Some years later
Cameron sighed as she sank down onto the couch. She curled her legs up underneath her, tucking the oversized sweater she was wearing over her knees.
"You ok?" House asked, handing her a mug of coffee and sitting down next to her.
"Yeah, just tired." Cameron replied, snuggling up against him. House smirked.
"Parties will do that to you. Especially a party thrown by your sister."
"It wasn't so much the party; that was fun – although having a 21 year old sister makes me feel incredibly old. No, I was referring more to the crazy amount of dancing you forced me into!" Cameron protested, playfully swatting House on the arm. He held his own mug of coffee away from his body as the hot liquid threatened to spill.
"Hey, I still have about five years worth of dancing to catch up on – you better watch out. And anyway, you know you loved it really," He told her. Cameron nodded against him;
"I suppose it was one of the better evenings we've experienced lately."
"Better how?" House replied, his scandalised tone implying shock at the slight on his entertaining ability.
"Well, for starters I didn't once have to check my entire outfit for stray splodges of baby food, baby vomit or other bodily fluids…" Cameron pondered. House grinned.
"One of the highlights for me too – you have not smelt too sweet lately."
"Hey! Whose idea was it to have three children in the space of four years?" Cameron slapped House on the thigh and raising an eyebrow; implying that if House wanted to even try for more children in the future he would be careful with his words.
"Hey, I thought we already agreed – Phoebe and Anna are totally a result of my inability to keep my hands off my gorgeous wife; but Sam? You couldn't keep your hands off me that night!"
"Need I remind you that you had just declared undying love, proposed and revealed that you had had life-altering surgery in the space of about ten minutes; and also that you had done so incredibility publicly? Can you really blame me for being slightly in the mood?" House laughed loudly at Cameron's way with words.
"Ok, all three kids are my fault."
"Well, I wouldn't say fault, but yes – all three times we got pregnant were as a result of some action of yours. I'm glad we agree. Now, where were we?"
"You were listing the reasons this night has been so good. What else?"
"Well, being able to converse with mature adults about music and art and medicine, rather than trying to explain to a petulant two year old why we have to wear clothes instead of running around naked all the time. She gets that from you, you know."
"But why do we have to wear clothes? The world would be a much better place if everyone just walked around naked." House asked, toying with the hem on Cameron's sweater. She looked at him and rolled her eyes.
"That would not be a good idea, certainly not in this house."
"Not even naked weekends?" House whined, giving Cameron the puppy-dog eyes he knew she couldn't resist.
"No, Genius-Husband of mine; have you forgotten the result of our last naked weekend? Kind of small, has your eyes, goes by the name of Samuel James?"
As if on cue, the sound of a wailing child issued from a bedroom upstairs. House groaned.
"I'll go," Cameron assured him, but before she could stand the sound of a second child joined with the wails of the first. House laughed.
"You take Sam, I'll take Anna and I'll meet you in the bedroom in twenty?" He suggested with a hopeful smile. Cameron laughed.
"Make it fifteen and you've got a deal."
On the other side of town, Hayley sat down on her own couch, balancing a plate of waffles in one hand and holding two forks in another. She handed the plate to the guy next to her, along with one of the forks and without waiting for him to begin, started eating.
"So, did you enjoy your party?" Kyle asked as Hayley licked syrup from her fingers. She nodded, grinning.
"It was so good to see Allie and Greg without the kids. I mean, I love my nieces and my little guy, but it's been like 4 years! She's almost constantly surrounded by small people!"
"I think you may have had a little too much champagne." Kyle commented, reaching out to wipe away a smudge of syrup from Hayley's chin.
"Do you know, I think I may have." Hayley giggled. "You know how it always goes to my head."
"We should be careful then, if I remember rightly whenever you Cameron girls get on the champagne you end up making life-altering decisions."
"How so?" Hayley asked. Kyle smiled as Hayley continued to tuck into the waffles; almost completely oblivious to what he was saying.
"Well, last time Alison got into the champagne she ended up engaged and pregnant – remember?"
"Huh?"
"When the Wilson's got married? Seriously, how much of that stuff did you have?!" Kyle asked when Hayley looked at him blankly.
"Oh, I remember now. James and Lisa both made toasts about how if it weren't for Greg's romantic gesture at the Benefit they never would have been able to confess their true feelings and live happily ever after…right?"
"Right. Except of course we both know that it was your little gesture of swapping over place settings which really got them going, don't we?"
"Just call me the Relationship-Fairy." Hayley giggled. She leaned forward and kissed Kyle gently on the lips. "Ooh, you're all sticky."
"Actually, hun, I think that's you."
"Oh. Whoops. You want me to make more?" She asked him, gesturing towards the corner of the kitchen where the waffle maker stood amongst debris of scattered ingredients.
"I'm not so sure I trust you with electrical appliances right now."
"Probably a good thing." Hayley commented, rounding the edge of the breakfast bar and coming to stop in front of Kyle.
"What's with all this talk of engagements and weddings and stuff anyways?" Hayley asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning towards him.
"Well, I should probably wait until you're a little more sober, and therefore more likely to remember…"
"Hey! When have I ever not remembered anything, regardless of how inebriated I was when I first heard the information?" Hayley objected.
"Jeez woman, would you just shut up, I'm trying to ask you something!" Kyle said, with mock annoyance. Hayley furrowed her brow, recognising the serious tone in his voice.
"Hayley, we've been together for almost five years now. I have loved you since the very first day I saw you in that coffee shop with your sister, and I've known for a long time that you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me…?"
"Who could be calling at this hour?" Cameron asked blearily, sitting up in bed and staring at the clock on her side table. She reached for the phone.
"Hello?"
"Allie? Guess what…!"
The End