I do not own Gallagher Girls, nor the beginning of the story in italics. Those are straight from the Gallagher books, which I do not own.

.One By One.

"You don't get it, do you?"

…maybe Liz was right and she'd wanted someplace safe…

…the voice was soft and Southern, the footsteps so dainty that I knew there could only be one person tiny enough to creep over those particular floorboards without making a sound…

…Liz, who's afraid of spiders and refuses to go barefoot anywhere. Liz, who is a perfectly good swimmer yet owns six flotation devices. Liz, who once forgot to floss before going to bed and couldn't sleep the entire night…

…and just like that I remembered that she was probably the most dangerous one of us all.

--

"Liz?"

Bex poked her head into the library.

Scanning the rows and rows of books, she saw not a sign of life. Sighing, she stepped inside and began wandering around aimlessly, calling out for her friend. There was no response.

"Liz, you said you were in here," the tanned, British girl mumbled under her breath. It was exceedingly late, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her pajamas and sleep for a solid couple of hours.

Unfortunately for her, she had been volunteered to journey up to the library and fetch Liz. The blonde Gallagher girl had most likely fallen asleep over her notes again -- a habit Cammie and Bex tried very hard to break her of.

Frowning as she rounded yet another shelf of books without sight of her friend, Bex whirled around suspiciously. Maybe I missed her, she thought doubtfully.

Bex was so busy in her concerned thoughts that she never noticed the bony girl perched on the ceiling above her, or the Napotine patch cascading towards her head.

Bex had just enough time to gasp and lurch backwards, her eyes fluttering as she caught sight of wispy red-blonde hair. (no, no, no, Lizwhathappenedohno…) before she keeled over, the darkness swamping over her mocha eyes.

Liz stepped over her limp body and spoke into her comms, "Duchess down."

--

Macey was a bit worried.

Liz hadn't returned from the library. Bex hadn't returned from the library. It was now 1:14 in the morning -- they'd sent the British teen after their blonde friend almost an hour ago. Cammie was absolutely exhausted; the dark circles under her eyes swelling by the second.

"You look like the living dead, Cam," Macey began, rolling over on her bed to look at her best friend. "Go to sleep. I'll go find Liz and Bex -- they probably just got held up by a spider or something."

She shook her head, light brown locks of hair flying out behind her. "No way, Mace, I--" her sentence was overtaken by a gigantic yawn, and the black-haired girl across from her smirked triumphantly.

"I win," Macey announced, bouncing up. She wasn't all that tired; her class hadn't had a P&E pop quiz this morning like Cam's did. Flipping off the light, she sauntered out the door with a casual, "Later, Cammie."

Macey McHenry grinned broadly as she weaved her way through corridors and up stairs to the library. Yes, she loved the Gallagher Academy. Who wouldn't? It was beautiful, it was exciting, and best of all, it was secret. No one from that part of her life would ever know what occurred behind these walls -- not her mother, not her father, not even geeky (but cute) Preston!

Entering the library in high spirits, she never saw the faint shadow off to her right, or the pale, thin arm snapping out to slap a Napotine patch onto her forehead sharply..

Macey had a moment of pure terror before she traced the arm of her attacker to its face. What the crap -- wait, Liz?! One disbelieving stare was all she could muster before her knees buckled, and the black crashed over her eyes. (how could she, noit'sallamistake…)

Liz skipped around her motionless form, murmuring into her comms, "Peacock down."

--

Cammie woke up.

It wasn't sudden. In fact, it was the opposite; she drifted upward from slumber patiently and slow, like molasses. Sighing, she contently rolled over, gripping the blankets tighter…

LizMaceyBex, her eyes shot open. They darted around the room, settling on each empty bed with despair. Oh, no. "Hello?" she croaked, voice rough from sleep. There was no answer, and Cammie wasn't tired anymore.

Jumping from her bed, she recalled the events from last night…

Liz in the library, Bex looking for her, Macey going after them when they never returned.

"Oh, crap!" she groaned, throwing on her uniform and running a brush through her hair. There was no way all three of them had fallen asleep in the library. What the heck happened? Cammie, to be honest, was terrified. We would know if someone had broken in, she chanted. We have security cameras, and alarms, and all sorts of things!

Hurrying down the hall, she thundered up the steps to the library, not caring if she was late to breakfast. Screw that, she needed to find her friends! Wait.

Breakfast! Cammie was filled with a huge sense of relief. Of course that's where they are. They'd gone down to breakfast and let her sleep in because of how tired she was last night. Feeling incredibly better and a little paranoid, Cammie trotted sheepishly back down the stairs and rounded a few corners to enter the Grand Hall.

She didn't take two steps before freezing.

They…weren't there.

The junior's table was exceedingly empty: No studying Liz, no ravenous Bex, no laid-back Macey. Cammie swept her gaze over the room once more before her heart fell through her stomach and her palms began to sweat.

She slipped back through the doorway without a soul noticing, and ran all the way to the library. A little out of breath (but not too much; she is a spy, after all) she charged through the rows of books, trying very hard not to panic.

The library was empty.

Okay…okay…it's okay, Cam. Focus. They weren't at breakfast, in the room, the library, or anywhere between. So…now what?!

Heart pounding, Cammie took shaky steps back out to breakfast. She could ask around the table, see if anyone had seen her missing friends…yes, that's what she would do. Reassured in her plan, Cammie quickened her pace…

The shadow on the wall behind her was still; so still that of course Cammie didn't turn to look at it. Of course she couldn't stop the Napotine patch from cascading onto her forehead, and the instant fogginess associated with it.

A split-second of disbelief, and Cammie opened her mouth to scream. A tiny hand clamped over it, sealing it. Cammie's brilliant sapphire eyes fluttered with the weight of the world, her dazed, half-conscious mind blanking out when she caught sight of her enemy. (oh, itallmakesensenow…)

Liz pranced over her stilled form, whispering into her comms, "Chameleon down."