"Your four weeks just expired. Your reign of terror is over. Mine is just begun. Now go stick a needle up her hoo-hoo and find that cancer." House said to his fellows outside his office after the diagnosing in transit from the elevator. "Cameron, with me." He said disappearing into his office and smoothing his left hand over his still red cheek.

He felt her behind him as he moved into his office and sat behind his desk.

"Did you get my test results already?" Cameron said anxiously.

"No." House said simply unsure how to broach the subject with her.

"Then what do you want?"

"I don't know." He muttered honestly. He couldn't have Stacy now but that didn't mean he actually wanted anyone else... but why had he said her name? Did he want her? Did he need her?

"What?" She said confused.

"Look um... I think Stacy is going to come and talk to you."

"Why would she want to...?"

"She... It's hard to explain just don't take anything she says to heart. She's going to lie to you."

"But..."

"Allison..." he barked, his voice quickly trailing off. His breathing seemed to stop entirely, their gazes locked together. He closed his eyes and shook his head scrubbing his hands over his tired eyes. "Just trust me." House said softly, his eyes warm and tired as they settled on her soft features once more.

She nodded slightly. "Okay."

House nodded too, reassuring himself then turned to his computer appearing busy and suddenly disinterested. He sighed in relief hearing her leave the room shocked at the slight pang that resonated in his chest at the loss of her.

He was confused and tired, abandoning the computer he turned to his TV.

Monster trucks rolled and smashed over the screen and over rows upon rows of cars, crushing and brutalizing them into bits of confetti and utter submission.

Brilliant, he thought sarcastically. Even the TV was conspiring against him.

But even at the sounds of Gravedigger leaping great lengths and defying gravity he closed his eyes and lost himself amid day dreams and fantasies and found himself back in the front of the stands, moving through the mud stained trucks after the show and eating cotton candy... all with her by his side.

It was by far the best date he'd had in years and a delicious vivid memory to return to.

He suddenly got the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He opened one eye and found that his patients' kid was staring at him.

"What are you doing here?" House asked gruffly.

"Ted's with my mom. He asked the nurse to watch me." She answered.

"What nurse?"

"She's not really watching me."

"I got that." he said in a sarcastic tone and rolling his eyes.

"Do you still have the balloons?"

"No." He said holding back a grin that threatened to erupt in remembrance of the "puppy" he'd tried to make for her earlier.

"Do you want to play something?"

"Nope."

A Ritalin deprived kid; that was exactly what he needed to deal with right now, he thought almost bitterly as he stood shutting off the TV and grabbing the kids hand so she didn't run away again. He had a fool proof plan to get her out of his hair just as long as she didn't get lost on the way to the elevator.

"When can Mommy come home?" The kid asked.

"Don't know." He answered.

"What's wrong with your foot?"

"War wound." he said not feeling the slightest bit guilty... his relationship with Stacy certainly felt like a war.

"Does it hurt?"

"Every day."

"Is that why you're so sad?"

This kid was just sunshine and puppies without her cocaine.

"Oh, aren't you adorable." he said pushing the call button for the elevator.

He wasn't sad... not at all. Just utterly fucking confused.

"I'm not sad. I'm complicated. Chicks dig that One day, you'll understand."

"That's what my parents say when they don't want me to know something." She said in that cute way that only an 8 year old can master.

House stayed silent and tapped his foot impatiently, his minds trying desperately to return to that non-date so long ago.

The elevator seemed to take forever.

Bing!

"What floor was that nurse on who was watching you?" he asked silently thanking the elevator gods.

"Two."

"Good talk."

He had done far too much talking of late... which only meant that there was no doubt more to come.

Much to his dismay.