Title: Crash and Burn

Rating: PG-13/R

Pairing: House/Cameron

Disclaimers: I own nothing, all belongs to FOX.

Summary: Two hearts beating a samba, at the infinite sea of possibilities that lay ahead of them. So much could happen, so much had happened but in the end it was still him and her, Cameron and House…a sudden tension that they had both taught long gone crackling in the air before them.A storm beginning to brew once more.

He hated black tie events, really hated them.

"Oh for God's sake will you stop pulling your collar!" Wilson snapped at House as they both stood in the middle of the elevator, soft somewhat cheesy music emitting from the speakers.

House's blue eyes turned sharply to him, but Wilson refused to meet his gaze. They had been like this since their arrival earlier that afternoon.

"What's got your panties twisted in a bunch?" his tone was flippant but underneath lay a somewhat edged tone. House could be pushed up to a certain point before he started pushing back. Perhaps in the past his limit had been greater but now in days it didn't take much to set him off.

It seemed like he was always going off about something.

"Nothing." One word and House felt like hitting him over the head with his cane.

Waiting a few seconds House took a step backward and leaned against the elevator wall, his cane hanging near his side, his arms folded in front of him.

"Ok, so nothing is wrong but you're acting like an eighteen year old who's been dumped at the prom for the star quarterback…right, nothing wrong."

Wilson closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh but refused to turn around and face House. Sometimes the man knew him far too well, perhaps that had to do with the fact that he was the only person that had yet to abandon him. It seemed like everyone at some point or another left him.

"Things aren't working out with Maria…I think she's going to call off the wedding", dropping his head a bit and looking down at his shoes and added in a small tone, "she asked me to have my things out when back in the states."

Frowning a bit House moved forward and placed a comforting hand on Wilson's shoulder, "I guess you're welcomed to crash at my place…as long as you promise to make those delicious macadamia pancakes."

A small chuckle escaped Wilson's lips as the elevator finally came to a stop. "Thanks, now come on, time to kiss some rich ass", his hands pointed to the overly decadent ball room ahead of them.

"You've always been a brown noser Wilson, lead the way!" House gave him a mischievous smile.

"Behave House! Or I swear I'll let Cuddy loose on your ass" he wagged his finger in front of him and began to walk a few steps ahead of his limping friend.

House leaned most of his weight on his cane, back hunching over a bit as he waddle forward, his strong body twisting into a flawed but deathly accurate example of the human anatomy, beautiful and admirable in its own unique way.

Perhaps symmetry was far too over rated after all.

ﺾ

He sat by the bar nursing a glass of scotch, his piercing blue eyes roaming over every one before him. Checking his watch he wondered just how much longer they had left to go before leaving. It had been a long uncomfortable flight from New Jersey to London and all he wanted was to get back to the hotel, take load full of vicodin and crash until it was time to go back home.

As far as he was concerned once this event was over his job was done as well. Come overseas, suck up to a few of the hospital's most generous contributors and then piss off back to the states…yes, his job here was definitely done. Slipping his hand into his pocket he traced the bottle of meds, the full weight of the small container promising a heavy black abyss of escape.

Even if it was for a few hours only, this far into the game he wasn't one to be fussy.

His eyes once more roamed the crowd, this time searching for Wilson's boyishly good looking face, but failed to find it. Sighing to himself he slipped off the chair and began to make his way toward the exit. Balancing himself he reached for the pocket of his jacket, fishing for his mobile phone. Flipping it open he began to pound the keys, completely oblivious to everything around him.

"I'll just text Wilson and then it's off to sleepy…" suddenly his mumbled words were cut short by a warm solid mass colliding with him, sending them both onto the ground.

"Jesus!" House barked out as he sat up immediately, reaching out for his cane but seizing when a soft but irritated voice infiltrated his ear.

One voice that could only belong to one person, the same voice that he had last heard so many years ago – pain, anger, frustration and the lost of all hope dripping from each single word that had come forth.Then it was gone, never to be heard again…a slight hole left within him until this very moment when only a few syllables managed to magically get his heart racing like a wild runaway train.

ﺾ

"Christ! Looking in front of you wouldn't be such a bad idea!"

Cameron was cross, very cross at whoever had just walked straight into her. She had been on her mobile phone and the next thing she knew she was on the ground. Her elbow throbbing like hell since it had taken the majority of her weight when she had gone down.

"Ouch!" she hissed as she watched a bit of blood fall on to the floor.

Her back turned to whomever she had collided with she could feel eyes on her, watching her intently, chills ran down her spine and her heart began to beat wildly in her chest.

Only one person could have the power to do that to her with just a stare. One enigmatic stare that could overwhelm her with their icy blue depths….

Bracing herself on her good arm she turned her head and looked behind her.

Their eyes met and even time itself seemed to pause, their breaths coming out somewhat labored.

Two hearts beating a samba, at the infinite sea of possibilities that lay ahead of them. So much could happen, so much had happened but in the end it was still him and her, Cameron and House…a sudden tension that they had both taught long gone crackling in the air before them.

A storm beginning to brew once more.

ﺾ

His mask had fallen and for the briefest of seconds House had felt exposed and utterly naked her to her ever intense gaze. But as soon as it had fallen it was once more back in its place, shielding him from her once more…especially now.

He watched as she slowly got up, holding her elbow in her hand as she moved forward. Her hips moved softly underneath the white silk of her gown. Simple and elegant like a Greek goddess. Her hair pulled up with a few soft strands touching her neck.

Stopping before him she didn't utter a word, instead she fixed him with one of her patent serious looks. The one that could make any man shrink backwards…except him. Getting up he managed to pull himself off the floor with relative ease as he finally found his footing once more and leaned his body onto his cane. Using his height as an advantaged he drew up right in front of her, their bodies almost touching, the heat rolling of them in waves.

How many times had he secretly hoped for a moment like this? In which a second chance would present itself for him to finally have his peace with Allison Cameron. Yet, here it was and he hadn't the foggiest as to what to say to her.

Gregory House was not a man of many regrets but he had always lamented not having done more, said a few extra words that would of perhaps changed the entire course of his life from that single moment onward…the moment she decided that sometimes love wasn't enough to whether the storm.

Especially when the storm was completely oblivious to the safe harbor she had offered in her loving embrace and warm eyes.

He just hoped it wasn't too late to undo that foolish mistake.

ﺾ

She could feel her body slightly trembling at having so close by. It had been so long, so terribly long since being able to feast her gaze upon him, but she couldn't help wondered what price was all this going to cost her?

Since it seemed like every time they were together, every single exchange words always ended with him breaking her heart. She wasn't sure if she could take that any more; after all she only had so much left within her. It had taken all the will in her lithe body to walk away from him once and now she was expected to do the same once more…but what if she had no more will left to do so?

Would he add more insult to injury? Or would he perhaps act like a decent human being…stopping that train of thought she almost laughed out loud at that last one. Of course he wouldn't!

If there was one thing Cameron knew better than anything else was that House was a man set in his ways. He was rude, unapologetic, completely and brutally honest and he sure as hell didn't go around changing for anyone…especially her. He had already shown her just what she had meant to him by rejecting her during their one and only date.

After that things just got worst, feelings that were so easily swept under the rug refused to fade away into the background. Her personal life was crossing over to her professional one. Even if everything had started in that very same hospital she had always managed to not make the case loads personal – her time with her patients and everything that stemmed from that had nothing to do with him or her.

But all that changed slowly and one day she could no longer bare it. During one of their debriefings he had made a somewhat hurtful and overly sarcastic comment at her and that had been her breaking point. There had been no yelling or any sort of threatening action, instead she calmly and coolly waited for the case to be over and once she was no longer needed she walked out the hospital doors and never looked back.

Now she was facing perhaps the one person that managed to make her feel like an awkward teenager all over again. The weight of his deep and almost hypnotic gaze making her want to hide within herself and never come out again.

He would hurt her again, make her feel completely inept and then he would just waltz out of her life and leave her alone to pick up the pieces.

All it took was one word and she would crumble, except this time she feared that not even all the king's horses and all the king's men could put her back together again.

ﺾ

House was the first one to break the silence that had fallen around them.

"What are you doing here?" his voice came out a bit harsher than he intended too, his throat all of a suddenly becoming extremely parched. His hand absent mindedly came to his collar as he gave it a good yank to relief the tightness he felt growing with each passing second.

Cameron tipped her face backwards somewhat in order to get a good view of his face, her lips curving into a small smile.

"I could say the same to you"

"But I asked first Doctor Cameron…fair is fair" he stepped even closer than before, if it was even possible and peered down at her, his voice just the slightest bit deeper than before.

Licking her lips she watched as his eyes followed the movement of her tongue. Cameron wasn't fooled easily, she knew that House was more than inform on what she was up to – every single move she had taken since leaving New Jersey.

"I'm here to thank all of the generous contributors in behalf of the organization I work for."

"So it's true then. I heard through the grape vine you were working with Doctors without Borders, must be very satisfying being able to play the godly savior to all those poor sick souls…."

Cameron held her finger to his lips in order to silence him, immediately cursing her rash action. She could feel his lips underneath her skin, his lips slightly pouting and delivering a small kiss to the tip of her finger.

"Don't" her voice came out somewhat shaky, "don't start" she almost begged him with her eyes as he brought his hand up to her wrist, lowering her hand and holding it in his like a lifeline.

"Don't start what?"

"This! These games we play every time we're together. I just don't have it in me anymore House, I can't keep doing this…I'm just so tire of being your doormat!"

Moving away from him she brought her hand to her elbow once more, although it had stopped bleeding it still throbbed madly.

"I need to get back in there" Cameron avoided his gaze as she began to brush past him, brought to a complete halt when his large rough hand grabbed her arm, bringing her back to his side.

"You can't go back in there like that. Come with me, I'll stitch you up…good as new." He pointed towards the elevator and Cameron debated whether or not to just blow him off and rush back in the ballroom. There she would be safe, from him and her weakening resolve. Taking one last look at the entrance of the ballroom her shoulder hunched in defeat as she allowed him to lead her into the elevator.

The entire ride up they stood side by side in complete silence as her mind raced a thousand thoughts at a time. Everything had been fine, more than fine actually. She had a good job that left her more than fulfilled, life seemed to be going good and first time in a whole year she wasn't thinking about him or how much she missed his rough brash demeanor, the smell of his leather jacket when he would whirl into the office to stand behind her as she checked his mail and even the sound of his cane hitting the marble floors of the hospital.

How in the world was she going to get her self out of this mess?

ﺾ

Opening the door to his room he held out for her to step in. Passing by him her perfume invaded his senses once more, making him close his eyes as a pang of longing hit him hard.

He had missed Cameron, that had never been denied but he hadn't notice just how much. Everything had been fine after her departure, not too bad, the rest of the team went on and eventually her place was even filled by another doctor.

But it was at that very moment that her perfume hit him, the same unmistakable perfume she always wore, that he realized that it wasn't the same…no one could ever take her place in his life.

Good Lord, she was irreplaceable to him and that meant trouble.

Shaking his head lightly as to clear this thoughts House moved towards the bathroom indicating with his free hand for her to sit on an overstuffed chair in the small sitting room of his sweet.

Gathering up his toiletry kit he maneuvered himself in front of her and sat down on the coffee table. Holding his cane in one hand and the kit in another he threw the cane besides her and placed the small black leather bag on his lap, his strong graceful hands searching for the stitch kit.

Looking at her through the corner of his eyes, he couldn't help but feel a tad bit nervous at the way she looked at him. Her eyes taking in every single action, as if burning it to her mind in order to never forget.

House couldn't deny that it made him feel good…reckless even.

ﺾ

Cameron almost jumped out of her seat when the cool alcohol touched her elbow, the small cotton swab disinfecting her wound. Turning her arm a bit she couldn't help but suck in her breathe when House leaned even closer to get a good look at the damage.

Carefully he stitched the skin back together, in his perfect manner, taking one last lingering look at it while his fingers slowly caressed her arm…then he was once more gone from her side. A rush of cold air taking his place and making and sending shivers to her very core.

"See, I told you, good as new" House limped a bit to his side and threw the toiletry bag on to another chair, completely disregarding its existence the minute it left his side. She wondered if he had done the same when she left.

"Thank you."

"For what?" his gaze turned dark, the light blue of his eyes turning an almost eerie sharp dark blue.

"For this, for everything" she added quietly.

"No need to thank for me, just need to be careful next time. You should know by now Cameron, always watch out for where I'm walking!" there was a bit of that sarcastic dry humor that she had gone so accustom too during their old days together.

Shaking her a bit she gave him a small smile, "Of course, how forgetful of me…" her words fell short once more as he picked up the cane that lay besides her on the couch.

Looking over at him his face was calm but his eyes were tightly shut together, his hands slightly trembling as they hovered over the cane. She could feel her own knees slightly shaking; they always did when she was nervous.

This would be goodbye for them, the minute he picked up that cane and led her down to the ball room there would be no more of them…just him and her on their separate paths. Before she could even further contemplate just how sad that thought alone made her, his large hands where on her white creamy shoulders, guiding her towards him as their lips collided and molded to the others.

Opening her mouth in a bit of surprise she found herself being invaded by his tongue, which quickly caressed her own and made her sag further into the cushion as she felt the wait of the sofa dip a bit, his own body coming to rest besides her, their arms pulling each other closer until it was hardly impossible to distinguish one body from the other.

ﺾ

Fire, he felt as if his entire body was on fire…riding the highest high of his life.

Her lips were soft and pliable, tasting of something sweet he couldn't quite make out. The skin beneath his hands was incredibly pleasant to his touch, repressed memories of the few times they actually had that precious skin to skin contact.

House didn't know he was so starved for affection, but not just anyone's, only hers. The touch of another woman he could easily get from one of his "professional friends" who would be more than willing to service him or even one of the nurses in the hospital but it wasn't what he wanted…hell, this wasn't even what he wanted but rather what he needed.

The though alone caused a shiver to run down his back. Want and need were two very different things to him, the former he could control but the latter that could be his ultimate undoing with Allison Cameron if he wasn't careful. But as her warm lips eagerly met him kiss for kiss he couldn't help but forget about all his defenses and the walls he had so strategically built around his heart.

Perhaps he was getting soft at his old age, although some may argue that he was crabbier than ever, but that was just his way of fighting everything that was going on inside of him – an utter revolution of truths and feelings clashing and dueling for possession of his heart. It wasn't always like this, but after everything he had been through in the past years there was no other way of being. He had to be careful, couldn't afford another heart break like Stacy. The front he put up kept him safe and grasping to the edge of his sanity at times.

Now he was contemplating all sort of radical ideas, like actually breaking down that wall and letting Cameron in. There could never be anyone else besides her, that he had learned the minute she had walked out of his life. He couldn't let just anyone in, it had to be someone that understood, respected and even complemented him and she did all these very well which is why he pushed her way, kept her at arms length.

But he could change all that, all it took was letting her in.

House's hands made a slow path from her shoulders, down her arms, lingering at her waist as he squeezed her slightly and finally slithering down to her thighs. Cameron's legs were practically wrapped around his waist as they both sat on the small couch, their bodies squeezed so tightly together that not even a ray of light could be seen in between.

A soft moan made its way from deep down her throat and into his mouth as he grew bolder and thrust his hips slightly towards her center, letting her know that he was more than willing to take this to the next level. They seemed to be hovering at a very crucial crossroad; one push in either direction and everything that was happening between them could either intensified or completely crash and burn.

Detangling himself from her lithe young body he looked down at her heavy eyes. Her lips looked like they had been absolutely ravished, her hair tussled and her chest heaving up and down. House let out a shaky sigh as he brought his hand to cup her palm.

"Think very carefully Allison" he used her given name in order to stress the important leap they were about to take, "this isn't something we can just brush off in the morning, I refuse to."

Cameron licked her lips as she felt a whoosh of air leave her lungs, was he proposing what she taught he was?

"Then what is it?" she asked him carefully, her gaze pleading with him to lay it all out in the open. This time around they couldn't afford another misunderstanding. .

His lips curved into a small smile as he felt the last wall crumbling before him. His veins radiated special warmth within him, he felt absolutely empowered and fool of so much hope and possibility…the world seeming a little less gray than it had before.

"What do you want House? Because I want it all with you…everything" her mouth lingered on that last word, her voice deep but assured.

Watching him slowly his smiled broaden as he tipped his head forward and captured her mouth in another crushing kiss that left her breathless, her head swimming and at the same time the need to know his answer proving to almost be unbearable.

"Yeah, that."

One simple answer and it was all that was needed to be said, throwing her arms around his neck she was now on his lap, hugging him to her. Tears seemed to be welling up in the corner of her eyes and finally spilling forth as she let her emotions take rein.

"Don't cry" he murmured in an almost whisper into her shoulder as he kissed the expose flesh, his hands rubbing smoothing circles on her back and then traveling up to her hair and setting it free of its confines.

Looking into his eyes she gave him a dazzling smile and kissed him on the lips; absolutely drunk with giddiness at the thought that from now on she could do just that, kiss him whenever she pleased. Free to love him as she longed to the moment she took her first glance into his heart and fell in love with the man that hid underneath the layers of indifference and anger.

ﺾ

"When I get my hands on him!" Wilson thought as he pictured all the ways he would kill House for bailing on him during the gala.

Nearing his room he held the key card in his hand and debated whether or not to wait till morning to give House a piece of his mind or should he just barge in and let all hell loose on him.

Taking a step towards his door he was about to slide the key card in and then pulled it out completely, heading to the other door across the hall. Fishing his pocket he found the spare that had been given to him in case of an emergency and opened the door to House's room with a dramatic air.

Stomping into the small lounge he breezed right on through and completely missed the sleeping couple on the couch. Stopping at the doorway Wilson scratched his head as he found the bed completely empty.

"Priceless, absolutely priceless…" cut short by a sound behind him he whirled around to find House watching him amused. Bringing a finger to his lips he made a hushing sound and looked down at Cameron who was curled up besides him, her head resting on his chest.

Cocking his head to the side his forehead wrinkled in confusion, where in the world had Allison Cameron come from? Nearing the couple he sat down on the coffee table and watched her sleep for a few seconds.

"So…" he began and waited for House to fill in the blanks.

Smiling over at his best friend in the entire world House shrugged lightly and then rolled his eyes.

"Not much, boy meets girl, boy is a complete jerk to girl and pushes her away, boy finds girl once more and before he lose her from his life, asks girl to stay with him…forever" he adds soberly. This wasn't something lightly, this was much more, a commitment and promised of many more wonderful things to come.

Wilson's eyes widened and then soften as he allowed everything to sink in. Getting up he made his way to the door and hovered at the open doorway, turning once back more he took one last glance at the both of them peaceful and content in their cocoon of warmth and love.

Closing the door behind him he then found himself in his room, lying down on the bed he could see the first rays of sunshine pouring through the window, the sun slightly rising.

A new day was head of them, he could possibly feel it in the air…everything had just shifted and life as they knew it would never be the same. Looking down at the golden band on his left hand he stared at the ring for a few seconds before reaching over and grabbing his mobile phone.

Bringing it up to his ear he waited a few times and closed his eyes when a groggy soft voice answered. Letting out a deep breath he had been holding he only spoke three words that he hoped would be the beginning of mending whatever had gone wrong between him and Maria.

"I love you" and then he swore he could feel her smiling against the phone. Things would be all right.

FIN