Prompt: Prospects from That's Classified
Rachel/Abby conversation, with implied Zach/Cammie. Takes place during Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover.

"We need to talk."

Rachel looked up from her desk and motioned for Abby to sit down. "About…?" she prompted, rifling through some loose paperwork.

"About Cammie," stated Abby, pulling a chair over. "She's spending an awful lot of time with that Zach kid."

Rachel's head snapped up at the name, but she made no comment except, "She's still a teenager, you know."

"That's not the point, and I know you know that, too," Abby declared impatiently. "He's from Blackthorne."

"So was Matthew," Rachel replied, and this time there was a slight wobble in her voice. "So were all the other boys that stayed within these walls last year. He's just a boy." So much emotion pinned on that one word.

"That's not what they're trained to become," reminded Abby. Assassins, was the unspoken word. "You told me how badly things ended with that civilian kid when Cammie became involved in him."

Rachel remembered very well. She remembered the stricken look on her daughter's face when they'd informed her that Josh would have the majority of his memories wiped, retaining only the barest recollections of who Cammie was. She remembered the drive in silence, knowing she was sending her daughter to be interrogated, all because Cammie had liked the wrong person at the wrong time.

"Yes, but I highly doubt Cammie would make the same mistake," Rachel assured her sister. "Zach is…he's a good kid."

"And a spy."

"Spies need love, too."

Abby smiled at her sadly, and for a moment Rachel wondered which of them was truly the older one. "Is it worth it, Rachel? Even after all of this, you can still say that?"

Every single moment was worth it, Rachel thought fiercely, remembering her husband's smile, the way he tucked her hair behind her ear when he kissed her goodbye, Cammie blinking up at her in the hospital lights—a beautiful baby girl. Hers. Matthew whispering, She'll be great someday. Her agreeing.

"Let it run its course," she told Abby tiredly. "He won't hurt her. Cammie can watch out for herself, and she'll need someone by her side. What's one more person?"

"One more person means one more person to get attached to. And in this case, I'd say the person in question is highly suspicious, mysterious, and potentially dangerous. Not the kind of guy you want running around with your daughter, good intentions or not. Look, Rachel, I'm only watching out for her. She's my niece too, you know. I don't want her to get hurt. Love leaves scars."

Rachel smoothed the white sheet of paper in front of her. "Sometimes we get scarred anyway."

"So you're going to leave this to chance? Look at the prospects. Things are only going to get more dangerous, tougher, and Cammie's getting older—she can't do with anything holding her down or misleading her. He…there's something about him that I don't like, Rachel. If he betrays her? Then what?"

"Let it run its course," Rachel repeated, folding her hands in her lap and closing her eyes. I want my daughter to have a happy life. I want her to find love. Is that too much to ask?