"Okay, you scared me." I said, putting my hand to my heart for dramatic effect. "What's up?"

"Um.. What are you working on?" Zach was stalling for time, and I knew it.

"That huge research paper we got like, a week ago."

"Why? It's not due until next week."

"Yeah, but I want it done. Besides, Cammie's with her mom, Bex and Macey are with Tina and everyone watching movies, and Liz is downstairs finishing up her prototype of the Bo-" I stopped. Zach wasn't supposed to know about the Boy-to-English watch translator. "Uh, not important. Hey, will you sit down? You're making me nervous." I said, pushing out the chair across from me with my feet."

"Val, there's something you should know." Zach said carefully, sitting down. I looked over at him and put my finger to my lips. I didn't need to hear whatever he was going to say now. "Val, really. Listen to me."

"What do you want, Zach?" I said with a sigh.

"It's about our parents."

"What about them?" Somewhere deep inside me, I had a vague idea of where this conversation was going, but I forced myself to not believe it.

"They're... They're dead, and have been for a long time. The people that have been raising us are CIA officials, and volunteered to take care of us." Zach looked directly at me.

"Okay, one, if this is a joke, it's so not funny. Two, how do you know this?!" I knew it wasn't a joke. Even Zach wouldn't joke about something like that.

"When I came to Blackthorne, the teachers acted funny around me. Not enough for the other kids to notice, but just enough. Finally, I went to Dr. Steve, asking what was going on, and him and the CoveOps teacher told me. We were like five." He paused, and I put the puzzle pieces together.

"That's when we went to Disney, wasn't it? Our parents had meetings there, and we ran around all day with a babysitter they hired. Then they didn't come back to the room that night, and Kayla? Was that her name?" Zach nodded, and I continued. "Kayla told us that they were running late, and we should stay up for them. So we played board games in the room, and made that huge tent. We fell asleep before midnight. The next morning, Kayla was there again, and told us that our parents had come home, and left early that morning. I didn't think anything about it then, but now I remember Kayla looking worried and checking her cell phone every time she thought we weren't looking." I could feel my eyes tearing up. "She knew that they didn't come home."

Zach nodded. "And then our parents seemed different when they finally came back."

"Mom smelled different." I said suddenly, remembering my childhood thoughts.

"And the let us get all types of candy and toys. We thought they were just spoiling us. Turns out they felt bad about what happened."

"Wait, what did happen?" I looked up at Zach.

"They don't know. Or, they haven't told me. Maybe a meeting went wrong?" Zach shrugged.

"Yes, deadly coffee mugs and ballpoint pens." I rolled my eyes. "Maybe the meetings weren't really meetings."

"Could be."

"Have you looked for anything about it?" I asked, scooting over to my laptop.

"Like what? CIA operatives go missing in top secret mission? Yeah, Val. There's a headline for you."

I sighed. "You know what I mean." Even as I said it, I knew he didn't. I didn't even know what I meant. I just wanted some information. Not that I didn't trust my brother. I just wanted more proof. Proof that could cement what Zach told me. Proof that would make me give up any hope I was trying to hold on to.

"Val." I looked up at him. "It'll be okay. The people that raised us will still be there for us. They don't go on many missions."

Zach had a point. I could only remember a handful of times that they had actually left. "They don't know that we know?" I asked. Zach shook his head. I sighed again. I knew that there was nothing I could do to change the past, and I'd just have to move on.

"Val, there's one other thing."

"Uh oh."

"Remember last summer, when you were told that you were coming here?" Zach paused, and I nodded. "Well, we told you that it was because you were a weak link, and while that's true, it was really because of our parents. Our real parents."

"What about them?" I asked, getting a weird feeling in my stomach.

"If they were killed for a reason, then whoever did it may be out to get us too." He paused, thinking. It looked like he was debating whether or not to continue. Finally, he sighed and started talking again. "I made the final decision. I'm sorry sis. I know you were happy at our old school. I just couldn't think about losing you too. Everyone was starting to say that you'd be protected enough at a normal school if you had some self defense classes under your belt, and how it'd be a great cover and stuff, but it wasn't the same. I wanted to tell you about our parents, and I wanted you here. Where I could watch you, and protect you if I had to. I owe that to Mom and Dad."

I was quiet for a minute, thinking. "I guess I'm okay with that. I do like it here. So thanks. And I think I can protect myself now." I stood up. "I'm going to grab a snack from the kitchen. Want to come?"

Zach held my gaze for a thirty seconds before nodding. I think he realized that the invitation was meant as a peace offering. He is a spy after all, something he loves to point out.

(A/N: So I had like 900 words, and then because time ran out on my document, I lost it. I only had like 500, which is what I had saved in Word. -_- And I can't remember what I've already written. To save time, I'm just going to write, and if I repeat anything from previous chapters, or if something clashes with what I've already written, let me know, and I'll change it. Thanks! Four more chappies to go!)