Chapter 6: Talk with a 'Mother'?

A/N: More of an information chapter (the beginning at least) than anything.

Keira Goode's POV:

"Keira, sit down. Please," my mother said holding the chair next to her at the kitchen table out. "I need to talk to you." She looked over at me and for the first time in…well as long as I can remember, her eyes were crystal clear. Not blurry, not fuzzy, but clear. Meaning she wasn't drunk.

"Okay," I replied sounding worried. Having an actual conversation with my mother wasn't normal as sad as that sounds. I took a seat next to her as she shuffled her hands.

"I was never always the way I am Keira. I never wanted this life." She looked at me sadly while brushing a piece of my hair behind my ear in a caring way, a side I hadn't seen in years. "I never wanted my kids to have this life. I was happy before, very happy. I had a great life, loving parents, and a good education. I was going somewhere, I was going to be someone and then…somehow I ended up getting sucked into this life. And before I knew what was really happening it was too late to escape at least an escape that would last long."

She shook her head looking down at her tea.

"How…how did you get caught up into this life?" I asked her when she didn't continue.

She had a faraway look, not the one she had when she was drunk but one where she was thinking deeply. Thinking of how to word things, how I might react. She took in a long breath before continuing. "I met your father only he wasn't, or at least he didn't, act like he does now. He was sweet, kind, a little cocky and arrogant at times, but he still had his soft side underneath it all." She smiled self-consciously. It was hard for me to imagine my father ever having any kind of soft side. "As much as people warned me to stay away, to watch out I just kept falling harder and harder. I thought I knew him more than anyone else did even when my own parents tried to keep me from seeing him. That's when I decided to leave home and marry Rodney to spend a blissful life with him the rest of my life. We tried to get married at first but since I was still seventeen with no parental consent on my side even though I was turning eighteen the next month we were rejected. Rejected five times until we finally found a priest willing to marry us. And…well for some reason I have always remembered that your grandfather, Rodney's father, was talking to that very same priest during the reception. They looked like they were making a deal of some kind, although it seems strange that they were at the time."

I thought back to Peter and what he had told Zach and me. However, what I meant is that I'm the Circle of Cavan's preacher you might say. I help join people in marriage. Actually I've granted the marriage of people in your group since the late eighties. That would have been around the time my mom got married I wonder.

"What was his name?" I asked curiously.

She shrugged while twirling a spoon in her tea. "I don't remember, only that it was a traditional name and not uncommon. Why do you ask?" She looked towards me eyebrows raised.

"Just curious," I replied. "Go on, please."

Nodding her head she continued, "Well, then the years started to pass and still everything seemed fine even when your father got distant only it was never far enough to make me start to wonder, to worry. Soon I was pregnant with your brother and it was then that I realized what was happening, because they had decided I had been there long enough to see what they were doing…to become a part of it and I did. My job that they decided"—deep resentment filled her voice—"was to cover-up all the deaths they caused and that is what I did. Only it was hard I felt so guilt consciousness over it. I felt like I was the murderer because I was doing nothing to stop the deaths or to even bring the deaths to justice but the exact opposite. I wanted nothing more to feel numb at that point which is where I started to drink, heavily. And it worked, quite well, and I could do my job without concern or guilt. My drinking only got worse though causing me to be incapable of doing my job, which will be the death of me." She took in a deep breath pinching the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were wider than normal with worry and concern dancing around. "I'm surprised they kept me this long, but that only means that they have something planned for me. Something drastic I would rather not know about." She shivered at the thought as I almost did as well.

This was the first time my mom had ever been truthfully honest with me. Had actually talked to me. The only time I remembered when she sat down and talked to me like this was back when I was five. Only that talk was different than this. That talk had been set up I realized that now. She had sounded so robotic, so inhuman unlike currently.

"Your brother…oh, he reminds me so much of your father, your former father anyway." I shook my head not wanting to think about that. Not wanting to think about the possibility that Zach could be like our father in the future, the near future.

I decided to change the subject from my father as quickly. So I asked my mom a question even though I didn't possibly think she had an answer for it. That anybody really didn't have the answer for. "Why did Zach get close to Cameron Morgan? He had nothing to gain from it. Nothing I can think of. Was it an accident?"

My mom patted my shoulder and gave me a small smile, her eyes sparkling. "Oh Keira, you don't see it."

"See what?" I asked confused with arched brows.

She chuckled before taking the spoon out of her cup and bringing the cup to her lips. After a long gulp she looked back to me. "I'm surprised Harper hasn't informed you of this already. Of course I'm sure she knows. She always was good at reading people, it's her talent. But Keira, your brother got close to Cameron purposefully. It was no mere accident." Her eyes looked straight at me yielding me not look away, to make sure I knew this information more than anything.

"He did." My voice almost shook for I could only think of one reason why. And that why scared me more than anything.

She nodded not taking her gaze off me. "Yes, he wanted there to be a personal boundary." Well, that one through me for a loop as I tried to process what that meant. It wasn't the answer I was expecting however my mom wasn't finished. "He didn't want to allow himself to have the chance, the personal ability, if you will, to kill someone his age or younger. He wanted limits, boundaries and he knew quite well that because of Cameron's father she was a target. A high target in fact for the Circle of Cavan, not that she can help that. One target that very well might be assigned for him to terminate."

I thought it over and it did seem like something the Zach I know would do. Only one part of that got me. "But…they would, will, kill him because of that. If he doesn't finish the order, the assignment given to him."

My mom sadly agreed with me. "He knows that as well as we do, but it doesn't matter to him. Your brother…he's on the thin line of not caring much about life. There are only certain people"—she glanced over at me for a split second—"that he sticks around here for. Otherwise to him he has no reason for being around. But…" She stopped and pursed her lips thinking it over.

"But what?" I asked.

"But his relations with Cameron have gotten more complicated than he had intended for them before." She tried to keep herself from smiling, but she wasn't doing a good job at it. "He fell for her. Oh my son, if only it didn't have to be this way." She sighed looking down at her tea.

"You mean he fell in love with her?"

My mom shook her head 'no' furiously and the edge of her lips rose almost like a smirk. "No, he certainly would never say that. More of a deep liking for her. Before he was just hanging around her to keep himself from ending her life. Now if her life at stake was no longer in the picture I don't think he could help himself from spending what time he could with her."

I nodded and thought it over. There were some answers I needed to get straight away.

* * *

Zachary Goode's POV:

Entering my room I saw the back of Keira's head against the headrest of my chair at my desk. She spun towards me when I closed the door. She was smiling, almost smirking up at me.

"I think it's time you tell me more about this Cameron Morgan girl, Zach," she said sweetly like it was nothing.

Without thinking I let out a groan. This was not the kind of conversation I wanted to have tonight not after training.

"What is it you want to talk about Keira?" I grumbled while setting my stuff down on top of my bed.

"Do you like her, right now, at this moment?" She starred at me straight in the eye waiting for an answer.

"That's a very vague term Keira. Like could mean several different things." She gave me a look and I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. "In a way, yes but I shouldn't."

Keira rolled her eyes and stood up. "Well, that's obvious," she said under her breath. She turned and looked out the window. "Are you going to do anything about it?" She waited for my response.

I shook my head walking into the bathroom. I stared into the mirror at myself as I heard Keira's footsteps. I saw her reflection standing in the doorway.

Watching, studying my own reflection I replied, "I'm going to have to kill her Keira." Seeing every facial movement that occurred of my own and hers I took note on.

Keira nodded faintly. "I know. The question is can you." She raised an eyebrow at me as I turned my gaze down to the sink. I couldn't take seeing myself anymore. I looked too much like him.

"We're…we'll just have to let it play out, I guess." The words left my mouth sounding robotic. We couldn't afford to let it play out. We would only be fooling ourselves yet I was alright with that idea.

"Zach, tell me everything that happened." I turned around to look at her as she leaned against the doorway giving me her puppy dog face. The one she knew was impossible for me to turn down.

Taking a deep breath and moving back into the bedroom I told her everything that happened at Gallagher…after Gallagher…with Cameron…every possible detail.

* * *

"You kissed her!? You kissed her in front of everyone. Well, you sure weren't shy about your feelings," Keira joked, shaking her head side to side.

I rolled my eyes. After everything I told her that one small detail just had to stick out for her enough to make a scene. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Oh, Zach." She shook her head, tsking at me. "I thought you liked her."

We stayed quiet for a few minutes before I started to talk again. "You know what we'll have to do if…well what I have to do anyway." I looked away from her and towards the bedroom door.

She grabbed my arm forcefully. "We, Zach, always we. If you're leaving then I'm going with you, no matter what the cost and maybe Harper will join us. Regardless you're not leaving here without me." I looked towards her and saw in her eyes that she was dead serious that there was no way she would let me leave her. Then she gave a playful smiled and added trying to lighten the mood, "No matter how much you want to ditch your kid sister you're not getting rid of me that easy."

"Tell me about it," I groaned playing along. She let go of my arm and slapped it instead. We both smiled and laughed before Keira stood up, off my bed.

"You know what I just got an idea for a song," she said brightly. She was always writing songs that or dancing.

I narrowed my eyes at her but before I could dig deeper into what had inspired her she left. I took the chance then to lie down on my bed and wait for the next day that might, just might be better than last.

* * *

Hope you liked it. Should have given you a deeper look into the mindset of the 'oh so mysterious Zachary Goode' known to some as Robert Gates. More revelations to come.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and just to give you a heads up I might not be posting this coming Sunday like usual. I have other things to do (such as cleaning tomorrow) and you just might have to wait until the Sunday after. Now I've given two extra updates this week this shouldn't be too big of a deal. Then again maybe I'll be able to post something Sunday we'll just have to wait and see.

Review = Ecstatic Writer = Sneak Peak = Possible Update Sunday