HEY. Sorry I've kept you waiting so long! And to apologize, I wrote 3 chapters worth and then decided you all were so sweet with your reviews, I would give them to you all at once! Entirely Cadley goodness. Enjoyyy.
Thirteen didn't know how long she had been talking to Cameron. But she noticed when she went to take a drink of her coffee, and it was ice cold. She finally put it down and decided she didn't care enough about her sleep, she probably wasn't going to be able to sleep anyways.
"- and that was when I realized, rubber ducks where not as soft as they seem when they're thrown at your head. I thought I had to have stitches. Buuut.. turns out-"
"-you're just a baby?" Thirteen interjected with a playful smirk.
Cameron laughed genuinely, then quickly tried to cover it up with a mock glare and eye roll. Out of curiosity, she checked her watch. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, her body immediately snapping upright with shock.
Startled, Thirteen recoiled and instinctively rocked forward with her arm out stretched toward Cameron. Realizing nothing was about to attack her, Thirteen relaxed and felt stupid for being so jumpy. Luckily, Cameron didn't notice her strange reaction, one Thirteen decided she would think about later. Instead, Cameron looked up and exclaimed, "It's half past eleven!"
Thirteen was astonished. How long had she been standing in the break room? Looking out the window, she realized it was pitch dark and her feet were aching. "Great. Well you could have told me that without the tone someone uses to yell 'bomb' in an airport."
The older doctor laughed. "You have no idea how excited I get about time though. It's so much fun..."
Thirteen arched her eyebrows and smiled slightly. A sort of, "humour-the-crazy-person" expression.
"Oh come on, that was a joke!" Cameron exclaimed, exasperated. Unable to hold it in any longer, Thirteen broke out in laughter, saving Cameron from the belief that Thirteen thought she was some insane woman with an apartment full of different kinds of clocks.
"I get it!" Thirteen said, after a few moments. "But I think we should both go home. Before we wind up making jokes about sun dials."
Cameron smiled and nodded heavily. She placed her coffee cup in the sink and held an arm out for Thirteen to lead the way to the woman's locker room. The taller doctor rolled her eyes and pretended to curtsy, forcing Cameron to laugh out loud. They kept talking as they walked. Later, if Thirteen was asked what they talked about, she wouldn't be able to recall. All she knew was that Allison Cameron was something more to her than someone she encountered around the office.
Walking to their cars together, all bundled up against the January cold, they fell into comfortable silence while they shivered against the cold. As they got closer the the lot, Cameron slowed down. Thirteen matched her pace and raised a questioning brow. Cameron's head was focused on her coat as she patted herself in various places. Finally, she locked eyes with Thirteen and said in a slow, serious monotone, "I think I locked my keys in my car."
Seriously resisting the urge to laugh, Thirteen asked which car was hers. Pointing, they both quickly walked to Cameron's car. And there, in between the coffee cup and arm rest, were Cameron's keys, winking silver in the light of the yellow florescent street lamp. "It's light they're mocking me." Cameron moaned, leaning her forehead against the driver's side door.
Thirteen grimaced and made a sympathetic noise at the back of her throat.
"Jesus, now what am I going to do?" The unfortunate ER head said quietly to herself. "I guess I'll just take a taxi to a hotel."
"Wait, what?" Thirteen said in almost sheer disbelief. "What are you talking about, a hotel?"
"Well I have to work tomorrow. And, I don't know. I have to stay somewhere. I think I'll just-"
"Stay with me."
Thirteen surprised herself. She was normally so hesitant to let people into her life, let alone into her house. Still, she found herself repeating, "Stay with me."
Why would she offer up her house? Then, she reasoned it out in her head at the same time as she was speaking, "It only makes sense. As someone who did not lock their keys in, I could take you to your house. But then again, you probably have your house keys on your ring?" Seeing Cameron nod, she continued. "Of course you did. I mean, why would you catch a break? Anyways, just stay at my house and we can deal with it in the morning. Right now, I'm too tired to care. And seeing as you almost fell asleep as I was talking, you too."
"Hey! I did not fall asleep!"
"It was a prolonged blink." Thirteen said with a smile.
"Fine. And fine. I'll come with you. But I do have a condition." Cameron said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
God, she's cute with that look on her face. Thirteen thought. And with her cheeks red from the cold, standing there in so many fragile layers and still making demands.. Kinda makes me wonder what's under all- Holy shit? What the hell is wrong with you? Thirteen snapped out of her self talk in time to see Cameron staring at her with a particular expression. "Uh, what condition? Or do I even want to know? And before you tell me, may I point out that most people would accept the generosity and move on?"
"Well yes. But I'm not most people, now am I?" Cameron responded.
Thirteen laughed. "Fine. Make your demand. But just get in the car, I'm freezing."
Cameron obeyed without a word. They shivered in Thirteen's car for a moment before Thirteen started moving and Cameron initiated World Word Thirteen by turning on the radio.
When the car stopped moving, Cameron found herself in front of a shady looking building. But then again, that could be the fact that it was night time.
Facing back to Thirteen, the younger doctor saw the look on her face and laughed once. "It's not as scary as it looks. Really, every house here recycles and the roofs all have solar panels for the environment." Her cheeky grin was illuminated by the car's internal lights, casting a shadow over her curved lips and angled cheekbones. Wow, she really is beautiful. Even with circles under her eyes, she still manages to look... sexy.
"Okay, okay. Fine. Maybe we don't recycle. But it's not that bad, I swear." Thirteen's voice turned a little apologetic and Cameron realized she had taken her awed silence for discomfort. Trying to cover up she said, "No, I was just wondering how many apartments in your building has a drug dealer. I'm guessing a good 60%?"
Thirteen shivered and laughed genuinely. "C'mon, ya big baby. Let's go inside before I turn into a popsicle." Cameron smiled and followed her out of the car.
On their way up to her apartment, talking, Cameron was struck again by how easy it was to talk to Thirteen. Any subject that came up was one that provided good conversation for the both of them and no matter what, Thirteen managed to make it interesting.
"Okay. Here we are." Thirteen interrupted her train of thought, stopping in front of her door. Taking out her keys, she had a moment of hesitation and gave the blonde doctor a look of "sorry-about-this" that made Cameron wonder what was going on. Two heartbeats later, Thirteen put her key in the lock, kicked the door, jiggled the key, kicked the door again, turned the key, and pounded on the door twice. With an odd sucking sound, the door opened. The older woman's jaw dropped. Covering it up quickly she said, "What, no secret password?"
Almost with relief, Thirteen laughed and crossed her threshold. Walking a few steps she realized Cameron hadn't followed her. Turning with a quizzical look, she arched an eyebrow at the stranded doctor. What now?
Cameron's smirk was definite. "Don't tell me you forgot about my condition, Doctor?" Oh shit! Thirteen thought. I totally forgot about her condition. She rolled her eyes. "Okay. What's your condition?"
"My condition is that you have to tell me something."
"Really? I stopped playing truth or dare around age 14."
Cameron laughed. "It's not truth or dare. But if we get bored tonight, maybe it could make a comeback."
"So you are staying?" said Thirteen with a victorious smirk.
"No," Cameron said. Shit! "Maybe. It depends on your answer. So... are you going to answer my question, or should I call a cab?"
Thirteen hesitated. Well.. she'd already invited Cameron to her house. What more damage could she do to her badass reputation? "Sure. I'll play your game. What could the ER doctor want to know?"
"What is your first name?"
Thirteen blinked for a moment, shocked that the one thing Cameron would want to know about her was something as simple as her name. Then, she started to laugh. Huge, inhaling gasps of laughter. When she finally settled down, she made her face completely blank and walked the two steps back to Cameron. Sticking out her hand she said, "Hi. My name is Remy Hadley."
Cameron grinned and placed her hand in Thirteen's. Finally! "Hello Remy, I'm Allison Cameron. Thank you so much for inviting me into your home." Rolling her eyes, Thirteen grasped Cameron's hand in hers a little tighter and pulled the blonde into her apartment.
Laughing, Cameron stumbled into a surprisingly open and warmly decorated apartment. As she looked around, she noticed that it was well furnished with an entire wall devoted to a fireplace surrounded by shelf after shelf of books. She was a more than a little impressed. It was quite a contrast to the outside. Hm, just like Thirteen... Cameron thought mildly. Standing in the younger woman's home, breathing in a scent of the something rich that belonged especially to Thirteen, for some reason, Cameron felt perfectly at ease. Just, happy. She looked at Thirteen, to find the taller doctor looking directly at her. Cameron's eyes met Thirteen's complicated irises and found that for once, she had nothing to say to the mysterious doctor.
"Allison..." Thirteen began. And the blonde noticed a small thrill go through her as Thirteen's smooth but smoky baritone filled the room with her name. "Allison, I have something to say..."
Feeling a little panicked, Cameron tried to cover her emotions and said, "What is it, Remy?"
A smile tugged at Thirteen's lips as her eyes flicked to the ground and then back up to meet Allison's green eyes. "I have to tell you... I don't think you should sleep on my couch. It's really uncomfortable and you're kind of a baby. You should just take my bed and I'll take the couch. Really, it's the easiest way."
Now it was Cameron's turn to dissolve into shocked laughter. Of all the ridiculous things! What sick sense of humor does she have that THIS is her idea of a joke? After 20 solid seconds, Cameron responded, "You're out of your mind. I'm not taking your bed away from you. We can share. It's not a big deal. I'm exhausted. And so are you."
As if to prove her point, Thirteen had started to yawn while she was talking and immediately snapped her jaw shut. Remy rolled her eyes. "Fine" And started to walk off.
Once Thirteen moved, that was when they noticed it.
They were still holding hands.
SO. Thanks for reading, and tell me what you think? And absorb this Camteen while you can, it's about to get badddd. Hint hint...