A/N: So, you guys loved the last chapter. Awesome. I'm glad you're all enjoying this so far. There's 25 chapters total so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Also, I thought I'd share: that bit about Lance? He's based on a real person, and that whole thing about the dance and the car actually happened. You can't make that stuff up. My school consisted of materialistic, stuck up snobs from hell (if you haven't gathered that by now haha) And I wish I could say it all came from my imagination but nope. I lived that nightmare. The only thing I changed was the type of car.

Chapter 7

"What was that about?" Wilson asked her.

Angela just shrugged. "We ran into each other at Starbucks. My guess is that he doesn't remember me. But back then, I was pretty easy to forget. And he hasn't seen me since I was 15."

"It's not like House to forget anything."

"Maybe he's got a lot on his mind."

"He is involved in a case right now, but that still doesn't explain why he doesn't recognize you. Oh well, he'll be in my office in no time demanding to know who you are."

Angela laughed. "Why doesn't he just ask me himself? Or better yet, do his own snooping?"

Wilson snickered. "I'm surprised he didn't follow us to your mom's room."

"A revelation will come soon enough. And I want to be there when it does," she laughed again. She remembered the countless times when House would suddenly get a look on his face as if a light bulb went off over his head and then he'd be off and running. It was one of the things she missed about him. She loved the way his mind worked.

Wilson checked his sister's vitals and shook his head. "She doesn't seem to be in any pain."

"Any idea how long…" David asked him as he sat by his wife's bedside and held her hand.

"A day, maybe two."

"Can't you do anything else?" Angela asked, her voice pleading.

"She signed a DNR. All she wants is to go peacefully. I offered to send her home and hire a nurse to take care of her, but she wanted to stay here. She wouldn't say why and I didn't press the issue."

After a few hours of sitting by her mother's side, Angela was hungry.

"I'm going to check out the cafeteria. Do you want anything?"

David shook his head. "No thanks. You go ahead."

"Okay. I won't be long."

When she got up to leave, her dad saw the gun tucked safely in its holster underneath her blazer. "Is it really necessary to carry a gun in a hospital?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "It would be pretty irresponsible of me if I didn't. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men," she grinned.

"The shadow knows," David grinned back. It was one of their favorite movies to watch together when she was a teenager. "You're going to look for him, aren't you?"

"Who?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"You know who."

"Do you?"

"Yes. House, silly."

"If you must know, I briefly saw him last night, and again this morning."

"Did he speak to you?"

"Not much. But then he never really did."

"Well, behave yourself."

Angela frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know what it means."

"Dad," she groaned. "You're not trying to give me the birds and the bees talk, are ya?"

"I'm just saying. You're a woman now. You can do whatever you want. Have any man you want."

"Except House?"

"I didn't say that."

"It's what you implied. Why? You don't think I'm smart enough for him?"

It was David's turn to frown. "Now you and I both know that's not true. I know about him. He just ended a serious relationship last year. From the way Wilson tells it, those wounds are still fresh. Just be careful."

"Because he's on the rebound?"

"No, I think he's past that. I just know you tend to wear your heart on your sleeve."

"Oh, so it's not him you're worried about so much. It's me. You think I've had some secret crush on him all these years and now that I'm old enough, I can go running after him? Well guess again. Greg House is not my type. So unless he's changed, and I highly doubt he has, I'm keeping my distance."

"Go get your lunch," David dismissed her with a comic wave of his hand. "Father daughter chat is over."

"Thank God," Angela groaned, yet kept a grin on her face as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

It took her awhile to find the cafeteria, but when she did, she grabbed herself a sandwich, milk and chips and found a place to sit.

As she ate, she glanced around the room and saw House sitting with her uncle in the far corner. They looked like they were having a friendly conversation, and they were laughing. When House smiled, she smiled too. That's when he looked over and they made eye contact.

It was as if the entire room stood still and it was just the two of them for a few moments, before someone accidentally jostled her and she came back to reality.

Grabbing her unopened bag of chips, she got up, emptied her tray into the garbage and left the cafeteria.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Wilson asked his friend.

"What?"

"Angela."

"What about her?"

"You've known her since she was fifteen years old."

House watched her leave and went back to eating Wilson's fries, seemingly unaffected. "She didn't look like that when she was fifteen years old."

"House! No."

"What?"

"Don't even think about it."

"I express an interest and you're getting tense. Why is that?"

"Because I know you're still not over Stacy."

House waved his hand in dismissal. "That ship has sailed."

"Oh really? So if Stacy walked right in here and wanted you back in her life you'd tell her to take a hike?"

House's hesitation was enough of an answer and Wilson laughed. "That's what I thought."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't have to. Just leave her alone. Her mom has very little time left and she's understandably upset. So tread lightly."

"Yes sir," House smirked and gave his friend a mock salute. Then he got up, and hobbled to the exit, leaving Wilson to shake his head in wonder.

X X X

House spent most of the afternoon in the clinic treating common cold sufferers and kept his eye on the clock for when he could go home. Not like he had much to go home to. An empty apartment and a bottle of scotch was pretty much his life lately.

"Dr. House, checking out," he said as he signed his last file of the day and shoved it toward Nurse Brenda.

"Wow, I'm impressed," she said. "Usually you don't stay more than an hour."

"Yeah well, gotta do my part."

"Hey man!" someone shouted as House turned to leave. One of the patients came forward and House backed away from him. The man did not give off a good vibe at all. "You've got a waiting room full of people out there. Where ya think you're going?"

"Umm..it's 5:30. I'm thinkin' it's quitting time," House snarked.

"We've all been waiting at least an hour!"

House lifted his cane. "Bum leg, takes time to go from room to room."

"So bring more doctors down."

"The other doctors, like myself, have better things to do than swab crotches all day."

"You son of a bitch..."

"Please sir, take a seat. We'll call you when we're ready," Nurse Brenda said more sternly.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick! And I need a doctor!"

Before House or the nurse could say anything more, the guy pulled a gun out of his inside jacket pocket. A couple of people screamed, some ran from the waiting area and some cried.

Angela was walking past when she saw the man waving a gun in the air and House was standing right within range. Reaching for her gun, she edged her way slowly to the door of the clinic.

"Put the gun away," House said calmly. "You don't need it. You want to be treated, fine, I'll treat you."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Angela slowly making her way into the clinic. She pressed a finger to her lips.

The guy whirled around to face her, gun still drawn, but so was hers. House didn't even see her move. She was that fast.

"It's a showdown at PPTH," House said softly.

"Shut up!" the guy shouted at House.

"Put down your weapon!" Angela called to him. "I know you don't want to shoot me anymore than I want to shoot you."

"I just wanted to see a doctor. But being made to wait this long...when I'm in so much pain..."

"Ha! You think you're in pain?" House yelled at him. "You have no clue what real pain is! So what's the problem?"

"It...hurts to pee. I haven't peed in days and it's killing me!"

House rolled his eyes. "So your solution is to whip out a gun and shoot whoever doesn't help you? Yeah, that'll work."

"I'm not going to ask you again to put down your weapon," Angela said evenly and calmly.

The guy narrowed his eyes at House. "You called the cops on me?"

"When did I have a chance to do that?"

He glared at the nurse. "Then she did."

"If she had, there would be more than one cop. This fine young lady just happens to be in the right place at the right time. C'mon," House said as he coaxed Angela. "Show us your Mountie stuff."

"I'd rather not have it come to that. If he'd just put down his weapon then everyone can stay safe."

He turned his gun back on Angela. "Put down yours."

"So you can go ballistic and shoot us all? I don't think so," House grunted.

"Shut up, House," Angela warned, her tone was as icy as her stare.

"Ya know what? Fuck this. I've waited long enough."

A gunshot went off and then another. Everyone in the clinic screamed, covered their heads and hit the deck until the only one left standing was House.

When he realized what happened, Angela had the guy pinned to the floor, her knee on his back as she slapped the cuffs on him. However, the amount of blood was startling, and House couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Well don't just sit there! Call security!" he ordered Nurse Brenda before he went over to Angela. "You're bleeding," he said as he bent over.

"Huh?"

"Let me look."

She looked down at the red blotch on her torso, touched it, and saw the blood on her fingertips. "Oh God...he got me..."

"Adrenaline. Gotta love it."

"Ughh...it doesn't last nearly long enough," she wheezed as she sat back and leaned against the wall. Her eyes began to close but House gently slapped her face.

"Oh no you don't. Angela! I need you to stay awake." He took her face in his hands and she smiled weakly, trying to focus on his handsome face.

"I...I'm tired..."

"Your body is going into shock. But you need to stay awake."

Angela fought to keep her eyelids open but it was no use. House's electric blue eyes were the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness.

A/N: Again with my cliffhangers! I know! But it's my story and I'll do what I want! Have a good weekend!