Chapter 26 - Thanksgiving Dinner
Alysa smiled. She had had the pleasure of being in Angi's class (Angi was a teacher, of course) when she was in third grade. It was one of her very pleasurable years and decided that House was doing a good impression of her.
Everyone sat down to dinner. Alysa was seated in a high chair at one end of the table, and at the opposite end sat Mr. Cameron. House and Cuddy sat on either side of Alysa with Cameron and Wilson sitting next to them. Mrs. Cameron sat next to Wilson, and Angi sat next to Cameron. Mr. Cameron carved the turkey, and everyone inhaled the wonderful smell.
"Shall we say grace?" asked Mrs. Cameron.
Cameron cleared her throat. "Mom..."
"What is it, Aly?"
"Um, Wilson and Cuddy are Jewish... and... Well, me and Greg are Atheists." Cameron bit her lip. Her highly Catholic parents would NOT like this news. She was expecting them to blame her Atheistic ways on Greg, which disappointed her.
"What... Aly?"
"Mom."
Mrs. Cameron put her hands down and said, "Okay... dinner then... It looks great, Aly."
"Thanks, Mom."
Everyone ate pretty silently. Cuddy occasionally fed Alysa bits of mashed potatoes and stuffing. It was quiet... too quiet... Mrs. Cameron broke the silence.
"So, Aly, when did you start being Atheistic?" She glared at Greg.
"Mom, stop it, please."
"It was just a question."
"You were staring at Greg. For your information, I stopped beliving in God when I was in med school. Okay?" Cameron shoved her mouth full with turkey.
"Mom," said Angi, "It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?!" said Mrs. Cameron.
"Mom," said Angi, "Stop."
Mrs. Cameron closed her mouth.
"So, Greg..." said Angi trying to lighten the mood, "You work with Aly?"
"Yup."
Angi smiled, "What's your field?" (She hadn't been informed of his employment.)
House looked at her. "Infectious Disease..."
"Isn't that what your boss's field is, Aly?" she asked lightly.
Cameron bit her lip.
"Ohh..."
Angi shut up. This was NOT going good. She had to fix it. But how?
"So," said Angi, "You're the cynical jerk that Aly's always complaining about?" She smirked. She knew this was the kind of talk House liked. Games.
House smiled a little. "Yeah."
"Greg, I'm curious to know," said Angi, "Everyone's always saying it's so complicated... You and Aly. You and Lisa."
Everyone coughed a little, but Wilson just chuckled.
"Why is it so complicated?" she asked ignoring the insecure reactions.
"Because House likes making things more complicated than they need to be," interrupted Wilson.
"Really?" asked Angi.
House smiled and ate some turkey.
"Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"The story."
"What story?"
"Of you... You and Cuddy, you and Aly."
House stared at her. So this is how she wanted to play? Fine, he'd talk, but he was getting some serious dirt out of her later. "Cuddy wanted a kid. No husband or boyfriend. Wanted a sperm donor. Bad donors on the list. She asked me, and I said sure. We dated, but broke up before Alysa was born. Got in a car accident on the way to the hospital when Cuddy was in labor. Alysa was fine, but Cameron had to help me and Wilson had to help Cuddy. Things just stuck. Happy?"
"Not really."
"What?" She had to be kidding.
"Why did you and Cuddy break up?"
"I didn't want a relationship."
"You're dating my sister aren't you?"
House didn't answer. WAS he dating Cameron? Uh oh. Answer... quick! "I guess."
"Isn't that a relationship? What's changed?"
"The girl."
"Oh." So Greg must have really liked Aly to leave someone like Lisa in simple HOPES of getting Aly. "Why did Cameron come to your bedside and Wilson to Cuddy's?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't James like... your best friend?"
House looked at Wilson. "Cameron beat him to it."
"I see..."
"Don't act so surprised, she always does it."
"Does what?"
"Rushes to my bedside when I'm hurt."
"You've been hurt before?"
Cameron ducked her head. Not THIS story.
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"I got shot."
The Camerons choked and Wilson laughed a little as Cuddy shrugged.
"You..." Angi started. "What?" She wasn't expecting THAT.
"I got shot," repeated House.
"By who?"
"Angry patient."
"Got shot twice... actually..." added Wilson, gesturing towards his neck.
Angi laughed. "Why did a patient shoot you?"
"Appearantly he didn't like the fact that I'd told his wife that he was cheating on her." House bit his lip and raised his eyebrows.
"Well," said Angi, "He had it coming to him, right?"
"That was my stance the whole time, and look what happened to me."
Angi laughed, and Greg smiled. They were the only ones though. Cuddy was preoccupied with Alysa. Wilson was preoccupied staring at Cuddy. Everyone just seemed very unsure whether or not they wanted to be there.
"Would you guys lighten up?" said Angi, "It's Thanksgiving!"
Cameron smiled and layed her hand on House's leg. He glanced oh so quickly, then back up. He liked her hand just where it was.
"Angi's right," said Mrs. Cameron.
Mr. Cameron nodded. They still had nothing to talk about.
"So..." said Cameron, "How's school going, Angi?"
"Great, just finished up some progress reports." Angi smiled and looked at Alysa. "Maybe I'll get to teach you!"
Cuddy giggled, "Maybe."
The Camerons still sighed. They were so very uncomfortable with the whole House/Cuddy/Cam/Alysa situation.
Cameron rolled her eyes. "Give it up, Mom."
"What, Dear?" asked her mother.
"I get it, okay?"
"Dear..."
"You don't like Greg, you don't like this whole situation... I get it."
She stormed out of the room, and her parents followed her. They stopped in the living room.
"I just don't get it, Mom!" shouted Cameron, "What don't you like about him?!" Bad question. Nobody liked him, and this would just make it worse.
"Dear..."
"Answer me!"
"Aly," said her father, "Look at yourself. You're dating a man who's almost twice your age, a cripple at that. He has a child with another woman, and his manners aren't exactly something to brag about."
"And there's the pills..." continued Mrs. Cameron.
"Oh!" said Cameron, "So that's what this is about? Yes Mom, I'm dating a drug adict, okay?! You know what... he's in pain! Okay? And so am I! When will you get that?!" With that, Cameron ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
Mr. and Mrs. Cameron just stood there, shocked. "I think we'll be going," shouted Mr. Cameron from the living room. (Angi just ducked her head.) The Camerons left, but Angi stayed behind. Her parents were such sses, and she knew it.