"Rules of Engagement"

Chapter two-Invitation Only

Author's Note-I am happy to see some of my regular reviewers from the prequel are reviewing, but I don't see much new guys/girls! I would think this fic woud get more readers then the first.. but that isn't happening. I can't complain though. Please read and review! It takes less then a minute but means the world to authors like me!

EDITED: August 10, 2005

"We're engaged," Cameron announced over the phone.

"Oh my god! Congratulations!" squealed Cuddy from the other end, pretending like she didn't know that was going to happen.

"I'm so happy, I don't even know what to do with myself."

"What you should do is start thinking about the wedding. I don't know, maybe plan the thing."

"You're right. We haven't discussed anything yet. The date, the place, the time…" she said in a worried tone.

"Don't get stressed about it now. You're not getting married next week. So, when would you want it?"

"Well, having it on our one year anniversary would be cute. That's in March."

"Ekk. The weather in March is…well, cold."

"But a summer wedding is so ordinary."

"And a non-ordinary couple should have a non-ordinary wedding," Cuddy snickered.

Cameron chose not to comment on that, "I've always liked spring weddings."

"March is spring. Well, some of it, anyway."

"I meant like April or May."

"That sounds fine."

"There's so much more to do, though. I have to start thinking up the guest list and picking the bridesmaids…speaking of which, how would you like to be my maid of honor?"

"Ally, you don't have to do that."

"No, I want to. You're my closest female friend."

"Well, I would love to. I think you should talk it over with your new fiancé," she said, and Cameron grinned at the word 'fiancé', liking the way it sounded.

"It's my decision, not his. Oh, speak of the devil, he just woke up."

"It's almost noon. Talk about a late sleeper."

"Let's just say we had a long night."

Cuddy laughed. "Spare me the details, please."

House was now walking into the living room in just his boxers and a pair of pants on loosely over them. Cameron was stretched out across the couch with her ear glued to the phone. He rolled his eyes and tried to take the phone from her. After much protest on her behalf, he managed to wrench it from her grasp.

"Hello Doctor Cuddy!" House said into the phone while fighting off Cameron, who struggled for the phone.

"Hello Doctor House!" She replied, rather sarcastically.

"I would appreciate you promptly ending this conversation in exactly ten seconds."

"Ha! You're the one ordering me around! Are you forgetting that I have authority over you?"

"Only when I'm at the hospital. In my own home, I'm a free man. Not that it matters, because I rarely listen to you there, here, or anywhere."

"Be nice, you owe me for my advice."

"Hey, that rhymes! Catchy, yet vindictive! No one ever told me that Dr. Phil charges for advice. What a rip off! I never even asked for it."

"Put Ally back on the phone."

"Fine," House gave up on the argument, "The countdown is starting now," he reminded her as he handed the phone to a still fighting Cameron.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. I am afraid I'll get beaten with a cane if I don't hang up soon," she said, laughing.

"Six...five...four..." He shouted into the phone for Cuddy to hear.

"If he touches you he will have to answer to me. And the clinic, if you know what I mean."

"Three…two..."

"Goodbye!" The two friends said at the same time before hanging up.

Cameron put the phone down on a table and turned to House, "You're very controlling. You don't own me, Gregory House."

"Yes, this is true, but I do own the phone, and therefore have to pay part of the phone bill."

"I don't talk to her that much."

"You talk to her more than me."

"That's not the least bit true! I'm sensing a bit of jealousy."

"At least she isn't a guy. Then I would be sensing an affair," he paused. "You're not gay, are you? Because now would be a good time to tell me."

"Lisa is simply a friend," she started to laugh. "Well after last night, you might've just turned me gay."

"Ouch!" House threw his cane at her, Cameron caught it one handed, "you really know how to hurt a guy, don't you?"

"I was kidding. No need to get defensive."

"So, I am defensive and controlling. Hmm..."

"But you are also sexy, funny, smart, not to mention a good kisser," She gave him a peck on the lips, "Let's go to the Street Side Cafe for lunch. We need to discuss the wedding."

"Let me put on a shirt and get my shoes on. And you're not going out in that top."

Cameron looked at her shirt and then at him, unable to find anything wrong with it, "Why not?"

"It's incredibly low-cut," He couldn't help but stare at her chest while he was talking. "We're engaged now. When you said yes, you agreed that that cleavage is for my eyes only."

"Fine, I'll throw on a jacket," she muttered, walking to the closet.

"Throw on two!" he called after her.

Twenty minutes later, they sat at a table picking at their food. Her ring glistened on her finger. It was a reminder how much she loved him. Not that she needed it, of course, but nice to have. It was also a reminder to any wandering male eyes: back the fuck off. She hoped a guy in the corner might take this message to heart; he seemed to be in his mid-forties and he corner couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Before, she'd gotten used to guys' staring and never thought anything of it. But now that she was with House she felt violated. Like they were visually undressing her.

"When do you think we should have the wedding?" Cameron said loudly, glancing across the room. The guy was now reading the paper. Good, keep your eyes off me you pervert.

"I was thinking maybe a Saturday in May."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. When we get home we'll look at the calendar for an exact date."

"How many people should we invite?"

"I like big weddings, but I don't want to have one. They're too much trouble. I think a moderate size would be best."

He laughed, "You don't think I have many friends, do you?"

"I don't know, do you have many friends?" Cameron asked rhetorically, "But I've got lots of them. I still don't think a big wedding is worth the trouble. We're both doctors with very busy lives."

"That's the excuse I used to use. Now I just admit that I have no people skills."

"You are so hard on yourself. You do have people skills, it just takes a little work to get you to put down the rocket launchers and open up. You are a great guy, I know that for a fact."

"Rest assured that I will change my ways," he assured her, waving an arm flamboyantly.

"Really?"

"No!"

"Excuse me ma'am. Do you happen to have a piece of paper and a pen that I can use?" Cameron asked a waitress. She nodded and walked behind the counter. House gave Cameron a confused look.

"We're going to start making an invite list." She said just as the waitress handed her paper and a pen, "Thank you very much. And can you wrap our food up?"

"Wilson and his wife."

"How did I know?" She said as she wrote down their names. "You tell Wilson we're engaged?"

"Not yet. Maybe when the phone is free."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, my parents wish us the best."

"When did you talk to them?"

"This morning, I woke up at around nine and was on the phone until you got up," House rolled his eyes, but Cameron continued talking, "They said they got the pictures and they want us to have dinner with them on Thanksgiving."

"Great: another thing to worry about."

"They'll love you, I know they will."

"We're getting off topic here. Go back to your list there."

"OK. Lisa Cuddy and Luke Anderson. Chase—"

"—and Foreman are not coming," House finished for her.

"Yes they are, and that's final. I like them both."

"Why don't you marry one of them then?"

"Because my heart belongs to you," she smiled. She wrote down Chase's name on the list. "Do you think he will bring a date?"

"He'll probably bring some prostitute. Foreman as well. They get the package deal: rent one, get the other half off."

Cameron couldn't help but laugh. She scribbled Foreman and Chase's names down, then thought of more people to invite, "Brenda the nurse, Carl in bookkeeping…"

"His name is Kevin."

"No, it isn't. Where'd you get Kevin from?"

House let out a stern laugh, "Never mind."

House's eyes began to get progressively wider with worry as she wrote down most of the hospital, including few of their previous patients.

"What about Stacy?"

"Stacy who?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Stacy your lawyer. Your ex-girlfriend."

"Now that rings a bell," he took a sip of his water. "Having her there would be awkward."

"We're inviting most of the hospital, it would be rude not to invite her."

"Well then, let's be rude."

"I don't think she will come anyway."

"So lets invite her and pray that she doesn't show up."

"That sounds like a plan" Cameron said. She wrote down Stacy and Mark on the list. Then she began to list her family. She had a lot of relatives.

"You're inviting all of Minnesota or just your family?"

"I have a lot of aunts and uncles. You'll meet most of them at Thanksgiving."

"Oh, goody."

"You have any family?" She snickered.

He was silent for about twenty seconds. He made a face, then started to shoot off names, "My bother Ryan House, his wife Susan, my parenyd, my aunt Joan, my uncle Rich..." The list went on and on. His family wasn't as long as hers, but it wasn't tiny. Cameron scribbled furiously to keep up with him.

"You know I am going to have to meet your parents one day."

"You'll meet them at the wedding."

"I think that would be awkward." she said "Maybe we can visit them sometime or they could come to Princeton."

"Maybe, just maybe." He grabbed the sheet and tallied up the names. Over sixty guests.

"Just the right size," Cameron said, looking proudly at the paper.

"I think it is. Of course, we'll have to make some reductions and additions."

"Now we have to talk about where."

"Let's wait until we get home. We've spent enough time in this stuffy place," He got up from his chair and helped her up as well. His arm wrapped around her waist as they walked out the door, and all of a sudden reality hit him. They were actually getting married. Holy shit.

Read and Review! Please! Just a reminder my beta was ilovetuesday. As always she does a wonderful job correcting my boo boos.