DISCLAIMER: Fox owns House, not me.

AN. This chapter... I had the idea, and it should have been much earlier in the story, but it works better if Cameron and House are engaged. Albus, is of course, in tribute to Albus Dumbledore. (Don't mock. I still hate that he's dead. And Sirius... and Lupin, Tonks, Dobby. And yes, I am aware that they're fictional characters, but that doesn't stop you from reading these stories, does it?)

Chapter 14: Evelyn Cameron

Amanda Hunter and Christopher Cameron

Cordially invite you to celebrate

The union of their daughter

Allison Elizabeth Cameron Mackenzie

To

Gregory John House

On Saturday twenty-sixth of September, 2009

In the Twilight Gardens of the Lincoln Function Centre, Princeton New Jersey at 11.00am

With the reception to follow at La Vie Boheme at 5.00pm

Please RSVP by 16th August, 2009

"Your name is twice as long as mine!" House complained, studying their champagne colored wedding invitation in his hands.

Cameron rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her fiancée. "It could be worse. I could have added Hunter to my name when Mom married Marcus," she said pointedly and House considered that thoughtfully.

"Good point. And it's not like you use all four names..."

Wilson frowned at Cameron. "Stupid question, but why is he only seeing the invitations now when you're getting married in two weeks?"

Cameron grinned. "It's easier to plan without him. All he does is make snide remarks and look at prices."

Wilson laughed and shook his head at his friend. "Trust me, House. The bride always wins, no matter the cost."

"I've noticed," he replied dryly and Cameron made a face at him.

Wilson was having dinner with House and Cameron and after dinner, Cameron had returned to her wedding plans.

"When does all the family start arriving?" Wilson asked her.

"My four parents arrive next week," Cameron replied sharing a grin with Wilson as she said it. "Blythe and John arrive next week too, and then the rest of his side comes the weekend before the wedding. My family and Jason come the week of the wedding."

Then she grimaced. "The only bad thing is, my family includes my grandparents."

House suddenly sat up, his jaw slack. "Whoa! You mean there's people in your family you don't actually like?"

Cameron scowled at him. "Shut up."

"What's wrong with your grandparents?" he asked his fiancée. "And why hasn't this come up before?"

Cameron hesitated. "My grandparents... my dad's parents anyway... want nothing to do with me."

Both men jaws dropped. "Explain," House demanded.

She shrugged. "What do you expect, Greg? They're in the centre of Chicago's elite social circles, old money. I'm the daughter of a whore who trapped my father into marriage at sixteen and then divorced him. The ultimate sin came when I married a dying man, with nothing to his name."

House and Wilson were stunned. "So why are they coming to the wedding?"

"Because everyone in town knows their eldest biological grandchildren is marrying a world famous doctor. It's to keep up appearances."

Wilson gaped at her. "Are your grandparents Albus and Evelyn Cameron?" he asked her and Cameron nodded in surprise.

"You know them?"

"I know of them," he replied. House was still confused so Wilson explained. "Albus Cameron controls the entire media industry in Illinois, they have for centuries."

House raised an eyebrow at Cameron. "So you mean old money! How much do you get?"

She rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Not a lot. Hayley and Jake won't get any, because they don't have any blood ties to them; and I'll get more than Bryan, Erin and Ben. They disapprove of Kym and even more than my mom because she's ten years older than my dad, so of course, she must be with him for the money."

House whistled. "This will be interesting then."

Cameron smiled. "It'll be fine. Even though I say 'them', it's just my grandmother. And she will be making all sorts of comments from the time she arrives to the time she leaves," she promised them.

"So what's your grandfather like?" Wilson asked her.

Cameron grinned. "He loves me. How could he not? I'm his first-born granddaughter. Also, I look a lot like my dad's sister, who died when she was four."

"What happened?"
"She drowned," Cameron answered simply. "I'm named after her. Grandpa's the only one who calls me 'Lissy', because that's what he called her."

House frowned. "One more question. Why didn't they come up when you were in hospital?"

Cameron snorted. "They were in China. My grandmother couldn't leave the spa she was booked into because she'd paid the deposit," she said lightly and returned to her work.

Family and friends began arriving in New Jersey for the upcoming wedding and Cameron was relieved she had thought to have everything finalised before hand in the chaos. A week before the wedding, Cameron's grandparents had been in Princeton for exactly three hours when Albus rang her apologetically at work.

"My grandparents want to stay with us," she said dryly to House when she'd hung up.

House choked on his coffee, and Chase and Foreman, who had been filled in (or pre-warned, as Cameron called it) about them looked up in interest.

"Why? I thought they made reservations at the Hyatt?"

Cameron shrugged, looking faintly amused. "Apparently, the housekeeping wasn't up to Evelyn's standards."

"Well, why do they have to stay with us? Why not Jake and Dan?"

She actually laughed. "You expect her to stay in the home of a gay couple?"

House desperately racked his brain for locations. "They can stay with Wilson?"

"Divorced."

"Foreman?"

"Black. No offence, Foreman," she said apologetically to her friend.

"Chase?"

Chase jumped in quickly. "No way! Your grandmother sounds scary as hell, Cameron."

She smiled. "Just combine Emily Gilmore and everything you've read of Mary Queen of Scots."

"And you want her in our house?" House spluttered.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at him in silence, and that afternoon she opened the door to find Chris and Albus staggering into their tiny living room with a mountain of luggage. She simply pointed them to the freshly cleaned spare room, smiling knowingly at House who was watching TV.

"How about a hello, Lissy?"

Cameron grinned as a empty-handed Albus returned to the living room and came across to warmly embrace her grandfather.

"Hi, Grandpa. Where's Grandma?"

"Your mother's helping her up the stairs," he replied and she couldn't hide her surprise.

"She's with Mom? And being civil?"

Albus chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Being cordial," he corrected and they both laughed.

Cameron gestured for House to stand up and led Albus over to him. "Grandpa, this is Greg House. Greg, this is my grandfather, Albus Cameron."

Albus smiled warmly and shook House's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Greg. Welcome to the family."

House was only slightly awkward as he nodded. "Thanks. It's nice to finally meet you too."

"Ssh!" Chris suddenly shushed them, and the room fell silent as they became aware of voices in the hall.

"... I mean, how can they expect an old woman to walk up all those stairs?" Evelyn's nasal voice could be heard clearly.

"I suppose it's fortunate that Allison's fiancée had his operation before they began living together. I don't see how a man with no thigh muscle could have done it otherwise-"

"Mother!" Chris hurried to let her and Amanda into the apartment, cutting her off. Albus looked down at his granddaughter who had let out a soft, barely audible moan of embarrassment before burying her face in her hands.

"Wow, you weren't exaggerating," House whispered to her in shock as Evelyn handed Chris her coat and began to scrutinise the living room.

She let out a quick chuckle and hid a smile as she stepped forward to greet her grandmother.

"Hi, Grandma. How was your flight?" she asked politely after Evelyn had brushed her cheek with her jaw.

Evelyn shrugged. "Fine, I suppose. How are the wedding plans?"

"Done," Cameron replied proudly.

"Hmm... I do hope you're not having chicken at the reception, Allison? Margret Dubois's grandson had chicken at his wedding in the summer, and I felt positively awful afterwards. No doubt it wasn't cooked through, no one ever cooks chicken the way it's supposed to be cooked."

Cameron hid a smile. "No, Grandma. No chicken."

"So, where's your ring?"

She obediently held her left hand up to her grandmother's face for Evelyn's inspection, who frowned critically at the perfect solitaire.

"Well, I suppose it is practical for working," Evelyn announced and Chris snorted.

"That means she approves," he muttered to House who nodded in understanding.

Cameron reclaimed her hand from her grandmother's grasp and led her over to House.

"Grandma, this is Greg. Greg, my grandmother Evelyn."

"It's nice to finally meet you," he said politely and Evelyn nodded coolly.

"You too. Allison dear, how about some tea?"

Cameron managed to serve her parents and grandparents tea and have a small conversation with Amanda about the wedding rehearsal before Evelyn had to contribute.

"How many bridesmaids are you having, Allison?"

"Four," Cameron replied. Hayley was her maid of honour, with Erin, Jasmin, and Taylor as bridesmaids; while Wilson was House's best man, and Jake, Bryan, and Ben the groomsmen.

Evelyn nodded in approval. "Good. Meredith Pierce's daughter had nine when she married last winter and it just looked so tacky. I mean, who really needs nine bridesmaids?"

House opened his mouth to retort, but Cameron quickly elbowed him in the ribs. "That's why I kept it small, Grandma."

Evelyn patted her arm affectionately. "Good girl. And the invitations are beautiful, everyone at the country club was envious! There was just one small thing I couldn't help but notice?"

"Oh?" Cameron frowned.

"Yes, I notice it has you listed as Cameron- Mackenzie. Do you use both names?"

Cameron faltered. "No, I just go by Cameron. Even after the wedding, I'll add 'House', but professionally I'm staying a Cameron. Why?"

Evelyn shrugged, surprised. "I just think five names is an awful lot."

"That's why I just use Cameron," she replied.

"Of course, after the wedding, you could just drop the Mackenzie," Evelyn suggested and Cameron froze.

House reached over and gently took her coffee cup away from her, which was in danger of falling. He had told her when she began planning the wedding he was fine with her keeping Mackenzie on her name, after all, it was her last link to Alex. He also agreed with her idea of remaining a Cameron, (for professional reasons) but he knew Evelyn's comment had stung her. Unfortunately, it got worse.

"No," Cameron said firmly, shaking her head and Evelyn looked surprised at her tone.

"It was just a suggestion, Allison. After all, it's not like it was a real marriage."

Amanda couldn't help herself. "Funny, the state of Illinois says it was a real marriage," she said icily, defending her daughter.

Evelyn waved a dismissive hand. "I didn't say it wasn't legal, Amanda. I said it wasn't real. For God's sake, she only married the man because he was dying!"

House swore Cameron stopped breathing, and she looked as though she'd been kicked in the stomach.

"Evelyn," Albus cut his wife off loudly. "Look at the time, you'll want to get an early night if you're going shopping tomorrow."

Evelyn glanced at her watch. "Oh yes. Very well, goodnight all. I'll see you in the morning. I do hope you remembered I need grapefruit for breakfast, Allison."

With that, Evelyn left and disappeared down the hall. The minute the door of the spare room shut behind her, they all leapt to Cameron's side.

"Are you okay, Lissy?" Albus asked anxiously and she nodded weakly.

"Sure, Grandpa. I'm fine," she assured him. "You should get some rest too, you've had a long flight."

Uncertain, Albus bid them goodnight and followed his wife and Amanda and Chris embraced their daughter before they too, left.

It was only when Cameron and House were in bed she allowed herself to fully absorb the shock of what her grandmother had said, and cried quietly in House's arms for a moment.

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly.

She laughed shakily, surprised to find herself suddenly on the verge of tears again. "Yeah. I don' t know why. It's pretty much what you said on The Date."

"You always say that with a capital D," he complained. "And it was stupid of me to say it, let alone your grandmother!"

She was quiet and curled herself up against his side. Wordlessly, he slipped his arms around her and squeezed her hand.

"I- I really did love him, you know," she whispered.

"I know," he replied gently, kissing her neck. Feeling her start to say something else, he stopped her. "And I know you love me just as much."

Cameron chuckled softly and nodded. "Good."

Two days after that, Cameron returned to work after meeting her grandparents and parents for lunch and collapsed into the nearest chair, moaning in agony.

"What did she say now?" House asked her, who actually quite enjoyed Evelyn's comments, even about him.

Cameron looked up with a tight smile. "She hopes I'm not wearing white. Because, after all, I've been married before and did I think anyone was really going to believe I'm a virgin at thirty-one?"

House snorted and muffled his laughter as Foreman and Chase looked stunned.

"You're kidding, right?" Foreman asked.

"I wish," she replied bitterly, rolling her eyes.

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the office door and Cameron turned to see her grandparents in the doorway.

"Grandma and Grandpa, what are you doing here?" she asked them in amazement, standing up to greet them.

"We were taking a stroll after lunch, and thought we'd come see where our granddaughter works," Albus smiled affectionately at her, and Cameron smiled back.

"Ok, come on in. Albus and Evelyn Cameron, these are my colleagues. Dr. Eric Foreman, Dr. Robert Chase and Dr. James Wilson," she introduced them.

Foreman raised an eyebrow slightly as Evelyn nodded at him but didn't shake his hand, although Albus did.

"Where are you from?" she demanded of Chase, once he'd opened his mouth to offer them coffee.

He looked puzzled. "Uh, Australia."

Evelyn nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Tell me, young man, how exactly do you people eat that Vegemite thing? We had a maid from Sydney once who lived on the awful stuff. Her mother would send it over by the jarful, and it stunk like anything!"

Chase was startled by the question, but answered as best he could. "Well... it's an acquired taste," he explained but Evelyn had already moved on.

She and Albus had their coffee and left the hospital, and Cameron shrugged sheepishly as Chase, Foreman and Wilson stared at her.

"I told you," she said lightly and returned to her work.

House was thoughtful. "Hey, Chase?"

Chase looked up from his paperwork. "What?"

"Can you get me some of that Veggie stuff?"