Chapter 48 – Their Oasis Dried Up (6)
~~~~November 3, 1922~~~~
Helen snuggled closer to Nikola. It must've been around midnight, maybe later; the whole camp had gone still. This was one of the few times in the day they had to rest; Carter had been working everybody on overdrive the last few weeks.
Carnarvon's visit was brief, as he quickly had to return to Cairo to expect his daughter. Carter wanted to find something, anything before his return.
Helen had come to expect Nikola in her bed every night, feigning sleep impatiently as he would sneak over and carefully wind himself into her cot. Helen would wait a few minutes after he settled and crack an eye open to watch him sleep then snuggle into him. She wished he didn't leave in the morning, but he always did and then they went back to their usual ways unless she purposefully offered him an invitation to spend the night in her arms, but that was never as peaceful as this was.
This evening had been no different than any others, they had teased and flirted with each other all day, bathed in the lagoon; Helen almost hummed at the remembrance of their afternoon aquatic activities. She had also gotten used to Nikola's attentions during their swims, sometimes they were as light as him washing her back or massaging her scalp, sometimes they were as heated as letting him go under the water and tease her as she gripped tightly to the grass of the bank. This afternoon had been pretty tame, but full of teasing and flirty remarks as ever, which she won with a well-placed stroke and a bat of her eyelashes. He was left in a rut all the way through dinner and into the evening as he was shaving for the second time that day.
Helen had laughed at him because he was trying so hard not to show how much their battle of wits that afternoon was still affecting him; he angled his hips slightly, and twisted his neck the other way to keep his face in the mirror. He had been a little more than obvious and she had nearly toppled over laughing, earning her a scowl. She gave him a kiss as a truce, and then they had gone to their separate cots for the night.
Now he had just made his nightly migration from his cot over to hers, and Helen had done her routine of waiting for him to get settled before cracking her eyes open and watching him for a moment, but only now had she an irresistible urge to take his hand in hers. His hand was lying just on her hip, so close to where hers was lying, it wouldn't take much for her to reach up and grasp his fingers in hers. But she hesitated because she worried how'd he react if he knew he'd been caught cuddling her. She'd just have to reassure him that it was all right.
She gently slipped her hand in his and squeezed it, taking it to wrap around her waist.
Nikola's eyes shot open, and he went rigid with fear, his blue-grey eyes meeting hers in the dim lighting of the tent. Helen smiled up at him softly, turning in his arms to be pressed heart to heart with him. He kept his arm around her waist.
"Helen?" he whispered.
"Shh," she whispered back, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, kissing a soft spot there. He relaxed immediately as her lips touched his skin. His free arm that was partially trapped between them scooted up to cup her cheek and kissed her tenderly. The kiss broke and Helen wrapped her arms around him and nestled into his embrace, her eyes drooping heavily and she fell asleep in mere moments. Nikola stayed awake though, feeling both shocked and outrageously happy. She had caught him and was completely happy with it…he didn't know what to do with that. He didn't know what it meant exactly but it did mean there was a possibility…possibility that they didn't have to end in Egypt, that this could continue far into the future.
He kissed the side of her head then closed his eyes to fall into the most peaceful and comfortable sleep he's ever had.
~~~~Early Morning~~~~
He didn't leave. When she woke up he was still there, still had his arms wrapped around her, his nose buried in the hair, hands entwined with hers. They were cuddled together tightly, warm and comfortable. Helen contemplated getting up quietly and getting dressed, just to torture him, but knew she would wake him up in the process, he was such a light sleeper, that and she didn't want to move just yet.
He stirred slightly, burying his nose even further into her neck. She turned around and kissed him lightly, it didn't wake him at first, so she kissed him again, then again until he was kissing back, and his arms tightened around her. She giggled slightly when he rolled her over then under him, draping his torso over hers.
"Good morning," he mumbled. His eyes finally cracked open and he looked down at her with a smile.
"Morning," she sighed.
"Do you know how lovely it is to get a morning call from you?" he teased.
"Probably just as lovely as finding you in my bed last night, uninvited," she teased him back.
"I was lonely, what can I say, I needed a cuddle," he shrugged. "And since you were the closest I just snuggled down by you. You didn't mind, did you?"
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
"Mmm, not at all…there was a draft," she joked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He chuckled and ran his hands down her sides.
"Oh Miss Magnus, you wound me," he began kissing her neck.
"And I'm sure you deserve ever snick and cut I deliver," she teased grasping the hair at the back of his head.
"You wicked, wicked woman," he growled, kissing lower to her clavicle.
"You needy, needy man," Helen snickered and pulled him by his hair away from her skin, dragging him back up to her lips.
They were going to miss breakfast.
~~~~Later~~~~
The dig was going as usual, several men working in one pit, while others worked in another.
Helen and Carter were fussing over some of her father's notes, comparing them to other notes, and ancient maps. Usually an argument like this would be heated, and full of debate but her mind kept wandering across to the other side of the pits to Nikola.
He had his own workbench where he dealt with making the camp as efficient as possible. He had caught her attentions and grinned before waving.
They had developed a system of hand gestures together, out of boredom, and the five years they've spent running from men with guns together. They meant nothing to anyone watching, but right now he was doing all he could to make her laugh, which he was succeeding with. Carter kept talking and fumbling around looking at all the maps they had on hand, plus ancient scripts, and evidence from previous excursions, trying to calculate the possible entrance point.
Helen barely heard a word he said as she gestured something rather suggestive back to Nikola with a cheeky grin. He raised his eyebrow at her in surprise then grinned as well before undoing one or two choice buttons on his shirt, feigning heat. Helen eyed his neck with a certain interest.
The game they were playing was beyond juvenile but compared to the cold seriousness of Carter's demeanor she was in the mood for a bit of Nikola's boyish charm.
Nikola turned around, his attention drawn by one of the workers asking him a question. The man was showing him something and placed it on Nikola's workbench. Nikola took the opportunity to lean over and give Helen a generous view of his glorious rump. She laughed and covered her blush with her hand, catching Carter's attention.
Nikola turned around, hearing her laugh, giving her a cheeky grin. She signaled to him: "Nice arse."
He signaled back: "Glad to know you were looking."
She laughed again.
"Helen, are you paying attention?" asked Carter.
"What?" she turned to him.
"Have you heard a word I've said?" he asked.
"Of course…I was just…distracted for a second," Helen turned to him.
"This is not some folly I'm talking about, this could lead to the discovery of this tomb, a fact on which I'm deadly serious about," Carter looked at her sternly.
"I know, I'm sorry," she eyed Nikola out of the corner of her eye with a small smirk before following Carter to another desk.
"Carnarvon is cutting our funding after this winter if we don't discover something," sighed Carter. "If he leaves all of this goes with him."
Helen nodded, her eyes darting back to Nikola.
He had a leg up on a crate and was posing as dashing as he could manage, trying to look casual, but knew she was going to spot him at some point.
Helen smothered a laugh, disguising it as a cough.
"Are you alright, my dear?" asked Carter.
"Yes, I'm fine," Helen nodded. "Go on."
Carter nodded and kept talking.
She looked back at Nikola and he had migrated to lying on top of his workbench with a certain come hither look to him.
She shook her head at him to tell him to stop.
He took that as a challenge.
Helen tried to ignore him and listen to what Carter was saying, but ended up looking back in time to see him pop the top off his canteen and dump half it's content over his head, making him look very wet and attractive. Helen bit her lip; suddenly she was thirsty.
He grinned at her and signaled: "You busy?" to her.
Helen signaled: "Yes, go away."
She waved him off and desperately tried to pay attention to Carter.
Her eye wandered back over to him again. He had taken his handkerchief out of his breast pocket and was wiping the water of his neck and chest very slowly. It was sad to admit but she kind of wanted to be that piece of cloth at that point.
She shook her head and turned back to Carter once again.
Nikola signaled: "I'll be here if you need me."
She tried to ignore it, knowing what he was insinuating.
"…and with that the tomb should be…around here somewhere…I think I've got it. One of us needs to go over to Javor and tell him this," said Carter, he had circled an area on a map.
"I'll go," Helen perked up. "You get started on this right away and I'll bring him up to speed."
Carter looked at her funny, but shrugged.
"Alright, I'll take some of the workers to this point and get them digging," said Carter.
"Meet you there," Helen walked briskly away from Carter and over to Nikola, keeping her eye on Carter, he watched her for a moment before quickly running off the get what he needed done.
Helen reached Nikola and he met her with a smirk. The sun had already dried his hair and shirt.
"Well hi there," Nikola chuckled.
Helen came up to him and grabbed the front of his shirt tightly.
"You are an incessant, pestilent, infuriating man, and if you don't follow me into this tent right now you are sleeping outside by yourself tonight," she whispered into his ear.
He grinned widely; like he was going to argue with a voice like that. She dragged him by the collar into the shelter of the tent before grasping his head tightly and kissing him soundly. He caught on quickly and was soon kissing her back fiercely and pulling her body close to his. He loved it when she wore her tight fitting trousers, but at this point he loved the fact that she chose to wear a knee length skirt as his hands slid beneath the hem.
"This has to be quick," she whispered. "Carter's expecting us."
Nikola smirked and hoisted her on to one of the wooden crates in the tent.
"Oh Helen, I can't promise you anything," Nikola teased before his lips attacked her neck.
Helen grasped his head and laughed, not really caring what Carter thought.
~~~~Elsewhere~~~~
Carter was deep in thought as men ran around him with shovels and all other sorts of gear, ready to dig in any spot they were asked to. He stood in the middle of it all with his hand on his chin. He was mapping out the land before him, transferring what he saw from papers to the sand and dunes. It was all forming in his head. He could almost see ancient Egypt coming to life; the golden chariots, the delicately painted walls, magnificent temples, and the grand tombs for their pharoahs.
The road was well-worn, it would've been then, by the hooves of camels and horses, and other livestock; by armies and slaves alike. Those roads had long since been covered by sand, but underneath the sand was treasure of that old world.
He got on his knees and began pawing at the sand, visualizing something he couldn't quite describe.
He looked beyond the sand and years of neglect and natural elements and saw himself in the old world of Egypt. He was at the young Pharoah's funeral, the procession mourning the loss of their young king. His body wrapped and place in its sarcophagus. Slaves carried it on their shoulders to the beating of the ceremonial drum.
He followed the procession, watching them carefully. The temple priests spoke in prayer over his soul, incense was burning, women cried and wailed.
There was his tomb, perfect and pristine, his sarcophagus placed inside, blessed, then sealed and the procession left, leaving Carter back in the sand over a thousand years later.
He pointed to where the entrance had been.
"There," he said. "There, dig there!"
The men immediately ran in with their shovels and began digging frantically.
"Helen, I think I found it, I…" he looked around him. There was no sign of his companions anywhere. "Where the hell are they?"
~~~~Elsewhere~~~~
Helen wrapped her legs around Nikola's waist. He was panting hard against her neck as they moved together with abandon.
This was so juvenile, reckless even, and more than a little exciting. Helen fought as hard she could not to make any noise, so as not to draw any attention to themselves inside the supply tent. He kissed her neck feverishly and tenderly, while she hung off his shoulders.
Nikola's hand slipped inside her opened blouse and grasped her bare side, his other sliding along her thigh and hiking her leg up higher.
Helen's back threatened to fall back against the top of the crate, but she grabbed his shirt to keep herself upright, sending him flying forward, his hand sprang out to catch himself, ending with him sprawled out half on top of her. He gasped, the fall winding him slightly. He looked down at her and laughed, she laughed back.
Without saying he word he leant down and kissed her gently, his pace slowing, though both their hearts were racing.
"You drive me wild, Dr. Magnus," he whispered dropping a kiss to her clavicle.
"As do you, Mr. Tesla," she sighed, sliding a hand into his hair before gripping it tightly and yanking his whole body up to her. He landed with a grunt and a rather shocked expression.
"Now, no more talking," she growled and kissed him. Again, he didn't think it wise to argue.
~~~~Elsewhere~~~~
Carter watched his men dig with a reckless fervor. He paced behind them, his finger tapping his chin out of habit. He couldn't worry about his associates right now, he felt it in his gut that he was right, that there was something here. The time ticked by egregiously slow.
It was getting on his nerves. They weren't digging fast enough, there was too much sand, where was Helen and Javor? Who was humming? Why was I taking so long?
Something caught his eye suddenly, and he leant down, nearly pressing his face into the sand. He could just…was that?
"Halt!" he called.
The men stopped digging and Carter pushed his way through them and knelt down to the ground.
"You, give me your shovel, quickly!" he barked, the nearest man handed him the shovel.
Carter scooped away some sand before hitting something harder, and solid. He grinned widely before forcing the spade of the shove hard down upon it. The hard rock crumbled away, taking a fragment of sand with it.
"Quick someone, bring me a torch!" he ordered.
A young man ran out of the circle to grab an unlit torch and brought it quickly to Carter. He pulled a match out of his vest pocket and lit the torch before taking it from the young worker.
He moved more dirt out of the way, revealing a black opening in the ground.
He brought the torch as close as he could and peered inside the whole. He couldn't see a lot, just the front entrance of what was definitely a tomb.
"It…it's here…this is it!" he laughed in triumph. "We found it! This is it!"
The men around him cheered loudly.
"We found it!" was shouted in every possible Egyptian dialect all across the camp. The entirety of the camp came running to the source of the celebration to catch a glimpse of the discovery; every man joining in unison into the shouting.
Nikola paused, hearing the commotion. Helen stopped as well, and blinked away the haze of lust form her eyes, her mind crashing back into sobriety.
"What is that?" asked Nikola, straightening up.
Helen sat up as well.
"I don't know," she said.
Nikola listened carefully.
"They found something," he turned to her.
"The tomb?" she asked.
"I don't know, but…" he gave her a knowing glance and she nodded, quickly untangling herself from him and straightening her clothes and buttoning up her blouse to make herself look presentable.
Nikola did the same and they rushed out of the tent, their previous activities quickly forgotten.
They reached the middle of the excitement quickly, approaching Carter.
"Carter, what is it?" Helen called, running over to him.
"An opening, Helen, it's here, it's here," Carter cried excitedly.
"Oh my god!" Helen cried and hugged Carter in celebration. "We've found it! We've found he tomb."
Nikola stopped his approach. A realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
They found it. The one thing he hoped they'd never find, they found it. Now their mission was over.
He looked at the small opening in the ground with a mixture of shock and heartbreak.
It was over.
His luck just ran out.
Helen looked back at him with triumph then met his eyes, the smile quickly falling.
He looked at her and she knew instantly what he was feeling, it all became clear. He didn't want it to end, because now they couldn't play fiancé's anymore.
She froze, locked in his gaze.
All she could think to do was to mouth: "I'm sorry," to him.
He broke contact and looked down at the ground, his mind not able to process that response from her. He turned away and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
"Where's Javor going?" Carter asked.
"I…I don't think he's feeling very well," Helen sighed.
"Oh, shame, he really should be here to celebrate our success," said Carter. "Which reminds me, I need to send a message off to Carnarvon as quickly as possible, he'll be most pleased with our discovery."
Helen nodded and let Carter and the rest of the celebrating workers walk off.
She had to find Nikola and talk with him, though she had no idea what she'd say.
She went to their tent and it was empty, he hadn't gone there at all. She sighed. She was going to miss all of this. It had been five years of sharing everything with him, from food to water, to blankets, even clothes once when her case had dropped into the nile, he had lent her his shirt and trousers to keep herself warm.
The thought of water struck her. She knew exactly where he was.
Without another thought she went to their lagoon.
He was there, just like she had expected, standing at the edge of the bank, a hand in his pocket, the other hand skipping stones into the pond.
"Not thinking of jumping in are you?" she asked.
Nikola jumped and turned to her.
"I mean, the suit would get ruined if you did," she said as her eyes met his.
"Yes, the suit," he muttered.
"It's funny, five years of searching and it's all over in a single moment," she came up to stand beside him.
He turned back to the pond.
"And we weren't even there to see it uncovered," she continued.
"I would've much preferred being with you anyways," Nikola said turning to her. "Helen, I…"
"Nikola we can't," she interrupted him.
"Why not?" he asked sincerely.
"Because, this…this is not us, this is Egypt. We can't stay here forever, Nikola, as much as we'd like to," she turned to him and caressed his cheek. "It was great while it lasted."
"Why can't we make it last? Not Egypt, but this…us, why can't we make it last? We've spent the last five years day in and day out with each other, what stopping us from spending another five, or ten, or fifty?"
Helen watched him carefully.
"Nikola what are you saying?" she couldn't read him, for the first time in a long time she couldn't read him.
"I'm saying, we've been playing fiancés for two years now, and not just in the eyes of the workers or Carter. We've been playing fiancés with each other, and…and I don't want to play anymore," he grasped her hands and got on one knee in front of her. "Marry me, Helen."
Helen was speech-ridden. She had expected many things, but she had never expected him to do this, not like this, not so sincerely.
"I, I…"
"I'm willing to give up everything, Helen. New York, the pigeons, everything, everything for you," he looked into her eyes. "You have been my life the last five years, I can't…I can't go back to having nothing so easily."
Helen bit her lip then narrowed her gaze.
"What about your inventions?" she asked.
"What about them?" it was his turn to search her eyes for answers.
"Would you give up inventing for me?" she asked. "Would you reduce yourself to my kind of work just to be with me?"
Nikola released her hands and looked down for a second, the air escaping him. Inventing, being an inventor was everything, it was his reason for being, it was his purpose. Could he just give that up? Was it that simple? He's have truly nothing for himself after that, it would all belong to her, could he allow that.
His head snapped back up to her and met her gaze.
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
The answer took Helen by surprise.
"Really?" she double-checked.
"For this, yes. If that's what it takes," he didn't falter in his response.
"Are you saying that you love me, Mr. Tesla?" asked Helen.
"Yes," he answered again. "I believe I am."
Helen let out a sigh, not knowing if she could handle this completely honest and bare-boned side to Nikola, he was bearing his soul to her and she didn't know what to do with that. She had come here with many answers, expecting he'd either accept, or plead, but this…this proposal.
Their oasis dried up in Egypt, but here he was offering a water bag.
"Yes," she said, so quietly it was more like a gasp. "Yes."
"Yes?" he looked at her carefully.
"Yes, I'll marry you," she nodded.
"You will?" he grasped her hands again, his eyes nearly bursting with joy.
She nodded and he picked her up so quickly it took her by surprise. He kissed her happily twirling her around. She was nearly brought to tears by his elation. Perhaps he did love her.
"So what does this mean now?" he asked, putting her down.
"I guess it means I'm taking home a souvenir when I return to London," she smiled and caressed his cheek.
"Won't the boys be pleasantly surprised," Nikola smirked. "Your own devoted fiancé."
"Devoted, are you?" she teased.
"Completely, whole-heartedly and undoubtedly, I haven't looked at another women in five years," he crossed his hand over his heart.
"You haven't seen another woman in five years," Helen rolled her eyes.
"But I'd still choose you," he kissed her again, playfully. She'd never seen him like this. "First order of business…a ring. You need one I'm told."
Helen laughed.
"Let's wait till we get back to London before we start worrying about such trivial subjects like rings and linen," she kissed him gently and he grasped her hand.
He held her around the waist.
"I promise, I won't let you slip away this time," he smirked and stared at her.
Helen stared at him suspiciously for a second before smiling, and wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"I hope so," she muttered into his chest.
He barely heard it over the thrumming of his heart in his ears.
He broke away and grasped her hands.
"Come on, let's celebrate our engagement shall we?" he began leading her away from the lagoon.
"With who?" she laughed. "They all thought we were engaged to begin with."
"Well, now it will be true. They're drinking champagne anyway," he smirked.
Helen laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Can't we just…celebrate…in the tent," she said suggestively.
"Yah, but then we wouldn't have alcohol."
She smacked his head.
"Ow!"
"You're an idiot."
"Yes, but now I'm your idiot."
"Yay me."
"Ok, if we're engaged now you are going to have to be way more excited than that."
Smack.
"Ow!"
~~~~Author's Notes~~~~
I have no idea how you guy's are going to react to this. *prepares to duck thrown shoes*
This idea somehow came to me, it's a bit of theory, if you guys are thinking this is a bit too left side, i know, i wrote it that way, but obviously, it's not ever going to get to a wedding. It somehow made sense to me...but at this point i'm just going, muahaha! I can tell whatever story I want...so if it's too AU for you...well...too bad. :P
It will all turn out right in the end, just trust that.
Tell me what you think, crazy, not crazy..omigosh revelation! Anything like that, and yes sorry, this is the end of the Egypt Arc. It will be followed by a series of one-offs, and the next Arc will probably be leading into Nikola's death and World War 2...fun!
I know a lot of you have been waiting for World War 2...I have yet to decide if i want to do all the research or if I actually want to have it in the foreground. It depends, i'll get there when it comes around. But I plan to bring back some past characters and give them a last shot before that happens.
Question time!
So far, what has been your favorite Arc in this story?
I haven't done this in awhile and you give always have such good answers, so im excited :)
Love you all! Happy summer days :)