A/N: Hey, everyone! I know it's been forever, but I have finally started another story! I hope you will all enjoy it =D. For those of you who haven't read my other stories, I will warn you that this contains minor references to Happy Birthday? and Phobia, but you don't have to read them to understand this (as of yet . . . this story is far from complete). For the purposes of this chapter, suffice it to say that Riley is extremely claustrophobic.

And now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure. Disney does. Sadly, that's the way things are =P.

CHAPTER ONE

Ben

For a moment, there was only silence.

After the deafening rumble of falling rock, the sudden stillness was disorienting. Debris still rained down from the ceiling, and in the darkness and dusty air, I couldn't see my own hands in front of my face. Rolling gingerly to the side, mindful of my bruised body, I brushed off my jacket and tried to stand. Pain shot up my leg, and I quickly sat back down, coughing in the swirling dust. And then I remembered.

"Riley!"

No answer.

"Riley, where are you?!"

Still nothing. Panic swept over me. How close had he been to me when the ceiling came down? Had he gotten out of the way in time?

"Can you hear me? Answer me, Riley!"

My voice sounded muffled, distant, and every bit as terrified as I felt. If anything had happened to the kid . . .

I got to my hands and knees, groping around blindly in the darkness. My left leg protested the movement, but I could get around well enough, so it probably wasn't broken.

Even if it had been, at that point I doubt it would have stopped me.

My hands brushed against broken stone and plunged into puddles of water and then finally touched cloth. A sleeve. I drew in a ragged breath; my heart was pounding in my ears. "Riley?" I asked. My fingers slid down to his wrist, feeling for the pulse I prayed was there . . .

It was.

Relief swept over me so strongly that I felt lightheaded, but the moment didn't last. I had no idea how badly Riley was hurt, or if there was a way out. If the brief glimpse I'd gotten of the back wall before the ceiling fell was any indication, there wasn't. Perfect. The only possible good thing was that Abigail had been shining a flashlight into an adjacent cave when Riley and I were having our near-death experience, which meant she was safe and calling for help. I had no doubt she would be pulling at the boulders herself until someone arrived.

My hand hadn't left Riley's arm, so I felt it when he stirred a little. "Riley?" I encouraged. "Come on, wake up."

There was a groan, and then a gasp. Riley tensed under my hand. "Ben?!"

I frowned. Riley's voice was pained and charged with panic. "Yeah," I said evenly, hoping he would take my cue and calm down. "Where are you hurt?" When he didn't answer me right away, I feared the worst. "Riley?" I prompted.

I could hear his breathing accelerating, but at least he responded. "Just my head. Hit it on the ground, I think."

I winced in sympathy. "Do you feel sick?" I asked, trying to determine whether he had a concussion without actually seeing him.

"Yes, but I—I don't think it's from me getting better acquainted with the ground." His voice was getting panicky. "Ben, do you have your flashlight?"

"No. I gave it to Abigail."

"Is there . . . a way out?"

I sighed. "I don't think so, but—"

Before I could even finish, Riley sat up, crawling towards the pile of rubble. "Riley!"

I could hear the sounds of frantic digging in the dark. "Riley, there's no way you're going to be able to dig through. Do you hear me? Riley!" The only answer was the ominous sound of shifting boulders, and I realized we might have another problem. A much more imminent one. "Riley, stop digging! Stop! You're going to get us killed!"

He continued on as if he hadn't heard.

"Listen to me!" I said, crawling painfully over to the source of the noise. "Do you have any idea how small this cave is? You're going to collapse the rubble on us! Riley!" I grabbed his shoulder, trying to calm him down, but Riley reacted violently to the touch. He shoved me roughly away, and before I could catch my balance, I fell on my injured leg. I couldn't entirely stop the moan of pain that forced its way out.

The digging immediately stopped.

"Ben?" The voice was fearful.

"Riley?" I gasped, still in shock.

"I'm . . . I'm so sorry, Ben . . . I . . . I'm sorry!"

Now Riley was touching my shoulder. "It's okay," I said. I could feel his hand trembling.

"No, it's not. How badly are you hurt? I can't believe I didn't even ask! I'm sorry . . ."

The guilt and terror in his voice was palpable. I hurried to reassure him. "I'm okay. Just my leg. I might have fractured it or something when the ceiling came down."

"Ben . . . I'm so sor—"

"No more apologies, Riley," I said firmly. "I'm going to be fine. So are you. Calm down."

There was a moment of silence, where all I could hear was Riley's gasps and my own steady breathing. My leg had begun to throb like I was being stabbed repeatedly with a knife, but it was Riley's pain that most worried me. My concern only escalated when he finally spoke again.

"I c-can't," he whispered. "Ben, I thought I was over this. I'm not. I can't breathe. Ben."

I could hear the plea behind those words: Get us out of this, Ben.

I wished I could.

More than anything, I wished I could.

A/N: So where are Riley and Ben, anyway? What's going on with Abigail? When does the angst really begin? Review to find out! I love hearing what you think =D