Since you all are such awesome readers...as promised here's chapter five! I have a bunch of test/projects this week so I probably won't update till Thursday. But until then, here's a little something to entertain you! Thanks again to everybody who reads and writes those awesome reviews! ;) And for those of you who just read...please review! It helps me write and let's me know that you like (or hate) the story! You guys are amazing, and I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I'm not Ally Carter, and I don't own the Gallagher Girls (or Zach)... just my story!

Chapter Five

At 8:02 there was a knock on my door. I glanced at myself in the hall mirror and then opened my apartement door.

Zach stood there with his hands in his pockets, smirking.

"You're late," was all I managed. Why was I so freaking tongue tied around this guy!

Ignoring me, Zach walked past me into my apartment, and started looking around.

"No Zach, I'm ready to leave. Let's go."

"So this is where my Gallagher Girl lives."

"First off, I'm not 'yours' and second, I didn't invite you in. Now let's go!"

Raising his hands in surrender he walked out. I followed behind, lugging my suitcase.

Closing the door to my apartment, I walked behind Zach. After a few steps, he turned around, and before I was able to protest, grabbed my bag. Then he waved his hand for me to continue on in front.

"Where are my manners?" Zach said, with a smirk of course.

"Um…okay," I said and I kept walking, trying not to notice how effortlessly his muscular arms were able to carry my bag down the stairs.

As we reached the parking lot I allowed Zach to take the lead. He walked up to a dark black Jaguar.

Raising an eyebrow at him, I pointedly looked at his car. How could he afford this on a government salary?

"My intelligence pays well," was all he said.

That comment reminded me that I had no idea what he had been doing for the past four years. Liz told me that the CIA had nothing in their system about him, but yet, here he was.

I opened the passenger door and slid inside. The car overwhelmed me with a familiar smell that I used to simply call Zach.

When I was younger and Zach and I were in our complicated relationship, the smell of his soap and shampoo used to always calm me and give me a feeling of safety.

But when life happened I had learned how to not depend on that comfort, or anyone. Zach had too, and we both moved on without each other. But there was a tiny piece of me that just now, was calmed by his scent.

Zach turned out of the parking lot and started driving to Dulles.

After a couple minutes of rather uncomfortable silence he turned to me.

"What are you thinking about, Gallagher Girl?"

Like I was going to tell him what was really going through my mind.

"The mission…and Bex," I replied instead. If he knew I was lying, he didn't say anything.

"The four of you girls really stayed close, didn't you." He stated.

"Yeah, they really have been there for me through everything, and I like to think that I've done the same for them." I said. "What about you, did you keep in touch with Jonas or Grant?"

I saw Zach pause before answering. "I saw Jonas for the first time today since graduation. And I've kept loosely in touch with Grant. But after all…it…went down; I didn't just grow apart from you."

We both looked at each other. His beautiful emerald eyes held my gaze for a moment, but there was a kind of sadness in them. A sadness that I knew I could never fix.

We then drove in silence a little ways. I looked out my window to see the headlights and taillights of the cars racing down the interstate with us.

Everybody had somewhere to be and was completely oblivious to the two spies driving toward what could be the biggest mission of their lives.

I snuck a look at Zach. His face was relaxed, but with that slight smirk that always got to me. I'd give anything to know what he was thinking.

"Soo," I said. "How did you know where I lived?"

The smirk grew wider. "Spy," he said using one hand to point to himself. One thing hadn't changed; Zach could still manage to but the crap out of me with a single syllable.

"Zach, I know you are a spy, hence you being here. But what have you really been doing since the last time I saw you?"

"That's classified." Zach told me. But when he saw the frown of frustration on my face he grew serious. "After I last saw you, and everything with my mom went down, I did my best to work to get as much of the circle infiltrated as possible."

Finally, something informative, "How successful were you?" I asked.

"Oh Gallagher Girl, I thought you knew me better. I'm always successful. Actually, I managed to get rid of most of the circle in the northeastern United State."

Okay, so maybe, just maybe, I was impressed by that. He had managed to do what several agents had been attempting for decades. But there was no way I would tell him that.

When I didn't respond, he threw the spotlight on me.

"So what have you been doing, you know, besides missing me?"

I rolled by eyes. "After graduation I joined the CIA, obviously, and since that I've gone on a few minor missions to the Middle East and Africa. But it's been mostly pretty boring. I guess that makes me lucky, right?"

Zach was silent. My last question was one that couldn't be answered. Spies are meant for missions and danger, but danger was something that made living a full life difficult. And missions were the reason many spies never saw their family or friends again.

"What about your mom?" Zach asked.

"She's still at Gallagher," I said. "Making sure her next generation of girls can kick Blackthorne's butt." And with that I smiled at him.

"I'm pretty sure that it ends up the other way around. If I remember correctly, I'm the one who made you in D.C." he countered with a sideways smile.

I laughed, remembering back to when my sophomore class had gotten to go head to head with Blackthorne boys, on a CoveOps field trip. The first time I met him, I had mistaken Zach for an innocent civilian and he had gotten the best of me. That was the last time I had allowed a boy to fool me.

At that instant a car cut us off and Zach slammed on the brakes. I gripped the handle on the door and I heard Zach say a few choice words in Farsi.

The lighthearted mood that had been in the car just seconds ago disappeared. When I looked at Zach he was tense. I decided not to say anything; there was still unfamiliarity between us.

By now we were almost to the airport. We exited and found a parking spot in the massive main building of Dulles International Airport. Then sun had already set, so before getting out of the car I pulled my jacket tight around me.

Zach was already around back, pulling bags out of the car.

As he easily maneuvered my suitcase onto the pavement he caught my eye.

"Hey I'm sorry about earlier," he said to me earnestly.

"Look, don't apologize, it's nothing." I told him.

And with that Zach gave me that adorable half-smile.

"You ready Gallagher Girl?" he asked me as he slung his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah," I responded. My mission with Zach was officially beginning.

Haha! The excitement is building! Thanks for reading...and please review! (I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record)

:D