Hello people!
A much quicker update this time, didn't want to leave you waiting for that long again.
I think the title says pretty much everything ;) And at the next chapter House will have an encounter with Cameron's parents..
I am already working on the next chapter
Thank you all for your support and your wonderful reviews and thanks to everyone who reads this story! :)
Hope you will enjoy this chapter as well..
Disclaimer: I don't own House MD...
Chapter 20: Cousins
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House and Beth were in the cafeteria waiting for Cameron to finish talking with her parents. He really wanted to be there just in case she needed a back up but he knew that if her parents said something out of line he would overreact so he stayed were he was.
Plus, someone had to stay with Beth.
She was sitting next to him and was drinking a milkshake but she wasn't as talkative as usual, something that bothered him a lot.
He turned to look at her and he could tell that she was thinking something. And he knew exactly what it was...
"You know, I had a fight with one of my classmates too when I was your age." He started and that immediately caught her attention.
"Really?" she asked, looking at him with her big blue eyes.
"Really." He replied seriously.
"What did that other kid do?" she asked him, resting her glass on the table and giving him her full attention.
"He said some things about me and my friends. I didn't like them. Plus he was an idiot!" he exclaimed and Beth smiled.
"What did you do?"
"Oh, let's just say that the other kid had a black eye for weeks." He replied with a smirk making Beth giggle.
"So, no punching unless it is absolutely necessary, got it?" he asked, looking at her and he stretched out his hand for her to shake.
"Got it." She replied with a smile and shook his outstretched hand.
His mobile phone interrupted them and he pulled it out of his pocket in order to read the text message.
A smile found its way to his lips when he read Cameron's message and he turned to his daughter again.
"Come on, we have to go!" he announced and grabbed his cane that was hooked at the back of his chair.
"What happened?" Beth asked looking at her father.
"Aunt Clair is having the baby." He replied and she grinned widely.
"Do I get to pick the present?" she asked hopefully making him laugh lightly.
"Yeap! Come on now, your mom is waiting for us." He said and took her right hand in his left one.
They reached the Maternity Ward a few minutes later and Beth ran immediately to her mother who was sitting at the waiting room outside the OR.
"Where is Adam?" she asked after giving her mother a kiss.
"He is with his grandpa, they are going to come by later." She replied and Beth nodded.
"Is Foreman in?" House asked taking a sit next to Cameron.
"Yeah, he paged me and then went in the OR." She replied.
Beth stayed silent for a few moments before she decided to talk again.
"Daddy said that he had a fight with a kid too when he was my age." She started making Cameron smirk.
"I know that." She replied and Beth studied her.
"But what you really want to know is if I had a fight with another kid when I was your age." She said knowingly and Beth looked at her with wide eyes.
"I think she can read our minds…" House whispered secretively and Beth looked at him suspiciously.
"He is just joking sweety." Said Cameron and after raising an eyebrow to her father she turned to look at her mother again.
"Did you?" she asked her and waited for an answer expectantly.
"Actually, I remember one time… There was a boy…"
"Of course there was a boy!" interrupted House, throwing his hands in the air.
"I'm trying to talk here." She complained, slapping his arm playfully.
"Oh, by all means, continue…" he said, signaling for her to continue.
"Thank you." She said sarcastically and then turned to look at Beth who was smiling at her parents' actions.
"Anyway, there was that boy who thought that could do anything. He was really annoying… he believed that he was the best at anything."
"Did you hit the kid?" House asked because he had started to get impatient.
"Yeah, because he messed with my best friend." She replied and Beth smiled while House gave her one of his smirks.
"What did he do to your best friend?" Beth asked, looking into her mother's eyes.
"He said some really bad things about him and his family." Cameron explained and Beth nodded.
"The three musketeers! Well… the one musketeer in this story." House said with a small smile making Cameron smile as well.
"I have a confession to make…" Beth says shyly and both House and Cameron smiled.
"We are all ears." House said and Beth took a deep breath.
"Brian didn't tease me, I just ignored him and told him that I thought he was boring and immature the first time and he stopped." She explained and both of them looked at her questioningly.
"Then why did you punch him if he didn't tease you after that?" asked House curiously and Beth shrugged.
"He teased my friends though and he didn't stop when Peter told him to. So I stopped him… Peter said it was a good punch." She said making House laugh and Cameron smile.
"You have said that our friends are really important, both of you, and I had to help them." She said taking a serious expression.
"And we are proud of you." House said kissing her forehead tenderly.
"Really?" she asked, her face lightening up.
"Yes, really." Cameron said, kissing Beth's forehead as well.
"Don't make a habit out of it though." Warned Cameron tickling her sides and Beth nodded, smiling at her.
"Ok. No punching until it is absolutely necessary." She said solemnly.
"Greg!" exclaimed Cameron with a smile and he smirked.
"Hey, don't look at me, you hit a kid too when you were her age." He defended himself, a smirk on his lips.
She shook her head in amusement and hugged Beth tightly.
"How long is it going to take? I'm bored!" whined Beth after some minutes.
"I'm bored too!" House said, his expression matching Beth's.
"Fine, I'm going to ask Foreman how things are going." She said and handed Beth to House.
Beth looked at him with a raised eyebrow and House braised himself for what was about to come.
"Ok, shoot…" he said and Beth smirked.
"Daddy, how do babies get out of there?" she asked seriously and House groaned.
"Why do you do these questions when your mother isn't around to save me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and Beth giggled.
"Because it's funny!" she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
"It's funnier when your mom is around because then I get to skip the question and let her answer." He reasoned and Beth pulled back in order to look at him.
"So, you are not going to answer?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Can I think about it for a while?"
"You are a doctor daddy!" Beth stated with a smile.
"Yeap… and I really want to change my profession right now." He said and Beth laughed.
"Do the doctors cut the belly to get out the baby?" she asked, titling her head to the right.
"Sometimes." House replied with a nod.
"What about the other times?" she asked again looking expectantly at him.
"It's complicated." He said seriously.
"Oooh… And how did the babies get there?" she inquired and House gulped.
"Oook, why don't we wait your mommy? She can explain this much better!" he replied and Beth eyed him suspiciously.
"You don't know much, do you?" she said with a raised eyebrow and House raised both of his.
"I know everything!" he exclaimed and Beth rubbed her chin with her hand, pretending to be thinking.
"You are so going to pay for that." He said in a low tone and started tickling her sides making her burst out laughing.
"Daddy!" she yelled through laughter.
"Will you admit that your dad is the best?" he asked and he continued tickling her.
"Ok! You are the best!" she managed to say and he stopped tickling her and looked at her with a smile.
"Much better now." He stated and she smiled as well.
"You two are having fun I see." Cameron commented.
"Yeah, but daddy doesn't know how babies get in there." Beth said to her mother who looked at them in surprise.
"Hey!" House protested.
"I said you were the best not that you knew about it." Beth stated making Cameron laugh at her witty comeback.
"You too?" House asked incredulously.
She walked towards them and dropped a kiss on House's cheek and then took Beth in her embrace.
"Come on, let's go eat something. It's going to take a while." Cameron said and House stood up as well and they made their way to the cafeteria together.
xOxOx
Three hours later and House with Cameron and Beth had moved to his office. Foreman's last update was thirty minutes ago and he had told them that it was going to take more time.
Beth was extremely bored and was sitting in her father's big lounge chair watching TV while Cameron was completing some of her paperwork and House was playing with his yo-yo.
A soft knock on the door caught their attention and they all turned to the door expecting to find Foreman there but they saw Haley instead, standing there, a small smile on her lips.
"Hey kiddo, what are you doing out of bed?" House asked looking at Haley with a smile.
"Grandma and Grandpa went to eat lunch and…"
"You found the opportunity to sneak out?" asked Cameron, interrupting her.
Haley nodded shyly and Cameron stood up in order to go to Haley.
"You shouldn't be out of bed." She commented with a small smile.
"I was bored all day in there! Plus, they got my IV out today and they said that I could take a walk if I wanted." She reasoned.
"Yes, a walk with your grandparents or with one of my team members if they couldn't take you. They didn't say you could wander around in the hospital, your grandparents will be worried." Cameron said in concern and Haley nodded.
"I know… but I was really bored. And I wanted to see you." She said with a small smile making Cameron smile as well.
Beth watched all the time without talking. She guessed the girl was one of her mother's patient's so she thought it would be better not to interfere.
"Can I stay?" Haley asked pleadingly looking from House to Cameron.
House shrugged in a 'why not' manner and Cameron sighed.
"You can stay only if your grandparents agree." She said to Haley who nodded.
"I'm going to call them." She said and pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket.
"I can call them." Offered Haley and Cameron handed her the phone.
She dialed the number and waited for her grandmother to pick up.
"Hey grandma! I am with Aunt Allison at Uncle Greg's office…" she said and paused, listening.
"I was bored and there was nothing I could do. And I really wanted to see Aunt Allison. Can I stay here for a while please?" she asked and waited for a reply.
After a few moments she handed the phone to Cameron.
"She wants to talk to you." She explained.
"Hello."
"Allison, are you sure that she can stay there?" asked her mother.
"There is no problem; I'm going to take her back to her room later. Greg and I are both off the clock so we have no problem." She explained to her mother.
"Ok... thanks Allison. We'll see you later." Came her mother's reply and she hung up the phone.
"Ok, you can stay." She said to Haley who smiled from ear to ear.
Beth was looking at her intently. She had heard the conversation and she was curious now. She didn't know the other girl but she had called her mother Aunt Allison. House noticed his daughter's inquisitive stare and smirked.
Sometimes she reminded him so much of himself when he was her age.
He stood up and walked towards the lounge chair and sat down next to Beth who looked at him when she sensed him sitting down.
"Hey, don't you two think that there is something you forgot?" he asked catching Haley's and Cameron's attention.
"Of course." Replied Cameron with a smile and walked closer to where House and Beth were sitting, followed by Haley.
"Do you remember that I told you I have a brother?" Cameron asked Beth who nodded.
"Well, this is my brother's daughter, Haley. Haley this is Beth, mine and Uncle Greg's daughter." She said and both girls smiled.
"Why don't you two talk while we do some of our paper work?" she asked the two girls and she went with House to the desk to continue what they were doing.
"Hi…" said Haley shyly and Beth smiled.
"So, you are my cousin, right?" she asked looking at her.
"Yeah." Haley replied and took a sit next to her.
"How come I haven't met you before?" she asked questioningly and Haley shrugged.
"Aunt Allison didn't know about me until recently." Haley explained and Beth nodded.
"Because she had a fight with her parents a long time ago…" Beth explained.
"I know…" Haley replied.
"So, you know them?" Beth inquired and Haley nodded.
"Yeah, I live with them." Haley replied and Beth seemed to consider what to say next.
"I haven't met them… And I don't know if I want to." She said looking at Haley.
"They are very nice, you'll see if you meet them."
"I only know my grandma Blythe and my Grandpa John. They are awesome!" she said with a grin and Haley smiled.
"What were you watching?" she asked, pointing at the TV.
"Sponge Bob! Do you like it?"
"It's great!" Haley commented.
The two girls continued talking while House and Cameron watched them interact, smiles on their faces.
"I never thought that something like this would happen." Cameron said in a low tone and turned to look at House.
"I never thought that a lot of things would happen but look where we are." He replied with a smirk and she smiled.
She kissed his lips softly and then turned to look at Beth and Haley who were laughing over something that Bob said.
"And imagine what will happen when this one arrives…" he commented and placed his hand over her still flat stomach.
Her smile got even wider and she caressed his cheek softly.
The girls started laughing again and House turned to look at them.
"Can I watch Sponge Bob too mommy?" he asked with his best puppy-dog eyes making her laugh slightly.
"Fine, you can go." She said and he immediately went to sit where the two girls were.
He sat on the footstool and the three of them watched the show together.
A few minutes later and a knock on the door interrupted them again.
They all turned their attention to see who it was this time only to find Foreman, a huge grin on his face.
"She's here and she's perfect!" he announced, the smile never leaving his lips.
"Congratulations!" said Cameron who was the first one to reach her friend and gave him a hug and a kiss.
"You are already hooked!" commented House with a smirk and Foreman grinned.
"Are you going to say I told you so?" he asked making House laugh.
"Nah, I think I'll settle to congratulations. For now…" he said with a smile making Foreman smile wider if that was even possible.
"Congratulations Uncle Eric!" Beth said with a big grin and Foreman picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you bug!" he said ruffling her hair.
"Can we see the baby?" she asked hopefully and Foreman nodded.
"Sure you can! I'll let you know when we can all go see her." He said and placed Beth back down.
"Now you'll excuse me but I have to check on Clair." He said.
"We'll be there in a while." Replied Cameron and Foreman exited the office heading to the Maternity Ward again.
"Ok, I guess it's time for you to return to your room young lady." Cameron said to Haley who nodded.
"Can daddy and I take her to her room?" Beth asked hopefully.
"It's ok I guess." Cameron answered and Beth and Haley smiled.
"And then we are going to come and see the baby and Aunt Clair!" she said excitedly.
"Yeap! Come on you two, let's go."
"I'll be in Clair's room." announced Cameron and she left the office leaving House alone with the girls.
"What are you two waiting for? Let's go!" he exclaimed making them laugh and they made their way back to Haley's room.