If anyone's interested in beta'ing the next chapter for me I would appreciate it, I'm having doubts about where I want to take this and a second opinion would be nice…

Disclaimer: Not Mine…

"What?" He asked, watching her brain turn in her head for ideas.

"I'm thinking House!"

"Well if you don't decide soon then the deal will be null and void."

"No it won't." She replied smugly, looking out across the lake.

"And why the heck not?" He smirked.

"Because you wouldn't pass up a week free of clinic duty." She stated simply, turning to him with a devilish smile.

"Don't be so sure." He replied, curious as to what she was going to make him do.

"Alright, if I win then…I want you to play for me."

"What in a sand box? I don't think the ol' leg can take it."

"You know what I'm talking about House."

"Don't you want anything else? I'd rather wear a dress to work." He mumbled.

"Interesting but no, that's what I want." She smiled, gazing back at the lake. He contemplated the deal for a moment before catching her gaze.

"You're on." He finally replied. "You haven't even seen these ribs."

"Neither have you." She shot back.

"No but I'm a man."

"Are you sure? I've never seen a man so eager to wear a dress to work."

"Oh trust me, I'm more of a man than anyone you know." He informed her, leaning against the table and wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"I don't trust anyone House, you should know that by now." She replied, avoiding his gaze and looking down at the table.

"Is little Cameron insecure?" House questioned, actually curious as to her statement.

"Like I said before House, I learn from my mistakes." She replied quietly.

"Why did you take our patient a pillow today?" He finally asked, looking for anything to break the silence.

"He had mentioned earlier that the pillows he had were uncomfortable. I figured that since you were dragging yourself down there to be mean to him that I would get him one and make sure that you weren't being too much of an asshole." She replied simply, beginning to smirk.

"What's with that?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and sipping on his coffee.

"With what?"

"That smirk." He barked.

"I just find it amazing that you spent the whole of a minute with him and he named you to a t."

"I'm more used to arrogant bastard than dick." House responded.

"Nothing wrong with change." She replied, looking towards the waitress who was bringing out their meals. Her face turned from that of hurt to that of shock as she looked at the plate of ribs. As they were set before them her eyes grew wide, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the steaming ribs.

"Enjoy." The waitress smiled. "I'll check on you periodically for refills."

"Thanks." Cameron murmured, swallowing the lump that appeared in her throat.

"Eyes too big for your stomach?" He finally asked, his mind whirling with the contemplation of who had hurt her so badly.

"No." She replied, defiantly, picking up a rib and sinking her teeth into it, her face contorting as she bit into the bone, hard. Removing the rib and rubbing at her teeth House burst into laughter.

"A week free of clinic duty." He smiled, digging in on his own food. She only watched him, disconcertion etched all over her face.

"Awful sure of ourselves, aren't we?" She asked, bringing the rib to her mouth and biting off an entire side with one bite.

"I've seen you eat." He shrugged, watching her as she finished off her first rib and began digging into the second one. "Might want to slow down, the faster you eat the quicker you become full."

"I am eating slow." She replied smugly, taking a sip of her coffee as she finished the second. At this point House began to sweat…

Fifteen Minutes Later

Smiling from ear to ear, with barbecue sauce covering her face Cameron threw the last of the rib bones on the table. "You obviously don't know me as well as you thought." She threw at him, picking up her glass of water and downing its contents, effectively spilling some down her face where it fell as flavored water. Picking up a napkin he reached it across the table to her.

"You're a pig." He said simply as she took the napkin and began to cheekily wipe away the sauce. Looking down at his own completed ribs he could only sigh, pulling the bottle from his jacket pocket and downing two pills.

"You're a junkie." She replied, laying her napkin down and reaching for her coffee. Watching her lean forward he smirked and picked up yet another napkin. "More?" She asked, taking the napkin and wiping furiously at her face.

"Right." He said gruffly, watching as she went left. "My right." He directed her. "On your cheek." She maneuvered around her face for a moment, following House's cold and warm signals until finally he sighed and reached across the table. Taking the napkin from her hand he brought his left hand up to grasp her cheek, turning her left cheek towards him and wiping the spot away. He couldn't help but notice that she was warm and that her breath was now caught in her throat.

Refusing to look into her eyes he took an extra moment removing the spot from her cheek, finding another and wiping at it until she had no choice but to take a breath, one that came out as an explosive gasp. Pretending not to notice he gently turned her head to the other cheek, examining it closely as she took several short breaths, before finally turning her to face him, blue on blue. Giving an approving nod he removed his hand from her face and dropped back into his seat, his leg throbbing wildly from his position. "Thank you." She whispered, looking down at her hands which she quickly occupied with her cup of coffee.

"We need to get going." He stood. "We've only got fifteen minutes." Picking up his cane he limped away as she dug for a couple of ones to leave on the table. He was already outside when she found him.

"You paid that quickly?"

"They put it on Wilson's tab." House shrugged, already mounting the bike and throwing her a helmet. "C'mon." Sliding onto the bike behind him Cameron automatically slid her arms around his waist and within a moment they were speeding down the highway. Sighing as he drove Cameron took the time to memorize every moment, every feeling coursing through her at that moment. For the first time in two years she was beginning to feel herself relax…with him, out of all the people she knew, House? Clutching herself to him all the more she again sighed, knowing this feeling wouldn't last long or ever happen again…with him.

A/N: Review PLEASE!!!