It's my Storyversary! I've been working on LTC for a year now. Huge thanks to everyone who's added, favorited, and stuck with this story all this time. Especially during this last stretch. To celebrate I've got a double chapter for you guys. Twice the R&R action! Enjoy!

Rachel stretched and gave a loud, groaning yawn as the rising sun peeked through the blinds. She glanced tiredly at the clock on the nightstand and confirmed that it was entirely too early to be getting up. She rolled over and watched Thirteen for a moment. She looked so peaceful. Her chest rose and fell slowly and her lips held the faintest hint of a smile. Rachel kissed her shell pink eyelids as a small apology for what she was about to do.

"Remy?" she called softly as she shook Thirteen. When her efforts received no more than an unconscious frown, Rachel shook harder. "Please wake up," she said into Thirteen's ear. "I want to have breakfast with you."

"Go away," Thirteen groaned sleepily. She quickly rolled onto her stomach and folded her arms over her head.

"I am going away soon. That's why I want you to come have breakfast with me."

Thirteen peeked at Rachel cautiously, "What time is it?"

"Five," Rachel said as she softly kissed the bare skin of Thirteen's shoulders.

"Just stay in bed with me a while longer."

"I can't. I have to be on the road soon." Rachel lifted the sheet and admired Thirteen in all her glory, "Although I must say, I am loving that ass."

Thirteen chuckled softly as Rachel's hands began to roam, "If that's what you wanted you should have waited a few more hours. But I guess since you're leaving for the weekend and you won't be getting any, the least I could do is have breakfast with you."

The pair finally pulled themselves out of bed and fell into their normal routine. They quickly showered and dressed before helping each other prepare breakfast.

This had become their usual practice. Over the last few months, more often than not, Thirteen and Rachel would spend the night together before sharing breakfast and a ride to work. Neither of them could even remember the last time they had slept alone.

"Remind me again why you're going to this convention," Thirteen said, slowly sipping a cup of coffee.

"To learn," Rachel answered.

Thirteen rolled her eyes, "Can't you read the convention reports or buy a book like everyone else?"

"I realize these things are generally boring, but I have to go. There's a workshop on some new therapy techniques and Cuddy wants me to be up on them. Besides, I get three paid days off from work."

"Yeah, three days off in New Haven. How exciting."

"Then someone should make my homecoming extra exciting."

Thirteen smirked as she rose from the table. She gathered Rachel's things and placed them by the door. Rachel followed soon after and wrapped her arms around Thirteen. "I'll be back Sunday afternoon."

Thirteen nodded and kissed her, "See you then."

Rachel drove along the Turnpike, slowly making her way towards her destination. It was still early and the roads were mostly empty, causing the landscape to pass her by in a gray blur. Even though she was fighting it, the haze of her surroundings was beginning to lull her into drowsiness. After nearly an hour, she exited the Turnpike and turned onto the Verrazano Bridge. It came more than thirty exits too soon to take her to Connecticut.

She quickly found herself parked outside of Evan's building. She went in through the side entrance, bypassing the storefront, and took the elevator to his apartment. As soon as the elevator opened, Rachel could hear the squealing of a belt grinder confirming Evan was already up and hard at work. She put her things away and helped herself to coffee while she waited to see her brother.

By the time Evan walked into the kitchen, Rachel was face down on the counter and dozing lightly. At the slightest creak of floorboards, her head shot up.

"Good morning," Evan greeted.

"Morning."

"What are you doing here so early? You said the convention started at eight."

"It does, but I needed some coffee before I got back on the road."

"Where does Remy think you're going?" Evan asked.

"To a physio convention in Connecticut."

"And where are you actually going?"

"To the Huntington's Disease Society of America convention in White Plains."

Evan shook his head, "Why lie?"

"Things have been going really well lately," Rachel started. "Remy doesn't like to talk about her disease, and unless I find out anything useful research-wise, she doesn't need to."

"What are you hoping to find?"

"I don't know. Just…something," Rachel shrugged. "I should get going. I'll see you tonight."

The convention hall was just beginning to fill as Rachel arrived. As she checked in, she pulled a rumpled itinerary from her pocket and looked over the events she had marked. The first speakers began to take the stage and she hurried to her seat.

She sat stiffly in her chair and fidgeted impatiently as she waited for the opening ceremonies and perfunctory speeches to end. Her anxious anticipation continued for most of the morning. Even when they broke for lunch she couldn't relax. It wasn't until the afternoon workshops began that Rachel was able to put her mind at ease.

This was what she had come for. Not only would she finally hear something interesting, but with any luck she could find the answers to her questions. With her mind distracted she set herself to scribbling pages of detailed notes.

Between workshops Rachel snuck outside. She planned to completely avoid the convention's more emotional offerings. She told herself she was being childish, the idea of meditation time and prayer circles shouldn't have bothered her so much. It was one thing to sit through the workshops –so far much of it was information she already knew–but the teary-eyed discussions wouldn't be as easy. She could handle hearing about the physical and technical aspects of what might happen with Thirteen, but the emotional side of things threatened to overwhelm her.

At the end of the day Rachel returned to Evan's. Disappointment weighed heavy on her shoulders though she still wasn't sure what she had been looking for.

Evan made dinner and the two of them sat down together. As she picked over her food, Rachel could feel Evan watching her thoughtfully.

"Any interesting workshops today?" he finally asked.

"They all had some decent insights, I guess. I went to Cognitive Issues, Psychiatric Issues, and Managing Challenging Behaviors for Caregivers."

"Why do you sound so bored with it all?"

Rachel shook her head, "I don't know. I don't know what I expected to get out of this. Tomorrow there are workshops on medications and new therapies, maybe I'll find what I'm looking for there."

"But you don't know what you're looking for."

Rachel sighed and pushed herself from the table, "Goodnight."

The next afternoon, Rachel found herself slipping outside again. As she passed the main conference room, many of the convention guests were standing in a circle, hands joined, singing hopeful songs. Her face twisted into a grimace and she felt strangely nauseated by the display. She hurried towards the nearest exit and made her escape.

Outside, Rachel pressed herself against the building. She took a deep breath before suddenly realizing she wasn't alone. Across from her a suit-clad man took his last puffs from a cigarette.

"Do you smoke?" he asked, pushing the pack towards her.

Rachel shook her head, "No, gin is usually my vice of choice in crappy situations."

"Sounds like you're hiding from the Circle of Hope," the man chuckled. "I'm Michael Hammond."

"Rachel Galvin. How'd you know I was avoiding the Circle?"

"That's what I always do. I can't stand the sappy stuff."

"I feel like such an asshole," Rachel admitted. "I can't believe I'm disgusted with a bunch of people over some songs and prayers."

"It's not the kind of hope you want to believe in."

"What?"

"Hope is the idea that something can still be done. You're not going to accomplish much by holding hands and singing, so if that's what hope looks like, it's a bit unsettling. At least that's how I feel about it," Michael said. "Do you have Huntington's?"

"No, I'm a doctor. I'm here for my patients."

"Likewise."

"I thought I would get more out of this," Rachel sighed. "Even the New Therapies session was disappointing. There has to be something. Stem cells, gene silencing, intrabodies. There have got to be some successful neuroprotective or regenerative therapies."

"Sounds like you have a personal interest in Huntington's treatments."

"One of my patients–former patient–is also my girlfriend."

"So you came here looking for hope?"

"I guess," Rachel sighed. "We just spent our first New Year's together. We started talking about the future and there are all these things she wants. If this thing gets a hold of her none of it can happen."

Michael nodded sympathetically, "Listen, I work at the University of Massachusetts Medical doing drug research. There are some things coming down the pipeline in the next year or so. They're not exactly silver bullets, but they're promising. Send me an email and I'll keep you updated." He reached into his breast pocket and handed Rachel his card.

"Thanks," she said. "It's been great talking to you, but I'd better get going before I really bring down the Circle of Hope."

That night, Rachel slowly packed her bags and prepared to leave the next day. While she folded her clothes and put them away, Evan walked in and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Rachel shrugged, "The tiniest glimmer at best."

"Did you figure out what you were looking for?"

"Hope apparently." Rachel stopped for a moment and looked at her brother, "We've both lost enough. We should be able to just be happy together. I can't lose her."

Evan took Rachel's hand and pulled her onto the bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I wish there was something I could say to make this better. Right now, I think you just need to go home and be with her."

"Yeah. I think I'll feel better when I see her." Rachel wrapped her arms around Evan and held on tightly for a long while.

Rachel sped under a canopy of leaves. They were a brilliant green, glowing so brightly it seemed as if their trees were drawing electricity from the sun. She slowed as she passed under them, getting a better look, then picked up speed again as she left them behind. Her hair whipped wildly in the warm wind as it flew through the open windows of her car.

Days like this usually made Rachel wish she didn't have to drive everywhere, but this time she couldn't have cared less. The warm air was just that much harder to get into her lungs, the sun shining on her skin was the only thing keeping her body from descending into the shivers, and the leaves looked dull. With all their green they seemed to be mocking her. When autumn came they would float on from their roots, flailing to the ground. But she would still be there. Alone.

As she finally slowed her car to a stop, Rachel found herself at a huge marketplace. There were vendors selling everything from flowers to crafts. The atmosphere revived her a bit, but in all the commotion it would take her a while to find who she was looking for.

Rachel ambled about for a while, perusing what the market had to offer. After a few minutes, she spotted her. She caught her eyes first; even from the distance Rachel could see their teal sparkle clearly. Her heart was a drummer as a shy smile crept across her face. The passersby seemed to slow to a crawl for a few moments before she snapped out of her daze. She plucked a bright red daisy from a nearby pot and quickly paid the vendor. As she urged her feet to move in the right direction, an exhilarating feeling came over her. Her blood was fire, her muscles steel; she felt like she could do anything. She always loved how seeing Thirteen made her feel.

She walked to Thirteen quickly, sneaking up on her from behind. When she was close enough she laced her fingers between Thirteen's. When Thirteen jumped and shot her a shocked look, Rachel pushed the daisy towards her. "For you," she said.

Thirteen smiled as she took the flower, "I didn't think you'd make it. I figured you'd be tired from the drive."

"I couldn't miss spending time with my Remy."

"Your Remy? I'm just yours now?"

Rachel shrugged cockily, "Always have been."

"Does that make you my Rachel?"

"If you'll have me."

"Come on," Thirteen said, tugging Rachel's hand.

Rachel peeked into the canvas tote slung over Thirteen's shoulder. "Looks like you're almost done here."

"I am, but you can give me a ride home."

"You took the train?"

Thirteen nodded, "I wanted to take a nice drive with my Rachel."

Rachel smiled warmly as they headed to the car. They drove to Thirteen's apartment quietly. Thirteen enjoyed the beautiful day while Rachel soaked up her presence.

When they returned home, Thirteen gathered the items she had bought and began making dinner. Rachel settled in and made herself comfortable at the table where she could watch Thirteen cook.

"Are you okay?" Thirteen asked. "You seem upset."

"Just tired," Rachel fibbed. "The conference was long and boring."

Thirteen smirked and straddled Rachel in her chair. "Sounds like you need a little excitement."

"You're all I need. I missed you." Rachel pulled Thirteen close and kissed her, "I love you."

Thirteen wondered briefly about Rachel's somber attitude, but smiled at her flattery. "I love you, too," she said with a kiss.

Thirteen lounged in the sunshine. She sat with her legs outstretched and her arms behind her. Rachel was curled catlike against her, basking in the warmth.

They sat together in one of the secluded areas of the Princeton campus. They were spread out on a blanket with the remnants of a picnic strewn around them. Thirteen toyed with a bouquet of yellow daisies, weaving their stems together.

"What's with you lately?" she asked Rachel. "You've been so quiet and tense."

"I've just had a lot on my mind."

"Such as?"

"Such as why you're destroying the flowers I had to go to three florists to find."

Thirteen laughed softly and draped her finished project over Rachel's head. "Not destroying, repurposing."

Rachel looked over the daisy chain with a smirk, "You are such a closet hippie."

"Shut up," Thirteen quipped. "My mom showed me how to make these. It's one of the reasons I love daisies."

Rachel sat up and kissed Thirteen, "She taught you well. Thank you."

"So, what's been on your mind?"

"Have you thought about enrolling in another drug trial?"

"No," Thirteen said quickly.

"There are some new treatments in development–"

"What I meant was I decided not to."

"You don't even want to consider it? I mean, if there's a chance that something could help, wouldn't it be worth it?"

"So I do trial after trial until I find something that works for me? I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a guinea pig."

"That's not what I'm saying."

Thirteen sighed, "Rachel, I've been through that already. It filled me up with false hope and in the end I got nothing. It isn't worth it."

"I just want you to be around a while." Rachel shrugged, "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"That's why you've been so quiet? You didn't want to upset me?"

"I know you don't like to talk about this stuff. Outside of therapy we never do."

"Because I don't like to focus on it."

"And I'm trying to respect that. I just–I think about it."

"I'm sorry," Thirteen said. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you couldn't talk to me."

"It's fine," Rachel muttered. She stood quickly and started gathering things together. "I should get going. I've got a patient coming in."

"Okay." Thirteen moved aside to let Rachel finish. She looked on regretfully as their picnic was packed away.

The pair walked quickly to the parking lot where Rachel loaded the car in silence. As Thirteen slipped into the passenger seat to wait, her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Remy, it's Dad," her father replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. Listen, I'm in town and I was hoping you had time for your old man."

Thirteen laughed to herself, "Sure, Dad. How about dinner tonight?"

"That'd be great. Why don't I stop by your apartment at seven?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

Rachel slipped into the car as Thirteen ended her conversation. "Hot date?" she asked.

"My dad's in town. We're having dinner." Thirteen hesitated before she continued, "I kind of wish you could come."

"You'd have to tell him who I am. You'd have to tell him you're bisexual," Rachel said. She glanced over at Thirteen's nerve-wracked face, "It's okay. I'll meet him another time. When you're ready."

Thirteen nodded vaguely. Rachel seemed understanding, but she was sure this would be another addition to the list of qualms she kept to herself.

As she and Rachel walked back into the hospital, Thirteen could feel the distance between them growing. They headed for the elevator and boarded silently.

"You okay?" Thirteen asked.

"I'm fine," Rachel said shortly.

"No one ever really means that. People are never just fine."

"I'm good, Rem," Rachel said as the doors opened. "I'll see you tonight." Rachel stepped off the elevator and walked to her office. She swung open the door and flipped on the lights before sitting her things on her desk. As she headed for her chair, it swiveled around, making her jump out of her skin. She recovered quickly and glared at her intruder. "I'm pretty sure the door says Galvin not House."

"Well, G and H are next to each other in the alphabet. It's very confusing."

"What do you want?"

"I was waiting to see how long it took to get a little Afternoon Delight. If you're going to borrow my employees, the least you could do is return them on time." House watched as Rachel stood before him stoically, "You're not going to say anything? No denial or feigned ignorance?"

"You're not an idiot, House. I'm not going to play games," Rachel said. "As long as you're not bugging either of us about our relationship, I couldn't care less."

House rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, "Way to take the fun out of it." He slid a file towards Rachel, "Forty-six year old man with motor impairment. What looks like Parkinson's, acts like Parkinson's, but doesn't respond to treatment like Parkinson's?"

"He didn't improve on levodopa?" Rachel asked as she reviewed the file.

"Nope, but Cuddy won't let me take him off it without a second opinion. She's convinced he needs more time to respond."

Rachel shook her head, "You should have seen some improvement by now. Multiple system atrophy would fit, maybe an old cerebral infarct." House collected the file and began to make a hasty exit before Rachel stopped him. "While I have you, what would you do if you were Remy's doctor?"

"You mean other than seducing her? Because you've done a pretty good job of that."

"I'm serious, House."

House shrugged, "I'd say you've exhausted your options in that department. All you can do is what you're already doing."

"I asked her about joining another drug trial and she wouldn't even consider it."

"Any reason she should? There haven't been any successful treatments. Why should she waste her time on something that's not going to extend her life?"

"But they could improve her life. The time she has left could be better."

"This has nothing to do with her. This is about you not being able to handle her diagnosis. Either deal with it or find a girlfriend who isn't dying."

"Thanks anyway, House," Rachel said sadly. House left quickly and she slumped behind her desk.

That evening, Thirteen was off to dinner with her father. They found themselves at one of her favorite restaurants. They caught up as they ate, reminiscing and making small talk. The conversation was as easy as it always was with her father, but Thirteen could feel an underlying tension.

"Dad, what's going on?" she finally asked. "There are no upcoming holidays or birthdays. As good as it is to see you, I know you didn't drive all this way just to have dinner with me."

Her father cleared his throat cautiously, "I came down to see your brother."

Thirteen dropped her gaze and pushed her food around uneasily, "How is he?"

"They put him on a respirator the other day," Mr. Hadley sighed. "Other than that, not much has changed. He has his good days and his bad. I imagine it will all take some getting used to for you."

Thirteen's eyes narrowed sharply, "Me? What do you mean?"

"The proxy agreement."

"Dad, I really don't think I can do that."

"You said you would take over your brother's healthcare once he needed to be intubated."

Thirteen shook her head, "It's an agreement, Dad, not a binding contract. I'm allowed to change my mind. You can't just show up and turn my life upside down like this."

Mr. Hadley reached out and took Thirteen by the hand. "You made a promise to your brother. He needs you right now. You can't walk away from that."

Thirteen pulled her hand away from her father's and placed a few bills on the table to cover the check. Without a word, she rose from the table and walked from the restaurant.

Thirteen rode home with her heart in her mouth. As she charged into her apartment, her stomach was twisted into knots. It lurched and churned with a nauseating force. She reached for her phone with a shaky hand and dialed Rachel's number.

"Pick up, pick up," she muttered between rings. She let out a shaky breath as Rachel finally answered, "Rachel?"

"Remy? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Thirteen lied as she bit back tears. "I've just had a really shitty night. Are you coming over? I really need to see you tonight."

"Yeah, of course I'm coming. I'll be there soon."

At her desk, Rachel rubbed her eyes sleepily. She stretched stiffly and gave a final look to the email she'd been reviewing. She quickly gathered the pile of documents she had printed from it and made a mental note to call and thank Michael. She flipped through them one last time and considered showing them to Thirteen. It only took a moment for her to imagine the many ways Thirteen might fly off the handle or tell her off before she put it out of her mind. She put the files away and headed out.

Rachel rushed over to Thirteen's apartment, largely ignoring the speed limit. When she arrived, she found Thirteen curled on the couch. Rachel tossed her things aside and went to Thirteen's side. She smiled and tenderly pushed Thirteen's bangs from her face. "Sorry I'm late. I fell asleep at my desk."

"It's okay," Thirteen mumbled. She sat up and wrapped her arms around Rachel.

"You sounded so upset on the phone. Did something happen with your dad?"

"We got into an argument. I ended up walking out on him."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"No one ever really means that," Rachel said teasingly.

Thirteen let out a small laugh, "I'll be okay."

"What happened?" Rachel asked. "You didn't come out to him, did you? Because of what I said earlier?"

"No, it wasn't that. I don't really want to talk about it," Thirteen said. "Do you wish things were different with me? Easier?"

"I wish…I wish we had more time." Rachel hesitated as Thirteen buried her head in her hands. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. I lied when I told you I was going to a physio convention," she started. "Not lied exactly, I decided to tell you, I just wanted to wait until the time was right."

"Where did you go?"

"I went to the HDSA convention." Thirteen scoffed and Rachel immediately began trying to subdue her temper before it could truly flare. "I'm sorry I lied. I didn't want to bring it up unless I found something."

"What could you possibly find? There aren't any real treatments. There's nothing to delay symptoms."

"Not yet, but I've been talking to a researcher at UMass and in a year or two that could change," Rachel insisted.

"Could being the operative word," Thirteen huffed. She jumped up and began to pace angrily. "Why can't you just leave well enough alone? You can't save me! You can't change me!"

"I'm not trying to change you, I'm trying to help you."

"If who I am isn't enough for you, then go find someone healthy to be with. Spare me your pity for the dying girl."

Rachel took a deep breath and chose her words carefully, "I'm going to give you a moment to calm down. When you're ready to stop lashing out at me, maybe we can have an actual conversation."

Thirteen trudged across the room and flopped petulantly into a chair while Rachel went to the window. She tried desperately to quell the turbulent feelings building in her chest. Rachel's interference, her father's expectations, her brother's health; all of it made her want to scream. It took some time, but soon Thirteen sat quietly while her anger subsided. After a long while, she joined Rachel at the window.

"I'm sorry," Thirteen sighed. "I'm on edge because my dad is in town and I just freaked out."

"So, your father sends you into a neurotic craze too?"

"Not usually. It's all my fault. He came to talk to me about my brother and I couldn't deal. Then you came to talk to me about this and I handled it even worse. I'm so sorry." Thirteen brushed Rachel's arm as she took in the troubled look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Did you just say you have a brother?"

"I–I, uh…"

"When I told you about Evan you said you always wished you had an older brother."

"I know."

"But you do have one! Why would you lie about something like that?"

"Because I don't want him to be my brother! I don't want to see him or spend time with him or have him in my life!" Thirteen yelled. "Surprise, I have issues with my family, too. Sorry I didn't tell you every little thing about me."

Rachel was livid. The look in her eyes could have set fire to the apartment. "I didn't ask for every detail of your life. All I ever wanted was to be a part of it!" she shrieked. "I tell you everything. I can't believe you would lie to me about something so simple. You don't want to see your brother? Fine! Tell me that."

"When I told you I didn't have a brother we were just getting to know each other. I didn't want to get into it, and I didn't think it would ever come up again."

Rachel scoffed, "So I should feel better because you didn't mean to lie?"

"We weren't together."

"But we are now," Rachel insisted. "I have never, ever kept anything from you. I've been completely open since we started this. But you, you keep lying to me."

"Rachel, I'm sorry," Thirteen pleaded.

"When we were just friends I told you that I stayed out of relationships because I didn't like the idea of putting so much trust in one person. I guess I was right all along."

Rachel took one last look at Thirteen before she turned and stormed out. The slam of the door resounded through the apartment, filling it with a lonely echo. Thirteen held her head in her hands and let out a deep sigh.