A/N: Count down till the end now!

2

Alexa POV

Ms. Morgan found the bird with surprising ease, I figured because it had been a gift from her late husband that she had treasured it so. The ornate bird looked like mine, except it was a deep crimson red instead of the grass green of mine. The words on the back appeared the same, but I guessed that was because I never read them properly. "This is it, right?" Ms. Morgan asked and turned it on. I nodded, too focused on the melody playing. I knew I had begun to hum again, because Cammie was staring the same way she had been earlier. Townsend ruffled around for a pen and paper from somewhere across the room and handed them to me silently. I put pen to paper and everyone waited impatiently, barely even breathing. Slowly but surely, I began to write a name on the snow white page, tracing it carefully as the letters seemed to slip down onto the paper. Once one name was done I moved my hand down and began to write another, and another. Cammie's hand came to rest on my shoulder in encouragement while the other one still firmly held the musical bird.

Name after name I jotted down till I stopped at seven and I felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. It was really over. And I was sure the Circle Of Cavan knew it too. Dad smiled and patted me on the back. We'd done it.

"Two MI6, four Blackthorne and one dead." Townsend was saying to a group of other adults as I strode past, teachers and or agents I guessed. And possibly other Fortis members, whoever was in on that.

I took a seat next to Seth, he put his arm around my shoulder and I sunk into him. We smiled at each other momentarily. We were sat with Bex - who was telling us she was going back to England over the summer to heal her wounds with her parents - Macey, who was laughing with Cammie and Liz about spending some time with Preston and staying as far away from the crazy as possible - And Zach, who was telling us he was going to go with Townsend to find a couple of the Circle leaders on my list that they had already located or had an idea where to find. All this time we were sat talking me and Seth were trying to catch each others eyes at every chance we could get. He hadn't mentioned the kiss but I guessed he wanted to say something by the way he kept glancing in my direction. I hoped I hadn't overstepped my boundaries, that it had been what he had wanted too. I knew we hadn't really talked much since he kissed me at the hospital what seemed like years ago. Truthfully I was shocked that I had even kissed him, and equally shocked that I wanted to do it again.

"So Seth, got any plans for the summer?" Zach asked Seth, I snapped from my thoughts and listened.

"Back to school I guess." He shrugged, looking out the corner of his eye at me as if to see my reaction to it. From his eyes I could tell he didn't want to leave without knowing where we stood, what we were. I knew because I was feeling the same way. It was comforting to know that I could think about this kind of this again, instead of if my gun was fully loaded or not.

"And what about you Tail Catcher, got any extended summer plans?" Zach grinned at me, his fingers intertwined with Cammie's. I was glad that they had each other.

"I don't really know." I said it all honesty. "Dad said there was no use running anymore and he wants me to come home, which is great since Gallagher Academy'll be under construction for a while. I guess I've never really had a chance to decide." I said finally. Bex spoke next.

"What about Anne? I know Joe is your dad and all that but..." I understood what she meant, Anne meant so much to me and was there when I had needed someone most, unlike my dad. He had his reasons but still... I was definitely going to spend a large part of my summer with Anne, I had made a promise and I intended to keep it.

"I guess you can now have a nice, normal... spy life." Liz laughed, so did the rest of us. It seemed everything was good again, which it hadn't been for years. Really, I don't recall when it ever was.

"There's still the issue of all the missing girls though." Macey said, sending us crashing back to the harsh reality of our lives. "Ms. Morgan has sent out word wherever she can but I think they're going to need all the help they can get."

"From us you mean?" Cammie said glumly.

"Well yeah," Macey said, a smile growing on her lips. "We're Gallagher Girls." She looked to her three closest friends in the whole world, then lastly her eyes fell on me. She said: "They'd be stupid not to need our help." And suddenly I felt like a part of me was coming alive that had been dormant for along time, I felt a sense of belonging. I had a purpose. A mission. I was a Gallagher Girl.