Summary, disclaimer, etc. in chapter 1.

Sorry for the wait! Holiday traveling, etc. Regarding this chapter, I hadn't expected to include a duckling, but lo, this chapter suggested itself. Set after House drops his bomb on Cameron during the date scene in Love Hurts.

Small Talk

April 2005

"…so, what do we do now?" Cameron asked. She hadn't been nervous about tonight—not really—but after he'd…said…what he'd said… Well. She began picking at the corner of her napkin.

House's eyes flitted uncomfortably to hers for a moment. "Do?" he asked absently.

"Talk about," Cameron clarified, feeling foolish and naive. New dress, new shoes, new lace panties… She sighed inwardly. At least she got to wear them out. "Since we're clear on that other thing," she muttered.

"That other thing, yeah," House echoed.

He took a drink of water and fixed a blank stare on the area just beyond her right shoulder. When his insides stopped seizing, he imagined he'd feel much better. He hoped it happened before the food arrived or he'd need to go to the bathroom to double up on his current med level.

"You…" Cameron began after an awkward pause. She stopped and cleared her throat. "When you took me to the monster truck show and I asked you if you had ever been married, you said you had lived with someone. What was she like?" She caught herself. "I mean, if that's okay. I guess we could talk about movies if you want."

"Not particularly," House said. But did he really want to talk to Allison—to Cameron—about her? He didn't want to think about her, but if he dodged the question Cameron would eventually dig it out of him. But talking meant thinking and that was just… He didn't know what to do…. And then—there. He had it.

He looked up at her, meeting her eyes. "You were married," he said. "You know what that's like."

"What what's like?" Cameron asked, a mix of playfulness and anxiety in her voice. House could mean anything by that. "Being married?"

"Being intensely connected with someone," House said. He paused. "I guess you have that if you get married," he added. "Though Wilson presents a convincing counter-argument."

Cameron smiled. "We did," she said simply. "You and she…?"

House looked down at his lap. "Yeah," he said. "It was intense."

"What happened?" Cameron asked curiously before she could think. She glanced down apologetically as soon as she'd said it.

House let it go. He had to get this out or she'd be curious.

"People grow together," he said after a moment, fingering his fork, not looking up at her. "And people grow apart."

"And you grew apart?" Cameron asked, wishing he didn't look so uncomfortable.

House prickled. "That's the implication," he said tightly. Much more of this and he'd have to excuse himself.

"I'm sorry," Cameron said sincerely.

She was doing that—thing—she did again. The save the world thing. Good. This he could handle. This wasn't Stacy.

"You had nothing to do with it," House muttered.

Cameron took affront at his tone before she reminded herself that this was hard for him.

"Do you miss her?" she asked tentatively.

House tensed again, feeling his innards relax simultaneously. He could deal with annoying. This was good.

"Do you miss him?" House asked immediately.

The side of Cameron's mouth quirked upward briefly. He was good at this. "I do," she said.

House avoided her eyes but made a motion to effect of, 'well, so do I.'

They sat through an awkward silence for a few moments before Cameron looked up, smiled, and said with poise and confidence:

"So what's your favorite movie?"