A/N: Thanks for the awesome comments to this story so far. Here's another chapter for you :) Lyrics are from Let Me Fall by Christina Perri

Chapter Five

Everybody wants to know

If I'm okay I'm here

Cause they don't know

The things you spoke my love

Cameron started an outreach program where doctors and nurses from the ER went out into the community to treat shut ins and homeless people. A month passed since she confronted House with the letters. They both acted as if nothing happened but there was an underlying tension between them. It gnawed at House and he took every opportunity to harass her.

"You're an idiot," House told her one day when he was down in the ER looking for a case. "You think working with agoraphobics and the morbidly obese will somehow be better than running yourself ragged in the ER? Or is this all part of your obsessive need to make everything and everyone perfect?"

"I'm still running the ER. It's something different. And I don't have an obsessive need to make everyone perfect."

"It's just much more depressing. You always did love self-flagellating. Will it be permanent?" he asked referring to the outreach program.

"I don't know. Maybe." She glanced at her watch. "I have to go." She started to walk away.

"Cameron," he called out to her.

She turned around, put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "What, House?"

He limped over to her until they stood practically toe to toe. "One could also argue you're taking this on so you can avoid me." Then he looked like he had a revelation. "Wait, you don't still have the hots for me, do you?"

Cameron opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." With a wink, he turned and limped away.

"What was that about?" Cuddy asked as she joined Cameron.

"Nothing. Just House being House."

"Do you have some time to talk?" Cuddy asked.

Actually she didn't but she wasn't going to tell her boss that. "Sure," she said.

"Come with me," Cuddy said.

They walked upstairs to her office. Cuddy closed the doors and the blinds. Then she and Cameron sat down on the couch.

"I've adopted a baby," Cuddy told her. "I get her next week."

"Congratulations, Lisa!" Cameron told her with genuine warmth.

"Thank you," Cuddy smiled. "I'm going on maternity leave and the board has approved you to take over for me. I'll be out for a year. I have the time and I want to be home with her as long as possible."

Cameron sat and stared at Cuddy. A year. A year of being responsible for the entire hospital. A year of being responsible for House. Something fluttered in her stomach at the thought of seeing House on a regular basis.

"You can have some time to think about it but their other choice is Foreman," Cuddy told her.

Cameron started to laugh.

"Yeah," Cuddy laughed.

"Who will run the ER and the outreach program?"

"I was going to ask Doctor Swan. She's practically your clone."

Cameron nodded. Swan was a perfect choice. "I'll do it."

"You'll have to manage House," Cuddy warned her.

Cameron smiled. "Not a problem."

Cuddy leaned forward and hugged her. "Thank you. I knew I made the right choice in suggesting you to the board. You'll be great."

"I hope so."

"I have faith in you, or I wouldn't have recommended you for this. You can deal with House better than anyone. He'll listen to you."

"And when he doesn't?"

"He will."

Cameron sighed and shrugged her shoulders as she left Cuddy's office. "Here goes nothing."

The next day Cameron started her new job. Swan sent her an interesting case and Cameron went to find House. After looking for half an hour, she glanced at her watch, saw it was lunch time, and went to the cafeteria where she saw House grabbing a bagel.

She approached and blocked his exit. "You gonna pay for that?"

"Nice of you to offer. Now I can actually get some cream cheese."

Cameron shook her head and held up the blue file folder. "Twenty-nine year-old teacher. She works with special needs children. She —"

"Love what you're wearing. Brings out the blue of the case file, which means it's not from the ER. So why are you here?" he asked before tearing open the cream cheese packet with his teeth.

"Because Dr. Cuddy is not here. She's decided to go on maternity leave so she can be with the baby for a while. I'm taking over her day-to-day responsibilities, like babysitting you.

House cocked his head to one side. "Interesting. You have your whole life ahead of you. So why would Cuddy want you to die so young?"

"She figured I'd spent three years working for you so I was inoculated."

House grinned. "Good. Fun! You get to exercise your newfound power. I squirm under your thumb, resent the student becoming the teacher, and then push comes to shove, and we all get to realize what our real roles should be. Then you put out." He took a large bite of the bagel and continued to stare at her.

Cameron merely smiled and handed him the file. "That's why I took the job."

House was stunned and watched her walk away, admiring the swing in her hips and her legs in those heels.

House wasn't sure if she meant it or not, but he decided to test her and find out. She'd either take him up on it, or be completely disgusted and toss him out of her office. Both ideas amused him greatly, and it was a win-win as far as he was concerned. She had to know he'd test her limits, didn't she? Otherwise she was more naive than he thought and he knew she was smarter than that. With that in mind for later, he returned to his office to meet with his team regarding their new patient.

Later that day, he barged into her office while she was on the phone. "I'm going to have to call you back," she said to the person on the other end and hung up. "What?"

He walked up to her desk and stared at her. "I need oral sex. I'm pretty sure biological imperative qualifies as medical sense."

Her look of disbelief amused him and he grinned at her.

"Can I return my phone call now?" she asked quietly.

"I don't really see how that's gonna be possible," House said out of the corner of his mouth and watched her pick up the receiver and open the folder in front of her, completely ignoring him. Realizing that she'd won that round, he turned and left, puzzled by her response.

Scenes from this chapter were borrowed from 5X13 Big Baby