Chapter 24

At the hall, things went pretty well. Adults kept getting impressed by Amy and some others, Dan was joking with Natalie about the chocolate pudding she claimed she couldn't eat because of the amount of sugar inside of it, Ian kept attract girls around, Hamilton was joking with Jonah and the twins were talking together. It was all ok until it was the time to go. Fiske collected everyone and said he was impressed by their behavior, to everyone's cheering and Nellie's big grin.

"So to finish this wonderful meal, we are all going to a nice club for Cahills, not far from here." Fiske announced with a light grin "We can even go now." and everyone cheered. Ian saw Amy blush and claps, but she still looked not ok to him.

They went out, Dan in the head grinning and laughing with Hamilton, and Natalie bragging with Amy and so, until they reached the club, which was a peaceful building, a little homey inside.

They got in with a smile and sprawled on the couches, while some where heading to the fridge to take bottles of drinks and snacks and sweets.

After some time, Amy got out to sit on the green grass outside the building.

It was really beautiful. There were flowers on the green grass, and it felt very spatial, though everyone else was still in the house.

Ian followed her. He saw her back as she was sitting on the grass, and the wind was blowing and scattering her hair.

He desperately wanted to touch her. To be able to touch her.

Right, they touched, and not once- for god's sake, but, still...it wasn't really what he wanted.

Every time he touched her there was hesitation at the act, and for a reason. They weren't together. They haven't even been so close by the time of the last reunion.

And though it was so amazing yet incredibly ordinary to touch her, he hated the feeling of not knowing if it was fully ok to do it.

He just wanted to be able to come to her right now and put a hand on her shoulder, and cares her hair and her nape and ask her how's she is doing.

But here's the thing - as much as he wanted that commitment - he wasn't sure that was really what he wanted. He never felt that way towards anyone else. So it was a little surprising for him to realize he actually wasn't sure if he was the right one for her.

And in that case, if he really wasn't...

The last thing he wanted was to drag her down . The last .

Even if it meant giving up on his own happiness.

So he came closer, walking on the grass behind her, until he was really behind her "Love?" he asked.

She turned her head and smiled to him, blushing "Hey." she said softly.

He chuckled and sat beside her "What are you doing here?"

She smiled "The wind is so nice right now that I couldn't resist."

He chuckled ahead "You're lucky it's not that cold right now or you'd freeze to death."

She laughed softly "Yea, I guess. I'm so stressed about that..." she swallowed and then took a deep breath "about coming to my...you know." she paused.

He knew.

She sighed "So I'll be lucky not to die tonight."

He frowned "Amy, why the hell would you die?"

She didn't smile. her pretty blush and eyes looked down "I don't know. Maybe I won't be able to deal with it and break down and never get up again." she closed her eyes, stuck in real worry.

He looked at her intently "You're talking nonsense, Amy, that's not going to happen. You're much stronger than that. You can do it."

She raised her head a little and her gorgeous-serious green eyes stared at him "How are you so sure?"

He smiled a little "Because I know."

She sighed and closed her eyes again "I wish I knew too"

He laughed "You will, tonight."

She looked scared "I think...I'd rather not to talk about it right now."

Her eyes seemed wide and bright with fear, and she looked like she was about to get into hysteria.

His yellow-amber eyes widened and fast he took control "Amy, breath."

She took a deep breath, then exhaled.

He didn't take his eyes off of her "Great. Another one."

She breathed again, and then started to relax.

They stayed like this for a moment or so, so Amy could fully relaxed. Ian closed his eyes and prayed it will go well at night.

After a couple of minutes, she looked at him "Ian, can I ask you something personal?"

He smiled, in confidence "What?"

She looked at him with worry "How was it like with your parents?"

He nodded for a second, then looked ahead "First, It was like magic. Natalie and I felt safe, felt like royalty. We were grateful and happy, and of course very proud. We felt that our parents loved us. And that was the reason we were given so much. But that was only the start, when I was about seven years old and Natalie was about four years old. Some when, something just changed and things never came back to where they once were. Vikram was never at home." Ian narrowed his eyes a little, concentrating "I barley saw him those years. Isabel was there much more often, but she was different. She pushed us to get that our level is beyond everyone else's level. That we need to be the most deadly, good looking, brilliant, smart- no matter what it costs. It never felt like a family again." he paused.

Amy blinked, and opened her mouth to say something, but he continued "At the Clue hunt, Natalie and I did our best to please her. To prove to her we are. The best in everything, I mean. Just like she wanted. It was the only thing that stood against our eyes. To prove we are wroth everything she gave us." he paused. then he continued "But...something changed. I don't even know what. It's not like we became better, or she became worse. She was just like she always was. She never really cared about us in the first place, but at the hunt...I think we finally got it."

he didn't look emotional at all "I never had an emotional connection to my parents, at least not since I was around five years old. So I don't care. In addition, as a Lucian, I'm trained to be as practical as possible. So all this doesn't really bother me day to day."

He stopped, looking at her looking at him in silence. Just looking.

They stayed like this for a couple of minutes, until Amy sighed and closed her green eyes, and he blinked and stared at one of the short little white flowers, not sure why, but feeling a mix of discomfort and sadness.

Which was really weird. He meant every word he said when he told Amy he didn't care about his parents. Or the lack of them, should he say.

He really didn't care. That was the last thing that went through his mind day to day.

So why suddenly he felt so...bitter? Was it pain? But why?

Wasn't he a better Lucian then that?

"Ian," She suddenly said, and he looked at her.

She looked into his eyes, understanding filling her green warm eyes. Not mercy, thank god, just understanding, and grace.

"I'm ok." he said to her, though he wasn't.

She smiled at him, a little understanding smile that clearly didn't buy it and he forcedly smiled back.

Then she did something he didn't expect.

She pushed herself closer to him onto the grass, till they touched each other, and then she rested her head on his shoulder and took his arm in her hand, caressing it up and down slowly with her fingers "It's going to be ok."

He didn't know what to say.

For the first time in his life, he understood Amy will catch it if he lies to her. So lying wasn't an option.

"Thank you, Amy," he finally said silently as she was caressing his arm, making him feel a little comfort.

Which was weird, because those things - comfort, compassion, grace...

It was simply not in the vocabulary of the Lucian people. Let alone he himself. It was weakness.

But something, he wasn't sure why, told him otherwise, while he was sitting like this with Amy, and she was all about those things.

And he could never say she was weak.

The hours passed, the family kids hung out together at that club, until it got darker outside, and they all decided to go to a restaurant for dinner.

After the finished dinner, it was time to go home.

They were in the middle of deciding who will drive which car when Ian cut out Hamilton

"So, Ian will drive this car, and I will-

"Actually," Ian said, and changed glances with Amy to make sure. She fast nodded "Amy and I are staying for a couple of hours more."

They all looked at Ian and her in confusion, Fiske looked a little suspicious "Why?"

"I need to do something and Ian is helping me." Amy explained fast, her green eyes looked bright.

Fiske nodded "Fine, I assume. Be careful"

"I'm staying too." Dan raised his hand in decisiveness, and Amy smiled at him warmly "Thanks, Dan."

Ian nodded, it was good that Dan will be there for her too.

Natalie rolled her eyes "Do what you like."

Hamilton nodded "So we better get going."

Sinead nodded "See you at home."

And like that, they all got into the cars (after they decided who will drive what, of course,) and drove home.

"Oh my god." Amy said the minute they drove away, and put her face in her hands.

Dan was immediately near her, caressing her shoulder "You intend to go to the cemetery?" he asked softly, and she nodded "Yea, and I feel so sick right now."

Ian clutched his jaw, looking at her. It was so hard for him to see her like this, but he had to stay strong.

She had to do it, for herself.

Dan looked at Ian, to make sure it was the right thing to do, and Ian nodded at him silently.

"Hey, you can do it." Dan said cheerfully and put his hand around his sister "I believe in you."

She laughed a little, though she still looked sick. and smiled at him "Thanks, Dan"

Ian smiled at her, as is saying he believed in her too.

They stayed at the club a little longer, for Amy to process. She was reading a book, Ian was making some calls and Dan was playing a video game, until it was very late and dark and they had to go.

They walked to the cemetery in silence, Amy was in the middle, her head was down, and the boys could feel her fear even without saying a word.

Then they got into that big old gray gate of the cemetery, and Amy took off her hand of her head and smiled at the boys with her bright eyes nervously, and Ian smiled at her and caressed her shoulder, while Dan just stared at her a little scared and shocked. Guess the fear and worry for his sister overwhelmed him for a second.

Ian saw that and glanced at him fast and Dan hurried to change his expression, but he still frowned at Ian rudely, you know, for the point.

Amy took a deep breath and turned her eyes to the gate and the cemetery. She froze for a second, but then started, slowly and hesitating, to walk. The boys followed.

It was really dark when they got there. Suddenly, Amy just started crying "I can't do this." she stopped, crying "I just can't."

"Amy, look at me." Ian didn't lose time, he just turned her to face him, and looked into her eyes "Just trust me in this one, ok? I know you can do it."

Dan was just quite near him. He looked like he wasn't really sure, and he only wanted the best.

She took a deep breath, and shaking, moved her look across the graves "Oh my god.." she mumbled, before shaking again.

"It's nothing." Ian held her arms "nothing. Dan and I are right here, and we're not leaving you. Trust us, ok?" he said in a reasonable tone, staring into her eyes with his yellow-amber ones.

He signed to Dan to help him here, and Dan acceded "Amy, we're right here. Everything is ok and you'll be so proud of yourself afterwards."

She took another deep breath. Then she looked at them.

"Let's do it." she murmured, and they nodded, and started walking again.

Amy was shaking all the way to her parent's grave. When they finally and slowly got to the right grave, in the middle of the night, with the winds, she just fell apart on their grave, her face in her hands.

"Mom, Dad," she cried to her hands, and Dan wanted to touch her, but Ian held his hand back and silently shook his head "Let her do it, once and for all." he said very quietly.

It had been like that for some time, until Amy's cries slowly lessened, though she kept on crying.

When she got relatively quiet, though still crying, she silently asked "Dan, Ian..."

Ian nodded "We're going not far from here, we'll watch you. If you need anything we'll be there." he pointed at some place in the cemetery not far from her.

She nodded, her face stained with tears "Ok."

So they went, and waited for her. While they did that, they could see her crying.

Between the graves, in silence, watching Amy, in the dark, Dan said "I should have seen it coming." while he was watching his sister.

"What?" Ian said, not really interested.

"You falling for Amy."

That caught his attention. He slowly turned his head to face Dan, who didn't move his eyes of off Amy "What do you know?"

"Come on, don't play smarty with me." Dan said, seriously "You always had a thing for her, didn't you?"

Ian didn't respond for a second, he just kept of watching Amy. After a minute, he responded "You can relax, I don't know if something is even going to happen between us." he said, a little pissed.

Dan blinked and looked at him surprised "You're not going to make a move on her or something?"

Ian really didn't want to make that conversion "That's not that simple."

Dan looked at him "And that's because..."

Ian suddenly got angry "Do you even know your sister? do you really think I'll be good for her?"

He didn't move yellow-amber eyes off of Amy, though he desperately wanted to move them to face Dan.

Dan was surprisingly quiet "To be honest, I'm not so sure anymore."

That surprised Ian.

Because if they were talking like a month ago, he was pretty sure Dan was just laughing at his face.

But he hadn't had time to be surprised, Amy just slowly got up, and he could see her taking a deep breath and shaking her hair.

And...stop .

Listen, guys, I know it's been a while.

I'm so so so busy at this time, that I really do my best to make time to write and update. I hope you understand.

I'm not giving up on this story in any way.

Thank you so much to all the readers that don't give up on this story. I'll do my best to please you.

Love Love Love

Until the next time :)