Disclaimer:  The Mummy, and the TMR belong to Universal Studios, and Stephen Sommers.  I am only writing stories for this webpage, not to sell.

 

Author: Eviefan

 

Summary:  I don't think this will be a very long story.  Basically Alex gets grounded for something, and Jonathan keeps him company

 

 

Grounded

 

It was a beautiful day outside, a perfect day to practice using the sling shot, or go see Megan, but Alex couldn't do either of those things.  He was grounded to his room for a week, and aside from going to school, it was a prison sentence.  Now he sat on his bed sulking, thinking about what had gotten him into this mess.

 

He had been at the Museum, a place he couldn't get enough of.  Some new artifacts had been set up in the Egyptian section, and Alex, who was 6, was supposed to wait in his mum's office, while she had a meeting.  Waiting was boring, so he left, and went to see the new exhibits.  There was a display case with some jewelry of  ancient times, which didn't really interest him.  Then there were some new Sarcophaguses.  He looked down into one that was open, seeing in it, the mummy.  Alex, being the curious sort, wondered what a mummy looked like without its wrappings.  He looked around him, and finding that the coast was clear, he reached in and took its hand, and began to unwrap.  He got the hand, and the arm, almost completely unwrapped, finding beneath it a corpse that was well preserved.  This was just too much fun.  So he decided, maybe, he would unwrap the head.  He got half way done with that, when his mothers scolding voice nearly scared him to death.

 

"Alexander Jonathan O'Connell,"  it was always bad when she used his full name, and Alex gulped. "Just what do you think you are doing here."  He couldn't bare to look up.

 

"I just wanted to see what it looked like,"  he said innocently.  Well, this time his innocent tone didn't work, and mum called dad to come get him.

 

A knock at his door brought him back to the present.

 

"Come in."  In a moment, the door opened, and Uncle Jonathan came in.   Alex didn't even look up.

 

"I heard about what happened,"  Jonathan said sympathetically.  He came to the bed, and sat beside his nephew.

 

"I have to stay in my room by myself.  You better go or mum will be mad at you too."  Jonathan felt bad for  Alex.  Granted, that what he had done was not a good thing, still in allot of ways Alex was like, him when he was that age.

 

"Not to worry.  She and your father have gone out for a drive, so it's just you and me for a bit."  Alex looked up, a smile forming on his lips.

 

"Can we have candy?"  Jonathan pulled a bag out from the folds of his jacket, and he and Alex had a few pieces.

 

"Now, seeing as how you have to be in here alone, and I know there are only so many Puzzles you can make, I am going to teach you how to play cards."  Jonathan got out a new deck and gave it to Alex.

 

"The first thing you need to know about cards, is how to shuffle."  While Jonathan talked, Alex took the deck of cards out of the box.  He let his uncle have the deck, and watched as he shuffled them.  Alex took a try and the cards went flying all over the place.  Alex thought he was going to be in trouble again.

 

"Don't worry, it takes allot of practice to do it just right."  They heard voices downstairs.

 

"You practice.  I'll see if I can get them to go out again tomorrow night."  Alex gave his uncle a hug, then hid the cards under his mattress.  He got off of his bed, got one of his puzzles and dumped it on the floor.  It was one he had worked before, so he got most of the border done before his parents came in to help him get ready  for bed.

 

"It's time for bed,"  Evelyn said to her son.  Alex looked up.

 

"Aww do I have too."  Rick cut in.

 

"Do what your mum says."  Alex sighed and got up.  He went into his bathroom and washed his hands, and face, and brushed his teeth.  After he got into his pajamas, and was in bed, Evelyn got a story out and sat beside him.

 

"Goodnight Buddy,"  Rick said kissing Alex on his nose.  For some reason his dad always kissed him on his nose.  Alex gave him a hug, and a kiss, then leaned against his mum.

 

"Mum, don't tell me a book story."  Evelyn set the book down.

 

"What kind do you want to hear?"

 

"How you and dad met."  Evelyn smiled hugging her son.

 

"I told you about that last night."  Alex yawned.

 

"I know, but I like it."  She kissed the top of his head and began.  As with last night Alex only heard a very small part of how she met his father.  Now as he slept she gently got up, careful not to wake him, and pulled the covers over him.  She watched him sleep for a moment, then went to her own bed.

 

 

The next evening.

 

Alex waited hoping that his uncle had convinced them to go out again.  His wait was not long, and when Jonathan came in, he had brought with him , cake.  First they ate the cake, and after, Alex waited while his uncle took the evidence back to the kitchen.  Then when Jonathan came in, Alex showed him what he had learned.

 

"You did very well.  Now you want to make sure you shuffle them just so."  Jonathan took the deck and showed him the different methods of shuffling cards.

 

"Now, you have to make sure that you cut the cards as well."  That was easier than shuffling.  After that, Uncle John taught him the basics of playing Solitaire.  He played one game on his own, then let Alex have a try, coaching him.

 

"Hey this is fun,"  Alex said.

 

"It is.  Now we better get you to bed.  They were going to the park, and I promised to have you in bed by the time they got back."  Alex didn't give his uncle any trouble about going to bed.  When he was ready,  Jonathan sat with him.

 

"So what would you like to hear about?"

 

"The time you, and dad, and mum went to Hamunaptra."  Jonathan shook.  Just the mention of the place gave him the creeps

 

"That's pretty scary stuff there."

 

"I know, but I want to hear it"  Alex looked up at his uncle.  "Please?"

 

"All right."  Jonathan told him some of what went on at Hamunaptra, like the raid of the Med Jai warriors.

 

"There were thousands of them"  Alex looked at his uncle with huge eyes.

 

"Really, that's alot."  Alex said.

 

"Quite right."  replied Jonathan.

 

"Were you afraid?"

 

"Never.  I took a gun from your fathers collection and I defended your mum."  Alex liked that.

 

"Didn't dad protect her?"

 

"Sure he did.  But he had to protect those Americans too, and he left me to protect your mum."  Neither of them had seen Rick or Evy come to the door.

 

"Jonathan, what are you filling his head with this time?" Rick asked.  Jonathan stood, a little surprised that he hadn't heard them come in.

 

"He was telling me about the..the ..the Mad  guy?" 

 

"Med jai?"  Evleyn asked, giving  Jonathan a look of disapproval.

 

"Yeah them,"  Alex said.  It was clear that he was hyper.

 

"Jonathan, we'll talk later,"  Evelyn said.  Jonathan slunk out of the room, with Rick in hot on his tail.

 

"Did Uncle John really protect you when those guys raided your camp?"  Evelyn smiled.  One day Alex would learn the true story, but right now Uncle John was his hero, and she wasn't about to tarnish that.

 

"He helped."  She settled next to him.

 

"Mum?"

 

"What baby?"  Alex yawned

 

"When I'm older will you take me to see Hamunaptra."  Evelyn shut her eyes.  As long as there was a way, she would not let him near that god forsaken place.

 

"Hamunaptra was destroyed, and there is no way to get to it,"  that was a half truth, and she was thankful that for now at least Alex accepted her answer.  She read him a story, then left him to sleep.

 

 

 

 

The next night, Evelyn had a meeting at the museum, one that Rick was also going to, so Jonathan didn't have to find a way to get them out of the house.  When they left, and he was sure they were gone, he took some licorice up to Alex, who was waiting for him.

 

"Teach me another card game."  While they ate their candy,  Jonathan taught him how to play poker.  Alex was a fast learner.

 

"Sometimes, and when your older, I'll teach you.  But we adults like to play game of strip poker."   Alex made a face.

 

"You mean you take your cloths off.  No way."  Jonathan laughed.

 

"One day you will think differently."  They played a few more games, then it was bed time again.

 

"Uncle John?  Did mum get mad at you for telling me about Hamunaptra?"

 

"Yes, but don't worry about her.  She and I have been brother and sister a long time, and I know how to handle her when she's mad at me."  Alex found this interesting.

 

"Could you tell me how to handle her?"  Jonathan realized what he had said wasn't really a good thing to say around his nephew.

 

"No.  I'm an adult, and I know that sounds unfair, but things are different when your older.  You have to do what she says, and not give her any grief.  Do you understand."  Jonathan was all serious now, and Alex nodded.

 

"I'll be good."  Jonathan gave him a hug and a kiss.  Then left him to fall asleep.

 

 

The week of being punished ended, and Alex was glad.  It was a few nights later, and his uncle was out.  It was a quiet evening, and Alex was bored.  Mum was working on something for the Museum, like she always did, and dad was the only one not doing anything of major urgency.

 

"Dad?"  Rick looked up from his latest book.

 

"Yes Alex."

 

"Do you want to play poker?"  Rick had taken a drink from his glass, and got choked.  Alex realized then that him asking this wasn't a good idea.  But then Uncle John hadn't said they needed to keep this a secret.

 

"Alex.  Where did you learn to play poker?"  Rick asked, suddenly realising why Jonathan had been getting them to go out all week.  Alex ran upstairs and hid under his bed.  Rick wasn't going to let this go, and came into his son's room

 

"Alex, come out here please" 

 

"I'm not telling,"  came the reply.  Loyal to his uncle, Alex would risk further punshisment, to keep him from getting yelled at by dad.

 

"You have until three to come out."  Rick said folding his arms.  That threat worked and Alex was out before his dad even got to two.  Rick lifted Alex to sit on his bed, and  knelt down so they could see eye to eye.

 

"I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to tell me the truth."  Alex didn't like this, but with dad you didn't mess around.

 

"Did your uncle teach you to play poker while you were supposed to be up here alone?"  Alex looked down and nodded.

 

"Stay here until I go talk to your mum"  Rick left and Alex felt terrible.  Not only was he in trouble again, but Uncle John was also in for it.

 

 

It was nerve racking having to wait for a punishment sentence, and Alex was afraid Uncle John would hate him for telling.  Then mum and dad came in, along with Uncle John.

 

"Alex, for the next few days, you and Uncle John are going to take educational trips around London,"  Evelyn said.  This, for Alex, wasn't a punishment, and really for Jonathan, not one either.  Jonathan had a bad habit of teaching Alex things he should not be teaching, and both Rick and Evelyn had told him that he needed to watch what he did, or he would be out of their house.  To make amends, Jonathan had come up with the idea of taking Alex on trips around London.  He had after all lived there as a child, and had a good education, so he wanted to prove that he could be more than just the fun uncle all the time.  The trips they went on were fun for both of them, and it brought both uncle and nephew that much closer together.

 

The End.

 

Authors note:  I know this didn't have much of a plot line to it, but I had been thing that if Alex got into trouble, grounded or whatever, that Jonathan would find a way to make it less boring.  And I'm one of those Authors who likes to put Jonathan in stories.  Hope you liked it.