A/N: Hello, everyone! Missed me? I'm so so so sorry it took me so long. I have no excuse. I apologize again. I promise you, I'll do my very best to update within seven days! Now, this chapter has a bit of everything. There's Amian (yay!), Ted/Seraphine (we really need to finda name for these two... any suggestions?) and the arrival of the person you will hate most in this fic! I really hope you enjoy it! I love you all, especially my wonderful reviewers, who never fail to make me smile!
Disclaimer: I, Burning Tulip, do NOT own the 39 Clues.
Chapter twelve: The arrival
The two weeks passed quickly. Too quickly, Seraphine thought and sighed. She wasn't ready to deal with Claire. She would most likely never be. She sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot, recently. And the Ball will be held with her here! This is going to be the worst Great Ball of my life!
"Good morning, Ser!"
"Good morning, Ted."
She and Ted had gotten pretty close during these past two weeks. Their lessons were going great, and they probably stop having them in a week or two. Ted was really good.
Her voice must have showed how troubled she was, though, and Ted noticed.
"Hey, what's the snag? You sound concerned."
"Same old, same old. Claire."
"Oh. Don't you think you're worrying too much? She can't be that bad!"
"Nope. Not the least bit. Trust me; you'll understand when she arrives tomorrow"
"Okay, okay, whatever you say! But, you said she'll come tomorrow, right?" He said, emphasizing the word 'tomorrow'.
"Yes, why?"
"Well, how about taking a break. You've been over-stressing yourself, Ser. Both you and Shaunee need to relax."
She thought about it, and realized he was right. She and her sister had had so many things to take care of, lately. First of all, the ball. Not only had they had to plan it, but they also had to try on their dresses at least ten times, because Cindy, being a true perfectionist, was never really satisfied and want to try this or that before she eventually decided that the gowns were perfect. They had also gone shopping with GCC's newest members (Ian, Amy, Dan, Hamilton, Natalie, Ted, Ned, Sinead, Reagan, Madison, Jonah and Nellie), so that they would pick out their outfits. Moreover, they had planned and carried out two secret missions, babysat their brothers, organized the triplets birthday party, worked on the Starlings' operations and, on top of that, had been worried over Claire's arrival. They had tired themselves too much. They needed a break.
"You know what, Ted? You're right. We should take the day off. I'll have the House notify the others. We'll meet in the City's Square in 30'."
"Okay. Um, Ser? What exactly will we do?"
He couldn't see her, but he was absolutely sure she smiled, probably slyly.
"Oh, you'll see! Now, go get ready. And, Ted?" She asked as they were walking to the door.
"Yeah?" He got out and turned his head towards the sound of her voice.
"Wear a swimsuit." With that, she closed the door.
Thirty minutes later, all the mini-branch leaders along with Seraphine, Shaunee and the rest of the younger generation of Cahills were gathered in the square.
"May I have your attention, please?" Seraphine said and everyone turned to look at her. "Thank you. Now, as you all know, we will be taking a much-needed break. As you also know, the location of our destination will be kept a secret until we get there. All I have to say is that this will be an excellent time to relax before the little blond demon arrives tomorrow. So, enjoy today and be prepared for a hell of week which starts tomorrow."
Everyone was laughing by the time she finished her little speech. They had all come closer those past weeks and it was a common secret that Seraphine Cahill was not a big fan of her cousin's. Nobody knew why though. According to her, Claire was devil's reincarnation and she just hated her. Whatever the case, though, it was always fun listening to her talking about her beloved relative.
The twins in general proved to be very friendly and willing to help them with anything they needed. Shaunee never failed to make them laugh (even Ian had trouble controlling his laughter, something she took great pride in) and Seraphine might usually be the serious one, but when she was fun, she was fun. She had always something to say and watching her argue with Antoinette was terribly amusing each time. Probably because they were both masters of sarcasm and didn't hesitate to use it against each other.
The ride was about thirty minutes and absolutely beautiful. There was green all around them, with various trees, flowers and bushes. The colours were unbelievable. From dark red to pink so light it seemed white, from deep blues to the colour they sky is on a clear summer day, from sun yellow to fire orange, every colour was there, and combined, these colours created the most breathtaking scenery.
"It's quite the sight, isn't it?" Ian asked Amy at some point. She turned and smiled at him. He had never seen anything more wonderful in his life.
"It is. It's truly impressive how all these colours blend in together. Just beautiful."
"Indeed." He'd like to add 'just like you', but didn't dare. He didn't want to scare her off. He had promised himself that this time, he'd do things right. He had to earn her trust, not charm his way into it, like he'd do with any other girl. Amy was not just any other girl. She was the one he was in love with. It felt good to admit it, even if it was only to himself.
He had always felt something for her. At first he thought it was just because she offered him a challenge. She had been the only girl not to fall for his charms instantly. But it was more than that, because, even when he had her wrapped around his little finger, he still felt the same way. If anything, the feeling was stronger. He did the only thing he could do at the time; he pushed her away, made her hate him, however, instead of feeling better, he felt even worse. Then, Evan came and took her away from him. And he was jealous. Oh, god, how jealous he was! It should have been him. Ian should be the one to make her smile, not Evan. Ian should be the one to shower her with gifts, not Evan. He should have been the one to cherish her and love her, and have her love in return, not Evan. Absolutely not Evan. But Ian was no foul. He knew very well that he wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth her. Could it be that this was he chance? Would he be good enough? Well, there's only one way to know, I guess, he thought.
"So, do you like it here?"
"I don't not like it, but it's still a bit, strange. I mean, there was a whole city filled with Cahills from all branches that lived together in peace, and nobody knew about it. It's kind of hard to get used to. There's still a lot to take in. But, I do enjoy the time we spend here; it is fun and we spend quality time together, without wanting to kill each other. Plus everyone is really friendly and has accepted us. So, yeah, I like it. How about you?"
"It's fine, I guess. It's just, I'm not really used to us getting along. We used to try and rip each other to shreds!"
She smiled.
"Well, 'used to' are the key words, aren't they?"
He smiled back.
"Yeah, I guess they are."
They just sat there after that, in a comfortable silence. Neither tried to break it, neither felt the need to. They just sat there, looking outside the window and waiting to reach their destination.
Fifteen minutes later, they did. They were in a beautiful beach. The sand was an amazing golden colour and the water was so clear you could see the seabed without effort. The sun was shining and the temperature was above 30˚C. It was the perfect day to go swimming. But mere swimming was not was Seraphine had in mind and they were soon going to find to find that out. In fact, the exact moment they all got out of the cars, her plans became clear. They heard a faint pfssssss noise and then a not-so-faint splash! , which was followed by a sharp intake of breath and a "Hey!" that sounded like Hamilton. Everyone turned towards him and what they saw made them laugh hysterically. Hamilton Holt was standing there, all wet and was glaring at Seraphine, who did her best not to laugh like everyone else, but could not hide a sly smile. Oh, did I mention she was holding a water bomb? Well, she was.
"You are so dead, Cahill." Hamilton said in a dangerously calm tone.
"Give it your best shot, Holt." was Seraphine's answer.
Had it been anybody else, they would have been running away from the Tomas screaming, but Ser was not like everybody else. Unfortunately for him, Hamilton seemed to forget that and went straight towards her, full speed. For a moment, she did nothing, just stood there and watched him advance. Then, at the absolutely last moment, she took a step to the right and the Holt found himself without a target. He made an abrupt stop and looked around confused.
"Over here, Hammy!"
He turned to face her and the look on his face was enough to make the others, who were worried for Seraphine's safety, laugh again. Hamilton started chasing her again, but this time, Ser actually run. And, man, was she fast. They were running around for two minutes or so, when Hamilton gave up, saying that catching the Roadrunner was easier. He blamed it to her four-branched DNA. Ser just smiled, reached behind her, and threw not one, but three water bombs to three different Cahills. Her victims were Ian, Jonah and Cindy. They had no time to react though, for Shaunee started throwing water balloons to anyone who was in sight. The mini-branch leaders formed a defense force, using the water pistols they found in the cars, and the rest of the Cahills joined forces and were attacking the twins using balloons they too found in the cars. Soon enough, everyone was attacking everybody else and they were all laughing. Not too long after, they collapsed on the sand and laughed.
"Well, that must have been the greatest idea I have ever had!" Seraphine said. "And none of you can say you didn't enjoy it!" she added.
"True."
They stayed there for hours, just swimming and sunbathing and playing beach volleyball. It was the most fun Seraphine and Shaunee had had in a long while. Then, they watched the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful. The sun seemed to slowly descend in the water, dyeing it and the sky the most wonderful colours. It was a sight to behold.
"Well, I think it's time we got going. It's almost nine."
"Sure. Before we go home , though, there's one last thing we should see."
"What is it?"
"It's a surprise. Trust me, you'll love it. Just follow me."
So they followed Shaunee and she led them through the woods, to a small clearing. It wasn't anything much, just an area with no trees and a few rocks in the middle. It had this aura though, like there was more to it than the eye can see. And then, the moment the sun set, fireflies appeared, but nobody could tell where they came from. There must have been over a hundred fireflies, and their glow made the clearing look magical. Honestly, if a unicorn came in they wouldn't have been surprised.
"What is it?" Ted whispered in Seraphine's ear.
"I can't tell you that. What do you feel it is?"
"I feel… I feel…" he was about to finish his sentence, but hesitated.
"What? Come on, tell me." she urged in a soft whisper. "What do you feel?"
"It's silly."
"No it's not. What you feel is never silly, Ted Starling. It can't be. Tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone, if you don't want me to."
He sighed, but gave in.
"I feel beauty. I cannot really explain it, but that's it. I mean it's like…" He never got to finish that sentence. Seraphine pressed her finger on his lips and shushed him.
"I understand." That was all she said, but she didn't really need to say anything more. They sat there, no one saying a word, for a couple of minutes more, when they left, silently. They did not break the silence until they got back to the city, but there was no need to. It was a comfortable silence, one they did not want to break. They reached the city and parted ways, after promising to Seraphine that they would all be in the Madrigal building's living room the next morning, so that she would have to face Claire (or the C-monster as she called her) alone. They laughed a bit at that, but Seraphine's look told them she did not find it funny. They bid each other good night and went to their rooms.
The next morning they were all having breakfast when they heard the doorbell ring. Seraphine got up slowly and moved towards the door, with Shaunee right behind her. She opened it and in came a girl, about the same age as the twins. She had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. She was at the same height as Seraphine, maybe an inch taller.
"Hello, Seraphine! Hey Shaunee!" she said hugging them. They both cringed, but she didn't notice.
"Actually, Claire, I'm Shaunee…"
"Details!" her voice was high-pitched and she was close to screaming. Now, who will carry my bags? Where is auntie Eloise? Uncle Joshua? I do hope my room has a great view."
"Hello, Claire. How are you?" The twins'mother asked, as she appeared from the kitchen.
"I'm fine, auntie El." The girl replied, beaming.
"You will be staying in the room you always do. I hope you are okay with this?"
"Oh, yes, don't worry auntie El."
"Great then, I'll have someone get it ready. In the mean time, why don't you go to the living room with the girls? There are a few people I would like you to meet."
"Sure! Lead the way, Shaun!"
"I'm Seraphine, but okay."
The twins heard their mother whisper something that sounded a lot like 'behave yourselves', but choose to ignore it. They entered the living room and Claire wasted no time. She went around introducing herself, while the Cahill twins watched. She first introduced herself to the girls and then started with the boys. She did not notice Amy's glare when she practically hugged Ian, or Sinead's when she all but kissed Hamilton. It was not something the other Cahills paid special attention to, either. They knew pretty well what was going on between them, so they didn't comment on it. What they did pay attention to, however, was Seraphine's reaction when her cousin exclaimed "And what do we have here?" and then proceeded to hug Ted. Everybody suspected there was something going on between these two, and their suspicions were confirmed when, the moment Claire hugged Ted, Ser's glare was so intense, that if looks could kill, Claire would be suffering a slow and painful death. They exchanged knowing glances and hidden smiles and could barely contain their laughter when Claire turned and Seraphine's expression changed from a heated glare to a sweet smile in less than a second.
"I think I'll go take a shower and have a nap. Jet lag is killing me!"
"Sure. Take your time. You will be staying for a week after all!"
Claire either did not notice the edge in Seraphine's words, or she choose to ignore it because she smiled brightly and made her way towards her room. The moment they heard the door open and close, Shaunee and her sister sat down next to the others and glared at the floor.
"If you keep glaring like that you will end up with wrinkles. And you might as well set the building on fire." Natalie said. The glaring did stop, but it was obvious that their mood was not any better.
"I agree with you. I may not know her, but I surely do not like her!" Sinead said.
"Sinead's right." Amy, just like pretty much every female in the room, agreed with the Ekaterina.
"Amy, I don't recognize you!" Dan said mockingly "You judge her and yet you don't know her! I'm proud of you sis!" Amy just glared at him.
"Oh, trust me Dan, you'll come to agree with your sister in no time!" David, the Madrigal mini-branch leader said.
"Yeah!" , Cindy said. "We've known her for years and she's nothing more than a big, arrogant pain in the neck!"
"I actually agree with you. She almost broke my ribs." Ted's words brought a smile in Seraphine's lips, but it faded quickly.
"You've seen nothing yet, my dear friends. Just give her a day, and I promise you, any doubt about her being evil will evaporate."
"Oh, man! How are we going to survive this, sis?" Shaunee asked.
"I've got no idea, Shaun. Absolutely no idea."
"This is going to be the best week ever." Cindy said and her tone was everything but excited.
A/N: So, how was it? You know what to do! Cookie! Now, I want to know what you think will happen next. What do you think of Claire? What is the first evil thing I should make her do? To tell me, all you have to do is cookie! (I so love this review word!) I love you all! Any kind of criticism is accepted, but please be polite.
Love,
Burning Tulip