Author's Note: Well here's the sequel. I hope you all like it. I was very happy to get back to Ava. She's one of my favorite of my original characters. Please enjoy and please review.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Mummy Returns. All rights belong to the writers and creators of the film.

Ava held back a sigh of relief as her date pulled into the driveway leading up to her brother's mansion. She always referred to it as her brother's place despite the fact that she lived there too. Evie and Rick had actually sectioned off a part of the home strictly for her when they bought the mansion, and she still resided there now. But the mansion never really felt like her home. When she thought of places that belonged to her she pictured the sand filled flat she'd rented in Cairo and the falling down house in Chicago. Those places were homes to her. She felt about the mansion the same way she'd felt about the orphanages she'd grown up in; a temporary residence until she found the place she really belonged.

Even after ten years living in the mansion she still felt her life was in a constant state of transition. She had thought reuniting with her brother and settling down would bring her peace and stability, but if anything she felt more on edge, and less and less content as time went on. Partying around with Jonathan was fun, but it couldn't go on forever. Gambling and flirting around at the pubs with men was tolerated when you were in your twenties, but now that she was in her thirties that behavior was deemed unacceptable. Maybe that was why she'd agreed to go out with her date tonight.

Frank Dillard was a sweet, and earnest man she'd met at a party three years ago, and he'd been after her skirt since the moment they met. He was a blonde haired, blue eyed dream, and a rather successful business man. A catch in the books of most woman, but Ava only saw who he wasn't. In fact, she had a tendency to notice the same thing about all of her dates in the past ten years. They weren't the desert man with the beautiful dark eyes and raven hair she'd fallen for in Egypt. Ten years later, and he was still all she could think about.

"Well, we're here," Frank's voice pulled Ava out of her thoughts and she blinked in surprise to realize they'd pulled up to the front of the house already.

She turned and smiled at Frank. "I had a lovely time tonight," she told him. "Thank you for the dinner."

She went to let herself out of the car, but Frank stopped her. "Well, hold on a minute. I'll walk you to the door," he said and started to get out of the car, but Ava grabbed his arm and yanked him back into his seat.

"That won't be necessary," she assured him. "I'm going in through the side door, and I don't want your nice shoes to get dirty."

"Well, if you're sure then," Frank replied looking a little disappointed. Ava smiled and nodded before swinging her door open. She was about to close it when Frank stopped her again. "There's a Shakespeare play at the theater next weekend and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."

Ava felt a guilt flush through her as she opened her mouth to reject him. "Frank, I…"

"You don't want a second date," he finished for her.

"I'm sorry," Ava said. "You're a very nice man. Any woman would be lucky to have you. I just…it's just…well, you're not the man for me."

"There's someone else then?" Frank inquired.

"No, there's…"Ava paused and looked into Frank's earnest gaze. She owed him the truth. "Yes. There's someone else."

Frank smiled ruefully. "Well, whoever he is he's a lucky man," he told her. She smiled kindly at him before closing the door and then watched him drive away. She sighed and walked around the side of the house, and entered through a side door. She didn't even take the time to remove her shoes in the mud porch before heading straight for the kitchen, unpinning her curls and letting them fall down her back before pulling a glass out of the cabinet. Rick and Evie were still gone on their trip with their son and Jonathan was god only knows where so she didn't feel guilty about her plans to get rip roaring drunk tonight. She'd been having a lot of those nights recently, much to her brother's disapproval. She might as well enjoy the night since there'd be no one here to judge her.

She placed the tumbler on the counter and turned for the icebox to get some ice when her eyes landed on black boots poking out from around the doorway of the mud porch. She froze where she stood. Had she been so distracted she hadn't noticed someone hiding out there when she'd come in, or did whoever it was just sneak in now? Slowly and quietly she slid open a kitchen drawer and pulled out the butcher knife before creeping slowly to the door. Then with lightning fast speed she whirled around the flame with the knife outstretched in her hand meaning to pin the intruder to the wall. Her plan was foiled, however, when the intruder skillfully grabbed her wrist and pinned it to her side while the other hand pushed her backwards until she was the one pinned against the opposite wall. She struggled to free herself for a moment until the intruder stepped closer to her body and consequently in the moonlight where she could see him clearly. Ava found herself staring into the same dark eyes that have been haunting her dreams.

"Ardeth," she whispered shocked.

Ardeth smiled at her and released his grip on her. "Hello Ava," he greeted her.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked a bright smile spreading across her face.

Ardeth opened his mouth to reply but they were both distracted by the sound of shouting nearby. "Alex, get back there!" they heard Evie order.

"Evie?" Ava exclaimed. She hadn't thought anyone had been home. She turned back to Ardeth. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything later," Ardeth told her before storming into the kitchen and heading for the noise.

"I don't like the sound of that," Ava muttered before hurrying after him, still gripping on to the butcher knife. From the room with all the commotion going on she heard some man threaten to kill Evie.

"I think not," Ardeth said firmly sweeping into the room and up next to Evie. Instantly all their foes unsheathed their swords.

"Ardeth," Evie said confused, and then her eyes landed on Ava. "What are you doing here? And Ava, why are you all dressed up?"

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later," Ardeth replied.

"What he said," Ava agreed although she, too, wanted to know what was going on and who these men were.

"Ardeth Bay," a large, black man said. He was clearly the group's leader.

"Lock-Nah," Ardeth acknowledged the man.

"You two know each other?" Ava questioned even more confused. Then she sighed before raising her knife up. "Oh what the hell does it matter? I suppose we're going to fight them anyway."

The leader smirked at her before ordering his men to attack. Ardeth swiftly unsheathed his sword and attacked the men who rushed at him, while Evie ran back towards Alex. Ava started to rush after her when one of the men swung his blade at her. She raised her knife to block the blow and slid the blade up to the hilt of the sword before popping the man's sword into the air and catching it herself. The man stared at her in shock before dropping to the ground after she delivered a hard kick to the man's nether region. Ava quickly hopped into the fray surrounding Ardeth and skillfully knocked two more foes out of play. Ardeth was easily thinning out their foes as well.

"Not bad," the man called Lock-Nah complemented. "For some little westerner and a Medjai."

"Okay, now, you listen to…ahh!" Ava cried as an enemy she'd thought she'd knocked out attacked her. His sword had bit into her side, although she'd been able to move quickly enough that he hadn't been able to stab into her. Still, she now had a sizeable gash in her waist that was bleeding quite a lot.

"Ava!" Ardeth yelled in concern and started to head to her aid, but the enemy group's leader decided to join the fray and descended on Ardeth, keeping him from helping her. Ava grit her teeth together and ignored the pain from the wound as she raised her sword and met her opponent blow for blow until she gained the advantage and backed him into a wall. She quickly raised her sword and hit the man hard on the back of his head with its hilt. Wincing in pain she turned around in time to see one of the enemy knock out Evie and begin to carry her away.

"Evie!" she cried and tried to run after her, but the movement caused her wound great pain and she landed hard on her knees. She watched in dismay as the men that weren't unconscious began to file away, taking Evie with them. Lock-Nah and Ardeth were still fighting but the former quickly got the advantage and bit his sword in Ardeth's shoulder before following his men out. Ava flinched as the man threw a large dagger at Ardeth, but was relieved when the Medjai managed to dodge it. Ignoring the pain in her side she managed to climb back to her feet and stumbled to Ardeth.

Ardeth's sharp eyes immediately landed on her wound, the blood having soaked through her white dress in startling contrast. "You're hurt," he said upset.

"It's just a scratch," Ava replied helping him to his feet.

"It's nearly a stab wound!" Ardeth cried. "You need to have it taken care of."

"Well, we don't have the time for that now," she replied. "We have to get Evie back." She turned to her nephew, Alex, who looked a little teary. She placed her hands comfortingly on his shoulders. "We're going to get her back, Alex. But I we need to know details first. What exactly did you say was in the chest again?"

"The Bracelet of Anubis," Alex answered.

Ava sighed. "Well, that doesn't sound like anything good," she said. Ardeth shook his head confirming her concerns. She closed her eyes for patience before turning her attention back to her nephew. "Where's your father?"

"Dad's upstairs," Alex answered. "Do you think they got him, too?"

"I sincerely doubt it, although there must have been more enemies upstairs since he didn't come down to help. Let's go look for him," Ava said limping towards the stairs.

"Aunt Ava?" Alex questioned and she turned around to look at him. Alex was staring over at Ardeth. "Who is this man?"

"He's a…well, he's my…he's a friend," Ava stuttered over her answer.

Alex gave her a knowing smile. "Just a friend?" he asked.

Ava blushed before scowling at her nephew. "Yes! Now we don't have time for this nonsense you cheeky brat! Let's go!" she ordered leading the three up the stairs. She sincerely hoped Ardeth couldn't see the blush that still stained her cheeks.