Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girl series and I am not Ally Carter *sob*

Authors note: Here's chapter 4, folks! I may even upload another tonight if I have time. If there are any Zammie moments you're particularly looking forward to, please share and I'll try and make them extra good ;-) And any improvements! It's tough being inside a guys head.

…"I thought we were going to meet your teacher in the wonderful world of Oz?" I replied, making my tone and expression as innocent as possible.

Her voice raised an octave. "We?"

"Sure. I'm going with you." I said casually.

"No you're not." She looked me dead in the eyes, but I met them with a level stare. Try chivalry, I reasoned. It would protect my cover.

"Look," I nodded outside. "It's dark. You're by yourself. And this is Washington D.C." Of course I knew she would be able to protect herself – but I could do a better job. "And you've only got…. fifteen minutes to meet your teacher." It was a calculated guess – she actually only had thirteen minutes and twenty six seconds, but saying that would sound bizarre.

She looked past my shoulder, lost in thought. I could almost hear the cogs grinding in her head. The soft light from the streetlights highlighted her cheekbones and I noticed how long her eyelashes were.

Without warning, she just continued to walk in the direction of the exhibit.

"Fine." I heard her say quietly. Hiding my smile, I walked next to her, but was

surprised by how quickly she walked. She must be a fast runner, I mused.

"You can really walk fast," I noted. I waited for a few seconds, but there was no reply. She looked cold – I would've offered her my coat if I'd had one. Was Cameron short for anything? I wondered. "So, do you have a name?"

"Sure. Lots of them." She said coolly. An unexpected response – one I hadn't anticipated. I looked at her and smiled at her eccentricity.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" It just popped out. I barely even heard myself say it. She sighed heavily, as if she had a lot more on her mind.

Unfortunately, she avoided the question altogether. "Look, thanks for the chivalry and all… but it really isn't necessary. It's just up here." Her eyes surveyed our surroundings. "And there's a cop over there."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. The cop had a beer belly. "You think that guy can do a better job protecting you than I can?"

She smirked. "No, I think it you don't leave me alone, I can scream and that cop will arrest you." Unable to resist smiling at her smile, I grinned in return. She looked at the ground and I had to restrain myself from giving her a cheeky elbow. I decided for now, it was best to leave her. The biggest surprise would come later. Turning away, I started calculating the quickest route to the exhib- the sound of her voice stopped me. Instinctively, I turned around.

"Hey," She shrugged. "Thanks anyway." I walked away, knowing it wouldn't be the last time we saw each other.

Thankfully, I arrived before she did. Joe was there; wearing the same focused façade as usual. We caught one another's eyes as I arrived quietly, and with a small shake of his head and a sly smile, I backed into the shadows. I could hardly wait for what was coming.

There she was - looking slightly flustered but extremely proud of herself. And rightly so, I joked. Joe walked calmly from where he was waiting to meet her.

"You're four seconds late."

She half smiled, her eyes glistening. "But I'm alone."

"No, Ms Morgan. You're not."

Her eyebrows rose in shock and her cheeks became pink with embarrassment. As I walked slowly towards her with a sheepish smile on my face, her mouth dropped open.

"Hi again, Gallagher Girl."

For a second, I regretted my cocky remark. Her eyes lowered to the ground and her chin trembled. Had I upset her? She must have known it wasn't that important. Every bone in my body wanted to walk up to her, stroke her soft cheek, look her in the eyes and tell her that it didn't really matter; I knew what a great spy she really was.

Joe's voice broke through my thoughts. "Nice work, Zach." I looked at her desperately for some clue of her emotions. I winked in an attempt to lift the mood. She held my gaze and looked at me with intent.

She inhaled and smiled slightly. "Hi, Blackthorne Boy."