Description: Grey's Anatomy/ House crossover fic (that's not as bad as it sounds, I promise!). Cameron attempts to escape the remnants of her broken relationship with House and rediscover her optimism by escaping to Seattle, where she befriends Meredith and Dr. McDreamy. Will House allow Cameron to leave him behind for good? Can Meredith and Derek repair the broken trust between them before it's too late? Read, review, and find out!
MerDer, CameronHouse, some Maddison. Other characters come in and out but will probably not be too central. Spoilers for GA and House up to Season 3. This is my first-ever crossover fic so please read and review!
Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Still not mine. Just taking them for a spin. Musical accompaniment from Keane.
Chapter 2: In which two worlds collide … enter Meredith.
"It's a long time since your heart was frozen.
Morning comes and you don't want to know me anymore."
Cameron pulled anxiously on her long ponytail as she studied the map before her, attempting to simultaneously locate where she was, and determine the reason why where she was was not the Diagnostics lab. Or for that matter, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. It must have been that left I took up on Four. Cameron laughed ruefully, carefully adjusting her collared top. She had awoken early this morning to prepare, her dress neat and professional as always. It was her first day of work, and already she was late, and already she felt woefully out of place. She glanced around, taking in the attire of the doctors and nurses moving hurriedly past her. None wore suits; in fact, most were attired in blue and green SGH scrubs.
They seem young. And happy. Well, she had been like that once, and that's why she was here. Stop acting like a first-year intern, Allison. Cameron squared her shoulders and returned to scrutinizing the map with renewed determination. She was clearly on the surgical floor. How had she managed that? And why were hospitals always so confusing?
Cameron's cell phone rang, and she tensed reflexively. There was only one person that could be. One person who would be inconsiderate enough to call and rattle her this early into her first day at work. I haven't even had my damn coffee yet. Her eyes clouded with memories she had flown halfway across the country to escape. Relax. It may just be your new boss calling to find out where in the world you are.
Yeah right. Steeling herself, she flipped open the phone and answered in her best professional voice.
"Allison Cameron."
Meredith Grey stood filling out a chart at the nurse's station, preoccupied by this evening's coming date with the McVet. Absently, she studied a striking young woman several feet away struggling with a hospital map located by the elevator. The woman didn't look like a patient, but Meredith had never seen her before. And then the woman's phone rang, and the expression on her face drew Meredith's attention. It was an expression that was familiar to her, an expression she had felt on her own face numerous times – part maybe-love, part maybe-hate, an element of pure exhaustion. How many times had she looked like that during the months of Satan's reign? Meredith wondered to herself, surreptitiously inching closer so she could listen in on the stranger's conversation.
Things had changed, of course. There had been the steamy McSex at the prom, followed by the troubles with Izzie. Derek had confessed his love and Finn had thrown his hat in the ring. And Meredith was dating. Both of them.
During their first "McDate," as Cristina had taken to calling it, Derek had told her about walking in on Addison and Mark for the second time. He had broken into laughter as he got to the punch line, and he seemed so genuinely relieved that Meredith had joined him in laughter. Some of the old tension had dissipated. Still, it was weird, seeing McSteamy around the hospital now, remembering their old bond from the dirty ex-mistress club. And seeing Addison happy – while there was tension between them (and Meredith was pretty sure she deserved whatever Addison wanted to throw at her), the older woman didn't seem interested in tormenting Meredith for her transgressions. She really was no longer Satan, the interns had to concede.
But how long can a girl hold out against two men at once? Seriously. Meredith now found herself trying desperately to put off the decision she knew was inevitable. She grimaced slightly at her own self-absorption, pushing that line of thinking from her head. It was so much more entertaining to worry about other people's problems.
"House I have only been in this hospital for two damn hours, I am jet lagged, and I haven't had my coffee yet. What do you want? No, I didn't do your charts before I left. No, I haven't killed anyone yet. I haven't – House, I hardly think that's any of your business. You have no right to – yes, we ruled out pneumothorax – House, there are actually cardiologists at PPTH, so why don't you ask them about the blood gas?" She held the phone away from her ear, momentarily, rubbing at her temples as if to prevent a migraine. "I have to go, House." Cameron paused. And then, softly, "Please don't call me anymore."
Meredith's interest was piqued. There was nothing like some good hospital gossip to start off a dreary Seattle Monday. She approached the woman cautiously– there was something in that look she was currently giving the elevator, as though she wanted to kick it or cry or do something else – that also reminded Meredith too much of the looks that she herself had given that same elevator numerous times. Before. Before the prom. But still – you never could tell when you were dealing with someone who really was crazy.
"I promise that whatever it is, it won't feel better if you take it out on the elevator," Meredith remarked mildly. The other woman looked up in surprise. "You don't look like a patient. You certainly don't talk like a patient. So you must be new."
The darker-haired woman's eyes flashed momentarily with emotion – anger? surprise? – before she smiled and extended her hand. "Allison Cameron. Immunologist from Princeton-Plainsboro. I'm here on a three-month Diagnostic fellowship, this is supposed to be my first day … if you could only show me where the lab is?" she pleaded anxiously. Meredith laughed.
"You need a freakin MD to find your way around here – it's a trick we're trying to play on unsuspecting patients. Meredith Grey. Surgical intern. Diagnostics is in the basement. I can take you down." Cameron nodded her assent, and Meredith hurriedly scribbled her signature on the chart before her and then pressed the call button for the elevator.
"So," Meredith smiled mischievously. "That phone call was from your boss?" At Cameron's stricken, embarrassed look, she hurried to explain. "Hey I'm an intern. I have a resident that they call the Nazi and I slept with my married attending before I knew he was married. Or an attending. Whatever you've got, I can beat it." Shit. Meredith, you have got to stop introducing yourself to strangers as the scary-damaged girl.
To her relief, Cameron laughed. Hesitantly, but there it was. "Former," she said quietly, after a pause. "That was my former boss. I think. And if you knew him, you might not think you could beat me." She didn't offer any more as the elevator began to descend, but Meredith was undeterred.
"So after three months?" she pressed.
"That depends on how much I like it here." Among other things.
Meredith smiled knowingly. "Well, here we are then." A frosted glass door etched with the phrase SGH Diagnostics was before them. She paused. "And, Dr. Cameron, I hope you like it. Here, I mean, it's none of my business, but -" Way to ramble, Meredith. "Everyone deserves a second chance," she finished, lamely.
"Now why couldn't I find that?" Cameron joked, touched by Meredith's impromptu soliloquy but unsure of how to show it.
"Nice meeting you, Dr. Cameron."
"Call me Allison," Cameron corrected, and smiled.
"Meredith," the younger woman replied. "I'll see you around." With that, she turned on her heel, off to find Izzie, and perhaps Cristina, and regale them with her tale of SGH's newest addition.
Left alone, Cameron sighedMeredith seemed … a little strange, but nice. Still, now was not the time to worry about making friends, not when she'd made it this far on her own. It's now or never, or you can run back to House. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed the door open.
A/N: Next up, Cameron gets her first patient and meets Derek, and then things start to pick up. Feed the beast and review!