The redhead stood before the large and antiquated home with her hands on her hips, letting out a low whistle. Her long red hair was pulled back in a loose braid that hung down her back and she had opted to dress simply. The white blouse she wore was covered by a brown vest and tucked into faded brown breeches. Her black boots slapped against the pavement with each step that she took, kicking up water in the puddles beneath her feet. A man clad in black stood beside her, gazing at the home in equal amounts of wonder and terror, brown eyes wide in awe at the enormity of it. He could never imagine living in such a large home, especially in such a dreary country.

The two made their way quickly to the home, searching for an unlocked door or window. As they approached, Eden could hear familiar voices inside and felt herself begin to panic. Whilst Evy could be heard, along with Alex, the redhead could hear Lock-Nah as well, threatening Evy to hand something over. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the couple to find that a side door was unlocked, the two hurriedly rushing inside to her family's aide.

Eden and Ardeth appeared just as the man in crimson robes threatened Evy and Alex. "Now, I will kill you both and take it anyway," Lock-Nah said, taking an uncomfortable step toward the brunette.

"I think not," Ardeth spoke, appearing from behind Evy. The sound of his voice caused the other men to look up in surprise, each of them drawing their swords and raising them.

Evy turned in surprise, sparing them only a glance lest these men attack while she had her back turned. "Ardeth, Eden," she greeted, relief filling her. She watched as her sister stepped closer to Alex, placing herself in front of her nephew protectively whilst keeping her hands on her waist. "What are you two doing here?" she questioned as Ardeth sidled up next to her.

Ardeth tilted his head just the slightest, glancing back at his wife for a moment before turning to look at Evy once again. "Perhaps explanations are best saved for later," he replied, his eyes locking onto the other men.

Lock-Nah seemed confused for only a moment before a self satisfied smirk crossed his handsome face. His dark eyes gleamed almost in joy and self satisfaction at the chance to face Ardeth. "Ardeth Bay," the large dark skinned man greeted, his tone almost condescending.

Ardeth nodded back, steeling himself for the battle ahead. "Lock-Nah," he greeted cooly.

There was a tense moment of silence before it was broken by Lock-Nah's command. He shrugged back his shoulders, his crimson cloak falling to the floor behind him carelessly. Eden quickly grabbed the collar of her nephew's shirt, dragging him behind her and shoving him into a corner between the wall and bookshelf. She ignored his complaints before leaning down to be at eye level with him. "Stay. Put." she commanded, Alex nodding with wide eyes.

His aunt could be terrifying.

Ardeth drew his scimitar from around his hips, blocking a quick and fast oncoming attack from two of the men. Evy did the same, fighting on the defensive whilst Eden unsheathed her own sword before flying onto the fray. The redhead whirled around, her braid flying behind her as she raised her weapon to strike an oncoming attacker, slashing his throat open in one swing before he could attack her husband. Ardeth nodded at his wife with a tiny grin, glad to see her skills hadn't gotten rusty in the last ten years. Meanwhile, Evy easily defended herself, blocking an incoming attack before grabbing the man around his shoulders and spinning around him. His blade made contact with the book shelf, lodging itself into the wood, stuck, and therefore useless.

Alex was absolutely amazed by his mother's skills, proclaiming loudly, "Whoa, mom! Where did you learn to do that?!"

Evy then confused the men, moving too fast for them to keep before twisting them around and knocking them over. "I have no idea," he huffed out in exertion as they fell to the floor. However, another man quickly appeared, grabbing Evy by the throat and shoving her against a wall whilst restricting her airflow. The brunette kneed the man in the groin before aiming for his stomach next. "I learned that from your aunt!" She then reared back, throwing a right hook and landing it against the man's jaw, causing him to sink to the floor in anguish. "That I learned from your father!"

Eden was busy fending off another man, stopping him from getting too close, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying straight into her awaiting husband. Ardeth ran his blade through the man quickly, before looking at his wife once again. She could see his eyes widen and he reached forward, grabbing her by the front of her blouse, startling her. Wrapping his free arm around the other man's, he pulled up making the man cry out as his arm snapped like a rotisserie chicken leg. Eden played off of his cues, whirling around and slicing through another man that was coming at her back, Ardeth releasing his grip on her and allowing her to twirl.

Lock-Nah stood off to the side watching the fight, seemingly uninterested in what he saw. He looked bored, irritatingly so, as he told Ardeth, "Not bad for a Medjai."

Eden glared at the man before her heated gaze turned toward Alex, hearing him struggle. Ardeth nodded at her and the redhead wasted no time, running to her nephew's aide. She watched as a man grabbed the chest he was holding from him before using it as leverage to toss the boy onto the floor. Baring her teeth with an almost animalistic growl, Eden ran her blade through the man's back, effectively causing him to drop the chest. She then reached down, quickly grabbing Alex by the scruff of his shirt and standing him upright once more. She then shoved him back in the corner after checking him over and making sure he was unharmed.

"What's in the damn chest?" Eden asked Evy, fending off another attacker. By now, Lock-Nah had joined the fight, his blade clashing against her husband's. Every instinct Eden had was screaming for her to go to beloved's aide, but she knew that this was his fight alone.

Evy, meanwhile, was blocking the blade of another red clad warrior. "The bracelet of Anubis," she replied, grunting.

Eden heaved a heavy sigh, throwing Alex out of the way of another crimson swordsman and blocking his blade. "Honestly, Evy!" the redhead exclaimed, running the man through before turning to face her sister. She bore a grin on her face, full of equal parts fondness and exasperation for the brunette. "You just can't help yourself, can ya?"

Evy only grinned back before striking down her opponent and moving on to the next. Eden had taken to watching her husband's fight against Lock-Nah. She bared her teeth, growling under her breath as the dark skinned man punched Ardeth in the mouth. But her husband had always been a man to give as good as he gets. She watched with a wicked satisfaction as her husband, the epitome of a deadly shadow, reared back and punched Lock-Nah. However, it was short lived as the larger man delivered a harsh kick to Ardeth's chest, knocking him back a few feet and causing her husband to lose ground.

"They must not get the chest!" Ardeth exclaimed, blocking another blow from the deadly blade his opponent wielded. "Take it and get out of here!"

At that moment, Eden could see Alex fighting valiantly to push over the bookcase, a crimson clad man reaching up and grabbing the blade that had been stuck in the wooden shelving. Eden grinned at her nephew, moving to stand behind him and help him to topple the structure over onto the man. Books and knick knacks alike fell to the floor, along with the now unconscious offender.

"Well done, Alex," Eden praised her nephew, ruffling his hair.

The young man grinned up at his aunt, preening. However, it was short lived. Two more men came barreling into the room, pushing past Alex. Eden raised her blade, but was not fast enough. A fist connected with her jaw, knocking her to the ground and causing her vision to swim. The force of the blow had made her feel as though her teeth had cracked, her jaw throbbing. Her ear was ringing from the force of it, and she shook her head to clear her vision. But she was too late. Another man had already knocked out Evy, throwing her over his shoulder whilst the one that had hit Eden grabbed the chest.

Ardeth had yelled Eden's name, his moment of distraction had cost him though. Lock-Nah had taken the opening, slashing Ardeth at his shoulder before knocking him back with another across his chest. As the black clad man grabbed at his open wound to stem the bleeding, he watched as Lock-Nah followed after his men. However, the large man still had one more trick up his sleeve, turning quickly and flinging a deadly blade at Ardeth. The Medjai, thankfully, managed to dodge the blade by an inch, watching as Lock-Nah draped his cloak over his shoulders once again before stalking out the home.

Alex was sitting next to Eden, looking at his aunt in concern as she blinked away the dizziness. Ardeth quickly stood, rushing to her side and cradling her face in his calloused hands. Alex watched his aunt and uncle for a moment, noticing them and seeing that the love between the two of them was just as strong as the love between his own parents. Watching his aunt and his father all these short years, Alex had learned that the O'Connell siblings loved deeply and fiercely. That love was only matched by their respective spouses, and the young man found himself hoping that he would find a similar love one day.

"Are you alright, habibti?" Ardeth asked in concern, looking over Eden. He turned her head this way and that before noticing the red outline of a fist on her jaw. The red was already starting to bleed into a harsh purple with shades of blue closer to the impact point. He winced as he saw it, prodding it gently to be sure that her jaw had not been broken. When he felt her jerk away from him, he apologized softly.

Eden waved him off with a quick reassurance of, "I'm fine, honey," before she turned her attention to Alex. Looking at him, she had to suck in a breath. Each and every time she had seen her nephew, he looked more and more like his father. It was as though the redhead was being thrown back in time twenty years and looking at her big brother through a mother's eyes now. "Are you alright, Alex?" the aunt asked in concern, looking over the young man for any injuries.

"I'm alright, aunt Eddie," he promised. "But mum," he cut off, voice thick. Eden said nothing, reaching over and pulling the boy into her arms and embracing him tightly. He let her, seeking comfort from his aunt and melting into the warmth she offered him. However, their moment was soon ruined.

The sound of gunshots echoing throughout the front courtyard was almost deafening in the silence. The redhead snapped her head up, pulling Alex closer in a protective manner. She looked to her husband, the ebony haired man nodding as he crept to the window. He pulled back the curtain, watching. He kept his eyes peeled, daring any intruder to return here and harm his family. However, the gunshots, he could see, were slowly receding before halting abruptly. The sound of tires squealing was loud in the night, but alerted the Medjai that they were safe.

Stepping away from the window, Ardeth made his way back over to his wife and nephew. He reached a hand out, helping the redhead to her feet before she grabbed Alex's hand, repeating the gesture. Her seafoam eyes then landed on her husband, noticing the way he favored his right shoulder. She quickly shot a hand out, frowning when he winced as her fingers came back from the wound covered in crimson.

"You need this looked at," Eden said, motioning for Alex to lead the way and find his father.

Ardeth waved her off, the two following the young boy. "Later," he promised. "For now, we need to get Evelyn back and stop them."

The redhead rolled her eyes at her husband's stubbornness, but did not disagree with him. Pacing herself into a quick jog, she and Ardeth followed after Alkex's quickened pace, watching as he ran through the front door of the large home, before making his way outside. The sound of squealing tires could still be heard, but Alex was less concerned with that and more concerned with yelling for Rick. His shouts caught said man's attention, and he turned away from Jonathon to scoop the young man into his arms. Ardeth had reached them, placing a hand on Jon's shoulder and greeting the man.

Eden took note of Jonathan's wet suit and tie combo, raising a brow in curiosity and grinning at her dear friend. "Trying a new look, Jon?" the redhead asked with a cheeky grin.

Despite the current situation, the gambling Englishman was glad to see Eden Bay. It had been almost three years now since they had been to the village, and the last time they were there she was heavily pregnant before bringing a new born baby girl into the world. Jonathan is not the slightest bit ashamed in the fact that he wept tears of joy when he held the little girl, proclaiming himself her favorite uncle for all to hear, including Rick. So, with a grin, Jon opened his arms for the woman and, despite his soaking wet clothing, she embraced him tightly in a warm hug.

"I could ask you the same, with that fresh shade of purple on your face," he said in greeting, pointing out her cheek in concern as he pulled away. She simply waved it off with a grin. "It's good to see you again," the man spoke, still grinning at her. "All things considered."

Eden smiled back at her friend and brother in all but blood. "It's good to see you, too," she replied. However, the pleasantries were cut short as Eden took note of her brother and husband. She stepped forward, grabbing Rick's shoulder as he grabbed Ardeth by the lapel and pressed his back against the short, squat stone pillar. She could clearly see Ardeth wince in pain, the man not fighting his brother's hold as he allowed himself to be shoved into the stone and questioned rudely.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Rick asked through clenched teeth, irate. He shrugged the hand off of his shoulder, ignoring the person behind him. He let go of the Medjai, proclaiming, "Scratch that, I don't care!" Rick then gestured in the direction that the two vehicles had just sped off in before asking, "Who the hell are those guys and where are they taking my wife?!"

"We don't know," another voice piped up, causing O'Connell to turn on his heel at the familiarity of it. Seafoam eyes greeted one another cooly, Eden regarding her brother with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown marring her fair face. "That's why we're here, Rick."

Rick regarded his sister for a moment. He took in her appearance, frowning at the angry purple that blossomed across her cheek and jaw, but knowing his sister, she had put up one hell of a fight. He said nothing for a moment before reaching forward and yanking her to him. The redhead let out a startled noise at being manhandled so roughly, but willingly went to him and embraced him just as tightly as he embraced her. It had been three years since he had seen his little sister, having gotten to be there when she had given birth to his beautiful niece. The man had openly shed tears that day, proclaiming that she looked just like her mother while cradling her close to his chest.

Eden melted into her brother's embrace, allowing herself this brief moment with him. She loved her husband and her family in the desert, it was her home and where she belonged. But, there were times that she would wake from a dead sleep, almost screaming for her brother to come and save her from a monster that existed only in her mind. For so long, it had been just the two of them, and now, in the last decade, their family had grown. Both together, and individually. They were both married with children, living in separate parts of the world on separate continents. But in this moment, as the two embraced, they could both feel that their bond had not faded with time and distance. If anything, it had only grown stronger.

Rick was the first to pull away, holding Eden at arm's length and looking her over. She looked as if she hadn't aged a day in the last three years. "You look good, sis," he said with a cheeky grin.

Eden smiled at him, pushing at his shoulder. "And you look old," she laughed out.

Rick rolled his eyes at her, giving her a fond smile and finding comfort in knowing that she hadn't changed. He then turned back to Ardeth, looking at his brother-in-law before asking, "What do you know?"

"This man," the Medjai spoke, holding up a crumpled photograph. The old man from the dig site, working alongside the strange woman and Lock-Nah. He wore a turban in the photo, swathed in robes with a knife tucked into a sash around his waist. "Wherever he is, your wife will surely be."

Alex reached up, snatching the photo from Ardeth and looking it over. The four adults watched him for a moment, recognition lighting up in his eyes. Eyes so like his father's and aunt's. "Hey, I know him!" Alex exclaimed. He then looked back to Ardeth, explaining, "He's the curator. He works at the British Museum."

Ardeth seemed excited, knowing they now had some kind of lead on this man, one they didn't have before. He looked to his wife before looking back at Alex and asking for confirmation. "Are you sure?"

Rick clapped Alex on the shoulder, telling Ardeth, "Better believe him. He spends more time there than he does at home." He then pushed Alex to get moving, the other three following as they made their way around the side of the large home. "Okay, you're here," O'Connell started, the five of them moving quickly. "The bad guys are here, and Evy's been kidnapped. So, lemme guess…"

"Yes," Ardeth confirmed before the words could even leave Rick's mouth. "They once again removed the creature from his grave."

"I don't mean to point fingers," Jonathan started, looking between the Medjai and the redhead. "But isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen?" He pointed the golden stick in his hand accusatorily at the ebony haired man.

Eden pushed Jon's shoulder, frowning at him. "Shaddup," she spit at him. "This time was different. It wasn't an accident like last time, Jon," she told him. "There's a woman with him, someone who knows things she shouldn't."

Jon frowned at the redhead, but kept his mouth shut. There was something in her eyes, a darkness that he hadn't seen a moment ago. They seemed haunted almost, as if she had seen the horrors of the past and had lived to tell the tale. Whatever was happening this time around, was very different. It was affecting Eden in a way that nothing ever had before, even when Imhotep had inadvertently told her of her past life. So, with a nod, the man let the matter rest, looking back at Ardeth as he continued to explain.

"Things that no living person could possibly know," Ardeth clarified. "She knew exactly where the creature was buried!" he exclaimed, gesturing with his hands in a pointing motion as if to drive his point home. "We were hoping she would lead us to the bracelet," he said, inkling his head in Eden's direction. Worry shone in his dark eyes as he regarded for a moment, taking in the shadows that darkened her bright eyed gaze. However, now was not the time to address it. And as his wife's eyes locked onto his own, Ardeth could hear the message in them loud and clear. 'Later', they seemed to say.

Eden looked away from her husband, snorting at him inelegantly and catching the other's attention. "She obviously did that, honey," the redhead grinned. However, her face soon grew somber, furious. Her eyes clouded over in a rage, red rimming the outside of her irises before she blinked it away, turning her head to face forward once again. "They have it now, though," she gritted out, clenching her hands into white knuckled fists.

Alex pursed his lips, thinking over his next words wisely. Even at nine years old, the young man could clearly see that there was something bothering his aunt. The last few times he had seen her, he noticed how her eyes had slowly seemed to lose their glimmer, their spark. But he had to shake those thoughts away for now. He needed to help save his mother. So, looking at the adults and gauging their reactions, he spoke up. "I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." He then reached down, tugging up the left sleeve of his blazer, causing the adults to look down at his wrist in awe. His father and aunt, however, rolled their eyes, because, of course, Evelyn's son just couldn't fucking help himself! He placed his wrist in Ardeth's hands, allowing the Medjai a closer look. The bracelet was a gaudy thing, ostentatious and gold. It was in the shape of a scorpion with the head resembling that of the Egyptian deity Anubis. The jackal headed god of funerary rites and guide to the underworld. The rest of them ignored Jon's question of "Is that gold?", listening instead as Alex explained, "When I stuck it on, I saw the pyramids at Giza. And then, whoosh! Straight across the desert to Karnak!"

Ardeth was, not impressed, to say the least. He looked at the young man, fearfully telling him, "By putting this on, you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse!"

The O'Connell siblings both rolled their eyes at the Medjai as Alex let out a startled gasp at this information with wide eyes. Rick pointed at the man in black, telling him, "You, lighten up." He then pointed at Alex, "You! Big trouble!" To Jon he pointed, "You, get in the car." And to Eden, he pointed, "You, we need to talk." He then opened the back door of the car, Jon, Alex, and Eddie climbing into the back seat whilst Ardeth sat in the front passenger seat.


*gasp* What's this?! I posted the first chappy of my new Mummy fic?! Listen, I've been thinking about this story, like, non-stop and have been typing away in any little bit of free time I've had. All I ask is that ya'll are patient with me. Anyway, if ya'll celebrate, I hope ya had a great Thanksgiving! Drop a comment/review and show me some love! It sustains me! Much love and stay safe out there!