AT LAST! THE HOUSE/CAMERON I PROMISED! Here 'tis:
Vacation Chapter 13 Meanwhile, in House's room…
Knock, knock.
House moaned a bit to let whoever was at the door that he wasn't getting up.
"House?
"Hmm…"
"Open the door?'
"Noooo…" he trailed off.
There was a clicking sound as Cameron turned the handle and let herself in. She found House lying on top of his bed.
"It was unlocked," she concluded.
"I gathered that," came House's reply. He rolled over and clicked on the light. Cameron's hands flew to her head.
"Ooh, God, turn the damn thing off!"
House flicked the light switch to off, smiling as he did so.
"Sensitivity to light…"
"My head hurts!"
"Duh," he said, moving to the edge of the bed. "What do you want?"
"Ibuprofen," she replied, rubbing her eyes. "Tylenol, Advil, anything."
"You didn't pack any?"
"Shut up."
"Better safe than sorry."
"House," Cameron said, testily. "Just tell me if you've got any or not. I can leave."
"No," House replied. "I don't carry Ibuprofen anymore." He picked up the bottle of Vicodin on the side table. "Vicodin…sure to cure all that ails you."
"Shit," Cameron whined, sitting on a chair.
"You want some?" He asked, limping towards her without his cane. Cameron studied him for a minute, then the bottle, then House again before outreaching her hand. He smirked and popped the cap off, tilting the bottle until a pill tumbled out, into her palm.
"That'll knock your socks off," he reminded her. She smiled warily and swallowed the pill, chasing it down with some warm Coke House had left on the nightstand.
"It'll kick in in about 20 minutes," House said, lying back down on the bed. "I recommend getting the hell away from me."
"Gee, thanks," she said, getting up.
"No problem," he said, deadpan.
"Thanks for the stuff," she said, over her shoulder. He didn't reply.
---------------------20 MINUTES LATER --------------------------------
"HOUSE!"
House's eyes popped open. He had drifted back to sleep. 'Who would be yelling at me and beating on my door?' He thought to himself. 'Who could possibly be that angry with me? This list isn't long…. Well, yes, I guess it is…'
"HOUSE!" The beating continued.
'Aha!' He thought. 'It's Cameron!'"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He said, limping as fast as his leg could carry him. He unlocked the door and let the younger doctor in.
"Cameron?"
"What did you do to me?" She said, he noticed her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was a mess.
"What did I…?"
"The Vicodin!"
"Oh, the Vicodin," House said, remembering. "You took one, didn't you?"
She nodded.
"What did I tell you?"
"You told me it would knock my socks off…" Cameron said, thinking. "And to get the hell away from you."
"And are you the hell away from me?"
"No, but-"
"Silence, fool!" He shouted. House was even snarky when he was barley awake. "Get out!" He began pushing her towards the door.
"No, stop! Wait!" Cameron protested, pushing him away. "I can't sleep- I'm sick…why didn't you tell me?"
House shrugged, deadpan." Never happened to me."
"That's no excuse," she giggled. Cameron began to go into convulsions of giggles, fits of laughter, so much that her body shook and she had to sit down. House had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at her. She looked like a thirteen –year- old that had had too much Mountain Dew at a sleepover.
"You are so high on Vicodin," House said, sitting next to her.
She blotted a tear with her sleeve. "It's all your fault."
House didn't apologize.
"So what do I do now?" Cameron asked, taking deep breaths.
"I dunno. Watch TV?"
"How do you think my eyes got bloodshot?"
"…Try to get some sleep?"
"Too late…"
"Count sheep?"
"No," she said, trailing off. "But I do have a better idea!" Cameron grabbed House's hand and led him outside to the terrace, and sat him down on one of the padded lawn chairs. She sat across from him.
"What are we doing?" House asked, looking around, wishing he were back inside his room.
"Counting stars," she replied. Though it was too dark to see her, he could practically see her smiling.
He sighed, but didn't question her. After all, this chick was up, up and away on Vicodin, and always liable to throw chairs at innocent people.
After five minutes, Cameron spoke. "Eighty-three."
"Eighty-three what?"
"Stars, idiot."
"Oh, stars."
"What did you get?"
House rubbed his eyes- he hadn't bothered to count. "Ninety."
"Really?'
"Yup."
"Hmm…"
"What do you want to do now?"
"I'm re-counting," she replied.
"You're what?"
"You heard me."
"Why are you re-counting?" House whined.
"If you want to go back inside, go ahead. I'll just stay out here."
"Well them," he replied, standing up. "I am. Goodnight, Ally."
"Night, Greg." She waved to him, but kept her eyes on the stars.
House went back in and lay on his bed, but found it hard to get back to sleep. What was she doing to him?
Cameron heard the French door open.
"You're not allowed to call me that," came House's deep voice, about five feet away from her.
"I only got seventy- eight that time."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Sorry," she said, her voice drenched with malice. "I didn't know you were saying something important. Go on, say it again."
"You can't call me 'Greg.'"
"Okay."
"Good. I'm glad we understand each other." House started to slide the door shut, but Cameron spoke when she heard what he was doing. "Then you can't call me Alli."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not my name."
"Well, Greg isn't my name, ether."
"What's your name then, if it' isn't Greg?"
"Gregory. But that's not the point, you're only 'spots to call me 'House.'"
"Well, my name's Allison, but you can only call me Cameron."
"Why do we even do that?"
"Do what?" Cameron's eyes were starting to adjust, and she could see House standing in the threshold, looking up at the stars. He turned his head to look in her general direction, so she averted her eyes.
"Call everyone by their lasts names."
"Sounds more formal."
"Well I can understand why I'd call Cuddy, but technically I have the right to call you whatever I want."
"You've exercised that right before…Damn, eighty-five. Re-do."
"I could call you Shelby if I wanted. And I could call Foreman G- Dawn…Or Chase, I could call Bob."
"Actually, Bob IS his name. Robert's his real name, you know."
"Well, that isn't any fun."
"I figured you'd say so. Now, shut up, you'll make me loose count."
"Fine, fine." He didn't say anything more, but stayed put.
"You leaving?"
"No."
"Alright. Eighty-three. Shoot! This'll take me all night."
"You've gotten eight-three twice now, though!"
"I know; I'm trying to get ninety."
House nodded his head but didn't say anything.
"Shelby, when are you going home?"
"Whenever I feel like it, Eugene."
"Ewe, pick another name."
"Charlie."
"That was my dad's name.
"Danny?"
"How old am I, ten?"
"Pokier-bear."
"Only if we were going out."
"Which isn't' going to happen…"
"Nope."
"Good. I'm glad it's copasetic."
"FINALLY! Ninety. Alright, I'm coming in now."
"Good, it's late."
"I'm not going to bed, though."
"Could you at least go to your OWN room?"
"Don't think so," Cameron responded in a singsong voice. As she passed him, House caught a whiff of her hair… it smelled like lavender. It made him momentarily weak at the knees, but he pulled through it and followed her in, like a lost puppy.
"What now?"
"Do you have your bipod?"
He chuckled. "Oh, no way. I'm not even going to let you touch her."
"Her?"
"Shelby."
"You named me after your bipod?"
"You should feel honored, she's the best bipod around."
"Well, there's one point down for the self-esteem."
House grimaced. "You promise you'll take good care of her?"
"I'll treat her like she was my own."
House disappeared into his bedroom, but emerged presently with an iPod in his hands.
"Do you polish it?"
"They haven't come out with any polish that's iPod safe," House replied sadly.
Cameron pressed the button in the center and scrolled under 'Play lists.'
"Good music," she said, biting some loose skin by her thumbnail as he looked through his songs. House had to admit there was something incredibly cute about the way she looked: sitting in her pajamas on his couch, her legs crossed. He didn't realize he was staring until she started staring at him, too.
Cameron laughed. "Something on my face?"
He smiled. "No, you're fine." Cameron went back to searching, until, he presumed, she found what she was looking for. She put in the earphones and smiled.
"You looked like a Bangles kind of guy to me," she said, grinning widely.
"Oh yeah," House said, smirking to himself. "They're my dirty little secret."
"He's so fine he can't be beat," Cameron sang out. She was hitting all the right notes, and tapping her foot along with the base drum. She found two pencils and starting tapping on he armrest of the couch.
'Got everything that I desire," House hummed along, completely bemused by Cameron's new character change. He liked it. A lot.
'Set the summer sun on fire,' Cameron yelled, laughing. She got up and started jumping up and down. 'I want candy!'
House didn't stand up, but took up the back beat and electric air guitar.
'I want candy!' Cameron repeated. She walked closer to House and kept playing the drum solo on the lampshade, the doorframe and the tabletop. House couldn't help but smiling. Cameron's curls were going everywhere; her arms were all over the place.
Cameron began to sing some of the next verse, just ever so slightly off-tune. House rolled his eyes and finally stood up and started to mouth the words, right in Cameron's face,
"Candy on the beach, there's nothing better!"Cameron got nose to nose with him, still dancing. "But I like candy when it's wrapped in a sweater!"
That was it- Cameron started laughing madly, and she couldn't sing anymore. She fell to her knees, and House had to help her back up to her feet. She was a dead weight though, and wasn't going anywhere. With great pain, House sunk down to her level on the floor. The song finally ended, so House unhooked the iPod from Cameron's waistband and pocketed it.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, still laughing.
"Yes!" She said, though she could barely respond.
"I can't remember… the last time…I sang like that," House said. He realized he'd said that a lot during the time he'd been in California.
"Nether can I."
"What do you want to do now?"
Cameron smiled at him and yawned. House faked a gasp.
"Ah! At last, you're tired!"
"That's why I was going to suggest watching television."
"Good idea."
Cameron got to her feat with ease, but House needed a little more help. She pulled him to his feet and got him his cane.
"Thanks," he mumbled, but Cameron didn't hear him- she wasn't expecting thanks.
Cameron grabbed the remote and sat on the couch- House got the hotel's TV Guide and joined her.
"Infomercial on channel one, infomercial on channel two, channel three, channel four, five, six, seven…"
"Stargaze SG-1 is on 345, but I don't think I get that channel. Dirty Dancing on 122, but I've already seen enough of that for one night…" Cameron let out a snicker, but House plugged on.
"EWTN is hosting Daily Mass…do you think it's live?"
"Probably!" House cried excitedly, and flipped to 33. Sister Angelica, the 1000-year-old nun's face lit up the screen.
"And that is why God the father, creator of Heaven and Earth, the Wonderful God that loves us all equally…"
"Oh, god," Cameron said. "I really feel sorry for Chase now."
"How old is that woman?" House said, squinting at the screen and leaning forward. "Do you see her wrinkles? She's a frikin California raisin, for God's sake!"
Cameron laughed again and wiped some tears from her eyes. "You have to stop doing that."
House grinned. "Alright, I'll try."
"Thanks."
Minutes of Daily Mass passed, and they both grew more and more wearier, especially Cameron. Finally, Cameron had a sudden exhale of breath, almost like a tiny gasp, and passed out on House's shoulder. This woke House up, and he smiled. Just looking at her made him smile- there was nothing particularly nice looking about her, but her body as a whole made her beautiful. It was lovely to look at her as she slept, because she barely moved at all and it made her look all the more pristine and flawless… totally untouched. Not the kind of women that would be attracted to House, or vice-versa.
'Get the thought out of your mind, Greg,' House thought. He tried to get up and move to his bed, leaving her alone on the couch, but Cameron's eyes fluttered open.
"No, Greg…" she said, her words slurred together. "Don't leave…don't go…please."
This, ladies and gentlemen, melted his heart. His eyes softened, the corners of his mouth tilted down and he shook his head, not believing the effect this woman was having on him. Laughing to himself, he took a quilt from the basket set by his bed and spread it over Cameron and himself, and set his head down on the armrest.
It wasn't the most comfortable situation, he admitted to himself, but oh, it felt so nice-beyond words- to have this extra heat, this extra body, radiation…it made him feel less alone. Somehow, she made him feel less alone.
Finally, he let himself be overcome by sleep.
House finally woke up. It was still dark outside, and the VCR clocked said 5:35. Cameron was still asleep- she had crawled up so that she was lying behind him, and she had draped her left arm over him, like a giant teddy bear that a child would take to bed with them. He blushed; knowing that that was not something Cameron would want to know she had done. House soon realized he had a horrible crick in his neck from sleeping at an angle, so, once again, he tried to get up and move to his own bed.
But, as per usual, Cameron woke up with him. "Damn light sleepers," Housethought. Allison 's hand slid off of House's body, but she grabbed his sleeve.
"No, House…wait…don't-"
"Cameron, this isn't right…I can't, I have to go."
"No, you don't…"
"Yes, I do…"
"Please?" She asked. Her voice was light and a pleading, and House couldn't help but sit back down and try to convince her.
"Cameron, sit up."
Cameron did as she was told.
"Cameron, I have to leave."
"Where are you going?" Cameron asked, still very groggy.
"Just in there," he said, pointing to his bedroom.
"No, please don't."
"I have to!" He cried, upset that she didn't understand.
Cameron pouted her lips. "Why?"
"I don't…I can't…"
"Stay with me," Cameron protested. Then, giggling like a little girl, she pulled him back down with a force that seemed to come from nowhere. Back under the quilt he went.
"Cameron!" He yelled.
"No need to shout. I'm trying to go back to bed," she whined.
"I need to go, I need to leave," House kept repeating to her, rolling over so he was talking to her. They could barely both fit on the couch, but somehow, they did.
Finally, Cameron groaned. She rolled over and put her finger to his lips, shushing him. Their noses were inches apart.
"You want to know a secret?" She whispered to him. All he could do is nod.
Slowly, Cameron leaned over House, so that her mouth was to his ear and he could feel her eyelashes on his face.
"Doctor Gregory House," she said, sexily and she didn't even know it. "I love you."
The words, though he half expected them sooner or later, hit House in the same way a bird hits a windowsill. His mind, though he didn't show it, was racing in every which direction, but all he could do is smile. He was speechless, utterly speechless, but he only knew one thing to say.
"That's the Vicodin talking," he whispered back.
And all Cameron did was smile a sweet, innocent smile and turn over, pulling House's hands with her. She obviously was pretty touch-feely when Vicodin came into the mix.
"I don't think so, House…" was the last thing he heard, before Cameron and he fell back asleep in each other's arms. Warm and careless, even if it was only temporary. House knew there'd be hell to pay later, oh, he was sure of it, but it didn't even truly cross his mind, and if it did, he didn't really give a damn. He felt wanted, he felt like he belonged. It was a good feeling, too.
A damn good feeling, too.
A/N: So, here I am again! Thank you for reading! I must say I felt pretty good writing that chapter, but I'm sure it'll end up being crap to me. But it doesn't matter if I like it, does it? NO! So, it'd be great to get some feedback, if you could manage it. Thank you so, so, so much! You guys rock my socks.
ALSO: 'I Want Candy,' contrary to popular belief, DOES belong to Bow-Wow-Wow, even thought I much prefer the Bangles to a rapper any day. Plus, House doesn't listen to rap, so it only makes sense that the Bangles would be on his iPod. So, props to the Bangles. Peace out, homies.
-And you ought to know…
The next chapter will MOST likely be my last, so I recommend reading this chapter over and over again to truly savor it. I also recommend not paying attention to a damn thing I say because I usually think of something last minute! Ha, ha. Thanks for reading, despite my acute schizophrenia (not really...) Like I said, you guys rock my socks!