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Note: Thanks to everyone who reads/reviews. And thanks for putting up with my inconstant updates- I love you all. Written to "Swoon" by Imogen Heap

"Working you undercover,

softly slowly gotcha,

Any moment you're gonna swoon into my arms"

-Imogen Heap

Things change.

How well she was starting to realize that now. On some level she had always known, of course, that becoming friends with him would make things…different.

She just didn't know it would be this hard.

Take this morning, for example. She got up at her usual time, only to find she had a very angry blonde to deal with. He was all " 7:00am! Sunday! Are' ya crazy woman?"

And then crawled back under the covers.

Well….he tried, anyways.

She wasn't Kettlecorn's Junior Hog Wrestling Champion for nothing! The look on his face! Oh, sweet corn, she hadn't laughed that hard in…she didn't know how long. Eventually he would find the whole thing as amusing as she did….maybe.

So she made him call Blanket to unlock them for their toiletry time. He did, grumbling, but once he was handcuff free, showered, and looking relativity alive and awake, he seemed friendlier. Ah, friendly-ish. He managed to grunt and nod when she asked if he wanted some breakfast.

So here they are. Handcuffed and hungry.

She's a little amazed at how he can shuffle down food (him- bacon, eggs, and waffles, her- oatmeal) one-handed, while she is eating at the same pace as Granny Pickett.

And they're not talking.

But it's like…the good kind of silence. Peaceful….like they didn't have to talk.

It's kind of… nice.

When Cody ate with her, they always talked- about the weather patterns, about last night's homework, about the status of CERN's large electron- positron collider….everything.

Huh. Guess she never knew silence could say so much…

"Sqw-ack."

What in the world?

Oh, it's just a seagull. It hobbled near Zack's feet, ruffling its feathers and staring at him with its strangely intelligent blue eyes. The little critter probably wants food…

"Here you go, little guy." He throws out a tiny piece of waffle, which the seagull immediately gobbles up.

"Sqw-ack," says the seagull, its eyes clearly asking for seconds.

Zack chuckles and then throws another waffle crumb. "Last one, my friend."

Bobbling its head angrily, the seagull fixes its eyes on them threateningly. "SQW-AACK!"

"Hey! That's everything. I don't have any more!" her blonde friend yells, gesturing to his empty plate.

…but the bird just narrows its eyes.

She didn't even know birds could do that…. "Zack, I think we should go. I don't like that look its giving us," she whispers to him, not wanting to startle the feathery fiend.

He nods.

And slowly, slowly they rise out of their chairs.

Should she keep eye-contact with it? Was that for birds…or…or was it bears? Come on, stupid brain, think!

…and then she remembers.

Oh, horse-manure.

"Zack. It's a seagull," she whispers. "A seagull- like Cody's seagull. Remember? Killer. Seagull."

His eyes flashing green, Zack pales. So, apparently, he does remember the Seagull vs. Cody Showdown… Cody used her as a human shield and ran away…the seagull still won.

"Just… back away…slowly," he says softly, walking backwards, keeping his gaze on the bird.

Swallowing hard, she nods. Oh, god. This is not how she wanted her day to go! She was thinking more a relaxing meal, maybe a romantic stroll through the boa- wait. Romantic? What? Ahh, she's losing her mind! She just needs to…stay. Calm.

"Breathe Bailey," he whispers. Taking a step in front of her, Zack stands between herself and the evil bird. "I won't let anything happen to you."

(…and O.K, she is not going to think about the weird warmth spreading through her as he says this. Must be adrenaline or something…)

Hold on….

He's…he's defending her honor.

That's what he's doing, isn't he?

But she can't even think about this before he yells "Go! Fly! I have a recipe for Seagull Soup! Scat!"

The bird flies alright…

…at Zack's face, its wings beating against him, scratching and tearing at his flesh.

Ohdeargodno.

Nononono!

Oh, no you don't, bird! Not her Zack!

…So she does what she has to do.

(Bye-bye Birdie)

He's not embarrassed. Why…why would he be embarrassed that a girl, the girl he's in love with no less, fought off a killer rabid animal and saved him when he was supposed to be saving her?

Noooo, he's totally fine with it.

Really.

Oh, O.K, he's totally maybesortof….not fine with it….very not fine.

But, hey, she's all playing nurse for him, so maybe it's not so bad…. Maybe.

"You! How could you be so stupid! Wait. Don't answer that," she shakes her head, narrowing those chocolate eyes at him. Then she swoops down, jabbing his cuts with antiseptic. "Stay still….I can't believe you just let it attack you! And hold still!"

"And that so-called medicine hurts more than the bird!" He can't help but twitch when she slaps down a band-aid unnecessarily hard. "Hey! Want to calm down there a little Nurse Ratched?"

She glares at him again, and then lets out a shaky sigh, her shoulders dropping, her eyes becoming suspiciously wet. "You! Don't you do that ever again!"

Then she slaps him. On the head. Hard.

Damn that girl can hit! "Ow! I am injured here woman!...Wait… are….are you… crying?"

" N-No!" She says through her tears, sniffling.

Aw, man, she's crying. Shit. "Bailey, please! Don't, don't cry! I'm…I'm sorry. I won't, um, be stupid and reckless and-"

"You're not stupid. And…and you have nothing to be sorry for." She straightens her back, wiping away her tears. "What you did was…was very brave."

"It was?"

She nods. "Yes. It was." Looking him carefully in the eye, she lets out a tiny smile. " It was very, very stupid Zack Martin…but it was brave."

She takes a step closer to him.

Oh, god.

She's so close. He could feel her warm breath against his face, could smell her coconut shampoo, could see the tiny teardrop clinging to her eyelashes…

And then she leaning her head towards his…

…and kisses him softly.

On his forehead.

"Thank you for trying to save me." Her voice is barely a whisper, but he can hear her so loud.

Trying to keep his grin down, he whispers back. "Thank you for really saving me."

And she's smiling now, really smiling with glittering warm eyes, her skin flushed and glowing.

"Got you, Zackary Martin. Got you."

Only a few chapters to go! Cody is due for his triumphant return. Also, I am not sure how to describe the sound a seagull makes, so feel free to make suggestions. Reviewers receive hugs and chocolate pudding!