Authors Notes: Nah we got some snow, and a bit of the wind with rain, but other then that we didn't get much else. Sorry about not posting so soon I've got 6 reviews to turn in (I work with Paramount reviewing movies before they touch the big screen.) so the chapters are going to be spanned out a bit.
In a Heartbeat
Chapter 3
Historically Historic
As promised Donny's cloths, and self were as dirty as the ground itself. Although in the basket next to her there were several pots, and a spear. She was really enjoying herself. Every so often she would start to hum a song, probably something popular for all the Professor knew. His assistant however seemed to take a shine on someone so young taking an interest in History.
"Oh what a smart young lady she is." The man exclaimed seeing the pot that the young child brought over to the table to be soaked.
" I see..." The Professor said as he took the pot and brushed it a bit to loosen up the dirt and placed it onto a tub full of water.
"It would seem that you've got a thing for finding old stuff." One of the students of the assistant said. "Where did the Professor pick you up? Your so cute, and nice." She said and patted the little girls head. The girl looked up at the young woman.
"Well my parents were teachers if I remember right." she said as she lifted the pot out of the water and looked at it. "Oh pretty." She giggled as there were ornaments along the side. Horatio looked over the pot for a moment.
"Well if I know my pottery right...this is a sacrificial pot...they would put blood from there victims inside this cup and drink from it. They believed it would help them gain there enemies knowledge and power." He informed the child. She looked at the pot again and shuttered.
"Not so pretty." She said and walked back over to the hole she was digging in. She gasped and stepped back when she saw something swimming around in the water. "Professor?" She asked tugging on his sleeve. He leaned over and took the stick he was using to hold up the lip of the tent and poked at the water filled hole. A snake poked its head out and slithered toward the bushes. Donny followed it and giggled seeing a nest of soft eggs.
"Its just a little tree snake. Not venomous." He said and picked the little girl up to get her away from the protective mother. "They use mud to cake the side of the best to keep water out..." He said and motioned toward the red and purple flowers off to the side. "Those are Pimpernels...they follow the sun wherever it goes, and then close up before it starts to rain." He said. Donny looked at them and then looked up as the sky began to rumble.
"I guess its about to storm." She said and looked around at the two assistants. They were packing up there equipment.
"Well I suppose this is it for today. I'll see you lot here...tomorrow. Lets say two." The Professor said looking at his watch and then at the child who was looking at the incoming clouds.
The Professor touched the childs arm and she jumped. "Are you alright child?" He asked picking her up. She turned and buried her face in his shirt.
"Oh I'm alright..." A loud clap of thunder echoed through the valley and she jumped clinging to him. He even swears he heard a squeak of a scream come from her.
"Your...afraid of thunder?"
"Ever been struck by lightning?" She asked and looked at him he could see a few tears fall down her cheeks.
"No not that I remember no."
"Well...It hurts..." She whispered putting her forehead against his. He wasn't sure of what to make of such a gesture. He never had any siblings of his own.
"Its alright...I've got you." He said and walked over to the car he had rented for the expedition and lay her in the back seat. She quietly pulled on her seat belt and looked out the window.
They pulled up in the car to a diner not to far from the hotel. The Professor looked around at the child in the back seat she had her eyes screwed closed and her hands over her ears. She jumped and looked up at the Professor when he touched her arm. She slowly straightened out and scooted toward the door. He held out his hand to help her out.
"Now once inside we're going to have to go wash our hands. We did get rather dirty out there didn't we?" He said looking at his own hands which had there own scraps, dirt, and mud on them.
"Yeah I think we may have mistaken mud for bath water." She giggled as she walked into the diner where the waitress giggled at how wet and muddy they were from the short journey across the street and into the diner.
"My...it looks as if you two got into a water fight? Oh wow I think there once was a little girl under all that mud." She giggled and gestured to the bathrooms so they could wash up.
About five minutes later the Professor walked out of the bathroom his face and hands were washed. He looked around for the little girl who was seated at a table not to far away. The waitress had put some rolls and tea down on the table for them. The child looked up at the professor who seemed to be delighted that she waited. At least the child remembered some of the manors her parents had taught to her.
"I'll give you two a moment to read through the menu. Do you know what you'll be drinking?" She asked
"Um...coffee and I think hot chocolate to warm the poor child up." The Professor said and looked at the child next to him who was shivering. He lightly pulled her to him and held her close trying to keep her warm. The gesture was a little odd to Donny but she was to cold to care. She looked up to see the wind was whipping pieces of trash around the streets as the rain fell by the gallons.
"Professor?" She whispered pointing to the car that drove near. It stopped next to there car and the Nazi's within stepped out and over to the car. One looked over the license plate on the back and nodded to the officers. One pointed to the diner.
"Well I'm afraid I've been found." He said standing up. "Can you run?" He asked and Donny nodded still a bit confused as to why he would need to. He was British and defiantly not a Jew. Why would be want to hide from them.
"Well come on then." He said and took her hand and ran. Donny gasped at the speed she was being dragged down alleyways. The rain stung her face so much she swears she was bleeding.
"We can't go back to the hotel!" He called behind him to her. "So we'll go to the college. They won't be able to go in there unless they want to fight off the British. We are very protective of our children." He said pulling her through the college gates and toward the office.
Within the office the woman behind the desk looked up when the Professor ran in. "Oh good lord your soaked sir!" She said
"Yes I'm afraid its raining cats and dogs outside." He said. This was the same woman from the dig. Or at least it looked that way to Donny
"Got this soaked coming from the gate to the office." Horatio said and looked down at the child who seemed to be looking back out the window to make sure they weren't followed. She was still panting.
"Is she alright? I'm sure she's freezing." The assistant said.
"Donny..." The Professor looked down at the child who looked up at the professor who held out his hand. "I have warm cloths inside my office...lets go get you warmed up." He said and walked her down the hallway. To Donny his hands were thick and warm and very big compared to her own.
"Here you can change into this while our cloths are being dry cleaned." He said and pulled one of his rather large shirts out of the closet and a robe.
Donny walked into the closet which was rather large, but mostly filled with stuff for his classes while in Germany.
"Does it fit alright?"
"It hangs a bit low at the neck line...but I'm sure your robe will cover that up." She said and looked around the door at the Professor who was looking over his wounds. They seemed to be healing nicely from where she was standing.
"Do you want me to change the bandages?" She asked
"No no...thats quite alright child...thank you." He said.
The Professor looked up when Donny's stomach growled loudly and she covered her stomach up and looked away.
"Oh yes thats right...we were about to eat before all this happened yes?" He said picking up the phone and spoke speedily in British with someone on the other line. She however didn't understand most of it.
Soon enough soup, and sandwiches were placed in front of them. Even tea was provided via the Chemistry set.
"We're not going to turn into some sort of science experiment gone wrong are we?" She asked seeing that she was drinking out of a beaker.
"Oh...no no child. I clean my glasses quite well." He said and took a sip. "Besides...I have no desire to turn into some mystically mean beast."
"Well you are a mild manored Professor...I figured if you took any sort of chemical it'll turn into your complete opposite." She giggled and sneezed.
"Oh dear...I hope your not catching a cold hum?" He asked putting his hand on her head.
"A little warm...here...lets stoke the fire hum?" He said and put another blanket on the child.