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Samuel Beckett finally arrived at the departure gate. Mixed emotions swirled around him. He should have been just another student, but the fact he'd already earned a Ph.D. -- despite his young age -- had gotten him bumped up to faculty advisor when the professor had been called away on a family emergency. Bumped wasn't the right word… blackmailed -- that worked better. The trip would be canceled if he refused.
Sam sighed deeply. As far as he was concerned, advisor meant the same thing as baby-sitter -- and when he got a good look at what was waiting for him, he knew he was right. Jocks! Lots of them -- way too easily identifiable on sight -- horsed around the waiting area. Somehow he'd been saddled with jocks!
He frowned. This should have been a class of academics, heading to study the language, hieroglyphics and culture of ancient Egypt, but he'd heard rumors the football department had wangled some of the senior team on this trip as a reward for a great year. He prayed Professor Devlin could work through his crisis and join them soon -- then he wondered briefly if there even were a crisis.
Sam shook that thought from his head. The Prof was way too nice a guy to do that to him -- or anyone else.
Dropping his bag onto a seat, he pulled out the class notes delivered just moments before he'd left for the airport. There really wasn't much structure to it. Some museum trips, the pyramids, a few university archive tours -- and then what he knew most were on the trip for -- the several free days when they could go anywhere they wanted. Sam knew the resorts along the Nile were calling those frat boys.
He began to thumb through the paperwork. He knew six of the names from his other classes, but five were unfamiliar to him. That had to be them. Sam stopped. Immediately he decided an attitude adjustment was necessary. This outing had been all he could think of since he'd started his Linguistics curriculum -- the pyramids, the Sphinx, the antiquities… just being half-way across the world from where he'd started. He loved his home and his family, but the dairy in Indiana never could have held all his dreams and hopes. And this would be his first trip out of the country.
No, he would have a great time no matter what happened. If any of his students -- he still shuddered at the term -- weren't there to learn, as long as they didn't get in his way, he didn't care.
Sam turned to gather his traveling companions' attention, when an envelope dropped to the floor. It was addressed to him -- in hieroglyphics. Sam grinned. It had to be from Professor Devlin.
Dear Sam, it read in English and very hastily scrawled. I tried to reach you last night before I left, but you weren't there. I needed to let you know about one of the boys who was to be my guest. He's not a student at the university yet, but I caught him trying to sneak into the school library's restricted area so he could read some of the older volumes -- in their original languages no less. I don't believe it was his first visit. He's very brilliant but quite shy. Please help him. You and he were to make this trip worthwhile for me and I apologize I've had to bail. Hope I can join you soon. Prof Devlin P.S. His name is Daniel.
Sam re-read the note. "He's not a student at the university… yet." Sam scanned the occupants of the gate's boarding area. "Oh boy," he declared softly to himself, spotting the lone figure in the corner, immediately recognizing his charge.
Sam studied him for a few minutes. The boy couldn't have been more than 16, probably younger. The shaggy blond head buried in the very large book on the Pharaohs of Egypt occasionally bobbed up. He grabbed a notebook out of his worn carry-on, obviously scribbling notes to himself. Then he stuffed the pad back in the luggage and re-buried his head in the book, pushing the wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose as they slipped down. His clothes were a little too big for him and -- Sam knew all too well from being a little brother -- were obviously hand-me-downs.
Brows knit together, Sam saw his side excursion to the Valley of the Kings and some of the less-touristy spots disappearing into thin air. He couldn't leave this kid alone while he went off traipsing into the wilds of a foreign country and he hardly thought the boy would want to go to the places Sam did. But the professor liked him, so Sam steeled himself to make the best of the situation.
He sat down beside Daniel. "Hey," he finally said when the boy didn't seem to notice him there.
Without looking up, Daniel pulled the pencil out from between his teeth. "Did you know they're excavating parts of Amarna right now?" He spoke excitedly, and in a lecture mode, as though Sam had asked a question. He turned the text towards Sam, pointing to the sculpture of a distorted looking Pharaoh. "Maybe they'll even find out what made the artists of Akhenaten's reign depict him…" Daniel's voice trailed off and he finally glanced up, suddenly realizing he didn't know this stranger.
"Daniel?" Sam asked, he held out his hand in greeting, trying to break the ice. "I'm Sam Beckett."
"Please, Dr. Beckett," Daniel whispered, his eyes shifted to some of the other occupants of the room. "You've-gotta-let-me-go. I-won't-be-a-bother -- I promise! And-I-can-help-do-anything-you-want." His words ran together, tumbling over each other as he pleaded his case.
"Whoa, first things first… slow down." Sam smiled what he hoped would come across as encouragement. "Second… Daniel, right?"
The boy nodded, his hair flopping about his face as he did so.
"Okay," Sam continued. "Now, who says you aren't going?"
Daniel's gaze shifted back to the crowd. "No one," he mumbled.
Sam noted one of the louder athletes was heading their way.
Rising to his feet, Daniel lifted his head defiantly as the guy approached. Sam almost laughed. This kid might be shy, but he wasn't going to let a bully get the better of him. He wished he'd been present for their first encounter.
"Hey, no one talks to geek-boy," the senior announced with authority, poking at Daniel. "Devlin's not here and we're not playin' with teacher's pet."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sam began, standing up. "But that would be, no one talks to geek-boy, Doctor Beckett," he cheerfully informed, consulting his list of students. "And you would be…?"
"Oh, uh, Dean," the guy sputtered, glancing around for some help from his buddies who'd been watching but now had better things to do.
"And another thing, Dean," Sam said, leaning in and quietly making his point. "I'm not regular faculty. I don't have to play any political games. You can be sent home at any time."
Sam sat down, dismissing the student without another word. "You were saying, Danny?" he asked, showing the youngest member of the group the respect he expected from everyone, but hesitated at the reaction the nickname caused.
"You don't like 'Danny'?" he queried, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot.
"It's okay," he slowly answered. "Only my parents… no one's called me that in a long time."
"I'm sorry," Sam apologized.
"It's okay. I don't mind."
"Still, I'll try and remember," Sam promised. He could see it made the boy uncomfortable.
Picking up the book from his chair, Daniel slowly resumed his seat, watching the bully retreat. "People like him don't give up," he stated, the sound of experience deep in his voice.
"Yep. And that's why you and I are making a pact." He placed a hand on Daniel's wrist to get his attention. "You check my back for 'kick me' signs and I'll check yours."
Daniel stared, for a second unsure of how to take the offer. Then his lips turned up slightly and he nodded. "Okay, Dr. Beckett."
"It's Sam," he informed his new friend, then he watched as half the jock squad waved farewell and left the area. "Your parents didn't come to see you off?" he asked.
"Fo--foster parents," Daniel supplied, burying his attention further into the book.
Sam stared down at the bent head. "Oh." Daniel had obviously said all he would say without prompting on the subject and Sam wasn't sure if he should go any further. "So, Dr. Devlin said you speak a few languages?" he questioned, hoping to draw the young man out from where he'd retreated.
Daniel peered over his glasses, uncertain of what to supply. "Oh, well, uh, a few," he began. "Ancient Egyptian and Greek, French, German," Daniel listed. "Oh, of course Latin, and some others. I've been trying to learn everything about the Mayans -- and Aztecs -- but it's a little hard on my own." He thought for a moment. "That's all."
"That's all?" Sam loved the absurdity of the statement. "I think that's enough. I thought I was pretty hot knowing Egyptian, Latin and French." He paused, wrinkling his forehead in thought. "How old are you? Fifteen?"
Daniel's head shot up. "Sixteen!" he protested automatically. "…almost," he muttered under his breath.
"Sixteen…? Well, I have to go organize the Neanderthal's and make sure everything's in order," Sam explained. "But then I'll be back and we'll get to the Amarna digs."
"I'll be ready," Daniel promised seriously, pulling out his paper to study his notes.
The newly appointed teacher leaned in and smiled. "There won't be a test, we can just talk -- about anything you want. Fun talk."
His eyes went wide with delight. "The Valley of the Kings?" he asked hopefully.
Sam laughed. "Done." He walked over to the other students.
* * *
"Wait!" Daniel declared, holding up his hand excitedly. "Wait…" He bent as far forward as he could with the constraints of the seat belt, finally having to give up and unbuckle the annoying device. He dropped to one knee and rifled through his duffel, oblivious to the fact he now blocked the main aisle.
Sam studied him digging through the bag, amazed at what the boy had managed to drag with him. He'd attempted to pick it up and swore he could feel himself herniate. The thing was heavy! And full of books on every aspect of ancient Egyptian life -- all in the original language of the author, whether it was English, French, German or modern day Arabic. And Daniel could read them all.
Professor Devlin had been right. Daniel was brilliant. Unfortunately, Sam would have classified him in the genius category. Something he wouldn't wish on an adult, let alone a child -- of sixteen -- he corrected himself.
And he was quite the contradiction -- painfully insecure until you got him on one of his favorite topics. Then he'd open up and talk to anyone who would listen -- as long as they would listen.
Sam had gone through that himself, though he had never been quite as withdrawn. But he'd had his family to support him -- especially an older, popular, athletic brother who made sure Sam was never left out.
But Daniel seemed to have no one. Sam had taken an instant liking to the boy, vowing that this would no longer be the case.
* * *
Four days in Egypt and Sam thought things were going well No serious problems, even with the football guys, had cropped up. And though they might not be taking the learning part seriously, they weren't making trouble either. Sam suspected they were all biding their time until they could go wild at the tourist resorts that dotted the Nile. Even Dean was behaving.
And the guys were getting better -- they'd only lost Daniel once in the last day and a half. Sam smiled to himself, fairly certain that time hadn't been exactly deliberate either. The boy had a way of losing himself faster than anyone he'd ever known. Luckily he'd made some noise or they never would have found him under the coffin -- trying to read the hieroglyphics there. Daniel's thirst for knowledge seemed insatiable.
Sam examined the sarcophagus again, trying to decipher the worn, ancient writings. He shook his head and gave up. Still too new at this, he needed help to come up with the right answers.
He needed Daniel. He wondered in which direction of the Cairo museum his charge could have wandered off.
He didn't have far to go. A small group had gathered around the mummy exhibit and were listening intently to Daniel speak. One older gentleman looked amused -- as though this scholarly stuff coming out of someone so young was just too funny -- but the majority of the others appeared genuinely interested.
"It was only by luck so many pharaohs survived from any of the dynasties," Daniel continued without a pause. "Tomb robbing in ancient times was far more prevalent than you would think, considering they were stealing from their gods." Daniel shook his head at the amazing fact and pointed out some of the inscriptions. "Most of the famous pharaohs were gathered up into one burial chamber in…" His voice trailed off as he read the placards attached to the exhibit. "Oh… oh, this is all wrong." He climbed awkwardly over the barriers meant to keep the tourists away from the priceless artifacts. A hush fell over the gallery
Sam tried to get to Daniel through the throng of people before anyone official noticed. Unfortunately the guard had a clearer access.
"Excuse me, sir," the guard began, more politely than Sam would have expected.
Daniel held up one finger, his back still to the crowd. "One… one minute." He concentrated on trying to get the labels right.
"Sir…" The man nodded to several security officers when Daniel didn't retreat and they entered the roped off area, instantly restraining Daniel.
"Hey!" Daniel protested. "They're wrong. If you'll give me a minute, I can fix this," he explained rationally, wanting to return to finish what he'd started, despite the fact he was being hauled away.
Sam hurried after them. "Wait, please," he tried to reason. "He meant no harm."
"You're with the boy?" the guard asked. "Please come with us -- with no protest."
Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Of course," he agreed. Oh boy.
They sat in the security office, monitors showing the different angles of the museum played behind them.
"Daniel, maybe you should apologize," Sam suggested hopefully. "Maybe they won't press charges."
Daniel kept his eyes locked with the security chief's. "Sam, they're wrong." He folded his arms stubbornly across his chest. "I saw Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaohs listed as Twenty-First Dynasty -- and who knows what other ones are mixed up," Daniel recited the horrible deeds. "They're wrong," he stated with finality.
A man walked in and interrupted Daniel's staring match.
"Please, outside." He indicated Sam and the head of security.
"I am the curator here," he introduced himself politely to Sam.
"Look, I know he shouldn't have done it, but really, Daniel didn't mean any harm," Sam started. "Is it really necessary to get the police involved?"
"No, I think we can handle this here."
"Sir?" the security officer guard objected.
"The boy was right. They are wrong." The man chuckled. "We believe it was done by accident, maybe by a cleaning crew, but… we will correct it ourselves," he emphasized. "Would that be acceptable to our young friend?"
Sam sighed with relief. "I think as long as he knows it'll be fixed…" He needed to tell Daniel, though he wasn't sure if Daniel really understood what kind of trouble he could have gotten into. Genius -- yes… but so focused… nothing seemed to exist outside when he got like this.
"Good." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I knew the boy's parents."
Sam's full attention came back to the man.
"They were the ones killed in the New York Museum about… ten years ago," he related. "They were crushed under a massive stone structure they were erecting. The boy was there when it happened. I think he's had enough tragedy, we don't need to make a small mishap into something more," he explained.
"Of course. I remember that," the chief of security sympathized.
Sam's thoughts went to the young man. No wonder he wouldn't talk about his parents.
Sam shook himself out of his reverie. "So, we're free to go?" he asked. "Are we banned from the museum?" He cringed at the thought. He may not have asked for this assignment, but it wouldn't look good for his class to get themselves and future students shut out of one of the most important museums in Egypt.
"No," the director said. "But you tell the boy if he finds any more mistakes, he is to come see me and I will personally take care of it. No more unauthorized excursions."
"Got it," Sam agreed.
The curator started to leave, but returned a second later. "Will you be going to the Valley of the Kings?"
"We're hoping to," Sam stated.
"I know the man in charge. I'll arrange for you to have full access to any tomb there." He continued at Sam's questioning stare. "I liked the boys parents." He put simply, then turned and walked off.
* * *
"But Sam, they were wrong," Daniel repeated, strolling through the crowded marketplace.
Sam added stubborn to his mental list of shy and insecure. "And they corrected it."
Daniel paused for a moment. "Would they have listened to me?" he challenged. "Could I have gotten to someone who would have done anything?" He continued walking. "It all worked out."
Daniel had a point, but Sam needed to get through to him. Luckily, none of the rest of the class seemed to know what had happened. They'd heard about the commotion, but no one had tied it to their youngest member. Instead, they were far more excited about shopping -- especially the football members. Every chance they had, they were spending money.
"Yes, but…" Sam suddenly found himself surrounded by several merchants, trying to sell him things he didn't want. He watched Daniel continue on, unsure if the young man was aware he was no longer talking to anyone.
Sam broke away from the rug merchant and hurried through the throng, catching up just in time to see and hear Daniel approach Dean.
"You're going to pay how much for that?" Daniel asked the quarterback, questioning his judgement. "Can I see it?" Daniel flipped it over in his palm. "I think if you got a magnifying glass, you'd see a Chinese symbol right here." He pointed to a little dot.
"You're kidding." Dean squinted at the mark. "He was gonna rip me off," he snarled.
Daniel shrugged. "You just need to know how to barter and how to find the good stuff." He handed the non-artifact back. "If you still like it, I can probably get you a good price."
"Yeah?" the football player asked suspiciously, then smiled. "Yeah, that'd be good."
Daniel bobbed his head in acknowledgement. Turning he began speaking in the merchant's native tongue, surprising both the man and Dean. After much arm waving and gesturing, Daniel announced, "Pay the man." He began to leave, but Dean grabbed his sleeve.
"Just a second." Dean finished the transaction, throwing an arm around the young man's shoulder. "You and me are gonna shop 'til we drop." He dragged Daniel off deeper into the market.
* * *
Sam leapt back as the wad of saliva came hurling towards his head with more velocity than would have been expected from just a casual spit. He eyed the camel suspiciously. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn the animal had something against him. The ship of the desert appeared not to even notice Sam existed, let alone hold some secret grudge. Sam glanced away, then quickly returned his gaze, but the beast still seemed indifferent.
"How 'bout it?" he asked Daniel, finally satisfied it wasn't personal.
"Oh," Daniel began. "No, uh, no. I couldn't." He looked around to see who might be watching. "That's for tourists, Sam," he exclaimed almost under his breath.
Sam's face lit up. "And that's what we are today." He patted his young companion's shoulder. "We've done the museums and the libraries and the universities. Today we get to play at Giza," he declared enthusiastically. "Tomorrow, you and I ditch the unbelievers and hit the really exciting places. But today -- we mingle with the rabble." He waved his hand to encompass the Giza Plateau, nodding specifically at the rest of their group, most of whom seemed content upon dealing with the local merchants who lined the roadways for great treasures and bargains.
"I'll go first," Sam offered. To prove his sincerity, he stepped up to the kneeling beast and awkwardly climbed on its back.
The vendor positioned the human and animal until they were "just right" and retreated a few paces, angling himself to get the sun and the pyramids and, most importantly, the paying customer all into view. Sam grinned broadly from the back of his mount, waiting for his picture to be taken.
"It was easy," Sam coaxed, easing himself to the ground. "Practically painless. Now your turn…"
Daniel unconsciously took a step back.
Sam sighed heavily. "You're not getting out of this," he announced in a mock serious tone. "Let's just get it over with."
Daniel finally agreed, cautiously climbing into the saddle. Startled, a "humph" escaped him as the animal automatically stood up without anyone's prompting.
"Relax and enjoy yourself," Sam told him grinning.
Daniel lifted a hand in rueful acknowledgement. The camel beneath him slumped and he hastily placed it back on the pommel. Raising blue eyes, he studied the vista before him. A smile burst across his face as a thought struck him.
"Sam," he called excitedly. "Sam, I'm on a camel -- in Egypt -- at Giza! Do you think this is what it must have been like back then? "They… they must have looked up from this very sight and seen exactly the same view." He shift around in his seat, now oblivious to his precarious mount. "Look at that! The way the pyramids are arranged! The way the sun shines through them! The Sphinx… They had… had to have seen it from here."
He twisted towards Sam again and the photographer snapped his picture, but Daniel didn't even notice. The camel deposited him safely to the ground and continued with his midday snack, unimpressed with the revelations Daniel was having."
"What it must have been like, Sam." He stared off toward the monuments. "To build something you knew would last forever… that would never die…" His words trailed off.
"You will please write down your hotel and name and I will deliver your pictures," the merchant informed Sam.
"Of course." Sam paid the man, joining Daniel to look out over the valley floor. Sam cocked his head. "C'mon. Let's climb the great pyramid."
Daniel nodded eyes still locked forward even as he turned to lead the way The solid stone monuments looked as if they had always been there.. And, in fact, they nearly had been. If you tilted your head just right, and maybe squinted a little, it was possible to block out the arriving tour busses and occasional car and, as Daniel had said, imagine the view as unchanged for the last several thousand years. A view made by man.
He laughed silently to himself. It was enough to give you chills. He gestured to the biggest structure.
* * *
The electric lights wowed in and out like every, old cheap mummy movie Sam had ever seen. But at least they were out of the sun. He had always considered himself in good shape -- a belief he'd abandoned about half-way up Giza's highest monument, though heartened by the fact that his supposedly athletic students hadn't faired any better.
Of course, Daniel had wound his way up the stones as though gravity and a thinning atmosphere meant nothing to his young, gangly body. Sam had originally believed the rigors of this part of the trip might be too much for the boy who seemed decidedly bookish. Now he knew his notions were unfounded, still unsure if it was muscle or enthusiasm that powered the young man towards the heavens.
At least the same gravity that had fought them the whole way up had also assisted in their descent. Sam wiped at the sweat that had gathered against the back of his neck, and briefly wondered if his next doctoral thesis -- the one after linguistics of course -- should be on the permanent brain damage sustained from exerting too much energy when there was too little oxygen available and the sun was beating down far too hot.
But that didn't really matter any more. They were inside -- away from the sun -- and the coolness washed over him in gentle relief. He smiled briefly as he heard Daniel's voice a little ways off mingled amongst the tour guides.
Sam took in one more deep breath and stood to join Daniel and the other students. Several of his charges who'd collapsed beside him groaned and grudgingly got to their feet to follow. They all trudged down the corridor when a cry grabbed their attention.
Running forward, Sam found Daniel laying on the ground unmoving, Dean beside him and his glasses missing -- the rest of the tour formed an uneven circle around them.
"I didn't mean to startle him…" Dean began, panic creeping into his voice. "I just… I didn't mean to scare him… I was just kidding around. I swear."
"What'd you do, moron?" one of the students asked.
"Leave the kid alone," another said angrily.
Sam knelt beside the boy, feeling for a pulse. It was strong, and then Daniel's eyelids began to flutter. Sam helped him sit up.
"You okay?" he asked.
Daniel squinted at the faces around him. He started groping for his lost glasses.
"Here." Dean handed Daniel his slightly bent spectacles. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt, I swear."
Daniel replaced the wayward glasses. With the frames bent, he had to lean his head back to properly see through them, looking down his nose with his mouth open. "Rock," he declared, scrunching his mouth up. "Didn't see it." He glanced away from the crowd, embarrassed by the attention. "I'm fine," he declared quietly. "Really." Daniel peered up into Sam's face, silently pleading for help.
Sam turned. "Thanks for your concern. Everything's fine here," he announced, dispersing the gathering. He extended his hand to help Daniel stand. "We were done anyway. Let's get back to the hotel."
Daniel frowned but didn't fight Sam as he led their group out of the ancient structure.
* * *
Sam tapped lightly at the door of Daniel's room, carefully pushing it open as he did so. He sighed and shook his head. The ice-filled cloth that should have been helping to reduce the goose egg at the back of Daniel's skull lay abandoned on the floor, melted water soaked into the carpet unnoticed. Sam also seemed to be getting the same ignored results. He cleared his throat.
Startled, Daniel's head flew up and he threw the covers over the books spread across the mattress.
"You're supposed to be resting," Sam scolded. "Not studying."
Daniel drew in a breath to speak, then frowned, cocking his head to the side. "I'm in bed," he finally defended himself.
Sam chuckled despite himself. "Does that work at home?" he asked.
"I don't get caught at home," Daniel advised. "Besides, this is restful to me. I can't just do nothing."
Sam nodded. "The mind won't shut down, even when the body wants to," he sympathized, leaning over to pick up the cloth from the floor. He dropped it into the sink and returned to sit on the edge of the bed.
"I understand that," Sam continued. "It'll be four in the morning and you suddenly realize that one last chapter has turned into the whole book, you've written the paper due next week and you're still awake." He pulled in a sharp breath. "But I'm a little older now and not too much better, but the age will slow you down." He chuckled. "When you get to be my age, you'll realize when it's three in the morning."
Daniel stood and paced to the window. With his hands dug deep into his pockets and his shoulders hunched, he peered out into the desert night.
Sam knew something amiss with his new friend. "What's wrong?" he asked finally after a long silence.
"Why… why do you…" Daniel began to look at Sam but stopped and immediately returned his attention to the darkness before continuing. "… put up with me?" he asked, his shoulders slumped a little further.
"You can't believe that…" Sam protested incredulously. "Danny, you can't believe that."
"My foster family puts up with me. They're not bad people, but they don't know what to do with me," he answered, his back still to Sam.
"Oh boy." He exhaled quietly. "Danny, I swear there is no putting up with you." Sam searched the air as if the right thing to say would appear there.
Daniel twisted, words tumbling forth. "Sam, I almost got arrested at the museum and you had to cut your trip to Giza short because of me." He raised his eyebrows at what he knew to be the truth, almost daring Sam to argue with him. "And you're stuck dragging me around while everyone else is going to be partying." He moved to fully face Sam, he folded his arms reflexively across his chest. "You don't have to take me tomorrow," he began quickly. "I could stay here and just read. I wouldn't get into any trouble and you wouldn't have to worry about me."
Sam stood and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I'll give you the museum," he agreed. "You really need to learn proper channels, but you weren't arrested, you were right, and everything's labeled correctly now…" He nodded encouragingly. "Your accident -- was just that, and if anyone's to blame it would be Dean." Sam shrugged. "But I really don't think he meant any harm so we're back to that being an accident." Sam cleared his throat. "That leaves our private tour of the Valley of the Kings and Amarna and maybe Thebes and whatever else we can fit in." He paused. "I can't imagine seeing them without your insights. This trip, with the others only, would have been so… awful. Daniel, you're enthusiasm is infectious. I like your company," he declared genuinely. "I have a great time when you're not being hauled away or getting lost or knocked out." He let that sink in and returned to the bed to straighten out the books. "You do need to try and get some sleep," Sam chided. "That was a pretty nasty fall." He pulled the bedspread back to gather up the remaining books.
He paused when he picked up the worn paperback so different from the scholarly ancient texts surrounding it. Sam turned it over in his hands. "Chariots of the Gods?" he asked, a smirk played on his lips.
Daniel flushed, tightening the grip he had across his torso, but his gaze never left Sam.
"This stuff is so far out." Sam grinned. He flipped through the pages that supposedly proved Von Daniken's belief of ancient astronauts. Then he noticed the highlighted and folded pages with the voluminous notes in the margin. His eyes went wide and he grimaced at his careless words.
In the few days he'd known Daniel, he'd never known him to have fights of fancy -- dreams and ambitions yes, but Daniel was very practical, especially when it came to his archeology.
"So…" Sam prompted.
"It's just a book," Daniel answered.
Sam shook his head. "Not to you…"
Daniel didn't say anything.
"It's hard being smart -- the geek..." Sam supplied more than questioned. "Never quite fitting in…"
Sam noted the barely visible acknowledgement from the boy.
"I've been there, Daniel," he supplied.
Daniel threw Sam an incredulous look.
"I was the boy genius -- in farm country -- where the only important thing is the land and livestock." He smiled at the memories.
"But… but you're… people… no. People like you," Daniel stuttered.
"Sorry to disappoint you -- pocket-protector geek at heart -- honest." Sam raised his hand in a pledge. "If it hadn't been for my brother, I might not have made it. He kept me on an even keel and made sure I followed my dreams." His eyes saddened. "I wish you could have known him. He was killed in Vietnam."
"I'm sorry, Sam." Daniel dropped his arms to his sides, and took a step forward. "I really am sorry," he reiterated.
"Yeah. He would have liked you," Sam assessed, shaking himself out of his reverie. "I got through it, and you can too, but you have to believe in yourself.
Daniel still seemed unsure. Sam took a deep breath and steeled himself. Maybe he wasn't quite as sure of himself as he'd liked to believe, but now was no time to show those doubts. "Daniel, do you think it's possible to change our lives?" he began, breaking the silence.
Daniel nodded, his brow wrinkling in confusion at the change of subject.
"Our past?" Sam continued. "To change what's already happened?"
Daniel blinked, his mouth opened slightly as he thought. "Nooo… the past is… the past…," he answered suspiciously.
"What about precognition? Deja vu? Prophesies? Our world has a long history of people with these abilities."
"Oracles," Daniel added slowly, though still not sure what was being discussed. "But those are stories -- they're based in fact, but the myths and legends were written after the events… the foretellings were included with the retellings."
"What if that's not the case? What if they had an advantage…?" Sam challenged. "What if… what if you could move through the past, using your own life as a guide." Sam surveyed the room for something to use as illustration. He grabbed up a string hanging out of Daniel's luggage.
"This is your life." Sam held up the twine. "Birth. Death." He pointed to the opposite sides, then he twisted it around and matched up the ends. "I think…" He stopped, pursing his lips before continuing. "I think our lives are a circle.. and we should be able to move across it in whatever way we want. There's been documentation that some quantum particles may do this. Why not other things…?"
"And…?" Daniel asked, his eyes lit with the possibilities.
"That's as far as I've gotten," Sam confessed. "There's something more and… it's just outside my grasp."
"Daniel nodded, holding out his hand for Sam's model. "What if…" He held it out, ends dangling off the palm of his hand. "What if the cord overlapped in areas?"
Sam took back the string and wadded it into a ball. "You need to bend one section to touch another. Then you should be able to slide back and forth…" he finished Daniel's thought. Sam grinned broadly at his companion. "It's a good idea," he stated enthusiastically, then chuckled. "Now all I have to do is work out how, the equations, the applications, the funding… no sweat," he announced dramatically.
"Oh," Daniel stated, his face tinged with a bit of sadness. "Oh… No Caesar parading into Rome… no Ramses at the Red Sea… no meeting Montezuma before Cortes…"
"You'd be confined to your own lifetime," Sam acknowledged. "But wouldn't that still be incredible?"
"Yeah," Daniel agreed a little less enthusiastic.
"What if you had a chance to change something in your own life? That one moment that would have made all the difference."
Daniel sat heavily on the bed, lost in thought. "But… but as much as you want to, should you? It could change everything…"
"I've thought of that." Sam briefly gazed off into his deepest thoughts. "But first I have to get it to work." He laughed. "Then I'll worry about the consequences."
"You can do it." Daniel stated simply. Sam was touched by the confidence Daniel extended to him.
Sam smiled slowly. "I know it's crazy but in my heart… I know it's possible. I know I can do it," he declared resolutely. "Daniel, you're the only one I've told," he confessed, quirking his head sideways questioning. "But it's not because I don't believe in myself. Can you imagine how far I'd get if I went up to a professor and told him that was my doctoral thesis? No. I know I have to have more than my gut feeling before I can get anyone to listen. When I do have my proof… watch out," he cautioned enthusiastically.
"Wow." Daniel eyes went wide at the implications, at a rare loss for words.
"So…" Sam reprompted.
Daniel nodded once and took the book from Sam, rifling through the pages until he found a picture. "He hasn't even scratched the surface," Daniel began. He pointed to the famous picture of the Indian purportedly sitting in the cockpit of a spacecraft surrounded by his instrument panel. "What Von Daniken's got here is so little evidence that I can't believe anyone would have published this." He returned it to Sam.
Sam had to smile. Daniel certainly had a gift for taking what was presented and recognizing the truth in mistakes.
"You look at the ancient peoples of Earth and you see… you see… differences." Daniel's hands moved frenetically to emphasize his points. "All I see are similarities. You have to look at the basis for their cultures… their myths and legends… the structure of their buildings -- only diverse because of the availability of building material -- their obsession with the stars… and how almost every single one of them devised a calendar system so intricate, it took millennia for modern man to even recognize what they'd achieved." He swallowed hard. "I look at the pyramids and I just know they served otherworldly purposes. I don't know how, but I just know…" Daniel lifted his head. "Von Daniken's got the right answers, but his proofs are just not right."
Sam raised his eye brow speculatively. "Guess we both have some pretty big expectations for ourselves," Sam assessed, impressed at how well Daniel presented his case. "And you'll do it -- you'll find your evidence, Danny. You just have to believe in yourself -- we both do -- and not let anyone tell us we're crazy."
"I don't know…" Daniel objected.
"I do," Sam declared.
A quiet knock interrupted their conversation.
"Come in," Daniel called, confused at who it might be.
"Hey," Dean said, entering a little hesitantly.
"Hey," Daniel returned.
"I just came to apologize."
Daniel leaned against the wall. He bobbed his head. "No… no problem. It was an accident."
"Doesn't make me feel any better," the jock responded with a grimace. "I was just kinda playin' around and, you know -- scary dark places and stuff…" His voice trailed off as he began digging in his pocket for something. "I know it's probably made in Korea or China or something, but it's kinda neat looking and the guy that sold it to me said it was good luck… and I just… you know…" A leather thonged charm dangled from his hand.
"Oh, uh…" Daniel protested, shaking his head. "No… I…"
"Please," Dean insisted. "A gesture of peace." He held the trinket out closer to Daniel. "I know I've been a real jerk to you," he admitted. "But that time I must have been on automatic. I was trying to… include you…" He quirked his mouth up in acknowledgement of the utter failure on his part.
"Oh, well… thank… thank you." Daniel took the piece from the quarterback. Barely glancing at it, he placed it around his neck and smiled at the man. "It's really nice." Daniel lifted it up and displayed it for them, embarrassed by the whole situation.
"Great," Dean breathed out, his shoulders relaxing from the tension. "Hey, uh, gotta go." He started to walk out, stopping briefly. "You both sure you don't want to join us at the beach… You won't find any rocks--"
"Artifacts," Sam and Daniel corrected him together.
Dean just smirked and continued. "But there's gonna be a lotta great sights down there, too."
"Thanks," Sam answered. "But I think our plans are pretty set."
"Your loss. And we'll try to stay outta trouble… Sam," Dean waved as he closed the door behind him.
Sam watched him go. "Now I think I may actually get to like that Dean," he announced, a hint of awe in his voice.
Daniel nodded absently, his thoughts already shifted back to their interrupted conversation.
* * *
"You have a message, Dr. Beckett," the desk clerk informed Sam on their return to the hotel. He picked up the note and the key. The Valley of the Kings was going to take a little more than the one day they'd planned. The curator at the museum had kept his promise and the two had been treated like royalty and were seeing much more of all the excavations than any regular tourist would have.
Daniel seemed to find trouble, but he also seemed to create opportunities with his openness.
Sam sat down in the lobby to wait for Daniel. Last he'd seen, his young companion had been surrounded by the children of the local village, all excited to hear about America from someone who spoke their language. Sam wondered if he'd ever see his friend again.
He opened the note to read it. At first surprised it had come from Professor Devlin and that he'd finally arrived in Egypt, Sam briefly wondered if he would be able to join them the next day. Then his heart stopped. Immediately he returned to the desk. "Is there a phone I can use?" he asked.
The clerk pulled out a telephone and handed it to Sam.
"Thanks." Sam reread the note as the operator connected him to the number he gave her. At least someone was there with him. "Professor Devlin? Is Dean okay?"
"He'll be fine," the doctor explained. "Just roughed up a bit. The police are warning all visitors to be careful."
"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left them," he advised. "We'll be there in the morning."
"No, there's no need for that." Sam could hear the sounds of a hospital in the background. "None of this was your fault and I'm here so you might as well have a good time," Devlin explained. "Just don't worry about it. But tell me, how are you and young Daniel getting along?"
Sam laughed. "I'm surprised he's not teaching your class yet," he teased. "He is smart… and he knows his history."
"Yes… thank you for watching out for him."
"It's been my pleasure," Sam assured his teacher. "Please, call us if we can do anything."
"I will."
Sam hung up the phone, visibly upset by the news. Daniel came trotting up. Watching over his shoulder for pursuing children, he nearly tripped over the vase by the pillar, managing to right himself -- and the pottery -- just in time.
"Sorry…" he began, hesitating at the expression he saw on his friend's face. "What's wrong?'"
"Dean was mugged," Sam conveyed.
"I'll go pack," Daniel immediately announced.
"No, Professor Devlin's with him and he wants us to stay here. He promised to let us know if there was anything we could do." Sam changed the subject before Daniel could object. "So, how are your little groupies."
Daniel's face brightened. "They were nice. They want me to teach them English -- today."
"Well that can wait. Let's get washed up and then get some dinner," Sam instructed. "I'm hot and tired and starved."
"All right," Daniel agreed, following Sam across the open foyer of the lobby. Almost instantly they were mobbed by the children.
"I'll… I'll be there in a minute." He held up his finger in the universal one moment sign.
Sam nodded and continued, shaking his head at the rapport this shy boy had with these children. In an American school yard, Daniel was out of place, but amongst these people, it was like he was one of them… they loved him.
Unlocking the door, Sam walked in and everything went black.
* * *
"Udadoodah," a voice rang in Sam's ears.
"Kreecoo," another ordered.
Sam tried to open his eyes, immediately shutting them against the dim torch light that flared the headache he already had into something much more horrible. He felt a shove, then he was shaken violently.
He squinted open one eye ever so slowly then worked on the second. Sam just wished whoever these guys were they'd stop shouting, it made the ringing in his head louder. Sam tried to examine his surroundings. It looked like a cave.
Once he'd gotten his sight working, Sam concentrated on what he was hearing. Finally, the noise in his head lessened and the words of his captors -- and Sam was pretty sure that was what they were -- started coalescing into coherent speech.
"Where is it?" the one-eyed nightmare asked him.
"Where is what?" Sam managed to choke out in English, then scrunching his face up to remember, quickly translating it into the dialect the man had asked him in. He tried to move and realized his hands were tied behind his back.
"That which was stolen from us," the man snarled.
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about," Sam began. "I didn't steal anything."
"The shopkeeper thought he could get away with it," another explained. He tossed a gun from one hand to another in an obvious threat. "He thought we would not notice something so small. Ha!"
"I still don't know--" he began to deny, when the first man slapped him across the face. Sam tasted the blood. He spat it out. "That won't help--" he started again, trying to stall until he could figure out what these men wanted. He searched his surroundings, hoping to find a way out of the situation but a movement in the darkened area near the door caught his eye. Immediately he looked directly at his tormentor, trying not to draw attention to his young friend in the corner.
Daniel nodded that he'd been seen and withdrew a little further into the shadows and Sam's heart sank when one of the men started towards him.
"Hey, if you tell me what we're looking for, maybe I can help," Sam explained.
One-eye narrowed his lone orb suspiciously. "We seek the jewelry of the great queen. The former shopkeeper," he grinned maliciously, "said he sold it to one of your group as a good luck charm." He spat out the words, disgusted at the deed.
"Oh boy," Sam declared. His eyes went wide as he could see Daniel pull the necklace out from under his shirt. He studied it intently for a moment. His mouth opened and suddenly his hands were making motions that Sam knew he'd found the object of these villains' quest. He also watched in horror as Daniel scanned the surrounding area, fumbled with something Sam couldn't see and then stood up straight and tall, walking forward forcibly.
"Ex… excuse me," Daniel announced. "I think this is what you're looking for." He began to pull the jewelry from around his neck when it caught on his shirt collar and he had to tug ungracefully at it to extricate it.
"What!?" the evil man cried, motioning for his men to grab Daniel.
"This is it," Daniel calmly informed them. "So there's no need for you to… to bother my friend anymore." He maintained a tight smile.
"How did…?" the man sputtered, nabbing the prize from Daniel's hand.
Daniel glanced behind him as though there was something to be seen. "Oh…" His brows knit together and he pursed his lips. "Uh… how did I get here? I… I saw you take Sam and leapt onto the back of the truck."
"So no one knows you are here?" He grinned cruelly. "Tie him up. We will deal with them shortly."
"He's just a boy," Sam pleaded. "Let him go…"
Tying Daniel's hands behind his back, they roughly shoved him to the ground and went out the door opposite of where Daniel had come in.
"O-o-w-w!" Daniel exclaimed, shifting to his side.
"Daniel! What were you thinking?" Sam admonished once they were alone. "You were safe."
"They were going to kill you," he absently stated, concentrating on their kidnapper's retreat.
"Now they're going to kill both of us."
When they were far enough away, Daniel twisted around, finally extricating a very large, sharp file from the waste band of his jeans.
"Ooww, that hadda hurt," Sam sympathized for his friend.
Daniel nodded once and immediately started sawing at his restraints. Soon, he was free.
"We're in a tomb," he explained, working at Sam's bonds. "And judging by the thing Dean gave me, I'd guess a Seventeenth or Eighteenth Dynasty queen." He broke through the last band. "Come on." Daniel grabbed a torch and led Sam out the way he'd come in. And, for the first time as they got close to the edge, Sam could see the drawings on the wall depicting the owner and her court and the Egyptian Pantheon. The fire from torches had dulled the colors over the years, but they were still beautiful.
Daniel sighed heavily as he noticed what Sam had. "We have to come back here. This is an undocumented tomb."
Sam could see the war being waged within his friend. This would have been the find of the century for anyone, and especially this young boy with dreams of archaeology running through his every waking moment. Sam put a supportive hand on his shoulder.
Daniel sighed again, leaving the chamber behind. "The main shaft runs forever," Daniel lectured in a whisper. "With side passages every hundred feet. How anyone can work in here… the supports are mostly rotted and I don't know what's holding up the ceiling. I.." He stopped at the sound of voices ahead of them, frantically turning from side to side, he motioned for Sam to duck into the alcove they'd just passed.
Inside, Sam carefully listened as more thugs passed by them. "It's safe," Sam asserted. "Let's go."
"Sam…" Daniel spoke, awe filling his voice. He tugged at Sam's shirt.
He looked around. They were in what must have been their kidnapper's storage room. The objects just barely visible in the light rivaled anything found in Tut's tomb -- with gold and alabaster and copper shining back at them from everywhere. Daniel moved the flame nearer to the treasure-trove.
"They've been plundering this for years," Sam realized. "Selling off little bits as needed -- probably to wealthy private collectors. That shopkeeper must have gotten greedy when he sold the charm to Dean."
"We have to stop them," Daniel cried. "This belongs in a museum." He turned to Sam. "The history that's being lost -- been lost…" He stepped further into the room to examine things closer.
Sam understood, but he had to get Daniel to leave now while they still could. "First we save ourselves." He pulled at Daniel's arm. "Then we save the queen and her heritage."
Daniel tried to free his arm so he could study the artifacts better, looking almost panicked between them and his companion, but finally he acquiesced. "It's still a little ways," he told Sam. He peaked out the door and took the lead again, silence replaced his earlier explanations.
"No…" Daniel stopped at the sight of the wrought iron gate that blocked their exit, a large padlock effectively keeping it shut tight. "That wasn't closed when I came in," he said, exhaustion seemed to have crept into his words.
"Don't suppose you know how to pick a lock," Sam asked, trying to lighten the situation. "Well…" He searched the area but the sounds from behind them made him hesitate. He grabbed a shovel by the door and handed it to Daniel. "Try this," he instructed. "I'm gonna see about slowing those guys down."
Daniel drew the tool over his head with both hands and came down on the lock as Sam once more scanned the area for something helpful. His eyes finally rested on the ax resting against a beam a few feet down the shaft. Sam tried to judge what the results would be if he used it, but the shouts closing in made the decision for him. He chopped at the support, coughing as the dust settled all about him.
"Daniel, got that thing open yet?" he called back, then hit the rotted wood once more. He heard the clink of metal dropping onto metal from behind. "Almost… yes! Got it," Daniel yelled.
Sam dropped the ax to join Daniel, but a screaming figure ran out of the darkness and pinned Sam to the side beam he'd been working on. Struggling to free himself, Sam heard an awful creaking noise and looked up to see the wood cracking. With renewed strength, Sam shoved the man down and scrambled out of the tomb, rocks and debris fell all around him almost tripping him up.
Daniel helped him out and away as the whole structure collapsed upon itself with a loud roar. Breathing heavy, the two watched as the cloud of sand and dirt exploded forth and boulders from the cliff face rained down to cover the entrance. The side of the hill seemed to slump in upon itself. It was unlikely anyone could survive it.
Sam tried not to think about the lives lost. The thieves would have killed them -- that he was sure of -- but he didn't wish that kind of fate on anyone.
Taking one more deep breath to steady his lungs, Sam surveyed the area. Beside the lone truck, there was nothing at all to distinguish this portion of the valley from any other. How anyone had found the entrance to begin with had to have been a small miracle.
He looked to his companion. Daniel just stared at where they had been -- his face mirroring an indescribable horror. Sam suddenly remembered what the curator of the museum had said about Daniel's parents. He couldn't even begin to image what Daniel was thinking.
"Don't suppose you can hot-wire a car?" Sam asked, placing a companionable hand on Daniel's shoulder, trying to bring him back to the present.
"Uh, no…" Daniel thought hard. "No." He shrugged to Sam, grimacing a little. "Not a skill I've ever learned."
Sam laughed as they slowly walked to the truck. "Well remind me to take someone else along the next time I get kidnapped," he advised. "You can't pick a lock, can't boost a car." He smiled at Daniel. "What good are you on a rescue?"
Daniel just sadly returned the smile as they continued on.
* * *
Daniel glanced up as Sam entered the room he'd been sequestered in as the local police questioned him for what seemed like hours.
"Did they find the tomb?" Daniel asked expectantly.
"No, not with the directions we weren't able to give 'em." Sam dropped into the chair next to Daniel's. "Unless they had co-conspirators, it's lost again."
"Oh." Daniel's chin dropped down in disappointment.
"The cops said Dean's doing okay, but the guy he bought the necklace from was found with his throat slit." Sam grimaced as he related the news. "But one of his sons squealed on who did it," Sam added. "Seems one of the local families has been harvesting stuff since before the time Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered, but they've been afraid to sell anything too large. The authorities found a small cache of items that must have been from the burial chamber," Sam recited. "Not everything was lost."
"What could have been…" Daniel stated wistfully.
"Well, that'll be the first thing you can do when you and I leap back." Sam stood to go. "We'll stop the kidnapping and discover the tomb before its collapse."
Daniel thought hard. "But if you're not kidnapped, who will lead us to the tomb?"
"Details, details…" Sam waved them off. "We'll just do it. We'll come back and make right what went wrong. Deal?"
"Okay."
"And we're free to go," he announced cheerily. "I think I finally convinced them we really don't know anything."
Daniel nodded, slowly standing to leave with Sam.
"Those guys are still incredulous we didn't know where we were." Sam led his friend out. "I think maybe my next degree will be in astronomy and how to steer -- or drive through the desert -- by the stars. Wanna join me?"
He peered at Sam over the top of his spectacles. "Oh… I think I'll stick with archaeology and languages," he assured Sam. "Unless I'm specializing in how the ancient civilizations charted the heavens, I don't think I'd have much use for knowing much about the stars."
"You're probably right," Sam agreed, leading Daniel to the ride he'd arranged back to the hotel.
"Well our second day at the Valley of the Kings is pretty much shot," Sam started. "What about Amarna tomorrow?"
"That would be great, Sam." Daniel brightened. "You know, there are those who think Akhenaten's belief in only one god might have been the beginning of monotheism as we know it today, but I think it just allowed for it to be more widely accepted. Akhenaten's heresy extended even to the way he had his sculptors create life-like works instead of the perfect drawings and art the previous and later Pharaohs…"
Sam grinned. For awhile there, he'd thought he'd lost the 15 -- almost 16 year old -- to the events that had overwhelmed them both, but the boy he'd first met back at the airport in what seemed like forever ago had returned. Sam was glad. Despite everything, this trip would be memorable in a good way.
And he'd made a friend, one he'd actually been able to share his dreams with -- something he'd done with no one else. But then, Daniel had dreams of his own. Sam could only hope no one would ever sway either of them from their paths.
* * *
Years and leaps later…
Sam shoved the stuff off of one corner of his desk and dropped the small box of his belongings onto it. He grimaced at the task ahead of him. Sometime, about halfway through his leaping, someone had finally packed up his things so they could use his office for… well, Sam wasn't quite sure why they needed it. It seemed to be just storing junk. He gathered up all the loose items and placed it on the table in the corner.
Sam came around his desk and pulled out his chair.
"Geez, Al," Sam whispered in disgust at the sight of a woman's bra draped over the arm. He moved it to the trash and began to unpack his things.
He smiled at the sight of his pictures. He'd already called his family. They'd been so relieved to hear he was safe. Al had stalled them for so many years but had never allowed them to believe he was dead -- a minor miracle -- and maybe even something you could forgive a friend for an occasional abandoned bra.
Then he found the picture of himself on a camel in Egypt. His heart saddened. A little foggy on that last couple of leaps, Sam remembered Daniel -- and that he'd disappeared. Some of the rumors were that he'd been killed in a freak accident up at Cheyenne Mountain -- though what Daniel was doing there Sam couldn't figure. But others had him traveling the stars in something Al had described as a Doorway to Heaven.
Sam prayed the latter was true -- that Daniel had been right and was following his dream and destiny. He fondly thought back on their adventure.
"Good luck, wherever you are, Daniel," Sam saluted his friend with his coffee cup.
* * *
A Year Later
Daniel wandered into the tiny office that had been supplied him at the SGC with a cardboard box -- his life -- what little that had been left of it on Earth after his self-imposed exile to Abydos.
He sat down at the desk and started unpacking. Mostly books, Daniel finally came to the picture of himself on a camel, the pyramids of Giza behind him. He smiled, remembering Sam. He never would have pursued his dreams if not for Sam.
Then he frowned. The last time he had tried to contact his friend, he'd been intercepted by a very rude admiral. Daniel had stubbornly gone around in circles with the man for over a half an hour, trying to explain that no matter how busy Sam was, he'd want to speak to Daniel. The man had finally rudely hung up, and every other time he'd tried, he'd gotten a very polite secretary spouting the same busy nonsense.
He really needed to try again. Jack was trying to be supportive -- in his Jack-way, but Daniel still needed to hear his friend's voice.
He picked up the phone and dialed. "Uh… this is Daniel Jackson. I'd like to speak to Dr. Samuel Beckett," he began uncertainly.
"One moment, sir, and I'll connect you."
Surprised at first that he would finally be getting through, Daniel smiled sadly.