Chapter 4

When Cameron arrived at their shared room, it was nearing twilight. House waited, impatiently tapping his cane on the floor while she changed out of her 'work appropriate' attire into clothes House had chosen for her. Cameron stuck her head out from the bathroom in confusion.

"Greg, why am I putting this on?"

"You talk too much," House grumbled, pulling a T-rex Pez dispenser from his pocket and popping something white in his mouth.

"Please tell me you did not just pop a vicodin from your Pez dispenser," Cameron said.

"I did not just pop a vicodin from my Pez dispenser," House repeated dutifully. Cameron emerged from the bathroom, dressed in what could only be described as hiking clothes, and tied her hair back in a loose ponytail.

"Finally," House muttered. He tossed a back pack at her and limped out of the room at a brisk pace, leaving Cameron no choice but to follow.

&&&&&&&

Thirty minutes later a driver dropped House and Cameron at small clearing among the towering trees. House seemed completely at ease, but Cameron couldn't help but feel nervous. The driver had assured them this part of the island was home to only the most docile of creatures, but given the island's reputation his reassurance was less than comforting.

"What are we doing out here?" Cameron whispered urgently as House started walking toward the back of the clearing, Cameron close on his heels.

"Why are you whispering?" House whispered back. Cameron glared at him. "I told you, me Tarzan, you Jane."

"No way," Cameron said. "I am not having sex with you in the middle of the jungle while prehistoric predators roam the land."

House stopped in his tracks. "Drama queen." Cameron just glared some more. "Look, I talked to the game warden and the paleontologist and Hammond. The T-Rex has never been to this part of the island. It's no more dangerous here than it is at Disneyland."

"Disneyland?" Cameron asked uncertainly.

"Sure, think of this like The Pirates of the Caribbean," House said as he resumed walking. "What's the worst that could happen? The ride breaks down and you have to stare at the pirates for a while."

"Greg, if The Pirates of the Caribbean ride breaks down the pirates don't eat you," Cameron reasoned. "I want to go back."

"Well, the driver isn't coming back for a couple of hours," House said. They'd reached the end of the clearing and House started examining the tree trunks. "There's an observation tower way up in one of these trees. We'll be perfectly safe, and if we're lucky we'll get to see some dinosaurs."

"And not get eaten," Cameron mumbled. Her eyes darted around nervously until a metallic whoosh earned her attention. She looked back at House to find him standing inside an elevator in the trunk of the largest tree. "Cool."

&&&&&&&&

On the other side of the trees at the edge of the small clearing they had walked through was a large valley. The lush, verdant grass blew gently in the night breeze and the stars twinkled overhead. Night blooming flowers scented the air pleasantly. Cameron didn't notice any of those things.

"Oh…god," Cameron breathed. She and House stood at the railing of the observation deck in the trees. The view of the landscape was incredible in its own right, but that wasn't what awed Cameron.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not god," House breathed in her ear as he leaned against the rail.

Dinosaurs. There were dinosaurs in the valley. A brachiosaur was crunching the leaves off the top of a tree nearly as tall as the one they stood in. A family … a family …of stegosaurs were drinking in a watering hole on the west edge of the valley.

"Greg, they're … I … wow," Cameron could barely speak. House smiled. His curiosity was what had drawn him here and there was no denying the creatures before him were magnificent. But nothing was more amazing than watching the slender creature in his arms as she gazed delightedly upon them.

House and Cameron stood and watched the dinosaurs for nearly an hour before she noticed him shifting his weight behind her. His leg must be getting tired, she thought. Cameron turned in his arms and looked up into his blue, blue eyes.

"Thank you," she said simply. He nodded. He might admit his feelings in his own mind, but voicing them was still difficult for him. "When did you say the driver would be back to pick us up?"

"Not for another hour or so," House said. He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You Tarzan, me Jane," Cameron purred.