Ben and Riley weren't stuck in their former prison for long before the others came to try to rescue them. Elton walked in with them and put everyone back where they had been. This time the window had been repaired. Ben was happy to see that everyone was ok, but wished that their rescue attempt had been successful.

"Now that I have both pieces of the map, we'll be heading out as soon as I figure out where it's located. Enjoy your break." Elton said mockingly. The guards put the magnetic bracelets on everyone again as food was brought to them.

"How are you feeling?" Abigail asked Ben.

"Fine." She knew that meant nothing had changed. Everyone helped themselves to the food. Eating in silence, everyone was lost in thought, though few eyes were not on Ben.

"So what happens now?" Tetalia asked.

"We hope that your mother planned for this." Ben wasn't about to admit defeat though his head was swimming.

"Ben?" Tetalia said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Are you done eating?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to lie down on the bed? According to our doctor rest is the best medicine and it's not like you've had much of that."

"I'll be fine."

"I don't mind. I want you to."

"Elton will just come in here and make me move. It'd be pointless."

"Please?" He saw the worry in her eyes. Plus, who knew, maybe a good nap would do him some good.

"Tetalia, the biggest favor you can do me is to make sure you're ok."

"I'm just fine. Besides, I'm not tired yet. You're not taking anything from me if you lay down."

"Ben, it won't hurt anything." Abigail joined in.

"Alright, I can't win with two beautiful young women asking me to." Tetalia smiled.

"Thanks." She said to Abigail.

It seemed he'd just laid his head down when he was asleep. It was a deep sleep. One he needed and hadn't gotten since the beginning of everything that had happened lately. All the problems still existed but he knew everyone was safe and that freed his mind up enough to let him really sleep.

"Wow, he fell asleep fast." Will commented.

"He needed it." Abigail replied. "He feels like he has to protect us. That's why it took both of us to convince him to lay down. Normally, I have a hard time getting him out of bed."

"What makes him so special anyway? I'm sure Riley and I could use a good nap like that." Jealousy was talking instead of Will. He knew Ben needed it more than any of them. He'd seen Elton treat Ben worse than the rest of them.

"Whoa, don't include me in this. Yeah, I still have a little bit of a head cold, but whatever we were given before was strong and I feel a lot better." Riley came to Ben's defense. Ben had been there for him on more than one occasion and he wasn't about to abandon him now.

Looking around the room, it seemed as if he was getting a dirty look from everyone for what he'd said. "What is the matter with you all? I honestly don't get it. So maybe I got some meds and he didn't"

It took Charles all of one nanosecond to take in the scene, marvel at its beauty, and decide it was time to move all that gold to a hidden location. For one second, Ben, Riley, Abigail, and Tetalia forgot that they were prisoners as the beauty that surrounded them took their breath away. Historical artifacts dating back thousands of years were there. It was the history of who Tetalia's people were and who they had once been; Clues that had been lost or forgotten with time. She wanted to run in and absorb all the information hidden behind the walls. How did it get there? How long had it been there?

With the snap of his fingers Charles had everyone moved out of the way. Two guards stood watch over the group as the treasure was taken away. Ben watched helplessly as millions of people were robbed of the wonders of all the history the room contained. He'd reached his breaking point. Ben supported himself against the wall lest he fall.

"It's a shame I have to leave you like this." Elton said once all the treasure was taken away. He'd knocked out several guards and provided himself with a quick getaway. Ben had to sit down as nausea overtook him. Everyone, even Will, was around him trying to help him. "Ah well, as I believe this will be our last meeting I will say one thing. You proved very helpful in making me rich."

"You already are rich. Now you're just greedy, and alone. And for what? You'll lose everything when you die." Even though those words shook him to the core, Elton just laughed as he walked away and shut the door behind him. Riley and Will tried to escape, but in vain.

"Ben, are you ok?" Tetalia asked worriedly.

"No."

"Don't talk like that." Abigail scolded him.

"I'll be fine."

"That's better." She managed a fake smile for him.

"I know a way out. We're going to escape and get you to a doctor." Ben hadn't told them the severity of what he'd been going through. As the days wore on and the temperature dropped he'd battled hypothermia and his cold. The only thing that got him through it was Elton. Elton always seemed the keep the temperature just high enough on the cage floor to keep him from freezing.

"Of course you'll be alright." Abigail reassured him. He brought her hands up to him and kissed them. He could feel her worry. Tetalia got the doors open and she, along with Will, ran to get help. Riley, knowing he'd be no use in getting help stayed behind to help Ben. His head was spinning too.

"Father, you have to hurry!" She cried as she came running through the doors.

"Tetalia?" She failed to notice the relief that was on his face from seeing her again. He hadn't slept much either.

"We need a doctor!"

"Yes, right away. Sit down here and we'll get you a doctor." She resisted him.

"Not for me, for Ben. He's really sick."

"Ben Gates?" Her father asked in utter shock. What had happened?

"Yes. Please hurry." The worry and fear in his daughter's eyes made him put his questions aside and comply with her wishes.

"Fetch me a doctor right away." He turned to his daughter and hugged her.

"Dad?" She was surprised at his display of emotion but hugged him back.

"Take me to him."

"This way." Her father decided it would be best to talk to Ben after the doctor had gotten a chance to look at him so he stayed out of sight. Ben was taken to one of the many bedrooms in the palace and given some medicine and some soup and tea. The doctor's first goal was to give Ben's body the tools it needed to fight off the infection.

Everyone but Tetalia's father said goodnight to him and within minutes he was asleep. It was hard for Abigail especially to hide the exciting news they'd received while the doctor was looking at him. But all agreed that Ben should have some rest before he was told.

Once he was finished with Ben, the doctor took a look at the others. Will and Riley both had colds as well. Abigail and Tetalia would be just fine after they were given a chance to relax and get some sleep. Then came the biggest question. What had happened?

Everyone took turns and shared their point of view. Those listening took in every detail.

"Elton finally came and told us he knew where the map was leading, right back to the palace. Ben was disappointed when we got in without any trouble." Abigail began.

"It was easy to sneak past the guards." Will said nervously. As the emperor was sitting their he didn't want to say anything that might endanger his job. "That part of the palace isn't well guarded at all."

"I can see why. It's the must run down part. It's like everyone forgot it was there." Riley added.

"So once we were at the door it was easy to get in. We passed maybe one guard. And I think he was headed to his house." Tetalia joined in. "But once the doors were opened. Dad, you should have seen it. The room was amazing! There were so many things that I'd never even heard of, never even seen before. It was so spectacular that for a moment, I forgot we were all captives. We have to show it to the world somehow." The king took it all in with awe. His wife had come back in a way he'd never thought she would. He knew he'd have to have "the" conversation with his daughter someday, but he'd never dreamed any of this would happen.

After all the stories were told, everyone went to bed feeling wonderful. Even those who were sick had a feeling of contentment that no words could describe. All was well, and now everyone could really relax.

Patrick and Emily woke up at the palace the next morning and the events of the night before played through their mind. They had helped their son; Even if it was in a small way. They were in the middle of breakfast when they were told they could visit Ben. Leaving food behind, they got up quickly and went to his side.

"Mom? Dad? What are you guys doing here?" Ben asked as they hugged him. He was still weak but he had gained a lot of strength.

"We had to help you." Patrick said.

"Was the name of the man who was after you Charles Elton?" Emily asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes. Why?"

"He's on the front page." She handed him the news paper. The headline read "MONEY DOESN'T BUY FREEDOM". It went on to explain that he was found guilty for the kidnapping of Tetalia and it continued with a long list of his recent crimes. Ben smiled at the news.

"You guys are the best. You got him arrested. But how did you know where to find him?"

"We still have a few tricks up our sleeves." Patrick said.

"You still have several more visitors who want to see you so we should go and let you get some rest. I love you, Ben." His mother said. She turned away quickly to hide the tears of joy that appeared without her permission. She was truly happy now. Her son was safe and on his way to a full recovery. But anyone having seen her the night before would hardly believe this was the same person. On finding out what condition her son was in, she took all her rage out on Elton. She had a few choice words to say to him.

Patrick Gates felt a weight being lifted. The worst was over. After a few days things would go back to normal. He enjoyed that. He felt he was getting to old for this sort of thing.

"I love you too." Ben told his parents. When they left the room Riley and Abigail came in.

"You had us worried sick yesterday." Abigail told him.

"Well, I don't plan on going anywhere now."

"You're not going anywhere until you get much better. Tetalia's father insists that you stay here."

"Why haven't I seen him?"

"My guess is that he's holding off on it because of the last time he saw you."

"Could be, that was the night he lost his wife. He spoke with me through lawyers after that." He turned his attention towards Riley. "You haven't said much."

"What? And interrupt such a touching scene? Never!" He joked. "So I'm guessing you've heard the news?"

"The only other time I was so happy that someone was going to jail was when Ian was arrested instead of me."

"I still wish I could have seen the look on his face when he saw you standing in that doorway." Abigail smiled. "That would have been priceless."

"It was. Did you see Charles' reaction?"

"No, but your parents did."

"Abigail." Riley said while motioning towards the door. She knew that was his signal for let's go.

"Tetalia would like to see you and you need your rest so we'll get going. I'll bring you some food later."

"Thank you." It was a couple of minutes before Tetalia could make it and Ben understood why when she came through the door with her father.

"When my daughter told me it was you who needed the doctor I'm sure you can imagine my surprise."

"I'll bet."

"What made you come after her?"

"The promise." The king nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Dad says you can stay here until you're completely well again." Tetalia smiled. Her father nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you for your kindness. But if you'd prefer, I'd be more than happy to stay at one of the nearby hotels."

"That's not necessary. I have too many rooms. It's nice to put some of them to use."

"Thank you. It would be my privilege."

"Father?" He looked towards his daughter. She pulled out the necklace from under her shirt and showed it to him. Ben being present made her a little braver. Her father was shocked at how well he remembered it. "Will you tell me what happened?"

His eyes began to water and he looked to Ben for help.

"You mind?" Ben asked. When he shook his head Ben began. "Well, you were young. You're mother and father snuck out of the palace that night to see what conditions were really like for the people. The people were rebelling against the authorities. Your parents were being told that the people were just being stubborn and that, as rulers, they needed to crack down and show them who was boss. Those same advisers were writing out the new laws for your father to sign. Your mother was convinced that they weren't being told the whole story so she took a look at the laws that had already been signed. Since she didn't see anything out of place there, she convinced your father to sneak out of the palace with her, me, and you. She wanted to check out the conditions for herself. We dressed up like everyday people and things were going fine at first. Then someone recognized you. That's when things went wrong. The police were after us to arrest us for kidnapping you. Naturally, we ran. Even we knew that the court system was so slow that it could take years before they would ever get around to finding out who we really were. Your mother realized that we wouldn't all make it back to the palace if one of us didn't stay behind. She stopped to let us get away. It was her thought that the police would take you into custody, your father and I would get away, and then your father would free her from prison." Ben glanced at her father. He was looking to the floor. "That's when it happened. She wanted us to keep going. But we couldn't. It was my job to protect her. And your father wasn't about to leave the woman he loved." Ben paused here. Even though he had only been her body guard the next part was always hard for him to remember. Tetalia ventured a look at her father. He wasn't crying but she could tell this was killing him inside. That fact made her more appreciative of the fact that she was actually being told what happened.

"We both turned around just in time to see her go down. I've never seen anything so awful. Being in better shape, I reached her first. She handed you to me. That's when she asked me to promise to look out for you. She knew your father was going to let me go but she still wanted me to look out for you. And I did. I would check the news to see how you were doing. A few seconds later, your father was at her side. She asked him to go easy on everyone and she told him that she loved him. Then she turned to you and told you that she loved you. Just before she passed away she gave you that necklace." Ben glanced over at her father and he nodded for Ben to go on. This surprised him. "Your father blamed you and I for her death. I was her body guard and yet she went down instead of me." Ben couldn't hide the guilt on his face.

"And I was the reason the police were after you to begin with." She looked at her father with a new understanding. He didn't treat her the way he did because he didn't care, he treated her that way because it was too hard for him to cope with his loss and raise a daughter. "That explains why he sometimes looks at me like I've betrayed him." He seemed stung at her words but he didn't deny it.

"I'm sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by acting as if your mother was never there in front of you. You're so much like her. Come here." He gave her a hug and held her tight. "I will do better from now on." Tears of joy streamed down her face. "I love you and I'm proud of you." She hugged him tighter.

Ben felt good that he had helped to break down the walls between father and daughter.

"Thanks Ben." She smiled at him but she never let go of her father.

Ben fully recovered in a matter of a few weeks. In that time, Tetalia and her father were well on their way to making up for lost time. Out of respect for Ben, Tetalia's father waited until he was well to open up the museum with all the treasure Charles had tried to steal. He even named the museum after Ben. It was known as the Benjamin Franklin Gates Museum. In time, most people referred to it as the Gates Museum. Ben, of course, was honored but he also felt it was a little over kill. He didn't need a museum to be named after him. He was just glad that the history had been recovered.

Will and Tetalia, eventually reestablished their trusting relationship, though it did take several months. She finally came to appreciate that Will would say things that would hurt her if he became overly stressed. He promised to work on that. As long as he was trying to be better she could forgive him. She knew he couldn't change overnight.

When Riley got back to the states, he called the girl he'd met at the archeological site of cibola. They weren't dating yet, but there was definitely some interest there. He took her out for a bite to eat while he told her about his latest adventure. She listened intently, even putting her phone on silent when she got a call. Riley was beginning to think he'd found 'the one'.

Patrick and Emily were glad they had come to help their son. They were even more proud of the fact that they hadn't been used as pawns against their son this time. This was the kind of adventure they liked. No, they never wanted to see their son in harm's way, but they liked being able to come in at the end and see it all play out. Unbeknownst to them, they were in for one more surprise.

Of all the nights of his life, Ben couldn't remember a night where he was more nervous. He couldn't explain it. What was so nerve wrecking about one little question? He already knew what the answer would be. She had to say yes. After all they'd been through she couldn't say no, right?

"So where are you taking me this evening?" She asked. She noticed Ben was being more secretive than usual.

"It's a surprise. But you'll love it."

"I'm sure." He opened up the passenger door for her. Once she was inside, he closed the door and climbed in himself.

"The love birds are on their way. I repeat the love birds are on their way." The limo driver said into the radio.

"We're ready when you are." Sadusky replied.

"Ben, what's going on?" Abigail was intrigued.

The limousine came to a stop. "We're at a little known place I like to call the White House." She gasped delighted. Sadusky opened Ben's door.

"Good evening." He greeted Abigail. "Ben, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Back out now and have all you lovely gentleman come in vain? I'll go through with it." Stepping around the limo Ben opened Abigail's door. "After you milady."

"Oh so formal. Ben what's going on?" She couldn't hide her smile. "And why do we need an FBI escort?"

"In all fairness, the last time we were in the Oval Office we were acting a little suspicious."

"A little?" Sadusky countered. "You call breaking and entering a little suspicious?"

"We didn't break in." Abigail corrected him.

"It's the same to me."

"Can't you tell me what's going on?" Abigail tried.

"I'm under strict orders not to breathe a word to you, Ms. Chase."

"Orders from who?"

"The President. When your boyfriend calls in a favor, he calls in a favor." On arriving at the Oval Office, Sadusky opened the door and let them in. Inside, a candle lit table was set up with wine and Abigail's favorite dish.

"Ben! You mean?"

"Yes, we get to eat in here. This time we get to take our time."

"Don't take all night lover boy. The president needs his office back."

"Where is he anyway?"

"As if I'd tell you." Ben and Abigail seated themselves while some of the FBI agents stationed themselves around the room. Sadusky waited by the door.

"I wasn't thinking about the fact that I'd have an audience."

"Well this is still romantic. What's the occasion?"

"Abigail, we've known each other for several years now. And with the exception of the few months when we called it off we've lived together most of that time."

"Yes." She stared into his eyes. Was he going to ask what she thought he was going to ask?

He about got up to pace the room but then remembered the FBI agents. "We're a team and I love you. Abigail, will you marry me?" The suspense in the room was building. She showed nothing on her face. A few of the agents leaned in closer to hear. Sadusky fidgeted with his ear piece.

Then she couldn't hold it in any longer, she smiled and laughed at the petrified look on his face. "Benjamin Franklin Gates, do you honestly think I would say no?"

"There's always that slight chance."

"Well then let me put it to you like this. Ben, we've known each other for several years now. And with the exception of a few months where you acted like you knew everything we've been together all that time. We're a team. Ben, of course I'll marry you!" Cheers went up throughout the White House as the two lovebirds kissed. Agents had been stationed everywhere, watching the whole thing on camera. Sadusky smiled and wondered when he should point out the mike on the table.

The President walked through the door. "Ben."

"Sir?" Ben said leaning away from Abigail and standing up straight. In the process he knocked the chair over.

"Can I have my office back?"

Ben smiled. "Why don't you join us, sir?"

"May I?"

"Of course." The rest of the evening went well. Sadusky, The President, Ben, and Abigail all laughed and joked with each other.

A few months later, Ben and Abigail got married. It was a news worthy event that took place at the Trinity Church. The guests included people such as Tetalia and her Father, and, even the President made an appearance. And of course, the FBI agents who had all been there before were on the guest list. Riley was the best man, and his new girl friend was the maid of honor. Patrick and Emily, decided after the wedding to make good use of the opportunity and get remarried themselves. Ben didn't know what to think about having the same anniversary as his parents. Abigail thought it was cute.