: : Summary : : Evelyn's day is growing lousier and lousier by the second. After everything that happens in her terrible day, what could possible make it better? How about some tender loving care from everyone's favorite gun-toting American? Read to see what happens! ^-^ This takes place after the first movie but before the second. It's about right after the first movie past the part where they ride off into the desert sun.
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The desert sun was slowly setting on the horizon. Rick sat on a bench in the garden watching the red sphere slowly descend down to the ground and the skies transform from a light blue to a mix of light and dark colors. He, Evelyn, and Jonathan had just recently returned from their dig and were pleased to be back at the Cairo base for a few moments to relax before they were to go to England. Rick agreed to live with Evie in England before and after they got married. That way she could have her career in archaeology close to home and be near her brother in case he got into any more trouble. He lay back against the length of the bench, watching as the stars slowly began to brighten in the sky. He slipped his arms behind his head, and made a face as his leather wristband began to make it uncomfortable to recline that way. But Rick wasn't about to take it off. He never did so unless he truly had to. He only took it off when he was in the prison because the guards wouldn't permit it to be worn beneath his shackles. He wore it to protect his tattoo�his past. Rick had gotten that tattoo back in his orphanage days, yet it seemed more important to him than just a symbol on his wrist. It seemed like a key�
"Rick? Rick, where are you?" Evie wondered.
"Over here, Evie." Rick replied, waving a hand, but not looking in her direction, still keeping his gaze on the stars.
"There you are! I've got a perfectly good meal waiting on the table and neither you nor my brother have been showing up to eat it!" Evie huffed, her hands placed on her hips for emphasis.
"Sorry, Evie. I lost track of time." Rick replied with a chuckle.
"That's always the way with you and my brother. It's either Jonathan's out and about getting drunk as a mule or it's you going about somewhere and not saying a bloody thing about it." Evie said, sitting beside him on the bench.
"Ehh, I've just been thinking that's all. As for Jonathan�well�that's your brother for you." Rick said quietly, suddenly immersed in his thoughts again.
Evie noticed he was barely paying attention to what she said, and it bothered her somewhat. It wasn't so much that he wasn't listening, but the fact that he was so absorbed in thought all the time that he barely ate as much as he usually would. She gently ran her fingers along his bandaged forehead, which was healing nicely and would be finished healing in another few days. At first Evie thought that was what bothered her fiancee. But then she kept noticing his distant look every time he looked down at his leather wristband. Evie wasn't going to ask Rick what was wrong, though. It wasn't really her business. Still, the back of her mind kept yelling at her to ask what it meant and what was bothering him. Evie gently let her fingers slide down towards his cheek, brushing the newly shaven skin with a touch that rivaled a butterfly. That's what drew Rick from his thoughts, immediately making him flush.
"I'm glad I was able to bring you back to the land of the living, Mr. O'Connell." Evie said with a smile.
"Very funny." Rick replied with a slight smirk.
She continued to brush her fingertips along his face, gently tapping as she trailed down. Rick looked up at the stars, noticing how they were now shining brightly. He sat up and stood with Evelyn, wrapping his arms around her. She smiled and nuzzled his nose, grazing her lips against his. Rick took up her offer and kissed her softly, lightly urging her to open up with his tongue. Evie smiled and parted her lips slightly, allowing him to search her. He smirked at the sweet taste of Evelyn's lipstick and her mouth, sending his taste buds spiraling. She was about to let his hands brush her body when suddenly�
"EVIE!"
Evelyn's eyes widened at the sudden cry from Jonathan within the house. Unfortunately her reaction came with her clamping her mouth shut�with Rick's tongue still inside.
"Agh!" Rick yelped in pain, pulling his tongue out from Evelyn's mouth and into his own.
"Ohh Rick! I'm so sorry I-"
"Evie! Come quick I've got something amazing to show you!"
"Jonathan, can't it wait? I just bit Rick!" Evie yelled frustratedly.
"But Eeeviiieee�I have the most amazing thing I got on a dig in Giza, pleeeaaase?" Jonathan whined.
"Ohh goodness, Jonathan, all right. I'm coming." Evie sighed.
Rick shook his head, biting down on his tongue to ease the pain slightly. He followed Evie inside the house and blinked when he saw his future brother in-law with slices of moldy bread in his hands. Evelyn seemed to agree with his confusion and tipped her head at the moldy slices of bread in her older brother's hands.
"Jonathan�what in the world are you doing with moldy slices of bread?" Evie asked.
"They're ancient slices of bread! Look at the mold, it's extremely valuable I'm sure of it!" Jonathan said eagerly.
"You're kidding right?" Rick asked.
"No! Ancient bread can be considered extremely valuable!" Jonathan replied matter-of-factly. "Tell him, old mum!"
"Jonathan, where did you get these?" Evie wondered, examining the slices.
"On a dig down in the Giza area." Jonathan replied. "I already said that, why?"
"Because you're a miserable liar and an easy target for useless junk. That's why." Evie replied, shaking her head.
"What!? What on earth makes you say that?" Jonathan asked offended.
"Because, the date on that mold is thirteen years old at best. And not to mention this type of bread looks to be French bread. You were cheated again."
"What? What do you mean cheated!? I paid good money for that bread! They lied to me, those bloody bastards!"
"You said you got this on a dig site in Giza!"
"Okay so I lied!"
"You're not supposed to lie to me!!"
"Why not?"
"I'm your sister, you bloody idiot!"
"And what in the name of the queen makes you so special?"
While the two siblings squabbled, Rick took the opportunity to take a couple bites from supper. It was definitely cold as Evie said it would be, but it made no difference to Rick at the moment. All he needed now was some nourishment. When he was finished, the two Brits were still arguing. In fact, it appeared Evelyn was now currently beating some sense into Jonathan (or at least attempting to do so). Shaking his head, Rick quietly stepped past the two and made his way upstairs. He wanted some peace and quiet and he certainly wasn't getting that downstairs any time soon. Neither of them noticed Rick was gone until Evie heard a door snap open.
"Rick? Where did he go?" Evie wondered. "Jonathan, did you see which way Rick went?" She asked, releasing her hold on her brother's shirt collar.
"No, I don't kno-OW!" Jonathan began to reply until his body landed on the floor.
Evie didn't notice him on the floor at her feet and merely stepped over him. She looked at the table and noticed that what she had put out for supper had been partially eaten. She also noticed that instead of three plates at the table there were two. And judging from what was left on the table, Evie could tell that Rick didn't eat very much. She stepped past Jonathan again, not hearing his joyful cry of 'Food!' and his massive consumption of the leftovers. Evie stepped up the stairs and stopped in front of Rick's bedroom, seeing the bedroom door open and Rick's silhouette on the balcony. Quietly entering, Evie wrapped her arms around him from behind. Rick didn't hear her enter and was startled when he felt Evie's arms come around his waist.
"Shh�it's only me." Evie whispered.
"Evie, you scared the hell out of me." Rick said with a sigh of relief.
"Sorry�" She replied, her tone going from gentle to somewhat concerned. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Rick seemed to notice the tone, so he managed a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine Evie. Just thinking that's all. Plus you needed a bit of privacy in your battle against your brother." He added with a chuckle.
"Are you sure? You seem a bit down lately and you haven't been eating much�" Evie said quietly.
Rick blinked when she said that. Had she noticed the way he had been acting lately? How could she not, he had been so quiet and so reserved it was a wonder he wasn't mistaken for the mummies in the tombs. It was just that�he was just so deep in thought lately that he had no urge to eat big meals or talk to anyone or sleep for long periods of time. Then again, it was pretty obvious when one watched for a while. But Rick didn't want to worry Evie.
"I'm perfectly fine, Evie. Don't worry about it." Rick replied simply.
"But-�"
"Evie would you just relax, I said I am fine!" Rick interrupted, his voice suddenly snapping. He instantly regretted it when the familiar weight of Evie's arms left his torso. "Evie�"
No answer. He could hear her footsteps shuffle against the wood of his bedroom floor, making a quick exit. Rick groaned at his own foolishness and quickly followed after her. To his surprise, in the five seconds it took for him to get from the balcony to the door, Evie had already gotten downstairs and out the front door.
"Evie! Evie, wait!" Rick called, quickly dashing down the stairs.
He ran past Jonathan, who stood there blankly, wondering what was going on, and ran out the front door. Rick looked around and stopped, seeing Evelyn's retreating form running past the garden.
"Evelyn! Evie, stop!" Rick called out, chasing after her.
Evelyn didn't stop and just continued to run. She felt winded but didn't stop to catch her breath. Evie could hear Rick's footsteps getting closer to her, so she tried to run faster. Suddenly a pair of arms grabbed her and pulled her backwards. She struggled; knowing it was the same pair of arms that held her and the same owner who kissed her softly. And it was also the same owner who snapped at her and wasn't being honest with her.
"Evie�Evie, sweetheart come on�please, I'm sorry I snapped at you." Rick whispered gently.
Evie stopped her struggle but still didn't look at Rick. She heard the sincerity in his voice but didn't want to talk. Rick gently set her feet back on the ground and turned her to face him, even though her eyes didn't meet his. With a sigh, Rick slid a finger beneath her chin and tipped her head towards his.
"Evie�I'm sorry I snapped at you, I didn't mean to." Rick said quietly.
"You didn't have to snap at me! You had no reason!" Evie said with an upset tone, her voice cracking faintly.
"I know I didn't, Evie. I was just so frustrated and I took my frustration out on the wrong person. I'm really sorry�" Rick replied, drawing Evie closer to his body.
Evie remained still in his arms, but began to relax and eventually allowed her head to rest on his shoulder when she felt his hands begin to rub her back. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, feeling comforted by the old Rick touching her gently.
"You really wanna know what's bothering me, don't you�" Rick whispered.
Evie looked up at him at his sudden question. She nodded slightly and blinked when Rick scooped her into his arms and carried her to the garden. He set her down on the bench and sat beside her. Evie tipped her head as she watched him undo the straps on his wristband and slid the leather off of his wrist. Underneath the wristband was a tattoo of the Eye of Horus on his wrist. Evelyn touched it lightly, tipping her head at the lightened tattoo.
"Is this why you always wear that wristband? This tattoo?" Evie asked quietly. Rick nodded.
"I've had it since I was young. I dunno why, but I was compelled to get this tattoo when I was a kid. For some reason I feel like it's a part of me�" he said, looking at the tattoo distantly.
"Why hide it?" Evie wondered.
"I dunno�too many memories connected to it�especially now�" Rick murmured.
"What's now?"
"Today's the day I got this thing. The same day�" Rick stopped, wondering if he should continue. A pair of arms gave him a hug of reassurance.
"Go on�" Evie whispered.
"Today�was the day my parents were declared legally dead. See, like Egypt is in your blood�archaeology and danger is kinda in mine. Both of my parents were archaeologists who would dig in many sites to get answers of the past. I was always left behind at some relatives or a friend's house or a convent nearby the dig site. Then one day my parents went out to a dig site in Cairo to find Hamunaptra�they were told it was superstition and nonsense but my parents believed�they went�and never came back�"
"How did they die?" Evie murmured.
"Attacked by another group who wanted the treasure of Hamunaptra, from what I was told. That's why I was originally a skeptic on the existence of Hamunaptra. I believed my parents died for a bogus cause. Though they defended their dreams I thought it was all just a myth since I myself had been there and seen nothing. But then when I joined the French Foreign Legion, they heard of Hamunaptra and they decided to go. I almost didn't go�but for some reason I felt I had to. Then I found that puzzle box�and the rest is kinda history�" Rick said with a sigh, putting the leather wristband back on.
"Ohh Rick�" Evie breathed, giving him a tight hug. Rick smiled slightly.
"Ehh, don't worry Evie. I'm actually kinda better now. It helped to have someone to talk about it with. Only person I had before you was unfortunately Beni�and he wasn't much. All that mattered to him was money�" Rick replied, muttering the last part.
Evie smiled and kissed his cheek. She rested her head against his shoulder, smiling wider as he pulled her closer. Watching Evie snuggle against him, Rick couldn�t help but kiss Evie on her crown as she began to fall asleep in his arms. Rick looked up at the stars again, and smiled.
'Something about the Egyptian sky that does something to a man's heart�' Rick thought to himself. 'Then again, maybe my parents really are watching me�maybe that's why my luck is changing�'