*GASP* I UPDATED! Sorry for taking so long guys! Well, here you go…. xD

Disclaimer: And so the list of what I own goes, but National Treasure is not on the list. Neither is Riley, even if I wrote a Manual on how to... er, operate him. (btw, if you're interested, check that out! xD)

Also, I forgot to add, there is A LOT of swearing in here. Sorry for forgetting - now you're warned. .

BENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBEN

He lowered her into a small dip as they danced, making Abby laugh. Ben pulled Abby up gently and gave her a long, passionate kiss.

The quartet softened their playing on cue. Ben surreptitiously spoke into his hidden microphone.

"This is it, Riley."

Ben heard a small chuckle in his ear. "Okay Ben, don't be a worry walnut – I'm sending in the wine." Pause. "Oh and Ben?"

"Yes, Riley?"

"Don't stutter."

"Thanks." Ben replied flatly, and watched the waiter approach them with glasses of champagne.

"Champagne, love?"

Abigail giggled. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, nothing." Ben handed her a glass. "Just something nice to mark the end of this wonderful evening."

"I've noticed the amount of alcohol we've been consuming tonight, Benjamin Franklin Gates." Abigail smiled seductively. "Are there anymore surprises heading my way?" She purred, tracing Ben's bicep with a finger.

Ben smiled at her, determined not to give anything away yet. "Maybe." He sipped from his glass, and slipped a hand into his coat pocket. Ben felt the box in his hand, and suddenly his heart started beating faster. I hope I get you drunk enough to answer how you're supposed to answer. He gulped. And I hope I'm drunk enough to say what I'm supposed to say.

He got on one knee, and held the box casually in his hand. It suddenly felt so heavy…

"Abigail, I know that I don't deserve someone like you in my life." Ben started. He was almost afraid to see Abby's reaction, but he looked up anyway.

Abby's face was twisted into an expression Ben has never seen before.

"And I know I'm not the easiest person to be with. I know that – All I know is that I love you, Abigail. And I want to be with you forever – whatever happens, even if the world ends tomorrow, I don't care. All I want is you.

So… Abigail Chase, will you marry me?"

Abby blinked at Ben, her expression still unreadable. "I…I don't know what to say, Ben."

"Please say yes." Ben grinned. "Assuming you want to marry me."

Abby smirked. "There you go again Ben, assuming too much. And so, I say – "

Everything suddenly went out of focus, and Ben opened his eyes. "Abigail?" He murmured. Ben blinked, and surveyed his surroundings.

There were three pairs of shoes shuffling in front of him. And asphalt… and was that graffiti on the wall in front of him? Where in the world was he…?

A sharp, exploding pain at his side jolted him wholly back to reality.

Everything hurt. Ben tried to look up, when the sharp pain at his side suddenly intensified...

"Don't move, dammit!" Someone cursed above him. He felt a strong kick by his other side – left or right, he couldn't say anymore. At least it balanced the pain…

Someone jerked him out of his coat.

Ben opened his mouth to protest, remembering the coat was something Abigail gave to him on one of her annual shopping sprees, but only a moan made its way out.

"Check his back pocket."

Someone felt his pants – making Ben wince a bit. "Found his wallet."

"We hit the jackpot, boys!"

Ben heard a whoop of joy, and the unmistakable sound of money being passed around. "Five hundred dollars!" There was a general period of swearing, and the next thing Ben remember was someone taking his shoes and tie off. Next to go was his jacket.

Ben protested again – the jacket was a gift from Riley this time. "Give it back…" He managed, and tried to turn on one side.

He received a heavy stomp on his lower back for that one. Ben tried again. "At least just the – "

"Ring! Looks expensive – oh shit, I think its real!" Another general period of swearing. "The rocks are real! Damn, who is this guy? Check his license."

"B…Be… Ben… How do you read this – "

"Oh give me that!" A low whistle. "Benjamin Franklin Gates."

"Isn't that the treasure hunter?"

"Of course he is, you idiot!"

There was yet another general period of swearing. Ben started crawling closer to the wall, and tried to prop himself up. He lifted himself to a sitting position.

He found a small handhold – a dumpster he just noticed nearby, and he pulled himself up and leaned against it. "Even just the ring – give it back." He managed, staring – glaring, even, at the crooks who had the audacity to beat up people in a generally busy street. "I'm proposing to someone today, and I am not going to let you ruin it."

"Oh look, the great treasure hunter is going to go against us." The 'beggar' sneered at him. A man with a mop of brown, unruly hair laughed, and produced a small pocket knife from who-knows-where. Another man, someone who was now wearing his yellow coat, snickered, and raised a baseball bat in his arms. "Where's the money, Gates? We know you have more."

Ben laughed, shaking his head. The movement made him dizzier, but he couldn't help it. "You really think I'd bring more than five hundred dollars in my pocket?"

Knife-wielding guy scoffed. "How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?"

"Where's my ring?" Ben snarled, and let go of dumpster. Adrenaline started pumping through his body, and Ben's hands shook.

"I ate it." Yellow-coat guy mocked.

Ben suddenly had a great hatred for the color yellow. "Go to hell." He launched himself at Knife-wielding guy, knocking the blade away with a small twist of the guy's hand. Ben kneed him in the stomach and brought his elbow down on his collarbone.

The guy's collarbone shattered, and he screamed, falling to the ground. Ben silently wondered why in the world nobody heard that, but threw the thought away. He quickly patted the guy up and down, looking for the familiar shape of his box. "Where the hell is my ring?!" He growled into the guy's face, momentarily forgetting the two other thugs behind him.

A grave mistake. Something hit the back of his head, and he blacked out.

The next thing he felt was someone elbowing and kicking him in the stomach. Ben felt like everything was on fire. He blinked away the black and white dots swirling before his eyes. "'The hell did you do! You broke his damned shoulder!"Yellow-coat screamed.

Ben coughed, and spewed out blood. "Where is the – "

"To hell with you and your damn ring!" Yellow-coat kicked him just a few centimeters above his stomach, and Ben thought he heard a small crack. I think I just broke a rib…

Beggar brought up the small pocket knife Knife-wielding guy held earlier to Ben's face. "Where's the other money?"

Ben spat in the thug's face. "The bank. Where the heck do you think I keep it? My socks?"

Beggar pulled Ben's socks off, and ripped off Ben's shirt – still looking for money that wasn't there. "Have fun in the cold, Mr. Gates." He sneered, and knocked Ben's head against the wall. "Let's get out of here." He yelled at the two others, and threw away the discarded clothes on the street.

Ben moaned, and closed his eyes.

If I don't die from this, Abigail is going to kill me.

BENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBENBEN

Italics was the way it was supposed to happen. But then this…? Poor Ben. xD

So? SOOOO? R&R please! xD