Chapter Eleven
They returned an hour later and Wilson went to wake up House while Cameron looked in the mirror. Her long hair was cut short and with it dyed dark Wilson told her she looked like a young Audrey Hepburn. It curled as soon as the weight was cut off and she twisted her head to see the back. She ran her hand down the nape of her neck and sighed. When everything was over, she could grow it out and go back to her natural blonde color.
"Wow," she heard someone say and whirled around to face House, who looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "Good job."
"Do you think it'll work?" she asked looking away from his intense stare. She could feel her cheeks heat up.
"I almost didn't recognize you so they definitely won't give you a second look. Get yourself a big sun hat and you'll be a dead ringer for Audrey Hepburn."
"That's exactly what I told her," Wilson said with a nod.
"So what are we doing today?" she asked House. He was still staring at her and it was a little unnerving. "House?"
"I need to call Cuddy and find out what's up with the accountant. But after that, I thought we'd go to the beach. It's too nice to stay inside. I saw that the hotel pool is overrun with a bunch of obnoxious families with screaming kids."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she inquired.
"Way more singles and hotties on the beach. It'll be harder to spot you in that crowd. Just keep your head down and a hat and sunglasses on."
"I'll take her down. You can meet up with us when you're done with Cuddy," Wilson offered.
"Good plan."
When they were gone, House gave his head a shake to clear it. He lost all train of thought when he caught a glimpse of Cameron in a bikini just before she threw on her cover-up. He meant to ask her about the night before. He heard her cry herself to sleep and wanted to go to her but he didn't know how well that would be received. However, if it happened again, he'd be sure to take care of her. Isn't that what he'd been doing for the last few months anyway? He hated it when she cried, even more when she felt the need hide it from him.
Seeing her with her short hair and that long, glorious neck did things to him that he dared not think about. But he couldn't help imagining himself standing behind her, placing soft kisses down its length as they held each other's gaze in the mirror.
His ringing cell phone made him jump and he almost dropped it as he took it out of his pocket. It was Cuddy, and he hoped she had some good news.
"Have a good day at the beach? Looks like you got some sun," House said to Cameron as they had room service once again.
"Yeah, it was crowded but nice. Wilson met someone. He's smooth, isn't he?"
"They don't call him the panty-peeler of PPTH for nothing."
Cameron laughed. "They do not call him that."
"Yes, they do. I started the rumor," he smirked.
"But isn't he married?"
"Yep, to wife number three. Although that's pretty much over. All one of them has to do is call the divorce lawyer but Wilson will hang on till the end."
"That's sad."
House shrugged. "Some men gamble, some cheat. Everyone's got a thing."
She tilted her head and smiled slightly. "What's your thing?"
"Music."
"I thought it was Vicodin."
"Music takes the edge off, too."
"I see. I'm guessing there's a long story behind all that which you don't want to tell me, right?" she sighed.
"That's right. I might one of these days, but not now."
"You don't have to tell me. It's fine."
"Make you a deal," he said. "I'll tell you about music when you tell me what you keep in that little bag you cling to for dear life."
Chewing her bottom lip, she nodded.
When they finished eating, she took off her cover up and House whistled at her burnt shoulders. "Didn't you put sunscreen on?"
"I did, but my skin is pretty fair so I burn easily. I have some aloe vera lotion I was going to put on before bed. It looks worse than it is."
"You say that now. Tomorrow you're gonna be hurting."
"I'll manage," she assured him.
They watched TV for a few hours until House decided to go to bed and Cameron followed suit shortly after.
House read for awhile until he heard something. Putting his book down, he got out of bed and limped to Cameron's door. There was the sound of sniffling and sobbing coming from her room. He opened the door and stood in the doorway. He did not handle crying women well at all especially when the crying woman was Cameron.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked her.
"Go away."
"I wish I could," he sighed as he came into the room and sat down on her bed so he faced her. He reached out and turned on the bedside lamp.
She sat up and held the blanket close to her. "What are you doing?" she asked defensively.
"Turning on the lamp so we aren't sitting in the dark. Now what is the problem?"
"My problem right now is you."
"Trust me, Cameron. You've got bigger problems than me in your bedroom."
Cameron grabbed a tissue from the box on the night table and blew her nose.
"I know. And I can't stop crying. Everything is a huge mess. I've put you in danger. Wilson is probably in danger, hell, the whole hospital could be at risk. That's why I took off. I should've known you'd come find me," she sobbed bitterly as she reached for more tissues.
"I told you I'd help. Why aren't you letting me?" he growled the frustration evident in his voice.
"Because I don't want you to get hurt! Don't you get that?"
"Yeah, that I get but you don't have to worry about that."
"You keep saying that but I have yet to see any proof of it," she sniffed.
"Cameron," he sighed as she dropped her head and kept sobbing. "Have I ever let you down yet?"
She looked up at him and shook her head.
"Do you trust me when I tell you that I'm not going to let anything happen to you? Or me, or anyone else?"
She hesitated for a moment and then nodded. He started to get up but she grabbed his arm.
"Don't go," she whispered.
"You want me to sleep here?"
Cameron nodded and made room for him in the bed.
It was the answer he was hoping for, so he stretched out and got comfortable. She shifted and squirmed around in the bed before finally curling up next to him with her head on his chest. He could smell her shampoo and the faint scent of aloe vera.
"Try and get some sleep," he whispered as his fingers gently glided up and down her back.
House awoke the next morning to an empty bed. Sitting up, he grasped his right thigh as pain shot through him. Gingerly, he got out of bed and limped back to his room. He saw his Vicodin on the bedside table and hobbled over to collapse on the floor next to the bed. Grabbing the bottle, he shook two out into his hand and swallowed them. While he waited for them to take effect, his cell phone rang. He eased himself onto the bed and picked it up. Flipping it open, he answered it.
"House," he grunted.
"How's my little Ally Cat?" a strange voice asked. The man sounded like a walking oil slick so House figured this must be the infamous Joe Franklin.
"Ally Cat? Really, Franklin?" he scoffed. "Not the most original nickname. But I guess if you wore more original and forward thinking you wouldn't be some gangster's lackey."
Silence greeted his reply.
"What's the matter, Franklin, cat got your tongue?" House taunted.
"I know you and that oncologist are holed up in Miami with Ally," Joe responded in a tight voice. "My men will find you and they will dispose of you two and bring Ally back to me where she belongs."
"The fact you don't know exactly where we are is why you will always be a lackey," House declared before snapping his phone shut.
He was about to get up to take a long, hot bath when his phone rang again. Rolling his head back, he groaned. Didn't this thug know how to take a hint? Snatching up the phone, he snapped it open.
"Don't you have anything better to do than throw empty threats at me, Franklin?" he demanded.
"This isn't Franklin," a woman responded. She had a voice like warm honey.
"I think you have the wrong number but from the sound of you, that might not be a bad thing," House responded with amusement.
"I'm Special Agent Austin with the FBI," she informed him. "We're tapping Joe Franklin's phone and we need to talk to you and Allison Cameron. We're here in Miami. How soon can we meet with you?"
"How do I know you are who you say you are?" he asked guardedly.
"You don't."
"Well, you do kind of sound like a Fed."
"So, when can we meet with you and Doctor Cameron?" she asked again.
"You can meet with us now if you can find us," House told her and terminated the call.
Ten minutes later, the concierge opened the door to allow four men in suits to enter. A tall black woman followed them. Her dark skin gleamed in the light coming from the large windows. She wore a dark blue pant suit, a white button down shirt and sensible shoes. Glossy black hair just touched her shoulders and her eyes were the color of dark chocolate. House was sprawled on the couch. She walked over to the couch and smiled down at him. He smirked at her.
"Looks like you found us, Austin," he observed as he looked her up and down.
A slight smile curved one corner of her full mouth. "Looks like I did, House."
"You want us to do what? Hide out somewhere and give up our freedom while those assholes run around free? That's your proposal? Well if that's all you got, there's the door," House said as he pointed. "You can see yourselves out."
"A safehouse isn't what you think it is," Austin said. "You've seen too many movies."
"Okay then enlighten us."
"You'd stay in Miami for the time being, just in a house, not a hotel, with a family. These are people who are part of witness protection so they know the drill."
"I don't want to stay with strangers," Cameron said.
"It's a big place," Austin assured them. "You'll have the entire downstairs suite to yourselves. Dr. Wilson is also being placed, as he's in danger, too. We've spoken briefly to your boss, Dr. Cuddy, so she's aware of what's going on, but she doesn't know the details. The less she knows, the better. We're really after Joe Franklin's boss, Steven Keener, for murder, bookmaking, pandering, racketeering, to name a few. If we can get them and put the squeeze on, they'll roll over, Keener will be arrested and indicted and that, as they say, is that."
"Will I have to testify?" Cameron inquired.
"Only if he pleads not-guilty."
"He'd be stupid not to," House muttered, and Austin smiled.
"Our thoughts exactly. Dr. Cameron, once Keener is in jail, we can probably get your money back. After all, it wasn't your debt to begin with. You shouldn't have paid them a dime."
She opened her mouth to protest but Austin held her hand up. "I know, they made it seem like you had to, I understand. Well you don't have to pay anything now."
"So how are you going to catch Franklin?" House wanted to know.
"We hoped you'd be willing to help before we place you in the safe house."
"You need bait, in other words," he said.
"To put it mildly, yes. Can we count on you?"
"We're going to have to discuss this. We'll call you and let you know."
Austin nodded. "That's fine. Just don't take too long. In the meantime, we're going to have undercover officers and agents all over the hotel and as shadows anytime you go out."
"Seriously?" House asked with wide eyes.
Austin gave House the same look he gave her. "Seriously. Your safety is of the utmost importance to us."
Once the group of agents was gone, House let out a sigh, and relaxed, but Cameron was pacing the floor, wringing her hands.
"Now what's wrong?" he groaned. "We're safe now."
"Are we?"
"Yes! The hotel is crawling with Feds and we're going to have someone shadowing us whenever we go out."
He didn't dare tell her that Joe called him. That would only serve to freak her out more.
"What if they get past them and come in here?"
"Nobody gets past the deadbolt and I'm sure they have someone out in the hall at all times."
"But what if they come in from outside?" she questioned nervously.
"Cameron, we're on the twenty-third floor! Nobody's getting in here so just calm down."
When she continued to pace, he went to his bag, rummaged around and produced a bottle of pills.
"Here, take this," he said as he dropped a small tablet into the palm of her hand.
"What is it?" she asked looking at it suspiciously.
"Ativan."
"I don't want it."
"Then calm down or I'll have no choice but to drug you."
Her eyes widened and then she looked downright pissed. "The hell you will!"
He gave her a mischievous grin. "Don't underestimate me, Cameron. You know what I'm capable of. Just take the damn pill or I'll deliver it another way, and you're not going to like it."
He watched her take the pill and place it under her tongue. "Happy now?" she asked.
"For the moment. Now go lie down."
"I don't want to lie down," she said stubbornly. At the moment she reminded him of a defiant toddler.
Sighing with exasperation, he gently took her hand and led her to her bedroom. "Sit."
She sat down on the side of the bed with a deep sigh and so did he.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
"I know," he said. "So am I."
Cameron arched his eyebrow. "The great big bad Gregory House is scared? I never thought I'd see the day."
"Just don't tell anyone. I've got a rep to protect," he smirked.
"Whatever you say, Boss Man," she slurred with a smirk.
House chuckled and took her pulse, noticing her eyes were dilated. "Why don't you take a nap?"
He helped her get comfortable on the bed and then pulled the duvet over her when someone knocked on the door.
Wilson came in with a bag slung over his shoulder. "So uh...I guess you talked to that Austin woman?"
"Yeah. Cameron and I have some decisions to make."
"What decisions? It seems pretty cut and dry to me."
"So you're hiding out?" House asked.
"Yeah, they got me into a sweet bed and breakfast owned by some old couple in Lakeland."
"Where's that?" House asked.
"North, near Disney World."
"Fun. Enjoy that. And keep in touch."
"I will. I'll call you when I get a new phone," Wilson told him. He looked at Cameron sleeping soundly. "Did you drug her?"
"I gave her an Ativan." House told him.
"Oh, well tell her I said good-bye. I gotta go. They're flying me out this afternoon."
They said their goodbyes and then House went into the main living area to watch TV while Cameron slept. He hoped the Ativan would help relieve her anxiety once she woke up. He was worried himself. He had no idea what the FBI had in mind but he was going to cooperate with or without Cameron's help.