A Different Path

Patrick always missed his son while he was off visiting with his mother. Though, if he were honest with himself, he missed Emily even more than he did Ben. At least his son lived with him, but he hadn't seen his ex-wife for several months, when she'd come to his father's funeral. That was part of the reason he missed Ben even more. Before John Adams Gates had died, he and Patrick had taken advantage of Ben's visits to try to reconcile, especially as John's health had grown progressively worse. With John dead now, Patrick was usually alone while his own son was gone.

At that moment, his thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the front door opening and closing, announcing the return of his son. "I'm home, Dad!"

"In here, Son!" Patrick called back, standing up from his seat before the fire.

"Hi, Dad!" Ben grinned as he trotted into the room and walked over to hug his father tightly.

Patrick returned the hug gladly and had his son sit down on the sofa with him. "How did your visit go? Did you have fun with Mom?"

"It went fine," his son bit his lip as he shrugged a little, looking uncomfortable.

Like any good parent, Patrick pounced on that sign of unease. "Is something going on?"

"I don't know," Ben answered slowly, blue-gray eyes looking doubtful. "I don't think Mom's been feeling well lately."

Those simple words set off alarm bells in Patrick's mind. He'd heard something similar to this from Emily's parents. Hiding his immediate worry, Patrick casually asked, "What do you mean, exactly? Has she been tired lately?"

"Well, there's that, and she's been throwing up in the mornings," Ben commented, looking thoughtful.

"How long has this been going on, do you know?" Patrick's voice was a little sharp, but he was starting to worry about Emily.

His son looked a little stung by the sharpness of his father's voice, but answered anyway, "Since my last visit at least."

"Has she been to see a doctor about this?" he asked, frowning with thought as he glanced at the clock. By the time Ben was in bed, Emily should be home.

Ben shook his head. "I don't know, but I think she was planning on going to see one soon."

"Good." Patrick made shooing motions. "It's getting late. You should go to bed."

Nodding, Ben picked up his backpack and left the room to head upstairs, whistling 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'. While Ben prepared for bed, Patrick went into his study and sat down at his desk. In pride of place was a framed print of the directions to the first treasure Patrick and Emily had found together. She'd given it to him during their first Christmas as a reminder of how they'd met. Not that he would have ever forgotten it anyway. Emily was not the sort of person to be forgotten easily.

"Dad?" Distracted from his thoughts, Patrick looked up to find Ben standing in the doorway, looking uncertain.

Smiling reassuringly, Patrick gestured for Ben to come over, something the boy did gladly, slipping his arms around his father's neck gladly. "Don't worry, Ben. I'm sure your mom is fine. She's too stubborn to stay sick for long."

"I hope you're right." After a couple more moments, Ben tightened his arms briefly, and then left for bed.

Once he'd heard his son's bedroom door close behind him, Patrick picked up his phone and dialed one number in particular. His heart beat quickly in his chest as he waited for the other end to be picked up. "Hello?"

"Emily, don't hang up." The last thing he needed was for her to slam the phone down in his ear.

After a moment of silence, Emily responded, sounding annoyed. "Patrick, I thought we agreed not to contact each other anymore?"

"I know, I know." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep the worry out of his voice and doubting his success. "It's just that Ben told me you've been throwing up for a while now."

A longer pause followed and Patrick began to wonder if Emily had hung on up on him. Finally, sounding testy, she asked, "So? Why would that bother you?"

"Aside from the fact that I don't like the thought of you being sick?" Patrick retorted without thinking, only to immediately close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose, angry with himself. That was real smart, Gates! "Look, I was hoping we could meet later this week while Ben's in school."

Emily sounded even more irritable now. "Patrick, there's a reason I suggested we not--"

"I know that," he interrupted, his temper beginning to fray. Why did she have to be so damn difficult and stubborn?! "I just want to talk."

"Right, and we know where talking gets us." Now she sounded skeptical.

He let out a gusty sigh. "Emily, please?"

"Fine." She sounded very put upon. "Meet me at Rosie's Diner after you drop Ben off at school Wednesday morning."

Patrick smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"Good-bye." The phone clicked in his ear.

Setting the handset in the cradle, Patrick reached over to trace the words in the frame. Maybe...

***

Emily sat in a corner booth at Rosie's Diner Wednesday morning, stirring her tea as she waited for Patrick to arrive for their meeting. As annoyed as she was that he'd broken their agreement, part of her was flattered that he'd been concerned enough about her health to want news about it from her directly. The bell over the door jingled and she looked up to see Patrick standing there, looking as handsome as ever. Though her heartbeat sped up as he walked over to her table, she remained outwardly calm. He slid into the seat opposite her, offering a faint smile. "Hello, Emily."

"Hello, Patrick." She kept her voice cool and aloof, trying to hide the effect that he still had on her.

He waited until after the waitress had brought him a cup of coffee before asking the question so obviously on his mind. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," she admitted, her hands folded together in her lap as she fidgeted with the ring on her left index finger, turning it around and around. "I saw a doctor earlier this week."

He raised his eyebrows, curiosity appearing in his eyes as he sipped his coffee. "And? What did he say?"

"I'm not sick," she told him in a quiet voice, meeting his eyes steadily. "I'm pregnant."

Patrick set the coffee cup down with an audible 'thunk', staring at her. She could tell that he was stunned by the news and hope shone briefly in his eyes. It was soon replaced by skepticism. "Are you sure about this? There have been times before when we thought you were pregnant, but we were wrong?"

"Very sure," she assured him, remembering those times all-too-vividly. "I went to three different doctors and they all agree."

He nodded and picked up his cup to take another sip. "I'm guessing you know who the father is?"

"If you haven't figured it out by now..." she retorted, getting to her feet and stalking out of the diner. Really, did he have to be so dense?

She was just unlocking her car when Patrick caught up with her, "Em, please. I didn't mean to insult you with my comment. It's just a big shock to me and I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of it."

"Call me when you get your head around it, then," she snapped, opening the car door.

It slammed shut before she could climb in. Emily looked up at Patrick, a retort on her lips, but it died when she saw his face. He wasn't angry or annoyed, as she'd expected: he was smiling and she could faintly see the light of desire in his blue eyes. "You've had how long to get used to the idea? I've just had a few days."

"Take your hand off the door," she growled, more annoyed with herself than with him. A shiver of desire had run down her spine in response to the glint in his eyes.

He must have seen something in her eyes because he leaned down, his face just inches from hers. "No. We're not done talking."

"For now we are," she responded, hating how breathless she sounded. Just a small move on her part and they would be kissing again. Which is what had led them to this situation in the first place. "I have classes to teach and I'm sure you have somewhere to be right now, too."

Patrick shook his head, a crooked little smile on his lips. "No. I took the morning off because I knew this wasn't going to be a short talk." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You didn't really think we could have a talk about this in less than fifteen minutes, did you?"

Emily sighed and let her shoulders slump. Damn him! "No, I didn't, but we are not continuing our talk in the middle of the parking lot."

"I hadn't planned on that." He opened the door for her and gestured for her to get in. "How about I follow you to your place?"

Melting a little at his unconscious gallantry, Emily slid behind the wheel. "I'll see you there."

"Very soon," he agreed, closing the door for her.

As she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, Patrick walked over to his car. The Rambler had finally given up a couple years back, but she still wasn't used to the new one after all this time. Shaking her head, Emily focused on driving safely to her house.

***

Following Emily to her house, Patrick still couldn't quite believe that she was pregnant. In the past ten years, they'd tried numerous times to give their son a brother or sister, with little success. He smiled wryly to himself: Of course, we're successful after we've given up... He pulled up in front of the house and climbed out of his car to join Emily at the front door, who gave him a playful smile. "I'm glad you didn't get lost, Patrick."

"Given the distance, there was little chance that I'd lose my way," he retorted with amusement, pleased that she was teasing him. This talk might not be as uncomfortable as he'd feared.

She unlocked the door and gestured for Patrick to enter ahead of her. He'd only been in the house a few times since he and Ben had moved out. The memories it brought were often bittersweet to recollect. They'd shared many happy times here before bitterness, anger, and resentment had driven them apart. He removed his coat and Emily took it to hang in the closet with her own. "Let's talk in the living room."

"It's certainly more comfortable than the front hall," he commented as he followed her into the other room, noticing that there wasn't as much clutter as there used to be. She'd always tended towards neatness while he and Ben were usually too impatient to bother with organization.

Emily sat down on the sofa and Patrick sat down beside her, very aware of her presence. After a long silence, she finally asked, "What do we do, Pat?"

"What do you want to do?" he asked in return, musing that attempting to tell Emily Appleton what to do with her life was not the best thing to do.

A noise of frustration preceded her response. "I don't know! I want this baby, but I've only just now started to establish myself and having a child would only complicate that."

"Wouldn't it be worth it in the end, though?" he pointed out gently, daring to take her hand in his. "I have always felt blessed that we have Ben. I would feel doubly blessed with another child."

Withdrawing her hand from beneath Patrick's, Emily rested it on her abdomen, rubbing it gently with a thoughtful look. "You're right." She looked up at her ex-husband. "I've become so focused on my work and career that I've lost sight of what's truly important: my family."

His breath caught in his throat when she lifted her hand to cup his cheek, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? "Emily?"

"I've been so stupid and selfish," she murmured, almost as if she was musing to herself, stroking his cheek. "I miss you and Ben so much..."

Patrick wanted to ask Emily what she meant, but the fact that she was kissing him made that rather difficult. Not to mention that it distracted him from asking any questions. It'd been so long and she was so lovely and fiery and Emily that he couldn't resist kissing her back, drinking in the taste of her. They were both gasping for breath when the kiss ended. He rested his forehead against hers, lightly stroking her cheek. "This better not be another one-night thing, Em. There's only so much a man can take."

"No, Pat." She shook her head, smiling that soft smile that had always made his heart skip a few beats, and then go into overdrive. "I've just realized that I lost sight of what was truly important in my efforts to have a career."

He sighed and shook his head. "It's that Friedan woman's fault. If she hadn't published that book back in '63--"

"Pat, forget about her." Emily had laid her finger over his lips to stop his rant before it could start. "She's not why I wanted a career anyway." He raised an eyebrow at her in silent inquiry. "Being the youngest of four, I watched Mother grow more dissatisfied as we left one by one. She had nothing to do except keep house and raise children. After I left, she had nothing to do with her life and Father wouldn't let her take classes or anything." She sighed, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "That's why I swore I wouldn't get married and have children, but then I met you and my life was turned upside down."

Smiling playfully, he asked, "I'm not allowed to apologize for that, am I?"

She shook her head, smiling. "No, you're not, because I'm glad for the way my life went after we met. It's just recently that I started losing sight of how happy I was with you and Ben." She rested her hand over her stomach. "This new little one is a reminder that my career is secondary. My family should be primary."

"A timely reminder." He covered her hand with his, unconsciously slipping his fingers between hers. "I've missed you so much, Em."

She smiled and stretched up to kiss him again, which he happily returned. As he lay back on the couch with Emily in his arms, Patrick dimly mused he was glad he'd called off work that day!

***

Ben was very surprised to see both of his parents waiting for him when he got out of school that day. As far as he knew, his parents hadn't set eyes on each since Grandpa's funeral several months back. Why would that change? Before he could ponder it further, he reached his parents and Mom leaned down to hug him and kiss his cheek, much to his embarrassment. "Mo-om!"

"Now, Ben, your mother is just happy to see you," Dad gently scolded, his hand resting on Ben's shoulder and squeezing gently.

He nodded and smiled apologetically at Mom. "Sorry, Mom."

"It's all right, Ben." She smiled radiantly and squeezed his hand. "Shall we go? Your father and I have news for you."

Ben glanced from one to the other, judging from their faces that it was probably good news. If it'd been bad news, they wouldn't have been smiling or looking happy. "Sure, I guess. Can we go get ice cream?"

"Sure, why not?" Dad agreed promptly, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses.

As Ben had thought, his mother didn't like the idea, though her objection was not as angry as it had been in recent years. "Patrick! He's going to spoil his dinner!"

"That's hours away, Emily, and you know it," Dad retorted calmly, ushering them towards his car. "Relax. He'll still have room for dinner."

Mom made an annoyed sound, but didn't make any further objections as they got in the car and went to the ice cream parlor. Once they had their ice cream cones, the three of them sat down on the benches outside to eat them. Ben and Dad licked at their hands when the ice cream leaked onto them, but Mom delicately wiped away each trickle before it could reach her fingers. After several minutes of this, Ben couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "What news do you have for me?"

"Just as impatient as you, Em," Dad commented, grinning.

She swatted him playfully with her free hand. "Hush, Pat."

"Are you getting back together?" Ben asked hopefully, encouraged by their banter and the fact that they'd used their special nicknames for each other. It'd been years since Ben had last heard them use the nicknames.

His parents looked at him in surprise, and then glanced at each other. After a few moments, Mom answered, "Well, not exactly, Ben."

"Then what?" Ben demanded, feeling a little disappointed that his guess had been wrong. Ever since Mom had moved out, he'd wanted her to come back. Life hadn't been the same since then.

Dad leaned over and whispered in Ben's ear, "You're going to be a big brother."

"Me?" Ben blinked and stared up at his father, and then his mother. "You really mean that?"

Mom nodded, her eyes very bright as she smiled fondly. "Yes. I'm pregnant with your baby brother or sister."

"You don't know which it is?" He was rather disappointed.

Dad laughed as Mom finished her cone and threw it away, cleaning her hands. "Next month, Son, we'll be able to tell."

"Okay." Ben stuffed the last of his ice cream cone in his mouth, smearing ice cream around it. He shivered when he swallowed. "When is the baby due?"

Mom answered that as she used a napkin to clean away the ice cream, much to Ben's dismay. "Early September, but that's just a rough estimate at this point."

"You were a little early," Dad added as Ben indignantly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after Mom finished. "We can only hope that we'll be ready."

He nodded and watched as Dad helped Mom stand up and started towards the car with them. It didn't escape his notice that they were still holding hands. They should get back together. They always were happiest when they were together...

***

Emily gave a contented sigh as she snuggled against Patrick's side, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think I'll sleep very well tonight."

"I sure hope you will after what we just did," Patrick retorted playfully, gently rubbing her bare shoulder.

She smiled and draped her arm across his waist, absently stroking her fingers along his hip. "What can I say? You're irresistible."

"You also haven't been with anybody since we last saw each other," he reminded her, unable to keep the smug glint out of his eyes.

Emily lightly swatted his hip. "Neither were you." She sighed and shifted so she could look into his eyes. "I've never wanted anyone except you, Pat."

He smiled and cupped her cheek with one hand. "You're the only woman for me, Em."

"Why don't we make it official?" she suggested, gray eyes serious as they met his blue ones.

Patrick blinked and stared at her. "What?"

"Ben had the right idea this afternoon," she explained, hoping Patrick would be as amenable to the idea as she was. In all honesty, she'd been pondering the idea ever since they agreed to raise their second child together. "We should get back together. I know I'm happiest with you and I'm pretty sure you're happiest with me."

He nodded, catching her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the palm. "Always, Em."

"So it makes sense for us to get back together." Emily hid her profound relief that Patrick felt the same. "Besides, it's easier to raise children together when we are together."

Patrick laughed, drawing her head down to his for a loving kiss. Keeping her forehead pressed to his, he said, "You don't have to talk me into it, Em. I would love nothing better than to have you back in my life in every way."

"I'm still keeping my maiden name," she warned him. "At least professionally."

He nodded, kissing her softly. "I don't care, so long as you're in my life again."

She returned the kiss warmly, shifting to straddle his hips. He groaned against her lips and she found that a certain part of him was quite interested. She grinned against his lips, pleased that she still had such an effect on him.

***

Five years later...

"Nabby, your brother's here for you!" The day care aid called from the patio.

Her little face lighting up with a bright smile, Abigail Adams Gates finished her game of tetherball and ran over to the cafeteria, where a tall, lanky teenager stood waiting. "Ben!"

Grinning, the sixteen-year-old scooped her up and hugged her tight. "Hello, Munchkin! Were you a good girl today?"

"I always am!" she retorted with a defiant toss of her blonde curls. "Mommy said I have to be."

"That's right." Kissing her cheek, Ben set Abigail on her feet and helped her gather her things from her cubby before taking her out to the parking lot where the car waited.

Abigail waited until they were well on their way home. "Where are Mommy and Daddy, Ben?"

"Why do you ask, Nabby?" Ben glanced briefly at his sister, and then returned his attention to the road. He'd only gotten his license a few months before, so he was still new to driving.

She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a look that was scarily reminiscent of their mother. "They never miss a chance to pick me up themselves. There has to be something wrong."

"Not necessarily." Ben shook his head, pulling into the driveway of their house and turning off the car. He turned to look at his sister, his eyes meeting hers steadily. "Nothing's wrong, I promise you."

Abigail gazed solemnly up at her brother. "Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart." Ben did as he said. "I swear on the Templar Treasure."

She grinned and unbuckled her seat belt so she could hug him. "All right, let's go in now."

"Yes, ma'am!" Chuckling, Ben ducked out of the car and took Abigail's backpack as they started up the front walk.

When they entered the living room, a bunch of voices shouted: "Happy birthday, Nabby!"

"Oh!" Abigail's blue eyes were round with surprise and delight as she took in all the smiling and grinning faces. "I thought my party wasn't until this weekend?"

Smiling, Emily came forward and knelt to hug her daughter. "We wanted to surprise you, so that's what we told you, but we told everyone else today."

"Thanks, Mommy." Abigail hugged Emily tight. When Patrick knelt down beside his two girls, Abigail included him in the hug. When the three finished, the littlest Gates asked, "Can I open my presents first?"

The others laughed at her eagerness, and then her pout when she was told the presents had to wait. It was gone soon when they started playing party games. Abigail never could stay mad for long, especially not on her birthday.

***

Twenty-six years later...

As the taxi drew closer to its destination, a comfortable, anticipatory silence fell between the two women in the backseat. Both had curly pale gold hair, but the younger of the two had hers cut short, like a boy's, while the older woman's hair tumbled around her shoulders. The taxi pulled up in front of a modest, two-story colonial-style house and the two women climbed out eagerly. The driver moved to the back and unloaded their luggage--surprisingly little for two women.

While the younger woman paid the driver, the door of the house opened and an older man appeared, a broad smile on his face. "Em! Nabby!"

"Pat!" "Dad!" As he climbed back behind the wheel of the taxi, the driver watched the two women all but maul the man with their hugs. Americans are strange...

"How was the dig?" Patrick asked once he and Emily had come up for air. "Did you find any treasure?"

Emily rolled her eyes in fond exasperation as her husband carried their suitcases inside and set them in the front hall. "Not every dig ends in a treasure hunt, Pat. You know that."

"Of course he does, Mom," Nabby commented before her father could reply, leading the way into the living room. "He only asks because it gets a rise out of you."

Her parents exchanged wry glances as they settled side-by-side on the sofa. "She's onto us, Em."

"She certainly is, Pat." Emily smiled proudly at her daughter as she finished removing her shoes and curled up in the armchair nearby.

Nabby merely smiled back, watching her mother settle against her father's side with a contented sigh. "How's Ben these days? Is he still looking for the Charlotte?"

"No, actually, he found it," Patrick replied, unable to keep a proud smile of his own off his face. "Right where he thought she would be."

The two Gates women pinned him with eager looks. "Was the treasure there?"

"Ah, no," Patrick admitted sheepishly. "He found another clue instead."

Emily laughed softly, shaking her head with a fond smile. "Of course. Another clue."

"Where did it lead him, Dad?" Nabby asked, gray eyes bright with curiosity.

When he started fidgeting and didn't meet either gray gaze, mother and daughter exchanged glances. "Pat, what are you not telling us?"

"It, um, led him to the, um..." Patrick got up and paced towards the fireplace, clearly uncomfortable for some reason.

Nabby sighed, exasperated. "Dad, just spit it out already."

He sighed and turned to face them. "The next clue is on the Declaration of Independence."

"What?" Emily and Nabby both stared at Patrick as if he'd said the next clue was on the moon. "How would he even get a chance to examine the Declaration?"

Patrick shifted uneasily, drawing narrowed eyes from his wife and daughter. "Dad? You know we don't like to be kept in the dark."

"It's going to be a lonely night for both of us if you don't tell us what's on your mind, Patrick," Emily added, the use of his proper name instead of her nickname making both Patrick and Nabby wince. That mean Emily would follow through on her threat.

He cleared his throat. "Ben stole it."

"He did what?!" Emily jumped to her feet, gray eyes flashing.

With some interruptions from both women, Patrick explained how and why Ben had come to steal the Declaration of Independence. "They're in Philadelphia, but that's all I know."

"Damn." Nabby shook her head in reluctant admiration. "Ben has guts."

Emily shook her head as well, in negation rather than admiration. "No, he has honor and a deep love for American history. It's not in his nature to stand by when he can do something."

"Exactly," Patrick agreed, slipping his arms around Emily's waist and kissing her cheek.

She smiled and turned her head so she could kiss him properly. Smiling to herself, Nabby slipped out of the room and went upstairs with her suitcase. I hope you're all right wherever you are, Ben...

***

The next night, Nabby returned from a day of visiting with her friends to a dark house. Only the porch light remained on. She smirked to herself as she got out of her car and set the alarm. Mom and Dad must have decided to make an early night of it... Chuckling to herself, she headed up the front walk and let herself in the door. It clicked shut behind her just before something hard and heavy hit her across the back of her head. She briefly saw stars and felt pain before she fell into blessed pain-free blackness.

When she drifted back to consciousness, the first thing Nabby noticed was the fact that her head was pounding. Next, she realized she was lying on a bed that certainly wasn't hers. She was on top of the covers and they felt different. When she tried to move, her head protested and she groaned at the spike of pain. "She's awake, Pat!"

"Yes, I heard, Em." Emily's voice sounded like it was closer to her than Patrick's. Reassured by their presence, she opened her eyes.

Her mother's face slowly came into focus. "Nabby, are you okay?"

"My head hurts like a bitch," she admitted, noticing that they were in a non-descript hotel room. Nabby was lying on one bed with Emily sitting next to her while Patrick sat on the other bed. "What happened?"

Patrick explained as Emily helped Nabby ease up into a sitting position. "Ian kidnapped us."

"Ian? Why?" Nabby folded her legs under her, ignoring the sympathy in her parents' eyes.

Emily shrugged as Patrick got up and sat down between the two women, leaning back against the headboard. "We're not sure. Ian wouldn't tell us anything."

"Well, it's a pretty safe bet that it has to do with the Templar Treasure," she commented, curling up with her head in her father's lap.

Her parents nodded as Emily leaned against Patrick's side, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "That's pretty much what we'd concluded."

"We can only sit and wait," Patrick added, gently stroking Nabby's short blonde curls.

She sighed and closed her eyes when she felt her mother's hand joined her father's, soothing her with their touch. She'd almost fallen asleep when the door opened; admitting Ian, the gun in his hand indicated that he meant business. Nabby pushed herself up into a sitting position, quickly composing herself. "On your feet, all three of you."

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded as she got to her feet, determined not to show weakness in front of him.

He gestured to a man behind him, who entered the room to tape each of their hands together. "I don't need to explain myself to you or anyone."

"Ben trusted you," Nabby snapped, sublimating the sting of Ian's betrayal into anger.

Ian shrugged and gestured for them to exit the room ahead of him. "Out to the car."

Fuming, she tossed her head and left the room, closely followed by her parents with Ian bringing up the rear. She wasn't going to cry now. Tears could wait until they'd gotten out of this situation, whatever it was.

***

Ben finished his rehearsed explanation for Ian and stared him down, refusing to hint that there was more to the clue. Ian, surprisingly, gave a little laugh. "You never were very good at bluffing, Ben." Slinging a companionable arm around the other man, he turned him to face the SUV Phil was leaning against. "Occasionally, you have to have all the cards."

Phil caught Ian's eye and nodded, opening the back passenger door of the SUV. Ben's heart sank like a stone when he saw his sister and parents seated in the backseat of the vehicle, hands bound with duct tape. "Mom, Dad, Nabby."

"Let's all talk inside, hmm?" Ian suggested, sounding smug. "And invite your other friends to join us? I'm sure they're somewhere nearby."

***

As Phil subtly steered them into Trinity Church, Abigail spotted Ben hugging his father and two women she didn't recognize. She was pretty sure the older woman was Ben's mother, but she couldn't help wondering about the younger woman. What was her connection to Ben? Then Ian pulled Ben away from the other three, guiding him to a pew towards the middle of the church. The others were herded into a pew towards the back. Riley sat down next to the younger woman and slipped an arm around her shoulders, asking in a whisper. "You okay, Nabs?"

"I've just been kidnapped, Riley, how you think I feel?" she hissed at him, shrugging his arm off her shoulders.

The older woman leaned forward to give glare at the younger woman around Patrick, her voice low and stern. "Abigail Adams Gates, we know this is upsetting for you, but that's no excuse to snap at us for being concerned."

"Sorry." The young woman slumped in her seat and folded her arms across her chest.

Riley patted her shoulder comfortingly. Abigail tugged on his shirtsleeve to catch his attention. When he leaned toward her curiously, she whispered, "Ben's sister?"

"Yeah." Riley nodded. "She and Emily were at a dig in South America when we went to see Patrick with the Declaration."

Abigail nodded back, her attention drawn back to Ben and Ian now that she was reassured that the young woman was no threat to her potential relationship with Ben.

***

Nabby stood with her brother as the lit oil troughs revealed the treasure their family had spent generations seeking. Turning, she hugged him tight, triumph suffusing her. Next to them, their parents shared a deep kiss. When it ended, Emily murmured, "I'm glad I returned to you, Pat."

"So am I, Em," he murmured back, combing his fingers through her hair. "It wouldn't have been as much of a triumph without you."

The strange woman who'd been with Riley and been kissed by Ben distracted Nabby from her parents' conversation. "Riley, are you crying?"

"Look, stairs," Riley replied, sounding a little choked up.

Nabby glanced at Riley and noticed he was pointing at the wall opposite them. Looking that direction, she spotted the stairs and couldn't help breathing out a sigh of relief. They weren't trapped after all. Ben started down the steps. "Let's go. We need to contact the FBI."

"Are you crazy, Ben?" Emily demanded, catching his arm before he could get very far down the steps. "You'll go to jail!"

Ben covered his mother's hand with a reassuring smile. "I have an idea."

"The last idea you had resulted in us stealing the Declaration of Independence, Ben," Riley commented dryly as they all made their way down the steps.

"Which was absolutely brilliant, by the way," the stranger added sarcastically.

Nabby glanced at her parents with an amused smile as they started through the treasure room. "I like her. She'll keep Ben on his toes."

"I'm flattered," the other woman replied, blue eyes glinting with amusement as she walked along beside them. "I'm Dr. Abigail Chase."

Nabby shook her hand. "I'm Dr. Abigail Adams Gates."

"Dr. Emily Appleton-Gates," Emily added, shaking Abigail's hand in turn.

Abigail blinked and stared at Emily. "Dr. Appleton from the University of Maryland?"

"Yes. I use my maiden name professionally," Emily explained with a nod and an amused smile.

Nabby stifled a giggle at Abigail's awed expression. Mom's reputation precedes her again... She hurried to catch up to Ben and Riley, who'd been walking a little ahead of them. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, Riley."

"It's all right, Nabs." Riley wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. "It was a stupid question to ask, given the circumstances."

She leaned into him with a sigh. "Well, yeah, but I still shouldn't have snapped."

"We were all in a tense situation," Ben reminded them, catching Nabby's hand in his and squeezing gently. "A little snapping is to be expected."

Nabby returned the squeeze, briefly feeling as if she was five again and Ben was 16, picking her up from school to take her to a surprise birthday party. "You're the best brother a woman could want, Ben."

"Thanks, Nabby," he replied, glancing down at her with a fond smile.

She laughed and they continued their hike through the treasure cavern in companionable silence. Behind them, Patrick and Emily talked with Abigail. "Ben's always doted on Nabby. He never minded baby-sitting and he always made sure she knew how to protect herself."

"He certainly seems very fond of her," Abigail commented, watching Ben reach over and poke Nabby in the ribs.

She squeaked and swatted at Ben's shoulder. He laughed and dodged away from her. Patrick chuckled. "Em and I tried for years to have another child and Nabby was a lovely surprise after we'd given up."

"So we're all a little overprotective," Emily added, watching as Nabby broke away from Riley to chase Ben, laughing just as much as her brother.

Abigail smiled as Riley followed the siblings a slower pace. "Riley seems protective of her, too, but he's not family." She glanced at the older couple. "Is he?"

"He and Ben met in college," Emily explained as Nabby caught up to her brother and swatted his arm. "They became good friends and Riley just sort of became family."

Abigail nodded, watching Nabby giggle and run back towards Riley. "I gathered that Ben and Riley had known each other for a long time, but I had no idea it'd been that long."

"Yeah, he has no other family, so he spends the holidays with us," Patrick explained.

They laughed when Nabby dodged around Riley, so Ben swatted him instead. "Hey!"

"I'm very glad I met them, despite the circumstances of the meeting," Abigail commented as Nabby reached the stairs leading out of the treasure room. "It's been quite an adventure."

Emily patted Abigail's hand. "Knowing any Gates man is an adventure in and of itself."

"I'll keep that in mind," Abigail responded with a laugh and a blush.

***

Riley gladly accepted when Patrick and Emily offered him the chance to spend the night at their house. He needed the comforting nearness of his adopted family after everything that had happened. As he tossed and turned, the sound of muffled sobs floated down the hall from Nabby's bedroom. Since he couldn't sleep, he decided to go see what was wrong, though he was pretty sure he knew. Padding down the hall, he gently tapped on her bedroom door. "Nabby? May I come in?"

"Sure," she sniffled and he carefully pushed the door open so he could slip inside.

She sat cross-legged on her bed, a framed photo in her lap. Moving closer, Riley saw that it was a picture of Nabby and Ben on either side of Ian. "You're taking Ian's betrayal pretty hard."

"I admit, I had a bit of a crush on him," she replied, setting the photo on her bedside table while Riley perched on the edge of the bed beside her. "He didn't seem to notice, though, so it's just me that's hurt."

Moving carefully, Riley slid his arm around her shoulders and his heart skipped a beat when she leaned into him with a sigh. "Maybe he wasn't the one for you? Look at how your parents met."

"Yeah, and there's Ben and Abigail, too." Nabby smiled softly, nestling closer to Riley.

He gently stroked her hair as he shifted to sit against the headboard, cradling her against him. "Or they might be right under your nose."

"Maybe." She sighed and slowly fell asleep, wrapped up in Riley's arms. He sat awake for a long time after, just relishing this chance to hold her.

End