Work Text:
It’s Kutner’s idea to crash Cameron and Foreman’s Friday lunch date right after Amber leaves; he prattles on about solidarity between fellows and joining the brotherhood, which seems to imply that he thinks he’s joining a frat and not just a new job, but whatever–Remy is admittedly curious to see how Foreman will react, and she gathers that Taub goes along with it for the same reason. It is decided that safety is best determined in numbers, and so the three of them walk up to Foreman and Cameron’s table–no Chase, since he’s on nights this week–as a conjoined unit, Kutner in the middle and Remy and Taub flanking him on either side. It sort of makes Remy feel like she’s a sidekick in a teen movie, which makes her smile; after all the ways he’s fucked with them throughout the hiring process, she likes the thought of messing with Foreman, of getting her own back. Except Foreman glances up at them and looks strangely…relieved, which takes out all the fun of the damn thing.
“Can we join?” Kutner blurts out, knuckles white around the edges of his tray; Remy catches Taub roll his eyes at the earnestness in his voice. Cameron doesn’t even get the chance to respond; Foreman is immediately nodding and making room in the booth for them to pull up chairs. Kutner beams. “Cheers, man.”
“I was so glad to hear you made the cut,” Cameron says to Remy, who is seated next to her out of necessity; Taub has deliberately angled himself as far away from Cameron as possible, perhaps in an attempt to resist temptation, and Kutner has expertly inserted himself right into the middle of things. At least one of them is happy. “Dr Hadley, right? I was hoping you’d make the team over Volakis.”
Why do you care, Remy thinks with a stab of irritation–it isn’t Cameron’s business who works for House anymore, why is everyone who has ever been remotely associated with Diagnostics so insistent on staying looped into each other’s business–but she just takes a measured sip of her coffee and says, “Amber wasn’t that bad.”
“Cutthroat Bitch?” Kutner blurts out, interrupting what appears to have been an eyebrow-raising wordless communication contest between Foreman and Taub. “Yeah, right. Be serious, Thirteen.”
“I really hate that nickname,” Cameron starts, leaning forward and looking like she’s about to go on the warpath, and so Remy is surprised at the utter daggers Foreman shoots when Taub interrupts her with, “So, what were you two talking about before we got here?”
There’s really no other way to describe it; Cameron practically melts. “Oh, just a really sweet thing Chase did for me,” she smiles. It’s actually kind of weird; Remy has heard all the rumours about Cameron’s big crush on House, listened to all the water-cooler gossip about Cameron’s first husband who died of cancer, to the point where she has found herself almost guilty of buying into all of it–the idea that maybe Cameron doesn’t really like Chase, even as Foreman sulks in the conference room about having to thirdwheel them at drinks or reminisces pointedly about how difficult it had been to work with two coworkers who were sleeping together. Not that anyone ever says as much explicitly, but implication is a good two-thirds of any gossip mill. But right now, thinking about Chase, Cameron looks all warm and glowing, like the human personification of why people call the early stages of a relationship the honeymoon phase. It’s enough to make Remy feel guilty, for being so incredibly jaded. “The clasp on my favourite necklace broke and he took the day off so he could rush it to the jewellers because he didn’t want me to have to wait until the weekend.” Cameron fishes a delicate-looking chain out from under her scrubs, and holds it out to the table for inspection. “See? Good as new.”
“That is sweet,” Kutner says blithely, ignoring the way Foreman looks slightly homicidal as Cameron brightens at the encouragement. He really was serious about how much he hated thirdwheeling Chase and Cameron after all. “Cute necklace.”
“Right?” she grins. “And he’s working nights, too, so it messed his whole schedule up. He’s so thoughtful. Don’t ever settle,” she turns to Remy, like this was ever a concern, or like Cameron knows her remotely well enough to care, “because good guys are out there.”
“I don’t think Thirteen has to worry about settling,” Foreman says, bone dry; it’s halfway between compliment and insult, as most of his comments towards her are, and Remy stares at him long enough until he ducks his head in embarrassment. “What’s new with you three?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” Kutner begins, and Remy cuts him off with a congenial smile at Cameron. Her job is secure now, and so revenge is easy. It’s a shame Kutner will have to pay for it by extension, but all’s fair in love and war.
“I want to hear more about this necklace story, Dr Cameron,” she says, bright and honey-sweet. She sees the exact moment that Foreman realises his mistake, and Remy goes in for the kill: “Why don’t you tell us all the details?”