A/N: This is my first National Treasure fic and I'm used to writing Harry Potter fics, but I'm trying to branch out a little. I'm a huge Emily/Patrick fan and I don't think they get enough stories, so my challenge to you is that if you like my story give me a story in return circulating around them. And of course Ben/Abigail are great too, but I decided to make the ending of the movie a little more to my taste. That would be more drastic and heart-pounding. This takes place right after they found Cibola.

"We found it!" Ben cried out in amazement. Abigail and Riley shared his excitement and even Mitch could not hide his surprise. Rile was actually jumping up and down and Abigail found herself in Ben's enthusiastic hug. They had found it, Cibola, the city of gold.

"Ben! Oh, thank goodness, Ben!" The four turned to see two figures standing across the room of gold. Emily and Patrick had made it. Ben let go of Abigail and started towards his parents. The others turned to explore the rest of the room. The golden pyramids outlined the enormous cavern. In the center was a sacrificial temple that stood like an island in the water.

"Ben, I was so worried! Are you okay?" Emily wrapped her arms around her son as he assured her of his health.

"She was nearly hysterical," said Patrick as he patted him on the back.

"I was more worried about the two of you killing each other," laughed Ben, the earlier scares of meeting his death out of his mind. Emily and Patrick refused to meet each other's eyes, the kiss still fresh on their minds and Emily walked off. Ben didn't seem to notice the uncomfortable air between them.

"This is unbelievable!" exclaimed Riley, giving out a huge whoop. Ben looked around for Abigail and found her climbing to the top of the center temple with his mom. Mitch was wondering around the base of it.

"I'm proud of you, son. You really did it. Thomas Gates would be so proud." Patrick put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "His name will be cleared. I knew he was innocent." He seemed close to tears as he stared off into the distance. Ben followed his eyesight to Emily and Abigail jumping in excitement at something they had found.

"Uh, guys? I don't think this is too good." Riley was hunched over looking down a tunnel.

"What is it?" yelled Mitch.

"Water and lots of it." He began running from the pyramid he was on, and for good reason. Water gushed out from all directions. The pressure from the water must have been greater than the stone holding it back. The room was going to fill up with water.

"Quick, to higher ground," cried Ben, pulling his father towards the center of the city. Once all of them were at the top of the temple, they could see what was going on. Water was pouring in from all directions.

"It seems to be draining somewhere, but it's not going fast enough. The room is going to fill up," muttered Mitch. "We have to find the drain; it will be the only way out." As they began looking around for some sort of drain, Patrick removed a dollar bill from his pocket. He dropped it over the edge of the temple, following the current it was whisked away under the temple.

"It's underneath us!"

"Lead the way, Dad." They followed him off the temple and waded through the waist deep water into a small tunnel. Inside there was some sort of wheel and a stone door. "The wheel must open the door." Ben and Mitch quickly jumped to it, turning the wheel and the door slowly crept open. Right as Riley began to move toward it, Mitch let go, sending an unsuspecting Ben to the floor and the exit slammed shut.

"What was that?!" yelled Riley who had almost been underneath it when it closed.

"We all know what is going to happen. Someone will have to hold the door open and stay behind. Someone has to die," shouted Mitch over the rush of the incoming water. "And it is not going to be me." He let this sink in and looked at the pathetic group. They were all soaking wet and worn out. He had twice the muscle power to fight his way out of here; the treasure would be his.

"No," whispered Emily. Everyone looked at her. "There has to be another way." Mitch leapt off the platform where the wheel stood and took out the knife he had found earlier. Abigail let out a small squeak and Ben stepped protectively in front of his friends and family.

"There is no other way. So, who's it going to be?"

"Mitch, put the knife down. There is no need for it."

"Really? It's five versus one. I think I need some leverage," smirked Mitch. Ben lunged at him, but the water slowed him down and Mitch easily jumped out of the way. Riley tried to grab him from behind but that only earned him an elbow to the face, breaking his nose. He cried out in pain, falling back into the rising water. When he emerged, there was blood seeping from his nose.

"You okay?" shouted Ben. He nodded holding his face. Mitch made his way through the now chest deep water at Patrick, Emily, and Abigail. Patrick pulled Abigail into Emily, forcing them behind him. Mitch took one swing and missed, leaving room for a right hook to the mouth. His second blow hit home though, and this time with the knife. It sliced Patrick's right shoulder, but didn't go too deep. Both women screamed, but Ben was already flying through the air at him. He made contact with Mitch's back and both of them went under the water. Much to their relief, Ben came up for air, gasping.

"Where's Mitch?" asked Abigail, silently thanking God that Ben was okay. All of the sudden Emily let out a shriek and she was pulled under. Two seconds later she came up again, but with Mitch behind her, the knife to her throat.

"Who will it be? Who's going to stay behind? Because if you don't make a decision now, we're all going to die," growled Mitch and it was clear that he was right. The water was rising at a steady rate and it would not be long before they were all under water.

"I will!" called Ben and Patrick at the same time. Even Riley had mumbled something indistinct over by the door, still holding his now profusely bleeding nose.

"It's amazing what you can do with a hostage," grinned Mitch, resting his head against hers. Emily struggled to get away from him, causing him to laugh even more. Ben ran up to the wheel.

"Look! I'm here! Go by the door, I'll get it open. Just let my mom go."

"Now what good would that do? All you would have to do is let them through and then shut the door before I got through. You just let me and your dear old mother through and then I promise I won't hurt her- Too much." Patrick started to say something, but Abigail rested a hand on his arm. Instead, he turned to his son.

"Let me do it, Ben. You have your whole life in front of you, and a wonderful woman to spend it with," said Patrick softly.

"Abby, get him out of here when I open the door," replied Ben, never meeting his father's eyes. It would be too painful. Not that Abigail was any better. He loved her more than anything in the world, but he would not be able to live with himself if he left his father here to die. Abigail rushed up to him, pulling him into a hug. She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, tears on her face. She knew this was something he had to do.

"Would you hurry up? We're going to drown before you open the door." Ben looked around. Abigail and he were up on a platform, but the water was reaching the other's necks. Patrick and Mitch were still standing, but Riley who was shorter, was treading water to stay afloat. Emily was struggling to get air from under Mitch's knife.

"You are going to drown her," yelled Patrick catching sight of Emily's effort to breathe. Mitch rearranged his hold on her to keep her above the water. Patrick would give anything to have her safe and pain free in his arms. He had noticed the bruises on her wrists and neck from her early escapade with Mitch and his partners. She had never complained, but he knew she was hurting both mentally and physically. Ben began pushing on the wheel as Abigail began pulling Patrick toward the door with Mitch and Emily. The rising of the door caused a steam of water to flow through.

"Ahh! I'm 'oing unner!" Riley had been sucked through the small space that Ben had opened up and disappeared.

"Riley!" called Ben, under the strain of the heavy wheel. Patrick had managed to hang onto the side of the cave, but Abigail had slipped through his hands under the door. "Abby!"

"I'm ohay! I tink Abb 'it 'er 'ead on de door! Ab-he! Ab!" Riley called from the other side, his broken nose affecting his speech. "Sheet! I tink she'z knocked out!"

Ben cursed, still panting from holding the door open.

"Shut it!" Mitch had been pushed against the wall instead of being on the other side of the door. Ben closed the door. The water had subsided, but it was still deep. "Now that you've saved your girlfriend, let me through."

"How do I know you won't kill them once you make it through?" asked Ben. "How do I know you'll let them live?"

"You'll just have to trust me," smirked Mitch. He slowly traced his knife along Emily's collarbone, drawing a small line of blood.

"Stop!" cried Patrick. Emily whimpered slightly, her chest heaving.

"I can't let you through. Not without knowing you won't hurt them."

"You have no room to negotiate. If you don't let me through you not only kill us both, but your parents as well. So, open the door, Gates." Ben looked at his father, whose shoulder was bleeding and then to his mother whose teeth were clenched shut in order to not scream out in pain. Emily looked at her ex-husband, her eyes telling him something Ben could not understand. They were filled with tears, but she refused to cry. Something had happened between them tonight in the cave.

"Go." Ben began to push the door open again. Mitch and Emily went under and disappeared to the other side. "Go Dad! Now!" Patrick waded through the water to the platform where his son was struggling with to hold back the wheel.

"Benjamin, go with them. Leave me here." He walked up to where Ben was and placed his weight against the bar of the wheel. "As your father I demand that you leave." Seeing the desperate look in Patrick's eyes, Ben stepped back. "Go."

"Dad…"

"I said go. Please. All I ask is that you take care of Abby and your mother." Ben stepped into the water and dove under the door. It shut behind him.

"Where did he go?" Ben could make out Mitch's tall outline throwing his mother roughly to the floor. Someone lay on the floor, but one person was missing.

"Where did the nerd go?" Mitch raised his arm to hit Emily, but Ben caught his arm.

"Ben!" gasped Emily, tears streaming down her face. "I thought you were…" Her eyes widened when it hit her. "Patrick…"

"Let the old man die…how noble of you Gates," mocked Mitch. Ben took a swing at him, sending him stumbling away.

"Ben- Abigail!" Emily was pointing franticly to the figure on the ground. Abigail lay on her back. Ben bent over her, brushing away the wet strands of dirty blonde hair from her face. A gash on the back of her head was bleeding on the stone floor.

"Abby…Abby please wake up," he whispered, bending over to check her breathing, relieved to feel a pulse. He could not hold back the tears at the thought of losing her. He should have known the current would pull her under. "Honey, wake up for me. I love you."

"So sad, so sad. To lose two people so close to your heart." Mitch had regained footing.

"What did you do with Riley?"

"I didn't do anything. As soon as we came out he pointed to her and ran off. Blubbering idiot."

"How dare you!" Ben got up, Mitch raised his fists, for he had lost the knife somewhere between the door and here.

"Ben, don't!" Emily was sitting, defeated, against the wall. She could not bear to see him hurt; he was all she had left. She was crying now- all her strength had left her. A loud commotion at the end of the tunnel caused them all to stop and turn. Riley had returned with Agent Sadusky and a team of FBI agents. Riley was still holding his bleeding nose, but looked rather pleased with himself. The others carried sledgehammers and other tools.

"Mr. Poole, Gates is right here," said Sadusky looking at Ben.

"I 'wear, he was 'oing to stay be'ind to die."

"Dad did." Ben looked regrettably back at the stone door.

"Well, then lets get to work and see if we can save a life tonight. You there, start tearing down that wall. Be prepared for water surges. I need the paramedics to look at Ms. Chase. Get moving!" Riley, Ben, and Emily watched in amazement as workers began to beat the stone door. Ben shook Riley's hand and walked over to his mother, helping her off the floor, her eyes never leaving the door.

"Mom, let the paramedics have a look at you," said Ben gently eyeing the washed out cut on her neckline.

"Not until they get through," she whispered, her body shaking from the dampness of the tunnel. An agent brought over a blanket for the two of them. Ben kept looking over his shoulder at Abigail who was being lifted onto a stretcher. Riley approached them from behind.

"I'll stay 'er wit 'er. Ooo go wit Ab-he." As much as Ben wanted to take him up on his offer, he knew Abigail would be safe. His father on the other hand was a different issue. If he tried to live, Patrick had ten to twenty minutes left before the entire room filled up. However, he didn't know they were trying to save him and the water could have been coming in faster than they thought.

"Pull out! Get them out!" yelled an agent who was working on destroying the door. Water was spraying through- they were almost through. "The water will come through the tunnel. Get them out!" Sadusky reached Ben's other side.

"Come on Gates. You heard the man."

"Sir, I don't think that you understand the situation. My father was willing to sacrifice his life for us. We need to be here if…when he comes out alive." Sadusky nodded and waved off his men. Riley nodded his approval, holding his blanket to his nose. Emily never made a sound. Within five minutes, the workers had broken through completely, sending water into the tunnel. Rescuers moved in, looking for the lone man. Ben heard Emily muttering something, finally understanding that she was praying.

"Mom…if he doesn't make it…whatever happened between you two today…" He could not imagine the pain she would be in if his father did not come out alive. She looked so distant and pale. Ben had never seen this side of Emily before. She had always been the strong one- his rock. Seeing her break down broke his heart. And worrying about Abigail and Patrick on top of that was not helping.

"Ben, please don't say that. Please just let me think he will be alright. I need him to be alright." Emily was glad to have her son beside her and alive, but in the few short days she had spent with Patrick she had seen everything she had been missing for thirty-two years.

"We found him! Get the medics now!" Emily fell to her knees in tears as the paramedics rushed past them and threw the water into the room on the other side. In moments they began pulling Patrick out on a stretcher, but there seemed to be no life in him. He lay unmoving on the white sheet, eyes closed. From the brief look they got of him, hope seemed out of reach.

"Mom, let's go." Emily allowed her son to guide her out of the tunnel and into the sunlight. They moved her into an ambulance along with Riley. Sadusky approached Ben.

"Look Gates, you need to be checked out before we book you."

"Book me?"

"You kidnapped the President of the United States, remember?" Ben shook his head in realization.

"Right," he sighed. Looking around once more he remembered something. "Where is Mitch Wilkinson?"

A/N: Don't worry, I'll have more to come soon, probably just one more chapter. Remember I'm mainly concentrating on Em and Patrick so you might not see all that much of Ben, Abby, and Riley in the final outcome. Of course, you'll see if Abby's ok or not. Remember my challenge: write more Emily/Patrick!! And reviews are nice. :D