PART 5

October. Allison's favorite time of the year. Halloween, leaves changing colors, the slight nip in the air. For House and Wilson, also one of their favorites, football. They maybe doctors, but they were men dammit, and real men love football.

Wilson was trying desperately to finish up the last of his work in the study. House was plopped down in front of the TV with Allison's head in his lap, reading a book. He was gently stroking her hair, making her more sleepy than in the mood for reading.

"I invited Foreman over for the game." he informed her.

"What?" She asked somewhat sleepy.

"You know, Foreman, game, beer, perhaps some pizza?"

"You invited Eric over here?" her eyes searched his face questioningly.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" he snipped at her. "Am I not allowed to invite people to my home?"

Allison was so shocked that she didn't notice that fact he had called her house his home. "Well, he is going to figure it out. He already suspects something."

"So..." House said.

"Soooo, YOU aren't the one sleeping with two men!" Her heart was pounding frantically. She loved them both, but she was also intelligent enough to know that most people wouldn't understand this.

"Nooo, but I am sleeping with A man, is that enough? And a woman for that matter." He regarded her with one of his stares. She just looked at him, her mouth agape then started to laugh. He wrinkled up his brow at her, puzzled by her reaction.

Wilson stood in the door way, watching them. "So, what's going on in here? First I hear you two yelling and now Allie is laughing like a fool."

"House invited Foremen over for the game." She informed Jim. His eyes quickly jumped to Greg's, searching for the truth.

"Oh God. Greg, what were you thinking?"

House was getting agitated. "What is the big deal."he barked as he got up and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a beer for him and Wilson and gestured toward Allison. She shook her head no.

"Um, the big deal is that Foreman isn't stupid. He is going to realize that this is Allison's house. We are both here, living with her, doing God knows what to her, and each other." Wilson was not ashamed of his relationship with the two people in the room, but nervous at other people's reaction.

"I don't care. I'm sick of hiding. I'm sick of pretending that I don't lov..." He trailed off, catching himself before he admitted something he couldn't take back. "I'm sick of lying." And with that, House went back into the living room, and back on the couch.

Allison and Jim regarded each other for a moment until the door bell rang. Wilson just shrugged and walked over to the door. Taking a deep breath, he muttered, "I hope this is what you want House." He got an answering grunt before he swung the door open.

"Hi, Dr. Wilson."

"Call me Jim. Come in."

He nodded and said, "Ok, Jim. Allison. Dr. House."

"Greg." He replied, engrossed in the pre-game. "Come on in, you're letting all the heat out. It cost a fortune to heat this place."

"Like you would know." Allison snorted at him.

"Well, with the open floor plan your grandfather built, I can only imagine."

Eric stood there watching the exchange between them. His puzzlement growing with each comment. "So who actually lives here?"

"Me." All three of them responded.

"OK, let me rephrase it. Who OWNS this house?"

"That would be Allison." Wilson was the voice of reason. He took the case of beer Eric was holding and asked, "Can I get you anything? Beer? Chips?"

"Yeah, beer would be great."

"Give me your coat Eric, I'll hang it up." Allison suggested.

"Have a seat, the game is about to start. Allie, I ordered some pizzas earlier, the money is in my wallet, they should be here around half time."

House was acting completely normal, but also completely different. Eric hadn't really spent anytime with him outside of work so he wasn't sure how he usually acted. Eric was stunned. Allie? What was with the nickname. He had never heard House use a nickname with anyone before. He knew not to ask, he would get House's death stare, and probably thrown out on his ass.

Wilson showed with three beers and a bag each of chips and pretzels. Allison brought in some dip and herself a mug of hot tea. She sat down between them, all three of their bodies touching, leaning on one another. Foreman noticed, but was quickly distracted by the game.

The Steelers vs the Browns. Steelers were favored, they were always favored over the Browns.

"I got a thousand buck riding on this game." House said, shocking everyone but Wilson, who had a grand on it himself.

The door bell rang, "Pizza's here." House announced.

Allison made a move to get up, but James stopped her, "I'll get it."

"So where is Chase?" Eric asked.

"He's still on my shit list, maybe next game."

"Greg, that isn't very nice. You need to let it go, it has been months." Allison cooed to him.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. Call him. He only lives a few miles away. But he isn't getting any pizza." No one made a move to pick up the phone.

Eric took a piece of pizza and then looked at them. Really looked. "What is really going on here? You invite me over, disregard Chase like he has the plague, and the three of you are sitting there like one big happy dysfunctional family. Am I missing something?"

"No, I would say that about sums it up." Wilson replied.

"What does? Is House and Cameron dating? Is it Wilson and Cameron? Or perhaps Wilson and House... or is it all three of you? That's it isn't it? All three of you "live" here." He laughed at himself. "God, how did I miss THAT one? No wonder you don't want Chase here. He would be all up in you're face about it."

House just looked at him with those blue eyes. Cameron squirmed and Wilson watched the half time show. "What. Isn't anyone going to answer my question?"

"What do you want to hear Eric?" Allison asked him. "Do you really want the truth? Can you handle the truth?" He nodded at her. "Ok, the three of us are together. Have been since July. We are very happy and I am very much in love with both of them." The last bit of her speech surprised even her. She had never told them how she felt; she was afraid of what House would do, and with Wilson? He just seemed to know.

"Allison, come on. Your better than that, better than this." He told her. This got him a stare out of both men, House's eyes burned a hole in him. He could see the rage seething under the surface but it was Wilson that had him taken back. The kind, always gentle Wilson looked like he was ready to rip Eric's throat out. "Look, I don't mean to offend anyone, this is just... different."

"Different works for us." she confirmed. "How can I ask for better? We are all damaged in some way, but together, we make a whole. There are many who strive their whole lives to achieve what we have here. I don't expect you to understand, but if you plan on being my friend, you have to accept this, us."

Foreman just looked at them, "Fine Cameron. It's your life, but I just don't want to see you hurt when this goes down in flames." And that was that. End of conversation. Everyone turned back to the game like nothing ever happened.

Allison sat there, her fingers twisting together. Her stomach had started to hurt and she could feel the waves of nausea starting to wash over her. Her skin grew clammy and she closed her eyes, trying to collect herself. Stress, she told herself. The confrontation with Foreman was the first in a long line. Her parents would find out some day, probably soon. They were coming in town for Thanksgiving. She took a deep breath, and House looked at her. He could tell something was wrong. He had that look in his eyes.

Allison tried to smile, to reassure him, but he wasn't fooled. Maybe it was the pizza making her sick. Yeah that was it. "I'm think I'm going to run to the store," she said standing up quickly. She had to get away from House's knowing stare. "I'm not feeling so hot. I think I maybe coming down with a cold or something. Foreman, can you move your car?" She tried to act casual, but her hands were shaking.

"Sure,"

"Just take my car." House told her. She blessed him a faint smile when everyone looked at him like he had grown a second head. House NEVER offered his car to anyone. Wilson drove it once, and only because House was in too much pain to do it himself. She made her way to the door and he called after her, "Hey wait, don't I even get a kiss?" She laughed and rolled her eyes but came and gave him his kiss.

She bent down over the back of the couch and captured his lips with hers. He lingered longer than normal and trailed a finger over the hollow of her throat. Yes, he knew something was wrong and he was offering the only comfort he could. Wilson sighed and she laughed. Placing a quick hard kiss to Jim's mouth she left. Foreman just shook his head and mumbled something to himself.