Wilson had both hands on the pram and was concentrating on the names of the stores in the mall, "House, what shop sell baby clothes?"
"What, you don't think he has enough in the suitcase he brought with him? That thing was bigger than he is!"
"Were going to the park, I don't want his mother complaining if his pretty white sneakers get scuffed, or his baby Henry Lloyd gets mud on."
"Wow Wilson, if only I had a papa like you, I wouldn't have been so miserable a teenager. If only my parents had let me climb trees and roll around in the mud without worrying about my designer pants, maybe I wouldn't be so miserable now…"
"Yeah. If only. Is that why you are compensating now by wearing low end shirts and crumpled jackets"
"This from the French shoe wearing, hideous tie loving doctor who cant fold a diaper.."
Sean had decided that this was quite enough for the time being and wildly gestured to the nearest shop. House and Wilson looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Sean had just managed to point to a baby clothes retailer that was reasonably priced and well stocked "Huh" House was impressed "I guess the kid is more intelligent than I first thought"
"You cant mix navy and black you moron. Didn't your mother teach you anything? For someone who dresses for the ladies you really have a lot to learn…this is better." House picked up a pair of beige combat pants and a turtleneck. "All we need now is a jacket and were good to go"
"Urm Greg, how about I leave him with you for a bit, I need a bathroom break….Ill be right back" Wilson was already walking away as he spoke. House just laughed to himself- that man had no stamina for shopping when he wasn't the focus. Just as well he was better at shopping for other people than himself…he didn't have to do it often….not since Stacy at least… The last thing he had bought for her was a scarf, that just screamed Stacy. So he wasn't the most imaginative gift buyer, so what? It was practical and warm…scarfs had so many uses…He shrugged that last thought away quickly with a twinge of regret and underlying depression that had been there since she had breezed, no more like shoved, her way back into his life. That was a thought for another time, prefably when he was near to his piano and a bottle of Jack Daniels…
House was brushing past a rail of jackets when he saw a sight that made his heart stop cold. Allison Cameron was sat on a chair outside the changing room next to an empty pram looking thouroughly bored. House hoped that if he just turned now she wouldn't notice him. No such luck.
"House?"
He cringed inwardly. "Cameron. Enjoying your day off?" Making small talk was not one of his strong points. He had never seen the sense in trying to cover up an uncomfortable situation with uncomfortable talk.
"What are you doing here? More to the poin why do you have a child? Is he urm…" she let her voice trail off meaningfully.
"Is he mine? No, he's Wilson's" he saw her eyebrows rise "He's not Wilson's as in he's Wilson's, he's his nephew. Sean meet Cameron. Cameron meet Sean"
"Erm, hey Sean." She took his tiny hand in one of hers, and let out a surprised "oh" when he squeezed back. He giggled at the expression on her face and let go. Tilting his head upward he looked at Houses face, and noticing his faraway look he jerked his body with sufficient force to move the pushchair and wake him from his dream.
"So Cameron what are you doing here? Last time I checked your file I didn't see any reference to children."
"My friend is in there kitting out her poor niece in designer clothes that make her look like a hip hop brat…she walked straight past the sensible play clothes and went straight to the ridiculously overpriced stuff" House had to smile at her vehement distaste for dressing children up to look like adults.
"So if this is Wilsons nephew, then where is Wilson?"
"He ran off, I think he's probably shoe shopping, or maybe buying Julie a present so she doesn't do this to him again" Cameron giggled like a school girl, and House was surprised at the conflict of emotions that he felt inside him. On one hand he was cringing at her girlishness that just screamed I like pink fluffy things, and on the other he was finding that he wasn't hating this moment. He was enjoying having her standing there near to him, without the prospect of a medical emergency. Of course it was at this moment that Wilson chose to return with bags in hand.
"So glad you could join us Wilson. Sean was beginning to think I was the one actually related to him"
"Ha ha. Cameron, what are you doing here?" Wilson was glancing sidways at House without a hint of subtlety. He knew that House liked her, he had known ever since the case of the politician when house looke like he was going to knock Wilson out when he suggested that he might have put the moves on Cameron.
"Hey, heres an idea, why don't you come for lunch with us!" Wilson was enjoying this. House would kill him later for it, or at least make it look like he had hated every minute of today. Secretly he was happy, or as happy as Greg House got when monster trucks or whiskey weren't involved.
"Sure, if my friend can come too" House had the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this was a soap opera-like set up. All the characters ending up going out together and life ending up happy and perfect, it made him feel slightly nauseous to tell him the truth. This nausea was further increased when from the changing room stepped the most beautiful woman House had ever seen. Out of the corner of his eye House saw Wilsons mouth drop open, and he had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. This is a soap opera come to life… Cameron caught Houses eye and suppressed a laugh. She felt the cliché too "Sooo…lunch then"
House was glad to end this 'moment' "Cameron, that's the best idea you've had in weeks, Wilson, pay for the stuff will you? We'll be outside"