A/N: Grey's Anatomy/ House crossover fic (that's not as bad as it sounds, I promise!). Cameron attempts to escape the remnants of her broken relationship with House and rediscover her optimism by escaping to Seattle, where she befriends Meredith and Dr. McDreamy. Will House allow Cameron to leave him behind for good? Can Meredith and Derek repair the broken trust between them before it's too late? Read, review, and find out!

MerDer, CameronHouse, some Maddison. Other characters come in and out but will probably not be too central. Spoilers for GA and House up to Season 3. This is my first-ever crossover fic so please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own GA or House (and I know y'all know who does). I am just taking them out for a spin. Lyrics (and title) taken from Keane.

Chapter 1

"It's a lonely road that you have chosen.

Morning comes and you don't want to know me anymore."

He was in his private office when she entered the Diagnostic Team's suite that morning. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Gameboy and telltale iPod wires, sure to be blasting some loud and raucous rock ballad suitably incongruous for the early hour – and yet she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of actually looking at him. Everyone lies, Cameron. It was time.

Her gaze shifted to observe her colleagues, fellow captives in House's sadistic yet inevitable orbital pull. No more. Foreman and Chase looked up from their easy banter over the latest copy of NEJM as she cleared her throat.

Damn.

Now that the moment had arrived, she wished they could have done this anywhere but here. Even though House had his iPod turned up and his back to her, she felt her skin prickle as though he could see her. Feel her. She shook her long brown hair as though to rid herself of her own thoughts. Don't be silly, Cameron.

"Cameron." It was Foreman who spoke. "I thought you were …on vacation." It was clear from his hesitation that he had heard the rumors. Who had she been kidding? The gossip mill at PPTH ran faster than the speed of light. She blamed only herself for the hurt in Foreman's voice.

"Not vacation, Foreman," she sighed softly. "Chase, Foreman …" Damn, this was hard. "It's not permanent. I don't think it's permanent. I just –" she swore softly, refusing to look in the direction of the man they were all thinking about. "I can't think, here, right now. I can't remember why I wanted to do this, why I wanted to become a doctor. How I became … like this. It's just sabbatical," she trailed off, lamely.

Chase nodded in understanding. "A breath of fresh air."

"Yes."

"You'll be back." Foreman, with a slight note of distrust.

"Yes."

There was a soft moment of silence. They understood. She had known they would understand. And then she rushed to their open arms, her mind returning to the conversation with Cuddy that had put this whole series of events into motion.

Three Weeks Earlier

"I need a sabbatical." She had rushed into Cuddy's office, uncharacteristically rude, without an appointment, without thought, really, following her latest exchange with House. Everybody lies, Cameron. No matter what he said, it was all she heard. Despite the time that had passed, his tone still rang strong in her ears. House's words weren't ever really going to go away, were they?

"Dr. Cameron?"

"I need a sabbatical," she repeated, firmly. Less hysterical this time. She hoped.

"Typically, we only offer sabbaticals for attendings with teaching responsibility," Cuddy replied, mildly, sizing the younger woman up. "You don't exactly fit the bill."

"Attendings with teaching responsibility have nothing on House," Cameron responded, gritting her teeth.

Cuddy sighed. Truthfully, who hadn't seen this coming? She was surprised the girl had made it this far – it was certainly longer than the hospital betting pool had predicted. She wondered what had finally snapped, and whether Cameron was coming back. "Where will you go?" she asked, careful to betray no emotion.

"My medical school mentor has a relationship with Richard Weber, Chief of Surgery out at Seattle Grace. He can help me get a temporary appointment to their Diagnostics Program. They're doing some pretty cutting edge stuff."

"PPTH is ranked number one in diagnostics and both you and Richard Weber know it. What is this about, Dr. Cameron?"

"I need a break, Cuddy!" Well, that came out sounding angrier than she had meant. Was it really her voice, sounding so harsh? Maybe she really was losing it. Cameron paused, one second to catch her breath, another for her sanity.

"I'll come back," she said, slowly, sorrowfully, making sure to enunciate every word, all the while wishing she were not quite this weak. "This is my career. I care about my career. I care about my patients. I care about the work we do. I care about this. I care about … him." She stared defiantly at the older woman, daring her to call the bluff.

"I just need to breathe. Please."

Present

And so she had gotten her sabbatical, for if anyone at the hospital besides Cameron could understand how House could wear a woman down it was Lisa Cuddy. And now she stood there, with her two compatriots, brothers in arms, almost, really – pretending that she was just maybe not saying goodbye. Trying to convince herself, futilely, that this was not running away. Allison Cameron did not run – not, at least, until she arrived here.

She kept her tone light. "It's just Seattle. I'll call." It's for the best. The unspoken words. Backing away from them, with their good intentions and their warm wishes. She preferred the feeling of coldness that had come to settle in her stomach as of late. Still, and pointedly, ignoring the figure with his back to the glass door. Goodbye, House. It was good, really, that he was self-absorbed, that he didn't see her, couldn't hear. Abruptly, she turned and fled.

Behind the glass door, House let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. His headphones were on, but when he'd caught the reflection of the glass suite door against his window he had known, his leg throbbing lightly, almost tickling, in the way it did only when she was nearby.

So he had muted the volume and listened, without compunction. If she wouldn't look at him, mention his name, wouldn't be truthful with herself or with the others it was all he could do really, he told himself. At Cameron's words House half-smiled, a twisted grimace of both pain and pride. Perhaps his smartest duckling had finally learned the hardest House lesson of all.

Everybody lies. He would not allow himself to finish that sentence, even in the solitude of his office, when Cameron was long gone.

Everybody lies … even me.

TBC.

A/N: First chapter is a little House-centric, I know … but keep reading: SGH action is coming in chapter 2!