CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Stop it, both of you!" Wilson ordered as he stepped between the two men. Chase had taken a few steps towards House, and Wilson held his hands up to Chase to prevent him from an outright strike to House's face.

"No, he started this. End it, Chase. I know you wouldn't hit a cripple," House challenged him, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't count on it, House!" he yelled. Foreman took a few steps towards Chase to hold him back but Chase thrust his shoulder forward to lose contact and his fisted right hand came awfully close to its bearded target.

"Knock it OFF!" Wilson ordered again as he extended his arms with his hands on House's chest and pressed his body back to keep Chase at bay. "Back away, House."

House remained silent for a moment then took a slow, tentative step back. Wilson turned his body away from House to face Chase and said, "Calm down. Step back."

Chase gave House a death glare before he stepped back, too, with Foreman standing within easy reach to insure Chase wouldn't make a sudden preemptive strike against his boss.

"This is my fault," Cameron said, her voice shaking and soft, almost inaudible. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, wiped her hands on her jeans and silently walked to the door and opened it. "Will you all excuse us for a minute?" she asked, but it was more of a direct instruction than a question.

One by one the men and Laura filed out of House's apartment in stifled silence. Cameron softly shut the door, turned around and walked to the couch, not once looking at House as she sat down. His back faced her, and as he spun around her eyes grew wide at the glass in his hand, filled half full with a dark liquid. She instinctively opened her mouth to say something but the look in his eyes stopped her – it was as if his eyes said, 'Go ahead. I dare you to say something about me drinking before 9 a.m.'

When she didn't say anything a triumphant smile crossed his mouth then he walked towards the chair beside the couch and sat down, not once did he take his eyes off of her. A few times Cameron's lips would part in words that never came and the more she did it the more she dissolved deeper into the sofa.

"How long are we going to play the 'Eye Contact game'? I'm really good at it. But you'll lose," he said playfully but with a bit of mockery in his voice.

She ignored him and said, "Greg, I nev…never meant for it to get this far."

"Riiiight," he said calmly, pausing for dramatic effect, "too late for that, don'tcha think?"

"AGH! You are an insufferable JERK, you know that?" she said loudly as she threw her arms up in the air. "But you're right; I knew that coming into it what a handful you are. I thought I could handle it – handle YOU. Boy, was I wrong," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the leg of the chair House sat in.

House slowly sipped the Scotch from his glass, but only small sips. He really didn't want a drink this

early; he just did it to piss her off, and by the look in her eyes when she saw the glass it worked. He slowly stood up and with help of the cane limped into the kitchen, dumped the remaining Scotch into the sink and returned to the living room, but he sat next to Cameron on the couch. He looked at her but she didn't look at him, and it was this way for several minutes before House spoke up.

"To be fair, you're right. I am a jerk. I've always BEEN a jerk. And more than likely I will ALWAYS be a jerk. But that's why I fought you off: to save you from that…," he hesitated a moment, "to save you from me."

She looked at him for the first time since he'd gotten the liquor. "I didn't need you to do that."

"And I didn't need you to save me, either," House said calmly.

Those words struck Cameron, and struck her hard. "You mean…I wanted to save you while you wanted to save me from you?" Her eyes softened and a single laugh of 'ha!' came out, quickly followed by more giggles.

And she couldn't stop laughing, yet she did try to. House looked sideways at her and thought to him self that she had finally lost it; she'd lost all control of her emotions. Still, he did nothing to stop her, either. He just watched her laugh, occasionally wipe the tears from her cheeks and wonder when she was going to stop.

Five minutes later she'd finally calmed down and was able to breathe without having to grasp her sides from the painful aches that shot through her stomach from the laughter.

"Oh….oh! That is just, that's so…," she said, not making sense but it was as many words she could get out until she caught her breath completely.

"Feel better?" House asked, handing Cameron some Kleenex from a box that sat on the end table.

She nodded her head as she wiped under her eyes and blew her nose. She handed the used tissue back to him and was about to say 'thanks' when House blurted out, "I AM NOT TAKING THAT SNOTTY RAG FROM YOU!" He said it seriously and she looked at him alarmed, but she relaxed when she saw the corner of his mouth curl up in a smile – a weak smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"You know, we still have to work together," he said as he reached over and wiped a lone tear from her cheek with his thumb.

"Greg, did you even love me?" she dared to ask, and was ready to accept the answer like an adult.

"Cam, it's like this: I know myself better than anyone, regardless of what they say. I had to stay away from you to avoid…what just happened. Yes, Cameron, I love you, even though I don't show it. I like you bringing me coffee and showing concern over me and standing up for yourself. You have so much potential to be a great doctor, even though you don't see it, I do. Why do you think I push you the way I do?" Cameron simply sat quietly looking at him, trying to digest the words that she knows is absolutely killing him to say. "But I'm not in love with you."

Cameron looked at the shape of his face, the blueness of his eyes, his soft lips, and it all suddenly made sense to her. What he just told her was exactly how she felt towards her husband. She knew she loved him, but was she in love with him? For her to honestly answer that she had to do some deep soul searching which only took about thirty seconds.

"Oh, God," she muttered. House furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at her comment. "I never saw it until now."

"Never saw what?"

"Oh! And I…she…hooker…oh, I'm gonna be sick."

"Don't spew on my couch, woman!" House barked, but she looked at him adoringly and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything to Laura later. Now go get freshened up for our guests," he said as he stood and reached out for her hand.

"I'm so embarrassed…," she said but he cut her off.

"Shut up and wash your face. We have packing to do," he said as he winked and softly pushed her towards the bathroom while he veered off to open the door. Only when he heard the bathroom door close did he unlock the door and opened it wide, stepping back to let them him.

What greeted him were three men falling flat on their hands and knees in the doorway – victims of eavesdropping.

"AHA! Serves you right! But, wait, I like to be bowed to. Fetch my ale, Scallywags!" House screeched, waving his left arm in the air for added flair.

Chase, Foreman and Wilson quickly stood and dusted off their knees while Laura took a few steps inside. "Hey! I'm the wench!" Laura said jokingly.

"Get us ales too, woman or we'll mutiny on your ass!" Wilson said jokingly.

THE END

Okay, I hope this ended on a light note because…well, just because! All my energy and emotions seem to be put into The Morning After, which is/will also be Chase and Cameron….before y'all mutiny against ME!

:o)

Thanks four comments and reviews!