Title: What goes Bump in the Night

 

Disclaimer: TM, and TMR do not belong to me. They belong to Stephen Sommers, and to Universal Studios, so I am only using them for this little bit thanks.

 

Author: Eviefan

 

Summary: This is of coarse rated G, and is about Alex at about age 5, and his belief in ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Also includes Megan, who is my Character, and if you want to use her just ask me. [email protected].

 

 

What goes Bump in the Night

 

 

It was always the best, being able to play at Megan's house, and now the two children were in the little girls room, jumping on her bed. At his home, bed jumping was a not allowed, but here no one ever told them to stop.

 

"I'm going to fly," Alex told her. He jumped up and then landed on his feet on the floor, and she followed suit. About that time a book fell off her shelf, and she jumped.

 

"What did that," Alex asked.

 

"My ghost." Alex gave her a puzzled look.

 

"I have a ghost who lives in my house. A ghost is a dead person, and sometimes they can be really mean. Like sometimes mine scares me and stands by my bed at night when I wake up. She doesn't hurt me ever, but she just watches me." That made Alex shutter. One of his mum's and Uncle John's friends had died, and he went to the church where they were, and it made him afraid.

 

"Can they take you away?" Alex asked, the fear clear in his voice.

 

"I think so, so you have to do stuff." They sat on her bed.

 

"What do you have to do?" Alex asked

 

"Well, you have to keep your closet door shut, because at night they ghost can pull you in it. If you get out of your bed you have to carry a candle or she can take you away in the darkness." All of this terrified Alex, and he decided they would be better off at his house.

 

"Let's go to my house," He told her. They raced down the stairs, and into the kitchen where Nanny Catherine was making lunch for them.

 

"We would like to go to Alex's house," Megan told her.

 

"His parents are both away for the day," Nanny reminded. She put the plates down at the table, and the children sat down to eat, for the moment forgetting about Megan's ghost. After lunch was nap time, and Nanny read the children a story, then left them to sleep.

 

"Megan?" Alex asked

 

"What?"

 

"I think I want to go home," Alex said almost in a tearful voice.

 

"Okay, but I'm staying here." He nodded and got his shoes, and socks on the best he could, then left her house for the safety of his own.

 

 

It was a little more than an hour later when Nanny checked on the children and found that Alex was not in the bed with her little Megan. Hating to wake the little girl from her rest, but knowing she had no choice, Nanny sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the girls back.

 

"Meggie, where is Alex?"

 

"His house," came the sleepy reply. That was not good.

 

"Sweet girl wake up, we need to go get him." Megan yawned and after getting her up, and getting her shoes on her, the two left for the O'Connells large home. The walk was short, about 10 minutes, and when they arrived noone was around.

 

"They have key in emergency," Megan said, going to the back door and finding the key. She used it to unlock the door and they went inside.

 

 

In his parents closet, Alex heard someone calling his name and was terrified that it was the ghost ready to take him away. He pulled some blankets over him, and heard running steps.

 

"Alex come out it's me." He breathed a sigh of relief ,and did come out for his friend.

 

"Nanny he's up here," She yelled. The older woman came in and hugged him close.

 

"Oh, Alex you frightened me so."

 

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to go with you." Megan shot him a look, that told him not to say anything about what she had said.

 

"Why not. You two can go horseback riding." That got Alex's approval and the three of them headed back to the house, and to the barn.

 

 

 

It was a little after dinner, and Megan and Alex were playing hide and seek, a knock on the door alerted all present that company had arrived. Both of the children hid behind one of the large couches in the parlor, while Nanny let the O'Connells in.

 

"Did he do all right?" Evelyn asked.

 

"He was wonderful as he always is," Nanny said, leading them into the now empty parlor.

 

"Alex, your parents are here," Nanny said, knowing where the two were. Softly she told them they were likely behind the couch, and that they had been playing hide and seek before they arrived.

 

"Where could Alex be," Evelyn asked. She and Rick looked in silly spots, and got giggles from both of the children.

 

"I think I hear them right here." Rick rounded on the couch and the two ran but he caught them both and spun them around getting laughs before he set them down.

 

"Let's do that again," Megan said.

 

"We need to be getting home," Evleyn told the young girl as she brought Alex's jacket.

 

"He can stay here with me," She tried. She really hated it when he left.

 

"Not tonight," Nanny told her. That did not suit her and she ran upstairs, and they heard a door slam. Surprisingly, Alex did not put up a fight, and after thanking Nanny for watching him, they left for their home.

 

 

More later...Find out what goes bump in the night, and how Alex handles his ghosts.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: TM, and TAR belong to Stephen Somas, and Universal Studios, and not to me, I am just using them for a while

 

 

Chapter 2 : Night Fright

 

 

Upon arriving home, Alex remembered about Megan's ghost, and was not all that thrilled when mum said it was time to get ready for bed. Now he sat in his bath tub sailing his two ships around the water, when he heard something move outside his door.

 

"Mum?" Evelyn opened the door.

 

"Are you getting cleaned?" Relief shown clear on his face.

 

"Not yet." She smiled

 

"How about a hand?" He nodded and she took a cup and dipped it into his bath, pouring the water over his head, then poured a little shampoo into her hand. She got Alex's hair clean, then rinsed.

 

"Mum? Do you believe in spirits?" Surprised by his question, Evelyn had to hide her feelings. Yes she believed in spirits, more specifically walking talking dead men, but she wasn't about to tell that to her baby.

 

"I believe that when a person dies that their soul goes to heaven," She said as she soaped up a sponge, and began to wash his arms.

 

"What about ones that walk the earth, ghosts?"

 

"I don't know darling." This was not easy for her, she didn't want to lie to him, but he was clearly concerned about this topic, and needed reassurance.

 

"The Egyptians believe you are reincarnated, which means that you are born again, but that's not being a ghost. I'm not sure that I believe that ghosts can walk the earth." This was true enough, there was a difference between what they had experienced with Imhotep versus ghosts, wasn't there? After Alex was clean and in pajamas he wanted to go down and say goodnight to his father, and Uncle. He found both of them in the parlor playing chess. Alex ran over to his dad who

had just made his move, and who lifted him onto his lap.

 

"Is this a hard game to play?" Jonathan looked up.

 

"For those who take their game too seriously," he said, referring to his brother-in-law, who took great pleasure in butchering him at this game.

 

"May I stay and watch?" Evelyn came down.

 

"It's time for bed," she reminded. He shuttered, and Rick hugged him closer.

 

"What's wrong?" Alex didn't say anything.

 

"I just want to stay here with you dad." His voice trembled as he spoke, and Rick hugged him closer.

 

"Do you feel bad?" Evelyn asked coming over and placing a kiss on his head.

 

"Your not warm," She said to her son.

 

"I just want to stay here, please mum," His eyes, so much like his fathers, made it very hard for her to say no, and tonight she decided to let him stay up. It was Rick's move, and one he made without much effort. His move caused Jonathan to mumble, which got a giggle from Alex.

 

"You wait Rick, I'll teach Alex to play this game to beat you." Rick chuckled

 

"How? Your not doing well there." Again Jonathan grumbled

 

"Thats because some people don't know how to be giving," He stated. As they talked, Alex did his best to stay awake, but the days activities, and the lack of a proper nap were taking its toll on him. His eyes shut despite his effort to keep them open, and his head fell forward.

 

"Saved," Jonathan said softly as Rick stood lifting his son to his shoulder. Alex rested his head there feeling safe.

 

"Not quite...Check mate." Jonathan threw up his hands.

 

"I give up, Evy taught you too well." Rick smiled over at his love.

 

"Not well enough to beat her," He said. She looked up from her book.

 

"Practice makes perfect," she said, as she stood ready to go up with her two men. They went to Alex's room where Rick placed his son into his bed. Alex snuggled into his pillow, and grabbed hold of his bear, and after kisses they left him to get ready for bed themselves.

 

 

All houses that are very old make funny sounds at night, and before Megan told him about ghost, Alex had never been afraid of the noises, now he lay awake in his bed too terrified to move. He didn't have a candle, and he remembered what Megan had told him about the ghosts. He heard a creak, and jumped pulling the covers over his head. His little mind got away from him, and he thought he heard his name called out. It was too much

 

"MUM DAD MUUUM DAAAAD," Alex yelled over and over.

 

 

 

In their room, Rick and Evelyn both came awake to Alex's yelling their name and both ran down the hall to his room, finding him covered from head to toe in his blanket.

 

"Hey buddy we're here, Rick said. Alex came into his arms willingly, visible shaken about something.

 

"I heard them," Alex said on a sob. Evelyn sat beside them, and Alex went into her arms hugging tight.

 

"What did you hear baby?" He heard another creak and yelped.

 

"Ghosts there ghosts and they want to take me away for always," he said frantic.

 

"Oh baby, that was just the house shifting," Evelyn tried to explain. Alex still had a tight hold on her, and she stood and walked over to his rocking chair settling in.

 

"When you live in a very old house," she began rocking him. "It's not uncommon for it to shift. When it does you hear those sounds, which I promise you aren't ghosts.

 

"But Megan says there are ghosts." Both knew that she had a very active imagination, and often told him such things.

 

"Baby, listen to mum. There aren't any spirits or ghosts in this house. Your Uncle and I have lived here since we were just about you age, and there have never been any ghosts around." Alex pulled away and looked at her.

 

"Really?" She kissed his cheek.

 

"Really." Alex snuggled back against her, and Rick left them.

 

"Mum why does Megan say things like that?"

 

"I'm not sure sweety." She continued to rock him, for it was rare that he let her snuggle with him, and she missed holding him like this.

 

"Mum? Do you think that the little Egyptian princess in your stories had fears like me in ghosts." Evelyn smiled

 

"I'm sure she did. Your Uncle John used to tease me about our house having ghosts, and I was very afraid." Alex nodded.

 

"Tell me about when you and dad got married." Alex loved hearing about that time in his parents life.

 

"Well. I was ever so nervous about getting married. I had always lived alone, or with Uncle Jonathan, and..." She told him the whole story, and when she finished

 

Alex was sound asleep. She stood and carried him to his bed, and tucked him in, then went back to she and Rick's room.

 

 

 

It wasn't all that much later that Alex heard more funny sounds, and remembered what mum had said about the house shifting, and then about what Megan had said. Adults, she had told him, don't believe in ghosts, its like Peter Pan when they grow up they forget, and ghosts won't hurt them, but they will hurt kids. Was she right? He heard another noise, then screamed when Cleo jumped onto his bed. She hissed and jumped down, and in a moment Mum and dad came back.

 

"I want to sleep in your bed please." Rick looked at Evy and she nodded, so he lifted Alex into his strong safe arms and they returned to their bed. Alex lay in between them, and snuggled into his mum's safe arms.

 

"Sleep Well," whispered Evy into his ear. He was already asleep.

 

 

Disclaimer: TM, and TMR belong to Stephen Sommers, and to Universal Studios, and don't take credit for their brilliance. I am just using the characters so hopefully they won't mind.

 

 

Chapter 3: More ghost talk

 

 

It was the next day that Megan came over to play, and now the two of them sat in Alex's room talking about ghosts.

 

"Mum says there aren't any ghosts," Alex told her.

 

"She doesn't know that for sure Alex, and there are ghosts. I heard my Nanny talking about your parents going to a place in Egypt once, and she talked about monsters." The O'Connells were known for their find of Hamunaptra, and were well known for that, but they had helped the Med-jai by not telling anyone how to find that place. As for the monsters, the media had a tendency to blow things out of proportion. Truthfully there had been a Monster, in Imhotep, but again

they had managed to cover that up as Faery Tales and Hokum.

 

"There aren't any monsters either, you're just trying to make me afraid," Alex said, now frustrated with her.

 

"I'm not trying to, I'm just telling you that they don't want you to know the truth is all." That made him mad.

 

"They don't lie to me. Your just jealous cause you don't have a Mum like me." Now Megan became angry.

 

"Maybe I don't need a Mum or a dad they just lie to you," she yelled.

 

"Your really dumb," Alex yelled back. She tackled him and grabbed hold of his hair.

 

"GET OF ME," he screamed. He pushed her off and she fell onto the floor.

 

 

Downstairs Rick was just settling down in the Parlor with a cup of Coffee, and a good book, when he heard Alex scream something, then heard a thump. Setting his cup aside, he took the stairs two at a time, and ran to his son's room. When he opened the door both children were rolling around on the floor yelling at each

other over something.

 

"Hey! What's going on here?" he asked in a stern voice. That got both childrens attention, and both started to talk at once.

 

"He called me dumb" came Megan's response.

 

"Well you are dumb." Once again she tackled him, and Rick lifted her away.

 

"Megan I'll take you home. Alex stay here until I come home."

 

"Fine," he snapped.

 

"And sit in time out for talking rude to me." Alex pouted, but did as he was told. Now he sat in his Rocking chair arms folded still mad at Megan. He would never ever talk to her as long as he lived.

 

"She's just a dumb girl," he mumbled to himself. He was still mad, and wanted to get up, but dad had not been happy, and Alex wasn't going to get him any more angry. Cleo came in and jumped onto his lap.

 

"You don't want time out too do you?'' He asked her as she curled onto his lap.

 

"You scared me last night you silly thing," he said smiling. Cleo always made things seem better. He was still talking to her when Rick arrived, and when she saw him come in she jumped down, and went over to his bed, jumping up there and curled up on his pillow where she fell asleep.

 

"Now, what started your argument?" Rick asked, as he lifted Alex out of the chair, and settled in, placing his son on his lap.

 

"She told me that there are monsters too, and that you and mum knew there were in Egypt." He sounded confused, because he was confused. Rick sighed. Megan, who was a year older than Alex ,read anything she wanted, and her father and Nanny never shielded her from things that may not be appropriate for a young girl to know, this was one such case.

 

"Megan has a very active imagination," Rick explained.

 

"Whats mag...magnation?" That made Rick chuckle.

 

"Imagination is what you do when you play and pretend to be Peter Pan. You think about being him, and that is what is also called imagining." This Alex understood.

 

"So she's pretending then?" Rick nodded.

 

"Were there monsters in Egypt. Is that why we moved here?" He asked turning to look at his father. This was not a topic Rick cared to be discussing with his son, but one he couldn't avoid.

 

"Sometimes people make stories up, like the ones your mum tells you about the princess. We left Egypt because your mum got a job at the museum." Alex nodded.

 

"How do you know there aren't monsters and ghost. What if Megan is right and Adults just forget, and what if they come tonight and take me away and I'll never see you again." Rick held him close.

 

"Have I ever lied to you?" Alex didn't have to think about that.

 

"No."

 

"Then believe me when I tell you that nothing is going to happen to you." Alex nodded.

 

"What did you do before you and mum met?" Rick smiled, recalling his life before Evelyn as a very reckless time in his life.

 

"I was in a legion." Alex yawned as his dad rocked him.

 

"Whats a legion." So Rick began the tail of his past, and Alex fell asleep. After putting him to bed, Rick made a mental note to talk to Evelyn about Megan.

 

He liked her, but not the things she was telling Alex, and it was time to put a stop to this.

 

 

 

That evening, when Evelyn arrived home, Megan and Alex greeted her.

 

"Mum Megan's staying with us cause Nanny's sick still and cause her daddy went away." Evelyn smiled. It was always nice to have her around.

 

"Thats wonderful. Have you two had a good day?" She asked as they walked into the parlor.

 

"Yeah, sept we got mad at each other, " Megan said.

 

"Oh, and why was that?" She asked as she walked over and gave her husband a kiss.

 

"I told Alex some mean things, but were better now right Alex." He nodded and tagged her, then ran upstairs with her hot on his tale

 

"How was your day?" Rick asked as she settled next to him.

 

"Long. I miss adventures," She admitted. He pulled her closer into his arms.

 

"Well, we could always go on a dig." She turned and looked up at him.

 

"What about Alex?"

 

"He could stay with Megan and her father, and nanny." she sighed.

 

"I don't know, the last time we left for any length of time he broke his arm." Rick nodded.

 

"He's a year older." Evelyn shook her head.

 

"I don't think we should leave him, until we are sure he is over his dreams," she said. Rick lowered his head and took her lips in a passionate kiss, which was interrupted by a crying child. Megan came running down the steps, and Evelyn went to her.

 

"What happened?" she asked holding her in her arms.

 

"Alex said he hates me." Rick sighed, back to war. He left to go upstairs and speak with his son, while Evelyn sat and talked to Megan.

 

"Why did he tell you that?" She asked sitting with the girl on the couch.

 

"Because I told him that we needed a candle for the dark, and he said I was being stupid, and I said he was being mean, and I told him I'm not a lire, that he is stupid cause he doesn't want to believe about ghosts and monsters, and he said I that he hates me and go away." That last word ended on a sob. Evelyn held her close.

 

"What makes you think there are ghost?" She sniffed.

 

"Cause I see them in my house, well just one and she is really scary." Evelyn knew there was no way to dissuade Megan, who was even more stubborn than her own son.

 

"Well, I've never seen ghosts, but maybe it would be a good idea if you didn't tell Alex about them, he gets very afraid.

 

"But he's my best friend." She looked up at Evelyn.

 

"I know he is, but he gets upset, which makes you upset." Megan nodded and yawned.

 

 

 

Upstairs Alex was sitting on his bed arms crossed, which meant that he wasn't happy. Rick entered and settled on his bed.

 

"Why does she keep saying there are ghosts?" Alex was frightened, and Rick held him close.

 

"I'm not sure, but I think you hurt her feelings." Alex sighed.

 

"I just get mad at her cause she keeps saying things ,and I want her to stop cause its scary."

 

"Did you tell her that?" He shook his head.

 

"I got mad at her. Rick kissed his head.

 

"I know you did. You need to learn and control the things you say to people when your mad at them." That wasn't going to be easy. When something bothered him, Alex spoke his mind.

 

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" came his soft question.

 

"You have your bed here, and your safe." Alex sighed, and about that time Evelyn and Megan came in. The little girl walked over to her friend.

 

"I'm sorry bout making you afraid."

 

"I'm not afraid," Alex said, not wanting to admit that he was.

 

"Alex," Rick warned. Alex sighed in defeat.

 

"It's okay. I'm sorry I told you I hated you." Evelyn got out Alex's pajamas and Megan's, and after the children were dressed and settled in Alex's bed, Rick kissed them goodnight, then Evy and they left them to sleep.

 

"I'll stop saying stuff about Ghost," Megan said to her friend. Alex rolled on his side to look at her.

 

"I'll stop getting mad at you. Do you know my mum tells me stories about Egyptian Princess." Megan liked the sound of that, so Alex began the tale of the little princess who lived in a far off land, and for now the thoughts of Monsters and ghost left both of their minds.

 

THE END