WHEN ONE DOOR OPENS

CHAPTER ONE

The door to the restaurant pushed open as Dr Gregory House took a step inside. There were echoes of laughter, muffled voices and silverware clinging and clanging against plates of food of the patrons. He held his breath slowly with each step he took closer to the table where Cameron, Foreman and Chase were sitting from left to right.

What do I say? What the hell do I talk to them about?

He noticed the waitress had just walked away from the table which left a clear view for the triplets to see the entrance door, but they hadn't spotted him yet. He heard Cameron say, "If I were smart I would have dried my hair before we left. I should have known he'd pick up on the fact that we were together when he call…" She stopped talking when she finally noticed House standing just feet from their table.

"I did suggest it to you but you wouldn't listen…OW! Why did you kick me?" Chase asked, rubbing his left shin with his right foot to alleviate the pain caused by Cameron's high heel shoe that kicked him under the table.

"House, what are you doing here?" Cameron asked as she leaned back in the booth's seat. Foreman placed his fork onto his plate after he took a bite and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Chase only stared at House in silence and waited for his answer.

"I'm here to get my taxes done. I hate procrastinating. Move it or lose it, Chase," House said as he moved closer to the booth as Chase stood up and waited for House to sit down. House shook his head before he said, "I meant to just scoot over. Did you get all excited when you gave me that loving hug?" House sat down as soon as Chase returned to the booth who then scooted closer to Foreman, which left House facing Cameron directly and the two other men in the middle.

"Again, what are you doing here? Did you find out you now have Parkinson's and want to be included in the medical trial for pain medication and need us to do some tests?" Cameron asked sarcastically as she took the last swig of her beer.

She wasn't upset he was there but was still full of anger and disappointment in him over what he had done to them the night before. She had no intention of going to Penn State, but just wanted to know what his reaction would be if she did leave. She'd expected him to beg her to stay and fake needing a hug and he would kiss her so that she would stay, having her think she'd finally have House like she'd said she did. She didn't want to have to initiate it to get the blood sample. But she worked with and knew House well enough that she had alternative plans to keep one step ahead of her boss.

She never told Chase her plan of kissing him or that they actually had; she'd lied about how she'd get the sample. Even though she and Chase were just 'having microwave pizza' she had come to care about Chase a bit more than she ever thought she would. They had been taking turns staying at each other's apartments most nights the past few weeks and trying very hard not to give away their secret to House. But of course, he picked right up on it the morning he called them all in to deal with Patrick.

"Where's that waitress?" House only replied as he looked around the room for the same woman that was there a second before. When he finally spotted her he screamed across several tables that he wanted a Scotch, no ice. She nodded her head as if perturbed and continued servicing the table.

House drew his attention back to his charges, intertwined his fingers and leaned forward, as if the conversation they were having before he showed up would continue as if he weren't even there.

"Don't worry. I already knew you two have been together…I mean Cameron and Chase, not Chase and Foreman. Oh, hell," House stuck his finger up in the air without even looking for the waitress and shouted, "Make that two Scotches!" He turned his attention back to those at the table. "I've got to drink that mental image out of my head."

"How?" Cameron asked dumfounded.

"I've been peaking into your apartment," House answered as he looked at Cameron.

"House, I'm on the third floor," Cameron said as she suddenly lost her appetite and pushed her plate away.

House looked at Chase as he said, "And I'm on the second floor. I doubt you could climb the brick wall to the balcony."

"Oh, I can, and I did with my Spidey climbing powers. But Foreman had to help me," House said as Foreman smirked and shook his head.

"I still don't like you, House," Foreman said. "Doubt I ever will."

"Oh, that just hurts my feelings, Foreman. What'll I do? Where'll I go?" House mocked, carrying on in a southern accent as if he were Scarlet O'Hara.

"Well, I'm done eating and I've suddenly grown quite tired. Think I'm going back to Tara for a nap," Cameron returned the mocking, also speaking in a Scarlet O'Hara voice.

"Didn't the Yankees burn it down? There's nothing left of Tara…OW! Stop kicking me under the table, Alli…Cameron!" Chase screamed, drawing attention from nearby diners.

House smiled as he noticed the waitress walk toward the table with a drink in her hand. As she stopped and placed it on the napkin in front of House Cameron asked her for the check.

"But I'm not done eating, Cameron. What's the rush?" Foreman asked as the waitress walked away and House downed half the liquid in the glass.

"You can stay, but Chase and I are leaving," she told Foreman.

"Uh, I'm not done, either," Chase interjected. "OW! Damnit, cut it OUT!" Chase pleaded as his shin sustained another kick from Cameron's heeled foot.

"Oh, but you like pain, don't you, Chase? Or that's the rumor in Princeton Enquirer I read a while ago," House teased as he tried to control his laughter.

Cameron placed her napkin on the half-empty plate and grabbed her purse, getting out bills that would cover a portion of the bill. "This should cover it, for the both of us," she said as she placed the money on the table, zipped her purse and scooted over to stand.

"Oh, you're not paying, Chase? You're a cheap date. When I got my kiss from Cameron I didn't have to pay anything," House said as he looked at Cameron waiting for a reaction.

But it was Chase that reacted at his comment. His face was contorted in a look of confusion as he glanced at Cameron, who had stood and had her back against the table as she pulled on her jacket. Her face carried a smirk, then a look of Oh no, he DIDN'T!

Her thoughts raced. What was she going to say? What was she going to do? Seems she had turned into Scarlet O'Hara after all.