A/N: Hi, SqueekyDolphin6 here. Thanks, JanusGirl101 for posting this for me. You are spectacular! Thanks also to you and SparklyHippo3000 for your suggestions and ideas. I really appreciate it.

So, this isn't a missing scene, it's more of a "scene from Ian's point of view" with a little "what if" thrown in. It is the scene in the airplane hanger at the end of Viper's Nest when the Kabras try to cut off the Cahills' heads with a spinning propeller blade. I know it's not in the book, but what if Kurt was one of the three students that came with Professor Bardsley to rescue Amy, Dan and Nellie? Well, it could be, if you read it right... Yeah, go ahead and flame me for Kurt, but I can't help liking him with Amy. He's so sweet to her, unlike some people who always try to hurt and kill her. Even if he is a Vesper. Her mom married a Vesper and changed him, so why not... Don't worry, I still love AmIan best. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own The 39 Clues or The Viper's Nest.

Thinking of Her

Who's That Guy?

Ian Kabra's heart was beating just a tiny bit faster than normal. He had to work just a bit harder at his control to stifle the smile that tried to spread across his face. Any second now he would see Amy Cahill face to face for the first time in nearly a week, not counting surveillance photos, of course. The last time he'd seen her in person had been in Sydney, on that disastrous boat ride with his mother, when Amy had almost become shark food. Thinking of it now reminded Ian that this meeting could end up just as badly. That wiped any trace of a smile off his face.

Everything was set up exactly the way Isabel ordered. The hanger was deserted except for the three Kabras and their Lucian operative assistant, three empty chairs and an old propeller on a fan belt. The Fixer was in place. This time their intelligence was absolutely accurate. Everything should go according to plan. Any moment now the Cahills and their nanny would be "escorted" into the trap. Ian would get to see Amy again, and she would have another horrible deed to add to her list of reasons to hate him. If she lived.

Ian wasn't sure what to hope for. If all went "well," according to Mum's plan, the Cahills would spill their secrets, then would be incapacitated and thus removed from the hunt. If they weren't eager to talk, things could get messier very quickly. Knowing Amy and Dan, and how determined they were to defy Isabel, Ian expected the second scenario to play out. Either way, after this meeting they would be out of the Clue Hunt for good. He should be glad about that. If, indeed, Amy and Dan were the Kabras' main adversaries, as Mum claimed, then having them out of the hunt would ensure that the Kabras would win. Ian wanted that, of course, but he dreaded having to actually kill the Cahills. He wished they would just get discouraged and give up. Then Mum wouldn't be so furious and determined to kill them all the time. Actually, he wished she would forget about the Cahills and let Ian and Natalie alone to focus on finding their own clues once again. If Isabel wasn't around Ian would be in charge again, the way he liked to be. He would also be free to think about Amy whenever he wished, without fear of bodily harm if he was caught.

Yes, Amy. Despite the seriousness of the current situation, Ian had to once again fight the smile that threatened to give his thoughts away. No sense letting Mum see that he was actually anticipating this meeting, or she'd finish the threat she'd started in the Peoria airport. He had been daydreaming about Amy then and Mum had caught him. Of course he'd denied it. He didn't need Mum getting any angrier than she already was. The thought of her almost-threat caused him to shift in his chair nervously. For once he'd been thankful for Natalie's rude interruption that distracted Mum's attention away from his forbidden daydreams.

So now here they were, waiting for the delivery of their victims. Precisely on time Amy, Dan and Nellie were ushered into the hanger, twisting and screaming beneath the bags on their heads. So, they were not going to cooperate nicely. Too bad. It would have gone easier for them if they had.

Now Isabel was talking, taunting them. On cue, Ian added his obnoxious comment,

"A pity you had to strain yourselves, when we could have easily told you." If you cooperated with our terms, of course, he added in his head.

This earned him a look of disgust from Amy. He liked that fierce look of hers almost as much as he did her smile. She had so many different expressions. He started to catalog them in his mind: her glare of hatred, her squinting angry look, triumph when she kicked him really hard, delight when she'd figured out a difficult coded message, laughter when she and Dan shared a joke (usually at Ian's or Natalie's expense), shear terror when faced with a sea of hungry sharks, that look of gut-wrenching despair she'd had when he'd closed the cave door on her…

Ian's attention snapped back to the conversation when he heard his mother mention the sharks.

"I've been wondering about your health," Isabel lied smoothly. I have too, really, even if Mum is lying, Ian thought. I hope you make it through this encounter okay, Amy.

"You didn't seem too concerned about it when you set that fire, you animal!" Amy yelled back at Isabel. Ian flinched slightly. True enough, Mum did set that fire. No one has ever talked that way to her, though.

Vicious words were flying between the two females. Isabel accused Amy of murdering Irina, and Amy accused her back. Murder? Um, it was an accident, wasn't it? Irina's own fault for attempting to save them from the fire. She managed to rescue them before she died, thankfully. Sh, don't tell Mum I thought that!

Mum was speaking to him, asking him something. Guiltily, Ian looked over. What did I miss?

"Indeed," he muttered. It was his stock answer when he had to agree with her regardless.

"Is that all you can say?" she snapped at him.

Ian blushed. Oops, that was apparently not what she wanted him to say. He never knew how to please his mother any more. Usually agreeing with whatever she said worked, but lately she was dissatisfied with him no matter what he said.

Through Ian's thoughts he heard this mother still talking to them, offering them…what? To adopt them? They hadn't discussed this. What was Mum thinking? They couldn't adopt those peasants, could they? And have to live with them all the time? Impossible. To have Dan and Amy actually live in their house would be ridiculous. Well, maybe not Amy. Having her around might be somewhat exciting. But none of the Kabras would be able to abide Daniel, he knew. Mum must have something else in mind.

Ian glanced at Amy. She didn't look impressed by Isabel's offer. In fact, she was talking back, saying sweetly,

"You can shove it!." It was rather spectacular, actually. Ian had never seen anyone speak to Isabel the way shy, quiet Amy did. But it was dangerous. You could practically see the steam pouring out of Mum's ears. No, don't upset her. Don't you know what she's like by now? Don't you realize what she'll do to you? He thought, willing Amy to hear his silent warning.

Isabel held out the test tube of glowing green substance to Ian. He swallowed. He knew what she was going to do now, and he didn't want to help. He didn't want to actually kill the Cahills. He was frozen with indecision. There was nothing he could do against Mum. She was single-mindedly ruthless. Maybe someone would come and rescue them, Hamilton, perhaps. The Holts were here in South Africa too. Much as Ian had hated seeing Hamilton swoop out of the sky to rescue Amy from his mother's sharks in Australia, he had been relieved that she had escaped.

Why couldn't he be brave enough to stand up to Isabel and come to Amy's rescue himself? He hated that he was so afraid of his own mother, hated her for making him feel that way, and for forcing him to be part of hurting Amy. No, he wouldn't do it, he decided. He couldn't hurt them, wouldn't kill Amy. He would disobey this time, stand firm, be the hero himself.

He felt himself rising anyway, despite his frantic thoughts, and woodenly walking to the machinery. He put the glowing green vial on the shelf next to the switch, then paused. What would happen if he refused to comply? Mum would finish the job herself, then turn her wrath on him. He would be punished for sure, but how bad could it be? He pictured the discipline he had had as a child and in Lucian training, the breaking of his will and retraining it to be always, instantly obedient: hunger for days, being locked in a dark closet, having every bit of his failures detailed to the entire company at holiday dinners, credit cards cut off, technology cut off, the Lucian torture chamber. Years of training and of intimidation, fear and self-preservation took over and forced him to do what his mother commanded. Ian flipped the switch.

He stood there, horrified, as Dan's chair was pushed toward the spinning blades. Dan was screaming. Amy, Nellie, and Natalie were too. Ian glanced at Amy again and saw her look over at him, her face a mask of fear, anger, loathing and…was that a touch of disappointment?

Then, suddenly the hanger was filled with other people. Someone had come to rescue the Cahills. Ian wanted to cheer as he watched them swarm in. Then Amy did the most incredible thing. She got to her feet, still tied to her chair, and ran, chair and all, straight into Isabel's stomach, knocking her over. If it had been any other circumstance Ian would have laughed out loud, but here, now, he just gaped.

Amy was now sitting on his mother, a triumphant look on her face. Ian couldn't help feeling proud for her, even though it was his mother she was sitting on. She didn't see him smile slightly at her in relief and then flick off the switch to the propeller.

Then Ian saw a tall, handsome, brown-haired boy bend over Amy and begin to gently untie her.

Amy yelled, "Kurt!" and smiled with such joy at him.

Kurt? Who's that? And why is Amy looking at him that way? Actually, he looked somewhat familiar. Ian was puzzled for a moment, then he knew. It had been the Lucian surveillance photos from the riot at the Tomas stronghold. The boy had been in a photo, and he'd been holding Amy's hand! Ian glared fiercely at him even as another person began to tie Ian to the chair Amy had been sitting in. Ian was so busy watching what was going on with Amy that he hardly noticed.

The boy finally got Amy untied and helped her up, holding both her hands and smiling back. Hey, that's unnecessary contact! He could have just held her elbow or something. Now they were hugging, Hugging? Who is this scruffy South African string bean? He'd better get away from Amy or else…,

Amy said, "Oh Kurt, I'm so glad to see you! I never thought I'd see you again. How did you know to come get us?"

Kurt answered, "As soon as I got the call from Professor Bardsley that you were in trouble I rushed right over here with the others. I was so worried about you. I'm just glad you are alright."

Blah, blah, blah, Ian thought. This is making me sick. Wait, what? NO! That git is NOT trying to kiss Amy! Ian glared ferociously from his chair prison, not able to move and unable to force himself to look away, watching Amy and "Kurt" leaning in to each other. This was unacceptable. Amy getting rescued by some guy was fine, but being kissed by him was definitely NOT!

Just then Dan grabbed Amy's hand and yelled, "Let's go!" so "Kurt" grabbed Amy's other hand and they ran out of the hanger together, along with Nellie and Dan. Amy didn't even glance back.

Isabel screamed, "This is an injustice!" just before she was knocked out by two large men. She fell to the floor, unconscious, next to Natalie, who was hunched over, her arms wrapped around her knees, looking like she was in extreme shock. The two Lucian thugs were lying, unmoving, in various positions on the floor. Ian slumped in his chair, stunned. He didn't even notice when Dan ran in, grabbed the cat and the glowing green vial and ran back out.

What had just happened? The Cahills had escaped again. Mum would be livid, but Ian was relieved. Amy was safe, for now. She had been glorious, standing up to Isabel that way, even knocking her over. No one else had ever had the courage to do what Amy did. He admired her for that. But then that boy, that Kurt, came and rescued her. Amy has a…boyfriend? And he almost kissed her! Ian shook his head, but that horrible image seemed to be burned into his mind. Just thinking about it made him seethe with anger, but the anger quickly dissolved into dread. The Cahills had won again.

Isabel began to stir. Ian sighed. Time to face the unpleasant consequences. He braced himself.

"Mum, are you alright?"

The End

A/N: Please reveiw, I'd love to know what you think. Thanks! ~SqueakyDolphin6