Set some time after Cameron and Chase's divorce. Cameron is gone-but her reasons aren't what House thought they were. And when House discovers what she's been hiding, the two of them together might have more than they ever dreamed. House and all of its characters belong to Fox, so there will be no suing my romantic little heart for playing with canon. Just a little. Nope nope nope.

Chapter 1-Wilson

"James! You made it!" A balding, rotund man in a suit and gray slacks looking very…well, gray…strode across the hospital foyer, hand outstretched. The ready smile that Wilson remembered so well from medical school wrapped ear to ear, and he felt himself automatically returning it as he stretched out his own hand and let himself be pulled in for a hug.

"Andrew. It's good to see you again."

"You too. How the hell have you been?"

"I've been fine," Wilson offered automatically, thinking wryly to himself that it wasn't entirely true. But when you decided to be friends with House, you took what you could get. "How about you? How are Polly and the kids?" Wilson had always liked Andrew's wife, a small, red-haired labor and delivery nurse who had quit working when their youngest was born and now ran the McNamara home with brutal efficiency.

"They're good. Safely tucked at home, away from the likes of you," his friend said wryly, brows waggling as he took a gentle poke at Wilson's legendary love life. "Caitlin's a senior this year."

"No kidding." Wilson grinned, remembered their oldest, a shy, brown eyed girl that had clung to her mother's pant leg when Wilson had visited them…god, had it really been fifteen years ago already? He was suddenly, painfully aware that they were all getting old. "Good for her. Is she heading off to college next year?"

"She's already been accepted into nursing school for next fall." Andrew's face lit up with mirth. "Said she wanted all of the medicine without all the unnecessary phone ringing in the middle of the night."

"Can't say I blame her. Being a doctor is hell on relationships. I should know," said Wilson wryly. "It doesn't seem possible she's that old already."

"I try and block it out as much as I can. It saves me from having a massive complex when I realize I'm turning into one of those bald, gray-haired old men we used to make fun of." Someone jostled him from the side, bumping him back a step, and Andrew suddenly seemed to realize they were standing in the middle of the lobby. "Well, you're not here to stand here listening to me reminisce-although I hope you'll let me buy you a drink tonight so we can do exactly that. The conference is happening down this way."

With a wave of his arm Andrew gestured toward the back of the hospital, where the annual oncology conference would be held. Wilson had thought about skipping it this year-his patient load was heavy, and taking the time off was an inconvenience he couldn't afford-but Andrew was the dean of medicine here and an old friend from med school, and when he'd called Wilson to see if he was coming Wilson hadn't had the heart to tell him no.

Walking down the hallway, admiring the large, open ceilings, Wilson had to admit that the break would be nice. Or rather, it would be nice to get away from House. The man wasn't exactly a picture of sweetness and light on a good day, but in the months since Cameron had left the man had been like a cat with a thorn in its paw. Huddled in a miserable ball in the corner, hissing and scratching at anyone who tried to help.

Eventually, they had given up. Wilson kept trying, because hey-that was what friends did, right? But it felt good to have an excuse to leave the state for a couple of days. Not that it stopped House from blowing up his phone, but at least he could ignore that.

House had just better not be remodeling his office while he was gone. Again.

"Oh hell." Wilson stopped suddenly, smacking his hand to his forehead. "Andrew, I'm sorry. I left my briefcase out in my car." He'd been listening to a voicemail from his ex-wife demanding alimony-again-and had completely forgotten about it. "The conference is back in the lecture hall, right? I remember. I'll run and grab it and meet you down there."

"No problem. I'll walk out with you, if you don't mind the company." Andrew turned around, tucking his hands in his pockets and walking companionably toward the front door. "As long as I'm with you people will assume that I'm busy, which means they won't be stopping to ask me a question every five minutes."

Wilson snorted with laughter. "That's what House says too. Price you pay for being the boss."

"You ought to know, Mr. Head of Oncology. How is House?" The question was casual, but Wilson heard the genuine interest behind it. The two had met several years back. To Wilson's endless amazement, the two had struck up a friendship of sorts. Not the type he had with Wilson, certainly, but the kind where they sent each other snarky jokes by text and grumbled about Days of Our Lives over dinner when Andrew was in town.

"He's…House," Wilson said, as though it said it all. And maybe it did, because Andrew laughed.

"I haven't heard from House since that glowing recommendation he gave Dr. Cameron a couple of months ago. Surprised me-I was thinking maybe he was starting to go soft in his old age."

"I wish. Then maybe we all could...wait…" Wilson stopped walked, turning to look at his friend with huge eyes. "Cameron's here?"

"Yeah, didn't you…oh. No, you didn't, did you?" Andrew's cheeks pinked. "I'm sorry, I assumed since House told you everything you already knew. Pretty sure there's a breech in confidentiality there somewhere," he said sheepishly, "so I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this conversation to yourself."

"No problem." Wilson's mind was still stumbling over what he'd just heard. Of all the hospitals in the world, what were the odds that Cameron would end up at this one? "I'm surprised though. How did Cameron end up here?"

"She said yes." Andrew grinned. "House actually suggested her when I mentioned we were looking to hire another emergency attending. Said she'd worked under him for a while, but decided emergency suited her better. I guess she was going through a divorce at the time, and looking for a change of scenery. He gave me her phone number, and the rest, as they say, is history." The other man shrugged. "She must have made quite an impression on House, I don't think I've ever heard him even mention one of his fellows before, much less recommend them for a job."

"It's definitely very…un-House-like," Wilson agreed, mind racing. House had recommended Cameron? "How's she working out?"

"Ask her yourself." Andrew gestured with his hand toward the wand-slim woman slipping out of the driver's seat of the tiny red sports car-then winced when she promptly bent over the bushes and began to retch. "But maybe not at this precise moment."

"Cameron!" Concerned, Wilson jogged over to her, leaning down to take the blonde ponytail from her cold, clammy hands. "Are you all right?"

"Wilson? What are you doing here?" Allison Cameron stared back at him with glassy, confused eyes. Her skin was sweaty and pale, her pulse visibly racing beneath her skin. Her hands were shaking at her sides, and the acrid smell of vomit hung in the air. Aside from the obvious signs of her illness, however, she looked exactly as she had when she'd walked out of Princeton Plainsboro that last day, bag slung over her shoulder, tears stinging her eyes.

He'd wanted to chase her into the parking lot, beg her to stay, but what was the point? There was nothing for her there, not anymore. He didn't have any cards to play. House had taken them all. But Wilson had missed her. All of them had.

"Oncology conference. Better question might be, what are you doing here? You look like you should be home in bed."

"I'm fine. Really," she added, smiling at him wanly before looking over his shoulder. She immediately straightened, her cheeks flushing a bright, brilliant red. "Dr. McNamara. Good morning. I…"

Wilson felt terrible for her. It had been a long time, but he remembered vividly how it had felt to be embarrassed in front of his boss. Wilson opened his mouth-to say what, he didn't know-but Andrew beat him to the punch.

"Here you go, Dr. Cameron." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of saltine packets and passed them over. "Give these a try before you get out of bed next time. My wife used to swear by them."

"Thank…you," Cameron said in befuddlement, reaching out to take the crackers from his hand and ripping one open to nibble on the corner. Andrew smiled at the look on her face.

"A few of the nurses mentioned you'd been running back and forth to the bathroom quite a bit lately. I've gone through this a few times, it didn't take much to put two and two together. The crackers were a coincidence," he added when Cameron flushed even deeper. "I have a habit of stuffing some in my pockets when I know I'm not going to get to eat. You're just lucky I forgot to take them out."

"Thank you." Cameron winced, looking between the two men. "I'm so sorry. This is mortifying. I wish I could say it won't happen again, but…"

"Dr. Cameron, if women could control morning sickness, it wouldn't have ever made it into the medical books," Andrew said kindly, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you swing by the cafeteria and get yourself some ginger ale or a cup of tea before you head down to the ED? I'll stop at the front desk and let them know you're on your way when I get back inside. I insist," he told her, moving his hand from her shoulder to her back and giving her a gentle nudge when she started to resist.

"Alright. Thank you. I really appreciate it." Cameron gave him a weak smile before turning her head back toward Wilson. "Dr. Wilson. It's good to see you again. I'm sorry I puked on you." They both laughed, just a little. "Enjoy the conference."

With that she shouldered her bag, slung her stethoscope around her neck and walked away.

"Cameron!" Wilson called, before he could think better of it. Cameron stopped, freezing in place for a moment before turning slowly around.

"Yes?"

"Have dinner with me tonight. I'm buying, and I won't take no for an answer," he said when she opened her mouth, presumably to refuse. "The little café on the corner of 4th and Main, 8:00." He was assuming they'd have something she could eat there.

Cameron hesitated, torn, he knew, between courtesy and the genuine desire to leave her past behind her. With anyone else, he'd be worried about her response. They hadn't seen each other in months, and she had to know he was dying to pump her for information. But he'd travelled all the way here, and it was Cameron. He was betting that her almost painfully good manners weren't going to let her say no.

"That would be nice, thank you," she said finally, gifting him with a hint of the smile he knew so well. "I'll see you then."

With that she turned and walked through the front doors of the building, leaving both men staring after her. For a moment, there was silence. Then Andrew turned to look at him with raised eyebrows and a knowing smile.

"So I'm guessing drinks are off then?"

Thanks for reading! Posting the next chapter tomorrow, in which we find out what happens when Cameron is sitting across the dinner table from WILSON instead of House :) So please follow, and stay tuned! In the meantime, please please please stop by and leave a review letting me know what you think, even if it's just a quick thumbs up. Reviews are the fuel that keeps my fingers typing!