The next day, Molly was fast asleep in her hotel room when someone LITERALLY shook her awake. "What? WHAT!?" yelled Molly being jolted out of her sleep. "Morning, love." said Jonathan with a grin. "Dad! Do you know what time it is!?" groaned Molly flopping back onto the pillow. "Oh come now, Molly, your aunt and I have got a surprise for you." said Jonathan tearing the covers off his daughter. "Dad, no offense but I think I'm all surprised out." said Molly. "Well this surprise is one you'll like, believe what I tell you." said Jonathan going through the closet looking for something for his daughter to wear. "Dad! I can pick out my own clothes!" said Molly hitting her father playfully in the arm with a pillow. "Alright, alright, but hurry up and get dressed. And wear something nice!" said Jonathan as his daughter shooed him out of the room. "Yeah, Dad, I know!" called Molly closing the door to her hotel room. After about half an hour, Molly came out of her room wearing a red and white dress with black tights and red heeled boots. Her hair was tied up in a short ponytail with a white hairband. Jonathan, who had been sitting out in the hall, smiled as his daughter emerged from her bedroom. "Ready, love?" asked Jonathan. Molly nodded. "Alright, now put this on and don't take it off until I tell you!" said Jonathan handing his daughter a blindfold. "Dad?" asked Molly quirking an eye in suspicion. "Oh come now, Molly, don't you trust me?" asked Jonathan with a pout. Molly rolled her eyes but put the blindfold on none the less just to make her dad happy.
"Dad, where are we going?" asked Molly after a while of her father guiding her around. "Well now, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now would it?" asked Jonathan helping his daughter down a flight of stairs. "Well it be nice if you at least gave me a hint." said Molly slowly making her way down the stairs. "Sorry, Molly, no hints this time." said Jonathan with a hint of a smile in his voice. "Gee, thanks, Dad." said Molly rolling her eyes behind the blindfold. "Alright, Molly, ready for your surprise?" asked Jonathan after opening a set of doors. "Yes and no, if that makes sense." said Molly. "Oh, very funny, now go on and take that thing off!" said Jonathan letting go of his daughter's shoulders. Molly slowly reached behind her head and took the blindfold off blinking a couple of times to get her eye sight back into focus. When her eyes adjusted back to the light, Molly let out a gasp of surprise to see her aunt, O'Connell, the museum curator, and Ardeth along with some of his Medjai friends standing around the room wearing party hats and such. "Surprise, Molly, Happy Birthday, dear!" said her aunt giving her a hug. "Dad, Aunt Evie, what!?" asked Molly in shock even though she was wearing a large grin. "Well, since the original plan to celebrate your birthday had gone up in smoke, your aunt and I decided a do over was necessary." said Jonathan with a grin. "Minus the mummies and the whole world coming to an end." said O'Connell raising a finger. "You guys did all this for me?" asked Molly. "Damn right we did, Mr. Bey and Ardeth here helped us set the whole thing up." said Jonathan with a grin. "Hey, I had to track down someone to make a traditional birthday cake, remember!?" said O'Connell slightly offended. "Alright, O'Connell helped too." said Jonathan rolling his eyes playfully. "Well, come on now, don't just stand there! This is your party after all." said Evie leading her niece into the room.
The party had been going on for about and hour and a half now and Molly decided to sneak away for a while in order to get some alone time. Since there was a little patio outside, Molly decided that would be the best place for her to get her thoughts together. Molly let out a deep breath as she leaned over the railing and took a look at the city. It would take a while to possibly fix all the damage and Molly couldn't help but feel a little guilty about everything that happened. "It couldn't be helped. However, it's over now."assured the guardian. "I know, but I can't help but feel sorry not only for the people of Egypt but for....." Molly trailed off. "Imhotep?" finished the guardian. "Yeah, I mean, I'm sure all he wanted was....well, was his daughter back. Sounds like she was all he had." said Molly softly. "Before he was corrupted and blinded by Anuck Su Namun? Perhaps, but he is condemned and Aahmas unknowingly paid the price for it with her own life." 'I guess your right.' thought Molly to herself. "Hey, now that the world's been saved and all, are you going back into hiding all over again?" "I was never hiding, I only stayed silent and watched over you until the day should come that you would need me." Molly was about to reply when a voice had cut her off. "Hey, you done talking to your little invisible friend out here?" Molly quickly spun around to see O'Connell standing there. "Sorry, I just needed some air." said Molly leaning against the railing. "Well get a move on back inside birthday girl, your aunt can only distract your father for so long." said O'Connell. "And what does that mean?" asked Molly raising an eyebrow. "Ardeth made the smart move of asking your aunt if he could dance with the birthday girl instead of you dad." said O'Connell with a shrug. Molly could've sworn she saw a slight smirk against his lips. "O'Connell, whatever your thinking, no, no, no. Ain't happening. I will not and I repeat WILL NOT ever fall in love with that Medjai." said Molly pointing a finger at O'Connell. "Care to make a wager on that?" asked O'Connell. "What do you have in mind?" asked Molly crossing her arms probably knowing full well the guardian wanted to slap her considering a Medjia is how she met her end over 3000 years ago. "If I win, you have to kiss your little lover boy on the lips right in front of your dad." "And if I win?" asked Molly. "I'll give you a lesson in weapon firing 101." said O'Connell with a shrug. "Deal, get ready to lose, O'Connell!" said Molly with a grin. Uh huh, real confident. Try looking back on that eight years later when her father practically has a mini heart attack.
As soon as Molly made her way back inside, she spotted Ardeth against one of the back walls chatting away with a couple of his fellow Medjai. Molly quickly looked around to make sure her father wasn't around and luckily he wasn't before she made her way across the room. "Hey..." began Molly keeping a distance of at least three feet between the two of them. Well, she was only doing it to keep the guardian somewhat happy for at least a minute or two. "Hello." replied Ardeth looking over at the teen with a little uncertainty himself. "So, O'Connell tells me you asked my aunt to dance with me." said Molly "Yes, but if you prefer just to stand and talk if you wish." said Ardeth. "I think that would make my dad a bit more happier, unless of course you want him chasing you around with a shot gun." said Molly with a shrug and a small smile. "After hearing from your aunt what he did to Imhotep, I believe talking is in fact the safest for both of us." said Ardeth. "So, what made you change your mind about me and my family?" asked Molly. "I suppose for one your courage to sacrifice yourself to Imhotep in order to by us time to find the Book of the Living." said Ardeth after a few moments in silence. "Thanks, but it wasn't exactly MY idea." said Molly pointing to her head. "Leave me out of your conversation with the Medjai..." 'Welcome to my world!' thought Molly knowing fully well the guardian could hear her.

YOU ARE READING
Can You Forgive the Damned?
AdventureMolly is Jonathan's adapted daughter. Nothing is known about her life before she was taken in at the age of six. When her dad and aunt bring her on an adventure to Egypt, things start to spiral out of control for the 18 year old girl after her aunt...