Cammie POV

I got up from my bed, and slipped across the floor, careful not to make a sound as to alert my roommate's heightened senses.

I ran across many hallways, taking the familiar path to the most secret passageway in my school.

More secret than the one Zach found me in during the code black.

More secret than the one that allowed me to see into my mother's office.

This one only I knew about. It was located in the heart of Gallagher. Its entire ceiling was a huge skylight, and I could see the starry, cloudless night. I lied down in the middle of the room, a grand place with all sorts of things from espionage history.

I sighed, remembering why I was here.

Dad.

It was the anniversary of his disappearance.

"Hi, dad," I whispered. Our conversation always started like this, even when he was… here.

"I've thought about this a lot. Coming here, talking to you… I look forward to it. You don't judge me, you know? You never did." My voice was small by then, a whisper.

After a while I said, "I've been good. Can't go wrong with the best friends in the world and an awesome mom. She misses you, you know." I paused, pretending to listen. "The spy thing? That's good too." I paused thinking.

"You know, they say I'm a lot like you. That I'm going to be as good a pavement artist as you… but I can't see it. You're… the best. You hid from everyone all these years. For a while, it was impossible to find you. I would focus on the bad part of the situation. But lately, I've been finding you in all kinds of places. I reminded of you whenever mom tries to cook, or when I see candy that I just can't seem to resist… you're coming back." I smiled. "Thank you."

There was silence for a while.

"The thing about a one- sided conversation is that you can be anyone I want you to be. You are everything I look for in a father… caring, self- sacrificing, and loyal." I paused, realizing I was describing Mr. Solomon. "You don't blame him, do you?"

I waited agonizingly long for a response.

"I don't." I thought about all of the answers I didn't have, and had no means of getting.

Suddenly, I wanted to know everything, and was angry at him for keeping it from me.

"Where are you? Are you coming back? Can you even come back? Do you regret leaving for that mission? Do you like leaving mom and I wondering?" I was yelling by then, standing up and glaring at the sky. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

I wasn't crying, but I felt like it after I realized I was never going to get any answers without finding them out myself.

I calmed down and sat, bringing my knees to my chest.

"That's been inside me for years." As soon as I said it, I realized how true it was. All these years I had been angry without even knowing it.

But I wasn't anymore. It was like my anger was a balloon, all I had to do was figure out how to let go, and it floated away.

"I feel better now." How did he do that? I always feel better after talking with him. But even after having been angry, I still felt like I was even closer with him.

"Thanks for listening. I have to go now before my friends notice I'm gone and jump to conclusions." I got up, but as I was about to leave the large room, I heard a creaking sound.

How could I be so stupid? All this time and I never once checked for tails. I would look crazy to anyone watching me, not to mention I'd look like a horrible spy.

The person, realizing he/ she had been caught, stepped out of the shadows.

I saw the silhouette first, and knew immediately the person was distinctly male. As he came closer, I saw that he had dark hair that was perfectly messed up, and emerald green eyes.

One guess.

"You know, Gallagher Girl, most people would call you crazy for talking to yourself like that," he said as he came closer, hands in pockets. "But I know better."

Suddenly I wasn't scared anymore, just angry. I wanted to hit him for staying and listening. Actually, I just wanted to hit him in general.

For making me keep on guessing until is absolutely necessary for me to know something.

For keeping secrets and never giving me straightforward answers.

For constantly showing up in my life and then disappearing.

For making me crazy about him through all of this.

But I didn't.

'Why are you here," I asked with as much venom in my voice as possible. It didn't even bother me that he had probably snuck in here , right through my school's security without setting off a code black. I just wanted to know why he was there.

"You should know, Gallagher Girl," he said, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

This enraged me even more.

"I sit here, baring my soul and talking to my dead father and you have the nerve to stand around and listen? No one was supposed to know about his place. How did you even find it? WHY ARE YOU HERE?" I was inches away from him now, yelling right in his face.

He never once even blinked or showed any sign that he was aware of what I just said. I pushed against his chest and, catching him by surprise, he stumbled backwards before catching himself.

"And now you don't even say anything?" I asked disbelievingly.

"What do you want me to say Gallagher Girl? I did stay and listen, because I want to know things about you that you would never dare tell anyone. You need someone you can go to with anything. I want to be that person." He said the last part softly.

"That's what I have Liz, Bex, and Macey for." Even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true. I couldn't tell them everything, not like I could with him.

"And as for how I got here," he paused, smirking, "I followed you."

I rolled my eyes at that. "And why are you here?" I asked for the third time.

"Like I said before, Gallagher Girl, you should know," he said, still smirking.

"You know, you're not giving me much reason to trust you right now." I glared at him, but on the inside, I wanted him to say just the right thing to make me trust him.

"I've never given you many reasons to trust me, ever." I was shocked. That was the last thing I wanted him to say.

"Your mother…" I said softly.

"You know, that didn't change anything." He looked so sad, and I knew he was risking a lot, letting me see him like this.

"Zach, it changed everything." I didn't understand how he could say that.

"Actually, Gallagher Girls, you're wrong." He met my eyes and searched desperately, trying to make me understand. "She's always been my mother. The only thing that's different now is that you know."

I thought about this, realizing how true it was.

"I was there for you before, I'm here for you now. You could trust me before, you can trust me now. I loved you before, I love you now." He looked at me with tenderness in his eyes.

I stepped closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face in his neck. "I love you too," I whispered, almost inaudibly.

He tipped my head back and kissed me, short and sweet.

I sighed into his embrace.

"And to answer your question Gallagher Girl, I'm here to see you."

And then he did what he did best and disappeared.

But I wasn't worried because unlike other times, I knew he'd be coming back.

Hey everyone, it's Angel. Anyone in the mood to make my ego even bigger? Flames if that's what you thought of it.