I'm BACK! Sorry, hectic first semester of college, and my inspiration fairy apparently decided on a sabbatical. But she's back and my fingers are typing like thunder so get ready for more drama, (and more Zammie eventually I PROMISE I know I've neglected them a little.) But I know you're not here for me- you want Ally Carter's wonderful characters… and Annabeth (I hope).
Annabeth blinked as she woke in an unfamiliar room. It took less than ten seconds to remember where she was, and less than thirty to remember what had transpired before she fell asleep. Flashes of her father holding her, her brother leaving, throwing her old locket, and crying for the first time in forever. Cleansing...she thought as she ran a hand through her hair take the deepest and freest breath she's taken in years. As she walked back into the living room she was assaulted by noise.
Giggling.
Squealing.
Clapping.
Chuckles.
Jokes.
And...wedding plans?
"... and you have to pick a date, and a church,- OH! What kind of religion will you guys choose?"
"Lizzie, they just announced it, let them figure it out in their own time!" she smiled at Macey's exasperated tone.
"But-"
"No Liz, Mace is right. Cam and Zach need to make their decisions in their time."
"Thanks Mom," Cam said sighing.
Annabeth decided on that as a good entrance point.
"Gee, you have one emotional breakdown and you miss so much," she said with a smirk identical to her brother's.
"Welcome back, Bee," Zach said smiling as he walked over to hug her. Once he released her he asked, "What's that face for?"
"I thought you were upset with me…?"
Zach sighed, and seemed to be having an inner quarrel. Finally he shrugged and answered somberly, "I'm upset at the circumstances, I'm upset at what you had to go through, I'm upset that you went through it alone. I'm not upset with you though."
"Awesome… because Cam and I need to get going and I didn't want to make you angrier with me."
"What do you mean get going?!" was said in a scattered chorus by the people in the small apartment.
"We have business to take care of," Cam said matter-of-factly as she handed Townsend Little Matthew, "Here, meet your grandson." and walked into the other room again with Annabeth.
Once inside both girls began changing.
"Shouldn't we tell them?"
"I think they need to process the information they've already been given today, don't you?"
"But I hate lying to them!"
"You aren't lying Cam, you're omitting."
"Same thing…" she grumbled.
"Well it's either that, watch their heads explode from an overdose of information, or watch them all go barging into that club tonight demanding answers and getting us all killed. This is different than before Cam."
"I know…"
"They have no moral qualms. They kill strangers for fun if someone gets in there way a punch looks tame compared to them."
"You're right. We tell them now we sign death warrants for who knows how many people."
"Exactly. So, who will we be tonight?"
"For a club? Lyndsay is always fun. And you haven't broken in Mara yet."
"Too right you are. Lyndsay and Mara it is."
Twenty minutes later, instead of the beautiful brunettes that walked into the room, a ginger bombshell, and a sexy beach blonde walked out. Annabeth walked out as "Mara" the vivacious ginger, her black miniskirt, and dark purple crop top that accentuated her hips and brought focus to her belly button ring, but only hinted at the tattoo on her hip. She pulled on a couple of six-inch heels and a black jacket to match. Cammie, as the beautiful blonde "Lyndsay" wore a red halter dress that flares at the hips, stopping mid-thigh. As she laced up her knee-high boots Annabeth tossed a couple weapons her way.
"Boot knife, thigh gun, acid lipstick, laser hair pin."
"Got it. What's your half of the arsenal?"
"Gun in the back of my skirt, these are my blade heels, bra poison, truth serum gloss, and a safety pin with a tip covered in a sleeping 'medicine'. All set?"
"Yeah. Coms?"
"Van. Targets?"
"Texts. Contact?"
"Waiting."
"Perfect."
"I know I am, but we're good to go."
"What in the Hell are you two talking about!? Going where?!" Macey shouted.
"We'll tell you tomorrow Macey dear," Annabeth called out as she waltzed out the door.
Cam looked at her friends and family apologetically, "Wish I could tell you, but you'd explode. Don't wait up," and with the click of a door they were gone.
"Is it me or…"
"Those two being that close to each other is scary," Jonas said nodding at Liz.
"Cammie is dangerous enough when left to her own devices, but paired with my devilishly cunning little sister, who knows what they could do."
"I feel bad for whoever they're targets are." Grant said.
"I don't," Bex replied bluntly, "For them to become a target for Cam they have to either be targeting someone she cares about, or a really terrible person. I'd wager these targets deserve it."
"Bex is right, Squirt would never hurt someone who hadn't done something to warrant it."
Annabeth walked back into the apartment hours later, Cammie on her heels and together they plopped themselves on the couch exhausted. After a few moments of them breathing slowly with their eyes closed, they sat up and looked at eachother for a moment, and burst into a fit of giggles.
"You were great! He was so entranced by you, I bet you could have made him rob the safe for us."
"But that wouldn't be nearly as much fin as doing it ourselves," Annabeth replied to her cohort as if the statement was obvious.
"Come on, B, let's get you fixed up huh?"
Pulling her wig off, Annabeth hopped onto the counter and began to untie her top to give Cam better access to the scrape and bruises that spanned the length of her side. She winced as the cleansing liquid hit her wound, "I must not have been too good for it to hurt this much."
"Well we got the info we needed so I'd say it's worth it."
"Yeah, but you know it means we have to tell them."
"Hey, you were the one dragging your feet!"
"I just didn't want to overwhelm them, I figured it'd be easier for you to tell them when they had officially adjusted to the little squirt."
"When I tell them? I thought we were doing it together!"
"I don't know them and well- you do."
"But you're better at blurting things out."
"You want me to blurt it out?"
"...Kinda…"
"Cam, are you sure? This isn't exactly great news; especially if it's blurted out."
"You're right… But I'm gonna need help."
"You need my help with tact?"
"Well, not tact, more like, ease?"
"You think we take a slow explanation approach? I thought you liked tact…"
"I do!... But I really don't think there's a way for me tactfully tell my family that the Circle of Cavan is back…"
A/N: Well, another secret revealed! Please don't think this is gonna be some out of the blue idea, I promise I've got this thoroughly planned out. Some of you may have thought I gave it up, but I am back to the trenches, and I promise that the next update will not be too far behind, but I am updating as I write it. So when my inspiration hits so will the updates. But never fear! Spring Break is here! So hopefully I will have one more update for you before school runs my life again.
Lot's of love ~MoF
