House rushed away from the scene of emotions. It had been twenty-two years since he had last seen Alice and there was a reason for that. He wasn't ready to see her again. Alice was the one woman he let all the way in, he had loved her completely. But once he had let her in, he did what he does best and pushed her away. He pressed the button to go down as he finally reached the elevator.

"House, wait!" called a familiar voice from behind him as the elevator doors swung open and he climbed in. Allison Cameron had followed him, obviously worried about him. House could always tell that she was worrying about him from her concerned and 'must help the needy' face. He ignored her as the doors began to close blocking her beautiful face from view.

"You have to explain!" she called to him between the doors and she pressed the 'open door' button and her beautiful, yet extremely annoying, face came into view again.

"There's nothing to explain." He said in an annoyed voice, pushing the button for the ground floor as she quickly slipped into the elevator as the door slammed shut. They travelled downwards quickly as Cameron spoke.

"But why did you-" she began to say, but House cut her off.

"Because I haven't seen her since before my accident," he said quickly explaining why he had yelled at Alice. Registering her reaction he added,

"Yeah, that's how long it's been. I was also in need of a major sugar boost!"

"Well you can't go to the cafeteria, it's closed." She said as the elevator doors swung open onto the slippery ground floor with loud clang.

"I know. Whose idea was that by the way, it's moronic." He said turning his head round to speak to her as they walked along the shiny marble floor.

"You're abusing that word now, you know. And no, I don't know whose idea it was to shut down the cafeteria on Friday's to give the staff a day off, but I bet she has dark brown hair, a baby named Rachel and you're a huge pain in her ass!" She said impatiently, shaking her head at his ridiculous questions. House limped past the reception and out through the doors leading to the parking lot.

"Where are you going?!" she growled through her teeth at him, trailing behind him, out through the cars to his bike.

"I'm going to get a sugar boost." He said as though it was obvious, looking at her as though she was insane.

"No your not, we've got to handle this case!"

"Leave it to the 'ex-hubby' to do; I'm sure he's treating her just fine." He said referring to Chase and emphasizing the bits he knew would make her insides burn. She clenched her teeth glaring at the ground. House was one of the most frustrating men she had ever known. He knew Cameron too well and knew just how to get to her. Unfortunately for him though, Cameron knew him even better. She had always known him but he just never realised.

"C'mon," he said quietly, ceasing his attempts to get to her, "Coffee's on me." And he handed her a helmet and climbed onto his bike. Cameron didn't speak but submitted to Houses offer. She pulled off her white coat revealing a low black top, which House grinned at, enjoying. And then she pulled on her helmet, climbing on behind house and cautiously wrapping her arms around his waist. He grinned again at her awkwardness and couldn't miss the chance to tease her,

"Ready, baby?" he asked smirking behind his helmet.

"Just go." She retorted sighing, too used to his comments for them to affect her. So house pushed the gas and they sped off down the street, both of them fleeing from their emotions.

Chase had searched endlessly around the hospital for House but he couldn't find him, or Cameron.

"They left together about ten minutes ago." Foreman said as Chase entered the meeting room. Foreman was sitting in a chair reading a magazine in the corner of the room and he didn't need to look up to know that Chase wasn't searching for him.

"Together?" Chase asked suspiciously looking at Foreman.

"Aw, jealous already huh?" he teased, standing up and walking over to make a Coffee.

"You know that's not how it is." Chase said, joining him at the machine.

"I've just been talking to Lucy Cares," Chase informed him.

"Who?" Foreman asked sipping from his Coffee.

"You know, the girl who came in here yesterday with her Mom, who verbally beat the crap out of House."

"Oh right her." He carried on with smirk stretching across his handsome face, "I like her." He said referring to House's verbal beating.

"Yeah well, she bet me twenty bucks that House wouldn't help treat her. She said that he wouldn't even look at her case?" Foreman raised his eye brows at what the girl had said.

"House wouldn't miss a chance to be right. Still, have you tried calling him?"

"No... Office phone?" Chase suggested gesturing to House's office.

"Fine by me." Said Foreman, not going to pass down a chance to annoy his arrogant Boss, by rummaging around in his office. They both went into the next room and made their way over to the desk where Foreman chucked himself into House's chair, spinning it around playfully, and Cameron dialled House's number, while shaking his head and laughing at his fellow colleague's lack of maturity.

House and Cameron sat opposite each other at a two seater table in a small Café him and Wilson had found a few years ago. They had discovered it when House was being taken to court by an over sensitive cop who wanted to beat house because he was just as much of a jerk as House was. House and Cameron both awkwardly picked at their cake and coffee, not looking at each other. House was comfortable insulting Cameron, making sexual comments to her on how hot she looked, but he couldn't comfort her when she was having a rough day. This was one of those days.

"So, how have you been?" House asked Cameron glancing up at her. He was trying to comfort her and failing miserably due to his discomfort when it came to intimacy. She looked taken a back and asked,

"Why do you care? You never care?" She said it harshly but House knew it was also extremely true.

"Not true. I do care, I just don't ask." He said, making up ridiculous excuses for himself, in the voice that Cameron knew he used when making up elaborate stories and lies. She let it go anyway, too exhausted and tired of life to care anymore. She answered his question.

"I'm okay." She sighed as House stared into her face. She looked worn and tired, almost like butter scraped over too much bread, but through that she was still stunning. She would still look stunning in a bright green jump suit, but less sexy and more like Kermit the frog. He smiled to himself at his wondering thoughts. Cameron looked nervously around and started to chew her nails. She never bit her finger nails; they were always glossy and perfect with a neatly done French manicure. He leaned forward starring into her ocean grey eyes and spoke softly to her,

"What's wrong?" He said. She leaned forward to answer his question speaking quietly and anxiously,

"Do you really think Chase liked her?" She said referring to the comment House had made almost a half-hour ago. House leaned back and gave a little laugh, smiling genuinely at her.

"Nah," he said consoling her. She smiled back at his uncommon kindness but then the smile was wiped off her face as he finished his sentence,

"Not yet anyway." And she scowled at him as he laughed at her annoyance. However finally, she gave in and smiled with him as the tension finally lifted and they were themselves again.

Suddenly House's phone bleeped loudly drawing attention to them in the peaceful Café. The ring tone was the one he set for his office and he answered the call accusingly,

"Get the hell out of my office!"

"It's Lucy." Chase said knowing it would get his attention. House refused to admit this had affected him and he said,

"Who?", trying to act casual.

"C'mon you know who I mean." Chase said to him as he watched Foreman spinning around immaturely on House's chair, he laughed as Foreman whizzed by, mouthing "whee!" under his breath.

"We need you back here to help this girl, and try to bring Cameron back with you in one piece if you can." He said in annoyance.

"Hey she's not yours anymore sunny boy, you got rid of your chances with her when you shagged the blonde!" he said cruelly, "and tell Foreman to get THE HELL OUT OF MY CHAIR!" He shouted down the phone, so Foreman could hear him.

Chase usually took House's crude jokes and harsh sarcasm well, but when it came to Cameron he couldn't take it. His words not only stung, but slashed at his insides leaving him hot with rage as he shouted at house.

"We need you to get your cripple ass back here now, so we can diagnose Lucy! Or does that seem a little too difficult for you?" Chase was losing his temper with his sorry excuse for a boss and he was tainted with rage and jealously at House.

"So, Foreman told you that sexy 'ex-wifey' was with me then?" he said gloating in his face. Cameron rolled her eyes at him, seeing his un-necessary crudeness. However she enjoyed the fact that it was Chase he was hurting, and so she soaked in the bliss of his pain cruelly.

"Shut the hell up and get back here now." Chase said. He was fed up and couldn't take houses shit any longer.

"Hey Cameron, drop another button on that top for me will you?" House said trying to test Chase's limit but he had pushed him too far and chase couldn't take it. Chase slammed the receiver down so hard that it snapped messily in two with a loud crunch.

"So it didn't go so well then?" said Foreman who had stopped spinning and was now staring at the crumpled telephone.

"No." Chase answered blankly.

"He said for you to get the hell out of his chair." Chase informed him absentmindedly and walked out of the office to Lucy's bedroom, with Foreman shouting worriedly after him.

"Wow that really seemed to work." Said House to Cameron raising his eyebrows, surprised by how easily Chase had let House get to him. He dropped his phone into his pocket exchanging it for his Vicodin.

"Uh, no way." She said taking the pills straight out of his hand, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Aw, c'mon mommy, grandma Cuddy said I could." He mocked, pulling ridiculous puppy dog eyes at her. She didn't speak but just simply stared at the 'pain relieving' pills as she twiddled the bottle around in her hand.

"Cameron, give them-" but she cut him off speaking calmly,

"Let me finish, House." She said as she popped open the lid and tipped out four Vicodin. She didn't seem like herself. Her eyes seemed to have slightly glazed over as she stared into her palm at the pills.

"Me first." She said finishing her sentence and then she quickly flung the four pills straight into her mouth and swallowed them down. House was completely surprised by what she was done, however it was rather intriguing.

"Wow, you really are having a hard day, aren't you." He said taking the bottle from her and throwing back a couple of vicodin.

"Either way though, I like it." He said as he watched her breath out slowly after she took the pills. She was no longer the stingy, good girl he had once hired but a new, sexy Cameron who was different. House finally saw her for how she felt since her divorce; detached and damaged. He stared at her for a while until she eventually got up placing a twenty on the table for the drinks.

"C'mon were leaving." She said plainly waiting for House to get up. He looked at her questioningly severely intrigued by this mysterious Cameron that had emerged.

"I said c'mon. We're goanna need some seriously hard liquor after this." And she pulled his leather jacket off the back of his seat and slipped it on, walking out the Cafe with House following behind her as he mumbled,

"I thought I was paying for the coffee."