Foreword.
Hordes at the door, I declare implore, me, a sequel to right.
With fear of life, I deter to strife as I sit, and begin to write.
Fear not, I now tell you, this is not my new venue
Only a means to declare the deeds of my stories' continue.
Though the rhyme is mine, please be kind, as you read this and shutter
I promise in prose, I will compose, the tale I shall utter.
The characters are not mine, in any frame, shape,or kind, only used for pleasure.
In the new tale, don't turn pale, as I attempt to be cleaver
If you only knew, as you read and review, the inspiration you render
Thanks to all, I do applaud each and every sender.
CBB
Chapter 1: The Snark
"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."
The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll
The clock struck. Gregory House, a part of his mind lost in the music he was playing, glanced to the mantel. Midnight. He tensed slightly. She said she would be home before midnight. Turning his attention back to the piano, he let his fingers flow through a Goldberg Variation. So consumed was he in the music, House hardly noticed as the presence of another person quietly entered the darkened room. Looking up from the keyboard, he could not stop the smile which crept across his face.
'I thought I put you to bed,' he said quietly as he continued to play.
Large blue eyes stared at him questioningly as the cherub face of his fourteen month old daughter appeared in the pool light cast from the lamp. Clutched to her tiny body was a tatter rabbit with long, flopping ears. Her father's tee-shirt she was wearing as a night gown flowed behind her as regal regalia. House stopped playing and looked intently at his tiny daughter, who he noticed, had her thumb in her mouth. The rims of her eyes were red and puffy.
'Did you have a bad dream?'
The child nodded her head, causing her thin, light brown ringlets to cascade across her shoulders. 'Mommy?' came a trembling childish voice.
House smiled broadly at his daughter, his eyes softening as he held out a hand to her.
Reacting to his invitation, the little girl toddled towards the bench of the piano. Once there she carefully held out her arms so her father could scoop her up. Once she had nestled into his lap, she placed her small head against his chest, and clutched the rabbit closely to her.
House could smell the soft baby scent of his daughter as he held her in his arms. 'Are you going to tell daddy how you got out of your crib?' House asked, glancing down at the tiny girl. She looked up, her eyes meeting his, and blinked. Realizing she either wasn't going to answer, or didn't understand his question he tried a different tactic.
'You know little girls are supposed to be asleep now, don't you?'
He felt the little head nod against his chest. 'Mommy?' came a questioning reply.
'Mommy's not home, it's still just you and Daddy.'
The little face looked into his, 'Mommy?' House rolled his eyes. 'No, Daddy. Mommy is still at the hospital.'
'Os pid el,'
'Yes, at the hospital.' House felt the child move in his lap, her little hand reaching for his shirt pocket. Reaching into the pocket, he pulled out a pacifier and held it in front of his daughter. 'You can have this, but we're not going to tell mommy about it, ok?'
Her eyes lit at the sight of her paci. Before House knew it, a little hand had snatched it from his grasp and plopped it in the child's mouth. House grinned, 'Can't say you have an oral fixation, can we?'
House winced, his leg was beginning to hurt, but the way his daughter was laying in his lap, he could not retrieve his bottle of Vicodin. Adjusting his grip, he moved to lift his daughter and stand.
'NO,' the cry was loud making him jump. Tears began welling into the little girl's eyes as two little fist grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Okay, okay, daddy will just be in pain. Will that make you happy, Daddy just sitting here and holding you, while he's in pain?'
The grip on his shirt relaxed and the little head nodded against his chest. 'Can you move a little and sit on Daddy's other leg?' He felt her entire body tense, preparing to scream if he so much as thought of moving her. House sighed, and kissed the top of his daughter's head. 'Maybe mommy will be here soon.'
Leaning forwards a little, House discovered even with his daughter in his lap, he could still touch the keyboard on the piano. 'Do you want daddy to play for you?' The little head nodded.
As House began to play, he realized three things. The first was his little daughter was drifting off to sleep. The second was, if he attempted to stop playing, her head instantly shot up from its place against his chest, and asked the inevitable 'Mommy?' Knowing he did not want to deal with a screaming baby for the rest of the night, House continued to play one lullaby after another, debating the third thing which had come to his realization. He was in great pain. Some how, he thought, if I concentrate on the baby and the music, I can hold off till Cameron comes home. Then, I'll swallow the entire bottle of Vicodin and roll around on the floor till I pass out. Glancing at the clock on the mantel, House quietly cursed. Quarter to one, where is mommy?
By the time one-thirty rolled around, House was in agony. His arms ached from trying to play the piano and hold his child simultaneously, his leg had settled in to a teeth grinding throb, and his back was aching from lack of support. Finally deciding the risk of hearing his baby scream for the rest of night, was a better option than the pain in his leg, House stopped playing.
'So far so good,' mumbled House, wrapping his arms around the bundle in his lap. 'Damn, I can't move.' His leg had locked. The only way he was going to stand, House discover, was if his daughter was off his lap; even then he knew it was going to take maneuvering awkwardly and several minutes of standing and stretching to recover the limited function he had of his leg. 'damn, damn, damn.'
'Greg! I don't care if she is a sleep, I don't want you cussing around the baby,' snapped Cameron from behind him. Moving to his side, Cameron bent forward and lifted her daughter in to her arms, the cherub head snuggling instinctively into its mother's shoulder.
'She's been sitting on my Vicodin for over an hour and a half,' hissed House angrily as he fished in his pocket for the bottle of pills. 'I'm pain, and I don't care who knows it.' Removing the lid from the bottle, he dry swallowed three of the pills.
'Three?' hissed Cameron as quiet as she could, so as not to wake the baby.
House gave her a loathsome look. 'Yes, Dr. Cameron, three.' Closing the cover on the keyboard, House placed his hands flat on the top of the piano and forcefully pushed himself up into a standing position. He flinched and closed his eyes at the pain radiating through his body.
'Are you alright?' asked his wife in half annoyance and half concern.
'No, damn it, I'm not,' snapped House a little too loudly causing his daughter to stir. Sweat covered his brow as House grasped his cane and applied pressure to his leg.
Cameron turned to leave the room, 'Let me put the baby down before you wake her. I can't help you if I'm holding her.'
House watched her go, making faces at her retreating form. Flexing his leg a little, he willed the Vicodin to take effect. Tentatively, he took a step. He almost screamed as he gulped down the sharp pain. House knew he had to get his leg working. Glancing at the piano bench, he saw his daughter's rabbit lying in the floor and cursed. Slowly and painfully he picked up the stuffed toy. Steeling himself, House took a deep breath and followed his wife down the corridor.
By the time House had made it to the nursery, Cameron had placed the baby in its crib and covered it in blankets. Turning around, she was surprised to see him standing in the doorframe. He was pale from the excursion of the short trip from the living room. Raising his hand, he flapped the rabbit at Cameron, before tossing it to her. 'We both know what happens if she wakes up and doesn't have Wopples.'
Catching the rabbit, Cameron tucked it under her daughter's arm. Satisfying herself, her daughter was sleeping peacefully; she moved to leave the room only to find her husband blocking her way.
'Where have you been?' hissed House, irritation and worry evident in his voice.
'Not here,' replied Cameron, reaching out to turn House towards their bedroom, 'you're going to wake the baby.'
'I want to know where you've been.'
'At the hospital.' Cameron laid her hand on his back, forcefully encouraging him to cross the hallway.
'I can make it,' griped House. He could feel the Vicodin.
Once inside their bedroom, Cameron flipped on a light before removing her coat, and sitting heavily on the side of the bed. She looked up and watched her husband flexing his leg, grimacing in pain, as she removed her shoes. 'I'm sorry. I got here as fast as I could. '
'Tell that ass-hole you're working for you have a baby at home.' House had not meant for his statement to sound as vicious as it did, but he could tell from the look on Cameron's face she was taking it as a personal attack on her.
'I wouldn't be working for him if it wasn't for you.' There was fire in her eyes as Cameron headed into the bathroom, removing her blouse and bra.
'Yeah, sure Allison, blame me again.' He pointed at her with his cane. "You were there too.'
'You talked me into it.'
'You have had just as many fantasies about that conference table as I have.' He watched as Cameron scowled at him as she removed her pants, and waded them into a ball. 'How the hell was I supposed to know Cuddy was going to walk in, in the middle of us having sex?'
Cameron reached behind the bathroom door and jerked the old tee-shirt of House's she used as a gown from its hook. 'You could have locked the door Greg.'
'I thought I had.'
'Well you didn't,' there was venom in Cameron's voice as she started throwing decorative pillows from the bed to the floor. 'So now you are going to have to deal with me being transferred into another department and working the hours they assign me; even if it's half the night.'
'You can't,' snapped House, trying to dodge the pillows which were oddly flying in his direction. 'We have a baby who needs her mother. Did you tell them you were breastfeeding?'
'Yes I did. Don't you think I would rather be here?' Cameron stood, her face set, arms crossed across her chest.
House met his wife's gaze and held it for a moment before looking away. He sighed deeply before limping towards her. 'I know. You don't have to tell me.' He reached out and began stroking Cameron's arm. 'I know this is miserable.'
Pulling away from him, Cameron stooped and pulled back the covers of the bed, climbing inside their beckoning embrace. House stood next to the bed staring down at her.
'Are you going to be this way every night you work late or is tonight a special occasion? Did something happen at the hospital, a patient tank, or what?'
'No Greg, I'm just really tired and want to go to sleep.'
'Liar, you're mad at me about something. I know that look.' He limped to the bathroom and peered on to the back of its door.
'What are you doing?' called Cameron watching him from the bed.
'Counting the days from the last time you hated my guts,' quipped House. 'and according to this calendar you shouldn't start PMSing for another week.'
'Wrong again!'
Pulling his head from behind the door, House looked at Cameron. 'What you've got PMS now? Give me a sec to hide all the sharp objects.'
Cameron snorted angrily, 'Don't bother,'
'What do you mean?'
Sitting up in the bed and throwing back the covers in agitation, Cameron stared at House incredulously. 'I mean I won't be hating you in a week's time, because I'm hating you now.'
House moved away from the bathroom towards the bed, the expression on his face unreadable.
'That little stunt of yours on the conference table. You know, 'Allison please, it's my birthday. Allison, no one will know, I promise I'll lock the door. Allison, please, you know you want to as much as I do. Allison, I know you have always fantasized about this as much as I have.' Cameron glanced at her husband. House was standing perfectly still, the light from the bathroom sending a halo effect around his body.She could see hurt in his eyes. 'I should have never let you talk me into it.'
'Oh please, Cameron,' there was annoyance in his voice; 'you have had fantasies about every surface in that office and you know it.'
'Greg,... I'm pregnant again.'
House blinked. 'Are you sure?'
'Yes.'
'How long?'
'Six weeks. I saw my obstetrician this morning and from what she tells me, Cuddygot to witnessthe creation of our next child.' Tears welled into Cameron's eyes as she turned on her side away from House. 'If you hadn't been so damn persistent this would have never happened.'
House moved and sat gingerly on the side of the bed, wondering if he should touch her or not. A full two minutes went by before he dared to speak.
'What are you saying exactly? Aren't you happy we're going to have another baby?'
Rolling onto her back, Cameron looked at House, their eyes locking. 'No.'
House blinked in surprise, uncertain what to think or say. 'You said you wanted more.'
Cameron could feel frustration welling up in her. 'I want more children, but not right now. The baby isn't even out of diapers and I'm already knocked up with the next one. I haven't gotten my figure back; I'm going to have more stretch marks, and lets just not to mention all of that horrible morning sickness.'
'Are you trying to tell me you don't want it?' House had asked the question so quietly Cameron was not certain he had said it.
The silence in the room was deafening, as Cameron considered what her husband had asked her. 'I don't know what I think Greg. I mean, I want another baby, but'
'Then what's the problem?' shrugged House in confusion as he interrupted her train of thought.
Rubbing her hand across her face, Cameron tried to search for the right words. She could see House emotionally withdrawing from her, and she was experienced enough as a wife to know she had emotionally injured her husband's pride. Sitting up in bed, Cameron reached for his hand.
'Don't think I don't want your baby because I do. I just…,' she hesitated, 'I just wanted to wait for a while until we tried for another one. This isn't the right time.'
House didn't answer. He shifted his body slightly away from her and rested his chin on the top of his cane.
Oh shit, thought Cameron, Now I've done it. 'Greg?'
He ignored her.
'Greg, don't think I'm going to do something stupid and abort it or anything. Deep down, I really want this baby. I'm just surprised to be pregnant again.' Why are you acting this way Allison? Why? 'Greg, look at me.' Tears were forming in her eyes again. 'Greg?'
House pulled his hand from hers and placed it under his chin atop the cane. His eyes were glazed as he stared at the light falling across the floor from the open door of the bathroom.
Cameron climbed to her knees behind him, wrapping her arms firmly around his shoulders and waist. 'Greg. Don't. I'm just really exhausted. I don't know what I'm saying.'
When he didn't respond, Cameron let her hands travel across his chest, gripping his shirt in to her fist, much as their daughter had done hours before. 'Greg, please. I'm an idiot. I've had a bad day, I have some asshole coming in tomorrow for the interim director position and everything is just mad. I've had a horrible day and I'm taking it all out on you.'
Burying her head into his neck, Cameron began to kiss him gently, 'Give me time, I'm just surprised about the new baby.' Tracing the line created by the collar of his shirt, Cameron tenderly kissed him from one ear to this next. Not receiving a reaction, she began massaging his chest with her hands pushing up his shirt to feel his skin. Pressing her breast hard into his back, she bit lightly at his neck and throat. Cameron could feel herself becoming aroused.
Squirming around House's body, she reached for his cane and removed it from his grasp, letting it drop on the floor. Pulling House back till he was lying on his back on the bed, Cameron maneuvered herself so her legs and body were straddling his. Unbuttoning House's shirt and pushing it off his shoulders, Cameron dropped her head and let her tongue begin to explore House's chest, teasing his nipples. Letting her mouth wander, she worked her way across his stomach. While trying to pull loose the belt of his pants with one hand, Cameron worked her way back up his body using her teeth and tongue to lightly and playfully leave little kisses in her wake. Raising her head to his mouth, Cameron kissed House deeply, letting her tongue explore his mouth as she began to move herself against him.
Two strong hands slide up the sides of Cameron's body and stopped holding her firmly in place. Looking up, Cameron's eyes met House's. Without saying a word, House gently lifted his wife and turned to lay her on the bed. The look of hurt on his face and in his eyes was unmistakable. Sitting up, House pulled his shirt across his shoulder and bent towards the floor to pick to up his cane. For a second he sat there, again staring into space, then, turning his head, he looked a Cameron. 'You need some rest.'
Standing, House walked to the bathroom and flipped off the light before heading towards the bedroom door.
'Greg? Where are you going?'
House stopped, his eyes were glazed as he turned towards his wife, 'I want to check on the baby.'
'Are you coming back to bed?' asked Cameron, in confusion.
For several moments House didn't answer, he just stood looking at the floor. Finally, as if making a huge decision, he lifted his head and looked across the open doorway to his daughter's room. 'No.'
The word was almost inaudible.
Author's Notes
OK. What did you think? A bit longer than my last story, but I plan on really developing this one and not writing it over a period of six days as I did last time. That's right, Clinic Duty, six days. Obviously this time, I will try better at finding typos and such.
You also need to know, I am going to try to intergrade Lewis Carroll's Hunting of the Snark (which, like House, I have absolutely no rights to) into the story. (If you haven't read The Hunting of the Snark, you really should.) I hope it works for what I am planning.
So, here is all you are getting right now. House and Cameron have been married for three years, have an fourteen month old daughter (I am taking suggestions for her name), they were caught on the conference table in the throws of passion, Cameron had been transferred into the immunology department (and will be getting an interesting new boss), and she and House are about to have some marital difficulties due to the unexpected pregnancy. Have I got you hooked yet? Let me know! I really want to hear what you have to say.
CBB
PS. don't forget names for the baby!
PPS. This may end up as a M by the time it is over.