FIC- Lies for Love Part Twenty
Title: Lies for love
Pairing: Thirteen/Cameron, Thirteen/Cuddy
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Pretty much zilch. This is set at the beginning of Season 5 when House has his new team but contains nothing about them specific to episodes.
Disclaimer: I own... nada.
Summary: Thirteen can't remain faithful and risks losing everything that matters to her.
( Part One.) ( Part Two) ( Part Three) (Part Four) (Part Five) (Part Six) (Part Seven) (Part Eight) (Part Nine) (Part Ten) (Part Eleven) (Part Twelve) (Part Thirteen) (Part Fourteen) (Part Fifteen) (Part Sixteen) (Part Seventeen) (Part Eighteen) (Part Nineteen)
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20.
The next week dragged by in a haze, Thirteen barely aware of what was happening around her. She’d had to endure question after question from Foreman, Taub and Kutner who wanted to know why Cameron had been so mad at House, and what was going on. Luckily they’d given up after a couple of days, and it seemed that the details of her affair with Cameron had been kept between the only people who currently knew; House, Wilson, Cuddy, Chase, and obviously Cameron and herself. Likewise, her relationship, or lack thereof with Cuddy was also secret, with that being known about by all of the above except Chase. Well, Cameron may have told him, but somehow Thirteen doubted so. She was sure that by now he would have confronted her about cheating on her own partner if that were the case.
By the time Monday had once again rolled around, Thirteen was beginning to get used to being alone. She now fully recognised herself to be single; though that didn’t mean she was on the prowl for a new partner. What she’d said to Cuddy about waiting for her was true, she fully intended on giving her the time to make a decision. However, House’s constant presence around the other woman was seriously irritating her, and on more than one occasion she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying something to him. If she brought it up she knew that it would only encourage him further, and that might mean that Cuddy took his flirtatiousness as the real thing. That in turn would lead to her falling into his arms or House rejecting her when she made a move, thereby upsetting her even further.
So basically; Thirteen kept her mouth shut.
Several times during her clinic duty she glanced through the window of Cuddy’s office. It was almost unbearable, seeing her from a distance but unable to go near her. She hadn’t even gone near Diagnostics to shout at House. He had been on his best behaviour; which Thirteen had a funny feeling was supposed to annoy her. There was no way he would do his job just because he didn’t want to infuriate Cuddy. He definitely had an ulterior motive, and as far as Thirteen was concerned that was the only reason. She knew that there was a possibility of him doing it to work his way closer to Cuddy; but she tried not to think about that. It hurt too much.
She really was beautiful, Thirteen found herself thinking. It was fairly warm today, and so Cuddy had chosen to wear a slim black dress and no doubt, a pair of her killer heels as usual, though Thirteen couldn’t see from her vantage point. Her hair fell around her face as she leant over a file, and she wore a look of intense concentration. Thirteen wished that she would look up and make eye contact, enable her to see how she was feeling today. Since their confrontation in the car park the previous week, Thirteen hadn’t been able to catch her eye; Cuddy intently ignoring her. However, there had been times, usually when Cuddy was undertaking clinic duty, that she watched from a distance and saw that Cuddy stared into space, a pain in her eyes that was only readable to those who looked close enough.
Close like Thirteen used to be.
Waiting for Cuddy to approach, if she ever did, was killing her. There was this horrible powerlessness that seemed to have overcome her, and she hated the idea that this might go on for another six months or longer. She was almost certain that Cuddy would eventually speak to her, but whether that would be to tell her to never come near her again or not, Thirteen had no way of knowing. What she did know was that she had to make sure Cuddy knew that she still thought about her all the time, that she wasn’t just ignoring this. For a long time she debated what she could possibly do; and then the simplest of suggestions came to her.
Flowers.
It was a cliché, of course. What other option was there though? It wasn’t like she could go out and purchase a mini-break for the two of them. Underwear was a very bad idea considering the circumstances, and clothes were something that Cuddy liked to pick out herself. So really, she had limited options. Jewellery was a possibility... maybe she’d go for that after the flowers. Evidently she couldn’t buy her way out of the situation but Cuddy didn’t want any contact from her, so leaving her gifts was pretty much the only thing she could do. It wasn’t like she had to state they were from her; Cuddy would have the intelligence to realise that without a message.
Looking up the number of a local florist, Thirteen went outside to order them from her cell phone where she wouldn’t be overheard. She knew that Cuddy adored white lilies, and so she asked for the most expensive arrangement and to make sure that they were included. It set her back three hundred dollars but she couldn’t have cared less; Cuddy was worth a hell of a lot more to her than that. She did debate having the message read as “Sorry” but decided that she would have to stick to the no contact request. Gifts were technically a form of contact, she supposed, but she doubted that Cuddy would actually yell at her for sending flowers.
Once she’d finished ordering, she headed back to diagnostics to get on with some work. Cuddy would receive her gift at around two o’clock that afternoon meaning that Thirteen still had some time to kill. She planned to be there when the flowers were delivered; not actually inside Cuddy’s office but hovering outside where Cuddy couldn’t see her. It was kind of stupid, but she wanted to see Cuddy’s reaction, maybe even see a smile on her face. It had been too long since she’d seen Cuddy anywhere close to happy, and so observing her would hopefully be well worth it.
**
For the next three hours or so Thirteen couldn’t keep still. When Kutner picked up on it she informed him that she was just restless and wished that they had a patient to diagnose. He didn’t dispute her answer; there was a great deal of sitting around involved when working for House, and they’d all been bored at one time or another. Thirteen had planned to go down to the clinic just before two o’clock in case the flowers were delivered early. She could feign writing notes so that she didn’t have to actually see any patients, and then when Cuddy has received the flowers she would start treating them.
“Why don’t you go to the ER if you’re bored?” Taub suggested as Thirteen paced around the room once again.
“I think I’ll pass,” Thirteen replied, ignoring the snicker from House in the corner. “I’m going to the clinic in a bit. Unless anyone has any brighter suggestions?”
Taub shook his head, and Kutner piped up, “Nope. Sorry.”
Thirteen faked a sigh. She had no intention of going anywhere but the clinic, but she didn’t want House to be suspicious of her. The last thing she need was him intercepting the flowers or distracting her when she was trying to watch Cuddy. “Well I guess it’s the clinic then,” she said as she checked her watch. Ten to two. Close enough; she may as well go now. “I’ll see you later guys.”
She took a slow walk to the clinic to waste some time. It was silly but her stomach was in knots with nerves. It wasn’t like anything was going to happen; she was just desperate to see Cuddy’s reaction. There was a chance she would cry; something which Thirteen crossed her fingers wouldn’t happen. She didn’t want to upset her, she wanted for Cuddy to know that she still cared. When it came down to it, if Cuddy did cry then Thirteen wouldn’t be able to stop herself from going in there; she would have to explain why she’d sent them and that she never intended to upset her.
**
The clinic wasn’t too busy, making it easy for Thirteen to stand at the counter without doing anything and being yelled at by the nurse on duty. She could see from her position a clear view into Cuddy’s office, the blinds fortunately left open. Cuddy was on the phone, to who Thirteen obviously didn’t know, but it looked formal. So as not to attract attention to herself Thirteen could only sneak glances up every few seconds, because if she kept her eyes trained on Cuddy then someone would be bound to pick up on it. If House decided to make an appearance then he wouldn’t hesitate to mock and further wind her up.
The minutes dragged by slowly, but at around five past two Thirteen saw the flowers being brought in. There were snickers from the nurses beside her as they immediately started gossiping, everyone wondering who had bought their Dean of Medicine the beautiful bouquet of flowers. Even from a distance Thirteen could see that they were definitely worth the money; well presented and simply stunning to look at. She was glad she’d paid for the most expensive arrangement; she had wanted to make a statement after all. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling, and prayed to God that they would have the same effect on Cuddy.
At first Cuddy looked stunned at the man who entered her office holding the flowers. Thirteen watched her bring a hand up to her chest and say something, in seeming disbelief. The man placed the arrangement on her desk, spoke briefly to Cuddy, and left with a smile on his face. Thirteen was tempted to run up and ask him what Cuddy had said, but she knew that it would be far too suspicious for her to do that. She could run after him and ask him once he was outside, but she wanted to stay and find out what Cuddy did next. Unable to move, she observed Cuddy inspect the flowers with a smile on her face, evidently looking for the message that wasn’t there. Eventually, Cuddy realised this and she frowned, looking confused.
Surely she realised they were from Thirteen? Who else could they be from? Unless...
No way. Thirteen watched as House hobbled into Cuddy’s office, and unable to stop herself she followed, pausing outside the door. She glanced around to see if anyone was still watching, but now that the flowers had been delivered everyone had begun to go about their normal business. That was good, it meant that she could wait outside the door without drawing too much attention to herself. Cuddy’s secretary wasn’t at her desk, and Thirteen hoped she wouldn’t be for the next few minutes at least, enabling her to listen to what House said. She positioned herself directly between the door and window so that the wall shielded most of her body. There was every chance that Cuddy would spot her, but it was worth the risk.
“Sexy flowers,” House announced to Cuddy, moving to stand next to her.
She smiled, laughing slightly. “Yeah.”
“So... you like them?” House asked curiously.
“Thank you,” Cuddy hugged him, placed a kiss on his cheek.
She thought House sent them? Why would she think that? Thirteen felt the jealousy burn inside as Cuddy and House made contact with each other. It should be her that Cuddy was thanking, holding. Not him.
“Umm, what?” House asked as Cuddy pulled away.
“For being a friend and... for the flowers,” Cuddy explained, still smiling. “I thought that after what happened on Friday you’d not want to be anywhere near me.”
Friday? What the fuck happened on Friday? Thirteen didn’t know how much more she could bear to hear, but at the same time she couldn’t take her eyes away from the two of them.
“Cuddy, I didn’t get you those flowers,” House said slowly. “And as for Friday...” He cleared his throat and screeched in a high pitched voice, “You loved it!”
“Will you keep your voice down?” Cuddy hissed at him, smacking his torso.
Thirteen thought she was going to be sick. It didn’t take a genius to work out what Cuddy meant; she’d had sex with House. Obviously Thirteen’s suspicions had been correct in the first place, and House had been vying for her ex. Her chest tightened and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. When Cuddy found out about Cameron this must have been exactly how she felt; probably worse. Technically Cuddy was single and entitled to haves sex with whoever she wanted to, and Thirteen had no right to judge her for it. It seemed that she had found a new love interest in the form of House, and there was nothing that Thirteen could do about it. The only thing she did know was that right now; she couldn’t listen to anymore of this. She didn’t need to know details, the images her own mind was currently creating were more than enough to deal with. She had to get out of here.
Except now there were two pairs of eyes watching her. Suffocating under their gaze, with one last stricken look in Cuddy’s direction, she turned and ran.
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Pairing: Thirteen/Cameron, Thirteen/Cuddy
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Pretty much zilch. This is set at the beginning of Season 5 when House has his new team but contains nothing about them specific to episodes.
Disclaimer: I own... nada.
Summary: Thirteen can't remain faithful and risks losing everything that matters to her.
( Part One.) ( Part Two) ( Part Three) (Part Four) (Part Five) (Part Six) (Part Seven) (Part Eight) (Part Nine) (Part Ten) (Part Eleven) (Part Twelve) (Part Thirteen) (Part Fourteen) (Part Fifteen) (Part Sixteen) (Part Seventeen) (Part Eighteen) (Part Nineteen)
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20.
The next week dragged by in a haze, Thirteen barely aware of what was happening around her. She’d had to endure question after question from Foreman, Taub and Kutner who wanted to know why Cameron had been so mad at House, and what was going on. Luckily they’d given up after a couple of days, and it seemed that the details of her affair with Cameron had been kept between the only people who currently knew; House, Wilson, Cuddy, Chase, and obviously Cameron and herself. Likewise, her relationship, or lack thereof with Cuddy was also secret, with that being known about by all of the above except Chase. Well, Cameron may have told him, but somehow Thirteen doubted so. She was sure that by now he would have confronted her about cheating on her own partner if that were the case.
By the time Monday had once again rolled around, Thirteen was beginning to get used to being alone. She now fully recognised herself to be single; though that didn’t mean she was on the prowl for a new partner. What she’d said to Cuddy about waiting for her was true, she fully intended on giving her the time to make a decision. However, House’s constant presence around the other woman was seriously irritating her, and on more than one occasion she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying something to him. If she brought it up she knew that it would only encourage him further, and that might mean that Cuddy took his flirtatiousness as the real thing. That in turn would lead to her falling into his arms or House rejecting her when she made a move, thereby upsetting her even further.
So basically; Thirteen kept her mouth shut.
Several times during her clinic duty she glanced through the window of Cuddy’s office. It was almost unbearable, seeing her from a distance but unable to go near her. She hadn’t even gone near Diagnostics to shout at House. He had been on his best behaviour; which Thirteen had a funny feeling was supposed to annoy her. There was no way he would do his job just because he didn’t want to infuriate Cuddy. He definitely had an ulterior motive, and as far as Thirteen was concerned that was the only reason. She knew that there was a possibility of him doing it to work his way closer to Cuddy; but she tried not to think about that. It hurt too much.
She really was beautiful, Thirteen found herself thinking. It was fairly warm today, and so Cuddy had chosen to wear a slim black dress and no doubt, a pair of her killer heels as usual, though Thirteen couldn’t see from her vantage point. Her hair fell around her face as she leant over a file, and she wore a look of intense concentration. Thirteen wished that she would look up and make eye contact, enable her to see how she was feeling today. Since their confrontation in the car park the previous week, Thirteen hadn’t been able to catch her eye; Cuddy intently ignoring her. However, there had been times, usually when Cuddy was undertaking clinic duty, that she watched from a distance and saw that Cuddy stared into space, a pain in her eyes that was only readable to those who looked close enough.
Close like Thirteen used to be.
Waiting for Cuddy to approach, if she ever did, was killing her. There was this horrible powerlessness that seemed to have overcome her, and she hated the idea that this might go on for another six months or longer. She was almost certain that Cuddy would eventually speak to her, but whether that would be to tell her to never come near her again or not, Thirteen had no way of knowing. What she did know was that she had to make sure Cuddy knew that she still thought about her all the time, that she wasn’t just ignoring this. For a long time she debated what she could possibly do; and then the simplest of suggestions came to her.
Flowers.
It was a cliché, of course. What other option was there though? It wasn’t like she could go out and purchase a mini-break for the two of them. Underwear was a very bad idea considering the circumstances, and clothes were something that Cuddy liked to pick out herself. So really, she had limited options. Jewellery was a possibility... maybe she’d go for that after the flowers. Evidently she couldn’t buy her way out of the situation but Cuddy didn’t want any contact from her, so leaving her gifts was pretty much the only thing she could do. It wasn’t like she had to state they were from her; Cuddy would have the intelligence to realise that without a message.
Looking up the number of a local florist, Thirteen went outside to order them from her cell phone where she wouldn’t be overheard. She knew that Cuddy adored white lilies, and so she asked for the most expensive arrangement and to make sure that they were included. It set her back three hundred dollars but she couldn’t have cared less; Cuddy was worth a hell of a lot more to her than that. She did debate having the message read as “Sorry” but decided that she would have to stick to the no contact request. Gifts were technically a form of contact, she supposed, but she doubted that Cuddy would actually yell at her for sending flowers.
Once she’d finished ordering, she headed back to diagnostics to get on with some work. Cuddy would receive her gift at around two o’clock that afternoon meaning that Thirteen still had some time to kill. She planned to be there when the flowers were delivered; not actually inside Cuddy’s office but hovering outside where Cuddy couldn’t see her. It was kind of stupid, but she wanted to see Cuddy’s reaction, maybe even see a smile on her face. It had been too long since she’d seen Cuddy anywhere close to happy, and so observing her would hopefully be well worth it.
**
For the next three hours or so Thirteen couldn’t keep still. When Kutner picked up on it she informed him that she was just restless and wished that they had a patient to diagnose. He didn’t dispute her answer; there was a great deal of sitting around involved when working for House, and they’d all been bored at one time or another. Thirteen had planned to go down to the clinic just before two o’clock in case the flowers were delivered early. She could feign writing notes so that she didn’t have to actually see any patients, and then when Cuddy has received the flowers she would start treating them.
“Why don’t you go to the ER if you’re bored?” Taub suggested as Thirteen paced around the room once again.
“I think I’ll pass,” Thirteen replied, ignoring the snicker from House in the corner. “I’m going to the clinic in a bit. Unless anyone has any brighter suggestions?”
Taub shook his head, and Kutner piped up, “Nope. Sorry.”
Thirteen faked a sigh. She had no intention of going anywhere but the clinic, but she didn’t want House to be suspicious of her. The last thing she need was him intercepting the flowers or distracting her when she was trying to watch Cuddy. “Well I guess it’s the clinic then,” she said as she checked her watch. Ten to two. Close enough; she may as well go now. “I’ll see you later guys.”
She took a slow walk to the clinic to waste some time. It was silly but her stomach was in knots with nerves. It wasn’t like anything was going to happen; she was just desperate to see Cuddy’s reaction. There was a chance she would cry; something which Thirteen crossed her fingers wouldn’t happen. She didn’t want to upset her, she wanted for Cuddy to know that she still cared. When it came down to it, if Cuddy did cry then Thirteen wouldn’t be able to stop herself from going in there; she would have to explain why she’d sent them and that she never intended to upset her.
**
The clinic wasn’t too busy, making it easy for Thirteen to stand at the counter without doing anything and being yelled at by the nurse on duty. She could see from her position a clear view into Cuddy’s office, the blinds fortunately left open. Cuddy was on the phone, to who Thirteen obviously didn’t know, but it looked formal. So as not to attract attention to herself Thirteen could only sneak glances up every few seconds, because if she kept her eyes trained on Cuddy then someone would be bound to pick up on it. If House decided to make an appearance then he wouldn’t hesitate to mock and further wind her up.
The minutes dragged by slowly, but at around five past two Thirteen saw the flowers being brought in. There were snickers from the nurses beside her as they immediately started gossiping, everyone wondering who had bought their Dean of Medicine the beautiful bouquet of flowers. Even from a distance Thirteen could see that they were definitely worth the money; well presented and simply stunning to look at. She was glad she’d paid for the most expensive arrangement; she had wanted to make a statement after all. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling, and prayed to God that they would have the same effect on Cuddy.
At first Cuddy looked stunned at the man who entered her office holding the flowers. Thirteen watched her bring a hand up to her chest and say something, in seeming disbelief. The man placed the arrangement on her desk, spoke briefly to Cuddy, and left with a smile on his face. Thirteen was tempted to run up and ask him what Cuddy had said, but she knew that it would be far too suspicious for her to do that. She could run after him and ask him once he was outside, but she wanted to stay and find out what Cuddy did next. Unable to move, she observed Cuddy inspect the flowers with a smile on her face, evidently looking for the message that wasn’t there. Eventually, Cuddy realised this and she frowned, looking confused.
Surely she realised they were from Thirteen? Who else could they be from? Unless...
No way. Thirteen watched as House hobbled into Cuddy’s office, and unable to stop herself she followed, pausing outside the door. She glanced around to see if anyone was still watching, but now that the flowers had been delivered everyone had begun to go about their normal business. That was good, it meant that she could wait outside the door without drawing too much attention to herself. Cuddy’s secretary wasn’t at her desk, and Thirteen hoped she wouldn’t be for the next few minutes at least, enabling her to listen to what House said. She positioned herself directly between the door and window so that the wall shielded most of her body. There was every chance that Cuddy would spot her, but it was worth the risk.
“Sexy flowers,” House announced to Cuddy, moving to stand next to her.
She smiled, laughing slightly. “Yeah.”
“So... you like them?” House asked curiously.
“Thank you,” Cuddy hugged him, placed a kiss on his cheek.
She thought House sent them? Why would she think that? Thirteen felt the jealousy burn inside as Cuddy and House made contact with each other. It should be her that Cuddy was thanking, holding. Not him.
“Umm, what?” House asked as Cuddy pulled away.
“For being a friend and... for the flowers,” Cuddy explained, still smiling. “I thought that after what happened on Friday you’d not want to be anywhere near me.”
Friday? What the fuck happened on Friday? Thirteen didn’t know how much more she could bear to hear, but at the same time she couldn’t take her eyes away from the two of them.
“Cuddy, I didn’t get you those flowers,” House said slowly. “And as for Friday...” He cleared his throat and screeched in a high pitched voice, “You loved it!”
“Will you keep your voice down?” Cuddy hissed at him, smacking his torso.
Thirteen thought she was going to be sick. It didn’t take a genius to work out what Cuddy meant; she’d had sex with House. Obviously Thirteen’s suspicions had been correct in the first place, and House had been vying for her ex. Her chest tightened and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. When Cuddy found out about Cameron this must have been exactly how she felt; probably worse. Technically Cuddy was single and entitled to haves sex with whoever she wanted to, and Thirteen had no right to judge her for it. It seemed that she had found a new love interest in the form of House, and there was nothing that Thirteen could do about it. The only thing she did know was that right now; she couldn’t listen to anymore of this. She didn’t need to know details, the images her own mind was currently creating were more than enough to deal with. She had to get out of here.
Except now there were two pairs of eyes watching her. Suffocating under their gaze, with one last stricken look in Cuddy’s direction, she turned and ran.
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