My work week was particularly busy, but here is a nice-sized chapter to make up for the lack of posting. This story now tops TWO HUNDRED PAGES! Wow. Who would have thought that my little pounded-out-ramble would turn into this massive story! I credit all of my reviewers with spurring me on, and I thank you most profusely once again!
Chapter 22
That first day passed faster than any in recent memory. House moved from clinic to diagnostics department with energy he hadn't felt in weeks. He was extra snarky to a man who came in concerned that his wife had given him an STD before admitting that he was the one who'd had an affair. He shut Cuddy down when she attempted to schedule him to work extra hours in the clinic. He was sarcastic and smug when his second diagnosis on the man in ICU turned out to be the correct one. All in all, a fulfilling day. The fact that Cameron's return had precipitated his good mood was something he noted dispassionately and filed away to be dealt with later.
Other members of the hospital staff were less circumspect.
"Look. He didn't rip any of us new assholes for a change, we saved the patient and we all look good. What the hell is your problem?" Foreman tossed his lab coat onto a chair in the conference room and fixed Chase with an aggravated stare.
"Yeah, we all look good," Chase replied snidely. "Some better than others."
"Jesus, are you back to that again? Cameron was right about the drug interaction! Would you prefer it if she'd missed it and Hodges had died? Or are you just pissed that you didn't catch it first?"
"I'm just saying that if one of us had caught it, House wouldn't have wasted one breath on it."
"What the hell are you talking about? All he said was 'well done'! It's not like he was fawning all over her like some lovesick puppy dog," Foreman shot back, his words pointed and laced with sarcasm.
Chase's scowl deepened and he tossed his files down on the table. "Fine. Whatever. You want to believe things aren't going to change around here, that's your prerogative. We'll see what you have to say in a week."
Foreman rolled his eyes. "The only change I'm hoping for is with you. Damn, House was less of a bastard than usual, but you've stepped right up to fill his shoes."
"Yeah, whatever you say, Foreman. I didn't see him telling her to go fetch and carry his clinical texts or run interference with Cuddy. No. He had her taking the patient's history and then doing all the procedures."
"Man, you are seriously wacked. It was her first day back! If you ask me, he had her doing all that to get back in the saddle again. But you go ahead and keep believing that it was some big plot to put her in the limelight. Just don't involve me in your conspiracy group. I'd like to keep my head, and my balls, thanks."
Chase snorted in disgust and shook his head. He was just gathering his jacket when House limped through the open door, satisfied look on his face.
"Leaving so soon, Chase?"
Foreman shot the younger doctor a warning glance and hoped it would have an effect.
"Patient's in recovery, paper work's done. Yes, I'm heading out."
House gave a curt nod. "Fine. See you bright and early tomorrow."
"As usual," Chase replied, managing to keep his feelings in check. He grabbed his gym bag and made a quick exit before House could say anything more.
After he was gone, House tilted his head towards the door with exaggerated expression. "So, did a koala climb up his ass and die, or is it just his time of the month?"
That remark got a brief chuckle out of Foreman.
"He'll get over it."
"He'd better. He's already screwed me once. It wouldn't take much for me to boot his Aussie ass to the curb," House said, all trace of humor, even sarcastic, gone.
"If you're looking for Cameron I think she's down in Cuddy's office signing one last form."
"Did I say I was looking for her?" House asked, although that was exactly what he'd been doing.
"No," Foreman said slowly. "I just assumed."
House cut in quickly. "Right. And you remember the old adage about assuming."
Foreman refrained from voicing his irritation. "Right. Sorry," he said shortly.
A quick nod of acceptance, and then House told him, "You were right. I was looking for her. But let's not start another rumor about that."
"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, once the patient is cured, we're off the clock, and your personal life is your business."
House looked at him thoughtfully, judging the truthfulness of his words and only slightly surprised to be met with a look of sincerity.
"Thanks," he said gruffly. "Have a good night."
"Will do, Dr. House. See you both in the morning." It was another assumption, but House didn't call him on it, in fact he only paused slightly and then set off again even faster, leaving Foreman behind with a sly grin on his face.
House returned to his office, went through the connecting door and scanned the area around Cameron's desk. Her pocketbook was slung over her chair and her keys were sitting next to her keyboard. He hadn't thought she'd leave without saying goodbye, but for some reason he'd needed that visual confirmation. He walked back through the door and sat down on the easy chair in the corner. His iPod was in his pocket and he put in the earphones and turned it on, scrolling through the songs until he hit an old jazz selection. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest.
A few minutes later he felt a slight breeze as the air current shifted, and then Cameron was sweeping into the room, her labcoat billowing out behind her, hair tucked into a hastily fastened bun, arms full of charts. She looked like she'd never left. For just the briefest instant a panic unlike any he'd ever felt wrapped itself around House's heart. She turned and smiled at him and his heart started beating again. In that single second he'd thought that he was waking up from a dream. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat.
"All done for the day?" he asked as he tucked the mp3 player back into his pocket.
"Yup," she replied, still smiling.
"What's with all the charts? You didn't work in the clinic today."
Cameron shrugged and balanced the folders against her hip. "Cuddy asked me to help with the charting."
House raised one eyebrow. "You're back one day and she already has you cleaning up after me?" he said. He knew immediately that those charts were the ones that he was supposed to be completing from his last shift at the clinic.
"I'm pretty sure she asked me because I'm the only one who can decipher your handwriting. Someone has to do it, and I don't mind."
He frowned and stood up, walking over to her and taking the files from her. "I mind. I'll do them myself."
The moment of silence that followed was uncomfortable, and Cameron was the one to break it.
"You never used to complain about someone else doing your grunge work. A month ago you probably would have left those on my desk yourself."
"Yeah, well, times change. I enjoy reliving the most annoying parts of my day now… makes me feel glad to be alive. You wouldn't want to deny me that, would you?"
She didn't answer and he followed her to her desk where she took off her lab coat and gathered up her things. "It felt good to be back," she said, contented smile back in place. "Today was a really good day."
"And just think. It isn't over yet," House quipped. "Do you want to go out to eat or come back to my place?"
The question was asked in a completely normal and easy-going way, as if going out together was something they had been doing for years rather than days. That fact seemed to startle him, in hindsight, and his face tightened up slightly while his mind wrapped around what his mouth had just done.
Cameron studiously avoided looking at him by searching through her pocketbook as if counting her credit cards and taking inventory of the single earrings tangled at the bottom of the bag were suddenly very important tasks that needed tending to.
"Actually," she said slowly, keeping with his light tone of voice, "I thought I'd just head home. It's been a long day."
It was as if she had answered him in another language, and House squinted a bit and one corner of his mouth slanted up in confusion before he gave himself a shake and settled his features into a semblance of affable nonchalance. "Right. Long day. Very true."
Cameron looked up then, hearing something in his voice that wasn't actually there, and yet was there even in its absence. "It's not you," she rushed to reassure him. "I just need to get my feet back under me. I need to spend a few days adjusting. To everything. I think you do too."
"Me? I'm perfectly content. Couldn't be contenter. Contentest person I know."
She smirked at him. "House, you just offered to do your own charting. That's not you. It's really, really sweet, but it's also strange and a little unnerving."
Strong fingers clenched around hard wood. If that little piss-ant had said something to Cameron he was going to wish he'd never left Sydney. "Are you saying that I need to treat you more like crap when we're at the hospital? Because it's not my fault you didn't give me any openings today. If you'd screwed up I might have been able to accommodate you."
"No… I know you won't have any problem doing that," she said with a sarcastic lilt. House still looked confused and a little irritated, and Cameron released a sigh. "I wanted you and I wanted to work here, and now it looks like I have them both," she said, attempting to explain. "I should be feeling great, but it makes me nervous." The smile gradually faded. "Like it won't last."
"Unfortunately I don't come with a lifetime guarantee," House said with a touch of bitterness.
"I know that," she countered. "I guess that's why I just need a little while to come to terms with everything. I need to feel like things are sort of back to normal here, and then I can put here and home together."
"And here Wilson accused me of being afraid of change." The bitterness was more pointed now, and Cameron heard it clearly.
"I'm sorry," she said, hoping that her eyes were saying what her words were obviously failing to convey.
His shoulders slumped and he leaned more heavily on his cane. Damn it. She was probably right. No one had said anything to him, but he had seen the looks flying from Chase, and he knew Cuddy would be keeping a hawk's eye on the department. They both needed to reclaim their old working relationship. It had been lop-sided and slightly dysfunctional, but it had worked. Damn her for being rational. That was supposed to be his job. And maybe that was the point. They both needed a few days to assume their old roles without fear of hurting each other.
The grumbling sound that rose from his chest was mixed with words that were all rushed together but seemed to be: "Fine, drive safe then. I'll see you tomorrow."
He turned around and headed for the door.
"Hey, wait up," Cameron called after him. "I never said you couldn't walk me to my car."
House angled his head back without actually turning it enough to see her. "You park farther away than I do," he snarked.
She laughed. "Fine. Then I'll walk you to your car," she said as she caught up with him.
They walked side by side without touching or talking. Down the hallway, around the corner, into the elevators. The steel doors slid shut and House used his cane to press the button for the underground garage. Cameron had slipped her hand into his before the car started its descent. By the time they reached the garage House had tightened his grip and decided not to let go until absolutely necessary.
Thursday night and Cameron stepped under the hot spray of her shower, surprised at how tired she was. She'd always thought that the phrase 'TGIF' was corny and overused, but she was developing a new appreciation for it. Her mouth tightened into a little pout, annoyed with her waning stamina. A couple of months off and now she felt like a first year intern. She hoped it wouldn't take as long to hit her stride this time as it had then. A distinct memory of surviving on coffee and Mountain Dew flashed through her mind. She was pretty sure that House wouldn't approve if she went back to such a diet.
The warm water was perfect for easing her tense muscles and she let it sluice over her body long after she'd finished washing. With both hands braced against the tiles, and head drooping forward, she breathed deeply and let the feeling of relaxation seep into every pore. By the time she finally turned the water off her fingers had begun to wrinkle and she couldn't keep from giggling. It had been a long time since that had happened.
She grabbed her robe on the way out of the bathroom and shrugged into it as she crossed the hall and entered her bedroom. The bed was still neatly made from that morning, with her cotton pajamas bottoms laid across the foot of the bed along with a black t-shirt. She picked up the shirt and held it against her face for a long moment. It belonged to House, but she had managed to smuggle it out of his place after her last visit. His scent still lingered on it, but now it was mixed with her own. Spice and musk, tropical fruit and aftershave. Cameron smiled as she breathed it in, then dropped her robe and slipped the shirt over her head. It fell well below the sensual curve of her rear end, and she didn't really need the cotton pants, but she pulled them on anyway and then went back to the bathroom to hang up her robe and get the knots out of her hair.
Long dark hair slicked through her comb sending little droplets of water flying off to dot the mirror. Something else in the mirror caught her eye and she stopped for a minute and leaned forward, looking at her own reflection. Her eyes had always been a tricky shade; looking grey in some lights and deep blue in others, but it wasn't the color that held her attention now. It was the look within them. Just a subtle change really, and maybe it wasn't even there, but she swore she could see contentment in their depths.
It wasn't perfect contentment however, and she knew what was keeping that just out of reach. The week had sped by and work had been invigorating and challenging. She'd loved being back at the hospital. It had felt like old home week, with everything falling gradually back into place. House still pushed her just like always, and if he was a little bit more gentle when they were alone, well even that seemed natural. As natural as the way they walked out of the hospital each evening, hand-in-hand. No, work had been fine. The thing keeping her from being perfectly happy was that House wasn't behind her towel drying her hair and kissing the back of her neck.
She had only herself to blame for that. Internally she had made a deal with herself that she would go one week without him. One week of being perfectly professional and getting her bearings back at the hospital. Lips parted with a sigh. TGIF indeed.
Blinking, she stood up straight again and pulled the comb through one more time before picking up a small scarf and using it to tie her hair back. She knew it was still dripping damply against her shirt, but she wasn't in the mood to spend any more time on it. A quick look around the bathroom to make sure everything was put away and then she flicked off the light and headed towards the kitchen.
A sharp rap on her door froze her in her steps and after one more rap she pivoted quickly on her heel and hurried to the door. Only one thing sounded like that against her door.
"House," she breathed out his name in a rush.
He was standing there with cane in midair and a paper-bag in the other. Bright blue eyes scanned up and down her slender form. "You really do need to learn how to dry your own hair. You're dripping all over my shirt."
A slow grin spread across her face. "My shirt now. Finders keepers."
"Finders keepers? If I recall correctly, you found that shirt at my house. I think that equates to 'stealers keepers'. I should probably call the cops, but I may be willing to settle out of court."
Cameron raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?"
He held up the bag. "Yes. Have dinner with me and we'll just forget the whole nasty business."
How could she resist? She backed up and let him into the apartment then closed and locked the door behind him. He didn't miss the significance of that. He wouldn't be leaving until morning.
"I thought we agreed to take a little time apart," she said with only the mildest rebuke in her tone.
"Yeah, but we never actually settled on how little that time was going to be," House said with a lopsided grin that faded almost instantly. "Anyway, if I recall correctly, that was a rather one-sided agreement. I felt it was time to renegotiate, and it's always best to bring something to the bargaining table."
Cameron's grin widened into a warm smile. "Italian?" she guessed.
"From that little place by the river," House told her.
"I loved that place."
"I know."
His mouth twitched into something resembling a smile again and then he led the way to her kitchen. Cameron followed after him, glad that one of them had called an end to their enforced time apart. It had been a good idea, but it had served its purpose.
Within a few minutes they were both seated at the table scooping pasta, chicken, vegetables and creamy alfredo sauce out of styrofoam boxes. Freshly baked rolls tumbled out of wax paper, and the scent of minestrone soup wafted from a plastic container. There was a brief dueling of forks over the last piece of chicken, and Cameron had to slap House's hand away from her buttered roll.
"There's another one right there!" she said, pointing.
"I know, but this one's all buttery already," House argued.
Cameron rolled her eyes but pushed it towards him and picked up the other roll for herself. House chuckled as he brought it to his mouth.
"You're easy," he said around a bite of warm bread, forgetting for a second how that might sound.
The smug little look on her face told him he didn't have anything to worry about. "Oh, you'll see how easy I am after dinner," she said, and he had no doubt that he would be enjoying that experience immensely.
Conversation drifted from topic to topic, but kept returning to the hospital.
"I'm glad you convinced me to come back," Cameron said thoughtfully as they cleared away the take-out containers and china.
"Don't you mean 'tricked'?" House asked.
She gave him an exasperated look. "Okay, that too, but don't try it again."
The humor slipped from his face and he bent to kiss her cheek. "I won't," he said, not even sure if he would be able to stick to that promise but determined to at least try. "I brought a DVD," he said as he pulled away and went back to the table for the last of the dishes.
"Let me guess. The Best of General Hospital?"
"Very funny. No," he replied with a characteristic smirk. "American Choppers. Trust me. You'll love it."
Cameron shook her head and laughed before turning on the water and starting on the dishes.
House was actually right. She had really enjoyed the DVD. Something about fast cars and faster motorcycles always caught her interest. It was surprising really, because from the outside she certainly didn't look the type. She snuggled against House's side, with her feet tucked underneath her and imagined what it would feel like to be riding down the highway with her arms wrapped around his waist and the wind whipping past them, taking all of their inhibitions with it.
"Cameron? Wake up. You can't sleep here on the sofa."
His soft voice roused her from a sleep she couldn't remember falling into. "Wha… what time is it?"
"Almost eleven," House answered. "You must be exhausted."
Now that her head was no longer tucked against his chest he was able to stand up and offer his hand down to her.
"Time for bed."
She blinked a few times and her senses returned to her. "You're not leaving, are you?" she asked as she took his hand.
"Nope. You already locked the door," he said with a wink. "No way for me to escape now."
He pulled her to her feet and the two of them walked down the hall to her bedroom. Cameron's sleep-addled limbs caused her to limp nearly as much as House, and she was just getting her balance back when they reached their destination. She let out a long breath as she crawled between the cool sheets and rolled over to face House. She wasn't watching him, but she liked to be able to open her eyes and see him there.
"Looks like I'm going to have to see how easy you are another time, Rip Van Winkle," he teased as he joined her under the sheets.
Her eyes were closed but she smiled an apology. "Sorry about that. Raincheck?"
"Deal." He placed a soft kiss on her lips as if to seal it, and the touch of Cameron's hand coming up to rub his cheek almost made him forget that she needed her sleep.
"Thank you for staying tonight."
"Not exactly a hardship."
"I know, but thanks anyway."
House watched as her eyes opened, revealing her gratitude.
"You've been having nightmares."
"Just a couple."
"You should have called."
"That sort of would have defeated the purpose of maintaining our distance."
He stared at her unflinchingly. "Next time, call."
Her soft fingers were a paradox against his rough stubble as she followed a line from jaw to chin. "I will."
"Good." He kissed her again, the matter settled, and Cameron rolled over and turned out the light.
His arm around her stomach came as a surprise and she stroked it lightly. "I missed you too," she said quietly, and then her eyes drifted shut on a dream of wind and speed and warmth.
