A/N: Okay, don't hate me! Don't hate me! I know it's been forever and I'm so so so sorry. The writer's block has been real. But no more excuses! All that matters is I'm here now and I already have the next chapter ready for you guys. For real this time. This week, my main priority is writing this story. The next chapter is ready, and I'll be writing chapter fifteen today. I won't post them back to back, just to make you guys sit on the cliffhanger for a bit. The next couple of chapters and kind of short, but the ones after them are going to pretty long. I'll most likely be posting Chapter Fourteen on Friday, so stand by for that. Wow, I have to say I missed you guys! I hope you can forgive me for my absence, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I can't wait to read your reviews!

xxx

Perilous

Chapter Thirteen

But when I looked over Liz's shoulder at Grant, then Nick, then Jonas...

Let's just say they knew they were in deep shit.

Bex POV

"Someone better explain to me what the hell has been going on." Macey deadpanned.

We were all standing in Grant and I's room. Liz, who was curled up in an armchair, was still pretty messed up- she felt beyond sorry for what she said to Nightshade. Well, Cammie. I was still getting used to it. Grant, Nick, and Jonas were trapped on the couch in the center of everything. It had been nearly an hour after the secret came out. Most of it had been spent in silence, us girls still trying to comprehend it. Except, we didn't know much more than "Cammie's alive and Zach's pissed at us" so there wasn't really much to comprehend.

"Start talking, and talk fast," I said.

Nick cleared his throat. "I guess that's my cue."

All of our attention was on him in an instant.

"It was around midnight, Zach called me and said to meet him at Headquarters- the infirmary. When I got there..."

(A/N:) In case it isn't clear here, depending on who's talking in this chapter, the italics are going to be in that person's POV. :)

"Zach? What the hell man? It's extremely late-" I froze once I saw Nightshade limp in his arms.

Zach looked distraught, terrified. "She-she just collapsed. I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, you brought her to the right place. Come, in here."

He set her on one of the beds.

I checked connected her to an IV and a monitor machine. Her vitals were all over the place. Not critically, but almost as if one is going through a vivid nightmare.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I was looking through old Circle case evidence and I figured I needed an extra hand, someone else who had spent a lot of time around them. So I went to her hotel and we were working together and I guess she saw herself on one of the tapes or she remembered something. Her head started to hurt, she started to feel hot, she screamed, and then she just...fell."

My face scrunched up. "Curious."

Zach looked up. "What, what is it?"

"It seems her body is fighting something. Or trying to. I'll have to examine a blood sample to be sure, but considering you were going through your most traumatic memories? My best guess is she was given some sort of drug while she was at the Circle, something to make her forget her past before them." I shrugged.

He looked shocked, scared, and pissed all at once. "Are you serious?"

I raised my hands to explain. "Think of it like this. She remembered something, something significant or something important. She just started to process it when the drug, which she's been given a large dose of recurringly by the way to have affected her as severely as this. The drug kicks in and one of two things can happen. One, she forgets where she is, who she's with, or what she was doing. Or two, she forgets what she was remembering and goes into a coma-like state, where she gets trapped in her mind as these memories, broken and frightening, fight to break through to the surface."

"How long will she be out?"

"Not long, two to five hours at most."

"And will she remember? When she wakes up, I mean."

"A little, yes. But not much, and not nearly as much as was brought to her attention during her sleep. It won't be complete either. More complex than anything actually."

Zach thought it over for a while before he nodded and said, "Take the blood sample."

"I took a blood sample, examined it, and confirmed there was some type of drug in her system. Before I could take it out, the computers matched it with another blood sample found at a Circle base. The match was to Cameron Ann Morgan, daughter of Matthew and Racheal Morgan. I wiped it from the system and moved on." Nick concluded.

"You've known the longest and you said nothing?" I growled.

"I know you three are upset with me." He said "you three" but he was looking at Macey, who still had tears threatening to fall from her wide eyes trained on him. "But you have to understand that I wasn't going to put her in that position. She's clearly hiding it for a reason and it has to be a pretty good one considering she misses you guys a lot. I wasn't going to ruin things for her. I am sorry for the pain you're feeling right now, but I'm not going to apologize for what I did."

I clenched my fists. Looking back on it, he was right. He was doing the right thing, and Cammie deserved all the time she needed to come clean to us. That day, though, I was having none of it.

"Jonas?" I prompted.

He sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "I tested one last sample of her blood, just to make sure it was all gone. The system matched it again. Liz was around, I didn't know what to do just yet so I wiped it from the system and went to talk to Zach. He asked me to keep it quiet. I don't trust her, but I trust him, so I didn't say anything."

It was silent.

"I'm not going to hate you," Macey began hugging her knees to her chest. "And I won't be hostile. But I can't forgive you guys. Not yet. Not with this."

"Me neither," I whispered.

"I can't either. Then again, I guess I should be the one asking for forgiveness after what I said to her." Liz's breath shuddered as she bit her lip, trying to hold back another sob.

Jonas stood and hugged her, letting her cry.

Everything settled into an intense silence. It was like we were frozen. In time, in space. I couldn't move. My arms wrapped around my middle, I stared at the wall across from me, it felt as if I was protecting myself, protecting what was left of my world. Everything was crumbling. My best friend, someone I buried over a decade before was suddenly back from the dead. How does one react to that? How does one recover from that? I needed to see her. I wanted so badly to see her and hug her and just talk to her. But I couldn't move. I couldn't bring myself to.

It was Grant who finally broke the silence. "Um...am I in trouble?"

He raised his hand like a child asking a question in school.

It tore me from my trance and made me smile.

I went to him, and he hugged me, and for a moment, everything seemed okay again.

A/N: Well. That happened. There wasn't much in this chapter, but I thought it was pretty cool. And I'm interested in what you guys think about the return to the topic of Cammie's memories. Teeny spoiler, we're not done with those yet. What did you think? How do you think Cammie is going to react? How do you think it will affect her and Zach? I lowkey really like making sweet moments with the other couples. We're not done with Bex and Grants story either, just wait for it. ;)

Can't wait to read what you thought! Hope you like the chapter!

Fanfix2.0: Yes we love a pumpkin farming queen *claps*. Lol yea the boys kind of going through it the next few chapters for lying to the girls but they'll live. Maybe. I'm not sure. You never know with Gallagher Girls. Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks!

Duchess12: UMMMM ARE YOU OK? And YES I'm glad it's your favorite cause it was probably my favorite to write! I honestly don't know how I do it either but thank you so much! I'm glad you love it! Even me going back and reading it, I'm like, they know. They know. They know. They KNOW! Yeah no Cammie's ass ain't going anywhere, at least not yet. Yeah, she's broken. And unfortunately, she won't be getting a break anytime soon. It's just going to get harder from here. It made you cry wowwww I knew it was emotional but I didn't know it was that emotional *wide eyes* Okay yea Mace and Bex made me cry too ngl. "I"d only ever seen her cry twice. Once when she broke up with Nick for the first time, and once when we buried Cammie's empty casket next to her father's." That hits hard. *insert sob* It probably should be illegal but- I was going to say I don't want to be arrested but it would be worth it for the mugshot. Zach comforting her was so sweeeeet. And well, the four girls won't get to talk for a while, mainly because of Cammie. You won't have to wait too long though, I promise. Zammie will forever be endgame and nothing can change my mind, period. Yeah, my phone is like...barely surviving at this point yikes. YES GOOD you did homework yay. *me putting all my schoolwork on hold so i can write for you guys all week* And yes thank you fr understanding and I hope you don't hate me too much for the long wait! Thanks for reviewing as always and I love love talking to you so much and can't wait to see what you thought about today's chapter! P.S. this did not age well sorry P. P. S. I knew what u meant lol 3 (that's a heart) See you on Friday love! P.P.P. S. You're still my favorite

Guest: Thank you so much! I'm glad you loved it! I am definitely not ending this so soon, not even any time soon, and good call I actually got a brilliant idea for a sequel during my unintended hiatus. Thanks for reading, hope you liked it!

TheReadingSloth: Thanks! I'm glad you love it! Unfortunately, now that her secret's out, Cammie won't be all too friendly with Zach but I promise Zammie isn't over just yet! Sorry for the long wait! Thanks again for reading!

Bball101: Sorry for the long wait! And thanks for reading! Hope you liked this update!

And that's all for Chapter Twelve's reviews! Can't wait to see you guys again for Chapter Fourteen on Friday! As always I love you guys and I'll see you on the flipside. ;)

xxx