The first part of the story comes from Ally Carter's deleted scenes on her website. I did site her work and I just put it in here because I didn't think everyone would know about this could-be scene so I didn't want anyone to be confused. So treat her work as background info. I am not meaning to plagiarize, I just wanted people to know what I'm writing about.

Ally Carter's work

""Well, he said he was bringing me company," Zach said slowly. Then he shook his head. "I should have known." He smiled. "So, shall we get cozy?"

"NO!" I snapped, and he laughed. That's right. Actual laughter. I could have killed him then, and there would have been no witnesses (but I also would have been the only person with means and opportunity, so I didn't.) I sauntered over to the locks. "We get to work."

My focus narrowed; my fingers flew. There's something so liberating about finding a zone, being free of thought and doubts and relying on instinct, on action. Everything faded away. I focused on the mechanisms, tried to shake them from my mind, remembered that life was like that assignment—unlocking one door at a time, and the longer I stood there the more I felt myself fade away, my consciousness go on cruise control until…

"Wow, you're super cute when you focus."

"ZACH!"

He made a show of looking around the empty room. "Yeah, must have been."

"Just… Just be quiet and let me—"

"No, I mean it. You get this little wrinkly thing." He held his thumb and forefinger to the center of his forehead. "Right here. It's just cute as—"

"Do you want to stay in here all night?" I snapped.

He leaned against the wall beside me, crossed his arms. "Might as well." Then he looked around the room. "I've stayed in worse."

But then my stomach growled. (Please tell me he didn't hear that. Please tell me he didn't hear that.) "Well, I—" It growled again. Louder. (Please tell me he'll at least ACT like he didn't hear that.)

"I've got homework."

"Yeah." He chuckled then interlaced his fingers and stretched his arms out, popping his knuckles. "Gotta study hard, get ready for that next mission."

I so didn't want to have that fight. Not then. Not ever. Sadly because I've been trained not to start fights I can't win. The boys had beaten us. We knew the rules. We did our best. They just did…better.

I stared at the mechanisms my fingers seemed frozen to. "Look, I—"

"Why don't you ever ask me about it?" he asked, and I couldn't help myself, I looked at him, but he just glanced away. Something lingered in the air between us, and I knew he wasn't talking about missions or homework or anything else that only seems important when you're sixteen. It was a different Zach entirely who said, "I'll tell you mine if you'll tell me yours."

Maybe it was the impenetrable door, the six feet of solid steel that surrounded us on all sides. We had to come to a vault for Zach to let his defenses fall, and at that moment he reminded me of a bird that had fallen from its nest. I started to reach for him, to comfort him, but then I remembered Grandpa Morgan's warnings that there are some wild things you're not supposed to touch.

"It was a mission."

I don't know why I said it. The words were foreign to me—not English—not something I had ever said, and yet they slid so effortlessly from my throat they must have been back there, fully formed, for years waiting for that chance to seep free.

"My dad went on a mission. He didn't come home. Nobody knows what…happened."

Then Zach looked at me. "Somebody knows."" (Ally Carter, Deleted Scenes).

"Yeah, well, the people who know anything worth knowing are the ones that made him missing," I snap.

I'm not mad at Zach parse, especially now with him being him the least cryptic, closed-off, teenage spy boy I've ever seen him be. I'm angry with the people who took my father away from me, and for all I know its permanent.

"And forgive me if I don't think it's a smart idea to hunt those people down for answers," I add as an afterthought.

"No," he says shaking his head. "Don't do that." Zach looks me straight in the eye. I can't tell if we just finally agree on something or if he is desperately warning me not go run toward whatever danger that my father did. Zach's face was deadpan as he said that, so it makes me think the later. Part of me thinks maybe he is a somebody that knows something for a second, or at least a someone who knows a somebody.

Of course, I totally am a genius (I mean I DO go to THE Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women), so I don't need Zach to tell me this, that much is obvious. The thing is, called it the girl in me or just really good spy senses, but when he said that it sounded like he really cared if I did something stupid like that or not.

I decide to give up on getting out for a minute, I mean I have the whole night to try to crack this thing and break free. I walk over to where Zach is sitting, staring at me- making me feel uncomfortable as always.

I slide down the wall to sit next to him and I turn my face towards his, locking my eyes with his deep green ones. "I told you mine, you tell me yours." I breathe out. Everything is so fragile between us know. Which is ironic because we are literally in the safest safe in the world right inside the safest place in the world; nothing should be able to hurt us, that is except for the past.

"My mom worked for the CIA," He says looking away and I put my head down. The past once again turning the strong into the broken. I sit in solidarity with him for a moment or two. I don't want to look at him with the pity eyes I get or tell him "I'm so sorry for your loss" even though I am. Saying those things would do no good.

I lift my head, "What about your dad?"

"I never knew him." And in that moment, I realize Zach Goode had it worse then me, he always had it worse. Or maybe I did, after all I got to be able to love who I lost, Zach didn't have that option. But then I remember that he also lost his mom and I realize I'm wrong.

"I guess you could say Joe was my father figure though," Zach says, "Even before my mom… left, he would watch after me- teach me things." I'm assuming Zach is like me and isn't comfortable with saying "died".

I could tell Zach had some type of relationship with Mr. Solomon stronger than just the average teacher-student relationship, but I would have never guessed it would run that deep.

"I heard my dad and him were best friends." It may be movie night, but for right now I just want to stay here and really talk with Zach before his walls go up again.

I look over at Zach who is now staring straight ahead. "I can see us together," he says whimsically.

I freeze. Did a cute boy really just say that to me? I'm probably blushing right now, so I snap my head forward to mimic his.

"What do you mean?" I try to keep my voice under control but never-the-less it has raised an octave.

Normally I am like very good at keeping my cool, I mean I'm going to make a living off it so why not be perfect right? But with Zach, nothing ever goes my way, all I can do is blame hormones and an abnormally hot teenage boy for that.

Zach smirks and chuckles lightly. "I mean I can see us as children, playing together on a swing set while Joe and your dad watch us, talking about whatever part of the mission they were just on that wasn't classified. The way he says it sounds like a fantasy, and in a way, it really was.

"I don't think my dad would be too adamant on a boy pushing me on a swing that wasn't him," I laugh. Dad would have found a way to hate 6-year-old Zach, that I'm sure of.

Zach looks at me and laugh, "You're probably right. But I'm sure Joe would find a way to convince him to trust me."

"If they really were best friends they should have done that, Joe bring me over for the day to just be a kid with you," he says this like there really was a great opportunity that was missed.

"You know just as well as anyone else that our playdates would be spying on the neighbors with a few breaks to perfect our roundhouse kicks!" I laugh at the thought and slouch a couple inches down the wall. Zach was right, I could see us together. "You make it sound like we really missed out on some quality playdates." I add jokingly.

Zach smirks again and looks down at me, I can instantly tell that he is back to his usual cocky self, "I guess we'll just have to settle for real dates," He sighs, but I can tell he really isn't upset about that.

I freeze again. Is Zach really asking me out on a date? Did I like that he just asked me out on a date? I'm still locking eyes with him as he continues, "There's a town day coming up, we should go to a movie together- that is if Jimmy doesn't mind."

I shouldn't even bother to correct him at this point, what does it matter now?

Now this is the moment where a girl really needs her best friends, especially one fluent in boy, to help her out. But I don't have my best friends by my side, only Zach. So, I settle on the most intelligent response I can muster.

"Oh, um, yea that sounds like fun. It sounds normal…" I mutter. Good job Cammie I chide myself. To be fair, I don't think many other girls would have done better in my situation, this whole night has been highly confusing. I don't even know if I'm still bitter towards Zach for beating me in Washington.

"Then it's a date," he chirped and then gave another one of his genuine smiles that I can only seem to come by when were alone. I decide I'm happy as I look up at him and copy his smile.

It couldn't have been more than thirty minutes, but Zach had changed into a completely different person, and I'm happy he let me see that.

The only thing less complicated than Zach would be the safe that we have yet to crack to get out. But hey, you win some you lose some, right?

Originally, I was not planning on this to be a oneshot, but if you guys thinks this sucks I obviously won't continue. It's up to You! Please review and give constructive criticism. All feedback is welcome because this is my first fanfic.