Disclaimer: Not mine.

I wanted to post this one with the last one because it sort of sets the scene for the conflict to come.

This chapter is dedicated to Saucy-Duck who gave me the idea of making things difficult for Chase and Foreman. Hmmm, to obey House or Cameron...that is the question...

Chase was putting change into the coffee machine when his beeper went off causing him to jump. He cursed as the coins rolled over the floor. As far as he was concerned, the sooner they started using the conference room again the better. He was sick of having to drink the bloody coffee from the machine; it was expensive and it tasted horrible.

He angrily jerked his beeper off his belt and looked at it.

"That's odd," the Australian said to himself.

It was a page from Cameron.

'Find Foreman. Meet in conference room. Don't tell H.' it read.

So Allison's back, he thought to himself.

Suddenly he was smiling and he forgot all about his loose change as he went off in search of Foreman.

"It's great to have you back," Foreman's smile was genuine.

"Have you seen House yet?" Chase asked curiously.

"We met earlier on in the lobby," Cameron responded airily.

Foreman and Chase exchanged a glance.

"And?" The Australian finally prompted when it appeared that she wasn't about to elaborate.

"And?" she parroted back at him, a faint smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"What did he say?" Chase asked her with something close to irritation in his voice.

"Oh. The usual. Just House being House," seeing the annoyed look on his face she took pity on him and went on, "He wants me to do clinic duty while you guys work on the case."

"I'm sorry," Foreman said sympathetically.

"That's ok," she replied cheerfully, "I'm not doing it."

The other two doctors looked surprised.

Chase spoke with concern, "Um, Allison, you do know that House is back in charge, don't you?"

She rolled her eyes, "Relax, would you?" Cameron gave them both a wide smile, "House may run the department, but he doesn't run the hospital."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, Foreman, that Cuddy runs House," she was speaking in riddles.

"Right. And she's been doing such a great job over the last week," Eric cut in sarcastically then, as the thought struck him, he added, "Weren't you supposed to be on vacation for two weeks?"

"Right, as always, Foreman," Cameron smiled at him, "And yes, I did hear that Cuddy was having trouble with House."

"Who from?" Chase asked in confusion. She'd only been in the hospital an hour.

"Cuddy," she replied carelessly as she began to make a pot of coffee.

"Cuddy?"

"Why, yes, Chase. I think that's what I just said," she replied, poking gentle fun at his disbelief.

"Cameron, would you just tell us what's going on?"

She could tell Foreman was really irritated by the way he reverted to her last name.

Cameron turned from the counter to look at them both seriously.

"How would you two like to start working from the conference room again?" she asked them, already knowing what the answer would be.

"That'd be great!" Chase replied enthusiastically.

"And how'd you like to have your own cases- like you had before House came back?"

It was a no-brainer. They were already sick of the way their boss had begun mocking their ideas again.

"And how'd you two like to get even with House for the way he's been over-working you for the past week?" There was a smile in her eyes.

"How did you-"

Allison cut Foreman off: "You both look like shit," she explained bluntly, but the laugh in her voice took the sting out of her words.

Ever the cautious one, Chase asked: "What do we have to do?"

She smiled at them widely. "Be brave. All you have to do is be brave."

Neither of them had a clue what that meant, but the both had the feeling that it meant pissing off House.

Ordinarily, they both would have laughed and said no. But in the airy and comforting conference room with the smell of Cameron's delicious coffee wafting towards them, it was easy to remember how pleasant things had been before House came back and started trying to make them miserable again. Brilliant diagnostician he might be, but Cameron had correctly sussed that he didn't know squat about cultivating loyalty among his employees. And if loyalty had to be bought with hot coffee and a few smiles, well….it was all for the good of the hospital, Allison thought to herself.

The two doctors hesitated.

She picked up the pot: "Coffee, anyone?" she asked innocently.

As the Hawaiian Blue hit their taste buds, Cameron knew that she had won.

AN: Wow. Cameron even manages to impress me sometimes- who knew she was so scheming??LOL Please let me know what you thought! (Review lots and I'll put up the conflict chapter tomorrow...)