Title: Snakes and Ladders
Chapter: 1. Make Me Over
Summary: Set about a year after Take Your Kid To Work Day, House struggles to propose, Cameron is keeping a secret and Angela is in the middle, ignoring her own problems.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own 'House' or any of its characters.
"What about this one?" Gregory House asked his niece, who would be filling in for the fab five this evening, holding up a shirt next to himself.
"Why is it that color? And more importantly, why do you own a shirt that color?"
"You know, a simple 'no' would suffice. And it seemed like a good idea at the time, I guess." He said taking another glance at the shirt cringing; he tossed it on a pile at the foot of his bed, to the left of where Angela was sitting.
"Here this one…this one is nice, right?"
"Yeah actually, it is good, but I don't think nice is what we're going for here and it looks kind of old." Angie was stumped, the man was usually dressed fine, but now at a time when it actually matted how he looked he was pulling out shirts that belonged to figure skaters stuck in the '80s and bouncers working at a gay bar. He was utterly hopeless.
"Fine then miss shirt expert, exactly what are we going for here?" He said throwing his hands up in the air, exasperated.
"Your proposing marriage, Greg, you need to look serious, sophisticated, pleasant." She explained, followed by a long, hard cough. Angie dared to look in the closet herself, eventually finding something she approved of and pulled it out.
"Look! See, nice, right on the money, just what you need!" She exclaimed with pride, showing her uncle a dark navy, pin striped dress shirt.
"Ok, other than your germs being all over it, it's great. Now, about the pants, I was thin-"
"I want absolutely nothing to do with your pants." Angie stated, an edge of horror in her voice, she widened and lowered her eyes.
"Hey, I'm not asking for you to hop in them, I'm asking for your opinion, like you said I need to look pleasant." Angela rolled her eyes and nodded, he was far better off with her opinion, sure Wilson could lend some help with ties, but he was really lacking style himself. His white shirt, white lab coat, and pocket protector outfit was a far cry from sexy. Angela herself was looking rather cute in a long black peasant skirt and a red colored tank top and had her hair in a high ponytail; House had commented upon her arrival that she resembled a dazed hippie. "So those jeans or these jeans?" He questioned pointing to the pairs of pants strewn across the floor.
"No! No Jeans! Dress shirt, Dress Pants! I can't believe your not getting this, are you really that nervous about this?"
"Yes! You don't understand, what if she says no? What if she wants to breakup after? What if she's upset? Maybe she'll think it's too soon, oh god, it's too soon, isn't it?"
Angela just bobbed her head trying to keep up with her uncle's ranting and pacing. She rolled her eyes and moved back to the closet in search of a decent pair of pants, after calming herself after another bad cough.
"Oh bother! If it's this hard to get you properly dressed to propose, imagine the fun we'll have trying to find a good tux for the wedding!"
"Wedding? WEDDING? Haven't you been paying any attention to me? There may not be a wedding, she may say no, she may-"
"Ok I know, I heard what you said, calm down." She said soothingly gesturing for Greg to sit on the edge of the bed, "It's going to be fine, you love her, she loves you. As you may know, this is not brain surgery, you ask her, she gushes, maybe even cries, says yes and you give her the ring. Just like clockwork, and your engaged!"
"Fine, but I'm still nervous. She's scarier than she looks, you know!"
"Scarier than Stacey?" Angie asked sarcastically, hardly able to stop the great grin crossing her face.
"Umm…never mind. Well, neither is actually scary, they're just intimidating sometimes."
Angela burst out laughing; Gregory House was calling another human being intimidating! And two female human beings too, this was too good! She could just see it now; little Greg would cower in the corner shaking at the sight of the giant scary Allison.
"Oh get over it! She'll say 'yes', you'll be happy, she'll be happy; you'll be two married happy nerds. And then many years later, a few kids later, maybe a few restraining orders later you'll dread it and cry yourself to sleep regretting this conversation." Angie said taunting House trying to psych him out, get him to squirm.
"That's a pretty picture you've painted for me, but I'm not like Wilson. I'm a one woman kind of guy, not that I'd ever admit that to anyone, and this is the one, this is the one I want to marry." He said gazing off into space.
"My goodness how very poetic, you should put that on your Christmas card!" Angie gasped, followed by a giggle, while staring into the closet's abyss searching for pants.
"Funny! But I'd quit making jokes if I were you, one day you'll get married too and I'll be sure to be the one spilling beer around and yelling obscenities to your groom's mother."
"You know you'd never do that, it's such a waste of beer." She scolded him, shaking her head lightly. "A-HA!" She screamed in delight, "Black dress pants, perfect pants for you to wear!"
"Oooohhh…pretty pants, pretty shirt, pretty Greg!" He said in mock awe of the clothes lying before him on his bed, receiving a playful slap to his shoulder. Angela began coughing again, harder this time, eyes filling with tears.
"Ok… as a doctor, in my professional opinion, I do believe you are sick Angela."
"I know", she wheezed, throat still very dry, "I'll take some cough medicine when I get home." She explained, hoping he wouldn't worry and would drop the subject completely. She wiped the water from her eyes and continued, "but, hey, you're proposing, so get dressed and I shall be back to judge you!"
"Yeah alright, I'll call you in when I'm done getting pretty." House said poking at the shirt, like it may attack. Angela quickly made her exit and stepped into the living room just in time to hear the doorbell ring.
"I've got it!" She screeched to her uncle, far louder than necessary.
A/N: That's chapter one folks! Thanks for stopping by and please review!