When All That's Left is You Chapter 12, an o.c. fanfic

The Trial

Thirteen was alone in the conference room making herself a cup of coffee when she felt somebody's hands cover her eyes. She smiled, immediately knowing whose breath was caressing the back of her neck.

"You've snuck into off-limits hospital property again," she said as she set her cup on the countertop and removed the soft long fingers from her eyes. She turned around and saw Marissa grinning widely at her.

"Yeah, well… I'm sneaky like that," Marissa quipped and placed her arms around Thirteen's neck before moving in to give the brunette a long kiss.

Thirteen placed her hands on Marissa's waist and moaned into the kiss.

Marissa smoothly moved on to kiss Thirteen's neck. "Mmm… You smell so good."

Thirteen let out a quiet laugh. "I smell like hospital disinfectant."

"Well then…" Marissa said as she continued nipping at Thirteen's neck. "…hospital disinfectant smells really good on you."

Thirteen smiled lazily and let out a soft chuckle. The chuckle became a tremble when Marissa slowly worked her way back up her neck, while her fingers slipped through Thirteen's suspenders, pulling on them slightly. Her breath hitched instantly as she watched Marissa bite her lips sexily while sliding her fingers down the insides of her suspenders.

Marissa's hands slipped inside her coat, and then slowly made their way beneath the soft material of her cream-colored Henley shirt to massage up her back in long, languid strokes. Soon Marissa's lips were back on her lips again, kissing hers softly in several fluid motions before pulling away, and sliding her hands to her waist, still under her shirt, and giving her a sexy lopsided grin.

The doctor beamed back at her, but the smile quickly fell off of her lips when she caught sight of a person (persons, she later learned) out of the corner of her eye. She gently took her hands off of Marissa, who mirrored the action once she noticed that they weren't alone, albeit only partially removing her self from being wrapped around Thirteen's body.

Thirteen crossed her arms on her chest and held her temple in her hand, groaning silently. Marissa just smirked when she saw the slack-jawed looks on House's, Foreman's, Kutner's, and Taub's faces.

"Whoa, wait! Why did you stop?" House demanded a moment later.

Neither girl answered. Foreman shook his head and shot them both an apologetic look. "Uh, we were just beginning to discuss a new case, weren't we, Dr. House?"

House shook his head when he caught Foreman's sharp glare. He cleared his throat and nodded. "We needed the white board," he agreed seriously. "But I guess we could go for a little stroll instead, if you ladies still need the room?"

"We were just saying goodbye," Marissa told the doctors sweetly as she finally took her hands off of Thirteen.

"Can we—" House wagged a finger back and forth between himself and the two girls "—say goodbye, too?"

Marissa chortled.

"You know, I'd tell you girls to get a room, but apparently, you've already managed to find one," House said. "It's a great room, huh? Good for diagnosing patients, too."

Marissa let out another chuckle.

"Well… as titillating as this is for all of us and as much as I enjoy Penthouse-esque Sapphic action, the chances for relapse of the patient's cancer is progressing point-six percent per day. I'll pencil you two in my schedule and we'll see about carrying on with this some other time."

House walked out of the room, followed by Foreman and the guys in the team. "So as I was saying before that little distraction there, the patient's second tumor should be excised as soon as possible or she'll die faster than you can say 'Lindsay Lohan'," House carried on while they paced down the hallway, unaware that the only woman in his team still wasn't behind them and participating in the differential.

"No," Foreman disagreed. "It's too dangerous to excise the tumor in her condition. Her immune system is thrashed and her body won't be able to endure more trauma, much less fight off infection that's she's bound to get if she makes contact with even the littlest amount of infectious agent."

"He's right, House. Surgery's too risky," Taub stated from behind House.

"I agree," Kutner said.

"And who does Dr. McLezzie agree with?" House asked. He paused when there was no answer, consequently also making the rest of the doctors stop. He slowly turned and scowled. "Where is she?"

Some seconds later, House poked his head into the conference room and saw Marissa and Thirteen making out again.

"Seriously!" He yelled at the two, making them stop short and break away each other's hold. "People are dying!"

Quick to dismiss House, Marissa smirked a little before she turned back to Thirteen and placed another kiss on her lips.

"Riss… I really have to… get back to work now."

"Yeah, you really do," Marissa replied, but not making any move to release Thirteen from her embrace.

"God's timing really could've been better," House muttered to himself before he started to leave to rejoin Foreman, Taub, and Kutner. "Make that quick, will you? We're waiting."

"Marissa…"

"Alright, alright…" Marissa mumbled as she reluctantly pulled away. She gave Thirteen a last peck on the lips and then said, "Go save those lives and make me proud."

Thirteen grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

Thirteen scowled when somebody smacked her hard on the back, almost making her choke on the last bite of her pizza sub.

"Hey there, Thirteen, you stud," Kutner greeted her enthusiastically as he sat down beside her in the cafeteria.

Thirteen just rolled her eyes before taking her orange juice and drinking up the rest of it.

"What's up?" Cameron asked good-naturedly as she and Chase both came a little later with a tray of food each in their hands.

"Mrs. Franco's scheduled for emergency tumor excision this afternoon," replied Thirteen.

"The lady with the Hodgkin's and primary immune disorder?" Chase inquired.

Thirteen nodded in confirmation. "It saves time when your boss orders you to do what you just voted against. Not exactly good news for the patient, 'cause it's her remaining time alive we've just saved, but you know… boss get what the boss wants."

"But… it may be fatal if they go on with the surgery," Cameron said with genuine concern etched on her face. "You've told House that, didn't you?"

"Of course we did," Kutner replied. "And it's not like he doesn't already know."

"We don't really have a choice," Thirteen said. "He's inscrutable."

"It's a well-established fact that he is, and that he will probably always be," Chase said stoically.

"So anyway," Thirteen began as she stood up. "I was actually just leaving, so…"

"Alright. See you around."

"Say hi to Marissa for me, will you?" Kutner said with a mischievous wink.

Thirteen glared at him, but she couldn't keep the small smirk from appearing on her lips nonetheless.

"Us, too," Cameron called out as Thirteen exited the cafeteria and walked down the hallway.

As Thirteen made her way to the laboratory after her quick lunch, she caught sight of two familiar persons walking towards her direction, arm-in-arm and with wide grins on their faces.

Jealousy instantly flared up in her chest when she recognized Marissa hanging on Ryan Atwood's arm and laughing probably at something he had said. She squeezed her fists inside the pockets of her coat and she gritted her teeth as she ceased walking and momentarily contemplated whether she should just quietly slip away to an adjacent corridor and pretend she didn't notice them approaching. Her plans of fleeing what she knew would be an awkward situation, however, were thrown out of the window when Marissa suddenly looked ahead towards her and caught her eye.

Instantly, Marissa's smile grew even wider as soon as she saw Thirteen standing in the middle of the hallway with a (forced) smile on her beautiful face.

"Hey." Marissa instantly unlooped her arm out of Ryan's as they came closer, threw her arms around Thirteen's neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Thirteen smiled, genuinely this time. "Hi."

Marissa dropped her hands from Thirteen's shoulders and looped her arms through the brunette's arm this time, still with a big, bright smile on her face.

"What's up?" Thirteen asked Marissa casually, avoiding Ryan's eyes.

"Oh, Ryan was just inviting me to have drinks later."

"Oh, drinks… Uh-huh. Really?" Thirteen said with as much enthusiasm as she could put through the words.

"Yeah," Marissa said, with enthusiasm—real, unlike Thirteen's. "He was just telling me to ask you to come with us."

"He did?" Thirteen's eyes flicked to Ryan's direction and she saw him wearing a smile—a smile that, she thought, was probably as fake as hers was.

"Yeah," Ryan confirmed with a nod. "Summer and Seth are going to be there, too. It's a group hang. Or so Seth calls it."

Marissa faced Thirteen without disentangling her arm from hers. "So here we are asking you. Come with us?"

"Um… It's really busy around here right now."

"Alex…" Marissa groaned.

"Come on, Alex," Ryan said. "You should take a break, too sometimes," he said half-heartedly, though only he and Thirteen knew that.

Marissa pouted out her lower lip slightly, making Thirteen get closer and closer to giving in.

"Marissa, I really—"

"At least think about it, Lex. Please?"

"But I'm swamped with work. I've got paperwork and tests to do. I can't just—" Marissa jutted her lips just a little more and Thirteen sighed. "…Fine. I'll think about it."

Marissa smiled widely. "Yay," she exclaimed softly and excitedly before giving Thirteen a soft kiss on the lips.

Thirteen pulled away slightly. "I'm still going to have to stay for another hour or so. But I'll try to ditch as soon as I can and be there. Is that good enough?" Thirteen asked just before Marissa moved in to kiss her again.

"Mm… Better than," Marissa mumbled into the kiss.

"No promises, though," Thirteen said.

"I know… but still glad you're going to try."

"Mmm, Riss… we gotta… stop… We're in the hallway," came Thirteen's quiet protestation while Marissa continued kissing her as other doctors, nurses, and patients alike walked around, though she definitely could've have made a greater effort in pushing Marissa away.

An old woman passed by and stared at the two girls, appalled. Ryan rubbed his neck awkwardly as he gave the lady a sheepish, tight-lipped smile.

Marissa finally stopped and broke the kiss. She removed her arms from Thirteen's neck and went to go back to her previous position beside Ryan, once again looping her arm into his. Thirteen shoved her hands into her pockets when she didn't have the small of Marissa's back to place them at anymore.

"Bye." Marissa smiled as she walked away with Ryan, their arms linked together, with her head turned towards Thirteen.

Thirteen paused from her work when she felt her phone vibrate inside the pocket of her coat. She set down the two test tubes she was holding on the rack before answering the phone without looking at who it was.

"Dr. Hadley," she said into the phone, which she had tucked against her shoulder as she walked over to the centrifuge and took out the capillary tubes she had placed in there earlier.

"What's up, doc?"

Thirteen paused, her brows knit together, before grabbing her phone and checking who was calling. She brought the phone back to her ear again. "Marissa?"

"You don't seem too happy to hear me."

"No, no, of course I'm happy to hear you. I just… didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Didn't we just see bump into each other half an hour ago?" she asked, slightly confused. Marissa hadn't used to call her so often and after they had just seen each other. At least not after they had moved in together.

"So?"

"So I still have another half an hour left."

"Yeah, but… I missed you," Marissa admitted quietly.

Thirteen smiled a big smile. "You just saw me."

"Even so."

"Well that's good to hear," Thirteen said, still smiling. "I was starting to get worried that I was already missing you after just seeing you. I thought I was going out of my mind."

It was Marissa's turn to grin widely at Thirteen's admission that she felt the same. Thirteen could hear the smile in her voice. "Then we're both going out of our minds."

"Guess we are," Thirteen said softly.

"So…" Marissa began after a few moments of silence. "You're coming later, right?"

"Um, not sure yet. I still have a lot to do right now."

"Oh," Marissa uttered out, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Well then I guess I should let you go now so you could finish early and get to go out with us. I don't want to be there without you."

"Alright. I'll try to be there."

"Okay."

"Alright, bye." Thirteen was already about to end the call, but she stopped when she heard Marissa speak up again.

"Wait, wait! Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"I, uh… I just want to say that I, um…" From the other end of the line, Marissa swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Just say it already.

"…Yeah?"

"I… can't wait to see you again."

Thirteen nodded slowly though there was nobody there to see. "Yeah… yeah, neither can I."

The first thing that entered Thirteen's mind when she stepped into the bar was what on earth was she supposed to do all night at a night out with Marissa, her overly protective and very intimidating best friend, her equally overprotective ex-fiancé who is probably not over her girlfriend yet, and her own overly-thoughtful, borderline-stalkerish and perverted but still otherwise charming ex-boyfriend. She paused on the doorway and took a deep breath before stepping into the nightclub to look for the four.

It was already a little more than an hour since Marissa had waltzed into the hospital in Ryan's arm and ever-so-persuasively pouted her way into making her agree to come to this "group hang". Last time they had one of those, things didn't turn out so well. It had been awfully awkward then, and she was sure tonight was going to be just as bad, if not worse.

Thirteen shook her head slightly, willing herself to shut the pessimistic thoughts out, as she looked around the semi-crowded nightclub in search for Marissa and her friends.

It had taken her only a few minutes to find Marissa sitting at the bar, Ryan on her one side, and Seth and Summer on her other side, looking like she could be enjoying the night an awful lot more. Thirteen watched Marissa for a while from afar, out of view. She had her chin resting on her hand as she absently stirred her drink with a straw, twirling the cherry in it, and nodding and forcing a smile at whatever Summer was raving on about while wrapped in Seth's bird arm.

Marissa smiled at something Ryan said, and Thirteen secretly felt delighted, and a little guilty, to see that the smile didn't reach her eyes. She removed her chin from her hand to look at the time, and then looked around, in search of, Thirteen knew, her.

Marissa's face noticeably lit up when she finally saw who she had been waiting for standing some distance away from where they were sitting at. She immediately stood up and walked over to where Thirteen was standing with her hands in her pockets and with a small, barely suppressed grin on her face.

"You made it," Marissa said just seconds before she wrapped her arms around Thirteen's neck and pulled her into a long, deep kiss. When she finally broke the kiss, it was only to say, "I'm glad you came." And then she went right back in, deepening the kiss even more.

"Mmm…" Thirteen moaned into Marissa's mouth, pleased to note that there was not a hint of alcohol there. When Marissa pulled away again, a slightly breathless Thirteen took in a mouthful of air before saying, "I'm glad I came."

Marissa gave her a big smile before taking off her arms from her neck, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bar.

"Hey guys! Look who's come to join our group hang," Marissa said cheerfully over the music.

"Hi, Alex!" Summer greeted her.

"Hey, Alex, you're here!" Seth said enthusiastically once Thirteen, whose hand was intertwined with Marissa's, came into hearing range.

"I'm here," Thirteen said as she briefly locked eyes with Ryan, who surrendered in their little staring battle almost as soon as he started it.

"Hey. Good to see you again," Ryan mustered, and Thirteen wondered what he was pushing his efforts for. It crossed her mind that he may have an ulterior motive, but despite of the fact that she didn't know Ryan very well, she was pretty sure that ulterior motives weren't something he would have.

"Good to see you again, too," she replied, and even went as far as give him a warm smile, figuring she should at least give him some kind of gesture to show her appreciation for his efforts.

"I've introduced you to my friends Johnny and Jack, haven't I?" Seth asked Thirteen, who chuckled at the memory of Seth drinking himself silly in his attempt to become the bad boy he thought he should be to get her impressed.

"Johnny, Jack and I go way back, Seth. They never mentioned being friends with you," she replied. "I would like a beer though."

"Strong or light?" Seth asked.

"Strong," Thirteen answered quickly, as if the question was a no-brainer.

"Woman after my own heart," Seth said and Thirteen and Summer both rolled their eyes.

While Seth turned to the bartender to ask for more beer, Summer wriggled out of his grasp and said, "Coop and I are going to the bathroom."

"We are?" Marissa asked, not wanting to be away from Thirteen so soon.

"Please?"

Marissa sighed. "Fine."

"We'll be back before you're drunk," Summer told Seth.

"Well then you won't be long," Thirteen said with a chuckle.

"That's what I said," Summer said with a smirk.

"Okay, that hurt, but I'm gonna let that slide. Now you ladies move along and we men will just be here doing our own thing," Seth said, handing Thirteen her beer and raising his own bottle in the air.

Thirteen raised a brow. "'We men'?"

"That's what I said," Seth deadpanned.

Marissa chuckled as she watched Thirteen roll her eyes. She gave the girl a kiss on the cheek and one last smile before she let herself get dragged by Summer to the bathrooms, leaving her alone with Ryan and Seth on the bar.

After several minutes of chatting with Thirteen about his new comic book project and this new indie rock and roll band he had discovered, Seth hopped off his barstool and pointed towards the bathroom. "I think I need to pee," he excused himself, and then ran off to the bathrooms, leaving Thirteen and Ryan alone.

Neither of the two said anything for a while. They only sat on the barstools and quietly watched the band playing on the stage.

"The band's pretty good, huh?" Ryan asked Thirteen once he was done with his brooding, trying to lighten the mood.

Thirteen looked at him. "Yeah," she agreed. She raised her bottle to her lips and took a small sip of her beer.

She looked at Ryan again as the song reached its end and the audience burst into wild applause. "You didn't mean that," she said.

Ryan turned to look at her, and then shook his head. "Not really, no. I don't really like live music. Not as much as you, Seth, and Marissa do."

"That's not what I was referring to."

Ryan's forehead creased as he tried to decipher what Thirteen was talking about.

"When you said you were happy to see me. You didn't mean it."

Ryan blinked, and then turned back to his own bottle of beer. "No," he admitted. No, I didn't."

Thirteen nodded, and then silence ensued once more between her and Ryan.

"House was right," Thirteen stated after some time. "You are taking the higher ground."

Ryan turned to face Thirteen. She looked like she was absolutely serious she wanted to pursue the subject. He shrugged. "You did the same for me."

"Not for you, I didn't," Thirteen said.

Ryan blinked and then he chuckled after a while. "No, I guess not."

Thirteen smiled, but then her expression quickly became one of seriousness again. "No, really, why?"

Ryan looked away from Thirteen, while he thought of the answer to her question. He looked up from his drink, his eyes having caught something on the stage.

"You already know the answer to that," Ryan finally said.

Thirteen turned her head to see what his eyes were fixed at. It was Marissa. She nodded quietly as she, too, watched Marissa sway her body slightly to the first beats of That Girl has Love.

She pried her eyes away from Marissa's figure and turned to Ryan, who had gulped down the rest of his beer. "Want another one of those? It's on me."

He looked at Thirteen and smiled. "Just as long as you hand it over nicely."

"Go on. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Sum, I'm sure."

"Alright."

Marissa nodded as Summer finally released her hand and went away to find Seth. Then she turned to face the stage and began swaying her body in time with the music.

I don't know a lot about her,

But she, she knew a lot about me.

Her family seemed to love her,

If what they say is true.

Her friends all shared the good times.

Man, that girl has love.

The serene look on Marissa's face turned into surprise and then to delight when she felt a slightly cold hand slowly intertwine its fingers with hers. She didn't have to look to tell whose hand it was.

I, I didn't have a clue then,

That a kiss

Would change my whole life again.

She walked into my room

When I was all alone.

She told me I would date her from

September, till December.

Marissa leaned towards Thirteen and whispered in her ear. "Do you wanna dance?"

"No. I'd much rather just stand here with you and watch."

Marissa pouted a little.

"But I don't dance," Thirteen insisted, but Marissa had already faced her and placed her arms around her neck, forcing her to move along as she swayed from side to side.

Thirteen sighed in defeat. "This music isn't even danceable," she grumbled quietly, but she was already gently dancing in time with Marissa's movements.

Marissa grinned. "But you're already dancing."

"Because you're being all cute again and suddenly I'd do anything you ask me to do," Thirteen replied as she wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist.

"Works every time," Marissa grinned before leaning closer to Thirteen so that her chin was resting against her shoulder.

She doesn't know,

Things will never be the same again.

She'll always be seventeen.

That girl has love.

"I saw you and Ryan talking," Marissa said.

"Mmhm?" Thirteen responded as she held Marissa close and continued to dance, kind of amused that it was actually she who was doing more of the dancing now and Marissa was simply placing almost her entire weight on her.

"What were you talking about?"

"Mm, the usual stuff… You know, the weather… sports… cars… sports cars…" she enumerated, making Marissa chuckle against the column of her neck. "And then liquor… comic books… You."

"Why did you leave him, Marissa?" Thirteen had ceased moving and had, by this time, gently pushed Marissa away so she could see her eyes when she answers the question.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"I don't know. I just do."

Marissa sighed and moved a step closer to Thirteen. "Because I didn't feel for him anymore then what I feel for you now… what I only recently realized I've always felt for you…" She placed a hand on Thirteen's cheek and stroked it gently with her fingers.

That was too real to ever be fake.

That was too strong to be ever be forgotten.

Marissa looked into Thirteen's eyes and it crossed her mind how regretful it was that she had to say what she was going to say for the first time right there in a noisy dance floor and amidst a crowd of no-life onlookers.

"I love you."

Thirteen stood motionless, with mouth slightly agape and her hands still on Marissa's hips. Marissa had just said she loved her. Deeply overwhelmed with emotion, she pulled Marissa into a tight embrace, only able to catch a glimpse of the slight let-down look in Marissa's face.

Marissa hugged Thirteen back and buried her face into her neck, her disappointment quickly dissolving with just a strong squeeze and a tender kiss on her temple.

That girl has love.

Thirteen sighed, willing herself to stay in that moment, trying in vain to fight off the sense of impending doom that was surely going to eat her whole had Marissa not just come back into her life, and to believe that nothing else mattered except the two of them, happy and together in the present.

Marissa smiled, infinitely glad that they seemed to have been able to finally put the past behind them, yet unaware that the past wasn't everything that was causing Thirteen's fear and apprehension.

House scowled at Wilson, who pumped his fist in the air after he succeeded in putting the ball through the goal.

"Eight-four," Wilson declared before gripping the handles of the foosball table again to get ready for the next round.

House did the same, as did Chase, who was playing on Wilson's side, and Kutner, who was playing on his own side.

With a look of intense concentration in his face, Kutner spun the bar with a strong, swift motion, enabling on of the foosmen to "kick" the ball past the goalkeeper and into goal.

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Kutner said victoriously. "High five!" He raised his hand to House, who just scowled at him. "Or not." He dropped his hand, dejected.

"Eight-five," House said, and they continued playing while Taub sat cross-legged on the couch, reading a magazine quietly.

"Where's Thirteen?" House asked nobody in particular, as he remained concentrated on the foosball game he hated to admit he was so far sucking at.

"No idea," Kutner muttered while aiming to hit the ball.

"She's in the ER," Taub answered, not looking up. "Told her we didn't have a case, so she opted to volunteer and help Cameron retrieve toy soldiers out of yet another kid's nose," he said in monotone as he flipped a page of his magazine.

"Tell her I've found one and she should get over here and stop kissing Cameron's ass. Except of course if that metaphor isn't really a metaphor."

"Except you don't have a case," Wilson said. "And why would she be kissing Cameron's ass anyway?"

"I'm supposed to know how a lesbian's mind works?"

"She's bisexual," Kutner said, but nobody paid attention to him.

Wilson smirked, shaking his head slightly. "Why should you be so possessive and keep her from making good use of her time?"

"Pulling green army men out of kids' body cavities is not a 'good use of time'," House replied.

Chase smirked. "And foosball is?"

"Just if I—" There was suddenly a knock on the door, and all of the guys except House, who finally hit the ball and made it bounce across the table and past the goal, paused. "—win!" House finished. He grinned. "How rad am I?"

"You lucked out," Chase said as Marissa slowly pushed the door to the doctors' lounge open and made her way just past the door.

"Oh, please. You're just upset because you can't even score on your own national sport."

"I'm Australian," Chase stated as House and the rest of them turned to see who came in.

"And the national sport of England is cricket, not soccer," Kutner said quickly before turning to Marissa. "Hi, Marissa. What are you doing here?"

"Eight all," House declared as he moved his eyes away from Marissa and back towards the game.

"Eight-six," Wilson corrected as he, too, turned his attention back to the game before House could cheat his way into winning.

"Um, hi. I'm looking for Alex. She left her phone at my house this morning," she explained as she looked around and didn't see Thirteen anywhere.

"So dial her pager," House said without turning away from the game.

"She told me not to, unless it was an emergency. Do you know where I can find her?"

"She's in the ER," Kutner replied.

"Oh. Okay," Marissa said, nodding. "Thanks." She opened the door and left.

"She's been visiting a lot lately, don't you think?" Wilson asked as all four of them went back to their game.

"I don't think. I see," House replied while he was busy manipulating his foosmen.

"Yeah, she and Thirteen are now practically attached by the hip," Kutner commented.

"By the hip and every other part of the human anatomy," House said. "But who's complaining?"

Kutner smirked. "Not me."

"Oh wait, I know! We should give them a nickname!" House said enthusiastically. "Hmm… Marteen? Marmy? …Or do you think they'd prefer 'Marley'?"

"'Marley' sounds cute," Kutner commented.

"Nah, Marley sounds dreadful. And don't look at me like that. Jamaican and Indian are two completely different things."

Once again, the door to the lounge opened and in went Cuddy with her hands on her hips, making them stop with their playing. "Why are you all here? Don't you have work to do?"

"Surgery was postponed," Chase said immediately in his defense.

"Wilson?" Cuddy asked.

"House called me in for a consult," he said in a clearly dejected tone.

"About foosball," Cuddy said in a deadpan tone.

Wilson sighed.

"Wanna join us and share some input?" House said to Cuddy. "I'll kick Chase out."

"He… tricked… me, into playing," Wilson said.

"Well I'm sorry, because you're clearly being held against your will," Cuddy said.

Wilson threw his hands in the air.

"What are you gossiping about anyway?" Cuddy asked them.

"Not you," House shot at her.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him before raising her eyebrows in a silent demand for an answer.

"Malex," House said.

Cuddy knit her brows together. "Who?"

"What?" House said in a high-pitched voice of fake disbelief. "Haven't you heard? Malex is the new golden couple. Brangelina and Tomkat are like, so last year."

"'Malex' sounds better than Marmy or Marley," Kutner cut in.

"Who the hell are Malex, Marmy and Marley? Larry, Moe and Curly's protégés?" Cuddy asked.

"No," House said as if she was being totally dense. "They're #1 in Princeton Plainsboro's top ten hottest couples of the month. You are so out of the loop," he said with his hand on his forehead, in the shape of an L.

"Who's number two?" Kutner asked him seriously.

House looked at him. "Oh shut up."

"Fine. Don't tell me. As long as they're not some new idiots you recruited to the Make Cuddy's Life as Miserable as Possible Club."

"Oh please. Like I couldn't do that myself."

Cuddy smiled. "You're actually already doing it." She paused. "Have been doing it," she corrected herself.

"The club's mission and vision," House said solemnly.

Cuddy gave him a look before leaving, closing the door behind her.

They turned back to the game again.

"So what's this new obsession with Thirteen and her girlfriend?" Wilson asked.

"I'm interested in their relationship. Why, aren't you?"

"I am," Wilson replied, shrugging. "What normal heterosexual man wouldn't be? However, my interest and fascination ends at stopping for a second or two too long in the hallways to watch them kiss each other goodbye after lunch break is over. Yours, on the other hand, involve sending a private investigator to a different state so he could interrogate Thirteen's exes and former bosses, and her girlfriend's family and friends. You never went that far with Cameron and Chase."

"Well, you know, Chase is pretty, but he's no Bebe model," House said before looking at Chase momentarily to tell him, "No offense."

"Absolutely none taken," Chase said as he aimed for the goal and missed.

"But maybe I'll think about it, if he grows boobies and stops dangling."

Chase scoffed. "Wow, thanks for actually thinking about giving it a chance," he deadpanned. He spun the bar forcefully and succeeded in scoring a point this time. He grinned and looked back at House's scowling face. "Now how rad am I?"

"Hi," Marissa greeted the doctor who was sitting on the couch, his attention focused on some sort of reading material entitled The American Journal of Neuroscience. "Dr. Foreman, right?"

Foreman looked up. "Yes. And you're name's Marissa, right?"

Marissa smiled amiably. "Yeah. Um, I'm kinda lost, and I'm just wondering if you could tell me where the ER is?"

"Oh, it's on the ground floor, on the wing opposite this one," he replied. "Can I ask why you're going there?"

"I'm looking for Alex. She left her phone at my house last night."

"I see… but you should probably know that the ER isn't really a good place to be, and if Thirteen's there, she's probably busy and couldn't entertain you even if she wanted to."

Marissa nodded, figuring he must be right. "I'd just be bothering her, wouldn't I?"

"Mm, you could put it that way," Foreman said with a smile.

"Well then I guess I'll just wait until she finishes. Her shift's almost over anyway," Marissa said and she sat down on the couch, a seat away from Foreman.

Deciding to strike up a conversation to kill the last fifteen minutes, she turned to Foreman. "So you're Alex's boss, too, aren't you?"

"Thirteen," House called, making Thirteen stop.

"Yeah?" She turned and saw House walking towards her with Kutner, Taub, and Cameron following behind.

"New case," House said.

"Oh. Alright, well… I'll just go find Foreman for a quick consult and I'll be right in your office for the differential," she said as she carried on her way to find Foreman.

"Oh, no, that's okay. We're not in any hurry. But you know, the patient's dying so… I'm thinking we could do the differential right while we're walking," House said. He handed Thirteen the case file, which she opened immediately.

Thirteen shrugged. "Okay," she said as she looked at Cameron briefly and decided not to ask why she was even there.

"Twenty-nine-year-old special ed teacher who's coughing out blood."

"TB?" Kutner suggested.

"Not without trouble breathing or weight loss," Thirteen said as she quickly read through the patient's history.

"Bleeding ulcer," Taub said.

"Stomach and lungs are both clean," Thirteen shot down Taub's idea. "Blood dyscrasia's a better fit. Clean scopes to the lungs and stomach must mean that the problem is in the blood itself. Leukemia, or maybe von Willebrand's."

"Still could be a thoracic tumor," Cameron said. "Eroded into her airways and esophagus, explains the—"

"Oh will you two stop it already!" House said, slightly startling the members of his team.

"Stop what?" Cameron asked, frowning.

"Disagreeing," House answered.

"Okay, you insist that I become a part of this differential and now you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion? What's up with that?" Cameron said.

"It's not an opinion," said House. "It's a smoke screen that's designed to throw us off track with what's going on. Toss out a lame idea instead of agreeing with Thirteen's better idea, because you're worried that'll confirm that you're now one of the women who have boldly gone where no man has gone before."

Kutner frowned and turned to Thirteen. "You slept with Cameron?"

"No, sorry. Marissa and I were busy," Thirteen deadpanned.

Kutner grinned to himself, while House himself couldn't help but smile as well.

"Just wishful thinking, I guess," House admitted and Thirteen rolled her eyes. It was just like him to mess around with her like that.

Cameron stopped walking, making House stop, and in turn making the team stop as well.

"I'm going back to the ER, where I'm actually needed," Cameron declared before she turned on her heel and walking off to where they had just came.

"This is your patient!" House called to her.

"Not anymore!" Cameron called back, raising her hand in the air without turning to look at him.

"Oh, yeah, Alex told me about that time you and Dr. House searched her apartment," Marissa said.

"Yeah. House said he always imagined Thirteen's apartment to have a 'sex wing'," Foreman said, smirking slightly.

Marissa laughed. "He really said that?"

Foreman shrugged, smiling. "You've met him. I'm surprised that still surprises you."

"She doesn't have a sex wing," Marissa asserted. "She used to have a meth lab in her basement, though."

Foreman raised a brow. "You're not serious, are you? 'Cause with Thirteen you never really know."

Marissa grinned. "No. I'm kidding."

Thirteen rounded on the corner, having heard Marissa's and Foreman's voices, and saw them talking genially to each other. She opened her mouth to greet both of them, but House beat her to it.

"You're still here!"

Marissa and Foreman both looked at him.

"Yes, I am," Marissa said before her eyes travelled to Thirteen's direction and a wide smile broke out on her face. "Hey, you." She got up and gave Thirteen a hug.

"Hey," Thirteen greeted back.

"I think you may be sick," she and Marissa both heard House say, so they pulled away from each other and gave him a puzzled look.

House nodded as he seemed to be thinking about it. "That would explain a lot, including why Thirteen likes you so much."

Thirteen gave House a stern glare, silently warning him not to go on any further and say the wrong thing.

Marissa turned to Thirteen and asked her, "What's he talking about?"

House's brows furrowed as he eyed the couple. "You still haven't told her?" House asked Thirteen, genuinely curious.

"Told me what?"

Thirteen opened her mouth, about to make up a lie, but House once again cut her off.

"I think you may have Munchausen's syndrome."

Marissa turned to him, having absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "Um… What's that?"

"It's also known as the 'hospital addiction syndrome'."

Marissa scoffed and let out a small chuckle. Thirteen closed her mouth, relieved that he didn't say what she thought he was going to say, and that Marissa seemed to dismiss the earlier question and thought it was all just part of the joke.

"Either that or you're really just lovesick."

Marissa just grinned even a little bit more widely.

"So… Score the score. Scale of one to ten… How did she do last night?"

Thirteen glared at House. "I thought you said the patient's dying and we couldn't afford to waste more time?"

"We can waste three minutes," he said as he walked over to the sofa and sat down. "So, what's the verdict?"

Marissa opened her mouth, but she was stopped by Thirteen saying, "Don't answer that."

Marissa smiled. "I was just gonna say even better than the last time," she replied. "And that's really saying a lot."

Behind them, Kutner's mouth formed into the shape of an "O" and then grinned like an idiot as he listened in on the conversation. Taub, meanwhile, shook his head slightly, but he was wearing a small smile as well. Beside House, Foreman also sat smirking.

"Oh, come on. Sex performance grade sheets aren't something PIs could dig up. I need a figure," House coaxed Marissa.

Marissa grinned and shook her head, while Thirteen just looked on, slightly blushing.

"Alright. Higher than seven over ten?"

Marissa bit her lip and shook her head again.

The corner of House's mouth tightened and he stood up. "Killjoy," he muttered, before turning to Thirteen. "I like you better when you didn't just come to work inebriated and with a fresh nightclub stamp on." He turned to Marissa. "You, however, I like better drunk than sober."

Marissa smiled and shrugged. "Guess you're always gonna hate me from now on."

House started to walk away and Kutner and Taub both moved to follow him. He paused and turned to Thirteen, who made no move to pull away from Marissa.

"I need you," he said. "For the patient, start her on methotrexate and do the bleeding tests. For your girlfriend, give her a dose of kiss-pirin and then throw her out of here. Dark, empty medicine cabinets are that way," he said, pointing to the opposite wing with his cane. He turned again and hobbled away, leaving Marissa and Thirteen smiling to each other, and Foreman smiling to himself.

Thirteen's eyebrows rose as she and Marissa walked out of the elevator side by side when she saw some hospital employees she didn't know or care about looking at them and whispering among themselves. As they exited the hospital and walked to the parking lot, she turned to Marissa, who had linked her arms with hers as soon as they stepped out of the lobby. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"They were using that word again to refer to us."

Marissa laughed. "What? 'Malex'?"

"Yeah," Thirteen said as she sidled up to the passenger side of her car and opened the door for Marissa. Then she entered through the other side and sat back on the driver seat.

"They have been for days now, Alex."

"I know. Can you believe how long it's taking them to get over it?" She started the car and began driving away.

"Well House is pretty good at things like that. It's kind of adorable, actually."

Thirteen looked at her with mock disbelief. "'Adorable'," she repeated, and Marissa giggled. "You think House is adorable?"

Marissa shrugged, still wearing that lopsided smile that Thirteen had always found cute. "He's funny."

"Yeah, funniest man alive," Thirteen scoffed. "I mean seriously, giving us a moniker and circulating it to the entire hospital? That is so juvenile," she said as she turned her attention back to the road. "Not that I don't want them to know that we're together, but I just don't want us to be lunchtime gossip."

"I know, but…" Marissa took Thirteen's hand and entwined their fingers together as they rode back to her apartment, where Thirteen had slept at a few nights ago for the first time since they got back together, and where she planned on asking (begging, if it may come to that) Thirteen about whether she could stay again. "I actually kind of think 'Malex' is cute."

"Ugh, you gotta be kidding me," Thirteen said, but she was smiling inside.

"What? It is."

Thirteen shook her head, now grinning.

"Come on. It's just the two of us. You can admit you think it's cute, too. Promise I won't tell House."

Thirteen rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Fine. But only because it's a contraction of our names."

Marissa smiled. "Aww. You're sweet."

Thirteen smiled and shrugged. "I try."

They drove home in a relative and comfortable silence, their fingers intertwined on Marissa's lap.

"So," Marissa began when the car stopped in front of her apartment. "Do you… do you wanna go inside?" she asked. She was nervous and she thought it was funny because there was really no rational reason for her to be.

Thirteen opened her mouth, but then she bit her lip, sighing. "I'd love to… but… I have to get up early tomorrow."

Marissa pouted. "Please?"

Thirteen was about to protest, but she was interrupted when Marissa made her way to her lap. She had a fleeting thought about however did Marissa, with those long legs of hers and in such a cramped space, so quickly managed to straddle her in the front seat of her car, but that thought quickly escaped her mind when Marissa began planting kisses on her shoulder and up the column of her neck, and then on the spot directly beneath her ear.

"You know… what score… I was gonna… give you… when House asked… how well you did?" she said in between kisses.

Thirteen's eyelids gently fluttered close and she swallowed as Marissa's hands made their way inside her jacket, under her shirt, and up her sides, while her own hands rested on Marissa's thighs.

"I was going to give you… a nine-point-five," Marissa whispered in a sultry voice into her ear before going back to nip at Thirteen's earlobe with her teeth.

Hardly aware of the pain on her lower back that was being caused by the steering wheel digging into it, Marissa paused only momentarily to whisper "stay" in her best sexy voice. Then she moved to capture Thirteen's lips in a kiss until they were both out of breath.

Pulling away, Marissa looked into Thirteen's eyes and waited for her answer.

"I… really can't," Thirteen breathed out, and Marissa's face was so close to hers that it was impossible for her not to see the look of disappointment that so quickly crossed her beautiful face. Her heart sank when Marissa smiled a fake smile in an obvious attempt to hide her disappointment and her hands' tight grip on her waist loosened.

"'Kay," Marissa said faintly before pulling back away shortly and scrambling to get out of Thirteen's lap and back to her seat.

Marissa was upset; Thirteen could see right through her.

"Sorry," Thirteen said. "I promise to make it up to you."

Marissa smiled and then leaned over to give her one last lingering kiss, this time softly and slowly instead of in a rough and hurried manner.

"'Night," she said before she opened the door and stepped out into the cold night air.

"'Night."

Thirteen sat back against her seat and sighed as she drummed her fingers on the wheel and watched as the door to Marissa's apartment slammed shut.

It hadn't been three minutes since Marissa entered her room when she had to get up from her bed to answer the loud rapping on her door. She sighed and made her way across the dimly lit living room and opened it, only to find an unexpected but very pleasant surprise.

Without giving out too much her delight at finding Thirteen standing on her doorstep in the cold night, she asked, "What are you still doing here?"

"Think I could get a shot at nailing that point-five?"

Marissa arched a brow, a small, sly smile playing on her lips. "Would you like to try?"

Thirteen shrugged as she tried to keep a straight face. "Would you let me?"

Marissa gave her a skeptic look. "I thought you said you can't 'cause you have work."

Thirteen shrugged again. "Screw it."

Marissa bit her lip, and Thirteen knew she had made the right decision. The lack of shuteye and the consequent headache she will have the following day will be all well worth it.

She smiled as Marissa grabbed the lapels of her coat, pulling her across the threshold, out of the cold night and into the warmth of her house and her bed.

"Thirteen," Foreman said as Thirteen walked out of the patient's room. "How's everything going?"

"I was right," Thirteen said as she slid the door close. "The treatment seems to be working."

Foreman nodded as he and Thirteen were walking. "Good." He paused. "Hey, do you have a minute?"

Thirteen stopped walking and turned her attention to him. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm heading the clinical trial of a new drug for Huntington's," Foreman told her as they both entered the doctors' locker room. "I was wondering if you were interested to be one of the participants."

Thirteen and Foreman stared at each other for a long time. Foreman could tell that Thirteen was weighing the risks and benefits in her head, and so he let her think for a moment.

Thirteen finally dropped his gaze and turned to her locker. "No. But thanks for asking."

Foreman frowned. "Prestwick Pharmaceuticals has been studying this neuroleptic for a long time now, and I really think that it carries a great promise. It's been shown to delay neuronal degeneration. Of course, it's virtually guaranteed that you're going to experience some side effects, but don't you think it's going to be worth—"

"No," Thirteen repeated her response. "But I could help you get other potential subjects if you want," she added, in an attempt to be polite.

Foreman looked puzzled. "Why not?"

Thirteen began taking off her coat and replacing it with a jacket that she had just taken out from her locker. "Sorry, but with all due respect, I don't think I have to explain myself to you."

"Look. I know you don't. I also know that you don't want to die. If anything's changed these past weeks, it's only that you've gotten just another reason to want to live."

Thirteen just went on about fixing her things in her locker. "I don't want to have to lie to her."

Foreman let out a soft bark of laughter. "With all due respect, you already are lying to her."

Thirteen sighed and slowly turned to Foreman. "This… thing… that Marissa and I have, it's…" she said. "…complicated."

"Because you're not telling her the truth."

"Because I'm dying!"

Foreman clenched his jaw and watched as Thirteen struggled with her next words.

"Love… isn't permanent. It'd kill me when it ends, but I've already accepted that when I decided that I wanted to be with her again."

Foreman's forehead creased as realization hit him. "You think Marissa's going to leave you," he said.

Thirteen licked her lips and then turned back to finish putting all of her things into her bag.

"You don't trust her," he continued, not meaning to sound accusatory, but nevertheless making it sound that way anyway. "You think that when she finds out, she's going to want to get out of your relationship."

Thirteen slammed her locker shut and turned to face him again. "Can you really blame me if that ever crossed my mind?"

Foreman didn't respond.

Thirteen dropped his gaze and looked at the floor. "Marissa means the world to me… but so did my mom, and my dad. She's going to leave me, like she already did once… like my parents did… like most of my friends did, like… Spencer… did."

"Now tell me…" she continued. "…can you really blame me for not being so convinced that Marissa's going to be any different from everybody else?"

Foreman dropped his shoulders, sighing. He slowly walked towards Thirteen, who was glowering at him. "They didn't want to leave you. I don't know about the others, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't your mom's or Spencer's choice what happened to them. You can't blame them for leaving you."

"I don't blame them," Thirteen said. "And I won't blame Marissa either," she said with finality, before leaving Foreman alone in the locker room, defeated.

Much to Thirteen's exasperation, she had left the locker room only to find House waiting alone at the elevator. She stood beside him but didn't bother to say anything. She could feel his eyes on her as they both silently waited for their elevator ride to arrive.

Finally the doors opened and both Thirteen and House stepped into the elevator.

Thirteen shoved her hands into her pockets as she watched the numbers slowly change.

"I heard from Foreman the Prestwick drug looks promising. He said it's been shown to reduce symptoms."

"Yeah," Thirteen agreed, nodding. "In rats."

House looked at her. "Monkeys," he corrected her.

Thirteen stood on the balls of her feet as she mentally willed the numbers to change at a faster rate.

"It could increase patients' life expectancy… three years, maybe four. Who knows?"

"The participants of the trial," Thirteen replied. "Which does not include me. If that drug even doeswork."

"Why not join? Three more years to live doesn't sound half bad to me," House said.

"Too bad you're not the one who's got Huntington's," Thirteen replied.

"You don't trust Marissa," House finally said.

Thirteen closed her eyes and sighed, not totally surprised that he had eavesdropped and didn't even care to lie about doing it. "So you and Foreman are agreeing now?"

"You think she's going to leave you again anyway once she finds out… that's why you can't be bothered to make an attempt at prolonging your life," House deduced, ignoring her question.

"If you agree to join the drug trial, you're going to have to lie to her…" he continued. "You're going to display side effects… and then you're going to have to explain… and you don't want that. You don't want her to find out."

Thirteen smiled and shook her head though she wasn't amused at all.

"Except…" House kept going. "…you're already lying to her…" House narrowed his eyes. "…So that can't be right."

"I've been working for you for eight solid months and here I am still awestruck at your amazing powers of deduction."

"Unless…" he continued, ignoring her sarcastic comebacks. "…You don't really expect that she'll be leaving you… because you, plan to leave her, long before the symptoms start to become noticeable... long before she has the chance to do it herself."

Thirteen's eyes widened and she immediately turned her head to look at House. She formed her hand into a fist inside the pocket of her jacket and her nails dug into her palm, but she didn't take notice of the pain. She just glared at House for a long while, until the elevator door opened again, this time to the hospital's ground floor.

"Well excuse me for wanting to save myself the heartbreak and her the misery and agony of having to take care of a pitiful dying woman. You must think I'm so selfish."

"No," House disagreed. "I think it's admirable. You lie because you care… because you believe she's going to be better off without you… because you believe that it's the right thing to do."

The door was already about to close again, but House quickly banged his cane against the jamb to open it back without even looking.

"But most of all, you lie… to your self, and to the person you care for the most… because you're too scared that the truth will just make things worse."

Thirteen smiled slightly, and then took a small step towards House, not taking her wide teal eyes away from his electric blue ones. "Don't we all?"

They exchanged another long icy stare until Thirteen slowly turned and stepped out of the elevator, leaving House staring at her back as she walked away.

"Hey, you need a ride?" Kutner offered when he saw Thirteen waiting outside the building.

"No, thanks," Thirteen replied. "Marissa's taking me. She's gonna be here any minute now."

Kutner frowned. "She already was here."

Thirteen looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean she was already here?"

"I saw her. About half an hour ago. She was looking for you and I told her she had to wait because you're still busy administering that treatment."

Thirteen frowned. "Well I haven't seen her since Tuesday. She called me this morning and told me she'll come by to pick me up, so I left my car at home and took the subway to work."

"Maybe something came up and she had to leave," Kutner offered, shrugging.

Thirteen nodded and decided to call Marissa. "Hey—" she started when she heard Marissa's voice, but stopped once she realized that it was a voice recording. She frowned. "Um, hey… it's me. I was just wondering where you've gone. I just got off work and you're, well, not here. Did something come up at work? I hope everything's okay. Anyways, I'll just go home now and, um… call me back as soon as you get this."

She flipped her phone shut and turned to Kutner. "Does that offer still stand?"

Marissa sat on the doorstep of Thirteen's apartment building, staring off at nothing in particular, her bright moss green eyes glazed with unshed tears. She didn't care if she was soiling one of her favorite dresses; all she could think about tonight was her Alex.

"Leaving isn't quite the same," he said to me,"as running away."

"If you're scared or tired of what you're scared of, why should you stay?"

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her free hand before she slowly stood up and faced the door to the building. She slowly made her way up the flight of stairs that led to Thirteen's room, and took out the key that Thirteen had given her, figuring that her girlfriend was already probably asleep.

She opened the door and tiptoed into the room, taking off her coat and scarf and hanging it on a peg on the wall. Soon enough she found Thirteen curled up and sleeping soundly on the couch with her jacket and shoes still on.

She headed to the kitchen quietly and placed the paper bag she had been holding on the table, and then went back to the living room and knelt in front of the couch, smiling sadly as she watched Thirteen sleep and listened to her slow, steady breathing.

She loved to say goodbye,

And always counted out the time...

"Lex?"

Thirteen smiled sleepily as she woke up to the sweet sound of Marissa's voice calling her name.

"Alex, wake up."

Thirteen slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the dim lighting and focused on the figure of Marissa kneeling on the carpet in front of the sofa where she had thrown her self on as soon as she made it inside her apartment.

"Hey," she said softly to Marissa before pulling her off the floor and onto her lap. She placed her hands around Marissa's waist and craned her neck so that she could place a soft kiss on her lips.

"This is a surprise," Thirteen said. "I was just waiting for your call."

Marissa smiled softly. "Sorry I didn't call," she said. "And for waking you up. You still haven't changed out of your clothes and you're still wearing your shoes."

"It's okay. I'm glad you woke me up. I haven't seen you for too long," she told Marissa. "Where've you been? Kutner said you were in the hospital but I didn't see you there."

"Oh. Yeah, um… Something came up and I had to leave before I even found you."

Thirteen nodded and placed a kiss on Marissa's shoulder. Marissa reciprocated simply by leaning down and resting her head on Thirteen's shoulder.

"How was work?"

"Mm… same as always."

"That guy still bothering you?"

"No. Told him I'm taken. He asked by who and I told him. I think he likes me even more now and it's likely he's planning to ask us both out. Together."

Thirteen chuckled. "Oh God, no way. I'll kick his ass if he even thinks for one minute that I'm willing to share."

Thirteen could tell Marissa had smiled, as she had felt her lips move against her neck.

"What time is it?" Thirteen asked.

"One in the morning," Marissa mumbled from where she was on the crook of Thirteen's neck. "I brought you takeout."

"Mm, thanks. I'm famished." Thirteen placed a kiss on Marissa's temple before gently easing her off her lap and heading to the kitchen, taking off her jacket and throwing it on the couch as she did so.

Marissa sat back on the sofa. She heard the sound of kitchenware clanging and knew Thirteen must be arranging for her self to eat something.

"Hey, do you want anything?" Thirteen asked as she made herself coffee to go along with the food Marissa had brought her.

She didn't get a response.

"Marissa?" she called before turning away from the sink and coming face to face with Marissa.

Her initial shock turned into worry once she saw the sad look that graced Marissa's delicate features. She left her coffee completely, still unmade, and rushed towards Marissa, placing a hand on her cheek and another on her waist.

'Til he was free

To get up and leave,

To learn how to breathe... again.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

Marissa looked away but Thirteen just tilted her face back gently so that they were eye to eye again.

"Marissa," Thirteen coaxed gently. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I…" Marissa began. "…heard your conversation with Eric."

Thirteen frowned, confused for a second. "Foreman?"

Marissa nodded slightly in affirmation.

Thirteen's eyes widened and her pulse started to race when she realized what Marissa was trying to say. She withdrew her hand that was cupping Marissa's jaw and dropped it and her other hand on her sides. She licked her lips as she tried to process that information and to formulate her next words.

"What did you hear?" she asked begrudgingly, already dreading the answer.

Marissa looked at the tiled kitchen floor as she replied. "Most of it, I think," she admitted quietly.

Thirteen slowly backed away and raked a hand through her hair, her mind racing. For each step she made backward, Marissa made a step forward.

"Alex, I'm not—"

"This isn't supposed to be this way," Thirteen said, cutting Marissa off. "This is my problem and you weren't supposed to have to deal with it. You weren't supposed to even know."

"No, listen—Wait, where are you going?"

Thirteen had already walked way and Marissa followed her out of the kitchen. She picked up her jacket from the couch, but before she could put it on, Marissa had grabbed hold of her arms to stop her.

"Alex, stop. Listen to me!" Marissa pleaded.

"No," Thirteen said as she shook her head defiantly. "This was supposed to be good, and happy, and simple, and not… not like this…" she said.

Marissa's heart broke when she saw Thirteen's eyes become shiny with unshed tears while she herself fought her own emotions.

"Now it's all ruined," Thirteen said. She pulled away from Marissa's grasp—not roughly, but just strong enough to get the message to back away across. She proceeded to put her jacket on and then she marched to the door.

To get up and go,

To catch the last train,

To get in some car, and drive out again,

To never come back this way, and have to say…

On the doorway, Thirteen paused, with her hand gripping the knob tightly, as she spoke in a controlled tone. "You shouldn't go outside this late. Spend the night here. You can leave in the morning," she said, and then off she went to one of the coldest, darkest nights she ever had in her life.

Goodbye...

So long...

Farewell...

Au revoir...

Marissa checked her phone for what must have been the hundredth time that night. Still no message from Thirteen. Not even a single text message containing a "sorry", or whatever indication that she was still alive and cared that Marissa still was waiting. Nothing.

Waiting for your call,

I'm sick, I'm angry,

I'm desperate for your voice…

She threw the phone across the room in anger and frustration. How can Alex do this to her? How can she be so selfish? Did she think she could just forget about her and be okay with losing her before she's even gone?

Gone. The word echoed in her head. Was she really going to lose her completely? Is she really going to…

Marissa closed her eyes as tears started to pour from them, unable to say that horrible, horrible word even just in her head. She tried to stay angry, but by this time all she felt was lonely and helpless.

Listening to the song we used to sing in the car,

Do you remember, butterfly?

Early summer, it's playing on repeat,

Just like when we would meet,

Like when we would meet.

The feeling quickly wore away, though, and was replaced with anticipation when Marissa heard her phone ringing from somewhere on the floor. She quickly jumped out of bed, not bothering to wipe away the tears as she knelt on the floor, squinting her eyes in the dark to search for her phone.

Finding it, she punched answer and brought the phone to her ear. "Alex?"

"Um… No, Marissa… It's me…" the person on the other end of the line said. "Ryan."

Marissa heart sank. "Oh." She stood up and paced around her room as she tried to sound alright on the phone. "Ryan. Hey."

"Hey." Ryan paused. "Is everything okay?"

Hey. She had to give him credit for still being able to tell when she was not okay.

"Yeah," she lied. "Yeah, everything's fine."

There was a pause on both ends of the conversation.

"Actually..." Marissa began. "No. I'm... not okay. Far from it."

"Alex?"

Marissa slowly sat down on her bed, nodding though no one else was in the room to see. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "She's not talking to me."

"Um… Why not?"

Marissa opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She closed it again and rubbed her neck with her hand, trying not to break down. "I think she's afraid that this—us—is actually going to work."

Marissa could almost see Ryan's frowning face. "Have you talked to her about this?"

"I'm trying to, but she just won't listen. She's pushing me away."

"Maybe she's just busy with work and all," Ryan offered, not being able to come up with anything better.

"I just want to see her so badly right now, but she won't let me."

"Well… do you want me to… talk to her?" Ryan asked, he himself unsure whether that was a good idea.

"No, it's…" Marissa sighed. "…between the two of us."

Marissa didn't see it, but Ryan had nodded. "Okay. Well I was just checking up on you. I haven't really heard from you in a while."

"Yeah."

"I hope everything goes well with you and Alex."

"Yeah, me, too."

"If you need anything…"

"Yeah. Thanks, Ry. Really."

"No problem."

"Bye."

She hung up and laid back down on her bed. She closed her eyes as more thoughts of Thirteen kept her awake all through the night.

Thirteen closed her eyes as she felt the vodka burn pleasantly in her throat. She remained that way for a few seconds as she begrudgingly listened to the acoustic guitar-playing guy on stage. The music was too emo for her taste, but that didn't keep the words of the song from penetrating her heart.

I was born to tell you I love you.

I am torn to do what I have to.

To make you mine, stay with me tonight.

It was not the first glass of vodka she'd drank that night, but she still couldn't block away the thoughts of Marissa in her mind. She could still see her whenever she closed her eyes, hear her voice calling her name. She wondered where Marissa is. What was she doing? Was she thinking of her? Was she as miserable and lonely as she was right now?

Thirteen quickly snapped out of her thoughts and grabbed her fourth shot of vodka, her fourth attempt at getting numb.

As she gulped down the liquid and slammed it on the bar, a woman climbed the stool next to her, but she barely took notice, until the woman ran her fingertips down her arm. She flinched and looked at the woman smirking at her.

"Hey, Jennifer," the woman said to her in a sultry voice.

"Um, sorry, but you must've mistaken me for somebody else," Thirteen replied. "My name isn't Jennifer."

"I know that," the woman said, smirking slightly. "Bacause you never actually told me what your name was."

Thirteen raised a perfectly sculpted brow at the woman's response. "Do I know you?"

The woman's smirk faltered a bit. "Don't you remember me?"

Thirteen didn't. Had she dated this girl before? She narrowed her eyes as she studied the woman, trying to recall where she could have known her from. The woman was a brunette, one of those model types—long, wavy, brown hair, long legs, big green eyes—very pretty… Actually kind of looked like Marissa, if she thought about it (and she did). Well dating her was a huge possibility. In fact, that was the only thing she could think of, meeting this woman at a club and being already shown provocation at their initial contact. Besides the fact that she looked a bit like a less pretty version of Marissa, she didn't look familiar to Thirteen at all.

"Sorry, no," Thirteen said politely, trying her best to sound apologetic.

"Well, actually, I know why that may be," the woman said, smiling. "You were pretty drunk. And high. But that's okay. You were still insanely good for someone who was that intoxicated."

Thirteen raised a brow, instantly understanding what the woman was insinuating.

"So anyway, maybe we could take this chance meeting as an opportunity for a proper introduction." The woman held out a hand. "I'm Sonja."

Thirteen looked at Sonja for a few seconds too long before taking her hand and shaking it. "Nice to meet you."

Sonja chuckled. "Still not willing to give your name, I see," she said, nodding. "Okay. That's fine." She leaned towards Thirteen and placed her lips near her ear. "I'm not really into the talk-while-you-do-it thing either anyway."

Thirteen's eyes shut close at the breathy whisper. Not only did Sonja look like Marissa, she was starting to sound like her, too. It was either that or she was now, by this time, really, really drunk.

Sonja smiled as she felt Thirteen's breathing became faster, sure that she was going to get what she needs that night. She slowly backed away to look into Thirteen's eyes, and then moved to kiss her on the lips. The smile on her face fell when she felt Thirteen's hand suddenly grasp her arm, effectively stopping her from coming any closer. She once again backed away and looked at Thirteen's face.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I… This doesn't feel right."

Sonja frowned. She released Thirteen but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, but I don't wanna do this right now."

Sonja nodded her head slowly. Then she moved to sit on the chair beside Thirteen. "So I'm guessing… there's someone else?"

"No," Thirteen replied too quickly as she broke the eye contact between them and grabbed her drink, downing it all in several huge gulps.

Sonja nodded slowly once more. "That sounded more like a yes to me."

Thirteen turned to look at her as she finished her drink. "It's complicated," she said.

"That why you're drinking your ass off here tonight, isn't it?"

Thirteen smiled bitterly but didn't elaborate.

"Well… I can definitely relate. I don't like complications either."

The two women sat drinking in silence, Sonja's eyes on Thirteen's face the entire time. She was surprised, to say the least, when Thirteen began to talk.

"My life is fucked up…" Thirteen busied herself rubbing her thumb on her beer bottle as she spoke, not returning Sonja's curious stare.

Sonja frowned as she studied Thirteen. Was this for real? Was this gorgeous woman who won't even tell her her name opening up to her about her life? It must be the alcohol talking.

"I mean, it generally always has been… but now it's even more fucked up than ever."

"Somebody once told me… when you're already at the bottom," said Sonja, "there's nowhere else to go but up."

Thirteen sighed. "And what if who you meet on your way up… is also your downfall, and then you're be stuck in the bottom and have nowhere else to go? What do you do then?"

Sonja took her time to think of something, but she never did. She simply shook her head and decided to be honest. "I don't know."

After several more minutes of silence, Thirteen had already finished her drink. "I should get going now," she told Sonja as she moved to stand, but then swayed and almost tripped as a wave of dizziness hit her.

She felt somebody grab her arm to keep her from falling. "Hey," she heard Sonja say through her drunken haze. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She moved away from Sonja and stood up straight.

"Where are you going?" Sonja asked, concerned at Thirteen's current unstable state.

"Home," Thirteen replied, for lack of a better word, as she slowly walked to the club's exit

"Do you want me to get you a cab? I really don't think you should be driving at your current state."

Thirteen stopped and threw Sonja a small smile, oddly grateful for the show of concern. "It's okay. I can get it myself."

Sonja nodded and watched as Thirteen turned and took a few more steps to the door, but only to stop and turn to face the bar again.

"Joey!" Thirteen yelled at the bartender who was busy cleaning glasses in the bar.

Joey looked up. "Yep?"

"Could you please give—" Thirteen paused as she gestured at Sonja.

"Sonja," the woman filled in for her.

"—Sonja, here another shot of whatever she's drinking and put it in my tab?"

Joey nodded obediently. "Sure thing, Doc."

Thirteen nodded and walked the rest of the way out of the club to hail a taxi.

"A screwdriver then?" Joey asked Sonja as Thirteen disappeared in the doorway.

"Okay," Sonja replied and she watched Joey make her drink. "So, you know her?"

"Some," Joey replied absently. "She used to work here."

"Really."

"Yeah. I wasn't working here yet though. Some of my friends here have worked with her," Joey replied. "But, I do know that was a first, you know."

Sonja's brows furrowed at Joey. "What is?"

"First time she's bought a woman a drink without getting something in return for it," Joey replied. "If you know what I mean." He set the finished drink in front of Sonja.

"Oh, yeah?" Sonja said interestedly. "Too bad for me, I guess," she said and sipped her drink. "Does she come here often?"

"Yeah." Joey frowned as a thought crossed him. "Even more often than usual, now that I think about it."

"She's different from the last time I talked to her. Well, not really talk. If you know what I mean," Sonja said, with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh, you bet I know what you mean," Joey said with a large grin.

"So there is someone else, huh?"

Joey frowned and turned grim. "Oh, well… There's always been someone else."

Sonja nodded slowly, frowning in disappointment. She picked up her glass and gulped it down quickly.

Joey rested his arms on the bar in front of Sonja. "One more? I'll put it on her tab."

Sonja chuckled.

"No, really. She wouldn't mind," Joey said. "I really doubt she's still able to keep track."

Thirteen shut the door behind her as she walked into the dark house.

And I'm tired of being all alone,

And this solitary moment makes me want to come back home.

She tossed her keys on the couch, walked to the fridge, and opened a can of beer. While she drank up her beer, she walked back to the living room and noticed a blinking red light on her answering machine. She knew there was probably another dozen messages from Marissa in there, but she clicked the button nonetheless, not being able to deny how much she wanted to at least hear Marissa's voice.

Beep.

"Alex…" Marissa's voice drifted through the seemingly endless abyss of darkness that enveloped Thirteen as she nursed her cold beer on the couch while staring at the ceiling. "I need to talk to you… Will you please call me? Now? Tonight? Tomorrow? Anytime?"

Marissa sounded tired. She didn't have to keep being tired. She should just let it go, move on and live a wonderful life without her.

"Please?" Marissa pleaded softly.

Thirteen heard a soft sigh before another beep.

"I can't believe you're doing this, Alex!" It was Marissa again. Fourth time this week she's lashed out on her on the phone like that. She's gone through the cycle probably more often than she ever wanted or expected to. "How can you think I'd let you go just like that?" she spat on the phone. "I don't care, okay?" There was a long pause. Thirteen could almost see Marissa's beautiful face materialize on the ceiling, biting back tears. "Please call me? I really, really need to—" Beep.

Thirteen had gotten up from the couch and turned off the message playback. She couldn't take it anymore, she thought as she squeezed the empty beer can she was holding. She wouldn't take it anymore.

And I'm tired of being all alone,

And this solitary moment makes me want to come back home.

Thirteen didn't have to look up to know that House was looking at her as if she had grown a third eye on her forehead. She felt as though his eyes were penetrating through her soul as he stared at her across the conference table. Somewhere in the background she could hear Kutner's voice reading a patient's profile.

"She's an emancipated minor," she managed to catch Kutner saying.

House wasn't taking his eyes off of her. Thirteen chanced a glimpse at his direction, confirming that his attention was indeed on her instead of on the case they should be solving. She clenched her jaw, averting her eyes from those large, piercing electric blues of his.

"Her parents died last year. No relatives. To avoid foster care, she got a GED and got—"

"America's Used-to-be Next Top Model wore you out last night?" House said suddenly, cutting off Kutner.

Thirteen glanced at him and clenched her jaw in annoyance. "No," she replied curtly.

There was a long silence in the room.

"Could have picked up a parasite from a co-worker," Taub spoke up, deciding it's time to move the differential along.

"She'd be having GI problems. Pregnancy's more likely," Foreman said. "Sparks a fluid overload, hits the lungs, causes the pulmonary edema."

"Having trouble in paradise, then?" House interrupted the differential again. "Only explanation you've become mute again, apart from your being impossibly tired from an action-packed tryst last night."

This time Thirteen ignored him. She opened the patient's file and cradled her temple in her hand, hoping that will send the message to get lost across.

Kutner looked between House and Thirteen and cleared his throat before speaking again. "Her history says she's not sexually active."

"Our history says she could be lying," Foreman retorted.

"Not every teenager is having sex," Kutner said as he looked at House.

House's gaze moved to Kutner's direction. "No," he said neutrally.

"But every teenager is stupid," Foreman said. "Teenagers who are on their own are stupider."

"Parents who sign their stupid kid's emancipation papers are stupider," Thirteen said quickly, without any outward expression of emotion. House's beady eyes quickly darted back to her direction.

"Granted they are, her parent's 'stupidity' is not diagnostically relevant," Foreman said gently, trying not to sound harsh. "It's her stupidity that is."

"The girl's holding down a job, makes her rent," Thirteen said defensively. "Being free from your parents doesn't automatically make you any less of a thinking human being than the rest of the world's teenage population."

"Spoken like a true former emancipated minor!" House said loudly. Thirteen looked away and sighed, annoyed at House's usual, premature display of sarcasm.

"I'm just saying she's probably misguided," Foreman said firmly, ignoring House's sudden outburst.

"There's a difference between misguidance and non-guidance," Thirteen interjected.

"But both lead to higher chances of turning out fairly screwed up."

Thirteen pushed her tongue against the side of her mouth. She told herself that she should stop being so defensive now. Foreman did have a point.

"Well… On the one hand," House spoke, "maybe Thirteen and Kutner are right. Maybe she's a sweet young thing and not a screw-up lying through her teeth. On the two hand, though misguidance tests haven't yet been invented, pregnancy tests have and they only take about five minutes to do. So in conclusion, shut up, just do the test. What else?"

"Drugs could damage the heart. Pressure imbalance allows fluid to build up in the lungs," Taub suggested.

"Tox screen's clean," Kutner replied.

"For drugs used recently. How about before recently?"

"Sixteen doesn't automatically mean a risky lifestyle," Kutner said, looking at House expectantly.

House rolled his eyes. "I should've known better than to think the adopted Asian orphan would be willing to remain one step behind," he muttered.

"It doesn't," Kutner insisted, ignoring House's remark.

House looked at Thirteen. "I believe you wanna refute that?"

Thirteen looked peevish, but after a moment she stared back at House and replied with a firm "No."

"You're standing your ground, but of course you can always just say you're talking about the general teenage population, not yourself," House said. "Clever."

Thirteen pursed her lips into a tight line. Damn that PI.

"I wasn't into drugs when I was her age," Kutner said.

"Makes one of you," House pointed out.

"Just because she's a teenager doesn't mean she's irresponsible."

"It does mean she's angsty, though. You ever heard the word 'angst' preceded by the word 'adult'?" House asked Kutner rhetorically. "On the other hand, didn't we just have this conversation? Emancipated bisexual daughter and orphaned foster kid trusts her, someone else doesn't. So, in conclusion, shut up. Foreman and Taub, check her home and work for toxins and drugs."

The two men stood up and started for the door.

"Thirteen, do an echo, find the extent of the heart damage."

Thirteen stood up as well to leave.

"Kutner, follow the heartbroken chick and make sure she doesn't stop to hoard the morphine on the way to the patient's room. There are people in pain who need it more than she does."

Thirteen stopped momentarily at the remark directed at her, but then carried on without a single glance at House, knowing that there wasn't really anything she could do to stop him from acting like a jerk.

"I told you, I don't do drugs," the 16-year-old patient lying in the hospital bed, Sophia, said to Thirteen and Kutner.

"Still a good idea to check your heart. Something else could have damaged it," Kutner said from behind Thirteen, who was performing the echocardiography procedure. "You find it hard being all on your own?" he asked conversationally. "Having to do everything without—"

"Drugs to ease my pain?"

"That's not—"

"Teenager on her own? I wouldn't trust me either."

Up until this point, Thirteen had no intention to make small talk, or any kind of talk in general, really, and had kept silent since they came into the room, but she felt like she had to say something now. Kutner was just trying to be nice.

"What Dr. Kutner meant was it must be hard," she said. "No one there to back you up."

"I know you're trying to be nice," Sophia said. "But I'm not really into the whole pity thing."

Thirteen stared at the kid for a while before handing her a tissue paper to wipe her lubricant-smothered chest with. "Me neither," she muttered to herself as she turned back to the echo monitor.

"Dr. Hadley," Thirteen heard somebody call as she and Kutner were walking back to House's office to tell him how the echo went. She turned around to see who it was. It was Cameron.

"Somebody's here to see you," the blonde doctor said as she moved away to reveal Marissa behind her.

Thirteen bit the insides of her mouth as she looked at the floor. Kutner and Cameron both looked between the girls.

"I'll go tell House," Kutner said and he went.

"I'm going back to the ER," Cameron told Marissa.

Marissa nodded. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Why are you here?" Thirteen said as she again started to walk, this time towards… nowhere specific. Just somewhere that isn't House's office.

"We need to talk," Marissa said as she followed Thirteen.

"We've got nothing else to talk about."

"'Nothing else?' We haven't talked about anything!" Marissa said, almost yelling. "You pretend to be busy whenever I come here looking for you, you're not answering my calls…"

"I have been busy," Thirteen said.

"Alex…" Marissa grabbed Thirteen's arm to stop her from going any farther.

Thirteen stopped but didn't look at her. She simply shoved her hands into her pockets and looked at the ground.

"Dammit, Alex, will you just stop for a minute and look at me, please?" Marissa cupped Thirteen's face, lifting it up so that they were eye to eye. "I miss you so—"

"Don't," Thirteen cut her off. "You won't be making things any easier."

"Alex, you can't keep avoiding me."

"I'll keep trying," Thirteen mumbled.

Marissa sighed. "Look, I need to you to tell me right now that it's still not over between us. That maybe you just need some time to think."

Alex bowed her head, not wanting to see Marissa's face. Hearing her broken voice was painful enough. "I'm sorry, Marissa…" she said softly, genuinely sorry. "…but we both don't need this."

Marissa felt hot tears pour down her face as a surge of anger filled her entire body. "Why are you doing this? I want to be with you! Doesn't that mean anything? Don't you understand that I wanna be part of your life, that… that I can't just walk away and pretend you never happened?"

"Yes, you can."

"I can't believe this," Marissa said as she swallowed back her tears. "You're being so selfish, do you know that? Do you not understand how difficult this is for me?"

Thirteen laughed humorlessly as she shook her head. "You think this is easy for me."

"It sure seems like it!" Marissa said, her voice rising now.

Thirteen took one step closer to the brunette and held her by the forearms. "Do you have any idea why however much this is hard for me to do, I still am doing it?"

"Because you're a coward," Marissa snapped coldly.

"Because I'd rather die alone than die while I watch you cry at my deathbed," Thirteen said fiercely as she unconsciously gripped Marissa's arms firmly and shook her.

Stunned and terrified at Thirteen's morbid argument, Marissa was left speechless. She stared at Thirteen's face up close with wide eyes and a broken heart.

"I don't think you understand what this is about, Riss." Thirteen's voice was softer now. Marissa's heart broke one more time at her use of the nickname. Will this be the last time she'll be hearing Thirteen call her that?

"I have Huntington's disease. The same thing that ruined my family and killed my mother," Thirteen continued. "It's incurable. Eight, ten years from now I'll be dead. Before that I'm slowly gonna lose control of my body, my movement… I won't be able to walk, to eat, to talk, to—" To kiss you, to touch you, to build anything with you… she paused, shrugging slightly, "—to breathe…"

The tears started to pour again. Marissa wasn't aware of it, but she wasn't even blinking.

"Maybe I'm being foolish, to think that you're even gonna want to stay with me for anywhere remotely that long, but…" Thirteen let the statement trail off, throwing her hands in the air.

"It won't be easy, but I'll handle this. I can handle this. What I can't handle is dragging you or anyone else down with me." She moistened her lips and looked down at her feet. "I'm not gonna do it."

Marissa just stood there wide-eyed as she stared at Thirteen for what seemed like a very, very long time. Somewhere in the distance, hospital equipment beeped, doors slammed, gurneys rolled, and nurses yelled for a code, but neither of them cared to all of that.

Marissa pressed her lips together as she finally took her eyes away from Thirteen. She clenched her jaw and nodded slowly, not making eye contact. She said nothing else before she slowly turned and walked away.

It was now Thirteen's heart's turn to break again.

Thirteen pushed the door and walked into a really noisy club. She could feel the floor of the club pulsating as she pushed her way into the mass of alcohol-laden breaths and sweaty bodies gyrating against each other to the beat of the loud music. Her face scrunched up in annoyance as she passed a large mob of people rambunctiously hooting, yelling, and splashing drinks around.

Finally she managed to reach the bar relatively dry, and she slid into one of the bar stools.

"Hey, Remy," a pretty dark-haired girl with a tongue ring greeted her. "The usual?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Drink! Drink! Drink!" she heard the crowd chant as she took several huge gulps of beer.

"So what's up?" The bartender asked Thirteen as she rested her arms on the bar in front of her. "You look terrible."

Thirteen only shrugged.

"Oh, that good, huh?"

Wolf whistles and more hooting could be heard from the crowd on the far side of the bar.

"So you're hosting drinking games now?" Thirteen asked. Not that she cared. It was a polite attempt at small talk.

"Wanna join in?" The girl said, grinning.

"I'm not really in the mood."

"Well that's too bad for me. I was planning to place a bet on you. Those amateurs have got nothing on you."

Thirteen smiled tiredly. "Maybe some other time."

The bartender looked up when a new customer called for her. "See ya later, Rem."

Almost halfway through her second Corona, Thirteen caught sight of a pretty blonde girl passing by. She eyed the girl carefully and made a decision to give it a shot. The loneliness had already gotten under her skin it was too unbearable. She needed someone right now to help her forget how badly she missed Marissa. Marissa was screwing with her head very badly. It was time she did something about it. All the other ways did little to help. Perhaps this hottie in an ultra-mini skirt would know what to do to help her. She wasn't Marissa, but she'll have to do for tonight. All the girls she'll be picking up in next few years will have to.

She downed another large gulp of her beer before slowly standing up and making her way to the girl.

She cursed when one of the people from that crowd accidentally bumped into her and almost poured alcohol all over her shoes.

She glared at the young punk who did it. Instead of apologizing, he grinned slyly at her and gave her a wink.

"Asshole," Thirteen muttered under her breath as she followed the guy with a glare. Her expression turned from anger to surprise when the gap in the crowd revealed who she wouldn't have ever thought she'd be seeing there that night.

Marissa… and… House?

She quickly pushed her way through the crowd.

"What are you doing, Marissa?" she yelled over the music and the screams.

Marissa didn't seem to hear or notice her. She just kept on downing shots like a completely crazy person. The crowd cheered her on.

"Woohoo!" Marissa shouted amidst the loud cheers, paying no attention to Thirteen. "Yeaaah!"

Thirteen angrily turned to House. "What are you doing here? Did you come here together?"

"You here to join, too?" House asked, not answering her questions. He seemed relatively sober, but judging by his ruddy face and the faint smell of alcohol in his breath, he most likely already had a few drinks himself.

Thirteen turned to face Marissa again and took one look at her. She was flushed, sweaty, and definitely drunk like crazy. Who knows how much alcohol she's already had?

The brunette grabbed the shot glass Marissa was holding and placed it on the table, where a dozen or so other empty glasses were lying. "That's enough."

Marissa looked at Thirteen and brushed her off angrily, but Thirteen was a lot stronger.

The onlookers were now yelling their disapproval but Thirteen didn't care one bit.

"You're ruining all the fun!" a guy from the crowd protested, grabbing Marissa.

Thirteen turned to look and saw the same punk who had bumped her just a few minutes ago. She was quick to push him away. "Stay out of my way if you don't wanna get hurt."

"Oh you're gonna hurt me, is that right?" the young scruffy boy, clearly also drunk, coolly said as he advanced to Thirteen, but was kept from moving any closer to her when a cane suddenly appeared in front of his chest, blocking his path.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," House said.

"Get that thing off of me, you old gimp." The guy glared at House and pushed his cane away. He reached over and grabbed a disoriented Marissa, much to Thirteen's great annoyance.

It felt like a beast had come alive inside Thirteen as she watched those grubby little hands of his come in contact with Marissa's smooth, flawless skin. She didn't think twice before storming towards him and punching him straight on the nose, almost making him fall down backwards. House just watched with awe while the rest of the people cleared the way for the club's security.

A huge bouncer grabbed Thirteen by the arm to keep her from pouncing at the guy but she kept resisting like her life depended on it. "Touch her again and I'll make sure it'll be the last thing you'll ever do," Thirteen said angrily to the guy, who was now whimpering as he held his bloody nose.

"Okay, everybody, clear it up, clear it up!" the bartender Thirteen had been talking to when she came in yelled as she took hold of her friend and pulled her away from the punk kid. "Show's over! Nothing else to see here!" she announced as she clapped her hands. She turned to Thirteen. "What were you thinking, Remy?"

Thirteen gently pulled away from her. "Sorry, Mikaela. Things just got a little out of hand."

Mikaela sighed. "Go home and take your girl with you." She squeezed Thirteen's arm and then walked away with the bouncers.

Thirteen nodded and walked over to House, who was now trying to keep Marissa upright.

"What were you doing here, drinking with Marissa?" she said to House incredulously.

"Not my idea," House replied. "Well, partly my idea," he backtracked.

Thirteen emitted a low growl of frustration, already too tired to say anything else. "Give her to me," was all she managed to say anymore.

"Of course. Not gonna fight, nope," House said quickly and he let Thirteen gather the now passed out Marissa into her arms.

"I'm taking her home," Thirteen said, angry at House but already too tired to castigate him anymore.

"Drive safely," House said, nodding.

Thirteen held Marissa against her body, struggling to keep her upright as she got her phone out of his pocket. He gave House a glare while she waited for the line to get picked up. "Stay put. I'm calling Wilson."

Thirteen pushed the doorbell one more time while she held Marissa by the waist. It was half past one in the morning and she totally understood why, still, no one was opening the door after she had pressed the button for the third time.

She was gonna give the doorbell one more go when finally, after a few more seconds, she heard somebody unlocking the huge oak door.

A sleepy Summer Roberts opened the door a crack to see who it was and saw Thirteen and her best friend passed out on her arms.

"Alex?" She unchained the last lock on the door and opened the door fully. "Oh my God, Coop! What happened? Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Just really, really drunk."

"Seth!" she called upstairs several times.

After several moments, a bleary-eyed Seth appeared. "Why are you yelling at one in the morning, Summer? You're going to wake Sarah up," Thirteen heard Seth say. "Who is it any—Alex?"

"Take Coop to the guest room," Summer commanded.

Seth looked at her like she was insane. "The guest room is upstairs," he said. "Why don't you just make Alex do it?"

"Because, Alex and I have to talk." Summer crossed her arms, her eyes on Thirteen, who gulped at Summer's tone.

"But—"

"Bring her up, Cohen."

Seth sighed resignedly and proceeded to take Marissa from Thirteen.

Thirteen watched as he struggled to carry Marissa up the huge staircase. On a normal day, this would make her laugh, but tonight, all she could think of doing was to get away as soon as possible.

"So," she started, while Summer, too, watched as Seth carried Marissa up the stairs. "I'm gonna go now." She turned around, but Summer's voice stopped her.

"You did that, you know."

Thirteen gingerly turned and took a quick glance at Summer. It was easy to detect the resentment in her voice.

"I can't believe I trusted you to keep this from happening to her again. All you did was get her back to where she started."

Thirteen hung her head, unable to look at Summer straight in the eye.

"You don't understand, Summer."

"Exactly! I don't! Why don't you make me understand, Alex? What exactly did you do?"

Thirteen frowned. She didn't tell Summer? "You don't—?"

"Did you cheat on her?" Summer demanded to know, not acknowledging Thirteen's question.

"What? I would never do that to her!"

Summer just scowled, convinced she didn't. "Well what is it then?"

Thirteen shook her head. "Nothing."

"Please tell me what's going on, Alex," Summer said, her voice now desperate. "I need to know and Marissa won't tell me."

Thirteen looked at her and sighed. She looked down. "I'm sick."

Summer looked confused for a while, but then her face showed shock. "Oh, my God," she let out. "Did you infect Coop with something?"

Thirteen looked at her strangely. "No, I—What?"

"I didn't know that was possible with—"

"No, Summer, that's not—" Thirteen paused and let out a sigh. "I have Huntington's chorea," she said. "Okay, not yet, but it won't be very long before I do."

She did not get any kind of reaction from Summer. She clearly did not understand and was waiting for her to elaborate.

"I'm dying."

Summer crossed her arms on her chest. "It's three o'clock in the morning, Alex. I really don't have time for jokes." When Thirteen's expression remained dead serious, she looked at her best friend's girlfriend (ex-girlfriend? She wasn't even sure anymore) with wide eyes. "You are joking… right?"

Thirteen shook her head. "No," she replied quietly.

A long, awkward, stunned silence followed the revelation.

"Oh my God," Summer finally broke the silence. "Alex, this is… I am so—"

"Sorry, I know," Thirteen finished for her. "Exactly what I don't Marissa or anyone else feel for me." She could feel Summer's eyes burning through her. She pitied her and she hated that. "Marissa, she's... She shouldn't be with me," she continued. "She deserves better."

Thirteen looked up at Summer after another long silence. "When she wakes up and doesn't remember about me bringing her here," she said, "I'll really appreciate if you just let it stay that way."

Summer looked unable to make any sort of response, so Thirteen did what she knew was the most logical thing to do next… the only thing that she knows what to do at times like these. She walked away.

"What were you thinking?"

An old woman in a wheelchair and the nurse pushing her looked at Dr. Wilson after hearing his loud, incredulous outburst.

"What were you doing partying out and drinking with Thirteen's girlfriend anyway?"

"Um, partying out and drinking with Thirteen's girlfriend?" House replied sarcastically as he limped beside Wilson.

"I was free last night!"

"Hey. Have you ran out of DIDs to rescue? You're neediness is starting to shine through again."

"You had her join a drinking contest?"

"She almost won it, too, until Thirteen came to poop the party."

"I'm surprised you made it back to work in one piece. I hear Thirteen's pretty overprotective."

"Oh overprotective is right."

"And doesn't she have every reason to be, you bringing her girlfriend to a bar without her prior knowledge and all?"

"The woman came in her own free will. She knew we were going to the bar. She obviously knew I'm not a sexual predator."

"Lots of sexual predators in nightclubs these days."

"I wasn't gonna leave her alone there. I hire women, I don't pimp them. And it's not like I made her do body shots or anything crazy like that."

"Right," Wilson rolled his eyes, "What you did make her do wasn't crazy at all."

"I didn't even make her do it. It was practically all her idea. I was just there for moral support."

"She could have gotten into a lot of trouble."

"I was with her the whole time."

"My point, exactly!"

House sighed. "She's a regular bar-goer. She definitely knew her way around. So she's a boy, chick magnet. I was still there to protect her if anybody tried anything."

"You're a cripple!"

"Exactly! I carry a deadly weapon everyday and it's completely legal."

Wilson was about to say something but he stopped when he saw Thirteen walking towards them. "Oh, you are so screwed," he muttered under his breath.

House raised his brows as Thirteen stopped really close to him, sporting the same threatening glare she wore the night before.

"Bring Marissa anywhere alone with you again, and I swear getting your tea drugged will be the least thing you're going to have to worry about," Thirteen growled at him through gritted teeth before storming off back to where she had come from.

Both Wilson and House looked stunned as they watched her walk away.

"That is one really angry lesbian," Wilson muttered to House as they both watched Thirteen walked away with stunned looks on their faces.

Thirteen froze as she felt someone put their hand on her arm. She was in the hospital's parking lot, about to climb into her car. Heat quickly travelled through her body and her breath hitched at the unexpected contact.

She turned around, fully expecting to see Marissa, only to find Seth looking like a little lost boy.

She mentally castigated herself for reacting the way she did, knowing it's because she was, in truth, still hoping Marissa hadn't given up on her yet. She took a gulp of air to compose herself and cleared her throat. "Seth."

By the look on his face, she guessed he already knew.

"I… Summer told me…" Seth said quietly.

Thirteen looked away. "I figured it wouldn't be long until you found out."

"Marissa's really upset," Seth told Thirteen. "She misses you. A lot."

Looking down, Thirteen bit her lip and chewed on it. Seth could see her façade was starting to crumble, so instead of saying anything more, he simply pulled her into a warm embrace.

Thirteen wanted to tell him she missed Marissa, too, but instead she just closed her eyes and silently hugged him back.

Seth sighed into her hair as he felt his shirt get wet with tears right at the very same spot where Marissa had cried on it not too long before.

"Morning," Taub greeted Thirteen as she entered the conference room, looking like she just had even less sleep than she had been getting before the Spencer incident.

Thirteen did not reply as she changed into her lab coat.

"Somebody left those for you," Taub said casually, not looking up from a patient's file, as Thirteen pulled a chair to sit on.

Thirteen stopped and saw a bouquet of lilies at the far end of the table. She reached over to pick it. Her jaw clenched as she read the card tucked inside it.

"Alex," the note read, "Still haven't given up on you. I miss you every minute," and then it was signed, "Marissa."

Kutner and Taub discreetly watched Thirteen's reaction from their seats. They both quickly averted their eyes when Thirteen started to move. She placed the card back into the flowers and walked to the trash bin, dropping them inside it before going back to her seat.

Kutner and Taub exchanged glances but said nothing.

Silence filled House's outer office as the team waited for their boss so that they could continue their differential for Sophia's condition.

Thirteen's phone rang. She took it out and looked at the display very quickly before ignoring the call and placing the phone on the table. Just from the look on her face, both her colleagues had a very good idea who was calling.

After a few more minutes, the phone rang again and Thirteen simply pushed a button to ignore the call one more time.

Taub cleared his throat before picking up a pen and writing something on the file he was reading. Kutner gingerly lifted a mug of coffee to his lips.

On the third time Thirteen's phone rang, Taub quickly reached over the table and grabbed her phone before she could even touch it.

"Dr. Hadley's phone," Taub said into the phone as he leaned away from Thirteen, who was trying to grab the phone away from him from across the table.

"Give it back," Thirteen hissed.

Taub ignored her. "Oh, hello, Marissa. It's Chris Taub," he said as he continued dodging Thirteen's hand. "She's a little busy right now… Yes, we are… Oh, are you? Yes… Why absolutely, of course you can—"

Thirteen finally was able to get her phone back and she ended the call right away.

"You had no right," she said hotly.

"You'll keep being miserable and screwing up unless you figure this out with her," Taub said.

"I am not screwing up."

"But you are miserable," Taub said calmly.

"He's right," Kutner put in. "You have to talk to her."

"I don't want to!"

"Well then give her a call and tell her that," Kutner said. "Get some closure. I think she deserves that, at least."

Closure? Thirteen swallowed. She's not really sure if she wanted that.

"Actually," Taub started. "She doesn't have to call Marissa," he said to Kutner. "You can tell her personally," he said, to Thirteen this time. "She's already on her way here, as we speak."

Thirteen's eyes widened and she glared at Taub, who simply shrugged indifferently.

"We know you're miserable without her. Even more miserable than we've ever seen you before," Taub said. "Do yourself and our patients a favor by working out your issues with her."

Thirteen stared down at Taub, hating him, but ultimately knowing that he's right.

A knock was heard and Thirteen's heart instantly started beating so fast she thought her chest was gonna explode.

"Come in," Taub called, his eyes not straying away from Thirteen's.

In came Marissa, looking just as beautiful as she always did, making Thirteen wonder whether she was even half as miserable as she was.

"Hi, Marissa," Kutner greeted the girl, who stood standing hesitantly at the doorway.

"Hi," Marissa greeted them quietly, as she looked at Thirteen, who was still glowering at Taub. "Do you mind if I talk to Alex for a minute?" The question sounded more directed at Thirteen herself.

Thirteen dropped Taub's gaze but made no gesture to agree or acknowledge Marissa.

"Not at all," Kutner replied. "Taub and I will just go grab some breakfast at the cafeteria real quick before House arrives."

Marissa nodded her thanks as both Thirteen's colleagues left the room.

An awkward silence filled the room. Marissa remained standing in the doorway watching Thirteen, unaware of her internal struggle.

"Did you get the flowers I sent this morning?" Marissa finally broke the eerie silence.

To Marissa's surprise, Thirteen nodded yes. "Yeah," she said, but left out the part that it's already in the trash.

"I meant it, you know," Marissa said. "I still haven't given up on you." There was a pause before she added, "I am not giving up on you."

Thirteen lifted her head and looked directly at Marissa's eyes for the first time since she came in. Marissa held Thirteen's stare, neither of them barely even blinking. If anybody had been there, they might swear they'd have heard a needle drop somewhere.

"You will." With those last words, Thirteen gathered her things and brushed past Marissa as she left.

Thirteen uncomfortably sat in silence beside Kutner and Taub, repeatedly fingering the hem of her short dress and tapping her high-heeled shoe-covered foot on the short, well-trimmed Bermuda grass. She never liked parties. At least not this kind.

She looked around as she held a champagne flute on one hand and listened to the band play.

We watched the season pull up its own stage,

And catch the last weekend of the last week.

Before the gold and glimmer have been replaced,

Another sun-soaked season fades away.

About thirty feet away from her, a good-looking couple stood close to a gazebo lavishly decorated with flowers and garlands, all smiles in their tailored gray suit-and-tie, and white, flowing, sleeveless gown as they greeted each of the guests waiting in line to congratulate them.

Thirteen's boredom instantly disappeared when she caught a glimpse of that familiar beautiful face she hadn't seen in what felt like years. Her surprise at having found that Marissa was invited lasted for only a minute and she furrowed her brows confusedly while she watched Summer, Seth and Sarah slip past the gate and tailed Marissa towards the newly wedded Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chase.

She watched as Marissa and the others hug and shake hands with the bride and groom, and then go to an empty table across the lawn from theirs.

When the meet-and-greet was over, almost everybody was almost done with the food. Most of Thirteen's pasta remained unfinished on her plate. From across the garden where the now-Drs. Chase held their wedding, Thirteen watched Marissa pick on her food and smile fondly at whatever Sarah excitedly told her.

She was still so beautiful, Thirteen could not help but think. She honestly felt that in Remy world, nobody was looking at the bride.

You have stolen my heart.

A sharp feeling of panic coursed through Thirteen when she saw Marissa's head turn towards her direction and catch her eye for a fraction of a second. She quickly averted her eyes and pretended to be interested in her ravioli. She didn't immediately notice the groom walk up to their table to greet them. When she did, she stood up and glared at him. "Why is she here?" she spoke in a controlled tone.

Chase scowled. "Why thank you. Allison and I appreciate it," he deadpanned.

"You even told her to bring everyone with her?" Thirteen wasn't yelling, but it was clear to anyone who was looking that she was aggravated.

Chase opened his mouth but didn't have the chance to say anything else. Cameron had come up behind him and took his hand.

"Hey," he said.

Cameron smiled at him before giving him a kiss and then turning to her colleagues. "Everyone having fun yet?"

"Absolutely," Taub replied. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Cameron said.

"House extends his best wishes, too," Kutner said.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Sure he does."

"So you and Marissa are hanging out now?" Thirteen suddenly jumped in.

Cameron frowned at Thirteen's obvious bad mood.

Chase turned to Cameron. "Yeah. Should I be worried?"

Cameron scowled playfully at him, and then said to Thirteen, "Is it wrong if I am?"

"It is if you're doing it to screw with me."

Chase's lips tightened on one side. Cameron calmly returned Thirteen's fierce stare.

"Just talk to her," Chase said to Thirteen. He patted her arm once and left.

"You know, I hate to sound like House," Cameron began gently, breaking the silence that had fallen between them when Chase left, "but not everything's about you. Robert's dad went to med school with Summer's dad, and he couldn't come so he sent her daughter and her family instead. Marissa's here because Summer brought her along."

Thirteen slowly opened her mouth to say an apology, realizing that she had been wrong. She hadn't yet managed to say anything when Cameron broke the awkward silence.

"Just talk to her," she echoed her groom before rejoining him and their families and friends.

Invitations only grant farewells.

Crash the best one of the best ones.

Clear liquor and cloudy-eyed,

Too early to say goodnight.

"Look, Daddy, it's Alex!" Sarah said excitedly as she pulled on Seth's slacks.

"Oh, yeah, it is," Seth replied. "You wanna go and say hi?"

Sarah nodded enthusiastically and immediately tore off ahead of her father to go and greet Thirteen.

Seth removed the napkin on his lap, stood up and momentarily looked at Marissa, who was watching the interaction on the other table. He and Summer then shared a look, fully knowing how badly Marissa wanted to go talk to Thirteen, too.

Seth bent down to kiss Summer on the cheek. "We'll be back."

"Alex!"

Thirteen smiled as she watched the little Cohen run towards her in her cute little pink ruffled dress.

"Hey, sweetie." She grinned fondly as Sarah hugged her around her waist.

Sarah released her and looked at her. "How come you haven't come to our house to visit?"

"I'm sorry, honey. I've been really busy with work."

"I miss having you at our house and spending time with you," Sarah said.

"We all do."

Thirteen looked up and saw that it was Seth who spoke. He and she shared a meaningful look.

"I know, sweetie," she sighed as she averted her eyes from Seth and looked at Sarah. She smiled bitterly and stroked Sarah's rosy cheek with her hand. "I miss spending time with you, too."

From the ballroom floor, we are in celebration.

One good stretch before our hibernation.

Our dreams assured, and we all will sleep well,

Sleep well.

Sarah giggled as Thirteen twirled her around on the dance floor. Thirteen felt like it was the most she had smiled in a very long time.

Marissa watched Sarah and Thirteen dance as her hands were placed on Seth's narrow shoulders. Seth's eyes repeatedly darted between Marissa and Thirteen.

I watch you spin around in your highest heels.

You are the best one of the best ones.

We all look like we feel.

"Come on," Seth said.

"Where?" Marissa asked.

"Just, come on," Seth simply urged her again. He grabbed Marissa's waist and danced towards Thirteen and Sarah's direction, dragging Marissa with him.

You have stolen my…

You have stolen my heart.

As the song ended, Sarah was already almost out of breath from laughing so hard.

"Hey, kiddo!" Seth interrupted Sarah's fit of laughter.

"Daddy! Did you see me and Alex dance?"

"I did!" he said enthusiastically. "You were awesome, honey. You know what? Why don't you dance with me this time? Alex has got nothing on your old man."

Sarah grinned at the idea and Seth swept her away, leaving their previous dance partners alone together.

"Can I have this dance?" Marissa asked Thirteen, who was avoiding her eyes.

I think about how it might have been.

We'd spend our days travelin'.

"One dance?" she asked almost pleadingly when Thirteen didn't reply.

It's not that I don't understand you.

It's not that I don't wanna be with you,

But you only wanted me the way you wanted me.

Thirteen instantly felt her resolve wane as she stared at Marissa's eyes. Rendered powerless yet again, she nodded gently and accepted Marissa's outstretched hand.

Marissa took Thirteen's hands, placed them around her waist, and draped her own arms around her neck.

Thirteen felt her heart speed up as she involuntarily took in the way Marissa smelled and the way she fitted perfectly in her arms.

They danced in silence for a while, until Marissa backed away a little and looked into Thirteen's eyes.

"You look beautiful," Marissa finally broke the silence. "Nobody's looking at the bride." It was cliché, but she meant it.

Thirteen nodded as she fought the urge to return the compliment. "Thanks," was all she said.

Again, there was silence.

"So," Marissa began. "You found anyone yet?"

"What?"

"Met anybody who's willing to help you pass your time without any commitment yet?"

Thirteen looked away. "Don't do this, Marissa."

"You're making me."

Thirteen merely clenched her jaw.

"Aren't you gonna ask me if I met anyone in the past weeks you've been avoiding me?"

"No."

"Well I'm gonna tell you anyway," Marissa said. "I did. Martin. You know, my boss? He asked me to dinner the other day."

Thirteen made no response.

"Don't you wanna know if I said yes?"

"I know you didn't."

Marissa smiled smugly. "You wish I didn't."

"You can see whoever you want to see."

"I want to see you."

"Anyone but me."

"Who? Ryan?"

Thirteen gritted her teeth. Marissa really knew which buttons to push. "Ryan's a fine choice. He'll—"

"To hell with Ryan, Alex!" Marissa yelled spitefully. The music didn't stop but they were now starting to attract the attention of the other guests. "To hell with anybody else! Do you really expect me to just forget about you?"

"Let's not do this now."

"Okay, well, when do you wanna do it?"

How about never? "Look, we can't keep doing this."

"Then stop giving me reason to do it!" Not getting any response from Thirteen, Marissa took a few steps towards her. "I miss you…" she said, her voice so full of sadness and longing Thirteen almost reached out to wipe the lone tear that crept down her face. "…So bad it hurts."

Thirteen slowly lifted her head after a long silence, and looked directly at Marissa's eyes. "You'll learn to forget me."

So I will head out alone and hope for the best

We can hang our heads down as we skip the goodbyes

And you can tell the world what you want them to hear

I've got nothing left to lose, my dear

So I'm up for the little white lies

But you and I know the reason why…

"Don't hold your breath," were Marissa's last words before she walked away.

I'm gone and you're still there.

"I just need a donor with the same blood type or something, right?" Sophia asked while bound on a chair inside the operating room.

Thirteen and Taub were doing a biopsy of her brain to see if the lesions they found in her brain were malignant or benign.

"Actually, bone marrow's a little more complex. The best donors are immediate family," Taub told her as he was trying to cut out a piece of mass from Sophia's exposed brain.

"But those donor banks have thousands of names," Sophia protested.

"Your parents' similar DNA gives you a much better chance of —"

"No. If I do this, I'll owe my life to them. It'd mean everything else that happened was somehow okay. They don't deserve that. They're not in my life. If that means I'm dead, then I'm dead."

Taub shared a look with Thirteen, who had been silently assisting him in the procedure.

"I have Huntington's disease," Thirteen said suddenly after a while, much to Taub's surprise. He had never heard her say that, and so cavalierly, too. "I'm dying. I don't know when it'll happen, but it'll be sooner than I ever planned. And I'd do anything to stop it. Because the only way to make anything right, the only way to make your life matter is to live as long, and as well as you possibly can."

Taub pursed his lips. He wanted to tell Thirteen she was being a hypocrite, but he knew it probably wasn't the best time to do that.

"Have you ever been hit by your parents?"

Thirteen clenched her jaw behind the surgical mask she was wearing. "No."

"Don't try to walk in my shoes and I won't try to walk in yours."

"I'm not trying to walk in your shoes. I already am."

Sophia stayed silent as she waited for the brunette doctor to elaborate.

"We're more alike than you think," was all Thirteen said.

"No," Sophia said defiantly. "If we are, you wouldn't be trying to persuade me to involve my family in my problems. If you can swallow doing such a thing, I can't. I don't need their help."

All Thirteen was left to do was stare at the poor sick girl and let out a defeated sigh.

House entered Sophia's room, Thirteen following closely behind him. He didn't normally do what he was going to do, but he did care if his patients live or die.

"Hi. I'm Dr. House." He stood to face the girl at the bottom of her bed. "You need a bone marrow transplant. And by 'need', I mean your staying alive depends on whether you do have it or not."

"I already told Dr. Hadley—"

"Dr. Hadley is biased," House said as he sat on the edge of Sophia's bed. "Her mind is as clouded as yours is. And by that I mean she's screwing up with her decisions as much as you are."

Thirteen clenched her jaw, peeved, but remained silent as she stood near the door with her hands on her pockets.

"Well, actually, on second thought, you're being more stupid than she's being because she isn't actually dying in a few days. She's still got eight years. You, on the other hand, might not even have eight days."

Sophia looked away. "I don't care."

"You're scared, and stubborn, and you don't like people feeling sorry for you. Why not?"

"Ask Dr. Hadley."

House glanced at Thirteen and sighed to himself. This was just one of the many reasons why he hated talking to patients.

"You need people to see how independent you are," he went on. "How well you're coping. So they won't see the lost, hurt little girl."

"Because I don't want pity. I just wanna be normal."

"Well you're gonna die normal. You'd really prefer that over swallowing your pride and admitting that you need help? That you don't want to be alone?"

Sophia gulped soundlessly, trying to hold her tears back. "I'm done being my parents' problem. They're better off without me."

House stared at the hopeless little girl with an unwavering stare and a clenched fist on his lap. Behind him, Thirteen wore a similar expression, her jaw set and her fists clenched in her pockets. Her mind screamed for her to say something, to try to help strengthen House's argument, but she just couldn't. So instead of speaking out, she simply watched as House slowly stood up and said, "If you say so." She stared after him with wide eyes as he opened the door and stepped out of the hospital room.

"'If you say so?'" Thirteen incredulously echoed House's earlier statement as she followed him in the corridor. "That's it? We're just gonna let her die?"

"The kid already made her decision," House calmly replied.

"'The kid' is a kid! She's not in the right age, state, or mind to make such a big decision."

"You're reversing your argument now?"

"This is about choosing whether she lives or not, not which apartment to live in or which person to like!"

House stopped and turned to face Thirteen. "And you couldn't have said this to her two minutes ago? Because I'm not the one whose opinion matters here. She's emancipated. Law dictates that she's allowed to make decisions for herself."

"So that's it? We're giving up? Tell her, 'We'll leave you alone and just stand here while you die, because you said so'?"

"No," House said to her. "You're going to try to convince her, bug her every hour, maybe send her flowers with a note that says, 'I'm not leaving you alone until you get that marrow transplant', beg on your knees until she gives up and realizes she doesn't want to be dying and alone after all."

Stunned, Thirteen stood motionless, more confused and torn than she had probably ever been in her life.

House stared right at her ghastly appearance, knowing right away that there was still hope for Sophia after all.

After a long silence, Thirteen closed her mouth and jammed her hands in her pockets once again. She looked down at her shoes as she said, "I'm gonna try and get her to agree on the transplant." Then she turned on her heel and headed back to Sophia's room.

House's eyes followed her retreating form and the slightest of smiles appeared on his rough, unshaven face. "I knew you were going to."

Thirteen stopped at the door to Sophia's room and watched as an elderly brunette woman and a stocky bearded man who had the same eyes Sophia had sit on either side of the bed and huddle over their daughter as she threw up on a kidney basin. Sophia's mother held her hair and rubbed her back while her father fumbled around in search of something to wipe Sophia's mouth with.

Slowly and quietly, after Sophia finished throwing up and she leaned back on her bed and panted while her mother brushed her sweaty hair away from her forehead, Thirteen entered the room and greeted the Valezes.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Hadley."

Mr. and Mrs. Valez acknowledged her with a nod.

"How do you feel, Sophia?"

"Nauseous… and weak… but besides that, good," Sophia replied in between pants.

Thirteen gave her a small smile. "The nausea, vomiting and weakness are normal this early post-op," she explained to Sophia and her parents. "But I'll tell you what. I'll write you a prescription for an antiemetic to reduce the vomiting. That should make you feel better."

Sophia nodded.

"Thank you very much, doctor," Mr. Valez said.

Thirteen nodded. "You're welcome." She turned around and made a move to leave, but then Sophia stopped her.

"Hey Dr. Hadley?"

Thirteen turned, a questioning look on her face.

"Thanks… for not giving up on me. You saved me from my own stubbornness."

Thirteen forced a smile. "Just doing my job."

"No," Sophia disagreed, shaking her head gently. "You care. You're the kind of doctor who actually cares. I'm glad I listened to you."

Thirteen looked into Sophia's eyes for a while before smiling once more and nodding, not saying anything more.

Thirteen quickly took her phone off her ear and pressed a button to cancel a call before anybody picked up. She threw it on the couch and paced back and forth in her living room. After several minutes of encircling the couch repeatedly, she quickly picked up her phone from the couch and hastily punched the buttons before she could change her mind again. Taking a deep breath to calm her self, she pressed the phone against her ear and waited for somebody to pick up.

"Hello?" she heard a woman's voice say from the other end of the line. She clenched her jaw, beginning to rethink that calling was a bad idea. Was this his mistress she was talking to right now?

"Hi, um…" she began. "I know it's really late, but um… can I speak with Hugh Kelly, please?"

There was a pause on the line. "Is this Alexandra?"

"Yes… Yes, it is me."

"We've been trying to reach you, sweetie."

Thirteen felt a hollow pit in her stomach as she listened intently to the woman's cracked voice. She sounded like she was trying to keep herself from breaking down.

"I'm so sorry… but your father… He's gone."

Marissa slowly and reluctantly got up from bed when she heard somebody knocking on her door at half past midnight. She trudged across her dimly lit apartment with a night robe on. She looked through the peephole and her eyes instantly widened, not expecting her middle-of-the-night visitor at all.

She unlocked the door and opened it wide. There, in her doorstep, stood Thirteen, her lips slightly trembling and her eyes bloodshot.

Thirteen shifted her weight from one foot to another, her eyes downcast.

Speechless, Marissa simply stood waiting for Thirteen to say anything, which she didn't for what seemed like a very long time.

In the garden, the snake was a charming,

And Eve said, "Let's give it a try."

Now lead us not into temptation,

But no matter how hard I try…

"I…" Thirteen began, hesitation and agony palpable in her voice. "I don't want to be alone." Her eyes were shining as she finally managed to bring herself to look at Marissa in the eyes.

And in the garden, the snake was a charming,

And Eve said, "Let's give it a try."

Marissa took Thirteen in her arms and the brunette finally let her guard down completely as she grabbed a fistful of Marissa's robe and released silent sobs of anger, regret, fear, and longing.

Eve is the apple of my eye.

"I'm scared to be alone," Thirteen sobbed into Marissa's shoulder.

You left, I died.

I went, you cried.

You came, I think, but I'll never really know.

"Sshh, baby, I'm here…" Marissa hushed into her ear as tears spilled from her own eyes. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

I served my time, I watched you climb the wrong incline,

But what do I know?

Thirteen cried for hours with Marissa whispering words of comfort in her ear, until her eyes were dried out and she could do it no more.

Marissa gently pushed her away and looked into her glassy blue eyes and she had never before felt so weak and so strong at the same time.

And when Marissa brushed her lips against her tear-stained cheek, at last, she found some semblance of sanity and peace. Because with that single kiss, she felt Marissa's acceptance and love, and there was nothing more she could ask for. Nothing more.

When I lie behind you,

And I cradle you in the palm of me,

And I pat your hair down,

Thirteen pulled Marissa back in and kissed her with more passion than she had ever put into anything, and the two of them wordlessly shed off their clothing, tumbled into bed, covered in a mixture of sweat and tears, and basked in each other's beauty until the sun came up to remind them of a new day.

I think we'll either sink or swim,

'Cause we could do either on a whim.

*Note: Some scenes, plotlines, and dialogue were directly lifted from/based on House's"Big Baby" (written by David Foster and Lawrence Kaplow), and "Emancipation" (written by Leonard Dick and Pamela Davis) episodes.

*Song lyrics by Robert Schwartzman ("That Girl Has Love"), Paul Tiernan ("How to Say Goodbye"), John Vesely ("Your Call"), Chris Carrabba ("Stolen"), and Rachael Yamagata ("Reason Why")