Sorry to cruelly raise your hopes, but this is not an indication of more frequent updates. I've just had most of this chapter written for so long, I figured I should bite the bullet and get it out there (which sort of explains the brevity of it).

Set in season three, by the way.

Disclaimer: I don't own House, Twilight or any of the lyrics used.

Savin' Me

Chapter 1

You gotta roll with it

You gotta take your time

You gotta say what you say

Don't let anybody get in your way

'Cause it's all too much for me to take

- Roll With It by Oasis

Third Person POV

"Eighteen-year-old female with fatigue, abdominal pain, pale skin and tachycardia. She fainted while walking along St John's River in Jacksonville three days ago. Since then, she's been to two other hospitals, neither of which have been able to diagnose her."

Inwardly cursing the administrator's uncanny ability to know the exact moment he entered the hospital, Dr House replied, "Florida? Long trip to make, just to be sent back home."

"House, she needs your help. She's getting worse by the day."

"Not interested." House made for the lift as quickly as his cane would allow. Not fast enough, as Cuddy caught up with him in a few strides, amazingly not at all impaired by her high heels.

Cuddy placed her hand in the way of the lift doors, making one last attempt to convince her recalcitrant employee. "Dr Carlisle Cullen recommended you to her."

"Cullen?" Despite endeavouring to keep his tone neutral, House couldn't quite wipe the curiosity from his face.

Cuddy's expression was smug – she'd won. House couldn't resist such an ego boost. "Mhmm. The patient's boyfriend is his son. Edward is the one who brought her in."

House stared out at the lobby calculatingly. "His son... Is he still here?"

Blinking in confusion at the strange turn the conversation was taking, Cuddy cautiously replied, "Yes, he hasn't left her side since she was admitted earlier this morning. But why is he important?"

House turned back to Cuddy, but ignored her question. "Get someone else to cover my clinic duty this week and I'll take the case."

"I'll give you two hours off," Cuddy countered automatically before realising he'd just managed to successfully distract her.

"Five."

"Three." It was probably best to just leave it for now. She'd get an answer from Foreman later.

"Done." House accepted the proffered folder, then, raising his voice several decibels, called out, "You can go back to your mail-order husband search now."

He smiled with new-found satisfaction as the lift doors closed, no longer hindered by Cuddy's hand, leaving the Dean of Medicine to the curious glances from the hospital's gossip-prone nursing staff.

"Got a new case," announced House as he limped through the doorway of the differential room. He threw the patient file to a surprised Cameron, who just barely managed to catch it, before picking up his marker and beginning to scrawl on the whiteboard.

"Not a very interesting one," he continued, separating the board into two sides, "but I know how we can fix that."

Cameron glanced up from the file and watched House for a moment. "House, there's only one patient file."

"There's one more button than usual undone on your blouse. Okay, Chase, your turn to make an observation."

Foreman rolled his eyes while Cameron fiddled self-consciously with her shirt. "If there's only one patient file, why are there two patients on the board?" he asked, a touch exasperated.

House had finished writing on each side of the whiteboard, the left displaying the standard list of symptoms –

BORING GIRL

FATIGUE

AB. PAIN

PALLOR

TACHYCARDIA

FAINTING

– while the right was only titled:

CULLEN JR

The Head of Diagnostics turned to face his employees, capping the pen as he did so. "I said we were going to make it more interesting, didn't I? The girl is an easy case. It's the boyfriend that's the puzzle."

"But you haven't written his symptoms," Cameron pointed out perplexedly.

"Well, I don't know them yet. Cut me some slack here, Cameron. I'm not psychic."

"If you don't know his symptoms, then how is he a puzzle?" asked Chase.

"Like father, like son," House quipped. "Now, who wants to come welcome the new patients?"

Past incredulous, Foreman was on the verge of laughing. "You're actually going to meet the patient?"

"Of course. It would be rude not to. And how else are we supposed to discover what symptoms the boy's hiding? I know you'd prefer to use a lockpick, Foreman, but your head would be a lot more useful right now." House paused on his way to the door. "Unless we need to break into his car. I'll let you know."

Entering the patient's room, they were greeted with the sight of a boy who looked to be in his late teens, with vaguely rust-coloured hair. He was sitting beside and conversing quietly with the patient – a dark-haired girl with pretty, modest features – who was, of course, lying on the hospital bed. As the door slid open, their conversation ceased.

"Dr House." The boy stood, extending his hand. "I'm Edward Cullen. It's an honour to meet you – Carlisle holds a great deal of respect for you."

House didn't return the gesture, instead giving Edward a brief once-over. "You're adopted," he said accusingly.

Cameron blinked before sending an alarmed glance House's way.

Rather than look surprised, Edward nodded unconcernedly. "I know."

There was an awkward moment of silence as House continued to eye Edward, Edward continued to look unconcerned and the patient watched the proceedings with a typical weariness usually seen in hospital patients. The tension was abruptly broken as House gestured to Cameron.

"Dr Cameron will run a full examination." With that, he exited the room, his mind whirring with theories.

"The patient's jaundiced," announced Cameron worriedly. She hesitated before adding, "And covered in bruises."

"Did you ask why?" said House, not moving his eyes from the coin he was spinning on the table.

"Not yet. I'm concerned... about her boyfriend."

"What, is he bruised as well?"

Cameron ignored House and continued. "We should speak to them separately. If there is anything going on, she's not likely to admit it with him there."

"He doesn't seem like the abusive type," Foreman interjected.

"Yeah, because that's the way the world works. Murderers are arrested based on whether or not they seem like the killing type," said House in mock agreement. "Cameron, you talk to the girl. Foreman can have the guy who is clearly too nice to be abusing her."

"What about me?" asked Chase, stopping Cameron and Foreman as they rose from their seats.

"You're going to be busy running a full set of genetic tests to confirm our diagnosis."

"Our diagnosis?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot my team is full of non-productive morons. I meant my diagnosis. She has Thalassemia."

Future updates are doubtful. Sorry. Having a really hard time writing these last few months.

-TeamVampire