Chapter 3: Let The Games Begin
"So Chase, you never did tell me, what made you change your mind about the Easter egg hunt?"
"Me … oh, I just felt guilty about disappointing Cameron …how about you?" Chase asked, turning his head to look at Foreman.
"Guilt … I felt like a killjoy turning her down." Both men sat in silence, remembering their brief visit from Cameron in her bunny costume that morning, and the real reason for their change of heart.
o0o0o
House looked at his watch when he got off the elevator; it was 3:45 pm. As he walked towards his office, he could see Foreman and Chase sitting out in the hallway. Chase was slouched down in a chair that he had managed to scrounge from somewhere and Foreman sat beside him on the floor, his legs stretched out, reclining against the glass wall of the diagnostics office.
"What are you two doing out here?" House asked, glaring at Chase.
"We're waiting for the Easter egg hunt; Cameron's locked the office." replied Chase, becoming unnerved by House's stare. "Um … would you like this chair House?"
"Took you long enough Wombat … didn't they teach you anything about being nice to old ladies and cripples in the Boy Scouts?" snarked House.
"Well actually, I wasn't a Boy Sc…" Chase began.
"Yea, yea, save it for someone who cares … what's Cameron doing in there and more importantly why are you here? I thought you didn't want to play."
"Umm … Cameron's hiding the Easter eggs and we're here because we didn't want to disappoint her. Were you hoping to be the only contestant House?" Foreman said with a smirk.
"Yea actually … I was …" grumped House as he spotted Wilson coming towards them.
"Hey guys … are you waiting for the Easter egg hunt?" asked Wilson.
"Are you playing too?" snarked House, not liking his diminishing odds.
"Yes House, I am. Cameron invited me to play." answered Wilson indignantly.
"Cameron invited me to play …" House said, mocking Wilson in his best whiney kid voice.
Just then they heard the door unlock. House looked at his watch.
It was 4 o'clock!
o0o0o
"Gentlemen, come in …" Cameron held the door open and smiled warmly at the foursome, "and please line up facing the conference table."
House looked at Cameron's outfit … something was different. He always took great pleasure in checking out what she wore to work each day in minute detail. When she returned to the office after changing out of her bunny costume, she was wearing the same black pencil skirt with the big buttons down the side and a pale grey sweater with nude stockings and black, low-heeled shoes. But now the skirt was paired with a gold satin blouse with puffy short sleeves and she had changed back into the black fishnets and high heels.
She looks so hot … look at the way she has her hair up in one of those messy, sexy buns … something's going on …
Cameron sat on the table facing the men and started to cross her legs.
"Oops, this skirt is tight …" she said to no one in particular and unbuttoned the bottom three buttons, "there that's better." Cameron crossed her legs and smiled.
She's wearing those sexy high heels … thought Foreman.
God I love fishnet stockings … thought Chase.
That blouse is made of the same gold satin as Cameron's bunny costume … thought Wilson.
She's wearing the same lipstick she was when she kissed me … thought House.
o0o0o
Cameron smiled at the anxious men and began her carefully prepared speech.
"I'd like to welcome you to my Easter egg hunt and thank you very much for being such willing participants." Cameron smirked.
"The rules are very simple. I have hidden 100 chocolate Easter eggs in this room. They have been equally distributed throughout both offices. You will be looking for these." Cameron held up three eggs.
"We have Cadbury Crème Eggs, wrapped in the dark blue foil, solid milk chocolate eggs in pink and solid dark chocolate eggs wrapped in the light purple foil. All eggs count equally. I will give each one of you a basket and you will have twenty minutes to find as many eggs as you can."
Cameron stood up and walked over to Foreman.
"Foreman, you get the yellow basket …"
"Chase … the purple …"
"Wilson … the pink …"
House snorted.
"And House … you get the dark blue basket …"
House grinned at receiving the "manly" blue basket.
Cameron walked back to stand in front of the table.
"This is a no-holds-barred Easter egg hunt, gentlemen … all is fair in love and war … there are no rules … there will be no penalties."
"At the end of twenty minutes the hunt will end and whoever has the most Easter eggs will win the grand prize … a big Honey Bunny." All four men smiled.
"Are there any questions?" No one said a word.
"Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes … we're ready."
"Good." Cameron sat back up on the table, crossed her legs and removed the foil from the Cadbury Crème egg. She held it up to her shiny red lips and spoke.
"The race begins when I bite into this egg. Good luck and may the best man win!"
"Ready …"
"Set …"
Cameron wrapped her lips around the tip of the egg as the four men drooled, indubitably thinking naughty thoughts.
Chomp …
o0o0o
The men tore off in different directions around the room; House to his office, Chase to the kitchen, Foreman to the bookcases and Wilson to the desks.
Drawers slammed … doors opened … books flew off the shelf and there were papers everywhere.
Cameron smiled as she watched the action; she had never seen the boys move so fast in their lives.
The baskets began to fill.
"Chase give me that … I saw it first …"
"Find your own eggs Foreman … "
"Oooo … found another one …"
"Uh oh … I think I broke one …"
Meanwhile House was methodically going over his office, happy as a clam.
Hmmm … that book is sticking out further than the others … hah … I knew there was one there …
If I was an Easter egg, where would I hide? Of course ... behind the cushions !
Hey that picture isn't sitting at the same angle … someone moved it …
This is so easy … I'm going to win for sure …
Fifteen Minutes Remaining …
o0o0o
House nonchalantly strode out of his office, surveying the mayhem before him. He was very proud of his haul so far … until he saw Chase's basket.
He had twice as many eggs as the rest of them. House looked at Cameron and then back at Chase. Cameron could see the panic in his eyes as he hobbled around the room madly searching for eggs.
She had to help.
Cameron noticed Chase shifting his search area closer to the conference table.
His basket was just brimming with eggs.
As she stood both House and Chase stopped, watching her every move. She walked over to a chair and pulled it out, but before she sat down, she began to pull bobby pins from her hair. House noticed how mesmerized Chase was by Cameron's shining locks tumbling down to rest on her delicate shoulders and snuck up behind him and began slipping Easter eggs out of Chase's basket into his own.
One by one, House snitched them, being very careful not to draw any attention to himself.
Chase was still watching as Cameron shook out her hair and sat down, putting her shapely fishnet clad legs up on the table. She pulled a Playbunny magazine out of her tote bag and started to flip though it casually until she reached the centerfold.
House grinned broadly as he watched her distract Chase. Having stolen all that he dared from Chase, House set his sights on Foreman.
Foreman's work was impressive. The bookcases had been a goldmine and he was feeling very confident about his chances. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Chase staring at Cameron. She was holding the Playbunny mag up vertically in the air as she unfolded this month's centerfold.
Foreman shook his head and set down his basket on the shelf before walking over to Chase.
Suddenly, a long arm reached around from behind the bookcase. Its hands sinewy fingers began to snatch Easter eggs out of Foreman's basket; first one, then another … over and over, like a frog, zapping at its prey.
They were gone in the blink of an eye.
"Chase, c'mon man … pay attention …" Foreman said, shaking Chase's shoulder.
"What … oh right … thanks Foreman … "Chase looked in his basket.
I could have sworn I had more eggs that that ….
Ten Minutes Remaining …
"Wilson … Wilson … come to my office with me … "hissed House as he grabbed Wilson by the arm and led him to his office. The pair sat down on opposite sides of House's desk.
"What is it House? We don't have much time left …"
"Give me all your Easter eggs …"
"What? House are you crazy?"
"No! Give them to me!"
"No way … these are my eggs … get your own!"
"I'm trying, but Chase has more than I do … it's not fair … I'm a cripple ... I can't move as fast as him …" pouted House.
"Don't try and play the "I'm a cripple" card House; it's not going to work."
"Jimmy, I need those eggs … I have to win …"
"No … I wanna win …"
House pounced on Wilson's basket and pulled it towards him across the desk. Wilson grabbed it back and held on for dear life, thus beginning a tug-of-war between the two friends. Back and forth … back and forth they went … tugging at the helpless pink basket. House yanked on it once more and tipped the basket over, sending its contents rolling across his desk.
"House … now look what you've done!" said an exasperated Wilson and he began picking up eggs, one by one.
House grinned; he grabbed his cane and quickly brushed all of the eggs off the edge of his desk into his little blue basket.
"House … you took all my eggs …" whined Wilson.
"You've still got three Jimmy … you won't look like a total loser …"
Five Minutes Remaining …
House and Wilson scurried out of his office. Cameron was looking at her watch as Chase and Foreman checked under all of the furniture in the room.
Three Minutes Remaining …
While Wilson frantically hunted for any sign of an egg, House stood quietly looking high around the room. Then he spotted it … a lone Cadbury Crème Egg, its royal blue foil glistening in the late afternoon sunlight. He had no idea how Cameron managed to get it up there, but he reached with the tip of his cane and yelled at Wilson.
"Jimmy … catch"
All eyes were on House's cane.
One Minute Remaining …
Wilson, Foreman and Chase all ran to the base of the bookcase, their arms outstretched.
House flicked the egg towards Wilson and everyone watched, like it was slow motion, as the egg rolled off the shelf.
It tumbled through the air as thirty eager fingers reached to catch it. Wilson was the first to touch the egg, but it bounced across the tips of his fingers, like a volley ball. Chase grabbed it next, but fumbled his catch and the egg flew up into the air and appeared to be falling right into Foreman's waiting hands.
Just as Foreman was about to grab the egg, his feet flew out from under him, courtesy of House's cane. Foreman fell to the floor, along with the egg, watching helplessly as it rolled towards Wilson and Chase.
Wilson and Chase both made a dive for the egg, colliding as they fell to the floor.
Wilson landed face first; Chase was sprawled in a heap on top of him.
But no one knew who had the egg …
o0o0o
Foreman rubbed his ankles as he shot dirty looks at House.
"House … you tripped me … that's cheating …"
"No-holds-barred Foreman … remember what the lady said …" snarked House as he walked over to Wilson and Chase.
"Owww …" Chase said, rubbing his head as he stood up and reached out his hand to Wilson. Wilson staggered to his feet.
House smiled.
For there it was, it all its glory.
A flattened Cadbury Crème Egg, stuck to the middle of Wilson's shirt.
House carefully peeled the egg off Wilson and placed it on top of the his basket.
"Thanks Wilson."
"House … that's my egg …"
"Duh … who was it that spotted the egg Jimmy?" smirked House.
Time's Up … Everyone Stop …
o0o0o
"Well let's see who our winner is, shall we? Please bring your baskets to the table so that I can tabulate our results. Wilson, let's start with you."
Wilson sheepishly handed his pink basket to Cameron, who peered inside.
"Three eggs, Wilson?"
"It's a long story Cameron … don't ask …" House smirked as Wilson got back in line.
"Foreman, let's count your eggs next."
Foreman handed Cameron his yellow basket, proudly beaming.
"Wow …Twenty-Nine …well done!"
"Chase, you're next."
"I hope Honey Bunny is ready for the night of her life!" Chase whispered to Cameron, making sure he was loud enough for House to hear.
Cameron felt sick when she looked at Chase's purple basket. It was filled to over-flowing. She counted them once as everyone watched and then counted them again.
"You have Thirty-Five eggs Chase … you're in the lead …"
Chase got back in line and sneered at House.
"House?" Cameron said, smiling hopefully at the man she loved.
House limped over and presented his blue basket.
Cameron peeled the squished egg off the top.
"Don't forget to count that one …" House reminded her eagerly.
"I won't … don't worry."
House could not watch her count his eggs.
He had to win Honey Bunny … the thought of losing was unbearable.
Cameron counted the eggs; once, twice, three times.
She put them back in the basket and carefully placed the flattened egg back on top.
She turned to the group and spoke.
"House …"
House turned and looked into her eyes.
"House … you have Thirty-Three eggs …"
"Chase ... you're our winner … Congratulations!"
tbc …