Saving Grace:

The Words

A/N: We're ¾ of the way through! Thank you so much to my readers and reviewers, especially those who have been with me the entire journey. You rock!

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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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Cameron's due date was looming, but she had no intention of starting maternity leave early.

Both House and Cuddy had attempted to convince her, but she stood her ground. They had even once teamed up, but nothing could convince her to change her mind.

"Allison, you need the rest," House had begged.

Cuddy furrowed her brow. Had he just called her Allison? She shook herself out of it and focused on the matter at hand. "House is right, you shouldn't be working yourself so hard. I'll give you the extra two weeks," she offered.

"I'm perfectly fine, Greg," Cameron said irritably through gritted teeth. She turned to Cuddy with a softer expression. "That's very generous of you, Dr. Cuddy, but I feel perfectly comfortable working right up to my due date," she said, the picture of professionalism.

House looked at her in consternation. "What if you go into labor while you're at work?" he asked.

"It'll save me the drive," she answered coolly, her eyes challenging his.

Cuddy shook her head and shrugged. "It's her life, House. We can't force her to stop working. I'm headed back to my office," she said, and turned to leave.

House threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine!" he shouted. "But you're on light duty until you pop that baby out, understood?" he said firmly.

"Fine," Cameron answered smugly, looking satisfied with herself.

Since they were in her office, Cameron got back to work, leaving House standing there, staring at her in consternation. He shook his head and wandered back to his own office, wondering how on earth his own employee had been able to outwit him.

-

Cameron was pleased with her victory, even though she knew that they had a good point.

Who did they think they were, coming into her office and telling her what to do? She was a doctor; she could monitor her own health just fine without two busybodies butting into her business.

She sighed and leaned her head back on the chair's headrest. Okay, maybe she could use a little nap.

She woke up an hour or so later, shaking her head to clear the remnants of sleep from it. She glanced over to her computer to check the time, but was distracted by a note taped to the surface.

The couch in my office is more comfortable. -GH

Cameron got back to work smiling.

-

Cameron had been getting more irritable lately. House couldn't really blame her; if he had to go through what she was currently dealing with, he'd be a little pissy too. But knowing that didn't really make it easy to deal with her.

"Is it really that hard to put the fucking toilet seat down?" she raged.

House had no intention of answering the question. He knew, from his time with Stacy, that those sorts of questions were always traps.

He looked around him. What could he use to placate her?

"Cookie?" he offered, holding out the delicious chocolate chip creation he had been about to eat himself.

"Fuck off, House," she had yelled, going into her own (often unused) bedroom and shutting the door.

He always knew that when she called him House, he was in trouble. He hobbled over to the piano and began to play some 1940s swing music; some of what he had learned were Cameron's favorites. He hoped that a little time alone and the relaxing sounds of the piano would calm her down a bit.

A bit later when he heard the creaking of her bedroom door, he stayed facing the piano, hoping for dear life that he had been right and she wasn't here to yell at him some more.

"I'm so sorry about earlier, Greg," Cameron stated in a tired voice as she walked up behind him. House silently breathed out in relief.

He ended the piece moments later and turned to look at her. She moved to sit on the piano bench next to him. His entire body became tense again, in an entirely different manner, when she brushed against him in the process of seating herself. Her intoxicating scent permeated the air around him.

"My emotions have been all over the place lately," she admitted apologetically, bringing House back to reality.

"No kidding," House said with a snort. His had too, but he didn't have such an easy excuse.

Cameron rolled her eyes at him. "Well its good to see you haven't changed," she said, dripping with sarcasm.

House quirked an eyebrow at that. Actually, he had changed… could she not see it?

He didn't have much time to mull over the thought, because Cameron had already shifted gears.

"I… have a favor to ask," Cameron said slowly, looking worried.

"Oh, am I not doing enough?" House asked sarcastically. When Cameron began to look guilty, he recanted. "Okay, what is it?" he asked impatiently.

"I would really appreciate it," Cameron paused, fearful of the reaction this request might get, "I'd appreciate it if you stayed in the delivery room with me." Her eyes were pleading.

House stared in apprehension. "Don't you have someone else who can do that?"

"I'm really not that close to very many people," she admitted, lowering her eyes.

"What about your sister in law?"

"We've never lived in the same state. We're not all that close," she said honestly, meeting his eyes for a moment.

"You claimed you had other doctor friends. What about one of them?"

She cringed. "I'm really not that close to anyone."

House looked at her in disbelief. Allison Cameron, the bleeding heart of Princeton-Plainsboro, didn't have close friends?

Cameron caved under House's probing stare. "I haven't been close to many people after my husband died."

She thought a moment, adding, "Except Robert, and you can see how well that went."

House frowned a bit, remembering just how unwell it had gone.

"I had friends before then, plenty of them. After he died I moved away and left them all behind. I still care about people, but only from a distance. It's kind of screwed up, truly," she said with a sad laugh, her eyes cast downward.

House made a big production of sighing and rolling his eyes. "Fine," he drew out, "I'll stay, but on several conditions."

Cameron crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, waiting for the list.

"One, I stay by your head. No exceptions! Two, I get food breaks whenever I want them. Three, you make me coffee every day from now on. Four, you buy me lunch every day for a year."

Cameron smiled. "Doesn't Wilson already buy you lunch every day?"

"Hey, I'm letting you off easy here, don't ruin it for yourself," House said in exasperation. "Now I have to add another condition to make up for it!"

"And what will that one be?" Cameron asked laughingly.

"I haven't decided yet," House said. "But it's going to be good," he cryptically added.

Cameron laughed, but then yawned. It was getting late. "Well, you think about that. I'm headed to bed." She stood and stretched her back, the discomforts of the ninth month getting the better of her.

To her surprise, House stood as well. She raised and eyebrow and he just shrugged his shoulders, following her into the bedroom. Cameron, who changed into pajamas right after leaving work these days, was ready for bed, and House just swapped his jeans for pajama pants and climbed in beside her.

They chatted aimlessly for a few minutes, but soon they were in the dark with Cameron breathing steadily and House lying in wait. When he was sure, he dragged himself close to her, molding his body around hers and whispering, "Goodnight, Allison, I love you."

-

Allison Cameron burst into House's office the next morning around 11AM. "All your charting is up to date," she said.

"Then go do your clinic hours," he said, distracted by his video game.

"They're done," she answered.

"Then do mine," he replied.

Cameron smirked. "Those are done, too."

"Then go home and take a nap," House stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Will do, boss," she said, in an uncharacteristically good mood. "Oh, one more thing," she added.

House glanced up. "What?"

"About last night," she said, trailing off.

House wracked his brain. Right. The delivery room deal. "Oh, I haven't come up with the fifth term yet," he said distractedly.

Cameron smiled softly, her eyes twinkling. "It's not that," she stated.

"Then what?" House asked, starting to get annoyed. She was distracting him from his game with all the constant blabbing.

Cameron bit her lip, but couldn't hide the smile. "I love you too," she spat out hurriedly, then disappeared down the hall in a flash.

House heard the game fanfare as his character died, but he didn't care. He was staring in shock after the woman who had just left the room.

Well, shit.

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A/N: What a nice little cliffhanger for you all! :)