Author's Note: Hey guys, I just want to say a couple of things before you start reading. Sorry, I'm not a fan of long author's notes but I don't want anyone to be confused while reading.

#1. This story is set after the 39 clues initial series, but the Vesper series hasn't taken place. That being said, there won't be any action (see #3). This might make the characters seem a little OCC, but remember, they've all grown up since then.

#2. I'm basing Sinead's personality off of her first few appearances and am taking some liberty with the rest. Don't judge me. I'm also writing Jonah a bit different, but the reasons for that will be revealed soon.

#3. I'm not very good at writing action, so if that's what you want, you might want to pick another story. This is a romance, although there will be a plot. I do love Cahill's in action, and I know that's what the entire series have been based on, but I've tried and can't write realistic action. I do love reading other people's fanfiction though that are talented in that area.

#4. I really would like feedback so please review! Also, I have done a lot of research for this story as I like to be accurate so please tell me if there are any geographic/detail mistakes that I've made and I will fix them!

#5. Enjoy reading!

-Chapter 1-

Sinead Starling wasn't one to let her emotions take over her, but today she could in fact sum every emotion that was coursing through her in one word: stressed. She looked over at the clock; 5:45pm. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her long auburn hair, wishing that next week was already here.

Sinead, now 19, had been in college since she was 14 years old. Initially she had been accepted at Yale where she studied to get her PhD in Science Engineering, and was there until the clue hunt. Once returning home though, she became good friends with Amy, and after 2 years and talking it over with her family decided to transfer to Boston University to finish her degree.

Normally the semester would end in May, but there was a mandatory project that had to be finished during the summer, and Sinead and her team had been working on it for the past several weeks. It wasn't too bad, but it involved a lot of research and teamwork. Their project was to design a software system from scratch, which normally wouldn't phase Sinead. But her other teammates were perfectionists like she was (only they didn't have the Ekaterina serum running through their DNA like she did), so they kept wanting to reassess and redo and rewrite everything. Still, it was nice to be on a team of people like that. She was so used to staying closed off from people, and with the exception of Dan and Amy and her brothers, a couple of her teammates were the only other friends that she had.

Just this one last project, she thought to herself, then you have a break before you start on your next PhD.

At these thoughts, a lot of people may have looked at Sinead, an Ekaterina genius, and thought that maybe she was just collecting degrees due to boredom. The Starlings, who had been raised with considerable wealth due to their many inventions, did not have to work or earn a degree to survive. What hardly anyone else knew though, that was Sinead, whose next PhD (this time in Molecular & Translational Medicine) needed these degrees. She needed them to help her brothers.

She was one of the Starling triplets, and both she and her brothers had been injured in the clue hunt. Although nearing the end of the hunt Ted had drawn diagrams (with the assistance of Reagan Holt) of an invention he had thought of to help avoid the many risks that surgeries would bring, her brothers weren't in perfect shape. They both tried to reassure her that it was as good as it was going to get, with Ted's eyesight almost normal and Ned's headaches only a rare thing, but Sinead wanted her brothers to be completely rid of the symptoms. Poor Ted would have to wear a strong prescription the rest of his life, and his eyesight would only get worse with time, and Ned still had occasional headaches, although he insisted that the pain was bearable. But Sinead had always been protective of her brothers, and was determined to do everything in her power to help them.

If I can't use my "ingenious brain" to help my brothers, then what good am I?

The words flitted through her mind and she tried to push them away. She just needed to focus on this last element of the project, which consisted of finishing some testing tonight and meeting with her team tomorrow to turn in the final project to their teacher, and she would be done, ready to start on the next phase of her plan. She stretched again and looked at the clock. Only a few minutes had passed, and Sinead decided that she could afford a short break.

She stepped out of the room and down the stairs, passing what they had deemed the "Music room", or as Sinead silently called it, the "Noise Room". She said it in jest, but really, it was the place where Dan went to bang on the drums for what seemed like hours. She shook her head affectionately, she had only lived here a year, but Dan was already like a little brother, and acted like one too.

Speaking of the little devil, there he was, sitting in front of the T.V., curled up in a blue blanket like he didn't have a care in the world. He looked up as she passed him on her way to the kitchen.

"Finally escaping your cave huh?" He asked lazily. She rolled her eyes at him, "It's not like I live in there!"

At Dan's raised eyebrows, she hastily walked on, knowing that he would win this argument. And Sinead didn't like losing.

Upon entering the kitchen she found Amy there, stirring what smelled like gumbo. "Yum." Sinead went over to peer in the pot, "That smells amazing."

Amy smiled at her, "I've wanted to try this recipe for ages." She admitted. "You can be my guinea pig"

Sinead shrugged, "Sounds great to me, I've been living off of frozen food and take-out for weeks." She sat wearily down at the table. "I am totally ready for this project to be over with. So is the rest of the group."

Amy pursed her lips sympathetically, "Yes I know you've contacted them quite a few times, wasn't that Julie earlier that called you?"

"No, that was Michael. Julie called this morning though." She said, referring to two out of the four team members she had been working closely with the last week.

Parker and Liam, the other two guys on the team, were also working on the project with them.

Amy nodded, "Well, soon it will be over, and we will be off to Beverly Hills."

Sinead nodded absently, then Amy's words caught up with her and her head snapped up.

"Beverly Hills?" She echoed. "What?"

Amy stared at her. "I told you a month ago remember, that Jonah invited us all out to his place for a few weeks? I asked if you wanted to go after your finals and before your next class and you agreed!"

Sinead stared helplessly back at her. "I did?" She said weakly, racking her brain for a trace of what Amy was telling her.

She had remembered Amy saying something about Jonah and vacation, but that's all she had remembered. She didn't know much about Jonah Wizard, their extremely famous and wealthy Janus cousin, besides that he was a stuck-up jerk. Although he had supposedly changed at the end of the clue hunt and wasn't as ruthless, she had managed to catch a few interviews on T.V. and wasn't impressed.

"Yes." Amy responded, looking slightly apologetic, her green eyes flickering over Sinead's face. "You have been so busy that I didn't want to bother you with the details, but I've arranged the flight for next week and already told Jonah that we would be there."

Sinead frowned, staring down at the table. She wanted to relax on her break, not spend time with people she barely knew. Not to mention probably getting chased down by the paparazzi everywhere they went, seeing as they would be with Jonah.

"I think I'll stay here. I need to unwind. Besides, Jonah isn't exactly someone I would want to spend that much time with." Her tone turned dry on the last part.

"Sinead! You have to go!' Sinead looked up, surprised at the urgency in her cousin's tone. Amy went on, "I don't want to go by myself, do you know how awkward that will be with just Nellie and Dan and a bunch of people I'm related to but barely know?"

"Won't Nellie and Dan help though?"

Amy shook her head, sighing. "Nellie will be in heaven with all of the noise and people, and will probably spend her time chasing down celebrities; Dan will be busy with Natalie. Seriously Sinead, I'm surprised that you haven't at heard Dan talking about this nonstop the last few weeks."

Sinead flushed, "I guess I've been too focused on school," she muttered, wondering herself how she had missed it. She was supposed to be the smart one out of the bunch.

Amy brought the soup to the table and hollered at Dan to come and eat. Nellie was out for the night and wouldn't be joining them.

"You have been busy." Amy agreed. "But I think seeing our cousins will be good for us, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Madrigal. It will be fun, but I need you there. You're so much better at that stuff than I am."

Sinead sighed, knowing that Amy was going to win this one. "Fine." She said as Dan entered the room. "But I don't think I'm going to have much fun with Mr. Gangsta leading the activities."

"Are you talking about Jonah?" Dan plopped down beside her, "He's cool. I think it will be a lot of fun."

"You're just excited to see Natalie." Sinead muttered grudgingly.

Dan smiled, "Of course I am", He said enthusiastically, "But Jonah has a huge mansion and lots of connections and knows a lot of people so we will have a blast. I heard he has an entire room devoted to arcade games, and a separate one for video games too!"

It figured that Dan would be excited about all of the gadgets. Although slightly more mature now at 15, he still was enthusiastic about certain things, like video games and stuff.

With Natalie there though, Sinead mused, he will be reigned in slightly.

She was still surprised at times at their relationship, but could see how it worked. Dan seemed to be the total opposite of the British princess (the title the family deemed her), but together they balanced each other out. Dan mellowed as far as his rashness, and Natalie wasn't as uppity. And they genuinely cared for each other.

Sinead would never admit this to anyone, but she was a secret romantic, just not with her own life. Practicability and briskness was her angle, she didn't mince words or her feelings. Except when it came to her private feelings and thoughts, those were different.

They discussed travel plans as they ate, and Sinead resigned herself to the fact that she was going to stuck in Beverly Hills for almost a month. At least she could take things with her in case she decided to retreat in her room most of the trip, and she had to admit that she was curious about her cousins and their whereabouts the past couple of years. She had seen Natalie a bit over the past year of course, but no one else.

As if sensing her thoughts, Amy paused and shot her a smile. "It won't be so bad Sinead, it could be a lot of fun!"

Sinead tried to smile back, but it felt forced.

Fun.

"Yeah, we will see." She replied, but felt doubtful.

So there it is, the first chapter! Don't forget to drop me a review!

Oh, and I tried to find a beta reader and didn't have any luck. If anyone is interested or sees any mistakes please let me know!