*Please read the authors note at the end*

Disclaimer: I regrettably do not own Stitchers or the characters. However I would gladly marry Cameron and Kirsten in a heartbeat if I did.

Just A Theory
One-Shot*

Camille hated being woke up in general. She hated when her alarm clock went off. She hated when her phone went off, even if it was Linus calling. She hated when Kirsten slammed the front door a little too loudly when she left for her morning run. She hated when the sun peeked through her shades and shone in her face. She hated when the neighbors dog decided to bark nonstop and wake her up. She hated when her pillow or blanket fell in the floor and she has to wake up to grab it. She hated when Linus prodded her awake for breakfast, even if it was for his homemade breakfast recipe from India.

She basically hated anything that woke her up. She especially hated waking up to Kirsten screaming and crying from a nightmare. The only different between the extensive list of things she generally hated being woken up by and her roommate's nightmares waking her up would be the fact that Kirsten scared the living shit out of Camille when she had a nightmare.

Kirsten, her seemingly indestructible roommate, had never experienced nightmares before starting with the Stitchers program. This information Camille found out late one night after Kirsten's very first nightmare. She had cried into Camille's arms for a while before whispering she didn't know what she had seen. Camille had immediately explained what she had seen and assured her it wasn't real. Kirsten shared with her that night about her fear of monsters as a little girl, making the brunette's heart break for her. The next few nightmares were treated in the same fashion. Camille would come running into the room, hug Kirsten and tell her it wasn't real, and stay with her through the night. Although she badly scared Camille when this happened, Camille refused to let the person she considered her best friend suffer the torment alone.

Until she broke things off with Liam.

The nightmares went from occasionally to every night, and Camille was losing sleep over it. Not because she minded running to comfort her best friend, but because she was afraid of why Kirsten was suddenly so plagued with bad dreams. Eventually after a week had passed, Kirsten let slip that her dreams had been about Liam and Cameron.

"Every night it's been the same thing. We're in the lab and you're at Cameron's station. I look for Cameron and see that he's lying in the corpse cassette, and Ayo is coaxing me into the fish tank. She kept telling me that Cameron was alive, but he had been shot and we needed to find who shot him because the shooter was targeting Fisher. When I'm in the stitch he gets shot by Liam, but after I bounce and tell Maggie what I had seen Cameron… He just…" Camille didn't need Kirsten to explain the rest.

"Why does this scare you so bad, Kirsten? Yes Cameron's been training me as a backup but you and I both know we don't and can't use the technology on a living person." Kirsten had started crying again, despite what Camille thought had been comforting words. She started shaking her head furiously, mumbling about the psychic girl who had been killed, Vanessa.

"She saw it."

"Saw what?"

"She saw Cameron in the corpse cassette." Camille bit her lip. She knew the girl's predictions had been pretty spot on concerning the attempted arson from Mia, albeit a little confusing, but Cameron in the corpse cassette?

"I know what you're thinking Camille." Kirsten was staring straight ahead at nothing, the tear still running down her face. "But how could she have even known about the corpse cassette unless she had predicted the future? She knew nothing about stitching." Kirsten needed to talk to Cameron about her dreams and soon. She knew Cameron had been given a crystal 'to protect his heart' by Jessica, the co-host of the psychic show that Vanessa was on. Ever since Liam and Kirsten had broken up and Cameron had given the gem to Kirsten, the gem hadn't left Kirsten's side since then. Even now it was sitting on her bedside table, gleaming in the dim light of the moon.

"Come on kid, let's go." Kirsten let Camille lead her out the door and to Camille's car without uttering a single word. At this point she was beyond concerned for her best friend. She didn't ask where they were going— only that Camille grab the crystal from her nightstand. Reluctantly Camille had left Kirsten in the locked car to grab the crystal, as well as her messenger bag containing her laptop, and then shoving Kirsten's phone, charger, and a few sets of clothes into the bag as well. Kirsten still hadn't moved when Camille returned and stowed the bag in the backseat. She handed the gem to Kirsten, and watched in slight amusement as she held it tight to her chest and took a deep breath. After that Camille couldn't get any kind of response from Kirsten, no matter what she tried or said.

Camille had to keep from laughing at Cameron's hair when he answered the door, instead choosing to shove Kirsten's bag into his arms. He looked confused until Camille pulled Kirsten from her place against the wall and practically shoved her at him. Kirsten was still borderline comatose and was non-responsive. Cameron slipped his arm around her waist to support her with ease, the concern showing clearly on his face.

"What happened to her? We haven't stitched in a few days so she's not feeling any residual emotions." Camille smirked; she was half hoping she could be there to see the conversation between Kirsten and Cameron once he revived her.

"If you can revive sleeping beauty here then I'm sure she'll tell you." Camille paused for a moment, concern still lingering. "Just please take care of her tonight, okay? She's had a really rough week." Cameron nodded and Camille returned to her car, already headed for Linus' house instead of her own.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Cameron managed to sling Kirsten's bag over his shoulder before picking her up and taking her to the couch. They hadn't really talked or hung out beyond the lab since she told Liam no, but to his surprise it felt normal to place her bag on the coffee table and settle down on the couch with Kirsten in his arms. She still hadn't spoken, and her eyes were staring straight ahead and unseeing. Worry washed over him again, except this time it was stronger.

"Stretch? Can you hear me?" No response. He shifted to free one arm and ran his fingers through her soft hair. "Princess? Please say something." Still no response. What could have made her like this? Unless the effects from stitching finally started to show, seeing as Kirsten was the longest stitcher to date. The thought that he had did this to her, perhaps rendered her unable to think, tore him apart inside. It felt even worse than when she had accidentally told him about the proposal. Panicking slightly Cameron shifted her so she was comfortably pressed between him and the couch, with her body resting on his. Not thinking he placed a kiss on her temple, whispering for her to wake up.

"Cameron?" Never had he ever been more relieved to hear her speak, even though the shakiness in her voice was a definite cause for concern. He pulled her even closer, breathing in her scent. They were still half sitting up, and Cameron's heart beat a little faster when her slim arms came to wrap around his waist and her head nestled in the crook of his neck.

"You're okay…" She breathed prompting Cameron to question again what had happened.

"Of course I'm okay. What made you think different?" Her grip tightened and he felt tears begin to hit the collar of his shirt. He listened in horror as she described her dream to him. He knew that she hadn't really experienced nightmares until stitching. Camille had Googled something about comforting someone after their first nightmare on her lab tablet, so when Cameron saw the search in her history he knew it had to have been for Kirsten. As much as he had wanted to confront Kirsten about them, he knew she was stubborn and would deny such a thing. He hadn't had a clue that her nightmares had been that bad or that they had been about him. The idea flattered him and made him happy she was thinking of him, but he didn't want her to suffer with nightmares.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Everyone had noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and she had dozed off a few times during the week at meetings and lunch outings.

"I didn't want to worry you." She squeezed tighter again, and Cameron returned the gesture. He started running his fingers through her hair again, knowing she loved having her hair played with. Her grip loosened and he felt her chest expand with a yawn. Then she sat up suddenly and started wiping furiously at her eyes to erase all evidence of her tears.

"I hate being so weak! I hate these stupid emotions! I can't tell what's what except for the basics and it's all so confusing!"

"Welcome back Sparta." She shot him a glare, but Cameron could see the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He'd rather have an angry Kirsten tearing him apart than a sad Kirsten any day.

"It's okay to cry and just feel once in a while. No one except for a total douche bag would think you're weak for it. I would have had a mental break down by now if I had to deal with all the shit you do. If anything you're the strongest person I know." Kirsten's cheeks flooded with color, making her look adorable if Cameron was being honest with himself. After a moment she groaned and lied back down on top of Cameron. He would have thought she would run once she realized the awkward position they were in, but instead she went right back to it and snuggled against him. He felt the redness creep up his face and was thankful she couldn't see it.

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward." It's like she could read his mind sometimes.

"Huh?" She giggled a sound Cameron had only heard once or twice.

"I know that by standard social science this should feel awkward, but I don't feel awkward." Cameron realized she was right, and was only feeling awkward because he felt that's what he should feel by standard norms. What did he actually feel then?

"I feel like I'm comfortable and where I should be." Her admission made his nerves come alive, suddenly hyper aware of everywhere they were touching. He felt like she should have been in his arms months ago. So he told her.

"I feel like you belong in my arms." After she remained silent Cameron began to worry he had scared her. That was the one thing he was terrified of— scaring Kirsten away or her never talking to him again.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. If you want to leave I'll give you a ride—" Kirsten cut him off. "For such a smart guy you do not know when to shut the hell up, do you?" He wanted to say that he was confused until a pair of very soft lips kissed his neck. He smiled and decided he wouldn't be afraid of scaring her off anymore.

"If I couldn't scare you off by telling you I could transfer your consciousness into a dead body when we first met, then I don't think a few words will scare you, huh?"

"Nope."

"So, I'm just testing a theory, but if a really nerdy and awkward guy wanted to ask a gorgeous and intelligent girl out on a date what would the answer be?" She kissed his neck again, but didn't stop and kept moving up and towards his lips. When Kirsten got to his cheek she stopped to look at his hazel eyes.

"In theory I'd say she would find the nerdy guy not awkward at all but kind of charming in his own way."

"Would she go on a date with him though?"

"She'd be stupid to say no." Cameron gently pulled her to him and kissed her. She quickly began kissing him back, and he was fully aware that to him this was technically the second time they had kissed but it would be the first for her that she remembered. They separated for air, Kirsten displaying one of her rare full-smiles. Cameron pushed the hair from her face and gave her another kiss but gentler this time.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Cameron kissed her once more before he scooped her up and began walking to his bedroom. She laughed again, clinging to his neck, and not a single thought of nightmares crossing her mind.

*So this is intended to be a one-shot, but if I get enough reviews/requests for one more chapter I do have an idea for it that will tie in with what we (think we) know about the summer season finale. So if you want another chapter, please review!