Full Summary
When Sinead invites the Cahill cousins to the Starlings' temporary farm home in Texas, they're all happy to see each other. After all, it's been nearly four years since the Vespers went under, and everyone is eager to catch up and have a calm, relaxed stay. But tensions rise and arguments break out, and while some are confused and feeling helpless in the chaos, others find themselves caught in the middle of it all. Will the prospect of losing loved ones form a new unbreakable bond between the Cahills, or will constant fights and hateful words sever their family ties forever?
A/N: You might remember me from a long time ago on this archive, but I guess I sort of slipped away from the world of writing. Things grew busy, what with summer activities and school now starting up again, and I haven't had much opportunity to pull myself toward a computer and actually write something.
This could be counted as my reintroduction, I suppose.
Hello. I'm MrsJoshHutcherson112, and this story is dedicated to the Farm and all of its wonderful occupants, both human and robot - I love y'all. :) This is for you guys.
Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues.
I hope you all enjoy this! And while I'm at it, this chapter is also dedicated to my father, who desperately wants the chandelier.
Chapter 1: First Arrivals
Amy Cahill heaved her suitcase up the stairs of the front porch, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face as she regretted wearing jeans on the hot summer day.
"Dan," she said, breathing out a sigh of exertion as she pulled the duffel off of her shoulder and set it down with a thump. "I don't see why you couldn't carry your own bags up from the car."
Amy's younger brother, Dan, casually walked up to her along the concrete path, one hand stuffed into the pocket of his cargo shorts and the other holding tightly to the wooden stick of his popsicle. "I'm eating," he replied, as if the answer should have been obvious. "And besides, you need the exercise more than I do," he added, giving her an impish grin and scurrying past before she could spit out an angry retort.
Dan neglected the courtesy of knocking on the front door and instead opted to turn the knob and shove his way into the large house, leaving a startled Starling choking on his dust as he raced toward the giant flat screened television in the living room.
Sinead briefly glanced back at the naturally hyperactive boy before turning back to her best friend, who was struggling with three suitcases and two duffel bags on the front porch. "Need some help?" she offered, grabbing the handle of a black suitcase.
Amy grinned at her in gratitude, and the girls shouldered their way through the doorway of the farm home.
The plastic wheels on the bottom of a suitcase made squeaking-sounds that echoed throughout the foyer as they walked through the vast entrance space. A single chandelier crafted from antlers of white-tailed deer cast a warm, yellow glow from its place, hanging above a staircase that hugged one wall. A few paintings framed in stained walnut and cherry wood filled the otherwise bare walls, and the entryways of the living room and kitchen were visible beyond the foyer.
Amy gazed around at the large entrance hall, her jaw falling slightly open at the impressive, yet comfortable grandeur of the homely estate. And this is just the foyer, she noted, a sudden curiosity filling her with that thought. She longed to see the rest of the house, but patiently followed Sinead as she led her to the guest wing.
"When are the others supposed to arrive?" she asked, the strap of one duffel falling off of her shoulder and into the crook of her elbow. She briefly set a suitcase down to pull the strap up, then dragged the rest of the luggage down the hallway the Starling triplet had turned into, jogging awkwardly to catch up.
"The Kabras' flight just landed," Sinead explained. "They should be here in a couple of hours, factoring in the possibilities of rush-hour traffic and 'wardrobe mishaps'." Her green eyes rolled skyward at that. "After them, I'm guessing the Holts. Jonah said he'll hurry here after his concert in Houston, so he most likely won't be here until tomorrow."
Amy pursed her lips - partly from thought, and partly from the effort of tugging her brother's suitcase across the thick, cream-colored carpet. "Nellie said she probably won't make it. Work is piling up on her, and she has loads of Madrigal paperwork on top of that."
Sinead managed to shrug, despite the load she was carrying. "Understandable," she replied. Then she stopped in the middle of the hall, facing a big oak door with a brass handle. Sunlight streamed through a window behind her, revealing lighter streaks in her auburn hair. She gestured to the door, turned the knob and pushed it open. "This is your room. Dan's is to the right," she added, pointing over to another door nearly twenty feet away. "I'll be in the kitchen while you unpack."
After Sinead set the bags down and started off for the kitchen, shooting her a quick grin over her shoulder, Amy lugged the suitcases through the doorway, plopping them down in the closest corner. She exhaled in relief, wiping the lingering sweat from her forehead, and looked around the room she would temporarily be staying in. The dark, glossy wooden furniture contrasted the light-colored walls trimmed in blue. A quilt draped over the large bed in a blue, swirling pattern of stars and stitch-lines, smoothed out and wrinkle-free in front of four fluffy pillows. A desk and chair took up a corner of the room, and a flat-screened TV hung on the wall.
It was comfortable, almost like her room back at the Cahill home in Attleboro.
She threw Dan's belongings into his room for him to sort himself, and left to go find her brother. Knowing him, he was probably caught up in an intense one-man game of Mario Kart. She tied back her hair to keep it off her neck and headed for the living room.
"Dan!"
The boy whipped around, startled at the outburst behind him, and dropped the empty bag of Doritos. "Uhh..."
His sister crossed her arms, surveying the mess with a peeved look on her red face. "We've been here no longer than an hour and you've already managed to turn this place into a black hole of junk food."
Dan looked around at the expanse of glorious soda and chips and candy strewn about the floor around him. He shrugged, looking up at his furious sibling. "I don't see a problem."
"This isn't our house, Dan," Amy reprimanded. "You can't treat it like it is. We're the guests this time, not the hosts. Pick up this mess." Then she turned on her heel and disappeared before he could protest.
Dan gave a long sigh, reluctantly setting down his Xbox controller. As his eyes roamed over countless bags of Skittles and potato chips, he furrowed his eyebrows at the thought he would have to clean it all. Maybe he had made a bit of a mess...
He stood up, two empty bottles of soda clutched in his hands, and he spotted a small trash can hidden from view under an end table. He pulled the bin out of its place and stuffed wrappers and bottles inside the plastic-lined interior. Halfway through his cleaning, he noticed an unopened bag of Sour Patch Kids and quickly stuffed them into the pocket of his shorts.
A short crash resounded suddenly from the kitchen, and Dan froze.
Carefully setting down the now-full waste basket, he crept along the carpeted floor toward the doorway, peeking around the corner at the entrance to the kitchen. Sinead and Amy had disappeared there, but now, they were nowhere in sight.
He popped his head around the corner, and when he saw the source of the loud noise, he exhaled in relief.
Amy and Sinead leaned against the marble counter, picking spaghetti noodles off of their clothes and out of their hair. A large pot lay upside down on the tiled floor amidst a quagmire of noodles and water.
The girls didn't notice him until his quiet laughter turned into rather loud guffaws.
Amy looked up and gave an embarrassed grin. "Did you clean up your mess?"
Dan nodded. "And are you going to clean up yours?"
After receiving the expected stuck-out tongue from his sister, he turned and headed back to the living room to continue his gaming, his laughter echoing off the walls even after he'd left.
Amy turned to Sinead, pulling a noodle out of her ponytail. "I wonder if Saladin would clean this up for us if he were here."
Sinead giggled, picking a noodle off of her shirt sleeve. "Don't worry - we have our own vacuum cleaner." At Amy's slightly puzzled expression, Sinead gave a short, piercing whistle and called, "Toby!"
A short and stocky canine bounded excitedly through the doorway, immediately perking up when he spotted the feast that awaited him on the floor.
Amy couldn't help but laugh as the strangely-adorable bulldog nearly inhaled noodles in his haste. "You got a dog?"
"Ned wanted one," Sinead explained. "We'd never had any pets besides cats, and I guess he was tired of being scratched."
"He's...cute," Amy decided, an eyebrow raising as the dog waddled out of the kitchen, leaving a somewhat-clean floor in his wake.
All feedback is welcome, though I'd prefer not to see too many flames populating my inbox. ;)
After all, the first chapter is always the most boring, right?
~Callie