Disclaimer: I do not own the Mummy Returns. I am just writing for fun.

A/n: Hey all. Thank you so much for reading, my lovely readers, I hope you're doing well! Favorites, follows, and reviews are always welcomed and loved and always puts a smile on my face! So thank you, it means a lot! Enjoy!

Chapter 29: Mourning For My Arse

It didn't take long to travel from England to Egypt. Rory had slept most of the trip on the way there after she'd packed her bags, ready to help Rick find his son from these evil people. She was more or less fretting seeing Izzy again. She was a bit antsy and Evy couldn't help but notice the girl's slight twitching the whole way. She wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how to really approach Rory anymore. She'd been so distant from them due to her miscarriage. She was there for her when she needed it.

Everyone could feel Rory's heavy presence of darkness within her whenever she walked through the O'Connell's house. She'd been a walking zombie throughout these long nine years. For awhile, Rory was all right, and taking care of the house, and acting as an extra pair of hands to help take care of Alex when Evy needed her help. Evy had been grateful for Rory's help. She was impressed by the way the woman had carried herself even fighting her silent battles that she knew swirled within her. Rory had blamed the gods for her misfortune and also blamed herself for what happened to her in the desert during her time with Ardeth. She claimed it was punishment.

Rick pulled up to the Magic Carpet Airways in a mustard yellow car they rented. Rory couldn't believe they were back in Egypt. It's been years since she set foot on these sands of which she never imagined ever going back to.

Rory sighed as he parked the car. She sat in her seat for a bit. Rick looked over at her and walked back over towards her.

"Rory."

"No," she said, still sitting in the car.

"C'mon. It's not going to be that bad."

"You said that the last fifty or so times ago and now look at us," Rory mumbled with a distained look on her face.

Evy narrowed her eyes and blinked at that. "What happened if you don't mind me asking?" she asked genuinely curious.

Rory looked up at Evy's concerned and curious look on her face. She bit her bottom lip tentatively. How did she start? Where did she begin? Jonathan was even interested in the story, as he hung against the car, looking wistfully at her.

She climbed out of the car and walked over to sit against the hood of the car, and cross her arms.

"So. We worked before, old friends the three of us, Rick, Izzy, and I. We were good at what we did. After Ardeth and I broke it off, I wrote a letter to Izzy to see what he was up to. We met and had dinner. The thought of getting close and intimate with someone right away kind of freaked me out. I excused myself to the restroom, threw up out of intense fear, climbed out the window, and left poor Izzy all by his lonesome. Old flame is putting it delicately. I'm not proud of it. I feel really awful."

"Maybe he doesn't remember?" Rick suggested.

Rory rolled her eyes. "For all I know he just thinks I shunned him."

"Well, gotta face the music sometime, right?" Jonathan asked.

Rory looked over at him, and nodded.

"No one blames you, Rory," Evy said, shaking her head. "It's terrifying sometimes. I get it."

Rory gave the woman a tight smile. "Thank you. It was Rick's idea you know."

"What? No it wasn't," Rick said, shaking his head.

"Was too," she smirked at him as they proceeded forward to the Magic Carpet Airways.

Evy smacked her husband lightly in the chest. "That was a terrible idea."

"What? The best way to get over somebody is to get under," Rick said.

Evy and Rory looked at one another and shook their heads. "Ugh," they said in sync, and laughed lightly. Rory hadn't laughed in a long time, felt so good. Rick shook his head, and Evy followed him after with a curious look as she saw what laid out before her eyes.

"This is the magic carpet," Evy said with uncertainty.

"It'll be fine. He's a professional," Rick assured her. Rory doubted it.

"Izzy!" Rick exclaimed as he spotted the old pirate. Izzy looked up and gasped, then at Rory. He shook his head and started to head back, and lock the wooden doors back up.

"He definitely remembers you," Evy said.

"He's a little shy," Rick assured her. Rory also doubted that.

"Jonathan get our bags," Rick ordered.

"Oh, my hands are full," he said, holding the golden stick in his hands, walking past him.

"Now," he said, ripping it away from him.

Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Right. I'm just gonna get the bags." Rory grabbed hers so Jonathan didn't have to carry so many.

Jonathan grinned at her, thankful for her help, and followed Evy and Rick towards the open airstrip in a camp like setting.

"I'll deal with the flight details," Rick mumbled as he took out his gun.

"Honey, you're not a subtle man," Evy grinned at him.

"We don't have time to be subtle," he said, and kicked the doors wide open.

"He doesn't look happy to see you," Evy well noted.

"Or maybe it's me he's running from," Rory grumbled, trudging slowly behind her.

"Never turned me down yet," Rick said.

Izzy was quickly gathering up his charts on his makeshift desk, definitely in a hurry.

"Whatever it is, whatever you need, I don't care! Forget it, O'Connell, every time I hook up with you I get shot. Still amazes me how Rory never got shot," Izzy said, glancing over at her.

Rory pulled her strap over her shoulder, and looked the other way.

"I'm a girl," she shrugged.

"So you are," he said, shaking his head. "Last time I got shot in the ass. I've been mourning for my ass! Remember that bank job in Marrakesh?"

"Bank job?" Evy asked peculiarly.

"It's not like it sounds," Rick cringed to Evy.

Rory arched a curious brow at him.

"Ah, it's exactly how it sounds. I'm flying high, hiding in the sun, wild boy over here flags me down, so I fly low, the next thing you know I get shot. I'm laying on the road with my spleen hanging out. I see him going off with some belly dancer girl."

"Belly dancer girl? Izzy I think you and I should talk," Evy said, stepping in.

"As long as I don't get shot," Izzy said with a glare towards Rick.

"And, that belly dancer girl was me, so um…I don't think you have anything to worry about," Rory said, trying to save Rick from what it may look like a talking to.

Evy arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh really?"

"Nothing happened. I swear. I've been honestly really rooting for you guys. Truly. I am. I was saving these two dummies from a job that went sour. Rick just bailed me out after the dude realized I was with Rick and Izzy. It was literally a disaster. Happens all the time."

"Thanks for that," Rick rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome best friend," Rory grinned at him.

Rick shook his head. "Quit your whining," he threw a ward of cash at him. "You're gonna get paid this time.

Izzy glanced at the cash for a bit and then looked up at his old friend.

"O'Connell, you've looked around here, what do I need money for? What the hell am I going to spend it on?" he asked.

Evy blinked out of curiosity and looked at a man that was sitting casually to himself, reading a newspaper. She nudged Rory a bit and Rory looked at him too. She shrugged, unsure herself.

Rick stepped closer towards him. "I'm gonna keep this short, my little boy is out there. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him back."

Rory caught Izzy staring at the gold stick in his hand. Jonathan's stick mind you. "Of course, you give me that gold stick there, you can shag my head, wax my legs, and use me for a surf board."

Rick gladly handed him the stick. Izzy dropped his things, and caught it.

"Didn't we do that in Tripoli?"

Rory scrunched up her nose at the bleak memory. "Afraid so," she mumbled. Rick smirked at her.

"Hey, when did you loose your eye?" he asked.

"I didn't. I just thought it made me look a bit more dashing," he said with a slight chuckle. He wiggled his eyebrows at Rory. "Still think we have another shot?"

Rory frowned. "I left you, remember?"

"Yeah, but, I'm always up for another go," he grinned cheekily at her.

Rick rolled his eyes and grasped the eye patch, snatching it off of him. "Come on, get to work," he said, throwing it down on the ground. Rory shook his head at Rick and picked it up for him.

Izzy sighed and took it from her as Rick started to head to head for Izzy's contraption.

"You were always the nice one," Izzy said. "It's what drew me to you."

Rory bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry it didn't work out. I really am. I was just…. nervous. I, had a lot going on."

Izzy nodded. "It seemed like you did."

"Truth is, I was nervous coming here," Rory added.

"Why?"

"Just thought you were mad. I mean I'd be upset too if I just left you," she said.

"Would it help if I told people we did have sex?" Izzy asked.

Rory's cheeks turned bright pink. "I….don't think that would suffice."

Izzy noticed Evy still looking at him curiously as she followed them out.

"You're not exactly catching me at my best," he said.

"Oh, I'm sure I am," she smiled at him.

They made it to the clearing of his place, and spotted twelve medjai men dressed in black and on horses. Rory stopped short, and stared at them. Izzy stopped by her side.

"I knew it. I'm gonna get shot," Izzy mumbled.

Rory bit her bottom lip to the side, and hugged her duffle bag tighter against her shoulder, while Jonathan caught up with them.

Ardeth dismounted from his own horse and walked over to them.

"These are the commanders of the twelve tribes of the Medjai," he explained. A white owl flew over towards him and perched on top of his hand.

"Ah, pet bird," Jonathan grinned.

"My best and most closest friend," he said stroking its feathers. "He will let the commanders know so they may follow. Horus," he said, letting the bird up in the air. Rory watched it glide into the crystal clear blue skies above her and smiled as well.

He raised his hand in the air to the others. "Hala hu mana."

"Hala hu mana," they repeated and turned to gallop after their tribes on their way to Ahm Shere.

Rory sighed, "Hala hu mana," she mumbled more so to herself. Ardeth looked over and walked over to her.

"You do remember," he said.

"God is with us," Rory translated. "I remember."

"And he is not punishing you," Ardeth whispered in her ear. Rory bit her bottom lip again and looked at him worriedly. How did he know?! She was a bit mortified now.

She sighed in utter realization of how he knew. "Evy," she said.

"I had to know how you were doing," he said.

Rory rubbed the top of her cheeks with the soft pads of her fingertips, and shook her head.

"I feel as though we'd left things a little abruptly," he added.

"I thought it was a mutual decision," Rory whispered.

"It was," Ardeth said. "Until I realized how much I wanted you in my life."

"I still don't know how your tribe feels about me," Rory said, shaking her head.

"They're fine. They love you," he said.

"They don't know me, Ardeth," she said. "And I blew it remember? I blew my own destiny, and now I'm out of options. Look, I just want to help Rick find Alex and go home okay? Can we just let the past die and get this over with?"

"If that is what you wish," Ardeth gently lowered his head respectively.

Rory nodded firmly. She wasn't going to let her heart get broken again. "It is."

"Isn't she beautiful?" Izzy asked, making Rory turn her head towards his voice. She gave Ardeth one last look and marched off to join the others.

"It's a balloon!" Rick cried.

"It's a dirigible," Izzy said as a matter of fact.

"Where's your airplane?" Rick demanded.

"Airplanes are a thing of the past," he said with a wave of his hand, making Rory smile at him.

"I quite like it," she said, looking and admiring at the brown and tattered balloon attached to the boat. "It suits you."

"Thank you," Izzy grinned at her.

"Izzy?" Rick asked. "You were right."

"I was?" Izzy asked confusedly.

Rick nodded, and started pulling out his gun again out of his front pocket. 'You're gonna get shot."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Izzy held out his hands to defend himself. "She's faster than she looks, and she's quiet. Real quiet, great for sneaking up on people, which is a very good thing. Unless of course we go for your approach. Marching in face first, guns blazing, and getting your friends shot in the arse."

Rory closed her lips tight and looked at Rick accusingly. He put his gun away and shrugged.

"Why can't you people ever keep their feet on the ground?" Ardeth asked with a small shake of his head.

"Because like he said, it's a lot faster," Rory said, leaning in with a small smirk on her face. She walked away from him, leaving him to sigh.

"What am I missing here?" Ardeth asked.

Jonathan walked up to Ardeth. "Better be careful, mate. Those two kind of hooked up."

"Kind of?" he asked. "What do you mean kind of?"

Jonathan chuckled and walked away from the poor medjai. "Jonathan," Ardeth quickly followed after him.

As they got in, Rick cut the rope, and they were finally in the air soaring across Egypt's skies and well past the Pyramids of Giza.