James let himself into his office Monday morning, ready to begin another week of work. By the time he'd gotten home yesterday, he'd been tired. He'd had to pick Sara up from where she was boarded and after the week he'd had, he was glad to be home. He'd phoned House to see how he was shortly after he'd gotten home, but House hadn't answered his phone. Worried, he'd gotten up and gone to House's apartment to check on him, only to find him not there. Checking his usual haunts had been useless, he wasn't in those either. So, he'd gone for some takeout, left a message on House's voicemail, and gone home.
After Sara and him were settled in watching some shows he'd missed while he was gone, he'd phoned Allison. Hearing her voice, so far away, he'd found he'd missed her more than he thought he would. In the short amount of time they'd been together, he'd grown accustomed to hearing it, of having her around. He couldn't wait to see her again.
As he settled in to his desk, he dreaded the arrival of House. He knew he'd be in a mood, he hadn't returned James' voicemail, and he knew that House would make him feel guilty for having gone to the five day conference. And he also knew that somehow, some way, House would know about him and Allison. Not Allison herself, but that James had met up with a woman. He almost groaned at the thought of the teasing that was going to occur. He also figured he'd come clean about who he was with. If he prolonged the inevitable, like he had with Amber, it would be worse. Yes, Allison was miles away right now, but he hoped that she'd return to Princeton eventually. He really thought this might work out with her.
He'd just started on some paperwork that had piled up while he was gone when his door burst open. House came in, plopped himself in the chair and propped his feet on Wilson's desk. James simply looked up from his paperwork and said "And a good morning to you, too."
"I got your message. Sorry I missed it. Took a little road trip with Thirteen."
"That must have been exciting. Where has she been the last few months?" Wilson liked the young doctor, that she challenged House like she did. Her disappearance had been odd, but it seemed to be the way things worked around this place.
"Can't say. I pinkie-swore that I wouldn't tell."
"Okay then. So what are you here to discuss? New case? Old case? How your vacation went? How my vacation went?" Wilson asked.
"Oh, let's talk about yours. I'm thinking you got lucky at this conference. You're much less on edge than you were before you went to it. You dog, you."
Wilson almost blushed. How would House know something like that? Yes, he hadn't been with anyone since Sam had left him, but he hadn't wanted anyone. One night with Cameron and he was much more relaxed? Really?
"So who was the lucky girl? Waitress? Maid? Desk clerk? Was she at least good looking? You didn't go and ask her to marry you already, did you?"
"No, I didn't ask her to marry me!" James protested.
"Ah hah! There was a girl! I knew it!" House said gleefully. It was ridiculously easy to get Wilson to admit stuff sometimes.
Wilson sighed. He was lousy at keeping things from House, he really was. He wondered how long it would take for him to admit it was Allison he'd been with.
"Yes, there was a girl. And no, I didn't ask her to marry me. Maybe someday, but not now." James admitted.
"Why would you want to do that? She was a hookup at a conference! Why are you trying to make it in to a relationship?" House prodded him.
"She wasn't just a hookup at a conference. She's someone I've known for years. We've been friends for awhile and spent the conference together. And I seen her in a different light at the conference. Not to mention, we're both free at the same time. Which pretty much has never happened since I've known her." James was slowly getting around to the fact of who he'd met at the conference. Going slowly at it, but he had no idea how House would react.
"That's hard to believe, that after years of knowing you, she'd want to hook up with you. She must know about your history then. Maybe she is a keeper. I mean, if she knows you're track record and still hooked up with you, maybe you deserve one another." House was being his usual self, but it still stung James a bit.
"Maybe we do." was all Wilson could say.
"Well, that isn't much of a comeback! Defend your woman's honour! Or maybe she has no honour."
"She's got plenty of honour. But I don't know where this relationship is going yet. She lives so far away, and I'm not sure I can get her to come to Princeton. And I can't leave here." James found himself doodling on a notepad, busying himself.
"Well, why wouldn't she want to come to this fine town? I'm sure there would be plenty of job opportunities for someone like her. What does she do, anyway?"
"She's a doctor."
"What a coincidence! And you work at a hospital where you're friends with the higher ups! I'm sure you could get her a job here."
"I wouldn't do that. She wouldn't want me to. Besides, it isn't work that she wouldn't come here for, it's more personal than that."
"She has a problem with Princeton?" House shifted uneasily in his chair. He realized that Wilson wouldn't look at him either, instead concentrating on doodling. Something was up, something that Wilson didn't really want to admit to him.
"No, not Princeton, not really. Some of the people here, yes. She's skittish about returning here. So, we're going to see where the relationship goes." He figured that House would have solved this by now. He was surprised that he hadn't said it was Allison yet.
"So, she's known to people in this town and has a problem with some of them. Enough of one that she's not sure she can come here. Did she use to live here?"
"Yes. She left unexpectedly a couple of years ago."
It struck House who Wilson was talking about. Cameron. Of all the people that Wilson could have hooked up with, he'd hooked up with Cameron?
"Oh my God, Cameron? Why her? I mean, I get the attraction, the both of you are two wells of neediness that you could just fall in, but do you really think it will work between you?" House looked at Wilson in disbelief.
"Yes, I do think it could work between us. But we have some obstacles against us, and we realize that." James put the pen down, looking at House.
"Am I one of the obstacles? And obviously Chase is. I wonder how he's going to feel about you boning his wife." House muttered.
"She's not his wife. Not anymore." Wilson protested.
"Doesn't matter. You're invading territory that belonged to him. He's not going to like it."
"As if he has any say in the matter! He's boned as many women as he could since Allison and him split up. She hasn't been with anyone! He has no right to say anything about who she is with!" Wilson's voice rose.
"You forget she hates my guts. I'm your best friend. Eventually you will have to choose between the two of this, and I always win. You both should cut your losses and find someone else. Treat it as if it were a conference hookup and nothing more. It would be better for both of you."
"I'm not going to treat her that way! She wasn't just a hookup. It was something much more than that. And it's not because we want to fix one another. I've always liked her. But the timing was never right. I was married, she had a crush on you, then she was with Chase. I don't want to just let her go. I like her, House, maybe more than that already."
"You're like an eager puppy, just craving any attention a woman throws your way. What happens when she can't deal with the fact that I'm your best friend? Will she run away again, crushing you like she crushed Chase? What will you do then?"
"You're putting the cart before the horse, House. We haven't even gotten that far yet. Besides, she knows you're my best friend and she still wants to be with me." Wilson was getting upset. He knew this was going to be bad, but it still bothered him.
"If she'd loved Chase, she would have stayed with him, no matter what. What makes you so sure she won't run?"
"If Chase had loved her so much, he would have went with her. His loss is my gain. And I don't know if she'll run. We're just starting out here, House. Give us time. Yes, we may crash and burn. I hope not. I haven't felt this -" Wilson countered.
"way since you were last with Sam. I know, I know. It's been awhile since you had your heart on your sleeve and she was conveniently there and available. I still say it's just a conference hookup. You'll be lucky if you hear from her again." House said smugly, interrupting his friend.
"She's coming here next weekend." Wilson said softly.
"But we have the Monster truck rally!" House quickly protested.
"She knows that. She has no problem with that."
"Well I have a problem with that! If she lasts the weekend, I'll accept that you're with her. We'll see if she can make it through my "welcome back to Princeton"." House stood up, plotting as he did so.
"House, please. Give this a chance. I need to know where this is going to go with her." Wilson might as well have been talking to a wall.
"You've thrown down the challenge, I've accepted." House said, putting his hand on the door handle.
"What challenge? I didn't challenge you to anything!"Wilson protested now.
"We shall see who the better person is. She hates me, she ran because of me. She blames me for ruining her husband. Yet, she hooks up with you, knowing you're my best friend? What's her ulterior motive? Once I've figured out what she wants, maybe I'll let up. Maybe."
"House, don't, please. If our friendship means anything to you, please leave her alone." Wilson pleaded.
House hesitated at the door. Wilson actually had feelings for the woman who used to have a crush on him. In a change of heart, he whirled around.
"Fine, I'll go easy on her. But if she crushes you, I will crush her. You're both idiots. And she's worse than an idiot. I'll leave the fun of Chase finding out to you guys. That should be amusing."
"It's not like he should care. He's been through more women in this hospital than I ever was. Only Taub is worse." Wilson grimaced.
"Well, someone had to take over your title when you went all lovey-dovey with Amber and then Sam. The king had to cede his thrown." House had a glimmer of his humour back.
"I was never as bad as you tried to make everyone think. Really I wasn't."
"I know that. I just love to tease you. If you don't know that by now, you never will." House said sarcastically.
"So, we're good?" Wilson asked hesitantly.
"For now. But remember what I said. She hurts you, she'll regret it."
With that, House went out the door. Wilson sat back down in his chair, still worried. House had given up awfully easily. He only hoped that he could take House at his word, but it still bothered him. He sat down and picked up his phone. He had to let Allison know what had just occurred. He only hoped she wouldn't be scared off at the prospect of being in House's sight once again. He only hoped she had the strength to want to make this work. Because arguing with House had solidified the feeling within him that she was worth fighting for, for making this work. With that, he smiled before dialling her number.