Summary: The long-awaited sequel to Tori's and Halo's random silliness. Title still says it all, and please bear in mind, we're still just having fun. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I wish we could say differently this second time around, but even though we've now been a part of National Treasure, we still own nothing. Except ourselves, of course.

Halo's A/N: Hey, everyone, and I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Tori and I are fully aware of the extreme delay in getting this update posted, but between lack of writing time and other things, I'm afraid this fun fic just didn't get a top priority. But I still have all my notes for our layout of the entire story, so all hope is not lost. And hopefully some time off here around Christmas will give me some extra time to devote to Phil and Riley, lol. All I can say, is thanks a million for sticking with us!

Chapter 7

"In all my years of operating under questionable legality, I never would have dreamt of doing something like this."

"Come on, Ian – it's for a good cause."

"Well, Tori, perhaps you don't understand the gravity of the situation. The Queen of England may be little more than a figurehead in today's political environment, but still, breaking into her study would be the equivalent of breaking into your President's Oval Office."

As she sat in the "borrowed" English taxi with Powell and Ian outside Buckingham Palace, Tori bit her lip to hold back the sharp retort she felt already forming on her tongue. The circumstances may have been dramatically different from the movie this time around, but surely the clues were still the same, and it would never do for her to reveal that she knew their very next destination would be none other than the Oval Office itself – the home of the other Resolute Desk. She would let them all be duly surprised by that in good time.

They had flown in from France the night before after laying out their plans to break into the Queen's study, and it had been a notably silent, uneventful passage. Riley had gone to rather great lengths to make sure Tori was seated as far away as possible from Ian and his cohorts, much to Tori's own amusement.

She had ended up sitting between him and Ben, the latter of whom seemed uncharacteristically tense. Like her, he was no doubt anxious over Haley, but Tori guessed he was just as worried about the other hostage, too. Phil may have shot at them the last time they'd seen him, but he had also worked side by side with Ben for over two years, and clearly, the treasure hunter had not forgotten some of those more pleasant memories.

But right now, Ben was inside the palace, most likely in the heat of his staged argument with Abigail. Although, sadly, some of the issues and emotions in discussion weren't entirely staged…

Riley and Shaw had both gone in ahead of them – the former to operate the technical side of things from his hideout in the lavatory, and the latter to pose as one of the palace guards who would escort a bickering Ben and Abigail to their prearranged security holding in the back. Riley would then let them out after hacking into the computer network, and the pair would be on their way to the most restricted sections of the palace.

Viktor was in another car on the far side of the royal abode, keeping watch over the perimeter in junction with Powell and Tori, just in case Mitch or any of his cronies decided to interfere. So far, though, they had seen nothing of their adversary since that first night in the warehouse, and Tori highly doubted they would show up now. She wouldn't have been surprised if he was keeping an eye on them, though…

At that moment, Ian's cell phone beeped at him, and Tori jumped at the sudden sound, but he simply turned it off and slipped it back into his pocket without even answering. There was no harm done.

"That's Riley's signal," he informed them, even though they were all well aware of the plan. "He'll be turning on the sprinkler system pretty soon, so I need to get in there."

The other two nodded and bid him good luck as he left the car and walked briskly toward the building, for it was Ian's job to pose as another palace security guard who, along with Shaw, would help buy Ben and Abi some time by ushering people out of the building once Riley activated the sprinklers and fire alarm. So far, the plan seemed to be moving along quite well.

Antsy with boredom, Tori scooted up into the passenger's seat next to Powell and heaved a disgruntled sigh.

"Don't you hate that we're being left behind, and we can't do anything?"

Powell shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I think it's kind of nice being able to sit one out every now and then. And by the way, sorry I shot at you last time. I was aiming for Gates, I swear!"

Tori laughed, pleasantly surprised by the abrupt change in topic. "Don't worry about that, Powell, I believe you. At least you apologized for it."

Her companion nodded but fell strangely silent after that, and Tori could have kicked herself. How could she possibly have forgotten, even if only for a moment, exactly who the other person shooting at them had been?

She muttered a subdued apology, but Powell replied, "It's all right. There isn't much more we can do now apart from what we're already doing."

"I'm sure Phil would have apologized, too, if he'd had the chance."

"You mean you never talked with him?" Powell sounded genuinely curious.

"I never had the chance. The closest I ever got was yelling at him outside my bedroom window."

The Scotsman's eyebrows shot skyward. "Your window?"

"You mean he didn't tell you?" Tori grinned, eager to tell the story. "Those first two nights, he went to the wrong window and ended up waking me up instead of Haley. Then I made her switch rooms with me so I wouldn't get woken up again, but Phil actually got it right that time, and he still woke me up!"

Powell got a good laugh out of that but soon grew somber again. "You were right to think better of him, you know," he told Tori quietly. "He never meant for any harm to come to her in all of this."

Tori nodded, swallowing hard around a stubborn lump in her throat and blinking back sudden tears. "I know."

Powell didn't say anything more, and when Tori looked back over at him, a despondent cloud seemed to have settled over his countenance. She felt truly sorry for him. She was so caught up in her own worry for Haley, and rightfully so, that she'd temporarily forgotten just how vitally important Phil was to the men with whom she now found herself allied. No doubt he was just as valuable to them as Haley was to her, and the immense responsibility of their current task weighed heavily upon each of them. Ian most of all, she thought.

But the silence in the car had grown uncomfortable, and she sought to change the subject, sighing, "Shaw doesn't like me very much, does he?"

Powell turned his attention back to her and frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because of when I snapped at him back in the warehouse. He's been kind of avoiding me since then." The concern was valid enough. It had been on her mind ever since she'd blown up at him that night, and she couldn't help feeling kind of guilty now.

But much to her surprise, Powell only laughed. "Are you kidding? That was bloody brilliant!"

"What?" Tori was hopelessly confused now.

The man next to her caught his breath, then continued, "Kiddo, I haven't seen anyone stand up to Shaw like that in years, and the last person who tried wound up getting his face smashed in."

Tori's eyes widened in horror, and she suddenly felt sick. How was it even possible she was still alive right now?

Powell went on, "He and Haley gave each other a hard time, too, back when she was with us, and we've all been through that with Shaw at one time or another. But I think you really took him by surprise when you did that – and in a good sort of way."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Don't worry, Kiddo, I know Shaw pretty well, and believe me, he's just taking some time to size you up right now. But pretty soon, you probably won't be able to keep him out of your hair. The two of you will end up driving each other crazy like an old married couple, and the rest of us will just watch and laugh."

Tori grinned, though she realized such a situation probably sounded a lot funnier than it really was. "You think so?"

"Sure thing. Just give him some time, that's all. And here he is right now – along with your boyfriend."

The young brunette gazed out the window to see the two people walking toward them and gasped. "Powell, Riley is not my boyfriend!"

Her defensive response was instantaneous, but Powell only regarded her with ill-concealed skepticism. "No?"

"No! Well, not yet, really. Not 'officially' since he's never asked me or anything…" There really wasn't much else she could say to that, and Tori's argument trailed off to its inevitably lame end as Shaw and Riley reached the car.

The techie had been throwing dark, distrusting glances at Shaw the entire way over, and when he saw Tori sitting up front with Powell, his expression immediately soured even more.

"Come on, T," he said briskly, opening the back door and motioning for her to join him. She complied, and Shaw slid into the front seat she had just vacated.

"Well?" Powell at once questioned. "How'd it go?"

"Everything went smoothly. The others should be out shortly, and Viktor's already on his way over."

As Shaw continued to update his comrade on the day's happenings, Riley leaned over to Tori and whispered, "You okay?"

She blinked, taken entirely by surprise. "Yes, of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because," he hissed back with an anxious glance up front, "you were stuck out here with them."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Riley, please. I know things went bad the last time you worked with these guys, but they aren't going to hurt us now. They want Phil back as badly as we want Haley, so you don't have to worry about me. Why are you suddenly acting all over-protective anyway?"

"Because, T, I…" the techie's voice faltered as he struggled to find the right words. "Well, what I mean…or, what I've been trying to tell you is that I…"

"Hey, Riley, great work back there!"

Both Tori and Riley jumped as the serenity of the car was shattered by the arrival of Ben, Abigail, and Ian. It was Ben who had spoken and therefore interrupted them. Abigail slid in next to Tori, slamming the door shut behind her. Apparently, her "staged" argument with Ben had indeed hit just a little too close to home, and she clearly was not in a talkative mood.

But the good news was that hidden under Ben's jacket lay their next clue – a secret wooden plank taken from the Queen's Resolute Desk. They would take it back to their hotel for analysis as soon as possible.

Just then, Viktor came pulling up beside them to take a few passengers of his own, and they were off. As they drove, Tori kept glancing around nervously, half-expecting to see Mitch and his cohorts come hurtling around a corner after them. But in this version, the car chase never came. It was likely Mitch Wilkinson was still keeping an eye on them as they delved deeper into the hunt, but there was no need for him to come chasing them this time around. He was already well in control.


It didn't take long for Haley to realize that the longer she tried to feign despondency and depression, the easier it seemed to come. Not much in their situation had changed, and by now, she was simply getting restless. She wanted so badly to talk to Phil again, but at the same time, she knew it was the last thing in the world she should be doing. She couldn't risk betraying their secret.

Just then, there came the sound of movement from outside the door, and one of Mitch's henchmen – the same one who had come before, judging by his voice – peered in.

"Still nothing?" he asked, in reference to Phil.

"No," Haley replied glumly, forcing a sniffle. "Please help him?"

The man blew out a long sigh. "All right. We'll get someone in there to take a look at him."

As she heard his footsteps leading away from the door, Haley allowed herself a sly little smile and stole a glance over at Phil. He gave her a silent thumbs-up from where he lay, and Haley could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smile on his face, as well.


"I'm telling you, this is a bad idea. You don't know what you're getting into here."

Benjamin Gates rolled his eyes. "Dad, please, it'll be fine. You don't even have to come in if you don't want to."

"You'd better believe I don't want to," Patrick shot back stubbornly. "But I'll come in anyway, just to make sure the rest of you come out in one piece."

As she walked behind the father and son pair, listening in on their conversation, Tori bit back a chuckle and hid her grin under her hand. She, Riley, Abigail, and the two Gates family members were currently visiting a college campus in Virginia, on their way to see the only person any of them knew who could possibly translate the ancient native American languages on the plank from the Resolute Desk – Ben's mother.

Ian and company had wisely decided to sit this one out, and Patrick would have been sorely tempted to join them, had Ben not dragged him along with them. Tori, on the other hand, wouldn't have missed this for the world! She had always loved Emily's character, and the thought of meeting her in "real life" now was an unbelievable treat. Thank goodness at least that particular aspect of the plot hadn't changed.

"Here we are," Ben announced, coming to a halt by a certain door. "I've got the plank. Are you guys ready?"

Tori nodded excitedly. "I am!"

At that moment, the door opened from the inside, and a furious-looking young lady came storming out, exclaiming, "Ugh, I hate her!"

Riley's eyes went wide, and he said with great hesitation, "I, uh, actually think I might just sit out here and wait for you guys." He slowly sat down on a bench outside the room and smiled sheepishly up at his companions.

Abigail shook her head in disbelief, but Ben was quick to get them back on track. He opened the door and gestured Abi, Tori, and Patrick inside ahead of him. They stepped into a room populated by mounds of books, a sofa, and a large writing desk.

And behind the desk sat Emily herself. She looked up in surprise when they entered, but as soon as her eyes landed on Patrick, they grew hard.

"Ben, sweetheart, how are you?" She still smiled and got up to give Ben and Abigail hugs, and Tori grinned from ear to ear as Ben introduced her to his mom.

She beamed, "Emily, it's so nice to meet you! I am such a fan – of American history, that is – and I've heard so much about you!"

Emily's eyes shone with appreciation, and she gave Tori a quick pat on the cheek while the nineteen-year-old herself was thanking every deity she could think of that she'd been able to cover up that near-disastrous slip. Weren't she and Haley supposed to be past all that by now, anyway?

Meanwhile, after Patrick and Emily had exchanged cold greetings of their own, Ben sat his mother down on the couch and held out the antiquated wooden plank for her examination.

"Oh my goodness," the elderly lady breathed. "This is beautiful…"

"We need you to translate it, Mom. Do you think you can do that?"

"I believe so, yes." Emily brought her glasses down from her head to rest on her nose and gazed down at the object of inspection, thoughtfully mumbling a few things under her breath as she went along.

Before long, the entirety of the plank was translated, and it was with heavy hearts that Ben and the others learned that the message continued on a second plank – no doubt hidden within the twin Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.

"I'm sorry, Kids," Emily told them, addressing everyone but Patrick.

Ben stood up and took the plank back from her with a sigh. "It's all right, I'm sure we'll figure out something. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, sweetie." She hugged him, then Abigail, and lastly turned to embrace Tori. "It was wonderful to meet you, dear. You are just too sweet!"

Tori grinned madly at the compliment, pleased beyond words to have found herself in Emily's rarely-bestowed favor. She deliberately ignored the sight of Patrick rolling his eyes behind them.


"Damn!" Shaw paced restlessly across the floor like a caged wildcat, and this latest exclamation of profanity was actually one of the mildest they'd heard from his lips since their return. Tori was beginning to realize now exactly why film coverage of Ian and company in recreational situations had been so limited. This particular scenario would most certainly not have been appropriate for young children!

They were all reunited back in the Gates' family estate – the only location large enough to house all of them at once. Even Patrick, now fully aware of their dire situation and all that was at stake, stood with them offering his support. But it would seem their options now were very limited.

"We have to get a look at that desk," Ian stated at length, with as much unshakable resolution as when he had spoken to Ben about stealing the Declaration back on The Charlotte.

And just like he did back on that fateful day, Ben questioned, "How?"

"We'll need to break into the Oval Office, Ben – it's the only way. I already have the basis for a plan similar to a job we pulled back in England long ago. We'll need to get our hands on a fair share of small explosives, but it can be done. I still have my connections."

Ben only shook his head, sighing, "No, Ian. Please, let's not go through this again – not when so much is on the line."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know. I agree, we need a chance to explore the desk, but there's gotta be a better way than blasting our way in…"

He trailed off, obviously flustered with himself, and the others in the room simply waited in expectant silence for their two respective ideas-men to come to their conclusion.

So it was quite the surprise for many of them when Abigail suddenly stood up and said, "Wait! I have an idea, and we'll only need one asset on our side to make it work."

"Oh, really?" Ian raised his eyebrows. "And what asset might that be?"

Abigail smiled at him sweetly, but there was more than a hint of mischief in her eye as she revealed her own ace-in-the-hole.

"Connor."

Halo's A/N: Yay, we're moving along! Like I said, I'm kinda hoping to get some more written soon, but just in case not, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Tori's A/N: Yeah, I'm sorry too, everybody! I hope we can get more of this up soon, because we should probably finish it, lol. I liked this chapter, I hope you guys did too! But, as Haley said, if we don't, have a Merry Christmas!