It had been ten days and at least as many fights after Jules had broken into the tomb that Amon had dutifully guarded for countless years. The archeologist really didn't know what he should do with the sphinx. By all logic, such a creature should not even exist.

The local workers who had seen him treated him with equal awe and fear. He was a guardian beast, and Jules could understand they were worried if what they were doing was incurring his wrath. Amon himself seemed fairly neutral on the matter after seeing how carefully and respectfully they inspected the chamber and loaded the smaller items into crates.

Jules honestly had no idea what he'd do once they returned to the city. You couldn't exactly hide a mythical creature in the modern world. He'd be a Youtube hit in no time at all.

He carefully sidestepped the small offering plates – ranging from snacks to coins – as he returned to his tent and saw Amon playing with his laptop computer. Literally playing with his computer, like it was nothing more than a brightly lit box.

"I told you not to touch that without permission!" he almost yelled and snatched the object from his hands. "I still need it!"

"I don't take orders from you," the sphinx replied haughtily. "You are not my master."

The same thing every single day...It was almost like Amon was rebelling just to prove that he was not a child, over and over again. Not that Jules really considered him one. His mind still couldn't completely grasp that the sphinx had actually lived the era he had been so intrigued of since he had been little.

"You are my guest, so you should at least return basic courtesy," he finally settled for saying as he returned the computer to his desk.

"Courtesy is only required between equals. See..." He held his hand above his head. "This is where Pharaoh is, a divine representative of gods on earth." He lowered his hand a bit. "This is where I am. And this..." He dropped his hand even lower. "...is where you humans are."

He had heard those snide remarks before too. At first, he might have been insulted. Now he just ignored them. "I'll let you play Candy Crush once I've checked my e-mails," he promised. "Just don't break anything in the meantime."

After the initial curiosity, videos and podcasts had failed to hold the sphinx's interest. He had flatly stated that he only needed to close his eyes and he could hear every event and story in the world. But games were an entirely different matter.

No messages. He guessed that everyone else was off work for weekend.

He noticed that Amon had gotten occupied with searching through his other belongings and was browsing an old book lovingly kept. Computers and Internet were nice, but some things were better in physical form.

"That's my family's photo album. You know, a way for us forgetful humans to remember." He looked over the sphinx's shoulder at the current page. "Those were taken back in 1970s."

Amon hummed, his tail slowly beating the carpet he sat on. Then he pointed to the lanky, pimple-faced teenager with nerdy glasses with one finger. "Who's this? Your son?"

He may have forgotten to tell Amon what year it was now. "Actually...it's me."

The sphinx burst into laughter.

Jules sighed. "Yes, I know...I wasn't exactly Mr. Handsome back then." He rubbed his chin and gave Amon a confident smile. "But I have aged well, don't you think?"

Amon snorted. "I wouldn't have chosen an ugly man for my Pharaoh's vessel."

Jules had never liked that view. It was one of the reasons he had been bullied at school, and he did not like how focused on looks most people were when it came to dating or marriage. "It's the inside that counts, not the outside. Wasn't that also what your Pharaoh-"

"You know nothing about him, so shut up!" Amon snapped angrily.

He knew all too much. It had been brief, but their souls had become completely connected when the Pharaoh had entrusted his most precious treasure to him. But thanks to that, he also knew how much Amon must have been hurting all those lonely years, watching over the hidden tomb.

Suddenly his phone rang. He quickly checked the caller name before answering. Karen.

"Hello, sweetie!" he greeted the little girl cheerfully.

That apparently got Amon's attention, as the sphinx stood up and looked at him curiously. He quickly gestured for him to stay out of this. Hopefully he'd get the message.

He patiently listened to Karen's long and enthusiastic explanation what she had been doing at Grandma's. Then came the inevitable question if he'd also be there for Christmas.

"I'll try my best," he promised. Although he had officially divorced his wife after their two sons had had enough of traveling all over the world because of his career and had wanted a "normal" life, he still tried to keep in contact with his family – including his five years old granddaughter. "But you see, I found an undiscovered tomb a little bit ago."

"Really?!" She sounded so excited that it made him smile.

"Yes, Grandpa will be in newspapers soon. I'll send you exclusive pictures you can show to your friends. Say hi to Grandma and your mom and dad for me, okay? Love you."

Amon was pouting. It was impossible to miss.

Jules sighed as he put the phone away. "Please don't throw a fit of jealousy. Yes, I have a family. Yes, I had a wife at some point, although it didn't quite work out."

The sphinx crossed his arms and huffed. "Like I care. I'm with you only because my lord told me to. I still don't understand what he saw in you."

An unspeakable pain squeezed his heart – the Pharaoh's memories – and he blinked back tears. Unsuccessfully. Amon had only ever had one person, someone beyond precious. He had watched that person die on his arms. What hope he'd had of restoring him to life was gone. And now he was all alone.

"What? You're going to start bawling again?"

Instead of replying with anger or bitterness, Jules hugged him tightly. "He wanted you to be happy. Here. Now. I want you to be happy too." Then he continued in Old Egyptian, "Beloved."

Amon trembled silently. The endearment was the same one his Pharaoh had often used. "You're...not him...You can never be him..."

"I know."