DISCLAIMER: House belongs to Fox, not me.
AN. Hope you enjoy this, feel free to read and review, but praise and constructive criticism only please! House may be OOC, but the story needs it otherwise it's not any good. Also, I promise this is a Hameron story, so bear with me.. Stacy will not be there for long.
Chapter 2: A Proposal
Stacy pulled her car outside along House's townhouse as the sun was setting. It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to struggle against the incoming darkness, a sure sign of the end of winter. Stacy was glad, winter was always harder for House with his leg. This thought reminded Stacy of the information in her briefcase, and it inspired her to move faster to the entryway of her boyfriend's home.
"Greg?" she called as she entered, taking off her coat and scarf. There was no answer, but she could hear the shower running. She sighed, throwing her briefcase onto the coffee table and moved into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. It was so strange in her mind to again be referring to House as her 'boyfriend'. It was almost as though she had stepped into a time rip and was back again six years prior, with several subtle differences. Although it had been two months since she had returned to Princeton, she still had the 'temporary' accommodations she had found and there were none of her personal belongings in sight in the townhouse. Most nights, she was sleeping in her own bed, alone and on the nights she did have House to keep her warm, it was at her apartment, not his. Stacy knew there was still a lot of issues for them to work through, to get to where they had been six years ago, or even a year and a half ago; but sometimes she got the impression his heart wasn't in it. She was hoping the papers in her briefcase would fix that.
"Hey," House greeted her, entering the living room barefoot his hair wet from the shower ten minutes later.
"Hey," she smiled as he threw himself down next to her, kissing her cheek.
She put her coffee mug down and opened her briefcase, pulling out a sheaf of papers and turning to him nervously. "I was looking on the net today, and I came across some interesting information."
"1001 new sexual positions for Dummies and Constitutional Lawyers?" House quipped, reaching for the papers curiously. He read the first page and his eyes darkened.
"No way," he said flatly, standing up and moving to his piano.
Stacy sighed, and readied herself for a fight and a lonely night. "I remembered Lisa telling me about it, that's why I found it interesting. They've made a lot of progress in the past year, and it sounds like it would be really beneficial."
"No," House repeated, more forcefully.
"Come on, Greg. It worked last time didn't it? No limp, no pain... this would be better than that!" she protested.
"I said no. Give it a rest, Stacy." House moved into the kitchen and she followed him, undeterred.
"No. Greg, we know the ketamine works. Lisa and James said you were pain-free for two and a half months after you were shot! The progress they've made in Germany since then guarantees a cure!"
"That's what they said last time, and yet... still pain, still limp. There's no such thing as a guaranteed cure."
Stacy sighed and switched to pleading. "Greg, please. This can help you... help us."
House stared at her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. "That's so low."
She grinned. "It shows how much I think you should do this. I've already spoken to Lisa and James, and the doctors in Germany. We'd have to go there, but Lisa says you have plenty of vacation time, so we can easily be there for the surgery and the three months of rehab the doctors in Germany are recommending. James and Lisa are also going to reassign Chase, Cameron and Foreman throughout the hospital while we're gone, so they can't kill anyone unsupervised."
House snorted. "They're not total idiots. They wouldn't kill anyone. You've already arranged all this?"
She nodded. "Pretty much. I'll have to book tickets and accommodation for me, but the rest is taken care of. Except.... I thought you'd want to tell your parents yourself."
House glared at her. "Getting me to agree to surgery is one thing. There's no need to involve my parents!"
"No, because their only son is only going to Germany for a life changing operation."
"I'm not getting a sex change. I can tell them after."
"If you don't call them, Wilson will."
House sighed. "Dammit."
The next morning, House entered the conference room to find Cameron answering his mail, Chase doing his morning crossword and Foreman reading a medical journal.
"Exciting news, children!" he announced, grabbing their attention. "You're going on a field trip!"
"Where to?" Chase asked.
"Unfortunately for you, nowhere exciting. Starting in February, you three will be temporarily assigned to other hotspots within the hospital for three months."
Cameron looked startled. "What? Why?"
"To gain independence," House replied. "Also, because Big Daddy won't be here, and you can't play in parlour unless Daddy's here. In case you break the good china."
"Where are you going?" Foreman asked.
"Better yet, where are we going?" Chase added.
House sighed. "I'm leaving for Germany in four weeks. I'll be gone for three months, hence the reassignments. Cuddy's going to drop by soon to fill you guys in."
"Germany? What's in Germany?"
"According to some, Hitler still lives in the Austrian hills- the ones not filled with the sound of music," House answered. "In Germany however, is the Ketamine research clinic. They've promised a 'guaranteed cure' for your aches, pains and infarctions. And if you pay by credit card within the next 30 days, they toss in three months of rehab and a free set of steak knives."
His fellows were stunned. "They can fix your leg- permanently?" Cameron demanded excitedly.
"So they say."
"Wow, that's really good House, congratulations!" Foreman told him.
"Yeah, congrats. That'll be good for you," Chase added.
Cameron was beaming at him. "This is amazing. And three months of rehab?"
"Yeah," House nodded. He said nothing else, but he was saved from having to add anything by the arrival of Cuddy.
"Good morning, everyone," she said brightly. She turned to House, one eyebrow raised. "Have you told them?"
"Yes, mommy," House rolled his eyes.
"So where will we be moved to?" Foreman asked the Dean of Medicine.
Cuddy opened the folder in her hands as she answered. "You, Dr. Foreman will be assisting in neurology; Chase, the NICU and Dr. Cameron, how would you feel about taking over the ER?"
Cameron gaped at her. "Take over the ER?"
"Dr. Schafer is going on maternity leave," Cuddy explained. "I was going to move you to immunology, but she requested that you fill in during her absence."
Cameron looked stunned. "Wow, yeah that would be great."
"Good. Dr. Schafer would like to consult with you tomorrow afternoon, just to give you a run down on things."
She nodded. "Yeah, ok."
"Good. I've got to go, I have an appointment with some donors, but thank you all for your co-operation." Cuddy smiled at them all and left.
House was staring at Cameron, reluctantly impressed. "Geez, Cameron. Who's Mommy's favourite?"
"House!" Cuddy called, sticking her head through the door. "Don't forget to call your mother."
House sighed and rolled his eyes. "Dammit."
He reluctantly left the conference room, where Chase and Foreman were offering their congratulations to a still surprised Cameron, and sat down in his chair and picked up the phone. Taking a deep breath, he slowly dialled the number of his parent's home in North Carolina.
"Hello?" his mother's voice greeted him after only four rings.
"Hey, mom it's me."
"Greg!" Blythe House sounded sincerely delighted to hear from her son. "How are you, sweetheart?"
"Fine... you?"
"Oh, I'm fine, dear. So's your father. What are you up to? How's Stacy?"
"Fine."
House grimaced at the silence, and decided to get it over with. "Actually, I'm going to Germany next month."
"Oh, a holiday?" Blythe asked her son.
"No... There's this clinic, and they've been doing research on the use of ketamine treatment."
"Ketamine... isn't that what you were given when you got shot?"
"Yeah. Well, they've advanced their techniques since then, but the principles the same. They say they can cure my leg."
Blythe drew in a sharp breath. "Oh, Greg! That's wonderful, darling! When do you leave?"
"February fifteenth. I'll be gone for three months."
"Three months? For one surgery?"
"No, the surgery will be done the second day. The three months is for rehab. They want to monitor my progress and whatnot."
"Oh, of course. That makes sense. Hang on Greg, your father just walked in, let me tell him."
"Sure."
House sighed and listened to the murmur of muffled voices as his mother filled her husband in on events. Finally, she came back on the line.
"Greg?"
"Yeah."
"Your father's going to push back his fishing trip, and we'll meet you and Stacy in Berlin on the sixteenth."
House was startled. "What? Mom, no-"
"Don't be ridiculous, Greg!" his mother chided. "Of course we're going to come. This is an enormous deal for you, and we want to see our son healthy. Now, what clinic is this?"
House moaned slightly, knowing there was no arguing with his mother, and although there would be if it had been his father on the line, the end result would be the same. Reluctantly, he rattled of the details to Blythe, who dutifully copied them down.
"Ok, then. Oh, Greg, we're so excited for you. Take care of yourself until then, ok?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Ok. Your Dad sends his love. We'll see you on the sixteenth."
"Right. Ok, Mom. Bye."
House hung up the phone quickly and banged his head down on his desk. "This had better be worth it," he muttered darkly, staring at his injured leg.