Fic: Avoiding the Christmas Secret
Title: Avoiding the Christmas Spirit.
Author: peace-and-war
Beta: spaztic-magic
Disclaimer: I don’t own House. Can I Have it for Christmas?
Pairing: House/Cameron
Rating: PG/Teen- language, themes, etc.
This was written for athousandsmiles as part of the H/C Secret Santa Challenge, who wanted in her fic:
1) A supernatural event
2) A reference to It’s A Wonderful Life
3) A happy or hopeful ending.
A/N. This has been beta’ed, but if there are any mistakes, they are mine.
PART 1
Time: 5:00pm 23rd December
She scanned the room, trying to spot someone, anyone she knew.
She didn’t really want to be here, but all department heads were supposed to be there, but at least two were missing, and she hazarded a guess at who they were.
Wilson and House.
The annual Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital Christmas Party was notorious for causing accidents, arguments and hook-ups, not necessarily in that order.
At the Christmas party two years ago, Wilson was caught, by his wife who showed up late, in his office with a nurse from Pediatrics. It was one of those things you just never talk about.
She still couldn’t see House, but she knew he was not with Wilson because Wilson walked in, with a pretty nurse on his arm. For once he was not committing adultery, that though caused her to laugh and catch Wilson’s attention.
He said something to the nurse, whom threw a very dirty glance her way, and Wilson walked over.
‘Merry Christmas Wilson. Or is it Happy Hanukkah?’
‘Either Dr Cameron. Merry Christmas.’
Wilson answered her unasked question.
‘House is hiding in his office, with his own secret stash of scotch.’
‘Ah. Who’s the nurse? She seems very jealous.’ Cameron asked with a smirk on her face.
‘That’s Natalie from NICU. She only started last week.’
‘New enough not to know your reputation?’
‘Hey!’
‘I was joking. Anyway. House stoned yet?’
‘If you want to wish him Merry Christmas, I’d go now, because I think he was planning to get completely drunk and stoned in the next two hours.’
‘Thanks Wilson.’
She walked over to the elevator and waited for it to show up. She got in the car, and pushed the ‘3’ button.
Her thoughts overtook her, how much had really changed in the two years she hadn’t worked for him?
Nothing. Nothing has changed. You’re still infactuated with him, you can’t stop thinking about him. Wilson knew you were looking for him before you even asked. Chase broke up with you because you are still in love with him. Cuddy refused to date House because of you. Nothing has changed.
She shook those thoughts out of her head. She was beginning to wish that she had accepted Foreman’s earlier offer of tequila shots, then she wouldn’t feel as scared.
Scared? Scared of what? A few emotions?
She noticed that the elevator had stopped. She walked out, pausing only sightly to give herself a split second to go downstairs and pretend this never happened.
She walked down the corridor, walking to the office she once called hers. She noticed the blinds were open.
That was a good sign, or a really, really bad one.
She opened the door, and lent against the frame.
‘Hiding from the party?’
‘No. They refused to hold the party here. I’m boycotting on principle.’ The sarcasm of his remark was blatantly obvious.
‘They have free liquor.’
‘Hmm. Getting boozed up and running into Cuddy, or not getting drunk and avoiding Cuddy. I know which one I’d choose.’
He pulled out a bottle of scotch from his desk.
‘Besides. I have my own secret stash.’
He looked at her for the first time properly. Her blonde hair was tied up, leaving tendrils curling softly around her face. She looked tired, but that was part of the territory, being an ER doctor. She was wearing tight fitting pair of jeans, and her red v neck sweater.
‘Why aren’t you at the party?’
‘Things to avoid, people to ignore.’
He glared at her.
‘Fine. Person to ignore.’
Her eyes picked a spot on the floor, in an attempt to avoid his gaze.
‘That’s better. Denial is bad for you. Causes cancer.’
Her mouth dropped open.
‘It does not! Besides, if denial causes cancer, you would be on chemo already!’
‘Touché.’
He opened his bottle of scotch, and poured himself another drink into his coffee mug. He noticed Cameron’s raised eyebrow.
‘Did you want some?’ The insincerity of the remark (But when is he ever sincere?) was obvious to her, yet she accepted.
‘Sure.’
‘Get yourself a mug then, I aren’t letting you drink from the bottle. You might get your cooties on it.’
It was obvious his Vicodin was kicking in, and it was obvious the Scotch and Vicodin were mixing.
‘Are you high?’
‘If it’s Wednesday I’m stoned.’
‘Riiiiight….’ Cameron muttered under her breath.
It was Tuesday.
PART 2
Time: 8:05 pm 23rd December
House: Drink Count- 3 Scotches, 4 Vicodin
Cameron: Drink Count- 2 Scotches
‘You can’t deny it.’ House was still at his desk, holding his scotch mug in his hands. There was drops of scotch on the table, from the rapid pouring of the drinks.
‘Deny what?’ Cameron cocked one of her eyebrows, saying non verbally ‘What the hell are you on about.’
‘That you like me.’ House retorted, the beginnings of a smirk appearing on his face.
‘Who said I was going to deny it?’ Cameron blurted out defensively. Her arms migrated to her chest, folding them in front of her to protect herself.
‘No one, it’s just in your nature.’ Why is he always right? She thought.
‘Huh?’ Cameron decided to go with the What the hell are you on about approach.
‘You’re nice. However, you don’t pass off personal information easily, yet you wear your emotions so everyone can see. You’re a contradiction. So naturally, you’d deny something about yourself just because its true.’
House finished his spiel, and put his left leg on the desk, and pulled his right one up. His pose indicated that he knew he was right, and she knew he was right, and that he wasn’t going to back down easily.
‘You are so weird when you’re drunk, and that doesn’t make much sense.’
You idiot! She chastised herself. It makes perfect bloody sense.
‘But I’m right aren’t I?’
‘Does it matter?’
Of course it mattered. It was House that was asking.
‘Yes.’
‘To you. You only care whether the answer proves you right, regardless of what it is, regardless of how it effects others, how it causes them to feel.’
She took a breath, hating herself for what she was about to say.
‘But… you are right.’
They both felt the awkward silence that filled the room.
Cameron suddenly heard a knock at the door, she jumped a mile.
‘You’re being missed, both of you.’ Wilson announced, his head being the only thing which crossed the threshold.
‘First of all I was never there, so I can’t be missed. Secondly, I’m never there so I can never be missed.’
‘Right. Anyway, Dr Cameron- you are being missed.’
Cameron took a wild stab at who was missing her, and she feigned a smile and replied to Wilson.
‘Yeah, okay, I’ll be down soon.’
‘Fine. But if you’re not…’ Wilson mimed a throat being cut, and walked away down the hall.
‘You really suck at lying don’t you?’
‘Yep. But I’m still not going back.’
‘You know if you don’t go back, the whole hospital is going to be talking about it for a week.’
‘Eh. Some day’s I couldn’t care less.’
‘But a hangover and a ruined reputation aren’t the best things to go together.’
‘Don’t worry, my reputation has been ruined a lot more than this.’
House looked at her.
‘Like I’m going to tell you anyway.’
He kept staring at her.
‘Alright! I’ll tell you. College, senior year. Varsity Volleyball team. I had the meanest serve of everyone on the
team, so I was always put in the position that would serve last, so we could hopefully win the game. But, that’s beside the point. ‘
She took a breath, wondering how she was going to word one of the worst times she had in college.
‘Anyways. There was this guy, who played for the opposition’s male varsity Volleyball team. A party happened the
night before the big game, I got drunk, he tried to lure me.. well yeah, and then he took pictures of me trashed to
use as ammunition. My coach got the photos next morning, I was banned from the match, and we lost the game.
My school hated me so much.’
‘No so innocent are you Cameron?’ House asked.
‘Who said I was innocent?’
A smile appeared on her face, and it was obvious that House was disconcerted by it.
He wasn’t used to this side of Allison Cameron.
PART 3
Time: 1:03 am Christmas Eve
House: Drink Count- 3 Scotches, 4 Vicodin, 3 tequila shooters
Cameron: Drink Count- 2 Scotches, 4 tequila shooters
‘Tequila tastes like shit.’ House was very drunk by now. It was obvious that he wasn’t able to hold his liquor very well, or hold tequila very well.
‘No, the tequila you stole from the bar downstairs tastes like shit.’
2 Hours Previously
‘We’re outta booze.’
‘So? Downstairs has liquor.’
‘Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?’
‘Stealing liquor that has already been paid for? No.’
House and Cameron made their way dramatically down the stairs, into the lobby where the function was being held. Cameron went over to talk to a slightly tipsy Cuddy, and House silently and quickly leant over the bar and reached under and took a bottle of tequila, and limped back towards the elevator. Cameron saw him make a break for it and followed him to the elevator.
‘Ooo. Cynical. Cameron, are you drunk?’
‘Are you a dick?’ She was playing his game, the state the obvious game.
‘Don’t know. I have one though.’ The grimace across Cameron’s face became apparent with each passing second until she announced- ‘I’m going.’
‘Where?’
‘Home.’
‘Why?’
‘This conversation got way too grotty and personal all at once.’
‘I’ll come.’
‘Fine. I’ll walk, you glide.’ Cameron said, exasperated. All she wanted to do was pass over the holidays, either drunk or hungover. Seeing as she was already drunk, now was the perfect time to leave.
‘But I haven’t got my wings.’ House whined. Cameron’s eyes widened. She had no idea that House knew what movie she quoted, let alone be able to retort with another line from it.
‘Seen A Wonderful Life then have you?’
‘My mother loved it.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. She’d watch it every Christmas Eve, she still does. When my father was out I’d join her. He thought a man shouldn’t watch a sappy Christmas movie.’
House went silent, he’d divulged too much personal information about himself. This was why he didn’t like company when he was drunk. He was a very chatty drunk, but if no one was around, he didn’t have to talk to anyone.
‘I’m going to my car.’
‘You are too drunk to drive.’ House answered back. ‘I don’t want you to crash my skinny ass all over the road.’
‘Right. Then Captain Obvious, what do you suggest we do?’ Cameron was starting to get annoyed with his state the obvious game. Yes she was slightly drunk, and in no capacity to drive.
‘Taxi.’
‘At this time of night? Better off sleeping off the hangover in the hospital.’
‘Yeah, and deal with a headache yelling at me and a hangover. Fun.’
Cameron grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and rang the taxi company.
‘They are ten minutes away.’
‘Great.’
Cameron started pacing around the snow covered car park. She looked at the ground and did a double take.
‘Hoof-prints.’ She whispered. Her mind went back to the time she was married. Dan’s last Christmas.
‘C’mon Allison! Get in the sleigh!’ Dan and his friends Joe and Leigh had organised a Christmas Eve sleigh ride through out the town. The horses had fake antlers on their bridles and bells on the tack.
‘I’m coming, I’m coming!’ Allison climbed into the sleigh, and then Joe signalled for the horses to go.
Every step the horses took, the bells started ringing.
This was the second last time she saw Dan truly happy.
‘Frozen in place have we?’ House’s voice broke through her reminiscing.
‘No. Just thinking.’
House looked down at the hoof-prints, and noticed the tears that had accumulated in Cameron’s eyes.
‘Hey, they’re just hoof-prints.’
‘Yeah. How’d they get there though?’
‘Dunno. Santa?’ House put out there.
‘Right.’
‘Allison Cameron?’ The taxi guy had come whilst she was reminiscing and had parked twenty metres away from them.
‘Yep.’ She started to walk towards the taxi. She turned around and asked.
‘Are you coming?’
House started limping towards the taxi, the snow seeping though his trainers and melting.
‘Who’s getting dropped off first?’
‘He is.’ Cameron replied.
‘Dude, address?’
‘221 Baker Street.’ House replied.
The ride to House’s apartment was uneventful, nobody talking or moving. Cameron was staring out the window, and House had chosen a very dirty piece of chewing gum stuck in the carpet to look at.
‘We’re here.’
House handed some money to the taxi driver and got out of the car. He shut the door and began to walk away.
Cameron looked out the window again, when she heard the door open again.
‘Merry Christmas Cameron. We should make this a regular thing, getting wasted on Christmas.’
‘Deal. Merry Christmas House.’
This time he shut the door, and watched the taxi drive away. Cameron was glad that she was looking out the window, otherwise he would have seen the big smile appear on her face, the one that lit up her eyes. She didn’t want him to know that a simple thing like getting wasted with him could make her happy. But, being House he probably already knew that, and did it to make her happy.
FIN