2006

House woke and stretched. Turning his head, he looked at the clock. The illuminated dial read seven. Cameron was curled up beside him sleeping. He rolled onto his side and gently pushed the hair out of her face. Then he began to drop kisses on her shoulder as his hand slipped beneath the covers and closed over her breast. With a sharp intake of air, Cameron blinked several times and then looked at him. A soft sigh escaped her as his thumb rubbed across her nipple. It tightened and became hard. Pushing the blankets back, he dipped his head and took the jutting rosy tip into his mouth and swirled his tongue over the smooth skin and pebble hard nipple. She rolled onto her back and he kissed his way across to her other breast. He hands tangled in this hair as he nibbled and sucked on her sensitive skin. Slowly, he worked his way down her body until her reached the thin strip of hair between her legs. She gasped when his fingers found her clit and began to stroke it. Sweat beaded on her skin and she arched up against him. His fingers were soon coated with her juices so he kissed his way back up to her mouth. She ran her hands over his back and chest as they kissed, their tongues sliding together. He fumbled with the drawer to his night table and pulled out a condom. She pushed him onto his back and took the condom from him. Her pale skin gleamed in the early morning light. Her long dark hair clung to her skin as she smiled down at him. She dropped the condom on the bed and leaned down to kiss his chest. She nipped at his nipples and he groaned. She licked a trail of fire down his stomach and then settled between his legs. Slowly, she traced the length of his erection before sucking lightly on the tip. Desire coiled in his stomach and then tingled through his body. She gently massaged his balls as she kissed the inside of his left thigh. He grunted when her teeth nipped him. Then she rose up on her knees, leaned over and grabbed the condom. She tore it open with her teeth and then rolled it on him. She moved up and straddled him. As she sank down on his stiff cock, she leaned in and kissed him. His hands cupped her breasts as he returned her kiss. Then she began to move and all he could think about was the warm, slippery feel of her. She reached down and began to rub her clit.

"Oh, Jesus!" he moaned loudly.

He loved it when she did that and he curled his fingers in the sheets. She smiled at him and then tossed her head back as her orgasm washed over her. She moaned his name and then his own orgasm thundered through him. Every muscle in his body tightened and then relaxed. Cameron rolled off him and lay on the bed beside him panting.

"God, I'm so glad you like morning sex," he gasped.

She laughed, sat up and kissed him. Then she looked at the clock. "I'm going to take a shower," she told him. "Do you want me to get breakfast when I'm done?"

"Yeah, wake me up when it's ready," he told her as his eyes slid closed.

It seemed he just fell asleep when Cameron shook his shoulder and kissed his cheek. The sharp smell of mint tickled his nose.

"Wake up, sleepy head," she whispered. "It's after ten and your breakfast is ready."

He stretched and a tiny moan escaped him. Looking over at the nightstand, he saw a bagel slathered in cream cheese and topped with lox. A tall paper cup sat next to it.

"You are a good girlfriend," he told her as he sat up and began to eat. She went back into the bathroom and he heard her hair dryer start buzzing. He quickly finished his bagel and took a long sip of coffee before getting up. When he entered the bathroom, Cameron was putting her hair up. He kissed the back of her neck and then moved over to the toilet. When he finished, Cameron turned on the shower for him. As he carefully stepped into the bathtub, she began to apply her makeup. He washed quickly, shut off the water and pushed the shower curtain back. Cameron held out her hand and helped him out. Then she handed him a towel and went into the bedroom. As he dried off, he watched her pull clothes out of her large totebag. He wrapped the towel around his waist and grabbed his toothbrush and the toothpaste.

Ten minutes later they were both dressed and headed out the door. When they stepped outside, a young man leaned against Cameron's car reading a newspaper. House scowled. The man folded the newspaper and pulled several files out of his suit pocket. They were folded and creased.

"Hey," he said as he smiled insincerely at them.

"Doctor Cameron, I'd like you to meet my stalker," House said with a glare at the man.

"Your waiting room sucks but at least you have good taste in women," the man responded pushing away from her car. He walked over to House and shoved his files into House's hands.

"No other doctors can figure out what's wrong with me," he told House.

House crushed the files and looked at him. "Well your shirt is gaping at the collar which means you lost weight. You're flushed which means you have a fever, and you're short of breath. And finally there's the KS lesion on your face; means you're HIV positive and you've progressed to full-blown AIDS. So you're sick because your immune system is shot and someone sneezed on you. Can I be excused now?"

"House," Cameron said softly.

The man grabbed House's cane. " Brilliant, but my immune system is fine."

They began to struggle with the cane. "Get your T-cell count checked," House ground out. "And let go of my cane."

"Honey, I will marry it if you'll treat me," the other man gasped.

Cameron grabbed House's arm. House released the cane and the man fell back and slid against Cameron's car. His breathing became labored as he fell to the sidewalk. Cameron rushed over to him.

"I didn't touch him," House told her.

"He's going into anaphylactic shock," she told him as she dug into her tote and pulled out a small medical bag. "Call 911!" She opened the bag and pulled out a syringe. Pulling off the top, she plunged it into the man's leg. He gasped loudly and then lost consciousness. Cameron felt for a pulse and checked his breathing. She looked over her shoulder at House with wide eyes.

An ambulance arrived and House instructed them to take the man to Princeton Plainsboro. Once they left, House and Cameron got into her car and followed the ambulance.

They got the patient, Kalvin, admitted to the ER then they headed up to the fourth floor. Reilly and Chase looked up when they walked in. House tossed his backpack into his office and then walked over to table. A box of donuts sat in the middle of it.

Cuddy entered and walked over to House.

"Go see Stacy," she told him.

"Cameron gave him epi and he's fine now," House told her without looking at her as he picked up a doughnut.

"You hit him," she replied crossly. "You need a lawyer. Go see Stacy."

"I didn't hit him. Cameron can tell you that I didn't hit him."

"Then take Cameron with you but go see Stacy. She's at home today," she informed him and walked out the door.

House looked at Cameron. "Wanna drive me to Short Hills?" he asked.

Cameron sighed and nodded.

Cameron rang the bell of the large two story house Stacy and Mark lived in. It was a split level ranch with a neatly mown front lawn and a border of bright flowers. The front door swung open and Stacy looked out at them.

"Come in," she said politely and then stepped out to look up and down the street.

"No one followed us if that's what you're worried about," House told her.

"I'm waiting for the exterminator," she told him as she closed the door. "I saw a rat." She shuddered.

"I'm surprised your feet are on the floor," House commented.

"You have to treat him," she said referring to Kalvin.

House rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Medically, this case is a snooze-fest. AIDS plus infection."

Stacy folded her arms. "If you don't treat him, he's going to charge you with assault."

"You and Cuddy have a nice gossip session?" Cameron asked sharply. "House didn't hit him. The guy grabbed House's cane. All House did was let go."

Stacy smiled grimly. "He can still press charges."

"What'll happen to the rat?" House asked.

"It depends on whether or not you treat him," Stacy told him. "But you will be charged with assault."

"He means the rat you saw here," Cameron sighed.

House looked over at her smiled. "I'll treat my stalker if I can have the rat."

"If you can catch it," Stacy told him. "You are welcome to take it as far away from here as possible."

"Go to the nearest pet shop and get me a cage," House told Cameron. She nodded and left. "Got any peanuts or peanut butter?" he asked Stacy.

Two hours later, House and Cameron walked out of Stacy's house. House carried a cage with the rat in it.

"She still loves you," Cameron told him as he put the caged rat in the backseat of her car.

House shut the door, slid into the passenger seat and closed his door. "I don't love her," he told her as he fastened his seat belt.

They entered the lobby of the hospital and everyone turned to look at them and the rat in its cage. Reilly walked out of the clinic and fell in step beside them.

"Why do you have a rat?" she asked him as they all got into the elevator.

He slid a teasing smile at her. "Jealous?"

"Yes. What are you going to do with it?" she asked as she bent down and peered into the cage.

"Keep him," House told him. "Steve McQueen is sick."

"Good name," she told him as she straightened up. "I had Kalvin admitted and Chase is running tests on him.

"Who's Kalvin?" House questioned.

"Your stalker."

"How'd you know I agreed to treat him?" he asked her as they exited the elevator.

She smiled. "Because the docs in the ER ruled out infection and his T-cells are at two hundred which is high enough to fight off an infection. Which means something else is wrong with him. Something interesting."

House held the cage out to her. "Take Steve and treat him well," House told her.

Reilly let out a tiny squeal of delight as she took the cage. "I told Chase to take all the proper precautions with Kalvin. No sense in taking any chances. So, we'll need to make sure we wear gowns, gloves, and facemasks with the clear face guards."

"Smart thinking," House told her. "But I won't need all that."

Reilly rolled her eyes. "Are you impervious to HIV? Because you'll have to go in and see him at some point."

"Why?"

"Because something freaky will go wrong with him and you'll have to go in and either gloat or check it out."

"Sometimes I hate that you know me so well," he complained.

"So you keep saying," she grinned.

Cameron walked into the conference room late the next day. House looked at her over his shoulder. She wore scrubs, her face was bare of makeup and her damp hair was pulled back into a bun.

"Kalvin tested positive for drugs and he is coughing up blood. Chase is repairing the tear. I think he got a bad batch of drugs. They could be tainted. Reilly's taken them to the lab to be tested." She huffed out a breath. "He had them in his bag in his room."

House walked over to her and grasped her shoulders. He lowered his head and looked into her eyes.

"He coughed on you, didn't he?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "But I was completely covered. Even my hair. Reilly just checked me over thoroughly. I don't have any blood on me."

"But you're still freaked out."

She nodded. "If I hadn't been wearing the protective gear, I would've gotten his infected blood in my eyes and mouth. I'd be downstairs talking to the HIV specialist instead of up here with you."

House pulled her into his arms. "Thank God Reilly is so anal about things like that," he said against her hair. She nodded, buried her face in his chest and hugged him tightly.

By the end of the week, Kalvin's father showed up. He was a big, burly man who blamed his son for his wife's death. House did go in to see Kalvin and his father. He noticed the older man exhibited some of the same symptoms as Kalvin and provoked him until he punched House. House hit him with his cane which sent the man into anaphylactic shock. Reilly, who was watching from the doorway, calmly walked in and injected Kalvin's father with epinephrine.

"Echinococcus?" she asked House. "Good call. But I told you that you'd have to go in the room."

"Smart ass," House replied with a grin