May I just say I am SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! My muse and I haven't been on speaking terms for quite some time. Due to my work schedule, I haven't seen much of the 2nd season (freakin' 2nd shift…), but the one ep I DID manage to see (post-Stacy, no less) was pretty good still…Anyway, getting on w/ the story.

Vogler watched Cameron walk away with House for a moment before turning to his secretary. "Make all the necessary arrangements for Dr. Cameron to take over Dr. Mackay on the Sunship. Also, bring me that medical board complaint I had you draft earlier, I'd like to review it before submitting it."

"Um…sir?" the secretary hesitated. "I thought you weren't…"

"Are you questioning my judgment Linda? I'm sure the temp agency can find me someone fairly quickly who will do what I ask. Now then, don't you have some travel arrangements to make?"

"Yes sir," Linda answered through gritted teeth as she handed him the requested document.

"Oh, and one more thing," Vogler turned to her with a pleasant smile. "Not a word of this to House or his team or it's your job, understand?"

"Perfectly," Linda gritted her teeth harder as she turned to phone the airlines.

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"So he's sending you on a cruise?" House looked at Cameron incredulously. "To make me suffer he's sending you on a cruise?"

The two of them sat alone at a small table in the Starbucks across the street from the hospital. The place was practically deserted that time of night and both knew ordering decaf would've been the smarter idea…had they been thinking about it at the time.

"That's what he said." Cameron answered as she fiddled with her coffee cup.

House studied her. There was obviously something else to this deal that she hadn't told him.

"You wanna tell me what else he said?"

Cameron wouldn't make eye contact as she shook her head.

"Allison," House said gently, making her look up in surprise. "What? I DO know your first name. You wanna tell me what he did to you? Or do I have to go ask him myself?"

"I've always spent my life trying to find good in people, you know? No one is irredeemable. I mean I get irritated with people; everyone does, but I believe inherently, most people are good. But I gotta tell you, he is really testing my belief in that theory."

"That's as close as I think I've ever heard you come to saying you hate someone," House said in amazement. "What the hell did he to do you already?"

And so she told him.

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"SON OF A BITCH!" House shouted to no one in particular as he arrived back at his home. He slammed the front door so hard that the whole wall shook.

The fact that Vogler hated him and would do anything to get rid of him was something he was prepared to deal with. Much as he disliked the man, he enjoyed the challenge of staying one step ahead of him. Wilson had warned him that Vogler wasn't one to trifle with and House had blown off his warnings. But now he was threatening his team - not just his ducklings, but his favorite (not that he'd ever admit that to her face of course…).

He closed his eyes for a brief moment and tried to talk himself into the fact that at least this way Cameron would be out of the line of fire for a while. She agreed to take this assignment so he wouldn't have her stripped of her license. 'Not that he could with such a flimsy case anyway' House thought to himself before his devil's advocate piped up, 'Then again, he's got enough money he could probably buy himself a medical license if he wanted one.'

House limped over to pour himself a scotch. As he raised it to his lips, he said, "Of course you know; this means war."

To be continued…

Yes, I know there could've been more to the Starbucks scene…I just couldn't get House's snarkiness balanced w/ the situation…so I copped out. Hopefully you won't have to wait so long for the rest of this…