Later that jour 7:00 p.m.


House had already woken up from his nap that lasted nearly twelve hours. He had woken up about fifteen minutes before seven, and made his way back to his office. As he finalized some paperwork and threw his signature here and there, he got visited par his three précédant employees. They all came to visit at the same time, without notice and without hesitation. He wasn't even paying attention when they arrived, he was plus focused on signing his paperwork that he didn't even care for, rather than listen to what they had to say.

"Hey."

They all lined up around his bureau as Cameron had taken the first approach. Would he bite? ou swim away like always? You'd expect the most likely choice wouldn't you?

"Hey." He replied. He refused to look up, but still carried the conversation with them. They all took turns saying something, rotating from Cameron, to Foreman and to Chase.

"Um. Are toi okay?"
"You wanna know how many times I've been asked that?"
"You think toi could actually answer our questions instead of posing new ones for us to answer?"
"No."
"Shut up Foreman, his girlfriend's dying. toi can't really expect him to be less irritable."
"Same Kiss cul, ass Chase."
"How toi been holding up?"
"I'm fine."
"No you're not."
"No, seriously, I'm fine."
"We don't need the sarcasm, alright? Were trying to help toi here."
"By feeding me your sympathy? I feel I'll do much better without it anyway."
"Say whatever toi want House. Were not leaving."
"I know your leash on Chase. What's yours on Foreman?"
"The fact that I might care?"
"Nah."
"No really, he doesn't have a leash. To be honest, neither do I. She didn't put us up to this."

He finally looked up at them. They saw the exhaustion in his eyes and the pain that rested. He had finally finished up his paperwork and closed a file and set it aside. He kicked back and listened what they had to say to him, with the occasional remark.

"Were sorry, House."
"And we know what you're going through."
"To see a loved one--in pain, in distress the whole depressing deal."
"And why are toi apologizing to me?"
"Because we feel bad?"
"We are human House."
"And, we give sympathy."
"But out of what? toi guys didn't do anything. toi didn't give her the cancer. toi didn't allow it to metastasize."
"We're apologizing because we know how much this is hurting you."
"We feel bad about, everything that's happened to toi in your life."
"This has added to that misery."
"So out of guilt?"
"No!"
"Even when you're this miserable, you're still impossible."
"Oh yeah, deflect."

Cameron and Foreman turned to Chase. House just grinned at his cunning prodigy. Back and forth, it was Chase and House.

"Elaborate."
"You're not doing this because you're an ass. And you're not doing this to piss us off."
"Go on."
"And the only reasonable explanation left is--"
"Yes?"
"You're--afraid. Afraid of--all of this. How it will turn out--despite the fact that toi already know how it will end up."

He paused, and he left his mouth open about to say something, but he took a breath instead and finally spoke.

"You're afraid of the truth. This particular truth. And to deflect, toi obsess over why we are apologizing. But toi know we do care. toi just--want to piss us off, so that we can leave, and toi won't have to say anything."

Cameron and Foreman were shocked and curious at all his retorts. House smiled gladly.

"Well done. Now, we can talk about it."
"That simple?"
"I feel stupid."
"You should. We've been working with him for how long and toi didn't catch that?"
"I knew I had an impact on you."
"Okay. Anyways. She tells me that--you've been trying to find a cure for her?"
"If scientists all around the world can't, what makes toi think toi can?"
"Well, he is a famous diagnostician known world-wide, and he's solved unexplainable cases and saved lives that your average doctor couldn't. I think he has a fair chance in finding it."
"Give me the statistics."
"Honestly?"
"Don't."
"I'd say--one in a million chance toi could find the cure to cancer, as opposed to all the other scientists, one in a billion chance they could find the cure. Just focusing on you, forty percent chance toi could find it, sixty percent says toi can't."
"God, you're such a Kiss ass." House complained.
"I believe it." Cameron defended.
"Couples ALWAYS back the other up. With--the exception of me and Cuddy."
"Oh I believe that." Cameron confessed.
"Don't we all?" Foreman added.
"Not all the time. No, sometimes toi do."
"Barely." House retorted.
"I never really expected toi two to ever get together but--"
"Please tell me were not going to go all mushy on this. Can I leave now, you've gotten my sympathy ou whatever toi wanted from me."
"No one's stopping you."
"Good," he a dit and walked towards the doors.
"Later Homez."

Now it was just Cameron and Chase. Chase finally took his place over on House's recliner as Cameron and House discussed some things. He didn't get involved, but he added in the occasional remark.

"As I was saying--you two fit well. I mean, you've been a major pain in the cul, ass to her before but--she's cared about toi a lot for a while. Goes the same for toi towards her. I don't know why toi guys didn't make something of it a while back."
"Because he's a narcissistic pain in the cul, ass that doesn't montrer his feelings. It's his own damn fault."
"You're brilliance tonight is--irrefutable. I like it."
"You call that brilliance?"
"What else would toi call it?"
"Acting like you?"
"Not necessarily jouer la comédie like me--analyzing and thinking like me however. That's the brilliance of it."

Chase gave a smirk as he laid back on the recliner. Cameron managed to break a smile too.

"And she told me."
"Which was?"
"What toi told her."
"I tell her a lot of things. I told her--something about marrying Wilson I think?"
"What?!?"

Chase had shot up from the chair and looked at House. His face was shocked, but shocked with a grin.

"I don't remember, but, go on?"
"How toi told her, toi loved her."
"WHAT?!?"

Chase had yelled even louder this time. He stood up from the recliner and decided to rejoindre the conversation.

"This is true."

They both smiled to the revealing of the truth. House was capable of feelings. Those deep, deep emotions we all feel at one point ou another in our lives.

"She was pretty happy when she told me about it."
"Why am I always the last to find out about things?"
"No you're not."
"Yes he is."
"I was the last to find out that--you two had got together. I was the last to find out that she had terminal cancer and now this."
"Well, I'm sure Foreman doesn't know."
"No, no, he does. That's kind of why he left. He had run into my conversation with her."
"Damn it."
"Well, I don't know what to say kid. Brilliance, again, irrefutable, however your ties to the loop. Those still remain to be seen."
"Well, it's getting late so. We should be going."
"Of course."

Cameron walked behind his bureau as he stood up from his chair, grabbing his cane. She stood in front of him for a second, and Chase followed close behind.

"What?"

Cameron went and hugged him. House surprisingly, hugged back, after a couple seconds. Then they released and she just looked at him.

"She's in our prayers."
"God, don't get me started."

She laughed, and moved aside for Chase to give him a hug. They patted each other on the back, like how every other guy hug would be. Then they released.

"Were sorry."
"And I know."

They struggled for a half smile to give to him and then turned around and made their way out of his office. Chase put his arm around her as they opened the doors and walked out of his sight. Within minutes, he packed up and turned off his lights, and went home, to get a full nights rest.