Here is the sequal to my first National Treasure story, that story is titled Lydia Gates and the Templar Treasure, while it would probably help for you to have already read that one, it's not needed. The gist of the story is that Ben has a daughter that accompanied the gang on the treasure hunt and now they are searching for another treasure!

Enjoy!

December 18th 2006:

Lydia Gates Status update: I am now finished with the first semester of my freshman year! I passed my finals with an 83% or above!

Patrick Gates: Congratulations Lydia!

Riley Poole: that's great Lydia. But weren't you just in high school?

Josh Kelley: Wow can I marry your brain?

Lydia Gates: Thanks Grandpa, and Riley, I just graduated in June so technically I WAS just in high school. And Josh, no you can't marry my brain, I'm slightly attached to it.

Josh Kelley: dang, if you married my brain I might be able to understand Bio-Chem.

Molly Prewett: So when are you going to come down here for Christmas? Brandon and I can't wait to see you!

Abigail Chase: Congratulations Lydia! I knew you'd do a good job in University.

Lydia Gates: Mom, I'm coming down to Alexandria on the 20th, I'll be with Dad and Abigail until Christmas Eve afternoon and then I'll go to your place to spend Christmas with you and Brandon. Thanks Abigail and Josh, I don't understand Bio-Chem anyway so marrying my brain wouldn't do any good. :p

Molly Prewett; Lydia, its Brandon I can't wait to see you for Christmas.

Lydia Gates: What are you doing on Mom's facebook Brandon? And I can't wait to see you either! Love both of you.

Molly Prewett: I'm stalking you, be afraid, be very afraid. Hahaha.

January 15th 2007:
Just turned in an application to study abroad for the semester! Can't wait to hear back from my school.

Stacey Martin: Where are they going to go? And which semester?

Lydia Gates: England, this fall.

Stacey Martin: Awesome, the guys are so hot in England; you'll have an awesome time.

Ben Gates: I hope you're not going to England just to meet guys Lydia, it's a very good educational opportunity and if you take it seriously you'll learn a lot.

Lydia Gates: Don't worry Dad; I'm going to be taking about 6 classes so I better learn a lot. I doubt I'll have time to meet guys that aren't in my classes.

Lydia closed her laptop and moved it from her desk to her bed, she had to do homework. Bending and rifling through her backpack she pulled out her psychology book and the spiral she used to write out her assignments.

Her cell phone rang and she answered it, putting it on speaker. "Talk to me," she greeted.

"Hello Lydia, This is Dylan Thomas." A somewhat formal voice said, Lydia stat straight up in her chair now. What was Dylan doing calling her?

"Hey Dylan." She greeted, "How are you?"

"I'm good; I saw on facebook that you're hoping to go study abroad in the next semester."

"Yeah, I just turned the application in today," Lydia responded.

"I spent the summer in England if you'd like some tips on traveling abroad." Dylan's voice was still somewhat formal.

"That'd be awesome." Lydia sat up and spoke into the receiver. "You can email me…"

"I was thinking we could meet up for Lunch." Dylan told her.

Lydia pulled back from her phone and raised an eyebrow. Is Dylan asking me out? She wondered before glancing at her calendar, she was taking 17 credits and was pretty busy. "I've got classes Monday to Thursday basically from 8 to 4 and I go to my mom's on Mondays, Tuesday's and Thursdays so unless you're free Wednesday night….." Lydia said.

"I've got a class then," Dylan said, sounding disappointed.

"I'm free Friday mornings." Lydia realized, "We could get breakfast."

"That sounds good, how many classes are you taking?" Dylan asked.

"5, Psychology, Biology, Advanced Algebra, French 4 and French Lit." Lydia listed off her classes.

"That seems like a lot," Dylan said.

"It is, but I'm enjoying the challenge," Lydia said.

"I must be getting to my next class," Dylan said reluctantly.

"Well I have to be getting to my homework, I'll see you on Friday, I know of a really nice place, Georgina's Deli they have a good breakfast selection." Lydia told him.

"The deli on Jamestown Ave?"

"Yeah," Lydia said, she had a lunch date with Abigail at that particular deli; she'd just stay there in between and study.

"I'll see you Lydia." Dylan said.

"See you Dylan." Lydia said and they both hung up.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

3 months later

"So recapping: The Knights of the Golden Circle was a Southern extremist group," Ben was speaking as Lydia slipped into the lecture hall and found a seat, her Grandfather noticed her and waved. Lydia waved back and she pulled her cell phone out, after making sure it was on silent she sent a quick text off to her grandfather "Math lab was canceled thought I'd surprise the two of you! :) "

"Had Thomas not burned the legendary missing pages from the Booth diary, the killers may have found a vast treasure of gold, and the Union may well have lost the Civil War." Lydia had clearly gotten there at the very end. "Thank you."

Lydia joined in the applause smiling proudly at her father and grandfather.

"I'd like to thank Ben and Patrick Gates. And say what a wonderful addition Thomas Gates is to our civilian heroes exhibit."

"Thank you." Ben responded

"Thank you, Dr. Nichols. I only wish my grandfather had been here to see this wonderful day."

"Excuse me." Lydia turned when a man spoke up. "I have a question I'd like to ask. What do you think happened to that Booth diary page that was pulled out of the fire?"

"We may never know." Ben repeated the answer he'd given Lydia the week before when she'd asked the same question.

"Perhaps." The man shrugged. "Perhaps not. You see, I have one of those great -great- granddaddies, like you, way up in my family tree, name of Silas Wilkinson. He used to tell a story about the night Lincoln was shot. As Silas tells it, Booth didn't seek out Thomas Gates regarding the treasure map that night. It was Thomas who called the meeting."

"How absurd," Ben said, but Lydia could tell her father's bravado was fake. This man's claim was clearly unnerving her father.

"That's a lie!" Lydia had never seen her grandfather so angry.

"Yeah right," Lydia scoffed; a couple of the patrons close to her turned to her and one shushed her. Lydia glared at the woman and turned back to see her father and grandfather.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man kept speaking as the crowd turned to face him. "I present to you...one of the missing pages from the infamous diary of John Wilkes Booth with the name Thomas Gates written on a list along with all the other killers."

The director guided everyone out then, as this was clearly something that needed to be taken care of privately. They all gathered around the page, Lydia took the opportunity to childishly elbow the man in the side before muttering a non apologetic "sorry."

"And Latin?" Lydia couldn't tell who had said it. The door opened and she turned, her eyes widening in surprise and joy as she saw her boyfriend. "Hey." She greeted quietly.

"Hey," Dylan responded, he put an arm around her.

"Booth was a student of Latin." Ben responded.

"He shouted, "Sic semper tyrannis" after he shot Lincoln. "Thus always to...""

"Thus always to tyrants." We know." Lydia had never seen her grandfather so angry.

"Surratt, copiae"?

"Military supplies."

"Mary Surratt was convicted and hanged for supplying Booth with a rifle and field glasses." Lydia could feel Dylan's arm getting a little tighter around her waist.

"Thomas Gates, artifex."

"Designer or "mastermind."

"I know what it means." At Patrick's snap, Lydia turned to Dylan.

"My grandfather usually isn't this rude." Although she whispered quietly, apparently it wasn't quiet enough as Ben looked up and did a double take at where Dylan's arm was.

"He must have, uh, planned the assassination." The man said, his voice slick.

"It could mean mastermind of anything." Patrick insisted.

"Exactly." Lydia agreed, "You see that?" she pointed to the page, leaning in a little closer. "It's burned out right there."

"I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you."

Lydia's disbelieving scoff got Patrick's attention and he too did a double take at Dylan being there.

"May I, Mr...?" The MC? asked, reaching for the paper.

"Wilkinson." He finally introduced himself.

"I'll see if this new page matches the Booth diary."

Please no, please no, please no please no, please no. Lydia took a in a breath as the paper lined up with the rip inside the book. "No." She whispered.

"This is an outrage. You're calling my grandfather a liar."

"With respect, now you're calling my great-great-granddaddy a liar." Wilkinson

"Yes, sir, I am. This isn't some garbage from a history book." Patrick started talking passionately. "My grandfather told me this story himself. I saw the truth of it in his eyes!"

"I'm sorry, sir. I truly am."

"Could you at least pretend you're not an asshole?" Lydia asked glaring at the man.

"Lydia." She could hear the warning in her dad's tone.

"He is!" Lydia insisted.

"We'll test this thoroughly, Patrick, to authenticate it."

"It can't be," Patrick said, his stance weakening.

They left then, along with Wilkinson. Wilkinson turned and walked in the opposite direction once they were out of the building.

"Do I want to know what happened?" Dylan asked quietly.

"Apparently, my great great grandfather murdered President Lincoln." Lydia said, sarcastically

"If your great great grandfather loved President Lincoln and this country half as much as you do Lydia, there's no chance that he would even entertain the idea." Dylan said loyally

Lydia smiled and gave her boyfriend a side hug. "Thanks Dylan." She said.

"So," Ben's voice was too loud, as he butted into the conversation. "Lydia. Boy." He gestured to Dylan.

"Dad, Grandpa, this is Dylan. I told you about him."

"So you're Dylan," Ben said, although his tone was flat, it was also friendly.

"Yes sir," Dylan said, he could hear the edge in Ben's voice and he quickly took his arm from around Lydia's waist and put a few inches between the two of them.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with you for a moment, man to man, if that's all right with you Lydia." Ben's tone dared both Lydia and Dylan to say no.

"Of course sir." Dylan caught on quickly.

"Come this way please." Ben said, moving to a bench.

Dylan shot Lydia a scared look and walked back to where Ben had sat down. Patrick put an arm around Lydia and guided her away from the both of them.

"Grandpa, I think that…" Lydia started. Patrick gently shushed her and quietly spoke.

"Don't." His order was firm but gentle.

"But…." Lydia half turned and called back to Ben. "Dad, don't kill him!" and with that, Patrick pulled her out of ear reach of her father and boyfriend.

Ben smiled at Dylan; the boy looked about ready to wet his pants. Good, he thought, this was Lydia he was protecting, the boy should be afraid of him.

"So, Dylan, you really like Lydia?"

"Yes sir." Dylan nodded, gulping nervously.

"I think that's great, I'm probably a little biased, but I happen to think my daughter is pretty awesome."

"Me too sir."

"And as her father, I have a vested interest in her safety, not only her physical safety, but her emotional safety as well." He paused, "Understand?"

"Yes sir." Dylan nodded again.

"So I have one thing to say to you and one thing only." Ben's voice got flat and he leaned forward so Dylan knew how serious he was. "I know John Walsh from America's Most Wanted, hurt Lydia, I guarantee that you will disappear and no one will ever miss you." He paused as Dylan's eyes widened and he let out a quiet whimper. "Understand?" He asked.

"Yes." Dylan nodded vigorously. "I won't hurt her sir, I promise." His voice was desperate.

Ben nodded, a smile forming. "Glad we understand each other, Dylan. Would you like to come over to the house for Lunch?"

"I have to be at a tutoring session." Dylan said, "I work in the math center here on campus, that's how I help pay my tuition."

Ben nodded and got up from the bench. "Nice meeting you Dylan, come over to my father's place any time."

Dylan nodded, "I'll remember the invitation sir." He said, and they both left.

*page break* *page break* *page break*

Ben walked up to the car, his daughter was sitting in the passenger seat, her arms folded, a frown on her face. "Where's Dylan?" Lydia asked through the open window as Ben walked up to the car.

"After we finished our lovely conversation, he said he had to go to the math lab to tutor someone." Ben said, getting into the back seat of the car. "Dad?" he asked, "could you drop me off at Riley's place? I've got a few questions for him."

"We need Riley's help to prove Thomas Gates' innocence?" Lydia asked, turning partly in her seat.

Ben nodded quietly, "I'll meet you back at the house."

Lydia nodded and they pulled into traffic.

Lydia looked up as Ben and Riley came into her grandfather's house. "Riley!" she greeted, setting her book aside, she got up and hugged him, it had been a few years since they'd seen each other and the hug lasted a few moments. "How are you?" She asked.

"I'm good; did you get the book I sent you?" Riley asked.

"I did, I loved it Riley," Lydia said, she smiled at the older man; he was still looking at her, the look on his face almost dazed. "What?"

"You look different Lydia." Riley said, "A good different though."

Lydia tried not to blush, had Riley just called her pretty? "Thanks Riley…." She paused for a moment, "You too."

Ben cleared his throat and the two of them, turned to face him.

"We need to see the Booth Diary page again." He took in a breath, "That's our first item of business."

Riley nodded in agreement as he sat down. "But how are we going to do that?"

"If I could get Abigail's card, I could have access to it," Ben said.

"I'm sitting this one out then, Dad." Lydia spoke now, from her seat next to Riley.

"Lydia…."

"No, Dad, she kicked you out of your house, I don't want to talk to her," Lydia said, her voice firm.

Ben nodded and chose to fight this particular battle another time. "The thing is, Riley, Abigail changed the security code, do you think you could over ride it somehow?"

Riley nodded. "That's easy."

"Good, we'll go tonight, she usually has late meetings on Thursday nights."

Although the situation was grave, Lydia couldn't help but smile. It felt good to be treasure hunting again.

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