Fanfiction: National Treasure (G)
Title: Complicated
Pairing/Characters: Benjamin Franklin Gates, Abigail Chase, Emily Appleton, Patrick Henry Gates, Riley Poole, OMC; Ben/Abigail, Emily/OMC, Patrick/Emily
Rating: G
Fandom: National Treasure
Word Count: 2,785
Spoilers: Mostly the second, but only barely.
Summary: Someone shows up in South Dakota to complicate things between Emily and Patrick.
Notes/Warnings: Written for poppylovers as a hobbit!birthday gift. She liked the idea of Emily having dated someone else between her divorce from Patrick and the second movie. I mentioned that I'd written The Other Man and she wanted something where the other man wasn't quite so much of a jerk. This is what my brain came up with. No beta.
Complicated
"Ben, there you are!" The familiar voice stopped Benjamin Franklin Gates in his tracks.
Since he was holding Abigail's hand in his, she came to a stop beside him and looked up at him in puzzlement. "Ben?"
"Rodney, hi." Benjamin turned to face the older man instead of answering Abigail's question. "I thought you were still back in Maryland?"
Hands in his pockets, the history professor shook his head. "I was, but then your mother called and told me what had happened to her and I had to come out here and see for myself." He leaned closer, his glasses glinting in the lights of the hotel lobby. "Did you really find it?"
"We did, Rodney." Benjamin felt Abigail squeeze his hand gently and shook himself a little. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Abigail, this is Dr. Rodney Haynes of the University of Maryland. Rodney, this is Dr. Abigail Chase, my girlfriend."
She offered her hand with a polite smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Haynes."
"A large pleasure to meet you, Dr. Chase." He took her hand and shook it warmly. He glanced questioningly at Benjamin. "I understood from Emily that you two were no longer a couple."
Benjamin grinned sheepishly, wrapping his arm around Abigail's shoulders as the hotel doors opened behind Rodney and two familiar figures entered. Well, fuck! "Well, some things changed during this trip."
"There you are, Ben!" Emily grinned and waved at her son. "You'll never guess what--"
A smile spreading across his face, Rodney turned to face Emily. "Hello, Emily."
"Oh, Rodney, hello." The wide smile on Emily's face disappeared as she took notice of him. Beside her, Patrick eyed the stranger with instinctive dislike, not that Benjamin blamed his father in the slightest.
Unaware of the undercurrents of the situation, Rodney stepped forward and swept Emily into a warm embrace. She responded only half-heartedly and Patrick stiffened, stalking from the lobby before Rodney released Emily. Benjamin watched him go with a wince. "Dammit."
"I missed you, Emily." Rodney had released her and now stroked her hair back from her face tenderly. "I can see that you're all right."
Emily smiled up at him, catching his hand and squeezing it. "I'm glad to see you, too, Rodney."
He looked around then, brow furrowed. "What happened to the man with you?"
"Oh, Pat, damn." Emily looked around, gray eyes worried. They landed on Benjamin with some relief. "Ben, did you see where your father went?"
He indicated the bank of elevators over his shoulder. "Up to his room, I imagine."
"Thank you." She hugged him, and then Abigail on her way to the elevators.
Rodney trailed after her with a vaguely puzzled expression. "Emily? What's going on?"
"This is going to be a little complicated to explain," she told him, stepping onto an elevator.
Benjamin blew out a breath after the elevator doors closed behind them. "Complicated is one way to describe it, yes."
"So, I'm guessing your mom is dating Dr. Haynes?" Abigail looked up at Benjamin with curious eyes.
He nodded, not sure whom to feel worse for in the situation. "Yeah, she's dated a few men over the years. I like Rodney the best, but I honestly think Dad is the best man for her."
"Don't you think that you might be just a little biased about that?" She eyed him with some doubt in her eyes.
Benjamin shrugged, leading her to a quieter corner of the lobby. "Probably, but Dad's the only man who's given as good as he got. The others let her have her way too easily."
"That's your opinion." Abigail poked his chest with one finger. "Hers might be different."
He shook his head, wishing he could explain better how their fight in Emily's office had been reassuring to him. Though both had been angry, Benjamin had seen a spark in both of them that'd been missing ever since they'd separated. Neither were the same after that. I wish it'd never happened.
* * *
Emily chewed the inside of her cheek as she knocked on the door to the room Patrick, Benjamin, and Riley were sharing. "Pat? Are you in?"
"Emily, what's going on?" Rodney asked her in a low voice and she stifled the urge to curse fluently and at length in all the languages she knew. Why did come?
The door opened and Patrick gazed at them, his expression blank and unyielding in the way that used to drive her up the wall. "Yes, Emily, please explain?"
"Can we come in, Pat?" She glanced briefly up at Rodney. His puzzlement fading, he looked from Patrick to Emily with dawning realization.
After a long moment, Patrick stepped back and gestured them into the room. A suitcase sat open on one of the beds, familiar shirts, sweaters, and pants piled into it. A shaving kit sat on the bed beside it, clearly waiting to be packed. She winced at the reminder of their argument barely a week ago. In contrast, the other bed didn't look like anyone had used it since housekeeping's last visit to the room, two suitcases sitting on luggage racks at the foot. "My apologies for the mess. I have to return to D.C. soon."
You don't have to return any sooner than I do, Pat. This is because of what happened in the lobby. Folding her arms across her waist, Emily looked from one man to the other. "You left before I could make introductions, Pat. This is Dr. Rodney Haynes, he teaches at the university. Rodney, this is Dr. Patrick Henry Gates, Ben's father."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Gates." Rodney smiled, offering his hand to Patrick. "I've heard a lot about you from Ben and Emily."
Patrick waited almost too long before shaking Rodney's hand. "I wish I could say the same about you, Dr. Haynes."
"Ben never said anything?" Emily asked him in surprise.
Pain flashed in the blue eyes when they met her gray ones for several moments. "What man would want to know about his ex-wife's social life?"
"A good point." She had to concede that one. The mere thought of a woman waiting for Patrick back in D.C. made her stomach churn. She could well imagine how hurt and betrayed he must be feeling at this point.
Rodney looked between them, brown eyes curious and a little hurt. "I get the feeling that I'm missing something here."
"The fact is, Rodney," Emily began, steeling herself against the pain she knew she'd see in his face, "I kissed Pat while we were searching for Cíbola. I didn't mean to, it just happened."
Patrick twisted the proverbial knife, as if he relished contributing to the obvious pain on Rodney's face. "Excitement and adrenaline all over again, Em?"
"You're not helping, Pat!" she snapped at him, glad for the chance to channel the guilt she'd been feeling into anger.
Rodney held up his hands to stop the argument from degenerating further. "This isn't the first time this has happened?"
"We fell in love during a treasure hunt." Patrick's expression was almost gleeful. "Anyone else afterwards can't really compare, can it? Look at Ben and Abigail!"
Emily held tight to her arms to keep from slapping Patrick. If they followed their old patterns, they'd be kissing the next moment, regardless of Rodney's presence. "That's not true, Pat, and you know it."
"Then why are you still calling me 'Pat', then?" he demanded, his eyes fierce behind his glasses. "I noticed that Rodney's not calling you 'Em'."
Rodney frowned at that, removing his own glasses to rub at his eyes. "You told me you hate to be called 'Em'."
"I only let one person call me 'Pat' and, as far as I know, I'm the only person who's ever called her 'Em'." Patrick turned to Rodney, the fierceness never leaving his eyes.
The door opened then to admit Riley, a silly smile on his face and a bag of souvenirs in his arms. He stopped short when he saw the other three in the room, the smile giving way to dismay. "Oh, damn, did I walk into a firefight?"
"It's all right, Riley." Emily tried to smile reassuringly, but it didn't work as well as she would have liked if his expression was anything to go by. "Rodney, this is Riley Poole, Ben's best friend. Riley, this is Dr. Rodney Haynes. He teaches at the university with me."
As they exchanged pleasantries and handshakes, Patrick shot Emily a triumphant look and she stifled a groan. She hadn't indicated that she was dating Rodney! Once the two men finished, Rodney looked from Patrick to Emily. "I should go. Emily, give me a call as soon as you can."
"I will, Rodney, I promise." She stretched up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, hoping he'd hear her wordless apology.
He met her eyes and nodded slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief and watched him leave. Riley spoke once the door shut behind Rodney. "Should I apologize?"
"No, Riley." Her anger and guilt gone for the moment, Emily felt drained. "Good night."
He hugged her briefly. "Good night, Emily."
She left the room, a little disappointed that Patrick hadn't said anything, but not surprised, either. Out in the hall, she took a moment to cover her eyes with one hand. What am I going to do now?
"Do you still love him?" Rodney's voice startled her and she looked up to find him standing a few paces down the hall from her.
"What?" Emily stared at him, her heart aching in her chest at the sad resignation on his face.
He straightened up, walking towards her. "Do you still love Patrick?"
"I...don't know." The proud, independent side of her wanted to say that she didn't, but the realistic side of her had to admit that it was quite possible she still did. She rubbed her temples. "I thought I didn't, but now I'm not so sure."
Rodney cupped her cheek with one hand, gently tilting her head up so her gray eyes met his brown ones. Quietly, he told her, "I think you do. You were so bright and vibrant when you first came in and, even arguing with him, there was a spark in your eyes that I'd never seen before, in all the years I've known you."
"I'm sorry, Rodney," she whispered the words, taking his hand in both of hers. "I do like you. I hope you know that."
He nodded, catching her hands in both of his and squeezing gently. "I do, but it's not enough. Not when there's another man who can make you happier."
"I hope we can still be friends." She returned the squeeze.
Rodney didn't say anything in reply. He simply released her hands and walked away. He nodded to Benjamin and Abigail as he passed them, but didn't stop to chat. Abigail took one look at Emily and hugged her tightly. She returned it gladly, grateful that someone understood.
* * *
Patrick didn't look up from his packing when the door opened and closed, admitting Benjamin in the process. "Are you okay, Dad?"
"Never better, Ben. Why do you ask?" He stuffed the last of his clothes into his suitcase and placed his shaving kit on top of them.
Benjamin didn't answer until Patrick had zipped his suitcase shut and set it on the floor. "I just passed Rodney and Mom in the hallway and neither of them looked happy."
"So? What business is it of mine if they're happy or not?" He resisted the urge to ask why they weren't happy. He was still mad at Emily, after all. "I gave up any claim to your mother's happiness when I signed the divorce papers."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Benjamin fold his arms across his chest. Riley sat cross-legged on the other bed, laptop out and headphones plugged into his ears. "Not when you two've been acting as if it hasn't been over thirty years since you last saw each other."
"I don't know what gave you that idea." Patrick went into the bathroom to double-check that he'd gathered all of his things from it. He only found Benjamin and Riley's toiletries scattered on the counter. "Em's been focused on Cíbola."
Benjamin pointed a finger at him as he returned to the bedroom, blue-gray eyes determined. "That, right there, gives me that idea."
"What?" He stared at his son, hands tucked into his pockets to hide the way they were shaking.
He lowered his hand to his side, huffing out a sigh. "You're the only person allowed to call Mom 'Em'. Anyone else who tries gets shot down. Not to mention the fact that she's the only person to ever call you 'Pat'. She never stopped calling you that, even after you divorced."
"So? They're just nicknames, Ben." Patrick sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the clock. Would he still be able to get a flight back to D.C. tonight?
The bed dipped as Benjamin sat down beside him. "No, they're not, Dad, and you know it. Why can't you admit it?"
"Because your mother is dating another man!" The words practically exploded out of him. "She's moved on!"
Benjamin shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping him. "No, she didn't. She tried, but she never succeeded. None of the men she dated ever challenged her the way you did. If she tried to argue, they'd either try to calm her down or just avoid arguing altogether. None of them would actually give her as good as he got." Blue-gray eyes met Patrick's blue ones, calm and steady. "Except for you. As exasperated as I was that you two were arguing within a minute of seeing each other again, I was comforted, too."
"Comforted? By us arguing?" Patrick stared at his son, surprised by that admission. "Why? How was it comforting?"
After several moments, Benjamin explained quietly, "Because you two finally seemed alive again, after all these years."
* * *
Abigail looked up from stroking Emily's back as she lay on the bed she'd claimed as hers when the door to their room opened and closed. Patrick stood there, gazing at Emily as if she was the most precious treasure in the world. Gently, Abigail shook Emily's shoulder. "Emily, someone wants to talk to you."
"I'm not seeing visitors." The quiet, sad tone of Emily's voice made Abigail's heart clench just a little in her chest.
She looked at Patrick, wondering what to do now. He had a small, tender smile on his face and moved around Abigail's bed and sat down next to Emily. His hand covered Abigail's on Emily's shoulder and the older woman stiffened. "Em?"
"I said I'm not seeing visitors." Emily sounded defensive now and Abigail could see that she'd pressed her tightly clasped hands against her chest, right over her heart.
Patrick gently drew Emily into his arms. Despite her words, she didn't resist, simply resting against him, her eyes still closed. "Are you okay, Em?"
"I will be." She nestled her head into the space between his jaw and his neck. Abigail could see the lines of stress easing from Emily's face as she relaxed against Patrick.
He stroked her back and shoulders soothingly, his face sad yet peaceful. "I'm sorry about what happened with Rodney."
"Don't be, Pat." Slowly, her arms crept around his waist and she leaned even further into him. "We never had the 'grand passion' like you and I did. It probably would have ended soon enough. Especially after this treasure hunt."
Patrick frowned then, gently easing Emily back so he could look at her face. She slowly opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "What are you saying?"
"I don't think I ever stopped loving you, Pat." Her smile was tremulous, but Abigail didn't doubt Emily's sincerity.
A delighted smile slowly spread across Patrick's face at that. "I know I've never stopped loving you, Em."
As he drew Emily close for a warm kiss, Abigail quietly got up and left the room. She wasn't surprised to find Benjamin waiting in the hallway. He looked at her inquiringly and she simply stepped into his arms and kissed him. He was smiling when she ended the kiss. "I take it Mom and Dad have worked things out between them?"
"Yes, they have." She nestled against him with a happy sigh. "I'm glad it didn't take us thirty years to work things out."
"Me, too, Abigail." Benjamin wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Me, too."
End
Pairing/Characters: Benjamin Franklin Gates, Abigail Chase, Emily Appleton, Patrick Henry Gates, Riley Poole, OMC; Ben/Abigail, Emily/OMC, Patrick/Emily
Rating: G
Fandom: National Treasure
Word Count: 2,785
Spoilers: Mostly the second, but only barely.
Summary: Someone shows up in South Dakota to complicate things between Emily and Patrick.
Notes/Warnings: Written for poppylovers as a hobbit!birthday gift. She liked the idea of Emily having dated someone else between her divorce from Patrick and the second movie. I mentioned that I'd written The Other Man and she wanted something where the other man wasn't quite so much of a jerk. This is what my brain came up with. No beta.
Complicated
"Ben, there you are!" The familiar voice stopped Benjamin Franklin Gates in his tracks.
Since he was holding Abigail's hand in his, she came to a stop beside him and looked up at him in puzzlement. "Ben?"
"Rodney, hi." Benjamin turned to face the older man instead of answering Abigail's question. "I thought you were still back in Maryland?"
Hands in his pockets, the history professor shook his head. "I was, but then your mother called and told me what had happened to her and I had to come out here and see for myself." He leaned closer, his glasses glinting in the lights of the hotel lobby. "Did you really find it?"
"We did, Rodney." Benjamin felt Abigail squeeze his hand gently and shook himself a little. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Abigail, this is Dr. Rodney Haynes of the University of Maryland. Rodney, this is Dr. Abigail Chase, my girlfriend."
She offered her hand with a polite smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Haynes."
"A large pleasure to meet you, Dr. Chase." He took her hand and shook it warmly. He glanced questioningly at Benjamin. "I understood from Emily that you two were no longer a couple."
Benjamin grinned sheepishly, wrapping his arm around Abigail's shoulders as the hotel doors opened behind Rodney and two familiar figures entered. Well, fuck! "Well, some things changed during this trip."
"There you are, Ben!" Emily grinned and waved at her son. "You'll never guess what--"
A smile spreading across his face, Rodney turned to face Emily. "Hello, Emily."
"Oh, Rodney, hello." The wide smile on Emily's face disappeared as she took notice of him. Beside her, Patrick eyed the stranger with instinctive dislike, not that Benjamin blamed his father in the slightest.
Unaware of the undercurrents of the situation, Rodney stepped forward and swept Emily into a warm embrace. She responded only half-heartedly and Patrick stiffened, stalking from the lobby before Rodney released Emily. Benjamin watched him go with a wince. "Dammit."
"I missed you, Emily." Rodney had released her and now stroked her hair back from her face tenderly. "I can see that you're all right."
Emily smiled up at him, catching his hand and squeezing it. "I'm glad to see you, too, Rodney."
He looked around then, brow furrowed. "What happened to the man with you?"
"Oh, Pat, damn." Emily looked around, gray eyes worried. They landed on Benjamin with some relief. "Ben, did you see where your father went?"
He indicated the bank of elevators over his shoulder. "Up to his room, I imagine."
"Thank you." She hugged him, and then Abigail on her way to the elevators.
Rodney trailed after her with a vaguely puzzled expression. "Emily? What's going on?"
"This is going to be a little complicated to explain," she told him, stepping onto an elevator.
Benjamin blew out a breath after the elevator doors closed behind them. "Complicated is one way to describe it, yes."
"So, I'm guessing your mom is dating Dr. Haynes?" Abigail looked up at Benjamin with curious eyes.
He nodded, not sure whom to feel worse for in the situation. "Yeah, she's dated a few men over the years. I like Rodney the best, but I honestly think Dad is the best man for her."
"Don't you think that you might be just a little biased about that?" She eyed him with some doubt in her eyes.
Benjamin shrugged, leading her to a quieter corner of the lobby. "Probably, but Dad's the only man who's given as good as he got. The others let her have her way too easily."
"That's your opinion." Abigail poked his chest with one finger. "Hers might be different."
He shook his head, wishing he could explain better how their fight in Emily's office had been reassuring to him. Though both had been angry, Benjamin had seen a spark in both of them that'd been missing ever since they'd separated. Neither were the same after that. I wish it'd never happened.
* * *
Emily chewed the inside of her cheek as she knocked on the door to the room Patrick, Benjamin, and Riley were sharing. "Pat? Are you in?"
"Emily, what's going on?" Rodney asked her in a low voice and she stifled the urge to curse fluently and at length in all the languages she knew. Why did come?
The door opened and Patrick gazed at them, his expression blank and unyielding in the way that used to drive her up the wall. "Yes, Emily, please explain?"
"Can we come in, Pat?" She glanced briefly up at Rodney. His puzzlement fading, he looked from Patrick to Emily with dawning realization.
After a long moment, Patrick stepped back and gestured them into the room. A suitcase sat open on one of the beds, familiar shirts, sweaters, and pants piled into it. A shaving kit sat on the bed beside it, clearly waiting to be packed. She winced at the reminder of their argument barely a week ago. In contrast, the other bed didn't look like anyone had used it since housekeeping's last visit to the room, two suitcases sitting on luggage racks at the foot. "My apologies for the mess. I have to return to D.C. soon."
You don't have to return any sooner than I do, Pat. This is because of what happened in the lobby. Folding her arms across her waist, Emily looked from one man to the other. "You left before I could make introductions, Pat. This is Dr. Rodney Haynes, he teaches at the university. Rodney, this is Dr. Patrick Henry Gates, Ben's father."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Gates." Rodney smiled, offering his hand to Patrick. "I've heard a lot about you from Ben and Emily."
Patrick waited almost too long before shaking Rodney's hand. "I wish I could say the same about you, Dr. Haynes."
"Ben never said anything?" Emily asked him in surprise.
Pain flashed in the blue eyes when they met her gray ones for several moments. "What man would want to know about his ex-wife's social life?"
"A good point." She had to concede that one. The mere thought of a woman waiting for Patrick back in D.C. made her stomach churn. She could well imagine how hurt and betrayed he must be feeling at this point.
Rodney looked between them, brown eyes curious and a little hurt. "I get the feeling that I'm missing something here."
"The fact is, Rodney," Emily began, steeling herself against the pain she knew she'd see in his face, "I kissed Pat while we were searching for Cíbola. I didn't mean to, it just happened."
Patrick twisted the proverbial knife, as if he relished contributing to the obvious pain on Rodney's face. "Excitement and adrenaline all over again, Em?"
"You're not helping, Pat!" she snapped at him, glad for the chance to channel the guilt she'd been feeling into anger.
Rodney held up his hands to stop the argument from degenerating further. "This isn't the first time this has happened?"
"We fell in love during a treasure hunt." Patrick's expression was almost gleeful. "Anyone else afterwards can't really compare, can it? Look at Ben and Abigail!"
Emily held tight to her arms to keep from slapping Patrick. If they followed their old patterns, they'd be kissing the next moment, regardless of Rodney's presence. "That's not true, Pat, and you know it."
"Then why are you still calling me 'Pat', then?" he demanded, his eyes fierce behind his glasses. "I noticed that Rodney's not calling you 'Em'."
Rodney frowned at that, removing his own glasses to rub at his eyes. "You told me you hate to be called 'Em'."
"I only let one person call me 'Pat' and, as far as I know, I'm the only person who's ever called her 'Em'." Patrick turned to Rodney, the fierceness never leaving his eyes.
The door opened then to admit Riley, a silly smile on his face and a bag of souvenirs in his arms. He stopped short when he saw the other three in the room, the smile giving way to dismay. "Oh, damn, did I walk into a firefight?"
"It's all right, Riley." Emily tried to smile reassuringly, but it didn't work as well as she would have liked if his expression was anything to go by. "Rodney, this is Riley Poole, Ben's best friend. Riley, this is Dr. Rodney Haynes. He teaches at the university with me."
As they exchanged pleasantries and handshakes, Patrick shot Emily a triumphant look and she stifled a groan. She hadn't indicated that she was dating Rodney! Once the two men finished, Rodney looked from Patrick to Emily. "I should go. Emily, give me a call as soon as you can."
"I will, Rodney, I promise." She stretched up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, hoping he'd hear her wordless apology.
He met her eyes and nodded slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief and watched him leave. Riley spoke once the door shut behind Rodney. "Should I apologize?"
"No, Riley." Her anger and guilt gone for the moment, Emily felt drained. "Good night."
He hugged her briefly. "Good night, Emily."
She left the room, a little disappointed that Patrick hadn't said anything, but not surprised, either. Out in the hall, she took a moment to cover her eyes with one hand. What am I going to do now?
"Do you still love him?" Rodney's voice startled her and she looked up to find him standing a few paces down the hall from her.
"What?" Emily stared at him, her heart aching in her chest at the sad resignation on his face.
He straightened up, walking towards her. "Do you still love Patrick?"
"I...don't know." The proud, independent side of her wanted to say that she didn't, but the realistic side of her had to admit that it was quite possible she still did. She rubbed her temples. "I thought I didn't, but now I'm not so sure."
Rodney cupped her cheek with one hand, gently tilting her head up so her gray eyes met his brown ones. Quietly, he told her, "I think you do. You were so bright and vibrant when you first came in and, even arguing with him, there was a spark in your eyes that I'd never seen before, in all the years I've known you."
"I'm sorry, Rodney," she whispered the words, taking his hand in both of hers. "I do like you. I hope you know that."
He nodded, catching her hands in both of his and squeezing gently. "I do, but it's not enough. Not when there's another man who can make you happier."
"I hope we can still be friends." She returned the squeeze.
Rodney didn't say anything in reply. He simply released her hands and walked away. He nodded to Benjamin and Abigail as he passed them, but didn't stop to chat. Abigail took one look at Emily and hugged her tightly. She returned it gladly, grateful that someone understood.
* * *
Patrick didn't look up from his packing when the door opened and closed, admitting Benjamin in the process. "Are you okay, Dad?"
"Never better, Ben. Why do you ask?" He stuffed the last of his clothes into his suitcase and placed his shaving kit on top of them.
Benjamin didn't answer until Patrick had zipped his suitcase shut and set it on the floor. "I just passed Rodney and Mom in the hallway and neither of them looked happy."
"So? What business is it of mine if they're happy or not?" He resisted the urge to ask why they weren't happy. He was still mad at Emily, after all. "I gave up any claim to your mother's happiness when I signed the divorce papers."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Benjamin fold his arms across his chest. Riley sat cross-legged on the other bed, laptop out and headphones plugged into his ears. "Not when you two've been acting as if it hasn't been over thirty years since you last saw each other."
"I don't know what gave you that idea." Patrick went into the bathroom to double-check that he'd gathered all of his things from it. He only found Benjamin and Riley's toiletries scattered on the counter. "Em's been focused on Cíbola."
Benjamin pointed a finger at him as he returned to the bedroom, blue-gray eyes determined. "That, right there, gives me that idea."
"What?" He stared at his son, hands tucked into his pockets to hide the way they were shaking.
He lowered his hand to his side, huffing out a sigh. "You're the only person allowed to call Mom 'Em'. Anyone else who tries gets shot down. Not to mention the fact that she's the only person to ever call you 'Pat'. She never stopped calling you that, even after you divorced."
"So? They're just nicknames, Ben." Patrick sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the clock. Would he still be able to get a flight back to D.C. tonight?
The bed dipped as Benjamin sat down beside him. "No, they're not, Dad, and you know it. Why can't you admit it?"
"Because your mother is dating another man!" The words practically exploded out of him. "She's moved on!"
Benjamin shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping him. "No, she didn't. She tried, but she never succeeded. None of the men she dated ever challenged her the way you did. If she tried to argue, they'd either try to calm her down or just avoid arguing altogether. None of them would actually give her as good as he got." Blue-gray eyes met Patrick's blue ones, calm and steady. "Except for you. As exasperated as I was that you two were arguing within a minute of seeing each other again, I was comforted, too."
"Comforted? By us arguing?" Patrick stared at his son, surprised by that admission. "Why? How was it comforting?"
After several moments, Benjamin explained quietly, "Because you two finally seemed alive again, after all these years."
* * *
Abigail looked up from stroking Emily's back as she lay on the bed she'd claimed as hers when the door to their room opened and closed. Patrick stood there, gazing at Emily as if she was the most precious treasure in the world. Gently, Abigail shook Emily's shoulder. "Emily, someone wants to talk to you."
"I'm not seeing visitors." The quiet, sad tone of Emily's voice made Abigail's heart clench just a little in her chest.
She looked at Patrick, wondering what to do now. He had a small, tender smile on his face and moved around Abigail's bed and sat down next to Emily. His hand covered Abigail's on Emily's shoulder and the older woman stiffened. "Em?"
"I said I'm not seeing visitors." Emily sounded defensive now and Abigail could see that she'd pressed her tightly clasped hands against her chest, right over her heart.
Patrick gently drew Emily into his arms. Despite her words, she didn't resist, simply resting against him, her eyes still closed. "Are you okay, Em?"
"I will be." She nestled her head into the space between his jaw and his neck. Abigail could see the lines of stress easing from Emily's face as she relaxed against Patrick.
He stroked her back and shoulders soothingly, his face sad yet peaceful. "I'm sorry about what happened with Rodney."
"Don't be, Pat." Slowly, her arms crept around his waist and she leaned even further into him. "We never had the 'grand passion' like you and I did. It probably would have ended soon enough. Especially after this treasure hunt."
Patrick frowned then, gently easing Emily back so he could look at her face. She slowly opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "What are you saying?"
"I don't think I ever stopped loving you, Pat." Her smile was tremulous, but Abigail didn't doubt Emily's sincerity.
A delighted smile slowly spread across Patrick's face at that. "I know I've never stopped loving you, Em."
As he drew Emily close for a warm kiss, Abigail quietly got up and left the room. She wasn't surprised to find Benjamin waiting in the hallway. He looked at her inquiringly and she simply stepped into his arms and kissed him. He was smiling when she ended the kiss. "I take it Mom and Dad have worked things out between them?"
"Yes, they have." She nestled against him with a happy sigh. "I'm glad it didn't take us thirty years to work things out."
"Me, too, Abigail." Benjamin wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Me, too."
End