A/N: I cannot apologize enough for the delay. I've been a bit sick and the computer was a big no-no. Thank you for the kind reviews. I don't own anything and please take the time to read the A/N at the end of this chapter. It has some important info about the next chapter. Thank you all and enjoy!

Chapter 8: You cheated!

Wilson came back a short time later carrying a bundle of rope with knots throughout.

"I don't like where this is going," House muttered. "Wilson, can I use that rope to hang myself?"

Wilson sighed, ignored the comment and walked over to two trees that were spaced a ways apart. When he moved away again, the rope network was splayed between the two.

"I've seen this before," Cameron said. "We all stand on one side and help each other get through the spaces in the rope to the other side, but we can't touch the rope at any time or we have to start over…Oh, and we can't use the same gap twice."

"Exactly." Wilson said. "So, let's get started."

They assembled on one side of the rope, and Wilson motioned House to be first.

"Must I?" he asked.

"You must," Wilson said.

They all stood there.

"I can't float, so you're all going to have to actually pick me up. If anyone so much as thinks about dropping me, they'll be fired." He looked over at Chase.

"Why do you always look at me?"

"Because you have most cause."

"So, you're acknowledging that you treat me like crap."

"No, you're just jealous of me is all. The only thing you have going for you is your hair."

"Let's go," Wilson said, taking the initiative. They all grabbed House, picked him up, and shoved him through a gap in the rope network. The problem with this was that the gap they chose was a bit too high and House fell unceremoniously to the ground with a hollow thump.

"You ok?" Wilson asked, concern not quite making it into his voice. Chase bit back a grin and Foreman turned away, chuckling.

Next, Foreman went through without incident. House surprised everyone by actually aiding in pulling him through. Foreman was followed by Wilson and Chase, who crawled through a gap in the bottom of the network.

"Good thinking," House said.

"Were you gonna do something."

"Me?! Never, not to you."

Cameron stood looking for a gap that hadn't been used yet. There was one at the top.

"Chase, you took my gap."

"Sorry."

She thought for a moment, shrugged, then climbed the rope network and jumped down to the other side.

"You cheated!" House said.

"I know."

"Now we have to start all over," Foreman pointed out.

"No, we don't," Cameron said. "Despite my cheating, we've shown we can work together to complete a task. That was the point of the exercise. I wasn't going to stand there forever waiting for a gap that worked to magically appear. Besides I wanna go hiking."

Everyone looked at Wilson, who conceded, and they grabbed their packs and started off.

"I have nature bingo if anyone wants to play," Cameron said.

"Do you have every version of bingo known to man hidden in that jacket pocket?" Chase asked.

"Pretty much."

"Do you have naked XXX bingo?" House asked hopefully.

"That one I forgot," Cameron replied with a grin.

"Too bad."

They trekked up a small hill and came to an open spot where they had lunch. More cereal and some trail mix.

"We're really roughing it now," House muttered, picking the marshmallows out of his cereal. "Are we going to catch any fish later on Wilson? With our bare hands maybe?"

"Actually we're going to fashion spears from tree branches and have a distance throwing contest. The person who loses will be hunted by the others and once caught, will be roasted on a spit."

"Now you're talkin,"

"I'm also lying."

"No, you're the moderator. What you say goes."

"And what if you lost?"

"No way would I lose. It would probably be you. You've got a weak throwing arm."

"How do you know?" Wilson asked, his brow wrinkling.

"Because you dragged me to that stupid oncology baseball benefit last year. I saw you pitch. It was pathetic."

"Yea, I'll admit it was rather pathetic."

"So, you'd lose. And I also know from that same benefit that you can't run very fast. You wouldn't last 10 seconds."

"And I suppose you're faster than me?" Wilson asked, glancing at House's leg.

"No, but I wouldn't lose the throwing contest, so it wouldn't matter."

"Which is just fine, because I was lying anyway."

They started out again.

"Does anyone know how to get back to camp?" Wilson asked suddenly.

"I've been dropping M&Ms," Chase said.

They looked behind them. There was a brightly colored trail marking their way.

"And what happens if they get eaten Hansel?" House asked the obvious.

Chase frowned. "Then we might be in trouble."

They hiked along, enjoying the nature around them that they rarely got a chance to appreciate. Foreman even had a nature book with him and pointed out interesting facts about the flora and fauna that they saw. True to Wilson's word, they took it slow and rested often.

Before they knew it, it was late afternoon and time to head back. Chase's M&Ms were still visible and uneaten so they cautiously began following them back to camp. They were going past a bushy area when Cameron let out a cry and dropped to the ground.

They rushed to her, House standing some distance, not wanting to get too involved. Wilson asked, "What happened?"

"I think a branch scratched me," She said, holding her hand to the cut.

"That's bleeding pretty bad. Someone get the first aid kit please. I need to bandage it up."

Chase and Foreman looked at each other, then over at House, who just shook his head.

"5 doctors, and we didn't pack a first aid kit. That's….great." Wilson sighed.

Cameron wiped her hand on the grass and looked at the cut. "It'll be all right. It looks worse than it is. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Oh, for the love of…" House came over, grabbed Chase's sleeve, ripped it and tied the cloth tightly around Cameron's calf. "There, situation handled. Now, onward, before it gets too dark to see the M&Ms."

"That was my favorite shirt," Chase muttered. "You could've asked, at least."

"No time. She was clearly bleeding out."

Chase rolled his eyes and glared at House's back.

"Cut it out or else." The glare dissolved into a more neutral look and the group pressed on.

They were a distance away when something dark came out of the bushes and sniffed at the blood on the grass. It growled in its throat and then retreated back under cover in the darkness of the brush.

They returned to camp just as the sun was setting. Wilson started a fire, and they sat around it for dinner. Foreman got up and passed out bowls.

"Haven't we finished the cereal yet?" House whined.

"Still got a few more boxes." Wilson replied. "We have bread for toast."

House looked at Chase. "No way."

"Then shut up and eat your Lucky Charms."

"Yes sir mister moderator sir."

They ate in silence, each deep in their own thoughts. Cameron glanced at House, picking out marshmallows. She still couldn't decide, but she was running out of time. "Maybe he'll forget…no, he never forgets anything…I want him, but I don't know…why is this so hard…I should just stop thinking with my head and use my heart…I don't want to be used though…."

Chase ate his cereal and thought, "I should have dropped him during the trust exercise the other day…why does he have to be like this anyway? He'd be a decent boss if he'd act human. I don't hate him, I don't even dislike him really…I wonder what we'll be doing tomorrow…"

Foreman thought, "That nature book sure came in handy today. I'm glad I picked it up. Maybe this whole thing will prove to be more beneficial than I thought. It's kind of nice to get out in nature. It is beautiful out here…"

Wilson thought, "I still can't believe he burned that book. I should call Lisa and tell her…but I promised I'd only call if it was an emergency, and House burning that book was expected. It's kinda creepy out here at night. This whole Jersey Devil thing has me on edge..."

House thought, "They put way too much cereal in here. Not nearly enough marshmallows for a full meal. I wonder if Cameron's got some left…" He leaned over and peered into Cameron's bowl. She wasn't paying attention. She seemed zoned out. He began picking through her bowl for marshmallows and stuffing them in his mouth.

She looked over at him all of a sudden and he stopped in mid-pull, dropped the marshmallow in his fingers and looked down at her leg.

"How's the cut?"

"You care?" She asked, more harshly than she meant to.

"I asked, didn't I?"

"It's better. I think it'll be ok. Hey,what happened to all my marshamallows?"

"Jersey Devil."

"Uh…huh."

"Ok, if everyone's done, I suggest we turn in early. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Wilson said.

Everyone moved to disperse, when Chase suddenly pointed at a nearby bush.

"I saw eyes. Red ones. Over there."

Wilson recalled the pair of red eyes he'd seen the other night and shuddered.

"C'mon, it's probably just a cutesy woodland creature," House scoffed.

"With red eyes?!"

"Yes, what else could it be?"

"The Jersey Devil," Chase replied. Wilson nodded, backing off when House glared at him.

"Over here?" He walked over to the bush.

"Yea."

House looked behind the bush.

"Rabbit."

"What…seriously?"

"Yes, come see for yourself."

Chase did, and sure enough, there was a brown rabbit behind the bush.

"I saw red eyes. I know I did."

"Probably just your overactive imagination. No more bedtime stories for you."

They all went into their respective tents.

Cameron sat amongst her blankets and thought. He'd be coming in anytime now, wanting to know her answer, and she still wasn't quite sure what to tell him.

House grabbed Wilson's sleep mask and said, "Mine."

"Fine, we'll take turns with it."

"No, mine."

"Whatever. Good night House."

"Night Wilson."

After Wilson was asleep and snoring, House left the tent and went over to Cameron's.

A/N: Ok, so I know some of you are Hameron fans and some aren't, so I'm going to do a sort of choose your own adventure for the next chapter, which hopefully will be up in a few days. If you want them to do it, read chapter 9. If you don't, read chapter 10. The way I've planned it, it won't interfere with the telling of the rest of the story and the ends of both chapters will be the same, so you won't miss out on anything by reading just one or the other, so next chapter-choose your poison!