That finale, though :)
Okay. So, I've gotten a few questions (and complaints) about how the last chapter ended. I can understand if it felt a little rushed (it felt that way when I was writing it) so I decided to do this final chapter to clear up a few things. Some people were surprised that Camille ended up with Linus. I thought it was obvious that was where it was going. Although, I do have to admit that while writing it, I did start to ship Camille and Fisher as more than a one night stand. It made it hard to finish it the way I had originally planned. I'm a little afraid this may ruin things but, maybe it'll actually end up helping...
Disclaimer: I do not own Stitchers or any of its affiliates.
"I can feel you staring at me," Camille said into the dark room.
"Sorry," Linus relented.
"Did you have something you needed to talk about?" she murmured, eyes still closed and half asleep.
"It's nothing. Go back to sleep," he replied.
Reluctantly, she turned over and popped open one eye. She sighed before saying anything.
"What is it, Linus?"
He turned over to face her, their faces inches apart in her bed.
"The whole Fisher thing's still on my mind," he whispered.
"That was weeks ago, Linus," she countered. Both eyes were now open and she was more awake than she had been two minutes ago.
"I know. I just, I can't quite shake it."
"We've talked about this, many times. I thought you were over it by now." She raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yeah, I know. Doesn't change the fact that I can't help thinking about you and him, together..."
"It was just a physical thing, I've told you that. The heat wave made everyone a little crazy, you know that. Look at Kirsten and Cameron, they did a few things during that time that were a little out of character."
"True, but they're still together. That heat wave was just the catalyst that got them there." He got silent and looked away.
"And you're afraid the same thing might happen to me and Fisher?" she asked softly. She was trying to meet his gaze but he wouldn't make eye contact. "Linus, that's not going to happen. Like I've said a million times since then, it was just physical. A reaction to the situation we were in at the moment and the heat was definitely a contributing factor. And, if I'm being honest, it had been a little while since I'd been with anyone so I was a little wound up, if you know what I mean. I can't speak for Fisher, but that's how I made the decision to do what I did." She didn't want to say "that night" because of what had happened the next day.
He knew why she'd gone back to Fisher, and he blamed himself. If he hadn't yelled at her in front of her house that afternoon, she more than likely would never have gone back to Fisher's house and done it again. Yes, he'd called her a few things in Hindi that he shouldn't have, and he regretted them the minute he'd pulled away from her house. He'd forgotten that she'd picked up a few things during their time together and hadn't realized just how hurt she had been when she'd overheard him.
Camille hadn't spared him any harsh words when they'd finally had it out with one another. A couple of days after the four of them had gone to paintball, Camille and Linus had had the fight that had been a long time coming. Things were said, other things were thrown, and a few tears were shed between the two of them. Hours later, they'd come to an understanding. They were going to start over as friends and take things slowly. Just hang out and be around one another and try not to fight. So far, aside from the occasional flare up, they'd done well in keeping with the plan. They'd managed a couple of kisses but had yet to have sex again. They were trying out actually sleeping together first to try a different form of intimacy. Last night had gone well but now, they were awake at two in the morning talking about the whole ordeal. Yet again.
"I know, I know. It doesn't change how I feel, though."
"I don't know how many more times I can say I'm sorry. We've been going around in circles for weeks now." She saw him nod in agreement. "I have an idea..."
"What would that be?" he asked.
"Um, it's more of a suggestion." She waited for a response before continuing and did so when he motioned for her to go on. "Well, how about you talk to Fisher? Get his side of things?"
"Are you serious?"
"What? I mean, I don't know what else I can tell you to help you get past this. I've told you everything. The only thing left to do is hear his thoughts on the whole situation." He took a moment to think it over before agreeing and climbing out of bed. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"To meet with Fisher, like you suggested." He changed out of his lounge pants and into the jeans that were discarded on the floor.
"Linus, it's almost two in the morning. Can't this wait until tomorrow?" Camille propped herself up on one elbow.
Linus grabbed his phone and sent a text asking Fisher to meet him at the closest bar before sliding it into his back pocket. "I can't sleep as it is, Camille. You honestly think this can wait until morning?"
She hadn't expected him to get so hostile. She thought they were past this. "Fine, do what you want. Go back home when you're finished. The front door will be locked." She turned away from him to face the wall.
"Camille," he started, remorsefully. His phone dinged in his pocket. "I didn't mean it that way..." He checked the text Fisher had sent agreeing to meet.
"Just go, Linus," she pressed. She pulled the covers up to her chin and nestled herself into the pillows. She was pissed. She was upset. And she was fighting tears because of it.
"Camille..."
"Go!"
He conceded and left her room, closing the door behind him. He hadn't meant to upset her and he regretted the way he'd responded. He made sure to lock the door behind him as he exited the house. He had a feeling he wasn't going to be welcome here for a few days, if not longer.
In a daze, he seemed to make it to the bar in minutes. He parked down the street and made his way inside. He spotted Fisher almost instantly in the scarcely populated building. He appeared to be nursing a drink that Linus took to be scotch. He approached the bar and took the seat next to the detective.
"Fisher."
"Linus."
Linus ordered himself a scotch on the rocks and coughed as it stuck in his throat. It was a bit stronger than what he was used to drinking. They sat in silence for almost fifteen minutes before Fisher spoke.
"Any particular reason you called me here in the middle of the night?" He was on his second drink since Linus had arrived. Little did Linus know that Fisher had already been on his way to the bar when he'd gotten the text asking to meet. This had to be his third or fourth since he'd gotten here before Linus.
"I wanted to ask you about Camille," he said after swallowing another harsh sip.
"What about her?" Another sip.
"Well, how do you feel about her?"
"How do you mean?" Another sip.
"I mean, that night that everything went down," poor choice of words,"what was your reason for it?"
"My reason?" He was confused.
"Camille told me it was the heat and that she was in, um, a bit of a dry spell." Was he supposed to be telling him this?
"Ah. Probably the same for me."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, I mean, I'd only been with one other woman since my divorce and that was a one night stand that hadn't really gone anywhere. So, when the opportunity presented itself..."
That made sense. If he'd been in a similar situation, he probably would have done the same thing.
"I get it," Linus said.
"Don't get me wrong, Camille is a very beautiful woman, and she knows how to kick some ass," he scoffed. Linus didn't like where this was going. How much had Fisher had to drink? "Feisty," he murmured with a smirk on his face.
"Fisher?"
"Hmmm?" Fisher responded around the brim of his tumbler. He motioned to the bartender for another.
"Do you have... feelings for Camille?" He wasn't sure if he wanted an honest answer or not. The moment of silence that followed just made it worse.
"Maybe," he replied, unsure. He hadn't really thought about it. I mean, she's gorgeous, smart, she can fight as good as anyone I've ever gone up against, she's sexy, not to mention she can dish it out as much as she can take it. Her sarcasm was one of the things that had drawn him to her. Everything else had just pulled him in further. Crap. Did he have feelings for her? "Hell, I might."
"Oh." That wasn't what he'd want to hear. Although, he had kind of expected it.
"What?"
"Nothing. I just, I didn't realize until now..."
"Realize what?" He took a drink from the new scotch the bartender had just sat in front of him.
"That you have strong feelings for her. And she does for you." He finished off what was left in his tumbler and winced as it went down.
"Do what?" He turned to face his current drinking buddy.
"That's why she and I can't get back to where we were; she's hung up on you. And you on her." He signaled for another drink. This was taking an unexpected turn. He'd expected a short conversation and maybe one drink. He'd been here almost half an hour and was on his second scotch. And hard liquor wasn't really his thing.
"Back to where you were? I didn't come here for marriage counseling."
"Come on, Fisher. Just admit you like her and get it over with." He downed half his drink. Fisher was staring at him like he'd lost his mind. He was used to Linus being more reserved and a little less confrontational. His find was starting to get a little buzzed from his fourth - or was it his fifth- drink.
"Alright. Fine. I think she's great and I'd like to see where it goes. See if it's just physical or something else. Ya happy?" With that, he downed the rest of his drink and stood to leave. When he swayed, he flagged down the bartender. "Call me a cab, will ya?" A nod in return told him he'd have a safe way home. "See ya at work, Linus." He tapped him on the shoulder and went to wait for his ride outside.
Linus sat alone at the bar. He'd chugged what was left of his drink after he'd gotten a real response out of Fisher. No, he wasn't happy. That wasn't what he'd wanted to hear. But it also was. He'd known it and wanted confirmation but, now that he had it, he wished he hadn't even met with Fisher. He sat there for a little while longer before heading out to his car. He determined he was sober enough to drive and put his keys in the ignition. He knew he wasn't welcome back at Camille's so he knew to head back to his place. He sent a text to her that things had been resolved between Fisher and himself. He tossed the phone into the cup holder and headed towards home.
XX
Camille woke up to a handful of texts from Linus.
Things fixed with Fisher.
I know the truth now.
He likes you.
I know you like him, too.
Just date him, already.
I'm done.
She wasn't sure exactly what had happened last night but she wanted answers.
You're done? She had barely been awake five minutes and her day was starting with drama. She stretched, got out of bed, and made her way to the bathroom. She needed to pee and coffee. In that order. She passed Cameron in the hallway and couldn't help but poke fun at him.
"Morning, Dr. Goodkin."
"Engelson," he murmured, scruffing up the back of his hair. His hair was going every which way and she wondered what he and Kirsten had spent the night doing.
She managed her business, splashed some water on her face, and then walked to the kitchen to get a cup of much needed caffeine. She could smell it brewing and figured Cameron had gotten it going before they bumped into one another in the hallway. She got her favourite mug and prepared her morning brew to her liking, grabbed some fruit and a bowl of cereal, and sat down at the dining room table for a bit of breakfast. Just as she was slurping down the last of the milk in her bowl, there was a knock at the door.
She was a bit surprised to be a slightly sullen, and hungover, Linus standing in front of her when she opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the door-frame.
"I came to apologize," he replied.
"For?" She motioned for him to elaborate.
"Last night. I was an ass." When she didn't say anything, he continued. "I was rude and judgmental and pushy and, just, I was an ass."
"And those texts I woke up to?" Neither of them noticed Cameron and Kirsten had meandered into the hallway and were watching them.
"I was a little drunk."
"What did you mean by I'm done?"
He took a deep breath. "I'm done fighting. I care about you and I care about you being happy. I know that you like Fisher and he told me last night that he feels the same way. So, if you want to be with him, then you should. At the very least, take some time to figure out how you really feel." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "See you at work, Camille." With that, he left her in the doorway.
"Well, that was unexpected," she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.
"And awkward," Cameron interjected. Camille jumped before turning to face the couple in her living room.
"Jesus!"She placed her hand on her chest. "You guys gave me a heart attack."
"Didn't mean to walk in on that," Kirsten said. "We, uh, were heading to the kitchen and caught the end of your conversation."
"It's fine," she waved them off as she went back to her cup of coffee sitting on the table. "I'm not sure what he was talking about, though. I don't have feelings for Fisher."
Cameron and Kirsten shared a look that said they knew otherwise. Anyone that watched the two of them together could see they had feelings for each other, even if they were in denial.
"We're gonna get some breakfast,"Kirsten supplied as she pushed Cameron into the kitchen. Camille nodded in acknowledgement.
While the couple were preparing some food, there was another knock at the door. Camille answered it, yet again, with her mug in hand to reveal Detective Quincy Fisher on the other side.
"Fisher!" she said in surprise.
"Morning, Engelson."
"Uh, good morning." She was shocked to see him here, especially this early. Subconsciously, she was wondering if she was presentable. He'd seen her naked, for God's sake. Why would he care how she looked at seven in the morning when she was still in her pjs and her hair was a mess?
"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked. She made eyes at the half cup of coffee in her hand as a response. "Of course not," he laughed. He was resisting looking at her long legs in those short pajama bottoms. She was standing in front of him in nothing but a tanktop and short shorts. Her hair had that "just rolled out of bed" look to it. It took him back to their time together a few weeks earlier, when he'd been the reason her hair looked like that. When she spoke, he swallowed and shook his head slightly to bring himself back to the present.
"What can I do for you?" She had the sense to look over her shoulder to see if her friends were listening this time.
"Well, Linus and I had a conversation last night and it made me realize something." How was he going to say this without it being awkward?
"Yes?" She was curious as to where this was going.
"Uh, how would you feel about going to dinner? With me."
She stood up straight. "Oh."
"If you don't want to..."
"No! It's not that, I just, I didn't..." She wasn't sure how to respond. Was this what she wanted? Yes, she'd thought about that night and the day after practically every day since and she'd wondered if it could go further. But, was she really going to go for it? They worked together, after all. Cameron and Kirsten made it work. But, they were perfect for one another. Anyone who saw them interact at all could see that.
"I'm gonna go," Fisher said. He motioned over his shoulder and turned to leave.
"Wait," she said. He turned back to look at her. "Dinner... would be nice." She smiled and took another sip of her coffee.
"Really?" He smiled in return. She nodded. "Tonight? Pick you up at eight?" Another nod. "Alright, I'll see you at work." He couldn't help the smile that had yet to leave his face.
"See you at work," she agreed. He backed off the porch and turned just before hitting the first step. She held back a laugh as he stumbled and tried not to fall. "Fisher?" He turned back around. "Make it seven?" When he gave her a questioning look, she elaborated. "Girl's gotta eat, why not sooner rather than later?" He laughed and nodded that it would be fine. She closed the door and was met with the happy couple sitting at the dining room table. "You heard that, didn't you?" Two nods. "Either of you going to say anything?" Two shakes of the head. "Good." She had to think this through herself. She wasn't ready for outsider input on the situation. She and Fisher were going on a date and she wasn't quite sure what to think about it. After the morning she'd had, she still had to face Linus and Fisher at work. "Don't mention it to Linus?" Two nods.
With all the commotion and the thoughts running through her mind, she couldn't help but smile as she sipped her coffee. What was she going to wear?
Okay, so I've had a few people get upset that Fisher and Camille didn't end up together and, while it was originally supposed to be Linus and Camille in the end, I have to admit that I ended up wanting it to be Fisher and Camille. I did have a few people ask for an explanation and that's what this chapter started out as but then I got an idea for another story that wouldn't go over well with where this chapter was originally going. Yes, this was the last chapter. But! I am working on the first chapter of the sequel! I do have limited internet at the moment so I'm making no guarantees on when it will be completed or posted. That's all for now!
MJ