Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D. sighs sadly...

A/N: I'm SO sorry for the HUGE delay in this update! I just got home from holidays and went straight back to work. I think my body is still adjusting to the change in sleeping patters- I'm always exhausted! l So, I was going to continue this story into the next day and do much the same sort of things, but I decided not to. Not only do I like to take a pause here, but while the idea is in my head, the words just don't seem to want to make it properly to the page. Now that I'm up and going again, I'm going to work on a sequel to this piece that will pick up the day after this conclusion. Thanks to everyone for your wonderful comments- I love your reviews. Let me know what you think of this, and whether you'd like me to move on with Part II. :) Enjoy!
-punzzle

Cameron sat at the small computer desk nestled in a corner of the conference room. The day was drawing to a close, and she chose to kill time absently skimming through neglected e-mails and announcements. Thanks largely to Dr. Wilson's kindness—and three steaming cups of freshly-brewed coffee—her headache had subsided for the most part.

Deleting a flyer inviting House to an upcoming conference on 'Rashes and Their Many Meanings', a movement caught her eye. She looked up just as James Wilson entered Houses' office. She glanced at her watch—5:25—and knit her brow vaguely. House had been in early today—earlier than she even—and now he was staying late with no case to obsess over? Cameron pondered this a moment, her sensitive nature instinctively summoning up multiple negative scenarios: was he ill? Was something wrong? Had he finally snapped like a dry and brittle twig? She blinked heavily and turned her attention back to the computer—it was none of her concern, of that he had been abundantly clear. Still…

Wilson had put it off long enough. House had not stopped in on his way out which meant one of two things—he was righteously pissed, or, he was still here. While the first option was entirely possibly, even likely, Wilson presumed that even Greg House would recognize the absurdity of his reaction earlier. Then again, this was Greg House…

Wilson sighed and rose from his desk, closing an open drawer and collecting his coat and briefcase. If the mountain was a stubborn ass that refused to meet Mohammed halfway… or some such nonsense; it was time to make peace.

Wilson drifted though the glass doors of Houses' office, somewhat surprised to actually see his old friend still there, despite his assumptions. The room was silent—which was both strange and somewhat unnerving. House was seated, cane in hand, gazing out into the street below. Wilson cleared his throat awkwardly to announce his presence. The rumpled figure in the worn office chair did not react, however Wilson saw his eyebrows rise slightly.

"Long day" Wilson sighed, coming to a halt at Houses' desk. He set his possessions in the empty chair and studied House from a distance.

"You wanna grab a beer?" he ventured—damned if House wasn't a stubborn bastard.

House continued his window-side vigil—his eyes fixed on some distant object.
"You wouldn't rather take Cameron?" he asked dryly.

Wilson raised his dark eyes skyward as if petitioning the heavens to grant him the strength to endure such trials.
"Considering your mood today—yeah, kind of" he answered, voice half playful.

Wilson watched his friends' jaw solidify before House swiveled his chair to regard him with icy eyes.
"But…?" House pestered.

"But… I'm asking you" Wilson said, voice filled with frustrated patience.
"Besides, she's not well—and I had lunch with her anyway" Wilson fought to hide a wry smirk.

House exhaled loudly, a rumble in his throat.
"I'm not in the mood for this" he said at last.

"Apparently" Wilson said, a little too brightly.
"In fact, it's a little worrisome—are you sick?" he teased.

"Only sick of you" House fired back.
Wilson rolled his chocolate eyes: "Come on Greg—you're being ridiculous and you know it".

House furrowed his brow and simply gazed at his friend.
"What do you want?" House grumbled in an almost defeated tone.

Wilson smirked at his friend—"Beer—do you need your hearing checked too?" he teased.

House rolled his eyes at this and turned towards his desk.
"Not tonight—already taken."

"Oh?" Wilson teased.

House shuffled through a stack of papers.
"Yes—Mindy—very high-dollar; had to book weeks in advance" he looked up at Wilson, face betraying nothing.
"But believe me, she's worth it".

Wilson shook his head and chuckled softly despite himself. He quickly sobered and gazed at his friend with sincerity.
"Not that you deserve it, but I wasn't doing anything 'duplicitous' today" he said softly.
"I was passing by the lab and I stopped in to say hi, that's all."
He was lying—after her encounter with Stacy, Wilson had searched Cameron out with every intention of 'checking on her'—but House did not need to know that.

House arched a brow in his friends' direction, his grim features relaying moderate disbelief.

"And lunch was completely by accident. We work together—you can't fault me for being nice to her—after everything you've done to her, you should be thanking me".

House blinked, and returned to the shuffling of documents.
"Thanks for the offer" he said in a low voice.

Wilson sighed wearily and nodded. He turned and retrieved his possessions then moved toward the door. He paused, looking through the glass wall and was surprised to see Cameron still seated at her desk. He passed through the doorway and approached her with a smile.

"Hey—what are you still doing here?" he teased.

Cameron looked up over her wire-rimmed glasses and smiled warmly. Gesturing to the flood of papers before her she laughed—"I told you—paperwork".

Wilson nodded—"Ah yes. How's your head?" he asked honestly.

Cameron removed her glasses and covered a yawn.
"Mm… much better—thank you" she smiled.

Wilson's gaze hesitated on her a moment longer before he nodded briskly and turned towards the door—"Don't stay too late—go home; get some rest" he called, waving as he exited the conference room.

Cameron yawned and leaned back in her chair reaching her long arms above her head to stretch her stiff back. She glanced at her watch and gasped softly—6:44. She had stayed much longer than she'd intended.

Cameron shuffled the stack of paper before her into a neat pile and rose from the desk. Striding to her closet she retrieved her satchel and suit jacket. Despite the later hour, she doubted the summer heat had dissipated all that much so she merely draped the Chanel coat over her arm. As she turned to exit the conference room she was shocked to see Houses' lamp on, its' light drawing her like a moth towards his adjoining office. He was seated at his desk—looking very much the same way he had that morning. Cameron bit her full bottom lip and shook her head—she was best-served not interfering anymore. She drifted towards the conference room door and paused, her palm pressed against the cool glass. She sighed wearily and shook her head—"You'll never learn, Allison" she muttered, turning and entering his office instead.

The room was silent. The uncharacteristic lack of music gave Cameron to worry over his well-being all over again. She stood just inside the door waiting for some reaction—there was none. Houses' gaze lingered on something outside his office window. Cameron hesitated—"Rain?" she questioned softly. House turned slowly to regard her, his eyes sweeping over her soft features.

"No…" he said at last. Cameron's brow twitched upwards in response.
"It's beautiful actually."

His voice was low and thick, as if he had been dragged from a dream. Cameron smiled softly.
"Summer" she said simply with a vague shrug.

House nodded, blinking his expressive eyes. He cleared his throat and swiveled his chair around to face his desk.

"You're in late" Cameron mused, taking a step towards him.

House looked up at her briefly before dropping his eyes to the desk top. He shuffled a few loose pages and cleared his throat again.
"Busy, busy, busy" he quipped.

Cameron nodded slightly—"Well, goodnight." She turned towards his office door.

"How are you feeling?" His question surprised her and she turned back to face him, blinking.

"Um… fine" she said in confusion.

House leaned back in his chair to regard her and fixed his now composed gaze on hers. His brow twitched upwards in what Cameron thought might be disbelief or irritation.
"Rumor had it you weren't feeling well today" he said, an icy glint to his otherwise mellow tone.

Cameron laughed lightly, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Oh… I had a bit of a headache—I'm fine" she smiled.

Houses' gaze fell on her smile and lingered a moment—how could any woman have so pleasant a mouth? He nodded, shaking himself out of his musings.
"Good." He leaned forward and returned his attention to the nondescript papers before him.

"What about you?" Cameron's voice was hushed and wary.

House looked up to see that the smile was gone—the distant glimmer of concern he thought he'd seen that morning was back and it made his stomach lurch in protest.
"There are rumors about me?" he quipped, falling back on his wry humor.
Cameron laughed softly and House felt his chest constrict slightly as that meek smile returned.

"Oh—so many it's impossible to keep track" she teased back.
House smirked at this—she could play his game if she wanted too, and he couldn't help but be vaguely impressed.

Cameron hesitated, her soulful eyes resting on his.
"Is everything alright?" she asked at last.

House had an uncanny way of burying his emotions—where any other person would falter and make their feelings known, House was so practiced that his expression remained unchanged. His eyes flickered over hers briefly before he looked away.

"Everything is pretty broad, don't you think?" he scoffed.

Cameron stood patiently, knowing full well the words forming on her tongue would go to waste—"It's just that you were in early, and you're still here, and we don't have a case—it's just a little… odd" she fumbled.

House shrugged a shoulder—"Odd works for me" he said simply.
"I like to keep you guys on your toes—next week, I might not come in at all!"

Cameron closed her eyes briefly—she exhaled slowly and fluttered her lashes open to find him studying her face from his seat across the room. She met his gaze and held it—"I'll see you tomorrow" she said softly before turning and exiting the silent office. House knit his brow and followed her retreating body with his eyes.