Chapter 7 - Requests

William Gregory House was a very opinionated child. He rarely laughed in public and looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his small shoulders. Nothing could bring his icy blue eyes to shine. Nothing, except for one person. When she walked into a room, the weight seemed to be lifted from the little boy. Just one look in his mother's eyes - nothing more was needed. Nobody could understand it. Nobody tried to explain. It was just a subtle connection between mother and son.

The boy seemed to know that life had never been easy for his mother and now it was his job to make her happy. And he fulfilled that duty quite well. Just a quick smirk, a slobbery kiss was enough to make her go on. Even in times when she barely couldn't stand up, he was the impulse that made her go on. Almost as he were the one holding her upright.

It was winter and Cameron was sitting in her office when he slipped in – carefully. Even before she heard his voice, she knew it was him. She could feel his presence, detect the faint scent of him.

Sighing she put her pen down and looked up at him. She knew he wanted to say something, he always did when he was looking at her like a fish on dry land. She wouldn't help him. She was sick of helping him.

"My…" he started.

Just then a young woman, whom Cameron recognized from the hospital's daycare upstairs, stepped into her office, carrying William in her arms.

"I'm so sorry Dr. Cameron. I think he's got a fever and he threw up a few minutes ago," the woman explained.

Cameron took her little boy in her arms and nodded with a quick and quiet, "Thank you."

When they were alone again she sat down and stroked the sweaty curls from her son's forehead. She smiled gently as he buried his head in her chest and closed his eyes, tiredly.

"We'll go home in just a minute, sweetheart…" she whispered soothingly when his small hand grabbed her blouse.

When House cleared his throat she was brought back to reality. She looked up and watched him carefully, pulling the little boy closer to her body. There were times when she felt helpless when he was around. To be honest, he was still able to scare the shit out of her.

"What did you want?" she asked calmly but with a sigh.

"My parents…they know about him and…they would like to meet him…"

"You told them?" she ask incredulously.

"It was time…" he mumbled looking down at the floor.

She didn't know what to say to him. Around the hospital everybody knew William was his son, but they knew better than to gossip about them in the open. Nobody spoke about them. People who didn't knew them, didn't need to know. Her parents didn't know who the father of her son was, nor did her siblings or friends. She liked it better that way.

William looked up when he heard House's voice. Silently he watched the face of the stranger, who appeared from time to time in his life. He didn't know who this man was, but whenever his mother talked to him, he could sense that something was wrong.

Losing interest in the stranger, William turned his head back to his mother, inhaling her warm scent. "Mommy…"

Smiling, she caressed his back and told him they'd be leaving soon, before turning back to House.

"What do you expect me to do?" she asked civilly.

He actually looked timid, with fear in his eyes. "I want them to meet you…meet…him."

Cameron found it hard to suppress her rage. Over the last few years he hadn't even tried to be a father to his son. But she could live with that – she'd accepted that. She didn't want him in her life because he wasn't even able to take care of himself and she didn't want William to get hurt. Yet, suddenly, when the great Greg House thought it was time to show off his son, she was supposed to oblige.

"Allison…" he started, before her anger could take off.

"Don't…just…don't say anything…" she said with a cold but quiet voice as she held onto William tightly and used her free hand to collect her belongings.

She got up from her desk, holding William and slinging her bag over her free shoulder, and headed for the door. But as she tried to walk past him, he grabbed her upper arm and turned her back to face him.

"Allison…he's my son," he said softly but firmly, staring into her eyes.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. His words were so arrogant that something inside her just snapped and she lost her composure.

"He's your son? You have no right to… Where were you? When have you ever visited him or bought him a birthday gift? Where were you when he was crying, sick in bed with the flu? Where were you when I felt lost and overwhelmed by the pain buried inside me? You were just lost in your own self-pity. Oh, poor Greg is miserable, is in pain. You're pathetic. You don't seem to realize that other people are in pain too. Pain you just can't bear."

Cameron realized she couldn't be doing this in front of will. She needed to get him home.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she regained her composure.

"You don't have the right to ask me for anything. Not anymore," she said in quiet but firm tone.

House stared at her fragile figure, speechless. Of course he'd seen her angry before, but he'd never seen her acting like this. Even though he knew she was not as naïve and weak as he had once believed, he was still surprised how firmly she was holding her ground.

But in all honesty, she was right and he couldn't deny it. He'd tried to, at first – deny that she was right. He really had wanted to be a father, but that didn't matter because he'd failed, again and again. After so many setbacks he did what he always did best – withdrew himself from any chance of finding happiness and was now left with misery as his most loyal and only companion.

No girlfriend, no son. The family he could have had slipped through his fingers because he'd let it happen. God, he was an idiot.

He looked her in the eyes. God, he'd always loved her eyes. Shades of light blue, green and liquid amber. The soft smell of the child filled his nostrils. He almost smiled. His son. His girl. What could have been his family.

He decided he couldn't give up just yet. "Please…" he whispered, hating that he had resorted to begging. "My mother would love to meet him."

He didn't know how long he had to hold her cold stare until she caved.

After what seemed like several long minutes, she sighed. She hated the part of herself that still couldn't let go of him. He was like a chronic disease – the symptoms just didn't want go away. She could treat them, but still…the disease would always be there.

"You can bring them on Sunday evening to my place. Six o'clock. Will goes to bed at seven," she said sighing.

Then he did something that made her strong façade crack. He slowly leaned against her and dipped his head to kiss the forehead of his son before quickly turning to leave.

Without a word she stared at him and kept her gaze on the doorway after he left her office. The words of goodbye still close to her ears. Sighing she strengthened her grip on Will and carried him out with her, finally leaving for the day.

TbC

Thanks to chicagochicklett my beta. Without you I wouldn't be able writing this. Thank you so much!