"Don't bother, there's no coffee." Taub said when he noticed how Thirteen was eying the coffee machine. "House thought it would be fun to see how it would affect us."
"Figures." She muttered, sparing a glance at her watch. "Well, it's almost lunchtime anyway." She stood up and headed for the door just when Foreman entered. She walked right past him.
"Where are you going?" He wondered. Remy didn't stop, but turned around briefly.
"I'm going to get some coffee." Foreman turned to Taub for explanation, frowning slightly.
"House's experiment." He pointing to the coffee machine. "No coffee." It didn't take much thought on Foreman's behalf to follow Thirteen down the hall.
"So, how are you and Cameron doing?" The question came out of nowhere. One moment Foreman was discussing the case they were working on and the next, this. Remy let her surprise show.
"Why this all of the sudden?" She asked, taking the lid of her hot beverage so it would cool faster. They were walking back to the hospital after having found a place where they sold some decent coffee.
"You can't hide your problems when House is causing them." Foreman did the same to his coffee, throwing away the lid in a nearby trashcan. "I care about you." He said seriously, trying to make eye contact. Remy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she denied him the eye contact, only now really realizing what Cameron had implied the night before and why she harbored the minor jealousy towards Foreman.
"We're just fine." She answered, not bothering to explain. It made her slightly nervous how straightforward he seemed to be getting, even though she didn't let it show.
"Are you sure?" He asked as they walked through the entrance of the hospital. He tried to make it sound light, but was unable to hide the real meaning behind the words. Remy stopped walking, facing the man so she could properly extinguish any hope.
"Look, Foreman." She looked him directly in the eye, her eyebrows dipping in frustration. "No."
"You're not okay?" He asked hesitantly, hope shining in his eyes as he held up his cup, but never took a sip.
"No, I'm amazing. Especially in combination with Allison." She corrected, scolding herself mentally for wording it badly the first time. "I mean no, I'm not interested, stop trying to make it sound like you're the better deal."
"How do you know I'm not?" He almost made it sound like a statement with the confidence he was radiating. She shot him an incredulous look. Where was this coming from all of the sudden? Was House feeding him lines or something?
"Forget it." She said, agitation blatantly apparent as she walked away with a frown marring her face.
When Thirteen was gone Foreman headed for the reception desk, leaving his coffee behind in bitter frustration before he followed Hadley towards diagnostics. The coffee was only an excuse to get her alone and it would leave a mess if he threw it away in a trashcan.
A redheaded nurse behind the desk looked up, watching Foreman storm off after he left his coffee behind.
"Oh, Dr. Cameron!" Cameron had just exited the restrooms when she was met with a nurse who was pushing forward an old man in a wheelchair.
"Yes?" She subtly searched for the nurse's nametag, not remember her name.
"You're acquainted with the dark skinned doctor, aren't you?" The redheaded woman pushed back a few stray hairs behind her ear. "Foreman I believe?"
"I know him." After another subtle look down she found the nametag, B. Flint. "What of it?"
"I kept an eye out for him and the other doctor that was walking with him - the brunette who works in diagnostics?" She continued. Allison somehow managed to keep listening patiently.
"Dr. Hadley." She filled in for her.
"Yeah, her. I couldn't spot her anywhere either," at the impatience that was creeping into Allison's features she realized she had to get to the point. "Anyway, he left his coffee downstairs not too long ago. It has probably already turned cold, so it doesn't really matter, but it looked expensive." The nurse fidgeted. "Silly really."
"Yeah, um, okay." Cameron didn't really know what she was supposed to do with this information. "I'll ask him not to loiter?" A brief uncomfortable moment of silence followed.
"Okay, yeah, see you around." With that the nurse continued pushing the man towards some unknown destination.
'That was strange.' Cameron thought as she headed back. It was just a cup of coffee, perhaps one on the slightly expensive side, but a cup of coffee nevertheless. It wasn't like he had left his family heirloom- wait, Dr. Hadley? What was Remy doing with Foreman and store-bought coffee?
Allison willed herself not to jump to conclusions, not like last time. Even though she was right the last time- no, she would just ask Remy when she had the chance. Besides, it was obvious the other woman was harboring amorous feelings towards her. She wouldn't fool around with him, of all people, when she had her.
She smiled giddily at her last thought, ignoring the questioning glances that were shot her way.
Remy walked through the hospital when she was finally allowed to go home. She was making plans to take a nice long bath and then passing out in bed later that evening, preferably all in combination with Allison, when Foreman jogged to catch up with her. She ignored his presence until he started speaking.
"Do you need a ride?" He asked as casually as possible.
"No." She answered curtly, continuing her trek to sweet freedom. She was half expecting him to try to woo his way into her heart again, which she tried to discourage with one of her trademark cold attitudes.
"Look, I'm sorry about before." He began honestly, but allowed Thirteen to interrupt him in the pause he made.
"I bet you are." She noted lamely, spotting Cameron at a station a good distance away. The blonde appeared to be busy with papers of some kind.
"I just wanted to propose we start over." He cut to the chase, sending her a hopeful look. Finally she made eye contact with him, but he wasn't sure it was a good thing after seeing the barely hidden lack of interest. She appeared to think it over as she looked away.
"No." She said again, leaving him hanging as he started to lag behind. With Foreman finally disposed off, she headed for the blonde, unintentionally sneaking up to her from behind. "Hey."
"Hey." Cameron replied distractedly, signing whatever document she was leafing through before looking up and shooting Remy a little smile. Sparing a glance over her shoulder, she noticed a peeved looking Foreman walking off. "What's up with Foreman? He looks like House denied him his manhood."
"Someone denied him something alright." Thirteen mumbled, sounding light-hearted rather than annoyed, turning around just in time to see Foreman disappear out the front door. Allison eyed her suspiciously.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" She asked, hoping that Remy would explain what was going on between her and Foreman on her own. If there was anything going on between the two of them.
"Hm?" She turned back to face Cameron, eyebrows raised in a fashion that begged her to repeat the question. "No, not really. Are you going to be ready any time soon?" She asked airily, completely forgoing the suspicious undertone the other woman had adopted. Allison let out a tired breath as she glanced at the papers she had been holding just a minute ago.
"I don't think so." She looked back up at Thirteen hopefully. "Why?"
"Do you want to come over?"
"I'm not sure." Ouch. Cameron was quick to read the hurt expression from the other woman's face, however subtle it was, and explained immediately. "House dumped some last minute administration on my desk and Cuddy just spent at least ten minutes bribing me into doing it."
"All right, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." She finished, sweeping the surroundings with her eyes. With disappointment she noted how there were too many people around to kiss Allison goodbye. Not that everybody didn't know about them, they did, to her it just felt inappropriate to do so in a crowd. Especially in a crowd at work. "Bye." She whispered with a smile, leaving afterwards.
Cameron sent her a small wave, "I owe you!"
Remy's smile widened before she was completely out of sight. Times like this really proved to her how much they should move in together.
It was dark and smoky, the bright colored lights flickering to the rhythm of the loud music, creating a world among the mass of dancing bodies in which Dr. Cameron and Thirteen could disappear. They had been dancing intimately for the last few songs, even though some of those songs didn't really call for that kind of dancing. That was the furthest thing on Remy's mind however, when Allison twirled playfully underneath her arm and settled said arm on her hip as she continued to move sensuously against her, urging the brunette to press into her back. Hadley complied easily, raising her other hand to trail across the blonde's side before resting it on her waist, making sure their bodies were touching and brushing in all the right places.
Needless to say, Remy liked the way Cameron was compensating for her absence the other night.
Cameron placed her left hand on Remy's arm, reaching back with her other to gently pull the brunette over her shoulder by the back of her neck. This allowed her to announce her suggestion into Hadley's ear without yelling too loudly. It was obvious however, that Remy had entirely different intentions when she nipped at Allison's neck and moved one of her hands up to the blonde's stomach. Cameron tried not to get lost in the moment, momentarily forgetting what she had meant to say as the brunette trailed a few more randomly placed kisses across her shoulder.
"Remy." She called, finally having mustered up the willpower to slide her hand from Thirteen's neck to her cheek so she could push her away slightly from her shoulder and direct her attention on her voice. The woman looked at her through cloudy eyes. "Let's get out of here."
She nodded slowly, reluctantly disengaging from the dance.
As they walked outside Remy kept herself from touching, feeling, tasting the woman that was Cameron, but with the way she was raking her eyes over her form she might've as well done so. That was why Allison blushed and giggled drunkenly when she caught the looks Hadley was given her. Deciding on a whim to cut her some slack, or perhaps doing just the opposite, she wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck and kissed her brazenly in front of the line that had formed outside the club they had just exited. Remy obeyed eagerly, sliding her own hands around Cameron's waist.
Catcalls and cheers came from the fresh partygoers who were enjoying the show. This didn't immediately lead to them disentangling, but it certainly helped them in realizing where exactly they were.
"Oh my God! Remy?" And just like that Remy snapped out of whatever wonderful high she had managed to slip into. They pulled apart, Allison to search the crowd for whoever had yelled and Thirteen to drag the blonde towards the car. She didn't need to see who had yelled to know that she didn't want to confront him. "You Dawg! Go get her!"
Finally Allison spotted the black haired man who had proceeded to howl at them. His hair was short and messy, his chin covered in stubble, eyes a dark shade and through his eyebrow sat a distinctive piercing. He wore a black blouse, but it didn't register what else he was wearing. Cameron turned her attention back to Hadley, laughing a little at the silly face the man had pulled.
"Who was that?" She asked, looping her arm through the brunette's.
"That was forgettable, embarrassing and let's not mention it again." Remy evaded, smiling at the giddy Allison hanging on her arm.
"Oh come on," Cameron nudged her playfully, "you can tell me if you two used to date." Thirteen raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise.
"We didn't." She answered truthfully, enjoying the warm breeze and the way the blonde was clinging to her. Even though it was obvious she was being this affectionate in public because she was tipsy.
"You obviously didn't want me to meet him, so you're hiding something." Allison deduced. Remy sighed in playful exasperation. The car came into view.
"Can't I just dislike the guy?" She asked, knowing that all that time with House had made the other doctor paranoid and using that to her advantage.
"I don't know, can you?" Cameron countered, never straying from her playful mood.
"Alright, fine," Thirteen stopped walking when they neared the car, facing the blonde properly, "I'll tell you everything there is to know if you do something for me tonight."
"And that would be…?" Allison already smiled in victory. Remy copied the smile as she leaned in to whisper some choice words into her ear, trailing a few fingers gently over the other's throat and down her cleavage for added emphasis. Cameron stopped breathing as she caught the meaning of the words, a blush creeping upon her cheeks. "I- what?" She asked helplessly, caught off guard and shamefully aroused at the blatant suggestion the brunette had made.
Thirteen smiled devilishly at her, sashaying over to the car in deliberate silence.
"I guess he wasn't that interesting." Cameron muttered, following her into the car.
I relocated this chapter so that I can continue with the lousy but entertaining plot I accidentally made up. It will all be explained in the next chapter.
I'm also in the process of editing the Closet of Doom and the Plan so they match up, but it shouldn't be anything too big so there's no need to look up the changes.