A/N: I had this idea in my head all morning at work. So, just used 10 mins of my lunchtime to write it as the plot bunny will not leave me alone. Standalone, unrelated to my other works. Set between S4 and S5. Enjoy!

Arachnid Combat

"Leg bothering you?" Maiko asked bluntly, as they returned from their bike ride less than an hour ago. It wasn't a rigorous trail but it was enough to make Cameron feel it. She reclined on the couch next to him in his ground floor apartment. He laid sprawled on the other side, resting; something he had never had to do in his past even when he had a killer hangover. But nowadays, he had to take things frustratingly slow.

"Yeah, the fit... I don't know." Cameron said, he did know. Nothing felt right since he lost his leg. He tried not to complain as he was lucky to be alive. He was lucky the Navy covered his medical and got him the best prosthesis and care one could ask for. They wanted him back on duty as soon as possible. But he needed time, he needed time to heal, time to adjust.

He pulled it off to rub his stump. It had taken a long time for him to get past his vanity and Maiko had been living with him for over a month now. So it was no secret he was missing a large part of his right leg. She was the one who told him not to be a weirdo about taking off his prosthesis in the living area to get comfortable.

"You'll get used to it." Maiko assured him, he tamped down on the anger he felt when people who had all their limbs told him how to feel. They were just trying to reassure him, but he felt they had no concept of his loss or how difficult it was to adapt- 'To get used to it'.

"I-" Cameron didn't finish his sentence as she picked up the prosthetic and moved past him. He frowned and then his eyes widened incredulously as she stamped a large spider on the wall. The poor creature dropped to the floor and she hit it again with the foot end of his prosthetic leg.

"Sorry." She said cringing as she hadn't thought and now felt she had made huge faux pas. "I really hate spiders." she said awkwardly as she carefully placed his prosthetic limb back where he had left it. "Sorry," she added so apologetically.

Cameron blinked and couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him. He laughed, he laughed so hard there were tears in his eyes as it was the funniest yet most brutal thing he'd seen Maiko do. In an obtuse manner, he never thought someone would literally use his foot to kill a spider which made it all the funnier. At least she used the shoe end.

"It's not that funny. It was huge spider! Your foot was closest." Maiko told him defensively as she did her very best to pick up the dead spider with a broom. She wore a pinched expression as she made low whining noise as she ran to the bin with the carcass on the broom. Cameron couldn't stop laughing as she did a weird dance and a noise of disgust as she placed the broom away.

"You ok?" he asked her with amusement, she shook her head as she rejoined him on the lounge. She looked a little jumpy.

"No," she told him with a pout.

"Come here," he said, he opened his arms and she crawled into his lap. He smiled as she snuggled close; resting her head on his chest. "You did well," he told her.

"I deserve a medal." She told him, he felt the shiver run through her as she was still getting over her panic as she was petrified of spiders. He had to admit he wasn't too happy about her using his prosthesis to kill the spider but he would let it go.

"How about I make your favourite meal and do the dishes tonight?" he offered as he didn't think there was a medal for killing spiders. She lifted her head from his chest, her eyes wide with hope.

"Zucchini noodle stir fry?" she asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Yeah." he said with a grin, it wasn't much given it was just zucchini, mushrooms, soy sauce, sweet chili flakes, a little sugar with garlic and onion powder. Nothing special as the famine made food expensive and many ingredients were no longer available.

"I can settle for that." she told him happily, she rested her head on his chest again. Cameron placed a kiss on the top of her head and smiled in amusement.

End