Chapter 55
Cameron was jarred awake by the sound of her telephone ringing early Sunday morning. She lifted House's arm away from her waist quickly, so that she could roll over and reach the phone before he woke up.
"Hello …" she said quietly.
"Cameron, its Foreman. How's House this morning?"
"He had a good night … I checked him hourly, his pupils are good, his pulse and BP are normal … why?"
"I just can't stop thinking about how moody he was yesterday. Can you bring him down to the hospital for another CT scan? I just want to check his brain for any signs of swelling or bleeding."
"Do you think that's necessary Foreman … he won't like it."
"I know Cameron, but the thing about House is he's always moody, so I can't tell whether there's something wrong with him physically or whether he's just in pain, bored or cranky. I don't want to take a chance on anything going wrong and I know you don't either. If you can be here in an hour, I'll get him right in and then you can take him home if he's okay."
"All right Foreman, we'll be there. I just don't know how I'll get him to do it."
"He'll do anything for you Cameron …. just be firm with him. Besides, if he doesn't agree to this, then I won't give my okay for him to go to the Ball."
o0o0o
"No way, Allison … I'm not going." House said stubbornly, his jaw clenched.
"Please Greg, Foreman thinks that it would be a good idea and so do I." pleaded Cameron.
"Listen to me … you know how you always say that I should have faith that you're always looking out for my best interests? Well it's time for you to have some faith in me." Cameron said adamantly.
"I love you and I want to spend my life with you. I don't know what the future holds for us; whether we'll marry, live together, have a family … I don't know. The only thing I know for sure is that I want you by my side forever and I'm not going to lose you just because you were too stubborn to get that noggin of yours x-rayed. We're going and that's that." Cameron waited for House's rebuttal but none came.
"Okay." said House, "let's go and get it over with … but I'm okay … you'll see…"
o0o0o
House and Cameron sat alone in the hallway outside x-ray waiting for Foreman to bring the test results.
"Happy Valentine's Day …" House said, looking at Cameron.
"Awww … Happy Valentine's Day Greg …I love you." Cameron said, giving House a kiss. "Thank you for doing this for me."
"You're welcome. Did you mean what you said earlier?"
"What did I say?"
"You said that you didn't know whether we would live together or get married and maybe have kids someday."
"Yes … I meant it. We've only decided that we want to stay together, but we haven't talked about what that means … why?"
"Have you really thought about marrying me and having a family?" asked House.
"Sure … it's normal to wonder about those things when you fall in love, but that's something we'd have to decide together. We don't have to Greg … I just want to be with you." Cameron said quietly, feeling very vulnerable.
"I've thought about it ..." House said, looking at Cameron seriously," I can imagine having a beautiful little Allison running around, but another me … that would be scary." House grinned at the thought.
"I don't think that it would be so bad …" Cameron said, looking into House's eyes. House leaned down and gave her a long lingering kiss.
"I love you …" House breathed a sigh of relief.
She's thought about marrying me … maybe she'll say yes …
o0o0o
"Good news House, Cameron … your x-rays don't show any sign of bleeding or swelling in your brain. Come take a look." House got up to study the films with Foreman as Cameron struggled to hold back her tears of relief.
"Yep, the noggin looks good Foreman. Can I go home and celebrate Valentine's Day with my lovely lady now?"
"Absolutely House, but I want you to rest until it's time to leave tonight and take at least a week off work and Cameron you can cut back on the checks now, once every six to eight hours should be fine."
"Thanks Foreman." House said, shaking Foreman's hand.
"You're welcome House, see you later."
o0o0o
When they returned to the apartment, Cameron helped House back into bed.
"I forgot to ask Foreman how his date with Kym went last night." Cameron said shaking her head. "It's too bad the girls are going back home on Tuesday."
"Yea, I think it's going to be hard on Chase, he's really fallen for Meggie" House said, pulling Cameron in close next to him.
"You're quite the matchmaker Greg, I'm surprised you noticed."
"It's hard not to, but I feel bad for him; I can't figure out what's going on with Foreman and Kym."
"Me neither, I think maybe it's too soon after his break-up with Wendy. Lisa told the girls that she would give them jobs if they ever wanted to move here."
"That was nice of her." House said stroking Cameron's hair.
"Yes, it was … I wonder how James and Lisa made out last night."
"We'll know soon … what time's your hair appointment?"
"At one… they'll be over around noon, which reminds me, I'd better have a shower. Would you like to have another bubble bath?" Cameron offered.
"Maybe in a bit, if that's all right."
"Sure it is, sweetie, I won't be long." As soon as House heard Cameron turn on the tap, he reached under the bed and pulled out her chocolates and card and propped the box of chocolates up with Cameron's pillow.
House looked at the card and realized that this was the first time in his adult life he had ever given a Valentine's Day card … and he didn't have a clue what to do. Should he try and write something or just sign his name; he thought for a few minutes and decided to keep it simple. House slid the card into its envelope as he thought where to put it and when he saw the teddy bear, he knew what to do. Cameron loved the bear so much that it had taken up semi-permanent residence between their two pillows so House tucked the card so that teddy was holding it in his paws.
Cameron walked into the bedroom in her robe, wrapping a towel around her wet hair when she spotted her gifts.
"Just wait …" Cameron ran out of the room and returned with a card and a present for House. "Now we can open our cards together."
House read Cameron's beautiful card and then watched as she read his. When she leaned over to kiss him, he could see tears in her eyes.
"Did I do, okay?" he asked.
"It's a lovely card and I especially liked what you wrote inside." Cameron smiled as she read House's message out loud.
Dear Allison,
Please be my Valentine for the rest of our lives …
Love, Greg
"And these chocolates are for you…" smiled House.
"Thank you, that's the biggest box I've ever seen …" Cameron said looking down a bit sadly at the considerably smaller box she had bought for House, " I'm sorry Greg, I should have picked a bigger box for you, but I hope you like them anyway."
"They're perfect and you know it's just as well you didn't get me a really big box, because I bet you'll want to share yours with me…" grinned House.
Cameron looked at House as they sampled their chocolates.
"You look happier today, do you feel better?"
"I feel a lot better and don't tell Foreman, but I'm glad I went for the x-ray; you guys were starting to worry me." confessed House.
"I'm sorry Greg; it's just that you weren't your normal self yesterday."
"I know … "House said, choosing another chocolate from Cameron's box, "do you feel like helping me with my bath before Wilson comes?"
"Sure I do… let's go."
Cameron helped House into the tub and ran the bath water, adding lots of bubble bath for good measure.
"Would you like to join me?"
"Oh Greg, I don't know, it's a small tub and I've already had my shower." smiled Cameron.
"You're a small girl, let's try." Cameron slipped off her robe and looked at House, trying to figure out what to do.
House could tell what she was thinking and lifted up his bad leg onto the edge of the tub to make room for Cameron to sit facing him and then she rested her legs on him as he tucked his in around her.
"See I knew it would work." House said leaning forward to kiss her.
Cameron leaned back against the tub and closed her eyes and sighed.
"This is so relaxing, isn't it?"
House smiled, looking at her breasts bobbing in the water and grabbed two handfuls of bubbles and playfully began to make a bubble bra for Cameron.
"Thirty seconds… "Cameron muttered, not opening her eyes.
"Thirty seconds?" House asked.
"That's how long I knew it would take you to do that to me …" laughed Cameron.
"Really, I'm that predictable …. well how about this?" House said. He slipped a hand under her hips and lifted Cameron so that she was floating on the surface and then made her a matching bikini bottom with the bubbles."
"That too …" smiled Cameron.
"Okay …" said House, as he bent down and began to blow away his latest work.
Cameron trembled as she felt his breath flow over her sensitive skin; the lapping of the warm water against her body made her gasp with pleasure as she felt his scruff brush against her.
"Now that is original …" Cameron whispered, barely able to speak.
House smiled.
o0o0o
Shortly after noon, Cuddy and Wilson arrived and the girls headed off to get their hair done. Wilson hung House's tux up in the bedroom closet and then settled in for a visit.
"You appear to be in better spirits today …"
"I am. Did Allison tell you about my CT scan?"
"Yes, she called me from the hospital. That was a good thing to do."
"House you didn't just take a bite of that chocolate and put it back in the box, did you?"
"I don't like the ones with nuts in them …" pouted House, "I have to find a good one…" he said taking a bite out of another chocolate, "ah … this one's better … do you want one ?" House said offering the box to his friend.
Wilson just shook his head in amazement and changed the subject.
"Are you excited about tonight?"
"Yes and nervous … I hope that Allison says yes …"
"She will House, I'm sure … she loves you. When are you going to ask her?"
"I don't know yet … I'm hoping that it will come to me … I have to do it before midnight, her ring's engraved with today's date; what do you think I should do?"
"Oh … that's a hard one House … I've always favoured doing it in private, in case things didn't go well…."
"Were you ever turned down?" House asked curiously.
"No …" Wilson laughed, "I was always good at the engagements House, it was the marriages that gave me trouble."
"I'm sorry Wilson … I do know one thing, I have to get down on my knee somehow, I think I should do that part."
"Yea … girls like that House." smiled Wilson.
"So you're sure then … no second thoughts?"
"I'm sure … but enough about me, how are you feeling?" asked House.
"I'm fine … why do you ask?"
"Oh, I just heard that you required the services of a private nurse last night." smirked House.
A big smile lit up Wilson's face. "Yes … that would be true."
"So … tell me … I want details … what did Cuddy wear?"
"House … I'm not going to tell you what we did … that's private, but I think that she wore pretty much the same thing as Cameron, the little nurse's dress and cap."
"I know that part Wilson … what did she wear with it?"
"The usual … bra, panties …"
"You can do better than that Wilson …"
"Okay … um … everything was white; she wore high heels and stockings with a
satin garter belt and bikini panties and a little bra …"
"Cool … the last time we did it, Allison wore red underneath … it was so hot … I'm glad you had a good time.
Hey, do you want to see my latest present?" House asked eagerly. "It on the back of the chair, over there."
Wilson walked over and picked up the pink see-through baby doll nightie.
"Whoa … this was your present … I've always wanted my girlfriends to wear one, but they never did … this is truly a gift, my friend …" Wilson said enviously.
o0o0o
"So what did you and Wilson talk about while we were out?"
"Mostly ladies underwear …"
"You what?" laughed Cameron.
"Wilson told me what Cuddy wore with her nurse's uniform, do you want me to tell you?" offered House.
"I already know Greg … I helped her pick it out, remember?"
"You didn't tell me that part …" whined House.
"Well we were busy …"
"Oh yeah … well anyway they had a good time. Can you ask Lisa to buy a nightie like yours? Wilson really liked it. He wants one."
"You showed him my nightie?" Cameron asked in astonishment.
"Well, technically, it's my nightie, you bought if for me." grinned House.
"True …" said Cameron as she helped House tie his bow tie, "I'll see what I can do to encourage Lisa." Cameron turned and handed House a small box.
"Greg, I have a little Valentine's gift for you."
House tore off the shiny gold wrapping paper and found a Tiffany's box inside.
"What is this Allison?"
"Open it and see. You aren't the only one who shops at Tiffany's." teased Cameron.
House opened the box and took out a magnificent pair of titanium and silver Tiffany cuff links.
"I thought that they would be perfect with your tux and your new dress shirts Greg, do you like them?" Cameron said hopefully.
"They're amazing, Allison, I love them. Titanium is so cool … thank you angel … it's the nicest present anyone has ever given me." House said, kissing Cameron.
"Let's see how they look …"
Cameron helped House put on the cuff links and beamed when she saw how good they looked; she smiled as she watched House admire them in the mirror.
"I'm going to get dressed now … I won't be long."
House paced back and forth in the living room as he waited for Cameron, checking and re-checking his pocket for her ring.
"I'm all ready … do I look all right?"
House stood still as she walked in the room. He had seen her in the dress before, but those times paled in comparison to the way she looked tonight.
Cameron wore her hair up, with tendrils floating softly to her shoulders and her hairdresser had tucked delicate crystal flower pins throughout her hair. She had taken great care with her make-up; her sultry eye shadow brought out the colour of her lovely green eyes and her ruby red lips just begged to be kissed.
Every time House saw Cameron, he never thought that she could be more beautiful, but he was wrong … again. She was radiant tonight, out-sparkling her diamond necklace and she took his breath away.
"You're exquisite …" House said softly, as he pulled her into his arms. "May I kiss you?" Cameron's parted lips were his answer. He kissed her softly, gently tasting her and inhaling her intoxicating scent.
Cameron smiled as they parted and gently wiped some lipstick from his lips, she stepped back to admire House.
"I have never seen you look more handsome, Greg."
She loved the way he looked. The black tuxedo and tails accentuated his long lean body and House's crisp white shirt and creamy white bow tie and cummerbund were perfect; classic and elegant. He had chosen his outfit carefully; he wanted to look the best he could for Cameron tonight.
"Well I think your chariot awaits, my dear … ", House said, glancing at the waiting limo outside Cameron's apartment. Cameron freshened up her lipstick and then waited as House helped her on with her coat.
"Are you ready to go, angel?" smiled House as he offered Cameron his arm.
"I'm ready ... Greg?"
"What is it sweetheart?"
"I love you … this has been the best Valentine's Day of my life." smiled Cameron.
"I love you too …" smiled House, and the best is yet to come …
tbc …
