He had his mask on, and he was just staring at his mother, gun still raised.

"I said to shoot me, Zachary!" She suddenly screeched. "Please...just kill me. I'll join your father. I really did love him, Zachary. Please, for once, just listen to your mother."

With that, Zach pulled the trigger.

And Cassandra Goode fell down.

Cammie's POV

I closed my eyes and looked away – anywhere but at the body on the ground. Just because we were spies didn't mean that we liked the sight of death. We were silent, and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. I swallowed and took a deep breath, and walked over to Zach.

I didn't say anything, I didn't even look at his face. I just walked over and buried my face into his chest, and hugged him tight. At first he just stood there, probably still staring at his mother, but then I heard the gun clatter to the ground loudly and his arms wound around me so tightly I could barely breathe. He leaned down and buried his face in my neck, and I could feel slippery tears soak my skin and shirt.

His breathing became even more uneven, and then he started sobbing. His shoulders were shaking, and he had to take occasional violent gasps to get air into his system. The sound and feel of him crying – Zach, who was usually so strong – made tears come to my eyes, too.

"Zach..." I murmured, running my fingers through his hair. "It's okay. You did the right thing."

"I know I did," he mumbled, and then sniffled. "And that's why it's so hard. The right thing to do was to kill my own mother. Not that I could ever call her that – but that's the thing. I wish I could. I wish she acted like a mother towards me."

I didn't know what to say, so I turned my head and kissed his cheek, and saw that his eyelashes were thick and clumped together with tears. I didn't want to say that it was going to be okay, because I didn't know that. I didn't know if it was going to be okay, and it was a phrase that's been said by so many people at so many times that the words just didn't mean anything to either of us anymore.

Bex and Grant had gone outside and shut the door, probably guarding it for any other Circle agents in the base, giving us alone time.

"I love you," I smiled.

He squeezed me tighter. "Always."

Grant opened the door, his face still serious and grim. I didn't like it. I wanted his huge, sappy grin back on his face. I wanted him to laugh his bellowing laugh, his head thrown back.

"Liz and Jonas are done. They got it. It's on the desktop of your mom's computer right now, Cam. It's over," he said.

I couldn't believe it.

It was over.

The Circle was gone – we had all of their information, and we could slowly pick off each and every one of their bases and agents. I guess the Circle agents in the building realized this, and they fled.

We didn't do anything to stop them. The CIA would catch them eventually.

Zach looked up, the only evidence of his tears were his wet eyelashes. I dried them with my thumb and he smiled, kissing me.

"It's over," I whispered. Then I turned to my friends – Mace, Bex, Jonas, Tris, Lizzie, and Grant – and laughed. "It's over. It's over!"

I ran over to them – Zach in tow – and flung myself on top of them. They grinned hugely and laughed, and we hugged each other so hard that outsiders would think we were trying to strangle each other.
"Thank you guys," I said, pulling back.

"For what?" Lizzie smiled.

I grinned back like a madman. "For everything."

We called Mr. Solomon to clean up the unconscious and dead people on the ground, and we walked out. Just like that. We didn't even need to check for cameras or avoid anybody, like our spy instincts automatically made us do.

Mr. Solomon arrived and we went back to Gallagher, and I took in the view of my home for the first time in months. Throughout the whole car ride we were silent, but disbelief and joy and excitement was bouncing around in the air, and I didn't let go of Zach's hand once.

We got out of the car and I couldn't help but laugh and throw my hands in the air, and spin around in a circle. I was so glad to be back from that apartment. I was so glad to see Mr. Solomon. I sprinted to my mom's office, threw open the door, and launched myself at her. She cried silent tears and petted my hair, saying how much she missed me.

Then I walked off to my beloved secret passageways, for once loving the spiderwebs and dust that lingered on the walls and in the air. Zach caught up to me in there and pressed his lips hard against mine, and I wound my arms around his neck.

"Do you regret it?" I murmured against his lips.

"Regret what?"

"Killing her," I replied.

"If it means keeping you safe, I'll do anything," he breathed. I smiled and pulled him closer, running my fingers through his thick brown hair. He looked at me with his bright green eyes and smiled gently.

"I love you, Cam."

"I know you do," I scrunched up my nose and giggled. He pouted and backed away.

"Say it," he said in a mock-warning voice.

I started walking towards him as he walked backwards.

"Say what?" I asked, putting on an innocent face.

"Say you love me...!" Zach laughed, backing up even faster.

"And what if I don't?"

"Then no kisses for you!" He exclaimed.

I made my face fall, and I lunged for him, circling my legs around his waist.

"Love you," I smiled.

"Good," he tapped my nose with his finger, and kissed me again.

TWO YEARS LATER

Home is where you are.
Kinda tragic that I left your side, left your side, left your side.
I recall a smile, a kiss when the sun did rise, by your side, I was by your side.
I gotta tell you how it feels now...
You're my air when I feel I can't breathe.
Catching me when I'm tripping over my feet.
We'll get through this together.
You're my smile when I just want to cry, make it all better as you kiss my sad eyes.
I'm giving you my forever, and ever.
The hug, the kiss, the love.
All the magic that we're feeling inside, deep inside, deep inside.
It's hard to find the words the courage is somewhere inside, deep inside, deep inside.
Gotta tell you how it feels now...
I'm read to fall.
You're my air when I feel I can't breathe.
Catching me when I'm tripping over my feet.
We'll get through this together.
You're my smile when I just want to cry, make it all better as you kiss my sad eyes.
I'm giving you my forever, and ever.
Sat down thought about it today, if I only have a breath what would I want to say?
Something sweet, something real – something real sweet.
Thought real hard...and only one thing, only one thing, oh only one thing came to me.
You're my air when I feel I can't breathe.
Catching me when I'm tripping over my feet.
We'll get through this together.
You're my smile when I just want to cry, make it all better as you kiss my sad eyes.
I'm giving you my forever and ever.

I stopped singing and looked up from my guitar, huge smile on my face. Zach leaned forward and kissed my nose, then my cheeks, then my mouth, then my forehead.

I laughed as he smothered my face in kisses.

"I love it," he murmured, resting his forehead on mine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I sighed, leaning into his chest. We were sitting at our favorite spot in town – a fountain in the middle of a plaza. The floor was composed of colorful bricks, and the fountain was splashing cool mist at our backs.

It was around 5:30 in the morning, so nobody was out yet, and it took a lot to get me out of bed today. But it was worth it. Zach and I were going to watch the sunrise, and then go get coffee.

Bex and Grant had gotten married last week, and they were still on their honeymoon. Jonas and Liz had their wedding last summer, in a gorgeous garden. Macey and Tristan had theirs on the beach, with horses and everything (thanks to Macey's dad).

"I...uh," Zach chuckled and rubbed his neck nervously. "I actually wrote you a song, too."

My eyes bugged out of my head. "You did? Can I hear it? I didn't know you could sing!"

Zach snorted. "I can't. This just shows how much I love you," he teased.

I smiled and set my guitar down, and leaned back on my arms. "Sing on."

He looked at me, a faint smile on his full lips, and took out two pieces of paper from his pocket. He handed one to me, so I could read along to the lyrics.

There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece, I swear it.
And I know that it's cheap, not like gold in your dreams, but I hope that you'll still wear it.
And the ink may stain my skin, and my jeans may all be ripped.
I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy.
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.
Yea, I'm no angel. I'm just me. But I will love you endlessly.
Wings aren't what you need, you need me.
There's a house on the hill with a view of the town, and I know how you adore it.
So I work everyday through the sun and the rain until I can afford it.
Yea, your friends may think I'm crazy.
But they can only see I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy.
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.
Yea, I'm no angel. I'm just me. But I will love you endlessly.
Wings aren't what you need, you need me.
The ink may stain my skin, and my jeans may all be ripped.
I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy.
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.
Yea, I'm no angel. I'm just me. But I will love you endlessly.
Wings aren't what you need, you need me.
Girl, you know you need me.
There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece, I swear it.
Yea, I know that it's cheap, not like gold in your dreams,
but I hope that you'll still wear it...

Zach bit his lip and looked up at me, but I wasn't looking at him.

I was looking at the paper. I had flipped it around to check if there were anymore lyrics, but taped to the back of that paper was a plastic ring.

A plastic ring in the shape of a key.

I almost dropped the paper.

"Cammie," Zach said, getting down on one knee and taking the paper from my hands, carefully peeling the tape off of the ring.

I laughed and tilted my head back, tears threatening to fall, knowing what was about to happen. Rays of light were peeking over the horizon and illuminating Zach's golden-brown hair, and making his dark green eyes flicker, his eyelashes casting shadows on his high cheekbones.

"You see, there's this shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece...and I know that it's cheap, not like gold in your dreams, but I hope that you'll still wear it. I will love you, forever and ever. Will you marry me?"

Tears flew down my cheeks and I laughed again, hand over my mouth to stop myself from blubbering. My heart was pounding and I was squeezing Zach's hand so tight that it must've been painful.

"Yes. Yes, Zach. I will marry you," I said. "Yes!"

He grinned madly and kissed me, and slipped the ring on my finger.

He pulled another ring from his pocket, and I put it on his.

It was a lock.

Curious, I took it back and then slipped off my key. I inserted the key into the lock, and turned.

It opened.

"You have the key to my heart," he muttered.

It was engraved on the inside of both of our rings, with a ZxC next to it.

"I love it. God, I love it!" I jumped into his arms, peppering his face with kisses.

Zach laughed and wound his arms around my waist, and we slowly just started aimlessly twirling.

"I immediately thought of you when I saw it. I took it to a special place to get it recreated into actual silver rings, though," he added.

"I think I like the plastic ones better," I teased.

He grinned. "I think I do too."

I was finally marrying Zach.

My best friend, my partner-in-crime, my protector, my protectee, my enemy's son.

My love.

The Circle is gone, and me and Zach, twirling around stupidly holding onto each other watching the sunrise...we were finally free.