AN: Okay… New plan… I have all of season four planned… So this week I will be trying to get it out… Then hopefully by Wednesday I will be done and able to start on season five… it will be awesome… hopefully. But yes… I will hopefully be getting the rest of this story pounded out even before August 19… we shall see and hope!
Guardian Angels
In the classroom, Amber chose to sit next to her… Thirteen wasn't surprised, but she sure as hell wasn't pleased either… Especially when CTB started talking.
"How're you doing?" She asked in probably the least sincere way the brunette had ever heard.
"I'm fine." She tried to go back to doing nothing, but CTB wouldn't let up.
"FYI, if you ask me, it's more the guy's fault than yours. And House isn't blameless either. If he hadn't pitted us all against each other—"
"It was my fault. My mistake." She said curtly, shutting the other doctor up.
Amber looked like she was about to start speaking again, but the phone rang on the desk, causing everyone to look over at it.
"Was that always there?" Taub asked pointing at it.
Brennan, who was standing next to the desk shrugged before answering, "Hello?...Sure." He put it on speaker, "It's House." He mouthed to everyone else.
"Gooood morning, Angels." House's voice came through the speaker.
Thirteen grinned at the antics of her boss and listened.
"As you will see from the file, we have quite the interesting case. Not often do you get a patient who sees dead people." He started.
Everyone else was knit brows and confused looks until Kutner started speaking, "Uhh, what file?"
House sat up in his office desk, "What the hell? I gave it to Bosley a half hour ago."
Cameron walked into his office, drink in hand and gave him a look, "It was not a half hour. It was ten minutes. And he made copies of the ER records first."
Hearing her voice, of course made Thirteen excited while she sat in the classroom, visualizing the two of them argue… it really did lift her spirits a bit… her narcissist mentor and his best friend/her girlfriend that could be called a teddy bear or something just as fluffy, hanging out in the morning discussing medicine… sort of. She kept her face stoic though.
House looked over to his second best friend… and she's only second because she came second… He mocked her as he pointed to the drink in her hand, "Less lip, more whip. I only agreed to take this case because you said that this Mocha Frappalicious would have whip on it."
Cameron, who had been handing it over took it back, "Fine. I'll refer the case to Foreman." She took a drink.
House shook his head, "Can't. Mercy fired him." Cameron took a step back in surprise, "Gimme." He tried for the drink once more.
"He got fired?" She still held it away from him.
"Disobeyed a superior officer under fire. He's lucky he wasn't executed." He said as she finally got close enough for him to swipe the drink from her hands and take a gulp.
"How do you know about it? You keeping tabs on him?" She said it in a mocking tone.
"Girls talk." He turned back to the speaker phone, "When Bosley drags his ancient ass in there—"
"I'm here." Henry, 'Scooter and now Bosley' said, "Twenty-four-year-old funeral cosmetician suffered a grand mal seizure at work."
Thirteen overheard Taub and Kutner's harsh whispers while 'Bosley' handed out the files.
"Why does he get to be Bosley?"
"You wanna be Bosley? Bosley's like the asexual messenger boy." Kutner gave Taub a look.
"She had a vision of being raped by a cadaver before passing out. Seizure rules out psychiatric illness. No history of epilepsy, head trauma, or drug use." Henry informed them all.
Taub looked at him gravely, "Bosley keeps his job while they replace five Angels over three seasons."
Amber started the actual DD, "Could be a tumor to the temporal lobe."
"Not with a normal CT scan."
"You mean it appeared normal to the doc in the ER."
"Way to get right back on that horse, Thirteen."
Thirteen didn't hesitate a half second as she answered, "No, that was Amber." She knew just how good 'the doc in the ER' was… and she knew she was in the room with House listening… and she was not about to get in trouble for saying something like that… No sir.
"Nice try, Cutthroat Bitch. That was the worst Thirteen imitation I've ever heard." House glared at the speaker.
Cameron loved that House loved her girlfriend so much… she couldn't wait until he knew… but she wasn't sure when that would be… obviously after all of the games, but… still…
Thirteen grinned over to the speaker as Amber glared at it after House's statement.
After Taub and Henry started getting into it because yes, Henry was the one that was not a doctor, but might be smarter than all of them… And as House pretended he was losing connection by punching buttons and saying, "Oh, you're breaking up. I'm going into a tunnel." He turned the conversation back to the patient… sort of…
"Dark religious nut." He said into the phone.
Cameron gave him a look, scolding him and he only shrugged… she knew by Cole's response that he was not excited about the newest nickname…
"What did you call me?" They heard from him.
"I'm sorry. What do you people want to be called this week?"
"Cole."
Cameron smirked as she leaned against the desk. House knit his brows and in his permanent sarcastic tone he said, "I'm never gonna remember that. Take Bosley and the other visible minority to the funeral home." Cameron just shook her head at him, "The rest of you young white people, the world is your oyster. Get an MRI with contrast, EEG, LP, and blood panel. And, Angels, be careful." He hung up.
Cameron stood back up and crossed her arms, "Just because he's religious doesn't mean he won't kick your ass."
"You wanna bet?"
"No, I want you to stop being such a jerk to him."
House pulled out a good ol' Benjamin Franklin from his desk drawer and popped it a couple times, "One hundred dollars." He offered. Cameron could only grin and nod, "Smart call… Guy's a wuss. He's gonna be the next one on the train."
Cameron got a little excited, "Define "kick your ass.""
"Any physical confrontation..."
"Or verbal?" She gave him a look.
House gave her a look right back, "Define verbal."
"Anything over...seventy decibels. And you can't start suddenly being nice to him."
"You realize what you're encouraging here?" He asked his friend.
Cameron grinned wide, "Yeah, someone kickin' your ass."
~0~0~0~0~0~
After Amber got to the grave they were illegally digging up and offered the donuts and coffee, she couldn't help but walk over for one of the cups. She was exhausted and even though she knew she shouldn't she decided that if she was going to get through the night, she needed caffeine… especially when Amber started talking to her again…
"So Thirteen, you grow up around here?"
Thirteen stopped mid-drink to frown over at her, "We're digging up a grave, and you want to chit-chat?"
"I'm just making conversation. It's what people do. Why are you hiding everything? And I'm asking you that question because you're hiding everything. There's something seriously wrong with you. I'm worried."
She grinned, "No, you're not."
Amber sighed before recovering, "Fine, but I am freaked, because I don't think you're a freak. I think you're doing this on purpose because you know House will be intrigued."
Thirteen considered the fact that Amber was getting a little too close… because if she admitted to the fact that… 'yeah, she decided to stay a mystery to get on House's team because her girlfriend knew he would like it'… she would be way too close to find out who said girlfriend was… So, as she started to turn away form the blonde, she said, "Yeah, I grew up around here."
~0~0~0~0~0~
After dropping everything off at the hospital and leaving the pickaxes in plain sight, Thirteen finally got to Cameron's. She did her best to be as clean as possible, but because she didn't shower at the hospital, it made it just a bit hard. She threw her shoes down in the shower and walked over to the tub to get a nice bubble bath going for her after she got the dirt cleaned from her body. Once done, she turned on the water to the shower and stepped in as she stripped. It took all of five minutes… and the rest of her energy to scrub everything clean.
She had been falling asleep in the nice warm, scented water of the tub for about five minutes before she felt lips press against hers. She was of course surprised by this, but she was also very happy to have those lips, so she kissed back.
As they pulled from each other, Allison stroked her hair and glanced to the shower, "What did you guys do? Dig up a grave?" She asked jokingly.
Remy looked down and back up innocently.
Allison's jaw dropped, "You dug up a grave? Remy!"
Remy only shrugged as she decided it was time for bed and got out of the tub, "I think I'm going to have to sleep naked…"
"Well, you know I'd never complain about that… but are you honestly that tired?" Remy nodded, "Well okay.." The blonde grinned and grabbed her girlfriend's towel, handing it to her before she stripped down to nothing as well, "Let's sleep naked."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Thirteen was on break and knew her girlfriend would be too. She snuck into the ER head's office and waited. Cameron jumped when she came in, but looked at Remy with a grin before she really looked at Remy… She shut the door, but it was not going to be for afternoon delight.
She crossed the room and straddled her girlfriend so she could give her a proper hug, "What'd going on?"
"Our patient is seeing dead people… or she thinks she is… And she saw a guy in a wheelchair that told her I killed his dog…"
"Honey…"
"And then… when I told Amber to back off because forcing the reality into her head that her mother was gone wasn't going to do anything but make her sad and uncooperative, she asked if I lost my mother…"
Allison just held her tight. She kissed her neck up to her cheek and ear, "You I can't… do… this conversation well…"
"I know… This is fine… just you here with me." Remy hugged her middle tight and they stayed like that for a moment, "I think she'd fucking with me… Actually… no, I KNOW she is… she planted a fucking doggy collar in one of the rooms we were running tests in."
Allison knit her brows and tried to decide if Amber's death would be swift or torturous… But before she could say anything about it, Remy held her tighter and Allison knew it was 'cuddle with Remy and don't think about anything else' time.
When Remy's hold loosened, Allison knew she could change subjects, "I think Cole might kick House's ass…"
Remy quirked a brow, "Really?" The blonde nodded, "Why?"
"Well… House and I might have made a bet that he would… and while House isn't allowed to be nice to him, we never made any rules about my influences…" She smirked, making Remy grin.
The brunette shook her head, "You are going to hell…"
Allison shrugged, "I like warm climates." She changed the subject, "I thought we were almost busted when I talked to House at lunch…"
"Why?"
"Because he pinpointed the fact that I cared about who he hired and fired… but he drew it up to the fact that he thinks I still think I can control him and I want the job."
"Well, Honey, you can control him and you do want the job."
Allison shook her head, "Not as much as I want you to have it… and not as much as I want to head my own department… I miss it, sure, but… I don't want it." She kissed her girlfriend.
"Four more?" Remy asked pleadingly.
"Only four kisses? See, I saw you here at first and I was thinking 'afternoon delight' but if you want only four kisses then—"
"Afternoon delight!" Remy demanded before Allison could finish her sentence.
~0~0~0~0~0~
As Thirteen watched the beginnings of a heated exchange between her boss and Cole, she slowly reached for her phone and started recording… Allison had to see it! It was going to be great.
"You believe that the Book has all the answers?" House asked.
"To morality, not science!"
"But the book is inconsistent with science. You know how many epileptics were tortured because they were possessed? How many teenage witches were stoned to death 'cause they took mushrooms?"
"Just shut up already! We got a patient dying!" Cole was maaaaaaaaaaad! He turned away from House as he replied.
"Either got to prescribe an exorcism or admit to me that Smith was a horny fraud."
And there it was. He turned quickly and punched him square in the jaw. All of them were jaw dropped except Amber, who was zoned out.
"I know what she has." She said with an obvious epiphany looming around her.
House gave the blonde an angry look and Thirteen slid her phone back in her pocket very, very subtly, "You couldn't have spoken up ten seconds ago? You coulda saved me a hundred bucks."
~0~0~0~0~0~
House walked into the room with a bouquet, "As you know, there are seven of you and..." He counted six stems then threw out the extras, "Only six roses."
"Those are peonies." They all gave Kutner a look after the correction, and Kutner only scratched his neck, "But I'm sure they're part of the rose family." He smiled like the dork he was.
"Actually, I'm surprised there are seven of you." He turned to Cole, "You punch your boss and stick around?"
Cole sat as calmly as he could before he couldn't take it anymore, "Gimme the flower and shut up." He said with a smirk.
House gave him the peony, "Don't overdo it." He turned to everyone else, "Now I would love to keep all of you. But not enough to do anything about it. So according to my arbitrary schedule, one of you has to go."
House looked at each of the others. He waited to look at Amber last because he knew that when he looked at his not so secret favorite, she would be smirking. So as his stare turned to her with a slight grin, she frowned.
She laughed at the ridiculousness of her getting fired, "You're kidding." House only stared, which made her lash out a bit, "I came up with the answer. I robbed a grave. I—"
"Planted a dog collar in the procedure room just to screw with my head." Thirteen looked over Cole to her.
Amber turned to House, "No, I never..." She shut up when House gave her the flower.
"What, you don't believe she did it?" Thirteen asked her.
"I'm sure she did it. That's why she's getting the flower. It was beautiful." Amber grinned and glared at Thirteen as she sat back down, "She just overreached. She got into your head."
"No. I—"
"She owned you!" House grinned slightly, "Planting the idea was good. Letting it fester was good. Leaving the collar was stupid. Well known fact, ghosts don't leave things lying around."
Thirteen's nostrils flared slightly, "So am I gone then?"
House gave her a look as he walked up to her, telling her that she wasn't ever going to be gone and gave her the peony. She smiled and bumped her flower with Cole's excited that they both got to stay.
~0~0~0~0~0~
After seeing the video, Cameron ran up to House, catching him on his way out, "Cash will be fine…" She smirked.
"I bet you say that to all your clients…" he laughed, "Get it? Because your hair makes you look like a hooker." He dug in his wallet and handed her the money, "Here… take your blood money."
She plucks it from his fingers and puts it in her breast pocket of her scrubs.
House eyed her, "Who are you going to protect next."
The blonde leaned into him, "If I told you, it wouldn't work." She grinned and bounced away back to her ER.