Title: Second-hand Faith

Rating: T

Pairing: Married Chameron, but it'll end in Cadley.

Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D, nor do I own Emilie Autumn's song, Second-hand Faith.

This story doesn't fit into a particular slot in the canon timeline, but it's around season 6 - with modifications. Cameron knows about the Dibala incident, but decides to try to work out her marriage with Chase anyway. Kutner's still gone. Foreteen ended a month or two ago. Taub is at a medical conference, so Cam is temporarily working both in the ER and Diagnostics when there's a case. 5x09 Last Resort has not happened...yet.

Enjoy!

Second-hand Faith: Chapter 1

Dr. Remy Hadley hated crying people.

Or rather, she hated encountering crying people. It wasn't so much the blotchy face, or the agonized sobs, or the presence of pain. It was the pure awkwardness of the situation. Thirteen was the first to acknowledge the nearly therapeutic feeling of a good cry, when one was necessary, but for her, it was meant to be a solitary event. What exactly are you supposed to say when someone is crying before you? Do they want you to go away, or stay? Physical contact, or none? Do you look at them, or divert your eyes? Is your presence actually helping anything? And what the hell are you supposed to say?

So, when she opened the door of the doctor's lounge and heard faint sobbing, she immediately kicked herself for not going straight home.

At the sound of the door opening, the crying halted. Thirteen caught sight of several locks of golden hair spilling over the arm of the couch.

"Dr. Cameron?" Thirteen called hesitantly and took a couple steps towards her. The blonde ER doctor lifted her head, brushing away her tears with swift fingers.

"Dr. Hadley," she replied faintly. She let out an exhale, trying to calm herself. She wasn't really in the mood to chat. "I thought the diagnostic team's shifts were over."

"They are. I just came up here to look for... well, House took..." Her voice trailed off. Cameron raised an eyebrow. With an uncomfortable smile, Remy ran a thumb down the underside of one of her suspenders. "It's not important." Well, it would be rude to leave now. She slowly made her way over to the chair adjacent to Cameron and sat down tensely in it. "Are... you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the blonde doctor replied, sniffling once and biting her lip to keep any loose sobs from escaping. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to look a tiny bit less disheveled than she felt inside. "Chase and I just had a little fight earlier," she explained, using her husband's surname.

Thirteen gave a doubtful nod. "...that resulted in him kicking you out of the house?"

Cameron sighed. "No, I'm just... not up to facing Robert right now. Staying here was the only other option."

The internist studied her for a second before averting her eyes. It was strange, seeing the always caring doctor look so...pitiful. It wasn't a side she'd ever seen before, not that she was with the blonde doctor much. "You can stay at my place if you'd like?" Her voice turned upward at the end as she berated herself for the offer. The things my tongue says in the presence of a crying woman.

Allison observed the slight wince on the younger doctor's face and laughed softly. She knew enough about Thirteen to know she wasn't the comforting type at all, but it was noble of her to try anyway. "Nice of you to offer, Dr. Hadley, but that's not what you want." Thirteen's cheeks got a little warm. Cameron hoped the other doctor hadn't taken her words offensively. "I'll be fine here."

"Alright then." Is now a proper time to leave? But she looks so lonely, Thirteen thought. "Can I ask what you two were fighting about?"

Cameron sighed, and looked away. She couldn't tell the other doctor about Dibala. "Robert and I are just figuring out that we don't have the same values. I love him - he's my husband, after all. But sometimes I just feel like I don't know him. Or that I don't want to know him."

Thirteen nodded. She could relate to that.

After a few moments of silence, Cameron turned her attention back to the internist. "Why exactly did you and Foreman break up?"

Remy laughed a little, smiling. "We... I don't know exactly what it was. I just know that in the beginning, I genuinely liked him. And by the end, I was only with him because I was supposed to be with him. The passion just wasn't there, you know? He was safe, but that's not a good enough reason to be with anyone. Not on its own, anyway."

Is that how Robert and I are now? Together because we're supposed to be? "I'll be honest, your relationship with him was not something I expected."

"And why is that?" Thirteen asked, not unkindly. The head of the ER detected faint amusement in the internist's eyes.

"I don't know... just figured you'd date someone with a little more... life."

The other doctor laughed. "And why is that?" she repeated.

Allison bit her lip as embarrassment rose to her cheeks. She shrugged. "Just a feeling."

Thirteen wanted to inquire further, but let it go. She glanced down at her watch; it was getting late. She didn't have anywhere to be, but it was probably best to let the other doctor get some rest. The internist stood. "Well, I should probably get going..."

"Yeah, that's fine," Cameron said, a little too quickly. "Thanks," she added.

Thirteen nodded in reply. She noted that the other doctor wasn't crying anymore, and silently congratulated herself on not making the situation worse. She had a tendency to do that. "If you need anyone to talk to or anything...I'm here, yeah?" she said, a little awkwardly.

Cameron grinned; the dark haired doctor's uneasiness was endearing. "Yeah. Thanks, Dr. Hadley."

"You don't have to call me that."

"So what should I call you, then?"

Remy thought for a moment. "As long as it isn't a nickname House came up with, anything is fine. Thirteen's the exception."

Allison smiled again. "Okay, then. Good night, Thirteen."

"Good night, Allison."

Thirteen left the lounge and approached the elevator. She was happy to have a conversation with Cameron that wasn't work related; they weren't friends, but she always had an admiration for the doctor. Dr. Cameron was genuinely passionate about helping patients, more so than almost any other doctor at PPTH, and that was something Remy respected.

On the way out of the lobby, she stopped. Thirteen opened up the supply closet on her right and withdrew a warm blanket from one of the shelves. Running back up several flights of stairs, she returned to the doctor's lounge and opened the door as silently as she could. The blonde doctor was curled up on the couch, already asleep. She slipped through the opening and closed the door just as silently.

Remy unfolded the blanket and carefully arranged it over Cameron. When it was in place, she surveyed the blonde's sleeping form for a moment or two.

Then, she went home.

I have a bad habit of not finishing my WIPs. However, I'm intent on finishing this one. I've mapped out the ten chapters, so I actually have a plan to follow. If I do happen to lose steam on this, I will publish the notes so y'all know how the story ends. Few things are more annoying than unfinished fan fics... But I will finish this!

Let me know what you think! Chapters will get longer.