Don't Take 'No' For an Answer – by Emma Peelfan

This is my first 'House' fanfic, so please be nice. I don't own anyone involved herein (unfortunately…wouldn't mind owning Hugh Laurie tho…). This is done for fun and if you sued, you'd just get a co-dependent black kitten with fleas.

Spoilers for: Control (I am playing with the timeline JUST SLIGHTLY…doesn't change the result of the episode, but will come in handy if I decide to keep up with this one.)

"They like you. Everyone likes you."

"Do you like me?"

There's a long pause as House looks at her. She suddenly realizes that a lot more is riding on his answer than simply a curiosity. " I need to know."

"No." One word. Emotionless. His eyes are serious. No smart-ass remarks will follow.

"Okay."

She walks away slowly, haltingly as her world quietly collapses around her.

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

A long time later, she caught up with him as he was leaving.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," she said firmly.

"What?" He looked at her incredulously. "I would've thought it was a perfectly straightforward answer. Or have you been reading again and you're planning to manipulate a yes from me?"

"As a matter of fact," she said as she stood up straighter. "I am."

"Look Cameron," House said as he started limping for the door again. "I just had a less-than-pleasant talk with our new Chairman of the Board and I really am not in the mood for this."

"Chase told me about the ipecac," she said quietly, yet loud enough for him to hear.

He stopped and stared at her.

"You knew?"

She shrugged. "He came to see me just before the committee meeting. I was with a patient, so I couldn't talk to you at the time."

"Was he the one that passed it on to our illustrious boss?"

"I told you employees like to be reassured sometimes. He was afraid you'd fire him, so he went to the one person who would be able to help him keep his job."

"I don't need a lecture from you," House said angrily. "I noticed Chase didn't interrupt the meeting either."

"He still respects you," she said softly. "He admires you and what you were doing for her. So he waited."

"But meantime, you said you weren't going to take no for an answer. Would you mind telling me what you mean? Since I see you're planning on following me around until I agree."

"I asked if you liked me. You didn't answer me. I said I have to know and you said 'no'."

"So far, I'm not seeing anything ambiguous," House said, quietly praying she wasn't thinking what he knew she was and that she wouldn't ask.

"Did you mean 'no' you don't like me? Or 'no' I don't need to know?"

"Look, Vogler has made it very clear that he will get rid of anyone that stands in his way of getting rid of me. If I admit I actually like you, that makes you a target."

"Aren't you getting just the slightest bit paranoid?"

"No," House growled. "If I was paranoid, I'd be looking over my shoulder while wearing a tin-foil hat. And besides, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that everyone ISN'T out to get you."

"So does that mean you like me?"

"Jesus! You're just like a dog with a bone, aren't you?"

She gave him a smile that he'd be damned if he'd admit made her glow. "So, do you like me?"

"Yes," he muttered and continued out towards the parking lot, leaving her standing in the lobby with a smug grin on her face.

End

So, whatcha think? Should I continue? Constructive criticism/glowing reviews welcomed. Flames will be shared with friends, mocked and laughed at.