Saving Grace:
The Verdict
A/N: I wasn't going to leave you all hanging for too long! :) Also, this chapter marks us being 1/3 through with the story! We have 20 chapters plus an epilogue. Thank you all for reading!
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Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.
Abstract: When Cameron's marriage with Chase falls apart, she decides that she cannot wait for another man to come around to be a mom. What happens when a wrench gets thrown in her plans? HC
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"You may see her now, Dr. House," the nurse said gently, and led him to the room where they had placed her. Since he was not a relative, they refused to tell him anything. He had been a mess wondering what had happened.
He walked into the room and saw Cameron lying back on the pillows of her hospital bed with tearstained cheeks.
"The baby?" he asked hurriedly, trying to mask the concern in his voice.
"The baby's fine," she said with a small, sad smile.
House sighed in relief that he never knew he would feel and sat in a chair beside Cameron's bed.
"I could have lost her," Cameron said in a small voice, her eyes turned downward. She hadn't looked at him since he had come in.
"Her?" House said in confusion.
Cameron lips moved into a small smile. "They did an ultrasound to see if everything was okay, and they were able to determine the sex."
House smiled back. If it was a girl at least it wouldn't be a mini-Chase.
"I'm sorry I can't name it after you now, House," she said, her voice still soft. She sounded broken, but House didn't understand why. Wasn't everything okay?
"Oh, that's okay. Wouldn't want two of me running around anyways," House quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, of course not," Cameron answered, but she seemed distracted.
They lapsed into an awkward silence for a couple minutes. House was thinking it would be best for him to leave, but then Cameron started crying.
"What's wrong?" House said in alarm. These mood swings were really getting the best of him.
"I could have lost her because I was so damn stubborn!" she cried out between sobs.
"Its okay," he said, attempting to soothe her. What was it that he was supposed to do in these kinds of situations? He awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it in what he hoped was a comforting manner.
"I knew better, but I didn't want to disturb you," she spoke between sobs and sniffles. "I don't want to make you resent me…"
"Hey," he said sternly, lifting up her chin. "Look at me." She did as he commanded. "I asked you to move in with me so I could help. You need to let me."
"I thought you asked me to piss off Robert," Cameron said, a glint of a smile gracing her features.
House smirked slightly. "That was only part of the reason."
"I know," she sighed, the tears slipping out more slowly now. "You were right, I don't like asking for help. I don't want to be that person."
"Even the strongest people need help sometimes," House said to her.
Cameron leaned back and looked at him oddly. "You've changed, House."
He shrugged. "Had to learn something at the funny farm. Anyways, call me Greg. It's awkward for you to call me House outside work."
"Okay, Greg," she said, trying it out. The name felt strange on her lips. "I guess you should call me Allison, then."
"So, Allison," he said, liking the use of her first name, "when do I get to take you home?"
She smiled inwardly at the thought of him taking her 'home' to his condo. "They want to keep me under observation for at least 24 hours, just to be safe."
"Well in that case, I'm going to go home and get a couple hours of sleep before I have to be back here for work," House said, getting up. "You get some sleep too. I'll visit tomorrow."
Cameron nodded. "Goodnight, Hou—Greg," she corrected.
"Night, Allison," he said, and he was gone.
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Both tossed and turned in their respective beds that night. House couldn't believe this was happening. He was falling for his roommate, his coworker, his friend… the last woman on earth he could possibly get.
The irony of him falling in love with the girl who had been chasing him for years only after she was pregnant and in the midst of divorce was not lost on him, though he didn't find it particularly funny.
There was one thing he was sure of; she must never know.
Cameron spent the night berating herself. For allowing herself to nearly do something so stupid as drive herself to the hospital. For her stubbornness. For falling for House again, just when she thought she was safe from it.
She was so glad that they had managed to be friends after everything they had gone through both together and separately, and now she was running the risk of ruining that friendship with feelings that, even after all this time, she was unable to completely shake. She would have to hide it as best as she could in order to save her friendship.
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"You look like hell," was House's greeting.
Cameron rolled her eyes. "Thanks, House," she said sarcastically.
House gave her a look.
"Greg, right, whatever. I've slept since then," she brushed it off.
"Doesn't look like it," House muttered, earning himself a small glare.
"Well at least I know you're honest," she commented wryly.
"Everybody lies, Allison," he said.
She laughed lightly. "Then why can't they use their lies to make pregnant women who barely slept feel better about their appearance?"
"When have you known me to use my powers for good?" House joked, making her roll her eyes mirthfully.
Wilson poked his head in at that moment. "Hey, Cameron, you alright? I heard you had a scare last night."
She sighed. "Everyone at this hospital knows my business. Yes, I'm fine now, I'm just here for observation."
"Glad to hear that. I have work to do, but I wanted to check in on you," Wilson said. "See you, Cameron, House," he said, nodding at each of them before exiting.
Cameron turned her attention back to House. "Speaking of work, don't we still have a patient? What are you doing here?"
"I was supposed to be getting a consult, actually," he confessed.
"Okay, update me."
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Cameron had solved the case easily. Okay, House had known the answer before he went to visit, but none of his team had the first clue.
Why had he let her quit in the first place? Right. He remembered now. Because she had been madly in love with him. Damn it.
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A/N: I know many of you readers really were pulling for a boy baby! But for me, since the child is not actually House's, I wanted it to be a girl.
I feel like a boy would remind House more of Chase than a girl would, and it would bring out House's own daddy issues, which I did not want to deal with in this fic to that extent.
Additionally, a few other more minor things work out better later on because the kid is a girl. Hope no one's too disappointed!
