A/N: We're back! My partner in crime, Hughville and I, that is. This is a short story but we hope you like it anyway :) It is AU so some facts have been changed. Just roll with it, K? ;)

Disclaimer: Hughville and I don't own House or any of its characters, so please don't sue us. We just like to make them do naughty things :)

Chapter One

Greg House leaned heavily on his cane in the crowded apartment. His tie felt too tight and his leg sent fire shooting up into his hip and down into his foot. The sickly sweet smell of the flowers made his stomach clench. He felt someone touch his shoulder and turned his head to look at his best friend, James Wilson. Wilson leaned in close and House could feel the concern radiating off him.

"Are you sure about this?" Wilson whispered. "We can walk away."

"Shh!"

The Wedding March began to play and all the guests stood. From the hallway, his bride, Dominika Petrova, began to walk forward. House swallowed. He was doing the right thing. He certainly enjoyed getting massages from her. She was the only aesthetician/massage therapist who could ease the searing pain in his leg. When she suggested they marry, it seemed like a good idea. He would have someone to cook, clean, and have sex with on a regular basis. Dominika needed to keep her green card and that was part of the reason they were getting married. She also claimed to love him and he liked her well enough. After the epic shit storm he endured with Cuddy, this seemed the perfect way to thumb his nose at her.

Suddenly, Dominika was at his side in her white dress and he took her hand. Things could be worse. He could be alone and miserable. At least Dominika wouldn't leave him the way every other woman he loved did.

Allison Cameron sighed as she entered the lobby of the hospital. Returning to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and House's team was the last thing she wanted. The place was toxic, House was toxic, Chase was still here and so were Foreman and Taub. However, she desperately needed a job and being a member of House's team was the only option available to her. Her boyfriend, Ryan, came with her and promised to find a job. He made that promise to her nearly everyday as he sat on her couch, played her video games and ate her food. He contributed nothing. Even sex with him was boring. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to break up with him. He had no money and no other place to live. If House found out about all that, he would mock her endlessly.

Straightening her vest, she made her way to the elevators. She pushed the button for the fourth floor. As she rode up to her doom (she couldn't think of it any other way), she hoped that Ryan would actually go look for a job that day.

In the time since she returned, Cameron learned House was married, Chase slept with anyone who had a pulse, Foreman was House's right-hand man, and Cuddy left soon after House married. Wilson was now the Dean of Medicine. It was the only bright spot in her shit-hole life. She and Wilson spent a lot of time together and he was actively working on getting her out of House's department. He also encouraged her to dump Ryan. He still didn't have a job and seemed in no hurry to get one. He became more demanding with each passing day and Cameron was nearing her limit with him.

They had a patient and nothing they did worked. The heat made them all irritable and House more demanding.

He stood staring at the white board and leaned heavily on his cane. Cameron slipped her lab coat off and hung it on the back of her chair.

"You gained weight," Chase commented as he looked at her toned arms. "You look really good."

Cameron rolled her eyes and ignored him. He'd been trying to resume their relationship since she returned.

"Man, you must really want to get slapped with a sexual harassment charge," Foreman commented.

Taub smirked. "He'd like to slap something."

House turned to look at them. "Are you done admiring Cameron's muscles? Dying patient. I'm sure his family would like it if he didn't actually die." His eyes narrowed as he looked toward the door. "Who are you and what are you doing up here?"

Cameron turned to see Ryan. He looked like a petulant child.

"I have to talk to Allison," Ryan told him. "It's very important."

House looked at Cameron. "That belong to you?"

Cameron rose and ushered Ryan out into the hallway.

"You didn't do my laundry," Ryan complained. "Now I can't go out with my friends. There's also no beer or food."

House appeared at her elbow. "This the parasite I heard attached itself to you?" He looked Ryan up and down with contempt. "What do you want, you pretentious douche? She's working. Unlike you."

Ryan straightened slightly. "This is a private conversation."

House pushed his hand into his front pocket and pulled out a couple of wrinkled twenty dollar bills. He tossed them on the floor at Ryan's feet.

"Go do your own laundry and then get yourself some food."

"My name is Ryan." He bent down, picked up the money and pocketed it. He looked at Cameron. "I need my laundry done. I'm meeting friends later and I don't have anything to wear."

House looked at Cameron with disgust. "You have two choices here. Get rid of him and get back to work or go with him and don't come back."

Cameron glared at him. House lowered his head and stared back at her. Something inside her snapped. She turned to Ryan.

"Go back to my apartment, pack up your things and be gone by the time I get home," she told him.

"But...but I don't have a job or any money," Ryan whined.

House laughed obnoxiously.

"What?!" she growled as she turned on him.

"You let that in your glory hole," he snorted.

Cameron closed her eyes and counted to ten, then she grabbed Ryan's arm and began to pull him toward the elevators. "If you aren't gone when I get home, or if anything, and I mean anything, is missing from my apartment, I'm calling the police."

As she pushed Ryan into the elevator, House began a slow, mocking clap behind her.

"Nice to know Daddy's Little Co-dependent has finally grown a backbone," he grinned.

"Shut up, House," Cameron muttered as she walked past him into the conference room.

Standing in line at the cafeteria, House could smell Cameron's citrus shampoo before he saw her, and she found herself in line next to him as he selected a burger.

"No Wilson to buy your lunch today?" she teased as they made their way to the cashier.

"He's in another meeting. Are you offering? Seems that's the least you could do after I got rid of that pretentious douche."

Cameron rolled her eyes but took out her wallet to pay for both lunches and they found a seat.

"You know what I don't understand?" House said between bites of his burger.

"Enlighten me."

"You're smart, beautiful and compassionate. Actually, you're too compassionate because you seem to attract these total losers who leech off of you."

"Well, you used to call me Compassionate Cameron," she pointed out. "As for the company I keep, that's none of your business, House."

"You made it my business when that asshole came here and demanded you do his laundry. How long have you been with that clown?"

She squirmed in her chair. "He wasn't always like that, you know."

"It doesn't matter what he used to be like. He saw a crack in your confidence and has been feeding off it ever since. Jesus, you were better off with Chase."

"Don't even go there," Cameron hissed. "Chase killed Dibala and you helped cover it up."

"And yet you still came back. Face it, you can't leave here. As toxic as this place is, it made you the person you are now. You can do so much better than that idiot, though."

"Like who, House? You?" she chuckled as she bit into her salad.

"Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Are you serious? You shouldn't be saying stuff like this."

"Why not? It's true, isn't it? Well, isn't it?" he asked as he nudged her.

Cameron shook her head in frustration. "It doesn't matter if it is or not. You're married to Dominika, and she's great."

"Don't change the subject." House finished his drink and started to get up. "When you come to your senses and realize I'm right, you know where to find me."

"You and Cameron seem to be very chummy these days," Wilson said casually as they watched the game at House's place.

"Chummy? Pfft, I didn't know anyone still used that word."

"Stop deflecting. I heard she let that guy loose that was living with her."

"Thanks to me. If I hadn't intervened he'd still be there, treating her like a doormat."

"I saw her with some guy at a sushi place in town the other day. She must be on the prowl."

"Cameron? I don't think she knows how to prowl. If she did, she wouldn't end up with such losers."

"Ah-ha!" Wilson called out. "You still like her. And not just like, I mean really like her."

"That ship has sailed. I'm with Dominika."

"In a sham marriage."

"Beats being alone. Now shut up, the game's back on," House said as he turned up the volume. Wilson hit a nerve but he wasn't going to let him know it. The only solution was to pay extra attention to Dominika in order to prove Wilson wrong. Meanwhile, he was thinking about who the mystery man might be. He'd have to do some recon.