Kira bought Charlie an espresso, which he was ridiculously pleased with, and he was now drinking a cappuccino, Kira watching amusedly while sipping on a vanilla latte when Amos joined them.

"Chaz, I don't know what you did, but once Cleo woke up properly she was super excited." Amos ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly in amused confusion. "Didn't even have to bribe her to put her coat on."

"Bribing your ten year old sister." Kira hummed. "You've sunk to a new low, dear."

"Says Miss Kira 'let's swear in front of impressionable children' Hill."

"Well -"

"One more word and you're buying me cake with my next coffee." Charlie stopped the argument before it could even begin. "Honestly, it's like dealing with children, except ten times worse."

"The only children you deal with are Nicky and Cleo and they are exceptionally well behaved." Kira retorted, promptly shoving half a brownie in her mouth. Amos gave her a look.

"That's disgusting." He said, before turning back to Charlie. "Seriously, Blake, what did you do to my sister?"

"You could come tonight and find out." Charlie replied, before immediately regretting it. "Actually, don't. I deal with you enough on a daily basis as it is."

"Like I'd be caught dead in the museum." Amos said. Kira began to snicker. "What?"

"Dead. Museum." She managed. Charlie rolled his eyes as Amos caught on and began to giggle along with her.

"Children." Charlie repeated. "Like dealing with two five year olds. Honestly."

"You would be lost without us." Kira stated cheerily, her multiple rings clinking against the handle of her coffee cup as she picked it up, sipping her latte again. "Besides, I got you the job."

"Technically, you hacked into my laptop and shared personal information. That's a criminal offence, Kira, not getting me a job."

"Still. I sent your CV in. I was the one who put you up for the vacancy." Kira shot back, looking way too self satisfied. "A vacancy, mind, that you disregarded immediately. You're welcome."

"I hate you." Charlie replied. Kira beamed cheerily and Amos snorted.

"Now who's the five year old?"

Charlie sighed heavily, his forehead hitting the table with a thunk.

XoooX

Cleo and Charlie entered the museum as Rebecca was leaving, looking on the verge of tears. Larry was calling out after her, before sighing, his shoulders slumping.

"What did you do?" Charlie asked, wondering what he could have done to have sent the tour guide into such a state, and Larry just waved a hand.

"It was a...a stupid idea." He managed. "Not important. I should go get Nicky."

"Nicky's here?" Cleo's expression immediately brightened at that tidbit and Charlie had to smile. The two were best friends, in a way that wasn't as odd as the friendship Charlie had with Kira and Amos. They shared interests and hobbies, although Nicky tended to lean more towards hockey and sports whereas Cleo was much more into museums and books. Still, they were both smart kids, and remarkably well behaved. Or, at least, better behaved than Charlie's friends.

"He's in the office." Before Larry could even finish, Cleo was dashing off to get her friend, leaving Charlie and Larry alone.

"Ok, what really happened with Rebecca?"

"I...I told her about the whole...tablet thing." Larry waved a hand airily, and Charlie resisted the sudden urge to roll his eyes at the stupidity of that move.

"She got offended, right? Thought you were picking on her. Honestly, Mr Daley, who would believe that everything here comes to life at night if they don't see it with their own two eyes?"

"I wasn't thinking." Larry sighed, before seeming to mentally shake himself. "It doesn't matter anymore - what's done is done. I can't change it."

"Apologise to her tomorrow." Charlie suggested. "Even if it was the truth, a sorry can go a long way...as long as it isn't an apology for a possibly illegal action." Larry blinked.

"I don't want to know, do I?"

"No, you really don't."

Fortunately, Nicky and Cleo showed up after Charlie mentioning illegal activities, which was probably the best for everyone involved. Charlie didn't want to have to explain how Kira wasn't going to get arrested for hacking into his laptop because, at this point, he was just resigned to it. Cleo was already bouncing on the balls of her feet, exuding excitement, her face split into a wide smile. At least the two would probably tire eachother out, along with the excitement of the museum coming to life.

"Hi Mr Blake!" Nicky grinned and Charlie returned it.

"How many times do I have to say it's Charlie or Chaz?"

"At least ten more." Cleo answered in Nicky's stead, managing to push herself up to sit on the information desk without any casualties. God, she was growing up. Charlie suddenly felt ridiculously old. "Come on Nicky! This is gonna be awesome!"

"What's gonna be awesome?" Nicky asked his friend, pushing himself up to sit next to her. Cleo's grin impossibly widened.

"You'll see."

It was maybe a minute after sundown when Charlie realised something was terribly wrong. The crease in between Larry's eyebrows and how Cleo's grin had turned into pursed lips clued him in on the fact that they had noticed that nothing - nothing at all - was moving. Only Nicky was oblivious, and he looked slightly annoyed.

"The tablet." Charlie whispered to himself, before cursing loudly and startling the other three. He knew that he would have to go over the 'do not repeat that word' lecture, but right now he was racing towards the Egyptian exhibit, Larry hot on his heels with Cleo tugging Nicky along.

He skidded to a halt outside the Egyptian exhibit and cursed once again. There was no familiar glow, no movement from the jackal statues and the wall behind the sarcophagus was empty.

"How would they have gotten in?" Larry muttered as Cleo stared, whispering information to Nicky to fill him in on what happened every night, judging by the look of disbelief on his face. "We were in the foyer since closing…"

"The loading point." Charlie decided. "If they're wanting to get out with more than just that, the loading bay is probably the easiest place to do that."

They made their way down there, and it was Nicky and Cleo who spotted the trolley, loaded with items including the tablet, that Nicky picked up.

"There is a tablet ." He breathed and Cleo nodded.

"Told you so."

That was when another voice sounded, scarily familiar.

"You shouldn't be here." Charlie managed to not curse yet again as the three old night guards came into view. Cleo backed away, bumping into the trolley and letting out a whimper. Charlie noticed Nicky moving closer to her, using his free hand to grab hers. His heart ached, they were kids.

"Correction - you shouldn't be here." Charlie retorted, hands balling up into fists. "You don't work here anymore."

"Neither does Larry." Reginald said and Nicky turned betrayed eyes to his father.

"Dad, you said you weren't fired."

"I'm not, Nicky. They're lying." Larry explained, eyes narrowed. "They want to steal the tablet."

"Turn the middle piece." Charlie said, eyes flickering to the kids briefly. Cleo looked confused, but her eyes lit up with realisation. Clever little girl, knowing that the inhabitants would fight to keep it, to keep coming to life every night.

"Give it here." Cecil said, and he was now looking desperate. Maybe he'd cottoned on himself. "That's museum property."

"Too bad you're not museum staff." Cleo snarked back, and Nicky turned the middle piece.

The glow shouldn't be as comforting as it was, the sound of elephants from the African exhibit shouldn't be calming, but God it was. Nicky's eyes grew wide, as though he hadn't expected it to work, and Cleo grinned, eyes almost wicked looking.

Her entire expression slackened when the old men cracked their bones, straightening up, Reginald discarding his walking stick.

"What the - ?" Charlie didn't have time to finish his explanation, Larry stepping in front of the three.

"Charlie, take them and go." He said, voice determined. Charlie hesitated. "NOW!"

And Charlie ran, making sure that Nicky and Cleo could keep up with him.

XoooX

Unfortunately, Larry didn't hold the guards off for long enough. When asked, Charlie wouldn't know how they'd managed to get a hold of the tablet - he was too busy trying to catalogue what they still had, and that had been their downfall in the end. Worry about the kids, about the tablet - they were the priorities right now, and he'd disregarded that.

He was so fired.

Now, all four of them, Larry looking worse for wear, were trapped in the Egyptian exhibit. Ahkmenrah was screaming again, the jackal guards staring at them, and to Charlie's surprise it was Cleo who spoke up.

"Why haven't you let him out?"

"There's a curse -" Larry started and Cleo scoffed.

"There was no curse on Ahkmenrah's tomb." She retorted. "Besides, even if there was, most curses aren't really real, and it would only have been on the actual tomb."

"And you know this how?" Cleo shot Larry a scathing look and it took all of Charlie's restraint not to laugh.

"I read." She said. "Come on! If you let him out, he can get us out of here! He'll want his tablet back - he'll help us!"

"Here goes." Charlie muttered, before darting towards the sarcophagus, managing to dodge the spears that plunged downwards and, instead of pausing to talk as usual, began to shove at the stone on top. Larry joined him a split second later and, together, they managed to push it off, freeing the sarcophagus from it's complete confinement. The lid flew off, crashing into the wall and the mummy, encased in bandages, sat up.

It took Charlie maybe a millisecond to speak.

"Hey, it's Charlie, can you call off your jackal guards please?" He did not flinch when the head turned towards him, bandages covering it. Ahkmenrah spoke something in Egyptian, and the Jackals retreated to their original positions, standing guard, and Charlie sighed heavily. "Thank you."

Ahkmenrah's head whipped back to him, and groaning sounded, muffled noises as the pharaoh began to rise. Charlie heard Larry scramble back towards the kids, but Charlie stayed still.

Bandages, wrapped around his eyes and mouth and nose. He was alive and couldn't see, could barely make a noise other than his yelling, could maybe just about hear them. Charlie sucked in a breath, and took a step forward.

"Chaz?" Cleo's voice was small, scared, and Charlie shushed her.

"It's ok." He said, and the groaning stopped. "It's alright. Here, you'll want that off, won't you? I've got it. I'll manage it. Start's at the top, right?"

"Charlie…" Larry sounded unsure, but Charlie didn't't care. Fifty four years, he thought, as he found the loose end and babbled on about how it was fine, how he was nearly done.

When Ahkmenrah was finally free from the neck up, the first thing Charlie noticed was the puff of dust that hit him. Trapped in the mummy's lungs, making it hard to breathe even if he didn't suffer from a panic attack every night.

The second was that the mummy was not...well, like a mummy. He was ridiculously attractive, with bronze skin and slightly short dark hair and his eyes were hazel, more green than Charlie had imagined. It was silly, he thought, to think he would look like a mummy from cheap hollywood movies, all rotting flesh. He came alive - that meant skin and blood and whatever else. He wondered if his heart beat, and brushed that thought aside.

"Hey." Charlie managed, and he was graced with a brilliant smile.

"Hello, Charlie Blake." Ahkmenrah said, the first words he had truly spoken that Charlie could understand. "It is good to finally see your face."

XoOoX

Bit shorter than my other ones, but I figured there was a good place to end. Nearly done with movie one, The Smithsonian will deviate more from canon, and will definitely feature Charlie's sister. There will probably be an interlude in between the two movies - the years in between - but it will be more of a filler than anything.

Turning 21 a week this Saturday, eek! I'd like to update at least one other fic before then, but as usual, don't expect much - I'm still working.

Anyway, enjoy! - Jazz xx