Feedback Note: Once again, the major additions to this chapter are meant to give a little more insight into Lynette and Ardeth's private thoughts, rather than just their outward actions. A big thanks is owed to Nakhti, who informed me of the weakness of the whole Ardeth can't read scene, which made me realize as I reread the third chapter that I had Ardeth reading books in it... LoL So that part has been changed as well. Hopefully you guys feel these changes have been made for the better. Unfortunately, I cannot promise a completion date on the new part, which will bring us to The Mummy Returns, since I am in graduate school and that means I have a lot of homework to do, but I will do my best. The only thing left to fix in these first parts are a few formatting things that the website doesn't seem to like. I hope you enjoy the changes and I will try to deliver more soon!

For the Love of a Med-Jai

Part One: The Mummy

Chapter Four

Lynette reached for a rung on the ladder that would take them out of the sewers and back into the city streets, hopefully far away from the mob, if the lack of noise they heard on the street above their heads could be trusted. Ardeth put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back down. She turned to look at him. "Let me go first," he said. She relented, watching anxiously as he wrestled the manhole cover away from the hole and shoved it aside. He went up slowly, finally completely disappearing over the edge. It was a moment before he reappeared, extending his hand down to her. "Grab my hand," he said. "It's safe."

Lynette grasped his hand and climbed up the ladder. When she reached the top, he lifted her up onto the ground and looked at her. Her shirtsleeve was almost torn off at the shoulder, and there was a large bruise on her arm where she had fallen into the sewer wall. The knuckles of her other hand were bloody where she had punched the man in the face, and her fingers hurt like hell. She was not exactly at her best, but at least she could be proud that she had contributed to the fight.

Ardeth gently touched the bruise on her arm. "We should get this taken care of before we leave," he said. "Then you can rest while we're gone."

Lynette's relief quickly turned to consternation. "What do you mean while you're gone?!" she demanded. "If you think that I am staying here while an insane mummy tries to kill my sister, you have officially lost it! I know where the book is, and I know how to read it. You are absolutely not leaving me behind!"

Ardeth opened his mouth to protest and then turned as Rick laid his hand on the Med-Jai's shoulder. "I hate to break it to you, pal, but she's right. I sure can't read Ancient Egyptian. How about you, Jonathan?"

Jonathan huffed. "I can when the occasion calls for it."

Lynette smiled at her brother. "Yeah, but you can't read it as well as I can."

Jonathan grimaced. "She's right about that. But you're a Med-Jai, don't you know those things?"

Ardeth sighed. "I do, but I am more useful in a fight." He glanced at Lynette, who now had a very stubborn expression on her face. He thought of how he had felt earlier about wanting to prove himself. She was still trying, he could tell that easily. And it was her sister who was in danger. He could tell that Evelyn had always tried to look after her, and now Lynette wanted to return that favor. "Perhaps… perhaps it would be better if you came," he relented.

Lynette was taken aback. "Really?" she asked.

"Unless you don't want to," he smirked, deliberately goading her.

"Hmph," she responded, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive stance. "I didn't say that, I just didn't think it would be that easy. "

"We don't have much time," Ardeth answered gravely.

Lynette nodded. "You're right. Now let's get back to the fort, grab our things, and go after Evy."

OOOO

The car ride to the airfield gave both of them time to think. Lynette stared out her side of the car, and Ardeth out of his, both of them deliberately distancing themselves from the other. During the attack and in the sewer, when everything had been heated, they had both let down their guard, which disturbed them, albeit for different reasons.

For her part, Lynette was embarrassed by how she had acted. Ardeth had only touched her face, but the way her heart raced and her body reacted to that touch made her feel wanton. She was so used to being levelheaded, to being in control, and she was certainly not a loose woman. In truth, she was barely a woman, and she knew that. She wasn't involved with anyone, didn't even have any prospects of being involved with anyone, so it wasn't like cheating, but somehow it felt that way. It also bothered her that she had acted that way with a man she hardly knew. Of course, Evelyn had been acting that way around Rick, but she was older and the circumstances just felt different somehow. Lynette hadn't even gotten around to deciding what she wanted out of the rest of her life, and it was hardly prudent to let a man get in the way of her future, even if it was undecided.

For his part, Ardeth was chiding himself for being so forward. Lynette had not told him her actual age, but he knew she was young, and therefore impressionable. He knew he was drawn to her because of her attitude and not her age, but that hardly made it right for him to act on his feelings. Those feelings were also new and he thought perhaps misplaced. Everything had happened so fast, and it wasn't as if he had done anything particularly offensive, but it felt that way. If there was really something there, and he had no idea if there was or not, he would need time to sort through those feelings. And, of course, there was always the nagging reminder in the back of his head that there were more important things to deal with at the moment.

As they arrived at the airfield, both of them tried to push these thoughts to the back of their minds. Rescuing Evelyn and stopping Imhotep had to be their first priority.

OOOO

Lynette stood on the runway at the airfield, looking dubiously at the plane that she, Jonathan, and Ardeth were about to be strapped to for their trip to Hamunaptra. Ardeth was standing next to her, looking just as dubious. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea," she said, and he nodded his agreement.

Lynette had changed back into the clothes she had purchased in the desert on their way to Hamunaptra, Ardeth's cloak draped over her shoulders, her hair braided tightly and hanging down her back. Ardeth had bandaged her arm and hand with another piece of his apparently never-ending robes, and she was actually feeling pretty good despite things. Still, the whole plane idea put a damper on her mood.

"Ready?" Rick said, coming up behind her. She shook her head.

"Not in the least, but let's go."

OOOO

Once the plane was flying smoothly through the air, Lynette relaxed a bit. She was strapped on the wing next to her brother so they could balance out Ardeth's weight on the opposite wing. It still wasn't the most comfortable trip she'd ever been on, but desperate times called for desperate measures, she supposed.

It wasn't long before they were close to Hamunaptra, and Lynette spotted a column of sand moving quickly through the desert. As it dissolved, she saw her sister fall out of it onto the sand. She nudged her brother and yelled to the others, "Looks like they're back!"

"We're just in time, then!" Rick answered. Then Lynette felt a huge gust of wind.

"What the hell was that?" she yelled. The plane was suddenly engulfed in sand, and Lynette pressed her face against the side of her arm, shutting her eyes against the maelstrom. She screamed as she felt the plane take a steep dive, feeling like it was trying to fly through more sand than air.

Jonathan was squirming wildly next to her. "Great, and I can't even kiss my arse goodbye!" he yelled. A moment later Lynette's stomach turned as the plane wheeled over, the air clearing but sand clogging their engines, and finally crashed hard into a sand dune. Lynette's head snapped back on impact, but the straps held tight and when the dust settled, she found herself hanging upside down from the wing of the plane, the nose buried deep in the sand.

"Jonathan?" she said, craning her neck. "Jonathan, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but a little help would be useful if it's not too much trouble!" he yelped. She heard Rick respond to him, and then realized that the opposite wing of the plane was missing completely. She felt panic rise in her throat.

"Is Ardeth all right?" She struggled to get free, but her harness was too tight. Then a shadow fell over her, the straps loosened, and she fell backwards into someone's arms. She whirled around as her feet touched the ground, the muscles in her throat relaxing as she saw Ardeth standing in front of her.

Thrilled to see that he was alive, she threw her arms around him, and he returned her embrace, lifting her off her feet, her cheek against his and her face buried in his hair. It was only a moment later that he let her go and she stepped back, both realizing that they had done it again. She looked up at him a little sheepishly, blushing. "I thought…"

He smiled and looked down at her, saying, "I am glad you are all right, Lynn. I thought I had broken my promise."

"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "Are you?" He nodded, walking over to the plane and taking hold of the Lewis gun. With one powerful yank, he had freed it from its mount. He grabbed the remaining ammo belt and handed it to Lynette. She watched him examine the gun and then sling the ammo over his shoulder.

"Umm, wow," was all she could manage. He looked at her, making sure the gun was completely loaded.

"What?"

"You just ripped that gun off a plane," she answered. He shrugged his shoulders and she snorted. "What, like it's no big deal? I couldn't do that!"

Ardeth laughed. "Of course you couldn't. You're tiny."

Lynette crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "I resent that, you know." He chuckled, but abruptly stopped as Lynette gasped and her right foot seemed to sink into the sand. The plane began to sink next to her. Ardeth dropped the Lewis gun and jumped forward quickly, picking her up by the waist and pulling her up and out of the sand before stepping back with her in his arms. She clung to him as the plane slowly sank into the ground until it was out of sight.

"Maybe being tiny isn't so bad sometimes," she whispered. Ardeth nodded, setting her down and picking the Lewis gun back up.

"We must get moving if we are going to stop the creature before he can complete the ritual," Ardeth said. The others nodded, and they set off across the desert.

OOOO

Lynette grabbed the smaller stones from the top of the pile, heaping them behind her as Rick and Ardeth worked on the bigger parts of the pile. Jonathan had given up trying to help long ago and was poking about somewhere in the chamber. Lynette could only hope that they would be able to find the Book of the Living and get to Evelyn in time.

She leaned down and peered through the hole they had made in the rocks. "I think I can fit through," she said. Ardeth put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"You can't go alone," he said. "You don't know what could be waiting on the other side."

Lynette looked up at him. "I appreciate the concern, Ardeth, but I don't think you'll fit through this hole." He gave her a withering look. She shrugged and began to squeeze through the hole. She fell on the sandy floor on the other side of the hole and realized that it was actually a sliding door. She grabbed the golden handle and pulled, rocks pouring out and clearing the hole so that Ardeth, Rick, and Jonathan could walk through. It was too dark to see much, but Rick noticed the mirrors that Evelyn had showed him during their first visit to the city and he walked over to the nearest one, giving it a shove so that it was in the right place to catch the sun. As the light illuminated the chamber, Lynette's mouth dropped open in amazement.

There was treasure as far as the eye could see. Lynette hadn't thought about the possibility of the legend of the treasure vaults of Egypt being real, but now she was standing in them. She started to walk down the steps, trying to take it all in. Jonathan was turning around in circles as if he didn't know where to look, and Rick seemed as amazed as she was, but Ardeth walked calmly down the stairs to stand beside her.

"You knew all of this was here?" she asked. He nodded.

"It is part of the charge of the Med-Jai to protect the treasure as well." Lynette leaned down and picked something off the top of the pile nearest to her. It was a scimitar like Ardeth's, only this one had a handle made of gold and a rich blue lapus lazuli, with a matching belt and sheath. Lynette drew the blade, turning it over in her hand. Ardeth came up behind her and bent his arm along the length of hers, taking the handle and placing it in her hand the correct way. "Try it like that," he said. "The scimitar is a difficult weapon to master."

Lynette nodded, undoing the belt and clasping it so it hung loosely on her waist. She slipped the long, wicked-looking blade into the sheath. "Do you know where the statue of Horus is from here?" she asked.

"Yes. It should be in the next chamber. If we can find the book and you can find the right inscriptions, we should be able to stop the creature." Lynette's eyes hardened and Ardeth saw her fists clench momentarily.

"Then let's go. My sister is waiting for us," she said. Ardeth stepped in front of her and began to lead the way to the back of the chamber. They were about halfway there when a strange rumbling noise started beneath their feet. "What's that?" Lynette asked, wondering if she really wanted an answer to that question. Before anyone could respond, mummified hands burst up through the sandy floor.

"Who are these guys?" Rick yelled as mummies crawled their way up through the floor.

Ardeth raised the Lewis gun and said, "Priests. Imhotep's priests." Rick nodded and both of them began shooting. Lynette put her back to Ardeth's and held the scimitar in front of her clumsily, hoping that she could actually manage to damage something with it if she got the chance. Of course, they were fighting undead mummies, how much damage could she really do? Nevertheless, she forced herself to remain still until one of them came close, and then she lashed out as best as she could.

The fight went on for several minutes, Lynette severing a few mummified body parts, which was mostly ineffectual. There seemed to be more and more of the mummies as each minute went by. If they stayed here much longer, they wouldn't be able to leave.

"We have to get out of here!" she yelled. "This is useless! We have to find the book and end this once and for all!" She turned to look at Ardeth, who was hitting mummies with his gun because he was out of bullets. "Which way?" she asked. He shouldered the gun and grabbed her by the arm.

"Follow me," he said, and they ran for the exit together.

OOOO

A few twists and turns later, the sounds of the mummies were fading behind them. "Please tell me we are almost to the statue," Lynette whispered, Ardeth's hand still curled around her arm.

"It should be right around this corner," he said softly. Lynette almost sighed in relief when the golden profile of Horus came into view.

"Jonathan," she hissed. "Do you know where the Americans found the book in the statue of Anubis?"

Jonathan nodded. "It was in the base." He bent down by the statue of Horus, joined by Rick. Ardeth was busy reloading the Lewis gun, and Lynette realized that the sounds of the mummies were getting louder.

"They're coming," she said. "We have to hurry." She heard Rick grunt as he yanked on a knob he'd found at the corner of the statue, and a compartment swung open. Lynette saw the glint of gold as Jonathan unwrapped the Book of the Living.

"Lynn…" he breathed. She nodded.

"Good. Now we need to get to Evy." She stopped in her tracks as she saw a horde of mummies come around the corner of the tunnel in front of her. "Dammit!" she cursed. "What are we going to do about them?"

Ardeth stood, bringing the heavy Lewis gun up into his hands and aiming it at the tunnel. "You need to go through that tunnel," he said to her, pointing. "It will take you straight to your sister. Read the inscription and stop the ritual." Jonathan immediately started through the tunnel with the book, and Rick began to follow, pulling a stick of dynamite from his belt. Lynette, however, found that she couldn't move. She stared at Ardeth for what seemed like forever, even though she knew it was only a moment.

"Ardeth, no…" she murmured, looking at him helplessly. "You don't… you can't…"

"I must, Lynn. It is the only way. I promised to protect you, and that is what I'm doing. You have to go." His voice grew more insistent as she stayed rooted to the spot. "Lynette, now!" he yelled, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark with fierce determination. "This is my mission, this is what my life is for, but not you! You will not die here!"

Rick had come forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the exit. Any words she had were stuck in her throat, because she didn't know exactly what she wanted to say. All she knew was that she didn't want him to die, and it wasn't just because he didn't deserve it. Rick pulled her through the tunnel and lit the dynamite, nodding at Ardeth. The Med-Jai gave her one last look before throwing himself into the horde of mummies. Rick threw the dynamite and Lynette felt tears begin streaming down her cheeks as the ceiling collapsed behind them.

OOOO

Lynette wiped tears from her face as she joined her brother at the top of the stairway. Rick ran down the stairs to fight more mummies, and she couldn't see Evelyn. Then she heard her voice.

"Finish the inscription on the cover, idiot, then you can control them!"

Lynette took a deep breath, realizing that now was the time to really prove her worth. "What the hell did you do, Jonathan?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I read from the front of the book and those guys woke up!" He pointed to the mummies Rick was fighting. They looked like soldiers.

"Give me that!" Lynette said, grabbing the book and running down the stairway as Rick bounded up it, trying to stay clear of the soldier mummies. Jonathan followed her, leaning over her shoulder as she looked at the front of the book. "Where did you read from?" Jonathan pointed, and Lynette mouthed the rest of the inscription, making sure her pronunciation was right.

"Rashi mouloo kashka tochim amelophous!" she shrieked, and to her relief, the soldier mummies stopped just as they were about to kill Rick. She saw her sister briefly as she ran between the worn stones of the ancient city, being chased by a female mummy. "Anck-su-namun…" Lynette whispered. She also saw Imhotep, and realized that she had to get his attention so they could get the key and open the book, or else they would never be able to kill him. She shoved the book into Jonathan's arms and turned her head towards the soldier mummies.

"Vakooshka Anck-su-namun!" she commanded, and Imhotep turned towards her with malice in his eyes. She grabbed Jonathan's wrist. "Be ready to grab that key," she whispered. His eyes widened and he nodded as Imhotep stalked towards them and lifted each of them up by the throat.

Lynette gasped for air and began to see black spots in front of her eyes as Imhotep crushed her throat. She kicked at him ineffectually, struggling not to lose consciousness, but she knew she was losing that battle. Suddenly, she fell to the floor as Imhotep dropped her, and she distantly heard him cry out his lover's name. The soldier mummies had reached Anck-su-namun.

Lynette struggled to her feet and stumbled forward as she heard Evelyn reading Ancient Egyptian. She shook her head, trying to clear it, and was suddenly blinded by a flash of bright blue-white light. Throwing her arms up over her face, she ran to where Evelyn and Jonathan were standing. When she lowered her arms, she saw that Rick had stabbed Imhotep through the stomach, and Evelyn placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's mortal," she said, and Lynette breathed easily for the first time in days. Rick stepped back, and the four of them watched Imhotep stumble backwards into a pool of black water, muttering something in Ancient Egyptian before he slipped under, his body decayed once more. Lynette turned her head and looked at her sister.

"Death is only the beginning," they said together.

OOOO

After their frantic run outside the city, Lynette slumped against one of the camels that had been left behind, thinking about Ardeth. He had come so far with them, and he had paid the ultimate price. How could she ever live with herself for letting that happen to him? She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting the others to see her cry, but unable to stop the hot flood of tears that trailed down her cheeks.

She felt a hand gently touch her shoulder, offering comfort. She shook her head, twisting away. "No… no, just leave me alone," she said. "I just need…" The person ignored her, turning her around and pulling her into an embrace. She felt tears being wiped away from her cheeks.

"I hope these tears are not for me, Lynn," a deep, accented voice said. For a moment she stood, frozen, and then she looked up into the welcoming dark eyes of Ardeth Bay. She stared at him in astonishment, not willing to believe it. Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe the desert had finally gotten to her.

"Are you a mirage?" she asked. He smiled and shook his head.

"No, I am not a mirage. I am here. I escaped from the city. I see that you also completed your task."

She blinked, not knowing what to say. Moments ago, she had been overwhelmed by feelings, and those feelings were still roiling around inside her, but they weren't fully formed. She had no idea what she really felt for this man. She knew she was attracted to him physically, but that wasn't a stretch. She knew that something drew her to him, but she didn't know why. She could have said everything or nothing, and she chose the latter. Little did she know that Ardeth was facing the same conflict.

"I am glad you are all right," he said, stepping back. What had their brief moments meant, after all? He wasn't sure. What he did know was that he still had a duty to his people, a duty to make sure Imhotep never rose from the dead again.

"And I'm glad you are as well. You helped us so much, I… I just couldn't stand the thought of you dying in there." She smiled at him a bit awkwardly, and then reached up, touching the clasp of his cloak. "This is yours," she said. "I should give it back to you."

He shook his head, his hair obscuring part of his face. "No, it is yours now. You may keep it."

"Are you sure?" she asked, trying to come up with anything to say that might keep him there for another moment.

He nodded, turning and mounting the camel he had ridden out of the city. He looked at each of them one by one. "You have earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people," he said. "May Allah smile upon you always."

Lynette nodded, her heart beating frantically. Rick and Evelyn waved nonchalantly, completely wrapped up in each other. As Ardeth turned and rode away, becoming smaller and smaller as he faded into the distance, Jonathan sighed. "I guess we go home empty-handed again," he said dejectedly. Lynette eyed the jeweled scimitar that she was still wearing, which was now hidden by Ardeth's cloak. She wouldn't be telling Jonathan about that. She planned on keeping it and learning how to use it. She never wanted to feel as helpless as she had at times during this adventure again.

"I wouldn't say that," Rick said, gazing at Evelyn longingly. Lynette raised her eyebrows as the two of them kissed, then smiled widely. She hadn't seen Evelyn so happy since before their parents had died, and she barely remembered those days.

"We came out with our lives, Jonathan," she said, climbing up onto one of the camels as Rick and Evelyn took another. "Now get up here and let's go home." Jonathan obliged, climbing up behind her on the camel. She gently tapped its side with her boot and it started to move. As they began to make their way across the desert, she turned and looked at the horizon, one last time. She could barely see Ardeth, but she knew that he was there. Even though she knew it was unlikely, she couldn't shake the very strong feeling that she would see him again someday. Even if it was just a childish wish, she hoped it was right.