Disclaimer: Not mine.
Thank you to everyone who let me know what they thought of the last chapters. I'm posting two now and hopefully will have more tomorrow- I'm trying to get this fic finished by Tuesday...who thinks I can do it?? LOL
Anyway, my thanks to:
Saz89: I LOVE getting your reviews!
Jacey925: I LOVe hearing from new-readers!
SilvaK: Thanks for your review- it was very sweet. Hopefully, by the time you get back I'll have the whole fic finished!
violetbeetles: Since I want to get this finished quickly, House should be coming to his senses real soon!
Saucy-Duck: I LOVE your input as always!
Limaccia: Don't worry, things should get back to 'normal' real soon.
lexie-the-pixie: I'm really glad that you're enjoying it- thanks for letting me know!
kamariej: Ok. I'd better clear a couple of things up, cos it's true that I wasn't very...um...clear. So...
1) Yes. The whole date thing did happen. However, I choose to believe that, at that point, Cameron wasn't in love with House.
2) Cameron tells House in the first episode of Season 2 that she is "over him". We can therefore assume that she thinks that her little crush is 'no more'...we, of course, know different...
3) You're damn right about Cuddy!
Saucy-Duck: I find it a little creepy that you're able to read my mind through the internet! Yes, House is about to run to Cuddy- how did you know?
saz89: I suppose getting high of fics is better than getting high offf something else. Maybe House should read some fics for his leg pain??
Cuddy was as useless as Wilson.
He barged into her office without knocking- as usual.
Sometimes she wondered why she even had a door. Surely it would suit House better if she would just work out in the corridor where he would be able to yell at her whenever he felt like it.
"Dr. Cuddy, I need to find some new fellows," he announced.
"What's wrong with the ones you have now?" she asked him, seemingly unfazed.
"After the big mutiny, they all got hanged- to prove my superiority as captain, of course. Shortly afterwards, I realised that I had no one to prove my superiority to. So, now I need new fellows," he said it as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"I'm assuming that the hanging was metaphorical."
"You know what they say," his tone became conspiratorial, "When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me," he paused for a moment, "Just something to think about."
She rolled her eyes: "Thanks, House. I will."
She went back to working on the file in front of her.
"So, the interview process can begin?" he asked her, "I was thinking that this time I'd do a cross between Takeshi's Castle and Pop Idol- but with scalpels."
"Right House," his boss' tone was dismissive, "You go right ahead and sell that idea to some idiot producer. In the mean time, you can continue to work with the fellows that you have now."
House stared at her.
"You're not getting new ones," the Dean of Medicine told him firmly.
He looked like she was about to start an argument, but Cuddy was on her feet.
"I have a board meeting," she told him, "You and you laser pointer would be welcome…but I've a feeling that you'd be better off trying to get reacquainted with your newly decorated office- because that's not going to be changed either."
She strode out but not before sending him a 'don't fuck with me' glance.
House was shocked.
Had everyone in the entire hospital decided to take Cameron's side?
The result was unanimous.
All twelve board members had voted to split the running of the Diagnostics Department.
Dr. House was to retain his title, his office, his hiring/firing powers and his choice of patients. Dr. Allison Cameron, although she didn't know it yet, was to be put in charge of the administrative side of things; paperwork, fundraising and out-patient care were now her responsibility.
The board had recognised Cameron's abilities and wasn't about to let them go to waste.
Dr. Cuddy suppressed a pang of guilt as she raised her hand for the final vote. Yes, they were effectively putting Cameron in the firing line, but they were also showing her that they had great confidence in her. In any case, she had practically volunteered to keep House from destroying all the changes that had made the department so efficient over the past few months.
So, Cuddy refused to listen to the very small voice that was telling her that she should have discussed this with Dr. Cameron first and, instead, she gave a satisfied smile as the counting of the votes told of victory.
Breaking the news to House would be her responsibility but, after that, he would be Cameron's. For a brief moment, the Dean of Medicine tried to imagine what it would be like not having to chase House for his paperwork or check up on him to see if he was running the department correctly- she couldn't do it. It had been her job ever since House had started work at Princeton Plainsboro and she had to admit that she had become used to it- although it was a pain in the ass. She was used to it.
Still, change was good- and the board's decision was certainly going to be changing a lot of things.
AN: Ok, short I know, but cut me some slack! Besides, I'm poting another chapter right now. Anybody get the Silence of the Lambs reference?? I don't know if it's in the movie, but it is in the book...