After the Fourth Wedding, Epilogue
Feb. 13th, 2007 12:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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housefic
Title: After the Fourth Wedding, Epilogue
Author: Dee Laundry
Rating: PG
Summary: Eight linked drabbles (800 words exactly)
Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four
The new immunology attending, Paul, is bright and funny and kind. Cameron stays away from him entirely, until they have to work together on a grant.
House chooses that month to be the worst possible version of himself, with a nastiness not seen since that detective and forced detox years ago. Even Wilson stays away – it’s only around his daughter that House remembers how to be human.
After he shreds Cameron in front of her first-year residents, she wants a drink, settles for a latte, and finds herself confiding in Paul.
She leaves House on a Thursday, her conscience clear.
House is angry, sarcastic, horrible to Cameron during the divorce proceedings (Paul is furious; Cameron shrugs it off), but he’s remarkably decent about custody. They agree on school years with Cameron, summers with House, and he doesn’t fight the move.
By Elizabeth’s ninth birthday, they are settled in Atlanta. Cameron loves Emory; Paul is happy at the CDC; Elizabeth has friends and hobbies, and her Dad emails every night.
House comes uninvited to their wedding, and of course brings Wilson. Elizabeth hangs on her father and dances with Uncle Jimmy, and they all laugh together before the evening is through.
As Cameron walks in the door, Liz is hanging up the phone. “Who was that?”
“Dad,” Liz replies, with the studied weariness of the almost-teen. “He wants you to call him.”
“Why?”
“He’s moving to Tampa.”
Cameron’s shocked; she can’t imagine House anywhere but Princeton. “Why?”
“Because Leah’s mom is moving.”
“Who’s Leah?”
“My little sister.”
“Your what?”
“Well, stepsister.”
“Wait. Your father’s married?”
“Yeah. Sort of. Guess they won’t be after they move.”
“You lost me, Liz. Back up to where your father married Leah’s mom.”
“He didn’t.”
“You said he did!”
“He married Leah’s dad.”
“What?”
“Uncle Jimmy.”
Shifting nervously, Cameron rings the doorbell. Liz is almost bouncing in anticipation – at the thought of seeing her father or the rumored pool, Cameron’s not sure.
Wilson opens the door, a smile on his face and a preschooler on his hip. “Liz! Cameron! Come on in; we’ll get your bags later.” The girl is staring hopefully at Liz, who bounds in, forgetting to play it cool.
Setting his daughter down, Wilson says, “Go show Liz the cookies we made.”
“Great idea,” replies Liz; Leah smiles bashfully. They walk off hand-in-hand, and Cameron almost sighs at the sisterly image that evokes.
“What do you want to know?” Wilson asks jovially. The warm weather seems to agree with him; she’s never seen him this loose and open.
It strengthens her resolve; she grabs her courage and dives in. “I heard you tell House once, just before Liz was born, that he was happy and so you had won. What did you mean?”
“Wow.” Wilson takes a step back, his hand going to his neck. “I thought I’d get, ‘Why Tampa?’ or even ‘How long?’ first.”
“Those answers would be good, too, but this I have to know.”
“Why don’t we sit down?”
This is the key, Cameron’s decided, to everything: yesterday and today, and if she can understand this, she can understand her place in House’s life. She’d like to be certain.
“House didn’t think he could be happy,” Wilson says, his eyes distant, seeing back over the years. “I swore he could. I dropped back by getting engaged to Allison, put a few things in motion, nudged here and there, and you did the rest. Et voila, happy Greg House. I won.”
Her heart drops. Everything engineered by Wilson. “It was just a game to you?”
Wilson is shocked, open-mouthed. “Never.”
“It was all about you,” Cameron says, resigned. “Not about me.”
Wilson laughs lightly. “Did you listen at all? I set it up, but you made it happen. He really loved you.”
At Cameron’s headshake, Wilson leans in closer and continues. “Look, he’d kill me for telling you this, but the night we kissed for the first time, he was upset, missing you and Elizabeth so much he was crying. Actual tears, swear to God. And I melted and wanted to comfort him… That was our first kiss. Because of you. So… thanks.”
She’s surprised at how relieved she feels.
House grabs Wilson before he can move.
“I wasn't crying. I was cranky and snappy and you kissed me to shut me the hell up. Your screwy version of the story is lame.”
“I told you a long time ago, Cameron likes lame. Now she’s happy.” He pokes House in the side and gestures toward the other room, where their daughters are admiring Cameron’s earrings. “Everybody’s happy, so you can give up a tiny bit of your rep.”
House smirks and bumps a hip against Wilson. “You’re lucky you make me so happy.”
Smiling, Wilson bumps back. “Yes, I am.”
housefic Title: After the Fourth Wedding, Epilogue
Author: Dee Laundry
Rating: PG
Summary: Eight linked drabbles (800 words exactly)
Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four
The new immunology attending, Paul, is bright and funny and kind. Cameron stays away from him entirely, until they have to work together on a grant.
House chooses that month to be the worst possible version of himself, with a nastiness not seen since that detective and forced detox years ago. Even Wilson stays away – it’s only around his daughter that House remembers how to be human.
After he shreds Cameron in front of her first-year residents, she wants a drink, settles for a latte, and finds herself confiding in Paul.
She leaves House on a Thursday, her conscience clear.
House is angry, sarcastic, horrible to Cameron during the divorce proceedings (Paul is furious; Cameron shrugs it off), but he’s remarkably decent about custody. They agree on school years with Cameron, summers with House, and he doesn’t fight the move.
By Elizabeth’s ninth birthday, they are settled in Atlanta. Cameron loves Emory; Paul is happy at the CDC; Elizabeth has friends and hobbies, and her Dad emails every night.
House comes uninvited to their wedding, and of course brings Wilson. Elizabeth hangs on her father and dances with Uncle Jimmy, and they all laugh together before the evening is through.
As Cameron walks in the door, Liz is hanging up the phone. “Who was that?”
“Dad,” Liz replies, with the studied weariness of the almost-teen. “He wants you to call him.”
“Why?”
“He’s moving to Tampa.”
Cameron’s shocked; she can’t imagine House anywhere but Princeton. “Why?”
“Because Leah’s mom is moving.”
“Who’s Leah?”
“My little sister.”
“Your what?”
“Well, stepsister.”
“Wait. Your father’s married?”
“Yeah. Sort of. Guess they won’t be after they move.”
“You lost me, Liz. Back up to where your father married Leah’s mom.”
“He didn’t.”
“You said he did!”
“He married Leah’s dad.”
“What?”
“Uncle Jimmy.”
Shifting nervously, Cameron rings the doorbell. Liz is almost bouncing in anticipation – at the thought of seeing her father or the rumored pool, Cameron’s not sure.
Wilson opens the door, a smile on his face and a preschooler on his hip. “Liz! Cameron! Come on in; we’ll get your bags later.” The girl is staring hopefully at Liz, who bounds in, forgetting to play it cool.
Setting his daughter down, Wilson says, “Go show Liz the cookies we made.”
“Great idea,” replies Liz; Leah smiles bashfully. They walk off hand-in-hand, and Cameron almost sighs at the sisterly image that evokes.
“What do you want to know?” Wilson asks jovially. The warm weather seems to agree with him; she’s never seen him this loose and open.
It strengthens her resolve; she grabs her courage and dives in. “I heard you tell House once, just before Liz was born, that he was happy and so you had won. What did you mean?”
“Wow.” Wilson takes a step back, his hand going to his neck. “I thought I’d get, ‘Why Tampa?’ or even ‘How long?’ first.”
“Those answers would be good, too, but this I have to know.”
“Why don’t we sit down?”
This is the key, Cameron’s decided, to everything: yesterday and today, and if she can understand this, she can understand her place in House’s life. She’d like to be certain.
“House didn’t think he could be happy,” Wilson says, his eyes distant, seeing back over the years. “I swore he could. I dropped back by getting engaged to Allison, put a few things in motion, nudged here and there, and you did the rest. Et voila, happy Greg House. I won.”
Her heart drops. Everything engineered by Wilson. “It was just a game to you?”
Wilson is shocked, open-mouthed. “Never.”
“It was all about you,” Cameron says, resigned. “Not about me.”
Wilson laughs lightly. “Did you listen at all? I set it up, but you made it happen. He really loved you.”
At Cameron’s headshake, Wilson leans in closer and continues. “Look, he’d kill me for telling you this, but the night we kissed for the first time, he was upset, missing you and Elizabeth so much he was crying. Actual tears, swear to God. And I melted and wanted to comfort him… That was our first kiss. Because of you. So… thanks.”
She’s surprised at how relieved she feels.
House grabs Wilson before he can move.
“I wasn't crying. I was cranky and snappy and you kissed me to shut me the hell up. Your screwy version of the story is lame.”
“I told you a long time ago, Cameron likes lame. Now she’s happy.” He pokes House in the side and gestures toward the other room, where their daughters are admiring Cameron’s earrings. “Everybody’s happy, so you can give up a tiny bit of your rep.”
House smirks and bumps a hip against Wilson. “You’re lucky you make me so happy.”
Smiling, Wilson bumps back. “Yes, I am.”