DISCLAIMER: See the Prolouge if you think I may have acquired rights to House; everything holds the same as previously mentioned.

A/N: Thanks ever so much for the reviews everyone; I really appreciated them. In regards to Cameron's hair color, since I had two conflicting reports on the color (black and brown) I went back and checked over the episodes and decided that it was a reddish-brown color, and her hair is now called "auburn" in the previous chapter. Again, if you see any mistakes, please let me know. I've reread it several times, but I don't have a beta, so it's possible I might miss something.

SPOILERS: I know that there is a very specific spoiler for "Love Hurts" in this chapter, but as mentioned before, anything for season one is possible; so you're forewarned.

CHAPTER ONE

Six years later…

Allison rolled over in her bed, surprised that she was even in a bed. For a moment, she closed her eyes, trying to remember the last thing that had happened to her. House's terrified face floated into her consciousness for a second before it was replaced by Robert's face and the self-satisfied smirk he always wore after they had sex.

Allison glanced over at the alarm clock on the table; the green luminescent numbers said: 9:24AM. For a second, Allison tried to figure out why the house was so quiet. Wouldn't the children have woken her by now? Oh, it was Sunday; Robert had taken the children to church.

Church had been a source of contention between them in their relationship. Robert was religious, and he strongly believed that his wife and children should follow his beliefs. Allison had refused flat out to go to church with him, but she told him he could take their children if it made him feel better. So, every Sunday, Robert would get up around 8:30AM and get the kids ready and take them to a 9:30AM service and they would be gone until around noon. She would stay at home, getting some well-deserved alone time.

Allison groaned and rolled out of bed. She had a few errands that she really needed to run, and she wanted to do them alone, so she figured that this would be the best way to get out having to take Kimmie, her darling little four year-old daughter with her.

Also, she had promised Eric she'd meet him to catch up with things; ever since she had given up on being a doctor to stay home with Kimmie, Eric had forced her to get out at least twice a month, telling her that she'd probably become a mommy-drone if she didn't. Allison had laughed when he had first suggested it, but now, over four years later, she was thrilled that he had suggested it. It gave her a chance to keep up with old friends without the kids or Robert, who often acted like an over-sized child, standing there at her side, keeping her from being herself.

Allison showered and dressed, whistling to a song on the radio as she went. It was an old one, Soak up the Sun by Sheryl Crow, but Allison had always really liked it. Down in the kitchen, she left a note for Robert and the kids. She explained what she was doing and when she thought she'd be home, but it wasn't like she wouldn't have her cell phone on her if they really needed to get a hold of her.

So, a little after ten, Allison pulled out of the driveway and headed for Princeton proper, where a day of shopping and fun awaited her. Allison grinned and turned up the radio, thrilled to be alone.

Around one in the afternoon, she pulled into a spot near a small sidewalk café that she and Eric met at every couple weeks. It was a beautiful day, and Eric was already seated on one of the three outdoor tables. Allison smiled at him and came and sat in the chair opposite to him. "Hey, how have you been?" she asked, settling down in the chair, placing her purse by her side.

"Good." He smiled. "How are Chase and the kids?" A waitress came up and took their orders before Allison had chance to respond, but it only took a moment before they were back to the original conversation.

Allison smiled; it was strange to hear her husband called by his last name, especially by one of her close friends. "They're good. They were at church when I left, but I'm sure they're home by now. So, what's new with you?"

Eric shrugged. "Not much. Same job, with the same sucky hours and same irritable co-workers." Allison smiled, knowing exactly to whom he was alluding. "There was a pretty interesting case last week, but since it wasn't my department, I just had to had him over." Eric rolled his eyes. "Every time I see House in the halls he rubs it in, too. He likes to point out he would have raised my salary if I wanted to stay with him." Eric paused. "Sometimes I wish I would have."

Allison nodded sympathetically. She knew the feeling; there were days that she would rather be subject to House's endless sarcasm and spite than her own children, at least he could hold a somewhat intellectual conversation every once and a while. Most of the time, she had to drag an opinion on a medical topic out of Robert if she read something in one of the endless journals. "You're right, that sucks," she said. However, she didn't want to dig too deep in the area of House. Some things were better left untouched. "So, have you and Karen thought anymore about getting married?"

Eric laughed a little, but Allison saw a knowing look in Eric's eyes. He knew that she was purposely avoiding House, just like she did every time. He always brought up House someway in their conversations, and she always changed the subject. Allison got enough news to keep her satisfied, but never enough that she might let something slip at home and cause a fight. Because, years later, House could still cause a fight like no other in the Chase residence.

"We've discussed it," Eric said, "but I don't get the feeling she's too keen on the subject. She's always said that she never wanted to be tied down to a man. She doesn't mean that in an I-won't-be-faithful or I-really-don't-love-you way; she just sees marriage as a somewhat outdated institution, and since I don't mind, I don't push her. It's not like we want children," Eric pointed out.

Allison smiled. "What? You don't want to subject the world to more Foremans? You're not that bad. It's not like little Houses running around."

They both laughed at that. The waitress returned with their drinks, and Allison took a sip as she watched Eric to continue to laugh at the thought. "Could you image little Houses running around? Just as arrogant and smug as him." Eric shook his head.

Allison quieted a little at that. She could imagine little Houses, and for a moment, the buried itch and pain that rarely ever surfaced came to light. At one time, she would have done almost anything to convince House that they could be together, but he was too stubborn for that, too determined that he was broken beyond repair for anything to work between them. And, in the end, she had given up and when Robert had announced his interest, she had gladly accepted it.

Sometimes Allison felt guilty about accepting Robert's offer; did she really love him as much as she could? Or did House still keep part of her? Allison always liked to deny this; she had gotten over House, wasn't Robert proof of that? However, when she was being more honest with herself, Allison admitted that House probably did still hold something of her heart; the part of her heart she thought died with her first husband. The husband that Robert never knew about, which could send ways of guilt coursing through her if she was in the right mood.

"Are you all right, Allie?" Eric asked, obviously he realized the emotions and memories he had stirred with his comment.

"Yeah, just remembering things," Allison said weakly. She had never told Eric about her first husband either. The opportunity had never presented itself before, and in the end, she had decided that maybe it would just be better if everyone forgot about it. She had even begged her parents not to mention it to anyone else, and with their daughter happily remarried, they had gleefully agreed.

"Allison, I didn't mean to bring House up," Eric assured her, and Allison nodded; she knew he hadn't. "But I can't help but wondering what you think about him now?"

Allison froze. He wanted to know how she felt about House, now? How did she feel about House? Quite often when she thought about House now, she remembered the look on his face when she told him she was quitting. That she was pregnant and had decided it would be best if she became a stay-at-home mom. The emotions that passed through his eyes were many and confusing. She remembered exactly what had happened…

He looked genuinely surprised at first, as if he had never expected her to come forward and say she was pregnant and leaving. The next look was surprising for her, he looked lonely, then hopeless, then something that resembled care, something remotely like jealously before settling on anger; the one emotion he wasn't afraid to express in front of her. "Chase talked you into this, didn't he?" he said coldly.

Allison tried hard not to gape at him; how could he even guess that? The traitorous part of her mind, the one that had jumped for joy when the strange, care-like expression had crossed through his eyes, reminded her that Chase had suggested it first, and it was unlikely she would have ever considered it on her own. She made her own decisions, the other part of her mind countered; the part she sometimes thought was living in perpetual denial. "He suggested it," Allison admitted. "But I made the ultimate decision."

House snorted. "Yeah, right. Chase just doesn't want you working for me anymore. He's just worried that you're resolve won't be as strong as you claim, and one night, when you're defenses are down, most likely after we lose a young patient, I'll see an opportunity to get to you, and I'll take it. Stealing away his precious Allison forever."

Allison's cheeks burned in shame and indignation. How could he suggest that, her denial half said. Maybe because you would turn to him if the opportunity presented itself, the traitorous part said wickedly. And when he finally broke down, then–– Shut up, denial said. For some unknown reason, Allison liked to think it must have been her hormones; she had challenged him. She had asked that fateful question. "Would you steal me away, House, if you could? Would you make a move even though you know I'm married?"

House had looked at her for a long moment, this time his face went completely expressionless. Allison's anxiety mounted with every passing second; she knew now what she had always suspected, House liked her, maybe even loved her, but he wouldn't ever allow her to know that. Before House could say anything, burst the bubble of hope inside of her, Allison did something was destined to wake her up in a cold sweat, haunting her dreams and causing ever present guilt (and it did). She kissed House.

It wasn't a chaste kiss; the kiss contained all of her frustration, longing and passion in one furious wave. At first, House seemed to have frozen; unable to react in anyway, and right when Allison was about to pull back, to finally give up on him. He did something that surprised her.

Both his arms swept around her, and he kissed her back with equal passion and fury. His hands seemed to burn her wherever they connected with her body, and his mouth was demanding that she show him just how much she wanted him. Allison wasn't about to let him down, and she met his demand and wanted more.

Allison was never quite sure how long they stood in their passionate embrace, but she did know when they pulled apart, she knew couldn't work there again. When she had gotten married, she had every intention of being faithful, and the only way she could see that happening was if her temptation was removed, and her only temptation had always been, and probably always would be, House.

Allison looked tentatively up into House's eyes after their kiss, if it could only be called that, and saw loneliness and love staring down at her for an instant before his barriers were back, coldness to replace the love and sarcasm for the loneliness. "I'll need to put that on your letter of recommendation if you ever ask for one," he commented dryly.

Allison nodded weakly; both glad and saddened to see that House had returned to his normal, sarcastic bastard self. "Good night, Dr. House," she had said quietly on her way. "And thank you for everything." Their eyes had met, and for the first time, they seemed to know and accept everything the other wanted to say without words.

Allison had turned and left. Holding the tears she had felt threatening to fall until she was safely in the car, where she sobbed her heart out for thirty minutes before she managed to pull herself together enough to drive home. Once at home, she had gone in, mumbled something about being tired, and gone and cried herself to sleep. She never told Robert why she had come home sobbing that night, and he knew better than to ask. If it ever came up, he always said that House had probably said something about how glad he would be she was finally getting out from underfoot or something else that discredited everything Allison had ever done for him. He never knew that Allison had sobbed so hard because House had thanked her for everything and had, for a brief moment, offered her an alternative.

Allison had finished out her time with House without another incident, and they never spoke about it. She knew better than to read too much into it; House had probably humored his feelings because he knew that he would never be hurt by her because she couldn't get into a relationship where she had the ability to hurt him. Still, she knew that he cared for her, and that was all she had ever wanted.

"I'll always have some kind of feelings for him, Eric," Allison admitted softly. "He was much more than a boss to me. He gave me a sense of purpose and desire to help others, as strange as that sounds, that I don't think I would have found under another doctor. He helped me in ways that I can't even describe to you; he probably doesn't even know how much of an impression he made."

Eric shook his head slightly. "Does Chase know how much you feel for him?"

Allison was shocked by his question. "Of course, I often discuss how much I love other men than my husband with said husband," Allison retorted sarcastically. "No, he wouldn't understand; he'd probably call it Stockholm Syndrome or some other stupid psychological disease."

Eric seemed to be trying to piece things together. "So, if you loved House so much, why did you marry Robert?"

For a moment, Allison had no answer. Part of her still wondered why she had married Robert. "I think I just got tired of waiting for someone who would never come to admit what he felt," Allison said. "I'm not entirely proud of what I did, but I'd rather be like this than still waiting for him to make up his mind; trying to decide if he should risk getting hurt again for me. You want to know something, right before we went out on our 'date,'" Allison began to break down, to even think about that night caused her pain, "Wilson came and made sure that I knew what I was doing, so House wouldn't get hurt again. Apparently House can break my heart but I can't break his." Allison dissolved into hysterical tears.

Why could House still cause her tears years later? Eric was out of his chair and next to her in less than a second. "It's all right, Allison," he whispered. "House can't hurt you anymore."

Allison laughed wetly. "I wish I could see it that way, but if he can't hurt me anymore, why do I feel so much pain when I think about him?" she asked. She gave Eric a watery smile; she didn't need a response because she knew there wasn't a favorable one to that. "So, what's the most interesting patient you've had recently? Or all they all hypochondriacs?"

Eric retreated to his seat, and answered all of her questions and told stories, steering clear of House. On occasion, she saw Eric glance just over her left shoulder, but she didn't think too much of it. She suspected it was just some cute girl sitting behind her.

Around three, Allison admitted that she had to get home. Robert was probably going insane with the kids, and she didn't need an institutionalized husband. "See you soon, Eric," she said, standing up and giving Eric a hug.

"Okay," he said, returning her hug. "Take care of yourself, and if you ever just need to talk…" He left it hanging, but they both knew what he meant.

"I'll call," Allison promised. "Bye." She left, not even glancing back. It was going to be tough to go home and face Robert now. With the emotions and memories that had been stirred, she felt even guiltier than usual. Eric had made her face her worst fear, and it turned out that she had been in denial all along. She still loved House, and she doubted that any amount of time was going to change that.

A/N: I'm expecting to have Chapter Two up around Wednesday, and I have a pretty good idea where I'm going with Chapter Three, so maybe you'll have two chapters by the end of the week! Again, reviews are very much appreciated. Also, if anyone is interested in being a beta, I wouldn't mind someone else to go over it, so if you're interested, just drop me a review and mention it.