Chapter Five

Cammie's POV:

I couldn't breathe. Suddenly, I knew why John was here. He knew about the baby. It was Zach's kid. And even though it was for a very short time, Zach had been part of the Circle. And my baby was Zach's baby. That baby….our baby….was Circle material. I felt like vomiting.

"I see the fear in your eyes." John looked over at me. "You must realize why I'm here."

"You will never get what you're looking for." I spat.

"The Circle always gets what they're looking for." He replied confidently.

"You didn't get World War Three." I countered.

"And I suppose since you stopped it, you think you can stop this." He walked over and Zach stepped in front of me at the last minute, but John just spoke over Zach's shoulder to me. "You have no idea what the Circle is capable of when it really wants something. And we really want what you have."

"Cam?" Zach looked back at me. "What's he talking about?"

"Oh the boy doesn't know?" John threw his head back and laughed. "That's classic. Why don't you tell him Cameron? Don't you think he deserves to know?"

"Not like this." I hissed and dove at him. I ducked under Zach's arm and kicked Grey in the gut. He went sprawling across the elevator. Bex jumped and landed next to me. I could see the fury in her eyes.

"I told you to stay home!" she screamed.

"I am not a child!" I cried.

"No, but you're responsible for one." She muttered under her breath. As soon as the words left her lips, three dark figures fell from the sky. Unfortunately, they were nothing like Zach falling to help me. They were with Grey.

"Get the girl." Grey pointed to me as he stood up carefully. "And watch for the boy." With that the three guys lunged at me, but I jumped off the elevator, swung around a cable and flew back to kick one guy in the face and send him flying down the shaft. There was a sickening crunch when he hit the bottom.

"Who's next?" I gave the other two an evil smile.

"What do you even want?" Zach was blocking punches thrown by Grey. "I don't have anything left that you would want!"

"Cam!" Bex tossed me a Napotine patch and I slapped in onto one of the guy's backs and tossed him over the edge. Bex was handling the last guy with her flourish as she played with him, hurting but not killing. I was left to race over to Zach and Grey.

"Cameron, your time is up." Grey held Zach by the throat. "I'm no match for you or the boy, you know that. But the Circle is. It's only a matter of time."

"Cammie, get out!" Zach gasped.

"You won't lay a hand on it." I didn't even know where these words were coming from. I didn't feel nearly as confident as I sounded. In fact, I felt like crying. He was threatening to kill my baby. Maybe it was the adrenaline that was keeping the gravity of the situation from truly sinking in.

"Tell the boy, or I will." Grey continued to squeeze.

"Not this way." I whispered.

"Cam, what's he saying?" Zach's eyes were deep. They were haunting me. Would our child have his eyes?

"Zachary, what Cameron is trying to tell you is-"

"Stop!" I cried.

"She's-" Grey continued.

"I'm pregnant!" I cried. Grey chuckled. "I'm pregnant with your baby." I whispered. Then, in a flash of movement, I tackled Grey and we both flew off of the elevator, leaving Zach and Bex behind.

"Cammie!" Bex screamed. While Grey and I fell, we fought. Finally I kicked him off and grabbed onto a cable. I slid down some more, then jolted to a stop. Grey's body disappeared, but I heard the tell tale sign of death. The sickening crunch would be forever branded in my memory.

000000000000000000

Zach's POV:

When Cammie spoke those words, my brain just froze. I couldn't think or breathe or move. Baby. She was pregnant with a baby. Well our baby to be more specific. And the Circle wanted it. Because of me. And then she was flying over the edge of the elevator with Grey in her arms.

"Cammie!" Bex ran to the edge. And I did the only thing a boyfriend can do when his girlfriend and child are in danger. I followed. I jumped down the shaft and cable whizzed by. As I kept falling, I reached out and grabbed a cable and clung to it.

"Cam?" I called out.

"Just leave me down here." I heard a small voice reply.

"Cam." I used a softer tone. "Where are you?"

"Doesn't matter." I could hear her silent sniffles.

"Cam." This time Bex went flying by me and called to her. "Cam, come on. We need to get home."

000000000000000000000

The night air was fresh. Bex had gone home with Grant, but Cammie was still sitting on the gravel outside of the building. She hadn't looked at me or said a thing to me. I knew I had to fix this.

"Cam, come on. It's cold out here." I tried to coax her.

"Go away." She muttered.

"Cam-"

"I said go away!" she snapped. She was sitting down and only her side was visible to me. The breeze was moving her hair slightly and the moonlight showed her cheeks were wet from tears. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"Well I have something to say to you." I walked up behind her and sat down.

"That I was stupid? That I messed up your life? That you don't want kids at all ever? That you want to break up? That you hate me now? I already know those things." She sighed. The breath she let out was shaky. I felt so bad for her. Look at how upset she was. She felt guilty for something she shouldn't.

"No," I brushed some hair out of her face, "but I was gonna say this." I turned her head to me and I kissed her gently on the lips. When I pulled back, an expression crossed over her face that I couldn't identify. It looked like a cross between confusion, fear, and frustration. "So you're pregnant?" I choked on the last word. She nodded silently. Then sniffed. "There's our baby in there?" I pointed to her stomach. She nodded again. "And you're sure?"

"My gosh, yes!" she stood up sharply. "I'm sorry if it interferes with your life plans. No, Zach, I just made it up. I jumped straight to this conclusion when I got sick in the mornings. Yes I'm sure!"

"Cam." I stood up and followed her as she stomped towards the car. "Cam, wait."

"No."

"Cameron." I grabbed her around the waist, careful not to touch her stomach. I turned her to face me. "Do you believe me when I say I love you?" she looked down. The wind whipped around us, but she kept silent. "Do you believe me?" I asked again.

"Yes." She whispered.

"Then would you believe me if I told that I love you even more now?" I asked. She looked up to me slowly and I saw the hurt in her eyes. It broke my heart to see her like this.

"I would." Her voice was hoarse. "But I wouldn't understand why."

"Don't even." I put one hand up to cup her face, the other hand still resting on her waist. "I love you because you are one hundred percent you. I love you because you're always one step ahead. I love you because you never let me get bored. I love you because I grew up with you. I got to see what you became. I loved you for coming back. I love you because you're beautiful. I loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you in Washington DC. I loved your big eyes, and I thought 'just another Gallagher Girl'. So easy to fool. And then you exposed me 'hello Blackthorne Boy'. And I was hooked. I love your sneaky side and your intelligence and your willingness. You care about those you love and constantly risk your life for them." I paused. She was still looking at me, her facial expression hadn't changed. "And do you think that if I loved all those things, loved everything about you, that I wouldn't want a little, lovable kid around to remind me of you?" I felt her body stiffen up.

"You said you didn't want kids." She held my gaze intensely. I sighed. I wished I could've taken that back. I never should have said that.

"If I could take those words back, that night, I would, Cammie." I shook my head slightly, "If the kids are yours, I would take ten of them."

"Sorry, but I think you only get one right now." I heard the teasing in her tone, but I didn't laugh because I also saw that she still was not completely over this.

"Come on." I held my arms out to her, gently. She shook her head, refusing my hug. "Cameron," I let my voice get a little serious, "you know you need this." She waited for a few seconds then walked into my hug in reluctance. "How long have you known?" I whispered in her ear.

"Since this morning." She replied with a shaky breath.

"And here I thought you were good at keeping secrets."

"I wouldn't have told you like this if not for…." Her voice faded out and she stepped back.

"I know." I didn't want her to finish.

"I wish you could've found out some other way." She drew a sharp breath.

"What is it?" I asked quickly.

"Morning sickness." She replied and heaved off into the grass at the edge of the property.

"Attractive." I handed her a tissue from my pocket to wipe her mouth.

"Thanks." She mumbled.

"I need to get you home." I wrapped my arm around her and began to guide her off the property and down the road a ways to my car.

"Zach?" I could hear confidence returning to her voice.

"Yes?" I reached out and opened the passenger side door for her.

"I'm sorry you found out like this." She slid into the seat and I closed the door and ran around to my side.

"At least I found out." I slid in and buckled my seat belt. I started the car.

"Are you happy?" her voice was almost so quiet that it could've been mistaken for the breeze blowing against the car. But I heard.

"Are you?" I pulled out onto the street. She didn't reply. So I looked over at her. She was looking down at her stomach and gently running her fingertips over it. I looked back to the road and stopped the car at a small intersection. It was about three in the morning. No other cars were around. But I didn't move the car on. I turned to Cammie. "Gallagher girl?" she looked up. "I'm going to kiss you now." The I leaned across the cup holders and change holder and she turned to meet me. It was slow, sweet kiss.

0000000000000000000

Cammie's POV:

Zach had so many different kisses. And I loved every one of them. Tonight his kiss was gentle, not pushing and sexy like it had been that one night about three weeks ago. He pulled back but didn't move the car. We both just sat there in silence.

"Yes." I spoke up.

"Yes what?" he looked confused.

"I'm happy."