A/N: Thanks for the great reviews! And it's nice to see some new readers. If you're a guest reading this, if you can, let us know who you are so we can give you a shout out. I won't be able to post until next week so I hope this chapter will hold you until then! Enjoy!

Chapter Three

When House came into Allison's room later that day, her eyes and nose were red, like she'd been crying. She quickly grabbed a kleenex and blew her nose when she saw him.

"What's going on?" he asked her as he grabbed her chart and looked it over. "About time you woke up. We've started calling you Sleeping Beauty around here."

She smiled weakly but it was purely for his benefit.

"You're getting out of here soon," he commented as he hooked her chart on the end of her bed.

That just brought on a new set of tears and House was at a loss for what to say. Normally this news made people happy. Then he remembered his plan. She clearly thought she was going back out on the streets.

"Okay, enough of that," he sighed as he grabbed the nearby chair and sat down.

"I...have...I have nowhere to go," she sniffed.

"That's where you're wrong."

She paused and looked at him. "What? Don't tell me, you got me admitted into some shelter somewhere? Thanks, Dr. House, but no thanks. I don't want to worry about being raped in the bathroom. If it's all the same to you, I'll go back to my little spot."

House made a face. "No, you're not going to a shelter. You're going to my place."

She snorted a laugh. "Riiiight. So I can cook and clean for you, too?"

"Can you cook?"

"Sort of. But that's a moot point, isn't it? If you think I'm going to stay at your place and be your personal slave just because I'm grateful you got me off the streets, then you're sorely mistaken."

"Is that what you think?" he asked, cocking his head as he looked at her.

"You have some other brilliant plan up your sleeve?" she sniffed.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I thought I'd help you renew your medical license. I need another doctor on my Diagnostic team and I can use an Immunologist. You can get everything done here at this hospital."

"And in return…"

"If you want to cook, I'm not gonna stop you. I love to eat, but I already have someone who comes in once a week to clean. My couch is comfortable to sleep on and it's a hell of a lot better than any cardboard box you were living in. So that's the plan. Think about it and let me know. You'll probably be released tomorrow so you have till then to decide."

He got up, grabbed his cane and limped out of the room. Allison watched him as he slowly made his way to the elevator. Once he was out of sight, she burst into tears again. Lucy came in and handed her another tissue.

"I heard he offered to have you stay with him," Lucy said as Allison wiped her eyes and blew her nose again. "He's never done that before. He's actually nice to you and he hasn't yelled at any of us since...well, since after you were admitted. He's slept by your bed every night and spent most of the day in here."

Allison could tell Lucy wanted to find out more but obviously the fear of Doctor House was greater than any curiosity.

"You want to try some soft foods for dinner?" Lucy asked instead. "House said you can try some and see how you do. You're really malnourished but he doesn't want to overload your system."

"Some oatmeal and pudding would be good," Allison smiled. There was a guilelessness about Lucy that she found charming and endearing. "Do you work with Doctor House?"

Lucy looked at her with wide eyes. "Gosh, no! Not if I can help it. He hates nurses."

"Who monitors his patients?"

"Well, he only treats one patient at a time and his team does everything. We only come in if the patient crashes. If Doctor Cuddy hadn't assigned his team members to other departments to cover the holiday, we wouldn't even be allowed in here with you." Lucy fluffed her pillows and smiled. "I'll go put your dinner order in."

Allison leaned back and thought about everything Doctor House and Lucy told her. She didn't have anywhere to go. She wasn't going to a shelter again. The lure of being able to practice medicine again was strong. She gnawed on her lip. Walking away from an opportunity like this was crazy. She buzzed for Lucy to come back in and asked to see Doctor House.

He arrived in her room just as she finished her pudding. "Yes or no?" he asked.

"Yes," she told him. "But I'm not sleeping with you. Ever. Are we clear?"

He looked at her appraisingly. "As crystal," he told her.


Allison was released three days later. House, as he preferred to be called, wanted her eating and keeping down solid food. Lucy brought her clean sweats, a hoodie, a wool coat, watch cap, thick socks, sneakers, new underwear, a heavy wool scarf and mittens. Once Allison was dressed, Lucy took her House's office. He looked up when they entered and waved his hand at Lucy who nearly ran out of the room. Standing, he picked up his coat and pulled it on. He put on a grey watch cap, gloves and picked up his cane.

"Come on," he told her as he limped past her.

Allison stood where she was biting her lip.

House stopped in the hallway and turned back to look at her. "That means put one foot in front of the other and propel yourself in a forward motion."

"I had a silk bag…"

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled it out. He tossed it to her and she caught it. She opened it and looked inside. A sigh escaped her. Everything was still there.

"May we go now?" House asked with exaggerated politeness.

Allison followed him to the elevator and across the hospital lobby. He limped outside and down the sidewalk to a blue Dodge Dynasty parked in a handicapped spot. Fishing out his keys, he opened the door, got in and unlocked the passenger door. Allison opened it and slid onto the front seat. She fastened her seat belt as he started the car. They drove in silence to a nice part of Princeton. He parked in front of a large brick building. He got out and walked up to a green door. She got out and followed him inside to another green door. She waited while he collected his mail and unlocked the door. Once in, he shed his coat, hat and gloves, leaving them in a heap on a chair by the front door. Allison moved into the living room and looked around at her new, temporary home. A piano took up most of the space in front of the window. There was a fireplace, black leather couch, bookcases, a television and a coffee table. To her right was a hallway and she saw a bathroom at the end of it.

House tossed his mail on a desk against the back wall of the living room.

"We have to share a bathroom." he told her. "But both doors lock."

She nodded.

"Wilson is coming later to watch a game. He's...well, he's Wilson," he told her. "Don't get attached to him. He feeds off neediness and you are radiating it like a beacon."

Allison opened her mouth to respond but he held up his hand. "Tomorrow we'll go get you some clothes to wear. We'll work out a payment plan since I don't give anything away for free. You can't work for me wearing sweats. You look like a twelve year old boy in them."

"You're rude!" she blurted out.

He smiled widely displaying dimples. "It's all part of my charm. Now take your damn coat off and sit down." When she didn't move, he sighed. "Look, I'm not a nice guy. I'm going to piss you off. You're going to piss me off. But at least you aren't on the street. So, take off your coat and get comfortable."

She removed her coat, scarf, hat and gloves. As she piled them on top of House's, the door opened and she found herself face to face with a tall, dark haired man wearing an expensive camel colored overcoat, a dark blue sweater, jeans and cross trainers carrying several plastic bags in one hand. He smiled and closed the door. He had heavy, dark brows over kind brown eyes.

"You must be Allison," he said. "I'm James."

"He's Wilson," House called out from the kitchen. "Don't try to seduce her. She's here to work for me not flirt with you."

"Charming, isn't he?" Wilson grimaced. "Let me put this in the kitchen. Do you like Chinese food? I got you some egg drop soup and noodles. Figured your stomach could handle that."

Allison nodded, smiled shyly and moved to sit on the couch. She could hear their lowered voices as they talked in the kitchen but couldn't make out what they said.

"You cannot let her live here!" Wilson whispered. He ran his hand over his hair. "God, she's gorgeous."

"She is just staying here until she saves enough money to get a decent apartment. She's just what the team needs," House said quietly as he dug through the bags of food.

"Are you sure she's not what you need?"

"Positive," House told him softly as he pulled out the container of Mu Shoo Pork. "You're always telling me to get a hobby. She's my hobby."

"Oh, this is going to end badly," Wilson sighed.

"Not if you keep your mouth shut," House responded before walking out to the living room. "Bring the food and a couple beers. There's bottled water for Cameron."

"My name is Allison," she told him.

House sat down next to her and put his feet up on the coffee table. "Not anymore," he told her. "You're Cameron. Get used to it."

Wilson brought in the rest of the food and handed her a bottle of water. He smiled at her with sympathy before stepping over House's legs and sitting down. Soon they were all eating and watching television. For the first time in a long time, Allison was full and warm. Before she knew it, she was sound asleep with her head resting on House's shoulder.