Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people or real locales are used fictitiously. All original characters are my fictitious creations and may not be used without my written permission. "Forever Knight" was created by James D. Parriott and Barney Cohen and is owned by Sony/TriStar. "House, M.D." was created by David Shore and is owned by NBC/Universal. I am not making any money off of this story. I'm merely taking the characters out of their boxes and playing with them for a while. I promise to put them back when I'm finished, no worse for wear, though much happier than they were when I first removed them. <G> So please don't sue me, although it might be fun to watch you try to squeeze blood out of a stone and my dirt-poor ass.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Nancy Taylor. It's all her fault that this was written, so if you don't like it, blame her! We were talking one day about House. I jokingly said what a hoot it would be if House met LaCroix. Two stubborn, cranky old bastards. I casually mentioned it could make for an interesting crossover story. She kept bugging me to write it. I didn't want to write any fan fiction because I have a novel in the works, and time would be taken away from that endeavor. She persisted. I relented. But how to get the two together? I figured Nick Knight would make a fine intermediary. Unfortunately, once House met Nick, he realized this was the ultimate medical mystery, and he wanted to solve it. I was no longer in control of the story. So, this story is his fault, too.

Author's Notes: The title is taken from the line "'One only understands the things that one tames,' said the fox." This line comes from "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery, copyright 1943, an amazing book! Read it, if you haven't. It will open your eyes.

The science used in this story is real, however, it has been manipulated at times to make the story work. Telomere research is cutting edge, exciting, and may lead to new cancer treatments.

As a former resident of the Princeton area, I'm quite familiar with the locales used in this story. Many of them hold special personal meaning for me. Those who know me, will know to which of those I'm referring. Liberties were taken with Raceway Park. I hope they will forgive me. Go visit, if you ever get a chance. It's a great place!

Any time you buy gemstones, be sure they're "conflict-free." If you don't know what that's all about, educate yourself by "Googling" it. You can save a life.

The reference to "digging up Andrew Carnegie" has to do with the fact that the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist, who had built a number of artificial lakes in Scotland, donated just over $100,000.00 to build what became Lake Carnegie on the Princeton Campus, so the students would have a decent place to row crew. It was dedicated on December 5, 1906. Princeton President Woodrow Wilson (he was president of Princeton before he was president of the USA), and President James McCosh before him, had tried unsuccessfully to solicit Carnegie for a donation to the University. However, Howard Russell Butler (Class of 1876) who met Carnegie one day on the "PJ&B" complained about the poor conditions on the Delaware & Raritan Canal and asked him to build a lake where students could row crew. Carnegie said to write him a letter showing it was feasible and what it would cost, and he'd consider it. Butler wrote him on July 16, 1902. Carnegie donated the money. The lake was built. It is said that Woodrow Wilson was unhappy and remarked, "We asked for bread, and he gave us cake." Today, a beautiful lake, three miles long, up to 12 feet deep and up to 800 feet wide occupies what was once described as "a malarious and unwholesome swamp."

"PERRLA" is medical shorthand and means: "Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive to Light and Accommodation." This is normal and what you always want to see in a patient.

"C & S" is medical shorthand for "culture and sensitivity." This is a test done to determine what type of bacteria you're dealing with and what antibiotics will kill it.

Although I hope you enjoy this story, I frankly don't care if you flame me or praise me. I do not write for others' approval. I write for the reason all true writers write: I have a burning desire to tell a story. If it moves you to contact me for any reason, you may do so at: ASNightBird@yahoo.com

Rating: R

Pairings: House/Cameron; Nick/Nat

Category: Crossover -- Forever Knight / House, M.D.

Warnings: This story contains ADULT LANGUAGE and ADULT SEXUAL CONTENT. If you are under 18 years of age or are offended by this type of material, stop reading right now!

CHAPTER 1

"Last call, Doc," Gus said as he poured Johnny Walker Blue in the shot glass again.

"Thanks," House replied, downing it in one gulp. He pulled a small wad of bills from his pocket, tossed a couple c-notes on the bar and got up to leave. "See ya later."

"Thanks, Doc," Gus said waving the bills at him, "drive safe."

House staggered out the door of the downtown drinking establishment that he and Wilson frequented. He'd come alone tonight, upset over the latest skirmish he'd had with Stacy. It was Friday night, so he was relieved he wouldn't have to face her again until Monday morning. He mounted his bike, secured his cane, popped a Vicodin, put on his helmet, and revved the engine.

Although it was after 2:00 a.m., he didn't want to go home yet, so he decided to ride around the empty streets. Heading west out of town, he got on Stockton Street, then hung a right onto Elm Road, which became the Great Road past Mountain Avenue. Racing past the sleeping mansions, the crisp fall air embraced him. He loved the feeling of freedom he got when on his bike, something he sorely missed since the infarction changed his life.

Slowing a bit, he turned right onto Pretty Brook Road and sped up again. He put on his high beam and gunned the engine. Flying around a curve and up and down a small rise, House was suddenly confronted by a hulk in the middle of the road. "Oooh crap!"

In the instant before the crash, the headlight revealed the form of a large buck with something leaning over it. That something turned to face him, with gleaming eyes and fangs glinting in the glare. It was the figure of a man. As he laid the bike down on its left side at 60 mph, Greg's helmeted head smacked the pavement. 'What the hell?' was his last thought before he lost consciousness.

@>-->--<--<@

Slowly, ever so slowly, he returned to consciousness. He became aware that every square inch of his body ached. Without opening his eyes, he gingerly attempted to move each extremity. Nothing appeared to be fractured. It was then he realized he was no longer on hard pavement. He was in a soft bed with a blanket pulled over him. Definitely not the hospital, where concrete masqueraded as a mattress.

In the distance, Greg heard a grandfather clock chime. He counted. Nine o'clock. Cautiously, he opened one eye. The room was dimly lit, heavy drapes on the windows. Looking to his right, he saw a night table. On it was his folded leather jacket, now worse for wear, his scraped and dented helmet, his wallet, watch, cell phone, bottle of Vicodin and a glass of water. No sign of his cane. He sat up. A wave of dizziness hit him. Grabbing the pills, he popped the top, took one and washed it down with some of the water. Examining himself, he discovered bandages on his left elbow and forearm, and left thigh and knee. They appeared to be expertly applied. His own clothes were gone, replaced only with silk boxers. He looked around the room. It was rather large, with wood floors and tastefully wallpapered walls. An elegant Chinese rug covered the floor between the bed and door, which was closed.

From out of the deep shadow in a corner of the room stepped a figure. Greg recognized him as the man leaning over the deer and eyed him warily.

"How are you feeling?" the stranger inquired quietly.

"Like a man who kissed the pavement doing 60. How the hell do you think I'm feeling? And who the hell are you? What are you?" Greg stared as the blond-haired man stepped further into the room. His eyes now adjusted to the darkness, he could see a chair in the corner and realized the stranger must have been watching him the whole night.

"I'm Nick Knight. You're in my home on the Great Road." He brought his hand from behind his back. "I think you'll need this. I'm afraid yours was destroyed in the accident." He approached the bed, holding out a carved rosewood cane with ivory handle.

Greg's eyes widened. The cane was magnificent and looked like an antique. He took it. "Thanks, but you still haven't answered my question. And why am I here?"

Nick sat upon the foot of the king size bed. "What I am will take some explaining. Why you're here is simple. You were driving drunk. From your wallet, I learned you're a doctor. Head of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. A police record would cause problems. Even so, I feel responsible for your accident. You had no fractures, the head trauma was minimal ... a concussion ... so I brought you back here and tended to your abrasions. Let you sleep it off."

"Yeah well, I had good reason to be drunk." Greg scowled. "And you're a doctor? Never saw you around." A harsh laugh broke from the smirk spreading across his face.

"A long time ago I tended wounded soldiers. I was the closest thing they had to a doctor."

"You're too damn young to have been in Desert Storm. You want to try pulling my good leg now?" His eyes narrowed to slits.

"I was referring to ... the Civil War," Nick responded levelly, watching for a reaction from his guest.

Greg burst out laughing. "Yeah ... right. And I'm Abraham Lincoln! Please, you'll have to do better than that. Now who are you really?"

Nick looked down for a moment and then back up. His eyes were ablaze as he bared his fangs.

"Holy SHIT!" Wide-eyed, Greg jumped out of bed, swayed from dizziness, yelped as his bad leg complained about the sudden move, and was caught by Nick before he hit the floor.

"You need to stay in bed," Nick told him as he helped him get back in. He'd reverted back to normal.

Greg lay there gasping, his face pinched in pain. He opened his eyes, head swimming, and stared at this strange being staring at him. Nick reached over and took a pill from the bottle of Vicodin. He raised Greg's head, put the pill in his mouth and gave him a sip of water. "Thanks," he managed.

"I'm sorry to have startled you," Nick smiled, "but I find getting disbelief out of the way quickly makes the rest of the conversation go more easily."

"Tell me this is just an alcohol and drug-induced hallucination." He rubbed his eyes. "Or else you'd have me believe you're Dracula's younger brother."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. And, by the way, Dracula wasn't real ... unlike me."

House stared wide-eyed as Nick told the doctor his story, paying particular attention to the part about Dr. Natalie Lambert and her attempts at curing him. 'My God', House thought, 'the ultimate medical puzzle!' Silence fell between them.

He looked at Nick curiously. "You really loved her, didn't you?" Greg asked wistfully.

"I still do," Nick answered, voice soft. He gently shook his head, then looked up. "So, I had to move on and wound up here." He gestured around the room. "My home is the one at the split, inside the 'Y'", he finished. "Again, I'm sorry about the accident."

Greg nodded. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's impolite to eat in the middle of the road?" His eyes twinkled. "What about my bike?"

Nick smiled. "Nothing that can't be repaired. I'll see to that today. Your clothes didn't fair quite as well. I can loan you some when you're ready."

"Thank you."

Nick looked at the long scar on House's right thigh. "Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

Greg saw where Nick's gaze led. "I don't like to talk about it, but seeing as you've saved my ass...." He filled him in.

"Looks as if we've both been betrayed," Nick sighed. "You know, I could cure you, but you'd have to live like me."

"No offense, but I'll keep the leg as is."

"I don't blame you." Nick rose from the bed. "I'll have some breakfast brought in for you."

"Thanks." Greg watched as the blond man crossed the room to the door. "Hey, Nick."

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Do you still have Natalie's notebooks?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I think I can cure you."

That got his attention. "You're joking, right?"

"No, that's what I do for a living ... solve the cases no one else can." He grinned. "Your friend was right. Solving the puzzle is its own reward."

"I'll bring them to you with breakfast." Nick turned and left, deciding to withhold judgment for now. It was difficult to get his hopes up anymore.

@>-->--<--<@

Nick brought in a tray with orange juice, coffee, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and jam. He turned on the bedside lamp. Greg sat up against the headboard and balanced the tray on his lap. "Thanks. This sure looks better than anything the hospital serves." He grinned.

"You're welcome." Nick retrieved the chair from the corner of the room and put it by the bed. He handed Greg two notebooks and sat down. House nodded.

As he ate, Greg poured over Natalie's notebooks. Occasionally, he'd look up to ask Nick a question. He finished his last forkful of eggs and set the tray aside. Just then, the cell phone on the night stand began to ring. Annoyed, he picked it up and looked at the screen. Wilson. "What?"

"House, I'm at your place. You're not here. Where the hell are you?"

"Did anyone ever tell you what a penchant you have for stating the obvious?"

"We were supposed to have breakfast together. Obviously, you forgot."

"Noooo, actually, after talking to Stacy yesterday, I had a deep need to get thoroughly drunk. Unfortunately, the evening was cut short when I kissed the pavement doing 60. I just regained consciousness about 30 minutes ago. I didn't have time to forget."

"Jesus, House! Are you all right? Your leg...."

"Leg's fine. I laid her down on the left. Can't the same for my clothes, though. Other than a concussion, there's just some scrapes and bruises. I'll live."

"So where the hell are you? The hospital?"

"James ... can you keep a secret?"

At that, Nick started to protest. House held up his hand and covered the cell phone. "If I help you, I need him to help me." He stared into Nick's eyes, unblinking.

Nick nodded.

Wilson's ears perked up at the sound of his first name coming out of House's mouth. He rarely called him anything but Wilson. "You know I can. Why?"

"I need you to bring me a set of clothes ... everything but shoes, and the bottle of Vicodin in my medicine cabinet. I'm nearly out. You know where the Great Road splits? I'm in the house in the 'Y'. I'll tell you more when you get here."

"Yeah, I know it. I'll be there in about 15 minutes."

"Thanks," Greg said and hung up.

"Who is James?" Nick was concerned.

"Wilson. He's my best friend and fellow physician. An oncologist. He'll keep your secret. I trust him with my life, but don't ever tell him that. He'll be insufferable." Greg rolled his eyes and chuckled.

@>-->--<--<@

The housekeeper led Wilson into the bedroom. "Sir, he's here."

"Thank you, Martha," Nick replied. He looked up to see a younger man standing hesitantly just inside the doorway and shaking his head.

Greg followed Nick's gaze and grinned. "Well, what the hell took you so damn long?"

"You! The pills weren't in the medicine cabinet. I had to search your whole damn place. They were on the piano under some sheet music."

"Oh. Sorry." House managed to look suitably sheepish. Wilson strode over to the bed. He gazed up and down his body, noting the bandages, bruises and scrapes, then pulled a penlight out of his pocket.

"Aww, come on, Wilson," House whined. "Don't start playing doctor with me. I'm fine."

"Just shut up and let me check you out. Damnit, House! You could have killed yourself. I'm either going to have Gus suspend your drinking privileges when on your bike, or take away your keys myself." He put his hand on Greg's forehead. "Now lean back."

Greg tipped his head back, but not before he stuck his tongue out and pulled a face.

"Nice. That's what I get for caring about you." He flicked the light across each eye, watching the pupillary response. Normal. He started to check Greg's limbs, when the protest started in earnest.

"I told you, I'm fine. The leg's fine. Nothing's broken. I'm a doctor, too, or have you forgotten?" Annoyance now tinged his voice.

Wilson knew it was time to back off. "Fine. Here's your stuff." He picked up the gym bag he'd brought and tossed it on the bed.

Nick chuckled. Both men looked at him. "I'm sorry. You remind me of myself and Natalie, a friend." He stuck his hand out to Wilson. "I'm Nick Knight."

"James Wilson." He gripped the pro-offered hand and shook it.

House had pulled the clothes and pill bottle out of the gym bag and tossed it on the floor behind Wilson. Sitting up, he tried to get a sock on his right foot, but got dizzy with the effort and pain, and lay back against the headboard again, panting. Wilson observed him closely.

"I thought you said you're just fine." Wilson's eyes narrowed.

"Rat bastard."

"Prick." James snatched the sock out of Greg's hand and put it on for him.

Nick watched with amusement as Wilson helped House get dressed, insults flying left and right. 'Like an old married couple,' he thought.

House had left on the silk boxers. He refused to give up his last bastion of privacy to Wilson, even though James had reminded him that he'd already seen everything before. House had just glared at him.

Wilson stood beside the bed with arms folded, a smug look on his face. "All right, so now what's the big secret?"

Greg smirked. "Show him, Nick."

He'd been sitting on the chair watching everything transpire. Now he looked down, then up again and snarled at Wilson, fangs bared.

Wilson's eyes got wide as saucers. "OH SHIT!" He moved backward quickly, tripped over the gym bag, and with arms flailing, crashed to the floor. "You're a ... VAMPIRE!" He lay there on his back trying to catch his breath.

House calmly flicked his thumb over his shoulder toward the man lying on the floor. "See? Sharp as a whip. That's why I need him."

Nick reverted and laughed heartily. Rising, he extended his hand to Wilson, who took it cautiously, and helped him to his feet. "Sorry. Greg's idea."

James glared at House. "Figures."

"Oh, come on, Jimmy! Where's your sense of fun?" House teased, then turned serious. "Look, Nick has been trying to reverse the vampirism for centuries. He seemed to come close about 12 years ago. "These," he said, holding up the notebooks, "are the records of that attempt." Wilson sat on the bed next to him, now fascinated. House smiled, knowing he was hooked. He went on to tell him about Natalie and her research. "James ... just think. It's the ultimate medical puzzle!"

@>-->--<--<@

House read portions of the diaries to Wilson, while Nick looked on. "Okay, look at this photo and tell me what you see." Greg handed it to Wilson, who studied it carefully. It was an electron microscope photograph.

"My God ... the telomeres! I've never seen anything like this." He locked eyes with House.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?" House grinned, eyebrows raised.

Wilson nodded.

"What's going on?" Nick asked, puzzled.

Wilson handed him the photo and pointed. "See these nucleotides on the ends of this chromosome? They're called telomeres. We're just starting to understand the role they play in longevity of cells and living things. The theory goes, the longer the telomeres, the longer an organism lives. These, yours, are huge."

"Is that what accounts for my immortality?"

"That's what I'm betting," House stated smugly. "Wilson, move. I gotta pee." Nick pointed to a closed door to the right of the bed.

Wilson got off the bed. Greg took the cane from the night table. He gingerly sat up and swung his legs off the bed. Planting his left foot firmly, he pushed himself up using the cane for leverage. Upon getting to his feet, he swayed wildly. Wilson grabbed him. "Easy there!"

"I'm dizzy. Must be the concussion." He stood, unmoving, letting the world come to a stop, and took a deep breath. "That's better." He started to walk toward the bathroom door, weaving as he went. Losing his balance, he tripped over the cane. Both Nick and Wilson ran to catch him.

"Let me help you, " Wilson said, holding his left arm. Greg started to argue with him and pull away, when his bladder warned him he was running out of time - fast.

"All right, all right! Just hurry or I'm going to pee on myself."

They got into the bathroom. Wilson lifted the seat with one hand, while steadying Greg with the other. House hung his cane on the vanity and put his left hand on the wall. Wilson just stood there.

"Uhhhh ... I do know how to take a leak." House glared at him.

"I don't want you to fall."

"I'm braced against the wall. I'll be fine. Now get out of here before my bladder bursts."

Wilson walked out leaving the door half open.

A voice came from within. "A little privacy, please!"

Wilson chuckled. "Fine. Holler when you're finished," he said as he closed the door. He heard a long, satisfied sigh and the sound of urine hitting water. He smiled and shook his head as he returned to where Nick was sitting.

The blond-haired man was grinning. "Is he always like this?"

Wilson laughed. "Oooooh, yes. That's Gregory House. Actually, I'm surprised at how well he's behaving. He can be a royal pain in one's ass."

"I heard that!" came a voice from the bathroom. Nick cracked up. Wilson just grinned and shook his head.

They heard the toilet flush and water running in the sink. Suddenly, a loud clattering came from behind the door, a snarled "Oh fuck!" and a heavy thud.

Wilson jumped up in alarm and ran to the door, yanking it open. He saw the cane lying on the tiled floor and Greg sprawled on the toilet seat. "You all right?"

"Yeah. I just got dizzy." Light sweat coated his forehead.

"Okay, let's get you back to bed." He picked up the cane, handed it to Greg and helped him up. They slowly walked back.

Back in bed, House took a deep breath. The room was spinning. "I guess I smacked the pavement a lot harder than I thought."

Wilson picked up his helmet and fingered the dent. "Good thing you had the sense to wear this or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I was angry and drunk, yes, but I didn't have a death wish. Besides, it was Nick's fault. His mother never taught him it's impolite to eat in the middle of the road." House winked.

Wilson's eyebrow rose, questioningly. Nick explained, since he hadn't heard how the accident had happened.

"So, you really do drink blood." Wilson was thinking.

"That's the definition of 'vampire', Boy Genius." Greg rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, House."

"Yeah, the animal blood keeps me alive, but it's like being on a very low calorie diet. I really need human blood to be completely healthy and strong. I just can't kill people. I stopped centuries ago." Nick looked down.

Wilson could tell this wasn't a comfortable conversation for him. Putting his hand on Nick's shoulder, he said, "This could prove to be important information."

House had started reading Natalie's notebook again. "Look at this, Wilson." He pointed at the page. "She said the virus is a retrovirus."

"Okay, that's a virus that contains RNA, like HIV. Most viruses contain DNA. Some retroviruses can cause a permanent genetic alteration in the DNA of its host's cells," he told Nick. "The telomeres are extraordinarily long, yet there's obviously no cancer." Wilson rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "It's possible the virus is coding for telomerase, which would repair the telomeres after each mitosis, keeping them long. But that's usually seen in cancerous cells."

"Something about the virus must be preventing that. We need to isolate the virus and find out what proteins it produces and what they do. Then we'll have a better idea of how to treat this." Greg nodded.

Both men looked up and stared at each other. "We need equipment," they said simultaneously.

"We'll have to sneak in at night." House rubbed his chin.

"Are you crazy? Cuddy is sure to find out, and you're already in enough trouble after losing that hundred million for the hospital."

"Umm ... excuse me?" They looked at Nick, nearly having forgotten he was sitting there. "What's this about losing a hundred million?"

Wilson explained the whole incident with the billionaire Ed Vogler having donated the money in exchange for being Chairman of the Board, then making everyone's lives hell. Eventually, he was forced out by Cuddy. Every chance she got, she reminded House he cost the hospital the money.

"Dr. Cuddy apparently trusts you," Nick said. "Do you trust her to keep a secret?"

"Absolutely," House said. Wilson nodded.

"Maybe we could make a deal with her. I'll anonymously donate the hundred million you cost the hospital, if we can use the facilities for our research, no questions asked by anyone else. What do you think?"

The two men exchanged wide-eyed looks, then looked at Nick. He smiled. "I've been alive for 800 years. A person accumulates a lot of money in all that time."

"Okay, but we need one more person," Wilson said.

"Who?" Greg asked.

Wilson knew he wouldn't like the answer. "We're dealing with an unknown virus here. We need an immunologist...."

"Oh no!" Greg protested. "Not Cameron."

Nick heard House's heartbeat speed up when he mentioned her name.

"House, we have no choice. Who else could we possibly ask? She'll keep Nick's secret. You know that."

"Shit. All right." Greg acquiesced.

"We both have vacation time coming. So we'll be able to work in secret at night. I'm sure Cuddy will give Cameron time off, too."

There it was again. Nick heard Greg's heart speed up at the sound of her name. He filed that information away in the back of his mind.

The three men made their plan for Monday. Wilson and House would speak to Cuddy and set up a meeting for the four of them at 9:00 p.m. The two had no doubt she would clear her calendar for a hundred million dollars.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 2

Wilson had loaded House into his car and drove him home, stopping at his place first to pick up some clothes and toiletries. Julie was at her mother's for a couple weeks, so he figured he'd stay at Greg's. He could help him out while they worked on their theory of vampirism.

When the door opened, they heard a little squeak. Steve McQueen was looking out of his cage toward them. He squeaked again. "Must be hungry. Get him some food, would you? It's in the kitchen on the counter. And put fresh water in his bottle."

When James helped House over to the couch, closer to the cage, the rat began to squeak repeatedly. "My God," Wilson said, "I think he actually missed you." Greg gave him a 'you're nuts' look, but inwardly smiled. He'd grown fond of the little furball. He made his life a little less lonely.

After settling House on the couch in just a t-shirt and boxers (the pressure of denim on his injuries having been too uncomfortable) and feeding the rat, he put the two gym bags in the bedroom. Wilson carried the notebooks back into the living room, tossed one to Greg, sat in the arm chair and started the discussion. "We need to identify the virus, for sure, but we may not need to identify the proteins it codes for." He rubbed his eyes with his left hand, then looked at the cage. "There may be several ways to treat this." Steve, having munched some of the rat chow, now ran happily in his exercise wheel.

"Yeah, block the enzyme or destroy it, kill the virus ... way ahead of you." Greg was slowly flipping through the notebook as he spoke. "Natalie said this drug, Lydovuderine-B, shut the virus down, but it was cytotoxic and apparently addictive. And the virus mutated, becoming resistant to it." Wilson nodded, as House continued, "It says that the drug was a hormone with similarities to naturally-produced endorphins and was originally developed to ... 'enhance beef production'...." A flash of an image of long brown hair and a sweet smile popped into his head unbidden. A faraway look slowly came over his features.

Wilson looked up from his notebook when House's voice trailed off. He smirked. "Better living through chemistry, indeed!" He couldn't stifle a laugh.

Greg snapped out of his reverie, looked at James and followed his stare to his own groin, surprised to see an erection straining at the fabric of his boxers. He cursed his body for betraying his thoughts. "Shut up, Wilson!" The younger man laughed. Greg grabbed his crotch. "What? You want a piece of this?"

The other man laughed heartily. "Uhhh ... no. I'm just wondering who it's for." He waggled his eyebrows and ducked as a shoe came sailing past his head. "I take it it's not Stacy then." The first shoe's mate also sailed by. "I guess that's an affirmative."

"It's just the concussion," Greg muttered.

"Yeah ... right. Since when is 'erection' one of the signs and symptoms of concussion?" He laughed some more. Wilson's face and voice softened. "You really do like Cameron, don't you?"

Greg shook his head. "That's never gonna work out."

"It could if you'd just give it a chance. Stacy's married now. Besides, and tell me to shut my mouth if I'm wrong, but I don't see how you could ever trust her again after what she did ... even though she did save your miserable excuse for a life." James smiled.

House grunted.

"You told me you two had a great time at the monster truck rally."

"Yeah, we did. But she's so naive and immature."

"Oh, and you're not? Harassing Cuddy, playing with your yo-yo and Gameboy...."

"They help me think."

"Harassing Cuddy helps you think?" Wilson chuckled at that.

"Nooo." Greg shook his head. "That's just fun."

"My point exactly!"

Greg rolled his eyes. They went back to discussing the issue at hand.

"I think we're going to have to keep Nick in the hospital once we figure out a treatment. He'll probably need close monitoring," Wilson stated.

"Yeah. Hmmm ... that's going to be a real challenge. Between you, me, Cuddy and Cameron, we should be able to watch him 24/7. We can't have any other personnel involved. Foreman and Chase shouldn't be a problem. I'll keep them busy. Where to put him, though. Damned glass-walled rooms."

"Hey, I know! What about the old Firestone Wing? Solid walls. It's mainly used for storage now. There's a few offices there, but way at the end of the secondary corridor is an old isolation suite. It has an isolation room and adjoining room we could use as an office. We could install black-out curtains on the exterior windows and a shade on the door window. No one would ever know."

House beamed. "You know, I think that would just work."

@>-->--<--<@

The rest of the weekend was spent tending to House's wounds, which were healing nicely, eating, drinking, watching movies and sports. On Sunday, the motorcycle was returned in pristine condition.

By Sunday evening, Wilson had gathered up his stuff and was headed home. Greg's concussion had improved tremendously. He was no longer dizzy. Except for some minor cuts and scrapes on his nose, left cheek and chin, no one would ever suspect he'd been in an accident. The other injuries would be hidden by his jeans and long sleeves.

He tucked Natalie's notebooks into an empty space in his bookcase. They wouldn't be needed until tomorrow night's meeting with Cuddy. He put a finger in the cage and rubbed Steve's head. The rat squeaked. "You like that, huh?" The rat squeaked again. Sitting down at his piano, he began to play "Moonlight Sonata."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 3

Dr. Gregory House walked into his office bright and early Monday morning. Foreman and Chase weren't in yet. He found Cameron seated at his desk sorting through the mail. He cleared his throat.

Cameron jumped and spun around. "Oh! Dr. House. I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously." He put his bag down next to her, then sat in his easy chair.

"What happened to your face?"

"Just a little motorcycle accident Friday night."

"What? Are you all right?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" He smirked.

Cameron scowled at him. "It's not funny. You could have been killed."

"Always the worry-wart. I am a big boy, you know." He hid his smile under a look of annoyance. "Anyway, I need to know if you can really keep a secret."

Puzzled, she replied, "Of course I can. Why?"

"I mean from the Hardy Boys, too."

"Uh, yeah. What's going on?"

"I may have a very special case coming in. But it demands the utmost secrecy. I'm going to need an immunologist, and you're the best we've got."

Cameron's eyes widened. "Did you just pay me a compliment?"

House looked her in the eye. "I suppose I just did." She grinned from ear to ear. He smiled to himself, revealing nothing on his face. She was definitely easy to please. "But I won't let it happen again." He threw that in for good measure. She rolled her eyes.

"So, what is this case? Someone famous?"

"No, but it will be like nothing you've ever seen before. I can't tell you anymore right now. I just wanted to give you a heads up and see if you'd be interested."

"Sure. I love a challenge as much as you do."

"Okay then. Let's get to work. I'm off for a fun-filled day at the clinic." He got up and moved next to Cameron, leaning down and opening his desk drawer. He pulled out his Gameboy and portable TV, put them in his pockets and headed out as he waved good-bye.

Cameron chuckled, then turned back to the pile of mail.

@>-->--<--<@

Wilson met House in the cafeteria for lunch. They chose a table off in the corner, away from everyone else.

"I checked out the suite while you were in clinic. It's perfect. No one around. Quiet. And there's not too much crap in either room that needs moving. In fact, some of the stuff we need, like a bed, is already there," Wilson said, voice low.

"Good. We can pack up the equipment we need and move it down there like we're putting stuff in storage. We'll move the stuff already there into another room. No one will be the wiser." House felt excited.

They ate in silence.

House finished the last bite of his reuben. "Now, let's go see Cuddy."

@>-->--<--<@

House shoved Cuddy's door open with the tip of his cane and blew into her office, Wilson in tow. She looked up, frowning and shaking her head. "Didn't you ever hear of knocking?"

House did a wide-eyed double take. "It was my understanding you had an open door policy."

"Yeaaah." Then she saw Wilson enter. "Oh God ... both of you. What did you do now?"

House put his hand over his heart. "Why Dr. Cuddy, I'm crushed!" Wilson snickered. She rolled her eyes.

"What happened to your face?"

"The road and I had a slight disagreement. I'm fine."

Cuddy shook her head. What else was new?

The two men plopped down in the chairs in front of her desk. House wasted no time getting to the point. "You've been holding it over my head ever since Vogler took back his money and ran. Would you like to have that money back?"

Cuddy looked him in the eye. "Uh ... duh!" She screwed up her face.

House just stared at her, wide-eyed. "Oookay. Well, I've got someone who wants to donate the hundred million."

Laughing loudly, Cuddy said, "Suuuure! What did you do? Dig up Andrew Carnegie?"

"Ha, Ha." House smirked.

Wilson cleared his throat. "He's telling the truth."

Cuddy's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. "How the hell did you meet someone with that kind of money?"

"By accident," House said innocently.

Wilson snickered. She eyed him suspiciously.

"And just who is this person?"

"He'd like to meet you himself and discuss the terms of his donation." House tapped his cane on the floor.

"And just what kind of 'terms' are we talking about here? I've already tried selling my soul once, I won't do that again."

"In exchange for the money, he wants complete anonymity and treatment for his medical condition. He wants to meet with you tonight at 9:00 p.m. to discuss it," House stated.

"Tonight? Why not during regular business hours? I had plans for tonight."

"It has to do with his medical condition."

"What, does he have XP?" Cuddy spat, getting exasperated.

"Xeroderma pigmentosum?" House asked, eyes gleaming in amusement.

The two men glanced at each other, stifling snorts and giggles.

"Uhhh, yeah ... I guess you could say that!" Wilson chuckled, barely able to contain his laughter. House snorted and choked.

Glaring at the two of them, Cuddy growled, "You better not be screwing with me, House, or I swear you'll be spending the rest of your life in clinic among snotty noses and congested chests!"

Raising his hand, Wilson said, "We swear."

Shaking her head, hand on forehead, she looked up at them. "Fine. I'll be here. But this better be worth my time."

House levered himself out of the chair and rose, sweet grin on his face. "Oh, it will be." He and Wilson left giggling. Cuddy dropped her head on her desk with a loud moan.

@>-->--<--<@

The two men entered the conference room. Foreman and Chase were gone. Cameron was reading a medical journal and looked up as they entered.

"That conversation we had earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"Be in Cuddy's office tonight at nine o'clock," House said and continued on into his office, followed by Wilson. The door closed. Then opened again. Greg poked his head out. "And remember," he whispered with his finger over his lips, "not a word to anyone."

"Sure."

The door closed again.

Wilson flopped into the armchair. House picked up the phone and dialed. "Hi Nick. It's House. Yeah, it's on for tonight." He gave the vampire directions for finding his office in the hospital. "I'll see you at eight forty-five. Bye." He turned to Wilson with a wicked grin, rubbing his hands together. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"I sure hope you don't give Cuddy a heart attack."

House shrugged. "I'll leave that to Nick."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 4

Nick arrived at the hospital and found his way to Dr. Gregory House's office, where he and Dr. Wilson were waiting for him. The hospital was quiet, having settled into its night-shift routine.

Nick opened the door and walked in. House and Wilson rose. "Hi, Greg ... James." Nick shook hands with them.

House's eyes were gleaming as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Now let's go scare the pants off Cuddy!" Nick chuckled and Wilson shook his head.

@>-->--<--<@

The three men entered Cuddy's office. She and Dr. Cameron were already there. House did the introductions. "Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Dr. Allison Cameron. I'm pleased to introduce Nicholas Knight."

"Pleased to meet you both," Nick said as he shook hands.

"Very pleased to meet you," Cuddy replied. House and Wilson glanced at each other and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, too." Allison smiled as she took Nick's hand. He had noticed how both her heart and House's sped up when they saw each other and noticed the looks that passed between them. Something was going on between those two.

"Please," Cuddy waved to the chairs in front of her desk, "let's all sit down." Nick sat between House and Wilson, while Cuddy and Cameron sat opposite them.

Once seated, Wilson spoke up. "Mr. Knight has agreed to donate one hundred million dollars to the hospital, to be spent at your sole discretion without limitations, in exchange for anonymity and help in finding a cure for his medical condition. No one but the four of us is to be involved."

"Surely you've been told there is no cure for XP, Mr. Knight. It's a genetic disorder," Cuddy said.

"He doesn't have XP," House piped up.

"But you said...."

"You assumed. I never said he actually had it."

"Well then, what does he have?"

"Show her, Nick." House grinned.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Cuddy glanced at each in turn, puzzled.

Nick looked down, then raised his head. His eyes were gleaming. He bared his fangs and snarled. Cuddy and Cameron screamed as one and jumped up. House nearly fell out of his chair laughing. "Well, that went well, don't ya think?" Wilson smacked him on the shoulder, unable to stifle his own laughter.

Cuddy glared at them. She caught her breath as she panted hard. "What the hell are you?"

Cameron stood, frozen in place, speechless, her mouth wide open.

"Nice way to talk to your new benefactor." House smirked. Wilson smacked him again. "What?"

Nick reverted. "I'm sorry to have scared you, but I really don't know any better way to get past the disbelief in the existence of vampires. That's what I am."

Both Cuddy and Cameron slowly sat down. Allison was fascinated. "How old are you?"

"Eight hundred years old ... give or take."

"Wow."

"Yeah," Cuddy agreed.

Nick told his story for the two women, while Wilson handed a notebook to each. They flipped through them while listening to the vampire.

Cuddy shook her head as if to clear it. "This is just unbelievable, yet here you sit."

"Well, if anyone can cure you, Dr. House can," Cameron said. Greg grinned.

"I have to agree," sighed Cuddy.

Wilson spoke up. "We've already figured out that we could keep Nick in that old isolation suite over in the Firestone Wing. No one would find him there. And if we work at night, no one will be the wiser. What do you say?"

"I think this ought to be worth a few months off of clinic duty." House grinned sweetly.

"Guess again, House. Since you cost the hospital the money in the first place, you owe me this." Cuddy returned his sweet smile.

"NOT fair!" House whined. Cameron and Wilson chortled.

"Serves you right." Cuddy glared at Greg. House's chin dropped to his chest in defeat. "Mr. Knight, I'll have all the paperwork drawn up for the donation. I agree to your terms. The four of us will do our best to assist you in finding a cure."

"Thank you. I know the money will be well-spent. Any expenses incurred by my medical treatment will be paid into the same fund. I will also pay for any special equipment bought or rented." Nick smiled. "I'm anxious to get started."

Cuddy stood. "Drs. House and Cameron, I'm putting you on night shift immediately. Anyone asks, you're on vacation. I'm sure Foreman and Chase can manage, but you'll be on call for them." They nodded. "Dr. Wilson, I need you to find someone to run your department while you're on 'vacation'."

"Not a problem."

"All right then. Let's get started tomorrow. What's first?"

House spoke up. "We need to get the suite set up. We can actually do some of that right now. There isn't that much that needs to be moved out."

"Okay. Let's get to it, then," Cuddy said.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 5

Cuddy, House, Wilson, Nick and Cameron had moved all the non-essential equipment out of the suite into the other rooms lining the hallway. Conveniently, the isolation room already had a bed, night table, phone, dresser, rolling bedside table, television chairs and monitors. The adjoining room had a couple of desks, chairs and a four drawer filing cabinet. There was a phone and plenty of storage cabinets.

The next night, House and Wilson scrounged up a refrigerator, a couple of infusion pumps, various lab and medical supplies, a couple of laptops, office supplies, an arm chair, couch, a white board with markers and eraser, and snack foods. Nick put a few bottles of cow's blood in the refrigerator. Cameron brought in the black-out shades and installed them on the windows and door.

The four of them stood in their new office. "Well, I'd say we're all set to go," House said. "When do you want to start, Nick?"

"How about now? Everything is taken care of at home. I brought a small bag of personal items. No reason to wait."

"Okay," Cameron said, "let's start with a full set of labs. If you'll sit over here, I'll get some blood drawn."

"I'll meet you in the lab," Wilson said and left.

Cameron drew several tubes of blood, labeling each one with only the initials "N.K." and the date and time drawn. House watched. Nick couldn't help but notice the tension in the room, the furtive glances, the accelerated heart rates. 'These two really like each other, but something isn't quite right,' he thought.

"Okay, I'm going to run these."

"Do you mind if I go with you?" Nick asked.

Greg grabbed a labcoat out of a nearby cabinet and tossed it to Nick. "Go ahead. Just put this on so you blend in. It's quiet at night, but you could still run into someone. We don't need any suspicions raised."

"No problem."

@>-->--<--<@

They made it into the lab without encountering anyone. Wilson was waiting. "Let me run some of these."

"Sure, how about doing the CBC and differential and blood typing for starters?"

"Okay." He walked over to the far corner of the lab and some machines sitting on a counter.

Nick and Cameron went to the counter near the front door. "Could I ask you a personal question?" Cameron looked in Nick's eyes.

"Of course. I'm sure you must have lots of questions. It's not every day you meet an 800-year-old vampire." His smile was sweet and kind.

Cameron returned the smile. "About Natalie ... you really loved her, didn't you?"

Nick hadn't expected that question. "Uh, yes. In fact, I still do." He sighed. "After what happened, I had to leave Toronto immediately. I called for an ambulance, then got out of there. I didn't know if she'd survive, and I hated that I couldn't stay to find out. But word reached me that she had completely recovered. I was so relieved." Nick traced a circle on the floor with his foot. "I felt it was best for her if I had no further contact with her. I wanted her to move on with her life. I wanted her to be happy. She couldn't do that if I stayed."

"Oh, Mr. Knight, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean ---"

"No, no. It's fine." He put his hand on her shoulder. "And please, call me 'Nick'."

"Okay, Nick. Call me Allison." He nodded. "Does she know you're here?" she asked softly. Cameron's expression was sad.

Nick was impressed with her depth of sensitivity. "No. She has no idea. I have a friend keeping an eye on her, though, from a distance. She lets me know how she's doing. Sadly, she's never gotten involved with anyone else. I had hoped she'd marry ... have a family."

"She must really have loved you, too, and still does." She placed a hand over Nick's, which was still on her shoulder. "If we can cure you, will you go back to her?" Her eyes shined with the light of the hopelessly romantic.

"I'd like to."

@>-->--<--<@

House decided to go down to the lab and look over the results as they came in. He had nothing better to do. There were few people walking about. He reached the lab, seeing Nick and Cameron, their backs to him. Grasping the handle of the glass door, he started to open it, then caught the subject of their conversation and froze.

"If you don't mind my asking, what's going on between you and Dr. House?"

Cameron looked at Nick in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Nick smiled. "I'm a vampire. I can hear heartbeats at a great distance. It's how we hunt. I've noticed that whenever you two are in the same room together or one of your names is mentioned, your heart rates increase. I've also noticed the way you look at each other, and the stolen, secretive glances. Been there, done that." He heard a heartbeat appear outside the lab and recognized it as House's, but didn't let on.

Eyes widening, Cameron's mouth opened. "Wow. I had no idea...." She swallowed, then continued. "I do like him ... a lot. But you see the way he is. He chases people away to protect himself. You see the way he acts, even with Dr. Wilson, his best friend. Someone hurt him once."

"I know," Nick said, "he told me about Stacy and his leg."

"He told you? I can't believe it. He never talks about that."

"Well, I asked when I saw the scars, and he figured he owed me, since I took him in rather than calling the police, which would have created too many problems for him. He was driving drunk."

"I'm still surprised."

"Why don't you tell him how you feel?"

She chuckled. "I have. He pushed me away. Although we did have a really good time together at a monster truck rally." That brought a smile from Nick. And House. She continued, "But he's made it abundantly clear to me that he doesn't like me, especially the way I like him.

Nick looked deep into her eyes. "He likes you, Allison. Very much. Believe me." The expression on her face was priceless.

Wilson couldn't help but overhear their conversation. The lab was silent except for the soft whirring, clicking and humming of the equipment. He let them talk without interruption. Maybe Nick could bring those two together. God knows House needed all the help he could get. James smiled to himself when he heard Nick's revelation. He already knew the truth, even though Greg refused to admit it. As he looked up, he noticed House standing at lab entrance, door opened a crack. The smile vanished.

House saw him and was unnerved. Quickly, he banged the tip of his cane on the glass and blew into the lab like he'd just arrived. "So, any results yet?" He glared at Cameron.

Wilson hustled over with lab slips in hand. "Here you go. I think you'll find these interesting."

Cameron handed him some slips, too.

He studied each one. "No blood type? Yeah, that's definitely interesting."

"Not only that. His blood isn't human. It's animal. Specifically deer and cow," Wilson stated.

House's eyebrows rose. "Well, that tells us your bone marrow isn't working," he said to Nick. "Chemistries are skewed. Liver function is far below normal. Too bad there's no text on vampire physiology. We're flying blind here." He ran his hand over his face.

"Does that mean you can't cure me?"

"No," House said. "It merely means we have to do a lot of thinking and more tests. Let's go back to the office and brainstorm."

"Don't worry, Nick. The lab results may sound dismal, but they give us valuable information and clues on where to look." Cameron put her arm around him. Nick saw House bristle imperceptibly. He really wanted to talk to him, but he had to wait for the right time. Now wasn't it.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 6

Back in the office, House went right to the white board and started writing:

No blood Type - Animal Blood

Poor Liver Function

Skewed Chemistries

Retrovirus

Bone Marrow - Non-functioning

No Cancer

Super Long Telomeres

"Okay ... so what does this tell us?" House turned to face the others who were seated around the room.

Cameron was the first to speak. "Well, the bone marrow isn't producing blood cells and the blood Nick ingests is replacing what his body should produce. Without the blood he consumes, he dies. Animal blood doesn't provide the same benefits human blood does. Based on the other labs, I'd say the virus is reproducing in the blood."

"Okay, good. What else?"

"The virus is doing something to lengthen the telomeres," Wilson said. "My best guess is that it's coding for telomerase. Nothing else would make sense. As for why no cancer, I'd imagine it's partially due to the skewed labs and partially perhaps to something else the virus may be coding for."

"Good. I think we should find out where exactly the virus is reproducing. Blood does make the most sense, and since it's a retrovirus, it needs DNA."

"That leaves the leukocytes," Cameron thought out loud.

House glared at her. "So why are you still sitting there?"

Cameron glared back. "Fine." She turned to Nick. "I'm going to need some more blood."

"Okay." Nick rolled up his sleeve, while she got the items she needed.

Cameron took five milliliters of blood and put it into a centrifuge tube. "Okay, I'll be in the lab processing this."

Getting up, Wilson said, "I'll help you."

@>-->--<--<@

Greg faced Nick. "You knew I was standing there." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Nick studied him, trying to discern his mood.

"Why did you do it?" His voice was calm, neutral.

"It's obvious to me you both have feelings for each other. Allison confirmed it. You needed to hear that ... again. No matter what happened between you and Stacy, you shouldn't shut Allison out of your life." House was tapping his cane on the floor, getting angry, but remained silent. "I've lived over 800 years ... it gets lonely. Of all the women I've been with in that time, Natalie is the only one that I really want to be with, but I can't unless you can cure me. The only thing keeping you from being with Allison is fear. Don't let that stop you."

House looked at his feet. "It's not that easy." His left hand went to his damaged leg.

"There are no guarantees in life, Greg, but I get the impression that doesn't matter to her." Nick nodded toward his right leg.

"She deserves better," he whispered. Anger had turned to sadness.

"And why do you think you don't?"

"Shit! I'm old enough to be her father. I'm crippled ... in constant pain. I'm addicted to narcotics. I drink too much. I'm lousy with people. And I'm still in love with Stacy. You want more reasons?" He hung his head. "DAMNIT!" House exploded and threw his cane across the room.

Nick quietly retrieved it, then leaned on it. "None of that matters to Allison. She loves and accepts you the way you are. If you want to change, she'll support you. As for Stacy ... it's time to let go. You're hanging on to the familiar, because you're afraid. We all do that, but when we do, we miss out on the good parts of life. I see the way you look at her. I see the way you are with Wilson. You want to help me, and no, I don't believe it's only the thrill of the puzzle. You're not an evil person, Greg. And believe me, I know evil." He handed him the cane.

"I don't know." He sat down and popped a Vicodin.

"Well, at least think about it. Give her a chance. Give yourself a chance."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 7

Cuddy finished up some leftover paperwork and headed to the laboratory. She had spoken to Cameron and Wilson earlier about their plans. She found the two of them hard at work.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Hi, Dr. Cuddy." Cameron closed the door of the incubator and turned around. "Just got the cultures in."

Wilson was cleaning up the area. "Hey."

"They should plate up and be ready to go in 48 hours, then we'll be able to process them." Cameron went to help finish cleaning.

"Okay. I guess there isn't much more to do for now," Cuddy said.

"Not really," Wilson replied.

"Well, let me help you here, then we'll go back to discuss setting up a schedule."

The three of them had the lab spotless again in no time and headed back to the Firestone Wing. They walked into the office to find a sullen Greg House sitting in a chair, bouncing a ball off the wall. Nick sat swigging blood from a bottle while watching a talk show on House's portable TV.

"Well, isn't this a pretty picture," Cuddy said cheerfully, with a big grin.

"And aren't you just a ray of sunshine," House growled, catching his ball and putting it in his pocket. He pulled out his bottle of Vicodin and popped a pill into his mouth.

"Bite me."

Wilson, Cameron and Nick snickered.

"Right," House offered. "We should set up a schedule. There's really nothing much to do right now until we get the micrographs. That'll be a few days." He rubbed his face. "We really just need to plan for weekend coverage. How about we rotate alphabetically? Nice and simple."

Cuddy, Cameron and Wilson agreed.

Cuddy spoke up. "When the cultures are ready, let me know. I'll get you time in the prep room and on the TEM in Moffett Lab. Night time will be slow."

"Okay." Cameron liked working over there, just a short walk across the courtyard. It wasn't often that she got to use the electron microscopes, so she treasured the time when she did.

With nothing left to do, they all decided to go home. Wilson was going to stay with House, so Greg invited Nick to come over. He accepted.

@>-->--<--<@

It was about 2:00 a.m. when they arrived. House unlocked the door, turned on the light, and stepped aside to allow his guests to enter.
Steve had started squeaking as soon as the door opened. "Okay, okay. Yes, I'm home," Greg said to the rat. Wilson chuckled.

"You have a pet rat?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Looong story. Don't ask," Greg replied and went to get some rat chow.

Nick saw the grand piano, smiled and made a beeline for it. "May I?" he asked before taking a seat.

House nodded. "You play?"

"Yes. A man's bound to pick up a few hobbies in 800 years. I'm surprised. I didn't take you for the type who would."

"I'm just full of surprises." He grinned. Wilson snorted.

"Oh, shut up!" he flung over his shoulder.

Nick chuckled, sat down and began to play "Moonlight Sonata."

House sat down in his easy chair. "One of my favorite pieces."

Wilson sat on the couch and closed his eyes to listen. "Beautiful," he murmured.

When Nick finished, House rose, poured himself some Scotch, went to take his place on the bench and began playing "Fur Elise." Wilson went into the kitchen for a beer. Nick had brought a bottle of blood.

For the next couple hours, the two men alternated playing while Wilson drank beer and listened. He finally fell asleep, snoring softly. Nick rose from the armchair and swung Wilson's legs up onto the couch without waking him. House went down the hall to his bedroom and retrieved two blankets. He covered James with one and tossed the other to Nick. "You sure you don't want the bed? I can sleep in the chair."

"No, I'll be fine. I'm sure you'll be more comfortable in your own bed."

"Okay." House went to his windows and closed the blinds tight. "Will this be enough? I can cover them with some towels and sheets."

"It'll be fine. Thanks."

"Good-night, then."

"Good-night."

@>-->--<--<@

Greg crawled into bed. He was comfortably tired with Scotch and Vicodin in his system. His leg was fairly happy and would let him be for now. Closing his eyes, he was soon fast asleep.

He found himself at the monster truck rally with Cameron, having a good time. They were laughing and joking. He taking her cotton candy. She stealing it back.

"I'll race you to the car," she called, not looking back.

He tried to limp as fast as he could, but wasn't fast enough. "Sure," he laughed, "show up the cripple."

"Now, now ... don't go feeling sorry for yourself." She hugged him, taking him by surprise. They stared into each other's eyes. Greg began to feel uncomfortable and broke the contact.

"Come on, I'll take you home." On the drive to her apartment, they talked over the night's events, wondering if it was possible for the trucks to get any bigger.

Greg pulled into a spot. Cameron turned to him. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"

"Sure." He turned off the engine, got out, went around to her side and opened the door.

"Thanks." She got out and put her arm around his waist like it was the most natural thing in the world. He didn't protest. In fact, he thought it felt nice.

Once inside, he sat on the couch while she went into the kitchen to start the coffee. She came back and sat next to him. "It'll be ready soon."

Turning to face her, he looked into her eyes. "I really had a great time tonight. Thanks for going with me." He smiled.

"I did, too." She smiled back. Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed her. A tentative, lip-nibbling kiss. She responded, kissing him back. He slowly pulled away, not saying a word. His eyes told her all she needed to know. Leaning in slowly, their lips met again. He felt hers part and slid his tongue between them to explore her soft mouth. An arm wrapped around him and a hand lightly rubbed his left thigh. Greg gasped slightly at the touch, blood rushing to his groin. Wrapping his arm around Cameron, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

@>-->--<--<@

In the living room, Nick was awakened by a soft, muffled moan and rapid heartbeat picked up by his sensitive hearing. It took him a second to remember where he was. He wasn't used to sleeping with others. The sounds were coming from the bedroom. He grinned knowingly.

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron kissed him hungrily and slid her hand further up his thigh, lightly brushing against his erection. House moaned into her mouth.

Suddenly, Greg awoke with a moan and a shudder to find himself ejaculating. The tension in his thighs pulling on his scar. He looked down at the spreading wet spot on his boxers and his waning erection. "You traitor," he growled softly.

@>-->--<--<@

Nick chuckled quietly. He had hoped House had been dreaming about Cameron. From the comment he heard, he assumed he was correct. He pretended to be asleep when he heard movement.

@>-->--<--<@

House grabbed the bottle of Vicodin off his night table, popped the top off and took a pill. His leg was throbbing. Reaching for his cane, he hauled himself up. Annoyed with himself, annoyed with Cameron for making him feel this way, like a high school boy again, he pulled a clean pair of boxers out of his drawer and went into the bathroom to wash himself off and change. He glanced down the hall into the dimly lit living room and saw both men were still asleep. Wilson was snoring lightly. Steve was running in his exercise wheel. Greg was relieved. He tossed the soiled boxers into his hamper and went back to sleep.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 8

Two days had passed. Nick, House, Cuddy, Cameron and Wilson met in the office. "I checked the cultures this morning. They looked ready to go," Allison told them.

"The time in Moffett is all set for tonight. You can take them over now," Cuddy told her.

"Okay." She rose to leave.

"Nick piped up, "Any chance I can go with you?"

House frowned. After what had happened, he didn't like the idea of Nick being alone with Cameron.

The vampire saw the look. "For someone who's been around for over 800 years, new technology is still fascinating. I've never seen an electron microscope before." Nick hoped to allay his fear, but the frown remained.

"Sure," Cameron said, cheerfully, "you'll love it. There's nothing more amazing than looking at life at its most basic ... the parts of a cell."

House rolled his eyes and snorted. Allison stuck her tongue out at him. "Children, children ... let's behave ourselves now," Cuddy cooed, then gave Greg a filthy look. Wilson hid his grin with his hand.

"Awww, Mom. She made a face at me!" House pouted.

"You started it, you big baby! Geez, just once I'd like to see you act your age."

"Damn, you're no fun." Greg pretended to sulk.

"Well someone has to be the adult around here." Cuddy rolled her eyes.

Cameron glared at him, then defiantly tossed Nick a lab coat. "Wear this. Anyone asks, you're my student assistant."

"Okay." They left for the hospital lab.

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron removed the cultures from the incubator. She handed two culture plates to Nick and took two herself. "Try not to shake them up too much." She led the way out.

As they walked across the courtyard, Cameron asked, "What's with you and House? Geez, he's acting like such an ass tonight. Not like that's really unusual, of course." She chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the look he gave you. He did not want you alone with me."

"Oh that. Well, remember the night in the lab when we were talking about him?"

"Yeah."

"He was standing at the door listening."

"Oh my God! You're kidding, right?" Cameron stopped dead in her tracks.

"No. I knew it, and he figured out later that I intended for him to hear what was said. You were the only one who didn't know. Even Dr. Wilson had happened to notice him standing there." Cameron turned to face him. "I wanted him to hear what you had to say. And I wanted him to hear me tell you what his real feelings are. You can't hide that from a vampire." Nick winked.

Cameron stared. "You planned that? No wonder he's so irritable. Why would you do that to him?"

"He and I spoke later. He really likes you, Allison, but he's afraid. He only sees the bad things about himself. He thinks that's all you see. He needs to know otherwise. I felt I could push him a bit ... make him see the truth."

They started walking again. "And did it work?"

"In a manner of speaking ... he exploded in rage."

"Not surprising." She shook her head. He could be such an idiot.

"But he said he's going to think about what I said."

"That's a real start for him, if he's not just saying it to get you off his back. Which wouldn't surprise me. He's a really stubborn bastard."

"I gathered that when he woke up in my house after his accident." Nick laughed. "Seriously, Allison, Greg really cares about you. He just doesn't think he's worthy. He thinks you deserve better."

Cameron shook her head. "I figured he does. We had such a good time at the monster truck rally. He even opened up a bit, which for him is amazing." She opened the door to Moffett, and they entered. "When we went on that dinner date, he was so nervous, but he was really trying. I asked him what he thought of me, and I must have really scared him. He said some hurtful things in a desperate attempt to push me away. I think there's more going on there than just Stacy and his leg. When his parents came, he did all he could to avoid seeing them. This has to go back further."

"I think you're right."

"Well, here we are." Cameron unlocked a door. She turned on the lights. "Let's get started."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 9

Two days later, Cameron went in to work early, just a couple hours after dinner, to section the specimens. Once done, she stained the grids with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. She left them to dry, cleaned up the lab and returned to the office in the Firestone Wing.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see House sitting at his desk reading a virology book. He looked up when she entered. "You're here early."

"So are you. I came in to get the specimens sectioned and stained. They're drying now. Anyone else come in yet?"

"No. I just came in to do a little reading." He held up the book. He shifted in his seat slightly. "What's Nick been telling you?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on! Don't play games with me. I know Nick told you what happened in the lab." He dropped the book on the desk.

Cameron sat down cautiously at the other desk. "He did. What you don't know is that I asked him why he did that to you. I didn't know till he told me that you'd been standing there. Not even Dr. Wilson said a word to me."

House studied her carefully. She began to squirm under the hard gaze. "Nick thinks I should ask you out," he said quietly.

Cameron's eyes went wide. She'd been expecting an outburst, not that. She said nothing.

"So ... what do you think?" His face was unreadable.

Not about to make the same mistake again, she was determined to let House make all the moves. Things needed to be on his terms for now. "I'd say that's totally your decision."

A look of surprise fleetingly washed over his face. If she hadn't been staring directly at him, she would have missed it. He studied her a moment longer, then swallowed hard. "Well ... there's going to be a monster truck rally out at Raceway Park in Englishtown next Saturday. You seemed to like the last one. Maybe ... maybe you'd want to go?" He looked down at his lap.

Cameron smiled. "Sure." She rose. "The grids should be dry by now," she stated and left.

House stared at the door, not sure what had just happened. He reached for his bottle of Vicodin and popped one.

@>-->--<--<@

The grids were ready. Cameron gathered them up and put them in a holder. She went into the microscope room and started to set things up when she heard the lab door open followed by four voices.

House, Cuddy, Wilson and Nick entered the room. "I'm all set to look at the first grid," Cameron told them. She turned on the water pump and pushed the start up button. The familiar sound of thumping filled the room as the scope pumped down to a vacuum. The high voltage light came on. She attached the grid holder to the specimen tool and inserted the grid into the machine. With everything set, she said, "Here we go."

She pushed the 40 kV button, waited for the beam to stabilize and then pushed the 60 kV button. An eerie green glow emanated from the viewing port. She slowly raised the filament adjustment as House leaned over her shoulder. After adjusting the brightness, she moved the grid slowly around until she located some white blood cells, then magnified the image. "Well, hello there." House grinned.

A small round blob was attached to the cell. "Nick, take a look," Cameron said. House moved out of the way, so Nick get a peek.

He stared in amazement. "That's it? That's what makes me what I am?"

"That's what we're betting on," Wilson said. They all took turns looking at the virus.

When Cuddy moved aside, Cameron began taking micrographs at different magnifications. "These photographs will enable us to study it in more detail," she told Nick. She moved the grid around some more checking other cells and found more virus particles.

Cameron looked at three other grids. When they had enough photos, Cameron shut the machine down, cleaned up and went off to the darkroom to develop the negatives. Once dry, she'd return later to print them. The others returned to the office.

@>-->--<--<@

Back in the office, House flipped through his virology text, looking at the micrographs. "It does resemble HIV and HTLV. We'll have to wait for Cameron to do an assay to see if it's in the same family."

"If we can detect it with a current assay and not have to develop a new one, that would certainly speed things along." Cuddy was hopeful.

"Why is that important?" Nick asked.

"We need to see if it's found in any other tissues in your body," Wilson told him. "Whether it is or not, would affect how we decide to try treating it. Using an assay, we can detect it without having to do what we just did with every tissue in your body. It would take forever." Nick nodded.

@>-->--<--<@

It was 4:00 a.m. when Cameron returned with the prints. She passed them around for everyone to see. They decided that tomorrow night they would run the assays.

Everyone was leaving. "Cameron, can I speak to you a moment?" House was standing by his desk.

She nodded, bid the others a good-night and turned to face him. "What can I do for you?"

"Ummm ... about Saturday ... I'll pick you up at seven. We can eat there, if you like."

He looked as if he were in pain. She knew this was really hard for him. "That'd be fine." She smiled. He seemed to relax just a little.

"Seven it is then." He turned to straighten up the desk. Cameron left. The minute she was gone, he popped a Vicodin.

House put on his jacket, grabbed his bag, put it over his shoulder, turned out the light and locked the door. When he turned around, Nick was standing there, grinning. "Oh swell. Now I have my own personal spy," he groused. "Are you happy now?"

"You are." Greg saw Nick's eyebrow rise, and he scowled. Nick laughed lightly. "Admit it."

"Get out of my way." House pushed past him and kept going.

@>-->--<--<@

Greg unlocked his door and flipped on the light. Steve was squeaking, watching from the end of his cage. "I sure hope you had a better day than I did. Damn vampire butting into my business." He tossed his bag on the armchair, removed his jacket and kicked off his shoes, leaving his cane on the couch. He retrieved Steve's food dish and water bottle, then limped heavily into the kitchen. He returned with the rat's food and water and an empty glass for himself. After pouring some Scotch, he opened the cage and put his hand in. The rat climbed right up. Greg removed him, took a small folded towel off the coffee table, one piece of food and sat on the couch. Spreading the towel on his lap, he placed the rat on it and gave him the pellet. Greg watched as Steve delicately picked it up and began munching. Turning on the TV, he idly stroked the rat's fur as he listened to the early morning news.

Steve squeaked. Greg looked down to see he'd finished eating. "Okay, back in the cage for you." Gently, he scooped up the rodent, folded the towel to contain the crumbs and set it aside. He levered himself up using his cane and put Steve back, followed by his food dish and water bottle, then took the towel and shook it out in the sink. Returning to the couch, he retrieved his Scotch and watched Steve running happily in the exercise wheel. After several more glasses and a Vicodin, he was ready for bed.

He lay there wondering if asking Cameron out again had been a mistake. The monster truck rally had been a lot of fun. The dinner hadn't been, although if he was totally honest with himself, it hadn't been that horrible until she had asked him that question. He felt cornered, and he panicked. The hurt look on her face said it all. He'd been a real jerk. It did surprise him, though, how this time when he tried to press her, she refused to bite. 'Maybe it could work out' was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 10

As was typical for a Sunday night, the hospital was quiet. They had gathered in the office.

"I'll need to take some blood, Nick," Cameron said. "I'm going to run an ELISA assay to try to determine if your virus is similar to any we already know. If it can be identified with tests we already have, we won't need to waste time developing a new one." She gathered up the supplies, while Nick rolled up his sleeve. "We need to be sure the virus is only present in your blood."

"Okay. How long will all this take?"

"We should have the results tomorrow."

She drew the blood and left for the lab with Nick and Cuddy. House and Wilson stayed behind, reading journals.

"I asked her out," House stated flatly, without looking up.

Wilson dropped his journal. "What? You didn't!"

"I did. Am I crazy?" He finally looked Wilson in the eye.

"No. You would be if you didn't. So, when are you going and where?"

"There's a monster truck rally out at Raceway Park next Saturday."

James grinned. "Playing it safe."

"We had fun the last time." He thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I am playing it safe."

"When did you ask her?"

"Yesterday."

"Well, come on, House ... don't keep me in suspense here. Tell me everything!"

"There's not much to tell. I'm not really sure what happened." He rubbed his face, then told Wilson what had transpired.

James chuckled. "Smart woman. She's playing it safe, too. She's not going to give you a reason to run again. But you will, won't you?"

"I don't know. It's so much easier being alone. It's such a hassle worrying about someone else ... what if I say the wrong thing or I'm not 'sensitive' enough...." He threw up his hands. "Hell, look at you. You certainly aren't the poster boy for good relationships."

"That may be, but I'm a lot happier than you are. You don't want to be a cranky, lonely old recluse all your life. Cameron cares about you. She's not trying to change you, even though it's obvious she doesn't always like everything you do or say. That's a good start. You need to give her a real chance. You need to give yourself a real chance."

"Whatever." House went back to reading his journal.

Wilson just stared at him and shook his head. Maybe he should talk to Cameron. He put his journal down. "I'm going down to the lab. See how they're doing." House waved his hand in the air without saying a word.

@>-->--<--<@

The lab was quiet. Cuddy, Nick and Cameron were silent as they prepared the assay. Wilson was impressed with how Nick chipped in to help in any way he could. Now there was a man who really knew how to love a woman. Still hoping he could be with Natalie. He shook his head and pushed through the door.

"Hey, how's it coming?"

Cameron looked up. "Fine. I'm going with HIV and the HTLVs and a few other viruses. We should have an answer tomorrow."

Wilson went over to Cuddy and quietly said something to her, then moved to Nick who was preparing a solution. "She put you to work, too, huh? Such a slave driver," he quipped.

Nick laughed. "I don't mind helping out. It's exciting to finally be on the trail of a real cure. Excuse me. I need to give this to Dr. Cameron." He held up the flask. Wilson nodded.

"Nick, now that you're finished with that, come with me while I get a cup of coffee," Cuddy said. "I wanted to ask you about something in Natalie's notebook." They left.

Wilson approached Cameron. "He told me he asked you out and you accepted."

She looked up. "News sure travels fast around here. I knew he'd tell you. Gloating, I'm sure," she said smugly.

"Actually ... no." Cameron's eyebrows rose. "He's confused and scared. That's why I wanted to talk to you."

"What? Afraid I'll hurt him? As I recall, he was the one who hurt me last time." She kept working without looking at him.

"I know. He panicked. You asked him to express his feelings about you. You know he's no good at that. He can't talk about his feelings." Wilson sighed. "Allison, if you don't know it by now, he really likes you. He's trying, really. You just need to give him a chance without pressuring him."

She smiled. "That's what I did. It seemed to floor him."

Wilson nodded. "Yup, you really confused him. I think it's the best approach, though. Let him lead. He's still trying to deal with Stacy and get that mess out of his system. It's got him in knots, but he knows it's over."

"I'm just going to play it cool with him. Have fun. No pressure. Either it'll work out between us or it won't. I'm just not sure I can convince him he's worth it, and that I don't want to change him." She sighed and looked into Wilson's eyes. "How do I get through to him?"

He put his arm around her. "Don't look now, but I think you are." He winked. "I better get back before he gets suspicious." That brought a smile.

"I'm nearly done here. I'll be up in a bit."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 11

Everyone met in the lab the next night for the results of the assay. Cameron pulled out the plates, took a quick look and said, "YES!" They all gathered around her. Nick saw some color changes and assumed that was the result for which they were looking.

Cameron put the plates on the counter and examined them closely. "Okay, there's moderate response to the HIV and HTLV1, so we can use that to identify the virus. Now we need some tissue samples."

They returned to the office. House grabbed a surgical kit from one of the supply cabinets. Wilson retrieved a syringe of lidocaine. Cuddy got some specimen containers. Cameron explained the procedure to Nick for getting some skin and muscle samples. They decided to take the sample from his thigh. He was fine with it. "Whatever it takes, it'll be worth it."

They decided to do the procedure in the isolation room where Nick could lie down in bed and be more comfortable. "I'll do the surgery," House announced and went to the sink to scrub up.

Greg was gloved and masked. Cameron had also scrubbed in to assist after laying everything out on the bedside table on top of a sterile drape. Nick had removed his pants and was lying comfortably on the bed. She shaved his right mid-thigh, then scrubbed the area with betadine and covered it with a surgical drape.

House held up the syringe of lidocaine and started to remove the cap. "Is that an anesthetic?" Nick asked.

"Yes, lidocaine."

"I won't need it. I don't feel pain the way you do."

Cameron's eyes grew wide. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I've been shot many times ... hazard of being a cop ... Nat's had to dig out many a bullet. Only rarely have a felt a small twinge of pain. I'll be fine."

House put the syringe down. "Just let me know if you feel anything. I can always give you something."

"Okay."

Picking up the scalpel, House looked at Nick's right thigh and felt a twinge in his own. Cameron saw the hesitation. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. Their eyes met. All he saw was deep compassion. It surprised him. Quickly, he looked away. "Ready, Nick?"

"Ready."

With great care, Greg opened a small slit with the scalpel. "Sponge." Cameron slapped it into his hand. He blotted away the blood. Carefully, he dissected down to the muscle. "Flush it." Cameron flushed the wound with sterile normal saline from a 60 cc syringe, then handed him another sponge. He blotted the wound, then removed a piece of muscle. Cuddy stepped forward to receive the specimen.

"How you doing, Nick?" House asked.

"Fine. I really don't feel anything."

"Okay." Greg took a dermis sample and dropped it into another of Cuddy's containers. "Flush it again." Cameron did. "Suture."

"You won't need that," Nick said. "Just give it a minute and it'll heal over by itself."

Cameron and House watched in amazement as the wound slowly knitted itself together. "Neat trick," he said.

Nick hopped off the bed and put his pants on.

Wilson stepped forward. "Why don't you get the samples started, Allison. I'll clean up here."

"Sure, thanks." She and Cuddy left for the lab.

"So, I guess it'll take another day till we get the results?" Nick asked.

Wilson replied, "Yeah, and then we should know exactly what we're dealing with in terms of where the virus is reproducing. That will give us the information we need to start developing a treatment."

"Good. I'm really anxious to get started. If this works, I can be with Natalie again."

The remark struck House. Natalie didn't seem to care that Nick was a vampire. She saw the good in him. Even so, after all Nick had done to her, he found it hard to believe Natalie would take him back. Nick was so certain she would. She never had gotten married. How could anyone who had nearly died at the hands of their lover ever be able to trust them again? Even if he hadn't meant to do it. He was terrified of being hurt again, and she had done it to save his life. He was terrified to trust anyone with his heart. He just couldn't let anyone get that close to him ever again ... or could he? If he was honest with himself, he could never trust Stacy again. And he was becoming very fond of Cameron. He wasn't ready to admit he loved her. That was far too scary. That involved the ultimate trust in another human being. But wasn't that what he was tentatively doing with Cameron? Trying to trust her to love him as he is ... a miserable, crippled old bastard. Trying to trust that she wouldn't crush his heart? He looked at Nick. "And after nearly killing her, you really believe she'd take you back?"

"Absolutely. That's what true love ... and trust ... is all about. Maybe one day, before it's too late, you'll understand that." He paused. "Greg, you can't keep denying what your heart is shouting at you."

House looked at Wilson who just raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips in agreement.

@>-->--<--<@

House got home around 3:00 a.m. The familiar squeaking greeted him as he entered. "Hello, Steve." He tossed his jacket and bag on the armchair, and cane on the couch. After retrieving the rat's food dish and water bottle, he limped heavily into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a slice of cold pizza, picked off a piece of cheese, set it aside and wolfed down the food. He then rinsed out the water bottle and food dish and refilled them both, putting the cheese on top of the rat chow, then limped back into the living room. He set the water and food next to the cage. Opening the door, he reached in. Steve ran onto his palm and squeaked happily. Greg carefully removed him, picked up the folded towel and piece of cheese, limped over to the couch and sat down. He spread the towel on his lap and placed Steve in the middle of it. The rat looked at him expectantly. "I'm really getting that predictable?" He chuckled, then handed Steve the piece of cheese. Greg watched him for a minute.

"So ... do you think I should trust Allison?" The rat stop chewing for a moment and looked at him, then went back to eating. "Big help you are. Guess I'll just have to figure this one out for myself, huh?" Beady eyes looked at him again, then back at the cheese.

Reaching over to his left, he grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. He put on CNN to catch up on the news of the day. Deeply engrossed in a story, he was jarred back to awareness when he felt a warm, furry body nudge his hand open and cuddle inside it. Greg looked down and smiled. "Swell. I'm loved by a rat. I suppose there's hope for me yet." He laughed softly. "Don't tell anyone, but I love you, too." With his other hand, he gently rubbed the animal's small head. Steve looked up at him and squeaked contentedly. "Okay. You can stay out a little longer." The two of them sat there quietly, Greg watching TV, while he tenderly stroked the rat's fur.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 12

House, Cuddy, Wilson, Cameron and Nick gathered in the lab the next night, Tuesday. "Now for the moment of truth. Dr. Cameron, would you do the honors?"

"Of course, Dr. House." She opened the incubator and removed the assay plates. All the wells looked the same. No color change. Grins broke out on all the doctors' faces. They started clapping Nick on the back.

"What?" he asked.

Cuddy spoke up. "There's no virus in your skin or muscle cells, so it would appear it's only reproducing in your blood. We think, based on your labs, that it's highly unlikely the virus is reproducing any place else in your body."

Nick grinned. "So now we can start treatment?"

"We can start discussing what we're going to do, yes," Wilson replied.

They all returned to the office.

@>-->--<--<@

House stood by the white board. Wilson sat at Greg's desk. Cuddy sat at the other one. Cameron and Nick sat on the couch. "Okay people, suggestions."

"Anti-retrovirals," Wilson said. House wrote it down.

"Restriction of blood intake to only red cells, followed with leukopheresis and anti-retrovirals, then a bone marrow transplant," Cameron said. Everyone stared at her. House's eyebrows rose.

Cuddy broke the silence. "Wow ... that might just work. Great idea."

"Thank you." She grinned. "I'd been giving it a lot of thought."

"Obviously." House was impressed.

"I think the blood consumed from now on should be only human," Cuddy said. "We've got to flush the foreign proteins out of his system. If he converts to human prior to that, he could possibly have an anaphylactic reaction."

"What's all that mean?" Nick asked.

"We're going to feed you human blood with the white blood cells removed," Wilson started to explain, "which will take away the DNA the virus needs to help it reproduce. We also need to be sure the cow blood is out of your body, so you don't have a fatal allergic reaction when you become human again. We'll then attach you to a machine that will remove all the white blood cells from your body and give you drugs to try to kill off any virus that may get left behind. Once that's done, we'll give you a bone marrow transplant to try to get your body to produce normal blood cells." Nick nodded.

"What about counteracting the telomerase?" House suggested.

"I don't know that that's possible," Wilson replied. "This is all cutting edge science. We really don't understand how it works. I can check the literature again, but I don't recall anything."

"We're going to need a cell separator and a lot of packed red cells. We need to get the blood right away," Cameron said. "We have no idea what Nick's original blood type was. We should give him only O negative - the universal donor - until we can establish a blood type for him, or we'll have to deal with a transfusion reaction when he converts."

"I'll take care of both of those," Cuddy said. "I'll see what they have downstairs. We can use that for food for now. And I'll contact the regional blood bank and request they supply us with their expired O negative for the next week or so. I'll tell them we're running some experiments." She turned to Nick. "That'll be okay for you?"

"Uhh ... yeah. That'll be okay."

Cuddy left.

"What are we going to do about the bone marrow transplant?" Wilson asked.

"I'll donate my marrow," Cameron said. Nick heard House's heart rate skyrocket.

"Oh no you won't!" Greg piped up, startling everyone, including himself.

"Excuse me? It's my body. My choice." Cameron glared at him.

"There are risks involved. Anesthesia, infection...."

"Minor ones," she interrupted. "Besides, we can't exactly go to the Bone Marrow Registry."

"She's right, House." Wilson rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine. I'll do the collection," House relented.

"No, you won't. I'll do it." Wilson stated.

The two men glared at each other so intensely, Cameron thought they were about to start throwing punches. "What is wrong with you?" She threw up her hands.

"NOTHING!" All three men shouted together.

Cameron's eyes widened at Nick, who had been silent up to now. "Look, whatever your problem is, I'm solving it right now. I am going to donate my marrow, unless one of you wants to do it." She waited. No one said a word. "Fine. Dr. Wilson, you do the collection."

"Now just a damn minute. I'm your boss...." House growled.

"SO WHAT? That doesn't give you the right to say what I do with my body. I'm donating, and that's final!" She stormed out of the room.

"Guess she told you." Wilson shrugged with a half-smile.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" As he stormed out of the room, House threw his ball at Wilson's head, whose fast reflex allowed him to catch it before it could break his nose.

"Geez, I'm really sorry about this Nick. I don't know what the hell has gotten into Greg," Wilson said, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay, James. I do. Greg's in love."

"What?" Wilson's eyes grew wide.

"Greg's in love with Allison, but can't admit it yet. Believe me, vampires can tell these things." He winked.

"I knew he liked her a lot, and I have encouraged him to stop pining over Stacy and ask her out ... but I had no idea he felt that strongly."

"I just hope he works things out," Nick said.

@>-->--<--<@

House went after her, limping as fast as he could. His leg protested loudly, but he ignored it. "Cameron! Cameron ... wait!" She ignored him and kept going down the hall faster than he could move. "Damnit, Allison ... please! Wait!"

She whirled around slamming her hands on her hips, eyes blazing, causing House to pull up short. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, HOUSE? How dare you talk to me like a two-year-old and embarrass me in front of them! You're not my father, and I may work for you, but you don't own me!"

House visibly wilted under her tirade. Head down, leg throbbing wildly, he hobbled over to her and leaned heavily on his cane. "I - I'm sorry," he said without looking up. She tapped her foot on the highly polished floor. "My problem is ... that, well ... I ... um, don't want anything to happen to you." He blew out a large puff of air. "I - I ... um ... worry about you." Cautiously, he raised his head to look at her.

Staring into his eyes, she saw sadness and sincerity, suddenly realizing he had just told her, in his somewhat inept way, that he cares about her. Cameron's resolve faltered. "I'll be fine. There's very little risk involved, and this means so much to Nick. He could get to live out his life with Natalie."

"Yeah, you would never want to deny someone a happy ending," House said, shaking his head. Cameron smiled. She knew he wasn't being sarcastic.

As House tried to take a step closer, a red-hot poker stabbed through his right thigh. He cried out and stumbled. Cameron grabbed him under his right arm, preventing him from falling. "You never should have run like that. Where are your pills?"

"Pocket. Left side," he panted. She reached across him and pulled out the bottle. He held out his hand. She shook out a pill. He popped it in his mouth and gulped it down. "Thanks."

"Let's get you back to the office." They hobbled down the hall together, House leaning heavily on her.

"So, I guess this means you'll still go with me Saturday?" he asked with a small, tentative smile.

"Yes, although I don't know why."

"Good."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 13

House and Cameron hobbled into the office. She led him over to the couch. He plopped down heavily with a loud groan and lolled his head back.

Wilson was up and instantly concerned. "What the hell happened?" He knelt down in front of House.

"I'm ... not up ... for doing ... wind sprints," Greg gasped. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and rubbed his thigh.

"You idiot," Wilson growled. House just shook his head. James looked at Cameron. "Did he take a Vicodin? I haven't seen him take any at all tonight."

"I just gave him one." She sat down next to House.

"Is everything okay?" Nick asked.

With a little smile, Cameron nodded. Nick grinned.

They sat in silence for several minutes. House finally opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Cameron asked softly.

"I've been better. The Vicodin should be kicking in soon. Remind me never to challenge you to a foot race," he replied quietly and rolled his head in her direction. She smirked and shook her head.

Just then Cuddy returned, pushing the cell separator into the room. On top of it was a box containing 15 units of expired packed red cells.

Nick smelled the blood the instant the door opened. A shiver ran through his body when he realized this was to be his food. He felt his fangs descend and his eyes begin to blaze. He leapt up from the armchair, grabbing a bag from the box. He bared his fangs and snarled, raising his head to strike. Feeling four sets of eyes upon him, he struggled mightily to get himself back under control. He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths and tossed the bag back into the box. "I'm ... so ... sorry," he gasped and dropped into the armchair.

They stared at him. Finally, Cuddy broke the silence. "Nick, what happened?"

He looked up. "I haven't had human blood in ten years. Smelling that," he pointed to the box, "and knowing it would be my food was overwhelming. I'm all right now."

"Why should that matter? You're around us. Surely you can smell our blood if you can smell it through the plastic." Cuddy took the box over to the refrigerator.

"Yes, but I don't consider you food. I've learned to control that urge, because I have no desire to kill anyone." He sighed deeply. "And there's something else...." His voice trailed off as he looked away.

"What is it?" Wilson asked.

"Blood isn't just food for us. It's how we experience life. What you don't understand is that every drop of blood contains your entire life ... everything you are ... everything you know ... all your deepest secrets are revealed in your blood. Imagine being able to know another person's soul ... to be that person ... just by tasting their blood. The experience is nothing short of addictive. You just can't imagine the temptation."

"Are you serious? That's unbelievable!" Cuddy said.

House jumped up, went to a supply cabinet, removed a test tube and disposable scalpel, lightly sliced his wrist and collected the blood, then put a bandaid on the cut. He turned to Nick, offering him the tube. "That sounds ridiculous to a scientist. No offense, Nick. Prove it."

Wilson threw his arms up. "You've really gone too far now, House."

He whirled on James. "Have I? Since when do you accept such fantastic claims on face value? You're always the first one to demand proof!"

Nick put his hands up. "Stop! If you want proof, I'll give it to you." He took the tube and downed the blood. Cameron watched his eyes flutter closed. 'He looks like a heroin addict riding a high,' she thought. They all waited.

When Nick finally opened his eyes again, the vampire was evident. He stared into Greg's eyes. Speaking through razor sharp fangs, he said, "You like Reuben sandwiches, dry, no pickles."

"That's no secret. Anyone could have told you that. Proves nothing."

"Fine. Your father is annoyed you park in handicapped parking because, as he says, you still have two legs, and you don't know how lucky you are." House looked down at the floor. The others stared at him. "The third time you went to Stacy's house, as you were leaving, you put the toilet seat up because it annoys her when Mark leaves it up...."

"All right, shut up! Enough!" Slight color crept over House's face. "I believe you." He sat back down on the couch, but wouldn't look at Cameron.

"Nick," Cuddy spoke up, "let's get you settled next door. We need to get started."

"Okay."

@>-->--<--<@

House sat in silence. "Are you okay?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah. Just fine," he responded without looking at her, then levered himself up off the couch with his cane and went into the other room.

Wilson shrugged. "He's feeling a bit humiliated."

"I suppose so, but as usual, he brought it on himself."

"Yeah. He's really good at that. Uh ... what happened out there?" Wilson nodded toward the hall.

"He told me he acted like an ass because he cares about me."

Wilson's eyes went wide. "He actually told you that?"

"Well, in so many words, yes." She smiled.

He shook his head. "Wow. I think you're really good for him."

"I'm sure he'll make up for it soon by acting like an idiot again."

"Knowing House ... you can bet on it."

@>-->--<--<@

Cuddy handed Nick a hospital gown. "You can leave your underwear on. You'll be more comfortable that way ... and less exposed."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah. I remember how wonderful they are. I was shot in the head once and spent time in the hospital."

Just then House entered the room.

"I'll let you get changed." Cuddy brushed by Greg, giving him the eye and left.

"So...." House sat in the chair in the corner of the room while Nick started to remove his clothes. "Now you know all about me." He kept tapping his cane lightly on the floor.

"Yes. Don't worry. I won't be telling anyone anything else. I was simply making my point, so you would believe me. I know it's not every day you meet a vampire." Nick grinned. "One bit of advice, Greg. I know it's really difficult for you, but go with your feelings where Allison is concerned. I promise you ... you won't be sorry."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 14

Nick had changed and was lying on the bed. Greg was still sitting in the corner. There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Nick called. Cuddy entered the room with the cell separator, followed by Cameron and Wilson.

"I imagine you must be hungry by now," Wilson said.

"I am, actually."

Cameron handed him the unit of blood she'd been carrying, along with a glass. "We're going to start you on the human packed red cells. After you finish this, we'll hook you up to the machine. We'll give you a couple more when we're finished."

Nick opened the bag and squirted the blood into the glass sitting on the tray table. "What's involved?"

"We'll put a line in each of your arms," Wilson explained. "One will draw your blood out into the machine's centrifuge, where it'll be spun down and the white cells drawn off. The remaining cells and plasma will be returned to you through the other line."

"Okay."

"I've been reviewing Natalie's notebooks. She says you generally don't react to drugs. And temperature doesn't affect you."

"That's true."

"Even so, I want you to know that after a few cycles of the machine, a person normally gets very cold. And we have to put citrate in the blood to keep it from clotting. That can cause some numbness and tingling in the lips and hands. These might not happen to you, but we want you to know the possible side effects," Wilson finished.

Cameron stepped forward. "We've decided that it would be best to do only half your blood volume the first time, which will take about an hour. We can watch for any problems and catch them early, if possible. A gradual change will probably be easier on your body, too. Give it a little time to adjust." She tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. "Then we'll do your full volume the second time, which will take about two hours. We'll keep you on human packed red cells the whole time."

"Whatever you think is best." Nick smiled at her.

"Get comfortable and drink up. We're going to get the machine ready." Cameron smiled.

Nick raised the head of the bed until he could lie back in a half-sitting position. He brought the blood to his lips, which prompted the vampire to emerge. Feeling slightly embarrassed at having so many humans witnessing him feed, he tried to be casual about it. Cameron sensed his discomfort. "Can I talk to everyone for a moment in the office?" They gave her a funny look, but filed out of the room. She closed the door behind her.

"What's going on?" House asked.

"Couldn't you see how uncomfortable Nick was with us being in the room? I suspect he's not used to having people watching him drink human blood," Cameron explained.

"He didn't look anything but hungry to me." House shrugged.

"'Mr. Sensitivity'." Cuddy nodded toward him.

"What?" House protested and scowled.

"You're such an insensitive clod." Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"I am not!" He stole a glance at Cameron. She didn't notice, though Wilson did and smiled.

"Riiiight," Cuddy said.

Cameron peeked through the window. "He's finished. Let's go."

@>-->--<--<@

They got Nick comfortable in the bed then House took one arm, Cameron the other and set about inserting hep locks. They inserted the lines into them. "We can leave these in once we remove the lines. That way we won't have to stick you again," Cameron explained. Cuddy and Wilson prepped the machine. Cameron then hooked Nick up to the heart monitor. There was one 'beep' and then silence. Her eyebrows rose.

"That's perfectly normal," Nick said. "You'll get one of those about every ten minutes."

"All right, we're all set," Cuddy said.

"Let's do it," Nick replied.

She flipped the switch. Blood began to move through the tube in Nick's left arm. He watched it go. After a couple minutes, he saw blood coming toward him through the other tube. "This reminds me of the time I went to a bloodletter who claimed he could cure me. I never got any blood back though," he chuckled.

"Really? When was that?" Cameron asked.

"Oh, around 1680, I think."

Cameron's mouth dropped open.

"You're catching flies," House piped up.

"Smart ass." Wilson gave him a dirty look. House gave him the finger. Nick snickered.

Shaking her head, Cameron remarked, "It's so easy to forget how old you are."

"I don't usually talk about my past, because so much of it was horrible. You're all so nice ... with the exception of you, Greg." Everyone laughed. House put his hand over his heart and made a mock 'I'm crushed' face. "I don't want you get to get a bad impression of me."

"What you did in the past is just that," Cuddy said, "in the past. If you're going to be human, you have to accept that we all make mistakes. Learning from them, forgiving yourself and doing better the next time is what life is all about." She looked directly at House when she continued. "Keeping everything to yourself doesn't allow you to work through things, and it also keeps distance between you and the people who care about you."

House cringed visibly under her wilting glare and started to squirm.

"Well, in my case, keeping distance between me and those I care about can mean the difference between life and death for them. If no one else does, I always remember, I'm not human. And if I forget that, someone could wind up dead." He looked down and a single blood tear fell on his gown. "Natalie wanted me to love her, to make love to her. I ... I nearly killed her. For us, vampires, sexual arousal leads to bloodlust. I can never be with her again, unless this works." He looked up and the others saw his eyes filled with blood.

Wilson saw the drop of blood fall and panicked. "My God! You're bleeding from your eyes." He whipped out his penlight and started to check them out.

"I'm okay! I'm okay!" Nick pushed his hands away. "We cry and sweat blood. It's normal."

"Sorry." He felt a bit foolish.

"You didn't know. You couldn't have." Everyone settled down. House grimaced as he sat in one of the chairs. Even with the Vicodin, his leg was still throbbing, though not as severely as earlier. The others sat down, too.

The machine whirred and hummed. Nick lay back and stared at the ceiling. House had closed his eyes against the pain in his leg. The others just quietly observed the vampire for any signs of problems.

Fifteen minutes passed. "How are you feeling?" House asked, without opening his eyes.

"Just fine," Nick said. "You don't look so great." He'd noticed the tight set of his jaw.

"I'm fine."

"Okay." Nick didn't want to argue with him, but he knew that was a lie. As if to confirm his suspicion, Greg popped a Vicodin.

@>-->--<--<@

An hour passed with friendly chit-chat and no problems.

"Time's up," Cameron said, glancing at her watch. She and Wilson proceeded to unhook Nick from the cell separator. House levered himself up out of the chair with a small groan and went to retrieve a couple units of packed red cells. Wilson began cleaning up the machine.

"I think we should get a blood sample and do a CBC," Cuddy said.

"I'll draw it," Cameron replied.

House returned with the blood. He put them on the tray table. "I'd like to give these to you by IV. That way we know the blood will get into your circulation with no problem, since we don't know when or if you'll convert."

"That's fine, but it will certainly be weird. Odd way to eat." He grinned. House nodded and hung the first bag.

"We're going to the lab to run the blood," Cuddy said, then she and Cameron left.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 15

Cuddy and Cameron entered the lab. "It sure is quiet here tonight," Allison observed.

"It seems really strange to me, since I never work at night." Cuddy sat on a stool.

"I'll bet." Cameron started to run the blood. "Dr. Cuddy, I know we had all agreed to do weekend duty in alphabetical order ... and this Saturday I'm up. Could I possibly switch with you? I'll even take two of your shifts to make up for the inconvenience."

"Yeah, sure. I don't mind. Nah, we'll just trade one weekend. What's up? Hot date?" Cuddy joked.

Cameron blushed. "Actually ... umm, yeah."

"He didn't!"

"He did." Cameron grinned from ear to ear.

"I'm so glad to hear that. It's about time he started moving on and got his head straight. I've been telling him for months it's over with Stacy. I know he likes you." Cuddy moved next to Allison, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I just hope he doesn't hurt you. He can be such a damn jerk."

"I know. I'll be okay. It's either going to work out or it won't."

@>-->--<--<@

Cuddy and Cameron returned with the lab results. Wilson and House looked at the slips. "White count's down by half, as we expected," Greg told Nick. "So, we'll keep you on the packed red cells for now."

"When do think we ought to start the anti-retrovirals?" Wilson asked.

"Well, we want to do another run on the machine, cleaning the entire volume," Cameron replied. "There's no real way to know what's ideal. I say we wait until after the second run." Cuddy and House agreed.

"I say we do the second run Thursday night. Let's give Nick time to adjust to the red cells," Cameron said.

Cuddy agreed. "Well, there's not much else we can do for tonight. Why don't you all go home. I'll stay here with Nick."

@>-->--<--<@

House was getting in the elevator when Cameron caught up with him. "Hold the door! I'll walk out with you."

"Okay." He looked at her as the door closed. She was young, beautiful and full of life. What in hell she could possibly see in him was unfathomable. He frowned.

"What?"

House was jarred out of his reverie. "Huh?"

"You're staring at me and frowning. Why?"

In a rare instance of honesty, he turned to look her in the eye. "I'm trying to figure out why in hell you want anything to do with me. I've been incredibly rude to you. I'm a drug addict. I'm crippled. I'm nearly old enough to be your father. And I suck in relationships." House looked away.

Cameron did a double-take. Did she really hear what she thought she just heard? She stared at him for a moment, her mouth open. He waited patiently, tapping his cane on the floor, looking everywhere but at her. Regaining her composure, she replied, "Yes, you can be an arrogant, mean, rude son of a bitch, but you're also incredibly funny, brilliant and fascinating. You care deeply about Dr. Wilson, and even if you won't admit it, you do care about your patients. You risked your job, your license, and your entire career to get Carly a heart transplant. You even saved the life of a rat. Those are not the actions of an uncaring oaf." His eyebrows rose at that. "You're passionate about your work. You always try to do what's right, even if you go about it in an unorthodox manner. You demand the best from those around you. And in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter to me if you can't run the hundred yard dash. There are far more important things in life." She sighed. "House, we all have our faults ... no one's perfect." She hesitated. "And you're ... umm ... really handsome." She felt her face flush.

Greg's head snapped around. He stared down at her and snorted.

"Why is that so hard for you to believe? I can't possibly be the only one who has ever thought that."

"I just don't think about it," he answered quietly. He traced a small circle on the elevator floor with his cane tip.

The elevator door opened, and they stepped out, going their separate ways, House limping away as fast as he could.

@>-->--<--<@

The familiar squeaks greeted him when he opened the door. "Hi, Steve." House began the same routine he'd gotten into when he got home. He paused in the kitchen long enough to wolf down some leftover Lo Mein, then continued inside to take the rodent out of his cage.

Greg handed the little guy a piece of Oreo cookie, which Steve proceeded to devour. "You like that, huh?" The rat paused momentarily to look at him, then went back to the morsel. "Would you believe Cameron thinks I'm a nice guy? Well, but then I guess you do, too, since I spared your life and cured your infection." Looking at him with beady eyes, he gave a little squeak. House rubbed him behind the ears.

The phone rang. Greg picked it up. "House."

"Hey, it's Wilson. I saw you walk out with Cameron."

"So?"

"So what happened?"

"I asked her what she sees in me, and she told me."

"You did what?"

"You heard me." Just then Steve looked at the phone and started squeaking. "Shhhh ... it's Uncle Wilson."

James heard the rat and chuckled. Having a pet was good for House. "Oh wonderful. Now you're talking to the rodent?"

"Hey, don't call your godchild names."

"He's my godchild now?" House could hear him rolling his eyes and laughed.

"Sure, why not? He's young. He needs guidance."

"Okay, fine. Back to Cameron."

"Nothing much to say. She's got it bad for me."

"You and your ego."

"She said I'm really handsome," he said with exaggerated pride.

Wilson laughed. "She's never seen you first thing in the morning after an all-night drinking binge."

"You have a point there."

"Everything's still on for Saturday?"

"Yeah."

"How do you feel about that?"

"If I'm honest about it ... nervous ... and looking forward to it."

"It'll be fine. Just be yourself." Wilson could hear Steve squeaking.

"Yeah. Gotta go. The native is getting restless. He likes his back scratched after he eats his treat."

Wilson chuckled. "Okay. See ya."

"Yeah." House hung up. He turned on the television, picked up the rat and cuddled him in the crook of his arm. Steve settled down immediately as Greg started to rub his back. He really did love the little guy.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 16

Since no procedures were to be performed, House volunteered to sit with Nick the next night, Wednesday, and give everyone else the night off. He'd just finished hanging a unit of packed red cells and sat down next to the bed. A late night talk show was on the television.

"So ... tell me ... what's so special about Natalie?" Greg asked idly.

Nick smiled with a faraway look in his eyes. "She's beautiful. She's intelligent. She cares deeply about people." He stared pointedly at House when he said that. Greg raised an eyebrow. "She was never afraid of me. Not even when I got up off her autopsy table and drank a bag of human blood. I'd been brought in after a pipe bomb exploded near me. Instead, she was fascinated and wanted to understand who and what I was. She came to believe in me and love me," Nick finished.

"She sounds very special."

"So is Allison."

House rolled his eyes.

"Did you already forget that I know everything about you? I know how you really feel about her."

"No ... I haven't." He suddenly found the floor fascinating. "Maybe it's easy for you. It isn't for me."

"You think I've always been able to trust people? Well, you'd be sorely wrong. It was quite a while before I was able to trust Nat. I was very leery of her motives, but the fact that she didn't fear me, and that I couldn't hypnotize her and make her forget me was intriguing." He smiled at the memory. "Well, I can tell you it won't get any easier if you don't try."

"Geez, you sound like Wilson. Just what I need ... a third mother."

Nick chuckled and turned his attention back to the television. So did House.

@>-->--<--<@

It was around three in the morning. Nick had had two units of packed red cells and was feeling fine. Bored with television, the two men were playing poker with a deck of cards House had found in one of the desks in the office.

Deeply engrossed in their game, neither man noticed the figure that appeared in the doorway. "Well, well, well, Nicholas. What have we here? Another one of your feeble attempts to regain your mortality?"

Turning quickly, House saw a man with a white flat-top dressed in all black standing in the doorway. He jumped to his feet as quickly as his leg allowed when he realized this visitor was another vampire. "Who the hell are you? And how did you get in here?" Greg demanded in a low, dangerous voice.

"I am LaCroix. Nicholas' master. I made him. He is my child. I should kill you for what you're doing to him." He bared his fangs and snarled.

"Geez. What the hell bug crawled up your ass and died?" Greg quipped and shook his head. "You really should do something about that."

Nick started to choke. No one ever spoke to the elder vampire like that.

LaCroix's gaze surveyed the man before him who was leaning heavily on a cane. "Oh, and am I supposed to cower before a cripple?" he laughed, fangs showing.

House looked over the stranger, scowled and said, "Oh, and am I supposed to be afraid of some idiot who looks like a giant Q-Tip dressed in black?" He tapped his cane on the floor several times.

LaCroix's eyes blazed in anger. He lunged for Greg, who raised his cane in defense, but was stopped in the blink of an eye by Nick, who was suddenly out of bed with his hand on LaCroix's throat. "What are doing here, LaCroix?" Nick hissed, their noses nearly touching.

"Really, Nicholas. Did you expect me to just ignore you?" He shoved Nick's hand away. "You're still pursuing your pathetic search for a 'cure'. This will fail just like every other attempt you've made. You will always be my child, my son." He circled Nick as he spoke, then licked his cheek in a possessive way and stepped back. Nick cringed. "Perhaps I should pay your Natalie a visit...."

The younger vampire's eyes blazed and fangs descended. "You stay away from her, LaCroix," he hissed. "I swear I'll kill you if you lay a hand on her!" Nick went to lunge at LaCroix, but was grabbed by House.

"Easy, Nick." He kept his arm around Nick's waist.

The elder vampire chuckled. "Yes, Nicholas, listen to this weak, pathetic mortal." He glared at the doctor who glared back.

House laughed out loud. "Look who's talking! You can't even control your own son, and you call me weak and pathetic? Oh, please, Q-Tip!" He rolled his eyes, further enraging the elder vampire.

"Don't push it, Greg," Nick whispered to him, then turned back to his master. "Leave Natalie alone, LaCroix!" he growled.

"I know you have Janette watching her. I just wanted to see if I could still get a rise out of you. You haven't changed. You still care more about your precious mortals than your own family," LaCroix spat.

"I will never care about you, you perverted excuse for a man."

LaCroix just laughed.

House was really getting pissed off now. "Nick is my patient. This is my hospital. You don't belong here. So do us all a favor and get the fuck out of here, Q-Tip," he growled.

"Mark my words, Nicholas. This is not over." Lacroix snarled and left.

Nick took a deep breath. House finally released his grip. Nick sighed and returned to bed.

"He sure has a pissy attitude." Greg sat down again.

That got a chuckle out of Nick. "You have no idea."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 17

Everyone gathered in Nick's room on Thursday night. It was time for the second leukopheresis treatment. Prior to starting, Cameron drew some blood and went to the lab to run a CBC.

House had slept in the armchair most of the day, then took a shower around six o'clock, changing into clean clothes he had stashed in his office. He'd left instructions with Nick on how to page him if he needed anything. He'd had a couple of Vicodin and a reuben from the cafeteria, so was feeling pretty good now.

Cameron returned with the results. "The white count is down a bit more. Everything looks good." She passed the lab slip around. "My main concern now is immunological. We don't know when Nick will convert, but if he does when he has no white cells, he's going to be in grave danger from viruses and bacteria."

"That's a good point," Cuddy said. "We need to get this room set up as a clean room now."

They put on masks and gloves and set about washing down the room with disinfectant and stocked the entry vestibule with gowns, masks, gloves, booties and head coverings. Wilson brought the cell separator in and washed it down.

Everything was set. They sealed off the door between the office and isolation room. They wouldn't be using it anymore.

House and Wilson hooked Nick up to the machine and turned it on. "This will take two hours," Cameron said.

"Okay. Gosh, I'm nervous." Nick replied.

"Well, we're all here with you, so try to relax," Cuddy said, laying her gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you."

Cameron stepped to the side of his bed. "Nick, I want you to tell us if you feel anything at all out of the ordinary, no matter how slight. Okay?"

"Sure."

About an hour had passed when Greg noticed Knight was beginning to squirm uncomfortably a bit. "What's wrong, Nick?" That got everyone's attention.

"I feel strange." He had a funny look on his face.

"Describe it." House had levered himself out of his chair and hobbled over to the bed to exam his patient.

"Uhhh ... I feel like I'm trembling all over, and I can't stop. And my hands feel a bit tingly."

Greg touched his forehead, checked his pupils, and looked at his fingernail beds. "Your skin feels ice cold. Someone get a warming blanket." Wilson left the room. "It appears you're starting to shiver. The tingling is most likely from the citrate."

"But I don't feel the cold ... or heat, for that matter. And drugs don't usually affect me." He held up his hands. They were shaking.

"Well, you do now." Greg smiled. "It would appear the treatment is working."

Cameron got up and took his temperature. "You're 95.6 F. That's about how cold a patient is after surgery. You're three degrees below normal body temperature. That's why you're shivering."

Just then Wilson entered the room. He tore open the wrapping on the blanket that kept it sterile, put it over Nick and plugged it in. "This should help as soon as it warms up."

"Thanks," Nick said through chattering teeth. "This feels so weird. I can't remember when I last felt cold."

Ten minutes passed. Cuddy noticed Nick seemed more comfortable. "How are you feeling now?"

He smiled. "Much better, although I'm still tingling a bit."

Cameron took his temperature again. It was a full degree warmer. Nick took her hand before she could move away. "In all the centuries I tried to find a cure, I never thought that a few hours on a machine could be the answer."

Covering his hand with hers, she said, "Well, we haven't cured you yet, but it looks like we're on our way." She couldn't help but smile at the look of hope on his face.

"I wish Natalie could be here to see this, to share this with me. She'd be amazed ... and thrilled ... and she'd be crying." A single ran down Nick's cheek.

"Oh my God! Look!" They all glanced at Nick's cheek. "It's only slightly red."

"That's an encouraging sign," Wilson said and grinned.

They were all gathered around the bed, when a low voice came from the doorway. "Isn't this a lovely sight?" Turning at the sound, they found themselves confronted by an evilly-grinning vampire.

"Awww crap ... not you again, Q-Tip," House groaned and rolled his eyes. The other doctors' mouths dropped open.

Cuddy grabbed Greg's hand, yanking it hard and whispered, "I think now would be an excellent time to shut up."

"Want do you want, LaCroix?" Nick asked angrily.

As he approached the bed, the others moved back, except for House, who stood his ground. "I sensed a weakening in our bond, Nicholas, so I came to check on you. And this is what I find ... you hooked up to this ridiculous machine." He waved his hand. "What a pathetic sight. Why do you persist in this silly quest of yours? You know you'll never succeed. I have told you hundreds of times. You must accept what you are, Nicholas. You are a vampire. There is no other life for you."

"No, LaCroix. You're wrong. I am nearly human again. I will have the mortality I have sought for so long. If you can't accept it, you needn't be part of my life."

The elder vampire moved slowly around the bed as Nick spoke, backing Cameron into a corner before anyone realized what was happening. "It is you who is wrong, Nicholas. I made you. You are my child. My son. You will always be a part of me, and I, a part of you ... eternally." He turned to face the young doctor. "And you ... you're responsible for this."

House bristled as LaCroix grabbed Cameron and held her like bank robber using a hostage as a shield. She had gasped at the swiftness of his movement, but couldn't scream as his hand covered her mouth.

"Let ... her ... go." Greg's voice was low and deadly as he glared at the elder vampire through slitted eyes. His heart was pounding in anger. He was not going to allow Allison to be hurt.

"LaCroix, let her go!" Nick demanded.

LaCroix bared his fangs and snarled, then licked Cameron's neck. She struggled against him. "Why do you care more about her than your own family?"

Faster than anyone would have thought possible, House launched himself at LaCroix, pulling an object from his jacket pocket and slamming it against the side of the elder vampire's face. "I said let her go, you son of a bitch!" A loud sizzling sound and the smell of burning flesh filled the room, as LaCroix cried out in pain. He released Cameron as he tried to knock Greg's hand away. The doctor whacked the vampire's arm with his cane. "Get the hell out of here, and don't come back!" LaCroix fled.

In a rare show of emotion, House grabbed Cameron and led her to a chair. "Are you all right?" Worry clouded his eyes for an instant, then was replaced with his usual gruff expression.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." She shook her head. "What did you do to him?"

He opened his hand to reveal an ornate cross. Cuddy just stared. "You stole that from the hospital chapel? I can't believe you!" She put her hands over her eyes. Nick and Wilson laughed.

"Would you have preferred I let him kill Cameron? I knew he'd be back. It was the only thing I could think of that would stop him. See? Watching all those old trashy movies actually paid off." He grinned at Cuddy like a mischievous two year old. "What do you want from me?" he groused. "I didn't have time to go shopping at the local Christian bookstore."

"Fine!" Cuddy was getting a headache. "Just be sure you put it back."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 18

Once all the excitement died down and the adrenaline surge was over, House nearly collapsed from severe spasms and pain in his right thigh. He flopped heavily into a chair and popped a couple Vicodin. Wilson approached and softly asked, "You gonna be okay?"

"Soon as the pills kick in," he said through gritted teeth.

"Okay. I've never seen you move so fast." He clapped the older doctor on the shoulder and grinned.

"It wasn't like I had a choice. I couldn't let him hurt her," he whispered.

"I know."

House looked at Cameron who was being fussed over by Cuddy. She seemed just slightly shaken, but otherwise fine. He caught her eye. Mouthing "thank you", she smiled. He just nodded and looked quickly away.

@>-->--<--<@

When the two hours were up, Cuddy and Wilson unhooked Nick from the machine. Cameron drew a blood sample and went to the lab.

How are you feeling?" House asked. The Vicodin had kicked in, allowing him to be on his feet again.

Nick smiled. "Pretty good now. I'm comfortable and that tingling has stopped...." His expression changed to a puzzled frown. He appeared to be mulling something over.

"What is it?" House cocked his head. Wilson joined him at the bedside.

"I'm not sure ... there's an odd feeling ... here." His touched his stomach.

House held out his hand. Wilson passed him a stethoscope. After listening to his abdomen, he straightened up. "I don't hear anything, but my educated guess is you're hungry." He wiggled his eyebrows at his patient. That got everyone's attention.

"That's what that feeling is?" Nick rubbed his stomach. House nodded.

"Nick's heart rate has picked up, too," Cuddy remarked. "It's doubled."

Cameron entered with the lab results. "No leukocytes. Everything else is normal." They filled her in on the latest developments. "Wow, Nick! That's great." She patted him on the shoulder.

Cuddy headed for the door. "I'll see about getting you some food. I think chicken broth and gelatin would be good for a start."

"How about some French fries?"

Four heads turned simultaneously. "What?" Wilson asked.

"French fries. I ate French fries once. With lots of ketchup. They were good."

"Uhhh ... I don't think we should push it, Nick." Cuddy was afraid he'd get sick.

"Okay. You're the doctor. Whatever you say," he replied happily.

Cuddy left.

@>-->--<--<@

Wilson, House and Cameron huddled together. "Should we transfuse him again?" Cameron asked. "His hematocrit is normal.

"Why don't we just wait and see if he can eat, and if that stops the hunger he's feeling." Wilson suggested.

"I think we should wait," House agreed. He turned to Nick. "We've decided to see how you handle the food, rather than give you any blood. Your lab results are normal except for the lack of white blood cells, which is what we expected."

"And if I can't tolerate the food?"

"Then we'll try a transfusion," House replied.

A few minutes later, Cuddy returned with a tray. She set it before Nick. It contained a bowl of hot chicken broth and a couple cups of gelatin, one red and one orange.

Nick sniffed a spoonful of soup. "Funny ... the smell of food used to nauseate me. This actually smells good." He took a cautious sip and swallowed. Four sets of eyes stared at him, waiting. He took a second sip. "I feel fine." He grinned. "I remember this taste from when I was in the hospital before."

"You mean the time you were shot in the head and forgot you were a vampire?" Wilson asked.

"Yeah. That was so weird. I was able to eat and not get sick."

The others relaxed as he continued to eat. Finished, he pushed the bowl away and grabbed the cup of red gelatin.

"Uh, maybe you ought to wait a few minutes before you eat that. Give your stomach a chance to adjust," Cameron suggested.

"All right." Nick turned on the television and lay back on the bed. Wilson approached with his stethoscope and listened to his abdomen. He grinned. "What?" the vampire asked.

"Borborygmus."

"What?" Nick frowned.

"Borborygmus. A fancy medical word that means 'bowel sounds'. Apparently your digestive tract is waking up. That's a good sign."

"So, I'm becoming human again?"

"It would seem that way."

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the bed. House cracked up. "Yeah, you're becoming human again all right!" he snorted, putting his hand over his eyes.

Wilson lost it and doubled over in hysterics. Nick also started to laugh. Cuddy threw up her hands in disgust and annoyance. "Good God! What is with it with you?" She glared at House. "You act like a damn two year old who's never heard a fart before! And you," she pointed to Wilson, " you only encourage him!" The younger doctor laughed even harder. Cameron started to snicker. "Don't you start in now, too!" Cuddy shook her head. "When you all decide to act like adults, I'll be in the office." She stormed out. They were all laughing hysterically, House slapping his good thigh.

@>-->--<--<@

Once they'd all settled down, Cameron went to the office. "Dr. Cuddy, I'm sorry. Nick's going to try the gelatin now."

Lisa looked up from the journal she was reading. "I can understand House acting like a child, but you?"

"I'm sorry. Laughter is contagious," she shrugged with a grin.

Cuddy sighed. "All right." She rose and followed Cameron into Nick's room.

House and Wilson were sitting next to each other discussing Nick's changing physiology when Cameron and Cuddy entered. The vampire picked up his spoon. "Here for the big show?" he said cheerfully, and dug up a blob of red gelatin.

"We are," Cuddy and Cameron said simultaneously.

He put the spoon in his mouth. "Mmmmm...." He swallowed. "That tastes really good." He dug up another spoonful, then hesitated. A funny expression came over him. "Uh oh." He started to retch. Cuddy grabbed an emesis basin and handed it to Nick just in time.

He wiped his mouth with a tissue. "I guess that didn't go so well." He pushed the tray table away.

House wiped his hand over his face. "Maybe it's the sugar. Sugars can be hard to digest, although you've hardly had time for that. Yet, the salt and the protein from the chicken broth were tolerated fine."

"How are you feeling?" Cuddy asked.

Nick ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. I'm not hungry anymore, though."

"House tapped his cane lightly on the floor, thinking. "Let's hang a banana bag. No mag sulfate, no glucose and make it in a liter of normal saline. I think it'd be a good idea to build up his body, what with all the changes it's going through. No telling how long it'll be before he can take in adequate nutrition."

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"Vitamins, basically, in an IV. They make the fluid yellow, hence the name," Wilson explained.

"I'll get it." Cameron left the room.

@>-->--<--<@

The bag was hung and well-tolerated. Since no other procedures were planned, Wilson volunteered to stay with Nick while the others went home. The rest of the night was spent quietly watching television and playing cards.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 19

Friday came and went with Nick eating more chicken broth and being able to keep down one serving of gelatin. His heart rate was now up to one beat every three minutes. They kept him on the banana bags. Chemistries were improving and his CBC remained normal, with the exception of no white blood cells, of course.

Cameron stayed with Nick overnight and left late Saturday morning when Cuddy came in to relieve her. She hurried home to get in several hours of sleep before she had to get ready for her date.

@>-->--<--<@

The alarm went off at six o'clock. Cameron rose and showered. As for clothes, she decided to be casual, but a bit sexy, giving him something to admire, yet not inviting leering. 'Or snide remarks', she thought. She decided she'd take a fanny pack instead of a purse, not wanting to have to bother with one. The only things she really needed to carry were her wallet and keys anyway. Her nerves were a bit on edge. One never knew what to expect out Dr. Gregory House.

@>-->--<--<@

Greg rapped on the door with his cane at exactly seven o'clock. He heard muffled footfalls, the sound of a lock clicking and a deadbolt being withdrawn, then it opened.

The sight that greeted him made his eyes go wide. Allison stood there in a pair of black hip-hugger jeans with a pale blue, tight, low-cut, midriff-baring pull-over covered with tiny multi-colored flowers. Greg felt a slight stirring in his groin. His eyes moved up from her perfect breasts to meet her smiling eyes. She knew the effect she was having on him. It showed on his face. Before he could stop himself, he murmured, "You look really nice."

Surprised by the compliment, she looked him over and softly responded, "So do you." He was wearing new jeans of deep indigo that emphasized his long legs and a royal blue tee shirt with a Grave Digger graphic that clung to his well-developed chest and set off his beautifully expressive blue eyes. She noticed that even though he leaned on his cane, he seemed to be standing taller.

Realizing he'd been gawking, he gruffly said, "Get a warm jacket and let's go." It was then she realized he was holding two motorcycle helmets and a backpack in his left hand.

She grabbed her lined leather jacket from the closet and fanny pack from the couch, put them on, then returned. He handed her a helmet, and she locked her door.

Downstairs, Cameron stood back as he leaned over from the left and clipped his cane into the special holder on the right side of the bike, handed her the backpack, put on his helmet and lifted his right leg over the machine, settling on the seat. He looked at her and tipped his head over his shoulder. "Get on."

She slung on the backpack, straddled the bike behind him and put her feet on the pegs, surprised when he grabbed her arms and pulled her tight against him as he wrapped her arms around his waist. Greg patted Cameron's hands, then kicked the engine over and took off. The feel of her pressed close against him made his heart sing ... but he'd never admit it.

Getting on to Washington Road, they drove past PPTH, out of Princeton and across Lake Carnegie. The autumn air was brisk and invigorating. Cameron rested her head on House's shoulder, helmets touching, watching where they were going. Suddenly she felt a hand squeeze hers. It was there and gone almost before it registered in her mind. She smiled and hugged him tighter in response. Knowing she couldn't see him, he smiled.

Moving through Princeton Junction, House turned on to Princeton-Hightstown Road (County Road 571) and opened up the engine, while still staying just above the speed limit. He didn't care about such things normally, but he wasn't alone this time.

Cameron noticed the sign for the turn-off to Grovers Mill, the site of the Martian landing in Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds." She laughed.

House heard her through their touching helmets. "What?" he shouted. She pointed to the sign. He nodded.

They entered East Windsor Township and passed the police headquarters and East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 located on One Mile Road Extension. A bit further on, they came to the intersection where Route 130 crossed their path. House turned into the parking lot of Tiger's Deli, parked and pulled off his helmet. "I thought we'd get some decent sandwiches instead of McDonald's at the raceway."

"Sounds good to me." She dismounted, removed her helmet and waited for House to get his cane.

Inside, they walked up to the counter. "Can I help you folks?" The man smiled warmly.

"I'd like a Reuben. Dry. No pickles. All to go." He turned to Cameron.

"I'd like a half sub with prosciutto, Genoa salami, provolone, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, oil and vinegar."

"I'll double wrap everything so they won't leak."

"Thanks," Cameron said. She removed the backpack and opened it.

House grabbed a couple bags and held them up. "Chips?"

"Sure," Cameron replied.

He went over to the cooler. "What do you want to drink?"

"Ginger ale would be great."

House grabbed a Seagram's ginger ale and a Pepsi for himself and put them all on the counter.

The clerk finished wrapping the sandwiches, put everything in a bag with some napkins and handed it to Cameron. "That'll be $15.26."

House handed him a twenty. "Keep the change." Allison looked at him in surprise. He was always so stingy.

"Thank you, Sir."

@>-->--<--<@

Back on the bike, they crossed Rt. 130 and headed into Hightstown. They rode under the railroad bridge, out the other side of town and onto State Road 33. They went under the New Jersey Turnpike and through Twin Rivers, heading into a more rural area.

Cameron was enjoying the ride and being so close to this enigmatic man she so wanted. She could feel the heat from his body through both of their jackets. Without thinking, she gave him a squeeze. Suddenly realizing what she'd done, she tensed and held her breath, not knowing what to expect. House stunned her by gently pushing back against her and squeezing her left hand. She grinned. It was so out of character for him, but then she wondered if he'd respond that way if he was facing her.

As they sped along the highway, Greg felt free. He always did when he rode his bike. Not having to use his right leg or foot let him forget about his damaged thigh, if only for a short while. The joy he felt was compounded by having this beautiful young woman he liked - he was afraid to say "loved" for fear it would all evaporate into thin air - pressed tightly against his back with her arms around him.

Out of the blue, he felt her grip tighten, hugging him. It took him by surprise. He still had no idea what the hell she could possibly see in him, but she liked him ... maybe even loved him. That thought made his insides shudder, but nevertheless he moved his left hand down to cover hers and gave it a quick squeeze, while pushing back into her gently. It felt right, but he couldn't help but wonder what he was getting himself into again. His heart wouldn't survive another break up.

They came up on Dugans Grove Road. Greg leaned into the left-hand turn. They followed the road up through Englishtown. At the Exxon Station, they turned right onto Gordons Corner Road, then left onto Pension Road. The Raceway Park gate was two miles north on the right.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 20

House paid their entrance fee, then found a place to park. He locked their helmets to the bike, removed his cane, and they headed for the area set up for the monster trucks. There were some empty picnic tables.

"We have about twenty minutes before things start, so let's eat." They grabbed a table. House sat opposite her. Cameron set out the food.

The strong smell of onions, salami and vinegar hit them both as she unwrapped her sandwich. With a serious look, hand waving in front of his face, he groused, "Geez! If you wanted this to be our last date, you could have just said so. No need to asphyxiate me."

Allison's face dropped. "I ... uh ... I didn't...."

"It's a JOKE, Cameron. It's just a joke," he interrupted and smiled.

She stared at him a second until his words sunk in. "Oh! I didn't...."

"You really need to lighten up a bit," he interrupted again, then laughed lightly. That brought a smile back to her face.

"I'm sorry. You looked so serious."

"Well, you're just going to have to learn once and for all how to tell when I'm kidding you. If you keep putting me up on a pedestal, that's never gonna happen." He cracked open his Pepsi and took a sip. "I may be your boss and may be able to teach you things that will make you a better diagnostician, but here, we're equals." He paused for a moment, staring into the distance, took another sip of soda and cocked his head. "Although, if truth be told, you're undoubtedly the better person."

She stopped in mid-chew, eyes widening. "How can you say that? You don't really believe that, do you?"

He eyed her sharply as he bit into his sandwich, chewed and swallowed. "Do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Drop it. Let's not ruin what has been, up till now, an enjoyable evening. I'm not in the mood to be psychoanalyzed."

"Uh ... sure." She stared into his eyes.

"Yes, I'm serious." He stared back and bit into his sandwich.

They finished eating in relative silence, Cameron fretting and wondering if the evening had been irreparably ruined.

He finally spoke. "You finished?"

"Yes." She crumpled up her sandwich wrapper and reached for her last potato chip when a hand beat her to it. He grinned broadly as he popped it into his mouth and crunched down.

Cameron gave him a dirty look. "You'll pay for that," she growled. He chuckled as she gathered up the trash and stuffed it into the bag.

House had already levered himself off the bench and put on the backpack. He held out his left hand to her. "Let's go."

She stared at the outstretched hand. 'You never cease to amaze me, Gregory House,' she thought and took it. He led her to a garbage can, where she dumped the bag, then they went in the direction of the grandstand.

They stood at the bottom of the bleachers looking for seats. Cameron couldn't find anything in the first row. House suddenly pointed. "There. A couple of seats. Go get them before someone else does."

She gazed where he indicated. It was five rows up. Allison looked at him, questioningly, and got a 'don't say it' glare in return. Worried about his leg and the pain she knew he was going to have, but at the same time not wanting to make him angry or feel inadequate, she started up the steps without a word. House followed slowly behind, taking the steps one at a time, keeping his head down so as not to see anyone looking at him with pity. He despised that.

Greg sat down heavily on Cameron's right side and rubbed his thigh, a grimace on his face. She watched out of the corner of her eye. He was trying to catch his breath. After a couple minutes, she swallowed and said softly, "Why don't you take a Vicodin?"

His eyes widened as he turned to face her. She'd always seemed annoyed when she saw him take any. So, all night he'd been avoiding it. He'd taken two pills a couple hours before leaving to pick her up, hoping that would hold him till he got home. But climbing up five rows of bleachers wasn't something he'd planned on. The leg was screaming. "Uh ... all right." He pulled the bottle from his jacket pocket, popped the cap and shook out only one pill, which he dry-swallowed.

The look of relief on his face made Cameron smile. She laid her hand on his left thigh without thinking. Looking down at it, he smiled to himself. With no outward expression, he gently lay his hand over hers and gave it a little squeeze. She looked at him, but he was staring out over the crowd. His hand didn't move. She slowly turned her hand over under his and felt their fingers intertwine.

@>-->--<--<@

The converted motocross park made a fantastic monster truck venue with some jumps and lots of old buses, pickups and cars strewn about to crush. Allison and Greg had a wonderful time cheering, shouting, whooping and hollering. It was a great crowd. Everyone had fun. When it was over, the drivers parked their trucks along the walk to the parking lot so the fans could see the machines and drivers up close, get autographs, take photos and ask questions. Vendors also set up tables with all sorts of things from tee shirts to key chains to photos for autographing.

House and Cameron waited till most of the people in their section had left, then he slowly hobbled down the steps, she resisting the urge to take his arm. Once back on the ground, Greg grabbed her hand. "Come on. It's time for checking out the trucks and getting souvenirs!" His eyes twinkled in the bright light of the stadium lamps.

They admired each vehicle and talked to every driver, then Greg dragged her over to the vendor tables. He studied each one until he found what he was looking for. He held up a royal blue women's tee shirt with low scoop neck. It had a Grave Digger graphic on it. He grinned broadly. "We can be twins!"

Cameron laughed. "Okay!" House paid for the shirt and put it in the backpack.

"It'll look great on you." He winked and gave her a suggestive leer.

That caught her off-guard. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and started to drag her down the line. They came to a vendor who was offering to take Polaroid photos of fans with GunSlinger for a couple bucks each. Greg handed the guy some money. "Two photos, please."

"Hey!" Cameron said. "This is the truck that was on 'Extreme Makeover Home Edition'. They were re-doing a house for a family in Riveria Beach, Florida and GunSlinger was used to knock the old house down. I saw it the other night. Very cool! The truck got stuck in the house, and they had to tow it out." She asked the vendor about it and he confirmed it. Greg was impressed.

They stood in front of the truck. Cameron on his left side. He put his arm around her shoulder. They smiled at the camera. The vendor handed him the photos. "Thanks." He turned to her. "One for you." He gave her a photo. "One for me."

They walked around some more waving the photos and watching them develop. Allison thought sure she had died and gone to heaven. It was so nice to see him enjoy himself and treat her nicely for a change.

After they'd seen everything, they decided to get some ice cream, then visit the restrooms before heading back to the bike for the ride home.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 21

Cameron waited for House to mount the bike, then got on behind him. She wrapped her arms around him tight and rested her head on his right shoulder. He started the engine and they took off.

Breathing deeply, House savored the crisp night air, the feel of Cameron's warm body pressed against his, her arms around his waist and the power of the motorcycle beneath him. It almost made it possible to forget the pain in his leg. The Vicodin had taken the edge off, but he could use another one. He took his right foot off the peg and moved it around, stretching the muscles. The move did not go unnoticed.

Cameron felt bad that House was in so much pain. She knew he normally would have taken two Vicodin, but he'd only taken one. That was her fault, because she always gave him 'the eye' when he popped the pills in front of her. She knew he was an addict, but she also knew he did suffer real pain. There was nothing much she could do, so she just hugged him.

The sudden tight squeeze around his middle startled House out of his reverie, causing him to gasp slightly. Putting his foot back on the peg, he leaned back into Cameron as his way of acknowledging her concern.

The ride back was a bit quicker, with less traffic at this hour. The full moon had risen halfway up the sky, washing out the nearby stars. Heading down Washington Road, he slowed as they started out over Lake Carnegie. Cameron shifted her head to House's left shoulder, looking southwest. A single two-man scull plied the smooth, shining black water, cutting across the reflection of the moon. She tapped him on the arm and pointed. He nodded. It was a beautiful sight.

When he reached Faculty Road, which paralleled the lake, House turned left onto it, heading southwest toward the scull. As they drew closer, they could see the two men rowing hard, muscles taut, in perfect unison.

As they approached Alexander Street, House heard a whistle and came to a stop at the railroad tracks. He put his left foot on the ground and balanced the bike. They waited for the "Dinky" to pass by, smiling.

Everyone in Princeton loved the "Dinky", so named because it consisted normally of only one car, two during the height of rush hour. It ran the three mile route, in about five minutes, between the Princeton campus and Princeton Junction where you could catch trains to Philadelphia and New York City. It had served the community for over 100 years and had carried such important people as Albert Einstein, John Forbes Nash, and Andrew Carnegie. In the past, it had been known as the "PJ&B", for "Princeton Junction and Back", but in more recent decades had been dubbed the "Dinky."

Turning right onto Alexander Street, House drove slowly through the campus and on to Cameron's apartment. He pulled into the parking lot and waited for her to dismount. Taking the backpack from her, he opened it and removed one of the photos and the shirt, handing them to her.

"Thanks. I had a really good time." She smiled warmly.

"Ummm ... I did, too," House said, looking down at the bike. He'd never shut the engine off.

It was then Cameron realized he was just going to leave. She wasn't ready for the evening to end yet. It was only about 11:30 p.m. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"

"Uh, I'm not so sure that's such a good idea." He still hadn't looked at her.

"Oh, come on. I'm not going to lure you in and attack you!" She laughed lightly.

His head snapped up. She caught a glimpse of mild anxiety just before his face went impassive and unreadable, then he frowned. "It's not you I'm worried about," he murmured so softly she wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

She studied him for a moment. "I'll take my chances if you will. It's just coffee."

He considered the offer, then agreed. He took off his helmet, shut the engine down and secured both helmets to the bike. Turning away, House reached into his pocket for his pill bottle. Realizing what he was doing, she caught his arm. "You don't have to hide. I know you've been in pain all night. It's all right."

He turned back to look at her and smiled slightly, then took a pill. He pulled his cane out of its clip and dismounted the bike. Limping heavily, he walked with her to the apartment. She opened the door, and he followed her in. "Have a seat. I'll start the coffee." She put the photo and tee shirt on the coffee table as she walked toward the kitchen.

He glanced around noticing the bookcases filled with books. There was an armchair against one wall with a couch on the adjoining wall. A coffee table in front of both. Opting for the safer option, he sat in the chair. He nervously tapped his cane on the floor. This was really a big mistake. He never should have agreed to come in.

In the kitchen, Cameron could hear the cane. She imagined he was uncomfortable because small talk wasn't his thing, and he was expecting it would be required of him. When the coffee was ready, she carried the two mugs inside.

"Here you go." She handed him a mug and couldn't help but notice he chose to isolate himself by sitting in the chair. Kicking off her shoes, she curled up on the end of the couch closest to him. His eyes widened a bit at the proximity.

"Thanks." He took a sip. "This is really good. Another one of those specialty coffees you like so much?"

"Yes, it's mocha vanilla." She took a sip. He nodded and took another sip. They went on to discuss what they had seen at the rally, House remarking that none of the trucks could compare to Grave Digger.

Cameron then picked up the photo from the coffee table and admired it. "I still can't believe I got to see GunSlinger in person! I'll treasure this." She grinned widely.

"Guess you should have taken the photo by yourself then," he snarked and took a sip of coffee.

She glared at him. "You're a real idiot sometimes. You being there is what made the whole thing so much fun."

He ducked his head and toyed with his mug. "Whatever."

Putting her mug on the coffee table, Cameron picked up the shirt and rose. "I'm going to try this on. I want to see how it looks. I'll be right back."

"Okay." He watched as she walked down the hallway to what he knew was her bedroom. The light went on. She didn't close the door. That surprised him.

He was staring into the mug perched on his knee when she returned. Looking up, his mouth dropped open. "Wow," was all he said, eyes going wide. The shirt was far more low-cut than it had appeared when he bought it. It clung tightly to her perfectly shaped breasts. His groin reacted far quicker than his brain as he stared. He made no move to hide the bulge in his jeans.

Despite her best effort, Cameron blushed, but kept her cool. "So ... what do you think? Do we look like twins?"

He slowly shook his head. "Not those twins," his deep voice rumbled as his eyes narrowed, his crotch doing all the talking now.

Determined not to let the crude remark get to her, she said, "Well, I'm glad you like it."

"Ohhh yeah. Me likee." He waggled his eyebrows.

She sat down on the couch again and was amazed to be able to feel the sexual heat pouring off his body despite the distance between them. He suddenly became quiet as he watched her curl her feet under her again. Just as she was wondering where this was all going, House nervously looked at his watch. He felt the urgent need to get out of there before he did something he might regret. "Uhhh ... I really should be going. It's getting late."

Caught completely off-guard, Cameron spluttered, "Uh ... well, uh ... okay."

House put the mug on the coffee table and levered himself up out of the armchair. She watched him, floored by his sudden change of behavior, but then this was House she was dealing with, and rose herself. He'd already made it to the door. When need be, Greg could move fast.

He was reaching for the doorknob, when she shoved her hand past him and grabbed it. He just blinked. Opening the door, Cameron turned to him. "I had a really good time. Thank you."

House, tapping his cane on the floor, didn't look at her. "Uh ... yeah. Me, too." Without warning, he reached out with his left arm and drew her close, pressing her into him. She felt his erection as he rubbed it against her belly. It made her light-headed. He kissed her firmly on the lips and was gone.

Utterly dumfounded, Cameron stood there at the door watching his back as he hurried away.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 22

Greg arrived home. He opened the door and was greeted by the familiar squeaking. "Hi, Steve. Yeah, I'm home." The rat watched him as he tossed the backpack on the couch and put the two helmets on the floor by the door. He poured himself a glass of Scotch and sat down next to the pack, opening it and removing the photo. He stared at it, feeling a swirl of contradictory emotions and shook his head as if to clear it.

Steve started squeaking again. "What's the matter? Think I'm ignoring you? I fed you before I left." The rat squeaked once. Greg chuckled. "All right. I'll take you out in just a bit. You're getting spoiled rotten, you know that?" He took a long swallow of his drink and felt it burn all the way down to his stomach, then stared at the photo again, wondering just what the hell he was getting himself into. He knew he couldn't take it if he allowed himself to love her, and she left him. He knew he could be a pain in the ass. Cameron seemed to be able to deal with him most of the time, but that was as an employee. It was a whole other ball game to deal with him as a boyfriend and lover. "Good thing I left when I did," he said to Steve. "I would have done something we probably both would have regretted if I'd stayed any longer." He was answered by a sharp squeak. "Thanks for your vote of confidence."

Just then the phone rang. Frowning, Greg picked it up. "Yeah?"

"House, it's Wilson. How'd it go?"

"Shit, James ... I just walked in the door! What? Do you have a spy camera planted in here or something?"

"Whoa, House! Calm down. Why so damn testy? And no, I just started calling every 15 minutes since eleven."

Greg rolled his eyes. "I think I've gotten myself into something I shouldn't have." He sighed loudly and knocked back a big slug of Scotch.

"Why? What happened? What went wrong?"

"Nothing. I had a good time."

"Then what's the problem?"

"She invited me in for coffee." He paused. "I never should have accepted."

"And?"

"I kissed her."

"You KISSED her?"

"Yeah...."

"Tongue?"

"Mmmm ... no."

"Uhhh, what aren't you telling me?" There was a long silence before he heard a barely audible, murmured response.

"She was pressed up tight against me all the way home --"

"You took the bike?"

"Yeah."

"Not the brightest idea you've ever had."

"Shut up, Wilson!" The sudden outburst startled Steve, who began to squeak loudly. "Hey, hey, hey! I don't need crap from you, too."

Wilson heard the commotion. "What's going on?"

"Your godchild is adding in his two cents."

Wilson laughed. "You really mean to tell me that you didn't think having Cameron pressed against your ass, arms wrapped tightly around you for over half an hour wasn't going to have an effect on you?"

"To be honest, I didn't even consider that. I was far more concerned about being able to walk around once I got there and being able to drive us back home. I don't have to use the leg on the bike. And as it turned out, it was a good thing I took it. We wound up having to climb up and down five rows of bleachers."

"Ouch!"

"Exactly." He paused. "But everything was pretty much okay until we got to her place. She insisted I come in for coffee. I did ... against my better judgment."

"So, uh ... what happened?"

"Everything was fine until she decided to try on the Grave Digger tee shirt I bought for her."

"What's the big deal with a tee shirt?"

"I didn't realize when I bought it that it was one of those clingy, really low-cut girly-type shirts."

"Ohhhhh."

"Yeah...."

"Soooo?"

"I thought it was best to leave before anything happened...."

"And?" Getting answers out of House was never easy.

"I went for the door, but she beat me to it. She opened it, and before I walked out I grabbed her and kissed her."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Well ... there's more...."

'Uh oh,' Wilson thought, then said, "What?"

"I rubbed myself on her."

"You did WHAT?"

"You heard me. You're not deaf."

"What was her reaction?"

"I didn't hang around to find out, but a deer in headlights might be a good description, and I never did hear the door close." He paused. "What the hell was I thinking, Wilson? How am I going to face her tonight?"

"Well, obviously you were thinking with the wrong head."

"Oh, was it that obvious, Genius?" Greg snarked.

Wilson ignored the comment. "Look, she won't say anything in front of anyone else. Just see how she treats you. At least she didn't slap your face."

"I think she was too stunned." He shook his head and ran his free hand over his face. "What have I gotten myself into here, James? I was acting like a thirteen-year-old!"

"Look, Greg. It's been a long time since you cared about anyone in that way. I know it scares you to even think about getting close to someone again, but damnit, it's obvious to everyone how much you like each other. Just give it a chance. Give her a chance. Give yourself a chance. You deserve to be happy. I'm sure she'll understand."

"And I should take the romantic advice of a man who's been married three times because?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but trust me on this. I guarantee you I'm right."

Greg thought it over for a minute. "Maybe I should do something totally lame ... like send her some flowers? She seemed to really like that corsage I got her that time. Maybe that'll keep her from cutting my balls off when she sees me."

Wilson chuckled. "That might just save them." He paused, rubbing his neck. "I never thought I'd hear you talk about sending flowers to anyone ever again, but your mom," he said wistfully.

"Chalk it up to a psychotic break."

Wilson just chuckled.

Steve started to squeak again. "Look I better go. The native is getting restless and wants out of his cage. I promised him we'd watch some TV before bed."

"Okay. Get some sleep, and I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah." Greg put the phone back in its cradle.

Rising, he went into the kitchen, got a piece of cheese and returned to remove Steve from his cage. He settled on the couch with the towel on his lap and handed the little guy the tasty morsel.

The rat squeaked happily as he took the cheese from Greg's fingers and devoured it quickly. He then cuddled up in his lap, pressed against his stomach. House stroked his fur as he turned on the TV. "What do you think about sending her a dozen red roses? Think that will make up for my stupidity?"

Little beady eyes looked up, studying him. The rat squeaked.

"Okay. A dozen red roses it is."

They watched TV together, Greg stroking Steve's fur the whole time, until about one-thirty, when the rat fell asleep. Carefully, House put the animal back in his cage, turned off the TV and picked up the photo from the coffee table. He stared at it. Cameron's smiling face looked up at him. He thought about the kiss, the way she looked in the tee shirt, how he had rubbed against her and got instantly hard. "Great."

He finished the last of his Scotch, then went to get ready for bed. Still hard, he masturbated, then turned out the light. His last thought before drifting into the bliss of sleep was he hoped he wasn't going to get his heart broken again.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 23

House woke up about nine. Sunlight was filtering into his bedroom. He lay on his back, eyes closed, aware of two things: the painful throbbing in his leg and the pleasurable throbbing in his groin. Ignoring the latter for the moment, he reached over to his night table to get his morning dose of Vicodin, which he dry swallowed. Closing his eyes again, he waited for the drug to kick in. Bits and pieces of his dream came floating back to him from the far reaches of his memory ... making love to Cameron. He moaned ever so softly.

As the pain faded to background annoyance, he rose, stripped off his tee shirt and pajama bottoms, grabbed his cane and hobbled into the bathroom. Getting into the shower, he then took care of the other throbbing.

He had gotten dressed and limped into the living room where he saw Steve running in his wheel. The moment the rat saw him, he stopped, hopped out, went to the bars of his cage, poked his nose out and squeaked loudly. "Good morning to you, too." Greg smiled and went over to stick his finger in to rub Steve's head.

In the kitchen, he made some eggs and bacon and poured a glass of orange juice. He grabbed the phone book and sat down to eat. Flipping through the yellow pages, he found the listings for florists. He decided on The Flower Market at 26 1/2 Witherspoon Street, since it was the closest.

@>-->--<--<@

House mounted his motorcycle and took off for the florist shop. He parked in front and went in. A bell mounted on the top tinkled as he opened and closed the door. An older woman appeared from the back and smiled at him. "Good morning, Sir. How can I help you?"

Greg glanced around. "I want to have some roses delivered here in town."

"Okay. Any particular color?"

"Uh, deep red?"

"Sure, we've got some beautiful ones in now. With some white Baby's Breath, they'll look exquisite. Any idea how you want them? Boxed? In a vase?"

"Mmmm ... not a box." He glanced around again. "Maybe a vase of some kind? I don't know."

It was obvious to her that this man rarely bought flowers. She crooked her finger at him. "Why don't you come over here and let me show you some ideas."

"All right." He followed her to a display table near the back wall.

There were all sorts of mugs, vases and pitchers lined up. He considered and rejected each one, until his eyes fell upon a clear glass vase hugged by a stuffed bear wearing a bright red bow around its neck. 'Cameron likes lame. It's perfect,' he thought. "That one," he said, pointing.

"Excellent choice, Sir. That's one of our most popular. Let's go back up front."

From beneath the counter, she pulled out a form, a small card with matching envelope and a pen. She filled in the parts for the type and color of flowers, the arrangement name, and the price, then asked for his name and the name and address of the recipient. "She's going to love it," she said cheerily as she wrote.

"I hope so," he mumbled.

"With tax, that'll be $84.79. Cash, credit, or debit?"

"Credit and add in a ten dollar tip for the deliveryman," he said as he pulled out his wallet and handed her the card.

She pushed the small card, envelope and pen at him, smiling. "Certainly, Mr. House. Thank you. You can fill this out while I ring it up."

He stared at the items for a moment, then picked up the pen. Tapping it on the counter, he thought about what to write. He wasn't good at this sort of thing, and was tempted to just sign his name. No, he owed her more than that, he knew. Finally, he wrote something, then put the card in the envelope and sealed it.

The clerk handed him back his credit card and the receipt to sign, which he did and handed her the little envelope. "Now, when would you like this delivered? Since it's right here in town, we can do it anytime."

Greg shrugged. "How about one o'clock today?"

"That'll be fine." She handed him his copy of the receipt. "Thank you, Mr. House. Please come again."

He smiled. "Thanks."

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron had finished lunch fifteen minutes ago and was now sitting on the couch reading a novel when someone knocked on her door. She got up to answer it. A young man was standing there with flowers. "Delivery for Allison Cameron."

Her mouth dropped open. "Uh, yeah. That's me." She took the vase and bear. "Wait ... let me get you a tip."

"Already taken care of, Ma'am."

"Oh! All right. Thank you." She closed the door. "Who on Earth would be sending me flowers?" she wondered out loud. She put them on the coffee table. Bending down, she took a deep breath. The scent of the roses was thick and heady. She smiled and caressed the bear's head. She loved it. Then she noticed the little card tucked under the bear's arm. Removing it, she sat down on the couch and opened it. Pulling the card out, she recognized the handwriting immediately. She read it and laughed. All it said was:

I'm a jerk.
House

She knew instantly this was his way of apologizing for last night. She'd been surprised by the kiss, never expecting that, but was utterly stunned by his blatant sexual behavior toward her. This was a huge deal. House rarely ever apologized to anyone for anything.

He'd been quite nervous about coming in for coffee and was surprised she was even able to convince him. Being honest with herself, she had noticed his reaction when she had tried on the shirt he'd bought her. To her, he'd seemed shocked at first, as if he hadn't realized what style of shirt it was when he'd bought it. 'Well, that makes sense,' she thought. 'He's a man. What do they know about women's clothing? To him it was just a tee shirt.' But then she'd seen his intense blue eyes go straight to her breasts, staring, as a large bulge appeared in his jeans. He'd made no move to hide it either. Then he appeared to panic and tried to flee. She'd prevented his quick exit. What followed was rightly her fault. The kiss was forceful, though close-mouthed, certainly not unpleasant or unwanted, but then he'd rubbed himself against her, leaving her stunned. She just couldn't imagine House doing that. It was then it dawned on her just how aroused he'd been and how much he'd wanted her, but he left rather than try to have sex with her. Was it out of fear of rejection? Respect for her? Fear of being so vulnerable? Fear of what she'd think of his leg? Or even fear of being able to perform? The leg had to hamper him, at least somewhat. Cameron figured it was most likely a combination of all those things. And apparently, his behavior had bothered him enough to do something about it ... to let her know he was sorry for forcing himself on her. He truly must have been feeling guilty because the card was written in his hand. That meant he'd gone to the florist himself to pick out an arrangement, rather than just call in an order. She was duly impressed.

Cameron had a feeling he was waiting nervously to see what her reaction would be. She considered letting him stew in his own juices for a while, but that would be downright cruel. He'd made the first overture ... a move that was totally remarkable for him. So, she picked up the phone.

@>-->--<--<@

House was sitting at his piano, attempting to play some Chopin. He kept looking at the clock every five minutes, so distracted, he hit too many wrong notes. He was about to give up when the phone rang. Levering himself up off the bench, he went to answer it. Gingerly, he picked it up, as if it might explode in his hand. "Hello?"

"House, hi, it's Cameron."

He could practically hear her grinning. "Uhhh ... hi."

"I'm calling to thank you for the beautiful roses and the bear. That was so thoughtful of you."

"Yeah ... uh, whatever." 'God, that was really lame,' he thought wanting to kick himself. He traced a little circle on the floor with his cane tip, shaking his head.

She chuckled to herself. He sounded as if someone was torturing him. "Ummm ... about last night....? It's okay." There was a long pause with no answer. "House?"

"Yeah ... I'm here. I heard you." He hated that he felt so embarrassed by what he'd done. He was a grown man, for crying out loud. He should be able to control himself. "Mmmmm ... it won't happen again," he murmured.

"It is okay if you kiss me, you know. That was actually quite nice." She blushed, and was glad he couldn't see her.

Greg rolled his eyes and wanted to sink into the floor. "Fine," was all he could get out.

"Uhhh ... as for the, uh ... other...." She paused, listening to his breathing, and heard it stop. "It's ... probably too soon for that."

He'd been cringing, waiting for the axe to fall. That wasn't the response he was expecting. It surprised him. Suddenly realizing he was holding his breath, he exhaled long and slow. "Yeah ... well ... I, uh ... feel like ... an idiot." There, he'd finally said it. He took a deep breath and exhaled again.

"It's all right." She could tell he felt like crap and didn't want him to withdraw from her for good. "Look, I had a really good time with you last night. That rally was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the bike ride, too. I hope we can do it again sometime, that is, if you want to."

"Uh ... yeah. I, uh ... guess so." Why did he always have such a hard time just saying what he felt? God, he really liked her. Why couldn't he just take the risk and tell her so? He was right. The card had said it all.

Cameron was grinning from ear to ear. She knew how to interpret "House-Speak." That was as close to an admission of liking her as she was going to get for now. "Good! Well, I better go. I need to get some sleep. I'll see you at the hospital tonight, then."

"Yeah. See ya." He hung up and breathed a huge sigh of relief. He walked over to Steve's cage and took him out. The rat squeaked happily.

Sitting on the couch, Greg spread the towel on his lap and placed Steve on it. The little guy looked at him, squeaked once and nuzzled his way under House's right hand. He smiled down at the creature. Stroking his fur, they sat quietly for a few minutes, Greg thinking.

Finally, Greg picked up the rat, the way you'd pick up a baby you were going to toss in the air, and brought him close to his face. "Why is it so easy for me to show you affection and tell you I love you, but so hard for me to do that with another human being?" Steve stared into the intense blue eyes studying him, and squeaked once. "Mmmmm ... I thought so." He kissed the rat on the nose and gently placed him back on his lap. The two fell asleep cuddled up together.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 24

House got to the hospital early, anxious to check up on his patient, and if he admitted the truth to himself, to avoid Cameron, although he knew that was going to be impossible. He couldn't just go hide somewhere like he normally did to avoid Cuddy. Still, he felt it gave him some modicum of control if he got there first.

It was just after dinner time. He found Nick and Cuddy playing a game of cards. "So, how's the star patient doing?" House smiled warmly at Nick.

"Hi, House," Cuddy said. "His labs and exam have been fine. And he even urinated for the first time. Did a urinalysis, for the heck of it. It was normal."

"Hi. Good. I'm impressed. Must seem weird after 800 years or so."

"I think I'm okay." Nick smiled. "Dr. Cuddy has been taking good care of me. Yeah, it was strange. Took me a few minutes to figure out what the sensation was that I was feeling." He chuckled. "Amazing what you can forget."

House grinned. "I guess so. Mind if I check you out, too?"

"No, go ahead." Nick put down his cards.

House grabbed a stethoscope and listened to his patient's chest. He frowned and turned to Cuddy. "When did you last check him?"

"An hour ago. Why?"

He held out the stethoscope. "Give a listen."

She listened to Nick's breath sounds and heard distinct crackles and fine rales that hadn't been there on her last exam. "Damn." She felt Nick's forehead. "You feel warm now. How are you feeling?" House got the thermometer and hovered until Nick answered.

"Well, I sort have a slight pain, like a rubbing, in my side here, but I didn't think anything of it, since I'm having so many new sensations now."

"Under your tongue." House handed him the thermometer.

"Are you thinking what I am?" Cuddy arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah ... pneumonia."

The thermometer beeped. House looked at it. "It's 99. I think we're going to need to consider that fever."

Just then, Nick started coughing. Cuddy grabbed a sterile specimen cup and handed to him. "See if you can bring up something." He took it, coughed deeply, spit into it and handed it back to her. "Good."

Greg went to the phone and dialed. "Cameron, it's House. I know it's early, but I need you in now. It looks like Nick has pneumonia." He hung up. "He has no immune system, so let's get him started on penicillin G 600,000 units IV until we get the culture and sensitivity back."

"I'll go to the pharmacy," Cuddy said and hurried out.

"Am I going to be all right?"

House's face was unreadable. "We're going to treat this aggressively, so we should be able to get it under control before it gets too bad. I have to be honest with you ... you have no immune system, and we're way out beyond the pale here."

Nick nodded. He knew what that meant. "It's okay. I knew the risks when I agreed to this."

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron took the specimen, glanced at House, who grimaced when their eyes met making her smile, and headed right to the lab.

Wilson arrived and was informed of the situation. He checked Nick over himself and found worsening breath sounds. He'd now developed a constant cough. He joined House in the corner near the door and said in a low voice, "I don't like the sound of this."

"Neither do I," House replied. "It came on so suddenly, but we shouldn't be surprised. We need to get him well quickly and do the transplant."

"The sooner, the better."

Cuddy returned with a small IV bag and hung it. "Okay, Nick. The penicillin should make you feel better soon. We'll know more when Allison gets back."

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron entered the room. Everyone turned around. "It's pneumococcal. We got lucky." She sighed. "Let's keep him on the PCN G until the C & S is done. It'll be 48 hours."

"Sounds like a plan." House nodded, looked away and tapped his cane on the floor.

"Dr. House, may I speak with you for a moment?" Cameron looked him in the eye.

Wilson looked at Cuddy. Nick looked at the both of them.

"Uh, sure." They walked out into the hall.

"What do you want?" He tapped his cane on the floor.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"Why are you bugging me?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the floor. "I'm not bugging you. I just want to know why you're avoiding me. I thought you had a good time yesterday ... I did."

House looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. "I did, too. I just ... I, uh ... well, you got the note," he blurted.

Smiling, Cameron touched his hand that rested on his cane. "Yes. I thought it was settled."

"Look, you know I'm not good at this crap...." He refused to look at her, but didn't pull his hand away.

"I don't agree. You going to get me flowers was actually quite good." She smiled when his head snapped up at that.

"How do you know I went to get them?" His gaze drilled into her.

"The card was in your handwriting," she said smugly.

His eyebrows rose. "Well," he looked down again, "I, uh ... just couldn't leave things the way they were."

Cameron was amazed at how hard he was trying to make things work. She squeezed his hand. "House, everything is fine. We discussed it. I'm fine. Relax, okay?" She smiled.

Looking up, he peered into her eyes. "Okay. We better get back inside." He slowly pulled his hand from hers, turned and walked away.

She shook her head as she watched him go, then followed him back to Nick's room.

@>-->--<--<@

Back in the room, everyone looked at the two of them, but they just ignored them. Nick could tell everything was fine. Their heartbeats were normal and steady. He smiled.

"Okay ... well, I think we just need to keep a close eye on you," House said to Nick, "and give you the penicillin every six hours for now. If there's any change in your condition, we'll make adjustments accordingly. We'll know for sure if you're getting the right drug in 48 hours when the cultures are done. And as soon as you're over this, we'll do the transplant."

Everyone agreed.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 25

House insisted on staying with Nick overnight and sent everyone else home. Nick was now sleeping most of the night and staying awake during the day as he continued his move toward mortality.

Around three in the morning, House was awakened by what sounded like Nick trying to hack up a lung. Painfully, he levered himself out of the recliner and grabbed the stethoscope hanging on the IV pole. His breath sounds had worsened. Getting the thermometer, he handed it to Nick, who put it under his tongue.

House looked at his watch. Three hours to go before the next dose of PCN. He decided to hang it anyway. When he'd finished, he took the thermometer from Nick. "Damn. It's 101. That's fever in anyone's book. How are you feeling?" He noted Nick's ashen skin tone and the rusty-colored sputum in the emesis basin, which he rinsed out.

"I'm short of breath, and I feel warm, but otherwise, not too bad. Some pain in my chest." He coughed again. "Oww...."

House went into the office and came back with a pulse-ox monitor. He put the lead on Nick's left index finger. The machine read 78%. "I'm going to start you on some oxygen. It'll help with the shortness of breath." He put the nasal cannula on Nick and set the oxygen flow to three liters per minute.

"I'm going to go to the pharmacy. I'll be back as soon as I can. You know how to page me if you need me."

Nick nodded.

@>-->--<--<@

House returned fifteen minutes later with a nebulizer and some pre-mixed vials of albuterol and normal saline. "I hit gold." He held the items up to Nick. "Snuck into the Respiratory Therapy Department and 'borrowed' a few things." He grinned and also took notice of the pulse-ox which was now reading 86%.

Nick laughed and wound up in a coughing fit. He really liked this rogue doctor. House could be a pain in the ass, gruff and seemingly uncaring, but that was just an act. He gave a damn about his patients and did what was best for them ... consequences be damned.

Unwrapping the nebulizer, House squirted the contents of one of the albuterol vials into it, unhooked the nasal cannula at the flowmeter and attached tubing to it and the nebulizer. He handed it to Nick. "I want you to put this in your mouth and breathe in and out through your mouth only. This drug will, hopefully, open your airways and loosen the congestion." Nick nodded and took the device. "I have no idea if this will work for you or if you'll get any of the typical side effects ... tremors, nervousness, headache, nausea, tachycardia and dizziness, since we don't know whether your body is responding normally yet."

"We'll soon find out." Nick started inhaling the medicine. Greg sat down in his recliner and kept a close eye on his patient.

Halfway through the treatment, Nick began coughing hard. A stethoscope wasn't needed to hear the congestion. He grabbed the emesis basin and brought up copious amounts of rusty sputum, lay back on the bed and tried to catch his breath.

Greg went to the bedside, checked the contents of the basin, then rinsed it out. "Well, it's working." He patted Nick gently on the shoulder. "That's a good sign. That means we'll be able to clear this infection out. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth or you're going to hyperventilate."

Nick nodded and did as he was told. House took the nebulizer from him and reattached the oxygen. His saturation had dropped to 79%. "That's enough of this for now. I'll have you do more later." He washed out the device and put it back in the bag, then returned to his seat, noticing that Nick had a slight tremor from the drug.

Breathing easier now, Nick looked over at House, who was lying back with closed eyes. "So, how did the date with Allison go?"

Greg's eyes snapped open as he quickly turned to face his patient. "Uh ... fine. Just fine."

Cocking his head, Nick's eyebrows rose. "You can't lie to me, Greg. You should know that by now." A steely blue gaze met his own.

House sighed, knowing the subject would not be dropped until he said something to this inhuman lie detector. Geez, he was worse than his mother. He shook his head. "Things were really good until I took her home, she insisted I come in for coffee." He proceeded to explain what happened while carefully examining the shirt button with which he was toying.

Nick nodded and chuckled lightly, then broke into a coughing fit. "Serves you right for laughing at me," Greg sneered.

"No, no ..." he coughed again. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because I know the feeling, only in my case, arousal would bring out the vampire, which was equally embarrassing for me ... and possibly deadly for the object of my desire...." His gaze became unfocused.

House looked over. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you." Nick was one person, besides Wilson, with whom he felt relatively comfortable and could allow some expression of feelings. After all, the vampire had trusted him with a secret that could have cost him his life.

"It's okay." Nick smiled. "Allison seems okay with everything. Did you apologize?"

"Ummmm ... not exactly." He described the flowers, the note, and the conversation he'd had with her on the phone.

"Trust me, she saw it as one. You're not so hopeless after all." He and Greg both chuckled.

"I guess not."

"So, what's your next move?"

Greg frowned, then raised one eyebrow. "I was going to ask her out for a bike ride. She said she'd like to do that again. I imagine she'll say yes." He toyed with his shirt button again.

"I think she'll be thrilled. She really does like you."

"Whatever." Greg swept his hand through the air. "I think you better try to get some sleep."

Nick took that as a warning that this conversation was over. "Good idea." He lowered the head of the bed a bit, rolled onto his side, pulled the blanket up and closed his eyes.

House settled down into the recliner and fell asleep.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 26

Over the next two days, Nick showed marked improvement. The four doctors figured they'd be able to do the bone marrow transplant on Friday. The sooner, the better, as far as they were concerned. That meant Cameron would be out of commission for a week. House decided to make his move on Wednesday.

They were alone in the office. Butterflies filled his stomach. He felt like an inept teenage boy all over again. He was sitting at his desk, she at the other one. He cleared his throat but didn't look up. "Uh, you said you'd like to go for a ride again sometime. How about tomorrow?"

Surprised, she looked up to see him staring at his desktop and smiled. "Sure. I'd love to. What time?"

House turned to face her and smiled wickedly. Nick had been right. "I'll pick you up at seven."

"Should I eat dinner first?"

House laughed. "I meant seven in the morning."

Cameron's eyes went wide. "Seven in the morning? Where are we going at that hour?"

Eyes dancing with delight and amusement, he replied, "It's a surprise." He was enjoying her reaction. "Oh, by the way, I almost forgot ... do you have a hammer?"

"What?"

"A hammer ... you know, one of those hard metal things attached to a stick that you bang nails with." He cocked his head.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "I know what a hammer is, Smart-ass." She chuckled when she saw his eyebrows rise. "And yes, I have one. Why?"

"Bring it with you. You'll need it."

"What on Earth for? I can't see you volunteering at Habitat for Humanity."

House laughed. "Just be ready and wear jeans, a tee shirt and sneakers. Don't forget your leather jacket." He got up and walked out, leaving Cameron totally confused.

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron smiled when she heard the rapping on her door. It was seven o'clock sharp. She got up to let him in, anxious to see his reaction to her little surprise.

The door opened. House's jaw dropped, his eyes glued to her chest. She was wearing the shirt he'd bought her. Swallowing hard, he quickly moved the two motorcycle helmets he held in his left hand to cover his crotch and looked down as his face slightly colored. A few deep breaths and he regained his composure. "Uh, you really like living dangerously, don't you?"

She chuckled. "I wanted to show my appreciation for this gift you gave me. I happen to like this shirt very much."

"So do I ... especially on you." He couldn't help leering.

Cameron invited him in. He didn't move the helmets. Noticing, she laughed to herself. Guys really were at a disadvantage. She grabbed her fanny pack, jacket and hammer from the couch. "Here it is." She held it out to him, leaving him with a huge dilemma.

Quickly realizing that she knew what she was doing when she wore the shirt, House decided that she then had to face the consequences of her actions. He handed her the helmets, exposing the bulge in his jeans. Cameron stared. Greg had no doubt that he saw desire in her eyes. Removing the backpack, he took the hammer and put it inside, then re-shouldered the bag. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his Vicodin and dry-swallowed two tablets. The disapproval was evident in her eyes, though she tried to hide it. It bothered him enough to say something. "Believe me, I really need them for today." She looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"You'll see." He grinned.

@>-->--<--<@

As they approached the motorcycle, Cameron started to laugh. House looked up to see one of Princeton's famous black squirrels standing on the gas tank with its front paws on the right handle grip. "Hey! No one rides my bike but me, you measly little rodent." He swatted at it with his cane. The little guy took off for the nearest tree and sat on a limb chastising his attacker.

Cameron got on the motorcycle behind him and snuggled up close, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Ready?" She gave him a squeeze in response, and he took off.

House headed out Stockton Street, also known as Federal Highway 206, and drove through Lawrenceville, past the nationally known Lawrenceville School campus. The highway became Main Street in the town. He turned right onto Monroe Street, then turned right a short distance later onto Pennington-Lawrenceville Road, also known as County Road 546 and drove about two and a half miles to Blackwell Road. Here he turned right and went half a mile till he reached the traffic circle. He took the third exit onto County Road 546. They went through the little town of Harts Corner and into Bear Tavern which bordered Washington Crossing State Park.

Cameron was enjoying the ride. The morning was clear and bright with just a gentle cool breeze. The sky was a deep blue, the color of House's eyes. The scenery had varied from city to small town to rural. She snuggled up closer to him and hugged him tight.

The sudden cuddling and hug took Greg by surprise, but both pleased and aroused him. He reached down with his left hand to caress hers and give a squeeze. She couldn't see that he was grinning from ear to ear.

They passed the park, followed a slight jog in the road and went across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania over the Washington Crossing Bridge, where the road became known as General Washington Memorial Boulevard. It was just a short distance to the first cross-road, River Road or Pennsylvania State Highway 32. House turned right and headed north along the Delaware River.

The scenery was magnificent with rolling hills and the trees decked out in their full autumn splendor. They crossed the canal and rode past Bowman's Tower and on up toward New Hope. About thirty minutes later, they were in the town of Upper Black Eddy. A little ways north, House turned left onto Bridgeton Hill Road and followed it to Ringing Rocks Road, where he turned right. A short distance down, he turned right into Ringing Rocks State Park and pulled into the parking lot, shutting off the engine.

"What are we doing here?" Cameron asked puzzled.

"Never been here before?" He turned to look at her as she dismounted.

"No. Never heard of this place."

He grinned broadly. "Good!" he said, still refusing to tell her anything. He dismounted, locked the helmets to the bike, grabbed his cane, took her hand much to her surprise, and started heavily limping toward a trail through the woods. His leg always got stiff on long rides, but thankfully, the two Vicodin kept the pain down to a minimum.

By the time they got to their destination, the stiffness had worked its way out, and he was walking more comfortably. "Here we are." He swept his hand before him.

Cameron stared at the field of boulders strewn before her. "You brought me here to see a pile of rocks?" She scowled.

"Ahhh, but not just any old rocks." He shoved his cane through a loop on the side of his backpack and started out into the boulder field, slowly and carefully picking his way among them. Cameron just stood there staring.

About six feet out, he lost his footing on a slick patch and slammed his right thigh against a huge rock, crying out in pain.

"Oh God! House!" Cameron quickly scrambled over the stones and grabbed his arm.

He yanked it free. "I'm all right. Just give me a minute to catch my breath." He rubbed his thigh gingerly for a few minutes, breathing deeply, tears filling his eyes, but not spilling over.

"Now I understand," she remarked quietly, realizing the two Vicodin he'd taken earlier did have a purpose. He just nodded.

"Okay," he said, "let's go a little further." They picked their way slowly between the rocks, and this time he allowed her to help him. Finally, he stopped, looked around and proclaimed, "This is the spot. Have a seat." He indicated a stone next to him.

He removed the backpack, opened it and pulled out two hammers, handing hers to her. Taking his, he struck a huge boulder. It rang like a deep-throated church bell. Cameron's mouth dropped open as her eyes grew wide. "Wow" was all she could say. House grinned from ear to ear.

"Watch this." He tapped various rocks surrounding him, each one ringing in a different tone, as he listened intently with his head cocked. He then played "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Cameron applauded and laughed. "This is just amazing!" She began tapping on the rocks surrounding her. Occasionally, she hit a dead rock, one that didn't ring. They both made note of those.

"Yup! This is real rock music." House grinned and laughed at his own joke. Cameron was thrilled to see him so relaxed and happy for a change.

For the next two hours, they played a number of melodies together, everything from classical music to Beatles songs. House took her hammer and using both of them played an original piece he made up as he went along, duly impressing her. When he finished his improvisational piece, he put down his hammer and gazed deeply into her eyes. "This has been a lot of fun."

"Yes, it has." Tentatively, she reached over and took his hand, expecting him to pull away. He didn't. Swallowing hard, House leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, then slowly withdrew, watching for her reaction. She smiled softly, eyes gleaming and leaned in for another kiss.

House ran his tongue over her lips. They parted allowing him entrance. Tenderly, they explored each other's mouths and when her tongue touched his, he felt blood rush to his groin in spite of the double dose of narcotics. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. He was amazed. She really did want him, ugly warts and all.

Her arms went around him, as they kissed. She was surprised by his sudden show of affection. Feeling him relax into her, she thoroughly enjoyed this rare show of emotion. Now she knew that Nick was right.

Reluctantly, House gently broke the kiss with a little nibble on her upper lip and a soft peck on her nose, then pulled back, nervously searching her eyes for a reaction.

Cameron smiled and reached up to tenderly stroke his stubbled cheek. He leaned into her touch and sighed, closing his eyes. She knew he was allowing her to see a side of him that probably no one other than Stacy had ever seen. It was then she realized just how very much she loved this complex enigma of a man.

Sudden shouts from the edge of the boulder field interrupted them. They looked up to see a family with three kids approaching. House tensed. "I think we ought to be getting back. By the time we get home, it'll be lunch time."

Cameron looked at her watch. It was 10:20 a.m. "Okay." Standing, she put the hammers in the backpack which he slung on his shoulders.

"Uh, I think I'm going to need your help." He looked up at her, embarrassment coloring his cheeks. She extended her hand without a word and pulled him up. He grimaced as his thigh protested.

Picking their way carefully among the boulders, they made it back to the trail. House stopped to catch his breath and rub his leg. "Are you okay?" She took the chance in asking him.

He smiled through the pain. "Yeah. It's not too bad. It just gets really stiff after a while of sitting like that. Once I start moving, it'll loosen up. If I hadn't taken the two Vicodin before we left, we'd be stuck here for a couple of days." She nodded. "How about we stop and get some take out on the way home? Your choice. We could eat at my place, if you'd like."

Stunned again, Cameron blurted out, "Uh ... yeah ... sure. How about pizza?"

"Pizza sounds good. What kind do you like?"

"Mushroom and black olives."

"Mushrooms and olives it is." He grinned happily, took her hand, and they walked slowly down the trail to the parking lot.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 27

Back in Princeton, House and Cameron stopped to get a pizza. House insisted on a large, and they also got a couple of sodas, ginger ale for him and cream for her, which he put in the backpack. They secured the pizza box to the back fender with bungee cords and headed to his apartment. It was half past noon.

He unlocked the door as Cameron stood behind him with the pizza. As soon as it opened, a loud squeaking greeted them.

"What's that?" Cameron asked.

"Steve McQueen."

"What?"

They walked in. "Steve McQueen." House pointed to the coffee table.

"You kept that rat?" She stood there staring at the cage.

"Uh, yeah. He was sick. I cured him. We got along, so I couldn't see putting him back in Stacy's attic. You can put the pizza in the kitchen." He pointed, then went over to the cage. Steve was sticking his nose through the bars and squeaking for attention. Greg rubbed his head. "I'll give you some cheese off the pizza after we finish eating, okay?" The rat squeaked and went back to his wheel. He chuckled.

Going into the kitchen, he found Cameron opening the box. They both washed their hands. He got two plates and two glasses out of the cabinet and pulled the sodas out of his backpack. While she put a couple slices on each plate, he poured the drinks. Leaving his cane in the kitchen, House carried the two glasses into the living room. She followed him in with the plates, put them on the coffee table and went back to retrieve his cane. He smiled when he saw her and plopped down on the couch. She put the cane on the table, picked up the two plates, handed one to him and sat down next to him.

"Thanks."

They bit into the slices. "Ummmm ... this is good," Cameron said.

"Yeah, it is. They make good pizza in that place." House reached over with his index finger and wiped off a bit of sauce that had dribbled onto her chin. She smiled.

When they'd finished, House stood up. "Want some more? I could go another piece myself."

"Sure, I'll take one more."

He went into the kitchen and grabbed two more slices and returned. He sat down and slid one piece onto her plate, then picked a chunk of cheese off his slice and set it aside.

"What are you doing?" She pointed to the piece of cheese.

"It's for Steve. He loves mozzarella." He grinned as the rodent squeaked loudly. "I told you ... you get yours when we're done." The rat went back to his wheel and started running.

Cameron laughed. "He seems to understand you."

"He does. He certainly has no trouble making clear to me what he wants."

They finished the last of their pizza and soda. House got up and put his plate on the table, grabbed the towel, opened the cage and put his hand inside. Steve hopped out of his wheel and clambered up on his master's hand, squeaking with excitement. House grabbed the piece of cheese, then sat back down. He spread the towel on his lap and set the rat in the middle of it. He broke the cheese into two pieces and handed one to Cameron and one to Steve. The rodent made short work of it.

She watched with amusement as House petted the rat as he ate. Hard to believe this grumpy misanthrope would have a pet, but he seemed to have genuine affection for the rat.

Steve finished eating, looked up at House expectantly and squeaked once. "I don't have any more cheese, but look ... this is Cameron." He pointed to her and the rat looked over, sniffing the air. "She has something for you." He squeaked a couple times.

Cameron handed him the cheese, which he took and started to eat. "You've made a friend for life now," House chuckled. When Steve finished, he snuggled against Greg's hand, wanting to be petted. He obliged.

"He's really cute. I'm surprised he's so tame. He's a wild rat."

"Not anymore. I guess I really spoiled him. He gives me no trouble at all." He looked down at the rodent. "Time for you to go back and take a nap." He picked the little guy up and returned him to the cage, where the rat curled up in the shavings and went to sleep.

House sat back down. "So, what did you think of the park?"

"That was amazing! I had so much fun. How did you ever find that place?"

"A few years ago, I had decided to go for a drive to New Hope. It's overly touristy, but very beautiful and peaceful along the barge canal. I went into a place to grab something to eat. It was terribly crowded and some guy asked to share my table. He told me about the park, so I decided to drive up there that day. It was pretty tough getting around, but I had a great time. I thought you'd like it." He smiled softly.

"I'm glad you took me. I just couldn't imagine why you wanted me to bring a hammer! I thought you'd lost it." She giggled, eyes gleaming with mirth.

The sound made House's heart melt. They both went silent. He turned toward her and gazed deeply into her eyes. Hesitantly, he slowly leaned forward, kissed her gently on the lips and withdrew. She blinked, then leaned in and kissed him back with lips parted. He accepted her invitation and began to tenderly explore her mouth with his tongue. He felt a hand on his left thigh and blood rushed to his groin. Putting his arms around her, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, idly rubbing her back.

Cameron was becoming quickly aroused by his sensual kiss, and wanted to let him know she desired him. Slowly, she ran her fingers up his thigh from where her hand had been resting, until she lightly brushed against the bulge in his jeans.

Lost in the sensations of the kiss, House was only dimly aware of Cameron's hand until it brushed his erection. He panicked.

The sudden iron-tight grip on her wrist startled her. She jumped as she heard him firmly say, "No." He didn't release her.

Pulling back, she looked into his eyes, which had become dark and clouded. "What's wrong?"

He finally released her and withdrew, looking down. "Nothing."

"House, don't tell me that. I'm not stupid. Something's obviously wrong. Look, I know before I said it was too soon, but I want you. I'm ready now."

A pained expression washed over his face. "Well ... I'm not," he said, barely above a whisper.

Cameron stared at him a moment, brow furrowed. "It's your leg, isn't it?" She reached up to gently stroke his cheek, but he turned away. "I know there has to be a scar, since you had surgery, but I don't care about that. That doesn't change how I feel about you, and seeing it won't change anything either. No matter what it looks like." Silent moments passed as she waited for a response.

Greg stared at his hands in his lap. He couldn't look at her. Finally, he spoke in a soft, quiet voice. "It's not just that, although that's part of it." This was incredibly embarrassing for him. It was easy to make suggestive, lewd remarks to Cuddy and others when he didn't have to actually act on anything, and to deal with his own body's limitations, but being so vulnerable with someone he actually cared about.... This had been part of the reason Stacy had left him. He couldn't deal with the way she looked at him, even though he was sure she didn't mean it. He couldn't deal with the limitations forced upon him by her decision. It made him feel like so much less of a man. It had made him bitter, angry and mean ... impossible to live with. How could he explain this to her? How could he tell her he didn't want to see her looking at him that way, too? He just knew that would happen, but he really wanted her. He so wanted it to be different.

With no further response forthcoming, she tried again, reaching out to touch his cheek. This time he let her. "Please, House. Please talk to me. Don't shut me out."

Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he turned to face her. "I ... ummm ... I, uh ... don't just have problems walking." He looked down again, his cheeks coloring. God, he just wanted to sink into the couch and die.

Cameron stared at him, understanding dawning on her face. Wow. She hadn't thought about that. Men relied on their legs muscles for thrusting. He only had one good leg. 'No wonder he didn't want me to touch him. He didn't want to be put in a position where I'd see how handicapped he really is. I can't imagine how humiliating it must seem to him.' What could she possibly do to make him understand that it didn't matter to her? How could she make him understand that they could find some way to work around his leg that would be pleasing to both of them. She certainly was willing to accept whatever limitations he had. Sex was not the main reason she wanted to be with him. As ornery as he could be, she loved the sweet, funny, intelligent man that lay beneath the gruff exterior. That's who she loved, no matter what the handicap. She took a deep breath and plunged forward, taking his hand in hers. "I understand what you're telling me. I know we can find a way around it. I accept your leg, just like I accept all the rest of you."

He didn't respond or look up.

"Greg ... I love you." She silently prayed that wouldn't scare him away permanently.

House's head snapped up. Deep blue eyes narrowed and stared into hers, as if he were examining the depths of her soul. "The last woman who said that to me, left me," he said flatly.

"I'm not Stacy," she replied firmly, leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

His eyes widened. "Maybe not." He paused. "But I'm still not ready."

"All right. You let me know when you are." She never once looked away from him.

"I think I should take you home now." Cameron agreed, knowing he had a lot to think over.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 28

House returned home after dropping Cameron at her place. It was nearly three o'clock. He was feeling angry, confused and afraid. Angry at himself for not trusting her enough to give her a chance to prove to him she meant what she said. Confused by his feelings, because although he really wanted her, he needed to push her away. Afraid, because he knew if she rejected him, it would crush his heart to the point he'd never recover. He also felt annoyed, because as usual, one part of his body had a mind of its own. He looked down at the bulge in his jeans that had been there since Cameron had snuggled up to him on the bike for the ride home. "Stupid dick."

Deciding he'd go into the hospital to check on Nick, he limped back to his bedroom to strip off his clothes and take a shower. Standing under the hot spray, he gave in to his demanding groin. 'At least now I'll be able to concentrate,' he thought. He finished washing. After getting dressed, feeding Steve and refilling his water bottle, he hopped on his bike and headed for PPTH.

@>-->--<--<@

House put on a gown, gloves, mask and shoe covers, then entered Nick's room. "Hey, Wilson," he greeted his best friend who said hello back. "So, how's the star patient?"

"Pretty good." Nick smiled. "I can breathe again."

"Nice feeling, isn't it?" Greg chuckled. "Mind if I give a listen?" He grabbed the stethoscope hanging on the IV pole.

"Go right ahead."

House listened to his breath sounds which were much improved, then picked up Nick's chart from the end of the bed and sat down to read. "We started you on high doses of anti-retrovirals Tuesday morning," he said flipping through the pages. "How're you doing with that?"

"Fine. I'm not experiencing any side effects that I'm aware of."

"Good. We're going to do the bone marrow transplant on Friday, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

"Cuddy's down at O.R. scheduling right now making arrangements for a room late Friday night. She figures that will spark a lot less questions," Wilson told House.

"Where are we going to put Cameron after the harvesting?"

"I spent the day setting up the room next door. It's all set for her. I got one of those two-way monitor systems so we can keep tabs on both Nick and her, no matter which room we're in, including the office."

"Good thinking. I guess that covers everything."

"Well, I'm going to go see how Cuddy's making out." Wilson rose and left the room.

Nick studied House and noticed his heart rate increased when Wilson left. He figured he knew what was coming. Far be it from him to disappoint. He laughed to himself. "So, how did the date go?"

Feeling his heart rate increase, House knew Nick could hear it. There was no point in trying to cover anything up. "I took her up to Ringing Rocks as a surprise."

"I've been there. Amazing place. Did she like it?"

"Yeah. We had a great time. Spent about two hours playing music. Everything from classical to the Beatles. It was a really nice ride up and back, too. Great weather. We got some pizza after." He braced himself for what was coming.

"So ... what's wrong?"

Greg realized there was no way around this. "Cameron wants sex, but with my leg, well, it makes things difficult. I refused and took her home."

Nick nodded, understanding. "You're afraid, but Allison loves you."

"In simple terms ... yes." He cocked his head and stared Nick dead in the eyes. "The last woman who loved me, left me. It was after this." He indicated his leg. "We'd try, but I'd have trouble, not being able to use the leg. I know she didn't mean to, but she'd give me this look ... I couldn't take it. I started pushing her away. I became angry, bitter and mean ... impossible to live with, but I couldn't bear how she made me feel. She finally left. Not to mention the fact that it was her who condemned me to this, but then you know that story."

"Things are different now. Allison is a different person, and therefore deserves a chance." Nick give him a pointed look.

"Nick, I just couldn't handle it if she leaves me, too. I have a hard enough time trusting people."

"You seem to trust me, and we just met."

"You saved my ass, and you trusted me with your secret. I'd say you earned my complete trust." House smiled for the first time since they started talking.

"I suppose you're right. You got me there." Nick chuckled. "Seriously, Allison is not going to hurt you. You two love each other. Don't throw it away, Greg. You have no idea what I wouldn't have given to be in your place. If this doesn't work, I'll keep trying to find a way to be human again. I'll keep trying until the day Natalie dies. Think about it, Greg."

"Yeah ... that's all I've been doing." He levered himself up out of the chair and left.

@>-->--<--<@

Wilson and Cuddy entered the office to find House at his desk, feet up, listening to his iPod. James walked up behind him and called his name twice. No response. He tapped him on the shoulder. The older doctor jumped, yelped and grabbed his right thigh, his chair nearly going over backwards. Wilson caught him.

House rounded on him. "YOU GOD-DAMNED STUPID FUCK! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"

Cuddy and Wilson's eyes went wide, their mouths dropping open. Recovering enough to speak, James put his hands up. "Whoa! House. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with YOU, sneaking up on me like that? You IDIOT!" he growled and popped a Vicodin, then went back to rubbing his screaming thigh.

Cuddy slammed her hands on her hips. "House, that's ENOUGH! Whatever it is, work it out on your own time." She stormed out.

Wilson stood there rubbing the back of his neck, staring at his best friend. In a calm voice, he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" House looked up. He could see his eyes were watery, but he wasn't sure if it was due to his thigh or something else.

With no preamble, House flatly stated, "Cameron wanted me to do her. I took her home instead."

Wilson's eyebrows rose. He grabbed a chair and sat down by his friend. He knew it was best to just wait for him to continue, rather than to say anything himself, although he had an inkling what this was all about.

"It's the leg. Remember I told you how Stacy used to look at me after?"

"Yeah."

"I can't go through that again."

"I think there was a lot of guilt wrapped up in that look."

"I guess so."

"Well, Allison is not Stacy. I've never seen her look at you with pity."

"I slipped and fell up at Ringing Rocks. She came running over to help. That look on her face...." He looked down at the floor.

"So? I would have done the same thing. So would you if it had been me or her. Worrying about someone getting hurt is not pity."

House let out a huge sigh. "Yeah ... I guess you're right."

Studying him, it finally dawned on Wilson. "You're scared." House's head snapped up. "You're afraid you won't be able to please her." He broke into a grin. "You really do love her!"

"Shut up, James."

"No. I won't. Damnit, Greg!" Wilson threw his hands up. "She loves you, too. Can't you see that? You can be so thick and pig-headed at times! I promise you that I'm here for you, but I know everything will be fine. You have to give her the chance to show you that."

"Whatever." House levered himself up and limped heavily toward the door. "I gotta to pee."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 29

The harvesting of Cameron's bone marrow was set for 11:00 p.m. on Friday. She had donated a unit of blood over a week ago in case it was needed for transfusion afterward. They ran a CBC with differential on her on Thursday to be sure she was still healthy to donate. The test results were normal.

Cuddy had arranged for an anesthesiologist and a blood bank nurse to process the bone marrow after harvest. Only the anesthesiologist would know who the donor was. He was told she was donating to a private party out of state. Lisa would deliver the marrow herself to the blood bank, labeled with a false name, the same one under which the O.R. had been reserved and Cameron's autologous blood donation had been stored.

Everyone was excited about this, but none more so than Nick. If this worked, he could be with Natalie again. He was too nervous to eat anything. His pneumonia was gone. He'd been on the anti-retrovirals for four days. It was time to test their theory.

@>-->--<--<@

All three doctors arrived after dinner, Cameron of course, not having eaten due to the impending surgery. Cuddy had spent the day with Nick. House had been avoiding Allison since their date. She had given him his space, knowing it was important for him to work things through and come to terms with his feelings in his own time.

They all met in the office. "So, are you ready?" Cuddy asked.

Cameron smiled. "Yes. I'm not expecting any problems, and I can't wait to see what happens with Nick. He's made so much progress. This has to work."

House was sitting quietly at his desk, just listening.

"Everything's set up in the room next to Nick's, and the O.R. will be ready for us at eleven. Sure you trust me to do this, Allison?" Wilson winked at her.

"Of course I do. You certainly do enough of them."

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I get plenty of practice."

Cuddy said, "I think we should get you settled in your room."

Before they could move, House stood up and said, "I'll take care of it."

Wilson and Cuddy's eyebrows rose. He'd been so quiet, they'd forgotten he was there. They turned their attention to Cameron.

She smiled. "Thank you, Dr. House." Allison got up and left with him.

@>-->--<--<@

They entered the room together. House picked up a gown and handed it to Cameron. "I'll wait outside, then I'll start an IV."

"Thanks." She took the gown from him, purposely brushing her hand against his. His eyebrows rose and he cocked his head. She just smiled. He walked out.

A few minutes later, she poked her head out the door. "You can come back in."

Wilson had already put an IV kit and liter of normal saline on the bedside table. Hopping into bed, Cameron asked, "Where do you want to put it?"

"Your choice. Where would you like it?" He was at the sink washing his hands.

"Left wrist should be fine."

House dried his hands then limped over to her left side with the supplies, hanging the bag and his cane on the pole. Picking up her hand, he examined her wrist. "Right here would be good." He indicated a spot on the vein running along the side of her wrist. "Just behind your wrist. You'll still be able to bend it."

"Fine."

He spread a small chuck under her hand, wrapped a tourniquet around her forearm, put on gloves, opened the kit and swabbed the area. Taking the catheter, he palpated the vein. "Okay. Stick." She grimaced slightly. "Sorry."

She shook her head. "It's okay."

He finished the insertion, removed the tourniquet, started the flow, taped the tubing in place, then cleaned up. "All set."

"Thanks." They gazed into each other's eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something, but remained silent. She decided to take a chance, since he seemed to want to be with her now. "Would you be with me and assist Wilson?"

He studied her face. "Nervous?"

"Yeah. A little. I don't really like the idea of general anesthesia."

"Well, uh ... you know you're going to be a bit, uh ... exposed."

"I know. I can separate personal from professional." She suspected he could, too.

"All right. If Wilson agrees to it."

"I'll ask him."

@>-->--<--<@

At 10:30 p.m., House administered some light IV sedation and waited for her to get groggy. He then sat at her bedside holding her hand.

Cuddy left instructions with Nick to page her if he needed anything, then went to Cameron's room. Upon entering, she saw House with Cameron's hand in his, staring intently at her. She seemed to be asleep. He started when he suddenly realized he was no longer alone, quickly retrieving his hand.

Cuddy chuckled. "Give it up, House. It's not a secret any longer."

He gave her one of those looks that said he had no idea what she was talking about. "Just comforting a nervous patient."

"Uh huh. And my mother ran off and joined the circus."

"Really? Must make for interesting conversation around the dinner table."

Cuddy turned serious. "It's time. Wilson's already down there scrubbing up."

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron was wheeled into the O.R. and Wilson came in after her. Groggily she looked at him, still recognizing him by his friendly eyes smiling at her from above his mask. "Where's House?" she managed to mumble.

"Outside, why?"

"Want him ... here ... assist you." Her eyes were somewhat glazed.

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Want ... House," she slurred in a stronger, more insistent voice. She tried to glare at him, but just came off looking goofy.

"All right, all right." House was looking in the O.R. door window. Wilson signaled to him to scrub up. He saw House hurriedly down a Vicodin and disappear.

A few minutes later, a gowned and gloved House limped heavily in without his cane. Wilson glared at him. "Behave yourself."

He smiled sweetly. "Don't I always?" Wilson rolled his eyes.

@>-->--<--<@

The harvesting went well. Wilson got a little over one liter of marrow with just twelve punctures in two sites, one on each iliac crest. House only occasionally warned him to be careful. Each time James told him to shut up. The first time it happened, the anesthesiologist began to chuckle. House shot him such a withering glare, he stopped in mid-laugh and remained silent the rest of the hour-long procedure, except to periodically report on Cameron's status.

Cuddy took the marrow to the blood bank for processing, and House wheeled Cameron into recovery. Wilson had warned the nurses on duty there to stay out of House's way, unless he requested their help, so they gave him a wide berth.

He took her vitals, and satisfied, carefully extubated her, then sat down, took her hand and waited for her to wake up.

When she began to come around, he stood up and leaned over her. "Cameron? Can you hear me? Cameron?" A slight nod. "It's all over. You're in recovery. I'm here with you." He felt her weakly squeeze his hand. He squeezed back.

Wilson came over. "How's she doing?"

"Fine. She's starting to come around."

Wilson picked up her chart and checked over her vitals. "Looks good." He grinned. "I'm going to go check on Nick. You okay here?"

"Yeah. Go ahead." He sat down next to the gurney, never having let go of her hand. A faint smile appeared on her face.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 30

Cameron was now wide awake. House stood and leaned over her. "Are you in pain?"

"Yeah, a bit. It's feels like I took a really bad fall on an icy sidewalk and landed on my butt." She chuckled then grimaced as she shifted position to get a little more comfortable.

"I'll get you something." He limped over to the nurse's station.

"Can I help you, Dr. House?"

He looked at her name tag. "Nancy, would you please give Dr. Cameron a couple of Tylenol?"

"Sure, Doctor."

"Thank you."

Before leaving recovery, House drew blood for a hemoglobin and hematocrit and put it in his pocket. He'd ask Wilson to run it as soon as he got Cameron back upstairs.

@>-->--<--<@

House got Cameron settled in her room and hung the bag of post-op antibiotics. "How's the pain now?"

"Much better."

"I've turned on the monitoring system, so if you need anything just shout. I'll be right back. I want to give this to Wilson to run." He produced the vial.

House gowned up and entered Nick's room where he found James and Cuddy telling him how things went.

"How is she?" Nick asked House.

"Fine. She's really anxious for you to get the transfusion." He handed the blood to Wilson. "Run this, will you?"

"Sure."

Nick smiled at House. "Go back and be with Allison."

@>-->--<--<@

Wilson returned 20 minutes later. The labs were fine. He gave the slip to House, noticing he was holding her hand. Cameron was napping. About an hour later, Cuddy went to the blood bank to retrieve the processed marrow on the ruse that she was personally seeing to its shipment out of state.

Upon return, she stopped in to see Cameron, who was now awake and sipping on chicken broth that House had brought her. They'd been talking quietly.

"How're you feeling?"

"Not too bad right now. The Tylenol helps. I am tired, though. Is that the marrow?" she asked, pointing to a bag in Cuddy's hand.

"Yeah, that's it." She held it up. "Well, that's to be expected. We'll keep you here until you feel up to getting back to work. No rush." She smiled and squeezed Cameron's hand. "Dr. House." He nodded in reply. With a wink at him, she left.

As soon as Cuddy was out the door, House took Cameron's hand again. She made note of the action, but said nothing.

"Is Nick nervous?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself? Talk loudly. He should be able to hear you."

"Nick? This is Allison. Dr. Cuddy's got the marrow. Are you nervous?"

"Hi. How do you feel?" Nick's tinny voice emanated from the speaker on her night table.

"I'm okay."

"Good. Dr. Cuddy's hanging the bag now. Yes, I'm both nervous and anxious. Thanks, Allison. Whatever happens, I want you to know how very much I appreciate what you've done for me. I'll never forget this."

"You're welcome, but it's really no big deal." House smiled at that. She was one of the most giving people he'd ever known. She turned to him. "Why don't you go in there? After all, this was your idea. I'll be fine here." She gave his hand a squeeze.

Releasing her, he levered himself up out of the chair using his cane. Swiftly, he bent over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips and was out the door. She just smiled and shook her head.

@>-->--<--<@

House entered the room and everyone looked up. Cuddy was just about to start the marrow flowing after having put in an antecubital line. "Here we go," she said loudly for Cameron's benefit.

"Good luck, Nick!" he heard her say through the monitor.

"Thanks!" he replied.

Wilson spoke up. "Nick, we have no idea what side effects you might experience from this transfusion, so if you feel anything, anything at all out of the ordinary, let us know. It's going to take a few hours for this to run in."

"Sure."

Fifteen minutes went by. House was up and pacing. "Will you please go back and sit with Cameron! You're going to drive us all nuts," Wilson complained.

He stopped in his tracks and whirled to face his critic, eyes narrowed and hard. "Just a little bit touchy, aren't we?"

"House, it's a small room. This is gonna take a few hours. You can't pace the entire time," Cuddy chimed in.

"I'll be fine, Greg. Go sit with Allison. She has to bored all by herself."

"Fine." House walked out and stripped off the protective clothing. He went out into the hall to Cameron's door and knocked.

"Come in."

He opened the door.

"Why are you knocking?"

"Wanted to be sure you were decent."

"Oh right, like I'm getting out of bed and walking around." He just shrugged and sat down. "What are you doing back here, anyway?"

"They threw me out."

"What?"

"I was pacing and Wilson got pissed. The man just has no patience at all."

Cameron snorted and laughed. He grinned. She looked so beautiful, even lying in a hospital bed with an ugly gown on.

"Is there anything I can get for you? How's the pain?"

"The pain's fine." She made a face.

"What is it you want?"

"I don't don't want to bother you. You've been on your feet so much already."

"Out with it," he said sternly, raising his cane, "or I'll beat it out of you."

That got a big laugh. She playfully put her hands up to fend off the staff. That made House laugh. "Seriously, what do you want?"

"Some ice cream?" she replied guiltily.

"You know ... that sounds really good. I could go for some, too. I'll see if anybody else wants anything and be back. Page me if you need me, okay?"

"Sure." Again he swept in for a quick kiss. She was amazed at how protective and affectionate he was being.

@>-->--<--<@

House returned in less than 20 minutes carrying a tray from the cafeteria. He put it down on the rolling bedside table, which he moved over her. It contained 12 small cups of ice cream with paperboard lids and two plastic spoons. "I got us two each of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. They have no imagination down there." He sat down beside her and grabbed a cup and spoon.

She chuckled. "Thanks. Well, I wasn't expecting Ben and Jerry's, that's for sure." Pushing the button on the side rail, she raised the head of the bed and sat up. He eyes suddenly widened. "Whoa!"

House was rapidly alert, grabbing her hand. "What's wrong?"

Lightly shaking her head, she said, "I just got really light-headed and nauseous, but it's passing."

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Wilson told me that's normal and to be expected. Do you need the emesis basin?"

"No, I'm okay. Maybe I sat up too fast. I'll feel better after I get some ice cream in me. I'm really hungry. I'm sure low blood sugar isn't helping. That chicken broth wasn't very filling." She picked up a cup of vanilla and dug out a spoonful.

"All right. Just eat that slowly. I don't want you puking all over me." His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

When they'd finished, they both dozed off, his fingers entwined with hers.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 31

Cuddy and Wilson sat by Nick's side. The marrow had been running in for about an hour. She rose to do a vitals check. "How're you feeling, Nick?" she said softly, not wanting to startle him. He appeared to be asleep.

Eyes opening, he responded, "I think my head hurts a little, but otherwise, I seem okay." He ran his hand over his face.

Wilson sat up. "That's not unusual to get a headache from a blood transfusion, which this essentially is. If it gets too bad, let us know and we'll try giving you some Tylenol for the pain."

"All right. It's not that bad right now." Cuddy handed him the thermometer. He put it under his tongue.

When it beeped, Cuddy took the thermometer from his mouth. "Your body temperature has come up some more. It's now 97.2. This is good." She smiled. His heart rate had risen to 32 beats per minute and blood pressure now registered at 60 over 40. He was definitely making progress.

"There's not much we can do for now," Wilson said, "so we should all try to get some rest. The three of them dozed off.

@>-->--<--<@

Two hours later, they were awakened by the insistent chirping of the IVAC. The marrow bag was empty. Cuddy rubbed her eyes and rose to disconnect it and silence the alarm. It was almost six in the morning on Saturday.

"Did you get any sleep?" Wilson asked Nick.

"Yeah. Slept like a log. I feel pretty good, too. Headache seems to be almost gone now."

"Good," Cuddy said. "Any other complaints?"

"No, none."

"Normally, engraftment takes 15 to 30 days, meaning it takes that long for Allison's marrow to establish itself inside your bones and start to produce blood cells," Cuddy explained, "but with you, we have no idea how fast this will occur. We'll just have to wait and see. We'll test your blood and also do bone marrow biopsies later on."

"Okay," Nick replied.

"I'll see about getting us all some breakfast," Wilson volunteered. "Feel like trying some solid food, Nick?"

"Sure. The liquids aren't very filling. I always feel hungry."

@>-->-->--<--<@

Wilson went to Cameron's room. He looked in the window first to see House asleep in a recliner pulled up against Allison's bed. She was rolled over on her side facing him, his arm over her. He smiled. It was good to see that Greg was finally giving in to his feelings, at least a little. He'd certainly been acting protective lately.

Rapping on the door, he slowly opened it. "Time to get up, Sleepy-heads."

Cameron rolled onto her back and looked over to the door. "Hi, Dr. Wilson." She yawned.

House stirred and rubbed a hand over his face. "What do you want?" he grumped.

"I'm taking orders for breakfast."

"I'd like some scrambled eggs, oatmeal, bacon, orange juice, a banana, toast and whatever jam they happen to have. Oh, coffee, too!"

House's eyes widened. "You won't keep that girlie figure eating like that." He waggled his eyebrows.

Chuckling, she replied, "Other than ice cream and chicken broth, I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast yesterday. I'm hungry."

"Hell, bring me the same thing," House said. "My girlie figure's just fine."

Cameron and Wilson laughed.

"Back in a bit."

@>-->-->--<--<@

Wilson returned 30 minutes later with a service cart from the cafeteria. He delivered the meals to Cameron and House and then went into Nick's room.

"Here you go, Nick." He put a plate containing scrambled eggs, toast, margarine and jam on the rolling bedside table and a couple of cups, one with orange juice and one with coffee.

"Wow! This smells really good!" He picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of egg.

A voice came from the speaker on his nightstand. "Someone definitely hasn't eaten in over 800 years if he thinks this crappy excuse for food smells good."

Everyone laughed. "No comments from the peanut gallery," Nick quipped.

"Oooo, gotcha, House!" Wilson chuckled.

"Shut up, Wilson! Remind me to take you out for a really good meal when this is all over, Nick."

"Okay, Greg." Everyone began eating.

The vampire managed to eat all his food, but complained of some minor nausea and a slight stomach ache, though he kept everything down.

@>-->--<--<@

When Cameron finished eating, she became drowsy and dozed off. House smiled, reached out and brushed a wisp of hair off her face, tenderly pushing it behind her ear. He rose, leaned over her and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, turned off the monitor's speaker, then went next door.

He walked in. They'd all finished eating. "Why don't you let me go shower and change my clothes, then you two take off. I can manage by myself. I'll page you if there're any problems. You both need some decent rest."

Cuddy studied him for a moment. "What about you? You're not Superman, you know."

"Oh, come on now. Surely you've seen my cape tucked underneath my jacket."

She scowled. "You're going to go home tonight to your own bed."

House's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, looked down at the floor and finally said in a barely audible voice, "Not while Cameron's here."

Cuddy's eyes went wide and Wilson's eyebrows rose. Nick just smiled. Recovering, James spoke up, looking Lisa in the eye. "I'll come in tonight and make sure he sleeps. There's a bed in one of the other rooms across the hall."

"Okay. You be sure he does." She glared at House.

"Yes, Mom," Greg sing-songed.

@>-->--<--<@

When House returned, he checked on Cameron, who was still asleep, then entered Nick's room to relieve Cuddy and Wilson. Once they were alone, House sat down next to the bed. He regarded Nick with suspicion. The vampire scrutinized House in return. "What is it?" he finally asked Greg.

"You know, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Cameron's bone marrow. It's essentially blood. I saw the telltale look in your eyes when it was running in." His harsh gaze drilled into the vampire. "I need to know, Nick. How does Cameron really feel about me?"

"I told you, Greg. She loves you. I know that's really hard for you to accept, but it's true."

"Why?" His blue eyes conveyed a longing to understand what to him was unfathomable.

"It wouldn't be right for me to tell you what I learned from her blood, any more than it'd be right to tell her what I learned from yours. You know that, Greg. Just talk to her."

"I did. She told me why she likes me, but I just don't understand it."

"Don't try, Greg. Just accept it as the precious gift that it is."

House cocked his head and studied the man lying in front of him. Suddenly, over the monitor, he heard Cameron stirring. He rose. "I'll be back. Just holler if you need anything."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 32

It was now Thursday. Five days since the bone marrow transplant. On Cameron's first night home from the hospital, House had shown up at her door just before dinner time with Chinese take-out and a single red rose. She'd invited him in, and they'd had a pleasant evening. Now she was back to work, though she still had some minor pain and fatigue. House alternately fussed over her and argued with her, when she asked him to back off. He became his normal snarky self at those times, causing her to ignore him, which drove him nuts. Calming down, he'd "apologize" with some sarcastic comment, and things would go back to normal. Both Nick and Wilson had tried talking to him. He gave them crap, too.

Nick seemed fine and was continuing to make progress, now eating mostly solid food with no ill effects. They'd stopped his IV, but left a hep-lock in, just in case. He'd remained infection-free, for which they were all grateful. The pneumonia had been enough of a scare. In an odd way though, it had pleased Nick. Getting sick meant he was closer to being human - mortal - again.

Wilson and House were in Nick's room. He was walking over to his chair when he suddenly doubled over, fell to the floor and began screaming. James jumped up and knelt by his side. "Nick! What is it?" He was unable to answer.

House got up as fast as he could and hobbled over to the two men on the floor. Nick was still screaming, tears streaming down his face. Greg noticed they were virtually clear. He went to the crash cart, pulled out a syringe containing 2 mg. of Valium, handed it to Wilson who took it and slowly injected it into the hep-lock. Nick relaxed and stopped screaming. "Let's get him back into bed."

Wilson nodded, and with House's limited help, got him settled. Greg called Cuddy and Cameron, telling them what happened and to get in fast.

The two doctor's checked their patient's vital signs. Breath sounds: normal. Heart rate: 47 beats per minute. Blood pressure: 80/60. Eyes: PERRLA. He moaned softly throughout the exam.

Cameron was first in, living closer to the hospital than Cuddy. Without glancing up, House ordered, "Get a complete CBC with differential and chemistries."

Gathering the necessary tubes, she proceeded to get the samples and headed off to the lab.

House grabbed Nick's head and stared into his eyes. "I need you to focus, Nick." His eyes just rolled about as he softly groaned. "LOOK AT ME!" Nick's eyes snapped to attention. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Pain ... all ... over...."

"Describe it.... Sharp? Dull? What?"

"Sharp ... stabbing...." He started to wail.

House released him. "Wilson, think we should risk some more Valium? Put him out?"

"Not knowing what's wrong...." He shrugged. "We're so beyond the pale here." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, what the hell? Why let him suffer."

Greg grabbed another 2 mg. syringe and slowly injected it. Nick lost consciousness.

@>-->--<--<@

Cuddy arrived in the office. The two men filled her in as Cameron returned with the results. "You're not going to believe this." She handed the lab slips to House.

"Jesus!" He handed them to Wilson.

"Well?" Cuddy asked.

Wilson's eyes grew so wide, they could have dropped out of their sockets. "My God! His CBC...." He handed the slips to Cuddy.

She stared and shook her head. "How is this possible?" The results were normal ... for a human being. "Engraftment shouldn't happen for another 10 to 30 days!"

"Well, Nick's not exactly your normal patient," Wilson remarked. "And look at the chemistries ... they're near normal now, too."

"Cameron, get a tissue sample and check the length of the telomeres." House ordered.

"That's going to take a few days."

"Then you better get started right away, hadn't you?" He smirked.

She glared daggers at him.

Cuddy left with her to help.

@>-->--<--<@

House hobbled back and forth in the room watching Nick as he slept. Wilson, sitting in one of the chairs, finally spoke up. "Will you PLEASE stop pacing? You're driving me nuts!"

"I need to think."

"Fine. Think while sitting down."

Grumbling curses under his breath, he sat. "He doesn't look any different."

Wilson looked over the sleeping form. "No, but why would he?"

"Well, if the telomeres have shortened, we don't really know what effect that could have."

"You were expecting him to age suddenly to a wizened old man?"

"Possibly. After all, we have no idea what the hell we're doing here."

"True."

They silently stared at Nick, waiting.

@>-->--<--<@

It was nearly 5:00 p.m., three hours later, when a voice came from the bed, startling the two doctors out of their reverie. "I'm starving."

House looked over. Nick was awake and slightly groggy, but sitting up. "How're you feeling?" He levered himself up out of the recliner and moved to the bed.

Rubbing his face and yawning, Nick replied, "Much better. I just have some minor aches now. What happened?"

Wilson was now at the bedside. "We don't know, but your labs look remarkably human now. Engraftment has already occurred and your CBC was perfectly normal. Your chemistry values are still a bit off, as are your vital signs, but everything looks good."

"How can that be? You said it would be at least 15 days before you'd know if the bone marrow worked."

"You tell us," House replied. "We certainly haven't a clue. We've never treated a vampire before." He grinned. "Cameron and Cuddy took a tissue sample, which they're processing now." He pointed to a bandage on Nick's arm. "It didn't heal on its own."

Nick's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Really."

Pulling the bandage off, Nick marvelled at the sight of a sutured incision. "Wow." Wilson replaced the dressing. "Can you get me something to eat, please? I'm really, really starving."

"Sure," Wilson said. "I'll get dinner for all of us." He turned to House. "I would imagine the transformation requires a lot of energy ... the way healing does. I'll be sure to get a lot of high calorie foods."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 33

Nick packed away a large steak, baked potato with butter, three dinner rolls, peas, carrots, a large slice of chocolate layer cake and four cups of ice cream. The latter made House frown. "You ate my ice cream."

"Shut up, House. He needs it more than you do," Wilson told him. He was given the finger for his trouble. Nick laughed. House pouted.

It was decided that Greg would stay overnight. He had a change of clothes with him. Wilson would stop at his place and take care of Steve McQueen, his "godchild" as he was reminded, again.

Cuddy and Cameron stopped in after dinner to let everyone know the tissue was being processed, and they were heading home. Both were tired. House took Allison aside and told her he'd walk out with her. Wilson would remain with Nick until he returned. Cuddy left before they did, allowing them some privacy.

"How's Nick doing?" she asked him, as they entered the elevator.

"He seems fine now. His body is going through tremendous changes. You wouldn't believe what he put away for dinner."

"That makes sense. Gotta get the energy from some place."

"Yeah. He ate my ice cream in addition to his own." He made a pouty face. Cameron laughed and stroked his cheek. He smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "So, the big question is how are you feeling? You look mighty tired." He squeezed her hand.

"My hips are still sore, and I still wear out fast, but it's not too bad. I'm going home to a nice long soak in the tub. I'll read a little and then go to sleep. You better get some rest yourself."

"That sounds good. You really need to take care of yourself. Don't worry about me. I'll sleep in Nick's room. He keeps me honest." Greg winked.

The elevator doors opened. They walked to her car in silence.

@>-->--<--<@

Nick slept comfortably through the night. Greg slept for a while, but awoke around three in the morning with a spasm in his leg. He popped a Vicodin, quietly got up and walked around a bit, then sat back down in his recliner and watched his portable TV with the earphones in. Eventually, he fell asleep with the TV still on. Nick didn't let on that he knew.

@>-->--<--<@

Nick awoke around 7:00 a.m. to find Greg asleep in the recliner next to him, TV still on. He chuckled softly, not wanting to wake him. Getting up, he went to the bathroom, retrieved his book from the night table and sat in the other chair to read. Hunger gnawed at his gut, but he decided he could wait for breakfast until Greg awoke. From his blood, Nick had learned how little sleep House actually got each night and how being tired just made him more irritable.

About an hour later, Nick heard a soft tapping at the door and looked up to see Cameron peeking in the window. She entered quietly, smiling at the sleeping doctor. "I came in early to check on the tissue samples," she whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but extremely hungry. I didn't have the heart to wake him." He smiled as he looked over at the sleeping figure. "He had a bad night. His leg woke him up. He doesn't know I know."

"Did he take a Vicodin?"

"Yeah, then watched TV for a while until he apparently fell sleep like that. I fell back to sleep quickly after he initially disturbed me."

"I'll go get breakfast for the three of us and be back. We'll wake him then, if he's not already up."

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron returned thirty minutes later with a cafeteria service cart containing plates and silverware for three, serving containers with scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, ham, sausages, hash browns, oatmeal, bananas, orange juice, coffee and all the condiments and fixings. She found House still asleep, went over to him and gently pulled out the TV earbuds. "Wake up, Sleepyhead. Breakfast is here."

An eye popped open and looked at her. "Mmmmmm...." House stretched and yawned. "What are you doing here?" He smiled, opening the other eye now.

"Came in to check on the tissue samples and thought I'd stop by to see how Nick was doing. He was starving, so I went to get food for all of us." She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, not caring if it bothered him. He smiled.

They settled down to their meal. House and Cameron watched in amazement as Nick put away enough food for two people. They glanced at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Keep eating like that, and Natalie won't recognize you," House quipped.

"I can't help it. I'm just so hungry." Nick shrugged.

"Obviously, your metabolism has greatly increased. It has to be the transformation. Do you feel any different?" Cameron asked.

"Well, I feel as if something is changing inside. I can still hear heartbeats, smell blood ... but it's not as strong as before. I notice that things that used to strongly arouse the vampire don't seem to as much now. I've lost a lot of the craving for blood."

"Sounds like progress to me." Cameron grinned.

"I just hope it's going to be permanent. When will we know?"

House regarded Nick. "There's really no way to know. None of us have ever done this before. We're flying blind by the seat of our pants. One day at a time."

"Yeah." Nick sighed.

@>-->--<--<@

Cameron had gone to return the service cart and deal with the tissue samples. House and Nick were sitting in chairs watching television. Suddenly, the vampire cried out and fell to the floor, seizing.

"OH FUCK!" House jumped up, knocking his cane to the floor. "SHIT!" Not having time to retrieve it, he shoved the chair and rolling table away from Nick's quaking body. He hobbled over to the crash cart as fast as he could, grabbed a syringe containing 10 mg. of Valium and hobbled back. Taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, he knelt down causing his leg to scream bloody murder. Tears stung his eyes. Ignoring the pain, he rolled Nick onto his side and slowly injected the drug into the hep-lock. The seizure came to an end.

House could not reach his cane from where he was, and none of the furniture was within reach. His bottle of Vicodin sat on the bedside table. He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed. "Cameron, can you get up here quick?" he panted.

@>-->--<--<@

Running as fast as she could, Cameron wondered what the hell had happened. House sounded like he was out of breath and in pain. He'd said nothing but the one sentence and hung up. The elevator was at the top floor when she arrived, so she shoved open the door to the stairwell and began climbing.

Making it to Nick's room in record time, she gowned up and burst in to find both men on the floor. One nearly in tears. One unconscious. An empty syringe lying next to the limp body.

"What the hell happened?" She grabbed House's cane and handed it to him.

"I'm still going to need your help," he said softly, not looking at her. Planting his cane, he struggled to lever himself up as Cameron grabbed him under his left arm and pulled. With a loud groan and yelp of pain, he made it to his feet. House stood there, chest heaving.

Glancing around, she spied the pill bottle and brought it to him. He popped a tablet into his mouth and swallowed, then hobbled to the recliner where he collapsed. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to deal with Nick by yourself."

"It's okay. What happened?"

With gasping breaths, he said, "He was sitting up, suddenly cried out, and fell to the floor in a grand mal seizure. I gave him ten of Valium."

Cameron nodded as she rolled Nick onto his back, grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to the bed. After a short struggle, she was able to get him into it. "I'm going to run a CBC and chemistries."

Once she had the samples, she turned to House. "Are you going to be all right while I run these?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I'm going to call Cuddy and Wilson to get in here."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 34

Cuddy, Wilson, House and Cameron spoke quietly in Nick's room. They'd put him back on the cardiac monitor and pulse-oximeter. The labs showed completely normal human values. His heart was now beating at a steady 66, which was a perfectly normal resting heart rate. Oxygen saturation was a very healthy 98%. It was now about three hours after his seizure. They were deciding what to do when they heard a groggy voice. "What's going on? What happened?"

House went to the bedside. "You had a seizure. I had to knock you out with Valium. We've been trying to decide what to do."

"I don't remember anything, except reading, and now I'm in bed with all of you ---" A puzzled look came over Nick's face.

"What is it?" Cuddy asked. Nick held up his hand and cocked his head as if he were listening for something, then started to laugh. "Nick! What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" He leapt out of bed, ripping off the electrodes and dashed to the window throwing up the shade.

"Nick! NO!" Cameron shouted, but it was too late. A burst of sunlight blazed into the room, splashing upon his face and upper body. He threw his hands up and out like a Native American welcoming the sunrise. The glare formed a halo around him.

"I'M FREE! IT'S GONE!" he cried. Turning to face them, clear tears streaming down his face, he sank to his knees and wept. All but House, who didn't move from his spot, knelt beside him. Gathering his composure, Nick hugged each one in turn. "I can't believe it ... the sun ... it feels so warm, but it doesn't burn." He gazed up at the window and marveled at the dust motes dancing in the sunbeam.

Getting to his feet, he approached House and stuck out his hand, resisting the urge to hug him. "I owe you so much."

Greg took his hand and shook it. "You certainly do ... after causing my accident, breaking my cane and wrecking my bike." He winked and clapped Nick on the back. "I hate to be a party pooper here, but we really need to wait and see what the tissue samples show before we have a full-blown celebration."

Cuddy sighed. "House is right. They should be ready late tomorrow. Then we'll know the condition of the telomeres."

Nick sighed. He knew she was right. He pulled his chair over to the window so he could sit in the sun and look outside.

Cuddy and Cameron went to attend to the tissue samples, while House and Wilson remained with Nick, sitting side by side on the other side of the room. They watched as he sat staring wistfully out the window.

Greg tapped James on the arm to get his attention. "His white count is normal. We should be able to discontinue isolation, don't you think?" he whispered.

"I suppose so, though I would suspect he'd be more susceptible to infectious diseases since he'd have built no immunity over the last 800 years."

"We could start vaccinating him once we know his situation is stable." Greg shrugged.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Soooo ... how about we take him outside for a little stroll in the sunshine?" House rolled his head across the chair back till he was leaning against Wilson and staring into his eyes.

"Are you serious?" James looked at him like he was nuts.

"Do I look serious?" He rolled his eyes. Wilson chuckled.

"Okay. You tell him."

Greg pushed himself up and limped over to Nick. "How'd you like to go for walk?"

Knight looked up. "Are you serious?"

"I don't joke about things like that. Get dressed."

Nick broke into a huge grin and jumped up. He rushed to the wardrobe and threw on his clothes. "I'm ready!"

Wilson and House both laughed. To be on the safe side, Greg pocketed a syringe of Valium. He left a note for Cameron and Cuddy in case they returned first, then went into the office and grabbed a lab coat. Tossing it to Nick, he said, "Put this on so you don't raise any suspicions. Anyone asks, you're a visiting doctor."

"Okay." Nick shrugged it on.

The three men walked through the hospital to the cafeteria where, since it was lunch time, they got some sandwiches, ice cream and drinks and went to sit outside. Reaching the door, Nick cautiously stepped through. He looked around, inhaling deeply, then followed House and Wilson to a table under a big maple tree dressed in fall color. He sat down and glanced at everyone, the trees, the squirrels begging for food, the clouds and the sun. "The day has a different smell to it than the night does."

When they finished eating, they walked around the grounds for while. "I'm getting tired," Nick told them. "I'd like to go lie down."

@>-->--<--<@

When they entered the room, they found the two women already there. Cuddy had the note in her hand. "House, what the hell were you thinking? What if people starting asking questions about why you're here and who the stranger is? You're supposed to be on vacation. You, too, Dr. Wilson."

"Come on, Cuddy. Give the man a break! The last time he got to see the sun was 12 years ago. No one even glanced at us. And we put him in a lab coat so he wouldn't raise suspicion," House retorted.

"Don't do it again!" she huffed and barreled out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Greg," Nick said.

"What are apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong. Get undressed and take a nap." House hustled Wilson and Cameron out to give him a little privacy.

In the hallway, Cameron studied at the two doctors, then said, "I would have done the same thing." She turned and walked away.

House and Wilson smiled.

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 35

The rest of Friday was uneventful. Nick napped for a few hours, then ate a huge dinner, played cards with Cameron, who stayed with him, and then slept soundly all night.

Saturday was another quiet day. Cameron had showered in the morning and put on fresh clothes. The plan was for Cuddy, Wilson and House to come in around nine that night when they would check on the telomere results.

"So Nick, are you going to contact Natalie?" She asked as they sat down to lunch. Bright sunlight streamed into the room.

"I'll decide when we see the results tonight. If it's good news, then yes, I will." He shrugged. "Since we have no way of knowing whether this is permanent or not, I will contact her and ask if she'll move down here with me. I know she'd miss her work, but I also think she still loves me and would rather be here for whatever time we may have together." He sighed. "Maybe we could even have a child, if she's not too old for that." He stared wistfully out the window.

"House told me she's never married. I'd say she does still love you and still has hope that one day you'll be together. A child may be possible with today's medicine. I think it will depend more on you than her. We can always do a semen analysis later on." She reached across the small table, took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

Nick cocked his head and gazed into Cameron's eyes. "What about you, Allison? Greg seems calmer, happier ... although he still has his moments, and I suspect he always will. A person doesn't just throw off the kind of devastating betrayal, loss and hurt that he's sustained."

"You're talking about Stacy...." Her brow furrowed.

"Yes, and other things I'm not at liberty to discuss that I learned from his blood. I won't betray Greg's trust in me. He's truly earned it." He studied her face intently.

"I don't expect you to. I'd never want that. I'm not looking to change him, but I do mean to show him that he can trust me ... that I won't hurt him. I love him, Nick. He deserves to be happy and have a good life. He's been through such hell. He didn't ask for any of this." She stared at her food.

"No, he didn't. As I've told you before, he loves you, too. He just isn't very good at showing it or expressing his feelings to others or when others are around. But make no mistake about it, Greg has feelings that run very deep and he gets quite emotional when he's alone. It's one of the reasons he drinks so much and takes too much Vicodin. He keeps so much bottled up inside, it has to come out somehow." Nick gently reached out and lifted Cameron's chin with his index finger and looked into her eyes. "You're really good for him, and he knows it. He's making an effort to be worthy of you. Have you noticed how few pills he's been taking?"

"Now that you mention it, yes...."

They finished their meal in companionable silence, then watched some television.

@>-->--<--<@

By 9:10 p.m., they'd all gathered in Nick's room. He was showered and dressed and having a hard time containing his excitement.

"Well," Cuddy said, "shall we all go over to Moffett Hall?"

"Lead the way!" Nick was grinning.

They walked out of the hospital and across the courtyard. Nick was sniffing the crisp fall night air. "The night seems so different now ... the smells, the sounds...."

"I suppose it'll take a little while to adjust again to a normal way of life," Wilson commented. "I can't imagine what it's like for you."

"It's certainly different; I can tell you that!" Nick chuckled.

They entered the building. Just a few dim lights were on. The only sounds were of the distant clicks, hums and whirring of the machines that worked through the night automatically processing or maintaining samples.

Cameron stopped in front of a door and unlocked it. Turning on the lights, she retrieved the samples and took them into the room with the electron microscope. "Now for the moment of truth."

After placing the sample into the machine and pumping it down, she began to focus in. Soon the telomeres were visible thanks to a special process that made them observable. She stepped back, allowing Wilson to take a look.

He studied the sample for a minute, then broke into a grin. "They look normal, Nick. Human normal." He moved next to Wilson, who pointed out the telomeres for him.

"Wow! I guess we really can celebrate now." Tears began to stream down his face.

"Hey," House grumbled, "watch those tears. You short-circuit this thing, and it'll cost you plenty."

Cuddy smacked him hard on the arm. "Shut up, House!" He just looked down his nose at her. The others laughed. Cameron glanced at him, knowing the show of emotion made him uncomfortable. She could tell he wanted to flee, yet at the same time was truly happy for Nick.

@>-->--<--<@

Back in the hospital, Nick took his cell phone from the bedside table. "Damn! The battery's dead."

"House reached into his jacket pocket. "Here. Use mine." He tossed it to him.

"Uh ... I'm going to call Canada."

"That's fine. I know where you live." House winked.

"Right."

"Do you want some privacy? We can go into the office," Wilson offered.

"Actually ... I'd prefer the support." Cameron moved to Nick's side. He smiled warmly.

It was around 10:30 p.m. He knew Natalie would be at work. Janette had been keeping an eye on her since Nick left and was regularly updating him on her activities. Before calling her, there was one other call he had to make first. He punched in the number.

"Hello?" said a soft French-accented voice.

"Janette, it's Nick."

"Nicolas! How good to hear from you."

"Janette, I'm calling to tell you I've done it. I'm human again!"

"What? You are serious?"

"Yes, and this time it seems to be for real. A wonderful team of doctors figured out it's a virus. Natalie had been on the right track all along. It appears they've cured me." There was silence on the line. "Janette?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm here. I can't believe it. It's a virus? Have you told Natalie yet?"

"Yes, a virus. No, I wanted you to be the first to know. You could become human again ... be Patrick's mother."

"He is all grown up now, Nicolas. He's married and has a child of his own. No, I wouldn't want to disturb him by suddenly entering his life again. His aunt and uncle did a wonderful job raising him." She paused. "No, I am happy as I am. I'm sure LaCroix knows by now. I doubt he'll be as happy for you as I am." She gave a mirthless little laugh.

"I'm sure you're right. He'll just have to adjust. He still has you. I just couldn't be his 'son' anymore. Tell him I'm sorry."

"I will. Please, Nicolas, have a good life, but keep in touch."

"I will, Janette. I promise." Nick hung up and let out a huge breath.

Cuddy, House, Wilson and Cameron sat watching silently, knowing the next call would be the hardest.

Again, Nick dialed from memory, his hand shaking slightly. The phone rang twice. "Natalie's Bed and Breakfast." He smiled at the sound of her voice. A voice he hadn't heard in twelve years. "Hello?" He was lost in reverie. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

Snapping back to reality, Nick hesitantly spoke up. "Nat?"

There was silence on the end of the line, except for a gasp of breath. "Nick? Is that you?"

"Yes. How are you?"

"Oh my God! Nick? Is that really you? Where are you? Are you all right? What have ---"

"Whoa, Nat! Slow down. Yes, it's really me. I'm in Princeton, New Jersey. I've been living here since I left. I'm calling because I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?" came the stunned reply.

"You were on the right track all those years ago. It is a virus. And I've been cured, it seems. I'm human again, Nat. I've been out in the sun." He heard a sharp inhalation, then silence. "Nat? Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Wow. When did this happen?"

"Just a few days ago. I'm still in the hospital. It's a long story, but a small team of brilliant doctors helped me based on your notebooks."

"This is unbelievable! I'd always hoped you'd find a cure. I've always hoped it would be in my lifetime."

"I know. I did, too." He paused and took a deep breath. "I know this is really sudden, and I know you love your job.... I can't return to Toronto. You know that. Ummmm ... will you come here to be with me?"

"Of course I will! How could you think I wouldn't? Funny thing is, it's been kind of slow recently, and we'd hired two new pathologists a couple months ago. I could resign tonight and there'd be no problem. I've told them I might just leave at any time."

"How soon can you come? I can have your things packed and shipped for you."

"Soon as I can book a flight. In fact, I can probably catch a flight out tomorrow afternoon. Where should I fly in?"

"Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey. It's about an hour's drive from here. I'll have my driver meet you. He'll be carrying a sign with your name. Call me at this number, 609-555-1752, and let know what flight and gate so I can make the arrangements."

"Okay. I can probably book something through the internet tonight." She paused and took a deep breath. "God, I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 36

Natalie called around 11:45 p.m., telling Nick she'd be coming in on Northwest Airlines flight 529 tomorrow arriving at 3:15 p.m. He told her he'd arrange her ride.

Nick looked at the four doctors. "I need your help. I need someone to take me shopping tomorrow morning. Please."

"Where do you want to go?" Cuddy asked. "Tomorrow's Sunday. Most places are closed."

"I want to buy an engagement ring. I know the owner of Hamilton Jewelers. I'll call him in the morning. He'll open up for me."

"Being rich certainly has its advantages." House raised an eyebrow. "I'll take you," he offered.

"Thanks, Greg. Allison, would you come, too?"

"Me?"

"Yes, I could use a woman's eye." Nick smiled at her.

"Since you put it that way, sure." She returned the smile.

House rolled his eyes. "Now that the love-fest is over ... Wilson, stay here while Cameron and I go home for some clean clothes. We'll stay with Nick tonight and get an early start tomorrow."

@>-->--<--<@

House, Cameron and Nick entered the store on Nassau Street and were greeted by the owner. Knight introduced his companions.

"So Nick, what can I do for you today?"

"Jim, I need an engagement ring." He grinned broadly.

The owner slapped him on the back and shook his hand. "Congratulations! That's wonderful!"

"Well, she hasn't said yes yet. I'll be asking her soon. I think she'll say yes."

"She'd be a fool not to." The two men chuckled. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Ummm ... I was thinking something round cut, one carat, flawless, colorless ... in platinum." Both House and Cameron's eyes went wide.

"Let's see...." Jim led them over to a display case and walked behind, opening it up and removing a tray of rings. He showed a number of them to Nick while Cameron looked at the case holding the less expensive engagement rings. House idly followed her around, seeming completely bored.

Nick had rejected each ring in turn as too gaudy, too delicate or too elaborate. Finally, Jim pulled out one more. It was a round cut, one carat diamond with a baguette diamond on each side in a simple but elegant setting. "Flawless, colorless, conflict-free ... what do you think?" he asked as he handed it to Nick.

"I think she'd love it." He turned to Cameron. "What do you think, Allison?"

She moved to his side and took the ring from him, sliding it onto her finger. Turning it this way and that, she watched the fire emanate from the stone as it caught the light. Her eyes grew wide. "It's magnificent, Nick. Nat's going to love it." She removed it and handed it back to him.

"How much?"

"This one is $44,999.00. With the tax," he punched the keys on a calculator, "it'll be $47,698.94."

"I'll take it."

House's mouth dropped open and Cameron nearly fell over.

@>-->--<--<@

Back at the hospital, Cuddy, House, Cameron, Wilson and Nick were just sitting down to eat dinner when Greg's cell phone rang. "It's for you," he said, handing it to Knight.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nick."

"Hi, Nat. Where are you?"

"I'm at your place. Henry brought me here so I could drop off my bags and freshen up a little. We're leaving for the hospital now. Should be there in about five minutes."

"Okay. Have him bring you to the main entrance. The doctor who cured me, Dr. House, will meet you there."

"Okay. See you in a bit."

"Yeah, bye."

@>-->--<--<@

House was standing just outside the main doors when a limousine drove up. A woman with long wavy hair and sparkling brown eyes got out. He limped over to her and stuck out his hand. "Dr. Natalie Lambert, I presume. I'm Dr. Gregory House."

"Yes. It's so very nice to meet you. You're the one who's cured Nick." She had a strong grip, friendly manner and didn't stare at his cane. He liked her immediately.

"We hope he's cured. No way to be sure. Time will tell. Come with me. There's someone waiting anxiously to see you." He grinned.

As they made their way to the Firestone Wing, they discussed Nick's treatment. Natalie was impressed with House's keen mind and liked his somewhat reticent, yet straightforward manner.

"Well, here we are. We just started dinner. I'm sure there's plenty for you, too."

"Thank you. I am hungry."

House stepped aside to allow her to enter first. She pushed open the outer and inner doors to find Nick sitting on the edge of the bed, facing her. "Oh my God! Look at you ... you're actually eating!" She rushed to him as he shoved the bedside table away, and they embraced, both starting to cry. The doctors took their plates and went into the office to give them some privacy.

Nick and Nat got caught up on 12 years as they ate dinner together. "Nat, have you tried these beets? I've never had them before. They're wonderful." He held a chunk up with his fork.

"Yes. I like them, too. It must be fun discovering food all over again."

"It is. And there's so much that's strange to me. By the way, you were right. Ice cream is fantastic!"

She laughed at that. "I can see we'll always be fighting over who gets the last scoop in the carton."

They had just finished eating when the doctors returned.

Cuddy introduced herself and the others, since they hadn't had a chance when Natalie first arrived. "You've already met Dr. House." She sat down in one of the chairs. "Dr. Lambert ---"

"Please, call me Natalie."

"Natalie. Nick told us how much you love your work, but that you'd give it all up to be with him."

"Absolutely."

"Well, maybe you won't have to." Natalie cocked her head as Cuddy continued, "I can use another pathologist. I've checked your records. Quite impressive, by the way."

"Thank you."

"You would perform regular duties like you did in Toronto and also be required to teach residents. I'd like to offer you the position, if you're interested."

Natalie's mouth dropped open. "Oh my gosh! I don't know what to say."

"Say yes," House piped up.

"Uh ... yes. Thank you!"

Nick hugged Natalie and said, "This is perfect! Thank you, Dr. Cuddy."

"No need to thank me, Nick. This is a real no-brainer. It isn't every day that such an eminent applicant drops into my lap without even advertising the position." She turned back to Natalie. "Take a few weeks to get settled and caught up, then you can start. The four of us will give you the grand tour and help out in any way we can to make you comfortable here. We have good people. I think you'll really like PPTH."

"I'm sure I will, if everyone is even half as nice as you four." Three heads turned to look at House. He just gave them an innocent, wide-eyed look and shrugged his shoulders.

@>-->--<--<@

The six of them talked for a few hours, getting to know each other better. Nick excused himself to go to the bathroom. The conversations continued. Suddenly, they heard Nick scream, "OH GOD! NO!"

Being closest to the bathroom, House jumped up and without a thought flung open the door. "What's wrong?" Nick was standing there against the wall, ashen and trembling, pointing at the toilet. Greg looked in and saw red water. He cocked his head, then frowned, studying the contents of the bowl. His eyebrows suddenly rose in recognition, and he started to laugh. Everyone had gathered round by now and were totally puzzled. "Relax, Nick. It's not blood. The color ... it's all wrong. That's beet pigment. You were eating beets."

Nick let out a huge sigh and started to slide down the wall, crying. Natalie went to his side to comfort him.

"You can't metabolize it because you lack the necessary gene. The pigment is excreted in the urine unchanged. It's a rare condition, but perfectly harmless. I've seen it only once before. Just remember, though, this will happen every time you eat beets." House turned and started to limp away. "Excitement's over people."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 37

Once everyone settled down, House made an announcement. "I think you can go home, Nick. There's no reason for you to stay here any longer." He scribbled something on a prescription pad, tearing off the sheet and handing it to Natalie. "Here's my home phone, cell and pager. Any problems, any questions, don't hesitate to call immediately. I don't care what time it is. Okay?"

She took the slip from him. "Yes, thanks."

House removed the hep-lock from Nick's wrist and placed a bandaid on the spot. Knight looked at it, thinking how odd it was that the wound didn't heal immediately.

"I'll call Henry to come get us." Greg tossed him his cell phone. After making the arrangement, Nick turned to everyone. He handed each one a card he took from his wallet. It contained his name, address, home phone number, cell phone number and email address. "I don't know how I can ever thank you all enough for what you've done for me ... for us." He put his arm around Natalie. "I can assure you, we'll always consider you our friends. You will always be a part of our lives. Our home is always open to you. And I promise you that none of you will ever want for anything. We'll always be here for you."

Greg took the card. "You're welcome, but it's really not necessary. As a certain doctor once said, 'Solving a puzzle is its own reward.'" He winked at Natalie. She grinned when she heard him repeat her words that she'd spoken so many years before.

Cuddy gave everyone the next couple days off.

@>-->--<--<@

"Will there be anything else tonight, Nick?" Henry asked once he'd opened the limo door.

"No, Henry. Thank you. We'll be fine," Nick said as he and Natalie headed to the front door.

"You must be exhausted." He studied her closely.

"I'm tired, yes, but too excited right now to even consider sleeping." She squeezed his hand.

They went into the drawing room and sat down in front of the roaring fire. An woman in her early 50s with greying hair entered the room. "Hi, Martha. This is Dr. Natalie Lambert. Nat, this is Martha Taylor, the best housekeeper in all of New Jersey."

Martha blushed and waved her hand at him. "Very pleased to meet you, Dr. Lambert. Nick has told me so much about you over the years that I feel I already know you." She shook the younger woman's hand.

"Oh he has, has he?" She playfully punched Nick in the side. "It's very nice to meet you, too, and please ... I hate formality. Please call me 'Natalie'."

"Certainly. Can I get anything for you two?"

"How about some of that rocky road marshmallow ice cream?" He glanced at Nat. She nodded her head fervently, making Nick chuckle.

"Right away!"

@>-->--<--<@

They'd finished their ice cream and had been quietly talking while curled up on the couch together. Natalie gazed deeply into his eyes. "I always knew Janette was watching me, even though I never saw any evidence of it. I could sense it, though."

"Really?" His eyebrows rose.

"Yeah. It was a feeling I had. And I knew she was telling you everything that was happening in my life. I wasn't sure at first ... when the sunflowers came on my birthday with no card, I knew they were from you. And the roses for Valentine's Day and gifts and flowers at Christmas ... again with no cards. But when the flowers came after my promotion, there was no doubt in my mind that she was watching."

"I hope that didn't disturb you in any way."

"No, believe it or not, I found it oddly comforting. It was as if she was a thread tying us together. I never knew where you were, but somehow I felt you close to me."

Nick leaned in and kissed her. "I never stopped loving you. I was terrified you'd hate me for what happened. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"There was never anything to forgive, Nick." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tight. "I knew the risk I was taking. I don't blame you for anything. I never did. I knew you were also the reason I survived. I was deeply saddened that you left without seeing me, but I understood that, too. None of that matters anymore now, anyway." She drew him close and kissed him.

Nick gently pulled away, got off the couch, got down on one knee in front of her and took her hand. "Dr. Natalie Lambert, I love you with all my heart and soul. You charmed me with your beauty, strength, intelligence, warmth, kindness, and sweet personality. Since meeting you, there's never been another woman I've wanted more. Now that it's possible, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out the ring box, opened it and presented it to her. She gasped. "Natalie Lambert, will you marry me?"

Tears started to pour down her cheeks. "Yes. Yes, Nick. I will." She threw her arms around his neck and slid off the couch to join him on the floor. They kissed, then he put the ring on her finger. "It's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen!"

They stood up. Nick swept her off her feet into his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

@>-->--<--<@

Greg opened the door to his townhome and was greeted by a squeak. "Hi Steve." When the rat heard the familiar voice, he started running around his cage, squeaking frantically. "Geez, I guess you've really missed me." He chuckled. "Truth is, I've missed you, too."

Tossing his jacket and cane on the end of the couch, he retrieved the water bottle and food dish and hobbled into the kitchen. He poured himself three fingers of Scotch, rinsed and refilled the water bottle and food dish and grabbed an Oreo cookie, then headed into the living room.

He placed the items on the coffee table, picked up the folded towel, and reached his hand in the cage. Steve jumped right onto his palm. Sitting on the couch, he opened the towel on his lap and settled the rat on top. Immediately, he snuggled against Greg's belly and nuzzled his free hand, which earned him an affectionate scratching behind the ears. "How about this?" The rat stood on his hind legs and squeaked as he sniffed the cookie. Twisting it open, House handed him the part without the icing. "I get the good stuff," he told him, popping it into his mouth.

As the rat ate the treat, House talked to him. "A lot sure has happened in the past two and a half weeks. Allison and I have been getting along pretty well ... when I haven't been an asshole, of course." Steve's beady little eyes studied him as he kept munching on the cookie. "You know how I told you I didn't understand how I could love you and not a person? Well, I do really. It's just so difficult for me to trust anyone ... after Dad ... and Stacy. But Allison ... she just seems to take me as I am, yet won't let me get away with any shit. She stands up to me when I act like an idiot." Greg picked up his glass of Scotch and took a long sip.

Steve finished eating and pushed his way under House's hand. He began to idly stroke the animal's fur. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Nick and Wilson have been talking to me a lot. What they say makes sense. And watching Nick and Natalie together. It's amazing how she still loves him, even though he nearly killed her. Of course, he didn't mean to...." He picked up the rat with both hands, they rubbed noses. Steve squeaked. "Yeah, I love you, too, but I need to go to sleep. I have to get up early."

@>-->--<--<@

CHAPTER 38

Greg was up by eight o'clock. He'd showered and dressed and was just sitting down to breakfast. Steve started squeaking. "Yes, yes, I'll save you a bit of toast and jelly. Keep your fur on!"

By the time he finished and gave the treat to the rat, it was time to leave. Greg went out, hopped on his bike and took off. Less than 10 minutes later, he was standing at the front door to Hamilton Jewelers. He was rooted there, unable to move, staring at the handle. 'I must be totally insane,' he thought. Taking a huge breath and swallowing, he finally went inside.

A saleswoman standing behind a counter looked up at the sound of the door buzzer to see an unshaven, scruffy man wearing faded jeans with threadbare knees, a faded red Rolling Stones tee shirt and beat up leather jacket carrying a cane, standing just inside the entrance and glancing around. She glared at him in disgust. He stared back. Just as she was about to call security, a man emerged from the rear of the store.

"Why Dr. House ... what a surprise to see you here!" Jim said and came over to shake his hand.

"Hi, Jim. Good to see you again."

The saleswoman's eyes grew wide and her cheeks flushed. Greg just grinned at her.

"What can I do for you today?"

"Uh ... well ... I'm here for an engagement ring."

The owner's eyes grew wide. "Goodness! First Nick, now you. Is there something in the water?" he joked.

Greg smirked. "I'm kind of wondering that myself."

"Well, what did you have in mind?"

"Ummm ... Allison was looking in that case." He pointed to one over to the right.

"Allison. You mean Dr. Cameron? Is she the lucky lady?"

Uh, yeah. If she'll have me, that is. I haven't asked her yet. She might say no."

Jim laughed. "I doubt that with the way she was looking at you. You're one lucky man. She's quite a beauty."

"That she is. In more ways than one."

Stepping behind the case, he opened the back and pulled out the tray House indicated, setting it on the glass top. Greg pointed. "That one."

Jim removed it and handed it to him. "She has excellent taste. That's a half-carat, near flawless, near colorless, conflict-free round cut diamond with two baguette blue sapphires set in 14 karat gold."

House held it between his thumb and index fingers and moved it in the light watching the fire glinting from the stones. "It is beautiful. How much?" He held his breath.

Jim pulled out a calculator from beneath the counter and started punching in numbers. "It's $10,499.99, less 15% ... Nick brings me so much business, I give all his friends a discount."

House nodded. 'Good to have friends in rich places,' he mused, silently.

"So, that's $8925, plus $535.50 tax, for a grand total of $8,830.50."

That was affordable. "I'll take it."

"Excellent! I need to get to a meeting. A diamond seller will be here any minute, but Sarah will ring this up for you."

"Thanks." They shook hands.

Jim started to walk away. "Sarah, please ring up Dr. House's purchase. I need to meet that gem dealer."

"Certainly." House walked over to her. She looked down in embarrassment.

"You can never judge a book by its cover, can you?"

Sarah winced. "I'm terribly sorry, Dr. House." He simply nodded. She rang up the sale in silence and handed him the credit card receipt.

On the way home, he stopped at a florist and purchased a single deep red rose.

@>-->--<--<@

Back home, House picked up the phone and dialed. It was answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Cameron. It's House.

"Hi. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

"Sure.... You're cooking?"

"Uh, no. Unless you want to take your life in your hands," he joked. He loved to hear her laugh. "I planned on getting something special. I'll have to go pick it up, so how about getting here at seven. I'll be ready by then."

"Okay, I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye."

Next he called the best French restaurant in town and placed an order for dinner for two for tomorrow night. He said he'd like to pick it up at 6:40 p.m., which would allow him enough time to get the food ready before Cameron arrived. She was always right on time.

Now there was nothing to do but wait. He was nervous.

@>-->--<--<@

Greg made it home at 6:50 p.m. The table had been set before he left. He plated the entrees, set the oven on low and popped them in. The dessert went into the refrigerator. The champagne was in the ice bucket chilling. The water goblets were filled. He trimmed the rose's stem and placed it in a small bud vase in the center of the kitchen table. Finally, he put the salad on plates, poured on the heated dressing and set them on the table. Satisfied, he put on his jacket and checked to see that the ring box was still in his pocket. He smoothed his shirt and patted the pocket containing the ring box again.

He walked into the living room and began to limp back and forth. Steve stuck his nose out of his cage and squeaked. Greg walked over to him. "Listen carefully to me. Cameron is coming over any minute. It's a very important evening, and I need you to behave yourself, okay?" Beady little eyes stared at him. "I mean it, or no more Oreos for you." The rat squeaked once, hopped into his exercise wheel and started running. House chuckled.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. He looked at his watch and smiled. She was right on time. Opening the door, House just stared. Cameron was wearing black dress slacks and a low-cut, sky blue peasant blouse. Her hair was down, the way he preferred it. "You look beautiful," he said, kissing her.

She was stunned to find him wearing beige chinos with a blue shirt that highlighted his devastatingly blue eyes and a red and gold striped tie. The shirt was tucked into his pants, which were cinched with a brown leather belt. He hadn't shaved, for which she was glad. She loved his "scruffy" look. "You look handsome," she replied and kissed him back.

"Come in. Dinner's ready."

When she entered, Steve jumped out of his wheel, ran to the end of his caged and squeaked. She walked over to him, reached a finger in and scratched his little head. "Hi there. How are you?" The rat squeaked once. Cameron laughed. House gave the rodent the evil eye. Steve squeaked once more, then went to his nest and curled up to sleep.

House and Cameron entered the kitchen. There was a rose on the table. He held the chair for her. She was impressed and quite shocked. House rarely exhibited anything even approaching manners. She kind of wondered what was going on.

He remained standing by his chair. "I hope you'll like dinner. We're starting with a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. For the entree we're having seared scallops with wild mushrooms, asparagus, potato pancakes and truffle butter sauce. For dessert, there's the finest French Valrhona chocolate killer cake with raspberry sauce. And to drink," he pulled the bottle out of the ice bucket and showed it to her, "we have Moet and Chandon, Dom Perignon, 1996. Would you like some?"

Cameron's eye went wide and her mouth dropped open. "My God, House, that stuff costs a fortune!" Now she really knew something was up.

He just shrugged, filled their flutes and sat down. "Let's eat."

They finished the salad and Greg brought out the entrees. "Wow, this looks great," she said when he set it before her. She popped a scallop in her mouth. "Oh my gosh! This is fabulous."

They ate their meal. House was uncharacteristically subdued. "Why so quiet?" she asked after studying his demeanor.

He put down his fork. "I'm just savoring the food. It's truly incredible. And enjoying the company, of course." He smiled, shrugged, then went back to eating.

When they finished, he cleared the table and poured them some more champagne. "Now for the 'piece de resistance'...." He put the two servings of cake on the table and poured some of the raspberry sauce over each one. He put one before her. "Enjoy." He smiled.

They lingered over the dessert and champagne, polishing off the bottle. Once finished, Greg again cleared the table. Would you like to watch a movie? Wilson recommended 'The American President' with Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. He said it's quite funny."

"Sure. That sounds great."

They went into the living room. House was relieved to see that Steve McQueen was fast asleep. He put in the movie and they sat down together on the couch. Much to Cameron's surprise, he cuddled up to her and put his arm around her shoulder. They both enjoyed the movie, laughing quite a bit. This also seemed out of character to her, but then she realized she was seeing the "real" House ... the one he kept buried deep inside, hidden from even his best friend. Again, it made her wonder what the hell was going on.

When the movie was over, House got up to remove it from the player, then returned to the couch. He sat down on the edge of the cushion and turned to face Cameron, who was still curled up with her feet under her. He took her hand and kissed it. Her eyes widened.

House took a deep breath. "You know I'm not good at this 'feelings' stuff. I don't always say the right thing." Her eyebrows rose. "Okay ... I rarely say the right thing. I stick both feet in my mouth repeatedly. I piss you off. I shove you away. But for some incredible reason that I'll never be able to fathom, you put up with all my crap and keep coming back for more. You amaze me on a daily basis." Cameron started to open her mouth to speak, but he put a finger over her lips to silence her. "I know I don't deserve this ... love ... and attention you give me. And even though I rarely ever say anything and often act like a total ass toward you, I hope you know how I feel about you.... I do love you."

Cameron's mouth dropped open. He had never said so much about his feelings in all the time she'd known him.

"So here...." She was still stunned when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box and handed it to her. She opened the box and gasped. It was the very ring she had been admiring at Hamilton Jewelers. It was then she realized he had been paying close attention the whole time he'd seem totally bored. He never ceased to amaze her. "Would you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" He took a quick breath and rushed on. "If you say no, I'll understand. I know I'm a real pain in the ass and would be difficult to live with and will probably piss ---"

She put her hand over his mouth. "Shut up, House." Pulling him close, she kissed him deeply, pulled back and said, "Yes."

Greg blinked several times. "Yes? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." She grinned at him. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips, pulled back and placed the ring on her finger.

"Allison Cameron, you never cease to amaze me. I want to make love to you." They embraced and kissed. He rose and took her hand, gently pulling her up off the couch. "I'm afraid I can't carry you to the bedroom." He looked down at the floor.

"That's not important." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the nose. Suddenly, his leg just didn't matter to him anymore. He wrapped his arm around her and they walked down the hall together.

@>-->--<--<@

EPILOGUE

Over the next couple months, Lisa Cuddy and James Wilson received certified letters in the mail stating their mortgages had been paid in full. Much to Allison Cameron's surprise, a letter arrived stating all her student loans were likewise paid in full.

Nick and Natalie were married a month after she arrived in Princeton in a small, but elegant ceremony held on the mansion's grounds. Greg and James served as Best Men. Cameron was Maid of Honor. Cuddy was a Bridesmaid. Two weeks later, Natalie learned she was six weeks pregnant. Everyone was excited. Lisa and Allison worked to together to organize a baby shower. Natalie had made a lot of friends at the hospital. The couple had opted not to know the sex of their baby in advance.

The next month, Allison and Greg were married at the mansion with Nick and Wilson as Best Men, Natalie as Matron of Honor and Cuddy as a Bridesmaid. The Knights' wedding gift to the newlywed couple was a three week honeymoon in Paris, London and Geneva, Switzerland. They had a wonderful time.

Upon return, Greg and Allison decided to buy a house. She wanted to have a garden. Nick recommended a real estate agent who found them a quaint home on Mercer Street, just a few doors down from what had been Albert Einstein's home. When they returned to sign the paperwork for the mortgage, they were told the home was already paid for and were handed the deed. They moved in a week later.

Life was good.

---THE END---

@>-->--<--<@