Nearly done, 1 chapter to go! Still unbetaed, sorry, hope it's not too bad.

Cat

Chapter 9

Cameron awoke earlier than House the next morning. She quietly got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection.

She was married. Married!

She looked down to the thin band on her left hand, as though seeking proof of her marital status. The wedding chapel also sold wedding rings, and it was one of these she wore.

She looked back to her reflection and grinned at herself. Married. To House! She gave a girlish squeal and did a little dance.

This weekend had been like a dream. She offered up a silent prayer, just in case anyone was listening, that the bubble wouldn't burst any time soon.

III

To say Chase and Foreman were shocked would be an understatement. Foreman took it reasonably well, after the initial disbelief. He congratulated them and wished them well.

Chase was speechless for a few minutes, then chattered non-stop. How had it happened? Who asked who? Where did he ask? What had Cameron said? Where did they get married? Why hadn't they called him and Foreman to be witnesses?

House turned his iPod on to drown him out. Cameron eventually had to feign sleep on the plane to avoid his questions.

House and Cameron arrived home that evening, grateful to be alone again.

"I'd carry you over the threshold but…" he held his cane up.

"I'll let you off. Just this once though."

They unpacked, ordered a take away and settled on the sofa to watch TV, Cameron leaning against, his arm over her shoulders as usual.

"Are you sorry?" Cameron asked him, afraid to turn and look at him.

"Why would you say that?"

"It was just so sudden. You don't…"

"Regret it? No." He looked at his left hand, and the band signifying he was a married man. "Although it's going to take some getting used to."

"I say we skip work for two weeks while they get used to the idea."

House smiled. There would be a few stunned faces. "Where would that leave all the sick people needing a caring and compassionate doctor?"

"They'll have to make do with Wilson."

III

Back at work the next morning, House's first visit was to Wilson.

"Did you hear the good news?" House asked.

"So it's true?"

"Which bit, the winning a fortune bit or the marrying Cameron bit?"

"Hadn't heard the fortune bit, I meant the marrying Cameron bit."

"It's true, she made an honest man of me, Jimmy."

"I'm happy for you. Although you can understand why I'm a little shocked."

"Can't say I was expecting it myself, but when she told me she was pregnant, well, I had to do the decent thing."

Wilson stared at him.

"Joke!"

Wilson shook his head as though trying to clear it. "Have you told your parents?"

"Haven't got around to it yet."

"House…" Wilson seemed at a loss where to start. "Marriage is serious."

"You should know." House retorted.

"Cheap shot."

"Oh lighten up, we were already living together. And wasn't it you who told me to take this relationship seriously?"

"I didn't mean marry her!"

House shrugged. "What's done is done."

"You aren't having second thoughts?" Wilson was genuinely amazed House didn't seem phased by being married.

"Not yet."

"So, when can we expect the patter of little Houses?"

"You've had three marriages and no children, what makes you think we'll have a family?"

"Nothing. I'm happy for you both. Really."

III

Two months later

Married life seemed to be agreeing with both House and Cameron. Parents had been told and dinners endured before life could carry on, much as it had before.

Cameron had left Diagnostics to take a position in Immunology. It seemed the sensible thing to do, although she missed working with House. Life with him was never dull. But she was settling nicely into her new job, working for Dr Hudson.

House would never admit it, but she got the feeling he missed working with her too. Although he'd replaced her with an oncologist named Preston, she seemed to get an awful lot of requests for consults on his cases. She didn't mind.

They ate lunch together most days. Over one such lunch Cameron told him she's received a letter from Hank.

"How is old Hank?" House asked.

"He's accepted a plea bargain for a lesser charge. He's being sentenced next week, then he'll probably be transferred out of state."

"What does he want?"

"To see me."

As time had passed, more of the assault had begun to come back to House. He remembered Hanks words as he attacked House. Hank knew about the woman he'd slept with and House felt a flicker of fear.

"Don't do it, you'll just be giving him what he wants." House told her.

"I thought you'd say that."

"Don't tell me you want to see this guy?"

Cameron hesitated. "I don't know. He says he needs to see me, he has something he has to tell me."

"You were compassionate to him before, remember, where did that get you?" House knew that was a low blow, but he didn't care. Cameron could not go visiting him.

Cameron sighed. "You're right, I know you're right."

"Put him behind you. You're a married woman now, you have me to take care of."

Cameron leaned across the table and kissed him. "You are a full time job," she teased.

III

The letter kept bothering Cameron. The rational side of her kept telling her House was right, going to see him would only fuel his obsession. But the letter seemed sincere. She told herself he could have nothing to tell her that she needed to hear. But curiosity gnawed at her.

She put it from her mind again and tried to finish her charting.

III

Cameron didn't know how she'd got back to the hospital. Since leaving the visiting room at the court house, her mind was a blank.

She stared up at the glass façade of the hospital, looking at the window she knew was Greg's office. She wasn't at the right angle to see in. She wondered if he was in there and what he was doing.

She noticed Wilson going out onto the balcony that connected his and House's offices.

He'd know. If there was any truth to what Hank had told her, Wilson was the only one who could possibly confirm it.

III

"Cameron? You look like you've seen a ghost." Wilson was back sitting behind his desk by the time she reached his office. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." He came around his desk and guided her to the sofa. "Can I get you a drink?"

Cameron shook her head. She couldn't look directly at him and stared at her hands instead. "I have to ask you something, about Greg. And I want you to promise me you won't lie to me."

Wilson was confused but agreed.

"When we had that fight, a few months ago," Wilson's heart sank as he realised what was coming. "Before he was beaten up." She seemed unable to continue.

"I remember." He told her softly.

"That night, did he… Did he sleep with someone else?"

Wilson didn't answer. The pain in Cameron's voice stopped him lying, but equally he couldn't tell her the truth. It was as though the moment he confirmed her fears, he would be shattering his friends happiness.

Cameron turned to look at him. "It's okay, you don't have to say it, I can see it written on your face."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She stood up to leave.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She didn't answer him and headed for the door. "Wait!" she stopped and turned back to him. "What are you going to do?"

Cameron looked down at the ring on her left hand. "I don't know." She whispered. "I honestly don't know."

III

Cameron wasn't sure how she got through the rest of that day. She was sure everyone must see how she felt written all over her face, but if they did, no one spoke of it.

When it came, his knock was soft. She didn't answer so he opened the door and stuck his head through, as though afraid to make himself a target.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

She nodded. "You've seen Wilson."

"Yeah."

He sat in one of the chairs opposite her desk but neither of them spoke for a while. House tapped his cane against the floor.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I want you to leave."

"I can't do that."

It was taking all of her self control not to break down in front of him.

"Aren't you going to shout at me? Berate me? Hit me?"

"What would that accomplish?"

"Might make you feel better."

"Please, just leave me alone. I need some time." Tears were welling in her eyes. She stood up and tried to leave but House grabbed her arm as she passed.

"Tell me what you want?" he asked, his voice full of emotion. "Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Do you want me to cry? Do you want me to say I love you, because I do."

His eyes were filled with tears and Cameron pulled him to her, his head resting on her abdomen. House wrapped his arms around her.

Even though he had caused this pain, she took comfort in his embrace. But it was a comfort she couldn't afford. At least not for long. Her tears fell as she closed her eyes.

"I need to be alone, please don't come after me."

She broke away from him then and left her office.

House looked after her, stricken with grief. His eyes were wet but when he tried to call her name, only a horse croak emerged. Then she was gone.

III

House stayed in his office that night. He couldn't face home. It wasn't home without Cameron there.

Wilson stayed with him. He didn't have anywhere else to be, after all.

"She's taken two days off." He told House.

"She's running away."

"Can't say I blame her."

"Do you know where she is?"

Wilson shook his head. "I assume you've tried her friends."

"And her cell phone, and her pager. She's not answering."

Wilson wished he had some words of wisdom to make everything better. But he didn't, the only thing he could do was be a friend. They spent the rest of the evening not watching the TV and getting drunk.