Sorry so slow...busy time. My spring sport is about to end though, so I'll have lots of time to write soon! I promise I'll keep them coming!

Remy tugged at her sleeve as she left the exam room, making sure it was all the way down. She rounded the corner, focused on escaping quickly, and ran straight into a firm chest. "Whoa! I'm sorry!" Strong arms caught her, and she processed the familiar voice at the same time her eyes reached his face.

"Stephen! No, my bad." She stepped back and reached up to run a hand through her hair. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Didn't expect to run into you down here," he grinned. "Whatcha up to?"

"Just checking on a patient."

He didn't miss the way she gazed at the floor instead of meeting his eyes. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said a little too quickly. He studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Gotta run, my shift starts about...now," she explained, already halfway to the automatic doors.

He watched her go, then turned in the direction she came from, intending to find out what "patient" she would be checking on in the clinic area. Wait. Don't be nosy. It certainly seemed like she was hiding something, but even so, it was her business. She'll tell me when she wants me to know. Reluctant but resigned, he headed back to the ambulance bay.

**********

Mundane paperwork was usually something Remy didn't mind - it allowed her to go through the motions while letting her mind wander. Today, though, as she sat at the ER nurses' station shuffling papers and entering patient information in the computer system, she wished for a task that required her full attention. Between House's presence, his mysterious conflict with Wilson, and his determination to see her and Stephen as a couple, her thoughts were whirling.

Damn it, if something comes out of that big mouth of his in front of Stephen...She could only hope he'd stick to comments about her bisexuality when he felt the need to mock her. Or I could tell him not to bring it up...but would that have the opposite effect? He always went out of his way to cause problems between me and Eric, but I guess he was right about that one.

So does the way he keeps bringing up the idea of Stephen and I together mean he approves? She shook the thought from her head. Why the hell does it matter? Next thing you know I'll be writing in to "The Love Doctor." But if she was honest with herself, she did have to admit his opinion mattered a little. Just because he has that weird intuition about people that's usually right on. He's like another species that can interpret human emotions objectively because he doesn't feel them himself...or at least he pretends not to. That son of a bitch has to feel something.

And somehow, she knew he did. The only reason for him to be so defensive about what happened at PPTH is that he got hurt - which means first, he had to somehow make himself vulnerable. Bet he won't be doing that again. She understood what it meant to let someone close enough to hurt when your usually M.O. was to keep everyone at a distance. Wilson knows how hard it is for him to let anyone in. Once he won that trust, how could he turn around and throw it back in House's face?

She actually smirked to herself then. This is ridiculous. I'm pissed at Wilson for getting fed up with House. He's probably the most patient person in the world...if he snapped, there has to be a good reason. If only I had any idea what...House isn't going to volunteer the information. Not yet anyway. Maybe as it gets closer to time for him to go back to Princeton, he'll get more desperate and want to talk about it...

Who am I kidding? House doesn't "want to talk" about things. He deflects questions and avoids issues with cruel comments. But there's no avoiding this - in nine days he'll have to go face whatever's waiting for him at PPTH. She was surprised to realize she was having trouble with the idea of him leaving forever. Nothing like his smart-ass sarcasm to keep you on your feet.

After leaving Princeton-Plainsboro the first time, she had so much going on - new apartment, new city, new job - she barely took time to think about what she left behind. When she did remember, it was with an overwhelming feeling of relief at being free from all that now. With her newest visitor at Faulkner, though, she was beginning to see that she hadn't been imprisoned by the demands of her difficult boss, but by her ever-so-caring boyfriend. At first Eric's concern had been nice, but after the clinical trial violation and her resulting side effects, she began to feel suffocated by his presence. Instead of love, the emotion she saw in his gaze was pity - and if there was one thing she couldn't stand, that was it. Fear of pity was the reason she tried to keep her condition a secret in her first months at Princeton-Plainsboro. She didn't want to be a the dying doctor, the one with the beautifully tragic story to feed whispers, so she decided to get out.

It was the right decision. She'd spent the last three years telling herself she wasn't running away again, just making a necessary change. Right, which is why I'm petrified that House will spill my old life into my new.

**********

Eight hours later, Remy pulled off her scrubs in the locker room and stuffed everything into her blue duffel bag. Exhausted, she still jabbed the "up" button on the elevator, to stop in and see House before heading out. She pushed the door open cautiously, hoping he'd moved on from the Stephen issue. "Hey, how you feeling?"

"Same," he said, distracted by the bag on her shoulder. "Leaving?"

"Eventually." She shrugged. Does he actually look disappointed? "I'm off the clock for the weekend."

"Oh." Definitely disappointment!

"But I could stop by tomorrow," she suggested tentatively. "Bring a movie or something to do."

He hesitated a few seconds before answering. "No chick flicks. If I'm going to be stuck watching it with you, make it something decent."

She smiled, understanding his reluctant agreement as the plea it was meant to be. "You really think I'm the chick-flick type? Don't worry, I promise to bring enough explosions and badass cars to get you through a few days."

"Good, because harassing the nurses is getting old. It's always the same three, and they're no fun."

"Actually, those are the only three that dare to come in here after all the horror stories the others have heard from them," she smirked.

"Come on, I'm not that bad."

But she saw the glint of pride in his eye and laughed. "You know the saying 'Doctors make the worst patients?' Understatement of the year."

Comments please =)