Again, this is the second chapter of the rewrite. No real notes, just that I wanted to issue a disclaimer stating that:

I do not own any persons herein, except for Angela, though some parts about her are borrowed from other mediums, ie, 'Highlander', 'BtVS', Harry Potter, and 'House'.

That is all.

Ch. 2

Revelations and Relationships

There was a spring in House's step when he got to the hospital the next morning. There was also a little secret smile on his face as he walked to his office. Sitting down, he leaned back, reflecting on the previous night. Angela was like no other woman he had met. She was both experienced and slightly hesitant.

When they had started talking afterwards, House had been very open, surprising himself. There was very little he hadn't told Angela about himself. And the strange thing was that as he talked, House felt as if every problem and weight he'd carried was lifted off his shoulders just by confiding in Angela.

He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard footsteps outside his office. "Good morning, Chase." Dr. Robert Chase stopped and stared.

"Dr. House?" House smiled.

"That's what it says on the door. How are you?" Chase just shrugged as he tried to understand his boss's niceness. House's eyebrows crinkled.

"Say, isn't it your birthday today?" Chase nodded.

House smiled. "Well, then what are you doing here? Take the day off. I'll call you if I need you." Chase just nodded.

"O-okay." He left the office and headed down the hall. He saw Foreman who had been in early checking on the garden show patients. Seeing the bewildered look on Chase's face he asked, "What happened?"

"I- He… House just gave me the day off." Foreman looked surprised and suspicious.

"What did ya do?" Chase shook his head.

"Nothing. Well, it's my birthday. So he gave me the day off. Weird." Foreman nodded. Yeah. Weird."

"What's weird?" Allison Cameron said as she joined the other members of her team.

"House," Foreman said, his eyes narrowing. "Chase's birthday is today." Cameron smiled.

"Happy birthday. So what are you doing here?"

"That's what House wanted to know. He gave me the day off."

"House did what?" asked Dr. James Wilson, the last member of House's medical team.

"He gave Chase the day off. It's his birthday." Wilson looked astonished.

"Dr. House? Dr. Gregory House? Leans on a cane, pill-popping, socially inept, cynical, and sarcastic- THAT Dr. House?" The other three nodded. Wilson looked worried. "Doesn't that seem strange? I mean, maybe we should talk to Dr. Cuddy if House is… off." Cameron shook her head.

"Let's not go that far just yet. Look, let's just talk to House and maybe we can-"

"Excuse me," said a lilting female voice behind them. All four turned around to see a tall woman with sleek, black hair pulled back in a braid. Her face was like that of an angel, and her blue-green eyes were alive and smiling. "Could you show me where Dr. House's office is?" Chase pointed down the hall. The woman smiled and sashayed off, her hips swinging sexily, and her braid swinging invitingly. Each step was graceful and as the three men stood staring at the woman's body, Cameron sighed, and muttered, "Men."

House looked up from his computer when he caught of a whiff of vanilla, lilac, and spice. "Hello, Miss McKeaten. What can I do for you?" Angela stepped in and sat down. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner tonight. A colleague of mine had to cancel on a dinner reservation, and I hate letting reservations go to waste. Would you care to join me?" House smiled warmly. "I would be delighted." Angela smiled back. "Excellent. I… don't suppose you'd be willing to give me a tour of the hospital, would you?" House stood up, grabbing his cane. "I'd be happy to." Stepping around the desk, he offered his arm to Angela who took it. They left the office, heading down the hall, just ahead of Cameron, Wilson, Chase, and Foreman.

Chase stopped the others who watched House walking down the hall arm in arm with the woman who'd asked where to find House's office. "Okay, that was House," Foreman said, still staring. "Uh-huh," replied Wilson. "And he was with a woman," Foreman said, still trying to get his head around it. "Yep," said Chase." Wilson turned to the others. "So… you saw that. I'm not seeing things?" Cameron said, "House has a girlfriend." They all stood silent for a moment before hurrying to Dr. Lisa Cuddy's office.

Angela was quite content at the moment. Here she was on a romantic stroll through a hospital (Though she would have preferred the cobbled streets of London or the classy roads of Los Angeles) with the man she loved, and who was in love with her. But there was a tiny little storm cloud on her sunny mood. One which she now voiced to House.

"So I'm only here for another… 5 weeks. Then I'm going back to California. And I- I wanted to know if you'd come back with me." House stopped and looked at her.

"You want me to come with you?" Angela nodded. "I know it's short notice and we've just met, but… Look, I wouldn't ask unless I really meant it. Please?"

House didn't know what to say. There was a part of him that wanted to say 'Yes, I'd follow you anywhere'. On the other hand… he'd been here for almost his whole life. Leaving seemed... But then he didn't have very many tethers to New Jersey. Angela picked up on his hesitation.

"You can think on it. I just wanted to throw the thought out there. Just let me know before I have to leave."

"House!" Angela turned around, as did House when they heard a woman call his name. "Dr. Cuddy," House said with what actually seemed to be genuine warmth. "The members of your team have expressed some concerns." House looked perplexed. "Concerns about what?" Cuddy walked towards them. "Your behavior. You're cheerful, accommodating… What's going on?" House looked even more confused. "I've decided to be more sociable. Is there something wrong with that?" Cuddy turned her gaze from House to Angela. "And who are you?" Angela pulled her arm from House's and offered her hand to Cuddy. "Angela Rosemund Celenia McKeaten. I work for Angelic Acting Associates, a film casting company out of California. I'm here on assignment." Cuddy shook Angela's hand. "It's nice to meet you. So what have you done to House?" Angela laughed. "Strictly speaking, I haven't 'done' anything. Unless you count pulling Dr. House into a romantic relationship."

"You what?" Cuddy asked. Whatever she had been expecting to hear… that was most assuredly NOT it. House took Angela's hand.

"I seem to have fallen in love with Ms. McKeaten. In fact, she just asked me to accompany her when she returns to California." Cuddy still looked baffled.

"You're in love with her." House looked at her with quiet delight.

"Didn't we just establish that fact?" Cuddy said nothing. Instead, she turned and headed slowly back to her office, not saying a word.

House was in love. This was… well, unprecedented, to say the least. Well, at least House's team members would be happy to know that their boss wasn't insane. On the other hand, Cuddy thought, as she closed her office door, maybe he was. But this kind of insanity maybe she could deal with.

"So… he's not crazy?" Wilson asked, sitting in Dr. Cuddy's office with Cameron, Foreman, and Chase. Cuddy shook her head.

"He's in love with this woman. As far as I know, there's nothing off about the whole thing."

"House is actually in love with someone?" Foreman asked, still slightly confused. "More specifically, a woman?" Chase nodded.

"But you have to admit, she's a very attractive woman." Foreman smiled.

"No denying that. That girl was fine." Cameron was quiet. It wasn't that she didn't like this potential new Dr. House, but there was something…

"How do we know this isn't just a crush?" She asked, looking around. Chase looked shocked.

"Please. Any romance tough enough to get through House's defenses has to be the real thing."

Foreman agreed. "This girl had House off guard the moment he saw her. Let's face it. The dude's in love, big time." Cameron still looked uneasy.

"Well, what about House going to California with this woman? I mean, if he leaves, who runs the department?" Cuddy looked like she was sitting on information that would be both big and important. After a moment's pause, she said, "House has said that in his absence…" She looked at Cameron. "You would take his place as head of the team." Cameron's eyes widened. Chase clapped her on the shoulder. "Well, you're certainly a good person to do it." He looked at the others. "We better get going. Patients to see and all that." The medical team left the hospital administrator's office and headed to their various garden show patients.

Meanwhile, Angela was being escorted to her car by House. She unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat.

"I'll see you tonight." House kissed her hand.

"And I'll be here, trying to save lives and be pleasant." Angela laughed. "Is it really that hard for you?"

"Well, you try being cranky for 25 years, and then try to be nice. It's torture." Angela smiled.

"You'll be fine. And remember: the Rose Galley at 7. I'll be waiting." She shut the door and drove away. House looked at the car and then turned to go back to his office. When he got there, Cameron was waiting for him.

"Dr. Cameron. What can I do for you?" Cameron hesitated for a second then asked, "What is it with you and this girl?" House went behind his desk and sat down. "Jealous? I don't blame you, but-"

"I am NOT jealous. I just want to know what is going on. What is it about this woman that's got you falling for her?" House was quiet for a long time. "I don't know," he finally said. "I saw her, talked to her, even slept with her and I still don't know exactly what it is about Angela that I love." Cameron sat down, watching her boss. House seemed to be thinking, so Cameron prodded him.

"Is it her looks?" House face had an expression of mock-horror. "Oh, heavens, no!" He gave her a look. "I haven't dated in years, but I am a male. And she is a very beautiful woman. And infuriating," He said, the last part more to himself, despite the fact that he said it quite clearly. Cameron picked up on the slight roughness in his voice at the last word and decided to figure it out. "Infuriating how?"

"How is my love life your business? I'm happy. Just let me be happy." Cameron sighed. "I respect you, Dr. House. I may not always like you, but I respect you. Same for Wilson, Chase, and Foreman. Two weeks ago, when you went off the vicodin, I learned to respect you even more. You started to show that not only are you resilient, you're human and you even have the capacity for compassion. All I want to know is… how far you're willing to let this woman in. Because until 2 weeks ago, you never let yourself look or feel vulnerable. Now we're seeing you as a real person. You have to admit, it's a little… weird." House said nothing. He did feel very slightly abashed that he had said that Cameron was jealous. He decided to talk.

"Angela has a sixth sense for figuring people out. She's highly intuitive, and she has a knack for determining weaknesses."

"So she figured you out and it got under your skin. And at the same time, you were attracted to someone who seemed to know more about you that you knew about yourself." Cameron was silent for a moment until the whole situation finally clicked into place. "She's you." House looked both surprised and interested.

"I beg your pardon?" Cameron was quick to explain.

"She's you. I mean your personalities are so similar, that some part of you latched onto her as a kindred spirit. You're both intuitive and analytical. Yet at the same time, she's open with her problems and you're closed off. She's dealt with her demons, but you haven't." Cameron leaned back in her chair. "You're soul mates. You balance one another, yet provide enough friction as to offset each other. Unbelievable." House looked pensive and curious.

"You think so?"

"I do. I think that this woman is your destined partner." House sat in thought for a moment then gave a short nod. "Then I guess I'm going to California."