A/N: This is it folks. I told you it was going to be a short story. I'm still working on Untouched and I'll be wrapping that one up soon as well and then I'll be posting my NaNo 2014 fic which is also House/Cameron so just sit tight and enjoy the fun!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story and added it to their favorites. It means a lot to me. We have to keep the Hameron love alive! As House said, "You can't stop our love!"
Part III
Six months later...
"When is Dr. House coming back?" One of the board members demanded of Cuddy during a meeting.
"He's not coming back," Wilson said, quite simply.
"Well then you best entice him to come back because we're losing donors left, right and center. Do you know how many calls we get in a day asking for him? I can't count them on two hands!"
"He's not a child! I can't just go to Chicago and drag him back by his ear!" Cuddy said. "He's moved on."
"Then make him an offer he can't refuse so he'll want to come back. This hospital needs him."
"That's funny you say that since when Vogler was here, you were all too quick to vote to have him fired," Wilson pointed out.
"That was years ago!"
"Exactly. You think him being back here is going to change anything? He's happy. Why can't you just let him be?" Wilson asked.
"Get him back. Or you will be terminated."
"You can't threaten me with that!" Cuddy shouted.
"Then you best find us some new donors. You have 30 days. Either House comes back or you raise enough money to compensate for him being gone. You best get working."
Wilson and Cuddy returned to her office. "So what now?" she asked. "I don't even know how to reach him anymore. His cell phone says it's no longer in service so he probably has a new one."
"Which definitely means he's moved on and has left this life behind."
"What could I possibly offer him as incentive to come back?"
"No clinic duty would be a good start."
"It's part of the contract."
"You don't ever bug me to work in the clinic or any other department heads that I've seen, for that matter. Why is it so important to you that he does? Just because it was your way of controlling him?" Cuddy didn't want to admit it but Wilson was right. "So if you really want him back I suggest you check your ego and your motives and maybe, just maybe he'll return. But you better be prepared to offer the same to Cameron as well, because I know he'll want her with him."
"You don't think he'll come back, do you?"
Wilson shook his head. "No, I really don't. I also know that Chase sent back the divorce papers unsigned a few months ago when she served him with them. So even he's delusional about her coming back."
"If we don't get him back, or get donors, I'm done."
Wilson sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "If you really think you can get him to come back, I'll go with you but I don't want you to get your hopes up."
XXX
Northwestern was a huge hospital and rather than try and found House by looking on a list, Wilson and Cuddy decided to ask the first person they saw.
"Where can we find Dr. House?" she asked the man in the lobby.
"The lovebirds are on the sixth floor, Infectious Diseases."
"Lovebirds?" Wilson muttered as they walked to the elevator. "I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone."
"If you are then so am I."
They got off on the sixth floor, asked a passing nurse where to find House and she directed them down to the hall. As they neared, they could hear House's music playing but he was nowhere to be seen. Cameron was sitting at a desk working and didn't look up when they came in.
"How can you concentrate with this noise?" Wilson asked, and smiled when she jumped up at the sound of his voice.
"Wilson!" she gasped and wrapped him up in a hug. "It's good to see you." Then she saw Cuddy and gave her a friendly smile. "So, what are you two doing here...oh..." she said, as if it suddenly dawned on her.
"Where's House?"
"Emergency surgery," she said as she went to the coffee machine. "Coffee?"
"Sure," they said in unison and sat down in the visitor's chairs. It was then Cuddy noticed that both Cameron's and House's names were on the door and they appeared to be sharing an office. And like at PPTH, there was an adjoining conference room with a white board covering one of the walls.
"No fellows?"
"They're assisting House. So since you're both here I can only gather that you came in hopes of bringing House back to Princeton."
"Cameron," Cuddy said, trying to be diplomatic, "the board insists that the hospital needs him. Since he left, we've lost a lot of donors and they blame me."
Cameron handed Cuddy the coffee, the diamond ring on her left hand twinkled in the soft light, catching Cuddy off guard. "I doubt you're to blame for him leaving. If anything, they should be blaming me."
"You?"
Cameron shook her head. "It's really none of your business, but the bottom line is that House is happy here and he's made a fresh start. Can't you let him be happy? Why do you want to ruin a good thing? House hasn't been happy at PPTH for a long time. You know that as well as I. And you," she said, looking at Wilson, who looked extremely guilty, "I'm surprised that you're even here. I thought you were House's friend."
"To throw his words back in his face, we're not friends anymore," House said from the doorway, still wearing his scrubs. There were two young doctors standing behind him.
"House," Cuddy said as she stood up and looked him over with obvious approval. "You look...good."
And he did. He'd gained some weight and thanks to one of the doctors at the hospital, had a better drug regimen for his pain. But he was gripping his cane so hard his knuckles were white.
"Didn't I once tell you that blouse makes you look like an Afghani prostitute?" he said and walked past her to the coffee machine to pour himself a cup. "Still does."
The two young doctors, sensing they weren't invited to the reunion, went into the conference room to make their own coffee.
House sat down at his desk and turned the music down. "Say what you came to say and get out. Patient's still alive and I'd like to keep it that way."
"Fine," Cuddy said and straightened up. "The board wants you back, House."
"Good for them. I'll bet they told you to give me an offer I can't refuse so I'll want to come back or you're terminated."
The look of surprise on Cuddy's face confirmed his suspicions and he merely laughed. "I'm still getting copied on the monthly emails. Someone is obviously asleep at the switch."
"What would it take to get you to come back?"
"Nothing. I'm more than happy here as you can see," he said, gesturing to his large office. "And they don't make me work in the clinic. That's what the interns are for. Department heads have more important things going on like..oh...saving lives! And I have my own receptionist to type up my reports and do my billing. Why would I come back to a place where I had none of that? And I'm pretty sure you won't be able to match my current salary so it looks like your little neck is on the chopping block. Too bad. You were a damn good administrator."
"House..."
"Oh, and don't even think about trying to sweeten the pot by offering Cameron her job back. She's staying."
"Cameron can speak for herself."
Cameron nodded. "True, but this time House is right. I'm staying."
House shrugged. "So I guess that's that. You came all the way out here for nothing."
"So are you two...living together?" Cuddy asked them.
House gave her a look. "What do you think? Haven't you seen her rock?"
Cuddy's eyes went huge. "You...you're wearing another man's ring while you're still married to Chase?" she all but shrieked.
"I think it's time to go," Wilson said as he got up and ushered Cuddy away. "It was good seeing you, House, Cameron. Keep in touch, okay?"
Cameron nodded and House merely ignored them as he sipped his coffee and turned the music back up.
Once they were gone, they exchanged glances. "Well, that was awkward," they both said at the same time, and started laughing.
"Speaking of my rock, as you put it, Chase sent the divorce papers back. He didn't sign them."
House cursed under his breath. "Damnit. Is everyone in that place in denial or something?"
"What are we going to do now, House?" she asked as she sat down across from him at her desk. "We can't get married until I'm officially divorced from Chase."
"I might have something up my sleeve. There's more than one way to skin a cat." After a short pause, his smile widened. "Ah-ha!"
Her eyes narrowed as she got up and walked around to see what he was looking at on his screen. It was a picture of the Dominican Republic and it advertised quick divorces. The two of them looked at each other and silently nodded.
XXX
The surf crashed against the rocks nearby as House and Cameron stood facing each other on the beach. Her blue sundress and blonde hair blew in the wind as she smiled up at House in his Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. As a minister read their vows and rings were exchanged, House felt like he was in some kind of dream. Standing in front of him was the most beautiful woman in the world. A woman he'd been in love with for years and was now finally and legally his.
"You may kiss your bride," the minister said to House with a smile. A few of the locals that had gathered around clapped and cheered when House pulled her into his arms and kissed her Hollywood-style, dipping her backwards.
"Wow," she giggled as he pulled her back up, almost losing balance himself in the process.
Once everyone had wandered off, the two of them stood together on the shoreline, watching the sun go down. "Well, Dr. House..." she said, reaching for his hand, which he took. Their fingers interlaced and he looked down at her.
"Yes, Dr. House?"
"We did it."
He glanced towards the row of cottages with thatched roofs and leered at her. "Not yet, we haven't."
Cameron laughed and let him tug her in the direction of their honeymoon cottage. "Why don't you just drag me by the hair while you're at it."
"Believe me, if I could, I'd throw you over my shoulder and carry you there."
"I don't doubt that for a second."
"I can, however, manage to do this," he said and picked her up to carry her inside, kicking the door closed behind him. He set her back down and their lips met in a slow, seductive kiss which left them both breathless. "I love you, Cameron," he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers.
"That's House now, pal."
"It'll take some getting used to."
"You can call me whatever you want when it's just us. But at the hospital, it's Dr. House."
"Two Dr. House's. They're going to go insane."
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Yes," he said with a cheeky grin. "Now get out of that dress so I can officially make you my wife."
"So bossy," she giggled and started unbuttoning his shirt. "That means you have to get out of these clothes so you can do your husband duties."
Their clothes came off and their lips once again crashed together as they moved across the room and landed breathlessly on the bed.
"Greg..." she moaned, trying it out once again.
"Call me House," he murmured against her lips as his hands moved over her body, touching everywhere. "I like the way you say it."
"House it is," she nodded and then gasped when he finally took her, his hands gripping her hips as he moved slowly at first, enjoying the feel of her, her warmth surrounding him.
He made love to her slowly and gently in the beginning. Still joined, they touched and kissed each other, enjoying the closeness, but soon it wasn't enough and their lovemaking became feverish and intense. They hit the plateau together and came down, wrapped together as tightly as two people could be.
"God, I love you," she breathed against his neck.
"Isn't that why you married me?" he teased, nipping her ear.
"One of the reasons. You're also an amazing kisser."
"You're not too bad yourself," he said as he rolled off of her but kept her close by wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head.
House went quiet and when she looked up at him, she saw that he was asleep already. Giving his chest a feather light kiss, she closed her eyes and fell into her own deep sleep.
The End