A/N: So I think I'm okay with this. For those who were curious, it's about three weeks before Halloween here, and her costume is Holly Golightly, from Breakfast at Tiffany's. Please review, it helps my muse out! I've got a four day weekend including today, so I'll be working diligently on this story. Thanks!
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Cameron headed home in a strange silence. She usually drove with the radio on, but that night she needed to think. The week they'd spent together on her old stomping grounds seemed far away now. I've been confusing my past with the here and now, she thought as she drove through the rain that had begun to fall. And now here he is, buying me the Halloween costume I'd never had the guts to try. She decided to call Wilson.
"Thanks for meeting me," she said sheepishly as they got out of their cars in front of her apartment. "I know it's late but…" she bit her lip, a habit she thought she'd gotten over years ago.
"It's no problem, Allison." He grinned. "If this is about House, and I assume that it is, you'd better have coffee in there." He moved in to give her a hug as she hung her head to hide the tears that had started to prick her eyes.
"Wilson, I…" She sniffed as she looked up at him. "I think I may have made a mistake."
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Wilson led her into her apartment and started a pot of coffee. "Look," he said as he searched for cups, "He loves you, plain and simple. You wanted to know the truth, and for the longest time, he denied it, even to himself. What's changed?" He turned to look at her, so much the little sister he'd always wished for. She sat down in her favorite chair and put her head in her hands.
"I don't know for sure, Wilson." He heard a slight hitch in her voice. "Bringing House back to all the places I loved as a kid made me realize that I'm hopeless when it comes to relationships. I've put myself through a series of tragedies worthy of Shakespeare." She took a long sip of her coffee. "He told me he loved me while we were up there, and I never said it back." Wilson raised an eyebrow. "I've spent two months dancing around the issue, and the funny thing is, I don't think he minds that I haven't said it yet." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm…I'm afraid to love him. Because if I do, then that means I can hurt him." She stood up and began to slowly pace. "I don't want to hurt him."
"I know you don't," he said as he moved to stop her from pacing. He gently sat her back down and perched on the arm of her chair. "You've changed him, Allison, whether you know it or not. He'll always be House, but you've helped him to trust again. He's always had faith in you, from the day he hired you." Now it was his turn to pace, and he pinched the bridge of his nose while he did so. When he stopped, he spoke frankly to her. "House is my best friend. You're …you're like the little sister I never had. I want you both to be happy. Just tell him how you feel."
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After she'd closed the door behind Wilson and washed out the coffee pot, Cameron dressed for bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
They danced amid a whirl of bright colors and light smoke. House had that hidden, half-smile that she'd come to adore. 'Why are you so nervous?' He asked. 'I told you once I wasn't going to crush you…and I mean that.' She pressed herself against him and breathed in his scent. 'Don't let me go,' she whispered.
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She woke up the next morning humming Moon River. "Must have dreamed it," she said absently to herself. She spied the garment bag hanging over the back of a chair and remembered that she hadn't had a chance to talk to House. She sighed and got ready for work.
As usual, she'd arrived before the boys, but she spied House sitting at his desk, slowly twirling his cane. She set her things down and found coffee had already been brewed. Pouring herself a cup, she scanned the department mail.
"Morning Cameron." Chase strode in and immediately sat down to his daily crossword puzzle. "Have we got a case yet?" He asked, casually chewing on the end of his pencil.
"Maybe," she set aside a letter as Foreman entered, followed by Wilson.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. At that same moment, House finally made his appearance.
"It could be Lupus," he said casually as he pushed through the interoffice door. After the strange looks had lasted a few seconds, he turned to Cameron and said "What? I was just saving you the trouble of suggesting it later. Do we have a case today?"
"Yes," Wilson interjected. "I have a patient Twenty-four year old female presenting with chest pain, headaches, and sensitivity to light." House looked unimpressed. "Look, she's the daughter of one of my patients. I told her you might be able to check her out. I'll cover for you in the clinic today, how's that?"
House pondered this, and since they hadn't had a case all week, he figured they might as well check it out. On top of that, getting out of clinic duty for any length of time was always a good reason. "Okay, set her up in her own room. Foreman, you get the history. Take doctor dinkum here with you before I take away all his pencils." Chase rolled his eyes and followed the other two men down the hall.
"Cameron…I need to talk to you." His face was serious, but coming from House that didn't mean anything.
"Yeah, sure, what about?"
"Well I was hoping…" he hesitated. "I was hoping we could get together tonight, seeing as how it's Friday and we haven't had a chance to do much since…we came back." His voice was strained. He found himself wanting to just hold her, right there and then.
"Yeah," she said slowly. "We can do that." She frowned. "You know, I'm in the mood to laugh. Come over to my place after work; bring your Blackadder DVD," she smirked. "I'll order pizza or whatever." I'll see how I feel tonight, she thought to herself. Maybe a nice, light evening will help me figure this out.
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Cameron hadn't felt this conflicted about her feelings since she was seventeen. She quietly scolded herself for being so silly as she tried on six different outfits and messed with her hair. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when she heard the front gate squeak open.
"I come bearing laughter," he called as he let himself in. He observed that her apartment was in a state of disarray, and unusual thing for her. There were magazines and books strewn across her coffee table; dishes piled in both sides of the sink, leaving no room to actually rinse them. He frowned at her as she came down the stairs. It amazed him how she could look so perfect in a battered pair of jeans and a crisp, white t-shirt. His smile returned as he noticed her toenails, painted in a deep shade of purple. "Expecting the world to end tonight?" He indicated the mess.
She blushed a little. "No, I've just…been busy." Wondering if it's safe to love you, she thought to herself. "Did you bring it?" She asked, half-faking excitement.
He held up the DVD. "As you requested. So order that pizza already." He moved to fiddle with her remote controls as she picked up the phone and ordered the pizza.
After they'd watched a few episodes and gorged themselves on double cheese and mushroom, the part of Cameron's heart that loved him fiercely took over, and she carefully scooted across the couch to settle herself against him. She could admit to herself that just sitting here with him, as her friend, made her feel safe and wanted. She looked up at his profile, memorizing every imperfect detail, until he noticed and turned to look at her.
"What is it?" He asked, his blue eyes searching for what he'd patiently been waiting to hear.
"Nothing," she whispered, her heart pounding in her throat. "Just…this." And suddenly her lips were on his, desperately searching for validation as she twined her fingers around the back of his neck. Strong arms moved to embrace her and all else was forgotten.
