A/N: Thanks for the awesome comments thus far :) We're glad you're enjoying it.

Chapter Six

Cameron settled into a routine at home and at work. Each morning she got up, dressed and made breakfast. At work, she practiced procedures, worked through the piles of paperwork on her desk and sat in on differentials. She liked those the best. They were like trying to put puzzle pieces together. The more she learned about the process, the more she loved it. She even stopped thinking of herself as Allison. She was rather relieved to leave Allison behind. That part of her life held too many bad memories. Her life as Cameron was much better.

On the last day of the month, House took Cameron to the bank to open up a checking and savings account with her first paycheck. She tried to sign it over to him but he refused and so her check was deposited. She ordered checks and would receive her debit card in a few weeks. When she attempted to withdraw one hundred dollars, House sighed loudly and pulled her from the bank.

"Maybe I wanted it to pay for my lunch," she told him as he nudged her out to the car.

He opened the passenger door and waited for her to get in before shutting it. Once he was in the car and they were driving away, he sighed again.

"If you need money, I will give it to you. Besides, Wilson pays for lunch and you do all the food shopping for us. You've even gotten pretty good at cooking. You haven't poisoned me yet. So, stop worrying about money. You're supposed to save it, remember? You do enough around the apartment that I've been able to give my cleaning lady a vacation."

"I hope vacation doesn't mean fired," Cameron said.

"You think I'm the only one she works for?" he asked with a slight laugh. "She's glad not to have to deal with my desorden."

"Okay, I'll save my money and take care of you and your mess at home and at work."

"You speak Spanish?" he asked with a quick glance at her.

"Enough. And I pay for the food with your money which Wilson says is a miracle."

House laughed. "Wilson lies."

"He says you never spend money and the fact you spend it on me makes him think you like me," she said softly.

"Pfft. Wilson always thinks everyone has an ulterior motive." He parked in front of the apartment. "I look at you as an investment. You do grunt work without complaint. You don't annoy me and you'll be a good addition to the team once you get your license back."

Cameron got out and walked up to the outer door. She opened it and unlocked the apartment door. Leaving it open for House, she walked back to the bedroom to hang up her things. She took a pair of jeans and a t-shirt along with some thick socks out of her drawer. As she changed clothes, she could hear House as he moved around the kitchen. She gathered up a load of dirty clothes and put them in the washer then went to the kitchen. House was sitting on the couch with a beer going through the mail. Cameron looked in the refrigerator and pulled out two hamburger patties wrapped in plastic. As she opened the freezer, House appeared beside her making her jump slightly.

"Who's Joe Franklin?" he asked holding up an envelope.

All the color drained out of Cameron's face and she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. He'd found her. She snatched the envelope from House's hand and took it over to the stove. She turned on the burner and held the paper to the flame then tossed the it into the sink running water over it to douse the flame.

"No one," she told him.

Brushing past him, she got a bag of onion rings out of the freezer and turned on the oven.

House walked over to the sink and pulled the blackened sodden mess out of it. "You don't react that way to no one," he commented. He leaned back against the counter still holding the remains of the envelope. "Are you in some kind of trouble? Is some lunatic going to come in here guns blazing and take us out?"

She grabbed a baking tray and spread some of the onion rings on it. "No," she said. I hope not, she thought. After she shoved the tray in the oven and set the timer, she got a skillet and put it on the stove. As House watched her, she turned on the burner and put the hamburgers in the pan. Once they began to sizzle, she went back to the refrigerator and pulled out the makings of a salad.

"Is he an old boyfriend?" House asked.

She shook her head and turned the hamburgers over.

"Ex-husband?"

She shook her head again.

He tossed the burned mess in the trash and walked up to stand behind her. She could feel the heat radiating off him.

"You'll tell me sooner or later," he whispered against her ear. The feel of his breath against her skin made her shiver. He ran his finger down the curve of her neck. "Remember, I like my onion rings well-done."

Then he was gone and she could breathe again. He was right, though. Sooner or later, he'd find out everything about her. She didn't relish the thought of going on the run again but she also didn't want to put him in harm's way, either. She'd just have to intercept the next letter. If there was a next letter and Joe didn't send one of his employees next time.


"She's hiding something," House said to Wilson while they had lunch the next day.

"What?"

"I don't know but she got some suspicious mail and when I asked her about it she looked like she'd seen a ghost and then burned the freakin' letter right in front of me."

"What do you think it's about?" Wilson asked.

"If I knew, it wouldn't be bugging me so much. She won't tell me so it's up to me to get to the bottom of it."

"Did it ever occur to you that she might not want you to know about whatever it is and that it's none of your business?" At House's glare, Wilson sighed. "Right, look who I'm talking to."

"I don't know who this guy is but if she's trying to hide him from me, it's not going to happen. She's so scared of him, she was visibly shaking when I brought it up. I want to know why."

"Maybe he was her pimp or something," Wilson suggested remembering his conversation with her in the cafeteria.

"Hey, don't go there."

"Well she survived on the streets for so long somehow. She had to eat, get money, and she's a pretty girl. Some sickos out there would be able to exploit that."

"You're not helping," House told him.

"Sorry. You just need to accept that she might not be as innocent as you want her to be."

"I never said I thought she was innocent. She's damaged, just like anyone else. She just needs help."

"It doesn't hurt that she's beautiful," Wilson remarked.

"She wasn't when I first saw her. She was a hot mess."

"But you saw past that. The fact that she was a doctor who was living on the streets was intriguing so you couldn't leave it alone. She's a great puzzle. You'd never take on a patient with pneumonia. Please. You wouldn't even take a patient with congenital hypothyroidism," Wilson reminded him.

"What's your point, O Wishes He Was Wise One?"

"My point is that you like her," Wilson said with a pointed look at him. "A lot."

"So do you. Doesn't mean anything. I'm helping her get her life together. She's efficient, intelligent and great during the differentials. I'll hire her when she gets her license reinstated."

"And Cuddy is okay with that?"

"It was her suggestion. I need a female on my team and she's a specialist. Cuddy's taken her under her wing, which is may or may not be good. At least it gets her off my back."

"So what are you going to do about that guy?"

"He's out there somewhere. I'll find him, or we'll get lucky and he'll come to me first. I don't want Cameron alone though so thankfully she needs to be under supervision when in the clinic and for procedures so that's covered," House said.

"You think he might be dangerous?"

"Judging from her reaction that would be a definite yes."

"Well," Wilson said as he got up and took his tray, "let me know if you need my help. I'll do what I can."

House grunted his thanks.


Cameron was home before House was, having taken a cab to the apartment, and she was in the kitchen putting final touches on dinner when he came through the door. Her plan was to distract him with a good meal, so he wouldn't bring up Joe Franklin again. It had been a week since she got the letter and all had been quiet. Since she didn't read it, she had no idea what the letter even said. It was a stupid thing to do, granted, but she wasn't going to let House look at it.

"Something smells good," he said as he tossed his jacket on the back of the couch and his keys on a side table.

"It's the steak."

"When's it ready?"

"Ten minutes."

"Okay."

He limped down the hall to his room, presumably to change clothes, and returned, going straight to the fridge for a beer. "So what's all this?"

"I just felt like making a steak. Is that a crime?" she snapped.

"No. Geesh, who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?"

"House!"

"Well? Why are you so pissy? Oh, never mind, I forgot you're on your cycle. Should I pour you some wine and toss chocolate at you?"

Cameron took a deep breath and counted to ten, or tried to. The amused look on House's face made her want to put her fist in it.

"Or are you trying to keep me from asking about the mysterious Joe Franklin and his letter?"

Cameron turned her back on him and she heard House move closer. She shivered when he gently moved her long hair to one side and traced the length of her neck.

"That is why you're doing all this, isn't it?" he breathed and her eyes fluttered closed as his warm breath ghosted over her neck.

She leaned into his touch when he threaded his fingers through her hair. "I Googled him and I know he's a true Chicago mobster," he said softly. "Oh, sorry, alleged mobster. So, were you his moll?"

Cameron jerked and moved away from him. She tossed fresh spinach into a hot pan and watched it wilt as she stirred it.

"I was not his moll as you so charmingly put it," she told him in a surprisingly steady voice.

Before he could reply, someone knocked on the front door.