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An Agreement Between Friends:

Apprehension

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A/N: For the purposes of this story, Cameron and Chase broke up before getting married (sometime during season five), and this would take place six months to a year afterwards. It does not follow canon events after the point mentioned above, and you can safely assume that Chase left the hospital soon after the breakup. Thanks for checking out the story, and enjoy!

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Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters, dialogue or storylines appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: "What I'm offering you here is free sex. No strings attached. Are you telling me you're going to turn that down?" House/Cameron

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Cameron looked down nervously to the object on the bathroom counter. Negative.

She tried to hold out hope—she waited for her doctor's appointment, but there, too, the result was the same. They told her what they had told her before; her husband's sperm was, more than likely, not viable after so many years had passed.

They said a second attempt (as if she had the money for it!) would likely bring the same result.

She returned home deflated. So many things had been ripped from her during her life. She didn't really have another chance… there was no man in her life, she couldn't afford another round of in vitro, and it was incredibly difficult to adopt as a single woman.

She knew now that this had only been a pipe dream, something she could never have. Sometimes she hated that it was in her nature to hope. It was so much easier to be cynical. So much easier to move on. Hoping—caring—about things… it hurt too much.

Cameron went to bed, and slept without dreams.

…

Cuddy accosted Cameron on her way in. "Dr. Cameron," she called from her office door, getting the young woman's attention.

Cameron's heart dropped into her stomach. Cuddy never called her to her office for anything good, and today of all days she just didn't want to deal with it. "What is it, Dr. Cuddy?" She hoped that her tone sounded professional rather than annoyed.

"Would you mind spending your shift today updating the files in Dr. House's department? He's horribly behind, and emergency has been slow today." She looked at Cuddy with surprise. Cuddy usually tried to keep Cameron and House separate. Cuddy, reading her expression, sighed. "He's got new fellows, and two of them are already threatening to quit. I was hoping you'd be something of a calming influence."

Cameron shrugged. "I'll head up there now." Frankly, it was the last place she wanted to be. Her nerves were a little raw at the moment, and surely House would pick up on that. She could never hide from him.

…

The day didn't go well for Cameron. House was his usual self, acerbic, purposefully annoying, and frustrating beyond belief. He also turned her on desperately, which was a problem she'd always had with the man. On a day when she just wanted to avoid him, it wasn't helping.

She knew she couldn't possibly be thinking straight when the idea entered her mind. She wasn't sure if it was stupid or brilliant, but the more she thought about it, the more determined she was to find out if it would work. The longer she stayed in his office working, the more she became obsessed with the idea. She was going to find out, one way or the other. She had to know what he would say.

Cameron was still doing paperwork when the sun went down. When House entered his office he found her sitting on the floor in a pool of lamplight. "Just wanted to see me again or do you like paperwork that much?"

She looked up at him with a sigh. "There's more than six months worth of charting here, you know."

"Wrong answer," he said, wiggling his eyebrows as he went to sit in his desk chair.

Cameron rolled her eyes as she stood, but couldn't help but think that was a good sign. "I have a proposition for you."

"Unless it's sex, I'm not interested," he said, putting his feet up on the desk.

She looked at him appraisingly. "What if it is?"

He glanced up at that, looking at her but not saying a word.

Cameron leaned over the desk. "No strings attached."

House barked a laugh. "No strings attached? Doubt it." He was already pulling out his gameboy, ready to shut her out.

"There's only one thing I want," she said, beginning to falter. She hadn't been truly nervous until this moment.

"What is it? Spit it out."

She took a deep breath. "I want a baby."

The response was immediate. "You're an idiot."

"Please hear me out, House," Cameron said desperately. "If I had the extra money I would try IVF again, but I don't. I don't want anything from you but some unprotected sex! Is that so hard to turn down?"

She continued before he could respond. "All it has to be is an agreement between the two of us—you get laid, I get sperm."

"Keep talking about sperm. It turns me on," House snarked.

Cameron sighed in frustration. "I mean it when I say that's all I want from you. I'm not expecting you to play any kind of role in the kid's life. That's a responsibility I plan to take on entirely by myself."

She paced. "It's mutually beneficial," she argued. "We both get what we want. You get the promise of continual sex with an attractive younger woman, and I get what I want. A baby." She stopped to stare at him. "I don't see any downside."

He was silent, and she took it for rejection. "House!" she said, exasperated. "What I'm offering you here is free sex. No strings attached," she said incredulously. "Are you telling me you're going to turn that down?"

House continued playing his game for what seemed like forever. "I want that in writing." He didn't even look up.

"What?" Cameron asked, in confusion and surprise.

"If we're going to do this, I want it in writing that you've absolved me of all parental responsibilities. I don't want to end up in court with you demanding child support or equal diaper change duty."

Cameron looked at him in surprise. "So… you'll do it then?" she asked in disbelief.

He swung his legs off the desk, picking up his backpack and cane with barely a look in her direction.

"Sure," he replied, heading towards the door. "Like you said, there's no downside."

…