: : Summary : : A few months have passed after Ahm Shere, and life for the hero�s seems to be settling down, but what new adventure awaits them? Read and find out.
It had been four months since the events at Ahm-Shere, and it seemed that the O�Connell�s were finally living the normal life. For Alex, the nightmares had stopped, and he was finally comfortable sleeping in his own bed, as long as the candle on his bedside table remained lit. Life for Rick, and Evelyn had gotten more romantic, and more disgusting according to Jonathan, who seemed to always find them attached at the lips, and on occasion other places. Therefore, he spent most of his time at the Casino he had built, glad to be away from their disgusting behavior. Life couldn�t be more perfect, and the family as a whole felt that their days of adventure were finally going to settle down, and life would at last be normal.
Chapter 1: New friends and interests
Always in the past, school for Alex meant being teased and ridiculed because he was smart. At school the young boy had very few friends, and most of the time was spent with his nose buried in a book. After his return from Ahm-Shere, one day during recess Alex was doing his usual, reading a book, when a group of boys walked over. Preparing himself to be picked on and bullied Alex held tight to the book and closed his eyes.
�Hey O�Connell, do you want to try out for the Rugby team?� a boy named Darby Frankel asked. Surprised Alex looked up.
�Um I don�t think I would be very good,� he said softly.
�Well why don�t you give it a shot,� Darby said. Alex put his book away and went with Darby and the other boys who taught him the basics, and by the time resess was over Alex for the first time in a long time had a smile on his face. The rest of the day went by fast, and as he walked out of school he felt his rucksack taken from him.
�Hey lets see what O�Connell has in there today,� Josh said laughing. Before Alex could respond, Darby grabbed Josh and took the Rucksack giving it back to Alex.
�Why don�t you leave him alone,� Darby said. He was much older and a lot bigger than Josh, and once he let him go, Josh ran off.
�You stick with us O�Connell, and we will make sure they don�t pick on you,� Darby said. As they walked to the bus stop Alex asked Darby why he was sticking up for him all of a sudden. Darby was new to their school and 3 years older than Alex. He had always been picked on and now that he was more with the popular crowd, and seeing how most people treated Alex, he felt it his responsibility to take care of him.
�Well I know what it�s like to be the odd man out, so I don�t want to see that happen to you, and besides we need to get you into some things where you will make more friends. Rugby is a good start.� he said as the bus arrived. They both got on board and the City bus took them to the Museum first, where Alex got out. Once he said goodbye to his new friend, Alex ran for the museum in the best mood he had ever been. Not realizing his shoes were untied he kept running and then fell as he stepped on a lose shoe lace. He skid on his hands and his elbows, and his knees and scraped his nose and his forehead before he stopped. Not wanting to cry, Alex did his best to suck it all up but as he sat up everything hurt and he did cry. Henry, the Guard at the front entrance had seen his fall and ran out to him.
�It hurts,� Alex sobbed as Henry picked him up.
�Not to worry Alex, we will get you to your mum and she will take good care of you,� he said. Alex sniffed as Henry carried him into the building and past several people looking at him. When they arrived at her office, Evie was on the phone, but when she saw how hurt her baby was, she ended her conversation and went to them.
�Oh baby,� Evie said as she took him from Henry. Alex was getting tall like his father, but Evie could still hold him. Carefully she settled him on the couch, and went into her washroom getting a washbasin of warm water and other things like sticking plasters and iodine. As soon as Alex saw the Iodine he got up and made a run for the door running right into Rick.
�Noo let go she�s gonna hurt me worse,� Alex yelled as Rick held him.
�Hey listen buddy mum needs to clean those scrapes, so they won�t get infected. Trust me pal, if they get infected it will hurt much more,� Rick said. He managed to calm his son down, and while Evie cleaned the wounds Rick blew on them until Alex was all fixed up.
�Did Josh do this to you?� Evie asked, once Alex was feeling a little better.
�No I fell on my own. I met a new friend too, actually lots of new friends. Darby and Matt, and some of the other guys play Rugby, and they showed me how to do that. Darby even got Josh to go away. He said he got picked on like me so he wants to make sure I don�t get to go through that. When I�m old enough I want to join the school team. I have to be ten,� Alex said excited. Seeing him happy was enough for both parents to agree with him about starting that sport.
�Well pal why don�t we get you home,� Rick said as he stood up. On the other side of Alex Evelyn also stood up and felt the room spin. Before she could stop herself she was falling, and it was Rick�s strong arms which caught her.
�Hey beautiful,� Rick said as he held her close. Evelyn sighed feeling suddenly tired, as she had been feeling for a few weeks.
�I just stood up to fast,� Evie said weakly.
�I think maybe you should come home with Alex and me,� Rick said, and his tone indicated that he was not going to take no for an answer. Too tired to argue the point, she sat on the couch with Alex who held her hand, while Rick got her things together and informed the newest Curator that his wife was taking a leave of absence. One that was taken care of they all left for the house.
~*~*~
Once Rick got his family home he talked Evie into taking a nap, and while she did that he helped Alex with his studies. Tonight it was long division.
�Dad why do they make us learn such things? I mean I know that when I�m old enough I want to be an Egyptologist just like mum, or maybe an adventurer like you. So if I�m going to do that, then why do I have to study Division?� Alex asked. Rick grinned, remembering when he was younger how he had to study such things.
�Well son there will be times in your life when you might need to use this. Like if you go exploring in Egypt and you find some unknown tomb. You will need to know measurements and even division to figure things out, like how big the room is, or how to map things out,� Rick said. Having never thought of that, Alex got back to work with his studies.
�Hey pal, do you mind if I go up and see how mum�s doing?� Rick asked.
�Go ahead,� he said as he worked his next problem. Rick tousled his hair then left, going up the stairs to the second level where their room was. Inside the darkened room all was quiet. Rick found Evie still asleep and leaned down kissing her head.
�I�m fine Rick,� she mumbled, though she made no effort to move, and that worried him. He hadn�t ever seen her so run down.
�Just rest honey,� he said resisting the urge to call the doctor. He decided to give her till morning, and if she was still not up to her usual self he would suggest they go in and see him.
~*~
The next day Evie was up at her usual hour swearing she felt better even though she didn�t. Once she was at work, she settled at her desk and put her head down wondering what was wrong, then jumped when someone knocked on her door. Evelyn sat up and called out for the person to come in, finding Mr. Fitzgibbins at her door. He was one of the senior members of the Bembridge Scholars, and one of her favorite people.
�Hello Roy,� she greeted as she stood slowly. The room stayed still for which she was delighted.
�Good Morning Evelyn.� he greeted back. Once they were sitting down, the older man told her why he had come to visit.
�The Cairo Museum is sending the find here, and it should arrive within the hour. I want it displayed if its possible,� he said. Evelyn nodded glad to have the staff of Amum to display.
�Well I won�t keep you,� he said. After he left, Evie sat down hard in her chair and after a few minutes made a phone call to Dr. Brigman setting up and appointment to see him, then got ready for the staff�s arrival.
~*~
Once again school for Alex went well. After it was out, he went with Darby and the guys to the sweet shop and they all had malts and sodas as they sat around and talked about the up coming game against their rivaling school St. Josephs.
�See Al when you get old enough, in about two years you will be ready to play on the Junior team,� Darby said. Alex liked that idea.
�I�m still not sure I�ll be good though,� he said.
�Hey you got past Matt today, and thats something few people can do,� Randy said. After they finished at the sweet shop Alex went to the Museum and found his dad waiting out front.
�Your late,� Rick said with his arms folded.
�I know I forgot, well I mean I..� Rick grinned
�It�s okay buddy, just do me a favor and let one of us know when you are going to go out after school,� Rick said. Once they were ready, Rick drove them home.
�Where is mum?� Alex asked used to going in to see her.
�Amelia said she had an appointment with Dr. Brigman,� Rick informed. Alex wasn�t worried about that, too excited about what his friends and he had discussed, and when he got home he found Megan waiting and the two of them headed out into the field to ride horses before they had to go in and start their studies.
~*~
In the small room in Dr. Brigman�s office, Evelyn sat waiting for the test results. He had taken a sample of blood early that moring, and told her to stop by around four that day. It wasn�t long until the Doctor arrived and after he settled down on his stool he told her something that totally shocked her.
�I�m what?� she said not able to really take in what he was saying. After Alex�s birth she and Rick had talked about wanting more children but for some reason that never happened, and the two of them spent time with the one child they had. Now almost nine years later they were pregnant once again.
�Is there any reason why it took so long for us to be able to have another baby?� Evie said now digesting the news.
�Well sometimes during birth a womans body goes through great trauma, and I know with Alex your labor was not easy.� That was an understatement. Her labor with Alex had lasted two days and when he was finally born there had been a lot of tearing and bleeding, which she guessed was why there had never been more. On the drive home she was still in a state of shock, and then like a bolt of lightening it all came to her. When she had been healed by The Book of the Dead, somehow her body must have healed as well. Now all she had to do was tell her husband and her son the news and she was afraid that neither would want to have another baby so late in life.