Chapter one: Visited

Hey everybody! Just so you know, I'm not giving up my Host fanfiction, I just decided to do this one at the same time. FYI, I'll probably be updating my Host fanfic fairly soon since I'm almost done the chapter. The reason it's taking so long is that first of all, it's pretty long, and second of all, I had to debate about a lot of stuff for this chapter. Don't be surprised if it takes until next week though, because my school basketball team is going to Provincials this week, so I'll be super busy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues.

I was six months old when my parents died in a car crash. By car crash, obviously I mean they were assassinated by Madrigals. After they died, I lived in an orphanage for five years. It was a dirty, smelly old place and I hated it, even when I was so young. Nataliya adopted me when I was six years old, and it was the happiest day of my life. I had lived in Boston all my life, and I was delighted when Nataliya told me she was taking me to Russia, although being so young, I had no idea where that was.

Nataliya became my best friend, as well as a mother, for me. We lived in the Lucian headquarters, and her friend, Irina Spasky, visited me whenever she could. I liked Irina, and she taught me all sorts of things. Nataliya told me that she was a great spy, and that I would be like her someday.

I longed for Irina's visits, because when she came, she would take me to the theatre, the museum, or just for a walk outside to see the monuments. I was quite I isolated, you see, and for some reason Nataliya couldn't, or didn't want to go outside. I tried to ask her a few times, but she merely changed the subject.

Eventually, I stopped asking her, because I knew I was not going to get an answer. Instead, I waited for Irina, and when she came, I savoured the outside world.

Nataliya was good to me even if she did keep me inside more than I would have liked. She taught me how to read, write, and speak in Russian and English, she taught me geography, history, math, science, and many other subjects. She also hired someone to teach me to play the piano, and I found that I had a natural talent for it.

I was happy in my home. I was well educated, I loved playing the piano, and I made friends with many of the Lucian agents. This happiness was with me for the next four years. However, on my tenth birthday, things started to change.

The changes began with a visit from Isabel Kabra. I had never met the woman, but Nataliya had told me that she was very powerful, and very cruel. Nataliya also told me that Isabel had two children, both spoiled and greedy. I wondered what it would be like to have a mother as cold-hearted as Isabel, and I shuddered at the thought. I had been very lucky to have Nataliya adopt me, I decided, and not someone like Isabel Kabra.

It was a bright Sunday morning when Isabel came to visit us. It was June, and the sky was bright blue. I had been playing the piano when I heard someone enter the room. I turned quickly, and found myself a few feet away from a tall, dark haired woman. Her smile was kind, but her eyes were ice cold, and for some reason, I felt very afraid of her.

"Hello, there," she greeted me. "What's your name dear?"

I was only ten years old, but I had enough common sense to be careful with my response. "Hayden," I replied.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hayden," she said, extending her hand to me. I shook it briefly and then withdrew my hand.

"What are you playing?" the woman asked, looking at my sheet music. I said nothing, but I held up the music for her to see.

"Ah,…that is a wonderful piece. One of my favourites. Could you play it for me?" The last thing I wanted to do was turn my back on her. Irina had taught me that you should never turn your back on your enemy, no matter how friendly they seemed. When I had asked why, she had told me that if you couldn't see your enemy, you couldn't defend yourself against them. This thought had frightened me then, and it frightened me now to think of what this woman might do to me.

Luckily, I did not have to answer. At that moment, Nataliya entered the room.

"Ah, Isabel," she said coldly. Her eyes flickered to me and then to the woman, and back again. "What brings you here?" she asked, walking slowly towards me.

"Oh, just a few matters I'd like to discuss." The woman, Isabel, kept her tone light, but I could see the tension in her eyes. She walked towards me, and said, "I was just saying hello to your daughter." She patted me lightly on the head. I didn't move an inch as she did so.

"Good, good," Nataliya said. "Hayden, have you been polite to Ms. Kabra?" she said, turning to me.

"Yes, mother," I replied. I only called Nataliya 'mother' in front of strangers.

"Yes, she has been very kind," Isabel added.

"Well then, shall we get to business?" Nataliya asked. "There is a room across the hall we can use."

"I think this room will be just fine."

"Very well. Hayden, would you please leave us?"

I nodded and got up, but Isabel put her hand on my arm to stop me. "Actually, Nataliya, I thought perhaps Hayden would like to stay with us. Would you like that dear?"

I glanced nervously at Nataliya. "Actually, Ms. Kabra, I have some studying to do. But thank you for your offer." I tried to leave, but Isabel stopped me again.

"Please do stay with us dear. We could use your help."

Nataliya glared at Isabel, but nodded. "You will stay Hayden."

"Yes, mother," I said obediently. I sat down in a chair to Nataliya's right, in front of a small coffee table. Isabel took a seat across from us.

"What would you like to discuss then, Isabel?" Nataliya asked.

"I was just wondering whether or not you had finished the work I asked you to do."

"Yes, Isabel. It is nearly finished."

"Then I would like a report on your progress, if you please."

Nataliya paused, and looked at me. "Isabel, please. Couldn't we discuss this privately? I do not think it is something my daughter needs to know about."

"And why not? Surely she will take up your work after you are gone? Shouldn't she be aware of what sort of jobs she'll have to do?" Isabel smiled at me, and I shuddered. If she noticed, she ignored my reaction.

"Isabel, please…" Nataliya begged.

"No! She will hear it!" Isabel said. Then she controlled herself. "It's best she knows now."

Nataliya stared at Isabel pleadingly for a moment, but Isabel stared back at her coldly.

"As you requested, Isabel, James has been tailing the agent from Ekaterina, Lily, for three months. He is now preparing to kidnap her in order to gain the information you seek. He should have captured her by noon today." She looked at me sadly, but I hardly noticed. James was a young man, only about twenty five. Whenever he visited me, he played with me and gave me little presents. Once he gave me a stuffed bear, another time, he gave me a book, "Les Misérables", since at the time I had been trying to learn French.

Irina had taught me how to avoid being kidnapped, how to fight off enemies, how to escape from a closet through a locked window. But when she taught me, we were always the heroes, the good people. How could James, who was so kind to me, be kidnapping an innocent woman? How could he be the villain? These thoughts swirled through my head and confused me.

Isabel watched my reaction carefully. "And Irina? Has she eliminated the children yet?"

"Not yet," Nataliya said, watching me.

"Children?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"Oh yes. Hasn't your mother told you about little Amy and Dan Cahill? What about the thirty nine clues? Hasn't she told you about that?" I shook my head and she said, "Oh, dear. We do have a lot of explaining to do, don't we Nataliya?"

She looked so amused by the look of horror on my adoptive mother's face that I wished she would just disappear. But she didn't disappear. Instead, she started to tell me about the thirty nine clues, and Amy and Dan Cahill.

When she was finished, I hated her more than ever before. She is a monster, I thought. But what bothered me most was Nataliya. How could she help Isabel? I had always admired Irina, but now I felt disgust towards her. How could Irina do this to innocent children? They had done nothing wrong, unless you counted being more clever, and finding more clues. I felt pity for the children, and I wished I could help them.

"Hayden, I – "

"It's all right, mother," I said. "If you please, I would like to be excused to my room now. Thank you for visiting Ms. Kabra."

"And thank you, Hayden." Isabel smiled at me, and I clenched my fists. I wanted so badly to punch her, to kick her, to cause her some fraction of the pain she was causing me. But I couldn't. So instead I stood up calmly and left. I was about to leave for my room, but something made me hesitate outside the room. I followed my instinct and pressed my ear to the door.

"She's a clever girl," I heard Isabel say. "She would do well if she joined us."

"Isabel, she is too young. She hasn't had enough training," Nataliya said.

"True. But she will be great someday. She will bring our branch glory."

"Isabel, this discussion has made me think. Perhaps it would be better simply to follow the children, and once they have gathered all the clues, you can dispose of them. That way, you would get all the clues at once."

"Are you getting soft, Nataliya?"

"Not at all. I simply think it would make more sense to – "

"Listen to me, Nataliya. You will do as I say, or I will slit your little daughter's throat as she sleeps. Do you understand me?" I bit my tongue hard to stop a horrified gasp, and I tasted blood in my mouth after a moment.

"Yes, Isabel. I understand."

"Good. I'll leave you and your daughter now. Just remember what I said. If you want your daughter to live, both you and Irina will do as I say. I'm sure Irina would not want little Hayden to come to harm either, would she?"

"No Isabel."

"Excellent."

I heard a rustling sound and then footsteps. I was still frozen in shock by what Isabel had said, and I only just had enough time to hide in an empty room before Nataliya and Isabel entered into the hallway. I waited a few moments after the footsteps had faded, and then ran to my room. Nataliya was waiting for me there.

So? What did you think? I tried to make Hayden kind of like Zoe Nightshade, for you PJO readers. She's very old-fashioned and her English is quite formal. She's also very proud, like Zoe. Anyways, please review ASAP! Thanks!