Allison locked the door to her apartment and sagged against it, closing her eyes.

She was exhausted.

After her encounter with Mason the rest of the day had been spent obliging the police and though tired, she'd pushed through the reports and mountains of paperwork knowing once it was done she could go home.

Now she was here, her body was finally demanding the rest she'd promised herself.

'Cameron?'

She opened her eyes to see House hovering in the entrance to her kitchen and shook her head indicating she was fine, 'Sorry, just tired…' She moved in order to prove her point but was unprepared as a wave of dizziness assaulted her senses.

Taking a deep breath, she was glad when a pair of strong arms snaked their way around her waist, guiding her to the sofa.

'Thanks…' She lowered herself into the cushions, scrubbing a hand gingerly across her face as House back away from her slightly.

'Do you want a drink or something, anything?'

'No, I'm good...'

He watched her eyes close again and shifted awkwardly, 'You sure? It's no trouble…'

'House…' She let out a sigh wishing he'd just relax, 'You don't need to walk on egg shells around me. I told you, I'm fine.'

At first his concern had been welcoming but now she realized he was just doing it because he was uncomfortable. Usually when faced with an unfamiliar situation he just acted like a jerk and while she appreciated he was trying not to do that, his sudden niceness was starting to grate against her nerves.

House remained silent, averting his gaze across the room.

He wasn't deliberately trying to be over accommodating he just didn't know how to act around her. At the hospital after Wilson had left them alone she'd been vulnerable and while he'd tried to comfort her, in his opinion it had been a wasted effort. He wasn't good with emotions and while she claimed to be 'fine' now, the slightest chance she might crumble again left him feeling uneasy.

Despite being unable to see him, Cameron could feel his discomfort escalating and she reluctantly peeled her eyes open. 'You're uncomfortable.'

'Yes.' He shifted again, wondering what she was getting at. 'Do you think pointing it out will make it less awkward?'

A smile twitched on her lips as she patted to the space beside her. 'Sit down.'

He hesitated for a moment before complying and Cameron waited until he was seated before laying down, resting her head in his lap. His body immediately tensed but relaxed slightly as she picked up the remote and flicked on the t.v.

Placing the object back on the table, her eyes remained focused on the screen as she rested her hand against his knee, stifling a yawn. 'Did you always want to be a doctor?'

'No.'

The answer was short and to the point and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she prompted him for more information. 'What did you want to be?'

'Why?' He frowned slightly, wondering about her sudden interested in his career choice but she merely shrugged her shoulder against his leg. 'Just curious….'

Silence fell between them and though he tried to keep his attention on the t.v, the reason for her question lingered in his mind. She was up to something, she had to be and against his better judgment he offered her an honest answer trying to figure out what it was.

'I wanted to be an archeologist.'

'Hmmmm…' She mulled over the image of him digging around dirt for a living, 'Think you would've had the patience?'

It was a simple enough question but it stirred unwarranted thoughts in his mind. She couldn't actually be interested in the topic and sudden feeling that she was playing him set his nerves on edge. 'What are you doing?'

She yawned, casually offering the answer as if it was obvious. 'I'm talking to you.'

'Why?'

The fact he needed to ask concerned her and she turned gently in his lap, meeting his gaze. She was trying to get him to relax but the almost scared look etched on his face suggested her efforts were having the opposite effect.

'You're really not good at this are you?'

His eyes betrayed his confusion and she sat up, placing a leg on either side of his thigh so she was straddling him. Though intimate, nothing about the position was misleading and she dropped her hands against his shoulders, trying to make him understand.

'It's what people do… they talk, make conversation, get to know each other. I'm not trying to play games with you, I don't want anything except for you to feel comfortable.'

He swallowed nervously, unable to let go of his doubt.

People didn't like him, didn't want to get to know him and if they did it was only because they had an ulterior motive; Cameron's was to fix him. While that might be a step up from intentionally trying to hurt him, it was still something he needed to protect against.

Cameron felt his body tense up but refused to concede.

On their original date when he'd first offered a shred of insight into his emotions she'd backed down because part of her was scared he was right. She was wiser now, she knew his accusations came from his insecurities and as she started into his eyes, she could see for the first time how deep they ran.

He honestly thought no one could love him.

She didn't know why, or what had lead him to that conclusion but she was determined to show him he was wrong.

'I don't want to change you.' She drew the words out slowly hoping to convince him, 'I like you.'

'Why?' The question snapped of his tongue defensively and despite the seriousness of the situation, despite how defeated her actions felt, a small laugh escaped as she lowered her head against his shoulder.

'God only knows, you sure don't make it easy.'

He remained completely still for a moment, feeling the weight of her words sink in. He didn't make it easy deliberately which was why the thought of her actually liking him seemed so implausible.

He wanted to trust her, wanted to let her in but every instinct in his body screamed against it.

'What are you thinking right now?' Her voice was muffled against his shoulder and he leant back, regretfully letting the words slip from his mouth.

'This is a bad idea…'

She raised her head to meet his gaze.

In all the time she'd known him, she'd never seen him so scared and unsure about something and it nearly broke her heart; he could break her heart. It was a dark realization, they were both already so damaged that this relationship could end up destroying them.

Could being the operative word.

'Stop thinking,' She ran her fingers delicately over his temples caressing the skin, 'Just trust me.'

He opened his mouth to protest, to tell her it wasn't that easy, that he didn't even know where to start… but closed it with confusion as she crawled off him, returning to her previous position with her head resting in his lap.

The action left him unsettled but as her soft voice cut through the room, he started to understand.

'Why archeology?'

It was just a question; no expectation of declaration or commitment, no pressure.

At some point during their time together, she had learnt to read him so well she knew when to push and when to back off. Now she was offering an opening, a small way for him to learn to trust her.

With a long slow breath, he shifted against the couch surprised as the words slipped easily from his mouth. 'My dad was stationed in Egypt when I was younger…'

Allison closed her eyes as he began talking, letting herself be pulled into the story.

For a moment, she'd half expected him to push her off and leave but the fact he hadn't signified a change had been set into motion. It was going to be a slow process for both of them but she was confident that they could work through it together.