Hello All! I'm trying to post chapters regularly for some stories, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own the night at the museum characters or plot

Chapter - Next Chapter

With the musical bringing in money for the new planetarium, it began construction quickly. I had to help Larry go over the rules for the museum residence about the construction zone, and how they shouldn't ever go over into it. I looked down to Kota, "Listen, buddy, I want to give you a very special job, keep Dexter and the other animals out okay?" Kota nodded and called the other cheetahs over to him and they stalked off. I felt my chest swell up with pride. It hadn't been that long, well, almost eight years since we began the story with the museum. I picked up my backpack from the welcome desk, not that I was closing in on twenty, and Nicky was closing in on sixteen, I was trying to get college work done. History courses were easy when you could talk to the people who lived through it. Math, English (though that was weird by being a published author and all) and science were always a bit more difficult to keep up with.

I wondered how I would turn twenty-one and how that would go. With the museum still having later hours, it was always weird to close up around nine or ten depending on the day. I made my way to Egypt, someone the best room to be in for the wifi. I nodded politely to the exhibits as I passed, greeting some in the familiar pattern that we usually had. I passed the threshold and the two giant statues relaxed in position and allowed me entry. Ahk was pouring himself over some books, while he sat in a sturdy director's chair that Larry had bought him. While nights at the museum were lively and fun, Larry knew that both Ahk and I liked to retreat into the peace and quiet. Ahk glanced up and smiled at me, placing his book down on a table next to him, "Ah! McKenna!" He jumped up, retrieving the matching chair, and astutely (after many, many nights of practice) unfolded it for me. "Sit, sit, tell me about the work you are working on!"

I sat down pulling out my laptop and a few textbooks, I heard the familiar sound of the large statues creaking as they changed positions, bringing a ring to my ears for only a moment. "I'm afraid it's pretty dry stuff tonight. I'm just writing a few short essays for my Humanities class." Ahk nodded in response, as per usual, waiting for me to elaborate. I showed him a few of the art pieces - namely the ones from Alexandre Hogue- that were in my textbook. "Remember when we talked about the dust bowl. These paintings were done by a man who lived in that time..." I went on to explain the pieces, Ahk soaked up every word. When I finished, I glanced down at the books he had, they were... about the ancient Egyptians. "What do you have there?"

"Oh these," A blush crept over Ahk's face and cheeks, "I was reading them, to... catch up on what I'd miss. I guess."

I smiled, gingerly taking one from him and thumbing through the pages, "I remember reading these as a kid. Well, I say reading," I admitted, fighting my own blush the orse onto my cheeks, "I really liked looking at the pictures."

"May I ask why?"

I laughed, pointing at a few of the golden statues or the golden jewelry and the paintings on the wall, "Mostly because it was pretty and the colors were cool." Ahk and I chuckled, me mostly in nervousness, him due to his good nature. Over the years we had gotten pretty close, there were times I wondered what we could be, what we could become. The birthdays, the graduations, they all seemed to blur together with this wonderful family we had created in the museum. The conversation we were having quietly lulled into a comfortable silence as I worked on my homework. There was the second sound of the statutes shifting as I heard the familiar footsteps of Larry as he walked into the area.

"Ahk, McKenna," He greeted, coming over to hug me, I lived with him still, but I'm sure he realized that this would change once I had graduated in a couple of years. "How is the studying going?"

I smiled, "Going well, I'm almost done with my homework for the week." I looked behind him, confused to not see Nicky, "Where is Nicky?"

Larry sighed, "Well, you know how sixteen-year-olds are, very hard to get them excited for things that excited them as kids."

I shook my head, "I feel like I should be a little bit offended at that."

Larry laughed and ruffled my hair, "Well I had it easy with you, kiddo, you looked like a defiant teen," He batted at the purple stands that I still dyed my hair with to this day, "But you were a real angel."

Ahk smiled, "Ah, I understand this reference!" Larry and I both smiled with a shared look.

Larry nodded, "well, I need to do a few more rounds, you two don't go and have a party in here by yourselves alright? You have class in the morning."

I waved as Larry left the room, swinging his keys around and around. I turned back to Ahk, "So, I'll have my weekend free, do you want to have a movie night on Saturday?"

Ahk looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "Surely you would rather hang," He stumbled over the word, as slang was something that he still tried to get used to, "With some of your peers?"

I did have friends in college, having joined a few clubs, and I had hung out with them at the museum from time to time. But I wasn't super close with them. I shook my head, "No, I would prefer to hang out here, it's comfortable. It's ... home."

Ahk smiled and I felt my stomach doing backflips as our eyes met. "Then I would be honored to watch a film for you."

"Great, I'll bring my laptop again on Saturday and we can pick one then." I smiled, turning back to my essay needing to finish it.

"It's a date." Ahk agreed, and I felt my stomach fall out at his words.

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