The Ultimate Sacrifice

DISCLAIMER: HOUSE MD and its characters are not mine. Because if they were, Cameron would not have left.

AN. OK, some of you may have seen this coming. But enjoy it anyway. Make sure you read my AN at the end of the chapter. BTW, to reassure some worried reviewers out there- no one is being killed off. I couldn't do that.

Also, i know i keep stressing the sadness that is coming- but please persevere and there will be a happy ending, i promise.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Everyone attending the Valentine's Day Karaoke Benefit night on February 14th was eternally glad the dress code had been announced as 'semi-formal'. That had been an idea on Cameron's part, pointing out to Cuddy she had more hope of House actually attending of his own free will if he would be free to wear jeans; but turned out to be a great idea especially as the night was still slightly brisk.

The benefit was taking place in the function room of a nearby hotel, with a fully stocked open bar, and numerous table around the room, all enough to seat six people and all facing the small stage. House was in his usual attire of jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket, and as he arrived (late, of course) he made his way with Wilson to the bar, and once they had their drinks, the two found Chase and Foreman at a table in the centre of the room.

"These seats taken?" Wilson asked them.

Chase looked up with a grin. "Actually, they are. But by you two. Cameron and Cuddy told us to make sure you knew. They're sitting here too."

"Where are they?" House asked Foreman, sitting down in the closest seat and looking around for his girlfriend. Cameron had been helping Cuddy set up most of the day, so House had barely seen her.

Foreman gestured vaguely behind House. "I don't know. They're all over the place, making sure everything's perfect."

"I don't think they need to stress. It's karaoke for God's sake," House snorted. "As long as there's alcohol and music, the entertainment takes care of itself."

Chase reached forward and picked up a folder from the centre of the table. Looking around, House saw there was one on every table.

"These are all the songs the band has music for," he explained, handing it to Wilson.

"I heard that Peterson from paediatrics' wants to go first," Foreman grinned. "He even wants to play the guitar himself."

House moaned. "Geez, that idiot? If you want to play a musical instrument, don't go first! Otherwise no one else will want to have a go and the night's ruined! Well, until Wilson gets drunk enough anyway," he grinned at his friend, who shook his head firmly.

"Sorry to disappoint House, but I'm not planning on getting drunk this year," Wilson said, but House scoffed.

"That's what you said at your cousin's bachelor party," he snickered. "I still say you dancing to La Vie Boheme on the bar was your best performance yet."

"Oh God, please don't dance on the bar tonight!" a new voice begged and House turned to his girlfriend eagerly.

She wore new skinny leg jeans with high heeled boots and a simple top in a deep red which clung to her curves and ended at her hips. Her long dark hair was in curls and pulled back from her face and the only jewellery she wore was the charm bracelet House had given her for her birthday and the ring she always wore on her right hand, which House had found out long ago was her wedding ring.

"I didn't want to just keep it in a drawer, but I couldn't keep wearing it and move on," she'd explained when House had inquired and he never commented on it. He knew it was just her way of keeping her husband's memory alive in her.

"Tell you what; either Wilson gets to dance on the bar, or you can get up on stage tonight?" House suggested and Cameron pretended to think about it.

"Ok, he can dance on the bar," she grinned and she leaned down and kissed House deeply until Chase and Foreman protested.

"You look nice. I like you in red," he said to her as she sat down next to him and she smiled.

"I know. But that's not why I picked it."

"Then why?"

She shrugged. "It's Valentine's Day."

House made a face in return.

Chase and Cameron then began a conversation about the songs available for the night, and which staff members were most likely to sing which songs. This ended when Cuddy got up on stage, introduced the band and the emcee, Katie, and thanked everyone for coming tonight.

"Now," she said finally, after observing Wilson and Cameron simultaneously elbow House in the ribs after he let out a loud and obvious yawn.

"I'm sorry House, are we boring you or were you volunteering to come up first?"

House wasn't opposed to karaoke, he just much preferred to observe and mock rather than perform, so he simply mimed zipping and locking his lips shut, before throwing away the key.

Cuddy smirked knowingly as she looked out through the room. "So, do we have anyone brave enough to come up first and get this night started?"

There were the usual murmurs throughout the crowd; people really not wanting to be first; people secretly wanting to go up but who didn't want to seem too eager; and people who tried to volunteer the person next to them. Finally, when Cuddy started to threaten to pick someone at random; it was the nurse, Jennifer, who sighed and stood up, drowning her drink in one gulp and making her way up to the stage.

"All right, let's get this over with," she sighed into the microphone and turned to the band.

She launched into a performance of Michelle Branch's 'Goodbye to You' which broke the ice, and soon they were off and running.

There were some great performances, some really bad performances, and some performances that were so awkward you just had to laugh. House's prediction came true, when Wilson downed enough alcohol to get up and sing Luck be a Lady; and Chase wasn't far behind with a rendition of Men at Work's Down Under. Foreman convinced a nurse, Ruby to sing a duet of 'Don't go breaking my heart' with him and they even received a standing ovation for their performance. Cuddy sang the Bangles 'Manic Monday' , and Peterson from paediatrics did in fact play the guitar for his performance of 'Lean on Me.' House's favourite performance was when a very drunk Head of Immunology, Dr. Rhiannon Swann, got up on stage and tried to sing (and dance) her way through Britney Spears' 'Circus' which resulted in her falling off the stage in her attempt to do a high kick.

They were nearing the end of the night when Cameron came to a decision. All night she had been sitting beside House, sometimes murmuring the words to the songs under her breath, sometimes laughing hysterically, or commentating on the performance or song choice with their table as though they were the judges of American Idol. Cameron had already poured over the list of songs available many times throughout the day and she knew exactly what song, if she could, she would sing.

Honestly, the idea of sharing this part of her with House had been with her for some time. But every time she thought she was brave enough to broach the subject, she chickened out. She loved House, she knew she did, and she wanted to be able to give him everything she had, show him truly how much she loved him. It was just the matter of getting the courage to do so.

She had said as much to Cuddy earlier that day when they were setting up, and Cuddy's advice had been simple.

"Maybe it's one of those things that you shouldn't think about?" she'd suggested. "I mean, you said that you're fine once you get up there, it's just before that you get nervous. So, if you don't plan on getting up on stage, you just do it, you won't get nervous."

Cameron had hesitated. "Maybe..."

Cuddy had smiled and her tone had turned gentle, yet matter-of-fact. "Ok, you singing for House. Big deal, obviously, because you don't sing for anyone. But why would it be a big deal?"

Cameron sighed thoughtfully. "Because I love him. I'm in that stage now... have been for awhile now, that I'm completely content with our relationship and myself. And the singing is the one part of me that he still doesn't know, because I'm hiding behind it. If I sing for him, it would really show him and me that he has everything of me."

When House and Wilson went to the bar, Cameron made an impulsive decision and leaned across the table to Cuddy.

"Lisa? I'm going to do it."

Cuddy understood immediately and she grinned, giving her the thumbs up. "Go for it, you'll be great."

Leaving a mystified Chase and Foreman behind, Cameron made her way up to the stage, smiling briefly to Jennifer and a few other staff as she passed them. She approached Katie, who smiled warmly at her.

"Hey, Dr. Cameron. Great night isn't it?"

Cameron smiled in return. "Yeah, it's going well. Only one person fell of the stage, so that's always good."

Katie laughed. "Usually. So... what can I do for you?"

Cameron took a deep breath, her stomach already doing somersaults. "I want to go up next if that's ok."

Katie grinned. "Awesome!"

"One thing though... is it okay if I play the piano too?"

Cameron had also made that decision, hoping that by playing the piano, focusing on the keys would distract her from the crowd.

"Where's Allison?" House asked, when he and Wilson resumed their seats and he saw Cameron's empty chair.

Cuddy shrugged. "She had to go do something. She won't be long."

House accepted that and took a mouthful of his drink. He promptly choked on that mouthful when Katie stepped up to the mic and announced,

"Ok, folks! We've got a special performance for you now. Next up, please welcome- Dr. Allison Cameron!"

Wilson, also stunned, thumped House helpfully on the back as they watched Cameron make her way on stage and over to the piano.

"She looks like she's going to pass out," Foreman observed, frowning critically at the stage as House recovered.

"I wonder what song she's going to sing?" Chase said curiously.

The room went quiet as Cameron sat herself down on the piano bench and carefully and self-consciously removed her long boots to place her bare feet on the pedals. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, took a deep breath and placed her hands on the keys.

Abruptly she broke the apprehensive silence in the room, beginning to belt out an upbeat melody, the drums and guitar joining in to create a light, and infectious tune. House's attention was completely focused on Cameron as she opened her mouth and began to sing.

"I was nurtured, I was sheltered,

And I was curious and young.

I was searching for that something,

Trying to find it on the run.

Oh, and just when I stopped looking

I saw just how far I've come,

In this life, in this life.

You give me love, you give me light.

Show me everything that's been happening,

You've opened up my eyes.

And following,

Three steps, fight an honest fight;

Two hearts that can start a fire,

One love is all I need, in this life, oh, oh.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, in this life, Woah, Woah, Woah.

I have faltered, I have stumbled,

And I have found my feet again.

I've been angry, I've been shaken,

Found a new place to begin.

And my persistence to make a difference,

Has led me safe into your hands,

In this life, in this life.

You give me love, you give me light.

Show me everything that's been happening,

You've opened up my eyes.

And following,

Three steps, fight an honest fight; oh, oh

Two hearts that can start a fire, yeah, yeah,

One love is all I need, in this life, Woah, Woah.

Oh, oh, oh, in this life, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I was put here for a reason, I was born into this world.

And I'm living, and I'm believing,

That I was meant to be your girl.

In this life, in this life.

You give me love, you give me light.

Show me everything that's been happening,

You've opened up my eyes.

And following,

Three steps, fight an honest fight;

Two hearts that can start a fire,

One love is all I need, in this life, oh, oh.

Three steps, fight an honest fight;

Two hearts that can start a fire,

One love is all I need, in this life, oh, oh.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, in this life, yeah, yeah, yeah.

In this life, Woah, Woah, Woah.

In this life, yeah, yeah, yeah."

There was a moment of silence as the last notes faded into silence, before the room erupted into loud applause. It was not just that the quiet immunologist could sing, or play piano. It was that it was completely obvious that she believed every word she was singing, and there was no mistaking the emotion and love in her voice, or to whom that emotion and love was directed at. Whether he deserved it or not was another story, in the opinion of many, but they were still taken aback at the power and raw emotion in Cameron's voice.

It was the table at which House and Wilson were seated that rose to their feet first, for the second standing ovation of the night, but for completely different reasons. Once the adrenaline wore off and the music faded, Cameron became fully aware of what was happening around her, and she blushed furiously as she rose from the piano. She was dying to leave the stage, and either throw up or do a celebratory dance that she had successfully performed in public (she hadn't decided which yet), but Katie appeared next to her and prevented her from leaving.

"Allison Cameron, ladies and gentlemen!"

Chase, Foreman, Wilson and House all responded in unison with ear-piercing whistles which made her blush even more, and she tried determinedly not to meet anyone's gaze. Finally, she managed to escape, barely remembering to grab her boots on the way; but she slipped off the stage and out to the ladies' room.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked in the mirror and saw that her eyes were wide and bright, her cheeks were pink from embarrassment, and she was trembling all over.

She whipped around to face the door as it swung open and Cuddy burst in, beaming ear to ear.

"You did it!" she squealed, embracing her tightly. "You did it, and it was amazing! How do you feel?"

In response, Cameron moaned quietly and held up her shaking hands for Cuddy to see, who smiled sympathetically.

The door opened again, but Cameron barely had time to register that it was House, followed by Wilson, Chase and Foreman who entered the bathroom, before House pulled her into his arms and kissed her harder than she could ever remember being kissed in her life, especially publicly. He whirled her off her feet before setting her down again, finally pulling away to breathe, a wide grin on his face.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen! Damn, you can sing!"

Cameron let out a weak laugh, as Wilson, Chase and Foreman congratulated her.

"I had no idea, everyone was completely blown away!" Wilson said sincerely and Cameron really thought she might die of embarrassment. "Thanks guys," she said finally. "I just really want to go home now."

Cuddy chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Get out of here," she said and Cameron smiled gratefully.

House had come with Wilson, as Cameron had arrived before him, but he left with Cameron now. As she was still shaking, he insisted on driving, but even as he drove back to her apartment, he kept watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" she demanded self-consciously when they were in bed.

House just shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering what made you change your mind."

Cameron smiled slightly and took a deep breath, trying to explain. "I don't know. I've been thinking about it for awhile... more so since my birthday, tonight just seemed like as good a time as any, considering there was a full band and everything."

"Why since your birthday?" House frowned.

Cameron rolled over on to her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows as she looked up at House. "Mostly because you celebrated my birthday. You got me a gift with an incredible amount of though and effort, and sentimental value. And I know how much you hate birthdays, so for you to do all that for me was a huge deal. I really felt like... like I saw another part of you that you spend so much time hiding behind so people don't get too close. This was me returning the favour."

House stared at her in amazement for a moment, then leaned over and kissed her. "I love you," he told her and she smiled.

"I love you too. That's why I picked the song I picked, it reminds me so much of us."

House ran a finger down her jaw line softly and raised an eyebrow. "I'm still going to have to fight tooth and nail to get you to sing more, aren't I?"

"Definitely," she assured him and he rolled his eyes.

AN. Ok, the song that Cameron sings is "In this Life" by Delta Goodrem. I've tried my best, but I don't think I can convey just how Delta sings it. I know a lot of people mention songs in their fics and want people to look them up (BTW, I do sometimes which is how I found RENT, WICKED and the movie BROKEN BRIDGES)

I am BEGGING you though, if you only ever look one song up on youtube make it this one, especially if you can get a live performance. It really does fit perfectly for Hameron, and the emotion Delta puts into it when she sings is amazing.