Huzzah! Next chapter! Finally! Thank you Kowalistair Fanatic for telling me to get off of my lazy butt, and helping me get inspired!

On with the next chapter!

~SEVEN~

After the Funeral

"Where were you?" Ian screamed at Nellie. Him and Natalie were back from the funeral all soot-stained and smelling like smoke.

Nellie knew exactly what happened. Since Irina was switched with Alistair, she got to betray Ian and Natalie. When she radioed ahead to Nellie and Fiske, it seemed as if she even enjoyed it.

Burning down the mansion? Nellie thought. Check!

Nellie kept up her pokerface. She continued to eat the tub of Cherry Garcia ice cream, which Natalie freaked out about. "I got a ride home. Beatrice let me."

"But you didn't even tell us!" Ian yelled.

"Isn't there a rule against leaving your two charges alone in a crowd full of people who hate us?" Natalie asked. "Because if there is, you totally just followed it and ditched us!"

Nellie stood up. "Okay, your aunt? Yeah, I asked her if it's okay if I leave, because first of all, funerals give me the shivers. I mean, dead body in a coffin? Nellie don't think so. No offense to your grandma. She had cool grandchildren, you know? Second of all, your family gives me the creeps. They're like a whole cluster of robots. They don't even smile, and when they do, they look like Captain Hook when he thinks he's put one over Peter Pan. You know, evil-looking smiles? So I took your car and drove home. Your aunt said she'll drive you home, because she'll have enough money to buy a new Ferrari after the funeral."

Natalie stared at her blankly. Then she snatched the tub of ice cream out of her hands.

"But the point is you left us!" Ian persisted. "We almost died in a fire! Irina was going to leave us for dead! We thought you were still in there!"

Nellie saw her chance and seized it. "All right you two. You got to ask your questions. I answered them nicely, so it's my turn. Why would one of your relatives leave you to die in a fire?"

"Um . . . I m-meant to say . . ." Ian said. Nellie gave a mental cry of joy. Now they won't be on her case anymore.

"He didn't mean to say anything," Natalie said with a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. "Can we drop the whole conversation? We need your help."

Nellie already knew how this was going to go down. They would ask her for her help by making up some dumb story about Beatrice breaking her neck. Then she'd say yes, and then they were off to Philadelphia for the Starling's surprise.

"Okay," Nellie said crossing her arms. "How may I help you? . . ."

Meanwhile, in another part of Boston, Alistair stood still deciding on who to sit beside during a top scret meeting. Amy or Dan?

The two children smiled up at him. He had specific instructions from Fiske as to how the meeting was going to go down. Including who to sit beside, in case he was in for betrayal, which, he knew, was a Kabra family tradition.

He chose to sit beside the less-threatening, Dan, or Daniel, as he preferred being called. Dan smiled up at him and moved over. Alistair stared at him for a few seconds, pretending that he was still the Dan that would've cried if he were wearing blue polo shirts, dress pants, and loafers.

If I could hug him for just a few seconds . . .

But he knew better than to change the past and upset the future.

"Have you considered our proposal?" Amy asked.

Alistair nodded. "You have come to the same conclusion as I. The second clue is not in Boston."

"Exactly," Amy said. "We've told our parents to charter us a private jet. We'll be off within the hour."

The Kabras' interest in the clues have never perplexed Alistair as much as Irina. It was obvious why: power. Every Cahill's dream. So when Ian and Natalie chose to accept the challenge way back when they were themselves, Alistair was only bothered. The fact that their parents provided them with everything certainly bothered him. And even more, now that Amy and Dan were the Kabras. They were nothing like their Lucian cousins. It was a struggle to see them acting this way.

"So?" Alistair said. "Where will you go?"

Amy sat forward. "You know it's about Benjamin Franklin."

"Yes."

"Then you know where we're going, and you know what we're after."

"You also know," Dan added, "that we can't allow the secret to fall into anyone else's hands. As Lucians, we should work together. You should set the trap."

Alistair felt a wave of fear pass over him. Sure, Isabel switched his and Irina's lives, so that everyone recognized him as a Lucian cohort. But deep down in his core, he was an Ekaterina, a descendant of Katherine. How could he possibly set up a Lucian trap?

"You could set the trap yourselves," he said.

Dan shook his head. "They would suspect us. You, on the other hand, can lure them to their doom."

Alistair hesitated. He'd heard that Amy and Dan escaped the Kabras' first few traps before, but what was it, exactly? He hadn't heard the whole story.

I have to contact Nellie.

"What is in it for me?" he asked.

"They're our biggest threat," Amy pointed out. "They may not realize it yet, but they will in time. We have to eliminate them quickly. It'll benefit all of us. Besides, you'll have the Lucian stronghold at your disposal. Afterwards, there will be time to fight each other. Now, we must destroy our competition."

"And the Madrigals?" Alistair asked

A ripple of nervousness crossed Amy's face quickly. Alistair couldn't help but move his lips slightly to the side in the form of a smile.

"One enemy at a time, cousin," Amy said.

"Does it seem odd to you," Alistair asked slowly, "that the Lucian database contains so little about Franklin?"

"There should have been more, it's true," Amy said, annoyed. "Apparently, Franklin was hiding something . . . even from his kin."

Dan smiled coldly. "A Lucian who doesn't trust his kin- imagine that."

Amy waved his comment aside. "Complaining about it will change nothing. We need to deal with Ian and Natalie. Cousin Alistair, do we have a deal?"

The hotel doors opened, and a heavyset man in a brown suit strode through, heading for the front desk. Probably an undercover police man. Meeting any longer would be dangerous.

Alistair fixed his tie. "Very well. I shall prepare the trap."

Amy and Dan rose.

"I am glad we came to an arrangement," Alistair said. "I did not wish to hurt you."

"Oh, we're glad, too," Amy said sweetly. "Daniel, I believe it's safe now."

Alistair looked at Dan and realizwd that he had a tiny silver dart gun cupped in her hand, less than two inches from Alistair's chest. He felt himself sweating.

"It was so good to see you, Alistair," Dan said.

"Indeed," Amy said. "Do let us know when Ian and Natalie are eliminated, won't you?" She smiled evilly, and walked outside of the hotel.

When Alistair saw them drive away in their limo, he sighed in relief and took out his phone. "The meeting's done."

Fiske's voice answered on the other end of the line. "Good."

"But before you hang up, I just have one favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"Help me lure Ian and Natalie into a Lucian trap."

Ta-da! What did you think? Not my best chapter? Probably. Review please!

~Blue