Disclaimer: See Chapter I.
Cameron's breath hitched. In that instant her mind replayed the excruciating scene when she inquired after Houses' feelings for her. "No" he had said. "No". Now he was saying "You". Was that a yes?
Cameron blinked, forcing air into her lungs as she looked at the handsome and difficult man standing across the room from her, puzzled.
"I don't understand..." she finally said, more quietly than she had intended.
Forcibly breaking the contact between their eyes, House turned his head sharply and exhaled.
"You're a damn good doctor, Cameron, probably my best. I don't want to lose you over some ridiculous circus of office politics. Whatever Vogler said, or didn't say for that matter, it's a lie" he finished, finally looking at her, a dim flash of anger, or resentment, in his keen eyes.
"That said, you're also under contract. Furthermore, it's irresponsible, no, childish, for you to leave me in the lurch like this".
His voice was filled with greater urgency and Cameron could see his grip tightening around the handle of his cane.
Sickened, Cameron inhaled slowly and forced herself to look her former employer in the eye.
She shook her head attempting a cool façade.
"You had to get rid of someone, why not me?" she shot back, hurt and betrayed by his curtness.
"The way I see it..." she sighed, painfully, "I was doing you a favor".
House jerked his head angrily and took a few steps towards her, separated by the sofa, hand gripping his cane tightly.
"No" he countered, "I think you were doing yourself a favor..." he paused, stopping the flow of language before he spoke the words they would both come to regret.
"What exactly did Vogler say to you to make you..?"
Cameron cut him off, nearly shouting across the darkened room,
"What does it matter what Vogler might have said to me!"
House knit his brow and tapped his cane on the floor, recomposing himself. This was not what he'd hoped would transpire.
He smirked, displaying the fine cunning she had come to know, expect, admire, and worst of all, love.
"He told you it was you, didn't he?" he ground out, cynicism dripping from each syllable. Cameron felt how the words seemed to stick in his throat, but she couldn't begin to imagine why.
Cameron stared as House continued.
"He told you it was you; that you were my choice, didn't he?" irritation evident in his voice now.
Angered, Cameron flared:
"Yes! He did. At least he had the decency to do it. You were just trying to push me off. What, were you suddenly too... scared? Intimidated? Embarrassed to tell me yourself!"
She felt the tears burn in her eyes but she refused to let him see her cry. He had already witnessed too much of her soul already and she should never have allowed it to happen.
Shaking his head, laughing ironically to himself, Houses' voice was quiet, almost inaudible:
"It wasn't you".
Cameron flinched slightly. The silence between them was deafening—a ringing in her ears that she could not clear from her now clouded head.
"What?" she croaked through a tight throat.
"Why would he lie to me? What could he possibly gain?"
House swayed slowly from foot to foot, breathing roughly.
"This!" he fumed, waving a hand towards her sharply,
"Exactly this!"
Cameron narrowed her eyes, now completely uncertain as to the purpose of his visit.
"What?" she scoffed, "Vogler set up my resignation so that he could get you into my apartment for this lovely tête-à-tête?"
House laughed weakly.
"No... He wants me. He wants to... how shall I put it? Ruin me. Run me out. Make me miserable, as if I'm not miserable enough..."
Cameron wiped away a fugitive tear and shook her head, loose dark hairs falling across her forehead.
"I still don't understand. He lied to get me to quit? You weren't going to fire me?"
"No!" came the sudden response.
"You know, contrary to popular opinion, not everything is about you!" he exhaled heavily.
"I chose Chase".
Cameron stood, shocked, frozen to her place in the living room.
"Chase?" she questioned innocently.
"Yes, Chase. Of course Chase" grumbled House.
"But then... why..?" Cameron stumbled.
"Because it was never about firing someone" House looked deflated, exhausted, and suddenly Cameron felt an overwhelming desire to stroke his stubbled cheek.
Leaning resignedly against the door, eyes raised to the white ceiling, House related the events to Cameron:
"I went to Vogler with your idea—a pay cut, less hours. It was a good idea. But he wouldn't go for it."
Cameron looked on, recognition slowly dawning on her.
"Vogler forced me to choose—said it was never about the money. He wanted to be sure I'd do whatever he told me, whenever he told me, no matter how 'unappealing' it was". The doctor exhaled and leveled his gaze on Cameron.
Cameron, stunned, shook her head. "Can... can he do that?"
House leaned forward, moving away from the door, and shrugged.
"He certainly thinks so. When I finally announced my decision—Chase—Vogler annexed it—told me to pick someone else or he'd shut down the entire department. I assume that's when he went to you." House exhaled sharply:
"At least it confirmed who the informant was".
Cameron raised her hands to her face and forced back the loose hairs.
"Chase? I... I can't believe it. And Vogler! That bloody..."
House laughed roughly from across the room. "You bought it", he said dryly.
Spurned, Cameron dropped her arms and gazed at him.
"What exactly was I supposed to believe? You certainly didn't give me much to go on. And after everything that happened, I naturally assumed you were uncomfortable with me and that you wanted me gone!"
"That was never it!" House bit back, "You give yourself too much credit. Here I have Vogler breathing down my neck, Chase running to him at every opportunity, the impending destruction of my career, my department, my life! And I have to deal with your school-girl crush! You didn't exactly make things easy on me!"
Cameron bit her lip and caught a rogue tear sliding down her cheek.
House sighed heavily, lowering his gaze to the floor when he realized he'd hurt her.
Cameron shook her aching head, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize" she whispered, ashamed. "I never meant..."
"I know" he interrupted. "I know you didn't".
Sighing, Cameron eased herself into a nearby chair facing the doorway in which House stood.
"I never... should have… God, I'm so ashamed. Here I was, carrying on, and you were in hell."
She sighed heavily and dropped her head into her hands.
"I'm such a fool".
House laughed gently.
"No... you're just... too honest for your own good" he smiled lightly.
Cameron raised her head and for a moment their eyes met across the dark room. The candle behind her flicked and died. The sudden darkness startled Cameron and she stood to turn on the lamp to her left. The room filled with a weak yellow light. Cameron inhaled slowly and turned to once again face House across the room.
"So, what do we do now?" she questioned weakly.
House looked at her intently: "You come back".
