A/N: I'm glad you all seemed to like chapter 1. Here's another. Any mistakes are my own. So don't crucify me because I'm too lazy to look up the details. It's just a story. Go with it. LOL.
Chapter Two
"So, about my charting…" House said as he leaned against the triage desk and bit into a crisp apple.
Cameron shook her head and laughed. "What about it?"
House was about to snark back when Nicola burst through the doors of the ER, with her partner balanced across her shoulders.
He was the first to react when he saw the lifeless body she was carrying, and Cameron quickly followed.
"Someone sprayed her with pepper spray," Nicola explained as they helped lay Jenny down on a nearby gurney.
"House, she's cyanotic," Cameron said as she got a closer look.
"Is she asthmatic?" House asked Nicola, but she shrugged.
"I...I don't think so."
"Lung issues?"
"She started wheezing as soon as it happened. Not an uncommon reaction, but she almost immediately passed out."
"Let's get her cleaned up."
Once they got her cleaned up and stable, House came out to the lobby where Nicola was waiting.
"She's okay now. It was just an allergic reaction. We're going to keep her overnight just for observation and then she can go home tomorrow."
"Thank you, Dr...House, is it?"
He nodded. "We've met."
"I know, I remember," she said with a smirk, then she glanced at her watch. "I need a drink. It's been a bitch of a day."
"You're telling me. Wanna grab one?"
Nicola blinked, a little surprised. "Really?"
"Sure. You're off, I'm off. We can get off together." Then he cocked his head to one side and thought about what he'd just said. "Which sounds a lot more dirty than it should have."
"Nothing wrong with that."
House grinned. "Or my place is just a few blocks from here. The drinks are free."
Nicola didn't know why, but something deep down let her know that she could trust him. Maybe it was because he was a doctor. Although doctors could be murderers, too, she didn't get that vibe from him and her instincts were always spot on.
"Got beer?"
"Probably."
"Sounds good. I'll meet you out front and follow you."
"I'm at 221 Baker Street. Can I get a police escort?" House teased.
She laughed. "Sure."
"Bitchin."
She sat in her squad car and when he pulled up next to her on his bike, she put the lights on and they were off.
It was a short ride to his place, but he was smiling when she got out of the car. "That was too cool," he said as he fished in his pocket for his keys.
"Glad you liked it," she laughed as she followed him inside. Glancing around his apartment, she was surprised to find it clean, even though it was somewhat cluttered. "Nice place."
"It serves its purpose," he said as he went to the kitchen. "Beer, wine, gin, scotch or whiskey?"
"Wow, quite the arsenal," she said as she leaned against the butcher block. "I'll just have a beer, thanks. Gotta drive later and all that."
House popped open a can and handed it to her, before pouring himself a tumbler of scotch.
"Play me something on the piano?" she asked.
"Anything specific?" he said as he put his glass on a coaster and sat down at the piano.'
"Something mellow."
"Hmmm," he said as he rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles, making her wince. "Something mellow. Do you like jazz? Blues?"
"Yes," she chuckled as she leaned against the piano.
He began to play a slow, jazzy tune by Miles Davis, and grinned when she started to sway back and forth. "Yeah this is nice."
"So, got a boyfriend?" he asked as he played.
"Nope. No time for that. And most guys can't deal with my schedule. When I catch a case, I gotta go and I could be incommunicado for days."
House nodded. "I get that. Same goes for me."
"So, are you with that blonde doctor?"
"Cameron? No. She's married."
"Oh, because I detected a bit of...sexual undercurrent."
House chuckled. "There always has been. But that ship has sailed."
"Pity."
"Not really. She's better off."
"What makes you say that?"
"She deserves someone who can give her everything she wants."
"And why can't you?"
"What are you? A shrink?"
"No, I just see what I see."
"Cops eyes."
"Exactly."
House finished playing the song and began to play another that she instantly recognized.
"Wow, you're really good. You should be playing in a bar or nightclub or something."
"Been there, done that. It was fun, but I couldn't commit due to work and I played the guitar, not the piano."
"I was admiring your flying V on the wall. Are you any good?"
"Good enough to play in a band," he said with a smirk. "Do you play anything?"
"I can play bass, but I haven't in a long time. I'm probably super rusty."
"You should bring it over one day. We'll have a jam session."
"Yeah I could get into that."
"So what department are you in?"
"Narcotics, but I'm working toward homicide. That's what I really want to do."
"Why Homicide?"
"I used to live in Colorado Springs and the lead investigator was amazing. He retired years ago but his legacy remains. I could only dream of being as good as he was. He had a very high accuracy rate. And he still consults on certain cases now and then."
"Cool."
"Yeah. I've only met him once but it was very memorable."
"Sounds like you have a crush on him," House said with a chuckle.
"I might have. But it doesn't matter. He lives in Virginia now."
"When did you move here?"
"A few years ago. Started in Burglary, then sex crimes, and now narcotics. I'm just impatiently waiting to see if I can get into homicide, but that was awhile ago. Haven't heard anything."
"How did you get to be Lieutenant so fast if you've only been here a few years?"
"It was a transfer and they were desperate. And they wanted someone who looked young to be able to go undercover."
"And who's your friend you brought in?"
"My aide. She's pretty green around the gills but she has potential."
Nicola finished her beer and set it down on a nearby table. "Well, Dr. House, thanks for the beer, but I have to get going. I have an early day tomorrow." House nodded and got up, seeing her to the door.
"Just call me House. Or Greg. But everyone just calls me House."
"Okay...House. Can I call you?"
He nodded. "Yeah, sure."
"I'd really like that jam session."
"We can do that. Maybe next weekend, if we're not busy."
"Yeah, if is the key word. I sometimes work weekends but I can usually keep them free for the most part."
He went and wrote his cellphone number on the back of his card. "Call me later this week and we'll set something up."
"I'll do that. G'night, House."
"G'night, Lieutenant."
She grinned at him. "I like it when you call me that."
"As opposed to what? Bitch cop?"
"Among other things."
House smirked and watched her go, and admired the view as she went out the front door.