MADELEINE ELLIS, if you ever dared to ask around, would most often be described as a reckless, butt-headed and completely insane woman. She somewhat prides herself on those qualifications, perhaps more than she should. Definitely, more than she should. But that's the thing with Madeleine. She never does what she should.

Her reputation relies on the fact that she is a kind of freelance archaeologist. By that, she means that she explores tombs in hopes of finding something valuable. Sometimes, she even gets jobs, people sending her out with the promise of a good reward in exchange for her service. Rewards which are, more often than not, a bit short considering all the risks she takes. But she's never been caught.

That's exactly why people hire her for these kinds of jobs. She's street smart and book smart, a combination most needed for her work. Though, emotionally smart? Not so much.

Because, in the end, the only reason Madeleine is doing all of this, taking all these risks, is to help her little brother. When you grow up in an orphanage and learn that your 3 years old sibling is sent there too, you tend to try and gather as much money as you need to adopt him.

The only reason Madeleine is convinced that little James is her brother, is because the nice nurse who used to work there sent her a letter about it. She could go to jail for that. But it's okay, Madeleine can make it work. She can steal as much old stuff as she can and resell it until she's got enough money for her family. Because she knows how it feels, growing up there. That's the thing when you have no biological family. No one can recognize you as theirs.

Luckily enough, she found some people to call her own in that orphanage. Even someone to share her made up surname with. Because as much as William Ellis loves to playfully deny it, Madeleine is his little sister. Which makes James his little brother. Which is why William sends Madeleine an obscure telegraph, promising gold and enough money to adopt James, if she decides to help him and his British friends, the Carnahans, get to Hamunaptra.

As for the other person she found in that place, her very best friend... Well, his name should not be pronounced in her presence. Ever since Rick O'Connell decided to run away and join the French Foreign Legion, merely a few weeks after Madeleine learned about James, she wouldn't hear of him. If he wanted to leave so bad, then so be it. She'll make sure he leaves her mind too.

William thinks it's painfully funny, how serious and mad she is. Rick and him never had the most perfect friendship – a friendship which mostly consisted in insults only half-meant –, but he is not even that pissed. Madeleine Ellis just knows how to hold a grudge, almost as well as she holds her friends.

"Keeping that poison inside of you is not healthy, Madeleine," William says, sharing his very, very undemanded philosophy.

Madeleine smirks to herself as they walk down the corridors of one of Cairo's museums. She got there as soon as she could, and William is thankful for that.

"Maybe not," she admits. "But it's gonna be so fun to spit it at his face when Richard comes back with his tail between his legs."

William stops himself from saying that Rick might never come back. That, for all they know, he might very well be dead. After all, he never answered Madeleine's letters.

"Well, if Rick comes back, remind me to laugh in his face for what he did."

Madeleine stops in front of the door leading to the museum's storage room. "I promise."

He opens the door for her. "After you."

She walks in on a lady and a man, obviously arguing, the woman screaming. Madeleine stares at him.

"Are you inside a sarcophagus, sir?"

The woman sighs. "It is the second time in the week."

William sighs inwardly. He didn't expect this to be Madeleine's first encounter with the Carnahans.

"Madeleine, this is Jonathan Carnahan and Evy Carnahan." He shakes his head. "Evelyn." Madeleine arches an eyebrow when Evelyn grins and blushes. "Jonathan, Evelyn, this is Madeleine Ellis, my sister."

Jonathan waves a little from the sarcophagus. "Hi."

Evelyn, though, excitedly walks up to Madeleine to shake her hand. "Oh, hello, Madeleine. It's very nice to meet you! Will told me a lot about you."

Madeleine sends William a look, which he chooses to ignore. "I hope Willy only told you the good stuff." By that, she means that hopefully, he decided to leave the whole theft side of her job.

"Yes, yes," she assures. "It's so nice to finally talk with someone as dedicated as I am."

"Trust me, I'm very dedicated." William chokes on his laugh. "So you're the insane people who want to go to Hamunaptra?"

"And you're the thief William wants us to trust," Evelyn's brother calls out. Not only the good stuff, then. Jonathan gets out of the sarcophagus, falls, and stands up. "That was meant to happen."

Evelyn rolls her eyes at her brother. "Jon, please. I'm sure Madeleine has a very noble motive."

William has a tight-lipped smile. "That's underestimating her." Madeleine jabs his side. "Erm, anyway. Evy, why don't you show her the map you found."

Madeleine's eyes sparkle with interest, immediately focusing back on Evelyn. "You have a map? To Hamunaptra?"

Evelyn nods excitedly, fishing for something in her long skirt's pocket, and handing her a piece of old and burnt paper.

"The curator burnt it a bit by mistake," Jonathan specifies.

Madeleine is completely blown away by the first actual proof she has of Hamunaptra. Up until now, she half-expected this trip to be a disappointment. But the seal of Seti sells it for her. This map is genuine.

She looks back up. "Where did you find this?"

Jonathan fumbles for something in his vest. "Uh, well..." He hands her a small, circular box. "I... dug this up."

The second Madeleine finds the box, even before she holds it, she knows Jonathan is lying. Because she knows that box, and who it belongs to. Well, who it belongs to a little. Well, who stole it.

"You didn't dig this up," she states, almost a whisper.

William immediately picks up on her distraught tone. Not wanting too many people to overwhelm her at the same time, he takes her a bit further away. "I'm sorry, we're just going to talk, it will take no time."

Madeleine is frantically turning the box around, making sure that it's the same, and it is.

"He can't have dug this up, Willy," she repeats to him, holding the box right under his nose.

William pushes the box away from him. "Okay, I got that the first time you said it. Why couldn't he?"

She's trying to not get sucked into memories of a life she almost forgot she once had. One where her best friend Rick and her stole this box back and forth, exchanging messages, or gifts, on their good days. On their bad days, they'd just steal it to annoy the other.

"I stole this box from very scary guys," she quickly sums up. "It's been Richard's and I's way of communicating for years. He took it when he left for the French Foreign Legion."

He nods, catching on. "So Jonathan can't have dug it up because that'd mean..." He doesn't go on, but Madeleine knows how that sentence ends.

If Jonathan dug it up, that meant Rick was dead.

"Actually..." The Ellises turn to Jonathan. "I may... have stolen it."

Evelyn's eyes blow wide. "What?"

"Who?" Madeleine immediately asks. "Who did you steal it from?"

"I don't know," he quickly defends himself. "Tall, blue eyes, brown hair?"

"Was he incredibly annoying?" William inquires. "Because that would definitely sound like Rick."

"Where is he now?" Madeleine goes on, ignoring her brother.

Jonathan shrugs. "Jail, I think."

Evelyn gasps. "Jail? What for?"

He tries to hide from his sister. "Bar fight. He thought someone stole his box."

"Jonathan!"

Madeleine is about to laugh hysterically. She always knew that, somehow, she'd be reunited with Rick again. Whether it's because she believes in fate, or because she believes in herself and knows she'd find him and absolutely obliterate him for leaving, she just knew.

She didn't expect that he'd be right under her nose, though. That for god knows how long, they were in the same place, and he never reached out. Never even answered her letters!

"Madeleine you're, like, turning pale and red at the same time, I don't think that's physically possible."

She lets out a laugh, devoid of any humor.

"He's here. That means he's been here, in Cairo, and never reached out."

Evelyn smiles softly at her. "But that means he's alive, and well, isn't that good?"

She should be happy. She should be ecstatic. She should be delighted at the very idea that her long lost best friend is back, that she's about to see him. She should be wondering what subject of conversation she can bring up. Or even, maybe, forgive him and forget about everything.

But that's the thing with Madeleine. She never does what she should.

"Oh yes, wonderful. That means I get to kill him with my bare hands!"

author's note: go bestie go! you can do no wrong!