Chapter 1: Change of Pace

A/N: So House has been over for a while… But I only recently started and finished it. I was left feeling very unfulfilled in regards to the amount of interaction between Thirteen and Cameron. And then this story happened. The first chapter is a bit slow, because it's expositional. Please bear with me! Also, the beginning of this chapter references dialogue in the season 8 episode "Charity Case," Thirteen's final episode before the very end of season 8. In case you were wondering why some of the dialogue sounds familiar, know that it was intentional. This is set early season 6 and later plays with the timeline of the aftermath of Dibala's death.

Thirteen rocked on the balls of her feet in front of the main doors to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. A quick look at her watch told her that the Thailand-bound flight she had booked just took off. What am I doing here? she thought, still unsure if she should enter the hospital.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, making her jump. She promptly answered it.

"Hello?"

"I can see you," a gruff voice answered.

"House, you know caller ID exists, right?" Thirteen scanned the hospital lobby for her wily former boss. He peered down at her from the second floor balcony.

"Fancy seeing you here," he replied, audibly perking up.

"I was compelled to return after the seventeen messages you left me."

"So, are you coming back or what?" House asked, motioning for her to enter the hospital.

Begrudgingly, Thirteen obliged, opening the all-too familiar glass door. "Come down," she said, hanging up.

House snapped his cell phone shut and punched the down button for the elevator with his cane. Leaning against the wall, he mused to himself, "This should be interesting."

Thirteen met him at the elevator. "I'm not coming back," she said. The finality in her voice was almost believable. Almost.

"And yet, here you are." House started toward the clinic.

With muted exasperation, Thirteen followed him. "Yeah, to tell you that I'm not coming back. I can't work with Foreman."

"But I'd love to see you shove how much smarter than him you are in his stoic, emotionless face." House curled his lips up in a slimy grin, producing a glare out of Thirteen. "What? His ego needs to be knocked down a few notches. You're the only one who could make him feel inferior. Well, besides me, of course." House flung open the door to the clinic. "C'mon, you've got a date," he said, entering the clinic with Thirteen on his heels.

"A date?" she asked skeptically.

"A date with the Dean." When Thirteen rolled her eyes, he added, "Sorry, the alliteration was just too good to resist. Well, in you go!" He shoved her toward the office of Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine.

Thirteen caught herself on the handle of Cuddy's office door. Glancing back at House, she sneered at his condescending thumbs up. He waved her inside. With a groan, Thirteen entered Cuddy's office.

Looking up from an enormous stack of papers, Cuddy was more than happy for an interruption; but she was surprised by who the interruption happened to be. "Dr. Hadley," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"

Thirteen stood before Cuddy's desk and shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "I assume House told you that he wants to hire me back," she said, eyes straying to the floor.

Cuddy, as well of the rest of PPTH that had worked with Thirteen, knew she was a bit of a downer. She was gorgeous, mysterious, an exceptional doctor, sure, but none too friendly or particularly fun to talk to. Cuddy leaned back in her chair, looking over the woman who hid behind a number. "He did indeed," she replied, nodding. "Do you want to come back?"

Thirteen pursed her lips. "I've been asking myself that a lot."

"What's keeping you? Besides House," Cuddy added with smirk.

That got a dry chuckle out of Thirteen. "Foreman," she said bluntly.

Cuddy leaned forward, propping her elbows on the desk. She knew Thirteen's breakup with Foreman was founded on ugly office politics. Foreman, temporarily head of Diagnostics in House's absence, exercised flawed logic; he fired Thirteen to save their relationship, but his refusal to admit his mistake drove Thirteen to break up with him. Cuddy could easily see why she would want to avoid him.

"But you're an excellent doctor and an asset to this hospital," Cuddy remarked, watching Thirteen closely. "I would hate to lose you." Thirteen did not react to the compliment. She merely stared back at Cuddy silently. "How about the ER? We're short staffed down there since Collins and Palmer retired. And, if I remember correctly from your resume, you did an ER rotation in med school."

"I did," was the reply.

"I know it's not as interesting as being harassed and objectified by House all day and night, but you'll still have a job here. Besides, your fellowship is over." Cuddy added enticingly, "You'll have a higher salary."

Thirteen rocked on her heels, mulling it over. No obscure medical mysteries in the ER. Broken bones and bloody noses would be quite the change of pace from radical and life-threatening treatments. And House could still get to her, even though she'd be on the ground floor. He'd no doubt ring her for a consult now and then, and probably tease her for not using all of her brain capacity in such a menial job. But Thirteen was okay with that. Maybe she needed some brain numbing, needed to take it easy.

"Well?" Cuddy asked.

Thirteen squared her shoulders and dropped her hands to her sides. She looked Cuddy in the eye and asked, "When can I start?"