Owen sat staring at the night guard who sat across from him, uncertainty glinting in his eyes. The pharaoh was seated beside the night guard, his shiny golden Tablet in hand. Larry cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Sorry again about….you know…" He said, nodding towards the door.

Owen nodded faintly, still a little too shaken to speak. Now that he thought back, he had acted a little foolish. He should have stopped and questioned the living exhibits, opposed to running around mad like a frightened animal. Besides, how many people actually got a chance like this? To actually walk among such amazing, long dead historical figures as the ones just outside?

Now that the fear had gone, he found himself growing curious about them, the exhibits. Curious about how they were alive, what they were, as well as so many questions he'd had wished to ask them when he was a measly schoolboy in high school. And now he had that chance. But, a small part of him fretted nervously at the thought that maybe he'd been brought to be told to leave….

"Question," He asked, sitting up politely and erasing the blank look from his eyes. "Why?"

It was a rather general question, he knew, but its meaning seemed obvious enough.

"Well, you see-"

"Nevermind, Larry." Ahkmenrah said, raising a hand to silence the night guard. "Let me explain, seeing as to how you screwed up everything else this evening."

Larry frowned at the pharaoh's slightly rude language, but decided to let it slide. He was under a lot of stress; this was the fifth time this week he'd had to explain the Tablet to someone. Three had run off before he could finish, one had fainted, and one had gone a little insane and may or may not be in a mental hospital currently. Larry also knew the Egyptian was worried. For one, if another man left proclaiming their experiences, surely someone would be sent to investigate the museum, and possibly disturbing the fragile web of life and power that pulsed within its walls. But there was another, more immediate thing both the pharaoh, and the night guard concerned over.

The other exhibits had also been stressed out by the many new faces they'd seen by the past week. Attila had been near the end of his rope, his temper slowly bubbling over every time he found out that the night guards he was chasing were not intruders to be torn apart. The cavemen, too, had been annoyed, always seeming to think that any man in a night guard uniform was Larry. This caused them to stare at the real Larry in confusion most of the time, and other times act aggressively towards him. The miniatures, too, had been worried over the coming and going of new night guards. They always had this fear that another Cecil or someone like him would end up getting the job. But here, now, in the present, Owen was on the brink of causing an even bigger problem. For Jedediah.

Though it had been years since Octavius' passing, the cowboy had not fully recovered. He hadn't been very social with anybody, and barely even strayed out of his hall. He spent his time either in his tent, or riding his horse around the far edge of the wall, out of speaking distance of everybody. He'd have episodes sometimes, of not wanting to be touched or spoken to, sometimes he would leave the hall for days, nights on end, and would show up again later on, refusing to tell anyone where he'd been. But recently, he'd been even worse off, considering what time of year it was. It was winter again. The season he'd lost his Roman friend, and a week from that dreadful day.

Ahk and Larry would have to keep Owen well away from his exhibit. At least for the next week or two.

"So, to explain," Ahkmenrah began, pacing his Tablet on the table where Owen could see it. "I am the pharaoh Ahkmenrah, ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt, and son of the great Merenkahre. And you are?"

"Owen. Owen Scott. Son of...Frank Scott….I'm from Brooklyn…."

Larry couldn't help but smirk at the man, his introduction sounding very much like his own when he first met Ahkmenrah.

"Now. You see this?" Ahk asked, tapping his Tablet with his thumb. The beat sounded somewhat impatient to Larry, and Owen made a mental note to stay away from the pharaoh the rest of the night.

Owen nodded.

"This is my Tablet. The Golden Tablet of Ahkmenrah, as it is appropriately named. It has a special magic in it. Egyptian magic."

Owen frowned. "Magic?" He asked, his brows furrowing in thought. "Egyptian magic?"

"Yes."

"That's just a myth." Owen concluded, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Surely."

For a moment Larry thought Ahk would lose it on Owen, but instead, the Egyptian calmly smiled, though it was obviously a forced smile, and continued to explain.

"It is no myth. The magic my Tablet possesses is far more powerful than anything. It is what brings us to life. All the exhibits, including myself."

"Surely, you must be joking," Owen said. But his expression was growing less sure as the pieces began to fit together.

"It is no joke" Ahkmenrah concluded. He then abruptly stood, picking up his Tablet. "Larry, why don't you take Owen for a little tour? Let him meet the other exhibits. It might help."

"Alright." Larry said with a nod, standing. Ahk seemed to be at the end of his patience, so it was best they left quickly. Owen stood as well, and began heading for the door with the night guard.

"One more thing," Ahk said, raising a hand to stop the night guard.

Larry gestured for Owen to go ahead, though he looked a little nervous about venturing out alone, and nodded to Ahk to speak.

"Don't let him near the miniature exhibits. Whatever you do."

"I know." Larry said, nodding once. "I know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"And here are the Huns," Larry said, gesturing to the group of hairy men that stood around the information desk.

Owen shied back a little, side-stepping behind Larry in a manner that didn't make it too obvious. He hadn't really wanted to meet the Huns, especially their leader, after their last skirmish. But the night guard had insisted.

"Go ahead and say hi." Larry insisted as Attila walked over, his chest puffed out in which he could only decipher as a display of strength.

Owen gulped, and extended his hand. "H-How do you do?" He asked.

Attila looked at his outstretched hand and sniffed, puffing his chest out farther. Larry frowned.

"Attila, be nice, he's only trying to be polite."

"Yaagaad Romyn end baina ve? Kharin ter ikh khiij, tany khuvtsas baidag ve?" The Hun said, glaring suspiciously at Owen.

Larry, not knowing what was said, just shrugged, before turning to Owen. "He can be a little mean sometimes. Especially when he's tired. He's probably been busy this evening."

"I don't think he liked me." Owen said, a slight frown on his face as he and Larry turned away from the group of Huns.

"It just takes a little time. He'll come around." Larry replied, giving a reassuring smile. But inside, he knew why the Hun disliked Owen. And it was obvious as they went through the halls that the other exhibits did too.

They walked on for a while, running into other exhibits as they went. They met Columbus, whom had fascinated Owen, not his history but how he was alive, as well as the Neanderthals, who had been a little peeved to see two night guards at once. After some poking and prodding and some rather uncomfortable touching, the cavemen found a way to distinguish them and let them go on their way. After a while they came across the two exhibits Owen had been both excited and nervous to see again.

"Hey, Teddy!" Larry said, slightly jogging towards the president after a glance at his watch told him how close to sunrise it was. Owen followed briskly, slightly skidding on the well polished floors.

"Lawrence!" Teddy said, raising a hand in greeting. "And the new lad too! Good to see you, son."

Owen took the president's outstretched hand, glad that there was at least one exhibit who knew the polite exchange he was use to. "It's...it's nice to meet you, sir." He said, still trying to make himself believe he was really standing before the 26th President of the United States.

"Indeed. It's good to see a new face around here."

Owen smiled, then turned to face the young woman who stood beside the president. Remembering the slap she'd given him, he quickly made a show of bowing, hoping to appease her. She simply smiled slightly, and shook her head.

"Please," She said, taking his hand and pulling him up from the bow. "Don't bow. I'm not royalty."

Teddy smiled, and patted the woman on the shoulders. "This is Sacagawea. Shoshone native."

"I know."Owen said, smiling. He then turned to her. "I learned about you in middle school. And Lewis and Clark."

"Did you learn about how they came by me?" She asked.

"Well, yes, but not the whole story…"

"Maybe I could tell you." Sacagawea offered, sitting down. "Come here." She gestured to the seat beside her. Owen hesitated.

"Go on," Said Larry, smiling. "She won't bite."

When Owen had gone, Larry sighed and leaned heavily against the wall, Teddy standing beside him.

"Has it been obvious?"

"Too obvious." Larry replied, watching his new assistant guard talk with the Shoshone woman about her history. "Attila didn't seem to like him much."

Teddy sighed. "It's startling, how much he looks like our dear Octavius. It's almost as if he is the same person."

"Yeah," Larry said, his gaze still watching Owen. "Almost too much like him. And not just the way he looks. He has his personality, too. That...that look in his eyes…"

"Lawrence," Teddy whispered, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Larry found that his voice had almost cracked, and nodded, blinking a wet moistness that had appeared in his eyes. He wiped them on his sleeve. "Yeah." He whispered, sniffing once. "I'm fine."

"Jedediah does not know, right?"

Larry nodded. "I can't bring myself to take Owen to meet him and have him realize he's not Octavius."

"You're right," Said Teddy, his gaze landing on Owen and Sacagawea. "It wouldn't be fair to do that to him."

"How did this happen?"Larry burst out, making sure to keep his voice low. "Why does he seem so much like Octavius?"

Teddy shrugged helplessly, wishing he knew. "It is either pure coincidence or…"

"Or?" Larry asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Or perhaps...something along the lines of reincarnation…"

Larry shook his head, stopping the president. "No." He said, his gaze dropping to the floor. "It's not that. the Tablet does a lot of weird things, but I don't think it does that."

"Stil," Teddy persisted, lowering his voice further. "It might be wise to ask Ahkmenrah about it. He might know."

Larry nodded, before the president spoke again.

"Speaking of our dear pharaoh Ahkmenrah, has he noticed too?"

"I think so," Larry said, rubbing his temples with exhaustion. "He seemed pretty irritated by him. I guess seeing him isn't something he wants to deal with."

"He still feels guilty." Teddy said, glancing at the entrance to the Egyptian wing. He caught a glimpse of the pharaoh staring at him, before the young prince lowered his eyes to his Tablet when he realized he'd been caught looking at them. "He could not have stopped the way the spell works outside these walls. No one can. He understands that, right?"

Larry nodded, suddenly too depressed to speak. He couldn't handle this tonight. Owen was Owen, and that was it. Octavius was gone and there was nothing that could change that. What had happened,was what remained.

"Looks like they're done." Teddy said, gesturing to the two as the walked back over to them.

Owen was smiling like a young school boy seeing his first love. And his love was hearing the history from Sacagawea's perspective.

"Can I talk to you again sometime?" He asked, after thanking her yet again for her time.

"Of course." She said, smiling. "Any time."

"Alright." Larry said, stretching. "It's almost sunrise. You two should get back to your places."

"We will." Teddy said, taking Sacagawea's hand. "Good morning, Lawrence. Good morning, Owen."

Teddy watched as the two guards walked off, then turned to Sacagawea when she let out a sad sigh.

"So much like him…." She whispered, her head hanging low. "It was like….like he was right in front of me…"

"I know." Teddy whispered, hugging her. "I know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright," Larry said, setting up the last of the exhibits as the few minutes until sunrise started to slide by. "And at the end of the night we just do this, unlock those who need it, make sure everyone's in there place, and then we're done."

Owen nodded, though his mind was not on the instructions he was being given. "We never looked at the miniature hall." He said, an almost longing look in his eyes.

Larry froze. "Oh...we never did, did we?"

Owen shook his head, taking a few eager steps towards the entrance to the hall.

"No!" Larry exclaimed quickly stepping in front of them. "We don't...you don't go in there."

"Why not?" Owen asked, crossing his arms.

"It's under renovation."

"I saw nothing stating it was." Owen protested, his eyes searching the night guard's. "Why can't I-"

"Just, no." Larry said, pushing Owen away from the entrance.

Part of him wanted to demand that he be allowed in, but Owen knew that was a surefire way of getting himself fired. And by the look in the night guard's eyes, he had already pushed a few buttons.

"Fine." Owen muttered, stepping away.

Larry nodded. "Good. How about you go check on the African Mammals. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check on the miniature inhabitants."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jedediah quietly reined in his horse as he felt the ground tremor, knowing who it was. He didn't want to see anyone tonight, especially the night guard but he knew hiding was useless now. He'd been seen.

"Hey, Jed." Larry whispered, kneeling down.

Jedediah nodded a greeting, tying his horse up in a secluded corner of the hall. Larry sighed.

"I...brought you something." He said, handing the cowboy a tiny piece or peppermint gum he'd torn off a stick of it. Jed's favorite.

"Thanks, Gigantor," Jedediah said, shaking his head. "But I don't want any, if that's fine by you."

"It's good." Larry said, sitting down. "It's all good."

The cowboy sighed as he just stood there, the night guard tapping the floor awkwardly.

"It's supposed to snow later this week." Larry said, hoping to cheer the cowboy up.

Jedediah bit his lip, bowing his head to hide his face. He didn't want to think about this week. But his mind wouldn't let him forget.

"Octavius loved snow…" He whispered, his eyes beginning to tear up at the memory.

Larry sighed, and picked up the tiny cowboy, hugging him close for a moment before setting him down in his place. "It's about three minutes 'till sunrise. Do you want me to stay with you?"

"Nah," Jedediah whispered, shaking his head softly. "I don't need company."

"Alright." Larry whispered, patting his tiny head softly.

"Hey Larry!" Came Owen's voice from outside the hall. "How do I unlock the lions' exhibit?"

For a second Jedediah perked up, his eyes snapping towards the voice. "Who's that?" He asked.

"Nobody. Good morning, Jed."

"Yeah...yeah...good morning."

As the cowboy watched the night guard leave, he heard the voice again, and felt something inside of him click. It sounded so much like….NO! He thought bitterly. It was not him. He was dead. As he felt the cold, tingling sensation of sunrise on his skin, he brushed the tears from his eyes, and whispered what he had always whispered since that terrible night. The words the only reason he'd hung on since then.

"Good morning, Octavius."

And then, the sun came up.