(Ian Kabra ^)

Words: 1322

Narrator's P.O.V

Amy contemplated for a while, thinking through her options.

She had just come back with Nellie from her makeover, courtesy of Nellie and her connections. She'd been plucked, waxed, and tugged by the hands of beauticians and a short peppy shopkeeper.

When she finally got back home, she was forcefully shoved into the attentions of the very same people that had as much willingness to be together as water and oil.

Presently, she was being demanded to retell what happened to her and how she, the shy, timid, stammering girl that could not look even the slightest bit attractive if she tried to back during the hunt had managed to look like a whole new person.

Amy sighed. She looked at Ian, the one to demand for an explanation, and asked, "So, you want my version or the Nellie version?"

At that, Nellie chuckled. "If you pick the Nellie version, I'm telling the story."

Ian glanced at Nellie, then Amy, and promptly chose the safer choice; Amy's version. Everyone's eyes were on her now, waiting.

"Well, long story short, I was reading a book," Dan snorted, duh.

Amy ignored him.

"I got dragged into a salon by this monstrous au pair," she paused her rant to gesture at Nellie who was bobbing her head; Amy didn't know if it was because she agreed with her or if it was her listening to music again.

"I was plucked, tweezed, and waxed. Very, very painful."

Amy stopped and thought back to what had happened to her. "Then there was clothing, lots of it. And makeup, even more of that. And the rest is a blur."

She looked back over to the people sitting in front of her, their mouths still slightly agape; with the exception of Dan and Sinead, who looked both amused and disturbed at the guys' sudden interest in Amy.

Amy frowned slightly at their faces. "You know, it's rude to keep your mouths open like that for so long." She said crossly.

Ian was the first to recover from shock. "What happened to your stutter, love?"

At his nickname for her, Amy flushed, and looked to the floor by her feet. "I-I've grown o-out of it."

Ian smirked, obviously very smug with himself.

"Oh that's too bad, I quite liked it." He continued smoothly. Amy's blush travelled to her ears and she wrung her hands to distract herself.

The other spectators like Dan, Nellie, and Fiske watched all this quietly. Dan, in horror and disgust as his plain shrewd of a sister was flirted with. Nellie was supremely entertained and proud of the situation her hard work had brought while Fiske just looked on in pity and boredom all the same.

Sinead was interested, but it had nothing to do with her anyhow, so her attention went back to the gadget she was trying to construct.

On the other side of the room by Sinead, splayed on a couch was Hamilton, and he raised his hand, like he was a student in a classroom. This was ultimately in vain as he noticed Amy was too caught up in Ian's flow to notice him, so he just started talking.

"So, I still wanna ask, how'd you manage to look like that?"

Amy crossed her arms defensively. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Sinead, again, shifted her attention from the project in front of her to Hamilton, and slapped upside the head. Amy smiled bemusedly.

"No, it's just, I mean if you could look like that this whole time, why didn't you just look like that before?" Hamilton explained.

"Not exactly my biggest priority when I'm a death's prime target. Besides, this whole process took hours. Why would I do that everyday?" Amy retorted as if it were common sense.

"Why not?" Ian asked.

Amy rolled her eyes, "It's different for you. You had it easy. Money flew to you like-"

Ian's eyes twinkled knowingly. "Like what?"

Amy diverted her eyes and her gaze flickered around the room, hoping to scrounge up another excuse other than girls.

Her eyes locked with Dan's, whose face was scrunched up in amusement, loving his sister's discomfort, but also conflicted by the fact that Ian was still watching Amy, who was silently communicating with Dan in a way only they could understand.

She seemed to be pleading and threatening, a method she'd developed over the many years of being Dan's sister.

If you don't get me out of this, so help me, I will burn your collections, dweeb.

Dan narrowed his eyes comically, so that it looked like he was squinting, and said in his best Sensei voice, "You are a worthy opponent, dear sister."

He stood up, eyes still narrowed, hands behind his back, and back hunched, and walked over to Amy, who stood looking extremely exasperated. When he took his place next to Amy, he straightened and relaxed his expression, looking as normal as he could before narrowing his eyes at the group in front of him.

"You hyenas are not allowed to fall in love with Ames. I am saying this for your safety." Amy punched him in the arm. Dan corrected himself half-heartedly, "For her safety."

"Moron." Amy muttered.

Dan turned to face Amy, a grin resembling Cheshire's, an expression Amy's come to loathe because she understood it meant that something was brewing in that noggin of his.

"Well, I wouldn't mind if you married Hammer." He drawled, enjoying the way her face bloomed while Hamilton laughed, bellowing.

Hamilton grinned, "Hear that, Ames?"

Amy covered her face with her hands, embarrassed and fuming. She swiftly kicked in the general vicinity of Dan.

It was one of those lucky times she actually struck.

She heard something that sounded somewhere between a loud grunt and high pitched shriek, and uncovered her eyes to see Dan on the floor, kneeling, and clutching at his groin. He collapsed on the floor, rolling back and forth, tears in the corners of his eyes, groaning. He seemed to be in excruciating pain, but Amy suspected he was exaggerating.

Nellie immediately burst out in laughter. She laughed so hard that she in turn, had tears in her eyes and also collapsed on the floor, rolling back and forth.

The two for very different reasons.

Jonah cringed, and looked away promptly. Hamilton walked up, chuckling, and helped Dan to his feet. Ian seemed to be enjoying the situation immensely, looking like some sadistic prince perched on his throne.

Amy peered at Dan, desperately fighting the smirk that was forcing its way onto her face, her lips twitching at the effort. He glared at her, his eyes watery as he limped over to the armchair by Sinead, where she patted his head sympathetically, shaking her own head.

Fiske stood, stoic as ever, and cleared his throat. Nellie tried to abruptly stifle her laughter with a hand as the room quoted down.

Before returning to his seat, Hamilton strolled over to Amy, and bent over to whisper in Amy's ear, "Can't let Danny's hopes go to waste can we?" She blushed yet again, both at Hamilton's uncharacteristically flirtatious words, and from the heat of everyone's gazes.

Fiske said brisky, "We really must begin this meeting." Amy shot the older man a grateful glance. Sinead peered at Hamilton strangely as he plopped himself down on the couch unceremoniously.

Fiske began the meeting, diving right into the discussion about the possible solutions for their previous and forthcoming enemies. Amy made a move to sit down, but Hamilton gripped her wrist, pulling her down to sit next to him on the couch. She bit her lip as Dan fist-bumped Hamilton, Ian and Jonah watching.

She sighed, trying to concentrate on Fiske like she usually did, but it all sounded like monotonous droning to her. At that moment, all Amy wanted to do was fist-bump Dan's face.

A/N: If y'all liked it, vote? Thank you~