Desiree - April 5, 2003
Alan Skarzinski ran as fast as he could- 'What was that place?' he thought to himself. As the ragged man raced towards camp, the Med-jai started coming towards him in what Alan liked to call the "angry-mob" position. The Med-jai had seen their old friend Ardeth pursue this stranger and knew that something was wrong. Alan sensed that he was not welcome and decided that the best idea was to make a run for it, even though he was tired as hell. Skarzinski saw that his belongings had already been picked up and put out of sight for safe-keeping. Alan started hurrying towards the horses and saw that they were being protected by a group of Med-jai. Alan knew that he had no escape, so he held up his hands in a sign of surrender and was immediately swarmed with some younger men who were tying his arms behind his back.

The chief Med-jai walked up to Alan, "I do not yet know why my friend, Ardeth Bey, has the want to kill you, but I cannot allow you to leave without his consent. Ardeth will be back in the morning, and until then, you are to remain a prisoner." Alan would've answered, but he had already been bound and gagged and pushed towards a tent.

"Now, listen here, Gabrielle. I don't know where you got this bloody idea that I was going to ask you to marry me, 'cause it's a load of hogs wallop..." Jon was freaked out at the thought of another person to love, protect, and maybe lose.

"You mean you don't want to marry me?" Gabrielle completely understood how Jon felt, but she loved scaring him and giving him a hard time, so she feigned a hurt look and tone of voice.

"No, I didn't mean that... I do want to marry you!- Someday... just..." Jon was seriously struggling.

Gabrielle was giggling uncontrollably now, "I know, you idiot! I know you better than that! I know you're a commitment- phobic!"

"Gabrielle, I..." Jon searched for the words.

"I know, Jonathan. I know. I know you love me and that you want to be with me, and I know that you know that I love you, too." Gabs finally let him off the hook.

"I do love you, Gabs. You know that." Jon smiled about how well his woman knew him, "I missed you."

"Oh my Allah! I missed you too! It's been the underworld here with just Senbi and an emotional pregnant woman! I swear, I love Nefret and I'm really happy that she's having a baby with Ardeth and all, but the woman can get bitchy!"

Jon laughed heartily and smiled at the woman he loved. It was right then that he knew. He wasn't afraid anymore, and he wasn't sure if he had ever been- maybe he was just afraid of being afraid, he didn't know: all he knew was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman; he wanted to protect her and watch over her and love her more than anything he'd ever wanted in his entire life. Jon looked into Gabrielle's smiling eyes and he knew that she was the one for him.

"Jonathan?"

"Yes?" Jon was caught up in his decision and turned his head away for a moment. Gabs caught his chin, turned it towards herself, and the two joined in a sweet yet passionate kiss.

Jonathan pulled away from Gabrielle and looked once more into her eyes, shining bright in the desert dusk of ancient Egypt. "Gabrielle?" he got down on one knee. Gabrielle's beautiful eyes widened in shock, "Will you marry me?" When Gabs was too shocked to reply, Jonathan kept talking, "I realized something when I saw you again: I'm not a, a ,uh, a commitment-phobic, you know?! Not anymore. I'm not afraid, Gabrielle. I'm not afraid! I want to be with you for the rest of my life! I want to protect you, not that you'll need it, mind you, but I want to protect you and make you happy! I want to get married and have kids and be with you forever! I'm not afraid, Gabrielle. I want you... I mean, I, I need you... and, well, I love you, Gabrielle..."

Gabrielle started crying out of pure joy and broke into a huge grin, "Oh, Jonathan! Yes! YES!"

Jonathan stood up and hugged his new fiancé to his chest, "Oh, Gabrielle, I love you!"

"I love you, too! I always have!..." Gabrielle was a teary mess, but Jon didn't care, he leaned over and kissed Gabs's soggy face and tasted the salty sensation of joy. The two embraced with complete and utter happiness in their hearts.

"Oh, here..." Jonathan pulled out two rings from his pocket and slid one onto Gabrielle's left-hand ring finger, "These were my parents' wedding bands."

"They're beautiful..." Gabrielle cried some more when she saw the ring go on her finger. He loves me... "Here, let me." Gabrielle took Jonathan's father's old wedding band and slid it onto Jon's left- hand ring finger. Gabrielle broke into another set of happy tears, and rested her head on Jon's chest. The two stood, hugging and smiling, until it occurred to Gabs: "Oh! We should tell everyone! How long have we been gone?"

"I dunno. Who cares? We're together." Allah, he loved her.

"Oh, Jon." Gabs smiled wide and Jon's heart melted. "I want to tell Evelyn. Oh, everyone'll be SO happy!... except Senbi."

Jonathan gave a hearty laugh- "You're right- I wanna see that bastard's reaction." Gabs jabbed him in the side for cursing about her brother, but then the two started smiling and laughing uncontrollably at the comical thought. "It'll be great..."

Gabs and Jon walked into the kitchen of the hut only to find Evelyn washing her hands while Rick was boiling some water.

"Where have you two been?" Rick looked annoyed at having to watch water boil, but he was also nervous about witnessing yet another birth- those were intense, man.

Gabrielle and Jonathan looked at each other briefly, but Gabs couldn't hold it in: "We're getting married!"

"What?!" Evelyn was shocked.

"Yeah! Jon just asked me and I said yes and now we're engaged!"

"Oh my Allah! That's magnificent!" Evie walked over to Gabs and gave her a huge hug, "Hey! We'll be sisters!" Evie started crying with joy- her brother was getting married!

"Hey, congratulations, Jonathan. You guys'll be very happy together." Rick, smiling widely, came over and gave Jon a manly-man type hug, then moved on to Gabs and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thanks, Rick- I know we will be." Jon was beaming.

"Oh, this is wonderful! A baby and an engagement all in one day!" Evie hugged her brother close.

"Hey? What's going on?" Kit asked the question as Alex, Senbi, and he came walking in to see what all the ruckus was about.

"Gabs and I are getting married." Jon got to break the news this time.

"NO!" Senbi shouted out his first thought, but quickly recovered, "I mean, uh, congratulations..." He walked to Gabs and gave her a hug then gave Jon a very awkward handshake, "Uh, you're, uh getting a wonderful girl, you know." Then, with a very serious sincerity, "Take care of her."

Gabs smiled as Jon answered, "I know, and I will. Thanks, Senbi."

"Uncle Jon! That's so great! Can I be best man or something at the wedding?" Alex's first thought, of course, was for his own self-interest.

Jon laughed, "Of course you'll be in the wedding, Alex- you're my favorite kid- you know that!"

"Hey, congratulations to you both." Kit was surprisingly polite and quiet as he genially shook Jon's hand and then hugged Gabs and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Kit." Jon saw the sincerity in the young man's eyes and was truly touched. "Thanks."

"Oh, well, we have to get to work- the baby's coming any moment now. Rick, is the water boiling?" Evie had to concentrate now to the task at hand, even though her heart was over-flooding with joy at her ever-growing family.

"Yeah- finally!" Rick was glad not to have to watch water anymore.

"Ok, um, Gabs? Could you go fetch Ardeth for me and send him to the main room? Jon- you stay with him and try to keep him calm, um- Gabs, stay with Nefret and put cool towels on her head." The two nodded and got to work at their new tasks and tried to sober up in preparation for the birth, "I'll finish washing up. Alex, Kit, are all the sheets torn?"

"Yes mum, they're all ready." Alex was eager to help.

"Ok, let's get going..."

A young Med-jai walked in to wake up the head Med-jai. "Sir? Sir?" The older man woke up with worry on his mind.

"What happened? What's wrong?" A Med-jai is not waken without reason.

"Sir, the prisoner has escaped..." The old Med-jai mumbled something incomprehensible, "Oh, and Sir?"

The old Med-jai was getting up with a concerned frown on his face because the escape of this prisoner could not be a good thing, and he answered offhandedly, "Yes? What else?"

"He's taken the Black Book with him..."

Marion (pen name GiantPygmyGirl) April 13, 2003
After Gabrielle had left to help Nefret, Jonathan went to go sit with Ardeth as Rick, Evelyn, Kit and Alex continued to make preparations for the birth. Her contractions had started eight hours ago, and she was beginning to get tired of the pain. Her muffled moans could be heard through the window of the hut they were in now. Evelyn sped up the heating of the water as much as she could by coaxing the flame under the pot a little higher, and Alex and Kit frantically ripped more sheets, just in case they were needed. Just as she was lifting the pot from the fire Senbi came running in… "Trouble, the baby is in trouble!"

"What!?" Evelyn shrieked. "What do you mean in trouble?"

"Well something's wrong!" Senbi's face had gone ashen and he fell to the ground, cold.

"Come on Evie, let's go!" Rick grabbed her hand, and with the other hand grabbed the pot of water, slamming a lid down onto it to keep the heat in. "Alex, Kit, stay here…"

They quickly raced out the door and into the other hut where Nefret lay on a straw pallet on the floor. Her nightgown was bunched up around her waist and she was lying in a pool of blood, screaming, in agony.

Evelyn turned her head away for a moment in shock, too dumfounded to speak. Her hand went up to her mouth as her eyes squeezed shut, but then she regained control over herself and bent over the screaming, sweating, shaking Nefret, and grasped her hands. She spoke in Arabic "Come on Nefret, breathe, honey, breathe. After you have done that you need to tell us exactly where it hurts, ok?" She got a meager nod in return. Ever so slowly Nefret's breathing returned to normal, but her grip on Evelyn's hands did not slacken.

She took a deep breath, and let it out. "It hurts all over… Everywhere… I am scared Evelyn, what's happening?"

"Gabrielle, get Ardeth, just in case..." Her voice trailed off as she diverted her attention back to Nefret, "Just hold on Nefret, we are going to figure this out, just hold on."

Rick squated down on the straw at Nefret's side, not liking the surprising turn of events. He had witnessed many births in his life, but he wasn't too keen on any of them, especially when they went wrong, and by the looks of this one, something was terribly the matter.

"Rick, do you think it's a breach?" Evelyn's eyes were filled with fear.

"I think that's exactly what it is, and something has to be done, but without being in London we can't wait, I am going to have to help deliver it Evelyn. But, I need you to stay right where you are with Nefret, and I need you to tell her exactly what I am going to do, as I am doing it."

"Oh God Rick, you really think it's that bad?" He just stared at her, his eyes betraying everything. She gasped, but then turned to Nefret on the floor while Gabrielle had a cloth wet with water and was washing her face, cleaning the sweat from it, trying desperately to cool the poor woman down.

"Nefret…Nefret?" Evelyn repeated when she did not get a response. Nefret's eyes were clamped shut and her jaw was clenched as she fought against the pain. Evelyn squeezed her hand gently and that seemed to rouse her. "Rick is going to try to help you, but this is not going to be easy. It's going to hurt a lot because he has to…" she paused.

"He has to what Evelyn?"

"He has to reach inside you to get the baby. It might be the only way to stop you from bleeding and to save your child, it's a breech birth, and the baby's head is not going first like it's supposed to. Just be strong." Evelyn could see her eyes go wide when she told her what was going to happen, and she truly felt for her.

"Oh Allah, help me here this day!" Nefret prayed.

As Rick moved into position Ardeth entered with Gabrielle and they took their positions on either side of Nefret. Ardeth stroked his wife's belly as Gabrielle continued to dab Nefret's forehead with a cool cloth. Ever so slowly Evelyn watched as Rick's hand slowly disappeared into Nefret's body and winced when Nefret's fingernails dug into the soft flesh of her palm. There was a moments silence and then there was a scream so heart-wrenching that Evelyn could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks as a result. Rick's satisfied grunts could be heard from in between Nefret's legs as he grabbed hold of his purchase.

"It's all going to be over soon, I promise." Rick said, and Evelyn repeated the words to Nefret in Arabic.

Rick could feel his hand finally clasp around the two little ankles as he began to pull ever so slowly. He had learned that pulling too fast could cause one of two things or both. First it could cause extreme internal damage to the mother, and it could suffocate the baby, so slow and easy it was. Nefret's screams in the background were no help at all, but he could feel the baby's pulse in its ankle so he knew that everything would be fine in just a few moments. When the feet came out Rick switched his grip to the torso and then pulled until the baby was resting in his arms, screaming, but yet very much alive. One of its arms was broke, but that was to be expected, breech births were extremely dangerous without a doctor present. It was at that moment when the baby had been pulled free that Alex and Kit rushed in from hearing all the noise with the sheets they had torn up, and they were able to wash the baby. The umbilical chord was cut and Ardeth was presented with a beautiful baby girl. But Rick knew that they had to get out. Nefret was still bleeding and the baby's arm was broken. It was not the happy occasion that all parents wish for.

"Asyria." murmured Nefret.

"What?" whispered Evelyn.

"Asyria, that's her name. I give it to her in remembrance of my sister." With that Nefret passed out. She had lost too much blood, and was in desperate need of some help.

Toni~Isis (pen name Lovisa Devereux) April 25, 2003
Alan Skarzinski stumbled through the desert. The Black book wasn't that heavy, but it was essential that he had it. Knowing those mad people, they would try and kill him, and he needed the book to aid him in his task. Why had that skinny chap jumped on him earlier? He didn't even know the bugger. But when he found him, he'd be going to meet the guy down stairs first, then the other kid who'd called him a bastard. In his memory, he had a glint of recognition. Wasn't that the kid who's parents he killed? The O'Malleys...Yeah, it was them. The damn kid was going to meet them soon.

Muttering to himself, he continued to walk until he felt the strong urge for blood again. He needed to kill...He longed to kill...And he wouldn't be happy until he killed those people who tried to foil his evil plans.

Everyone was panicking, and that could not be unexpected. Nefret lay there, unconscious, and she was loosing more blood. The baby was in Evelyn's arms and was fine, apart from the broken arm it had received during the breach.

"Mum! What's going on?" shouted Alex.

"Everything's okay sweetie, just that we need to get some help for Nefret."

She looked to her husband. "Rick, what are we going to do? She needs urgent medical attention."

"Ardeth is gonna have to take her back to our time. Meanwhile, we're gonna have to do our best to clean her up now." Rick instructed all the men to leave, as he did, whilst Evie and Gabrielle used the bandages the boys had prepared to stop Nefret's bleeding and to make a sling for the baby's arm.

As Evie placed a damp cloth on Nefret's forehead, Nefret began to mumble. She was coming to.

"Nefret? Nefret are you okay, wake up!" shouted Gabrielle.

"Ummm...Asyria...okay...Ardeth-"

"They're fine, you need help though. Were is it still hurting?" asked Evelyn in the ancient language. Nefret showed the English woman where it hurt, and spoke.

"Where is my Ardeth? My baby! Is she okay?"

"Yes, they are all fine." said Gabrielle as she tried to calm down her friend. Evelyn called Ardeth and Rick in.

"Is Ardeth going to take them back?"

"Yes. We need to make sure though that-"

"That, that goddamn son-of-a-bitch doesn't some back here! If he does then I'll beat him so bad that when he wakes up he'll have brain damage!" shouted Kit angrily from the next room.

Jonathan sat in the next room with Alex and Kit. Kit was so past his normal happy-self that Jonathan was scared even to talk to the lad incase he got a fist in return.

"When I get my hands on that goddamn murderer, I'll beat him within an inch of his life!" shouted Kit.

"Then I'll finish him off!" Nodded Jonathan. He was so angry that he couldn't even describe it. He now shared the feeling that he guessed most business partners felt towards him in his own time: The longing for blood.

He was going to make that man pay for what he had done to his family.

And so it was decided, as soon as the sun came up, Ardeth would take Nefret and Asyria back to his own time. Kit, Rick and Jonathan were going to keep watch on the time portal in case the murderer was wanting another beating. Alex and Evie were going to stay with Gabrielle until there was a sighting of Skarzinski, then they were going to all hunt him down.

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