Saving Washington's Portrait

Chapter Three

"It is one of my sources of happiness never to desire a knowledge of other people's business." -Dolley Madison

They had made it back to the states safe and sound and most importantly undetected. Ian still thought they were all dead. Ben and Riley were at her apartment for dinner. She listened to them chatting as she continued to rip lettuce.

"Tomorrow morning we're going to as many federal agencies as we can," Ben told Riley with determination.

"What time does all of this start in the morning?" Dolley asked as she set aside the bowl with the lettuce and pulled out a couple of tomatoes.

"Oh no, you're not coming," Ben announced, "After what happened in the Arctic I can't risk it."

"What?" She snapped as she turned around with her chopping knife in hand.

"Ben, she's got knife," Riley mumbled cautiously. She glared at Riley and Ben.

"You are not leaving me out of this. Not now," She growled, "I'm coming and that's the end of it."

She turned and continued to chop tomatoes.

"No, you're not," Ben repeated as he stood and walked toward the kitchen.

"You sound like dad," she huffed, "So I'll tell you what I told him. I'm 25 not 15 and I'm going."

"If anyone is going to get hurt it's going to me not you. So you're not going," Ben huffed before turning to Riley, "A little help here?"

"Um…" Riley said as he glanced back and forth between patented Gates family glares, "I plead the fifth?"

Ben sighed and his shoulders sagged at the lack of support, "Fine, fine. We'll be by to pick you up at eight o'clock."

"Good, now will someone please tell me why I'm chopping tomatoes to begin with? They're gross." She said in disgust as she wiped a tomato seed and some of its softer insides on Ben's shoulder.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed a paper towel to clean off his shirt, "Thanks, Dolley."

"Not every one finds tomatoes revolting," Riley piped up defensively as he joined them in the kitchen.

"I know that, but I'm not one of that particular every one so why am I chopping them? You're the one that likes them so much. You chop them," She said as she handed Riley the knife and then pulled the taco shells out of the toaster oven. She opened the refrigerator and handed Ben a block of cheddar cheese and a cheese grater, "And you can grate the cheese."

"How did we end up having dinner here anyway?" Ben asked.

"Someone has to make sure you two eat. If I left you to your own you would probably be so wrapped up in Operation: Stop Ian that you would forget to have any type of food whatsoever either that or you would just be too lazy to fix it," Dolley said as she walked over to the living room and took the seat Riley had just vacated.

"How did you do that?" Riley asked her in awe.

"Do what?" She asked innocently.

"Get us to do all the work? I didn't even notice that's what you were doing until now. Damn, you are sneaky," Riley said with a shake of his head as he reached for another tomato. He turned to Ben, "did you teach her that?"

"No, that was all mom. Definitely all mom," Ben said with a small grin at his little sister.


Dolley's alarm clock went off at 6 AM the next morning. She showered, dressed, accessorized and put on make-up with ten minutes to spare. She waited patiently for the buzz over the intercom from the door man down stairs, but none ever came. She waited thirty minutes past the time Ben had told her before grabbing her own keys and running out the door. She knew exactly what had happened.

Ben ditched her.

She growled and dialed Riley's number as she reached her car.

"Hey," he whispered into the phone.

"Where the hell are you guys? And did you really have to DITCH me?" She asked agitatedly.

"Homeland Security, talking to an agent, gotta go," He whispered hurriedly before hanging up. She glared at the phone as the line went dead. She threw the phone into the passenger seat and climbed in to head for the capital.

She slammed down on the accelerator and glared at the road in front of her, "You can't lose me that easy, Benjamin Franklin Gates."

She parked her car and waited anxiously outside the Homeland Security offices for her brother and Riley to exit. She glared at Ben as he walked toward her with Riley lagging behind. She poked his chest repeatedly as he stopped in front of her, "YOU DITCHED ME! That may have worked for you when we were younger, but I have a license now, buddy! Include me or I WILL stalk you."

"It's true," Riley said with a nod, "I tried to ditch her first semester of college…she just followed me everywhere."

She grinned proudly at Riley and then turned to her brother, "I'm scrappy like that."

Ben sighed painfully, "Fine! But you follow my lead and do as I ask, got it?"

"Yes, dad," Dolley said as she rolled her eyes.

Riley smiled affectionately at the act and suppressed a snicker.

"So, how did it go?" Dolley asked curiously.

"We told them someone was going to steal a highly protected document…how do you think it went?" Riley asked in a sarcastic tone.

She groaned forlornly, "They didn't believe you did they?"

"Not a single word," Ben told her frustratedly.

"So where to now?" Dolley asked them.

"Starbucks"

"FBI"

Ben and Riley responded to her question simultaneously. Riley pouted as they immediately headed in the opposite direction of a Starbucks. After finally reaching the FBI building they had to wait another whole hour before an agent could meet with them. The trio was finally escorted into an office by a chubby, balding, almost retired agent.

"What is the emergency, Mr. Gates?" The agent almost laughed as he said the name.

Dolley glared and the man and opened her mouth to speak but Riley elbowed her in the side.

"Ow! Riley!" Dolley snapped with another glare at her best friend.

"Someone is going to try and steal the Declaration of Independence," Her brother told the agent plainly.

The agent stared wide eyed at the group, "Why? Oh let me guess…it has something to do with that Templar Treasure conspiracy right?"

"It's not a conspiracy!" Dolley snapped at the agent in a condescending tone.

He scoffed, "Sure, it's not."

Dolley rolled her eyes, "He's not going to listen to us Ben. This is absolutely pointless."

"Dolley go outside and take a break," Ben insisted.

"What?" She asked him in disbelief.

"Go outside, get a little water and calm down," He clarified.

"Fine," She pouted as she left the office and slammed the door behind her.

"That's a high strung young woman," The agent said snidely.

"Not high strung just passionate," Ben told him defensively.


Dolley paced and paced and paced and for a small change in the routine…she paced. She was waiting outside the office to find out whether this moronic agent would believe them, and of course he didn't. She watched anxiously as Ben exited the office shaking his head while Riley simply looked disappointed.

"Hey," Riley greeted her softly.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

"They're not even going to file a report," Riley said with a roll of his eyes.

"Stupid, ignorant, as-"

"Man, Dolley you are in some kind of mood today," Riley interrupted.

"I am not!" She responded.

"Are too"

"Am not"

"Are too"

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!" She said insistently, "Geez, Riley what are you five years old?"

"At least I'm not in a mood," He responded.

"I am NOT in a mood," She declared loudly as they approached Ben.

"Liar"

"Fine, yes, I'm in a mood. I'm in a mood because my brother and my best friend tried to ditch me this morning and my family was just mocked by an FBI agent," She said loudly with a glare at both men.

"Hey! For the record he ditched you. I had no say in the matter," Riley said urgently.

"True, very true," Dolley admitted.


Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it.

Enjoy guys!!