Hello and welcome to my National Treasure story! :) I recently fell in love with these movies (I don't know how I didn't discover them sooner, for I LOVE history!) and have read some really great fanfictions and got inspired to write my own! I do not own National Treasure - I only own Alex Gates, the character I created for this story. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

Grandpa slept soundly in his armchair before the fire this stormy night. Ben crept out of the room and down the hall to the staircase leading up to the attic. With Grandpa asleep now was the time.

Taking a flashlight with him he started slowly up the staircase, trying to walk as quietly as possible.

Ben jumped when he heard a creak on the stairs behind him and threw a panicked look over his shoulder. It wasn't Grandpa though. It was Alex.

"Bennnnn!" she cried accusingly, her voice a high-pitched whisper. "You're not supposed to go up there! You know that! Grandpa said we're not allowed up here."

"I just want to see," Ben said.

"But Grandpa said-"

"I know what Grandpa said," Ben interrupted. "But I'm still going to look. Now shh, or you'll wake him."

His sister looked as though she was about to protest again, but instead walked up the stairs to join him. "Fine. But I'm coming too."

"You're too young," Ben protested.

"Am not! You'd better let me come or I'll tell Grandpa!"

"Fine," Ben sighed.

With that the siblings crept up to the attic. When Ben pushed open the door it made a loud creak. Both winced. A flash of lightning lit the cluttered space for a moment before all was dark again. Ben turned on his flashlight.

"Do you think there's ghosts up here?" whispered Alex.

"I don't think so," answered Ben. He stepped into the centre of the room, the floorboards creaking eerily beneath his feet. It was dusty up here; Alex kept sneezing. Ben stepped up on a stool and retrieved a large book. He was bringing it down so they could both see but when he turned around he gasped, startled by a sudden tall figure behind them. Alex too jumped.

"Grandpa!" Ben cried.

Their grandfather eyed them. "You're not supposed to be up here."

"Told you," said Alex.

Ben shot her a look before turning back to Grandpa. "We just wanted to see," he said.

A smile crept up their grandfather's lips at their obvious interest. "Very well. I would have preferred to wait until you were older but-" He pulled over a chair and sat down, Alex climbing up to sit on his lap like she always did for his stories. Ben stood before them, both he and Alex waiting expectantly for Grandpa to begin.

Alex was a little confused by all the names and places in the story, but she thought she got most of it: there was a treasure, a very old treasure, older than Mom and Dad, older than Grandpa even, and it was hidden somewhere. She caught 'knights' and 'America' many times throughout the story. She also caught how exciting it all sounded. She loved her Grandpa's stories, and this one might just be her favourite.

"Grandpa, who's Mason?" she asked.

"Not Mason, Freemasons," Ben corrected. "They're the one's who hid the treasure."

"Yes, and among them were some of our Founding Fathers," added Grandpa.

"Our father?!"

"No, the Founding Fathers," Ben corrected yet again, sounding annoyed. "See I told you you were too young."

"Am not!" Alex defended herself.

"Stop interrupting."

Alex stuck her tongue out at her brother before turning back to her grandfather. "Where's it hidden Grandpa?" she asked. "The treasure."

He chuckled. "Even I don't know that. But clues were left for us to try and find it. Like the message from my story: 'The Secret Lies With Charlotte'."

"'Charlotte', that's a pretty name,' said Alex.

"And that'll lead to another clue, which will lead to another, and another, and another." They were interrupted then by the presence of Ben and Alex's father, Patrick. "There is no treasure."

"Now Patrick," began Grandpa, but Dad interrupted him again.

"All I've learned is that our ancestors were fools. Proud to be a Gates," he scoffed. "Ben, Alex, come on, we're leaving. Time to say goodbye now." He gestured for his children to follow him and headed back down the stairs.

Once he was gone, Grandpa sighed. "Your father doesn't believe the stories. He thinks they're silly, made-up."

"Well I believe them!" Alex said firmly, hopping down from his lap.

"Me too," agreed Ben. "I'm proud to be a Gates."

"Me too!" said Alex. "Are you Grandpa?"

He smiled down at them. "Yes, I am."

"Grandpa," Ben said. "Are we knights?"

Grandpa chuckled. "Do you want to be?" Both children nodded.

Ben turned to his sister. "But you're a girl, girl's aren't knights."

"We can be!" she cried, punching him in the arm.

"Yes, you can be the first Lady Knight of our family," Grandpa said, smiling down at his granddaughter. She smiled proudly. "Alright, kneel." The two did so. "Benjamin Franklin Gates, Alexandra Mary Gates, do you swear to take on the duty of the Gates family?"

"We so swear!"

Grandpa smiled. "Then I name you Sir Benjamin and Lady Alexandra Gates, Knights."

"We so swear…"

Initial thoughts? Hope you enjoyed! I'm really excited about this story :) And, as I said, I'm still new to these films, so sorry if my facts aren't quite the same as in the movies! Thanks so much for reading!