Chapter 22. Stay, Just A Little Bit Longer.

Pete wasn't alone when House and Cameron re-entered Room 12. Linda had returned and was playing cards with Pete again.

"Hi Doc and Doc!" Pete said, and laughed at his own attempt at humor.

"Which am I?" House asked, making Pete laugh even harder.

"You're obviously feeling good," Cameron remarked with a big smile.

"Yup," he said. "And havin' a purty lady like Linnie visitin' is just the icing on the cake!"

Linda blushed and said, "Go on!"

"We have to get another blood sample and then we'll leave you two," House said. He found a tourniquet among the supplies on the table, and quickly took the sample.

Meanwhile, Cameron was preparing the culture of the blood they got from Pam. "Hopefully these tests will show that the meds have got all of you back to normal," she said. House handed her Pete's vial and she prepared that one, too. "That'll do it for now."

"The storm's winding down," House told Pete and Linda. "Everyone should be able to go home by tomorrow morning."

"Well, not that I didn't enjoy my stay, mind ya, but I guess I'm gonna have ta get back home and survey the damage to my place and my boat," Pete said.

"Mo will be reopening the diner tomorrow mornin', but she's cookin' up some stew and chicken an' dumplings for everyone," Linda told House and Cameron. "I told her I'd be back to collect it in a bit."

"Sounds good," House said. The thought of food always made him feel better.

Cameron nodded. "Guess we're through here," she said, starting to leave.

"Where're you off to now?" Linda asked.

House and Cameron exchanged a look. "We have to get more blood samples," House said. It wasn't exactly a lie. It just wasn't where they were going first.

"I hope that's not all you're gonna do!" Pete quipped with a bit of a leer.

House rolled his eyes. "We'll be back here later to culture the rest of the samples. Save some of that food for us."

"Will do!" Pete said as they went out again.

As they walked back toward Room 8, Cameron said, "I don't want to waste the time we have on talking, but I do want you to know...I'll do what I can to make you happy, to satisfy your...desires." She looked into his eyes.

He nodded once, but didn't say anything. "As long as you accept that I can't stay here," he finally said as they were passing Room 10. Before they entered Room 8, he turned to her and said, "You could come with me..."

Cameron shook her head. "I can't leave these people with no medical care."

House sighed and smirked. "Yeah, I figured as much."

Cameron felt she had to explain. "House, just like you need your medical puzzles as much as you need air to breath, I need to be respected as a doctor. I've fought long and hard for that. These people need me. They appreciate what I do for them like no one ever has."

"What, you don't think I appreciate you?" he asked, but he knew he'd rarely expressed it. He sighed again. "I know you've had to fight the stereotype of a beautiful woman. A blond beautiful woman," he said, smirking again and looking at her wet hair. "You shouldn't be embarrassed by your beauty or dismiss it. Other women, who aren't nearly as lovely, use their looks to get what they want, but I get why you refuse to do that." He shook his head as he tried to find the right words to tell her what he wanted to say. "Your looks are just a product of your genetics, like intelligence, or a caring nature."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" she asked with a wry smile.

"Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em."

She laughed and saw that he was smiling.

"Enough with the chatter," House said, opening the door to the room and walking in with Cameron right behind him. He turned and faced her. "We've got more important things to do."

Their lovemaking was different than earlier. They knew more about each other and what would excite the other the most. That didn't mean that they were done exploring, experimenting. They took their time. And in the end, they brought each other as much pleasure, if not more.

Afterwards, lying together, House gently stroked Cameron's bare shoulders. "Satin," he murmured.

"What?" Cameron asked.

"Before I said velvet, but I think satin is more accurate. Smooth and firm." He leaned over and kissed her skin just below the right shoulder. "And very sweet."

Cameron practically purred.

"I'm sure Chase told you that many times," he said, looking into her blue-green eyes.

"Chase?" She shook her head. "I guess he wasn't as romantic as you."

"Me? Romantic?"

She giggled. "Yes. You really are." She hesitated. "Do you remember the corsage you gave me on our 'date'?" she asked.

"Yeah. Wilson told me you'd like it because it was lame."

She shook her head again. "No, I liked it because it showed how romantic you can be. Despite the things you said to me that night, and believe me, they hurt, but despite them, I saw...something..." She still couldn't explain it, and she knew House didn't want to hear it. She sighed and went on, "Anyway, you do have a romantic streak whether you like it or not."

House grimaced. He hoped Cameron wasn't getting any ideas. They were just satisfying each other's urges, making the best of the situation they were in. But when he looked at her, it did stir feelings in him, feelings he'd buried so deep that he wasn't sure what they really were. And he was determined to keep them buried, whatever happened.