"House. Dr. Allan is here for her interview," Cameron said, leaning in the door.

"Was that the blonde one or the one with the big hooters?" House asked, pulling the earbud out of his ear and setting the iPod down on his desk.

"House." Cameron was exasperated and her calm resolve was starting to crack. Perfect.

"I'm not talking to her. Tell her the position is already filled."

"It won't be filled next Friday! I'll send her in."

Dr. Allan turned out to be neither the blonde nor the one with big hooters. She was smaller than Cameron, with dark hair and wide dark eyes. She entered his office hesitantly, as though House was going to spring from his chair and bite her.

"Dr. House," she said timidly, extending her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, and I would love the opportunity –"

"Across the hall. Dr. Wilson."

"I'm sorry?"

"If you want a doctor to suck up to. Dr. Wilson. Might even get in his pants, you suck up enough. I'm not hiring fellows."

"Dr. Cameron said – "

"Dr. Cameron doesn't know what's good for her. Have a nice day; stop in the clinic, pick up a lollypop," he finished, popping a sucker of his own into his mouth.

Cameron was walking down the hall as Dr. Allan charged past, her cheeks red. Cameron sighed roughly and stalked into House's office.

"What did you say to her?"

"Free lollypops in the clinic?" House asked innocently, removing his own candy from his mouth as he spoke.

"I'm sure. House, you have to hire someone. I'm moving next Saturday. I'm giving you notice. I set up interviews. I handpicked six immunologists for you. I'm making this as painless as possible."

"I have clinic hours," House said, replacing his headphones, "Go do them."

"You're going to have to interview someone at…fine," Cameron sighed, turning her back on House as he lip-synched to his music. Stubborn would only get him so far.

i I'm not backing down. I am leaving next Friday whether he has a new fellow or not. I am not giving up this chance to stay here and wait for a relationship that's never going to develop. /i

It would be so easy to stay. So easy to accept the position in Immunology that Cuddy had offered. Cameron was an asset to the hospital and Cuddy hadn't wanted her to go. But if she stayed…she'd never get over him. The job at Mayo was a perfect opportunity in more ways than one. It was a chance to stand on her own, to run her own department, and she'd be an idiot to not take it.

"Go right in," she muttered to the next interviewee, waving her hand at House's office. She felt a pang of guilt for sending yet another doctor in to face the wrath of Greg House, but it had to be done. Eventually, he'd cave and hire someone.

"Another brown haired, female immunologist, Cameron?" she heard House's voice loud and clear from his half open door, "Are you trying to tell me something?"

It was going to be a long week.

Monday morning of her last week found House no closer to agreeing to hire a new fellow. If she were honest, she wasn't surprised, but she was also through helping him. She'd set him up with six fellows with credentials almost identical to hers at the beginning of her fellowship. He had absolutely no excuse for turning any of them down except for the simple fact that they were not her.

"I'm not setting up any more interviews," she told him as he poured his third cup of coffee.

"Good. No sense in wasting anyone's time."

"I'm sure you can function just fine with Chase and Foreman, then," Cameron said, her voice steady.

"As long as you keep making the coffee, I'm sure everyone will be just fine," he said, heading straight for his office without acknowledging her attempt to respond.

"It's a good thing there are three coffee shops within walking distance," Cameron muttered, her eyes watching House through the glass window as he kicked his feet up and paged idly through a journal.

i This shouldn't be this hard. /i