the plane ride was uneventful again. the only change was jack sat beside house and cuddy instead of chase and foreman.

when they got back to the airport cuddy informed them they had the day off but to be at work tomorrow. especially the heads of departments she said, pointing to wilson, house and beckett.

wilson and house never got a chance to talk about the last night, so after dropping beckett off at her apartment, wilson and house had a discussion.

"so?" wilson asked.

"what?" house answered innocently.

"house. how was last night?"

"good."

"what happened?"

"we talked for a while. small talk at first, then i asked her about rob. she doesnt like him. i got her to call him and dump him, i found out he actually does abuse her, and we talked for the rest of the night, until we both fell asleep."

"wait, he actually does abuse her? and, was there kissing involved?"

house looked at wilson. a sly smile spread across greg's face and he said "yup."

wilson laughed. 'finally.' he thought. "is she any good?" he asked casually.

house smirked at wilson and said, "she was amazing."

"it took you a while. like i said, soulmates."

house grinned. this was promising to be an interesting relationship.

the day after at the hospital

greg house walked into work in a blue button up shirt and jeans. as he walked through the lobby he kept an eye out for dr. beckett, but couldnt find her. assuming

she must either be late or in her office, he walked into his own office, put his backpack down and then walked though a glass door into his team's confrence room.

cameron, foreman and chase were already there, but they were bored, as house did not have a case today.

"i take it there are no interesting dying people we can have the joy of treating today."

cameron said without any ado "did you sleep with beckett?"

foreman and chase looked up in interest.

"i dont think that has to do with interesting dying people i can cure now does it?"

cameron rolled her eyes and said "answer the question."

"no."

"why not?"

"because i am your boss, and the only thing you ever have to know about me is that without me, you dont get paid. now go, do something productive, like my clinic hours or something..."

chase immediately did as he was told. he got up and left the room, walking in the direction of the clinic. foreman followed him, but cameron stayed behind.

"i want to know, house."

"i dont care if you want to know."

"please."

"fine. i slept with her."

"you're kidding."

"yeah."

cameron was about to speak again when they were interupted by dr wilson walking in.

"the patient that beckett insta-diagnosed is a confirmed lung cancer patient." wilson said.

house nodded, and just like that , left the room, leaving cameron standing there, a bit disappointed. she really wanted to know if she had really lost house.

beckett walked into the hospital, 2 hours late. she casually strode into her office, and flicked on the lights.

other than having a team to run a differential diagnosis by, like house did, she worked alone, 90 percent of the time. the other 10 percent she conferred with greg and the ducklings.

like house's ball-bouncing and writing on whiteboards, she had her own style too.

one wall of her office was painted in a special chalkboard paint, and she had many chalk holders and 8 different chalk colours. around that wall was pure open

space, so she could write symptoms over, doodle, or pace while trying to figure out a diagnosis. unlike the ducklings, very often she did not have to confer with

anyone to figure out a diagnosis, but talking with wilson or house sometimes helped.

she strode to the computer, logged on and sat there. she peered at her chalkboard-wall and its blankness. she needed a case... badly. she needed a puzzle.

just then, cuddy walked in with a file.

"that better be interesting." beckett said sharply.

cuddy dropped the file on her desk and left the room

beckett opened it and peered at the documents inside.

"bitchinnnnnn..." she murmured.

"thats my line." someone said as they walked into the room.

"sup, house."

"not much. sept that cameron is obsessed with me,"

"thats new?"

house looked at the chalkboard. "looks like you need a case."

"nope. i think ive got one." jack waved the folder.

house moved his hand to grab the case but beckett moved it away.

"don't bother. you already know the patient."

"oh yeah?" house looked uninterested.

"warner, stacy. heard of her? dark, short hair, brown eyes, lawyer?" beckett said sarcasticly.

"ya right. give me that file." house took it away from beckett.

beckett looked at house with an amused look on her face as he read the file. this was in fact, stacy warner, ex-girlfriend, and lawyer.

house looked up from the file at beckett.

"did cuddy give this case to you?"

"who else? she must have thought you wouldnt be objective working with stacy again. from what i hear, on the previous times you've done that, it didnt turn out so well."

house's brilliant blue eyes flickered from beckett to the chalkboard to beckett and then to the door.

he left.

jack was startled. house never acted like this. he didnt make one joke. not one sarcastic or narcassistic comment. just, "did cuddy give this to you?" and he was gone.

jack got up, and left her office as well.

she went straight to cuddy's office, but hesitated when she reached for the door. she clearly heard house's voice at the other side.

"you had no right to do that behind my back. i deserve to have that case!"

"house, this is why i gave it to beckett. she's as good of a doctor as you, she can solve the case easily. you wouldnt be anywhere near objective house. with beckett on the case, chances are, you have less stress, beckett will cure stacy and the world will go round." cuddy shot back.

"theres no chance i can have the case?"

"none."

"then i want to work on the case with beckett."

"what?"

"i want a part of this."

"fine. but jack is the attending. everything you do goes through her first."

"fine."

jack heard house's footsteps leading towards the door and she hussled back to her office.

jack had gathered house and the ducklings to talk about stacy's case.

"okay." jack started. "patient is suffering from a long-term cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, appetite loss, and paling. ideas?"

chase said, "HIV?"

"could be." foreman interjected.

"no, tuberculosis. it's way more likely." cameron shot in.

"its not HIV. fungal infection could also be." house said, spinning his cane.

"right. so it could be tubeculosis, HIV, or fungal infection. which first?" jack ran past them.

"we should test for tuberculosis and fungal infection first. i hightly doubt its HIV. unless we call mark and test him first." house said sarcasticly.

"good idea. who calls him?" jack shot back at house.

house smirked a bit, but hid it quickly.

"cameron, give her AKT for the tuberculosis. house, foreman, your off to stacy's house. look for any fungal infections she could have picked up. chase, start my clinic hours." jack ordered.

everybody but house got up. "your sending me to stacy's?" he asked curiously.

"that what i just said, ya." jack glanced at house from writing on her chalkboard the symptoms and possible diagnosees.

"nice. give me the boring job. what if she strokes? i want to see that!" house said sarcasticly.

"i'll tape it. get going, before i fire you house."

house smirked again, but didnt try to hide it this time. he and foreman left the room, followed by cameron and chase.

jack finished her writing, dropped her chalk and strode over to her desk. just then cuddy stepped in.

"why do you always come at the worst moments?" jack asked.

"i'm pulling house off the case."

beckett's eyes flittered up to cuddy. "you told him he could work on the case, cuddy."

"yes, and now im pulling him off."

"why?"

"you know better than me he wont be objective."

"yes, but i assume you considered that when he first asked for the case."

"i did. i was busy at that moment. i needed house off my case. working with you seemed like a good temporary position. but then i realized how bad of a mistake that was. two egotistical, sarcastic, narcasistic doctors working at the same time on the same case at the same hospital? there's no way. im pulling house off the case."

and with that, she left the room.

dr. beckett quickly left the room to follow her. "thats unethical." she said as she reached cuddy.

cuddy just glanced at her.

"if you said you were teaming me and house, you're teaming me and house."

cuddy looked up and said, "i am not doing anything dr. beckett, now if you still want your job, you will respect my wishes!"

jack stepped right in front of cuddy, so she was forced to stop. she looked her right in the eyes and said, "ill watch him."

"how can i possibly trust you not to do the most ridiculous medical move on mrs. warner during your differential diagnosis?"

"ill watch out for him cuddy. if i dont, pull me off the case, too."

cuddy considered her and then said, "one wrong move and your off the case. and house."

jack smiled and said, "i assume by the last two words you said, house will also be pulled off the case?"

cuddy started to say, "what else would i have meant---" but she stopped abrupty, glared at beckett and went back to her office.

dr. beckett smirked. just then her pager went off. "STACY HAD A HEART ATTACK AFTER WE PUT HER ON THE MEDS" flashed on the screen of her pager. it was from cameron.

beckett looked at it, and then clipped it back to her jeans. she then dialed house's cell number by heart and when house picked up with "what?" beckett said "get back here. it's not a fungal infection."