Okay guys so! I re-watched the film to freshen up my memory and realized that I got the timeline of the journey a bit mixed up so we'll just have to pretend that they have another day ahead of them until they reach Hammunaptra. Cool? Cool. Once again, I apologize for taking me so long to post but life has been hectic and I really didn't wanna rush the final result. Especially since this chapter features a scene from the film that is very dear to me and I'd like to make it good. I love you all lovely readers and I hope you like this chapter as much as the rest.

After leaving Hathor's temple, the team returned to its original course and started making its way across the wide expanse of sand dunes. It would take them another full day to reach Hammunaptra - according to Rick's instructions - and the biggest part of the journey was spent in silence by Lethy and Derek. None of their friends was - or would ever be - able to understand the amount of turmoil going on within both of their souls at the given time. The events that took place at the temple were beyond any of their understanding and left them both feeling shook down to their very cores.

The visions, so vivid and terrifying, made them question the very existence of logic and reality. That experience was something otherworldly; something from a different life quite literally. But neither Lethy nor Derek could bring themselves to talk to each other about this strange occurrence due to the conflicted emotions that it had evoked in both of them. Fear and shock had overwhelmed them both. Had they actually experienced these things? Or was it just a trick of their overly excited imagination? Were these visions even theirs? Were they even real? And if they were, what were they trying to tell them? What did they mean?

And most importantly...how do they affect their connection? Because... if these visions weren't real... could this mean that their connection isn't real either...? And if they were real...then could they have possibly gotten themselves into something far bigger than them?

Something so great that runs deeper than death?

Lethy didn't get any sleep during the night. She was too afraid to venture into the unkind land of dreams again, so she remained a restless stiff on top of the camel for the rest of the evening. At the given time, even the sweet visions of her and dream-Derek loving each other were too much for her heart to handle. Because, she could no longer separate the honey of those lovely moments from the poison that the bitter hour of her death harbored. Because, now she knew that these happy moments were only leading up to a cruel and brutal end - when the knife of some unknown foe would rip her chest open.

Judging by the steady breathing and moody vibes coming from Derek, he didn't sleep either. Lethy couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking the same thing that she was. Of course he is, she kept reminding herself. What they went through was enough to make any sane man lose his marbles; brooding, dashing soldiers like himself may be immune to a lot of things, but insanity isn't one of them.

All she knew was that she couldn't bare the deafening silence any longer! To her, it felt as if there was a brick wall standing between them, and the more it stood there, the more she felt as if she couldn't breathe! Even his embrace felt different. Before going into that blasted temple, there was fire in the way that he held her close to his body; a sort of warmth, passion and intimacy as if they were meant to be united and should never be separated. But now, there were only embers; there was uncertainty and restraint in his embrace, as if he didn't know how to act around her anymore. And yet, his arms remained a close fit around her form, as if he was unable to resist touching her - even at this difficult time. Said fact was a small consolation, but Lethy still despised the cold distance between them. She wanted them to be as close as possible, to have his warmth surrounding her, his lips against her ear whispering sweet nothings that no one else could hear. So, instead of drowning in misery, she decided to do something about it. After all, she was a woman of action and solutions, not self-pity.

Alas, around dawn break, she found the courage to talk to him. "Derek?" she whispers, making sure that everyone else's too focused on navigation to care for their affairs. "Can we talk?"
"Not now, princess" he says in a low voice without any hint of emotion.
"Why?" she asked to know.
Derek waits a second before replying: "We're here"

The camels halt their movements, solidifying Derek's statement, and Lethy instantly turns around in order to see Hammunaptra with her own two eyes. Instead of seeing the imposing and magnificent structure of the City of the Dead, though, the sight she encounters is merely even more sand upon sand. "Where is it? I don't see anything" she says.
"Patience" is all Derek says in a cryptic voice.

"Oh no" suddenly Lily's voice breaks the silence, notifying them of the fact that they are not alone. Unfortunately, they've got company; and it's not of the good kind."I have a bad feeling about this" says Stiles as he too notices the unpleasant additions that are now coming towards them. A group of horse riders, which Lethy recognizes as the American Expedition that was with them on the boat and is also after the secret treasures of Hammunaptra, appears from behind the far end of the dune. The Americans are accompanied by two dozen native diggers and an elegantly dressed Arab man that looks like a scholar to her - definitely an egyptologist, she thinks. The Americans are lead by a sleazy looking cockroach of a human being on top of a stinky camel. So far, the most repulsive wildlife they've encountered are the warden pig and the weasel with the fez.

"Good morning my friends" the hideous creature snarls at Rick and Derek, showing off his disgustingly filthy yellow teeth through a malicious smirk that causes Alethea to frown. "What in the bloody hell is this freak show now?"

"That is called a Beni" says Derek from behind her. "Take a good look at it princess because he will soon become extinct. I'll personally make sure of it" he ends his sentence with a threatening growl that would cause even an iceberg to shiver in fear.

"As always, your words have wounded me, my good friend. Why do you always have to be so mean?" says Beni in a faux-hurt voice that only manages to further annoy Derek. "Oh trust me little shit if I truly wanted to wound you, you wouldn't be breathing now" says the former legionnaire in a menacing tone, his eyes nearly glowing red with anger.

"Take it easy, brother. You'll have plenty of time to skin the little fucker alive, but only after we've gotten our hands on Seti's treasure. Until then, behave" and with these words from Rick, Lethy senses the big bad wolf behind her loosening up and relaxing a bit.

The American Expedition's horses also come to a halt and the two groups stand side by side, waiting for whatever it is that they're supposed to. "What the hell are we doing?" one of the Americans demands to know in an exasperated tone. "Patience my good barat'm. Patience" says Beni in that broken accent of his.

"Remember our bet, O'Connell?" says one of the Americans - a young man with long blonde hair - in a taunting manner. "First one to the city. Five hundred cash bucks"

"A hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet" adds another horseman.

"Oh, my pleasure" says Beni sardonically.

"You actually made a bet out of it?" asks Lethy exasperated.

"I wouldn't have to if it wasn't for your brother" says Rick, causing both Carnahan sisters to shoot angry accusatory glances at Jonathan. "What did you do now?" says Evie. Jonathan stammers for an answer, causing Lethy to roll her eyes in frustration. He fucked up. How hard is that to say? "You really enjoy getting hit on the head, don't you brother? That must be it, 'cause I honestly can't think of another reason why you'd keep on putting yourself in sticky situations like this" says Lethy in a serious manner because God damnit she loves her brother and doesn't want to see him in a casket before his time. Is that really too much to ask? Jonathan doesn't say anything back, he simply lowers his head in embarrassment. Lethy sighs in frustration.

"Well, at least let's make something out of this mess" she murmurs to herself and gives their camel a good nudge with the reins, urging her to move forward so as to stand out from the crowd. "Yo cowboy!" she calls out, causing all of the Americans to notice her. "Make that a thousand bucks cash" she says in a confident and provoking voice.

"What the hell are you doing?" Derek growls at her. "Relax, we're gonna win" she hisses back at him before turning back to look at the Yankees. As expected, they were all sporting dumb, arrogant smirks that she simply couldn't wait to wipe clean off their faces once they had beaten them.

"That your girl Hale?" the blonde one asks, a mischievous glint now shimmering in his eyes. She knew that look all too well and it only made her wanna roll her eyes at him.

"Something like that" says Derek.

"I like her. She's got some fire in her alright"

"I wouldn't mess with her if I were you, Henderson. Cause she also has one hell of a bite" says Derek and Lethy gives him a 'thank-you-baby' look.

"So? What do you say? A thousand bucks. Are you in or are you out?" Lethy dares them looking mighty provoking.

"You got yourself a deal, lady" says Henderson in his western accent, dirty smirk still where it used to be.

"Excellent" says Lethy. "After all, my sisters and I will be needing the cash to buy some new boots after ruining our current pairs by stepping all over your backs" Lily made an appraising sound whilst Evie gave her a proud look. The Americans simply snickered through their whiskers at her, but she didn't pay them any mind. She was used to men like them treating her as nothing more than a source of amusement. She thought that she was jesting - the poor little girl playing with the big boys. But they didn't know Alethea Carnahan. She's hiding plenty of tricks up her sleeve. And she can't wait to show them what she is made of. So she eats up their contempt and uses it as fuel to recharge her engine.

"Get ready for it" Rick tells Evelyn, causing her to look at him in a confused way.

"For what?" she inquires.

"We're about to be shown the way" Derek adds and then they see it happening.

As the sun rises from the East, painting the horizon golden and crimson, an image starts shimmering before their very eyes like the illusion of an oasis coming to life. Although this isn't some thirsty man's delusion, this isn't the elusive dream of a watering hole in the middle of the desert. This is Hammunaptra alright. The City of the Dead. Either some sort of nature's miracle, or the works of otherworldly witchcraft. Under different circumstances, thoughts of the particular kind wouldn't even dare to cross Alethea's mind. But, after her bizarre experience at Hathor's temple she is willing to bet her life on any explanation of how things like that come to be - possible or impossible.

Both parties stare in awe as the peculiar sight unfolds itself, revealing the glory and mystery that the object of their desire holds, and showing them the way to the secret treasures of a time that was nearly forgotten by men.

"Will you look at that?" says the blonde American in a bewildered voice.

"Can you believe it?" one of his mates adds in the exact same tone.

"Hammunaptra" the American with the white hat declares in an all too excited voice.

"Here we go again" says Rick in an almost complaining manner, completely unaffected by the miracle taking place at the time - unlike the rest of his party who are left speechless and dumbstruck by it. As Alethea watches her heart's greatest wish and dream materializing itself, she can't help but marvel at the imposing structure of stone and granite hidden amongst the sand dunes. The sight of Hammunaptra, even from afar, proves to be breathtaking.

But daydreaming has got to end at some point because, let's not forget, that they have a race to win and some assholes to humiliate.

The minute the sun reaches its peak and the final detail of the city has come to life, a scream is heard coming from Beni who whips his camel in order to get it moving. The same sound comes from Rick a moment later, only far angrier and more determined, as he lashes his animal in order to give him the 'go' signal. Evelyn softly hits her camel's backsides with her heels, an excited smile on her lips as she begins her own journey, followed by her sister, brother and the rest of their crew who yell enthusiastically as they enter the race as well. "Woah! Let's go!" Lethy yells in a rush of adrenaline as they are shook by their ride's quick stride towards victory. She hears Derek laughing behind her, the sound matching her own cheery mood, complemented by the ecstatic bellow coming from Lily's lips. With a quick glance to the left, Lethy notices that the rest of the Americans have also entered the race, screaming frantically as their horses gallop towards Hammunaptra.

Let the games begin.

O'Connell and Beni are the ones leading the race - since they had the advantage of head-starting - and the competition between them is relentless to say the least. They ride side by side and just when O'Connell seems to be getting ahead of the little weasel...he takes out his whipping stick and starts beating Rick with it! Lethy watches the fight intently, grimacing in discomfort every time the little prick hits her friend. That ugly little thing is not only crude and annoying, he is also down right mad and dangerous! Lethy thinks to herself. Rick is getting angrier and angrier by the minute until he eventually has enough of that! He takes ahold of Beni's shirt, his firm grip causing the latter to stop his assault, and gives him one hell of a shove which leads to the little villain falling off his camel. "So long Beni!" she hears the former legionnaire saying before pushing his opponent off his ride. Beni lands on the ground and starts rolling like a keg of ale, little yelps of pain escaping his lips every now and then. Lethy laughs triumphantly, happy for her friend's success and the little weasel's downfall.

"That serves you right" she hears her sister saying as she passes him by. Hell yeah it does! When eventually their own camel passes by him, Lethy does the honorable thing - that a villain like him deserves - and spits him in the face. "Bye bye Beni!" she tells in a mocking tone, waving jestingly at him and watching him as he wipes his forehead clean with a pathetic look plastered on his face. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen!" Derek yells over the commotion, giving Lethy a hard, proud kiss on the cheek, causing her face to break out in a bright smile, as they keep riding across the desert.

In everyone's surprise, Evie's camel proves to be the fastest one, even managing to catch up with Rick. As the two ride side by side, they exchange a couple of delightful looks and cute smiles before Evie gives a good kick at her camel which causes her to go incredibly fast. Caught off guard at first, Evie nearly falls off her ride. But even as an amateur rider she manages to outrun everyone else and get to the city first.

"Yeah!" Johnny encourages her. "Go Evie! Go!"

"Yeah! That's my sister!" Lethy yells in excitement just as Evie enters the city's grounds.

With their victory now being official, Lethy turns to Derek wearing a proud smirk. "See? I told you we were going to win" she tells him. He nearly rolls his eyes at her, smiling, and gives her a quick kiss on the lips.

At the moment, Lethy can't contain her happiness. They've finally reached Hammunaptra, they wiped the floor with those American bozos and things seem to be going rather well with Derek. Maybe now they can talk about their common issue with some prospect for success. Right now, she's more hopeful than ever.

The once deserted City of the Dead is now buzzing with life. The moment the two parties officially entered the parameters, they began working without missing a single beat. Each took a side, the Americans took the east side while the Carnahan expedition took the west, and started digging for the hidden treasures that they came here for.

Alethea's gaze cannot stay still as she walks through the ruins of Hammunaptra. It continuously travels from one pillar to the next, from one broken statue to the other, bouncing off the semi-collapsed walls like a balloon with a leak. She still can't believe that she's here! That the dream Evie and herself had been sharing for the better part of their lives has finally come true! Neither her excitement nor her happiness can be contained and they eventually break out across her face in the form of a big, bright smile.

While the rest of her crew is busy setting up, she takes it upon herself to go over to the Americans' side and collect their reward money. Hey, a thousand bucks are not an easy thing to forget about. And there was no way in hell that Alethea would miss this opportunity to bask in their opponents' humiliation even more. So she's currently waltzing through the east side of the City, Dr. Chamberlain's men running around like ants as the Egyptiologist yells orders at them in their native language. Here's my money! Lethy thinks to herself when she notices that Henderson is there too, standing right next to the scientist.

"Do they know somethin' we don't?" she hears the blonde one saying as she slowly comes up behind them.

"They are led by a couple of women. What do they know?" says Chamberlain in a haughty voice.

Not too seconds afterwards, Lethy has thrown her dagger at him, causing his fez to become one with the wall next to his head. "Oops. Sorry Doctor. It must have slipped" she says in a mocking voice and both men turn around to stare at her in the most dumbfounded and terrified way possible. She smiles wickedly and starts advancing towards them, her steps slow and predatory and her air both arrogant and mischievous. "I came here to get our money. After all, we beat you fair and square" she says, playfully yet threateningly twisting her other blade in her hand, showing off her expert skills and the fact that she is not to be messed with at the same time. "Right?" she emphasizes her point by tossing her blade and re-catching it.

Henderson gulps uncomfortably and reaches into his pockets with trembling hands, trying to retrieve the infamous dollars for her payment. Dr. Chamberlain simply stands there in shock and stares at the young woman with both awe and fear in his eyes. "Here" Henderson mumbles as he takes out a packet of green and offers them to her with equally shivering fingers. Lethy snatches the money from his grasp and sing-songs a mocking 'thank-you' before stalking towards Mr. Chamberlain. "Don't underestimate us women, Doc" she advises him as she reaches over his shoulder to retrieve her blade, resulting in his fez falling off the wall. "Cause you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Got it?"

He simply nods in agreement, eyes barely out of their sockets. She pats him on the shoulder sympathetically and smiles lightly. "Good day gentlemen" and with these words, she's gone, counting her money and whistling to herself as she waltzes away from the two Americans.

Now Derek knows why Evelyn's siblings like to call her 'big mama'. Because, despite her gentle nature, she is quite the authoritive figure when she wants something done - and done good, most importantly. He found that out about her when she started assigning everyone jobs in order to get the excavation started. He didn't mind the work though. Derek had truly learned to both appreciate and respect the oldest Carnahan sister so he was ready to serve her in any way. Even though he'd always liked her kind personality - and the way she made his brother practically glow around her - it was her little moments of badassery that truly earned his respect and admiration. Like when she saved their asses from being hanged or when she won the race against the Americans. But he honestly didn't expect anything less from the sister of the badass goddess that had captured his heart.

Derek got the mirror duty. Basically, he is currently helping Lily, Stiles and Jonathan adjust the ancient mirrors for the sun ritual that will - presumably - unlock the secret entrance to the underground facilities. At the same time, Rick is preparing the ropes for their descend, tying them around the semi-standing columns and deliberately smacking the warden with the edge of the rope each time he swings it over, causing Derek to silently chuckle to himself at the ridiculous sight. But his attention quickly changes focus when said goddess makes her appearance.

Her step is quick and confident as she climbs up the sandhill and approaches them, causing her hips to sway from side to side in a way that is both powerful and enticing to his eyes. Derek suddenly feels his mouth dry and his inner animal purring with want and delight as the beautiful sight catches his attention in more ways than one. He instantly forgets all about the mirrors and his eyes focus entirely on Alethea as she makes her way towards Rick and himself, waving a packet of money in the air. "Pay-day boys! Take it while it's hot!" she says cheerfully, a foxy smile upon her lips and a triumphant glimmer in her eyes.

"Oh yes!" Rick exclaims, grinning widely, before abandoning his post as well. "That's my girl. There's my little fairy godmother! Bring them here!"

"There you go!" she says before handing the money over to Rick. The latter places them upon his nose and takes a good whiff off the smell of success and gain. An all too satisfied smile adorns his lips as he points a finger at Lethy and says: "You, lady, are my new favorite person in the world!"

"Wow, thanks! Although I honestly don't know who's going to be more offended by that. Your friend here or...my sister?" she says with a cheeky smile and Derek has to hide behind his hand in order to conceal his upcoming laughter.

"She got you there brother" says Derek, unable to resist the opportunity to mess with his best friend.

"Ha ha you're both hilarious" says Rick, frowning. But then a hesitant expression crosses his face and he starts scratching the back of his neck. Derek knows that look all too well. He's going to do something really embarrassing.

"Speaking of which, would you mind handling this for a few minutes? I've gotta take care of something" Aaanndddd there it is! Derek thinks to himself, grinning mischievously. He had noticed Rick stealing the tool kit from Burns and he was wondering when he'd make his move.

"Sure thing" Lethy assures him. "Oh, just for the record, you've also started to climb up the list of my favorite people" she adds in a hearty tone.

"Thanks Leth. I appreciate it" Rick responds.

"Unless you hurt my sister of course. 'cause then I won't think twice about kicking your arse" she warns him.

"Noted" says Rick in a serious voice, offering her a small smile of understanding before taking off.

Speaking of Evelyn, she seems to be lost in her own world, too focused on the task at hand. The couple can hear her speaking even from where they are standing. "That's a statue of Anubis" she explained to no one in particular, referring to the big canine head lying in the sand. "Its legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, that's where we'll find a secret compartment... containing the golden Book of Amun-Ra. Jonathan, you're meant to catch the sun with that" A scientist that is one with her work. That sounds like an accurate description of the Carnahan woman.

The couple watches intently as the former legionnaire approaches the beautiful librarian, nervousness coming off of him in waves, following his every step, but only being detectable by Derek's super-senses. "So, uh, what are these old mirrors for?" Rick asks.

"Ancient mirrors It's an ancient Egyptian trick. You'll see" says Evie. As if on cue, the sun hits the mirrors on that exact moment, the light finding the right angle that was needed to perform the ritual, and the earth moves between their feet, finally revealing the secret entrance they were looking for.

"Neat trick" says Derek.

"I know" says Lethy. "Hey look!" she urges him to turn his eyes back on their original target just in time to witness his best friend giving his romantic interest the gift he was holding for her. "Uh, here, this is for, uh, you. Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren. I thought you might like it- you might need it for when you're, uh- uh, yeah"

Derek grins from ear to ear as his best friend stumbles over his words, trying his best to act cool and nonchalant when in reality he is a terrified kitten inside. Rick's chemo-signals reek from a mile away - salty nervousness mixed with sweet excitement and spicy attraction - and tingle Derek's sense of super-smell to the point of annoyance. But he doesn't mind; it's a unique experience watching his brother in arms deal with actual human emotions for a change instead of only being lead through life by his erection. He'll have to thank Evelyn Carnahan for that later.

"They look good together" the wonderful sound of his girl's voice causes Derek's ears to perk up and his eyes to land on her form.

"Yeah, they do" he agrees. "Your sister was quite the badass back there" he doesn't forget to point out as well.

Lethy smirks. "You could say that it runs in the family" she says. "Your friend is pretty amazing too"

"He is a good guy. I promise that he'll take care of her. I can vouch for that. I know Rick better than anyone else and when he cares for someone he puts his whole being into it" he says sincerely.

"Sounds like someone else I know" says Lethy in a sweetened voice, their gazes locking and a smile now showing off on Derek's face. He moves towards her, his arms instantly wrapping themselves around her waist and pulling her close to his body. The desert heat combined with their shared body heat is enough to make his blood boil. Her hands climb up his chest and eventually settle in the back of his neck, her face inching closer to his, pulled by the same irresistible magnetic force that pulls them together every time. But a moment before locking lips, Alethea pulls back and bows her head.

"What's wrong?" Derek asks to know, concern visible in his eyes and voice.

"Can we talk? About...you know what?" she whispers tentatively, looking around to make sure that nobody can hear them. Derek sighed heavily as the realization dawned on him, his own levels of anxiety now rising dangerously. "I just don't feel comfortable acting like everything is normal when there is something so big bothering me. I need to at least try and figure things out" she tells him, the turmoil clear in her chemo-signals.

Derek contemplates the options for a brief moment. He wants things to go back to normal between them. His only desire is to be with Alethea. To be able to casually talk to her, to hold her in his arms, to kiss her and give her comfort and contentment. But what if he has to reveal his secret to her in order for them to retrieve their peace and serenity? Is he really ready for something like this? Because he'll have to make that sacrifice in order for them to truly get some answers. As someone with fangs and claws, he knows better than to doubt the existence of magic and connected fates. And he knows that he'll have to make Alethea see things through his eyes both literally and figuratively in order for her to understand what's really going on. Because, as crazy as it may sound, the whole re-incarnated soulmates is actually the only theory that makes sense to him regarding how they both came to be what they are now - both as an item and individually.

Ah screw it, he thinks to himself. This might be my only chance at something that is worth it. At least that way I can claim that I gave it my all like she deserved.

"You're right. We should talk" he says and then checks around for any eavesdroppers. "But not here. When we'll be alone"

"Okay" she says.

"Some work you two are doing" Rick's voice interrupts their moment, causing them to break it off. "Sorry brother. We got distracted" Derek mumbles.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to do these things when we'll be rich. Right now though we have treasures to dig up. So move your butts and let's go" he says before taking a hold of the rope and jumping off the edge.

"Hey! Look for bugs. I hate bugs" the warden tells him and Rick offers him an exaggerated eye-roll before disappearing into the hole.

One by one, the members of the crew followed his example and descended into the dark depths of the literal underworld.

Okay guys! That was it! As much as I loved writing this chapter, it was a very douzy one to deliver since I was dealing with writer's block and real life obligations for the past months.

But once again I'd like to thank each and every single one of you who took the time to vote, comment or simply read the story. Your support keeps me going, it's what brightens my days and boosts my inspiration and I don't think the English dictionary has enough positive adverbs to describe just how grateful I am that I have you, my lovely readers.

On a side-note please don't forget to check out my other stories that are available! When the Stars Align is already out and I'm working on a Billy Hargrove story cuz yes! I crushes on other dudes except Derek Hale surprise surprise. So be on the lookout for that too!

All in all, don't forget to vote, comment and just be the lovely readers that you are. Love you all and Derek does too! #Keep_Calm_And_Have_Derek_Hale_Call_You_His_Princess