"Allison, I warned you before this could happen. It likely means nothing, but we want to take a look."
Cameron bit her lip, not accepting her doctor's assurances since she knew exactly what elevated levels could mean. "Elevated? That rules out Downs Syndrome and Trisomy X, but not neural tube defect or fetal demise. That is a worse scenario."
"You know as well as I do there are many other reasons for elevated levels. It's possible the Phenergan is interfering as well."
Cameron agreed, but that didn't calm the panic building up inside.
"It would be best if Robert was there with you."
Cameron agreed. "Okay, I'll call him. What time should I be there?"
"I'll have my nurse give you that info once we know. Try not to worry about it. Most of the time these things turn out fine."
"I know, I'll remain positive." She knew that was a blatant lie for her doctor's sake. She would be frantic until that test happened.
--------------------------------------------
Chase rushed over right away as soon as he got the call. The appointment wasn't for a couple of hours, but they needed time together to prepare.
Wilson was kind enough to give them his office while they waited. Chase just held a quiet Cameron in his arms while they sat on the couch, watching the minutes to tick away. "We know the odds Allison. They will likely work in our favor."
"I know. There is that part of the back of my mind though that is asking me the question, what if it's a malformed neural tube? What do we do? It's a death sentence for our child no matter what."
"Don't ask unless you have to answer. We tell patients that all the time."
"We are full of shit."
Chase gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Whatever the outcome, we'll deal with it together. Driving yourself crazy isn't going to help."
"I know. Why aren't I listening to the rational doctor part of me?"
"You're not the doctor here. You are acting like the expectant mother. You should be reacting this way."
"What about you the expectant father? Why are you so calm?"
"It's all a front for your sake. Inside, I'm freaking out too."
Cameron slightly smiled. "Okay, now that makes me feel better."
----------------------------------------------
Cameron couldn't avoid kicking out her legs back and forth slightly as she waited on the exam table for the doctor to come in. She wanted to get this over with. Chase sat in the chair beside her, trying pass the time by reading one of those outdated women's magazines that these offices never seemed to update. He was interested in the top fifty things women found sexy about men.
Both were snapped out of their distractions as soon as Dr. Ades walked in. She had a cheerful and optimistic look on her face, but then again, she knew that other doctors could see through the tricks. She still had to try.
"I'm glad you both were able to be here. Since you both know your way around one of these things, I'll just get the images and let you two see for yourself. We'll know pretty quickly. Are you ready?"
"No, but I don't think I'll ever be." Cameron nervously replied. Chase got up and took her hand while she leaned back on the partially raised table indicating her cooperation.
Dr. Ades went to work rather quickly, preparing the gel and transducer. Given that this was a level II ultrasound, the images would be far more detailed and better than anything they had seen yet. Cameron's breathing was slightly heavy, partially from anxiety and partially from the baby pressing on her diaphragm from the elevated position.
The doctor started searching from the top of the uterus since the first order was to rule out a neural tube defect. They needed to see the skull. Within a minute an image popped onto the screen, but none of them were prepared for what they saw. Both Chase and Cameron's eyes bulged out of their head and Cameron gasped in total shock. Even Dr. Ades couldn't believe it.
"That's…uh…but how…"
"Please tell me that's not a two-headed baby." Chase said in disbelief.
Dr. Ades smiled and moved the transducer downward to get a better view.
"Nope, that's definitely twins." Chase dryly declared. Cameron was too stunned to say anything.
"Twins explains everything." Dr. Ades said very relieved. "The elevated AFP, and the fact your fundal measurement was normal. Given your Hypermesis and the fact you have lost weight it probably should have been abnormal for one baby."
"How did we miss this on the first ultrasound?" Cameron asked.
"It sometimes happens. When they are that small, it's easy for one to hide behind the other. Plus, we weren't exactly looking for two heartbeats. You should be relieved. So far both skulls look intact. I'm going to get some more detailed scans and take pictures for you to show off."
Dr. Ades moved the tranducer all around the uterus, stopping often to examine various body parts and take detailed notes. A very stunned Chase and Cameron held their breaths, wondering if the rest of the scan would reveal any more surprises. In a way, it did. A huge smile appeared on Chase's face when he spotted it. "That one's a girl."
He looked over at Cameron to get a reaction, but all he saw was his wife still too overcome by all that had happened.
"The other doesn't want to show itself," Dr. Ades said. "I'll see if I can get it to move around."
She took the next twenty minutes to get as many detailed scans as possible, but she didn't have any luck in getting the second baby to reveal its gender. "Sorry, but the other one is playing shy. It seems to like hiding from us." She put the transducer down and started cleaning up Cameron's abdomen. "Everything looks perfect. Congratulations to you both, this is very good news."
Chase was smiling in complete relief, but he noticed Cameron was still in her shell-shocked stupor. "Come on Allison, say something."
"I think we need to be looking for a bigger house."
----------------------
Cameron and Chase entered House's office, where House, Wilson and Foreman were waiting. They knew by Cameron's pale look and distant bravado that the results were not normal. However, given Chase's very pleased look, they were completely confused as what the mixed signals meant.
"You going to tell us?" Foreman asked impatiently.
Chase handed him the ultrasound scans with deep pride. Foreman's eyes jumped out of his head. "Twins?"
That announcement caused House and Wilson to sit up and take notice.
Foreman smiled when he took a further look. "Hey, this one's a girl."
"Let me see that." House held out his hand, gesturing impatiently to Foreman.
Foreman handed them over. House's eyebrows raised when he examined the babies. "This baby is a little young to be spreading her legs for the camera, don't you think? She's quite talented. You should be proud."
House tilted his head when looking at the other one. "This one must be a boy."
"What makes you think that?" A very curious Chase asked.
"It's timid and evasive, just like his dad."
Wilson grabbed the scan from House to see for himself. "I don't know. It could be a female version of Chase."
"I'm sorry, did you just say wager?" House said prodding Wilson.
"I'm in too." Foreman said. "I'm agreeing with Wilson on this."
"Can I...?" Chase was cutoff off by House.
"Sorry, no daddies allowed in the bet. You have inside information."
Foreman got up and pulled out his phone. "I better tell Pamela what is happening. She will be relieved." He disappeared into the adjoining room.
Wilson moved toward the office door. "I'll tell Cuddy. She wanted to know as well. Congratulations to you both."
House couldn't take his eyes off Cameron, who was sitting in the recliner all this time staring off into space and not saying a word. "What's bothering you?" He asked her directly.
"I'm still trying to figure out how this happened. There are no twins on my side of the family."
House's eyes fell on Chase, who was looking very guilty. "My mother's siblings were twins."
That got Cameron's attention. "You didn't tell me???"
"How was I supposed to know it was relevant? After all, this was the first hint we got."
"What's the big deal?" House said. "Two for the price of one. Knock em out quickly."
Cameron and Chase both looked at House with usual contempt, even though such a comment should have been expected from him.
Cameron got up. "I'm taking the rest of the day off. This has been too much."
House handed back the scans to Chase. "A wimp and a boisterous attention seeker. How pathetic, you are having clones."
"I certainly hope so." Chase said as he took the scans and gently grasped Cameron's arm to help her up. As soon as they left House cracked a smile, feeling actually kind of proud. He could never let them see it.
---------------------------
Instead of heading for the car Chase pushed them toward the courtyard.
"What are you doing?" Cameron asked.
"It's a nice day and we could use a walk. It will help clear our heads a bit. You still seem very overwhelmed."
Cameron nodded in agreement and proceeded to walk along the path. She tried to maintain the silence for as long as possible, but broke down after only a few minutes. She curled up a tight fist and hit Chase square in the arm.
"What was that for?"
"I haven't reminded you in a while that you did this to me. Now your screwed up genetics has really made a mess of things."
Chase chuckled. "It seems we have been dealing with a lot of surprises lately. We'll manage this one just like we have the others."
"Two? At the same time? How will we manage? One sounded like too much."
"Lots of people have twins and get on fine. It's just an adjustment, that's all. Aren't you the least bit happy that we know that one is a girl?"
Cameron smiled. "Yes, I guess I haven't had time to enjoy that fact. You think it is a brother or a sister in there with her?"
"I don't want to guess. I'll be happy no matter what."
"I should be relieved. After all, instead of having one unhealthy baby we now have two healthy ones. Why am I not relieved?"
"You're too busy being freaked out. You have every right to be that way though. Carrying two will get rough."
"It's rough now. House was right though. I'm knocking two out at once. Maybe this will be all that we need."
"You see, you are looking at the positive."
They walked a little further, taking in all the soothing surroundings in comfortable silence. "Amanda." Cameron blurted out without warning.
"What's that?"
"I like the name Amanda."
"It's…nice." Chase said with reservation.
"You don't like it?"
"No, I just need to get used to it. Amanda Chase. That doesn't sound too bad."
"I'll get you to see exactly how perfect a name it is. You are defenseless against
me."
"Fine. If the other baby is a boy, I get to name it. I have no idea what that name will be, but I'm taking dibs."
"What if it's a girl?"
"Emily."
Cameron's face lit up. "I love that! Not more than Amanda, but I'll agree to the second choice."
"Okay, we are getting somewhere."
Cameron stopped. "Come on, I'm sure you have to get back to work and I'm tired. No wonder if there are two of them hogging all my strength now."
"I'm not going back today."
"So we have a free afternoon together?"
"Yep."
Cameron's eyes lit up. "Have you ever seen the Baby Gap?"
----------------------------------------
Cameron had never been so enthralled by a neighborhood before. They drove down a picturesque block lined with tall mature trees on both sides. The mixture of lushly landscaped Colonial and Victorian style homes that all towered over the road was appealing to the naked eye. They saw kids on bikes, people working in their yards and the general excitement that happens when spring finally arrives and the outdoors can be enjoyed again.
"This house wasn't on our list." Cameron said as they pulled into one of the driveways. She didn't complain too much though. This home was a Dutch Colonial on a corner lot, close to where the road dead-ended. It was perched on top of a hill and proudly displayed its elegance from all angles because of its isolation on the large lot.
They pulled in front of the detached two and a half car garage and were able to get a glimpse of the majestic backyard. The yard was lined with rows of blooming bushes and trees accompanying a plush green lawn. A brick pathway wound through the backyard and led to stunning white arched trellis crawling with newly growing roses. The trellis marked the entrance to a brick patio area, which contained old-fashioned garden benches surrounded by a compelling variety of plants and flowers.
"This looks better than anything I've seen in freaking Better Homes and Gardens." Cameron joked.
They moved onto a curved stone walkway that led them to the front entrance of the house. Any excitement Cameron felt was quickly contained when she saw the status on the "For Sale" sign on the front lawn. "Oh, it's in contract."
"They are accepting backup offers, plus this home has many attractive features you might want to see." Bonnie said. "This is a highly sought out neighborhood that rarely gets anything this beautiful available, so it's worth a look."
Cameron looked at Chase for any apprehension, but for the first time since they started looking she saw genuine excitement in his eyes. "Okay, I'm game."
The grey brick that covered the lower half of the house welcomed them with an arched doorway, complete with a stained glass wooden front door. The top portion of the house had white siding with black shutters that highlighted what looked like huge windows from the outside.
"What year was this built?" Cameron asked, already blown away before she even set foot in the house.
"1930."
The foyer instantly greeted them with an open railing staircase that ran up from the left and then turned right for the rest of the way up. The floor contained original wide planked pine hardwood and it was well cared for and restored.
"Most of this house has the original hardwood flooring exposed. Would you like to start upstairs or downstairs first?" Bonnie asked.
"Upstairs. I can't resist the staircase." Cameron replied.
The stairs were immaculate themselves. The bottom parts were painted white and the original hardwood on sat the top. The oak railing was sturdy and decorative, which Cameron appreciated greatly since stairs were already proving to be a difficulty. By the time they got to the top, her breathing was labored.
At the top of the stairs was a large open square area. Each of the rooms could be easily seen by standing in the middle. First they entered a rather large master bedroom with small fireplace. Cameron felt completely at home in this room. "I can't get over the large windows and fireplace. It has so much natural light."
"The current owners took some room and closet space and put in a small bathroom. They installed an organized closet system than compensated for some of the loss of space."
Cameron gazed into small bathroom which had an adequate a pedestal sink, toilet and shower. She looked into the reach in closet next to the bathroom and found that did utilize its space to the fullest. "It's enough for me, but we would have trouble finding space for all of Robert's ties."
Chase didn't even take offense or offer a biting comment back. Cameron mentally noted she would find out what was up with him after they had looked at the house.
They moved into the next room, which was a very large full bathroom. It had an old fashioned bathtub with legs, newer yet attractive tile all along the bottom half of the walls, and a large window over the tub yet again letting in the brilliant light. "I never knew bathrooms could have so much character." Cameron said.
They next walked into two more decent sized bedrooms. "This one's already painted in pink." Cameron giggled. "That would save us some trouble for one."
"One?" Bonnie was confused by the comment.
"We're having twins."
That made sense to Bonnie. "Oh, so that's why you wanted to see bigger homes. Well, then the attic would make either a great playroom or guest bedroom."
"Attic?"
"You'll love this."
She opened a door that looked like it was for a closet, but behind it was a narrow stairway. They climbed up and found themselves in a very large open space with slanted ceilings and the same original hardwood flooring.
"This attic is finished. Many of these homes have the attic unfinished for storage space. So it's all ready for any type of use." Bonnie noted.
"It's incredible! Look at all this space. So much could be done with this." Cameron looked over to see Chase imagining the possibilities, but he was still strangely quiet. Something was up with him and she was going to find out.
They made their way down the two flights of stairs, with Cameron carefully taking her time and Chase helping her along every step of the way.
The first room they walked into downstairs was off the stairwell, accessed through two gorgeous white French doors. They stood in a large living room with a huge bay window that ran most of the height of the front wall and half of the length. The far walls of the room held custom made bookshelves and the ceiling was accented with crown molding "It's so bright and cheerful in here too."
"This can also be a great office. I would imagine that's something two doctors would need."
"It's so gorgeous in here, I wouldn't get anything done. Right Robert?"
Chase silently nodded in agreement, even if he really hadn't formed an opinion.
On the opposite side of the living room was a formal dining room graced with yet another large window. The tray ceiling that hung in the center brought to attention a very traditional and elegant chandelier.
"An actual dining room?" Cameron asked.
"Yes. Wait until you see the kitchen."
They moved toward the kitchen, which was separated from the dining room by a butler pantry area. "This was standard in homes of the time." Bonnie told Cameron while she was admiring the pantry. "I don't know why newer homes don't have this. It brings so much character."
The kitchen was surprisingly open with new country white cabinets and grey granite countertops. There was a huge window over the sink that again lit up the entire room. The island was large with part of it offering a raised counter for seating. Despite its new renovation, it still had the classic country feel. "Wow, this is a show piece."
Off the kitchen was a built-on dinette area surrounded by a wall of windows that overlooked the incredible backyard. One side of the dinette area had French doors that led out to the screen porch. "They added on the dinette area and porch about three years ago. It's incredible how it blends in so much with the character of the original home."
Finally, off the kitchen was a nice family room with original brick fireplace and the same hard wood flooring that was predominate through the house. It wasn't very large and actually only had one small window, so it served as an adequate TV room.
What stood out for Cameron in the family room though were all the pictures on the fireplace mantle and the walls. They represented years of family memories in this house. "It looks like twin boys were raised here," she noticed with a big smile. The pictures followed them from birth all the way to graduation.
"Come on, you should see the basement." Bonnie suggested.
They walked down the stairwell off the kitchen to find a good sized basement with a door that opened out to the side of the yard. There was a large finished living area that Cameron easily pictured being a play area for the kids. There were all types of built in shelving for toys and books, and there was ample storage in unfinished areas off the main space. Two of those areas included a laundry room and a half bath.
Once she marveled at all the spaces in the basement and how it was the perfect ending to her tour of this incredible house, her face turned sour.
"You don't like it?" Chase asked.
"That's the problem. I love it. I can't think of anyplace more perfect. It's only 25 minutes from work, the neighborhood is amazing and it feels like an ideal place to start a family. What do you we have to do convince these people to sell to us instead?"
Chase and Bonnie smiled at one another, but tried not to make their smiles look too obvious.
"I've got an idea." Bonnie said. "You two go through that door and get a nice tour of the rest of the yard. I'll call the realtor and see if there is any hope." She pretty much had them pushed out the door before they had a chance to answer.
They again were hit with more impeccable landscaping. There was a row of freshly blooming lilac bushes that lined the side of the house and they followed the brick walkway all the way through the trellis and over to the benches. "I need to sit down." An exhausted Cameron declared. "These children are getting too heavy already."
Chase helped her sit on the bench while she took in with wide wonder the serene atmosphere. "This place is heavenly. How did this not come up on our searches?"
"This is a highly sought out neighborhood. Homes aren't on the market more than a few days."
Cameron took a deep breath. The air was pleasing with the smell of mixed floral bouquets. "I want a house like this. I can't think of a better place. I hope financial hardship falls on the people who want this house."
"Oh, you better not be wishing that." Chase said smiling.
Cameron finally caught on. "What are you up to?"
He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Cameron. She unfolded it and saw a real estate contract, one that was between the current homeowners and Robert Chase. "You bought this?" She asked with both pure excitement and confusion.
"I had to act fast. They were waiting for another offer. I found out about this place from a patient. I had to see it because she said her friend raised twins in this home. I took it to be a sign and came right over to see the place."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"You were busy at work and there was no time. I took a chance that you would love it as much as I did."
"This contract was signed two days ago. Why didn't we come here before then?"
"Bonnie only got the offer acceptance last night. I didn't want to get your hopes up."
Cameron grabbed his hand, returning the same bright enthusiastic smile he had over telling her the news. Her eyes instantly went teary. She should have been mad that he bought a house without getting her input, but she instead she couldn't remember getting a greater gift. "It's perfect. Can we afford this?"
"Surprisingly, yes. I have no idea how comparable it is with other homes in the area, but compared to Princeton it is a steal. We even have little bit left to buy some of the furniture we will need to fill this place."
Cameron couldn't hold her joy any longer. She let the tears fall all while never losing her big smile. "When do we move in?"
"If all goes well, 60 days."
"Great, I'll be the size of this house by then."
Chase laughed the timing of her self-deprecating humor. "We don't have a lot to move. This house will consume us with its emptiness for a while."
"Thank you." She leaned over and gave him a huge kiss in appreciation.
He gave her another huge smile. "I'm glad you liked it, otherwise I would have been screwed."
Cameron laughed. "You got lucky pal."
Bonnie walked toward them, noticing the smiling faces and teary eyes. "So, how did she take the news?"
Chase finished his laughter while wiping away one of Cameron's tears. "I think she took it well."
"You don't know how excited I am about this. For you both and not just for me finally getting a sale. How about we go inside? There are a few papers I need both of you to sign. It also gives you a chance to take a further look."
Cameron seemed reluctant to leave the beautiful surroundings. Chase got up and held out his hand. "Come on, we'll have the rest of a lifetime to enjoy this view."
She nodded enthusiastically and they proceeded inside to their new home.
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a/n: I told you I wrote too much! BTW, if anyone wants to accuse me of plot contrivance (which I plead guilty on from time to time), Cameron's pregnancy mirrors the exact pregnancy a friend of mine had. She had horrible Hypermesis and then halfway through the pregnancy found out she was having twins. They found out one was a girl but didn't find out the sex of the other until they were born. So, this is based on a true story! Anyway, I hope you liked. I think next chapter will be a comical Pamela POV chapter. It at least sounds funny in my head.