Epilogue

Amy's P.O.V

Everyone was crowded in the CCC, perched on the desk or slouched against the wall, sitting on a chair or the floor. I sat beside Ian on the small lounge, watching the argument from a distance, not bothering to put in my ideas and opinions.

"Why don't we just go for a swim?" Dan asked for the umpteenth time.

"Because," Natalie sighed with exasperation, "I just had my hair done."

"Come on, Natella. Your hair has other chances."

"So does the pool."

"Why don't we watch a movie?" Sinead suggested.

Hamilton fanned himself with his hand, imitating Natalie. "Because," he said, "It's too hot."

"I vote pool!" Reagan shouted, but her sister, Madison, shook her head.

"I want to play football. The weather's perfect for it," she said.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Cahill antics, I thought, knowing the argument could go on until the sun went down.

"Well, not everyone can play football," Jonah pointed out. "I mean, I can. But some people can't. You're brothers girlfriend, for instance."

"I can play football!" Sinead argued. "I'm just not very good at it."

"It seems more reasonable in this weather to stay inside," Ted said. "Unless you're willing to cover your skin entirely. The sun's current radiation is high, and although sunblock may be enough protection, there would be less risk of sunburn if you're not exposed to the sun's heat at all."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Wikipedia."

"Actually, that's quoted from-"

"It doesn't matter!" Dan interrupted. "I want to swim! And it would be more fun if everyone was swimming."

"Dan," Natalie said, placing a hand on his arm. "Think about my hair."

Dan looked at Natalie with puppy-dog eyes and pouted. "Please?" he begged, stepping towards her and kissing her nose. "Please, please, please." He kissed her all over her face until she was flushing red with embarrassment and gave in, throwing her hands in the air.

"Alright. Fine," she sighed. "But you can pay for my next appointment."

Dan grinned at her and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

I smiled, wondering when on earth Daniel Cahill had turned into such a romantic, and I couldn't help feeling happy for him. He'd lost too much already, and I knew he would only lose more. I was relieved that he was able to open his heart to someone, to love someone like I loved Ian. It meant I could stop worrying about him; he had Natalie, and I doubt he would ever let her go.

When the ridiculous argument continued, though, I turned away from them and looked at Ian.

"They don't shut up, do they?" I asked.

He gave me a crooked grin. "Of course not. They're Cahills."

"They could agree on something, though."

He lowered his head conspiratorially. "We could make them agree."

And before I could answer, he was kissing me roughly, pushing me against the back of the couch and crawling over my lap. But I didn't hesitate, or push him back. I latched on to him, winding my hands behind his neck and pulling him down towards me. He hovered over me, his hands on either side of my body, holding himself up. I quickly caught onto his idea and arched my back into him, groaning with pleasure, and although it helped with the plan, it wasn't entirely intentional, either.

"Eww!" Dan exclaimed, throwing a pencil our way.

Ian pulled only his lips away from mine and turned his head to face the group. "If you don't agree on something in the next ten seconds, we'll keep going," he threatened, smirking like it was the most fun he'd had in years. I choked back a laugh.

"Alright," Madison sighed. "Pool it is."

Dan pumped a fist in the air. "Let's go!" They began filing out the room, stomping their feet on the hard floor.

My body was still against Ian's, and I could feel the heat coming off him in wisps of energy, encircling me in a fuzzy warmth. I flipped him over, moving so I was on his lap, and stared down at him.

"Hey, lovebirds," Dan chortled. "We're going swimming!"

I glanced over at Dan, then looked back at Ian and met his eyes. His gaze was like an intense flame of light, like he not only saw what was on the outside, but what was inside of me, too. Something in his expression turned the butterflies in my stomach into angry wasps, and I felt my gut clench with a burning desire. His eyes seemed to hold a promise: that no matter what happened, no matter what came between us, he'd always love me no matter what. He'd always come back to me. He'd always be there to keep me safe, no matter the time or the place. He'd do anything, be anything, for me. It sparked something inside of me, and I knew then that I should never have held back, never denied that I loved him. I should have said the words months ago, when he'd said them to me first. I could feel it in my chest, in my heart, in my soul, in my entire being, that my love for him ran deeper than words, deeper than blood, deeper than this all-consuming feeling of passion. It was stronger than that. It was unbreakable. It was always.

I was completely and irrevocably in love with Ian Kabra.

Without glancing at Dan, I called, "We'll be a minute," and before Dan could reply, Ian's mouth was already on mine.

Fiske's P.O.V

It felt good to be home again. Business had taken me all over the world for the past few months, and I'd barely seen Amy, Dan, and Nellie in the few times I'd returned home. I've had minimal sleep and rushed meals, and the only time I've been able to sit down for more than a moment was when I was travelling, and even then I'd be thinking about branch relations and whatnot. I knew that everyone had just flown back from Australia a few days ago, and from what Nellie had told me, they were still coming down from the high of the holiday, an adventure without the looming threat of the Vespers or the Clue Hunt. I expected them to all be tired and lounging around the house, or in some cases, wrecking havoc in a way only Cahills could.

So when I stepped through the front door, I fully expected to be bombarded by a mass of noise, perhaps even some arguing, or at least the blare of the television. But there was no one in sight. The mansion was eerily silent, and when I called out, no reply came.

There were only three places I assumed they would be: by the pool, in the Cahill Command Centre, or out, at the mall, perhaps, or the cinemas. After I discarded my suitcase and coat in my room, I decided to check the nearest place. I climbed a set of stairs and turned a corner, coming to a stop at a thick black door with no handle and no visible keyhole. I pressed my thumb to the door, and a small panel slipped open, revealing a concealed keypad. When I punched in the combination code, the door slid open, and I stepped into the room.

What I saw was most definitely not what I had expected.

Pushed against a wall, opposite the rows of screens and monitors, pin boards and drawers, was a black leather lounge. And on the lounge, in a tangle of limbs and hair, was Amy and Ian, locked in a passionate embrace. Amy was straddling Ian's lap, her hands weaving through his hair, and Ian held her against him, gripping tightly to her waist. As I watched, Ian turned to the side and lay on his back along the couch. Amy fell on him with a laugh.

"We're ten minutes late," Amy told him, her hair falling over their faces.

"They won't miss us," Ian grumbled.

Amy's hair shook as she nodded. "Yes, they will. They'll come looking for us."

"I think they'd rather us kissing in here than out there in front of them."

Amy slapped Ian on the chest and sat up.

That's when I decided to clear my throat.

Amy's head snapped around, and when she saw me, she blushed crimson.

"Hi, Uncle Fiske," she murmured.

I nodded in greeting, feeling my own cheeks heating at the sight. Amy hurried to straighten herself, and Ian sat beside her, gripping her hand.

"Hello, Fiske," Ian said briskly. "Welcome home."

Again, I nodded and cleared my throat. "Thank you, Ian."

I stood there in the awkward silence, and we gazed at one another, not quite knowing what to say.

I cleared my throat for the third time, although by now, it certainly didn't need clearing. But before I could speak, Amy beat me to it.

"Nellie's already spoken to us, Uncle Fiske," she said quickly. "And don't worry – we're being responsible."

I stared for a moment longer before giving them a small smile. "How long have you-"

"Been together?" Ian interrupted. "Nearly six months."

I raised an eyebrow. Why hasn't Nellie told me?

"Nellie just found out," Amy said, as though she'd read my mind. "When we were in Australia."

I nodded. "Well… congratulations," I said, although to me, it sounded more like a question. I found the subject altogether embarrassing and awkward. I wasn't exactly Guardian material, and so I usually left it to Nellie to deal with these kinds of situations. At least she had experience with children. I, on the other hand, had very little, despite being responsible for Amy and Dan for four years. Nellie was the parental figure, whereas I was like the higher voice, the supplier. When problems were big, Nellie would bring them to me. But most of the time she was able to deal with them herself. It seemed as though she didn't like to bother me with the petty troubles of teenagers, and although I wouldn't mind being called upon for help, I would most likely be of very little assistance.

"Thanks, Uncle Fiske," Amy said with a smile. "It's good to see you. How long are you back for?"

I returned her smile. "A few weeks, I'd say."

The tension seemed to have cracked by then, and Amy stood and gave me a hug. When she pulled back, she peered up at me.

"Everyone's by the pool," she told me. "I think Dan will be happy to see you."

"Thank you, dear." I smoothed down my suit and headed for the door, glancing back to see Amy turn to Ian with a grin. Ian gazed back at her with an expression that I was familiar with. I'd seen it before, perhaps once or twice. I knew it was rare to see love so strong that it outlawed everything else. Very few people were able to find it, and they were extremely lucky when they did. And from one glance, I could tell that what Ian and Amy had was that kind of love, the one that never ended, that never went away. The one that was thicker than any family bond, and stronger than any promise.

With a spring to my step, I walked down the hall, smiling to myself, glad that after everything that my niece had been through, she was able to find a love like that.

And that was the very final chapter *tear*.

Thank you everyone for the continued support, and thank you to everyone who reviewed and/or followed this story. I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to write, and to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of glad it's over, but at the same time I want it to continue. We'll see what happens ;) I hope you liked the ending x

P.S: I have another Amian story that'll be up really soon. It'll be called "Five Times", but it's not written to correspond with this story. It's set three years later, and although it could work as a companion story, there are one or two details that are a little different.