There she stood, one hand on the doorknob, in plain sight. I wouldn't mind…if it weren't for the fact that she had a shirt on…or pants…I thought my heart was going to pound itself out of my chest and I was hoping that I could will myself not to blush.

"You are a lifesaver Allison," she smiled. Apparently this is just another piece of human interaction for her because she doesn't seem the least bit bothered at all. "Really, my OCD habits love you right now."

"Glad to satisfy your OCD habits," I said, mentally repeating to not look anywhere except her eyes. "I think these should fit. Let me know otherwise. Now, I'm gonna go get ready for my shower."

"Right…I didn't even think of that. Sorry, I'll be really quick."

"Don't worry about it. The upside of living in a newer building is the set of fancy pipelines. We can both take showers and be fine. Trust me, it's the only reason I can actually take a shower if my dad comes over. The man would never leave if he had the option."

She laughed as she closed the door. I could hear her through the door as I went to my own bathroom, "Your father is a wise man. I'd never leave too."

I skipped the hair washing. I got out much quicker that way, which also meant that I wouldn't space out in the shower, a habit that has driven me to waste countless hours. I decided since I'm putting on a dress, I might as well look nice. I didn't take too long, with a bit of eyeshadow, a thin line of liquid eyeliner, and some mascara. I left my hair down, put on the dress, and checked my mirror one last time.

I don't say it a lot, but I look pretty damn good. That alone makes me feel good.

When I leave I see Remy down the hall, leaving the guest bedroom. She looked all freshened up well. Her hair was freshly washed, but tied in a French braid that rested perfectly on her shoulder. She too had taken a couple minutes to put on makeup, but since I had all mine gathered in one place, I figured she had brought her own. Before I could compliment her, she broke the silence.

"Well well well…looking spiffy today aren't we blondie?" she scoffed as she headed my way. "What's the big occasion?"

"Breakfast," I joked when she passed by me. I didn't hesitate to follow her back to the living room. "It's the most important meal of the day. Is my big occasion up for you?"

"I don't know. I mean, in comparison to you, I feel underdressed. But I can't complain since these are your clothes."

She was waiting at the door when I grabbed my phone, keys, and wallet. I let her lead at first as we left the apartment, "Well, I can't help it, I'm competitive."

"So you're gonna one up me? Cause I don't think it's fair game if you choose my clothes."

"I had to one-up your beautiful face so excuse me if I took a little extra effort."

"Please," she scoffed, punching my arm. "I'm really not as good looking as you say. But I appreciate the flattery. And the clothes. The clothes are a nice and comfy bonus."

"Don't worry about it. I know you'd do the same for me."

"They smell like you, you know."

"What?" I laughed. Clearly, I heard her wrong.

"I said the clothes smell like you," she said, a bit more meekly this time, as her cheeks turn a bright pink. "I know it sounds weird. I'm sorry. I sound like an absolute creep."

"It's fine," I replied with a light chuckle. "So what exactly do I smell like?"

"Sulfur and peppermint," she deadpanned.

"Gee thanks," I said, rolling my eyes. "What a lovely compliment. Please, do go on with this line of flattery…"

Remy's laugh really one of the most pleasant things I've ever heard. When she truly, genuinely is content with everything, her laugh beats any piano chord or violin masterpiece. Her laugh, much like her, is a work of art.

"It's a kind of fruity smell. Like mangoes," she nodded.

"Well, I can't say I expected mango, but it sure as hell beats out sulfur and peppermint."

"I can't even begin to imagine that god awful mix."

"Let's not and say we did, okay?"

"Agreed."

"You're right. This coffee is pretty damn good." Remy said, coffee mug in hand, eyes looking through the window by her seat perhaps to count the passing cars.

"Told you so." I felt victorious, I'm not gonna lie. I'm very picky with my coffee so I know good coffee when I see it…well taste it.

"So how's work going for you?"

Great question. How is work going for me? I was suddenly reminded of the situation I'm currently stuck in. My job no longer is in the ER. I don't know how long it's been since I've returned to House to work for him. Did I even leave his side in this world? Have I ever been considered top dog of the ER? It's sad to think that after all the hard work I've put into that place counts for nothing here. What's the right answer for this? I give the best and only response to the question, "Fine."

The brunette turned her gaze back towards me and rolled her eyes, "You couldn't be more vague even if you tried."

"Wanna bet on that?"

"Su–" she began as she looked back out the window. "Oh my God."

"What?" I looked out the window, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What is it?"

"Tall guy, Navy shirt. On the phone. By the Prius," she muttered in fragments as she shrunk into her seat a bit.

I looked again and found the man she was talking about. She wasn't kidding when she said tall. He's got to be 6'3" easy, more like 6'5". He was slender but still very well toned with a nicely carved face as well.

"Nice eye Remy," I replied. Don't get me wrong, I tend to lean more towards girls, but I appreciate a good looking guy when I see one. "You sure know how to pick them."

"If you count pushy and nosy as knowing how to pick them…"

"Do you know that guy?" I chuckled. She seems to have a web of good looking people around her all the time; maybe I should hang out with her more. "Lucky you."

She quickly directed her gaze back at me with bugged eyes, "Not lucky me. I slept with that guy."

"No, you didn't!"

She nodded in embarrassment. This is precious. If she is getting flustered around that guy, then there must something up with him.

"It was like twice, okay? Three times tops. Oh God, I hope he doesn't see me." Her face was completely red and it was honestly quite cute, despite the fact that she's probably in the middle of having a mini panic attack. "He's gonna come in. He's gonna come in and he's gonna see me and it's gonna be awful."

I took her hands in mine and gave her every ounce of my attention, "Hey, look at me. There is no reason to be nervous. The diner is full; he'll probably just grab food and leave without even noticing you."

It was clear that my talk worked because the redness began draining from her cheeks and her million dollar smile returned once again, "If we weren't blocked by a table, I'd suffocate you in a hug right now."

"Thank you table," I joked, laughing as she rolled her eyes.

Just as expected, the Remy's mystery boy walked through the door. She was hidden by the back of the booth while I still had a pretty good view. On the other hand, what took me aback was the little girl whose hand he was holding while talking to one of waitresses.

Alex.

A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter and no it did not take me months to upload. I feel so proud of myself. As a quick side note, in the scene where Remy tells Allison that she smells like mango, that is a bit of an inside joke (except I'm the only one who gets it haha). I see words and associate them with colors, smells, emotions, that kind of thing. I guess it's called synesthesia and I don't know why some words are a certain way, but when I see the name Allison, for some reason I see it being associated with mangoes. So in case of the very off chance you were wondering why Allison smelled like a mango, there's your reason. Enjoy the chapter and remember, follows, favorites, alerts, and especially reviews are very very much appreciated. Thanks for dealing with my long side notes and synesthesia. The next chapter will be up very soon.