AIM [FIRST DRAFT]

Chapter 27: For What It's Worth

That moment of reminisce. Gavin parked right outside the front door and let Stefan and Aimee out. Stefan held her hand as they walked in. She looked at the single desk, unrepaired computer, the growing weeds on the wall, and the yellow tape on the elevator doors as they approached: OUT OF ORDER. They went up to the GINM floor.

Janet immediately walked Gavin and Stefan to the medical room. She disliked the idea of Stefan being out risking his life every other day, but it was not up to her. One of Buckley's assistants escorted Aimee to Buckley's office.  It was extremely big, considering he was the only person that was ever inside it until now. A fish tank was built into the back wall, and he had several pictures of him and Stefan, but the biggest wall display was a self-portrait.

There were very few filing cabinets, which did not surprise Aimee. He never struck her as the paperwork type. He was sitting in his padded office chair, looking at the fish as his assistant left them in privacy. He twirled purposefully in his office chair.

"Good morning, Aimee," he greeted, but his face was still. "Sit down," he gestured to the chair opposite him, the only piece of furniture on the floor other than his marlstone desk and those cabinets.

She sauntered nearer and sat down slowly in the squeaking chair. "You have some things to explain to me, Buckley," she tested.

"Oh, like what?" he leaned on his desk with a surprised look.

"Why'd you kidnap me before?" she posed. "Why'd you put me through all of this?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry about your parents, Aimee, but you needed to know the truth," he remarked.

"Why'd you kidnap me, Buckley?" she repeated strongly.

"Well, aren't you just a little happy about that?"

"What?"

"Aimee, if I hadn't kidnapped you, you still wouldn't know about your parents or AIM or GINM," he smirked, "or my son."

"So is he just the pawn to you?" she questioned.

"No, he's much more," he said. Aimee's expression softened for a short moment. "He's a smart boy and a fantastic agent."

"You have no idea, do you?" she glared at him. "You've kept him from so much. You've ruined his life!"

"Don't talk about us like you know us, Ms Whitaker!" his voice was so loud she jolted. "All that I've done has made Stefan perfect!"

"He doesn't want to be perfect," she said quietly. "He just wants to be loved. And I... am not a Whitaker. I never will be," tears beaded on her eyelashes.

"Oh, but you are, Aim," he insisted, his voice filled with calm intent. "You have your mother's persistence and are an image of your father. You'll most likely end up with Abba just like he did."

Aimee did not answer. She pushed herself out of her seat and was out of the room swiftly. She made sure to slam the door on her way out, so hard that Buckley's self-portrait fell to the floor. She sped towards the medic room, across tiled floors, and to a new section of the building. Aimee was standing on a balcony above another floor of GINM. Hundreds of scientists were swanning around in their white lab coats. When she looked up she saw two more balconied levels and a dome roof made of glass. The medical room was not far. She trotted onward. She reached the room and noticed that the door was slightly open. She peeped through the gap and sighted Stefan and Gavin on beds only a curtain away from each other. Gavin was lying down - although she could not tell if he was sleeping - while Stefan was sitting up, and still, as Janet dabbed his bruises with a cotton round.

Aimee leaned with her back on the wall. She wanted to just run in there and tell him how she felt because she knew how she felt. Well, at the moment she felt many different emotions, but only one of them mattered. She took a deep breath and leisurely went in.

"Morning," she gulped. "May I p-please talk to Stefan?" she was jittery.

Stefan and Janet looked at her contently. To Aimee's reprieve, Janet agreed, nodding and smiling without saying a word. She sauntered past Aimee, out of the room, and closed the door lightly behind her.

"Hey," Stefan smiled at Aimee.

"Hey," she neared his bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," his eyes focused on hers. "How about you?"

Aimee glimpsed behind Gavin's curtain to make sure he was asleep. He was. She returned to Stefan's bed and sat down on his right. She held his hand with her left as her casted hand moved from her lap to his cheek. She was sure to be gentle; he was still bruised.

"Stefan," her heart was racing and so was his. She was making him nervous.

"Stefan, I love you."

He exhaled quietly. He was so happy at that moment that crying seemed easier than smiling. Aimee bit her lips, and then kissed his, again and again.