Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's

Abby bit her lip as she got off the plane with her parents. They had informed her when she'd gotten home from school that they were going to see Uncle Jonathan in Shanghai.

Exactly where Alex was.

They'd told her that they'd already packed her stuff for her and she just had to get whatever reading materials she wanted and to have a shower and get changed out of her school uniform. So she hadn't been able to send Alex a letter to warn him about their parent's upcoming, unexpected visit.

And when their parents found out (as they most likely were) not only would Alex be dead but Uncle Jon and her as well for being his accomplices.

The things she did for her brother.

~*Break*~

After they had dropped their things off at the hotel the O'Connell family had gone straight to Jonathan's bar, Imhoteps. Katharine had laughed when her brother had first told her the name but when you thought about it without Imhotep, Jonathan never would have gotten the money to open the bar.

As soon as Katharine caught sight of her brother in his velvet blue suit jacket she smiled before calling out to him.

"Jonathan"!

Jonathan quickly turned around with wide horror filled eyes when he caught sight of his sister and her husband. Backing up he started to point at them, laughing hysterically as he looked around the room for his 21 year old nephew.

"You're in China! Katie. Rick. Abby". Jonathan gasped out at the smiling family as Katharine wrapped her arms around him. "What are you ... it's so ... I didn't even ..." He looked at Abby over his sister's shoulder, noticing the panic in his little niece's eyes.

"I've missed you Jonathan". Katharine whispered in his ear successfully making Jonathan feel guilty for lying to her about her son for the last few months. Rick punched Jonathan playfully in the shoulder making Jonathan wince as he thought of a harder punch flying across his face.

"I had no idea he was here". Jonathan quickly told them as he looked between them noticing too late that Abby was mouthing 'no' at him while she shook her head slowly.

"Who was here"? Both husband and wife asked in unison as they looked at the horrified Jonathan when he realised he had, yet again, put his foot in his mouth.

"Who"? Jonathan asked innocently as Katharine's eyes started to widen in disbelief as she put two and two together.

"Oh no tell me he's not ..."

Katharine wasn't able to finish her sentence when a loud commotion from the other side of the bar caught everyone's attention in time to see a young man get thrown out of the backdoors. The young man held his jaw as he looked over at the bar, seeing two people stare back at him wide-eyed.

"Mum? Dad"? Alex whispered as he was pulled to his feet.

"Alex"! Both Katharine and Rick yelled before Rick jumped over the banister to go and help their son as Katharine turned to her brother.

"I am going to kill you" Katharine pointed at her brother who looked back at her guiltily. "Abby stay with your Uncle, please".

Katharine quickly walked over to her husband and her son to see Rick quickly stopping the man's flying fist that was headed towards their son.

"Not so fast that's my kid ..." Rick trailed off while Katharine turned to Alex.

"What the hell are you doing here, Alex"? Katharine whisper yelled at him before shaking her head. "No, scratch that. What I meant was, why didn't you tell your father and I that you were here".

Alex looked at his mother's hurt filled eyes about to answer her before his Dad caught both their attentions.

"Mad dog Maguire"?

"Ricochet O'Connell". Maguire exclaimed before the two men pulled each other into a manly hug. Katharine looked at her husband as she waited for him to explain.

"Ooh well hello now? Who's this Ricochet"? Maguire leered at the beautiful woman who stood behind Rick's shoulder and next to the moron that was hitting on his girl. Rick quickly glared at his friend while Alex tried to punch the man only to be held back by his mother.

"Not worth it Alex". Katharine mumbled as she stared at the disgusting man.

"How long has it been"? Rick asked still glaring slightly but otherwise ignoring the question.

"Egypt, 23 French Foreign Legion"? Mad dog replied while Katharine's ears perked up at the familiar name.

"Rick"? Katharine coughed from behind her husband gaining his attention. Rick quickly turned to his wife before pulling her to his side beside him.

"This guy could land a plane on anything, Kat". Rick replied to his wife unspoken question while Maguire's eyes showed understanding.

"So you're Katharine, huh"? The man asked as he looked Katharine up and down while Rick started to go red.

"Did you tell everyone you ever met about me at some point or another"? Katharine asked as she looked at Rick with a raised eyebrow receiving a sheepish look in return.

"Ricochet, he had his hands all over me girl. Now son or no son, I gotta give him a beating"! Mad dog yelled before he started towards the boy only to be flipped around with his arm twisted around behind his back.

"Not unless you want a beating of your own. Got it, mad dog"? Katharine whispered into the man's ear receiving a pained gasp and nod in return before she let them man up. Alex gulped when his mother turned to him before grabbing his lapels and pulling him away from the two men. Rick watched his wife go with an amused and fond grin.

"That's some woman you've got there, Ricochet"? Maguire gasped at he shook out his arm.

"Yeah I know". Rick smiled, watching her go.

~*Break*~

Katharine and Alex stood away from everyone else in the bar as Abby walked over to them.

"Did you know about this Abigail"? Katharine asked her daughter when she saw her; Katharine knew how close the two were and couldn't believe that Alex wouldn't have told Abby. Abby winced whenever her mother used her real name she knew she was in trouble. Katharine sighed and rubbed her temples when her daughter nodded.

"I'm just ... I'm just surprised to see you, that's all"? Katharine sighed as she looked up at her son who smiled warmly down at her.

"Yeah, well the feelings the mutual, Mum". Alex said as the two shared a small hug before Rick grabbed Alex's shoulder angrily.

"I'm not here five minutes, and I'm already pulling your fanny out of the fire". Rick angrily stated as Alex glared at him both of them ignoring the angry huff from behind them. "You're going back to college".

"How did you think this was going to work, Dad? You two show up and tell me what to do". Alex argued as he looked between both his mother and father receiving a glare from his little sister. Abby knew Alex was angry but she knew if he didn't stop soon he'd say something he would end up regretting.

"No, Alex, of course not. But we should sit down, the FOUR of us and discuss this like an actual family". Katharine sighed, she was sick of the fighting all the time.

"No offense, Mum, but we haven't been a family in a long time". Alex whisper yelled out as he looked at his mother. He immediately felt guilty when he saw the hurt enter his mother's eyes before walking away. Abby glared at her brother's retreating back, Dad and Alex may have been at odds for a while but that didn't mean they had to drag Mum into it too.

"Can you believe …" Rick trailed off as he turned to look at his wife and daughter both of whom were staring at him with their brow raised.

"Don't look at me like that". Rick gaped at the two before groaning as he walked off leaving Katharine with Abigail.

"Abby stay with your brother and Uncle". Katharine ordered before following after her husband. Abby quickly located her brother, seeing him nursing his wounded pride over at the bar and stalked over to him.

"Are you trying to split our parents up"? Alex asked her brother making him look at her with wide eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous Abs, nothing could split Mum and Dad apart. They love each other too much". Alex rolled his eyes at his melodramatic little sister.

"Yes they love each other and it's obvious but there is still one thing that could come between them". Abby glared at her brother. "Us or more specifically, you".

"What'd you mean"? Alex groaned out as his sister gaped at him in disbelief.

"Mum loves you just as much as she loves me and seeing you fight with Dad all the time hurts her more than anything. It's like your forcing her to choose between Dad and you". Abby growled before walking over to Uncle Jonathan, who had heard everything, making him pat her on the shoulder leaving Alex with a confused and horrified expression on his face.

Mum and Dad wouldn't ever leave each other … Would they?

~*Break*~

"Rick this is killing me"! Katharine yelled at her husband after she had followed him onto the roof. Rick quickly turned to her with anger in his eyes.

"You think I don't know that"? Rick asked rhetorically. "Why do you think I was so angry with the kid"?

"I didn't mean the distance Rick, I meant the fighting. I love you, Alex and Abby so much that watching you and our son fight every time we see each other …" Katharine trailed off as her throat clogged up prompting Rick to pull her into his arms laying his head onto hers as her head laid on his chest.

"I'm sorry … I'm sorry".

"We've spent our entire lives looking for priceless artefacts and one of the things that mean the world to us … we've lost". Katharine asked as she tilted her head up to her husband as he wiped a tear off of her cheek.

"We can't let this continue, Rick. We can't let Alex become a stranger to us". Katharine told Rick as he shook his head.

"How are we going to fix this"? Rick asked helplessly. If there was one thing his son had gained from him it was his pride and that pride often made the two of them clash.

"We'll have to tackle this like we do everything else". Katharine said as she smiled softly up at her husband. "Together".

Rick simply leaned down and kissed her before they both looked out over the city.

~*Break*~

They were driving through the streets which were crowded with party goers celebrating Chinese New Year. Rick looked in the review mirror of the Rolls Royce to look at his wife. She'd dressed up for the occasion (something she didn't do often). She had her hair pinned back on the sides and was wearing a dark red gown. Rick smiled as he look at her, he thought she was always beautiful but when she dressed up like this there just weren't any words to describe just how stunning she looked.

Rick was quickly brought out of his thought when Jonathan stopped, once again, to let a party goer pass.

"You know, this might have been faster if we took a rickshaw". Katharine heard Rick groan from the front of the car making her smirk in amusement.

"It's Chinese New Year. Don't you just love this country they have so many extra little holidays and drinking is mandatory". Jonathan cheered as he steered his way through the crowd.

"I can't believe we get to see your discovery, Alex". Abby smiled as she looked at her big brother from where she sat between him and their mother.

"Yeah well after last night I'm surprised you want to see it at all". Alex groaned, wincing when Abby smacked him in the arm and he heard his Mum sigh sadly. Abby couldn't understand why Alex was being so cruel to their parents. Sure Dad could be a bit of a control freak at time but after she'd heard what had happened to their mother in Ahm Shere she had never questioned his over protectiveness again.

"Listen, I'll pick you up in about an hour". Jonathan told them as he pulled up in front of the Shanghai Museum.

"You're not coming"? Katharine asked her brother, smirking in amusement when he answered.

"No, no. I've seen enough Mummies to last a life time". Rick rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law before hoping out of the car and walking around to his wife's door only to find she'd already opened it. Katharine laughed fondly when she saw her husband pouting at her.

"That was sweet, love. But I can open the door myself". Katharine laughed as she kissed her husband's cheek making him grin and hold his arm out to her. She quickly wound her arm around his as they walked towards the museum entrance.

"See, Abby. Nothing can tear them apart, not even us". Alex smiled in victory before it fell when he received a glare from both his sister and his Uncle.

"Don't be so sure Alex". Jonathan said before driving off after Abigail had gotten out. Abby quickly went to join her parents with Alex following after her.

~*Break*~

"There he is". Alex proudly said as he held his arm out towards the Emperors Carriage. His Mum quickly walked around his as she put a hand on his arm.

"Sweetheart … This is very impressive". Katharine smiled as she studied the carriage with her eyes. Alex smiled when he heard the pride in his mother's voice while Abby smirked at him. She'd told Alex to tell their mother about the Archaeological dig as she would have been able to persuade their Dad into letting Alex stay there instead of demanding he go back to college. But it wasn't only that, she knew their mother would have been and was indescribably proud of him instead now it was tinged with hurt.

"So when do you get to open the sarcophagus"? Katharine asked oblivious to the looks her children were throwing at each other.

"Well ... After the official red tape's been cut". Alex answered

"Do the words rest in peace mean anything to you two"? Rick asked as he looked between his wife and son causing Abby to laugh.

"No". Katharine shook her head after she'd playfully thought about it before she turned and smiled at her husband

"So, Mum, Why don't you stick around for the next few days and we can open it together"? Alex asked his Mum with a small smile on his face. Katharine quickly turned her head towards him with a large grin on her face.

"I'd like that".

"Alex, why don't you go and tell Professor Wilson that we're here". Rick suggested he really wasn't sure how to go about this whole bonding business. That was usually Kat's job.

"No Problem". Alex replied as he turned and walked away before a thought came to him and quickly turned back around to his parents. "Just don't wake the big guy up while I'm gone". Katharine and Abby laughed while Rick chuckled as he crossed his heart. Rick winced when he felt a sharp pain in his side and turned to face his wife who was nodding her head towards Alex making him sigh.

"Hey, Alex"! Rick called out to his son, making him turn around. "Uh, you know, this is all really, really big stuff". Katharine slapped her forehead when she saw her husband's awkwardly painful thumbs up.

"Whatever you say, Dad". Alex chuckled before starting to walk off. "You coming, Abby". Abby quickly turned around to follow her brother. Rick turned around to Katharine after their children had left, to see her laughing silently.

"Really big stuff". Katharine laughed before starting to walk around the carriage. Rick merely pulled a face before going to sit down.

AN: Hey guys I am so, so, so, so, sorry about the late update but I have been really sick the past week and my Mum wouldn't let me anywhere near the computer. As I only got to finish this chapter today it means I still have to write the rest of the story so if the next chapter isn't up tomorrow it will defiantly be up the next day.

The link for the outfits in this story will be up soon.