A/N: I do really like the bonding with Aunt Abby in this chapter, she's always been a character I love so I'm so happy I got to do this. The next chapter has LOTS of drama! Thanks for the reviews!

Previously:

We all looked at each other in despair. I could tell that they were trying not to blame me, but I could see the disappointment in their eyes, and I felt it in my stomach. Right now I was sure they all hated me, but I was also sure no one hated me more than I hated myself. I had to find Macey.

()()()()

"It's been two days now" I whispered to Zach as we sat in CoveOps.

"I know" Zach whispered back sadly. "But half of the Gallagher Academy alumni are out looking for her"

I nodded and turned my attention back to where Miss Cameron was teaching at the front of the class.

Something had changed between me and Zach. I knew he was hiding the resentment he felt towards me about Macey disappearing. Bex and Liz were the same, they were perfectly pleasant to my face but as soon as they thought I was asleep at night they would talk and talk about that day that Macey had gone missing; about how I'd ruined everything. But in reality I never slept anymore, all I could think about was where Macey was and what I could do to help… but I couldn't think of anything.

"Cammie, could you stay behind please" I jumped out of my trance and realised it was the end of the lesson and the class was filing out for dinner, Zach included. In fact; he didn't even look back at me.

"Your mom said you'd be staying to help me with a few things" Miss Cameron said as I approached where she sat at the front of the class.

"Oh!" I exclaimed having completely forgotten. "Of course"

Miss Cameron smiled at me. It was a bit of a shock considering I'd felt like she hated me the moment I'd walked in the door. The smile lit up her face; she was almost as beautiful as my mom.

"I haven't got much for you to do, maybe you'd just check through these seventh graders CoveOps reports for me?" She asked.

"Sure" I sighed as I got to work. We worked in silence for a few moments and I couldn't help but feel like she was watching me.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't guessed yet"

I looked up in surprise.

"What with my last name being Cameron… your first name being Cameron…"

"Well, Cameron's my mom's maiden name isn't…" I paused suddenly, it hit me.

"You're related to me?" I asked in surprise, but I knew it wasn't a question.

"I'm your Aunt" she replied. "So, I guess that means you're allowed to call me Abby"

I gaped at her for a minute.

"So you… knew… my dad?" I asked.

Aunt Abby smiled sadly. "Yes, great man"

I sighed. "That's what everyone says… but no one will tell me anything about him"

"Well, you know most of it I'm sure" Abby said. "I think, you should just try to remember the good times, and there were plenty"

"Why have I never met you before?" I asked.

"I met you when you were very young" Abby paused. "Me and your dad were sent on the mission you know… it was my fault…"

I shook my head and before I knew what I was doing I was beside Aunt Abby. "Of course it's not your fault, shit happens"

Aunt Abby laughed. "I could have totally told you off then for swearing if it hadn't of made me feel better"

I smiled and grabbed Abby's hand. "I blame myself too sometimes"

Aunt Abby frowned at me. "Why on earth would you blame yourself?"

"Well my mom said that he left to protect me…"

Aunt Abby shook her head viciously. "No, never even let that thought cross your mind Cammie, did you ask to be born into a family where a terrorist organisation want you?"

"Well… no… but…"

"Exactly, and that's all you need to know" Aunt Abby said firmly.

I stared intently at Abby's face. "You know, I think I kind of remember you, were you the one who called me…"

"Squirt" Abby finished for me. "Yes, that was me"

I smiled, I suddenly remembered little snippets of Abby's time with me, like when she used to play with me when I was little and read me bedtime stories with my mom.

"I know it may have seemed like I hated you at first…"

I thought back to my first day at The Gallagher Academy and my eyes instantly filled with tears… so much had changed since then.

"I promise you I didn't, I guess it just upset at how different you'd become… but I can see right through you squirt, I know it's an act"

I looked down at the floor but Abby's fingers cupped around my face and she tilted my head up to look at her.

"I missed you squirt"

"I missed you too" I smiled, realising how true it was. I felt safe with Abby, I felt like me and her were so similar. I guessed it was because she was so unlike my mom despite them being sisters… Abby was just different.

Her arms pulled me into a hug and I caught a whiff of her familiar perfume. I clung onto her like a child, but she didn't seem to mind, it was a while before I felt her weight digging painfully into my stomach. I withdrew quickly and clutched at the sudden fire erupting through my body.

I tried to steady myself before Abby noticed, but she was a spy, she noticed everything.

Her fingers grasped the bottom of my school blouse and she lifted it up over my slim stomach. I felt sick. I hadn't even realised how badly my stomach had been bruised, the bruise was a sickly purple colour, in the shape of someone's fist.

I expected questions to fly at me but Abby simply pulled back down my top and hugged me gently, and just as I thought I couldn't love Aunt Abby any more than I already did she simply said "You can tell me when you're ready"

She reached towards an old radio and switched it on; I instantly recognised the song as one of my dad's favourites.

"I bet you recognise this" Abby grinned.

I nodded; I remembered a time when my dad had danced around the kitchen every morning with me before school.

Abby grasped my hands in hers and began spinning me around in time to the music. We must have danced for minutes; hours even, before Aunt Abby suddenly laughed and then said "You know, I'm meant to be punishing you"

I laughed too as I said. "Yeah, you know, this could encourage more of my rebellious behaviour"

"I hope not" Aunt Abby smirked.

"Abby… Do you know anything about… Macey?" I asked quickly before I could change my mind.

Aunt Abby shook her head as if she knew I was going to ask that question. "I can't tell you anything Cammie, because I don't know anything"

I sighed.

"She's good Cammie, she's been using tons of disguises, loads of fake passports and lots of fake names… we just have no idea where she would have gone"

I nodded glumly. "It's my entire fault…"

Abby shook her head. "You weren't to know that Macey didn't know… we should have told her earlier"

"I guess… I just wish there was something I could do…"

"There is…" Aunt Abby smiled kindly at me as she said. "The only thing I want you to do is sit back and leave this to the grownups"

I didn't dare say that the grownups were doing a pretty crap job of finding my friend, but that night I stayed up late. I waited until Bex and Liz were sound asleep before I grabbed Macey's laptop that lay by her bed. I knew Liz had already done a full scan of it and had traced every email Macey had ever sent… but I couldn't fight the feeling that there was just something obvious we were missing.

I sat with the laptop on my lap for a few minutes just thinking. Where was Macey's favourite place? What was her favourite thing to do? Who were her closest friends? I felt disappointed in myself for not being able to answer those questions. I thought back to the one thing I did know about Macey though… Macey liked to feel safe; she'd want time to think things through, to delay the search.

I clicked onto the internet and typed into Google 'secluded holiday getaways'. I sighed at the thousands of links that appeared on the page… but one caught my eye. I clicked onto the link and read the description.

'Getaway Now Holidays' offer secluded holiday cottages in one of the only countryside landscapes in America.

I clicked through various links on the site and imagined what I would have clicked if I were Macey. I found a section where it stated the availability and I saw someone had booked it from the day Macey had gone missing until a few weeks' time. I knew it could mean nothing. I knew I might travel all that way just to come back home again without Macey beside me… but I had a good feeling that this was the place Macey would choose to be alone, because it was the place I would have chosen to go to be alone too.

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