CHAPTER TWO IS UP! DISCLAIMER!

I quickly scurried into the building seeing all the people filing out. I just got back from lunch with my friends, and before that I had a term paper for collage due. Another reason I skipped the lectures were because they were boring. I tried college with Riley and went to a few live lectures. They were horrible. So now I did online collage. I quickly zipped through the halls and soon was running up to Ben, granddad, Dr. Nichols, and someone else. "Hi." I said grabbing everyone but Ben's attention. "Hello, miss." The man I didn't know raised his eyebrows at me like I shouldn't be here. "Rose, sweetie." Granddad greeted. I smiled at him. "Hey, granddad." Ben at last realized I was here. "Oh, Rose." He said "This, is my niece Rose." Ben introduced me to the man. I smiled, quickly but then went back to boredam. "So...what's going on?" I asked. "Thomas Gates, has been accused of helping in the assasination of Abraham Licoln." Granddad snapped, throwing a scowl to the other man. "Umm...did I...miss something?" I asked Ben. "Yes. A lot, actually." Ben said. As he explained this my eyes widened. "Well, I guess we should move on then, huh?" The mystery man said. "Yeah, uh, who are you?" I asked. "Mitch Wilkinson." He replied. I stared at him blankly. "Um, okay. But I'll have to say that your story doesn't seem to prove to be very likely." I said narrowing my eyes, and nodding. He ignored me, and went over to the professor. "Are we going to test this? I must get going soon." He said. I rolled my eyes. As we slowly pushed in the page it fit. "It can't be possible." I whispered. Granddad got into a heated argument with Mr. Wilkinson, and I could tell granddad wasn't going to stand this. But I was too focused on the page in front of me. Thomas Gates? A killer? No way. Not in my family. Dr. Nichols, thanked Ben, and granddad for coming in and said it was nice to meet me. I nodded, though I wasn't really paying attention. "Yeah…you too." I murmured. I sighed, and went out to the car without a word. I sat out on the porch steps with Ben, when Riley walked up to us. I smiled at my boyfriend. "Hey." I said as he sat on the step below me sighing. "Where's the Ferrari?" Ben asked him. "The IRS impounded it." He said. I frowned. "The IRS?" I wondered. "Yeah. Apparently, my accountant set up a cooperation," He winked, "On a fake island. He said that that's what the rich people do." He winked again. "And so the IRS has audited me, slapped me with a huge fine, plus interest." He finished. I stared at the step below my feet. "Huh." I stated. "You know what tax is in five million dollars?" He asked Ben. "Six million dollars." He finished. I rested my head on his shoulder, sighing. "So, what's new with you guys?" Riley asked. "Well, my girlfriend kicked me out, we're living with my dad and our family killed President Lincoln." Ben responded. "Alright." Riley said, as though it were normal. Which it is. For us. Ben peered over to Riley. "I need your help."

"Couldn't you have just called Abigail?" Riley asked. "She changed the alarm code, Riley. She's not going to talk to me, much less let me look at the page." He pointed out. "True, but does this require breaking in?" I asked. "Pretty much." Ben concluded. I nodded. "Of course." I muttered. "Thirty seconds to disable the alarm codes. Go." Riley said as we opened the door. He started doing his tech thing and I stared at him lustfully; it was pretty sexy all the techie stuff you have to admit. "Oh, women can't live with them, especially if they change the alarm codes," Riley muttered, detaching his decoder and taking my hand in his. I glared and took my hand away placing it on my hip instead and cleared my throat. "Only the greatest women can be lived with, Rose and that's you…" He attempted a fix at his mistake. I glared a moment more, "Fine. You're forgiven." I sighed exasperatedly taking his hand in my own again. We trudged up the stairs to apprehend Abigail's ID badge. "You did that in twenty five seconds." Ben said amazed. "That's why I tell people to get a dog." Riley said. I giggled and we continued up, "Got it." Ben said as we reached the door way. "Good. Let's get outta here." He said taking his hand out of mine moving his arm around my waist. We froze upon hearing a car approach. We all went to the window and peered out. "That's not Abigail's car…" Ben murmured. I guess it stung that she could move on so quickly. "She was on a date." Riley mused. "Shh." I hushed him. We watched a man get out of the car quickly to try and help Abigail out. "Isn't that that guy? The White House guy?" Riley asked. I nodded grimly, and heard him saying, "So, the White House Easter Egg Roll is next Monday. Maybe if you're not..." We heard him say. Riley chuckled to himself, "He's weird." I frowned at my boyfriend. "Uh-huh, he's the weird one. I got the normal one." I nodded sarcastically. He pulled me in tight close to him by the waist and heard him whisper, "You love me for it though." I grinned, "Of course, how couldn't I?" I heard Abigail's voice again, "What happens if the kids don't find all the eggs?" Abigail's voice floated to us. We flew down the stairs and I pulled Riley into the closet. It was pretty small so our bodies-and faces- were pretty close together. "What clever repartee, she must like him," Riley observed. I leaned into his shoulder to stifle my giggling. When I pulled away I was still giggling so to silence me he kissed my lips caressing my lips gently, I kissed back my giggles now gone. Hands moving around my waist lower and lower, while my lips moved to his neck then back to his lips. We were stopped though when we heard Abigail, "Riley! You and Rose, out here now." I broke away from the kiss gasping for air and we awkwardly walked out of the closet. I was about to start a reasonable lie when Riley cut me off before I could, "What?" He said dumbly. I resisted the urge to shake my head but he continued, "Heyy, Abby. What're you doing here? I mean I know it's your house and all but…hey I sent you a copy of my book did you get a chance to-"

"No Riley I haven't read it yet." Abigail said quietly. He nodded a little I could see the disappointment in his eyes and really wanted to make it up to him by kissing him. Unfortunately that would make things ten times awkward-er than they already were. Riley stretched a hand out to Connor, "I know you: you're the White House curator. I'm Riley; we met uh, back in..." Riley trailed off realizing he had only heard about Connor from me, because Abigail tended to keep me up to date. "Right, you're Ben's assistant," Connor said, shaking his hand.
Riley winced, "What?"

"Um, maybe I should go," Conner said, turning back to Abigail.
"Yeah, I'm really..." she moved them both farther up the steps.
"Dinner tomorrow night?" he asked.
"Oh, I... I actually have plans for tomorrow," she replied. "Oh, you do? ...Of course you do..." Connor said dejectedly.
Abigail glanced at Ben, "But, I'm free on Friday."
Riley said in a singsong voice, "Awkward!"
"Oh great!" Connor replied with a laugh of relief, he leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek awkwardly.
"Goodnight," they both said.

Connor left and Abigail whirled around, glaring at us, I winced a bit. "I cannot believe you broke in!" She exclaimed storming down the steps towards us. "What'd you take?" she asked Ben, holding her hand out expectantly.
"It's just my things..." Ben replied.

She took the box from him but still held out her hand, "Hand it over Ben."
He sighed and dug around in his pocket, pulling out the ID but not giving it to her, "I need to see the Booth diary page."
"You saw the page for yourself, there is no treasure map on it."
"No, it's a cipher leading to a map. Did anyone spectral-image the page?" he asked impatiently. She sighed, "No need to. The ink on the page is clearly visible."

"It could have been erased or faded. You're the director of document conservation, you should know all this," Ben scolded her.
"It's not up to me, it's not my department."
"That department reports to your department. Come on Abigail, one look under infrared... You can have the Boston tea tables."

Everyone stopped.

"Both of them?" she asked, turning to look at him. Riley frowned turning to me and asking quietly, "What's so special about tea tables?" He asked. I grinned and hit his chest playfully, "They're historical. Duh."