One Night

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any House related thingies.

CHAPTER ONE

"Can we talk?"

Dr. Gregory House reluctantly looked up from his computer to face the woman in the doorway. He had known Sarah Cameron for a month now, ever since she had first walked into the conference room to meet her younger sister, Allison Cameron, one of House's associates, for lunch; and had promptly taken a fancy to House's best friend, Dr. James Wilson.

"Are you going to be like your sister and ask questions about my feelings?" he asked warily.

Sarah leaned against the door and crossed her arms. "Sort of. It's more me wanting to know what the hell is going on between you and my sister?"

House grimaced and rose slowly, grasping his cane. "Sorry, talk over. Lots of sick people to heal."

Sarah scoffed. "Right. You mean the one patient you've had all week who Chase is discharging right now? House, it's six o'clock. No one's here. Start talking."

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm your sister's boss."

"Yeah, and your best friend is my boyfriend, and he tells me everything. Between him and Allie I know everything."

"Great. Then you know there's nothing to tell."

"House, do you think we don't notice the way she makes your coffee every morning? The way you look at her when she's not looking? When I said I know everything, I meant everything. Why did you agree to go out with her, just to get her to come back if she means nothing to you?"

"Okay, this was two years ago. I don't even remember her being gone. Although that would account for the week where I got food poisoning from crap cafeteria coffee. My colon just hasn't been the same since."

Sarah just gave him a fixed stare, so like her sister's that House gave up, and sat back down.

"What do you want me to say?"

Sarah entered the room further and sat down opposite him. "I want you to tell me, honestly, how you feel about Allison and explain why you keep her behind a wall all the time."

He sighed heavily and twirled his cane while he thought, focusing on the act. "It's complicated."

She nodded and sat back. "Fine. Finish this sentence. Allison is..."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're using physiocratic mumbo-jumbo on me?"

"Well, asking simple questions doesn't seem to get me anywhere. Now come on. Allison is..."

House sighed, thinking of his young, beautiful, immunologist. "Beautiful."

Sarah grinned. "Now, we're getting somewhere. Why did you agree to take her out?"

He rolled his eyes, but decided it might be easier to go along with it. "I wanted her to come back."

"Why?"

"Because... she's the only one who can make coffee?"

"House!"

"Because... there's something about her. She's a good judge of character. She can tell things about patients, about their families. About me. It's actually rather annoying. She always knows what I'm thinking."

"How do you feel about her?"

House sighed again, slightly. "There's something there. Something I haven't felt in a long time."

"And that scared you?"

"I guess. A little. Your boyfriend didn't help by the way. All he did was point out just how long it's been since I was in a relationship, and why this is such a big deal."

Sarah chuckled. "I did the same thing to Allie. That was her first date since Ryan died."

"Ryan the cancer husband?" House raised an eyebrow in interest.

Sarah pursed her lips. "Yes. Moving on, what happens now?"

House shrugged. "She works for me, her fellowship ends, she leaves."

"And you... what?" Sarah pressed.

House knew what she was getting at and glowered at her. "Look, you don't have any idea about it, ok? My last girlfriend put a hole in my leg and got me on drugs. Your sister... Miss Doe Eyes... deserves better than that. It's easier if I just stay away and forget I ever loved her."

Sarah and House both turned at the sound of the conference room door closing, and House glanced out into the corridor just in time to see Cameron hurry past.

"Damn!" he swore, rising as quickly as he could, whilst Sarah bit her lip anxiously.

"How much do you think she heard?"

"Enough to make her cry. Your pick," House snarked, grabbing his backpack and bike helmet off the floor and limping out the door.

House didn't bother rushing after Cameron, he knew there was no way he could catch her. He got on his bike and started the engine. He knew a shortcut to Cameron's building that was a guarantee he would reach it before her. The only trouble was, he wasn't sure what he was going to say once he got there.