The Adventures of Tintin: The Crypt of Popol Vuh

Written by: FossilQueen1984

Disclaimer: Sorry about the lack of updates everyone, but I have had the worst bout of writer's block and classes have stated back up. Also, I am considering rebooting "The Girl and the Tesseract Machine" to be more in line with the comics universe, just as a heads up. Without further ado, here is Chapter 13! I still only own Helene, Rosamund and the babies. All other characters are the intellectual and artistic property of Gorges Remi, Steven Moffat, Russell T Davies, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg and Neil Gaiman. On with the story!

Suggested Soundtrack: First of Autumn/I Want Tomorrow- Enya, The Reptile Room- Lemony Snicket, Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra/Imperial March- John Williams

Chapter 13: Botched Trial of the Decade

As soon as everyone had returned to Belgium, Tintin drove Helene to Doctor Rocqueford's Brussels' office just to make sure that neither she nor the twins had received any long term damage from the hijacked flight or surviving the volcano explosion. Despite being checked over by the Doctor, Tintin was worried that Helene was suffering from stress related exhaustion, and was praying against early labour. Thankfully, his fears were assuaged when the good doctor reassured them that the babies were where they should be and his wife was healthy.

As they walked back to the flat, Helene commented, "I don't know about you Tintin, but I am glad to be home. No more traveling for a while, at least until the babies arrive. Then, we can take those archaeologists up on their offer." Tintin agreed that the break in between traveling would be a nice break. But, what about the Crypt of Popol Vuh, how were they going to handle that?

"Even with it in our possession, it's still an open case for Torchwood Europe. What I still want to know is why Rastapopoulos wanted it in the first place," Tintin said quietly to her as the entered their flat. Snowy was quite happy to be home, and he curled up on his favorite chair before falling asleep. Helene chuckled, "Poor Snowy, he must be exhausted." Tintin smiled at her as they warmed up leftovers and spent the rest of the evening on the couch listening to BBC's coverage of the football match between Antwerp and Manchester United.

A few days later, Haddock and Rosamund invited them up to Marlinspike Hall to stay, at least until the babies arrived. Rosamund was sorely convinced with their constant running around all over Brussels would lead to who-knows-what. Haddock thought after all they had been through recently, a holiday was long overdue. That, and Harkness wanted to reexamine the reliquary.

It was a fine day in early September when Tintin, Helene and Snowy arrived. Tintin had bought Ianto's old motorcycle after he and Helene learned they were expecting. Sure enough, Rosamund and Haddock had returned from an early-morning walk when they saw a motorbike heading towards them. "Well, here come the youngsters. Barnacles, I'm amazed she can fit in the sidecar, far along as she is," he pointed out. Sure enough, Tintin was driving the motorbike with a very pregnant Helene sitting in the sidecar. Snowy was squished in the sidecar as it rumbled to a stop.

Pulling off his helmet, Tintin helped Helene out of the seat. She made a face at him, "Really? First at the hospital and now this! I'm pregnant, not an invalid." Rolling his eyes, Tintin replied that he already knew that, he was just helping. Rosamund scolded them, "Now you two, let's be nice." Helene smirked and apologized. As they made their way inside, Helene explained that they had brought the box with them. She said she didn't see why Harkness needed to examine it again. Tintin had to agree with her, Calculus, Ianto and Harkness had examined it several months earlier. So why the repeat?

Making their way into the dining room, Haddock took a swig of Loch Lomond ahead of spitting it out. On the table, oblivious to the arriving party were a completely nude Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones. The two men were facing each other and kissing with open mouths, hands wandering all over each other's private regions. Very awkward to say the least.

Tintin and Helene looked down in embarrassment, Rosamund felt her jaw slack in shock, and Haddock very nearly had a heart attack! Chucking his flask square at Harkness, he bellowed irately, "Ten thousand thundering typhoons, what are you oversexed Neanderthals doing on my dining room table? Wasn't your bedroom good enough for that…sort of thing?"

As soon as Harkness heard the familiar Scottish burr of his landlord, he stopped pleasuring Ianto and groaned. They had been caught in flagrente delicto! Quickly nudging Ianto, they peeled of the table and slowly put on their undergarments. Tintin finally asked, "Snakes, what were you doing on the table?" Ianto admitted that they were experimenting with something they had read in the Kama Sutra. Annoyed, Haddock yelled at them about impropriety and threatened to kick them out.

Just then, Dalek Sec entered into the fray with the reliquary. Rolling his eyes at Ianto and Jack's adolescent behavior, he explained to Tintin and Helene, "Well, without the hologram and tarlojuak seeds, it's an ordinary box. But, the map is more valuable so this begs the question, do we take the box with us to San Theodoros, or do we leave the box here and just take the map?"

Snowy stared at the humans and decided to answer the conundrum, "Well here's how I see it, as the only member here to remember our time aboard the TARDIS. If we return the box, it'll lead to certain doom but if we only take the map…same ending. I don't know!" He howled pitifully, and Tintin scratched his furry head.

After dinner, a group decision was made to leave the box in Belgium for a few weeks before attempting a trip overseas. Tintin was tired of adventures, he had very nearly lost his wife and unborn children. He said as much to Helene that night when they were snuggled together underneath the silken sheets. "I mean it Helene, no more adventures. I love you too much to loose you again. If going on adventures means exposing you and the twins to dangers and I can't protect you-"

He was interrupted by a soft, warm pair of lips caressing his. Looking at him, Helene let a tired sigh, and curled up in his arms while his fingers wove into her hair. "I know you were worried, so was I. We have faced death before, and under crazier circumstances. I know you're frightened, so was I. Remember when Sakarin captured us in Iceland, and he had me tied up. I was so frightened, because I didn't know what was going to happen. It didn't help that Sakarin cut grooves above my chest bone to use my blood to activate it. But look, we saved the world in the end didn't we? I know you're worried about me and the babies, but I can take care of myself. I'm not wearing my eye patch anymore."

Tintin let out a sharp breath, Helene had stopped wearing her eye patch after her exile and she had proven herself. She was right, they had each other and life was dangerous, no matter where you were. Besides, they had each other and if something did happen, they had dear friends and family to rely on. Comforted by this, he agreed that adventures were going to happen regardless. So long as they had each other, there was nothing to fear. As they drifted off, they both dreamt about the final showdown with Sakarin and the Tesseract Machine…

The chamber was carved of granite and the ancient supercomputer sat listlessly, waiting to be reactivated. Loud, angry voices could be heard as two hired thugs dragged a tied up Tintin, Haddock and Rosamund into the grand chamber. In front of them, Sakarin grinned psychotically as he dragged Helene in a white, sleeveless nightgown, a silver necklace in his free hand. Turning his attention to his captives, he cackled, "So, you thought you could protect the little doll, did you Haddock? Watch now as I take her life and usher in a new era. I will be invincible!"

"Sakarin, you're insane! Stop it," Helene shouted as the two hired men bound her to an upright platform. Turning to his captive audience, the man explained, "After fifty millennia, the Master Control keys need lubrication. Hold still, child, this won't hurt." Producing a small dagger, he stalked over to Helene who spit in his face. Enraged, he took the blade a made a deep, long cut above her breastbone. Running the blade back in the opposite direction, he made an x shaped wound in her soft flesh as Tintin screamed for him to stop. "She'll bleed to death, what have you done," he yelled in distress. Taking the four pendants, Sakarin dipped them inside the open wounds…

Helene woke up with a start, her heart raced as thunder bellowed outside the bedroom. She hated stormy nights, and for the eight weeks she had been dreaming only about her frightening near-death experience. Was she dreaming about this because she was about to become a mother herself, or was it the influence of the reliquary?

She asked Tintin about it over breakfast, and he kissed her softly. "If I had to venture a guess, it's partially because you're about to become a mother and part of you is scared. I'm scared too, I don't know the first thing about being a father, but we're going through it together." He kissed her softly and she smiled. Snowy woofed in agreement and hastily made off with Haddock's bacon.

When Haddock and Rosamund entered, Haddock was clearly in a poor mood. "Murderers, bashi-bazouks, freshwater Dalek worshippers! My Loch Lomond! It's gone stale," he ranted as he banged his flask down in the table. Splinters flew in all directions as Tintin and Helene attempted to calm him down. "Dad, what's going on? What's wrong with your whiskey?"

Seeing the concern in his daughter's eyes, Haddock calmed down enough to explain what was wrong. Apparently, Loch Lomond had changed its whiskey recipe. "What was wrong with it to begin with," he complained as the others turned on the football match between Antwerp and North Barcelona.

Rosamund was really into the game while Tintin and Helene watched in between consulting a volume by Piaget. Haddock was bemoaning the loss of his favourite whiskey. As the game broke to a commercial, there was a news break.

"I apologize to interrupt the football match, but we have a breaking news story out of San Theodoros. According to state sponsored news, Italian soprano Bianca Castafiore and her bodyguards, Thompson and Thomson have been arrested for treason and spying. According to the country's leader, General Tapioca they were caught trying to flee for Peru late last night."

Turning off the TV, Helene gasped, "What are they talking about? They aren't traitors, the whole trial was botched. Oh Tintin, we have to rescue them!" Standing up to grab her coat, Tintin pulled her aside. "Calm down, Helene. We'll help them, but we need a plan." Haddock and Rosamund agreed, this was going to get dangerous, and very quickly.