Together Forever

Why did sneaking into their own kitchen seem familiar? More importantly, why was he sneaking in his 'own' house. Ian chuckled. A Lucian instinct, surely. He just couldn't get rid of it and maybe will never be. It's been a year now after the gauntlet incident. After being disowned, poor - penniless - for two minutes. Ian sighed and opened the refrigerator's door. As soon as it swung open, he realized how something so beautiful could still hurt the eyes. The refrigerator's yellow light against the darkness of the kitchen suddenly was so blinding. Or maybe he was just being dramatic, or overreacting, or he actually felt like crying. Why? Why would he want to cry? He's finally free; they're finally free. They don't have to follow ruthless orders, go through tongue-lashing remarks when they fail, no more Lucian pride to live up, no more Isabel Kabra bossing around. That's right. Isabel. She didn't even deserve to be called 'Mum'. Ian smiled. Each time he widens it made him look creepy. Then he started off chuckling and ended laughing hysterically. The kind of laugh that villains do in movies.

"Ian, stop! It scares me!" Natalie yelled.

Ian stopped shortly and turned around. Natalie had been tailing him all along. A typical Lucian. But something about her voice abated her Lucian heritage. The way it wavered while she yelled and how her sobs escaped her throat and how her tears betrayed her eyes. And it hurt him, too. The look on his sister's face. The tears on her rosy cheeks. It's an eyesore, the same how the light hurt his eyes. He walked towards her; closing the distance between them. His hand reached out to pat her head. And they stood there in the refrigerator light for a long time. Until Natalie decided to wipe her own tears and had calmed down her sobs. And Ian stopped patting her and turned back to the refrigerator to get his real purpose in that kitchen - a glass of water.

"Can I have some, too?"

After drinking the water, in that same glass, Ian poured another and handed it to Natalie. And his sister didn't move to accept it. She just stared at him disbelievingly.

"What? Will you take it or not?" Ian asked. Neither annoyance nor worry was there in his voice.

Natalie cringed and turned her head away. "I want another glass."

Ian laughed softly. "My apologies. I forgot," he said before turning to the glass rack and got a new one for Natalie.

Natalie stared at him in awe. He's not really that kind of brother who was always bad vibes with his sister. And there were also numerous times when he'd comforted her. But what was happening in front her eyes still seemed so rare of him. And it was comfortingly different. She couldn't sleep and heard light footsteps that any non-Lucian could not have heard. She knew it could only be one person, Ian. Ever since after the incident in gauntlet, the two of them had been on their own. She even thought ironically that they kept calling Amy and Dan orphans and it happened that they were in the same boat. How she loved Cahills' irony. It had been hard at first. But they were forgetting that they were Lucians. They're tough. They just don't give up. Just give the gauntlet an exemption. Natalie frowned then smiled. It's not really a tragedy, it's their independence day. Like the American's Fourth of July, yes. That time, they were set free.

"Well, is the glass still dissatisfying to you?" Ian broke into Natalie's thought.

"Thank you." She took the glass of water and hungrily swigged it.

"You're welcome," Ian murmured as he reached for the light switch and flicked it on. He pulled a chair out and sat on it, propped his elbows on the glass table and rested the side of his cheek on his palm.

"You can't sleep, too," Natalie tried striking up a conversation. Ian just nodded and didn't say anything. "Why?" She stared at her brother intently as if it could suck out an answer from his mind. Still, Ian said nothing. Natalie sighed. "I'll just force myself to sleep, then." She put the glass on the dinner table and walked away with her shoulders hunched forward.

Ian watched her. Natalie should really need not to know about his own worries. Even if she's a Lucian, even if she's a Cahill, even if she's been in the Clue Hunt; for him, she's still a 12-year-old girl. Even if she can actually outsmart him, well, sometimes, he's still three years older; he's still the big brother. She doesn't have to think too much, she deserves her childhood. "Yeah. Go to sleep. Or you'll get eye-bags." Natalie shrieked at Ian's suggestion and paced faster toward the stairs that will lead her to her room. But before Natalie could take her flight to the staircase, Ian called out, "Natalie."

She looked back at Ian and was taken aback by the longing she'd found in his eyes. Ian scratched his head shyly, his elbow still propped on the table, which Natalie found unusual. She knew it. He regretted rejecting the conversation she just offered. "Do you miss them?" she asked, choking every emotions that could falter her voice. But Ian would just always answer her with silence. She was then ready to go back to the journey towards her room when Ian finally spoke up. "N-not really. Not entirely. I mean, it's- it's such a waste. A-and... and it still... it still... s-sort of hurt. I-it kind of hurt. In here," Ian finished stammering and with his other hand, clenched into a fist on his chest, which again surprised his sister. Natalie looked down and looked up again and walked back to her brother and took a seat next to him. "I know. I really miss shopping... with Mummy," Natalie mumbled the last words and looked down. "A-and I- I also know that-" she hadn't finished what she had to say and began sniffing, sobbing and crying. Ian had to stop his own tears from rolling. Not when he's in front of Natalie, his baby sister.

"Oh, stop it. She's not worth of your tears," he tried to soothe her just not in the normal way. Natalie shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "You're r-right," was what she said, but her heart meant differently. a heart she never thought she had. And Ian knew better than those words, he knew what the stutter meant and he decided he'd keep silent. "How about we go shopping tomorrow?" he asked and it kind of cheered up the girl. He knew he did, her eyes lit up somehow. "Together? The two of us?" she hopefully asked. Ian nodded and gave a little smile, "Together. Only the two of us." Those six words made Natalie fully celebrate. She launched a hug on Ian as proof.

Surprised he maybe was, yet he still managed to reciprocate the action. It may be too soft for Lucians, but it's too comforting to let go. And the word together was never only meant for shopping. It meant forever. Because to him, though he would deny this sometimes, Natalie was the most important thing. It didn't matter that Isabel disowned them, it didn't matter that Vikram left them. So long as Natalie was there, and as long as Ian was there; together they knew they could manage. They are protected.

Yes I'm back! ^_^ for a short while ;-; with a 'urgh' one-shot. I just really missed writing and this is what came to me. I read from Day of Doom spoilers that... you know (for those who have read it already). And I've always thought that Ian and Natalie's 'siblingship' (I just made that up ^^") was unique and, ugh indescribable. Anyway, I still somebody out there has enjoyed it and I'd love to hear from you. Oh and it was set a year after Into the Gauntlet btw. And again thank you for taking your time reading this.

And I don't own the 39 Clues, many author does. And you know them ^^"