Edited 8/9/13- Like with 'Love Lives On', I am only fixing grammar errors. Even though I am aching to start completely over, I will leave it for the sake of preserving what I wrote (four years ago? Three?) back then. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed!
I dedicate this story to district12straightshot, because the part where Zach is writing the letters was her idea, and I just kind of revised it, but her's was better!
Disclaimer-I own nothing.
Mary belong to the words of a song
I try to be strong for her
Try not to be wrong for her
But she will not wait for me anymore, anymore
Why did I say all those things before?
I was sure...
ooo
I put on the stupid itchy wig that had caught my eye when I went disguise searching in Blackthorne's stash. I finished the look by donning huge glasses, fake eyesbrows, and a beard. Heck, if I didn't get to anyone to warn them about Cammie, I could try and pass off as Einstein...
Man, if Grant saw me right now... he would die of laughter (it wouldn't be the first time...)
I walked out of the bathroom stall where I had changed (I know... pretty amateur, but as long as the same people who saw you go in aren't there, it works quite well) and took a peek in the mirror, surveying my very authentic looking disguise. And even though I knew that a spy's worst fear is being recognized, I couldn't help but wonder if she would see through my disguise, I couldn't help but hope...
Wow, Grant's right, I'm such a girl.
I left the bathroom, stashing my bag in a very covert location (aka, the empty trashcan with the lid on top), I gathered my papers around me (because it's part of my cover and all) and headed down the hallway. All around me, frazzled people scurried down the hall, dashing in and out of doors, yelling at each other, complaining about how much their life sucks right now and so on.
I finally reached the hallway with the doors leading to the main passageway under the hotel and the convention canter, and then I opened it. The hallways was a dark beige color, the carpet the same to and the dim lighting just made the beige look more like brown, it's a wonder people can even see down here.
I exited one of the few doors that were on the side of the long hall and like all of the people, I blended, I started walking really fast, and pretended to be going somewhere, and I ended up walking into the huge convention center- only to make a fast, silent loop around that side of the huge complex, and headed back to the tunnel, and when I opened the doors, I saw her.
Her name may be the Chameleon, but she's always stood out to me, she's not exotic like Bex, or flawless like Macey, but there's something about her... I don't know, it's just-
Man, I really to get a grip.
I did what I did last time, I walked fast and pretended to have something to do, and, well, out of pure curiosity, I bumper into her, and used my well rehearsed southern accent with an "Excuse me miss." And when I bumped her, I looked her in the eye, trying to tell her it was me... but she just straightened, and joined Macey (who I hadn't really noticed before, which is weird...) I knew that I had to get going... but I did what is considered the unthinkable for spies.
I looked back.
I couldn't help myself, I mean, the last time I had seen her, I finally got up the guts to kiss her, but now... she didn't even recognize me.
Life's just way too ironic for my taste.
ooo
(She is the one) but I have a purpose
(She is the one) and I have to fight this
(She is the one) the danger I can't knock down
ooo
I crawled as fast as I could, tearing off that stupid wig (I mean it was HOT in there...) and thinking of nothing but Cammie as the panicked yells of the Secret Service guys filled the whole building, but thankfully, they were muffled by the vent walls (well, barely.)
Finally, I reached the laundry room where they would be (according to my calculations and the blueprint of the center and the hotel that Jonas had somehow drawn up off of the internet.) I jumped down from the vent, and landed on a pile of dirty sheets, grateful to find that the Secret Service wasn't there yet.
I looked around, panic and fear setting in, where was she? Did she get caught? But then, I saw them, lying in a heap in a huge old hamper.
I walked over to the hamper, the two girls lying there, unconscious. Macey who's body was normally flawless (well, as far as I could tell, I mean we only lived at Gallagher for one semester…) was crumpled and bruised, her arm looked like a giant purple potato, and her face was covered with giant black marks. And even though her wounds would be a triumph at Blackthorne (or Gallagher, well, maybe) that was nothing compared to Cammie.
She didn't have a broken arm or leg, but bruises –almost as many as Macey- all over her athletic body. But on her face- was a cut, that looked to be about three inches long, and coming from the cut was a steady flow of blood. Blood that covered her face, dripped on her shirt, and the sheets around her.
And despite my cover, the complex legends that I have spent years building, I rushed to her.
The cut on her head was still dripping, but instead of pressing something to it like I should have (to stop the bleeding and all…) I just looked at her. Her face. Her features, and what I was seeing started to really sink in.
Cammie had always liked the truth, the truth and nothing but it, everything had to be black and white, good or bad, and I always liked that about her. I knew that even though she was good –really good- there would always be that small bit of ignorance in her, that in truth, it really doesn't matter what side you're on, because eventually, things start to get a little grey.
But now, with this attack and everything, she has to be fully exposed in what she practically volunteered to do.
And truth be told, I kind of wish she hadn't chosen the life that she did.
I heard banging on the door, and the cries (that sounded a little panicked if you ask me….) of "open up, Secret Service!" And I froze, trying to think of what to do (which only took about one-point-two seconds, because a spies mind works a lot faster than the normal mind- obviously.) For some reason, I looked above me, and for some other reason, I took the side of the laundry chute that Cammie had come out of minuets earlier, and hoisted my legs up into the shaft, bracing my feet on one side, and my back on the other, praying that I didn't fall down and right into the secret service.
I don't know how long I stayed there, stuck in that shaft, looking down at the madness below, wondering how long it would be before I could properly walk again… until finally (after three hours twenty seven minuets and fifty six point two seconds) they left (which was very sloppy of them, because the attackers could be back any moment…) So I jumped down onto the hard floor, and walked out of the door I had come out of earlier, like I did it any day of the week.
The convention center was still a-buzz, but not as much, interns were just being quiet, watching the attack on tv as news reporters told about a 'brave' and 'courageous' fight from Macey, some that Winters kid… and Cammie (otherwise known as 'The Roommate'.
I didn't even go back to the bathrooms to grab my stuff; I just walked to the nearest exit (one, of course that wasn't covered with reporters and the papps ) and walked out of the convention center…
Like I did it every day.
After that… things were just a blur, I mean, I remember driving back to Blackthorne, with Grant and Jonas debriefing me about our 'mission' but one thing pumped through my mind…
They wanted her.
I actually have known for a while, but it didn't seem real until now… it was just a threat, nothing more, no one would dare touch a Gallagher Girl (especially a Morgan) but they did dare. And they got too close for my taste.
So I decided to do something about it, right then and there…
I'll make sure she's safe, she's careful, that she doesn't try to go after Macey's (well, her) kidnappers, because that's how she is…
She's a Gallagher Girl.
But she's my Gallagher Girl.
ooo
I see your face with every punch I take
And every bone I break, it's all for you
And my worst pains are words I cannot say
Still I will always fight on for you
ooo
I looked over at my clock... 12:03, damn, I really need to get to bed the logical voice in my head told me. Finish you letter first, the other voice said (what am I? Skitzo?) But what was I supposed to write? I mean all I had down was- For reasons I can't say... I need you to stay home. But what would that sound like? A weak command that wouldn't make any sense? (Cammie always likes things black and white.)
No, it has to be different.
I crumpled the paper, and tossed it into the trashcan by Jonas's bed that was now overflowed to the point that quite a few of the little pieces of crumpled paper were now under his bed.
"Zach, just say something" Grant said in a bored voice as he looked up from his book.
"Well I, uh, really don't know..." I started, trying not to sound stupid (although it had already happened) "uh... what to say?" That made Grant laugh.
"Wow, this is a historic day for sure," he said, and then his face got serious "Zach, it's not for sure about her being the target... is it?"
I leaned back in my chair, and thought about it...
What if they were't afterCammie but Macey, and Cammie just happened to be there? No, that's stupid...
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Does anyone else besides Jonas, you and I know about it?"
"Uh, no?"
"Well, make it a warning then," he suggested "and let her know it's you."
And idea struck, and I pulled out a postcard of the ruby slipper exibit at the Smithsonian, so I wrote Be Careful.
It was weak, but it would have to do...
I finally turned off the lamp on my desk, but as I did so, something caught my eye, a paper that I had written in case I could think of nothing else...
I love you
I took the small note, crumpled in my hand, walked over to the trashcan, and stuffed it into the very bottom.
She wouldn't want to read it anyway...
ooo
Cammie's alive, in the bright New York sky
The city lights shine for her
Above them I cry for her
Everything's small from the ground below, down below
What if I fall then where would I go?
Would she know?
ooo
I looked around me as the crazed voters tried to get a look at their favorite political pair (Jonas's words… not. mine.) Trying to memorize every face, everything about them, from their clothes to the McHenery-Winters buttons on their shirts and jackets. And I smiled (well, more like smirked) to myself at my clever legend (a button, much like the ones everyone else was sporting, bet, hey, if I was going to do this… well, after all, I might as well do it right. And yes, sarcasm was meant in that statement.)
"It's great being here today," I heard Macey's voice say through the speakers. And I smirked. Again. Because if there was one thing I knew about Gallagher Girls was that if one's there, the others will follow. And even though I wished that in this particular case, that wouldn't happen, but as much as I wish that Cam were just at home studying her Advanced Encryption homework at Gallagher, I knew that it wouldn't happen.
Because having things not go your way is something that you have to learn early in the spy life.
I must have zoned out for most of her speech, because the next thing I could hear was Governor Winters say "our opponents have had four years to talk the talk, but now it's time to walk the walk."
Wow, has anybody ever had the guts to tell them that their line is incredibly corny? I mean who came up with that? Britney Spears?
He started his speech, and everyone started to walk over to the stage, crowding everybody closer together (man, they're worse than thousands of thirteen-year-old girls at a Miley Cyrus concert.) But I didn't join the crowd; instead I hung back, and headed for the breach that I had spotted earlier- a corner of one of the banners flying loosely from the pole it was originally attached to.
I didn't want to breach security (of course, although Grant says he's up for the challenge) I just wanted to see if I could talk to Cammie (because even though I had sent her a postcard of the ruby slippers exhibit with 'be careful' I still wanted to see her, if not tell her about the danger, but to just at least warn her… or something like that. Because my best guess was that she was with Macey (which wasn't very accurate of me… but when I'm on stuff like this, and it concerns her, I kinda lose my head, a little.) I slipped through the opening, walking ahead, towards the yellow tent.
I heard a noise behind me, the noise of someone slipping between the banner, and I turned around, preparing myself to fight, but instead, seeing Gallagher Girl who had apparently not seen me yet (because she wasn't looking at me like she wanted to kill me yet.)
I was close enough to put my hand on her shoulder, and instead of her whirling on me like she did in the foyer on the last day of school, she flipped me.
Yep, I got my butt kicked by a girl.
But considering the certain girl I'm talking about… can you really blame me?
I landed –hard- on the pavement, and heard the popping of a balloon under my back.
Ouch.
"Hello, Gallagher Girl" was the first stupid thing that popped into my head (and considering what other… uh, three letter phrases that came to mind, this one was the best) and to complete the effect, I smirked (I know… shocker.)
I looked up at her as she just looked down at me, her mouth gaping open (not that I blame her.) After a while of her just staring down at me, her legs pinning my arms at my side, I started to wonder what was going on.
"Hey Gallagher Girl, you going to let me up anytime soon?" I asked, but she didn't budge.
"What are you doing here?" She asked
It's a reasonable question... but one I can't answer.
"I'm very interested in Ohio politics," I said... while smirking.
"You can't vote," she said, stepping backwards and almost tripping.
"Yeah, but I can campaign," I said pointing to my –very clever- disguise.
After that... she just kind of looked at me, as if she didn't really see me those fifteen minuets she looked at me earlier.
She looked down, her golden-brown hair covering her face as she muttered "You're a long way from Blackthorne."
You're telling me.
"Yeah," I said, plastering a smile on my face, "Well, I heard that Macey McHenrey was going to make her first post-convention public appearance here today-" I stood up and brushed confetti out of her hair, and where's there's one Gallagher Girl, there are usually others."
My smile grew, because it felt nice to actually tell the truth for a change.
"Uh, yeah... we're like smoke and fire that way," she said, putting her hand on her hip, and it would have almost been cute, except she was slightly stuttering when she said it.
I smiled again (and surprisingly it wasn't a smirk) "yeah, something like that."
After that... silence. She just kind of stared at me for a while, so I decided to say... something.
"I thought you vowed to stay out of secret passageways and laundry chutes, but I guess..." I started, finding nothing else to say. I reached up and traced my hand along the bruise that was almost gone... but the memory of her bleeding would be there forever.
Something seemed to click in her head, because she pulled back and said "How did you know about the laundry chute?"
Hmmmmm... I wonder
I pointed to myself and said the most cowardly but cocky thing I could muster "Spy."
I faintly heard a British accent over the comms unit hidden by Cammie's hair "bleachers," she responded.
"Bex?" I guessed.
"Yeah," she answered.
"So, you got backup?" I asked.
"Of course hey are," she said, not even trying to hide the 'duh' in her voice.
And then, I heard in her comms unit, voices that sounded familiar... the Secret Services. And even if I didn't have any training, I couldn't miss the panic in their voices as they said "Alpha team, here's movement under the bleachers.
"Zach, there's someone under-"
But I was already gone.