A/N: I'm actually starting this note before I finish the chapter, as there are so many things running through my head I want to say! First of all, I want to give a BIG thank you to those of you who've been reading and reviewing since this whole fiasco started with Meaning. It really means a lot to me to have other people read and enjoy my crazy thoughts. Second, the reason I've presented here for House convincing Cuddy to have the costume ball was something that I hadn't actually thought of until I finished the previous chapter of this story. It never ceases to amaze me how the story writes itself! Last, this extra-long chapter is the 'happy ending' for my little epic, so it may be too cheesy and fluffy for you, but I digress. Make of it what you will. And please excuse any rushing, I really wanted to get this out for you all, and believe it or not I've been slaving over it! Oh, one more thing: I was planning on taking a break after happily completing this trilogy, but as luck would have it, I came up with something the other day and have a couple of chapters already. It's a completely different story, I'm playing with first person OC on it, and I'll start posting soon. Thanks so much for reading!
-Luv
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"Five o'clock, Doctor House checks out." He nodded to nurse Brenda and turned towards the front door.
"House! Wait up," Cameron jogged up to him. "Are we doing anything tonight?"
"Nope, gotta get my beauty rest for tomorrow." He mentally smiled as he noticed the real change in her. He reconsidered. "How about breakfast tomorrow, or lunch? How about both? Then we can get dressed at my place and head back over here together."
"Sounds like a plan," she smiled and turned back to finish up in the clinic. "I'll call you."
House nodded to himself as he walked the short distance to his bike. His plan was almost ready.
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He pulled up in front of Irene's School of Dance thirty minutes later. Irene Grey was an old college friend; they had met in drama class and kept in touch over the years, mostly thanks to Stacy and Wilson. She'd jumped at the chance to help him out.
"Greg," the lithe dancer smiled warmly at his appearance in the doorway. "So this is it, your final lesson. Mrs. Preston is going to miss you." He glanced over at a woman in her sixties, waggling her fingers in a wave. "Your…Allison, she's in for a big surprise. You must bring her to meet me sometime. Come, let's get started."
He'd been taking weekly ballroom dancing lessons for a couple of months, after Cameron had mentioned offhandedly one day that she hadn't been out dancing since her wedding. Since she was who she was, he knew that the kind of dancing she was talking about wasn't the rave all night and get drunk kind of dancing. Just another small reason he'd fallen in love with her; she wasn't typical after all.
He set his jacket and his cane aside. "Irene, since this is my last lesson, can I please dance with you? It'll help Mrs. P. get over me a little easier."
"Nope, a teacher must be objective." He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Now let's start, and one-two-three…"
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Chase had invited Foreman and Cameron out for drinks that night, and although Cameron had wanted to head home early and soak in a hot bath, she'd accepted with a smile. After all, her life wasn't all about House, nor was his about her. She was pretty sure he'd needed a poker night with Wilson or some such thing after having spent so much time lately with her.
"…so she said she'd call me. We'll see." Foreman was talking to Chase at the bar when she walked in. "Hey Cam, glad you could join us in between House sessions." He smirked at her and she responded by lightly smacking him in the arm.
"Come on you guys, things haven't really changed, except…" she trailed off into a smile.
"Except the term 'House call' has a new meaning?" Chase asked, throwing her an amused look.
"No, I just…feel good. Happy." She sat down and ordered a rum and coke.
"Well…" Foreman started. "I guess if you're happy…we're happy for you. Really. Just…don't go getting all mushy on us, not that you aren't already."
"Mushy? This is still House we're talking about." She said matter-of-factly. "No, work is work and anything outside of that…stays outside. With the possible exception of tomorrow night. We will be off the clock, after all." She spoke with a devious glint in her eye.
Foreman and Chase made mock gagging noises at her.
"Yeah, anyway…I heard Cuddy was coming as Little Bo Peep." That shut them up.
"No way!" Chase's mouth had dropped. "Well your boyfriend should have fun checking that out."
"Okay now that sounds weird. Can we just relax and not talk about this anymore?" Cameron asked, looking at Foreman for help.
"Yeah Chase, her boyfriend should be too busy for that tomorrow night." Foreman smiled behind his glass.
"You guys…" Cameron laughed.
The three of them sat for a while longer, drinking and talking until long after the sun went down.
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Cameron pushed through her front gate at a quarter past midnight, ready for a cup of coffee and then some much needed rest. She sighed to herself, happily, for the first time in months. She spied a note that had been stuck in her front door.
'Changed my mind. Waited for you for a while. Come over, bring what you need for tomorrow.'
She didn't need a signature to know who it was from. She smiled to herself and unlocked the door, already making a mental list of what to bring. Although it might not have appealed to some people, she liked that, for the most part, House didn't ask for something, he just said or did it. The fact that he didn't believe in pretense was the first thing that had attracted her to him, even though he had hurt her along the way.
She set her keys down on the kitchen counter and toed off her shoes and socks for a quick soak in the tub. After lightly working cocoa butter into her skin, she slipped on a blue velour sweatsuit and started throwing things into a small overnight bag. She hummed to herself as she picked out clothes for the next day, including everything she'd need for her costume. She was sifting through her drawers and came across a light purple silk thing she hadn't worn in years, in fact had forgotten she had it at all. She held it in her hands for a minute, biting her lip as she realized how new it still was, and threw it in. Just in case, she thought.
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Thirty minutes later, she was poised to knock on his door when it opened for her. "Hey," he said casually. "Come on in." There were a few candles lit here and there, and the place was still as spotless as it had been the night before. Cameron set her bag down on the couch and noticed a bottle of Sangria chilling on the kitchen counter, along with two glasses.
"What's the special occasion this time?" She smiled warmly and sauntered into the kitchen. "And how long did you wait? I hadn't planned on going out tonight but Chase asked us and…" His fingers on her lips caught her by surprise.
"It doesn't matter, does it?" He said softly, leaning into her space. "I was going to wait until tomorrow night, but…I have a surprise for you. First, have a drink." He poured for her, and into his own glass he poured scotch. "To…" he searched for something that wasn't too corny. "To you. For…giving me some meaning." He clinked his glass to hers and quickly drank.
Cameron blushed and laughed. "House, you've become a romantic." Secretly, she was pleased, but she also hoped he hadn't done a complete turnaround. After all, it was the House she'd first met at her job interview that had attracted her.
He looked at her, capturing her eyes for an extended moment. He told her everything through that one look; if only it had always been that simple. "Cameron…Allison." Her name tasted like honey and spice. He decided then that he'd only reserve it for special occasions, as if it were a cherished Christmas decoration. He said it again. "I love you."
She took a deep breath and bit her lip. "House…I love you too." She smiled that priceless smile, and set her glass down. She touched her palm to his cheek, lightly running her thumb over his stubble. She moved in to kiss him, and he slipped his right arm around her waist as he kissed her back. It was nothing epic; rather soft and sweet, full of longing that had finally been sated. There was passion; but both of them were still cautious for different reasons. Cameron rolled her shoulders to shake it off as House tightened his arms around her. It was then that she noticed he didn't have the cane in his hand, and she reluctantly broke away from his lips.
"Where's your cane?" Her lips were softened from the kiss.
He nodded. "That's my surprise." He took her hands in his and led her into the living room. He left her standing there for a moment while he picked up a remote and turned on the stereo. As he walked back to her, he held out his hands. "Shall we dance?"
Cameron's mouth parted in surprise and then back into that smile. She moved forward and placed her left hand on his shoulder, her right hand in his left. The music playing was a waltz, and she laughed. "So are you going to explain how this came about?" She asked as they danced in light circles.
"Well…it was actually Wilson's idea." He spoke slowly. "See, I was supposed to go to PT after…" She nodded in understanding. "And being who I am, of course I resisted. So our nice friend Wilson finally made a phone call to an old college friend of mine who happens to be a dance teacher. I've been taking lessons with her since we got back from your mom's…from Seattle. I wanted to be able to dance with you."
"I don't know what to say." Another smile, and she kissed him again. "Well…" Why not? She thought to herself. "Then I have a surprise for you." She picked up her bag from the couch. "Will you play something for me? I'll be right back."
She headed towards the bathroom and House sat down at the piano and began to play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. A few moments later, the bathroom door creaked open and as he looked up, he stopped, speechless. "Nice," was all he could manage. She stood there; nothing short of angelic in light purple silk that clung perfectly to her petite curves. She had taken her hair out of the ponytail she'd come over in, her auburn waves spilling out over her shoulders.
"I…" Cameron bit her lip for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "Maybe I'm being too forward, but…"
"No," he cut her off. "You're perfect." He stood up from the piano bench, almost knocking his knee into the piano, and strode quickly to her. He glanced quickly from her to his bed; the bathroom was close enough. Without another word, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, laying small kisses across her face.
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The next morning, Cameron rolled over as she awoke, touched her nose to House's arm and breathed in deeply the scent of his skin. She closed her eyes and smiled. She lightly ran a hand across his chest, opening her eyes again as his hand covered hers. "Good morning," he said through a smile.
"Morning. Coffee?" She asked.
"Sure." Cameron kissed him on the shoulder, rose from the bed, and padded to the kitchen. House rolled over and listened to her humming as she set the coffee pot.He smiled to himself and got up, pulling a t-shirt over his head. He glanced at the bottle of Vicodin sitting on the nightstand and headed to the kitchen. Thanks Wilson.
"What, no eggs? No bacon?" He faked an astonished look.
"House! I've only been out here for two minutes!" She turned and saw that he was joking. "I guess I can look forward to more of that?"
"I would never disappoint my biggest fan. Sit down, flip on the T.V., find a book, whatever. Make yourself comfortable. I'm making breakfast today."
Cameron raised an eyebrow. "You? Make breakfast? Using actual pots and pans on the stove is a lot different than firing up a grill, you know."
House grinned. "Aha, you have learned something from me after all. Go, git, outta my kitchen!" He shooed her with his hands and she finally obliged, plunking herself onto the couch and settling for Saturday morning cartoons.
He went to work, making sausage and bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. One of the things he'd done after his last dance lesson the previous night was grocery shop; the first time he'd completely stocked his kitchen in years. He'd taken no chances, buying things for himself and also for her. He was through second-guessing himself when it came to her. He brought a plate and a glass of orange juice to her, went back for his own, and sat down right next to her on the couch. They shared smiles through the food and proceeded to veg out to Popeye, Looney Tunes, and Woody Woodpecker well into the afternoon.
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It was just past five, and although the costume ball didn't officially start for another three hours, Cameron had convinced House to go in early and help set up. "It was your idea after all, wasn't it?" she'd said with a knowing smile. They'd packed their costumes into the trunk of House's car and made a quick stop at the dance school.
"Ahh, Greg! I was not expecting to see you again so soon! And this must be the lovely miss Allison." Irene kissed her on each cheek and gave her chin a quick tug. "You're a brave woman to deal with this one," she flicked her thumb at House and winked. "Strong too."
Cameron felt an immediate connection with the woman. After all, House had called her a friend, and she'd given the both of them a gift by helping him dance again. "I try," she said with a smirk as she glanced at House. "I'll have to drag him back by here so we can take some lessons together."
"You do that!" Irene laughed. There was a little bit of chatter before Cameron and House headed to the hospital.
The first thing House noticed after they had made their way to the cafeteria was a mass of dark curls spilling out over a shiny pink gown. Cuddy turned around and grinned at them. "Hey guys, glad you could make it in early." She immediately began piling decorations on them. All House noticed was the fact that her breasts were practically falling out of the front of her gown. "What?" She asked innocently before her mouth formed a smirk. "Just for you, House. Hope you don't mind, Cameron." She winked and went back to barking orders at the others who were there decorating.
Cameron smacked House lightly on the arm, bringing him out of his stare. She laughed. "Come on, let's get this stuff put up. You'll have plenty of time to ogle her later."
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A couple of hours later, the cafeteria, both inside and out, had been transformed into an orange and black otherworld of goblins, skeletons, bats, and ghosts. Cuddy had set up a raffle table at one end with various items, and another small table at the door where Nurse Brenda sat taking tickets and donations. The bar held various candies, caramel-covered apples, cookies, finger foods, and selections of soft drinks and alcohol. People were starting to arrive, so Cameron dragged House back up to the office to change.
"Close the blinds and wait here," she said, all but pushing him into the chair behind his desk. "I'll change in the conference room; I want you to get the full effect." She carefully removed the fire agate he'd given her for her birthday from around her neck and handed it to him. "Keep this in your pocket tonight," she said, lightly kissing him on the forehead before she went to change.
House sat, fiddling with his eight-ball until she finally emerged from the conference room. He set down the ball without looking at it and stood slowly, his mouth half open with awe. She was a vision in the dress he'd gotten her; it fit perfectly, hanging on her shoulders and hugging her slim figure. She wore open-toed shoes, and although it wasn't part of the costume, she'd painted her toenails blue at some point, which made him grin. The formal gloves elongated her arms, and the pearls and tiara completed the look, turning the lovely young doctor into a picture of sophistication and grace.
Cameron smiled and pulled out the trademark cigarette holder, quickly striking a goofy pose before walking into his embrace. "You look perfect," he whispered.
"Thanks. So, Fred darling, shall we?" She smiled and held out her arm. House took it in his and they headed back downstairs.
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The ball was already in full swing, with music playing and plenty of people milling about, dancing, talking, and relaxing. House walked off to find Wilson while Cameron headed straight for a drink, running into Foreman on her way.
"Hey Cam, you look amazing!" He was dressed as a pirate, complete with ruffled shirt and sword. "House…actually did a good job with that dress. I'm shocked. Have you seen Chase yet?" He took a sip of his beer.
"No I haven't, but I think it'll take something pretty good to beat your costume," she said. "Come on, let's go find House.
They found him with Wilson and Cuddy outside, the three of them sharing old party stories. "Hey," Cameron said, slipping an arm around House. "Nice costume, Wilson, it suits you perfectly."
He was dressed as a vampire. "Thanks Cam." He took in Foreman's costume. "Pirate, nice," he said with a fanged grin.
"Yeah, I didn't know Captain Sparrow was black," House quipped as Foreman rolled his eyes.
"Bo Peep?" Foreman asked Cuddy, who nodded. "Interesting. Have you seen Chase?"
"No, but who is that…" Cuddy's voice trailed off after a moment. They all turned to look at what she'd seen. Chase noticed them then and limped over. He was wearing a black suit jacket, jeans, and a rumpled Rolling Stones t-shirt. He must have shelled out some good dollars for the cane he had; it was cherry wood, polished to perfection.
"Hey guys!" He flashed a huge grin. "So what do you think?"
House, naturally, spoke first. "I think I'll be sending you to fill in for me at the clinic. And what is that shit on your face?"
Chase ran a hand across his cheek, which was covered in light stubble. "Well, I only had two days to grow it, otherwise someone would have gotten suspicious."
"I might as well give you my money now," Foreman huffed and Chase just laughed.
The six of them were a sight, along with everyone else that night. The hours dragged on, filled with pranks, candy, and some drunken fun. Finally, near midnight, it was time to announce the contest winner. Cuddy sauntered up to the podium that had been set up near the deejay, doing her best to keep steady in spite of a few too many drinks.
"Alright everyone, can I get your attention?" The talk quieted to a murmur as people settled down. "As you know, PPTH is hosting this costume ball to raise funds for the pediatrics and maternity wards." A glint appeared in her eye as she continued. "What you may not know is that this idea was brought to me by our head of Diagnostics, Dr. Greg House. So let's all give him a quick round of applause!" Cameron grinned at House as people clapped in surprise. "With that out of the way, lets get to the costume contest. Hopefully you all had a chance to vote, and some of our fine nurses have spent the past hour counting them." She opened the envelope and raised an eyebrow. "It seems we have a tie. The winners are…Dr. Robert Chase and Dr. Allison Cameron! Come on up, guys."
Foreman handed over his hundred to Chase as Cameron's mouth formed an 'o'. "What are you waiting for?" House asked her. "Get up there and make a fool out of us." He gave her a nudge and Chase took her hand, leading her to the podium.
The two each gave a quick thanks and received plastic trophies from Cuddy. "Congratulations guys. Now, we're going to let our deejay play one more song. Thanks everyone for coming, and drive home safe!"
The lights lowered a little more as 'Moon River' began to play. House took Cameron in his arms and smiled at the woman he loved. "So what do you think?" He asked her as they danced together for the second time.
"Did I tell you how divinely and utterly happy I am?" Was all she said, and then she kissed him again.
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A/N: Whew! Again, I hope you've all enjoyed, and keep an eye out for more stuff from me. I'd love to read a review from you, and Kudos to whoever gets the line from Breakfast at Tiffany's. Thanks again, so much!
