Next chapter for a little while. Happy Holidays!
Jess
Chapter 11: Another Non-Date and Scars
Wilson had been named designated driver that evening, but because he had cancelled, House stopped at Cameron's first. He had no idea where Tina lived. She appeared a few moments later and smiled before climbing into the car.
"Hello House."
"Cameron." She climbed into the front seat and raised an eyebrow.
"Where's Jimmy?"
"He had to cancel. Patient. How do I get to your cousin's house?"
Cameron sighed. "Tina's stuck in Philly with a flat tire and a nasty snow storm." Then she paused before sighing again and adding in an exasperated eye roll. "I take that back. We were set up."
House merely raised an eyebrow as he headed towards the bar and restaurant they had picked last week.
"And how do you know that?"
"Because she told me that she was going to visit her friends Leo and Karen in Philly. They moved a month ago to Arizona when Leo's company transferred him. And I'm guessing Wilson doesn't have a patient."
"We have very obnoxious friends," House snorted.
"Well, there is good news."
"Which is?"
"Tina left one of her credit cards at my apartment after the pictures – she has one that she likes to use when going out for drinks and I'm more likely to remember it then she is, so she gave it to me." Cameron reached into her purse, pulled out her wallet and showed him the card. "Whatever we want tonight – it's on Tina."
House chuckled.
"Sneaky."
Cameron shrugged. "Nope. She gave me the card because we were going out for drinks and she didn't want to forget it. It's not my fault that she got a 'flat tire' and missed out on drinks and dinner."
"Do you think that it will work?" Wilson asked. Tina took a sip of the beer in her hand and shrugged. "Who knows what's in store for those crazy kids?"
"You make it sound like the opening of a book or movie," Wilson accused, eyes dancing with laughter.
"I think that they could be some form of dramatic movie. Or maybe a comedy instead." Tina's phone beeped and she picked it up.
Nice Xtina. I hope you and Jimmy are having fun right now you liar.
"Well, Dr. Wilson, it seems we've been found out."
"Really?"
"Yeah." Tina texted back should I be worried babe?
"What are we going to do?"
"Nothing, she knows. She probably told House. I'm not going to deny it. If setting them up is all that it takes to knock some sense into them, I'll do it."
Don't worry. House will behave. And by the way, you're paying.
Thanks for the heads up Blondie. And will you be behaving?
"I'm a bit worried about Allie," Wilson confessed. "House can be a bit of an asshole."
Tina snapped her phone shut. "Well, Blondie can too. She's almost always been able to hold her own in the verbal sparing, and I should hope that House would never hit her." Tina's eyes darkened at the thought. "If he hits her, he won't live to see his next birthday."
"Houses' dad wasn't exactly the… nicest man." Wilson rested his chin in his hands. "A few years ago – before Cameron started working with him, they had a case where the husband was abusive. House told me that one thing that his father ever got right was that a man who raised a hand to a woman wasn't a man at all. I don't think you have to worry. And Allison can hold her own."
Probably not Xtina, love you
Tina chuckled as she put her phone away. So Blondie wanted to play dirty? The chances of that actually happening were slim, but the thought was funny.
"You're right about that, James. She certainly can hold her own."
"So, is this another non-date? We seem to do better with those." Cameron's voice was dry as House finally parked his car.
"Let's just call it dinner and drinks. Non-date that is dinner and drinks is just more of a mouthful. Besides, I trust that this time you're not going to go around telling everyone."
Cameron didn't respond, just stepped out of the car before replying quietly, "I learned my lesson, House."
He felt a bit of shame at the sadness in her voice. The dinner had turned into a confrontation – something he had not wanted nor expected. He could blame her for the question, but the response was all his fault.
She seemed as uncomfortable as he did as they walked into the restaurant. At least he wasn't the only one that was struggling with this.
Dinner had arrived quickly as both had ordered burgers, fries and beers. As much as Cameron had joked about using Tina's credit card, she wasn't feeling very hungry. If this ended badly maybe she would take the card and go shopping.
They had spent the beginning of dinner awkwardly stealing glances at each other before ordering. The waitress had put them in a back secluded corner, thinking that they were on a date and would want privacy. Without Tina or Jimmy there to act as buffers, they were lost.
Cameron had finally stared at House and started giggling.
"What?" He could feel a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, even though he had no idea what was so funny.
Cameron continued to giggle. "We -" She finally gasped out. "– we worked together for four years -" House still didn't get it as she dissolved once again into laughter, her face turning a reddish color. "It shouldn't be this awkward," Cameron finally managed and House couldn't help but smile.
That was true. Even if their relationship had always been definable by the word 'weird', it didn't mean that they would always have to have meals full of holes and tense silences.
Cameron's laughter seemed to break the ice and dinner began to go smoother.
Cameron was leaning forward, the light casting a rosy glow to her face as she waved her arms for emphasis.
Liquid courage had been with them, so it was safe to say that both were at least a little tipsy. Cameron was in the middle of telling House about her youngest brother Teddy Cameron – the wild child of the bunch – when he spotted them.
Although it was December, almost January, the bar was toasty warm and Cameron had removed her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. At first he thought it was a trick of light, but upon a bit of closer examination realized that the marks on her arms were bruises. And not only bruises – handprints no less.
Without thinking he grabbed her arm to get a closer look at the marks.
Cameron flinched visibly and tugged her arm back to her side. House froze for a minute before gently reaching back across the table, in a slower more determined move and grabbed her arm again so he examine it.
"You're afraid of me?" Someone had grabbed her, House realized, grabbed her hard. And, House realized in something akin to shock; he was pissed.
"No. Not of you." He was still looking at her though, questioningly, with that look on his face. The you're a puzzle and I'm going to solve you face. She sighed. God, why did this have to be so hard? "I'm sorry House."
"Because you're afraid of me?" there seemed to be a bit of a smirk in his voice, which was good.
"I got in a bit of a tussle with one of the patients, that's where the bruises came from." Cameron offered, instead of replying to his question.
"How did we not know?" The 'we' pleased Cameron, secretly. House was part of their little group, even if he had joined later.
"Made Tina promise not to tell. And the night nurses like me to much to go around clucking to the others about 'poor Dr. Cameron's concussion and bruises after the patient lost it'."
The moment the words escaped her lips she knew she was screwed. House let go of her arm and stood up he walked so he was standing in front of her. Cameron hastily stood up as well. She didn't like feeling towered over.
"You had a concussion?" Shit. Scratch screwed. She was dead, if the look on his face was any indication.
"A mild one. Nothing to worry about."
"So," House picked up her arm. He knew he was overreacting, but he couldn't help it. "You have bruises up and down your arms, and a mild concussion. But you're fine. Anything else that I should know about?"
It was so easy. And the words just slipped out.
"I have a bullet wound in my thigh from when my foster dad shot me. I have scars on my back from when I got beaten." She held up her right arm and showed him a thin white scar that went from wrist to elbow that was barely visible. "I stayed with a crazy lady who thought that she could 'bleed' the bad out of me."
She put a leg on the chair as she pulled up her pant leg to show him a set of scars around her ankle. "A couple had a dog who didn't like me. We got in a fight. The dog won. I have more." The inside of her knee. "A hot poker from the fire, but I don't remember why." She was lifting her shirt ever so slightly to show the one on her inner hip, below her underwear line that few people had ever seen, when House grabbed her arm. It was only then that she realized he looked paler then she had ever seen him.
And then: a hand crashing down onto the table, a plate flipping over and onto the floor with a sickening crash and other people looking over at the sound of breaking glass. A harsh, yet low, 'damn it Cameron' and three strides to where she stood, because she had slowly backed away, eyes wide, ever so slightly scared. A hand tightly gripping her wrist, the other reaching for the back of her neck even as the cane hit the ground. And then there was a kiss, not short and sweet, but harsh and needy with lots of tongue and whisker burn across her cheeks. The sound of applause from the people at the bar who could see them and Cameron hadn't felt so alive in so long.
There would be bruises later. Bruises on top of bruises on top of scars that were inside and outside.
"Damn it Cameron," he repeated against her lips, before pulling away, bending down painfully to pick up his cane and leaving her standing alone in shock with half the restaurant staring at her.
She had to call Tina for a ride, because she didn't know what else to do. A cab would've worked too, but Tina was free – except for the grilling that she would get from her cousin. But, that, would've happened no matter what day or time Allison called.
So when Tina pulled up, sans Wilson, Cameron had to admit that she wasn't surprised.
"Did you send him to go do damage control on the other side?" Cameron cracked with a knowing smirk. Tina didn't say anything for a minute.
"What happened?"
"He saw the bruises on my arm and then I mentioned my concussion. He asked if there was anything else he should know about. So, I told him." Tina groaned. She knew her cousin had said that she probably wouldn't behave, but she hadn't expected that.
She knew the rest of the story. Allison had done the same thing to three other people. Ian, herself and Raymond. Ian hadn't flinched, instead pulling up his shirt and showing her various scars of his own. Tina had been too shocked to say anything, instead pulling her thirteen year old new cousin into her arms and hugging her tightly, even as Allison flinched at the physical contact. And Raymond – well, Raymond had been wallowing because he was dying. Not that he didn't have the right to wallow, but he lost that right when he started taking all of his anger out on Allison. So she had lost it and shown him her scars. He had proposed. And the rest, as they said, was history.
"Start at the top," Tina commanded as she pulled out and heading towards Alice's. She was going to need some help with this.
Wilson was at a bit of a loss and he was the first to admit it. House usually fled scenes and then the next day told Wilson about them at the hospital or Wilson grilled House at the hospital. It was the way things worked.
So, Wilson headed towards the first place he could think of. There was one person in town that knew all four of them and could maybe give him some insight onto the mind of House.
He had to get out of there. Allison Cameron, innocent, naive, over-caring, teddy bear heart, had just taken all of his ideas and shredded them into little pieces.
His father had helped turn him into the man that he was today. His leg had only added fuel to the fire and an excuse.
And then there she was. Little Miss Allison Cameron. Showing him her scars and smiling at him.
I got this one here, and that one there, but I'm okay.
There was a story behind each and every mark on Allison Jane Cameron's body. And it seemed that she had more then he did.
There was one person beside Tina that was close by, one who knew Cameron and had known her for years.
House sighed and shifted gears as he sped towards some answers and some coffee.
