Ahkmenrah has been requested by a research facility to be examined for 5 days as part of a wider study program. Dr McPhee has reluctantly allowed this. Ahk doesn’t really want to be studied but has no choice, the only comfort being that the tablet is staying at the museum. At the last minute however, unbeknownst to Ahk the tablet does join him. The lead scientist is thrilled at the prospect of working on a living pharaoh and proceeds to study Ahk for science in the worst ways possible…
Leon gets into a bit of a bind when he is caught after hours at the Museum of Natural History, but ends up unexpectedly getting a job there. He finds that he bears a striking resemblance to a long dead body guard of Ahkmenrah's—not just in looks, but in personality and, especially, devotion. OC/Ahkmenrah
Hello! So I’ve been writing a fic for the Night at the Museum Big Bang Challenge and it got rather bigger than I intended. It also got a LOT darker.
Courage and Honour is the darkest fic I have ever written, there is a LOT of Ahkmenrah whump here but I promise it does have a happy ending. It is NOT part of my ‘Treasured Collections’ series whatsoever.
Please, PLEASE read the tags and heed the warnings before reading it! (Everything is tagged on AO3 but there are non-con and torture elements in this story)
It is very much a long Hurt/Comfort fic with graphic hurt and abundant comfort. (with a happy ending, I can’t stress that enough!)
Summary;
Ahkmenrah has been requested by a research facility to be examined for 5 days as part of a wider study program. Dr McPhee has reluctantly allowed this. Ahk doesn't really want to be studied but has no choice, the only comfort being that the tablet is staying at the museum. At the last minute however, unbeknownst to Ahk the tablet does join him. The lead scientist is thrilled at the prospect of working on a living pharaoh and proceeds to study Ahk for science in the worst ways possible...
You can read it here;
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 (this one is the worst in terms of dark content)
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Also, the lovely lunarcrown has produced some art work for this fic that you can see here. It broke my heart and I WROTE this story!
Please let me know what you think of this, like I said it is the darkest thing I have ever written and I am frankly terrified. I hope you all enjoy it.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I got my big bang fic up! (finally)
Summary:
AU where the Night Program really is just comprised of Larry's tech inventions, interactive displays, and actors.
Larry Daley has finally managed to work his way up from being more than a night guard at the AMNH. His proposition of setting up an interactive Night Program has finally been accepted and he's excited to put his inventions to work, but as Head of the Night Program he also has to help keep the actors organized and make sure everything runs smoothly.
Between the awful heat still plaguing NY, working to keep his boss happy, the actors from killing each other, and discovering he has an unfairly attractive co worker with an equally attractive personality to match, Larry's pretty sure he's got his hands full. This though doesn't stop him from also developing a crush on the mysterious voice worthy of belonging to a siren that has suddenly decided to start turning his habit of singing in the shower into instead singing duets in the shower by joining in from the neighboring bathroom adjacent to his own.
Main Summary: Now that Ahkmenrah is free to move about the museum, it’s discovered that he’s affected by moon phases. More specifically full moons, and the effects change every month. At first it’s alarming, and some are negative, but most are enjoyable in one way or another. NATMBB entry.
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Chapter 1: Lunar Eclipse
Summary: There’s a lunar eclipse, and Larry decides to make a fun activity out of it. As per usual, the night doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Note: You don’t need shades for a lunar eclipse. Larry is making an innocent mistake because he’s well, Larry, and still new at being a night guard and trying his hardest to do his best.
--
“Everyone make sure you have your eclipse shades, they—no Dexter, that’s not how you—Ook, that’s not for eating!” Larry sprinted over to the youngest Neanderthal, knocking over the box of paper glasses he had taken from the Astronomy closet. Dexter chittered at the sight before resuming the careful shredding of the shades he was given.
“Do you think we should help him?” Nicky asked. He was leaning against one of the utility boxes that Ahkmenrah was sitting on.
Ahk shrugged. “I don’t believe our help is needed. I’ve already ordered the more unruly exhibits not to jump over the railing so there’s no real cause for concern. They’re merely agitated.”
Tonight was the first lunar eclipse since Larry had become their new night guard. In an effort to keep everyone from going stir-crazy, Larry decided that occasional “field trips” were in order. Anyone who could make it up the stairs to the roof was allowed to come. However, if they strayed too far they would be banished from future field trips.
Nicky frowned. “Well, I guess you’re right.” Or at least he hoped so, anyway. Truthfully, he wanted to help his father but he felt a more pressing matter required his attention. Nicky arched his back into a stretch, throwing his hands behind his head. As he yawned, he snuck a glance up at his newest friend.
Ahk seemed . . . off. Now, Nicky understood that he’d only known Ahk for about a month, (and not even a full month since he wasn’t allowed to visit every night) but they’d become fast friends. Nicky also understood that teenagers could get moody, but Ahk just didn’t seem that type. He was too cheerful and grown-up for that.
No, there had to be something else bothering Ahk. Nicky was determined to figure out what it was and help his friend out.
Ahk watched over the mingling exhibits before him, eyes glazed and unaware he was under observation. He couldn’t explain just how or why exactly, but this evening he woke up feeling strange. Normally he awoke full of energy and excitement, forever grateful the gods had deemed it fit to allow him freedom once more.
All that energy was absent. Instead, Ahk felt sluggish and weak, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball and wait for tomorrow night. It bore a faint memory to when he was sick back in Egypt, but that couldn’t be the case.
I’m quite dead, after all, he thought with a dark chuckle. He subconsciously brushed his fingers against his throat. The dead can’t get sick.
Ahk turned his gaze toward the moon. Since it was impossible for him to be sick, it most likely had to do with that. Nights the moon disappeared from sight were a bad omen back in his time. Larry had explained to everyone that this phenomenon was called a lunar eclipse and was caused by the earth blocking the sun’s rays from reaching the moon, which apparently was the reason there is moonlight at all. According to Larry, the moon doesn’t give off its own light. Ahk supposed it made some sense, but it was hard to believe.
It wasn’t that he was against science, not in the least. He appreciated all the advancements mankind had made since he was alive, but there were moments he struggled to believe everything. After all, why should his people’s explanation with their gods be considered make-believe when he himself was proof to the contrary? If he were brought back to life by the power of the Tablet then surely his gods were real. Yet there were so many who no longer worshipped his gods. Where did the truth begin? How could both his gods and science coexist?
A sharp pain erupted behind his temple. Ahk winced. It seemed that kind of thinking was only going to make things worse. He straightened his back and refocused on what was going on before him. If he was going to make it through this night, he needed all the energy he could spare.
“Okay guys, it’s going to start any minute now! Remember to keep your shades on!”
Ahk clutched his head. Why was Larry yelling so loudly? None of the exhibits were hard of hearing. For that matter, no one needed those ridiculous paper glasses. None of their eyes were real so they couldn’t be damaged. What good would paper do anyway? And why all this fuss over something that would be over in—
The world tipped violently to the side. Ahk barely caught himself. His entire body trembled as if instead of trying to keep himself upright, he were trying to push the earth away.
There was no kidding himself now. He couldn’t keep up pretenses any longer; he had to leave. Whatever strength he had left was disappearing with each passing second.
“N-Ni—”
“Finally!” Nicky hissed. Ahk winced and Nicky lowered his voice some more. “I said your name like ten times! What happened? What’s wrong? Are you sick? Can you get sick? D’you need some water? I’ll go get my dad—”
“N-no . . .” Ahk blinked and tried to focus on the fuzzy Nicky-shaped outline before him. Why were his eyelids so heavy? “Just . . . d-downstairs, pl-please . . .”
“Uh, okay. If you say so.” Nicky moved forward and nearly crashed to the floor as Ahk leaned on him. He grunted from the effort and tried to shift the weight around, but Ahk was too tall. All Nicky could do was drag him around like an oversized blanket. Nicky tried to move Ahk so he was supported against his back like the guys did in movies, but his shoulders just weren’t wide enough.
“Ahk I can’t—you need a big person t—umph!” At the exact moment everyone “oohed” and “ahhed” Nicky crashed to the ground, smothered in Ahk’s unconscious form.
Toward the front, Larry was darting his head this way and that, panic welling up in his throat. He wasn’t exactly sure how or why, but amidst the cheers he heard a muffled cry of pain from Nicky.
Various scenarios flashed through his mind, each one worse than the next. Had Nicky fallen off the roof? Forgot to put the shades on? Been accidentally impaled by the bushmen?! Tripped—
Larry ducked to avoid getting smacked in the face by Balak, Attila’s right-hand man, who had a tendency of wide hand gestures whenever he was excited. See, that was just the thing with this place. Anything was possible, meaning Larry had to be prepared for whatever danger it threw Nicky’s way.
Which apparently included being buried under four-thousand-year-old pharaohs.
“What are you guys doing?” Larry dropped to his knees and rolled Ahk over to his side. The pharaoh didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger, so Larry turned his attention to his son. To his relief, Nicky was already moving and there didn’t appear to be any blood. Larry grabbed Nicky anyway and began inspecting him for injuries. “Are you hurt, buddy?”
“Not really. Just a little scrape.” Nicky held out his right hand, clearly having used his palm to lessen the fall. “Didn’t even break the skin.”
“Well we should still clean that up, okay?” Larry said. Call him overly cautious, but it never hurt to be careful. Who knew what kind of diseases were just lying around out here?
A gloved hand rested on Larry’s shoulder. “What’s wrong, Lawrence?”
“I’m not sure, Teddy,” Larry said. Of course the President would be the first to notice. Larry just hoped they could solve this before anyone else did. “Nicky what happened? Did Ahk hit his head?”
“No, he just fell over. He kinda looked sick but he didn’t—I wanted to say something but . . .”
“It’s okay, Nicky.” Larry squeezed his shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”
Larry reached out to place a finger against Ahk’s throat then drew it back just as quickly, realizing it was a futile gesture. The Pharaoh didn’t have a heartbeat, didn’t need to breathe either. The only reason he and the other exhibits occasionally inhaled was purely psychological and partly because of muscle memory. The memory of their real selves involved breathing so they did it. Same thing applied to blinking. None of them really had to, but it was such an ingrained motion they ended up doing it.
But back to the matter at hand, what was wrong with Ahk? If he didn’t trip or hit his head then why did he fall? Was there something wrong with the Tablet? It didn’t sound like anyone else was affected. Plus, Ahk still had a flesh and blood appearance so it couldn’t be that the Tablet wasn’t working anymore. (Which Larry was grateful for—he didn’t fancy seeing mummified Ahk again anytime soon)
“Good Lord, is something the matter with Ahkmenrah?”
Larry’s shoulders slumped and he bit back a moan. He knew Clark meant well, but the man’s voice had a bit of a booming quality to it. Larry wasn’t sure how such a boisterous man had managed to not get their expedition killed by wild animals, but he supposed Sac had something to do with it.
Just as he feared, Clark’s exclamation had turned all eyes on them. The rooftop erupted in a cacophony of noise as everyone spoke at once. They were all questions of concern for Ahk, but Larry couldn’t possibly solve the issue when he couldn’t hear himself think.
“SILENCE!”
Teddy’s command was obeyed almost immediately, leaving Larry to make a mental note to ask for lessons later. He’d more or less gained the respect of the entire museum, but he still had a way to go in terms of getting them to listen.
“Thanks.” Larry cleared his throat. “So um, there’s no need to panic. I don’t think Ahk is in any uh, immediate danger. Has this happened—” Larry paused before rephrasing the question. “Have any of you ever felt sick before?” Everyone shook their heads.
“We’re all incapable of getting sick,” a civil war soldier said.
One of the Dutch women nodded. “Quite grateful for that.”
“—what could be wrong with Ahk?”
“Well he is different from the rest of us—”
Naida, one of the Peruvian alpaca herders, gasped and spoke quietly. “You don’t think something could be wrong with the Tablet?”
Whispers rippled through the crowd and some moved closer together. Others began a visual inspection: shaking their limbs, poking their skin, tugging on their hair, etc.
Larry stood up and held out his hands. “Guys, hey guys—calm down, it’s okay. If you could all take a step back and let us bring Ahk downstairs we’ll try and sort this out.”
It took some more convincing, but Larry was able to get everyone to calm down and get off the roof. While he was busy ushering everyone back inside, Attila carried Ahk to the security office with Nicky at his heels. The young boy clutched Ahk’s crown against his chest, fingers tightly gripping the keys to the security office.
Maybe Ahk was just exhausted. He did have to sleep every so often; maybe it had been a while since he last took a nap? The two of them had played a long street hockey game the other day. It could also explain why he seemed a bit cranky. His mom always said he got cranky when he didn’t get enough sleep.
Nicky unlocked the door when they arrived, then set about putting pillows on the couch. None of them knew how long Ahk would be unconscious, so they might as well make him comfortable. As Attila laid Ahk down gently, Nicky crossed his fingers for luck. Ahk just had to be okay. He had to.
----
The world came back in fragments, followed by hushed voices in a language Ahkmenrah was unfamiliar with. He performed a mental check of himself as he had been instructed to, and while he was pleased to note he was lying upon something soft, his body ached. Mostly it was his head; perhaps he had been knocked out by a blow? Yet he wasn’t bound, what could these foreigners want with him?
It couldn’t be Kah’s followers, that much was for sure. The lack of restraints proved that, though most telling was the unfamiliar language. His brother’s followers could barely speak Egyptian properly.
Perhaps he had fallen and some passerby took pity on him? That could explain the kind treatment. Yet Ahkmenrah could feel his royal garb still about his person, so the foreigners could also be after a reward. Either way, his best course of action would be to appear amiable. He’d adjust accordingly if circumstances grew worse.
Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder, and before he could stop it, Ahkmenrah’s instincts took over. He grasped the arm that touched him and twisted it harshly as he stood. Shrieks and yelps of indignation filled the air. Ahkmenrah stared curiously at the man who had touched him. He had pale skin, dark hair, a night guard uni—
“Larry!”
Ahk immediately relinquished his hold on Larry as his memories came flooding back. His temple throbbed once more and the pain sent him collapsing back onto the couch. Ahk clutched the side of his head and moaned. Now not only was he still in pain, but it appeared he collapsed in front of everybody and repaid their kindness by injuring one of his closest friends.
Once the throbbing ceased, Ahk glanced over at Larry. “My deepest apologies,” he said, wincing. “I never meant you any harm.”
“It’s okay,” Larry said, rubbing his sore shoulder. “Guess I should let sleeping pharaohs lie, huh?” Ahk’s mouth twitched at the weak joke which Larry counted as a win. Truthfully, his arm felt like it was on fire, but he couldn’t let Ahk know that. Plus he knew he should be grateful. Were Ahk at full strength, Larry knew the undead pharaoh would have ripped his arm clean out of its socket. The image of the sarcophagus lid nearly crashing against the ceiling was still fresh in his mind.
“So uh, you mind telling us what happened back on the roof? Are you . . . can you get sick? Nicky said you looked sick.”
Ahk sighed. “I have no answers for you, I’m afraid. I can’t recall this ever happening before nor do I have the slightest idea why. All I know is I feel weak and it’s difficult to think properly.”
“Maybe this will help?” Nicky stepped forward with an ice pack. “Dad said you can’t take any painkillers since you um, don’t have a stomach but you could use this.” Nicky gently placed the pack against his head and grinned when the tension in Ahk’s shoulders lessened.
“Thank you, Nicky.” Ahk sighed and leaned against the couch. “I hope . . . I didn’t hurt you terribly, did I? The last thing I remember was falling against you back on the roof.”
“Nah, you mainly startled me. I’m pretty tough after all.” Nicky puffed out his chest and flexed his arms, pleased when Ahk smirked in response.
“I don’t wish to alarm anyone, but we must figure out what’s ailing our dear Pharaoh,” Teddy said. “Then we can ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
“It has to be the moon,” Sacagawea said. “Amongst my people, we believe the moon to hold great power. Its brief absence could explain his weakness.”
“But the moon didn’t actually disappear, my love,” Teddy said.
“Yes, but its light still vanished.”
“Well, not exactly—”
“I think Sacagawea is right,” Ahk interrupted, desperate to avoid another culture clash discussion. On the whole, everyone was civil about them and Ahk enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the differences between the museum’s varied cultures. However, there were times the discussions escalated to screaming or sparring matches, which Ahk’s aching head couldn’t handle at present.
“We . . . my people also attribute power to the moon. Not as much as Ra’s light though,” he said wistfully. “Perhaps the Tablet only working at night means it’s connected somehow.” He stared up at the other exhibits critically. “Did anyone else suffer in the manner I did?”
Sacagawea shook her head. “We asked the others but no one felt any different.”
“Most likely, your unique connection to the Tablet is why you are the only one affected,” Teddy added.
Ahk inclined his head in a weak semblance of a nod. While he felt they were still missing something, it was an explanation that made the most sense. And despite the inconvenience, Ahk supposed he was grateful it was just him. If this were to affect the entire museum poor Larry and Nicky would be at their wit’s end. He’d never wish that on them.
“Well, now that we’ve got that all figured out let’s give Ahk some space to rest.” Larry made a motion with his hands to shoo everyone out. Teddy tipped his hat, Attila bowed his head, and Sac gave him a warm smile. “I’ll come get you before sunrise,” Larry whispered before he quietly shut the door.
When Ahk turned to Nicky, the young boy was holding out a peculiar object. There were two small circular bowls connected by a curved metal band, and one of the bowls had a string dangling from it. “They’re headphones,” Nicky explained. “This kind covers your ears and they’re pretty good at blocking sound. Here.”
Ahk gasped in surprise once Nicky had finished placing the device over his ears. “It’s remarkable!” he exclaimed. His voice sounded muffled, like he’d pressed two pillows against his ears.
Nicky moved to flick the light switch, thrusting the room into darkness aside from the small emergency light by the power box. His dad said it made sure the guards could fix the lighting should the power ever go out. Nicky was just glad it meant he didn’t have to ask for a nightlight whenever he slept over.
"Well, I guess I'll, uh, leave you alone to rest."
Ahk quirked an eyebrow as he lowered the headphones to settle around his neck. Nicky was glancing at the ground and shuffling his feet. "You're perfectly at liberty to stay, Nicky,” Ahk said, fighting back a smile. “This is the usual time you go to bed yourself, isn't it? I have a headache, not fallen ill."
Nicky's face split into a grin and he bounded over to Ahk on the couch. In no time they were snuggled under the blankets together like always.
"I'm sorry I scared you earlier,” Ahk whispered. “I should have been truthful and alerted you or your father to my condition.”
Nicky shrugged. “You didn’t know what would happen. Just tell us next time, okay? Don’t want you fainting by yourself with Dexter nearby or you’ll be in trouble.”
“I’m certain only your father would have cause to fear that,” Ahk teased, poking Nicky’s ticklish spot. Nicky giggled but resisted the urge to fight back, understanding the gesture for what it was.
“’Night, Ahk.”
“Goodnight, Nicky.” As Ahk drifted off to sleep, he sent a quick prayer to the gods that whatever had befallen him tonight would not cause problems in the future. After all, he had only just regained his freedom. Surely he should be granted a reprieve?
--
A/n: This is a little out of order because it happens in my Night Life series, but I entered the NATMBB and needed a more concrete story arc. There are many chapters planned, but I’m just posting enough to make the word count for now. There will be more additions later.
And while I feel it’s obvious, I feel it’s best to point out that Nicky and Ahk taking naps together is PURELY platonic. Nicky is 10-yrs-old for heaven’s sake! The two of them are like brothers.
