Good News!
I am alive and breathing.
Writing, though, is a different story.

Summer's here. And, I thought I'd finally finish this up.
if you remember the first chapter from when I posted it earlier in the year,
GREAT! Read it again.

If not, start from the beginning.
And, enjoy a piece I have beaten myself over for at least a year.
I've given this story a whole lot of attention, and detail. (so. much. detail.)
So, here's Morgan Goode.

Read up, and tell me what you think!

- Sweetly

P.S.
There are a whole bunch of references to the books in here, big and small.
See if you can catch them all!

P.S.S.
Italics in the story - if not used for emphasis - usually indicate something in the past.
that should be something handy to know while reading.

First graders with asthma don't normally turn
up as threats on the CIA's radar.

But, if any suspicion need be lowered,
it turns out that Morgan Goode was a pretty darn good secret-keeper.

If he was told anything out of confidence,
no way Mo would tell a soul.

Of course, this could be because he really didn't have very
many dangerous people to share secrets with.

He wasn't in cahoots with anyone on Langley's enemy list.
If there was any sort of list.

To be honest, Morgan was rather ignorant of any sort of evil in the world
until the night Aunty Bex spilled the beans - very important beans at that.

Very important beans, indeed, considering on his parents' return
the spilling of said important beans
prompted an impromptu closed-door meeting
he evidently was invited to.

But, all the same, Morgan only ever spoke when necessary,
only ever asked questions when something was really important to him.

And, only ever shared news with his most trusted of allies —
which may or may not include the majority of his stuffed animals.

Point is. So far, Morgan could handle keeping quite when asked.
After all, this wasn't the first time Morgan ended up knowing more than he should.

Christmas presents, surprise birthday parties, you name it.
Morgan did usually find out.
Whether it be because of his brighter-than-average mind, or the fact that
Aunt Liz was notorious for the letting loose of slightly confidential information.

Cause, let's face it. "Oopsy Daisy" doesn't fix anything.

Therefore, this wasn't the first secret to accidentally slip.
It was just the most important one.

"Bex. What did you do?"

Morgan pressed his ear against the door to the master bedroom.
His mother's voice was sharp.

"In my defense, I thought you would have already told him by now."
"We were kind of waiting." His father's level voice chimed.

"Why? Is this where the legacy ends?"
"Where is going to study, Bex?" Cammie snapped, "Blackthorne?"

There was a beat.

"I'm sorry. It just…" Aunty Bex sounded more ashamed than Morgan
thought a person with such confidence ever could, "It just slipped."

Another beat of silence.

"It was sloppy." Bex admitted, then he could hear her smile, "On the bright side, the kid is smart."

"The kid asks too many questions," Zach countered.
"There's no way he's going to settle for anything but the truth," Cammie muttered
to her husband's amusement, "And, he won't stop asking till he gets it."

"Well, that sure sounds familiar."

Believe it or not, it wasn't any real surprise to Morgan
that his parents were the best of the CIA.

They sort of fit the part.
They were both smart, clever.
They had always seemed more physically prepared than the other
moms and dads at the annual neighborhood family field day.

It wasn't a hard concept for Morgan to grasp.
They were spies. Like in the moves.

"No, bud," Zach shook his head solemnly, "Not like the movies."

"Things are much darker in real life, kiddo," his mom added remorsefully, sweeping his blonde locks across back from his face and placing a sad kiss on his forehead almost regretting bringing such an innocent soul into a world that was so…

un-innocent-friendly.

But, now that he knew about their world,
he had to know the shadows and horror that came with it.

It wasn't something you could just pretend and make disappear.

And, though this may have seemed like a heavy lesson for a six year old.
it never really sunk into Morgan's head until
Aunty Bex went missing.