AIM [FIRST DRAFT]

Chapter 24: Don't Stay for Dessert

Aimee did not know how long they had been hugging and had not cared really. She did not want to be anywhere other than in Stefan's arms. The way he held her made her feel safe and secure, like there was nothing to be afraid of. Usually, there was not, but there had always been a part of Aimee that was scared.

"Aimee," Stefan whispered her name, "you're still awake, right?"

Aimee giggled. Her own laugh was actually becoming unfamiliar to her. "No, of course not," she mumbled into his shirt.

"So are we going to get back to dinner or not?" he smiled.

"Hmm-mm," she shook her hidden head.

"Come on, Aimee," chuckled Stefan, slowly releasing himself from the cuddle. He held her arms and looked her straight in her puppy dog eyes. "Molly and Clifford are waiting," he reminded her.

Aimee moaned some more before giving in. "Okay, fine," she ended.

There was something about the look in Stefan's eyes that Aimee had noticed, that he really wanted to get back. She could not understand why, although she guessed it had to do with them being in the Ladies'. He spun her 180 degrees and held her at her arms again. He walked her out playfully and past every table before theirs. Some people were staring; some watching them exit the bathroom together and others sighting Aimee's red eyes. The two of them were starting to get uncomfortable with so many eyes fixed on them.

"Everyone's staring," whispered Stefan.

"You'll get used to it," chuckled Aimee, looking back at him over her shoulder.

He almost sighed in relief when they reached their table and Clifford and Molly. Molly looked away instantly; she would rather not talk to either of them.

"There's my girl," Clifford beamed. "Come sit down."

Stefan helped Aimee into her chair as he had done formerly. "Thank you," she said, sure to sit down gently.

Smiles grew on both of their faces.

"My pleasure," he murmured in her ear and kissed her cheek, when Molly's eyes went wide.

His cheeks reddened, Stefan hurriedly sat down with his hands pinned to his sides.

"Sorry," he blushed.

Aimee held his hand. "Don't apologise," she smiled.

Their waitron brought them their drinks on a tray. He laid them down correspondingly and tucked the tray under his arm before pulling out his pen and clipboard.

"Anything to eat?" that annoying pseudo French accent again.

Molly tapped the picture in the menu with her index finger. "Clifford and I decided to share the platter for two," she remarked.

"What will you have?" Stefan squeezed Aimee's hand.

"Do you have a hamburger?" Aimee queried.

She was embarrassed to ask, since she was sitting in a formal 'French' restaurant, but there was nothing on the menu that she had an appetite for. Then again she had been looking at it upside down before. The waitron raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry, but no," he said, his French accent completely diminished.

Aimee let out a sigh, being forced to search though the menu. She turned it the right way up and went through the pages.

"What will you eat, sir?" he turned his attention to Stefan, and the fake accent precipitated.

His menu was already open to a cheesesteak thing. He put his finger on it without actually reading what it was, but the waitron wrote it down quickly. Aimee gazed at Stefan's menu, and then at hers.

"I'll just finish my... chocolate milkshake?" she lifted her glass and smiled at Stefan.

Moments later, their food arrived and everyone ate in silence. A table cleaner retrieved their plates before the waitron came by again. Clifford asked for the bill, no one wished to eat anything else. As he waited, he slouched in his chair and rubbed his belly. This was the first time in a while he had eaten a proper meal. The waitron came by with the bill and then he left, letting Clifford decide on his tip. Clifford slipped a random sum of money into the bill book and slouched once more. The waitron returned to collect the book and everyone was ready to leave, but he persuaded them to stay. He offered them dessert, on the house, because the restaurant was relatively expensive and Clifford had tipped him handsomely. Of course Clifford refused at first; he was kind-hearted and did not want the man to go through the trouble of paying for them to have dessert.

"Please, sir," the waitron insisted.

He glimpsed at Molly, Aimee, and Stefan. As Clifford moved towards an answer, he was interrupted by a thunderous bang. Everyone in the restaurant started screaming and scurrying and ducked behind their tables, except for Aimee and Stefan.

"Everyone down!" a vociferous blonde girl around Aimee's age with a ponytail and a megaphone announced. "We're here to collect!"

She raised her right arm, revealing a squad of men all dressed in black, once the dust settled.

Aimee held Stefan's arm. "They look like they're from AIM," she said worriedly.

"They might just be," he breathed.

"I'm looking for -" she paused, her right hand delved into the pocket of her black jeans. "Stefan Summers and Aimee Whitaker!" she read their names off a piece of crumpled paper.

Aimee and Stefan flinched as she spotted them.

"Oh! There you are! Ha! This is a lot easier when they give me photos!" she was still speaking into the megaphone.

The squad of men stepped forward in their direction. Stefan shielded Aimee by standing in front of her. As the men neared him, he realised the AIM logos on their jackets, but they did not wear the same clothing as the men from France. How many AIMs are there?

One of the men halted in front of Stefan. "You might want to move," he was definitely American. Stefan did not step back. "Take him, I'll get the girl."

The men behind him marched forward with their machine guns in both hands. The man shoved passed Stefan, leaving him to the other men and grabbed Aimee by her right arm. She shrieked so loud it was piercing, but it hurt!

"You asshole!" yelled Stefan. "She's injured!"

He was ready to attack him for Aimee, but before he could move he had four other men holding him back. He struggled trying to push past them. The tears running down Aimee's cheeks had tears beading on his eyelashes. He screamed her name continuously as the men carried him out through the hole in the wall. The man was still holding Aimee at her wrist with a leer on his face.

"Leo, come on!" the girl with the ponytail addressed him. "Don't be so sadistic!" the megaphone was at her mouth again.

Leo tossed Aimee onto his shoulder. She did not even fight him; she was trying to soothe her arm by rubbing it gently with her left hand. Leo caught glimpse of Molly and Clifford cowering behind the table with tears in their eyes. He just leered again and walked Aimee out through the wall.

"Aimee!" cried Molly. She almost chased Leo down, but Clifford held her back. "No!" she screamed.

"We'll get her back," Clifford tried to reassure her.

The ponytail girl shadowed Leo outside and they drove away. Six tank-like vehicles drove off into the distance, each painted with the word AIM, and all that Molly and Clifford could do was watch them leave with their girl.