Oh, my days it has been two years. I really never meant to leave this story for so long but I recently re-read the Gallagher Girls books and I just had to get some tabby content out of my system haha. I'm sorry if you have been waiting for an update but well, here we are. This is a flashback! And the next few chapters will be flashbacks as well! Enjoy!

"Abigail. It's been a while." She turned to face the man the deep voice belonged to.

"Professor Townsend." She replied, mockingly. He gave her his usual grin, but his face quickly turned serious.

"Ms Morgan? Is she still...?" Abby took a deep breath.

"She's still in the wind." Townsend nodded.

"How's Rachel?"

"Well, her husband's best friend is in a coma and her daughter could be anywhere in the world right now. How do you think she is?" Abby snapped. Townsend knew the anger in her voice wasn't personal, but part of him couldn't help but feel that is was. It wasn't a feeling he particularly liked. Abby seemed to catch herself and she glanced at the floor. "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap."

"No, it's okay. I understand. MI6 is here to help." She had a small, sad smile as she started heading down the hall.

"Rachel is in her office." Townsend began to follow her, he couldn't help but notice the way she walked. It wasn't the confident walk she used to have. She seemed tired and annoyed as if this was a bad dream and all she wanted to do was wake up. But that probably was how she felt. That Cammie running away had been a bad dream and any minute she would wake up and everything would be okay. Of course, Townsend couldn't truly know how she feels. He's never had a niece, least of all had a niece that ran away, thinking she could fight the world by herself.

Abby opened the door to Rachel's office and the sight wasn't one that Townsend had been expecting. Rachel sat at her desk of organised chaos, surrounded by maps and every clue about the circle that anyone ever had. She looked far more tired than the last time he saw her. In fact, both Cameron women seemed to have lost that natural shine they both had. Abe Baxter sat on the leather sofa, going over old CoveOp's reports. He nodded at Townsend and went back to his reading. When Abby and Townsend entered Rachel stood up to greet them. She clasped Townsend's hands.

"Edward, thank you for coming."

"Of course," He nodded towards the mess on her desk. "Any idea where Cammie might have gone?" Rachel's face shifted, her eyes were desperate as she shook her head.

"We know where she went when she first... disappeared," Abby said from behind him. "She went to a cabin that Joe owns, for at least four days. But after that..."

"Nothing." Townsend heard Rachel whisper. When she raised her head to look Townsend in the eyes, the desperation was gone. Replaced with burning determination. "Edward, I asked you to help us because you helped me find Cammie at Blackthorne, I hope I can rely on you again. Help me find my daughter."

Summer had gone. Cammie was still missing. The new year at Gallagher Academy was starting and Abby had never felt so goddamn useless. With all her skills and all her training, she failed at something she was supposed to be good at. Cammie was still missing. Rachel had reached the point that she wasn't letting anyone in, wouldn't let anyone see the pain inside. When she asked Abby if she would take on teaching CoveOps, Abby was quick to say yes. Finally, she felt like she could help Rachel in some way but she knew it would feel strange to walk the halls of the Gallagher Academy, Cammie's home, without Cammie being there. The new school year was beginning in three days. Abby had spent the majority of last week helping Rachel get Zach a place at the school. Apparently, the trustees weren't fond of the idea of a boy going to an all-girls school, especially a boy whose mother was so... well, insane. Abby wondered, not for the first time, who Zach's father might have been. How could anyone leave a child with a woman like that? Unless his father was dead, he really had no excuse in her mind. The trustees only came round after Rachel promised to get a teacher from Blackthorne to come with him. Abby's only question was why did it have to be Dr Steve? She wasn't sure what it was but something about that man just didn't sit right with her.

Abby glanced at the clock that sat next to her bed. 1:00 am. Looks like this was going to be another night of staying awake with her thoughts. She sighed as she turned over and stared at the pillow on the other side of the bed. She was used to sleeping in a single, so the entire right side of her bed was practically untouched. She didn't let herself dwell on how sad it was that she hadn't slept in a double bed in so long. Her phone buzzed. She leaned over to grab it and frowned. Looks like someone else couldn't sleep. Townsend had sent her an email. At 1:00 in the morning. She knew for a fact that he was in America, following up on a possible lead about Cammie, so there wasn't the England-America time difference. When she opened the email she couldn't help but laugh. Not that little nose laugh but full, actual laughter. He had sent her a class syllabus. The nerve of that man. He hadn't taught these girls anything, the entire time he was 'teaching' and yet he had the nerve, no, the balls to give Abby notes on a 'proper course of study for young ladies in the clandestine services'. That made it official, the next time she sees him, he's a dead man. But Abby couldn't deny the warm feeling that went through her as she laughed. That was until she realised that was the first time that she had properly laughed since Cammie left and that was thanks to Townsend. Something about that made it difficult for Abby to get her head around. Every time she and Townsend were around each other they would argue. Any subject in the world and they could probably find something to disagree on. She didn't know why, he didn't know why but it happened. Every time. And yet, he'd been the first person to make her laugh in three months. Well yes, it was probably unintentional and she was laughing at him, but nevertheless, he'd found a way to make her laugh.