Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the DVD's.

Setting: It's a normal day at PPTH and House and his "ducklings" are working on a new case. Nothing out of the ordinary happens until Cameron gets a phone call...

Author's Note: This story is ulitmately about House and Cameron's relationship with a few other things thrown in. Since we don't really know about Cameron's relationship with her mother, I'm making something up. The first couple of chapters may be a little boring but it will get better and I'll throw in a little House n' Cameron lovin'. But I want to make it as realistic as a HouseCam story can be so it may take a while. Hope you all enjoy and please comment. This is my second ever fanfic and I plan on making more if you all enjoy. Here we go!

"Maybe it's lupus."

"It's not lupus!" a disgruntled House replied to Chase's suggestion. "Anyone else have any other bright ideas?"

Silence fell over the room as Cameron, Foreman, and Chase exchanged nervous glances at one another avoiding the burning gaze of their superior. Finally House broke the silence with a sigh and turned around to write on the white board.

"Well, now that I see I've hired idiots, I might as well-" House was interrupted by a high pitched ringing. Everyone but House turned to see where the sound was coming from. Cameron sheepishly reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small cell phone. Instead of turning it off, she starred at it.

"The ringing sound you hear coming from Cameron's phone indicates that someone is calling her. The question is why do I still hear that annoying ringing sound? It hurts my ears." House said, his attention still focused on the whiteboard. House's voice snapped Cameron back to attention and she slowly flipped the phone open and raised it her ears. Chase and Foreman starred intently at Cameron as she slowly and softly spoke into the phone.

"Mom...?"

Cameron found herself on the stairs leaning her head against the cold brick wall, replaying everything that had been said in the conversation she had just a few moments ago. She wished she knew how to compose herself and push it out of her mind but she couldn't. It all happend so fast and without any warning at all. Cameron never expected her mother to call and deliver such news. She was surprised at how much the phone call upset her and she kept hearing her mother's voice.

Alison? Is that you? Oh, it's so good to hear your voice. I've missed you so much, darling.

Ha! What a joke! She could have kept in touch if she really wanted to.

How have you been all these years? You got yourself a man yet? hehe.

How could she even ask that? How could she laugh like that? Is she heartless?

Sweetie, your dear old mother needs to ask you a favor. You can help your mother can't you? Yes, of course you can. Well...

Cameron pressed her hand over her ears and closed her eyes hoping that it would shut out her mother's voice. But she could still hear her...

She looked a sight sitting there with her hands over her ears rocking back and forth, oblivious to the world around her. It scared him. He didn't like seeing her like that. He had come looking for her and was suprised to see her on the stairs, hunched up in what looked like an uncomfortable position. He had watched her walk out the glass doors and head down towards the stairs, cell phone pressed tightly against her ear. After he come up with something for Chase and Foreman to do, he retraced Cameron's steps to the stairs, planning on being evasive and pretending he didn't care what the phone call was about. But as he stood there looking at her, he knew better than to go to her. He didn't think he could calmly demand that she pull herself together and report to the lab to get the results of the biopsy that Chase and Foreman were performing when she was in such a state. He didn't think he would be able to pull off the smart remarks and cold unrelentless gestures. He couldn't do that to her now. Sure, he wanted to mess with her head but he didn't want to break her down. She would start crying and he absolutely could not deal with that. He could not and would not deal with her now.

As quietly as he entered the stairs he left and walked back to his office. He grabbed his iPod and blasted the music loud enough to damage his ears but he didn't care. He had to occupy himself with something long enough to stop thinking about her at the bottom of the stairs, all alone, having a mental breakdown and the fact that he wasn't going to comfort her like he wanted to. If he didn't stop thinking about her, he was going to have a mental breakdown himself.