A quick A/N: I watched the Season 5 finale the other day and I cannot get Cameron's reaction to Chase when he tells her *spoiler* that she doesn't want to let go of the last thing she has of her dead husband. That episode was so well written. It drags us along, thinking that Cameron is just being selfish, but ends with the realization that she is harboring so much pain. And she sobs into his chest. She can let go. I do not like Chase, but I liked that episode. I was inspired by that to write a scene in this chapter. But it's House instead of the wombat (sorry).
Also, thank you all for being patient with me through my late update.
Annnnnd Happy Birthday to Jennifer Morrison (April 12)!
Third sidebar and then I'll leave you to read the chapter: My grandpa passed away on April 11th so I will be heading up to Ohio for the funeral. My mom is having a very tough time; he was her last parent alive. This is another reason for the slow upload time.
Hope everyone is safe and healthy.
House took a deep breath and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He turned back and checked on Cameron who was still very much asleep under his covers.
A fluffy, brown and white cat lay curled by Cameron's feet. She'd named her Minnie and House thought it was a stupidest name on the planet. But Allison loved her so he didn't ask any questions.
He ran a hand across her covered body before committing to getting up. As he stared at himself in the mirror, House realized he needed to shave. He'd been neglecting several parts of his self-care routine in favor of loving more on Cameron. Although she was getting better, he wanted to ensure she was holding up. And if that meant shaving every third day instead of daily, House would do whatever it took.
Allison didn't want to go to work. House didn't blame her. She listed off an array of reasons why didn't wanna go, but House knew the real reason: Chase was still there. He was incapacitated but it didn't take away from the fact that he now scared Cameron. She was already on guard about a thousand times more than most people and last Friday's event was not any help.
"It's okay if you don't want to be around him," House assured as Cameron finished drying her hair.
She shut off the hairdryer and focused on him. "I'm not worried about that. I just don't wanna go today. I have paperwork anyway. I can file it at home just as well." Her hair flew behind her as she started up the drier again.
"Since when do you have that much to file?" House stepped closer to her.
"Since you stopped doing your own work. I have double the amount."
House stared at Cameron's reflection while the brunette strands wisped around. She didn't meet his eyes.
"Cameron," he placed a hand on her shoulder, "it's really okay. No one is gonna be mad."
"H-Greg," It was still fairly new to her to call House by his first name and she really only used it during sex, but it emphasized her point, "I'm not worried about anyone being mad at me. Like I said, I'm fine."
He didn't believe her for a second. "Allison. You don't care about silly paperwork; you haven't for the last three years. You're scared to be around Chase. He violated you while your wounds were still fresh. It is understandable. Putting up a facade doesn't make you any stronger; quelling your feelings will hurt you."
With this, Cameron's face scrunched up and her bottom lip began to waiver. House was right: she wanted to avoid the hospital to avoid Chase. Being around him not only reminded her of the assault, but of everything that lead up to it. Her nose didn't have time to turn pink before she sunk deep into House's chest.
The older man let Allison catch her breath. Although no more tears reached the apples of her cheeks, the red eyes and moist lashes were worthy tells. "I want you to come to the hospital with me." House phrased it in the best way he could, tilting Cameron's chin up. "You can trust me to watch out for you." Before she could voice a rebuttal, House added, "Not that you need me to. But I know you like when I do." He winked and kissed the top of her head.
Cameron stepped back, a smile appearing on her face, "I really do."
"How about we pick up some coffee and doughnuts on the way?" He grabbed her hand.
"That sounds wonderful."
"No...no...no," House flipped through binder of resumes. "Definitely no."
As usual, Cuddy stood in front of his desk, pounding her heel against the floor. "You have to pick someone. The empty space over Chase's chair won't solve your cases for you."
House looked up, "Wouldn't that be so cool?"
Her eyes crawled towards her brows, "Have you checked all of them?"
He made his way to the final pages, stopping abruptly at page ten, "Woah, baby!" He spent long moments staring at the page. When Cameron walked in, House coughed and changed posture, "She seems nice."
Cuddy, displeased albeit not surprised that House noticed the intern's breasts before skills, snatched the file out of the House's firm grip. "She's our most skilled applicant. I didn't expect you to notice."
House had to practice hardy strength not to say the first sexist comment that came to mind, "She seems like a worthy candidate."
The younger brunette who had been previously quiet addressed her concern, "Who is she?" She was not trying to sound jealous, but she could not help feeling her heart sink a little as she took a look at the stunning woman on the resume.
Cuddy awkwardly looked on to the dynamic. House was trying not to show his enthusiasm and Cameron held back her ambivalence.
"She potentially Chase's fill-in," House answered.
"Oh."
He didn't know if she was suddenly reserved because talking about Chase brought up pain or if she wasn't keen to a new, attentive female sharing her workspace.
"Anyway," Cuddy broke the tension. "You gotta pick someone, House. And soon. You can't solve cases when it's just you and your girlfriend."
"I've got Foreman!" He called.
"Shut up," Cuddy marched out of the room. Everything was changing and she was aware of how difficult it was for House and Cameron. But she was also aware that ever since House began a relationship with the younger brunette, these changes began happening. She worried that House was not handling it well. And she worried about how that would affect Cameron.
House stretched his bad leg out on top of the coffee table and sat back with a chilled pale ale.
"You leave scruff marks on the glass," Cameron grabbed his leg, having to use both hands.
"You didn't seem to mind last night when you pounded the glass with your fists," House smirked.
Cameron flashed a coy grin, "That was different. I couldn't help that."
That was music to his ears. He didn't need any more prompting before grabbing her into his lap. Cameron squealed as she flopped between House's thighs and stomach.
"I'm guessing you couldn't help that, either?"
Cameron blushed slightly before settling.
"See if you can help this," hands awry, House began tickling the young doctor as she writhed around. Her giggles were sunshine-filled honeysuckle blossoms. Adorable gasps of air that lit up the room. It was the first time House had seen her really enjoy herself in the last several weeks.
"S...stop!" Cameron could barely get the words out, "Gr...greg!"
When she got ahold of her breath, House quipped, "I like those two words together." He was a more sensitive guy with her, but he wouldn't let her know that.
"I'm sure you do." Cameron then remembered that she forgot her hairbrush at home. And House didn't own one. "Oh shoot. I need to make a trip home. Forgot my brush."
House mused between several responses before coming up with, "What if you didn't have to go get your stuff from home..."
Cameron's face morphed into a confused look, "What do you mean?"
"What if you kept all your stuff here at my house?"
Being absolutely oblivious, she raised a single eyebrow, "Then I'd have to bring all my stuff back and forth all the time. Unless I got an extra of everything? That might be hard though, because I have my work scrubs, my s-"
"Would you shut up and realize that I am asking you to move in with me?"
Cameron puckered her lips, "Oh."
Not quite the response he wanted. "Well?" House felt his heart drop as the woman's pale verdant orbs filled with unshed tears.
"Oh, baby," House sighed, got up from the couch, and limped over to his teary-eyed girlfriend, "What's wrong?"
Cameron shook her head, "No-nothing, Greg. Nothing's wrong. I would love to move in with you!" She hugged House with such a force that nearly caused him to fall back.
"Wait," he deductive reasoning skills with women were subpar. He didn't do well with the whole understanding women's emotions category. "Why are you crying?"
Cameron slapped him playfully on the shoulder, "Because I'm happy!"
"Women, man. Don't understand 'em."
"I'm gonna go get my stuff right now!" The perky brunette sprinted toward the door, ponytail flipping in the process.
He had to stop her, "Hold on there little lady. I think we have something to do first."
Allison flashed mirthful eyes in House's direction. He took her into his arms and the two stumbled playfully to the bedroom.
"Were you dropped as a baby?" House flashed a light between a patient's eyes.
The patient, a young girl with curly blonde hair, laughed when House stuck out his tongue.
Her mother, however, was not so thrilled at House's blatancy, "She was not dropped as a baby. She has ADHD. I looked it up. Her symptoms match."
"Hmm," House stood back, "it's a wonder people like you are able to have children."
The mother flashed an annoyed expression.
"Your daughter doesn't have ADHD. Her inattention and lack of focus aren't symptoms of a mental disorder. She's been having complex partial seizures."
With this, the girl's mother gasped, "What? She's didn't shake or fall or anything! She just starts walking around and yelling for a couple minutes, then returns to normal. My mom said-"
House let out an annoying utterance, "Enough! People like you who go around searching up symptoms and relying on mommy are why children like your daughter die every year." He picked up a prescription pad and began marking it. "Something hit her head. All seizures aren't total loss of consciousness, falling on the floor, cockroach-on-raid type." House then attended to the 5-year-old that happily licked a lollypop. "Do you remember yelling?"
She shook her head no. "Nuh-uh."
"Partial seizures are hard to detect, you're lucky on that one. The child doesn't remember anything and it won't look like a seizure. She needs rest and meds."
The mom seemed to calm down a little bit. "Thanks, doctor."
"Don't thank me." He didn't mean this in a humble way, but in a literal way. There's nothing that annoyed House more than idiotic parents.