Disclaimer: Hey look that's some money, oh, yeah I wouldn't be so excited if I owned the Gallagher Girls, only the OCs.

A/N: Hey guys I am in the middle of exam season so updates are going to be sporadic and chapters shorter, sorry, please bear with me.

Anyway thanks to those who read and review, and of course pinkandpurplecherryblossom.

Please review people it really makes it so much easier to write more often.

Chapter 7- The stories we tell to help us sleep at night

Finally the silence was broken by Agent Townsend, his voice desperate, "Where's Zach, Cammie?"

Cammie raised an eyebrow at the older man, "What makes you think I know?"

"Cammie, I'm not stupid," the agent's voice was panicky.

"Yeah, yeah, well whatever helps you sleep at night," Cammie snapped back flippantly.

"Cammie," this time it was surprisingly Bex who stopped the other girl's comments.

Cam looked at her best friend, the girl that she'd known for many years. Over the past few months they had drifted apart mainly as Cam became a better fighter and survivor than Bex ever was and ever would be.

"Fine, fine, but why do you want to know where Zach is?"

Agent Townsend did not say anything for a few minutes, instead his eyes roamed around the room. Amy was still standing on a chair staring interestedly at the monitors in the room, Macey was leaning against the desk, Bex was sitting cross-legged on the floor, Lizzie was perched on one of the many student desks and Cammie was almost nose to nose with himself, her eyes flashing.

He then turned his attention to the adults. Rachel Morgan still looked hurt by her daughter's comments and changes in her personality. Joe Solomon was looking at the monitors in undisguised pride and Abby was staring at Cammie in shock.

"He's my son," Townsend's voice caught in his throat and to his shock instead of denying that fact Cammie was actually smiling.

"Nice to know that you are a man, Agent," Cammie smiled.

"Answer the man's question, Cammie," Amy finally spoke.

All eyes spun to see the youngest girl, who shrugged, "What, he's a father, he's concerned."

To their shock they watched as a tear made its way down Cammie's face but the girl made no moves to wipe it away.

"God, I wish that were universal," Cammie's voice was choked as she continued, "I am sorry Agent but your guess is as good as mine."

"What, no, you must know," Agent Townsend looked very close to trying to kill Cammie.

"I assure you Cammie does not know," was all Liz responded.

"I'm sorry Agent, but we all tell ourselves stories to help us get through the night," Macey suddenly said, apparently changing the topic.

"What," this time it was Abby who spoke for the four, they were all confused.

"We tell ourselves that our parents love us," Macey offered.

"We tell ourselves that our parents will live to see another day during their missions," Bex chimed in.

"We tell ourselves that we are smart enough to win," Lizzie's voice lacked the strength of the previous two but made up for it in sincerity.

"We tell ourselves that we'll do our country proud," was Amy's contribution.

"But most of all," Cammie finished, "we tell ourselves that our parents are proud. That they love us, that we are doing the right thing. That we will survive and that we are worth fighting for."

"The trouble is, that those are stories," Bex told the stunned older operatives.

"Those are things that we've had to believe for months to help us through the nights, so sorry if we're not what you want or need, it's what you get," Lizzie finished, before she, Macey, Bex and Amy walked into the next room.

Cammie took up a spot by the monitors, "As harsh as that may seem, you guys had the better end of the stick. You really did, we were stuck with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I am sorry Agent, more than you'll ever realise, at least I hope you don't. I really hope you never understand this feeling."

"She's right, as much as we are pissed at you right now, we'd never want you to feel what we're feeling right now," Liz commented from the doorway where she and the others were leaning.

"C'est la vie," Cammie shrugged, "if you can't deal with it, then tough because there is nothing that we can do to help at this point. You have to do what you do best, get the hell out of here or shut up and let us work, if you choose the latter please be aware that it is our prerogative to do as we wish."

"Guys we have a problem," Macey's voice cut through the silence that had fallen after Cam's statement.

Cammie turned to see what Macey was staring at and swore loudly. The Sub-Levels had just been breached again.