Tender Your Wounds

[Cameron Bell]

"Sorry I was so hard on you. I don't like to see you get hurt, Aimee, especially when you just shrug it off like that."

Now it was Cameron's turn to close the gap between them. The electronic apology prompted a slight cringe from him, but he quickly capitalised on it by shuffling along the couch to ease an arm around his girl. There was no resistance, and he planted a kiss on her forehead to iron the wrinkles out of the mood. Then he mustered the courage to ease the tube of Nectar from Aimee's grasp and held it up to the window. It was easy to see how it got its name; in the morning light, the liquid glistened like honey, casting gold flecks against his skin. A moment later, he offered it back to Aimee with a look of distaste, which in an instant vanished; a spark of excitement, and the proffered vial was promptly retracted.

"What if we make an antidote?"

[Aimee Connors]

She laughed, and then stopped, staring at him a little incredulously. "We? As in, you and me?" Aimee shook her head, her brain working quickly as she considered the possibilities of his statement. "Or we could take it to someone who might be able to. Like... Treadstone? They were in the news recently." She didn't attempt to retrieve the vial from Cameron's hand, happy to have gotten rid of it for the time being.

[Cameron Bell]

"I didn't mean us personally."

Cameron was pleasantly surprised by Aimee's alternate suggestion, however. Treadstone was the perfect answer to their problem, and it was certainly an improvement on his original idea of turning the Nectar over to some researchers from the university. Not that he'd admit that. If he can lay claim to the whole idea, then perhaps he can play that to his advantage. He gave her a nod.

"Treadstone is our best option. And I think I should be the one to make the drop."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee frowned a little, snuggling against his side and leaning on his shoulder as they both stared at the stoppered vial in his hand. "You? But..." she trailed off, and then added, "Well, I guess it makes sense..."

She looked up at him. "I'll come with you."

[Cameron Bell]

Aimee's words were met with a wince full of regret. Cameron had hoped she wouldn't push the matter. Perhaps he was asking too much - she was after all intimately tied up in the ugly affair and this was her one chance to get even with the Three Elevens. On what grounds could he possibly deny her catharsis? Fortunately, his typing afforded him some much-needed stalling time.

"That's not a good idea. Aimee, you stand out too much, and how many people do you think are out there trying to get the scoop on the factory fire? You don't want to be drawing too much attention to yourself right now."

[Aimee Connors]

After a long night that hadn't involved much sleep, Aimee found herself closing her eyes while her boyfriend typed on his phone. When the electronic voice started talking it jarred her out of her reverie, and she wished not for the first time that they could carry on a normal conversation.

"You're probably right." She yawned. "I don't really want the Three Elevens picking me up again either, looking for revenge." She said it nonchalantly, as though gang members searching for her in order to extract vengeance was just something that happened. Aimee closed her eyes again, melting into Cameron's side.

[Cameron Bell]

The battle was won. Cameron eased the vial onto the coffee table, he was being overly careful and didn't want to disturb Aimee in case she changed her mind. Instead he settled for a silent reprieve to allow the proverbial dust to settle around them. By comparison, beyond their own tiny sphere of influence, the rest of Los Santos had been blanketed in nuclear fallout in the wake of the previous night's drama. They both knew the worst was far from over. In fact, Aimee's words alluded just as such. It was a time of gang warfare, grizzly science, corrupt politics and oppressive government; normal had changed its colours and it was plain to see the cumulative weight of it all had taken its toll on Aimee. Consequently, he'd been reduced to the role of a human pillow, and if that's what being a good boyfriend meant, Cameron would play the part with aplomb.