DISCLAIMER: I don't own any House-related characters.

CHAPTER 10

A week before Thanksgiving, they found the perfect apartment, close to the hospital, with private roof access. They made an offer the day before they left for Vermont. The place was two bedrooms, and let in a lot of light, which had been Cameron's only requirement. They were planning to use the roof space to create an entertainment area, provided they got it.

Despite telling herself and House that they should think realistically and not get their hopes up, Cameron couldn't help but think of everyone she wanted to do with the apartment, to make it feel more homely as they drove up to Vermont.

"Are you nervous?" House asked her as they drove.

Cameron squirmed in her seat. "Maybe a little."

"Well don't be," he admonished her. "They've already met you remember? They'll love you even more. And my mom was really annoyed that I stuffed up yet another relationship."

Cameron smiled sightly. "My mom would have kicked your ass as soon as I turned up in Chicago."

"I was surprised your brothers and Ted didn't," House admitted.

"I had to do some interfering," she said sheepishly.

"And Zach?" House asked carefully.

She rolled her eyes. "Zach was Zach. He was going to go get you and drag you over. I told him you'd come when you were ready."

"So, did you just spend six weeks waiting for me to turn up?" House asked.

She laughed. "No. I spent six weeks moping, and wishing my mom was here."

When they pulled into the driveway of a widespread house in a tree-lined street, Cameron's eyes widened.

"Wow. This is beautiful."



"They bought this house when I was... sixteen, I think. My mom was tired of living on army bases, she wanted a home."

"Did you mind? Living on army bases, I mean?"

"I dunno. It was hard to make friends, because everyone moved a lot, but I read a lot. There wasn't much to do, but school work."

They got out of the car, House reluctantly, and Cameron nervously, and walked up to the front door.

"Hello?" House called as they entered, dumping their bags in the foyer, and grabbing Cameron's hand to pull her forward.

"Greg?" Blythe House suddenly appeared from a room Cameron guessed to be the kitchen, and her face lit up to see her son.

"Hi, Mom." House awkwardly hugged his mother, and Cameron hid a smile.

"Mom, this is Allison. Allie, you remember my Mom?"

"Yeah, hi," she said nervously, and Blythe embraced her warmly.

"It's so nice to officially meet you, Allison. I am so happy you and Greg patched things up. Come in, both of you. Your father's in the living room, Greg. Why don't you go sit down? I'm just serving dinner."

"Can I give you a hand?" asked Cameron.

"No, thank you dearie. You are sweet for offering."

"Suck-up," House whispered as he led her into the living room.

"Shut up," she replied, giggling.

"Hi, Dad," he greeted his father, who got up from his chair to greet the couple.

"Hello, Greg. How's the leg?"

"Fine. No pain, no gain. Dad, you remember Allison Cameron?"

John shook her hand and nodded. "Yes, it's nice to see you again."

They sat chatting and then House excused himself to the bathroom.



"You did the right thing," John told her quietly, once he was gone.

Cameron frowned. "Sorry?"

"By leaving. It was the right thing."

She flushed and John smiled. "Greg told us everything that happened when we rang him in Germany after the surgery. He loves you very much, you know. He's just... not one to express them."

Cameron smiled. "I know. I love him too, so much."

"I can tell. But losing you has made him appreciate you that much more, and it will make you stronger for it."

"I hope so," she said quietly.

As they heard House making his way back, John quickly changed topics. As they sat around that afternoon, having coffee, Cameron suddenly excused herself to answer her phone. After a minute, House followed her out to the porch where she was talking excitedly to whoever had rung.

"What's happening?" he asked her when she hung up.

Cameron beamed excitedly and bounced up and down. "That was the realtor. We got the apartment!"

House's jaw dropped and he picked her off her feet and squeezed her tightly. "That's great! So, what happens now?"

"We go see him when we get home, and sign the papers."

"Okay, I can get the boys to help us move in."

"Yeah, because they don't have a life," Cameron laughed, and he kissed her.

"I don't pay them enough to have a life."

"What's going on?" asked Blythe in bewilderment as they returned both grinning.

House exchanged a look with Cameron before answering his mother. "We just found out an offer we made on an apartment has been accepted."



"Congratulations!" John said sincerely.

"When will you move in?" his mother asked.

"Uh, before Christmas," Cameron answered. "Whenever we get a chance around work."

"I'm gonna get Wilson to help," House added.

They moved in with the reluctant help of Wilson, Foreman and Chase two weeks after Thanksgiving. They spent ten days in Chicago with Cameron's family for Christmas and Cameron was thrilled with all her gifts. House had given her a guitar, the same kind that her mother had taught her to play when she was twelve years old, just four years before she had died in a car crash.

"You should play something, Allie," Ted told his daughter when they all sat around in the family room relaxing.

Cameron laughed. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" House asked her.

Her siblings joined in the badgering, and eventually, Cameron gave in.

"What would I play?"

"That song Mom wrote before she died," Alex said quietly.

Cameron strummed the strings thoughtfully than began to sing.

"Some days the world just gets to be too much,

and the sky seems about to fall.

my head is spinning around in circles,

that's part of life, after all.

It's days like these I get in my car,



start the engine, drive away.

Like I can disappear, leave it all behind,

forget it 'till another day.

Where I go, oh I don't know,

I don't really seem to care.

I find a tree, a bird, a star,

and to the world my soul I bare.

Way up near the mountaintops,

where you can almost reach the stars.

That's where you find the time to breathe,

in a crazy world like ours.

It's days like these I get in my car,

start the engine, drive away.

Like I can disappear, leave it all behind,

forget it 'till another day.

Where I go, oh I don't know,

I don't really seem to care.

I find a tree, a bird, a star,

and to the world my soul I bare.

It's days like these I get in my car,

start the engine, drive away.

Like I can disappear, leave it all behind,

forget it 'till another day.

Where I go, oh I don't know,

I don't really seem to care.

I find a tree, a bird, a star,

and to the world my soul I bare."

"I like that one," Sarah smiled when she had finished.

"Mom would always go up to the mountains when she was stressed," Bryan nodded, remembering fondly.

"Or when we were driving her nuts," Cameron laughed.

AN. And ANOTHER weird ending. I'm sorry! Lyrics by me...