Evelyn could hear Jonathan bustling around the room later that morning, packing away their last bit of belongings before leaving for the ship that would take them up the Nile. The journey to London would be a series of boat trips and train rides. Evelyn knew it wouldn't be easy on her. She kept her eyes closed, trying to enjoy the calming silence for a while longer before Jonathan awoke her and brought her back into the real world. She rested and let her thoughts wander as Jonathan, for once in his life, did all the work. Jonathan's hand shook Evelyn's shoulder a few moments later.

"Come on, I know you're awake!" He said, a small chuckle hanging around his words. Evelyn smiled and then sat up.

"You know me too well, you cheeky little git." She said, hugging his neck

"Well, good morning to you too!" He said sarcastically, returning her hug sincerely. They parted and Evelyn looked at Jonathan with a smile that had the slightest hint of uneasiness.

"You ready?" She asked

"As soon as you're dressed, we're out of here."

Evelyn sighed resignedly and slid out of bed, "Give me a moment or two, I'll be out in a minute."

Jonathan nodded and headed out the door, attempting to take the luggage with him. After a few moments of him struggling with the load, he finally shut the door. Evelyn sighed once more and moved uneasily to her armoire. She dressed herself carefully, using a chair for support through the process. She slid on her skirt and belted it. After putting on her shirt carefully, she slid on her shoes and began wobbling towards the door.

She met her brother out in the hallway and began looking around for Rick.

"Where's...?"

"He's down in the bar waiting. You ready?"

"Yes."

She followed her brother downstairs and met Rick in the bar, just where Jonathan had said he'd be. Getting up to help with their bags, Rick smiled once at Evelyn and heaved a bundle of luggage under his arm and began walking towards the door. Jonathan and Evelyn followed to the car where Rick stacked Evelyn's trunk in the back seat and laid Jonathan's bag on top of it. He threw his bag in next and then turned to Evelyn.

Evelyn had been caught in a state of deep though and Rick's abrupt turn startled her. Her green eyes darted upwards, stopping only when they met with his. They shared a small smile and Evelyn suddenly felt strange. For a moment, it felt like it was before. Before Rick had rescued her from a dead city's curse, before Jonathan had stopped swiping his stuff, before they knew each other. He was so rough and unclean. But she remembered those blue eyes. Before all of this, that is what she knew of him. And after everything, she finally knew what it meant when he looked at her like that. And why she couldn't look away.

Rick gently bundled her in his arms one more time before helping her into the car. The routine was startling, moving on to the next part of his life but with a partner. Maybe even a family. The thought never appealed to him much, at least not before. He always saw himself as alone, dependent on no one but himself. He smiled once and stepped into the car after Evelyn as Jonathan drove to the docks.

After arriving at the docks, Rick got out of the car and the turned to ease Evelyn out of the seat. Evelyn had never been one to let someone help her. As fragile as she might have appeared, she could handle herself. If not in a camp site in an ancient Egyptian city with curses flying about, ressurected mummies playing in the tombs, and gunfire richocheting in the near distance... she could at least manage to get out of a car on her own. And even though she was hurt, normally she would not let a man help her out of a car. A man may be stronger but she could read and write ancient Egyptian! Decipher glyphic AND hieratic! But that didn't matter anymore. At least not towards how she felt with Rick. Even back when he was O'Connell, she would let him help her. Maybe because she felt he needed to save someone, maybe he HAD to be the protector. Or maybe she just loved him enough to give in, and let herself be loved as well.

Rick helped Jonathan unload the car and then tried to usher them towards the small ship now docked on the bank. Jonathan resisted, looking back at the car with a sad glimmer dancing in his eyes. That was his car! The only thing concrete to his possession, even if he did maybe steal it.

"Jonathan!"

"HOLD ON!" He begged, his voice cracking and choking. He put a hand on the car and caressed the car's scratched and battered surface.

"Goodbye, old girl. Maybe in the next life..."

Rick and Evelyn looked at each other, and with a slight roll of their eyes they let Jonathan finish his passionate goodbye with the machine.

After Rick finally managed to lure Jonathan away from the car which they were abandoning there, he carried the majority of the luggage (including Evelyn's trunk), walking behind Evelyn to make sure she had the least amount of trouble possible. She struggled up the ramp, but she fought to make it up to the barge. When she finally reached the deck, she let out a huge sigh of pain and accomplishment. Rick smiled as he came up on the deck behind her, that was his girl.

They got their luggage situated and the modest ship departed from the dock heading up the river. Jonathan had taken to playing cards with anyone who would sit down with him. It helped him pass the time. Evelyn was sitting near the edge on the upper deck, looking at the water splashing against the sides of the small vessel. She contented herself with finding a rhythm with the waves and matching it with her thoughts. She felt two large hands fall on her shoulders. She placed her own on top of Rick's and leaned her head back against his torso, taking comfort in his very solid presence.

"How're you holding up?"

"I'm holding." She said with a small smile, the fatigue in her voice growing.

"Did you want to go lay down?"

"No... It's calmer up here. I was going to sit for ahwhile."

"Do you want me to go?"

"Are you mad?"

Rick smiled and sat beside her, seeing the content look on her face. He carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace.

"So I guess this is the next step?" Rick said, a small bit of uncertainty lingering in his words.

"I wouldn't say steps... more of a drunken attempt at dancing." Evelyn said playfully. Rick laughed, finding comfort in her humor, which was still something he wasn't quite used to yet.

"Right," he said

"Right," she agreed.

"Here we go." Rick said as Evelyn's head fell on his shoulder. He thought one more time about the desert they were leaving behind and the safety of sameness that it had held for him for so long. The only constant he had. Then he thought about the uncertainty he was heading for, and the confidence he had for the outcome.

Here we go. He thought as Evelyn fell asleep in his arms.

End.