DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately enough, I don't own Indiana Jones—or anything else that you recognise. All original characters and the plot are mine, though some of the facts are really stone fact.

xXxXx

Kitty

"Come on, Kitty, you only turn twenty once in your life."

I raised my eyebrow. "Doesn't that apply to all other birthdays as well?" I asked smirking.

Nancy fumbled with the phone that was in her hand. It fell to the ground with a clatter and she hastily bent over to pick it up. "Whatever, wet rag," She muttered. "It's your loss. Scott's been planning this bash since forever, and you're just going to flake out on us."

I don't really know what I was expecting for my birthday. I mean, there were the obvious potential gifts: money, a car and maybe even clothes from my parents. I mean my friends could get me whatever. We could go over seas or we could go to some sort of 'group of friends' holiday.

I mean it wasn't as though I expected anything from my parents. They had died five years, ago and I had already fully dealt with it. It wasn't as though I would waltz around wishing that they could give me a present or at leats a message from beyond the grave. Sure, I was like that in the beginning, but not anymore.

Now? I was happy.

I lived in a small little two bedroom high-rise apartment in the middle of New York. Franklin, my Granddad, who had been my legal guardian for the three years between my parent's death and my eighteenth birthday, still lived with me. He was, and always had been, my rock. He kept me stable when I felt the full force of my parent's departure.

The apartment was empty at the moment.

Franklin retired from his job as head of Archaeology at NYU and he was taking a well-deserved holiday in Rome. He had offered to take me along as well, but I had declined. As much as I would have loved to spend my birthday with him, the promise of a crazy party made only for me was too promising.

Not to mention, Franklin was only in Rome to do more 'recreational' archaeology. When he left he told me that the purpose of his expedition was to go back and finish things that had had unintentionally started back in his gap year after school.

I fingered the rings around my fingers that had once been my mother's. She loved the rings, and I intended to do exactly the same. I did do exactly the same. These rings were fabulous. Franklin gave the rings to my mum when she was twenty-one. And when she had died Franklin decided that I should have them.

"Hey Kitty…" Nancy sighed, skiving off the party idea. "You got some mail."

I frowned and looked over at her. My hands were preoccupied, still folding washing and putting it away in my own cupboard, but I could clearly see the large stack of envelopes that Nancy held. "Oh…" I said, a little distractedly. "Right… can you put them over there?" I nodded my head at my bedside table.

Nancy went down to my bed, but instead of putting them down, she bean flicking through them. I rolled my eyes but focused on separating my shirts from my pants. "Like wow, Kit…" Nancy said excitedly. "You got something from Rome."

I rolled my eyes as I stowed the last of my clothes away. "Nancy. It's not some sort of exciting drama. It's from my grand-dad."

Nancy looked disgusted with herself and flung the envelope down on the mattress, away from her. I scowled at her, and bent over to pick it up. "Stop being a spaz." I said to her with a frown. "He's my Granddad."

I thought back to Franklin, hoping hat he never found out what my friends thought of how I lived with him. They thought he was some sort of freak. But I needed him. He was my connection to the normalcy that everyone else around here got.

"It's freaky, Kit." Nancy decided with a shake of her head. "He's like sixty…"

I scowled at her. "Cut the gas." I told her angrily. "I'm not interested."

Nancy rolled her eyes but stopped talking about it. She found a magazine that I had a subscription to and eagerly ripped it open. I rolled my eyes with a frown, flipping the letter from Italy over in my hand.

Sure enough, I recognised my granddad's untidy scrawl. I smiled as I opened up the letter waiting to hear about the latest discovery.

As I read through the letter my eyes widened. My granddad wasn't talking about his latest discovery, or a new idea that had struck him. This was way more intense. This was much more than any letter I had gotten from him before. His writing was so untidy because he was excited and had to get it all out on paper. It was untidy because he had no time, and had to find a way to mail this letter.

I began breathing faster, and my hands began to shake. Nancy turned to look at me. "Hey, you okay, Kit?" She asked me.

I nodded hurriedly. She seemed to brush off her momentary concern looking back at her magazine.

Thoughts whizzed through my head and I quickly went over the letter again.

Kat,

I don't have much time, so this letter will be brief. But I hope you understand. I've only just managed to get out of there and I know that they're onto me. You need to do everything that I say, specifically.

You need to run. You need to get out of the apartment. Find Dr Henry Jones. In this envelope there are two other things. One of them is a map, and another letter. Give them to Henry; he'll know what to do.

I'm sure he'll be able to look after you. But you have to get out of New York.

I love you, and stay safe.

Granddad.

PS— if you see anyone looking suspicious, get out of there as fast as you can.

This was unreal. This was crazy. This was ridiculous. This was—

"Yikes, Kit." Nancy's voice sounded worried now. "What the heck is in that letter?"

I realised what I must have looked like. A shivering, quaking, unsteady and probably pale mass of insecurity. I jumped at her voice and stared at her with wide eyes. "Uh…"

She got to her feet, discarding the magazine. "Hey…" She said, standing up and steadying me with her hands. "You alright?"

I coughed slightly, shaking my head. I blinked a couple of times, her concerned face swimming in and out of focus. Finally, it stopped and all I could see was her. "Sorry…" I stammered quickly. "I just… Granddad surprised me, that's all."

Nancy frowned slightly, in disbelief, but she forgot it quickly enough. "I'm sure it's not that bad. How did he surprise you?" She asked.

I shook my head. I needed to get out of this house. "Where's that party for my birthday, again?" I asked changing the subject.

Nancy noticed this, and her eyes narrowed slightly, but she ignored it. "It's a Bonfire Bash for you. It's on the basketball courts on Campus. They got permission to do it, because they don't think anything's going to happen."

I nodded. A bonfire seemed like a good distraction. I nodded, and reached into my closet. I pocketed the envelope and all its contents, in my jacket and turned to Nancy. "It'd be a waste if we didn't make an appearance."

Nancy let out a squeal of excitement. "Oh! Kitty!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down for a second. "It'll be unreal." She promised me. "I swear."

I smiled at her, and let my hands rest in my jacket pockets, my fist clenching around the letter. "Let's go?" I suggested.

Nancy shook her head. "Give me a second!" She said hastily. "I look horrible!"

I couldn't help but smile as she hurried to straighten her skirt and do her hair again. She disappeared in my bathroom, slamming to door. I pulled out the envelope again, staring at it. It was probably just my granddad worrying. He was convinced that Nazis and Communists were everywhere.

He was probably just over reacting. It'll be fine.

xXxXx

"Hey baby…"

A warm arm snaked around my waist and I grinned up at my boyfriend, Scott. Blonde, tall and Captain of the Football team—he was all mine. I hadn't rally had time to talk to him. Since arriving I found myself bombarded by people I barely knew presenting small gifts. He had been there the whole time, but I hadn't really had time to say hello.

"Hey…" I said with an excited grin, turning to face him.

He grinned down at me, his finger playing with my jacket collar. "You still wearing my jacket?" He said grinning. I smiled fondly at him, pulling the jacket tightly around me. It was his team jacket, the one that signified he was in the team. But it looked better on me.

Or so he told me.

"Obviously." I grinned up at him.

He leaned down and I felt his breath on my ear. "It looks better on you…" he whispered.

I grinned, "Of course." He laughed and pressed a swift kiss to my lips. I grinned at him, before turning back to our friends. He kept his arm slung over my shoulder, and I leaned into him.

"So Kitty…" Another of Scott's friends, Brad, grabbed my attention. "What did you get?"

Everyone looked on in interest, but I flushed. "Not much." I said with a shrug. "I mean, it's just me and Franklin, and he's in Rome right now. I got some stuff from you guys…" I motioned to the pile that they had given me when we arrived.

There were a couple of fashion shop vouchers, a whole lot of jewellery and a couple of more meaningful presents. Scott got me a picture of the two of us, framed, and Nancy got me a large plastic box of beauty products.

"You mean old man Franklin, didn't get you anything?" Brad said with an incredulous look at Scott.

I shrugged. "It's not that bad. He's on holiday, that he deserves."

Scott shook his head. "It's your Twentieth birthday, Kitty." He said. "Your granddad should have time to get you something."

"He offered to bring me with him? And he's buying me something in Rome." I offered meekly, hoping this would satisfy the piranha like people I called my friends. They were eating my Granddad alive, and it had to be stopped.

"Nah…" Nancy said, "Her grandad sent her a letter."

I winced, and my hand— still in the jacket pocket— tightened around the envelope.

"A letter?" Brad echoed. There was a round of laughter. Comments like, 'that's thoughtful,' and 'how gracious' filled the air and I felt the desire to get out of there. Scott felt me tense and he rubbed my arm comfortingly. But that didn't stop him from adding his own sarcastic remark.

"Be nice, guys…" He said with a sigh. "The guy is old. Maybe that was thoughtful in the Dark ages."

I pushed his arm off me, with a scowl. The boys who saw this let out more remarks. Scott frowned, "Aw, come on, baby?"

I frowned. "Get bent!" I shouted at them. "Guys. He's my granddad. He's the only person in my family I have left. So if you could stop being such jackasses it would be heaps appreciated."

Nancy nodded and came to my rescue, wrapping her arm around me. "Yeah guys. She freaked out enough as it is, when she got the letter. She doesn't need you guys adding fuel to the fire."

Ah. Nancy. Thank you for that.

"Freaked out?" Scott echoed. "What about?"

Nancy shrugged. "She didn't tell me." She turned to me with a concerned frown. She obviously didn't know what she was doing. "What was it?"

I told myself she wasn't doing this on purpose. But it was a bit hard after looking around the circle of people, Scott, Brad, Nancy, Megan, Tallulah, Karen and Brian, Todd and more. I opened and closed my mouth trying to figure out an answer, while they all waited silently for my response.

"Kitty…?" Scott said slowly.

"Well..." I was cut off.

By a revved up engine spinning around the corner and coming across the grass at such a high speed, I was pretty sure it wouldn't stop. Suddenly, the dancing and the laughing stopped and all I could hear were screams and raised panicked voices. And everyone around me began to run in the havoc that this single car was creating. Then the car stopped in the middle of the grounds.

"What the—?" Scott said angrily. He exchanged a murderous look with his friends: Brad, Brian, and Todd. Then he scowled back at the car. "This guys cruising for a bruising. No one crashes my girl's birthday party."

They began to march away, ready to teach this person a lesson. Despite the initial anger at his insulting my grandfather I clutched at his sleeve. The car was revving again, ready to move. "Scott…" I warned trying to stop him.

He brushed me off.

Then he stopped dead.

The car had started moving again, and was now facing us. The lights turned on, and everyone in the light blinked at the sudden brightness. And then the car revved for one more time. And then accelerated.

"MOVE!" Scott shouted, spinning around and grabbing my arm, pulling me out of the way of the car and onto the grass. I watched in horror as the car didn't stop, and Nancy only just managed to dive out of the way. Todd caught her before she hit the cement of the basketball court.

Megan wasn't quite so lucky. The car hit her legs and she flipped, flying into the air before she landed on the bonnet of the car.

She let out a petrified scream, and everyone around stared in horror. When she didn't move from the bonnet, Brian ran to her side and pulled her off.

"Meg…?" He whispered urgently. She moaned.

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. She was alive. The only thing that was wrong was how her leg was sort of sitting at an odd angle.

The car door opened and Brian began shouting. "What the hell are you on?" He demanded angrily. "You've broken her freaking leg." He stopped talking there though.

Out of the car stepped three burly looking men, all in dark black trench coats.

"We're looking for Katerina Roberts." One of them finally said.

I felt Scott's hand instantly tighten around mine. I stared with wide eyes at them.

It wasn't alright. My granddad hadn't overreacted. He had totally been serious when he told me to run. I should have run. I should have gotten out of the there as soon as I read that letter. Now as I stared at their men's face, cold and hard, the petrified fear that flooded me didn't even permit me to breath— let alone run.

"That is her." The one who exited the left of the car said, lifting one of his fingers to point at me.

I stared at them, waiting to see what they'd do. Scott seemed to notice this. "What do you want with her?"

"She will come with us." The man said. "There will be no questions asked."

Scott pushed me behind him. "Run." He whispered to me.

But I couldn't move. I could only stare at these three men who obviously already had my grandfather.

"You come with us now." The man ordered. Then he reached into his trench coat and we caught sight of a gun.

"RUN!" Scott shouted at the top of his lungs. The urgency in his voice or maybe the sight of the gun pushed my senses into hyper drive.

In a matter of millisecond I had spun on my heel and was sprinting away. I wanted to turn my head and look back, to see exactly what was going on.

"Get her!" One of the suits shouted, and then there was a gun shot, and I couldn't even think of anything except, 'please don't let that be Scott.' And 'gotta run. Gotta Run.'

I ran past the buildings of Campus before I could even consider where I was going. I could hear the heavy breathing of whoever was running behind me, but it wasn't as though he was slowing down. In fact, he was probably one of those evil henchmen who have no problem with one-hundred mile sprints.

I ran into the college courtyard, and disappeared into the trees that they had planted in order to 'give us a place to be clam and collect our thoughts.'

It wasn't working. I wasn't calm at all as I ran around all of those trees. The only good thing about these trees was that I was quickly loosing the man. I continued to run full sprint through the trees, faintly aware of the now ringing police bells. Someone must have heard the gun shots.

Finally I slowed down, needing to catch my breath. When I actually caught my breath, managing to slow my heart I heard the guy's heavy footsteps coming my way.

Spinning around to see where the guy was, I realised that I couldn't see him anywhere, so I attempted to climb one of the nearest trees. After managing to find a suitable foothold, I hauled myself into the tree, and waited, not breathing for him to come into view.

Sure enough, the guy ran into my view in a couple of seconds. He stopped suddenly beneath the tree, trying to figure out which way I went after that. He wasn't even breathing hard, just looking around with narrowed eyes.

I let out a breath, a sigh of relief, before I could help myself. I clapped my hands over my mouth but the damage was done. The man looked right up at me and I let out a loud scream. "She's over here!" The guy shouted.

Oh great. He's calling his buddies.

I tried to figure out whether or not I should jump to the ground and get caught, or wait up here to get caught. I couldn't make up my mind until I saw him beginning to climb the tree. Much faster than I had done.

I let-out a yelp and then stood up. The branch was very small, and this probably wouldn't work, but hey— worth a shot?

I ran along the branch, hitting my face on the twigs and leaves of the higher branches. My feet would slip every time. But I would catch myself with the next step before I could fall. And then I didn't catch myself and I was falling.

I lifted my hands above my head to shield myself as I hit the ground. My back ached, but I could still hear the shouting of the burly men. I pushed myself to my feet, groaning I began running again .This time I ran to the streets.

Our school was situated in the middle of the city of New York. Couldn't that mean that maybe if I could get in the view of people on the road they would stop running after me? I urged myself forward, only second away from the road.

Then that same black car pulled up right next to where I was running.

I let out a little scream and turned, running down the sidewalk. I bowled past the people who were still out late. Exclamations of shock came from all of them, but I could hear that one specific car driving behind me.

The people seemed to realise pretty soon what was happening, especially as the two other suits ran quickly after me. They didn't seem to know what to do, so they just stood there, motionless. Not helping me, but not helping them as well.

'Run, run, run, run…' I chanted in my head. I could faintly see the entrance to one of the underground trains. I let out a gleeful laugh and ran down the stairs. I ran past everyone down there as well, more shouts of confusion. Before the guards could stop me, I had leapt over the ticket barriers, and was already in one of the trains.

The guards who had missed me, noticed the suits, and seemed to decide that they had missed me, and these guys wouldn't get through. The train doors shut and I watched excitedly as we began to move away from the platform.

I dropped my heaving and aching boy into one of the spare seats, breathing out a sigh of relief. I stared up at the sign, trying to figure out where I should get off. And what the heck I would do next.

I felt in my pocket the envelope that Franklin had sent me.

I reached into my pocket and pulled it out. I re-read the note for me, but it didn't leave any extra clues. I reached into the envelope again and pulled out the two remaining slips of paper inside.

The first one that I unfolded was a map. A map of Italy. It looked completely normal. I couldn't see what was wrong about it. Written on the side of the map was a small sentence. "Three strikes from god shall mark his bed."

Okay. Whatever that means…

I reached for the other piece of paper. My granddad had written Dr. Henry Jones on it, but maybe it would help me find the guy. Plus, I think I deserved to read it.

Indy.

I'm sorry about this. I know I haven't spoken to you in years. By now, if you're reading this letter, than Kat's found you. I'm asking you as an old friend to keep her safe. She's all I've got left, and I need her to outlive me. No one else has.

I'm in Rome. I've stumbled onto something bigger than I thought, and I don't think I'll get out of it for a while. It started years ago. I've sent you everything that I've found so far just so that the people who are after me don't get it. If they did, there would be extreme consequences for all of us.

Thanks, Indiana, for doing this. Keep the clues safe, but keep my granddaughter safer. You were one of my best students, and one of my oldest friends.

Look after her, and look after yourself.

Franklin Roberts.

I had to read and re-read this letter at least three times before I finally understood it. Or, really grasped what it was about. Indiana? Was that some sort of nick name? I felt the compulsion to cry when I stared at his words, 'I need her to outlive me.' But I didn't. I wouldn't get that emotional.

So Henry Jones was one of Franklin's old students.

I jumped when the train stopped. Hastily, I packed up all the letters and the envelope and got out of the train. I kept my head bent as I followed the rest of the passengers out of the station. I looked around for any suspicious looking creeps.

I couldn't find any.

I stowed the letters back in Scott's jacket pocket and made my way to the nearest pay phone. I hastily called Nancy's house. As soon as she picked up she began spazzing out about what had happened after I left.

"I'm coming over." I said, interrupting her. "Tell me everything when I get there."

xXxXx

A/N: Okay. Second Chapter. As I said in the Authors note at the end of last chapter: The rest of the fic will be Kitty Central. It will also be in her POV.

I just have a little notice for flamers, just before we continue: I hope you like this fic, I really do. But if you flame it, I hope you don't think it will make a difference. Flames are used to tan my pale legs, and that it all.

Of course, you can have your opinions, but if they're rude or demeaning, then for god's sake keep them to yourselves.

Thankyou.

Now please, review!

Grace.