Chapter 24. Thanks For The Memories

Cameron waited for House to make a move, to either enter Room 10 or go on to 8. He seemed to be lost in thought. Finally, she suggested, "House, do you want to spend any of the time you have left here with me?"

That brought House back from wherever his mind had wandered. "I...yeah, I would. But first, let's check on these two. Find out if Harry wants to stay here with Vivian." He pushed open the door, calling out, "We're coming in. Better not be in a compromising position!"

Vivian and Harry were no longer in bed. They were both dressed and sitting at the table. "We were just...talking...about the future," Vivian said.

Cameron took that cue to ask Harry, "Did you want to stay here, tonight?"

He and Vivian exchanged a glance. "I think I'd like to, if it's all right with you, Doctor," Harry said.

"Vivian? Would that be OK?" Cameron asked. She wasn't going to leave them together if Vivian was uncomfortable about it.

Vivian nodded, but didn't say a word.

Cameron decided that, even if House wouldn't be with her, she could gather the clothes hanging in the bathroom and move to Room 8. "OK. I'll come back in the morning. We should have the results of your blood tests then and I'll let you know whether you need another shot, or can just go home."

She walked into the bathroom and gathered the damp clothes hanging there. Maybe some would be dry enough to wear by morning and she could get out of the outfit she was in.

"Ready?" House asked her when she returned to the bedroom. "Have fun kids," House told Vivian and Harry as he and Cameron left. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Cameron rolled her eyes and groaned. They stepped out again and she asked, "Do we have to check on Kelly again tonight?"

House shook his head. "Nah. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to crash for the night." She wondered what that meant, but she found out soon enough. He put his hand on her shoulder and steered her toward Room 8. "Not that I couldn't be convinced to indulge in a little more hanky panky."

In the dim twilight she could just make out his leer and laughed. After this she'd miss him, maybe more than ever. "I guess I just want to spend time with you while I can," she said.

"Whatever happens, happens," House said, pushing open the door to Room 8. He watched as Cameron hung her slicker and her damp clothes in the bathroom. There were things he still wanted to say, but he didn't know where to begin.

Cameron came back and smiled at him. "Do you want me to hang that coat for you?"

He nodded, took it off, and handed it to her, watching as she walked away. He had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing her in Chrissy's hip-huggers and crop top again, but he'd imprinted the vision on his brain, to be retrieved whenever he needed something pleasant to think about.

"Now that I've committed the image of you in that outfit to memory, how about I get a vision of you OUT of that outfit?" he said when she returned.

He helped her pull off the top as she lowered the jeans and stepped out of them, revealing her lacy bra and matching bikinis.

"Hmmm, next a striptease, I think," he suggested.

Awkwardly, Cameron took those off too.

"You'd never make it on the stage," House said with a shake of his head.

"Lucky for me I have a day job," she replied with a smirk. "And now that I've given you a few visuals, I expect you to do the same."

He studied her but didn't move. "Cameron, there are still so many things about you I don't understand," he mused. "And one of them is what the hell you see in me."

It was her turn to shake her head. "You've spent so many years building up a smokescreen to hide behind, working at convincing everyone around you that you're a cold, misanthropic, sarcastic jerk that you've convinced yourself, too, lost sight of your true self. But it still comes through when you're not looking, at least for anyone who is."

He looked puzzled.

"House, you're...complicated. Too intelligent for your own good, too cynical, but there's an underlying sweetness, a vulnerability that's very appealing. Not to mention the fact that you're a very attractive man, handsome and sexy."

House stared at her. She can't believe that, can she? he wondered. He'd always attributed her attraction to him to her general caring nature and her need to be with someone more damaged that she was, someone she could fix. And he knew he was those things. In spades.

"House?" Cameron prompted when he didn't say anything. "I don't think I've ever seen you so speechless."

He knew he had to say something, but nothing came to mind. He realized that part of the problem was that the sight of her was distracting. He hadn't thought he'd have the energy for another round of lovemaking, but that sight, her nearness, her scent, not to mention what she'd said about him, crazy as it was, were stirring his desire. Involuntarily he licked his lips.

In response, Cameron smiled at him and kissed him gently.

"Good thing I invested in a box of condoms when I went to the drugstore," he finally said.

"I thought you were ready to hit the sack," she said.

"But not to sleep."