Amy's P.O.V

Truth or Dare.

Jonah and Natalie wanted us to play Truth or Dare.

I'd always thought it was a ridiculous game. You take it in turns to ask people questions that they have to answer truthfully, or dare them to do something humiliating. What was the point? We might as well play 'Never Have I Ever' and drink ourselves silly.

"Come one, Ames!" Jonah begged. "Please! We're even making Ian play!"

I shook my head. "It's a stupid game."

"It is," Ned and Ted agreed. "But we're playing it anyway. You should, too."

"I don't see a point!"

Ian leaned down and whispered in my ear. "Please?" he asked. "For me? They might dare us to kiss."

I glared at him and sighed. "Fine. But only because it's your birthday."

Honestly, the thought of what could be a possible dare was what won me over in the end. I knew Natalie would be planning to get us together, and Sinead would probably encourage it. So I sat in the circle with the rest of my family – Fiske and Nellie excluded, of course – and tried to think up decent questions and dares.

"Okay, you know the rules," Jonah began. "But we're giving it a twist. If you don't want to do your truth or dare, you have to eat a whole tablespoon of Nellie's famous extra-extra-hot chili sauce. In one mouthful."

Ouch, I thought. That stuff is the hottest thing you'll ever taste. I had a tiny, sand-grain sized dollop of it once and thought my tongue was on fire for 15 minutes.

"And once you pick truth or dare, you can't change you mind," Jonah added.

"I'll go first," Natalie announced. "Hamilton, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Hamilton said quickly. "I wouldn't let you dare me to do anything."

Natalie laughed. "Neither would I," she admitted. "Okay. Have you ever kissed a girl? As in, you kissed her, not the other way around."

Ham's eyes darted to Sinead, then to Natalie, before he answered. "Yes."

"No way!" Dan exclaimed. "You never told me! Who was it?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Wait your turn, Daniel."

Dan huffed, and Hamilton turned to Jonah. "Truth or dare, Jonah?"

"Um… truth."

Hamilton thought for a moment. "Have you ever gone out with one of your fans?"

"Nope," Jonah grinned. "I find they spin around too much and tend to blow wind in your face." Before Hamilton could complain, Jonah quickly asked, "Sinead, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Sinead replied.

Jonah rubbed his hands together. "If we played spin the bottle, who would you want it to land on?"

Sinead blushed and turned her head down, letting her hair fall into her eyes. "Ham," she said quietly. Hamilton turned scarlet, but had a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Dan," Sinead said, trying to ignore her flushed cheeks. "Truth or dare?"

Dan grinned. "Dare!"

Sinead dared him to jump in the pool with his clothes on, even though it was pitch black outside. Dan, of course, gladly did it, then came back in dripping wet and sat on Natalie's lap, who shrieked and cursed Dan. She sure did know a colourful selection of swears.

The game went on. Ned admitted he still slept with a teddy bear, even though he was 21. Hamilton said he was in love with someone, then later went on to say that no, she didn't know. Natalie was forced to wear Dan's ninja costume, and Dan had to wear Natalie's dress – yes, the one she was wearing. That had been a funny sight. Jonah kissed Ted on the lips, and posted a YouTube video of himself singing 'Ba Ba Black Sheep', which had 50 000 views in 2 minutes.

"Amy, truth or dare?" Hamilton asked.

"Truth?" It was more a question then an answer, but I was slightly nervous. What if he asked about Ian?

Jonah said something in his ear, and Hamilton nodded. "Okay. Have you ever fallen for someone…" Confused, he turned to Jonah, who rolled his eyes and whispered something else. "Oh, right. Have you ever fallen for someone who betrayed you? Who and when and what did he do?"

"Twice actually. I have terrible taste in boys," I joked.

Hamilton raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Who, when and what?"

Without even flinching, I said, "Evan, over a year ago. He cheated on me." I said it in an uncaring manner, but briefly glanced at Ian. His fists were clenched and his eyes screamed murder. I gave him a look that said calm down, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

"Who else?" Ham prompted.

This, I was hoping he wouldn't ask. I hoped that, if I acted all nonchalant, they would forget about it, but unfortunately, they were Cahills. And Cahills were trained to remember.

I sighed and looked down, hoping they would take the hint. I don't want to talk about it, I thought. Sure, I'd forgiven him. But it wasn't a memory I liked to revisit, and I knew it would hurt him when I mentioned it.

Sinead knew about it, and so did Dan and Natalie, but everyone else looked at me expectantly.

"During the clue hunt," I finally said. "In Korea."

I looked Ian in the eye and saw pure regret. His fingernails dug into him palm, and I took his hand and pried it apart. His nails had broken through the skin, and four tiny pools of blood started running down his hand.

"Stop it, Ian," I said, pulling out a tissue and cleaning his hand. "Look what you're doing!"

He pulled away, ignoring the pain, and hid his hands. "I'm fine," he muttered.

Everyone watched us, their faces scrunched in confusion and worry. Natalie, however, seemed to understand.

"I'll go on?" she offered, and I nodded. "Ian and I made an alliance with Amy, Dan, and Alistair. Now that was an eventful day."

Dan grinned. "We got in a ninja fight!"

"And we saved your sorry backsides," Natalie smiled. "Isabel… she told Ian to make Amy fall for him. Well, she did. And then we trapped them in a cave and left them to die."

It was quiet for a moment, until Jonah said, "Ouch."

I shook my head. "That was a long time ago. I've forgiven them." I turned to Ted, changing the subject. "Truth or dare, Ted?"

Ted picked truth, and I asked him whether I was light or dark. He was half-blind after all. In the back of my mind, I replayed the events that had happened in Korea, from Buffy biting Ian, to the moment Ian kissed me. I didn't want it to bother me after 4 years, but I couldn't shake that feeling of betrayal. I knew he loved me – he reminded me whenever he could – but it still slightly stung. How could you love someone then leave them to die? I shouldn't doubt Ian, but I was worried he might do it again. What if he leaves me? What if he hurts me?

No, Amy, I told myself. Ian would never do that. He's changed. He loves you.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Ian's voice. "Dare," he said.

I glanced around, confused. How far through the game were we now?

I saw Natalie grin triumphantly. "I dare you to kiss Amy. On the lips. For 1 whole minute. And you have to make it look like you're enjoying yourself."

For a moment, I sat there, feeling a little clueless. Then what she'd said settled in.

"Wait, what?" I asked.

Ian glanced at me. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You look a little lost."

"I am," I admitted. "Since when was it Natalie's turn?"

Dan snickered. "For a nerd, you can be pretty stupid. Have you even been paying attention?"

I shrugged. "Guess not."

"Hello?" Natalie called. "I just gave you a dare, Ian. You have to do it." She thought for a moment. "Actually, this is a joint dare. Amy has to do it, too."

"Is that even allowed?" I asked. Natalie nodded. "Fine," I muttered, turning to Ian. He grinned cockily and I rolled my eyes.

Finally, I thought. I'd been waiting for this dare for a while.

"Hurry up!" Natalie ordered.

I grabbed Ian's shirt and pulled him in, smashing my lips against his. My fingers got lost in his hair and he cupped my cheek with one hand and held my waist with the other. We didn't have to make it seem like we were enjoying ourselves, because, unbeknownst to the prying eyes of our family, we actually were.

Ian and I kissed – or, as Natalie called it, snogged – for what felt like hours. Finally, I broke away.

"It must've been a minute now," I said, trying my best to look flustered, my cheeks reddening.

Natalie grinned. "It's been several minutes, actually."

I forced myself to be angry. "What? You were supposed to tell us when the minute was over!"

Dan shrugged. "As gross as that was, it was pretty funny," he laughed, typing something in his phone.

I scoffed, and didn't dare look at Ian. Not because I would stutter and blush like a cherry ripe tomato. I was used to kissing Ian now. Although he almost always made me nervous, because I was never sure what he would do, I wasn't the same person around him that I was a few months ago. I wasn't the shy, stuttering Amy, either. But everyone would expect me to stutter and blush like a cherry ripe tomato. I had a part to play, and would play it to my absolute best, just so I could prove that a Kabra doesn't always win. Because in 4 months time, I would win the bet.

"Come on, Ames," Hamilton chided. "It's not that bad. It was just a dare. And besides, only Dan has a copy of the video."

My eyes widened. "What?" I demanded. "You filmed us?"

Dan flashed his best grin and locked his phone. "Yep," he said, popping the p.

I growled. "Daniel Arthur Cahill, if you don't delete that video right now, I swear I'll burn every single thing you own."

"No you won't. Because I have blackmail!" Dan said gleefully. "In two seconds, the video can be sent out to every single Cahill I have in my contacts. Including Uncle Fiske, Nellie, and every other Madrigal out there. I only have to press three buttons, too, so I'd watch out if I were you."

My ice-cold glare would've scared Ian Kabra himself, but Dan just smiled.

"You better watch your back, Daniel. Because you never know what might happen when you're not looking," I warned.

"Oooh. Scary!" Dan said sarcastically, waving his hands around.

Ian shuddered beside me. "I'd hate to get on her bad side," he muttered.

Jonah laughed. "Ian Kabra? Afraid of a girl? That's a first."

"Can we just get on with the game?" Natalie demanded. "How many times do we have to stop?"

"Yes, please," Ian said. "Sinead. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

Ian sighed, thinking. "I honestly have no clue what to ask."

"Just ask something you know the answer to," I suggested.

He smirked. "Whatever you say, Love… Sinead, are you a virgin?"

Sinead's shocked expression wasn't what confused me the most. It was the sharp intake of breath, and the way her eyes darted around the room, not resting on anything in particular. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap as she said, "Isn't that a little inappropriate, Ian?"

Ian shrugged. "It's just a question. We all know what it means."

"But… why bother asking that?" She questioned. "I mean, it's not exactly an interesting question."

Ian nodded. "That is the point."

Sinead wouldn't give in, though. "But-"

"Just answer the question, will you?" Dan barked.

She sighed, her gaze briefly resting on Hamilton, before she looked down at her feet. "No," she whispered.

I was speechless. Everyone was. Her answer was completely unexpected, especially coming from Sinead, the kind, rule-abiding Ekat who wouldn't dare do anything to disappoint. She was just too… Sinead.

"Did I hear that right?" Ted finally asked. "Or is my hearing off, too?"

"Look, I answered the question. The rest is none of your business," Sinead growled. "Jonah, truth or dare?"

Jonah paused, watching her, his eyes full of uncertainty. "Dare," he said.

"Do ten star jumps," Sinead grumbled, clearly unwilling to participate in the game.

Jonah did his ten star jumps, then turned back to Sinead. "Truth or dare, Sinead?"

"I just had my go."

"And you're going again."

Sinead glared at him before answering, a triumphant smile on her face. "Dare."

Jonah mirrored her smile and said, "I dare you to tell us who."

Her face fell. "That's none of you business."

"Ah, come on, Sinead! We're your family! Who's gonna tell? Besides. I dared you to."

She shook her head, trying her best to keep her face down. As I watched, however, she involuntarily glanced at Hamilton again. The movement didn't go amiss to anyone, especially when they noticed the sweat on Ham's forehead, and the faint pink colour his cheeks had suddenly turned.

"Oh. My. God," Natalie exclaimed. "Hamilton?!"

Ham cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at the people in the room. That is, until Sinead abruptly stood and announced that she was getting a drink. His eyes followed her every move until she disappeared through the doorway.

That's when the interrogation began.

"When did this happen?" Ned demanded, clearly furious.

Ted looked just as angry. "Since when were you with my sister?"

"That's gross, dude!" Dan complained. "She's, like, two years older then you!"

Questions were asked, but none were answered. Hamilton looked just about ready to shrink into a hole and hide.

"Guys!" I yelled. "Leave him alone!"

Madison nodded. "You're giving him a headache."

It fell silent for almost 3 seconds.

"Really, Hamilton?" Ian asked. "A one-night stand? With your cousin?"

I looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Who said anything about one-night stands?"

"I spoke to Sinead. She only said they kissed, though, then…" he turned to the Tomas, "you ignored her. You barely speak to her, now."

Hamilton's eyes were squeezed shut and he had practically curled himself into a ball. He didn't say anything. We all stared at him for a while, worried and confused. I couldn't tell what was going on, and the others didn't seem to be having much luck understanding, either.

"I'll go talk to her," I said quietly, rising from my seat. I took one last look at Hamilton before heading to the kitchen.

I found my best friend sitting on the floor, leaning against the counter, her knees tucked under her chin. In her hand she held a glass bottle, the contents a clear liquid. For a second, I thought it was just water. Then I saw the label.

"Are you drinking vodka?" I asked softly, a little incredulous.

She nodded. "I'm legally allowed to, so I don't see a problem."

"Oh, Sinead." I sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. I'd never seen her drink before, which only added to my concern. "What happened?"

She looked me in the eye, tears threatening to spill over. "He told me he loved me. It was when we first arrived, before you and Ian…" she trailed off, sighing. "I gave him something you can only give once, and he just… acts like I don't exist. He didn't speak to me for two weeks after, and then slowly started to talk to me. But barely. And he hasn't even looked at me in 3 months." She closed her eyes, taking a sip of the alcohol in her hand.

"It's hard, Amy. Seeing him everyday and not knowing whether he used you, or if he's just a pig-headed dolt. I can't stop thinking about him, and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

I wrapped my other arm around her, letting her head fall onto my chest. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you right when it happened."

"Because I thought he was just embarrassed or something. I didn't want anyone to know I'd… done that. I thought he felt the same. But nothing changed. I wanted to see if it would all fix itself. I guess I'm still waiting for that to happen."

I rubbed her shoulder. "I've seen how he looks at you, Sinead. He clearly loves you. You know boys. They can be pretty clueless sometimes. Have you spoken to him about it?"

She shook her head, a tear trailing down her cheek. "I feel lost," she whispered. "I've never had something I couldn't figure out. My Ekat is failing me, Amy."

It tore at my heart to see someone so strong be reduced to this: a curled up ball with a bottle of vodka. She was my best friend. I wanted to help her, but the only way I could do that was to get Hamilton to talk to her. From what I'd heard, though, that would be difficult. Extremely difficult.

At least, I thought it would be until I noticed the bulky figure of Hamilton Holt standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with shock. I could tell he'd heard our conversation. His eyes practically screamed it.

"Sinead," I whispered. "I think you should talk to him."

She lifted her head and spotted Ham. After a second's hesitation, she nodded.

As I passed Hamilton, I hissed, "Fix this!"

We sat in the lounge room in silence, trying to listen in to the conversation going on in the kitchen. But we couldn't hear a thing.

"Well, this has been an… eventful evening," Natalie commented.

I nodded. "It sure has."

"Do you think she's killed him?" Jonah asked.

"Either that or their snogging," Natalie said.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled softly. The room fell quiet again, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then there was a soft THUD and the sound of glass being placed on the granite counter.

"What was that?" Dan questioned, fiddling with his phone.

I didn't answer. No one else needed to know that Sinead had just put down her bottle of vodka. At least, I was fairly certain that's what happened. As we listened, we heard two sets of heavy footsteps beating on the ground, then a door slamming shut.

"Okay. What was that?" Dan asked again.

Natalie smirked. "Isn't it obvious? They made up, and now…"

"Eww!" Reagan wailed. "That is so gross!"

"We totally didn't need to know that!" Madison complained.

I rolled my eyes. "They're both over 18. What did you expect?"

Dan narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. "As soon as you turn 18, Amy, I'm locking you up!"

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Very mature, Love," Ian said. I stuck my tongue out at him, too.

Jonah interrupted. "Hey, Ian. Why do you call Amy that?"

He shrugged. "Habit, I guess. Like you call people dogs."

"Yo cuz. Dawg is different to dog."

"They sound the same to me."

I laughed, then yawned, glancing at the clock. "I think it's time I hit the sack," I said. "It's past midnight."

Everyone agreed and left, spanning out in different directions. I was left with Ian, who smiled and pulled me close.

"Well, that was an interesting game," he said.

I nodded. "What was your favourite part?"

He grinned down at me. "I'll show you."

After a quick sweep of the room, he kissed me, softly and sweetly.

"Sweet dreams, Love," he said, and before I could bat an eye, he was gone, the quiet click of his closing door echoing through the empty halls.

The next morning, Sinead was the happiest I've ever seen her. And her smile was only half the grin plastered on Hamilton's face.

From my place at the table, I was the first to see them walk in, hand-in-hand. Sinead wore one of Ham's oversized shirts proudly, and didn't seem to care that her hair was all over the place. Hamilton looked like he was walking in the clouds.

"I guess that's fixed, then," I commented, smirking.

Sinead blushed. "Yeah… I guess it is."

Reagan scowled. "Disgusting," she muttered, pointedly showing her revulsion as she stared at her brother.

Nellie walked in, earphones dangling around her neck. "Hey Kiddos," she said cheerfully. "Breakfast is in the kitchen." She looked a Reagan. "What's with the sour face, Reags?" Then she seemed to notice Sinead and Hamilton, who were practically on top of each other like they couldn't move too far away. "Oh… Well, good for you! Just don't mess around when the Kiddos are near."

"Nellie!" I exclaimed.

"Aren't you supposed to… I don't know, yell at them or something?" Madison demanded.

Nellie shrugged. "Nah. They're over 18. They can legally do whatever they want. And I'm not their guardian."

Hamilton grinned. "So suck it up, sis!" He pulled Sinead into his chest and kissed her.

"My eyes!" Reagan and Madison screamed, hands flying to their faces.

Ned coughed, and looked away. "Well, that's awkward."

"All I see is a black smudge," Ted asserted. "I'm thinking that's what you're complaining about."

Ian looked me in the eye and winked. I smiled. Just your ordinary day of sibling rivalry. Add the name Cahill, and you've got yourself a soap opera full of secrets.

To Be Continued…

It's a bit shorter then the other chapters, but I've been working on another story. It's called "When Darkness Falls, Love Shines Brightest", so feel free to check it out ;)

Tell me what you think of this chapter.

Thanks!

P.S: The 'T' rating is for, quote, "some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes." If anyone has a problem with the contents of this chapter, please check the rating before you send me flames.