Fate's a Funny Thing

Chapter 2

Cairo, Egypt 1923

Krista Ibriham had just arrived in Cairo this morning and was currently sitting in the office of a Dr. Bay. She had come to accept the job offer he had presented her with a month prior at a benefit they had both attended in London. Krista was a very skilled historian and translator. She had been on several digs around the world, one dig in particular had recently been the discovery of king tut's tomb.

Krista was the youngest child of her family at the age of 21, having two older half siblings back in London. While both of her parents were native to Egypt, her siblings' father was English; their mother had an affair with an Egyptian man during a dig that resulted in her. Her mother was so ashamed of her actions that she left the little girl with her father and never looked back, until the day the child was deposited on her door step, having nowhere else to go.

"Well, Ms Ibriham, I am very glad that you have decided to accept my offer. The museum could really use someone of your caliber, it is quite an honor to have someone so young yet so accomplished working on our staff. " Dr. Bay said giving the young girl a kind smile.

Krista smiled back, "I'm very happy to be here Dr. Bay, Egyptian history has always been a favorite of mine."

Dr. Bay nodded, "Yes, and as I understand it, you're native to here as well, are you not?"

"Yes sir." She agreed, "My mother and father were both from Cairo, but when my mother left to move to Egypt with her family, I stayed with my father. He died when I was three and I moved in with my mother and her family in London."

"I'm very sorry to hear about your father, and I'm also very sorry to hear that your mother and step father has recently passed as well. A plane crash, if I'm not mistaken." Dr. Bay replied sympathetically.

Krista nodded sadly, "Yes they passed last year, my siblings I are having a bit a rough time with it. If you don't mind Dr. Bay I'd better be getting home, I'd like to get started on all that unpacking." She said as she stood to her feet.

"Oh yes of course." Dr. Bay nodded as he stood to his feet as well and escorted her out of the room and to the front doors of the museum, "I'll see you bright an early tomorrow morning."

The two bid their farewells and she took her leave, weaving in and out of the streets of Cairo. Halfway back to her apartment Krista turned the corner and nearly ran into a young man.

"Oh, I am sorry." Krista said as she looked up at the man she at bumped into. She had to physically keep her mouth from dropping open at the sight before her. He was young, only a couple or so years older than her, and he was gorgeous. He was impressively broad shouldered and at least a foot taller than her 5'3 frame. He had lovely blue eyes framed by thick lashes. He was a bit suntanned and his brown hair had been cut short...And he was in uniform. A Military man.

He gave her a kind smile, "No, no, my fault; I should have been looking where I was going. But I cannot say running into such a beautiful lady is a bad way to start the afternoon." Ah, American.

Krista blushed and gave a shy smile in return, she held out her hand for him to shake, "I'm Krista Ibraham."

The beautiful man reached for her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it, "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Krista, my name is Rick O'Connell."

"It was very nice meeting you as well, Mr. O'Connell. Now I don't mean to be running off like this but if you will excuse me I have quite a bit of unpacking to finish." She smiled at him sweetly and went to maneuver around him and continue her trek home.

As she was leaving, Rick reached out to stop her from continuing and spoke up, "Before you run off on me and I possibly never see your lovely face again, I would very much like to take you out for a drink. Later tonight, possibly?"

Krista stopped to think about it before smiling brightly and nodded, "That would be lovely, thank you."

Rick grinned back, "Great. I don't have a piece of paper or a pen on me to write your address, but I would be more than happy to walk you the rest of the way home, that way I know where I'm going tonight as well. Is that an acceptable solution to you?"

Krista nodded once again, "That seems a fine solution to our predicament, Mr. O'Connell."

Rick looped her arm through his as they began walking, "Please call me Rick." He replied as he looked down and sent her a wink. Krista hated to admit it but she blushed at the attention he was giving her.

"So," Rick began as they continued their journey, "You said you were unpacking? Is it a new home kind of move, or a new city?"

Krista let out a small laugh, "Both actually, I moved to Egypt earlier this week to accept a job at the local history museum."

Rick nodded in understanding, "And where did you move from?"

"London."

He looked down at her in a bit of surprise, "That's quite a move. Weren't there any good history museum to work at in London?"

Krista nodded with a smile, "Oh yes, I had many offers for jobs in London, But I'm originally from Egypt. I moved to London when I was a little girl after my father died, and I've missed this place terribly. When the museum here in Cairo offered me a job as their Egyptologist I jumped at the offer."

Rick nodded in understanding, "Yes, there really is no place like Egypt." And Krista hummed in agreement.

The journey was a short one, Krista having already made it halfway home before meeting Rick, and before they knew it they were standing before her apartment building bidding goodbyes, and promising to see one another later that evening.

While neither one of them knew it at the time, fate had big plans for Richard O'Connell and Krista Ibraham.

The two continued to see each other whenever Rick's squadron was in town and eventually they fell head over heels in love with one another. They became inseparable and were completely besotted with one another. Six months in to the relationship Rick was set to be shipped out. The two lovers were despondent at being separated for who knew how long, but Krista promised to wait for him, and Rick promised to think of nothing but her until she was once again in his arms.

Rick was gone for nine long months and when he did finally return, the two lovers decided that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other. They decided that they wanted to get married before they were separated again, and a week after returning home Richard O'Connell and Krista Ibraham were married. They were blissfully happy until a year later when Rick was once again deployed. This time would see them separated for a year and a half.