A/N: Dunno if I've done this yet. Don't own House M.D., any of the characters. yaddayaddayadda

One case down.

He takes a generous bite out of his peanut butter-jelly sandwich and stares at the almost entirely covered white board. A simple case of severe vitamin B12 deficiency masking as MS/Parkinson's/Sarcoidosis might not be very mind bending, but any case was better than the thought of clinic duty.

"Congratulations."

"Only took me 32 hours. Should have taken me three minutes."

"You're rusty. I think it's allowed."

She rests against the door frame, not sure why she's made the trek up to his room. Watching him begin to erase the board with one hand, her stomach rumbles and she's slightly embarrassed.

"Godzilla's hungry. Here."

The half eaten sandwich in his outstretched arm, given so nonchalantly, makes her smile. She takes it, biting into it heartily, licking her thumb at a goop of peanut butter left on the bread.

"Thank you."

"Where've you been?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't seen me in a week. Wilson hasn't driven you home in a week. Trouble in paradise?"

"I had two days off and I do have a department to run."

"I wouldn't call the ER a department you run."

"I'm a senior attending, technically you, in a fast paced, dirty, dangerous, emergency field, which could parallel to the one case a week you take on."

"Not sold. ER's not that busy, unless it's the show."

He wheels himself so that he can face her instead of the white board.

"You ate with me. Why?"

"When? Now?"

"No, while I was dreaming of Jeannie."

The blank look on her face makes him shake his head. "You're old enough to remember that navel."

"I know the show but I don't understand the question."

"I was in a coma. You ate lunch. With me. Nearly everyday. Got it?"

"So did Wilson."

"He loves me; it's expected."

Her head tilts, the sandwich rests between three fingers precariously.

"You, on the other hand, should not have been eating with me. I'm no longer your boss. I don't respect you or your job. So, why does Wonder Cameron eat lunch in a coma patient's room?"

"Pity, of course."

"Pity?"

The last bit of the peanut butter/jelly sandwich snakes into her mouth and she nods. " You were...helpless, in a coma, and I wanted to fix you. I had to focus my efforts somewhere."

"Could've focused on Chase."

"We were finished by then. It was plain pity."

"So, it was a series of pity dates?"

"Miserable, stubborn, single, abrasive man falls into a devastating coma to be visited by no one except a Dean of Medicine, his terrified team, and an oncologist. I was putty."

It made sense. It made too much sense.

"You're not denying it?"

"Why would I?"

"You've been saying for three years you're not addicted to neediness. Now you've turned about."

"House, I'm about to do the hardest thing in the world - become a parent. I don't have time to play around with my insecurities anymore."

He wheels around the corner, barely dodging Cuddy's legs and her deafening, "House!"

"Hospital Crisis! I'm missing General Hospital!"

Breathless, he keeps pulling himself onwards. And then he sees them together in the hallway, outside of his office. She's holding a few files in her right hand and with the other, is positioning his hand over her alien-hijacked abdomen. The smile that crosses Wilson's face is genuine, causing the edges of his eyes to show his crow's feet. Her hand never uncovers his, and his hand never fights to be free.

They laugh and Wilson issues a barely heard, "wow."

House watches carefully, not sure why his fingers suddenly tingle at the thought of resting upon--. His thoughts hesitate as he watches Chase slowly walking down the long corridor, never taking his eyes off of them.

She sees him first and immediately lowers her hand from Wilson's. Wilson looks at the surgeon, removes his hand from her stomach, and nods his head at Chase.

"Surgery go well?"

He nods his head as well, clearly not looking at Cameron. "I managed to get all of it, though I had to give her a total hysterectomy since it'd spread since the last scan. She'll be awake in a few minutes. You should be there."

Chase finally looks in her direction, though it's more her belly that has his attention first. For a brief moment, they hold each other's stare, neither saying a word to other, Wilson glancing between them.

"Guys," Wilson interjects, "if this is going to end up like last time..."

"No," Chase replies shortly, "it's not going to be a problem."

House watches Chase turn and walk away, his steps quick and long with repressed anger. He swallows a vicodin. This was definitely worth missing the first five minutes of his story.

A/N: So...so...so...I've heard you guys' theories. One I haven't heard though, is that Cam's a surrogate for Chilson. Anyways, I'm thinking about it, and yes, I know who the dad is. ;)