Wings of Time

by LoweFantasy

When Yugi and friends find a amnesiac girl lost in the rain who seems to share a connection with Yami's past, they take her in. But when Yugi starts falling for her and Yami starts to remember a woman from the future who wouldn't marry him, time begins to shift over and past and future begin to blend. Not Yaoi. YugiXOCXYami

6. A Forbidden Memory

Wow, what a week. Wait...it's only Tuesday. Aw man!

Chapter 6: A Forbidden Memory

The morning came muggy and grey. Yugi nuzzled his face deeper into his blanket, half-consciously assuming that the lack of light meant it was still too early to be awake. Besides him on the floor, Aleah too was merely a lump of blanket.

'Abiou…'

A corporeal hand brushed back his bangs. Yugi scrunched up his face.

'Not now, Yami. It's too early.' he mentally groaned.

'Please. I…I need to know at least my name.'

'Oh, I didn't ask about that. I'm sorry.'

'It is all right, little one. You were enjoying yourself. I will just…just sleep a bit more. Besides, I might not want to know all my memories, if I am as horrible as it seems.'

Yugi sighed through his nose. 'Yami, you are not evil. Didn't you listen to all that she said?'

'But she hates me.' The words rung through Yugi's mind with a ring of pain. He longed to reach out and embrace the spirit, suddenly feeling quite ashamed for all the time he had wasted chatting with Aleah about himself—let alone all the other useless trivia they had talked about. Like the future of the next ten years.

'Yami…I don't think so.'

'Did you not listen to her?'

'Didn't you? I think she loved you, and that's why she was hurt.'

'Key word there, abiou. Loved.'

'Oh, Yami—'

"Is it still raining?" asked a groggy voice.

Prying through sticky eyelids, Yugi peered out at the lump of blankets lying beside him. All he saw was a mess of curly blond hair nesting somewhere near the top of the cocoon. He glanced up at the window, but all he could see was soggy grey.

"I can't really tell." he said. "My, this weather is really strange."

"No kidding. You did say that it wasn't suppose to rain all week, right?"

"Yeah."

"Jeez, I really hope this has nothing to do with me." The last of her sentence came out muffled as she yawned and he could spy a bit of her pale forehead peeking above the blanket. "Dang, I feel sore."

He grinned shyly. "Me too. I guess that's what we get for sleeping on the floor, right?"

"I thought all Japanese people slept on the floor anyways."

Yugi snorted. "Where did you get that idea?"

'She always did have the strangest ideas about people.' he heard Yami mutter across their link.

'What do you mean by that?' he thought back.

"Well, they always did in the animes."

Yugi raised an eyebrow, though he knew she couldn't see it. "I do not live in an anime."

"I don't know," she said, at last poking her sleepy eyes above the brim of her blanket cocoon. "You have the eyes for it. All big and shiny and purple. They're cute. Too cute, just like in an anime. You did say that's your natural eye color, right?"

He was busy hiding his blush when he responded, "I'm pretty sure."

"And you call yourself Japanese." she snorted and retreated back into the warmth of her pod.

In the quiet, Yami finally found his time to answer, 'I'm not sure what I meant by that. I just…felt annoyed, for some reason.'

Yami's voice reminded him.

"Um…Aleah?"

"Mmph?"

"I don't mean to bring up bad memories, but…do remember what Yami's name was?"

"The pharaoh's?"

"Yeah." Though who else he could be talking about, he didn't know.

There was a long pause filled by the stuffed, sleepy sort of silence in the room. The blankets across from him wiggled a bit. He could once more feel Yami's anticipation gripping him from within the puzzle.

"I mean, if it's too much of me to ask—"

"No. It's fine, Yugi. But why doesn't he remember who he is anyways? What reason for that could that be?"

"We aren't really sure yet."

There was another space of quiet filled by the hum of Yami's presence. The blanket fidgeted again and her blue eyes reappeared.

"Yugi…what happened to the pharaoh? After I left."

"I don't know. What was happening before?"

Aleah shifted onto her side to look up at the ceiling. "There was this crazy looking thief guy setting his monster out on everyone. It was super powerful and no one's monsters seem to be able to fight against it. I think the thief wanted to destroy them for destroying his people…because they were used to make the millennium pieces. I left on one of the few peaceful nights, when I saw that light burning in the sky."

Yugi felt his forehead crumple. Within him, Yami was hanging on to every word, and if the spirit had a breath, it would have been held.

"Wow, that's…that's more than I know, I have to admit. All I know is that Yami had to seal away the Shadow Games because they were threatening the world. We're not entirely sure how he did it, but I think that's how he ended up in the puzzle. I think."

He watched her face as it remained still in thought. A flicker of emotion passed across her eyes, but at the angle he was at he couldn't be sure of what it was. She sighed.

"Well…I wouldn't have been any help anyways." she turned her head to look at him. "I guess you wouldn't know how he sealed away these games, would you? And why would they result in him losing his memory?" her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. "Did you know that Egyptians believe that if you ever lose your name, you lose yourself?"

He stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Doesn't every culture believe that? Names are important."

"Yes, but…if he lost his name, that would make sense why he lost his memories."

"Are you sure it's not the other way around? He lost his name because he lost his memories?"

"Oh…yeah." her cheeks reddened. "I just…I don't really know what's—okay, well, his name—"

A door banged from downstairs, followed by a loud yelp. The two teenagers shot up, bursting from their blankets.

"Grandpa!"

"What was that?"

Yugi was the first to run out the door, followed closely behind by a frazzled looking Aleah who raced him down the stairs. They leapt over the short couch and slid into the shop portion of the house, panting. Solomon Motou leaned against the counter with a hand to his mouth, looking frightfully pale.

"Grandpa?" Yugi cried, looking about frantically for the source. He found it, standing in front of the now cracked glass door.

Seto Kaiba: dressed smartly in his usual suit-like trench coat and with blood in his eyes.

"Where is she, old man?" he growled.

"Kaiba?" Yugi could understand his grandfather's pallor. After being put into the hospital by the slightly crazed CEO, seeing him like this again didn't help the memories. Not to mention the shattering crash of the door had even scared the crap out of him. Yugi found himself in one of his rare moments of annoyance. "You didn't have to break the door."

"It's the wind, Motou. Do you really think me so childish?" he growled, turning on him, but froze at the sight of Aleah.

"You!" he cried, pointing an angry finger at her. "You're the one who has been messing with my technology."

She gaped at him, looking somewhat alarmed. "What are you talking about? I don't even know you."

"I don't care. You're coming with me and you're going to—"

And suddenly the shelf next to him turned into a stone statue of a cat-like idol, leaving the merchandise to shower upon him. Needless to say, Kaiba toppled to the floor. Yugi gasped and rushed over as Aleah and Solomon stared.

"Kaiba! Are you okay?"

"Damn it!" Kaiba cried. "I've had enough of this!"

"It's the Bastet statue." said Aleah, a hand to her mouth.

"My-my merchandise." croaked Yugi's grandpa.

With a flurry of crackling game boxes, Seto Kaiba was back to his feet and breathing hard. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his sleeves and composed himself.

"Now that I've found you," he said in his usual cool tone, "what's your stupid purpose for sabotaging my company with these inane pranks? Do you have a biff with me, my father, one of my employers? If so, I've had enough of your petty games and there's no escaping for you now."

Aleah scowled. "I don't even freaking know you, didn't you hear me? Though," she cocked her head to the side. "You do look an awful lot like Set, in a weird Japanesy sort of way…"

"Set? Close enough—"

"No." she lifted a finger. "Set was the vizier to the pharaoh, not your pasty ass."

Just as Kaiba was losing his cool, the battered shop bell tinkled faintly as another person stepped through the door, bringing with them a gust of wind.

"Good job, Kaiba. Unfortunately, we are too late."

Closing the door behind him, a tall Egyptian man dressed from head to foot in white linen robes stepped into the shop.

Yugi was starting to get a very bad feeling about all this. Shadi only came with warnings, and usually trouble followed after him.

He, however, didn't start nearly as bad as Aleah.

"You!" she cried. "How did—you're suppose to be—"

"Dead?" his face remained impassive.

"Something like that."

"Well, I am not. I am the same as you, now, and am untouched by time. That said, you do not belong here. You don't belong anywhere, but, especially not here. You haven't told the Pharaoh of his name yet, have you?"

She looked back at Yugi uncertainly. "I don't…think so."

"At least we have that. Come with me."

"No, wait," she held her hands together tightly. "What do you mean I don't belong anywhere? Look, I'm sorry for messing up, I did try to just go home—"

"But apparently you do not have the focus." he snapped, "I thought I told you to focus on home and only on home. What you thought of that brought you here is beyond me, but you shouldn't even be able to function after a tear up like that. Do you know what happens when one breaks their focus in the warp field? Their mind is torn between thoughts and time and they can lose their very minds."

Aleah shuddered. Yugi bit his lip, for Shadi didn't know how close to that Aleah had gotten, or the state they had found her in. At the moment, though, his usually blank face was rather annoyed.

"Silly girl," he said, "now stop asking questions and leave the chosen one at once. You are a danger to this time. You've already disrupted their destinies."

Out of the side of his vision he could see the girl start to shake. Her face was pale as grandpa's now.

"But-but where will I go? You already said I don't belong anywhere."

"You will go home, at best, until you can figure out a purpose for yourself." his eyes narrowed. "And maybe, just perhaps, the damage you have caused will be repairable."

In the face of the shaking girl and angry, spirit-like Egyptian, even Kaiba had fallen silent, watching the two carefully. Unawares to them the statue of Bastet had reverted back to the bookshelf. Solomon had yet to gather the courage to creep out and clean up the fallen games.

Yugi couldn't read or fully understand the devastation on her face, but something larger than him and protective rose up like a dragon within him. Suddenly not caring what damage Shadi meant, he stepped in front of her and set his eyes solidly on the Egyptian.

"Let her stay. And if she needs to keep the Pharaoh's name a secret, she can do that. But don't make her leave until she is ready."

Shadi's narrowed eyes fell on him. "Step back, boy. I respect your place as the Pharaoh's vessel, but you know not of which you speak of."

"Then enlighten me! What damage has she done?"

"By existing where she should not have."

"How? Are you saying she was never meant to live?"

"I did not say that."

"Then how can she exist where she shouldn't?"

"I do not have to explain to you."

"You do," and as Yugi spoke he could feel Yami rising up within him, melding together with him in purpose. He could feel the puzzle warming against his chest and Yami pressing against his mind till their thoughts were one. They glared out at Shadi. "Because I am Pharaoh, and I cannot let you accuse this innocent girl and demean her very existence without a good reason. She has done nothing wrong so far, according to my knowledge."

Shadi's visage changed at the sight of the Pharaoh staring out from Yugi's eyes. Even Seto Kaiba changed his stance, becoming straighter and his eyes brighter. The air in the room became charged with some unnamed energy.

And Aleah had gone completely still.

"What is going on Shadi? I do not appreciate your ambiguity." he growled.

Shadi fell to the ground. "Forgive me, my Pharaoh, I am only trying to protect you."

"Then inform me how you intend to do such."

"You must know, Pharaoh, I cannot tell you all for fear of the enemies ears on your own commands."

"I'm sure you can give me the gist."

"This girl, you grace, is a being born to exist as most mortals do not. She is meant to live outside the usual flow of time, able to affect and change it, much as I do. I, however, have found my place as guardian of the millennium items and I protect the way things must be. She, however, is naïve and foolhardy and may have very well ruined the time continuum by living in the time of much chaos, where the world nearly met its end. In a time where you lived, my Pharaoh, and because of that her knowledge could destroy what you worked so hard to prepare for, since she is out of reach of the curse."

"What curse?"

"I'm afraid, my Pharaoh, that is one thing I cannot tell you. It is something you must learn for yourself. For the safety of our world, your grace."

Yugi felt himself grow frustrated. "I take it this has something to do with my lost name."

"Yes, your grace. And if she is to tell you what she knows before you are properly ready for what is the come with that, the world may face its end."

Now Yugi could feel Yami's ire rising as well. "Let me decide that for myself."

A small voice came up from behind him, almost inaudible in its meekness.

"Please…leave him be. He's right. I…I don't belong. I never have."

They, Yugi and Yami, turned to find Aleah with her head bowed, looking smaller than Yugi thought possible. A word from a distant pass crossed through Yami's mind. So fragile…she had always seemed so fragile.

"She is right, your Pharaoh." and Shadi lifted his head. "She will only bring about events you are not ready for. She will only, forgive me, get in the way. She did in the past, and she will now, because she was never made to exist in this time."

Yugi whirled on Shadi. "And what about you? You said you were the same as her. Why, then, are you here? Haven't you affected our timeline more than anyone else?"

A cool hand came to his shoulder. Within him Yugi could feel Yami seize up at the touch, as though it were a power he could not deny. He could feel Aleah right behind him and her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Pharaoh, Yugi, I've caused enough problems. I should leave."

And before Yugi could decide whether to feel pity for her sad form or anger for the careless Shadi, she stepped up and towards the Egyptian, who stood as she approached. His millennium key glimmered in the grey light of the stormy day. She kept her white head bowed.

But…Yugi just couldn't understand. How could someone so beautiful, fun, friendly, and kind not have an existence? How would she get in the way? In his heart he couldn't grasp how someone like Aleah, who felt so right next to him on the floor of his room, didn't belong anywhere.

He could feel Yami as well, who was just as conflicted, though for different reasons. Somewhere, deep within the puzzle, a door cracked open the smallest inch.

"Wait," he said.

Shadi returned his gaze to him, but Aleah did not look back.

"I knew her name. How could I know her name but not my own?"

"Forgive me, your grace, but I do not understand."

"How can she not belong if I can remember her, but not myself?"

Shadi merely blinked. "She was in the past, your majesty. You knew her once."

"I know, but…I don't remember anyone else. I don't remember anything. So why do I remember her name?"

"Perhaps, my Pharaoh, it is just a sign of the disruption she has caused to the normal flow of things." he bowed low. "I will take my leave now, if you are not opposed to it. I wish you the best of luck."

The store bell tinkled feebly as Shadi and Aleah disappeared in a gust of wind. Once the door closed, Seto folded his arms and began to chuckle.

"Always such drama with you, Motou. I meant to take her to the police, but I just got too carried away by the entertainment."

"I'm not in the mood for your antics, Kaiba."

Solomon, however, simply buried his face in his hands.

"What a poor girl." he murmured.

"Well, since I have no other reason to be here," Kaiba brushed off his front and moved to the door.

"One last thing."

Kaiba paused and turned to Yugi, still looking somewhat amused.

"What did you mean by she was sabotaging you technology?"

He gestured to the newly restored shelf. "Exactly what happened here. I had a mainframe, several monitors, and who the hell knows what else turned into random Egyptian antiques."

And with his usual lack of polite farewells, the CEO left with another tinkle of the bell.

'Do you think that sort of stuffs happened all over the city?' Yugi thought towards Yami.

'Only one way to find out, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was just here and Kaiba's. We tend to run into unreasonable madness like that.'

With a glow of the puzzle Yami fell into the background and Yugi stepped up to main control.

"Grandpa, I have something I need to look up real quick. Is that okay?"

"Sure." he said weakly. "I'll just…clean all this up."

And without really hearing what his grandfather said, Yugi dashed back upstairs and into room where a rather chunky looking desktop waited on his desk.

#%$^&*%$##$%%*%$ *^&$%

The night was young and glimmered in at him through his balcony. Firelight flickered warm and orange across the walls, shifting the shadows playfully. He could barely swallow dinner after the defeat of so many of his priests and the sacrilege of his father's tomb. But now that was over, the night was his own. Feeling overly relaxed from the drink, he lounged across the cushions about the brazier, fingering the medallion around his neck. As his troubles rose to the surface of his consciousness, he wished the alcohol was stronger.

Aleah sat silently in her corner. Though the chains were gone (she mostly wore the chains for the court's peace of mind), her head was still bowed. It made his heart cringe oddly to see her so plaintive, for it reminded him of the days of her silence and apathy. The emotion burning in his chest urged him to go to her or at least show her some attention, but Set's words still wrung about his chest. She was a foreigner. She was a slave. And she seemed to want to disappear into the walls.

Pouring himself another cup, he gave an exasperated sigh. To the underworld with this.

"Aleah?"

He expected her to look up at him and brazenly meet his eyes as she always did, but she did not. In fact, she didn't even move.

"Aleah, are you going to sit there all night?"

"If that is what your highness wishes."

He prickled. He knew that voice. Osiris damn it, he knew it and hated it. He made a noise of frustration.

"What is it?"

"What, your grace?"

"I know that voice. You're burying yourself deep in your mind. What brought this on?"

"Why does it matter to your greatness, if I may be so bold to ask?"

"Because it's annoying."

"Excuse me, your highness."

Then she fell silent again. He growled to himself. He wouldn't have peace until he at least knew why she was acting that way. Fine, if she was going to play the passive part, he'd play his.

"That was not a request. That was a command."

To his satisfaction, he thought he could hear a bite of anger as she answered.

"Set, your vizier, your grace. He reminded me of my place…and how I don't like it."

"Naturally. I wouldn't think most slaves enjoy being what they are." he took a sip of the wine.

"And reminds me why I hate…"she stopped with a snap of teeth.

He fingered his cup, feeling a sinking sensation within him. "Let me guess. It's why you hate me?"

Her silence was enough answer for him. He considered the rippling surface of the dark wine. The quiet was soft and comfortable, edged with only the gentle noises of leaves and various insects outside. The fire crackled and popped now and then.

A soft murmur came from her corner, almost too quiet to hear from his place.

"Sometimes I've thought…to ask you to just kill me…to just end it so maybe I can wake up from all this and…and go home…"

His hand clenched tightly about the cup. That was it, then. There could be no question about it.

"Very well. You're not a slave."

Now she finally stared at him, blue eyes wide.

"What?"

"You heard me. You're not a slave anymore. I am Pharaoh, what I say is law. I'll have it written in the records tomorrow." He took another comforting sip of his drink. As he lowered it he could see her blinking in wild confusion.

"But…but then what am I?"

"Well, what do you want to be?"

She gawked at him. "I-I-I don't understand."

"What is there to not understand?"

"You! I don't understand you!" she tugged at a piece of her hair and looked away. "I mean, for the first few weeks you'd practically scream at me if I acted above my station. Now you're so…so nice and talking to me like a normal person and I don't understand what happened. Did I do something?"

He simply shrugged, heart in his throat. "I guess you could say that." He waved a hand to the cushions opposite of him. "Care to sit with me?"

Her gaze narrowed. "Depends. What are you drinking?"

"Just some wine."

"The kind with alcohol?"

"I presumed so." He sniffed at it. "At least, that's what I hope it is. Ra, what I wouldn't give to be drunk now."

She cocked her head at him, something he was coming to endear. "Why's that?"

In answer he groaned and let his head fall back on the backrest of cushions. He heard her walk over on her bare feet, having tucked her precious shoes beneath her cushion, and slip down on the pillows a bit away from him. She said nothing, but he could feel the expectation, however patient, hovering in the air. He slid his hand down his face.

"I never knew my father was involved in such darkness. I'm not sure what to do with the King of Thieves, for I believe he deserves his vengeance for the massacre of his people, criminals or not. And then my uncle…he's up to something. I can see it in his eyes. There's a darkness there. And then Set is uppity and all my priests are looking to me for answers, but…I really don't know what to do. I feel like I'm surrounded on all sides. And in the end my people will probably receive the worst of it, which I just cannot stand. I'd die to fix all this, if dying could do anything. But even with the god monsters on my hands…" He took in a deep breath and lifted his head to take another deep swallow of the wine.

"Set was right, then."

Atem let his head tip over to give her a questioning look.

"In what?"

"That you…that you care very deeply, maybe even too much so."

He snorted. "Did you think I was an egotistical, arrogant bastard? Because you were right, I am."

But she smiled knowingly, and he felt his stomach flip-flop within him. The warmth he had been trying so hard to ignore that day constricted his chest once more, filling him with the urge to reach for her and touch her in some way. Aggravated with himself, he tipped his head back and finished what was left in the cup.

"It will be all right, Pharaoh."

"Call me Atem." he grumbled. "And how do you know? Why would the gods assist me, who am the prodigy of such darkness? Even this…this damn puzzle," at this Yami tore off the puzzle, "this is blood magic. I should have nothing to do with it. Yet we all cling to our items like the cowards we are." He dropped the puzzle in his lap, grabbed for the bottle again and poured it clumsily into his cup. His hand had begun to shake. After another swallow he took a deep breath and forced it still. A few moments later he could feel her eyes on him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Well," she said cautiously, "I've never noticed it before, but you have…a rather nice face."

"In nice face I hope you mean attractive or handsome. I would loath to discover men of your time with faces such as mine are considered womanly."

She smiled in amusement. "No, it would be considered a nice face in my time too."

"Tell me," he said, suddenly quite curious, "just how different is your time from mine anyways?"

"Oh gosh, very different. For one we don't need horses anymore. Now if anyone has horses they keep them mostly as a hobby, not out of necessity."

"What? Have you found a better animal?"

"No. We don't even use animals anymore."

Whatever he had been expecting, this wasn't it.

"But, how do you plow your fields? How do you get anywhere? Do you walk? Do those shoes of yours give your people extra endurance or strength?"

"No! We use machines. They're run by these things called engines which are made of many moving, metal parts that use explosions to get everything moving."

"Explosions?" he thought for a moment, tapping into his puzzle to try and understand. The images that flashed through his mind, however, baffled him. "The gods must have bemused the minds of your people."

"Not really. Though…I guess you'd think that way, especially since we zoom around in cars at 90 miles per hour on a daily basis."

At first, he didn't understand. When he once more tapped into his puzzle to translate what was a 'miles per hour' and then just how fast that was, he choked on the wine he had just been about to swallow.

"W-wait." He wheezed. "Are you saying that…" he did a quick calculation in his head. "That these…things of yours could travel from Thebes to Memphis in a matter of hours?"

"Oh yeah." She said, nodding, her demeanor completely nonchalant. She stopped nodding for a moment. "Where's Memphis again? I know this is Thebes, but…"

"It's by the delta."

"Then yeah! I think our plane landed somewhere around there when my classmates and I got here. We had to take a bus ride to reach the temple sites here and I think it only took a few hours. It seemed a lot longer with Leah prattling to me about her boyfriend." she rolled her eyes. "I swear that girl knows nothing of the troubles in this world. A nuke could pulverize the town next over and she'd just twist her hair and wonder if it would make her miss her show." Aleah blinked, then looked at him uncertainly. "You didn't get at thing of that, did you?"

His automatic response was to nod, but he stopped himself mid drop of his chin and shook his head. He put the cup of wine back down on the table.

"Care to explain? We're not going anywhere anytime soon."

She thought for a moment, then gave him a hesitant smile.

"Well, first off a plane is one of those metal contraptions that we use to travel, except in these one's we fly rather than go along the ground."

He felt his jaw drop and his eyes pop. "F-fly? Did I hear you correctly? And you are certain there are is no magic in your time?"

And with that they started a long dialogue deep into the night with Aleah telling him the stuff of dreams. Flying men, tools that gave blind and deaf men the ability to see and hear, strange glass and metal machines that made reality and fantasy not so different anymore, and huge glass portals that allowed you to watch an event happening on the other side of the world as it was happening—without magic. By the time her voice grew hoarse and she gave a great yawn, Atem had never felt less tired in his entire life. His mind whirled with the impossibility of it all and the fight to try and understand how it could be. By Ra, what would the gods give man in the next few thousand years that made these sort of things possible? With magic, maybe, but without it? And with Atlantis and its technologies little more than a fairytale?

His bottle of wine sat forgotten next to the fire, along with his still half full cup.

"If your people are so advanced, why do they do such barbaric things as allow their women into war or leave their women to fend for themselves and their children?"

She shrugged. "I guess it depends on your perspective. To them, allowing women to do anything and everything is advanced and humane—allowing freedom they say."

He grimaced, raising an eyebrow and wondering if this was one of her sarcastic jokes on him. "But that makes no sense. It is not maat. All have their role, man and woman. If one were to try to take the role of the other there would be imbalance, one would be overwhelmed as they tried to do everything and the other would be forced out of the picture." he paused. "Is that why your father left you and your mother? Did your mother make it so? Did she begin to crowd him out?"

She sighed. "I don't know. It's just…I don't know what went on. I know you're really curious right now, but would it be all right with you if I went to bed? I can hardly keep my eyes open."

And Atem could see the truth of that. Her eyelids dropped and she had sagged ever closer to him. He was half tempted to tell her no and keep her talking both for the sake of his curiosity as well as to see if she would slip further and fall upon his lap. But as her head bobbed, he softened.

"Of course." he gestured to his own bed. "If you like you may sleep on my bed. There is room enough for the both of us."

She stiffened at this, blinking hard to rid the sleepiness from her eyes.

"Atem…" then she reconsidered. "No, I'll sleep on my cushion. It isn't right for me to sleep in your bed."

"Is this a custom of your people?"

She rolled her eyes. "I figured this would be something that is the same in all cultures."

As she moved to get up he took her arm, smiling at her gently.

"It is all right. You are no longer a slave, if station is what you are concerned about. I would be pleased to share anything with you, even if…" he hesitated. Was he ready to promise that piece of him? Was he ready to say he'd be willing to share his kingdom with her? As his Queen?

She looked exasperated. "It's not that, Atem. Come on, piece it together." She suddenly blushed. "You…you said you liked me the other day, didn't you? Well, what do you get when you have a guy and a woman he's rather fond of in the same bed? I'm not stupid."

"Well then," his smile turned wry, "if you are worried about any intimacy happening, just marry me."

At this she violently yanked her arm away and took a step back. "Don't joke with me, Pharaoh." For a moment he thought he saw a flash of ice in her eyes.

"Pharaoh does not joke." And now no trace of a smile was on his face. He was serious. Yes, he had said it without thinking, but he had realized in a split second what he wanted. It seemed the natural course that if he wanted her, he should marry her. He didn't know what would happen with his country like this, however. None of his people were in the state for a royal marriage, especially with Shadow Games shooting overhead. But perhaps afterwards? If there was an afterwards…but, just maybe, having her agree to marry him would be nearly as good as the actual marriage. It would mean she had accepted him and possibly be willing to love him in return.

But her face had gone blank and cool.

"Even if I did love you, I wouldn't marry a Pharaoh."

He winced, drawing away from her. What an odd thing to say. Marriage to the Pharaoh was the highest privilege any woman could ever dream for. "Do your people hate my kind?"

"This has nothing to do with what my people think of Egypt. I wouldn't be able to handle watching you pick up concubines and other wives." And almost as though to prove her point, she shuddered. "Nor do I want to return home one day to come back to my parents pregnant or leaving behind children. No…I can't marry at all. I don't belong here."

"But Aleah," he had to stop the desperate sinking sensation that wanted to pull him under, "What if you never return home? You'll be alone for the rest of your life! With me I can give you a family, I will love you—"

"Along with woman A, B, and C—"

"No!" and now he was on his feet with her. "Aleah, my father only had one wife. It is the Royal Wife who chooses the other women anyways. If you want, I will only be yours for as long as we live."

"Don't you already have a hoard of concubines hiding away somewhere?"

He made a face. "What? No! Is this some strange impression you've gotten from your own time? Have you seen any other women?"

For a moment she ogled at him, seeming to falter in her determination. She brought a hand to her mouth, and then looked away.

"Please…just…leave me alone." she gave him her back and made her way to her cushion.

"What? Aleah, I am serious!" he moved as if to follow her, but thought twice. Did she want his touch right now? What was she thinking? If she doubted his love he'd be more than happy to prove it. He never thought, as Pharaoh, he would have to fight for any woman. But that was part of the reason he had to have her. She would be a prize—proof that he was something more than Pharaoh.

"Atem, you don't want me that badly. Please, forget about all this. I'm not worth it. I don't belong here. And…and I'm too afraid. Please don't ask this of me." She curled up on the cushion, her back to him, and her hair sprawled across its blue, silken cover.

He brought his hand back from reaching for her and clenched it at his side. He was risking too much this time with Aleah…was he?

"Aleah, do not suppose you know my feelings better than I. But I will not force this upon you. Forget that I said anything."

And with that, he made his way to his bed and slipped underneath the blankets. The fire crackled in the quiet as the distant voices of men sounded in the background. Thinking on this he reminded himself of his appointment to visit Isis in the morning and send his prayers to Ra for his people, as well as visit the tower where his friend's tablet resided for his insights on the situation. Hopefully, the next day would keep him busy from thinking too much about anything else. Despite his busy mind and his heavy mood, exhaustion eventually had its way with him and he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke quite abruptly, though deliriously, to a weight appearing next to him and warmth pressed against his chest. The body was shivering. The fire in the brazier had burn out a while ago to embers and he couldn't see a thing. But he instantly registered the sweet scent of Aleah and hesitantly put an arm around her.

"Aleah?"

She shook her head, continuing to shiver. An almost inaudible whimper escaped her. Sighing sleepily, he buried his face in her hair. Perhaps this was a dream. If she weren't so miserable, he'd like this dream. How had he ever forgotten how warm and heavenly soft she felt against him?

"Ah, Aleah, what is wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry for waking you…I just was cold and…" she took a shuddering breath. "I'm so lonely. Please, don't leave me alone because I said I wouldn't marry you. I don't want to be alone anymore."

He could feel her body shudder with the muffled sobs. She was trying so hard to hide it. Melting at the small, vulnerable voice, he held her tighter. So fragile…

"Of course I won't." he murmured.

"I've always wanted to get away from home, but not like this. I'm sorry for being cold towards you. Please, don't hate me."

"I could never hate you. Calm yourself. I am here. You're not alone."

She took more ragged breaths, fighting to quell her weeping in hopes he wouldn't notice. He pulled back enough to wipe the wetness off her cheeks and run a hand through her hair.

"And do not fear, I shall not cross any physical line you do not wish me to. I love you."

She made a strange noise between a laugh and a sob.

"I don't understand you. What did I do to suddenly change your attitude towards me so much? What is there to love about me? I thought you were a bit of a prick at times, but I never thought you were crazy. No offense."

He put his face back into that beautiful, silk mane. "I'm not sure myself. I think you always held my attentions, but I started to notice it when you burnt your hands to save that child in the fire while I was distracted by battle. It told me you had a kind, selfless heart who wasn't afraid of pain. But I should have known at least that, by now, with your mad dash across the rocks barefoot like that, with those soft feet of yours." He made an amused 'hmmph' in his throat. "Perhaps I am, as you said, 'crazy'. What a peculiar word. And I would like to note that I was never a prick, whatever that is."

"Of course, of course. The Great Pharaoh is only ever magnanimous and right in all he does."

"Precisely."

To his faint surprise and pleasure, she snuggled deeper into his embrace, tucking her head into the curve of his neck. As her soft, long lashes graced along his throat he felt a heat ripple through his body till he was sure he'd overheat her. He suddenly felt that he couldn't have her close enough to his bare chest and had urges to feel more of her than he should, but he kept still. He had given her his word.

"Thank you," she breathed, and even her breath smelled of that sweet, exotic scent of hers. "I'll do whatever I can to help you with what is happening. I don't know what I can do, but I do know some things from the future. You're not alone…okay?"

He made a noise in his throat to show he heard her as he awkwardly reached down behind her and pulled the blanket up around her. She didn't even flinch as he had to lean over her, and her trust constricted his throat and made the passions kept in check inside him burn with a rush of protectiveness. Nothing would harm her this night. Not even the cold.

Carefully and cautiously, he kissed her on the forehead.

"Sleep well. If you want to go back to your cushion just tell me. I will accept it if you have to wake me."

She nodded against his collarbone. The movement made her hair move against his skin and he had to restrain a shudder at the feel. "Thank you."

He settled in about her. "You're welcome."

And with a final pop of the embers and filled with happy contentment, Atem fell back to sleep, the foreign girl from the future still curled in his arms.

Yet unbeknownst to him, the next night, after a day of losing his friend to the shadow realm and fighting against the king of thieves, the girl in his arms would leave him for the light in the sky that summoned her home.

For now they slept on, watched by eyes that didn't belong to any time, filled with hate. Dark hands slipped from the window and their owner slipped down into the darkness of the night