The Mathematics of Attraction [complete]

[Aimee Connors]

The motel room was quiet, the morning sun blocked by curtains and the air conditioner humming in a way that only created white noise. A lampshade by the bed was crooked and the bed itself was a rumpled mess of sheets, one slim purple leg extending from the pile and a mess of black hair on the pillows.

Groggily Aimee began to stir, drawing her limbs in close to her body and slowly raising her head. The clock on the nightstand read 8:00 in red numbers, and for a moment she couldn't decide if that was AM or PM. As she took in more of her surroundings (a white dress tossed over a chair, silver heels on the cushion), she slowly sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest and listening.

"Cameron?"

Of course there was no answer, but she couldn't hear any movement, and there was plainly no one in the bathroom, she could see right into it from where she was on the bed. Aimee shrunk down into the pillows, tugging the comforter up and plumping it around her body as she tried to remember exactly what had happened the night before. Had she really hooked up with Cameron, only to be ditched before morning?

She covered her face with her hands, burning with horror at the thought of a walk of shame back to Redencion House where no doubt Alex would be waiting, his eyes full of terrible knowledge. Oh God, did he even know what had happened to her? She couldn't remember saying good-bye to him or Lana, or thanking Lana for the clothes...

Aimee's stomach growled, but her thoughts were making her feel slightly sick. She burrowed deeper into the bed, considering going back to sleep until a maid showed up to kick her out.

[Cameron Bell]

A soft click came from the door, it was followed by a patient jostling of metal and wood, there was a beat of silence then the door burst open, shuddering on its hinges. Cameron stumbled inside, his arms full of large paper bags, and kicked the door shut behind him. It was a fair bet his undignified entrance woke Aimee from her sleep, and he watched the bedsheets warp and whisper until he saw the sunglow of her eyes. He greeted her with a thin trace of a smile, which threatened to swell into a full cheese-eating grin, and deposited the largest bags on an empty chair.

By now, the smell of hot food permeated the room, and shrugging the last of his burdens onto the foot of the bed, Cameron pulled out his phone:

"Hey. I hope you're hungry."

[Aimee Connors]

She sat up, a swell of relief flowing up inside her as Cameron grinned, and she realized again that she had nothing on. Aimee blushed a bit, tucking the sheet up around her chest and pinning it with her armpits as she leaned against the wooden headboard. It creaked a bit, and she suddenly had a memory of it squeaking the night before... extensively.

"I'm starved," she said, smiling shyly. "What did you bring?"

[Cameron Bell]

In response to the question, Cameron tore open the paper bags, and foregoing ceremony, dealt the contents across the bed to Aimee. Soon, an assortment of breakfast trays mingled amongst the rumpled sheets, billowing steam clouds with the removal of each styrofoam lid. It was a veritable feast of scrambled egg mountains, stacks of buttered pancakes, bagels toasted with bacon and cream cheese, a couple of cups of coffee, and a large blueberry muffin. Sliding into position next to Aimee, he proudly presented her with a plastic-wrapped spork and offered with it a sheepish grin.

"I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything."

[Aimee Connors]

Her eyes widened at the array of food laid out before her, and accepted the spork solemnly. As the message on his phone played, she grinned, leaning into him a bit. "I'm pretty sure you know what I like."

Aimee took the wrapper off the utensil before he could reply, and dug into a plate of pancakes, pulling it into her lap and daintily pouring some of the packaged syrup onto them. "Mmm, so good," she declared, her mouth full.

[Cameron Bell]

While Aimee tucked into her pancakes, Cameron watched, feeling a swell of pride rise in his chest that had nothing to do with breakfast. After their eventful night together, a lingering sense of dread haunted him all the way to the Daylight Diner and back, wondering just what his purple partner thought of their sordid exploits in her renewed state of sobriety. There had been a very real chance he could've ended up wearing the scrambled eggs. Instead, he was shovelling generous sporkfuls into his mouth, and helped himself to a bagel - the cardinal sin of crumbs in the bed far removed from his mind.

"How's your head? There's tylenol if you need it."

[Aimee Connors]

"Oh, thanks," Aimee said, leaning precariously forward to find the bottle amidst the takeout containers. Opening a bottle of water she swallowed two gelcaps. "Head's not too bad, but better safe than sorry," she added.

Tucking the covers back around her, concealing her monentarily exposed backside, she looked sideways at her silent companion. "I was a little afraid you'd ditched me, to be honest. But I'm really glad you didn't. 'Cause then I couldn't do this -" and she leaned toward him and kissed him on the cheek.

[Cameron Bell]

The gaping surprise on Cameron's face melted, at the touch of her lips, into a self-satisfied grin. When she broke away, a pleasant heat lingered on his cheek, and he found his train of thought almost completely derailed. Now Aimee was wearing the playful grin and righting a look of plain innocence, returned to her pancakes. After a thoughtful sigh, Cameron fidgeted briefly with his phone, and turned to her in earnest:

"Aimee, ditching you would be like winning the lottery and then burning your ticket. Why would I do that?"

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee shrugged, the sheet gaping a little in front, and carefully chewed and swallowed the bite of pancake in her mouth. "Well, I don't know. I mean..." She hesitated, and then put another forkful of food in her mouth. Not the time to get into The Past.

She grinned at him instead, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah, that would be pretty stupid of you." Aimee winked, then looked around for a napkin.

[Cameron Bell]

Content with her self-assured response, Cameron smiled and eased back onto his pillow. Amongst the clutter, he found a pile of napkins within arms reach, and tossed a couple her way. Again, in her exertions the bed sheet slipped, treating him to a flash of sideboob. The corner of his mouth curled, his eyes tossed a half-glance at the large bags across the room and promptly returned to Aimee. He turned onto his side, head cradled in his hand, and wore a lazy smile.

"So, last night wasn't a one-off? I'm not sure how I'd feel about being used and abused like that."

[Aimee Connors]

She carefully placed her empty container on the nightstand, giggling a little as she straightened the lampshade, then turned around to face him so suddenly her hair went in her eyes. "A one night stand?" Aimee brushed her hair out of her face, the sheet loose about her but still keeping her within the realm of decency.

"But then we wouldn't be able to do it again, now, would we?" She blushed a little, her eyes alight with mischief, and something else. Her smile widened to a goofy grin, and then she covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I just said that."

[Cameron Bell]

The surprise was on Cameron's face too, eyes like saucers, and a half-open mouth which gave way to a delighted grin. Aimee laughed for both of them, her face flushed a deep shade of plum. It was hard to believe it was the same girl who, only the day before, shrunk at second glances over fries.

"It's alright. I'm glad you said it."

Rolling away from the bed, and with Aimee's full attention, he upended the contents of the remaining shopping bags onto the chair. Out tumbled a shirt, a hoodie, sweat pants, and a cheap pair of sneakers - all of which were far too small for him. He turned and discarded an empty bag, his eyes fixed on Aimee.

"I was kinda hoping we could do the whole getting dressed thing later."

[Aimee Connors]

She looked at the clothes with surprise, and sat forward in the bed, covers clutched to her front. Surprise and... something else. His eyes were making her feel warm all over, and she could only meet them for a moment before looking away, despite her bold words earlier.

It wasn't like she'd never been with a boy before. But this boy... man, she amended... it was different. He knew her, and wanted to spend time with her. He hadn't ditched her, wasn't only using her as a notch on his belt like 'the time I fucked a mutant.' Like others had, in New York - though she told herself she'd been using them as well.

And she really liked him. The alcohol had lowered her inhibitions enough to let her give into the feeling, to enjoy it without worrying about tomorrow. Now tomorrow was here, and she found that she was still enjoying a new found freedom.

Aimee's yellow eyes flicked back to his grey ones as the last message played on his phone, the decidedly un-sexy tones of Microsoft Sam doing his best to ruin the mood, but that look Cameron was giving her... it practically pinned her to the bed. She bit her lower lip, made up her mind, and darted from the bed into the bathroom, upsetting takeout containers as she threw back the sheets and made her escape.

"I do need a shower," she teased, peeking around from behind the open bathroom door.

[Mute]

Umm... nothing to see here. Please move on! :uhoh

[Cameron Bell]

"Funny you should say that."

Discarding his phone, Cameron stalked closer and pulled off his shirt, prompting Aimee to disappeared wearing a mischievous grin. There was a hiss of water as the shower started up. Once he reached the doorway, dainty violet fingers latched onto his jeans and pulled him inside, and behind, the bathroom door was brutalised into its frame.

Sometime Later...

They were ushered out of their battered room around midday by a plump cherry-faced woman with a vacuum cleaner. She barked foreign vulgarities from the gangway as they crossed the parking lot and found themselves stood before a 1972 Chevrolet Caprice with a raven-coloured body. Prizing keys from his pocket, Cameron offered Aimee an amused grin and slipped inside, popping the lock on the passenger door.

[Aimee Connors]

"Nice car," Aimee said, pulling open the door and climbing into the stale, hot air that had been contained inside the cab. She found the seatbelt and added, "It looks like it could double as a boat, if you needed it to, too, which is always a good thing."

She nicked his phone so he couldn't use it to defend himself, and giggled, leaning over and kissing him before making sure the bag containing her clothes from the night before was situated on the floor between her feet. Lana's shoes and bangles were carefully placed on the bottom, the glorious mini-dress folded as neatly as she could on top. Aimee felt a nervous twist in her stomach at the thought of going back to the House after being out all night. She'd had a message on her phone from Alex that she hadn't read until they'd gotten out of the shower.

sup. told anna ur staying w lana. text me when u get this.

Aimee had quickly texted back: thx, sry about last night, ill explain when i get home prolly lunch time, thx again

And now she wasn't sure what she was going to tell Alex when she saw him, but when she looked over at Cameron his easy smile banished her fears.

She handed him his phone back with an exaggerated guilty expression, and then grinned as the car roared to life. "Full speed ahead!" It seemed like a description of what had transpired between them since the night before, too.

[Cameron Bell]

Cameron addressed Aimee's words with a steady sideways glance and an overly-cool arch of the eyebrow, a smile threatened to betray him, so he shook his head and pulled out of the parking lot. There was a conflict within as he sat across from Aimee, watching her watching him, as he found himself on the verge of committing a serious cliché. It was tempting to throttle the beast out of a car in front of a girl, a classic display of testosterone-driven masculinity which boiled down to little more than puffing out the chest and fluffing one's feathers, a desperate cry for-

Stamping down on the gas, the hungry V8 lurking under the hood sung and sent them racing onto the broad expressway. He flicked the radio to life, an angry growl of guitar poured out of the speakers, and rolled his window down to enjoy the hot rush of air. If he'd have had a cigarette he'd have fucking smoked it. Shortly, the spruced up chevy peeled into Los Santos, by which time Aimee had mastered the art of holding a conversation which required of him nothing more than a nod or shake of the head, sometimes she even got an indifferent shrug. The sights became commonplace, faces were familiar, and soon enough, they turned onto Banyon Street.

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee felt herself shrink a little as they pulled up to Redencion House, a flutter of nervous energy building inside her chest. She gripped the shopping bag, pulling it up into her lap as Cameron parked the car on the street a few houses down, and put on a brave face. "I'll just be a moment - don't you go anywhere!"

He nodded, his smile bringing out his dimple, and she breathlessly leaned into him, kissing him again as though her life depended on it, and then she was out of the car, running down the sidewalk toward the House. The van was in the driveway, so Anna was home, somewhere. Aimee used her key on the front door and slipped inside, plastic bag rustling loudly. Someone was watching a movie upstairs, the sound turned up fairly loud, so she held out hope that perhaps she wouldn't be forced into any awkward meetings on the stairs.

Aimee walked upstairs, got into her room and closed the door, quickly changing out of the clothes Cameron had bought her (all a little too big, but it was the thought that counted), into a pair of jeans and a teal tanktop. A cheap pair of flip flops went on her purple feet, and she was just beginning to think she was getting away with it when she opened the door and ran smack into Alex in the hallway.

[Alex Kaine]

Alex stopped where he stood, hands jammed into his pockets, a line of tension across his mouth that belied his slouching shoulders. "Oh, Aimee, you're back. How was last night?"

[Aimee Connors]

"Um," she backed up into her closed door, and tried not too look guilty. "It was a lot of fun, really." A faint blush rose in her cheeks, and she hurried on, "I'm really sorry, I don't really remember leaving the club. I got a little carried away, I guess."

Aimee really did feel awful about it, her expression arranging itself to closely resemble a puppy who thought it might get kicked for misbehaving. "I wanted to hang out with you and Lana, but we couldn't find you guys anywhere. And, well..." her voice trailed off. He knows you spent the night with Cameron, no need to get into it.

"Thanks for covering for me," she added quietly.

[Alex Kaine]

"Well, don't thank me yet, I don't think she bought it," Alex said. "She's been giving me frosty looks all morning. Listen, are you okay? Is he..."

He gave her quick once-over and realized she was embarrassed, but not downcast, so whatever had happened between her and Cameron, they'd gone well, at least by her reckoning.

"It's just... you left the club after less than an hour."

[Aimee Connors]

"Really?" Aimee tried to remember the sequence of events that led to Cameron whisking her away from the Silver Dollar, and couldn't put together a reliable timeline. "Wow, I didn't know it was so fast." She blushed again, putting a hand to her face.

"I guess I just had a little too much to drink too fast," she said, then looked down the hall to make sure no one was there listening in. "I forget how small I am sometimes. But really, you don't need to be worried, I promise. Everything is fine. Was Lana mad? I... I just wasn't thinking I guess." Aimee bit her lip, feeling a little downcast at the thought that she might have just ruined a friendship that had barely started.

[Alex Kaine]

Considering the other events of the night, that was a complex question.

"Well... no, not at you. We ran into some jerk, and we didn't stay that long after I got your text. I was just... well, worried."

He sighed and rubbed at the back of the neck. "You know, the point of giving you the bracelet was so you'd be in control..."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee wasn't sure how to deal with this... this whatever it was between her and Alex. On the streets you had kids you looked out for, and ones that looked out for you, but this was different.

Maybe this was what it was like to have a big brother. So annoying! But, awesome at the same time. "I know, I know, I just..." She spread her arms out, palms up, in a shrug. "I just wanted to forget about my crappy week. And it was stupid, maybe, but," and her eyes flicked to the side, down the hall towards the stairs and outside and Cameron, "But it kinda worked out ok. I mean... I really like him a lot, Alex."

[Alex Kaine]

"You do?"

Alex studied her face, trying to judge what he was hearing - whether it was a cry of desperation or something genuine, if he could possibly judge such a thing. After the parade of disappointments Aimee had faced, something like this seemed too good to be true. He didn't have any reason to distrust Cameron other than pure cynicism, but still...

"Well, that's good," he said, without much conviction. "Are you... are you going to see him again?"

[Aimee Connors]

"We-ell," Aimee said, a sort of manic clenched-teeth-grin on her face, "Actually we were going to go to the park for a little bit. Right now." Her goofy grimace turned into a genuine smile. "I'll be home for dinner though. And I'm going to talk to Anna about it, I promise. I don't want you to get in trouble."

[Alex Kaine]

Aidan's mouth dropped open. "Uh... you sure you don't want to talk to her now? I told her you texted me, what am I supposed to tell her in the meantime?"

[Aimee Connors]

The thought of Cameron waiting outside in his car was too distracting. "No, don't worry about it. Tell her..." she was inching away down the hall, backing away from Alex, "that I'm at the park with a friend. I'll talk to her tonight I promise promise!"

Aimee grinned, gave him a little wave, and turned to flee down the stairs when she almost ran into Jim coming out of his room. "Eep! Sorry, excuse me!" and then she was home free, running down the stairs and out of the House.

She closed the door carefully behind her, turning the key to lock it out of habit, and darted across the lawn, cutting across the neighbor's front yard as well on her way to the car. Sliding back into the Chevy, she leaned back for a moment, closing her eyes. "Okay, I made it, relatively unscathed." Eyes still closed she grinned.

[Cameron Bell]

The contented little grin did nothing to offset Cameron's curiosity, and he thumbed swiftly at his phone:

"So, you're not in any trouble then? I'd hate for anyone to think I'm a bad influence on you."

His face became a picture of childlike innocence, blinking sweet baby-greys in rapid succession.

[Aimee Connors]

She lifted her head and swatted ineffectually at him. "Oh, you're a bad influence all right. Lets just get out of here, okay?" He obediently fired up the car and drove off, the warm summer air blowing in through the open windows and whipping Aimee's hair around until she smoothed her hands over it and held it down in one fist like a ponytail.

The park wasn't far away, and soon she was sitting on top of a picnic table in the shade of a couple big oak trees, feet on the bench seat. Her flip flops were on the ground and she was wiggling her toes against the wood. Aimee turned to Cameron and patted the table next to her in an invitation.

[Cameron Bell]

It was a sinfully picturesque afternoon for a first date. That's what it was, after all, the sleezy adventures of the night previous swept neatly under the proverbial rug. And this was what they were going to be, the cute young couple that canoodles under trees; it was what Aimee wanted, and what Aimee wanted, he wanted. It was strange how an escape to the park managed to fool the senses, he could almost smell the sweet tang of oranges on the air, and when the wind shook the trees, there wasn't a car, a convenience store, or an obnoxious powertool for miles around. Shaking off the distraction of the vast nothing around him, he settled himself on the picnic table next to Aimee, and their fingers laced.

"It's easy to forget how nice this place can be."

[Aimee Connors]

She looked sideways at him, a smile on her lips, and leaned into him to rest her head on his shoulder. "I know, it's really not bad." She stayed like that for a moment, tracing a circle on the back of his hand with her thumb, and then said, "Are you worried? About coming back to this neighborhood...after what happened?"

[Cameron Bell]

"Not anymore."

There was a grim sobriety set into his face and his eyes were elsewhere, staring far beyond the row of whispering oaks. It was her tender touch that brought him round again, and he responded with a thin smile.

"This time I'm ready. Besides, now I have a reason to stick around."

For emphasis, he buried a kiss amongst her folds of ebon hair.

[Aimee Connors]

"Still," she said, a smile tracing her lips as his hand tightened on hers. "It must have been awful. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I mean..." Aimee sighed. "I can't even imagine.

"Being in the neighborhood lately hasn't been a picnic, but... I dunno." She shrugged lightly, still leaning on Cameron and looking out over the park.

[Cameron Bell]

While Aimee indulged him in condolences, his face was a blank canvas, and the only hint of emotion to surface was an impatient twitch. There was something sticky and dregading about sympathy that made him deeply uncomfortable, no matter how well-meaning. An arm unfolded and he hugged Aimee close, resting a cheek on her sunken head. Somewhere, a toddler and a dog were playing fetch, muted barks and squeals of delighted drifted across the park like they were the only sounds in the world.

"If it's so bad, do you see yourself here in a year's time?"

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee frowned a little, considering his question. "I guess so. I mean, maybe not. I'll be done with school, hopefully, and I don't want to live in Los Santos forever. I don't really want to go back to New York, either, though."

She sat up, using her free hand to brush her hair off her shoulder and down her back. "I guess I don't know. That's helpful, isn't it?" Aimee laughed self-consciously.

[Cameron Bell]

Cameron smirked, amused by the string of minced words, and gave Aimee a consoling squeeze. Despite having said precious little, the uncertainty in her voice spoke volumes; it told him of a rough-around-the-edges street urchin struggling to make sense of her new life with a family and a place to call home, weighing seasoned pragmatism against a future of unknown potential, and faltering at the crossroads.

"It's okay. You're allowed to not know where you're headed. And there are worse places than Los Santos to make a pitstop."

[Aimee Connors]

"That's for sure," she agreed, finding it hard to know where to look when the phone was speaking for him. She tilted her head up to look up at him, tracing a purple finger along his jawline and then gently pulling his head down for a kiss.

Aimee put her arms around him, feeling the hard muscles of his back and abs as she hugged him close. After they separated she pursed her lips a bit. "How come you came back? Not that I'm complaining," she added hurriedly, one hand slipping under his shirt to slide across his back.

[Cameron Bell]

The sudden touch of flesh on naked flesh stole him away from the conversation. What felt like a million little electric things climbed his spine and his shoulders tensed in a spasm of pleasure. He grinned despite himself then considered Aimee's question, his thumb hovering hesitantly over the celphone.

"It's a little strange."

[Aimee Connors]

"Mmm hmm," Aimee murmured, crawling her fingers up his back under his shirt like a spider. "Strange. Like how?"

[Cameron Bell]

"I was looking for someone."

They shared a glance at that, he smirked and shook his head. Even for someone who texted his way through conversations, Cameron was taking his time choosing the right words, and when he was done, he watched Aimee with apprehension.

"I was looking for the guy who attacked a friend of mine."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee frowned slightly, considering, and said, "Like a Three Eleven, or..."

She let her voice trail off. "Did you find them yet?"

[Cameron Bell]

Cameron shook his head and dropped his gaze to the glowing phone screen.

"Not even the cops can find him. He's not an Eleven, that's for sure."

Again, he stared at his phone, as if hoping the words would form themselves for him. He took a deep breath, the sincerity on Aimee's face made him smile through his nervous tension.

"You're going to think I'm nuts."

[Aimee Connors]

She was studying his face, and decided a little light-heartedness was in order. Aimee dismissed his last comment with a wave, looking unimpressed. "I already know you're nuts, we're both a little crazy I think." She laughed, but stopped pretty quickly to prod him into talking more.

Talking. She looked at the phone and then back to him, a flash of memory from the night before threatening to heat her face. She'd been the one making all the noises then.

"I'm sorry, keep going, really. Who are you looking for?"

[Cameron Bell]

"It's not a question of who, but what."

He cringed at the sound of his own line, Microsoft Sam did nothing to contribute towards the tale's credibility, it almost demanded to be followed by a cheesy theme tune. Suddenly, his feet became absolutely fascinating and he kept his eyes locked on them as his message played.

"It was some sort of robot. It was heavily armoured and had a single red eye, like something from a sci-fi movie."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee stiffened beside him as the message played, a familiar feeling of fear wrapping it's claws around her chest. Red eye. Armored. She bit her lip, looking away from Cameron for a moment.

"I, uh, that doesn't sound crazy. I mean it does, but not to me." She looked up at him, earnestly. "I think I know what you're talking about."

[Cameron Bell]

His faced creased with confusion at first, as he considered her words, exploring their implications. He reared up suddenly, and studied Aimee with a fierce curiosity, thumbs a flurry of furious fumbling.

"You saw the attack?"

[Aimee Connors]

"No - well, yes, but not here." Aimee swept her hair out of her eyes. "It attacked me, back in New York. Like three years ago."

She shuddered at the memory. "If it's the same as what attacked your friend ...good luck finding it."

[Cameron Bell]

Shock was etched into every line on his face, he was frozen to the spot, afraid to move in case the slightest creak of wood or rustle of grass would offset the moment, never to be reclaimed.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee nodded, eyes closing momentarily. "I was crawling down the building my friend lived in... Headfirst," she added with a touch of pride. "And then I'm face to face with this red light, a guy coming up the wall."

She snuggled into Cameron's side. "It shot me with something, I got all dizzy and I fell... Then I woke up in Ginny's apartment and it had been all fucked up, things smashed, curtains torn down. Still smelled like sulfur too." She shuddered. "It took my friend. I know it."

[Cameron Bell]

It sounded like a ghost story, which, considering the antagnost, wasn't far off the mark. Aware of Aimee's sudden vulnerability, he applied just the right amount of pressure to their half-embrace to let her know that he was there. He rubbed her arm, feeling the prickle of goose bumps against his hand.

"I can't believe it. Fuck. I'm sorry."

[Aimee Connors]

She shrugged, nuzzled against him. "Yeah, it was really scary. She came back though, like a few weeks later. No memory of being gone."

Aimee hugged him close, comforted by the solid realness of him. "That's probably the scariest part. That it took her, had her for days and days and she didn't even remember being taken." She twisted a bit and looked up at him. "Was it like that for your friend?"

[Cameron Bell]

His face was suddenly creased under the weight of some unspoken burden, and bejewelled by eyes dark with troubled thought, at length he met her gaze and shook his head.

"It came for him, but he fought, and barely managed to escape."

A jolt of realisation, his brow knitted:

"Maybe it only targets mutants."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee shuddered, looking up at him. "Oh God, it's here? Like... in Los Santos?"

She shook her head, "I mean, obviously that's what you said, but I just realized..." That red light, that glowing eye and the sensation of falling before it all went black. Aimee covered her face with her hands, telling herself not to freak out.

[Cameron Bell]

"That's why I want to track it down. It has to be stopped."

It was a bold statement, one which even left Cameron himself unconvinced. Tracking down an elusive mutant-hunting stealth machine was easier said than done. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure where to begin, and with that thought he gave a deflated shrug.

"I gotta admit, though, I'm not exactly Sherlock Holmes."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee didn't like the sound of Cameron trying to take on the whatever-it-was by himself. Ginny had been taken out by it, and she was a teleporting former Army Ranger.

"I'll help you if I can," she said, a little hesitantly. "I have really good night vision... I don't know. I want to help though." She was unconsciously fingering her cellphone in her lap, rubbing the case with her thumb.

[Cameron Bell]

His face hardened. Between thumb and forefinger he cradled her chin, and gently tilted her head so she could see the objection set like concrete in his eyes. Fingers traced a smooth trail down her cheek.

"I don't want you endangering yourself."

[Aimee Connors]

She frowned. "Well, I don't want you endangering yourself, either. This asshole took my friend, and she's an ex-Army Ranger. I mean, no offense Cameron really but what's your plan for when you find this thing?"

Aimee flipped her phone open and shut a few times, trying to think about what she was going to do next.

[Cameron Bell]

When his eyes started exploring the periphery of his vision for answers, it was time to come clean. Taught lines of frustration tugged at his face and he cast his gaze downward. Only the light tapping of buttons invaded their uncertain silence.

"I've got to do something. You didn't see my friend, what that thing did to him. I kinda hoped that when I found it, because I'm a mundane, I'd be safe."

[Aimee Connors]

It almost made sense. But Aimee shook her head, sitting up and turning on the picnic table so she was facing him, her knee against his thigh. "Hold on, let me..." Ginny had said emergencies only but this was an emergency because Cameron was going to get himself killed looking for this monster.

Mind made up, she flipped her phone open and dialed. She held up a finger at Cameron to tell him just a minute, and then voicemail picked up.

"Hi, its me, Aimee. I know you said emergencies only, but Ginny - that thing that attacked you in New York, its here in Los Santos. It attacked a friend of a friend of mine, wait that sounds second hand but really, its here and I need your advice. Just call me back when you can, okay? Love you."

She hung up a little breathlessly and met Cameron's eyes. "She'll know what to do. I hope."

[Cameron Bell]

While she made the call, Cameron watched with a fierce curiosity, and once she was done, his eyes were alight with unravelling possibilities. He cocooned her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

"Me too."

There wasn't much else to be said, it was now a waiting game. Now there was only one crucial thought which haunted him:

"So, I'm dating a girl with Army Rangers for friends. No pressure then."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee giggled, some of the tension from just moments earlier falling away. "Yeah, you better treat me right, mister."

She leaned against him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "No pressure."

[Cameron Bell]

"You can trust me."

He gave her a wink and wrapped her in his arms. Sat on the table overlooking the rest of the park, the pair cozily intertwined; sinking into each other, drinking in familiar smells of hair and skin, the caress of fingertips, and the sound of happy meeting lips. It was the sound of things falling into place.