Chapter 13: Tea, Dinosaurs and Knights in London

• 𓎬 ☼ 𓋹⋅☾𓂀 ☽⋅𓋹 ☼ 𓎬 •

Rowena XXXVI

2014 - London

Sand scraped her exposed knees as she clambered up to her feet and wobbled. When she gazed upwards, she found herself staring at a battleground. Smoke coming out of the earth and rubble whilst broken shrapnel were buried into the dry earth. The sun was beating down onto the earth, tingling the hairs of her arm as she peered out to try and comprehend everything.

No words could describe the carnage in front of her. There were bodies littered, pools of blood and limbs sticking out of the dry chalky earth. The beauty of the valley soaked in red and brown and metal. The pungent aroma of iron and burning flesh mixed with the chemicals of the smoke made her gag, but no reaction came from her.

What irked Rowena more was the absolute silence. No groan or cry or the shot of guns. She only heard her Oxford shoes scrape the particles of the sand as she walked through the sea of bodies.

She was struck in shock, dread beginning to crawl up her spine as she halted to a stop.

There in front of her laid upon broken layers of rubble rock were the figures she wished to never see.

Teddy Roosevelt's eyes were open wide, a deadly stare on his expression but with tears still fresh on his face. His rifle bent in two and laid a few yards from him. But what she first saw was the large gash on his legs, his trousers soaked in red. Next to him was Sacagawea. Her own face contorted in peace; eyes closed. As her eyes wandered down, she saw the bullet wound on her chest – exactly where the heart would be.

Just a few metres away was Attila, laid over his side with an arm reaching towards his axe. She could see the pain embedded on his scrunched-up face, relaxed by the constant look ahead. Her heart then plummeted when she spotted the little capuchin curled under the Hun's arm, trying his best to shield the little animal. She had hoped that he was still alive but didn't spot Dexter move a muscle.

As her eyes darted across to the other side that was when she saw the two sitting and leaning against a rockface. Jedediah sat upright, head now tilted to the side as he looked ahead with no reaction – cradling Octavius body in his arms. His gun was left by their side as the Roman sword was broken in half. She could tell that the Roman had bled out, his hand over his ribs whilst another looked to have comforted Jedediah. Hands intertwined as if they had died knowing they were together.

And quite far from the rest, out in the open was the familiar body of the night guard. She approached him carefully, kneeling down as her hand reach out.

Outshot his arm, clenching his fingers over her wrists as his eyes flashed open. Excruciating pain was worn over his features, gasping at every moment as he stared up to her.

"You...you could have saved us." Larry choked out before shutting his eyes.

His body slumped under her arm before his own hand became limp. She let go of him, stumbling back with shaking hands.

Rowena stared at him for a moment, the coldness sinking in as fast as a broken ship drowning her mind in horror. Her friend, Larry Daley, just died in her arms.

She wanted to scream. To accuse her of killing her friends. Only, nothing came out of her mouth. Her jaw slacked, clamping a hand to her mouth as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

They were dead. It couldn't be possible.

The first instinct she could do was run. Run as far as she could. She wanted to run and run until her lungs would give in – her mouth parched, and lips dried. However, her feet did not shift, feeling the heels of her boots digging further down into the dirt.

There was then a sudden cry, and Rowena glanced up to search for that voice.

As she continued down the path of the valley, she stopped to find two shadows sticking out of the rubble. Golden eyes matching the sun stared at her with glimmering hatred and amusement, sending a trickle of worry down Rowena. She wore the same clothing that they first met in, unscathed or dirty from the desert sand or blood.

However, adorning her formal outfit was a short silver blade, sharp by how it reflected against the light. Was this her doing? Did she do it?

Rowena slowly walked to her, hands clenched as anger erupted through her heart.

Salma Atkins' echoed in the valley, "You forget, Rowena Clarke..."

Tugging up, she yanked the collar of a figure from the ground.

That anger dissipated as fast as she could when she saw who it had been.

Gasping for breath, Rowena watched Salma place a blade over Ahkmenrah's throat. He was trembling under her grasp, trying to clamber up and scramble to pry off Salma's hands. He then stopped, choking out a wheeze of air before his eyes stared back at her.

Eyes that wore fear and betrayal.

"We may be immortal: but they will never be." Salma proclaimed and brought the sword through.

Metal slicing through the neck in one clean swoop.

Rowena's eyes flashed open as she flung herself upright.

With deep pants, Rowena slowly adjusted her thoughts and clenched the sheets in her hands. 'It was just a dream, just a dream...' She repeated in her head. Gods, it wasn't a dream - it was a horror film intensified.

'Just a nightmare...just a nightmare.'

Gulping in more air, she rubbed her bare arms, shuddering to more than just the morning chill. As she settled her breaths to some normal pace, her fingers raked through her hair whilst the other hand gravitated towards the device at the side of the bed. The moment she opened the phone, she scrolled aimlessly through various apps. The messages from Rebecca and lack of breaking news soothed her to some extent but nevertheless left her unsatisfied and dirty from what she dreamt of.

It was all she could dream about. The same scenes replaying in her mind like a broken tape recorder, the voices jittering and growing louder until she had to pause and stare at herself in the mirror.

Shutting the tap close, Rowena looked up at herself. How did she come to this? With hollowed cheeks, eyes and dark bags under her eyes. Her fingers trailed over her cheeks, gracing over the freckles. The same ones that were there before. The same skin and the same nose and face.

But never a single wrinkle on her skin.

As she traced her hands over the tresses of her hair, she could feel her own throat constrict, jaw shuddering as she used all her might not to let the emotion out. Her fears were returning to her and reminding herself that her hair would never go grey caused herself to choke out a cry. Lips wavering, her hands tightened over the clumps of her hair before she massaged her cheeks with desperations until she grasped the edge of the sink – squeezing her eyes shut.

Rowena couldn't look at herself anymore. She dared not to look at the face that she had worn for so long. The more often she looked, all she could see was not Rowen Bates at all – but a ghost that has carried within her for years.

Was the nightmare the reminder of her curse? That she would eventually remain the same as the world moved on. And if danger did come their way, she would therefore be left unrequited to spectate the deaths of those she loved.

Even Ahkmenrah and the Exhibits, who clung to immortality like a piece of string to a golden tablet. And her love for the man that protected the Tablet; their own relationship revolved around the Tablet. And with the Tablet: a price was hung over it with an omen as The Order grew close.

She realised once more that she couldn't do anything else to stop this. And if any blame of someone getting hurt after what happened Larry occurs: she would know where to point towards.

Frustration grew in her body as Rowena let out a silent cry and fell to her knees.

Despite those around her, waiting for her: Rowena Clarke never felt so helpless and alone. Salty tears fell onto the floor as she wept on the bathroom floor.

• 𓎬 ☼ 𓋹⋅☾𓂀 ☽⋅𓋹 ☼ 𓎬 •

A few hours later, she finally left her room dressed and prepared with no indication of what happened early at sunrise. When she passed the guest room, she hoped to knock on the door but stopped as soon as she heard the clatter of ceramic downstairs.

When she was halfway down the stairs, she sighed in relief and mentally prepared herself to enter the den with a composed persona.

'You have to be strong for her,' Rowena told herself. 'Remember that she needs you, and she needs someone for her to talk to.' Adjusting her cardigan and dress-shirt, she held her chin up and gracefully moved towards the kitchen.

It was a stagnant atmosphere the moment she entered the room. She casually began her usual routine, pulling out the drawer to grab a spoon before speaking aloud with some cheeriness in her tone. 

"Good morning."

She heard no reply from her, only hearing the clink of a spoon hitting the bowl.

Rowena suddenly felt the awkwardness rise, biting the inside of her mouth. Maybe it was too fake...

Her eyes darted to Leslie and she stated. "So, you've met Yara," Rowena paused. "I suppose she's out already?"

"God knows. She said something about going to go have a smoke and get your prescription or something." Leslie eyed her and asked, "You're ill?"

"No. Just some stuff," Rowena replied quickly and took out a mug from the cabinet before popping the kettle on.

The noise of the kettle at least eased the tension between her and the American woman as she continued to grab a teabag and popped it right into the mug.

The redhead said blankly, "Right." Leslie piped in, "You know I'm a doctor, right? I know shit."

Leslie Carter was studying her, and she could easily tell the suspicion the moment Rowen paused to answer back. Rowen leaned against the counter table, eyeing the door. She was too exhausted to argue back, quickly changing the subject. "Anyone called?"

She thanked Leslie for following on, answering back: "Nope. Just some random cell but I didn't pick it up."

Rowena silently nodded, before turning back to the counter. She poured the hot water into the mug and stirred it with the teaspoon. She expected some call from several governors in the museum, though it seemed everyone was either busy or were being 'kind' after what occurred. She assured Antonio and the board that she was alright, despite her still unsure on Antonio's background.

For one thing, she needed to try and make sure the museum was alright.

"Probably some solicitors. They're a menace nowadays." Rowena commented and headed to where Leslie sat.

Pulling the chair out, she placed the tea down on the dining table and sat down.

There was a moment of peace, where she was occupied by her phone screen and hoping to get some email from work. She flickered twice over the same text message before she heard a heavy sigh.

"Okay, cut the nice crap now." Leslie leaned forwards across the table, narrowing her eyes. She asked, "Can you explain to me this? This...thing."

"Why-"Startled and confused, Rowena blinked. "What?"

What on earth was she talking about?

Leslie threw her hands up and spoke, "This...thing." She exasperated, "About the Tablet and whatnot."

Ah. That.

Her lips quickly thinned, and her hands edged towards the cold metal pressed on her chest. The Wadjet was surprisingly cold today, which didn't aid the cold sinking feeling in her stomach as the Tablet was mentioned out of Leslie's lips.

Leslie wasn't blind towards detail, in fact, quite the opposite especially when it came to detail. She was curious as to how the Tablet was tied to Garret and the accident caused at Westminster bridge; why Garret himself took it.

One of the other things she had to research after Larry woke up was finding a clue to Garret's connections. The only way he could have taken the Tablet was using other people that worked in the museum so she had to carefully interfere with the interrogation with security. Antonio handled it well, revealing explicitly who were the ones that clearly aided him. She wanted to inform Leslie in person about it, but the moment she spotted the young Carter at the hospital, Rowena paused and retracted her questions.

There was little trust between them now, enough for Leslie to stay with her surprisingly. But even so: Rowena didn't trust her own home. And the only place to prove her side of the story was across the city.

"Not here. I'll tell you once we get to the museum." She revealed, clasping the handle of her mug tightly. She took a sip, not feeling well to get through the rest of the drink.

Eyebrows furrowed as Leslie leaned back and questioned: "Why are we going there? This isn't going to help us find out why he was killed! We've got to go to the police. The equivalent of NYPD - Scotland Yard? They said that if we knew things, we should go to them!"

Rowena stayed quiet, staring away from her.

"You did tell them, right? Right?" Leslie pressed on.

She turned to her, standing up from her seat. "As much as I want to criticise your American police force: We can't Leslie. Not with this."

They both stood frozen, with Leslie sitting across her with wary eyes as Rowena overlooked her at the other.

Leslie's voice quietened, and she saw the fear within her eyes. "Rowen, you're scaring me. Please tell me what's going on?"

No breath escaped her. Her mind was battling to choose how to approach this. This was a sensitive time to reveal the truth of the Tablet and its magic. And it wasn't her right to reveal the truth; it was for the Exhibits and Ahkmenrah to judge those for it. Since revealing to Teddy and Sacagawea about Salma Atkins, she and Ahkmenrah agreed they couldn't bring anyone else to know the truth.

So, should she reveal it to the woman who married the man that stole the Tablet? Would this help them protect them if Leslie even knew about it all?

By then, Rowena already got an answer.

"If you want answers, we have to go to the museum. And there I will explain the truth." Rowena firmly spoke.

Leslie looked at her with uncertainty. And with a shuddering sigh, she stood up with her and muttered, "...Fuck it. Let's go."

• 𓎬 ☼ 𓋹⋅☾𓂀 ☽⋅𓋹 ☼ 𓎬 •

With the morning rush hour occurring, Rowena didn't want to fuel her own stress driving around London. So instead, she called a cab for the two of them to get to the museum.

Yara arrived half an hour later, greeting Rowena with a white paper bag from the pharmacy and wanting to go and begin sorting out the housework. She thanked her friend for helping Leslie know her way around the terrace house, to which Yara brushed her off. The woman was not fazed after reading the news, more determined to bring Leslie to some light by telling her that there is going to be light after all of this.

Only Rowena and Leslie had to silent look at each other, knowing that there is more to what the news covered.

Rowena packed her usual work satchel, hiding another couple of daggers under her sleeve and ankle. She had to make sure she was prepared to protect Leslie and herself, even giving into her decision to take the handgun that was stashed in her own home.

Once she met Leslie downstair at the front door, with Leslie having her own day bag and clothes which she borrowed from Yara, the two took the cab and headed to the British Museum.

The silence didn't help it at all, making her agitated as she continued to look in front. Her eyes glanced at her phone sometimes whilst looking at Leslie on the way. The young Carter appeared to get lost in the landscape of the city. Rowena wondered what Leslie was thinking, hoping that the anger in her has dwindled. She wanted so much to reach out to her, admitting that her motherly instincts kicking in as she continued to glance at Leslie.

She knew that she was hurting, and she felt unworthy to be that comfort.

Howard must be scolding her right now, probably even more distraught as he wouldn't know what to do with his family. Her friend was unprepared of fatherhood, since he was at the peak time of his life, working on Tutankhamun and his tomb. Edmund was left under her wing whilst Howard slowly grew ill. And as once Edmund grew up, he was already gaining the independence and family of his own.

Rowena didn't know what Leslie's relationship with her parents was like, only hearing things about their work and what she did with them as she was a child. Though, it wasn't enough to know to admit that she knew what Leslie was with any parental figure. Rowena was just the friend and flatmate and nothing else. Maybe a family friend by that was it. So, what made Leslie choose to follow her after all that occurred?

That thought made her hear a familiar chuckle in her head, Harry laughing at her own overthinking. Harry Bates was once in her position, unsure as to why a British spy suddenly trusted the American soldier to head into enemy lines. After her resurrection, it took Harry some moment to trust her again but easily continued with her as the war-battered on.

Harry's own voice in her head told her, 'You seem so unsure of your own strength, Jo.'

'Well, how could I not?' Rowena huffed in her head. 'Leslie needs someone with her that could understand her. That shouldn't be me.'

'And why not?' Harry asked her. 'You've been always been the person to understand people.'

She looked out of the window, pursing her lips in thought. 'I understand people like how I understand artefacts: I only assume who they were and their purpose and their history, but all I do is leave them preserved and keep them as they were.' She paused. 'I couldn't even help Ahk before realising myself that I didn't know who I was.'

Harry didn't respond.

Rowena asked, 'How can I help them when I'm not confident of my own self-assurance?'

She could imagine her ex-lover gazing down at her with sad eyes, leaning down before pressing his lips on her forehead. Her eyes closed, remembering his own embrace. It comforted her, though there was a discorded feeling that made her shudder. She felt as if she was watching another person instead. That she was in Joanna Darcy's shoes and not her own.

"What the heck is with all this traffic?"

Her mind caught back to reality, straightening her back as she stared out in front of the car. Leslie's exclamation was not wrong, there was a line of cars and buses in front of them, beeping their horns as Londoners asked what was holding the traffic.

Rowena huffed in annoyance, trying to keep her own patience as she asked the driver. "Excuse me, is there another way around?"

"Not with this, sorry miss. Traffic's all the way up the street." The driver answered, eyeing her with the use of the rear mirror.

She peered outside and recognised the street and buildings. It was not far from the front gates of the museum, perhaps a five-minute walk if they were quick. But with the number of people outside, it might take some time.

"Don't-don't worry about it." Rowena gave the driver a sympathetic look before passing a note to him. "Here. We'll walk the rest of the way, the museum's not that far."

After a share of thanks and the cab driver wishing them good luck, she gestured Leslie to exit the vehicle and begin their trek towards their destination. They waded through the bustling street and began to notice a wave of screams and shouts coming ahead. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as she now saw what happened.

People were getting out of buses and cars, running opposite the direction they were walking – with fear and shock written on their faces. By her side, Leslie was trying to search far ahead but simply peered her eyes in confusion.

"What the hell is going on?" The young Carter questioned, hand on her temple.

Rowena slowed down to a stop, standing by Leslie as she went on her tiptoes to try and see what was occurring. People were bumping through them, shouting for them to run and hide.

Well, if that wasn't ominous enough.

She answered her friend, never cutting away to look at the distance. "I don't know, but we've got to go Leslie." Rowena then adjusted her satchel, before pacing down the pavement, leaving her friend standing there agape.

"Uhh...you know..." Leslie shouted through the crowd from behind Rowena. "According to movies, if people are running away from something: it must be bad!"

"You are correct." Rowena commented sarcastically, "Thank you for your input, Carter."

Leslie caught up with her, striding with her taller stature and legs. They continued down to the crossroads, just a block away from the main entrance of the museum.

Several more people began abandoning their cars. A cyclist toppled over the curb and Rowena hurried towards the fallen man and helped him up. With thanks and a warning, the cyclist left leaving her even more afraid at what was to come. She thought of taking the handgun out for precaution, though she knew it might not get that far as she heard no sound of a gunshot.

Instead, the air was filled with car alarms, horns and people crying and running. There was no wind, making the air still and silent. If they were running in the opposite direction, something must have happened near the museum. Was it the Order? Were they here to steal the Tablet again?

Leslie asked again with disbelief: "So why are we going the opposite way? Towards the danger?"

She replied, losing her patience with Leslie's complaints. If she wanted answers, they had to get there on time. Rowena asserted, "Because the museum is this way-"

"Great, shit happens days ago, and this happens." The redhead exasperated and waved her arms in the air. "Well, let's just all just follow Rowen Bates into the fray!"

Rowena spun around to face her and letting out a groan. "Leslie, could you please..."

However, she was then stopped as she heard her phone buzz. With a mental groan, she shoved the phone against her ear – continuing to march in the right direction as Leslie followed behind her.

Muttering to herself, "This better be important..." Rowena then took a breath before speaking loudly, "Look, Antonio...tell me what's happened."

"Gigantress!"

Rowena's hand jerked away, and she eyed her phone in disbelief.

That couldn't possibly be.

She closed the phone nearer to her ear, hearing a muffling sound and the panting of breaths. Rowena called out, "Jed...Jed? What are you-"

"Thank the lord you picked up!" His voice spoke in franticness.

Gods she wasn't hallucinating.

Rowena began, "You-"

"Listen to me, Gigantress!" Jedediah panted. "Something crazy happened and we don't know-"

"What the hell-" Rowena's voice hitched as she stopped around the corner.

Running straight out of the museum doors was a skeletal dinosaur.

In broad daylight.

Two hundred and thirty-eight years she has walked this earth. She has seen dinosaurs come to life in the night. But seeing a stegosaurus dinosaur under the daylight...in London out of all places – was something completely different.

Her younger self would never ever imagine this happening to her.

The stegosaurus had somehow escaped through the front gates of the museum, breaking through the metallic barriers like a broken biscuit. Cars nearby were crushed as small bicycles were tossed aside.

A roar echoed through the street, shaking the ground.

Her breath was taken away.

"What-What the fuck is that!" Leslie shouted. 

Rowena didn't need to look at the shock as they stood still.

Soon, the dinosaur spotted them and snarled before beginning to stomp towards them...

"Get out of the way, Les!"

Rowena quickly acted as fast as she could, tackling the redhead to the side as a large object almost hit them. Leslie out a shriek, dragged along as Rowena helped them enter the front opening of the museum. Everyone was gone and the front of the museum was destroyed.

The large pillars were barely standing, hollowed by the form of the animal that stormed out of the building.

Taking the doctor to the side, Rowena pulled Leslie into an alcove where the security once was and leaned back – finally releasing her breath.

Leslie was heavily panting, her body shaking in fear as she cried, "Why the fuck is a dinosaur alive! A dinosaur!"

Her hands went to her friend's trying to assure her presence. "Leslie! You've got to calm down. We've got to go inside."

The young Carter didn't respond, shaken by their near-death experience that Rowena could only tug her along towards the front entrance.

As they ran in the open, the dinosaur was focused on crushing several cars and vehicles – enough for them to get to the steps. When Rowena got halfway up the stairs: she then realised that Leslie hadn't followed her.

A tuft of red hair was still hiding by some rubble, shaking her head to her.

Leslie screamed, "Aw, fuck no!" She refused, "I'm heading back!"

There was an ear-piercing roar.

"Nevermind, I'm coming!"

As the young Carter ducked, Leslie ran to follow on – arriving at her side. And by the time they got to the top of the stairs, they looked to find the dinosaur occupied by the vehicles. The stegosaurus crushing them like some toy.

Though as much as the exhibit was a danger, there was more matter at hand.

Leslie asked her, "What about the dinosaur, which is probably wreaking havoc outside?"

Rowena replied, guilty rising to her voice. "We'll deal with it at some point." She was still out of breath (not sure whether it was the running or the situation of a dinosaur present).

Now she knew how it felt when Larry took the first night.

"We've got to find them first; we'll need all the help we could get," Rowena added.

Leslie turned to her with a fixated expression – even more confused than before. "Them? Who's them?" She asked.

Soon as those words left her mouth, a flash of silver zoomed passed them along with two other figures. The trio then let out a battle cry, catching the stegosaurus' attention. It didn't take long for the dinosaur to throw the battered Ford Fiesta at a Santander bike stall.

The one in silver was in fact a night, dressed in what seemed to be actual medieval armour that Rowena was more afraid for the piece of history to be damaged than the actual wearer. The knight unsheathed a long straight blade, charging towards the stegosaurus with no hesitation. The other two joined them, the one in red revealing in their own blade and ran along whilst the other swung a lasso.

They parried and danced around the stegosaurus as they tried to tug the dinosaur down. Letting a piercing roar, the hairs of Rowena's skin prickled after hearing the dinosaur. She was standing right on the staircase, clutching her satchel and wondering what she was doing. She was hardly matched for a thirty-foot dinosaur, spotting the tail lunge towards them.

The knight quickly appeared in front, deflecting the bony structure with his sword. He cried out, "Hiya! My ladies! You must hide, I will deal with this creature!" Flinging the tail out, he then let another cry before laughing in joy.

Rowena blankly said, "Well. He's new."

But before she finished commenting, she jumped into cover behind the remains of a pillar, tucking her satchel over her chest. She then crouched once more as debris flew from above. The rumbling of the dinosaur's feet quietened, as it screeched in pain. She slowly peered around the column and spotted the three figures surrounding the stegosaurus.

And in one quick swoop, the knight quickly swiped his sword through the dinosaur's neck.

Rowena flung back in shock, the memory of her dream giving her chest out.

In and out, she could hear ringing bells and the gurgling of Ahk's blood.

There was a thud.

Harry whispered in her mind, 'It's okay, doll. It's over. It's dead.'

'But it's not supposed to be alive!' She cried internally. She was pulsing her hands, trying to focus on reality whilst she steadied her breathing.

Beside her, the young Carter wasn't doing any better, staring in front in a state of shock. Taking the young woman's hand in hers, Rowena snapped Leslie's trance and tried to squeeze in reassuringly.

She waited for her to respond, and Leslie looked to her with a thankful gaze before they stood up.

As they got up and stepped out into the open at the top of the stairs, Rowena could only leave her mouth clamped shut.

The front of the museum was destroyed, left with a skeleton remnant and a skull detached by its body. The ground was cracked and the water from the fountains filled over in puddles.

She composed herself, adjusting her satchel and descended the steps to walk over to the knight.

Once the knight removed his helmet, she was faced with a man that could be glowing under the sunlight. His chiselled face and long blonde hair could match the bluest eyes she ever saw, almost the colour of sapphire if Rowena could compare it to a jewel. He swaggered to them like a model at a runway, slinging his helmet under an arm and his sword on his sheathe.

She knew eventually who this exhibit was.

Rowena heard Leslie's sharp intake of air as she muttered, "Jesus Christ."

If she weren't shocked still at the still stegosaurus behind him, she would be snorting.

The knight smiled through his teeth, a confused expression on him. "I do not know who that is." He then gestured, "But my ladies, fear not: you have been saved by a knight of the Round Table. Sir Lancelot, at your pleasure."

As he bowed before them, Rowena refrained the instinct of curtsying by staring at him with tight lip. This was not the right time to deal with a fictional character, especially for someone awake during the day.

"Rowen...and this is the Lady Leslie." She gestured to her right and then inquired. "Now if you'll excuse. Who on earth are they-"

"There she is! Rowen!"

It was there she lost the last part of her sentence.

Appearing right around the corner of the dinosaur were two people she was not expecting at all.

"...Jed? Octavius?" She stuttered, eyeing them up and down. And she never had to do this. "You're..."

"Gigantic? Aw heck yeah we are!"

A weird choking noise escaped her, making Leslie glance at her oddly.

The blonde cowboy opened his arms wide, gesturing to himself as he dusted his sleeves. While beside him, the roman rolled his eyes before smiling kindly down to her.

'Perhaps I am dreaming this all.' She thought.

She was staring up to two of her friends, feeling incredibly uncomfortable at the situation that she wanted squash those two men down and force them back to their original sizes. How on earth and god's name did they get big?

And not big: normal human size.

Oh, how was she going to explain to Leslie?

Jedediah cut off the silence, nudging his chin up towards them. He questioned, "Who's the red-head?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Leslie eyed him with narrowed eyes.

Leaning down to Rowena, he glanced at Leslie and commented, "I like her already."

Rowena sighed in her head. 'Of course, he'll be the same as always.' She swatted Jedediah's arm and he yelped, pouting back, making him step back beside Octavius.

"You like anyone that is as crude as you." Octavius rolled his eyes before hearing a hum of agreement from Jedediah.

Once she was brought back to the task at hand, Rowena cut the bickering between the two and Lancelot, "Introductions later between us, boys." She asked, "I need to know where the Tablet is, is it alright?"

Jedediah answered back, "With Ahky boy in the Egyptian Exhibit. Come on, we'll show you." He then proceeded to walk ahead in stride, bringing Octavius and Lancelot trailing behind.

When she turned to watch the two miniatures (well...this might be an issue) head up to the main entrance, all Rowena could do was maintain the composure as much. Though, she could already feel in crumbling after what just happened.

"...From your face: you're surprised as well." Leslie's voice carried her, making her slap her hand over her face.

She wanted to groan but allowed herself to rub her temples before taking a large inhale of air and strode up the steps along their trail whilst Leslie caught up next to her.

Rowena was dreading what was in course for her inside.

____

A/N: Happy new year to you all and welcome back. And this chapter obviously was part of the teaser at the beginning of the story. I changed it a bit by using a stegosaurus instead of a triceratops because I did forget what dinosaur it was and also the fact that stegosauruses are almost the height of tyrannosauruses with longer tails that was perfect for what imagine this fight scene to have been.

What do you guys think of human-sized Jed and Tavius? Since something has brought them back, it did bring them back to actual proper bodies. 

The dream which Rowena had at the beginning was inspired by Tony's vision which Wanda gave him in Avengers Age of Ultron, where Iron Man sees the Avengers dead in front of him and Aliens and Space. I thought it kinda fits what Rowen's experiencing right now, having not to deal with Larry almost dying, but with the museum and the tablet and her position as director. Having to protect Leslie is another bit she needs to do and she's afraid that she won't be able to see them. This might complicate things in the future, and perhaps her relationship with certain characters.

Hope you guys have a nice day and evening. :)

Next chapter: Larry, Rebecca and Nick at the hospital get a special visitor and Ahkmenrah and the crew discuss what's happened.

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Written: 08/01/21

Edited: 09/01/21