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Moving away from the food Cami pulled her hair out of the bun she'd piled it in to, running fingers through messy hair before taking her drink with a grateful smile. A fingertip ran over the rim of the cup as she was reminded that taking an outpost mission was not giving anyone space, it was running away, and she sighed (perhaps dramatically). "I know it's running away and running away isn't good but what else can I do? I don't trust myself to not beat on her door and demand to let me back into her life. I...I'm not usually that sort of person but she..." Cami trailed off, shaking her head. "Well, you know her. She pushes you to the edge of your self."

Taking another long drink she almost choked at the mention of Otto. Her laughter was long, genuine, and free. "That is the God's honest truth about Otto Graves. I can't regret that period in my life but I definitely realized that I needed to let even my resentment go. It wasn't worth it." Picking up a plate she began to dish food onto it before sitting down at the worn, but very sturdy, table wedged into a corner. The kitchen wasn't quite big enough to eat in but, damn it, she'd made it work!

"It will get better though, you are right. I've loved and lost before." Thoughts of the man she once thought she would marry flashed through her mind and, startlingly, Camille realized she didn't remember his face. At all. She was so shocked at that revelation that she nearly missed his final, rushed comment. Spearing a spicy shrimp with her fork she sighed, then popped it into her mouth. "I wish she did care. It would be nice to think she did." Clearly she did not believe Dawson's information was true and it was mostly him trying to be reassuring and kind.

Maebe had made it very clear that she didn't even think of Cami as a person separate from Otto. Why would she care about what happened to the redhead?

Well, at least she hadn't ******** up the food! Nibbling at a bit of chicken dipped in the same spicy sauce as the shrimp (Cami was a shameless mixer) she smiled at the mention of home. "Really not too different from here, s'far as the weather goes. Sometimes wetter. Sometimes hotter, mostly in the winter, than here." Thinking of the island where she'd spent the majority of her childhood her blue eyes grew dreamy.

"Antigua is my home and my heart. I learned to pickpocket when I was very young, ripping off tourists asking for directions or pictures. My English was atrocious as a child. I spoke this incredible polyglot that was all Spanish and Creole. Maman liked it this way because it meant she could talk over my head and I would understand perhaps one word in five." Putting her chin in her hand Cami's smile was mischievous and irrepressible. "Obviously that didn't stick. What about you? Where were you when Deus found you?"

She didn't see the need to mention that she'd been living in Boston when she'd run into the white-coated organization. More and more the island dialect was seeping back into her speech and the coffee-skinned woman wrote almost exclusively in Spanish. Cami was unarguably finding parts of herself that she'd shut away while she tried to drown out parts of her that were becoming inconvenient.

Like Maebe Grace.

Cami would never, in her life, call someone a wimp for not being able to handle her shrimp. That he'd bothered to try it at all when the smell coming off of it was enough to curl even her hair was brave enough for her. She had license to giggle though, which she did before dumping more of the spicy concoction on top of her food. "Amen!" Affirming the tradition of high calorie fried s**t (her favorite part of living in America from time to time) Cami couldn't help but be surprised at the last question.

People on Deus didn't generally come from happy, healthy families. For one reason or another something (usually everything) was ******** up beyond belief and they were happy to get away. Thoughtful once more she swirled her fork through her food making designs in sauce and rice. "I can't say I don't miss the island life but Maman and I...rough relationship there. She took care of me because she had to and, in her way, she did try to love me. She's just not a woman that loves and I very much am." Dawson probably got that picture loud and clear by now. Cami didn't see the need to belabor that point.

Stumbling upon a reminder she nonetheless perked. "I have family here though. I hadn't seen Mimsy in a very long time when I saw her here on the island and I adore her. Her husband is adorable and now they have a baby so I'm an aunt!" Just thinking about the baby had her sitting up straight with excitement. "So I have a family here. I admit I thought Maebe and Otto were a part of that family, so it's a little smaller than I designed it to be, but it's still a good one. So, no, I don't really miss my family." Taking a moment to eat and breathe rather than blather on she waited a moment before returning the question.

"How about you? Miss anything from before?"

The very mention of the basement had Camille shuddering as if she'd taken a shot of pineapple moonshine rather than a sip of pina colada. "You're far braver than I am. I moved in with Mimsy rather than brave the basement. When I first got here I'd sleep in the common areas on the first floor until someone made me get up and move. Didn't get a whole lot of rest at first." Remembering those early days, her excitement running a race with her fear, made her just a little nostalgic.

What would life have been like, she wondered, had she never met Otto Graves?

Looking down she realized, all of a sudden, that she was full. Cami had eaten since everything had gone sour in her life but it had been halfhearted at best. Tonight she'd had a full serving of everything that she'd cooked, distracted by good company and good conversation. Sitting back and patting the rounded curve of her slight belly with a sigh she beamed at his question.

"Well you certainly helped me tonight, Dawson. I'm quite grateful."

Watching Dawson clean up made the redhead want to bounce out of her chair, shoo him aside, and tell him that he was a guest. Guests didn't clean up after dinner! But she was comfortable in a way that had been long overdue, a bit sleepy from a good meal, and it just really didn't seem worth the argument. "Huh...oh. I don't know anyone on the island who is an engineer. I've done some sounding out of the upstairs and the structure itself seems fine but the plumbing...hm." A finger slid up into her curls to start twirling a strand around her finger, a sure sign of anxiety.

"I haven't had any problems but this is Deus. Problems tend to be fast, messy, and irreparable." Hadn't the basement itself flooded recently? Just thinking about it made her want to shudder again. It was not, however, as daunting an idea as having her roof collapse in the middle of the night on top of her. Knowing Cami's luck she'd survive the damn thing.

"Offering to be my handyman?" If Camille wasn't flirting it was because she was dead. Thankfully for Dawson there was no serious intent; her tone seemed to be almost unconscious and off-hand.