Chapter Two - On Everyone's Lips.

Wilson was right. By the next morning, everyone knew about the Valentine's Ball, and everyone was excited. There was an unfamiliar buzz around the clinic and in the lobby as nurses gossiped about who they would take, and doctors joked with each other about who they wanted to go with.

House wasn't looking forward to it. He knew he had to go, but he hated all the fancy tuxedo dinners. He wanted to wear his jeans and his sneakers. As he stepped into the elevator that morning, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation the other two doctors in the elevator were having.

"Well, I think I'm going to ask Natalie. I've always wanted to go out with her so now's the perfect chance!"

"I'd quite like to go with Allison Cameron from Diagnostics. She's gorgeous!"

House tensed up as he mentioned Cameron. A pang of jealousy shot through him. He couldn't talk about Cameron like that! She was his!

"Any ideas who you'll take Dr House?" asked one doctor. House turned to him.

"Hmmm...not sure. But I know who Cameron's going with, and it ain't you." snapped House as he stepped out the elevator, leaving the two bewildered doctors behind. He sighed, feeling quite annoyed that he'd gotten so worked up about her.

House entered his office, and dumped his stuff down. Chase, Cameron and Foreman were already in the differential room. Cameron came into his office, carrying his coffee.

"Morning, House. Here's your coffee."

House looked up.

"Thank you."

"Woah! Are you feeling ok? I think you just said 'thank you' without realising."

House smiled and sat down at his desk. Cameron spotted the memo.

"You've heard then?"

House nodded.

"Are you going?" Cameron hoped he'd say yes. She wanted to ask him, but wasn't sure when the time would be right.

"I guess. Cuddy will make me anyway, so I don't see the point in trying to avoid it. Are you?" Please say yes.

"Yeah. Don't know who with though. I've had a few offers from the snotty medical students, but I had to say I was going with someone else! I didn't know how else to say no!"

House smiled again. She loved his rare smiles and they would often take her breath away. Most of them were directed at her, and it made her feel good, knowing that she made him smile.

"I have no idea who I'm going with. I don't want to go with any nurses from the clinic. They're all to..."

"Annoying?" finished Cameron.

"Yeah! They have squeaky, un-naturally high pitched voices and would probably spend all night telling me about the hunkiest movie star or something."

Cameron smiled, a little relieved that he didn't know who he was going with. She was afraid that he may ask Cuddy.

"I don't want to go with any hormonal, spotty faced medical nerd, who would probably spend all night telling me about the latest edition to Star Trek."

"Well, maybe we should go together then!" laughed House, half joking and half being totally serious. Cameron didn't know whether he was being serious or not, and decided not to dwell on his comment.

"I'm heading off to the ER. They're short staffed today, and we have no cases. I'll see you later." Cameron smiled at him once more and then left. She sighed deeply as she walked up the corridor. Was House being serious?

House sighed too. That was his pathetic attempt at asking her. It didn't work, as they had been joking around. I have to ask her he thought I'm not letting any other doctor have her.

Later that evening, Cameron was packing up her things when Chase came in.

"Hey. Are you leaving?" he asked.

"Yep. I'm so tired. I've been in the ER all day!"

"Listen, I was just thinking. This Valentine's Ball - maybe you and I could go together?"

Oh great(!) thought Cameron as she stopped packing her bag and looked at Chase.

"I just thought that y'know, we we're kind of together for a bit, so it makes sense that we go together?" he said, looking hopefully at Cameron. Cameron looked at him and then glanced into House's office. House was sitting in his armchair, playing his PSP. I want to go with him.

"Chase, I'm flattered that you've asked me..."

"But?"

"But I can't go with you. I don't feel the same as you feel about me. I never have and I never will. I'm sorry."

Chase looked hurt. He followed Cameron's gaze into House's office.

"You want to go with him don't you?" he asked, reading Cameron's thoughts. She nodded sheepishly.

"Don't tell him!" she whispered with a smile. Chase smiled back. He had always known how Cameron felt about House. He could sense it when she spoke about him, talked with him, or even if someone mentioned his name. Chase knew deep down that he could never be with Cameron and her heart belonged to House, but he thought they could be friends. He tried to be supportive.

"Ask him."

Cameron shook her head.

"The time's not right."

"Cameron, it's in a few weeks. This is your perfect chance. Go for it." He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder and then left.

Cameron watched House for a moment. His lamp was casting a warm glow around him; picking out his best features. Cameron so wanted to go with him. He would be the perfect date. Recently, they had been getting on a lot better. She would bring him coffee in the morning, they would chat and have a joke. He was more relaxed around her than he used to be, and she liked it that way. Just then, House glanced up and caught her eye. Cameron looked a bit embarrassed for staring at him, but House smiled at her and then looked back down at his game. Cameron gathered the rest of her things and left, the image of him smiling etched in her mind. House watched her leave and grinned as her backside flicked from side to side as she walked. A tingling sensation ran through his body and he shivered at it. He had to ask her, but he just didn't know when.

"Well, I've asked one of the new nurses...Danielle. She said she'd go with me!" said an excited Foreman that morning. The Valentine's Ball was growing closer, and most people had dates already.

"Didn't you say that Danielle's friend, Belinda would go with me?" asked Chase.

"Yep. She really fancies you! She said she'd go with you and asked me to give you this." Foreman tugged a piece of crumpled paper from his pocket. "It's her phone number."

"Great!" said Chase as he stuffed it into his pocket.

Cameron sat in the corner with her head in a book, nursing her coffee. Just then House walked in.

"Morning, my lovely ducklings. Let's see, the British one..."

"I'm Australian"

"Whatever...and the black one - where's the attractive one?"

Cameron heard him and blushed at his comment. Chase and Foreman both pointed to her and Cameron waved her hand in the air, not looking up from her book.

"Ah!" said House, a bit surprised that she was in the room. "I was worried for a minute, Cameron. I thought you'd run off without making me my coffee." teased House.

"You know I'd never do that!" said Cameron playfully and she got up to make House his coffee.

"Who are you going with House?" asked Foreman, referring to the Ball.

"Oh, no-one yet. Lots of people have asked me of course. I mean, I'm practically beating them off with my cane."

"So why haven't you got a date?" smirked Chase.

"Because I haven't had an offer from the right one." he said smiling. Cameron heard him, and wished it was her she was talking about. It could never be her though. They were just friends.

"Maybe you should go with Cameron. She hasn't got a date yet either!" chuckled Foreman.

House's heart jumped in his chest. Yes! He thought she hasn't got a date yet!

"So why's that Cameron?" asked House curiously.

"Same as you; I'm waiting for the right person to ask me." replied Cameron, looking into House's icy blue eyes. She smiled and handed House his coffee. House smiled back and then turned to Chase and Foreman.

"Right, haven't you got things to do people? Clinic hours to do, people to save, y'know...be doctors?"

Chase and Foreman got to their feet and headed out. Cameron dumped her mug in the sink and went towards the door.

"Hold on Cameron." called House as he limped into his office. Cameron followed him.

"What's up?" she asked, with that friendly glow in her eyes.

"I was thinking...seeing as you and I have no-one to go with, yet Cuddy's gonna make us go anyway, how about we go together?"

"Gregory House, are you asking me out on a date?" teased Cameron, secretly over the moon that he'd asked her.

"I guess I am. It makes sense. Unless you're waiting for the right person?"

"Oh no, you'll do!" she said smiling. House smiled back. "No, I'd love to go with you House."

"Good. I'll see you later then." House winked at her, and Cameron turned to leave. She felt amazing. House had just asked her to go to the Valentine's Ball with her. He'd said it because neither of them had someone to go with, and she believed that was his reason, but she could only hope there was more behind it. He was the man she had been waiting to ask her.

House smiled to himself for a long time. He had just asked Cameron to go with him, and she's said yes. He sighed with relief, pleased that no-one else had asked her. He was going with Allison Cameron. The woman who's name was engraved in his heart. She was the woman he had been waiting to ask.