"Woah, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Thea told Rose, avoiding her gaze. "Why?"

"You just look...tired."

"I am."

Attempting to inject levity, Rose grinned. "Dream about the guy again? Got you all hot and bothered?"

A flash of last nights dream hit Thea. The look of his intense, slightly scared eyes. The smell of Egypt. Thea tried to shake it from her mind, and smiled weakly. "I did dream about him again, but nothing like that."

Rose continued o look worried. "Thea--are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Thea replied immediately. "I'm just tired. This new assignment is taking a lot out of me." 

"Is it really that hard?"

"Well, Ahmed and I seem to have come to some sort of mutual understanding, but..."

"But?" Rose prompted, drawing out he 'u'. 

"Well, the one item is completely smashed. Obliterated, really."

Rose looked at her friend sympathetically. "Do you think you'll be able to repair it?"

Thea sighed and rubbed her eye, then re-adjusted her glasses. "We're going to try our damnedest. I just worry it's impossible."

"Hey," Rose said, coming around and stopping Thea. She beamed at her. "In the three years I've know you, failure is not in Thea's vocabulary."

The corners of Thea's mouth twitched in an almost smile. Rose rubbed her arm briefly and handed her fresh coffee. "You got this."

"Thanks, Rose."

When Thea arrived in the lab, she found Ahmed already there. That wasn't surprising. What he was doing, was. 

Thea slowed her pace, confused. He was hunched up on a stool, his knees drawn to his chest. He was looking at the canopic jar. Thea cocked her head to the side, merely watching him. Ahmed was oblivious to her presence, completely absorbed with the item. Honestly, with his lank form scrunched up like that, he looked like a raven. With that thought a shudder rammed through her body.

"What are you doing?"

Ahmed slowly turned his head towards her. For one disturbing moment, he merely blinked at her. It was almost as though he were in some sort of stasis. Or perhaps it wasn't him; as he blinked at her, time itself seemed to decelerate. His eyelids moved unnaturally, as though in slow motion. She could see each individual lash bounce against the skin only for his eyes to open laggard, the dark lashes separating from one another, taking their time.

"Are you alright?"

Then like that, everything was normal. Ahmed gently set down the jar and stood, looking concerned. Thea blinked several times, and she found herself trembling. 

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, trying to steady her voice. 

"You were looking at me strangely."

Thea shook her head again and forced a smile. "I was just wondering why you were looking at the jar so intently."

"I just--" 

Thea watched the man transform. His demeanor shifted, suddenly looking sorrowful, wistful. He slipped his lithe hands into his pockets and looked at the ground. He was suddenly very vulnerable, and when he spoke, it was quietly. Unexpectedly Thea found herself feeling sympathetic. 

"It's just sad, you know? Here was this vibrant person, and all that's physically left is in this jar."

Thea didn't know what to do when a tear trickled down Ahmed's face.

"It just...reminds me of someone close to me whom I lost. I miss them being here."

"I'm sorry," Thea said, though she knew the words wouldn't help the deep wound that had suddenly become apparent. 

Ahmed wiped away the tear and looked at Thea. "Forgive me--I'm sorry."

Thea took a step towards him. "No Ahmed, it's fine. If you need to take a small break or something, I completely understand."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, that's kind, but I am fine."

Thea opened her mouth. She was going to ask who he had lost, but slowly closed he mouth, deciding against it. Ahmed then grinned at her, moving to the workbench. "You know, I think you were right."

"Oh?" Thea questioned, following him. 

"I'm sorry I was eager to dismiss your astute observation regarding the vases."

"What do you mean?"

"I think they do tell a story."

Thea grinned at him. "Ah ha! I knew it!"

"However, I feel that we need to tell the tale in order. Don't you think?"

Thea blinked. In the grand scheme of things it didn't really matter. Once everything was put together, the story would be easy to decipher. Conversely, then it also didn't matter if she gave into his whims and allowed them to be assembled chronologically. And especially since Ahmed had opened up to her...

Thea smiled. "Yes--that'll be fun."

The pair set to work, now working together. By the time it was nearly closing, a story had began to take shape. They had just pieced together the Pharaoh's full name. A sudden thought struck Thea, and before she could stop herself she laughed.

Ahmed looked at her quizzically. "What's funny?"

Thea waved a dismissive hand. "The past two nights I've actually dreamed about King Ankhenaten."

Ahmed rose his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yes," Thea mused. She laughed again. "He told me to call him Ankh for short." She looked at Ahmed. "Isn't that funny?"

"Well, you should be honored," Ahem replied seriously. "Nicknames were only reserved for close friends and relatives."

Thea blinked. "I didn't know that."

For a few moment they were silent. Then Ahmed spoke again. "What were the dreams about?"

"Unfortunately they've been a bit disjointed. Nothing spectacular."

"Hmm," Ahmed said.

Thea looked at him. "Hmm?"

Ahmed looked at her and smiled. "It sounds--fun. Please, tell me if you have any more dreams like that. I'd love to hear about it as we work."

Thea smiled, realizing she was quickly considering Ahmed to be a friend, not just a co-worker.

 ~

Thea was walking in the sand. It was night, dark. The moon was just a crescent now, and the pyramids were mere outlines in the dark. Her sandaled feet were bringing her to the monument she had woken up in previously. It had been a conscious decision on her part to go there.

Sure enough a figure appeared in the distance. Before long, Ankh was walking towards her. She beamed at him immediately. 

"Good evening, Ankh!"

"Thea," he replied, smiling. "What a surprise."

"I've noticed you walk these paths nightly."

The pair began to walk side by side. Thea folded her arms behind herself. For a bit they strode in silence, enjoying the warm night's breeze. Finally, Thea spoke. 

"I'm a little surprised that a Pharaoh takes walks at night, alone." She looked at him. "Shouldn't you have guards?"

"Ah," Ankh said, seeming to become a little less tense than he originally seemed. "So you do know who I am."

"Yes. I was just..."

Ankh laughed. "What?"

Thea tucked her hair behind her ear. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Why would you make me uncomfortable? Truth be told, you made me more uncomfortable when you pretended to not know who I was." 

"Oh?"

Ankh paused. When he spoke it was assuredly. "I think there's an attempt being made on my life."

Thea stopped walking in shock. Ankh stopped walking, turning to her. 

"That's terrible!"

Ankh shrugged. "A man of my position must deal with such things."

Thea fell into step with him again. "What makes you think such a disturbing thing?"

Ankh paused again. When he spoke it was with puckered lips, and a stare that was accusatory. "A hunch. A hunch that hasn't been quelled with the sudden arrival of a mysterious woman who clearly does not originally come from Egypt."

Thea's heart thudded in her chest. It was strange--it felt so real. But then again that's how dreams always seemed in the moment. "What makes you say that about me?"

"Your skin color."

Thea found herself slightly relieved. While she understood the dialect she spoke, she was afraid the syntax or something would give away the fact language had evolved greatly in the thousand year gap that stood between herself and Ankh. His reply, however, confirmed that she was, somehow, speaking correctly. 

"Are you going to arrest me?"

Ankh stopped walking. She had meant it in a lighthearted way, an attempt to diffuse the tension, but the look on the Pharaohs showed her she had failed. Suddenly feeling frightened, she gulped. 

"I don't know, Thea. Are you going to give me a reason to?"

Thea watched Ankh walk away until she could no longer make out his sleek form against the horizon that was slowly unfurling into twilight.