Disclaimers: I do not own the 39 Clues.

Chapter 5

Amy's first reaction of seeing Ian waiting patiently for her was a scowl. She was already feeling unnerved by his presence.

He merely smirked back at her, which caused an unintended pink tint to crawl on her porcelain cheeks.

"Well, I was hoping for a nice peaceful day in the library when Natalie informed me that I would be spending the day entertaining you." Amy muttered as she helped herself to a cup of coffee, fresh-baked artisan bread and orange jelly.

Ian raised an eyebrow, slightly amused.

"Hello to you too. Oh, and I'm doing fine, thanks for asking," he said.

Ian leaned casually and sighed, unfathomed by the implied rejection. He smoothed out his cream white shirt that contrasted tastefully with his cinnamon skin. "I actually planned a trip to the Museum of London," He said smoothly. "It seems like you have better things to do. I guess I'll find someone else to accompany me."

Ian began to walk back towards upstairs, with a small sigh at Amy's stubbornness.

Amy suddenly put down the butterknife. Her eyes perked.

"Wait, Ian-did you say museum?" she asked.

Ian stopped and turned around. He was dressed in a freshly ironed polo and designer jeans. His was was gelled to a perfection. "You heard me."

Amy contemplated the tempting offer.

She had two weaknesses: libraries and museums. Those were the two places that she had spent most of her spare time in when she was in college; she never could have a little too much knowledge. She had a fiery passion for books and archaeology.

Ian had hit the jackpot.

The eldest Kabra gave her an amused glance. He tilted his head and smirked at her indecisiveness.

Amy's eyes drifted towards Ian, who then locked his gazed her. Once again, Amy felt her face flush to an embarrassing shade of burgundy.

She hated to admit this, but she had discovered her third weakness: Ian Kabra.

As much as she wanted to reject, she couldn't resist.

"I'm sold. Let's go." Amy succumbed reluctantly.

Amy grabbed her purse and then proceeded out the mansion, trying to mask her eagerness and excitement. Ian tagged behind her, and the two made their way into the car.

"Thank you, Bickerduff. I'll take the keys."

Ian got into the driver's seat. It was a rare occasion to see him behind the wheel.

Ian flashed her a small smile. She felt the hair on her neck prickle.

For the rest of the drive, Amy tried to avert her eyes away from Ian. His chiseled features, smooth complexion, and piercing gaze reminded her of what she no longer had. He belonged to another now.

They pulled into the parking lot. Crowds of people were already bustling in and out of the building steadily. Groups of lumbering students and excited tourists were tossed together in the sea of visitors.

Amy and Ian made their way inside. The grand exhibitions held the voluptuous history of London. Twisting halls and display cases were filled with arts and artifacts from medieval times to Victorian London.

Amy's eyes were wide with wonder. She admired the displays and took in the rich history of the city. There were rows after rows of artifacts. Each relic exhilarated her, as if they spoke with a story behind each item. She perched lightly on her feet, absorbing the beauty and magnificence of history.

Amy pointed and chatted lightheartedly with Ian. She saw a glint of interest in his usually solemn amber eyes. Ian's usual aloofness was replaced by a happier and genuine side of him.

"Enjoying yourself?" Ian asked nonchalantly. Amy was gazing at a 13th-century timber wall that was discovered at the Thames riverbank in 1982. Her jade eyes sparkled with interest, her head was slightly askew.

Amy gave him a smile. She was genuinely happy, and it had been a while since she felt so relaxed and carefree.

"This is amazing! You have no idea how fascinating this is," she replied.

"Well, I'm glad," Ian said. "Can I ask you something?"

Amy nodded. "Permission granted," she answered jokingly.

"Why do you find a wall so interesting? I see nothing but decomposed wood."

Amy looked at him with disbelief.

"It's so much more than just a wall. It tells us about the way of life back in the days, about how people lived. A little piece of artifact can be quite powerful. It's amazing that it survived until now!"

Ian shrugged. "I still see disintegrated timber."

Amy rolled her eyes and scuffed him playfully on the arm. Ian pouted, mocking pain.

"Think about it. Picture it in your head-just imagine."

"All I see is catching some unearthly disease if I touch that filthy thing," Ian grimaced.

Amy sighed in exasperation.

"You're hopeless. Let's go, bonehead," Amy giggled as they moved on.

As the afternoon approached, they headed back. Amy was reluctant to leave, but Ian had something else in mind.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked curiously.

Ian refused to tell. "You'll see. It's a secret."

The scenery outside shifted from the urban city to soft hills of the countryside. Lush green grass lined the shoulders as the road narrows like a bottleneck. Willow trees stood on the spongy soil. Wildflowers dotted the field like gumdrops.

Ian veered off of the smooth paved road onto a bumpy dirt path. The car lurched to a stop.

Ian stepped out of the car. Amy followed and got out.

"So this is the surprise? I don't see anything but weeds."

"Like you said, use your imagination."

Ian pulled out a basket and handed a blanket to Amy.

"We're almost there. Follow me."

Ian took a eluded path on the left. After walking for a minute, he stopped abruptly as the dense vegetation cleared up into a field.

Ian spread the blanket on the ground near a willow tree. He set the basket down and motioned for Amy to sit.

Amy propped herself down next to Ian. He handed her a sandwich and spread out plates of fruit and cheese.

"A picnic? That's the last thing I would imagine you doing."

Ian shrugged. "I thought you would like it."

Amy bit into her sandwich. Ham and cheddar burst flavorfully in her mouth. It was her favorite.

"I do."

They ate in silence. It was comfortable one, with each other's presence yet not speaking.

As they finished the meal, neither made an attempt to leave.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do," Ian started. "For starters, how is Daniel and Nellie?"

"Good. Dan's in his second year of college. He still has the maturity of a six-year-old. Nellie's busy with culinary school. She's hoping to start her internship in Paris next year."

Amy was surprised that Ian asked about Dan. Since when did he become interested in her younger brother's life? Amy didn't question, but she was secretly relieved that Ian did not bring up the topic of her own life.

Their conversation went on like this for a while, with an occasional laughter or gasp of two chatted quietly, enjoying each other's company. The conversion wasn't forced, and carried on as the both grew more comfortable with the other.

"How's Natalie?"

"Fine. She's going to Venice to study abroad in fashion marketing after the wedding."

Amy tensed, her jaw freezing in mid-sentence as she was about to reply. She gingerly pressed her thin lips together, unsure of what to do in the awkward silence.

The wedding. The very thing that Amy wanted to forget about. It was something that she looked forward to just a few days ago, but now is poisonous like venom.

What if she had never suggested to part ways? Maybe things would be a lot different. Maybe they would still be together. She made the decision five years ago thinking that he would agree. But now, her dreams were crushed. The person she had been waiting for bailed out on her. He bursted her bubble of hope, and she came crashing down, hard.

Does she still love someone who had turned his back on her more than once? Although her mind screamed no, her heart was insisting that yes, she still loved him. Deep in her conscious, she was yearning for another memory with him, another chance; but she knew that in reality, she had already lost her chance. Amy bit her lip as a wave of bitterness hit her. She hated to admit this, but she truly regretted the decision she made five years ago.

"Er... Amy?" Ian, unsure of what's going on, suddenly interrupts Amy's train of thoughts. He has a look of confusing as Amy suddenly snapped her head up, startled by his voice.

"Um, sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just wondering what you've been up to... you know, the past... five years?" Ian said.

This time, Amy was not intimidated by this question. She had a plan in mind. She held on a glimmer of hope that this would work, but I was far-fetched and crazy. But at this point, she thought, what is there to lose after I've already lost everything?

She casually smiled and cocked her head as she began to speak.

"You know, not much. After graduation, I immediately started to work, and it's been keeping me busy. I've been pretty much the same as always, but I guess one thing has changed for me."

Ian seemed to be drawn in by her last comment. He glanced at her, looking curious.

"I've found the love of my life."

I hope you never have to think about anything as much as I think about you."
― Jonathan Safran Foer

A/N:

Wow.

I really don't know what to say... I haven't been on this site in almost 3 years, and you've all probs have forgotten me. I haven't written anything because life has been so busy and hectic as hell, from AP testing to my beloved Key Club. So, if you're still reading this, thank you. I really appreciate those of you that still stick around to read my random little stories that I write when I try to de-stress from school :)

To be honest, I haven't read this story in ages and I'm not sure where I'm going with it, but I may have made some mistakes writing this chapter. If there's anything wrong, please point it out to my as I was way to lazy to re-read the previous chapters I wrote years ago. I probably won't be updating any of my other stories because they're crap and this one is the only that I think has hope...

I honestly don't know when will be the next time I update (it may be in the next few days/weeks/months/or even years), but I just hope you enjoyed this. Reviews are welcome and very appreciated.

M