"Hi, Evan," Amy exclaimed as she ushered her friend inside. "How are you?"

Evan gave Amy a knowing smile. "Can you guess?"

"...Well..." Amy faltered. "Yeah. Sorry...about that..." She tilted her head. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Thanks," Evan said, allowing himself into the kitchen.

Amy paused in the entry hall, looking out the front window at the limousine that was about to leave. She had told the Kabras to make themselves scarce when Evan was here...she didn't want any events arising. Natalie Kabra was already inside the vehicle, but Ian was standing on the front walk, about to enter the car. He suddenly turned and looked back at Amy. She felt a strange shiver dance up her spine, but disregarded it and hurried into the kitchen where Dan, Nellie, and Evan were waiting.

Amy felt her face grow warm when she saw Evan smiling at her, a glass of water in his hand. A strand of his streaked brown hair hung over his forehead casually. She looked away, blushing.

"So, Glasses," Amy heard Dan say. "Long time no talk! Remember me, the dweeb?"

Amy heard Evan laugh like the good-natured person he was, and say, "How could I forget you, Dan the ninja?"

Nellie handed Amy a chocolate chip cookie with a grin.

"Dan," Nellie said, "Can you help me, uh, water the plants?"

"What?" Dan said.

"Water the plants," Nellie hissed. "Now!"

Dan followed her out of the kitchen. "...but...we don't have any plants. Do we?"

Amy felt herself becoming hyperaware of Evan's presence. He calmly pulled out a chair for her, and she sat in it before he took a chair out for himself.

"Hey," he said kindly. "Any news on Saladin?"

"No..." Amy replied. "But Ian-" She stopped herself, realizing what she had almost said.

"What?" Evan asked, adjusting his glasses in a way that made Amy's heart skip a beat.

"Um...I-I am looking for him..." Amy mumbled. I can't tell Evan that Ian's here...

Just then, the front door burst open and a tall, slim figure leapt into the kitchen.

"Sorry," yelped Ian Kabra. "I forgot something!" Amy felt her breath stop. Hadn't she told Ian to stay out of the house today?

Amy saw Evan tense next to her in the corner of her eye as Ian slowly made his way to the refrigerator. He took his time opening the door. The room was deafeningly silent. Then, Ian turned and said the worst possible thing to Amy.

"Oh, hello, Love."

Amy sank in her chair and Evan turned to her, dumbfounded. Ian grinned and leaned against the refrigerator.

"Nice day, isn't it?" he asked.

Evan stood up. "...What are you doing here? You're Ian Kabra, right?" he said to Ian, who nodded smugly. Amy noted nervously that Ian was a few inches taller than already tall Evan.

"You're the guy who tried to kill Amy and Dan...more than once," Evan growled.

"It was all a silly little game," Ian said lightly.

Amy felt the tension growing in the room, most of it emanating from Evan. He was breathing slowly, keeping his cool, but Amy could sense the disbelief echoing from him. Why was Ian here, ruining Evan's visit? Evan had come here to escape a fight, not to be involved in one.

"A game," Evan said, "a game in which people got hurt, people died. A game that involved wars. And you call that silly? You call that a game?"

"We all have our names for things, don't we?" Ian said, the ends of his lips curling upwards. "Like your name for Amy is Amy, and my name for her is...Love."

That did it for Evan. He whirled around, and seeing the desperate look on Amy's face, softened his gaze. But he muttered, "I'm sorry - later..." and strode out of the kitchen and out the front door.

There was silence.

Then, "Emotional, isn't he?" Ian remarked.

Amy breathed in before replying.

"Why..." she said quietly, "would you do this?"

Ian laughed, as though he was expecting that answer. "I'm a Kabra. It happens to be what I do, Love..."

She was scared. She had to admit it to herself, she was scared of this unrecognizable person, this person who had charmed her so many times before, this person who had come so close to charming her in the past two days...who was this?

Amy stood, shaking, and walked down the hallway to her room. She locked the door behind her.