Chapter sixteen- About time.

The corvette swung into the parking lot at six o'clock with ease. Ten minutes before, a snow plough had cleared a path, much to Cameron's relief. She was standing looking at her reflection, panicking.

She was wearing a halter neck black dress. It was tight fitting and flattering all at once, and the skirt ended about an inch above her knee. It was chiffon and gathered down the front. Did she look too dressed up? It was too late to change now, she thought. Her black and diamante sandal heels were suggested by Cuddy, and Cameron considered that she had spent far too much on the outfit. Her hair fell down her back in their natural waves and curls, and she noticed that the clutch bag she was holding was being gripped far tighter than she first thought in a shaking hand.

It was just then that a bang on the door jolted her out of her thoughts with a start. She struggled to undo the door because she was worrying, but finally it swung open.

House was standing there, and dropped his cane down to its usual resting place. He was wearing a tux suit with a red shirt underneath (which Cameron gleefully noticed had the top couple of buttons undone). She practically fainted when the realisation of what she was doing hit her. She and House were going out. Together. On a date. To a party! She grinned at him as he clearly checked her out before saying:

"Nice"

"You too."

"Your dad doesn't want you home before nine or anything."

"Let me go ask him." They smiled at each other before she locked up her apartment.

They made their way down the corridor and outside. House was silently grateful that Cameron's apartment had an elevator. It was only on the first floor but even so he didn't think he would have been able to make it up or down stairs without having to make a fool out of himself at least once.

When they stepped outside, the cold air made her shiver and wrap her arms around herself. He noticed this and groaned:

"Oh God"

"What?"

"You want me to do something chivalrous now, like put my coat around your shoulders."

"No" She giggled "I'm certainly not expecting you to be romantic."

They carried on walking.

"But you're cold" He stated as they made their way carefully through the parking lot so as to not step in snow.

"Well, yeah. You've got a tux; I've got a useless piece of chiffon to keep me warm."

"Should have brought a coat."

"Way to state the obvious".

As she had done before, outside Hansen's, Cameron linked arms with House and snuggled into him. Feeling him tense she defended.

"I'm cold!"

"Sure, whatever."

"I am!" She laughed at his expression which read that he thought she just needed an excuse of contact with him.

The corvette was warm, which was a relief. She had never been in his car sober or not hung over before, and for the first few minutes she was behaving like an over excited baby chimp. At least, that was how he had described it.

"Ooh! I never noticed the CD collection."

"Cameron, shall we get going?"

"Just a minute! The Who! The Doors! I love your music collection. It's all so vintage!"

"'It's all so vintage?'" He mocked.

"I love it!"

"Great, can we go?"

"Wait! Oh my gosh! Is this to connect your i-pod?"

"No. That's to administer Vicodin directly into my blood stream" He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"There's no need to get snippy" They both chuckled as she used one of his own lines back at him.

A few minutes later they were on the road, chatting away to one another.

"No calling me Greggie, Baby, Honey, Cutie. This may technically be date number three but that's no excuse."

She had been laughing at his pet name suggestions and stopped abruptly:

"Number three? There was 'the' date, this one, I didn't think going to a patients house counts"

"It doesn't" She was looking over at him, confused, and he added turning back to concentrate on the road "the monster trucks."

"You said that wasn't a date."

"I lied"

She smiled widely and put her hand over his on the gear stick, before saying gently:

"Everybody lies"

A while later when the moment had passed she said, looking out of the window:

"So what am I allowed to call you? Other than House"

"Stud"

"Oh my God" She chuckled.

"Call me whatever you want to call me. You're not introducing me as your boyfriend though."

"That's fine by me, so long as you don't introduce me as your hooker."

"You prefer 'call girl'?"

This earned him a playful slap on the arm from Cameron.

"So what are you going to call me? Seriously?" She looked over at him with those ridiculously large eyes she had.

"Cameron. Or Doctor Cameron."

"Right" She went silent for a moment.

"Or Allison"

"Really?"

"No. I'm stuck in my ways. But I'll introduce you as Allison."

"Really?"

"Sure."

They reached the hospital soon after. Once he was parked up, she asked him with a deep breath:

"You ready?"

"Uh-huh"

He wasn't looking at her now, and she could tell that he was lying.

"We don't have to do this, if it's too much, we don't have to be here, if it's too soon-"

"No" He interrupted. "I just should have done this a long time ago."

"You're doing it now."

He stayed quiet for what seemed like an eternity:

"Yes. I'm ready."

The two stepped out of the corvette, and taking Houses arm, Cameron allowed him to lead her to the hospital.