Candy Canes and Mistletoe

Chapter 36

A/N: Happy Memorial day to all my fellow Yanks. This ironically comes in time for the beach holiday, happy little accident i must say. I must say, I'm am quite exited about passing 400 reviews! That is a first for me! So thanks to all of you who have dropped me a note to tell me how much you are loving this story. I am thoroughly humbled by all of your attention!

I must insert the usual disclaimer, I own nothing but my own imagination when it comes to these amazing characters. Happy reading!

A few days after booking the place for their wedding, House woke up to a beam of light in his eyes and a soft tickling on his ear. He cracked his eyes open and adjusted his head out of the shaft of sunlight streaming in like a laser beam to find Remy peering at him like a little girl at a slumber party. He narrowed his eyes at her for waking him up with her errant little finger and her cool breath blowing sweet nothings into his ear. However, she was unfazed by his crankiness and merely grinned at him placing a kiss where she'd just been teasing him instead.

"Wakey, wakey," she cooed and nuzzled into him draping her long leg over his thighs.

Any irritation that had resulted from being so rudely awakened dissipated like fine mist when she touched him. The feel of her body pressed up against his warm one under the covers made him forget all about the fact that he was usually a grump when he woke up. Sighing, he looked at the digital clock on the nightstand and was shocked when he saw that it read 8:30 AM. He rolled a bit to see her more clearly and arched an eyebrow at her. "What's the occasion?"

"It's Wednesday," she said placing a kiss on cheek.

"Is it a special Wednesday?" he inquired because she had a coy smile like she was trying to make him guess why she had him up a full two hours before his normal time.

"Um, maybe," she toyed.

"Ok what gives?" he said wiping the sleep from his eyes.

With a brilliant grin, she moved her body on top of his and straddled his hips with both of her legs. Moving her hands slowly up the front of his t-shirt, her eyes twinkled. "I want to go play."

"Go play? We don't have to go anywhere to play," he said rolling his hips to press his morning wood against her panties. Having her on top of him like this was awakening all sorts of playful ideas. If she wanted to play, he was happy to oblige.

She clucked her tongue at him and tapped his chest. "I want to go out and play, like to the beach."

House laughed. Was she out of her mind? "The beach? Seriously? How do you expect me to walk on the beach? The cane thing on the moving sand, not necessarily two things that are compatible with each other."

"You can walk short distances without your cane," she contended. "And the beach is only a little over an hour away. We can make a day of it."

House made a face hoping to let her know he wasn't all that interested in a day at the beach. There was sand everywhere, in places you never wanted it, and you had to bring stuff… it was too much effort. His brow creased as he began to think more fully into the hassle.

"Come on, it'd be really sexy," she pleaded. "We could take your bike and ride like the wind. It supposed to be beautiful out today. We shouldn't waste it being inside."

He frowned and then sighed. "I haven't been to the beach since before the infarction."

"All the more reason to go," she added optimistically as she was running her hands distractingly over his chest.

"You keep doing that and we're going to have to leave much later than you want to," he told her with an arch of the eyebrow.

She grinned at him and leaned forward to remove her panties. Slipping them off and twirling the pink lace around her finger, she tossed them over by the hamper with a sly little quirk of her lips. "Why do you think I woke you up at 8:30?"

A couple of hours later, House pulled his motorcycle into one of the small spots near the entrance to the boardwalk. It was indeed a gorgeous day in late May. The sun was out, the air was hot. It was most definitely a day for the beach.

It really had been a millennium since House had gone to the beach, not since he first started dating Stacey. And that had to be about fifteen years ago at this point. Remy was right. He figured what the hell, he was living life now. The beach seemed like a fun way to spend the day. That was supposed to be the whole idea of staying away from the hospital in the first place. They could go and do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

So here they were, Point Pleasant beach. It was the week before Memorial Day and the summer crowds had yet to invade the quiet little beach town, which suited House just fine. He wasn't a fan of large crowds to begin with and a gimpy man on a moving surface underfoot didn't exactly make for close bedfellows. But nevertheless, he was wiling to try it... for her. More and more, it seemed he would do anything for this gorgeous minx behind him on the bike with her long, sexy legs wrapped around him. Sometimes all she had to do was look at him and he was a goner. When she blackmailed him with sex, she could get him to commit felonies and/or crimes against humanity if she so deemed. After some fabulous morning sex and a good long shower, she had chosen to wear some ridiculously long sundress over her bathing suit and had to hike up her skirt to tuck it between her legs at they rode. Normally, he would have made her go put some jeans on, but she was hot as hell in that hippie tie-dyed concoction and he was hard pressed to contest the issue. It was only about an hour's ride along some pretty easy back roads until they hit the shore area. Not much was going to happen, so he let her wear whatever she wanted. Never mind that he could reach his hand back and touch her skin whenever he wanted. That was a bonus.

After killing the engine, Remy swung her leg over the back of the bike and took her helmet off letting her long hair fall into loose tendrils in the sea breeze. Yep, she was drop dead gorgeous and he was head over heals in love with her. And if that quirky little wedding planner could pull it off, she was going to be his wife in just about a month. It was amazing what a little sprig of mistletoe could lead to.

She smiled brightly at him as she took off the backpack from her shoulders and removed her denim jacket stuffing it inside along with their beach gear. House dismounted the bike and removed his own helmet. He watched her as she held her face up to the sun. Her eyes closed and she sighed contentedly absorbing the warmth. "God this sun feels amazing! See, I told you this was a good idea."

"No body likes a gloater," House sniped gently as he fastened their helmets to the back of the bike for storage.

"You just don't like to admit when I'm right," she contested and wrapped her arms around his waist as he came to stop in front of her once he was done.

"Well you and I can't always both be right," House told her confidently. "So when it comes to being right, it will always default to me."

She laughed at him and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Ok, I'll let you keep thinking that."

"I don't have to think it," he called to her as she stepped out of his embrace and made her way over to the wooden ramp of the boardwalk. "I know it."

Tossing him a saucy look over her bare shoulder, she smirked at him and gave him a wink. "Let's go. Prime sun hours are ticking away…"

Shaking his head, House touched his hand to his thigh and made his way slowly up the ramp to the boardwalk level. Remy waited patiently for him looking casually up and down the boardwalk. Smiling, she reached out and grabbed his hand as he met her. They walked slowly over to the changing station where House could change out of his jeans into his bathing suit and sandals, which they had to make a stop for at his condo on their way. For the amount of time it took for them to find his swim stuff, it would have just been easier to go to the mall and buy him some new things. But nevertheless, they were here now, and he remembered why he hated swim shorts to begin with. The frank and beans just hung in a little net flapping against his inner thigh like wind chimes. It felt so disconcerting. Add that to his trepidation about being able to traverse the powdery sand and his insides were tied up in wretched knot.

The next hurdle was climbing down the steps that led to the beach. Thankfully there were only a few steps in this area and they weren't that steep so it didn't take him long. Once on the sand, he found the soft tiny ripples of undulating sand to be as daunting as the huge dunes hiding underneath the wooden slats of the boardwalk. He was unsure of his footing and that sense of weakness he had first felt right after the infarction came back in full force. Sensing his unease, Remy slid her arm around his waist and smiled gently as she began to slowly guide them over to a clear spot in the middle of the beach. It took them a while to get there and he was pooped and a little sore, but he had made it. He swallowed a few ibuprofen and looked around. There were a few families with some very young children and some college kids on the beach but that was about it. It was the perfect lack of human contact for House and he was grateful.

Taking out the blanket, Remy fluffed it in the air and smoothed it down on the hot soft sand. House watched her for a moment and frowned inwardly feeling a little humbled by the fact that she had to help him walk across the sand and she hadn't said a word about it. "Thank you," he said.

She looked up at him with big eyes. "For what?"

"For…" he shrugged and then shook his head. "For not making a big deal…"

She stepped over the corner of the blanket and hugged him to her tightly. "Babe," was all she said as she looked up into his face, her smile and her eyes reassuring him that she never once considered him to be less than he was because of his leg.

In the next breath, she stepped back and like a sun goddess, whipped off her dress in one long stroke and dropped it onto the blanket next to the bag. House's mouth dropped open and his heart sped up a bit. Despite having seen and touched her repeatedly in nothing at all, she looked even sexier than he could have imagined in her white string bikini. The small triangles clung to her breasts like a lover's touch and the thin strings begged him to tug… just a bit, to let it all come sliding off. Instead, he placed his hands on his hips and gave her a leering once over like he was supposed to do.

"Nice," he said appreciatively.

She raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a saucy smirk. "I thought so."

She turned then and placed her hand over her eyes to shield her vision from the sun to look around. Spotting what she wanted, she grabbed her wallet from the bag. "I'm going to go rent one of those umbrellas from over there. You and me are copy paper white and we'll incinerate in twenty minutes if we don't have some shade."

House nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

The sun was indeed getting hot as it began to crest at its highest point in the day and he was starting to sweat. He dropped down onto the blanket and took off his sandals and t-shirt as he watched her trot over to the boy manning the umbrella stand. He was once again taken by her beauty. God she was a vision. And he was one lucky son of a bitch.

Meanwhile, his phone sang out to him.

One singular sensation
Every little step he takes.
One thrilling combination
Every move that he makes.

"Studs-R-Us, how can I help you today?" he answered knowing full well J. Terrance immensely enjoyed his teasing.

"I'd like one tall, salt and pepper stud with blue eyes and a really long…ahem, walking stick," the man cooed at him from across the phone.

"Ah sorry, just sold that one to a sexy beach vixen who likes to swing both ways," House told him as he took in the view before him. The sky was a clear blue, the water a deep navy and the sand a dusty beige. The Jersey shore never actually looked so good. Yup, he was glad she had talked him into coming. This was going to be a nice day.

"Well then I guess I may just have to take that chocolate-eyed cappuccino confection of yours, I just want to eat him up he's so adorable!"

"Yup that he is," House murmured. "So what'd you call me for because it wasn't to discuss how much you want to eat Wilson?"

"Yes, unfortunately, it wasn't to discuss that," J. Terrance lamented. "No, indeed. But it do have some good news, if you're interested… but of course we could spend all day…"

"What is it?" House cut him off impatiently.

"What is what?"

"The news," House growled in exasperation. "What is the news?"

"Oh," he trilled merrily. "That… I found that guy you were looking for."

House's ears perked up. "You did?"

"He's a seedy little bugger, that one," J. Terrance sneered.

House nodded. "Yeah."

"He's a little rude, kind of like you, but grossly not endowed with the cuteness gene. I so almost walked out of there," J. Terrance relayed haughtily.

"But you didn't, right?"

"No, I didn't," he sighed. "I have the address and phone number."

"Good, email them to me and I'll check it out when I get back," House told him.

"Get back? Where are you?" J. Terrance demanded.

"We're at the beach," House told him and found himself rolling his eyes while he spoke as if the silly little man needed to know their every move.

To House's surprise though, J. Terrance gasped in horror. "Do not, under any circumstance, let her get sunburned!"

"Yes, I know that," House grumbled. He was a doctor after all.

"She needs to be flawlessly even in skin tone. We have not picked out the dress yet and I don't want to see trashy, garish tan lines. Oh dear God, that screams Jersey Shore like a pair of neon pink sweatpants with 'princess' stamped across the booty!"

"Don't worry," House assured him, "She will not get burnt. Me on the other hand that's a different story."

"No! You too, I cannot have you dry up like a spinster's vagina," he exclaimed. "You're wrinkled enough already, Mr. October."

House caught himself laughing and then shook his head. Despite the wedding planner's amusing little diatribe, House was done with the conversation. He was on mini-vacation. "O- n-o. Y-r br-k-g…p," he barked. "Gotta go!" He slammed his phone shut just in time for Remy to return with the umbrella.

"Who was that?" she asked breathlessly as she leaned the heavy, awkward parcel against her leg.

"Oh, that was J. Terrance," he said. "He says that you absolutely cannot have any bimbo tan lines, so you should just go naked."

She clucked her tongue at him and rolled her eyes. "That's why I got the umbrella. Help me," she gestured for him to get up and assist her in putting it into the sand to stand upright. Once that chore was done, she sat down next to him and brushed the sand off her feet. Digging through their bag, she took out the sunscreen tube handing it to him. "Would you do the honors?"

She tucked her hair over one shoulder and then turned her back to him. Squeezing some of the white cream onto his hand, he began to rub it into her shoulders, then her arms and down her back. Her skin felt smooth and warm under his palms and the scent of coconuts tantalized his senses. Once he finished with her back, he pulled her to him and whispered in her ear. "Toasted coconut makes me want to lick you up like a creamy dessert."

Her hand clenched against his leg and she looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes a deep shade of slate. "If you're a good boy and eat all your dinner…"

"We may have to get a room," he said. "I might not make it home."

"We could do that," she smiled and took the tube, moving behind his back to return the favor. Her hands felt phenomenal against the tight muscles in his back and he began to relax into her touch. Soon they were finished greasing each other up and it was time to lie down and bake in the sun for while.

House fell asleep quickly in the heat and drifted off into a peaceful slumber. He woke when he felt Remy nudge him with her foot, telling him to turn over. She was leaning on her elbows as she lay on her stomach reading a book. Both strings to her bikini were untied. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun and her sunglasses reflected the bright sunlight. She looked like a movie star on the beach and House had to laugh. Touching his hand to the small of her back, he leaned over and kissed her shoulder. "You should roll over, your shoulders are getting red."

"Tie me?" she asked, placing her book down.

House tied the back while she held the front to her so she could roll onto her back. He watched her in amusement as she tucked her strings away under her armpits. He chuckled and traced his finger along the edge. "See, I told you you should have gone naked."

"Take me to Brazil and I will," she teased and trailed her fingers down his arm.

The sun was getting hot, and he needed a dip in the ocean to cool off. "I'm going to try the water," he told her.

"Do you need me to go with you?" she asked sweetly.

He shook his head. "No, once I get to the wet sand, it'll be fine. You keep reading. I'll be back later."

Carefully, without his cane, because it was virtually useless in the sand, House made his way to the shoreline. It was a little rough going without her to help balance him but he survived and was indeed fine once he got to the hard packed sand from the waves. The water was a little cool against his feet and it took a bit to adjust but once he felt confident he wasn't going to freeze his balls off, he dove in. The waves were gentle, slowly breaking over the shoreline as he swam out to where he could float if he wanted and touch his feet down if he needed. It was quiet. Peaceful. And it felt like he hadn't swam since he was a kid.

As he floated, unencumbered by gravity and aided by the buoyancy of the salt water, his mind drifted to a time when he remembered playing in the ocean during the year his dad was stationed in Hawaii. He was young and didn't remember much but he did recall that the waves were enormous. His mother worried because of the surfers coming in along the beach, but House remembered being amazed by the aerial tricks they were able to perform. It was as if they could defy gravity like the Silver Surfer comics he used to read.

Now that he thought about it, there had been quite a few times they had gone to the beach throughout his childhood. They went in California, Okinawa, Virginia and Pensacola, Florida. Thinking back, he recalled how much his mother used to love the beach. It was funny how he hadn't remembered that until now. Sometimes his dad would even go with them. Those were some of the few times the two actually had fun together. When he was really little, his dad would put him on his shoulders and carry him into the water because as a five year old, he was afraid of the vast ocean that lay beyond. House could remember the smell of his father's hair and the way his large, strong hands would grasp onto his legs, letting him know he wasn't going to fall. It had been a really long time since he felt that kind of respect for his father. It didn't wash away the hatred he still held, but it gave him some more insight to the fact that it wasn't all bad.

House floated for quite a while, alone and completely relaxed in the water. He looked up in time to see Remy splash out to him. She was shivering by the time she surfaced in front of him and he pulled her close to his body to warm her. Her wet hair slicked back along the shape of her head and her eyes were bright from the chill. She looked positively gorgeous.

"Oh my God! How have you been in here this long?" she exclaimed as she clutched onto his shoulders, lifting herself out of the tepid water. "It's freezing."

"Its not that bad once you get used to it," he chuckled.

"Oh, it is bad," she complained.

Taking advantage of the buoyancy of the water, he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He would never be able to do such a thing outside of the water and it felt fantastic to be able to hold her like that. Smiling, she draped her arms around the back of his neck and leaned her foreheads against his.

House pressed his lips to hers. She tasted of salt water mixed with her cherry lip balm and it made him smile. "I think we should find a place to stay tonight. We can get cleaned up, have dinner on the boardwalk and then come back to the beach for a couple of hours in the morning."

Her lips cracked into a deep smile. "That sounds like a amazing idea."

Yes, this was one of the best ideas they had had in a long time…