Rating: STILL M.

Author's note: Thank you again for all the wonderful reviews, please keep the feedback coming. I've decided to make this a relatively long story if the interest is still there.

Chapter 5

Thirteen felt a jolt in her stomach as she awoke. Turning to look at the sprawl of arms and legs and naked skin, her body relaxed and she smiled. Gazing at Cameron with a secret pleasure that she was allowed to, she thought how innocent she looked in her sleep; none of the furrowed brow and wide-eyed concern usually seen were present. Instead there was a quiet and languid softness, but still there was that trust, that infamous trust that plagued and owned every aspect of Cameron's life.

Thirteen leaned over to slowly stroke the top of her arm, being careful not to wake her. She just wanted to touch her, to remind herself that this was reality. She never thought she would be here, in someone's bed, as someone's lover. She wondered how things would work now – now that she and Cameron had slept together; now that Cameron had cheated on Chase; now that she felt these incredible life-altering feelings that she never thought she would allow herself to feel. It was all a cascade of unstoppable and unending feelings, so much that she felt almost a physical pain, a longing ache of normality, and she knew it was the beginnings of love. And she was certain, without even thinking about it, that she could get so hurt in this, so much more damaged than just being alone to live and die as she'd planned since her mother had gone.

Cameron opened her eyes slowly, sleepily, a small, shy smile enveloping her face. Thirteen smiled back down at her as she felt the warmth of Cameron light her up on the inside.

"Good morning," Cameron whispered, still smiling.

"Good morning." Thirteen replied, feeling a little light-headed.

Cameron rolled over onto her side, touching Thirteen's arm. She sat up in the bed, barely bothering to cover herself with the sheet.

Her eyes, despite the previous night's exertions, were sparkling. She placed a small, lingering kiss on the corner of Thirteen's mouth, which caused Thirteen to start grinning stupidly.

"We should probably talk." Thirteen said, her eyes following her own hands as she played with the sheet, "Not necessarily now. . ."

"We can talk now if you like?" Cameron interrupted her. "It's too early to start getting ready for work."

"Okay," Thirteen replied, a little surprised. She had thought Cameron would want to postpone this conversation for as long as possible; she had thought that Cameron would need time to think and worry herself half to death about hurting someone, whether that was her or Chase.

"Well," Thirteen continued, "I just wanted to know what you were thinking, about what's going on between us. I know you're with Chase and I know you wouldn't want to hurt anyone; I just needed to tell you . . . that I like you. A lot."

Her speech became rushed at the end as she began to feel a little nervous. She was putting herself on the line, opening herself up to someone in an unprecedented move for a lasting connection, one she thought she would never make.

"I know." Cameron smiled, again touching Thirteen's arm tenderly, "And I like you too. A lot. You must know I do." she paused, her expression thoughtful. "And you're not the one I'm going to be hurting."

Thirteen let out an audible breath, although she hadn't realised she'd been holding it. "That's good." she smiled.

Looking into Cameron's eyes, her smile faded to an expression of melancholy. "In that case, we need to talk about something else."

Cameron looked puzzled for a moment.

"My Huntington's." Thirteen said quickly. "I can't really believe I've let this happen, I never wanted something like this." she stopped suddenly, "Well, I did want something like this, I've wanted to feel this way for someone, well. . ." she exhaled, "forever."

"But I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want to see you suffer watching me lose everything in my life that makes me who I am. I know your husband died of cancer, these things don't stay much of a secret at the hospital, and that must have been truly terrible for you. When I watched my mother die and my father lose everything I promised myself I would never put anyone in his position."

Cameron began to interrupt.

"Wait," Thirteen stated, "let me finish before you say anything."

There was silence as Cameron nodded.

"And here I am, not only wanting you to be with me but asking you to do it. I don't know if we'd be together when I would start to become ill, no one can predict the future, but I can't feel comfortable about this; I can't ever forgive myself for this. But I'm doing it anyway, because I can't seem to stop myself." she paused. "Um, that's about it."

Cameron reached over to take Thirteen's hand into her own. "Yes, watching my husband die was the most terrible thing I've ever done, but I did it by choice. I didn't have to marry him when I knew he was ill. It was a choice I made and one that ended up defining my life and defining me for a long time; perhaps it still does even now. But I'd still make that choice today, I think it helped make me the person I am."

"But I don't have a choice with you. I know that sounds ridiculous, but that's the way I feel. I knew my husband for years longer than I've known you, and yet I know I don't have a choice to walk away from this, I'm in too deep now. Even if I did have a choice, I'd still make this one."

Cameron felt the salty simmer of tears as they ran down her cheeks, and as she looked into Thirteen's tearful eyes, and saw some of the fear fall away from her face, she realised that they had made a promise to each other. Unlike the loveless promise she had made Chase, this promise was purer, calmer, a deep current forcing its course through to both of their unloved lives.

"I think," Thirteen said hesitantly, "that I'm glad to hear that."

And she leaned over and kissed Cameron on the lips, a kiss that was somewhere in that middle ground between soft and passionate, and that managed to covey a little of both.

"So," Thirteen continued, a mischievous smile gracing her features, her voice low and seductive, "do I get to wear your pants and panties today?"

Cameron laughed, relieved that their difficult conversation was over, relieved that she had made a decision for once in her life, and despite its implications, she felt light and happy and a little drunk on the though that Thirteen was naked in her bed and probably would be again tonight.

"You bet." Cameron replied, kissing her again, and whispering in her ear, "And I want you to think about me ripping them off you all day."

Thirteen's eyebrows rose quickly in pleasant surprise, despite her own teasing of Cameron. "I certainly will now."

House was back in his office when Thirteen arrived.

"Hi," she said, "how are you feeling?"

He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you look happy?" he asked, sounding more than curious and a little annoyed.

"So I'm not allowed to be happy now?"

"No one who just found out they're dying is happy for at least a week." he stated.

"Yes, they are. And it's none of your business."

"Everything is my business though. That's why God gave me the gift of curiosity. Which he doesn't seem to have given to anyone else at all. He loves me; I'm just trying to figure out how to show my love back. Do you think a sex show is appropriate?"

Thirteen rolled her eyes.

"No, seriously." House continued. "You should at least try to look miserable. At least about Amber."

"House." Thirteen said in a low, threatening voice. "It's none of your business. And I am very sad about Amber."

"Ah," his face lit up, as he looked at her through one narrowed eye. "So there is something for me not to have my business about?" He looked confused. "Did that make sense?"

"Shut up."

"Hmmm," he scrutinised her again. "Those aren't your pants. They scream 'office-babe wants to be taken seriously' and you are more of a laid-back 'I don't care what people think' kind of style." He gesticulated wildly, his voice a cross-between the high, excited tone of a schoolboy up to no good, and a camp fashion designer advertising his new line.

"Careful," Thirteen responded, "You'll pull some stitches out."

House stopped, "I had a HEAD operation." he exclaimed.

"Exactly." Thirteen replied, grinning.

"Whose pants are they, Thirteen?" he asked forcefully, putting extra emphasis on the last syllable of her name.

"If I wanted to talk about my sex life, I would have."

His mouth dropped open, "Seriously?"

Thirteen smiled silently as Taub and Kutner walked in, ready to start the differential.

Cameron jumped, drawing in a breath quickly. "God House, why do you have to do that?"

His face was serious. "You're wearing your hair down."

"Yes, what has that got to do with anything?"

"You never wear your hair down anymore." his eyes bore into hers, making her uncomfortable.

"How are you?" she asked him, attempting to change the subject, continuing to fill out her paperwork.

"In pain." he stated, pronouncing the last word with force. "And it's doing me no good that everybody around here is lying to me. And Wilson isn't speaking to me."

Cameron looked up at him with an ironic smile. "Everybody lies, House. And Wilson, well, give him some time. He's is pain. More pain that you." she said quickly as House began to interrupt.

He paused. "I know." He said quietly, leaning on a filing cabinet, and poking his cane at the rubbish bin until it fell over. "What I don't understand is why you haven't been to see him yet. You're always the first person to try to pick up the pieces. Not that it does any good."

Cameron was silent for a moment. "I'm starting to think I don't know as much about that sort of thing as I used to. I will speak to him, I just haven't got around to it yet."

House surveyed her. "No, you haven't seen him yet because you're not in pain. You're happy. I saw you smiling to yourself. Who smiles when they're doing paperwork? You don't think you can help someone who's broken because you're not broken anymore. What I want to know is why. It's clearly not the wombat; he's been making you miserable for months."

"It's none of your business House, not anymore, and it never would have been." she said forcefully.

"Yeah, yeah, that's everyone's line this morning, pick an original why don't you."

And with that he was gone, leaving Cameron slightly confused and anxious in his wake.

Thirteen left House's office during her lunch break to try to find Cameron in the ER.

She saw the older doctor coming out of an exam room, and smiled at her from across the room.

"Hi," Thirteen said, "I was wondering if you had time for lunch?"

"Yeah, I do," Cameron replied, smiling back, "just give me one second."

"Sure." Thirteen replied.

Cameron stepped away from her for a minute to give instructions to a passing nurse, and then approached Thirteen again, and they began walking side by side to the canteen.

"I don't have too much time though, I'm afraid." Thirteen stated, sounding disappointed.

"Okay, no problem." Cameron replied, a little disappointed herself.

Thirteen insisted on buying Cameron's lunch for her, and her firm assertion made Cameron grin in such a way that she hoped House was nowhere nearby.

"So," Cameron asked as they sat opposite each other at a table, knees touching," have you got a new patient?"

"Yeah, thirty-five year old woman with hallucinations, nausea, and headaches, MRI showed nothing, no tumour, no lesions, and she's now jaundiced. So we're doing a LP and a liver biopsy after lunch. But House wanted exploratory brain surgery. It's all fun upstairs." she finished, slightly sarcastically.

"Sounds like it. Do you know, if you were Chase I'd be trying to think of a diagnosis, while pretending to be listening to what you're saying."

"Good thing I'm not Chase then." Thirteen said quietly. She hesitated. "Did you tell him?"

"No, but I will, don't worry."

"Okay, I'm not worried." Thirteen said, a little too quickly, so that Cameron knew that she was.

"How much longer do you have?" Cameron asked her.

"Um," Thirteen checked her watch, "just under twenty minutes. Why?"

Cameron was already standing when she looked up. "Let's go." she said.

"Where?" Thirteen asked, confusion apparent on her face.

"You'll see."

Thirteen had to stride to catch up with Cameron's quick pace out of the canteen. "Where are we going, Allison?" she asked again.

Cameron pulled on her hand as she walked up the stairs, looking around to make sure no one was watching.

"Wha. . .?" Thirteen was silenced as Cameron placed a finger over her lips. She continued ascending the staircase to the third floor, opening the door and stepping out onto the floor.

"Excellent." Cameron said, her voice whispering in the silence, "Everyone's at lunch."

She tugged on Thirteen's arm as she made her way to exam room 37, pulling the younger doctor into the dark and empty room after her.

"I just couldn't wait until tonight." Cameron stated simply, kissing Thirteen and pinning her up against the wall in imitation of their previous night together.

"Allison." Thirteen gasped, breaking away from the kiss, "Won't someone come in?"

"Maybe," Cameron laughed into Thirteen's hair as she kissed her neck, running her hands over Thirteen's breasts, "but you're worth it."

Thirteen moaned at the answer, and at Cameron's demanding touch. She reminded herself that life was short, and she didn't need much convincing anyway.

The kiss quickly became a hazy fumble of unbuttoning buttons and unclasping clasps. Cameron ran her hands over Thirteen's shirt, her own shirt, and undid the buttons, accidentally breaking the thread on one and causing it to fall to the floor.

"Never mind," Thirteen breathed into her ear, laughing a little, as she placed hot kisses over her collarbone, and on Cameron's sensitive jugular, which caused her to gasp and squirm with pleasure. She began unbuttoning Cameron's top, trying to move too quickly, not allowing her hands to catch up with her brain, her actions clumsy. She became a little frustrated and started to pull Cameron's top over her head awkwardly, but managing nonetheless. She kissed Cameron's neck and undid her bra clasp, her hands touching her everywhere, her lips following, quickly, desperately, her heart pummelling in her chest as adrenaline rushed through her at the prospect of being caught.

Their kiss became breathless, hungry, each aching for the other's touch. They both reached down in between them to unzip their pants, skimming each other's waists, their lips never breaking apart. Cameron's hands reached around to the back of Thirteen's neck, and pulled her mouth more onto her own, making the kiss harder, fiercer, a little more quenching of the thirst they both felt for one another.

Thirteen's hands continued unzipping first Cameron's pants, then her own, marvelling at them both standing there just in their panties. Cameron pressed her body up against Thirteen's, feeling her skin against hers, and she reached down between them, sliding her hands into Thirteen's panties, and slowly, arching her fingers into Thirteen's centre, flicking her thumb over her clit. Thirteen gasped, feeling herself become more and more aroused, not just at Cameron's fingers pushing into her, but at the thought of them both pressed up against the wall, naked, where anyone could walk in at anytime. Cameron couldn't help but smile as she saw Thirteen's gasping from pleasure and writhing against her own body.

Thirteen spread her legs a little further, and pulled Cameron's hips into hers. She moaned a little at the contact, skimming her own hand over Cameron's breasts, down in between them, and sliding her hand into Cameron's panties, her fingers pulsing on her clit, and gliding into Cameron's wet core. She felt herself become even more turned on as she looked into Cameron's wide eyes as her fingers entered her, and began to move inside her, finding that special spot.

"You are so fucking hot." Thirteen moaned, looking at Cameron.

Cameron kissed her again, harder, putting more pressure on her clit.

They began to move together, pulling each other in closer, both always wanting more contact. As the pleasure and desire rose with each movement and each thrust, they held on to each other more tightly, pushing into each other further and further, fingers curling inside each other. They could both feel how close they were, eyes seeking each other in the darkness. As they both came they pulled closer, falling into each other, heavy eyes never leaving each other's as wave upon wave of bliss hit them.

They held each other, hot, breathless, unsure of how they were ever going to regain speech or function again. Their chests rose and fell sharply against each other, in time with each other, as they kissed softly and sweetly.

Thirteen laughed quietly. "Hmmm, I can't wait for later." she said, as she began to put her clothes back on.

Hmmm, writing sex scenes is almost better than actual sex ;)

No, actually, I just remembered. It's not.