[[chapter 2 provided by Jestana]]

Cherishing the Treasure

Benjamin Franklin Gates sighed in frustration and snapped his cell phone shut when his call went to his mother's voice mail, again. "That's four times now."

"It's still fairly early in the day, Ben," Abigail Chase, his fiancée, pointed out, pouring coffee for both of them. "She could still be asleep."

He shook his head, setting his cell phone on the kitchen table and idly spinning it with his fingers, first one way then the other. "Not my mother. She's always up disgustingly early and fully cognizant. Unlike normal human beings who need coffee to help them wake up."

"There's a first time for everything," she reminded him, setting his coffee in front of him.

Benjamin sighed, sipping his coffee. "Dad I can understand not answering this early in the morning, but not Mom."

"If you're that worried about them, go check on them." Abigail's voice was exasperated as she slipped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek against the top of his head.

He smiled ruefully, covering her hands with one of his. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"No, just a worrywart." She kissed the top of his head to take the sting out of her words. "Now, go check on your parents. You won't stop worrying about them until you do."

He shifted so he could see her face. Though her tone was light-hearted, her expression serious. "You mean that?"

"Of course." She nodded, smiling faintly. "You're concerned about your parents, so you'll be distracted until you've seen for yourself that they're perfectly fine and safe." She stroked his cheek tenderly. "So go."

Nodding, he got to his feet and kissed her softly. "I won't be long."

"I know." She returned his kiss with a fond smile. "Say hello to your parents for me."

"I will." He stroked her cheek gently and left to visit each of his parents' homes in turn.

***

"Emily." Dr. Emily Appleton refused to open her eyes. She was in the midst of a lovely dream that she'd finally reconciled with her ex-husband, that they were happy together. "Honey, wake up, please."

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and looked around. She wasn't in her own home in Maryland, but Patrick's home. In the living room, to be precise, stretched out on top of him on the couch. "Good morning, Pat."

"Morning, Em." He smiled as he stroked her cheek, tracing the arch of the cheekbone with his fingertips. "I hate to disturb you, but I need to use the facilities."

Laughing softly, Emily unwillingly shifted off her lover so he could get up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He kissed her softly, reassuringly before leaning down to pick up his discarded robe and pajama pants. "I'd have gladly stayed there if it hadn't been for nature's call."

She smiled, watching as he put on his pajama pants and tied his robe shut. "We should probably be getting up soon, anyway." She picked up her phone and looked at the display. "Our son is probably frantic by now."

"Probably." Patrick picked up his phone to study the display. "I'll call him once I'm done in the bathroom."

Emily nodded, tilting her head as her lover, her treasure, ran his hand over the golden strands, mussing them even more. After he'd disappeared in the direction of the bathroom, she picked up his pajama top and slipped it on, breathing deeply as she was wrapped up in his scent. Despite all the years they'd spent apart, the mere sight of him in her office at the University of Maryland had made her heart skip a beat, or two, or three. Hell, part of her had wanted to go over and kiss him silly even while the she'd had sniped and snapped at him to hide that longing.

It was part of the reason she'd come here last night. She'd managed to ignore the emptiness of her life until Ben had brought Patrick back into it. After wandering restlessly through her house, she'd decided to go visit her ex-husband, see if he'd been feeling the same emptiness she had and, wonder of wonders, he had. He needed her just as she needed him. It had been lovely and beautiful, just as she'd remembered. She sighed happily and rubbed her cheek against the pajama collar, reveling in Patrick's scent.

The doorbell rang at that moment, breaking into her reverie. Quickly buttoning the pajama shirt, she got up to answer the door, peeking through the peephole first. Her son stood on the other side, glancing over his shoulder at the driveway where her car was still parked. Glancing down to make sure she was decent, Emily opened the door. "Good morning, Benjamin."

"Mom!" Ben stared at her in surprise that quickly shifted to shock when he saw what she was wearing. "Do I want to know what you're doing here?"

"Probably not, unless you want the illusion that you were immaculately conceived to be ruined," she conceded playfully, stepped back so her son could enter the house.

"All right, I walked into that one," Ben responded wryly, stepping inside and trying not to look ill at the thought of his parents indulging in anything more passionate than a kiss. As Emily closed the door, he asked, "Where's Dad?"

Patrick appeared just then, his hands buried in the pock-ets of his robe, his very glasses seeming to glint with mischief. "Right here, Ben."

"Good. You're fine, Mom's fine, I'll just go now." Ben started for the door.

Emily caught his hand. "Why don't you stay for a visit, Ben? We haven't really talked lately."

"Well, Abigail is expecting me to be back soon," Ben explained even as his mother gently but firmly steered him into the kitchen.

Following behind them, Patrick suggested, "Well, call her and ask her to join us. It'll be nice to sit and talk with her again."

"Neither of you is exactly dressed for company." Their son glanced from one to the other, and then down at the floor.

Emily finished starting the coffeemaker. "Pat, do you have some sweats I can borrow?"

"Certainly, Em." Patrick smiled fondly at his lover. "If you'll come with me?"

She crossed to his side and took his hand, kissing his cheek. Before she left the kitchen with Patrick, she looked at Ben. "Call Abigail, Ben."

"Yes, Mom." Ben sighed and they could hear him pulling out his cell phone as they headed to the master bedroom.

Emily stifled a laugh in Patrick's shoulder. "Poor Ben."

"At least we're up and partially dressed." Patrick commented, slipping his arm around her waist. "I can only imagine how much worse it would have been for him to have found us on the couch."

She smiled and waited patiently as Patrick rummaged through his bureau for something she could wear. "I believe the phrase my students would use in such a situation is 'scarred for life'."

"Yes, nothing quite like realizing that your parents did more than kiss in order to conceive you." Patrick offered Emily a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. "These shouldn't be too big on you."

Emily accepted the clothes and stretched up to kiss Patrick softly, a promise of more. "You still owe me a shower later."

"I haven't forgotten." He kissed her warmly. "I love you, Em."

"I love you, too, Pat." She turned and slipped into the bathroom to change.

Though she would have preferred to spend the morning alone with Patrick, she was not going to pass up this chance to talk with her son without a treasure hunt hanging over their heads. Besides, if she had anything to say about it, she'd be spending the rest of her life with Patrick anyway. She could afford to share him for an hour or two.

Fin