Hello, all! I want to thank those of you who are reading and liking my stories, it really means a lot! Now this chapter is longer than the previous, but reading back through I feel like it kinda drags on a bit, but I wanted to add in the extra info. It's definitely more of a "filler" chapter. Next chapter will be the meaty part of the story :)

The ride to the lab was filled with silence and the occasional sidelong glance that Camille would throw her roommate every few minutes. And despite Camille's slightly more than normal lead foot, the girls walked off the elevator and into the lab three minutes late. An observation their fearless leader did not hesitate to remark upon.

"You're late," Maggie deadpanned from atop her perch on the balcony overlooking the main floor, making both roommates stop mid-stride between Linus' desk and the fish tank.

"Yeah, sorry we, uh-" Camille started, slipping both hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She and Kirsten exchanged a quick glance and, noticing her roommate's slightly nervous expression, turned back to Maggie and quickly continued on.

"It took forever to get my jeep started this morning," she lied, coolly. Camille heard her roommate release a quiet sigh of relief next to her. "Cold weather plus old car equals.." she trailed off. "Well, I should've gone out and tried starting it sooner," she mumbled out.

Maggie looked from Camille to Kirsten and back again. She didn't look like she quite believed Camille's explanation, but she didn't press it any further, nonetheless.

"Well, be sure to remember that for next time then," Maggie said with a nod of her head. "Now," she started, louder as her gaze swept over the two remaining members of the team. "If everyone is ready, we have a briefing to get through." And with that, she turned on her heel and started making her way toward the conference room.

Kirsten looked over to Camille and gave her a small smile of gratitude, to which Camille smiled and squeezed her roommate's shoulder before joining Linus making his way to the conference room.

Kirsten turned her head toward Cameron and found him looking intently at her with those sharp, green eyes of his. Little did she know his eyes had been fixed on her from the moment he saw her come into the lab.

Cameron prided himself on his attention to detail, a trait that had proved especially critical in his line of work. So of course he noticed the quickly thrown together outfit, the unkempt hair hurriedly thrown up and the dark half-moons that had taken up residence on his favorite blonde's face.

Cameron had noticed a change in his partner after he woke up from his "little stunt", as Kirsten had called it. She used the term, after he woke up and was checked out by Ayo, when she told him to "never pull a stupid little stunt like that again, Cameron Goodkin". She had a few other choice words for him as well, but that pretty much summed it up. He admits that it wasn't his brightest idea, but it was the only thing he could do to make Kirsten trust him. Really trust him.

Kirsten had stayed at his bedside for the entire seven days he was asleep after they revived him, leaving only to use the restroom and shower, both of which she did at the lab. Camille and Linus would check in regularly and they also became the source of all three of her meals each day. Their first attempt at urging Kirsten to go home and get a good night's rest in her own bed quickly became their last, as the daggers that shot from the blonde's eyes caused an actual physical shiver to go down the pair's spines. They decided on just doing regular follow ups with the blonde and her sleeping brunette companion.

After Cameron woke up and Kirsten saw he was okay, she began to feel differently. It was unexplainable to her, but she knew something was different.

Kirsten and Cameron's dynamic was slightly off for the first week he was awake. But with how traumatic a situation as the one they went through was, Cameron brushed it off understandably, and soon they were back to how it was before. Everything was back to normal, or as normal as this whole situation could be at least.

But as Cameron took in Kirsten's appearance now, he could tell something was different. He hadn't seen her like this since the day he woke up in the medical bay.

"Hey, Stretch," he said with a lopsided grin, stopping a foot away from her. "Everything okay?" His tone was lighthearted enough, but the underlying concern was evident to them both.

Kirsten stared back at him, into his dark green eyes that pulled her in without consent. And in that moment, she wanted to tell him everything. From her thoughts to her nightmares. Her feelings. Everything. But she couldn't bring herself to. And suddenly, the trance she was in from his dizzying gaze broke.

"Everything's fine, Girlfriend," she replied. She offered her own smile, and if Cameron noticed that it was forced, he didn't say anything. "I believe we have a briefing to get through," she said, mimicking Maggie's words.

With a sweep of his hands, Cameron backed up a step and motioned towards the stairs. "After you, m'lady."

Kirsten let loose a genuine smile at that as Cameron followed after her.

"Our sample's name is Lindsay Cutler, 26," Maggie started once everyone was seated. "Died last night at a club from a drug overdose," she continued on with a tightness to her voice. She looked over to Linus and nodded.

Linus acknowledged and tapped a few times on his tablet until an image popped up on the t.v. screen above the head of the table and he spoke.

"Toxicology screening revealed an identical chemical makeup to the drug that one of our previous samples, Lisa Keller, had died from."

Kirsten wasn't sure if she heard Linus right or not.

"Burundanga," Linus confirmed.

Kirsten closed her eyes and sighed quietly, but not quietly enough to go unnoticed by Cameron sitting to her right. She couldn't believe her coincidental bad luck. The first time she was reminded of her childhood monsters was in her stitch into Lisa Keller. But a few nights after the stitch, the images and dreams faded away and they were once again nothing but previous childhood fears. But now she's been seeing those exact childhood monsters every night for almost a month. And now this. Now she has to stitch into someone and possibly have to face those same fears that she has to endure every night.

"Hang on," Camille interjected. "I thought that Raff guy was the one supplying the drug," she said, a confused look on her face. "He's locked up. So how is the drug circulating again?"

"That is exactly what we are going to try to find out," Maggie explained. "It's apparent he wasn't the highest head on the totem pole. Or at least that he wasn't working alone." Maggie turned toward Kirsten and spoke. "We need to find out where and who she got those drugs from. I don't think I have to re-express the importance of finding and stopping this drug at its source," she finished, looking around to every team member in the room. "Get prepped and be ready in ten." And with that, Maggie was out the door and on her way to her office.

The four of them stayed in their seats for one more beat, all giving a collective look at each other.

"Linus, do you still have the code we programmed to cancel out the effects of the drug in Lisa's memory?" Cameron asked. He glanced over to Kirsten and could tell she was having some kind of internal monologue in her head.

"Still saved in my files," Linus nodded as he got up to go get his station ready. Camille followed, offering to help.

Kirsten didn't want to get stuck alone in the room with Cameron. She was afraid he'd get her to open up and talk to him, and she definitely didn't need that distraction right now. She quickly stood up and started for the door, but Cameron's hand on her wrist stopped her short.

"Stretch," he said, gently.

Kirsten turned around to face him with tired eyes, to which she felt the slightest tightening of Cameron's grip on her. It was a protective gesture. He wanted to take it away, whatever it was that she was going through. He wanted her to talk to him.

"If you're worried about the effects of the drug-" she shuddered slightly. Cameron loosened his grip on her wrist slightly and gently started rubbing his thumb across her skin. "We still have the code, we'll run the filter. It'll be okay."

She looked into his eyes and she couldn't help it. She smiled. One of her genuine smiles. The ones that seemed to come around less frequently anymore. But every time they do, it's because of him. And again, she wants to tell him. But she doesn't, she can't. And again, the emotions are becoming too much for her in that moment. So she did the only thing she could do.

She looked down at his hand on her wrist and slipped her hand out of his grasp just enough for their hands to join and squeezed his hand in her own.

"Thank you," she said quietly, looking back up at him. She felt his hand tighten in return. Then she pulled her hand away and turned quickly to walk out the door and to the locker room to change.

And there you have it! Again, sorry for the lack of action and dialogue. But it becomes a different story next chapter! I'm already working on it so hopefully it won't take too long to post here. Please let me know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them! - Ashley:)