Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to OuEstLaCraie for her concrit...I kept it in mind, but I don't think I did a very good job with it, sorry. And thanks to Esther for her review. And another thanks to ell. I've actually already written it all out, so I probably won't be able to incorporate your idea. However...something of the sort does happen later on ;). If you're an anonymous reviewer, if you feel comfortable, please leave an email address. I love to respond to comments.

Finally, a decision was reached. The prince and the princess were to be sent away together, in hope that they might realise their hidden feelings.

Cuddy looked up from the seventeenth letter she was writing to find House peering down at her in-tray.

"What's do you want?"

"A surgery to remove a surgical pin so I can get an MRI."

"You can't use the CT?"

"Ah…no."

Cuddy gave him a solid stare.

"No."

"Whoops," House said, lowering his eyes.

"What have you done?" Cuddy asked warily.

"No need for the surgery now anyway."

House started to limp out of the office as quickly as he could.

"Hey!" Cuddy called sharply. "Done your clinic hours?"

House slowed. "Got that conference organised?"

"Illinois."

"Then…not yet," he said, and headed in the direction of the clinic.

"Why?" Chase had reason to be suspicious. This was the first he'd heard of a seminar in Illinois, signalling that it wasn't a very important one. To be sending two of them to this thing suggested House had an ulterior motive.

"Why not?" If there was something House was hiding, he was hiding it well.

"Probably a correct answer on a philosophy exam, but no the one I'm looking for."

Cameron had said nothing after being given this news, but she was frowning slightly and looked like she agreed with the little Chase had said.

"It's got a good immunologist speaking and…you haven't had time off for a while."

"Neither has Foreman," Chase said.

"Are you kidding, he took half a lifetime off a few months ago."

"That doesn't count," Cameron protested. "He was sick."

"The point is," House raised his voice over the top of hers, "I thought you needed a holiday." He got up and picked up his cane, which had slipped down to the floor.

Chase and Cameron exchanged a look, then watched House leave the room. Before he started down the hallway, he turned around and called out, "Be packed by Tuesday."

"I had plans this Tuesday," Cameron grumbled, sitting down. "Had you heard about this thing?"

Chase sat opposite her. "Nuh. Bit late notice, too, isn't it?"

Cameron shrugged. "Yeah. I guess."

"Should be ok, though. Make the best of it, I s'pose."

Cameron smiled at his uncharacteristic optimism.

"I could do with a holiday, actually," Cameron agreed. "I haven't been to Illinois for a while."

"I've never been."

Cameron looked up. "I'll have to take you to a nice restaurant I know."

Chase raised his arms at the elbow.

"Why not?" We've got a few days."

A moment's silence was heard before—

"What were your plans?"

Cameron looked over at him.

"My plans?"

"Yeah, for Tuesday."

Cameron paused.

"Nothing that can't wait," she smiled, deliberately taunting him, disappointed when he nodded understandingly.

"D'you reckon House'd give me Monday off to pack?" he asked her.

"No."

"Oh."

The Royal Court thought a carriage ride to their destination might be romantic, but the prince and princess were only uncomfortable as they bounced down the unsealed roads.

"Do you want to swap seats?" Cameron asked, noting the nervous look Chase gave the airsick bag as it was passed over his lap.

"Nah, it's fine."

"Sure?" Cameron pushed herself out of her seat anyway. "Move."

Chase got up and, with difficulty, tried to climb underneath her as she shuffled sideways.

"You right?" Cameron asked, watching Chase fall awkwardly into the window seat. Chase felt guilty that Cameron was obliged to ask him that, rather than the other way around. He had noticed how quiet Cameron was as they flew through numerous air pockets, causing the plane to jerk up and down.

Chase, unused to flying, found his stomach rather unsettled as well, but it was Cameron who had reached for the bag first.

"Would you like some orange juice?"

Cameron looked up into a friendly air hostess' face.

"Just some water, please," she replied. "Chase?"

"For me, too."

The woman filled two clear plastic cups with water and handed them both to Cameron.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, waiting for him to put down his tray. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm ok. Not used to flying."

"Really?" Cameron sipped at her water. "I used to fly all the time."

"Still not used to it?" Chase asked, determinedly staring at the seat in front of him, swallowing a few times, trying to keep the content of his stomach in the right place.

Cameron shrugged. "Guess not. It was actually something I grew into. I was never sick when I was younger."

"My mum hated heights," Chase told her. "My first plane trip was on the way here a couple of year ago."

"Oh," Cameron said sympathetically. "You never went on holidays?"

"Course we went on holidays. God, driving up to Cairns once a year was the worst part of my childhood."

"I don't know where Cairns is."

"In Queensland, right up the top."

"Oh," Cameron laughed. "And you're from Melbourne."

Cameron was feeling better now, though she wasn't sure if whatever it was had passed, or whether Chase had just taken her mind off it. Both, probably.

"We'll be landing soon," Cameron said, glancing at her watch. "Hungry?"

She was met with a groan and a definite, "No."