Disclaimer: I do not own the Mummy. Just my OC.

A/n: Enjoy! Thanks for reading! Let me know what ya'll think!

Chapter 18: Sand Wall Trick

Rick and Rory fought for a good ten minutes about going to Winston for help, while she changed into her black skirt and long-sleeved burgundy tunic that tucked underneath her waist pants. She'd worn a big light golden belt around her waist to keep everything in place, and her hair was curled up in a French twist. After their trek in the sewer last night, she was in desperate need for a bath, and a change of clothes that she borrowed from Evelyn's suitcase. She was sure Evelyn wouldn't mind. She'd give them back. The ankle suede boots on the other hand, she wasn't sure. She rather liked them. She was sure, however, that they would continue to loose more people in this mess they were in. She didn't want to loose any more people, but as Rick had put it, Winston wouldn't mind helping out. He may even enjoy it. The man always wanted to go down swinging anyway. Rory almost had tears in her eyes just thinking about it. She didn't like loosing anyone she knew, even if they were small attachments. They were still attachments. With Rick's final word, they were off. They needed him. As much as she hated it. He had the airplane that could get to Hamunaptra fast.

Rick had also wanted her to stay back at the Fort, but that wasn't happening. She considered Evelyn her friend now. She didn't want her to die. She wasn't going to let everyone she cared about die. She wanted to help in anyway she could.

Jonathan drove the car out to the airfield when it was agreed that they were in need of new transportation. It would take too long with horses to get back to Hamunaptra, much to the warrior's dismay. Rory couldn't help but notice who was left. A small ill feeling had formed inside of her. All the men who opened the chest were gone. Henderson, Daniels, Burns. She wished anything for that not to be true, but it was. She couldn't bring them back. Unless she had the Book of the Dead. She bit her bottom lip, lost in pure thoughts during the long drive out into the desert where Winston currently was seated under an umbrella, drinking tea, and listening to the music on his music box.

She couldn't believe it. Winston Havelock was their only hope.

The engine cut off, making Rory pull out of her own thoughts about death and the feelings of loss. Of course she didn't know them very well, but it was still sad that their lives were taken away. She supposed that was the very warning that the Medjai were trying to tell them about. And they didn't listen. As the others climbed out of the car, she followed suit not too long after, and closed the car door behind her. She trudged along the small sand hills.

"Morning Winston! Uh, a word?" Rick asked, hoping to catch him on a good note. Winston glanced between all four of them, and arched an eyebrow curiously at Rory.

"Winston, we need your help," Rory began.

"Yeah we have a bit of a problem," Rick added.

"Oh?" He asked, lifting the tea cup to his lips, pausing for a bit.

"Yes. We need to borrow your airplane."

"My airplane?" he blinked, a little bit startled by that.

"Mhmm," she nodded. "Your pretty airplane. Yes. The one that you always wanted me to fly on and see the world but I was always too scared to do so."

He chuckled at her. "Ah yes. Is that still on dearie?"

Rory grinned. "I'm not sure, my friend, but ah, we're kind of in a bit of a pickle, if you will," she said, wringing her hands together, unsure of how to explain it to him. How'd you explain a Mummy that had been brought back to life to a man like Winston?

He sighed, and set his teacup down. "So, what's your little problem that's got to do with the Royal Air Corps?"

"Not a damn thing," Rick stated, and Rory nudged his arm. Rick glared at her. She motioned a nod at him.

He set the tea and saucer down on the table beside him. "Is it dangerous?" He was intrigued.

"Well, you probably wouldn't live through it," Rick said.

"By Joe, you really think so?" Winston asked eagerly. Rick nudged Rory this time, proving his previous point to her. She sighed.

"Well, everybody else that's bumped into us has died why not you?" Jonathan smirked. The medjai warrior looked at him like he was crazy.

He stood up from his seat. "What's the uh, what's the challenge there?"

"Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, save the world," Rick replied.

"Aha! Winston Havelock at your service, haha!"

"I get the extra seat," Rory quickly turned towards Rick.

Rick smirked. "I'll flip ya for it."

She narrowed her eyes at him, scowling.

~*TM*~

Rory sadly lost the coin toss, and had to bunk with the medjai warrior on the other side of the airplane. Jonathan had the other side. Rick was in the second cock-pit and Winston drove the yellow plane in the air.

A whistle startled Jonathan from concentrating hanging along the side of the wing. Jonathan turned to look at him. "Are you all right?" Rick shouted out.

"Do I bloody look all right?!" he turned the machine gun around and whistled at Rory and the Medjai.

"How ya doin?"

Rory and the warrior shared a knowing look and she glared back up at Rick. He just grinned at her cheekily, while she held on for dear life.

"Never again," she grumbled, tightening her grip on the wing to keep from slipping. The warrior helped keep her from slipping off the wing.

They continued the path of the sand storm that looked like a tornado rushing through the desert.

"See that?" Winston pointed at it. Rick looked over his shoulder through his goggles. "I've never seen one so big!"

"Never?" Rick asked.

"No!"

But they were high in the air, chasing after Evelyn. Rory looked down, seeing three specs below her that she was sure was the Mummy, Beni, and Evelyn.

And then…in the midst of it all, the mummy's face suddenly grew larger within the sand storm. His mouth opened wide. Rory looked down to see that the real Mummy was controlling it as sand whipped and whirled around them. She tried to duck her head and cover her face from the sand so that it didn't get in her mouth or eyes. Rick started firing at it and yelling at the face-storm.

"Here I come! Lenny's! Ahaha!" Winston cried, twirling the plane in the air as it spun out of control.

Rory cried out in the midst of the storm as it twirled around. She slipped, and the medjai reached for her, hovering over her and protect her until it suddenly took a turn and headed down into the sands when the sand wall buried them inside.

"I'm dead," she murmured to herself. "I'm dead. I'm dead. It's official…I'm dead."

"You're not dead," Rick said, pulling her up from the sands. Her body was shaking, literally shaking from the chaos that she'd just endured. The adrenalin rush still deep within her as she tried to calm her self. She closed her eyes tight. "Hey. You okay?" Rick asked her, placing a hand on her back. She tried to take deep breaths, coughing, in the middle, and wrinkled her nose in disgust until she finally sneezed. She looked at Rick and nodded.

"I'll help him, you help Jonathan," she said to him with a nod of her head. Rick nodded reluctantly.

Rory untangled her from the straps that had helped her from falling off. She hopped down and started to help the medjai.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

He nodded, and started to unstrap himself as well, while she helped him land firmly on the ground. He almost swayed over. If It hadn't been for Rory, he'd have fallen. He smiled a bit when she steadied him and kept him from going over.

"Thank you," he said.

Rory nodded, giving him a small smile in return. Rory's heart couldn't help but pound wildly when he looked at her like that. She swore to herself and turned away. No. No. No. What was happening with her and this man? No. She refused to get involved! She wasn't going to let herself get attached. She was fine not knowing his name. He's supposed to be secret after all. They were going to find Evy, kill the bad guy, and save the world that was it.

"Uh, excuse me! A little help would be useful, if it isn't too much trouble!"

"Yeah, yeah, all right, hang on," Rick said, stumbling over as he went to help Jonathan that had broken Rory out of her reverie.

"Oh, right, I'll get Winston," she said, walking around the warrior as he took the machine gun from the plane and into his hands, observing it.

Rick nodded, and helped Jonathan out of the other wing. Rory walked over to Winston's cockpit but she stopped, frozen. He looked asleep. His eyes were closed. But maybe more than asleep. She bit her bottom lip worriedly.

"Winston! Hey Winston!" Rick rushed over once Jonathan was okay. Rory was silent. Rick placed two fingers to his neck. Nothing. It was then he realized that Winston was gone.

Rory licked her lips sadly and looked down. Jonathan leaned along the wing, looking down at him in a fond manner.

Suddenly, the plane moved inward, causing Rory to gasp. "Quicksand!" The medjai reached for Rory so she didn't fall and scrambled out of the way. "Get back! It's quicksand!" he shouted at Rick and Jonathan as Rory clung onto Rick's arm, bringing him out of harm's way, while the sand took the plane too.

Rick saluted him, and Rory lowered her head in honor. "Poor man," she whispered.

"Yeah, he wanted it though," Rick said.

"I know," she nodded, knowing now that he really did want it. Some people did, some people didn't. It was just one more sad loss for her. Rory was beginning to learn not to attach herself to anyone anymore. And yet she was best friends with Rick O'Connell. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost him. She wouldn't loose him. She would find the Book of the Dead, and she would resurrect him. That's exactly what she would do. Or die trying.

~*TM*~

A/n: Awe, Rory! It's okay. I have a lot of plans for her and Ardeth. XD I can't wait. Hope you guys liked. Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting. Much appreciated and loved!