I like this chapter. It's a House/Wilson friendship chapter. I hope the dialogue between the two is true to the show's portrayal of their relationship. There's very little Cameron, but there is a LITTLE. Also, rats aren't always nocturnal so don't bash me for Steve sleeping at night. Yep, I think this is one of my better chapters possibly because I love writing House/Wilson friendship dialogue. Please tell me what you think of my portrayal of Wilson/House, I can't decide whether I'm really strong at it or really weak.

Chapter six- Wilson's last dime.

Sitting in the bar, House really had forgiven Wilson. I mean, he was making the effort out of work, and (although House tried not to admit it to himself) it gave House the opportunity to spend time with Cameron. He liked her; of course he LIKED her, who didn't? It didn't mean he wanted to marry her, have 2.5 kids, a golden retriever and a house in the suburbs. He liked her company. That was all, and it wasn't a crime to enjoy someone's company. Or someone's looks.

Wilson was curious. He had seen that brief moment in which House touched Cameron's hand, and he knew full well that House didn't DO that… well, not for the past five years anyway. So he thought he'd bring up the Cameron topic subtly. But James Wilson was anything but subtle when it came to talking with his best friend, and his mouth moved before his brain had time to stop it in its eager haste:

"So, you and Cameron?"

"… Ate lunch together."

"Oh, come on, you touched her hand!"

"Does it make you feel uncomfortable? I'm sorry; I just don't think I could sustain a relationship with you"

Wilson rolled his eyes:

"You like her-"

"Of course I like her!"

Wilson looked gleeful at this confession:

"Like her as in... LIKE her?"

"No! Like her as in, she reminds me of Bambi"

"The hooker?"

"The deer."

"Right."

"Stop it Wilson, stop scheming. My God, you're as bad as Cuddy. And stop looking at me like that; I can practically SEE you picking out the wedding colors."

"You just can't do it can you?"

"Here we go" House despairingly said to himself, "do what?"

"Allow yourself within twenty feet of another woman." Wilson said, sadly.

"What about Bambi?"

"The deer?"

"The hooker."

"Ok." Wilson was becoming exasperated "You can allow yourself to look at women, talk to them, flirt with them…" He shuddered "hire them. YOU can go within twenty feet. But your heart, that's a different matter altogether" He took a sip of his drink.

"Please, stop sounding like a 6th grade counsellor"

"It's true. In fact, I can guarantee this thing with Cameron won't lead anywhere."

"How so?" House was suspicious now, can't cripples get girls? He asked himself angrily.

"Because, you won't let it. You never will. You know what you want, I know what you want, but you're too stubborn to allow anything to happen!" Wilson's voice was raised slightly now. "In fact if I were to put money on it, I'd put my last dime on you never acting on your feelings. You just can't do it."

Wilson searched House's eyes for some sign that he took the bait. No clue, House was always impossible to read. Cuddy had said that if Wilson told House he couldn't do something, he was guaranteed to want to do it with a passion usually reserved for medical puzzles.

House was seriously annoyed. He so was not afraid to give his heart to someone. Not much, anyway. Was Wilson just trying to bait him into a relationship? Well if he was, House was going to bite down… hard. He reasoned with himself that he didn't have anything to loose… this was Cameron, she wasn't going to break his heart, and even if it lead nowhere, it was CAMERON, hardly a regrettable person to date.

House didn't answer Wilson, though. The night carried on much as it had begun: casual, friendly chat. But in the back of both men's mind was the same question: did House have the stubbornness and the backbone needed to initiate a relationship? Neither man knew the answer, but House knew he would try.

Across town, Cameron was lying in bed. She was tossing and turning, i-pod in her ears. Thinking about House. She had told herself so many nights that she hated him, and when that failed to stick, that she just didn't like him. Something was so very different now they were spending more time together. Not only was it becoming more difficult for her to tell herself she didn't like him in a romantic way, but now she knew she liked him as a friend. And something about the line separating the two was blurry. She thought about Chase. Now THAT was simple. He thought she was hot, she thought he was… nice looking. But with Chase, she could see clearly that he was a friend. Not boyfriend material. There was no such clarification where House was concerned.

"So..." Wilson said "Hansen's tomorrow night?"

"Sure" House couldn't help but recognise the name of that bar, but he was slightly tipsy so he didn't think about it for long.

"It's supposed to be great. They have a dance floor, not that we'd be interested, but still. It's nice to see people enjoying themselves."

"Nice to see young women enjoying themselves, you mean" corrected House.

"Sure. But the drinks are great. I'll come round at seven, ok?"

"Great, thanks for the ride Wilson" House was much more polite when slightly drunk, Wilson thought, as he watched his best friend make his way to the door and let himself in.

As the oncologist made the short trip back to his home, he considered if he should have said that to House, about not letting anyone close. But, it was true. And to be honest, he was probably doing both House and Cameron a huge favour. He smiled as he thought that, in ten years, House might even thank him for it as he rushed off some little princess to her ballet lesson. He smiled wider when he realised he must be going soft in his age.

When he got inside, House flung himself down at the piano. He noticed how it was quiet in the kitchen; Steve must have hit the hay. House started playing the piano, but he couldn't keep his mind on the notes and pretty soon he wasn't playing at all, just sitting, and thinking. Mostly about a certain brunette with big green-grey eyes who he had been spending a lot of time with recently.

And then, it occurred to him, he recognised the bar name because that's where his ducklings were going tomorrow night.

And so was he, with Wilson.

Sh1t.