Notes: I don't think I put the right categories, because it's not that romantic. Written on post-its and basically in an hour for two of my favorite people because they were freaking out and the new Shatterproof preview is ahsdasklhd so SPOILERS-ISH AHEAD.

Long live the SS Iamy/Amian/otp: lovely/whatever.

"I hate you, Ian Kabra!" Amy slammed the laptop closed so hard that the screen shattered.

She sat there, staring blankly at the broken laptop. Pieces of glass littered the table, but she was too tired to care. Dan had long left her to the cold silence of their hotel room, quietly muttering about finding a new laptop or something about Atticus. She didn't really know. She hadn't really been listening. The honking cars, the chirping birds, everything around her had dulled down to white noise.

She couldn't feel anything, except what bubbled underneath her skin - the pain, the exhaustion, the frustration. Her fists clenched tightly, nails dug painfully into the palm of her hands as splashes of water burned her eyes. Finally opening her eyes, flecks of liquid tinted her lashes, making the world blurry. Like she was in a haze and she didn't know how to see clearly again.

And no matter how much she tried to force herself to stop, no matter how much she tried to steel herself, to be brave, to be strong, the tears would not stop falling. She was the leader of the Madrigals, she was a Cahill.

Cahill, she almost wanted to spit at the name. Red-rimmed eyes glared at the wall. She could see herself in the mirror. Auburn hair a ragged mess, skin sunken and thin, dark circles lined the bottom of her eyes. And worst of all, the usually-bright verdant eyes she had inherited from her mother were hollow and lifeless.

Amy tried to remember how Grace used to hug her, raking gentle fingers through her hair, telling her that her parents would be so proud of their little girl. How proud she was of Amy. The soft chamomile scent that surrounded her in a blanket of comfort had made her feel warm and safe as she cuddled with her grandmother, reading books and going on wild adventures together.

But how many people were going to keep dying because of the Cahill name? Being the most powerful family in the world meant nothing if she couldn't even save the people she loved. Her heart clenched painfully at the never ending list. She thought of all the people who weren't even part of the family who had died, trying to help them, who were only innocent bystanders.

Eyes squeezed shut as all of their faces flashed through her mind and she tried to keep the anguish at bay. The hunt had cost them dearly. And now, the Vespers were ripping them apart.

She could see it.

Every day, it worsened. Everyone around her was falling apart. Sinead and Evan were teetering on the brink of exhaustion as they worked endlessly to help. Dan was slipping further and further away from her. Atticus and Jake, she worried that they were in over their heads. Hamilton, Jonah, and everyone else were starting to lose hope. And Ian.. She didn't even know.

The Cahills were unraveling at the seams and she didn't know what to do. She felt lost, helpless.

Her phone began to ring. Wiping at her face, she wondered if she should even answer it. It wasn't the Vesper phone, at least. Maybe it was Sinead. She almost wished it wasn't her. She couldn't take any more news.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Amy cleared her throat and picked up the phone, hand trembling. "Hello?"

"Amy?"

A spark of anger burned in her chest at the sound of his voice. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, just like she always had, but it was getting harder and harder and she didn't know how much more she could take.

Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her face again and let out a heavy sigh. "Ian."

"I'm sorry," His words were quiet and sad, making her sit back into the chair with a weariness that she was far too used to.

"Did you betray us?" She went straight to the point. She was tired of the lies, the secrets, the ups, and the downs of this life. She was just tired.

"No."

Propping up her elbow on the arm of the chair, she leaned on it, tucking the phone closer to her ear. "Are you lying to me?"

"I would never lie to you."

She knew he was right. Ian was not the type to beat around the bush and she knew that he, of all of them, had changed the most. He had come a long way. "Why does Sinead think you're the mole then?"

And deep down, she had a feeling that he still cared for her more than he would ever admit.

"I'm being set up. I'm a Kabra. A Lucian," he replied softly. "We're practically the poster child for betrayal." The bark of laughter that followed was harsh and bitter, like he had seen things while he was away. Things that had worsened him.

"And I'm Isabel Kabra's son."

Her lips set into a thin line. "Why does that matter?"

"My mother is a Vesper. She is most likely a descendant of Damien Vesper." Amy nearly dropped the phone, eyes wide as she sat straight up.

"What?"

He ignored her tone of surprise, continuing on, "I would never betray you, Amy." Her grip on the phone tightened until her knuckles were white with she didn't even know what emotion to feel. He had said her name. Not them. Not the Cahills.

And she believed him.

"I feel lost," she finally said after several moments of silence. "I feel like everything's falling apart and we're going to lose everyone." Her whisper of admission resulted in silence on the other end, making her wonder if she had lost him.

"You're a Cahill, Amy."

"I'm well aware of that, Ian," Her dry remark made him chuckle and the low timbre made her insides warm at the familiar sound.

"I'm trying to say that, unlike everyone else involved right now.. You and Daniel carry the true Cahill name. You two, a pair of poor orphans (he ignored her "Hey!") with no prospects or anything to their name, managed to outwit the entire family and win the hunt that's been in our family for generations. You are Madeline's legacy. Her desire for peace between her siblings extended to you and our family. Despite everything we put you through after all that time, you still wanted peace, you still wanted things to work out. You united all four branches and changed everything.

The Vespers underestimate you and us and our power as Cahills. They're not going to win, Amy." His words were so stern and firm, she almost believed him. "As Daniel would say, the good guys always win."

Amy felt herself smile a little. Ian Kabra was being a glass half-full, Cahill cheerleader. She bit her lip, trying to hold back, but a giggle escaped anyway as she imagined him in a cheerleading uniform.

"Why are you laughing?" She could almost see the indignation on his face because here he was trying to be positive and boost her up and she was laughing at him. Considering he rarely complimented her and Dan, she supposed she should have been cherishing this moment.

"Anyway," she heard him grumble, a slight smirk came into her face. "You've believed in me since the hunt ended. I.. I hope you know I appreciate it, even though I don't say anything and sometimes I act like a complete arse."

This time, she laughed out loud, though she could feel the blush warming her cheeks. "Only sometimes?" She teased, her free hand raked through her hair, brushing out the matted strands.

"I've always believed in you, Amy Cahill. No matter what happens, you still have us. You still have Nellie, Daniel, Sinead, Hamilton, Jonah, your family… Even that damned cat," His next words were so quiet, she strained to hear him. "And me."

There was silence again. She didn't know what to say to that, except: "Ian, where are you?"

"At home."

"You're home?" Amy unconsciously perked up, tucking the phone between her face and shoulder as she redid her ponytail. She imagined him laying back on his ridiculous million-count Egyptian cotton sheets, clad in his favorite Armani and she closed her eyes, the familiar scent of his musky cologne invaded her memory.

"Have been for a few hours, yes. Why?"

"Come find me," she breathed into the phone. What on earth was she doing? What was she even saying? Her mouth must have disconnected from her brain because apparently, it just kept going without her consent. "I want to see you."

There was silence again, before a sharp intake of breath flitted over the phone. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

His simple answer made a smile bloom onto her face. It was hopeful and shaky, but when she stood up to stretch, she looked into the mirror again. Her skin was not quite as fresh and warm as it normally was, but she felt more like herself than she had in a long while. And as she crawled into the bed and underneath the cozy covers with the phone safely tucked next to her ear while he spoke to her, she couldn't help, but feel alive again.