Lisa Cuddy watched her hospital with a careful eye, and took great pride in knowing every piece of gossip floating around as it gave her an advantage in controlling situations before they escalated. Which is why she was surprised when she saw Dr. Cameron step out of a supply closet, followed minutes afterwards not by Chase, but Thirteen. That was definitely something no-one had discovered yet. Not even House had been making crude comments. That thought made her pause. Perhaps there was nothing going on. But she began to watch the two more carefully.

Chase watched in frustration as Allison joked with Thirteen across the cafeteria. She hadn't even bothered to come and check if he wanted coffee! He was glad his girlfriend had found a friend in the other doctor, but it certainly seemed to take up a lot of her time and attention. Attention that he wanted. When Foreman joined them, he decided that was his cue to head over too. "Hey everybody!" he smiled at the group.

"Hey, Rob" Cameron smiled up at him, seeming like she was happy to see him. He couldn't help but notice Thirteen looked a little pissed.

Chase sat. "My surgery got cancelled tonight, so I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner."

Cameron's face fell a little. She gestured to Thirteen. "Rem and I made plans since you were busy."

Remy squeezed her hand under the table.

"Oh." Chase's frustration grew.

Foreman noticed the mounting tension at the table. "We could all do something." He suggested, trying to diffuse the situation.

Cameron nodded. "That would be good." She looked between Thirteen and Chase. "Right guys?"

Thirteen smiled at her. "Sure!" she was disappointed at losing her private time with Ally, but it was better than getting into a fight with Chase.

Chase nodded stiffly and stood. "I should get back."

Cameron saw the look on his face and squeezed Remy's hand, standing too. "I'll walk you." She let him wrap an arm possessively around her waist.

"What the hell was that?!" Foreman asked Thirteen as the pair left the room.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "No idea." She lied.

Chase and Cameron were standing in the doctor's lounge arguing when Cuddy came in.

"You're spending too much time with her."

"I thought you'd be happy I'm making friends." Cameron threw back at him, crossing her arms.

"You spend all of your free time with her. I never see you anymore."

"What? And you never go out with your friends?" Cameron demanded. "We have different shifts, Chase. We have our own lives. That's a good thing. If tonight hadn't been so last minute, I would have loved to go out for dinner. As it was, I thought you were busy."

Chase sighed. He saw her point. "I know tonight was last minute, but you always seem to be with her."

Cuddy coughed, making her presence known. Cameron turned red. "H-how long have you been there?" she questioned, embarrassed.

"Well, I could hear you from the hallway." Cuddy admitted, looking down.

"Oh, God." Chase muttered. "I should go." he left the room hurriedly, leaving Cameron with Cuddy.

"I should get back too." Cameron pointed out.

"Just a moment." Cuddy moved to sit on the back of a chair. Cameron paused, leaning back against the table in the centre of the room.

"Yes?"

"Cameron…" Cuddy started. "You and Dr. Hadley aren't exactly subtle. That's all I'm going to say."

Cameron looked at her levelly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Right." She sighed, and eyed her younger co-worker. "Just make sure you don't make a decision you might regret. I'm not going to try and tell you what is right for you, but you'll lose one of them eventually. Make sure it's the right one." She stood and left the room, leaving Cameron to ponder her words.

A few hours later a group of four sat in a bar, trying very hard to make civil conversation. Chase was making the possibility virtually nil, refusing to leave Cameron out of any tiny comment he made. Cameron, in the meantime, was attempting to divide her time evenly between Remy and Robert, who were sitting on either side of her. Thirteen was being very polite, just letting Chase do his thing as he kept his arm possessively around Cameron's shoulders at any cost. She didn't have anything to prove. Evidently Chase felt he did. Foreman, being Foreman, just tried to keep up a steady flow of pleasant conversation, despite the evident tension at the table. Finally, Chase went to the bathroom. Cameron laid her forehead on her arms and sighed. "Can I go home now?" she murmured quietly. Remy petted her hair gently.

"What's going on with him?" Foreman asked her quietly.

"Apparently he's concluded that Remy here is competition."

Foreman looked between the two of them in confusion. "He's acting like this because you're friends?" They both nodded. "God, I need to talk some sense into him." Foreman stalked off towards the bathroom.

Cameron relocated her head to Remy's shoulder. "I just wanted a nice, stress-free evening." She sighed. Remy kissed her hair gently.

"Me too, Al."

"We're going." Cameron announced when the two men arrived back at the table, standing up.

"We haven't even ordered food yet." Chase replied in confusion.

She looked him in the eye. "I'm going to get some with Remy. You're making this night unbearable. Not to mention ditching me with Cuddy this afternoon." She turned at walked away from the table, heading for where Thirteen waited outside. She hadn't wanted to be part of the scene.

Chase went after her. "Allison, wait."

She stopped, but didn't turn to face him. "Goodnight, Rob." The tone in her voice was final, angry.

"You're losing her." Foreman warned as Chase sat back down at the table.

"No, really?" Chase replied, sarcastic and bitter.

Foreman chose, sensibly, to stay silent.

"Man, I love sushi." Cameron offered Thirteen a piece of California roll with her chopsticks. Remy took it, grinning.

"It is fun." She agreed, munching. "Though I feel we may have over-ordered." Their table was covered by several different rolls, tempura, and a bowl of udon.

Cameron shrugged. "I like leftovers."

"Mmm. True." Thirteen pulled the bowl of soup towards herself. "Plus I'm starving."

Cameron took a long pull of her beer.

Later, lying with Remy's head in her lap, she sighed. "I hate this." She murmured as she stroked the other woman's hair. Remy stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. "I hate that he feels like he owns me. That he's being possessive because he thinks I have a friend, not even because he suspects it's anything more."

"He's just afraid of losing you." Remy commented.

Ally smiled bitterly. "But he's pushing me farther away. He's losing me by trying to keep me."

"I know, sweetheart." Remy captured Ally's hand and pulled it to her mouth, kissing her knuckles gently.

They didn't do anything that night but lie on the couch, each wrapped in her own thoughts and taking comfort in the other's presence. "Let's take a bath." Ally suggested eventually. She loved Remy's huge tub.

"Okay." Remy lay on the couch, watching as Ally got everything set up – grabbing candles from Remy's room, putting music on, finding the bubble bath she'd bought. Then she wandered into her bedroom, calmly removing her clothing and made her way to the bathroom.

Ally smiled as she came in. "I love it when you wander around naked." She kissed the brunette sweetly and offered her a hair elastic.

Remy climbed into the steaming bubbles first so Ally could lay back against her before watching Ally slide out of the large t-shirt she was wearing. It felt very voyeuristic, and she enjoyed it. Ally slipped in in front of her and lay back against Remy's chest, sighing with pleasure. "Oh, this is perfect." She murmured happily.

Remy wrapped her arms around the other woman. "Yes it is." She leaned her chin on top of Ally's head. Ally flipped in her arms so she was sideways, with her head on Remy's shoulder.

"I think I might be falling in love with you." She whispered.

Remy was thunderstruck. "In love?" she squeaked. "With me?"

Ally chuckled. "I know. Why would I go and do that, right?" she joked, kissing the brunette's neck. Remy tried to calm down a little. Ally started looking a little concerned. "Er, Rem? You're kind of turning purple."

Right. Breathing was important. "No-one's ever said that to me before." Remy admitted quietly.

"Oooh." Ally nodded in understanding. She kissed Remy's lips gently. "Well, I'm glad to be the first."

Remy smiled, suddenly shy. "Me too, because I've never felt like this before, either." Ally grinned and wrapped her arms around her, cuddling back into her shoulder and managing to get bubbles everywhere.

Ally's fingers lightly stroked across Remy's skin as she removed the white towel from around her, her arms moving to take its place as her lips brushed their way gently down Remy's shoulder blades. Remy turned, catching Ally's lips with her own as she backed towards the bed. She sat down on the edge, guiding Ally so she knelt, her legs on either side of Remy's own. She kissed Ally's neck, her shoulders. She tasted of rose soap. They moved quietly, with care. They made love. Slowly, sweetly, Remy reached her climax. Smiling and happy, Ally found hers.

Neither was sure when things had changed. When things had moved from compatibility, fun, and friendship, had blossomed into a relationship…and then into this. Into love. Lying comfortably entwined in Remy's pale blue sheets, it didn't seem to matter that there was a world outside the one they created here for themselves, though they knew they'd have to return to it eventually. But for now they lay, arms around one another, and blissfully awaited sleep.