Momochan77: Hello friend! I'm back! I'm so glad this story has finally reached the exciting living museum bits! It has a touch of Billy history too, some Nicky Anna moments and of course *Tilly*
Chapter 15
Once McPhee had confirmed their trip Larry had packed Ahkmenrah and the tablet in a hurry. He explained to the Pharaoh what was happening before leaving him to settle into the packing peanuts and get comfortable. Anna explained the plan to Billy who was oddly quiet as he nodded back at everything she said. She'd given him a curious look but he avoided her eyes. She bit her lip and looked at her feet thinking back to last night and anything she might have done to make him so secluded. She knew she'd been distant when she'd stepped outside for air alone but had Billy taken that to mean she didn't want him around? She thought the little stolen kisses later in the night meant they were okay. She'd never asked Billy what happened when he went into his 'morning state', did it feel like sleep? Did he dream? Or did they all just stand there, stiff as boards thinking? Maybe he'd been thinking it over all day and her distancing put him in a sour mood. She hadn't had the time to question him about it before Larry called for her help booking the flight.
Booking the flight for their ancient transportation took longer than either of them were comfortable with. Between the last minute plane tickets, arranging pickup for a mummy, and calling England to schedule a museum grade rental van, it took them a good several hours. Afterward Anna had actually fallen asleep on the bench in the hall of miniatures. She'd only stirred once when she felt a soft kiss on her forehead and heard Billy's voice whispering to her to go back to sleep. She woke up late into the morning and rushed downstairs to meet Larry and head for the airport.
The trip to England was a pretty quiet one. Nicky was tagging along, mostly due to Larry not trusting him to stay by himself after the party he'd thrown. And unlike their last mission to save the tablet Anna didn't have the distraction of researching their problem. At least the last plane ride she'd been reading up on Kahmunrah but this time she was certain no Google search would give her any 'fast tips on how to revive your dying magical Egyptian tablet'. That left her tapping her foot, drumming her fingers on the armrest and generally feeling antsy. She tried her best to eat the food she'd bought at the airport, tearing apart the egg sandwich and popping pieces into her mouth. But her mind was being pulled in so many directions that the food tasted like cardboard and did little to calm her nerves or her stomach.
She glanced over at the others. Anna was still mad at Nicky for trying to use her to weasel out of his problems. Plus, the father and son weren't speaking, probably too busy trying to think of what to say outside of the current tender topic on everyone's mind – the one aside from fixing the tablet.
Eventually Nicky decided to take a nap and Larry slid a pair of headphones on while he watched an in-flight movie. Anna noticed it was a docu-series on Amelia Earhart. She sighed and pulled out a very well loved book she'd grabbed when they'd picked up Nicky. 'Billy the Kid' by Michael Wallis. It was a biography on the Kid's early life prior to the Lincoln County War and she'd already read it multiple times. It was well researched and very truthful without much, if any, bias. She was a third done with it when she got tired of reading. Turning to the in flight movies. The corner of her mouth turned up when she saw Tombstone with Kurt Russel and Val Kilmer listed. She hadn't seen that film in a long time and loved it so much she watched it twice on the flight.
When the plane landed the credits were rolling for the second time and Nicky woke up from the jolt. They were escorted through a few restricted areas to pickup the crate carrying Ahkmenrah and his tablet. Larry's rental truck had one row of seats that would fit all of them, but left Nicky squished in the middle of the adults. They stopped briefly at a food truck by the river Thames and grabbed something to eat while they waited for sundown. Anna left Nicky and Larry to talk but she still overheard enough of it, especially when Larry started scolding him again.
"Ibiza?" Larry's voice carried, "Do you even speak Spanish?"
"Well that's the thing about the music it –"
She moved away from them at that point and just ate her food and enjoyed the view. Not long after she'd thrown the tin foil away did Nicky approach her.
"I'm sorry I tried to throw you under the bus the other night." Nicky said as he approached Anna. She was leaning on the fence looking at the Tower Bridge watching the sky change colors. She glanced at him but he quickly looked away.
She was silent as they looked at the river. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes, "It's okay."
"Really?"
She gave another deep exhale turning to him, "Yeah. We're just step siblings that are too good at being like full siblings."
He chuckled, "I guess."
She wrapped her arm across his shoulders and they walked. "You know, your dad only wants to make sure you don't struggle like he did."
Nicky sighed, "Yeah, I know."
"But?" she nudged.
"But, I don't want to plan my future the way he wishes his past had gone."
Anna nodded, fully understanding. "That's fair."
"Thanks."
"But you understand there are some ideas you have that sound. . . " she trailed off not wanting to sound negative.
"What?"
"Well. Not. . . well thought out."
He sighed and walked a little faster, just pulling himself out from under her arm. "You think what I want to do is crazy."
"I didn't say crazy." She defended herself, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she picked up her pace. "Just. . . potentially dangerous."
He didn't respond.
"Just. . . try to put yourself in your dad's shoes. See it from his perspective. More people need to do that."
"Oh yeah?" Nicky chuckled turning to her with a grin and she worried about what card he was about to pull out of his sleeve. "What if I said 'try and think about Billy from Pat Garrett's grandkid's perspective."
"Oooo." Anna growled clenching her hands into fists. Nicky laughed. He knew he had her. Anna tried to get along with people she didn't see eye to eye with. Politically. Religiously. Socially. But every interview Pat Garret's descendants had been in disgusted her. How Billy making the news suddenly made those two feel entitled to the spotlight. As if they had a right to make it all about them. Speaking on their grandaddy's behalf when Billy had no descendants to speak for him.
She took a deep breath, "I didn't say it's easy. I said we all should try."
"And. . . ?" Nicky smirked again nudging her with his shoulder.
"And those two have no right to turn everything about Billy into something about that damned Pat." Honestly, the subject of giving Billy a modern day pardon revolved around his deal with Governor Wallace in 1879. Garrett wasn't even elected Sheriff until the following fall and technically wasn't official until January of 1881. He had nothing to do with the deal Billy had made. In 1879 Pat was shoveling pig shit for Pete Maxwell. But his damned grandkids thought if Billy got a modern pardon it would 'tarnish their ancestor's legacy.' She rolled her eyes and gave a quiet 'ugh' under her breath. They used Billy for their fifteen minutes of fame every time. It was disgusting. It was the definition of entitled.
Luckily, before she could get too hot and bothered about it Larry walked over with dinner for him and Nicky and they sat on a couple benches by the river and ate while Anna finished her soda, she'd need the caffeine tonight.
.
.
"Dad what's the plan here anyway?" Nicky asked as Larry pulled their van into the loading area of the British Museum. There was a high wrought iron gate with a guard's booth next to it that they had to get approval from first.
"When the tablet brings Ahkmenrah to life he's going to sneak us in. Now get down." Larry whispered.
"What?"
"Get down! Come on man, part of the adventure." Larry pulled the truck up and rolled the window down as a blonde security guard appeared in the open window of her shack.
"Hello welcome to the British Museum. My name's Tilly."
"Hi, thank you. I'm Larry Daley from Natural History New York, this is Anna our docent." Anna waved with a small smile.
"Yeah, yeah." Tilly nodded.
"I got a delivery for your conservation department." He handed her his metal clipboard with the paperwork on it.
"All riiiiight. So they, they let you travel?"
"Well this is kinda unusual." Larry shrugged staying nonchalant.
"They let me travel, you know where?"
"No."
"Home. Here. Home. Back here. Off to the toot toot. Five minute maximum." She giggled, "So that must be well wicked being a security guard in America."
"Uhh."
"With your gun, with the silencer. With your ninja swords." Tilly imitated pulling out swords from behind her back and swung them around while she made swooshing sounds.
"That's not even a little bit true."
"You know the only thing that I got is this." she pulled out a hammer.
"Oh."
"Duh, duh. Hammer." Tilly sang while tapping things with the hammer. "It's for, and I quote, 'minor repairs and beautifications to the shack'."
"Oh you just hit things?" Tilly knocked out a tune. "That's catchy."
"Basically, worthless."
"Can't believe we're actually still talking."
"It's great though innit?"
"It is"
"This is like, the most conversation that I've had in the three years I've worked here." Tilly told them grinning.
"I feel a connection too. Is it cool if I just make my drop?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Wonderful."
"But I will have to confirm."
"Ok, well actually that's not necessary cause they already confirmed it on the um on the slip I gave you."
"Alright, yeah confirming." Tilly began dialing the phone "All right. . . oh, yeah, it's the British Museum sir, I'm just confirming a delivery to our conservation department. . .
"Yes, I signed the paperwork. Now if you'll excuse me I have a museum to run. You boy, get those grubby fingers off my Ming vase. See? Bye."
"Oh. Alright."
"Good?" Larry asked.
"Alright you is legit."
Larry smiled, "I is legit. Wonderful"
"Confirm it. Alright I'll open the gate." Tilly turned and pressed a button. The gate pulled itself open and Larry pulled in. Tilly left her booth and followed them waving them as Larry backed the van up to the loading bay door. She and Larry got out, Anna tossing her jacket over Nicky to help hide him better. Her pumpkin colored sweater was enough to keep her warm anyway. They met Tilly in the back and she opened the door as Larry opened the back of the van.
"Yeah so like my boyfriend he doesn't really like the way I do my hair." Tilly struck up another conversation without any incentive to. Anna listened to her giving her undivided attention as Larry set up the ramp.
"Says it looks like a golden poo sitting on my shoulder but I really enjoy it."
The girls moved to help Larry with the crate as they took one end and he gently pushed it down the ramp.
"My boyfriend doesn't understand Twitter." Anna told her, "Says it just lets a bunch of cowards argue with each other."
"Yeah I get that, with like, screennames and avatar photos for your profile. My profile picture is my goldfish but I used emoji stickers to give him a horn like a unicorn."
"Oh that's creative."
"I know right? But my boyfriend says unicorns are silly because of their magic poo."
Anna grinned, "I'm noticing a pattern in what your boyfriend insults as poo."
Tilly laughed, "Yeah, he compares everything to poo."
"Well it takes on to know one."
Tilly laughed again.
"Anna!"
"Huh?" she turned and saw Larry giving her a look and a wave, "Oh, yeah, right. Bye Tilly!"
"Bye Anna! Bye Larry!" Tilly waved as she headed back to her shack. Anna hopped in the drivers seat while Larry pretended to get in the other side where Tilly couldn't see. Anna waited until he ducked behind the corner of the building before she drove off with Nicky.
She stepped on it, being careful of staying on the correct side of the street. She had to get the van back to the rental place before she and Nicky walked back to the museum. Thankfully the locations weren't far from each other.
Tilly was snoring in her chair when they returned and after creeping past her Larry rushed over and opened the gate from the inside. Anna noticed the windows and cracks in the doorframe glowed as they rushed through the lot.
"I'm not an expert but this is feeling just really against the law." Nicky whispered as they crept toward the door.
"No they have like a totally different legal system here." Larry replied as he knocked.
"Really?"
"Yeah, the queen orders 'off with their heads' and they drop the guillotine." Anna joked as Ahkmenrah opened the door.
"How we doing?" Larry asked as they scurried inside.
"All clear."
"Alright, let's go."
Inside were mountains of boxes, but they were stacked in neat piles leaving clear paths to walk through. Nothing like the complex aisles underneath the Smithsonian.
Ahkmenrah cleared his throat as they passed the open crate, the pharaoh pausing. "Larry, the others felt, perhaps, we could use some help."
"The others?" he asked as they all stopped.
"Lawrence!" Teddy exclaimed rising from the packing peanuts, "I couldn't sit idly by, our very survival is at stake."
"All right. Hey Teddy. Good. Good man to have in a crisis." Larry tried convincing himself. Anna grinned knowing Teddy couldn't be the only one in there. If there had been a scheme to stowaway Billy would have been one of the first to sign up. What she didn't expect was to see Attila rise up next and spit more packing peanuts out his mouth.
"Attila, okay a little muscle."
Sacagawea stood up next a bit shyly, "Hi Larry."
"That is a deceptively large box."
"Obviously, we came along too!" Octavius exclaimed from Attila's helmet, rising with Jedidiah.
"You know you'd be lost without us Gigantor."
"Are you serious?" Larry asked turning to Ahkmenrah.
Anna giggled, "You weren't a Pharaoh who stuck to the rules were you Ahk?"
He blushed and looked at his feet. A chittering drew their attention back to the box as Dexter climbed out.
"And the monkey." Larry said blandly.
Anna's heart began to sink a little, because honestly, how many people could fit in that box? And no Billy? Her mind immediately went back to the last couple of nights. She reanalyzed everything and her anxiety decided to pick apart anything she'd done that could have pushed Billy away.
"Dada!" the newest caveman said as he popped out of the box too. Really? The caveman but no Billy?
"Oh, no, no." Larry said drawing the line here, "No possible benefit whatsoever."
Ahkmenrah shrugged awkwardly, "He really wanted to come."
"What are you complainin' about?" another new voice joined as Billy sat up looking miserable, "You didn't have to get packed in next to him. Have any idea what that was like?"
"No, but- "
"I've been in plenty of prisons, but nothing as bad as this." Billy whined fishing for his hat and blowing the peanuts off when he found it before placing it on his head. Anna was grinning ear to ear and her heart felt like it was soaring with the amount of relief she felt. Meanwhile Larry was in an opposite mood as he introduced Laa and Nicky.
"So Lawrence, what's the plan of attack?" Teddy asked as he climbed out of the box.
"We need to get to the Egyptian wing, find Ahk's father and hopefully get the tablet fixed."
Once the others all filed out of the box Laa fell face first into it and started munching on packing peanuts. Anna bit her lip to hide her grin as Larry got him out of the box and tried to show him how to guard the door. Next to her Billy was still finding the Styrofoam pieces between his vest and shirt and stuck in his belt. Anna flicked one off the collar of his shirt where it was stuck against his bandana, then she rested her wrist on his shoulder.
"Thanks." He muttered as he finished brushing himself off.
Anna kept smiling, "I'm glad you're here."
The corner of his mouth twitched upward as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "Wasn't sure how you'd feel about it. But I've always been a risk taker."
She smiled wider and wove her hand in his.
"Hey, Rodeo and Juliet." Larry called getting their attention now that he'd dealt with keeping Laa occupied. Still holding hands they followed him back to the group.
"Okay, listen up guys." Larry began. "This place is waking up for the first time and we have no idea what's out there –"
"Actually, we do." Anna piped up, getting a curious look from Larry, "What? No one else googled the British Museum? The museum houses around eight million objects, lots of which are statues so we might have to creep by lots of confused people."
"Okay, good, so stay together, all right?"