Maybe Somewhere Else
A/N: My first Wilson/Cameron fic. Seriously, she's shippable with like everyone (except Volger… and Stacy… oh and Steve from book keeping). Anyways, it's nice and Christmassy and not so stupid that it could never happen (I hope). Anyways, it's set in season 2 simply because there's actually some shippy moments between them in that season and there aren't in the first (well there are… but not many).
Disclaimer: Don't own any of it, not even the DVD as it isn't out over here…
Thanks to: Beci and Sammie for joint beta-ness :)
-
Everything was perfect. Dinner was in the oven, all the goodness of Christmas (and only half of it was out of a packet), and the table was set for the two of them. Everything was perfect but somehow a bad feeling played in Julie's gut. He wasn't home yet. Cursing, she reminded herself that he didn't come out of work for another 2 minutes, of course he wasn't home. But he hadn't come home last year either. The meal had gone cold, the wine had disappeared down her neck (both bottles) and the Christmas tunes had sent her to sleep. Alone.
She couldn't help imagining him in House's apartment, laughing and snarking around as usual. Sometimes she wondered if he didn't actually have a whole wardrobe and a toothbrush at that place. Or worse, he could be in another woman's bed. That wouldn't surprise her either.
Julie glanced at the clock. It was only 5 past; he would still be gathering up his stuff and locating his car in the hospital's car lot. She didn't know why she worried so much, especially when they'd spoken just an hour ago, their conversation ending in 'I love you, I'll see you soon'. Of course, she'd ignored the fact she could hear 'General Hospital' and the familiar sounds of Greg House's voice in the background. Julie had almost become accustomed to having him there. As long as he wasn't actually in their home, she didn't mind.
-
"Won't your wife be waiting?" Allison Cameron enquired, taking a seat reluctantly next to Wilson on her own couch.
He shook his head, "She'll just be glad if I show up at all,"
They sat alone in her apartment, the light off, the drapes pulled. Just as she'd left it that morning, just as she left it every morning. There had been a brief time where she'd gotten up, played music, gone for a run on her treadmill… it had only been her way of creating the office but in her own home. She needed the noise, the atmosphere. Now, she went back to running in the dark. No, it wasn't dark; it was just bland… rather like how she felt. Music just reminded her of that time with Chase.
"You've got a nice apartment,"
Wilson's attempt at small talk died in the air. Simply nodding in thanks, Cameron wondered again why she'd agreed to let him come home with her – why he'd even asked.
If Chase had said that he was going to be alone this Christmas and then tripped over in the car lot, Jimmy sure as hell wouldn't have offered to take him home. Was it just because she was a woman? Or maybe because she was a woman who wasn't Julie? By now, she should have been beyond caring. She wasn't.
"I didn't mean to… uh…" He'd lost the words before they even exited his mouth, but yet she somehow understood, showing it with a nod and a touch of his hand, "I know what the situation is with you and House,"
"It's okay. I'm over pining for him, I'm over begging for his approval,"
Wilson was suddenly all too aware of how close he was sitting to her but before he could shift up a little, her hand caught his again, "I'm over him," She practically whispered.
Uncomfortable. Is that how he felt around her? Maybe he shouldn't have invited himself over; maybe she shouldn't have let him. They sat in silence for a further five minutes, her hand staying exactly where it was. Cameron liked the warmth of his skin under her own, though she wasn't sure if that wasn't just because he was nervously sweating. She hoped it wasn't. Those sorts of thoughts, she decided, shouldn't be running through her head. He was married; he had a woman back home who loved him, who was she to keep him from going and sharing Christmas with her just because she was incapable of even walking to her car without an accident occurring.
"Oh," She'd forgotten.
So had he, "Oh yeah… your knee…"
As he looked around for a first aid kit, and found one, she carefully fingered the broken skin on her left knee from where she'd fallen. Why he needed to sort it for her, she didn't know. She was a doctor after all; a cut knee was definitely in her job description.
The moment he touched her, a shiver went through her. Until this day, he'd never touched her and here he was gently examining her leg. They'd known each other long enough, why hadn't he ever touched her? Maybe she just gave the opinion she didn't want touching…
"There you go," Wilson murmured, fixing a band-aid over the gouge, "All better,"
Smiling, Cameron pulled her pant leg back down to cover the damage, "Thanks,"
-
20 minutes late. It was enough to send Julie's mind into overdrive, visions of blonde hookers, pretty young nurses and even Lisa Cuddy floating into her already slightly drunken head. She needed to stop. When did she turn into such a paranoid, cynical wreck? He would come home, he would. Knowing her husband, he was probably just finishing up paperwork or getting House out of trouble. Downing yet another glass of wine, she slouched back on the couch, switching the TV on as she did so. Multi-tasking. One of her strongest points, one he never picked up on.
-
"I bet you didn't expect to be spending your Christmas like this,"
Wilson smiled, ignoring the fact he should have been home an hour ago. There was something about Allison Cameron, something that meant he couldn't draw himself away from her. Maybe it was that look of damage in her eyes every time they met his? He was used to dealing with people who weren't completely there emotionally, hell his best friend was House, but there was something very different about her. Something he wanted to uncover.
"It's okay… if you want to go. My knee's feeling better now… you have to work in less than 3 hours… your wife will want to spend at least some of Christmas with you," Aware she was rambling, Cameron decided to stop speaking all together, sipping at the glass of wine she'd poured herself earlier.
Nodding, he stood up and set his own glass down, "You're probably right,"
Just as he was about to pick up his coat and leave, a beeping came from a little clock in the corner of the room. Midnight. It was officially Christmas day.
-
Midnight. It was officially Christmas day. He still wasn't home and she knew it wasn't due to paperwork even though that's what she told herself. Julie wasn't an idiot. Obviously, she'd known what to expect long before marrying him, but she thought it would be different with her, she wasn't stupid, she'd know if he was cheating on her. Apparently not. Bitterly, she poured another glass of wine and downed it in one go.
-
She rose up to meet him, her hand falling into his as if it somehow belonged there. He didn't seem to mind, "Thanks for being here,"
"It's okay," Wilson practically whispered, his eyes never once leaving hers.
They didn't kiss. They didn't do anything that would have embarrassed either of them, they just stood there. It was enough.
Maybe they could have kissed; maybe they could have held each other until he had to leave. Maybe somewhere else, some other time they would have.
The End