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Charlie, oh Charlie. The man she had come to swear her loyalty to. Who took her from the rooms that her stepmother had sold her into and helped her make her way up. Who never left her behind. Who helped her find her sister. How much had Charlie given her over the years and she had never thanked him. Fuck, she had more regrets than she thought she would at this moment. Her hand left Rafe's face and tried to pull at the necklace under her shirt, but she couldn't. Charlie would know what she was trying to say through all the blood, but she was so tired now. Tears streamed down the side of her face as she tilted it with the last bit of energy her body had left, falling and mingling with all her blood on the floor now. She looked at the man she had considered more than her friend, her brother, before her eyes closed and her head fell back limp. Too tired to hold one anymore and letting the darkness peacefully take her over.

Charlie knew what she was reaching for. The gold chain that she never took off unless they were back home in New York. With tears, he reached for the chain on the side of her neck and pulled it off. Two small charms were on it, the letter E and a small gold circle with the word sis stamped on it. To anyone else, they would think Elizabeth narcissistic, an E for her. But that was not what it stood for, it stood for her fraternal twin Elva. After he had helped her find her they had slowly built some semblance of a relationship, one that was ending now. He'd have to tell her what happened to Elizabeth. Cradling her head in his hands, he spoke to AJ in the comm's as he heard Sage's command. ❝ AJ, this is the most important task of your bloody life. You and Ashley have to help us interpret this thing, NOW! ❞

AJ wasted no time pulling up everything he could on his computer screen. ❝ The video feeds are killed you're going to have to describe what you see so we can help. ❞ He didn't know what this would do, or how it would help but he wasn't going to lose his family.

Cradling her in his arms, rocking her, pleading with her to stay if not for him for her family, for Charlie and AJ, Ashley and Sage. Anger filled him as Charlie dropped beside them. Where were they? Sage was his head of Security her job was to keep them safe! And Charlie, Charlie should have been there to save her. But as he cold hand came up and pressed against his face, it dissipated. "Come on, Elizabeth, look Charlie's here. You can't die on him." He choked out.

Sage had dropped to her knees book in hand, pouring over it, looking for anything that made sense to her. "Sage? Sage, what's happening?" Came Ashley on the comms. Wiping at her eyes, she cleared her throat. "Ripper got to Elizabeth. It's not good. Ashley, AJ, I've got this goddamn book, I need to know how to use how to stop this." She growled, letting her anger her take over, anger would fuel her better than tears.

Ripper, on the other hand, was looking for a sarcophagus, one belonging to a once very dangerous individual.

Rolling her eyes at his comment, she set aside under her seat the empty hot dog container and finished her beer. She wished they had splurged for club seats this time, at least there was a full bar up there and she definitely needed something stronger this a beer to deal with Rafe. Why had he even bothered she wondered? He was handsome in that suit but so full of himself that she could swear his head would probably float off if it wasn't attached to his neck. She wasn't going to let him ruin a pass time she loved just because he was too stuffy to care about anything but money.

❝ Why bother? Why not have him chase around menial tasks on his dime? ❞ Charlie's attention was rapt on Sage as he wondered why she would put up with a rich brat pretending to be one of them. Didn't they have curated experiences and expensive clubs for that type of thing?

There was a sudden shift in mood in everyone around them, including Elizabeth, the whole stadium seemed to hold its breath. He turned to see that his friend had leaned to the edge of her seat, elbows on her knees, hands on her chin. Looking up Charlie saw that the bases were loaded. It was bad luck to say the word grand slam when one could potentially be happening, that was what it was now, the stillness of fans trying to not jinx this.

Quirking an eyebrow at her statement, it felt like there was more to all of this. ❝ How does he get when the competition gets close? ❞ The last thing he wanted was for Elizabeth trying to make a getaway with a loose canon adding to the danger of it all. ❝ Elizabeth knows how to handle competition and make sure that no one gets hurt, ❞ he thought it over before shrugging. ❝ Too badly. I don't want him being the reason she gets hurt or the score gets taken by someone else. ❞

Just then everyone began to stand up as the sound of a crack of a bat against the baseball reverberated through the whole stadium. ❝ And....it's out of here! ❞ The announcer cheered. Elizabeth began jumping up and down and high-fiving with others in the rows behind and in front of her that cheered for her team, her cap fell off and the long hair she had stuff under it cascaded down half her back. Picking up her hat, she placed it on her head backwards, then called out to a man three rows down. ❝ Luca! You and your brothers owe me a couple of beers, sweetheart! ❞ He had to be in his fifties along with his two other companions near him. They laughed as he pointed back at her. ❝ I'll never bet against you again, Sol ! I’ll have Marco bring them over. ❞

Charlie just laughed, remaining seated, he was going to lose the bet they had made. That's when he thought why not, this job was too big an opportunity to pass up. This all had to be a sign. Elizabeth knew how to handle herself and if the man was a liability she would not hesitate to put herself above him. This would be an interesting adventure. ❝ As long as you can keep your benefactor on a leash, there should be no issue. When do we start? ❞

Rafe was more than annoyed by her condescending attitude. "Well, we're usually a little too busy to watch grown men hit balls with sticks and run around in circles." If it had been the Formula 1 Grand Prix it would have been a different matter. Champagne, air conditions rooms, plenty of women fawning over him. He briefly wondered what Elizabeth would look like in a cocktail dress hanging on his arm, but as she stuffed the hotdog in her face again the thought quickly vanished.

"More like Billionaire Brat, with a chip on his shoulder the size of Manhattan and something to prove. I'm not quite sure who he's trying to prove it to, but the pay is real good, and I can usually keep him in his place." She smiled. It looked like Elizabeth could, too. "No, Rafe will behave himself unless the competition gets a little too close. Despite outward appearances, Rafe is good at this." But, she didn't know how to tell the last serious hunt he was on he nearly died, and it had messed with his head a little.

Elizabeth never felt more at home than at a game. There were still small memories she could cling to of happy times with her father before he died, and being at a game was one of those. Usually closed off and not open to making friends, when she was in the stadium she was someone else. She was that little girl with her father who excitedly placed her on his shoulders when the people in front them stood too tall in front of her. ❝ That! ❞ She turned a wide grin on her face, no longer angry that the suited man was sitting next to her, the elation of game coursing through her. ❝ Is a grand slam! We just scored four runs and with the ninth inning starting, the odds are ever in our favor. ❞

Charlie couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips at the thought of the competition leaving in a box. When she leaned and told him the truth of what had happened his smirk disappeared. A serious look shadowed his face. He had been betrayed by his previous team, shit like that messed with your head. As much as he wanted to sympathize with the man, he couldn't. His loyalty would be to his best friend and keeping her alive. The moment he became a loose canon, he would not hesitate to let Sage know that they were out. ❝ A rich boy that hates being rich, huh? I could help with that, ❞ he chuckled. It made him laugh at how everyone always wished for the opposite in life. ❝ Oh no, Sage, the pleasure is all mine.❞ Taking her hand into his, he kissed the back of her hand. ❝ Now, what kind of team do you work with? We have a man to do all our research and other technological things. AJ, he comes with us on ever find. Anything we know, he knows. ❞

A couple of moments later someone was delivering two beers to Elizabeth. With a laugh, she took them both and held one out in front of her as she shouted back to the older man she had been talking with. ❝ Man of your word, Luca! Marry me! ❞ Turning to Rafe, she held one out. ❝ Here, it's not the best beer in the world but it does the job. I'm not going to be able to drink both. ❞

Rafe couldn't understand the excitement. Had they won? Done something worth celebrating? Looking over the crowd of people cheering and seeing Elizabeth interacting with people in the crowd, he felt annoyed and something he couldn't quite identify. The thing he couldn't identify was a sense of isolation, short of Sage and Ashley he really didn't interact with anyone unless it was straight up business, he knew Ashley enjoyed Soccer and Sage liked boxing and cage fighting, but he had never gone with them, not that Sage had ever asked, but Ashley always made the effort and he always declined.

"Well, if they come packing, they'll likely be leaving in a box." She pondered a moment chancing a glance at Rafe and as the crowd erupted she turned her body in closer to Charlie and couldn't help the small smile as she smelled his cologne, he smelt great and looked great. "The last major find he was on, well he nearly died. I know the bare basics as it was before me. But his parenter turned her back on him and left him with the competition, old friends that from what I can tell had screwed him over. In the end they all lost the find, and he occasionally gets pains in his arm. But that doesn't stop him from doing anything when he's determined."

She admired the fact Charlie was questioning things, it meant he wouldn't just roll over and was seriously considering work with her. "Rafe is a rich boy, but he doesn't like it, doesn't like that he didn't earn, that it was given to him, that things have always been given to him. I think he wants to prove himself, to himself mostly, but to anyone who has ever doubted him." Though she still suspected he would get bored eventually.

A wide smile spread across her fave as she held out her. "Well, it's going to be a pleasure working with you."

She could see her father up ahead, just past the clearing. He kept saying something. His lips moved, she could tell they were moving but not what they were saying. The closer she got to him, the sun began to hide, and the trees seem to grow even further up into the sky, darkening everything around her. It wasn't until she was a few feet away from him that she finally was able to make out what he was saying. ❝ Ekki láta myrkrið sigra! ❞

AJ's hands shook, his mind telling him that this was over. They had lost her. They had failed. He had failed. He needed to keep his team safe and he had failed. The voices in the comm's faded as he began to let the guilt and grief overtake him. Ashley forcing him to look at her snapped him out of it. The logic in his brain wanted to ask how, how would they fix this? But everything in him believed in her and everything she promised. So nodding, he sat back at his station and began to run every program he could to help her translate what Sage needed.

Charlie wanted to seek revenge like Rafe had. But his grief wouldn't let him. The loss of his best friend was greater than his need to somehow make this "even". He also needed to be there for Sage, whatever she had up her sleeve, he knew that she knew what she was doing. Whatever it was, he had to believe in it too.

Ripper laughed as he crumpled to the ground. Turning around where he was on the floor, he turned to see the bloodied man he had initially gone for. ❝ All for some treasure seeking whore? Don't you have enough money to buy another Adler? Or is daddy finally cutting you off for playing pretend? ❞ He was under the impression that he would be leaving her alive, ripping off a piece of his shirt, he wrapped it around the wound, forcing himself to stand again. ❝ She couldn't stop me and neither will you. So I suggest you tuck your tail back in between your legs and go home before you end up like that bitch.❞

Sage glanced up to see Rafe heading off. He would only her if there was nothing he could do, and she knew him well enough to know that Ripper was about to suffer. She'd need to help, but Elizabeth was her priority right now. "Come Ashley, AJ, what's next?"

Ashley saw the look on AJs face and knew what had happened. "AJ, please, I can't do this without you. She's not dead until we exhaust all our options." She cupped his face. "Baby, I know this hurts, but we can fix this. Help me translate this." Turning to her screen, she finished with the next part told Sage.

Rafe was furious now, his anger, his rage and hatred all spilling over, taking over from the heartache he felt a moment ago. He swiped his hand across his forehead, pushing back his hair, not realising he'd smeared her blood across his skin. Coming around the corner, he saw Ripper trying to pry open a sarcophagus. He never gave him a chance to react, shooting him in the back of the leg and watching him collapse in pain.

Death was peaceful. The most peace she had ever know. But there was a voice, somewhere in the dark. Saying something she didn't know. Turning around to look at her dad, he was gone and the trees were too.

Charlie reached out for Sage's hand. Taking it willingly, anchoring him to this. Maybe it would help. Maybe this would actually work if someone other than Sage also believed. He was bargaining with every and any god and deity he had ever heard of to not let this be how they said goodbye. A thought that had never crossed his mind before, not even the first time they met Ripper. She had always been the tougher of the two, the stronger of the two. She had to make it.

Had Ashley not been by his side tethering him to the idea that they might be able to bring her back, he didn't know where he would be. Not here helping translate this book. He'd be full of rage must like Rafe was from what they could tell from all that came through the coms. His fingers flew across the keyboard as his mind zero'd in at this last passage. "Done." He said as he showed Ashely the last part to tell Sage.

"They're all whores." Ripper laughed at the man as he missed. The words that came from Rafe's mouth, caused his face to falter. Had Rafe killed his own father? "You don't have the balls, Adler." Even though he sat injuried he still laughed. Laughed at how attached the man had become to the treasure hunter he finally was rid of. That was the last time she would beat him to a job. "Oh shit up and get on with it!" He spat out.

There was nothing but darkness all of a sudden. This was it, she thought. This was death. Nothingness. Strangely peaceful. No pain. But then a voice in the dark said, "You'll do just fine." Before she could even think it over, pain flooded every single part of her as she sat up, sucking in a breath, lighting her lungs on fire.

Sage chanted the next part, moving closer to Elizabeth and Charlie, not wanting her not being close enough to be the reason this didn't work. She reached for Charlie's free hand, trying to offer him support while AJ and Ashley translated the next part. She hoped this was quick, Rafe would need help and she would enjoy what they were going to do to him, he would suffer for this, for killing Elizabeth, for hurting Charlie and Rafe. She would make him beg for death, for the thought was strange, not quite hers, but completely agreed with it and didn't have time to question it yet.

"It's going to be okay AJ, we're going to save her." Ashley kept saying, over and over. While she believed, knew that things like the book of the dead where sometime completely real it what they were capable of she didn't know for sure that this would work and could only hope that the translation were true and they could save her. She hurt for AJ and Charlie, but her heart bled for Rafe, since the two teams had virtually become one family she had learnt more about Rafe and was scared how much this would destroy him.

"She isn't a whore!" Rafe screamed, baring down on Ripper, he shot at him again, but missed wildly. "Adler senior is dead, just like you will be, by my hands just like he was." A growl. He didn't see a gun on Ripper, he unloaded is and took the magazine throwing it one way and throwing his gun the other. "That bitch," The venom in his voice practically poisonous. "Is- was far better than you or I." With each word he took a step closer until he was close enough to lunge and Ripper and force him to the floor, swinging wildly with his fists.

The initial disinterest and dislike of the man dissipated the more he asked about this thing that she loved. Maybe working with this team wouldn't be too bad. "Well, first an inning is both teams taking a turn at bat, once they each strike out three times, its over. As for why there is nine, I'm not sure. I remember my-" she stopped short of saying her father, she had been a bit too comfortable. "From what I can remember is that the game used to be much longer because it was based on reaching an amount of runs. But it would be so long that innings were made, and the rule was changed to whoever had the most runs at the end of 9 innings won the game. There can be more, if the teams are tied by the bottom of the ninth, then it goes into overtime until someone scores." Looking from the diamond, over to him, she quirked an eyebrow. "Have you really never watched a game before?" It wasn't said with malice, just curious. Her curiosity would always get the best of her.

"I might." His wide Cheshire cat smile on his lips. The more time he spent around her, the more he wanted to get to know her in more ways than one. Loyal? That would be hard, Charlie was loyal to no one else in the field but his team, just because the man would be funding this didn't mean that shit. He'd have to earn it. "Okay." He simply offered in reply to that. Hearing at the lead, Charlie couldn't help but be excited. " Qualopec? Wasn't he just a legend, some made-up story about ruling Atlantis? " Charlie was never one to believe fables.

Rafe didn't judge, didn't have a smart remark waiting as Elizabeth tool the time to explain a home run and a grand slam. He truly found her and the crowds' excitement infectious. Something else to resent his father for. "Okay, I get it. So why are their 9 innings, or is there more?" He asked while she seemed happy to examine things.

Sage was impressed that he hadn't blown his top or stormed off in a huff. Maybe working with them would be good for him. "If you fancy your chances against me, Charlie, try me." She smirked playfully. "Honestly, he can be the biggest pain in the ass, but show him you're loyal, and he'll have your back regardless of who, what, and why." It sometimes made her feel that she would go if things got rough, but she hadn't left him yet. "Well, Ashley found some chatter on the darkweb regarding the Scion and the possible locations or the first piece and possibly the second. The first is believed to be in the lost city of Vilcabamba and the Tomb of Qualopec. The city is supposed to be somewhere in the Peruvian Andes."

There was one thing that the twins shared in common, curiosity. And right now Elva's curiosity was at its highest, a smirk on her face as she watched him navigate his way. Obviously he had been over enough times to find his way around.

"Thanks! It's a new recipe, something our dad liked apparently. Hægeldaður lambaskanki með ost-." Unlike her sister who had spent some of her life with their father, Elva was still new to learning their fathers language. Her tongue stumbled and was sharp around syllables that didn't need it, languages were not her strong suit, she gave up and simply said. " Its lamb and cheese and potatoes."

"No, please stay!" She exclaimed not ready to let this man go without knowing what he meant to her sister. "We made a lot and I'm sure she'll love to know someone would enjoy our creation. Unless you're vegetarian. Come on," she said as she led him over to the dining room table. "Have a seat. I haven't had Charlie or her mention you before. Do you guys work together often?"

Rafe felt uncomfortable, he'd called someone not Elizabeth beautiful, regardless of her being attractive or not he can almost her the smartass remark at his words. "Well do you know when she'll be back?" He really did need his cell, not just as a way to reach her, but to contact Sage and Ashley, have them get things ready.

"Oh, dinner-" He started taking her hand to shake when she said she was Elva, Elizabeth's sister and not just a sister, but a twin sister. "Well its great to finally meet you Elva," He didn't want to tell her that Elizabeth had never mentioned her before. "Rafe, Rafe Adler. I work with your sister from time to time. I'd be happy to come in, if you're okay with that."

AJ was not a man of faith. If it couldn't be see it, hold it, or have some quantifiable evidence, proof that it was real, he didn't believe in it. But the last two months working on this mission, finding The Book. An ancient deity possessing Sage. What he questioned about life and what was real or not had been turned upside down. He began to foolishly pray to anyone who would listen in the universe. Held onto Ashely and prayed.

Elizabeth jerked up coughing, lungs burning as they took air in, pain in every single part of her being. A scream left her at the sudden feeling of all her nerve endings and synapses firing all at once. Awakening. "What the fuck." She gasped, looking around. Her eyes wild as she took in the scene. She was sitting in her own blood, covered in her own blood. Swallowing the copper taste of more blood in her mouth, she looked at Charlie and Sage. " Am I..." she didn't know what she was or what to ask but she felt a sudden rush of adrenaline.

Charlie couldn't help but reach out and hug her. She was alive. "You're here. We can talk about it later." Pulling her up, he handed her a gun. "We need to get out of here first. Stick close." Now that he had her back, he was going to make sure not to lose her a second time. If they ran into Ripper along the way, that would be a bonus. Taking Sage's hand he pulled her close. "We stick together this time. No running off."

As soon as AJ had finished the last part of the translation Ashely was relaying it to Sage, every fibre of her body wanted to scream, Elizabeth was her friend, this had to work, it had too. Crawling into AJ's lap she held, for herself but for him, she was important to him and she knew how this would effect him, especially if this didn't work. "She's gonna be okay." She whispered.

Repeating Ashley's words, praying to every single deity she knew of Sage squeezed Charlie's hand, she thought she saw Lizzy's finger twitch and as it did a sense of rage flooded her towards the woman, she squashed it quickly, her anger was aimed at Ripper and what he had done, not her friend.

Rafe relished the moment of fear that flashed through Ripper's face. His mother had died of her broken heart, but after all that he had gone through, all his father had done to him, he had indeed murdered his father. He hadn't enjoyed it, it hadn't brough the sense of relief he thought it would, but this would. Killing Ripper would be his pleasure, if only he had done it sooner. At what he considered Ripper's last words he was on in him. Knocking the other man on his back as he began to pummel him. He felt as his skin split, felt as the bones broke beneath his knuckles. A gargled bloody chuckle escaping the man as Rafe continued to beat him. His hair was a mess, blood splattered over his face and shirt, but still he didn't relent. He didn't know if Ripper was dead yet, didn't care. He would beat him until the pain in chest subsided.

Elva could feel the tension in the room, or more like the tension in her sister as she removed her coat and put it on the back of her chair. Elva didn't believe in things like telepathy or superpowers, but in this moment she willed her thoughts into her twins brained, hoped that somehow she could hear her begging her to not be closed off.

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, looking from her twin to her, lover?, coworker?, boyfriend?, even they hadn't talked about what this all meant after everything had settled. Just happy to be herself again after all they had gone through and not being in control of herself. But also couldn't help but feel that this was some sort of turning point, things wouldn't be the same going forward after this.

"No," she said clearing her throat as she sat down and gave him a soft smile. "You're here, please join us. I'm sure Elva already introduced herself to you and you to her."

Elva smiled and handed everyone a drink. "Rafe was just telling me about your trip for the Scion. What was that like?" Elva was always living viciously through Elizabeth's stories and wanted one now. Elizabeth laughed thinking back about where she stood with Rafe then and where they were now. "Well, since he started it, I'll let him finish it." She picked up a fork and began to eat, both Elizabeth's and Elva's eyes on him now waiting to continue.

Parents, he felt angry on Elva's behalf, that would should have brought her to her father, to Elizabeth instead of abandoning her. But it seems she at least got a decent family for it. "They sound like good people. I'm glad you found them."

Rafe was trying so hard to fall back into old behaviours, he knew how closed of Elizabeth could be, he understood it, but to keep things from him and her sister like this felt like a betrayal and he didn't cope well with betrayal. "Yeah, you could say that we've worked together often enough that we've pretty much just merged into one." Then she was consoling him, whether she realised it or not, her explaining Elizabeth's behaviour brought a little peace, enough that he would not bring it up with Elizabeth in front of Elva. "I will, I'm sure one I tell Charlie and Ashley, they will be more than happy to set something up."

Hearing the door go, he turned in time to see Elizabeth's surprised face in the doorway, seeing her struggle to keep the smile in her face hurt more than it should have. "Elizabeth. I came to collect my cellphone, I wasn't expecting to find your sister here. I was going to leave, but Elva insisted I stay, but this is your home, I won't stay if I'm-" He'd been about to say not wanted, but knew that was unfair. "Going to be ruining your dinner plans with your sister, I know the two of you don't get to see each other as often as you'd like."

As nervous as she was about what was happening here, Elizabeth found herself relaxing and enjoying having her twin meet Rafe. Albeit it wasn't the way she had wanted them to meet, but a small part of her was glad it happened.

Elva smiled as she watched her sister smile and laugh and occasionally chime in while Rafe regaled her with the story of Peru and the relic. "So you two really didn't get along?"

"No," Elizabeth laughed. "Not at all. I couldn't stand him. The first time we met was at opening day and I had explain what baseball was to him. Can you believe, he showed up in a suit?" It wasn't said maliciously, it was said in a humorous tone. Even she didn't predict that meeting him that day would lead to them years later in her kitchen, him meeting his sister.

As the evening winded down, a honk was heard a bit in the distance but outside the door and Elva looked at her phone. "Shoot. That's my friend. I have to go. Sorry to dine and dash on you, sis. My place next time." She rounded the table and kissed her sister on the cheek before wrapping her arms around her in a hug and then waving at Rafe. "It was nice meeting you!"

When the front door closed and she knew her twin was long gone. Elizabeth just stared at her hands, trying to figure out how to navigate this. "Can you help me clear the table?" Was the best she could come up with at the moment, still unable to look at him knowing that she kept this from him.

Rafe didn't realise just how much hope he was holding on to, how he felt like he was drowning in despair, unsure how Elizabeth would react to him being there. It wasn't as if he planned it. He didn't know she had a sister for a start , nevermind her not knowing about him.

If she wanted him to leave, he wasn't sure he could take it . After all they had gone through, all they had dealt with. But then she was asking him to stay, albeit it seemed begrudgingly at first till she smiled at him and he finally felt like he wasn't crawling out of his skin.

"She has. Elva's been a wonderful host in your absence." Sipping the drink Elva passed, he glanced briefly at Elizabeth. Nothing bad had particularly happened on that trip, so he felt safe in telling her it.

"Well, Ashley is very good at finding things that people believe unfindable, the Scion one of them. But between the two of us and Sage, we needed more than just the three of us." He went on to tell her about the baseball game their first meeting and how they had got Peru.

AJ was in a state of disbelief. Shock. Had they really just brought her back? It fucking worked? As he listened to the comms he held Ashley as close as he possibly could. They had done it. Pulling Ashley closer, he kissed her hard and deep, happy that whatever this was, had worked. After a moment he then pulled back. "Okay, lets get them out of there safe now."

Charlie wanted nothing more than for Sage and Elizabeth to get out of there safe. He'd return for Rafe himself as long as he knew the two of them were safe. He wouldn't be able to take losing them, again. He was ready to argue but before he knew it Elizabeth had taken his side arm and followed after Sage, decision having been made for him.

Elizabeth didn't know what she was thinking, the thoughts in her head swirling not her own. All that it seemed to think was that it wanted her to join in the disarray, the mess, the chaos that the tomb was filled with now. Following Sage, something told her not to, but she ignored it, they needed to get to Rafe, she would know where to find him. And find them they did. Sage kept talking to him but he didn't seem to hear her. As Charlie caught up to them and watched their backs, she holstered the side arm she took from him as she slowly approached Rafe. As if approaching a wounded wild animal, her hand reached out to touch his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay now. He's not going to hurt anyone anymore. You did good."

As Ashley held on to AJ, hoping and praying, she heard the scream through the comms, heard Lizzie's voice, and finally let the tears that had been threatening fall, only now they were happy tears. "She's okay. It worked. It fucking worked!"

As Charlie pulled back for hugging her, Sage followed. "Glad to have you back." She smiled. As Charlie took her hand to leave, Elizabeth followed, and she stopped tugging Charlie's hand as she did. "We can't leave Rafe. He's gone after Ripper. I won't let him take anyone else." She started to move in the direction Rafe went, Charlie and Elizabeth either came with her or she went alone, but she was not leaving him behind.

Rafe's knuckles were cut and bloodied. Hair in disarray, tears leaving streaks through the blood spatter on his face. How could he have lost her? How had he let this happen? With each thought, he punched what was left of Ripper's face, if just to feel the physical pain rather than his heart shredding into pieces. He heard Sage, heard her say something about Elizabeth, but he was inconsolable.

There was a breath she had been holding and hadn't realized it until he agreed. It came out as she smiled and nodded, letting him lead her back to the bed. Even at his insistence that thanking him wasn't needed, she wanted to voice how much it was. How scared she was that she actually needed him. She didn't want him there, she needed him there.

So crawling into the bed, she faced him and held him close. Letting the sound of his heart fill her ears, the scent of him fill her lungs and the warmth of his body warm her cold one. The image of him covered in her blood, in Ripper's blood, still vivid in her mind. She had died, he had sought revenge. She had come back and for a moment there she had felt like someone else. Something else, but he anchored her back to this. Who she was.

After a couple of minutes, she began to feel like herself and chuckling she added. "If I told you, that you really need a shower, would you still come back and hold me after?"

Relief filled him, and she wanted him to stay. He hadn't wanted to leave, but if she had asked, he would have. But it didn't matter. She wanted him. "No, need to thank me, I'm happy to stay." He assured her, finishing his coffee as she placed hers down. She seemed so meek, so unlike herself, maybe being brought back to life, did that to you, but he missed her sass and hoped she would be back to her old self soon. "Of course, anything." But he didn't expect that. "Sure, if that's what you want." He stepped towards her, guiding her to the bed.

AJ made sure that all communications on the other teams frequencies were jammed as he used the same frequency to ping their locations and safely guide them corridor by corridor out to safety. Hands still clutching the table's edge, waiting for this all to be over. He wouldn't believe that they were all safe until they returned and were standing in front of him alive. But he allowed himself a small respite. Reaching out for Ashley's hand. She would help him through this. They would get their family back safe.

Charlie took point, not wanting any more casualties or the need to revive someone from the dead again. The thought of almost losing her once to Ripper, then for good weighed on him heavily. It was twice that he had failed his best friend. As much as he tried to focus on the task, he was angry, guilt-ridden, and didn't know what to do or say next. So he focused on the task at hand, leading the three to safety. He had to place all his trust in AJ and his abilities combined with Ashley's right now. There was nothing else to do.

As Rafe took her hand, she felt it again. Warmth. Her body was freezing but his hug had warmed and she felt strange by the action he had done. They usually were fighting to be as far from each other as possible, why was he suddenly holding her hand like a lifeline? Whatever the reason was, she would figure it out later. With her revolver in the other, she watched their backs as she let Rafe lead away following Charlie out the pyramid, taking down anyone who came after them.

Ashley, let outbhow she felt later. This whole thing had terrified her, but the team had needed her, AJ had needed her and she wasn't about to let him down. While AJ sorted the transport, Ashley made sure they had accommodation, somewhere safe. She didn't want to out them on a plane straight away.

Sage had long since known Rafe had feelings for Liz, even if he didn't know it himself. Seeing him like this, feelings weren't the right word. Covered in both Elizabeth's and Ripper's blood, she doubted she would have gotten him out if there if Liz had still been dead.

As Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him, Rafe held on tightly, taking in the smell of her, the feel of pressed against him. It couldn't be real, it wasn't possible. But had Ashley not always said that things like the book of the dead were real and worked? He didn't care, Elizabeth was alive, and in his arms, he never planned to let her go. At her words, he felt a rush of panic, as if she would just vanish, but she didn't. He nodded, taking her hand in his. For the first time in Rafe's life, he was truly speechless, so he simply nodded to Charlie and Sage to lead them out to safety.

With her hand flat against her chest, she felt the beating of her heart, the expanding of her lungs as she took deep breaths in. Prove that she was sitting here, that she was alive. She then tried to focus on all she could remember as if she forced herself to think about it enough perhaps it would come back to her. But it was no use, when Rafe reappeared, she dropped her hand into her lap and looked over at him.

Watching as he moved around. “I was, uh,” a slight chuckle as she scratched behind her ear, nervously. “Waiting for you, actually. I kinda,” her eyebrow knitted together in confusion as she wondered where that sentiment had come from. “Didn’t want to eat without you.” His hand on her back just drew her out of the confusion, back to this now.

“But you took a bit long, so it might be cold now.” It was a joke as she reached for a piece of toast. “Are you sure it’s okay that we stay in today? I don’t want to let anyone down.”

In the shower washing all the blood, sweat and dirt from his skin Rafe found himself torn between being a happy that he and Elizabeth were now together, or at least he hoped and how different she was now so meek. But he was trying to convince himself that it was because she had died, died and come back to him.

Touseling his hair dry and wrapping a towel around his waist he came out to see Elizabeth hadn't touched a single thing from the room service tray.

"Hey, you not hungry?" He asked, moving to his case to pull out some clean clothes. "We haven't eaten since we left for the pyramid. Try to eat something. You'll feel better with some food." Moving back to the bathroom he changed quickly before coming to sit beside Elizabeth, one hand stroking at her lower back, it was a subconscious need to touch her, to know she was real l, she was still with him.

The two went their separate ways after the game, meeting, having lost his friend in the crowd, Charlie knew that Elizabeth would have a lot to say about this sudden collaboration. Hours after the team had met at their usual warehouse to discuss this, Elizabeth made sure to make her thoughts known.

"He's a rich spoiled brat, just looking for fun. He'd going to get us killed. I don't know why we suddenly need another team to help us on a dig. We've done this plenty of times before, we're a great team and I get the relic before everyone else does. Why change now?"

AJ for his part sat quietly at his computer looking up this new relic as the two had their row. Ready to just focus on another task, knowing that the two would reach a consensus sooner or later. They always did, that was how his family worked.

"I get it, Lib's. Truly, I do." Charlie began. "But they have information, they work with different things, they think outside the box. We need that for this one or else it will slip right through our fingers."

"Then let it! He's not going to get it! He's going to get me shot! Did you see the way he dressed. He's going to stick out like a sore thumb wherever we go."

It went like that for another hour before Charlie finally talked her into it with the promise that if the man indeed placed them in danger in any way, they'd bail. After another hour of planning Charlie finally left to make the call.

Rafe tended to ignore most things, including people's reactions to him. He knew there was a healthy measure for him and his so-called father, even if the man was dead. But he noticed the sudden change in Elizabeth's demeanour and didn't like it one bit. He didn't know what had caused the change, but it infuriated him. He would be speaking with Sage once this one done.

"Business, meetings, pleasure." She smirked. "It's my personal cell, after all." As the crowd around them erupted in cheers, she caught Elizabeth standing. "Oh, nice to meet you too." She caught the look on both hers and Rafe's face. She'd put money on Rafe having said something arrogant or condescending.

"It's fine, we're all busy people. Call me later. We can finish up what we need to and go over what Ashley sends across." She smiled at him. She'd have liked to spend more time with Charlie, maybe get a drink with him somewhere quieter, but she knew Rafe would be building up to a tirade.

His fingertips grazed the skin of his lover, over curves and scars over the terrain that he had come to memorize in their time together. There was nothing more he wanted than to grow old with the her. To perhaps one day, retire from his and have children with her, if she wanted it. And the first step towards those dreams was getting married.

Looking into her eyes, he smiled. “Let’s get married, should we do a quickie Vegas one first and then a well planned one when we return?” It was just a suggestion because he knew that he’d marry her a million times if she so desired it. “You tell me what you want and I’ll make it happen.”

Laid in a state of pure bliss, Sage never thought she'd be truly happy, but Charlie had proved her wrong, he matched her in every aspect, from wit to charm and everything in between. While a part of her had been serious about a wedding she didn't think it would happen at least for a long time.

She could lay like this forever she mused, his hand caressing her bare skin, the bodies entwined with the sound of his heart beat the thing she could hear the most. She smiled against his skin at his words. "Really?" She looked up at him, her smile turning to a grin as she saw the seriousness. "Lets do it, lets get married."

The moment he said the words she knew they were true. Just as they were true on her end. She had never loved someone the way she loved him. As she tried to say the words back they became a jumbled mess, sounding incoherent as he pulled her against him. Grinding against her, gaining the upper hand in this but she wasn't going to let that happen. Taking his hands into hers, she held them back behind his head as her hips slowly came down upon him. Moans falling from her as she took all of him in.

"I love you too," she whispered against his skin as she peppered kisses along his stubbled jaw, moaning against his skin as she began to lift her hips and bring them down slowly. The man that she couldn't stand when first meeting had become such a huge part of her, her whole heart. "More than I will ever be able to put to words." Kissing his lips, her hazel eyes looked into his, before finally saying what had been on her mind the last couple of months since finding out that their friends were expecting. They all had already married and started their lives, and it was her fault that she had broken Rafe's heart to begin with, forcing them to start again from the beginning. She was tired of wasting time with uncertainty now that she was her, no more gods in her brain, no more deaths to be had, no more second guessing it all.

Breathlessly, her words came out in between pants. "Rafe, marry me?"

Working with Charlie and his team had been the greatest thing he had ever done. His money, his status, none of it compared to what he had got from this. Bringing him closer to Sage and Ashley, in turn Charlie and AJ, which brought him Elizabeth. Elizabeth his shining star, his guiding light. While after she had died and come back had been far harder on him than anything he had endured, winning her back, having her accept him all over again was more than he had ever dared hope for. A by product of all of this was his shared love of baseball now, something they could enjoy together that didn't involve traipsing across the world and being shot at.

Seeing her genuinely happy, living life instead of just letting it drag her along as it had. Every inch of him wanted to feel her, wanted her, but a faint memory in the back of his mind made him grip her hips, his fingers kneading into the soft skin. "Do I still make you feel alive?" The whispered no had almost made his heart stop before her lips were on his telling him how she really felt. His hands moving to squeeze at her firm behind, grinding against her. "I love you, I will always love you." He breathed out breathlessly.

"Fucking gladly," Charlie murmured against her lips in between fervent kisses on any part of her his lips could touch. His hands held onto her ass as he walked them over towards the bed, her legs still wrapped around his waist. Everything that happened earlier still coursing adrenaline through his veins, the potential loss making him appreciate every second that passed and he was still alive to see them.

Letting her fall with a soft plop onto the bed, he kissed his way down her neck, her chest, her stomach until he reach the top of her pants and his hands began to make quick work of unbuttoning them. "These," he growled as he tugged on them after undoing the button. "Are in the bloody way to what I really want."

Sage allowed Charlie to lead the way to their room, the thought of having lost Elizabeth swirling around and around in her mind, the fear and worry where their, but it was tainted. Tainted with annoyance or was it anger at her coming back. It made no sense, she had no interest in Rafe outside of working with him and knew that Charlie and Elizabeth were like siblings, but still she couldn't pinpoint the anger that filled her as she thought about the other woman.

That was until Charlie had her pressed against the wall and he consumed her thoughts. Grinning at his command she half obliged him by lifting her shirt up and off and jumping up to wrap her legs around him, gripping his face with both hands to bring his lips up for her to claim. "Why don't you make me?" She breathed out against his lips before sucking his lower lip into her mouth and biting softly.

Looking at the dagger again in her hands, she realized now how long he had actually cared for her. Then a thought came to mind. "It was you, wasn't it? The flowers when I was in the hospital a couple of years ago after I ran into Ripper for the first time. They didn't have a card on it but they were my favorite." Pain radiated through her chest at realizing everything. "I didn't truly mean that." No, once upon a time she had meant it. When she first met him, flashing his cash all over the place but then she had come to know him and knew why. But that was a memory that still hadn't come to her, what had he shared with her that made her change her mind about him?

"I guess I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." She sighed as she peered up at him through her eyelashes. "I didn't mean for it to go the way it did. I always kept waiting for my memories to come back and I never took into consideration how that would make you feel. I never wanted to hurt you, Rafe."

Rage didn't quite meet her eyes as Elizabeth came to stand beside him, waiting for her to tell him to leave, like he had last time. Her words surprised him, making him look at her. "Of course I remembered, you loved them, but we didn't have time. I thought about getting them before, but I didn't think you'd accept them back then. See it as me trying to buy affection." She had, after all, told him that the women he had been with before might have their affections easily bought, but she wasn't a cheap bimbo like the air heads he'd slept with.

Rafe swallowed. He wasn't used to feeling uncomfortable or out of his depth, and this was both. "Of course, what would you like to talk about?" He asked nonchalantly, though his entire body was tense.

@inhumanhacker

Happy Death Day 2U 2019 | dir. Christopher Landon