Disclaimer: I do not own house. This chapter is centered on Season 1's Kids. There's a bit of Hameron but I promise as the story progresses, Huddy will heat up. Hence the Mature rating. I'd appreciate some kind of review though, to let me know how I'm doing in case I need to work on something specific. Thanks!

Sighing to himself, House stepped up to the door of his former employee, mentally guarding himself for what, to him, was going to be one of the most pointless conversations he had ever shared with her. Personally, he hadn't wanted to go through the hassle of showing up to have a face-to-face conversation he was sure she'd be too proud of to give in. His mind briefly flashed to the previous night of celebration between his staff, boss and co-worker in his office. They had spent an hour basking in the joy of a stress-free environment before Wilson took it upon himself to bring up his missing fellow.

"So I take it you're going to ask Cameron back?" He'd asked, tossing over the nerf ball they had randomly been throwing back and forth.

House stretched out his legs before him, leaning some of his weight against Cuddy who still sat behind him on his Eames chair. "I think we can make it with just the three of us, actually. With my good looks, Foreman's mad skills and Chase's pretty hair, we are invincible."

Cuddy leaned forward, her breasts just barely making contact with his back, "There is no way I am going to risk patients' lives because you're too proud to ask Cameron back. You'll do it tomorrow morning or I'll make you pay me in clinic hours." She threatened, the tone of her voice was enough to raise the thin hairs on the base of his neck.

"Dr. Cuddy, I'd much rather pay you in blood."

Shaking his head free of thoughts, he gathered the nerve to raise his cane and bang it twice against the door. He listened closely at the sudden stop of what sounded like a treadmill, accompanied by footsteps that stocked towards where he was standing. The door in front of him was yanked open, revealing a very sweaty and irritated Cameron. House took a second to take in her appearance, not one to ignore a pretty body in a tight top.

"I saw the light on." He spoke, hardly taking the time to look at her face.

She raised an eyebrow, allowing herself the satisfaction of knowing her body intrigued him. "It's daytime."

He mentally sighed, aggravated by her lack of response. "Vogler's dead." He said bluntly, but continued before she had a chance to question him, "Literal translation: Vogler, Mr. Moneybags, is gone from the hospital so things can go back to the way they were." Resisting the urge to rush her, he took a break.

Cameron put her hands on her hips and leaned against the doorway, "What are you saying?" She had kept the hope that he'd come asking her back close to her heart, but this was almost too good to be true. She didn't want to make this easy for him, she knew he'd need her.

He wasn't going to say it. He refused to say the words she was practically begging him to say to her, because even though she was a valued employee, his pride was five stories above begging. Thankfully, his trusty pager went off just in time to save him from having to provide her with a somewhat satisfiy-able answer. House took a second to look at his cards. He knew that ignoring the pager would sate some of her anger towards him, but he also knew the fight wouldn't be over just yet.

"You should go, it's probably important." She tried to take him on a guilt trip and took a step back.

House knew he was fighting fire with fire, but he couldn't resist his ego just fighting its way through his lips, "What I'm doing now is important." What the hell, if he had to use charm, he could charm it up-get what he wants with a confidence boost. Nothing wrong with a little lovin', he thought to himself.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she brought a teasing smile onto her lips, "Why do you want me back?" The page long forgotten, she tried to drag any kind of inkling of what she dubbed his love for her out of his reluctant lips.

He almost felt guilty, picking up on her hopeful tone of voice. He glanced around him as he brought his left hand up to scratch his forehead, "Because you're a good doctor."

"That's it?"

His eyes shot up to hers, slightly surprised that she would admit, "That's not enough?"

She shook her head, placing her hand on the inside of the door, "Not for me. Not anymore." She stated firmly, before she closed and locked the door in place.

Trying not to feel too ruffled, he took the time to read his page. 'Pete Townshend-patient' He looked up at the door, almost positive that the woman crushing on him wouldn't leave the door until he completely left her sight. He winked before turning around and hurriedly making his way out of her apartment complex and into his car. 'No way I'm missing the chance of having The Who's guitarist as MY patient.'

The moment House stepped into the crowded clinic, he knew it had been a sham. There was no Pete, just hundreds of people swarming like ants who were soaked by the sprinklers. An overhead speaker caught his attention as it calmly instructed patients to remain calm and collected, which obviously wasn't working. He made a move to leave when he saw a familiar flash of red come his way.

He had just made it outside of the clinic doors when Cuddy caught him by the arm, "Dr. House," she sung, "We need you here." Just by the look on her face he knew she was proud of her way to get him here with little delay.

House smirked and moved to give her hold on him some resistance. "Sorry, lot of sick people. I might catch something." He feigned genuine concern very well, she gave him that, but he was going to suffer with her, she'd make sure of it.

"You're a big boy now, I'm sure your immune system grew up nice and strong to fight any disease." She teased him, taking another step toward him, but holding him in place. "A judge at the campus pool center collapsed, LP revealed a virulent form of bacterial meningitis." Feeling his need to interrupt her, she abruptly continued, "2500 people were exposed. We are understaffed, stressed for time and safety and you will examine patients. Joe!" She turned to the security guard that stood by the exit of the hospital, "Dr. House doesn't have a blue slip. No one leaves the quarantined area without a blue slip." She raised her eyes to House's, tugging him towards the clinic and handing him a cup of pills, "You are a doctor in my hospital: act like one. Take these and I'll be checking up on you."

House grinned at her childishly as she turned and walked away from him. After he dry-swallowed the pills, he called out after her, "Doesn't that make me your doctor, Cuddy?"

It was well past noon, her heels were killing her and she was starving. The patients kept coming, and due to the hospitals recent loss of funds, she had been forced to cut the jobs of the very useful nurses that could very well play a big part in calming down this disaster. Cuddy thought back to when she had run into Wilson, who had filled her in on House's and Cameron's earlier conversation. She couldn't deny the fact that Cameron's forwardness had taken her aback. She supposed now that she was no longer employed by the intimidating 'HA! Yea, right.' Dr. that she didn't have very many boundaries.

Thankfully, before too much thought on the subject, she was stopped in her tracks by House and the remainder of his team.

"Dr. Cuddy, I am requesting to be excused from the torture you have condemned us to. We have a 12-year-old patient. Fever, rash, neck pains when her head is turned side-to-side." House cheekily smiled at her, knowing her concern for patients would work in his favor today.

A small frown presented itself on her face as she looked between the three of them, "It's not meningitis. It's going to be hard to get in a LP."

Foreman stepped forward, "We're going to have to somehow. I think we can smuggle a bed for it."

"I'll get on her blood work." Chase spoke up, ready to move, but was stopped by Cuddy.

"No, you won't." She glanced back at House, "You, sir, will research all the causes in the universe of neck pain." She didn't even attempt to mask the fact that her assignment was punishment. No one had to ask for what, it was pretty obvious to half of the hospital that the only reason Chase was around long enough for Cameron to make the decision to resign was because of Vogler's protection.

The blond stared at her in shock, "The list is, like, two miles long!"

House gave him a small nudge, "Start with the letter A. And put her on rifampin."

"Rifampin is for meningitis." Foreman argued, "You just said-"

"In case I'm wrong. It has happened." He locked eyes with Cuddy who nodded her approval before leaving the remaining two staring after her stiff form.

'This is definitely going to be a loooooooooong day.' She thought to herself, struggling to squeeze through the crowded hallways.

Foreman and Chase both let their heads fall heavily onto the glass table, hopelessly exhausted. Chase didn't bother lifting his face as he started complaining, "This is ridiculous. I can't believe CUDDY put me on book watch while you get to run all of the tests and on top of that, we're short one doctor so WE get worked like dogs."

"Well, if you wouldn't have run scared to the big man for protection, Cameron wouldn't have quit." Foreman rubbed at his eyes and continued scanning through the pictures from the endoscopy. "I can't find a thing in this stupid procedure that could give us any clues."

Chase scoffed, "And what, you would've let House fire you if you were in my position?" He stood up and began pacing in the room, "Hell no. I'm sorry for what happened to Cameron but-"

"But nothing, Dr. Chase. You can't changed the past, as if you would if you could. I mistook the amount of faith in my employees. I thought with the prospect of all of that money coming in to a good cause was only going to bring staff together, not have rats running after each other." Cuddy quickly stopped his rant as she and House entered the outer office. She took a seat wordlessly in front of the TV and reviewed the footage, House right beside her. Almost immediately she pointed to a swollen blood vessel that both fellows had been too distracted to spot.

"It doesn't account for her other symptoms, but it does tell us something." House rubbed his chin thoughtfully, turning to his board of symptoms.

Their silence was disturbed by the high pitched beeping from Cuddy's hip. House read the page over her shoulder and sighed with her. She stood and turned to address them, "Two more busses arrived. The girl is going to have to wait, at least until I can have you guys help me clear out the lobby." She left no room to argue as she hurried out of the room, charging to nurse the building she'd condemned to change.

Wilson and House were walking through the halls, debating what to do, or not do about Chase. Wilson, ever the good heart, strongly believed he should just end his suffering.

"It's not just me! Cuddy whipped the chain on him, too. She gave him an assignment that take even you a week to finish, just because she hates snitches!" House laughed with him, thinking back to the look on Chase's face when she had talked down to him. "Sweet, sweet revenge."

Wilson shook his head, "No, she the gossip and to be the authority, it's not just snitches. She jumps down the throats of the people who snitch on you worse than anything. I've never seen anything like it-it's like a mother bear protecting her pack." He teased House.

House chuckled, feeling at ease for the first time all day, "Nah, just when she gets slapped on the wrist for letting me run free." He laughed and nudged Wilson, "And I most definitely have a pack for her."

A feminine laugh from behind them made both men stop dead in their tracks, not turning back. The woman they had just been discussing forced her body in between the best friends, turning to face them with an eyebrow cocked, "A package? For me? Oh, House, you shouldn't have." She looked amused, but merely crossed her arms when she noticed they were completely focused on the cleavage her tank top provided. "They're just breasts, boys, you can look at my face."

Wilson's eyes shot up to her face immediately, House's vision not following command. "Sorry, you just don't usually see breasts like that on Deans of Medicine."

She bent down to catch his eye, knowing she was momentarily giving him a better view down her top before his eyes trailed up to hers. "Get to your patient or get back to the lobby. I don't care which, but take your partner in crime with you. I'm sure he can…lend a hand." Cuddy squeezed past them, momentarily brushing her body against theirs in the crowded hallway.

Both men took a minute to admire her stride before looking at each other dumbly. House started walking towards the direction in his office the second Wilson opened his mouth. "She was flirting with you!"

House rolled his eyes, not wanting to make anything of the comfort level that he and Cuddy had established. "Dude, you are such a girl."

It was rounding 10 o'clock that night and House decided to finish his day off with one last pit stop by his very stubborn ex-employee. This time, however, he didn't spend much time outside, eager to cut to the chase and drown himself in his awaiting bottle of bourbon.

"I can't come back, I told you that." She answered him before he even got to get anything out. Her arms were crossed over her chest, resurrecting the image of Cuddy doing the exact same thing earlier that day.

"Wasn't listening." Was all he said.

She wasn't impressed, "Right."

House wasn't backing down this time. If he didn't get her to come back, Cuddy would force him through more torturous interviews than the ones he had endured earlier that day. And after he'd plead with her to stop, she'd just hire someone for him. No, this was his best option, "You want me to listen to you more? I can do that." She wasn't folding either, responding that it still wasn't good enough. "Want more money? A car allowance, better parking space?" He threw bribes out there, not really knowing what else to do.

Cameron smirked to herself, realizing she would get what she wanted, "Dinner. And not just a meal between two colleagues. I want a date."

He did a double-take, assessing her stance, expression and proposition. "You'll come back to work...if I go out on a date with you?"

"Yes."

'Well, not exactly what I was prepared for..' the thought to himself, 'what do you have to lose? Go eat, she'll most likely put out, but…What the hell, it's only a date. Stop reading into it.' He scolded himself mentally. He was a single guy who was practically invited into the arms of a pretty blonde who seemed to do just about anything for him. "Okay, it's a deal."

She smiled and placed her hand on top of his before leaning up for a kiss on the cheek, "See you tomorrow morning."