DISCLAIMER: I do not own "House, M.D." or "Doctor Who". If I did then I would learn a lot about snarky protagonists.
A/N: The Doctor in this fic is the 10th on e (David Tennant)
Alison Cameron stared at the cup of coffee next to the newspaper she was going to read. There would be no case today, so all the work she was going to do was clinic duty. Foreman and Chase walked in and laughed at a joke that one of them had told. They had not seen the conversation between Cameron and the young man, who could easily be confused as a boyfriend.
The day had started off just fine until she had gotten to work and saw a man sitting on a bench outside Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. She didn't recognize him but he seemed familiar to her. As she walked to the door, she attempted to ignore him, but he stood when she came near.
"Ali." The man said. He was a tall man with dark hair and boyish features. The way he said her name brought her back to when she was a little girl. She was about eight years old and playing in the sand at the local park. Her mom was watching her from one of the park benches. She saw as a man walked up to her and started to talk to her. Every time, it ended the same way: 'Ali, I'm your dad.' And he would walk away, passing her mom and patting her on the shoulder.
He looked different back then but she knew it was him because no one besides her mother called her Ali. And she knew it was the Doctor.
"How are you doing?" The Doctor said nervously.
"I'm fine but I have to go. My shift starts right now." Cameron said, trying to tear herself away from her father. "I have a break in my shift at twelve and there's this good diner down the street if you want to meet down there." He agreed and she walked to her boss's office.
When it came to the end of her clinic shift, she went upstairs to exchange her white doctor's coat for her light jacket. As she gathered her things, House, Foreman, and Chase walked in.
"You have a date?" House asked, popping several Vicodin.
"No." Cameron said, tartly.
"It looks like it the way you were talking to someone this morning." Foreman said.
Cameron winced, "It's nothing." Foreman could act like a big brother sometimes. She had grown up an only child, which she didn't mind. She was surprised that Chase hadn't mentioned anything yet. "I have to go now." She put on her jacket and headed out of the hospital.
The diner was a block away and when she got there she saw the Doctor already in a booth. She sat down opposite of him and examined a menu. When the waiter came, they ordered the same thing and the person left.
"Why are you in the States?" Cameron asked.
"To visit you. I had a break and I thought I would stop by." The Doctor said.
"You look different the last time I saw you." Cameron knew the answer- he had died and regenerated.
"The effect of the Time Lords."
"I'm only half so I don't have to worry about that." Even after she made her comment, Cameron felt a pang in her heart. She felt that the immortality factor made the Doctor lonely.
Their lunch came and by the time they were done, the Doctor offered to walk her back to the hospital. As they came into view of the front doors, Cameron noticed House, Foreman, and Chase sitting at the bench the Doctor had been seated at earlier.
She stopped and faced her father, "I know you lost someone. Who I don't know but someone. You don't have to start acting like a dad because I already have one. He was a good one but it would have been nice to see you a bit more. I don't know if this is the last time I'll ever see you, so good-bye." She stepped forward and gave him a hug, which the Doctor gratefully accepted.
She could feel some tears welling up in her eyes when they broke apart. The Doctor was feeling the same way she was. "Good-bye, Ali."
Cameron walked away from her father and to her colleagues. They stood when she approached and was glad that they didn't ask why she was crying. She turned and the Doctor wasn't there but a whirling sound from the TARDIS was heard, echoing against the buildings.