Well, I can't believe it's taken me this long to get this chapter written but I did and I'm not entirely sure that I'm happy with it…it seems kind of redundant and lacking in plot development but I think I've got myself on a good track as at least I'm writing something now. As for an excuse for my delay I offer nothing really good, only that I've been working massive overtime and that has left me pretty brain drained… LOL but never the less, this is story is getting bigger and bigger—way bigger than I ever intended. What I had pictured as few chapter sequel is now a sixty page and counting monster of story. Anyway thank you so much for you patients, I hope you enjoy!!!! Lots of Love RA
House woke the next morning to aching muscles and a shrilling cell phone. After numbly sliding from under Cameron who didn't even stir he wrangled his phone from his jacket.
"What?" he snarked after jabbing the send button.
"Greg House, this is Detective Mathis with the Trenton Police Department, we would like to set up a time for you to come down and meet with us to talk about what happened at the hospital last week…"
House had to almost literally bite his tongue to keep from saying everything he wanted so badly to say. "Sure, what time?" he strained to keep from snarling.
"I was thinking about noon, we grab lunch." Mathis was too kind to be sincere.
"Sounds fine, I'll be there." House hung up chest heaving with labored breaths.
"The police?" Wilson came out of the bedroom dressed and showered having apparently been awake for a while, yet had no trouble stepping into a conversation with a still bleary eyed House.
"Yeah…" House headed toward the kitchenette limp more pronounced than usual.
"Breakfast?" Wilson offered pulling the leftover pancake batter from the fridge; it was only several hours old.
"Yeah," House grunted taking up the stool.
"She's had a long week," Wilson cut a pat of butter into the fry pan, looking out at Cameron.
"Yeah."
"You you know you're going to have to saying something more than one word today…"
"Yeah," he drew the word out long.
"You love her very much…" Wilson ladled batter onto the sizzling pan.
"Yeah…too much," House almost sounded disgusted.
"You can never love too much."
"I can—I love too much then I do stupid things."
"You do stupid things anyway."
"Whatever, she's too good for me and I know it, we both know it just a matter of time before I screw things up."
"Yep," Wilson flipped the pancake.
"Aren't you supposed to be the encouraging one? You're supposed to tell things like 'love will find a way' or 'with love anything is possible'…" House grumbled wishing he had vodka to put in his orange juice.
"Why? You seem to have got it down already, without me saying anything…" Wilson slid the pancake onto a plate. "You will mess up House, she will mess up, it's one of those things that happen, that are inevitable, that goes along with being human with being two radically different people trying to mesh together. But Cameron is stronger then she looks, she'll battle for you—for your relationship, it's written all over her. Don't be afraid of messing up, just be open to her, and be honest."
"I still think you should have gone all Dr. Phil instead of oncology…" House accepted the offered plate of pancakes.
"Maybe, but then I'd be a millionaire in Malibu saying things like 'what were you thinking' instead of standing here making you pancakes…" he paused in contemplation, "You're right, I should have been Dr. Phil…"
---Protecting His Kitten---
"Are you sure you don't want me going with you? I'll wait in the car…" Cameron hovered anxiously as House prepared to leave Wilson's hotel suite.
"No, you stay here—I'll call you when I'm done," he felt awkward having her fuss; he shrugged her away even as she held out his coat to him.
"House—I love you," she held the sleeve of his jacket, "Be careful okay…" she leaned up on tip toe to kiss his rough cheek.
He stood stiller than a statute, but when her tender lips met his cheek, when her body lightly pressed against his he realized he didn't want her to move. He snaked an arm around her waist and didn't let her go away. The stood like that for half a minute, she resting her chin on his shoulder, him with his arm around her. This is what he was fighting for; this was what he was protecting.
"Be good," he kissed her hair before letting her go abruptly.
The door drug over the carpet clicking dully shut before Cameron could even think of a response.
"He's not stupid, he'll be okay…" Wilson not wanting to intrude before ventured out of the kitchenette area now.
"I know that, but that doesn't mean I don't worry—I feel…I don't know how I feel!" she threw up her hands in exasperation. "No…you know what, I do know how I feel—I feel terrified! I am terrified!" she nearly stomped to the sofa sitting, arms crossed and eyes glaring.
"Funny, you're terrified looks more like royally pissed off…" Wilson fought a smirk.
Her fiery eyes slashed over him.
"Like I said, your terrified is very different…you look like you're ready to take someone's head off…but that's just my opinion."
She ground her teeth jutting her jaw in tight, livid frustration. "This is insane…this isn't happening, this is like some nightmare! I don't understand…I just don't understand! Dammit Wilson we are in bed with mob! The MOB! We are fighting the police, the damn congress…! This isn't sane! The whole world has hopped in a hand basket destination Hell!" she ranted with snapping hand gestures.
"Yes, I have to admit that this is pretty unconventional…" Wilson nodded.
"Unconventional? Unconventional?! I hate to break it to you, but this is way past unconventional…this is more than that, this so much more…!"
"You're right…" Wilson backed down quickly, he wanted no piece of her crazy.
"I know I'm right!"
"Okay…maybe you and House getting together was a bad thing…he's rubbing off way too much…"
---Protecting His Kitten---
"I think your cell phone is ringing."
Cameron's attention broke from staring at the newspaper she hadn't read a word of to the chirping slip of black on the coffee table.
The number on the caller ID she didn't know, "Allison Cameron," she answered.
"Hey, it's me…"
"House? Where are you at?" her hand shook.
"I'm at the station."
"Why are calling from this number…what happened to your cell phone?" she demanded.
"Well, it's kind of a long story."
"Start talking then!"
"I only get five minutes…"
"Oh House…you…they…you're not…?"
"Yep."
She groaned hand on her forehead, "Oh House…"
"I don't need a lecture…I do need you get a hold of that attorney…"
"Okay, I will…" her shoulders slumped, "But I want an explanation when I get there…"
"Cam…" he started.
"No, you hid the m…well the other thing from me, no more—that's just it no more! I am putting my foot down."
"Do have any idea how much of a turn on it is when you get all snotty and bossy?"
She laughed, but it was a tense exaggerated laugh meant only as an outlet for otherwise inescapable emotions, "Oh House…I can't believe this happening."
"It's okay, really, this is no big deal. Just call the attorney and she'll take it from here…it's okay."
"You know…everybody says that I have come to the conclusion that…you're right, everybody lies."
House snickered slightly, "That's my girl, but I mean it everything is wrong right now but I swear to you that I will make this alright. I am just asking you to trust me…"
She shivered in a breath, "Okay, okay—I'll make the calls."
Silence tapped for a second as both waited for the other to hang up.
"You know Cameron…" he trailed.
"Yeah, yeah I know," she smiled softly sensing what was unsaid at the end of his words. "I love you too."
He was the first to hang up.
"So?" Wilson lifted his eyebrows.
"House is in jail, I've got to call Victoria White…probably Greco too…Do you think they have a listing for Mob Crime Boss in the phonebook?"
---Protecting His Kitten---
"Where is House?" Cuddy blinked at Wilson.
"At the moment, police station lockup."
"What happened? Why do I get the feeling there is a whole lot more going on that I don't know about?" she tapped her foot, though the impatient gesture's effectiveness was cut in half when the annoying sound was muted by her office carpet.
"There is a lot more, but please don't ask me repeat it…"
"Why?" Cuddy kept her foot tapping.
"Well for one, it's pretty unbelievable and two it's rather illegal."
"Oh for pete's sake," she sat at her desk.
"But that aside it looks like House will be going to go to trial, if not for the March thing for the whole assaulting an officer thing…"
"He assaulted an officer?!" Cuddy groaned rubbing her forehead.
"Yep, House says he was provoked and that actually the office threw the first punch."
"Don't they video tape interrogations?" Cuddy frowned.
"Well it wasn't a interrogation actually, just an interview but yes they do video, but the police department is saying that due to a technical difficulty all data which is input into computer systems has been erased, which includes the digital copy of both Cameron's interview and House's."
"Damn convenient," Cuddy muttered in disgust.
"One could say that."
"Why would the police do something like that?"
"I love that you see the world as you wish it were…but more often than not the 'good guys' are the bad guys and sometimes the 'bad' actually the good." Wilson smiled sweetly, albeit a little sad and leaned down to brush a whisper light kiss on her brow.
"What am I supposed to do with that? That wasn't at all an answer," she looked up at him.
"Well you're the boss; you can do whatever you want with that."
"I don't want to see him hurt Wilson…"
Wilson pondered this ready to fight a fit of jealously but strangely it didn't come. He knew Lisa loved House in her own way which really didn't have a definition. She had known him almost as long as he himself had; it was natural that she loved him—as long as she didn't love him it would be okay.
"I don't either."
"We can't protect him can we?" she was hopeful while still rational.
"It was never our job to, but no, I don't think we can do anything to help this except stand by him and Cameron as they figure it out."
"Well I did get Victoria White to take him on as a client…that was something." Cuddy was never satisfied with doing nothing.
"Yeah, well maybe this isn't the best time to tell you this, but House is going to represent himself."
Cuddy's assistant just outside the office blushed, when he heard his boss use that curse word.
---Protecting His Kitten---
"Oh House," Cameron swallowed seeing his purple and black eye, cut lip, lacerated cheek and raw knuckles.
"You should see the other guy," he smiled faintly shouldering the phone mentally cursing the thick clear wall between them.
"This isn't fair…" she gritted her teeth then closed her eyes shaking her head resolving not to dwell, "What did Victoria say? When can we get you out of here?"
"Well you see Cameron…" he started shifting listlessly.
"No!? Please tell me you didn't…no certainly not…"
"Do have ESP Cameron?" House lifted his eyebrows.
"You really didn't send her away did you?" she groaned.
"Well yes, but I have a very good reason…"
"And what is that?"
"Her shoes were ugly."
She cursed under her breath, "No House, no, I won't accept that—tell me the truth."
"Her shoes really were ugly, but I just didn't have a good feeling about her…and I talked to Michael and…"
"House! The idea is to keep you from going to jail! I don't care how we do it, but dammit House, I think we need Victoria…obviously Michael hasn't been much help as you are sitting here…I have no loyalties when it comes to keeping you from jail I will work with anybody…I will do anything…"
He believed her. He didn't know how to reply to that, she was more impassioned than he'd had ever seen her.
"Cameron…"
"No, we tried it your way and this is what happened…now, now we do it my way…" her bravado failed her and her voice quivered just slightly.
"Okay…we'll try it," he relented.
She laughed shakily, "Well since you're there and everything it would seem you're not really in a place to argue."
"Touché, my dear," he smiled.
"House, please be careful…" she lifted her hand to the glass, he lifted his pressing it against hers."
"I love you Cameron."