Rating: T (Teen: some language, adult situations)

Pairings: Definitely Chase/Cameron and House/Cuddy.

Notes Part 1: The characters from House MD belong to Universal, FOX and other copyright holders. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com .



Chapter 1 [Princeton Plainsboro Hospital—first Saturday in October]

Chase went through his rounds, trying to keep a steady and upbeat mood. The patients were recovering nicely from their various ailments. House had actually been behaving himself (for once). Foreman was presenting at some neurologists’ meeting. Even the leftovers he had for lunch seemed great.

Still he wished that he could be less guarded about his feelings toward a certain fellow Duckling. After almost a year of adjusting to one another, he and Dr. Allison Cameron had finally connected. Ironically, the event happened during one of their Fearless Leader’s more boisterous rants.

House had turned on her, snapping about a missed test of one kind or other.

She glared at him and, after claiming she had clinic duty, stormed out of the room. Using that pretext as a cover, she sat down just out of sight of the window but close enough where she could still hear the discussion. Hearing something unfamiliar to her ear, she turned shocked.

Chase was going at it, uncharacteristically tearing into both House and Foreman. Then he stormed out as well. “Bloody jerks!” Seeing her sitting there and staring at him, he froze. “You heard that?”

She nodded, looking at him with concern. “Every word. Chase, he could fire you….”

He shrugged. “He could. He won’t though. He likes torturing me too much. Frankly, Cameron, I could care less right now.” He took his handkerchief out and wiped her face.

“Stop. He’ll see us,” she requested.

As much as he wanted to say ‘who cares?’, he knew that it wouldn’t make her feel any better. “Let’s get some coffee.”

Three months later, the two doctors felt more deeply and passionately for each other. While they were careful to maintain appearances at work, they often drove to New York or Philadelphia for a long dinner and evening out. They took walks through the local parks surrounding Princeton. They shared their hopes and fears even down to what they both saw in House.

Still the hiding was driving Chase nuts. He wanted to go away for a whole weekend without arousing suspicion or doing the sick leave thing to avoid the clinic. Allison deserves that much. He glanced out the window, admiring the season’s first yellows, golds and reds streaking the trees’ canopies.

“Nice scene, isn’t it, Chase?”

He turned to see Cuddy standing there watching him. “Dr. Cuddy, sorry, I didn’t see you.”

“Relax, Chase,” she assured him. “I’m not House. Believe me; I appreciate the view myself.” She looked him over, noting his somberness. “Are you all right?”

“Of course. Why do you ask?” he wondered.

“No reason. Your work’s excellent,” she noted while making sure that they were alone. “Life’s too short to sit and admire the scenery from in here.” She smiled at him.

“Excuse me?”

She put her hands up. “I was talking about you taking the initiative with a certain fellow inmate in the Diagnostic asylum.” The smile returned to her face. “Believe me; an administrator notices these things.”

He sighed, knowing that Cameron was going to freak out when she heard that Cuddy had figured it out. Still, this was too good of an opportunity to let slip by. “Dr. Cuddy, I was going to put in a request for Columbus Day weekend and the Tuesday after…if that’s okay.”

She looked at her PDA, checking on potential events. “You and Cameron are clear, Chase. Go ahead and make your plans.”

“Just like that?” he inquired feeling confused.

“Yes, Chase, just like that. Foreman, Rivera and Wilson are covering the clinic that weekend.”

“What about House?” he asked.

“What about him? You both have vacation coming to you. Submit the request for that Monday and Tuesday. Trust me; I’ll make sure it’s worth his while to sign it,” she assured him. Seeing his surprised look, she added, “I have my own plans for that weekend. Keep our secret and I’ll keep yours.” With a knowing grin, she headed for the elevator.

Cuddy and House? I shouldn’t be surprised but…. He scratched his head while heading toward the Diagnostics suite. There he saw his girlfriend putting on her coat. “Heading out?”

“Just finished in the clinic,” she indicated. “I noticed you’ve been moody the last couple of days. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Now it is. Let’s walk out. I wanted to talk to you about something,” he replied while putting on his leather jacket and accompanying her down the elevator into the lobby and then outside. Once he felt clear of any gossips, he asked, “Doing anything weekend after next?”

“No. I was going to ask Wilson if he wanted help with the clinic rotation. Why?” she asked.

He took a deep breath, summoning his courage. “I was looking out the window and had an inspiration. You like leaf peeping?”

“I love Fall,” she admitted. “What were you thinking of doing?”

“I’d love to get away for the weekend. Maybe we could drive up to Vermont or the Berkshires. We could see lots of color, eat some apples, drink cider and be with each other,” he proposed. “Funny thing, Cuddy suggested the same thing to me.”

“She what? Chase!”

“I didn’t say a word as we agreed,” he assured her. “She noticed the little signs, I guess. Anyhow, she told me that it’s okay if we want to do that. She’ll strong arm House if necessary.”

She winced. “Great. If she noticed, that means House probably knows too. I wonder why he hasn’t started teasing us yet?”

“Who knows and who cares? Cameron, let’s do it. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends. I’m concerned,” he admitted.

She smiled, letting her eyes shine into his. After being rejected by House, Chase has been a godsend. “Sure. Let’s do it. Promise me though. No work.”

He nodded. “No work, I promise. Meantime, what are you doing for dinner?”

“Jog with me to diNardi’s?” she requested before they kissed each other.

“You’ve got a deal. I’ll meet you at your place in twenty minutes,” he agreed before they got in their respective cars and drove away.



Chapter 2 [Two Days Later—about 4:50 PM]

House limped out of the elevator, determining to get to the bottom of the recently released clinic schedule. I really wanted Wilson to be around that weekend. What the Hell is Cuddy doing? He barged through the first line of defense, easily dismissing the Wannabe of the Week sitting in the assistant’s chair.

Seeing him there (and not wanting to pay for another ex-assistant’s counseling), she waved him in. “I see you’re in a mood today, House. What’s with you?”

“I noticed the schedule,” he retorted, slapping it down on her desk.

She looked down at it and then pointedly up at him. “I can see that. Since when would you be interested in a clinic duty schedule? Could it be you would want to—oh, let’s say—volunteer for an extra shift? You know how I’d feel about that.”

He stared at her incredulously; the ‘Oh really?’ expression clearly written on his face. “Cuddy, you’re such a kidder! Seriously, I was hoping that Wilson would be open that weekend. Big monster trucks rally in Trenton,” he pointed out, ignoring the obvious hint while trying to get to the high ground in their latest verbal sparring contest.

She shook her head. “Sorry, House. He needed to make up some clinic hours for me.”

“There’s always Cameron and Chase….” he started to suggest.

Again the head shake. “They have vacation days to burn before next week. I told them to take the days.” She saw two yellow forms peeking out from under the schedule. “You signed off on them?”

“No. I want them in the clinic. No monster trucks for Wilson. No weekend for them,” he admonished, digging his heels in.

She felt her blood pressure starting to rise but maintained a cool exterior. “Really, House? That is such a shame.” She gazed out the window. “And here I was planning a fishing trip for us.”

“Fishing?” He grimaced. Since their Michigan days, neither of them had been able to resist pulling out the rod, reel and tackle box when the occasion arose.

“Fishing.” She smirked. “Just you and me…on Lake Champlain. Five days to ourselves.” She let the image hang in the air for a second. “No hospital, no patients, no clinic duty for a week.”

Now I know what a fish feels like. He frowned, knowing she had just trumped him. “And to get this, I have to do what?”

“Sign off on the forms, House. Let Foreman and Wilson deal with things maybe? That is…if you aren’t afraid of me catching more than you do?” she stipulated, adding the barb at the end to hook him.

“Yeah right. Remember who has the derby trophy, Cuddy.”

“After pushing me in and taking the tiebreaking catch, House.” She handed him a pen. “Sign off for another rematch.”

“Fine,” he conceded, snatching the pen from her and scribbling his signature across the forms.

“And the initial in the upper left hand corner,” she pointed out.

“You’re just Old Eagle Eyes today, aren’t you?” he muttered while doing so.

“Loopholes and all of that stuff.” She inspected the two leave forms. “Thank you.” She showed him another one. “And this one’s for you. Sign by the X.”

“This is so rigged,” he complained. “Bet you feel all powerful now, don’t you?”

She sighed, counting to ten and knowing that he was going to stew over this for the next three days unless she did something. “Fine.” She checked her appointment book and saw that she was clear. The paperwork can wait for once. A glance into her reception area told her the assistant had left for the day. She drew the blinds over the windows and the door.

“What about dinner?” he whined playfully.

She shrugged while unbuttoning her blouse. “Dinner can wait….” With that, she dimmed the lights and let him lower her to the couch.



Chapter 3 [Friday before Columbus Day Weekend]
[Cameron’s Apartment]

Cameron zipped her duffel bag shut and glanced at the digital clock. 12:45—great! I still have fifteen minutes. She had turned everything off and set the DVR to get her programs over the weekend. She glanced at herself in the mirror, hoping that he would like her brown sweater and black jeans. I still can’t believe we’re doing this! Then again, I can’t believe House let us off of the hook today either. What did Cuddy do? She heard a knock at the door. He’s early! Deep breaths, Allison, deep breaths.

Opening it, she saw Chase standing there. “Hi!”

“Hey, Cameron, ready to go?” he inquired, grinning at her.

“Sure. One other thing, since we don’t want people thinking we’re weird or something, maybe we should go by our first names?” she supposed, feeling anxious again.

“That works for me, Allison,” he concurred, feeling relieved that she wanted less formality.

“Thanks, Robert,” she expressed, feeling relieved that he had concurred with that point. “Do I look okay?”

“You look great. This is a vacation not a reception,” he pointed out while putting his arms around her waist and kissing her. “No work…remember?”

“I remember. Let’s get on the road,” she replied, feeling strangely disappointed that their plans were so tight at that point. She smiled at him though to let him know she wasn’t pushing him away. “I brought some Classical music for the ride through the woods tomorrow. You want anything else?”

“Maybe some jazz?” he suggested.

“Coming up,” she concurred, feeling glad she had a few CDs from that genre as well. “Okay, I think that’s everything.” She took a quick walkthrough and shut the door. “Let’s go.”

He grinned while taking her duffel bag. “Follow me then. Foliage and relaxation await.”



Chapter 4 [That night—Rolling Hills Inn, Feeding Hills, MA]

As he had promised, the ride into lower New England relaxed them both. While not exactly chilly, the air was crisp and the day, sunny and warm. About halfway up the Connecticut turnpike, they stopped for cider donuts and coffee to get themselves in the mood.

The colors and Mozart’s symphonies did the rest……


****

Right at 6:15, they walked into the inn right off of Route 57. A converted merchant’s house, the white painted structure had two stories and sixteen rooms—eight per floor. Each room had an antique four post bed with a down comforter stretched over it. A writing desk sat in one corner while a different painting sat above the one in each room.

Fifteen minutes later, they sat in the dining room, looking at the menus.

“Where did you find this place?” she asked.

“I found it in a guide book. Plus, Ralston said it was great,” he replied while holding up a bottle of white wine. “Care for some?”

“Sure. Thanks,” she agreed, smiling at him. Then she giggled.

“What?” he asked, feeling slightly out of sorts by her reaction.

“Sorry. It’s not you, Robert. I never thought we’d be doing the candlelight thing in a place like this,” she apologized.

“We do dinner all the time,” he pointed out.

“In restaurants near home maybe. But not in a place like this…in an atmosphere like this.” She squeezed his right hand. “I love it. I’m going with the cod casserole. How about you?”

“Fish sounds good. So does the pork tenderloin. I’m going with that,” he commented, letting his eyes shine at her.

The waitress, a red headed heavy set woman came by and took down their orders. Then she scurried off toward the kitchen.

He raised his glass. “Here’s to a weekend with you, Allison.” He grinned as he said it.

“And with you, Robert,” she concurred; her eyes sparkling in the candlelight.

With that, the weekend was off to a flying start…..



Chapter 5 [Next morning]

Cameron got up and inspected herself in the mirror, analyzing what if anything had changed in the past few weeks. What’s so different about me that he looks at me like this? Should I care? I mean, he’s happy. She blushed. And he’s so much more than I would have thought! Moving to her duffel bag, she fished through it, picking out her cranberry sweater and a pair of charcoal slacks and laying them out on the bed. She put on her robe, grabbed the toiletry carrier and headed down the hall to the bathroom while lost in thought.

As she reached it, she bumped into Chase who was coming out and fell backward.

“Allison, are you okay?” he queried, feeling panicked at hitting her even accidentally so. Noticing that her robe had come undone in the front, he quickly averted his eyes. “Umm, your robe.”

“My…Oh!” She blushed again as she secured it once again. “Thanks, Ch…Robert, for not….”

“I’m not House,” he reminded her gently as he helped her up. “Sorry about decking you with the door.”

“I should have watched where I was going,” she indicated, looking him over. She winced at seeing a bruise on his forehead. “Ouch.”

“It’s nothing.” He grinned at her. “Part of the adventure, right? Glad you’re okay.”

“Robert,” she called to him.

“Yes?” he asked.

She motioned him back into the bathroom and shut the door. “Honest question. Sorry, I just have to know.”

He squinted at her unsure about the situation. “All right.”

She took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you look at me when I was…well….exposed?”

He blinked, trying to digest the question. “Allison, I…uh.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. Maybe because I respect you?”

“And I appreciate it. That’s what I thought,” she told him, adding a smile. “Thanks for being a gentleman about that. Now if you’ll excuse me….”

“Sure.” He made his way back to his room, trying to stay as composed as possible. Thank You, Lord, for letting me stay so composed! He exhaled anxiously while looking in his closet at his clothes. What will make me look good?


****

[An hour and a half later—Granville, MA]

After checking out of the inn, Chase drove them down the state road, heading for a small hill town he had heard about. After one wrong turn, he backtracked to the route and got them to its center. “Here we are.”

“This is nice!” she cheered, getting out of the car and surveying the town square as well as the church and general store framing it on the east and south sides respectively. Especially with the trees’ colors painting extra dimensions to the whole panorama, she was intrigued. “Mind if I take some shots?”

“Why not? It is nice,” he agreed.

She nodded while sizing up the scenes with her digital camera and saving the backdrops for posterity. “These will cheer us up this winter.”

“Yeah.” He frowned, thinking of the icy cold and chill approaching from the north.

“Hey,” she advised while looking him in the eye. “Let’s live for today, all right?” She kissed him. “And remember, I’m not going anywhere. Got it?”

He grinned; her words brightening his mood and her eyes putting them over the top. “Let’s get some cheese and then maybe some apples?”

Remembering how her parents had done similar things for her and her brother when they were growing up, her mouth watered. “I’d…like that. Then we can keep going? Lots more landscapes to see, right?”

He shrugged. The foliage was great but he really wanted to look at her. Still he didn’t dare say that figuring she wasn’t ready to hear that yet. Still, seeing her against the backdrop satisfied that need. “Right. Follow me.” Feeling her hand clasp his, he looked back at her.

She smiled warmly at him, feeling anxious and suddenly shy. “I decided to take a chance…if it’s okay, Robert.”

“It’s more than all right,” he assured her, feeling another barrier coming down between them. “Let’s get that cheese and then, the apples. There’s this town called Amherst about an hour from here that I’ve heard about too. We’ll do dinner there. Our inn is just over the Vermont line in Brattleboro. Tomorrow, we can do the drive north. There’s this great place on Lake Champlain that my parents took us to when we toured here about fifteen years ago. How does that sound to you?”

“You’re doing great so far. Lead on!” she cheered as they entered the general store for their wares. An hour later, they were heading east again toward the interstate and new painted vistas.



Chapter 6 [That night—Old Signpost Inn, Brattleboro, VT]

The couple poured on the frequent driving miles, stopping briefly in Amherst for some window shopping along the main drag and a quick pass through the state’s flagship university. Then they headed north along Route 47 admiring the New England quaintness unfolding before their eyes. Turning onto Route 2, they took in part of the Mohawk Trail.

While they both had similar memories from earlier days, the sights enthralled her to say the least. With each new hill they passed over, her eyes widened a little more each time.

He kept driving, choosing not to interrupt her pleasure and take his own enjoyment from that.


****

[After dinner]

Squeezing as much time as they could out of the day, Chase and Cameron arrived at the inn and checked into their rooms, leaving their bags there. Then, after doing the ham and baked beans special, they stood in front of their doors.

“Sorry that the menu wasn’t the greatest,” he lamented.

“I’m not worried about it,” she assured him. “Today was the best day I’ve had in a long time. Thanks!” She kissed him.

“No problem. I had fun watching you enjoy yourself.” He smiled at her, observing that she had her hair down, allowing it to cascade over her shoulders. “You should wear your hair like that more often. It’s really nice.”

“Really?” Hearing him say that made her heart skip a beat. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. See you in the morning,” he concluded, giving her a quick kiss and then retiring to his room.

“Good night,” she concurred, heading into hers and locking the door. She changed out of her clothes and into her sweats. Then she brushed her teeth in the sink. Why don’t you tell him how you feel, Allison? Come on! What if I lose him? If I don’t say anything, I will lose him! She collapsed onto the regular twin bed and stared at the ceiling while feeling her heart pounding with both fear and excitement. Why didn’t I see this before? She got up and looked at herself in the mirror again. I have to do this. Even if it screws everything up, I can’t lie to Robert. She threw on her robe and knocked on his door. “Robert?”

He opened the door and saw her standing there. “Allison? What’s wrong?”

She averted her eyes, choosing to study the floorboards. “Have a minute to talk?”

“Sure.” Fear gnawed at his heart, guessing she wanted to call off the trip and return in the morning. He let her in. “What’s going on? Have I done anything?”

She stared in surprise at him. “What? No! That’s not it! I wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you said about enjoying my enjoyment.” She closed her eyes. “Please don’t laugh at me.”

“Why would I?” he inquired.

“Robert, I…love you,” she admitted. “I guess I’ve known for a while but I never wanted to admit it to myself. The last few months, I was still getting over that crush on House. You’ve been right there and I wanted to thank you for that.” She kissed him tenderly.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that,” he indicated while sighing with relief and embracing her. “I didn’t want to push you but when you were holding hands with me today, I hoped as much. I love you too. These last two days have been the best and wait until you see the lake!”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she agreed. “Robert, umm…” She blushed, feeling like she was back in junior high all over again. “Can we…well….?”

He collected his thoughts, maintaining his composure. “Are you asking what I think you are?”

“I want you to make love with me.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” she indicated before they fell onto the bed and surrendered to their passions for almost forty-five minutes. Then they fell asleep, cuddling against each other against the storm of reality outside.



Chapter 7 [Next Morning—Brier Bear Lodge, Lake’s Hollow, VT]

House opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Despite the beautiful weather and backdrop, he had been thoroughly skunked that entire weekend; the fish seemingly running from him like the patients as he approached the Clinic.

At least Cuddy hadn’t had much luck either. Still she led him in the Great Competition 2-0.

Great. Knowing her, she’ll keep her promise and then make me do clinic duty every day for a month! He frowned at the thought of nonstop crying kids and half-assed, web-‘educated’ parents, making a face at the morbid vision.

His leg throbbed from where she had kicked him during the night.

“House?” Cuddy asked drowsily, lightly brushing his back. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” He frowned. “I was having a nightmare.”

She rubbed up against him. “Let me guess. The fish avoided you the entire weekend.”

“Worse.”

She propped her head up; her dark hair cascading against his ear. “It’s okay, House. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”

“You made me do a month of clinic duty,” he muttered.

She resisted the temptation to chuckle at the thought. Then she imagined the potential number of law suits involved. They would bankrupt the hospital. She grimaced. “I can see what you mean.”

“Thought that administrative budget machine would,” he quipped while looking at her face in the dim light. The sun hadn’t quite risen yet but in the day’s first glimmer, he could see her eyes watching him as well. He also admired how she looked in the nightgown next to him. “That’s new, isn’t it?”

“Glad you like it, Greg,” she retorted, adding a snarky undertone. “I just about froze last night wearing it. You were hogging the quilt again.”

“I tried to snuggle but you weren’t letting me,” he complained.

“You mean groping,” she shot back.

“I was going off instinct…that is until you kicked me in the thigh.”

She winced. “House, I’m sorry.” She moved closer, snuggling up against him. “That better?”

“Yeah.” He turned and kissed her.

“Grope away,” she relented. “Just one thing though.”

“What?” he asked.

“I’m not backing down when it comes to the fishing.”

“Perish that thought,” he cracked.

“I thought you’d see the light,” she agreed while cuddling up against him.


****

[Brattleboro—6:15 AM]

Chase opened his eyes and blinked against the sun streaming into the room. Wow. It all seems like a dream. He looked around the room, verifying that they were indeed in the inn. He heard the radiator hissing back at him. Then he saw her sweats and his pajamas lying in a pile on the floor.

He turned slowly so as not to rustle the bed too much. Once he did so, he saw her sleeping there. She seemed so calm and peaceful, smiling as if enjoying some blissful dream. The sun brushed her face gently, highlighting her features in a gentle glow. Maybe she was enjoying her dream with her eyes closed but he was treasuring these moments with her.

“Robert?” she whispered while stirring.

“Right here,” he assured her.

She turned to face him; a radiant smile spreading across her face. “Glad to hear you didn’t abandon me.”

He stared at her in shock. “And why would I do that?”

“Everyone else thinks I’m second best, you know?” she lamented. “A pretty face but too determined and focused to put up with.”

“Hey. Allison, look at me.” When she had done so, he told her, “It’s all right. I like your spunk and fire. Just because House and everyone else doesn’t see those qualities isn’t a problem. I’m glad they don’t because I can…along with the rest of you.”

She giggled. “I get it. You wanted the sex.”

“Well this wasn’t what I intended for this weekend. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it especially the way things happened last night. I’m glad it happened and we’re here together this morning,” he clarified, feeling the blood rushing to his cheeks.

“Me too.” She snuggled up against him. “I knew there was a romantic lurking somewhere under the pretty boy act.”

“Pretty boy?” He laughed incredulously. “I guess I come off that way, don’t I?”

“You can sometimes but that’s okay,” she assured him. “Can we lie here a little while longer before getting on the road again?”

“Sure. I’d like that,” he agreed, feeling glad to extend the encounter out as far as he could.



Chapter 8
[3:00 PM—Burlington, VT]

After spending another half hour lying there, Cameron and Chase rose, packed and checked out of the inn. Once again, they had a crystal blue sky with just a few clouds and the sun shining brightly.

Chase drove them the rest of the way at a leisurely pace, turning what he might have covered in six hours into an eight hour affair. They finished with the small section of the local area surrounding the inn before heading north along the interstate to White River Junction and then changing routes, taking the secondary highway north through Springfield toward their destination.

Cameron stared in awe of the lake view as they approached Burlington. “Wow!”

“It’s something, isn’t it? I remember loving this place as a kid,” he declared while taking in a deep breath of the cool air.

“I can see why,” she agreed, taking in the big town on the lake. “Is this where we’re stopping?”

“Sorry but I found us a great place about an hour up the road. We can come back this way tomorrow on our way home,” he promised.

“Okay.” While she would’ve liked to explore the town more, she trusted his judgment. “Let’s leave a couple of hours tomorrow, okay?”

“Sounds good,” he agreed. “Wait until you see the town we’re going to.”


****

[Brier Bear Lodge—4:05 PM]

As he had anticipated, she approved of the town’s lakeside setting and the rustic log cabin lodge. “When you talk about a scenic weekend, you don’t fool around, do you?”

“When it comes to you? Perish the thought,” he replied, flashing that grin at her.

She blushed, feeling slightly light headed from her giddiness and admittedly, embarrassed.

“It’s okay,” he assured her. “We’ve had a gauntlet lately. I figured we deserved something like this. I hope you don’t mind if we…share again tonight? We can save some money.”

“Sure and share another moment?” she supposed, arching her eyebrows up and down.

“Great. I created a bloody monster now,” he cracked.

“Deal with it, Dr. Chase,” she retorted saucily while kissing his cheek. “Let’s get checked in and tour Lake’s Hollow. Then maybe we can get something to eat?”

“There’s only one restaurant in town so it shouldn’t be hard to find it,” he agreed. “Come on.”

They walked into the lobby, admiring the maps and pictures on the walls. (She didn’t care for the mounted trophy in the corner but rather than make a fuss, studiously ignored it.) Reaching the desk, they found a tall man in a green flannel shirt and a pair of jeans watching them. “Hi.”

“Good afternoon, Folks! Drs. Chase and Cameron, I presume?” the manager asked with a big smile on his face. “Welcome! Let’s see you have two rooms for one night. Correct?”

“We wanted to make it…one room if that’s okay?” she requested sheepishly.

The manager nodded. “That’s fine. Let me make the change on the computer.” He pressed a couple of keys and went through a series of screens before indicating, “You’re all set. That’ll be $65.50.”

Chase nodded while handing over his credit card and then signing the slip. “Thanks.”

“The whole inn emptied out except for one couple. They’re out on the lake fishing right now. He’s had the worst luck of anyone I’ve seen in twenty years. Just plain skunked!” the manager remarked. “Ah well, you four practically have the run of the place. Have a great night. Let my wife or me know if you need anything.”

“This is weird. I wonder why the inn is empty now?” she queried, admiring the place (except for the trophy head of course).

“Who knows?” he replied while shrugging. “Meantime, daylight’s wasting. I’d like to see this town. Then maybe I can treat you to dinner?”

“Now you’re talking,” she concurred as they headed for their room.



Chapter 9 [Lakeside Café—5:15 PM]

Chase and Cameron took two circuits of the village, taking in every nook and cranny. Really, there wasn’t much to see—a general store/post office, the elementary school, a small gas station, a bookstore, a second hand store, the Congregationalist church and finally, the Lakeside Café itself. Still, the leaf peeping made it worthwhile.

“It’s like the land time forgot,” she remarked. “What happens in the winter to these people?”

He shrugged. “They ride their snowmobiles across the lake to Burlington, I guess.”

“Across the lake?” she asked incredulously.

He snickered. “The ice gets so thick out there that you can drive a logging truck on it and be fine. There are some springs though that you have to watch out for.”

“Great. Remind me not to try it,” she told him.

“It isn’t that bad really. Come on; let’s see what this place is like,” he assured her while holding her hand. They walked in to find the place was practically empty. “Wow.”

A white haired heavy set woman looked up from the register. “Evening, folks!”

“You aren’t getting ready to close, are you?” he wondered.

“No. It’s always dead between 4 and 7. It’ll pick up after that. Families around here like their suppers together. Take a seat anywhere you’d like. Denise will have menus out to you in a second. What can we get you to drink?” the local informed them.

“A cup of tea with lemon and sugar for me please,” Cameron requested.

“Coffee for me thanks,” he added.

“Coming right up. Make yourselves at home,” the older woman urged pleasantly. “Denise! Order out front!”

“Yes, Mom,” a teenage voice replied while coming out to take their order.


****

[Two minutes earlier]

Having endured another sparse day on the lake together, House and Cuddy had decided to get themselves dinner and retire early for the evening.

He had salvaged the time by landing an impressive pike. After a rather lengthy battle where he’d hooked his good leg for support around the post on the pier, the infarcted one around the card table where they were playing poker and still nearly fell into the water as it was, he had finally broken his streak.

She had satisfied herself with watching the ‘epic struggle’ unfolding in front of her and keeping the cards from scattering to the four winds. Only when he was screaming in as much pain as the fish probably was in, she helped him bring it in.

“It’s still 2 to 1, House,” she reminded him as she parked the car.

“But my one fish is bigger than your two minnows, Cuddy,” he retorted. “Pretty handy shot there with the Coke bottle.”

“Administrator’s touch. Have to put the unruly ones out of their misery,” she quipped, arching her brow at him. “And what do you mean ‘minnows’?”

“Mine’s still bigger than yours,” he retorted while making a face at her.

She quaked with laughter. “I would hope so, House.” She rubbed his arm before kissing his cheek. “Let’s get some food into you so you can take your Vicodin.”

He nodded while pulling himself out of the Lexus and up the stairs. “I’ll get the door.” He wedged the door with his left foot while ignoring the pain shooting through the right leg.

She rolled her eyes while hurrying up the stairs. “You didn’t have to do that. I appreciate it though.” They walked into the nearly empty restaurant and looked around.

“Wow. Empty house,” he remarked.

“They must have heard you were coming,” she teased while helping him to a chair. Seeing the older woman behind the counter, she waved at her.

“Hi, Folks! Denise will be right with you. How was the fishing?” the local asked.

“Not much. Greg got a big one today. Other than that, we played poker, ate hot dogs and enjoyed the scenery,” Cuddy recounted. “Nice vacation day. Sorry, where’s the rest room?”

“Bathroom’s over there, Doc,” the woman indicated, pointing to the left.

“Thank you,” Cuddy expressed while heading that way. As she rounded the corner, she stopped and took a second look at the couple sitting there. “Cameron? Chase?”

The younger couple stopped talking and glanced over in surprise. “Dr. Cuddy?”

“This is a surprise,” Cuddy assessed. “These were your plans, Chase?”

“Yes they were. Cameron and I have been doing the leaf tour thing this weekend,” he answered. “How about you?”

“House and I are fishing and doing the same thing from the pier you might say,” the administrator agreed. “If you don’t mind, maybe you can join us?”

“Okay,” Cameron agreed. “As long as House kind of behaves himself.”

Cuddy snorted. “Good luck on that one. His leg’s really hurting right now. Don’t worry; I think he’s enjoying himself though. “ Noting the younger woman’s positively radiant glow, she assumed, “You are too, I’d say. You look better than you have in months, Cameron.”

“Thanks, Dr. Cuddy,” Cameron expressed. “I feel a lot better too.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ll be back in a minute. Go over there and join him,” Cuddy invited before heading for the restroom.

For a minute, they hesitated.

“We’ll never hear the end of it now,” he worried.

She set her jaw. “I don’t care. As long as we stay professional when we’re at work, who cares? Besides, it’s not like he’s the greatest example either.” She kissed him. “I love you. Let House deal with it.”

“Right,” he agreed, feeling relieved. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” she replied as they got up and walked their drinks over to where House sat meditating silently. “Hi, House.”

He furrowed his brow and stared at her blankly. “So this is where you decided to go, Cameron? And with Chase no less? Figures. I told Cuddy this wouldn’t be a secret for very long.”

“It was purely a coincidence,” Chase tried to assure him. “We were driving and ended up here.”

“Oh yeah, right!” The diagnostician supposed snarkily.

“Sorry, House, that is what happened,” she reported while they sat down. “Your leg’s bothering you, isn’t it? That’s really the only time you get this cranky.”

House fumed. “You better not say anything about this to anyone back in Princeton.”

Chase declared, “I promised Cuddy I wouldn’t. Make you a deal. You don’t make a big deal about us, we don’t make a big deal of you being with her. We keep the gossips off of each other’s backs.” He held out his hand. “Deal?”

Their boss rolled his eyes, still feeling like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. “Fine.” He shook the others’ hands.

“Imagine that? What communication,” Cuddy complimented. “See, House? That didn’t hurt, did it?”

“You set this up, I suppose?” House inquired, recalling the earlier office encounter.

“Chase and I talked about our respective planning but not the details. As Cameron indicated, this is a coincidence. Now let’s all enjoy dinner, all right?” their boss pointed out while joining them.  “Now, tell us about your weekend. It’s been great weather, hasn’t it?”

“Excellent weather,” Chase concurred. “Just cool enough to have a nip in the air yet warm enough so we can still do things outside.”

“You can say that again,” Cameron agreed. “We went apple picking, bought cheese and, I guess you can say, enjoyed each other’s company.”

“I knew something was going on with you guys,” House noted. “Chase, you need to be more careful. When you yelled at Foreman and me that day, you tipped your hand.”

“I know,” Chase admitted. “Thanks for the reminder though. How do you two get away with the remarks in the hallways?”

Cuddy shrugged. “We make it seem like we hate each other. He makes the remarks. I write him up and then bury it. Please don’t try it.”

“I don’t want Foreman feeling all put out by you two fighting, Kiddies,” House added. “Leave it to the professionals.” Seeing Denise come over, he ordered and then allowed them to do the same before they got back to the conversation, eventually even relaxing House in the process….



Conclusion [Three Days Later]

Fresh off the high of their shared weekend, Chase and Cameron walked into PPTH separately, only meeting in the elevator as they rode to their floor. The previous two days had surprised them—as House actually more than behaved himself,  seeming to have fun in the process while they drove back to Burlington before Cuddy suggested that they try the inn in Feeding Hills once again. After a refreshing night’s sleep, the quartet took the back roads back to Jersey, making a long yet beautiful day out of it.

“How are you doing?” Cameron asked.

“I’m great,” Chase replied, giving her a relaxed grin. “And you?”

“Relieved. I never thought I’d see House like that,” she insisted.

“You did go out with him once,” he pointed out.

“But even so, he wasn’t as relaxed with me as he was with her. I’m glad,” she elaborated. “Remember, mum.”

“Right,” he concurred as they walked into the suite to find Foreman waiting for them.

“There you both are. You should’ve seen how busy the clinic was this weekend!” Foreman informed them.

“I’m sure you handled yourself fine, Foreman,” she replied while checking the coffee maker and measured out the scoops. Then she filled the repository in its back and started it up. “At least my flowers are looking better with the time I spent on them.”

“Okay,” Foreman agreed while nodding at them. While he suspected that they were an item, it really wasn’t any of his business nor did he care about what they did outside of work.

“Hey, Kiddies!” House announced while limping into the suite and glancing at them expectantly. “Now that Teacher’s rested and ready to roar again, we can get going. Foreman, I see you didn’t burn down the clinic this weekend. Too bad.”

The neurologist rolled his eyes. “Somehow, I think Cuddy might frown on that.”

The boss put his hands against the sides of his face, impersonating the Scream painting figure. “OH NO! What would the fakers and whiners do then? BOO HOO! Yeah Cuddy would *so hate* to lose that torture device.”

“It is a necessary evil, House,” Cameron countered, adding a little smile as she said it.

“And speaking of Dr. Evil, here she comes now,” the diagnostician declared.

“Good morning to you too, House,” Cuddy drawled while handing him a folder. “There’s your next case.” She smirked at him. “Speaking of that evil, remember, House, two clinic hours apiece on Thursday AND Friday.”

“Aw, Mom!” he whined. “But we were having so much fun up here!”

She snorted. “You heard me, House.” Then she turned on her heel and marched away.

House stared at the group. “Bet you all think you’re smart, huh? Let’s prove it.” He opened the folder and started in on the whiteboard.

Chase and Cameron made sure Foreman’s back was turned before they exchanged winks apiece. Maybe they had to play the hiding game for a while but at least, they could see the layers at work in front of them.

And if House and Cuddy could do it, then so could they……


THE END
 

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