AJ sighs contentedly as she sprawls across the bed in her cabin, watching Lawrence as he redresses, his clothes scattered around the room and his favorite shirt ripped a little near the collar from AJ's impatient yanking. "I've been thinking," she says quietly, waiting for him to meet her gaze before she continues," maybe, after this treasure hunting nonsense is over with, we could bring Tucker here for a little while."
"He'd love that," Lawrence agrees with the soft smile he reserved for her and their son," but wasn't it you that said you hated being over here?" She rolls onto her side, reaching out to run her finger tips across his strong back as he sits to pull on his boots. "Too many bad memories or something?"
"Maybe I changed my mind once I was back in Cairo." She shrugs, tracing invisible stars while she spoke. "I know the men would expect me to wear traditional clothing for my religion, but women are growing bolder now and I could always tell them where to stick it."
"Or you could change religions…." He'd been bringing that up a lot since she moved to the States, but she wasn't going to abandon Allah just because her husband wanted her to. "No matter what, the only man you have to listen to is me." She arches a brow at that and Lawrence rolls his eyes. "You know what I meant, AJ." He turns on the bed and leans down to press a gentle kiss against her lips, the pair closing their eyes and enjoying the familiar tastes of each other.
"My uncle has a home here; we could always come here for a week or so during the winter months to let Tucker see some of his heritage."
"What about England? You have family there that would be ecstatic to see you and the baby more than a few times a year." AJ makes a face at that, quickly shaking her head in dismissal. "One of these days you're goin' to tell me why we have to host them every year. There's only so much a man can take when he has two women complaining about his choice in clothing."
"You're just upset that Millie made some excellent points."
"Emmeline Brae tried to change my taste in clothing overnight by burning all of my pants." AJ couldn't keep her giggle fit at bay, laughing even harder when Lawrence straddles her waist and begins to tickle her.
"Stop," she cries out between laughs, squirming beneath him in an attempt to get away. "I give up, you win!" Lawrence was laughing too, a husky sound that never failed to make the butterflies in her stomach spring to life, and drops down on the bed next to her, wrapping her up in his arms so that she was snuggled up against his side. "I love you, Lawrence."
"And I love you to the stars and back, Alexandria." Like only she and his mother were allowed to call him Lawrence and get away with it, he was the only one allowed to call her Alexandria without her growing angry. Don't get her wrong, she loved her first name and thought it was beautiful, but, before Lawrence came along, only her parents had ever called her that. "I better get going before the guys start making plans without me."
"Mm, and I think I'll go find Evy." He gives her a sharp look as she crawls over him and pulls her clothes back on. "Don't worry, darling, she couldn't care less about your wardrobe." AJ had been raised around men that took pride in their clothing, but Lawrence Henderson had five shirts that looked exactly the same, three pairs of nice pants, and two pairs of torn jeans. He always said that he didn't need fancy clothes because he'd only ruin them while he was working, but Millie was nothing short of determined.
"Watch out for pirates." AJ laughs again, drawing her shawl around her shoulders and fastening it before leading the way out the door, pausing only long enough to kiss her husband before they went their separate ways. The night air was cool against the bared skin of her legs, but she didn't mind it in the least as she walked along with a hand moving along the railing.
The water lapped gently against the barge and the full moon overhead gave her light to see by between lanterns, her movements a bit sluggish after her recent exercise, but she managed to stop a few feet away from one of the small side tables that was occupied by Evy and a man AJ assumed was their guide. She hadn't heard much about him except for his name and that he'd previously been with the French Foreign Legion.
"The Bedouin and the Tuaregs believe that Hamunaptra is cursed," O'Connell was saying as AJ comes to a stop behind him, sending a provocative wink in her friend's direction over his head. She wished Evy would find a man to start a family with so that she would share a few of AJ's complaints, but she doubted Evy would ever take her advice in question when choosing her future husband.
"I don't believe in all that hocus pocus, Mister O'Connell," Evy replied, quickly focusing her gaze on whatever was on their table," but I do believe the Book of Amun-Ra is buried there." O'Connell raises a rifle, continuing to fiddle with things like he was putting it together himself. AJ was intrigued now, edging a few inches closer and wondering who had initiated the conversation. "It contains all the secret incantations of the Old Kingdom and it sparked my love of Egypt when I was a child."
"The fact that it's supposed to be made out of pure gold makes no never mind to you?" Evy's eyes narrow slightly as she leans forward, pride coloring her voice and making AJ smile. She hasn't seen Evy this excited about something in so long and it's nice to see it again.
"You know your history."
"Eh, more like I know my treasure." AJ makes a noise and quickly turns to gaze, out at the water when O'Connell snaps around to look at her, AJ humming a song she'd heard in Texas and pretending not to notice them as they start talking again.
"By the way, Mister O'Connell, why did you kiss me at the prison?"
"I don't know, seemed like a good idea since I was about to be hanged." AJ makes another noise and allows her head to drop into her hands, Evy storming off in a fit of anger. AJ couldn't blame her, she probably would have stormed off as well, though she would have slapped the man first. "Do you mind?" She raises her head and meets O'Connell's gaze with raised brows. "That was a private conversation."
"No," AJ states," that was you embarrassing and angering my friend. I'll give you a tip, have a romantic answer ready for the next woman that asks why you kissed her." He scowls, finishing up with a pistol he had, but both of them spare a glance towards a pile of luggage when they hear a grunt.
"Stay here." He moves over to the narrow space between the luggage and the wall, AJ tiptoeing after him and jumping back when he grabs the front of a man's shirt and drags him out, pinning him in place against the luggage. "You don't listen, do you?"
"Take your complaints to my husband, I'm sure he'd love someone to talk to." Then her eyes turned to the other man, taking in the brand new clothing and dirty fez. "Mister Gabor, what on earth are you doing behind there?"
"Obviously not hiding well," he answers, voice higher than the few times AJ had spoken to him.
"But why—"
"Beni and I are old friends," O'Connell interrupts with an unpleasant smile in Beni's direction," ain't that right, buddy? Now, if you'd look away, I'll get to killing him." AJ gasps and covers her mouth with one hand as O'Connell brings his pistol up, ready to be fired.
"Think of my children," Beni calls out anxiously.
"You don't have any children."
"Someday I might."
"Let me guess, you're the one who's leading this nice lady and those Americans?" He glances sideways at AJ, continuing at her nod. "What's the plan this time? Take them out into the middle of the desert, and then you leave them to rot?" It was Beni's turn to give AJ a look this time and he flinches at the hostile glare she was sending his way.
"Unfortunately not, the Americans are smart." He lets out a shuddering breath, feet barely scraping the ground because of O'Connell's hold on him. "They listened to the woman when she told them of false guides, so they are paying me half now and half when I get them back." O'Connell lets go and takes a step backwards in order to slide the pistol into the holster under his arm, nodding Beni's way.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
"Oh, I'd be delighted," AJ confirms, moving forward until she was at an appropriate distance before she draws her arm back and delivers the hardest punch she's ever thrown, the force of it making Beni's nose bleed and her knuckles throb.
"Easy, don't overdo it." He takes her hand in both of his while Beni stayed bent forward, O'Connell poking and prodding gently at the delicate bones before patting her shoulder with a grin. "How do you feel now?"
"Sore, but I think my husband would be proud. Speaking of, I should probably be getting back to my room before he comes searching for me. It was a pleasure meeting you, O'Connell."
"You, too, uh…."
"AJ," she supplies with an easy smile," my friends call me AJ."
