Originally, I was planning on making this three chapters, but I changed my mind.
Beta-ed by AlexAlmighty. Thanks Alex! I really appreciate it!
WARNING: Ian is very OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 clues or Hamilton's message.
How could that happen? I was careful! More careful than careful! I hid my secret better than Alistair Oh hides the fact that he wears a wig! So how could someone like this discover me? If he lets out an ounce of this knowledge, my life could be ruined! Every human being and possibly even animal would be too disgusted to even give me a glance!
He gives me a smirk as he twirls my most prized possession in his grubby, cruel hands. I glare at him so intently, I'm surprised I haven't bored a hole in his thick, oversized head. Not like there is anything in there anyway… as far as I care, he is as dumb as a doorknob. Not just any doorknob… one of those annoying ones that get jammed all the time.
"Put him down!" I bark.
"Not a chance!" he laughs. "Just so you know, you're not the boss of me, Kabra."
"He belongs to me, you block-headed thief!" I demand, my mind already planning my revenge.
He lets out a sarcastic sigh. "Fine," he gave in with a smirk that made me want to crack his skull. "Take it... it's not like I could do anything with it anyways."
That seems a little too easy… then I realize what he had said. "'It' is a 'he'!" I correct him sternly. "Understand?"
He rolls his eyes. "Whatever."
I take a big step forward and snatch my property from his hands with a victorious smirk. "Good," I say. I gently place him into my arms, holding him close. However, I can't shake the feeling that the thief's smile is a bit too innocent. Ignoring the feeling inside of me, I walk away.
I resist the urge to cuddle with my prized possession too much in front of his wicked eyes. I suddenly stop, turning around on my heel to face him. "Hamilton?"
"What?"
"Don't tell anyone about him… and I won't do anything to you," I lie. I will get him back eventually… that's kind of like the Kabra code.
The Holt thought for a second. "Fine," he finally says, face showing none of his emotions.
I smile triumphantly and continue walking.
I smile gently as I slip into my satin sheets. "Goodnight, Mr. Buttons," I whisper. I hug him tightly to my chest and close my eyes.
I bolt up as I hear a strange noise. The clock reads 1:30 am, so I doubt that Natalie would choose now to test out the strange noise generator we recently ordered. I conceal Mr. Buttons under my pillow and look around the room. "Who's there?" I bark. No one answers. I lie back down, but stay on guard.
As soon as I hear a noise in my closet, I trigger a hidden compartment in my bed's headboard. I grab my dart gun in one quick motion and roll out of bed stealthily. I approach the closet cautiously, careful to not make a sound. 1…2…3! I swung open the closet door to find none other than Hamilton.
"What are you doing here?" I snarl harshly… I'm rarely found pleasant in the middle of the night.
"Wait…this isn't my room?" Hamilton asks innocently.
"Of course it isn't your room, you pet rock!" I snap.
"Oops...sorry." Hamilton says. He walks casually out of my room like he hasn't just had the time of his life viewing imperial fabrics imported from only the finest outfitters in the world. "Well… goodnight!"
I shrug it off and settle myself back in bed. I fall asleep to the sound of his disappearing footsteps.
Hamilton greets me with a smirk over his cereal. "Did you have a nice nap with your teddy bear?"
I scowl at him. How can he even touch such highly processed foods? "I don't nap with Mr. Buttons. Besides, he is not my teddy bear... he belongs to my… friend."
"Oh really?"
"Why would you think that I nap with him?" I question.
"Just a guess," he says with a shrug.
Sinead eventually walks into the room and sits down. "Guys, stop chatting it up, and look for any information you can," she lectures. She turns to the large screen in front of her and starts working.
"I am looking," I state. "I'm not sure about the Holt, though."
Hamilton narrows his eyes. "Says the guy who spent an entire morning looking up fancy tea on the Internet…"
I ignore him and check the Cahill Command Message Board to see if our contacts found something. Instead, I came across a message Hamilton recently sent to everyone. "So can you guys do me a favor? I have, um, a top-secret message for you to crack. Here it is: 11 1 2 18 1 19 12 5 5 16 19 23 9 20 8 1 20 5 4 4 25 2 5 1 18."
I didn't remember Hamilton finding a code… figures that he couldn't crack it. I put the code through software I had programmed to solve common Cahill codes. My mouth dropped when I read the meaning: "Kabra sleeps with a teddy bear."
I'm horrified by the message Hamilton sent. My mind races to figure out how he knows, until I realize something. I had completely forgotten! He was in my closet! I must not have functioned properly in the middle of the night! I seriously caught him in my closet and didn't shoot him on the spot? It is obvious!
I clench my fists and glare at Hamilton. "You were in my freaking room!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hamilton denies blatantly.
"You traitor to man-kind!"
"Ian, stop insulting Hamilton and start working!" complains Sinead.
"But he sent a message to every available Cahill agent saying that I sleep with a teddy bear!" I protest.
Sinead let out a sigh. "Hamilton, why are you messing around with Ian's teddy bear?"
"It's not my teddy bear!" I butt in.
"Oh, my bad Ian," Sinead says as she rolls her eyes. "But honestly Hammy… you should be helping me find the hostages!"
I give Hamilton a smirk. "I agree with Sinead. Why were you going through my things? You should have been helping her!"
Sinead gives me a glare. "You're no better, Kabra. You are constantly worrying about your teddy bear! What is more important: your embarrassment or finding the hostages?"
"It's not my teddy bear!" I argue.
"Whatever! Make up with Hamilton and start working again." Sinead shifts her attention back to her screen.
Hamilton and I stare at each other, waiting to see who will crack first. Finally, he lets out a sigh. "Fine… I'm sorry."
I grin triumphantly.
He just glares at me. "I'm apologizing because someone has to be mature around here! We have to find Reagan, and what are we doing? We're bickering as if it's the most important thing in the world. But you know what? I'm sorry took pictures of you and your teddy bear… I'll delete them."
My face Hamilton turned red. I didn't realize he took pictures! Mr. Buttons doesn't like flash photography…he gets seizures. I stare at the back of my hand and realize he was right. How could I let something so petty get in the way of getting Natalie back? Suddenly, I feel ashamed.
"I…I'm sorry t-too," I tell Hamilton. The words were so hard to say that I sounded like a nervous Amy Cahill.
Hamilton gives me a genuine smile. "Get to work, Kabra," he grins.
"You're not the boss of me," I say with a smirk. But I start working. I'll work as hard as I can to get Natalie back, and I won't let Mr. Buttons get in the way, no matter what… but we will still have our afternoon tea.
AlexAlmighty lived here and licked here too! :D
...That was typed by Alex, and I really don't feel like deleting it. XD Please review!
~Devi
