Back in the hotel, AJ had quickly changed into fresh clothes; it was bad enough that the dress allowed her bruises to be displayed, but it also smelled of mold, and she opted for simpler clothing. After a shower to make her feel clean again, she pulls on a black and gold skirt, white blouse, a black shawl to cover her arms, a black, feathered headband to keep her hair from falling in her eyes, and a pair of black shoes with low heels to make running easier.

Once satisfied, she moves out of her room and next door to her friend's, everyone else already there. Most of the group surrounded the small table in the middle of Evy's sitting room, but O'Connell stood by the open window where he could watch the eclipse and the soldiers pacing the walls outside.

"What about my buddy, Beni," he was asking as AJ sat next to Jonathan.

"Nah," Daniels says with a shake of his head," he scrammed outta there before we opened the damn thing."

"Yeah," Lawrence agrees with a small smile," he was the smart one. Kinda wishing I'd listened to him and AJ when they got so spooked." AJ glances up at her husband, arching a brow as she popped a grape into her mouth. "Don't give me that look, I'm not a toddler."

"She was giving you that look long before Tuck was born, Henderson." AJ turns the look to Daniels and he bows his head. "How was we s'posed to know that the curse wasn't just some hocus pocus?"

"Because I told you it was real the night you asked for the story," AJ remarks with a frown. "You were all too stubborn to listen to me. I swear, that's how all of you damn Americans won your independence; sheer spite and hardheadedness."

"Well," O'Connell shrugs," you're not wrong there."

"Speaking of stubborn Americans, where's that nasty, little man that helped to get us into this mess?"

"You mean Beni?"

"Did you really have to ask?"

"That's fair." He scratches the back of his head and gives another shrug, his eyes bloodshot after spending hours exposed to the sand outside. "He was in Cairo before that fire storm started up, but I haven't seen him since. Truth be told, don't really care to run into him again. Our priority right now should be finding the good Doctor before Lord Moldy Butt does."

"Lord Moldy Butt?"

"Did you really have to ask?"

"Touché."

"The women stay here, you three are coming with me." He got two feet away before the entire group began to protest, the three men wanting to stay behind while the two women were ready to go with him. In a graceful movement, he turned on his heel, put Evy over his shoulder, and continued forward into the bedroom. He drops her on the bed, walking quickly out of the room and slamming the doors closed right before Evy can reach them, using a skeleton key to lock it. "You wanna join her in there?"

"I've been man-handled quite enough today, thank you. The next person that tries to drag me anywhere against my will is going to lose something precious to them." She drops her gaze for a second, O'Connell getting the hint and covering his groin with a hand. "Unless you want that to happen, then you'll allow me to accompany you to find the Egyptologist."

"Not happening." He tosses the key to Daniels, leveling a threatening look in his direction. "The only reason she leaves that room before I get back is if Imhotep drops by for a visit. Got it?"

"Got it," Daniels nods quickly, Henderson echoing the words when O'Connell looks his way.

"And you, AJ," he turns the look to her next," you agree to stay behind or I'll have one of them boys downstairs sit on you until I get back." AJ gives a reluctant nod, nibbling on another grape as O'Connell started for the door. "Get a move on, Jonathan."

"I thought I could just—" Jonathan's interrupted before he can even finish his sentence.

"Now!"

"Right," he sighs, slipping his flask back into his jacket pocket," off to save the Egyptologist." He hurries after O'Connell, leaving the other three behind to listen to Evy's yelling and pounding against the door.

"You look tired," Lawrence mutters as AJ reclines in the chair as best she can, resting her feet up on the table. "Why don't you lie down on that couch over there and try to get some sleep?"

"I'll sleep when all of this is over," she murmurs back even as her eyelids begin to droop. "What do you think Tucker's doing right now?"

"Probably curling up in bed while my dad reads him a story."

"Cowboys and robbers." AJ manages a smile at the thought of her son, imagining him lying in his little bed at his grandparent's house, the blanket clutched in his hands as Papa John tells him stories of the wild west.

"And the pretty bar maid that comes to the rescue." She doesn't protest when she feels Lawrence pick her up, one arm under her knees and the other under her back, resting her head against his shoulder and relishing the warmth he radiated. "Kitty would rescue her true love from a band of robbers and they would ride off into the sunset together."

"Too bad stories don't end like that in real life."

"Who knows? Maybe this one will." He lays her down on the couch, draping the fringed shawl over her to keep her warm. "We'll get back to our little monkey and listen to all the adventures he had while we were away."

"We have to or else your mother will have him singing show tunes again." Lawrence chuckles, his breath warm against her face as he rests his forehead against hers. She allows her eyes to close, managing a few more words before sleep claims her. "I love you, honey."


AJ wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep or what had woken her up, her thoughts sluggish as she sits up on the couch, allowing the shawl to fall to the ground. Lawrence was leaning against the wall by Evy's door, a cigarette in one hand and his Colt in the other, staring ahead of him at an empty chair.

"Did I miss anything important," she asks, running her fingers through her hair to detangle it. Lawrence shrugs, turning his grey eyes to watch her.

"Nothin' at all, Sleeping Beauty."

"I doubt I look very appealing after all that's happened." She knew for a fact that she looked horrible, but Lawrence shook his head all the same.

"You get more beautiful every day."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you." She stands, fixing her headpiece again, then crosses the room to her husband. "You, on the other hand, look just as dashing as you did when we first met." She grins up at him, rising up onto her toes to place a kiss on his lips. They were soft against hers, fitting perfectly as though the two of them were made for each other.

He was smiling as she pulled away, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray before focusing his attention back on her. "Keep the flattery up and we might accidentally make another kid."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, I miss having a baby that I could carry with me everywhere." Only two years old, Tucker was quickly taking after his father where his energy was concerned and he hated being held for longer than five minutes unless he was tired or sick. "We could always repaint Tucker's old crib since he's in his big boy bed."

"And I could easily sew a new cover for the car-seat if it's a little girl."

"We could name her after my granny, nickname and all." AJ nods, already in love with the name Dorothea, though they would have hell finding a suitable middle name. "If we get pregnant now, then we should have her by April."

"Let's survive the crazed mummy and then we can have another baby."

"Good plan." She laughs at how determined he looked, leaning against the wall and turning her gaze to what had held his attention before she woke up. The chair wasn't empty like she'd thought, occupied by Lawrence's canopic jar.

"Can we please throw that thing out?" AJ didn't wait for his reply, walking the few feet over to the chair to pick up the falcon-head jar, and then striding over to the open window. She could just make out the sentries patrolling outside, the sky darkening even further as true night began to descend on the world. Something else caught her eye as she leaned out, a strange form standing below in the streets, seeming to sway with the wind. "What on earth is that?"

"What's what, honey?" Her brows furrowed, AJ leans out a little further, squinting her eyes as if that would help her make out the person. She could tell the person was muscled just from how large he seemed to be, black robes billowing as the wind started to pick up. That's when it started, the swaying form morphing into pile of sand that began to spin wildly, rising through the air and towards the window. "AJ?" The canopic jar falls out of her hand as she takes a step back in surprise, the sand shooting through the window and catching the jar before it could break.

The force of the whirlwind knocked AJ backwards, the impact with the ground knocking the air out of her lungs. Imhotep returned to his physical form as she opened her eyes. He was nearly human-looking again, some golden skin covering the bones and muscle. She tried desperately to suck in air as he delivered a sharp backhand to Lawrence that had him flying through the air and colliding with a wall.

Blinking away the black spots in her vision and still gasping, she stumbles to her feet and grabs the ashtray. She may not have the best aim, but the turquoise-painted bowl still struck Imhotep's back hard enough to get his attention. With more bravery than she felt, AJ stood her ground as the mummy stalks back over to her. She's never felt so absolutely terrified or so full of rage before, the mixture causing her to do the last thing she'd ever expected.

She punches the walking corpse right in his face.

"Not my husband, you bitch," she snarls at him, standing protectively in front of Lawrence. Imhotep matched her glare with one of his own, growling something in ancient Egyptian. "If you want to consummate the curse so badly, then use me. But, I swear to Allah, I'll put you back in the ground if you touch my husband again!"

With a growl, Imhotep grabs her by her throat, dragging her closer to him so that he could look into her eyes. They were the same dark brown as his, the same streaks of amber, and she knew she couldn't deny the family ties they shared. "Senet."

"Sat." It was the word for daughter, she knew that much, but it could also be used for niece and it seemed Imhotep understood that much. He knew she wasn't actually his sister, just that they shared a bloodline. She pulls at his wrist, wanting his hand off her even if it was made of flesh. "Stop!"

"Sat." He releases her and takes a step to the side, looking over at Lawrence as the other man slowly raises his head. "Wa'ew." AJ racks her brain for that word, remembering it from he dreams whenever Imhotep referred to Iason. Soldier, right? She couldn't be sure, kneeling beside her husband and helping to sit him up.

"Hurt him and you hurt me." She knew he didn't understand a lick of English or modern Arabic, but he did seem to understand her body language. She would die before she saw her husband murdered, before she allowed something foul to take Lawrence away from their son.

"Anck-su-namun." He outstretches a hand, sand exploding from it and wrapping around the couple, binding them tightly together. Confident and smug, Imhotep moves over to the closed doors of Evy's bedroom, turning into sand and slipping through the keyhole. AJ and Lawrence put up a struggle against the swirling sand, the grains rubbing her arms raw as it continued to tighten around them like rope.

"Daniels," Lawrence shouts, hoping their friend would be able to hear him. "Evelyn, wake your ass up! Help!" It wasn't two seconds later when the doors to the room opened again, admitting O'Connell and Jonathan. "He's here!"

"Where is he," O'Connell demands, scooping Cleo up into his arms as the cat tried to run past.

"Evy's room!" The American kicks the doors open, Evy's muffled screams becoming more pronounced.

"Get your hands off my girl, pal!" Imhotep growls something, but AJ didn't even attempt to translate as she continued to strain against the binding. "I thought that'd be your reaction, so I brought a friend along." There's a resounding shriek from the bedroom, then the sand surrounding them suddenly dropped to the ground, the pair falling to the side.

"You okay?" She just groans, getting to her feet and then helping Lawrence up as well. "I'm never going anywhere near sand again." Daniels chose that moment to rejoin them in the suite, holding two glasses of what AJ assumed was bourbon.

"I miss the excitement," he asks, taking in the Hendersons' disheveled appearances and that fact that the other two men had their guns out.

"What the hell took you so long?!"