Title: Love, Actually

Summary: The plan was simple: make him fall in love with her, having him reveal his branch's secrets. The catch: don't fall in love with him. Oops.

Genre: Friendship, Romance

Rating: T for later chapters. For now, it's strictly K, but just in case, you know.

Warnings/Spoilers: None. It's a future-fic.

Characters/Pairing: Dan/Reagan . . . not yet, though. :D

Song: Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People. I don't know . . . you can listen to it while reading, if you want. The purpose of the songs will be disclosed later.

Love, Actually
Chapter 1

"You've got to stay ahead of the game to be able to stay in it."
–Kate Moss

Reagan Holt was more annoyed than she had been in her entire life.

"What do you mean I can't become the head of the Tomas branch?" she cried, slamming her hands down on her desk, causing it to shake violently. "I'm ten times more qualified than Hamilton. Ten times!"

Eisenhower Holt, with one hand resting on the desk, pounded his fist down onto the table. He matched her murderous glare with his own. "Hamilton is much older than you, and he is—"

"Oh my goodness!" she shouted, cutting him off mid-sentence. "You're sexist! You're not giving me a chance because Hamilton is your favorite child! Because he's a boy! Gah! You infuriate me!"

"Don't you dare shout at me, young lady!" Eisenhower yelled back, standing up to his full six-foot, four-inch stature. He was clad in his unflattering purple tracksuit, and Reagan thought that there was absolutely no way a man could be intimidating in something as atrocious as that. Inwardly, she laughed at the ridiculousness of his ensemble. She leaned back in her revolving chair and stared at her bedroom ceiling, attempting to tune out her father's loud ranting. "Maybe I picked Hamilton because he doesn't yell at everything I say!"

It was a typical day in the life of a Holt.

"But Hamilton is an annoying wimp who wouldn't last a day as head of the Tomas branch! You should nominate me, not him! Isn't that why we hold nominations, to get rid of leaders that we hate, like Ivan?" she argued.

Hamilton poked his head inside of her room, his sweatband wrapped around his forehead. His gray muscle shirt was soaked with sweat. "I heard my name." He glanced at Reagan warily. "She probably degraded me in some way, right?"

"Don't come near me," she said, wrinkling her nose at his damp shirt.

"I wasn't planning to," he shot back.

Reagan rolled her eyes. She wasn't usually like this, being such a brat by calling Hamilton a wimp and yelling at her dad. That was usually Madison's job. But she wanted to become the head of the Tomas branch so badly. The power and the honor . . . it was too big of a deal to resist.

Eisenhower quickly explained what was going on, and Hamilton's lips tugged at a smile. "You want to become leader and have Dad nominate you, right? Then you have to prove yourself," he said, easing into the room to stand next to Eisenhower. "Like me."

Reagan laughed for a good ten seconds, then went back to being serious. "What have you ever done to prove yourself?" she sneered.

"What have you?" he shot back. "And I don't think twirling around in a tutu counts." He raised his arms to form an oval and stood up on his toes. Mockingly, he spun in a circle. "Oh, look here! I'm Reagan, and I'm a pretty ballerina! Lalalalala . . ."

Reagan balled her fists, trembling with fury. But before she could swing on Hamilton, Eisenhower spoke up. "Son, that's not a bad idea. Actually, that's a great idea." Hamilton exhaled, wondering how his insult could have possibly worked for the benefit of his sister. "Reagan, you should prove yourself. Show that you're worthy of becoming head. You're twenty-two, and it's a great time to prove yourself. Me, who wants me to be head? The prime of my life is over. I'm almost a senior now."

"Almost?" Hamilton muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Eisenhower shot him a glare. "You, be quiet." Hamilton grinned sheepishly, but remained silent.

"And I know my chances are slim, so why waste my vote on myself, when I could vote for one of my children?" Eisenhower continued. "Originally, I was sure I was going to vote for Hamilton." Hamilton grinned. "But now, since Reagan is so willing to prove herself, I guess I have to wait and see."

"So, what's your proposition?" Reagan asked, slowly sitting down.

Eisenhower let out a sigh and rubbed his callused hands on the smooth wood of the table. He considered her question thoughtfully. "I'm saying…get the most stupid, untalented man you can find on the Madrigals' team. Get him to fall in love with you. If he likes you enough, he'll be blind enough to spill all of the Madrigal secrets. Learn everything. Then break up with him and come back here. If I'm impressed, I'll nominate you."

"The most stupid, untalented man I can find in the Madrigals?"

"Yup."

"You mean Dan Cahill."

"Exactly."

Reagan almost gagged. "Get that . . . ninja lord idiot to fall in love with me?" She shuddered. "Goodness, I'll give him nunchucks as a birthday present, and he'll be ready to marry me."

"So, you'll do it?" Eisenhower asked, raising an eyebrow. He stood up straighter. "You don't want to think about it any longer? Holts never back down from missions once they accept."

"Of course I'm doing it. This is the easiest assignment ever," Reagan scoffed.

Hamilton looked like he was about to protest. He lurched forward, poised to argue, but Eisenhower gave him a warning glance. Hamilton exhaled, and, with his teeth clenched, he leaned back.

She knew exactly why he was so angry, and she taunted, "Dan is the most stupid Madrigal out there. He's a complete reta—"

"You shut your mouth!" Hamilton roared, advancing on her. "You—you have no right to be saying that about him! He's my friend!"

Reagan could've gone on about how Hamilton had set his standards for friendship way too low and gotten a reprimanding from Eisenhower, but she didn't. She wasn't that mean. So she just sat there, smiling sweetly while Hamilton seethed.

"He's going to UCLA, all right?" Eisenhower continued. "And you're going there, too, oddly enough. I want you to obtain all the information by the end of the semester. And if you don't have enough information, I am not going to nominate you. The nomination will go directly to Hamilton. Am I clear?"

Reagan smiled. "As clear as you'll ever be."

Ah, I'm so excited for this one! I've been working on it forever, a little less than half a year, I think. :D

Sy pointed out that, in The Black Book of Buried Secrets, people can nominate themselves. However, Eisenhower has made it a point to only let worthy people in his household to get nominated. This will become clearer in the second chapter. Oh, and for those thinking "Where's Madison?", She's going to a different college and left earlier, but she will appear from time to time, like Hamilton.

Thanks so much to Sun Daughter, aka Summer and Syberian Quest, aka Sy, for betaing this for me. You guys rock! :D Oh, and I believe Jamie's Dream, aka Jamie, looked over this for me as well. ;D

Reviews are loved, as always. Praise is appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome, and flames are accepted.

Thanks for reading!

~Cascading Rainbows