Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure
Next chapter, yay! Sorry for the delay in update, I have been lurking around the Veronica Mars stories... Thank you to all my amazing reviewers! I award you with a cookie of your choice ;) Anyway, hope you like this chapter. Enjoy!
"Wow, it's beautiful." Lizzie stared at the University in awe. "I never thought I'd have a grandparent as a Professor at a college. It's sort of weird."
"Yeah, well-"
"Dad," Ben interrupted his father, tired of the little remarks he'd been making the entire trip. Patrick shrugged and they made their way into the building.
"Will you relax?" Ben asked, once they were closer toward the office. "It's going to be fine."
"Sure," Patrick replied, "I should look on the bright side, it's been a long time. Maybe she lost her memory and won't recognize me."
Lizzie sympathetically rubbed his arm and smiled at him. At that moment, a dark haired girl came rushing out of the door in front of them looking thoroughly upset. "I hate her!"
"We're in the right place." Patrick remarked lightly causing Ben to frown. Lizzie bit her lip. She really didn't want to meet this woman now. At first, after what happened with her own grandmother, she'd been wary about the visit. Now, with Patrick's remarks and the angry student, she felt maybe it wasn't the best time to meet her. She turned to Riley quickly, "I don't want to go in there." She whispered.
"Uh…" To be honest, he didn't either. He looked at her again before turning to the group. "I'm going to go ahead and take myself out of the line of fire on this one guys."
"Me, too!" Lizzie agreed quickly. Ben looked at her questioningly, but nodded his head and the three of them continued into the room, shutting the door behind them.
"So, I guess you're not up for a Brady Bunch reunion, huh?" Riley asked, sitting on the chair after she declined his gesture for her to sit.
"We're searching for treasure, Riley. We don't need distractions, we must make haste." She told him, leaning against the wall next to him.
"We must make haste?" He asked in what appeared to be amusement and distaste.
"Sorry, I was reading Pride and Prejudice on the way here." She giggled.
"Why is it women love that book?" Riley asked, shaking his head.
"Well, it not only has a strong female protagonist, but it shows the both the fantasy and realism in romance, reputation and class. Not every story has a happy ending and I think it portrays this nicely."
"Uh, Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy end up together and so does her sister and that rich guy. How are we talking no happy endings?" He raised his eyebrow and grinned.
Lizzie grinned mischievously at him. "Oh my God, you've read Pride and Prejudice."
"It was a college assignment." He told her.
"Really? How did you like it?" She questioned, intrigued on what he would say about her favorite book.
"Well," He drawled out, "Lizzie was a bit of a tease, her sisters were a bunch of gossiping hussies, Darcy was a jerk, Bingley needed to grow a backbone and Charlotte annoyed me."
Elizabeth was deeply offended and her jaw dropped, hands on her hips. "A tease? A tease how?"
"For the fact she judged Darcy, rejected his proposal and then fell for him after putting him through that crap, all the while flaunting herself around in front of him when she knew he was in love with her." He answered, amused at how her cheeks flushed. She looked cute when she was mad.
"The whole book is about the unfair judgments, pride and prejudices, hence the title. It is there to imply these things to the reader. And if you had understood the book, you'd realize Mr. Darcy is not a jerk, he is misunderstood. Lizzie is a quick witted, clever, and brilliant female character! She ends up realizing her own mistakes in misjudgments and learns from them. And she did not 'flaunt' herself around him! Her sisters were annoying, I'll give you that, but Bingley and Jane were cute and real, and Charlotte is a reason I said it portrays real conflictions with the romance in those times, given the situation she ended up in." She took a deep breath and released it, her rant finished.
"You're very passionate." Riley looked at her and smiled, causing a weird sensation in her stomach. "It's kind of cute."
She blushed at his compliment. "You're kind of like Elizabeth you know."
"You're comparing me to a girl now?" Riley snorted, slightly offended, but pleased at her reaction to his compliment.
"You always have something witty to say and are very smart." She went on as if he hadn't spoken. "Plus, I think you're brilliant." She said the last part a little more quietly, looking at him through her bangs.
He felt his chest involuntarily puff out and a huge grin take place on his face. "Really?"
Lizzie rolled her eyes and huffed, a smile still on her face. "Please, you wrote an amazing book, saved Ben's life, helped find the treasure, and are a huge part in finding these clues with your nerd tech ways. Plus, you are way cute. Of course you're brilliant. I've only known you a couple of days, Riley, but I know a great guy when I see one."
Riley was more than touched at her words. He was beyond touched. Most of what she said nailed every one of his deepest insecurities: his book, his ideas, his place in Ben's little treasure hunting group, and (though he'd never admit it) his appearance.
"You know that, don't you, Riley?" She asked, seeing his frowning face. She put a hand on his shoulder and knelt down in front of him, afraid she'd broken a piece of his brain off with her compliment.
He looked up at her and opened his mouth to speak when Abigail came out of the room, shocked at what she thought she was seeing. "What-"
Lizzie cut Abigail off, jumping back, embarrassed at what she'd probably thought at the two of them being so close together. "What?" Riley stood up quickly and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish.
Abigail was going to speak again when Ben came out of the room, Patrick close behind looking discontent. He didn't notice the awkward silence and continued walking out of the building. Abigail narrowed her eyes accusingly at the two younger adults and followed the Gates men.
"This is the second time we've been caught in a compromising position." Lizzie giggled, following them out. Despite the immediate embarrassement he felt, Riley chuckled.
Outside, Lizzie could tell Ben was a little unsettled. "At least we know where the rest of the map is." He said after a long silence.
"What?" Patrick asked in shock. "You know where it is? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because obviously you have a tenancy to overreact!" He yelled loudly to his father.
Lizzie glared, instantly protective of her grandfather and stood next to the older man. "Ben!"
Patrick sucked in a breath, "I'm sorry."
"So am I." Ben added, looking down.
"So where is it?" Patrick asked, patting Lizzie's shoulder in gratitude for her defense.
"The inscription on the statue in Paris said East Wing Stand Resolute." Ben explained.
"We think the map divided between two resolute desks." Abigail interrupted, further explaining their theory.
"The Resolute desk!" Patrick exclaimed, "THE Resolute desk? The President's desk?"
Abigail nodded while Riley looked back an forth between his friends. "The President? What President? Our President!"
"Unfortunately, yes." Abigail laughed.
"Wait, you're- how are you…?" Lizzie trailed off, shaking her head. It was impossible. They'd never get in.
"That mean..?" Riley tried to complete her sentence, but ended up stuttering himself, "So we have to..? The White House?"
"The Oval Office… to be exact." Ben explained, looking unsure at what to do next.
"What?" Lizzie laughed incredulously, looking from Riley to Abigail, then finally at Ben. "You're not breaking in the White House, Ben, right?"
Patrick shrugged and looked torn between emotions. "Why would I overreact to that?"
I didn't know if Emily was a Professor or not, it probably said in the movie but whatever. Review? Please? Cookie?
Gollum4077: Thanks for your words of wisdom, you totally rock! They helped get my rear in gear lol Riley is so charming, isn't he? Thanks for reviewing, you get a cookie!
Rachel Mantegna: Awesome people are awesome because they know they're awesome XD I'm glad to be updating lol I must go on! Thank you so much for reviewing! You get a cookie, too :D
ruby890: So happy you like their chemistry! No worries, life gets the best of us lol Riley does deserve respect! You get a cookie for reviewing and being totally fetch!
