Disclaimer: Damn. Can I have House for my birthday?
A/N: Sorry this doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but I promise I'm trying my hardest to get somewhere with this.
Hey Jude
Cameron stared down at the street, watching a couple walk down the sidewalk, hand in hand. The girl laughed at something and buried her face in her date's shoulder as he pulled her closer. He kissed her and continued until they reached their restaurant. Cameron frowned at the happy couple, then at herself. She had someone in her life, for the first time in a long time. You shouldn't resent this couple their happiness simply because someone else didn't get their chance at a life, she scolded herself. The tears that traced down her face burned as they mixed with the snow that was falling heavily. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks but she didn't hear the door open behind her.
"Do you often spy on people from rooftops?"
"James," she gasped, startled. "Do you often sneak up on people?"
He smiled, a blush tinging his cheeks. "Sorry. Bad habit. Being friends with House has taught me to maintain the element of surprise."
"True. Working with House should have taught me to always be on my guard, but I guess I'm still working on that."
"So why are you still here?" Wilson asked bluntly, acknowledging the hopelessness he saw in her expression.
"I work here," she said softly, a small smile gracing her lips.
"You don't have a case," he gently reminded her. "Everyone else is gone. Tonight is poker night so I know you don't have plans with House, but don't you want a break from this place?"
"Yeah. You're right. I guess I'll go. I came up here for some fresh air, I just hadn't realized it was so late. Thanks James." She flashed him a quick smile and brushed by him, flying down the stairs.
By the time she made it to her apartment, she was choking back sobs, trying to maintain composure until she made it to the safety of her home. She fumbled with the key for a few seconds before finally slipping it in the lock and rushing in, slamming the door behind her. Pressed against the door, sinking to the ground, she wailed, her legs muffling the noise as she curled into a ball. After crying to the point of exhaustion she stood up, wiping her eyes while searching for the phone. She put on a movie while waiting for the Chinese feast she had ordered, and slipped into a light sleep.
She woke up to the delivery boy knocking on the door.She paid him quickly and set the food on the table, grimacing at her wrinkled work clothes, that still smelled like the hospital. She quickly changed and sat down with her food, finished the movie and put on another one. Finally comfortable, she gave in to the sleep that was tugging on her, feeling tears warm her face again. She woke up to the end credits and House sitting on the end of her sofa.
She sat up slowly, wiping sleep from her eyes. "How did you get in here?"
"You should really hide your spare key better. The ledge above your door? Everyone knows to look there," he said, peering down at her as if trying to figure her out.
"I'll pick another place," she said dismissively. "I thought you had poker tonight."
He shrugged. "Only Wilson showed, everyone else canceled. So I sent him packing after a few beers. He gets a little handsy when he's drunk. What's wrong? You look like hell."
"Nothing's wrong, I just woke up, I hope you don't mind that I didn't have the foresight to realize you were dropping by and wake up to spend an hour getting cleaned up for you."
"Wow, you're on the defensive tonight. what crawled up your ass?"
"Nice, House. You come to my apartment on my night off and insult me, then ask why I'm bitchy? I think that's a puzzle even you can figure out."
House rolled his eyes, refraining from a comment that would have gotten him kicked out. "How long have we been dating?"
"About a month."
"And you have to admit, I'm pretty smart for a world-renowned, board-certified diagnostician. What's wrong?"
"I'm fine Greg."
"Don't you trust me?" He said in a low voice, never breaking eye contact. He counted her breaths that filled the silence of the room. Measured and slightly unsteady, he held still, not wanting to scare her into not speaking.
"I don't trust anyone," she whispered, looking away as tears once again threatened to fall.
"Allison."
She smiled faintly, still not used to the intimacy of him saying her first name."He died today."
"Who?"
"Jake." House waited, sensing the story wasn't over. "Two weeks before Christmas we saw the oncologist. He recommended that Jake check into the hospital, to die there. We refused, he wanted to die at home, with the people he loved. Which was me. He had no family, and his best friend Joe disappeared towards the end. We decided to have Christmas early, we both knew he wasn't going to make it to the 25th. He died two days later. I still miss him sometimes, some days more than others. I still love him, though not in the way that I used to. I just mourn the life he never had," she finished, picking at the pills on her blanket, refusing to meet House's stare.
"Is that why you've been so distant the past few days?"
"Yes. I know you already think I'm too caring and emotional, I didn't need any added grief about this."
"Yes, sometimes you are too caring," he started, and quickly continued when he saw the hurt flash in her eyes. "But sometimes more people should be like that. I won't say I wish I was, but sometimes I know I should be like that. More like you." She searched his eyes for any hint of mocking hidden in them.
"You idiot," she said softly, shaking her head. "Don't you realize I barely want to be like me?"
He smiled sadly at her and stood up with a grunt, and started putting her food away. They cleaned up in silence and when they were finished, she silently led him to her bedroom.
"Awesome, I've been waiting to get into bed with you all day. Can we watch a movie?"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Okay Cameron, it's tree picking time. No Charlie Brown trees allowe- House!" Wilson yelped as a snowball hit him in the back of the head. "Can you be a little more immature?"
"James, you of all people should know that that isn't possible!" Cameron finished with a squeal as a snowball pelted her in the back. "House!"
"House, let's just pick a tree and get out of here. It's cold."
"Jimmy, this is Cameron's tree. I have nothing to do with this. I'm the eye candy and you're the hired help."
"And what am I getting out of it?"
"Dinner, Allison's cooking for us back at my place." House said with a grin as Cameron shot him a surprised look.
"That one," she said, pointing to her perfect tree. She called the owner of the tree lot over and paid for it, arranging to have it delivered the next night.
"Wait, if you're getting it delivered, what was Wilson here for?" House asked, the look of confusion on his face matching Wilson's perfectly.
She smiled slyly. "Someone had to keep you entertained so you wouldn't complain the whole time." House stared after her, a smile of admiration replacing the puzzled frown.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
After a filling dinner, the exhausted doctors sat down to a bottle of gin. As House lit the fire, Wilson poured very generously.
"Wilson, are you trying to get me drunk?" House mocked, batting his eyelashes.
"Hmmm, let's see. If I had to choose between the 48-year-old bastard and the stunning brunette with legs for days... That's a tough call. I think-" Wilson stopped short as he watched House reach for the poker. "House, I was kidding." His grip loosened a little.
"So you would choose me? Jimmy I'm flattered," House said, throwing himself down next to Cameron and pushing her drink to her lips, encouraging her to drink. She eyed him and chugged her drink. The men exchanged glances as Cameron reached for the bottle.
"I think we're going to need to work hard to keep up," House nodded his agreement and they both threw back the rest of their drinks.
An hour later found them a lot more relaxed. House was sprawled out on the couch with Wilson slumped in the chair as they sipped their drinks.
"House, where'd Allie go?" Wilson whined as he groped for the bottle that was elusively evading his grasp.
"She's at the piano, dumb ass, and if you call her Allie again, I will make sure my cane knows you more intimately than any of your wives ever did."
Cameron clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide as she tried to hold the laughter in. House and Wilson stared at her, waiting for the punchline. "Dirty!" She managed to gasp in between giggles.
"You want dirty?" House said menacingly, standing up and starting towards her. "I'll show you dir-"
"House! At least keep it in your pants until I leave." House shook his head and plopped back down on the couch.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Cameron started playing the piano fairly well for a drunk woman.
"House, how come she gets to touch your piano and I can't?"
"You whine a lot, has anyone ever told you that? And she gets to touch a lot of things that you don't." Cameron missed a note as she snickered.
"I wish I could play the drums," Cameron offered to the room. The men looked at her, bewildered. "I do! I just don't have enough coordination. Piano, yes. Singing, hell yes. Drums, nooooo." she said, shaking her head wildly.
"I'm tone deaf," Wilson threw out, while House nodded his agreement.
"So you can't even sing "'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?'" Cameron asked with a gleam in her eye as she started playing it.
"Nope."
"Not, 'Hey Jude?' That one's easy." She started the song, House singing along softly while pouring another round for the three of them. Wilson brought Cameron hers and she paused long enough to take it and toast the men and they downed them together. She continued the song, both her and House getting louder until Wilson was forced to join in.
When they were finished, Cameron shook her head. "You're not tone deaf Wilson!"
"Ha!" House guffawed, earning a look from his best friend.
"You're not. Don't let House tell you that, he's just jealous," she shot a sweet smile at Wilson, which House frowned at.
"I've never flown a kite," Wilson said quickly, knowing he needed to change the subject before another sing along ensued.
"Wilson's latest wife had to ask him out."
"House!"
"I think that men are supposed to chase the women, for the most part I mean. I know I'm supposed to be all 'go women' and whatever, but I believe that there's a reason men are supposed to do these things. If the majority of the chase was left to the women, the human race would die out because of sheer embarrassment."
"I've never jumped on a pogo stick." House said.
"I could never use a hula hoop," Cameron offered. House looked at her quickly.
"Which is weird, because when you do that thing with your hips-"
"House!"
"What? I'm just saying..."
Cameron changed the subject quickly. "I think the man who invented pet rocks is a genius."
"Excuse me? I can't believe you just said that. I can't believe I hired you!"
"Think about it," she said, stumbling over the words. "A man takes a bunch of rocks, puts them in a box with easter grass and puts them in cardboard boxes that he passes off as a 'pet carriers.' Then he sells them for four dollars each and becomes a millionaire. Brilliant." House and Wilson sat there, contemplating her words as she played the piano more. Then something clicked.
"Oh boy!" Wilson exclaimed, jumping up too fast and falling back down into the chair.
"Oh boy?"
"It's his way of saying 'I just figured something out, but I can't pull off the sexy, brooding looks House gives when he has an epiphany, so I'll just say 'oh boy' and hope people think I'm a superhero.'"
"'Oh boy' seems to be pretty verbose." House nodded solemnly.
"Shut up, House. And I did mean that 'oh boy.' Allison, you said you could sing." Cameron flushed a deep red at her revelation and she nodded and slowly turned back to the piano and played with the keys. House got up, acting like he needed another drink, but detoured to the piano bench and sat down, his body flush against hers.
"Why don't you sing for us?" Wilson slurred, the alcohol seeping into the dark corners of his body and drawing him into the warmth of a drunken sleep.
"I shouldn't. House on the other hand..."
House turned so his lips brushed her ear, his breath making her shiver. "If you won't play for us, then play for me," he stated simply. She shuddered and nodded, silently thanking the god she didn't believe him that he didn't pull away, his breath warming her neck. She didn't move an inch as she started to play.
There's a harvest each Saturday night,
At the bars filled with perfume and hitching a ride.
A place you can stand for one night and get gone.
It's clear this conversation ain't doing a thing,
Cause these boys only listen to me when I sing.
And I don't feel like singing tonight
All the same songs.
House felt Cameron's leg shake as he let his hand rest on her thigh, he nudged her with his nose and jerked his head in Wilson's direction. He was already asleep.
Here in these deep city lights,
Girl could get lost tonight.
I'm finding every reason to be gone,
Nothing here to hold on to.
Could I hold you?
The situation's always the same:
You got your wolves in their clothes whispering Hollywood's name.
Stealing gold from the silver they see
But it's not me.
Her voice faltered for a second as his fingers traced patterns on her leg. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, losing herself in the music that seemed to fuse with her body as he touched her thigh.
Here in these deep city lights,
Girl could get lost tonight.
I'm finding every reason to be gone,
Nothing here to hold on to.
Could I hold you?
Calling out somebody save me I feel like I'm fading away.
Calling out somebody save me I feel like I'm fading…
I'm fading.
Here in these deep city lights,
Girl could get lost tonight.
I'm finding every reason to be gone,
Nothing here to hold on to.
Could I hold you?
Cameron let the notes fade as she played, when she noticed that House was staring at her. She bowed her forehead to meet his, trying to steady her breathing as he reached out and pressed his mouth to hers, tracing her bottom lip with his tongue. Her breath caught as she parted her lips and reached up, clasping her hands around his neck. His hands grasped her hips as he broke the kiss and pulled back, staring at her again.
"What?" She asked self-consciously.
"Nothing." He said gruffly, shaking off any remnants of deep emotion that had been coursing through him. She put a blanket over Wilson and they went to bed.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Cameron stared at the Dean of Medicine in front of her, waiting for the punch line. When none came, she numbly nodded her consent and started tracking down House.
She found him in Coma Guy's room.
"What the hell, House?" She yelled, throwing open the door.
"I see you talked to Cuddy," he said, taking another chip, never peeling his eyes away from the television.
"You're sending me away for a week long conference and you don't even have the decency to tell me about it? I know I had been distant but I thought we cleared all that up. Are you going to send me to a conference every time something goes wrong?"
House sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I didn't send you recently, I chose you a month before we started seeing each other. You were annoying and pushing a Lupus diagnosis. I was irritated."
"Well now you have time to work all that out because I'll be in Dallas for a week. By myself. Good job!" She yelled, turning on her heels and stalking out of the room.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Okay, please press the pretty button and there will be a prize! Whoever reviews gets...respect. I know, it's not much, but it's all I have to give. :)
Seriously, reviews help. A lot.
Hey, Jude, don't make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.
Hey, Jude, don't be afraid.
You were made to go out and get her.
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.
And any time you feel the pain, hey, Jude, refrain,
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.,
Well don't you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.
Hey, Jude! Don't let her down.
You have found her, now go and get her.
Remember, to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.
So let it out and let it in, hey, Jude, begin,
You're waiting for someone to perform with.
And don't you know that it's just you, hey, Jude,
You'll do, the movement you need is on your shoulder.
Hey, Jude, don't make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.
Hey Jude – The Beatles
And for those joining mid-story or who have already read the previous chapters, I've created a playlist to go with this story, go to my profile for the links. :)