Title:  Life Without Love
Subject:  I know we've all wondered what it would be like if Evie hadn't survived.  Perhaps you say they wouldn't have been able to get out of the pyramid alive, but here's a story that depicts the hard truth, Jonathan couldn't remember the last symbol.
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.  We go through this every time!
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: TMR
Author:  Jean!


"Uncle John, I don't know what this last symbol is!"  Alex cried to his uncle, looking down at the Black Book of the dead in his lap, and then over at his mother's prone form lying on the ground in front of him.
"What does it look like?"  He questioned his nephew, fighting at the same time with a not too happy Anck-Sun-Amun.  She harbored two weapons that were far too sharp for being thousands of years old.
"A bird!  A stork!"  He flapped his elbow looking like a chicken, waiting for his uncle to think of the symbol.
"Damn!  I don't remember Alex!  I don't know!"  He called as he was pushed up against the wall and felt Anck-Sun-Amun's dagger go into his chest with a magnificent force.  'Just like Evie.'  He thought as she walked away.  He slid down the pole to his rear, leaning against it as he spied Alex in the corner with his knees to his chest crying.
"Uncle John, what do I do?"  He asked, crawling over to him as Jonathan felt himself losing the battle for consciousness.  
"Parter, go help your dad.  Take this with you Alex, remember me!"  He gasped, hoping his nephew would leave before he died, and the eight-year-old did as he was told, leaving Jonathan to die in the room, Evelyn's body across the room from his own.  He'd handed him the golden stick that he loved and carried everywhere.  Hopefully he'd have better luck with it.
Stumbling through his tears and sobs Alex ran into the room and saw Rick get tossed through the air.  "Dad!"  He cried, seeing the large bug after him, which could be none other than the Scorpion King.  "Dad don't leave me too!"  He called, curling up into the doorway watching as his father looked over at him.  The monster was getting closer to him, and Alex knew what was going to happen.
"Alex!  Do you have the gold stick thing?"  Rick called out, jumping up to evade the large Scorpion King's advancing attacks.
The little boy held it up as Rick explained what it was while fighting.  Try as he might, he couldn't get it to work, and threw it against the wall in disgust.  He couldn't save his mum, Uncle John, or now his own father, he didn't deserve to be here.  He wanted to go home.  It was then that he saw Imhotep stalking toward him and he curled further into a ball as he clung to the only thing he had left of his uncle, the scepter.  
"Give it to me!"  The monster growled, snatching it from the small child and opening it with one quick move.  He prepared to throw it as Alex watched.
"The Army of Anubis will now be mine!"  He snarled and threw the spear in a beeline to the Scorpion King's chest.
"DAD!"  He screamed, seeing his father dive for the spear in enough time to grab it as the beast chased him, knocking him into a large crevice.  To save himself, Rick thrust the spear through the King's heart, telling him to go to hell and take his friends with him.  
It worked, and Alex watched the Scorpion King explode and turn into black sand, knocking his father back into the deep hole.  Alex stood, waiting for his father to reappear; after all they had won despite losing all that they loved.  Two hands came up, but it wasn't the man that Alex hoped for.  Showing up next to him was Anck-Sun-Amun, equally as scared and concerned at the same time.  Alex made up him mind.  He had to save his father.  He started to come after him, and saw the familiar face peek over the side, trying to pull himself free of the demons clutching at his legs.
"Alex no, you get out of here!  Just get out of here!"  He screamed, but Alex was too much like Evie, and wasn't going to listen.  He charged forward, and because of his small frame he dodged falling boulders in an attempt to get to his only remaining family.
Diving onto his parent's hand, he grabbed his gun straps, helping him out of the hole as they turned to watch Imhotep call to his wretched beloved.  She didn't come however, and he fell into the crevice without a final thought.  As well as he could, Rick led his son out of the pyramid.
"This whole damn place is going to get sucked up, let's move up!"  He yelled through the wind of the oasis closing in about them.  Reaching the top, they found out they were trapped and Alex clung to Rick's waist as a voice called to their attention.
"OI!  Hurry up, hurry up I haven't got all day!"  A black man in a hot air balloon yelled to them, and they climbed into the fishing boat as the sand shot them out of its presence and into the sky.
The O'Connell men were thrown back against the deck, and lay there trying to catch their breath.


Later that night, Rick sat looking off the side while Alex slept next to him.  Izzy called him over, and Rick sighed, standing with tears in his eyes.
"What happened to everyone else?"  He asked, knowing it would be hard for his friend to answer.
"Evie and Jonathan were killed, Alex and I are all that is left."  He held beck a sob as Izzy smiled gently up at him.  
"Where would you like to go?  I'll take you anywhere."
"Back to London, but for now Cairo is fine.  We'll pack up there and the head home."  At the pilot's nod, he walked over to where Alex was lying looking up at the sky.
"Are you okay son?"
"No.  I want mum and Uncle John.  They died because of me."  He cried, tears leaking down his cheeks as Rick pulled him into his strong arms, his mind screaming that it was the wrong person that he was needing to hold.
"No Alex, it wasn't because of you, I don't blame you at all.  I blame Egypt."  He growled the name in disgust.  It had taken away his wife, and he vowed to never return again.
"Yes, we got the Black Book, and I was reading from it and she started to glow!  She was coming back to life dad!  I didn't know what the last symbol was and either did Uncle John!  Then she stabbed him and he died and I couldn't save mum."  He sobbed and looked up at him with watery eyes.  "I don't want to come back dad, I don't want to come back."
"We won't, I promise."  He assured, looking up at the sky with him as they fell into a fitful sleep together…but alone at the same time.

Chapter 2: New Beginnings
Alex rarely spent time at home, and Rick rarely left.  He stayed at school in the library for as long as he could, then went to the museum.  Alex's teacher, Miss. Cunningham noticed his odd behavior, and walked over to him as he packed up for the day.
"Alex, can you tell me what's been bothering you?  You've been here for about two week and have been acting strange.  What's wrong?"  
She was a young teacher, in her mid twenties and she adored Alex.  She was married, and loved the children that she taught.
"You wouldn't get it, I have to go now."  He tried to push past her, but she caught him.
"It's okay to tell people how you feel Alex, I'm just here to help."  She smiled at him, and he began to cry.  He threw his arms around her neck and sobbed into her dress shirt as she picked him up onto her lap, holding him close.
"Oh Miss. Cunningham, it's all my fault!  She'd still be here if I could only read from the book!"  he sobbed and she frowned.  She was aware of his mother's death, but wasn't sure of the story.  The tale was she was killed in a cave in of a tunnel that they wer digging in, but she wasn't sure that was the whole story.
"I have an idea.  Why don't you and I go for some ice cream, and we'll talk if you want to.  Do you want to phone your father and tell him where you're going to be?"
"Okay."  He sniffled, and lifted the phone dialing home.
"Ya?"  Rick's voice came over the other end, and Alex smiled.
"Hi daddy, I'm going to go for a walk with Miss. Cunningham my teacher okay?  I wanted to let you know."
"Okay son, you be careful, I love you Alex."  He set the receiver back down, looking at the picture in his hands as tears leaked from his eyes.  Evie and himself were on their wedding day, and she was beautiful.  "If only you were here Evie…if only."  He sobbed and lay it down to finish the chores of the day.
"Okay, we can go."  He looked up at her and hung up the phone, taking her hand as they walked from the school into the park.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"  she asked as she folded her skirt underneath her legs, sitting across from Alex watching the geese.
He sighed, looking up at her then down to his hands as he nervously pulle dthe blades up.  "Everything's so different since mum and uncle John died, I don't know what to do.  I have these dreams about what happened all the time, and I can't seem to get out of them.  It's like I'm trapped."
"I have those sometimes too.  The only way to make them stop is to tell someone.  Sometimes it helps, but it can still be hard."
"You remind me of my mum a whole lot.  The way you smiled and the way you laugh.  It's like she sent you here to be my teacher this year."  He smiled up at her, and thought that she even looked like Evelyn a bit.  Dark brown hair in a tight bun on her head, but not the nose.  She had a longer nose than Evie's.
She smiled and looked down at him.  "Thank you Alex…you're such a sweet little boy.  I hope that someday you'll feel up to telling me about her a little bit more, but I really have to be going.  Do you need me to take you somewhere?  Home?"
"No…I don't want to go home yet.  The museum would be fine."
She nodded, and they walked over to the museum together talking about different things.  Her husband seemed nice, and he was walking out right as they were walking in.
"Well, I figured you'd either be here or at the school."  He smile,d seeing the little boy with his wife.  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then squatted down to Alex eye level.  "Hello there young man, I'm Geoffry."  He stuck out his hand, surprised that Alex took it and pumped it up and down twice as he nodded his head.
"Alexander Jonathan O'Connell."  He smiled at the astonished look from the gentleman.  "My mum always taught me to be polite when meeting people."  He said sadly, then said quick goodbyes as he ran up the stairs to the museum, being greeted by Joe, the doorman.
"Hello there Alex, how are you holding up?"
"Okay Joe, okay."  He smiled, walking into the building with a final wave to his teacher and her husband.
"I knew you were seeing another man."  He laughed, looking down at her as he took her hand.
"He's one of my students, and his mother and uncle just died.  They were Egyptologists, and they were killed at work…but I think there's something more.  We've been waling and talking, and he seems to be almost ready to let some things out.  I hope."  She smiled as they walked home together, and she knew what the meaning of love was when she was complete with her husband, but felt bad for Alex's father; a person that she'd never met before.

Chapter 3: The Story Unfolds

"Well Alex, we've eaten all of the cotton candy, what do you propose we do next?"  She asked lightly as they walked through the carnival with Tom, Mrs. Cunningham's husband.
"Well…I don't know."  He mumbled, seeing a bunch of children playing at the playground.  "Can I go play before you take me home?  Would you mind?"  He questioned, almost jumping up and down but containing himself.
"Sure, go have some fun, you have fifteen minutes."  Tom grinned taking her hand as Alex bolted off to play.  "It's like we already have a son."  He smirked, sitting next to her on a park bench.
"He's a wonderful little boy, too bad that's he's been through so much when he's so young."  She sighed, watching him play tag with a group of boys.
"Sarah, I know you want children, so don't deny it.  I'd love to have some too, but when do you think your career will allow us time to be parents?"
"Oh…I just started, I can't take a few months off now, they'll fire me for sure.  I suppose a couple years, until I get a higher job and I'll be able to request time off."  She squeezed his hand tightly, kissing his cheek.  "Don't worry, we'll have kids."  She smiled gently, and went back to watch Alex play.
After dropping him off at home, Alex walked into the kitchen and sat next to Rick as Marie served up their favorite dinner.
"Did you have fun today Alex?"  Rick questioned as Alex kissed his cheek as he always did when returning home.
"We had a great time.  Tom and Sarah and I went to the carnival and we ate cotton candy and they let me play on the playground.  She's really nice dad, and she lets me talk with her every day after school.  I'm feeling pretty good."  ;He smiled as he shoveled mashed potatoes into his mouth.
"Slow down son."  Rick smiled, glad that he was once again participating in his usual schedule.  They'd all been knocked out of whack when Evie and Jonathan were killed, but his son especially.
"We have parent teacher meetings tomorrow night, are you going to go?"  He wondered, looking up at his father with a pleading face.
Rick laughed, cutting his chicken.  "Of course, have to see what kind of trouble you're in these days."  He smiled, and the two finished their dinner off in companionable silence.


Alex showed Rick everything that he'd done in school in his portfolio on his desk, and he was very proud of his work.  Rick looked through page by page, and by the time he was finished the others had left leaving only he and his father with his teacher.
"You must be Alex's father, Richard O'Connell.  I'm Mrs. Cunningham."  She smiled, extending her hand to him as Rick stood up.
"Call me Rick."  He smiled.  "Yes, this is my son.  Very proud I might add of the work and progress he's come up with since the accident."  As much as he tried, talking about it casually, mentioning it to people as if it were nothing to him, his eyes held a different story.  She saw the pain in the blue depths, and noticed the color change from dark blue to a light blue gray.
"Pleasure to meet you.  Alex and I have gotten to know each other quite well over the past couple of weeks, and I feel that he's learning different things than could be taught in a classroom.  And I do learn things from him as well."  She smiled, ruffling his hair.
"Dad I'll meet you outside, I want to say good bye to Danny."  Alex asked and told at the same time, running from the room.
"I want to thank you for talking to him like you do.  He really doesn't have a good role model in the form of a mother now, and I'm just happy that you're kind of taking him under your wing."  Rick thanked, looking up at her with a grin, showing her how much fun he was before his wife and brother-in-law died.
She sighed, watching him talk with his friends.  "Well, he's a sweet boy and I'm more than happy to help him.  I know that he's going through some tough things for a person as young as he is, but I suppose pain rarely knows an age."  She laid her hand on his shoulder, noticing that he had become distant.  "I know I barely know you, but I've enjoyed your sons company so much, I was wondering that if you needed to talk about anything, I know the story from Alex, I'm willing to listen.  He's lucky to have a father like you around."  She smiled; shaking his hand one last time before the O'Connell's left for home, making sure to say good bye to Alex before hand.  She watched them leave with a sigh, then felt the need to be home where she belonged.

Chapter 4: Accidents and Explanations
The next day, Alex was up and ready for school.  After taking a bath and eating breakfast, his father drove him.  He was a little late, but he knew Mrs. Cunningham wouldn't mind too much.  Walking into the classroom with a smiled, he turned to see the teacher writing on the chalkboard.  It wasn't Mrs. Cunningham; it was some one else.  She had gray hair up in a tight bun, and was slightly over weight.  Wordlessly, he sat down at his desk and leaned over to Danny.  
"Where's Miss. Cunningham?"  
"Don't know.  She might be sick at home, my dad says that there's a whole bunch bugs going around, but I don't understand what bugs have to do with people getting sick."  He whispered back, and Alex frowned.  It wasn't like her not to be there, she loved school more than anything.  Decided that Danny was right, he put it out of his mind and endured the grueling lessons until it was time to go home.  Rick was outside waiting when he walked from the building, and jumped into the car.
"Hi son, how was school?"  He questioned, noticing a glum look on his face.  "What's the matter?"
"Miss. Cunningham wasn't at school today."
"She might have been sick son, it's nothing to worry about."  He patted his shoulder, and they decided to go to the park anyway.  It was a beautiful day, and with nothing to do at home why not?


The next day and the same routine, but this time when Alex walked into the class, it was the same old teacher.  
"Excuse me, but where's Miss. Cunningham?"  He questioned her as he stood in front of the desk, noticing that his teacher's things were gone.
"I'm not quite sure, some sort of an accident.  She won't be here for a long while young man."  She grumbled, getting back to her writing.
The day couldn't go slower for Alex, and he was worried sick.  His friend, and partly another mother, wasn't going to be there for a long time.  Why?  He didn't know, but he figured that he'd find out.  Calling his father at lunch break, and telling him not to pick him up, he decided to go to her house.
It was a warm day, and Alex smiled at the prospects of seeing her again since parent teacher conferences.  He knocked on the door, waiting for a reply.
Geoffry opened the door, and Alex noticed that he was in bad shape.  He hadn't shaved for what appeared to be three days, and he smelled badly of liquor.
"Is Miss. Cunningham here?"  He asked in his little boy voice, seeing the smile on his face as he remembered Alex.
"No Alex, she's not here.  Come on in, I'll explain everything."  He led him into the house, and tried to straighten himself up a little bit.  "Alex, sit down, I'm afraid I have some bad news.  Sarah was killed coming home from the meetings at the school the other night.  A drunk driver hit her head on, and she died on the scene."  He sobbed, looking over at the stunned little boy.
"But she can't be."  He cried, then jumped back, away from him.  "You're lying!  She's not gone, she can't be!"  He yelled, running from the house and straight home.
Tears blinded his vision as he ran, stopping only to open the front door, where he ran straight into Rick.  "Woah…what happened?"  He questioned, lifting his son into his arms as he held him close.
"Miss. Cunningham was killed in an accident!  They said that she's dead!"  He cried, burying his face into his father's shoulder, sobbing hysterically.  
Rick sighed, walking over to the parlor and sitting with Alex on his lap.  "Son, you remember what I told you about mum?"  At his nod, he continued.  "It's the same thing.  God puts people into our life; he's the only one who can take them away.  Your mother loved you very much Alex, as did Sarah, and I'm sure that we'll see them again.  We just have to make the best of things while we still have time.  Before we go and visit them."  He smiled, rubbing Alex's back as he rocked back and forth.
"Dad…" Alex spoke up when he'd calmed down.
"Hmmm?"
"Do you think that Sarah is up in heaven with mum right now?"
"I know she is Alex.  I know she is."  He added gently, kissing his forehead as they went to eat dinner.


The next few weeks were hard on Alex, and Rick began to home school him.  Using all of the books that Evie had in her vast library, he decided that it would be best for his son, and for himself.  It's hard to live without love, but Rick was beginning to pull it off.  He knew he'd never fall in love again, or ever marry but he was sure that Alex would always be taken care of.  He'd make sure.


The End

Authors note: I hope you all enjoyed it, I know I know….it's a little sad huh?  Well that's what I was going for.  A good ole tear jerker!!!  ENJOY!  And happy writing.