Call in the army corps of architects
To flatten the skyline and begin again
I knew the years would move quickly,
But never quite as fast as this

“Have you ever been in love?”

Thirteen frowned following the shadows on the ceiling with her eyes, “Have you?”

“Yes, I married him.”

“I heard.  I’m sorry.”

Cameron rolled over resting her head on Thirteen’s chest, “It’s okay.  What about you?”

After a momentary pause she sighed, “I think so or I thought so.  At the time… it doesn’t really matter.”

“What happened?”

“We were just kids.  You always think you love someone when you’re a kid.”

Cameron shook her head sadly.  There was so little she knew about her brunette lover, so little anyone knew about her really.  Whatever they were doing, fucking, wasn’t a relationship.  She knew that much.  But there was something about the younger girl.  Something so heart wrenchingly sad that made her want to know more.  House would say it was because she always felt she needed to fix people, put them back together.  Maybe he was right.

“I don’t believe that.”

Thirteen was still staring at the ceiling, “That you don’t know what love is when you’re young?”

“Yes.  If you love someone you love someone.  It doesn’t matter how old you are.”

Thirteen merely shrugged.

“Do you miss her?”

“It’s been over ten years.”

“But you do?  Miss her?”

Thirteen finally broke from her staring contest with the ceiling and glanced down at the woman looking expectantly at her, pillow talk had never been a part of whatever this was.  “What’s with all the questions?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Yeah, I do miss her.  It doesn’t matter though.”  Thirteen trailed off, thinking about the girl she had lost.  “She passed away.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”  Thirteen practically whispered, grief clogging her throat.  The ever present hollowness of her chest seemed to tighten, making it harder to breath.  “It was a long time ago.”

Cameron’s heart went out to the younger girl.  Memories of her husband and the time they spent together rushed into her mind.  It was never a long enough time ago.

“We broke up before it happened, she loved this boy.  Everyone always said they were meant to be.  I didn’t even find out till a few months after the fact.”  Thirteen added almost as an afterthought.

“But you still loved her.”

“Yeah, I guess I did.”  Looking over at the clock, Thirteen started to get up.  Her shift started in an hour, just enough time to jump in the shower and grab some coffee.  “I have to go.”

Cameron sat up watching the other woman gather her clothes, not bothering to hide her nude form.  “Okay.  I’ll see you there.”

Pausing to pull her shirt over her head, Thirteen glanced over, “I thought you had off.”

Merely shrugging, Cameron glanced around her empty apartment, “I switched with Nancy.  I have Friday off now, if you want to grab dinner or something.”

The corner of Thirteen’s mouth drifted upward in a hint of a smile, “Yeah.  That sounds good.”

Maybe Cameron did search out the broken, maybe House was right.  But maybe that was okay.