a/n. ok so maybe the last couple of weeks weren't the best to try and brake my record in, (what with ff's updates) but you all helped and I broke even with a lovely 8. Thank you everyone. lilylnn, hypercaz, Mandi solo,angel1411 where would I be without you faithful few. A couple of new faces again, which all ways makes me smile quite a lot. Gen konbi, oh you make me blush, your very kind. Sekmet nice to met you. hiya rosie-bec nice to see you at last. your dedicated review of every chapter is very welcomed.

A few reviewers missing last chapter, but I guess that's to be expected, still just to say you are being remembered, lucky fannah, and Toni Isis.

And although it wasn't technically the last chapter I can not end without saying a special thanks to Djehuty for reviewing. I cant even begin to imagine the amount of trouble he went to, to find an internet line in ancient Egypt. May Amun watch over him and guide him safely home. (cant wait to see what he says about future chapters, ah Jax?)

Anyway onwards…

Chapter six. - A sibling story

Ripping the dagger out of the wood, Rick handed Evelyn the note, prompting her to run from the hall to her study. Sweeping the books from her desk to the floor, she spread out the thin papyrus, grabbed her glasses, and began to translate.

"Menkaura," she read aloud after a second or two. "I see your family loyalties have not improved through the ages- your new brother is now mine, and if you wish to see him unhurt, you will bring me what I desire. This blade is no good, but then you knew that. I do not understand how you can still be with her after all theses years, but it does not matter. I know what I must do. I give you until Ra descends in five days time, to meet me in the city of the dead. She will be made to know her mistake. Until then, brother." As she finished, Evelyn looked up with frightened eyes.

"Jonathan?" she whispered.

Rick pulled her quickly into his arms and held her tight. After a minute he looked at Ardeth.

"Brother?" he asked quietly.

Ardeth just nodded. "I think I can explain."

XXX

Lying on a cold stone floor, Jonathan began to regain consciousness.

"Oohh!" he groaned loudly, as the thumping in his head only got worse when he opened his eyes. "Last night had better have been worth it." He mumbled to himself and tried to sit up. The pain that shot through his arms as he tried to move sharpened his perception, however, and he realised this was not a normal morning.

"You are awake, brother," a clumsy Egyptian tongue suddenly greeted him from one of the shadowy corners of the room. "That is acceptable. You may sit up, but nothing more."

As he rolled around, Jonathan realised the pain in his arms stemmed from the fact that his hands were tied tightly behind his back. "I say," Jonathan announced loudly as he finally got upright, "this is far from acceptable! Untie me at once. Don't you know who I am?"

"Oh yes," the voice came again, "I know who you are, but…" The dark robed man stepped out of the shadows and into Jonathan's line of vision. "Perhaps I should introduce myself." The man paused and bowed, and as he did so Jonathan saw the Medjai tattoos that adorned his face. "I am Djeser-si, priest of lord Imhotep."

"Oh bugger," Jonathan swore quietly.

XXX

Sitting on the couch in the office, Evelyn held Rick's arm tightly. As exasperated as he made her at times, Evelyn could not bare to think of anything bad having happened to her beloved brother. As unreliable as he could be, he had been there for her many times in the past, especially when they had been growing up.

Ardeth's voice broke through her thoughts, however, as he began to explain how much difficulty he had experienced in obtaining the information he was about to impart to them.

"I did not recognize the name Menka, when you first told me of it, because your existence has all but been erased from Medjai history. The only name I could find was Menkaura."

"Eternal like the soul of Ra," Evelyn interpreted quickly.

Ardeth nodded in agreement of Evelyn's understanding. "The Medjai leader during the reign of Seti the first was Setep-Si-Enatum. He lived in the court of the pharaoh, and was the most powerful leader of his time. For many years he had only one son."

"Menka?" Rick guessed.

"No," Ardeth shook his head. "Het-si."

XXX

Fidgeting against his restraints, Jonathan was beginning to get bored. "I've told you," he repeated, "Imhotep doesn't want to be resurrected."

"You speak untruths, brother," Djeser-si laughed hollowly. "I know my duty, you cannot change that."

"Why must you keep calling me brother?" Jonathan asked, exasperated that his plan had not worked.

"Are you not Menkaura's brother?" Djeser-si asked, confused.

"Menkaura?" Jonathan repeated, confused, "Menka-ura… oh, you must mean Rick. Well, brother-in-law, yes."

"He was made my brother," Djeser-si explained, somewhat bitterly. "My father found him one day, crawling through the desert sand. Impressed by his strength he brought him home, and my mother fell in love with him. He became the son they had always wanted."

XXX

"So I was adopted?" Rick asked.

Ardeth nodded and continued to explain. "Setep-si took in the young child and brought him up as his own. He was trained in all Medjai ways. He excelled at all the disciplines, far out-stripping his older brother's achievements. One day, after the brothers had come of age, the princess announced that she was to take a Medjai bodyguard. Having grown up in the palace, the brothers became the logical choice. After all, they had often encountered the young Nefertiri, and her brother."

"Wait- why did Nefertiri need a body guard?" Evelyn interrupted. "I was trained in many fighting skills."

"I know not the answer," Ardeth admitted. "But Seti loved his daughter greatly, and when she expressed such a wish, he granted it. All the Medjai who wished it were given a week in which to impress the princess."

XXX

"I did everything I could that week," Djeser-si continued explaining to Jonathan, who by now was beginning to regret asking about the past. "I granted every wish she asked of me, I loved her so. Menka, as she called him, did little; he just sat by her side and they talked for hours."

"Let me guess," Jonathan jumped in, sensing his opportunity to cut to the case. "She chose Menka. Well, Evie would. So, you ran off and joined the priesthood?"

"Lord Imhotep presided over the ceremony where, yes, Menka was chosen. He helped me see that being a Medjai was being a slave to one's emotions, and that way only led to pain. I was meant for greater things. From that day, I never returned to my father's home. I changed my name and freed myself from my old life."

XXX

"So," Rick began as he tried to get things straight in his head. "Menka's brother Het-si became Djeser-si, who, after supposedly being killed in the Hamunaptra raid, has now come back via the chain of Anubis and kidnapped Jonathan."

Ardeth nodded his head.

"What happened to Menka?" Evelyn asked. She was confused as to why she had never heard of him.

"The night of the Hamunaptra raid he disappeared. It is thought that he could not face the prospect of striking down his brother. One brother labelled as a traitor, the other as a deserter- never before or since has such a thing been heard of in the Medjai community. Thus the whole event was struck from every record available." Ardeth finished.

XXX

"On the night of my lord's death," Djeser-si was continuing his story, "my loyalty was tested to the maximum. I was faced with-"

"Enough," Jonathan snapped finally. "Please, no more. Look, I understand you're evil, and sure that makes us enemies, but that is no reason to bore me to death. Now be a good chap and find us a pack of cards or something."

XXX

After an hour of intensive planning, Rick and Ardeth left the house to search the surrounding area for clues to Jonathan's abduction and subsequent whereabouts.

As dusk fell, however, and no clues had turned up, Rick decided to return home to Evelyn, who had spent the afternoon researching. Meanwhile Ardeth, who promised to send some of his Medjai to continue the search, returned to his camp and began some research of his own.

Rick was unsurprised when he returned home and found Evelyn in her study. Every flat surface was covered with an open book, and she was reading from about three at the same time. Not wishing to disturb her too much, he informed her of his lack of success in as few words as possible, and quickly settled into the other leather chair in front of the desk and began reading the book Evie handed him.

A/N. another week another chapter, so what are we think out there, u like?

Tell me! tell me! tell me!

ahem excuse me the child in me just escaped but don't worry she's safely locked up again, So the adult in me will just say that I would appreciate any comments I receive.

Oh stuff being adult, review review review! ;o)