Hamilton's P.O.V

"I can't believe it."

Sinead shrugged. "They're just dancing."

I scoffed. "Right. Because that's 'just dancing'."

My gaze was plastered firmly on the couple on the dance floor. They're bodies were pressed together and they moved in beat to the music, glasses of God-knows-what alcohol sloshing in their hands.

"They must be pretty pissed," Jonah observed with a careless glance in the couple's direction. "I don't think they'd be doing that if they weren't."

I shook my head. "I just can't believe it. I mean, we all know they like each other. It's obvious, even for an idiotic Holt like me-"

"Hammy," Sinead swiftly interrupted with a caring yet patronizing tone. "You're not an idiot. Not everyone's an Ekat, you know."

I shrugged it off. "That's besides the point. Even I can tell they like each other. But I never thought they'd do… well, that!" I gestured towards the couple who, with their free hands, had linked their fingers and began twirling each other around.

"Amy and Ian have never been drunk," Jonah pointed out. "They'll wake up with killer headaches and no memory of anything that happened after their seventh tequila shot."

"They have had a lot, haven't they?" Sinead mused. "Especially in such a short amount of time. Maybe we should teach them how to drink properly."

"Too late now."

I laughed. "Just let them have their fun. I can't wait until tomorrow."

Sinead raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Why?"

"Because Dan's gonna freak," I grinned.

She rolled her eyes and gave me a quick kiss. My lips tingled long after she pulled away.

"Come on," Sinead sighed. "There's no point watching them make out. Lets get drunk."

I nodded. "Great idea, Sin- wait, what?"

I jerked my head around, scanning the throng of partygoers for Ian and Amy. I looked right past them and had to double back. If it weren't for Amy's pronounced red hair and the expensive gleam of Ian's watch as his hand rested behind her head, I would never have found them. Because, despite Sinead's proclamation, I still couldn't believe it.

Ian and Amy were kissing. Kissing! And very passionately, I might add. They looked like they were eating each other's faces. Their glasses of drink had fallen to the ground at their feet and, although the glass hadn't broken, an obvious puddle pooled around their feet, the coloured strobe lights reflecting on the alcohol in an array of hues. They didn't seem to mind, though. They were too caught up in their heated personal bubble, their lips locked. And it didn't look like that was going to change anytime soon.

"Wow," Jonah whistled, "they sure know how to hide it."

"Hide what?" I asked, confused. Although I couldn't tear my gaze away from the couple, I caught the warning glare Sinead gave Jonah from the corner of my eye.

"Their feelings," Sinead said quickly.

I huffed. "Whatever."

A small hand tugged on my arm.

"Come on, Ham," Sinead's voice whispered in my ear, her warm breath tickling the side of my neck. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine as I allowed her to pull me to the bar where I finally looked away from Amy and Ian's shadowed forms.

I gazed down at Sinead, smiling. "You know, they have a pretty good idea there," I murmured, nodding my head in the direction of the dance floor.

She grinned. "They do, don't they? But I wouldn't want Jonah to be a third wheel."

"I don't see a problem."

She looked behind her. Jonah had found a random girl and was happily dancing with her, his lips grazing against her neck. Sinead turned back to face me, a glint of amusement in her eyes. She picked up the glass that sat beside her and downed the contents. As soon as it was out of her hands, I captured her lips with mine, my arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her small frame onto my lap. She tasted of vodka and bourbon, her favourite drinks, along with something else, something sweet. Strawberry lip gloss, I thought, and chuckled internally.

We were interrupted, God knows how long after, by a giggling redhead, a tall, handsome boy beside her.

"Looks like someone's having fun," she slurred.

"We were," I said. "Not so much anymore."

I trailed my hand up Sinead's thigh and felt her shiver, despite the heat of sweaty masses of bodies around us.

Amy grinned. "Well…" she let the word drag out before continuing in her drunken stupor. "We were thinking. We should do something fun. Let's play a game!"

"Never have I ever!" said a voice behind them. Jonah appeared with a cocky grin, the girl he'd gone off with before clinging to his neck and trailing kisses along his jaw.

Amy clapped her hands together. "Yes! Let's play that!" She looked down at her feet, pouting, her head tilted slightly sideways. I couldn't help thinking she looked like a confused puppy. "What's 'Never have I ever'?"

I chuckled. "It's a game."

"What're we waiting for, then? Let's play!"

And with a gleeful laugh that seemed almost demonic, she skipped away, pulling Ian along with her. She glanced back only once to yell at us to hurry up.

I ordered a bottle of Smirnoff and 5 shot glasses, slapping down the paper money and carefully balancing the drinks in both hands as I followed Sinead to the back of the club. In a deserted corner, Amy and Ian were locked in a passionate embrace, broken only when I yelled at them. We settled in a circle, and I laid out shot glasses, filling each one with the clear alcohol. Jonah came over shortly after, having abandoned the girl, leaving her on the dance floor with another guy. He sat down, rubbing his hands together.

"Okay," he said, "who first?"

Amy's hand shot right up. "Me!"

Sinead shook her head patiently. "You don't know how to play, Amy," she said with a soothing voice. "It's simple. If you've done what the person said, you have to drink a shot. If you say something and no one drinks, you have to drink the shot. If you're thirsty, you have to drink the shot. The aim of the game is to confess all your dirty secrets to a group of drunk friends who probably won't remember it in the morning. Make sense?"

Amy nodded. "No."

"Great. Let's play. I'll go first." Sinead thought for a moment, then smiled. "Never have I ever felt up my boyfriend or girlfriend in a family member's bedroom."

Jonah cringed and downed a shot. I bit my lip and picked up a glass, tipping it down my throat while Sinead did the same beside me. Ian glanced at Amy, shrugged, and drank, too, handing Amy a shot of her own. I stared at them, my eyes stretched wide.

"You've done that?" I asked, incredulous.

Ian smirked but said nothing.

"Fine," I shrugged it off. "My turn. Never have I ever had a homosexual encounter with someone."

Again, Jonah cringed and picked up another glass.

Sinead giggled. "Really, Jonah? You kissed a guy?"

"I was drunk! And he was a cross dresser! You'd be surprised how many gay guys want the Wiz. I still don't know if that's something to be proud of, though."

Sinead was in hysterics beside me, but instantly sobered up when Amy reached out for a glass as discreetly as she could – which, given the circumstances, wasn't discreet at all. We all stared at her in shock as she poured the contents slowly into her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut as she swallowed.

"What?" she demanded, glaring with blood-shot eyes. "It was an accident. And it was just a peck."

Ian seemed completely astonished. "You kissed a girl? You?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, a terrifying sight for someone who had consumed as much alcohol as she had. She had an almost psychotic expression. "Yes, me." And then, without warning, she perked up, and grinned from ear to ear. "My turn! Never have I ever had sex in the backseat of a car."

I snorted. "Amy, you're still a virgin. Of course you haven't."

"I said I hadn't, didn't I?"

I sighed and poured two glasses, one for myself, and the other for Sinead. At the memory of that night, heat rushed to my cheeks.

I slammed my glass back down as Jonah spoke. "Okay. Never have I ever had sex on the side of the road."

Again, Sinead and I drank a shot.

"Never have I ever had sex in a family member's room," Ian said, grinning coyly as Sinead and I drank yet another shot.

"Is there anything you haven't done?" Amy demanded, although she was laughing at our expense.

Sinead shrugged and thought for a moment. "I've never cheated on my boyfriends, never been pregnant, never been so drunk that I puked, never told my branch that I'm dating a Thomas, never eaten a meal in the Maldives-"

"Okay! We get it!"

I glanced at her sideways. "Why the Maldives?"

She grinned. "Why not? And now, it's my turn again. Never have I ever kissed someone who was tied down."

I grimaced and downed a glass, feeling my head swim. I was getting more and more drunk by the minute. Man, my eyes hurt.

Jonah laughed at my expression. "Dude, slow down. And kinky. Very kinky."

"Shut up," I groaned.

Amy pouted. "I'm thirsty! Can't you ask something I've done?"

"You're annoying when you're drunk," I muttered. "And it doesn't work like that. Anyway, my turn. Never have I ever licked alcohol off someone's chest."

The drunken redhead's glare was ferocious. "You did that on purpose. Well, guess what?"

And then she did something completely unexpected. She ripped Ian's shirt off, poured the Smirnoff over his chest, leaned down, and licked it. Ian's eyes were as wide as a frog's, and he moved his hands around like he didn't know what to do. As I watched, Amy's mouth moved up to Ian's and she kissed him roughly, albeit only briefly, before sitting back up straight.

"Now I can have a drink," she smiled, and did just that.

Ian smirked and whispered something in her ear that made her blush. I suspected it was something along the lines of, I'm thirsty, too, or, My turn. I didn't know what was going on with them, but whatever it was I was going to find out. I'd ask Sinead later.

"Okeydokey!' Amy exclaimed. "My turn again! Never have I ever given someone a hickey."

And at that, we all took a glass and drank.

The music pumped in my ears and my head throbbed to the rhythm of the club, but it was easy to ignore. Because whenever I was with Sinead, all thoughts seemed to leave my mind.

"Hey, babe?" I whispered in her ear, planting a light kiss on her neck.

"Yeah?"

I bit her ear softly. "I love you."

She smiled up at me, and I was once again shocked by our height difference. She was two years older then me, 10 years more mature and responsible, but the top of her head barely reached my chin. She was short, petite, and sometimes seemed so fragile, like if I held her too tightly she'd shatter into a million pieces, but her personality was the complete opposite. She was motivated, strong-willed, and a force never to be trifled with – I knew from experience never to mess with Sinead Starling.

"I love you, too, Hammy," she said softly, planting a kiss on my lips. When she pulled back, her eyes, swimming with happiness, met mine. "Do you think we should go now? Jonah's looking pretty bored, and Amy and Ian can barely walk straight."

"How can you be so rational when you're drunk?" I marvelled.

She smirked. "Because I can hold my liquor. What d'you say, Ham? Time to go home? It's 2am, and I can think of something I'd much rather be doing then kissing you in a public place."

I blushed, but straightened my back. "Let's go."

Sinead laughed and rolled her eyes. "Boys," she sighed.

Just as we were about to search for our cousins, the music in the club stopped and the lights turned off, a blanket of darkness engulfing the room like thick tar. I felt Sinead's small hand slip into mine, squeezing tight.

"What happened?" she whispered in my ear.

"I don't know."

Her grip on me tightened. "Something seems wrong. Shouldn't there be more… noise?"

She was right. Before the lights had faltered, there were dozens of people on the dance floor, and just as many filling the various tables, booths, and bar stools. There should've been a riot, a chaotic mess of screaming people and bodies slamming into one another as they hurried to the doors. There should've been voices calling out for friends, the bar tender shouting out that everything was all right, to stay calm, but being completely ignored.

But there wasn't a single sound in the room, not even the shuffle of feet, or the heavy breathing of the massive crowd.

"What's going on?" I asked, lowering my voice. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't kno-" she was cut off with a strangled yelp. Her hand was torn from mine, and I surged with panic, reaching out frantically for Sinead's hand or shoulder, or any part of her that I could touch to know she was safe. I called out her name, my voice echoing in the empty blackness.

Then there was a blinding white light, and I shielded my eyes, squinting. The house lights were on, but the club was empty, void even of all furniture apart from the old, worn bar. I had to fight to control my breathing. My heart was beating so fast and hard against my chest that the loud THUMP THUMP THUMP seemed to resonate through the room. I surveyed my surroundings, glaring into every corner, every nook and cranny, for any sign that someone, anyone, was there. But I was alone.

As I took a step forward, my footstep pierced the tense silence, and I froze. Nothing happened. I took another step, and another, making my way towards the open front door. Just as I was about to reach it, it slammed shut with a loud, clattering BANG! I tried the handle, of course, knowing full well that it would be locked. But it was a sort of reflex, like if I didn't check, just to make sure, then it wouldn't be right.

"It's locked."

I jumped, startled, and spun around on my heels. The voice was so familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on a name. My eyes scanned the room, but no one was there. Sighing, I relaxed my stance.

Must be imagining it, I thought.

"You can't get out that way." Definitely not imagining it. I followed the sound, taking a cautious step towards it. At the same time, a figure moved out of the wall's shadow.

"Sinead," I sighed, relieved. "What happened to you? Are you okay? What's happening?"

Sinead grinned, a menacing smile that sent shivers down my spine. "What's happening? Well, you're stuck here, that's what's happening. You're trapped. And you're not getting out. At least, not without a cost." I realised why I couldn't name her voice. It sounded muffled, far away, slightly contorted, and with a chill, I noticed it sounded almost demonic.

"What cost?" I asked carefully. "What's wrong, Sinead?"

The noise that poured from her mouth was less of a laugh and more of a cackle. She licked her lips before she spoke again. "The price. You must sacrifice something that means the world to you."

"What do you mean?"

She didn't answer, didn't even move a muscle. It was as though she was frozen.

"Hamilton, you really do drink too much, don't you?" Another voice teased from behind me. A short, slender figure moved in front of me, blocking my view of Sinead's still form. "What will we do with you?" Amy asked playfully. "Wake up, Ham."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Wake up!"

My eyes flew open. My head was resting on a chipped, wooden bench, and a small trail of drool ran from my mouth into a pool. Someone was shaking me, poking their sharp fingers between my shoulder blades. I sat up with a groan.

"And he's awake," Jonah smirked.

"Was I sleeping?" I asked, my voice thick. "Because that was the weirdest dream."

Sinead peered over Jonah's shoulder. She nodded. "Only for ten minutes. We're going now, though, so you might want to get up."

I cringed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

She shrugged. "I was sleeping, too," she admitted.

"Oh," was all I said as I stood up, the bar stool scraping on the floor. Sinead grabbed my hand and pulled me along, through the throng of the crowd, to the door. She pushed it open, and a fresh blast of cool night air hit my face, instantly waking me up from a daze. We walked across the parking lot to a white taxis. Ian and Amy were already seated in the back, pressed closely together. Ian's face was buried in her hair, and she ran her hands along his back, digging her fingers into his shirt.

"First thing first: I am not sitting next to them," I stated, looking onward in shock and disgust.

Jonah slapped my shoulder. "Dude, now you know how we feel when you're doing that."

I scowled and pushed him into the seat beside Amy and Ian. I squeezed in beside him and Sinead climbed in the passenger seat. As the taxis drove off, I asked, "More importantly, though: why the hell is the taxis white?"

The driver rolled his eyes. "This ain't America, mate. Things are a little different in Australia."

I blushed, embarrassed. "Right. Chuck a shrimp on the barbie, right?"

He scoffed. "Americans. I've never heard an Aussie say that once. It's steak or snag, not shrimp. And only the rurals say that, anyway."

"Sorry," I muttered. An awkward silence fell, and I was more then happy when the taxis pulled over after a short drive back to the hotel. Jonah payed the driver, while Amy and Ian reluctantly untangled themselves from each other and climbed up the front stairs. I slowly trailed behind them, waiting for Sinead to catch up. When she did, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into my side.

The elevator ride was short; my room was only two floors up. I slid a key card through the slot on the door, and a green light flashed as the door clicked open.

"So," I said, grinning, turning to Sinead. "Should I say goodnight, or are you coming in?"

Without another word, she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled my lips down to hers.

It took me about a month to finish this, and I should probably be doing homework right now, but you know how it is ;)

Did you like it? Does it need more?

Next chapter's back to Ian and Amy. I've had requests for Ted/Reagan and Ned/Madison, but I'm against them, or at least at their current age (15 and 21? A little inappropriate. No offense to anyone who's in that sort of relationship.)

xox

~bluester07