Interlocked
Chapter One
Disclaimer: I own nothing House M.D.
Gregory House is walking as quickly as his leg would allow down the street in Princeton. He's looking at his watch.
"Damn. I'm late." He mutters, not noticing where he is going. He plows head on into someone.
"Oh!" He says, bending down to help that someone pick up all of their papers that spilled. He looked at the face of a beautiful woman with wavy black hair.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"No, it's alright. Neither was I." She said. They both laughed.
"Damn. Well, I'm sorry to bump into you. But I'm very late."
"It's alright. I'm late too, for something. It was nice bumping into you. I'm Lisa."
"Greg."
"Well, maybe we will bump into each other again sometime."
"Maybe we will." He said, and waved, walking away into the crowd. He entered the restaurant ten minutes later and approached the table the person who he is meeting is sitting at.
"Allison. I'm so sorry I'm late." Greg said, bending down and kissing her cheek.
"It's alright."
"No, it's not. I was playing my piano, and had gotten so absorbed that I didn't know what time it was. And then, because I wasn't paying attention, I ran into this woman in the street and knocked all of her papers down. So that delayed me."
"Dad, it's alright, I swear. You were only five minutes late."
"Okay." He said, taking a sip of water. "So, how's the new job?"
"I like it a lot. The Dean of Medicine is very nice. Everyone there is great. You should look into getting a job there."
"I don't think I could take it if everyone there is 'I love my job' happy." He said, grinning.
"Dad." She said, laughing. "Dad, Princeton Plainsboro has a really great Diagnostics team. You should at least think about it. I know how much you hate your current job. Running tests for a medical company, isn't it?"
"Okay, okay. I will admit, anything has to be better than my current job." Their food arrived, Allison had ordered for him. They ate in silence for a few minutes.
"Oh, how is Megan?" Greg asked.
"Mom is great. She's getting married."
"Wow."
"He's a great guy, treats her right. His name is Michael."
"I'm happy for her." He said, smiling at his daughter.
"Good. I am too."
"Good."
Later, as they were about to depart…
"Promise me you will think about coming to work at PPTH?"
"I promise." He said, kissed Allison on the cheek, and disappeared into the crowd of the street. Allison whipped out her cell phone and called her aunt.
"Hey Ellie, this is Allison."
"Hey. What is going on?"
"I need help. I need an idea for a gift to get Mom for her birthday."
"Oh, that. Well, I'm about to meet someone for lunch. But I will call you when we are through and we can go together. I haven't found anything either."
"Great. Is this lunch date with a guy, by chance?"
Ellie laughed. "No. It's with an old college girlfriend that I haven't seen in awhile. Actually, I see her coming over now. Call me later."
"Okay."
"Bye Allison."
"Bye Ellie." Allison said, and they both hung up. Meanwhile, Ellie's college girlfriend is waiting for Ellie to finish her phone call.
"Lisa. Sorry about that."
"It's alright."
"How are you?"
"Fine, but stressed, Ellie. It has been way too long, you know?" Lisa said while setting down her purse.
"I know, it has, Lisa. It's great to see you."
"It's great to see you too." Lisa said while sitting down. "Who was on the phone?"
"Oh. It was my niece, Allison. She is in desperate need of a gift for her mother."
"I can relate. Shopping for my mother was impossible."
"Aren't they all? I'm going shopping with her after we are finished with lunch."
"Yeah, I guess they are. That sounds fun. How old is your niece?"
"Allison is twenty-three."
"Wow. Her mother must have had her young."
"Megan? Yeah, she did. She got pregnant from her boyfriend at 18 and she didn't tell him."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I know. But Allison and her father are really close."
"When did they meet?"
"Seven years ago. Allison was sixteen."
"Oh."
"Allison's father is very supportive of everything she does. He even paid her entire way through med school and college."
"She's a doctor?"
"Yes. She just got a new job at Princeton Plainsboro, actually. Her father is a doctor too, though she has the looks of her mother."
"Did you just say Princeton Plainsboro?"
"Yes, I did. Why?"
"I'm the Dean of Medicine there."
"Wow."
"I know. What is Allison's last name, just to make sure it's her?"
"Cameron. Allison Cameron."
"Yeah, I just hired her. She's a very sweet and brilliant girl."
"That she is. She gets that brilliance from her father. Not to say that Megan isn't smart, but her father, is truly brilliant."
"Hmm…"
"Well, enough about my family. How is life?"
"It's great. I love my job."
"Is there a guy in your life?"
"No. I haven't got the time."
"Well, maybe we could set you up for a date with Allison's father. He's thirty-eight, single, and is a great guy. Granted, he can be a right pain in the ass sometimes, but he's great."
"No, thank you though."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay." And they enjoy a great lunch together. The next day, at PPTH…Lisa calls Allison into her office.
"Dr. Cuddy?" Allison said, poking her head in the door.
"Dr. Cameron. Come in." Lisa said, nodding her in. Allison comes in and sits in a chair across from Lisa.
"So, Dr. Cameron…it turns out I know your aunt."
"You know Ellie?"
"Yes. We went to college together."
"Oh, so you're the college girlfriend she was meeting for lunch yesterday."
"Yes."
"Well, this isn't awkward." Allison said.
"I know. You may return to work, Dr. Cameron."
"Alright, thank you." And Allison walked out of her office. Just as she shut the door, she saw Greg coming up to her. They were stopped directly in front of Cuddy's door.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" She asked, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"I thought I would bring you lunch."
"That is sweet, thank you, Dad." Allison said, taking the bag from him and smiling.
From Lisa's view…she looked up and saw Allison hug and kiss this guy on the cheek and then he handed her bag. He adjusted, and she got a look at his face.
"No way." She whispered to herself. "It's the guy I ran into on the street. How weird is this?" She muttered. Then, she stood up and went out the door to get something she had printed off.
"Excuse me." She said to the two of them. She retrieved the paper, and heard Cameron's voice calling her name.
"Dr. Cuddy!" Allison said. Lisa turned slowly around and walked towards her. "I would like you to meet my father. Dad, this is Lisa Cuddy, the Dean of Medicine. Dr. Cuddy, this is my father, Gregory House." Allison said. A flash of recognition crossed Lisa and Greg's faces, but Allison didn't see it.
"He's interested in an interview with you. He might like to work here. Are you available?" Allison asked Cuddy.
"Oh. Well, you would need to put together a reusme."
"I could do that."
"Okay. Come back here at 11:30 am tomorrow and we will see how it goes."
"Great, Dad. I will see you tomorrow then. Bye!" Allison said, kissed his cheek, and ran off.
"Well, I will see you tomorrow, Dr. Cuddy."
"Indeed." She said, and went back into her office. The next day, House went to PPTH at 11:15. He sat around and waited for fifteen minutes while Cuddy finished a meeting. She ended up being ten minutes late.
"Dr. House. I'm so sorry for being late. The meeting I was in went long."
"That is perfectly alright." He said, standing up.
"Come into my office." Cuddy said. House followed her in and sat down across from her.
"I had a feeling we would see each other again." House said once Cuddy had sat down across from him.
"Really, you did?"
"Yes."
"Well, it certainly wasn't in the way I expected."
"Me neither."
"So, what is your specialty?"
"My specialty is infectious disease. The big stuff, basically."
"May I have a look at your resume?"
"Of course you may." He said, and handed it over. She read it thoroughly.
"You have a great resume."
"Thank you."
"Highest education, graduated top of the class. You Even dabbled a little in forensic anthropology with Temperance Brennan. That is quite an impressive resume."
"Thanks again." He said.
"You are very lucky. You came at the perfect time. We need someone to head our Diagnostics Department here."
"Well, then I did have perfect timing."
"Yes, you did. You can begin next week."
"How about we began tonight? How about I will work for you if you go on a date with me?" Greg asked.
Lisa didn't know what to say.
"I will pick you up here, tonight at seven. Dress nicely." He said, and limped out.