Amazing Grace- A House/NCIS story

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything House related except DVDs. Ryan is mine, though. Lyrics for AMAZING GRACE from the Salvation Army songbook.

AN. This chapter is what gave me the title, because I love the hymn AMAZING GRACE. This part actually came to me in a dream, and I actually cried when I woke up! I love this part. Also, for those disappointed Cameron and Tony didn't hook up, never fear, I was torn too, so I am writing another story where they do. I also know, the odds of what happened with Ryan and Cameron after they broke up is highly unlikely, but I'm a hopeless romantic, and believe if you really care about someone you want them in your life no matter what.

Chapter eleven:

The NCIS team left New Jersey the following week. Adam was recovering nicely, and was going to spend a lot more time with his wife and daughters. Although Chase and Foreman briefly attempted to tease Cameron about Tony, she was perfectly happy with remaining friends with him and the other agents, so the teasing didn't worry her and had no effect. The boys and Wilson would often send their greetings through Cameron to the team, but it was Cameron who kept in regular contact with her new friends.

Neither she nor House ever mentioned the events of Cameron's wedding anniversary to one another, but the others, even Cuddy, often gave House abuse about it. Life in the department quickly returned to usual, though Cameron often found an excuse to avoid being in alone in the room with House; and House was generally more careful with his comments to or about her.

It was late spring, and the weather was beginning to warm up. Cameron loved this time of year, when the world seemed to come alive and she felt more awake and aware of her surroundings than any other time of year. It was a quiet day, and Cameron was for once, relaxing, re-reading Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time. Chase and Foreman were also doing nothing, and House was trapped in the clinic on Cuddy's orders. The phone rang suddenly and Foreman, who was closest answered as House and Wilson entered the conference room.

"Dr. Foreman... uh, yeah hang on a sec."

He covered the mouthpiece and lowered the phone as he turned to Cameron. "Cameron? It's for you. It's your mom."

Worriedly, she tossed her book aside and took the phone off Foreman quickly.

"Mom? What's up?"

Chase and Foreman looked over in concern as Cameron's face whitened and she shakily sat down at the desk.

"When? Ok... ok. I'm fine. Uh-huh. Ok, bye mom."

She seemed to be in a daze as she hung up the phone in silence, staring at the receiver.

"Uh, Cameron? Is everything okay?" Chase asked her.

Cameron shook her head, abruptly picking the phone back up and dialling a number, not saying a word.

"Special Agent DiNozzo," Tony's voice, cheerful as always, sounded in her ear and Cameron took a shaky breath.

"Hey, Tony it's me." The others listening to her side of the conversation exchanged a curious look.

"Ally!" he cried, and Ziva and McGee looked up from their desks in interest, while Gibbs paused in his work.

"How are you babe?"

Cameron swallowed hard, determined not to cry just yet. "Uh, I've been better. I was hoping you could help me with something."

"Sure, anything for a pretty lady. What's up?"

In the early hours of May 16th, 2008, the 61st Marine unit stationed in Iraq, was attacked by an enemy battalion during a routine patrol. Of the ten men in the UN unit, six were Cameron's friends. All her mother had told her was that the attacked had occurred and there were casualties involved, and that information she passed onto Tony over the phone, to the horror of all those listening in Princeton and Washington. Tony promised to get in touch with his contacts, and after giving Cameron his best wishes, he hung up.

As the dial tone sounded in her ear, she suddenly stifled a sob, and Foreman came forward to embrace his co-worker.

"They'll be okay, Allison," he said soothingly as she sobbed.

"You don't know that," she replied, fearing the worst.

She accepted Chase's and Wilson's sympathies, but refused to go home and wait for Tony's call. Instead, she volunteered her services to the clinic and threw herself into working, hoping to distract herself, to no avail. It was clear when they arrived the next morning that she had not slept, and all she offered was that Tony had not called.

As she sat at her the table doing paperwork, only half paying attention, she turned when a knock sounded on the glass door.

"Ally?"

"Tony!" she gasped, standing to embrace him and Ziva who now stood in the doorway. "Why didn't you call me back? What's going on?" she demanded when she separated from her friends.

"Gibbs thought it might be better if we delivered the news in person. He wanted to come, but they needed him back home," Ziva told her.

"So... there's news?" Cameron asked hoarsely.

Tony and Ziva sat her down, saying a quick greeting to House, Chase and Foreman as they entered.

"Yeah, there's news. Ok... so..."

"Ziva, just tell me!" Cameron begged.

Ziva sighed. "Alright, then. Sergeant Peter Collison was hit by a bullet in the thigh. He's at a field hospital awaiting to be evacuated, and is stable. Corporal Samuel Askew was hit in the stomach and then was hit by a jeep. He lost a lot of blood, and is currently on a ventilator, but should be fine eventually. Corporal Joshua Jackson was not hit by a bullet, just by the jeep. He's got some shrapnel fragments in his arm and a broken leg but that's all."

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief, and some colour returned to her cheeks. Tony shot a glance at Ziva, and took over."I wish it was all good news, Ally. Uh, we checked on Paul and Jake."

He hesitated, and when Cameron looked up at him expectantly, shook his head sadly. "Sorry, Ally. They didn't make it."

Cameron bit her lip hard to keep from crying, but all the same, her devastation and grief were evident. Suddenly, she froze in realisation.

"Wait.. what about Ryan?" she whispered.

"Well..." Neither Ziva or Tony knew how to tell her, both knowing she still loved her former boyfriend.

Tony eventually took her hand gently, and sighed. "He's been listed as MIA."

Missing In Action. As the words sunk in, Cameron broke and cupped her face in her hands, her breathing shallow.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god." She murmured in shock. Tony was holding her before she began to cry in earnest, and she clung to him in her grief. Ziva could hardly bear to watch her, and Chase and Foreman didn't know what to do. Even House was strangely silent, watching her break down in Tony's arms.

After a while, when Cameron had somewhat calmed herself, Ziva embraced her and then took her hand comfortingly.

"There's a golden lining," she told her.

"Silver," Tony whispered loudly, correcting her, but she ignored him.

"Josh, Sam and Pete are going to be brought home. They'll go to the navy hospital in Quantico first to get checked over, then its' home to where ever."

Tony smiled gently. "Now, because they're military, civilians aren't allowed in at this stage. But if you happen to have friends who have friends in the high places, they'll slip you in."

Cameron's jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Yeah. I can swing it. Especially, when you're a doctor," Tony seemed pleased with his achievements. "So what do you say?"

"I say let's go," Cameron replied immediately.

Then she paused, and glanced up at House. "Can I go?"

House paused, pretending to think it over. "I think even if I said no, you'd go anyway. So you can go, but we get to come too."

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "Why do you guys get to come?"

"Apparently being supportive colleagues. Plus if we're there, we're not here, and we don't have to attend that stupid dinner Cuddy's planning for next week."

She had almost forgotten about the hospital benefit, but nodded and turned to Chase and Foreman. "You guys can come too."

"Are you sure?" Chase asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah. The alternative is I'm stuck with House for a few days."

Foreman grinned. "Yeah, ok. We'll be there."

Cameron turned to Ziva and Tony. "When do we leave?"

Cameron, House, Foreman, Chase, Wilson (under House's invitation), Tony and Ziva flew back to Washington two days later. Cameron had called her parents in Wisconsin and told them the news, who agreed to tell the families of her friends and she had personally called Ryan's mother in Ireland.

The plan was to be in Washington for a week, seeing the survivors of the 61st, and then to fly to Wisconsin after that, for the funeral of Jake and Paul. Cameron was still grieving for her friends, and frantic over the whereabouts of Ryan, but was slightly comforted by the news of Sam, Pete and Josh's survival. They were met at the airport by McGee, Abby and Gibbs, all of whom embraced Cameron tightly upon her arrival.

They would all accompany Cameron to the hospital, per her request. She felt calmer when she was surrounded by people than when she was alone, and the last thing she wanted was to suffer a breakdown at the hospital. As they entered the lobby, Cameron looked around uneasily as Gibbs got them clearance to go up. She hesitated when she lighted off the elevator at the fourth floor, and decided to ask the nurse where to find her friends, who were supposed to have arrived that morning.

"Excuse me?" she called to the nurse at the desk.

The nurse looked up at her expectantly, but before she could say anything else, a yell sounded down the corridor.

"Ally! Ally!"

Cameron whirled around to see a young man dressed in army fatigues on crutches hobbling frantically down the hall towards her, and relief flooded her face.

"Pete!" she whispered under her breath, and hastened towards him. By the time she reached him, he had dumped his crutches on the floor to embrace her, and they were both sobbing onto one another's shoulders desperately.

Cameron somehow managed to hold Pete up, and herself, while they cried over their lost friends. After a moment, Cameron pulled back and cupped his face in her hands, smiling.

"You're okay," she murmured, smiling through tears, hugging him again.

Pete nodded, gesturing to his leg. "Yeah, I'm gonna be fine. I can't believe you're here!"

"I have contacts," she smiled, pointing behind her. She introduced him to them all, and then handed him back his crutches so he could stay balanced.

"So, you're really okay?"

"Fine, Ally." He assured her. "Is there any news on Ryan?"

She shook her head wordlessly, more tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I still can't believe Jake and Paul.." she whispered.

Pete nodded knowingly, then a new voice appeared. "Pete? Where'd you disappear to?"

Cameron pulled away from Pete and they both turned to see another man in a wheelchair, his leg stretched out before him, wheeling down the hall. His face registered only shock as he recognized Cameron.

"Ally?"

Cameron broke in to fresh sobs, and hurried over to the new arrival, who pulled her down onto his lap so he could embrace her tightly. House, remembering what Ziva had said back in Princeton, took this to be Josh, and was proved right when Cameron finally introduced them.

"How's Sam?" she asked worriedly, and the two boys exchanged glances.

"He's in some pain," Josh said honestly. "He's got a few broken ribs and a collapsed lung, plus the bullet they removed from his gut, but he'll be okay eventually."

"Can I see him?" she asked.

Pete nodded. "Yeah, he's in the ward."

They led Cameron and the visitors through the halls until they arrived outside a large ward. "We'll wait here," Gibbs told her quietly, and she nodded, stepping inside with Pete and Josh.

They led her to the bed second closest to the door, and Cameron's breath caught at the sight of her friend. His chest was swathed in bandages and he was still on a ventilator, and he seemed horribly weak.

"Sam? Buddy, guess who's here," Josh called to his friend as Pete sat on the end of the bed.

Sam weakly opened his eyes, and they landed on Cameron.

"Allison? Am I dead?"

She chuckled tearily and shook her head, giving him a small wave. Sam turned to Pete and Josh.

"Did you guys get a wave too?"

"Better, we got a hug," Pete grinned.

"That's what I thought. Ally, get your ass over here," Sam ordered weakly, smiling. Cameron giggled sadly, and came over to hug him fiercely as best she could while he was lying down.

"Hey, Sammy," she whispered in his ear. "How you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a jeep," he grinned, wincing slightly as she moved back and he tried to move.

Cameron laughed, and Josh waved the other visitors inside the room to be introduced. Then Pete looked around the ward at the other ten men in the ward, all with various wounds.

"Hey, guys! This is Allison Cameron," he announced, pointing to Cameron.

"Wait- the Allison Cameron?" one man demanded.

Josh nodded proudly, and Cameron was stunned. "Uh, guys... what the hell are they talking about?"

The three men grinned sheepishly. "You're kind of famous among the guys over there," Pete explained.

Cameron was still panic-stricken. "How?"

"Well, remember freshman year of college when Ryan said you should get a record deal, and made you record a bunch of songs?"

Cameron winced, determinedly ignoring the others behind her. "Yeah."

"Ryan never sent the Cd anywhere," Pete continued.

"I know. I told him if he did, I'd leave him. I made him throw it out," Cameron replied.

"Well, he didn't," Sam said softly. "He kept it."

"And then brought it over with him," Josh added. "We'd play it at night and stuff, especially when we were homesick."

"I had it on me when we were hit," Pete picked up the story. "And we played it on the plane ride here."

Cameron's jaw dropped. "If he's not already dead, I'll kill him!" she said horribly embarrassed.

The boys grinned, and House resisted the urge to comment. But Tony couldn't resist a snigger, and Cameron glared at him.

"Can you guys give us a few minutes?" she asked them.

They agreed and left the room. "So that was House?" Sam said, raising an eyebrow at Cameron, and she poked his leg gently.

"Shut up."

They were silent for awhile, talking about Jake, Paul and Ryan, and then Josh spoke up.

"Hey, Ally? Will you sing something for us?"

"No," she refused quickly, although the men in the ward listening were disappointed.

"What about for Jake and Paul?" Sam asked softly, and this time Cameron couldn't protest.

Re-arranging herself on the bed, holding Pete's hand in one hand, Sam's in the other, and her feet resting in Josh's lap, with his hands around her ankles, she sighed softly.

"Amazing Grace,

How sweet the sound.

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost,

But now am found.

Was blind but now I see."

Her voice was soft, sweet and pure, and her grief for her friends could be felt in her voice.

Outside the door, Abby suddenly shushed the others' conversation, gesturing to the soft song floating into the hall. Curiously, they all approached the doorway to hear better.

"'Twas grace that taught

My heart to fear.

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did

That grace appear.

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come.

'Tis grace has brought me safe so far,

And grace will lead me home.

When we've been here

ten thousand years,

bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing god's praise

Than when we first begun."

The end of the song was followed by an impromptu silence that fell across the room, all remembering fallen friends and taking comfort in one another's presence. And as Cameron held on tightly to her friends, she felt as though Jake and Paul and Ryan were there too.