope you find some measure of peace."
Sarah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You get the life that should have been mine, and you dare to come here talking about forgiveness. What a joke? That day… you should have died with your parents." It had been the worst day of her life when four-year-old Sun had come home with her parents. That was the day it all fell apart. Grandfather Alex knew immediately who little Sun would grow up to be and she was all but forgotten about.
Sun nodded and then stood up. "Goodbye, Sarah." She had accomplished what she set out to do. The last lingering ties she had to her sister were severed. She stopped by Dr. Matthews, momentarily resting her hand on his shoulder. Silently, she told him that that was all she needed and that her sister was permanently in his care. Without so much as a backwards glance, Sun walked out of the day room, and headed towards the elevator.
Outside, joined by the two Medjai guards, Sun stopped short of the car. There, Tom was resting against the back door, his arms crossed over his chest; the sun glinting off his silver serpent ring. They closed the distance between each other, stopping short of actually touching. She brought her hand up, caressing the air above his face. Tom closed his eyes and moaned. He responded in kind, touching the air inches above her face, and then dropped his hands down to her shoulders. She claimed his lips in a passionate kiss, throwing her arms over his shoulders. Tom wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up, holding her against him.
Tom set Sun back on her feet, breaking the seal of their lips. He touched his forehead to hers, breathing harshly. She stole his breath every time they kissed. He couldn't get enough of her. "I know you wanted me to stay home, but I had to be here for you," he said softly, before kissing her brow lightly.
"I'm glad you didn't," Sun replied softly and held him tighter. "I confronted Sarah and broke all emotional ties to her." A year ago, she would have willingly gone to war against her sister for the fate of Tom's future, but pretty soon she realized that was not he confrontation she had to have. Fighting was easy. Forgiving and letting go was the true test of strength and character. Sun had done the hardest thing ever. She let go of her sister and all the baggage that went with her. In the process she gained the love of her life, her family home, and much more.
"You ready to go home?" Tom asked, leaning back without taking his arms from around.
"I'm ready to live my life," Sun said happily. She kissed him once more and then they got in the car. The drive back the manor was different. It was the start of their future together and the life they had the chance to live out in the open, not secreted away in shadows.
THE END