Disclaimer: not mine!

So, here's the deal: I'm going to be mainly working on this fic from now on. I'm hoping to get it written as soon as possible and (of course) to post it as regularly as I can. However, reviews make me write faster so... ;)

My thanks to all of you lovely people who reviewed. I LOVE you!

Especially:

beachbabe23: I'll try to do longer chapters...I'll try...

danishdynamite: I'm so glad that you've been following the fic. I adore getting your reviews!

Saucy-Duck: I didn't even think about the whole Foreman and Chase thing! You really are a mine of ideas!

saz89: I promise that conflict is on the way!

SilvaK: There'll be loads of conflict in Ch21!

Lady Knight 19: I hope you like this chapter, but I promise to get the conflict up as soon as possible!

beachbabe23: Even House doesn't know why he's so mad! I hope to get it explained in a few more chapters!

This chapter is dedicated to one of my favourite reviewers, Dr Cameron. Thanks for all the support!

Enjoy!

Lisa Cuddy was chatting to Dr. Wilson in her office when her assistant walked in and announced Dr. Allison Cameron.

"Send her in please," Cuddy told the young man while exchanging a quick glance with Wilson.

Cameron walked into the room. She looked totally calm and rested after her vacation and was showing none of the anxiety that her meeting with House had brought on.

"Dr. Cameron," Cuddy gave her a friendly smile and motioned to her to sit down, "It's great to have you back."

Allison decided to cut to the chase: "Thanks. Sadly, I don't think everyone feels the same way," she answered as she settled herself on the couch.

Wilson gave an almost inaudible sigh: "You saw House already."

She nodded.

"And?" Cuddy prompted as she sat too.

"And I have clinic duty until House decides otherwise," she gave Cuddy a hard look, "You know, a heads-up would have been nice."

"We thought that if you knew how he's been acting lately you wouldn't want to come back early," The older doctor explained feeling a little ashamed.

Cameron nodded sagely; she had expected as much.

"Well, why don't you tell me how he's been acting? His leg's not giving him any trouble is it?" she couldn't keep the concern out of her voice.

"No, no. His leg's been fine," Wilson hastened to reassure her, "But he has been a bit…um…difficult."

Cuddy sighed and tried to put into words what Wilson wouldn't say: "He's refusing to work in his office until it's back to normal," she told the immunologist bluntly.

"Which is?"

"Which is, all his old furniture back the way it was," Cuddy clarified, "and his blood-stained carpet."

"Right," Cameron said in an even tone, "What else?"

"He's been doing his differentials all over the hospital to try and disrupt things as much as possible, he's only treated two patients, he won't do his clinic hours and there have already been two complaints filed against him by relatives ," Cuddy told her.

"And?" Cameron knew that there was something that they weren't telling her.

"He's been going through every single one of your patient files," James Wilson said apologetically, "He's…eh…hoping to find some mistakes."

Allison nodded calmly.

"You don't seem too surprised," the oncologist commented.

The young doctor cracked a smile, "I expected as much from House," she told them, "Besides, he can look all he wants. He's not going to find anything."

Wilson and Cuddy looked at each other. She seemed to be taking the news that House was trying to undermine everything she had achieved in the short time that she had been department head very well.

Cameron leaned forward in her seat: "Ok. Just so we're absolutely clear, what exactly are my parameters?"

"Parameters?" Cuddy echoed. She hadn't a clue what the immunologist was talking about.

"Parameters," Allison said firmly, "I mean, I am right in assuming that you asked me to come back early to stop House from wrecking everything- amn't I?"

The Dean of Medicine hadn't been about to put it quite so bluntly, but that was exactly why she had asked Cameron back- to restore the balance that had been upset by House's whirlwind behaviour.

"Pretty much," Wilson answered her, impressed that the young doctor had caught on so quickly.

"Ok. Well, what are my parameters?" she asked again, "How far can I go? Do I still have to follow all of House's orders? Can I use my own discretion? And if he decides to fire me, am I actually going to be fired?" It was as close as she was going to get to asking for diplomatic immunity.

Cuddy gave a faint smile. Allison Cameron was no fool. She knew what she as up against. Cuddy was only surprised that no one had recognised the young doctor's ability to play the game expertly. Such professionalism was, in her opinion, just as valuable as House's brilliance.

The Dean of Medicine leaned slightly forward in her seat and said frankly, "To be honest, neither of us," she glanced at Wilson, "have been able to deal with House. If you could try to restore some order in the department," 'and the hospital' she added mentally, "I think the board would be so grateful that we'd be willing to give you a sizeable raise."

Or a terrific reference for another hospital, Cameron thought to herself but she didn't say it. Now wasn't the time to think about leaving. It was something that she had been toying with on her week's vacation but she had to see what working with House was like first.

She got to her feet, favouring the other two doctors with a faint smile: "I'll see what I can do," she said gravely.

When she'd exited the room, Cuddy leaned back in her chair, sighing with relief: "That's all I wanted to hear."

But Wilson't eyes followed Cameron. He didn't share Cuddy's optimism. He wasn't sure if Cameron would be able to have any effect on House's behaviour. And even if she did, it would hardly be instantaneous. Something told him that there would be a lot more skirmishes to come.

AN: Please review! It only takes a minute, and it make me so happy! I think I'm going to post the next chapter too...