Week Four: Something More

The phone rang shrilly, shouted almost, at House as it broke him out of his sleep. He couldn't recall, a moment later, what exactly he had been dreaming about, but he could remember hands on his shoulders pressing him down and something next to his ear. On further recollection, it had been some kind of lizard, or a demon.

Weird.

He needed to stop watching movies on the Sci-Fi network before going to bed.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, he rose and snatched up the phone, pressing the "Call" button before placing it to his ear.

"Hello. Speak. It's House."

There was a long pause, and House nearly hung up the phone – it must have been a wrong number or maybe a bill collector, he considered, because he didn't recognize the number.

Just as his finger hovered over the "End" button, however, he heard a rasping voice pipe up, "It's Cameron."

"…Okay… do you want a prize?" House retorted, trying to keep his own discomfort about what they had done out of his voice. Did she regret it? Or … well, worse or better, did she want to do it again? What did she expect? Men never called women to pore over the intricacies of sex, now did they?

They just took it for what it was. Did the sensible thing.

"I'm pregnant."

House was speechless, for one of the few times in his life. Sure, it had been her plan all along, but it had been a stupid plan, one he had regretted after going along with it. Why had he gone along with it, after all? Was he really that lonely that he'd sleep with one of his former fellows? He was above that, wasn't he?

Apparently not. And now, it seemed, there was at least the chance of a combined House/Cameron child unleashed upon the world, and that… was terrifying.

He was about to suggest that she run off somewhere and nip this in the bud, hell, he'd even pay, when Cameron continued, "So the plan can work."

"I…" House began. "Cameron, this plan – no offense, but it's moronic. Even if this all works out and you don't… fall down a flight of stairs or get kidnapped by some crazy woman who wants a baby, both of which are strong possibilities, how do we even know whether this kid's going to have the right bone marrow type? This is like… breeding a kid for spare parts. Do you really want to be the one to tell them?"

"He's not for spare parts!" Cameron barked into his ear. "Regardless of whether or not this 'works', I want this baby! Jeez, House – and if you do die, let's be honest, yeah this whole thing is a long shot so if you do die, don't you want to live on?"

"No," House fired back without a thought. No, he didn't want a kid, who was really innocent of this whole thing, to grow up in yet another screwed-up family dynamic.

"Yeah, you wouldn't," Cameron goaded, "You're so bitter at the whole entire world you'd rather fade away. In your eyes, the world's destined to basically end anyway, isn't it?"

"Pretty much."

"Why'd you even agree if you're just going to be an asshole about it?" Cameron snapped at him. He could hear a rustling in the background but couldn't tell whether it was papers, or maybe an agenda book – doctor's appointments? Or maybe a script? Maybe it was all a test, one he'd gladly failed.

"I wanted a free piece of ass."

He expected Cameron to hang up the phone, or scream and call him an asshole again, tell him she was done with him.

Instead, she just gave a simple, shrill laugh.

"Well, you have nine months to come around. Get used to it. Try not to die in the meantime."

Then, she hung up.

House immediately dialed Wilson's number.

"Remind me never to let Cameron try and save my life again."

"What happened? Did she not call the next day? Did she not respect you in the morning?" Wilson teased.

"She's pregnant," House blurted.

"…Wow."

"Yeah, what do you say to that?"

"I never knew Cameron was so fertile," Wilson said, the smirk evident in his voice.

"You're horrible, Wilson. A horrible person."

"Okay, okay, what are you going to do?" House paused.

"I have no damn clue."

"Well, at least my homeowner's insurance is covering some of this," Cuddy declared as she walked into her sister's living room and sat down in a big, red easy chair that felt way too awkward and far too much… not her house.

"Hmm… Too bad you can't get a refund on the time you wasted on him," Julia retorted, looking up from the copy of The Da Vinci Code she was reading.

"Are you ever going to stop making smart remarks, or am I going to strange you before I head back to my house?"

Julia shrugged.

"Just because you don't like to hear the truth, Lisa, doesn't mean I'm going to stop telling you it. That's what sisters do."

"No, apparently they kick people when they're down," Cuddy snarled. "You know how much stress I'm under. Can't you just give it a rest for about ten minutes? I know that this whole thing with House was a mistake – it's not as if I'm currently warbling 'He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)'."

"You might as well be. You need to accept that House is bad news, despite whatever idea you have to fix him, now or ever."

Cuddy placed her hands on her neck and groaned.

"Will you just stop? I don't want your opinion. I've never wanted your opinion on my love life. I just really, really do not want to hear it. I don't tell you how to live your life, Julia, so you really need to quit telling me how to live mine."

Even as the walls were set to be built, they were crumbling down. Then again, Cuddy was used to this by now. This was what life was like around House. She needed something more. But what?