Author's note: Thanks for reading! This is my first House fanfic. Please R&R and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the House characters, just Jack.

Cameron woke promptly with her 6:00am alarm, yawning loudly and stretching her long limbs like a graceful cat. She could imagine the feeling of the winter air on her skin as she gazed at the snow flurries falling slowly outside her window and repressed the urge to curl herself up tighter underneath her heavy flannel comforter. Cameron loved the thick warmth of her bed while she slept and always kept the temperature of her bedroom above 70 degrees, a fact that always bugged her husband. He would toss all the blankets to her side of the bed in his sleep and Cameron was only too happy to sink comfortably into them. She often missed the warmth of his body next to her in bed.

Rejecting these comforting thoughts, she exerted all her will to pull herself out of bed and scurry across the cold hardwood floor into the bathroom so she could brush her teeth and grab a quick shower. She prepared a small breakfast, a bagel with cream cheese, and plopped herself down in a comfortable living chair instead of at the kitchen table. She wanted to read a bit more of the best-seller she had recently picked up, an intriguing story about a Baptist family of missionaries who travel to the Congo during its revolution. She began reading about one of the daughters in the family who had contracted malaria meanwhile thinking about what she could be doing in Africa now if she had accepted Dr. Charles' offer to go with him to fight TB. The more she read, the more she felt like there was so much she could do outside of Princeton, New Jersey. She wanted to make more of an impact. But she knew that, as exciting as Dr. Charles' offer was, she had made the right decision. As she had learned the hard way, having feelings for a co-worker always made things difficult and sometimes unbearable.

Cameron jumped as she realized she had let her mind wander for too long. It was 6:45 already and she had a 20-minute ride to the hospital. She mentally berated herself as she left her dirty dishes in the sink to worry about later and slipped into her coat. As she was about to pull on gloves, her phone rang. She preferred to ignore it, but checked the caller ID just in case. It was Jack. Her heart plummeted for a moment as she realized that for her brother to call her this early in the morning, there was probably something wrong.

"Hello?" she asked tentatively.

"Allison – hey, how are you?" Jack replied, sounding neither happy nor upset, but with surprising energy. Cameron knew he was not a morning person like herself.

"I'm fine. I was just heading out the door. What's up?"

"I don't want to worry you too much, but I have some bad news." Jack paused, seemingly having a hard time explaining what exactly the news was. "I had a check-up with Dr. Johnson yesterday… and, he told me… Allison, I have lung cancer."

Cameron did not know how to respond. She was completely shocked since her brother had always been the picture of good health. He had been a star athlete in college and always kept up his workout routine.

"I…uh. Wow. Jack, I'm really sorry to hear it. This is a bit of a shock."

"I know, it surprised me too. And I'm sorry to have to tell you like this. But, Allison, I need your help."

"Of course. Anything."

"I need to see another doctor. Dr. Johnson is a great family doctor and all but I need someone who knows about this sort of stuff. And I figured you would be the best person to ask."

Cameron quickly formed a plan in her head. She wanted to do everything she could for her brother, who had always protected and stood up for her. It was so strange to have their positions reversed. Since their parents had passed away, their father 6 years ago and their mother a year after him, Jack really had no elder family member to guide him. He had been divorced for two years and had no children. Cameron was the only one left.

"How about you come out to Princeton? There's an oncologist here that I trust a great deal. And Dr. Wilson really is one of the best doctors I know."

"I'd really appreciate that, but it's probably best if I saw someone near home."

"I mean that you should make Princeton your home. You can move in with me."

"Oh jeez, I don't know. I don't want to intrude like that."

"Jack, you're my brother. We're going to go through this together. What's left for you out there in Columbus? It's either you come here or I'm flying to Ohio."

"Allison," Jack sighed. She could tell this is what he wanted to hear and that he simply needed a little push to make the right decision. "You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Don't be silly. It gives us an excuse to get together. And you can just as easily work on your book from here. It's a perfect situation."

"You're right, it is. I'll need a few days to get all my things together and figure out what to do with my place. I'll call you tonight and we'll talk ok?"

"Sounds good to me," Cameron replied, unknowingly letting the sadness seep into her voice. Cancer. The content mood she woke up with had fallen flat.

"Now, sis, don't start getting all weepy or worried like you do. Everything will be fine. And we'll be together." She could hear him smiling. If anyone could make the best out of a bad situation, it was Jack.

"Ok, I promise I'll keep it together."

"That's my girl. I'll talk to you tonight then, ok?"

"Ok. Love you."

"Love you too."

Cameron hung up the phone, still in a bit of a daze. She couldn't worry about things now; there would be time for reflection later. She slipped on her gloves and stepped out into the chilly air.