Author's note: Hey I'm back. I'm so sorry for the long wait for an update. I know I replied to a few reviews that I would be updating much sooner than I am but then there would always be something that needed to get done and I had no time. I will try to update more often. During that time however, a friend of mine who read the story said I should give a description of what Ava looked like. So if anyone is interested, Ava looks much like her brother, Rick. She has the same brown hair, although hers is much longer and very curly. She also has a bit of blonde in it but that's only noticeable if you look closely. She has blue eyes like her brother but hers are much larger and have specks of green in them. She is much paler than her brother and is also very short and somewhat frail looking. Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews they are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Mummy.

Disaster on the River

Ava woke up the next morning and tried to stretch the aches out of her body; the result of sleeping on a lumpy mattress. She got up and slipped into the one dress she hadn't packed for the trip. She wore it on the job but it was pretty modest compared to the others. It was made from a light fabric that was navy blue. The neckline let a little show but it was by no means obscene. Ava loved this dress, it brought out the blue in her eyes. Carrying her carpet bag with her, Ava walked out to the front room to see her brother still fast asleep in the sofa. How he managed to sleep at all on that sofa was beyond her.

"Rick, wake up!" she ordered while taking her three books off the shelf and packing them into her bag. By going on this trip Ava would be giving up her home and she couldn't leave without her most valued possessions. Glancing back at the sofa she realized her brother was still asleep. "Rick, wake up!" He didn't stir and she sighed muttering, "Some things never change." She marched over to her brother and shook him but he only rolled over. Ava raised her eyebrows in annoyance and said, "You asked for it." She grabbed onto his ankle and gave a hard pull and flipped Rick onto the floor.

Rick groaned and struggled to a sitting position before stared up at her. "I forgot you could do that," he mumbled as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Hurry up," Ava ordered. "We're going to be late."

"Nah," Rick said pointing to his belongings he had placed in a corner the night before. "I'm already packed."

Ava looked over at the large luggage in the corner. "What exactly do you have in there?" she asked.

"You really wanna know?" Rick said with a teasing smile.

"Richard O'Connell," Ava warned.

He laughed. "God, do you sound just like mom," he chuckled and walked over to the luggage. "Here, have a look for yourself." And he unrolled his luggage to reveal a large collection of weapons.

Ava whistled. "You weren't kidding when you said dangerous, were you?" she said picking up a pistol and harnessing it to her right hip.

Rick smirked. "Nope," he replied. "You can still back out."

"No way," Ava cried. "I'm coming."

Rick frowned but didn't argue. "C'mon," he said. "It's a bit of a trip to Giza."

"I know where Giza is," she snapped and the pair grabbed their luggage and Ava left her life behind her. When they reached Giza port they saw that their new companions had already gotten there and were currently squabbling over something.

"Well, personally, I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel!" Evie ranted. "I don't like him one bit!"

"Anyone I know?" Rick asked as he and his sister reached them.

Evie started. "Oh…um…hello," she greeted them taking I Rick's improved appearance.

"Smashing way to start our adventure, eh, O'Connell?" Jonathan exclaimed giving Rick a pat on the back before shaking hands.

Ava smiled while Rick muttered, "Yeah…yeah, smashing" and checked his pocket for his wallet.

"Oh, no, no, I'll never steal from my partner…partner, "Jonathan said and Rick smiled.

"That reminds me; no hard feelings about the…" Rick inquired while mimicking punching Jonathan in the face.

"Oh, no, no, happens all the time," Jonathan replied.

Ava rolled her eyes. "For some reason that doesn't surprise me," she said and Jonathan winked at her.

"Mr. O'Connell," Evie said cutting in on the other's conversation. "Can you look me in the eye and guarantee this…isn't all some kind of a…flimflam? Because if it is, I am warning you, I will…"

"You're warning me?" Rick interrupted her. "Lady, let me put it this way…my whole damn garrison believed in this so much, that without orders, they marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. And when we got there, all we found was sand and blood." Evie stared at him stunned. He nodded to her and said, "Let me get your bags." With that, he boarded the ship.

"Well, this should be a fun trip," Ava muttered sarcastically before following her brother on board.

"Yes, yes, you're right. Filthy, rude, complete scoundrel. Nothing to like there at all," Jonathan said mockingly. Evie opened her mouth to reply but was caught off guard by the site of the prison warden.

"Bright good morning to all," the Warden said cheerfully.

"Oh, no. What are you doing here?" Evie groaned.

"I'm here to protect my investment, thank you very much," he replied walking up the ramp of the ship. Evie sighed as she and her brother ascended into the ship. Her morning couldn't have started worse.

Ava, on the other hand, had already reached the room she and Evie would be sharing while on their passage. She sighed as she put her luggage down. She was excited to be out of Cairo and back with her brother, but there was another part of her that was wary over this adventure. Her brother was a little paranoid about going back to Hamunaptra, and considering all the crazy stunts Rick and her had pulled in the past, that had Ava a little concerned. Rick had never shown fear of any adventure before, and this made Ava think that maybe this whole thing was a bad idea.

Also, she wasn't sure how she felt about Evelyn. She could understand why Evie didn't trust Rick, but she still felt the need to defend her brother, so when Evelyn entered the room Ava coldly ignored her. Evelyn must have caught on and began to apologize. "I know you heard what I said on the docks. I shouldn't have…" she started but Ava interrupted her.

"There's no need to apologize to me," she said abruptly turning to face Evie, and then sighed when she saw the repentant look on Evie's face. Ava felt her anger fade and sighed before continuing. "I understand why you don't trust him. Why should you? You met him in a prison for God's sake! But he's my brother. He's the only family I have left and no matter how many crazy stunts he's gotten me into he's always been there for me."

"I can tell that you two are very close," Evie said.

"We have to be," Ava said. "Our father abandoned us and our mother passed away less than a year later. She had always been frail and when she had to go to work to support me and Rick her body just couldn't handle the stress. She developed a fever and it killed her. It took a long time, too." Ava paused and looked away from Evie as she blinked back tears. She could still remember her mother. She had smelled like roses and had sung Ava awake every morning. She had taught her and her brother the names of the constellations and how to find them. She always let Ava steal an extra cookie out of the cookie jar and always wore a bright smile, even as she had wasted away.

"I had only just turned six when she died," she whispered. "Rick and I didn't have any other family so we got placed in a Chicago orphanage for three months. They wanted to separate us. I had a better chance of getting adopted and no one was going to take us both. Rick told me they were sending him to an orphanage in Hong Kong and I just shut down. I cried all the time and I wouldn't eat and couldn't sleep. I made it clear very quickly that I wouldn't be separated from my brother. So we both ended up in Hong Kong and we were there for a year before we got sent to an orphanage in Germany. We only stayed there for eight months before getting shipped to Ireland where we stayed for two years before we landed in an orphanage in Cairo. That's where we stayed until Rick turned eighteen about five years later. The lady who ran the orphanage didn't want him to take me but we always stuck together.

"Anyway, me, Rick, and our friend Izzy, who had gotten out of the orphanage at the same time, went on many crazy adventures looking for lost treasures until three years ago. We'd ended up in Paris, France and Rick fell for some Parisian girl and wanted to join the French Foreign Legion to impress her. We got into a huge fight. I didn't want him to join because I wouldn't be able to go with him and we had been together for so long I didn't know what I'd do without him. Rick tried to convince me I'd be happy in Paris and that he'd write all the time," Ava smiled bitterly at the memory. "I told him I hated him and he could go get himself killed for all I cared. The next day Rick signed up and got deployed to Libya a week later.

"I got a job in Paris and everything was okay for a while, but my wages were cut once winter hit and all my money was spent on rent and I was resorted to stealing food from the market. Well, one day I got caught and I barely managed to escape. I couldn't stay after that so I packed my belongings into my bag and made my way back to Cairo. I think you know what happened from there," she finished smiling darkly at Evelyn.

"I'm so sorry," Evie said gently. "Jonathan and I have lost our parents too."

Ava smiled sadly at her and felt like maybe the two could be friends after all. "I hope you can forgive my behavior before," she said. "It was very rude of me."

"Only if you can forgive mine," Evie replied and the two laughed. "I'm going to explore the ship, care to join me?"

Ava shook her head. "I was going to spend the day with my brother," she answered. "We never got a chance to talk yesterday." Night fell over the ship and Rick and Ava, who had spent the day catching up and reminiscing about old times, came across a group of Americans and Jonathan about to start a game of poker.

"Quit playing with your glasses and cut the deck, would you Burns?" a man with dark hair said impatiently.

"Without my glasses I can't see the deck to cut, can I, Daniels," Burns replied calmly.

Jonathan noticed them then and yelled, "O'Connell! Sit down, we could use another player."

Ava glanced at the empty chair longingly before Rick replied, "I only gamble with my life, never my money."

"Never?" Daniels asked Rick. "What if I was to be you $500 we get to Hamunaptra before you?"

"You're looking for Hamunaptra?" Rick asked surprised. Both he and Ava shared identified looks of concern.

"Damn straight we are!" a blonde man exclaimed.

"Hmmm. Who says we are?" Rick replied.

"He does," all of the Americans said pointing at Jonathan who suddenly looked uncomfortable.

Well, how 'bout it?" Jonathan asked.

"Is it a bet?" Daniels baited.

Ava and Rick shared another glance. "Alright, you're on," Rick said confidently.

"I already know what I'll spend my money on," Ava goaded.

"What makes you so confidant?" one man asked. Ava glanced over at him. She had heard him telling another passenger on the ship that he was an Egyptologist as she had boarded.

"What makes you?" Rick shot back.

"Oh… we've got us a man who's actually been there," the blonde man replied all the while staring at Ava who raised her eyebrows at him.

"Oh, what a coincidence, because…" Jonathan began before Rick clonked him in the head with his bag. Jonathan quickly changed the subject. "Whose play is it? Is it my play? I thought, I just um…"

"Gentlemen, we've got us a wager. Good evening Jonathan," Rick said giving Jonathan's shoulders a sharp squeeze.

"Night," Jonathan mumbled pathetically.

Rick started to walk away when he noticed that Ava hadn't followed. "You coming?" he asked.

Ava smiled but shook her head. "I think I'll stay here," she said sitting down next to Jonathan. "It's been too long since the last time I had a good game of poker." Rick rolled his eyes but left her to her own devices.

The blonde American raised his eyebrows at her. "You're different from most girls," he said.

Ava gave him a sly smile. "I don't know what you mean Mr.…" she inquired.

"Henderson," he replied.

"Mr. Henderson, then," she said.

"I suppose I mean that most gals don't know how to play poker or gamble for that matter either," he responded as he dealt her in.

Ava felt a spark of anger rush through her. Why do men always think they were the superior creatures? "Most girls don't know how to shoot a gun either, but I can do that too," she replied icily patting the gun on her right hip.

The Americans all looked taken aback but Jonathan laughed. "The girl's got spunk," he said. "Guess she just put us in our place."

Ava sent him a grateful smile before they continued playing their game. "Where are you from?" Burns asked Ava. "I can tell you're American."

"Chicago, Illinois," Ava answered smiling at him. He was polite, unlike his friends, and Ava instantly liked him. "I know you're from the South, but which state?"

"We're all from Texas, ma'am," Burns replied with a smile of his own.

"Should have known," she said. "Cowboy over hear isn't exactly subtle." She tipped her head in Henderson's direction and Burns laughed.

Henderson smiled at her. "You're a saucy, young thing," he teased. "I take it you're still single?"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," she shot back. "I'm too much for just any man to handle." The three men guffawed, and Jonathan shook his head.

"You're damn good at poker," Daniels said putting down his cards. "I'm out." The other men followed suit.

Ava was about to collect her money when she heard something bang against the side of the boat. "Did you hear that?" she asked the group.

"I heard it," Burns said. "I smell smoke too."

Confused Ava, Jonathan, the Egyptoolgist, and the three Americans looked over the side of tge boat just to see multiple men dressed in black robes climbing up the sides. "Who the hell are they?" Henderson asked getting out his gun.

Ava shook her head. They'd be out of ammunition if they shot at the invaders now. "I don't know who they are, but they can't be friendly," she replied walking back to the table they'd been playing at. She flipped it over sending the cards flying.

"What do you think you're doing?" Daniels demanded.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making a barricade," Ava shot back tipping another table over. "Shoot 'em when they come on board."

"Brillaint idea," Burns exclaimed and immediately the three Americans went to help her. Ava saw Jonathan standing there panicking.

"Jonathan, go find Rick and Evie," she ordered. "Let them know what's going on."

"Yes, good idea," Jonathan agreed and hightailed it out of there. Ava got back to work until there wasn't anything more to stack. They finished just in time. The first invader boarded the ship, and Ava shot him back off.

"You do know how to shoot," Henderson complemented her. She didn't get a chance to say anything back though. The invaders were pouring onto the ship quickly, and Ava and her comrades kept a steady flow of gunshots going, ducking whenever the men in black shot back. Chaos ensued throughout the ship and other passengers were running over the deck and jumping overboard. She saw Rick and Evie immerge on deck. Rick through the English woman overboard and gestured for Ava to come, but she shook her head. She was busy helping the Americans. Rick nodded his head and jumped over the side of the ship, with the Warden following after.

Ava was about to shoot at another invader when she noticed one of the men in black was on fire and about to attack Jonathan. She directed her aim at him, and shot him down. Jonathan looked over at her. "I say, bloody good show chaps, and did I panic? I think not," he said before stumbling and falling over the side.

Ava rolled her eyes before ducking out from behind the barricade. "Good luck to you men, but this is where I get off," she said and ran over to the other side of the boat and dived overboard. She plunged into the water and swam for shore. "Glad to see you made it," Rick said sounding relieved as she stumbled over to him.

"We've lost everything!" Evie cried reaching shore. "All of our tools, the equipment…all my clothes!"

Ava gasped as she realized her own possessions were atill on board and ran back into the water as if to reboard the ship, but Rick cut her by the arm and spun her around. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked gripping onto her shoulders so she couldn't get away from him.

"My books!" Ava replied frantically. "I have to get the books!"

Rick shook his head. "They're gone, Ava," he said.

Ava began to cry. "But they're mom's," she choked. "They're all I have left of her."

"I know," Rick murmured soothingly as he pulled her into a hug. "I know, but trust me, Mom wouldn't want you to risk your life for them." Ava nodded and stepped back to wipe away her tears and then jumped in surprise when she heard someone shouting from across the river.

"O'Connell!" a weasely looking man shouted. "Hey! O'Connell! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!" Ava immediately felt a strong dislike for the man.

Rick too, did not look amused but called back, "Hey Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the ri-ver!" Ava watched in amusement as the man looked around to get his bearings and then kicked furiously at the river.

"You know him?" Ava asked her brother,

"He was a member of the French Foreign Legions," Rick replied. "He abandoned me when my troop was attacked by desert men." Ava's feelings of dislike grew immediately towards hatred.

"Well, he better not cross my path if he values his life," Ava spat out.

Rick smiled at her. "I wouldn't worry too much about that," he said. "If there's one thing on earth Beni values it's his own precious skin and hide."