Chapter 2

Since it had been Cameron's idea, they all agreed that she could drive. They were meeting at her apartment. House had said outright there was no way he would be up that early on his own, so Wilson agreed to pick him up. When they arrived at Cameron's building, House was still grumbling that the least Wilson could have done was bring him a coffee.

The rest of the group were already standing in the parking lot, waiting. Foreman was leaning against the door of Cameron's car, and House chuckled as he took in his appearance. Did he ever dress down? Even on Sunday morning and on his way to a corn maze, he had on slacks and loafers. Did he even own a pair of jeans?

Chase was sitting on the trunk of Cameron's car, watching her watch House. He was wearing jeans and boots, a turtleneck and a large sweatshirt. But when House got a glimpse of the earmuffs, he nearly laughed out loud. Luckily he caught himself in time, and settled for a withering smirk. Chase was paying him little attention, as he was busy looking at something on the opposite side of the car, out of House's line of vision.

Suddenly, Cameron's head popped up near Chase and House's breath caught in his throat for the tiniest of seconds. Her hair was blowing in the breeze, and looked a little wild, very different from how she normally looked at work. She was wearing a burnt orange turtleneck sweater, a brown leather jacket and gloves. Her cheeks were flushed red from the slight chill in the air. For a fleeting second, she looked to him like an advertisement for autumn. It would be his favorite season. Then she laughed, and he grinned. She touched Chase's arm in response to whatever lame joke he'd made, and the illusion was shattered.

House was dressed per his usual, although he had traded his beloved sneakers for a pair of more sensible hiking boots, left over from days when he had actually hiked. A corn maze in November was no place for his Nikes. Wilson was dressed casually as well, and as the group gathered around Cameron's car, House couldn't help but notice again how out of place Foreman looked.

"Foreman, we're not going to a church social. You do know corn mazes are outside, right?" House sniped at him.

"I have someplace to be when this is done, not that it's any of your business, House," Foreman grumbled. "Can we just go?" he asked Cameron.

"Sure," Cameron replied. "I hope there's enough room."

"Don't worry, we'll squeeze," Wilson assured her, and she smiled at him. House rolled his eyes and climbed into the passenger seat, adjusting the position as far back as possible to maximum his leg comfort and positively squish whoever had to sit behind him.

Cameron settled herself into the driver's seat, carefully buckling up and checking all her mirrors. House managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes again, but when Cameron didn't start driving he looked at her with impatience. Cameron looked at him and then looked pointedly at his seatbelt, which was unbuckled. Exasperated, House buckled his safety belt and then looked at her.

She reached down to the center console and picked up a cup of coffee. House was about to snark at her about how dare she get herself a coffee and not him when she was the one who'd forced him out of bed at this ungodly hour when she handed the cup to him. She then reached down a second time and lifted a pastry bag, which she placed in his lap.

"Coffee and bagel, I believe that's what you ordered?" Cameron asked dryly. House nodded at her. "No comment?"

"You're pathetic," House said. "Feel better?"

"Yes, now we can go," Cameron said, starting the car. She pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. Their day had begun.