A/N: Welp, this is the end :( We want to thank everyone for reading and for your comments :) We're going to be working on a new story in Nov so I won't be posting anything except my Romance In Mallorca story which is also hopefully going to be wrapped up shortly. Enjoy!
Chapter Nine
When they returned to their room after dinner, they were greeted with a roaring fire, rose petals scattered on the bed and a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket. Next to it, sat a bowl of chocolate dipped strawberries.
"What's all this?" Cameron asked as she moved toward the bed.
"Fancy turn-down service," House said as he discretely hung the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and locked it.
"It's amazing," Cameron said as she picked up a single rose and inhaled its scent.
House took the champagne out of the bucket, popped the cork and poured the gold liquid into two flutes. Then he grabbed a strawberry and fed it to her.
"Mmm...so good," she murmured.
House kissed her, tasting the ripe berry juice and the chocolate on her lips and her tongue as it flicked against his.
"I love kissing you, House," she murmured between kisses.
"I love you," he whispered, which made her pause and stare at him.
"Really?" she blinked in surprise.
He gestured to the room. "I thought it was obvious."
"I love you, too. I love that you finally said it. But this...you've never done this before."
"Well," he said as he stepped away. "I've never proposed before."
Cameron stared at him. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Did you think all this was just to get you into bed? I've already done that."
"House...it's much too soon for that. We only just got back together a week ago."
"Yeah, and we haven't had a fight all week. Besides, Ava needs both of us. It only makes sense to make it legal."
"I'm not saying no, just not now. I think we need to just live together first. I know you don't have any issues with that. Didn't you live with Stacy for five years?"
"Yeah, so?" he asked sullenly.
"So...I think we should do that, see how it goes before we jump into something we might not be ready for."
"You don't think we're ready?" he asked.
"No, House, I don't."
He picked up his champagne glass and walked away from her. "Fine. Whatever you want."
"House...come on, don't be like this."
"Like what?" he asked, reaching for another strawberry and popping it in his mouth.
"Don't be upset."
"Who's upset?" he asked with a shrug. Honestly, he was hurt and was reasonably sure Compassionate Cameron knew it. Damn her, anyway! He opened the french double doors that led outside to a large deck.
Sighing, Cameron followed him and gently ran her hand up and down his back. "House, talk to me."
"There's nothing to say. And besides, we didn't drive all the way out here just to talk."
"No, you made it very clear what we're here for when we arrived," Cameron said with a smirk.
"I didn't hear you complaining. It was all 'Oh God, House...harder...faster…" he reminded her.
"I'm not complaining. But I wish you'd talk to me and tell me why you're so upset. Do you want me to apologize? Is that it?"
"Apologize for what? Turning down my proposal and making me feel like a first rate jerk for even thinking you'd want to marry me?"
"I never said I didn't! I just said not now!" she protested.
"Why not now?" he demanded. "We have a six year old kid. I've loved you for years." He paused and looked at her. "Unless you really don't love me. You haven't said it."
Cameron leaned back against the railing and took his champagne glass from him. After taking a sip, she looked at him. "I do love you. I've always been in love with you, but marriage…"
"So you love me but you don't want to be legally tied to an old cripple," he said bitterly as he looked out over the dark lawn and mountains in the distance.
Cameron closed her eyes. How did it always come back to that? Opening her eyes, she looked at him. "How many times are you going to play the old crippled card with me?" she asked. "You know damn well I don't care about any of that. I don't see you that way and frankly it pisses me off that you say that when things aren't going the way you want. I married my first husband because he was sick and I didn't want him to die alone but I didn't really love him. I married Chase because I knew I couldn't have you and that he did love me. Both marriages were a mistake. To be honest, I don't need some piece of paper to let people know how much I love you. I didn't think you did, either." She drained the glass and set it on the railing.
House continued to stare out into the moonlit night. She was right. He didn't need anything to prove to anyone how much he loved her. He always thought marriage was overrated. The ring box in his pocket suddenly felt like it weighed a million pounds.
"I bought you a ring," he muttered. "Wilson helped me pick it out."
"Oh, Jesus," Cameron sighed as she leaned against him. "This was all Wilson's idea, wasn't it? The cozy B and B, the roses petals on the bed, the champagne, the chocolate covered strawberries...all so not you but so very Wilson."
"It's supposed to be romantic," he shrugged. "Isn't that what you want? Isn't that the sort of thing you like?"
"You know what I think is romantic?" she asked. "When you hold my hand in public. When you spend time with Ava so I can take a nice, long bath. I think it's romantic when you make us dinner or you play the piano just for me. I think all those things are romantic because it shows me how much you love me and our daughter."
"Wanna see the ring?" he asked.
"Changing the subject?" she teased lightly. "Sure. Show me this ring."
Pulling the ring box out of his pocket, he held it out to her. He shifted so he could see her face as she opened it.
Inside was a square cut diamond flanked by two diamonds on each side and set in a platinum band. She had to admit it was a beautiful ring and one she would choose for herself.
"It's beautiful," she told him as she looked at him. "Did Wilson choose it?"
House laughed. "No. He kept showing me rings with huge diamonds. I picked that one out. It looked like something you'd wear. The guy in the store said it's one carat total, whatever that means."
Cameron smiled. "I want to wear it. But do you really want to get married or are you asking because it's what people expect? Because you've never cared what people think."
He took the box from her and removed the ring before shoving the box back in his pocket.
"All I care about is what you and Ava think," he told her as he lifted her right hand and slid the ring onto her finger. "Wear it as reminder that I love you. We can decide about marriage later."
She looked up at him with a soft, loving smile and caressed his cheek.
"I'm about to get lucky, aren't I?" he grinned.
"Oh, very lucky," she said as she led him back inside.
He grinned as she undressed him, dropping kisses on each inch of exposed skin. Once he was naked, he reached for her but she grabbed his hands and held them down on the bed.
"No touching," she whispered against his mouth before stepping back. "Yet."
A low groan of frustration escaped him as she slowly began to undress. When she tossed her dress on the floor, he sat up and reached for her. Her skin glowed in the dim lights from the bedside lamps. All he wanted to do was strip her red bra and matching panties from her so he could make love to her.
She shook her finger at him and stepped back just out of reach. "Unh unh," she purred. "I'm in charge."
House smiled a slow, sexy smile and leaned back on his elbows. "So you plan to ravage me?"
"Oh, yes."
Cameron slowly slid the straps of her bra down her arms before releasing the clasp in the hollow between her breasts. Once it was on the floor, she approached him and pushed him onto his back. She straddled him just above his erection and leaned down to kiss him. Her rock hard nipples grazed his chest and he moaned into her mouth. She slid down his body kissing and licking his hot, damp skin. He ground his teeth in frustration when she kissed the inside of his thighs before standing up again.
"You're killing me, woman!"
Cameron merely smiled and slid her panties down her legs before tossing them on him. He lifted them and the scent of her made him dizzy.
"Oh, sweet Jesus. You are trying to kill me," he grinned.
Leaving her high heeled pumps on, she slowly lowered her body onto his. "Am I?"
Tossing the panties aside, he rolled her onto her back. She shook her head and rolled him back over.
"I'm in charge, remember?" she breathed as she stroked his cock with one finger.
"Fuck, yes, you are!"
Then she reached out to grab a condom from the bedside table, but he pulled her hand back. She looked at him in surprise.
"Our daughter wants a sister, remember?" he asked her as he trailed his fingers across her breasts.
She closed her eyes and nodded. Leaning down, she kissed him with a passion that left them both breathless. Slowly, they explored each other's bodies. Finally, she slid down on him and began to move.
House lost all coherent thought as she rode him harder. He felt her muscles clamp down on him as she threw her head back and moaned his name. Then his muscles tightened and an intense orgasm shook him.
Cameron climbed off and lay panting beside him.
"I like it when you're in charge," he gasped. "And you should always wear the shoes. The shoes are hot."
Cameron rolled over and snuggled up beside him. He pulled the covers over them both. He placed a kiss against her damp forehead.
"You and Ava make me happy," he whispered.
"You make us happy," she responded softly.
But wait...there's more!
Epilogue
House sold his apartment. He and Cameron had her house renovated and redecorated to make it their own. Ava loved having her parents together and about a year after House moved in she got a baby sister named Emma. Two years later, Ava and Emma were joined by another sister named Nicole. Shortly after Nicole's first birthday, House and Cameron were married in small ceremony at the hospital chapel.
When Ava went away to college, House retired from PPTH and took a job teaching physics at Princeton. When Emma left for college, both he and Cameron retired. When Nicole left for college, they moved to Arlington Heights in Chicago. Ava became a doctor and took over the Diagnostics department at PPTH. Emma joined the FBI and Nicole became a lawyer much to the chagrin of House. His youngest daughter took his good natured teasing in stride. The three girls settled down with loving partners and gave House and Cameron several grandchildren. They were all at House's bedside when he died and did the same for their mother when she passed away less than a year later. The most important lessons House and Cameron imparted to their three daughters were that tomorrow isn't promised, yesterday should be forgotten and to live for today.
The End