A/N: Happy Holidays to everyone and I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long! Without further ado, here's chapter 13, enjoy!
Chapter 13: revenge
When Cameron finally lifted her head up from the floor of the office, it felt like it been forever. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it had only been about 5 minutes.
There was a tentative knock at the door, and she heard herself make some sort of whimpering sound, and Foreman and Chase strode in and silently began cleaning up. She stood up, composed herself, and joined them in picking up.
She was carrying a pile of old papers to the trash, after checking to make sure they weren't anything important, when she spotted the glint of gold in the trash can. Her heart nearly stopped as she pulled out the watch she'd given him the other day. She felt fresh tears come to her eyes. She struggled to hold them back, and pocketed the watch, not keen on letting the guys see.
Once the office was decent again, they sat her down on the couch, and she spilled the whole thing, House's idea to keep Doris away, and the lunch with Todd, hiccupping and sobbing throughout.
"My conclusion is that he must really like you. I mean, for real," Foreman put in. "I mean, this mess wasn't really like him, and from what you've told us…" he trailed off.
"Wow," was Chase's response. "He really doesn't like Doris. Well, seems to me the only sensible thing to do is to get revenge on this Sheila girl."
"I don't think she meant to intentionally hurt me," Cameron began. "She just misinterpreted what she saw, and told House because she didn't want him to get hurt."
"Maybe, but if that is the case, it doesn't warrant revenge, so try again," Chase prompted, eager for some afternoon excitement. Cameron glanced at Foreman. He just nodded.
Cameron sighed and began again. "She had a crush on House, and wanted us to break up so she could have a shot at him, so when she found out about my lunch with Dr. Porter, it was the perfect opportunity. She saw some things, and blew them out of proportion."
"That's better," Foreman said.
"I wanna go pick up my stuff before he gets back. I don't want to see him right now," Cameron said, head down.
"All right, you go on, and Foreman and I will think of a plan. Just come back after you get your stuff."
She left without another word, just a sad glance in their direction.
She drove to his place, found his spare key, and let herself in. She gathered up her things from her drawer, the closet, and the bathroom, thankful that she'd just done a load of laundry the previous day.
As an afterthought, she found a notepad and a pen, and wrote down what had actually taken place, everything he wouldn't let her say earlier. She read it over twice, and started the note again once until she was completely satisfied with the contents. Then she taped it to the fridge.
She checked every room to make sure she hadn't left anything, coming across, after rummaging, the box his watch had been in. It was in the top drawer where the evil Stacey-comb had been. The attached card was in the box. She took the watch out of her pocket and replaced it in the box.
Then she left, locking the door behind her.
When she returned, looking this way and that, lest she run into him, she found Chase and Foreman sitting innocently in chairs near the clinic.
"Good, you're back. We came up with something," Chase said. He sounded like a small boy planning a prank phone call.
Cameron sat in the empty chair between them and they filled her in. She found herself smiling devilishly in spite of herself as she listened.
The three convened in House's office, where they'd gathered the necessary supplies for the revenge. The door was left open.
"This is so juvenile," Cameron said.
"Which is part of its appeal," Chase argued. "It's perfect. All right, tell me what you all think."
He did his best House impression. Cameron glanced at Foreman. They shook their heads at him. He tried again, and got the so-so gesture.
"Third time's the charm." He tried once more, and got the thumbs-up.
Then he turned to the phone and dialed the nurse's station, asking for Sheila.
"All right, finish getting it ready, she's on her way," he ordered, shutting the lights off.
They hid behind the desk, save Chase who sat in House's chair, resulting in a great amount of satisfaction. He turned it around to face the window, and they waited. There was a knock on the open door. Sheila appeared in the doorway, peering into the darkness.
"Dr. House?" she began. She stepped on the threshold, and closed the door, causing the bucket above to drop down, coating her with honey, which Chase had stolen from the cafeteria. She fell on the floor yelping about her hair, and Cameron came out from behind the desk and turned on a mini fan, which blew a pile of feathers in front of it directly onto Sheila. They turned the lights on then, and Chase helped her up and into the chair.
She didn't even struggle, maybe because of the surprise or the feathers in her eyes. Chase wound the linen gauze from the clinic around and around her, effectively securing her to the chair.
Then Foreman plucked the feathers out of her eyes, and she saw them in front of her. Cameron sat on the edge of the desk, in front of her, and asked with an even voice, "What did you say to him?"
She didn't say anything for a moment, and Cameron leaned down so their faces were even, and took the other girl's chin in her hands, forcing her to make eye contact. "Tell me!"
Sheila talked. It had been a little bit of both of Cameron's earlier theories. Sheila had misinterpreted what she'd seen and heard with regards to Todd, and had told House, both to keep him from finding out later, and to possibly give her a chance with him.
"You know, he'd never go for you. He hates your type. Plus, you're even shorter than me."
"You never know," Sheila replied stubbornly, her eyes still focused on Cameron.
"Yes, I do know. Do you want out of that chair so you can get cleaned up. You look like crap."
"Of course I want out."
"Too bad. What do you guys think?"
"Too bad," came the reply in unison.
"Sorry, but looks like the consensus is a big 'no'. Tell you what. We'll get you back to your department. It's the least we can do."
She and Foreman pushed the chair into the hallway and toward the elevator, ignoring all the looks they received from those walking past. Chase stayed behind to clean up the office for the second time that day.
They pushed the chair into the elevator, and Cameron punched the number of the nurse's lounge, both of them waving pleasantly as the doors closed.
"So juvenile," Cameron repeated as she and Foreman made their way back.
"Yea, and you loved it," he replied.
She nodded, unable to hide the grin on her face. "I did, but it doesn't solve everything."
A thought hit her like lightening. "Oh, god, and the rehearsal dinner is tomorrow. I'm sitting by him, and he needs to act civilly. It's going to be a nightmare if this isn't cleared up by then."
"Knowing House, it won't be," Foreman said, earning him a glare from Cameron.
"What? I'm right, and you know it."
They went inside.
"Where did you get those feathers?" Cameron asked Chase, who was sitting and making motions at them with his hands.
"He's here," he said, rather than an answer, still motioning them. It was now clear to both that he was motioning them to leave.
Cameron backed up, out of the door, the guys behind her.
Once, safe in the clinic waiting room, she repeated her question.
"I tore up a pillow in the oncology lounge."
Cameron chuckled. "Thank you, both of you."
"Not a problem. Anything else we can do?"
"No, I wrote him a note explaining it all when I picked up my things. Hopefully, he'll read it, cause he sure wouldn't let me talk." She put her head in her hands, and sighed. All she could hope for was that this wouldn't ruin her friends' wedding.
She said her 'good nights' and 'see you tomorrows' to Foreman and Chase, with the promise to call if anything happened, and drove home. She suddenly felt exhausted and burst into a fresh set of tears after realizing that she'd driven to his place, not her own. She turned around and this time arrived at the correct address, suddenly feeling exhausted. She crashed into bed without dinner, and lay there, sleepless, cold, and dreading tomorrow.
House sat in his office, oblivious to the fact that it was clean. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting. Finally deciding to waste time at home instead, he left, also not noticing the lack of ducklings, who usually stayed later than he did.
He arrived home to find it Cameron-free. It felt empty for some reason. It had never felt like that before Cameron had stayed there. He made himself some coffee, not really feeling like food, and drank. He'd talked to Wilson earlier without divulging anything about the ruse, or even about Cameron. Just that he was angry at Cuddy over the clinic hours she'd assigned him. 'Cuddy', in this instance, was secret code for 'Cameron' and 'clinic hours' was code for 'all over Todd Porter with evident intentions of fornication'. Wilson had listened, as he always did, and had made him swear to stay sober until after the wedding.
He shuffled into the kitchen, figuring he oughta eat something, when he noticed the note taped to the door of the fridge. He removed it, noted Cameron's name at the bottom, and promptly tossed it in the trash.
Deciding once again against food, he just went to bed, hoping he could avoid both Cameron and Doris at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night.
A/N: I know, I know, conflict still not solved, but it will be, I promise!! Please R&R!
