Sorry for the delay in chapters! I've just been so busy lately. I know that excuse is so old, but life honestly needs to slow down a little. I have papers in my purse that have ideas for my stories written on them and they are all spread out around me right now! I'm thinking that within a few chapters, this story will be done for, and I am so thrilled so many people have added this story to their alert list! Hehe... I am shocked that, everyday, the numbers go up! Thank you to everyone who put this on their alert list and a special thank you to everyone who puts this on their favorite stories list! Onward!

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Chapter Four

Cameron sat down at her desk, thankful she had some time to herself. Foreman and Chase had no idea that she had a date with the boss that night and she was finding it harder and harder to keep it to herself. There was a little voice inside that wanted to scream to the world that she had a date, that she was going to be going out to a fancy French cafe, that she was going to- be paying to dinner. Cameron bit her lip; she needed to remember to stop by the bank on her way home.

Looking around for her pad of sticky-notes, she knew House had been here; wherever he went, he made a mess. This wasn't the first time he had raided her office for things, either, and she hoped he had not taken the sticky notes like he had taken all her paper clips, Cameron noticed, seeing the empty dish in her drawer that used to hold paper clips. Eventually, she found the pad of sticky notes and was about to rip one off before she noticed the writing on it.

Cameron,

I will pick you up at seven sharp. Be dressed and ready to go.

Remember our deal.

Love,

House

Cameron laughed to herself. Had he actually wrote the word 'love' at the bottom? This was not something he would normally do; normally, he would write something like 'From your favorite jerk' or his plain name. Love? Cameron laughed harder as she scribbled out a response, tucking the note he wrote into her lab coat pocket.

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House stepped into his office, sighing thankfully that no one was there. He couldn't stand having to keep the secret of dinner away from the ducklings who were not going with, or from Wilson, for that matter. Wilson could always see something was going on, no matter how hard House tried to hide it.

Batting files off his desk, House hardly felt bad for making a mess. He had just trashed Cameron's desk and found a new supply of paper clips. Carefully, he started to connect them, making a paper clip string. He didn't know what to do with them when he was done, he never knew what to do with them besides take them apart and start over, but it was relaxing just the same. Plus, if he had clinic duty at all, he had an excuse to say he was busy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a bright lime green note, stuck to his desk. Putting down the handful of paper clips, House took the note and read it.

House,

What are you wearing? I don't want to be over dressed. I'm wearing red.

I remember the deal; you won't have to pay.

Love,

Cameron

House snorted. Love? He shouldn't have thrown that word around so nonchalantly; now she was using it, too. Soon, it would become a word in their regular, everyday vocabulary and he was going to let it slip somehow in front of everyone else while talking to her. Love. House snorted again and made to fold the note and toss it out. He noticed that there was still one more note stuck to the backside of it, a plain bit of paper for him to answer back with.

Taking one last look at the paper clips on his desk, House jotted something back, hesitating as he got to the last word before his name.

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Cameron had managed to avoid nearly everyone all day. She had not even seen House for fear she would say something stupid to his face and ruin their night already. As she entered her office and slipped off her lab coat, Cameron noticed the bright green note was back, just as she had hoped. Walking carefully to the desk, trying to hold back her excitement, Cameron read what he had wrote.

Cameron,

Don't wear a necklace.

The deal isn't all that important.

Love,

House

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She heard the horn of the motorcycle outside her front door long after she heard the roar of the engine. Cameron bit her lip in frustration.

"Just a second," she called from her bedroom, knowing very well he couldn't hear her. It was her own stupid fault for not thinking logically about her choice of dress and now she would have to suffer the consequences. Turning off the lights and grabbing her purse from the end table, Cameron ran through the house, shutting everything down before opening the front door and stepping out to meet House.

She was pleased to see he had exchanged his jeans for dress pants and his sports coat was meticulously clean. There was still stubble from the last time he had shaved, but his hair was combed and she smiled as his eyes focused on her.

"You look nice," he said bluntly, killing the engine and stepping off the motorcycle, grabbing his cane from the holder.

"Thanks," she said, knowing she was blushing. "I didn't know we were taking the motorcycle or I would have dressed for it."

"Were you expecting us to walk there?"

"No, but- I just- I'll go and change it you wait for me."

"You can still ride in that dress. Unless you would prefer to take it off and get dressed when we reach the restaurant?"

House was resorting back to his usual nasty self until he realized that was the perfect way to ruin the night. Her red dress was long enough to prove difficult for her to mount the bike, but short enough that he smiled self consciously at the hemline. He had never seen Cameron dressed up before, much less dressed up for him. Besides, if she changed, it would ruin the 'gift.' Suddenly, his 'gift' seemed stupid. It was probably stupid to begin with, but at the time it had seemed like a good idea.

"You can sit sideways," House muttered, reaching into his pocket, hoping he had forgot the gift and wouldn't have to give it to her and humiliate himself.

"Good idea," Cameron answered, curious as to why House was looking so uncomfortable and digging around in his jacket pocket. "What do you have?"

"The reason why you wouldn't wear a necklace," House answered, deciding that if she hated it, she could toss it out or just not wear it. He pulled it out and showed her in the dim light coming from the street lamp.

It was a necklace made of paper clips.

Cameron was shocked. Paper clips? That's where her office supplies had gone to! House had too much time on his hands if he was making her jewelry out of functional items that often snapped and cut your fingers if you used them more than a handful of times. The necklace was more than just a string of paper clips, however, with smaller clips dangling from larger clips and everything in such a detailed pattern that, if it was made of any other material, the necklace would look like a work of art. House had found small red and clear glass beads somewhere and had put them on the clips, the near exact color of her dress.

"I stopped by the craft store after work," House said softly, embarrassed. "You had mentioned you were wearing red. I understand if you don't like it. I don't like it."

Cameron stood there for a moment before turning around and picking up her hair, which she had brushed back into a wavy ponytail, held by a ornate clip.

"If you could put it on, that would be great. I don't want to break it."

Carefully, House walked up to Cameron and slid the art project over her neck, his fingers almost fumbling with the little paper clips that would snap together to hold the necklace in place. He stepped back after a few tenuous moments of being so close, smelling the lavender and sweet mint that hung like a peaceful cloud around her.

"Come on," House said, getting back on his motorcycle and starting the engine. He helped her onto the bike and made sure she wouldn't fall off during the ride, trying to ignore the fact he had something so beautiful sitting right next to him. After all, during lunch yesterday, they had done the same thing.

Only she wasn't in a red dress, wearing his gift, like she was now.

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Aw, so sappy, I know. Now, I also know that House would never go to that extreme and make Cameron a paper clip necklace (it seems so juvenile) but I do see House making little things out of paper clips because his personality is just that way... So, I wanted to make it cute, but I'm sorry if I made it too cute and made House out of character. House will be more like his old self in the next chapter when they are actually at dinner.

Thanks so much for reading and please tell me what you think! Thanks so much!