A/N: I wasn't going to update until Monday, but the people want more, so who am I to say no? I hope you enjoy, and thank you for all the written support. On with the dance lessons!

Chapter 9: dancing disasters

The dance studio was a short drive from House's but still, Cameron's worst fears were realized. They were the last to arrive.

She ducked with a bit of embarrassment as everyone looked up at their entrance. House found a chair in the corner, which he immediately flopped into, pulling another over to him to put his feet up. He opened a tabloid and began reading about celebrities' plastic surgery nightmares.

Cameron walked over to Wilson.

"Where's your mother?" she asked quietly.

"The bathroom," Wilson replied.

As if on cue, Doris Wilson breezed into the room, and made a beeline for House's corner.

She peeked over the tabloid, causing House to jump, which made Cameron giggle, a hand covering her mouth.

"So glad you could make it Gregory. This is going to be so much fun!"

House gave Wilson the evil eye. Wilson tried to look invisible.

"Well, aren't you at least going to say hello? I've missed your happy face."

House scowled behind the tabloid and muttered something that might have been 'hi'.

"What was that?"

"Good evening, Mrs. Wilson…Doris."

"That's much better. Now stand up, let me see you…it's been…about a week since I last saw you."

"And what a great week it's been," House said, reluctantly standing.

"Are you wearing pajamas, Gregory?" She eyed the navy plaid pajama pants and the Rolling Stones 1975 tour t-shirt.

"Yea, Gregory," Chase said, stifling a laugh himself. House gave him the evil eye that was normally reserved for Wilson.

"Am I? I had no idea. I'd better just go home and change."

"Nonsense, Gregory. I think you look adorable." She hugged him then, tightly, House squirming to extricate himself from her arms, which were a lot stronger than they looked.

When she let him go, he actually gasped for air for a moment before retreating back to his chair, and glaring at those present.

The dance instructor entered with a flourish then, throwing the door open and striding into the room with a confident air, which was quickly deflated when House lowered his tabloid, and looked at her with recognition in his eyes.

"I remember you. You came into the clinic last month with hemorrhoids. All better now, I trust?" he asked loudly.

She matched his evil eye with one of her own, and turned to the others.

"Is this all of you?"

Wilson did a quick head count. "Yep, this is all of us."

"All right, we shall start with a simple tango."

"Umm, I can't do that one. I don't want to do a dance that I did at another wedding. I want a new, fresh start with Mary Ann." They smiled at each other.

House rolled his eyes.

"Very well, how about a waltz?"

"Hmmm, sorry, no. Gina." Wilson's second wife.

"The chicken dance!" House called out, and hid behind the tabloid once more.

"How about some simple ballroom then?"

Wilson thought for a second. "That'll work."

They paired up: Wilson and Mary Ann, Cameron and Foreman, Mary Ann's brother, Mark and her cousin, Susan. That left Chase and Doris. Chase paled. But Doris only had eyes for House.

"You're not dancing, Gregory?" She made a pouty face.

"Nope, can't." He tapped his leg with his cane without looking up from the anorexia article he was reading.

"Awww, that's too bad. I would have…how do they say it nowadays….rocked your world."

House made a gagging noise from behind the tabloid.

Chase looked frightened.

"Looks like it's you and me, young man." She smiled at Chase, who plastered a smile on his face.

"All right gentlemen, put your hand on your partner's waist, and your other hand in hers. Ladies, your other hand on the shoulder…hmm, maybe a demonstration. Dr. House, if you would please be so kind?"

"You don't remember me like I remember you, do you? Because if you did remember me, you would never ask me that."

She pulled a riding crop out of her belt loop, walked over to House, and smacked it against the floor right next to him.

"Up! Or else never plan on having any children!"

"Ok." House replied and didn't move.

"House, please." Wilson pleaded.

It wasn't so much Wilson's words as Cameron's eyes that got House up and moving.

"Thank you. Now, put your hand on my waist."

"What?"

"Do it!"

House did so, eyeing the crop.

"Now, take my hand."

"You're lucky I'm a doctor, and I know hemorrhoids aren't contagious through touch."

She stomped on his foot-hard.

"There people, exactly like this."

They shifted a bit to copy her, and the dancing began.

House went back to his corner and sulked.

Time passed, and they got better and better.

House actually stopped reading and watched, his eyes on Cameron. She was intensely aware of his gaze, his eyes burning into her. It made her a bit self-conscious, but not unbearably so. She even found herself trying to move a little more sensually. Foreman whispered to her,

"Why is House staring at me? It's creeping me out."

Cameron chuckled. "I think he's staring at me, actually."

"Right. That would make more sense."

"Very good everyone. Now I'd like to pick up the pace. Dr. House?" She held out a tambourine.

He grabbed it and glared at it.

"Now, just tap it in rhythm."

"I'll try and manage." He did an eye roll, and began tapping the instrument in a steady rhythm.

"Marvelous." She began going into the dance steps. Everyone had a tougher time with that one, but by and by it improved, and an agonizing hour later, the instructor deemed the session a success.

"You've all done wonderfully. I just know the wedding will be lovely. Have a good night."

"Thank you so much," Mary Ann said, she and Wilson shaking her hand.

Cameron said good night to Foreman and Chase. She then caught Doris's eye.

"Alison, my dear, do you know where Gregory has gotten to. I was going to say good bye and I can't find him."

"He's not here?" She looked around for him. He was gone. She sighed and said, "I have no idea where he is. I'm sorry he didn't stick around. I'll be sure to say good bye for you."

"Thank you darling. Give him a hug for me."

"I will." She left.

She found him outside at her car. When he saw her, he gestured frantically at the door handle and jiggled it.

"I'm coming!" She made to the car, and unlocked the doors. House got in and ducked as Doris walked past, waving at Cameron as she went.

"She really is a nice lady," she told House as she got in the driver's side.

"She's a horny old bat."

Cameron started the car and drove back to House's, turning the radio on. Van Halen's Why can't this be Love played softly through the speakers. There was a minute of silence, more awkward than either cared for, and then Cameron reached for the tuning knob.

House's hand was already on it, and her hand closed over his.

"I was just going to change the station," Cameron said, a bit flustered at feeling his warm hand rather than the cold tuning knob.

"I know, so was I."

"How about we just shut it off." Cameron turned the radio off.

"So, what did you think?" She asked, in an attempt to change the subject.

"Of…what?"

"The dancing."

"You guys didn't suck monkeys. Instructor Hemorrhoids, on the other hand…"

"Thank you, I guess."

"You're welcome, I guess."

They arrived at House's and Cameron parked and shut off the engine, but stayed in the car.

"You coming?" he paused, his hand on the door handle, and then settled back in his seat, avoiding her eyes.

"Yea, I forgot. I was supposed to tell you good bye from Doris."

"Oh, god."

"So, good bye." She held up a hand in a wave, then put it back down.

"Oh, and this too." She leaned over, jerked his face to hers, and placed her lips on his, softly at first, then harder. He didn't respond at first, but as soon as she felt his lips push back, she opened her mouth and pushed her tongue against his closed mouth.

Again, the momentary hesitation, but it didn't last. She felt his lips part, and she found his tongue with her own. She crawled over the seat to perch on his lap, facing him, losing his mouth in the process.

This time, he initiated the kiss, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, running her hands through his hair. His hands, in turn, went around her waist, and then snaked up to her chest, feeling her through the material of her tank top.

Feeling the need to breathe, she gently pulled her lips from his, and gave him another little kiss, then another, then she took a deep breath, breathing in the very essence of him, and felt him do the same with her.

"Please tell me that wasn't from Doris too."

"No, that was all me."

"Good."

They stared at each other for a minute or two, then Cameron eased herself off of him as gently as she could, opened her door, and went up to his place, not looking behind her.

House sat there for a moment, then followed her.

They entered, and Cameron turned on the lights and tossed her purse on the coffee table that was its new home.

"I'm turning in," she announced.

"Yea, I think I will too."

"Good night Greg."

"Good night Allie." He went into his bedroom and shut the door.

Cameron shut the light off, and changed into her own pj's. The last thing she was tired. She had been a little sleepy, but the kiss had breathed new energy into her somehow.

She lay on the couch in the dark, with the blanket up to her chin. It smelled like him, and also, a little bit like her own perfume. The combination was wonderful. She replayed the kiss over and over again, wishing she could go back in time and watch it happening.

"Ok, so maybe I'm a bit more invested than I thought. I must be insane, or at least close to it…no more. This is all pretend. You can't make it real, no matter how much you might want it."

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

House, meanwhile, lay in bed, the light on. A book was in his hand, but he wasn't really reading. He stared at the words, but they all ran together. He put it back on the nightstand, next to the dusty alarm clock, and took off his reading glasses.

He then opened the door and padded out into the living room, looking at the form on the couch, bathed in the light that spilled out into the hallway and beyond from his open bedroom door.

He watched her sleep for several moments, then turned around and back to the bedroom, a small, almost imperceptible grin playing over his lips. After he was gone, Cameron opened her eyes a crack.

"He was watching me sleep! Does that mean something? I'm acting like a schoolgirl. I need to get a grip. Reality check, Alison."

She rolled over and pulled at the blanket. She had to get to sleep or she'd regret it in the morning.

A/N: Ta-da! I hope this played out ok. It was suggested to me to go into more detail with kisses and such, so I attempted to. Hope it was all right. Please R&R! I'd be eternally grateful!