Hide and Seek - 1 month
A/N: Here's the next chapter! From here on out, I'll probably write one chapter for each month of her first year in the museum. I'll update weekly, but each chapter will take place a month apart. Does that make sense? Basically this chapter is an event in month 1, next will be month 2, the one after that will be month 3, ect. That should make sense, ish. Please R&R! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own NatM. Or you. Or anything here.
"Found you!" You pull away the shrubbery of the plant revealing Octavius.
"Very good your highness, now to find Jedediah." You lift him onto your shoulder and begin searching the rest of the museum for the little cowboy (as you have been told that "cowboy" is his title). The three of you are now on your 5th and final round of hide-and seek that night. So far, Jed is winning, followed by you, and then Octavius. If you can find Jed in the next ten minutes, you will win. Octavius isn't very good at the game, so he doesn't mind helping you with possible hiding places that Jed has used in the past.
"Check the night guard's locker room. There is a small space behind the lockers that is just big enough for us to fit." You lift your skirt and break into a jog. It doesn't take you long to get there and you notice that the toy car is parked right outside the door.
"Ok, that was too easy. Not even he is that senseless. Unless…" You crouch down and lift the trunk, revealing the cowboy squished back there.
"Yes! I win! Three out of five games!" He groans as Octavius helps him out of his uncomfortable position.
"How's that even possible?! Yer bigger than us and yet we only found ya once while you found us every stinkin' time!" He stomps his feet like a child causing you to laugh.
"It is called strategy. I studied it many years under the best teachers. It also helps that my father was a master of hide and seek." Jed groans as you pick him and Octavius up. "But I have to admit, you two have proved quite a challenge, probably the greatest challenge since I played with my father." You watch in amusement as Octavius tries to sooth his boyfriend's annoyance.
"Don't be a bad sport now Jed, especially in front of royalty." Apparently being a royal earns you favor with the romans and Attila's men, even though Attila himself has only recently warmed up to you. As you walk through the halls, you inquire with the little couple, if only to stir up a bit of conversation.
"So, how did the two of you discover your current relationship?"
"Let Ockie tell ya, he's good at tellin' stories like that." Octavius sighs at Jed's insistent tone.
"Well, it was the night that we returned from the British museum without Ahkmenrah. After Larry had left us to our goodbyes, we found ourselves very much alone. Our peoples were already frozen, seeing as they had no contact with the Tablet that night. We sat on the bench discussing our previous lives, and it came to the subject of our current life that would soon come to an end. Now you must understand, we had both harbored feelings towards the other for quite some time, but were to afraid up to this point to admit it. Without warning, Jedediah kissed me, proclaiming his love for me. I returned the gesture, saying that I felt the same. We remained together for the rest of the night, until 5 minutes to dawn. We then hid in the train tunnels, that if we should awaken, it should be in the arms of the one we love. Then you came along with your stone, and we awoke together once again."
"See, told ya Ockie tells it better." You take your little friends back to the Wild West where the two of them have set up their own tent. "Hey Giganta, rematch tomorra?" You shrug.
"We will see, I promised Attila I would show him some more magic then. I think he is finally starting to like me. Besides, I would not wish to cut into your… private time." You wink. Jed looks from you to Octavius.
"She's right ya know. Don't wanna miss out on our 'private time'." You chuckle as he pulls Octavius into their tent for the rest of the night. You wander off, your thoughts trailing to all the times you would play hide and seek with your father, and how it would end in tickles and laughter.