A/N: I'm back from Vegas, baby! It was a good trip. Now, back to posting. Thanks to all of you for the reviews. I will get back to replying to them

Chapter Four

After the game ended, House sat staring straight ahead. Wilson craned his neck to see around him and bit back a laugh.

"This is not funny," House hissed. "Help me!"

Wilson leaned back, crossed his arms and got more comfortable. "She's your hobby. Figure it out."

Allison made a slight purring sound and nuzzled House's neck as she got more comfortable. House turned to look at Wilson with wide, panicked eyes. Wilson snickered and got up. He nudged House's legs and House put his feet on the floor. Carefully, Wilson bent down and picked up Allison.

"Go get some sheets, blankets and a pillow," he whispered to House.

House got up and returned a few minutes later with the bedding. Dropping the bedding, he grabbed his right leg. Pain shot up from his damaged right thigh.

"Sit down on the coffee table," Wilson told him concern softening his voice. Once House was seated, he started to put Allison back down on the couch.

"Give her to me," House commanded as he dug his bottle of Vicodin out of his pocket. He snapped the top off, dumped two pills in his hand and dry swallowed them. Then he held out his arms. Wilson transferred Allison to him. Once House was holding her, she burrowed into his chest and sighed in her sleep. Wilson quickly put the sheets and blankets on the couch before dropping the pillow on it. Turning to House, he took Allison from his arms and carefully laid her on the couch. She immediately curled up on her side and Wilson drew the covers up over her. Then he stood back and the two men looked at her.

"You are in so much trouble with this one," Wilson whispered.

House didn't say anything. He simply rubbed his high and watched her sleep.


Allison awoke the next morning disoriented and frightened. Sitting up, she clutched the blankets to her chest and looked around. She relaxed as it all came flooding back. She was in House's apartment and she was safe. Getting up, she quietly made her way down the hall to the bathroom. She closed and locked the door leading to the hallway. Once she peed, she flushed and went to the sink. She was washing her hands when a door to her right opened. House stood in the doorway. His hair was tousled from sleep and he squinted at her. He wore a white t-shirt, striped sleep pants and his feet were bare. Allison looked away and quickly dried her hands. She got out of the bathroom as swiftly as possible and went to sit on the couch. A few minutes later House came out into the living room. He still looked half-asleep as he tossed a wad of bills on her lap.

"You make coffee?" he rumbled.

"No, sorry," Allison told him.

"Huh," he grunted. "Go buy us breakfast. There's a little food mart at the end of the block. Get bagels. The good kind and plenty of coffee." He turned and started to limp away. "I'll take you shopping after breakfast." Then he was gone.

Allison smoothed out the bills, folded them and tucked them in her pocket. Then she bundled up and left.

The small market was almost empty when she arrived. She wasn't sure what the 'good bagels' were but she went to the small bakery at the back of the store and asked for half a dozen assorted bagels. Then she got cream cheese, milk, eggs, bacon and coffee. Once she paid for it all, she carefully tucked the change in her pocket and walked back to House's apartment. A light snow began to fall as she entered the building. Once in the apartment, she carried the bag of food into the kitchen and put it all away. She pulled the change from her pocket and laid it on the butcher block island in the center of the small kitchen. She went back out into the living room and took off her coat, hat and gloves. She laid them neatly over the back of the chair in front of the desk. She could hear the shower running in the bathroom. Looking around, she saw a stereo system on a bookshelf next to the desk. Curiosity won out over fear, and she began to flip through the albums. House had a diverse collection of music. She pulled an album out and carefully put it on the turntable. The sound of Leadbelly singing Daddy I'm Coming Back To You filled the apartment. She moved over to the bookshelf and looked over the books. She pulled David J. Dabbs' Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry: Theranostic and Genomic Applications from the shelf and went to the couch. Within minutes she was so engrossed in the book, she didn't hear House enter the living room. She didn't look up until she smelled the tantalizing scent of coffee and and bagels toasting. House moved around the kitchen. His hair was damp and he wore a red t-shirt, jeans and cross trainers. His cane hung on the island. She closed the book and quickly folded the bedding and placed it on the curved lounger in front of the bookshelf. Then she went to stand in the doorway of the kitchen.

"What can I do to help?" she asked.

House pointed to a cabinet. "Plates," he told her. "And mugs."

Cameron gathered everything and took it out to the living room. She set two places on the coffee table. She went back into the kitchen, got milk, sugar, and the cream cheese. Nudging House aside, she got the coffee pot and found a hot pad. She took it out to the living room and came back with their plates. He put the bagels on a plate, grabbed his cane and limped out to the on the edge of the couch, she poured out the coffee and spread her bagel with cream cheese.

"So what kind of clothes do you wear for every day? And what did you wear when you worked?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Business casual at work and jeans and T-shirts every other time? It's been so long since I've gone shopping I don't really know."

"That's why I invited Wilson to come with us. He has a black belt in shopping. In fact, maybe I should just stay home and leave you two to it."
Allison looked a little nervous about that so House relented. "Okay, then again maybe not."

"I'd like your input, House," she said. "Since I'll be working for you, I want to fit in and get the right things."

"Sweetie, you could wear a burlap sack and still be beautiful."

She blinked. That seemed like high praise coming from House and she didn't know what to say. The sound of a key in the lock caused her to look fearfully at the door.

"Relax, it's just Wilson. He has a key."

"He just comes and goes as he pleases?" she asked.

"Only when he's expected. Like today."

Wilson entered wearing the same coat but this time he wore a grey McGill sweatshirt and jeans. He walked over to the record player, turned it off and then crossed to the couch.

"Hey!" House protested. "You just turned off Leadbelly!"

"Aren't we buying Allison a whole new wardrobe?" Wilson asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, but you don't just turn off Leadbelly in the middle of a song."

"Maybe Allison doesn't like that kind of music," Wilson told him with a smile at her.

"I put it on," she told him with a shrug. "I love blues music."

Wilson looked pointedly at House who shrugged. "She's got good taste," House said as he crammed half of his bagel in his mouth.

"Should we make a list of what you'll need?" Wilson asked Allison.

House rolled his eyes but Wilson got up and grabbed paper and a pen. He handed them to her and then went into the kitchen.

Soon, they all finished breakfast and Allison had a short list of things she'd need. House snatched it out of her hand then tore it in half.

"You need a whole new wardrobe not a handful of clothes," he told her.

"A whole new wardrobe is expensive and...we still haven't made up a payment plan. If I buy too much, it will take me forever to pay you back," she told him.

He could see the worry in her eyes. He blew out a breath. "You can pay me back by dealing with my mail and other crap that builds up in the office. That's worth more to me that any amount of money I spend on you today. Deal?"

She looked at Wilson who nodded. "He's years behind on charts, billing and correspondence. If you can get him up to date on all that, he'll owe you since you'll get Cuddy off his back."

House stood and grabbed his cane. "Deal?" he asked again.

"Deal," Allison agreed solemnly.