Title: Escape (1/?)
Pairing: House/Cameron
Word Count: 951
Summary: Escape was the only way out for her……. But ones past always has a way of catching up.

Waves met the shore with an enthusiastic welcome home. The seas spray embracing the feminine figure on the sand with warm fingers; wrapping her within its salty grasp, calming her already tortured heart. Tall apartment buildings which hug the coastline stood as dedicated guards as the sun set behind her. Their shadows placing their hands gently on her shoulders letting her know that they were there for her, protecting.

She needed the protection or so she thought after escaping her previous life. It was not all doom and gloom before but it was just hopeless to live and work somewhere where the object you so most desire was unobtainable and out of reach.

Many had called her misguided for falling in love with such a brash, uncouth, miserable bastard. But she did. As a doctor she should know better, that continued exposure to something that was obviously not good for ones health, would inevitable end up with the patient being harmed. Maybe she was just too nice to see anything but good in him. He told her that too. She was too trusting, and far too nice for any human being to handle for long periods of time.

So she left.

Vanished.

Moved far away from him.

It was a Friday when she made her decision, the week had been hell, he had been more miserable and dished out harsher cutting remarks than ever before, two patients had died and she could no longer take it. So by six that evening she found herself driving to Newark from Princeton in the weekend rush hour, no destination had been formulated, no plan, so completely out of character for the normally methodical person that she was. Her suitcase was packed with basic things she might need, and on instinct she check to see if her passport was still valid, for you know just in case she decided that a trip to Canada for the weekend was in order.

But it wasn't until the sign for Newark Liberty International Airport popped out of the evening fog did she entertain the fact of leaving this life behind for good. But she did. So after checking the contents of her bank account to her old married joint account; something she did not have the heart part with, booked her car into a long term parking garage taking out the longest term available and caught a cab to the airport.

There she sat beneath the departures sign for several hours standing at the junction of her life; disappear for a little while and stay within the confines of the US or take the plunge and go.

So she took the plunge.

The six and a half hours to Heathrow she spent looking out of the plane's window she spent arguing with herself if she had made the right decision. But by the time the plane had landed she decided it was time to take a break, just for the sake of maintaining her sanity.

London she found was too simular to Princeton and everywhere else in Europe just didn't fit. But at least she was able to see the sites she so longed to see. Her long departed husband had promised the world; and now in spirit he did by allowing her the ability to escape.

But her innate ability to heal kicked in; longing to work to be useful again was growing stronger as her bank account dwindled.

It had crossed her mind if she should just bite the bullet and head back with her tail between her legs. But that is what he would want, it would only confirm his suspicions that he was in control of her. She would be stronger.

So gone was Dr Allison Cameron, Immunologist to the famous Diagnostician Dr Gregory House of Princeton-Plainsborough Teaching Hospital, she was now Dr Allison Matthews recently widowed and wanting a fresh start in Australia.

No-one needed to know that her husband had died ten years previously, so that was a detail she happily kept to herself.

But at least Chase was right the Gold Coast is a wonderful place to be. No-one asked any questions, pried or even wanted to know her reasons for moving half way around the world to start a new life. They just accepted her and welcomed her with warm smiles and laughter.

Getting a job was far easier than she ever expected. Dr Steven Bligh was the most recognised Immunologist within Australia and had hired her on the spot, her credentials were brilliant. If asked about the years in between finishing her internship and now she told them with calming ease that she was caring for her husband as he lay dying with terminal cancer.

In one respect he was right – everyone lies.

Princeton was never mentioned. But it was only a matter of time before her past would catch up with her, that was inevitable; but like most things it was better to deal with them when the time came; definitely not before.

She worked hard, long hours at Gold Coast Hospital; but they were rewarding. Socialisation was limited; she was offered but Allison just did not feel like exerting the effort and her love life had hit an all time low; but no one questioned her motives.

It was a rare day off for Allison, and sitting on the beach looking out over the horizon was the best was to recharge and take in the beauty her new home had to offer. The ominous black clouds signalled change; could be a change in weather or it could be a change in her life. Either way it was heading towards the coast and her that much she new.