A/N: Hmmm...uh...Happy New Year...? 12 days too late? Hey, you're lucky I gathered the energy to post today. I was about ready to give up on myself and just wait till Easter or something :P BACK FROM MY HAITUS!

Dislaimer: The 39 Clues doesn't own me. Haha! It totally does.

December 26

Dan Cahill put his hands on the backs of two of his cousins in an attempt to push them out the front door.

"Thanks for stopping by!" he said. "But, really, I believe you have some important, uh, Lucian business to attend to?"

"Daniel, you're ruining my outfit!" Natalie protested.

Ian stepped onto the porch and dusted his shirt off. "And there's no need to push; we can take a hint."

Amy grabbed her brother by the collar, yanking him back as she hissed in his ear, "Be nice and keep your mouth shut! You know as well as I do that Fiske wanted them to stay for New Year's."

Dan pushed his bottom lip out, ready to contradict her, but she spoke up before she had to deal with his complaints.

"You guys don't have to leave," Amy said, holding the door open despite Dan's desperate attempts to close it in their faces. "Fiske thought everyone might as well stay – New Year's Eve is only a week away. There'd be no point in flying back in a few days."

Ian rolled his eyes and sighed, though a smile tugged at his lips. "Well, if you insist…"

Dan's mouth fell open as the two sauntered back into the house. Natalie grinned smugly at him when their older siblings weren't looking. Dan returned the gesture by sticking his tongue out at her.

Ian brushed past Amy, his suitcase still in his hand. He smiled broadly at her. "Couldn't stand to see me go, love?"

Amy gave a small laugh, as if trying to wipe that thought from his mind. "If that's what makes you feel better about yourself."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "So you care about my self-esteem?"

Her mirth shone in her eyes, though she didn't let it show through sound. "Not particularly, but you go right on thinking that."

She turned to leave, but stopped herself. "Oh, and Ian?"

"Yes?"

"Drop the love. You've almost reduced me to begging."

~~~Fast Forward To December 31~~~

"What delicious food awaits us today, Nells?" Dan asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Ham? Turkey?"

"Bacon?" Hamilton added hopefully.

Nellie turned around and dropped five square boxes on the kitchen counter. "Pizza. And I better not hear you call me Nells again, or you won't live to see 14."

Dan gulped. "Sorry, Nellie."

"That's right."

Natalie walked through the doorway and noticed the Pizza Hut mountain. She wrinkled her nose. "American food. How delightful."

"Dig in, Prada Princess," Dan said, taking three slices of pepperoni and slapping them down on his plate. "If you don't eat it, you don't get dessert."

Natalie eyed the greasy compound of meat, cheese, tomato sauce and dough. "If it means I don't have to eat that, I think I'll pass on dessert."

Dan glared at her. "How dare you pass on the Grand Master Chef's desserts? You are a disgrace to this household!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Don't talk to me Daniel. Your bland insults bore me." She yawned for emphasis. "I think I'll retire to bed early tonight. I'll see you all in the morning."

Natalie disappeared out of the kitchen.

Dan exhaled. "Thank God. Cobra Dos is gone. Ian, it's your turn."

"Oh, ha-ha, Daniel."

"And why doesn't anybody call me by my real name anymore?!" Dan exclaimed. "It's. Just. DAN!"

"Sorry, kiddo," Nellie said, shrugging. "Some habits are really hard to break."

"Especially if you don't feel like breaking them," Ian added.

"Well," Amy piped up, "If you all are gonna keep arguing, I think I'll leave so you can continue uninterrupted."

Amy exited the room, followed by the rest of the girls, but Nellie stayed behind to watch Dan and Ian's throw-down.

"And furthermore, your absolute pig-like appearance just makes you look completely incapable of taking proper care of yourself."

"Big words don't make you sound smarter, Kabra. And I would rather be sprawled on the couch with the TV remote and potato chips than sitting in a chair listening to boring people talk and worrying about my posture being straight!"

"And I would rather be refreshed and clean than neglect showers for four days at a time!"

"I'll have you know, I take my showers regularly. At least once a week – "

"Girls, girls, you're both freaking beautiful," Nellie interjected with a hint of sarcasm. "But can you please just get your pizza and exit my peaceful shrine to the cooking gods?"

As the two boys headed for the living room, Dan scoffed. "Cooking gods…you should know there's no such thing."

Nellie crossed her arms. "And there's such a thing as the rainbow gods? That live in a magical palace above the clouds in the kingdom of Unafelia, guarded by butterfly-pooping purple unicorns?"

Dan stopped and looked at her quizzically. "I've never mentioned anything remotely like that in my entire life… What exactly do you think about all day, Nellie?"

Nellie paled and averted her gaze. "Uh… Oops, there's a stain on my cabinet! Leave, so I can clean it up!"

Dan left, muttering all the way.

"Natalie, wake up and get downstairs! The ball's about to drop!"

No immediate response, so Dan pounded on her door again.

"Cobra!"

"London had their New Year's celebration 6 hours ago. Let me sleep in peace," Natalie mumbled from behind the door.

Dan sighed. "But you're not in London. You're in America. So come downstairs and do American things!"

"American things are pointless and stupid."

"But they're fun."

Dan heard stomping footsteps, then the door swung open. Natalie glared at him with bloodshot eyes, her hair in a tangled mess for the first time he'd ever seen it, and her pink silk pajamas were wrinkled.

"I'm going to kill you later, Daniel," Natalie warned. "Just like I did at the bowling alley at Christmas."

Natalie walked down the hallway, with Dan protesting behind her. "Okay, you didn't actually kill me, that was just a game…"

Downstairs, they were greeted by the rest of their family, who were staring intently at the TV screen as they watched the giant ball in New York make its slow descent toward the top of the building.

Natalie stared blankly. "Is there supposed to be a point to this? A big metal ball making a twenty second long drop to the ground?"

"Not the ground," Dan corrected. "A building."

Natalie whacked him, and he shut up.

"Yo, dawgs! Quiet down!" Jonah hushed. "It's the final countdown!"

"10," Reagan started.

"9," her twin joined in.

"8," Ted continued.

"7," Ned added.

The rest of them counted down the numbers, looking at each other with excitement. A new year. A fresh start. All the resolutions they would stick with for a week and then forget about.

"6…5…4…3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Fireworks went off, both on the flat screen and outside, where their neighbors were obviously celebrating.

Natalie hadn't been nearly as excited as Dan would have liked, so he nudged her as he inhaled another large piece of pepperoni pizza. "I'm starting off the new year with a full stomach," he said.

Natalie gave a small, slightly-annoyed, smile. "I suppose you would like me to congratulate you on swallowing your food without chewing within the first minute of the first of the year?"

Dan nodded.

Natalie sighed. "Well done, Daniel. Well done."

Amy never thought she would have smiled at the destruction of their living room.

Jonah and Hamilton had caught everybody in a silly-string fight, causing Natalie to shriek with rage when they sprayed her and everyone else to either duck for cover or grab a can and join the fun.

She and Ian hid behind the couch.

They shared the same excuse: They didn't want it in their hair.

"I'm going to have to clean this up," Amy said, still smiling.

Ian smirked. "And you're happy about it?"

Amy shook her head. "No. Not really."

Ian cocked his head. "Then why are you smiling?"

Amy shrugged, peeking out from behind their safe place. "I don't – Oh, crap!"

The grin disappeared from her face as she saw Dan whip out his Super Soaker.

"Ian, move!"

She tried to shove him out of the way, but they both ended up being cornered by the Holt twins.

"Time for the couple behind the couch to get a little wet," Reagan said, sneering at them in triumph as she zeroed in.

"Ready," Madison said, aiming at their surprised faces. "Aim – "

"FIRE!" Dan yelled.

Amy and Ian's mouths dropped open by the shock of the cold water. Amy held up her hands, desperately trying to shield her face, and Ian was blindly attempting to steal the Holts' water guns.

Nellie walked in the living room, only to be sprayed by a startled Madison.

Everyone in the room grew silent at Nellie's scarily calm facial expression.

Nellie turned towards Madison, who was looking at her sheepishly from the corner.

The guardian held up her plate. "This was my dessert," Nellie started, "carefully crafted by the hands of a master and a gift from the cooking gods."

Madison gulped.

"And it's ruined," Nellie finished. "You know why?"

Reagan snickered at her sister, who shot her a scared look.

Nellie sighed in disappointment. "Because I wasn't paying enough attention to my environment."

Madison sighed in relief. She wouldn't die today.

Then Amy and Ian finally stood up from their position behind the couch. Their murderous gazes were enough to make Madison rethink her previous thought.

"Yeah, Nellie, it's your fault," Dan said warily, "but we gotta split. See ya!"

The three took off, followed closely by the two angry teenagers.

Natalie clapped her hands. "Bravo, everyone. You've definitely made me glad I was awakened in time to see this catastrophe unfold. I appreciate the wonderful source of entertainment, and I am going back to bed now. Good night, and Happy New Year."

Woohoo! Now I don't have to think about it anymore! I'm freeeee! WAHAHA!

~Callie~