.o Story Time o.

Cammie POV

"Revenge for what?" I asked slowly, still fighting the urge to strangle Zach then and there. But if I did that, we wouldn't get answers. Waves of anger, hurt, and betrayal washed over me again and again. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to punch Zach- and his sister- in the nose. But most of all, I wanted answers. Now.

Zach opened his mouth, only to close it again. Of course, he wouldn't respond. I was about to start screaming again when someone else did it for me.

"Stop being a coward and tell them!" a furious voice yelled. Everyone in the room turned to Grant, who had stepped away from Bex and the counter, and was storming towards Zach. His hands were shaking from rage as he took another step closer to Zach. "Tell her," he hissed, "or I will."

"Grant," Jonas started, standing up from the couch. He looked extremely nervous, glancing between Zach and Grant.

Subconsciously, I was aware of my friends coming up next to me, watching the guys as intently as I was.

"Tell Cammie why Alyson hates her. Why Eva is ready to maim you. Why Clara-"

"Grant, stop!"

Grant whipped around to Jonas. "He did this!" Grant hissed, pointing at Zach. "After everything that happened, he left them. He didn't even tell us-"

"You know it was the only way-"

"Was it!? Was it really?!"

Their yelling match was cut off by a sharp whistle. Everyone's heads turned to Macey. "Listen. All I know is that while I was doing surveillance, some blonde girl knocked me out, and I woke up on the floor in a bathroom. Now, somebody better tell me what is going on, or I will throttle all of you," she said, pointing at the guys.

Finally, Zach sighed. "Alyson is my sister. Clara's my cousin, and Evelyn- she's family."

Grant looked ready to say something, but Jonas elbowed him in the side.

Zach looked at all of us warily. I raised my eyebrows expectantly, waiting for him to continue. The hurt and anger of being lied to weren't gone; it had just faded behind the need to understand what was going on. I was done getting mad at Zach- for now; it wouldn't accomplish anything. I wanted answers.

I could deal with Zach after I got them.

Zach shifted uncomfortably, then continued. "Ally wants revenge on me for helping Cam, and by extension, wants revenge on you," he said, looking at me.

"Why?" Piped Liz, stepping forward. "And where has she been all this time?"

Grant snorted, receiving yet another smack from Jonas. Jonas shook his head at him, then turned to Liz. "Until recently, we believed she, Clara, and Eva were- uh, dead."

At that, Grant stiffened but didn't say anything. I wondered what was wrong with him. The only thing I could think of was that he must have been close to these girls. Or at least one in particular.

"Dead?" Bex ask.

Zach nodded. "There were some events before and after the last time I saw them that led me to believe they were captured by the Circle again. No one survives leaving, you see."

"You did," I stated.

Zach shook his head. "I was a double agent from the beginning. Plus, I had help."

I didn't get to respond because Macey burst, "Wait. Your sister, cousin, and friend were part of the Circle? Like, full members of the Circle!"

Zach nodded slowly. "It's really complicated."

"Understatement," Grant coughed into his fist.

"Then why-"

"Wait!"

Everyone's heads turned in shock to Liz, who had yelled. Her hands were raised, and she looked frustrated like when one of her formulas has a slight error. "Everyone sit down, and Zach is going to tell us everything from the beginning!" She commanded. "This is way too confusing, and we won't get anywhere with interruptions every five seconds."

I nodded in agreement and moved towards the couch. So did everyone else. Once we were seated, Macey leaned in and said, "Alright, Zach, let story time begin."

Zach POV

Everyone stared at me expectantly as I sat in the chair across from Cammie. I couldn't bring myself to look at her face, so I glanced at my friends. Jonas was watching me carefully, but Grant was glaring from his place beside Bex. It seemed his anger never truly burned out.

I took a deep breath, finally ready to release the secrets of my past. Well, a lot of them anyway. Some things were still too sensitive to share right now.

"When we were young, Catherine began training Alyson and me to join the Circle," I started, staring at the ground. "Our training started as soon as we could walk, probably like your training," I said, glancing up at Cam and Bex. The later narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly.

"We trained and grew up together. Clara, my cousin, started spending a lot of time with us after her mother, Catherine's sister, died-"

"Your mother had a sister?"

I glanced up at Liz, who had a notebook out and seemed to be jotting down notes like this was a lecture. I nodded, continuing. "Aunt Laura was three years younger than Catherine. She didn't go to Gallagher, but the Circle recruited her when her sister joined. Her daughter Clarissa is one of the best computer geniuses there are."

I watched as the girls' eyebrows rose. They glanced from Liz to Jonas.

"Better than Jonas?" Macey asked, not asking what she actually wanted to know. Jonas was the only person we knew to rival Liz. I turned to Jonas, one eyebrow raised.

"We would always challenge one another," he shrugged. "Since the separation," he gave me a look, "I wouldn't know how good she is now."

Everyone looked uneasy hearing that. Bex was the first to bring us out of our thoughts.

"Okay, so your cousin is good," she sighed, her posture too rigid for my liking. "You still haven't explained what's going on."

I nodded and went on. "When we were eight, Catherine brought Evelyn to us. Eva had been left at a park for two days. Apparently, a Circle member had seen potential in her and sent Catherine to get her. We grew up together after that. Training, joking, and moving from Circle base to base," I said. I stiffened as I remembered what happened next. "Then, when we were ten, we found out about Clara."

I sighed as I remembered that day. The scream. The needles. The frantic look in my little cousin's eyes. I looked up to see the girls leaning in with confused faces. Grant had gone rigid and was glaring at nothing. Jonas was gripping the arm of his chair so hard his knuckles were white. They hadn't come into our lives until we were twelve, but they knew what had happened. They'd heard the stories. They'd seen the results in Clara.

"When we were ten, we found out what happened to Clara when she wasn't with us- when she was with her father. I never knew who Clara's father was until we were much older. Clara would never tell. But, Clara's father was a psychopath that used her for practicing interrogation and mind manipulating tactics. Clara never told anyone, and only she and her father knew. By the time we found out, Clara had been going through this for years. It- I don't know exactly what it did to her," I sighed.

It hurt to remember what my cousin went through when she was younger. I looked up at Jonas, and he nodded slightly.

"Because Clara was so young when these sessions began," he explained, his voice tight, "her mind comforted and protected itself the only way it could. Clara had subconsciously built an imaginary world for herself to escape into. Unlike other children though, it took her years to realize that her world wasn't real," Jonas glanced up at me.

I sighed, "Even now when she's in distress, she can slip back into her own mind until something knocks her back into reality." I looked up to see the girls' wide eyes and horrified, curious, and confused expressions. After a few minutes, Bex shook her head.

"That's the bloody freakiest thing I've heard."

Macey nodded. "While I hate what happened to her and am horrified, what exactly does this have to do with ACE wanting revenge?"

I was about to go on with my explanation but was cut off as Cammie finally spoke for the first time since I'd started.

"Who was her father?"

"I don't think now is the best time, Galla-"

Cammie finally looked up at me. Her eyes were hard, yet she looked nearly desperate. "Who. Was. Her. Father?"

"I- "

"Dr. Steven Sanders."

Cammie and I looked at Grant. He glared at me and shrugged. "I told you- if you don't tell her, I will."

I glared at him, then turned to watch Cam's reaction. Her eyes widened, and her face paled. After a few seconds, her face went back to her unreadable mask. She nodded and said, "Okay."

I watched her warily until Bex cleared her throat. "The explanation, Zach."

Nodding, I continued explaining my twisted childhood. "When Alyson, Eva, and I found out, we made it our mission to protect Clara. We succeeded for a long time, running from safe house to safe house, staying under the Circle's radar. Since that was what they were training us for, the Circle never looked into it or tried to stop us." I shrugged, "The Circle isn't recognized for producing the most responsible parents. It wasn't until I reached the age to start Blackthorne that they tracked us down. I was sent to Blackthorne and Alyson, Clara, and Evelyn were kept with the Circle to begin their 'official Circle' training." I looked up at the spies in front of me. "They began their assassin training."

The girls' reactions were practically identical. They all stiffened and narrowed their eyes slightly. Bex looked like someone had just challenged her. Liz looked slightly nervous. Macey looked suspicious. Cammie only nodded. Her expression made me think she had guessed this about my sister and her friends already.

"I don't know what happened while I was at Blackthorne, but every time I would come back, they seemed more ruthless. They were becoming the Circle's best assassin team. One summer, when we were older, we were sent on a trial mission to track a former Circle member they needed take out. We, apparently, were the distraction, because they didn't worry when Joe Solomon caught us." I snuck a glance at Cam's face, "But, the one thing Joe didn't count on was his tails to be a group of fourteen-year-olds."

I smirked, remembering the impressed look on Joe's face when he saw me and Ally.

"Alyson never trusted Joe, but as I continued at Blackthorne, I was able to talk to him more. Joe showed me what the Circle was, what they wanted, and that there was another way to use our skills." I sighed, "I tried to tell my sister, but she was around Catherine too much to be interested. She said that she was going to be loyal to family no matter what- even if they were psychotic."

Shaking my head, I looked up at Cammie again to see her face full of interest. Bex, Liz, and Macey mirroring her. This was the most I'd ever told anyone of my past. I was surprised at how relieving it was to let my secrets go.

"By the time we were fifteen, I was still meeting Joe. Ally still didn't trust him, and the fact I was still in contact with him built a small wall between us- though I didn't see it at the time. My sister could tell my views on the Circle had changed; she claimed I was starting to sound like a traitor.

"One day, before my spring, Sophomore term in Blackthorne, Joe offered me a small assignment. The Circle had shown interest in a subject, and he wanted me to go in as a double agent." I smiled a bittersweet smile, "You might be able to guess what happened next, Gallagher Girl."

Cammie stiffened as she realized what I was talking about. "He wanted you to get information about me."

I shook my head slightly. "He wanted to know why the Circle wanted information about you. He knew that the Circle had started looking into you, but there seemed to be no reason for their interest. My job was to find out why they were interested, but I got close to you because I wanted to."

Cammie snorted, "Exactly how am I supposed to believe that after this? After how much you've lied to me?"

I winced. It stung because I knew it was coming. I knew it would be difficult to trust me after I told them. That's one of the reasons I kept quiet for so long- I had been scared.

I sighed, "You have every right to be mad at me, but I want you to know that everything I've ever told you about how I feel has been true, Cam." I looked her directly in the eyes. "I've never lied about that."

Cammie controlled her emotions too well for my liking. Her face didn't betray a thing. She looked away and muttered, "Just get on with the story, Zach."

Sighing, I obeyed. "I didn't talk to ACE much when we were at Gallagher. I didn't really see them much for the next few months until the Circle was getting ready for an attack. An attack that my sister helped with- in Boston."

I jumped back in my chair as Macey lunged forwards. "Your sister helped in Boston?" She yelled.

Bex grabbed her arm. I believe that's the only thing that kept her from smacking me. I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Yes, she and her friends helped."

Bex got Macey to sit back down, and Cammie looked up at me, her eyes piercing. "Did you help?"

My eyes widened as I realized what she now thought I was capable of. It hurt to know she had lost that much trust in me. I glanced up at Grant and Jonas. Jonas was sitting in his chair, watching the scene before him intently. Grant had stood and started pacing the room, occasionally glaring at me.

I looked back at Cammie. "No. No, I did not help. I tried to stop her, but not hard enough. I didn't understand exactly how much was wrong at the time, but, Cam, I would never help something like that."

Grant snorted under his breath. I tried to ignore him. Our issues needed to be resolved between us. Not with the girls here.

Cam just shook her head. No one said anything for a minute, so I continued. "After the attack, I started looking into why the Circle was attacking. Ally and I started arguing too. She didn't want to deal with all my questions. Her main objective was to keep the Circle off her back and protect Clara. Over the year, as I started wandering away to check on you or look into something, and we started arguing more. Alyson said that I was risking not only my safety in the Circle, but her, Evelyn, and Clara's too. Yet, we continued to help each other, despite the tension between us. Then everything changed after I took you to Blackthorne."

"Your sister was there at Blackthorne?" Liz asked.

I nodded sadly, "She's the reason Joe and I survived." I looked down and said quietly, "But, she was discovered for helping me." I glanced back up, "She was pronounced a Circle traitor, as was I, and forced to run."

There was a crash and we all tuned to see Grant next to a shattered vase and flowers covering the floor. He was staring at me, hatred evident in his eyes. I stared back at him, daring him to say what I knew he was dying to.

Grant didn't rise to the challenge. He only glared and stormed out of Cam's hotel room. I knew he I was going to have to talk to him as soon as we got back to our room. I needed to finish this story before he did something rash, no matter the pain it caused to me relive.

I turned back to the girls and began speaking quicker than before. "When she ran, I lost contact with her because-" I paused, sighing a little, "because I chose to stay at Gallagher to watch you instead of run with them.

"I- I chose to let them fend for themselves. Against the Circle. Against the Agency. I chose to stay with you Cam, and now-" I shook my head. "Now she wants me to pay." Pay for leaving. Pay for choosing. Pay for things I was ashamed of but couldn't get myself to regret.

Was there more to it than me simply choosing to stay? Yes. Were there things I hadn't said? Yep. They didn't need to know every detail. Especially not now. Plus, there were things even I didn't know. I didn't know what happened to them after they ran. Sure I saw them a handful of times, but I have no idea what they did. Only that they were eventually caught, and I assumed were taken out. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

Cam didn't make anything to show her feelings on what I'd said. She just sat there like a statue. I would have preferred she start screaming again. Instead, it was Bex who spoke first.

"Zach, I think you should go."

"What?" I stared at her. Go? Why should I go? Why did I need to go?

Macey stood and crossed her arms. "Because, Zach, we asked you to leave. Now leave."

I didn't understand. But before I got to say so, Liz stood too.

"Zach, we just need some time to think, okay?"

"But-"

"Zach," Jonas said, coming to grab my arm. "We should talk to Grant."

I sighed, looking at the girls. They had circled around Cammie. It looked as if they were defending her- from me. Cam had closed her eyes. Knowing the girls, they were probably right. It was most likely for the best I leave. But I could get myself to want to go.

Jonas sighed and yanked my arm. "Zach. Come on." He pulled me out of the room and we made our way up to our suite. From outside the door I could hear the sounds of things being hit. Smashed. Thrown. I sighed. Grant was a whole other task to deal with. I glanced at Jonas, and we opened the door to face the storm that was in our room.

This was going to be a long night.