Author's note: This is based on the movie National Treasure, and is to a great deal dedicated to the more than worthy performance of Sean Bean. I enjoyed the movie very much, but I thought that since Ben and Ian often used similar methods to reach the same goal, I did not see one of them as more evil than the other. I also thought that the hints of the friendship we saw between them should be explored more. I began doing that in 'Who Did You Say Stole the Declaration,' this story takes up a short time after that one ended, and is my version of what happened next. I hope you all shall like it.
Big thanks to LadyDeb1970 who have been going over this for me, and helped me with plot and story ideas. Also to Celebrion for being my beta.
Disclaimer: I do not own National Treasure. I just borrowed it because I like Sean Bean as an actor. I will return all characters in good and whole order, completely undamaged, if covered with a slight glue residue from having been put together again. I also swear I will not make any serious attempt at stealing Ian. More than I already have that is…
The name of Thomas McDowell have been stolen from LadyDeb1970, with her kind permission, as well as one or two other details.
/Elenhin
The Biggest Treasure
26
"Where should we start looking?" Gregor asked. When Ian and Phil had been instructed to go and see if they could find a crib or something for Ianna he had decided to go along with them.
"The nursery." Ian shrugged. "Or a store room for nursery furniture, I think there will be a nursery near the master bedroom. They wanted to keep the children close after all. If not there, then we must try and find the store rooms."
"How do you find one single thing in a place as big as this?" Phil shook his head. "We have no idea where to look."
"We found the treasure." Ian looked at him and raised his eye brows. "That's more than most others did."
"We had clues for that one, you know." Gregor pointed out.
"We have a clue here too." Ian grinned at them. "The nursery. Listen, they used that kind of stuff for generation after generation, they stored them somewhere when they were not in use, you can be sure of that. Now, since there were several families living here at the same time, there will also be more than one crib. For example, there will be one for the servants children, as they will not have been allowed to use the same one. There should be at least a dozen cribs here, but we only have to find one of them."
"And she wanted us to do it because she thought it'd keep you out of trouble" Phil stated, it had been rather obvious to him what her plan had been with it.
Ian nodded. "Yeah, I really thought that she knew me better than that. But she seems to think that your sensible enough to keep me out of trouble."
"Not that good." Phil shook his head with a small smile. "Never seen anyone that good."
"Shaw could if he wanted to." Gregor said thoughtfully. "But most of the time he would help you get into trouble in the first place."
"Always helped me out of it as well." Ian sighed. "And the rest of you were just as good at it. We've been getting ourselves into trouble since we got to know each other. It wouldn't be natural if we didn't get into trouble."
"Do you think she'd buy that explanation?" Gregor asked thoughtfully.
"She'd scold us for that explanation." Ian grinned. "She has a vain hope about keeping us sensible."
"Cant be done." Gregor leered, pushing a door open. They had located the master bedroom and was now trying to find the nursery, opening doors further down the hall, on both sides. Ian had offered to take Ianna along, just to see if the crib fit. Charlotte had however decided that it sounded like a risky idea and preferred to keep her daughter close for the day.
In truth it was more because she wanted to send them away without the added responsibility of the baby. She had a feeling that they would be more carefree on their own.
"She knows that." Ian shrugged. "She's rather smart. She sent the two of us, and then Gregor here as well, after the crib, cause she wants me to talk with you. Both talk and so that some of the 'old' relationship of ours will help me deal with whatever she thinks is bothering me." He smiled softly as it had not been hard to see through that. "She did not think I could do that with Ianna with me."
"Will you let her be right?" Phil gave him a side glance. The next room proved to be something like a nursery, but they could not see any cribs. Only a few toy chests.
"I don't need to be sent on some errand to be able to talks with you guys, if I want to do that I can do it at any time." Ian snorted. "But I'll b the first one to admit that I don't know what to do here. Ben claims that with the castle, and that bloody tablet, the whole bloody treasure falls to me, and its to damn big. Ben wont hear of even shares, and since he's already sitting on parts of the first treasure he seems to be pretty content."
"Wont the government claim it for museums?" Gregor frowned. He still did not understand why they were so ill thought of because they had done a few things of lacking legality. The government stole a lot more, from a lot more people, and they got away with it all the time.
"I'm not greedy, but I really don't want all of this in some museum." Ian shook his head. "I haven't seen one museum that worked in such a way that I would feel good about them having the stuff." He became quiet for a moment, tracing some of pattern in the dust on a chest with a finger.
Neither Gregor nor Phil said anything. During their earlier years Ian had been the one of them who actually enjoyed walking around in museums, despite the fact that his parents had been killed in an accident in the museum where they worked. It did however seem as if his last experience with museums had left him more suspicious about them.
Maybe not suspicious as such, but there was no longer any way for Ian to associate it with anything except unpleasant things.
"Do you know away around that then?" Phil asked, if anyone would know, it would be Ian. He knew all about rules and how to get around them.
"I might, but it would force me to pay one hell of a tax." Ian gave them a small grin. "If I claimed it my property, they would place a tax on it so high that they would think me forced to give it up because I could not pay it. Since there is that bloody tablet acting as a last will, I think they would be forced to use the percentage for heirloom, the same as on this place, there should however be some way to make that work for us."
They looked around in a room where a lot of furniture of various sorts was stacked against the walls. There were chests, and tables, rocking chairs, and eventually a crib. Gregor pulled it forward. An old but sturdy and beautifully carved crib. They grinned at each others as they wiped off some of the dust from it.
"It'll do nicely." Ian smiled. It was dark wood, a rocking cradle, and it would suit his daughter perfectly.
"She'll like it." Phil nodded. He and Gregor took hold of it at the opposite ends. Since it was a rocking cradle it was easy to carry, and actually not very heavy at all.
"Probably should scrub it out thought." Gregor suggested. "Cant be sure the rats have not been in it."
"I'll go and see if I can find a wash sponge or something. There has to be a broom cupboard or something here." Leaving the two of them to carry it back he went in search of cleaning supplies. He did find a broom cupboard, and in it was a supply of rags and torn sheets, now used for cleaning. He took one and a bucket, brining it to the kitchen to get some water.
Water pipes had been drawn into the castle, but only to kitchens and bathrooms, no one had bothered to draw water to broom cupboards, just to make it more convenient to get water for cleaning. He rather preferred it that way, it would be a shame to ruin the castle with pipe lines.
When he returned Phil and Gregor has placed the cradle at the foot of the bed. Phil taking the bucket and the rag from him. "Try and find some linens." He suggested. So Ian took of again. He had a vague idea where he could find some, the set of rooms where his aunt had lived should have something like it.
He had not been there yet, it would be eerie to be there without her, he was not easily spooked, and he was not spooked now. He just preferred to remember those rooms like they were when she was living in them. In an large wardrobe with three doors he found that one of the sections actually held linen sheets. It was all to big, made for regularly beds, but he doubted that Ianna would care, and the sheets would serve well in the crib instead of a mattress.
He brought them back and they folded a few sheets at the bottom of the crib, leaving a corner to fold up as a cover.
"She'll love it." Phil stated with a grin. "Looks comfortable."
"She does not seem to be picky." Ian smiled. "Thought Charlotte might have something to say about it." He frowned. "I don't get that, she feed her the most horrible baby food possible, and then she claims that you need to get the bed just right. She sleeps everywhere, but to feed her that stuff's just evil."
"Aw, come on Ian, admit it, its not that bad." Gregor noted with a small and slightly nervous smile.
"I just don't get the difference." Ian shrugged. "She gets a little overbearing at times with those things."
Phil gave Charlotte a grin and a shrug, telling her that she should not take it to seriously. Ian, who stood with his back to the door still had no idea that she was standing in the doorway.
"Ian." Gregor's voice was near a plea. At the moment Charlotte was smiling, but how long would she be smiling if Ian said the wrong thing? Charlotte was capable of quite a temper. She was more hot tempered than Ian, thought Ian was more dangerous when he was angry. He was more calm and calculating in his anger.
Now Charlotte shook her head and left again. Gregor heaved a sigh of relief as he watched her go.
Ian gave him a strange look out of the corner of his eye, as if wondering what was going on now.
"You know that can be dangerous." Gregor claimed, still a slight bit nervous. Who knew if Charlotte was till within earshot.
"Gregor." Ian fixed him with a stare, and crossed his arms across his chest. Making it very clear that if he was not informed about what was going on within the next few seconds, Gregor would be in trouble.
Gregor swallowed.
"If you had looked, you wouldn't believe who you would have seen standing in the door." Phil said with an amused grin. "Your losing your touch Ian, if you don't notice when someone's behind you.
"Aw, bugger." Ian groaned, covering his face briefly with one hand. Then he allowed the hand to drop and glared at Gregor. "You bloody well could have warned me."
"You weren't listening to any warnings." Gregor objected. "Anyway, she did not seem to be angry."
"No, she'll take her revenge some other way." Ian groaned and rubbed a hand over his face again, then pushed his hair back. "She'll take her revenge enough, you can be sure about that."
"How can you be so sure about that?" Phil frowned. "She knows you did not mean anything."
Ian sighed. "That's not the point Phil. It doesn't matter if I meant anything or not. The point is that she wants to prove her point."
"That does not make sense you know." Gregor gave him a strange look, Ian usually made a lot more sense than this when he was talking.
Ian shook her head. "She's a woman Gregor. Women don't make sense. Not that way. She'll want to put me in my place, trust me."
"Didn't know you were such an expert on them." Phil teased with a grin.
"There is nothing like an expert on women." Ian explained tiredly. "All you can do is try and learn from past mistakes. I have not yet met one that would let a thing like that pass. They want to make sure you know your place, and Charlotte will do it."
Outside in the corridor Charlotte grinned, she was not one to listen during normal circumstances, but the distress in Ian's voice had overpowered her. She had in truth not thought much about what he said, it was only logical that Ian would speak of her in annoyance a time or two, after all she did the same thing. Mostly when he did not take good enough care of himself.
It made sense that he thought that she was overprotective when he himself never saw his own best. As long as she could stop him from the more reckless things, he could grumble about it all he wanted. Of course she could not let his later comment pass thought. Not when he so clearly stated that she would take her revenge, and she would do it the best way. She would do nothing, and let him worry about what was to come, which he no doubt would.
He would be waiting for something that would never happen, and it would make him doubt that it was possible to learn from past mistakes. It was however refreshing to know that he was one man who did not think himself expert on women. She absolutely hated it when someone thought that he knew all about females, at least he had gotten that right, he never would know all there was to know.
Ian brought Ianna with him outside, he needed to think. Charlotte was not one to be furious with you for saying one thing, and if she was furious, you noticed. She was hot tempered enough that she let you know of it the moment you had said something wrong, but she was more than enough capable of teaching you a lesson if she thought you needed it, and that was something that he would rather avoid.
If it had been any of the lads he would have been tackled to the ground, tackled, or become the subject of some prank, and that would have been the end of it. It would have been over swiftly, an hour at the most, if nothing had happened then, nothing was going to happen, and you knew that.
There had been the bucket of water over the door post when Gregor had insulted Phil, and there had been the a water splash war in the kitchen. Water balloons in the face as you left the house, jackets with knots tied on the sleeves, and those had made clear that there were boy scouts in the gang. Especially the time all the shoes had been tied together by the shoelaces. Once you had gotten past those, you knew that you were safe.
Even thought that one bottle of hot sauce in the scrambled eggs had been very interesting, It was Shaw who did it, and the rest of them was fighting each others for the kitchen tap.
It was not as simple as that with Charlotte, he had decided to apologise first of, but then he could not find her. So instead he took Ianna outside. He had wanted to go down to the creek and the small pool there anyway. He recalled it very well form when he was child.
It was smaller than he remembered thought, or it was because it had seemed bigger then. There was however still frogs jumping around, and small lizards running into cover in under the rocks.
Ianna laughed as a small brown speckled lizard ran past her where she was sitting on the ground. She could sit on her own now, and Ian was so proud of her. He caught the lizard, and cupping it in his hand held it closer to her.
She was to small to play with it, if she tried she would most likely crush it, but she was not to small to look at it. She laughed happily and reached out her hands after the tiny creature. Ian laughed at her as she seemed to be so thrilled by something like a lizard. Then he set the animal back on the ground, it probably had a nice girl lizard waiting for it in its hole. A gorgeous looking she-la, as the crocodile hunter guy on the discovery channel would have said.
To his astonishment Ianna started to crawl after the lizard, he had seen her crawl before, but not as fast and confident as that, and so he just sat and gaped at her. She was however most definitely following it as it skittered over the rocks.
Absently he wondered what it would say about the baby. 'It followed me home, may I keep it?' Somehow he doubted the other lizard would appreciate that. Yet if she thought that the lizard was a good reason to learn crawling for, he was not about to stop her, at least as long as she did not get to close to the water. He hoped she would not see a fish and start following that instead. That would mean trouble for sure.
He scoped her up when she got to far away, she was fast considering that she was doing this for the first time.
"Have you been practicing when I wasn't looking?" He frowned at her, holding her up and fixing her with a mock stern glare.
She responded with a tug at his hair, so he supposed that it was a silly question.
"Just bragging with your inept skill then." He winced. "You've been working out thought, your getting to strong to be allowed to do that for much longer now."
Ianna laughed, and Ian took it to mean that there was no way to stop her. He supposed that there were not. He was in her power.
Gregor sighed as Ian glanced over his shoulder, he had been a bit more nervous than usual after Charlotte had overheard him. He really was excepting some kind of reproach, and thus far none had come. Combined with the effort Ian was putting to sort out the treasure, Gregor thought it was beginning to wear him down.
Abigail was communicating with some of her earlier co-workers, but there was a ton of paperwork to deal with for every single small detail. They needed to know exactly what was there, how many items, and what kind of items.
Ben and Ian was practically living down there trying to write everything into a computer. Ian having more experience with that sort of work, but Ben had a better mentality for it. Ian grew frustrated after a while. He was not one to enjoy being cooped up for to long at a stretch. It was what made him more nervous as well.
Spending all the time writing statues and vases into a computer was grating on his nerves.
"Why don't you take a brake?" Gregor suspected. "Think Ianna's missing you, she keeps trying to crawl down here as soon as she thinks nobody's watching."
Ianna had discovered how fun crawling were, and now she did not want to remain in one place for more than a few seconds. They were considering a play pen for her. Ian was mostly reluctant because he feared he would not like to see his daughter behind bars. It might only be the bars of a play pen, but once you had seen the bars of a prison cell from the wrong side, you developed a loathing to see anything through them.
Even if it should be his daughter at play.
"We need to finish this." He told Gregor.
"Yeah and you need a brake from it, so there." Gregor glared at him. "Your going away for a few hours, and its not open for debate."
"Mutiny." Ian glared at him.
"If you want it to be like that." Suddenly Gregor stopped glaring and grinned instead. He knew this, the weight of the treasure was to heavy for Ian to shoulder, it was to much responsibility, and it wore him down fast. To his surprise Ben seemed to understand it, he was beginning to understand the position Ian was in with the treasure, and he was trying to help.
Gregor grinned, for when Ian argued with expressions like 'mutiny,' it meant that he was coming around to see sense, he just wanted to argue about it for a bit. A battle of wits, not to mention insults.
Gregor would be the first one to admit that there had not been enough of those battles lately. Most likely because the number one contestant, Shaw, was no longer around to do it.
"Just be glad that we don't keel haul you." He bit back. "That's what you did when you committed mutiny."
"That was how you punished sailors." Ian objected. "The Captains were mostly made to walk the plank."
"Well, how do you know that wasn't how you got them into the water for the keel hauling?" Gregor demanded.
"You don't have a two for one with punishments." Ian stated firmly.
Off in the corner Ben chuckled, it was really amusing to hear the two of them at it.
"You sure your not going to flog them while they stand on the plank?" Ian demanded.
"And then make them jump into saltwater?" Gregor demanded sounding utterly shocked. "Do you have any idea how much that would sting?"
"Gregor, do you have any idea how all the stuff that's stuck on the hull rips your back open, I doubt it matters if you're flogged before that, its going to sting like the devil anyway." Ian told him.
"Then you might as well spare the whip." Gregor grinned. "So you don't wear it out I mean."
Ian groaned. "You could flog hundreds of men and not wear it out."
"I still don't get why you're so obsessed with flogging them." Gregor shook his head. "Isn't it enough that you're going to make them walk the plank and keel haul them to start with."
"That was you." Ian glared at Gregor, and jabbed a finger at him.
"Was not, you were the one that was all for keel hauling, walking the plank and flogging them." Gregor sounded insulted that anyone would think such a thing about him. "You're a blood thirsty bastard Ian."
"I'll show you just how bloodthirsty I can be." Ian claimed clenching his fist.
"If you do that Charlotte's gonna make you walk the plank." Gregor challenged.
"If you tell her I did it I'm gonna hang you from the rigging." Ian threatened.
"You don't have a rigging." Gregor chuckled. "And why are you so obsessed with those navy punishment anyway. Can't be healthy Ian."
Over in his corner Ben was having trouble not laughing out loud. It was hilarious to see this display of affection, for if it was not Ian would surely have struck by now. He was standing with his hands clenched into fists, his green eyes was nearly shooting sparks with anger. At least the classical romantic novel description of that event seemed to fit. He was definitely glaring at Gregor, who did not even appear to notice.
"You're the one wont let it go, you bloody bastard." Ian spat angrily. He was angry, and it was a proof of how it had been wearing him down. Gregor just kept grinning, it was a perfect way to get him vent some of the frustration. The worst that could happen was that Ian threw a punch at him, and he could handle that should it happen.
"Says the one who's just threatened to hang me from the rigging." Gregor sniffed. "You're getting obsessed Ian, and you cant deny it. Not the way you were talking about flogging before." He tilted his head sideways. "How long have you've been suffering those delusions that your Lt Hornblower."
"If you don't cut that stuff out you are gonna know just what kind of delusions I have." Ian's eyes narrowed in anger as he glared at Gregor. He was getting close to the point where he would strike, and Gregor was feeling very proud of himself. All he needed was to vent some of the frustration that was building up inside him, and it was so fun to make him do it.
"I already know that. You're talking like your in the Britannic Navy, Napoleon Regime. I'm getting really worried about you here Ian, next thing I know you'll be ordering us to fire a broad side when the tax collector comes, and try to flog Victor." He grinned again. "Now just come with me and I'll take care of you. Everything's gonna be fine Mr Hornblower." He spoke the last sentence in a soft cooing voice, as if he was urging along a child.
"I'll bloody fire a broadside at you!" Ian exclaimed.
Gregor laughed and turned to run back out of the cellar. Running through the cellar with Ian on his heels. He was usually a tad faster then Ian, and he had the edge now being in slightly better shape. He kept his lead all the way out of the cellar and out of the castle. Not allowing Ian to catch up with him until he was approaching the creek and the pool.
He slowed down enough then that Ian caught up with him, laughing when the other man was glaring at him. Ian was panting slightly, but he was still glaring as angrily as ever at him.
"You gonna flog me now?" He demanded laughingly as Ian was struggling to wrestle him to the ground. Ian had clearly lost some of his strength during the time he was suffering the depression, and more recently when his arm was broken. Ian was usually stronger and better at this, but on the other hand, it gave Gregor the upper hand, and he did not mind that. He was able to drag Ian over to the pool, and deposit him into it. It was to shallow to throw him into it, he did not want Ian to strike the rocks, but he could definitely drag him out into it. It really made no difference, he got just as wet either way.
After the hard run, it was quite refreshing as well. Not that Ian gave up, it was a really interesting wrestling match, even more so because it was taking place in shallow water.
Ian might be furious at first, but as soon as they were both rolling around in the pool he was laughing more than he was glaring. Thought he was still cursing as much as ever, but that was to be expected.
"First you claim that you aren't obsessed with the navy, next minute your dragging me into a bloody lake to fight." Gregor laughed. "You really think you are Hornblower, don't you." '
"If I were you'd be flogged for striking an officer." Ian growled, but smiling as he did it.
"Nah, you're no officer, we just let you think that you're in charge." Gregor laughed as he dragged himself out of the pool. "Come on now, if the ones that really in charge here finds out I gave you a bath, she'll do worse than keel hauling to me."
"Charlotte would do that yes." Ian agreed, following Gregor, they were both soaking wet and dripping. There was no real doubt whatever Charlotte would find out, she would not miss two sets of dripping clothing hanging to dry.
"When she finds out you jumped in fully clothed, she's gonna find out just exactly what kind of nut case you are." Gregor grinned. "And she wont like it more because you dragged me into it as well."
"I dragged you into it?" Ian demanded grabbing his sleeve. "How the hell do you figure that?"
"You said you were the leader." Gregor said innocently. "It would have to be you then."
Ian laughed he could not help it, Gregor could be such a clown when he wanted to. He might not have the prettiest face, but he had a certain charm, and he knew how to use it when he wanted to. Gregor would be able to win the heart of any women he wanted just by that bizarre humour of his.
Victor won them over by sheer loyalty, and Phil was not bad looking at all. Neither of them ever had seemed very interested in getting a women thought. They had been firm bachelors all of them. Ian had always thought he would remain a bachelor, it was just that Charlotte had not agreed. He did not think anyone could disagree with her about those things. Even Shaw would have thought twice about it before trying to argue something with her.
They had been the ever faithful bachelor band, and even if he was a father now, they still mostly remained that way. Charlotte never interfered with that part of it, and at times she quite reminded of a bachelor herself. She had accepted the fact that the gang would not split up, when this was over and they settled down in some house somewhere, it would be all of them.
Ian could not imagine being without them, and they would not agree to being on their own either. They had missed each others badly during the time they were separated.
"Now, soon as you get some dry clothes on your going with me." Gregor stated firmly. "We'll find Victor and Phil, and if you as much as think about that bloody treasure, we'll figure out something to do with you."
"I need to figure out what to do about it." Ian sighed. "Ben says its up to me, since they got the first treasure, and any moment now the papers will find out about it."
Gregor glared at him, a threatening glare that spoke of physical punishment that would be coming around in a moment.
"Will you just forget about that for a moment?" He demanded. "Ignore it, we did not find all that junk for you to wear yourself out over it. Just drop it for a moment Ian."
Ian nodded, he would try. They were still dripping even as they went inside, leaving wet tracks on the floor. Not that it mattered much, and Ian went into the bedroom to change. He hoped that he would be able to change and get away before Charlotte found out that he had been walking around soaking wet.
Of course, he was fairly certain that he would not stand a chance to succeed with that. Sure enough, she was in the room, putting Ianna to bed. Now she frowned at him. Ian thought that she at least approved of the crib they had found.
"Ian?" She said slowly as she looked at him.
He gave her a sheepish grin. "It was raining." He tried hopefully.
Charlotte just cast a glance out the window a the clear sky and shining sun and shook her head. "What have you been up to?" She demanded.
"It was not me." He defended himself. "It was Gregor's fault."
"Ian, what have you done." She fixed him with a firm stare and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Gregor was being mean." He said with a slight pout. "He was being really mean, and then he dragged me into that pool in the creek."
Charlotte sighed, it was typical of those men. "With your clothes on?" She shook her head.
Ian grinned as he searched out a dry change of clothes. "You should have seen me there when I was a kid then. I got all sooty from climbing in the chimney, and when I was to clean of I just jumped into that pool, it was more effective than anything else."
"It's also insane." Charlotte pointed out. "Very insane Ian, and now?"
"T'was me Charlotte, not him." Gregor grinned in the doorway. He had changed already, and had decided to save Ian when he heard Charlotte's voice. "You cant blame us for fooling around a bit."
Charlotte gave him a look that said she could, and would, if she wanted to.
Ian was just happy to escape the scolding and hurried to change, Charlotte normally did not say much about their fooling around, but he had a feeling he was not exactly in her favour at the moment. To his surprise he heard her laugh as he pulled a dry a sweeter over his head.
"I never could stop you." She said smiling. "Just don't let him do anything to stupid Gregor."
"I won't." Gregor smiled innocently, as if it had not been he who was responsible before. "But I am gonna haul him away from here before this place drives him insane. I'll keep an eye on him thought."
"Make sure you do." She left the room, stopping to give Ian a peck of a kiss on the cheek as she passed him. "Have fun." She smiled at him.
TBC, Please review the Cricket is hungry…..