A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and the support! Hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, I don't own House or anything as profitable as it.
House had secured her into the passenger seat of his 'vett, taking care to fasten the seatbelt around her. There hadn't been a question of whether or not he would take her home. Cuddy hadn't even questioned it. As soon as House told her he was taking Cameron home and not to expect either of them for a few days she accepted it. It was rare for House to show true concern for anyone. So here he was driving through the streets of Princeton, his eyes looking over to his fragile passenger every few seconds. Her body was clenched tightly, her arms hugging herself protectively. Her eyes darting back and forth over the scenery passing by thru the window.
"Are you hungry? We should stop and pick some stuff up from the store." He asked her.
"No. I just want to go home."
"I understand that Cameron, but you have to eat. We'll just stop for a minute."
"Just take me home!" Cameron screamed at him. "Please, just take me home." She began to cry and rock herself back and forth in her seat.
House shook his head. He didn't know what to say or what to do. Cameron, a pillar of strength, comfort and goodness was cracking right in front of him. No, she wasn't cracking. The cracks had already been there. It made sense now. The dark circles under her eyes, the weight lose. No, she wasn't cracking in front of him. She was crumbling.
They arrived at her apartment shortly after this realization. Cameron went straight to her bedroom and shut the door. House took in the mess in front of him. He knew Cam was normally a neat freak so the sight of her apartment in shambles was a shock. Clothes thrown haphazardly everywhere, cans of Coke, Beer and bottled water sitting on the tables. An ashtray with several burned out cigarettes sat on one of the end tables. Going into the kitchen he groaned noticing the absence of anything resembling real food. A couple of packages of Ramon Noodles was the only thing he thought he might be able to stomach. Looking in the refrigerator he saw a 12 pack of Blue Moon beer, a 6 pack of jell-o and a ½ gallon of milk that was curdled. His nose wrinkled. This was worse than his apartment. He moved back into the living room and shifted the pillows and blankets around on the couch so he could sit. He hoisted his leg up on the coffee table and took his pills out of his coat pocket shaking 2 into his hand and popping them into his mouth. He heard Cameron shuffling out of her bedroom. He looked up to find her in pajamas and fuzzy pink slippers. Her hair was in a messy pony tail on top of her head, her eyes still red, mascara streaks down her cheeks.
"You can leave now." She told him.
"No can do. Having a nervous break down in the ER pretty much solidified my presence in your life for awhile."
"I'm fine House."
"Yeah, I can tell that by the mascara dripping off your cheeks. Tell me something, how long has it been since you slept in your bed?"
"Excuse me?" She said caught off guard.
"How long has it been since you slept in your bed? It's been awhile, huh?"
"How do you know that?" Cameron replied getting immediately defensive.
"Well, you have pillows, bed pillows piled on you're couch. And this comforter, I don't think you put it out here because it matches the décor."
She shook her head and padded into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a beer in hand. She reached over him and grabbed the ash tray and lit a cigarette. Tears sprung into her eyes and started rolling down her cheek.
"I can't do this right now House. I just can't. Please leave and don't come back." Her words were broken up by gasps as she tried to pull herself together.
"I'm not leaving Cam. You're my little Care Bear and right now my Care Bear is coming unglued and I want to know why."
Cameron chuckled low in her throat. "You think I'm a Care Bear? You think that's all there is to me? You're wrong House. You're so wrong. You have no idea who I am or what I've been through. You don't know!" She was squalling hysterically now.
House didn't know what to do so he did the last thing he ever thought he was capable of. He gathered him into her arms and held her. He held her close while she sobbed a solid 20 minutes. He kissed the crown of her head when her sobs began to settle.
"I think I'm going crazy." She whispered to him.
He sat quietly waiting for her to continue.
"It's been a month. A month since I slept in my bed."
The reviews inspired me to update sooner than planned! So who has the ddx on Cameron? Here's a hint. She wasn't raped or physically harmed. Who has an idea?