Disclaimer: I own nothing; otherwise Hameron would be a reality.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Mum. Her review of chapter 2 made me do some thinking and add the last part of this chapter. As I told her in my reply, she's the main one to encourage me to start writing for House. So Mum… this one's for you.

PLEASE

Chapter 3: She Knew

As she turned back to the printer, she didn't see him pull out his cell to send a page.

Cameron looked up with tears once again flowing freely as Chase came into the lab.

"Allison, what's wrong?" He asked as he hurried to her side.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she wiped the tears from her face. Although, she didn't really need him to answer. House.

"I got a page to come to the lab ASAP."

For an answer, she simply handed him the test results. She saw the excitement she expected when he realized what he was looking at and the crestfallen expression when he saw the negative result.

She'd had some time to think before he'd shown up and realize what the please had meant. Please don't let me be pregnant. Please don't let this tie to him.

"It's okay sweetheart. There's no need to be upset. It wasn't planned, but if this is what you want we can try to get pregnant." He assured her excitedly, misinterpreting her tears. Once he looked into her eyes he understood though.

"Oh." He said with resignation. "I get it. You're glad you're not pregnant."

"Yeah." She murmured. "Chase…"

"No, there's no need to say anything." She could tell it was if he'd removed blinders and could see clearly. She could tell because that's how this predicament she'd found herself in had done the same for her.

"You don't want children? At all?" He asked, but then saw the answer. "You just don't want my children. This has made you rethink things, including us."

"Chase… I…" She tried, and then faltered.

"Why didn't you just say something? Why not just end things before now? Why string me along?" His voice became angry.

"I wasn't stringing you along." She asserted. "Not intentionally anyway. Things were good. I was happy. Mostly."

"Mostly happy? Well that's a ringing endorsement for our relationship." He said with a snort of derision.

"I didn't even realize it myself." She begged him to understand. "Not until I thought I was pregnant. Then it all just hit me."

"Were you going to tell me after you took this?" He waved the results at her.

"Yes." She admitted. "Tonight."

"Well, I think we've said enough. Whatever things I have at your apartment you can just bring to work tomorrow and I'll do the same with yours." He turned and stalked angrily out of the lab.

She almost called out to him. Almost, then decided to just let him go. It was better this way. A clean break of things. Okay, a not-so-clean break. This way she didn't have to admit that she'd realized that she'd only stayed with him so she wouldn't be alone. She felt like a horrible person. She honestly hadn't meant to lead him on. In all honesty she'd been leading herself on. She'd been in denial. Denial that you could make things work out by forcing them. If wasn't right to begin with you couldn't make it right. It was there or it wasn't. She didn't believe in fate. She didn't believe that things were meant to be. She did believe that with the right situation and the right people, with honesty and an honest effort you could make things work. You couldn't force them, but maybe you could find happiness.

Maybe House wasn't the right person for her, she didn't know. He felt right to her though. He felt right enough to try. There was something there. There was a reason they seemed drawn to each other. There was a reason she couldn't seem to let him go. There was a reason that he was never far from her mind. Perhaps they could make a go of it or they couldn't. She would have to see. She felt like she owed it to them both to find out.

Right now, however, she was angry with him. He'd forced things. He'd forced the issue with Chase. She'd known as soon as Chase had walked in that he'd been sent, in some way, by House. Why? Was he meddling or did he have some other motive? Was that reason the look she'd seen in his eyes? The look she'd been almost afraid to name. Was it possible that their chance meeting in the lab, his helping her with the blood test, had made him realize some things too?

She didn't know but she wanted to find out. She needed to find out. Was it conceivable that there could be happiness in her future? In their future? Could they have a future?

TBC