YAY! Chapter 17! Please please review!!!
Chapter 17- The party (1)- Defence.
The room was lowly lit. It was the room which was specifically used for events such as these. A wide open space with a bar and tables scattered around. The current layout consisted of aforementioned tables dotted around, one for each department, a dance floor (House noticed uneasily), and a bar (Cameron was pleased House would be happy about something.) Swarming around, generally in pairs or alone were the people. The worst part, House thought bitterly. These people were introducing themselves and partners, shaking hands or hugging depending on the closeness of relationships.
House cleared his throat nervously. Cameron sensed his unease and squeezed his arm gently. It was not long before they were mobbed.
The man was short and balding, with a waistline as wide as he was tall. Slinking along next to him was a woman a little smaller than Cameron (not that you could tell, her five inch heels made sure she could look down her nose at just about anyone), with peroxide blonde hair down to her waist in a pink cocktail dress. She was at best thirty, and if Cameron were to place a bet on the mans age she would put him at sixty five.
Cameron had heard Houses 'oh god' muttered at the couples descent, but she had squeezed his arm again to remind him that this year, she was with him.
"If it isn't Gregory House! How are you?" The man didn't wait for an answer. "This is Roxanna" He proudly presented the blonde like she was his prize winning husky. "We've been together a little under eleven months now, got married in fall, didn't we?"
"Yes." The blonde said, before continuing in a strong southern accent: "Roxanna Walker-Strong." She extended her hand out to House, who shook it much to Cameron's surprise.
"Gregory House. This is Allison. Cameron." Cameron smiled up at him before shaking both of the people's hands. "Allison this is Frederick Walker, he's a leading ophthalmologic surgeon"
"Nice to meet you" Cameron said politely.
"And you. I used to work here at the hospital, but I only come in occasionally now."
"Oh, right."
"So, Greg" Said the man, "Back on the scene I see" He nodded at the immunologist like she wasn't present.
"Uh, yeah"
Cameron resisted the urge to squeal.
"Well, congratulations." He leaned in a little towards House and, without lowering his voice, nudged House with his elbow saying "well done, if you know what I mean."
Cameron could practically feel House start to go tense with anger at the fact this guy was talking about her like she was some kind of trophy, not a medic in her own right. To be fair, he had no idea, but she knew House was about to say something unbearably sour so she cut in, to save him from himself.
"So, Roxanna" she addressed the young blonde "What do you do?"
"Do?" The girl asked vacantly.
"For a living" Good Lord thought Cameron this is going to take a while.
"I don't!" She laughed, an ingratiating, ugly laugh "But I modelled lingerie before I got pregnant."
"Oh! You have children?" Cameron restrained herself from laughing when House had cringed at Roxanna's laugh, and she carried on being polite.
"Just one, he's still tiny. Piers Frederick Tristan Walker-Strong."
Houses face again made Cameron want to collapse with laughter, but she again managed to hold it in.
"Lovely name"
"So, you work?" The man seemed somewhat surprised, and spoke as if Cameron only possessed two brain cells.
"Yes, I'm an immunologist here."
"Oh!" This seemed to take the man aback even more. "And how long have you been seeing Greg?"
"Um, well, uh-"
"On and off for about two years now." House cut in. Cameron was speechless. Inside, she was doing a crazy happy dance. She felt slightly tipsy even though she had not yet had anything to drink. Even though she knew he was just saving himself from saying 'this is our third date'.
"You sure kept this quiet, Greg!" He slapped House on the back, an action which House detested.
The next few minutes the increasingly annoying couple made conversation about their latest trip to St Tropez. Cameron couldn't help but feel relieved when they wandered off again. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Glad that's over?" Asked House.
"Kind of, yeah" She laughed a bit.
"Look around. We have that twenty times over before the nights out."
She let her eyes wander the room then. And sure enough, the place was full of couples strikingly similar to the one they had just been talking to. There were other couples of course, the kind who had been happily married for twenty years. House informed Cameron that no matter what, they were all guaranteed to be annoying. She didn't mention his 'two years' statement and neither did he. They just headed straight for the bar as House had said:
"The party is more bearable when you have a stiff drink to take the edge off".
Twenty minutes in. Is that all? Surely not. Yep, twenty minutes in. Please, God, just let this go quicker. Just let me get back to Cameron's place and… NO! Its ok let the party run on and on.
Why is he looking at his watch? Am I that dull? No, he's just uncomfortable in situations like these. Oh, God, what's going to happen later? When he takes me home, what should I do? What should I say to him? I sure hope time doesn't decide to race through the party to the awkward bit.
When Wilson entered the party, he inwardly debated whether or not to go over to his friend. House and Cameron were at the bar together, and they looked remarkably comfortable. It was like the past five years, and Stacey, had never happened. House looked happy with Cameron. Truly happy. But Wilson decided to go over anyway, it was a choice between that and looking like a loner (Miranda had pretty much expressed she was no longer interested).
"Hey, guys." He greeted
"Hey Wilson, want a drink?" greeted Cameron.
"Sure." He ordered, and a drink was promptly handed over.
"Where's Melinda?" House asked a mocking twang in his voice as he said the name.
"Miranda"
"Yeah"
"Home for Christmas. And New Year. And if she can find a job back there… forever."
"Oh, I'm sorry Wilson" Cameron touched his arm sympathetically.
"It's ok" He sighed "She missed her parents."
"Kids tend to." House snarked.
"House!" Cameron scolded.
It was then that a "Cameron!" was heard and she excused herself, scurrying off towards Foreman and Chase. Each received a warm hug, and Wilson noticed gladly that Cameron had a spring in her step which said quite clearly 'I'm happy!'
"House. Are you proving me wrong?"
"Looks like it"
No more was said on the matter, but all Wilson could think was how excited he was to tell Lisa Cuddy the news.
She was stalking around the room, politely greeting the guests when she saw out the corner of her eye her new found friend, Dr Allison Cameron. It was then that Cuddy made a bee-line for the party of three who were seated at the bar.
"Allison!"
"Lisa!" Cameron was pleased to see Cuddy, and to be able to use her first name (which they had started to do when shopping, but couldn't when at work). Cameron hopped down from her seat and gave a brief hug to Cuddy, who looked stunning in a knee length, v-neck, red satin dress with a festive fur shrug around her shoulders.
"You look amazing!" Said Cuddy
"Well, you look phenomenal! Red really is your color!"
On turning back, the younger woman noticed her dates face was screwed up in a mock disgust at the women's sisterhood like greeting.
The meal was, of course, delicious. Despite this, House moaned about anything he could. Everyone knew that was only because he hated social situations such as these, but no one commented.
After the plates and cutlery had been cleared away by the hired staff, Cuddy started her usual speech.
"First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight" House rolled his eyes and stared into his wine glass miserably.
"I'd just like to say, thank you to all the doctors, nurses and staff of the hospital, who make Princeton Plainsboro the perfectly functioning hospital it is. I'd also like to take some time to thank, in their absence, the people who are staffing the hospital as I speak. They're the ones who drew the short straws"
Laughter bubbled through the room, except in the case of House, who simply began inspecting the ceiling with an exasperated expression on his face.
"I'd also than all the benefactors to PPTH who have come to the party to better connect with it's staff. Your donations really do benefit us, so thank you so much! Really all I wanted to say was I hope you're enjoying your evening so far, I know I am. We have dancing in a few minutes. I was worried that it was a cliché, but a good friend of mine informed me that this wasn't the case."
Cuddy grinned over in Cameron's direction, and the young doctor smiled back. House, knowing said good friend was Cameron whispered 'that friend was an idiot' earning him raised eyebrows from his date.
"So, basically, enjoy the rest of the evening, thank you for coming, and have a very happy Christmas and New Year."
Everyone clapped, except House who simply muttered:
"Thank God."
Dancing started about ten minutes later. Wilson and House had resumed their posts at the bar. Cameron was returning from the ladies bathroom when she was ambushed.
The man came towards her so fast she didn't even realise what was happening until she was practically pinned by the bar. She could see her friends out of the corner of her right eye, but this man was holding her with his gaze. There was something threatening about him.
"Don't I know you?" Was his greeting.
"Uh, no, don't think so." At this stage her voice was still light, and polite.
"I'm sure I do. What's your name? What do you do?"
"Um, I work here. Dr Cameron." She briefly shook the mans clammy hand.
It was at this point she realised he was stockily built, with broad shoulders. He wasn't attractive but had an aggressive glint in his eye, and she hated the way he was looking at her, practically licking his lips.
"Mike. My father is a benefactor. Around here somewhere." He laughed, but it was more like a snarl and he stepped a little closer to her.
"Oh, right." She wished she was closer to House and Wilson, She was still in the relative darkness close to the toilets, and her heartbeat was more rapid. She felt intimidated.
"What's your first name?"
"Allison" He stepped even closer then, and touched her arm, making her feel sick. Looking around, no one could see her.
"Allison?"
She swallowed "Yes."
"Let's go someplace else shall we?"
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, I best get back."
She tried to step away, but he grabbed onto her arm much harder than he should have.
"Hey!" She protested,
"Got anyone to go back for?" He sneered. She was really starting to panic now.
"Yeah, she has." Houses voice cut through the tense situation. She looked up at her boss, and his hackles were clearly up. She noticed gleefully that House towered over the nasty man who had, just moments ago, seemed a threat to her, but now just seemed insignificant.
"Go home, creep. Or to some cheap bar. If you're lucky, you might be able to pay someone to hold your hand. Nothing more though, everyone has standards."
With this, House held onto Cameron's hand and pulled her gently after him. She was smiling now but still slightly shaky.
"Thank you."
"You looked like a bunny in headlights back there." He dropped her hand.
"I felt like it" She looped her arm through his.
"Yeah, well. Anyone touches you again; kick 'em in the groin."
She laughed: "I will"
As House and Cameron stopped to talk to Chase and latest flame, Cuddy scuttled over to Wilson.
"Dance?"
"Sure." As the two friends made their way to the dance floor, neither commented that they were pleased to be doing this, that they had wanted to for so long. As he pulled her closer to him he said:
"its working. He adores her."
"I know, and she adores him. God knows why."
"They are… perfect for one another" He spun Cuddy round to observe the couple.
"Absolutely" She grinned as she turned back to her dance partner.
"Some creep approached Cameron, you know. House was like an over protective bear."
"Well, I had noticed she looked uncomfortable. He was annoying some of the nurses earlier. I got security onto it before I came to dance with you. He'll be gone in the next few minutes."
"Good, he looked a little odd."
The two continued dancing and they enjoyed it. They split once the song was over, but both missed the contact of the other.