Thank you for all the really great reviews so far! I just love all the awesome things everyone has to say! You are such great readers! Anyway, this story was supposed to be a one shot, but I guess I failed to mention that in the summary when I first posted it. I was going to go back and repost it with an author's note saying that this was a one shot and was going to remain that way, but I decided that, due to popular demand, this would become an actual story. I don't know how many chapters it is going to have, but I know it isn't going to be as long as my other House "novels," just a few chapters at most.

Since House and Cameron are now out to lunch, I'm going to slow things down a bit. Since I saw no future for this story, I just pushed them into a situation. Hehe. Silly me... So, I'll come to explain everything and it will all make sense! Here we go!

I would also name my chapters, usually, but I'm just going to keep it plain for this story.


Chapter Two

Cameron was scared of the motorcycle, but not as much as she thought she would be. She had never ridden on one before and didn't want to lose her balance and fall off, especially around the sharp turns House made; but she also didn't want to tighten her grip on him, unsure of what to do. This was very unlike House. Normally, he took his lunch alone in his office, or in the hospital cafeteria with Wilson. Cameron never saw him go out to lunch before now. And she was with him.

The motorcycle came to a stop about ten minutes away from the hospital in front of a little restaurant, more like a French cafe than anything, judging by the patio in front. How cliché, Cameron thought as House killed the engine and got off the bike, gesturing to Cameron for his cane. Bewildered, Cameron slid the cane out of it's holder by her side and he snatched it from her, hanging his helmet off the handle of the motorcycle. She took off her own helmet and did the same before getting off the machine, uncertain of how to try getting off first. House made to walk away, but shook his head and roughly grabbed her hand, pulling her off. Cameron blushed and followed House into the cafe, realizing she was still in her hospital jacket.

"Sit down, I'll get a waiter," House said abruptly, hobbling into the restaurant. Cameron sat down in a chair on the patio, enjoying the shade the red and white striped umbrella offered. She felt a little shaky and light, as if she was a cotton ball being buffeted by a breeze. Cameron decided she had enjoyed the ride and was almost eagerly anticipating the ride back to the hospital. She folded her hands on the table and bowed her head, taking in a deep breath. The air smelled so beautiful, the flowers in the pots near the table fragrant and colorful. The sky was such an amazing color of blue and the clouds were such a bright white that Cameron wouldn't have been able to look at them for long if she had even noticed them. It was a near perfect summer day, early enough in the season that everything was still fresh and alive instead of burnt to a crisp under the unforgiving sun. The dull thump of a cane on the patio told her that House was coming and Cameron straightened up, folding her arms across her chest.

"I thought you said that you were getting a waiter," she said, glancing around briefly as House took a chair across from her and laid his cane across the table. Cameron looked at the cane curiously; it was such a rich color of wood, polished to a sheen, but covered in little dents and scratches from where House had hit it against something or tried to keep himself from falling. House, watching her look at the cane, took it off the table, laying it across his lap instead.

"He's coming," he said, his usual dark timbre strange against the landscape of the gorgeous day. Cameron nodded, contemplating why House would have taken his cane away after she looked at it.

"Don't ask," he said, and Cameron jumped. Did he read her mind? How did he know? She bit her lip and tried to read the expression on his face, his eyes glancing her over before looking into the cafe.

"I get that a lot," House said. "I don't know why I still forget that it's poor table manners to put my cane on the table. All the germs, I suppose."

Being his usual sarcastic self, House couldn't help but to add a fake shiver or horror at the mention of germs and Cameron rolled her eyes. Trust House to act like himself, even- Wait. House was acting like his usual self, not that exceedingly nasty person he had become over the past week. Cameron decided not to think about it at the moment. She didn't want to break the spell.

"Garçon!" House called to a man with the classic waiter 'look' about him. The waiter cast a withering glance to House and then to Cameron before walking over, taking an order book out of his apron pocket.

"Oui, Monsieur?"

"Un diabolo menthe, s'il vous plaît."

"Et toi?"

House and the waiter looked expectantly at Cameron, who was startled. She didn't know a word of French. House, realizing this, took control of the situation.

"Un thé citron," House ordered for her, smirking slightly as Cameron flushed red.

"Un moment, Mademoiselle, Mousieur..."

The waiter walked off and House grinned at Cameron, spirits lifted because he knew something she didn't.

"I didn't know you spoke French!" she exclaimed. "How did you learn?"

"When a man has all the time in the world, he might as well do something with it," House replied, shrugging. "I'm just worried that cranky waiter is going to come back with something awful, like a gun. Who ate his waffles?"

Cameron and House sat in silence until the waiter came back and House showed off his French skills for Cameron once more.

"Le déjeuner?"

"Oui. Un croque-monsieur et une omelette au fromage, s'il vous plaît. Et, un pain au chocolat, une brioche, et un chasusson aux pommes"

"Oui, Mademoiselle, Monsieur."

Cameron's mouth dropped.

"You didn't just order me snails or anything, did you?"

"No, I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, a cheese omelette, a roll with chocolate in the middle, a plain roll, and a pastry with cooked apple slices."

"All for you?"

"Of course. Were you planning on eating anything? Silly me..."

Cameron should have expected that. She smiled and thought she saw a hint of a smile flit across his face, too. Suddenly, there was a loud barking as a lady with two large dogs walked by, the dogs catching sight of House and barking wildly, straining on their leash to get to him. They were not trying to be friendly, however, and House brandished his cane like a fencing sword, preparing to ward off the dogs if they were to break free. As the lady led the dogs away, giving Cameron an apologetic look, never even making eye contact with House, the grim doctor hooked his cane on the table edge and snarled to himself.

"Are you alright?" Cameron asked House, a little stunned by the scene that had just unfolded before her. House nodded.

"It's fine. Dogs barking at me is nothing new," he muttered bitterly. "I don't blame them for being scared."

"They-"

"Cameron," House said coldly, "Don't try to tell me everything is alright."

"But, you are not-"

"Don't start with the fairy tale notions of beauty and ugliness and then try to smudge the line between them. I know I'm awful. I just don't care."

Cameron sat in silence and then muttered an apology, an apology House shrugged off. The waiter came and brought a tray of items, placing them on the table before them, the balance due under one of the pastry dishes. House took the slip of paper before Cameron could and shook his head.

"This doesn't matter to you," he said, taking a look and then folding it.

"But, let me pay for-"

Cameron realized she had not brought her purse. She shook her head and sighed.

"I'm sorry; let me pay for my share when we get back to the hospital."

"Just eat, Cameron," he answered, taking the grilled cheese sandwich from the tray and sipping his drink. Cameron took what he had ordered for her and smiled, despite the strangeness of it all.


There we go! I'm sorry about the French part. I really wanted to include that! I took a year of French in high school and I didn't enjoy it, but I thought it would be really great to make House order the food with some "class." I thought that was fun! Sorry if the little accents were not in place and I humbly apologize if I had anything wrong. I really enjoyed working on this chapter. It's nice to have a story where Cameron isn't dead and House can order her lunch. Hehe. More chapters to come! Thanks so much for reading and please tell me what you think! Thanks again!