House was sitting in his office, messing around with a yo-yo and listening to Cake on his iPod. God, how he loved what they did with the trumpet. Muted trumpet, with just the right accent on just the right notes, and deliciously jazzy. He didn't like them for much other reason than that, but that horn was enough to make one fall in love. It was during one of those killer trumpet solos that Cameron walked in through the side doors to stand in front of House's desk. Fortunately, she knew better than to interrupt. She waited patiently for the trumpet to die down. When it did, House turned off the iPod and looked up at Cameron expectantly.

"Bored?" It was a simple question, but also totally useless. It served as a cue for House to start the conversation.

"It's a funny thing. I've been getting voicemail messages all week, and yet not one of them were any of the eight my mother left for me." House now tilted his head and gave a look of mock confusion. "Odd how the machine selectively deleted only my mother's messages. Do you think my voicemail machine has it out for me?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Joked Cameron. House gave her a look, which she ignored.

"And to think that I gave you TV rights. You're lucky I don't revoke them."

"I take it that your mother is here?" Asked Cameron. House could see she was proud of herself. House shook his head slightly, he never would understand her.

"She is." There was a long pause where House looked at his desk and Cameron looked at House. "What made you do that, Cameron?" It was soft and curious. She had expected him to be angry or irritated.

"I thought it would be good for you to see her," Explained Cameron. "I didn't know how often you spoke or saw each other. What I know about you made me assume that it wasn't much." She waited. She didn't know what for, maybe nothing at all, but she waited.

"My mother visits the hospital once a year. Chase has already met her once. I visit her on her birthday, and she calls often. We…I mean, I…visit her on Thanksgiving, too." There was another pause where House was checking whether he had to explain the meaning of 'we'. He could see by the curious fire in Cameron's eyes that he did. "Wilson and Cuddy used to visit on Thanksgiving, too. They don't anymore." Cameron nodded in understanding, although the information aroused more curiosity than it put to rest.

"What is she like, your mother?" Asked Cameron. House gave her a look, but said nothing.

"You'll meet her, but she's worse than me," Said House as he saw Cameron's eyebrows shoot upwards. Worse than House? No way. "Except that she'll kill you with fluff. She's very intelligent, but she hides it well. That way she can throw people off if she needs to. She's very curious and very cunning, and she thinks everyone is too thin. She's sweet and polite, even when she's mocking you. In short, she's my mom. The pretense thing just never rubbed off on me, I guess. Otherwise, I'm very much like her." House smiled absently and fondly. Cameron looked at House, amazed at how fond he seemed of his mother, and she smiled amusedly.

"She sounds wonderful." She said quietly and sincerely. She realized the implication the statement held too late, and knowing House, he hadn't missed it. However, he simply let the curious fire flash in his eyes and he smiled innocently.

"Yes, she is."

"House!" Cameron and House turned their attention to the glass doors as Foreman came through them. House grinned in guilty pleasure. Foreman was more frustrated than House could ever take credit for making him. It was times like these that House truly loved his mother. "Is this why Chase bolted?"

"Different reasons. Chase minds his own business, my mother found other ways to make him miserable." Answered House accusingly. "You, I imagine, tried to weasel information from her. You brought it upon yourself, Doc."

"I can almost deal with one of you, but two is too much to take! Even if one of you is being polite I'm still being made fun of. I will not tolerate this!" Foreman threw a candy bar at House. House managed to block it with his hands and it fell onto his desk.

"Does this mean you won't come to Thanksgiving dinner?" Asked House in fake disappointment. Foreman glared at House and threw up his hands as he walked towards the conference room door.

"You are the spawn of Satan, House! I can now say that with certainty!" Yelled Foreman as he exited. All through this Cameron had tried her hardest not to laugh, but couldn't hold back any longer.

"What did she do to him?" Asked Cameron through her laughter. House shrugged as he reached for the candy bar and began to unwrap it.

"She can drive a person insane while still being polite. She is far more talented than I."

"And don't you forget it, Greg." Said Sylvia as she entered the room. House smiled at his mother as he offered half the candy bar to Cameron. Cameron accepted it.

"Have fun, mom?"

"Loads. He's a curious young man, your Dr. Foreman. He doesn't like you very much."

"Don't be silly, he loves me!" Exclaimed House sarcastically. "Mom, this is Allison Cameron, I was telling you about her earlier. Cameron, this is my mother, Sylvia House."

"Very nice to finally meet you, Mrs. House." Greeted Cameron as she shook the woman's hand. "I've been very curious about you ever since I met your son."

"You're not alone." Joked Sylvia. Cameron laughed.

"He says you two are very alike. Is it true?" Sylvia smiled warmly at Cameron. Sylvia liked Cameron, and she got the idea that she was one of House's favorites. He seemed much more friendly with her than with anyone else she had met.

"It is true. He takes after me more than he does his father, although he got all of his father's good looks." Cameron giggled and House came as close to blushing as Cameron had ever seen him come. "He got his lack of pretense from his father. Greg has always said exactly what he thought, he just wasn't always so bitter." Cameron glanced warily at House after the last statement, but his warm look of affection hadn't changed. What you accept and know to be true doesn't hurt. House was bitter, and he knew it, and what's more, he didn't care.

"If your husband is as handsome as you say he is, I'd like to meet him someday." Replied Cameron. There was that damned implication again. House didn't miss it, but he didn't acknowledge it either. Sylvia didn't miss it and she decided to at least make a subtle comment to House about it. He'd know what she meant.

"Greg dear, if she keeps this up I may just change my mind about you and Lisa." Cameron didn't know what they were talking about, but House sure did. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Sylvia a disapproving look more reminiscent of Fred Astaire than of Greg House. If he had been serious he would have given her the Greg House look. Sylvia simply smiled apologetically at House.

"I assume you ate?" Asked House.

"Only from the vending machine. I'll get a Reuben sandwich from the cafeteria in a few minutes and I'll be back up for General Hospital."

"Can you bring me back one, too? And uh…" House glanced at Cameron questioningly and Cameron nodded. "And one for Cameron…with pickles." House looked at Cameron again for confirmation and she nodded again. House handed Sylvia some money, enough for both his and Cameron's sandwiches, and Sylvia smiled.

"Okay, I'll see you back up here at 1:00." Sylvia turned to Cameron and shook her hand again. "It was very nice to have met you, Allison."

"You too, Mrs. House. And thanks for picking up the sandwich for me."

"No problem. Anything for a friend of Greg's, even if you do like pickles. Besides, you're far too thin!"