Chapter 3

Cameron was drunk but she knew what was going on around her. She had stood there, being supported by Chase and Foreman in the bar, when House offered to take her home. At first she thought that she was hallucinating because, after all, she is drunk. She soon realized that it was not a hallucination, it was real. She came to this conclusion when the support from Chase and Foreman were gone and was replaced by House's strong arms. He had his arm around her waist to keep her from falling. She felt him lead her out of the bar and towards his car. He let her lean against him as her took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He slowly set her down on the passenger side and once she was settled, he closed the door.

He walked over to the driver's side and got in. He put the keys in the ignition and bolted out the parking space before anybody could blink. On the way to her apartment, he stole glances at the sleeping Cameron. She was leaning her head on the side window, the side of her face pressed against the glass.

'What is wrong with me? Why did I offer to take her home? I'll just put her down to bed then I'll leave,' he thought.

When they reached her apartment, he got out of the car and walked over to the passenger's side. When he opened the door, Cameron nearly fell out of her seat and onto the ground if House hadn't catch her just in time. He forgot to wake her up so she was still leaning against the door. When he opened it, she nearly fell out her seat.

He supported her with his arm around her waist before heading towards her apartment building. He stepped into the elevator in the lobby and pressed the number 2. He smiled to himself. 'They actually thought that I'd carry Cameron up two flights of stairs? They're nuts! They'll think I'm a god because I was able to carry her up two flights of stairs with a bad leg!'

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He walked out of the elevator and made a left. It was funny that he remember her apartment. 'The last time I came here was to get her to come back and she forced me out on a date. Hope it won't happen again this time.' When he reached her apartment number, he let her leaned against the door as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Wake up. Unless you want to sleep in the hallway, I suggest you take your keys out and open the door," House said. Cameron groaned in response. She made no move towards getting her keys. He sighed. "You better not misinterpret this as something else," House muttered under his breath as he searched her pant pockets for her keys.

As he searched her pockets, he unintentionally rubbed up against Cameron's exposed skin between the hem of her blouse and the waist of her pants. She uttered a slight moan as he continued his search for her keys. 'I hope I would find the keys soon because I don't think I can stand her looking like this any longer,' he thought to himself. Indeed Cameron did look innocent yet mischievous at the same time as she leaned against her door, her back arched in the air. Her slightly swollen lips were slightly parted as air pass in and out of her mouth. Her eyes were still closed. House fought an irresistible urge to taste her lips.

House breathed a sigh of a mixture of relief and disappointment when he found her keys at last. Relief because his bad leg was starting to cramp and because of the way Cameron looked. Disappointment because he wanted to look at Cameron a little longer.

Using the keys, he quickly opened the door. They both stumbled into her dark apartment. Light from the hallway shone around the two figures and illuminated the room. With Cameron leaning on him for support, he slowly groped the walls for the light switch. At last he found it, and flipped the switch on.

When the light came on, he wasn't surprised by what he saw. Her living room was tidy with magazines piled neatly on top of her coffee table. Shelves overflowed with books and medical journals. Photos of Cameron and her family were on the mantle. He slowly guided her towards the couch and set her down. He slowly looked around her living room, unsure of what to do next. Looking down at Cameron, he realized that he should let her sleep on her bed so she would be more comfortable. He picked Cameron up again and lead her down her hallway leading to her bedroom.

He opened the door and flipped the light switch by the door on. Her lamps on her nightstands illuminated the room. It cast a red tinge on the walls. Even with the light on, the room was still dark so he couldn't make out every detail. He set her down on her large bed and took off her shoes. 'I'm not undressing her. She can sleep in those clothes tonight.' He then covered her up with a blanket. Once he was done, he perched down on the edge of her bed, peering at her.

Her brows were a little furrowed. The sides of her mouth pointed somewhat downwards. Faint wrinkles formed on her forehead. She was muttering something under her breath that House couldn't hear. He glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was around one in the morning. 'Is it that late already? I should go, I'm beat.'

He stood up to leave when Cameron's arms snatched his left forearm. "Don't…don't leave me, House…House," Cameron muttered. House noticed that her eyes were still closed. She was having a dream about him. 'No doubt that it's a dream about that "fateful" date,' he contemplated.

He tried pulling his arm away from her grasp but she held onto him tightly. It was as if she was holding on for dear life. Giving into the struggle, he had no choice but to spend the night in Cameron's bed. He placed his bottle of Vicodin on the nightstand, kicked off his shoes, and climbed into bed while Cameron was still holding onto his arm.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Cameron rolled over and laid her head next to his with her left arm sprawled across his chest. It was as if her unconscious mind wanted to do that for a long time. House laid there, basking in the body heat of another person. It had been so long since he had shared a bed with someone. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her body. He breathed a sigh and closed his eyes.

House was still sitting up in the bed. He was relieved that nothing had happened between him and Cameron. 'But wait? What about her bra? How do you explain that?' House was beginning to suspect that something did happen but he couldn't remember whether or not it did. His thoughts were interrupted when Cameron moaned a bit and slowly opened her eyes. Cameron had a dream that she was in bed with the one she loves. It wasn't the face of her husband, but it was the face of someone familiar. His face was hazy but she felt comforted nevertheless.

She smiled softly to herself as she opened her eyes. She stopped smiling when she realized that perhaps it wasn't a dream. Somebody was sitting in her bed, staring at her. Her eyes were still grimy from her sleep but she knew who that lanky form belonged to. His piercing blue eyes confirmed that as her eyes came into focus. It belonged to none other than her boss, Dr. Gregory House.