Chapter 13
A/N: .:sniffs:. I wish this could go on forever, but then it would just get tedious and no one would read it.
Cameron blinked sensitively as light flooded all around her. Squinting, she sat up and gazed around her. Heaps of people were doing the same thing as she, sitting up, looking about confusedly, and realising.
Cameron looked back down at House. He was seemingly unaffected by the sudden brightness. He was the only one still asleep.
She saw Cuddy glancing around, slightly dazed.
Cameron shook House gently, striving to wake him. It didn't work. House seemed immune to outside interference of his dreams. Cameron wondered with amusement for a moment, what he was dreaming about.
Cuddy came over to help. She stood over him for a minute, then gave him a sharp kick in the side.
"Hey!" she yelled.
House woke with a violent curse at Cuddy.
"Let's go," she said, unaffected by his angry glares.
House rose with much more agility than Cameron thought possible for him.
"Excellent," he said, more cheerfully than either woman had ever seen him. He limped, not over to the exit, where they had expected him to, but to where a sale's assistant, who looked no older that 20, was unlocking a store room.
"Excuse me!" he said, jabbing him painfully in the chest. Cameron wondered why he was being so polite.
"Do you realise what you put me through?"
"M-me?" the young boy stammered.
"Well, not you, personally," House admitted roughly, "but this whole damn store!"
Wilson, Foreman, and Chase went to stand strongly beside him.
The boy looked extremely bewildered.
"How did you all get in?"
"The entrance," Wilson said, struggling not to fall asleep.
"We're not open y-" he started, but was interrupted when house slammed his cane down.
"Yet here we are!" He scratched his head mockingly. "Now how did that happen?"
The boy was looking rather pale, and extremely frightened. Cameron and Cuddy were standing apart from the crew of men. Cameron didn't like seeing this poor kid so nervous.
"I'd like to-"
"House?"
House stopped mid-sentence when he heard his name. He spun around.
"What?"
"Does it matter? Can't we just go?"
House opened his mouth, as if to say something nastily back, but to Cameron's, and his own, surprise, he shut it again, and let himself follow Cameron and Cuddy towards the outside world.
The three men standing behind him all exchanged 'Were you expecting that?' looks. They followed Cameron, Cuddy and House out of the store.
As they exited, they were almost annoyed to find everyone doing their usual Thursday routines; shoppers doing daily routines.
Cameron's stomach rumbled.
"Want to catch some breakfast?" she asked at large. The majority of them nodded eagerly.
"There's a nice place over there," Cameron said, waving vaguely. The group shrugged, and she led them only a few metres, to a small café.
Sitting down at a large table, Cameron looked expectantly up at the others, who all glanced at each other before taking their seats.
Breakfast was eaten cheerfully. Though tired, the team were extremely glad to be out of their confinement.
Light-hearted jokes passed from one to another, although Chase carefully avoided Cameron's eyes throughout the meal.
House was sitting next to Cameron and, more than once, his hand brushed casually against hers.
Cuddy, sitting next to Cameron, was directly opposite Wilson, and exchanged a grin with him.
"Got time for one last dare?" Cuddy hissed in Cameron's ear.
"Sure, why not?"
"Ask House out."
Cameron turned to look at the older woman.
"Are you mad? He'll never agree."
"He will," she replied knowingly. "And apologise to Chase."
Cameron sighed.
"Oh, fine."
Chase had looked over at the pair curiously when he heard his name, but they weren't saying anything.
He gradually lost interest and turned to chat to Foreman.
They finished up soon after that. They each had a couple of quick coffees, figuring that it would be the only thing they would be running on the entire day.
As they left, House grabbed Cameron and dragged her aside. He stood awkwardly for a moment, with his hands on her shoulders.
She looked at his firm grip warily, and he immediately let go.
"Would you go to dinner with me?" he asked quickly.
Seeing her surprise, he said,
"Would you go to dinner with me – please?"
Cameron laughed cheerfully. She wrapped her arms around House, and hugged him tight.
House looked alarmed, and stood with his arms out, uncomfortably staring at the top of her head. Cameron was laughing into him – she knew how uneasy she was making him. She nodded a yes, and smiled up at him, before turning away.
They rejoined the group, slowly making their way out.
"Do you think Cuddy would…?" House trailed off hopefully, looking around to his boss.
Cuddy sighed.
"Do you think Cuddy would what?" she asked heavily.
"Let us off work today?"
"No," she said forcefully. "Well, not you, House, you owe me 17 hours clinic duty from the past month."
House opened his mouth in protest.
"Bar this week. Someone has kindly volunteered to do yours for you." She looked pointedly at Cameron, who scowled. That wasn't part of the deal.
"The rest of you can get some sleep."
Cameron could see three of them brighten greatly, while a stormy cloud had just moved over House's head. She looked up at him sympathetically.
His eyes bore into her as he stared back at her. They asked an unspeakable question.
"Ok," she sighed. "I don't need more sleep, Cuddy. Expect me in by 8."
As she turned to leave, she remembered one last thing.
"I'm sorry, Chase," she said plainly. "I shouldn't have said what I did."
She stepped forward, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Cuddy shook her head, rolling her eyes. If anything, she'd made it worse, as anyone could see. Chase had momentarily looked startled, but was now backing away, and looking as though he expected Cameron to leap at him.
"See you tomorrow," she sang.
And with a slight spring in her step, and a grin lightening her mood, she walked out the dors of the shopping centre, ready to begin a week of clinic duty.
A/N: Argh! That's heart breaking. I hate saying goodbye.
To Chase/Cam shippers: check out the last line of this article!
Go to wikepediadotcom and search for Jennifer Morrison.
Of course, most of you probably already know this, and I'm just extremely slow, but hey…
I think it's cute!
GallopGirl: Yeah, I suppose it does just depend on the person. Cameron's one likely not to care.
Sweet as lemonz: I don't know why I'm being so mean to Chase! He seriously is my favourite character!
Paige fan: Sadly, there is the slight issue of time. It'd look weird if they were stuck there forever.
The Magic Bringer: Heh heh, you have a good point there. And also, Word doesn't allow me to leave out my u's.
Megan: Yeah…I forgot about you! Unlike Cameron, I really do have no imagination, not for things like that, anyway. And I want to continue with the main plot of the story. Ok with the email thing.
Livetoeat06: Yep, I can hear them all. Except Wilson. I don't know why. Yeesh, I could wait for this chapter…the end!