United we Stand

Seen Ghosts?

ZACH POV

I'm still running from Joe, he may have been like my dad but he has a bigger soft side for Cameron so basically I'm doomed.

It must be weird for him though. His Step-Daughter and his Adoptive-son are romantically involved.

I keep running, and I hear him fast on my tail, and come to Rachel's office. I quickly open the door and close it behind me.

I run over to Cammie and hide behind her. I'm panting heavily and holding onto her shoulder for support.

"Is he still chasing you?" Cam asks and I nod, still trying to catch my breath. And then the door opens and I fall on the couch.

"I'm doomed" I breath, still out of breath. My god how far did I run?

Then Cam sits on my lap and crosses her arms and looks at Joe.

"Calm down you two, I have a feeling we have bigger things to worry about then killing Zach. And besides I kinda like my boyfriend to be breathing." She says

"Kinda?!" I ask and she looks at me and rolls her eyes. Then she kisses my cheek.

"Yes 'kinda' do you have a problem with that?" She asks

"Nope, none" I respond hastily and she smiles

"Good" then she gets off my lap and whispers something into Joes ear and whatever she said calmed him down...

She could've done that four corridors ago.....

"Okay....." Rachel sighs "now that, that is settled, we can get on with business"

"Zachary, Joseph, will you let me speak to my daughter alone?" Sh asks and looks between us.

"And please refrain from killing each-other" she adds

"Thank god" I breath out. And stand up, I peck Cammie on the lips (I really wasn't thinking, it was a reflex) I had my hand on her waist.

"I'll see you later Gallagher girl" I say and walk out the door

"See ya" she says just before I walk out the door.

I sit down in a chair not far from the office to wait, and to my luck Joe sits next to me.

"Hello there" I say awkwardly

"Zach" he curtly responds

I sigh, one big heaving sigh. Here goes nothing.

"I love her" I say and he looks at me but stays silent so I continue.

"I'm not joking joe, I've never met anyone like her before, I can't really explain it, she's like..... Like..... A breath of fresh air or like a light in the dark..... I love her Joe, and I don't care what you have to say about it, I need her in my life and killing me. Won't keep me away from her" he continues to stare at me and I don't know what else I can say so I don't say anything. His opinion is his and it doesn't have to effect me.

So I look away from him.

"Zach......." He starts but I don't look at him "I just don't want either of you to go through what Rachel went through when Matthew went missing.... Having a relationship in this business is just to risky"

Now that makes me mad.

"Don't you think we don't know that!? He was Cammie's dad! She know that better than anyone. But we agreed that spending whatever time we have, however short it may be, with each other is worth it. Even if it ends in heartbreak. Because for that short while we will have been together.

Do you ever hear Rachel regretting the days she spent with Matthew? Being with the people you love while living the life you will live, is the most important thing in the world. Joe we know that risks, and we decided to take them" I finish and I feel a lot better about this whole situation.

He nods

"I understand" he says but it's barley above a whisper. And then he walks away, leaving me with my thoughts.

After a little while Cam comes out and she is pale and looks like she's seen a ghost.

I stand up and take her hand.

"Cam are you okay?" I ask genuinely concerned

"Oh.. Um... Yeah... Zach we.... Can I talk to you?" She asks and I nod nervously.

We head back to our room. Her guard seems to be up, and she is more alert then she should be. She looks worried.

When we get back to our room we sit on her bed and she rests her head on my shoulder, our fingers intertwined between our laps.

"Zach......" She starts, but she turns her head into my shoulder "I don't know how to tell you this"

I tilt her head up so she is looking at me, my thumb under her chin.

"Just..... Tell me" I whisper and she sighs

"I-It's, Catharine, s-she's n-not d-d-dead" she stutters out and I stiffen

"Impossible,she.... We watched her.... There was no way out" I say

"Apparently there was Zach" she says and she pulls something out from her pocket.

A photograph

And she hands it to me, I look at it and sure enough there is Catharine walking to the train station with a ball cap and sunglasses on with a hidden gun pointed to the back of a young girl. I feel myself grow pale.

"She's a student... Here at Gallagher. Well the girl is" Cam says "she is of no importance to her..... She wanted to get our attention"

But I don't speak, I don't reply, I just stare at the picture.

I had finally escaped her, she was dead. But now she's back.....

Cam takes the picture from me and places it on the other side of her and she takes my face in her hands.

"We will get through this" she says firmly, yet comfortingly "we always do"

And the she kisses me, hastily at first but then it slows into a long gentle kiss.

After a while we pull away.

"I love you" I mumble into her hair

"I love you too Zach" she mumbles back as she rests her head In-between my neck and my shoulder.

We will get through this alive. I just know it....

We have to.