Saving Grace:

The Piano

A/N: Hey everyone, I just wanted to again thank you all for reading and reviewing. I know many of you are unhappy with the baby's gender, but I did what I felt was right for this story. Please just bear with me. Again, thank you to all the readers. :)

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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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"What's all this?" House asked, as he entered the apartment. He picked up one of the many sheets of paper stacked all over the coffee table. "Babies R Us?"

"These are things I want for the baby," she said, gesturing to the web site printouts. "I'm going shopping this weekend, want to come?"

"No, just… no," he said, still staring at the paper.

Cameron spoke again. "It's fine if you don't want to come, I'll just get—"

"It's not that," House said, cutting her off. "No way in hell are you buying this kid stuff from a place that doesn't even use proper grammar!" House ranted. "Come on, do you want her to take after Chase?"

He was afraid he had gone too far, but Cameron erupted in laughter.

Her laughter finally slowed and she wiped a mirthful tear from her eye. "Well?" House asked impatiently.

Cameron shook her head as she responded. "Fine, I can shop somewhere else, but only if you come along!" she said with a grin.

House rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "This kid better be damn smart after all I go through for her…" he grumbled.

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The weekend came more quickly than House had hoped, and there they were, in a baby store with a House-approved name, surrounded by all things pastel and cuddly. House was entirely out of his element.

"Let's just get what we came for and get out of here," he muttered, shrinking back from the stuffed animals that seemed to crowd closer around him as they passed down the aisle.

"But I want to look at the toys," Cameron pouted.

House knew better than to say no to a pregnant lady, so he rolled his eyes and followed her through the toy section, until something caught his eye.

"Allison, check this out!" he said excitedly.

He was staring down at a tiny grand piano. "It's like on Charlie Brown," he said, sounding like a child on Christmas morning. "We have to get this!"

Cameron laughed. She was sure that if he had two working legs, he would have been jumping up and down.

"It's a little pricey," she said, looking at the tag.

"And worth every penny!" House argued. "You have to start her early if you want her to be a musical genius such as myself," he stated in mock seriousness.

Cameron shot him a disbelieving look.

"Come on, Allison," he begged. He played the first few bars of the Charlie Brown theme and made a sad puppy face.

She laughed, her eyes lighting up. "You can play that?"

"You'll never hear the rest unless you buy this miniature piano," he bargained.

Cameron shook her head and rolled her eyes upward. "Oh, what the hell. It'll be my first baby splurge."

House grinned, and played a little more of the theme on the tiny tinkling piano. "I'll play the whole thing on the real piano for you when we get home," he promised.

Although Cameron called this her first baby splurge, House thought everything she bought was one. "Where the hell are we going to put all these things?" he asked, eyeing the changing table, bassinet, bouncer, walker, and million other baby supplies that she had purchased.

"Don't worry about it, Greg, most of it will go in my room," she reassured him.

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The apartment was filled with boxes that evening. Cameron was tired and didn't feel like unpacking everything yet, and House didn't know the first thing about baby supplies, so he stayed away. Anyways, she wouldn't be needing any of it for several months still. Cameron said she was heading off to bed, but House wasn't ready for sleep yet himself.

He got a glass of scotch, shook out a vicodin, and sat down at the piano. He gave the vicodin bottle a second shake. Today had been a lot of walking. He needed to remind himself to acquire another bottle on Monday.

He stared at the orange vial musingly. He thanked the powers that be for childproof caps. Otherwise he'd be damn scared to have so many drugs lying about his apartment with a baby on the way. He wondered how old a kid had to be before they figured out how to open these things.

He shook his head, coming out of his reverie as reality hit him. It wasn't like they'd be living together when the kid was old enough to figure that out.

House put away the pills and took a drink, before turning to the ivory keys. He found himself pounding out the final movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

He cut it off just short of its conclusion when he heard footsteps behind him. The last angry chord he played resonated from somewhere deep inside the piano. "Am I disturbing you?" he asked, his back still turned.

"No, your playing is beautiful," Cameron responded, walking over to stretch out on the couch. "It's just that Grace won't stop moving and let me sleep. I thought I'd come in here and listen until she decided it was bedtime."

House changed his tune quickly. He began to play Brahms's Lullaby, which made Cameron giggle. "Not subtle enough?" he asked.

Before she had the opportunity to respond, he began in on a different piece, Un Sospiro, by Liszt. Cameron sighed happily. "Better?" House asked.

"It's beautiful," she commented, relaxing into the couch and allowing the music to wash over her.

House played a couple more pieces of a calming nature before Cameron realized something. "I think she's asleep," she called out to House softly.

"How about one more, just to be sure," he suggested. Cameron would never say no. He began playing a Chopin nocturne, opus 72, number 1. Cameron froze after the first couple of notes.

"My mother used to play this," she choked out. He paused momentarily, but said nothing. He continued playing the heart rendering notes with a tragic gentleness. Cameron felt the warm wetness of tears on her cheeks.

House let the last notes ring out, and turned to face Cameron in the half-darkness.

"I haven't heard that piece since my mother died," she stated softly. The two of them sat in silence for several minutes.

House eventually got up and stood in front of her. "Let's get you to bed now," he said with a gentleness she had heard in his voice only once before, the night he had comforted her from the nightmares.

He gave her his free hand to help her up, and they moved towards their bedrooms. When Cameron turned to enter her room, House stopped her. "You may as well get a full night's sleep," he said.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

House paused a moment before speaking. "I know you've been sleeping in my room. I'd rather you come now and get a full nights sleep than sneak in later and leave early in the morning."

Her blue eyes widened. "You know?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said simply. "Now come on," he added, leading her to his bedroom.

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A/N: I encourage all of you to check out the music mentioned in this chapter:

Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi

Sonata for Piano No. 14 in C sharp "Moonlight Sonata" (the Presto Agitato section) by Beethoven

Concert Etude in D flat "Un Sospiro" by Liszt

Nocturne Opus 72, No. 1 by Chopin