Title: Hidden Past
Pairings: House/Cameron
Rating: M
Summary: A man from the past is threatening Cameron. Can House save her before it´s too late?
A/N: That´s it. The last chapter but an epilogue is on the way. A small one though.
Hidden Past
Chapter 24
The next week is flowing faster than Greg and Allison would have liked. The hype about both of them is worse than ever since the world´s biggest medical magazine has them both on the cover in a rather private position. It shows Allison sitting in Greg´s lap, her cheek on his chest while he is holding his arms around her protectively. It seems like their little time-out in the quiet corner wasn´t as private as they thought it was. With big letters the words "Mr and Mrs Diagnostician" are written over the picture. Although very flattered at the beginning, Allison is just annoyed by the end of the week. Her phone is ringing all day long and her mail account is flooded. She gave up answering both of them days ago while Greg didn´t even bothered to look through them. The only one enjoying this situation is Doctor Cuddy and the hospital never got that much donation than it did now.
As if this isn´t enough, Christmas is not far away. Seeing his fiancée almost freaking out with Christmas AND wedding preparations, Greg decided to hire a wedding planner to help them at least with one thing. This way Allison could make the last Christmas preparations since the whole Butler family decides to spend the holidays at Greg´s apartment. He doesn´t even mind. Honestly, he enjoys spending time with Ally´s family; with her mother´s wonderful cooking abilities and her father´s great sense in alcohol. Sadly, Wilson decides to spend Christmas with Cuddy and Rachel this year. It isn´t even shocking for House to hear that they are together but it would be the first time without his best friend and Chinese take-out at Christmas Eve. The preparations are something he never enjoyed and that´s why he had send Allison home earlier today, giving her time to transform their apartment in Santa Clause´s house while he enjoys his time in the clinic – locked in one exam room with his PSP.
The first snow is falling when he carefully limps his way into the car, driving slowly home. Entering the apartment building is enough to leave him speechless. He opens the door, ready to call for Allison when he looks around and is shocked as hell immediately. To say that their apartment is ready for Christmas is the understatement of the year. There are mistletoes over every door, enough Christmas lights on every window to make it look like an airport for every plane outside and every table is decorated with colorful ribbons, candles and ornamental decoration. Even his piano is decorated with beaded garlands and not to forget the big elf who is sitting on it with his long legs hanging upwards. Next to the instrument are standing Santa and one of his reindeers holding hands with a bright shining snowman.
Soon a bright grinning Allison is coming outside of the kitchen holding even more garlands in her hands which she is already putting on the couch, arm chair and over the TV. He bits back all the snarky comments when she smiles her most beautiful smile and asks:
"What do you think? Like it?" and all he can do is nod silently, trying to not show his shocked expression and telling himself that she deserves this.
Since there´s no answer coming from Greg, Allison continues talking.
"Could you please take inside the Christmas tree I left standing outside? He was too heavy for me to bring it inside and meanwhile I will bring the candy canes from the kitchen. Oh and while you´re outside, could you bring my old ornaments from the basement? I wanted to do this by myself but… well… I couldn´t bring myself to go down there, you know?"
He nods, understanding immediately while making his way outside to find the tree. It takes him only ten seconds to come back again.
"Ahm, Ally?!" He shouts towards the kitchen. "You don´t mean the Christmas tree in front of the apartment building, do you?"
"Why not?" She answers casually while coming back with her hands full with little candy canes.
"Because the damn tree is about two meters too high to fit in this building! Hell, only the top of your giant tree could ever fit in here, you know? This tree is big enough for the hospital hall!"
Blushing slightly, Ally starts biting her lips.
"Well, he did looked a little bit too big, okay let´s say more than a little big but he´s so beautiful and they even brought him home for me. Guess I should have known when they came with their huge truck that something was wrong, hmm?"
Damn me! House is thinking. He hates seeing her that disappointed!
"Okay, Ally, here´s the deal: You continue with your decorating thing and I´ll call Cuddy and tell her to get the tree for the hospital. Then I´ll drive back and buy a tree about 5 meters smaller than this one, okay?"
There´s this smile again and House realizes how hooked up he already is and they aren´t even married.
Two hours later, both are finally in bed, exhausted as hell from all the Christmassy stress but now everything is ready. Santa is able to sing "Jingle Bells" again, the reindeer is rocking his head back and forth while snowman and the lights are blinking that bright that House is sure that they will all end with an epileptic seizure in hospital. Stockings are hanging over the fireplace, ready to be filled. The tree is still huge but huge enough to fit in the room and now it´s decorated with colorful ornaments and white candle, not to forget the angle on the top.
Knowing that Ally is happy, he finally falls asleep, preparing himself for the Christmas celebration tomorrow.
Christmas will "Ally-family" as House calls them, is more than pleasant and not as stressful as one might think. Her parents came back living near Princeton only some days ago but are very fast settling in again.
They come just in time to start cooking the roast goose while the men are having a good time in the livening room, trying to smooth the shock over the decoration with old scotch again, enjoying their women-free-time. Food is delicious and their conversation full with excitement over being together again and the upcoming wedding on New Year – a perfect time to start a New Year and a new life together. Later on, piano music is filling the room while they sit down under the tree, singing together to the music. A perfect evening with even perfect winter weather – small snowflakes are falling on the ground while Allison´s mother tells Greg the story when little Ally went down into the garden with yellow wall paint, determine to find every hedgehog and paint them yellow so the stupid cars on the street wouldn´t kill them anymore.
Afterwards when everything is cleaned up again and Allison´s parents are home, the engaged couple close the day with spontaneous love making under the Christmas tree in front of the fire place.
When they finally get up, determined to start round 2 of Christmas sex, the phone rings. Knowing that Greg´s mother Blythe has already called hours ago, House tells Ally to answer it because there´s nobody from his family he would like to hear today while he makes his way to the bedroom, stretching his leg while sitting down on the bed. He gets worried when Allison still hasn´t come back ten minutes later but her voice can still be heard through the closed door and he tells himself to stop being that overprotective over her. His minds shuts down immediately when she comes towards him moments later, looking pale as hell and immediately starting sobbing into his chest. He know that she´s not able to speak like that and so he just stays where he is and waits until she calms down again, worrying more and more each minute.
After some time her sobbing calms down again and she sits down beside him, making him sigh in relief when he sees a smile on his face.
"Oh Greg, I am so sorry! I must scared the hell out of you but the phone call was so overwhelming and left me speechless. You will never guess who I am talked to although we both know that you won´t even be guessing. Okay, I´ll tell you: It was Mathew!"
There´s silence for a moment until House speaks.
"Of course! Mathew! Who else than Mathew? Who the hell is Mathew? Please, don´t say another man from your past who you fell in love with and because whom you will leave me and use our wedding to get married to him."
She just rolls her eyes and answers sarcastically.
"I would never marry Matt but if you push it too far I might consider Chase, so shut up and let me speak. This was my brother Mathew! The one who got away from home when I was a child! Our missing Matt! Our family is complete now! He´s an aid worker in Somalia but he is visiting a friend here and saw our picture on the magazine! He started some researches and then found out what happened with me and our family. It was also helpful that he caught your private investigator who has found him on the airport. Not really a clever man but I am happy that he gave him our number and so he called! You know the best thing: He will stay longer in America than intended and will be there at our wedding! Isn´t that wonderful? Oh my God! I have to call mom and dad and tell them everything! Damn, I bet they´re already sleeping but… I don´t care. I have to call them, right?"
Not giving the now grinning House any chance to answer, she hurries outside the room again and comes back one hour later, finding her soon to be husband deep in sleep. Ally happily crawls into his arms, falling asleep more happy than she has ever been.