A/N: Hi guys :D This is my first fanfic here. I actually posted this fanfic on the 39 clues Scholastic boards, but I was really unsatisfied with it, so I decided to post the improved version here XD

Here's my agent card if you want to add me: P27JM29CXP

P.S. 39 Clues does not and will never belong to me. Thanks!

CHAPTER 1

Amy took a deep breath of the cool air. After the previous hectic days in which she had narrowly escaped death several times, been betrayed and had been braver than she'd ever thought possible, Amy was glad for a little time to rest. When she had burnt the two million dollars in exchange for a clue, she hadn't realized the gravity of the decision she was making. Sometimes, Amy wondered if she should just quit the competition and return back to her daily lives. But Amy knew they'd never be back to normal- ever again.

She turned and looked at her brother, who treated the hunt like a game, and sighed. He didn't understand how serious this hunt was. Right now, Dan was messing about with stuff from a store. If she didn't keep her eye on him, he was bound to break or damage something, and they'd end up having to make a quick getaway or pay up. Suddenly, Dan caught sight of something and started running towards it.

"Dude, this shirt rocks!" Dan grinned and pointed to a shirt. It read, 'Bow down before me, dudes. Ninja Warrior coming through.'

Amy rolled her eyes. Her brother was such a dweeb. How many times had she told him NOT to call her dude? Oh, about a few hundred times. Now, how many times had he listened? Hmm... nil.

"Hey, kiddos!" Nellie's voice came out. She bustled through the crowd, yelling, "Coming through, coming through! Get out of my way, people!" The crowd glared at Nellie witheringly.

Amy anxiously tugged on her hat. She didn't like it when anything happened that could attract attention to her. Who knew who could be listening, following them? She looked around, scanning the crowds for Cahills. At least, she thought, feeling relieved, even though she felt silly wearing a hat indoors, her sunflower hat shadowed her face. Sure, it wasn't as fashionable as what Natalie would wear, but it'd do.

"I'm going to shop around," Nellie explained. "Meet me back there, at that statue, in 30 minutes. Got that?" she pointed to a statue of an elegant lady who had lived a little while ago. Amy wondered if she could be a Cahill.

Amy nodded as Nellie rushed off. They were in a busy shopping mall in _________ [I won't put places, because it's not exactly a follow-up to the books and who knows where the next clue is?]. It was crowded, which gave Amy the heebie-jeebies, but as Dan had pointed out, at least it wasn't as easy to pinpoint them in the crowd. A small voice in Amy, the scaredy cat voice that Amy loathed, had quickly pointed out that it wasn't easy to pick out enemies either, but Amy tried to ignore it.

Amy walked around until she came to a secondhand bookstore. As soon as Dan had seen it, he rolled his eyes and backed away, but Amy pulled him in anyway. Secondhand books were her favourites, she reviewed, picking random books off the shelves. You didn't have to-

"I had to wear the same outfit for one whole day!" a familiar high pitched voice whined. "And the worst thing was, it wasn't Gucci or Prada!"

Amy peeked around the bookshelf. There she was! Natalie was dressed in a fashionable outfit, looking as stunning as ever. And next to her- Amy's heart pounded.

"Stop it!" she fiercely told herself. Still, her heart beat faster and faster.

Even though Ian had a look of utter boredom on his face, he was still as good-looking as ever. Amy found herself about to lurch forward and quickly stopped herself. What are you doing? He left you in a cave…to die. He doesn't care about you, she thought to herself.

"Come on, Amy," Dan urged quietly. "Just walk away."

Looking behind her at the Kabras, she quickly strode away, with Dan at her side…

...and bumped right into someone.

"Oh! S-sorry!" she quickly apologised. But then, she looked up.

A man who was the spitting image of Ian, smiled at her. Amy had a vague memory of seeing him in a family portrait on the back of the elevator in a Lucian stronghold. He was undoubtedly the Kabras' father.

She quickly backed away, but realised that Natalie and Ian had quietly caught up and were blocking any way of escape for Dan and herself. Natalie was smirking smugly, her eyes radiating triumph, and Ian had a look of… Amy couldn't describe it. It was like astonishment, dismay, smugness, triumph and happiness all mixed into one.

"Don't worry," the man spoke. "I won't harm you- unless you don't listen or refuse to cooperate."

Dan gave him a disbelieving glare and started to speak, but Amy quickly hushed him and pointed to Natalie, who had opened her coat slightly, showing a well-concealed tranquilizer gun.

"Amy and Dan Cahill," he continued. "I've heard so much about you- such talented children, who've bested even mine. My name is Vikram Kabra, and I'm the leader of the Lucian branch. I have some good news for you."

"R-really?" Amy tried to sound sarcastic. She realised she was stammering and bit her lip. She would not let her nerves get the best of her and tried to look Vikram in the eye. But there was something oddly difficult about looking straight into his eyes…they were all too familiar. Amy looked over her shoulder at Ian and quickly turned back. But the similarity was there. Those eyes were stuck in her head.

Get over him! He's a jerk, no, jerkier than a jerk, no, a new definition for jerk, she thought. She always thought the same words over and over again. But they had no effect.

"Yes, I do realise that we haven't been exactly nice to you and your brother," Vikram began, a sincere, apologetic look on his face.

"Exactly nice?" Dan exploded. "I guess that's a way of putting attempted murder, betraying and lying!"

"Well, yes," Vikram coughed. "I'm very sorry. But that was before we knew you were of our own kin."

Huh? Amy's mind clicked. No, it couldn't be true. It couldn't. It couldn't. It couldn't, it couldn't, it couldn't!

Dan's face turned red.

"Well, I kind of noticed you haven't been 'exactly nice' to your own kin, too!" Dan burst.

Ah yes, Irina. Amy felt a pang of sadness when she thought of her. She had given up her life for Amy and Dan's. Again, Amy thought about the gravity of her decision to take the clue instead of the money. She hadn't known that lives would be put on the line.

"That was an accident," Vikram's warm smile became slight forced. "We hadn't known she would try to save you."

Even Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Well, as I was saying," Vikram cleared his throat and gave a bright smile. "You two are Lucians."

He quickly put a hand up as Dan started to speak and quickly continued.

"I have evidence. This is a Lucian family tree."

He passed a few papers to them. A chart was shown clearly. Dan and Amy clustered together and read the chart. Amy's eyes ran over her own name and Dan's, then over Hope and Arthur's. She felt a pang inside her as she lingered over her parents', and then Grace's. The names were connected to others, and Amy recognised famous Lucians'. At the right, she saw the Kabra family, too. Dan looked at Amy.

Should we trust them? Dan asked.

I don't think so, Amy thought back. Remember how many times they lied? But look at this family tree… I really don't know what to think.

Me neither, Dan's eyes read.

Amy gave the papers back to Vikram. Dan squeezed Amy's hand. They had their fights and differences, but they always were there for each other in the end.

"Would you like to join us Lucians and find the clues?" Vikram smiled.

Amy looked at Dan again. Thousands of emotions flew through her mind. They would finally belong to a branch, and not feel so alone, being the only ones who hadn't known their branches. But then, the Lucians couldn't be trusted.

Maybe we could spy on them, Dan thought excitedly. Like ninjas!

Yeah, right. Amy rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh. At least he had made her feel better.

So… we either make a mistake and join them, helping them in the quest, or refuse to join them, get threatened and somehow have to get out of the situation, Dan thought.

In the past, it had always been Nellie or Dan who saved her. Or even Hamilton, once. But Hamilton wasn't here, and Nellie wouldn't be looking for them until a while after the meeting time, which was about twenty minutes later.

They were on their own.

"We have to think about it," Amy finally replied.

Vikram sighed, but did not seem to want to threaten them.

"Very well. We will wait," he replied. "Let's go," he nodded in indication to Natalie and Ian.

And they left.

A/N: I love cliff hangers XD I'll post Chapter 2 once I get some reviews :D

P.S. Don't be threatened by this long chapter- this chapter was exceptionally long. The others are shorter.