Disclaimer: Nope, nothing is mine… yet. Lol! Okay, nothing from National Treasure is mine except for this idea and my Ocs (which, I must add, I think you'll really like the new ones in this story!).

A/N: Hey, guys! Wow, I'm glad that you all really liked that prologue. Kinda creepy, huh? Well, as I said, this whole story will have a darker feel to it. Not this chapter necessarily, but it will get darker, trust me! Now, the rest of this story takes place in the present, which is seven years after the last story. I think you'll all still enjoy it though. Anyway, thank you so much to Thuraya Known, daisyduke80, Receneck, kutlessgurl90, broadwaylover07, Miss Fenway, LoremIpsum, Halo, LupinandHarry, and MonkeyShooter07 for your encouraging reviews for the prologue! It's good to see most of you guys back, which means that you aren't tired of my stories yet, and that I see some new people too! I really appreciate it all, guys, you rock! Oh, and if you got the chance to see the new character pics on my profile, I hope you liked them because you'll probably want to refer to them a lot in this story. Anyway, here's the first chapter!

Chapter 1

"Come on down now, Clara! It's almost nine! Your date will be here soon!"

"Coming, Daddy!"

Benjamin Franklin Gates stood at the base of his winding staircase, waiting for his now fifteen-year-old daughter to come down them. He couldn't believe how much time had gone by. It seemed like just the other day that she had been eight years old and they had been in St. Petersburg, Russia, fighting to stop the disease threat presented by Artem, and now, she was in her second year of high school and preparing to go to her Fall Dance, which appropriately took place on Halloween night. She had grown up so much in what felt like a short period of time.

Another strange thing that had happened over the course of the incredibly fast seven years was that Ian Howe, a man who he had at one time considered an enemy, and his three associates were now an extended part of the Gates family. That had started in Russia as well when Clara had begun to call Nick, Powell, Ian, and even Phil when he arrived "uncle," and the relationships between the four men and his daughter had only grown stronger since. Ben himself even admitted that he was surprised by how well they treated Clara, and his own respect for Ian had also grown when the English man had helped to save his best friend's life.

Computer genius Riley Poole had been captured by the Russian men after his older brother, Dustin, had been killed, and since they had found the disease that Artem had demanded but couldn't open the locket that contained it, the crazed man had infected the techie with the deadly toxin so they could force the cure out. Riley had almost died that day, and Ben fearfully admitted that he probably would have if Ian wouldn't have been there to help him deal with Artem.

But that was in the past now, and since Riley had recovered and Ian hadn't betrayed them again, he was going to put their experience in Russia behind him, along with Ian's first betrayal during the hunt for the Templar Treasure. Now, he had more important things to worry about, like Clara being ready on time for her first dance.

"Come on, Clara!"

"Sorry, Daddy! I'm coming down now!"

Ben smiled slightly when he heard quick footsteps coming down the stairs, and it only broadened when his daughter appeared. Clara was wearing a flowing white dress that stopped at her white heels with white gloves that covered her hands and forearms. In her hand, she held a shimmering white mask that was attached to a long white stick since the theme of the dance was a masquerade. Her light blonde hair was held back behind her head in a bun with a few strands hanging loose, and around her neck was her favorite silver rose necklace that her Uncle Nick had gotten her for her last birthday.

"You look beautiful," Ben was only able to mutter when she stopped in front of him.

Clara smiled, one that mirrored her father's, as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Daddy," she said quietly.

"Ah, there she is!"

Ben and Clara pulled apart and watched as Abigail entered the front hall from the living room with Riley and Ian close behind her. "You look wonderful, honey," her mother continued, pulling the fifteen-year-old into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom." Clara looked over Abigail's shoulder and saw that Riley was beaming at her and Ian was smiling, and she smiled broadly back at them in excitement.

"I can't believe you're going to your first dance," Abigail said as she let go of Clara, a thin line of tears in her eyes. "This is just so exciting…"

"Abi, relax. Give the poor girl a chance to breathe, will you?" Riley asked sarcastically as he came up behind her and placed his hand on the blonde woman's shoulder. Then, he turned his attention to his niece. "Seriously though, Clara, I can't believe this is your first dance. You could have gone last year."

Clara laughed. "We've gone over this before, Uncle Riley. I didn't want to go to a dance unless someone asked me," she told him as she hugged him quickly.

Riley rolled his eyes as he released her. "Yeah, but I'm sure that if you had asked any guy to go with you last year, they would have said yes," he replied. "I guess that it really is a good thing that you were preparing for the school's Fall Play all summer. Otherwise, you wouldn't be going to this dance either."

The fifteen-year-old nodded, but she blushed slightly. For the last two, almost three months of summer, she and the rest of the cast of "Beauty and the Beast" had rehearsed for the debut of the play, which would be the night after the Fall Dance. Clara surprisingly had landed the lead role of Belle over her junior and senior competitors, but since her hair was blonde, she would have to use temporary brown hair dye for the nights of the performances.

And during the rehearsals, Clara had begun to have a crush on one of the other cast members, but it wasn't the senior boy playing the Beast. It was actually the boy a year older than her playing the role of the hotheaded Gaston. His name was Jasper Harker, a junior who had moved to the United States with his grandmother and younger twin sisters, Isabel and Mae, from somewhere in the Transylvania area. She had been debating for about three weeks whether or not to ask him to the Fall Dance, so it came as both a surprise and a relief when he had asked her first.

"I'm just glad that he asked me before I had to ask him," Clara said with a laugh.

Then, everyone turned their heads to the door when the sound of the doorbell echoed around them. Clara felt her nerves beginning to rise up inside of her, so Ben had to pull her along with him to the door as he opened it.

A boy with chin-length black hair and sapphire eyes stood on the step, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw Clara. Then, he bowed his head politely and extended his arm forward, a single rose in his hand.

"Thank you, Jasper," Clara said happily, taking the rose from him and smelling its sweet scent once before handing it to Abigail to put in a vase full of water.

"You're welcome," Jasper replied, his voice thick with a Transylvanian accent. "It's a tradition in my home country to offer a rose to a girl that you find special."

Clara blushed again when she heard the last part of his statement. Jasper smiled at her before turning to look at Ben. "Thank you for allowing me to bring your daughter to the dance, Mr. Gates," he said.

"Sure, Jasper," Ben nodded with a smile of his own. "Just make sure that you guys have lots of fun, but be careful. Clara, Uncle Riley will come get you once the dance ends at midnight, okay?"

Riley nodded. "Yep, I'll be there," he confirmed as he looked at Jasper. "Hey, I'm looking forward to the play tomorrow night."

"Thank you. I hope you can all be there," Jasper said with a smile that was directed toward Clara. "I can promise you that you will not be disappointed." Clara smiled as color rose to her cheeks again.

"Well, we won't keep you any longer, Clara," Abigail said, kissing her daughter's cheek before hugging her. "Have fun, and I want to hear all about it when you come home."

"Okay, Mom," Clara replied with a smile. "Love you. You too, Daddy, Uncle Riley, Uncle Ian."

There was a chorus of "love you toos" as Jasper held out his arm for Clara. She took it and was led outside, leaving her family standing in the doorway behind her. "Hey, take care of my little bundle of joy!" Riley suddenly shouted after them.

Clara felt color rising in her cheeks in embarrassment when she heard her favorite uncle's preferred nickname for her while Jasper just appeared confused. "Never mind. Don't even ask," she whispered to him as she sped her pace a little.

Riley smirked, realizing that his goal had been accomplished. "Remember, I'm your uncle if you like it or not!" he called after her retreating figure. "I'm supposed to embarrass you!"

"Does he do this a lot?" Jasper asked quietly, chancing a glance back at the house.

"Unfortunately, all of the time," Clara answered glumly, but a small smile appeared on her face. "You'll find that my family is very strange. But I couldn't ask for a better one. My uncles tease me mercilessly, but they are also very protective. I love them so much."

"I can already tell that your family is odd," Jasper said with a smile of his own. "But just how many uncles do you have?"

"Five total," Clara told him. "They're not actually related to me though. One, my Uncle Riley who likes to embarrass me, is my dad's best friend, and he's always been my uncle and godfather. Uncle Ian, the other man that was at the house, is from England, and he was a friend of my dad's that we met when we went to St. Petersburg, Russia. His stepbrother, who is my Uncle Nick, is from America, and I met him in Russia too. Along with them, I met their friends, Uncle Powell who is from Scotland and Uncle Phil from America, in Russia. I grew attached to them while we were there, and they've been my uncles ever since."

Jasper looked almost confused again, and Clara laughed a little. "So, none of your uncles are actually related to you?"

"Nope," Clara replied. "My dad doesn't have any brothers, or sisters for that matter. My mom has a brother that I don't know who lives in California though. Since I don't know him, I don't really consider him my uncle."

"You also mentioned that they were very protective," Jasper continued, almost a little nervously. "Just how protective are they?"

Clara laughed at the question that she had been anticipating to hear. "They're protective, but not too protective if that's what you mean," she told him. "What are you expecting they'll do, spy on you?"

Ben smiled, watching as Jasper walked down the long driveway with Clara to where his grandmother had parked her car. The older woman embraced his daughter while Jasper opened the back door for her before climbing in after her. Then, they drove away, and the treasure hunter closed the front door of the house.

"He seems like a nice kid," he commented, turning to face his wife and friends.

"Yeah, Clara seems really happy with him," Riley agreed while Abigail nodded her approval. "At least he's polite." Then, he glanced down at his watch while he failed to suppress a yawn. "I think I'm going to run home and catch a quick nap before I have to go get her in three hours."

"Actually, Riley, I'm going to be out with the guys tonight," Ian said from where he was leaning against the wall. "If you want, we can swing by and pick her up and drop her off here."

Riley considered his offer for only a moment. He was awfully tired, and it would be great to have one night to spend home all night and relax. "Well, all right," he finally gave in. "Thanks, Ian."

"No problem. It's my pleasure," Ian replied. "So, I think I'm going to head out too. I've got something to take care of, and I still have to pick up Nick, Powell, and Phil. But did you guys want to come over to our apartment tomorrow for dinner before we go to Clara's play?"

"Yeah, that would be great," Ben told him, especially since it would save Abigail a night of cooking. "I think Clara will be spending the day with Jasper and his grandmother tomorrow anyway, so that would work out. How about you, Riley?"

"Yeah, I can be there," Riley said. "Hey, it's free food, right? Just don't poison it, okay, Ian?"

Ian smiled at the joke. "All right, I won't touch yours," he muttered with a wink. "Excellent. So, I'll see you all tomorrow then."

"See you tomorrow."

"Later, guys." Ian nodded to the trio, and then he stepped out into the cool nigh and shut the door behind him.

"All right, Phil. Go. Thirty seconds."

Ian Howe looked apprehensively around him at the dark, quiet night to make sure no one was around while Phil immediately began to unscrew the grate over the entrance of the air vent of the brick building. He, Phil, Powell, and Nick were all wearing black jeans and their trademark black leather jackets in hopes that they would be more concealed in the dark.

"Done," Phil announced quietly, removing the heavy grate and leaning it against the wall next to him.

"Good," Ian said. He then turned to his stepbrother, who stood beside him. "Nick."

The younger man instantly moved forward and ducked into the air vent, crawling through the metal tunnel for a while until he reached a part that sloped upward. Nick attempted to climb it, but he found that his foot kept slipping. "The incline is too steep and smooth to climb without help," he reported back.

"All right," Ian muttered. "Powell."

The older man reached into his backpack and pulled out small grips for him to attach to his palms and the bottom of his shoes. "Here you go, kid," he said, handing them to Nick. Then, he handed another set to Ian. "You'll need a couple of flashlights too."

"Well done," Ian replied, taking the flashlight that Powell handed him and putting it in his coat pocket before passing the second one to Nick. "All right, listen up. Nick and I are going to go through the air vent to get to the location. Powell, you need to get in through the second story by means of fire escape to be able to sneak downstairs. Phil, you stay outside to patrol the perimeter and keep watch from out here. Keep your walkie-talkies on. If anything goes wrong, meet back right here. All right. Everyone in position, sixty seconds."

Ian watched as Powell made a dash for the black ladder that curled its way up to the second floor at the corner of the building while Phil walked in the opposite direction. Then, he turned to his younger stepbrother and nodded. "Okay, go."

Nick turned and climbed back into the air vent with Ian behind him. He took out his small flashlight when they stopped at the base of the incline and put it between his top and bottom front teeth to hold it in place while he put the grips around his hands and on his shoes. Ian did the same, and then they made the climb up through the vent.

The journey wasn't too long going up before the metal tunnel evened out again. The stepbrothers removed the grips but kept their flashlights out as they continued crawling. They went over a few grates that looked down into dark, empty rooms, but they passed those up and went on.

"Found it," Nick suddenly muttered, stopping when he saw the room that they had been searching for. He crawled over it and turned around to face Ian as the English man approached, and they both looked down into the room that was filled with people and gave off a dim light.

Ian pulled out his walkie-talkie when he and Nick located the one person that they were targeting. "Target codename: Blondie is in sight," he muttered into the small electronic device, though he doubted that he would be heard over the music that was being played below. "What's your position?"

A moment passed before they got a response. "I made it inside and am now waiting in a back hallway downstairs looking into the room," Powell told him, his voice crackling through the device. "Blondie is in sight."

"Affirmative, Blondie is in sight," Phil's voice agreed a minute later. "I'm outside the window looking in. We're in position, Ian."

"Good. Stay there, but make sure you remain out of sight," Ian told them both. "Over and out."

"Do you think Clara will be mad if she finds out we were spying on her at her first dance?" Nick asked quietly while Ian put away the walkie-talkie, watching as his niece dance with a masked boy.

"She's not going to find out," Ian answered him confidently. "Besides, it's for her own good. We have to see how this Jasper kid treats her. If he doesn't treat her right, well… use your imagination."

Nick smirked a little as he resumed watching Clara. "Creative theme for a dance, don't you think?" he commented. "We never had a masquerade. Right on Halloween too. It's perfect."

Ian nodded in silent agreement, but when he clearly saw the mask that Jasper was wearing, one that had vampire features, he gasped quietly as his eyes widened and his smile vanished when memories suddenly came flooding back to him.

"I was so scared. I couldn't tell who anyone was."

The man in the vampire mask towered over him, and he flinched away in fear.

"Well, Son. That's the point of a masquerade, to hide your true self from the world."

Richard Howe, his father, slowly reached up and removed his mask to reveal his actual face.

"To hide your true self from the world…"

"Ian, are you all right?" Nick asked, concern clear in his voice.

The English man slowly tore his eyes away from the people dancing beneath him and raised his gaze to his stepbrother, and he ran his hand through his blond hair almost nervously. "I'm fine, Nick," he answered in a mutter, though a cold sweat had settled on his face. "We still have a while until midnight, so we might as well make ourselves comfortable."

Clara smiled to herself as she finished her small piece of pumpkin pie and took a sip of her apple cider. She had never had so much fun before, and Jasper was everything she was searching for in a guy and more. She was so happy that he had asked her to the dance and that she was going to spend time with him and his grandmother the next day before the play. Nothing could possibly ruin her night now.

Then, Clara gasped quietly when someone came up behind her and put their hands on her shoulders. She turned around and saw that it was a boy wearing a familiar vampire mask. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Jasper said. She would recognize that accent anywhere.

"That's all right," Clara replied, finishing her drink. "It's Halloween night, after all. A couple of scares are acceptable. Besides, you didn't really scare me. It was more of a startle."

Jasper slowly removed his mask as he grinned. "Well, that's good." He glanced behind him when the song "Thriller" ended and a slow song began. Then, he took Clara's gloved hand in his. "May I have this dance?"

Clara smiled broadly as she nodded. "Yes." Then, she allowed him to bring her out on to the dance floor after he put his mask back on, hers held up by their joined hands, and they began to gently move together to the beautiful harmony.

When midnight eventually approached, Clara didn't want the dance to end. She was having too much fun. But then, once the final song ended, the lights suddenly flickered and went out, casting the entire room into blackness. There were gasps and uncomfortable mutterings, and then one light came on that was aimed at the stage. The principal of their school, Mr. Grillo, now barely recognizable, was standing on it with torn clothes and a pale face and black rings around his eyes with his hair disheveled, making him look like one of the undead.

"Now that the witching hour has come, we depart from the warmth and safety of the school to go into the night," he announced, his tone containing a creepy edge that the students had never heard before. "Be careful, for you never know what horrors may wait for you in the darkness." But then, a smile appeared on his face, and he dropped his act. "I hope you all had fun tonight, and I'll see you at the play tomorrow. I want to extend a warm 'break a leg' to all of the cast members. Oh, and… one more thing." His tone dropped lower in pitch as it darkened again.

"Sweet dreams."

Then, all of the lights in the gymnasium came on, and the students began to grab their coats and head for the exit doors. Clara stuck close to Jasper so they wouldn't be separated, but suddenly, she thought she caught a glimpse of familiar-looking figure with curly black hair in the darkness of the hallway. But as soon as she saw the man, he was gone. Realizing that she must have been seeing things, Clara shook her head and kept on walking. Uncle Powell hadn't been there, and besides, he and his friends wouldn't spy on her and Jasper.

Or would they? Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she knew she wouldn't be surprised if Powell, Ian, Nick, and Phil did pull a stunt like that. She would have to ask them about that the next time she saw them.

The night air was chilly, and Clara shivered slightly as she walked toward the street outside of the school with Jasper beside her. She searched for Uncle Riley's familiar red Ferrari, but she didn't see it anywhere.

Then, the sound of a car horn reached their ears as a black SUV pulled to a stop in front of them. Clara's grip tightened instinctively around Jasper's arm, but then a confused smile appeared on her face when the tinted passenger window rolled down only to reveal…

"Uncle Nick, what are you doing here? Wasn't Uncle Riley supposed to pick me up?" She saw that Ian was behind the wheel, and she figured that Powell and Phil were in the backseat.

"He was, but we were going to be out anyway, so Ian told him that we would swing by and pick you up instead," Nick explained. "Now, climb on in, cutie. It's late and it's getting chilly."

"Okay. Thanks, Uncle Nick," Clara replied. Then, she turned to face Jasper with a smile, who was still standing close beside her. "Thank you so much for tonight. I had such a great time."

"Good, I'm glad. I had a great time too," Jasper said. Then, he leaned forward and quickly kissed Clara on the cheek- another custom in his country. "I'll see you tomorrow. My grandmother will pick you up for lunch around eleven."

Clara could feel four pairs of eyes watching her carefully, but she ignored them as she smiled at him again. "Sounds great. See you tomorrow, Jasper." Then, she turned and climbed into the backseat of the SUV next to Powell and shut the door behind her.

As she was putting on her seatbelt, Clara noticed the four equipment backpacks behind her seat, and she was instantly suspicious of what her uncles had been doing that night. Remembering when she thought she had seen Powell, she wondered if they really had been spying on her. But she didn't voice her thoughts aloud as Ian began driving again, her eyes on Jasper until he was out of sight.

A/N: There, that was nice and long for you. I hope you liked it! I personally really like this beginning, even more than "The Forgotten Heir." Even though it's kind of a peaceful time and nothing's really happening yet, there is a slightly darker feel to it. I don't know, that's just what I think. But I really do hope you like it! It's not dark or anything too much yet, but believe me, it will be! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!