A/N So here we are, so close to the end. However don't fret there will be a sequel which I've already started (it's so much fun)! I currently have 3 exams left in England, but after tomorrow I have a 9 day break so I can get back to writing constantly! Your reviews are amazing! I'm glad people like this!

Disclaimer: The Gallagher Girls characters belong to Ally Carter and not me.

Cammie's POV

"Hey girls." Mom said, as Macey opened our bedroom door.

I was tired to say the least, it had been a traumatic day and all I wanted to do was snuggle up in bed and sleep, but I couldn't blame my roommates for keeping me awake to get all the lowdown on what had gone on. They'd listened and comforted me but I hadn't cried since the car but the three of them could tell I was not feeling ok. So instead we decided to have a girls night in, pig out on our stash of popcorn m&ms and redvines and gossip.

"Hello Headmistress Morgan," the three chanted almost immediately.

"Mom." I added.

Without another word, Mom came and sat next to me on my bed, picked up a handful of m&ms from the bowl and carefully put one into her mouth with a smile. "Mrs Goode's awake." She told me.

Mom rarely came into my room, in a way it was to give me privacy, it was the only place that my Mom never went. She was always there, in my school and in my home 24/7, and it was nice to have a little space between us at times. Even when she had something important or urgent to tell me she'd get one of the girls to deliver a message for me to come down to her room or her office instead of coming up here herself. I didn't mind that today she'd come up, I knew she was worried at me and hey so would I if my daughter had gone missing, nearly evaded capture of a terrorist organization that wanted to kill her and had only just been rescued.

"Good, I actually liked her lessons. There's only so many D-Day stories of Buckingham I can take." Bex stated simply.

My Mom raised an eyebrow at her and Bex clamped a hand over her mouth realising what she'd just said. "Oops."

"Oops indeed Rebecca." My Mom said in a semi-serious tone and we all laughed, Bex included. "Anyway." Mom continued. "She's asked to see you."

"Oh." I said. "Okay."

"You can go in the morning, I don't want you up now and Zach's with her at the moment."

I nodded to my Mom and that's when I realised how different she looked. She looked sad. It was understandable of course, her 'best friend' was still in the Circle's 'custody' doing unthinkable things to him and her daughter had just come home; but it also shocked me. Shocked me into realization of how serious this was as my Mom was usually the best person to hide her emotions and if even she couldn't this had to be serious. Although she was dressed in her work clothes she'd ditched the jacket and although she still looked amazingly hot (unfortunately) without it, she wasn't wearing any makeup and her eyes were red and slightly puffy. She'd been crying, that much was evident and although she'd tried to do something about it, it still showed.

"We'll go with you Cam." Liz said looking up at me in all seriousness.

I should've known that now I was back I'd be stalked by my protection detail (a.k.a my roommates).

"That sounds like a good idea." Mom nodded.

"Is that all you came for...?" I trailed off impatiently.

As much as I loved my Mom, she was interfering in girls night, and there are some gossip items you don't want your own mother to hear, particularly when it comes to a certain Blackthorn Boy.

Mom rolled her eyes at my tone and swallowed another m&m. "No. Abby is taking you to Nebraska tomorrow."

I blinked twice and scrunched up my nose. "Huh?"

I looked at Macey, Bex and Liz, who all looked just as lost and surprised as I did.

"You said Joe told you that your Dad's diary is in Nebraska, Abby and I have realised it's our only lead and so you two are going." Mom said, it was clear she didn't like what she was saying but it was indeed the most logical solution.

"But what about Mr Solomon?" I asked her.

"We're still looking for him kiddo, but the Circle's massive and we're working against the CIA here..." She trailed off with a sad look in her eye. "This is our only lead."

I knew how much Mr Solomon meant to her and it pained me to watch her try to stay strong for me. If my roommates hadn't been there I would've wrapped my arm around her and comforted her.

"We're going too." Macey told my Mom, standing up tall.

Mom shook her head. "The risks too big."

"Then why's Cammie going?" Bex countered.

Mom swallowed. "Abby, Professor Buckingham, Madame Dabney and I have all discussed it, Cammie will be protected by Gallagher alumni and her Aunt. There's more risk when there's all of you too."

Macey glared at my mother, and I was willing to bet my Mom would have told her off, however to my surprise she did nothing of the sort.

"Don't look at me like that Macey. I don't like it either."

"Then why-"

"It's an adult decision and it's already been made." She said softly but firmly, but Macey didn't stop her glare. Mom ignored her and turned to me. "You can pack your bags in the morning, you'll leave at 11:00. Now get some rest." Her last comment was said in a motherly way, kind. "I love you kiddo."

She wrapped on her arms around me and pulled me close, squeezing me tight for a moment before letting me go.
"Love you too Mom."

She smiled at me before picking up another handful of m&ms and made her way to the door.
"Night girls, and do try to at least get some rest." She smirked at my roommates and I but nobody smiled back as she closed the door behind her.

The Apple Woman's POV

I'd left Gallagher 17 years ago, when an operation had uncovered Catherine Goode, my daughter as being a member of the Circle. My husband had died on an operation 5 years beforehand and she was the only relative I had left. The shame was undeniable. I'd given up my post as a teacher, where I'd taught for the last 10 years in mortification. How could my daughter, who had been immersed only in goodness have turned out so wrong. I blamed myself. For four years I'd ran, eventually settling down in Maryland on an Apple Farm that had previously been a safe house that my late husband had bought. Until that day, when a man and a woman, both strikingly beautiful arrived with a little girl and a little boy and had changed my world around. I was a grandmother to a boy, Zachary Goode was my own living relative, he was my grandson, all mine. Joseph Solomon had stood in front of me with the boy, prised his tiny hands from his shirt , whispered something in his ear and the boy had walked over to me and asked. "Grandma?"

I loved him in an instant. I was shocked nonetheless, my daughter, my evil daughter who I still loved but couldn't understand, comprehend why she had taken this path in life, had a son. She'd been pregnant when the operation had uncovered her as being a member of the Circle. She hadn't told me, hadn't wanted me. But it didn't matter then, all that did was this little boy, and I vowed when he shed a few tears when saying goodbye to the man who had brought him to me that I would protect him and work so impeccably hard to make sure he didn't make the same mistakes in life as his mother had.

For two years I thought I had succeeded, Catherine hadn't made contact in those years and Joe had only appeared twice, on Zach's fifth and sixth birthdays. It didn't matter, Zachary was better off without knowing her, we settled into routine and he was a very intelligent and inquistious child. He asked about stories from my spying days but not once did he ask about his mother. He often did ask about Joe though and sometimes about the woman that had also brought him to me, but by the time he turned six I think he'd probably forgotten about her. I hadn't. Naturally.

However it was a few months after Zach had turned six that everything had changed, a car had pulled up by the orchard and there was a scent in the air that proclaimed it was not going to be a very nice day. Zach was playing outside and I was in the kitchen, I almost thought to bring him inside, however before I could call out through the open window Zach was already shouting. "Joe!" and running towards the car. Zach had been so concentrated on seeing Joe, the man that he looked up to as a father, who was his super hero, that he hadn't noticed a woman get out of the car on the opposite side. Not until he was in Joe's arms and babbling away.

My face fell as I watched her climb out, in an instant I was outside of the house and running towards them.

"Zachary, don't you want to see your own mother?" Catherine called.

Joe's grip tightened around Zach and the little boy flinched and turned around to see the woman. She was pretty, not astoundingly so, but her dark hair and bright eyes stood out. However it was hard not to miss the lack of emotion in her voice as she'd spoken.

"Catherine." I said her name and her attention was brought back from her son to me. "Why are you here?"

"I've come to take Zach."

"What?" I was shocked. I turned to Joe and he stared at me with an angry expression, he wasn't happy about this either.

"I've come to take my son from you mother." She said in bored tone, stressing the word mother.

I hadn't seen my own daughter in 6 years, and now she was here to take away my Grandson. I felt sick.

"Why now?"

Catherine ignored my question and walked around the car towards Joe and Zach, who visibly shifted in Joe's arms away from her. "It was very nice of you to take care of him, but he is my son and I want him home."

"Why now? Why not before?"

Catherine rolled her eyes. "I wasn't in a place to have him with me-"

"The Circle..." I trailed off.

Catjerine's eyes brightened. "Of course."

This was the first time I'd seen her since I'd learned of her involvement in terrorism, this was the first time I could see with my own eyes how twisted she had become.

"I don't want to go." Zach said.

He'd broken the silence with a little staccato voice and he looked like he was close to tears. This must have been a big shock for him.
"Of course you do." Catherine interrupted him.

Joe glared at her angrily. "He doesn't want to-"

"He's five, he doesn't know anything." She retorted in a bored tone

"He's six." I countered. "And he's very bright actually."

Catherine raised an eyebrow. "We'll see."

"Please." I was almost begging now. "Please can he stay."

Catherine stared me seriously her face expressionless. "No." Her words were serious.

"Joe, am I going to be with you?" Zach asked him, his face buried in his shirt for reassurance.

Joe closed his eyes, refusing to meet my gaze. "No kiddo. But I'll be around."

I thought Zach was going to burst into tears. He didn't want to go with his mother, who it was apparent he'd remembered, he wanted to stay here.

"Put him in the car Solomon, we have a plane to catch." Catherine demanded.

I felt useless for being able to do nothing to prevent this. "Wait."

My daughter turned round impatiently. "Yes." She drawled.

"You'll need his car seat-"

"He'll be fine."

"Catherine-" Joe warned glaring at her.

She thought for a moment and sighed. "Fine, whatever."

"It's in my car." I said simply.

"Well then go get it." Catherine said.

"What about his things? His clothes, toys?" I asked.

"We'll buy him new ones. "

"I want my dinosaur." Zach interrupted. "Joe can we get my dinosaur." He added in a whisper.

"Sure thing kiddo." Joe replied to the boy.

"Fine." Catherine said with annoyance. "You've got 5 minutes, otherwise I'm grabbing him and leaving." She sneered and got in the drivers side of the car, leaving Joe, Zach and I to hurry to the house in search of his things.

"His dinosaurs on his bed Joe." I ordered as we entered the house.

Joe set Zach on the floor. "Grab your toys that you want to take." He said.

"Am I leaving forever?" He asked, looking from Joe to me and back.

"Not forever Zach." I promised and I looked at Joe for reassurance. Who lied through his teeth when he plastered a fake smile over his face and nodded. "Not forever Zach, but for a while your going to have to live with your Mom. So go pack your toys."

It took four minutes, Zach gathered up his toys in his Toy Story backpack, it was a new movie that had come on recently on VCR and Zach watched it everyday. Joe and I packed another bag with some of his clothes and extras like his colouring pens. I didn't want this boy to leave and I felt tears in my eyes as I took out Zach's booster seat from my car and Joe took it over to the one with Catherine in. Zach hugged my knees.

"I love you Grandma. I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too Zach. I love you too."

I blinked back tears that threatened to fall as I turned to look at Zachary Goode sleeping in the hard plastic chair next to my hospital like bed. He was 17 years old now, so different and grown up compared to the day his mother had taken him from me. He was still as beautiful and kind and clever as he was then and even if I'll never tell him, I'm so thankful for Joseph Solomon for watching over him and making sure his mother's influence was minimised. I still feel disappointed in myself for my daughters actions, I should have done more to have prevented it; but I'm proud of my Grandson for choosing a different path.

I closed my eyes softly, I still ached from being shot but less so than I did 12 hours ago when I'd woken up. I'd only been out for a day, or was two or three? It wasn't tremendously bad though my abdomen still seared with pain. I opened them to look at Zach, I'd ordered him to go to bed when it had appeared he'd be having a midnight vigil at my bedside. He'd refused point blank with the same stubbornness as Joseph Solomon and it wasn't until Rachel arrived and threatened him had he relented. Even so, by 7:30am, Zach had returned to my side. Bless him.

I continued to reminisce of my time with my Grandson over the years until I heard a knock on the door, I looked up to see Cammie, her friends close behind her.

"Come in." I whispered hoarsely.

A/N So there's actually going to be more chapters than I anticpated, I thought this was going to be the penultimate or final chapter but then I looked at the plot again and I extended it. I hope you liked it, I liked writing Diane she's a strong woman. On another note, within the next week a sort of prequel oneshot will be realeced for this so just to let you know