An Agreement Between Friends:

Intuition

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters, dialogue or storylines appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: "What I'm offering you here is free sex. No strings attached. Are you telling me you're going to turn that down?" House/Cameron

House rolled away from the sunlight streaming in the window to see Cameron already awake, book in hand and reading glasses on her nose. "What are you doing up already?" he asked drowsily.

Cameron smiled down at him. "See for yourself," she told him, taking his hand to place on her stomach. A surprised look crossed his face at what must have been a kick.

"It's been happening for a couple days," she admitted. "But I wanted you to feel it first."

House couldn't help but smile himself. "Thanks," he said genuinely, placing both hands now to feel the odd sensation that filled him with an emotion he couldn't quite explain. He looked up at Cameron, whose face was filled with an expression of pure contentment.

"I've never seen you look this happy," he said softly. In this rare moment he felt as if he couldn't be sarcastic even if he'd wanted to.

She gave a tiny shrug and smiled down at him. "I've never been this happy."

House wasn't quite sure how to feel. He was happy, happier than he'd been in a long time, but there was a tension within him that wouldn't abate. He felt as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to ruin this happiness that seemed just a little too perfect.

But House pushed those feelings away. Right now he was happy, and he wasn't going to let those thoughts ruin this moment. A hand still on Cameron's stomach, he closed his eyes and drifted back into sleep, the wisps of his worry swept away in the tide of slumber.

That afternoon Cameron was called back into work on an emergency. Emergencies were rare in immunology, but as the newest member of the department, the duty of coming in on a Sunday had been relegated to her. "Maybe you can set up the nursery while I'm gone," were her last words as she slipped out the front door.

Heather and House looked at each other, and Heather shrugged. "We may as well. That's what I'm here for anyways."

House could think of quite a lot of things he'd rather be doing on a Sunday afternoon, but, with a roll of his eyes, he followed Heather into the nursery. If Cameron's sister started badmouthing him, he could only guess how quickly he'd be cut off from sex. Playing nice didn't come naturally to him, but he sure as hell didn't want to screw this up by pissing off Cameron's sister.

The two of them did most of their work in silence, neither having much to say to the other. As the afternoon wore on, the pieces of furniture were put together and placed, one by one. They worked separately up until they reached the last piece, the crib. It was more complicated than the others, so they had no choice but to work together.

House wasn't big on small talk and figured they could get it done and get out of each other's way, but Heather had something else in mind.

"So," she began, glancing up at him. "Are you in this for the long haul?"

"Huh?" he asked, caught off guard by the question.

"I said," she repeated, emphasizing her words, "Are you in this for the long haul?" Her eyes were probing, demanding answers from House that he wasn't sure he could give.

House looked down, with the pretense of putting a couple pieces together. "I guess," he said, not really knowing his own answer. He was completely out of his depth. He had no idea what the future held—he was taking it day by day. It was all he could do.

"You better be," she replied, and he looked up quickly. Was she threatening him?

Her eyes were hard and forceful. "You need to decide before things go too far. I don't like seeing my little sister get hurt. You either need to man up and be there for her and this kid, whatever it takes, or get out now, before you get in too deep. No one's forcing you to be here," she challenged.

"Cameron's a big girl. She can take care of herself," he said, defending himself and yet ignoring the question.

"Her name is Allison," Heather emphasized. "If you're raising a kid together, you should probably learn to call her that."

House couldn't keep looking at those eyes that were so Cameron and yet nothing like her. He fiddled with the tools in his hands before looking back up. Heather was working again, as if she knew she'd pushed him far enough.

And she was right. He couldn't get her words out of his head.

When Cameron came home, it was already time to take Heather to the airport. House was glad to get away, escaping to his apartment to brood over Heather's words. His evening consisted of his piano, his thoughts, and a little too much scotch.

The drive to the airport was lighthearted and fun, but once it came time to say goodbye, Heather had something more serious to say. She had watched House closely after their short conversation earlier, and it had been obvious how troubled the man was by what she had said. Now she wanted to gauge how her sister was feeling as well.

"Allie." She met her sister's eyes, their one shared feature. "How serious are you about House?"

Cameron broke her gaze, looking down. "I love him, Heather." She didn't know what else to say.

"You're afraid he's going to change his mind." It wasn't really a question; Heather could read her sister like a book.

Cameron nodded, and her sister brought her in for a hug. "Maybe he will, Allie, I don't know." Heather loosened her grip to look at her. "I don't know why… call it feminine intuition," she said with a laugh, "but I think you should give him a fair chance. Put a little faith in him."

Cameron looked surprised. "Most people wouldn't say that."

Heather grinned at her sister. "I'm not most people."

With another tight hug, Heather headed into security and Cameron went back out to her car. She spent the drive home thinking and wondering about what her sister had said.