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"We're going to be here all night, guys," Foreman said, handing out everyone a chart.
Cameron was the only one that looked distressed about that. "No, I can't!" she said.
"Got somewhere you needed to be?"
"Well I do have a life, you know!"
"Since when?"
"Since Cuddy," House said, entering from his office. "Jeez, Foreman, where have you been the past two weeks? They can't keep their eyes off one another."
"It's not about Cuddy," Cameron lied, opening the chart.
"Oh, you're a terrible liar." House paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked her over. "Your cheeks are glowing."
"What are you talking about? My cheeks always glow."
"Not like that they don't," Chase piped up from the other end of the table. The tone of his voice was still saddened whenever he spoke about Cameron. It was a mixture of sadness and jealousy. He could never look at her with a straight face either. His eyes would always look past her or downwards when they spoke.
"And you can't sit still in that chair," House pointed out.
Cameron did notice herself wiggling a bit and stopped when he mentioned it. "So?"
He looked her over, making her gulp nervously. She hoped he didn't notice. "Your clothes are wrinkled. They weren't wrinkled when I saw you twenty minutes ago getting into the elevator with Cuddy. Did you two do it in the bathroom or something."
Cameron was horrified. "No!" she squeaked, blushing even further, feeling very uncomfortable.
House chuckled. Foreman and Chase exchanged looks.
"Who here thinks she's lying?" House asked, raising his hand immediately.
"Okay, seriously, it really doesn't matter," Foreman said.
"It doesn't matter?" House repeated in a shocked high-pitched tone. "Two women, two very hot women, getting it on doesn't excite you?"
"Not as much as it seems to be exciting you right now," he said, not sounding interested in the least. "We have a case. The patient is more important to me than Cameron having a fling with Cuddy."
"It's not a fling!" Cameron said. "Hello, I am in the room, you know. There is nothing going on between Cuddy and I."
"Yet," Chase mumbled, hiding his face behind the chart.
Cameron slammed her hand down on the table and leaned forward crossly. "If you have something to say, let's hear it. Stop acting like a child and hiding every time I come into view."
"That's what she used to do with Cuddy and they ended up in bed. You still have a chance," House said, pointing his cane at Chase before erasing the whiteboard.
"I didn't sleep with Cuddy!" Cameron yelled. Technically, she didn't. Sex in an elevator doesn't count. Cameron was angrier with the fact that they wouldn't drop the subject. She was tempted to shout it out and get it over with, just so they would shut up about it.
A clearing of the throat near the door interrupted them. Cameron looked over her shoulder at the new body in the room.
"Am I interrupting something?" Wilson asked.
"No," Cameron said, voice tight.
"Yes," House said at the same time, enjoying the confrontation in the room. "What do you want?"
"I'm taking your patient. When we did the scans, we found a tumor in his lungs. It's cancerous."
House feigned worry. "But if you take him, that means Cameron will be free tonight to work her other job."
Wilson frowned. "Other job?" He looked over to Cameron.
Cameron sighed, dropping her pen onto the table and crossing her legs. "Probably the carpet cleaning job or whatever other euphemism he can make up instead of saying what he really wants to say."
House looked appalled. "Me? Never!"
Wilson raised his eyebrows and held his hands up, as if surrendering to something. "Look, whatever, I'm just telling you about the patient." He walked to the door, but then looked over his shoulder. "Cameron, can I see you for a minute?"
Cameron swallowed hard. "Of course." She hesitantly rose.
"You're doing Wilson now, too?!" House asked, dropping his mouth, faking awe.
Cameron was going to defend herself, but found it not worth it. House was going to think anything he wanted, regardless of what she said. When he starts posting her as the hospital slut, and if anyone's dumb enough to believe it, she'll worry then.
She didn't know why Wilson wanted to talk to her. Maybe he was disturbed about hearing house banter her about Cuddy and he wanted to follow up on that. Whatever it was, Cameron felt more comfortable talking to Wilson than House. House always mocked her. Wilson wouldn't. It's hard to believe the two were even in the vicinity of friends.
Wilson took her to his office a few feet away and didn't speak until the door was closed.
"Is something really going on between you and Cuddy?"
Even though she felt comfortable talking to Wilson, she didn't want the elevator story, or any other future sex sessions to become hospital business. Cuddy wouldn't want that either. She would respect Cuddy and wait until she wanted it to be public news. For now, she would lie about it. For some reason, it's become a hot topic, no doubt spread by House.
Faking it, Cameron rolled her eyes. "No, there is nothing going on between us. What did you expect? You know Cuddy; do you really think she'd ruin her image by messing around with me?"
Wilson almost looked sad. "Whether that's true or not, just…don't take advantage of her."
Cameron frowned heavily. "Take advantage of her? First, you tell me not to break House's heart, which could never happen in a million years, because he doesn't have one, and now you're telling me not to take advantage of Cuddy? What am I -- the Broken Hearts Widow? If anything, she'd be the one to break my heart. She already has when she turned me down," she lied, making the story sound dramatic.
Wilson held up his hands again. "I'm just saying. Cuddy is…very special."
"Yeah, and a rock. Nothing can break her shell, what makes you think I could. Me…feeble, weak, and…whatever other typecast I'm set up with by my peers. I believe 'sappy' is a new one."
"Cameron, I'm not on you. Judging on how you're being so self-protective…I'm going to take it as a yes that you're with Cuddy."
"Take it however way you want," Cameron said, folding her arms. "It doesn't matter anymore. I just hope it's not too much of a disappointment when you find out that there's nothing going on between us. Why don't you go give her the lecture about breaking hearts because she certainly broke mine."
Cameron had hoped that if he does go to Cuddy, she denies what everyone suspects. Why is everyone so hot on this? She would expect House over anyone to be all for it and possibly snoop around for his own benefit and pleasure. Maybe sneak over to Cuddy's house, take some sex pictures, and upload them onto his computer for jacking off purposes. Instead, he's having the opposite effect and actually showing some feelings on this. Does he like Cuddy? He didn't show it when she was in the hospital, fighting for her life. He didn't show it directly, anyway. But then again, House is House. He'll never show any emotion.
"Is that it then?" Cameron asked, wanting to leave.
"Yeah," Wilson sighed out and walked to his desk.
Cameron hesitated before leaving. Why did this bother him so much?
"You're worried about me breaking Cuddy's heart because you have feelings for her," Cameron assumed, standing by the door, but not leaving.
Wilson waved his hand as he sat. "So does every Joe in this hospital. I may not want to date her, but that doesn't mean I want someone to take advantage of her either."
"What are you, her big brother? She can take care of herself. She doesn't need you and House looking over her shoulder, telling her who she can't date."
"Fine, Cameron, whatever. You know my feelings on this. It's over. I won't bring it up again."
Cameron left after that, having a feeling it wasn't over. They would be in the same boat again once the hospital found out about them.
She returned to House's office to find him at his computer, watching the familiar video involving pill-like shapes in medicine bottles and ugly little mutant characters.
"What's going on? Where are Chase and Foreman?" she asked, noticing the adjacent room empty.
"Keeping busy somewhere. Clinic, I think," he said and then pointed to the screen. "Doesn't the little red virus remind you of Cuddy?"
"Yeah, and the little blue one resembles you," she said, playing along, but only for a moment. For some reason, he was still really attached to this Dr. Mario YouTube video.
House twisted his face in thought. "You think? He does have my hair."
"House, get rid of the video."
House looked shocked. "Oh, absolutely not! Dr. Mario is a genius! He's much better than regular Mario."
Cameron shook her head. "Okay, assuming I know who that is, it really doesn't matter right now."
"Why not? I don't have anything better to do. I could go bother Cuddy, but she might let something slip about you two. God, whoever made this gameplay is a complete genius. I wouldn't want to play against him!"
"There is nothing going on—"
"Yeah, yeah, there's nothing going on between you and Cuddy, allegedly," he said, leaning the chair back and putting his feet up. ''That's good news."
"Wilson already wants Cuddy to himself. Is it the same for you?"
House never even looked at her. Instead, he laughed at the video. "The little yellow guy got his butt kicked in that one!"
Cameron wasn't getting anywhere. She spun on her heels to leave his office, but stopped when he called her.
"Go check the clinic for patients. And don't go near Cuddy. I'll be watching you."
Cameron frowned. "House, you're sending me to the clinic just so I'll run into Cuddy!"
He sent a smirk her way. "Like I said, you are just too smart for your own good."
"If I have to talk to her, I'm going to talk to her. It's part of my job."
"Is keeping the boss satisfied part of the job description, too? If that's the case, you owe me a blowjob and I owe Cuddy…Well, why don't we just have a threesome? That way, everyone's happy."
"Dream on," Cameron muttered and walked away.
The clinic was backed up when Cameron got down there. Chase and Foreman were also down here. Foreman was currently taking a chart from Nurse Brenda at the station when Cameron walked in. She had never seen the place so full. Every seat was filled and there were some people standing up against the wall. The majority of them were either coughing or sniffling. Cameron hoped she wouldn't catch anything.
"Where's House?" Foreman asked when Cameron randomly grabbed a chart from a row that was spread out.
"Watching Dr. Mario work instead of us," Cameron snapped, opening the chart.
"Still?"
"Yep."
"He's been watching that damn thing for two weeks now."
"And I don't care. Why are we so backed up down here?"
"A lot of sick people, no one to take them. Everyone was relocated to the ER. Eighteen-wheeler turned over on the pike, resulting in a lot of fire and a twenty car pileup."
"That explains it. How wonderful. Looks like no one's leaving anytime tonight," she groaned under her breath.
Cameron was right. The clinic didn't calm down until closing time, but then right after that, Cameron, Foreman, and Chase were rushed to the ER to help out there. Wilson joined in as well, but no one saw House the whole time, even when Cuddy tried to go up and personally get him down there. Although Cuddy was also in the ER the entire time, Cameron thought it would be hard to focus. It was easier than she thought. She was so wrapped up in the patients that she hardly noticed Cuddy was there. It was the same for Cuddy. The faster they got the job done, the faster they could get out of there.
Finally, around ten o'clock, the patients that had to be admitted were admitted and those who could be released were gone. The nuthouse was officially under control. Cameron peeled off her scrubs and tossed them into the bin. That was the first time she had noticed Cuddy not being there anymore.
Maybe she went home already.
"Have you seen Dr. Cuddy?" Cameron casually asked one of the ER doctors she saw her with earlier.
"Yeah, she already left. She said she had plans tonight."
Cameron smiled inwardly, knowing those plans involved her. Cameron thanked her and left the ER to head to the locker room. Half way there, her phone rang. The caller ID told her it was Cuddy.
"Hey, you," Cameron greeted.
"Hey…" Cuddy said, sounding exhausted. "I'm going to have to take a rain check for tonight."
Cameron's heart sank. The smile was wiped right off her face. "Why?" She couldn't help but ask that. Disappointment could easily be heard in her voice.
"I have so much paperwork to get caught up on. I wasn't able to work on it today because of me being in the ER. I'm sorry."
Cameron's distress came to her so strongly that it nearly brought her to tears. "You're the Dean; you have a choice on when to finish it."
"Cameron, please don't use that tone with me." Cuddy could hear how saddened she was. "I was out for two weeks. It's not like retail where I'm out and can come back to pick up where I left off."
"Fine, whatever, you're right." Even though Cameron was busy all day and didn't have much time to have her mind wander, she would every so often think about Cuddy and the wonderful time they were going to have together tonight. There were more smiles than usual on her face that day. And now all of a sudden, she cancels, when she had all day to realize the paperwork sitting on her desk wasn't going to finish itself. "You could've told me sooner."
"Sooner, later, what's the difference? The end result is the same."
Cameron grimaced at the change in her tone. "What's your problem? Are you trying to avoid me? You didn't say one word to me in the ER or the clinic and you barely looked at me all day."
"I'm sorry. Our relationship can't interfere with work. I've told you that. I didn't have a reason to talk to you."
"What relationship?" Cameron asked spitefully, although tears were forming in her eyes. "You act like I don't exist."
Whiny, bitchy, persistent…yep, that was Cameron all the way. Especially whiny when she doesn't get her way.
"It's been one day, Cameron," she sighed.
"What about the last two weeks? What was I to you then?"
"This isn't like the last two weeks! I'm not stuck in a room anymore; I'm working. I have a lot of responsibilities and duties to the hospital. I can't be playing around."
"So that's what happened in the elevator meant to you? We were just playing around." Cameron paced around in the locker room. A tear slipped from her eye and fell onto the floor.
"I'm sorry. Bad choice of words," Cuddy said, wishing she used better words.
"Damn right they were!" Cameron threw open her locker door and ripped her coat out. "The truth always comes out in the end. I shouldn't have expected this to be any different. I was a fool."
"No, Cameron—"
"Goodnight, Dr. Cuddy," she said and flipped her phone closed before Cuddy could speak.
Cameron was overrun with different emotions after that. She regretted being so mean to Cuddy, but she also felt angry that Cuddy canceled on her. She pinned the Dean, she should be aware of the responsibilities! They wouldn't be dropped just because she has someone in her life. There was a reason Cuddy didn't have relationships. She never had the time! Cameron should've understood that and not let it get to her. Her quickened pulse and raise in body temperature showed she took it hard. And to top it all off, she was back to calling her Cameron again!
She threw her phone into her purse after a small pause, donned her jacket, and then slammed the locker door hard enough to create an echo.
She ripped open the door to leave and slammed right into House, who appeared to have been standing there for a while. Cameron shouted in surprise as she collided with his chest.
"Whoa, hey, watch where you're walking! Bum leg, you know. Hard to keep my balance."
"Excuse me," Cameron muttered after the surprise wore off and walked easily around him. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.
House followed her.
"Heard the phone call," he said simply.
"Figures," Cameron grumbled.
"Guess that whatever happened between you and Cuddy in the elevator…won't be happening again."
"You have no idea what's going on, so don't pretend you do."
"I know exactly what's going on," he said, walking outside with her. "You got used to all the time you were able to spend with Cuddy when she was recovering, so you assume it's all going to continue that way. When you understand it's not…you start getting very pissy and selfish."
So much for keeping their relationship a secret. She should've known that was impossible with House snooping around.
"What did happen in the elevator?"
"None of your business," she spat, walking quicker, trying to lose him.
"Oh, my little Cameron is all grown up!" House cried dramatically. "I knew this day would come." He brushed an imaginary tear from his eye. "She gets her first lesbionic lay."
"Go to hell," Cameron mumbled, but didn't say it loud enough for House to hear. She just continued walking to her car, not looking behind her. She was already in a mood with Cuddy. She didn't need the extra weight.
When Cameron got home, her cell phone rang. She was able to have time to reflect on how she acted towards Cuddy on the phone and realized she was being very selfish with putting her needs before Cuddy's job. If this was Cuddy, she would apologize, but was still angry on some level.
It wasn't Cuddy. It was Chase. A pang of disappointment thudded in her chest.
"Are you sleeping with Cuddy?" Chase asked straight away, in surprise. He knew they were very close, but didn't think it would come that far.
Cameron sighed. "Let me guess…House?"
She just leaves him not more than ten minutes ago and figures everyone on the team would know about her and Cuddy.
"He lies," Cameron added.
"Not about this! I heard about the elevator having to be fixed because the emergency stop was initiated. I would've guessed it was House again, but he was in the office with Foreman and me. You were in there with Cuddy. People saw you getting off together when it was fixed."
"That doesn't mean we did anything!"
"Right," Chase said doubtfully.
Cameron sighed. "We had to talk. That's all that happened. I stopped the elevator because she wouldn't listen to me and that's the only way I could keep her near me long enough to talk." Cameron sounded very convincing. She used all the bent up anger she had from Cuddy canceling their night together to motivate her, making her sound as if she were telling the truth. "Feel better that you know what happened now?"
Chase was silent for a while. "You sure that's what happened?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, Chase. And even if something else was going on between Cuddy and I, it doesn't concern you. Our uncomplicated sex was halted because you took it to the next step, remember?"
"Oh, sure, I can't say I like you, but you can drown Cuddy in kisses and whisper sweet nothings into her ear instead of mine. Our agreement was nullified because you fell in love with Cuddy, not because I said I liked you. That was your out."
Cameron sighed angrily. "Look, I said this to House, and now I'm saying it to you…It's none of your business what happens between me and Cuddy. No one is going to talk me out of how I feel."
"I think she's going to do that for you."
Cameron opened her mouth to say something back, but the click on the other end told her that Chase had hung up. Instead of words coming from her mouth, Cameron sighed instead and hung up.
Maybe Chase was right. Between her being unstable and Cuddy being busy all the time, they wouldn't have time for one another. What happened tonight with Cuddy canceling their plans would happen frequently. House was right when he said Cameron grew used to Cuddy being in the ICU. Now that she wasn't, Cameron had a hard time getting used to Cuddy being on the go, even though that's how she's always been.
There was definitely a reason Cuddy hadn't had a successful date in years. Either House was there to screw it up, or Cuddy was too busy. Why would this be any different? Cuddy's significant other was her job. Cameron was merely the other woman that was there whenever Cuddy needed to get away.
Cameron flopped down onto her couch and buried her face in her hands. She was dumb for thinking Cuddy would feel any different about her than anyone else she's been with. Even after what happened in the elevator, Cuddy shrugs it off, acting like it didn't happen. That made Cameron's heart pound in fury and the surface of her skin burn in anger. Cameron's actions lately with Chase, to some people, would appear promiscuous, but with them being as busy as they were, and unable to meet someone to be in a real relationship, it was necessary. With Cuddy, she wanted more. She actually slipped by the uncomplicated sex phase and wanted a relationship. In the elevator, she gave Cuddy her all. She had never had sex with another woman before, but judging by the way Cuddy was reacting, she was damn good at it. Cameron wouldn't do that to just any woman. She loved Cuddy and wanted to try it with her, but she'd only set herself up to be heartbroken in the end. Sticking to uncomplicated sex with Chase was the safest route to go. At least she wouldn't be hurt. Cuddy would never find time for her.
Cameron's mind ran wild with all these what ifs and making things more complicated than they were. Her mind also spoke for Cuddy and made assumptions based on this one time Cuddy chose work over her.
A funny taste grew in the back of her throat and tears came to her eyes. It's obviously clear that she's never been stood up before and it took a great toll on her.
Trying not to read too much into it, which was going to be difficult, she flipped the light off and headed to bed.
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When Cameron came into work the next morning, she spotted Cuddy at the nurse's station, donned in her lab coat, and looking over charts. When she was sure Cuddy spotted her, Cameron kept her eyes firmly ahead, pretending not to notice her. She was half hoping Cuddy wouldn't call out to her. She was certain she was in the clear, but just when Cameron reached the elevators, Cuddy called out to her in her administrative tone. Instead of turning around as the clacking of Cuddy's heels on the linoleum grew closer told Cameron that she was coming to her, she turned to the side and took the stairs.
"Dr. Cameron!" Cuddy called, more persistent this time.
Cuddy continued to chase her. When Cameron realized there was no way out, she threw her back up against the wall in between levels and sighed. She watched Cuddy come up the stairs.
"I'm late," Cameron said, voice tight. It's the only polite thing she could come up with that would be a valid reason for getting away from Cuddy faster. She avoided the older woman's eye contact by shifting her own to the ground.
"You're never late," Cuddy responded, voice just as strict.
"Yeah, well, people change." Cameron finally met eye contact. "You should know."
Cuddy sighed. Here we go again. "I had work to do. You can't make me choose between you and my work. It's not fair. I've always been the way I am now. The only difference is I've never had anyone to share it with. If anyone understands my line of work, it's you, Allison."
"So is that how it's always going to be? Every time I want to go for a drink with you, or maybe grab some dinner, you're gong to be too busy."
Cuddy shook her head. "No…it's not always like that."
"Well…first impressions are a big thing with me. If someone calls and cancels our first date, it's going to leave me a little angry and not understanding. It also makes me second guess my feelings towards that person."
Cuddy's eyes slightly widened.
"I think we should end this now. It'll be better in the long run for you."
Cuddy's heart fell. Her lips parted in surprise. "No…no, that's not what I want. Are you really giving up on me because of one date canceled due to not being able to get my work done while being immobile for two weeks? Cameron, that's selfish! You can't expect everything to go your way all the time!"
Cuddy's voice was getting louder and attracting ears. Cameron didn't want to hear it. She stepped onward, fully expecting to head up the second flight of stairs to House's office when she was pulled back by the wrist, plans suddenly halting. She gave into Cuddy's light squeeze with a sigh of impatience.
"Have lunch with me."
Their eyes met. Cuddy's eyes shimmered the shimmer that always made it hard to tear Cameron away. It was the gleam that she saw in the elevator. If Cuddy couldn't use the right words, her eyes spoke for her.
Cameron bit her bottom lip before speaking. She didn't want to lose Cuddy, not when things have just begun. It hurt to have to tell Cuddy to end it with her. She would only be getting herself hurt in the end.
Cameron wasn't this needy. Either that, or she was just used to her significant others bowing to her every command. Every time she wanted to hop in the sack with Chase, he did so. Not once did he tell her no and stick with it.
Cameron's eyes dropped to Cuddy's neck randomly. There, a small bruise stuck out like a sore thumb on her rosy skin. She could tell that Cuddy tried to cover it with foundation, but it didn't work too well.
"Did I do that?" she asked, speaking low and blushing slightly.
Cuddy nodded. "There's also one on my left breast, but it's more of a yellowish purple color," she added with a small laugh.
Cameron's heart fluttered. Her mind took her back to yesterday. She felt the bliss she felt while watching Cuddy's face as she pleasured her, as well as her pleas for more.
"Sorry," Cameron said, speaking of the love bites, following a chuckle.
Cuddy shook her head. "I'd wear it with pride, but then people would be talking. You never answered me about lunch."
Cameron nodded. "Okay. Yeah. Sure." She wasn't sure what answer she wanted to use, so she used all three of them.
Cuddy's hand enclosed around hers. Her thumb lightly rubbed the roof of Cameron's hand. "I'll talk to you later with the details."
After that, they both went their separate ways.
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A little bit of drama to add in with romance. Please review! :)