Chapter Twenty

Crazy Little Emily- I'm glad I made your day! Sorry about the twenty week period between updates, but at least this time I left you on a happy note, right?

Elvenrarehunter- Don't worry about the last chapter, and thank you for the comment about action scenes! I like to think that they're my specialty, since I suck at long, emotional scenes. See below if you have any doubts  Hey, I did kill Lander, didn't I? I didn't actually realize it until I read your review. Heh. Yay! You liked the Deachat& Claire scene! I was worried that people would lose interest because they were both OC's.

Dralx- Hah, thanks. It's good to be loved. Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun writing Ian's reaction at the moment. It be quite fun, 'cause I haven't messed with his mind in a while. I'm glad you like the flow of the story; I try to go back and read the previous chapter before I write the new one to keep the pace and flow the same. and I'm flattered that you compared my story to POTC2. Even though I think everyone knew that Riley was going to come back, and the cliffie there was just like "ummm…wait, WHAT?"

Makedamnsure-Hah, of COURSE she's going to feel guilty. Would I miss a chance to screw with my character's mind? Hee. I'm glad to see you're assuaged by Riley's return. I'm glad all that sad-dying stuff was over, I hate writing that.

Kes- Norrington rules! Was I the only one who thought he was pretty darn sexy in DMC? Man, he should have his own movie. Even though I was pretty mad about him giving the heart to the prig-in-a-wig at the end. Hey, you noticed my Darth Psycho shout-out! Yes! Believe me, Claire is going to go through some severe killing-someone mental trauma. At least as much as I can fit into this chapter and still make the end happy. Sorry about the safety error-I should have caught that by watching Lost. And I've never actually held a gun before, unless you count those insane water guns at carnival games. I'm sick at those. Omg, I had SO much fun making Claire a revenge-obssesed badass. It was the highlight of this story!

Soccermustang-I'm glad you like it! Hah, it's pretty cool that I'm responding to your review of the first chapter in the last.

Whisperwings-Thanks! I wanted to add a little sci-fi into the mix. History +Sci-fiAmazing. Sorry it took me so long to review, I went on vacation for a week.

Zil-I'm happy you liked the ending! It was a relief for me to write too, I didn't like having Riley dead. I hope you like the ending in this chapter.(And the end of the fic)

Miss Kitty- Riley will remember, eventually, he's just kind disoriented at the moment. I'm glad you liked my story, thank you so much for reviewing!

Elf of Life- Yes! I love being added to people's favorite author lists. Thank you so much! I just got back from vacation, but I'm updating as soon as possible.

Silveni-Hah, it is, isn't it? I never really thought about it that way. Hah, Riley will always be a little bit of an idiot. But that's why it's good that Claire's a supersmart person, but also kind of an idiot. Hah, she really did kill his ass. Don't worry , it makes me laugh too. Sadly, this is the last chapter. I hope you're satisfied with it.

Elenya2- I'm so glad that you liked the story, and yes, this chapter is the conclusion.(Thank goodness- I don't think I could take any more of this story, as much as I love it.)

A/N- Last Chapter! Wow, what to say………This was my first story ever, and I enjoyed writing it ALMOST as much as I enjoyed reading the reviews I got for it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed-I would write everyone, but I have a pretty long chapter ahead of me and I don't want my hands to get cramped. By the way , AMAZING NEWS! I'm probably the absolute last person to find this out, but I just heard that they're making a SECOND NATIONAL TREASURE! Hopefully, it will be 1000000 times better than this story.

And, now, I bring you the last chapter.

"When a man finds himself pointing the barrel of a gun at another man, he finds out who he truly is. And if you don't like it, there's no turning back."

Lost

Chapter Twenty

There was an explosion of blood.

Claire winced, her eyes still screwed shut, as she felt warm liquid spatter against her face and chest. The metallic smell of blood crowded her senses until she had to take a few steps back to breathe.

The chamber was silent. It was an eerie, ringing feeling compared to the great noise that had been produced just a few seconds before.

Claire forced her eyes open and took another involuntary step back. The gold stuff was gone. There was no trace of anything supernatural anywhere in the blood-coated room. The silence pressed down upon her, making it seem that the gold shimmer had just been an illusion, a hallucination of a crazed mind.

Something between a gasp and a sob wretched itself out of Claire's throat as her gaze fell on Robinson, or what had become of him. Part of his head and neck had been entirely blown away, the fleshy pieces littering the floor around her.

Suddenly, the gun in her hand weighed tons, dragging her attention to the weapon that her fingers were still clutched around.

"No…" she whispered, the resounding clunk of reality suddenly dropped upon her. She had just done this. She had pulled the trigger into this man's head. She had just killed someone.

"No" she choked, louder, as tears had once again found their way back to her eyes.

Claire tried to hurl the gun away, but it seemed glued to her hand, as if it was part of her arm. It was all too real now, the bloody carcass of her professor and the gun she held, the connection that still raced between the man and machine, sending shockwaves up her arms. You did this.

"NO!" she shrieked her voice cracking in guilt as she tried to drown out the accusations in her mind.

Her voice broke and crackled down to a high-pitched keening as she stood stiffly over her first kill.

Who knows how long she would have stood, standing there if it wasn't for the faint calls that began to echo through the cavern.

Claire quieted, hiccupping slightly as she strained to hear, hoping they were not just more delusions. Apparently, after people went crazy they heard voices.

"Claire! Claire!"

Claire closed her eyes. "Go away!" she screamed, trying to block out what was sure to be her impeding psychosis. "Leave me alone, please!"

"Claire!"

She hesitated, opening her eyes slightly. Would the voices in her head sound like Riley? Yes, they probably would. Just another way to torture her.

"Please" she begged, her voice too hoarse for screaming, "leave me alone. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Rapid footsteps sounded at the cavern door and Claire jolted backwards as three actual people ran into the room, casting shadows over the walls.

Ben, Abbie and Riley panted as they scanned the room, all three stopping in shock as they saw the horrifying scene laid out in front of them.

Robinson, slumping over an alter, his head blown open and blood everywhere. Claire, standing only feet away, spattered with blood and eyes red and terrified, a gun clamped in her hand.

Horror washed over her as she stood in front of the three people who had come to matter to her, drenched in another's blood and clutching a smoking gun. She stared down at the ugly metal tool, wishing in the farthest corner of her mind that Robinson had killed her so she wouldn't have to see the look on their faces.

Abbie and Ben were too stunned to move, simply gawking at the shaking girl.

It was Riley who strode forward, across the room, stepping through the small puddles of blood until he was standing in front of Claire.

Claire stepped back, turning her head to the side in shame as tears bubbled up in her eyes. She had done this for the man standing in front of her, and she couldn't bear to see what was sure to be the look of horror and disgust at the blood smearing her face, turning her tears red.

Riley gently placed his hands on her shoulders, reaching up to wipe some of the blood and tears off her face with his thumbs.

"Claire." he said gently, "look at me."

Claire turned, staring into his eyes that were devoid of disgust and hate, and broke down, dropping the gun onto the floor and hugging him as hard as humanly possible as she sobbed into his shirt, not caring that it was covered in dried blood.

Riley wrapped his arms around her and whispered comforting things in her ear, and when Claire felt hot drops falling on the top of her head she realized he was crying too.

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The FBI team had made short work of the museum, finding the trapdoor in a matter of seconds. Ian had insisted going down first, seeing the lake and cursing.

Having no water accommodation, they could do nothing but wait. Ian paced up and down the shore, waiting for something to show on the horizon.

Finally, a giant dark bump appeared, moving slowly towards them. Everyone had stood up, tense and on the edge as what looked somewhat like a boat inched to the shore.

As the rowboat entered the shallows, several agents waded in to help pull the boat into the dock, their guns simultaneously drawn.

Ian held his breath as four figures exited the boat. Ben climbed out first, helping Abbie up as they walked though the parted FBI agents, Ben throwing a apologetic look towards Ian.

Ian finally relaxed and strode forward as he registered Claire's silhouette clambering onto the deck, accompanied by a fierce-looking Riley Poole. The nerd in question's arm around Claire's shoulders was sending serious big-brother warning bells of in his head, but at the moment Ian was just too glad she was alive to care.

Then he noticed she was covered in blood and looked half-dead. He stopped in his tracks.

Claire lifted up tired eyes to face the very last person she wanted to see after committing murder. Feeling like a wrung-out sponge, she simply hung her head, no tears left to cry as she approached her big brother.

"I'm sorry" she repeated softly, over and over as Ian swept her into a hug, realizing the meaning even before Riley broke in, still standing by her side.

"She killed Robinson" he explained quietly, his face twisted in concern and guilt. Ian gave him a long stare over Claire's head before gently guiding her towards the staircase.

"C'mon, let's go home."

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ONE MONTH LATER

Claire fidgeted in her heavy blue robe and hat as she tried to calm herself in the congested back room. She had no reason to be nervous. She had recently embarked on a weeklong swashbuckling adventure that ended in her killing a man.

Graduation should be no problem.

Still, her stomach twisted as she imagined walking down the aisle and accepting her graduate diploma in front of all the smiling families and press. And there would be press. Claire had become a reluctant celebrity along with Ben, Abby and Riley, as they had successfully uncovered Blackbeard's treasure. She figured in a few more weeks she would be rich beyond her wildest dreams, maybe even richer than her brother, if that was possible.

Ian had decided to put his recently-paroled self to work, becoming an FBI consultant. Claire was genuinely happy for him, getting to work in his area of precision without the fear of getting arrested and thrown in jail for life. Again.

There had been no charges filed against her for the murder of Eric Robinson. With the FBI evidence and the forensic data, it had been closed as an obvious case of self-defense.

And while the killing of her professor still haunted her thoughts (and made her quite infamous on campus), the thing that bothered Claire the most was the fact that it had been three months, and she had barely been in contact with her friends. Namely, a handsome computer nerd she had developed an unhealthy attachment to.

All four of them and Ian had left Nassau on a private FBI jet. Claire was quite determined never to set foot on the island again. After the jet had landed, Ian had quickly ushered her home, where she sequestered herself for three days before remembering how much homework she had.

In a way, her work had saved her, distracting her from the absence of calls she had received from Riley, or Abbie and Ben for that matter.

Now that school was over, Claire was apprehensive about the future, with no plans lined up. (Not that she actually needed a job, now, money-wise.) She still had a ton of paperwork to fill out, and conferences to attend about the treasure. Normally Claire would dream about doing that kind of stuff, but now it only left her feeling slightly lonely.

A happy brunette girl standing in front of her shot her an excited look as the graduation line shifter slightly. "Are you nervous?" she whispered, grinning. "I can barely walk! My entire family's going to be there, probably all with video cameras."

Claire smiled vaguely and nodded until the girl turned around again. She shouldn't sulk because she didn't have a horde of people waving and taping her graduation. Claire reminded herself. After all, Ian was coming, canceling all FBI appointment he had today to come watch her.

Outside, some jaunty orchestral song had begun to play, signaling the graduates to start filing down the aisles in the open field.

Claire took a deep breath and started forward, hoping she could just get it over with quickly, smile, take a few pictures and return back to her apartment.

It was a brilliant, sunny day out, only a few fluffy white clouds dotting the sky. Claire swallowed as she caught the first sight of the giant field, packed with rows and rows of white chairs filled with people. She stared carefully at the ground, determined to make it smoothly down the aisle without any trips and falls.

She walked through the passageway, surrounded by beaming parents and grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends. Cameras flashed all around, but none directly at her. She spotted Ian in one of the back rows and smiled, giving him a little wave. He had to keep his head down at public events-the word hadn't completely gotten around that he was a paroled man yet.

Names were shouted around her as family clamored for the attention of thier graduate. Claire gave an inward chuckle at the gigantic clan of people that seemed to have come exclusively for the girl in front of her. As the girl ducked her head and shot an embarrassed grin over her shoulder at her, Claire felt a mixture of sympathy and jelousy.

Then the yelling started.

"Claire!" someone called from far away. Claire jerked up, surprised for a moment, but then remembered that there were probably five other Claire's in the graduating class. No need to get her hopes up.

"Claire! Claire!"

Goodness, whoever they are, they were damned persistent. Claire craned her neack, trying to catch a glimpse of the source of the racket. There, it was over in the front. There was a dark haired guy waving his arms over his head like a lunatic and looking at………her. Oh. God.

Claire's jaw dropped open as she recognized no one other than Riley Poole yelling her name as loud as he could and waving crazily. And he wasn't alone. Ben and Abby were standing next to him, smiling and chuckling over Riley's antics.

Smiling like a loony, Claire waved at them, completely floored. What in blazing hell were they doing here?

She continued to stare, almost tripping over her own feet as she reached the podium to collect her diploma. She just remembered to smile and shake the hand of the dean before stepping down and taking a seat, turning to gawk at her newly adopted fan-base.

As the Dean finally finished a heartfelt and inspiring speech that Claire hadn't listened to a word of, the graduates threw their hats in the air, cheering and hugging. She was off like a rocket, towards the row where three people stood smiling at her.

Abbie and Ben came forward first, hugging her. Claire embraced them both tightly, noticing that Riley hung back, just watching, a slightly wary look on his face.

"Guys," she began, looking from face to face. "Not that I'm not completely overjoyed, but what are you doing here?"

Ben and Abbie shared a grin. "Well," Abbie began, "We have a…business proposition for you."

Claire tilted her head slightly confused. "What kind of business proposition?"

Ben handed her a business card, a small logo emblazoned on it next to some print. Claire's eyebrows knitted as she took the card from Ben, reading the lettering next to the logo.

"The History Squad" she read, pausing to shoot Ben a disbelieving look, but he waved his hand at her to go on.

"Historians and Treasure-Protectors. Ben and Abigail Gates, Riley Poole, and…………. and Claire Howe."

She looked up at the three, all with dead-serious expressions. "This isn't a joke?"

Abbie shook her head. "We thought we might as well make things official. Welcome to the team."

Claire laughed out of pure astonishment and delight and hugged Abbie again, still clutching the card in her hand.

"Gates, what are you doing here?"

Claire turned to see Ian marching up, looking slightly befuddled. Claire ran up to him, grinning and showed him the card, not even bothering with her diploma.

Ian read it and groaned. "You're going into business with them? Christ, this is going to be torture."

Abbie cleared her throat. "Right. Ian, Ben and I were going to talk to you about those business details. Why don't we go do that now?"

Ian and Ben looked at each other. "What business details?" they questioned simultaneously, staring at Abbie. She rolled her eyes and glared at Ben, her gaze flickering to Riley quickly. "You know, those things we needed to check with Ian for."

Realization dawned on Ben's face. "Right!" he said unconvincingly. "We should go and……… discuss them."

Ian stared between Abbie and Ben. "Are you two losing it?" he asked. "I have absolutely no idea……." he trailed off as Abbie's and Ben's meaningful looks at Claire and Riley finally clicked. He made a horrified face. "No fucking way. Absolutely not."

Claire was pretty sure her face was about to be lit on fire. "Ian," she choked out, gluing her eyes to the ground. "You should discuss that stuff with them. It sounds pretty urgent."

Grumbling, Ian followed Ben and Abbie through the teeming crowds, leaving Claire and Riley alone, both trying to look anywhere but at each other.

Claire finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Thanks for coming." she said quietly "you really didn't have to."

Riley took a tentative step forward. "Actually, I did. I came to apologize."

Claire looked at him uncertainly. "Apologize for what?"

He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "After what happened in the caves, I know I stayed away from you for a while. It's just that after seeing you like that……"

Claire's heart sank. "It's okay." she said, trying to keep her tone light. "I went psycho, I killed a guy, most people would stay away from me for a while."

Riley looked startled. "No! Wait, that's not what I meant at all! Jeez, wait, can I just…start over again? I had to stay away from you because I was guilty."

Claire blinked. "What? Why would you feel guilty?"

"I made you kill someone!"

Ah. Now it was all beginning to make sense. "Riley," she began. "Getting killed was not your fault."

"Yeah, I know," Riley brushed aside uncertainly. " But you killed him on the altar…you did it to bring me back. And I saw you afterward, Claire….I've never seen someone so screwed up as you were after killing him-"

"I'd do it again." she interrupted, looking him straight in the eye. "You're right, I knew I would hate killing him, but I didn't care. It was…" she trailed off, staring back down at her feet. "It was worth it."

Riley grinned. "Really?"

Claire rolled her eyes "Now don't go around getting a big ego, I did it for other reasons too. That guy was an asshole-"

The beginning of her rant was cut off as Riley simply closed the distance between them and taking her face in both of his hands, kissed her.

Claire was, needless to say, surprised. Her diploma fluttered to the ground as her hands went slack, but the shock wore off quickly, and against the nervous rambling of her mind telling her that it wasn't really proper to do this in public, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Riley tilted his head, deepening the kiss as he gripped the back of her head with one hand, the other snaking possessively around her waist. Claire practically melted.

After a few heavenly moments, Riley pulled away abruptly. Claire craned her neck back, looking at him confusedly. "Why'd you stop?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Because your brother looks like he wants to kill me."

Claire spun to see Ian glowering at Riley, with a smiling Ben and an ecstatic Abbie trailing behind him.

"What the hell do you think you were-"

"Ian" Claire cut him off quickly, standing adamantly next to Riley, "I was kissing him. Because I want to. I'm twenty-three and I can make out with whoever I want."

Ian started to say something, then stopped himself. "You really want to be with this guy?"

"Yes."

"Fine" he relented, turning to Riley. "Poole, if you do anything to her, I still have connections. I really don't think anyone would miss you."

"Right…Thanks" Riley replied shakily, but looked Ian seriously in the eye. "I wouldn't"

"Good to know."

Turning, Ian headed for the parking lot. "Congratulations, Claire. I'll see you at home." Throwing Riley one last dirty look, he disappeared into the crowd.

Riley laughed nervously. "Well, that went well."

Claire smirked up at him. "Actually, it did. He didn't shoot you, did he?"

"Thank God." Riley deadpanned. "I think I've been shot enough this month."

Abbie smiled wickedly at her husband. "I told you they would get together."

"Yeah, Yeah, you were right." Ben relented, and winced as his cell phone rang shrilly in his pocket. "Damn it, the Nassau government keeps on calling me about the finder's fee! I'm half tempted to tell them to keep the treasure!"

Claire and Riley, who were dangerously close to kissing again, whipped around.

"No!" they chorused, wide-eyed. Ben chuckled.

"That was a joke."

Riley smiled smugly. "Plus Ben, the finder's fee is totally my call, remember?"

"Yes Riley, I remember. You been very subtly reminding me for the last three weeks."

Riley ignored the jibe and turned to Claire. "Let's see… how much can we milk out of the Nassau government?"

Claire smirked. "Shoot for sixty percent."

Ben coughed in alarm as Riley whipped out his cell phone. "Wait a minute….guys…. don't you think that's a little too much? Guys?"

"Hello?" Riley chirped as Claire began to tug him away to the parking lot. "Yeah, Riley Poole here. We've decided on the finder's fee….."

Claire gazed up at her semi-boyfriend as he placed the call, grinning like a kid.

Snapping his phone closed, he slung his arm around her. "Well, Miss Howe, it looks like you've finally got your fortune and glory."

Claire smiled, looking into his eyes. "Yes," she replied. "I did, didn't I?"

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Oh my goodness. I seriously might cry. This was my first Fanfiction story ever, and thank you SO MUCH for the people who took time to read it. (And I can't resist one fianl act of shameless self-promotion. I just started a Lost/Red Eye crossover in the Red Eye section, so if you like either of those go give it a try!) It's been fun, guys!