I walked through the front door, with my backpack slung over my left shoulder, and the wooden door slamming behind me.

"Zach is that you?" My mom called.

I walked into the kitchen and swung my backpack into the chair.

"Hey guys." I pecked my moms cheek and nodded to my dad who was typing on his laptop at the table.

"Your in a good mood," my mom commented as I sat the counter.

"Mhmm," I grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit and took a bite. "Cam agreed to talk to me."

Mom smiled, "That's good. You did apologize didn't you?"

"Of course," I nodded, "And she and I are going to get coffee after school while some people come over and set up for her surprise party."

Mom nodded, and continued to stir something in a pot. She pointed to a box on the far side of the counter, "Something came for you today."

I opened it, knowing it was Cammies birthday present that was supposed to come today. It was a first edition, in mid condition, of The Great Gatsby.

"What is it?" Dad asked.

"Cams present, well the first part of it." I turned to the table with her book in my hands. Showing it to my dad. He looked up from his work.

"Wow," he took the book in his hands. "This is her favorite book?"

I nodded.

"What else did you get her?" my mom asked.

"This rose gold charm bracelet, Remi picked it out, a few days ago." I set the book back in the box and covered it with the bubble wrap it was covered in.

"What'cha working on?" I asked my dad.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "This case, I cant figure it out."

I slid some of the papers towards me and sat down at the table, reading them.

The case was about a kid around the age of 14, whose younger bother was killed under his watch. The state was taking the fourteen year old to court for child endangerment. Dad was defending the fourteen year old. The medical examiner couldn't determine the cause of death, making the case even harder. The prosecution was pleading 20 years in jail.

"Dang," I sighed.

"Yeah," he said. "It would be a lot easier if the medical examiner could determine what happen."

"What happened before he died."

"They were playing outside under power lines in the rain," he sighed.

I nodded. "So he was struck by lightning?" I asked.

"As far as I'm concerned."

"When it wasn't manslaughter." I said. Setting my elbows on the table.

"It technically is child endangerment. The fourteen year old left him out in the rain when it started to rain."

"hmm," I thought. Mom interrupted us.

"Zach, can you see if Cammie wants to come over for her birthday dinner?"

"Um, yeah."

I picked my phone out of my pocket before dialing.

"Mom, you realize that we are broken up, right? As for now, that is."

She looked up at me. "That doesn't mean she isn't apart of this family. Now, call her. A girl can't be alone on the night before her birthday."

I shook my head and called her.

It rand twice before she answered.

"Hey." she said.

"Hey."

"Whats up?" she asked. I could just see her putting her book down.

"Did you want to come over for dinner, mom went a little bat shit cause of your birthday." I said as my mom pulled out brownies from the oven.

She laughed, "Sure, what time?"

"I don't think it matters." I said.

My mom looked at me and mouthed, 'Tell her to come over now.'

I rolled my eyes, "She wants you to come over now."

"I'm in sweat pants and I refuse to change," she said.

I laughed, "That's fine."

"I'm bringing my book," she said.

"Get a life," I said.

She laughed," I'm walking over now."

"See you in a min-" I was cut off by the sound of the front door opening and Cammie's voice ringing through the house.

"Its me!" She called.

"We're in the kitchen," I told her through the phone.

"Kay," she said and hung up.

She walked into the kitchen with her sweatpants on, as promised.

"Hello, dear," Mom said.

"Hey guys," she said.

"Dinners going to be ready in a half hour," mom said. Remi came into the kitchen with her cat in her arms.

"Cammie!" Remi squealed.

Cammie smiled at my sister and hugged her.

"How are you?" Cam asked.

"I missed you," Remi said. "I haven't seen you in like a day."

Cam laughed and Remi sat down at the table.

"What's up, C-dog," Cammie fist bumped my dad.

"Working MC, CM," my dad answered and shuffled his paper.

"What the hell?" I asked as mom started at them and Remi laughed hysterically.

"Don't judge us," Cammie said sternly but I could see she was holding back laughter.

She turned back to dad, "Hard case?" she asked. Picking up the papers.

She studied them for a moment, her brows furrowed and her tounge sticking out of the left corner of her mouth.

'Hummm," she hummed and looked up to me. "This is like the book," she thought for a minute.

"The scarlet...ibis? Is that was it's called? Have you read that?"

I shook my head, no.

"It's about this boy, who hates his younger brother, the younger brother has some heart problems and can't really do anything. The older brother just wishes he was normal. At the end of the story, they are outside and it starts to rain. The older bother starts running home leaving the younger one who can't run because of his heart problem. The younger one ends up dying," she sets the file back down on the wooden table.

"What happened to the older one?" Remi asked. The question we were all thinking.

Cammie shrugged, "The story ended."

"So the younger brother died of over exertion?" I asked.

She shook her head, "I think it was lighting strike. The author leads you to believe to think it could be either."

Dad spoke up, "But how does this help me with the case?"

"Easy,"Cammie stated and sat down at the table next to dad.

"The boy did die of lightning strike," she said, and slid the computer towards her. And typed for about a minute.

"This doesn't help me, Cam," my dad said.

She hushed him and continued to type.

Then slid it over back to him. "You're welcome."

Cam stood up got a drink of water.

"I don't understand," dad said. Reading the stuff she typed on the computer.

"That's your defence." she answered.

"Yeah, but this says the kid isn't libel because he's younger than the age of 15."

"What?" I asked. Walking over and reading over his shoulder.

"The oldest brother isn't liable for the younger ones death because it's the parents fault. He is under the age of 15 watching someone under the age of 5, Virginia state law says there has to be a 10 year age difference between them. There is only 9, therefore the parents should have been there."

"Ohhhh.." Dad and I said at the exact same time.

"The prosecution will never expect it," Cammie said.

"Put the work away, children." Mom called. And pulled something out of the oven.

"Zach set the table," she said. "Dinner is ready."

"How did I not think of this!" Dad called as I set the dinning room table. I heard Remi's laugh from the other room, she and cammie came in. Remi on Cammie's back.

"Show off," I fake coughed referring to her figuring out

"Oh shut up!" she laughed setting Remi down and fake bumping to me. Making me drop some silverware.

"Whoops," she said.

I rolled my eyes, "Are you five."

She shook her head, "Seven."

I picked up the dropped utensils as she sat down in the chair that next to mine, as if it were a reflex.

Mom and dad walked in both carrying pots and platters.

Once everyone was served and seated mom asked, "How was everyone's day?"

Cam and I tensed and the events of the day flooding back into mind.

"It was good," Cammie answered. Taking a bite of her bite of her chicken.

"Rems?"

"It was good," she answered. Looking up from her plate.

"Zach?" my mom asked.

"It was great mom," I didn't make eye contact.

I reached over to get more potato's, faulting my bruised hand toward the world. The hand that I had hit Dillon with.

"What happened to your hand?" my dad asked.

"Um nothing," I answered. I dropped it in my lap.

"What happened?" my mom asked me.

"I said, nothing." I repeated.

"Zach," my dad started.

"He was helping me," Cammie started, "I was having trouble with this kid and Zach was just helping."

Dad nodded understanding what I meant and mom looked uncomfortable.

Cammie POV

After dinner we were talking in the kitchen, Chris doing the dishes and Catherine making coffee. Zach making stupid jokes and Remi laughing hysterically. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Chris finished the dishes and shared a look with Catherine. She nodded and spoke, "Okay, Cam close your eyes!"

I shot a questioning look to Zach who shrugged and obeyed Catherine's words.

I shut my eyes and hear rustling around me.

When I was instructed to open my eyes, the lights were off and a cake was in front of me that was dressed with chocolate icing and had 17 pink candles in it. Along with a batch of brownies and a pink gift bag and a card.

They began it sing Happy birthday with Remis tiny voice the loudest and a huge smile on Zach's face. After they were finished singing they all cheered.

"Thank you! You guys really shouldn't have!" I exclaimed.

"Oh hush!" Catherine said and brought out her camera.

"Smile!" she squealed and I smiled into the camera.

Then remi came up and we took a picture together. Then Zach wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rested his head on mine and the flash from the camera went off.

"Now open the bag," Chris smiled.

I pulled out the black tissue paper and pulled out serial things that were wrapped in the tissue paper.

The first one I opened was a picture of Zach and I from Morgan's wedding, the next package was a gift box, the gift box had a Starbucks gift card, a Barnes and noble gift card and a pink gift card. I laughed while examining the contents. They knew me too well.

The next package was a picture that I had never seen before it was a picture of Zach and Winston asleep on the couch, it was pretty comical. Zach's mouth was open and Winston was practically laying on Zach.

I laughed at that one and looked up at Zach who shook his head and shrugged.

The last package was a box as well, in the box there was a card and a few papers. The card had a date for next week and the papers where emails printed off.

I looked up in confusion.

Chris spoke up, "Those are e-mails between me and our secretary of defense. And on that other card is the date that you will be meeting with him to discus your father."

"What?" my heart was beating faster.

"I contacted him with your problem a few weeks ago, he informed that he was very interest in finding out what happened to Matthew."

Tears flooded my eyes with the possibility of knowing what happened to my dad.

"You are meeting with him next Wednesday at 11:00 o'clock," Chris said.

I was absolutely speechless, I looked down at the papers once again. Shuffling through them.

"Thank you," I said. Not looking him in eye because I knew I would really start crying.

"It was Zach's idea," Chris said.

I looked up at Zach and he shrugged innocently.

I got up and hugged him. I don't think it was normal for me to feel so comfortable in someone's arms, as much as I did in his. Expeshally since we weren't together anymore.

"Thank you," I breathed into his chest.

"Your welcome," he sighed.

After watching a movie on their couch and almost falling asleep, I went home, Winston following behind me and Zach next to me. Catherine insisted on him walking me home in case something happened.

"Happy birthday," he said, as I walked we walked to the door.

It was passed midnight and I smiled. "Thank you."

He turned back towards his house, "Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight." I said and opened the front door.

This was supposed to be up on Friday but I got busy and my internet went to shit.

Anyways, I wanted to thank you.

Warning. This is going to get sappy

I was just told that this story was number 8 on the Gallagher girl archive on fanfiction! I just wanted to tell you thank you! I know that at times the chapters take forever and 19 years and a lot of the time they arnt that long or the best. I am trying the best that I can to provide the best content I possibly can for you, and I am so happy- no, happy isn't the correct term- I don't even know if there is a word to describe how happy I am- that you guys like this story. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for being there for me. I don't know what I would be doing if it wasn't for you. Honestly, I love you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Next chapter: Zammie coffee outing, Cammies surprise party and maybe something that you all have wanted for a really long time!

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