OMIGOSH! YOU GAVE ME TWENTY-EIGHT REVIEWS! AHHH! I'M SO EXCITED! THAT'S THIRTY-SEVEN REVIEWS TOTAL! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Okay, sorry, had to let my excitement out. I'm sorry it's taken me longer to write this, but I've been busy and I just got home today. I hope you guys enjoy it! I decided that I'm going to do this day by day. Since it's two weeks for Winter Break, I'll do Day One, Day Two, Day Three, etcetera. I'll put a mini title next to it. So, sorry, you aren't going to figure out who Damian Ride is quite yet. And I haven't really even decided if he's going to be a main part. I'm leaning toward yes, but I don't know. Read on!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Unfortunately. Except for all the OC's.

SIDE NOTE: I might have her friends in here at some point…but you'll see.

…

Chapter Three: Day One: The Word Always

Zach

I woke up to sunlight streaming through my window and a small shape curled at my side. I glanced down, thinking it was Cammie.

But no. I wasn't that lucky. Not yet. Not that that was all I wanted. (And not sex, you sick-minded people.) I just wanted to wake up with her next to me.

It wasn't her. It was Melanie. I had a whole different affection for this one, but still it was very deep. After all, she is my sister.

Her long, deep breaths came in short intervals, and she had a slight peacefulness in her expression. I sat up carefully, trying not to jostle her and wake her. She looked so cute when she was sleeping. Then again, cuteness, however fake or real, was not hard for Melanie Anne Goode to come by.

I smiled down at her, my expression becoming tender. There were only two people that ever saw this side of me and one of them was sitting in front of me. The other, of course, happened to be in the room next to me, probably still asleep.

I grinned wickedly as a sudden idea struck me. I would go see. If she was awake, I would just…say good morning. If she was asleep, I would just…well, I won't bore you with details. She would just awake shortly there after.

I cast one last glance at my little sister and then made my way quietly to the door. It stood slightly ajar, due to the fact that Melanie had come to visit me in the night, because she had gotten scared. I slid through the crack in the door, barely brushing it. I glanced down the hall, suddenly very aware that I was still in my pajamas. Strangely self-conscious, I crept out slightly and then moved to stand in front of the door next to mine. I thought about knocking, but I did not want to make her aware of my presence, asleep or awake. Silently as a spy, I turned the doorknob, trying not to make a sound. I pushed the door open, glad that it didn't squeak. I knew she'd wake up then; she was a light sleeper.

I stopped in the doorway, looking around the room, from the pink polka dotted dresser to the pink and brown striped walls. There were pictures from previous summers and winters in Nebraska: There were some of Cammie and her grandma and some of her and her grandpa. Some of all three of them. There was one that stood out to me, however.

She looked about six in the picture and there was a man next to her. Her father. I recognized him immediately from the pictures we had previously found only a day or two ago. She looked happy and carefree and her father looked as if he wanted the moment to last forever. It was a candid shot and it was the perfect moment.

A sudden noise came from the bed. My eyes wandered in that direction; I wasn't worried she would wake. My eyes landed on her still form, curled up in the warmth of the blankets, her body making a small ball. She hardly took up half the bed, let alone the whole thing. I slowly walked toward her. She was the most beautiful thing. I had this sudden urge to protect her, put my arms around her, hide her from the world.

I knew she didn't need it. She was a spy, after all. She didn't need me. But she wanted me, and that was all that counted.

I reached the bed and sat down, trying not to disturb her peaceful slumber. My weight shifted the bed slightly and I held my breath as her body rolled toward me only a little bit. She didn't stir. I grinned, leaning toward her. "Cammie," I said, my voice whisper-soft. "Cammie, honey, it's time to get up." She stirred slightly but didn't wake. I smirked. Exactly what I wanted.

I leaned toward her, slowly and silently. Gently, I brushed my lips against hers. I felt the slightest reaction from her and knew she was awake. I pulled back to look at her but she wasn't letting me know. I leaned down again, pressing harder against her lips. I felt her mouth curl up into a smile. I deepened the kiss. Her lips parted for me, and I took advantage of it. Her arms came up to twine around my neck, pulling me closer to her. My body hovered above her. I kept myself from squishing her with my elbows.

She pulled me closer, her body pressing up to mine. I held back my groan. She smirked against my lips. Her legs came to wrap around my waist and this time I couldn't hold it back. I groan escaped my lips. She pulled back, breathless, I made a trail of kisses down her neck to her collarbone and back. Her breath came in short, staggered gasps. I grinned.

"Zach," she moaned. I pulled away and rolled onto my back, lying next to her. It took her a minute to speak. "Good morning," she said, still breathless, a slight grin on her face.

I propped myself up on one elbow, one of my hands trailing up and down her arm. "Good morning, sunshine," I said with a grin. "Did you like your wake up call?"

She rolled her eyes, trying to appear indifferent, but I knew better. "Sure, yeah, of course." Her voice held a slight tremor, very undetectable to a…well, normal person. Which I wasn't. Not by a long shot.

I smirked at her. "Maybe I should change your mind…?" I let the question hang in the air, waiting for her reaction.

Her hand flew to her lips, and she smiled. "You can try…," she whispered breathlessly.

I leaned toward her, but before I could reach her, she had slid out from under me and rolled onto her feet, which were now planted on the floor opposite me.

I looked at her, not the least bit deterred. If she wanted to play a game…then so be it.

I stood myself on the other side of the bed. I stared at her for a minute, waiting for her to make her next move. When she didn't, I began a slow stride toward her, walking around the bed. "So this is how you want to play?" I asked, smiling slightly. "Okay. Sound good to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Zach." She stood still as I sauntered toward her. She didn't move as I came close enough to reach her. I expected her to move a pace back or at least flinch, but she stood her ground, head held high. I didn't show my confusion at her resolve, but I did wonder what the point of this was if she wasn't going to run.

I reached out and touched her wrist, pausing for a millisecond to let her run if she wanted. When she didn't, my hand clamped down around her wrist and I yanked her toward me. I wrapped my arms around her waist, getting a tight hold, securing her against me. I leaned down and rested my forehead against hers. "Well," I whispered, "if it wasn't a good wake up call for you, it definitely woke me up."

She smiled up at me. "Oh, it could have been better." I rolled my eyes as she continued. "But it was still quite good."

"'Quite?'" I said, mock skeptically. "Who uses 'quite' anymore?"

Her nostrils flared in feigned anger. "I do, thank you very much." The humor in her eyes died abruptly and a need, a desire, replaced them. Her eyes darkened, and I wondered briefly what it would be like to get lost in them, before I remembered that I did. All the time.

She pushed up on her toes slightly and I leaned down. She moistened her lips in anticipation and it was all I could do not to start fierce. I brushed my lips against hers, ready to pull away, but her arms held me there. She buried her hand in my hair. I pushed her back, so she was pressed against the wall. My hands slid up her shirt, and I felt her shiver slightly. My fingers played with the bare skin that they had come into contact with. It wasn't as if I had never made out with a girl, but this was…different. This was my Gallagher Girl. This was Cammie.

She pulled away, taking a breath and I let my kisses trail up and down her neck, her jaw, and her cheek. "Zach," she murmured. Her voice was laced with desire and need so strong, I couldn't deny it. Because I needed it too.

With a whimper, she pulled my face back to hers. Her lips opened automatically when I teased them. My tongue swept in and I unconsciously unwound my arms from around her waist and went to cup her face. She tried to pull me closer, to close the non-existent space between us.

It wasn't enough. My arms came up around my neck and I pulled her hands up and held them against the wall. Her fingers laced through mine and I released one of hers to let mine wrap around her waist, pushing myself even closer. I felt a slight tremor come from her throat, and smirked. I affected her as much as she affected me.

I pulled away after a minute, breathing hard. "We should go downstairs," I said quietly. "Everyone is probably wondering where we are."

She nodded without speaking. My forehead rested against hers and my hands were barricading her in, both against the wall on either side of the wall, the one that I hadn't used to pull her closer still pushing hers against the wall, my fingers laced with hers. I was reluctant to ruin the moment.

Finally I slid my hands down and took one of hers, pulling her toward the door. "Wait." Her still-breathless voice stopped me. I turned toward her. She pushed herself up on her toes and whispered in my ear, "That is the kind of wake up call I expect every morning."

I smirked.

…

Breakfast was delicious, almost better than dinner last night. When I told Conney Morgan that, she blushed again and ducked her head as any grandmother would. Except I knew that she wasn't an ordinary grandmother and this, therefore, was very strange. I shrugged it off though, knowing it was probably because she liked me. The thought filled me with warmth.

There was one thing that was bothering me though: Cammie kept glancing at Damian and Kate. More so Damian. I was not jealous, by any means, because Damian was head-over-heels for my aunt, and Cammie is way too young for him, but the looks she gave him were suspicious almost, and…something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on. In any case, I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Melanie entered the kitchen a few minutes later, yawning and stretching her arms over her head. "I'm hungry," she said, mid yawn. "What is there to eat for breakfast?"

Cammie, momentarily forgetting about Damian, looked at the little girl. "Oh, Mel, hun, there's lots to eat. Come here." She gestured toward the seat next to her. Melanie tiredly took the seat, wiping at her eyes.

"Melanie," Kate said, "what have I told you about rubbing your eyes like that?"

Melanie sighed. "To not to," she said in the manner that only an eight-year-old could. "But I can't help it, Aunt Kate."

"You'd do well to listen to your aunt, Melanie," Joe surprised me by saying. "She's a very smart woman."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Flattery was never hard to come by with you, Solomon," she said, trying to imitate menacing.

Cammie gave my aunt a strange look. "Flattery isn't hard to come by?" she repeated. "With Mr. Solomon?" She looked incredulous.

Kate winked. "For certain covers of his, no. As a teacher…yes, it is."

Cammie slumped in her chair, smiling. "Good to know he can compliment someone," she said, her voice slightly far away.

Melanie tugged on her sleeve. "Cammie?" she said quietly and waited until Cam had looked at her. "Are you and Zach going to do something with me today?"

My girlfriend smiled down at my sister, her expression tender. "Of course." She looked up at her mom, who had arrived in the middle of the night. They'd done what any mother and daughter would do: They'd given hugs. Somehow, it seemed strange that even a mother and daughter pair of spies would do that. "Can I take her and Zach into town?" She was addressing her mom but her gaze flickered toward Kate. "If that's okay with Kate, of course."

Kate looked up from her pancakes, and smiled. "Of course. Just don't let her wander off."

Cammie thanked her and then looked back up to her mom. I could see in Rachel Morgan's eyes uncertainty: Uncertainty that her daughter was safe; uncertainty that she wouldn't be taken again; and most of all, uncertainty that she would always be there. Rachel was afraid for Cammie, afraid that her daughter would have the same fate as her husband.

Quick as a flash, the uncertainty was gone. When you're a spy, it's easy to do that. She smiled. "Of course, honey. Just be home by eight, so Melanie can get to bed on time." She hesitated and then pulled something out of her pocket. "And take the care." When Cammie was about to protest as her mother held out the keys, I smoothly slid them from her grasp, smiling at Rachel. "Thank you, Mrs. Morgan," I said.

Cammie gave me a look but I ignored it. "We'll be back by eight." I stood and held out a hand to Cammie. "Are we going or not?" She gave me an incredulous look but decided that it was best not to argue. She grasped my hand, giving me a look that said I would explain whatever it was needed explaining.

After all, she had some explaining to do too.

…

In the car, I held open the passenger side door for Cammie and then the backseat for Melanie. I hurried around the car, sliding into the driver's seat swiftly. Starting the car, I glanced at Cam. She was glaring ahead, as if this were pure torture.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She was silent. Great. The silent treatment. Just what I needed. I turned the car off, causing Mel to glare at me. "One second, Mel," I said as an explanation, barely sparing her a glance. "Gallagher Girl," I started. "What in the name of Joseph Solomon is wrong?"

She sighed. "Nothing. It's nothing." She tried to smile. "I'm just…tired is all." I knew she was lying, but I didn't press her. I started the car again, which made Melanie very subtly clap her hands together. "How can you drive without a license anyway?"

I grinned. "Spy," I reminded her. She glared at me. I laughed. "No, actually, I got my license last summer. It wasn't hard. I really didn't even have to take the tests. Just hacked into the DMV's system and gave myself a license. They were thoroughly confused when I went to pick it up."

She smacked my arm, which, by the way, hurt. "That," she said in a scolding tone, "is illegal."

I rolled my eyes. "Haven't you learned by now," I said, "that being a spy, you tend to break the law?"

"Well, yeah, but, see, giving yourself a license when you're not ready isn't exactly—"

My head snapped toward, and I feigned hurt. "What, you think I'm not ready?"

"Well, considering the way you're driving now…," she said, letting the sentence hang.

I shook my head. "I'm a perfectly capable driver, thank you." I looked in the rearview mirror at Melanie. "Aren't I, Mel?"

She giggled. "I agree with Cammie."

I glared at my girlfriend mockingly. "Jeez, woman, you've turned my own sister against me!"

She raised her eyebrows. "'Woman'?" she said skeptically. "Did you just call me 'woman'?"

I grinned slightly sheepish but didn't answer as I pulled into a park's parking lot. "I think," I began, "this is the best place for us to go until lunchtime. Any objections?"

Melanie clapped her hands enthusiastically while Cammie stared at me as if I'd grown an extra arm. "Well, let's go then!" I climbed out of the car, going around to open Cam's door before she could. Melanie didn't wait for me, pushing her own door open as if she was about to get trapped in the car. I slid the keys into my pocket and wrapped an arm around Cammie. "Why'd you look so surprised," I asked her, "when I pulled in here?"

Her eyes were on Melanie, as she ran toward the play set. "I've just never figured you as the type to go to a park. Even for your little sister."

I smirked. "Did you ever consider the fact that I might be doing it for the both of you?" I asked her. Her eyes snapped to mine and for a moment she looked as if she were arguing with herself.

Finally, she just shook her head, seeming to have come to a conclusion. "Why for the both of us?" she asked.

I grinned down at her. "Because," I said, wrapping my arm once more around her and walking toward the playground where Melanie was already laughing and playing, "you need to loosen up." My eyes flickered toward her, judging her reaction. "We all do," I added softly. We reached a bench and sat down. I pulled her closer and she rested her head against my shoulder. Both my arms were around her, to keep both her warm and me. We watched Melanie jumped around, swinging from monkey bar to monkey bar, sliding down the slide multiple times. She seemed so carefree, even after the months she'd spent down in a cell underground, wondering if anyone was ever going to come for her.

"Zach?" Cammie said suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Hm?" I answered her.

"Do you…do you ever have nightmares?" The question was barely a whisper and I had to strain to hear it. "I mean, I know that you weren't down in the cells with us, but still…do you?"

I looked down at her, where she was still lying on my chest. She was avoiding my eyes but I knew she could feel them. "Yes," I said simply.

Her head snapped up and she met my probing gaze. "Really?" She looked as if she didn't understand how I could.

I sighed. Great. I was going to have to revert to Mushy Zach. Again. "Cam, do you know what it was like for me, even for those few days, when you were gone?" I asked. "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? I was about as bad as Nick. And Nick's like a girl when he gets moody." I looked across the playground, where Melanie was now attempting to spin herself around on the circular wheels hanging from a bar. "I have had nightmares almost every night about you getting kidnapped. I've woken up many nights and wondered if you were there, if you were safe, before I realized where we were." I paused. "So yes, I have had nightmares, but not consisting of almost getting blown to pieces by a bomb. They're all consisting of you getting kidnapped."

She stared at me. "I…didn't realize that it was hard for you," she said in a tiny voice. I gave her an incredulous look and opened my mouth to tell her exactly why it was hard before she placed her finger on my lips. "Let me finish." I sighed but nodded. "I get that you missed me; I get that you tried so hard to get me back. And it worked. What I meant was…I guess I don't see my intrigue like you do. I guess I've always been the girl that nobody sees. The Chameleon; that's what everyone calls me. I'm a pavement artist. I never thought….I never realized that you saw me and still loved me for it." A tiny smile graced my lips. "And you know what? Whenever I think about it, I'm the happiest girl that I've been since I found out that my dad wasn't coming back." She looked down at our twined hands, slightly embarrassed. "Thank you," she whispered.

I gripped her chin and forced her to look up at me. "It's not a matter of…intrigue. I love you. I'm not intrigued by you. You are the on person in the world that I care most about. Well, one of the two. Melanie is the other." I shook my head, agitated. "But that's not the point. I saw you, as you say, in a way that was different than the way I saw Bex or Macey or Liz. I saw you as a girl whom I could possibly fall in love with." A smile lit my face as I thought about a song I had heard not too long ago. You Can is what it was called. "And I did. I never thought you needed me. But I knew that you wanted me and that was all that counted." She opened her mouth to argue but I overrode her. "Spies aren't supposed to need people, Cam. And I know you've only ever needed three people in your life. And I'm not one of them." A faraway look crossed my eyes. "I remember that Kate used to say that you only need three people to reach self-actualization. You only need three people and you have them: Bex, Liz, and your mother. There the ones who have been with you forever." I shook my head. "If I can't help you in that way, I'll help you in different ways. You may not need me, but I need you and I love you. Always." I pulled our laced hands up and kissed the back of hers. "Always," I whispered against her hand. I kissed up her arm, murmuring the same word over and over again until I reached her bare shoulder. Dang, that girl just had to wear something revealing, didn't she? Not that I minded.

And then I kissed her. Deeply. Putting all the emotion a man like me could muster into the kiss. "I love you," I heard her murmur against my lips. I grinned and murmured my reply back. No one could ruin the moment.

Unless of course you name is Melanie Goode and you feel the need to eat. Or in this case, ask us to play.

"Zachy?" she said. "Cammie?" Neither of us noticed her until she smacked me. "Goodness, people! Have you ever heard of limiting your PDA?" she nearly shrieked. "And in front of an eight-year-old too." She shook her head.

"Um, Mel?" Cammie said. "You do realize that you sounded more like a sixteen-year-old than an eight-year-old, right?"

She shrugged. "I saw it on some movie that Kate and Damian were watching last night. They didn't know I was there. I was supposed to be in bed."

I rolled my eyes and ruffled her hair. "What'd you need, sweetie?" I said, the familiar affectionate side that always came out when I was with her and Cammie starting to show. (I mean, honestly, when do I ever use the word "sweetie"? Total ludicrous, I tell you!)

"Will you and Cammie come push me on the swings? I can do it myself, but I really want you to push me. You make me go high." She smiled. "I feel like I can fly when I go high." I almost laughed at her unintentional rhyme.

Cammie smiled. "Of course we will, Melanie." Then she grinned and leaned in to whisper something into Melanie's ear. I only caught parts of it: "Tell…in public…kiss…private." I wasn't sure what to make of the phrases I caught.

Melanie promptly looked at me and smirked the Goode Signature Smirk (I really should get that copyrighted). "Cammie says, and I quote, 'Tell Zach that he should not kiss me in public because a kiss is something to do in private like this morning.'" She nodded once vehemently as if she fully agreed with that statement. Then a sudden realization seemed to dawn on Mel and she glared at me accusingly. "That's why you left me!" she exclaimed. "So you could give your girlfriend a wake up call!"

I laughed. "Melanie, trust me, I love you too."

She sighed. "I know."

I looked at Cammie. "And you," I said, pointing an accusing finger at her, "should not be discussing our morning…adventures with my little sister."

She grinned wickedly and stood on her tiptoes to murmur in my ear, "I didn't tell her what happened. Why would I do that?" Her lips grazed my ear slightly. "Plus, I wouldn't mind it happening again."

"Yeah, you said that already." I was proud when my voice came out steady.

"Stop flirting and let's swing instead," Melanie demanded. "It's much more fun!"

Cammie crouched down in front of her. "But it won't be more fun when you're older."

The eight-year-old wrinkled her nose. "Will I end up like you and Zach, when all we do is stare at each like all we want to do is kiss each other? Because I don't think that sounds very fun."

I looked at Cammie and smirked. Yeah, that was about right. But there was more to it. "Mel, if you have a healthy relationship, that's not all you'll want to do or, rather, all you'll do. You'll talk and you'll have fun together. When you're in love," I continued, looking at Cammie with tenderness that I could feel, "you'll want to do everything together."

Melanie stared between us as if we were aliens. After a minute, she shook her head. "I think I'll pass."

Cam and I laughed. "Okay, little one," Cam said, "let's just go swing."

Together, the three of us went to the swing set. Melanie sat on the swing. I stood behind her and Cam stood in front of her. I pushed her and she reached for Mel's little eight-year-old feet. She would giggle and the process went on and on for a while before Cammie glanced at her watch. She stepped back and looked at me. "I think we should go eat lunch."

Melanie stopped swinging as I took hold of the handles and stopped her. "What are we going to eat?" Melanie asked. "'Cause I'm starved."

Cammie grinned. "I know the perfect place.

…

"Welcome to Grand View Café and Lounge. What can I get for you?" The Grand View Café and Lounge, according to Cammie, was the best restaurant in town. It was quaint and small and the perfect place for a spy.

You're not being a spy, Zach, I chided myself. You're on vacation. But every good spy knows that we're never on vacation.

"Oh, hey, Cammie. It's good to see you," our waitress said.

"Hey, Kennadie. It's good to see you too." Cammie looked back at me sitting next to her and took my hand. She slipped her arm through mine and smiled encouragingly. "This is my boyfriend, Zach. Zach, this is Kennadie Wilson. She and I were good friends before I went to Gallagher."

Kennadie smiled a little too widely up at me. "Hey, Zach," she said, extending her hand, "it's nice to meet you. Cammie told me about you over the summer." I shook her hand and smiled.

"At least she told someone," I said with a laugh. "She didn't even mention me to her grandparents."

Cammie had the decency—not that I would've cared either way—to looked slightly sheepish. "I thought my mom would."

"Why would your mother tell your grandparents about me?" I asked skeptically.

She shrugged. "Um, can I just get the usual, Ken?"

Kennadie smiled. "Of course." She wrote it down. "And for you, Zach?" Was I imagining it, or was there a sultry tone in the way she said my name?

I browsed the memory briefly before ordering. "I want your special."

She smiled, writing down my order. "And for you, little one?" she said, smiling at Melanie.

"I want chicken strips with Ranch dressing!" she said promptly. "With a Dr. Pepper to drink."

"Okay, sounds good," Kennadie said. "Your orders will be ready soon." With that she pranced off toward the kitchens.

Once she was gone, Cammie gave an irritated groan, slamming her head on the table and taking her arm back.

"Cam?" I said, a little stricken. "What's wrong?"

Her head whipped up to look at me. More like glare at me. "You didn't see the way you were looking at her!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Cammie—'' I reached for her arm but she yanked it away.

"Don't touch me!"

Okay, seriously, what was up with her? "How did I look at her?" I asked quietly.

Cammie looked up at me, and, to my horror, tears were glistening in her eyes. "Like she was…some piece of meat."

I raised my eyebrows. "Cam," I started, reaching for her again. She yanked her hand away just like before. I raised my arms in a surrendering gesture. "Okay, okay, I get it. No touching until you forgive me."

She wiped a tear away that had slipped out of her eyes, which were now pooled with water. "Yes," she said, "that's right."

Melanie, looking stricken, piped up. "Cammie, I saw the way Zach looked at her. He didn't look at her in any special way; he looked at her like…like an acquaintance. That's how he looks at lots of people. That's how he looked at Jonas and Grant and Nick when he first met them."

Cam met my eyes, a question hovering on her lips. "Is that true?" she said quietly.

"Mel has a one-track open mind. If she says that's how I look at acquaintances, then, yes, it's true." I gave her a hopeful smile, using my persuasive puppy dog eyes that only work on Grant.

And, apparently, Cammie. She sighed. "Okay, I believe you." A soft smile graced her lips. She held out her hand. "Now come back over here." I took her arm gingerly. She slipped it around my waist and I wrapped mine around her shoulders.

"Cammie, I would never ever look at another girl and think the thoughts I have when I look at you," I murmured into her hair. "Remember what I said about needing you? I don't need anyone else. Just you and Mel and sometimes Kate and sometimes our other friends. That's it."

She sighed. "I know. I just went into Jealous Girlfriend Mode. I…Kennadie's always been the girl that guys go after, and I just worried that…you would too."

"Well, I'm not a normal guy. She not my type; you're my only type."

She suddenly glared up at me. "Why do you have to be so gosh-darned sexy?" she asked.

I laughed. "Because that's just the way things were put. I'm so 'gosh-darned sexy' and you're so dang, flipping beautiful." I paused. "That didn't come out right, but you know what I mean."

"Hello!" Melanie cut in. Again. "Eight-year-old here!"

We laughed.

…

I groaned as we walked out of the café. "That was so good!" I said. "Much better than any restaurant where we live."

"Yeah," Cam said faintly. We were holding hands and Mel was walking ahead of us, studiously ignoring the whole couple-y thing.

I looked at Cammie, a little surprised. "You sound a little disappointed, Gallagher Girl," I pointed out. "How come?"

"She slipped you her number, Zach," Cammie said. I internally groaned, upset that she saw that. Kennadie had slipped her number in the bill after she heard I was paying. I didn't even look at it when I paid. "I thought she was a better friend than that." She sighed. A light shone in her eyes. "I swear, if that girl comes around to our house—''

"Cammie." I stopped and placed my hands on her shoulders, stepping in front of her. "It's okay. If she comes to the house, I'll ignore her, you'll tell her how you feel, and we'll all be happy." I shook my head when she tried to interrupt. "She's only a girl to me, Cammie. Only a girl."

That seemed to relax her and she smiled. "I know. Sorry. Still trying to recover from the fact that my friend since childhood is trying to steal my boyfriend."

"I won't let her steal me." I pulled her closer, hugging her to my chest. "Only you can ever steal me."

She laughed and when she pulled away, her cheeks were flushed. "Good." She glanced at Mel, who was still ignoring us, leaning against the car. "We better get back to your sister. She's very impatient. And she's reverted to ignoring us instead of attempting to stop us. Well, like brother like sister."

"Hey!"

…

"So," I said once we were on the road. "What should we do now?"

"There's a movie place around here somewhere," Cammie said. "We could go see a movie." She looked at her watch. "We have a couple hours before dinner and I think my grandma wanted us home for that."

I positioned the rearview mirror so I could look at Melanie in the backseat. "What do you say, Mel?" I said. "You want to see a movie?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah!"

Cammie directed me where the theatre was and I parked. We looked at movies and movie times. Melanie read over them a couple times. "I want to go see Letters to Juliet," she decided. "That looked cute."

Cammie glanced at me. "Is it okay if she sees a PG-13 movie? She's eight."

I shrugged. "If there's not too much bad stuff in it, sure." I glanced at the guy at the counter. "Let's ask him." With that, I strode toward the guy. "Excuse me," I said. "Can you tell me if Letters to Juliet is inappropriate for under-thirteen-year-olds?"

The guy looked at me. "My girlfriend and I went and saw it last week. It wasn't bad at all. There were a few swear words and a little bit of sexual content, but other than that…," he trailed off glancing over my shoulder. "Is that the under-thirteen-year-old you were talking about?"

I nodded. "My little sister and my girlfriend want to go see it."

The guy shrugged. "It's not bad. Go ahead."

"Thank you. Can I get three tickets to Letters to Juliet then?"

He rang it up. "That would be eighteen dollars, sir."

I pulled out a twenty and handed it to him. He gave me my change and I sauntered back to Cammie and Melanie. "Three tickets to Letters to Juliet." I handed them their tickets. "Let's go see the chick flick!" I said with mock enthusiasm.

"Zachary," Cammie said warningly, "there's no need to get so excited; we're almost there."

I rolled my eyes, and smile. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just get this over with."

We chose a seat in the center and sat down. I sat between them, ready to let either of them hold onto me.

The movie consisted of cheesy lines, an over used plot, and a hot guy, according to Cammie, that she was drooling over by the end of the movie. By the end of the movie, she was also nearly in my lap, resting her head against my chest, my arm around her, her hands laced with mine. Melanie was staring fascinatingly at the screen. When the predictable balcony scene came along, I leaned down and whispered to Cammie, "That guy?" I said, pointing at Charlie What's-His-Name. "I'd do exactly the same thing he is doing if it were you."

She looked up at me, smiling slightly. "You wouldn't even do it for Amanda Seyfried?"

I grinned. "Never." I leaned in to kiss her just like Charlie was doing to Sophie at that moment. When the end credits rolled around, I was still kissing my girlfriend.

…

"What did you guys do today?" Cammie's mom asked as she dished herself some food. "Did you have fun?"

Cammie smiled. "Yeah, it was lots of fun. We took Mel to the park and played there for a while. Then we went to Grand View Café and Lounge. Zach and Mel met Kennadie." I detected her scathing tone when she said Kennadie's name. "Then we went to a movie. It was the cutest thing! And I had fun there too." I grinned at the very small and undetectable—if I weren't a spy—suggestive tone in her voice. "It was a good day."

"And what about you, Zach?" Mrs. Morgan asked me. "Did you have fun?"

I smiled. "Oh yeah. Apart from the fact that Cammie's friend hit on me, it was great."

Her mother raised her eyebrows and Cammie hit me. Her eyes were blazing slightly with anger. "Kennadie hit on you? Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

Cammie nodded vehemently. "I don't know why she stays with him if she's going to hit on my boyfriend." There was an underlying note of possessiveness in her tone.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Zach could never have eyes for anyone but you, Cam; you have nothing to worry about."

I grinned at her. "I told you."

"I, for one, have never seen Zach act the way he does with you," Damian jumped in. Cammie looked a little uncomfortable with his voluntary opinion. He hadn't offered much since we got home, or even since he got here. I was starting to wonder what was so off about her when he was around. I mentally slapped myself for not asking her today.

"I haven't either," Kate put in.

Cammie forced a smile. "That's good. Because if he acted like this with every girl, I wouldn't be special."

I wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. "Oh, hun, of course you're special. Always." The word reminded her—and me—of earlier on the park bench, when Mel had so "conveniently" interrupted us. A faint blush crept up t her cheeks. "We should do it again sometime," I said, quiet enough that only she would hear it, referring to the park bench scene. She nodded, trying to push down the blush.

She cleared her throat. "I guess Zach and I will clean up again. You adults can…do something else."

Damian and Kate eyed one another. "Kate!" I said. "Please not at the dinner table. It's gross."

"It's not as bad as the looks you and Cammie give each other," she countered.

I shook my head. "Yes it is."

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. I always won our arguments.

I stood, helping Cammie gather dishes. "I wash, you dry," I warned. "You shouldn't be doing such grueling tasks."

"Idiot," she muttered under her breath. Out loud, she said, "Fine, fine, whatever. Since washing dishes is so hard." Her sarcasm didn't escape me but I didn't comment.

In the kitchen, we worked in silence. Melanie was getting ready for bed and Kate and Damian had disappeared. The others had adjourned to the living room.

"So," I began. "What is it with Damian? Why are you so…I don't know, nervous or suspicious around him?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet mine. "What makes you say that?" There was a small note of panic laced in her voice.

"At breakfast, you seemed to glance at him every two minutes and then last night when you met him, you just seemed to…space out. You were robotic with your motions." An idea struck me. "You knew him, didn't you?" I corrected myself, "Know him. You know him. Don't you?"

Cammie put the rag she was using down with a bit too much force. "Can we not talk about this? Damian seems…nice. I thought I recognized him from somewhere…but maybe I'm wrong. In any case, it doesn't matter."

I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. I heard the lie in her voice, but I also saw the warning look on her face. "Don't push it," her eyes said. I shrugged. "Okay. Whatever you say." I looked at her, my gaze penetrating. "Cammie?" I said after a minute.

"Hm?" she answered, drying the last dish.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

She hesitated, stopping mid-dry. I held my breath, waiting for her answer. When she didn't answer after a minute, I sighed, getting ready to tell her that I understood. When I didn't. But then she whispered the word. Her voice was choked with tears. That's why she didn't answer right away. "Yes," she whispered. "Always." A light grin formed on her lips. The word was always (there it is again) going to bring back memories for us.

…

Later that night, we laid in the grass, her head on my chest, arm around my waist. My arm was wrapped around her waist, treading lightly at the exposed skin there. I kept my hand there to keep her warm. After all, it was a little chilly here.

"Look at the stars," she murmured. "They're so beautiful. People say they're supposed to make you feel insignificant, but that's not what they do for me. They make me feel like part of a vast universe, like I'm part of something bigger." She looked up at me quickly. "Ya know?"

I nodded, running my fingers through her hair. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes, back at Blackthorne, I'd sneak out of the mansion and look at the stars. It gave me the feeling that my parents were out there." I sighed. "It gave me hope that I'd see them again."

She looked up at me, a little startled. "Me too. I mean, about my dad. People used to tell me that the stars were people, people who had died for a good cause. My dad is someone who has died for a good cause. If that's true, he's one of those stars, looking down at me."

"I think your dad is watching over you too." I smiled. "In fact, I think that my parents and your dad are watching us now and smiling." My smile turned into a mischievous grin. "And your dad is probably cursing me for kissing you the way I did."

She punched my arm. "You know what he said in that letter." She lay back down on my chest and sighed. "I kept it, you know. The letter. I read it all the time." She shook her head. "Well, I've read it about a billion times since I found it on Friday."

"I would've too," I said in understanding, "if my dad had written me a letter." My voice was devoid of emotion.

"Zach," she sighed out. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—''

I shook my head intensely. "No, that's not what I meant." I shook my head, slightly fidgety. "I just meant…if I had a letter from my dad, I would do the same thing. I already keep his things close. I don't have a lot to hang on to."

She looked up and touched my cheek. "Is that why you're so closed off?"

I looked down at her, touching her hand on my cheek, folding my fingers through hers. "In part. There's more to it than that though."

"Will you tell me?" she asked, playing with my shirt. "At least someday?"

I nodded, smiling. "Someday," I repeated, but my mind was somewhere faraway, in a future where I was with Cammie, with her for real. As in…marriage. What would she say if I told her what I was thinking about?"

"I love you," she said suddenly, pulling me from my faraway fantasies. "So much," she added.

"And I love you," I murmured back against her temple. "Always," I added with a smile.

I leaned down, and when I kissed her, it was like the thousands of stars above us were breaking out behind my eyelids. However clichéd that sounded.

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM!

…

SO! Here's an extra long chapter! And this time it's extra, extra long chapter. I hope you guys liked it! Did you catch the David Archuleta reference in there? And I swear, I didn't think that Letters to Juliet was bad! I actually loved it, but I knew that Zach never would so I had to say that about it. What did you think of Zach's point of view? Should I do it more often? And also, I haven't quite decided if I want Kennadie to be part of the plot. What do you guys think? I don't like the idea of her trying to steal Zach, but if that's how the plot will be…then so be it. And this is how I'm going to be doing the chapters. There'll be fourteen days. I'll say the day and then the chapter name. Did you like it?

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

~XJamesBondX