HERE'S A NICE LONG ONE!

Just a heads up, Chapter 15 will be rated –M-!!!! It won't be like my others, promise. It'll be more romantic. But I won't tell you who!!!!! This chapter was fun to write. Hope you enjoy reading it. Thanks for the reviews, btw. Steph

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

House woke up in his bed, grunted loudly at himself (instantly regretting do so) for getting so drunk the night before of the double date and hesitantly turned to look at the clock. It was 4:30, and he was supposed to pick Cameron up at 6:00 then meet the others at 6:30. He tore into the bathroom, took a quick shower, dressed to the nines, debated whether he should put cologne on or not, popped two vicodin and raced out of his apartment. He had two quick errands to run and he would barely make it to her place on time.

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"Jim, thanks for buying this dress and shoes. I absolutely love them. It's not too often a man can buy a woman a dress that she likes." Debra suddenly felt her cheeks start to burn.

"My pleasure. Well, House and I both picked it out. I'm glad you like it. I was worried about the heels, though," he said as he put them on the bed beside her so she could put them on.

"You and Greg did? Wow," she said with a smile. "And the shoes, they're great," she said as she slipped them on.

She stood and walked to the mirror on the dresser and seemed pleased with how she looked. They bought her a light blue silk v-neck dress outlined with dark blue flowers, not too obtrusive but that brought out her curvy waist and full chest, Wilson noticed with a smile; the shoes were a dark blue. She turned and looked at Wilson and posed for him. "So, what do you think?"

She looked a little pale but Wilson wasn't too worried about it. "Perfect," he answered, his own cheeks beginning to burn from blushing. "You okay with your cousin now?" Wilson asked as he grabbed his car keys and headed for the door.

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess I was just wrapped up in my own little messed up world I hadn't noticed what Greg was going through. Besides, I can't stay mad at him."

He opened the door for her and she walked through, Wilson closed the door behind them as they headed for the elevator. "If it makes you feel any better neither can I. Guess we'll just have to live with him," he said then laughed.

They walked out of the elevator into the lobby and noticed the clerk had seen them, who quickly smiled at them. Wilson gushed with pride. He looked at Debra as she did him, both smiling at the other. He threw his elbow out and waited for her to take it, which she did, proudly, as they walked out into the unknown.

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Cameron sat impatiently on her couch waiting for House. Her brother Jack had just left at her insistence. Her watch read 5:55. No sign of House, which was fine, that'd be too early for him to arrive anyway. She was expecting him a little late.

She looked at her watch again at what felt to her like an hour later and it was 6:15. Still no House.

She was very nervous and had butterflies that wouldn't stop messing with her stomach. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine, poured a glass and sat back down. She looked at her watch again.

It was 6:20 and by this time, even with the wine, she was beginning to fume because they were supposed to meet Wilson and Debra at 6:30.

At 6:25 she'd had enough. She reached for the phone and dialed his cell phone. It rang twice before it was picked up but there was silence.

"House? Where are you? We're…"

"Answer your door," he told her calmly.

"Oh, you're…" she said as she stood and headed for the door.

"Just get the door, woman!" he said playfully.

She hung up her cell and opened the door quickly.

There stood House, in his new suit and tie, a little disheveled but looking dapper as ever, with a clean face, new haircut, sunglasses hiding his beautiful blue eyes, holding his cane in his right hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Cameron was completely floored. She in no way expected anything from him, especially flowers. That was just so un-House like.

"Oh, are those for me?" she asked as she stepped aside and let him in.

"No, they're to put in your toilet to give the room that 'floral' look," he said smartly as he held them out to her to take. "Here's your sign."

He took a few steps inside her apartment and took a quick look around. He'd never been in the whole way before and he was going to take every advantage of it. Actually, he was looking for a picture of her husband to see if he met her standards.

She smiled at him, thanked him and took them to the kitchen to find a vase, filled it with water, put the flowers in and came back out into the living room. It was only then that he noticed she had a cane in her left hand.

"You – got the cast off?"

"No. Mysteriously, when I took a bath earlier, it just melted off my leg!" she said. "Here's your sign."

They both laughed then Cameron took a once over of House. She looked at him and frowned.

"Why are you still wearing sunglasses? The sun set half an hour ago," she said as she grabbed her light sweater and walked toward him.

"I hate the sun. The sun does crazy things to me," he said in a Transylvanian accent.

He leaned forward and seemed to her as if he were going to bite her neck. But instead he kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"We better go! I've been waiting for you for half an hour!" House said with a grin as he stepped aside to let her pass.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said as she stepped through the door. "I get it, you got drunk again last night, didn't you?"

"No! What gave you that idea?" he said, gave her a wink and escorted her down to the parking lot.

She was looking for his car but didn't see it. She looked at him confused and noticed he had his eyes on something. She followed his stare and noticed his motorcycle in the handicapped space of the apartment complex.

"House! I don't believe you! You brought your bike? On a date?" she asked appalled as they approached his bike.

"No! It's a double date so therefore there are no rules. I can drive whatever I want," he said as he handed her a helmet, put his on and got on the bike. He turned, as he had been waiting for her to get on but she didn't.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the thing attached to the extra belt behind him.

"It's a Dronkey," he told her.

"A what?"

"I thought you said you liked Shrek? It's the dragon and Donkey's baby," he said then turned his head, with a grin hidden from her behind his helmet.

"I…it's…you bought this? That's why you were late?" she asked surprised, and a little touched.

"Uh huh. Now get on! We're going to be late!"

She stepped forward, grabbed the Dronkey and looked at it more closely. "Oh, my god! This is the most adorable thing in the…"

"No, I'm the most adorable thing in the world but I won't be if you don't get on!"

She just stood there giving him the evil eye.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm serious, Dronkey or not, I'm not getting on your bike. We're driving your car," she insisted.

"Can't, got a flat."

"You do not!"

"Uh, it's at the garage." he said, but in more of a question.

"Nope, don't buy that one either."

"Because I wanted to feel your perky little breasts press against my back?" he asked tentatively.

She finally smiled, shook her head and said, "Okay, that one I buy."

She put the helmet on and got on carefully, holding the Dronkey at his stomach with both of her arms. She never felt so secure in her life.

"I don't want that thing in my lap!" House shouted as he revved the engine.

"Then we should have taken your car!" Cameron yelled back.

House smiled and peeled out of the parking lot, and in the distance came a rumble of thunder that neither one of them heard.

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"God, where are they?" Wilson asked a little perturbed. "They were supposed to be here at 6:30! It's almost 7:00! He's not even answering his cell phone."

They'd been talking more than thirty minutes and the conversation flowed easily between them. They found they both liked to travel, although Wilson regrets not having enough time for that, and they both like to read, among other similar interests.

"Speaking for myself, I like just the two of us here," Debra said as she took another sip of her tea. "But don't tell Greg. It'd hurt his feelings," she said sarcastically and they both laughed.

Wilson noticed the waitress walking toward them. He covered his mouth with his hand and said, "I bet she's going to ask us to leave…oh, hello," he said to the waitress as she stopped at their table.

"Can I get you two some more drinks while you're waiting for your friends?" she asked politely, not a tone to her voice at all.

"Yes, that'd be great. I'm sorry, but I don't know where they are," he said embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's fine," she said as she smiled and walked away.

Debra giggled. "That was a close one! I thought they'd ask us to wash dishes."

"No, that'll be House after we eat when he doesn't cough up the money for his share of dinner. We'll pay for Cameron," Wilson said and again they laughed. "You know, I love how easy you are…"

Debra's expression changed to bewilderment at his comment because he stopped in mind sentence and looked behind her, but she couldn't see House and Cameron walk toward their table with the maitre' de in the lead.

"Hey! Don't you two…oh, no. You both have canes now? That is just too cu…" Debra started to say.

"Don't say it!" House fussed as he approached Debra, who stood to give her cousin a hug as Cameron put the helmets on the floor under the table.

"Oh, shut up," Debra said with a laugh.

After they all sat down, Cameron and Debra started talking about girlie things, including the Dronkey. House leaned toward Wilson and whispered, "I told you she'd look good in that dress," referring to his cousin.

"Hey, I picked out the shoes," Wilson shot back.

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Their double date went fantastically and they all shared childhood stories and laughed the whole two hours they were there. House never did take off his sunglasses, even after Debra begged him to. Wilson told House they were looking for a rental apartment and he was all for it, although Cameron was a little shocked. House hadn't told her about their little 'love connection' they had going on.

They decided to leave when Wilson noticed Debra was starting to look pale again and looked very tired.

"Greg, you have to promise me you'll come over more often," Debra said as they walked out toward the door. "This has been sooo fun!" They all agreed.

"He'll come over but only if you feed him," Wilson threw in.

"And you have to give him Scotch," Cameron chimed in.

"And I want dessert, too!"

They all laughed as they approached the door. It was pouring outside, although it was abating just a bit.

"Oh, see, House! This is why you're NOT supposed to drive your bike on a date," Cameron fussed but then smiled. "We'll just wait it out."

"Oh, lord, no fighting! Tonight's been too great," Debra said and lightly tapped House on the shoulder.

She suddenly got dizzy and Wilson reached over for her arm for her to gain her balance. "Can you two stay with her while I get the car?" Wilson asked.

"Sure, we're not going anywhere anytime soon," Cameron laughed then winked at House.

After Debra and Wilson pulled away, House looked at Cameron and said, "Come on."

"NO! We are waiting until it stops raining!"

"No, we're not," House insisted.

"Yes, we are!" Cameron insisted even harder.

"Fine," House said as he put his helmet on and walked out into the rain. "You can walk home."

"You wouldn't dare…oh, wait, yes you would. Hold up!"