Disclaimer: not mine.

I hope you liked the last chapter (even though it was really short). Please let me know what you think of this one!

Allison Cameron checked her watch as she strode through the entrance of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital wearing her lab-coat.

8.58.

She was right on time.

Now all she had to do was get in that elevator, go to the third floor and walk into her boss' office as cool as a cucumber. Piece of cake. Yeah right, she thought sarcastically. She could feel herself clenching already.

She almost made it to the elevator when she heard a small voice call out behind her.

"Dr. House!"

Cameron turned, expecting so see House somewhere in the lobby. Instead, she saw one of the clinic patients she had treated before she left racing towards her. An adorable little four-year-old, she had presented with a nasty rash that covered her whole body, obscuring her hopeful face and making her miserable because of the unbearable itchiness. Cameron had discovered that the cause was a food allergy, and recommended that she avoid wheat.

There was no sign of the rash now. The hopeful face was beaming. The young girl grasped a box of chocolates in her hand and was followed by her somewhat embarrassed-looking mother.

"Dr. House! Dr. House!" Her voice was much louder. People turned to look at them.

As she girl reached her, Cameron instinctively reached out to pick her up and twirl her around.

"Jessica, how are you?" The young doctor asked the girl in her arms.

"I didn't think you'd remember us," he mother said quietly as she reached the pair.

"Of course I remember you, Mrs. Pitt," the doctor, shifting the girl to her left hip as she proffered a hand, "How are you? I can see that your daughter is feeling much better."

"Thanks to you," her mother smiled her pleasure that Cameron had remembered them was evident.

Jessica squirmed a little, so Cameron set her down.

"These are for you, Dr. House," the little girl held out the chocolates and a now-crumpled card that she had made herself.

Cameron took them smilingly, "Thank you. I really didn't do anything but thank you."

Mrs. Pitt shook her head: "The other doctor just assumed that it was an allergy to our washing powder. He didn't even bother to run any tests."

"Well, I'm glad she's feeling better."

"Anyway, we just wanted to thank you."

"It was nothing," Cameron repeated, "But thank you for the beautiful card and the chocolates."

The mother and the little girl took their leave- but not before Jessica bestowed another quick hug on Cameron.

Allison watched them leave thoughtfully. Then she turned her attention to the card. Sure enough, it read: 'To Dr. House, I'm not red and scratchy anymore! Thank you. Love, Jess. XXX'

Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to pass herself off as 'Dr. House' while doing his clinic hours. It was what they had always done. But, still…

She felt a jolt as she turned to find her boss leaning against the wall between the elevators and watching her with a clinical gaze in his clear blue eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of expression in his face. The second thing she noticed was that he didn't have his cane.

Was he still the same House?

They stared at each other a moment, each trying to read the other's thoughts. Then he spoke and put her doubts to rest:

"So, not content with stealing my job, you decided to steal my name as well," he pushed himself off the wall and stepped towards her, "Just so you know, taking my last name doesn't make us legally married- sorry to disappoint you," there was a sarcastic inflection in his tone that spoke of anger.

She had her answer.

"Hello, House," it was remarkable inadequate, but somehow she knew that he wouldn't appreciate her first instinct- which was to run to him, put her arms around him and never let him go.

"Did you have fun playing 'House' while I was away?" It was a very bad pun, but he seemed quite pleased with it, "It seems you couldn't resist the urge to play little Suzy homemaker instead."

She knew it was only a joke- one at her expense, but a joke nevertheless. Still, she felt her pulse quicken with anger. Did he seriously think she'd had fun while he was away?

"I probably had a much fun as you did going through rehab for your leg," she shot back, without meaning to snap. She took a calming breath and then asked: "Do we have a case?"

"We have a case," her boss stressed, "You have clinic duty."

"For how long?"

"For as long as I say you do," he responded almost aggressively, before turning away and taking the stairs two at a time.

She watched his progress in admiration for a second, allowing herself to breathe a sigh of relief. That wasn't that bad- no worse than having teeth pulled without anaesthetic, she thought with grim humour. Although, for their first meeting in months, it was bit of a let down. Was that good or bad? she wondered thoughtfully.

But, seriously, indefinite clinic duty?

"We'll see about that," Allison said quietly with determination in her voice.

AN: Ok, some of you might be a little disappointed, but there is no way that they would have a screaming match in the lobby- NO WAY! So...I thought I'd start off a little gently, before easing into the real conflict. Anyway, how was that? I hoped that you enjoyed it. Please let me know!