Twas the Night Before Christmas

PPTH usually had its Christmas party in the lobby of the hospital and of course, everyone was expected to attend. But this year was different. The venue was different. Everyone was dressed up and the open bar was crowded.

And House had never been more miserable in his life. As he watched various couples dancing, eating and canoodling, he sank deeper and deeper into misery. The only saving grace was watching Cameron and Chase NOT sit together. He had sensed something was going on with them for awhile but wasn't sure. He knew that she wasn't happy with Chase, and that she settled. Why did she settle anyway? Oh yeah, because I screwed up and let her go.

All he had to do was ask her out and he was sure she would've said yes, despite their disaster date a few years ago. What about the Monster Trucks? They had fun then, didn't they? Then he had to go and screw it up at their actual date. He never forgave himself for that. He was pretty sure that Cameron had forgiven him long ago. That was her nature.

He watched as she and Chase seemed to have some kind of heated argument which resulted in her storming off towards the restrooms. Downing the rest of his drink, House followed, only to be stopped by Chase.

"Let her be, House," he ordered, his hand on House's chest to stop him.

House glared at the young man with contempt, causing Chase to step back. "I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?"

"Leave her alone."

"Leave who alone?" House inquired, pretending to be confused.

"She's just upset because plans changed for Christmas day and not in her favor. She'll get over it."

"Sorry, but you seemed to have mistaken me for someone who gives a crap. May I use the washroom now, your highness?"

Chase looked embarrassed and stepped aside to let House by. When he emerged from the mens washroom, he saw Cameron wiping her eyes out in the hall.

"You okay?" he inquired, pretending not to show the concern he felt. He didn't see her cry very often, and when he did, it damn near broke his heart to pieces. At least he wasn't the reason for her tears. This time.

"Yeah," she sniffed.

"What's going on?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Nothing wouldn't turn you into a simpering idiot. Come on, let's go to the bar I'll buy you a drink."

Cameron smirked. "It's an open bar, House."

"All the better for me, then."

They took their seats at the bar and House ordered them a round.

"So spill. Trouble in paradise?"

"It's stupid. We were supposed to spend a quiet Christmas together but then he invited his mother to join us and expects me to cook a turkey. I've never cooked a turkey in my life, and I've never met his mother. I'm not the little Suzy Homemaker type."

House rolled his eyes. "Clearly. Sounds like a fun night. Not."

Cameron took a long drink.

There was laughter from the dance floor as they turned to see one of the doctors running around with a sprig of mistletoe, dangling it over every couple.

"Oh look, Dr. Hardy is up to his usual Christmas party shenanigans," Cameron laughed, grateful for the distraction. "I wonder how many he's had."

"Plenty. The man's an idiot. Speaking of idiots, where's the wombat?"

"I dunno. He stormed off somewhere and..."

Cameron was interrupted by someone standing close to her making smooching noises. They both turned to see the drunken doctor, propped against the bar waving the sprig of mistletoe over their heads.

"Pucker up, buttercup," Dr. Hardy said to House and then laughed at his own joke like it was the most hilarious thing he'd ever said.

"Take a hike, Hardy. Go have another dozen scotches and pass out in a bush somewhere."

"Not until you kiss Dr. Cameron. Rules are rules, House."

Cameron's face flushed a becoming shade of pink when House arched his eyebrow at her. "Just do it, House, and then he'll go away," she muttered.

House rolled his eyes and leaned over. "Fine," he huffed, as if it were some big hardship.

Cameron closed her eyes the minute she felt House's mouth on hers. His scruff tickled her lips and before she could really begin to enjoy it, he pulled back and smirked at Hardy. "There. Now go off and bother someone else."

Cameron, still reeling a little from the kiss, began to panic when she saw Chase closing in on House. He looked incredibly pissed off and it was obvious that he'd seen everything. The sad part was that she didn't feel the least bit guilty. It was just a quick peck under some mistletoe, after all.

Chase tapped House on the shoulder and when House turned around, his face was met with a hard right hook, knocking him off the bar stool.

"House!" Cameron shouted as she rushed to his side, but Chase grabbed Cameron's wrist and pulled her away. "We're going. Right now."

"But..."

"Now, Allison!"

Luckily Wilson and Foreman had been close by but weren't able to get there in time to stop it. They pulled House to his feet while the bartender handed them a towel full of ice.

"What the hell happened?" Wilson demanded.

"I'm okay…" House mumbled. "It's not the first time Chase has decked me, and I'm sure it won't be the last."

X X X

Later that night...

House was deep in the middle of a game of Grand Theft Auto when his home phone began ringing. Naturally he didn't answer and let the machine pick up.

"House? Are you there?"

He paused the game upon and listened. Her voice was shaking a little and he frowned.

"If you're there, please pick up."

He put down his controller and picked up the phone. "House."

"House? It's me."

"What's wrong?"

"Can you pick me up?"

"What happened?"

"Chase and I had a fight. I had to get out of there and…I just ran."

"Okay, okay relax. Where are you?"

Cameron was standing under the street lamp when he pulled up and unlocked the passenger side door for her to get in. Her hair was practically covering her face and she barely looked at him when he pulled away from the curb.

"Thanks," she said, almost too quiet for him to hear. It wasn't a long drive to House's apartment and when he parked, she got out and waited for him by the front door.

When they got inside, she sat on the couch and didn't move. He poured her a glass of Scotch and she took it, mumbled her thanks and sipped.

"What's going on?"

"I left Chase. He wasn't happy."

House nodded and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. That's when he saw it. Or rather, them. Hand prints on her neck and what would definitely be a shiner under her eye.

"Son of a bitch!" he hissed as he got up and went to the kitchen. He returned with an ice pack wrapped in a towel and pressed it gently against her eye. "He actually hit you?"

Cameron simply lowered her head and nodded slightly. "He told me if I left him that nobody would want me anyway. Not even you."

"That's a load of crap."

"Is it? You once told me you didn't like me. You couldn't have been more clear if you spat in my face."

"That was then. I was protecting myself and you...from getting hurt."

"Oh so now you like me?"

"I always have. But then you started dating Chase so I gave up on that notion."

Cameron let out a groan of frustration as she threw her hands up in despair and that's when House noticed the finger prints on her wrists as well. He grabbed her arm to take a closer look and growled. "What the hell, Cameron? How long has this been going on?"

"Not long. Or at least, not until we came back to Princeton and he saw us talking in the ER that day. After that it's like being under constant supervision. The other night at the party was the breaking point. He totally lost it."

House nodded and let go of her arm. "Well you're not going back there. You're staying here."

Cameron smiled shyly at him. "Are you sure? I don't want to bother you. I called you because I didn't know anyone else that would be up at this hour."

House smirked but nodded. "That said, I'm going to run you a bath. You need to relax a little and it will help you sleep."

"Thanks House."

He leaned in close and she could have sworn he was going to kiss her.

Except he didn't.

"You can call me Greg."

Cameron sank into the bath and let out a sigh of contentment. The man certainly knew how to run a good bath. The water wasn't too hot and he used lots of bubbles which had a pleasant lavender scent.

As she relaxed, she thought about him. He liked her, there was no doubt in her mind. But how much? He'd never come right out and say it. His actions were always stronger than his words, and drawing her such an awesome bath said he was certainly "into" her.

Her mind went back to the kiss at the party. It was a simple peck, nothing more. He could have just kissed her cheek, but he kissed her on the mouth instead. Her fingers touched her lips and she smiled. She remembered the kiss they shared a year ago when she tried to get a blood sample from him. He was definitely capable of delivering a kiss that kills. It had her wet for him for days afterward. Then she'd gone and slept with Chase to try and quell the feelings she had for House. And he was onto her game.

"Damn!" she hissed.

When the water began to cool down, she got out. The towel was soft and fleecy, and smelled like he did as she wrapped it around herself securely. After brushing out her hair, she returned to the living room where House was playing the piano. She recognized the tune as one from A Charlie Brown's Christmas and sat down to listen.

"Good bath?" He asked her, eyes still closed as he played.

"Yes, very. Thanks H...Greg."

His name seemed so foreign to her when she said it aloud.

He stopped playing and gave her a cocky grin. "Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to bed."

"Do you have an extra pillow for the couch?"

"My bed is more than big enough."

Before she could object, he was popping a Vicodin and limping down the hall. "Bedroom's this way."

Cameron went into her overnight bag and changed into a tank top and pajama pants. House had already slipped under the covers and when she climbed in, he turned the light out. He was right, the bed was plenty big enough, being a king.

"G'night, Cameron."

"Oh, so you can call me Cameron but I can't call you House?"

She heard him chuckle softly. "Sorry. Habit. G'night, Allison."

Him saying her name sounded as foreign as her saying his and she smiled as she drifted into a deep sleep.