Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girls...or the Blackthorne Boys.
Okay, so I know I'm supposed to be working on my other story right now (I mean, I really should be, I feel excitement and action coming in it). But I was listening to Ingrid Michaelson and I heard her song "The Chain" and it gave me this idea. And I had to write it down before I lost it.
So here it is (and btw, it doesn't relate to my other stories...it doesn't even mention the CoC now that I think about it actually).
ENJOY!
Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women
The wind blowing through the open window next to me was chilly. Snow fell from the sky and rested on the window sill. But still I made no move to close it. I sat on the arm chair, staring at nothing and seeing everything.
My bones were as cold as the winter air outside. My tears were frozen right at the corners of my eyes, refusing to take that last step and slide down my cheek. Outside, I could hear carolers singing about bring joy to the world but I was anything but happy as I thought about my last mission two months ago…
He wasn't supposed to be there. He had refused every time I asked him to before I left. Everything had been going according to plan until he showed up. And then the spark was lit and before I knew it the cannon had exploded, destroying my world.
Two months ago
I dropped down from the ventilation system, soundlessly. Liz was feeding me the directions through the building step-by-step. Just a few more minutes and we would have the disc. A guard was up ahead, but I quickly dealt with him. I turned onto the next hallway and saw the door I'd been looking for.
As I whispered the information on the door's keypad to Liz I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to inspect the hallway behind me and was surprised to find Zach behind me.
Liz cracked the code on the door and I heard a click as it unlocked but I stayed where I was. "What are you doing here?" I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
"Thought you could use some help." He whispered back just as quietly. He gave me his signature smirk. "You gonna keep going, Gallagher Girl?"
We'd known each other for almost eleven years and he still called me that more than by my real name. I rolled my eyes but opened the door. After that it was only a matter of shutting done the heat, touch, and motion sensors and evading the lasers to get to the disc in the middle of the room. I checked it over for before I gently picked it up from its resting place.
And then, despite the precautions and preparations Liz, Bex, and I had taken on the mission, an act of chance screwed us all over. A guard walking back from the bathrooms saw the crumpled bodies of his unconscious colleagues and sounded the alarm. Liz quickly stopped the alarm but the damage was done. Guards had already started to swarm the room Zach and I were in. I found myself glad that he was here because it seemed I really was in need of the backup (Bex was dealing with a handful of guards at the perimeter).
"You ready to fulfill your promise?" I asked Zach as our backs met.
The muscles of his back tightened as the guards rushed closer. "Hell, yes."
The first guards reached us and we both ducked, resulting in the two men above us to right hook one another. Then we darted to either side of the men and jumped into action.
I could feel the disc rubbing against my hip bone, but I ignored it as kick after kick of mine hit home. Using the arm of one of my opponents, I flung myself into the air and took out three of the guards surrounding me.
As the pack around me started to dwindle I became aware of Liz's voice telling me to get out. I called to Zach but more opponents were gathering around him. I took down the last guardsman by me and was heading to help Zach when the crowd around him parted just enough that I saw his face. Even through all of the swarming people and two men he was taking on right then, he caught my eye. He mouthed "go" to me and motioned with his head to the door.
I wanted to stay. I wanted to help. I most certainly didn't want to leave Zach to fend off a dozen and a half opponents on his own. But my mission ordered me to leave ASAP once I got the disc, and both Liz and Zach were telling me to do just that.
And so I left. I didn't let myself glance behind me to make sure he was okay. I didn't hesitate at the corner right before I lost sight of the room where everything had gone from simple to complicated in seconds. I just kept running, checking to make the disc was still where I had put it. Liz said there wasn't enough time for me to head to where Bex was through the ventilation system, so she led me through the twists and turns of the enemy base, knocking down sensors and alarms as I approached them.
I reached an exit three minutes and forty-three seconds later. Bex was waiting right outside of it, ready to run off with me. In my ear, I could hear Liz beginning a countdown.
"What are you doing, Bookworm?" I asked through the comms.
"Following orders, Chameleon." The next thing she said made me stop dead. "Once you got the disc, I started the self-destruct system. The place is going to blow in less than a minute."
My head whirled back to the base several hundred yards away. "But Zach's in there." Neither Bex nor Liz said anything. I whispered again, "Zach's in there."
Instinctively, I started to head back to the building but Bex caught me by the arm. "Chameleon!" She said, shaking me. But I wasn't listening. All that was reaching me was the thought that I needed to get back in there. I had to save him.
"Stop it, Liz." I said. "Let me in!"
"I can't. The self-destruct system is impossible to override once it's started." She sounded like she was close to tears. "I'm so sorry."
I fought against Bex's grip on my arm, but she held on. Then I lost all the fight in me as sky was lit up in flame.
I crumbled to the ground and ignored Bex yelling at me that we had to keep moving. Liz was waiting in the van, just two miles away and safely surrounded by her monitors and keyboards. But Zach, he was just half a mile in front of me, surrounded by flames and explosions, and I couldn't reach him. It was my fault.
Moving was too hard. Distance was unimaginable to me. What were numbers when they couldn't help me save him?
The shrinking of the vicious flames alerted me to the fact that Bex was dragging me to the van. I wanted to fight her—I didn't want to leave—but my muscles wouldn't comply to what my heart screamed at them. We were halfway to the van's parking spot when Bex's hands left me and she knelt next to me. I heard her whisper something to Liz in her comms who agreed but I didn't comprehend the words. Then she spoke to me, earnestly looking in my eyes. I had the same feeling as she talked of hearing her but knowing what she said.
Her face was covered in soot and loose strands of her hair stuck to her cheeks. Streaks of tears ran down face, marring the solidity of ash covering it. I knew I must look similar so I avoided looking anywhere but her eyes. Her dark eyes that, if I squinted, looked similar to Zach's.
I stared into them as Liz pulled the van up to us. Bex started to turn her head but I stopped her. She sighed and stood up. I stood up with her to keep this last bit of my husband with me.
It had been exactly two months since that night. A month since the CIA officially pronounced Zach dead after they found a sample of his DNA on one of the charred unrecognizable bodies strewn through the burned down building. Three weeks since our friends and family flocked together at our home. Two weeks since I couldn't bear living in the house where he and I had lived for five years together and ran to my mother at Gallagher with Morgan at my side.
Morgan. She was only four and fatherless.
My mom entered the dark room. "Cammie," She said, closing the few feet between us and gathering me in a hug. "You're worrying Morgan."
"I'm sorry." I said, tears threatening to spill from my eyes at any second. "I just can't bear this."
"I know." She said, smoothing my hair. "But you have to."
"I don't know why I even came here. Everywhere I turn here, I see him. He's haunting me."
"I wish I could tell you that it gets easier, but it doesn't." Mom pulled away from me and looked at me the same way she had been looking at ever since she had found out her son-in-law was dead. Like she knew exactly how I was feeling. "You just get stronger."
"I don't want to be stronger. I just want him back." I exclaimed.
My mother sighed. "I know, honey. You know how much I do."
A Year Later
The streets of Kiev were crowded as I followed Rodriguez Monsalo. He was a fickle target to follow and was a welcome distraction to thinking about the last time I had been in this country. He was a rogue arms dealer who Bex, Liz, Macey and I had been trailing for the past two weeks.
He entered a muffin shop (not quite a surprise to me as our research had shown that he had an appetite for them). I stayed outside and watched the traffic around me; the people bustling about their everyday business, several agents from Interpol who were accompanying my team on the mission, Monsalo crossing the skylight.
Shit.
I shot out orders in my comms to the Interpol agents and my friends. Then I did what had to be one of the stupidest things I had ever done in my entire life. I ducked out into the busy street and tried to cross it. The first few cars managed to avoid colliding with me, but the last wasn't able to break fast enough and I felt it ram into my hip.
People rushed over to me asking me if I was alright and I kept repeating to them I was fine despite the fact that their faces were slipping in and out of focus. My friends wanted to come back and help me but I muttered a stern refusal to them. I could hear the Interpol agents convincing them to go on with the mission without me.
Unfortunately, some EMTs had apparently seen my accident. They hurriedly got me strapped up and took me to the emergency room. The doctors and nurses wouldn't listen as I kept repeating I was fine. My head started feeling a little woozy and my vision went black. One of the doctors slapped me back awake
Several hours later and twice as many tests later, I was being pushed down the hallway in a wheelchair. I had eventually given up on my protests that I wasn't hurt when the doctors showed me that I had a concussion and badly sprained ankle. I'd had worse,—like the time at the Cayman Islands when I got shot in the leg—but I couldn't exactly tell them that.
They told me I had to stay overnight so that was where I was heading in the wheelchair. The nurse pushing the chair was talking in swift Ukrainian to me about the other occupant I would be sharing my room with. Apparently, he was a favorite among the ladies at the hospital. "Quite a charmer," the nurse said, blushing. Then she added, "It's quite a shame, though."
I couldn't help myself. "You mean because you're married?" I said pointing to her ring.
She giggled. "Oh, no. It's just that the poor man has no clue who he is." She opened a door on our right and we entered a small room with two beds on the left. The one farthest from the door already had an occupant, deeply asleep.
"That's him." My nurse whispered in my ear. "When he woke and couldn't remember anything, we started calling him Jack. He doesn't think its his real name but it's the only one that's rung any bells for him."
I stood up from my wheel chair and limped to the unoccupied bed. Once I had settled down I asked, "How long has he been here?"
The nurse gave a small smile. It made her look old even though she couldn't have been older than me. "Over a year."
"If he doesn't know who he is how can he stay here?" I felt bad because I was practically interrogating the lady, but this was the first thing that had truly interested me in a long time.
"The person that brought him in pays for his keep. Can you believe that? A total stranger just handing over all that money for someone he found late one night. Mr. Shclovsky is a saint I tell you. Jack was actually released a couple months ago and just came in for some testing overnight."
I was silent for a minute. My nurse started toward the door after checking everything was set up for me when I asked her one last question. "What happened to him?"
She turned back to me, the same sad smile as before gracing her face. "No one really knows. All we know is that he was found in a ditch, half-dead and burned like a log in the fire."
She left then, closing the door behind her. I looked over at my roommate for the night and remembered the last time I had slept in the same room as a man. Over a year ago…
I knew my friends were probably itching to come visit me and pissed off that they couldn't. I knew that not only would my boss give me a scolding for getting hit by a car when I was on a mission, but so would Mom, Joe Solomon, and my little girl.
But I didn't want to think about that right now. For the first time in over a year, I felt free. I felt less and less that I was wearing a cover in that darkened room.
I dozed off once but woke up less than an hour later to the sound of someone moving. I opened my eyes just a slit and saw the man called Jack sitting up. I watched his back with this lurching feeling in my stomach.
"I know you're awake," he said without turning towards me. I noticed that he spoke in English. "No need to pretend you aren't staring."
My eyes opened all the way in shock. I bolted up, ignoring the fact that it sent my head reeling a bit. I made my voice sound light. "How did you know?"
He seemed to know I wasn't just talking about the fake sleeping. "I always know."
I smiled a bit. Before I could stop myself I said, "I used to know someone like that." My chest tightened as I said the words, but it was too late to take them back.
"Used to?" Jack asked.
"Yes," I said more quietly. "He's gone now, though."
"He wasn't good enough for you, eh?" When I didn't say anything, he seemed to get it and hung his head. "I, um, I'm sorry."
"It happened a while ago." I said. I leaned back against my pillows and stared up at the ceiling.
Jack cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So how did you end up in this joint?"
"I got hit by a car when I was jay-walking."
He nodded and the laugh could be heard in his voice when he said, "Nice."
I laughed a little at the idea that I, Cameron Goode, got hit by a car. "More like idiotic." I looked back at him. He still hadn't turned around. "How about you?"
I heard a sigh and his shoulders dipped a little. "I wish I knew." He chuckled a bit. "I've made up this crazy scenario for it though."
"Yeah?" I said. "How does it go?"
"Well, it's not very realistic." He paused like he was waiting for me to say I didn't want to hear it after all. When I remained silent, he spoke again. "I've never quite decided who I am in it. Whether I'm this James Bond type or a more mobster type person. In any case, I'm at this top secret agency base whatever thing and fighting my ass off. I'm just getting out of the building when it's bombed and sends me flying through the air. From that, the story varies from me landing in the ditch Schlovsky found me in to me stumbling there."
He's waiting for me to say something, I know he is. But I don't say anything and the minutes drag by. Finally, he speaks up. "I know it's totally unlikely. It's just this dream I had once when I first woke up. I guess I can't really let go of it." He laughed nervously and rubbed the nape of his neck.
Just like someone I used to know. Just like someone I still knew did whenever she was embarrassed. "Turn around." I blurted.
He stiffened. "Why?"
I answered bluntly. "Because I want to see you."
"You can see me perfectly fine, girl."
My eyes narrowed. "I want to see your face."
"What's with the persistence?"
"What's with the reluctance?"
He groaned in frustration and brought his hands to his face. He ran them through his dark hair and stood up. I held me breath in anticipation. He turned slowly, pointing his face away from mine as long as possible. Then he turned his head and looked at me.
His face was full of long streaking marks. The hair on the right side of his head was just the slightest bit sparser than the other side. He had so many scars, but when I looked in his eyes, I knew. And I knew he knew, too.
I stood up despite the fact that my ankle ached in protest. I walked slowly over to him and stopped just in front of him. He looked down at me with those dark eyes I knew so well. He closed them when I brought my hands up to his cheeks and felt the scarred skin.
"Zach." I whispered, tears filling my eyes.
His eyes were hesitant, like he was trying hard to remember something. Which, I had to admit, he probably was. Then he smiled and brought his hands to my face. "Hey, Gallagher Girl."
My laughed was tight with my tears and happiness. So much happiness. My arms went around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist. I crushed every part of me that I could to him held him tight as he did the same.
I doubt anyone has ever been so glad to get hit by a car.
Five Years Later
Roseville, Virginia
"MOM!" Abigail yelped from the living room. Without even looking to see what was going on from the kitchen I called to Morgan to stop using the Flapensky Method on her younger sister unless she wanted it used on her. Morgan sighed and set her down.
Morgan was ten now and in fourth grade. She barely remembered the year she had been without her father. The father who just so happened to be walking through the door right then. "Daddy!" Morgan squealed and jumped into his arms. "Mommy got mad at me. I used the Flapensky Method on Abs." Morgan clutched her father's shoulders and stared him earnestly in the eye. "But I was just joking around Daddy. Honestly!"
Zach smiled and looked over at me where I was now leaning against the counter. All but one of his scars were gone. When we had first gotten back from Ukraine after meeting each other again, I had taken him to Gallagher with me to pick up Morgan who was staying with my mother. While we were visiting, Mr. Smith had offered to give Zach the number of the surgeon who did his face every year. I had been apprehensive, but Zach had wanted it.
I did make him keep one scar that was near his hairline though. I never really gave him a reason as to why (nor did I really have one) other than the fact that it was the kind of scar that just made a man hotter.
Morgan pulled back into conversation for a good half hour. Abigail stayed by them for a bit but eventually got bored and wandered over by me. She stood by me and stared up at me but didn't say anything. She was like that. Zach and I were worried at first until we realized it wasn't because there was anything wrong with her. It was because she was a born spy. Stealthy at times, bold at others. It made me wonder how good she'd be when she was older if she was already so good at just four.
The doorbell rang, and I went to answer it. My mom was there, gifts in hand. Bex, Liz, Macey, and their respective husbands were behind her. "Look what the cat dragged in." Mom said, giving me a hug.
"Where are the kids?" I asked as I hugged my friends. I hadn't seen them in a couple of months as they had all been on missions while I took some time off.
"Outside having a bloody snow fight." Bex frowned. Her love for snow had melted away on a mission several years ago. Her daughter, however, loved it as much as she loved fighting. Hence, there were a lot of snowball fights whenever the fluff fell from the sky.
Macey smirked. "Well, my little boy certainly isn't playing with that crap."
Bex and Liz exchanged a glance. I looked out the front window to see a streak of a little boy's blue hair go flying past. I bit a smile back and said, "Of course not."
The rest of evening went by smoothly. Abby and Joe showed up about halfway through, Joe and Zach got into a discussion about how best to teach a CoveOps class. Zach had agreed to take the position as CoveOps teacher temporarily while Mr. Solomon took a leave of absence.
"If you aren't careful," He had said when Zach first agreed to do it. "You might just end up with students like this one." He pointed at me. "And then, your sanity just goes to hell."
After dinner, the kids opened up their Christmas presents. Everyone oo'ed and ahh'ed whenever the kids thrust the gifts in our faces, showing off the fact that they had more presents than us. Eventually, our company started heading out promising to drop by tomorrow before leaving town. It was as I was cleaning off the dishes that I felt Zach behind me. He slipped an arm around my waist, and I let the plate plop back into the water, leaning into him.
"I don't believe I've given you your present yet, Gallagher Girl." He said, sending shivers down my spine.
I sighed. "No, I don't suppose you have." I tried to turn in his arms and give him a kiss, but his arm around my waist kept me where I was. I was about to complain when he brought his other hand and gave me my present.
It was wrapped in a small box. The wrapping job looked so pretty I almost didn't want to open my present and undo it. Almost. I tore the wrapping paper off, pretty or not, and opened the box. Inside was bracelet. I picked it up and looked at it in the light overhead. The metal glittered and twinkled, and I noticed that it was made of several pieces of flat silver with numbers carved delicately into them.
"Each piece has a date on it." Zach whispered in my ear. "Moments that I never could forget. Even if I got amnesia again." He chuckled and I smiled a bit too. I looked at the dates on the pieces. The day we met at the Mall, when we first kissed, when he proposed, when we got married, when we had Morgan and Abigail. I saw the last two and I paused.
"Why did you put this here?" I asked.
Zach knew what I was talking about. He always did. "Because it proved to the world what I already knew."
"What do you mean?" I said, shaking my head.
He turned me around so I was facing him. "You can't stop true love, Gallagher Girl." He kissed me softly, but before I could deepen it, he walked away. I watched him as he went upstairs to tuck Morgan and Abs in. When he was out of my sight, I looked back down at the bracelet in my hands. His words were cheesy and sappy and obviously meant to turn me into putty.
And damn, did they work. I slipped the bracelet chain onton my wrist and headed up the stairs after Zach. I dropped into Morgan and Abigail's room to say goodnight to them. Then, I went down the hall where Zach was in our bedroom. I smiled at him as sat on the bed, rubbing his muscles (they still got sore every once in a while from the fire). I walked over to him and sat next to him. I kissed his cheek and he stopped what he was doing. He turned and kissed me and put his arms around me.
This was right. This was goode.
So, what did you think? I hope I didn't have too many typos in there.
Kisses from Zach to whoever reviews. I just don't fight fair, do I?