Chapter 35

It was a particularly chilly Halloween night. The snow was falling down in sheets, as it had been all day long, and trick-or-treaters were running rampant in search of candy, as they had been all night long. The employees and benefactors of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital were also enjoying a rather sweet Halloween night; they were all attending a party designed to raise money for the hospital.

The hospital ballroom was already packed with guests eating, drinking, talking, and dancing. Most of them were dressed in formal or semi-formal attire, but the occasional person here and there had also added a touch of Halloween spirit to his or her outfit. Some women wore Halloween jewelry; some men wore Halloween ties. Some people were even dressed in inconspicuous costumes that blended in well with the formal attire. In fact, everyone on the guest list had already arrived—everyone except one that is.

After running home for a few hours to sleep, watch TV, and change clothes, House returned to the hospital wearing a dark red collared shirt with a black jacket, black pants, and black shoes. He even brought his formal black cane with the silver handle. He was determined to enjoy his night (even though he would probably never tell anyone that he was enjoying himself), so he made his way over to the table at which his best friend was sitting.

Wilson was sitting at a small round table with Cuddy and Rachel. They had saved a seat for House and were happy to see that he had finally arrived.

House sat down next to Wilson and inspected the attire of his friends. Cuddy was wearing a sleeveless evening gown. It was black and appeared to have many different layers because it frilled several times below her waist. She was also wearing a set of black pearls around her neck that added a touch of elegance and darkness to her outfit. Wilson was wearing a dark brown suit with a black shirt underneath. He opened his jacket via two large buttons (which he had added to appear subtly as doorknobs) and revealed that his black shirt was actually decorated with the white designs of bones.

"I'm a skeleton in the closet," he joked. "Get it?"

"Is that supposed to mean you're gay or something?" asked House.

Wilson rolled his eyes and turned to Cuddy. "He doesn't get it."

Truth be told, House did get it. He just couldn't pass up the opportunity to call Wilson gay.

Cuddy laughed at the two boys and picked Rachel up from her seat because she was fussing over something. She was wearing an adorable, but not over-the-top, bumblebee costume complete with a black and yellow skirt that even gave her a sense of beauty at the party. To House, though, her bumblebee outfit looked like one of those ridiculous costumes that kids only wear because they're too young to have any say in the matter.

"Why'd you bring her?" asked House.

Cuddy seemed almost offended by his question, but she quickly realized that she shouldn't have expected any better of him. "Because she's my daughter," she responded, "and because I love her and because I know she can behave herself."

"Obviously not," replied House, referring to Rachel's minor fussing. "Besides, there aren't any other kids here."

"She's just a baby, House," said Cuddy, "it's not like she's going to be running around the place wreaking havoc."

"But if that were an issue, you wouldn't have invited House," joked Wilson.

House still wasn't convinced, though.

"Relax, House," said Wilson. "She can't even walk without one of us helping her."

House briefly narrowed his eyes at the words "one of us" because they seemed to imply that Wilson was fathering her. He judged Cuddy's response to this statement, but she seemed to have not even noticed it, and if she had noticed it, she didn't really care. House dismissed the thought and returned his attention to the party. "Is it an open bar or a cash bar?"

Cuddy rolled her eyes upon hearing of House's greatest interest. "If you get drunk, we aren't giving you a ride home, you know," she replied. "I don't want Rachel staying up too late, especially if it means having to be around you while you're drunk."

"Well, if you didn't want her staying up late around me, then why'd you bring her here?" he snarked back.

Cuddy shook her head. "I'm serious! I don't want to have to put up with your crap tonight if you get drunk, and we drove together, so don't count on Wilson giving you a ride either."

House rolled his eyes but knew that if he truly did get drunk, he could count on his friends for a ride home.

Cuddy only validated House's suspicions when she finally responded, "It's an open bar."

House wiggled his eyebrows and immediately left the table without as much as a word. He walked over to the open bar on the other side of the room but stopped suddenly when he saw who was sitting at it: Cameron. She was the only person sitting at the small bar (most people preferred to take drinks back to their tables), and she was wearing a metallic purple evening gown that wrapped tightly around her chest and waist but then fell loosely over her legs. A small pair of pale blue and lavender fairy wings tied around her shoulders made her yet another person with a subtle costume. He could even see a small silver clip holding part of her shimmering blonde hair back. She looked exquisite, as always. He wasn't sure if he should go over and sit with her, take a drink back to his table, or just completely avoid her. After much contemplation, he finally decided on the first option.

"Too bad," he began as he took a seat next to her, "I was hoping for a nurse's costume, or maybe a French maid's outfit."

Cameron nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. She hadn't been expecting him. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?" he asked as he ordered a drink from the bartender.

Cameron rolled her eyes. She obviously knew why he was at the bar, but the party was another question. "I'm surprised you came."

"It's not like I haven't come to these things before."

Cameron shrugged. "The only time you showed up for a benefit was when poker was involved," she claimed, "and as I remember it, you ended up leaving that party for a patient."

"Duty called," he replied.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "No it didn't," she said. "If it hadn't been for you obsessing over an old case, then—"

"—we never would have saved the kid," he finished for her. He knew that she was going to tell him that under different circumstances, the child's case never would have interested him.

Cameron had to give him that one. His obsessions had been productive that time. "Fine," she forfeited, "but there's no poker and no patient at this party, so why did you come?"

"What's more interesting is why you're over here drinking by yourself while Chase is over there talking with Foreman and Thirteen." He turned around to look at the table of doctors.

Cameron looked at them, too, but only as a reflex to House doing so. She quickly returned her attention to the drink in her hands. She began swirling the amber liquid around in circles. "What do you want?" she asked, still keeping her eyes on the alcoholic beverage.

He wanted to know why she was sitting at the bar alone, but he knew he'd never get an answer from her. He needed a new approach. "I just thought I'd let you know that my offer still stands if you're interested."

Cameron was about to ask him which offer he was referring to, but she figured that he was offering her a job again. She rolled her eyes and looked up at him, slightly annoyed. "We've already been through this," she stated. "I don't want my job back."

House shook his head. He didn't believe her. "Yes you do," he asserted. "Chase doesn't want you to take your job back."

"Is it so wrong to want to make my husband happy?"

"He's not happy," argued House.

Cameron shook her head. "You don't know—"

"If he were happy, he'd be over here drinking with you," he said, "or you'd be over there talking with him. Neither of you are happy."

Cameron frowned at his observation because she knew that it was true, but she refused to give up that easily. "And if I take my job back, neither of us will ever be happy," she claimed. "We're doing better now that I'm off the team."

"Yeah," he agreed sarcastically, "it sure looks that way."

Cameron was growing increasingly frustrated and annoyed with him. She downed the rest of her drink and hopped off of the bar stool. She turned to House before walking away. "Happy Halloween," she stated rather resentfully as she returned to her table with Chase, Foreman, and Thirteen.

House was angered with himself. He had been trying to figure her out, but he kept getting in his own way. He just couldn't stop himself from being a jerk for one second. As Cameron had done, he quickly downed the rest of his drink. He didn't return to his table, though. No, he simply ordered another drink and continued on that pattern for the remainder of the night.

Wilson and Cuddy stopped by to tell him goodnight. They were going home. As suspected, Wilson offered House a ride, but he refused. Wilson was slightly concerned that his friend wasn't thinking clearly, but he knew that if worse came to worst, he could simply sleep in his office for the night. With that thought reassuring him, Wilson bid House a good night and a happy Halloween as he, Cuddy, and Rachel left for the evening.

House remained at the bar, even after his friends had left. He wasn't drinking nearly as much as Wilson thought he was, though. No, he was just making his drinks last. He probably would have been fine to drive the short distance to his house, but he wouldn't have to.

Cameron walked up behind him and leaned her arm on the bar. "You're still drinking?"

"You really are observant," he joked. "It's too bad those skills of observation are being wasted in the ER."

"I don't want my job back," shot Cameron as she shook her head. She looked back at Chase, who was preparing to leave, and she let out a small sigh of annoyance. "Look," she began, "Chase and I are leaving soon. Do you want a ride?" She knew that she would regret it, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she left without asking him. It was still snowing outside, and she knew that it would be dangerous for him to drive himself.

House looked up at Cameron, slightly surprised by her question. He looked over his shoulder at Chase and thought about what to say. He probably didn't need a ride, so he shook his head.

Cameron frowned. "House," she urged him, "it's still snowing outside, and you've been drinking all night."

House contemplated the reasons that Cameron could possibly have for wanting to give him a ride so badly. He didn't want to disappoint her, and he was secretly interested in her motives, so he finally agreed.

Cameron heaved a sigh of relief and told him to get his things so they could leave.

House did as he was told, and when he was finally ready to go, he followed Cameron and Chase out of the ballroom.

"Don't forget your candy bags!" exclaimed a nurse who had volunteered to help Cuddy with the benefit by handing out complementary goody bags that were supposed to play along with the Halloween theme. She handed one to Chase, and Cameron took two—one for her and one for House. She knew he wouldn't want to carry his own.

With their candy bags in hand, the three doctors exited the hospital and entered the freezing air outside. They quickly made their way to Chase's car and got inside. Chase drove with Cameron in the front passenger seat, and House took the back seat. He sat behind Chase just so he could study Cameron as they drove to his apartment. The car ride was awkwardly silent, and House wondered if it was because of his presence or if all car rides between Chase and Cameron were like this. Cameron stared out the window for the entire ride, but House noticed that she would occasionally look in the back to check on him. She seemed genuinely concerned. He couldn't decide if she was concerned because it was him or if she would be just as concerned about anybody. He knew that the latter was probably true, but he told himself that it was the former.

When they finally arrived at his apartment, House got out of the car and tried to walk to his front door but slipped on some ice. Luckily, he grabbed the car door and caught himself before falling.

Cameron mistook House's stumble for one of drunken imbalance and decided to help him. "I'm just going to help him inside," she told Chase as she got out of the car. "I'll be right back." She walked carefully to House's side and put his arm around her shoulder for support.

House knew that he'd only slipped on ice and didn't need her help, but he didn't question her or refuse her assistance. Instead, he looked down into her eyes and had a feeling that the night was all but over.