This took a very long time, but I have finally finished another oneshot in my Gallagher Girls series...thing. Anyway, I hope you like it ^_^

Catherine Goode wiped sweat off her forehead and took a quick drink from her water bottle, before going back to her household gym. It was a nice gym, it had everything she needed to keep her skill level high in between missions. Running machines, weights, knives, some wire and some uncooked spaghetti, although it wasn't as if she needed reminding of how to use that.

It was just after midday and the sunlight streaming through the windows was heating up the room to way beyond a comfortable temperature. This was perfect. Catherine constantly needed to work with uncomfortable. She was preparing to start training with her knives when she heard a faint crash.

To a normal parent of a five year old, this would cause concern. To Catherine, this did not faze her in the slightest. She had work to do. She was about to start throwing her knives at the targets on the walls, when she heard a faint cry.

To a normal parent of a five year old, this would create the feeling of worry. To Catherine, this did not make her lose her focus. She had to remain in control and not let anything distract her. Besides, if her son couldn't figure out how to get himself out of whatever situation he had got himself into, he did not deserve to have the name 'Goode.'

Catherine had thrown her third knife when she heard a scream.

Catherine had thrown her tenth knife when that screaming stopped.

That was when concern began to appear in Catherine's mind. The way that screaming had stopped, it wasn't the abrupt standstill of a child figuring out that they were actually okay, that was what her Zach did at least, but it was the slow stop that happened when someone just physically couldn't scream anymore. Catherine couldn't help it; she went to look for her son.

It took less than a minute to find Zach, but that was more than enough time for the young mother to berate herself for losing her concentration on the task she had started. It was actions like this that got people killed, especially when skilled agents were on their tails. She supposed it must just be some motherly instinct telling her to check what was wrong, but that didn't stop her from being annoyed with herself.

Zach had managed to get into Catherine's 'office.' She almost had to stop herself from yelling at him; you don't scream when in the middle of an operation, he was smart enough to know that. He had activated one of the safety measures around the entrance, although it looked as if he had avoided the first five, and now Zach had a few darts in his arms.

The way he looked up at her, it was pathetic. He was lucky he had inherited her instincts to use his arms to protect his head, where a fully grown adult's lower torso would be, and so it hadn't actually killed him. There was blood though, maybe that was the cause of the crying? Some people were known to not like the sight of blood.

Catherine shook her head a little, she was getting distracted again. There was something wrong with her today.

Zach was picked up by his mother and taken carefully out of the trap filled office. What did he even want in there anyway? It wasn't like any of the files she kept concerned him. When the two had finally made their way to the kitchen, Zach was crying again. Honestly, it was like he wasn't even hers. Pathetic.

It took less than ten minutes to get him all cleaned up.

"Mom?" The five year old asked when Catherine had patched up the final wound.

"Yes?" This had better be quick, the gym was waiting for her.

"Why do you always spend so much time in your office?"

"I have work to do."

"And in the gym?"

"That's work too."

"And…"

"Look, I have a lot of work that I need to do and that means I spend a lot of time away from you. You know this. We've gone over it."

"I know, but…"

"But nothing, it's extremely important and that's why it takes up my time." It really wasn't that hard to understand. "You can look after yourself by now Zach, and you better not start relying on me all the time again."

"Because you're not always here."

"Exactly." Finally, he was speaking sense.

"But…"

"Zachary Goode, you go to your room and stay out of trouble! I raised you better than this."

"Can you help me get down?" Catherine glared at her son. He seemed to understand quickly, and started climbing down himself.

"Good."

"Really?"

"That's why I said it." The smile that fixed itself on his face was an extreme disappointment. How was he going to catch on to the idea of independence if he kept relying on her so much? It was a good thing he was going to Blackthorne as soon as he was old enough. They taught discipline there. But that was a long time away, and there was so much work to do between now and then. She would not send her son there weak.

"Zach?" Catherine asked, standing just outside of Zach's bedroom when the two arrived there.

"Yes mom?" He looked up at her hopefully, and she thought he'd grown out of that. Oh well, right now she needed this weakness, even though he certainly didn't.

"How did you get so far into my office sweetheart?" Her son had this look in his eye, like he had answered a hard question or completed a difficult task…although that second one was partially true now that Catherine thought about it.

"I'd seen you go in there so many times, I memorised the path and the codes and things." Zach looked so proud of himself, it made Catherine feel a little sick. He hadn't even succeeded.

"Obviously not that well, you try it again, make sure your memory's up to scratch." Zach nodded a little, the disappointment finally settling in to his face. That was good. It meant that he would remember this.

Another good thing was that her son had raised slight concern for her security measures in this house. Maybe they should move again? Or Catherine could completely redo her security? The second option was the one she preferred, so Catherine decided to move house again. If anyone got hold of some of the files she kept in that office, especially one of her former 'sisters', well, the results would be…bad.

Catherine ran through the possible options for new accommodation in her head as she returned to her work out in the gym. This time, she didn't let herself get distracted by the noises her son was making around the house, not even another extremely loud crash.

Soooooo? Did you like it? Please leave a review, if you want to, they are all truly appreciated.