"I'm bouncing."

Cameron watched from the controls with some concern. Kirsten had only been in there a few minutes; normally he had to fight her to get her to leave the stitch. This time she exited early and she hadn't mentioned any problems.

"Everything ok sweet pea?"

"I wasn't learning anything more in there. All the victims memories were of a TV show, cooking with couples or something." Shaking her head slightly as she spoke she sent small droplets of water over his favourite blue plaid shirt, something that didn't escape her notice by the small upturn if her lips.

"Kirsten go get changed. Camille find out about this TV show. Everyone reconvene in the meeting room in half an hour." Maggie ordered before heading back into her office. Shrugging slightly at the dismissal Cameron gallantly held out a hand to help Kirsten, taking great delight in her roll of his eyes. Although she always seemed to dismiss his efforts to help her he knew, thanks to a drunken concession to Camille, that she secretly liked them. Very few people let had taken care of her so even something small was cherished by her. Why Camille had told him this secret he wasn't sure. He hoped it was because she liked seeing her friend happy, which it probably was in some part. But he had a sneaky suspicion that she had other motives.

Once Kirsten was dried and changed they all gathered in the meeting room, joined by Fisher.

"So I did some research" Camille began. "Turns out Natasha was a start on the new and highly unimaginatively named cooking show Couples Cooking. There with her boyfriend Josh, they cooked together and won."

"It's a cooking show how do you win?" Cameron wondered out loud.

"You compete against other couples to make the best dish."

"Of course."

"Anyway thanks to Fisher here we know that Josh alibied out for Natasha's murder."

"He was in Mexico for work." Fisher supplied seeing Kirsten's enquiring look. "Anyway I tired to get into the studios but they won't let us in without a warrant. But we don't have enough evidence to get one."

"So how are we going to investigate?" Cameron knew that tone in Kirsten's voice. It was normally the point where she dived in head first without considering the consequences. It didn't always end well for him. He could already see her dragging him along as she broke into the studios.

"Slow down speedy. I've got you covered." Camille grinned making him swallow convulsively.

"Speedy?" Kirsten questioned leaning closer so he was the only one who could hear.

"Speedy Gonzales. A cartoon mouse. Or a nickname for a character from Arrow." He whispered back.

"Anyway." Camille's wicked grin widened making him fear what was going to come out of her mouth next. "Luckily for us there's a new series about to start filming tomorrow and one of their couples mysteriously had to dropout. So there's now an opening for a new couple and their two friends to join the show."

"It should be you and Linus then." Kirsten stated.

"Erm why?" Oh yes Camille was definitely plotting something. "You're always up for undercover work."

"Yes but this requires you to have feelings and show them. I can't do that."

No matter how many times Kirsten said something like that he never got used to it. Besides he knew how wrong it was. He caught himself reaching out to her, stopping just before he touched her.

"Besides you and Linus are already a couple."

"Yeah well anything Linus cooks sets on fire. And I can only cook two things. So that leaves you and Cameron, as they already know what Fisher looks like. Unless you want to just drop it?"

"Fine." Kirsten sighed.

Was he really that bad to go undercover with? The thought of going out with him that repulsive?

Tugging on his sleeve Kirsten started to pull him to his feet. "Come on we'd better go and watch some of this show."

"Fisher will advise you on going undercover later." Maggie ordered. "Keep me informed."

Watching the retreating backs of their friends Linus turned to Camille indignantly.

"I don't set fire to everything I cook."

"Oh course not."

"Then why?"

"Because doofus it means Cameron and Kirsten have to go undercover."

"Ooh."

"You know it's cheating if you set them up just to win the bet." Fisher observed from just behind them.

"Bet?" Camille innocently asked.

"Yeah the one the entire lab is participating in for when those two will get together."

"I wouldn't know anything about that bet."

"You bet on them getting together?" Maggie made them all jump.

"Urgh?" Camille shrugged while Linus looked at the floor.

"$20 on them being together by the end of the assignment."

"Done. But I still think they'll be together by the end of the first episode." Camille countered.

"Nah." Fisher disagreed. "You didn't see Cameron's face when Kirsten was objecting to the undercover. They've got to deal with that first. By the end of the second episode."

"Well we'll see. Now if you excuse me I've got some work to do." Camille grinned.


Three hours later and Cameron was still unsure about this assignment. They'd all moved to Kirsten's house where they could watch previous episodes of the show and see what they'd got themselves into. They'd just watched the first episode when Camille and Linus, dragging carrier bags of food they'd bought for practise, joined them. The more of the show the tighter Kirsten's lips became. Cameron was all for calling the whole thing off when Fisher arrived. A safe house had been set up for them to use including clothes and pictures of them so it would look like they had lived there for years. Having decided that lecturing Kirsten on how to behave wasn't going to work, Fisher and Camille agreed to move to the kitchen where they could practise.

They started out just cooking; with the others critique their body language. The more the others commented on their behaviour the more rigid Kirsten's posture became.

"Oh this is no good!" Camille complained. "Anyone watching you will never believe you're a couple. They probably won't even believe you're friends. You need to be brushing up against each other, Kirsten lean into Cameron occasionally. Cameron wrap you arms around her when you're reaching for something."

Rubbing his brow Fisher agreed. "Though that was blunt Camille's right. It's little things you need to be doing as if they're natural. A simple touch. And no blushing!"

Cameron had a feeling that was directed at him.

"This isn't going to work." He complained quietly.

"Try not to think about it as an assignment. Just act how you normally are with her just with s bit more touching." Fisher advised so only he could hear.

"I don't want to make her uncomfortable. You heard her she doesn't want to do this."

"I don't think it's you that's making her uncomfortable. You know she doesn't like anything where it makes her seem different. She needs you to help her through it."

It was nearly midnight. Fisher had left hours ago, Camille and Linus disappearing into her bedroom soon after. Once they'd all left it had been a little easier. He'd taken Fisher's advice to heart, finding it did help somewhat.

"You know if you really don't want to do this we don't have to. I mean if it makes you uncomfortable." He muttered, stirring the icing for the cupcakes they had left cooling. "I can understand if pretending to be a couple of me is an issue and I don't want to make you feel awkward." He kept his eyes on his bowl unable to look at the expression on her face. The press of her lips against his cheek had him blinking up.

"It's not you Cameron. I'm sorry if you thought that. It's just..."

"Hey it's ok." He reached out instinctively and put a hand on her arm.

"I'm finally beginning to understand emotions thanks to the stitchers programme. But it just shows how abnormal I am. It's bad enough for my friends to think I'm a freak but to have others as well. I go on this and it's going to be obvious that I'm not normal."

"I don't think you're a freak. I think you're pretty special." As she looked down he gently brushed her hair back from her face so he could see her. "I'm sure everyone else on the programme thinks the same. But if you don't want to go on this show we'll find another way to investigate it."

"I think I can do it. But only if you're there with me. You seem to be the only person that truly get me."

Swallowing down the flood of emotion that her confession raised he gently rubbed her arm.

"I'll be with you every step of the way. I promise."

Pressing a gentle kiss against her cheek he was relieved to see her relax as if a wait had been taken off her shoulders.

"I suppose we should finish these cakes. How about you help me ice them?"

"Sure." He smiled gently at her. She gave him a smile that lit up her face, one she seemed to save for him before grabbing his wrists. Pulling over to the bench she wrapped his arms around her waist before grabbing the icing.

"Think this is coupley enough?"

"I'm sure it will work." He grinned into her hair as he moved close to her, delighted as she leant back against him.


I was just going to do this as a one shot but then it kind of got a way from me.