Allison left work right away that Friday night. She needed time to get ready. She was just finishing up her evening makeup when the doorbell rang. She didn't feel the need to play it cool and leave her date waiting at the door, so she ran and opened it.

Wilson looked good in a navy blue shirt and dress trousers. He handed her a box of chocolates as he walked in. "In case the dessert is bad." He explained. She laughed gently and kissed him on the cheek.

"I just need a couple more minutes." She said, showing him in. "Can I get you something?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine." She looked at him and had to agree. He did look fine tonight. She wondered for a second if he'd gotten a facial. She wanted to touch his skin. It looked so soft and silky. She fought the urge and walked back into the bathroom. She left the door open so they could talk.

"House was adamant that Stacy not come?" Cameron had been disappointed when Wilson first told her this. She had given it much thought, and decided he was just not ready to deal with his true feelings for her.

"Let it go, Allison. I know that you want him to be happy, but I really think he is. He likes being a grumpy old man. It makes him happy." Wilson had sat on the edge of the couch, where he could watch her get ready. She looked beautiful. He couldn't imagine what else she needed to do. Whatever it was, it wouldn't make her look more beautiful than she did when she was at work, saving someone's life and not caring what she looked like.

"I just think he needs to deal with his feelings. He needs to either win her back or get over her." She was spraying hairspray over her perfectly pulled up hair.

"I bet I know which one you are pulling for." Wilson had meant it in a very different way than Cameron took it, and he immediately regretted saying it when she turned and looked at him with a hurt expression on her face.

"I told you, I am over him."

"That's not what I meant." He got up and walked over to her. "It didn't come out right. I meant you are a hopeless romantic that wants everyone to be happy. I love you for that." He was behind her now, looking at her in the mirror. He kissed the back of her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist.

He had only said he loved her once before, before their fight, and she wondered if his feelings had changed. A rosy glow filled her cheeks. She turned around and gave him a big kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you James."

Chez Madeline was a very romantic restaurant, all soft lighting and draped silk. It was situated on the edge of the lake and had a beautiful view over the water. Wilson had made a reservation for a table by the window. When he and Cameron arrived, Cuddy was already there, sitting at the bar. They made their greetings and walked to the table together. No one was surprised that House hadn't yet arrived.

"Dr. Cuddy, I'm glad you could come." Cameron felt strange to be here socializing with Cuddy. They had no problems with one another but they really didn't know each other well.

"I suppose you should call me Lisa. We are off the clock. May I call you Allison?"

Cameron smiled. She had feared that the night would be very formal, given Cuddy's imposing presence. Cameron had always been a bit in awe of Cuddy. She seemed very intimidating at the hospital, but she seemed much softer now. Her hair was down, no barrette pulling it back, and it fell softly around her face. She was wearing a deep burgundy satin sheath. She looked very elegant. "Of course."

The three doctors made small talk, mostly about work and the hospital until House arrived. He ambled in 20 minutes late. "Sorry I'm late," he lied. "Bum leg, hard to get around." He sat down and looked at what they were all drinking. Cameron was having a glass of white wine, as was Wilson. Probably the same white wine to try and impress her. Cuddy had what looked like an amaretto sour, but he couldn't be sure. When the waiter rushed over, House ordered a scotch on the rocks.

"So, this is awkward." House said after several moments of silent drinking. "Ouch" He felt something make direct contact with his shin, and realized from her glare that it must have been Cuddy's foot.

House was thinking about the last time he and Cameron had been in a restaurant together. He couldn't decide if this night was more than or equally as uncomfortable as that one had been.

A short sports conversation took place, until Wilson noticed that Cameron wasn't really participating. He then changed the subject to movies, but House never went to the cinema, so he tried to change the subject by teasing Cuddy about her rather demure dress, which got her and Cameron talking about clothes while the boys looked bored. Then House got hold of the conversation again by bringing up cars. Cameron seemed to get very excited about this subject and talked in depth about muscle cars, while Wilson and Cuddy moved to their own conversation, which was whispered between them and focused on Wilson's budding relationship with Cameron.

Dinner came and went. They were all pairing off on different small subjects, and would frequently switch conversation partners like dancers on a ballroom floor. Wilson and Cameron were holding hands across the table, and whispering sweet nothings at one another, while House and Cuddy were arguing about work.

The great thing about Chez Madeline, the thing that made it more romantic than any other restaurant in town, was the live singer they had on Friday nights. They always had a string quartet playing over dinner, but on Friday nights, they splurged and brought in a beautifully trained soprano.

Wilson was feeling the effects of a couple glasses of wine, the soft candlelight, and the desperate need to be in the arms of his beloved. "Would you like to dance, Allison?" He was holding her hand, and gently pulling her out of her seat.

She beamed at him. "I would love to." She looked at House and Cuddy, who were now arguing more specifically about clinic duty and hadn't noticed her or Wilson get up. She shrugged and followed Wilson to the dance floor.

House watched them dance, and then looked at Cuddy. "Don't even think about it." He said, before she got any ideas.

"Oh, darn, now my night is ruined." She rolled her eyes at him. After a sip from her glass she spoke again. "Looks like you blew it." She was watching Wilson and Cameron dance.

"Excuse me?" House wasn't sure he'd heard right. What was she talking about?

"With Dr. Cameron. She really liked you, you know. She might have been your last hope."

"My last hope? Am I dying and you forgot to tell me? Oh, wait, you wouldn't have forgotten, you would be way to happy to have forgotten."

"That hurt." She didn't look hurt in the least. "I just think that you really should open up to someone, anyone. You are turning into a bitter old man."

"Old?" He looked offended.

"You're OK with the bitter but not the old. Interesting." She was watching him carefully. It wasn't often that they had a serious conversation. Usually their talks ended in a heated argument or a battle of wits.

"If I dance with you, will you shut up?" He was slouching in his chair. He didn't want to talk about this stuff.

"If you could dance, I would shut up, but you can't, so I won't."

"That was just plain mean." He took a long drink from his glass.

Cameron rested her head on Wilson's shoulder. She hadn't slow danced with a man in a very long time. It felt wonderful. Every once in a while she looked over at the table and saw House and Cuddy in the throws of what looked like an argument. "What's with those two?"

Wilson started, as if woken from a dream. "What? Who? Oh, yeah. They can't stand each other."

"And yet he would rather be here with her than with Stacy."

Wilson was in a dream. He wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying, and what she meant by it. "Stacy broke his heart. That pretty much blew any chance she had with him."

"But he still loves her."

"Sure he does. But he also hates her too much to be around her."

"Maybe I was wrong about Stacy being the one for House." Cameron was watching the table more closely now, she kept trying to lead the dance so that she was facing in that direction. An idea was starting to formulate in her mind.

"Don't even think about it." Wilson had pulled her away from him to look into her face. He had finally caught up with the conversation. He could see the romantic notions floating around behind her eyes. "That is one disaster that should never happen."

"What are you talking about?"

Wilson pulled her back into his arms, his initial shock worn off, and moved rhythmically to the music once more. "I know you want to see everyone happy. As soon as people get into a happy relationship, they want to pair off all their friends. I already spend half my time refereeing those two. I don't want to make it a full time job."

"I'm sorry. I got carried away." She stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you so much for tonight."

"You are very welcome." He smiled down at her. "Have I mentioned I'm in love with you?"

"I think I recall something along those lines." She closed her eyes and pressed her head deep into his chest. She didn't even hear the music anymore, just the beating of his heart.

When the soprano announced the end of her night, Wilson and Cameron resignedly walked back to the table. House and Cuddy were looking down at the table. Between them was a notepad. They were playing hangman. Cuddy was concentrating on it. "V" She said to House and he drew one large circle next to the top half of the hangman's body.

"What's that?" Cameron asked, thinking he'd put the head a little too low.

"It's her boob." House responded casually and got another swift kick from under the table. He quickly pushed the pad back to Cuddy who slipped it in her purse.

"No more dancing?" He asked, trying to quickly change the subject.

"The music stopped." Wilson pointed out.

"But I thought you young lovers always danced to the rhythm of your hearts." House just oozed sarcasm, and again felt a sharp pain afflict his shin. "Would you stop doing that?" He turned to Cuddy.

"As soon as you stop making an arse of yourself."

"I think we should get going." Wilson said giving Cameron a significant glance to say see what they are like. Do you really want to deal with this all the time?

House and Cuddy went their separate ways after saying goodnight. Wilson and Cameron lingered outside the restaurant. Neither of them wanted the night to end.

Wilson looked at the ground, shuffling his feet nervously. He wanted to ask her back to his place. Usually he was very good at this sort of thing. He never had trouble picking up women. From the time he'd started growing facial hair, women had found him irresistible. His natural charm had made him overly confident in the area of romance.

Normally he would have leaned nonchalantly against the wall, and pulled her to him and said something casual like "let's go," and bring her straight to his place, no questions asked. But this was different. He didn't want to blow it.

"What are you thinking about?" Cameron had been watching him, and it was obvious that something was on his mind.

Her hand touched his arm, and he felt a rush of warmth come over him. Before he could stop himself, he was telling her the truth. "I am trying to think of a way to invite you over to my place."

"I thought you'd never ask." She was smiling.

"What?" This was too good to be true.

She gave him a long, soft kiss. "I would love to go to your place." She looked up at him with large, soft eyes.

"Are you sure?" He was still nervous. They hadn't actually spent the night together yet. He felt like a school boy preparing for his first time.

"Yes." She put her hand in his pocket and pulled him close. She kissed him again.

He pulled back nervously. "Are you afraid of me, Dr. Wilson?" She smiled at him, took him by the hand and pulled him to where the valet had left his car. "Let's get out of here."

Wilson fumbled with his keys. They were standing in the hallway of his fancy high-rise apartment building. He was finally starting to feel at home there. It wasn't nearly as nice as his old house had been, but it was good. All his new furniture had arrived, and he couldn't wait to show it off.

Cameron was behind him, peaking over his shoulder. "Here, let me do that." She took the keys from him and quickly opened the door. She handed back the keys and walked in first. He followed her, appreciating the view.

"Are you checking me out?" She asked playfully.

"Guilty." He said, grinning.

She held out a hand and he put his in it. She pulled him forward and wrapped her arms around him. "So, do you just like to look, or would you like to touch?" She moved his hand down her back until it rested on the roundest part of her bottom.

"Oh, I like to touch." He said, realizing he sounded like a bad porno. They both started laughing.

"I thought you might."

"Can I get you something to drink?" He was enjoying their proximity, but he didn't want to rush anything. This was going to be just right.

"I'm fine. But I wouldn't mind slipping into something more comfortable." She cocked her head to one side and looked at him. He felt his legs go weak.

"Um." He didn't know what to say. He didn't have any women's clothes around. He was startled by how forward she was. He hadn't expected it. He was used to being the hunter, not the hunted. He thought he could get used to it, though.

"Which way is the bedroom?" Wilson pointed to a door, and Cameron went through it. He didn't know if he was supposed to follow her, so he just stayed where he was. In a few minutes, she came out in nothing but some very lacy, very delicate lingerie. "Are you coming?" Wilson nearly tripped over the rug on his way to the bedroom door.

He stopped in the doorway, and she kissed him. It was a passionate kiss, more forceful than their other kisses, filled with a promise of things to come. He scooped her into his arms. Her weight felt good in his arms. He carried her to the bed, kissing her the whole way. Laying her gently on the bed, he looked down across her body. She was slim and fit. She looked soft. He wanted to run his hands over every inch of her body.

She got up. She was sitting before him. Her hands were working on the buttons of his shirt. The anticipation was killing him. His hands jumped in and tumbled over hers as they both struggled with the buttons. Finally his shirt was open, and she slid her hands beneath it, and pushed it off his shoulders.

Cool air touched his hot skin, and a quick chill ran through him. She was now working on his belt. He knew that helping would only get in the way, so he closed his eyes and tilted back his head. His wife hadn't touched him in a long time and although he had been accused of cheating, he hadn't actually been with another woman in a very long time. He was going to cherish every moment of tonight.

He opened his eyes when he felt her hands slip beneath his Haines. His pants, no longer restricted by belt, button or zipper slid down his legs and puddle around his ankles.

She was looking at him, he could feel her eyes burning his flesh. Their eyes met for a long time while the rest of their bodies went about their business. She slipped his Haines down until they met his pants on the floor. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks. A friend had once told him there was nothing less sexy than a naked man in socks.

He climbed onto the bed. His body pressed down on hers. She put her arms around his waist and lowered them to his bottom, which she squeezed appreciatively. "Very nice." She said admiringly.

"Thank you. I work out."

"It shows." She pulled him even closer to her, if that was possible.

Hands and mouths were everywhere. Somehow they had managed to inch their way completely onto the bed. Neither of them could tell you how they got there, but somehow they did. She could feel him hard between her legs. She reached over to the bedside table. Wilson's eyes followed her hand.

"Better slip this on." She was holding a condom. Wilson was constantly in awe of her. Every time he thought he couldn't love her any more than he already did, she did something so bold or so intelligent or caring that he just fell harder.

"You really do think of everything." It wasn't his condom, so she must have put it there when she was changing. What a woman. He went to take the package from her, but she pulled it away and shook her head.

"Lay back." She slowly flipped him onto his back. Now she was looking down at him. She opened the package and carefully slid the condom onto him. She smiled. "I'm glad it fits."

He laughed and watched happily as she slid her hands down his chest. They left a trail of heat along his body. She kissed him one last time before taking him into her. When they were both truly satisfied, she collapsed next to him, her body, glistening with sweat, was pressed tightly against his.

He could feel her body trembling in his arms. He held her tightly. Her hot breath brushed against his chest. "Are you OK?"

"Yes." She sounded breathless. "It's been a while for me. I forgot how draining sex could be."

This was not the comment he expected. "Oh."

She looked up at him. He looked amazing. He was glowing in the moonlight, his dark hair was matted down with sweat and his body was gleaming. "It was wonderful James." She kissed his neck because she was too weak from the strain of some very vigorous sex to lift her head to his mouth.

"Thank you." He was turning red. He hated that he needed her to complement him. It was embarrassing. What was he supposed to say back? If he said the same thing she would think he only said it because she had said it. "Will you stay the night?" He didn't know where that came from.

"Yes." She pulled him on top of her. She was exhausted, but she wanted him again so badly. If he were on top he could do most of the work.

Wilson woke the next morning thinking he'd had the best dream of his life. The warm body beside him reminded him it hadn't been a dream at all. She was nestled in his arm, and although his arm had fallen asleep, he didn't want to move her. With his other arm, he brushed the hair out of her face. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing steady. She hadn't yet woken up.

He tried to go back to sleep, but that ship had sailed. He let his mind wonder. He was so happy that the night had gone the way it did. Everything seemed perfect. He only hoped she would feel the same when she woke up. He wanted so badly to wake her, to look into her eyes, to hear her voice, and to find out how she felt about everything.

He didn't have much longer to wait. Cameron woke slowly. Her eyelashes fluttered against his chest, alerting him to the fact that she was waking. "Good morning." He said softly. He didn't want to rush things.

"Good morning." A big smile spread across her face as she looked up at him. "Have you been awake long?" She was stretching like a cat. He felt her muscles tense and relax against his body.

"Not long."

"You should have woke me." She kissed him gently on the cheek. It was a familiar kiss, as if they had woken up in each others arms for years. He liked the way it felt. She got out of bed. She was still naked and her body glowed in the sunlight beaming in through the window. "You're watching me." She observed.

"I am just enjoying the view." He put his arms behind his head, propping himself up slightly for a better view.

"Shows over." She grabbed his shirt, which was still lying on the floor and pulled it on. There was nothing sexier in Wilson's book than a beautiful woman that he'd made love to walking around in nothing but one of his shirts.

"Get over here." He reached out for her. She came willingly and sat on the edge of the bed. She leaned down and kissed him.

"I'm starving. Do you have anything for breakfast?" She got up off the bed and headed out to the kitchen without waiting for his answer.

Wilson scrambled after her, taking time only to grab a pair of underwear out of a drawer and pull them on. He suddenly wished he wore boxer shorts. Tighty whiteys were fine for an old married man, but they lacked a certain casual thrown on after sex and just hanging around the house appeal.

At the last minute, just as he reached the bedroom door, he doubled back and threw on a pair of pajama bottoms. Feeling far more secure in his manhood, he went to the kitchen.

She was bent over, looking into the fridge, and he could just see the bottom of her behind. He came over quietly and gave her a little goose, which made her jump into the air and bump her head on the top of the fridge. She spun around and faced him. She playfully slapped him in the chest. "Don't do that."

"You didn't mind last night." He liked that she hadn't gotten upset about banging her head. Julie would have ripped into him by now.

"Well, last night I was hungry for you, now I'm hungry for food. You don't have anything in here." She pointed to the fridge, and then closed the door.

"I'm a bachelor." He gave her an apologetic shrug. "Why don't we get dressed and go out to the diner. They make a great breakfast."

"Sounds great." She ran out of the room, and he went running after her.

"Where are you going?" He stopped in the bedroom, breathing heavier than he would have liked. Was he really getting this old?

"I want the shower first." She was calling to him from the bathroom.

"Why don't we save time and money and shower together." He tried the door, but it was locked.

"No way. We would never get out of here." He heard the water go on. "Can we swing by my place on the way to the diner? I don't think my dress is appropriate for that particular restaurant." Wilson looked down at the beautiful dress she'd draped across a chair. She had looked beautiful in it, but he agreed that it was much too formal for the diner.

She came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She kissed him on the cheek as she walked past, and started getting dressed. He wanted to stay and watch, but he forced himself into the bathroom. With any luck, there would be plenty of time for that later.