A/N: It was brought to my attention that I may have messed up Alex's age in some chapters. Originally she was going to be six, but I decided on seven instead.
A/N2: This chapter practically wrote itself. This is the first time I've updated this story without updating Taking the Long Way as well. That should hopefully be up by the end of next week...unless the stupid holidays get in the way. Make sure to read the note at the end, it'll help explain why I seem to have left out as much as I did in the epilogue. See you at the end...
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Chapter Thirteen – Three Months Later
Allison looks down at her sleeping lover with a fond smile as she tucks a stray lock of brown hair off of Remy's face. She lets the tips of her fingers linger, trailing them down her jaw and to the other woman's soft, pink lips. The blonde isn't sure how long she lays there on her side while mapping the contours of the younger woman's face as she lets her mind wander.
The couple, plus Alex and Richard, drove up to Connecticut to spend time with Alex's other grandparents for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. While the adults returned Friday afternoon, Alex was left to spend the rest of the weekend with Angela and Austin Harrison.
Cameron was a nervous wreck the whole drive up there. It was like she was meeting her girlfriend's parents, but not really. She felt like the Harrisons were going to look at her like she was the woman Remy was replacing Olivia with. Remy and Robert tried their best to convince her otherwise, but to no avail. However, after spending five minutes with Olivia's parents, she got over it.
The blonde doctor smiles as she thinks about their Thanksgiving. Her smile broadens as she thinks that this has been the first real weekend she and Remy had been able to spend alone together. She loves Alex, but it was just nice to be able to grope and make out with her girlfriend whenever and wherever she felt like it without worrying about where the little girl was.
Looking down at the other woman, she is startled to find the brunette's eyes slightly open and a small smile tugging at her lips. "Hi," Allison whispers, afraid to disturb the quiet peacefulness blanketing them.
"Hi, yourself," Remy smirks groggily.
"I didn't wake you up did I?" The older woman questions, trying to remember if she was doing anything to disturb the other woman's sleep.
"Yes," Thirteen gravely responds. "You're thoughts were just so loud that I could hear them in my sleep," she explains, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
Allison rolls her eyes and chuckles. "How inconsiderate of me," she offers as an apology.
"What's on your mind? Nothing too serious I hope," Hadley wonders with concern having noticed the pensive expression on her girlfriend's face when she awoke.
"Nothing too serious," Cameron confirms. "Just thinking about how I had you all to myself for these last couple of days," she informs her with a lascivious grin.
"You still have me all to yourself for the next six hours until Alex gets home. Whatever will you do with me until then?" Is the decidedly naughty response.
Allison rolls over so that she is straddling Remy, her hands resting on either side of the brunette's head to hold herself up. "I was thinking…" she begins, pausing to lean down and kiss a trail up the other woman's neck. "…that we could play…" she pauses again and hovers her mouth over the younger woman's lips. "…Monopoly," she grins, pulling back slightly to watch Hadley's reactions.
Remy's eyes, which had fluttered closed moments ago, snap open as she stares incredulously at the blonde. "Monopoly?" She mumbles, earning a nod from the other doctor. It takes only a moment before she catches on to what the other woman is doing. Flipping them over so that she is now on top, Thirteen grins as she begins to tickle the older woman's sides. "I was thinking we could play Scrabble instead," she jokingly retorts as she watches her girlfriend struggle beneath her, tears of laughter streaming down her face.
"Okay! Okay! I give up!" Cameron gasps through her laughter. Remy promptly stops her torment and offers the blonde a smug smile. "You win," she states after getting her breathing under control.
"I know," Thirteen replies earnestly, her tone conveying that she is talking about much more than just the game. Allison smiles up at her before placing a hand at the back of her neck and bringing the brunette's head down for a searing kiss.
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A couple hours later finds both women in the kitchen, Remy leaning against the counter with a cup of decaf coffee in her hands and Allison sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper with her regular coffee in front of her. The brunette is idly studying the other woman.
Allison has her reading glasses on as she peruses the newspaper. She is wearing one of Remy's old AC/DC t-shirts and her favorite South Park boxers. Her blonde hair is up in a messy bun with a few stray locks dropping down and framing her face. Remy thinks the other woman looks stunning.
Hadley places her coffee mug on the counter and makes her way over to her girlfriend. She rests her hands gently on the blonde's shoulders and places a kiss on the top of her head as she begins to massage her neck and shoulders. Allison closes her eyes and lets herself lean back and relax against the younger woman.
"That feels good," Cameron moans quietly, simply enjoying the other woman's attention without questioning it.
"I've been thinking…" Remy states in a reflective tone.
"That's never a good sign," the blonde lightly jokes. When nothing else is forthcoming, she lets her head bend back against the brunette's stomach so that she can look up at her. "What have you been thinking about?" She questions, suddenly curious as she notices the slightly amused smile on her girlfriend's face.
"How much I love being with you," is the honest reply.
Allison's face instantly brightens at the other woman's words. "I love spending time with you too," she states with a grin.
"I also think that how, as much time we spend together, it never quite feels like enough," Remy continues, stopping her ministrations but leaving her hands on the other woman's shoulders.
"No, it doesn't," Cameron agrees, confusion beginning to cloud her features, wondering what the younger woman is getting at.
"Since we agree that we don't see each other as much as we would like, there is a logical solution to this problem," Thirteen states slowly, never breaking eye contact.
"Oh yeah?" Allison questions, having a feeling as to where this is going.
"Well, since this apartment is pretty big and you spend a lot of time here anyways, I was just wondering how you would feel about moving in here with Alex and me?" She asks nervously, hoping that the other woman doesn't think she is trying to move their relationship along too fast.
"You want me to move in?" Allison repeats, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Officially, yes. You have a lot of clothes over here and a spare key to the apartment anyways. You practically live here already," Hadley elaborates with a slight shrug.
Allison is now full-on grinning. "I'd love to move in with you and Alex," she happily responds, her face falling slightly as soon as she finishes speaking them.
"What's wrong?" Remy asks, concern that the blonde was second-guessing her decision already.
"What will Alex think of me moving in? What if she doesn't want me to live here? What if she isn't ready for-"
"I asked her last week if it was okay," Thirteen interrupts her insecure line of questioning. "She was excited about the prospect of you being here full-time," she adds.
"You already spoke to her about it?" Cameron questions, touched that her girlfriend put that much thought into the offer.
"Yes. After she gave it the okay, I told her that I was going to ask you while she was at her grandparent's. It was my intention to ask all weekend, but I just wanted to wait for the perfect moment," she explains with a smile.
Cameron appears confused for a moment. "Why did you think that now was the perfect moment?" She wonders, unsure of what made this morning so special.
"You being here feels like the most natural thing in the world. Watching you reading the paper wearing my clothes is how I'd like to spend every morning for the rest of my life," she states honestly.
All Allison can do is smile and draw the brunette's hands down to wrap around her waist and let the younger doctor's chin rest on the top of her head. "Sounds great to me too," she responds moments later, feeling absolutely giddy.
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"You know…Alex is going…to be home soon, right?" Remy breathes out between kisses as she and Allison are making out on the couch.
"Uh huh," the blonde affirms as she nibbles on her girlfriend's lower lip, one hand still under the other woman's shirt and the other being used to hold her body up.
"Just checking," Thirteen chuckles. Her amusement soon turns into a moan as Cameron's lips migrate down to sucking on her neck.
Their heated actions come to an abrupt halt as there is a knock on the door. "I feel like I am back in high school again," Allison whispers quietly as she climbs off of the other woman.
Remy smiles as she stands up on shaky legs. "Coming!" She calls out to whoever is at the door.
"Not yet," is the mumbled response from the couch.
"Dirty mind," Thirteen shoots back at the blonde with a sly grin. She unlocks the door and pulls it open. Standing next to her daughter is a couple in their late forties. "Hey guys," she greets them warmly.
"Did we interrupt anything?" Austin Harrison questions with an arched eyebrow as he takes in the other woman's disheveled appearance.
"No," Remy draws out unconvincingly, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Hello Allison," Angela addresses the other occupant in the apartment, pointedly acknowledging that she knows the brunette well enough to know when she is lying.
"Hi Mrs. Harrison," Cameron replies, slightly embarrassed at having been caught.
"It's about time," Angela says to Thirteen in a conspiratorial tone.
Hadley, for her part, blushes profusely at the statement. However, before she can respond, Alex steps closer to her mother and looks up, her brow scrunched in confusion. "Mom, what's that on your neck?" She questions.
Confused, Thirteen reaches up and touches where her daughter indicated. Having an inkling as to what the seven year old is talking about, she shoots her girlfriend a shocked and accusing glare.
"What?" The blonde asks in feigned innocence, trying not to stare at the hickey on the brunette's neck.
"Ally!" Remy admonishes, earning a short round of muffled laughter from Alex's grandparents.
Alex and her seven year old attention span have already moved on by now though. "Hey Mom, did you ask her yet?" She wonders with barely concealed excitement.
"Yes," Hadley smiles brightly as she remembers the conversation in the kitchen that morning.
Cameron, on the other hand, is still trying to get used to the speed at which the little girl can change topics. However, she is saved the embarrassment of asking what they are talking about when Austin beats her to the punch.
"Ask who what, Sweetheart?" He wonders in confusion.
"If Ally wanted to move in," Alexis briefly explains before turning her attention back to her mother. "And?" She prompts her mother impatiently.
"I said yes," the doctor in question replies, having finally caught up in the conversation.
Alex allows a broad grin to spread across her face. "Great! That means you didn't screw up when you asked her, right Mom?" The little girl directs towards the brunette doctor, almost accusingly.
"Hey!" Remy squeals, almost hurt that her daughter would think that she couldn't handle it.
"No, she didn't screw up at all," Allison smirks in defense of her girlfriend. Remy playfully sticks her tongue out at her daughter, who returns the gesture.
"Now, now, children. Do we have to break you two up?" Angela teases the brunette and her daughter.
Thirteen at least has the grace to blush at having been caught acting like a kid; Alexis just giggles and turns her attention back to Cameron. "When are you moving in?" She asks with a smile.
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Friday
Thirteen hits the button for the elevator. A faint smile makes its way to her face as she thinks about a certain blonde ER doctor who is almost completely moved into her apartment. As soon as she gets out of the hospital she is going to Allison's apartment and bring the last of her stuff over.
She steps into the elevator and presses the button for the first floor. Before the door closes, a black cane with a flame sticker on the base of it prevents it from doing so. The brunette rolls her eyes as House enters the elevator with her, but her smile remains intact.
"What are you so happy about?" House wonders suspiciously. "Other than the fact that you are actually getting some action?" He adds on to his previous question with a leer.
"Do I suddenly need a reason to be happy?" Remy replies with a smirk and an arched eyebrow. Not even her cranky boss can bring down her mood as the doors close and they start moving down.
"You're never happy when I'm around," the older man pointedly replies.
"How do you know?" The brunette retorts cheekily.
"I make sure of it," House answers with a mischievous grin. "It's much more fun for me to have you be irritated," he reveals.
"Sorry to ruin your fun," Thirteen apologizes mockingly with a shrug and a good-natured smile as they get off the elevator.
House narrows his eyes at her demeanor. Before he gets the chance to comment, though, her cell phone starts to ring. The brunette glances down at the screen and smiles softly to herself, the man beside her all but forgotten as she hits the talk button.
"Hey," Remy greets the caller.
"Hey yourself," Cameron responds with a grin.
"Is something wrong?" Hadley questions, wondering why the other woman is calling her as she is, literally, on her way out the door.
"No. I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to worry about stopping by my old apartment," Allison informs her easily.
"Why not? I thought you still had-"
"No, I picked it up and brought it over when I got off an hour ago," the blonde cuts her girlfriend off, her excitement evident in her tone.
"You could have waited," Thirteen frowns slightly. "I wouldn't have minded helping you get it," she assures the other woman. House listens carefully to Hadley's side of the conversation as he tries to ascertain what they are talking about.
"I know, but I was too pumped up to wait. Now all you have to do when you get home is help me unpack," Allison say. "'Home'," she repeats thoughtfully. "I like the sound of that," she finishes happily.
Remy can't help but grin in response. "Me too," she agrees. "I guess I'll pick Lexi up from my dad's house on the way home," she decides, emphasizing the last part.
"Sounds good," Cameron determines. "I love you," she says, pausing for a moment after stating something that felt so natural to say.
Remy is caught slightly off guard by the declaration before smiling into the phone. "I love you too," she reveals. "I'll see you in about half an hour," she finishes.
"I can't wait," Allison giggles into the phone before hanging up.
Hadley smiles reflectively, staring at her phone for a moment after hanging up. She is brought out of her reverie by the gagging sounds her boss is making from his position next to her. In response, Thirteen merely arches an eyebrow in question.
"Is there a problem?" She asks him, her expression stern…completely the opposite of what it was only a minute ago.
"You and Cameron are way too…" House trails off, not sure what word could fit the saccharine-sweetness of the part of the conversation he heard coupled with the oblivious lovey-dovey look on the younger woman's face. "You two are way too…cute," he settles on, the disgust evident in his tone.
Remy can't help but smirk at her boss. "You'll get over it," she offers, not feeling the least bit sympathetic to the older man's plight.
House merely scoffs at the suggestion before an impish expression comes over his face. "Sounds like the girlfriend is moving in," he points out.
"Maybe," Remy replies, not wanting to give him any more fuel for the night.
"I'm sure you, Cameron, and Thirteen, Jr. will make for a nice Christmas card to send home to the family," he replies sarcastically, not noticing Cuddy walking by behind him as he says this.
Cuddy backtracks and gives Thirteen a questioning look, she merely smirks back at the other woman. "House. Leave Dr. Hadley and Dr. Cameron alone," she orders firmly.
"But what about-"
"Alexis too," she interrupts him.
"You're not the boss of me," House grumbles under his breath.
After a moment of incredulous silence: "Yes I am," she corrects, earning an eye roll from the cranky doctor.
House merely waves her off before limping away mumbling about being ganged up on by two women…and not in a good way.
"How did you know about Alex?" Thirteen questions the older woman once House is out of earshot.
"Did you think that I would let House hire people without looking into backgrounds first?" Cuddy asks rhetorically.
"Good point," Remy acknowledges suspiciously as she notices the faint blush creeping up the dean's neck.
"And maybe House also let it slip to most of the hospital last month," she tentatively explains.
"I figured as much," is the simple, amused response.
Cuddy takes in the other woman's demeanor. "You're not nearly as upset as you probably should be," she notes warily.
"Maybe I just had a good day," Remy shrugs good-naturedly. "See you next week Dr. Cuddy," she says before turning and leaving.
"You too Thirteen," the dean replies, mostly to herself, as she inadvertently refers to the younger woman by her nickname. Just because I know what is going on in my hospital doesn't mean I know what's going on in my employees' heads. She muses to herself before shaking the thoughts out of her head and making her way back to her office.
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"Honey, we're home!" Remy calls out with a smile as she and Alex walk through the door to the apartment.
"Very funny," Allison responds as she appears out of the hallway, holding a couple of her shirts on hangers.
"Need any help?" Thirteen offers as Alex runs to drop her book bag in her room.
"Yeah, I'm almost done anyways," the blonde replies before she finds herself with a seven year old practically attached to her side.
"When we're done can we order pizza?" The little girl questions, using her most adorable expression as she does so.
"I don't see why not," Cameron replies before seeing the arched eyebrow and 'Mom'-look on her girlfriend's face. "As long as it's okay with your mom," she adds quickly.
"Can we Mom? Please?" Alex practically begs, a full-on pout adorning her features.
"Yeah, can we Mom?" Allison asks with a similar expression.
Remy can feel her stern façade crumble at being double-teamed by the two…for the third time this month. She rolls her eyes at how easily swayed she is by the pair. "Nothing too greasy this time," she acquiesces.
"Yay!" Alex squeals as she runs to get the phone and menus of different places.
"You are such a bad influence," Remy sighs melodramatically before turning to her girlfriend. "I am so going to kill you for teaching her that 'puppy dog' look," the brunette teasingly threatens the ER doctor.
"No you won't," Cameron contradicts her with a smile.
"No, I won't. Besides, between the two of you, I don't really stand a chance, do I?"
The blonde chuckles. "Not really, but you like it," she retorts playfully.
"Maybe," Thirteen draws out slowly as she leans in for a kiss. Cameron closes her eyes in expectation, but is instead met with a pair of hands tickling at her sides in retribution.
Allison erupts into a fit of laughter before trying in vain to get out of the taller woman's grasp. "Stop it!" She cries out through tears of laughter as they tumble over the back of the couch in their struggle.
"Mom, I found this…" Alex begins as she enters the room, only to trail off as she sees the scene unfold before her. Noticing that her mom has the advantage, she drops the phone and menus before deciding to come to the aid of her new, blonde partner-in-crime.
It doesn't take long before the three of them are nothing more than a big laughing pile of limbs on the floor of the living room. As they all lay exhausted on the floor, Allison has one thought rolling around in her head.
"Maybe 'thirteen' is a lucky number after all." Remy and Alex can't agree more.
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First off, I would just like to thank everyone who has read this story and all of those of you that read and reviewed. Over 21,000 hits! That's amazing and I'm glad you guys stuck with the story for so long.
Also, I know that I said that I would tell you guys about Alex's dad. I didn't forget. But, good news for you: I am writing a sequel to this story, so you'll still find out. I wanted Taking A Chance to end on a happy note. The sequel won't be quite as fluffy and I didn't want this to end on a downer.
I have just barely gotten started with the sequel, but just know that it is going to take place about a year after the end of this one. It will include some elements of season five (yes, I will use "Last Resort" because I love the episode and OW in it). And, like I said, it will be darker, but will focus a lot on Cameron and Hadley's relationship. There may be another appearance of Thirteen's neighbors, Alex and Richard will definitely be coming back, and I am planning on Alex's other grandparents returning as well.
Anyways, until then, tell me what you think and whatnot...and I know, there seemed to be a lot of tickling in this chapter. Kind of odd I think.