Title: The Discovery

Rating: M

Pairing: Cameron/Cuddy

Disclaimer: Disappointed to say that I don't own House MD or any of the characters.

Spoilers: Minor from Season 3.

Summary: Set towards the end of Season 3, before House gets his new team. Cameron has a crush, but it's no longer House that is the object of her affections. How does she deal with these new feelings, and how is she going to stop House from discovering them?

Reviews are very much appreciated, as is constructive criticism.

Cameron wasn't exactly sure of when it began. Maybe it was at the neurology fundraiser when Cuddy decided to wear her most daring outfit yet (green silk with sparkling diamantes adorning the low cut neckline) or maybe it was an event more mundane such as a conversation during the clinic. All Cameron knew was that one night, sat alone at home with nothing but a glass of wine for company, she became aware of it.

She liked Cuddy.

Really liked her.

There were a million and one reasons why this was quite possibly the worst attraction Cameron had ever experienced in her entire life, three of which Cameron knew meant she could never even think about revealing her feelings. Reason one; she'd have to remain alert every waking moment at the hospital. This was to ensure that House didn't work out that when she stared at Cuddy as she walked down the corridor; she was admiring everything but the Manolo shoes she was wearing. Otherwise, humiliation was guaranteed. Secondly, the very fact that Lisa Cuddy was her boss meant that there was no way on earth she could ever find out, or chances were the older woman would use any means necessary to make sure the immunologist was no longer employed in her hospital. The last thing she would want would be to have a young female doctor with a crush on her working at her hospital. Thirdly, and most importantly, if Cuddy wasn't aware of Cameron's feelings then it enabled Cameron to fantasise, to kid herself that one day, dreams would become reality. If Cuddy knew that Cameron wanted her and took it upon herself to make it quite clear that she didn't feel the same; Cameron would be crushed. All in all, it was best if the attraction remained a secret, however hard that would be.

It was as she walked into Princeton Plainsborough Teaching Hospital for yet another day of torture that Cameron racked her brains for a solution. If she could just figure out how she'd suddenly fallen out of love with House, maybe that would be the key to solving this ridiculous crush she had on Cuddy. Because that was all it was; wasn't it? She didn't love her…

With a sigh, Cameron wondered just when her life had gotten so complicated. She longed for the days when she deigned to be with those within her reach, instead of people who would only serve to screw up her life more than it already was. Although saying that, give her emotionally retarded cripples and dying young gentlemen any day. Anything was better than falling for straight Dean's of Medicine, of that Cameron was sure.

"Let's play Hangman!" House suggested, much to the annoyance of Cameron and her fellows. As they currently had no patient House was bored, and Cuddy had apparently confiscated his portable television and Gameboy for the day in the hope that he would actually do some work.

No such luck.

"Here's an idea," Foreman spoke up. "Why don't we… I don't know… work?"

"That'd be a good suggestion if we actually had a patient," House replied sarcastically.

"So we go and find one; there has to be someone interesting here for us to diagnose," Foreman suggested.

"We could check the ER for patients?" Chase piped up.

"Booooring," House drawled, starting to doodle on the whiteboard.

"No, boring is sitting here, doing nothing!" Cameron exclaimed, her patience extremely limited today.

"Then you go find us a patient," House informed her, not intending for her to take him seriously.

"Fine," Cameron said stubbornly. "I will." She rose from her seat, and casting one last dirty look at House, exited the room. She wasn't sure where she was going, only that it would be as far from House as possible. She decided the clinic would be a good place for her to go, as not only was there a chance that a suitable patient would be found there, but House avoided the clinic like the plague.

At times like this, Cameron didn't have to wonder why she no longer wanted House. He was a rude, arrogant asshole, and she struggled to see how she could ever have found this endearing. However, she couldn't see what was so similar about House and Cuddy, and therefore, could see no reason as to why she would have fallen for the other woman. Of course, Cuddy easily matched House in sarcasm and wit, but there was no way on earth she has had a crush on Cuddy for being a sarcastic idiot. They were different genders, and completely different people.

"Penny for them?" Cameron heard from behind her. She shook her head free of her thoughts, and was surprised to discover that she was already in the clinic.

Swivelling around, Cameron discovered Wilson standing behind her. "I'm sorry; what?" she asked.

"Your thoughts," He explained. "You've been standing there staring into space for several minutes now. Are you ok?"

Cameron forced a smile. "I'm fine. House is just being House and has sent me to find a patient for us to diagnose. Don't suppose you have any?"

"Sorry, can't help you there," Wilson shook his head as he spoke.

Cameron opened her mouth to excuse herself when she heard the familiar clatter of heels from behind her. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, she involuntarily shivered as the woman whom she couldn't stop thinking about stood next to her.

"Wilson… need a favour," Cuddy stated, paying no attention whatsoever to Cameron.

"I'm invisible to her," Cameron found herself thinking bitterly.

"Cameron?" Wilson addressed her. "Will you do that for me?"

Cursing herself for not paying attention once again, Cameron replied, "Do what?"

"Tell House I can't buy him lunch because I need to sort out this paperwork for Dr. Cuddy."

Cameron nodded distractedly. "Sure." She made to walk away when a hand on her arm prevented her from doing so. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Cameron looked back and forth between Wilson and Cuddy, taking note that both had a concerned expression on their faces. Once again fixing her eyes on Wilson, Cameron assured him, "I'm fine, really." Trying not to blush too hard in the presence of Cuddy, she hurried away, wanting to find somewhere that she could be alone with her thoughts for a while.

However, it seemed that today fate conspired against her, as she heard her name being called once again. "Cameron!"

Continuing to walk on, Cameron half heartedly shouted back to Cuddy, "I'm busy!" before continuing in the opposite direction. She heard Cuddy's heels behind her as they came closer, the Dean hurrying so as to catch Cameron up.

"This won't take long," she insisted, walking side by side with Cameron.

"What is it?" Cameron kept her eyes firmly fixed ahead, knowing that one look at Cuddy and she would melt into pieces.

"Are you sure everything is alright? You seem on edge," Cuddy told her, worried.

Deciding that at least the fact Cuddy had noticed she was distracted meant that she wasn't entirely invisible to her, Cameron shrugged off her concern. "Nothing's wrong."

"Y'know… you could at least say that like you meant it," Cuddy placed a hand on Cameron's arm, effectively stopping her from walking. "What's going on, Cameron? House giving you a hard time about something?"

"No," Cameron said truthfully, facing Cuddy but avoiding direct eye contact. Then, a stroke of inspiration hit her, and she turned the conversation around. "But if you don't give him back his toys soon he's going to drive us all crazy."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Is that what this is about? You're in a mood with me, because House is in a mood with you, because he's bored? Stop being so petulant would you?"

Annoyed that Cuddy had gotten it completely wrong, Cameron defended herself, "That's not it at all!" She nearly added that Cuddy was the one acting like a child for taking away House's possessions, but decided that getting herself sacked probably wasn't the best career move she could make. Instead she added, "Just forget it."

Unbeknownst to Cameron, as she walked away Cuddy stared after her; sure that she was missing something about her employee. Exactly what, she couldn't figure out, but confident that time would tell, she shook her head and began the journey back to her office.