Nope, Cameron still couldn't tell how Cuddy was doing. She was putting on a show, and it seemed like she had fooled the masses.
Masses... Tumors. Lesions. Cameron's mind rebelled even as her heart ached.
Cuddy was wearing a brown striped V-neck, and her hair was in pigtails. Illuminated by the screen, she stared up at the characters with a blank expression. Tears shone in her eyes, but they never fell. She was clearly holding in much more than 500 milliliters of water. But maybe she wouldn't have been trying to stave off tears if Lucas hadn't been sitting beside her, whispering about House.
"I just...I can't believe he's gone. I mean, I know we all will be, one day. I just thought he had some time left. I guess we always think we have more time."
Cameron may not have known how well Cuddy was coping; but in that moment, in the dark, she could tell Cuddy wanted to mess him up a little. Lucas must have recognized it, too; because he eventually turned his attention to the movie.
Leaving the theater, Cameron walked alongside Cuddy and Lucas; arms crossed as she tried to remember something about the movie. Any little detail at all.
"I haven't seen you in years. Did you move?" Cuddy was asking. Either she wanted to know or she wanted to change the subject.
"Yeah," he answered. "I moved. Because people do that." He opened the door and waited for the pair of women to walk out of the theater. As he followed them outside, Cuddy looked over her shoulder.
"People do that, but they don't generally refer to other people to justify it."
Looking over her shoulder, it was impossible to overlook the way his eyes shifted restlessly around the parking lot. Feeling an uncomfortable sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Cuddy waited for his guilty eyes to meet hers. "Is this a test?" she demanded.
"Uh, some things are personal, Lisa."
"You mean for once in your life you won't be talking about it?" Cameron grumped. Then her eyes raised to his and she gave him an obviously forced smile. "Sorry," she said. She continued walking.
"Uh, Cameron, let's talk about you. Lisa tells me you're the big-time head of diagnostics; that's—" His voice broke off abruptly and Cameron turned, expecting to see that he had fallen down. Instead, he was walking back to where Cuddy had stopped. She was, for some reason, in tears. "What is it?"
"The sky." Cuddy gave a partial laugh.
As Lucas looked cluelessly on, Cameron raised her eyes to the crystal blue depths of the sky. And she understood.
"Yeah, I cry when the clouds clear up, too."
"I know how it sounds. But it..." Cuddy's voice trailed off and she shook her head.
"It reminds you of House," Cameron said simply.
Cuddy nodded and the trio resumed walking towards Lucas' car. "I know what you mean."
"I'm glad someone does," Cuddy mumbled, and quickly felt like she had to explain herself in front of Lucas. "I keep thinking no one will understand. This is the first time I've seen anyone, it's the first time I've even left the house." The last word caused her to cringe.
"Chase would understand, too. Yesterday was the first time I'd ever seen him get sentimental."
"What were you doing?"
"I was talking about the patient...he was window shopping some rabbits."
Cuddy and Lucas trailed after her in confusion. He unlocked the car and they got inside; Cameron in the backseat. She took off her toque and ran her fingers through her straightened blonde hair, oblivious to when Lucas looked at her in the rearview mirror.
"So, do you think we can see your new place?" Cuddy asked him.
"Uh, I don't think so."
"Why not? Unless you are testing something, like a new identity."
"Yes," he said abruptly. "I was in witness protection. Happy?"
"Well, what did you witness? Or can you tell me?"
"I trust you, but no. I can't talk about it."
"You are talking about it."
"Surprised?" Cameron asked quietly.
"I can't show you my new place. That's why we took my car."
"So you invited us out because you want to see if we're being followed," Cuddy guessed. "That's what I was seeing, isn't it?"
"I've been out for..." Lucas hedged. "Look, several months, okay? And I've been in the clear. I think we're safe. I invited you out because you needed to get out. And I wanted to see you."
Cuddy was quiet, taking her time buckling up. Finally she met his eyes, shaking away her bangs. "Can we still call you Lucas?"
"Not legally."
Cuddy raised her brows at him, and he smiled at her; starting the car.